---???---

Huh where am I? I thought to myself as I landed in a dark empty void.

"Guardian where are you?" A familiar voice called from the darkness.

"Derpy? Is that you?" I replied as I started walking around.

"Guardian I don't see you." Derpy said as a metal door appeared about twenty feet from me.

"Hold on I'll be right there!" I yelled back in response as I quickly ran to the door and stopped in front of it. "Are you there?" I asked as I knocked on the door.

No response.

Dammit I don't have time to mess around I gotta find her. I thought to myself as I pushed open the door.

"Guardian?" Derpy asked as she sat on the floor looking like her old self before we were abducted.

"Oh thank Celestia I found you!" I shouted with joy as I ran over to her.

"Wh-Who are you?!" She screamed as she started backing away causing me to stop in my tracks.

"What do you mean honey? It's me Guardian." I said as I slowly started walking towards her.

"Stay back! You aren't Guardian." She stated as she started looking scared as I got closer.

"What do you..." I started as I glanced to the right only to see a mirror. Then I noticed why she was scared of me. The only image of myself I saw was the mechanical body I had, but it was splattered with blood.

"Again who are you?!" She screamed as tears began filling her eyes.

"I-I don't know anymore.." I said as my very being filled to the brim with fear as the ground around me began to shake.

"....Guardian....." Multiple voices that spoke in unison began to ring in my head.

"What do you want?" I said as I frantically began looking around.

"....Guardian...." The voices called again as six mounds began to form and open.

"No.....NO.....NO!!!!!" I began screaming as out of the mounds the animatronic bodies of the mane six began crawling towards me.

"What did you do to them?" Derpy said behind me.

I didn't respond because my head was racing with thoughts as I started panicking.

"Why Guardian?" Twilight asked as her head started turning upside down while they walked towards me.

"My chest hurts because of you sugar cube." Applejack said as a green liquid began leaking from her chest as they got closer.

"Why Coach? Aren't we were friends?" Fluttershy quietly questioned as they got even closer.

"I... I don't know.... I'm so so sorry...." I said quietly as I looked down and closed my eyes; praying that I wake up from this horrendous dream while they surrounded me.

"Immobilize him." Rainbow Dash said in a stern tone as the others complied and restricted me.

"Please don't do this.... I was just trying to protect you....." I pleaded as they turned me over and lifted me up as if to make me stand on my hind legs.

"Protect us? Darling I hate to tell you that you already failed once." Rarity said with a sassy attitude.

"Yeah he did fail once didn't he?" Pinkie said in a happy voice.

No don't remind me! I can't relive that nightmare! I screamed inside my head.

"That's right.... He did fail..... Once...." A slow voice commented from the shadows.

"Please don't.. I can't take it anymore!" I screamed as I began struggling while Applejack and Rainbow Dash, who weren't holding my arms, jerked open my chest plate with a sickening pop like bones.

"...Your fault....Your fault.... Your......Fault." The mane six began chanting as if they were singing some deranged lullaby.

Suddenly I heard the flapping of metallic wings from the distance.

"IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!!!!!" Derpy screamed as she charged me with a Taurien emerald blade as her animatronic self.

"NO DON'T!" I screamed as I began to tear up. Then before I had time to fight to get free I felt a sharp pain in my chest only to look down and see my Algurian heart crumbling into dust.

"You know what Guardian." Derpy whispered as she put her mouth right next to my head.

I couldn't respond because the physical and emotional pain of her stabbing me mixed in with my sobbing prevented me from even uttering a sound.

"That helmet of yours... Is truly.... Ordinary." She finally said as I closed my eyes.

---Pony Hills---

"AAAAAHHHHH!" I screamed as I bolted upright putting my hoof on my chest while my face was being painted by tears of oil.

"Are you...Okay?" A voice asked next to me.

I looked over and to my utter shock I saw them. Derpy and the new animatronic mane six.

"I'M SORRY! I AM SO SORRY!" I yelled as I backed up against a wall as I felt something metal tap my leg. I then looked down and saw connection cords that I then followed back to one of the T.V.'s across from me on the wall.

"Are you okay Coach?" Fluttershy said as she walked slowly towards me.

