When Technical Support is Too Helpful

by GamingWolf

Rating: mature
Tags: Adventure, Princess Celestia, Alternate Universe, Human, Sad, Main 6, Princess Luna, Gore, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Other, Romance, Sex
Length: 42194

Sequel to Beautiful Rainbows, Unicorns, and Rainbow Unicorns

Relationships are explored, history, lore, adventure, and a new evil awakens. With the obelisk returning Grey and the others home, they unexpectedly bring Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, the Mane Six, and Amy along with them. Caught between a war of Gods and Devils, how will the ponies fare? How come that moon looks so familiar? Will the ponies ever return home?

Published 2016-02-18 12:20:03 UTC
Last updated 2016-09-12 04:16:13 UTC

One

Coughing, Dash felt her stomach turn upside down, vertigo and nausea crashing down on her like a ton of bricks. Her magenta eyes opened and stayed open, staring at the new scenery: the sky was a sickly crimson sea with black cresting clouds; a bleak, dry, landscape stretched out towards jagged mountains; all the grass had dried up and the wind picked up brown, depleted soil, tossing the dirt into the air. Her heart pounded against her chest, threatening to break free. She heard sounds behind her. When she turned to see the sounds, she did not expect to see humans crumpled haphazardly on the ground.

"What... what happened?" she heard a familiar voice escape from a female human with long lavender hair with pink highlights.

Dash quickly gave herself a look-over. Much to her horror she was not in her furry, blue pegasus body: she was pale and had two strange lumps protruding from her chest, had hands and fingers that extended from her arms like Grey, and she had on loose, tattered clothes. More groans and moans brought her conscious back to her unfortunate reality.

She recognized the several female bodies behind her as her friends and princesses by their hair. Princess Celestia was struggling to stand, her long, tetrad-colored hair flowing over her alabaster, slender shoulders. The Princess also wore the same tattered clothes.

Twilight groaned. Her brain pounded against her skull. She inhaled sharply, gasping at the new world she was in: an ominous red sky loomed above her, blotched with black clouds; no grass grew, all that remained was dust; and the towering, sharp mountains in the distance. She felt a strange energy hum around her and through the dirt. She stretched out her hands, only taking moments to reacquaint herself with her human body and wings. Wings? Lilac wings popped out of her back. Finding no horn on her forehead shocked her the most. How could she have wings but no horn?

"That was unexpected," she heard Grey comment beside her.

"An understatement if I ever heard one," Onyx joked.

She saw the two men standing to the right, observing their surroundings with somber expressions.

"This," Grey reached down to grab the rancid soil in his hand, "can only mean one thing."

A sudden, loud cry of anguish broke across the land. Everyone snapped their head at the mournful wail behind them to see Darqlon, with his right hand thrust into the soil and black wings draped across his back. He pulled up the chunk of earth into his hand, clenching his fist, crumbling the dirt, slowly rising to his feet. Fueled by rage and sorrow his eyes burned hotly.

"He," Darqlon rasped, his breathing ragged, "Will. Pay. HE WILL PAY!" he shouted with flared wings. His crimson eyes focused on Grey, "He  he needs to die  permanently." With that, Darqlon headed for the mountains with determined, vengeful steps.

"Shouldn't we stop 'im?" Applejack asked, dusting herself off.

"No. We are going to help him," Grey answered and added, "His soulmate, Næschwäā, is the Goddess of Nature. If the world is barren like this... that could only mean she is dead."

"What are we going to do?" Fluttershy squeaked, her turquoise eyes wide.

"Kill Mystin of course," Onyx stated matter-of-factly.

"This is all so new to us," Luna said, trying to adjust to her new body.

Grey was at her side, gently helping her up, "We will have plenty of time to inform you about the situation on the way to workshop," he smiled.

Kyllgorr sat up suddenly. The weight on his legs had been a petite girl with shoulder length red hair.

"Killy..." he heard her mumble in her sleep, a slight smile on her pink lips.

"Amy?" he cautiously placed his hand on the small of her back, his thumb and pinkie almost reaching her sides.

She yawned and stretched, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she turned to the deep voice of her beloved, "What time is it?" Her amethyst eyes sparkled up at him.

"Now, don't panic," he began, "we are not in Equestria anymore and you aren't a pony."

"Oh, okay," she replied sleepily and laid her head back on his leg. The realization of his words suddenly dawned on her. She sat up and stared at her new hands in awe, a wide grin plastered on her face.

"I know it's a shock, but I will find a way to--" he was interrupted by a squeal and arms around his neck.

"Oh, Killy!" she shouted with glee, squeezing his neck, "This... this is a dream come true!" She held his surprised face in her hands and planted him with a passionate kiss.

"Get a room," Dash commented as she got to her wobbly feet. "Whoa!" she interjected as she fell. A hand on her back helped to steady her. She saw Onyx grin at her. Her face went scarlet, "Thanks..."

Onyx chuckled, his sapphire eyes smiling, "Don't worry. You'll get the hang of it in no time."

"Y-yeah," she stammered.

Princess Celestia spoke up after situating herself, "Excuse me, Grey, do you know why we are here or what happened?"

"Not a clue," Grey admitted, "My sister just told me to use my obelisk and the universe will restart to the beginning."

Celestia was deep in thought, "As much as I am opposed to violence, killing this 'Mystin' should return us home?"

"Not sure," Onyx input, "But it sure as Hell would make me feel better."

Grey studied his bleak surroundings, "I doubt killing him will take you all back home and I further doubt that killing him would mean the end of the war."

"We just need to take things one step at a time," Luna reassured Grey with a smile and hug.

Heaven

Mystin sat on the corrupted gold throne of his father, sitting across from his father's daughter. A chessboard atop a low pedestal separated the siblings. He wore his regal purple cloak, shriveled gold crown, scepter, and sinister grin. Dèshū smoothed out her dress as she sat on her Bone Throne, her chin held up by her hand resting on the armrest, with a bored expression.

"Last game, honest," Mystin spoke.

Dèshū sighed and flipped a large pink curly pigtail in annoyance, "I have won the past 112 games, brudder."

"This time, how about we play for larger stakes?" Mystin offered with a sly smirk.

Her ruby eyes flashed as she leaned onto the chessboard, "I'm listening, brudder," she grinned.

Two

Stars sparkled and shimmered in the night sky, darkened slightly by the eerie crimson atmosphere. Fire crackled, its blue flames licking the stones that fenced it in the shallow pit, courtesy of one Onyx the dragon. He sat beside the fire lost in his thoughts and watching the others: Grey was teaching the alicorns and unicorns how to use their magic, Kyllgorr was teaching Pinkie, Dash, and AJ how to defend themselves, which left Fluttershy and Onyx to their own devices.

Speaking of Fluttershy, Onyx would be lying if he said she was not attractive. He had to tear his lecherous gaze away from her more than once. Her long legs; soft, creamy skin; bountiful chest (only rivaled by Celestia's); lithe body; full lips; cute button nose; perfect, pink, flowing hair that hid her marvelous teal eyes; which when she glanced up at him, immediately triggered the predator within him. She hugged her knees as she sat by the flame trying to keep the chilly air at bay.

Fluttershy mulled over her thoughts about her animal friends back home. Worried whether or not they were alright and had plenty of food and water. Price's description of his planet made her imagine a much more beautiful place than what she was experiencing.  Tears began to well up in her eyes. Crunching dirt and approaching footsteps caught her attention. She turned behind her to see Darqlon advance slowly. Her heart jumped into her throat. She saw Onyx stand up in alarm.

"What's the news?" Onyx asked, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Grey's workshop got destroyed," Darqlon answered with his raspy voice, his eyes slightly pink and puffy.

"Fucking a," Onyx groaned, "I'll go tell him."

Darqlon drew closer to the fire and watched Onyx head towards Grey and the others. His crimson eyes fell to the trembling pink haired female to his right. Her eyes stared at him in horror. After what Grey had told them what happened back home, during their trek, Fluttershy did not want to be left alone with such a terrible being. Onyx's interruption to Grey's training did not go unnoticed by Kyllgorr's group. When Dash cast an uninterested glance towards the fire, her eyes locked onto her frightened friend and the man responsible for the Changeling attack.

"Get away from her!" Darqlon heard someone yell.

Coupled by the sound of running, he glanced up to see a rainbow haired girl charging at him. She had a sneer on her face and her fists balled. He grunted, unamused. Dash swung her fist at Darqlon but only hit air. She felt a hand on top of her head which kept her out of reach.

"I am not here to fight... children," Darqlon grated and pushed the girl back. She stumbled and fell to her back.

Dash sat up quickly to launch herself again at the traitor but a hand on her shoulder kept her back. She noticed Kyllgorr shaking his head.

Kyllgorr narrowed his saffron eyes at Darqlon, "You are dead to me and the dead do not warrant acknowledgement."

Darqlon ignored him and turned his attention to the night sky. A new moon hid only slightly out of view behind Solaria, the moon named after his mother. With Dash's help, Kyllgorr ushered the two Equestrians over to the spot his other two new pupils waited.

Grey approached Darqlon, "How was it destroyed?"

"By fire," Darqlon responded, "Everything was looted."

Grey rubbed the short fuzz along his jaw, "Looks like we need to head to one of my vaults."

"Looks like it," was Darqlon's deadpan response. His eyes met with Celestia's for a second over Grey's shoulder before she turned away.

"Too bad you can't fly."

"Yes," Darqlon shifted his wings, "but at least that gives me hope. It means Mystin only blocked our powers."

"He always was quite smitten with Næschwäā so I doubt he would have killed her," Grey thought out loud.

Darqlon sighed in annoyance, "I am sure you have noticed the sky," he said, changing the topic, "multiple Hell Gates have opened on the surface."

"Yeah," Grey cracked his knuckles, "He is not going to make this easy on us."

"He always liked having others do his work for him."

She noticed her sister's rigid stance and knew something was bothering Celestia  her self alienation from the group rand an alarm. Luna placed her hand gently on Celestia's shoulder, "Speak to us, sister," Luna said with concern.

Celestia huffed and glanced sideways at her sister with watery eyes, she rubbed her absently before speaking, "How could I have been so..." Celestia searched her mind to find the right word.

Her sister aided her blatantly, "Stupid?"

Celestia heaved a heavy sigh, "Yes. Stupid."

"He is a very powerful being and was obviously manipulating you," Luna affirmed.

"It felt real..." Celestia commented downtrodden.

For the moment Luna held her sister in her arms lovingly.

In order to pass the time and to ignore the gut-wrenching hunger pangs, Grey told the Equestrians about the history of his universe.

Solaris and Solaria, the Father and Mother of Creation, respectively. Solaris spoke, “Darkness, come into existence.” And there was Darkness. Solaria named the Darkness, Kūàdoi, “Shadow” and he was Their son. Solaris spoke, “Light, cling to Darkness, but never let it overcome you and the Darkness shall bend to your will.” Solaria named the Light, Lyt, “Light” and she became Their daughter. Solaris created Space, to contain both the Darkness and Light.

Darkness and Light began to fight over the bounds of their realm, but no matter how strong they pushed against each other, they could not overpower the other. Solaris exploded in anger and filled Space with fragments of Him. Darkness and Light stopped fighting and made peace with each other.

Solaris created the First Force: Gravity, stating, “Gravity is my Will, which brings things together.” Solaria created the Second Force: Balance, saying, “With Balance, your Will can not crush the weak and will have an equal amount of Force.”

Solaria created rock, to float around the fragments of Solaris. He objected at first but Solaria convinced him to accept it. Solaris called the rock, Āshū, “Earth”, and she became Their daughter. Solaris grew weary of turning Space alone, so He created the Third Force: Time, stating, “Time will continue my work, indefinitely, and shape Space with the other Forces.”

Space was becoming overcrowded with stars, planets, and other celestial bodies, so Solaris created Heaven, where He, His wife, and children could observe Space without having to be on the same plane.

Solaris took a liking to the largest star in Space and instructed Āshū to create 13 rocks around the star. Āshū did as He commanded. On the fourth rock He made fire, Vyā; on the fifth rock, He created water, Wyohtā; and on the sixth rock He made air, Ēō. Over Time, they grew strong enough to leave their rocks and meet their older brother and sister in Heaven.

With the fifth rock in hand, Solaris told his children to live there, and they obeyed. Some Time after Solaria “convinced” Solaris to have another child, She gave birth to Ñoilèwä, and he would spread his “Knowledge” to his sibling, giving them language, the “First Tongue”: Vāstùch.

Solaris walked on the fifth rock, with a shining orb in his hand. His children watched in awe as He planted the orb into the ground. Wyohtā gave birth to the triplets of Ēō, Lytneen (“Lightning”), Shūùndā (Thunder) and Rāín (Rain). The three would water the orb and the rest of the land.

Ñoilèwä creates a library in a desert, hording all of his knowledge into books to keep from his siblings, and then he buried the library.

From the orb, grew a giant, mighty, sparkling tree, Næschwäā, “Nature”, bloomed from the tree. Where ever she walked all manner of flora grew. Kūàdoi grew especially fond of her. Solaris showed his favorite daughter, Næschwäā, how to create the Díā, “Deer”, which would keep the flora in check.

Kūàdoi saw that the Díā were overrunning the world, so he began to hunt them with the new weapons he created, but grew frustrated when they would not die. Solaris saw his frustration and created Dèshū, “Death”, but he created a separate plane for Dèshū to inhabit. Kūàdoi taught Næschwäā how to hunt and take care of herself. The Díā were spreading rapidly, so he created the Whùlv, "Wolf". He taught them how to hunt and soon balance was found. Even though the Wolves ate a lot, they could not eat everything. Āshū created insects to clean up the dead animals. Ēō also saw the dead and disliked their smell, he created the birds to help with cleaning up the carcasses. Næschwäā, Āshū, and Ēō create flying insects to help spread the seeds of flowers. Wyohtā grew bored swimming alone in the vast oceans and rivers by herself, she creates fish. Næschwäā loved Wyohtā and gave her plants that would only live in the water as a gift.

Vyā laughed at their creations and showed them he could make something better, and with the help of Ēō, creates the Dràqoi, "Dragons". His siblings awed at his creation, and each took forms of a dragon and asked to have dragons of their own. Vyā created dragons with each sibling. Ñoilèwä disliked being the weakest of his siblings. He persuaded Kūàdoi into trading powers, giving Ñoilèwä the ability to manipulate shadows and Kūàdoi gaining knowledge. Ñoilèwä could not contain the power and became disfigured, so he created his own plane to escape and hide from the others. Kūàdoi could not focus with all the knowledge pouring into him and he created his own plane, the Underworld, to recover.

Dèshū grew in power with all the living things dying, so Solaris made sure to not let him be able to leave the Netherworld, the plane where all dead go. Dèshū did not have much to do in the Netherworld, so he watched over all his siblings and grew concerned when he could not locate Kūàdoi. Before he was about to sound the alarm, Kūàdoi collapsed behind him. Dèshū soothed the pain in Kūàdoi’s head, and the eldest brother got better. When Kūàdoi recovered, he had the knowledge to forge better and stronger weapons and armor. With Dèshū’s help, Kūàdoi began to make weapons for his siblings, because he had gained the foresight of troubled times ahead and he wanted to be prepared.

Kūàdoi travels to Heaven and warned only Lyt of the trouble to come, and she believed him. Lyt created the Overworld and the Angels to defend Heaven. Kūàdoi gave her armor, a large circle shield, and a halberd; all crafted from the cores of dead stars. He outfitted the Angels with similar armor and a wide array of weapons. They kept this secret from everyone.

Kūàdoi instructed Dèshū to do the same: create an army. Dèshū did just that. An army of Reapers, Dark Angels, five million strong. Being the God of Death, he had unlimited access to souls, and every soul is the same strength. Kūàdoi imparted some of his knowledge and power to Dèshū. Dèshū magnified the power a hundred fold and passed the power to his subjects—the power of shadow.

In his brooding, Ñoilèwä creates the Human race. The Humans had his ambition and his drive, but, they did not have immortality like his sibling’s creations. What they lacked in power, they made up for in numbers. Humans were the first sentient and bipedal beings.

Næschwäā stumbled upon the entrance into Ñoilèwä’s realm and when she saw him, she ran away from the horrible, disfigured man. This sent him further into anguish and depression.

Kūàdoi showed his realm to Næschwäā, to help her forget about what happened to Ñoilèwä, and she marveled at the tall spires and towers that made up Dāq_Stryohchhoild_Hœm’Tīēā, “Dark Stronghold: Home of Towers”, the capital of the Underworld. He taught her how to hunt and noticing how bad her aim was, crafted the Bracers of Aiming for her.

Shūùndā discovers the sounds of Pyæ, the name Solaris gave the planet, and creates Music. He teaches this art to Rāín, which she learns quickly. Ēō overhears her and he gives her credit for music, which she said she learned from Shūùndā. Shūùndā did not mind being overlooked.

Dèshū discovered painting when he got angry and created a streak of red with the flowers Næschwäā gave him. This led him to creating paint and painted a whole city, Fæn Çìtí, the “Painted City.” It became the capital of the Netherworld. In the middle, he built the Dread Hall and in the center he sat in his Bone Throne.

Shūùndā adds more strings to a bow and creates the first instrument, the lyre. He asked Kūàdoi to create a better harp, he created the Harp of Discord, the instrument only played well in Shūùndā’s hands.

Næschwäā gave birth to Lùèks, "Love", Kūàdoi’s daughter.

Ñoilèwä gets severely jealous. He distracts Kūàdoi with a gift and stabs Kūàdoi in the back. Kūàdoi falls from Heaven down to Pyæ. Solaris became crossed and furious. He ripped off Ñoilèwä’s wings, turned Ñoilèwä’s realm into a fiery and inhospitable pit called Hell, and locked him in there for eternity behind the Fiery Gates.

Dèshū did not let anyone claim his brother’s soul. The Wolves gathered at the Gateway to the Heavens, the peak of the tallest mountain, where the First Wolf and his life mate Sylvia, offer their stillborn pup to be the vessel of Kūàdoi. Næschwäā plants the soul into the pup’s body but the pup still did not breathe. Solaria came down from Heaven, picked up the puppy, and kissed his forehead, giving him life. She named the pup, Grey. She then ascended to the sky and became a moon, to rest.

Vyā visited his brother in Hell, to tell him that he lost his name and everyone is calling him Mystin, “Kin Murderer”. Mystin asked for Vyā’s help in trying to take over Pyæ, the world where his sibling’s creations walk. Vyā accepted.

Vyā convinced the Humans that Mystin was unjustly accused of the murder and that the Gods were jealous of his genius. The Humans rally to free their God. The most loyal become Mystics, empowered with the corruption Mystin wields. Their prayers make Vyā and Mystin stronger.

Not all dragons wanted to follow Pyros  Vyā's new name, whom they knew was evil. He punished them by separating their land from the mainland. They still did not follow. He then filled the only mountain on the island with fire, which killed the wildlife and poisoned the sea; only the weakest went with him. Onyx, the first born son, led an attack against Pyros; Pyros retreated and never went to them again.

Thus began the First Demon War.

"Wait jus' a minute," AJ interrupted, "Ya done told us that Dayshoe, or however ya pronounce her name, was ya sister, but what ya telling us now is that she is a he?"

"Yeah," Dash added, "And you are supposed to be dead," she stated, pointing at Daqrlon.

Darqlon cleared his throat, "Dèshū loves to play games, especially games with high stakes or penalties. The penalty of one such game with Mystin, was he had to become a female and hand over all the evil souls to him. Now that I think about it... that was the results of their first game. Over the eons, Dèshū preferred being a woman and wanted us to treat him as such and we did. As for me being dead," he paused dramatically, "that is for an entirely different story."

Grey chuckled.

"If that was the beginning of the 'First Demon War', which war would this be?" Luna inquired.

"The third," Onyx answered.

"How long has it been since the First Demon War?" Twilight questioned.

All four of the natives sighed and replied simultaneously, "Too long."

Three

"Celestia and Luna can testify to the onus of immortality," Darqlon sighed.

"We can also testify to the mirth of athanasia," Luna retorted.

"No," Grey disagreed, "immortality is a curse."

The conversation of the six immortals had piqued the others interest but kept their comments to themselves. In truth, Dash would jump at the chance to become immortal, on the other side of the spectrum, Fluttershy saw death as natural and that everything should come to an end  without the aid of another to speed it along.

Kyllgorr eyed Amy whom clutched his arm tightly with hers as they walked, "I still do not know why you became a Mer'Lahn, while Rarity became a Dehs'a'noi."

"Probably because being an elf is much better!" Amy elated.

"But the Dehs'a'noi are more powerful with magic."

"Yeah, but they aren't as cute as me," she chimed and beamed from pointy ear to pointy ear.

"I'll say," Kyllgorr smiled with agreement.

"How much longer 'til we get there?" Dash complained as she dragged her feet behind everyone.

"Our world is at least six times bigger than yours so everything will be farther away," Onyx informed her.

Grey stopped suddenly and the group stopped. He turned to the chromatic hair girl and smirked, "We are here."

Everyone stared at the rock face they had been following for the past day in confusion.

"Surely you must be joking," Luna stated impassively.

"Of course not, my dear," Grey pushed a rock on the ground with his foot, mechanical sounds could be heard from the rock, "And don't call me 'Shirley'."

The ground started to rumble and a large section in the rock face split in half as it slowly descended into the ground. Grey stepped inside the new cave and his footstep had a metallic thud. A light came to life above him as it cast it's soft white glow over him. He turned to the group with a boyish grin and then ran down the cave as lights illuminated the path in front of him. Darqlon followed suit. Kyllgorr and Amy filed in behind him. One by one everyone entered the cave. Fluttershy was the last to enter and shrieked when the entrance closed behind her. She darted off to quickly catch up with the others.

Heaven

"So," Mystin flipped his cape, annoyed, "you are going to cheat, eh?"

"Whatever are you talking about, brudder?" Dèshū asked with an innocent smile and pink eyes.

"That piece wasn't there when I went to the restroom!" he pointed at the chessboard.

"Brudder," she spoke calmly, "I do not need to cheat to win," she glowered at him, "Unlike someone I know," she gibed.

Mystin roared and flung the chessboard off the pedestal. He grabbed her neck, almost able to touch his thumb and middle finger, and picked her up as far as the chains let him.

"Do it," she sneered, "I. Dare. You," her eyes glowed hotly.

Mystin shoved her down on her throne, "You still are of use to me."

"Funny," she cleared her throat and fixed her dress, "my thoughts exactly."

She earned a side glance from him, his violet eyes plotting.

Underworld

She sat atop the black spire and ignored the fighting below. She could care less about the antics of her deranged uncle. Beeping rang in her satchel, her face scrunched up in confusion.  She reached into the leather satchel to retrieve the beeping pad. As she touched the screen, it flashed to life.

"Intruder Alert," she read as the alert flashed red across the screen.

She nonchalantly clicked on the screen and immediately brought it up to her face. People were walking through Vault 18. She recognized a few as her uncles. Her face grew hard when she swiped the pad and a new image of the man who impregnated her mother appeared on the screen. The glow of her straw colored eyes reflected off the screen which threatened to bore through the device.

The spire shook which snapped her back to reality. With one last sneer at the device, she returned it to her satchel. A second tremble caught her attention as she looked down. An Abyssal Dragon roared and purple flames engulfed the Fallen unfortunate enough to get caught in the inferno.

"Thanks, mother," she rubbed a platinum amulet between her thumb and index finger lovingly before she jumped off the spire.

She landed on the head of the Abyssal Dragon, crashing its lower jaw on the stony ground. It reared back and roared. She held onto one of its mangled horns and punched it on the crown of it's skull. It roared in agony and shook it's head to get rid of the unwanted passenger. She held fast onto two horns, brought her legs up as high as she could  her knees in front of her face  and drove her heels into it's skull. A sickening crack and howl of pain was her reward for her action. The mighty dragon crumbled underneath her.

She grabbed it's blotted scaled ear and growled, "You are mine now!"

"Yes... yes, mastress," he labored.

She pulled back on his horns which made him raise his head towards the Dark Gates, "You will take me to the small village of Kraehn."

"I... know not...." he was cut off by his new mastress.

"Just head to the Maker's Garden," she snapped.

He unfurled his blotted, blistered dark purple wings and launched himself to the sky, "Yes, mastress."

The gates drew closer with each beat of the dragons massive wings. Within seven beats, he was three of his lengths away from the gates. He roared in pain as something violated the breach of his skull which pressed against his brain.

"And if you even think about running away or betraying me, I will not hesitate to kill you," she warned.

"N-never, Mastress," he replied. Suddenly, the top of his head was enveloped in a warm feeling, he winced in pain, but then there was no longer any pain screaming from his head. "Did... did you heal me, m-mastress?" he asked bewildered.

"Silence. Of course I did. I don't need you dying on me before I even reach that man," she scowled.

"What man, mastress?" the dragon cautioned to ask.

They flew through the gates before she answered him, "The man who killed my mother," the words poured out from her mouth heavy with venom.

A chill ran down his spine and figured it would be wise to not speak and reach the Maker's Garden as fast as he could fly.

Four (edit)

"Food!" Pinkie squealed with delight as she raided a large, silver refrigerator. She stuffed her face with the pies, cakes, and cookies within.

"Wait! We don't even know if it's safe!" Twilight shouted in concern.

"Of course, it's safe," Grey commented, "These are Time Freezers. Everything in them stays as fresh as the day they were put in there," he stated as he pats the second machine. "Eat up while I get us some equipment. Onyx, Kyllgorr, Darqlon  with me." The three men followed Grey deeper in the vault.

Twilight allowed the others to search the other four Time Freezers while she explored the vast metal cave. The Time Freezers were attached to a wall, a wall she saw the men go around, a wall she went around. Her lavender eyes stared at the wonder before her in awe. Vehicles of different types were arranged in rows, several flying vehicles hung from the ceiling on their own platforms, and glass cases with different weapons lined the walls.

"Whoa," she whispered in admiration. Laughter caught her attention and she saw Grey holding weapons in his arms. The others walked behind him carrying materials. He motioned to her to follow him.

