Of Twilights and new Dawns

Chapters

Prolog Part Two
Beginning Arc Chapter 1 Rough Awaking
Beginning Arc Chapter 3 Demon
Beginning Arc Chapter 4 Short Talk
Beginning Arc Chapter 5.1 61 72 72 69 76 61 6c
Beginning Arc Chapter 5.2 6d 69 6e 6f 72 20 63 6f 6d 70 6c 69 63 61 74 69 6f 6e 73 0d 0a
Beginning Arc Chapter 6 Shattered Crystals
Beginning Arc Chapter 7 On Way Home
Beginning Arc Chapter 8 Brothers Assemble
Beginning Arc Chapter 9.1 Law
Beginning Arc Chapter 9.2 Gentle Giant
Prolog Part One
Beginning Arc Chapter 2 Utter Terror

Prolog Part Two

Location: Equestria, Canterlot, The castle of the Princess

Time: Around the time of Sunset

A heavy sign comes from Princess Celestia. The older sister of the two diarchess, a beautiful alicorn with an alabaster white coat and ethereal mane, multicolored mane, which always flow, stands one of the balconies of the castle, in front of her a telescope.

It’s time for Celestia to lower the sun so that Luna can raise her moon, marking the time the shift, where Luna stands in the throne room and hold the night court. Although it had been a long day, Celestia didn’t have the intention to go early into her chambers.

“Are you alright sister?”, came from behind her.

Celestia turns her head around and so she sees her sister Luna arriving. She puts in a smile on her face. “It’s nothing to worry about sister.”

Luna, the other diarchess of Equestria, also Princess of Dreams and Moon, shakes her wings. Her horn light up, as she uses her magic to levitate a cup of Celestia’s favorite tea to her. As Luna stands beside her sister, the differences between the sister become clear. While Celestia was only a bit taller than Luna, their coats and mane are different like day and night. While Celestia has an alabaster white coat with a mane with colors from light, meanwhile Luna has a midnight blue coat, with different shades of dark blue and black in her mane. Still, both share some traits. Both of their manes seem to flow through the air, although no wind breeze around them, most importantly both emitted the aura of leadership, so when they’re around their subjects they can be the necessary strong princesses they need. But right now, only both are there, so that there isn’t the need for the princesses so that they could be the mares, Luna and Celestia.

“Please sister. Don’t lie to me”, Luna say to Celestia. “Something clouds your mind.”

Celestia levitates the cup to her mouth, still, she keeps her smile. “From where do you get the idea something is on my mind.” She starts to nip at her tea. “You look like someone had eaten the last bit of your cake.”

This makes Celestia spitting her tea out. “LULU.” She raises her hoof, while she coughs the last bit of it out. She throws a glance to her sister, looking if she laughs, but Luna didn’t. She had a stern face on.

Celestia opens her maw but closes it quick, because no words came out. Feeling that Luna will stare at her, she takes a deep breath in and out. “You know what day will come?”

Luna keep her face. “Yes… that day”.

Celestia release a loud sigh. “Yes, dear sister. The anniversary of the day Twilight Sparkle was abducted right before our very eyes.”

She closes her eyes, recalling the memories of this very day…

Flashback…

Celestia arrives with Luna and a delegation of their guards at the Castle of Friendship. The former apprentice of Celestia and now the fourth Princess of Equestria, the Princess of Friendship, Twilight Sparkle, had sent a message, saying that she found some strange things and that she needs the Princess to give a look at it.

Some the Princesses and guards arrived at the Castle, where they get greeted by Twilight and her friends, the Elements of Harmony. “Thank for your coming your highnesses” Twilight bow down, making Celestia smiling.

“Dear, you are a princess too, you don’t need to bow.” the sun alicorn teases her former student.

Twilight blushed a bit, because that habit is still in her, although she ascended to princesshood. “So, I better show you about what I wrote.” Twilight had stammered, in try to overcome this moment.

Luna and some of the guards gave a small snicker, hiding behind hooves and wings, but none of the Mane 6 or Celestia had seen and hear it.

So, with a fast pace, they walked to their destination, a clearing near the Evergreen Forest. As soon as they had reached it, all stopped at the sight.

In the clearing had happened some magic incident, as remnants of raw magic were still in it, as puddles of multicolored water or twisted trees. But the most outstanding thing was the alien things standing before some sort of Ring.

“Oh dear.” Luna says.

“Indeed sister.” Celestia agrees. Both stare with gaping maws at the things. Celestia turns to Twilight. “When and more importantly how did you found them?”

Twilight shrugs her wings. “The pegasi had spotted them. After this storm last night, Rainbow had ordered some of the pegasi to recon the area outside of Ponyville, to look if there is damage to the area. After flying near the forest one of them spotted this clearing. They came to us and so we came here.” She pointed to the things in the clearing. “After I had done some research in my library, finding out that nothing about them is in the books, I had sent through Spike a letter to you.” The alicorn explains with a professional voice, still, Celestia could hear the undertone in her declaration. Anger that these things didn’t stand in the books and excitement that these things are new things and the possibilities that of the things they could learn.

So, eager Twilight set a hoof on the clearing. Celestia follows and looks at the alien structure. The ring was something she didn’t have seen before, still, something about it gives her a tingle down her spine, but she couldn’t put a hoof on it what it could be. So instead she focuses on the other things.

They resemble some sort of bipedal creatures, like Minotaur or a Diamond Dog, but still, there is a difference. They are in a crouching position, which makes it harder to see how tall they are, but even in their current state all towers an inch over Luna and are equal tall to Celestia. Their great high indicate that these things are naturally tall, but also their armor could be because of it.

They wear some sort of armor, which makes them bulkier than a Minotaur, also the armor covers the entire body. Their “hooves” are really big, while their front hooves are different from the hind hooves, as the right front hooves look like some sort of stump, while the left resembles a three digit-claw. The helm makes it impossible to see the face of the creature. A small scratch force Celestia to look at one of her guards. Said Guard, a brown Pegasus called Fierce Striker, had taken his spear and poked the creature.

Besides the noise, the only thing he did was a small scratch in the armor. “Princess these things are heavily armored. I would retreat and come back with more guards. They could be hostile.”Striker was a veteran guard, who had fought some hard fights.

He may be only a Lieutenant of the Solar Guard, still, Celestia knows him and trust in his option. “Yes, that would be a good idea.”

Just as another guard, a yellow unicorn, named Glowing Shield walked near another of these things. Something catches his eyes. He walks closer and cast a small illumination spell, as he tries to give him a better light as he wanted to see something better.

But this must have triggered something. Because suddenly a strange noise appears. A high noted pitch, followed by a series of beeping noises. Then as the last beep faded each of the creatures stands up, taking full height. Now they are around 7’ tall, making everyone small in comparison. On the dozen creature bearing an addition mark on his helm, a red stripe on it takes some steps forward to Glowing Shield.

Said guard back up a few steps while everyone also gaps with open maws. But after a moment of shock, the rest of the guards quickly remembers their training. They drew their weapons and get them in attack position.

The creature stands near Shield and lowers his head, seemingly looking at him. “Ahh, hi” he weakly says, still casting his spell. But without any warning, the creature grabs with his claw Shield neck and pull him up. It then holds him so that his eyes are seemingly on the same level like his eyes, while his stump starts to emit some light, which wanders all over the unicorn’s body, while it starts to make sounds in the strange high-pitched beeps, accompanied by the sounds of the frighten unicorn, who tries to fight against his seemingly capture.

Celestia, sensing that her guards start to raise their level of aggression, she decides to interfere. Quickly walks over to both. This wasn’t maybe the best choice as her guards tighten their grip on their weapons, while the other creature raised their stumps, indicating that there are armed. “Welcome strange creature. Please put down your weapons. We are peaceful people and don’t wish any conflict.” She raises on over her hooves trying to get an answer.

The leader seems to hear that, as he walks towards her, carrying the unicorn in his claw. At first, his still makes the beeping noises and then makes a break, seemingly waiting for an answer. After a while, he repeats his noises. “I don’t understand you. But could you please put my guard down?” The diarchess tries to negotiate.

The creature stands still for a moment before it suddenly starts to speak in a language. “Possible resource detected. Say, native. Do you know about this resource?”

At first, all are shocked because this wears the first shared words, but before Celestia even overcome her shocked Twilight was at her side. “What you mean. Do you mean our magic?” she asks, already having a scroll and feather in her magic grab, writing down some things.

As soon as the creature focus on the lavender alicorn, Tartarus broke loose. It throws Shield away and quickly tries to grab the alicorn. “Strong potential found. Protocols activated. Acquire Target Alpha.”

With its claw, it tries to grabs Twilight, would only escape by a quick jump backward. The other machines start their doing. Their stomps start to emits some strange buzzing noise, and as one of the lunar guards, a bat pony mare called Midnight Thrist, starts to take a step forward, the creature points at her and his stomp fire some sort of magic ball at her. Midnight was quick on her hooves and jumps to her side in order to dodge, but the ball still hits her left wing… and suddenly the air was filled with the smell of burned flesh, cooked bones and her hellish screams of raw pain.

Celestia was setback at this display of violence. Twilight and her friends were frozen, as they hadn’t witnessed such violence before. Rarity and Fluttershy are even looking like both will faint. Celestia didn’t mind that. In her long life, she had witnessed the old times, where greater threats like wild dragons were more common, so she had seen a pony burned alive by a fire before, still witnessing this again, even after a millennium of peace, it shocked her deep to her core.

But while she remained frozen her guards broke out of their stance and move to attack. They had forgotten their fear, instead, they want revenge for their fellow guards. Among them was Luna. She had regained her stance and charge her own horn. “You should regret you’re doing.” She screamed in her Canterlot voice, then she fired a magic beam on the creature who shoot her guard.

The enemy stood still and face the attack head on, seemingly don’t fear her power or he had such trust in his armor. The night blue magic blast hit him right in his upper torso and partly his head… The blast simply goes through him. At first, it didn’t seem to do any damage, making Celestia wonders which spell Luna cast in her anger, but as the blast hit a tree behind the enemy, it becomes clear. The blast hit the tree and simply eradicate him, leaving no trace behind. The enemy still stands, but now the damage was clear.

The part, where he was hit, his upper body and head, was no more. It was eradicated and everyone could have a view of the inside, especially after it had fallen like a tree. And what was now visible shocks everyone.

Inside the enemy were wires, pipes, rigs and other strange conceptions no one could understand. “They are golems!” Twilight was the first to say something.

This makes the guards starting their attack with full force. Why should they hold back? This thing are no living things, only golems, dolls and they can be destroyed.

All of the guard’s attack. They thrust their spires onto the golems. They puncture their weak points, like the joints. The unicorns stay a bit in the background casting more of the magic blasts and shield around the other guards. The princesses support them in the casting. Rainbow supports the pegasi guards and together they distract the golems though dive attacks, meanwhile Applejack uses her strong hind legs, training through years of apple bucking, and kicks at them, breaking them into tiny bits, while Pinkie Pie uses her confetti cannon. It sounds maybe strange but her cannon is as effectively in blowing the golems into pieces like the magic blasts, although it still fires confetti. But Spike, who had accompanied the group, was the most effective fighter, as his fire melt the golems and his claws cut through their joints like a knife passes through butter.

Soon more and more of the enemy golems fall and only three, including the leader, are still standing, the rest broken into wrecks, while the Equestrians avoided more casualties. Rarity and Fluttershy, who didn’t actively fight with them take care of the wounded Midnight and the blacked out Glowing Shield.

Celestia was relieved over this stand in the battle that she makes the biggest mistake of all… she drops her guard for a moment. And this very moment was all the enemy needed. The nearest golems suddenly jump at her with an enormous speed, coming in so fast that Celestia didn’t see him coming until the very last moment. The claw shoots forward, razor sharp tips ready to dig into her neck.

But suddenly she feels a push, knocking her away. One guard, a green/brown earth pony pushed her aside so that the claw grips his head instead of her neck. The golem didn’t really seem to care that he missed his target. Instead, he simply closes his claw around the armored head of the guard.

At first, the helm seems to withstand, but then it starts to deform… and with it the head of the guard. At this moment, he started to scream out his pain… but only for a moment as the golem increased the pressure of his claw. The screams tenfold before they were silenced with a sickening crack, as the bones of the skulls breaks. From one moment to the next the guard change from a living being screaming out his pain, into a lifeless corpse without a head. The golem opens his claw, letting the corpse fall onto the ground.

Celestia was again set back. She didn’t know the name of the guard at first, but after a moment she remembers. “No, no, no… Iron Head.” It was one of her veteran guards. He was older than the most guards in the detachment, still, he was the most experienced one.

But what was really the point… he had a family. The alicorn of the sun knows his family, as he had often taken them with him, when he was at duty, giving his child the possibility to meet Celestia. And she knows that his daughter had given birth to his first grandchild not even a day ago. “…princess, my little princess had given birth to a strong filly. I can’t wait to see this little one. If she comes after her mother, oh then I will have a hard time…” he had said that to her at the morning. Iron wanted to meet his grandchild and now he is dead.

Again, Celestia could only stare at the corpse. The golem seems to have a twisted mind. As if it wanted to taunt Celestia more, the golem kicks the body and send him flying into a near tree, like some broken toy. As the body hits the tree, it gets more damage than before. This utter defiance of life was too much for her. Inside of her a dark spark appears and break free. She focusses it in her horn.

The horn started to glow and so the golem. The magic set it ablaze, making it scream in his own language, the beeping noises. The heat and fire weren't the real problem, as the magic damage it through another way… it put pressure on it and press into a ball. In just a few moments the Golem was compressed into a small ball, before the glow increased hundredfold and then vanish, together with the reminds of the golem, as it was completely burned into ash.

As soon as the casting stopped, sheer atony overcomes Celestia. She falls on her hooves. Her sister right by her side. “Are you alright sister?” Luna asks, her voice full of panic.

The white alicorn wanted to calm her sister, when suddenly she becomes aware of something far more shocking, the blood-curdling scream of somepony. Celestia turns her head to the source and then she stops dead in her tracks, as she sees the reason.

The leader Golem had his claw around Twilight and pull the alicorn with him. The alicorn struggles, but in vain as the golem simply overpower her and then injects something into her neck, seemingly some sort of narcotic, because Twilight suddenly stops all movement and become a simple limp in his hand.

The golem jumps fastback and walk over to the ring structure. And to her sheer shock Celestia sees, that the Ring was active. In the heat of the battle she didn’t pay attention to it. So, she didn’t have seen how it activated. It has a surface like water, but she couldn’t make out any details behind it.

And then Celestia was forced to witness the most brutal act she was forced to see in her life… Right before her eyes the Golem walks through the portal, in his claw the body of her student. The surface shifts as they walked through it and shift back into his calm state.

A rage filled scream sounded and a blue blast of magic was shot on the last remain golem ripping of his claw just above the elbow. What was shocking that Rarity had fired this blast. Her mascara was ruined as her tears washed it out. The golem staggers a few steps back, he raised his stump weapon, just as a small shoulder mounted weapon appear too, but before he even shoots one time, two things happen. A loud blast sounded and bluer flew over him and in a blink of a second, his stomp and shoulder weapon were blown away, thanks to Pinkie’s cannon and a wing blade Rainbow had used.

The golem stood shocked for a moment, now weaponless. Something like this wasn’t foreseen, so he was forced to develop a plan, based on his limited orders and intelligent programmed into his mind. But since he stood still for making his plan it was an easy target for his next attackers. It had been Applejack and surprisingly Fluttershy. The normally shy pegasi had now forgotten all of her shy personality, as the fear over her friend had taken over. Somehow, she had changed, as she has now fangs and wings like a bat pony, as well red eyes. And these eyes had locked on her target, her prey. With a quick and well place jump, she closed the distance and buries her fangs in one of the legs of the golem, piercing into the armor and starts to tug on the leg. With a strength, she normally didn’t have or show she ripped its leg of right in the joint, making him fall backward, only to get his shoulders impaled on the claws of Spike.

The young dragon was full of rage over the abduction of his mother. His body had changed too. Like a few years back he grew in size so that he was now the same high as Celestia. The outstanding feature was that he has now wings, but also, he got over changes. His spines were longer, as well his claw, but these also get sharper. He screams out his rage and pulls the golem in the air, lifting him off the ground, rendering him useless, as he was faced to developed a new strategy.

But the golem didn’t have time to react to this new turn, as Applejack was the last of to attack. The orange earth pony had jumped in the air, used a tree as jump station and then uses her built up momentum in combination with her strength to buck the golem, who was still held up by Spike.

The normally strong armor on them couldn’t stop or hold against the raw strength of the harden legs of the farmer, trained and honed through years of farm work, in combination with the built-up momentum, built up through the jump from the tree. But most the kick was enhanced with her fury, which was beyond all measures. So, as the kick made contact which the armor it didn’t simply hit the armor… it simply shatters the waist, effectively cutting the golem in half. Spike now throw the legless body behind him, near the ring, but not without ripping the shoulders out.

So, in just a few moments the Golem was reduced from the full form into a cripple, without his claw, stomp, shoulder weapon and he didn’t even have legs so that he couldn’t crawl away.

Wasting no time Rainbow landed, very hard, on the defeated enemy. “Give us back Twilight. Open the bucking ring you used. OPEN IT” she screams out of her lungs in a voice loud enough to be heard even in Cloudsday.

The machine first didn’t respond. It’s “eyes”, lens without iris, blinks, and sums before it speaks up, something only the leader unit was thought to be capable.

“

…

Status of Mission: Mission accomplished. Sample captured.

