Dancing with the Devil

Chapters

Pressure
Deadly Attraction
Frightful Betrayal
4.1 - Loose Nightmare
4.2 - Liberated Chaos
4.3 - Kindling
Prologue

Pressure

Chapter 1: Pressure

-Time to wake up, Nathaniel…- The soothing voice echoed inside my skull, waking me up from my anxious sleep. I opened my bleary eyes, but the intense lightning of the room forced me to close them as soon as the white blaze flashed my pupils. Unable to catch a glimpse of my surroundings, I laid down, feeling the warm sheets covering my naked chest, my neck resting on the comfy and fluffy pillow… a regular Sunday morning I thought… but then I remembered the horrible images from few hours later… and, what the hell, I never sleep with the lights on. I nervously palpated my right arm, but aside from a hard spot on the elbow, I didn't feel anything remarkably painful.

My eyes finally got used to the intense light. I grasped the thin, white sheets and carefully moved them aside. My black knickers were the only clothes I had on. Any bruises or cuts anyone would expect to have after receiving such a beating weren't there; I simply looked like I just had a long, relaxing shower.

Unable to find a rational explanation, I stood up. My eyes quickly focused on the only element that wasn't painted in white: A full-body mirror, with clean glass and an antique touch in its decoration. I could see myself on its surface: uncombed hair and a tired shine in my eyes… typical after sleep issues… but still, I found myself walking towards it. My "me" inside the mirror placed his hand on the glass the same moment as I, but something wasn't right with him: something red was painted on his chest. I looked down instantly, staring with curiosity at the discovery: slightly below the upper left part of my ribcage, a menacing and strange word blazed with bloody red, just like the weird pentagram I had seen back in my home. I looked upwards again; half-expecting to see my reflection going all creepy, but it was just my imagination… blue sparkles now? Am I going crazy?

I turned around swiftly, staring at the emptiness of the room with distrust; those sparkles weren't product of my hazed mind. I was about to take a step forwards, when something pushed me back. A shudder crossed my body when my naked back leaned on the cold glass of the mirror.

-So… perfect…- A female voice whispered next to my ear, the sudden proximity of the stalker startled me, but the voice didn't sound hostile.

My eyes widened in surprise as a blue unicorn appeared from nowhere, resting her front hoof in one of my shoulders, and nuzzling my cheek with the other. Her lips were curved in a smirk, and she stared at me with uncomfortable desire. My muscles tensed as she moved closer, her short, smooth fur tickled me, but it was a rather pleasant sensation.

-So strong… I hope you show the same enthusiasm once I end my speech, Nathaniel… - She whispered, playfully gnawing my ear lobe.

-How do you know my name? – I ask coldly, fighting to keep firm under her assault of caresses.

-I know everything about you, Nathaniel, I've been waiting for a long time… you are the last piece of this puzzle, cutie, you should feel proud- She explained while playing with my hair. I had enough, I tried to push her back, but my arms didn't answer. A light blue aura covered them, it didn't took me long enough to realize I was being held in place by some kind of magic.

-What is this puzzle you are talking about? And why am I a piece of it? - I ask in a rush, as I wanted to keep the unicorn busy talking, rather than touching me. She gave me a quick kiss on the forehead before freeing me from her spell. I rubbed my wrists, staring at the way she moved her bum from side to side at each step, in purpose or unintentionally, I didn't know… and I preferred to stick in the ignorant side.

-Come to the bed if you want to know- She said before jumping on the mattress, I ignored how bad her sentence sounded and joined her in silence, trying to sit as far as I could. She cleared her throat before commencing the speech -I'll start from the beginning: I used to be an errant wizard long time ago, showing my magical skills in every town I came across on my undefined journey. I was a good mage, but not the best one. My superiority struck me in one town: Ponyville. There, an old friend of mine, Twilight Sparkle, humiliated me in front of the entire village, ruining my job, and my life. I kept traveling, but everypony knew the events that took place in that town, therefore no one assisted to my spectacles. Even sometimes, the guards didn't allow me to enter the major cities. For a whole year I traveled under these circumstances, slowly starving to death, and with a fierce anger growing inside of me every day. My will of taking revenge on Twilight was… is a necessity…, so with a last effort, I stole two of the three ancient books of sorcery from the Palace, and hid in the Everfree Forest. I settled my headquarters and started to study all the forbidden spells I could. This is where you are, though another year has passed- She took a brief pause –I'll conquer Equestria, and proclaim myself as the new Queen- She added, finishing the speech. I tried to look like I actually cared about her childish vengeance.

-Don't you think that's a little bit too much? I mean, all this effort… is it really worth it for a simple revenge? – I ask, the look she gave me once I ended up my talking convinced me that there was no way I could possibly change her mind –And where do I fit in all this? – I add, already forgetting about smooth-talking things out.

-I want to show you something before we get to that point… - Trixie said while standing up and walking towards the wall we had in front of us. Her horn shimmered, making a couple of chameleonic white curtains slid sideways, revealing a 2x2 square of translucent glass. I followed her, pushed by my curiosity.

I regretted it a second later; dozens of hellish creatures were sitting motionless on the foul floor of a gigantic hangar built on the other side of the thick glass. They all seemed to be in trance, waiting for something to happen. My eyes danced through the crowd, shivering at every new creature: Giant spiders with frightful women on top of their hairy backs, blood-covered Taurus carrying gigantic hammers, numbed and mutilated figures… every new creature was a poem of horrors; the overall looked like a painting of "El Bosco" in its climax of bizarreness.

My pupils got drawn towards a single figure, my hands started to slam the glass before my mind could realize what was going on.

-Sara! – I shout, my girlfriend was standing still on the middle of the ominous crowd, her long hair rested unflappable on her shoulders. Her pale face slowly turned towards me; her cold blue eyes gazed at mines, I felt tears of helplessness sliding down my cheeks. She suddenly disappeared in a golden blaze, leaving me broken, scared and angry. I fell on my knees, trying to convince myself that she couldn't be there.

Trixie placed a reassuring hoof on my shoulder, but it didn't have the desired effect. I closed my right hand around her "wrist" the same second I stood up. I yanked her towards me before releasing her hoof, and wrapped both hands around her neck, tackling her onto the ground and holding her still under my knee.

-Tell me why I shouldn't kill you right now- I spit, Trixie smirked and pointed at her waist with her gaze, I looked down. A tiny red symbol suddenly appeared next to the weird tattoo in her flank, breaking the blue harmony of her skin. I recognized the symbol vaguely; I had an identic one a dozen of centimeters below my chin.

-Any pain I receive will be transfered equally to you, so you better control those anger outbursts when talking with me- She explained with a haughty tone –And what you have seen is my army, I personally summoned each one of them from their respective worlds to aid me in this battle. I suppose you have seen one of Barbas (colloquially labeled as the fear demon) minions… I guess you saw something horrible, I'm sorry- She said, she did really sound sorry, which made me ease the grip from her neck. I stood up, took a deep breath and stared at her with cold rage.

-What do you want from me- I mumble, trying to not raise my voice.

-You must infiltrate in Ponyville, and kidnap Twilight Sparkle- She answered, I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

-You... teleported me, having an entire fucking army of demons at your disposal, just to kidnap a single... what the fucking ever that is? – I ask, astounded. I sat on the bed, eyes wide open.

-They are too stupid to even comprehend a simple order, one of them aided me in your summoning, and we both know how you ended… - She replied. I shook my head with my eyes closed, trying to erase the memories from the incident.

-And what do I get back? – I ask, Trixie sat next to me.

-Princess Celestia is the only one able to revert the spell, once we get our hooves on her, you'll be free to leave this world- Trixie said soothingly. I sighed deeply, realizing I had no other chance.

-I'll help you… so… I only need to kidnap this poor... I guess pony… and that's it? – I ask, without having much hope in a positive answer. Surprisingly, Trixie curled nervously on herself, covering her mouth with her mane. A slight blush appeared on her cheeks as she spoke.

-A year has passed since I last talked with someone fairly clever… and cute. You'll be my closest companion for this battle, we'll show up together in every public event and we'll both help each other in case we're forced to battle, we'll be…lovers… there are a lot of other creatures more intelligent and stronger than you, why do you think I chose you for this task? - She asked, I kept silent. She cuddled next to me, much more confident than before -You have charisma, beauty, you can get almost everything you want with your body, if you play your cards well in this game, you won't need to kill a single pony- She whispered next to my ear, I stood up and glared at her.

-Then let's make this quick, give me some clothes and I will get you that pony in no-time- I say, with a tone of tiredness in my voice, Trixie smiled.

-Easy… the operation won't start until 8:00 AM, you still have 4 hours before sun rises on the sky, sit on the bed and rest for a little, I'll get you some clothes- She said while standing up and walking towards the door.

As soon as it closed behind her, I punched the wall, grunting in pain and despair; I was screwed, "She says that I have to act like a whore to get a bloody pony out of a town, she says that I have to... battle? Next to her, she says that I have to be her fucking lover, I can't hurt her… and I don't have any other choice…" I thought bitterly, punching the wall for a last time before falling onto the bed.

I silently stared at the ceiling, unable to drift off to sleep, as memories of my beloved ones showed up in my mind.
________________________________________

3 years ago

-Nathaniel! - My dad screamed as he appeared from the security control of the airport.

-Dad! - I yelled, already running towards him, the entire airport went silent as we hugged for the first time in years.

-I'll never leave you…- He whispered to me.
________________________________________

2 years ago

-… will you go out with me?- I asked firmly, Sara blushed for a second before jumping on my neck in an embrace, I smiled before hugging her back with equal strength.

-I'll always be with you…- I whispered next to her ear before kissing her for the first time.
________________________________________

1 year ago

I silently gazed at the dusty grave on the floor. I knelt and placed a white rose under its inscription before slowly walking away, my father placed his arm around my shoulders as we both made our way out from the cemetery.

-I'll never forget you…- I whispered for myself.
________________________________________

Now

"I'm going to help her; I won't let her steal my home…" I thought as the door opened, the unicorn was levitating a set of new clothes in front of her.

-Hope you like them, I wasted a lot of time searching what kind of clothes would fit you- She commented while placing the outfit on my legs, I stood up and started to wear it. A tight and short white shirt which, basically, made me look as if I was naked, was the first. A forest camo army trousers followed, they were long and heavy, with numerous pockets and zippers. Two black trainers were the last piece, their size was perfect, and their sole was clearly made for running. I tied the shoelaces quickly and admired myself on the mirror. I had to admit that everything suited me perfectly.

-Perfect…- I whisper, suddenly, a necklace with two familiar badges appeared in front of me: "Pvt: Daniel Fray" -How did you get this? - I ask to Trixie, she smiled and magically tied the thin chain around my collarbone.

-Magic can do wonders… you look smashing; this will be easier than I thought! – She exclaimed happily, I smiled and sat next to her.

-Can you answer some questions? - I ask, she nodded and sat next to me, cuddling next to my right arm, I rose an eyebrow, but kept immobile.
________________________________________

1 hour later…

-… and that's why Princess Celestia sent Luna to the moon- Trixie finished saying. I kept asking questions for a whole hour, knowing more about the strange world I had landed; it basically was a ponified version of the modern era in earth, at least politically. I couldn't help to smile when I compared both.

-Any tips or details concerning my operation? - I asked, Trixie took a couple of seconds to think.

-Act confused, try to feign that you've just landed and you desperately need a place to sleep, I'm sure it'll work. By the way, your father necklace is imbued with magic, it will cancel any spell casted on you, unless you allow it. If Twilight asks you something related to magic, don't tell her anything about it- Trixie said, emphasizing her last words.

-Will you hurt her? – I ask in a sudden, Trixie seemed shocked for the question.

-I-I… It's not in my plan, we'll use her to blackmail the Princess…- She mumbled, she cleared her throat before speaking again -If that doesn't work, we'll attack Ponyville and kill everypony in sight, which will sure scare them- I shivered at her words.

-How much time do I have? - I ask, trying to sound like I couldn't care less.

-You have 2 days; if you can't get her out of the town in that time, we'll destroy them… that reminds me of one thing, follow me! - She said, standing up and trotting towards the door. I felt how stress made my stomach ache: lives of innocents rested on my shoulders, and the weight was getting too heavy to withstand. I couldn't tolerate such a slaughter for a simple revenge, "but revealing Trixie's plans is like saying goodbye to my life…" I shook my head and followed Trixie out of the room.

The narrow corridor waiting behind the door was equally white, without any kind of window or overture. The overall structure was oppressively closed.

After two turns to the left, a couple of black doors appeared on the dead-end of the corridor. I felt slightly excited to know what was behind the tainted glass. The unicorn horn sparkled for a second, magically opening the doors lock. I eagerly pushed them open.

The room had a semicircular shape, its floor tiles were painted in black, though the walls kept white, three crystal cabinets were precisely lined next to each other on the center of the semicircle, the left one revealed a jeweled blue wizard hat and an equally ornamented cape; the one in the center had an entire set of completely black armor, sharp curves and spikes covered the masterfully forged pieces, the right one had a gigantic red claymore, with a drawing of an eye on its hilt. I approached it and took a closer look; the mark of my chest shined through the shirt as I approached the sword. Suddenly, the eye blazed in red light, covering the edge of the blade with a menacing red aura.

-Like it? The sword is for you, nopony can handle it without bursting into pieces, it will be a loyal weapon through your entire adventure- She explained from behind, I opened the cabinet and took it with my right hand, it was light, though I still needed to brandish it with both hands to wield it properly, the aura deepened as the blaze of the eye strengthened.

-This is awesome, thank you- I comment with a faked grin, "Hope I never get a chance to use it…"I thought. Trixie smiled and opened the door.

-Remember the way back? – I nodded -You should rest, I'll wake you up when the time comes- She added before walking out of the room, I carefully placed the claymore in its cabinet and walked out of the room, closing the doors behind me. I strode towards the bedroom and sat on the bed, unable to stop thinking, but also unable to escape from Morpheus tendrils.

Deadly Attraction

READ!
Long chapter as you can see, why?
Mainly because the most common complain in my stories is that I go to fast... with the story itself.
So yeah, made this CH to cover that complain, and also to form bonds with the characters and set the basis, hope you guys keep reading.
For the record, I'm not very proud of this writing, I consider it to be the black sheep chapter of the overall, less for the last paragraphs... quite inspiring line, huh? If you don't feel like reading all of it, go all the way down, I left a quick mark above the last paragraphs (which do follow the story) for you to read, although I recommend that you read the entire chapter, I perfectly understand that it can be a bit of a chore, but there are details you don't want to miss (I left a brief resume on the end, for the ones who want to skip). I hope you like this idea.
The ensuing chapters will be much better written (And I mean, MUCH better), much more action-packed, and much more interesting. So, I repeat: Please, keep reading.
The following chapter is already uploaded to compensate the lack of story progression of this one. I'd like to hear your concerns/praises of its quality.
Thanks for your patience.

Chapter 2: Deadly Attraction

-Nate… time to go. Wake up sleepy head…- A voice that could only be Trixie whispered. I covered my mouth with the pillow to stuff the groan that was climbing up my throat; I'm not a morning person, and less when I've slept like 2 hours. She sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for me to end my morning yawning. She sprang towards me and kissed me in the lips as soon our eyes met. "Oh, yea, she's… my lover… Jesus, this justs gets weirder..." I thought fast enough, I was about to shove her off. Her kiss and embrace felt natural, and reflected genuine affection. I can't say I didn't enjoy it, but I couldn't help to feel guilty afterwards. I stood up and hid my confronted emotions behind a smile.

-Well… how far is the town by foot? Walking in the mornings is not my thing…- I comment while carefully stretching my muscles, fearing that my humerus might decide to pop out for a visit.

-Walking? Please, I do have standards- Trixie replied haughtily –Come closer- I obiently walked next to her, cleaning the sleep from my tired eyes. The unicorn checked the tiny distance that separated us before stomping the ground once; blue waves appeared on the white tiles under her hoof, like raindrops falling on the surface of a lake. The lines slid on the ground slowly, and delimited a 1-meter-radius circle around us. The delimiting line highlighted as more and more waves fused with it, my eyes got drawn towards its shining. I felt a strange force pushing me downwards, but I couldn't stop staring at the shimmer.

I blinked as the entrancing light faded away, I nervously glimpsed my sides, and sighed in relief as I saw a smiling Trixie on my right, altough confusion struck me shortly afterwards, as we both had green grass under our feet.

-Glad you didn't faint, these teleportation spells can get dizzy for first-timers- She said. I already had a reply ready, but a sudden gag forced me to keep my mouth shut –We're on the "NorthWind Fields", a small countryside between the Everfree Forest and Ponyville- She explained. My nauseas vanished as the warm sunbeams heated my body. I gazed at the sky: The temperature was perfect, no cold winds or black clouds on the blue sea the sky was either; no one would have guessed it was early morning.

-What's the current season in here? - I ask cheerfully, the sunny weather was starting to lighten my mood.

-Spring, mating season, use it to your advantage- She replied with a smirk, a chuckle squeezed out from my mouth "I'm now officially a manwhore". The unicorn pushed me out from the circle, and ordered me to open my hands. A blaze of light flashed on my joint palms, leaving back a short, red dagger as it vanished –Spill Twilight's blood on the circle to teleport back to the base. And, by the way, try to enjoy your stay; it'll be the closest thing to a normal life you'll experience in a long time- She said before the ground below her disappeared, sucking her into the unknown. It could be hell if you ask me.

I isolated my darkest phantasies and examined the dagger. The curved edge looked painful, and the spikes decoring the two sinister wings that separated the edge from the handle left clear that getting stabbed with it... ouch. A faint red aura covered the edge, just as the gigantic claymore back in the fort. I hid it inside the biggest pocket I could find "How am I supposed to excuse myself if they find this out? I guess a whole year of loneliness makes you forget how to treat with other people..." I thought with a mocking smile, gazing at the distant town with my eyes thinly open.

-Why couldn't we land closer? - I grumble, but the idea of a peaceful walk under such a good weather didn't sound that of a chore. I started the run, without any haste.

A sense of freedom imbued me; the oppressively closed fort almost made me forgot what nature was. I closed my eyes as I kept trotting with good speed, breathing with my mouth wide open, clean, fresh air was a luxury that my town couldn't afford. The two badges tinkling with themselves was the only sound I could hear; no car honks, no phones ringing, no city bullshit. I felt happy for the first time in hours.

I slowed my pace and wiped off the sweat from my forehead as I closed distances the first house, which was probably one of the weirdest I had seen in my life. The overall seemed to have been built inside the top of a tree, or a bush. A ton of trees surrounded the house, and birds and other animals calmly lived their lives, sharing the space, in peace with each other. A couple of tiny squirrels ran on my way, they both halted and playfully glazed at me, clearly not intimidated by my presence. I smiled and knelt, offering them my hand. The one on the right hurried to climb onto my shoulder, the other decided it wasn't worth it.

-Shit! - I exclaim in a jolt, as the front door of the house blasted open. I twirled to my left and hid behind a tree, tightly holding my little friend between my hands so he didn't fall. A couple of ponies walked out of the house, giggling and chatting among them. I took a quick peek: I recognized the unicorn instantly (Trixie magically engraved her look in my mind), she was happily talking with a yellow Pegasus. I was more shocked by her pink hair, and not so for the pair of wings on her sides. She was more of a listener in the conversation, nodding frequently rather than talking.

"Knock them both out, take the unicorn and just run… simple and fast…" The idea was very tempting, but spending a day with them seemed like a much better (and interesting) option.

I messed up my hair with a near bush and cut my cheek slightly, allowing some blood to taint my shirt; if I was going to play the role of a scared newcomer, then better look like one. The eyes of the confused squirrel darted between my shirt and the blood pouring from my cheek, clearly thinking I was either high or stupid.

-Both- I whisper, petting his tiny head before leaving my hiding place. I took a couple of silent strides, but the sudden sight of a rainbow landing right in front of the pair was so random and strange that I couldn't do anything else but to know what had happened. I started to run towards the landing site, curiosity pushing me forwards, the ponies did the same.

-Bucking hell! My wing! It hurts! - A high pitched voiced shouted, I forced myself to slow down, as the distance between me and their tails was minimal.

-Oh Celestia… can you walk? - A sweet voice asked, worried.

-I think so…- I stood on my tiptoes, so I could see who the owner of the voice was. A cyan Pegasus, with a multi-colored mane and tail, was trying to keep poised on her hooves, but failing at the process. Her left wing was twisted in an unnatural way, and some bruises and cuts covered her chin and torso. She tried to sheath the damaged wing, but it was pointlessly painful. She looked up to her friends, but instead, her eyes fixed on me. Her mouth widened in surprise, letting out a short gasp, which made the other two turn back. They both blinked multiple times and sporadically shared looks with each other, with an expression of complete disconcert. I knelt so we could be at the same level.

-Hey! Watch it! - I exclaim with a smile as the yellow Pegasus placed her hoof on my crimson-tainted chest, she jolted in surprise.

-E-Excuse me… I-I thought y-you w-were hurt… - She croaked nervously –Wait… you can talk? - She asked with a sudden tinge of curiosity in her tone "Here we go…"

-Of course I can, but how can you? - I ask, feigning confusion.

-Everypony here can talk, of course. What… are you? - Twilight asked, analyzing every detail of my body. She didn't hide her enthusiasm.

-I'm a human… I waked up next to that forest over there, with no clue of how or why I have been sent here… I needed to at least know where I was, so I decided to try luck in this town… I didn't expect to encounter talking ponies. My apologies if I scared you, I just didn't know how to introduce myself... heh… but there'll be time for presentations later, is she alright? - I ask, snapping my fingers, the ponies were more focused in me than in her wounded friend. I gently took the squirrel off my shoulder and handled it to the yellow Pegasus –Take care of him for a second… - I say before crouching near the cyan Pegasus –Need any help? - I ask, her body language reflected reluctancy to speak with me –There's no need to be scared… what's your name? - I whisper soothingly.

-R-Rainbow D-Dash… - She answered between nervous stammering and blushing, making me smile.

A grimace of pain crossed her face; I ignored her protests and gently lifted the pony from the ground, trying to keep my hands as far as I could from the injured wing. Dash let out a gasp of surprise, and probably a couple of insults in the process, but curled with a purr once I got a good grip of her body.

-She needs medical attention, is there some kind of hospital near? - I ask to the entranced pair of ponies. The Pegasus on my arms jolted suddenly.

-No! Don't do it! I refuse to spend a single month in bed! I just need some rest; I get these all the time– She exclaimed in a brief exhalation. She stared into my eyes for a last time before hiding her reddish face behind my shirt.

-Tough girl, huh? Any ideas? - I ask, Twilight stepped forwards.

-She can rest in my house, follow me! - She exclaimed, appointing herself the leader role, the yellow Pegasus hurried to walk next to my left leg –I've never seen you like this before, Dash, you two look so cute together! - Twilight added with a grin.

-D-Don't say that… silly… - Dash murmured, her voice muffled by my shirt, altough the strength of her hug didn't give her much credibility. I glimpsed the Pegasus on my left awkwardly: being cuddled two minutes after meeting someone was something Trixie didn't warn me about, which I couldn't say it was a bad thing, I just wasn't used to it.

-Well… it's been a pleasure to meet you Dash- I say, giving her a playful squeeze; I heard a muffled giggle –What are your names? - I ask to the rest.

-My name's Twilight Sparkle- The unicorn said.

After some heavy stuttering and blushing, I finally heard the Pegasus name: Fluttershy.

-I'm Nathaniel, Nate for short, pleased to meet you both- I say, tilting my head forwards in a bow.

-Can I call you Nathan? - Twilight asked in a sudden. My smile vanished instantly, Twilight realized it -Excuse me... did I say something wrong? - She asked, concerned.

-Oh, never mind... personal stuff... sorry, but I don't allow it- I reply obscurely. I quickly shook off the bad memories that were starting to roam inside my mind –Let's forget about that. So, what about the town? Do you think I'll be able to settle up or something? - I ask, pointing at its main road. Houses, restaurants and shops erected on its sides. A variety of regular ponies, Pegasus and unicorns peacefully attended their personal duties or, simply, had fun. I doubted TV and other electronic apparels existed here, which is why the heavy affluence of ponies in the streets didn't surprise me that much.

-Its name is Ponyville, where we live. Regarding your stay, my home's your home, that's, of course, if you don't mind sharing bed with me- Twilight replied happily, I arched an eyebrow "Creepy..."

-That seems like a fair deal, which one's your home? - I ask, Twilight looked over her shoulder.

-Promise you won't laugh- She said, a flush lightened her cheeks. I nodded, curious –Do you see that gigantic tree? Well, I live inside of it… - She whispered, I frowned and gazed at it for a second time. I didn't pay too much attention to it on my first glimpse, thinking it was there just to decor, but I noticed a couple of windows and a door this time.

-Why would I laugh? Living inside a tree sounds pretty cool- I say sincerely.

-T-That's e-exactly w-what I think... - Fluttershy whispered, I smiled at her.

-See? I think I would change my own home with yours if I had the chance- I say, Twilight blush eased -By the way, Fluttershy, was that your house? The one you two just came out? - I ask, the Pegasus nodded shyly –Then let me tell you: It's gorgeous, do you take care of all those animals? - I ask, pointing at the squirrel, who apparently was taking a nap on the Pegasus hair.

-Y-Yes… I d-do like it… and thank you for the praise... - She answered with a cute grin, Twilight turned back and interrupted us before I could keep asking.

-Nathan… iel, Fluttershy, let's do this quick, I don't want to cause any stir- Twilight said, I nodded and quickened my rhythm, Fluttershy did the same.

We crossed one last bridge before our feet touched the stone of the main road. My pace couldn't help to become sluggish as my eyes jumped from pony to pony, analyzing them with as much curiosity as they were analyzing me. Half the way done I noticed how tiny the number of stallions was, and the unnerving curiosity in the stares of the mares. A loud murmur came from the dense crowd; Twilight ignored it and grasped my hand, guiding me like a small kid lost in the city. With my free hand, I waved towards a green unicorn, who seemed entranced by my fingers. She widened her mouth in amazement, the outlines of her lips curved upwards. She was about to say something, but Twilight pushed me inside her house and magically locked the door behind us.

-Leave her on the bed upstairs… - Twilight said, giving me a squeeze before freeing my hand. I obediently climbed the wooden stairs, carefully carrying the sleepy Pegasus. I still had vivid images of the faces of the ponies I had just seen on my mind, and I couldn't help wondering about a grey Pegasus, whose eyes were... pretty messed up, altough she didn't seem to care, neither the ones surrounding her "How did she end up like that...? "

-Dash… I can't help you if you hold me this tight… - I whisper, realizing I had been standing next to the bed, doing nothing, for a whole minute, more focused in my thoughts than in my actions. The Pegasus opened her eyes and eased her hug, laughing awkwardly. I gently placed her on the matress, trying to not hurt her wing -Is the Princess comfortable? - I joke while covering her with the smooth blankets and handling her an extra pillow; she hugged it tightly and whispered a "thank you" before falling asleep. I cleaned some fresh drops of my own blood from her cheek before walking down the stairs.

An enormous yawn coming from my throat was a remainder of how little I had slept in the past hours, and to make things better, Twilight and Fluttershy were asking questions without any kind of order.

-Twilight… can I please use your shower…? I'm kind of tired… and I want to wash these clothes before it's too late… - I mumble, trying to get some peace, the excited unicorn nodded vigorously.

-Of course! Don't last too long! I want to know more about this "Earth" you come from! - She exclaimed while pointing me the correct door, I slowly walked towards the narrow corridor leading to it, taking off the bloody shirt in the process.

I heard a tinkle coming from the badges as Twilight tried to magically levitate the cloth I had just took out. "No" I whisper near the necklace, the shining coming from her horn cut abruptly. I heard a surprised exclamation coming from its owner, but I was already inside the bathroom: I wasn't… I couldn't explain her anything about it.

-Sweet Jesus... - I grin while staring at the gigantic bathtub in the middle of the room. I quickly started the water flow, shivering in excitement as steaming clouds of vapor started to fly towards the ceiling. I took off my clothes and washed them in the sink as fast as I could, thankfully, the fresh blood went away in a couple of swaps.

I took a minute to look myself in the mirror, apart from the superficial cut on my cheek, which wasn't bleeding anymore, and a pair of tiny branches showing from my uncombed hair, everything was fine as usual. I turned on my heels and closed the water, as the bath was already filled.

-Ohhh my God... - I mumble between moans of pleasure as I submerged my whole body under the warm water. I had enough space to stretch completely, and enough soap to drown myself with bubbles, I didn't even think in saving some for his owner. I closed my eyes, whistling a blissful melody while absently playing with the army of bubbles surrounding me.

Time passed fairly quickly, loud knocks on the door meant that the brief moment of relax was over. I sighed, took a near towel, and started to dry myself with it.