Clatter and metallic sounds made everyone turn to look at them. They saw the men placing weapons and boxes on circular metal tables.  Everyone went up to the tables to see what they had brought.

Grey handed yellow tape measures to Rarity and Amy, "Alright, you two get all of our measurements and start working on clothes. In the boxes are samples of fabric that I have," he turned to continue but stopped himself, "If you would please."

"Yes! Absolutely, darling!" Rarity gushed.

"Aye, aye, sir!" Amy saluted.

Both women ran up to the tables. Kyllgorr was explaining the materials to them and would show them the sewing machines.

"Applejack," Grey spoke and the tanned, green-eyed blondie stepped up to him, "These," he held out four metallic cuffs, each about two inches wide, "are called Impact Cuffs. They will envelop your hands and feet with magic that amplifies your melee hits tenfold. You are the Brawler of the group. Your physical prowess only rivalled by the Gods. You can deal great damage and sustain equal damage."

Applejack accepted the metal bands, "Much obliged, Grey. Mighty kind of ya."

"We are more than likely going to have to defend ourselves; everyone is getting a weapon," Darqlon added as he stood beside Grey, "Those bands also give you increased agility and strength."

"Rainbow Dash," the rainbow haired girl sped up to Grey with an expectant expression, "These are the boots of Pmene," he handed a pair of oversized boots to Dash, who almost dropped them from the sheer weight of them.

"Are these made of lead?!"

"They will form to your feet perfectly and make you run or fly faster than sound," he continued.

She dropped them to the floor with a loud clang, removed her sandals, and stepped into them. Immediately, the boots shrank to fit her small feet. She quickly stood up and jumped into the air. Grey grabbed her ankle quickly, lest she kills herself on the ceiling.

She chuckled as he set her down, "This will take some getting used to."

"Here," he handed her a pair of goggles.

"Ooo!" she awed, "What do these do? Can they shoot lasers? Do I have x-ray vision?"

"They protect your eyes," he replied dryly.

"Right," she placed them on her head bashfully. She saw Darqlon holding a long metal stick outstretched to her.

"This rod is made of Deuaes, 'Metal of the Gods'," he stated when she took the rod from his hand, "Light and durable. You are a Striker. You can damage enemies and leave them open for your comrades to capitalise upon."

She inspected the silvery metal rod in her hands. The length was six feet and slightly tapered at both ends.

"That is my personal weapon, Rainbow Dash," Grey said, "It is called 'Limbsplinter'. Take good care of it for me," he smiled.

"Woah," her fuchsia eyes sparkling wide, "I will kick so much flank with this!" She dashed away and Darqlon grabbed her arm, making sure she didn't take off and crash into the wall.

"The boots are closely connected to your mind. Think slow thoughts and you will walk slow," Darqlon advised.

"Yeah. Thanks," Dash carefully and cautiously stepped away from the table to take practice swings of her new weapon.

"Pinkie Pie," Grey called.

"That's me!" the curly pink haired girl chimed as she hopped over to him.

"Hold out your arm."

"Okay!" she held out her lithe left arm for him.

He pulled a piece of armour off the table and eyed it for a second, "This should fit." He slid her hand into the glove which was a snug fit, "Now, snap your fingers." She snapped the fingers on her right hand. "With your left hand, please."

"Well, I do have two hands, silly," she giggled and snapped her fingers. A leather sleeve extended from the glove up to her shoulder, a metal plate covered her shoulder blade, and metal began to grow magically from the glove to the metal plate, "Oooo! Neat!" Grey handed her a second glove which she immediately put on and snapped her fingers. Identical armour appeared on her right arm.

"They are the called the 'Arms of Major Wielding'. They will assist you in wielding your new weapon," Grey grinned.

"You like canons, right, Pinkie?" Darqlon asked rhetorically.

"Do I?!" Pinkies sky blue eyes twinkled.

Darqlon held out a long tube with two handles to her, "This is called an  "

Pinkie's shrill interrupted him, "FIRR! A Four Inch Recoilless Rifle! It fires an explosive four-inch diameter, ten-inch long projectile, which are typically HEAP rounds," Pinkie scoffed, "I don't know why it's called 'recoilless'; it's anything but!"

"How," Pinkie's explanation broke Darqlon's stoic expression as he wore a perplexed mask. He shook his head, "Yes. You are the Demolitionist. You can spot the weakness in an enemy's defence and fortifications."

"Whoop!"

Celestia stepped up to Grey and Darqlon, angered, "I do not want you arming my little ponies! They may know how to fight, but I will not allow you to turn them into murderers!"

"We agree!" Luna crossed her arms beside her sister.

Grey sighed, "Under normal circumstances, I would not want this either. We need to end his reign as soon as possible and to do that we need to split up."

"'Split up'?" Luna repeated.

"Yes. There is too much ground to cover as a group. Unless you want to march right into Heaven, where Mystin will be waiting for us with legions of Demons and other horrible beasts. The reason the sky is so red," Grey continued to explain, "is because he opened portals that lead to Hell. They are called 'Hell Gates'. There has to be at least twenty gates. We close them and he has less of an army to defend him. Then we have to go to Hell and close the Fiery Gate. We will also have to close the Dark Gate of the Underworld and the Light Gate of the Overworld. We can only hope he didn't release the Harbingers from the Void."

"Harbingers?" Celestia questioned as she tried to comprehend the task at hand.

"Yes," Darqlon spoke, "They are technically my siblings, but my Father created them to destroy the Humans to bring an end to the First Demon War. In the end, they were not needed but being as dangerous as they were, he did what he always does and locked them up in the Void. They are not inherently evil but it is their nature to destroy. There are four: Destruction, Disaster, Deceit, and Disease. If they are out... things are much more dire."

Celestia cast a concerned glance over her subjects and sighed heavily, "I... I do not want any of them to experience this."

"If you want, you all could stay here and wait, but it could be months before we are done," Grey explained.

"Sister," Luna held her sister's shoulder and looked up at her with teal eyes, "they helped us when," she glared quickly at Darqlon, "we had our troubles. We should extend that same aid."

"Speaking of troubles," Celestia scowled at Darqlon, "can we expect the same outcome from you?"

"Grey is the one you all should be worried about," Darqlon stated callously.

"What does that mean?" Grey snapped.

Darqlon crossed his arms disinterested, "A demon plays a trick on your mind claiming to be Valkyrie, you know damn well you would turn on us if she ordered you to; if the past is to be trusted."

Grey huffed, "Not this time." He smiled up at Luna, "My heart belongs with another."

Darqlon rolled his eyes, "Because you ended on such good terms with your previous relations."

"What do you mean?" Luna inquired.

"Well, Grey here  " Grey's hand around his throat cut his voice and air off.

"I can speak for myself," Grey snarled at Darqlon, his golden eyes ablaze. He released his vise-like grip on the Reaver and returned his attention to Luna with sad eyes. "There were lovers after Valkyrie," he admitted, "I... foolishly thought their company would fill the hole inside me but their love was as hollow as myself. There was one woman I began to love and care for and eventually she gave birth to my son. I was very happy, it felt as if my life was coming together again. Then Shade, my daughter from Valkyrie, killed my son and wife out of pure hatred." Grey sighed, and Luna wrapped her arms around him, and he continued, "As angry and distraught as I was, I could not kill her  she is still my daughter whom I love. I thought if I talked to her... explained everything, she would forgive me and we could go on living as a family..."

"But that was not the case, right?" Luna finished for him.

"Yes. Anger and hatred had consumed her heart and soul. So I had to put her down... but I couldn't. She looked up at me, bleeding and in pain, all I saw was the baby girl I held in my arms all those ages ago. My baby girl that I had caused all the hurt and pain in her life. When I bent down to heal her, she stabbed me in the side of my neck and left me to die. I could have healed myself but I deserved it. I deserved to die  but my end did not come. She did not use a Godsbane blade and I healed moments later."

"So, your daughter is still out there to kill you?" Celestia probed.

"Most likely," he ended his embrace with Luna and kissed her on the cheek. He turned to Darqlon, "When the times comes... I want you to kill her, brother."

Darqlon quietly nodded.

An awkward silence filled the vault for a few moments only to be broken by Luna's question, "So where are my new toys?"

Five

Grey chuckled, "Of course, m'love. This is a Circlet of Recharging," he placed the gold circlet encrusted with a single large sapphire in the middle atop Luna's midnight blue hair, "this is enchanted to help regenerate your mana five times as fast." He stepped behind her and connected a simple gold chain, which held a small diamond, around her neck, "This is an armor amulet. Simply hold the diamond in your hand, picture a suit of armor, and poof  magical armor. It does not consume mana but only has a forty-five minute duration."

Grey then presented Luna with a long, two-handed sword, "This is 'Sunpiercer', one of my personal weapons. It may be simple in design but it has slain Gods and Devils alike. You are an Archangel, more specifically, an Arcane Knight, you have the fortitude and ferocity of the greatest of warriors. You can feed off the energy of battle to increase your martial skills."

"I... thank you, Grey," Luna graciously accepted the sword with a slight bow.

"Celestia," Grey held out a gold circlet with an amethyst, "This is the 'Circlet of the Minimalist'. It reduces how much mana you need to cast spells. You are an Archangel; a Magus Magnificum to be specific. A rank rarely achieved by any Divine. You can perform Reaver level dark magic, Devil level black magic, and Divinity level light and white magic."

Darqlon held out a staff made of two intertwining rods, tapering into the shape of a sun, with a diamond shimmering in the center, "This is the 'Staff of Power'. It belonged to my father. It is imbued with his power."

Celestia gently grasped the metallic staff, a surge of electricity shocked her whole body. "Goodness!" she gasped. After she regained her composure she bowed, "Thank you."

He also gave the sisters two gold cuffs, "Those will allow you two to fly. Under normal circumstances, flight is achieved on the mortal plane with the aid of the Orb of Ēō, but Mystin has either destroyed it or sealed its power."

Amy and Rarity danced and maneuvered between the other women as they recorded their measurements. Amy almost lost her head when she had to duck under one of Dash's practice swings. Once all the data had been collected, the two of them had gathered in front of Grey and Darqlon while Kyllgorr and Onyx went to bring the sewing machines and more fabric.

"Fluttershy," Grey called her and smiled down at her, "this is the 'Elixir of Fuphlunns'. You will gain the knowledge to cure all ailments and how to diagnose an illness." He held out a small flask with glowing blue liquid, "You are a Herbalist, you can create healing potions, salves, and poultices." He brought out a white bag with a red cross on it, "I call this the 'Infinite Tote of Healing'; it contains infinite amounts of ingredients you will ever need as well as standard medical supplies."

"Thank you," she accepted the bag and held the flask questionably.

"The elixir will also grant you the ability to speak with animals and  " He was interrupted by Fluttershy's gasp and her chugging down the contents of the flask, "  plants."

"Amy," the petite fiery haired girl stepped up to him with a salute, "You are a Mer'Lahn, 'elf', a Sylvanite, to be more specific; you naturally know healing magic and are proficient with bows. These," he held out a pair of vambraces, "are the 'Arms of Merhda'aa', a heroine of the Sylvanite. They will assist you with shooting your bow and aiming."

Darqlon held an intricately designed bow  that had a strange faint pinkish glow  in his hands with a sullen expression, "Amy, this is 'Lovestruck'. I created this weapon for my daughter." He swallowed a lump in his throat, "May the bow shoot true and your arrows find their mark."

Amy accepted the bow that was taller than her, "I will honor her and you, Darqlon."

He returned her vow with a slight smile.

"Wait, wait, wait," Twilight interrupted, "this is neat and all but in all the adventure games and books that I have read, the heroes are supposed to find awesome weapons and items along the way of their quest; not at the beginning."

"Twilight, this is not a game and this is not a book," Grey said sternly, "this is real life, with your survival at stake. There is no need to 'find awesome weapons and items along the way'," he smirked, "Not when I have vaults stored with them all over the place. Speaking of," he picked up a golden crozier from off the table behind him and showed it to the lavender-haired Archangel, "this is 'Divine Punishment'. It has the power of two hundred Divines and Devils," he glanced sideways at Darqlon and grinned, "along with an enchantment from Fate."

"Oh, I see," Darqlon mused, "this explains why Destiny hates your guts."

"What?" Twilight questioned, confused.

"Nothing," Grey passed the crozier to her, "what matters is this: you can use it to manipulate time."

"If it can manipulate time, can we not use it to go to the past, before all this happened to prevent it?" Luna asked.

"No," Darqlon answered, "Time is a web. A web connected to the past and the future. Time is ever flowing, so if we travel back in Time, a new strand of Time is created and this strand continues while the other strand essentially becomes a parallel universe. There are multiple copies of ourselves in parallel universes; Grey and I know all too well about them. There are more Mystins, with each Mystin, there lies the possibility of him trying to jump from universe to universe and gain more power. Alternatively, there are more evil beings out there that would jump at the chance to travel between universes."

"Destiny and Fate are powerful, but the two alone can not police all the universes so they have the help from a little sister, a little sister and her army," Grey added, "Anyways, that is an entirely different story."

"You can not just get my interest piqued and fail to tell the whole story," Luna pouted.

"There will be plenty of time on the road to talk, sweetheart," Grey grinned.

"Ahem," Rarity cleared her throat, "Excuse me, Grey, but I do believe I have yet to receive anything."

"Right," Grey turned to Darqlon, "give her the thing."

"What thing?" Darqlon asked quizzically.

"You know. The thing."

"Oh," Darqlon came to the realization of Grey's words, "that thing. Yeah, I could not locate it."

"Well," Grey chuckled nervously at the unamused violet haired woman, "in lieu of certain circumstances, Rarity," Grey brought out two golden decorative bracelets from a wooden box, "I give you, a Bound Bow. You picture yourself holding a bow, and the bracelets conjure a bow. The missiles from a Bound Bow are magical and do spirit damage, which is great against Demons, they also track their target. You are a Force Wizard. You can control and manipulate energy and matter."

"That is all well and good," Rarity hesitantly accepts the bracelets, "But I don't think I could actually k-kill something."

"Trust me, they will not hesitate to kill you," Grey clasped her shoulder and bent to look into her sapphire eyes, "Whenever you or your friends are in trouble... instinct will kick in." He gave her a warm smile, "Now, before I let you begin working," he straightened up and took the box Darqlon handed him, "Inside these boxes are knowledge crystals, nine ponies  women  nine crystals. They will imbue you with the knowledge of your classes. Instead of training and learning for years, you all get a quick work around all that. Now, you all might pass out after touching the crystals, that is too be expected, as well as... some strange dreams, but rest assured these are all safe."

After a short moment of hesitation and registration, the women gathered around Darqlon and Grey to receive their crystals.

Six

"Land here," she commanded as her heel dug into his scales.

"Yes, Mastress," the dragon obeyed, he tucked in his wings, and dove to the ground. A cloud of dust plumed when he touched down.

For all the wonders of the world he had read and heard about, Pat felt he had been lied to. Nothing, nothing but dirt and red skies as far as his deep purple eyes could see. A warm wind picked up more dust as it lazily swept over the desolate landscape. Pain flared in his head.

"You even think about flying away," he heard her sneer above a beeping noise in his head, "You are dead."

"I would not think of it, Mastress," he winced as she jumped off his head and landed flawlessly on her feet.

Her pale yellow eyes buried into his soul, "Good."

He watched his new mastress walk off to a mound of dirt. Shade Whulphe, compared to her  demons are saints. He was never the brightest color in the box, but if even one percent of the stories he has heard of her are true, it would be wise of him to listen and follow her every order. He saw her rosewood hair disappear behind the hill of dirt.

Pat never enjoyed his own company. All he ever thought about were the better days of his past: growing up with Onyx, being a soldier, having a wife, having dragonlings of his own... A heavy sigh escaped his nostrils. He laid his head down on the ground as a single tear soaked the parched land.

Vault 81 the sign read and Shade stifled an unamused grunt. She stood atop a metal airlock for the vault. To her surprise, the hatch opened without any resistance, which only made her eyes narrow. She dropped down into the vast darkness, her boots hitting the metal with a soft clank. With her night vision, she could see perfectly clear as she walked down the tunnel to the main chamber. For several minutes the only thing that kept her company were her light, metallic footsteps which echoed through the corridor. She found what she was searching for in the middle of the vast empty vault.

"Have you spoken to him?" she asked, her sharp tone cutting the thick silence.

"The only 'him' I have spoken to recently was Destray," a hooded figure informed her with his monotonous voice.

"Then why is he here!" she shouted, "I thought that brother of yours took care of it!"

"If you want something done right," two bright yellow orbs flashed, "then do it yourself."

"Listen, old man, you are only alive because it would be too much of a pain to kill you," she huffed and rubbed her temple in thought, "You need to  "

"I," the man interrupted her, "do not need to do anything. He is your personal problem. You deal with it."

"I can't," she grimaced, "he has my uncles and a few minor gods with him."

"Then maybe you should forgive him."

Shade scoffed and waved him off, "It was pointless to come to you."

"I agree. Away with you."

She growled at him before returning the way she entered.

"You can not kill him. She will not let him die. She loves him too much."

This made her stop in her tracks and look over her shoulder, "'She?' She who?"

Heaven

Dèshū impatiently blew strands of her pink hair out of her face. She kept herself entertained by watching Grey and the others through an orb on top of the chess board. You can't screw up now, big brudder.

The sound of glass rolling on the marble floor drew her attention away from the crystal ball and to the doorway. Mystin rolled his favorite prisoner into the room. She was sealed in a crystal globe with an enchanted golden cage impregnating the crystal. Her green eyes void of life. He entered the room beaming from ear to ear.

"Ah, my treasure," he cooed at the petite woman in the crystal prison, "I will not let you get away this time."

"Creepy~," Dèshū singsonged which earned her a glare from him. She smiled cheekily back at him.

He grabbed the rests of her throne shoving his face in front of hers, "Tell me what is happening in the orb."

Dèshū glanced at his hands defiling her throne before flashing her pink eyes at him, "No."

His face twisted in a dark grin, "Good, I was hoping you would say that." He stepped away from her and sat on his own throne. A black cage popped beside him when he snapped his fingers.

She stood up and stared in horror at the young boy with black wings trapped in the cage, "You leave him alone!"

"Tell me what I want to know," he demanded sternly.

She sat down on her throne, her grip cracking the bones of the rests, "If you think Darqlon is pissed now, you touch one hair on Ēōrùs' head, and you will beg for Darqlon to kill you!"

"Oh, but I won't be touching his hair," Mystin smiled, reached inside the cage and plucked one of the black feathers from the child's wing, who screamed in pain.

"I... I'm so sorry... Ēōrùs..." she began to cry.

"Auntie! Help me!" the young boy cried.

She gritted her teeth, "You are a monster, Mystin!"

"Tell me what I want to know!" he roared and pulled a hand full of feathers out of the child's wing.

Pyæ  Vault 18

Darqlon flexed his back as his black wings twitched.

"Big storm abrewin'?" Grey asked with a slight chuckle when he noticed his friend's discomfort.

"I do not know. Something feels wrong," Darqlon voiced.

Grey covered Luna with a blanket and knelt beside her. Onyx had finished covering the others and Kyllgorr held Amy in his arms as they both slept.

"I am going to go get some fresh air," Darqlon informed Grey. He walked down the dark corridor, the shadows absorbing him and comforting his troubled soul.

Eight - Dash's Dream

Smack! Whack! Crack! Dash crumpled to her knees as she held her head and massaged the spot where the broom had hit her. She glared at the tiny old man in front of her with teary eyes.

"Hmph!" the old man harrumphed at her, "If you planned on failing miserably, you are on the right path, Daea. What is with that face of yours? Are you angry? Do you want to hit me? Hmmm! Get up then! Or you can sit there and cry like the baby I know you are!"

She growled at him, she knew he was stronger and more skilled than her  he was a master for a reason, on the other hand, she did not want him to get away with his verbal abuse. She had been rudely awakened to a new place by the little old man, with cold water to the face and he spent every second making her life miserable.

"That is what I thought," he threw the broom down at her feet, "I say sweep, you sweep, not ask for break, not give attitude. Sweep!"

Dash grumbled and bent down to pick up the broom. The students on the other side of the room snickered and laughed at her. She glared at them but said nothing. She stared out the open slide door as a cool wind blew in. When she first saw the green outside, it took her breath away. All the trees, bushes, shrubs, and flowers, all different from back home but just  if not more  as beautiful. A drastic change from the bleak, dusty plains the world was when she fell asleep. As picturesque the place was, she could do without that cranky old man. What was his problem?

After two hours of sweeping the entire wooden building, she sat on the porch, and untied her ponytail, her green hair caught the gust of wind. The sky had become a mixture of purple and orange; the sun had just disappeared behind the snow-capped mountains in the distance.

She ignored the footsteps behind her.

"You know," a boy spoke up, "if you weren't so rebellious, the Master would teach you."

"I don't want to be taught, I need to get out of here," she replied as she watched the wind rustle the garden's denizens.

"The gate is open," he teased, "What's keeping you here?" he sat down beside her.

She took a quick glance at the young man beside her. He wore a similar white jacket and pants as her, but had a black belt tied around his waist, she did not have one. He had short brown hair. With a huff she answered, "Not knowing where I am and the fact that I would be defenseless out there  alone."

He laughed, "How do you not know this place?"

"Doesn't matter. Hopefully, when I fall asleep, I'll be back where I was," she replied flatly.

` "Oh? Where were you before?" he asked curiously.

She looked at him with a scrunched face, "Why don't you leave me alone and worry about yourself. I'm not here to play twenty questions."

"So why are you here?" he smiled, his brown eyes twinkled.

She huffed annoyed and got up, "Bye."

"Wait!" he jumped up, "I could teach you how to fight with a rod staff!"

Dash stopped in her tracks and thought about his offer. She turned to him, her fuchsia eyes scanned him, "No. Good night."

Rejected, he slumped back onto the porch.

The annoying ambiance of frogs, insects, and birds kept Dash awake. She did not have to deal with all this noise while up in Cloudsdale. She tossed and turned in her bed  a rolled out thick cover  and fluffed her pillow. Her door slid open slowly which made her freeze. Her grip tightened on the pillow. Soft footsteps edged ever closer to her. A hand covered her mouth that stifled her scream. She looked up to see a devilish grin on the guy's face she had spoken to earlier.

"I get what I want!" he hissed and punched her in the stomach. "You be a good little girl and we'll both enjoy this night."

With the wind knocked out of her, her resistance and futile attacks died down, as asphyxiation grabbed her consciousness. Tears rolled down the sides of her head.

He chuckled wickedly, "I love it when girls cry." He threw the cover off her with his free hand, "What goodies are you hiding under here?" he teased as he opened her white jacket.

"MMMMM!" she muffled her displeasure. She tried to fight him off again. Her nails only dug into the arms of his jacket and his face was out of her reach. Her attempts halted with a knee to her diaphragm.

"Oooh, you're going to be a lot of fun!" he taunted lasciviously. A whimper of defeat escaped her when he opened her jacket completely which exposed her creamy budding breasts. "Delicious," he licked is lips and began to take off his pants.

With the moonlight, Dash could see his fully erect member inches away from her stomach. She struggled to free herself of him.

"Really, sweetie, you can not escape from me," he pulled her pants down, "Oh ho! The carpet matches the curtains!" A small patch of green tried  but failed  to hide her nubile sex from his perverted gaze. She clenched her knees together and brought them up to her chest.

He huffed, his patience worn thin, "I should have just knocked your ass unconscious when I first came in here."

"Yes," the old man spoke behind him and cracked a wooden rod across the side of his head, "You should have also not done this in the first place, Thomme."

The boy slumped to the ground, red slowly dripped from his head. Dash covered herself quickly. Her violet eyes gazed up at the old man.

He sighed, "Teenagers and their damn hormones." He hobbled over to Thomme and glanced softly back to Dash, "Get dressed. I will go prepare some tea for us in the dining room."

Dash nodded her head and wiped her eyes with her forearm, "Thank you, Master."

"Yeah, yeah," he began to drag Thomme out the room.

"The reason I have not taught you how to fight was because you were not brought to me to learn how to," the old man said over his cup of tea, "I was told to protect you and to teach how to become a lady."

"But I want to learn how to fight! You won't need to protect me if I can protect myself," she stated, "Especially because of what happened..."

A long, tired sighed escaped the old man's lungs, "Yes, yes, you are right." He pulled out a key hidden inside his gold belt, "This is a key to the archives. Within the scrolls are everything I know. Study what you can today and tomorrow show me what you can do. Now," he yawned, "if you will excuse me, I need some rest." He placed the key on the table before he left.

Dash quickly snatched the key and ran to the archives. The door took a considerable amount of for to open and when she did dust pour out of the room which made her cough. After her fit, she closed the door and locked it. The lamp she carried illuminated a towering bookcase before her. She saw that four more bookcases were on either side of the one in front of her.

"Oh, where to begin!" she thought. A glint caught her eye in the far back of the room. She managed to reach the source of the glint, after much maneuvering and climbing, a golden scroll stuck out from beneath a pile of scrolls. "Shiny is good," she grinned and pulled the scroll out from under the pile which scattered the others. She unraveled the scroll and a blinding light flashed in her eyes.

Nine - Rarity's Dream

A loud crash alerted her awake. Light flooded the dark room from the door where two silhouettes stood. She did not have time to think when the silhouettes advanced towards her with axes in hand.

"Quick, tie her hands! I heard they can't cast spells with their hands bound!" the smaller of the shadows spoke.

The larger one spiked the handle into the side of Rarity's head.

"Witch! Witch! Witch!"

She awoke again those words echoed in her ears. Pain wracked the temple of her head. Smoke rang alarms in her brain. Darkness filled her vision and she felt a blind wrapped around her head.

"What is going on?!" she cried out.

"Burn the witch! Burn the witch!" she heard people chant.

"I am not a witch!" she pleaded. Pain sounded from her toes and she felt flames lick at them. She struggled in vain to escape.

Suddenly, a torrent of water washed over her and she heard the crowd begin to scream. She heard the sounds of battle all around her. The taught ropes went slack and a pair of strong arms picked her up.

