The Unique

The flight from Texas to Canterlot was filled with discussion. Starlight had hired a private flight to transport the agents and the new Uniques to the Agency. Norman, Bonbon, Deacon, and Starlight talked about the events leading up to the hospital. Starlight and Deacon were especially surprised to find out Agent Sombra was alive. Bonbon remembered the day vividly.

“You’re sure it was him?” Starlight asked, unconvinced that he could be alive.

“He said my name before kicking me off the train. He stopped me from being in that train before the bombs blew.” Norman said with complete assurance that he was right.

Bonbon took the revelation the hardest. She stared at the the table with sadness. In her lap was an old photo of him. It was a group shot to celebrate the new year. A younger version of her, Norman, and Deacon stood in the front row. The other agents that had celebrated with them smiled at the camera. Behind Bonbon was Sombra, who had an unenthused smile on his face. Starlight and Sunburst stood next to each other, smiling at the camera.

She stared at his face and felt a tear drop. Flashes of events went through her head as she stared at the photo. Deacon saw her staring at the photo and nudged her, snapping her out of it.

“You, okay?”

“Yeah. I’m fine.”

“So, uh, is this a bad time to ask who Sombra is?” Blue asked. Rivet and Astro nodded in agreement at the question.

“Weren’t you living with him in that trainyard?” Starlight asked.

“We barely saw him when we lived there. Sometimes he’d be at one spot, then suddenly he’s across the room. Guess that makes sense now.” Blue said.

“He didn’t talk to us that much. At first we thought he was just some guy Prion knew. We had no idea he had powers.” Astro said. Starlight looked at the three Uniques and checked them out.

“Sombra was a member of our Agency for a long time. He worked in stealth and undercover missions back in the day. When he wasn’t on missions he trained the recruits. Norman and Bonbon were trained by him when they were young. He was one of the best agents we had.” Starlight explained.

“Was?” Rivet said.

“He disappeared on a mission and was never seen again. Until now.” Starlight said.

“We’ll talk about this later.”

“Until then, relax.” Starlight said.

“What’re we going to do?” Norman asked.

“For now we can’t do anything. We have nothing to go on and no way to find him. So until further notice we can’t say anything to anyone about this.” Starlight said.

“But Madame. What if-“ Bonbon said. Starlight knew what she was going to say and quickly answered her.

“No. Hacking into the whole cities phones was hard enough. Besides, the government banned our ability to do so, unless given permission.” She answered.

“So, we’re doing nothing.” Norman said in disappointment.

“For now.”

“Alright, so we’re not gonna look for Sombra. Now what?” Deacon asked, raising his hands in

“We go home.” Starlight said.

In Canterlot, the sun lowered itself down and was starting to cover behind the mountains in the distance. Tauren stared at the scenery around him as the vehicle drove through the city. He sat in the backseat of the car, silently staring out the window.

He looked to the seat next to him and saw his luggage laying there. The zipper rattled a bit as the vehicle moved. He looked at the luggage and frowned lightly. Instead of living inside the Agency, Tauren has to live in a house with other people. Except these people weren’t agents, they were a family.

Driving the vehicle was Starlight Glimmer. She sat in her seat in silence, driving slowly through a neighborhood. The little sunlight left darkened the neighborhood enough for street lamps to turn on.

Tauren looked out the window and saw children playing in their front yard. He recognized the children and knew their names. A disturbing reminder of the monster that controlled him. This painful fact was why he chose to stay inside the Agency until he was needed.

He didnt want to see innocent people. It hurt him to see them everytime. He could still see their bodies in his head. The thought alone frightened him.

Starlight looked at Tauren through the rear-view mirror and saw his pained expression. She frowned at his expression and continued driving. She turned a corner and entered a small one-way street that ended in a big circle. Tauren looked at the houses in the circle and admired them. They were large two-stories buildings with big garages. Starlight drove towards the house in the center and pulled into the driveway. Tauren realized this was the house he was going to be living in. Tauren looked at the house and admired its design. The front yard was nice and moderately sized. Flowers of all colors lined the white picket fences that surrounded the yard. Fancy marble columns outlined the windows. The house itself was a dull
green that showed its age. Tauren could tell the house was in need of a paint job.

Starlight stopped the car and took the keys out of the wheel. The engine stopped making noise and left her and Tauren in a silent car. Starlight looked at herself in the side-view mirror and saw a piece of her hair was sticking up. She lightly combed it with her hand, successfully putting it down. She unbuckled her seatbelt and turned her head.

“We’re here.” She said, looking at Tauren.

“This is your home?”

“Yup. What do you think?” Starlight asked. Tauren stared at the house for a second and responded.

“It desperately needs a new paint job.” He said.

“Yeah, it could a new green.” Starlight agreed, looking at the dull colored house.

“But, it’s nice.” Tauren said.

“Thanks.” Starlight said. The car became quiet again. The two of them sat there in the car for a few seconds before Starlight said something.

“Are you ready to come in?” She asked. Tauren looked at her with an anxious look.

“I don’t want to go in.” He answered with sadness in his voice.

“I know, but you need to, Tauren.”

“Hiding from the world won’t do you any good.” Starlight said.

“I know.” He said, quietly.

“I don’t want to see them for obvious reasons.”

“Do you still get nightmares?”

“Every night. It’s always the same dream.” He said, closing his eyes in stress. Starlight looked at him with compassion, she knew what dream he was talking about.

Starlight remembered the dream he told her about. He was standing in smoking ruins. The sky was covered in a hazy fog that was visible enough for him to see the ruined skyscrapers. The wind and his breathing were the only things making noise. Starlight could still remembered the details he described. The ruins around him were black, charred by an unseen fire that ravaged the city. He stood where the Agency building that posed as a shop would have been. He looked around in horror, crying out for anyone. He would see the part of the building where the elevator to the parking garage and the Agency itself would be. The elevator shaft had collapsed, dirt and concrete filling the shaft. Then the horrid part happened. Starlight stopped remembering when Tauren started to speak.

“I still remember their bodies. Their faces. Their expressions. They were all dead because of me. I would see the bodies and fall on my knees with tears falling from my eyes.” Tauren said, remembering the pained scream he made in his dream.

“Then something else happened. Something new.” Tauren said, getting Starlights attention.

“You saw more?” She asked. Tauren nodded slowly in sadness.

“I’d hear a noise behind me. A shadow figure with wings would fly over me. I’d see the shadow and hear the sound of wings flapping. Then I’d hear the wings flap loudly only to stop, followed by two light footsteps. I’d stay there frozen in hesitation. I didn’t need to turn my head to know who she was.” Tauren said.

“She’d walked up to me and say how I’d failed. I couldn’t protect the people I cared about again. She’d laugh at me and grab my shoulders. I’d cringe at her chilling touch and flinch as her wings surrounded my body. She’d giggle beside me and lean into my ear and whisper.” Tauren recalled, cringing now as he described his dream.

“And what did she say?” Starlight asked with concern.

“I don’t know.” Tauren said. Starlight raised an eye at the answer, but didn’t say anything.Tauren sighed and opened his eyes..