-Dressing up in here! Give me a second! - I scream, the knocks cut, two giggles came from the other side of the door. I sighed and quickly wore my pants and shoes. Sadly, the shirt was still wet, but I thought it was a better idea to have it on: I didn't want to cause a sexual revolution, or aggravate it, depending on the point of view. With the annoyingly soaked cloth on, I opened the door; the change in temperature was barely noticeable. I walked towards the hall under a suspicious silence.

I couldn't help to laugh: a short stool waited for me, surrounded by its sides by two taller chairs. Fluttershy and Twilight were sitting on them, with a wide grin on their faces. I sat on the middle; they both quickly got hold my arms, asking questions chaotically.

"What was I expecting…" I thought with a smile.

2 hours later…

-Magic? In Earth? Of course not, the closest thing to magic we have are the tricks that thieves use to scam drunken tourists! - I answer, chuckling to myself –Any more questions? I want to visit the town, and eat something if you don't mind- Both ponies nodded and jumped off from their seats. I had red marks on my biceps, where the ponies had been holding, almost restraining me.

-Should we wake Dash up? - Fluttershy asked, I looked upstairs, and didn't hide my surprise when I saw the aforementioned Pegasus figure. I noticed a slight shake in her hooves, as if she was carrying a heavy load on her back.

-Already awake, what's the plan? - She asked while walking down the stairs, she kept biting her lower lip, a clear sign that she was still in pain.

-You sure you're… - I got cut by a confident nod –I can always carry you if you want- I add with a smile.

-Tempting… but just keep close, it's hard to remain balanced with just one wing- She said, gluing herself on my right leg. Fluttershy did the same with the left one, Twilight seemed to enjoy leading us, so I let her run the show.

-Do you like cakes, Nathaniel? - Twilight asked, I grinned as response –Then to Sugarcube Corner we go, any complains? - The Pegasus hurried to shake their heads in denial.

-We can also introduce him to Pinkie Pie, I'm sure they'll both like each other- Fluttershy said.

-Who? - I ask, raising an eyebrow.

-One of our friends. It's... difficult to describe her… You'll see for yourself- Dash explained, answering my silent question.

-Fairly peaceful... let's go- Twilight said, moving away from the peephole of the door. We all followed her as she dwelled outside.

I instinctively covered my eyes: their sun was a brilliance I wasn't used to. I took brief glances of the town: the houses were kind of weird, with a curved-baroque style, some of their twists just looked impossible. Each house seemed to complement each other, in both color and design. The overall sensation was nice though: it was a positive change from the typical tall and dull buildings found in any city. One building took all my attention, primarily by its cake-like color scheme, but also of how well it defied geometry in general.

-That's where we're going...? - I say, pointing at it, the Pegasus on my sides nodded at unison –Looks tasty… are you sure it won't fall apart once we get close? - I ask, mildly joking, the structure didn't seem very stable at all.

-I have the same thought each time I enter- Twilight giggled.

-Do they make whisky pie? - My stomach asked.

-Of course, it's my favourite! - Dash exclaimed "Wha...? Alcohol in a pony world? This ought to be good"

-Seems like we aren't that different after all- I comment, giving Dash a wink, she suddenly nuzzled her body against me, staring at my eyes mischievously.

-So you like alcohol? Naughty naughty… - She said with a cheeky smile, bumping my calf with the side of her bum.

-Quite… but I only allow myself to drink on few special dates, my diet doesn't allow it- I explain, keeping poised under her obvious filtring.

-But you aren't fat, why would you want to do that? - Fluttershy asked innocently.

-Hah, keeping the good shape! Girls love it! - I exclaim, slapping my tummy and joining the laughs of the others.

Still laughing, I saw how a pink pony, with a wildly curled mane and an unnaturally wide smile drawn on her face, trotted out from the building we were heading to. She kept saluting every client she came across with a nod, they answered with either friendly waves, or polite bows. Her eyes suddenly found mines, we both had a brief exchange of glances, cut by my need to blink; she wasn't there when my eyes opened.

I turned back sharply, with both hands balled up into fists, as someone had tapped me on the back, the dagger shook wildly inside my pocket, thankfully, it didn't slip out. I sighed, relieved to see the aforementioned pink pony staring at me. The fact that I could potentially punch her didn't affect her smile.

-That… was awesome! - I say, as I realized how lightning fast she must have moved. The pony grinned beyond humanly possible before jumping on top of my shoulders.

-Thanks! I'm Pinkie Pie! What's your name cutie? - A constant stream of excited yelling kept coming out from her throat. I couldn't find the moment to cut her.

-Pinkie! Quit it! - Twilight shouted, the pink pony bounced onto the ground, with sporadic giggles squeezing out from her mouth.

-I'm Nathaniel, pleased to meet you Pinkie- I say with a smile, offering her my hand, she shook it vigorously –We were heading towards… that… restaurant, I suppose. Do you work there? - I ask, relaxing my tensed muscles.

-Yep! I help the owners with anything related to cooking! If you are planning to go there, I'll make sure they don't charge you anything this time! - She exclaimed, I smiled and tapped my chin, as if I couldn't decide.

-I can't refuse such a good offer… - I ramble, her smile widened as she heard my words.

-Then follow me! - She yelled, already trotting towards the building.

-Christ… I can't believe how much energy you girls have in the mornings… - I comment while following my new acquaintance, every pony surrounding me blushed and giggled nervously, not only the ones I knew, but also some near groups of mares that were able to hear my words loud enough.

-It's... the weather… - Dash explained vaguely. I grinned, knowing exactly where she was pointing to: The heat.

…

The sexual one.

Pinkie was already gathering some extra chairs around a wide, circular table when we arrived, I thanked her with a proper bow before sitting on one, Fluttershy and Dash hoarded the two chairs surrounding mines, Twilight groaned and took the chair I had in front. Pinkie suddenly appeared next to me, with a notebook, a pen, and a cute smile that would make anyone feel the urge to choose the most expensive thing in the menu.

-Cakes I suppose? - She joked –Which flavor? We've got… chocolate, strawberry, rose petal… - She kept reciting different flavors, which arranged from the classic vanilla, to the bizarre ruby taste.

-A whisky one for me, please- I say when she ended, she nodded and scribbled something on the sheet. She stared at her friends; they seemed hesitant to decide. Pinkie cleared her throat loudly, getting their attention.

-What if I personally cook a gigantic, whisky cake so we can all share it? - She proposed, everyone, including me, agreed with the idea. The pony nodded, turned back and bounced towards the shop, humming blissfully.

I stretched my limbs with a wide smile on my face, enjoying the pleasant weather and company "Joining them was the best idea after all…" I thought.

-Is it spring here? Temperature's perfect, everything's green and pretty… I reckon I could get used to this world fairly quickly…- I say while taking a good look of the town, some ponies were chatting among them while staring at me, but at least they respected our intimacy. I wanted to thank them for that.

-It is, isn't it beautiful? - Fluttershy answered enthusiastically.

-You tell me, I love nature- I say, gazing at her; I couldn't help to smile at the cute, shy grin the Pegasus drew.

Memories of my girlfriend started to show up in my mind, but I shook them off quickly, knowing they wouldn't do me any good.

-Yeah, I also love spring… - Dash emphasized with a smirk.

-Dash! Don't start with your perverted hints with our guest - Twilight exclaimed, I fixed my eyes on the cyan Pegasus, with a mocking smile.

-That makes two of us then- I say, wetting my lips theatrically and looking at her with faked desire.

-You two are unfixable…- Twilight groaned, but she couldn't hide a grin.

The conversation took an odd turn, Dash and I kept talking about rather spicy stuff, with sporadic commentaries and questions from Twilight. Fluttershy seemed uncomfortable, curling and blushing on her seat at each new topic that we came up with.

-Do girls end up with other girls in Earth? - Twilight asked, tilting her head to the left "Does she even realize how heart-melting cute she looks sometimes"

-Of course, and boys with boys, and two girls with a boy, and vice-versa… it's a matter of choice, there's nothing that impedes us in doing it… if you ignore the haters, of course… - I answer. I cut Dash before she could speak again –Let's take a break, cake's coming, and someone doesn't seem to be enjoying the talk- I say, giving Fluttershy a look, she thanked me with a smile.

The bolts of the table (and my heart) almost popped out when the enormous cake landed on the metal surface, making everyone gasp in surprise and amazement, even some of the costumers from tables away praised its colossal dimensions. A heavy smell of alcohol came from the towers of caramelized cream. Wedding cakes are pure rubbish when compared to the prodigy of bakery I had in front of me.

-This is… beautiful… - I whisper, drool barely allowed me to talk with clarity; I absently thanked Pinkie when she handled me some cutlery.

-Oh, Pinkie, I'll bring a plate for you… - Twlight said, already standing up, but the pink pony made her sit again. She suddenly lunged towards the cake, swallowing a quarter of it in a single bite. The whipped cream from the exposed core started to drip all over the inner mountain of caramel and only God knows more. I dipped my finger in it and licked it; a slight burn ached my throat.

–Geez… how many bottles of alcohol does this have? - I ask between coughs.

-F… Five! One… for each one… of us! *hic*! - The pony answered drunkenly, her head tilting forwards and backwards uncontrollably.

Twilight calmly levitated a thick, kitchen knife, and cut the remaining cake in four perfect pieces, she politely distributed the bits to each one of us. Another set of guffaws came from Dash and I when we saw Fluttershy's face: astounded by the colossal mountain of cream she had in front of her, only armed with a tiny silver fork.

I cut my own piece in smaller bits, holding the urge to simply go "fuck it" and eat it with my bare hands, and also trying to contain my laughter; I didn't want to spit it. Dash was making it hard though, with a hilarious high-pitched laugh squeezing out from her mouth each time our eyes met.

Slightly more calmed, I opened my mouth, ready to taste what looked like the most delicious pie ever made.

-Glad to see somepony else with good taste in sweets! - A female voice from behind exclaimed happily. I turned back and glimpsed at the only possible owner of the voice: a fucshia pony, her eyes and mane had a similar cerise color, although much more intense. She was the only mare I had met so far that stared into my eyes naturally, without any trace of fluster or shyness, whcih was the main reason why I didn't reproach her interruption –My name's Berry Punch, some of those mares over there asked me if I could ask you your name… so, what's your name? - She asked, we both smiled at the absurdity of the situation. I left the fork on the plate and twirled the chair so I could face the pony.

-I'm Nathaniel, pleased to meet you! - I reply cheerfully, waving my hand to the group of mares Berry was pointing to –Who would have tell that I could actually find alcohol in a pony world! You guys don't cease to suprise me- I say, the pony laughed and offered her hoof, we both shook "hands", equally happy to have met.

-Anyhow, I don't have much time, I see you're already well accompained, enjoy your stay! - She said while trotting away and joining her friends.

-Huh, people here are quite interesting… - I whisper to myself, turning back –Do you know her? - I ask to Fluttershy, who seemed happy to have my attention back.

-I've seen her around… but we've never spoke- She answered –Bon appétit? - She joked, raising her fork, a small bit of cake was stuck on its top. I grasped my own fork and thrust it deep into an already cut piece, we both "chin-chinned" before tasting it for the first time.

The alcohol was clearly noticeable, though it bended perfectly with the sweetness of the cream. The overall was delicious, we both hummed enthusiastically as approval.

Fluttershy didn't even need a second bite to make her cheeks flush, and the third made her movements become drowsy. I gently pushed her plate away the moment I saw she couldn't even guide the fork into her mouth.

-Don't force it, catching a hangover is the last thing you want to do, especially with a cake- I whisper sweetly, nuzzling her cheek. Her dozy eyes fixed on mines, she pressed her head against my hand, making the most of the brief contact. Performing such acts with a new acquaintance would have been considered rude in Earth, but this world... somehow it felt right, and their habitants seemed keen towards it.

I allowed her to rest her head on my knee, as she was quickly falling asleep. Dash seemed to be doing well so far, at least well enough to shot poisonous glares to Fluttershy, Twilight… she tried, but the first symptoms of drunkenness were starting to show up. Pinkie was totally absent to the world.

-Seems like we are the last stand- I joke. Dash turned to me. She took a piece of her cake, and ate it slowly, with an eyebrow arched –Are you challenging me lady? This'll be fun…- I say while placing my elbows on the table, Dash smiled. Pinkie seemed to recover her sense as soon as she heard the word "challenge".

-Alright everypony! Everything's set? - She yelled, we both nodded after the initial surprise –On your marks: Thtwone goooo! - She shouted, bouncing up in the air. Her eyes were already closed when she landed, and she was snoring louder than before. Dash couldn't hold her laugh and cracked up before the first bite. When she managed to control her guffaws, I was already licking my fingertips with a smug smirk.

-Looks like I win! - I exclaim cockily, the Pegasus snarled and punched my shoulder as protest. We both cracked up again as we saw a totally drunk Twilight chatting with a snoring Pinkie.

-And… I used to sing this song with Cadence… when we were fillies… - She cleared her throat before starting to sing at the top of her lungs, I caught something about sunshine and ladybugs in the lyrics. Dash and I helped her to regain some control between giggles coming from the near townsfolk. I wrinkled; the smell of alcohol in Twilight's breath was unbearable.

-Pinkie… how many bottles does Twilight's piece have? - I ask, snapping my fingers in front of the sleeping pony.

-There wasn't enough whisky… so I used some brandy instead… - She muttered "5 bottles of whisky isn't enough...? ". I knew brandy was too much for her (it was too much for anybody), and I supposed some of it had slipped into Fluttershy's piece. Dash took a small bite of Twilight's cake, her stare left clear how strong it was. We both smiled.

–You've should have warned her- I say, trying to sound serious, although my vaguely-stifled didn't give my words much credibility.

-But there's no fun then…- She replied, sort of excusing herself.

I looked down to Twilight; she was rubbing her head while mumbling "sorries" to no one in particular. I looked up again, a brief second of alarm shook my body as I noticed a tall column of white smoke climbing up the sky, but then I realized it was coming out from a chimney built on top of a low, oval building. Right behind it, a much more taller, bigger but asthetically identic building erected, they both shared the same color: Blue. The first construction had a pair of crystal doors, resembling the ones you can find in any supermarket.

The twin doors slid open as soon as a white unicorn stepped near them; I had to admit that her oddly-colored, but well-combed mane suited her curvy figure. I couldn't help to laugh at the fact that I was analyzing a pony the same way I would analyze a regular woman walking down the street. The unicorn's tail made a graceful twirl to avoid getting stuck between the closing doors. I gave Twilight a squeeze on the shoulder as her figure disappeared behind the crystal.

-What's that building over there? - I ask childishly, pointing at it.

-Uhh… That's the SPA… - Twilight mumbled, her voice was still a little bit husky.

-I think Rarity has just got in, we could go, introduce him to her, and take a sobering bath- Dash proposed, she had read the eagerness in my eyes, and she also seemed enthusiastic towards the idea.

-That sounds good… - Twilight said, Dash and I grinned at each other like kids. We both hurried to snap the rest of the ponies from their drunkenly dreams.

We found ourselves having to drag surprisingly heavy Pinkie on the floor, and myself piggy-backing a half-asleep Fluttershy, who kept nodding off and fluttering backwards, each time she did it, her wings unsheathed instinctively. Her feathers were practically flooding my hair.

-Is it expensive? - I ask to Dash, who agreed to be the one to talk.

-Of course not, both SPA and sauna are free, you only have to pay if you want some extra services from Aloe and Lotus, massages… you know- She answered.

The doors slid open as we stepped on the fitted carpet; I crouched so Fluttershy didn't hit her head with the roof. The two ponies behind the counter, obviously, stared at me first, but they didn't seem as impressed as the rest of their kind to see me. I thanked them silently as Dash arranged our stay.

-Miss Rarity is actually the only pony inside our installations; would you like to join her? - Aloe asked with a friendly smile, we both nodded, her twin wrote something on a notebook –Alright, any extra service you may want? - Dash turned back and gave me a questioning glance.
-Of course not- I hurry to say; they had already done enough for me.

-Good… Lotus will lead your friend to the stallions' locker, girls, you already know the way, enjoy your stay! - Aloe exclaimed, waving her hoof happily, her sister appeared on my left.

-Please, leave Miss Fluttershy on the ground, she can't enter with you- Lotus said, I carefully held the Pegasus between my arms and made sure she was fully awake before leaving her on the ground, she thanked me with a sleepy nod before joining her friends. I turned back and followed the smiling pony.

-Do the installations mix genders? - I ask with low voice as we turned the first corner, Lotus nodded –I honestly don't know how to react at that detail…- I comment with an awkward smile, making her giggle.

-Our male clients usually like it, which explains why almost all the stallions in this town frequent our installations... although I have to say that agreeing to have a bath with 5 mares, all by yourself and in the middle of the season has its merit- She replied, looking over her shoulder with a smirk "Oh God, she's right, what the fuck have I done"

-Oh... I forgot about that... - I say, cheeks flushing red.

-There's the entrance- She pointed at a glossy mahogany door on the other side of the corridor -Have fun! - She exclaimed, meeting my gaze and winking an eye to me before dissapearing behind a corner.

I sighed in relief as I took out my clammy shirt; the dampness in the ambient had made my back turn into a waterfall of sweat. I opened the door: The other side was empty. The long locker had a couple of centric benches cutting the room in two perfect pieces; a couple of private showers were on the right side, and rows of hangers holding clean, white towels on the left one. A crystal door, covered with a long, red silk, was on the oposite pole. I closed the door behind me and threw my clothes onto the bench. I checked the dagger, and made sure it didn't show in the slightest before taking with me one of the many towels avilable. The cloth was too small for a human, and my tallness didn't help at all. It covered the essential, but left my legs exposed, too exposed for comfort.

I took a couple of seconds to cool down my sweaty body inside one of the showers before walking towards the door that could only lead to the pool, jacuzzi, or whatever. Laughing and giggling grew louder as I approached it. I tightened the tie that kept the towel firmly wrapped around my crotch, moved the red silk aside, and peeked through the translucid crystal: A barrier of white blocked most of my view.

-Let's do this... - I whisper, jerking the door knob nervously.

The white barrier I had glimpsed before was no more than a thick fog, which shrank my field of view to a minimum. The walls on my sides were cleverly painted: its masterful color blends and wildlife drawings made me believe I was in the outdoors. I walked towards the only shape I was able to distinguish within the whiteness.

It was a bench, with bottles of shampoo, combs and other beauty products scattered on top of the wood. A faint shimmer flickered few meters in front of me, I supposed it was the door leading to the mares' locker, as the door I had just came out emitted the same shimmer, and both were perfectly aligned with each other. I looked all around me, unable to find where the pool was, the fact that I was lost in a SPA made me giggle.

As my eyes weren't as useful as my ears, I closed them, and begged for the mares to laugh again.

Indeed, a new chorus of giggles coming from my left finally gave me a lead. A sickening sweet smell, so exaggerated it was almost assaulting, placed inside my nose as I approached the source of the noise. It forced me to breathe wide mouthfouls of air to at least catch a bit of the scarce oxygen flying around the room.

New shapes appeared from the blurry screen of white: A handrail, with stones on its sides, and the descending steps of the pool. The fog sorrounding me magically vanished as soon I glimpsed the steaming water, revealing the marvelous feat of architecture I had in front of my eyes.

The ceiling (an oval dome), was painted in deep blue, simulating the night's sky. A full, and somehow glistening moon was drawn on the middle, it illuminated the pool with its perfectly simulated moonlight. The dome was as large as the pool, speaking of which, it was an immense circle, well over the 50 meters of diameter. Rocks as outlines (some even with their own waterfalls), high, curvy fountains spitting water, and even a marble palace built on one corner made the overall gorgeous. But there was one problem: The water was crystaline.

I would have appreciated it if I had a swimsuit on, but nope.

It was the first time in my life I had blamed myself for shaving so often.

I finally located the mares, who were behind one of the fountains built on the farthest corner of the right side, probably the biggest and most spectacular of them all. Dash was calmly floating around it, with a stream of clean water falling on her stomach, her wet hair spread out in the water. I reckoned she was asleep, as she didn't seem to notice me, as with the rest of her friends. I quickly untied the towel around my crotch and descended into the pool.

The water blurred my submerged body fairly well, at least.

-He's so kind!

-You're going to love him!

The continous praises made me feel better: it was my job to make them like me after all. I noticed a couple of tiny openings on the farthest wall as I squelched towards the mares, they kept emitting a dense smoke. It's smell (which was starting to make me feel dizzy) flooded the ambient, and it just grew more and more intense at each step.

-I'm going to sleep with him tonight! I'm so nervous... - Twilight said childishly, stuffing a giggle
.
-And what if I tell you that humans sleep on the ground? - I joke, leaning my right elbow on the base pilar of the fountain and resting my head on my open palm, making Twilight and her friends jolt, startled by my voice. They turned back while stepping aside, revealing the so called Rarity.

I remembered how much I liked the way she combed her mane, but wet hair suited her even better, as with the rest of the ponies. I stepped forwards.

-Rarity... am I right? I'm Nathaniel, as you may already know, a pleasure- I say, bowing instead of offering my hand. The unicorn's eyes reflected professionalism as she analyzed my whole body from head to foot. A smirk appeared on her lips as her eyes met mines -Did I pass the test? - I ask with a forced smile, the dizziness was now a full-scale, fierce headache.

-Indeed, you've exceeded my expectations... - She answered absently while tapping her chin rhythmically.

-I'm sure she's trying to find the best clothes for you- Fluttershy explained, the unicorn nodded.

-Well, I do know how I like him best: Naked! - A voice exclaimed from behind, I turned back and saw a smiling Dash standing right under my chin. She embraced my waist and pushed me backwards. A stabbing pain flashed inside my skull as my back hit the stone.

-Look... I don't think I want to do that right now... - I squeak with difficulty, each word that came from my throat summoned a new needle piercing my brain. Normally, I would had shoved her back, but I thought that doing so wouldn't help in my attempt to get Twilight's trust, and my head wasn't up for much action, and, what the hell, I was starting to like it. Fluttershy and Twilight swam on my sides, and got hold of my arms.

-We've been talking, Nate, our hospitality has a... slight... price, and since you have no money... - Dash whispered mischievously, leaning forwards for a kiss. I didn't... rather I couldn't feel anything. I painfully rotated my head to the left as Dash proceeded to kiss me on the neck, Fluttershy stared into my dozy eyes sweetly.

-Don't fall asleep now... - She said, almost begged. The sweetness on her eyes quickly changed into confusion, and later to worry. A long sigh emptied my lungs; I didn't feel like inhaling back. Fluttershy scream was the last thing I could hear before the heavy lockgates my eyes were shutted down.

30 minutes later...

-Pulse's rising, it's a matter of time that he wakes up- I heard someone say. Hearing a voice again produced a spark of energy inside my body. I tried to open my eyes, but my eyelids seemed to be glued to my skin. Someone held my hand, and nuzzled my forehead reassuringly, I liked it.

I gave a weak squeeze to my companion, such trivial action made me insanely tired.

-Go back to sleep, don't force it- The voice said, I didn't question its orders.

20 minutes later...

My whole body shot upwards, my muscles and veins were so tense I thought they would burst at any second. I ignored the light burning my now open eyes.

-Bad dream? - I blurrily glimpsed my right, Lotus released my hand and checked my temperature. I could only nod, as my mouth was a bluish, thin line -Don't worry, you're back among the living, although a little bit colder than you should be- She joked, smiling warmly.

-What... happened? - I ask huskily, a sore cough that didn't sound very healthy followed my attempt to talk. The pony handled me a bottle of apple juice before starting to explain what almost caused my death.

Apparently, the herb used to produce the incense (which I found to be too strong) was too..."relaxing" for anything else besides ponies. The effect, simply, overwhelmed by body, making my entire system fall asleep. According to her words, my heart had stopped 3 times in the 10 minutes they needed to drain out the deadly fog from my body and the room. Her twin appeared in the middle of the explanation, she stood up next to her sister, unable to look at me in the eyes.

-We're extremely sorry by all the issues we've caused to you. Give us a call if you want a massage, totally free, is the least we can do for you- Lotus said, finishing her speech. I swallowed the last drops of the delicious juice, feeling much better and aware.

-Hmm... fair enough... you know what? My muscles are killing me... why making it wait? - I say. Both twins smiled.

-Coming up! - They exclaimed, helping me to stand up. They practically had to drag me inside the massaging room, although they both had an impressive strength. I looked over my shoulder, according to Lotus, they had replaced the harmful herb by a much weaker incense, and its smoke didn't have the time to form up the same blinding cluster of fog as before, so I could see the entirety of the room. It was rather long, with an elongated corridor were the benches and the doors leading to the different annex lounges were, and a much more wide and roomy top were the pool was built. Its overall shape resembled a lollipop, a pretty big one.

My eyes got drawn towards five faces staring at me from the other side of a crystal door, a label on the right read: "Sauna: Keep an eye on fillies! ". The mares looked down as soon I noticed them, only Twilight held her gaze. I gathered all my energy and rose a thumb, smiling as best as I could. The doors of the massaging room closed before she had time to answer back.

-So, here we are. Lay down, show's about to start- Lotus said, pointing at a large bed on the middle of the room, I limped towards it and settled myself comfy on the fluffy cloth, facing down. A sweet melody started to sound as the lights of the room started to slowly change. Different colors mixed among them, creating a perfect representation of the sunset's gloom.

-Is that ice? Geez, it's cold back there... - I mumble as they rubbed my legs, back and arms with a freezing gel.

-We can't do anything if we don't manage to calm those big muscles- Aloe said, giving me a playful slap on the butt.

-How professional... - I ramble jokingly. Somehow, I was certain that they wouldn't try to do anything major.

-Don't act as you don't like it! - Lotus exclaimed,

-You two surely don't hide it... - I say before burying my head into the spongy pillow. The twins giggled before starting the massage.

Thank God my mouth was covered, as I'm sure that the mares would have heard my moans of pleasure, giving me an awkward time with them. The hooves of the masseurs danced around my back, masterfully untangling my messy muscles. Magic was the only word able to describe their work.

The half hour the session lasted fled away too quickly. I grumbled against the pillow.

-That's all? I want mooore... - I moan, covering my eyes as the music cut abruptly and the normal lightning came back again.

-We've already fixed every mess we were able to find, and a relaxing massage won't do you any good- They explained, cleaning the gel off my back with a wet towel. I waited them to finish before standing up; I was surprised by how easy it was: my whole body felt much lighter.

-Amazing... - I whisper, stretching and testing every muscle. The twins stared at me, expectantly -I guess it was worth to faint just for these minutes... outstanding job! - I say, with a wide smile on my mouth.

-You may want to spend some time in the sauna, is honestly the best thing you can do right now- Aloe said, flattered. They suddenly lunged forwards, both kissing one of my cheeks loudly.

-Good luck with them, Mr. Handsome! - They warbled as I walked out from the room; I rose a thumb and strided towards the sauna.

The ponies beind the crystal moved away just in time, as I had slammed the door open carelessly. They seemed to be expecting some kind of row, which explained their confusion towards the wide smile (and the blush), I had on my face.

-Is everything fine, darling? - Rarity asked.

-Couldn't go better! - I exclaim, raising my arms theatrically before sprawling on the wooden bench. Fluttershy stepped forwards.

-I'm so sorry... I don't know what happened back there... that wasn't me... - She croaked, breaking into a sob. I sighed and made her sit next to me.

-Don't dig it anymore, alcohol has nasty side effects... don't worry, I'm not mad at any of you- I say reassuringly, cleaning a tear from her cheek; she thanked me with one of her cute smiles I was starting to love so much.

-We were so scared when we realized what was happening to you… is there something we can possibly do to make you feel better? -Twilight asked with a tinge of sadness in her voice.

-Some privacy would be nice… - I answer after a couple of seconds of silence.

-If that's what you want… - Fluttershy whispered, standing up and joining her downcast friends.

-We'll be at the pool if you need something… - Twilight said, giving me a last glance –I've said "we"- She repeated, glaring at Dash.

-Yeah yeah, have fun back there, I think I'll stay here for a little while- The Pegasus said, stepping forwards with a smirk.

-Rainbow Dash! - Twilight roared, a deep purple aura enveloped the Pegasus, magically dragging her out of the room. I could still hear her annoyed groans even with the door closed. I stood up for a second, covering the crystal with the towel that was tied around my crotch. I spilled some water on the burning coal to warm up the ambient before getting myself comfy on the warm wood, breathing calmly and staring at the ceiling while absently playing with the badges; they were a remainder of my purpose here, it wasn't pretty, but their lives were in danger if the... "mission", somehow, failed. Even with these dark thoughts, I was proud of myself: everything was going fairly well, and I was actually enjoying their company, less when hormones assumed control.