She wrapped her arms around her rescuer's neck, "Thank you! Oh, thank you!"

Her rescuer laughed, "No worries, ma'am," a familiar voice spoke.

Once he set her down she quickly removed the blind and looked up at the man in black armour, "Grey?"

"The one and only, ma'am," he bowed with a grin, "I am glad we found you in time, Master Vallenoit."

"I'm not Master Vallenoit," Rarity dismissed.

"You aren't? Well," he scratched his black, scruffy beard, "I guess I'll have to put you back on that stake."

"I'm Master Vallenoit," Rarity claimed and shook his hand, "A pleasure to see you again, Grey."

Grey laughed, "I was only joking, ma'am. And to the best of my knowledge, this is our first meeting." He raised her hand to his lips to kiss, "I would remember a woman as beautiful as yourself," his golden eyes sparkled in the moonlight.

Rarity blushed, "Oh, you know, me being a 'witch' and all comes with perks," she chuckled.

A woman with light minty hair and vibrant green eyes, in similar black plate armour as Grey, walked up to Grey and saluted with a right fist over her heart, "Commander, the rest of the humans have dispersed. We have a few detained. We await further instructions, sir."

"We are returning to camp, Adjutant. Let these damnable parasites rot," Grey spat on the ground.

"Sir, yes, sir," she saluted again, bowed to Grey and then to Rarity before she left.

"So, 'Master Vallenoit'," he brought a dagger to her throat, "Who are you really?"

His fierce eyes pierced her soul, "M-My name is Rarity! I come from a magical land of ponies! I was teleported to this land against my will  by you!" She took a breath, "You brought along my friends and the diarchs of my world. We were on a quest to save your world, just as you and your friends saved ours, from the evil clutches of Mystin. Before ending up here, we were in one of your vaults, and you gave us crystals that would help us discover our new abilities and I passed out!"

He rose a curious black eyebrow and cracked a smile, "Yeah, that sounds like me," he sheathed the dagger.

"You believe me?" she asked dumbfound.

"I can tell when people lie. You are not lying. And this not my first time meeting an alien," he smirked. He chuckled and motioned her to follow him, "Camp is quite a distance away," he passed her a canteen of water, "mind telling me what happened back on your world?"

Grey blinked at her, his stoic expression hid his thoughts. Rarity sat across from him around a small square wooden table. The tent she was in was much more spacious than she had given it credit upon the first inspection. A lush red carpet covered the dirt ground, a fire crackled beside them, the black fabric of the tent flapped gently in the wind, a large bed claimed a significant portion of the space to her right.

"So..." he slowly broke the silence, "Darqlon  in the other me's world  is the God of the Shadows?"

"Yes... who is the God of Shadow in this world?" Suddenly she rose to her feet, "Am I in a different world again?!"

"Relax," he placed a cup of steaming tea before her, " Kūàdoi is the God of the Shadows here."

"Oh, so you don't know," Rarity concluded.

"Know what?" Grey's brow furrowed.

"Wh-what year is this?" Rarity inquired.

Grey leant back in his chair, "The year sixty-three of the First Age."

Her eyes shot wide, "This is the start of the First Demon War!"

He chuckled, "I would hardly call this a 'war'," he stopped himself. "What do you mean by 'demon' and 'first'?"

Luckily, she did not have to answer right away as the Adjutant walked in with a red letter, a grim expression on her face, "For you, Commander," she saluted, "directly from the Queen of the Dragons, sir."

He snatched the envelope from her hands and ripped it open the read the letter.

Dearest Grey,

I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive your Auntie for disturbing your current affairs. Things are dire. My husb  King Elderlon has forsaken the Gods and his people to side with the rebuked Gods. They are calling themselves: Demons. I do not expect you to get here in time. This letter is merely a warning for your troops. With a heavy heart, I must prepare for battle against some of my former friends and subjects.

With much love, your Aunt,

Iridescence

Grey folded the letter and stared at Rarity. He turned to the Adjutant, "Get the troops ready in full gear. Now!"

"Sir!" She saluted and ran out the tent.

"I need you to cast a mass teleportation spell," he demanded.

"Wha-? I-I don't know how!" Rarity admitted.

Grey roared and threw the table out the tent, "I will not sit idly by while another part of my family is taken from me!"

"I-I..." Rarity thought rapidly, "M-maybe if I had a scroll to study I could do it?"

Grey snapped his fingers and began to rummage through his drawers. After a few seconds, he found what he was looking for, "This is the only book of spells I have since I'm not a mage." He flipped through the book to find teleportation spells and pointed one to her.

"I can't read that!" Rarity complained.

"I'll read it for you!" He quickly got behind her and held the book in front of them.

"Troops are ready, sir!" Adjutant announced.

"Are you ready?" he asked Rarity with a slight smile.

"Not entirely, no,"  she replied hesitantly.

"Please..."

"Start reading then!" she ordered.

"Wait!" He smacked his head, "There is a lexicon spell on the first page. That way we don't have to stay in this awkward position." He winked at her, "Unless, you do not mind  "

She cut him off with a scarlet face, "I would like to know that spell first, please and thank you."

"It is a good thing I studied magical theory," Grey chuckled, "Otherwise, we would have ended up in," he began to choke. Everyone around him fell to their knees, their eyes and lungs burning from the thick, hot ash.

The most important part of a spell is to picture it and to feel it. Grey had told her. She pictured a blast of air exploding around her and felt the heat dissipate from around her. A small circle of ash cleared from them. She then placed a light blue shield around them.

"You're a fast learner," Grey commented.

Rarity chuckled, "It feels weird. I have all this power surging through my body."

A war horn blared through the air over them. Rarity scanned through the book. Force Magic. That sounds like a promising chapter. Everyone watched her silently as she read.

"Please, on your own time, Master Vallenoit," the Adjutant chided.

"Silence, Ptetra," Grey snapped.

"Sir, a battle is going on and we could help!"

Grey towered over her, his hand on the hilt of his sword, "Do not think I will not cut you down. Be. Quiet."

Ptetra's eyes widened and she hung her head in silence.

"Do I have to remind you all about what happened to Phlor'hilda?" Grey challenged. When nobody answered he returned his attention to Rarity.

"What happened to Phlor'hilda?" she inquired.

A wicked grin appeared on his face, "Nothing good. Now, please tell me you have a spell that can clear this ash?"

"Yes, but it will take some time to cast. In the meantime," she waved her hand and blue collars appeared on everyone's neck and blue energy covered their eyes, "This should allow you all to breathe more easily and not get stung by the ash," she smiled confidently.

"Great! Work on that spell. I will take my men to the fight," he turned to the minty haired woman, "Adjutant, you stay and guard her."

"Sir, yes, sir," she answered dryly with her head still down.

Grey drew the sword from his hip, "Onward!"

Rarity began to perform the ritual for the Clear Skies spell she had read about. Ptetra watched in silent awe as she saw the dark blue haired Master weave her spell. A light blue magic circle slowly formed beneath the Master's feet and Ptetra felt the hairs on her neck stand, energy started to swirl around them. A bright light flashed.

Ten - Fluttershy's Dream

Beakers big and small boiled with various colored fluids on top of metal tables. The small flames provided the only light in the dim room. Across the room, a woman slept on a cot with her pristine white lab coat still on. Her long pink hair covered her soft, shy face. A timer went off with a metal clang, which made the woman jump out of the cot, and crashes to the marble floor.

"Wha  ?" Fluttershy rubbed the sleep from her eyes, "This is not the vault..." she concluded after a quick scan of the room.

A door opened and she closed her eyes from the blinding light.

"Master Doctor Nais?" a man spoke to her. When her vision returned she saw two men in black suits, "We need you to come with us."

"Uh... um.. b-bu  " she stumbled. She noticed the second man turn off the burners.

"Relax, ma'am, your supervisor has given us permission to take you off base. My employer wishes to meet you," the man helped her up gently.

Fluttershy just nodded her head and hid her face behind her voluminous hair.

The men in black lead her out of the room and down a brightly lit hallway of white. People in identical white lab coats went about their busy day. Her nervous teal eyes absorbed the details of the floor. The gentlemen escorted her to a silver sedan and helped her into the back seat; the two of them sat up front.

"Wh-where are w-we going?" she squeaked timidly.

"A private institution," the man on the passenger side answered. He had dark skin and a bald head, shades hid his eyes.

"The organization we work for is a privately funded institution called the Genetics Institute of New Azaerriea," the driver informed her, blue eyes peered over his glasses to see her in the rearview mirror. He had light skin and a similar bald head which reminded her of a chicken egg.

"Oh... okay," Fluttershy replied, not understanding him.

She kept her hands on her lap and watched the scenery outside changed from a parking lot into a reddish cliff side with gorgeous trees and bushes. She ignored the fact that she was in a new place, called by a new name, in a vehicle that seemed to move on its own, and instead, focused on the beautiful coast that popped out from behind the trees to her left. Sailboats speckled the blue waters as they were anchored in the harbor below. An hour passed by and the sea was replaced by trees, then replaced by concrete. Fluttershy unstuck her face and hands from the window and sank into the leather seat. People in black uniforms carried weapons and eyed the sedan as it drove past.

The car came to a stop and Fluttershy saw a woman with blonde hair and black-rimmed glasses near a door with a guard on both sides. She smiled and waved at Fluttershy. She nearly tumbled out of the car when the driver had opened it for her.

"I will leave you in the more than capable hands of Doctor Michelle," he smiled and held out his arm in the blonde woman's direction.

"Oh... Th-thank you..." she hurried over to the woman at the door.

"Master Doctor Flannery Nais," the woman beamed and her blue eyes twinkled, she grabbed Fluttershy's hand and shook vigorously, "It is a complete and absolute honor to meet with you! The youngest ever to achieve such a prestigious title!"

Fluttershy wanted the woman to stop hurting her hand but smiled politely, "Th-thank you.... um...?"

"Oh, my manners!" Much to Fluttershy's relief she released her hand and cleared her throat, "I am Doctor Gabriela Michelle, head of this institute."

"N-nice to m-meet you..." Fluttershy hid behind her hair.

"Wow, the reports all said you were bashful, but you are just adorable!"

Fluttershy back away from Gabriela's face, "Why a-am I here?"

"Right! Come, come! This day has just been getting better and better!" she chimed and skipped through the door, dragging a reluctant Fluttershy by her heels.

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Fluttershy could not make any sense out of the colorful lines of the chromatogram   at first. The information that the graphs held was spectacular   at first. Then her mind was confused, they were just normal charts of the DNA of a plethora of animals and plants. A few caught her attention because she could not identify them. She placed the stack of papers back on the table she sat behind. She was in a small office with Doctor Michelle seated across from her with expectant eyes.

"Why did you need me again? I am sure you could have understood these. If you brought me here to help you with the last two pages, I am sorry to say that, I do not know them," Fluttershy finally spoke.

"I know!" Doctor Michelle elated, "No one does! And do you know what the best part is?"

A minute of silence went by before Fluttershy got that she was supposed to guess, "What is it?"

"That is the DNA of one specimen," Doctor Michelle exasperated as she exhaled the breath she held, "I will show you her!" The eccentric Doctor Michelle leaped out of her chair and hauled with her the curious Fluttershy.

As they walked down the hallway, Fluttershy grew more nervous along the way. What was the creature going to look like? Would it be scary? Would it bite? Where did the creature come from? Why did Doctor Michelle keep pulling her everywhere? Doctor Michelle stopped in front of a door that had a giant bank vault door. She keyed the code on a control console. Gears began to turn and the vault door clanked loudly open, revealing a long crosswalk. The doctor motioned for Fluttershy to follow. Fluttershy's curiosity won over her anxiety. The sky-bridge bridged over a deep canyon and fast flowing river; she could see a second building built on an island.

"We had to build this whole section just for her. That island was supposed to be for staff housing but the higher ups thought it would be best for her to be contained separately," Doctor Michelle spoke, "She is a very powerful entity. Stronger than at least a hundred strong men. She was responsible for decimating an entire division of elite soldiers when the Emperor gave the orders to settle to Davvenwood." She heard Fluttershy audibly swallow loudly, "Do not worry, Master Doctor, we have everything under control. She is being restrained and kept unconscious. She can not escape."

They reached the end of the sky-bridge and another vault-like door towered before the two doctors. Doctor Michelle input the code into the control console. The vault door opened into a busy room filled with displays and computers all with different data showing on their screens. They continued to walk for ten more minutes down a completely white hallway. Doctor Michelle stopped in front of the only door Fluttershy had seen.

"Let me introduce you to her," she beamed and touched a green control panel on the door frame.

The white metallic door slid open silently which opened up into a cavernous room. Fluttershy marveled at how vast and spacious the room was. Devoid of anything except a strange, pod-like structure in the middle of the room. Dozens of tubes and pipes poked out the back and into the floor. They walked around the back of the pod and faced the glass front. Fluttershy could not believe her eyes.

Instead of a monster, a young woman was submerged in liquid with a mask that covered her mouth and nose. The young woman had two inches thick, eight inch wide restraints across her bare chest, well-defined abdominal muscles, and groin which helped her stay decent. She had three bands of restraints clamped on her toned arms and legs. Sensors were attached to her head through a forest of short, spiky, dark burgundy hair. Fluttershy noted multiple scars on the woman's body.

"We call her," Doctor Michelle broke Fluttershy's awe, "Amalgam." Fluttershy returned her attention to the young woman in the pod and Doctor Michelle continued, "Considering where she was found, she is definitely an Ancient, but none like we have ever seen. You saw the charts and that was only half the information on her DNA."

"Half?" Fluttershy remembered the two-foot stack of papers she had read.

"Yup. Her DNA is not only carbon-based, but silicon and germanium   germanium! Her proteins have normal proteins but also different amino acids not found ANYWHERE! You saw her chromatograms! We could create EVERY single organism from her DNA alone!" she took out a vial from her pocket which held an orange liquid, "This  this  is her blood! I doubt we have even scratched the surface about her!"

"Her skin is nearly impervious to anything. We noticed that a mosquito was able to draw out her blood so we ran some tests and their saliva softens her skin. We, naturally, created a synthetic type and it works perfectly, making it easier to draw more blood and a way to defend ourselves from her   if she escapes. She is just a completely fascinating specimen," Doctor Michelle awed.

"I'll say..." Fluttershy mused. She placed her hand on the pod and the amalgam's eyes shot open, which made Fluttershy withdraw. Her pale yellow eyes locked onto Fluttershy's. She immediately began to struggle to break free; her heart monitor beeped frantically.

Doctor Michelle sighed and brought out a remote, "We'll have to just put her back to sleep." The amalgam stopped and narrowed her eyes on the remote with a low growl.

"Wait!" Fluttershy grabbed Doctor Michelle's arm, "Have you tried talking to her?"

"Yes, multiple times. She has the ability to and she has the intelligence, yet she refrains from speaking. We discovered that she also knew how to read lips," she faced the amalgam with a grin, "Don't you?Poor Malcolm and Sergio."

The amalgam turned her head to ignore Doctor Michelle. She studied Fluttershy with a stoic expression.

"I can only assume she has acted in self-defense this entire time. How would you behave if your home was suddenly invaded by people who wanted to kill you? How would you behave if people held you captive and performed tests, that I know, are painful and did not require anesthesia?" Fluttershy chastised Doctor Michelle with a stern expression then focused her attention on the young woman her face softening, "You harmed a sapient being," she placed her hand back on the cool glass, "with emotions. Someone who just wanted to be left alone in peace."

The amalgam's heart monitor began to slow and quiet down as they shared eye contact.

Fluttershy focused back to Doctor Michelle, "You have to release her."

Doctor Michel scoffed, "That is not happening, Nais, not with all the money private lenders have invested in her, not with all the lives invested in her, not with my reputation invested in her!"

A rumble was felt and alarms began to blare.

Doctor Michelle touched the watch on her wrist, a holographic screen appeared with a man on the screen, "What's going on, Devin?"

"Unknown, ma'am! Several generators have gone down and surveillance is down!" he reported. His eyes went wide, "Picking up an unknown life form with similar signatures as the amalgam! It is  " the young black-haired man turned around to the sounds of metal being bent, "Saints!" he shouted, fear in his voice, "It is ripping the blast door from off its hinges!"

A flood of light filled the dark room, the guards could be heard shooting at it. A roar sounded over the sounds. Soon the sounds of breaking bones and screams of people were heard. Devin was frozen to his chair. Slow footsteps approached him. He was thrust down on his console and the bloody face of a man appeared on the screen.

Fluttershy gasped and the amalgams heart monitor raced.

Doctor Michelle cut off the feed and turned to amalgam, "You recognize him? Your mate?"

"No," Fluttershy whispered, "Her father..."

"You know that man?!" Doctor Michelle pulled Fluttershy close by her collar.

"Yes, yes I do, now it is too late for you," Fluttershy said grimly.

Doctor Michelle went pale. She let go of Fluttershy's coat and began pressing buttons on the remote. The pod opened up and the fluid flooded the room. The metal restraints fell off of the amalgam. Shade launched herself out of the pod and pounced on Doctor Michelle.

"If only I had as much time to torture you as you did me," Shade spat her hand clamped around the doctor's throat.

"I-I didn't know!" Michelle choked.

Shade twisted her hand, snapping Doctor Michelle's neck. Her glowing eyes now focused on Fluttershy.

Fluttershy immediately took off her lab coat and held it out to the naked young woman, "I-I'm not here to hurt y-you, Sh-shade."

Shade snatched the coat and put it on, "You here with that man?" she hissed.

"No, well, I mean not that Grey. I sorta just woke up in this body," Fluttershy spoke.

Shade eyed her suspiciously, "Whatever. I won't kill ya then."

"Thank y  " a punch filled her vision with stars and then darkness.

Eleven - Applejack's Dream

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Sweat rolled down her tan cheeks and neck, her muscles rippled, and teeth clenched as she heaved the bale of hay onto the wagon already loaded with eleven other bales. She breathed a sigh of relief when the bale landed on the wagon. She wiped the sweat from her neck and ample bosom with a red bandanna while she fanned herself with a light brown cowboy hat. She placed her hat back on her golden hair to shield her scalp from the searing rays of the sun. She tugged on her red flannel shirt, trying to cool herself, her abs peeked from under the shirt at every tug. Thankfully, a cool breeze cooled her down.

"Alma Jeanne!" a woman called from the porch of the yellow house, "C'mere!"

"Comin', momma!" Applejack hollered back. One week has passed since she woke up in this place. It felt strange, at first, but she quickly adapted to the new place since the chores and people seemed all familiar. She had to admit, having hands made things much easier. She ran as fast as her dusty brown boots could take her to the house.

"Alma Jeanne," a woman with short brown hair, green flannel shirt, blue jeans, and a white apron was bent over inside the oven, she pulled out a tray with a rack of ribs, "Once you take that wagon to the south fields, I need you to go to town and buy some cornmeal." She reached into a pocket of her apron and pulled out five coppers. "Stay in the farmers market; do not go into town. You here?"

AJ accepted the money and stuffed them in her pocket, "Will do, momma!"

"There's a good girl," the woman doted, her hazel eyes sparkled.

AJ smiled and went out the screen door. She went to the red barn and saddled up Titan, their largest horse, to pull the wagon full of hay. Now, AJ hated to use animals that were similar to her past self as beasts of burden, but when they were the only animals strong enough to pull wagons, she had no choice. She made sure all the animals were cared for, not that her new family did not take care of them, AJ just felt guilty. Whenever she ate meat though... she could deal with the guilt afterwards and take solace that no one she knew was here. That last thought made her sigh. There was no one she knew here and that made her feel lonely. She did not know where to start to find ways to go back so she just went with the flow of things. After she brushed all the dust off of Titan's mahogany coat, she dust herself off, and headed into town.

"What do you mean eight coppers?" AJ confronted the older gentleman behind the stall, "Last week they were only three!"

"That was last week, this is this week," the gray-haired man answered brusquely.

They glared at each other until a hand slammed on the wood. She followed the hand when it removed itself from the stall, leaving three coppers, to a tall, muscular man, with dark pink hair and light purple eyes.

"Now that she is paid for," he placed a silver coin on the stall, "I need three sacks."

"Kyllgorr?" AJ asked quizzically.

He stared blankly into her green eyes, "No."

She noticed a great, gray wolf at his side that cocked his head at her in a curious manner.

"Sorry, you just..." she cleared her throat, "That's much appreciated. Thanks," she tipped her hat.

"You were taking too long," the man stated bluntly and picked up the three burlap bags of meal and started to walk off with the wolf at his heels.

"Who was that?" AJ inquired to the old man.

"Zander. He lives up on the mountain with Widow Jaleese. They come down here every eighth day to sell yarn. He's her adopted son," the man, who had a freshly lit corncob pipe between his lips, informed her.

AJ decided to follow Zander and the wolf further into town.

AJ's frustration grew. She was certain he had come down this alley now, he is nowhere to be seen. The sun was going down and too many men for her comfort kept staring at her. When she passed a tavern, a drunk, dirty man stepped in front of her.

"What ken I git far twenty coppa?" he slurred.

A second man slunk out of the shadows, "Yeah, good lookin', how much for a little tumble?"

She looked at them disgusted, "I don't know what in tarnation y'all want, but I'm only warnin' y'all this once: get outta my way."

"Oh ho ho!" a man chortled behind her and grabbed her, "Looks like we got ourselves a prim and proper whore!"

AJ stepped on his foot and elbowed his stomach, breaking herself from his hold, "I am no such thing, ya dirty varmin!"

She heard someone rush from behind her and instinctively kicked out connecting her foot to the gut of the first man. The second man growled and lunged at her. She knocked out a few of his teeth with a left hook. She kept the three at bay until a fourth man dropped down on her from above. She scrambled to shake him off her, but the others held her legs.

A yelp and growl caught all of their attention as the second man fell to his knees with a wolf clamped on his neck. With a sickening crack, the man collapsed to the ground. The wolf bared its teeth and his yellow eyes glowed in the dark. The fourth man jumped off her, a blade flashed in the moonlight, she kicked him in the gut, and the wolf pounced on him next. The two other men snapped out of their shock and tried to pull the wolf off. This gave AJ the opportunity to kick the third man to her right on the side of his head with her heel and knee the first man in the face. She jumped onto the first man and began to pummel his face with her fists, shouting at the top of her lungs, full of rage and fear. Another crunch grabbed her attention and she saw the wolf rip the third man's throat out. They both panted heavily.

"Thanks," AJ exhaled a shaky breath.

The wolf nodded and began to trot off.

"Wait!" AJ stood up and saw Zander leaning against a wall a few feet away.

"You must be new. No blonde walks down the Red Light District unless she's a prostitute," he stated and turned to follow the wolf.

She ran up to Zander, "C-could," she struggled to find words under his intense gaze, "I dunno how to get outta here..."

He huffed, "I can take you to where the meal stand is."

"Thank ya kindly."

AJ waved goodbye to Zander who just nodded. He had given her a sack of meal after hers got spoiled in her little tussle. Her mother ran up to her once she saw her open the gate. Her eyes were pink and puffy.

"What happened to ya?" she asked concerned.

"Just got lost..."

"I told ya not to go into town," her mother said sternly, but grew soft seeing bruises form on her baby's arms, "C'mon, go get yerself cleaned up."

"Yes, momma."

Twelve - Twilight's Dream

Youtube Video

Twilight was in Heaven, both literally and figuratively. Her nose was buried as deep as the tome allowed with hundreds more piled around her. Magic spells galore, history aplenty, science copious, and all the books at her disposal! When she had woken up in a library, she first was scared, not knowing how she got there or where the others were, but it was a library and every survival book she read had said to stay put and wait for help.

"Skaea!" a voice piped behind her which made her jump.

She turned around and saw a young girl with black hair, bat-like wings, and halo, clothed in red wrappings, "M-Me?" she said confused.

"Duh!" the girl yanked on Twilight's arm, "Master is waiting. And he is not in a good mood as is."

"Right, right. Master...?" Twilight stood and dusted herself off.

The girl stared at her deadpanned with light purple eyes, "Play around all you like, I'm not getting my wings clipped just because you think you can get away with anything because he's your grandfather."

The girl pulled Twilight along, threatening to rip it out of socket. Twilight stumbled on some of the books she had left strewn about.

"So... what's your name?" Twilight inquired.

The girl stopped abruptly and Twilight crashed into her, "I know we don't like each other nor get along, but you could at least remember my name." She pushed open the large golden doors of the library.

Twilight scrambled to her feet quickly and pushed open a door with all her might. She panted after exerting herself for a task the girl made  look easy. She spotted the girl walking down the street made of marble. The architecture and vastness of the buildings made Twilight stare in awe. Towering spires of pearl reached the sky, domes of immaculate ivory rose in front of her, and marble houses lined the streets. She saw angels pass by in white tunics with their golden halos. The girl with black wings grew into a smaller black dot over the horizon. She ran after her.

"About time," the girl chastised Twilight, who was on her hands and knees on the floor trying to catch her breath. The girl snickered at the sight.

Twilight's sides burned, not only from the running but also from climbing the five thousand steps to the top of the tower.

"Maybe if you spent as much time exercising as you spent reading, you wouldn't be as winded," the girl mocked.

The black doors they stood in front of opened suddenly. A black specter with red eyes and black wings filled the doorway.

"Master!" the girl instantly fell to a knee.

"Darqlon?" Twilight  wheezed.

He bent down and pressed a hand wrapped in green energy to her stomach, "I worry about you, Skaea," he rasped, "How could you not use a spell to return your stamina or teleport yourself over here?"

Twilight felt her pain ease and herself being refreshed, "I-I forgot..."

"For being so smart, you are so... silly sometimes," he chuckled. He cleared his throat and held a serious tone, "I have received troubling reports that the Underworld is allowing Demons to crossover. Astraelle, I want you to take Skaea and investigate."

"What?!" both girls said in unison.

"Skaea, do not forget to use your magic," he closed the doors to his study which left the two girls outside alone.

Astraelle let out a frustrated huff and glanced sideways at Twilight. She stood up and started a slow trek down the stairs.

"Wait!" Twilight called out.