…

Status of Platoon: All Units are disabled.

…

Chance of recovery through friendly unit: Zero percent

…

Status of Unit: Damage over 96 percent. All weapons destroyed. Legs destroyed.

…

Chance of Repair: Zero

…

Status of Damage: Unable to continue fight, unable to retried

…

Status of enemy: Numerous enemy still active, Intentions for capture found

…

Result of analyses: Mission accomplished. Platoon destroyed. Individual unit unable to recover

…

Addition: Individual unit in high danger of getting captured.

…

Activation of Cole Protocol…”

At first, nothing happens, making Rainbow wonders what this could mean. Suddenly an ear-piercing scratch sounded, forcing her to cover her ears, like the rest.

Celestia looks at the golem, ready to cast a magic spell, engulfing it in a mute capsule, but was puzzled when she sees that the mauled Golem started to generate sparks.

She and Luna, who also looked were both confused, simple look at the golem. Suddenly Rainbow Dash’s whole body was engulfed in a violent spell and forcibly thrown towards the group, who also get pushed to the edge of the clearing, by a spell.

Both alicorns would normally withstand this, but the spell hit them off guard, so they couldn’t do anything against it. Still both sister, where the first one to recover and look at the culprit.

It was Glowing Shield, still with a bandage around his head. His horn emits a near blinding shine as he builds up a powerful spell. “Guard Glowing Shield, what are you doing?” Luna scream in her Canterlot voice, this sudden development makes her shift into authority mode.

Glowing Shield didn’t waste his breath for an answer as he completed building up his spell and was now casting it. He was beside the Golem and now both are engulfed in a magic bubble, a really strong defense bubble, with keep everything out, but also everything inside it.

At first, Celestia was puzzled why Glowing would do that, but then she comes to a conclusion. “Sister a shield around everyone”. She screams to her sister and quick they build up a spell and cast it. Sadly, not so powerful as she wished because then it happened what Glowing Shield had somehow foreseen and tried to prevent.

The golem explodes as the magic inside him, his own life force, was used as fuel for its death. In the first seconds the explosion was sealed in the spell of Shield, but soon the shield burst and the explosion soon expand over the clearing, devouring the ring and its own center.

For a moment Celestia feared that they will get hit too, but Glowing Shield’s spell had absorbed much of the power of it. Still the rest was enough to throw the other around, smashing them into ground and trees and snaps nearer trees in half.

Celestia was for a moment awake, seen the explosion before she hits her head hard and the world became dark.

Flashback end…

“Are you alright sister?”. Celestia was confused for a moment. Bewildered she looks at her sister. She needed a second to realize that she had lost herself in this memory and had stared into the air.

“Just lost myself in the memory.” Celestia said, knowing that lying would do nothing. Luna turns her head and looks in the same direction Celestia had stare. “I also had drifted into the memory, but more in the aftermath.” She confesses her sister.

Celestia’s her body shakes from this part. The alabaster alicorn had still some nightmare about it.

Another Flashback…

She had come to her senses after one guard had carefully nudged her. It had been Stubborn Holder, an earth pony guard, with a brown coat, black hair and a shield as cutie mark. Stubborn had some years on his list, but was already promoted to something higher than lieutenant, because he had given true to his name, stubborn he holds his position. Still, he was a loyal guard, who had come along and fought the golems.

At this thought Celestia jumps to her hooves, just to regret her movement as her entire body hurts, even her mane. “Stubborn”,she manages to say, more to push it out. “Princess, please restrain from any activity. You are hurt and need medical attention. We had already called for help. In a few moments helps will arrive.” He hushed to her in a tone mixed between worry and relief. In the distance, she could hear the faint beating of serval wings.

Celestia didn’t even witness the arrival as her power leaves her body, making her blackout again. She didn’t wake up until she and Luna were back in Canterlot in the royal infirmary.

It was evening when she wakes up and was great by Luna’s worried face. Both sisters shared a single, but the big bed (something Luna had requested) “Sister I’m glad you are awoken.” Luna didn’t waste another second and hugged carefully her sister.

The sister shared a moment of intimacy before Celestia broke this up. “Lulu, how are the others.” This was the moment Luna started to fully cry, out of both her eyes. Still, she tells Celestia everything… as she ended Celestia had joined in her crying.

Iron Head and Glowing Shield’s death were the ones she had witnessed still, some more guards, solar and lunar, died. They had died when the shockwave of the blast had hit them when the shield of the princess had fallen. One guard had been squashed by the sheer force, three others thrown into trees and stones, creating internal wounds, making them die on the spot, while another to live a couple of minutes only to die in the moment of the arrival of their help. And the last one had survived long enough, only to die in the OP.

Everyone else had several relatively small injuries, with Midnight the worst. Her wing up the base is so burned, that the doctors couldn’t help it and were forced to amputee the blackened bones and flesh, the remnants of her strong wing. She was now forced to walk on the earth, like an earth pony, as they couldn’t make her a prosthesis for this and magic couldn’t regrow her wing.

Celestia hasn’t cried so hard since Luna’s turning into Nightmare Moon and her 1000 years long banishment. The sister cried together for the entire night, trying to force reality out, thinking that it was only a nightmare before they had to face the harsh truth.

Later at the opening of the day court, Celestia sat on her throne, accompanied by her sister, the other elements of Harmony with Spike.

All in bandages for their injuries. Applejack sat in a wheelchair, as one of her legs is broken; Rainbow had rails on both of her wings, who are broken; Pinkie was forced to wear a helmet with a muzzle as her skull was damaged and her jaw was splintered. Fluttershy had a bandage over her body because some of the fire had engulfed her and burned her fur. Rarity has a broken horn and cuts all over her. She stands next to Spike; the dragon had coiled his tail around her hooves in a protective/ possessive manner. The dragon had broken several of his spines and claws, as well as the membrane of one of his new grown wings, was shredded.

The nobles who had to await the opening, as they wanted to come to the court to ask /bother the Royals with their problems were set back, by the look of the beaten and battered princesses, elements and guards. Especially the fresh arrived Princess Cadence and her husband, the former captain of the royal guard and Twilight BBBFF, Shining Armor, as well as her parents. Celestia notice their present, already making a mental note to either promote or demote the guard who contacted them.

Before even one could ask about the whole thing, something in Celestia broke free and she tells what happened in the fateful night. Luna occasional said something to, while all the elements and the dragon keep silent and didn’t flinch when Celestia told the fate of Twilight.

After she had finished silenced was all that one could hear in the court. Until one pony breaks the silence and starts to cry …

Flashback end…

In hindsight Celestia couldn’t decide what had been the worst of this court had been. The fact that it had happened, the stoic faces of the survivors or the reaction of the family of the dead ones. Luna had told her, that she could hear in some night the howling cries of the daughter of Iron Head and that the surviving guards had the nightmare from this fateful fight.

Knowing this weight Celestia down, also the fact that they couldn’t find a way to get Twilight back. When the golem self-destructs, forcing Glowing Shield into sacrificing himself, the resulting explosion destroyed any piece of the ring, which Celestia know that worked as a portal, as well as some Golem wrecks.

Still, they had salvage some other wrecks, allowing that the royal magician and scientist under the brilliant earth pony Dr. Whooves to analyses them.

They had come up with new intel, like the weaknesses of the golems, which flows into training, also they came up with counter spells for the stomp weapons.

But still, Celestia can’t lose the unrest in her. They may have new a better chance to defend themselves, but they could only react. Celestia had been forced to fight wars so long ago and she still remembers the force who only defend is the one, who will lose.

She sighs again. Knowing this put more pressure on the alicorn. The sudden feel someone nuzzle her check, Luna did that to give her some compassion. “Fear not sister. Now the night may be dark, but time will come that the mother will show mercy on us and enlighten our way.”

As Celestia opens her mouth, partly to say something, partly to nip on the already cooled tea, it happened.

A loud thunder sounded, louder than any normal storm could do it. Both sisters look up the sky. “There shouldn’t be a storm in Canterlot. Had the weather pony done a mistake?” Celestia asks, but Luna didn’t answer, she simply point her hoof in the sky, direct on her moon.

Celestia was shocked… the moon wasn’t his usually white color, instead, he was in a deep crimson red, with cracks all over it. She looks into Luna’s face and she in her. Both had seen this moon once… the night before the abduction.

Celestia turns to the doors of her balcony, ready to scream alert, when suddenly horns sound up, the night guards had seen the moon too and know the procedure.

Without another word both alicorn fly of the balcony down to the yard. As soon as their hooves touch the ground the first guards, already in battle armor stand information. Some unicorn levitates the armors of the sister with them and in no time the sisters were armored and lead the troops outside.

After only a few minutes of quick fly, the sister arrived with the pegasi guards outside of Canterlot on a plain. The unicorns and earth pony guards arrived a bit later, but only a few minutes, as they used new kinds of air transporters. They were new technic the diarchess had added to the guards’ equipment, as the event had shown them the technology difference between them and the invasions. Not wanting to be too far behind new technology were developed, such as airships like this transporter.

So Celestia, Luna and the guards are on the plain, taking battle formation. One by one the lieutenants of the platoons came and make a report. One of the lieutenants was a crippled bat pony. Midnight never left the guard, after she was healed up, instead, she learned to fight on the ground. “All platoons are ready princess. Let give them a really nice entrance.” She said with a clear intent of violence in her voice.

Celestia notices it still, she secretly welcomes this tone. She wanted to fight against the invaders again, but this time take them prisoners and then be able to go to their world and retrieve her student.

Just as Midnight finished her report, another loud thunder sounded and the cracks on the moon start to grow. They grow bigger and bigger until a crack in the sky appears. The crack was several hundred feet over the ground, also the single crack was smaller than Celestia anticipated.

But she had learned and now she was don’t let her guard down. She shared a quick glance at her sister and together they shoot magic blasts into the crack, after a second the unicorn did the same. They all shot a couple of blasts into the crack before the crack starts to warp and shift itself, as it seemingly became unstable.

The first cries of joy came up but were quickly silenced when out of the breath shot a big blast, bigger than any blast they had fired in. In a matter of mere moments, the alicorns as well as the unicorns cast shield spells over the troops.

Celestia and Luna put all focus in the shield, that other guards had seen how more blast shots out of the crack before it collapses. But unlike the first blast, he seemingly heads to them, the other blasts shoot in all directions, into north, east, west, and south.

The first blast came nearer and hit the big barrier the sister had cast. For a moment, it seems that it will penetrate, before the spell wins in this duel and the blast was deflected. It changes course and hit a few dozen meters before the lines the ground, where it splashed in a small explosion.

“Princesses the blast had hit the ground. The other flew all over the land. I have given orders for scouts to search for them. In the crater seem to be somepony.” Midnight reported as soon as the explosion faded, allowing a view at the crater.

Luna picks up a sword with her magic. “With me Midnight. Let us take the one here.” With this the dark blue alicorn charges of, with Midnight and her platoon on her heels. Shortly after the other platoons charge at the blast

In no time, they were near the crater, one bat guard was even faster and had landed on the edge. But instead of charging in he merely stands there, his face clearly shows a shocked face. Luna and Midnight both stopped with some effort besides him, while the other guards stop behind them.

As soon as Midnight stood still she found her voice. “Artemis, what in the bucking name of Luna…” She shouted in her drill voice, but Artemis simple silence her by pointing in the crater.

And what she saw made her stop dead in her tracks. A foreign pony, a stallion stands in the crater, scorch marks around him, indicating that he came out of the magic blast. The stallion, a seemingly white unicorn, with a short yellow man, was not harmed by the magic fire around him.

Midnight had problems to identify him, as this stallion was different. He was slightly taller than the normal stallion, but mostly he was covered in some sort of cloth. The cloth something between a uniform and an overall was battered and in some part shredded, still, it was mostly intact and cover him up. On his back, he had some sort of bag, but what was most shocking, was the fact that he stands on his hind legs without seemingly any effort.

He coughs a bit and carefully takes some steps forward, moving with a grace that showing that he had years of training in walking bipedally. After a few more coughs Midnight hears him speaking and after a few seconds, she couldn’t believe what she hears. The unknown stallion speaks in common Equus, still, he hears his accent, as his tone and flow of speaking was harder than the normal soft flow.

At first, she had problems to make out what he says, but after a few more seconds she realizes that he didn’t really speak a coherent sentence… he was ranting.

“Uh… easy thing… just walking through and everything will be fine… bucking idiot... if this his definition of easy… bucking shithead… he has more than a loose screw… buck… the entire engine should be broken and send into a furnace… making him into something more useful… oh buck… like a Faust damned steel road to beat him to death… oh buck double and tribble… “he seemingly ranted on and on, surprising all witnesses how a single stallion can use some many creative swear words. Some of them even make the normally tough guard blush in shame. They couldn’t believe what the stallion just says.

“He wants to do what with somepony hooves?” One guard quietly asks another one.

“I think ripping them off and shove him up his … oh sweet Celestia…” came the hushed answer from the guard next to him.

Midnight was equal shocked, but more at his overall appearance than his ranting ability. Everyone was so absorbed, that they were shocked when she suddenly stopped his ranting but shouting out. “I can see you damn lot. I’m on the verge edge of breaking down, so if some…bucking… one could be so nice and help me with this little bundle overhear I swear … by all things sacred by Faust… “He didn’t get the chance to finish his sentence as suddenly a magic blast flew past the guards, past Midnight and past Luna, who didn’t cast the spell.

The blast hit the stranger in his upper torso, near the base of his neck. He staggered for a moment. “You got to be kidding me.” And with that, his starts to fall back to the ground.

As soon as he hit the ground, “special hard” Midnight though, she became aware of the bundle of lumps in his arms. Even after he was hit by a deaden spell and was cold out, he has a thigh grip around the bundle.

In no time Celestia was near him. She had casted the spell. Luna and Midnight wasted no time and rushed to her side. “Sister, why had you cast the spell?” Luna asked in a worried voice. Celestia simply pointed to the stallion.

Now that he lay still and was silence both alicorn and bat pony look at him and see that he had carried a bundle of lumps in his hooves. Both briefly wondered from where this bundle comes, but quickly realize that he had it the whole time, the ranting had simply draught all attention from everything else.

Still, they wondered why this bundle made Celestia attack him, but after a quick glance, they seemingly found the answer… A strand of blue and purple hair stuck out of the bundle. “Are these…?” Midnight stutters her words; the tough guard was without words.

A golden aura appeared on the lump, carefully unwrap was inside. In just a few moments it becomes clear that a pony was inside the bundle and after a more second of unpacking the face became visible.

As all of the three see the face, all were taken back. Midnight simply stares with a gaping maw, Luna has her hooves before her maw, her eyes shivers. “Sister, see I right… is that?” she asks her sister. Said alicorn looks at the pony, tears rolling down her face and she didn’t bother to wipe them away. “Yes, she is it.”

Celestia couldn’t believe her eyes. She still feels that tears are coming from her eyes, but she didn’t care about them. So instead of wiping them away, she allows them to fall down on the head of the pony.

That may be inappropriate for the sun diarchess, but at this moment Celestia wasn’t the monarch of the land, she was the mare Celestia, whose heart overflow with happiness. Because the pony in the bundle of lumps, in the hold of a strange stallion, lays her former student and fellow princess, who had been captured a year ago.

She bows down and presses her lips on the forehead of the lavender colored alicorn. “Welcome home Twilight Sparkle. “

Beginning Arc Chapter 1 Rough Awaking

It has become afternoon of the day after the events. Due to the late time of the events of yesterday, nearly no one else had witness the magic in the sky.

So, it was relative easy to hide the fact that the abducted princess was returned to Equestria. Right now, she was in the care of the doctors in the royal infirmary, who check her.

Celestia may have a stern look on her face and sit still on her throne, but inside she practical shivers for happiness. She has her daily chorus before her, although she set the target to get every few moments she could get to go to Twilight and look at her.

This makes her giggle a bit. “One could think, I’m a mother, whose child lay with fever in the bed.”She giggles a moment over this thought, before she realizes what she just mutters to herself.

The doctors had already give her a preliminary report of Twilights condition. A surface checks up already show some gruesome things. Under her fur the doctors could make up several scars all over the body, also some of her bones seem that they were at least once broken and not fully heal up, more due to poor knowledge of bones, especially her wings.

This makes Celestia trembles in anger, as she can’t really imagine what happened to her former student. She tries to imagine even a small bit and that was enough to fuel her rage inside.

A runner appears before her throne. “Ah, Fast Hooves, what is your message?” the diarchess asks the earth pony runner. He was one of the royal runners, carrying message and reports through the castle. Celestia pull him off his normal duty and had assign him to the doctors how look over Twilight. Fast bows down. “No change, your majesty. She is still unconscious and doesn’t respond to any stimulation from the doctors.”

Celestia nods and sends him back. She frowns at this. Secretly she had hoped that Twilight would slowly show signs of waking, still she was unconscious. The doctors already had told her that this is normal and the alicorn of the sun must follow their order of peace for the patience.

So Celestia sat on her throne and wait for the day to go over, when suddenly a guard run in. “Your majesty, the elements and the dragon are here.”

“Let them in.” Celestia was surprised by this sudden change in her activity. She knew that she had send them a letter asking them to come, but that they will come so fast surprised her a bit. Still she regains her composure on the throne and wait for them to arrive. It didn’t take long and the doors open, revealing the two earth ponies, the two pegasi and the one unicorn of the mane 6, along the purple dragon.