30 minutes later…

I was rolling to the left for a third time, still far from sleep, when I heard a short yell, followed by a full chorus of screams that made me bounce on my seat. I shook off my laziness and dashed towards the door; I swiped the cloth away and looked outside. The new incense had enough time to rev up a fairly annoying fog, making me unable to see what was going on.

I opened the door, muffling the noise of the turning knob with my towel, and crept outside.

-You will do everything I say! Or you won't be as pretty once we finish with you- A male voice exclaimed, my eyes got drawn instantly towards the source of the noise. I distinguished 3 blurry shadows some meters far from me. I reckoned they were close to the pool, judging by the distance. I silently slid my feet on the ground; they didn't seem or sound friendly.

Their outlines turned sharper at each second: I recognized a horn on the farthest pony, a pair of wings on the pony in the middle, who seemed to have the leading voice, and nothing at all on the pony on their right (and the closest one to me), but a small detail on the Pegasus hoof got all my attention.

Tightly grasping the handle of my dagger, the Pegasus stared at something in the fog with a devilish smirk. Being the only one with a weapon left clear he was the leader of the trio, and none of his mates seemed eager to discuss it with him. Knowing that my chances in winning a three versus one weren't favorable, sneaking was my best card, at least for now.
I suddenly realized I had left the towel hanging on the knob of the sauna "Cheers, James Bond wannabe, maybe I can seduce them in getting the fuck out" such thoughts made me crack up, and I wasn't good at hiding laugh frenzies. The regular pony (earth ponies, Twilight said) looked backwards, startled by my pathetic tries in stifling my giggling, thankfully, the fog was too dense for him to see me, and he didn't want to lose the action taking place in the pool. Slightly more calmed, I crept another meter forwards.

The handrail, and the subsequent water of the pool materialized from the fog, making the white blur magically vanish. I finally could see what was going on: the trio of stallions was standing up near the descending stairs, in a threatening stance, which was laughable since they were as short and slim as the fear-shivering mares inside the pool, but the dagger (MY dagger), gave them enough confidence.

I noticed that I wasn't able to see my toe tips, nor my fingertips: the fog was sort of embracing me, which was a good thing; I could decide when to act.

The leader, a totally white Pegasus, kept pointing at the mares with the dagger as he slowly walked down the stairs, which also threatened to make me laugh: the way he walked with just three hooves in contact with the ground was dangerously hilarious. His wings unsheathed violently as a lewd smile appeared on his face, which I thought to be strange, since he didn't have the space to actually fly, but something in it made the mares close distances between them while begging him to stop. Any trace of laughter disappeared from my body: I couldn't stand seeing them suffer while I was doing nothing... worse, laughing my ass off.

I stood up silently, squeezing a hiss between my teeth, weak enough so only the earth pony would be able to hear it; he groaned in annoyment and turned back. A grimace of horror twisted his features as I pushed his head towards my rising knee, connecting an explosive blow that sent him flying backwards, with a stream of blood coming from his broken teeth. He collided with the ground loudly, making the Pegasus in the water stop and turn back, his unicorn friend did the same. A high-pitched scream came from the leader, but I ignored him, as the horn of the blue unicorn was already sparkling. The badges around my collarbone tinkled sweetly, making the efforts of the unicorn pointless, I walked towards him, laughing at his growing fear. I closed my hand around his horn, its light faded. His lips muttered a silent beg before my fist mashed his jaw. His body shot backwards, landing messily on his head, twisting his neck into an unnatural way. His body laid, unconscious or worse, on the wet ground.

-Freeze! Or I'll cut this bitch! - A male voice shouted, its tone had a noticeable fear in it, I glared at the only possible owner with soul-melting hatred. We both exchanged glances –Not so cocky now, huh? - He snarled, rubbing Fluttershy's neck with the cold edge of my dagger. He frowned when I walked down the steps of the pool with a smug smile on my face.

-I suggest that you leave her, right now… or you'll end up bad, very bad- I spit, slightly entertained. Fluttershy squeaked as the smirking holder of the dagger traced a smile around her throat.

–You shouldn't have done that- I say, ominous, as I squelched towards him.

The pony widened his eyes in surprise: the blade was useless, unless I was the wielder. He pointlessly tried to cut the mare's flesh, barely tickling her. My guffaws made him clench his teeth in desperation; he closed one hoof around Fluttershy head and pushed her underwater. Her wings started to flap for the lack of oxygen, I forgot about intimidating him and started to advance as fast as I could. The water slowed me down considerably, but I was close, too close, and we both knew it. The pony threw the dagger away, and braced himself for the incoming impact with his now free hoof, I surprised him by grappling the hoof holding Fluttershy down, freeing her from his grip. I wasn't fast enough to block his punch though, but I kept poised and swiftly blocked his second blow with my open palm, now holding both of his hooves in a painful arm lock. I spat some blood, ready to finish him off, but then his wings started to rev up. Disconcert froze me in place for a second, until his rear legs blasted off from the water, colliding with my jaw with impressive strength. I lost my grip on him, and barely my feet. I stumbled backwards, managing to stay mildly still. I found the dagger floating few centimeters on my right; I grasped its edge and looked upwards. The Pegasus was flying on the space between the ground and the ceiling, he took a couple of seconds to breathe, before dashing towards the fog.

-You're not getting away! - I shout as the dagger pierced the white blur, a scream of pain and a crash indicated a hit. I made my way out of the pool and dwelled into the fog. I stumbled with the opened door of the sauna; I took the towel hanging from its knob and wrapped it around my crotch before striding towards the source of the moans. The dagger was stuck in the base of his right wing, his left wing kept flapping, oblivious of the state of its twin. I thought about calling help, but the melting anger in my chest demanded blood. The Pegasus closed his hoof around the handle of the dagger, and slid it out between broken screams, his blood splattered my chest. He tried to aim at me, but I was already on top of him. I held him by the neck, rising his slim body from the ground and slamming him against the cold wall, the painted blue sky was now covered in blood drops, which looked like crimson stars. He stabbed me with the dagger, but it simply bounced off. A macabre guffaw that scared even myself came from my mouth; I punched him in the stomach, following with a knee aimed at the center of his crotch.

-What did you want to do with her, huh? I'll make sure you can't do it anymore… if you get out of here alive! - I shout few centimeters from his face, tears started to slide down his cheeks, I mugged the blade from his hand and pointed at his eye –Crying... how ironic… - I mutter, freeing him from my grip. His left wing started to flap weakly as he fell onto the ground. A short, mocking laugh came from me before I stuck the dagger deeply into the wall behind his healthy wing. The Pegasus eyes widened in pain for a moment, just to close a second later.

I turned back, startled by a loud stomping; a dark shape in the fog was running towards me. I kept immobile, unsure if it was friendly or not.

It wasn't, the earth pony wanted a second beating. I left him get closer, his bloodied face reflected pain and anger. With a swift twirl, my left leg obliterated his skull; the unexpected roundhouse projected the already badly-hurt body of the pony towards the wall. This time, he didn't try to stand up. I poised and stared at the mess I had provoked, without the cold blood I had been showing for a while. The earth pony wheezed as blood poured from within his hair and the unicorn had a couple of hideous wounds in his neck and head: Blood barely poured from them, which wasn't a good thing. Still, I was unable to show or feel any kind of pity towards them.

How fucking ironic: a criminal judging his professional colleagues.

I forgot about them and ran towards the pool. My jaw dropped: no one had been helping Fluttershy for the entire time, her apparently lifeless body floated few meters far from the mares, but they were frozen in their places. I hurried to get where she was, pushing the reddish water aside. My arms closed around her: she had her eyes shut tight. I cursed and squelched out from the pool, shouting at the ponies to call for help.

I blasted open the stallions' locker door with a rough kick and gently placed the Pegasus body on the bench. I quickly wore my knickers and left the rest of my clothes under her head; they would serve as a decent pillow for now. I checked her pulse: weak, too weak for a normal person. I gathered all my knowledge in first aids, which wasn't much, and knelt next to her. I started to pump the water out form her body, trying to keep a controlled pace, while giving her kisses of life each 20 seconds.

-C'mon! C'mon! You can do it… - I say breathlessly, trying to cheer me up. I felt tears, tears of hopelessness wetting my eyes.

After the longest minute of my life, the Pegasus coughed inside my mouth, I quickly moved away, allowing her to spit all the remaining water from her body while I breathed mouthfuls of fresh air. I checked my own wounds, only finding a slight pain in my jaw and a bruise on my cheek; ignoring it wasn't that hard. I grabbed a near towel and wetted it on one of the showers, washing my bloodied face and knuckles in the process. I turned back, the Pegasus was already awake, she let me wash some blood from her face before starting the asking.

-What happened? - She said while touching my bloodied chest. I gently nuzzled her hoof, kissing it for her and my surprise: I needed someone to talk with.

I explained her everything, the remorse of my brutality made me cry silently as I explained her what I did with the assaulters.
-I… I felt… like all the anger and sadness I have been hiding inside of me erupted towards them… I… - I closed my mouth shut, I was about to tell her about everything concerning Trixie and our plans –I need a fucking rest… - I conclude in a murmur. Fluttershy wiped away the tears from my eyes with a sweet gesture, I smiled and helped her to stand up, she gave me a kiss on the cheek as exchange.

I wore my trousers, but decided to go shirtless: The shirt had served as pillow for Flutershy, and her wet hair left it drenched. We both walked out from the locker.

The rest of the mares finally seemed to react: Twilight and Rarity were using some of their magic to help the injured ponies on the ground; I noticed that no one was helping the unicorn.

-Is he…? - I couldn't finish the phrase.

-He's beyond healing, the best we could do is end with his suffering… - Twilight said, I nodded and grasped the dagger someone had left next to the Pegasus. I glimpsed the unicorn briefly, and had to agree with Twilight.

I approached the moribund pony, who couldn't speak, nor move, but the look he gave me was so full of hatred I thought I would burst into pieces. I closed my eyes as I slid the edge of the blade into the back of his neck, ending with his life quickly, and without any pain.

"KDR is on, let's hope it doesn't end in a 1-1 score"

-Do you reckon I'll go to prison for this? - I ask, trying to sound like I didn't care that much, Twilight met my gaze.

-I… I don't know… - She answered, nodding down.

The doors of both lockers blasted open before anyone had the chance to speak: half a dozen of armored ponies stormed into the room "That's it; I'm done in this world…" I thought with a bitter smile. For my own surprise, the soldiers ignored me and focused on the injured. The assaulters were already being carried out from the building when I realized I wasn't being arrested.

-You, monster- A cold, male voice spit, I stared at its owner: A gigantic, muscular Pegasus, with a poem of scars on its face was glaring me. He didn't hide his distrust –The Princesses want to see you, go outside. If you do anything suspicious, consider yourself dead- He snarled, unsheathining a long bronze blade with his teeth. I hid the dagger in one of my back pockets before he could see it, and rose my arms in submission.

-Peace, can I at least put this on? - I ask while walking in front of him and waving the soaked shirt I was holding, he poked me with the tip of the blade.

-Walk, no bullshit- It took me a while to understand him, but I didn't complain once I did.

Another soldier escorted the mares; he seemed to be protecting them from me.

-Bud… I'm not going to…

-Silence! - The guard shouted, my own bodyguard cut my shoulder as warning, I groaned, annoyed by how stubborn they were.

I had no other option but to follow their orders, so I walked through the locker and the corridors without saying a word, the mares murmured among them nervously.

Only one soldier was in the reception, he was too busy cutting the ropes restraining the unconscious SPA twins to even look at us. I felt sad, knowing I couldn't apologize or even say goodbye to them.

-Tell them that Nathaniel's sorry by all the issues he has caused- I say, achieving another cut, this time on my arm. The soldier helping the twins raised his head, and stared at me with severity, but a trace of mercy crossed his eyes as my escort carelessly pushed me out of the building.

I fell on my knees; the pony behind me placed his sword on my shoulder, rubbing my neck with its tip.

-Try to stand up, and he'll kill you- The soldier escorting the mares said, I shot him a glare and an arrogant smile, before looking upwards.

-Nathaniel Fray… a pleasure to meet such an… interesting creature like you- Princess Celestia said, her voice was music for my ears, and it sounded everything but hostile. I had to admit that she did really look like a princess: Her mane, the light she irradiated, and the fact that she had both horn and wings gave her a god-like aspect. "Although… I imagined her taller…" I thought, a short laugh squeezed through my teeth.
-Human, not creature. Pleased to meet you too, Celly- I emphasized with a confident smirk, a brief flush flashed on her cheeks..

-How come you know my... name? - She asked "'cause you're my ticket to go home baby…"

-I heard Twilight using that nickname a few times when she talked about you- I shrug –You look rather pale for someone that has to rise the sun every single day of the year... - I add, half-jokingly, the soldier behind me pressed his blade against the skin of my neck. The Princess giggled, so did I.

-Remarkable… you still conserve your humor… free him, he's not a threat- Celestia ordered firmly, the soldier bowed and pushed me upwards, I shook him off and stood by my own. We both exchanged venomous glances as he slowly walked next to his "butt"buddy. I forgot about them and turned towards the Princess; I stepped forwards and offered her my hand. She stared at me, slightly confused.

-Earth traditions- I explain, she smiled and offered her hoof, we both shook "hands" –So, is the prison comfy? - I ask, arching an eyebrow. Celestia knew where I was pointing to.

-Those ponies were criminals, and you acted in self-defense… although you overdid youself, I'm going to turn a blind eye on you this time, only if you promise that you won't cause any more trouble- She said, answering my unspoken question. I grinned and bowed at her.

-You have my word- I lie, the tension on the ambient eased considerably.

-We don't have much time, are you just going to stand there, Luna? - Celestia asked, raising her voice. Her eyes were fixed somewhere above my head. I turned back fast enough to catch a glimpse of a blue shadow jumping off from the oval ceiling of the SPA, and landing gracefully on front of me.

"Luna…? " Her wings, strong and sharp, sheathed with lightning-fast speed, she gently jerked her head backwards, making her dazzling mane fell on her back, before meeting my gaze. We found ourselves analyzing each other, trying to find any trace of hostility or danger in the stance of the other. Her cyan stare studied me; the focus her eyes reflected made me feel like I was naked. We smiled as our eyes met for the second time. Once again, tension dropped to a minimum.

We both laughed, slightly embarrassed by our actions, and stepped forwards in a friendly manner. We were barely 1 meter far from each other when she tripped with the only step built around the entrance of the SPA, falling forwards with a short yelp, and taking me down with her. My back absorbed the impact, and my chest served as a pillow for the head of the Princess. The cuts on my shoulder burned; I cursed the bloody soldier silently while coughing the dust out from my mouth.

-Such a classy introduction, don't you think? - I joke as we helped each other to regain or feet; she giggled as she shook off the dust from my back.

-Excuse me for my clumsiness- She said, her voice was as melodic as her sister's, but much more natural. I groaned in pain as the hoof of the Princess brushed the bleeding wound on my shoulder.

-Don't worry, just watch out with those cuts, your soldiers seem to be in their period today… so grumpy…- I say, shaking my head slowly and giving the couple of soldiers a haughty look. "I'm filtring with your Princess!" I had to bite my lower lip, hard, I so wanted to say those words outloud.

-I'm Princess Luna, a pleasure- I turned back and stared at her, reflexive. She tilted her head to the right, confused "For fucks sake, don't do that, it makes my heart melt in cuteness..."

-Huh… I thought you were still on the moon… - I comment guiltily: I honestly didn't take the time to ask Trixie or Twilight if she ever returned from her imprisonment. Luna didn't look offended; instead, a grin appeared on her face, her white teeth contrasted with the dark blue of her skin.

-If you had came here two years ago, then we couldn't have met, which would have been a pity... - She replied, ending with a fresh and natural laugh, making me smile.

-Oh, my bad! I'm Nathaniel Fray, if you didn't hear that already, very pleased to make your acquaintance! - I exclaim happily. I liked her, a lot actually.

We both shook "hands", clearly keen on continuing the conversation, but Celestia hurried to cut us.

-It's been a pleasure, but we don't possess enough time to keep talking- She said, Luna and I closed our already open mouths shut. I gave her a nod and a smile as farewell; she waved one of her wings as if it was a hand before joining her sister on the air.

-Nate! - Luna shouted, I looked upwards, she pointed at the group of mares, who were already walking towards me –Be patient with them! - She added with a wink. A loud guffaw came from me when I saw the flushed faces of the nearby mares. I waved my hand for a last time.

-Have a nice trip! You too, assholes! - I shout, having one last Far-West glimpse exchange with the two soldiers.

I knelt, staring at Luna's shape fading in the horizon. Our brief conversation was probably the best thing that had happened to me since I landed here: it made the dark clouds threating to rain all over me, vanish. I wore my shirt before turning back, with a refreshed humor.

-Huh, I thought hey would be some kind of tyrants… I guess I'm too used to Earth's politicians… - I comment, joining the mares –Seems like I'll live another day, what's the time? - I ask, grimacing when I saw the red taints the cuts had painted on my shirt.

-Lunch! - Dash exclaimed, jumping up in the air.

-Really? Time passes fast in here… so what's the plan? I'm not too hungry… - I say, Rarity took a step forwards.

-We could visit AppleJack, I'm sure she'll be glad to meet him! - She proposed, her friends seemed to like the idea.

-AppleJack...? Is a he... or a she? - I ask awkwardly: I wasn't used to names like that.

-She's the last one of our friends- Pinkie explained -We can have lunch with her, it'll be fun! - She added, another set of approvals came from the mares.

-Sounds good… where does she live? - I ask, Pinkie pointed at a distant apple orchard, a narrow, dirt trail, with its sides surrounded by trees, leaded to a tall, red building, with an overall rustic air –Then we'll not make her wait, lead the way- I say, letting Rarity and Pinkie be on the front of our group.

-Hey Nate! - Dash exclaimed, getting my attention. She swiftly fled next to me, apparently, her wing wasn't broken at all –Where did you learn those moves? You swept them like… I don't know! You're tough! - She said enthusiastically, giving me a playful punch on my arm, I couldn't help to feel slightly proud.

-As I said before, I enjoy taking care of my body, and sports are the best way to do so. I used to go cycling, swimming… and a ton of other activities when I was much younger, so as soon I was old enough to enroll in a gym, I did it. I liked it, a lot, if you ignore the overall lack of time, which just accentuated with the pass of the years (still, I refused to leave my studies). It started easily: Weightlifting, running, flexes… at the age of 16 I started to show interest in boxing and self-defense, and since I was old enough to enter the gym's boxing club, I could join whenever I wanted, which didn't take long. Trust me, some of its members, specially the trainers, were human tanks. They could easily break you in half, but they were also surprisingly kind and patient. It was very rewarding and fun, and I learned a lot, enough to get admitted in the kick-boxing club a year later, which I barely had time to start before I got sucked in here…- I explain, slightly melancholic; I missed my exhausting routine –Are there any kind of gyms in here? - I ask.

-Nope, at least in Ponyville, but you can always train with me. I don't usually use my hooves a lot, but I can do an exception with you, if you promise that you won't complain when I push you to the limit- She answered with a cocky smile.

-We'll see, maybe I'll end up carrying you again, which I'm pretty sure you won't complain about- I reply jokingly, she flipped over me with a giggle –Seems like you're healing well… you really had me worried- I say, giving her wing a gentle nuzzle. I hurried to move my hand away as a moan came from its owner –Sorry, does it hurt you when I touch it? - I ask, confused.

-No… it's just… very sensible… in a good way…- Dash murmured, with a heavy blush enveloping her features "An extern G spot? Huh… cool… I guess..." I thought with a grin.

5 minutes later...

-Who's your new friend, Dash? - A female voice with a noticeable accent said, interrupting the Pegasus, who was just about to explain me her dreams in becoming a Wonderbolt. All the eyes turned to the speaker: A completely orange earth pony, wearing a distinguishable cowboy hat. She stared at me with self-protective hostility; Rarity seemed to notice this, and materialized between us before we had a chance to talk.

-AppleJack! - She exclaimed, with a voice tone and a smile that I thought to be exaggerated –We were just heading towards your house! We wanted to introduce Nathaniel to you! - The easily noticeable tension in the factions of the new pony lightened, she gave me a much more respectful look.

-Nathaniel, huh? Weird name… no offense- She said, slightly flustered. Rarity stepped aside with a proud smile.

-My exact thoughts on all of your names… none taken by the way- I say, giving her a friendly wink. I explained her our plans as we introduced to each other. She, as with Berry, kept her gaze steady as we talked, without showing any kind of shyness.

-It could be fun… Big Mac and Granny Smith are out for business, and I'm sure AppleBloom will be happy to have company for lunch… she's my little sister- AppleJack said, answering my questioning glance.

-Are the presentations over? We have a big storm brewing up if you haven't noticed it already- Twilight commented. Indeed, black storm clouds were approaching the town from the west; a dense column of rain covered the space below them. The ponies hanging on the streets hasted their walking, trying to find a decent shelter. AppleJack looked over her shoulder, staring at a pair of immense bags that rested against a streetlamp.

-Need help with that? - I ask, the bags were half the length of the pony, and as high as her.

-Yes, please… - She answered, relieved. I knelt and carried both bags with the help of my shoulders, one wasn't that heavy, but two did my neck ache. Some dirt spilled on my back, tainting my shirt in a disgusting brown.

-Uhh… is this…? - I ask, revolted.

-Fertilizer- ApplleJack said, she giggled when she saw the mess my back was -Don't worry, I'll let you take a shower when we get there- I sighed, "Third shower today… "

We found ourselves in the need to run, rain already soaking our heels. We heard childish yells while we crossed the dirt trail leading to the house, AJ explained it was her sister and friends.

I kicked open the doors of the granary, and left the load on the nearest corner. I cleaned my hands with an old sink before walking out.

-Shouldn't we get in? - I ask, the first raindrops were showering AJ; the other mares were already inside the house. I walked next to her.

-Give me a second- She took a deep breath –APPLEBLOOM! - She shouted, making me jolt, astounded by such powerful voice. Three fillies stood up in front of us before surprise had time to vanish from my body –Get inside the house, he's Nathaniel by the way, be nice with him- AJ said, retouching the slightly tilted bow of a yellow filly.

-Can I call you Nate? - An orange Pegasus inquired.

-How do you know my sister? - A yellow earth pony asked.

-What are you, mister? - A white unicorn said, I knelt and offered my hand to them.

-Of course you can call me Nate, I'm a human, and you must be AppleBloom- I say, smiling at the red haired filly.

-How do you know my name? - The yellow pony asked, confused.

-It was pretty hard to not hear the deafening screams of your sister- I answer with a smile, the filly giggled and proceeded to introduce her friends.

-These are Sweetie Belle…- She pointed at the unicorn, who gave me a polite bow –…and Scootaloo- She pointed at the Pegasus, she high-"fived" my hand vigorously –It was a pleasure, see you guys la…

-You aren't going anywhere! Can't you see it's raining? - AJ exclaimed, holding the filly down before she could dash away. AppleBloom's mouth curved into a pout.

-Fine… - She snarled between groans, AppleJack dragged her sister and friends inside the house. I took a couple of seconds of privacy, enjoying the pleasant rain and the landscape.

The seconds turned into minutes, the rain into a downpour, my head into a stream of thoughts…

The trio of fillies, Celestia and Luna, the kindness coming from the mares…

Sara, my family, my life…

-Nathaniel! You're going to drown out there! Come inside! - Twilight shouted from the lit porch of the house. I blinked and glimpsed over my shoulder, staring coldly at the eyes of my biggest enemy, promising myself I would defeat her.

Huh, how wrong I was.

30 minutes later…

-I see you like the minimalist style- I comment as I walked down the stairs. AppleJack was looking through the window next to the front door.

-We don't need much, was the shower good? - She asked, still focused on the courtyard, the apple trees swung violently at each gust of wind.

-Absolutely, I used your drier for the clothes, hope you don't mind- I say while joining her, heavy thunders and blinding lightning had joined the deluge.

-Don't worry, it's the least I can do- She shrugged, giving me a smile -Spiky hair suits you well by the way- She added, I rubbed my wet hair with my fingertips and smiled back.

-Where are the others? - I ask.

-Kitchen, they're having a real drama, trying to find something you'll like- She said, we both laughed –Would you like a good salad? - She asked.

-But of course- I answer, AJ laughed again.

-Wasn't that hard after all, could you please bring some chairs to the dining room? I'll be helping those scatterbrains– She said; I nodded and walked into what seemed to be the living room. AppleBloom and her friends were sitting on a large, dark-red couch near the fireplace, wrapped in a tight hug. Each lightning made them shiver, and the following thunder, jump. At least they didn't scream like Fluttershy, whose yells and yelps could be heard from miles away. I crept behind the couch, and gave them a little scare, the thunder dropped as soon as my hands closed on their shoulders, making them shout and bounce at unison.

-Doing fine over here? - I ask as soon I was able control my guffaws; the trio shot me an angry glare.

-We're scared of thunders… - They whispered, I sighed and walked towards the fireplace, adding some wood to the dying flame.

-There's no shame in it, it's a pretty common fear, my younger self used to fear them, until I learned a very simple trick- I kept adding food to the fire, fulfilling my childish delight. I stood up sharply as a lightning flashed outside –See? Now you can be sure there'll be a thunder coming, use this time to prepare yourselves. If a lightning slips you by, you'll get an assured jump-scare- The thunder dropped as soon I stopped talking, emphasizing my words. I took a couple of candles from a near table and proceeded to light them with the now thick orange flames, which made me not realize the flash of a new lightning. When I turned back, the three fillies had an expression of extreme focus. I didn't have time to ask them what was wrong, as an explosive thunder made me scream like a little girl, and almost hit my head with the ceiling. The fillies cracked up with laughter.

-Told you it worked! - I exclaim while trying to soothe my rushing heart.

-Thank you mister! I mean… Nate! - They all said with a smile.

-A pleasure, don't be late for lunch! - I say, already walking towards the dining room, with two chairs wrapped around my right arm, and a couple of lit candles on my left hand. I placed the candles so they were able to lighten the entire stance, and left the chairs in both poles of the mahogany table. I barely had time to sit before the door of the kitchen opened; Rarity was embracing a watery-eyed Fluttershy.

-We've been trying to calm her, but she only wants to be with you- She explained, she tapped the Pegasus on the shoulder and whispered something near her ear –Good luck with her darling; you're going to need it- Rarity said before closing the door behind her.

Fluttershy looked over her shoulder cryptically before lunging towards me with a leap. She sat on my lap, leaning her back on my chest; I closed my arms around her in a reassuring hug.

-Check this out… - I whisper, moving my right fist in front of her face. I snapped my fingers the second the thunder dropped. Fluttershy widened her eyes, not in fear, but surprise.

-How did you do that? - She asked, amazed.

-Luck! - I exclaim, making us both laugh. I cleaned a silent tear from her cheek –Feeling better now? - I ask, the Pegasus nodded and turned back, purring lovingly as she rested her head on my shoulder.

-We've been… discussing about you… I wanted to talk with you before they did… - She whispered, her breath tickled my ear.

-Is it good or bad? - I ask, intrigued.

-Depends on what you think… Twilight and Dash… they really want to be with you…- I couldn't help to squeal in joy, I did it! -…since we couldn't reach an agreement… we've considered the option of forming a…- Fluttershy swallowed some saliva, and blushed beyond humanly possible.

-Forming a what? - Fluttershy face leaned back, her lips were few centimeters far from mines, she spoke in a barely audible murmur.

-A herd… with you… - I frowned: I recalled hearing the word "herd", but I couldn't find its meaning.

-A… what? - I ask, Fluttershy curled on herself with a squeak and buried her face with my shirt.

-A herd is when a group of mares… "share" a colt… - She mumbled, I widened my eyes in understanding.

-You mean a harem? - I saw it coming, more or less –I understand is mating season and all that stuff… but don't you think you are all going a little bit too fast? Don't get me wrong, I enjoy every minute I spend with you, and it's nice to cuddle like this, and I don't feel bad for it! But… I don't know… I'm not too sure if I can really go further than that… I hope you understand… - I say, stammering at each word, Fluttershy suddenly placed her hoof on my mouth, cutting my awkward speech. She leaned upwards, and gave me a quick peck on the lips. A familiar buzzing sensation crossed my body as she moved away: I wanted more.

-I had to be made of stone to not feel anything…- I whisper, Fluttershy smiled, and leaned for a second one, but a creak coming from the kitchen door froze her. Before I could realize what was happening, she was sitting on the chair on my right, as if nothing had happened.

Twilight and Dash walked out from the annex room under a tense silence, and took the nearest seats. Twilight tried to talk, but I cut her.

-Fluttershy has already explained me everything… - I cleared my throat –I'm flattered, but… - The sight of Dash looking down, with an expression of complete dejection made me stop talking. I swallowed nervously.