Astraelle stopped and looked at her with an annoyed glance.

"I could teleport us there. I remember reading a spell about home teleporting to the Underworld."

The girl rolled her eyes and walked back to Twilight, "Fine, let's get this over with."

Twilight was amazed at how anyone could build towers taller than the ones in Heaven, but whoever the architect was, he had outdone himself. A soft gray glow dimly illuminated the Underworld, but she could see the towers blocked out most of the light, and lamp posts cast somber blue light. She could not even see the ground from the rail she leaned over as the towers kept raising higher, she could see that roads bridged towers together, and countless citizens walked the sky-bridges and walkways while carts and wagons were pulled by a number of different beasts of burden.

"WOW!" Twilight awed.

"Yeah," Astraelle chuckled, "this place always takes my breath away. There is a reason this is called the 'Home of Towers'. C'mon, we need to talk with the governor, maybe she can tell us what's wrong."

Twilight shook her head, gaining her senses back, and followed Astraelle. After a moment of silence between the two Twilight spoke up, "How did you become a valkyrie?"

"The same way all kyrie are created," she answered miffed.

"Just trying to make small talk," Twilight gave a weak laugh.

"Master took me as an apprentice and now I'm a valkyrie. I want to become a reaper, but I have an age to go until then," she spoke as she weaved in and out of people.

Twilight watched in amazement as giants, dragons, and reapers all traveled past her. A hand grabbed her arm and she locked eyes with an annoyed Astraelle. Twilight smiled innocently not knowing she unintentionally got lost.

"Do I have to keep a leash on you?" she grinned mischievously,"Not that I would mind."

"No!" Twilight blushed, "Everything is just so interesting."

"We aren't here to sight see, Skaea, Master gave us a job."

They walked through the crowded streets and Twilight assumed their destination was the black castle that easily dwarfed every castle in Equestria combined.

"D-Do you know why I am with Darq   my grandfather?" Twilight began her questioning.

"You mean besides the fact y'all live near the Grand Archives? I would assume it would be so he could teach you how to use your magic instead of you just reading about it," Astraelle stated.

"Couldn't someone else teach me? Like my f-father or mother?" she probed cautiously.

Astraelle stopped and stared at Twilight with a perplexed expression. Her face and eyes softened, "Right, you must be having one of your memory lapses. You are the only one left of your family, Skaea. Your mom, your dad, your five siblings  all died at the beginning of the War of the Worlds two ages ago."

"What?" Twilight felt sadness well up from deep within her.

Astraelle rolled her eyes, "Don't worry; you'll forget again."

Twilight scowled at her, but sighed, remembering that this was not her own life. She decided to change the topic, "Who is the governor?"

"Countess Scilla von Drakkenhofft," Astraelle sneered, "that bitch turned the whole Court against Master to keep me from becoming a valkyrie."

"Why?"

"Because she wanted me as a slave. She has a taste for any girl she thinks is cute so wait outside while I talk with her," Astraelle shivered.

The two young women reached the gates of the castle. Astraelle glared up at the two guards when they failed to open the gate.

"Ahem," she cleared her throat, "let us through."

"The governor is not seeing any visitors today," a giant in silver armor spoke.

"Don't make me have to skin y'all, you stupid dogs," she barked, the two guards growled at her, "Master Darqlon personally sent us here to talk with her."

"Then, perhaps, he should be here," the other guard snapped.

Astraelle reached behind her back to draw out her sword, but Twilight intervened and pulled the spitfire girl back, "I apologize, good sirs. We will just be on our way."

She tugged Astraelle away with telekinetic magic. The two guards huffed and stamped their halberds on the ground.

"What the Hell?!" Astraelle exploded with anger.

"Something just didn't feel right, Astraelle," Twilight voiced and glanced over her shoulder at the castle, "I had this feeling for a long time, but being here is making my whole body tense."

Astraelle snorted and crossed her arms. After a moment of silence, she spoke up, "Yeah... I feel it now. It feels... demonic..."

An explosion flung them to the ground, glass broke and showered down on them. Twilight brought up a magenta shield of magic. She saw the castle completely gone, replaced by orange flames.

Astraelle grabbed her shoulders in panic, "Teleport us the fuck outta here! Now!"

"Wh" Twilight began then a chunk of stone landed behind her. She gazed up and her pupils became pinpricks. So that's where the castle went, she thought before closing her eyes tightly and teleporting the both of them back to Heaven.

Explosions, screams, and fire, everywhere. The once peaceful and pristine town now echoed with the sounds of fighting. Twilight watched in horror as a young man laid on the ground, crimson pooling around him, staining the white walls, floor, and his wings, he lamely tucked his intestines back into the empty cavity in his body, his green eyes void of life. She wanted to vomit but a hand grabbed hers and began to pull her away. She saw Astraelle with her sword drawn. They ran away from the archives and headed for Darqlon's tower. Her heart sank seeing half of the tower collapsed on houses and in flames. What was happening?

A giant of a woman landed in front of them. She had white plate armor with gold trim, four white wings were flared on her back, her tanned skin covered in blood.

"Princess Skaea!" she addressed Twilight, "Why are you out here?"

"Archangel Laurenielle, where is my master?" Astraelle tugged on one of the warrior's tassels.

"Lord Darqlon is at the gates keeping the demons out," her pink eyes returned to Twilight, "We need to get you to safety, your Highness."

"You do that, I need to go help my master!" she turned but something pulled on her black leathery wing; it was Skaea.

"Please, don't leave me!" Twilight plead.

"I agree," Laurenielle spoke, "Lord Darqlon would want you to keep the Princess safe."

Astraelle turned to stare into the wide diamond eyes of Skaea and sighed, "We should go to Pyæ. I know the perfect place to hide." She smiled up at the Princess, "Know a spell to teleport us to the Valley of Tsahom?"

Thirteen - Amy's Dream

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The gentle babble of water and bird songs rouse her from her slumber. She felt a blanket of thick, soft moss under her. Once she opened her eyes, she confirmed he suspicions. A sprinkle of light blinded her through the lush leaves above her. She saw the wide tree from which the leaves grew from and smiled, she felt as if the tree had its arms around her to protect her. A yawn left her as she stretched. She sat underneath the tree for a few moments absorbing the sound and scent of the nature around her. A small brook ran a few feet away from her, a steep embankment rose on the other side of the water packed with trees, similar yet smaller than the tree she had fallen asleep under. She saw her hair blow in front of her face. She held the long, wavy auburn hair in her hands. She scrambled to the stream and gasped as she saw an unfamiliar face looking at her. She had slightly tan skin, brown freckles dotted her cheeks and nose, dark green eyes replaced her amethyst gems, and she had a small scar on her chin. She groped her four size larger breast through a leather vest and giggled. She returned to the tree and stared at it. For some odd reason, she had a strong urge to hug the tree, which she did.

"Treehugger," a familiar voice called out.

She flipped her head and saw Onyx in his familiar black armour his face cracked into a goofy smile, "Shut up," she heard herself say in an unfamiliar voice.

Onyx laughed then his face became neutral, "I hate to be the bearer of bad news but I think you should know this."

She immediately feared the worst, "Wh-what?" her voice cracked.

"Grey is getting married."

She sighed then started to laugh, "How is that 'bad news', Onyx?"

He cocked his head, confused, "Because you are madly in love with him?"

Amy busted out laughing, she held her sides and wiped a tear from her eye, "Oh, Onyx! Such a riot! You know I love Kyllgorr."

"That's the first I heard you say that and the first I heard that name," she saw Onyx scan her body, "Are you feeling alright, Merhda'aa? Just last night you were singing your drunken little heart out about making him fall in love with you."

Amy sat down on a large root, her head in her hands, memories flooded her brain. A hand on her shoulder made her look up into the concerned cobalt eyes of Onyx.

"Where am I?" she questioned with a confused expression.

Onyx sighed, "We told you not to eat too many of those mushrooms."

"I didn't eat anything! I just woke up here after falling asleep in the vault!" she exclaimed, "You, Grey, Darqlon, and Kyllgorr were there!"

"I don't know who Kyllgorr or Darqlon are," Onyx stated as he unbuckled a flask from his belt and handed it to her, "Drink this, it should clear your head."

She smacked the horn flask away from her face and growled, "There is nothing wrong with me!"

"Alright, alright," he stood up with his hands up in surrender, "I'm going to get Grey, maybe he has heard of them. Stay here."

She watched the slightly younger looking Onyx walk around the tree and disappear from view. Ten minutes later, she heard bushes and branches stir behind her. She saw Grey emerge from the greenery, he held two sticks with meat on them. As he drew near, he offered one of the sticks to her. She shook her head in disgust, but the growl in her stomach made her accept his offering. He smiled and sat beside her on the root.

She licked the meat hesitantly, then took a big bite out of the meat, a soft moan escaped her mouth. Why had she not ever eaten meat before! Oh, right, she was a pony. She was not now so she devoured the meat in five bites. I do not think she even chewed...

"This is the second time I have heard the name 'Darqlon'. Uttered by a woman in a similar situation as yourself," he finally spoke.

Amy eyed the meat at the end of his stick, he noticed and held it out for her with a smile.

"Does the name 'Rarity' mean anything to you?" he asked.

"Mhmm!" she swallowed the chunk she had just bitten, "She is my friend. There were..." Amy counted out on her hand, "Nine others."

"And what is your name?"

"Amy! Well," she cleaned her teeth with her tongue, "Seamless Stitch, but I prefer Amy."

"Who is 'Kyllgorr'?"

"He... he is the love of my life," her emerald gems gazed up at him in sadness.

He placed a hand on her small shoulder and gave a reassuring smile, "I am more than positive you will see him again. It sounds like the older me has given you memory shards, for whatever reason."

"But if they are of this woman's memories, how do you remember Rarity?"

"Well, from my understanding, time is a  "

"Web," Amy finished for him, "Yeah, you gave us this speech."

Grey chuckled, "Well, this is a parallel universe, that is how I remembered."

"Right..." Amy trailed off then perked up, "Then that means you can help him!"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Yeah, when you  " she stopped herself, "Damn... you... would not be able to..."

"I'm lost," Grey admitted.

She placed a small hand over his large hand, "You will meet Kyllgorr in the future. Just, keep him safe for me, okay?"

Grey smiled, "I'll try my best, Amy." He placed his hand over hers.

"Ahem," a woman cleared her voice behind them.

"Val!" Grey stood up smiling, "I didn't expect you to be awake so soon. Sleep well?"

Amy felt the woman's malachite eyes pierce her soul.

"Who is this woman, Grey?" she snapped.

"Now, Val," Grey held out his hands, "this is Merhda'aa, one of my comrades. She's saved my ass a couple of times."

The woman (who could probably be an inch taller than Amy)  had bright crimson hair that barely passed her ears  eyed both Grey and Amy. She extended her hand and Amy did the same.

Val nearly crushed all the bones in her hand and pulled her in closer, "A pleasure to make your acquaintance," she hissed in contempt.

"Yeah!" Amy squeaked and winced in pain.

Grey held the woman's shoulders and she thankfully released her grip, "Merhda'aa, this is my betrothed, Valkyrie."

"I wish only happiness for the both of you," Amy smiled as she cradled her hand.

"Let's go eat, Grey," Val urged and pulled on him away.

Grey laughed, "Yes, my love. We can talk more later. If you have any questions just ask Onyx." The two of them disappeared into the bushes.

Amy whimpered and fell to her knees nursing her hand.

"That woman will be the death of him," she heard Onyx spout beside her.

"Oh, yes," Amy added, "Valkyrie will lead to the deaths of many if the stories I heard are to be trusted."

Fourteen - Celestia's Dream

Celestia woke up in a cot. She scanned her surroundings and concluded she was not in the vault but inside a tent. Golden armor laid in a pile in the middle of tent on a rug, a staff rested on a nightstand beside her cot accompanied with an oil lamp, which cast its soft yellow glow to help her see. She heard a commotion just past her tent. She let out a yawn and removed the thin cotton cover off her. Her nudity caught her off guard but it was the glowing tattoo an her stomach that caught her attention. It had a faint white glow and strange shape. Her hair fell past her and she saw it white as snow. She noticed a long strip of cotton that dangled off the golden staff and decided to wrap her breasts with it. Lacking any other clothes, she decided to strap on the gilded armor, and struggled with the breast plate to strap behind her four wings.  She left the wing shaped helmet and staff behind.

When she left the tent, she first noticed the luminous, full moon above, and smiled, then the number of other white tents, hers was significantly bigger. A tall, red tent was not far from her own and figured that the leader resided there. Cheers and whoops caught her attention, she had wanted to ignore it at first, but a yelp of pain made her want to investigate.

She took a short stroll past several tents and saw a cage surrounded by men in standard metal armor. They laughed but she could not see why. Standing behind a soldier, she was at least two heads taller than the tallest man of the group, she saw a young female, with light red skin and dark crimson hair, clothed with a burlap sack, on the muddy ground. Black liquid streaked from cuts on her back, her hands and feet bound  with a rag stuffed in her mouth. A man was in the cage with a whip. He cracked it on her back with a sickening snap, which made the men holler and laugh, the girl's cry was absorbed by the rag. Celestia was absolutely disgusted. When she was about to raise her voice a familiar voice spoke behind her.

"What is going on here?" a deep voice rasped.

She turned around and sure enough, she saw Darqlon in black armor with his smoky head and wings protruding from the armor. His crimson eyes ablaze.

"Lord Darqlon," the man Celestia was behind turned and saluted with his arm across his chest, "We caught this demon trying to spy on us, sir!"

"And you decided to torture it?"

"Uh..." the man swallowed, his brown eyes avoiding Darqlon's.

He snapped his fingers and all the men around the cage dropped to the ground with their eyes rolled up in their head. He glanced at Celestia and opened the cage to enter. His eyes burrowed into the man holding the whip.

"You," he picked up the man by the neck, "we do not torture prisoners." He snapped the man's neck and threw his lifeless body against the cage.

The young girl had horrified lavender eyes as she looked up at the Reaver.

His eyes faded from glowing hotly. He knelt beside her. A yellowish glow emitted from his hand. He motioned over her body and a similar yellow glow wrapped her body which healed her wounds. He drew a dagger, cut the binds off the girl, and removed her gag. Celestia watched closely. The girl shuffled away from the Reaver her back against the metal bars of the cage.

"Do you know who I am?" he questioned her.

She nodded her head quickly.

"Were you spying on us for the upcoming battle?"

She shook her head, "I... I ran away. I was a slave," she squeaked, "I just wanted some bread."

Darqlon held out a ghostly hand, "I will feed you."

"Really?"

"Yes. No one deserves to be a slave," he stated. The young girl placed her hand on his and he helped her up, "Do you have a name?"

"I am called Heidi," she curtsied, "Lord Darqlon."

"She," he looked over at Celestia, "is the Commander of my army, Astrid. I thought best if I intervened lest she killed everyone here."

He walked out of the cage with Heidi close at his heels he motioned for Celestia to follow, which she did.

After a short walk, the three of them reached a long white tent that carried the smell of food.

Darqlon addressed one of the guards, "Call Garrent to me."

"Sir!" the guard saluted and ran off.

He held open the tent for the two ladies and led them to his private table. A waiter immediately rushed up to him.

"What can I get for you, m'Lord Darqlon?" he asked with a notepad out.

"Serve whatever the young one wishes."

"Really?" Heidi exclaimed.

"Of course."

"Well, can I have some steak? My m-master always ate it and said it was delicious...."

The waiter nodded respectfully and turned his attention to the Commander, "And for you, ma'am?"

The gnawing at her stomach had grown but she did not want to say anything. As if reading her thoughts, Darqlon nodded at her. "Well," she began, "a salad, if that would not be too much trouble."

"Nonsense, Commander Astrid," he bowed, "Your usual salad?"

"Yes, please."

The waiter smiled and hurried off.

Darqlon had is attention on Heidi who just looked around the tent at all the soldiers who looked back at the three of them, "Heidi, how did you become a demon?"

Heidi looked up at him then at the table, "M-my parents... they sold my soul to Mystin for power... then they sacrificed me..."

"That's horrible," Celestia mistakenly said aloud.

"Yes," Darqlon nodded in agreement. "Do you wish to stay a demon?"

"No!" she began to cry.

Darqlon placed a hand on her back to comfort her, "Good. How would you like to become my apprentice?"

"W-what?" she sniffled.

"I sense great potential in you, Heidi. If you will allow me, with my guidance you could release your full potential and become a reaper."

"I.. I don't know," she hesitated, "If I say no, will you throw me back in the cage?"

"No," Heidi sighed in relief, "I will kill you."

Both Heidi and Celestia were shocked.

"You, regardless of you wanting to change, are a demon."

"That is hardly fair, Darqlon. You can not blackmail her to become your apprentice," Celestia spoke.

Darqlon gazed long and hard at her before chuckling, "I was merely joking. I would not kill you but you would have to go back to Hell, Heidi."

Heidi thought, "Would... would it be difficult?"

"Very," Darqlon nodded.

"In my life, Heidi," Celestia spoke, "I have found that some of the best things in life are the most difficult to obtain," she smiled comfortingly at the young demoness.

Heidi gulped then looked up at Darqlon, "I... I will do it... Master..."

"You honor me, Heidi," Darqlon bowed.

Shortly after, the waiter brought out a plate with the thickest steak he could possibly carry, and a salad bowl for the Commander with a fresh garden salad. During their meal, a stout man with a fabulous handlebar mustache took Heidi's measurements for new clothes. When Heidi had finished her fourth plate of steak, Darqlon led them out of the dining tent and to his personal tent. A hooded figure waited at his tent as they approached.

"Astrid, take care of Heidi in your tent for a moment, please," he held up three fingers at the figure who nodded and entered the tent, "I have some business to attend quickly."

"Of course, Darqlon," she reached down to Heidi, "Please, come along with me to my tent, Heidi."

Heidi hesitantly followed the archangel into her tent, not until she watched her new Master enter his tent.

Celestia smiled warmly at the young demoness. Heidi sat on the rug. She fiddled with her fingers. Celestia, feeling the weight of the awkwardness, began to search her drawers for anything to break the tension. She saw a lengthy penile shaped crystal in the top drawer and immediately closed it, with heated cheeks. Heidi looked up at her with a curious glance, she just smiled politely back at her, and resumed her search in the drawer. In the second, she found a diary and thought it rude to look through the contents. In the third and finally drawer, she found a hefty gilded tome and brought it out.

Heidi awed at the sight of the book, "What is that?"

"Just a small book of spells," she smiled, "Would you like to read it?"

"Yeah!" Heidi interjected but slumped, "I-I don't know how to r-read...."

"I will help you," Celestia placed the book on her bed and tapped the bed for Heidi to join her.

Heidi was fast asleep on Celestia's cot. She laughed softly, it would seem those four steaks have caught up with her. Celestia quietly got up and left her tent to speak with Darqlon.

"Darqlon?" she announced herself at the tent.

"Enter," he rasped in a quiet tone.

She entered and saw the specter sitting at a desk. He looked... he did not have as ghostly an appearance as he had earlier; he was more a solid shadow. "Is everything alright?" she asked concerned.

"No," he sighed, "My son and daughter-in-law have both died."

"Oh no," Celestia frowned, she could not begin to imagine how he felt, "I'm sorry for your loss, Darqlon. I wish I could say I know how you feel, but I can not."

Another sigh escaped him, "Just... get some rest. You are dismissed."

"Alright," she bowed politely, "If you want to ta  "

"Dismissed," Darqlon cut her off curtly.

Celestia went back to her tent. She removed her armor and decided to curl up with the young girl. She draped her wings protectively over her and slept.

Fifteen - Luna's Dream

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Something jumped on Luna which made her yelp awake. She saw Grey gazing down at her with a mischievous grin and sparkling golden eyes. He sat beside her and leant over with his arms positioned beside her head.

"Why did you  " she began but stopped when she heard an unfamiliar voice speak from her lips.

"Because," he said and quickly kissed her lips, "I missed you, my sweet."

Luna sighed contently when she felt his warm lips touch hers which made her forget about her voice, "And I missed you."

"It has been a whole," he gave her a long kiss, "Seven hours since I last laid eyes upon you," he winked, "Your beauty will always captivate me as if I saw you for the first time."

"Flatterer," she leant up and kissed him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

They kissed and held each other for a few moments before a small voice called out, "Mommy?"

Luna withdrew her face from Grey's and turned to see a little boy beside the bed. A little boy that resembled Grey in every which way, especially, the little grin he had. Luna's heart melted.

"No, junior, mommy is all mine now!" Grey teased.

The boy jumped on the bed and hugged Grey, "Morning, Daddy!" He kissed Luna on her forehead, "Morning, Mommy!" he chimed.

Luna laid there motionless, her brain still trying to comprehend the situation.

Grey kissed the boy on the forehead, "Go get cleaned up and dressed for school, Alexander."

"Yes, sir," the boy jumped off the bed. Luna watched as his little feet pattered on the floor.

Grey kissed Luna longingly, "Still can't believe we created him, huh?"

"Yes..." Luna whispered.

"He's a miracle, that's for sure, and a blessing."

"Yes..."

"C'mon, mommy," Grey laughed and got off of Luna, "You need to get dressed so I can drop us off."

"Yes..." Luna watched Grey walk out the door. She stayed in bed for a couple moments before sitting up and running to the mirror.

A woman with peach skin, long carrot bed hair, and emerald eyes stared back at her. The woman had a distinct dark crescent, moon shaped mark in the middle of her forehead.  She was too busy observing herself in the mirror to notice Grey sneaking up on her.

He smacked her butt, "Hey, babe, you got a permit for that load?"

Luna blushed brightly and swatted away his hand, "Where are we even going?"

He hugged her waist and pulled her close, "Work, of course."

"I... am feeling a little under the weather..." Luna lied, "Do you think I can call in sick?"

Grey pressed the back of his hand across her forehead, "Hm... you are a little hot. I'll give them a call, my love. Just go back to bed."

"I think I will," she walked over to the king size bed and shuffled under the covers.

Grey walked to the doorway and looked back at her to give her a wink. Luna giggled.

She waited until she heard the front door close to scramble out of bed and begin searching through the closet for any information about herself. She pulled down a heavy wooden trunk from off the top shelf in her closet and set it on the ground. Once she opened it, she began to take out all the reference books of magic. There was a photo album tucked in the side of the trunk. She brought it out and started flipping through the pages.

The first few pages were about her youth as a baby and later her school years. The second part was about Grey and his childhood. There were a few pictures of him in a soldier outfit with a few other people. The third part of the book made all her emotions she kept suppressed flood out. They were baby pictures of Alexander. Memories filled her mind, but after a moment of thinking, she began to feel guilty. She loved a child that was not hers and loved a man that did not belong to her. She returned the photo album to its niche in the trunk and picked up the five tomes about magic to the bed to start reading and study.

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After a simple sandwich lunch, Luna went back to reading the books. She spent an hour afterwards on practising the magic she learned. When she was about to begin to study the fourth book, a droning sound grabbed her attention from outside. She saw Grey stop the dark blue contraption in the driveway. She quickly returned the tomes to the trunk and heaved it up on the shelf. The front door opened and she jumped in bed under the covers. She heard Grey open the bedroom door.

"Phoebe?" he called out.

Luna pretended to be asleep.

She felt Grey crawl on the bed and felt his lips on her elbow. She suppressed a giggle. He began to slowly kiss up her arm and to her neck, where he nibbled gently. He growled softly as he nipped her ear. His hand massaged the inside of her bare thigh. Luna's breath became lost in her throat and her body started to quiver.

"We have three hours to ourselves and you are going to pretend to sleep?" he teased her as he pressed his hand against her moist crotch.

She rolled on her back and looked up at Grey with bedroom eyes, "I... do not think we should..."

Grey climbed on top of her hunger in his eyes, "I think Alexander would love to be an older brother."

Luna cast away all her doubts and inhibitions, if this was a dream, she would make the most of it. She lurched forward and pinned Grey down on his back. Grey smirked and began to take off his shirt. She marvelled at his chiselled body and quickly took off her t-shirt.

"Mmmm, momma, show me what you got!" he wolf whistled.

Luna rolled her eyes and laughed, "You are such a dork!"

Grey sat up and gave her a long kiss, "That's why you love meh."

"Yes!" she kissed him and ran her fingers along his zipper, struggling slightly to unzip it do to his arousal.

Grey unhooked her bra and removed it with his teeth. He cupped her delicious D breasts in his hands and sucked on her nipple hungrily. Luna moaned and finally was able to open his pants, his thick, hot rod pressed against her abdomen. She worked his cock with both of her hands which made him moan. Luna pushed him back down and held a salacious grin. She kissed his abdomen and worked her way down all the while removing his pants.

Grey got extra excited when Luna began licking along the full length of his member; he groaned loudly and tossed his head back. Luna smiled seeing him react so strongly, she could no longer tease him, her own desires craving more. She slowly took as much of his cock into her mouth, which was only about half his length, and began to bob her head up and down, sucking his magnificent cock.

"Oh, baby!" he groaned as his hips pumped up to her face.

She gripped the base of his cock with one hand to squeeze him and used her other hand to fondle his slightly hairy balls. His heavy musk dulled her senses as her own hormones flooded her brain. She could feel Grey edge closer and closer to climax every time her tongue ran along his dick. She already had a taste of his slightly bitter precum but she wanted more. He grunted louder and his thrusts grew rapid until Grey finally reached his boiling point  exploding his load into Luna's waiting mouth. She hungrily swallowed every drop of his cum, not letting any go to waste. He laid back on the bed, panting heavily. Luna pursed her lips at the tip of his penis, giving his head a quick kiss, which made him jerk.

She allowed Grey to get his second wind as she leant against the pillows to remove her sopping wet cotton shorts and panties. She threw the soiled undergarments over his head and he sat up to catch them in his teeth. He brought them up to his nose and smelled her anticipation.

Luna giggled, "Come over here and you can get more from the source," she cooed and rubbed her swollen, pink sex.