“It hurts to see the memories of her control everytime I look at someone for too long. That’s why I don’t like leaving the Agency...” He said, gulping.

“When did you start seeing her in your dreams?” She asked.

After the scientists removed the tumor...I’m scared, Madame. I’m scared that seeing her in my dreams means she still has control over me. I keep thinking about what if I lose control. What if I lose control and attack people. I don’t want to think like that, but I can’t.”

“So you’re scared that you might attack me and my family if you live here?” She questioned, Tauren looked up at her and nodded.

“It won’t come to that, Tauren. Me and everyone else won’t let that happen. She’s not a part of you anymore. I know what she made you do and I know you feel like it’s your fault.

But it’s not. It’s not your fault. You have to stop feeling bad for yourself. Constantly putting yourself down like that is not healthy. You need to learn to let go of your past and forgive yourself. Else you might go down a hole that no one can help you escape.” Starlight said with sympathy. Tauren sat there in silence, thinking about what she said.

“How should I do it?”

“Find the people she hurt in this universe. Talk to them and ask to be forgiven. Go to Canterlot and just walk. Look for people that need help, live among them, and come inside my home.” Starlight said with compassion. Tauren looked at her sympathetic face and appreciated her compassion. He smiled a little and unbuckled his seatbelt. He opened car door and grabbed his luggage.

“Thanks.. Starlight.” He said, catching himself from saying Madame. He stepped out the vehicle with his luggage and closed the door. Starlight smiled at him and opened her door. Tauren walked out of the driveway and walked along the steps leading to her porch. He stood there and stared at the house with a nervous expression. Starlight walked up and stood beside him.

“Do they know I’m coming?”

“I told them everything about you. Your Minotaur form at least.”

“I don’t suppose you want me staying in my human form then?” Tauren asked.

“Yup.” She answered. Tauren sighed and gripped his luggage. The two of them walked side-by-side and reached halfway to the porch when the door suddenly opened. Tauren watched a orange eight year old boy rushed out the door in excitement.

“Mooooooom!” He exclaimed, his voice bouncing as he ran. Starlight knelt down as best she could and hugged him. The boy hugged her and felt a kick in her stomach. T
He let go of the hug and looked at Starlights belly.

“Hi, sis.” He waved at Starlights belly. Starlight smiled and put her hand on his hair. He closed his eyes and laughed as she rubbed his head. Tauren watched the whole thing with a feeling of amusement. The kid was a bright orange with red hair with a lock of green on the side.

Tauren looked at the kid and made eye contact. The boy saw Tauren and widened his eyes. He was taller than he was expecting. In fact, he was different than he expected.

The boy shifted closer to his mom and whispered to her.

“Is he the alien?” He whispered, loud enough for Tauren to hear every word. Starlight laughed on the inside and whispered loudly back.

“Yes, he is.” She answered. The boy looked back at Tauren and looked into his eyes. Tauren looked at him and tried to smile without freaking out.

“But he looks human.” He whispered.

“That’s just his costume. Why don’t you go say hi to him?” She said.

“Okay.” He said, innocently.

“Hi, I’m Star Shine.” He said in a somewhat squeaky voice. Tauren stared into his innocent eyes and felt shy. Star Shine raised his hand and left it hanging. Tauren looked at the open palm and gave him his. Star Shine shook his hand with a tiny grip. Tauren felt the small grip and lightly squeezed his hand. Star let go and smiled at him. Tauren looked at him with eyes wide in nervousness, a drop of sweat falling down his forehead.

The three of them heard more footsteps on the porch in front of them and looked up. Tauren stared at the porch and saw the rest of her family. His nervous feeling getting bigger than before.

“Hey, mom.” A ten year old girl said, walking towards Starlight. Starlight slowly stood up at her full height and hugged her daughter. Her daughter was half her height, making it easier for them to hug. Tauren saw her magenta hair with a sliver of green and recognized her as the daughter. He felt a bit more relaxed when he saw an agent that he knew. Ronin looked at Tauren on the porch and nodded his head.

He looked up at the tallest person on the porch and saw an orange man with reddish-brown hair and a small patch of white hair on his chin. He stood the tallest on the porch with Ronin being a few inches shorter. He knew his face from every single universe. He stared at Sunburst and gulped at the familiar face.

He stood there frozen with a blank face. A flash of his terrifying past burst through his mind as he stared at Sunburst. A flashback triggered in his head. A memory of her.

It was night time in the crystal palace that stood in the center of the Crystal Empire. He sneaked his way past guard after guard, silently taking out any who spotted him. He snuck up the palace and passed by hallway after hallway. He stopped at one hall and saw guards stationed outside a room. A child’s room.

She smiled with a sadistic laugh following soon after. She raised his Minotaur hand and watched as it glowed with a yellow mist. She smiled as her hand shifted to a shadow on the wall. Soon enough, the rest of her body disappeared into an outline on the wall. With silence, she walked on the flat wall and stood in the door. She poked his head out of the shadow on the door and stared down at the unsuspecting guards. Poking her left hand out of the shadow she shifted it again and resisted the urge to laugh as her hand turned into electricity.

BZZZZT

The zap of electricity echoed through the crystal palace. The quiet noise remained undetected through the quiet tower. She gripped both of their bodies with her hands and moaned at the feeling of power increasing inside her. She felt herself grow a tinsy-bit taller from the increase. Licking her lips, she crouched on the crystal floor and muffled her cloven-hooves. She sniffed the air and tracked the scent through the door, she stared at the closed door and lightly opened it. The door squeaked a bit as she slowly opened the door.

The light from the torch outside lit up the floor as she slowly opened it. Having enough room for her to squeeze through, she thrusted his body forward and snuck inside the dark room without a sound.

She stared at the dark room with eyes that let her see. She looked around the room and saw a bed with two figures sleeping peacefully.

She smiled at the sleeping figures and slowly walked to the front of the bed. She stared at their huddled bodies and sadistically smiled. A pony version of Starlight and Sunburst slept peacefully, hugging each other in their sleep. Staring at the sleeping lovers, she raised both her hands and channeled magic into them.

“I learned my lesson in the last universe. You two won’t be a problem anymore...” she whispered, her left hand burning with intense flames and her right hand zapping with electricity. She grinned at their sleeping bodies and lunged.

Tauren broke out of his memory from the shaking he received. He gasped in shock and looked to his side and saw a concerned Starlight with a scared Star Shine hiding behind her.

“Tauren?” Ronin asked. Tauren looked to his left and saw Ronin looking at him. He looked straight ahead and saw Sunburst looking at him with concern.

“Are you okay? You went blank on us and scared Star.” Sunburst asked with concern.

“I- ngh.. no. I’m sorry for scaring him.” He looked around the ground next to him and saw his luggage was missing.

“Starburst took your luggage while you in a trance, she brought it inside.” Ronin said.

“Tauren, are you okay?” Starlight asked. Tauren looked at her with a scared expression and slowly shook his head.

“Come inside, we’ll get you set up.” Sunburst said, getting closer to him. He grabbed his shoulder and attempted to push him in. Tauren looked at him wide eyed and slowly walked forward. Him and the family walked up the porch in silence, entering the house.