After some seconds of tense silence, I spread my arms wide open on the air, breaking into a smile –Fuck it… let's give it a try, I just ask for some patience, I need to get used to all this… - I conclude. The ponies took a whole minute to assimilate my words, collective gasping followed: They clearly didn't expect a positive answer. I fell backwards, buried under hugs.

-He said yes? - A voice from the kitchen asked.

-Yeah! - Dash shouted excitedly, Rarity and the rest of the ponies stormed into the room, congratulating us. I gazed at Dash, who was screaming "Hurrahs" and punching the air, Rarity hugged a sobbing Fluttershy, and Twilight stared at me, with a wide smile drawn on her face.

That sight punched me like a train.

I couldn't win.

Nightfall…

I observed the wet night, peacefully sitting on the open window built on the second floor of Twilight's house. The rain had stopped few minutes ago, leaving the town flooded with mud and puddles of rainwater. The last streetlights were being blown out, and the sounds of grumpy kids refusing to go to bed broke the otherwise harmonious night.

The day had passed fairly quickly; we spent most of the time in AJ's house, waiting for the storm to ease enough to consider walking outside a viable option, thankfully, the company of the ponies made it much more bearable. About an hour ago, the fierce storm turned into a shy dripping. Me and my "herd"…"I will never get used to that silly word...", said goodbye to AppleJack and the rest before dashing towards Twilight's house, as both Pegasus refused to sleep without me. I just had closed the door of the treehouse when the three mares locked themselves in the bathroom without saying a word. I took these precious minutes of privacy to assemble an improvised bed, which was, basically, three individual beds joint together. I enjoyed the rest of the time sitting on the windowsill of the open window, enjoying the cold breeze and wondering how it was possible to build a city on top of a cloud (according to Dash explanations).

I stood up as a chorus of excited giggling came from the lower floor, the small silver knife I had stolen from AJ house pricked my leg, but it was worth the pain.

Twilight's life depended on it.

I took off my trousers, and made sure to close shut the two pockets responsible of holding the blades before placing them on the open windowsill, so they could air themselves a little. I only had the badges and my knickers on, but I didn't feel any cold.

A light from the lower floor flickered, just to vanish a second later. The house was now just illuminated by the exaggeratedly big moon, which was enough to see with a fair clarity. I placed my hands on the windowsill, staring at the beautiful glisten of the moon and stars; I wanted to thank Luna for doing such a good job with the night. I closed my eyes, breathing as calmly as I could, trying to soothe my nerves as the footsteps coming from the stairs became louder and louder… "It can't be that bad… right?"

The stomping cut abruptly, I turned back, finding three pairs of shining eyes staring at me with unhidden desire.

-Over here- A voice that could only be Dash's said mischievously. I walked towards the bed, slightly intimidated by the hormone-dripping trio I had in front of me. Fluttershy fled next to me, still on the air, she wrapped my right arm and gently dragged me onto the mattress. Twilight hurried to get hold of my left one as I landed, both mares snuggled me tightly and kissed my neck, their wet hair fell all over my chest, making me beyond horny, blood started to leave my brain to focus on more important things. Dash kiss made me lose it, physically and mentally. The cloth from my underwear ripped, revealing a smiling erection, Dash stared at it with surprise, although I was even more surprised than her: I could break rocks with that thing.

-So… here we go… - Dash whispered, using her wings to line herself for… penetration…

(This is fucking hilarious to write, how can people/writers take clopfics seriously?)

-Are you sure you want to do this? - Fluttershy whispered, I nodded. I felt her lips curving into a smile –Then I'm the next one- She playfully bitted my ear. Twilight released my arm and used her hooves to turn my head to her, she kissed me deeply as Dash started to slide down. With my left arm free, I hugged Twilight with strength, kissing back furiously; she let out a delighted moan inside my mouth. Dash placed her hooves on my stomach as support while Fluttershy helped her to make the last push. We both let out a cry of pleasure as the whole member slid in. I felt a warm liquid fell over my legs.

"Did I just… "

-Heh… it's… my first time… - Dash managed to say between heavy panting. I let her be; she explored the muscles of my stomach while gently moving up and down.

10 seconds was enough to make her climax, but she kept moving, tireless, for 4 minutes. Twilight kept my mouth busy, while Fluttershy helped a moaning Dash to keep going. The blue Pegasus had to stop at the tenth climax. Between twitches, she took Fluttershy's place on the bed, as the yellow Pegasus was already climbing on top of me, with an expression of exorbitant excitement. I squeezed my arm under Dash's head, she used my bicep as pillow, still painting heavily.

-That… was… awesome… - She whispered, breathlessly. As Dash, Fluttershy used her wings to line herself. The Pegasus placed her hooves on my chest, and started to lower her body. Twilight finally released her embrace, allowing me to breathe. Fluttershy couldn't keep poised, and her head fell right under my chin, I kissed her wet hair and helped her to make the last push. I bitted my lower lip, trying to muffle the yell of pleasure that was climbing up my throat, Fluttershy didn't hold them.

-Jesus fucking Christ… - I murmur, the Pegasus was all less gentle: after recovering her breath, she caught more and more speed, until she was literally ramming me down. Dash took Fluttershy's place: kissing my neck while using my hand to pleasure herself. My left hand started to rub the wings of the yellow Pegasus, which made her slip. She climaxed few seconds later between the loudest yelling I've ever heard. Her head fell on my chest, panting uncontrollably.

A purple aura enveloped her for a second, before she fled off from me with a squeal. I lifted my head; Twilight lied down, with her hooves spread open, few centimeters away from my toes. My blurry mind reckoned I wasn't very far from my own climax, but I got on my knees and positioned myself.

Twilight made a grimace of pain as I gently slid in. The familiar shine of blood got my attention "Another one…?"

-If it hurts, just say it- I whisper, cleaning some fresh tears from her cheek.

-D-Don't worry…keep going… - She stammered, I smiled and lowered my head so I could kiss her. I grasped the cloth next to her ears and started moving, she moaned as I quickened my pace.

-It's getting close… - I whisper, breaking the kiss, Twilight wrapped her hooves around my hips –Wait! We don't know if you can get pregnant! - I yell at the last second, the idea of having a baby with her was frankly disturbing.

-Who cares! Just keep going! - Twilight shouted, holding me in place with her hooves, which felt like pincers. She pressed her mouth against my lips as I finally climaxed inside of her. I fell backwards, with the warm body of Twilight between my arms, both totally beat. The unicorn embraced my chest and gazed into my eyes sweetly, giving me a last kiss on the nose. Dash and Fluttershy quickly curled next to my arms, purring blissfully.

The following seconds were silent, too silent. A cold breeze made the short hair from my legs stiff.

-Did someone close the window…? - I ask with an exhalation, I felt how Twilight's heart stopped beating.

-No you didn't, Romeo! - A high-pitched voice shouted from outside. Twilight stood up immediately, magically levitating my trousers away from the window. A chorus of laughs muffled the sound of the metallic blades crashing with the wooden floor.

-Pinkie Pie! - She shouted, dashing towards the windowsill. She drawn the curtains and turned back, with a heavy bush covering her cheeks –The whole town was down there… - She whispered while covering her mouth, I couldn't help to laugh at the situation –How can you find this funny? - Dash started laughing too, and even Fluttershy was trying to stuff a giggle –You are all unfixable… - She said, slightly angry. She cuddled on top of me, with a pout on her face. Her horn quit shining, leaving the room in complete darkness.

-Let's just sleep a little; we'll take care about that tomorrow… - I lie.

People that decided to skip, start reading by now

2 hours later…

After a titanic effort to not fall asleep, I thought it was time to start the dance. I carefully left Twilight on my spot on the bed, between the snoring Pegasus, and started to dress myself. I felt a plug on my windpipe as the kitchen knife pricked me on the leg. I knew that a lot of things could go wrong; lives of innocent could simply evaporate if I made the wrong decision, or acted too late.

I swept aside the curtains to take a brief glimpse of the town; not a single light was on, though the moonlight was enough to see with fair clarity.

"Wait… what is that?"

An intermittent, blue shining demanded my attention, since it was the only (apparently) artificial light source on the overall landscape. I focused on it; it's origin was close from Fluttershy's house, which meant it came from the place I had initially landed, or at least near. I turned back and tapped Twilight's hoof weakly, enough to wake her up. I covered my mouth with a finger as soon she opened her eyes, and beckoned.

-You see that blue shining? It's coming exactly from where I woke up- I explain with low voice, pointing at it with my finger –I'm going to check it out- I add, covering the window once again. Twilight horn shone, enough to see each other.

-You're not going alone, I'm coming with you- She whispered.

-Then let's make sure to not wake them up- I reply, pointing at the sleeping couple with my head. We both crept out from the house, without any of the two Pegasus noticing us.

-Let's go! - Twilight exclaimed, sticking next to me.

A thin pack of clouds covered the moon, replacing the beautiful white luminescence from seconds ago with a murky gloom. I gave Twilight a look, her horn blazed like a second sun when she met my gaze, I smiled in approval. Twilight's teeth clenched in cold as we dodged the muddy puddles of water, but I couldn't feel any: the adrenaline kept me warm, too warm.

We ran through the dark alleys of the town as fast as we could, trying to attract as little attention as possible, thankfully, the town's nightlife was practically insignificant, just a single building, which I reckoned to be some kind of pub, had the lights on.

-Fluttershy's house is over there- The unicorn said, pointing at a dark shape in the distance –Follow me, unless you know where the bridge is- I shook my head –Then keep close- Twilight added with a smile. I let her be the leader: I didn't fancy a night bath on a freezing river.

The unicorn wasn't very fast, but I didn't complain. I ran few steps behind her, grasping the handle of the dagger nervously.

Fluttershy's house looked terrifying: the animals living inside projected creeping shadows on the windows as Twilight ran close to them. I swear I saw a couple of shadows following me for a whole minute… I blamed my tired mind for such nonsense.

The running became walking as the blue shine became a faint shimmer. Twilight approached it, her hoof touched the baroque drawing the second its illuminating properties faded, now they were simply lines and symbols drawn on the ground.

-What in the name of Celestia… - The unicorn whispered absently while tracing the outlines with her hoof. She turned back, with her mouth open as if she was about to say something, but my left arm was already closing around her neck. With a swift twirl, I restrained the pony in a harmless headlock. Her screams of pure terror threatened to turn me insane, but I kept firm. I cut her cheek superficially, and gently bended her forwards, making a couple of crimson drops splatter on the ground. A sudden light almost burned my pupils; I covered the eyes of the unicorn with one hand before closing mines. I felt a rough force pushing us downwards as our surroundings started to twist violently; I held the unicorn with strength, fearing that she might flew off.

After the longest seconds of my life, my feet touched ground, stable ground.

I opened my eyes; the oppressive whiteness looked familiar.

-Mission, accomplished… - A female voice said from behind.

Points to take in mind for the people who skipped:

-Love interests: Twilight, forced to also accept Fluttershy and Dash.
-Teleported into the outskirts of Ponyville, recieved cute little dagger from Trixie: Twilight's blood must be spilled on the teleporting sigil to return to the fort
-Periodical meeting of the main cast, some popular background ponies are also included, with Berry and the SPA twins being the only ones that interact directly with the hero (Hah, calling myself hero is so weird)
-Shit breaks loose on the SPA, hero almost ends up raped/dead, first kill, meeting of the Princesses, things end up well, hero actually likes Luna.
-Growing fond with the ponies, doubts about the mission. Love confession of the aforementioned interests, ensuing acceptance, hero fulfills his duty as manwhore (sexy scene, lol).
-(What you just read)
-Twilight's life and Ponyville must be preserved.

Frightful Betrayal

I so wanted to forget the last chapter and move on... gee, I'm excited! *rubs hands* so let’s take the devil for a dance and start this story!

Chapter 3: Frightful Betrayal

-Quite wondrous indeed, I surely wasn't expecting you to be so swift… - Trixie said, approaching us with her trademark smirk. I glared at her and took a step backwards, tightly holding the unicorn between my arms, as she was the most precious and fragile thing in the universe.

-Promise me that you won't hurt her…- I say, slowly and with clear voice. Her left eyelid twitched briefly, I acted as I didn’t notice.

-I won't, you have my word- I feigned a sigh of relief; I knew she was lying, she wasn’t good at it, not when I was the one she had to speak with at least –The next step will take place at 10:00 this morning, release her- She ordered, I reluctantly freed the unicorn from my protective embrace. Twilight shirked to the left as soon she was able to move by herself, glaring at Trixie with hatred; she didn’t turn her gaze to me. I fell on my right knee, wheezing harshly: I was exhausted, and the teleportation spell hadn't help at all. Still, I kept my head poised, observing the tense meeting between the two unicorns.

-You… you forced him to… you soulless monster! –Twilight roared. Her eyes suddenly shut down, and her legs flexed. The muscles and veins in her forehead tensed, forming bulgy lines. Trixie chuckled, a short, mocking laugh. A shimmering blue rope appeared from behind her.

-Your magic won’t work here sweetie, now be a good girl and don’t move- The rope sprang towards Twilight’s mouth in the blink of an eye, wrapping itself around the head of the unicorn with a swift twirl. Trixie restrained the purple unicorn in place with a spell before focusing on me –Are you alright? – She asked in a soothing whisper, I forced a smile.

-I just… had a… hard day… I’ve barely slept an hour… in two days… - I say, each word draining the few oxygen in my lungs. Trixie placed one hoof under my chin, lifted my head, and kissed me deeply but gently, purring inside my mouth as I caught up. The red mark painted on my chest seemed to turn back to life, blazing with blinding light, a shine that was in par with my anger. Twilight muffled screams now had a touch of confusion in them.

-You think he would kiss me like this if I was forcing him? – Trixie said arrogantly as we got separated; Twilight screams were now a soundless sob. Her gaze fell, tears flooding her eyes, downhearted. I looked away and stood up, dagger on my hand.

-Take this, I’ve had enough blood for days… - I whisper, offering the red dagger to Trixie. The unicorn nodded and advanced towards it.

-Ow! – She yelped, lurching backwards as a flash of candent red light sparkled as soon her hoof contacted with the blade. A red aura proceeded to envelop the edge, increasing its overall longitude by three times –Looks like she made a good job…- The unicorn whispered to herself, her lips curving in a smile. I sighed and placed the blade inside one of my pockets. Its aura faded away, as if it was pleased to be with me once again.

-Look at you… has he broken your heart? Did you honestly think he loved you for once…? – Trixie asked sarcastically, fully focusing on Twilight once again, the unicorn rose her teary eyes and shot her a cold glare –I’ll send someone to wake you up when the time comes, sleep all the time you want… darling- She added with emphasis, refusing to look back to me. The blue unicorn walked towards the door, magically dragging Twilight behind her like a sack. Her purple gaze met mine; no emotion shone in her eyes. I had time to whisper a silent “Hold on” before the door closed between us.

I gave them a 1 minute edge before rushing towards the door, trying to open it. I bitted my tongue as the knob didn’t respond to my jerks.

I was expecting it, but imaging one thing is easier to experience it, the locked door made the overall plan harder. I strode around the room nervously for a couple of minutes, trying to order my thoughts, but exhaustion blurred my mind. I sat on the bed, unable to keep my eyes open, and somehow drifted into a hazy sleep.

9 hours later…

-Nathan… - A sweet and familiar voice echoed inside my hollow dream, waking me up –Open your eyes… - I sighed and blurrily glimpsed the doorframe: still closed shut, but I stood up anyways. Still rubbing the sleep off my eyes, I realized something.

“Nathan?”

The door knob rotated with a low screech as I groaned in pain: I had hurt myself in one eye, distracted by my own mind. A thin, golden figure appeared from the other side of the door. I cleaned the tears hindering my sight and gave a better look to the…

-Sara? – I ask in a mix of horror, bliss and confusion, stepping backwards and brandishing the dagger defensively. I blinked and shook my head, my pupils finally decided to focus, sharpening my vision.

I froze in place, with my mouth wide open in a now full-scale cold fear. The hand grasping the dagger shook wildly at each exhalation coming from my suddenly sore throat. The figure widened her arms and lunged towards me in an embrace, just to halt without the tiniest flinch a couple of meters ahead from my position. Her warm and familiar expression morphed into a glacial and emotionless mask.

It was her: Isabelle Fray.

-Mother? – I croak, hiding the blade, as there was no way I could even think about hurting her. At first I thought it was that hellish beast that had the shape of my girlfriend when I first saw it, but this was 10 times worse. “Is she real…? Can Trixie magic… summon her?”

-You must follow me- She said, I couldn’t recognize a single emotion in her tone. Her factions suddenly twisted with worry –I’m so sorry… - She murmured with passion. Her eyes became reddish, as she was about to cry.

I glared at her, with my mind much more organized than before. Her golden hair, sharp factions, stormy gray eyes... she was like a mirror in certain aspects.

Her tallness and beauty didn’t surprise me: She was still young when she left us.

-Why should I trust you? – I ask with neutral voice, Isabelle looked down; a shining tear fell on the floor. Its owner broke into a weep.

-She'll hurt me if you don't obey… - She whispered between sobs and more tears, my muscles tensed as I closed distances with her.

-Then better if we don't make her wait… - I say in a whisper as I got close enough, she nodded, gave me a warm smile, and turned back gracefully.

"You must kill her! She's a monster!"

I walked behind her without trying to haste our march. Her feet didn’t seem to be touching the floor, the long, white slink she wore waved at each silent step.

“Kill her”

After some turns to the right, and one to the left “kill her…”, a long corridor, with two familiar black doors on the other side “Kill her”, waited for us. I followed my mother as she slid on the floor with an eerie calm. The doors opened by themselves as she “Kill her!” got close.

-Did you like my surprise, Nate? – Trixie asked, she was wearing those jeweled robes I had briefly seen on my first “visit” to the fort, and her always-present smirk of confidence drawn on her mouth. I didn’t answer, part because of the soul-gnawing rage I felt, part because of who she had on her side.

On her left, a sweaty Twilight was chained to the ground. She had black half-moons under her eyes, and a twitch on her hooves. She gave me a look full of horror, and… was she begging for mercy? My heart shrank as she started to sob once again. My mother slid behind both of the unicorns without gazing at any of them, and fixed her eyes on one point between the black doors, apparently unaware of anything happening around her. I walked on Twilight’s left, facing Trixie, hands behind my back, near the pocket holding the dagger.

We were on the weapons room, on my right hand side, the semicircle and the cabinets holding my remaining weapon and pieces of armor were silent spectators of what was happening in front of them.

-As I said, I will not hurt her- Trixie started, I didn’t like her tone a single bit. Her horn shimmered as a blue screen appeared where once the doors were. Blurry shapes could be noticed within the heavy static.Ten seconds later, the image became clear and colorful:

Princess Celestia was tapping the white tapestry on the floor in front of her throne. Her factions were twisted in sadness: glazed and tired eyes, lips bluish and thin, a visible urge on her movements and expression… on her left, a dejected Luna nodded down to the floor, her mouth was moving, but sound needed a couple of extra seconds to catch up.

…there are no reports or sightings of neither Twilight nor Nathaniel… patrols on the forest don’t have much hope in finding them… - The night princess explained huskily.

-I shouldn’t have let that creature free… - Celestia hissed with hatred. Her voice sounded much more different if I compare it with the one she used on our first meeting

-Don’t say that sister! We don’t know if he has something to do with her disappearance! – Luna replied with energy. I couldn’t keep looking: she defended the indefensible.

-… you will be the one to hurt her- Trixie finished her phrase, long seconds of silence followed, my mind trying to process and link her words. My head poised in understanding, my wide-open eyes fixed on the smiling blue unicorn.

-You can’t be serious- I say, a sparkle of red flashed in front of my eyes. The gigantic claymore and the black armors materialized next to me, the tip of the blade was stuck on the floor, its hilt few centimeters away from my hands.

-Wear them- Trixie ordered coldly, I bitted my lip and obeyed –We’ll go live in three minutes, the execution of Twilight Sparkle will be broadcasted for every single citizen in Canterlot, and the blackmailing part will be done- Trixie explained as I tightened the gloves in silence –We had agreed about this before, Nate- She added sourly. There wasn’t any trace of sweetness on her voice: I was talking with a psychopath, a psychopath that wanted to recruit a new member for the club.

“This is not going well”

I wrapped my hand around the hilt of the claymore, lifting the surprisingly light blade up in the air. I rested its edge on my shoulders, and lowered the mouth protector of the helmet. My breathing echoed inside the hollow interior of the armor.

-1 minute- Trixie said, the loud weeps of Twilight barely allowed me to hear her.

“This is it…”

Trixie retouched her tilted hat, her horn started to shine.

“…now it’s the time to choose…”

-It’s on-

“…farewell…”

The screen flashed, and millions of faces appeared on it. Surprise, commotion and confusion crossed their factions. A couple of seconds was enough to make everyone understand what was going on. Millions of eyes focused on us. Trixie cleared her throat, and spoke with clear voice.

-Citizens of Canterlot…- Trixie started to say, a quick explanation of the situation (she didn’t talk about the oncoming execution, nor she talked about me), a long of speech of her motivations followed -… this is the beginning of our rising. Your leaders have 3 minutes to decide… and we’ll make sure they choose well… - Trixie finished saying, adding her typical smirk as cherry of the cake.

A quick flash of two crying unicorns appeared on the screen. A wide-eyed Twilight screamed, the rope didn’t muffle her words well enough.

Mom, dad, she said.

Their faces faded away, now the screen was showing the princesses, their pupils darted left and right, trying to make sense of the situation.

Trixie suddenly appeared next to me. I swallowed hard as her hoof rubbed my waist, slowly climbed up my chest, stopping around my neck. The helmet fled away as she pushed upwards.

-I present you the tool of your destruction- Trixie said with solemnity. Recognition flashed on the princesses faces. Trixie placed her hooves on my shoulders, and used them to rose herself until her mouth was grazing my ear –Do it- She whispered, with a sudden tinge of sweetness in her tone.

I blinked, ignored the angry stare of Celestia, and the confusion in Luna’s face, and turned to Twilight. I heard Trixie chuckling, proud, before teleporting back to her place.

I raised the claymore, holding it with both hands, until the bottom of the hilt was above my head.

-Surrender, or she’ll be the first of many- Trixie said, ominous, turning her head towards the screen.

I lunged forwards, and lowered the blade with strength. I could hear Twilight, Luna, Celestia and every single citizen of Canterlot scream in horror.

A blinding pain made me fell on my knees, holding my head between my hands. Trixie’s unconscious body fell on the floor with a thud, next to the claymore, whose hilt was tainted with her blood. The screen faded away a second later, leaving the room under an unnatural silence.

Between wheezing and grunts of pain, I opened one eye and looked to my right.

My eye widened in fear as the horribly twisted face of my mother lunged towards me with a deafening shriek:

-Welcome to your hell- It said.

Nightmare…

The warm and pleasant breeze blowing on my face was so peaceful that it took me a fair amount of time to gather the energy to push my eyes open: Cloudy sky on top of me. I looked to my left: My gaze got lost in the immensity of the ocean.

I gasped in fear, standing up with a sudden outburst of movement and energy. I strode backwards between yelps and unintelligible jabbering until my back collided with a solid and spiky surface. I groaned in pain and turned back.

My heart rushed within my chest: An unnaturally high and rocky cliff blocked every single way out, isolating me in a 3 meter square of soaked-sand beach. My eyes analyzed the rocks nervously; climbing wasn’t a viable option, the only chance was…

I turned back, staring at the black water while panting heavily. I couldn’t see the bottom, or an island or even land on the kilometers of water I had in front of me.

Swimming was my only and possible way out.

I curled, hugging my knees. I was a good swimmer, but oceans horrified me. An indescribable fear. Phobia, they said, but it was so much worse… not being able to see the bottom… the unspeakable creatures that may be staring from the wet abyss…

A muffled roar came from the water, making the waves suddenly stop; cutting the breeze abruptly… my own yelps of terror broke the otherwise deadly silence.

“Was that some kind of… monster? “

As soon as I thought that, a slimy tentacle appeared from within the black water, wrapped itself around my left leg, and yanked me into the dark depths of the ocean.

Bubbles replaced my screams; I helplessly saw how the light of the sun faded away as I got dragged downwards. I rose my hands, trying to catch the blazing star between my palms, but it vanished too quickly. I gathered every single drop of valor in my body and turned back, gazing at the black nothingness.

A red shimmer coming from my waist got my attention... my dagger! I swiftly grasped its handle, wanting to kiss the little but loyal blade. Its shining allowed me to see the revolting, yellowish tentacle that kept dragging me deeper and deeper with impressive speed. I didn’t feel the need to breathe, the salty water didn’t hurt my eyes and my eardrums hadn’t burst out from the heavy pressure: I could still fight back. I focused on the slimy grip and aimed an accurate slash.

A deafening roar came from the abyss as I severed the tip of the tentacle, the remaining limb retracted into the darkness, leaving back a trail of brownish goo. I shook off the grip from my ankle and projected the blaze of the blade downwards. My whole body shrank in panic as I saw a gigantic shadow approaching me from the darkest of the depths.

I felt like I was edging my own insanity: An immense squid, with shining grey eyes, swam from within the dark towards my position. Its size just grew larger at every second. I couldn’t swim up, nor escape: I was too far from the surface, and we both seemed to know it.

Every single tentacle of the hellish beast surrounded me, enclosing me in a tight spiral. His mouth opened with a revolting suctioning sound, revealing rows and rows of elongated, yellowish teeth. I slashed the nearest tentacle of the beast in panic, only achieving a dense slime to spurt from the open cut; I groaned and shook the disgusting substance out from my eyes.

His mouth kept closing distances with my toes, although his pace was slow, as if he wanted to enjoy the moment. I clenched my teeth, swallowing my fear (and a good dose of salty water) and replacing it with the cold rage I felt minutes ago. A pack of bubbles came from my mouth as I pushed my body downwards, shouting in self-encouragement. His movements became quicker, the distance between dwindled at alarming speed.

His mouth, literally, expanded towards me with a bellow, its sharp teeth aiming at my feet. I got hold of a near tentacle, and pulled myself upwards with a strength that only desperate people possess. The lips of the beast closed few centimeters away from my toe tips before starting to slowly retract to its original stance. I freed my hand from the tentacle and joggled my arms, swimming downwards towards his eye as fast as I could. The beast tried to open his mouth, but its lips were glued against each other with its own sticky drool. The pupil of the monster shrank as I thrust the blazing edge of the dagger deep into his iris, mercilessly stabbing the soft flesh. I ignored the reddish ichor floating all over me and kept hammering and yanking violently. The mouth of the beast finally opened with a revolting noise. A powerful roar of pain came from his insides, revving up a heavy current that drove me upwards to the surface.

The golden brilliance of the sun got closer as the water below me dragged me to freedom.

Not so far from a nightmare…

-Nate! Stop! – A female voice shouted, I blinked, confused by the sudden change of surroundings. A translucent shadow was pinned down on the ground below my knees. My hands were moving by themselves, stabbing the chest of the creature with the tiny knife I had borrowed from AppleJack. I blinked once again, and froze my hands in place. Silvery blood covered the otherwise color-sucking armor. I stood up, pressing a hand against my head, some blood was running down my hair, pouring from the same place I had hit Trixie with the hilt of the blade.

-Wicked maniac… - I spit, glaring at the unconscious body of the unicorn. I had luck by not fainting with her, but I doubted that I could actually kill her without sharing the same fate. I approached its body, taking the helmet and the claymore from the ground, and throwing the silver knife away. I held both blades with my hands, and placed them in their respective sheathes: dagger on my waist, claymore on my back. The gigantic claymore, which was almost as tall as me, made moving around a little bit awkward, but nothing major. I wore the helmet, and turned to Twilight. The unicorn was at her limit, but she kept her eyes wide open. The rope from her mouth had fallen by itself, but the metallic cuffs held her down firmly. I broke them with a single slash of my dagger.

-Why... – The unicorn asked huskily as I helped her to get on her feet. My gaze fell down.

-I was forced, you said it before… but I’ve already chosen- I whisper, I gave Twilight a quick kiss on the forehead –There’ll be time to talk about that later, we need to get out of here- I say, opening the black doors slowly, taking my time to peek outside.

-What about… her? – Twilight asked, pointing at Trixie, her eyelids fluttered sporadically.

-If she gets cut, I get cut… if she dies... – I smiled and shrugged –We’ll find a way to sort this out, now we must get out of here, and fast, she’s about to wake up- I say, offering my hand to the unicorn.

-Did you faked… about us? – She asked, refusing to take my open palm.

-I did, but I didn’t, I just can’t untangle the mess inside my head right now- I answer, holding my arm poised. Twilight hesitated.

-I love you, I just want you to know that… - She added with a blush, I broke into a smile.