Grey dove fervently at her crotch, picking up her legs around his neck, he began to lap up her intoxicating juices. Luna gasped as she felt his tongue licking her insides. She closed her legs around his head, not wanting him to stop his tongue assault. He gently nibbled her delicate folds and erect clit, which made her hips thrust hard, and her moan lustily. She kneaded her breasts and tweaked her erect, rosy nipples. He growled hungrily as his tongue penetrated her steamy cunt that squeezed his tongue. She grabbed his thick hair and bucked her hips harder, her voice rose up in a crescendo of passion and she released her love all over his face. She fell to the pillows, her body hot, and sticky with sweat. Grey gently placed her hips and legs down and kissed her pussy lips.

He chuckled as he cleaned his face off with his shirt, which made Luna blush. She brought up her legs and spread herself wide for him. Her emerald jewels and twitching pussy begging for him to continue. Grey positioned himself between her legs and gave her a long passionate kiss. Their tongues played with one another as they tasted each other. His tip found her wanton entrance from her heat. She wrapped her arms around him and gazed lovingly into his golden eyes. He slid his full eleven inches deep into  her, she gasped and held her breath feeling every inch slowly penetrate her. She whimpered softly when he fully sheathed his mighty sword within her.

"Grey..." she moaned.

"Phoebe," he uttered as he began to pull out of her, the walls of her womanhood clenched tightly on his member. He gently bit Luna's shoulder and thrust back in her.

She mewled feeling his teeth clamp on her hot flesh and his stoker stoked the flame within her. He held her hips as he began to pound into her harder. Her hips met his as they clapped loudly, neither wanting to give in less they forget the passionate feeling in their groins. Luna panted and moaned louder at each of his thrusts.

"More!" she begged breathlessly and bit his neck.

Grey roared and leant back on his haunches holding onto Luna's perfect hips, he pressed her up against the headboard and splayed her legs apart. He thrust rapidly into her burning love pocket as her muscles clenched tighter around him. Luna braced herself against the wall; all manner of expletives running through her head as he stoked the fire of her womb. Her mind began to turn fuzzy and blank. A last thunderous moan escaped the both of them as they climaxed. Luna's juices flooded Grey's cock and his sperm coated the walls of her womb.

Grey grunted and carefully laid Luna back on the bed parallel to the wall, as to avoid the concoction of their love juices on their pillows. Luna immediately wrapped her arms and legs around her lover. She bathed in his heat emanating off him.

"Divines..." Grey panted and chuckled.

They exchanged a long, passionate kiss.

Luna sighed contently, "I wish we could be like this forever."

"I think it would be a little unhealthy," Grey joked.

"I love you: Grey Zamanova Whulphe," Luna declared.

"And I love you: Phoebe Luna Celeste Whulphe," he affirmed.

Luna drifted off to sleep, her exhaustion catching up to her. She felt Grey hold her closer.

Luna had barely stepped out of the bathroom when Grey gave her a quick peck on the cheek.

"I am going to pick up, Alexander. Something about the daycare bus being late," Grey informed her as he put on a black leather jacket, "We'll be home in a bit. Mind fixin' somethin' to eat, good lookin'?"

"Only if I feel like it," Luna remarked and blew him a kiss.

After she slipped her delicate feet into a pair of black and teal striped socks did the doorbell ring. Luna went down the winding stairs and saw a familiar little boy waving at her through the window, then she noticed a woman in the door glass who politely smiled and waved.

She opened the door and Alexander dashed in to hug her leg, "Did you miss me, Mommy?"

"Always," Luna beamed and knelt down to hug him.

She looked back at the rusty, spiky-haired woman with pale straw eyes, "Thank you, but my husband was supposed to be picking him up."

"That's strange," the young woman twisted her face in thought, "I am just the substitute van driver."

"Mommy," Alexander warranted her attention, "can I have a snack?"

"Of course  " a loud crack rang in her ear. She saw blood splatter out the side of Alexander's head, his face drooped with his eyes rolled back in his head. Shock and horror overtook her as his lifeless body fell into her arms. She turned to the doorway and saw the woman holding a weapon.

"If he thought I would let him be happy, he was sorely mistaken!" she spat.

Rage immediately set in when she figured out that she was Grey's daughter, tears blurred her vision, "Shade, you monster!"

"Yes," she sneered, "Daddy's little monster."

Luna put up a shield as Shade fired a couple rounds into the blue force field. She gripped the woman with telekinesis and stood up, squeezing her entire body. Shade grimaced and tried to break free of the woman's magical grip. Luna's eyes glowed with fury and hatred. Then she collapsed to her knees and scooped up Alexander into her arms, tears rolling down her face  all the while keeping her hold on Shade.

"Killing you..." Luna sobbed, "Killing you will not bring him back. Killing you will not justify his death. Killing you will still leave me empty." Luna released the hold on Shade, "Kill me, so I can be with my son."

Shade watched the woman holding her dead child in confusion, "You aren't angry? You don't want to kill me?"

"Oh, I am very much angry and I very much want to kill you," Luna spoke but kept her eyes on Alexander, "But you are Grey's daughter. He still loves you and cares for you. If I killed you, he would have two children to bury at the end of the day, and I do not want his heart to go through that."

Luna felt the gun press against her head, "He will still have to dig two holes."

"So be it," Luna replied calmly before her world went dark.

Sixteen - Shade's Dream

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"Why are you crying?" her mother asked as she glared down at her with vibrant green eyes.

"I-I fell," she sobbed and cradled her knee which had a scarlet scratch.

Her mother scoffed, "You are crying over that? I had to push a human being out of me and I didn't cry. Crying does not solve anything; all it does is give you a headache. Is your cut healed? Is there a bandage on it? No. Instead of doing these important things, you thought it was best to invest your time into crying. Get up and stop your sniveling."

"Who was that human being and why did you do it?" the girl asked innocently.

"You! Silly girl!" her mother laughed, and squeezed her wet cheeky, "And I did it because I love your father."

She saw her mother's face glow as she smiled in the afternoon sun and her eyes sparkled, which made her smile in turn.

The woman in the red tunic and white pants began to walk away, she beckoned the young girl to follow. She watched her mother's back grow further away from her. Mustering all her strength, she got to her feet, and winced from the stinging in her knee. The pain stung, but she did not want to be left behind by her mother. She hobbled as fast as she could and caught up with her mother, who looked down at her and smirked.

"There are only two instances I will allow you to cry: at your wedding and at a funeral. Even then, crying is pathetic. Shade, you never show weakness to anyone, or they will think you are vulnerable, and take advantage of you."

"Yes, Mommy," the young Shade wiped her nose and eyes on her arm. She saw her mother hold out a hand and she gladly grabbed her hand. "I love you, Mommy!

Shade had heard some strange noises coming from her parent's bedroom. She rolled her eyes and covered her ears with her pillow. Gross. A thud against her wall made her sit up. She heard her father's muffled voice through the wall.

"Val, get a hold of yourself!"

Grunts and scuffling was heard followed by glass shattering. This alarmed her. First, her mother disappears for two days, and now she has returned? Shade pulled off her covers and rolled out of bed. She silently crept to her door and quietly opened it. She only had to take a few steps to get to her parent's bedroom door. She cracked the door open with her heart in her throat and ears. She froze at the scene illuminated by the light crystal in the ceiling.

She clearly saw her father standing over her mother. She had a knife sticking out of her stomach and she clung to his leg, tears streaked her face. Her mother   crying?

"Grey..." her mother gasped.

"I will not let you harm our daughter," she heard her father say between gritted teeth. Blood stained his white sleeping shirt and pants where gashes cut the fabric. He had his hand held high with an ominous faintly purple glowing shard of... something.

"She... has my... power..." her voice was dark and twisted, she saw her mother grab his hand and the handle of the knife in her abdomen.

Grey twisted the knife, pausing her movement, and he brought down the shard into the middle of her chest.

Her mother's face twisted in silent agony, her head slunk to the side, and Shade made eye contact with her mother's red sclera, glowing yellow eyes, which made her shiver. A smirk plastered her mother's face.

"Mother?" she accidentally spoke out loud, receiving her father's attention.

His face broke into shock, "Shade! Run!"

A billion thoughts blurred through her mind at a billion miles per hour. Her father had just murdered her mother. Suddenly, a red phantasm escaped from her mother and darted towards Shade. Her father bear hugged the phantom.

"She is no longer yours, demon!" he yelled. The phantasm turned in his arms and absorbed into him.

Shade had crawled as far away from that thing as the door let her. She sat panting heavily underneath the doorknob. She saw her father collapse to the ground on all fours, clutching his chest.

"Daddy!" she suddenly stood up to go to his aid but she hit her head on the door knob and the world faded to black.

Shade shot up in her bedroll with her hand in the sky. She was covered in a cold sweat and panting. Something burned on her chest. She touched her mother's amulet and hissed when the glowing red amulet burned her. It got hotter and heavier so she broke the chain and threw it to the dust. She thought she head laughing coming from the amulet. Her mind twinged with pain.

"That's not what happened..." she growled as the pain intensified, "He killed her in cold blood!"

She screamed deafeningly at the sky, a shriek which made Pyæ quake.

Seventeen

Seventeen

Onyx brought a glass of water to Rarity, since she was the first to awaken, "Have a nice beauty nap, Rarity?"

"Absolutely," she accepted the water and took a sip, "Boy Wonder," she snickered.

Onyx flushed red and Grey chuckled, "How do you know that name?"

"That crystal transported me back in time, darling," Rarity informed him, "I met a very rambunctious and younger you. When you killed that Abyssal Demon, you wanted everyone to call you the 'Dragon of Steel'  "

"To which I replied, 'Calm down, Boy Wonder.'" Grey finished for her and they both snickered quietly as to not disturb the others.

Onyx huffed, his arms crossed his black armor and deadpanned, "Ha. Ha." Onyx motioned for Rarity to follow him, "You should probably get started on the clothes, Rare, I got everything set up for you."

"That was quite the feat, Onyx, dear," Rarity smiled, "But I think Grey has you beat."

"I had the most kills!" Onyx pouted, "He just had bigger kills, which still only counted as one, I mind you!"

"Yeah, yeah, Boy Wonder," Grey waved him dismissively.

Onyx grumbled and began to walk past the partition with Rarity in tow; Rarity placed her hand between his wings and smiled up at him.

Kyllgorr stirred awake and yawned. He stretched, which popped his arms, back, and neck. He gazed lovingly down at the elf curled up in his lap and watched her sleep. A few moments later, she woke up with a stretch, and accidentally punched Kyllgorr in his crotch.

"Oh, Killy!" she gasped and rolled off his legs, "I'm sorry!"

"It was an accident," he croaked.

She placed a hand on his crotch with a salacious smirk, "Want me to kiss it better?"

Kyllgorr's eyes shot wide.

Grey cleared his throat, "There are others here, Amy."

Amy grinned, "My services do not extend to the rest of you, if that's what you're implying."

"Whassgoinon?" Twilight slurred and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Her hair a wild mess.

"Is it lunch time?!" Pinkie asked loudly as she sprung from her blankets. The other women groaned and began to awaken. "Oops," Pinkie giggled, "Sorry."

"It is alright, Pinkie," Celestia said beside the curly, pink haired woman,  with a practiced smile, "I think it was about time for us to wake up anyways."

Luna sat up from her covers with a somber expression. Grey took note of this.

"What's wrong, my love?" he inquired as he held her face gently.

Her teal eyes began to water and she hugged Grey tightly, "I saw what happened to Alexander..." she felt Grey tense up, "I'm  "

Grey broke their embrace and placed a finger on her lips, "Don't worry about it, Luna. I have come to terms with what happened a long time ago."

"Are you certain?" she questioned and held his hands.

He kissed her softly, "Yes."

Onyx rounded the metal partition that divided the vault and saw Rainbow Dash sitting on her blankets, hugging her knees. He knelt next to her, "Is everything alright?"

She gazed at him with distraught fuchsia eyes, "Y-yeah," her voice cracked. She shook her head, rainbow colored hair smacked his face and she jumped up, "I know how to kick major flank with a rod now!"

"Good to know," Onyx rubbed his nose and smiled up at her, "I'll know who to call on to save me from big baddies now."

"You got that right!" Rainbow pumped a fist.

Onyx was glad to see her usually spunky self back in her eyes, "C'mon, show me what you got, short stuff," he teased as he used her head to help himself up and dashed away. "Amy, come help Rarity with the clothes, please?" He asked as he sped away.

"Oh, ho, I'm so not going to go easy on you!" she ran after him with a confident smirk.

Amy kissed Kyllgorr quickly before jumping off his lap and skipping after Onyx.

Twilight went over to her friend Fluttershy who was just sitting on her covers lost in her own thoughts. "Is everything okay, Fluttershy?"

"Huh? Oh..." Fluttershy played with her fingers, "E-everything is fine, Twilight."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," Fluttershy smiled and nodded, "I... just have a lot on my mind. My 'dream' was amazing,"

"Really?" Twilight sat across from her friend, "I would like to hear about it. Mine was... interesting, to say the least."

Applejack went to the Time Freezers to rustle up some grub, she cast a few glances toward Kyllgorr every now and then.

"Why do you keep looking at him?" Pinkie questioned, popping out of thin air making Applejack jump back.

"I don't know what you're talkin' 'bout, Pinkie," Applejack stated and pulled out two apples from the crisper drawer.

"Oh, c'mon, silly! You keep looking at Kyllgorr!" Pinkie blurted.

"Look it doesn't matter," she said in a hushed voice with a hand over the party girl's mouth, "Just forget it."

"Okey! Dokey! Lokey!" she hopped away and went up to Grey, "So, you gave me the gun, but I don't have any ammunition for it. What's up with that?"

"Safety precaution," Grey joked, "Mages and Pinkie, if you would all follow me to the range, we can go test out y'alls accuracy," he announced and stood up, he helped Luna up as well. "Applejack, go spar with Kyllgorr. Let's go ladies." Grey started to walk to the range but was cut off by Fluttershy.

"Um, excuse me, Grey?" she tucked her hair out of her face, "What am I supposed to do?"

"Make as many medi-kits, healing salves, and anything else your little heart desires," he smiled, "Rarely do you have the time in the middle of battle to create such lifesaving items. Everything you need should be in the tote and in your head."

"Yes," Fluttershy smiled, "I will get to work right away!"

Applejack shuffled awkwardly up to Kyllgorr as the group disappeared, "So, um... that crystal really helped me to understand how to fight as a Human," she chuckled nervously.

"You aren't a Human," Kyllgorr stated.

"I'm not?" Applejack said confused.

"You are an Ancient. A Pure Wolf. You are much better than a lowly, stinking Human," Kyllgorr stood up and stretched again. "You should have noticed by now that you have more acute hearing and smell than usual."

"I guess," Applejack shrugged.

"Now, let us begin," he positioned himself in a defensive manner. Applejack rose her first to her chin. "Don't worry, there are plenty of people here to heal you."

Applejack smirked, "My thoughts exactly."

Outside, Darqlon heard a faint cry in the wind. He shrugged it off and decided to go check on the others inside the Vault.

Nineteen

The freshness of the vault air and the putridness of the outside air Darqlon could note as he stalked down the lit hallway. His pale skin absorbed the white light of the antechamber when he entered through the crank locked metal doors. Applejack and Kyllgorr sparred intensely before him. They were both battered and bruised, Applejack the worse for wear. She threw a left hook and Kyllgorr grabbed her arm, vaulting her over his head, she met the stone floor with a terrible thud.

Kyllgorr twisted her arm and kept Applejack on her belly, "Do you submit?"

"Never!" Applejack gritted. She reared back her head, connecting with his chin which made him reel back. She capitalised on the opening: kicking him in the knee, dropping him to the floor, and locked her calves around his neck. "Do you submit?!" she jeered.

Kyllgorr grunted and stood up, power slamming the blondie onto the granite floor  causing it to crack. Applejack did not move. Kyllgorr snorted and bent down to check on Applejack. Once again, she headbutted him, collapsed the back of his knee, and forced his face to meet her knee. His head snapped violently back. He shook the stars from his eyes and smirked up at the young woman.

"Not bad. I almost felt that one," he got to his feet, cracking his knuckles, "Round four," he grinned with glowing eyes.

"Enough!" Grey hollered as he entered the antechamber through the opposite hallway. The others were behind him already equipped with their new wardrobe. He tossed bundles of clothes at Applejack and Kyllgorr. "We have spent enough time holed up here," he announced.

He walked over to the wall with a screen. Pressing buttons on a control pad lit up the screen. A light blue political map of Pyæ flicked on the screen. After a second of tapping on the keypad twenty-one, red dots appeared on the map. Grey keyed on the pad expertly and swiftly. Four names appeared on the screen: Darqlon, Grey, Kyllgorr, and Onyx; arranged like a chart. "Alright. We are going to split up into three groups of three and one group of four. We: Darqlon, Kyllgorr, Onyx, and I, will lead the groups."

"Why is that?" Rainbow challenged.

"Because we know the landscape better than you all," Grey replied.

"Fair enough," Celestia stated.

"Now, we are going to pull names from a jar and that is how the groups will be formed." Everyone nodded their heads in acceptance. Grey reached into the jar, pulled out a slip of paper and grinned, "My dear Luna, you are in my group."

Darqlon rolled his eyes when the white ceramic jar was passed to him. He reached in and pulled out a piece of paper. He sighed and put his hand back into the jar.

"Oi!" Onyx interjected, "You can't do that!"

Darqlon huffed and cast annoyed ruby eyes at Celestia, "Celestia."

Celestia went rigid and swallowed the lump in her throat, this was exactly what she did not want, "Alright," she nodded.

The white jar passed to Kyllgorr and he smiled when he withdrew his hand from the jar, "Amy."

"Yes!" the lithe redhead elated with a fist in the air.

Onyx sighed at the name he had picked, "I guess I'm stuck with the other shrimp," he joked, winking at Rainbow Dash.

"Yeah, yeah," Rainbow grinned.

This went on for another couple minutes. The final groups were: Grey, Luna, Rarity, Applejack; Darqlon, Celestia, Pinkie; Kyllgorr, Amy, Fluttershy; Onyx, Rainbow Dash, and Twilight. Twilight not letting the fact that she got picked last, as usual, get the better of her. She suppressed long distant memories of when she was a filly.

When everyone had finished gathering sleeping supplies, food, clothes, and other miscellaneous items, they gathered in the antechamber. Grey gave everyone a map with their assigned Hell Gate locations. Everyone said their farewells and best wishes except for Kyllgorr, Amy, and Fluttershy.

Fluttershy cowered from the intense tangerine gaze of Kyllgorr. He pressed a metallic object into her hands. She had seen the shape before a gun.

"That is a flare gun," Kyllgorr informed her, he gave her an armband that held fast three flares, "You point it up in the air and pull the trigger. If we get separated we will be able to find you. It is also useful for lighting up a dark area." He quickly showed her how to load the emergency device and that it had a flare already chambered.

The bright orange flare gun had a black lanyard attached to it and she slipped it around her neck, "Thank you."

"Let's get going!" Amy chimed, "So many demons to be killed, so little time!"

Kyllgorr nodded and he turned to exit down the hallway. Amy attached herself to his arm which he preferred.

Pat landed with a sigh. Dust billowed into the air. Shade landed on the ground and immediately spotted boot tracks. Her sharp sense of smell locating the scent of that man and her eyes shone through her tinted goggles. Her ears perked up upon hearing the machinations of the vault door opening. She drew her twin daggers   ready to strike.

Kyllgorr stepped into the setting solar light with an elf stuck on his arm. His orange eyes narrowed at her.

"You are a little late," he spoke, "Your father left a couple hours ago."

Shade sucked her teeth, "Where did he go?"

"Over there somewhere," Amy waved her hand wildly to and fro.

Shade's crimson brow furrowed.

"Shade?" A soft voice called out to her from behind her uncle.

A frail looking long haired woman poked her head from around Kyllgorr, "Do I know you?"

"Yes, well, no..." Fluttershy timidly took a few steps out of the vault, "I just want to know: why do you want to kill Grey?"

"Because he killed my mother!" Shade spat.

"He did that to save you..." Fluttershy hid behind her long hair.

"Shade," Kyllgorr said, "Your mother has deceived your thoughts and has manipulated your emotions. Grey would never have killed Val unless he had to. Hell, he has never attacked you, right?"

"Of course, he wants to kill me! I killed his son!"

"He has forgiven you for that," Fluttershy spoke, "Maybe you should sit down and talk with him?"

"Yeah," Amy added, "From what I have seen and heard about your mother she was cr-" Kyllgorr clamped a hand over her mouth to silence her.

"'She was' what?" Shade sneered, pointing a dagger at the elf.

"Shade, your mother is evil and will kill you to get her power from you," Kyllgorr explained. "Listen, come with us to close the gates and you can talk with your father."

Shade's face twisted in confusion, "Why the fuck would I want to close the gates? I will be able to see mother again!"

"Shade," Fluttershy asserted, "Would the destruction of your world be worth meeting your mother?"

"Absolutely."

"How about this: you come with us to close the gates, you can absorb the essence of the lieutenants there, and grow more powerful to defeat Grey," Kyllgorr offered.

As much as she hated to admit, Grey was more powerful than her. The last encounter with that man left her drained of all her power while he remained in perfect condition.

"And, I will give you a Godsbane Blade to kill him," Kyllgorr enticed.

"Deal," Shade accepted immediately.

Twenty

Twenty

"I assume you got here through the Hell Gate near Poysin, correct?" Kyllgorr question.

The four of them had only walked for an hour in silence before Kyllgorr asked his question to Shade. Shade was growing irritated of the long haired woman gazing at her. She sighed and gave her answer, "Yes."

"Who is the lieutenant there?"

"Some pushover," Shade waved her hand, "the whole camp is full of 'em. I will eliminate them."

"More power to you!" Amy chimed.

Above the quartette, three harpies soared in the crimson mire. Scouts for Lieutenant Maokhan, they would report back to him their findings. Of the three harpies, one stayed behind, Nicolëth. Nicolëth had her eyes set on Kyllgorr, the only man to every slip out of her talons and evade her advances. As with many avid hunters, Nicolëth loved a challenge; but she hated competition, especially if that competition was an elf attached to her quarry’s arm. Ignoring her sisters’ warnings she continued to watch and follow the four trespassers from on high.

Night soon descended on the group and they decided to rest, much to Shade’s annoyance. She did not want to let that man live any longer than he should. Bound by her word and the prospect of the only way to kill him, she helped set up camp. Throughout the day, though and even now, she could not shake off the feeling that they were being followed.

Of course with the land in complete ruin and drought, no trees or kindling of any kind would normally be found. Luckily, Kyllgorr thought ahead and packed a portable campfire. He dropped the metal contraption on the ground and forced open the case springs, the next step, he arranged the four panels in the center to maximize the radiating heat, and lastly, he turned on the gas and ignited it with a match.

Nicolëth roosted nearby on a stony outcrop. Her binocular vision fixed on her prize. Sleep pulled on her leaden eyelids but she fought with all her might, she did not want to succumb and have him slip away or worse: get caught. With four restless days accumulating on her weary bones, sleep found victory over her.

With the cool of night cloaking the land, Shade could see the white speck of heat radiating on the horizon with her night vision. She went prone on the ground and stealthily crawled her way to the dot. As she drew closer to the dot, she could make out the shape of a harpy and smell it on the wind. She pounced on her prey, clamping a hand on its windpipe and pressing her blade against its throat which made it stop struggling. Her weight and size crushed the wind out of the frail harpy which was only half the size of Shade.

“Why are you following us?” Shade demanded. Her only answer from the harpy was a strangled and muffled gurgle. She lessened her hold on its neck, “Who are you working for, harpy?”

“Myself!” Nicolëth choked out.

Shade smirked, “I don’t mind plucking your feathers out one by one until you tell me.”

Nicolëth gulped, and then after a moment of hesitation finally spoke, “I am just admiring Kyllgorr from afar.”

Shade had an incredulous look, “What?”

“I love him but he has never returned my affections,” Nicolëth admitted sadly.

Shade glanced over the half-woman-half-bird creature. Her eyesight, in addition to the darkness, failed to reveal the harpies full physical attributes, but from what she knew of them, she could understand why her uncle would not pursue such a monstrosity.

“Could I perchance travel with you?” Nicolëth dared to question.

“Your fate lies with my uncle,” Shade answered after a second of contemplation. She began to drag the harpy behind her.

“I can walk!” Nicolëth protested.

“I can pretend like I care,” Shade replied coldly.

A sigh escaped from Nicolëth’s exhausted lungs. What and how will Kyllgorr say and act?

Kyllgorr stared at the small, brown feathered, hawk-like, leather clad, short brunette harpy before him. She gazed up at him with goldenrod eyes. “And I know you… how?” he inquired.

She sighed, “I am Nicolëth—we met when you were in Hell? I slipped food and water to you when you were imprisoned. I even made Grey free you.”

“You made Grey free me?”

“Yes! I kinda, maybe, steered him the long way to rescue Valkyrie,” Nicolëth chuckled; “I know you never actually saw me but…” she trailed off.

Kyllgorr rubbed his stubbled jaw, “Your voice does sound familiar…”

“I don’t trust her,” Amy huffed with her arms crossed. She glared daggers at the harpy.

Fluttershy was crouched at their side, sketching the harpy on a notepad gifted to her from Darqlon, since it was her first time ever seeing such a creature. She wrote down questions to ask the harpy, not wanting to interrupt the interrogation.

He cast a glance at Shade who just shrugged her shoulders. “I do not see any harm with you traveling with us.”

“What?!” Amy interjected in disbelief, “She’s a stalker! She probably wants to take you back to her lair and kill the rest of us in our sleep!”

“Not a bad idea…” Nicolëth mused while rubbing her chin on a wing.

Amy sneered at the harpy and stomped back to her tent.

Fluttershy ran up to the harpy with a wide grin, “Hello! I’m Fluttershy, nice to meet you! What’s your name?”

“Nicolëth,” she replied, withdrawing slightly from the energetic, pink haired woman.

“What is your favorite food?”

Nicolëth eyed the woman curiously, “Meat.”

“Oh, so you’re a carnivore! Do you hunt or scavenge your food?” Fluttershy held the notepad up to her face, waiting for an answer. Her turquoise eyes gleamed over the top of the pad.