Tauren looked inside the house and took in the houses decor. A small potted plant stood on a table next to the door. He stepped on white tiles under his feet that turned into carpet as it reached the living room, a small border between the tile and carpet. A large tv was set up on a large table with a soundboard underneath it.

A couch and two comfy chairs faced the tv.

“Hello, Mister. I’m Starburst.” A girl said. Tauren looked to his right and saw the same girl approaching him from a hallway with family photos. He saw her braces in the wide smile she made at him. She stood in front of him and put your hand out for a shake. Tauren stared at the hand and slowly shook it. She looked at Taurens face and dropped her smile. Looking at her hand, she looked at the sweat on her hand with slight discomfort. Tauren saw his sweat was on her hand and apologized.

“I’m sorry.” Tauren said. Starburst whipped the sweat off her hand and adjusted her glasses.

“Its okay. You seem tense. Like you don’t want to be here?” She questioned. Tauren looked at her in confusion. He wondered how she figured it out already and received an answer from Sunburst.

“Starburst inherited the detective side of both us.” Sunburst said, kissing her forehead.

“She’s training to be an agent like me and her older brother.” Starlight said.

“And working hard.” She exclaimed with certainty.

“And I’m Sunburst. It’s good to finally meet you.” He said, giving his hand out. Tauren grabbed his hand and shook it.

“Likewise.” Tauren said.

“I must say it’s an honor to have someone like you living with us.” Sunburst said, getting Tauren to raise an eye.

“Thanks.” He said.

“I’ll show you to your room. Your luggage should already be in your room.” Sunburst said, grabbing onto the stairs railing. He took a step and walked up the stairs.
Tauren looked at the carpeted steps and quietly walked up. He followed Sunburst up the steps and stared at the house decor.

He reached the top of the stairs and followed Sunburst. To his left he saw two closed doors. To his right was a hallway that turned a corner. Three rooms were on the sides of the hall. He walked passed the three open rooms and peeked inside them. In one room he saw blue walls and a grey carpet. Inside the room was a tidy blue bed. Movie posters and a couple bands were on the wall. Tauren realized this was Ronins room.

He walked passed another room and saw another blue room and bed. Dinosaur figures lined a desk and shelves. A few action figures were left alone on the floor. Tauren assumed this was Star Shines room.

Next to Star Shines room was Starbursts. He looked inside the room and saw a purple room with a green bed. A desk with a mirror was the only object he could see through the half-open door.

Sunburst stopped infront of the last door in the hall and looked at Tauren. The two made eye contact and nodded. Sunburst entered the room with hands raised.

“This is where you’ll be staying.” He said. Tauren entered the room and looked inside. On the tan colored carpet was his luggage. Three windows lit up the purple walled room. Inside the wall was a closet that was filled with stuff. There was a bed with a wooden frame that was a shelf on the end. The beds pillows and blankets were blue. The mattress itself was a clean white. In the corner of the room was a small 24’ tv.

Tauren stared at the room and felt happiness. He couldn’t remember the last time he had his own room. He smiled as he felt a feeling he hadn’t felt in a long time. For the first time in a long time, he felt the urge to smile at his situation. Memories of his life before she came along, passed through his head. Memories of warmth and joy as he played with friends outside while his mother and father watched from afar. He wanted to feel this feeling longer, but was pulled out by Sunburst.

“What do you think?” He asked.

“It’s nice. Thank you. I’m greatful that you and Starlight let me stay here.

“It’s no problem at all, Tauren. You go on ahead and make yourself comfortable. I’ll be downstairs if you need anything.” Sunburst said, walking out of the room.

“Alright.” Tauren replied, hearing Sunburst walk down the stairs.

Tauren stared at the room in silence. He closed his eyes and relaxed while standing. He listened to the quiet empty room and heard the families muffled voices downstairs.

He opened his eyes back up and sniffed the air. He walked over to the door and poked his head out. He stared at the quiet hall and waited to see if anybody was upstairs. He peeked his head back in the room and lightly pushed the door until only an inch was left open.

He took a breath and walked over to the bed and touched it. It felt nice and warm in his touch. The feeling of a bed to call his own made him feel warm inside. He was happy to feel like this again.

He looked at his luggage on the floor and lifted his hand. In a second, a mist swirled around his hand and gripped the luggage. He closed his hand and pulled the luggage with his magic. He grabbed it out of his magic and opened the luggage.

He checked to make sure everything he brought with him from the Agency were still inside. He unpacked his human forms clothes and Agency suit. Unpacking further, he touched a handgun and stared at it inside the bag. He stared at the gun and looked at the door to see if anybody was watching. He quickly pulled it out of the bag and quietly snuck it under his pillow.

He zipped his luggage back up and place it on the floor for him to sort through later. For now, he continued relaxing and rubbed his face. He flexed his muscles and listened to the pops and cracks. He felt tons of pressure escape his shoulders. He groaned as he cracked his neck and knuckles.

He looked at the door again and listened for anybody nearby. He could still hear nothing from outside, except muffled voices downstairs. He sighed and sat on the bed, closing his eyes. He put his legs up on the bed and sat crisscrossed. He took a deep breath and began to concentrate in his relaxed state.

He listened to nothing and did nothing as he concentrated on the bed. A yellow mist formed in his chest and quickly enveloped his torso as he concentrated. The mist travelled through his body as he slowly began to levitate above the bed. His head flashed through memories of friends and family in his childhood. His mind was in a blue room with walls unseen by a fog. All around him were silhouettes of friends and family as they lived their lives in peace. A warm feeling wrapped around him like a blanket. He stared at the memories with a blank expression. He squirmed and groaned in his levitated state as darker memories came in.

He heard screams of fear from families and friends as their silhouettes vanished from his head. The blue room changed color to a darker red. The fog around him grew thicker and harder to see through. A chilling laugh repeated over and over in his head as he saw a lone silhouette with wings fight off an entire army of silhouettes. He narrowed his closed eyes at the scene.

He knew it was her. She fought figure after figure with a stick like weapon that quickly laid waste to the vast army. When there was only a few left, they circled around her with spears. She laughed at them and jumped into the sky. Tauren squirmed and groaned more as a thick cloud of smoke rushed out of her hands and disintegrated the last remaining silhouettes. She stopped her assault and jumped back down to the floor. She laughed and laughed at the scene before her.

Tauren started to breath more rapidly as the memories of the past drifted through him. In his mind, he saw a silhouette alone in the midst of a dead army. He saw him drop his spear and land on his knees. He watched the winged figure walk towards him with a sadistic smile. The silhouettes no longer were silhouettes.

Tauren opened his eyes and saw he was in a familiar environment. A very familiar environment. He looked at the bodies that lay before him and saw hundreds of his own race among others dead. He stared at the body in front of him and weakly apologized. He suddenly heard a scream followed by crying and looked up to see a familiar scene playing out in front of him.

He saw himself lying on the ground with tears falling down his eyes. He watched as he held a pony in his arms. Tears dropped and hit their body as Tauren stared at the fallen comrade. Tauren watched himself caress the body and recognized it as one of his friends from a long time ago.

“I’m sorry.” He barely got out. Tauren stared at himself as he began to breakdown in tears. He stared at the scene with a sad expression. He knew what was going to come next.