-Let’s get out of here so I can kiss you like never before- I say, Twilight grinned and walked next to me, taking me by the hand. A groan coming from Trixie made us snap from our candy world, we both frowned and looked back: the blue unicorn hooves twitched as their owner tried to stand up. We both shuffled out of the room and started to run through the corridors.

-We’ll never find a way out; we find the same corridor at every turn! – Twilight exclaimed, stopping at the fifth turn to our right, I had to agree with her.

-If we could walk through these bloody walls… - I murmur, rubbing its cold white and sighing in hopelessness, a purple spark startled me, I turned at its owner, decision blazed in both her eyes and horn –Twilight… Twilight! – I shout, but it was too late. A bolt of purple lightning crossed the corridor; the unicorn pushed me behind the corner the second before it collided with the wall on the other side. A loud, messy noise, accompanied by a cloud of dust appeared from the corridor. The unicorn smiled proudly and turned the corner, I followed her.

The projectile had broke an irregular, but large enough opening on the wall. Something green stood on the other side, breaking the harmony of white.

-It’s a tree! Let’s get out of here! – I exclaim, dashing towards freedom, beckoning at the unicorn as I did so –We aren’t that high, ju… - Twilight cut me by squirming under my arm and leaping outside without thinking it twice. I scooted towards the opening, fast enough to see Twilight tail retracting gracefully as she landed without any visible problem. I rose a thumb and crouched so I could fit.

I heard a tinkle coming from my collarbone.

I frowned, Twilight horn wasn’t shining.

I instinctively unsheathed the dagger and turned back, Trixie limped towards me, her horn shimmering; it didn’t take long for her to realize it was useless; spells couldn't control me, not even hers.

-You made an outstanding job with this- I snarl cockily, showing her the badges and mimicking her smirk. She clenched her teeth and flexed her hooves, her horn blazing with strength; I widened my eyes and turned on my heels hastily and jumping outside. I heard the buzz of her deadly spell near my ear for a split second before landing on my shoulder and rolling forwards. Twilight helped me to get back on my feet.

-I’ve used some magic to know where to go, follow me! – She said, I nodded and started to run behind her, looking over my shoulder. The building was simple in shape and design: Cubic whiteness. Only one color highlighted between the white:

A blue figure stared at us through the opening; she pointed at us with one hoof as her lips muttered something I wasn’t able to hear.

2 minutes of running later…

A quick succession of unnaturally grave howls stressed over our breaths.

-Keep running! – I shout, as Twilight was looking over her shoulder, which made her lose speed.

-They didn’t sound that far- She commented while recovering her pace, her panting worried me: she didn’t have much of a rest.

3 minutes of running faster later…

-Halt! – Twilight shouted, turning back sharply, I did the same, already grasping the hilt of the claymore.

A brief noise of rustling leaves gave place to a couple of menacing bellows. Two large dog-like figures landed on top of a rock, a dozen of meters far from us. I reckoned they looked like the chimeras of the Greek mythology, only without the goat head on their backs.

-Take the one on the left! – I shout as the beasts flexed their legs and leaped towards the clearing we were standing on. I lowered the mouth protector of the helmet and ran in front of the unicorn, as the beast I had to take care of was already charging towards her. The snake he had for a tail fixed his yellowish eyes on me. A long, hissing tongue came from his mouth before his body sprang towards me in an outburst of speed. I swiftly jerked my head aside, and unleashed a downwards slash aimed at the disgustingly long neck of the equally disgusting animal. A stream of corrosive green blood showered me, mixing with the already silvery ichor of the shape shifter. Thankfully, the armor shrugged the burning substance as it was nothing. I turned to the lion: he was too close. I just had enough time to brace myself with the thick edge of the blade.

His pounce left me breathless, and pinned down right under his drooling mouth. His sharp teeth gnawed the metal of my shoulder, unable to rip through it. I stretched my arm towards the sheath on my waist, and got a good grasp of the dagger. I twirled it on my hand, brandishing it upside down before punching the nose of the lion with the short spikes on my knuckles. The beast bent his head back, yelping at the sight of the bleeding scuff on his nose, I stuck my dagger right between his eyes before he had the chance to move again. The beast roared in pain, standing on his back legs while trying to take the blade out from his skull with his front paws, ripping off more skin from his bloodied face. I dragged myself towards the fallen claymore, and stood up, helping myself with its tip. The beast kept hurting himself while grunting in pain. I held the claymore up in the air, drawing an imaginary dartboard on the stomach of the beast, and lunged, sticking the entire edge deep inside of him. I yanked it out just in time before his lifeless body fell on the floor I was just standing on, revving up a cloud of dust around him. His eyelashes fluttered before closing completely. I yanked out the dagger from his skull with disdain.

Yelps coming from over my shoulder made me turn back: Twilight levitated the remaining beast; dozens of purple arrows surrounded him, aiming at his head. He didn’t have the time to yelp again.

I ran next to Twilight, who had fell on her knees, panting and throbbing heavily. I felt a new kind of respect towards her: she had proven her braveness.

I gently lifted her body between my arms, and carefully carried her as I resumed our flight.

15 minutes later…

-Let… me… out! – I yell, slashing the last branch separating us from freedom. A white beam of blinding light burned our eyes, Twilight covered hers with a moan, and so did I. I gazed at the distant town as best as I could –We must convince everyone to leave the town immediately, Trixie was planning to destroy and kill everyone in sight if the blackmailing didn’t work… - I explain, the unicorn between my arms stirred until our eyes met.

-Then stop wasting time and keep running- She replied with a mocking smile, I laughed, a short, breathless guffaw, and jogged as fast as my legs allowed me to. The colorful mixes of blood on my armors gleamed under the morning sun.

I left Twilight on the ground as we approached the bridge built on the left hand side of the town.

-Nopony’s in the streets… strange… - Twilight commented absently as we crossed the bridge and walked between rows of shabby houses.

-These don’t like very busy streets if you ask me- I say, staring at the narrow and badly-illuminated roads separating lines of buildings “Suburbs…”

The unicorn suddenly halted and poised, pushing me back. She took a peek around the corner we had just stopped on before explaining me what she had seen:

-They’ve set up a stage in front of my house, and it looks like the entire town is there- The screech of a microphone being tested emphasized her words, I briefly glimpsed the scene by myself.

-We can use the backstage to get in: that microphone might we our only chance to warn every single pony in the town- I say, Twilight agreed with a hum. A slight, purple aura enveloped us.

-Invisibility, 30 seconds, hurry! – She explained, already striding towards the backstairs of the scenario, I followed her closely. We climbed the stairs and hid behind the red curtains before the spell ran out. We could see the center of the scenario through a tiny gap between the curtains.

-… if any of you sees Twilight, report it to the Princess instantly… - finished saying a grayish-amber pony, her voice resounded, amplified by the speakers, throughout the main road. The crowd (which was surprisingly dense), sighed collectively in sadness. Two familiar Pegasus appeared from the right side; the amber pony gave them a dispirited bow before leaving the stage, also using the stairs on the right.

Fluttershy and Dash briefly described me, taking turns to talk, as they couldn’t keep a steady voice long enough.

-…If someone sees Nathaniel… please, report it to us… - Fluttershy finished saying, breaking into a sob.

I had waited long enough. The horns on my helmet ripped the cloth as Twilight and I appeared from the backstage. The two Pegasus and the entire town gasped in surprise. The purple unicorn joined her friends with watery-eyes, melting into a hug.

-You… you are the sick bastard that kidnapped her? I will kill you! – Dash shouted hoarsely, her wings revved up, hooves flexed, ready to fly. I chuckled and caught the Pegasus in the middle of her lunge, sliding up the mouth protector of the helmet and kissing her on the lips as we twirled. The town went deadly silent, staring with confusion and interest at the scene happening right in front of them.

-N-Nathaniel? – Dash asked as we got separated, I threw the helmet over my head, and winked an eye to her while nodding. I painfully left the cyan Pegasus on the ground and ordered Fluttershy to stay on her place before walking towards the microphone, the smile on my lips disappeared.

-I’ll be quick and concise: we need to evacuate the entire town, right now. Trixie’s army will be here shortly- I took a deep breath, every pony on the crowd stared at their neighbor, murmuring nervously –I was ordered to kidnap Twilight to blackmail the Princess; this was the only way to avoid the destruction of Ponyville… and as you can see, her plan didn’t go quite as planned- I sighed- I’ve seen her army… I was part of it after all… they are ruthless, not even half as clever as I am, they won’t doubt in killing any of you, and neither they will rebel like I did- I wiped out some sweat from my forehead, and leaned forwards, holding the microphone with my hand –We all, ALL, need to get out of here and travel to Canterlot, it’s our only chance to live another day- I finished saying, my argument got reinforced by a chorus or howls, roars, screams and shrieks coming from the forest. I wetted my lips nervously.

-This is worse than I thought… - Twilight murmured from behind, I nodded.

-We need to get out of here! NOW! – I shout, unsheathing the claymore and pointing its tip towards the distant castle –Run, neatly but fast, never look back, MOVE! – I roar, trying to keep my voice steady. A couple of silent seconds followed my words, before the entire crowd became frenzied and started to scream in panic. I groaned and obliterated one of the speakers with a sweep of my blade, hushing the town –I’ve said with order! – I shout, enraged. The entire town seemed reluctant, but started to form a queue fairly quickly. I sighed in relief and turned back, Rarity and Pinkie had joined the mares. I walked towards Twilight.

-Lead them to the castle, keep calm, we are the leaders, we can’t break now. I’ll be in the rearguard, we’ll have time for explanations later, now go! – I whisper, Twilight, followed by Dash and Pinkie, jumped off the stage and circled the crowd by its right side. Fluttershy kept immobile, staring at me with watery eyes and an expression of worry. I had to control myself to avoid hugging her: it wasn’t time for cuddling.

-Nate- Rarity said, surprisingly calm –AppleJack and her sister are still in the orchard- The unicorn explained briefly. I bitted my lower lip and widened my eyes, but quickly dashed towards the helmet resting on the ground.

-Leave them to me, catch up with them- I order while wearing the piece of armor. Rarity nodded and tried to move Fluttershy from her place, but she shrugged her off and strode towards me –You will not follow me, I will not let her catch any of you- I say, with a tone and a stare full of severity. Fluttershy whispered something before joining Rarity.

I turned back and sheathed the blade, but kept my hand wrapped around its hilt as I ran towards the hill the red barn was built, with the progressively louder screaming and roaring coming from the forest as company.

The building looked empty from the outside: the doors and windows were close shut. My heart shrank: the house was built dangerously close from the forest. That was enough urge for me: I kicked the door open and dwelled inside. No lights on the lower floor were on.

-AJ! – I shout, without any answer. I booked up the stairs; the second floor was completely dark: no light illuminated the stance, and the sunlight couldn’t squeeze through the covered windows. I silently crept through the corridor, placing my ear on each door –AppleJack…? – I ask near the second door on the left, a bit of yellow light squeezed under the doorframe. I heard a quick rustle. I swallowed and opened the door slowly.

-Get away from her! –Someone shouted in panic, a pillow and a cloud of feathers appeared in front of my eyes.

-AppleJack! It’s me, Nathaniel! Calm down! – I exclaim, rising my arms up in the air. The pony, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, looked at me in the eyes.

-Nate…? What are those noises? – She asked, with a tinge of fear in her voice.

-Listen, we need to get out of here, we’ve got an entire army of… monsters right on our heels, get AppleBloom so we can get out of here- I explain, not even worrying about soothing my words. Our gazes turned towards the small shape under the blankets of the bed. Half of AppleBloom’s face showed from under the cloth, thick beads of sweat fell from her exposed forehead.

-I’ll take care of her- AppleJack said, pulling aside the blankets covering the filly and wrapping her body with a much smaller, but thicker wool bum. She looked like a fragile cocoon –I was so worried about Twilight, but I couldn’t leav-

-It’s okay, I understand, and I’m sure she will- I say, cutting her, a sparkle of happiness shone in her eyes as she heard the word “she” -Catch up with the rest of the town; you’ll be able to see them once you exit the house. Never look back, go! – I say, the pony nodded and gently carried her sister on her back, I followed them as they got out of the house.

-Stay safe! - AJ shouted while running towards the fleeing crowd, I took a moment to recover my breath and look towards the forest.

The first row of trees shook violently. I turned on my heels and started to run, refusing to catch a second glimpse.

200 meters from Canterlot road…

I ran few steps behind AJ, who at the same time was a couple of meters far from the rear of the crowd. I couldn’t turn back, as I had to slash and avoid thin, but long, gloomy-brown snakes that appeared from under the ground. Each time their heads got severed, a spurt of corrosive, greenish acid forced me to jump back. They kept spawning without an end, and I kept killing them without a rest, not allowing them to catch up with the group.

-How far are we from the city? – I ask in desperation, red-eyed wolves, with a color-sucking black fur were closing distances between us at alarming speed.

-Its main road is right after this hill! – She shouted, I looked over my shoulder.

The dirt trail we were following curved into a heavily pronounced uphill. I cut in half one last snake before turning back, helping AppleJack in her climbing.

-Hold AppleBloom! – She shouted, I wrapped one arm around the filly, and pushed the pony upwards, sending them both over the top of the hill. Her tail disappeared as I managed to stride up the two meters that separated me from salvation.

I rose from the uphill with groan and gazed at the scene.

A stone road, with streetlamps and benches on its sides was built on the feet of a high plain that started few meters far from my right hand side. Its elevation became progressively higher until it reached its maximum on the bottom of a waterfall (which came from a taller mountain on its right). The city was built right after the river the falling water had formed with the pass of the years.

On the left hand side, and right under the gleaming city, there was an enormously wide and long field, circled by tall mountains. There was nothing remarkable about it; it was just… plain grass, without any curvature aside from the high plain on its right and the feet of the mountains surrounding it. It wasn’t the countryside what made it jaw-dropping.

Hundreds, perhaps thousands of armored soldiers awaited for the incoming army of foes on the valley, with even more Pegasus patrolling the skies above the road, castle and valley. Some Pegasus had landed on the road and were greeting and escorting the crowd of ponies towards the castle.

I didn’t have the time to admire anything else, as an arrow fled from within the tight formation on the valley, ripping through the metal of the armor and the flesh of my chest.

I gasped, more in surprise than in pain, and lost my balance, lurching backwards. I caught a last glimpse of the crowd as I fell downhill.

I hit the ground between a messy sound of metal clattering and my own broken cough, the blood pouring out from my mouth fell all over my inner shirt, as the helmet blocked its way out. I breathed as best as I could, ignoring the stabbing pain I felt on my left lung, and started to drag myself uphill as best as I could, leaving back a trail of removed dirt and blood at each meter I managed to advance.

A pony appeared on top of the hill.

-Run… RUN! – I manage to scream, wasting the few oxygen I had left in my body. AppleJack covered her face with her hat before disappearing behind the dirt. I scooted over another meter before a roar froze me in place.

I looked over my shoulder, briefly glimpsing one of the coal-like-fur wolves flexing his legs and jumping up in the air, landing on top of the hill gracefully. His mates halted, and formed a tight circle around the feet of the hill. They all stared at me with their eyes, which seemed to be bleeding, expectantly. The one on top of the hill retracted his upper torso backwards, taking a deep breath, before springing forwards with his mouth wide open. A thick cloud of fire appeared from between his sharp teeth. I lost my grip and fell backwards as the melting fire struck my fingertips.

The sharply pointed tip of the arrow twisted inside my chest as my back collided with the ground, a soundless shout of pain came from my throat. The wolf on top of the hill howled, content with the outcome of the hunting, so did his mates.

Their victory chant cut abruptly, as a reddish arrow had appeared on the neck of the leading wolf. His eyes started to lose color until it was nothing but a shade of orange.

“Thanks” I thought as the lifeless body fell downhill.

I was unlucky, the corpse of the wolf landed, between a revolting sound of bones shattering, on top of my lower torso. My head shot upwards, my mouth wide open, but I wasn’t able to scream. I tried to push away the dead weight off from me, only achieving waves of blinding pain to come from my broken legs.

Exhausted for the loss of blood, I couldn’t manage to keep my head poised. My muscles relaxed, the pace of my breathing dropped to a minimum. My eyes closed, but my ears couldn’t be shut down.

The noise of a wolf gnawing my shoulder… the hissing of the snakes… my own heart beating without a defined rhythm…

I just wished to die by my own before they could.

4.1 - Loose Nightmare

Chapter 4

Part 1: Loose Nightmare

Someone…

"Watch out for the bloody rocks, you... bastard..."

Something dragged me on a rocky surface, and it wasn’t what you would call gentle, hence me waking up. With my sight rendered to an uncolorful blur, I listened to the hissing produced by the sheath of the claymore at being slithered on the ground, promptly passing out.

My eyes fluttered open, greeting me with an excellent view of my lower body; the leg pieces remained intact, but the excruciating pain emanating from inside and the blood oozing out from two tiny crevices around both kneecaps left clear that something was beyond wrong under the metal.

I refused to stay awake.

After long minutes of numb sleep, I somehow gathered the willpower and strength to look backwards. One of the red-eyed wolves was gnawing the hilt of my sword, using it to drag me on a slippery, muddy ground. The specimen I was gazing at was much larger and fierce-looking when compared with the ones I had seen before, and something in its stare and its glossy fur made me realize it was a female.

“Am I going to be food for her litter? A token for an intercourse...? “ with such happy thoughts, I squinted my surroundings. Abundance of ridiculously tall and thick trees, bushes with unappetizing-looking black fruits and the annoying thrill of the birds left clear I was back in the bloody… Evergreen Forest or however the stupid grove was called. After a couple of painfully pointless attempts to reach the sheath on my waist, I gave up.

In an attempt to haste our “trip”, I watched a cute squirrel jumping on top of a pile of branches, and using them to leap onto a nearby tree. The tiny animal didn’t have time to start the climbing, as a perfectly camouflaged snake sprang from inside of one of the many holes in the tree trunk, trapping the oblivious animal between his poisonous fangs.

That wasn’t a pile of branches.

I drifted my gaze from the crude scene of nature to the pack of fallen wood next to the feet of the tree.

Was my hazy mind making me hallucinate? But I saw it moving!

And indeed, they moved, and they moved again, and again, again… the spiky branches scooted over themselves at lightning fast speed, gluing among them, remaining poised and stable in the air. Few seconds later, the once unorganized pile of branches had acquired the sharp figure of a golden-eyed wolf made of… wood.

Everything took place under the most silent of the silences.

The timber beast sidestepped to his left with an impressive swiftness, and stalked us from behind the dense rows of bushes, mimicking our pace, his unnaturally fulgurous eyes were the only trait of him I was able to see. Both spheres of yellowish light were fixed on the black furred wolf, which didn’t seem to notice the stalker, as it kept dragging me on the floor as if nothing had happened.

After a dozen of seconds of silent pursuit, the concealed beast appeared from within the safety of the bushes, facing us while hissing a low grumble. The female finally seemed to realize his presence, as she halted, freeing the hilt of my blade from her nibble. She didn’t have the time to move, as the timber beast leapt over me, viciously thrusting his paws deep inside the wolf's flesh and tackling her away from me, making both disappear from my field of view. Grunts, roars and finally, high-pitched yelps came from behind as I painfully crawled as far as I could from the unseen melee.

The noises suddenly cut, with only a sinister hiss breaking the silence. I hesitated, but curiosity made me look back.

The hiss was produced by a stream of blood gushing out from the severed neck of the flesh wolf, showering the timber beast in corrupted, brownish blood. The head was nowhere to be seen, and I didn’t feel like searching for it. The victorious creature met my gaze before gracefully trotting towards me, ignoring the disgusting corpse of his fallen opponent as he passed by. He slowed his pace to a halt, stopping a couple of meters far from me. I rose my right hand in a pitiful attempt to brace myself.

He, for my surprise and relief, bowed. Just in time, as a violent twitch shook his whole body, making him crumble into the same pile of branches he was minutes ago in a brief second.

Still in shock, I dragged myself towards a tiny, but noisy stream, refusing to glance back a second time.

With trembling hands, I took quick sips of the crystalline water, trying to ignore the pain coming from practically everywhere in my body. I took my time to gargle, spit and drink as much water as I wanted. Colours seemed to become livelier, and sounds clearer at each sip of water. With my need of liquid satisfied, I crawled my way through the narrow river, until I stumbled with a modest waterfall, which wasn’t more than half a meter of high. I bitted my lower lip as I pushed myself down the short undulation. The thin lake the river had formed soothed my landing considerably, but it still made the tip of the arrow inside my chest twist, hazing my sight in pain.

I looked up; the waterfall spat crimson-tainted water... I wanted to believe it was dry blood, but the warm liquid flowing through my legs and chest indicated otherwise.

A spicy smell got my attention; I looked all around me until I located a small camp of purplish-blue flowers. I reckoned they were the ones producing the curious, but pleasant smell. Seconds later, I was dragging myself towards them with a hazardous haste and yearn.

-You don’t want to touch them, Nathaniel- A female voice with a curious accent said. I froze my right hand, which was already ripping one of the flowers from its roots. I heard a grunt of effort as I found myself rolling to my left, stopping as soon as my body rested on my back. My gaze got lost in the blue sky. Pointed tips of trees around the edges of my vision indicated that I was still in the forest, a clearing, to be precise.

A tiny smile twisted my constant grimace of pain for a brief second: seeing the sky was, for me, a forgotten luxury minutes ago.

-Perforated lung, multiple broken ribs, hooves or however you call them are… - I heard a sigh -Is a miracle that you are still alive, and even more that you can even breathe- Hearing a recital of my injuries made me realize the severity of my situation, and the pain, somehow, managed to increase. I tried to reply, achieving a bloody drool to form inside mouth –Don’t worry; you’ll live through this one- The same voice said, much warmer and sweet than before.

Words couldn’t soothe pain though; the stranger dragged me on the floor between stumbles, grunts of efforts, and my own hollow moans. Her tries to smooth the ride were useless, as I was too heavy, and the spikes of the armor made the slightest of the movements, awkward. With a sudden outburst of pain on the left side of my chest and a hindered breathing, I caught brief glimpses of my carrier.

Wavy lines of black and white, pointed ears, slightly more than a regular pony, something gold around her neck and earlobes, and a… Mohawk? The hell?

The blue sky suddenly changed for an oval, wooden ceiling. The creak of a door closing and a hilariously out of place bubbling replaced the thrill of the birds and the buzz of running water.

The stranger slid my helmet away gently, and without any problem. Her hooves held my head slightly lifted from the ground. My beloved gold hair was unrecognizable under all the filth, blood and sweat, and a crimson taint encircled my mouth, as if I was a vampire who just had a feast with a helpless person.

-This ought to hurt… a lot- I reckoned her accent to be African, and she had a smooth, wistful voice.

Suddenly, her face appeared right in front of my eyes, a tiny, crystal pot, filled with an exaggeratedly bright yellow liquid, hung from her teeth. She bended the tip carefully, accurately aiming every single drop into my mouth. The liquid slid into my throat, and made its way throughout the esophagus.

Then the pain came.

My upper body shot upwards, just to collapse back onto the ground between violent twitches. The outburst struck me so suddenly and with so much potency that not fainting seemed like a miracle… or a curse, given the situation. A melting heat roved through my lungs, stomach and every single vein in my body. My bones, literally, ripped flesh and skin to get back into their correct position, even the ones from my legs, which were by far, the worse. Every single muscle in my body tensed and relaxed back again with a wicked fast pace. I balled my fists and kept my mouth shut, trying to avoid biting my tongue off.

-Right hoof! – The voice shouted over the noise of my convulsing limbs.

“What? That was only one leg?”

Boom! Second wave.

A shout whose I was the owner surprised both me and the stranger –That means it’s healing well, hold on! – The voice exclaimed, trying to hold my head still between her hooves.

Another slap of pain hit me as I saw how the arrow stuck in my chest, literally, popped out as if my own lungs had shot it back. A stream of blood came from the open wound, just to cut abruptly a second later.

-External wounds being healed… this will be much bearable… - The stranger whispered, breathlessly.

Indeed, a fairly annoying itching coming from the multitude of tiny wounds swarming my body replaced the excruciating pain in a split second. My quickened exhales eased, as with my pulse. The haze blurring my mind vanished.

The zebra kept holding my head for a whole minute, after which the itching had already drifted away, as with any ache in my body.

-Done- She murmured in relief, helping me to sit.

-What in the bloody world was that? – I ask, surprised by the clarity and loudness of my own voice.

The blue-eyed zebra let out a tiny smirk.

-Drugs- She answered with a shrug. I looked into her eyes in silence for a couple of seconds before breaking into a relieving guffaw. The zebra analyzed me as I twirled my gaze around the new surroundings.

-Cozy house… - I comment absently as my eyes danced from multicolored crystal pots to the shelves full of dusty, thick books to the tables holding mortars and other alchemy tools which I didn’t know the name of, and finally stopping onto a colossal kettle resting on the middle of the circular-shaped house.

-Thanks for the praise, now let’s get you on your... hooves... - The zebra said as soon our eyes met. She yanked me upwards with surprising strength; I dizzily lurched forwards, but quickly stabilized myself.

-Is it necessary for you to be that rough? – I ask, easing my tone so it didn’t sound as if I was angry, which I wasn’t.

-Pardon me, just testing your reflexes. Any headaches, blurry sight, overall dizziness…? – She asked, I shook my head in denial.

-Could you now please explain me what that was? – I ask.

-An experimental drug focused in healing injured soldiers in the middle of a battle- The zebra answered without hesitation.

-“Experimental”? – I emphasize, arching an eyebrow.

-I see it works, thanks for being such an opportune and helpful test subject- She replied.

-My pleasure- I add. We both smiled.

-Follow me, I ought to show and explain you a couple of things- The zebra said, trotting towards the kettle. I briefly crouched and took the helmet with me, grimacing as I saw the mess of scratches and blood on the floor, before joining the zebra.

-Sorry for the mess- I say as I joined her, the zebra simply shook her head, muttering a quick “don’t worry” before focusing into the content of the kettle. A silver liquid filled three quarters of the pot; I nodded down, gazing at the faint remnants of the silvery blood of the shape shifter on my chest plate.

–That’s what you wanted to show me? Are you plotting to topple my ego or something? – I ask with a lighthearted smile, pointing at the detailed reflection of myself on the liquid. Stodgy hair, sweaty and dirty skin and the shadow of a beard made me almost unrecognizable, even to myself. The zebra chuckled, and took a nearby pot. Something sparkled inside the glass as she unloaded its contents on her hoof. She left the pot on its place before turning towards me, gently blowing the surface of her open hoof towards me. A golden dust soared around my head, squeezed under my legs and enveloped my chest, vanishing with a sparkle and a cute twinkle after encircling me for a moment.

The zebra pointed at the kettle with a head jerk, I frowned and gazed down at my reflection: I was radiant; hair shining, armors glistening… even the beard had disappeared. I whistled in amazement.

-That was pretty neat, thank you… and by the way, what’s your name? And how do you know mines? – I ask, the zebra spoke, refusing to look into my eyes as she did so.

-My name’s Zecora, and I know you… let me show it to you- She suddenly lunged towards me, lowering her hoof towards the sheath on my waist and unsheathing the dagger expertly. I didn’t have the time to warn her about its properties, as a blinding white brilliance enveloped the edge, increasing its size by… I don’t even know, but it was longer than my arm –I am who enchanted your weapons- She said, spinning the blade and grasping it from the tip of the edge with those strange invisible fingers the ponies seemed to possess, offering me its handle. I took it, the white morphed into an ominous red –Have you seen it shine white before? – She asked, I shook my head.

-Explanations, please? – I ask with an eyebrow arched, the zebra took a short breath and leaned against the kettle.

-I’ll start from the beginning, although there’s not much to tell: A day like many others, I ventured deep into the forest, scavenging one of the rarest plants found in this world, which, by the way, you just swallowed minutes before- I shuddered as I remembered the experience –Trixie assaulted me out of nowhere, forcing me to collaborate and help her in her childish revenge…-

-That’s exactly what I thought- I comment almost by instinct, cutting her explanation. She shot me an angry glare, although she was smiling.

-As I was saying, I was forced to aid her, the same way as she did to you, although much more direct and cold; I was ordered to enchant two weapons, if I refused... well, bad things would happen to... someone...- She suddenly shuddered- Moving on, she gave me this book over here… - Zecora took a thick book from a large bookshelf and handled it to me -… It’s one of the three ancient books of sorcery: focused on bindings and enchantments. As I am the only one outside Canterlot who’s able to read it, she needed my help. She sort of “paid” me with information concerning her plans, but I had no interest in that, so as soon I was free” to return to my house to "preparate" myself, I made an exact replica with one similar-looking tome I found. I gave her the replica, and kept the real one- She said, pointing at the book I tightly held between my hands.

-I guess it was a clever thing to do, I can’t believe you fooled her though, well played- I say, admiring the zebra's courage.