Celestia let her glance wander over them. The year since Twilight’s abducting had been a hard one for them, but all somehow, they had get hold of themselves and prevent each other to fall in Depression or mad Ness.

They all stand at the base of the throne. Before anyone said a thing Celestia smirks at the sign of Spike. She remembers the day, when Twilight had hatched him during her entrance test, so Celestia knows him since he was a mere hatchling. But right now, Celestia could see that the hatchling had matured. Spike had grown into a fine dragon. He was now a bit taller than the normal ponies, but still smaller than Luna, although he only misses mere inches. But what really jump to the eye was the fact that his tail has coiled around the hooves of Rarity. The fashionista doesn’t show any sign of discomfort with that, so that Celestia assume that Rarity was aware of the meaning behind this gesture.

“My dear ponies, for what reason I came to have the honor of all of you coming to me?” she asks. Rainbow Dash was the first one to speak. “Cut It short, where are the bucking …” Before the cyan colored mare could a more a blue magic aura was around her muzzle and muffle her. Rarity had casted the muzzle and speaks now. “Rainbow darling. That was uncalled for.” She turns her head to look at Celestia.

“Dear Princess what is the cause for you to invite us to your court?” Rarity formal asks, show that she poses the abilities to interactive with the royal. Celestia smiles a bit over that. “First of welcome her in Canterlot. I’m pleased that you had come, but also how fast you had come”

“Well princess. We all were together when Spike had got your Message. And the fact that your charoite was there too had made things easier.” Applejack was one how had answered. For a moment Celestia thought about a reason why they all could be together by quickly she remembers and didn’t ask further. “

Celestia takes a short breath before dropping the bomb.“Last night a portal open near Canterlot. The royal guard, my sister and myself move out and intercepted anyone who come through.”

A moment silence lingers in the room before several ponies (and one dragon) takes a breath and shout out. It was a wild chaos out of different voices, which Celestia allowed for a moment before silencing them.

Still before she could tell more, Rainbow, whose maw was free, interrupted her. “What do you mean? Intercepted anyone who come through. Who came through, what came through... did you kick its flank from here to Tartarus?”

All of the other ponies’ simple hushes at her, because Celestia seemingly wanted to give an answer. But the sudden arriving of another pony interrupted the scene.

“Hmm.” He cleared his throat to catch the attention of the solar alicorn.

“Ah Rapid Step. What is the reason of your appearance.” She asked the guard pony. Said pony, a simple brown earth pony with a trail of step as Cutie mark, clears his throat again and then speaks. “Your grace. Midnight send his regards. The prisoner seems to wake up.”

Celestia was a bit pleased by this. So, she gets up and starts to walk to the door. “Well thank you Rapid. I will see him now.” Celestia thanked him and uses her wing in a fluid movement to dismiss him and urge the other to follow her. “Well you can come too. To answer Rainbow’s question. Yes something, no more somepony came through… and yes we kicked his flank from her to Tartarus.” She says with a certain wink in her eyes, drawing a few laughs from the group.

With fast steps, the group walk through the Palace and in no time, they had reached the dungeon. It was an old part of the castle, mostly unused, as the rate of serious crimes had reduced over the years, but the events a few years ago had bring up a few questions how to handle possible prisoners from the other side. So, it had been decided that the dungeon would be remodel and enhanced in his structure, which had lead into the current dungeon, with wall enchanted with several layers of strengthen spells, surveillance and cloak detecting spells and more changes, who wait hidden until time of need.

But right now, the main focus was one of the prisoner cell. Midnight and some guards stands before the cell, weapons ready. “Ah princess, good to see that the Rapid was able to reach you in time. Though he would get distracted and flirt with the maids… again.” Midnight greet the princess, drawing a smile from her, while said guard pony makes a grimace, because the teasing.

The rest of the group the mane 5 and Spike hadn’t put their focus on them, but the prisoner.

He was in the cell, sat on his rump with his back resting against the wall a single chain connects the wall with a collar he wears, effectively chain him to it. The group take in the several details. He was a stallion, a unicorn with a mostly white coat, the color change near the base of his hooves, there his cat became silver. His blond mane was cut short, only a few inches from his neck. Was the most outstanding fact being his flanks, rather the fact that his flanks didn’t show anything… he had no Cutie Mark.

This was enough to set everyone back, as they couldn’t imagine something like this, when Celestia had mention that they had taken a prisoner. Instead of a monster, like or even worse than the golems, he was a pony. A simple stallion, a bit bigger than the average, still a normal looking pony.

Still he was for them an enemy, so they didn’t want to play nice, which Rainbow showed, as she punched against the bars, making a clinking sound. The prisoner seems to hear that, as his front hooves fly to his head, covering his ears. Although this could be a sign that he is awake, Celestia sees the slight lack in his motions, indicating that he was still under the effect of her spell.

But the prisoner surprised her, as he opens his mouth. “Ugh…” he groans. “Whatever hit me… don’t do it again. My inside wants out.” He says with a low voice. Again, he surprised the group, his voice sounded so normal, so pony like and not like a monster.

Rainbow was the first to recover from his speaking… and the first thing she did was punch again the against the bars, recreating the sound again and making him groan. “Why would we give a buck for what you want?” she practical growls through her closed teeth. “Why are you even here?” she finishes her interrogation, as she beat a third time against the bars.

The prisoner inside the cell cringes at the sound again. “Why I’m here…” he interrupts himself for a moment. “My memory is a bit loopy, but I know I’m not here for fighting…” He taps on his head. “I think I was here because I had to carried something…NO…someone.” He begins to nod his head. “Yeah. I had to carry someone through the portal.”

The group had listen so far. But after the last statement Spike leans towards Celestia and talks to her. “Anything true of it?”

The diarchess smiles. “Yes, he carried somepony with him, when he came through.”

The group seem to relax a bit, but only for the prisoner suddenly froze and starts to look up. He let his glance wander through his cell. Then he shifts a bit and start to rise. “Where is she?” he asks with steel in his voice. That was a more than sudden change to his previous state. “I’m asking again… WHERE IS SHE?”

The group and the guards were set back by this. From being a seemingly broken prisoner to a battle-ready warrior in less than a moment… tends to make situation worse. Still Celestia holds her ground. “Come my little ponies let’s leave him in her… if you wish I can show you the pony he carried.”

She walks towards the exit, but before she even had walked a single step, Fast Hooves appears before her. “Thedoctorssaysheseemstowakeupsoyoushouldbeintheinfirmaryverysoon.”He forces out with a single breath, but no one had understood him. The runner was completely out of breath, so in order to retell his message, he was forced to take a few breaths in. But as he didn’t want to let the princess wait, he shortens the message. “Uhh… Docters…said…she…seems…to…wake…up.”

In no time Celestia had catches what he means. “Come on little ones. Our other guest seems to wake up. Let’s go and check her. It would be good for her but also you all.”

So, she leads the group out, leaving the guards and Midnight with the prisoner. “You heard that? Your packet lays in the infirmary and will soon wake up.” One of the guards tease him, especially when he said the word packet. “And can you imagine, how she will react if she sees that the ones who greet her are the princess and the elements?”

The prisoner simply throws himself across his cell against the bars. “Yeah, I can imagine what will happen.” He sticks his hooves through the space of the bars and grabs the guards, as he stands to close. “And if you want to prevent a bloodbath leave me out.”

At this threat, Midnight turns back to him. “What do you mean?” She points her spear at him.

“No time to tell. Leave me out.” He barked at her.

Midnight brings the sharp tip of her spear near his face and repeat her question.“What do you mean?”

But instead of an answer he simply takes a step back. “What I just said. If she wakes up without me at her side… the entire thing will turn into a bucking bloodbath…”

Midnight feels suspicion rising in her, but instead of put pressure on him hoping to get the answer she turns around. “Double the guards and the chains.” She starts to walk out. “Let me in her and people or ponies or anyone will die.” That makes her stop dead in her tracks. She turns back to him, as she stands in the door. But before she could say a word a magic blast shock through the castle, hit her directly and so in a blink she lost consciousness.

Elsewhere in the Castle near the royal infirmary…

Celestia leads the group. Everyone seem to be filled with a long-forgotten feeling. This feeling energy them, filled their minds and bodies, as they walk in a fast pace.

In no time, they arrived at the infirmary. Rainbow was to one who opens the doors for the group, but since she was full of energy, she nearly rips the door out of the hinges. Of cause this started to doctors, who already turned around, seemingly wanting to scream an insult, which quickly died on their tongues. It didn’t really help at the job, if you insult your boss and national heroes.

“Your Highness, we didn’t anticipate your quick arrival and that it has been so…” one doctors speak, but then didn’t find his words, so another jump to his help. “… vigorous.”

Celestia simply waves her hoof, she didn’t want to spend a moment of attention for this little bickering. The doctors are relieved that this was past, so now they all could focus back on the patient.

The Mane 5 and Spike sees their former abducted friend for the first time. They are all shocked about the sheer number of bandages over her whole body. Nearly every bit of her coat was covered by the white of the bandages. She looked more like some sort of mummy. One of the doctor, a unicorn stallion with the name and the cutie mark of a stethoscope, stand near her head, watching how Twilight’s chest goes up and down in a slow but steady manner. As he looked up and sees who is there, he grabs his board tighter with his magic grip.

“Ah your highness, thank you for coming so quickly. It also applies to you all too.” He quickly bows before Celestia and her entourage. “I called for you. She seems to slowly wake up.”

Rainbow flies up to him. “Yeah, yeah. We know, so why is she still asleep?”

She nudges him with her hoof his face, only to get caught by rarity, who levitates her back to them, out of the doctor’s face. “Darling, I think he will tell it, but only if you didn’t stick your unwashed hooves into his face.”

Rainbow sulks a bit. “I don’t have dirty hooves.”

The doctor simply brushes it aside. “Well to your question. She had some kind of potion in her, something strong. We tried to wake her up sooner, but the potion is strong. It was able to block every of our tries.” He explained. Celestia looked at the sleeping form of Twilight.

“Ahem.” Came from the group. Every pony looks at the speaker, namely Fluttershy.

Said pegasi gulps as every ponies’ focus was on her. “Why is she so covered up?”

The doctor looks at her, then at Twilight before he looks down at his board. Then he mumbles something, so quiet like Fluttershy would say. Pinkie jumps at him and starts to shake him. “Come on silly, we didn’t catch a word, if you talk like little Flutter here. Do you need this?” she shakes him again, before she pulls a megaphone out of the nowhere.

Stethoscopes pushes the megaphone away. “Thank you for the offer, Miss Pie. But I think that wouldn’t be necessary.” He takes a breath in. “To answer your question Miss Shy. To help her with her grave injuries.”

Spike starts to growl a bit, as his anger starts to rises. “How grave are her injuries?”

The doctor focus on his board as he continues. “To sum it up. Every part of her is damaged. Several cuts and slashes all over her bodies. Signs that she hadn’t eaten and drink probably. Nearly every bone, her wings, heck even her horn shows signs of begin broken. The marks on some of them shows, that they didn’t even had the time to regrow probably. Her blood is full of unknown substances.” He looked up. “The sheer amount of injuries is awful. The worse part of it, is the fact that they all seem to be the result of numerous torture. But to make matter worse, we don’t have the slightest clue how hard the damage in her brain can be.”

The entire group was setback. Fluttershy hides her face behind her mane and wings. Pinkie Pie looks shocked, like Rainbow, whose rear hit the ground. Applejack spit in the corner out of disgust. Rarity simply puts her hoof on Spikes claws. The dragon himself, simply intensify his growling.

The sun alicorn was less shocked than the others. In her long life, she had witness the darker ages and with them gruesome things, who are now nearly unknown to the modern times. Still hearing that hurts her. But then she puts her focus on the one pony missing. “Wasn’t my sister here?” she asks. The doctor coughs one time before continue.

“Princess Luna was her before. She said that she wanted to see if Twilight dreams. I think she mentions something about gathering intel through them. So, she entered the Dream realm, but after a short time she ceases her efforts to do so. She suddenly left, saying that she wanted to look something up.” He said.

Celestia was a bit confused by this, so she uses her magic and connects herself via telepathy with her sister. “Sister, where are you?”

Quick came the answer. “In the library. I wasn’t able to see her dreams.”

Celestia feel her confusion rises more. “Pardon?”

Luna answers came quickly again. “Something blocks me out of her mind. I wasn’t able to breakthrough. I have a bad feeling about what could be the reason, so right now I try to find a clue, what it could be.”

Celestia absorbs this answer, before speaking again. “Well, hope you have luck. But Twilight starts to wake up right now, so if you want to be here, come quickly.”

Celestia cuts of the connection, but Luna seem wanting to add something. “WHAT? NO TIA, DON’T…” but the rest of her answer was cut off.

The entire group had collect themselves and now stands around the bedside of Twilight. The doctor uses his magic to interact with the IV connected to said alicorn princess. Some fluid starts to flow into it and then into Twilight herself. After a short moment, she interrupts her pattern and coughs. One, then two times.

Then she wakes up. Violet eyes slowly open up. As they were fully open, they wander around, looking without focus, like someone who just woke up. Quickly they seem to focus on the ponies all around the bed. All of them practical radiate happiness, but were lost on words. It came to Celestia to speak. “Welcome home my little pony, Twilight Sparkle.” The alicorn princess seems to be confused for a moment, then her face changes and she opens her mouth.

Celestia had anticipated nearly everything. From words of happiness, disbelieve to be back, over tears of joy, even that Twilight wouldn't say a thing, as she was so shocked. But the Princess of Friendship didn’t do a thing like the princess of the sun had expected….

… Twilight Sparkle starts to scream, but not out of happiness, but simple and utter terror.

Beginning Arc Chapter 3 Demon

“Hey, Midnight… Wait up.” A voice called after the bat pony, who strolled through the corridor of the castle.

She stopped and turned her head around. Quickly she saw who called after her. It was High Mile, a pegasus with deep blue coat and grey mane. She was one of the few pegasi in the night guard.

Pegasi and Unicorn served mostly in the Day Guard, as protection for Celestia, while the bat ponies serve Luna. Still, there are some ponies, who prefer the night over the day and such an odd pony was High Mile. She never said anyone, besides Midnight, why she was in the Night Guard and so she was a bit of the oddball. Although she stands out in the ranks of the bat ponies, Midnight considered her a friend.

Midnight waited until Mile was beside her, then she continues to walk down the corridor, but know with her friend at her side. “Mile, good to see you. How are you?”

Mile shrugs her shoulder. “Well Captain, good to see you too, besides some small shake I’m fit…” She shakes her head. “Cut the small talk… I want to ask you the big question.”

Said captain stops dead in her tracks. She turns to the pegasi. “What question?”

Mile smiles one of her smug grins. “The Big “What happens” one?”

Midnight puts a hoof on her shoulder. “You want to hear it?” Mile nods one time. “To bad. Princesses said it’s classified. So, no bit of information for you.” She said to her.

The pegasi look dull at her before she starts to make big eyes. “You know that won’t stop me, do you?”

Midnight realizes a breath and in her head, she wages the two options. On the one hand, the princesses had ordered to shut her mouth about the direct circumstances, but on the other hand, bits already are out and with the rumors will appear.

So, quickly she thought about her decision before she came to a conclusion. “Ok. I will answer, but first how much do you already know?”

Mile starts to smile, knowing she had scored a little victory. “Well for starters. We had been called for another opening portal. Both guards mobilize and march out to engage any pony/ anything trying to come through. Freaking magic stuff happened and something shot out of the portal. One landed directly in front of the lines. It was one stranger with a bundle in his hooves. “She sniggers for a moment. “Celestia shot a magic blast and knocked him out. Then it turned out he had the missing Princess Twilight Sparkle. We take both in, Twilight had gone into the infirmary and the stranger into prison. Then a well nothing happens, but then something happens. Strange Magic and stuff. A Magic blast roaming through the castle.”

She pointed her hoof at the remnants of what had been a window. Now instead of the window, it was simply a hole, which was simply covered up with a long, thick cloth.

“Did some prosperity damage and messed up the ponies. Hit me while I had been in the barracks. Had thrown me into a wall. Still hurt” she rubs her head while muttering the last part.

Midnight listens to her. Then she leans towards her. “Well my dear Mile, that is already much, but what I will tell you now must be a secret for a moment. OK?” she looked deeply into her eyes.

Mile counter her deep stare. “Did I ever let something slip my lips?”

Midnight takes a few steps. Her face bore the same grin Mile had. “Follow me, I will tell you some small details.”

With that, both start to walk further down the corridor…

…

Unknown to them something slides the cloth moves slightly as if a soft breeze blew. Something like that wouldn’t be something worth to worry about…

But there is no wind. A spell is in action so that no cold enters the castle through the new and unwanted openings.

It was something far darker than a breeze carrying cold in it. A ghost-like scheme.

Its hooves take some steps on the stone ground and the carpet. No sound came from his steps.

And before another moment passed the scheme had vanished, leaving nothing behind…

…

“So, you are saying me, that the prisoner still took you with him, when he broke out… and the whole time he called you Batsy?” A snort sounded. “And he is still alive? Midnight I think the blast stole your edge.” Mile teased her friend.

Midnight growled. “It sounded found to you, but he has a way to go under my fur. There had been moments, where I simply wanted to strangle him.”

She looks around the blast had devastated the corridor, still, no pony was hurt. In her mind, she put him down in the list of damage control. First the wounded, later the property damage.

She was so deep in her mind, that she blocked out her surroundings, which lead to a heavy punch against her shoulder. The short pain resets her focus and she looked at Mile. “What?”