He and himself stared forward as they heard a sadistic laugh come closer to him. Tauren stared at the scene playing out and knew what was coming. He looked at his younger self and saw his grief-stricken face.

He stared at the scene with hatred as the woman that ruined his world came into vision. She walked in a human form with purple dragon-like wings in skeleton-like armor. Her purple skin and hair along with the smile gave away her identity. It was Lilith. She stared at the broken Minotaur with a smile. He stared back at her and put down his fallen friends body.

“Why?! Why?! Why?!” His younger self screamed. She said nothing and continued staring at the broken Minotaur.

“You’ve killed everybody I know. Everyone I care about. We were the last of all of us... and YOU KILLED THEM ALL!!!” He screamed. She grinned and giggled at the crying Minotaur. He stared at her laughing face and felt more and more broken. He knew the army was the last of his races warriors. The last of everyone’s warriors. She had wiped out every soldier left. He knew all that was left was him and her. He looked at the fallen bodies that surrounded him and gave up. He stared at the laughing woman and crawled closer to her.

“Kill me... I want to die!” He choked out. She stared at him with a blank face filled with emptiness.

“Come on! I’m all that’s left! Kill me...” he shouted, choking up on the last words.

“I just want to die...” he choked, dropping his whole body to the ground. He stared at her from the floor and saw her evil grin. She crouched down and gripped his chin. The Minotaur groaned and closed his eyes, expecting to be killed. Instead of death, he heard the same evil laugh from before.

“Look at you, Tauren. On the floor, begging to be killed by your queen. Its because of you, everyone you cared about is dead. I knew this whole time that you and the generals planned to betray me. You thought you would win.” She laughed. Tauren heard her words and sobbed.

“Just kill me...” he moaned.

“No.”

“Why...” he mumbled. She smirked at him and gripped harder on his chin.

“Because. You’re perfect for me.” She said, expanding her wings. Tauren watched the memory from afar and saw her body enveloped by a yellow mist. She lifted the younger Tauren by his chin and knocked him to his back. The younger Tauren groaned as he hit the ground in pain. He looked up at her in fear and saw her glowing form.

She walked over to him and stood on top of his body. Tauren tried to get away but found himself unable to fight back. She crouched down on her knees and laid on top of Tauren, preventing him from moving. Tauren tried to push her off, but couldn’t move. Her face was mere inches from his as he struggled to fight.

“I’ve always been interested in you, Tauren. You’ll be a perfect host for me.” She smiled, grabbing his chin lightly. Tauren moved his head off of her hand and tried to avoid her touch. He squirmed and groaned as he tried to avoid her. She grabbed his chin again and held on to him with her strength. Tauren squirmed as he felt unable to move his head.

“Now you’re mine.” She said. Sweat poured off Taurens face as she moved closer to his face.

“No.” He shouted. He tried to move away from her, but failed. Tauren watched the memory in front of him and turned his head away.

AGGHHHH

Tauren winced at the scream from his younger self. She had kissed him on the mouth for a minute as her whole body was enveloped by the yellow mist. The mist wrapped around his younger self as she forcibly kissed him. Taurens younger self stared off into space as she kissed his lips. He dropped a single tear before the mist covered his head. The wind around the two kicked up and formed a mini tornado around them. Tauren continued to look away as he watched the memory. He didn’t need to see to know what was going on. This was how it happened.

When the wind stopped roaring, he turned his head at the scene. His younger self was all that remained on the ground. Lilith was nowhere to be seen. But Tauren knew what happened. He watched him stand up and look at himself. He clenched his hands repeatedly and smiled. Tauren stared at the scene with pain. This was how she became him.

He watched as she began to laugh with pure insanity. Her plan had worked. She had possessed him. Tauren watched the insane laugh and began to cry. The memory around him had vanished and was replaced by the familiar red mindscape.

Flashes of memories popped around him as he levitated in the room. The sounds of crying and painful screams of agony surrounded him. He squinted hard as the memories rushed in. He squirmed and groaned as the memories rushed in faster and faster. He could hear them. Every single one. He groaned louder and louder as he blocked his ears with his hands. The screams still came as clear as ever. Tauren lost all control when he heard the same insane laugh from the demon that did this to him.

He broke down in the mindscape and roared in pain. The stress getting the better of him. He screamed in agonizing pain as the voices got louder and louder. Through it all, a footstep from behind him for his attention. He turned his head in distress in and stared at figure standing in the mindscape. He looked at its body and saw its skin was the purest of black. Lights and shapes were randomly around its body. He immediately realized the lights and shapes were stars and galaxies. He screamed in pain as he stared at the figure watching him.

The figure stared at him with its featureless face and raised its hand. Tauren stared at the hand and saw an explosion in the center of its palm. His eyes widened at the explosion in its hand and watched as the red mindscape changed into blue. The dark memories disappearing along with the pain. He looked around and stared at the figure in confusion.

“Who are you?” He asked, feeling unnerved by its lack of a face. Him and the figure stared at each other for a few seconds before it spoke.

“Order.” It said with a deep raspy whisper.

Tauren blinked once and was surprised to see the figure had disappeared. He stood up in the mindscape and looked around for the figure.

“Wait!” He exclaimed. His concentration broke suddenly and found himself in his room. He fell on the bed no longer levitating and stood up. He looked at his hands and legs and saw his cloven hooves. He was in his real form. He heard the door creak open and turned his head. He looked at the door and saw no one. Then he looked down and saw Star Shine staring at him from behind the door.

Knowing he was caught, Star Shine opened the door fully and stared at Tauren with awe. Tauren looked at the little boy and relaxed. He grabbed his luggage and looked inside it. The boy watched his every move with awe. Tauren fidgeted around for a few seconds before glancing at the still staring boy.

“Is something wrong?” He asked. The boy looked up at him and stood up straight.

“Mom told me you were taller.” He said out of the blue. Tauren looked at him and avoided his innocent stare.

“I can make myself taller.” He answered.

“Can you transform into animals?” He asked.

“Uh... I don’t know. Maybe if I try. I’m only good at turning into a human.” Tauren replied, wondering if he could turn into animals

“Is that why you’re sweating?” He asked.

“Yeah...That’s why.. What are you doing up here?” He asked.

“Mom wondered why you were so quiet, so I checked to see if you were okay.” He replied, shyly.

“I didnt hear you knock.” He joked, smiling lightly.

“I’m sorry.” He apologized, looking down at the floor in shame.

“It’s okay. I know you didn’t mean it.” He said, getting the boys attention.

“Most kids would think I’m terrifying in this form. Why don’t you?” He asked.

“I guess it’s because I saw you on tv. It was so cool watching you fight the rock guy. “ he said.

“But mom said I wasn’t supposed to watch tv. Please don’t tell mom I saw the fight.” He pleaded, praying with his hands. Tauren looked at the boy and resisted the urge to laugh.

“I won’t tell.” Tauren said.

“You promise?” He questioned.

“I promise.” Tauren said.

“Why don’t you go tell your mom I’m fine. I’ll be downstairs in a second.”