-It wasn’t that hard: you wouldn’t believe how excited and nervous she was regarding your summoning; she didn’t even thank me for doing my part- I chuckled –Anyways, I’ll explain you how the blades work. As you know, anyone else, aside from you and me, can wield them, but Trixie wanted more, she, kind of predicted how you would feel: she wanted an enchantment capable of reflecting the wielder’s anger, stress and overall negative emotions into an even deadlier tool. But, you saw the white aura before? – I nodded with vigor, interested by her explanation –That’s something Trixie didn’t want. White means hope, blissfulness… positive emotions in general. Both colors mean different effects: red will imbue the blade with the obscurest of energies, obliterating sentient/sapient beings without problem, at the cost of being ineffective against demons and other underworldly beasts, that’s what Trixie wanted. White, on the other hand, imbues the blade with holy energy, being a deadly weapon against any non-sentient being, such as the whole army Trixie has gathered. The spell couldn’t be broken in half, and our failed attempts just made it even more powerful... so, now you know what you're playing with, any questions? - Zecora asked, ending her speech. She gazed at me expectantly.

-But I have killed demons with the red aura on… - I comment, remembering the fight Twilight and I had against the chimeras in our flee from the fort. Zecora, unexpectedly, laughed.

-A weapon is a weapon: the blade is still made of metal, which, by the way, it’s by far the hardest, sharpest and most resilient metal I’ve ever seen. As long as you're the wielder, the edge will still cut rocks in half, no matter what effect is on- Zecora explained as she turned back and walked towards one of the many glass cabinets of the house. I stared at the silvery liquid from the kettle as the sounds of crystals clattering broke the silence.

-I need to get back to Canterlot… - I whisper, the noises faded.

-"We" need to get back to Canterlot- Zecora said, appearing next to my right shoulder, she handled me three tiny jars –Drop them at my signal… green- I poured the dense greenish liquid into the kettle, shapes without color emerged from inside the liquid –Red- I spun the correct jar upside down, thick, crimson sand came from the inside. The silvery harmony broke into an unorganized mess of colors, I started to realize what I had in front of me –And black- I bended the last jar, which let out a single drop of color-sucking black goo into the mix.

The shapes turned sharper, the colors ordered into their logical place, and the image was no longer static.

Canterlot stood as astonishingly beautiful as ever next to the waterfall coming from the peak of the annex mountain, but the gorgeous city only occupied a corner of the overall image. The entirety of the valley could be seen, as if looking through the eyes of an eagle (which was actually what we were doing), with a breathtaking clarity and detail.

The enormous field was divided in half: one side, and the nearest to the downhill leading to Ponyville, was flooded with demons and nightmares brought to life, the remaining side was occupied by even a bigger crowd of armored ponies, flying archers and a recognizable Luna standing on the front. It was shocking to see her in full-armor, although she didn’t seem to be carrying any weapons.

The ponies had the numbers, but most of the demons tripled them in height, width and probably deadliness. The tension in the scene was palpable.

-I must take part in the battle, there’s no way they can deal with all those… bastards- I mutter. Zecora nodded while humming absently.

-And you will- She said, without adding anything else. I took a deep breath as my eyes analyzed the demons.

“The shit I’ve just gotten myself into…”

The scenery suddenly changed: a wealthy-looking room. The “camera” seemed to be located on one corner of the ceiling, so I reckoned we were now looking through the eyes of a mice, spider or bug that had its nest over there. The room we were gazing at wasn’t very big, but it had a good amount of armchairs and crystal cabinets with drinks and appetizers, Zecora explained it was one of the many guest rooms found in Canterlot’s Castle, although I already knew it, thanks to the ponies that were standing on the middle of a fluffy-looking carpet.

The scene was a bit unrealistic: Rarity was trying to calm a sobbing Dash, while Twilight sat on one armchair, with her eyes wide open, staring at nothing. A water-eyed AJ took care of her sick-looking sister, who was lying down on the biggest armchair of the room, although Fluttershy was the one that surprised me the most: Her face was red as she demanded answers from a soldier without any kind of respect, cussing or insulting at least once in every sentence or question. The soldier had apparently given up in trying to calm the Pegasus, and simply nodded or shook his head if he had an answer.

-The entire village was evacuated, not a single pony was left behind, I thought you would be glad to hear it- Zecora commented. Her tone turned darker as she spoke:

–But not everything's fine, you made Celestia mad, very, very mad. Twilight being alive and safe under her protection did almost nothing to soothe her apparently; her soldiers have orders to kill you in sight. That’s why I also need to get to Canterlot: I must convince her that you’re on their side, or otherwise this will be a three-way battle- I nodded: The hatred the Princess eyes reflected when she recognized me in Twilight’s execution… it was beyond sane.

-I can’t say I’m surprised... neither I'm in the position to judge her... -I mutter, the image in the kettle faded away. Our gazes met.

-Trixie gave an ultimatum: Surrender or fight, if the Princess didn’t chose in 1 hour, Trixie’s army will destroy everything in sight… and that was 45 mintues ago…- Zecora said, clearly expecting an answer, and I didn't wait to do so.

-We certainly don’t have much time, do we… what’s the plan? – I ask, the zebra broke into a smile, and beckoned as she walked out of the house with haste, carrying the ancient book on her back, I suddenly widened my eyes in realization -Dang, wait! I need to tell you something! –I exclaim, following the zebra with long strides.

The zebra turned back, with an eyebrow raised. My eyes darted between the small patch of blue flowers, the blazing sun and the reddish waterfall before focusing on her.

-Trixie and I share this word… over here- I say, poking where the sigil was with a finger –Any damage Trixie suffers will be transferred equally to me, I need to get rid of it- I explain. The zebra suddenly jolted her lower back, making the book fly onto my hands.

-Today’s your luck day, page thirty-five- She said, I quickly skipped pages until I stumbled with the correct one –Good, now I must ask you to choose someone to be attached with, it’s impossible to undo the binding once it’s done… think carefully- She explained. A list of candidates flashed on my mind. It wasn’t very extensive, but it had the perfect someone for the task.

-Fluttershy, I’m sure she’ll understand, and few people in the world are heartless enough to damage her- Zecora nodded.

-I agree, show me the page please- She said, I held the book open in front of her eyes. She cleared her throat before reciting a short chant. I felt a sudden heat inside the chestplate.

-Done- The zebra said. I broke into a smile.

-That’s all? I expected some kind of exorcism or something like that… and, how can you cast those spells? I don’t see any horn- I ask.

-I’m not the one casting the spells, the book is, that’s why they are kept so well- She answered –It’s time for us to go, we don’t have much time. Page 74- I nodded and skipped pages even faster than before.

-There- I say, offering the open book to the zebra, she gave the page a brief glimpse before turning her back to me.
-Raan mir tah… shout it as high as you can, the louder, the more will come- Zecora explained.

-And what exactly will come? – I ask, walking next to her.

-Remember what saved you from that demon before? –She smiled as I nodded –There you have your answer- I squeezed a nervous laugh between my teeth before straightening up.

-RAAN MIR TAH! – I shout at the top of my lungs. The ground below us started to shake violently as a chorus of roars, bellows and rustling trees flooded the ambient. I looked all around me, unable to see anything past the dense vegetation. My eyes fixed on the zebra, who stood up confident and calm, I tried to mimic her.

I swallowed hard and turned to my right, alerted by an increase of noises coming from that direction.

Two timber beasts appeared from behind the row of trees, trotting towards us with haste. They both halted as they got close enough, and nodded down in a bow, showing us their backs. The zebra climbed onto one of the beasts swiftly, and giggled as I walked towards the remaining wolf with a half-puzzled half-scared look drawn on my face.

-What? –She asked with a smirk –You thought we were going for a walk? We have a world to save! There's no time for that! –She exclaimed, I let out a tiny smile before climbing onto the wolf’s back, a successful but nonetheless awkward attempt. They both rose their heads at unison, and corrected their trajectory before lunging towards the rows of trees in an accelerated rush.

I kept my head low during the whole journey throughout the woods, fearing the sharp branches. I didn’t dare to look up until the sun heated my nape.

-Is this the right way? – I shout over the whistling wind, as Ponyville was nowhere to be seen. Zecora, whose mount ran dangerously close from mine, nodded eagerly.

-Taking the quick route! We’ll have a nice vantage point of the valley from that mountain! – She replied, pointing towards a modest-sized mountain a couple hundreds meters ahead from our position –Take a look of our six! – She added, making me turn back.

-Bloody… hell… - I mutter in astonishment.

Hundreds of timber wolves followed us closely in a surprisingly organized triangular formation; their golden eyes gleamed in longing, their slightly open mouths revealed rows of sharp thorns demanding blood.

A quick flash of a memory lit my mind: the slain demon bleeding out as her wooden murder bowed at me.

If he, alone, was able to kill the demon so easily… what would three hundred like him be able to do?

7 minutes later…

-3 minutes- Zecora said as she jumped off from her mount and climbed onto the rock I was sitting on –Are you ready for this? – She asked, resting a hoof on my shoulder. I leaned my arms on my flexed knees before answering.

-Define ready… - I whisper, smiling at her. Our exchange of encouraging glimpses was brief, as the scene in front of us demanded our attention. We both gazed at the bloodbath the valley was about to become.

The terror roaming around the heads of the armored soldiers was visible. Most kept themselves busy sharpening their blades, relocating their arrows or groping the string of their bow in a bad attempt to hide their fear.

Ironically, the demonic beasts shook… but in excitement rather than fear.

The middle ground between the two sides seemed much thinner than before, and the brave ponies composing the frontline already had their weapons ready for the oncoming charge. None of the sides seemed to have noticed us standing on one of the many mountains that encircled the valley. The lack of trees and overall, bald terrain of both mountain and valley gave us an excellent view of everything important. From the distance, I could faintly see the silhouette of a large crowd of ponies standing on the city walls of Canterlot; Arch wizards and other high-tier mages, ordered to act if the ground attack failed. Zecora explained this and more as I listened to her in silence, as I was too entranced by the scene to answer back.

-1 minute… we must get on the move- Zecora said, keeping her tone in a calm whisper. She squeezed my shoulder, a short yet warm gesture that made my body get on the move again. We both jumped off the rock and climbed onto our respective mounts. I got surprised by my quick comprehension of the art of riding as I mounted the beast in a swift jump.

I sighed, easing the tie that plugged my windpipe, and gave a reassuring punch on what seemed to be the shoulder of the beast; he looked backwards, and did his best to draw a smile. Dry, brownish blood covered half of his face.

The Pegasus rose their bows, their leader, Luna, kept immobile, impassive.

-Wait for the clash, attack from the flank, and for Celestia’s sake: don’t dare to die. I’ll find my way into the castle; I must return the book to the Princess, and smooth-talk things out- The zebra said, we exchanged a nod and a glance of worry before she and her wolf disappeared within a cloud of dust.

I turned back, gazing at the hidden side of the mountain; hundreds of golden eyes met my gaze, silently begging for the precious order.

I unsheathed the claymore; a blinding brilliance of pure white enveloped the edge, revving up currents of air around itself. 1.80 meters of rock-cutting steel, and 5 meters of divine justice.

My lips curved into a shaky smirk; I felt like a warlord.

-Too sad Leonidas stole all the cool one-liners for these kind of situations…- I mutter, feigning a sigh before cracking into a guffaw -Get in there and do your bloody job, just remember who's your enemy! – A shudder of excitement, fear, confidence and a ton of other emotions shook my body as every single wolf, including mine, lunged downhill, rushing towards the bloodbath while bellowing a single, coordinated howl that appeased the war horns echoing throughout the valley.

The world fell silent.

-NO MERCY! – I roar from the vanguard of the pack as the two main mobs began the charge.

Palace Observatory…

Celestia bitted her lower lip, in a bad attempt to hide her grimace of hatred. She walked away from the tiny telescope that belonging to Luna, located on the balcony of the still-not-finished observatory.

Her frenzied stomps echoed inside the hollow corridors as she made her way…

She suddenly halted: the anger had made her forget that she could simply teleport anywhere she wanted.

-Everypony take aim at Sunbeam Mountain! –She was already shouting these words before the flash of white light where she had appeared from had time to vanish. She shoved a couple of surprised wizards who blocked her view of the valley aside.

-My… My Highness… - The crowd of mages murmured, perplexed by her sudden appearance, aspect and tone.

-Stay quiet and obey! – She roared, glaring back at the crowd of wizards. The unicorns composed themselves before casting a simple sight-enhancing spell.

-What the…

-Who are those?

-What’s that white shine?

-I want them dead! – The Princess shouted, silencing the chorus of surprised exclamations.

-B-But… we don’t know if they are friendly or… - The Princess darted her eyes through the unicorns until she found the speaker.

-Do as I ordered- She muttered coldly, hushing the owner of the voice, who looked beyond scared.

-But he's right! And they are too close! We might damage our own troops! – A voice from within the crowd shouted. The mages stepped aside, revealing the young owner of the voice, although Celestia already knew who he was.

-I want them dead; do what it takes to kill them– The Princess repeated, focusing all her hatred and anger in her glare. The Captain of the Royal Guard made his best to remain poised and firm under the insane rage her eyes reflected. He hesitated before speaking.

-As you wish, my Highness- The Captain proceeded to shout a single order.

The Princess turned back, glaring at the black-armored rider with a smirk drawn on her face.

4.2 - Liberated Chaos

Damn this took a long time to write, bloody broken arm hindered me to the extent of having to quit writing for a month, thankfully, I'm back, and the story is also back. Following chapter is already halfway made, so it won't take long to be uploaded.
Thank you all for your patience and enjoy!

Chapter 4

Part 2: Liberated Chaos

The blinding light of dozens of blazing horns enveloped the whole city within a bubble.

-Target acquired!

-Calculations complete! Ready to fire!

-Can I engage? I repeat, can I engage?

The Captain of the Royal Guard stifled a chuckle; the robes the unicorns were designated to wear didn’t give them a soldier-like look, thus making their usage of the military jargon pretty hilarious.

-You have my permission to engage- The Captain said, loud enough so every wizard could hear him –My highness? – He asked cautiously, turning his head to look at the white alicorn.

-What? – Celestia huffed without deigning to face the Captain as she spoke.

-Our ground troops… should they consider the targets as a threat? – He asked again. For once, the Princess dithered before answering:

-No; he won’t survive-

Sunbeam Mountain…

The whole pack slowed to a halt.

I don’t blame them, as the sudden sight of dozens of new stars blazing in the sky was quite distracting.

“How is it possible...? “ I thought with a puzzled frown.

My mount quit walking, fully entranced.

Their shining… it kept... growing thicker... closer...

Approaching us...

-We need to…

The ground in front of me erupted into a column of rock, dust and grass. The nearby wolves flinched and recoiled, visually unharmed. My armor shrugged the shockwave off almost insultingly easy.

-We’re under fire! Resume the charge! Don’t stop now! – I shout, spurring my mount and snapping him from his shock. He lunged forwards, jumping through the dust and over the crater the explosion had left behind.

I looked over my shoulder, thankfully, almost every member of the pack were already back on the move, fully recovered from their initial dazzle. The few stragglers took indecisive steps towards random directions, their eyes desperately searching for a lead to follow…

But it was too late; they all disappeared behind a pillar of rubble as a savage storm of projectiles obliterated the ground under their paws.

-Run diagonally, zig-zag, but don’t be an easy target! – I shout, lowering my body so I could communicate with my mount –I’ll keep an eye for them buddy, you keep focused in running, just give me a call when we’re close to the bloodbath, roger? – I whisper, the wolf nodded absently and quickened his pace. I smiled, giving him a friendly tap on his shoulder before looking…

-Damn! – I exclaim by sheer reflex, ducking just in time to avoid a blaze of light aimed at me. I heard a brief whizz, followed by a harsh explosion and its ensuing rain of dust.

Still with my head low and too scared to consider straightening up, I glinted sideways. The wolves, thanks to their remarkable hunting senses, sidestepped and zigzagged away from the projectiles' trajectory with enviable timing. Very few of them succumbed to the deadly downpour, and I perceived that every single loss was because of direct hits.

-Okay, listen up… - I got cut by a jerk coming from the wolf that almost sent me flying, and the deafening “boom” of a close explosion –These things... don't worry about the explosions, just avoid getting bull's-eye'd... also, there’s no need to do those crazy dodges or I’ll end up falling off, got it? – I say, the wolf barked in understanding. Pleased, I finally straightened up.

The thunderous sound of ground shattering under our feet, the vicious whistle of the deadly projectiles and the distant echo of the madness going on further in the valley, coupled by a vision hazed with dust and pure velocity made my heart rush inside my chest, made my veins pulsate under my skin, made me feel… alive.

Was it the ironic fear of the possibility of dying? Or was it pure adrenaline? Or as Pinkie would say; why not both?
“Oh blimey, what a stupid thought to have…” I thought with a shaky smile.

-Could you go any faster? I can’t see anything with all this bloody smoke! – I shout, the wolf answered with an annoyed grunt, but his legs managed to speed up.

The cloud of blinding dust attenuated as we gained momentum, and the speed made the necessity of dodging vanish, as the projectiles, simply, didn’t have enough time to catch up with us. I promptly lowered my body, as the gusts of wind threatened to blow me away.

I took quick peeks of the sky. The projectiles had a noticeable tail, as if they were comets falling from the sky… but they all had different colors…

I frowned in realization, and darted my gaze towards the distant Canterlot, recalling Zecora’s explanation from minutes before.

-Unbelievable… - I murmur as I saw the exaggeratedly bright gleam the city emitted; the “stars” were just spells, spells whose I knew the owner… did Zecora failed to convince the Princess?

I shook my head, as there was no way she could have made it that far with so little time.

“Our best bet is to join the crossfire; they won’t dare to keep the attack if we’re close enough from their own troops… I hope”

A bellow coming from the beast between my legs snapped me from my thoughts; I poised, and was slightly confused to find ourselves in flat terrain...

-Goddammit! Couldn’t you give me the call sooner! – I exclaim while brandishing the claymore as fast as I could.

Advancing towards the bloodbath at a wicked fast rhythm, my eyes and ears couldn't process the amount of dreadful madness we were just about to throw ourselves in.

I glimpsed back, trying to escape from such frightening sight. Almost the whole pack had made it alive, and were already closing distances with each other and ordering themselves in a triangular formation, mimicking us and merely outrunning the few projectiles that flew over their heads.

I tightened my hands around the hilt of the fulgurous blade, holding it in a batting stance, ready to strike the first row of hell spawns before gathering every single drop of cold blood circulating throughout my body, and turning to face... insanity.

With a gentle kick in the ribs, the wolf lunged forwards in an outburst of speed; I closed my eyes as I greeted the nightmare-inducing creatures with a steady sweep of my blade.

A chorus of hisses and a scream of my own flooded my ears as the wolf landed on steady ground. I closed my mouth shut and managed to open my eyes. Most of the creatures I was aiming at where no more than sculptures of dust, still retaining the shape of what they once were. A prompt gust of air swiftly blew them away; the few survivors were already forming a circle us. I briefly checked my surroundings as I jumped off the wolf.

Clouds of fire fled over our heads, suppressing the Pegasus and rendering them useless, I reckoned the casters were safely located on the rear, the rest of the demons kept pushing forwards, wrecking the front-line of the pony army mercilessly. The ponies fought back with Spartan-like defense, accurate spear thrusts, basic, but equally deadly spells and coordinated lunges.

-Go with your friends, tell them to attack from the back; I need those fire-spitting bastards dead so the archers can hope to do a damn thing, go! – I order, the wolf straightened from his battle stance and gave me a worried look, but hesitantly obeyed, jumping over the breach we had just wrecked through. The demons, who seemed more interested in me than in pursuing him, ignored the wolf and proceeded to close the circle around me. I held, almost hugged the blade, and tried to avoid flinching at the sight of... holy shit, the Grudge girl itself was suddenly slithering towards me.

“Gross, she’s even able to summon… These! “ I thought while impaling her against the ground before she could get close enough to… whatever unpleasant things she did to her victims. Unable to rest, I severed the legs of a giant, reddish spider, with a half-naked woman on top of his thick, hairy thorax. Dust before it could touch me. Busy again, I thrust the edge deep inside the thigh of a bloodied Taurus carrying a rusty mace. He fell on his knees; the fact that he could be a sapient being, since he didn’t crumble into a cloud of dust like the rest, haunted my mind… and stomach, as I chopped his head off.

I sheathed the claymore, as it was too heavy to keep up with the constant onslaught of new foes to fight. The same brilliance covered the short edge of the dagger, making it even longer than my leg. Two accurate sweeps were enough to banish a small group of black, ethereal shadows with bright yellow eyes.

The insane amount of deformed shapes, horrifying creatures and savage beasts assaulting me kept draining my energy and sanity at an alarming rate. Unable to rest or close my eyes to avoid looking at such hideous traits, I kept banishing hell spawn after hell spawn, recognizing even popular urban legends, such as… oh God, that bastard of Jeff, the bloody smiling dog, the rake thingy… Trixie surely knew what she was summoning, it almost felt like a meticulous torture made just for me to enjoy.
And the fact that they had to have their own world to be summoned from… mother or mercy, thinking about it makes me cringe…

-Having fun I see, need help? – A female voice broke my obscure descent into insanity.

I turned towards the voice, foolishly opening my back to the demons I was fighting. Before I could locate the owner, I found myself being pounced onto the ground, something already gnawing my right arm viciously. A spear of blue light whizzed through the air next to my ear, silencing the shrieking humanoid on my shoulder, who had lost half of his teeth in his brave attempt to break through the black metal. I rolled back and stood up swiftly, finally able to catch a glimpse of the speaker.

-I… I am so happy to see you… - I mumble, dropping my arms to my sides. Luna gave me a sweet smile, cleansing the dark clouds roaming around my head.

-The feeling’s mutual- She said, giving me her back. I somehow found myself laughing as I turned on my heels, swapping the dagger for a more suitable claymore. The sight of new horrors barely provoked any reaction in me; having a partner close did really help.

Nimbly dodging the lunge of a hell-hound, I noticed a couple of arrows sticking from his back as I drove the blade deep inside his flesh. I briefly glimpsed upwards: a good amount of Pegasus, led by a darkish female, who swiftly wielded a bow twice her size, were gaining terrain and raining death from above.

My back collided with Luna's flank, we quickly exchanged positions with each other.

-This ballad's getting intense... - Luna joked between heavy panting.

-It wasn't a ballad to start with... - I reply as I banished a blood-red imp -Also, "ballad"? Is that an innuendo lady? - I added with a smile, I heard her giggle as I deflected a rusted arrow before it could hit any of us.

-Maybe... - The Princess answered as we swapped positions for the fifth time.

20 extenuating minutes later…

-Rejoice lads! We bloody won! – I shout while crushing the black bulgy head of a numbed humanoid under my spiky boot. The whole mob roared in triumph and relief as wide grins appeared on their faces.

The battle was short but intense, with Luna and I rapidly dwindling the enemy numbers from the inside, the pack crushing them from behind and the army holding them in place, our victory was practically assured.

The losses... that wasn’t as pretty; the amount of wolves had been cut in half, although my mate and savior was still alive, I wasn’t expecting such a great amount to perish, even when they had to face, by far, the worst piece of the cake. The casualties in the pony side, however, where less than expected, with over five hundreds soldiers still alive from the initial seven hundred mark. Far from the expected Luna commented, sad but optimistic at the same time.

I stood in the middle of the blissful crowd, nodding down to the ground, immersed in my own world.

-Why does your sister hate me so much? – I ask all of a sudden, low enough so only the Princess could hear me.

-You certainly caused a lot of trouble. She has enough motives to think the way she does, but I’m sure you’ve just knocked down most of them- She answered with a light-hearted smile –You’ll have the chance to speak with her, and I swear that you won’t be considered a public enemy anymore, right? – She exclaimed, the whole army roared again as she ended her phrase.

A multitude of soldiers greeted around me, slapping my back between boasts, jokes and other words of gratitude, I answered with smiles and “brohoofs”; their version of high-fives/brofists.

-So, doing anything after this? – A surprisingly young, green female pony asked, her rather polished armor and clean face struck me as rare, since her partners were far from clean –I know what you’re thinking; I’m a medic; staying in the back and healing the injured, you know. But that doesn’t mean I’m a coward- She quickly added, answering my questions before I could even formulate them in my mind.

-Sheesh, you truly are clever… what’s your name? And age…? – I asked, she recoiled a step back.

-Slow down with the flirting, Romeo- She said sarcastically, the nearby soldiers cracked up in a noisy guffaw, even Luna joined the laughs. The young pony drew a smug smirk, pleased. I quickly shook off my initial embarrassment and lunged towards her, ready to follow with the prank. I carefully placed my fingers under her chin, and slowly pulled her face close to mine.

-Don’t act as if you weren’t enjoying it...- I whisper seductively, feigning a mischievous glare as soon our eyes met. Her cheeks flashed red as she refused to look into my eyes. The ponies surrounding us fell silent, surprised but expectant at the same time.

I was already moving away, satisfied with the outcome of the prank, when she suddenly locked her hooves around my head, yanked me towards her and gave me the longest and sloppiest kiss of my life. I lurched away the second she freed me from her iron grip, her false blush wasn't there when I looked at her. The crowd roared in laughter.

-That was a good try- She said with the same smug smile than before.

-That… that caught me off guard, good one- I mumble while swiping my lips clean.

-Name’s Blackburn, just turned eighteen a couple of months ago- She explained politely as the crowd hushed. We both shook hands with a smile on our faces.

"Blackburn? That's a weird name..."

-Eighteen? That makes two of us then. I guess you already know my name- I reply, she and some of the nearby ponies nodded at unison.

-Practically everyone in Equestria knows who Trixie and you are- Luna commented from behind.

-But, you’re not the heartless devil I’ve been told about! – A pony from the crowd shouted.

-I concur! – A second voice cheered.

-There's been some serious misunderstanding that I promise to untangle once we get to the city- I exclaim, rising my arms to silence the murmurs.

-My highness! We’ve got an incoming call from above! – A soldier exclaimed, shoving aside a multitude of ponies to form a path through the mob that encircled us. He halted and bowed at the Princess before handling her an earpiece.

Everyone fell silent as Luna rapidly plugged the apparel in her ear.

Her smile vanished; a frown took its place.

I faced the closest pony I found.

-“Above”, did he mean from the city? – I asked in a low whisper, the soldier nodded.

-Specifically, from Princess Celestia herself- He added, my heartbeat rose the second I heard her name. The soldier gave me a worried glance as I turned to face Luna.

-Tell me what she said- I say, not trying to hide the tinge of fright in my voice. Luna magically took the tiny earpiece out, and handled it to its original carrier.

The entire valley fell silent as the Princess met my gaze.

-It was an order... your execution - Luna answered.

Palace, corridors…

The Captain of the Royal Guard knocked on the fifth door of the right hand side of the corridor. Nobody answered his call, as per usual, but he stepped in anyways.

Five of the seven ponies in the room were crowded around the only window of the room, murmuring among them. The Captain checked how the ill, red-haired filly was holding up before focusing on the only purple mare of the room, who was oblivious of his presence.

It was understandable; the placement of the window gave the ponies an excellent view of the entire valley.

-Twilight- The Captain said, as loud as his husky voice allowed him to. A pair of beautiful, yet swollen violet eyes met his gaze.

The Captain smiled for a brief second –He’s alive- His smile vanished before the mares had the time to react, or even comprehend his statement –But not for long; Celestia has ordered his execution; the order has just been sent- He added in a dark whisper.

-How did you allow her to do it? – The purple mare croaked after some noiseless seconds of assimilation. The stallion fiercely stomped the ground, knocking down and shattering a couple of expensive vases.

-Because I have to! She’s the Princess! I can’t disown a direct order from her...! Most of the soldiers I’ve spoken to are against her decision, the few who agree being the vilest of her creeps! – He took a deep breath –Listen, I know for a fact that Luna won’t agree, as with any of the soldiers down there that have fought alongside him… I doubt they’ll obey, but I also doubt he’ll be able to get into the city any time soon- He explained, sprawling on the closest armchair. He closed his eyes and massaged his head, cooling down his outburst of anger and hopelessness.

-That zebra… Zecora, I think that’s her name… I just gave her permission to speak with the Princess. She’s my last bet; if she doesn’t manage to convince the Princess… then I doubt he’ll be able to settle down anywhere, and probably will be considered a highly-wanted fugitive- He added, finishing his speech. He heard a collective gasp, which was understandable, but also, strangely, he felt a descent of temperature. He shrugged it off.

After a way too long silence, the captain opened his eyes, curious by the lack of insults and/or begs.

-Twilight? Why won’t you speak to… - He closed his mouth shut. He shot up from the armchair and darted towards the window, squeezing through the compact group of mares blocking his view.