“I said… And now he had moved the princess into another room so that we can have the infirmary for the injured?”

“Yes, he even carried her. Walked the entire time on his hind legs and carried with his forelegs.” Midnight shakes her head and lets her mane fly freely. “He was more stable on two legs than on four… I don’t get it.”

Mile tried to imagine the picture. “Hard to believe. Still, you must have got a nice look onto his packet… So, has he a good one?” She asks in a sly tone.

Midnight just waves her hoof. “Well the corridor is clear, let’s go further. There are maybe still injured ones.” She starts walking.

“You didn’t answer my question?” Mile urged her.

“I didn’t need to answer because there is nothing to say.” She tried to end the conversation of the theme.

Mile on the hoof saw the slight blush on the bat pony’s face. “Oh… you had to get a glance. Say bigger than normal?” she asks in an eager tone.

Midnight chooses to ignore her blushing cheeks and her babbling friend and walked down the corridor, Mile on her tail.

…

The scheme followed behind them. Lurking in the shadows it tailed them.

“She is here. Vet is with here.” Was the only thing on its mind.

It stops in a small niche in the corridor. The niche was small, still completely in shadows so that he chooses to stay there for a moment.

The scheme stood still, while it starts to plan his next steps.

It knows that the main goal was to answer the call and go to the center. But the way is unknown and it didn’t want to waste precious time wandering around.

But a sound echoed through the corridor and it listens to the sound. Lighter steps and fewer steps, so the scheme knows whoever walks isn’t the two from before.

After a few more steps a maid came into view. She turned to a broken window and show her back towards the niche behind her.

In the niche, the scheme starts to show a feral grin.

In this moment, all of its thoughts about plans were pushed aside as it comes forward and grabs this opportunity. So, it stepped out of its hideout and locks it glance on her…

To get information… and feeding…

The maid froze completely, she didn’t even dare to breathe. She was suddenly filled with fear. She tries to move her legs, but they didn’t even budge an inch. Panic started to rise in her.

With utter willpower, she was able to lower her glance down her neck, where she sees that a white leg closes around it. Slowly, without making a sound, the leg pulled her with it. Dread filled her throat.

As soon as she was fully pulled into the niche, her head was twisted to the side. With one eye, she catches a glimpse of the scheme…

But the only thing she really saw where the two fangs at its maw. Said fangs come closer to her neck. Panic rises higher in her. She wanted to shake in fear, but the scheme simply looks at her. Even without eyes, she feels its glance and her mind start to fall…

Then a simple word escapes its maw… “Prey” the word came out as a whisper.

She opens her mouth wanting to scream out her terror, panic, and fear, but the fangs enter the soft flesh on the side of her neck… and no sound left her mouth.

…

Midnight had a problem. She can’t decide if she should strangle her friend High Mile or first beat her into a bloody mess and strangle her then. Both options were very appealing and with every new word, Mile said, the wish just to do one of the two options becomes harder and harder to ignore.

“Mile... By all what is holy by the grace of the Moon Princess and everything that is touched by the moonlight… STOP TO ASK ABOUT HIS SCHLONG” she screams into Mile’s face.

The pegasi were setback from the outbreak from the normally controlled bat pony. “Gotcha, ” she thought in the back of her mind. “Jess, you didn’t need to scream so loud. I think even Manehatten had heard you. And was completely unnecessary. It was a completely legit question.” She answers while rubbing her ears with on hoof.

“That it… now I will …” Midnight said while she raises her own hoof, ready to beat the pegasus when suddenly a shrill scream cut through the air.

“KYYYYYAAAAA”

Both guard ponies stopped dead in their tracks. In union, both turned their eyes and located the direction of the scream. Without missing a beat both darted to the source, their bickering side aside, as now duty calls.

As fast as their hooves could carry them, they run through the corridor and halls, passing broken furniture and windows, until they arrived at the source.

A maid and a guard standing beside the body of another maid, who lays in a niche.

“Guard what happened here?” Midnight asked in her officer voice. The guard was shocked by her appearance and barked an order, but his training came to his help and he jumps into position. The maid jumps out of her frozen stance, but then she jumped to the side of the guard and he puts his wing over her.

“Lieutenant. I accompanied the maid beside me. She had been so frightening, that she wanted protection, so I have offered myself as her bodyguard and …” he wanted to say more but Midnight already senses the half-truth in his answer.

“Private Flame Sword… I don’t give a damn, that you and the maid Black Duster other there, tried to find a place for rutting each other.” She snarled at the brown pegasi guard and the black unicorn maid. “What happened here?” She points at the victim.

The maid mare lays in the niche. Her face was drained from colors, her breath come flat and she was in fetal position. She whimpers unintelligible words and then Midnight heard Mile gaps. Blood flows down her neck and a few drops already hit the ground. All in all, she looks like death had visited her

The maid Black Duster gulps before she starts to talk. “Well, Flame agreed to accompanied me.” She gulps again. “Well I had hoped that we find a quiet place away from all, so we both had walked to this corridor. It’s usually a quiet place.” She shivers in fear. “But then reach the niche and we had found Red Quilt. At first, I was shocked, but then I say the blood and then I screamed.” She turns to the pegasi guard and buries her head deeper in his side.

Midnight waited for a moment longer, but Duster didn’t seem to have more to say. “Ok. You two get her to the infirmary” she ordered.

This somehow triggered a reaction. The head of Red Quilt suddenly jumped up. “NO.” she screamed.

The sudden change of behavior shocked every pony.

Mile was the first to ask. “What? Why?”

Red Quilt stands on shaking hooves, she looked like she would simply fall any second. “When…When…it had bitten me… I heard a voice in my head… I…I think it was its… the thing asked where the infirmaries are…where princess Twilight lay…”

Midnight was shocked. “What? Did you say anything to its questions?”

Red nods in a staggering motion. That made Midnight mad. “WHY?” she asks in a threating voice

The hurt maid starts to shake more and Black Duster rushed to her side to support her. “I couldn’t resist… I tired… But there was so much terror… He had drained my will… just through his presence.”

Midnight stared at her. That wasn’t good. Such a dangerous thing roaming through the castle… with both the ruler of the nation and the national heroes here, with the unknown stranger as another complication…

She snorted, but she gathers herself. “For things like this I had enlisted myself.” She thought to herself. “Mile follow me. Private Flame Sword you too. We rush to the nearest weapon rack. We take some weapons and then we hunt this thing down before it reaches its target.”

“MA’AM, YES, MA’AM” both guards salute and Midnight gives orders to the maid. “Black Duster get Red Quilt to the infirmary. Immediately. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?” The maid nodded and then started to rush the injured down the corridor.

But after a few steps, Red Quilt talks again. “I remember something…” That catches the attention of Midnight who had just turned to face Mile and Flame.”

“What did you suddenly remember?” Midnight asks in a wary tone.

“When I had given the location of the infirmary… The voice had asked who is with her?” Red weakly said.

That raised many red flags in Midnight's head, so she rushed to her side. “The voice had asked, who's with the princess?”

Again, Red nodded in her staggering movement. “I said she was with princesses Celestia and Luna, as well as the Bearers of Harmony and the dragon Spike… and this Vet, the stranger from the portal.”

“Why is this important?” the bat pony asked. She had a hunch, but couldn’t point her hoof on it.

“Because, as soon as I had said the stranger's name… the thing it had left… it had said something…” she raises her head and stared into the eyes of Midnight. “I’m coming brother.”

This little sentence was all Midnight needed. Her battle trained mind was able to process this information in no time. She reeled on her hind legs to Mile and Flame. “New Order. Mile with me. Flame to the barracks. I want every unicorn guard on the hooves and going to the infirmary holding Twilight Sparkle. ASAP. If they aren’t there before 5 minutes, I will personal skin them.”

Mile was astonished by her violent outburst, while Flame suddenly fears for his life. He gulped, then simply saluted and then run as fast as he could to the barracks.

He had heard of Midnight reputation. She had always been tough, but since her injury from the battle of Twilight abduction and the result of the loss of her flying ability had made her an even greater threat. So, when she threatens with skinning, Flame had to get the feeling she would do it… with a dull and rusty knife, just to make her point.

Midnight was unaware of his thoughts. She simply darted to the nearest weapon rack, a few corridors down, with Mile on her tail.

As soon as both reached the rack Midnight takes two spears and a bunch of knives, some of them able to be thrown. She gives one spear and the half of the knight to Mile. “Come with me Mile.” She leaned to her and the pegasi unintentional gulps, as she saw the murder intend in her eyes. “We have a thing to hunt.”

With that, she rushed away, Mile after her. The entire way Midnight had only one thought on her mind. “Now I will bucking kill Vet. He is in league with that thing. Maybe the princesses will be disgusted, but they will understand…” She starts to make a nasty grin, with way too many teeth showing. “Vet, your ass will be on my table and your head on my spear.” She threats the stallion and she could swear she could already taste his blood.

In the infirmary, where Twilight lays…

Vet groaned a bit out of annoyance. He had proposed the idea of taking Twilight to another infirmary so that they could use the space for another injured. Also, he had hoped to steal some time for a good portion of sleep, before he was forced to explain things.

But he had learned in his life too soon that the universe doesn’t give a damn thing about wishes and so he sits on the bed, Twilight’s sleeping form at his side, her head on his shoulder. She had fallen asleep, while he had carried her and he didn’t want to disturb her, especially now, as she was able to sleep without any drug.

That wasn’t the thing what disturbed him. It was the fact that the royal sisters and the Bearer of Harmony with the dragon were with him in the room.

Vet had already decided that Luna was alright. His opinion over Celestia was worse, especially after he had learned that it was Celestia, who knocked him out.

His opinions over the elements were different. He thinks that Rainbow Dash was arrogant and cocky. He like from Applejack that she was a ground steady mare. He wonders how Fluttershy can be one of the Heroes. “That mare is so shy and timid, how would she have the courage to do that?” He also doesn’t really understand Rarity, but that’s mostly because of his lack of understanding and caring for fashion and the upper-class.

His opinion over Spike raised fast. He had learned enough from Twilight about her “number one assistant” that he believes he is a good guy under all the scales. That he still growls and glare at him was something that didn’t bother Vet. He knows that the dragon must have aggression for abducting his mother/boss/sister, still, he seems to understand to take Vet from Twilight would only make the situation worse for her. So, Vet easily forgives him. “Better aggressive but controlled, than apathetic.” Vet dry thought.

About the last pony, he hadn’t come to a conclusion about liking or hating her. Pinkie Pie had jumped the entire time around and never stood still. And all the questions she asked, her hole blubbering… Vet feel like he was on a bad trip. “How can she have so much energy? Did she take a mix of Speed and LSD for breakfast” Vet wondered?

He had made the mistake to ask and right now he follows the advice the others had given him. “Don’t think about Pinkie Pie”. An advice he truly follows by all of his heart.

So right he sat on a bed, princess sleeping on his shoulder and 8 interrogators around him. “I don’t get any sleep until I answer some question?”

A collective nod was the answer. Vet loudly sighs. “Faust above, if shit come down always so much to buried me six feet under.” Another sigh. “Ok, I will answer a few, but if I don’t like the question there won’t be an answer, understand?”

Again, a collective nod. “Okay, who wants the first question.” He asks the group.

Celestia was the first to ask. “Is vet your real name?”

Vet was mildly surprised, he had bet they ask something different. “Nah, Vet is my call name. Fully I’m called Veturius.”

“Did they shorten that name to Vet?” came the question from Luna.

Vet snorted. “No, it came through my job. I was the caretaker of little Miss Sparkle here.” He pointed at the sleeping alicorn. “Some of the people over there called her an animal… and a dumb animal doesn’t need a doctor, but a Veterinarian and the researcher over there didn’t spend any bit of energy to learn my name, so Vet was born and it stuck.”

Fluttershy suddenly make a small sound, it resembled a Memp. “A Veterinarian… so you a doctor?”

“No… I’m a caretaker…a male nurse…”

Rainbow cuts herself in. “What’s different and why were you ordered to take care of Egghead. Wasn’t she able to care for herself?”

Vet’s grin looked suddenly more like a grimace. “A doctor looks at a patient, say some fancy words and write receipts. Caretaker and Nurses have the job to do the actual work and they are the one who sees how the patients die under them.”

Again, Fluttershy made the Memp again. “What?” she asked in a timid voice.

Vet’s mad grind grow. “To continue the answer for Rainbow over there… She wasn’t able to care for herself because she was busy to keep her lung and heart working, while the bastards over there did there little sick experiments.”

A shock goes through the equestrians in the room. “WHAT?”

“Oh, should I explain it.” He leans a bit forward. “They wanted to know everything about Equestria, Alicorns, and Magic… So, they experimented on her… Cut her open, break her bones, her wings… give her drugs just to see how she react to them… Slowly in their pursuit of science…” he spat the word out.” … they were killing her in body and mind.”

If someone who drops a needle and let it hit the ground… said needle would be loud as thunder…

Celestia was again the first to speak, but only after a long moment. “They tortured her…?”

Vet noded and slowly points his hoof on the sleeping alicorn. “Yup. The cut over here…” he pointed near the base of the wings. “They cut her there to see the muscles responsible to move the wing. After they had been finished they had left the cut open. Had been forced to sew it close.”

He pointed to the wings. “The put her once in a machine which slowly put pressure on them… only to see how much weight they can withstand. Afterwards simply throw her back into her cell. I had to splint them or they wouldn’t heal in any way”

He moved his hoof to her horn. “Sometimes they did things to her just for fun. Once one of the interrogator, a pig in clothes, had asked her question she couldn’t answer, so he grabbed her by the horn and had her thrown into the room as if she had been a doll. It had hurt her and she didn't give any pieces of information. Still, he continues to torture her, just because he gets a boner from doing it.”

Vet closed his tale and Spike started to growl so strong that Vet swears the ground shake. The dragon looks like he wants to kill and Vet slowly get the feeling that he is the target for his bloodlust.

Rarity was calm and put a hoof on his claw. Instantly the dragon stopped to growl, instead, he looks at her. Vet was relieved by her ability to control the dragon, as he didn’t want to fend off an angry dragon.

“So, you had patched her back and made sure she survives?” She asked him. Vet nodded. “I must say thank you for that, still you did a poor job on it.”

Vet grins again. “Well excuse me. Alien physiology wasn’t a subject when I was at school. I did what I could, still, I needed help from Hawk and Psyker. They mention things about her wings and horn, so without them, I dare to say… either she had died or lost both body parts.”

Luna stared at him. “The one who hurt her… did they get punished for their crime?”

Vet nodded eagerly. “Yes, her Warband did that. There had been once a doctor who did a vivisection on her, cut her open when she was in full awareness… Boy Law did the same thing on him." Vet shakes his head. " Damn he had proven me that the fastest way to man’s heart is still straight through the collarbone.”

He looked at the others, who stared at him. “He died painfully. In fact, everyone did. The doctors who crushed her wings, Hawk had broken every one of their bones. The interrogator who tossed her like a doll… Be did the same to him.” He grinned sinisterly. “Be had far more strength than him… So instead into walls, he had thrown him through them and in the end, he had demonstrated how many times a man can be folded. I give you a hint… it’s a double-digit number.”

Pinkie was now the one who asked a question. “Warband. What is that? Were that her friends?” She jumped around him.

“Kind of. But fewer friends and more loyal battle dogs.” Vet said earning a round of confusion. He sighed and put a hoof on his face.

“Had they been some sort of guards?” Luna asked.

“Less guards or soldier, but more living weapons. Enhanced with some nasty things to improvised their battlefield abilities.”

“What enhancements?” Came the confused question. Vet didn’t know from who came the question as he didn’t raise his hoof of his face.

“Enhanced strength, speed, vision. The abilities to see in the dark and such…” he finally raised his hoof and look at the group. “Sparks had told me you have magic, which candies the same thing but only for a short time. Their enhancements are permanent.”

Celestia and Luna gasped for air. “The Stress and the toll in their bodies and mind… they can’t endure it long. Their bodies must have crumpled and their minds shattered.”

The no magic of the group looks at the alicorns. “Why?” came from Applejack.

Rarity was the one who answers. “I don’t know much about it, but spells who enhance for example your strength already cost much magic power. If a normal unicorn uses it on himself he can maintain the spell for approximately for 10 to 15 minutes. Any longer and he starts to poison himself with magic.” She shrugged.

“Darling magic poison is a serious threat for a unicorn. If some pony get it he had so much magic stored in his body start to affect his organ. Slowly it degenerates them, while his mind starts to twist and madness occurs.”

She shudders again and Spike rushed to her side. Grateful for his support she leans against him, while her coil his tail around her hooves. “The school taught us some stories about unicorns how did a magic poison on themselves or other ponies.”

Vet laughed. “Oh… they maybe go in the category MAD a bit, but weak bodies…” his laughter intensive. “They can bend steel... Them and weak… best joke I heard since a long time.” He chuckled for the last time, then he gets serious. “They had been the one to free her. Killed their way to her and recruited me to her caretaking. They had taken the portal and send me and her first through.”

“So, these super-duper strong friends of her? Did they stay behind?” Pinkie asked. She seems eager to meet these new friends of Twilight.

“Well, they had said they would walk after us through the portal…”

Celestia and Luna look at each other. “The other blasts!” they shout and look at the confused group. “When the portal had open we had shot our magic in them in an effort to close it. You landed in front of us, but there had been other blast who had shot all in different directions. But we don’t know where they had landed.”

“Well, the term crashed will fit better for it… but that means they had come through… they are just scattered all over… But they will come.”