“Scavenge, mostly. But I’m not afraid to get my talons bloody for something that I really want,” she glanced over at Kyllgorr, who was crouched by the tent and talking to Amy through the thin, dark green fabric.

“How did you make that armor? How did you put it on? Do you wear different types of clothes? Can you fly well?”

“No, with a struggle, yes, and yes,” the harpy answered in order.

“You are very beautiful,” Fluttershy admitted, “how do you take care of yourself? Do you preen yourself with your mouth or can you use your wings to grip things?”

“Why thank you,” Nicolëth puffed out her chest, “Many have stated that I am the most beautiful out of my two other sisters. Yes, to both preening and using my wings. Your wings are immaculate.”

“Thank you,” Fluttershy replied bashfully, “I have actually only had these wings for a couple of days.”

“‘These wings’? What do you mean?”

“Oh…” Fluttershy brushed her hair behind her ear, “Um…well…”

Shade’s ears perked up to their conversation. She continued to sharpen her arsenal on the other side of the camp.

Nicolëth hopped closer to Fluttershy and smiled up at her, “You can tell me. We are friends, aren’t we?”

Fluttershy smiled back at her, “Yes! Well, I am from a different universe. I didn’t use to look like this. In fact, there are others from the same universe as me, Amy, the elf, for one. My friends and the rulers of the land were teleported here with Grey, Darqlon, Kyllgorr, and Onyx. From what Darqlon has told us, we were brought here because our universe’s problem originated here, and in order to fix both universes, we have to stop Mystin.”

“Hmm…” the harpy thought, “You still haven’t told me what you used to look like.”

“Of course, Mystin couldn’t kill him so he banished him to her world…” Shade deduced.

“Well…” Fluttershy hesitated.

Just then, Amy stomped between the harpy and the angel, scowling at the harpy, “Where we came from is none of your business.” She picked up Fluttershy by her arm and pulled her away. “You don’t need to tell her anything! You can’t trust her,” she warned in a hushed voice.

“But—”

“No ‘buts’! She is a demon and you can’t trust demons.”

“Kyllgorr is a demon…” Fluttershy input.

Amy stared icily at the woman standing a head taller than her, “Kyllgorr is a reaper,” she gritted slowly, “Do not call him that again.” She started to walk away and took a second to glare at the harpy before ducking into the tent with Kyllgorr.

Part Two - Chapter One

She was breathing, so that was a good thing…right? Her breath escaped her lungs heavily. She was not used to teleporting with magic. She could feel her eyes blinking but her sight failed her—or maybe it was too dark to see anything? She felt weight on her legs. When she tried to remove it, her hands squished into something. The weight mumbled.

“Skaea?” Astraelle whispered.

“Five more… days…” Skaea mumbled in her sleep.

Astraelle rolled her eyes and pushed Skaea off her.

“Huh? What?!” Skaea shot up in alarm.

“About time you’re awake, princess,” Astraelle spoke dryly.

“What? Who’s there?” Skaea questioned.

Astraelle heard her scramble to her feet, “Relax, I’m your conscience; we haven’t spoken in a while.”

“Oh?” Skaea sighed in relief aloud, “Where are we? Why is everything so dark?”

“I don’t know. I just woke up, too,” Astraelle said, “Why not use your fancy magic to locate us or light up the place?”

“Ohhh, right! I can do that!” Skaea’s markings over her body began to softly glow blue, “We are in the ruins of the Ancient capitol of Daz’Senhal.”

“Fantastic. Now, how about shedding a little light?”

Skaea snapped her fingers and a soft, pale, floating light popped up above her head. “Ahh!” she shrieked.

“What?” Astraelle turned behind her, expecting the worst.

“Who are you?!”

“Astraelle,” the young valkyrie grumbled, as she turned to face the lost princess.

“You’re not my conscience!”

Astraelle sighed and rubbed her temples, “Yes, I know that. You teleported us here: what now?”

“I-I don’t remember that,” she fiddled with her hands. “I don’t know,” she answered downcast.

“Of course, you don’t,” Astraelle said aside, annoyed. She could feel a headache begin to form, “Listen: your grandfather, my master, wants me to keep you safe. As much as I dislike you, I will not do anything to disappoint or fail my master.”

“Why do you dislike me?” Skaea asked wounded.

Astraelle rolled her eyes and huffed, “We should get going,” she turned around and began to walk, “We should find some food and water first and—” a cold sensation on her wings stopped her mid-sentence. She quickly did an about face and saw Skaea armed with snowballs.

“Why do you dislike me?” she asked more sternly this time.

“How I feel about you is irrelevant for the task at hand. I am to keep you alive; food and water are a necessity, so we should look for some.”

“No,” Skaea stated defiantly with crossed arms.

Astraelle’s eye twitched, “Skaea—”

“Nope,” the blue robed young woman turned her back to the black-clad valkyrie with a snort, “And it is ‘Princess Skaea’ to you.”

“You…stubborn, prissy, little!” Astraelle gritted with a tightly clenched fist and even tighter jaw. She sighed and exhaled. Oh, the ammunition she had at hand to destroy Skaea, but that was the old her, Astraelle had to think rationally. She cleared her throat and spoke softly, “I… just dislike the fact that with your memory loss, you have forgotten how we used to be such great friends.”

Skaea turned to Astraelle, her deep azure eyes glinting from the magic light, “We were great friends?”

“Yes, mast—Darqlon raised us together like sisters,” Astraelle smiled.

“Really?”

“Really really. Since your siblings were so much older than you and too busy for you, he accepted me as an apprentice so you could have a friend. But…as your talent with magic grew so did our distance apart. Next thing I know, you are a completely different person,” Astraelle started to trail off, “then the…incident happened…”

“What incident?” Skaea had gotten closer to Astraelle and she noticed the valkyrie’s wings twitch.

Astraelle looked up at her with saddened lavender eyes, “Anyways, we need to get going.”

When she had turned around, Skaea saw a long, faded scar, which marred between her black leathery wings, from the base of her neck to the small of her back. “Okay.”

Their footsteps echoed through the vast, desolate chamber. Rows of dust covered benches bordered the crumbled, towering limestone walls.

“Can you imagine all the history here?” Skaea wondered aloud.

“Yup. Boooooooring.”

Skaea pouted at her companion’s retort, “History is fascinating!”

“Whatever,” Astraelle replied. Her stomach growled, “It doesn’t fill an empty stomach.”

“It fills an empty mind,” Skaea whispered. She bumped into Astraelle, “What-”

Before she could start, she saw why her curt counterpart had stopped. Her pinprick eyes stared at the giant gorehind before them. Its blotted, scarred, pelt revealed its black muscle and rotted bones; armed with antlers twice its size, which were serrated and pointed forward; its bloody three-cloven hooves scraped and dug into the granite floor; and its sickly red and yellow eyes were fixed on them. It let out a death curling cry and launched towards them.

Skaea ran away screaming at the top of her lungs.

Astraelle steeled herself and drew the daggers from off her back. She ran at the hellion, slid between its legs, and sliced at the back of its fore hooves, which made it stumble. It could not stop itself from slamming into one of the wooden stands. With it in a vulnerable position, Astraelle capitalized on its predicament, and quickly ran to its side—stabbing it in the heart with both daggers. The gorehind let out a cry before its body slumped to the ground.

She heaved a sigh and removed the blades. A screaming Skaea ran past her. A second gorehind was charging after her from the direction they had been traveling from. Astraelle tried to remove her daggers, but sickly skin began to grow over them. The first gorehind bucked alive which threw her to the ground. With a great heave, it tore off the wood that had it trapped. It turned and snorted in her face. Astraelle sneered in its face and stabbed out both its eyes with the knives from her boots.

It reared back in pain, releasing a dreadful cry. It crashed back to the ground, shattering the floor where Astraelle was at last. Astraelle kicked the gorehind at its exposed rib and duck in time to miss it swing its head at her. At the same time, the wood covered antlers of the first gorehind crashed into the side of the head of the second beast. With both creatures stunned, Astraelle impaled both of them through their skulls with her knives. They both dropped to the floor with a ragged sigh and the flame of their eyes was extinguished.

“And stay dead!” she shouted in victory as she withdrew her knives. She cut out her daggers from the side of the first gorehind.

“Wow,” Skaea said in awe as she walked up to her guardian.

“Don’t ‘wow’ me!” Astraelle yelled, “You could have killed the both of them with icicles to their heads!”

Skaea stared at her blankly for a moment, “Oh yeah…” she realized.

“Ugh!” Astraelle scoffed and pushed passed the clueless princess.

“I was scared!” Skaea admitted after her.

“And I wasn’t?”

“You were?”

Astraelle cast a glance back at the frightened princess following her, “No. No, I wasn’t,” she lied.

After an hour of wandering through the ruins Skaea piped up with a question, “Could we have eaten those things?”

“Hell if I know,” Astraelle replied, “but they smelled and looked horrible. I wouldn’t be caught dead eating one of those things.”

“Do you think there will be more of those things?”

“Yes. There is an army of them waiting for us outside,” Astraelle said sarcastically.

“I hope not,” Skaea trembled.

Two massive, metal reinforced doors loomed over them. Astraelle pushed against them. When they failed to move, she pressed her entire weight against them. When they still have yet to budge, she charged at them with a two hundred foot distance.

She was sitting on her flank, holding her spinning head with her wounded hand, when she saw Skaea walk past her. “Oh, you think you can do better?”

Skaea grabbed a handle and with a grunt, tugged open the opposite door. She beamed down at Astraelle, “I enjoyed your little show.”

Astraelle growled and followed the grinning princess out the door.

A dimly lit, crimson sky and rusty ground greeted them. There was also the legion of demons and abyssal beasts camped outside but the sky and ground caught their attention first.

Part Two - Chapter Two

"Alright," Skaea chimed and pointed a finger at the legion of demons, "sic 'em!"

Astraelle stared at the cheeky princess dubiously, "Yeah, I'll just pull the war horn from my ass and summon the rest of the valkyries to charge into battle."

"What a great idea!" Skaea cheered.

Astraelle rolled her eyes, "Master, give me your strength," she thought. A heavy sigh left her lungs and she spoke up after a moment of thought, "How about we not die and try to sneak out of here?"

"I no longer think that is an option," Skaea replied.

"Why?" Astraelle turned her attention from the princess and to the horde of demons.

"I think they are getting closer," Skaea mused. Glints of fire dotted the sky and a burning arrow embedded itself into the wooden door, "Yup, definitely getting closer!"

Astraelle grabbed Skaea's hand and pulled her into the ruins. Hundreds of arrows knocked on the door.

"We are so fucking screwed!" the valkyrie cried pessimistically. She began to run but was stopped by Skaea. She turned to see the determined cerulean eyes of the princess.

"I will take care of them," Skaea stated.

"Are you out of your FUCKING MIND?!" Astraelle shouted hysterically.

Skaea grinned under her blue hood, "I have been dying to try out this spell..."

She stepped away from the door and interlocked her hands. A bright blue spell engram appeared below her feet and radiated from her. Her markings began to glow bright blue through her dark blue robes.

The power of Solaris.

The power of Solaria.

The power of the mind.

The power of the heart.

All those who wish us harm;

All those against us;

Will face the power of the Divines,

Astraelle recognized the forbidden chant too late to stop the powerful princess.

Will face the wrath of the Divines.

Skaea opened her eyes which were glowing brighter than any star in the sky.

"No!" Astraelle screamed.

A rush of wind blasted open the doors. With outside in clear view, Astraelle saw the pillar of light shine down from Heaven and smite the earth. A blast of bright light began to incinerate all the demons. Astraelle shut her eyes and shielded them with her arms.

The sound wave crushed her through the limestone walls and knocked her unconscious.

Ringing. Loud ringing. Loud ringing that deafened her own grunts and grumbles to herself. Loud ringing that muffled the sounds of stone tumbling and crashing. A ringing so loud, she could hardly think; but she could move and she moved the mountain of rubble from off her. After what seemed like hours, she crawled out of the limestone prison, with still ringing ears. She noticed the motionless body of the princess before her. The crumbling walls of the capitol blown away to kingdom come. Smoke rose from the ridge of rock in the distance, the rim of the blast crater.

"Skaea!" she heard her voice vibrate.

She tried to walk but she stumbled down the rubble to the dusty granite floor. She crawled to the princess with the remaining strength she had in reserves. She rolled the princess onto her back, pushed back her hood, and stared at her pale, lifeless face for the first time in years. Her once faded markings etched onto her skin during her Etching Ritual when she became of age were now gone. Her skin was without blemish, perfectly pure.

"Skaea..." Astraelle whimpered, her lips trembled, and her eyes welled with tears. The years of their childhood they spent together flooded her memories, "I can't lose you again..." she sobbed.

She sat for, only the Gods know how long, rocking the lifeless body of her sister and petting her now white, once indigo, hair. Then, she felt her breathing. Her heart soared with joy!

"Skaea!" she eleated. While the princess yet drew breath, she did not stir from her slumber. "She must be unconscious..." she thought. She sniffled and cleaned her nose on her leather arm guard, "At least you're not fucking dead! Or I would've killed you!" She chuckled to herself and began to hitch Skaea on her back, making sure her wings did not poke the princess. "I did not want to face your grandfather and tell him you died under my protection."

Her gut tightened and protested loudly, "Yeah, yeah, I know!"

15 Years Ago

"Let me introduce you to someone, Skaea," Darqlon spoke warmly. A bubbly, bright blue haired and eyed, five-year-old girl bounded down the stairs.

"Gampy!" she chimed.

Darqlon chuckled, "Skaea, this is Heidi," he moved his robe to reveal the little demoness clutching and hiding behind his leg, "She is going to be your new friend."

"Fwend?" the young girl parroted.

"Yes. She will play with you and keep you company when I am busy."

"Otay!" Skaea elated and grabbed the red haired and skinned demoness by her hand, "C'mon! You come have tea with us!" Heidi clutched onto Darqlon legs tighter and did not budge. Skaea looked back at her with curious big, blue eyes, "Whas wong?"

Darqlon knelt down to the little demoness, "Everything will be fine, Heidi. This is your new home. I need you to keep Skaea safe for me. Do you think you can do that?"

"I won't bite!" Skaea smiled.

Heidi shifted her lavender eyes from Darqlon's red orbs back to Skaea, "Y-yes. O-okay, Master."

Skaea took off with her knew friend in tow, nearly dragging Heidi up the marble stairs. The house was a little bigger than her former Master's and a lot cleaner. Heidi followed Skaea, making sure not to trip on all the toys she had strewn about. After a minute of running, Skaea turned sharply into an open door. The room was almost completely purple, save for the white ceiling and floor.

"I like puhple," Skaea remarked, "I like yous eyes!" she added, bringing her face suddenly close to Heidi's. She giggled and pulled her friend to a small, round table. A tea set was placed and there were cups and platters for the four stuffed animals around the table.

"Oh no! Missus Hippo is not feeling well," Skaea said aloud and picked up a purple stuffed hippo doll and threw it on her bed. She smiled at Heidi, "Pwease have a seat."

"Okay..." Heidi reluctantly agreed, not wanting to end up like the poor Missus Hippo.

Skaea poured "tea" into all the cups before sitting across from Heidi, "Why do you have wings? Are you an angel?!"

"N-no..." Heidi answered bashfully.

"They're still pwetty," Skaea gleamed. "How old are you?"

"Seven," she whispered.

Skaea pouted, "I am five!"

Nine Years Ago

Heidi stood at the edge of the forest. Heidi stood at the edge of the forest her Master forbade her to enter. Heidi stood at the edge of the forest her Master forbade her to enter, the same forest Skaea was now frolicking in.

"Oooo! I'm in the scary forest!" Skaea taunted, "Too bad Heidi is too much of a baby to come have fun!"

Heidi clenched her fist, "I'm not scared! Master told us not to play in the forest!"

"C'mon! Rules were meant to be broken!" Skaea pranced up to her.

"No. No, rules were meant to be followed," Heidi corrected her, "Especially rules dictated by a God."

"C'mon Heidi! Live a little!" her blue eyes sparkled up at her. She grinned mischievously, "How can you protect me if I'm in the forest and you're not?"

"Skaea," Heidi exasperated, "the last time I 'lived a little', I got beaten by Master."

"I made it up to you!"

Heidi blushed slightly and turned away, "Sleeping in bed with me hardly counts as anything..."

"It's a beautiful day! You're done with your training and I'm done with my studies!" Skaea held Heidi's hands, "C'mon, what could possibly go wrong?"

Heidi hated Skaea whenever she looked up at her with those gorgeous sapphire gems. Her defenses crumbled under Skaea's gaze. "Okay!" she conceded, "Okay..."

The two of them spent the day exploring the forest. They acted out parts of stories they liked, playing heroes, and champions. Skaea would teach Heidi about the new plants and animals she learned about and discovered. Heidi fished for them in a stream. After eating, Skaea decided to go swimming and convinced Heidi to swim naked as well. The two of them had just finished drying off in the sun when Heidi noticed dusk fast approaching.

"We need to go back. It's getting late," Heidi advised as she got dressed.

"Yeah," Skaea sighed sadly, "I guess you're right."

A rustle in nearby bushes made them freeze. A huge wild boar jumped out of the bushes. The beast easily was twice their height and one ton. It charged at Skaea. Heidi immediately pushed Skaea away. The boar's tusk impaled Heidi through the back. Heidi choked and clutched the bone protrusion. With a sigh her body went limp.

"No!" Skaea screamed in shock, grief, and rage. Her eyes lit up and she blasted the beast with a powerful beam of energy she emitted from her hands which disintegrated the boar. Heidi's body crashed to the ground with a sickening splat. "Heidi!" she cried. She ran to her sister's body and began an attempt to heal her. Hot tears streamed down her face when the yellow energy did not absorb into Heidi. "Grandpa!" she called at the top of her lungs.

A poof a smoke and Darqlon appeared beside her. He saw Skaea crying and the limp, bloody body of his apprentice in her arms.

"Grandpa..." she whimpered, looking up at him expectantly.

Darqlon knelt down and picked up Heidi in his arms. "Your actions have consequences," he stated grimly before disappearing.

"Sister!" she bawled and clutched her arms around herself. She was huddled on the ground with her tears mixing with the blood of her sister.

Heidi had woken up in a dark place. She was floating in the vast void when suddenly, her Master was before her.

"You disobeyed me," he spoke slowly, "and you have paid the price."

"I would do it a thousand times to save and protect Skaea!" she said defensively.

"I know. Which is why your training begins now."

He disappeared and she was consumed by fire. She screamed and writhed in pain and agony.

She woke up screaming and feeling drenched in a cold sweat. She was in her bed. Alive. She was alive! She wanted to go see Skaea but first she needed to empty her bladder. Once she finished her business, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and stopped. She had become a considerably lighter shade of red, nearly pink skinned, jet black hair, with jet black wings. Her nubs of horns were gone as was her spaded tail.

"Valkyrie..." she whispered.

"Exactly," her Master's voice spoke outside the restroom door. She opened the door and saw him standing there, "With a new look, comes a new name: Astraelle."

"'Little star light'?" she questioned.

"Yes. Skaea chose it for you before she left."

"'She left'? Where is she?!" she asked in alarm.

"She decided that it was best if she learned magic from the University."

"So... I won't get to see her?"

"Not for a long time," Darqlon said before turning and walking away, "Come along. Training begins now."

Part Two - Chapter Three

Astraelle knew that if she continued to travel North enough she would run into the sea; and if she ran into the sea, she would find food; and if she found food, she and Skaea would live. Luckily, Skaea was on the light side but carrying ninety pounds for ten miles starts getting to you. Hell, she already felt the burn and pain at mile three. Her will to survive, will to protect Skaea, and her fear of her Master fueled her on.

On day three of her trek, she finally found the ocean. The murky ocean. The murky, foul smelling ocean. The murky, foul smelling, stagnant ocean. She saw rotted fish and even whales floating on the water and were washed up on the shore. She fell to her knees out of exhaustion and disappointment.

"Raargh!" she growled at the sky in anger. When her rage finally dissipated, she curled up beside Skaea and decided to sleep and hopefully wind up dead.  She heard the sand crunching behind her but she did not want to wake up. Perhaps whatever it was would end their suffering.

The smell of food woke her up. Next came the sound of crackling wood.

"About time one of you wakes," an irritating voice splits her ears.

Astraelle jumped up, ready for the attack, "You! You are Mystin's head lackey!"

"I suppose that is how many would know me," he stated, "My name is Tannis. Sadly, Mystin's number of lackeys are... lacking."

"What do you want?" she sneered.

"Oh, relax! If I wanted you dead you wouldn't be awake," he stirred the cast iron pot over the fire, "And I am into the mens."

Astraelle quickly glanced around the cramp, dimly lit shack before sitting down, "Why did you save us?"

Tannis ladled stew into a wooden bowl and handed it to the young valkyrie, "I know of a way to bring about the natural order of the world."

Astraelle spooned some stew in her mouth and wanted to cry. Despite how questionable it looked, it was pleasing to her palate. After several more rushed spoonfuls she spoke, "How?"

"You see, Mystin promised all us demons paradise. This is not a fucking paradise!"

"I thought you were used to getting screwed in the ass?" she quipped.

"Yes, well, it is usually consensual," he cleared his throat, "Either way he crossed all us demons. Hell is more livable than here. All of us want revenge, but I just want to bring beauty back into the world. Since he took Mother Nature, the world has died, but there is a contingency in place should she ever die. That contingency requires the activation of a crystal in the center of Mount Dios. Being a demon, I can not touch it, lest it be corrupted, but a Divine, like the princess over there, could activate it."

"C-could I have seconds?" she asked coyly.

Tannis cackled, "Of course! Of course!" he grabbed her bowl and filled it with more stew.

After Astraelle killed the second serving of stew, she said, "Alright. Let's do it."

"Huzzah!" Tannis cheered with a toothy grin. "Shall we depart once our dear little princess has awakened?"

"Yes," she nodded. "What is in the stew anyways?"

Tannis smiled slyly, "It's good right?"

"Yes..."

"Then, that's all you need to know," he cackled, "Trust me."

"So, what happened to her?" Tannis asked, stretching his long, lanky body out.

"She used the Divine Smite Chant."

"Ah, so that was the strong power I felt. No wonder she is sleeping." He was lost in thought for a moment, "You know, there is a way to give her power to awaken. Jump start her, so to speak. Just cut your   "

"No!" Astraelle rebuked him, "I will not give her blood! That is sacrilege!"

"Okay! Okay," he held up his hands, "Just a thought."

"'Just a thought' I tossed out days ago," she huffed.

"Well, we just need her to touch the damn thing, it's not like she has to be awake to do that, right? It's been two months already."

Astraelle brushed Skaea's cheek with her fingers, "Yeah..."

Tannis cocked an eyebrow at her, "You two got something going on?"

"No. She... is my sister. I am worried about her," she answered defensively.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night. Tannis don't judge."

She huffed, "Let's get going then."

"Wait. Let me make you a harness for her," Tannis offered.

"Thanks."

Part Two - Chapter Four

"The only thing that would make traveling with two beautiful women better," Onyx commented, "Would be three beautiful women!"

"As if you could even handle one of us," Dash remarked with a wink.

"It is not too early in the journey to make a detour right here," he spoke charmingly, caressing the chromatic haired girl's blushing face.

"Aaand we are still walking!" Twilight pushed between them, making sure to remove her friend from the lusty dragon's grasp.

Onyx chuckled, "I just can't help myself. You two were irresistible as ponies but now!" He laughed, "Just trying to pass the time."

"I knew our lives would be in danger, but not our chastity," Twilight gibed.

"It would be my utmost honor to bring the two of you maidens into womanhood."

Twilight spun around and glared daggers at him, "Enough, Onyx."

"Yes'm!" When she turned around, Dash looked back him and he winked playfully at her.

"What about Chrysalis?" Twilight inquired.

The smile disappeared from his face and his face went dark, "We have to keep our focus on the task at hand, Twilight Sparkle." He brusquely walked ahead of them and within seconds was ten meters ahead of them.

After four days of traveling in silence and walking on eggshells around Onyx, Rainbow Dash finally spoke up, "So. . . with the Goddess of Nature out of the picture, there is no way for plants and stuff to grow back?"

"Of course not," Onyx answered, "The four of us drew lots to see which direction we would head and I drew North. North is where Mount Dios is. Inside Mount Dios is the Sanctuary of Flowers. Inside the sanctuary is the Natural Crystal. Whoever drew the North lot would activate the crystal and bring back flora and fauna."

"So...we are doing that first?" Twilight questioned.

"Yes."

"Who built the Sanctuary of Flowers?" Twilight took out a notepad.

"The Children, followers of the Goddess of Nature." They walked for a few minutes in silence. Onyx was deep in thought. "We might have to activate the Storm Crystal," he said, "to start the weather cycle again."

"And where is that crystal?"

"In the volcano in the motherland."

“‘The Motherland’?”

“Yes. My homeland—a little island across the sea. Getting there will be problematic, with the lack of any sea worthy vessel,” Onyx explained, “As my mother used to say, ‘keep your eyes on the prey, not the horizon’.”

“Right,” Twilight concurred, “nevertheless, it is still good to have a plan.”

“And a few dozen checklists,” the rainbow haired angel quipped.

Twilight cast her a crossed expression.

After two more days of traveling, the trio reached a deep, vast valley. A sickening black river divided the valley. Onyx let out an unamused grunt.

“What’s wrong? Did you know this place?” Rainbow Dash asked when she noticed the sour face Onyx had.

“Just missing the beauty of this land,” Onyx sighed. He stretched out his wings, “Let’s go. Remember: those bracelets will only let you fly for a short time. Once they stop glowing I’ll glide down with you two.”

“About time!” exclaimed Dash, unfolding her new wings joyfully.

“Right…” Twilight replied hesitantly.

Onyx stepped between the two women and pointed to an outcrop of rocks jutting up from the valley, “My quick guesstimations have us landing about there. Since there is no wind we don’t have to worry about downdrafts but we also don’t have the aid of updrafts. Everyone ready?”