His factions widened as he saw the coat of pure darkness that enveloped the entire valley.

His second surprise was to not find the sun in the sky.

Valley…

It all began with a loud screech.

-What was that?

That simple, simple phrase; it was a summoning for hell itself.

-It’s coming from the south!

-Is this really over?

-Does it matter? More bastards to kill!

-Everypony shut the hell up! – Luna shouted, her voice arose over the murmuring soldiers, hushing their nervous chatting.

The few seconds of silence that followed were perhaps the tensest moments I had experienced up to that moment.

Harshly breaking the silence, a deafening shriek surrounded us without a warning.

It didn’t take long for the darkness to come.

It all happened so quickly, so neatly… a swarm of… blackness covered the sky above us in the blink of an eye. Our disconcert quickly became fear as we all stumbled and collided with each other, as our eyes didn't have the time to get used to the darkness, only Luna and few of her personal guards didn’t seem to be affected by the swift change in lightning, as they quickly took out some oil lamps from their backpacks and hurried to light them up while trying to cover their ears as much as possible.

The faint yellow glow of the first lantern was enough to soothe everyone down, including me.

-What’s going on?

-Can somepony give me some oil? This dammed thing ain’t lightening up…

-Buck, I’m freezing here!

Someone scratched the metal covering my thigh; I looked down and found my wooden mate staring at me with his golden eyes, although they were now full of horror. Rasping noises which I understood as yelps came from his mouth.

-Everyone listen up! – I shout over the shrieks, clapping my hands up in the air to get everyone’s attention –I have no clue of what’s going on, but my mate over here is crapping his pants. I suggest we get out the hell out from this hellhole, preferably soon- I say, an approving hum came from crowd.

-The road lights have been blown out! –A voice yelled from far away.

-What about the city? – Someone else, a female, asked.

-Everything seems fine up there! Although it’s hard to make it out through all this bucking darkness! – The first voice answered.

The shrills coming from above intensified for a brief second, they sounded extremely close.

-They’ve taken Steel Hoof! – A second outburst of the same sound followed the scream.

-Stay near the light! - Someone else shouted –They take the ones in the dark! – His voice got silenced unnaturally abruptly.

-The city’s lit, it’s safe there… - I whisper, accidentally thinking out loud. I blamed my nerves. Luna, who I couldn’t see at the moment, spoke.

-It isn’t safe for you- She said. I swept my surroundings with my gaze, locating her characteristic blue glow easily. I quickly strode towards her, and placed my hands on her shoulders, taking a big breath before talking.

-I’ll find a way to smooth-talk things out, meanwhile, get your men… I mean, Pegasus, and fly to the city; I’ll lead the rest- I say, Luna nodded and shouted a couple of short orders before refocusing on me –Uh, excuse me… too many things have been going on lately and I'm a little bit tense... - I mumble while freeing her from my grasp.

-Don’t worry, I don’t mind. I’ll make sure to meet you once you get to the city, until that moment, take care- She said, giving me a wink and a smile –Alright boys! Give any shiny to your unwinged brethren! We’re flying back home! – She shouted, jumping off the ground and revving her wings.

-Fly fast, don’t let them catch you- I shout as the ground troops formed around me.

-You too, run fast, and stay under the light! - She replied before dashing into the darkness without hesitation.

-Alright! You heard her! Stay within the light! Hug each other if necessary, but don’t dare to step out of the circle of safety! Also, don’t fear the wolves; they won’t hurt any of you, so share the space with them! – I shout, the crowd obeyed without questioning. I unsheathed my weapons; their aura emitted a wide circle of light. A multitude of stray soldiers who were unable to find a group to fit in gathered around me, specifically, behind me: clearly, no one was willing to be in the front, and hell, I myself didn’t want to. I knelt and gazed at the imposing timber wolf, who now resembled a frightened puppy –Listen mate, just stay close to me and you’ll have nothing to worry about- I whisper soothingly, the beast straightened up slowly and sluggishly trotted next to my left leg.

-Nathaniel? – A trembling voice said from behind, I turned to face its owner.

-Blackburn… glad to see you safe, what is it? – I ask, the young soldier took out her helmet, revealing a horn and a long, light-green mane.

-Do you need a guide…? – She whispered shyly, a tone much different than the one she was using minutes before.

-That’d be brilliant. Is there any problem? – I ask, worried by her sudden change of attitude.

-Two to be precise… I’ve been asked to tell you that... - She moaned, shutting her eyes in pain - ... that us unicorns are unable to cast anything… and the other is… that… well... that I’m afraid.. of the dark… - She murmured. I couldn't help but to chuckle at her confession, recalling the frightful kid I used to be.

-Well, just make sure to stick with me, as for the magic aspect… any idea why? – I ask, the unicorn grimaced.

-Just thinking about magic makes my head want to explode… but if I remember correctly, there was a spell in one of the three ancient spell books that essentially muted any potential caster… that’s the only reasonable answer I can come up with- She explained.

-I think you just hit the nail in the head. Go ahead, be my guide- I say with a soothing smile, the unicorn nodded and pointed in a seemingly random direction. I didn’t know how she was able to know where we were and where to go, but I trusted her –Alright everyone, we’re moving! Have we lost anyone else? – I asked in a shout.

-Two of those wolves! They just… ran into the darkness like mindless crazies! – Someone answered from the middle of the crowd. I groaned; the pack had already suffered enough losses.

-I’m moving! Stick together! – I shout before dwelling into the darkness, which embraced us with desire. Our lights seemed to lead a losing battle against the shadows, as their luminosity dwindled at each step. The shrieking increased in volume as we marched throughout the enshrouding darkness leading to the city. Their owners sounded impatient, like vultures waiting for a potential prey to drop dead –We need to speed things up! We can't let the lights die on us! – I shout, quickening my pace to a jog, the ponies mimicked me.

Shrills, followed by a frantic scream.

-Keep moving! Just keep moving! – I shout, part of me felt horrible for saying those words, even if it was the wisest thing to do, the other half was a pure mixture of fear and adrenaline.

Shrieks, a yelp; another wolf had perished.

Shrills, a distant yell.

My jog became a run.

The circle of light around me suddenly shrank, forcing the ponies that formed around me to tighten distances among them.

-Left! – Blackburn shouted over the increasing chaos, I corrected the march.

A dead lamplight appeared from the dense darkness; I nodded down and confirmed that we were stepping on stone before leaning on the metal to catch my lost breath.

-Everyone! Over here! – I shout, waving my arms as high as I could, multiple lights quickly started to gather around my group.

A grimace of horror twisted my factions as I saw a struggling squad suddenly halt, their light source started to flicker and fade rapidly. A tornado of shadows swallowed them before any of us could react. I also saw a distant shimmer heading towards a completely different direction, vanishing abruptly some seconds later.

Fear had never been so real.

My town… it was always sunny… lively… peaceful…

-Nathaniel! – Blackburn yelled, giving me a rough kick on my left shin. The pain helped me to refocus. I swept a silent tear from my eye and faced the stone road.

The screeches cut, dead silence. Our accelerated breaths paused, expectantly.

A slurp, a disgusting gurgle, as if someone whose throat had been sliced was trying to scream.

A second one, right.

A third, back.

A fourth… front.

The shrieks came back even fiercer than before.

-Protect the light holders! – I shout, brandishing the claymore instinctively.

-What’s going on up there? – Someone asked. I pointed the edge of the blade as far as I could, illuminating a good chunk of space in front of us.

I instantly recoiled, disturbed for what I had seen.

-Hell has just broken loose on us - I answer in a murmur, not a single voice spoke back.

A shadowy tendril, with a human hand as a tip dwelt into the light. Its scalpel-like fingers wrapped around the edge of my blade before I could get a clean hit on it. The tentacle crumbled into dust as its owner let out a revolting sound, mourning the loss of his limb.

But that was just one of the many he had.

-Push forward! – I shout, holding the blade as if it was a lance before lunging towards the concealed foe. The blade's blaze banished any tendrils I came across in my charge.

I stuck the fulgurous edge of the blade deep inside of what seemed to be the torso of the creature that awaited for us. A stream of black blood showered me before dust did.

Distant sounds of metal clattering, flesh ripping and broken screams indicated that we weren’t the only group with problems.

-We need to stay on the move! – I suddenly saw a couple of squads ran past us, making a last, desperate rush towards the city. They weren’t even carrying weapons, having dropped them in favor of speed.

A multitude of groups joined mine, forming a big, compact circle around the flickering sources of light. I ordered Blackburn and my mount to squeeze their way to the middle, which they gleefully agreed. I turned on my heels as a couple of stocky ponies joined me in the front.

-Nightshade and Solaire groups have fallen back! – The one on my right exclaimed with a tinge of desperation in his voice.

-We are too many; we can’t risk going back now! – The one on my left answered firmly.

-I’m with him; I’ll try to help stragglers once I get all of you to safety- I inquire. Though I didn’t like the idea in the slightest, I was probably the only one fit for the task.

I made my best to maximize my helpfulness; running around the outlines of the circle, aiding the soldiers to hold back the onslaught of tendrils or to simply keep the darkness at bay. Every loss was accompanied by a short scream and a noise similar to a piece of cloth being viciously torn apart that sent chilling shudders down my spine.

The foes were clever, always attacking from the safety of the dark, not letting anyone approach them enough to deal the finishing blow. Nobody had a clue what we were facing, and I barely had the time to take a quick glimpse of them before an assault of tendrils forced me to retreat. A human-like body, with a thin torso and elongated legs were all the traits I could recognize with the scarce light we had, and their unnatural tallness did not help at all.

I severed the hand of a tendril, saving a soldier from its deadly grasp.

-Can someone tell me how far we are from the castle! – I shout, making the most of every brief second of relative calm.

-I can already see the lights! And the city walls! – Someone in the front answered, I grinned from behind the helmet: we were about to make it.

-Let’s make a run for it; we’re under too much pressure back here! – I shout, swapping the claymore for the dagger, favoring mobility before reach. The heavily armored ponies helping me in the rearguard turned back and pushed the whole group forwards as I promptly severed the occasional tendrils that managed to catch up with us.

My eyes darted between all the shimmers in the distance, my mind busy making quick mental notes of their distance and location so I could go back and help them.

I sidestepped; dodging a quick tendril aimed at my heart and severed the limb before it had time to retract. I nimbly turned on my heels as I found myself struggling to keep up with my group.

Something was wrong; I knew it the second I turned back; A dense crowd of ponies gathered near the edge of the river, what where they waiting for? Why weren't...

-My... God... - I murmur in horrifying realization.

The bridge, the only way in, it wasn’t lowered.

Palace bedrooms...

Luna nervously tapped the fluffy carpet of the long corridor in front of her sister’s bedroom. Loud voices came from the other side of the door. She tried her best to decipher what they were saying, but despite her efforts, she wasn't able to make anything clear, though the high tones and occasional screams left clear that the discussion had reached its hottest point.

She shouldn’t be there; she had to be protecting him from her...

Luna’s anxious chain of thought broke as the door slammed open. Zecora strode out from the room under a cold silence. She glared over her shoulder with intense disdain before dashing away. The zebra had already disappeared behind a corner before the Night Princess had the chance to speak with her.

Instead, her ears caught a low sound that sent a chill of worry down her spine.

A sob, coming from her sister’s bedroom.

City gate...

I pushed the frightened mob aside until I stumbled with Blackburn, who I found lighting one of the few torches around the river with the dying flame of her lantern. Their light was (thankfully), enough to keep the creatures at bay.

-What’s going on? Why aren’t they letting us in? – I ask, the pony hooves were shaking wildly as she handled the lantern to someone on her right. She met my gaze; her pupils were large lakes of blackness instead of their distinctive bright yellow.

-I-I don’t know, we haven’t received any transmission, message or explanation whatsoever- She answered before breaking into a sob –I can’t stay out here any longer, I might go crazy… - She whispered, burying her teary face between her hooves. I wrapped her in a firm embrace, trying to prevent her from crying any longer, and also to hold my own tears for a little while.

-Everything will be alright, Luna won’t let us down… - I whisper soothingly, she ignored the blood and dust soaking my chest plate and curled between my arms.

My eyes caught movement on the city walls. I gave Blackburn a weak squeeze and made her face where I was looking at.
She let out a short gasp, as with everyone else, when she saw the pony standing on the walkway on top of the raised bridge.

-Who’s he? – I ask in a murmur, giving the newcomer a distrustful look.

-Shining Armor, Captain of the Royal Guard of Canterlot… - She answered absently. I focused on the Captain, asking myself why the name sounded so familiar in my head.

The blue-haired unicorn proceeded to talk, as everyone had fallen silent, even the creatures seemed to hush for a moment.

-This is a direct message from Princess Celestia - His voice sounded tired, husky, and had a forced formality in his tone -Since the previous order, the execution of Nathaniel Fray, was ignored, nopony will be allowed to step in Canterlot until it’s been fulfilled-

My heart stopped beating.

“B-But… Zecora…? “

Blackburn tightened her hug as hundreds of gazes/glares landed on me.

Before anyone could do or say anything, the bridge lowered violently.

The Captain smiled.

-But I already know it’s futile. Get inside, quickly- He said, widening his smile. Blackburn squealed as her mouth widened in a grin. The whole crowd had similar reactions as the surviving soldiers hurriedly trotted inside the city walls, puzzlement still showing on their faces. The young unicorn had to literally drag me in, as I was too shocked to even talk.

My eyes absorbed every building, every street, every pony and every detail of the majestic city, trying to convince my brain that I was there, that I had made it. Blackburn left me leaning on the nearest wall, blew me a kiss and hurried to join the rest of the soldiers, who after an initial minute of dazzle, were already making their way towards the castle in an ordered fashion. I sat on the ground, leaned against the curved wall of one of the two towers on the sides of the bridge, and tried to recover my speech.

-I finally get to meet you- A male voice said, its owner calmly stepped in front of me. I lifted my head and gazed at the Captain of the Royal Guard, who greeted me with a smile –You have our appreciation for…-

A sudden realization made me stood up briskly.

-There are still people out there- I say, interrupting the Captain. I ignored the 90% of my brain that kept ordering me to stay in place.

-Sadly, it may be too late for them… - The Captain murmured darkly. I lowered the mouth protector of my helmet and unsheathed the dagger, sticking its edge deep inside the stone below our feet.

-It doesn’t matter; I’m going out there. If it stops glowing, raise the bridge immediately- I ordered, pointing at the blazing edge of the short blade. The unicorn nodded after a brief moment of understanding.

-Got it, see you here in a minute- He said, giving me an encouraging smile.

I took a deep breath as I faced the darkness, which seemed to taunt and beckon at me, its inhabitants displaying their desire of flesh with impatient hisses.

I charged into the blackness, claymore in hand.

“30 meters, two lights, 6 meters of distance between them” My mind recited the notes I had been taking minutes ago while I slashed my way across the shadowy creatures. The increased mobility and the fact that I didn’t need to look after anyone else allowed me to engage and actually finish them off more effectively than before. The lack of numbers was barely noticeable, as the blade made up for it. I thanked Zecora silently at each creature I managed to slay.

Two shattered lanterns and a pool of blood was everything I found in my first waypoint, I didn’t… rather I couldn’t allow that to discourage me and headed towards the second one. Everywhere around me I could see fallen weapons, blood and shattered branches belonging to the wolves… and the creatures, of course. They shared many traits with the popular urban legend: The Slenderman, although they were much taller (I could only reach to see their legs), noisier and vicious than the aforementioned, the haunting sounds they produced being, by far, the worse. Fighting alone was much more effective, but at the cost of being mentally exhausting.

Second waypoint: A twisted lance and a broken helmet.

Third waypoint; blood and a dead glowstick, the lack of corpses was starting to strike me as rare.

Fourth; shattered branches and even more blood.

Fifth… light.

There was still someone fighting.

I had found a survivor, over two-hundred meters far from the city.

The soldier also seemed to notice me, as he turned his back to whatever he was fighting to take a look at me.

-No! – I shouted, but it was too late. One of the creatures surrounding him took advantage of the brief opening, squashing the lantern he had firmly wrapped around his back before he could do anything to avoid it. His wide open eyes stared with horror at his dimming source of light as I halted.

The dying flame gave me enough time to formulate a plan, a risky one. I held the blazing claymore as if it was a javelin, and threw it as far and accurately as I could. The soldier, thankfully, was clever enough to realize my intentions, and jumped towards the glowing blade as it flew dangerously close from his head.

The inhuman fear of the darkness came back from my early years as I rose my arms to brace myself before starting a desperate rush towards the light.

The screeches became louder, closer, enveloping me.

A brutal strike on my left kidney, even the armor had a hard time soothing it.

A second one, upper back. I lurched forwards, but managed to retain my balance

A third one, right thigh. A loud noise of metal being ripped apart and an ensuing wave of sheer pain.
.
A forth one, chest. I felt a shattered rib puncturing through my flesh.

The screeches weakened as my knees landed on the deathly white; I had made it, but at a high cost.

-We need to…- a harsh cough interrupted me, I felt blood streaming down my chin –Have you seen… anyone else? – I ask between coughs, the pony shook his head.

-I’m the last one, take your blade and let’s get out of here! – He exclaimed, helping me to stand upright. I nodded and grasped the hilt of the blade as best as my shaky hands allowed me to. I stoically ignored the pain coming from my leg and chest, and limped as fast as I could, trying to keep up with the soldier.

-You’re doing well! We’re already halfway through! – He cheered, helping me as much as possible when the creatures gave us some precious seconds of relief.

A tendril sprang from the darkness and wrapped itself around my inured thigh, pressing with crushing force. I clenched my teeth and yanked back, giving the soldier enough time to sever the hand before it could drag me closer to its deadly owner.

A quarter left, I could already see the gates of the city, the dimly lit torches and Shining A-

“BBBFF” The acronym flashed in my hazy mind, but I was unable to locate where I had heard it, or who was the one to say it, or even its full meaning.

The Captain strode in circles around the dagger stuck in the ground. If he had nails, he probably would've been gnawing them viciously.

-Hey! We’re over here! – The soldier shouted as he threw his weapon away and wrapped his now free hoof around my shoulder; the Captain rose his head and turned to face us. He beckoned briefly before shuffling into the left tower –He’s about to raise the bridge! Speed up! We’ve got a legion of those monsters right behind us! – He exclaimed, I leaned against him and tried to amplify every stride I made with my healthy leg, occasionally glinting over my shoulder.

I shoved the soldier to the left, saving him from a tendril aimed at his head, and ducked, dodging a second one aimed at my own. I slashed the first one before it could retreat, but I wasn’t fast enough to reach the second one, and my sweep whizzed through empty air. The pony was already there to hold me from falling.

-We’re already there! Leave them! – He exclaimed. He widened his eyes for second before giving me a rough push, saving me from a third tendril I couldn’t have possibly seen. I lost balance, and fell head-on onto a wooden surface –Raise it already! – The soldier shouted as I found myself being dragged by my arms towards the city.

The floor below my stomach started to shift, rapidly curving upwards as the Captain rose the bridge. I found myself sliding for a second, before painfully colliding with the armored soldier. I heard a loud thump as I rolled to my right. Thankfully, the soldier was already back on his feet, apparently unharmed from the rough welcome.

-Shiny! I’m going to need help with this one! – The soldier shouted as he rolled my body to the left so I could rest on my back.

-How many times do I have to say that only my sister’s allowed to call me like that, Solaire? – The Captain huffed absently as he exited the watchtower and hurried to ran next to me. He crouched to take a brief look of my wounded leg –I’m not sure how his limbs work, but I can already tell that we’re going to need much better equipment, and even magic if we want to save his hoof- He said, straightening up and giving the soldier a thoughtful glance.

-Then we need to get him to the infirmary- Solaire pointed out, exasperated.

-Of course, but that’s inside the castle, remember? – Shining replied, Solaire let out a long sigh.

-Look: I don’t care, I doubt Celestia can touch a single hair of this fella without the whole army turning on her, myself included. So carry him to safety, will you? I doubt my back could handle all his weight… not now… - Solaire puffed, moaning as he leaned onto the nearest wall.

-Can someone… take my helmet off? – I ask as loud as my broken voice allowed me to. Shining broke into a laugh after a brief silence, and fulfilled my request.

I sighed; it felt so good to finally take that thing off.

-I was starting to believe you were dead… - He said as he yanked me off the ground and placed a protective hoof around my shoulders –Glad to see you’re not. The hell happened out there? - He asked, I pulled out the dagger stuck on the ground and chuckled, only to get cut by a violent and bloody cough.

-Oh, we’ll have time to talk about it once we get there- Solaire said, joining us –And we better make it quick, he’s been bleeding and coughing like that for a while now- He added, Shining nodded and made sure I was as comfy as possible before starting to walk for the two.

-Where’s… Luna? – I ask, remembering her promise to wait for us.

-She was ordered to stay in the palace. Apparently, Celestia wants to talk with her. That’s all I’ve been told- Shining answered –Remember that friend of yours? The zebra? – I nodded –She made it to the city safely, and I think she may have made it- Shining left the phrase unfinished.

-Did what? – Solaire asked, Shining stared at him, slightly perplexed.

-Convince the Princess- He grinned cheerfully.

4.3 - Kindling

Chapter 4

Part 3: Kindling

The eerily empty streets, the sealed windows and the gloomy lighting gave the city a deathly feel, although it wasn’t enough to hide its jaw-dropping beauty. Posh-looking houses with themed decor, baroque mansions with impossible, yet charming geometry, colorful adornments riddling the multiple plazas, which were already astonishing by themselves thanks to ornate fountains that spat crystalline water, creating seemingly impossible figures on the air… feats of architecture that could easily be competing for worldwide recognition back in earth where everywhere in this marvelous city. I felt like I was in a splendorous version of Greece, or Italy, which was a positive change from my humble little city and Ponyville.

Solaire, in an attempt to keep us both awake and alert, explained me its history with thorough detail as we sluggishly dragged ourselves throughout the streets. I made my best to listen to him, nodding frequently and frowning quizzically if I wished to know more about a certain subject. Shining gleefully joined our chat, trying to focus on something else other than the constant shrieking coming from above, which was nothing more than a monotone buzz now.

10 minutes later...

Both soldiers fell silent as we turned a seemingly random corner that led into an exaggeratedly wide road. Solaire held me upright, allowing me to fully admire the palace that awaited two blocks ahead of us.

My bloody God, rococo doesn’t even begin to describe it. Ivory towers with serpent twists that visually floated on thin air, branched among them by gleaming golden bridges, an enormous crystal cupola, with a circular opening on its top and the half of a colossal telescope peeking through it, a garden that could easily be mistaken for a jungle, with its very own river cutting through the dense vegetation and other wildlife... the entrance building was… Jesus Christ, it resembled Pisa’s famous Duomo, but even bigger, more impressive and overworked than the latter. A fallen piece of heaven is the closest thing to a description I’m able to come up with.

-Amazing, isn’t it? – Shining grinned, I remained speechless.

-Now let’s just hope they let us in… - Solaire hissed as he spoiled his partner to resume the march.

-The Entrance Hall is currently hosting our fellow soldiers, and the Throne Room is being used to accommodate the residents of Ponyville, and as an improvised extension of the infirmary, which is busting with injured ponies… I think we won’t have many issues on that regard; it ought to be safe to simply enter thorough the front door- The Captain replied as we closed distances with the golden fence encircling the Palace –Princess Celestia is currently meeting Zecora in her bedroom, let’s just hope their chat lasts long enough so we can get you patched up-

-Cheers for that; I doubt he’s keen about jumping fences and arguing with an angry Princess at the moment- Solaire joked darkly as he gave a quick glance to my leg. Some blood was starting to leak through the many cracks the impact had left behind –Don’t worry mate, we’re almost there- He whispered soothingly, I smiled in appreciation.

We found for our surprise that the golden gates of the fence were spread open, without any guard or soldier keeping an eye for intruders or unwanted strangers. Shining murmured something about “discipline” and “punishment” as he shut the gates behind us.

-Ah, give them a rest Shiny; they’re tired, not everypony had the chance to remain in a comfy palace bedroom while their fellows put their flanks in the line- Solaire commented with a sardonic smirk. Shining shot him a withering look, though he was smiling as he did so.

I reckoned they were both long-time friends, as they chatted, finished each other’s phrases and cracked jokes fluidly and naturally.

The Captain hurriedly walked past us, leaning against the pair of ridiculously huge and ornamented crystal doors. Light and blurry shadows came from the other side of the translucent glass. He patiently waited for us to catch up with him before shoving both main doors open.

The sudden wave of sound and bright light forced me to close my eyes. I caught a brief exchange of murmurs between Solaire and Shining, but I couldn’t make out what they were saying. Solaire tightened his embrace as the Captain left us, blending with the crowd and leaving me in charge of the soldier.

-Okay listen up; Cap’s warning Blackburn of our arrival: we need you back in action as soon as possible, and she’s probably the only pony fit for the task- Solaire explained before cocking his head to the right –Keep your head low and avoid looking at anypony; I’m sure there are still a few rarities in there that share Celestia’s mind regarding you, and we gain nothing by provoking them, roger? – He whispered, I nodded and let my head drop down, staring at the white tiles under our feet. Somehow, the thought of us: filthy, sweaty and bloody, entering such a pure and clean place made me draw a smile.

A murmur arose from the large mob as Solaire and I squeezed our way towards the carpeted stairs leading to the Throne Room.

-Is he alright?

-What if Celestia sees him?

Their questions remained unanswered, as the only words the soldier spoke were a few polite “sorries” each time he was forced to push someone aside.

-Stairs- He warned, pulling me upwards to ease me some of the work. I kept nodding down, though I wished I could’ve been able to take a good look of the, I supposed, gorgeous interior. Someone on top of the stairs opened the doors for us, and whispered a quick “good luck” as we passed by. I faintly recognized the voice as one of the many soldiers I had fought alongside with.

-You can look up now- Solaire said as the doors closed behind us.

I tried, really tried to look up, admire the comforting beauty of my surroundings… but I couldn’t, my head weighted too much. A severe cough made me retch, forcing me to spat the bloody drool forming in my throat. Solaire gasped as I slipped from his hooves, but caught me by my left arm before I could collide with the ground.

-Somepony help us! – He shouted as he tried to prevent me from falling. Someone I wasn’t able to see got hold of my right arm, raising me upwards until my shoulders were aligned with each other once again.

-Over here! – Blackburn’s voice shouted from the distance. Solaire gave the stranger a grateful glance before pointing towards the source of the voice.

-Got it- A familiar female voice said, realization gave me the strength to raise my head.

-Berry…? – I mumbled as I glinted the side of her face.

-That’s my name- The fuchsia pony replied as she turned her head to me, giving me a quick smile.

Gentleness was gone; they both dragged me onward as fast as they possibly could, shoving anyone blocking our way, which, needless to say, was painful as hell.

-Oh my Celestia… - Blackburn said, her voice was suddenly extremely close… when did we get here? –Go fetch me the vaccines Solaire, and quickly, he’s starting to doze off- The soldier added, her voice much colder and professional than seconds before…

The entire world fell silent as I found myself standing on a large stretch of green land. Bizarre shapes moved in the far distance... rushing towards my position…

A prick on my arm.

Wait… why am I lying down?

-Adrenaline, we can’t let you fall asleep... or Celestia might decide that she doesn’t want you awake- My chest plate… where did it go? Who’s holding my left arm?

-He has pieces of shattered metal stuck in his hoof, why didn’t you take them out! – God, again with these time jumps… my head… ough…

-I still can’t cast any magic… this would be so much easier with it… - My hazy vision caught the sight of Blackburn putting on a pale medical mask and the two soldiers carefully sliding the battered pieces of metal off my legs. The young pony quickly hoarded my injured leg.

-Oh heavens no… oh heavens no…

-What!?

-I… I don’t know! Did any of those bastards touch him? – What…? What’s going on…?

-Yeah… one got hold of his wounded ho... -

-I cannot believe this… this isn’t… it can’t be gangrene... –

-Good luck- The owner of the brief whisper… Berry, oh God please don’t leave me, don’t you dare! My left arm fell on the thin mattress of the gurney I was lying on, next to the ripped, filthy and bloody piece of cloth I used to call a shirt.

-Oh my Celestia… - Shining muttered as I heard Blackburn being pushed aside.

-Solaire- The young pony took a deep breath before muttering –Bring me the saw-

“WHAT!” My whole body jolted with incredible strength.

-Keep him still for Celestia’s sake!

-I can’t inject him the anesthesia if he keeps shaking like this!

-Anesthetize him? Are you kidding? We need him awake!

-Are you bucking suggesting that I should bucking cut his bucking hoof off while he’s still bucking awake?

-I… I don’t know…

-Then shut the buck up and stop bucking talking! – The shout was followed by two grips of steel closing around my naked arms.