“How will they come? They are scattered in a foreign land. Also by judging your appearance, they will stand out. So well will learn from them soon enough. In addition, I don’t think they can simply walk right in?” Luna asks while she tipped her mouth with her hoof as she thought about it.

“Well…” Vet wanted to say more, but he was cut short, as the door was suddenly pushed open, with enough force to rip it out of its hinges.

Vet set with the face to the door, so he was the first one who sees the intruders. Much to his dismay, it was Midnight and a pegasi guard. First, he wondered why they entered

A pissed of Midnight with murder in her eyes and a spear in her hooves… Which she throws with force… targeted at Vet and his vital organs…

“MIDNIGHT!” Luna screamed. Celestia lost her footing when her sister screamed. And the rest just break into utter chaos. Meanwhile Twilight stirred up as the sound wake her up.

The spear flies through the room, untouched the commodity. “Oh, for Faust’s sake.” Vet loudly swears. “I survived so long, the facility the outbreak and Sparks outburst here, and now I fucking die because batsy lost her fucking mind?” he thought while hoping for a miracle.

The spear comes closer and he closed his eyes, awaiting his death. But it didn’t come, so after a few moments, a loud SNAP echoed through the room, so he opens his eyes again, to get great by a shocking view.

Right before the bed stand a foreign stallion, the remains of the spear laying to his hooves, while the tip of the blade was in his maw, as he had caught the spear midair and instead of simply defecating he had bitten it in two halves. He had wings and ears like a bat pony. His entire coat, his wings, and mane were white. Not the alabaster white of Rarity or Celestia, more a ghostlike white, making it hard to see him. Still, three features making him stand out.

First, he had really long fangs, second, his eyes were hidden under a black bandage going over them and most importantly… he had no cutie mark.

This allowed Vet to realize that the foreign stallion was one of the war band.

Also, Twilight had jumped up and thrown herself on the albino bat pony and hugs his barrel. She started to cry into his coat, while she mumbles… “Hunter, Hunter, Hunter…”

Vet looked up and saw that ever pony was set back by this scene. Vet couldn’t’ resist. “Well, I think they can simply walk in and right now I think I owe you guys an even bigger explanation.”

Author's Note

So another update. Faster than before, but the next need a while... damn this writer block and RL.
Still enjoy

Beginning Arc Chapter 4 Short Talk

To say the situation became awkward was an understatement.

“An abducted princess was returned and was confused. She had caused destruction when she woke up and attack her friends and mentor. Then as the evaluation of the casualties was undergoing an unknown intruder entered the castle and attack a maid. Midnight in her role as lieutenant sees the threat in it and rushed in the infirmary, where she attacked the companion who came with the abducted princess in rage, as she thinks he had something to do with it. And the intruder reveals himself as a follower of the princess…”

“…So, this is the situation so far.” Vet ended his tale. “Hunter… thanks for catching the spear. It was going a bit too accurate for my vital organs.”

The albino snorted. “No Problem. Your surviving is important for the princesses well-being.”

Vet stare at him. “Thanks for your concerns… really feel the love in it.” He held his stare, before he started to laugh, in which Hunter enters. Both laughed for a while before the laughter died down.

Then both look in each other’s eyes, better Hunter looked in Vet eyes, while Vet only could stare on the binding over Hunter's eyes. “Vet, how bad had it been exactly?”

“Hunter, after I walked through the portal I get shot/hit by magic. They put me in a cell while placing her in an infirmary. They had ignored my warning and did a cold start on her. Luckily, she didn’t go the full way, so I was able to stop her easily.”

“How far was she?”

Vet looked at Hunter. “Too damn close.”

Hunter spats on the ground. “Damn them.”

Near them, Midnight growls at his swearing and spatting. This makes Vet chuckle. “Hunter… Batsy over there hates it, when you do that.”

Hunter looks at the bat pony lieutenant and just shrugged with his shoulder.

That makes Midnight growl again, so Vet simply laughs to make her growl more. “You know this is funny, like a game.” He looks past Midnight into the room, where Twilight was surrounded by her pears and mentors. “Hope the little questions round won’t do a harm.”

Hunter stared into the night sky. “Won’t happen. We are here.”

Vet look again at him. “By Faust, I hope you are right.”

Meanwhile, in the room was lays Twilight in the bed. Vet and Hunter were on the balcony with Midnight, who swore to keep an eye on them. So right now, Twilight was forced to face her friends. “Aww.” The normal talkative mare wasn’t able to find any words.

The others stare at her, making her uneasy. It was Rainbow Dash how asked her first. “The heck was that with the ghost pony? And even before that what is your deal with the strange unicorn.” Her outburst put Twilight on defense.

“What… What do you mean?” she tried to understand the question.

Rainbow flies near her. The cyan Pegasus towers a bit over her. “First you cling at Vet’s flank, then as dung hit the fan, you practical throw yourself on the ghost. A ghost pony with bloody fangs… FANGS… and sobs into his coat?” she listed her points.

“Well…” Twilight tried to say, but Rainbow cut her off, mostly because Twilight talked to quiet to hear. “Egghead, don’t you see that both are practical scream out “DANGER”.”

“They are not dangerous.” She answers, again to be interrupted by Rainbow.

“Well if your friends said that then it must be true. Have you forgotten who your friends are?” she waves her hooves to the others. They all seem to show that they agreed to Rainbow.

This small treason broke Twilight out of her reserve. “They are not dangerous. Don’t dare to say anything else.” Her timid posture before was forgotten instead, she had jumped and stood now on the bed, glaring on the group. “IF you all would be my friends you would respect that fact… but somehow you all seem to forget that you can’t judge a pony just by the first look. This is Zecora all over again. Boohoo. Vet is strange… Hunter is a bat pony with fangs… I DON’T CARE… you know why?” She stares at the group.

“Because over there, they were the only thing keeping me sane. They were MY friends over there.” Her angry posture crumbles and she falls flat on the bed. “The things over there… what the d…doctors did to me…” She starts to cry again. “No mercy… no sympathy… no logic… They had been scientists, they betrayed everything…I believe of science…” The tears now form rivers down her face. “So much pain… they hurt me so much… I just wanted to die…”

That shocked everyone. They had heard some things from Vet, but hearing it from Twilight was so much more. “I was alone… cried for you all…pleaded for a way home…a way out of the nightmare… And none of you came.”

Her soft sobs were the only thing to be heard until a new voice speak. “Twilight do you think we had it simple here?”. It was Fluttershy how spoke. She walked to her side and lay herself next to her. This interrupts Twilight and she looked that the yellow pegasi mare.

“W…What…?” she asks, interrupts by hiccups.

Fluttershy moves a hoof on Twilight’s face. There she carefully pushes a loose strain of mane behind the back. “Twilight when the thing had carried through the portal, we all raged. We mauled the remaining thing into a stomp. It then destructs itself. We all were caught by the explosion, which also destroy the portal. When we had regained concussions, Celestia and Luna tried to reopen it and to follow you. We all had stood by them ready to follow, but we couldn’t. Celestia and Luna tired and tried countless times to reopen the portal, but the explosion had erased every trace to where the portal lead.” She started to cry too. “Could you imagine that all the villains we had faced? Nightmare Moon, Queen Chrysalis, Tirek, even Starlight Glimmer and then… we couldn’t defend a friend and couldn’t rescue her.” She places a wing over Twilight. “It broke us all. The last year wasn’t a happy one. No fun, no party, no friendship missions. All we did was tried to overcome the pain. And then when the anniversary of this dark day came, you returned, but in company of strangers. It rips the wounds open. Cause we all fear that you will choose them over use, that you had forgotten everything from us.” Now her tears were rivers.

This broke Twilight “…It broke you?” She looks at the group. “You all?”

Rarity stepped forward. She also cried. “Yes, darling. It hurt us to the core. But our pain was a mere friction compared to the one of Spike.”

This set Twilight back and finally, she looks at Spike and takes every detail in. What she saw shocks her deep into her core. The small little purple dragon, who was like a baby was gone. Instead, there was a grown dragon. Wings on his back, long Spikes on his head. He had grown in hid and so he was as large as Celestia, still, he didn't finish in growing, Overall, he looked more like a dragon, ready to fight. But still Twilight could see under all the scales, horns and new wings, the little purple dragon, who always was here companion, her son…not by blood but by bond.

She reaches out with her hooves. “Spike?” she asks. The dragon looked at her outstretched hooves and stood still. His face didn’t show any reaction and for a moment Twilight feared that he recoils from her… this though was enough the make the tears rise again…

But then he suddenly flies to her side and pulls her into a hug. Twilight was embraced by his strong arms and wings. As she looks up his barrel into his face she saw all the tears all the emotions. “Mom…” was all he could say between the snobs and hiccups and tears.

This broke all dams in Twilight and see cried too. “Spike…son…” And both cried together. And soon all the other joined the cuddle. First Fluttershy, then Rarity, then Pinkie Pie and Applejack, Rainbow Dash and the two sisters at last. So, they all make one big great huddle and they all cried their pain from the soul.

High Mile, who Midnight had left as guard, couldn’t hold her owns tears back. “This moment…” she says between her own tears.

But in this moment Flame Sword and a quad burst through the door, a war cry on their lips. In no time Mile turns around and raised her own weapon. She hit with the flat side of her spear Flame on the head and knock him cold out. “Don’t you dare to interrupt this tender moment" she threatens the squad in a shockingly good imitation of Midnight.

The squad slowly retreat and pulls Flame with them. They had problems to understand what happened, but after they sat the huddle, they decide that this is far bigger than their payroll so they did the only thing safe… tactical retreat.

Outside on the balcony vet and Hunter had heard the situation from the start till the closing doors. Vet stare at Hunter. “Wow… I own you a meal. Didn’t believe that it didn’t blow up.”

Hunter simply snorted and laughed at Vet’s demise.

Vet laughed a while with him before he calmed down. “But a thing bugs me. How did you found her?”

Hunter suddenly pulls something from his back and point it down the city. Vet didn’t flinch. But Midnight does. She hadn’t realized that he carried something with him. As she looks now on him she realizes that the strange Albino Bat pony has some sort of armor on him.

She couldn’t believe how she missed this detail. And so, her rage at him grows.

Vet simply look at the bat pony, who growl nonstop. “Batsy cut it down, you sound like a broken lawn mower.”

Hunter had ignored him, instead, he worked with the thing he had pulled from his back. It looked like a spear. But Vet knew that it was not a spear.

It was a high-powered bolt-action rifle, caliber around ¾ inch. Vet had witnessed the firepower of this rifle. With the right ammo, punching a hole through 4-inch armor plate in 2mile distance was child play. Vet know that this rifle is dangerous and Hunter seems to do magic with it.

Hunter holds the rifle and put it up, so he can look through the scope. He let it wanders over the scenery.

“Ok Hunter three questions. First, how did your rifle survive the portal, second how can you use it, but most importantly how did you find her so quick?”

The bat pony let his rifle wander a moment, then he put it down and look at him. Vet knew that under the bandage his eyes look direct on him. He didn’t feel the terror or fear normally come through this. He mere feel that the gaze was on him.

“Mech builds it, so it survives anything. The rifle changes his appearance a bit. “He turns the rifle a bit so Vet could see the trigger. It had changed so that now a how can operate it.

“And how I found her. Were you there when seeing lost control?”

Vet shakes his head. “Was in cell deep in the dungeon, only get his by the blast and was forced to act as a landing pad for Midnight. Then I rushed to her side and was able to bring her down… still the fucking black crystals had already grown.”

Hunter looks a moment longer before he raises a hoof near his face. “I can’t really explain it, but when she woke up her fear and terror, were the first things to wake up. Her panic was like a sun in the darkness. I had seen it, we all had seen it. And like a moth, we come to the light.”

Vet looks down at the city. “Ok, that was poetic and it thinks I get the idea, still there are some holes in it.”

This sentence makes Hunter sniggers. “Don’t worry, when Mech or Psy arrives one will explain it.” He said while putting his rifle back.

Both turn to walk in, but Midnight stood before them. She looks at Hunter, then she suddenly moves her hoof in a quick movement. She hits him near his shoulder and as she retreats her hoof a knife was there. “The princess said you are no danger.” She had heard Twilights outburst. “But you had stolen my knife. In my eyes, you are a thief and possible murderer.” She leans closer to him. “I will watch you. Every step you take, I will be on your tail. until I got my proof, then I will use this very knife to gut you. I don’t care what the princess will do about it and I don’t care.” As she finished she was the first to walk in leaving both Vet and Hunter alone on the balcony.

Vet imply looks to Hunter. “Well, for certained... you had made a friend.”

Hunter looked a moment longer at the leaving Midnight. As soon as she was out of hearing reach he spoke up. “She is good. She notices I had taken her knife when I entered the room.”

Vet was surprised by the comment of Hunter. “Well, she is lieutenant in the night guard. She protects the darker alicorn, Luna. She is one of the best.”

Hunter was unfazed by this comment. “She is maybe the best of them. But she isn’t the best in my eyes.”

Both already started to walk inside. Vet looks inquiring at him. His question was not put in words, still, Hunter knows it. “Because dear brother, she may have notice that I had taken her knife…” he starts to grab something from under his cape.

Suddenly a scream comes from the inside and an enraged Midnight, with raised spear, charged at them.

Vet jumps to the side; will Hunter simply dig a knife out and block the spear. The knife looks the same like Midnights. Hunter was unimpressed by the sheer bloodlust Midnight emirates. “…This is the reason. I had taken her knife…” He easily deflects her spear and forces it out of her hooves.” But also, the knife of her companion.”

Midnight started another attack, which Hunter easily deflect. Meanwhile, Vet laugh and couldn’t stop. “I wonder how the others will appear on the door. Because I fear for this land.”

Author's Note

So yeah a short update. Little talk... Hunter gets a few lines... Stuff and such

So hope you enjoy.

Beginning Arc Chapter 5.1 61 72 72 69 76 61 6c

Outside of Canterlot…

The village Hoofshot in the barony Trendshot

An earth pony foal sits on the ground near the front door of a house. He looks battered and holds his face with hooves. He emits weak sounds of crying and sobbing. Bruises were all over his body and made a strange view out of him, as the bruises different shades of blue, while his coat was red. His mane was also red, but in a lighter tone, but right now it was dulled, due to dirt in it.

He didn’t hear it at first, but another pony had walked before him. The foal didn’t acknowledge him, but looks up, after the stranger had coughs and so catches his attention.

At first, he didn’t saw a thing, as his eyes were blurry, but after blinking a few times his view get clearer and he saw the stranger before.

A really big pony, cladded in a hood, which surprised his body really good. So far, the only the foal could see his blue colored muzzle. “Huu...” was all the foal could say, as he still sobs.

The stranger still looks down at him, unimpressed by the sobs and crying. “How are you called little one… why are you crying?” he asks in a flat tone.

The foal calmed down. “Rune…Rune Scrabble…” he pointed to the ground before him… there on it lay the remnants of what looked like a child toy, specifically a toy train. The locomotive was smashed, while the passenger car was ripped into two. “Mean foal broke my toy.”

“Why had they done it?” the stranger asked him. The tone was still flat, but somehow a small portion of curiosity was in it.

Rune sobs a last time. “They said I don’t deserve toys. So, they broke it… and it was my favorite toy.” He looks at the stranger. The gray muzzle didn’t show any emotion. So, the next sentence shocked the little earth pony.

“I can repair it if you want.”

That makes Rune face light up. He looks at the stranger with eyes big and round and plates. But after a moment of joy, the face falters. “But… But it’s so broken…”

Now the muzzle shows an emotion. A grin… “It’s not beyond good and evil… just a bit challenging.”

Rune jumps up and hugs his front legs. “Thank you, mister…” suddenly he realizes that it had hurt. “Owh.” He rubs his own muzzle.

The stranger sniggers. “Thank me later. It would be better if you lead me to your home. I can’t work out here and you jumping against part of my tools didn’t help either.” This makes the foal laugh.

But he quickly starts to walk towards the house he had sitting before. He grabs the knob and turned it and walked in. The stranger waited a second before he followed inside. As he walked through the door he closed it.

Rune had looked at him but was surprised. The stranger didn’t use his hooves, but Rune wasn’t sure if the stranger was simply a unicorn and had used magic. But there had been a movement under the trenchcoated he wore, around where the wings sit, if the pony was a pegasus. But before Rune could ask a question the stranger spoke. “Is there a table or work-bench?”

“Yeah, the table in the living room.” Rune darted to the door, which leads to the room. The room was relatively small, still, it has a couch and a table in front with an outworn looking arm-chair while having a few regals on the wall. The stranger walked to the couch and sat. The remnants of the broken toy, which he had carried, were placed on the table.

“I would recommend that you tend your wounds.” The stranger talked while looking at him. Rune blushes a bit, as he had forgotten his pain. “Can you tend it yourself?”. Rune nodded again and quickly darted to the bathroom. w

There he grabbed a wet cloth and clean himself of the dirt. He winced as he himself in the mirror. He saw the bruises and areas of his face which were in a darker tone than they had been in the morning. Still, he collects his bravery and walked back to the living room.

As he was back in the room he was greeted by a strange scene. The stranger had put some strange tools on the table, tools Rune had never seen before. Also, he had pulled the hood back. Rune now saw that he was a unicorn. A deep blue coated unicorn, but with neo green mane. The foal was surprised to see that the mane was cut short, as it was ended just after three inches.

The stranger seemingly wasn’t aware that Rune had entered the room, as his back faced the door. “Are you planning to stand there all day?” the monotone voice broke Rune out of his starring. The stranger had been aware he had returned.