“Okay.” He replied, running out the room. Tauren listened to the boys heavy footsteps as he rushed down the stairs.

Tauren lightly smiled and zipped his luggage. He dropped the luggage on the floor and got up out the bed. He stretched his muscles and relaxed. He took a couple steps and reached the door. He stopped walking and turned his head, staring at the pillow hiding his gun. He grabbed the doorknob and closed the door. He stood there for a few seconds and thought to himself. He thought back to the mindscape and remembered the figure staring at him.

He wondered who or what he was and tried to think of any explanation for him. He stopped thinking about it and looked at the pictures on the hallway. He stared at one picture in particular among the dozen of frames. It was an old black and white picture of a soldier in uniform. He smiled and saluted at the camera. Tauren stared at the photo and recognized the man as Starlight Glimmers father, Stellar Skies. He’s heard of her father in many universes. He was dead before he arrived in every universe. He was one of the lucky few to escape death from her.

He knew that he was an amazing pilot during WWII, that fact remained the same in every universe. But what was unique about this universe was that he was recruited to join the Agency after the war ended. He nodded at the image and quietly sent his respect. He walked down the hallway and stared at the bottom floor from the top of the stairs. He saw the illuminated floor from a light fixture and gulped. Taking a step down, he held on to the rail as he made his descent.

Tauren entered the living room and saw Sunburst, Starburst, Star Shine, and Starlight. Starlight eating an entire bucket of ice cream while Sunburst watched her eat with concern.

“Slow down, hun. You might get a brain freeze.” He cautioned. Starlight ignored him and continued eating. The two of them watched their kids playing games. Ronin, Starburst, and Star Shine were playing games on the tv, not noticing Tauren.

“Mmhmm.” He coughed.

The whole family stopped what they were doing and stared at Tauren. Star Shine looked at him and smiled with his mouth open. Starburst had her jaw dropped when she saw Tauren. Sunburst was equally as shocked but kept his mouth closed. Ronin nodded at Taurens arrival and pulled first place in Mario Kart while his siblings weren’t looking.

Starlight stopped eating ice cream and looked at Tauren with an approving smile.

“I thought you would be taller?” Sunburst blurted out. Tauren rolled his eyes and smiled. He entered the living room and saw an empty recliner. He walked over to the recliner and gripped the arm. He turned around and sat on the recliner. He took a comfortable position and leaned into the back. He closed his eyes and sighed, feeling relaxed in the chair. He opened his eyes and saw Star Shine and Starburst looking at him.

“What’s wrong with your legs?” Star Shine asked.

“Star Shine!” Starlight exclaimed at his rude question.

“What he meant to say was, why are your legs bent like that?” Starburst asked. Tauren looked at his legs and inspected then. The upper half of his legs were pushed out forward, but his lower half was pushed back behind his knees. His lower half pushed forward at the bottom until his hooves were level with the upper half of his legs.

“My race evolved in huge mountains. Our legs were what kept us stable on the side of cliffs. They’re also used for jumping high off the ground.” He explained.

“That’s just how he was born.” Ronin said, playing video games.

“How high can you jump?” Sunburst asked with curiousity.

“12 feet. Maybe higher.” He answered.

“Wow.” Star Shine said.

The gathering was quickly interrupted by the sound of a bell ringing from the kitchen. Sunburst got up from the couch and rubbed his hands.

“Dinners ready.” He exclaimed.

Starlight got up from the couch with the bucket of ice cream in her hands. Ronin paused the game and got off the floor. Starburst and Star Shine got up with him and walked towards the kitchen. Starburst stopped and turned her head towards Tauren.

“You coming?” She asked.

“I’m not hungry.” He said.
He heard a giggle from her and glanced at her.

“You will be when you see dad’s cooking.” She said, walking into the kitchen. Tauren looked at where she stood and rolled his eyes. He got up out of the recliner and walked to the kitchen. He stepped into the kitchen and heard thumps from his hooves hitting the tile floor.

He saw the family sitting at the table under a lamp that bathed them in light. Tauren looked at the kitchen and took in its layout. On the wall to his left was the refrigerator and a dishwasher. On the wall in front of him was a stove next to a sink and a counter filled with stuff. Above the counter was shelves filled with spices, medicine, and other things.

He walked over to the counter and grabbed a empty plate. He walked over to the stove and saw dinner sitting in a tray. It was spaghetti. He loved spaghetti. Tauren smelled the spaghetti in front of him and immediately felt his stomach rumble. The spaghetti and the sauce itself looked amazing, for a second he felt his mouth drool. He put the spaghetti on his plate and took in the smell once more. The family looked at him and smiled at his face.

Tauren turned towards them and saw their smiles before they could hide them. He ignored them and walked over to the table and took a seat on an empty chair. He Saturday on the chair and placed the plate on the table. He looked at the family and saw their faces as they ate. Grabbing his fork, he pierced the plate of spaghetti and took a bite. He chewed on the spaghetti and widened his eyes.

This was the tastiest spaghetti he had ever eaten. He swallowed the spaghetti and ate faster. The family watched him as he ate the spaghetti and saw how fast he was eating the plate. He looked up and saw their faces and stopped eating. Grabbing a napkin, he wiped his mouth and cleared his throat.

“This is amazing.” He said.

“Thanks.” Sunburst replied.

“Where did you learn to cook food this good?” Tauren asked.

“Dad used to be a chef when he worked in Tech Division for the Agency.” Ronin explained.

“It’s mostly practice from years of experience.” Sunburst answered.

“Eating his food was one of the best parts of my day when I was young. We made a lot of memories when we were young.” Starlight smiled, looking at Sunburst.

“Gross.” Ronin said, eating his food. Starlight lightly punched his shoulder and laughed. The whole table laughed at the comment and continued eating.

Tauren felt something rub against his leg fur and looked under the table. He looked down and saw a white and orange tabby cat staring at him. The cat meowed and climbed onto his leg. Tauren raised an eye at the cat and scratched its neck. The cat purred and leaned into his hands. Starburst looked under the table and saw Taurens hand scratching the cat.

“That’s our cat, Keda.” Starburst said.

“I was wondering where he went.” Starlight said, looking under the table as best she could.

“Keda?” Tauren asked.

“Key-da.”

“He’s our pet. Mom brought him home two years ago from the road.”

“He was all alone on the side of a road at night shivering in the cold. I wasn’t going to leave him.” Starlight explained.

“We tried to find his owner but we never did find him. So we kept him and he’s been living with us ever since.” Ronin said.

“He seems to like you.” Sunburst said, watching the purring cat.

Tauren stopped scratching the cat and continued eating. The family ate dinner with a few bits of random conversation.

After dinner ended, it was already time to go to bed. Tauren stood in the hallway on the second floor. Ronin and Starburst had already closed their doors, except Star Shine. Tauren peeked in the room and saw Starlight and Sunburst tucking in Star Shine. She looked at him with motherly love, hugging and kissing him on his forehead. She and Sunburst walked towards the door frame and stared at Star Shine.

“Goodnight, sweetie.”

“Goodnight, mom. Goodnight, dad.” He said.

“Goodnight.” Sunburst said, turning the light off. Tauren looked inside and saw a light illuminating the room blue. Starlight closed the door and saw Taurens face.