I started to hyperventilate. Oh God, oh God, when did this reach such levels of madness…

Blackburn’s masked face suddenly appeared in front of my eyes. She caressed my cheek as a sob came from behind the white paper.

-I’m so sorry Nathaniel… I’m so sorry… but there’s no other choice… if it reaches your heart... – Why? What is it? My body stopped shaking, my arms succumbed to the overpowering soldiers. My own eyes started to get teary… was this really going to happen?

-Now… - Blackburn murmured, a painful stab on my left arm made my whole body jolt violently one last time. It didn’t take long for me to realize what kind of substance was making its soothing way throughout my circulatory system.

-Don’t do it… please… - I croak as my healthy leg swayed drowsily, my vision already darkening…

It can’t be… it can’t end like this…

The darkness morphed, acquiring impossible shapes that defied my sanity, haunting scenarios that emphasized the broken state of my body and mind, thorough tortures performed by twisted shapes with the faces of my beloved ones... sporadic and, sadly, brief flashes of blissful memories were the only comfort in this terrifically vivid nightmare.

-And it won’t- A reassuring voice whispered in the midst of my own subconscious torture, cleansing the darkness and finally waking me up.

My eyes shot open.

-It can’t be… it can’t end like this… - My lips muttered by themselves. I closed them shut and rose my pain-throbbing head with a broken groan. The room I was in was a simple cube, painted in complete white. The only thing that broke its harmonic color was an open door on my left.

I started to hyperventilate once again; this looked exactly like the room I woke up... two, three days ago? Did Trixie somehow get her hooves on me? It can't be... it can't end lik-

A familiar figure walked inside the room, closing the doors behind her with care.

Buzzing calm overtook my body as I recognized the pattern of colors on the pony's coat.

-Zecora… - I murmur with the biggest grin on my face. The zebra spun to face me, a bit startled; I was slightly worried when I noticed her wet, reddish eyes, though her smile comforted me. She was holding one of her many golden necklaces, though it was broken in two linked semicircles, sort of like an unused handcuff.

-I knew this was a good idea… - The zebra said to herself as she circled around the gurney, halting next to my right arm. She gently pushed my head downwards, and ordered me to open my mouth. She carefully bent one of the openings of the necklace over my tongue –I give you three seconds to remember what this is- She whispered darkly as a thick drop of liquid fell into my throat.

I didn’t even need a single second to realize what it was and what I was about to experience. My pupils dilated in fear as my hand leaped from the gurney and closed around her hoof in the blink of an eye. I muttered a quick prayer (a curse, rather) before an agonizing pain coming from my chest made my whole body squirm violently, which definitely didn’t help to make things better.

“It’s the same goddamn thing all over again…” I thought as the familiar, excruciating pain of my lungs being ripped apart forced a broken scream out of me. “Familiar”… dear God, I never thought I’d reach that point… how much pain and madness have I been through since I landed here? And the fact that its inhabitants were, well, ponies… the premise is simply laughable…

-Close your eyes! You don’t want to see this! – Zecora shouted over my screams, I somehow found the strength to nod back and push them shut, but all my efforts were in vain when my leg was suddenly set ablaze.

I couldn't scream, as my mind was too busy trying to comprehend what was the cause of the sudden searing pain. My neck rose by itself, answering my question a bit too graphically.

Every single vein inside my injured leg pulsated viciously against my skin as if trying to break free. I realized to my horror that they were no longer blue, rather a sickly black that had already consumed my entire leg and was quickly corrupting the veins near my right kidney. Zecora attempted to push me down in a lying position, but my right arm swung wildly towards her cheek, connecting a harsh slap that made her recoil in pain. I clenched my wounded knee against my chest and started sobbing loudly as the violent healing process took place a few centimeters under my chin.

The seconds that followed are hard to describe; I felt insanity embracing me… vivid images of me torturing Trixie, murdering Celestia… even Fluttershy for Christ sake flashed in my mind as I kept weeping and clutching my leg..

“Maybe I should’ve stick with Trixie…”

“Kill Celestia…”

“Escape from this God-forsaken hellhole…”

“Back… at home…”

-THIS IS MY HOME! – I roar.

And then, poof, everything was gone.

Pain, madness, sadness, anger… everything banished as fast as it came. My body collapsed on the soft mattress as my sight refocused and my ears caught the sound of my still a bit unstable breathing. A pleasant tickling traveled throughout my body, awaking my muscles again. I swiftly jumped off the gurney, without any traces of dizziness left, though I still found myself rubbing my temple by sheer instinct.

-Thank Celestia… it turned out okay… – Zecora sighed, ignoring the fresh red mark of my palm covering half her face and giving me a smile.

-What in the world was that? – I ask with crystal clear voice while pointing at my leg; not even a single scar was visible.

-Something you fought out there… it infected you with… something- The zebra chuckled –I’m unable to answer that question properly; I’m sorry- I shrugged it off; answers could wait, specially that one.

-Did they seriously want to cut my leg off? I doubt I was hallucinating… by that point, at least- I say with a frown.

-Yes, and you better thank me for it… you can’t blame them Nathaniel; everypony’s having a hard time adapting to this situation, just like you. Nopony knows exactly what to do- Zecora replied in a more serious tone.

-I guess you’re right… just take a look at Celestia… - I murmur absently.

I twirled as the door suddenly blasted open, my right hand already closing around the dagger on my waist. For my surprise, I couldn’t find my loyal little weapon anywhere. I reacted quickly and kicked the gurney down, sending it sliding across the room and blocking anyone from coming in, giving me time to stupidly search for the claymore in my back, which, obviously, wasn’t there.

-Nathaniel! That’s enough! – Zecora shouted as she placed a hoof on my shoulder, pulling me backwards. I shook my head, what was I doing?

-I… I’m sorry, I got carried away… - I stutter, amazed and slightly terrified by the rapid improvement of my reflexes. .

-Show yourself! – Zecora exclaimed as we both faced the doorframe. The newcomer calmly obeyed; he gently pushed the gurney aside and walked inside the room.

-Christ… you should’ve knocked Solaire… I’m really not up for any kind of surprises at the moment… - I sigh as I greeted the soldier with a smile.

-My apologies; you were threatening to topple the castle with your screams when you suddenly fell quiet... you had me worried. Good to see you back in action- He said as we both shook hands –May I borrow your friend? We’ve got a lot to talk about with her- The soldier added as he turned his gaze towards Zecora.

-“We”? – I ask harmlessly, as I was unable to find any trace of hostility in neither the soldier’s eyes nor voice.

-Blackburn wants to ask her about… well, medical stuff I can’t really understand, and also, Shining doesn’t want the Princess to see you two together- Solaire explained, I gave the soldier a puzzled frown; he simply shrugged and pointed at the zebra with a nod.

-Did the reunion go well? – I ask as I turned to face her, Zecora looked away.

-Let’s... let's just say that I might’ve ended up worsening the situation... – She answered sheepishly.

-How badly? – I ask again, unable to hold back a groan.

-I…. I made her cry… - I groaned for a second time before facing Solaire briskly.

-I must talk with her, right now- I say, the soldier slowly stepped aside, revealing the open exit of the room.

-I’ve no orders concerning you; you’re free to leave. Face her, run away and hide, provoke a revolution… it’s up to you; just don’t end bucking everything up for us- Solaire said, forcing a smile out of me; I was flattered by the soldier's trust and kindness.

-You don’t need to worry about that, I haven’t saved your life just to damn you afterwards… any idea how to get to the Princess? I don’t fancy getting lost in this maze of a castle– I ask.

-Follow the signs pointing towards the eastern wing of the castle. Once you’ve walked enough, you’ll be greeted with a three-way junction. Don’t turn left nor right, just open the doors ahead of you, they’ll lead you to the Royal Chambers. I doubt you’ll get lost, just be ready for a looong and lonely walk- Solaire answered with a sly smirk.

-You take care Solaire, this might well be the last time I see you- I say as I gave the soldier a friendly slap on the back.

-Just leave already; I’m so tired I might even start crying- The soldier replied half-jokingly, I obeyed and jogged out of the room.

I instantly covered my eyes, blinded by the orange light of the many candelabrums adorning the long, carpeted corridor. The only path to follow was forwards, as the room I had just came out from seemed to be the furthest room of a no-end corridor.

I halted the second I stumbled upon a window; I contemplated the unholy dark skies from the safety of my bright sanctum. I quickly found myself rambling about my chances of escaping and forgetting everything and everyone… living as a criminal, or hunting Trixie alone… but I discarded such silly thoughts, they would only lead to my definite imprisonment or even worse, death, and the idea of being an outlaw didn’t appeal me in the slightest.

I kept running through the endless corridor, following thoroughly each sign that had "Easter Wing" written on it… stir up a revolution? I could… could I? And what would that accomplish? It’d be a waste… now that I finally have the chance to smooth talk things out I might as well take it. Yeah… there’s only one possible option. I held the bloody, shabby shirt that barely had enough cloth left to cover my chest tightly and took the first turn to the right.

But how would the conversation go? Should I feign forgiveness? Beg for mercy? One thing’s for sure; I can’t let her set me off, give her a solid reason to punish me. Just act cool, explain my situation and try to comprehend hers: staying calm will be the deciding factor.

I sighed in relief as I reached the junction Solaire mentioned. Without bothering to peek where the other corridors lead, I headed straight for the doors.

I flinched as a gust of cold wind licked my arms as I pushed open the doors with ease. A familiar torrent of screeches promptly plugged my eardrums.

“Jesus…” I thought as I took my first step outside, staring flabbergasted at the thin bridge connecting the corridor behind me with the Royal Chambers. There weren’t any kind of safety measures, not even a handrail to get hold off. I reckoned that only Pegasus were allowed to cross it, or advanced magicians that could easily teleport to safety in case of an accidental slip. I didn’t particularly fear heights, but my guts still ached as I carefully made my way to the other side, bracing myself from the vicious current of wind that threatened to blow me away if I wasn’t cautious enough.

I kicked the doors leading to the bedrooms open, got hold of both knobs, and flung myself indoors. A loud thump resounded throughout the corridor as the wind took care to close the doors for me. I lifted my head and examined my new surroundings.

A short hallway lead to a wide circle with a total of 6 doors, each of them had a silver nameplate merging with the auburn wood. A lit, brass candelabrum hung from the crystal ceiling. I halted right under it to warm and preen myself a little, trying to at least try to look half-presentable. My shirt was practically gone, and only had enough silk left to cover half my upper body. The tough cloth of the trousers still held up remarkably, but they were beyond filthy, as with the battered trainers. My father’s badges were the only piece of my outfit that remained intact, and thank bloody God for that. I silently prayed for a shower and clean clothes as I toned down the pointed spikes the wind had left on my hair.

I chuckled as I read one by one the names inscribed on the silver plaques, amused by the lovely reunion that awaited for me behind one of them.

Three of the plaques shared the same inscription: Honor guests, two had the names of the Princesses on them, and the last one belonged to someone named “Cadance”… no clue who that was.

I strode towards Celestia’s bedroom as soon as the mandatory snooping was over. I didn’t want fright to haze my mind and fill it with doubts. I opened the door gently, but decidedly.

And there she was. Somehow, her presence caught me off guard; after all I had been through, I expected to find a legion of new monsters to fight or some sort of inauspicious surprise, but not this time: I had made it; I had found who I was seeking.

Her cold, stoic expression wasn’t enough to cover the subtle remnants of her crying. She sat, in an almost dog-like stance, on the only armchair of the room. I would’ve loved to pry every nook and cranny of her room, as I always like to do, but I knew it wasn’t the time for that.

-Take a seat- She said, with a moderate and polite tone. I smirked as I slowly walked towards a shabby, wooden stool a couple of meters far from her expensive and comfy-looking seat.

-Is this some kind of twisted metaphor? – I ask as I rubbed the dusty stool with my hand, refusing to sit down. Instead, I walked past her, halted next to a beautifully crafted window, and rested my hands on its windowsill –I propose that we speak from equal to equal; I honestly think I deserve it. My most sincere apologies if that sounded rude - I say, pointlessly trying to see through the black coat enveloping the valley. I heard her standing up. I counted up to three before turning to my right. I smiled as our gazes met: we both shared a similar height, with me being the taller of the two. I bent forwards so our eyes could be at the same level.

Celestia began talking:

-That friend of yours… I’ve never been treated like that… she kept insisting and insisting, trying to convince me about your innocence… she didn’t give a flying feather about my status as a Princess… - I chuckled -I found myself giving in, slowly realizing how unfair and selfish I had been… and I just couldn’t withstand it… I hope you send her my apologies- She explained.

-Does that mean I won’t have to worry about my life anymore? – I ask, the Princess curved her lips into a smile.

-Of course not: what you did out there was beyond honorable, considering how this world has treated you-

Those words broke my façade of confidence into a million pieces. I closed my eyes as tears quickly began to stream down my cheeks.

-Don’t… don’t cry please… - Celestia whispered, embracing me with one of her wings after a brief second of hesitation.

-I’m... so happy to finally hear that… - I murmur with a tiny smile –It’s hard to believe that all my efforts are finally paying off… - I laughed as a Celestia broke into a weep –Don’t you start crying too: my heart can’t handle it… - I joke as I placed a friendly arm around her shoulders.

-I’m just… shocked; I finally see why she wanted to protect so badly… you’re no different from us… - She said, sniffling as she kept trying to cut her sobs.

-That’s exactly what I thought when I met Twilight and the others… - I confess with a bitter laugh.

-I just want you to know that I’m extremely sorry for everything I’ve done to you, directly or indirectly. I can only hope that you give me a second chance- She concluded after a brief silence.

-You can be damn sure I will… - I whisper as we both hugged each other properly. I ignored the annoying voice in my head that kept screaming that she didn’t deserve my forgiveness, that I was throwing my life out the window, that I shouldn’t be treating her like this... but this was just exactly what I pictured as impossible, the thing I and many others had worked, suffered and wished for: peace.

Things could only go uphill from now on, they had to.

-You can come out now Luna… - Celestia said, I twirled as I heard a door creak open. The aforementioned walked out of what appeared to be the bathroom, with a wide grin on her face.

-You heard everything? – I ask, a little bit embarrassed. My suspicions confirmed when she nodded –Oh God… I rarely get so emotional… - I mumble, trying to cover up my blush.

-Even big guys have their cute moments- Luna giggled.

-Oh, stop it, you... mind if I take a seat? – I croak, though I was already sprawling on the armchair –I literally haven’t had the time to realize how hungry and sleepy I was… - I explain, unable to hold a yawn.

-That makes two of us then… I need a shower; I stink - Luna commented as we both got infected with a yawning spree.

–You look awful Nathaniel, what happened out there? – Celestia asked, examining worriedly the multiple stains of blood on my clothes and skin.

-Shining hasn’t explained it to you? – I ask, both Princesses shook their heads.

-The last time I spoke to him was to order your execution… - Celestia answered meekly.

-No grudges- I say as I curled on the armchair and began to explain what had happened: the frenzied escape from the valley, rescuing Solaire and the dizzy memories from the last hours. My head ached each time I tried to scrape the details from the last part.

-I reckon Blackburn could explain every detail to you if you really need them… - I conclude, purring as I buried my back deep within the soft pillows.

-You saved Solaire? – Luna asked, staring at me with disbelief.

-Yeah… probably the best decision I’ve made since I landed here… he’s such a nice fellow… why the question? – I say, arching an eyebrow.

-He’s probably our most skilled warrior, a remarkable title for an earth pony. He’s also… a close "friend" of mine- Luna explained.

-We’ll have time to talk about that later sister, as for now, we finally have some work to do- Celestia said, a brief blue twinkle sparked in front of my eyes before I could formulate a question.

-Guess Trixie got tired of being such an annoying little brat- Luna smiled as her horn blazed blue –We’re going to get rid of the darkness, care to join us? – She added while closing her hooves around my left arm. She yanked my butt free from the armchair with surprising strength.

-Sure, thanks for asking… - I joke, stretching my stiffen muscles.

-You’ll want to witness this- Luna replied with a smirk.

-As charming as a nap sounds, I guess you're right- I say, smiling back.

-Quit the cackling you two and hurry up- Celestia grinned as she magically swung the door of her bedroom open, we both quickly shuffled out the room.

-So… where are we going exactly? – I inquire.

-My bedroom- Luna replied, a "cling" coming from the lock of the neighboring door followed her words. She bowed sarcastically as she held the door open.

I was slightly shocked to find the room in complete darkness, and the prompt thump of the door closing behind me made me turn back sharply. My arm whizzed dangerously close from Luna’s nose as I did so.

-Easy there boy- She said as her horn sparkled, lighting up a bunch of sweet-smelling candles that emitted a dim blue glow, filling the entire room with a pleasant, gentle luminescence. The whole room felt like a true personal sanctuary, not like Celestia’s bedroom, which felt much more crude and lackluster. Luna’s bedroom sported abundance of furniture (finding among them, for my joy and surprise, a couple of expensive-looking speakers), the aforementioned, unique lighting, and an overall cozy feel. I could only keep praising Luna’s tastes as I snooped every inch of her room.

-This goddamn bath is twice as big as my bloody bed! And it has a TV! Oh my God... – My cheers echoed throughout the room -Uh... bad habits, can't really do much about it... - I stutter nervously as I walked out the bathroom. The Princesses stared at me with funny looks and smiles on their faces.

-Don’t worry about it; it’s nice to finally hear somepony praise my tastes- Luna said, glimpsing her sister mockingly.

-I still find the lack of light disturbing... - Celestia said as she magically flung the thick black curtains open, revealing a roomy balcony. Multiple baskets holding large, old-looking papyrus formed a circle around a rather modest-sized telescope.

-Big fan of astrology I see- I comment as Celestia held the bay windows open.

-You name it; now, could you give us a… how did you call them.... hands? – I nodded –Thank you; dismounting the telescope is no easy task- Luna said as we both halted next to the fragile apparel.

-And why don’t you use some of that handy magic? – I ask as I knelt, swiping some dust off its black surface.

-It’s slightly complicated; you know how water can end up rusting iron? Using magic on certain things can cause a similar outcome, and I don’t fancy losing this old family heirloom any time soon- Luna explained as she showed me the whole dismantling process, I mimicked her without a problem, and offered myself to carry the rather heavy telescope inside. I ducked as Celestia levitated the baskets inside the room, and whistled in admiration as I carefully placed the relic on top of Luna’s soft sofa; astrology didn’t particularly pique my interest, but I knew that thing was worth quite a bit.

-You may want to stay inside, Nathaniel- Celestia said as I placed a foot outside. I obediently recoiled as I noticed that her horns had begin to shimmer.

Brisk gusts of air revved up as the horns of the Princesses blazed with more intensity.

-My God… - I mutter in amazement as my surroundings lit up with blinding light. I got hold of a nearby shelf as I felt an unseen force pushing me backwards. A sphere of… pure magic enveloped the sisters as they walked towards the edge of the balcony. The whole room shook wildly as their magic lashed out at me, launching me across the room and pinning me down against the furthest wall.

-Ready when you are my dear sister! – I heard Celestia shout over the chaos. The extreme pressure squashed my bones against the mahogany door, which I could already hear it cracking from my weight. Ironically, not a single object or piece of furniture seemed to be affected by all the mayhem.

-Fire! – Luna yelled enthusiastically.

Every single sound in the world disappeared as my feet landed softly on the ground, feeling as light as ever.

In the midst of the calm, I heard a gentle twinkle, just before the shockwave of the spell sent me flying backwards.

I grunted as I literally ripped through the wall, landing messily on the carpeted floor of the corridor outside. The silence broke abruptly with a thunderous sound of an explosion that I thought to be quite similar to the noise produced by a bloody A-rank supernova. I clenched my hands around my ears and got myself back on my feet, my back hurting as hell as I did so.

I gasped as I saw both Princesses lying on the ground, completely immobile. I rushed inside the intact room (ignoring the giant gap I’d just blasted through, of course) and squeezed through the open windows.

I couldn’t help but to freeze, abstracted by the view in front of me. An enormous opening had appeared on the sea of darkness the sky used to be, allowing for the first sunbeam to brighten the valley for the first time in hours. The sunlight provoked a chain reaction that quickly spread its way throughout the entirety of the dense flock of creatures blocking the sun, scorching them into dust in mere seconds. I walked past the unconscious sisters, completely captivated.

The sun flared excessively bright for a couple of seconds before cooling down to a gentle, warm orange. My eyes quickly adjusted to the lighting, fast enough to see the thick cloud of dusty remnants of the creatures get blown away.

I let my hands fall to my sides. I was greeted by an absolute absence of sound. Fearing I might’ve gone deaf, I clapped my hands, and grinned as my clap echoed throughout the serpentine towers of the castle.

An intense, fuzzy sensation dug into my chest: joy. The low position of the sun and the gorgeous red horizon meant that night was about to fall over Equestria…

"My home..."

I stood, resting my elbows on the fence of the balcony, entranced by the view and my own thoughts.

-Jesus! – I yell as something suddenly pulled me downwards. I twirled on my heels and found Celestia trying to reincorporate herself with the help of my shoulders. I didn’t hesitate to grant her a helpful hand –Excuse me; seeing the sun again totally stole my attention- I explain with a slight blush as I knelt next to Luna. I smiled as I heard her sibilant snores.

-You better carry her to bed: doubt she’s waking up anytime soon… - Celestia said as she rubbed her forehead, grimacing as she did so –Augh… I'm exhausted... - She whined with drowsy eyes.

-A coffee might help- I comment as I lifted a curly Luna between my arms. She didn’t react in the slightest; she was totally absent to the rest of the world.

-What happened here? – Celestia asked as she stared at the wasted door, looking slightly amused. I quickly explained her the reason as I left Luna lying on top of her comfy-looking bed.

-Stop making me jealous… - I whisper as I covered her with a silky blanket, her lips involuntarily curved into a smile.

-I tried to use the same spell I casted to safeguard the room on you, but it didn’t seem to work- Celestia explained as our gazes met. I tapped the badges hanging from my neck with my thumb, and told her about the enchantment. The fact that I was breaking one of Trixie’s rules made me smile.

-Do you want me to destroy it? – Celestia proposed as soon I finished talking, I quickly shook my head in denial.

-Sorry, but this is probably the last thing that bonds me with my past life, and I honestly feel much safer wearing it in a world where most of the population is able to simply throw me away if they please- I reply, covering my father's legacy with my hands.

-I understand- The Princess concluded with a nod. She turned to face the opening were the door used to be. Her horn sparkled briefly, and I heard a distant “cling” coming from the corridor –First door to the left, please, enjoy a long shower, you deserve it. I’ll be keeping an eye on my sister; don’t forget to meet me here when you think you’re finished- She added with a wide smile, I thanked her enthusiastically before jogging out the room.

-Wait… I must ask you something- I say, halting where the doorframe used to be –Twilight and the others… where are they? – I ask with care, as I knew it was a rather delicate theme. For my surprise, Celestia burst out laughing.

-Where do you think I’m sending you to! Dammit… you spoiled your own surprise! - Celestia said between chuckles.

“Oh no… not now..."

I stuttered a simple thank you, feigned a grin and disappeared from her sight. The fake smile vanished from my lips as a question I had been burying deep inside my mind arose over the rest of my thoughts.

I was free; no longer “working” with Trixie, I was no longer her… manwhore or whatever she had in mind for me anymore. I had the freedom to choose to be with anyone I wanted… or simply embrace loneliness.

Did I really want to be with the… three! Christ… ponies, waiting on the other side of the door?

The answer came quite easily, for my surprise.

Author's Note

Midterms... gotta love those bloody fuckers...

Prologue

Prologue

-This'll do… remember what I've said: I need him alive –The female voice resounded inside the murky room. The weak shimmer coming from the drawing painted on the floor barely allowed the unicorn to glimpse the nod coming from the dark shape in front of her. Her horn shined promptly, creating a tiny, blue sparkle. The volatile body slowly fled down, as it was parachuting, towards the red circle on the floor. The white tiles inside the lines morphed abruptly, acquiring a snowy white color. A couple of blurry figures appeared from the changing surface, their outlines turned sharper as new colors started to emerge from them, it didn't take long for the drawing to perfectly trace its objective. The embracing couple calmly walked down a snowy street, both sharing a thick winter coat. Their equally gold-blonde hair sweetly tangled at each step, their reddish cheeks were tightly glued with each other under a thin layer of ice.

The unicorn touched the pale face of the stocky teenager, adding the last line to the pentagram.

-Forgive me, Nathaniel…- She whispered with a tinge of sadness.

An explosion of red followed her words.
________________________________________

-See you later! – I exclaim cheerfully, kissing my girlfriend's frozen nose and hurrying to climb the stairs leading to the porch built around the front door of my house.

-G-Goodbye! – She shouted shyly while waving her hand nervously. She was my opposite: my assertiveness contrasted with her shyness.

-Remember to bring my jacket tomorrow! – I shout, blowing her a last kiss before opening the door and entering home.

I shook off some snow from my shoulders, and left the keys inside a small, ceramic bowl. I quickly leant the light switch of the stairs leading to the upper floor. I shuddered as the lights refused to lighten the room. The lack of electric heating made the overall ambient colder, but also made me realize what the problem was. I turned back and slid open the only drawer from the short desk near the door, taking out a tiny, but heavy flashlight. I had to jerk the switch multiple times for the stubborn apparel to work.

-Sheesh… down we go…- I whisper, trying to comfort myself. My home, at night, emulated perfectly the looks of a haunted mansion, if you ignore the fact that my house isn't very big.

I crossed the hall with long strides, refusing to look sideways; the circle of light was focused on the door leading to the basement, so was I.

I slammed the door open with a tackle, the rusted bolts from the knob, simply, stopped working long time ago. I carefully walked down the slim stairs, nervously brightening every corner from the chaotic room I used as warehouse, and occasionally, workshop. I tore down a sticky spiderweb from the fuse box and opened the tiny door. A couple of sparks made me lurch backwards: a cable had been ripped off. The sudden movement made the flashlight slip from my hands, the fragile device collided hardly with the ground, a sound of crystal shattering followed. I barely had time to realize what had happened to my light source before the door from the stairs slammed shut, making me jolt in surprise. I considered running straight to the upper floor, but the cold was unbearable without any kind of artificial heat. I decided to fix the problem. Illuminated only by the sporadic sparkling, I stumbled towards the workbench. I palped its surface, searching for a pair of plastic gloves, but instead, all my attention got drawn towards a red shimmer on my left. Unable to hold my curiosity, I made my way towards the shining, hiting my shins twice in the process

-What in the world… - I whisper in surprise, gazing at a reddish, baroque drawing, its lines seemed to had been drawn manually, but their straightness was surprisingly good. I knelt on the ground, my brain displayed me images of random esoteric pentagrams I had prevously glimpsed in my life, which weren't much. Any of them matched the drawing I had next to my knees. Curiosity just grew larger, making me place my hand on its center. The drawing blazed with strength as my skin grazed the dusty ground, acquiring a bloodied… and menacing look.

I was already moving my arm away, since nothing remarkable happened for the next seconds, but as soon as my fingertips left the ground, a powerful grip grasped my wrist. I widened my eyes, in a mix of pain and surprise. I fought back, pulling outwards with strength, achieving nothing. An outburst of force crossed every muscle in my body, as I found myself being yanked roughly inside the drawing. I screamed, unable to bear the pain assaulting my arm, while hopelessly trying to break free.

My back and head joined the chorus of agonizing screams coming from my right arm as my whole body collided with a hard surface, followed by a heavy fall, my right side absorbed the force of the impact. I screamed again and rolled to my left, trying to protect my already damaged limb from any possible impacts. I used the wall behind me to lean my back against it. The ripped cloth near my right shoulder was wet, was I bleeding?

The lights came on.

Indeed, blood poured out from an open wound on my elbow, a sharp, white trunk was popping out from it. I had to rub it with my fingers to realize it was my very own bone. Tears started to slid down my cheeks as I hoplelessly stared at the excruciating mess of cut flesh. Panting heavily, I rose my gaze to see where I was.

The surprise was… surprising… a blue unicorn was standing in front of me, with a proud look on its face, did he… wait… she, do this to me?

The strange creature approached me with a reassuring smile; I tried to back off, only achieving another groan of pain to squeeze out from my throat. I can't say I was scared, rather intimidated by her… nothing else was in the white room with us, so she seemed like the only one to blame for my wounds.

-Calm down, I won't hurt you unless you force me to- She said sweetly, the heavy loss of blood blurred my mind. She nuzzled my cheek while analyzing the wound, I let her be, I was too busy fighting to keep my eyes open –This may hurt a little… - She whispered, her breath tickled my ear. She carefully placed her hooves around my wounded arm. With a swift twist, the exposed bone joined his hidden brother. Unable to withstand the sudden, explosive pain, I passed out.

The nightmares that followed were dyed in blue.