"It's okay honey... We saw everything and.... Understand." Derpy said as she staggeringly walked over and sat down next to me.

"I... I... I'm so sorry..." I cried as Derpy embraced me in a hug and held me close while I let it all out.

Fifteen minutes had passed before I calmed down and stopped crying. I pulled my head away as I gave Derpy a 'thank you'
smile that she responded to with a kiss on my forehead.

"While you were asleep Derpy explained everything to us. She even explained why it was better for you to do it than him." Twilight said as her and the others walked over.

"Still though *sniff* I'm sorry I had to do it. I'm especially sorry for what I did to you all. The rage of realizing that we had been missing for three years and nopony searched for us then you six showing up after we suffered acting like everything was okay sent me over the edge." I said as I looked at my hooves.

"It's okay we understand and we forgive ya." Applejack said as she walked over and gave me a light punch on the shoulder.

"Thanks guys I really appreciate it. Also did you explain the rules to them?" I asked Derpy.

"No I usually... Forget them." Derpy said with a smile as she stuck her tongue out the side of her mouth.

"You're lucky you're so damn cute." I said as I bopped her nose causing the others to laugh.

"I hope these rules won't ruin the party!" Pinkie said as she randomly started dancing around to the music in her head.

"They're pretty easy to follow now get in a line so I don't have to repeat myself." I said as I stood up and waited for them to be ready. "Rule number one, do not speak to about what has happened to anyone outside of those who know such as Viktor and us. Rule number two, do not speak with Viktor about why he did what he did or other things pertaining to that matter. He has been doing this long before we got here; in fact actually many missing ponies have actually been abducted by him and turned into robots. How I know you ask? Simply because he showed them to me when I tried to fight back. Rule number three, do not speak to any customers unless given permission by Viktor. He will always be in eyesight so you simply look at him and he will either nod or shake his head; again rule one is a major part in this interaction. Rule number four, Viktor goes to Equestria once a month and needs to use Equestrian magic that is within all of us so he will pick somepony and use them. Rule number five, do not fight with Viktor under any circumstances. The reason I do is because I am his main attraction in the business and now that we have you guys he will be expecting you to cooperate. Rule number six, now that we have new 'attractions' we will most likely being doing new events instead of the usual ones we do and since Halloween is right around the corner he might have something planned. The last and most important rule is do not break. No matter what he does do not break. Stay strong and you will last I promise." I listed off the rules while I walked back and forth in front of the new employees.

"Question, what is 'Halloween'?" Pinkie asked.

"It's this worlds nightmare night." I answered. "Anything else?" I asked only to be answered by shaking heads.

"So now what?" Rainbow questioned with a confused look on her face.

"Well it's five in the afternoon so there's really only one real answer." I said as I looked at the clock.

"What?" They all answered at the same time.

"Sleep." I yawned out as I laid down.

"Didn't you just wake up?" Rarity asked.

"Yeah, but when Viktor gets here he is going to organize you six into your places, download performance procedures into you and see how the shows will run with you six." I replied.

The mane six all realized what I had meant and took the advice and laid down to get some rest.

"Are you....Sure you will be.... Fine?" Derpy asked with a raised eyebrow causing me to lift my head.

"Yeah I will be as long as I have the mare I love by my side." I said with a smile as I gave her a goodnight kiss and laid down.

"You're such a.... Doofus." She laughed as she laid her head on my shoulders.

"I'm your doofus hun bun. I love you." I said in a goofy voice making her giggle.

"I love you too.... As a pillow." She said back to me.

"A pillow eh?" I said as I began tickling her belly with my wing making her scream with laughter and causing the others to giggle as they quietly watched us.

"Okay.... Okay.... I love you too baby." Derpy said with a smile as she laid her head back down as we all started drifting off to sleep.

I'm so glad I could make you laugh. I loved hearing you laugh and you haven't laughed that hard since we left. Now I'm sure we were made for each other since I can make you smile in a prison like this. I said in my head before I slipped into a peaceful bliss.

Author's Note

Taurien Emerald is the only substance to be found that can pierce and break an Algurian Diamond.