“No… No sir.” Rune stammers. He takes a few steps towards the couch. “Can I watch?”

The unicorn just turns his head to the foal. “No need to call me sir. Just can watch, but I don’t think that will be appealing to you.”

Rune starts to make big round eyes. “Please?” he asked in a begging tone. His mother couldn’t resist if he had this face, but the stranger didn’t show any kind of reaction. He held his neutral glance before he reached with one hoof into his trench coat. After a second he pulls an object out of it and shows it to Rune.

It was a cube, make out of multiple smaller cubes, which bore different colors. Rune looked at the cube. “I have a deal for you. I repair your toy, you can play with this toy.” He put another hoof on side of the cube and suddenly the side start to twist. Rune just stared with open mouth at the toy. “The goal of this puzzle game is it to arrange the cubes until all cubes on every side have the same color.

Rune just stares at the cube, still, he grabs it. He sat on the floor beside the table and start to twist the first sides. “Thank you, sir… Was is your name?” he ripped his glance from the cube. In all of this, he had forgotten to ask the stranger for his name. Ohh, how his mother would be ashamed of his rude behavior.

But to his surprise, the stranger didn’t seem to mind. “My name is Mech.”

Rune starts to grin and offers him a hoof. “Nice to meet you, Mech.” And with that, he put all of his focus on the puzzle in his hooves. He loves all kinds of puzzles and so it was no surprise that he enjoys this one, especially after he finished the cube for the first time. Then he found out that the cube started to glow, only to reset itself, but the colors had changed their position, so it was like a new puzzle.

He was so deep in the puzzle that he even forgot that Mech was there. The unicorn looked at him for a while. He studied how the Earth pony foal solves the puzzle, then he puts his own focus on the broken remnants of the toy before him.

The locomotive was heavenly damage. The metal was bent and twisted, the passenger wagon beyond all repair. He looks at the pieces. A normal pony would most likely throw them away, as they were now only thrashed, but they can’t do the things he can do. He reaches for one of his tools, something that looked like a screwdriver. For him, this broken toy was merely a challenge. And so, he began his work.

It goes one for the rest of the day. Both barely give a thought to the other one, as both were deeply in their doing… until the front door opens again and a voice called out, ripping both out of their focus. “RUNE…” a female voice called. “I’M HOME.”

… Scene change…

Rose Lily was tired. She had been forced to take the shift of a co-worker at the local burger-shot, as said co-worker had called, that she fell ill. “Yeah, she fell ill…after another night of party and drinking.”

Rose was normally a friendly earth pony. She takes care of her red coat and mane and also tries to have as much time for her son Rune as she could. But there are days like this one she wished she could simply throw everything down and get a breakdown.

But after taking a deep breath she calmed a bit. She knows her life as a single mother is hard, but she could bear it for the sake of her son. Still, she allowed herself to curse the world in her mind.

She had originally planned to spend the afternoon with Rune, but this plan was crushed. Now she wanted to go home. Rune maybe sad that they hadn’t their afternoon, but a nice meal and playtime should sooth this a bit.

As she planned in her mind, her hooves had carried her to the front door of the little house she could afford to live in with Rune. She walked through the door and closed it behind her. “RUNE…I’M HOME.” She called.

Rose her a gasp, then the light steps of a foal and in no time her son was there. He jumped at her leg. “MOMMY…” his voice trembles as he was surprisingly happy about something. “YOUWONTBELIEVEWHATAPPENEDTODAY…” he said, but due to what made him so happy, he got so active, that he speaks so fast that it was impossible to understand a word. But Rose just grins about her son behavior.

“Rune, take a deep breath and then for the start… what will I believe?” she asks in her motherly voice.

“An interesting story.” A voice said. Said voice was monotone, but unknown to Rose. So, her motherly instincts kick in. She pushes her son behind her and looked at the speaker.

In the door to the living room stands a completely unknown unicorn. He was deep blue, while his mane was in such a bright green, it made a strange contrast. But the most prominent feature was the fact that he wears a coat.

That was the thing that put Rose most on the edge. Ponies didn’t normally cloth. Royals and the upper-class wear them, also guards wear their armor, but all their cloth still show much of their body, the coat of this pony hide it. She fears for the worse.

“Mommy, what are you doing.” Rune pokes his head out.

“Rune, who is that and what is he doing inside the house?” Rose asks her spouse.

The unicorn looked at her. Her hopes that he was a bit intimidated by her pose were crushed as he didn’t show any sign of fear about her. “The bastard didn’t show a Celestia damn thing.” She thought to herself.

“Your son cried at the front door. I was curious why. I asked and offer my service to repair his broken toy.” The unicorn simply said.

The fact that he hadn’t threatened her had softened her up a bit, but after hearing the sentence she was up all again. “WHAT?” she cried out. Rune winces about her outscream, while the strange didn’t flinch.

He simply waves his hoof towards the living room. “If we continue this conversation in there, it would be easier.” He walked back in the room. Rose stared at him for a moment, but follows, mostly because Rune already walked to.

As she arrived in the room, she was shocked to that the stranger had occupied the table before the couch. Various unknown tool laying on the table, some of them looked more like torture devices. The stranger had already sat back on the couch, with Rune beside him.

Wary Rose walked to them but set herself in the armchair, so that she faces both. “So… What is now the story?” she asks after a moment of uncomfortable silence.

Rune was the one who told the story, as the stranger continue to work on the toy before him. Soon the foal came to the end of the story. “And then I played with the cube until you came home.” He ended while showing the cube to his mother.

She stared at the colorful cube. Rose was a bit fascinated by the cube. “Ok… but who broke your toy?” she asked.

Rune mumbles something incomprehensible, so Rose repeat her question. But deep inside she already knows the answer. “The twins…” Rune mumbles finally out.

Rose released a breath she didn’t know she had inhaled. “Ok. Did they also beat you again?” Rune nodded weakly. Rose gets out of the chair and walked to him. She grabs his face and took a good look at him. She was shocked to see the bruises on it. “Come let’s patch you up…afterward, I made you a nice hay sandwich.”

Rune look in her eyes. “With fried egg? And chess baked over it?”

“Yes, with egg and cheese.” She said and Rune runs out of the room.

Rose looked after him but then looks at the stranger. “Can I leave you alone str…” she interrupts herself, as she knows now his name. “Can I leave you alone in her Mech?”. As an answer, she gets a grunt. Not wanting to let Rune wait any longer she accepts it as an answer and made her way to the bathroom, where Rune already sat on the floor.

She quickly patches up Rune, then she walked to the kitchen. But halfway she stops as she remembers something. The stove had broken down two days ago and she didn’t have the chance, or money, to call a repairman. But right now, dread filled her. She had promised Rune something, but she couldn’t fulfill it and that hurts her. So, she turns around to look at her son. “Rune, I just…”

She wanted to say more, but the monotone voice of Mech sounded, but out of the kitchen and not the living room. “If you still want to make the sandwich, I repair the stove.”

Just was at the door and looked into the tiny kitchen. Mech really stands before the stove and she saw that the plate of the stove was red. “Ok. Rune can you please wait in the living room. I will make you the sandwich.” Rune jumped as he was happy and rushed to the living room. Mech walked past her and also goes to the living room, leaving her alone in the kitchen.

Rose stood there for a moment, before going near the stove and hoovers her hoof over the plate. She was hot. A smile starts on her face. She walks towards the fridge and takes some ingredients out and start making the sandwich. Out of a strange feeling, she made two. She places both on a separate plate. Then she placed the plates on her back and walked back to the living room.

Rune played again with the cube, but Mech had put some of his tools back and so there was some space for the plates. Rose quickly places them in the free place. “Rune put the toy away. Eat it while it warm.” The foal looked up and practically jumped at the steaming food.

Mech looked at the eating foal, keeping his neutral face, then she shifts his glance towards the other sandwich. “What is the deal with this. Is he supposed to eat both?”

Rose blushes a bit. “No…It for you. As a thank you for fixing the old stove.”

Mech looked again at the sandwich, then at her. “There was no need for a compensation. Still, I accept it.” He grabbed it with his hoof and then takes a bite. His face starts to lite up a tiny bit. “Delicious.” But before he takes another bite he suddenly rips it in two. One part he keeps, the other he offers Rose.

The mare was a bit surprised. “What?” she was a bit set back. “Do you dislike it?”. Mech didn’t answer, instead of her own stomach rumbles as she was suddenly aware that she hadn’t eaten since the morning. Shepley, she accepted the half and eat it.

So, all three eat in solitude. And Rune was the last to finish his sandwich. The foal let himself fall back into the couch. while rubbing his hooves all over his belly. “I’m full.” He declares then he burps loud.

Rose looks stern at him. “Rune, something like this is bad behavior.” She scolds him.

“Ok, mom.” He mumbles. Still, he wanted to grab the cube again, but Mech's voice stopped him. “I’m done.”

Both Rose and Rune look at him. The unicorn just points to the table and both start to make big eyes. There was a complete toy train. “You did it,” Rune said in disbelieve.

The toy was completely repaired. The locomotive was again in shape, the wagon, which was beyond repairs was it again. But most importantly the color was full again, in addition to that he even had added a new wagon. Mech grabbed the toy and places in Rune’s hoof. “A train is not only for personal transport, so I add a wagon for good transport.”

The foal carefully touched it. It felt strong, but all wheels move again. The small dents in the metal were absent and it even had both buffers at the end of the wagon, although one had missing since even before it gets smashed.

Rune puts the train carefully aside. Then he jumps to Mech and throws his hooves around his neck as much as he can. He starts to sobs uncontrollably and cries. “THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU…,” he said, between all the tears and sobs.

Mech moves his legs and awkwardly puts them on his back. There he moves them in a staging motion and rubs over his back. It looked like he didn’t have an idea how to deal with this situation. “No problem Rune.”

Rose herself was also near crying. “How can I repay you?” she was so happy that Mech was able to repair the toy, which had been the favorite toy of Rune.

Mech just looked at her. “No money. Just allow me to stay here for the night.”

Rune looked at his mother, his eyes red from all of the crying. “Please mommy…” he begs. But that was unnecessary.

“Ok. Mech… it would be my pleasure if you stay for the night…”

Any answer from him was cut short as Rune jumped on the table, while he screams in a high pitch voice.

Rose grabs him from the table. She throws an apological glance towards Mech, who just waved his hoof. “And it is my pleasure to stay.”

The rest of the evening they sat in the room. Rune was on the floor playing with his train and with cube alternating between both. Rose was beside him and takes part in the playing, while Mech just sat on the couch observing both. Time flew by and suddenly Rune starts to yawn.

Ros jumps at this immediately. “Rune you are tired. It’s enough playing for the day. Come I tuck you right in your bed and then you will sleep.”

“But mommy, I’m not that tired.” Rune tried to defend himself but interrupts himself with another yawn. Still, he didn’t defend himself, when Rose grabs him up and start to carry him out of the room. “Night Mech.” He weakly said, while waving to him.

Mech didn’t say a word, but still the unicorn waves back.

In Runes room, Rose was quick to tuck her son into bed. The foal shifts himself deeper into his covers and from one second to another her was asleep. Rose looked at his peaceful pose. Then the earth pony mother bends down and kisses him on the forehead.

Quietly she tips out of the room and closes the door behind her, but not without throwing a last glance at the sleeping foal. She takes every detail of his features in, his red coat and mane and she silently thanked the two sisters that Rune was in every part her son. With a happy smile, she walks back into the living room, but made a quick dash to the kitchen, where she had grabbed a hidden bottle of wine and two glasses.

She returned to the living room, where Mech had changed his seat and sat now in the arm-chair. So that he faced the door rose had a chance to get a really good look at him. Well, the coat still hides much if his body he didn’t look as dangerous as he looked at first. His neutral glance, he seems to keep the whole time was more the one of a pony, who observe an experiment. In this moment he seems to stare at a point of the door.

“So, now we both are alone. Do you want to dink with me?” Rose asked him.

He blinks one time, then focuses his glance on her. “Had he been in a trance?” she wondered.

“Yes. Something to drink would nice. I want to ask a few questions. And I believe the questions would be upsetting, so intoxicating with alcohol would keep the tone light.”

“…Are you asking if I would sleep with you as a reward for fixing my son’s toy?” she asks in a sour tone. In her mind, Mech moved from being a nice stallion to asshole in mere seconds.

“I have no interest in sexual intercourse, also, you may still wear your work clothes…” he points to the skirt from the burger shot, which Rose somehow had totally forgotten about. “… but you wear a knife under it. That indicates me that if I try to force this on you will use it.” All the time he kept his neutral face and tone.

Rose snort and shakes her head, letting her mane fly freely. Still, she walks to the table and places the wine bottle and glasses on them. “How did you tell I have the knife on?”

Mech leans forward and grabs the bottle. “By your reaction when you had seen me. You assume that I’m a possible threat to your son. The pose you had assumed was partly a motherly instinct, still, you had self-defense lessons, which affected the stance. That indicates you had problems in the past… Problems with a more violent nature… and being a mare mean that possible threats are ponies bigger than you, so arming yourself is a logical step.” He leans back, letting it sink in.

Rose raises an eyebrow. He spoke in his neutral tone and so it sounded al logic, even as it was a bit far stretched. “Yeah, that comes close to the truth. And you the first moment I saw you, my mind had scream THREAT. Are you a soldier or sellsword?”

Rune flicks his hoof and one tool appeared. A pipe wrench, but with sharp blades on it. He uses one blade on the cork of the bottle and quickly he decapitates the bottle. Not pulling out the cork, he simply cuts the part where the cork sits from the bottleneck.

“To answer your question. I’m a soldier, but I’m bound in the service to the dawn. I have many talents but don’t worry. My order forbid mindless slaughter. I’m allow defend myself, but forbid from first strikes.” The display of skill and tone somehow calm Rose.

She casual grabs a glass and offers it to him. Mech gets the idea and start to fill her glass, then pour some whine into his. He then puts the bottle down and takes his glass. Both clang them together and then takes a mouthful of wine. “Bah. I forgot this a cheap one.” Rose said after swallowing.

“Indeed. Plain, cheap and if I would bet… it is stretched with antifreeze.” Mech said. Then he empties his glass in one gulp and so Rose did the same. Then a small silence was between them until Mech spoke up again. “But a real question right now. How dried is your financial situation?”

This question causes a serious shift in atmosphere. “Ah, I see… a question for I should need to be intoxicated.” She throws to Mech a death glare, which the unicorn stallion just ignores. “Well, not as bad as it could, being a single mother taking minimum wage jobs, but there are moments … let’s say there is always an alley where you can buy things a normal shop didn’t offer… food, drinks, activities…”

Mech holds the bottle up again. Rose accept the refiling of her glass. As Mech puts the bottle down again. “No father?”

Rose drink again. “Before Rune was born I had worked in the cottage of the baron of this barony as a maid. Stressful job, but the pay was good. The biggest downside of the job was the boss…the lord was a handful. One of the old nobles, who thought that he is a noble and being a unicorn meant he was superior over us lonely peasants, especial us earth ponies.” She takes a gulp of her drink. “Being a noble asshole, ruling over us is a tiring task, so its natural that the maids must serve him…if you catch the drift.”

Mech just looked at her. But he nods and so he mentions her to continue.

“Well, if have hated it, but I tried to save up a sum and then leave… but one day the protection failed. I carried Rune. I confronted my boss and wanted to leave. And the bastard throws a tantrum, I get pregnant just so that I can steal his title and lands. He throws me out, without any coin, but the order to abort. He even ordered some shady goonies to follow me and confirm that I abort… they even had the order to do it personally if I should keep the bastard.”

She looks into Mech eyes. And was surprised as she saw that on his face were hints of suppressed rage. “Don’t worry at last the goonies weren’t so stupid to try it. I was able to convince them that the father wasn’t the lord, but some one-night stand. So, I was accompanied back, where I apologize to the lord. I’m allowed to keep the foal but on my own. Most ponies in town won’t really employ me, as they fear I run around, let stallions jump on me and then try to get money from them.” She ended her telling

Mech reaction was surprising and strangely pleasing. He crushed the glass and looked at her. “Should I kill him?” he asks in his monotone voice.

This somehow brightens Rose mood up. The few stallions she came in contact since Rune’s birth, all retreated and tend to follow the official story with the false assumptions. So now meeting somepony willing to believe her and even offer her action was a nice relief. “Isn’t that against your orders?”

The unicorn’s face didn’t falter for a mere second. “It may interfere with my last order, but killing him would be acceptable by the overlord protocol.”

Rose just laughed, by didn’t think further about it. “Leave him… I don’t think being stupid is an excuse for killing. “

Mech shows the tiniest grin before his face became neutral again. “Right. An old proverb… Don’t weep for the stupid; you’ll be cryin’ all day. “He grabbed the bottle and take a swing directly out of it. “But another question… Rune has potential in him. He shows a really good adaptability to the challenge of the cube, so why didn’t he get a solar ship…”

Rose put her empty wine glass down. “Cause he’s my son… It’s all this again.”

She reached for the bottle and Mech handed it over. “Rose a last question… Why does Rune limp.”

That makes Rose froze. She stays so or a moment, before finishing the bottle in the last gulp. She put the bottle down and looked at it. Then she looked Mech in the eyes. “How do you know about it.”

The neutral glance just stared at her. “When I say him walking in…when he vanished into the bathroom… when he runs to greet you… Always the same pattern of his steps. The first three steeps normal, but the fourth start to differ. If he walks a longer track, it gets clear. He didn’t rely on his left hind leg, he pulls it more with him, instead of putting weight on it.”

