A Strange But Familiar Place

As I look out the window of the train, I can't help but think about the night before. The image of Obsidian battered and broken on the ground, along with the crazed shadowy pony that attacked her and me.

I can't believe that happened... It doesn't make any sense! I've never seen anything like that in the show... So have I just changed that much already?! I can't let that happen. I need to take this somewhere else... The pony was chasing Obsidian however, so it was meant to happen somewhere else in the first place. I mean, I don't remember every background pony but I never saw one like Obsidian living there. Perhaps I fucked up the world the instant I entered it.... Maybe I need to leave Ponyville so other bad things don't happen. Or maybe.... I need to stay now that I've attracted whatever group is targeting me so I can protect those I care about. GAH! This is some stupid hero deciding shit I didn't want to deal with in my life, EVER!

I simply groan and look down into my hands as I contemplate on what to do, and say. Memories from checking on Obsidian cross my mind.

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"Is she going to be okay Xirandine!?" I say, standing in Zecora's hut, staring worriedly at a still broken Obsidian.

"We are doing all that we can, and it's partially my fault she is so badly hurt. I arrived much too late, so blame me if anything." Xirandine says, turning to me after taking a moment to stare at Obsidian.

"She is wounded but do not be afraid. Her branches are simply a little frayed." Zecora chimes in, most likely hoping to lighten the mood.

I feel irritation and worry begin to fill me again at Zecora's poor attempt at making me feel better, but then sigh realizing that she is probably right.

"At least Celestia will do something about this, right?" I say with a weak smile.

After no reply, both Xirandine and Zecora exchange glances that tell me otherwise.

"No!? She won't!?! She is a leader of these lands, and you're telling me that she will just do nothing!" I yell in confusion and frustration.

"The Princess is a busy mare, something small like this isn't her affairs. However, she is collecting a team. One bent on saving, behind the scenes." Zecora replies with a somewhat somber tone.

"I'm going to go talk to her. She needs to do more than that, and if not then I'll do it myself!" I say before storming out of her hut.

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She better have very good answers. Not that I would hurt her, but I know of a spell that probably could... Though I suppose it would destroy everything in a big radius sooo.. I'd rather not.

The train slows and stops at Canterlot Station. A giant clock is place above the entrances to the main building, which I completely ignore. I immediately use telekinesis, hobble my way into the air and fly myself towards the castle. Immediately I am surrounded by Pegasi Guardsmen and they begin to start barking orders at me. I ignore them as well, and shoot myself as fast as I can to a balcony where I see Celestia smiling and looking up at the sun. I land next to her, surprising her at the same time, and quickly make a bubble around us. The guards chasing me proceed to either crash into my bubble, bouncing off, or stop right before said bubble.

"Hello Princess. I've come to talk." I say in a serious tone.

Her surprised face turns to a smile and she motions with her long and elegant wings to the room inside. I nod and move with her next to me, keeping my bubble up until the guards get the gist and leave. As we enter the connecting room, I am presented with white stone and yellow features.

I can see what Discord went on about so long ago. This is so boring.

"Alright, so do you know what happened last night?" I ask, expecting her to know at least something about it.

Celestia gives me a quizzical look. "Well, a few uptight ponies visited me during a council I held, other than that it was pretty boring." she says with a smile.

She knows NOTHING!?!?

I feel a bit of anger and disappointment rise in my mind, making me clench my fist I apparently made sometime during her relaxed response. I shake the feelings off for a second and compose myself before I give her the news.

"Rarity's house was invaded and your 'guardpony' that you assigned to me was battered and broken on the floor beneath a crazed mare spouting words about some king that she worships." I say with a forcibly calm tone.

Celestia's next few facial expressions go from surprise to horror to frustration and anger. I can see a yellow aura flowing around her, as her eyes glow slightly. A second later and we are suddenly in a different room all together. My stomach turns from the sudden teleportation and I resist the urge to gag. As I regain my bearings, I notice how dimly lit the room is. A bed lies towards one side of the room against the wall, and a sleeping body is laying in it.

"Sister! Get up! There is an emergency!" exclaims Celestia, with a volume that reminds me how loud Luna speaks.

After suddenly sitting up, her sister Luna looks at me and Celestia with eyes filled with tension.