“He sleeps better with a nightlight.” She explained. She yawned and watched Sunburst wall into their bedroom. She looked at Tauren and spoke.

“We’re going to bed. Need anything before we close the door?” She asked. Tauren shook his head and responded.

“No. I should be fine.”

“You sure?”

“I’ll just be going to sleep.” He assured. She looked at him with an eye raised and folded her arms.

“Well okay...” She said, turning around.

“Goodnight then.” She said.

“Goodnight.” He said, walking to his room. He stopped and turned his head and saw Starlight closing her door.

“Oh, Madame?” Tauren said. She stopped closing the door and poked her head out.

“What?” She asked.

“Thanks, again, for letting me live with you.”

“You’re welcome, Tauren. We’ll talk more in the morning. Goodnight.” She smiled.

“Goodnight, Madame.” He said. Starlight looked at him with an unamused face and closed the door. Tauren stared at the closed door for a few seconds before sighing. He walked into his room and quietly closed the door. He lightly kicked his luggage away from his path and crawled into bed. He plopped his head on the pillow and closed his eyes. He squinted in annoyance when he felt the gun under his pillow. He pulled it from under the pillow and stuck it in between the mattress and the bed frame.

He laid there in the bed and thought back to his trip in the mindscape. He squinted as memories passed through his head. He pictured the figure he saw in his head and tried to explain it. He thought back to everything he had learned about the multiverse from helplessly watching Lilith travel through. In all his years of imprisonment, he had never seen anything like it before. Except.

He opened his eyes wide as realization came to him. He stood up out of the bed and whispered to himself. There was only one species that could enter the mindscape of anybody.

“Kirin.”

There was no possible alternative. Very few could enter the mindscape. Only the most powerful magic users in a relaxed state could enter the mindscape. But to influence the mindscape like that. Only a Kirin could possibly achieve that. Tauren thought back to the time he was trapped. Memories of Liliths encounters with the Kirin went through his mind.

They were a species of Gods from an unknown origin. They were guardians of their respectively universes. Only one Kirin existed in its universes. That made it easier for Lilith to kill them. Lilith never found the truth behind the Kirins and instead killed them before they could ruin her plans.

However, there was one problem with his theory. The Kirins don’t guard the human realm. This was one of the many reasons why Lilith chose to hunt in the human realms. Without the threat of the Kirins, destroying universes was a lot easier. By the time a Kirin found out its universe was under attack, it would already be too late.

Tauren pictured its featureless face. If it was a Kirin, why would it appear to him like that? He tried to think of an explanation for the mysterious visitor that ended his pain. It’s voice echoed through his head.

“Order.” It said in a deep raspy whisper.

“What are you?” He thought to himself. He laid in the bed thinking for almost an hour before falling asleep. His thoughts carried in to his dreams as he slept.

Tauren opened his eyes and quickly jumped to his hooves. He looked around the strange environment he was in and realized he was in a dark library filled with rows of books.

The bookshelves were tall and stocked entirely with books. They reached high into the air, nearly touching the ceiling.

He looked around the library and called out for anybody.

“Hello?” He said, raising his voice. He listened to his voice echo through the library, traveling through the mist. He looked in front of him and saw a fog that prevented him from seeing further down the library. He took a step and heard his hooves clop on the floor. He walked through the library and looked at the books as he passed them. Seeing no end to the library, he started to jog through the hall. Still seeing no end, his jogging turned to desperate running as he ran through the walls.

Seeing no end to the library, he stopped running and touched his knees in exhaustion.

BZZZZZ

The sudden buzzing sound to his left startled him. He looked to his left and saw a hallway that cut the bookshelf in half. He looked at the hallway in confusion and wondered how he didn’t see that there.

He composed himself and stared at the new hallway. The hall was illuminated by an unseen blue light. It’s walls were made of brick and the floor was stone. Seeing nothing dangerous, he walked slowly inside. He walked through the hall and turned his head back to where he came. He was surprised to see a brick wall hasn’t formed where he walked in from. He turned around and knocked on the brick.

“Great.” He groaned. He stopped knocking and turned back around. He was gonna have to find another way out. He continued walking through the empty hall and looked for a door or a new hallway.

He walked through the hall and turned a corner to a different hallway. He stopped and looked down the new hallway and could see a door. He squinted his eyes and made out details on the door. There was pictures burned into the metal door. He walked down the hallway and approached the door. He looked at the metal door and saw dragons of all shapes and sizes. The pictures depicted a battle between dragons. Dragons holding giant axes and breathing fire fought each other in a gruesome fight. Tauren recognized the battle depicted as the The Great Dragon War.

It was a century-old battle of dragon rebels fighting against their Dragonlord dictator. The Dragonlord ruled over the dragons with an iron fist. Forcing his own citizens into a slave army. He conquered village after village. He attacked every nation on Gaia with no mercy. When the other nations realized how much of a threat he posed they set aside their differences and worked together to defeat the Dragonlord.

He stared at the impressive craftsmanship on the door and nodded. He grabbed the door knob and twisted it. Lightly opening it, he peeked inside and saw a medium-sized room with massive columns supporting the ceiling. He stared inside the empty room and let himself in.

He looked inside and saw a fireplace pop into existence in the wall on the other side of the room. He jumped at the sudden cackling of the fire and squinted his eyes in an attempt to block the fire light. He blinked once and widened his eyes when he saw a man sitting on a chair pop into existence infront of the fireplace.

Tauren looked at the man and saw he was in fishermen’s clothes. The man sat quietly in front of the fireplace, holding a stick with a marshmallow on it. Tauren watched the man hold the marshmallow above the fireplace and watched it burn. He took a single step and was detected by the man.

The man turned his head towards Tauren, revealing a grey old man with a receding hairline. He and Tauren made eye contact for a few seconds before he turned back around.

“Been waiting for you.” The man said in a tired old voice.

The man leaned to his left and grabbed a chair out of a column. He put the chair next to the fireplace and patted the seat multiple times. He stopped patting it and leaned back to his spot on his chair.

“Sit down.” He said, softly.

“Who are you? Tauren asked.

“Why I’m just an old man. Come on. Take a seat. I don’t bite.” He said. Tauren stared at the old man in suspicion and slowly approached the chair.

“Where am I?” Tauren said.

“You’re in a room.” He said. Tauren looked at him with an unamused look, not appreciating his smarts. The old man smirked and ate the roasted marshmallow off the stick.

“You’re dreaming.”

“What?” He said in silent shock.

“Who are you? How are you in my dreams? Only a few powerful magic-users are able to enter dreams.” Tauren exclaimed.

“I already said I’m an old man. And for why I’m in your dreams? I just walked in.” He said, stabbing another marshmallow on his stick.

“What?”

“You heard me... It doesn’t take much strength to enter dreams for me.” He said.

“You’re not an old man. Who are you?” Tauren demanded, raising his voice.

“You’re right. I’m not an old man. But I certainly am older than you.” He said.

“You’ve caused quite a stir in the multiverse, you know. Especially what she’s done to you.” He said. Tauren widened his eyes and lunged at the man. He grabbed him by the throat and pushed him on a column. His body hit the column and created a loud thud that echoed through the room.