Rose let herself fall backward, pulling the bottle with her. As she half sits, half lay on the couch she hugged the empty wine bottle, as it was a stuffed animal. “When he was six, he had a friend, the daughter of the neighbor… Firejocker… both were near the forest, playing there they games. The neighbor watched over both, while I had been forced to do another double shift… Anyways Rune and she climbed on a boulder, but since it was covered in moos both miss their steps and fall down. Both hide it, wanting to appear grown up, not crying about hurting. Well at the evening Rune starts to get feverish, the girl too. I came home from work and was greeted by the sight of doctors in my house.”

She looked at Mech, but couldn’t make him clearly out as the alcohol had intoxicated her. “Can you imagine how horrified I was… coming home and my son was there in his bed, red because of fever and crying…” She looked up to him. “The doctors had said, that both had fallen into a special kind of poison ivy growing there. It was a special kind, so the antidote war rare and thus not cheap.” Suddenly her eyes start to water. “And since I had not the best sick insurance, my options are limited.”

A lump starts to grow in her throat. “The damn bastard had explained to me there, that the money was so rare the only option was to get enough antidote to prevent Rune from dying, but cripple his leg as the poison damage his muscles there, or simply don’t give him any at all. In the best case he would comply lost his leg and worst case he gets a casket.”

She suddenly hears a shifting beside her. Again, she looks up and saw, that Mech stood beside her. Carefully the stallion entwines her the bottle. “Why did the doctor say this? Aren’t doctors here to heal the sick.” The voice was neutral, but Rose swore that she heard underlying rage in it.

“Because he then offers me a third option… I get enough antidote to fully heal Rune, but he wanted … a compensation…” Rose admitted.

“Don’t say… the special kind?” The drunken mother just nodded. “Do you accept it?” A long pause, then she nodded again.

“And the worst of it… The bastard crossed me. Rune gets crippled, the girl even too as the antidote was to less. And the blame was pushed to me. He claimed that I forced myself on him to ensure Rune’s healing despite the shortcoming of hers. And they believe it.”

She looked up to Mech. Her vision blurry due to the sheer number of tears in them. “Rune lost his only friend back then… I was the scandal of the village… the whore… only cause I fool-ish jumped on a pipe dream of saving my son.”

A low grumble emits out of Mech. “Did he had any reason to betray his Hippocratic oath?”

This makes Rose a bit sober. But still, she has enough alcohol in her, that her tongue spoke free. “Yeah. The Lord, the sperm donor for Rune, had made him a special offer. In cases Runes get hurt and comes to him for treatments, the doc only gives him minimal treatment, all while doing everything to discredit me…” She looked at Mech and the tears start to flow down her face. “…JUST SO THAT I CAN SUFFER… THAT HE HAS THE POWER TO COMMAND SOMETHING LIKE THIS…”

The tears now free run down her face and suddenly she feels how Mech awkwardly puts his hooves around her. She accepts his hug and buries her face in his neck. “He harassed me, bucked me, knocked me up… Rune is nowhere a threat to his noble claims, still, he does everything to ruin me… I can’t get a decent job here, I can’t get decent treatment for my son, for Celestia and Luna’s sake, cake and sanity…” She looks deep into Mech eyes. “I even can’t escape this Tartarus-hole.”

Mech starts to pad her back, while she simply cries more and starts to grow tired with every second. “I just want peace. I want to raise Rune without stress, with giving him every option, heck even with a father figure. Is it too much to ask?”

Mech just lets her cry, then he slowly stands up and lifts her up and start to carry her in the bridal state. Carefully he carries her to her room, and place her on her small bed. With tender care, he places her on the mattress and covers her with her blank. “Sleep for the night. Tomorrow the world will change.”

Rose couldn’t really keep her eyes open and let the tiredness overcome her. Soon her breathing hit a quiet rhyme. All while Mech stood there and watch her in her sleep.

Author's Note

Just to clearify something.

RAPE is bad, blackmailing someone/-pony for sex is bad. Don't do it in RL.

Beginning Arc Chapter 5.2 6d 69 6e 6f 72 20 63 6f 6d 70 6c 69 63 61 74 69 6f 6e 73 0d 0a

The next morning…

The light of Celestia’s shines in Rose room… and directly into her face. “Grrrr… Go away.” Rose tried to send the sun away, but sadly she wasn’t the alicorn of the sun. So, she was forced to lay in her bed and suffer the aftermath of a royal hungover. “Grrr.” She growled again, but then she accepts her fate and slowly raises out of the comfort of her bed.

She sat on the edge, before pushing herself off. Then she trotted to the kitchen. In their, Rose was shocked to see a stranger there. At first, she wanted to scream, but her dulled mind reminds her of the day and night before and instead of the scream she simple great. “Morning Mech. How did you sleep?” She rubs one hoof on her face. “Where did you even sleep?”

Mech simply worked on a machine on the shelf. “Don’t need much sleep. An hour is more than enough.” Due to the fact that his back was faced with her, he didn’t saw Rose’s face of pure horror and shock.

Before she could respond, Rune walked in. He had with him the cube and the train. “Morning Mom…Morning Mech…” he said sleepily while rubbing his eyes.

Rose was happy about this interruption. “Rune, how about you go outside and play in the front yard. In the meantime, I make breakfast…” before she could say more Rune already zipped outside. As soon as Rose heard a door being slammed shut she turned to Mech, how in regards had stepped back and allowed her to see what he had worked. “The coffee machine…” she said with open mouth.

Said machine makes rumbling sounds and show so that it works. Again, tears start to rise in her eyes, something she wasn’t used to. “How…and why?” she asks.

Mech simply pulls a mug out of the machine and offers it to her. She takes it and carefully takes a quick sip. The coffee was fresh and hot, but it even tasted better than ever before. She was literal in paradise until Mech spoke up. “You and Rune should accompany me on my way.”

That makes her spite some of the precious coffee. She coughs a few times, then she looks be-wildered at Mech. The unicorn simply looks at her, with his neutral face and his trench coat.

“Are…WHY...?” she asks in disbelieve. Mech continues to stare at her.

“You mention that life here isn’t was you want. You get exploited… in work power and sexual nature. You get shut out and down… So why staying?”

Rose stared at him. Then fury rose in her. “BECAUSE THE BUCKING BARON OF THIS DAMNED BARONY HAD IT FORBIDDEN. I TRY TO RUN AND HE WILL HUNT ME DOWN.” She walks towards him and points one hoof on his face. “And then he would murder me and Rune.” Tears now freely run down her face. “And it would be legal for him, as it would be marked as criminal on the run.”

Mech was neutral again, which agitate her. But he speaks up. “Then it’s set that you travel with me.”

Now the rage raises to a new level. She literal push her hoof in his face, it made contact his lips and nose. “Are you deaf or ignorant. His guards would hunt me down. AND KILL ME… If you would be with us, they would hurt or kill you too. “The rage fades out of her voice. “And I don’t want this.” She admits and looks down on the ground.

Suddenly Mech starts to shake. That catches her attention, as she feels that through the hoof in his face. Said stallion grabs the hoof and suddenly place a small kiss on it. She blushes, her face become hot. But as she looks into his face she was surprised to see something new.

Instead his neutral face, he now has a smile in it. His eyes sparkle and his voice have a new tone in it. “Your concerns are a nice touch, but uncalled.” He leans closer to her so that his snout was near her ear. “Because if the guards should be a threat to me, well… That would mean and need to be a threat to me.”

He retreats and stares back with his neutral glance. Rose now wanted to say something, but a scream from the outside cut her off.

… A few minutes before…

Rune had bolted past his mother and run through the door. Outside he decides to sit before the door. First because then his mother didn’t need to search for him again when breakfast is ready, secondly because his leg starts to hurt again, and so he sat at the front door, the train to his hooves. He placed the cube on the good wagon and was delighted that the cube perfectly fits and hold on it.

He moved the train around. “Chow chow, all abort.” He moved the train even more. “Arg, debris on the road.” He laughed and take the cube from the wagon. “Well until the tracks are clear time for the cube.” And with that, he started to play with the cube again. He was fascinated by the cube. He loved the challenge he offers, while was so simple. Giggling he turns and twisted all sides… for a moment everything was forgotten, he was happy in his own little world, free of pain in his legs and bullies.

But sadly, reality calls him back… inform a mocking voice. “Look o dear sister, a filthy peasant…” A shrill female voice answer. “Well dear brother. It’s even a cripple… How filthy”

Rune stopped in his tracks. He knew the voices and he hates the fillies which belong to the voices. But he holds his head down. “Maybe they will go away when I just don’t react.” He thought.

“Why aren’t you raise your head peasant? Do it now.” the shrill voice demands.

So, Rune looks up it to the faces of his tormentors. The unicorn twins Sapphire Tiara and Glorious Hoof the XXI, or how Rune calls them secretly in his head Shrill Tiara and Round Hoof.

He finds that his nicknames were better suited than their real names. Sapphire may a blue coat like a sapphire (and a sapphire as Cutiemark), but she was skinny and her voice was so shrill, that she could break a glass just through using her voice. Her brother on the other hoof was a different build. He may have a cutie mark with a horseshoe and swords in it, but he wasn’t a trained warrior… Not by far, as he wasn't well built. Instead, he was fat but so fat, that his belly was just a mere inch above the ground. Also, his stamina isn’t the best so he always sweats due to “heavy and stressful” activities like walking, sitting, breathing…

They both had nearly none, but one thing in common… they love to pick on Rune.

“Aha did your mommy tend your little wee-wees from yesterday?” Glorious taunted him.

Rune didn’t say a thing. And so Sapphire talks. “Did she kiss on them, with their greased lips after another day of low work in the burger shot?” Again, Rune was silent. It was getting harder and harder, but he remembers to remain silent. Partly because he couldn’t do a thing, partly because of the guards of the twins were just a few steps behind. Three guards, a pegasi stallion, a unicorn mare and an earth pony stallion, just look at the bullying and let it happen. Rune knows that they would hurt him at an order of the twins… and that they would like it much. “Had you heard that she asked for a day off… maybe she wanted to go into the red-light quarter, having a little fun… offering herself in the alleys for pennies.”

Now Rune snapped. “DON’T TALK BAD ABOUT MY MOTHER!” he jumped and pointed a hoof at her. A second later he regrets that as Righteous shoved him to the ground. He landed hard on his bottom.

“Mind your place you dirty cripple. You don’t speak so to nobles… What is that?” he stood up with his nose up until he spotted the cube toy. Sapphire simply grab it with her magic and levitates it to her.

“A cube?” she inspects it and soon found out that it could turn. “What in the name of Celestia is that?” She levitates in front of Runes face.

Rune tried to grasp it, but Glorious step on his bad leg. “MY SISTER ASKED YOU SOMETHING CRIPPLE!” he spat into Runes face, literal as some of his spite landed on Runes face.

“It’s a puzzle, but you two muttonheads are too stupid for it.” He returned the spiting, but more in a verbal face.

The twins were shocked then Glorious collects himself and punched Rune in the snout. He may lack the stamina for a real fight, but for bullying him he had infinite. “Don’t dare to spit on me… even less don’t talk back.” He seemingly wanted to throw another punch, but then he spotted the toy train. “What is that?” Didn’t we break this train yesterday?”.

Sapphire walked nearer and looked at the toy. “Well yes dear brother, we did. But this is a new one.” She changes her view and looks directly into Runes face. “Your mother is behind her bills, but has the money to buy nice toys for you?” She mockingly pats Rune. “Dear cripple, we said it yesterday. You don’t deserve nice toys.”

With that Glorious lift his foot off Rune and hovers it over the train, then he proceeds to crush it under his hoof. As soon as his hoof came in contact with the toy and then the ground, a loud SNAP sounded.

At first, Rune wanted to cry again, as the twins had bullied him and broke his toy again. But this time it was different.

Glorious rapidly stepped back, so quick that he stumbled and fall on his noble bottom. He holds the hoof he used for crushing and cry out in pain. Tears freely ran over his face and in an untypical manner he snobs and cry like a child. “Owh, owh, owh.” He cried out.

Sapphire jumped to his side. “O dear brother what is wrong… AHHHHHHHH.” She screams as she saw that his hoof was bleeding. She nearly faint as she saw the blood and turn her head away and violently vomit her breakfast.

The three guards were at first puzzled about the happing, then they were shocked, then they remembered their job (and the possible threat of their employer) and quickly came to a conclusion. Rune did something, so they will beat him within an inch of life, then grab his body and present him to their boss, who then decide about a suitable punishment.

So, the earth pony and the pegasi charged at Rune, while the unicorn mare rushed to Glorious and ready her magic to do some first aid.

Rune itself was terrified. The two guards charged at him, bloodlust in their eyes. He couldn’t scream, instead, he pulls his front hooves over his head and curls himself into a tight ball. He was vaguely aware, that the door of the house sprung open.

Neither Rune and the guards notice it. But Mech charged through the door and positions himself before Rune. The unicorn stood in a defensive stance and the charging guards swift their focus on him.

Rune looked at Mech, but before he could say a word his mother was beside him. The foal was shocked to see the knife his mother had in her hoof. Rose grabs Rune and pull him with her in, but not before she throws the knife.

The knife sailed through the air, past Mech and hits its mark. It douses in the shoulder of the earth pony guards and throwing him off a bit. This was a moment Mech used to strike.

He strikes out with his right hoof and the hoof made contact with the face of the wounded guard. For a moment he was stopped dead in his tracks, but Mech didn’t leave it but this one strike. Something at his hoof clicked and a loud bang emits. The guards shot away like getting hit with a cannon and fly directly into the unicorn guard, knocking her and the twins down hard.

The pegasi were shocked for a moment, then he charged with his spear at him. Mech simply stood still. The guards smirked and try to stab him. But before the spear tip could come near an inch to his face, Mech moved his other hoof. In it was the knife Rose had thrown. He had taken it out when he throws the earth pony back. Now he uses the knife and changed the course of the spear tip. The pegasi tried to slow down, but due to the use of his wings, he had too much momentum and so was forced to fly into him.

Mech had anticipated this. As soon as the pegasi were near him, he throws three quick right jabs. The first stopped him, the second knocked him out and the third was accompanied by another loud bang, sending him flying like his comrade. But unlike him, the pegasi was shot back with so much power he overshot the downed earth pony and fly across the street, where he crashed into a building.

The unicorn mare, who just pushed the earth pony off her just saw, how her fellow guard crashed into the building and rage build up in her. She faced the strange unicorn and rage filled her. “DIE.” She screams and shoots a blast of magic at him, intending to incinerate him on the spot. The magic blast shot over and hit him, making him vanish in a cloud of dust. Joy filled her, as she seemingly killed him.

But a sudden gust of wind blows the dust cloud and her heart dropped. The stranger still stood there holding his left hoof before his face. On the outstretched hoof was a strange circle of blue energy. It took her a moment to realize that this was a shield. She was awestruck, and so the stranger used this moment. He shot forward and hit her with the shield. Lots and lots of Volts jolted through her body, then everything became dark for her.

Sapphire and Glorious just stare at the stranger in his forging clothes. He single handed defeat the guards in mere moments and didn’t get hit once, he didn’t even sweat. The strange unicorn now stands near them and due to them and on the ground, he seems to be at last as tall as the towers of the Royal castle in Canterlot. “RUN.” He ordered in neutral voice, his face neutral, not giving a bit of emotional showcase, but Sapphire and Glorious didn’t wait to figure it out, instead they run/ stumbles away at high speed. The earth pony guard was the first to regain body control of the three. He grabs the mare and runs after the twins.

Mech stared at them for a moment, then he causal walks back to the house. On his way, he suddenly speaks to himself, but in a total strange language. The language sounds like the static of a broken radio. Any bystander, if there would be one, couldn’t understand what he had said, but it didn’t matter. Under his coat movements appear and things start to fly out of the coat, but as soon as they were a few inches away from him they cloak themselves.

Soon Mech had wandered into the house and closed the door behind him. In the hall where Rose, who had Rune cradle between her legs, both visible shaking. Both stare at Mech. “The plan, we had talked about before. Pack light and fast, in an hour we leave. "

Rose just stared at him, while Rune collects courage, as he can in the moment. “What happens now Mech?” he asks while looking at him. The red-coated foal was visible shacked and tightly holds the toy train and cube in his hooves. He grabbed them as if they are his anchor.

Mech steps near him and bows down so he looks directly into his eyes. “I talked with your mother, about how you and she should accompany on my way. She was against it, but now the facts behind it had changed. You both grab personal things you want to keep, leave the furniture here. In an hour we go.” He explains in his neutral voice and this made Rose snap out, but instead of yelling at him, she grabs Rune and pulls him to the rooms. Mech could he heard the shuffling of clothes and other things. “So, the fellow… Good” he thinks to himself.

….

At the same time on the other side of the village, the twins stumble into the mansion, they call home. It was the resident of Lord Glorious Hoof, Baron of Trendshot

They wasted no time and ran into their father’s room. Not wasting their time and energy, they push the door open, resulting in it crashing into the wall. “FATHER, FATHER.” Both cry in unison.

The unicorn inside the room turns in his chair and looks at them. He was older as the grey in the tips of his mane shows, his body shows sign of excessive training in material arts, causing his muscles to grown, but more in abstract forms. “My dear children…” his cheerful voice fade and was replaced by a shocked. “What happened to you?” he sat up and opens his hooves. The children run into his hug and bury their faces in his fur. There they weep without any control. The father just stared at his children. Then after a moment, his face twisted into a mask of hate. “GUARDS.” He bellows through the hall.