"It is time to send them out to seek and protect." Celestia says in a calmer but much more serious tone.

Luna simply nods and then gets up immediately, focuses for a few seconds and casts a spell that seemed to send out two small portions of her magic in different directions with great speed.

"It is done, now we need to wait for them to arrive sister. When they do, we can then continue." Luna says with determination.

Celestia nods and starts to walk out of the room. I stare at her with some amazement, but then realize something important.

"Why aren't you doing anything directly?" I say with a bit of anger still residing in my tone.

Celestia turns to me and gives me a sad smile. "I can't or else the wonderful ponies that live in this land will be fearful and paranoid. They would assume that no where is safe. I assume you have seen Ponyville's population do such a thing to small threats and issues that would be otherwise easy to deal with?" Celestia replies with a somber tone and a sigh.

"That is no excuse. You are doing he same. Sitting by and watching others who are most likely weaker than you do work that you could most likely easily do. Why sit on the sidelines and not help with destroying what seems to be a cult bent on serving some evil douchebag king!?" I yell, making sure my intolerance for her lack of action is showing.

"Devan! Do not assume you know what is best for these lands! I am sure my sister has her reasons other than what she mentioned, and I trust her to make decisions for the best of Equestria. Do not!—" Luna says but is interrupted by Celestia

"I know Devan. I have failed my citizens and those I care for. I am not omnipotent nor am I all powerful. I am no goddess, nor have I claimed to be. I move the Sun yes, but only due to my talent and not because I am some supreme being. I am sorry Devan. I know seeing your protector, and mentor from what I heard, defeated and badly hurt will give you a mix of negative feelings. Trust me when i say that if I knew if it happened, I would have done something. I care a lot about the beings that live in these lands, and I would gladly give my life for one of them." Celestia says firmly with a few tears running down her face. "I would tell you about my curse which everypony assumes is my blessing, but I do not have the time. I must gather the ones that will save the weak from such things when I cannot!"

I smile a few seconds after she finished talking and give her my reply. "I want to join your so called group. I'd rather risk my life and protect those I care about as well."

A surprised look instantly appears on Celestia's face and she stares at me closely. "You have... Grown stronger than I would have thought. Even stronger than... Alright, you may join. But a few abilities are required before you can join. You must be able to travel a great distance with ease, disappear from sight whenever you want, and incapacitate if you need to. Death of other beings is forbidden unless each of these abilities fails you. Now show me you can do each!" Celestia demands, using her magic to summon a copy of a guard in front of my very eyes.

The guard disappears , but a small amount of magical power is present where it was. I stare at it, wondering what to do and then remember something I learned from Obsidian.

She told me once that those who can see and feel the presence of magic can also read what it did, is doing or is going to do by scanning it with your mind or.. Something like that? I didn't get to try it, but I'm assuming I need to be able to do this in order to be useful..

I walk over to the glittering of yellow in the air where the guard clone was just at. I close my eyes and feel around with my magic, enveloping the yellow remnants. I will my magical essence to use what was left to find out what it's purpose was, and after a few seconds an image appears in my mind. I open my eyes, keeping the image in my mind and do something I have never done before. Teleport myself. A few seconds later I regain my bearings again from the teleportation feeling I felt for the second time today. I look around and notice that I'm underground where crystals are apparently present.

Underground.. Cave system.. Crystals.. I must be where Cadence was kept during the wedding. Right, and where is mister mirror image?

I look around and see what I'm looking for, a guard standing with a slight yellow aura surrounding him. He's a distance away, looking around for something.

I see, time for me to disappear huh? I don't think I can though... I might have some dark alignment inside me, but can I really trust myself to use it?.. No. I know what happens to every other character that tries to use dark powers without training first. Don't feel like losing the trust of the ones I care about or whatever....

I look around for anything I can use to hide myself, and then sigh before facepalming.

I can use earth magic pretty decently. I am surrounded by crystal, which is technically earth. I really need to get used to being able to use magic.

I concentrate for a few more seconds than I usually would when using earth magic, and create a small igloo like shape that is attached to one of the cave walls. I go inside of it and cover the entrance with the crystalline material.