“How do you know about Lilith? Who are you?” Tauren exclaimed, glaring at the man. The man looked at him, then back up. He raised his hand and shook his finger.

“No, No, I got this.” He said to a figure behind Tauren. Tauren turned his head and saw a faceless man staring at him. The galaxies and stars on his body gave him away as the man he saw from the Mindscape.

“You... you stopped me from seeing my dark memories in the Mindscape.” Tauren exclaimed, letting go of the old man. Tauren blinked once and saw the man had disappeared. He looked around the room and saw he was nowhere to be seen. He turned around and looked at the old man on the floor with confusion.

“What are you?”

“Do you always hurt a stranger?” He asked, rubbing his neck.

“I’m sorry. You said something I wasn’t expecting to hear.” Tauren said, helping the old man up. The man thanked him for his help and took a seat back in his chair.

“My apologies for bringing up your past. I read your mind in an instant.”

“You what?” Tauren exclaimed in a whisper.

“I’m sorry. It’s a passive ability. It allows me to know the people I talk to. Let’s me understand them on a deeper level.”

“I won’t tell you who I am. Not yet.”

“Then why are you here?”

“...Hmm... I just wanted to see you. The demon who controlled you was very hard to track down. But her trail of destruction was what led us to you. We are the reason you are free from her grasp.”

“What?” He exclaimed in a quiet voice.

“It is true. Our apologies once more for taking so long. We were busy elsewhere.”

“I don’t understand? How are you the reason I’m free.”

“All will be revealed in due time, Tauren. It’s time to wake up.” He said, the room lighting up in a heavenly glow. Taurens eyes widened as he looked around the room. He shook his head in denial, not wanting to wake up.

“No! I have so many questions! Not again!”

“I’m sorry, Tauren. Control yourself. Live life. In time we will return. Sooner than you think.” He said, echoing through the room.

“Wait! Wait! Wait!!” He yelled. He opened his eyes and gasped as he rose out of his bed. He looked around the dark room and found himself in Starlights house. He was awake. With even more questions.

Tauren jumped out of the bed and rushed out of his room. He kept quiet as he passed by the upstairs rooms. He walked down the stairs and scratched the wall as he looked
for a switch. He found the switch and flipped it, turning the lights on. He stared at the empty living room and lied down on the couch.

He lied there on the couch for a few minutes feeling sick. He wiped sweat off his forehead and immediately stood back up. He walked out of the living room and entered the kitchen, leaning uncomfortably. He put his hand on a knob and opened the refrigerator. He looked at the selection of food and drinks inside and saw a dozen unopened soda cans.

He pulled one out and forced the lid open. He shoved the soda into his mouth and chugged it down into his throat. He gulped and gulped and threw the can out of his mouth. He crushed the can and threw it in the trash can. Taking a deep breath, he pulled out a chair and dropped himself onto it. The momentum and weight from his massive size pushed the chair legs out, nearly breaking it.

He breathed slower and slower, feeling relaxed as he sat in the chair. He wiped more sweat off his forehead and grabbed a napkin from the table. He wiped his hands on the napkin and felt his sweat dampen it. He threw the napkin into the trash and stood up out of the chair. He heard the chair legs scrape the floor as he stood up.

He walked out of the kitchen and relaxed. Entering the living room, he stared up at the upstairs floor and listened to the silence. He thought about going back up into his room, but decided against it. He needed some air.

Tauren closed his eyes and concentrated. The yellow mist pushed out of the center of his chest and travelled around his torso. The mist enveloped his whole
body and pulsed as his transformation began. His lower portion of his legs cracked and pushed forward, straightening out. The fur on his legs disappeared and was covered by pants. His exposed chest vanished and flattened, turning into a shirt. His head grew long flowing black hair. His snout flattened and turned into a human nose. The rest of his Minotaur parts changed size and shape into a human form. The two horns on his head shortened and disappeared into his head.

When the mist disappeared, he opened his eyes and looked at himself. He was in his human form. He shook his body and unwrinkled his clothes. He silently opened a closet next to the front door and looked inside. He saw a couple jackets hanged up on a rack and took one. He put on a thick grey jacket with a furry interior and zipped it up.

He stood there for a moment thinking about what he was doing. He felt stressed out from the ordeal he just went through in his dream and sighed. He lifted his hand and summoned the yellow mist around his arm. His magical grasp reached out across the living room and flicked the light switch off.

His eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness causing him to stare up at the second floor a final time. He grimaced and sighed, putting his head down. He walked to the front door and touched the knob. Twisting it, he silently opened the door and snuck outside.

He immediately felt the cold light breeze on his head and closed his eyes. He slowly closed the door and stood on the porch. He looked at the quiet neighborhood and stared at the street lamps. The lamps lit up the sidewalks in a white light. The bright lamps annoyed him. He stood there trying to adjust his eyes for about a minute. When he was no longer hurt by the light, he slowly made his way out of the front lawn.

He walked down the path and passed by Starlights car. He looked around the neighborhood as he walked on the sidewalk. He stared up at the night sky and could barely make out the stars from the light pollution. Tauren looked ahead and turned a corner to another street. He pushed on and passed street after street until he was no longer in the residential zone.

He stared at every car that drove by on the road. He listened to cars and trucks drive by on the highway above him. He looked up ahead and saw the lights from the skyscrapers in the distance. He closed his eyes and stood on the sidewalk. He relaxed and listened to the sound of cars, trucks, and motorcycles roaring and honking in the distance. The sounds combined with the breeze made the night feel almost peaceful.

Then the quiet night was interrupted by a door swinging open to his left. He turned his head and saw a woman walk out of a mini market with a jacket on. Her hood wasn’t up which kept Tauren from identifying her from afar. She carried a bag with her that Tauren couldn’t see what was inside.

She didn’t notice Tauren standing there on the sidewalk and walked to the mostly empty parking lot. She pulled out her car keys and accidentally dropped them. Tauren turned away as she bent down to grab her keys and walked away. His steps echoed on the floor, getting the girls attention. She stared at Tauren from behind and squinted her eyes. She could’ve sworn she had seen him before from somewhere.

Her focus on Tauren prevented her seeing two men with masks approach her from behind. She gasped as her mouth was covered by a mans glove. She freaked out and struggled to fight against the two men. Her bag shook and made noise as she struggled. The two men pulled out knives and aimed them at her.

“GIve us the car, lady. Or else.” The masked man demanded. She screamed at the sight of the knife, her voice getting muffled by the mans hand.

Tauren continued to walk unaware of what was going on behind him. The woman continued to give the men a hard time. She kicked the man holding on to her in the groin and dropped her bag.

The sound of glass breaking in the bag got Taurens attention. He raised an eye and turned around. His eyes widened when he saw what was going on in the parking lot. He watched as the woman struggled to fight back against the men with knives. He clenched his arms and quickly crouched.

He knew that he had to stop them. He would never forgive himself if he did nothing. Glaring at the men, he cracked his knuckles and prepared to fight. He realized the men hadn’t noticed him and took this to his advantage.