“Yeah!” Dash ran and jumped off the cliff, pulling her goggles down over her eyes.

“No!” Twilight backed up into Onyx.

He smiled down at her, “Just relax. The first step is always the hardest. Sometimes,” his smile took a mischievous turn, “you just need a little push.’

Her eyes widened at his insinuations and her heart was in her throat when he threw her off the edge.

Onyx was laughing his head off flying beside her, “Flap your wings, not your arms!”

Twilight stopped flailing about and adjusted herself to mirror him. Then she unfurled her wings and took flight. When she opened her eyes and stopped screaming, she remembered the wonder of flying. Then her bracelet stopped glowing. Gravity gripped her and pulled her down to the ground. Before she could start screaming her head off again, Onyx grabbed her under her arms.

“I got you,” he reassured her. With his massive draconic wings, the extra weight of the fledgling archangel hardly fazed him.

Dash was grinning from ear to ear on the ground, “Quite the show up there,” she chuckled.

Onyx stifled his chuckle, “We still have two days’ time to reach the sanctuary. Come on.”

“Why can’t we set up camp here?” Twilight inquired.

Onyx scanned the cliffs, skies, and horizon, “This place is too open and exposed. Once we get to the other side we can set up camp.” He pointed to the east, “twenty miles that way, around the bend, there is a way to climb up. Since the bracelets take a day to recharge we will have to hoof it.”

“You can’t fly us up there?” Dash asked.

“No,” he answered sadly, “An old injury limits my flight capabilities substantially.”

“Well,” Dash laced her fingers behind her head, “we got time to hear the story.”

He turned to Twilight and saw her ready with her notepad and pencil. He sighed, “Why not?”

“This was eons ago; the Sixth Age of the Second Era,” he began.

Grey and Valkyrie had gotten married two hundred years before, in the Fifth Age, a grand spectacle. He went all out for her. She had changed drastically since becoming an angel—for the better. Everything was going perfectly: there was peace throughout the Ancient Tribes and between the Humans, prosperity, and bounty…until the second day of First Harvest. A day, I remember like it was yesterday.

The leaves had just begun changing colors. It was a beautiful day. I was doing my usually business: womanizing. When the clear blue sky suddenly became dark and overcast, I felt a strong surge of power…and anger. It was my brother, Grey. I immediately went after him.

I found him in his home clutching Valkyrie to his chest. He was drenched in blood. When I asked what happened he only told me one name, “Lucilda”, she was the newest Goddess of Light and Gatekeeper of the Over Realms. His eyes were ablaze, brighter and hotter than any heated metal. He set Valkyrie down gently and walked over to his sword rack in the basement.

He brought out the Godsbane Blade, the only weapon in existence that could permanently extinguish the soul of any Divine and Devil. Grey, being the Gatekeeper of the Under Realms, had a key to open any and all gates which also created portals to those planes. He opened one portal to the Gates of Heaven with the intent to kill Lucilda. I tried to stop him.

I failed…obviously. He stabbed me with the blade twice, through both of my shoulder muscles, which never healed completely. Gliding is fine, flapping is a different story.

Anyways, he went to Heaven, butchered Lucilda in front of many Divines, and massacred those who got in the way of his revenge. The first time he massacred the Divines was because of an attempted assassination of Valkyrie while she was still a demon. That resulted in the death of all the First, except for Næschwäā, Wyohtā, and Āshū. Dèshū intervened and stopped him. At the order of the Divines, she tried to remove his power but ended up in successfully separating him from Kūàdoi. That is a story for next time.

So, Grey massacred, slaughtered, annihilated…just totally decimated the Divine population. Dèshū, once again, steps in and stops him. Before she could do anything, Mystin shows up and announces that he killed Valkyrie disguised as Lucilda for the sole purpose of using Grey to cripple the Divines. You know how monologue-y villains get. Well, Grey tried to kill Mystin but only succeeded in crippling him before he disappeared in Hell. Grey went marching down to Hell and cleaned house, basically. He never found Mystin but he killed every Demon and Devil down there.

He went to Heaven and accepted his punishment. This time, at the order from her older siblings, Dèshū tried to imprison Grey in a crystal but his soul became separated into seven and the six different “Grey’s” were scattered through Time and Space. Only two stayed here: the original Grey and Zen.

“So to sum up the story and bring all back to my inefficiency to fly: Grey stabbed me and is the reason for it,” Onyx concluded. “I do not have any hard feelings toward him. I understand why he did it. He’s apologized for it and we have both moved on.”

“Wait wait wait wait,” Dash spoke, “There are other Grey’s?”

“Yep,” Onyx confirmed, “I wouldn’t be surprised if there was at one time a pony Grey. I bet he was adorable!”

“Hmm,” Twilight thought, “perhaps I will go through the historical references and see if I can find Grey. With Dèshū showing him great favor, the probability is high that he did exist or still does exist back in our world.”

The trio continued their march through the valley. Darkness fell upon the land when they had reached to top of the canyon. They made camp, set up their tents, and quickly fell asleep.

Onyx woke up in the middle of the night after hours of tossing and turning in his sleeping bag. Thoughts and memories of Chrysalis plagued his mind and heart. Every time he closed his eyes, her dusky, sharp face and piercing serpentine dicolored eyes filled his sight. Her voice, her laughter, her gaze, every little detail about her made his heart ache as if being stabbed and the blade being twisted. She certainly had him enthralled.

“Darqlon,” he grimaced. He sighed. His mind and heart waged a war of confliction. He loved his chitinous Goddess, but he also loves his brother. He hated what he did, but he also could understand why he did it. He knew she would want him to avenge her, but knew that Darqlon’s death would not bring her back.

He clambered out of his tent. The complete darkness greeted him. He could not even see the other two tents ten feet away from him. The still coolness of the night calmed his weary soul and troubled mind. He could hear Dash snoring away loudly in her tent, the fabric and poles also vibrated.

“Can’t sleep either?” Twilight spoke up. Her voice came from the direction of her tent.

“No,” Onyx answered tiredly, “Too much on my mind.”

“I can’t sleep without reading three books, writing reports, creating checklists, and studying new spells,” she explained.

“I’m afraid my life is not as exciting or dramatic as Grey or Darqlon’s, if it was, I wouldn’t mind sharing stories.” He sensed her presence draw closer to him.

“What is the most exciting thing you have ever done then?”

“My first battle and visiting your world,” Onyx stated, “the two most exciting times in my life.”

“You have never been married nor have any children?”

Onyx sighed, “Never found a woman who could hold me down and fight off the competition.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t be sleeping around with other women in the first place.”

Onyx laughed, “I just have so much love to give!”

“How many woman have you been with?” Twilight inquired.

“Less than Grey, more than Darqlon. Oh!” a fact popped into his mind, “The Divines ruled to make Grey sterile. That is why most of the world is not descended from him. He pleaded to Dèshū, Darqlon, and Fate to allow him to have one child. That’s why I think, to this day, that Alexander was not his son.”

“Interesting,” he could hear her scribbling in her notebook, “And with you being with so many women—”

He cut her off, “I am not sterile. I just use Solaris' natural, God-given contraceptive." Twilight looked up at him expectantly. After a long moment of pause, thinking she would have caught on by now but failed, he filled in the blank for her, "Anal." He could feel the heat emitting from her and heard her walk off to enter her tent.

Part Two - Chapter Five

The Great Icy Peaks mountain range rose above them to the right; they scraped the crimson sky, splitting the black clouds. With Skaea on Astraelle’s back, traveling was progressing slowly. Tannis did not mind, as long as they got to Mount Dios and did not run into any trouble, he was perfectly happy. With the time they were making, he estimated that they would arrive by tomorrow.

Skaea showed no signs of waking up anytime soon. Astraelle was getting worried. Without eating nor drinking, Skaea loss a lot of weight, Astraelle and Tannis worried that she might die of starvation.

Night fell over the land and they set up camp. Tannis got a fire going while Astraelle tended to the sleeping princess.

"Maybe she will wake up with a kiss!" Tannis input.

"Oh, put a sock in it," Astraelle shot back. She sighed and cupped cap fulls of water into Skaea's mouth to keep her hydrated. "If only. . ." her heart thought.

Onyx held up his hand and stopped. Up ahead in the darkness, he saw the lights of torches. The dim fire light illuminated the demonic body who wielded the flame along with seven of his ilk. Several more fiends lay on the ground—dead. There were three prisoners in the middle of the demons; two of which Onyx recognized.

“Once we get closer, Twilight, I will nod my head and you cast a paralyzing spell on the demons. Dash and I will take them out,” Onyx planned.

“Finally, some action!” Dash exclaimed.

“Will do,” Twilight asserted as she readied her staff.

The three crept closer to the group. When they were ten feet away, Onyx gave Twilight the signal.

The demons swarmed them during the night. Tannis was keeping watch and was able to kill three and warn Astraelle, who killed four more, but the two were outnumbered and quickly subdued.

“Tannis,” a demon holding a torch spoke, “why do you kill your own kind?”

“Please,” Tannis scoffed, “we kill each other over bread. What the Hell do you want?”

“Me? I want what Mystin promised us,” he answered irritated. “That is neither here nor there. Lieutenant Maokahn wants the princess and we will give him what he wants.”

“Over my dead body!” Astraelle growled.

The demon unsheathed the sword from his side, “Oh, that is the plan.” Before he could lunge at the valkyrie his body became stiff and unmoving.

A flash of rainbow filled his vision before a bash to his face made him unconscious. The chromatic angel danced between the throng of enemies, and struck them down quickly. Her dance ended when there were no more enemies left standing to be her partner.

Onyx slowly clapped for her, “Great job!”

She bowed to him, “Thank you, thank you!”

“Yeah, spectacular,” Astraelle commented dryly, “Untie us.”

“Astraelle!” Onyx called to her and knelt before her, “How are things going?”

Astraelle rolled her eyes, “Swimmingly.”

Tannis piped up, “What a splendid show! Now, if you could untie me, I would be more than happy to clap for you.”

Dash was about to untie him when Onyx stopped her. Onyx cut off the rope which had the valkyrie bound.

“Can he be trusted?” Onyx asked Astraelle.

Astraelle cast a glance at Tannis who smiled up at her sweetly. “No,” she answered coldly.

His smiled faded and face grew dark, “What?! After everything I have done for you and that worthless lump of meat you dragged—!”

Astraelle kicked the demon to the ground and dug her boot into his throat, “She is my sister!” She twisted her foot and snapped his neck.

Twilight and Dash both backed away from the black clad woman in front of them.

She scanned them with her dark amethyst eyes. “Who are they?” she asked curtly.

“Friends,” Onyx smiled. The blue bundle on the ground grabbed his attention, “What happened to the princess?”

Astraelle bent down to check on her sister. She felt her head and immediately withdrew her hand, “She’s burning up!”

“Twilight, see what you can—”

“On it!” she interrupted him. She knelt into the dust and waved her hand and staff over the princess’ body. She could sense sickness and magic fatigue in her. “She used up too much magic and her body is using her health to restore her mana.”

“I don’t want to know what’s wrong with her! I want to know if you can heal her!” Astraelle demanded.

“Y-yes,” Twilight replied, “I should be able to.” Twilight stood to her feet and outstretched her hand and staff. A bright purple magic engram formed under the princess. She cast the spell, “Equilibrium!”

Green and yellow energies wrapped around the limp body of the princess. She started to levitate off the ground as Twilight funneled more mana and health into the spell. Skaea began to glow brightly and within moments her faded markings returned to her. A bright light flashed and everyone shielded their eyes.

Once the light died they opened their eyes to see Skaea on the floor with her markings and blue hair returned.

Astraelle heaved a sigh of relief when she felt Skaea’s temperature return to normal. “Thanks,” she thanked Twilight as she hugged her sister.

“Happy to help!” Twilight replied.

“I’m glad she is back to normal and all,” Onyx said and held Astraelle’s shoulder, “But you still didn’t tell me how she ended up that way in the first place.”

Astraelle’s wings twitched, “It doesn’t matter. We have to activate the Nature Crystal.”

“Not before the Storm Crystal,” Onyx corrected her, “The plants won’t grow without water.”

“I’ll stay here with Skaea then. Once it starts raining, we will activate the Nature Crystal,” Astraelle spoke as she loaded Skaea into a harness and onto her back.

Onyx sighed; he knew he would not get an answer from the strong headed valkyrie, “Let’s go. I know where the secret entrance is.”

He started to walk away, when the groans of the demons caught his attention. He withdrew his sword and stabbed one in the chest. It let out a gurgle before it died.

"Why did you do that for?!" Twilight asked.

"So they won't come after us," Onyx stated while he cut the throat of a second one.

"They are already out of the fight: you don't need to kill them!" Twilight protested.

Onyx drove his blade into the head of a third, "Killing them takes them out of the fight, permanently."

"No! That's not right! We can not kill them just because they were after our lives!"

Astraelle kicked Twilight to the ground and held her dagger to Twilight's surprised face, "Anyone who threatens my sister   dies."

"Hey!" Rainbow Dash interjected and ran to Twilight but Onyx stopped her.

"Dash," he let go of her, "Twilight. Only the Demons who wish to repent of their sins and become good will be spared. The Demons who are pure evil out number the ones who wish to change. Demons. Must. Die."

"How can you tell if they want to change when they are dead!" Twilight challenged.

"You think imprisoning them in stone for eternity is a better option? No. Death is mercy. Imprisonment allows them to fester longer," Onyx explained.

"It allows them time to change!" Twilight voiced.

"You will understand in time," Onyx spoke flatly and killed the other five Demons while Astraelle held Twilight down.

Astraelle got off of her and followed after Onyx.

"They deserved a second chance, right Dashie?"

Rainbow Dash stood quietly in the middle of the cadavers, "I-I dunno, Twi. . ."

"What?"

Rainbow Dash looked up at Twilight with confused, fuchsia eyes, "I dunno. . ." She slowly turned to follow the other two and stepped carefully over the dead bodies.

Part Two - Chapter Six

"Is it just me or did Skaea shrink?" Onyx pointed out. A young princess laid on the ground in the bundle of blue robes. She looked approximately thirteen years of age.

"I think she is getting younger. . ." Astraelle input.

"Maybe," Twilight began, "her body regressed in age because of the amount of mana she lost."

Astraelle pulled Skaea's robes tighter on her body, "Whatever the reason, she is still my sister, and still my charge."

"I've been thinking," Rainbow Dash spoke up. The others stopped to look at her. "What?" she said defensively, "I can think! Anyways," she huffed, "If we turn on the crystal wouldn't demons just come to destroy it? Wouldn't it make sense to close the gates first, then activate them?"

"That thought also crossed my mind," Onyx admitted, "I think you are right. We can not activate them because the Demons will swarm and destroy them."

"No," Astraelle spoke, "Tannis had said that the Demons want the greenery. That's the sole reason they invaded in the first place."

"Let's take a vote then," Onyx suggested smugly.

"That's hardly fair!" Astraelle objected, "It would be two against one."

Skaea yawned and stretched. They all turned to see the young princess sitting up and watching them with her cerulean eyes, "Heidi, why do you look different? Where am I?"

Astraelle's jaw dropped. Did not only her body regress but her mind as well?

"Hey, Blue, how you feeling?" Onyx walked over to her and knelt beside her.

"My name is not 'Blue'," she pouted then smirked, "Boy Wonder."

Onyx threw his hands in defeat and walked to the edge of the firelight of the camp, still shaking his head. "Never gonna live it down!" he huffed in frustration.

Skaea crawled over to Twilight and gazed up at her with a wide grin, "Hi, I'm Skaea. I like your hair."

"Hello," Twilight greeted her, "Thank you. My name is Twilight Sparkle."

"A pretty name to match a pretty mane," Skaea complimented.

"You are too kind, Princess," Twilight replied respectfully.

Skaea noted the two pairs of wings on her back, "Are you an Archangel? I've never seen you before, and I know pretty much everyone with purple hair."

Astraelle clasped Skaea by her blue robed shoulder, "Skaea, we need to talk; a lot has happened."

Skaea observed her sister's face, "I'd say!"

Zen had told Grey to chain him to the vault floor; Zen did not want to be used as a weapon by others: he no longer wanted to kill. Grey did what his brother requested. Grey chained him down with the strongest chains he could create. The chains were not connected to the ground but embedded in the stone itself.

That was not good enough for Zen.

At Zen's request, Grey weighed Zen down with hyperdense weights.

Zen still was not satisfied.

Finally, to calm Zen's fears, Grey wiped Zen's mind of all his martial training.

Zen rested contently in the pitch, black vault, where he was sealed away from the world and completely forgotten.

In his millennia of meditation, one thought stuck with him: is there a higher power?

Then a voice spoke to him.

Zen. I am He whom you have unknowingly been in search of.

"You created Solaris and Solaria?" Zen questioned the voice.

I created the Heavens and the earth, your world and the next.

"Who created you?"

I am the beginning and the end. There is nothing that came before me.

"Show yourself to me," Zen demanded.

I am already here. I exist all around you.

Zen frowned, "That's a cheap answer."

A ball of light appeared before him then hovered one meter away from him. Touch the light.

"I can't," Zen deadpanned.

I have released you from all that binds you. Come to me.

"Why? Why would I want to?"

Believe in me and I will give you eternal life. Believe in me and I will give you peace. Believe in me and I will love you.

"L-love me?" Zen choked up.

Yes. I love you, Zen. I love you as any father would love his son. Come to me and I will teach you all you wish to know. I only ask for your complete devotion and faith.

Zen cleared his throat and examined the chains around him, "Can you not see these chains? Grey forged them from the cores of stars. The weights    he crafted from the matter of black holes. Are you too high up that your vision is clouded?"

Stand and walk to me.

Zen shook his head and begrudgingly did as the voice commanded of him. "See?" he stated and did not realize right away that the chains and blocks weighed nothing to him.

I see you standing. Now, walk to the light.

Zen stood in wonder and confusion. He held a single link of chain in his hand which was the size of an anvil. Then he picked up a block of weight the size of a tire with easy. These feats he was unable to do before, even with his great strength.

You have much to learn, my son.

"Teach me," Zen requested in reverence as he neared the light with an outstretched hand, "Father."

Part Two - Chapter Seven - The Queen of Malevolence Herself

Part Two - Chapter Seven - The Queen of Malevolence Herself

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Valkyrie bore her hatred through her angry di-colored yellow-red eyes towards Mystin between the bars of her cell. He wore a smug expression as he paced back and forth between her.

"It amazes me how beautifully you have grown," Mystin spoke.

She tightened her grip on the bars and continued glaring at him.

"You should have obeyed me from the beginning," he sighed and shook his head, "but no; you had to be a rebel. What have you gained from your rebellion? Nothing! What have you lost?" Mystin grunted knowingly.

Valkyrie sneered at him and turned away. He lassoed her neck with a flaming whip and pulled her against the bars. She choked in pain.

"Did you think I would not come back for my throne, usurper!" he hissed in her ear.

She growled and lifted back her leg which connected her heel with his groin. He howled in pain and released his grip on the whip. Valkyrie pulled the inferno whip into the cell with her. She lashed out at Mystin. He fell to the ground. She used the whip to grab the key on his belt. Mystin scrambled to his feet and ran out the metal door.

"Guards," she heard him shout, "do not allow her to escape!"

"Why would I want to leave my kingdom?" Valkyrie commented out loud as she turned the key in the lock which then granted her freedom.

Three demons rushed into the room brandishing their spears at her.

Valkyrie pulled the whip taught in her hands, making it snap, "Do you really want to do this, boys?" The three heavily armored demons charged at her. She huffed a sigh and slashed the whip violently across their necks. Their heads rolled about the already blood stained floor as she kicked their dead bodies out of her way. She pushed open the metal door and the garrison of guards was waiting for her. "If you want to serve as examples to the others then so be it."

The guards exchanged looks with one another and a murmur rose between them.

"Long live the Queen!" a tall, lanky demon announced at the main entrance of the jail.

All the guards started to cheer the same words. Valkyrie huffed and made her way to the demon at the entrance.

"Tannis," she addressed him, "I thought you would be with Mystin?"

"Of course not, your highness!" Tannis bowed, "You have always been the better leader! All demonkind benefitted from your rule!"

"He left you behind, didn't he?" Valkyrie pointed out. She had her arms crossed across her chest.

"Yes," Tannis admitted dejected.

She lifted up his head with the smoldering whip by his chin, "If you prove your loyalty to me, I will let you live."

"I would do anything for you, my Queen!" Tannis knelt before the crimson monarch.

"Bring me, my daughter; you have three months. Fail me and I better not ever see you again," Valkyrie decreed.

"I will go at once and bring her to you, my Queen!" Tannis kissed her feet and hustled out the gates.

Valkyrie rolled her eyes. A tall, brutish demon caught her eyes, "You. With the tusks. Come."

The boarish demon immediately went over to her and knelt before her, "What is it you require of me, my Queen?"

"Are those," she pointed to the two blades on his belt, "my daggers?" she inquired of him.

"M-Mystin told me to hold onto them!" he blurted and began untying them from his belt. He felt her icy finger press against his chest which stopped him. He gazed into her violent eyes and his heart stopped.

She pulled the daggers out of their sheaths, "I just want my daggers. The original sheaths are in the palace." She smiled up at him, "Thank you for holding my treasures. You are dismissed."

The demon swallowed the lump in his throat and felt his heart beat again, "Y-Yes, my Queen!"

Valkyrie strode through the halls of her palace. Good thing that arrogant man wasted the time gloating instead of redecorating. By now, the traitorous succubus would be long gone, which was unfortunate, since Valkyrie need a temporary place to sheath her blades.

"Herald!" she called out.

A imp manifested out of thin air and landed beside Valkyrie, it scurried after her,"Y-Yes, my Queen?"

"Post a bounty for two billion gold ingots for the succubus: Mimi," Valkyrie ordered, "I want her alive."

"A-At once, my Queen!" before the imp could do as she was commanded, her queen grabbed her wing to stop her.

"You did not have any part of my capture, did you?" Valkyrie interrogated the imp in her clutches before her eyes.

"Yes, my Queen!" the imp wailed and bawled. "Mimi threatened to rip off my wings! I'm so sorry! Mercy, my Queen!"

Valkyrie palmed the face of the imp and growled, "Stop your sniveling!" She released the imp who hovered in the air momentarily before landing on a bust. "I understand all too well what it is like to lose one's wings," Valkyrie spoke softly.

The imp placed a tiny, reassuring red hand on the queen' thigh, "I knew you would come back, my Queen!"

Valkyrie gazed at the beaming, blonde haired imp below her and smiled, "Thank you, Treesie." She cleared her throat, "Now, the bounty."

Treesie saluted her queen, "At once, my Queen!"

After thirty minutes of walking, from the jail to the palace, she finally opened the door to her room. Pictures and portraits of Grey covered every wall and the ceiling; all the covers on her bed and all the pillow cases had Grey's face on them. She jumped on her bed and hugged the life-size Grey doll tightly. She rolled on the bed a few times with him in her clutches.

"Grey!" she cooed atop the doll. "I love you so!" she held his face with her hands then slowly wrapped her hands around his neck. "I just want to rip out your cheating, little heart!" she strangled the doll with her eyes ablaze. She sighed and rested her head against his chest, "But if I do that, you won't be able to fuck me anymore."

She raked her fingers down the dolls chest, "Are you even thinking of me? Do you even miss me?" She sniffled, "Do you really want to hurt me? Do you really want to make me cry? Words are few I have spoken; I could waste a thousand years. Wrapped in sorrow words are token. Come inside and. . . catch. . . my. . . tears. . ." A single tear stained the doll. She reached over in the bedside drawer and pulled out a music player. She placed the buds in her ear and played her number one song.

Youtube Video

She drifted off to sleep to dream about happier times.

Part Two - Chapter Eight

"It was adorable when you were a kid, Skaea, but now," Onyx remarked and carefully climbed the stone steps with Skaea on his shoulders, "I think you put on a little weight."

Skaea massaged Onyx's scalp, "You know you love me!"

"Yeah, yeah, kid," Onyx huffed, "I preferred when you were a cute, adorable, non-magical, little eight-year-old who would call me 'Unky'!" Onyx sighed, "Then came your pre-teens and it went down hill from there."

"Pedo!" Astraelle coughed.

Onyx frowned.

"Thank you, Unky, for always loving me and doing everything I wanted!" Skaea chimed.

Onyx rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah, yeah."

The group found themselves down the hallway to the inner sanctum of the sanctuary and a soft green light could be seen around the corner of the hallway. Once they entered the inner sanctum, a massive emerald floated in the middle of the room. The cushion cut gem levitated above a dim, green pool; the gem rotated slowly and did not shine brightly.

Onyx removed Skaea from his shoulders and sat her on a stone bench. He walked up to the Nature Crystal and touched its smooth, glassy surface.

"I thought if a Divine touched it, it would be activated?" Rainbow Dash finally spoke.

Onyx smirked, "That is because I am not a Divine. I have yet to die nor was I born as such. Unlike my four counterparts, I dislike engaging in combat unless I have to. I am a lover, not a fighter. Though, you four should probably not step any closer." He descended the four steps and ruffled Skaea's hair. "Well, I guess we are off to activate the Storm Crystal."

"Can we rest for a minute?" Twilight asked.

"I don't see why not," Onyx sat on a bench and stretched out his legs and wings.

"What's the story with the crystals?" Rainbow Dash questioned as she sat across from Onyx.

"Why do you assume I know?" Onyx inquired with a raised brow.

"Because. . . I dunno. . . you know everything?"

"I'm glad you didn't say because I am old."

"That too!" she gibed.

Onyx heaved a heavy sigh which almost revealed his age to them all. "These old bones of mine need sleep. Astraelle should know the story." He laid on the bench and covered himself with his wing. Within moments, he was fast asleep.

"I am curious about the crystals, as well," Twilight said and sat on the bench next to Astraelle and Skaea. "Would you mind telling us the story?"

"Not really. . ."  Astraelle replied.

"Oh, Heidi! I want to know!" Skaea sat up and waited expectantly.