That took a bit more time to form.. Must be that it's crystal and might not just fall under earth by itself. Water as well maybe? Oh well, I should be hidden for now. I'm surprised though, that my magical power isn't drained more than it is. I thought that teleportation might take more out of me but I guess I am much stronger than I thought.

After a minute or so, I make a small hole in the crystal and peek through. I see nothing but empty space.

Must've gone away..

I form a bigger hole and leave my makeshift crystal tomb. As I am about to brush off some dust from the earth, I get assaulted from my right and fall to the ground. I turn around to see the guard pony standing over me, and in a small panic I attempt to fling him away with telekinesis. Nothing happens.

Another one immune to magic!? Course she would do this to me... Well if physical objects work..

I use my magic to form a small pillar coming from the ground just to the right of me and slam it into the guard. It's effective and pushes it off of me and away. Only a few seconds pass and the guard is once again coming at me. This time however, I'm ready for him. I focus on the ground next to me and make sure that the crystal is ready to form when he is right in front of me. As he reaches the spot I expected him to run to, I release my spell and crystal instantly shoots out from the ground covering his torso. It then shoots back into the ground while pushing the guard off the ground. After the spell is done, a smile appears on my face. In front of me is a guard suspended in the air with crystal that is anchored into the ground.

Perfect. Incapacitated, right Celestia?

The guard disappears, and once again I scan over what magical essence it left behind and teleport to the destination. I arrive in a different room this time, one that is a bit more brightly lit with a decently sized table in the middle that is surrounded by no more than three chairs. At the other side of the room are two thrones with two princesses sitting in them. I wave at them with a grin, they wave back slowly with a bit of surprise plastered on their faces. I motion towards the table and they nod. I take a seat and wait, knowing that there's this many chairs for a reason.

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After around ten minutes a cloaked figure flies in through the door, lands and walks towards the Princesses practically limping. They slowly make it to the Princesses and then bow. The Princesses nod in return and point their horns towards the being, healing it. The being nods and goes to sit down in the char to the left from me. It takes off it's hood and I'm greeted to a smug smile by a grey and black colored griffon.

A griffon? Hm... She looks.. Familiar.

"Was that supposed to be a test?" the Griffon complains. "I mean, it was almost too easy. Hope this third one doesn't take too long..."

"Cocky Griffon, perhaps you should learn to see more clearly hmm?" states a sly and almost conniving voice from my right.

A half second after said voice spoke, a form shimmers into existence in the last chair. The being is lizard like with a greenish brown scaling. It seems to be just a small bit shorter than me, but looking more muscular. It's tail is quite a length, reaching almost half of it's own body length.

How did I not see it? There's no magic around it or the air near it.. Maybe a natural ability? If it's not magic based I suppose I wouldn't be able to know... Kinda scary. Strange to see lizardfolk as well, though I suppose if Griffons and Pony beings are around, why cant lizards huh?

After a small jump from the griffon the mysterious lizardfolk laughs. "I've been here since before that strange creature sat down, though I was somewhat wounded while it seems like this one wasn't. Interesting indeed, I see that I must train even harder to avoid unnecessary damage eh strange one?" he asks in a raspy and slippery tone.

He got hurt as well? I guess I must have gotten lucky... Then again it didn't seem too hard. Perhaps they got harder tests? I hope that isn't the case, I need to be ready.

"Alright, now that everypony has arrived, I believe I should tell you all what your objective is. It is a clear and simple one, travel the land of Equestria and rid it of any beings that wish to destroy the peace that has been achieved. I would prefer if non-lethal methods were used, but if you have no choice... Then simply don't tell me about what you have to do." Celestia says, ending with a somber and somewhat hesitant tone.

"Princesses, may I ask a simple question?" says the lizardfolk. "Why trust us with such a task? I'm sure you must trust your ponies more, correct?"

Celestia nods in response to the question before replying. "You are correct. I do trust my ponies more in a certain sense, but you three I know won't betray me for one reason or another. You three have some sort of experience with such things as well, not being from these lands. I'm sure negativity thrives in places you all have been, that is why I trust you to handle this mission correctly. But trust me when I say that if you cause harm to any innocent or involve one of my ponies willingly..."

An aura appears around Celestia that simply pulsates with power and gives me a feeling of nervousness.

"You will regret it"