He walked on over to the scene in front of him and concentrated. His clothes began to light up in a yellow glow that quickly flew out of his shirt. The yellow mist rushed out of his sleeves and quickly enveloped his hands. His shoes pounded on the sidewalk, getting their attention. The men stared at Tauren with surprise. One of the men stepped forward and raised his knife towards Tauren.

“Take one step closer and I’ll ki-“ Tauren interrupted him by lifting his hand. The mist enveloped his hand dashed forward and gripped the mans shirt.

AAAHHH

Tauren pushes the man to the ground with his magic, picking up his knife. He levitated the knife and pointed the sharp edge to the ground. The man looked up at Tauren from the ground and saw the knife hovering above his head. He saw Tauren glare at him and watched him dropped the knife to him with extreme speed.

Out of fear, he screamed and covered the back of his head with his hands. He heard the knife make impact and felt no pain from a stab wound. He looked back up and saw the knife stabbed into the concrete in front of him. He looked back up and was greeted by Taurens shoe stomping his head, knocking him out cold.

“What the hell?” The other man said. Tauren glared up at him and took a step forward. The man took a defensive stance and held on to the woman, knife pointed on her head.

“One step closer and I’ll stab her!” He warned. Tauren glared at him and clenched his fists. He looked at the woman and saw her hand. She was a lighter skinned pale red. Tauren put down his hood and glared at the man.

The woman made an audible gasp at the sight of Tauren face. Tauren looked at the hooded woman in confusion. He could barely make out the look of fear in the hooded woman. She recognized him, but Tauren couldn’t see her enough to recognize her.

She jumped a bit when she felt the knife lightly tap her. Tauren snapped out of his thoughts and raised his hand. The man saw a yellow mist shot out from Taurens hand and felt the mist wrap around his arm.

The man eyes widened as a force pulled his arm away from her head. He struggled as his arm was pulled towards his direction. He stopped struggling when he saw his knife was now aimed at his forehead. The man raised his arms in the air, letting go of the woman. The man backed up into her car and gulped in fear at the floating knife in front of him.

Tauren glared at the man and walked forward. The woman looked at Tauren walk by her with fear. Tauren raised his left hand and grabbed the mans mask. He pulled it off the man and crushed it in his hands. Tauren stared at the green man with fury. The man looked at Tauren with fear and started to shake.

“Who are you?”

“You’re scared. You should be.” Tauren glared, clenching his fists. The man jumped in fright when he saw the knife collapsed in the magical grasp.

“Don’t hurt me, man. We were just gonna take the car.”

“You made your decision the moment you threatened to kill this woman.” Tauren said, raising his voice. The man jumped and closed his eyes, he leaned his head to the right and clenched his teeth.

“I’m sorry, okay! Just don’t hurt me!” He said. Tauren glared at him and let go him go.

“You’re pathetic.” He said, pushing the man to the ground. The man hit the concrete face first and knocked himself out. Tauren looked at the unconscious man and smiled. He dropped his smile and turned around. He saw the hooded woman stare at him in fear. Tauren saw her eyes through the hood and could see she was scared.

“Are you okay?” He asked with concern.

“Never seen a Unique before? It’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you.” He said. Tauren looked at her in the hood and could make out some details. He could see dimples on her cheecks and her hair was a shade of red that was darker than her pale red skin.

“Have I seen you before?”

“Yes. You have...” she said, removing her hood. Tauren watched the hood fall and nearly gasped. His eyes widened as he memories of the night he arrived here flooded back into his head.

“Gloriosa...” He said in astonishment. The two stared a tiny eachother for a minute. None of them were able to speak. Gloriosa was the first to speak up.

“I heard about you on tv. I didn’t think it was true. You saved me. Why?”

“...Because it's the right thing to do.” Tauren said, softly. Gloriosa’s eyes widened at his answer. She stared at the ground in silence before speaking again.

“You really are different.”

“I’m sorry.” He said. Gloriosa looked up at Taurens face in surprise. She wasn’t expecting an apology.

“The person you saw. The man who attacked Glory and stole their clothes wasn’t me. It was something else. A monster. She’s not apart of me anymore. I’m sorry for everything. I’m sorry for causing you trouble.” He said.

“I don’t deserve forgiveness. And I won’t blame you for hating me. I just want you to know, I’m sorry.” Tauren said, turning around. He closed his eyes and grimaced. He should’ve left immediately after the fight. He stopped when he heard Gloriosa say something.

“I forgive you!” She said. Taurens eyes widened in shock. He turned back around and stared at her in surprise.

“I saw the news. The person who did that would’ve never apologized. Or save me from two burglars. You’re not the one who hurt my family. I don’t blame you, nor do I hate you. I forgive you for the things you couldn’t stop.” She exclaimed.

Tauren stared at her with shock. He was flabbergasted by her words. He found himself unable to respond. Gloriosa approached him and looked at his face. Tauren looked at her and was shocked to see her suddenly hug him.

“Thank you.” She said, continuing to hug him. Tauren looked at her face and felt his heart skip a beat. An overwhelming surge of emotion had boiled up inside and had broken his limit. Tauren closed his eyes and felt tears fall down his face. He returned the hug and smiled. The two of them parted away and stared at each other.

“Thank you, Gloriosa. You have no idea what that means to me.” Tauren said, wiping the tears off his face.

“I think I have a clue.” She said.

For a few minutes, they talked to each other. Tauren had left as soon as the police arrived. He saw the crime scene from a distance and could see Gloriosa getting interviewed. The burglars were screaming to the cops that the alien had attacked them. Gloriosa was there to testify that the alien saved her from them. This led to their arrest. Tauren walked back to Starlights house for the night. He slowly opened the door to the house. And entered the home, slowly closing the door behind him. He stared into the dark room and sighed. His eyes adjusted to the darkness and allowed him to walk around. He slowly made his way up the stairs and entered his room. He left the door opened and changed into his Minotaur form. Stretching his muscles, he climbed into the bed and laid there staring at the ceiling.

He sat there thinking about what had happened. He could still feel warmth from her hug. His heart beated rapidly as he laid there. He felt happy knowing what he did. Combined with her forgiveness, he felt the urge to cry tears of joy. The comforting feeling made him genuinely smile for the first time in a long time. He fell asleep in minutes after that. When the sun had risen everyone in the house had woken up except Tauren. Starlight and Sunburst decided not to wake him up and prepared to make breakfast.

Ronin walked around the house with a cup of coffee in his hands. He was addicted to coffee ever since his dad gave him some when he was 12. He blames his dad for the addiction. He walked into the living room and grabbed a remote. He clicked the tv on and watched the news.

Ronin watched the tv as breaking news flashed on the screen. He drank his cup of coffee and listened to the news report.

“A woman named Gloriosa Daisy was attacked last night while leaving a mini market. The two men threatened her and attempted to steal her car before getting attacked by what she says was the alien. That’s right. The one who helped bring down the criminal, Crackdown a few weeks ago.”

Ronins eyes widened as he listened to the report. He nearly spilled his coffee on the floor before he caught himself. Ronin put his coffee down on the table next to him and searched for his mom.

“Hey, mom!” Ronin exclaimed.