"First of all, my name is 'Astraelle' and secondly, it is not really fantastic," Astraelle stated.

"Still, any bit of history is worth noting," Twilight had her pencil and notepad ready.

Astraelle rolled her eyes, "The crystals were created as a backup plan in case Grey flew off the handle again. The Dragon Tribes found the largest gems they could and brought them to the Goddess of Nature and Goddess of Water."

"Næschwäā and Wyohtā, right?" Twilight input.

"Yeah," Astraelle continued, "There are six crystals   three of nature and three of storm. The other four are hidden, their locations are only known by the Goddesses themselves."

"What can you tell me about the Goddesses?" Twilight queried.

"Næschwäā is caring and compassionate but has a short temper and believes in balance and order. Which is why she and Darqlon get along perfectly. She believes in survival of the fittest and strength in knowledge. She promotes strength and intelligence, as well as respect and loyalty. For a time, those attributes in Grey drew her to him, as well as him being host to her beloved. When Darqlon separated from Grey, she returned to Darqlon but I always felt that she had lingering feelings for Grey.

As for Wyohtā, she completely hates Grey's entire being, which is why he does not like to swim in natural waters because she has tried on more than one occasion to kill him while he swam in her realm. When Grey. . . forced his way into Heaven the first time. . . he kinda killed her son. . . daughter. . . and husband. She still has one daughter but. . . Grey. . . kinda left Muse mute by nearly killing her."

"Grey has killed a lot of people. . ." Twilight mused.

Astraelle grunted, "He has fucked everyone he's met one way or another."

"Okay. . ." Twilight tapped the pencil on her lips, "Do you have any stories about Wolf?"

"Not really," Astraelle answered after a moment of silence. "Wolf died young and returned eons later. He probably has tales from everyday life and his adventures with Kyllgorr. Although, that was not his name when he was born. Kyllgorr's birth name was Zander."

"So. . . why is he called 'Kyllgorr'?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"He likes to kill and he loves gore. He became a demon when he died. I think he is an unofficial reaper," Astraelle explained.

"What is your story?” Twilight inquired.

“My Master found me when I was a young demon and took me in as his apprentice. I also played with Skaea until an incident forced us apart. After the incident, I became a valkyrie and Master Darqlon taught me everything I know. Before this mess happened, Master was training me to be a Reaper,” Astraelle disclosed. “On the day I was supposed to undergo the ritual to gain my Reaper powers, the demons attacked, and Master ordered me to protect Skaea.”

Skaea entered the conversation, “I still can’t believe that. I still can’t believe you said I was a powerful Mystic Pure. And I have the markings to back it up!”

Dash watched Onyx while he slept. She could not tell that he was millions of years old; he appeared to be in his late thirties—at least. She felt a strange vibe from him; something resonated deep within him that felt—sad and lonely. Whenever he let his guard down, whenever she watched him from afar, she saw his age poke through his façade; his usual vibrant, sapphire eyes would dim and be hollow.

Unlike Grey who would tell you how he felt when you asked, unlike Darqlon who kept everything masked under a cloud of shadow and impenetrable darkness, unlike Kyllgorr whose emotions betrayed him, and unlike Wolf who talked about everything, Onyx—to her—kept everything bottled up and played everything off so that he would not get hurt. What brought about this defense? Why did he construct this wall of laughter and secrecy?  Why—

“Why are you so close?” her thoughts were interrupted by Onyx’s voice, “You weren’t going to kiss me while I was asleep, were you?”

Before she realized, she was kneeling beside him and had her face in front of his. She withdrew herself quickly.

“I’ll pretend to be asleep, so you can kiss me,” Onyx joked.

“Oh, shut up! No one wants to kiss you!” Dash got up and stormed off.

Onyx sat up and stretched his arms and wings with a yawn, “You two ready to head off on the next leg of our adventure?”

“Wait! What are we supposed to do for food?” Skaea questioned.

Onyx picked up his knapsack, which he laid on the ground prior to taking his nap, and tossed it to Astraelle, “Food and water for two weeks.”

“What are you going to do for food, Unky?”

“I can survive a week without food or water, so I should be fine once nature is restored,” Onyx explained.

“That doesn’t sound healthy,” Twilight voiced.

“If worst comes to worst, I could munch on a demon or ten,” Onyx chuckled.

The four women exchanged a concerned glance with one another.

Onyx picked up the tent bags and bedrolls along with the portable campfire and started walking towards the hallway. “Adventure awaits!” he pumped a fist into the air.

Part Two - Chapter Nine - The Harbingers

The sound of metal clanging on metal echoed in the complete emptiness of the Void.

“What the Hell is that racket?” Destray grumbled.

“I thought that was your snoring,” Drych gibed.

“Just sitting here wondering about it won’t tell us what it is,” Dehs voiced.

“Then why don’t you go see what it is?” Dāv retorted.

“So,” Dehs yawned and inhaled a lungful of miasma, “sleepy.”

Her siblings mimicked her action and all mumbled in agreement.

“Wakey, wakey, younger siblings,” they heard a voice shout and echo above them.

“I thought Grey killed him?” Drych griped.

“What does he want?” Destray complained.

“Maybe if we stay silent, it will go away,” Dāv suggested.

“Maybe we should squash him like the cockroach he is!” Dehs proposed.

“I can hear you!” Mystin voiced.

“GO AWAY!” the quadruplets yelled in unison.

“I have come to set you all free!”

“Oh, yeah? Because that went so well last time!” Drych chided.

“I have killed Grey!” Mystin announced, “And there are no Divines left that could stop you all!” He could hear them whispering and arguing amongst themselves.

Four pairs of rainbow irises glowed behind the rainbow bars of the Void Gates moments later, “What do you want?” he heard the four of them say simultaneously.

Mystin smiled wickedly, “Just a moment of your time, brethren.”

"What if the crystal is destroyed?" Twilight asked.

The sky had significantly gotten brighter, signaling dawn and the start of the day, when they had reached the base of the mountain.

Onyx yawned and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, "Then we are fucked."

"Is that water-goddess-chick alive or did Grey kill her?" Rainbow Dash questioned as she jumped off a rock.

"She's alive," Onyx answered, "She is probably in her underwater castle with her subjects."

"'Her subject'?" Twilight inquired curiously and had her notepad ready.

Onyx looked at her and Twilight looked back at him with expectant lavender eyes. He sighed and answered her, "The Mer. They are half human and half fish."

"So what's a 'Mer'Lahn'?"

"'Mer of the Land' or 'elf'. They wanted to live on land and experience life in a different place. Wyohtā allowed them but took away their ability to breathe underwater and magical potential. She also made it to where they can not swim."

"That's kinda. . . extreme?" Dash input.

"She is an extreme kind of woman."

"Are you on good terms with her?" Twilight questioned.

"Yup! The best! My people constructed a Water Temple for her in the middle of the volcano. When. . . my father became a demon, he poisoned the water all around and on the island. We begged and offered a lot of sacrifices to her and she eventually created a never ending well of fresh water for us, which is where the Storm Crystal rests."

"So. . . I have been holding this in for a while," Dash began, "What's up with all that stuff in the vault? It looked awesome!"

"Technology is a double-edged sword," Onyx replied dryly, "What one intends for good, there are always others who wish to use it for evil."

"How far did technology go?" Twilight asked.

"Grey kept the technology here as tame as he could so they were only capable of interstellar travel, but in another universe, they had technology that could instantly teleport you to other worlds and dimensions; massive constructs that were as big as planets and even artificial stars."

"Wow," Twilight and Dash awed in unison.

"It was fantastic," Onyx agreed but then frowned, "the amount of resources required to build something of that size was enormous. Whole galaxies would be drained and trillions of lives wasted."

Silence fell over the group as the two former-ponies let that fact sink in.

"Trillions?" Twilight whispered.

"Hundreds of trillions."

Four days later, with an uneventful walk, the three reached the coast. Onyx wore a grim expression.

"I take it the ocean was not alway this black?" Dash commented.

"This. . . This changes things," Onyx spoke. "If the water is like this, then the earth is not just missing the Goddess. . . the earth has been completely drained of nutrients and the water. . ." Silence fell over him. "Drych."

"What?" Twilight asked confused.

"'Disaster'. She is one of the four Harbingers of the Endtimes created by Solaris," he turned to them. "If Mystin has released the Harbingers. . ." He noticed the two women with their jaws on the floor, "What?" They pointed behind him and he followed their fingers and tensed.

A giant, naked, woman with stone gray, cracked skin, long, tangled black hair, with rainbow irises, was walking on the water towards them. She had a toothy grin and stopped in front of Onyx.

The dragon craned his head back to look up at her face, "Drych. . ."

The woman scooped him up in her hand and brought him close to her face, "Onyx, have you seen Grey?"

"All the time," Onyx gasped as the woman's grasp crushed the wind out of him.

"Did Mystin kill him?"

"Nope!" he choked.

Drych set Onyx down back on the beach and rested her chin in the sand. She sighed, "Grey and Dèshū were right. We should not have stepped foot in this realm. All the beauty and wonder. . . destroyed. Just as brother and sister had advised us."

Onyx took the time to regain feeling to his body before asking, "They used to spend time with you four?"

"All the time. They would tell us about the world, show us pictures of the world, bring us relics of the world," the joy disappeared from her face, "And warned us that we could never experience it. And they were right. Our short-sightedness brought about the end of the world and we have no way to return things to how they were."

"We have a plan, Darqlon, Grey, Kyllgorr, and I, but you four would have to return to the Void or Hell for the plan to work," Onyx stated.

"I would gladly go!" Drych announced, "I have only been here searching for Grey or Darqlon or any Divine. I can not find Wyohtā. I wanted to apologise. . ."

"Can you take us to Dragostea?"

"Sure. . . but what about Wyohtā?"

"She's a big girl and can handle herself. When we get there, do you think you can get your siblings and go to Hell?"

"Yes!" she happily nodded, "But I don't know where Dehs disappeared to."

"That's fine," Onyx assured her, "As long as you three are not here, the plan should work."

"I understand," Drych replied crestfallen.

Onyx placed a hand on one of her big toes, "Thank you. Every living thing thanks you and your siblings for your sacrifice you make for us, even if the rest of the world doesn't know it."

Drych smiled and scooped up the three of them in her hand, "To Dragostea!"

Part Two - Chapter Ten

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Part Two - Chapter Eleven

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The Desolation of Death (Warning! Contains: Rape)

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Part Two - Chapter Twelve

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Part Two - Chapter Thirteen

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Part Two - Epilogue

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Part Three - Prologue

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Part Three - Chapter One

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Part Three - Chapter Two

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Does The Goddess of Death Dream? Yes. Yes She Does.

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Part Three - Chapter Four - Shade's Dream

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Part Three - Chapter Five

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Part Three - Chapter Six

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Part Three - Chapter Seven

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Part Three - Chapter Eight

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Part Three - Chapter Nine

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Part Three - Chapter Ten

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Part Four - Chapter One - Darqlon's Group

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Seven - Pinkie's Dream

Rumbles and sharp pops first grabbed her attention. The explosion nearby and ground shaking woke her up. She opened her blue eyes to see people in drab tan clothes who held weapons and ran past her. Someone grabbed her shoulders and her head snapped to face an older dirt covered male face. He was saying something inaudible to her, alarm on his weathered face then she noticed the ringing in her ears. Her eyes were wide with terror when she saw an explosion behind the man rip apart another man in fire, dust, and smoke.

"  ral!" she turned back to the man with steely brown eyes. "Corporal!"

She blinked blankly at him.

A woman slid up to Pinkie and pressed her against something cold, it felt like metal. The woman took out a small flashlight from one of the many pouches on her tan vast which held a familiar red cross and shined the light into Pinkie's eyes.

"Shell shock, sir!" the woman said, Pinkie barely heard the voice over the ringing in her ears.

"Where am I?!" Pinkie shouted and gripped the woman by her vest.

"Calm down, Diane. Just take a few minutes to regain yourself," the woman spoke reassuringly, she unwrapped a small package that looked like candy and popped it into Pinkie's mouth, "Chew on this. Don't swallow," she grinned.

The candy burned her mouth, nose, and sinuses. She wanted to spit it out but the woman kept a firm hand closed on her mouth. The ringing dissipated only to be replaced with the sounds of gun fire, screams, and shouts.

The woman removed her hand, "Okay, spit."

Pinkie did not need to be told twice; she did not hesitate to spit that fireball out of her mouth. "What was that? Where the heck am I?! Who are you? How do you know my name?" she questions repeatedly, as her voice escalated with panic. The man had his back to the two of them, he barked orders through a radio.

"Calm down, DD," the woman spoke, and tucked a strand of light blue hair into her helmet, "It's me, Julie. We went to boot camp together. Listen, we were ambushed and the truck you were in took a direct hit. You got flung out the back which is probably the only reason you're still alive, not that I can say the same about your squad. I'm sorry."

A thousand thoughts ran wild in Pinkie's head.

"Down!" the man suddenly yelled as he pushed them to the ground. A massive explosion sounded and quaked the ground. The man clambered off the two women, "We need to fall back," he told them, "Fall back!" he shouted.

"C'mon, DD, you heard the Colonel," Julie pulled Pinkie's arm, "We need to make it behind that hill. I hope to the Saints you can run." Julie poked a curious head over the mangled mass of truck and crouched back down. "Alright, stay with me, 'kay?" she smiled.

"No!" Pinkie shook her head frightened.

"Here," Julie pulled out a syringe and squirted some of the liquid out, "This should put some pep in your step." She stuck the needle in Pinkie's arm through her own tan clothes. "Let's go!" Julie shouted and ran off.

"What!?" Pinkie looked over to the man who pushed her back.

"Get moving, Corporal!"

Suddenly, Pinkie's heart began to drum loudly in her ears. The sounds became muffled and the world began to move slowly. Her breath the only sound she heard. Julie slowly ran to the sand dune but suddenly fell, a splash of red exploded from her leg. Pinkie's mind kicked her legs into overdrive. She left the cover of the wrecked truck to go reach Julie. Much to Pinkie's surprise, Julie felt very light which contradicted all the armor she wore; not wanting to spend too much time in the open, she ran behind the dune and saw more people. Half of them rested against the sand with crimson sand underneath them. Others tended to the injured and Pinkie set Julie down on the far side of the row of people. Screams and voices began to register in her ears again and she felt oddly giddy.

"What did you stick me with?" Pinkie questioned, her heart returning to her ears.

"Adrenaline." Julie chuckled then groaned as she placed her hand on the injury, "Gotta love that stuff. DD," her tone went serious, "put pressure on my leg while I get my pack off, will ya?"

"What?"

"Is that the only word you know? Put your hands over the wound to keep me from bleeding to fucking death!" Julie shouted, "I'm already feeling weak." When Pinkie did not move, Julie grabbed her hands and forced them onto the wound. She saw her turn pale.

Julie struggled to remove the pack from her back but finally managed and pulled out a roll of gauze. She could feel her life slipping from her fingers. Not... not today! She ripped her pants exposing more of her left leg. She began to expertly bandage her leg. Within seconds, she felt warmth flood her body but not enough to wrap a tourniquet.

"DD," she rasped and pulled a black strap from her right leg pouch, "strap this around my knee, dammit."

Pinkie took her attention away from her bloody hands and weakly nodded her head. She wiped her hands on her pants and accepted the black strap. She rolled up Julie's left pant leg and placed the strap around her knee.

"Tighter," Julie winced.

Pinkie tugged on the strap as tightly as she could and looked to Julie for confirmation. She nodded faintly.

"Julie?" Pinkie called to her.

"Just... tired," she labored.

Multiple sounds of mixers on high flew overhead. She failed to see what had made the noise, but people began to cheer. More rumbles shook the ground then she heard the explosions.

"We're fucking lucky those fly boys were in the area," the Colonel sighed as he took a knee to address the troops. "We got fucking lucky, boys and girls. Looks like the Saints favored us today. Fourth and Fifth Company are on their way. We can breathe easy now." He walked over to Julie and Pinkie and picked up Julie's medic pack. "Good soldiering, Corporal," he complemented to Pinkie. He went to work aiding the wounded soldiers.

"You must've hit your head to be suffering amnesia. How do you not know where we are, let alone who you are?" Julie asked out of concern, her hazel eyes staring back at Pinkie's blue gaze.

"I remember a lot of stuff, just nothing about this place and who I am," Pinkie admitted. "What world is this?"

"Pyæ..." Julie said cautiously.

"Oh, good," Pinkie sighed in relief.

"What other worlds are there?"

"Oh... um... I'm not an alien or anything like that," Pinkie chimed.

"That's not what I asked," Julie eyed Pinkie suspiciously. The pink haired girl smiled widely back at her, "Right. Anyways, you wanted to know where we were, right?" Pinkie nodded, "Well, right now we have been deployed to Royland, Mi'Keh'Bassah Province to be exact, to quell the rebellion. We are soldiers of the Pillotan Empire. We are here to aid the Loyalist from the radical Bajji'Maljji."

"What do you know about me?" Pinkie inquired.

Julie thought for a moment, "All I know is that your name is Diane Dawes and you're from a small village in the Rhodes Kingdom of Pillot, at least, that is what you claimed. You said you were an only child who grew up with a military father, a hero of the Beast War. It was only natural for you to sign-up for the army."

"'Beast War'?" Pinkie was writing down all this information on a notepad.

"Yeah, the fight between those savage Ancients. With a population only in the tens of thousands, who knew it would take twenty years to make them submit? They had half the world to themselves and we were over here fighting each other from thin strips of land! The least they could do was share. We even asked politely!" she scoffed and took a sip of her coffee to whet her throat.

"But it was their land in the first place? They didn't tell you all to overpopulate your land," Pinkie stated.

Julie crooked a blue eyebrow over her cup and spoke coldly, "Diane, beast sympathizers receive about the same amount of treatment the beast got. You should not be so open minded about your ideals." She set her cup down, "You saved my life so I'll over look your little slip and blame it to your amnesia."

Pinkie swallowed the lump in her throat as she stared at Julie's spiteful eyes, "Y-y-yeah, just.... I don't know what I-I'm talking about," she chuckled nervously.

"You should get some shut eye. You're heading out with your new squad in the morn," Julie advised.

"You're not coming?" Julie glanced at her injured leg with a sour grin. Pinkie giggles sheepishly, "Right."

She could swear that this sun burned hotter than Celestia's sun back home. The dry, blistering air added with the weight of her full kit did not help her keep cool. How long were they going to walk? Why did they have to leave the truck? Why was only her squad out here? Is this really a dream or did the crystals teleport her somewhere? With everyone baking in the sun, nobody felt like talking to her, lest they lose more precious water.

The Sergeant, Sergeant Giles Bakers a veteran of the Beast War, had briefed them on their current mission. They were to find a radio station and destroy it. Apparently, the enemies used it as a listening station. The only problem was that the radio tower supplied civilians with news and entertainment and it was the only radio station in the region. Sergeant Bakers held up his fist and dropped down to go prone  the eleven others followed suite. They crawled in the sand to the edge of the bluff, below, the lone radio station sat with a metal barb wire fence which guarded the perimeter and soldiers patrolled outside. Guard towers on the four corners of the fence stood like wooden sentinels.

"That's normal, right?" Pinkie broke the silence.

"No," the Sergeant answered, "seems the reports were right, this time." He quickly glanced over at the pink hair woman to his right side then back to the station, "Corporal Dawes, destroy that antenna with the FIRR."

"I don't know, that doesn't seem like a good idea. Especially with all those people down there," Pinkie explained.

"I concur," Corporal Jensen agreed, "We should take out the snipers in the towers then the guards, then let ourselves be known."

Sergeant Bakers smiled, "It warms my old heart that you kids know when to speak up against a horrible plan. Everyone go silent. We'll take 'em down at the same time. Once the guards are down, we'll move up and wait for Dawes to make an entrance for us. Dawes, you destroy the antenna then make a hole for us."

"Okey dokey lokey, sir!" she saluted.

Sergeant Baker chuckled quietly and attached a suppressor to his rifle. The squad copied his action and Pinkie loaded the FIRR with a standard high-explosive round. Luckily, she spent the previous night to read a manual and practiced with the weapon. Conveniently, there were eleven guards and each soldier had their mark.

"On my mark," Baker ordered. He fired and ten suppressed shots echoed his. "Richman, stay up here with Dawes. You two keep an eye out for company."

"Yes, sir," Richman replied as he unscrewed the suppressor.

"Okey dokey lokey, sir!"

Sergeant Baker grinned then signaled for the others to advance.

"That is not the proper way to respond to your superiors, Dawes," Richman snapped.

"I'm sorry, what was that, Private?" Pinkie gibed with a smirk.

Richman scowled at her, "Nothing, sir." He dropped to a prone position and peered through the scope of his sniper to provide cover for his squad. He tapped Pinkie's leg to let her know they were in position.

Pinkie propped the gun on her shoulder once she was in her fire stance and peeked through the iron sights. She breathed in deeply through her nose then exhaled and pulled the trigger. The blast of the recoil pushed the stock into her shoulder, the concussive wave punched her in the stomach and rippled through her body. She held fast to the FIRR and dug her knees into the sand. A second later, a fiery explosion toppled the metal antenna. She panted as the numbness in her body died. A tap on her head brought her back to reality. She turned and saw Richman at her side.

"Gun ready," he informed her with a thumbs up. In her awed stupor, he had loaded a breaching round for her.

"Okey. Dokey. Lokey," she grinned happily and pulled the trigger once again.

Eighteen - Zen and the art of... the Fist (Edited)

Eighteen - Zen and the art of... the Fist (Edited)

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He stared at a mirror reflection of himself, both wore stoic expressions. The clear, blue sky stretched above him between the narrow buildings while the fluffy, white clouds drifted lazily across the sky.

"Have you ever questioned whether or not Solaris and Solaria were created by a higher entity?"

"No. Why would I? They created this universe and have always existed."

"Everything has to have a beginning."

"Alright, I will go along with your crazy ramblings. If Mother and Father were created by a higher being, than that or those higher beings had to have been created by something else and so on and so forth. It would be an endless cycle."

"I had also reached that conclusion a long time ago; when I first thought about this."

"What are you smoking and why aren't you sharing?"

"My thoughts are not the manifestations of medication nor intoxication."

"Right. You always were... strange."

"Pot and kettle, brother."

Grey laughed and clasped his twin brother's black armoured shoulder, "Zen, brother, I love you, but you are weird."

"Thank you," Zen replied dryly.

'Brother'. A term, a word, a weight Zen disliked to utter, know, and carry. Better words of explanation for his existence would be mistake, accident, fraction, piece, quotient, fragment... balance. He stared at the smiling face of Grey. They used to be one-in-the-same  two sides of the same coin. How could he associate himself with that man, that man who single-handedly destroyed multiple planes mortality and immortality? No amount of good he has done will clear him of all his bad. Zen kept these thoughts to himself. Grey was an invaluable ally and an unstoppable enemy. He knew that one day he would have to face Grey on the battlefield, but it would be on his terms, not Grey's.

He came into existence when the Goddess of Light tried to imprison Grey in a crystal after Dèshū was able to stop his second rampage of Heaven. That crystal did not imprison Grey, instead, it split up his personalities across the different multiverses. Zen was the only one that had been placed in the same universe. He had been understandably disoriented and confused but after a brief explanation from Darqlon he was brought up to speed. Zen did not have any of Grey's memories but he did have all of Grey's martial art skills. Over the ages, Zen refined and studied more martial art abilities by travelling throughout the multiverses.

He was currently in the universe he was created in during a time of great conflict between the Ancients and the Humans. Zen did not have the animosity nor hatred of Grey towards the Humans, in fact, they interested him, but they had gone too far this time. They had released a virus which killed the young and made them all infertile. It was the Year 234 of the Tenth Age, of the Fourth Era. The war had begun the new age. Zen knew it was a losing war but he was going to punish as many humans as he could before death.

Grey got to his feet and dusted himself off, "Let's get going, Marshall. The Volition aren't going to kill themselves."

Zen placed his white helmet with a black visor over his head and accepted the silver hand of Grey, "I have a bad feeling about this mission."

"As do I," Grey screwed on his silver helmet with blue visor, "As do I, brother."

Zen understood why he had a bad feeling: the treaty meeting was an ambush. He and Grey were the only two alive out of six thousand troops. They had no choice but to accept the terms the Humans laid out. With much persuasion from Grey, the Humans allowed the Ancients to keep the Polar lands. He also made the Humans cure them, in order to have more "manual workers to help with the construction of the Empire". Zen could not bear to see his people submit to slavery. He decided to seal himself away within a vault with the hope of awakening to a better future.

His hopes would be crushed.

Part Two - Prologue

Mystin drummed his fingers together in front of his face. His treasure sat beside him to his left, the sniveling little brat was sprawled to his right, and his defiant little sister sat across from him, her eyes ablaze like a thousand suns. His corrupted mind thought of ways to make her bend to his will. How did Grey do it? He huffed angrily as he ran his hand on the smooth glass of his coveted treasure’s prison.

“You’ve got to know when to hold ‘em,” Déshū began to sing, “know when to fold ‘em. Know when to walk away, know when to run.”

“Where have you heard that song?” Mystin asked sincerely.

“Just a little place, from a slightly large place, which is all part of a bigger place,” she said cryptically.

Mystin blinked blankly at her, “What does it mean?”

“That’s for me to know, and you to find out,” she spoke, “And trust me—you will find out.”

Rage painted his face, “How many times are you going to make your nephew suffer?!”

“I can sacrifice one life if it means saving trillions!” she shouted.

He drummed his fingers on the chair of his throne annoyed.

“Why don’t you just fight me like a man, coward!” she challenged.

He huffed, “I’m not stupid. You are way more powerful than I could ever hope to be. The only reason you are chained here is because I tricked you out of the Netherworld. Father’s power is binding you.”

“Right…you ‘tricked’ me,” she rolled her eyes.

He ignored her, knowing she was trying to play mind games with him.

She began to laugh softly which then crescendoed slowly into a diabolical laughter.

“What?” he asked unnerved.

“That’s for me to know,” she giggled with playful eyes, “and you to find out.”