The two guards of the twins appear in the door. He looks at them and snarled at their untidy appearance. “WHAT HAPPENS TO MY BELOVED CHILDREN?” his questions didn’t leave any room for mercy. So, the earth pony and unicorn mare decide to make it quick and painless. “They had visited the kid of Rose Lily. He attacked Glorious Hoof in a cowardly manner when our guard was down. My lord, we are deeply sorry.” The mare explained and ended in a bow.

The Lord looked at his son and saw the blood on his hoof. His face gets filled with more rage. “HOW COULD IT HAPPENED?” Again, he demanded an answer.

Now the earth pony stallion speaks. “My Lord. Like my sister had said, the son of Rose Lily did it. The foal had abstract us and lured your son into false security, then at the right moment he attacks and inflict the damage. “he also bowed.

The noble stared for a moment longer at both, then his face undergoes a huge shift as the rage vanished and was replaced by concern for his children. “Well, we deal with that later. Right now, my children must take care of.”

Both guards soundless let their breath out, as the noble takes his children out of the room. Still, they remain there as the Lord didn’t relieve them. “Tonfa, what will happen now?”

The unicorn mare, named Tonfa looked at her brother. “Bludgeon… Well… That depends…” she begins to talks, but as the doors open again and the Lord walks in. He had taken his children away.

Now both guards saw the real face of the lord. “So how could a small crippled son of a whore hurt my son? And why are you only two, where is the third and overall, why are you so bucked up?” Glorious Hoof

“My Lord. The small crippled son of a whore only attacked Righteous Hoof. We were beaten by another pony.” Tonfa said.

Glorious leans towards the mare. She could see the bloodlust in his eyes. “Was it Rose? Did she do something, so that I can send her into the dungeon?”

“No, my lord. Some stranger, he attacked us, when we wanted to … punished the child.” Bludgeon said and so drives the attention to him.

The lord looks at him. “A stranger?” The rage had vanished and was replaced by curiosity.

“A stranger, how happened to be near, when you wanted to kill that worthless bastard?”

The earth pony nodded. “Yes, my Lord. But he came out of their house. Maybe he is a sellsword. But I wonder how Rose could afford a sellsword.”

Now the unicorn noble snorted in disgust. “Use your brain Bludgeon… was the only thing a whore has? She sells her body, whoring herself out.”

He starts to laugh about it, Bludgeon and Tonfa joined him. The sick laughter was cut short when a pegasi literal crash the party… the pegasi were the third guard of the twins and the one of was let behind.

Glorious Hoof stared at the broken window, through which the pegasi had flown, then at the pegasi. “Mace, why did you fly through the window?” Tonfa asked her other brother.

The visible up beaten pegasi just shrugged the last pieces of glass from him. “Time call for it.” He turns to his Lord and bows. “My Lord.”

The noble looked at him and notice the number of wounds on him. “Mace, I assume that the stranger, who was with the whore Rose and that bastard beat you up.”

Gulping the pegasi nodded. “Yes, My Lord. We may have suffered a defeat, but there is now a way to settle this thing.”

The Lord looked with interest in his eyes at the pegasi. “Awh and how?”

Mace start to grin. “I was left behind, so I could hear that the stranger talked to Rose. He ordered her to pack.”

Now Glorious leans towards him. “WHAT.”

“My Lord. The stranger said, they have an hour to pack, then he leaves and they will come with him.”

For a moment Glorious Hoof, Baron of Trendshot, was still and quiet… Something unsettling for the three beaten guards. Then he exploded into a lunatic laugh. It goes on for a minute. Then he stops and catches his breath, then he looks at the guards. “WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR. GET ALL AVAILABLE GUARDS ASAP. THEY HIT MY CHILDREN, THEY HIT MY GUARDS, THOUGH DISRESPECTING MY AUTHORITY AND PERSON AND TO TOP IT THEY TRY TO RUN.” His face lit up with a very sickening grin. “That is enough… Rose will end up in dungeon, where she will die in vain. The bastard will die and the sellsword too.” The guards saluted, then they rushed through the door and Glorious can hear the sounds of his guards readying up. His heart starts to get warm. “Now you bitch will face the consequences of your betrayal.”

….

Rose was completely unaware of the madding lord. Her only thoughts circles around the oncoming escape.

She helps Rune which the few positions, he takes with him. (Besides the train and the cube, he only takes a few clothes and stuffed animals) After his packet was done, she did hers, while Rune said in the room, just staring at his cube. (The train was buried deep in his back). Her bag was easily packeted, as he only takes a few clothes with her as well as some jewelry she had inherited from her long-dead parents.

As soon as she had closed the saddle bag and swung on her, Mech appeared in the door. “You both have packet?” He quickly scanned both. “Good. Let’s move on.”

He walks out of the room and like under a spell Rose and Rune follows. Mech stops before the door out of the house and holds his hoof to them. In there lays two small pills. “Before we go. I recommend that we take these medicines. The blue is for Rune and the Red one for you Rose.”

Again, like under spell, both followed the order and take their assigned pills. One gulp and each pill were in. Mech looked at them and waited for the effect to step in.

Rune suddenly starts to yawn and closes his eyes. Only due to the quick reaction of Rose, who catches him, prevent him from hitting the floor hard. She didn’t yawn, instead, her head starts to clear up. “What did you do to us?” she raged at him, only to get faced again, by his neutral face.

“A wakeup calls for you and sleep pill for him.” He explains. She just stared at him the unspoken “WHY” all written over her face. So, he explains it more. “The guards are already here, so I have to fight the way out and Rune shouldn’t see it, as he is too young to understand. You are more mature, so you can see it without having a mental breakdown.”

Rose didn’t reply anything, still, she throws at him another evil glare, which gets ignored like the others before. Then she grabs Rune and places him on her back. After making sure, that he won’t fall off she turns to Mech and nodded. “Let’s go. I want to leave.”

Mech didn’t say a word but pushed the door open. A fresh gust of wind danced through his short mane and Rose’s mane. They walked in silence through the streets of Hoofshot to-wards the railroad station.

They walked in silence a few minutes, then Rose couldn’t stay quiet anymore. “where are the other ponies. It is so quiet.”

Mech didn’t reply at first but after a few seconds. “The civilians hiding in their houses.”

Then again silence until they reach the plaza before the railroad station. Mech put a hoof before Rose, stopping her. At first, she wanted to say a thing, but then she didn’t say. Instead, she stared at the plaza.

In the middle of the plaza stood the Baron of the Trendshot, the Lord Glorious Hoof. Rose stared at the Lord, disgust in her eyes. She didn’t spare a glance at the guards beside him.

The Lord stood in his battle armor. The armor was hoof crafted for his body. The chest plate was massive, as it was necessary as the massive body of the noble was so much bigger than a normal guard. He had his helmet in the magic grip so that his mane was free in the wind. His brown coat and black mane were a contrast, which some mares find attractive. The armor enhances that. It adores his body and not a few mares had thrown themselves at him, all in the hope that he would allow them to sleep with him. They thought it would be an honor for them.

Rose on the other hoof had been there more than once… She had hated it, in her eyes every mare who wished to bed the Lord of Trendshot is a bucking idiot. While every mare saw a glorious noble, all she could say is a corrupt noble Lord, who isn’t worth a single thing in life.

“Rose Lily, what do you think you are doing?” the Lord bellows over the place.

Rose tried to say a thing, but Mech intervene. “We leave.”

This simple sentence wasn’t what the noble Lord had anticipated, so he was a bit out of tack, but he quickly collects himself. “You… You damn … Do you have any idea what you do?”

“Be an escort for a mare and her son, both wishing to leave.” He simply stated.

Again, his simple sentence unhinges the Lord. Now a small vine appears on his forehead. “NO, THEY DON’T LEAVE.” He roars. “She and her son are criminals on the run, so they will come with my guards and face a court.”

Rose started to shake a bit, while Mech was unfazed by the declaration. The unicorn just looks at the noble. “What are the charges?”

Now Glorious Hoof and the guards beside him, stares in confusion, while Rose just stared with bewilderment at him. Glorious clears his throat before he continues. “Ehmm… The charges are attacking nobles, namely my children, the twins Righteous attacking guards and trying to flee. These are the charges for the child. Rose’s charges are the same, but in addition to them came whoring, stealing and plotting to gain control over the throne of the Barony.”

Rose shakes stronger and Mech comes to the conclusion, that it was because of rage and not fear. After a quick glance, he looks at the lord. “All charges are false. Rose hadn’t done anything you accuse her. Rune didn’t attack your twins, they attack him… and I attack the guards.”

Rose couldn’t believe it. Mech stood in front of the Lord, who accused him and her with charges and swore courts and all he did was acknowledge the charges. “Are you out of your mind?” she mutters to him. Mech simple ignores her remark.

Glorious just laughed. “Hehehe, good, that’s made this easy. Give up and hand yourself and both over.” He stretched his hoof out.

“No.” was the simple answer.

All ponies, the noble Lord, and his guards, as well as Rose, stared at him, then the Lord started to laugh, with his guards joining, while Rose just made a despaired sigh.

“Hehehe… you comedian, nice joke…” Glorious drops the friendly face and became cold. “Hand over now.”

“No.” was again the simple answer.

The vines on Glorious forehead grow. “I think you misunderstand the situation. Give up…NOW” he practical growls.

Mech was unfazed by his demand. “No, the only thing, that will happen is that Rose and Rune accompany me and we three go on the train and drive away.”

The Lord’s head start gets darker as blood rushes into his head, in addition, the vines had grown so much, that Rose wonders that they could burst and give him a stroke.

“ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?” Glorious blares, spite came with the words out. “WHAT MADE YOU THINK THAT YOU COULD SIMPLE WALK OUT OF HERE? MY GUARDS, HAVE YOU ALL SURROUNDED?”

A movement in Mech’s trench coat and his hoof was raised to the house roofs to the left and right behind him. “Four unicorns on each site.” He pointed his hoof up. Rose followed it and spotted a number of low hanging clouds. “Six pegasi hiding at top of this clouds.”

Now the face of Glorious was drained from any color. The guards beside him didn’t look any better. Rose threw a quick glance at guards, which hiding place had revealed. She wasn’t able to make them completely out, but the glimpses she gets from manes, tails, and armors, and the fact that they seem to be frozen made it clear even they are shocked, that they were detected.

“BY CELESTIA THE ALICORN OF THE SUN… I’M LORD BARON GLORIOUS HOOF… YOU WILL BOW TO ME!!!!” he roared in a volume that is was a wonder that windows didn’t splitter.

“No.” Rose had anticipated this answer.

For a half minute everybody was frozen, then Lord Glorious Hoof lost it. “ATTACK.” He screamed.

At first, a moment of silence lingers in the air, then a whistle sounded and bodies moved. Roses had pulled Rune from her back and hugged him tightly, as she wanted to protect him.

But no attack came to them. Instead, she heard various screams and six loud THOOMS… six bodies hit hard the ground. She opens her eyes and couldn’t believe what she saw. Pegasi guards, the guards, who had hidden on the clouds about them simply lay on the ground. Their eyes are glassy and foam was in their mouth.

She stared for a moment before she was aware that her vision was a bit fuzzy. Frantically she looks around and gets aware, that she was encapsulated in a shield bubble. A soft hum was over her and she was shocked as she looked up. A construct hoovered over her, it resembled a flying flat disc, with two fins atop and a blue shine disc down under. Both fins emit blue particles and she realizes that the construct creates the bubble.

She looks back to Mech and was surprised. He just stood outside the bubble, unfazed by the world. He looks to her then, as if he assures himself, that she was protected, then his head turns forward. In that moment the unicorns at the roof jumped up, thus reveal themselves and their horns were light up light Hearth’s Warming Eve decoration. Then they shot serval magic blasts at him and then Rose vision was blocked through the cloud of dust, they caused.

“MECH.” She screamed trying to overcome the sound of blasts. To no avail, as the spells continue to rain on him. It goes on and on, until after a minute the rain of spells ceases. Then silence.

“No…No…No…” she said in a sad tone.

“There is no need for concern. The spells cast at him were insufficient, in order to cause harm.” The sudden appearance of a new voice startled her. Hectically she looked around, in order to find the speaker. As she looked left and right and fund no one, she looked up to the construct above her. She squeaks as she saw, that there was another construct, but this one was a horrid sight. It was literal a skull hoovering. It maybe was a skull of an unknown species, still, she couldn’t lose the feeling, that the skull once belongs to a living being. That was shocking enough, but the mechanical parts in it do their part in increasing the horror factor, especially the fighting glow of the eyes, this unholy glowing. It spoke again.

“What?” she as in a voice mixed with disgust and confusion.

The eyes sum for a moment and fluctuate in their shine, as the construct seemingly process her question. “There is no need for concern. The spells cast at him were insufficient. In order to cause harm, they needed to be more powerful.”

Rose tore her glance from the construct and look back at the “No…No…No…” she said in an unbelieving tone, as she couldn’t believe what she saw. Glorious Hoof couldn’t it either.

Mech stood there surrounded by holes, which were caused by the countless magical blasts cast at him. His whole posture was just like before … neutral. He doesn’t look like it did much to affect him.

“For Protocol. You threw the first strike.” Came from Mech invoice, as if he just made an entry in a protocol.” He had pulled his coat a bit back, revealing the underlying cloth. It was armor, but not like the armor guards wear. His armor was …to put it in simple … it was more. While guard armor only protects the chest, but leave many areas open, his armor had enclosed every inch of body. It has a dull grey color and many marks and scratches. Also, tools and bags and such hang on it. It was strange to see. Mech just raises his right hoof, showing a metal band. “Now, I’m allowed to attack.”

With that, he charged for forward and the entire scene gets lost in chaos.

The earth pony guards charged at him, while out of the corners of her eyes, Rose could see the unicorns start to charge their horns, in order to fire the next badge of spells. But suddenly she gets aware of something shocking. Near the unicorns, more constructs like the one above here appear, but they had parts under them, glowing in a blue shine. They fired that at the unicorns, moments before they could fire their spells.

Their cries of pain were loud enough so that every pony could hear their agony. That disturbs the concentration of the earth ponies guards… and that cost their victory. They dropped their guards and Mech used that to every bit of advantage. He deflects the spears and throws out punches, which throw them several feet back. He plows through them until he was before Glorious hoof.

The Lord pulled a sword of a sheath on his back and grabbed in magical grip. He swings it in a vertical slash from about, but Mech brought his right hoof up like he had done it with his left. Rose expected a shield, but to her surprise, a blade appeared. It clashes against the sword of Glorious and Mech pushes against it.

Glorious Hoof had the eyes wide open, mostly due to shock. The unicorn stranger just single-handedly defeated the guards. He had brushed the attacks effortless, gone through the lines like a hot knife through butter and to Glorious Hoof’s horror the stranger was able to hold up against him… HIM Lord Baron of Trendshot. Rage filled his veins and he puts more efforts into his blade. “YOU…You dare to cross your blade with me? ME? Lord Glorious Hoof the XX., Baron of Trendshot? I’m descendent of Glorious Hoof I. He fought in the Land wars before the royal sister defeated the Lord of chaos. He had earned these lands, as he defeated the pillaging warlords and bandits.” He puts more force in his sword. “WITH this very sword… Righteous Cause. He defeated numerous bandits, monster…even dragons had tasted this very sword. How could you think that you stand a chance against me?” He spat out the last part.

Mech just stared at him. “You mishandle your subjects. You allow your children to bully and hurt a crippled child. You ordered doctors to betray their oaths and withhold medical treatments for the child. You ruined a mare’s future.” He calmly stated, not giving any evidence that he was under pressure.

Now black miasma slowly creeps around the noble Lord’s horn. “AND WHAT ABOUT? SHE is a peasant, a dirty earth pony. I take her in and give her a decent job. So instead of crawling on the earth, she could do something useful… And that she pleased me in any way. I’M THE LORD. EVERYPONY IS MY THING TO ORDER AROUND. ONLY CELES-TIA IS ABOVE ME, in my lands. I make the laws and I hereby order you her and the bastard of her to death.”

This declaration would have shocked Rose if she hadn’t known it for a long time. Mech just released a breath. Then something happened so fast, Rose knew if she had blinked she had missed it. But she hadn’t blink and so she saw it.

Mech’s blade was suddenly surrounded by a blue energy field… and cut right through the blade of Glorious. As soon as the blade had cut the sword, Mech throws a hard left, hitting him in the face and base of his horn. This shortcuts his magic and made glorious dizzy. The noble Lord was now helpless and so, Mech grabbed him. Out of nowhere a long arm like con-struct with claw-like fingers appeared and grab him by the throat. Mech then pulled the Lord near. As he was mere inches before the blue-coated unicorn puts the still humming blade under his chin.

The scene happens so fast no pony could react and so the guards couldn’t do a thing. That and mostly due to the fact as they saw construct, which holds their Lord. The construct came from Mech, in fact, the construct came from his back, where the wings are if he would be a pegasus… or an alicorn, Rose thought.

“Listen to Lord Glorious Hoof… Your title means nothing to me… Your guards are no threat to me… Your weapons are nothing against my weapons… Your claims are nothing against me… And the only royal I follow is the princess, who had taken my oath…” He pushes the blade an inch nearer to Glorious throat and the altering of the sword touch the coat, which starts to burn away. “I go and take Rose Lily and her son with me. Follow us, hunt us down and you will die, your children will die, your guards will die… I’ll come back with my brothers in arms and then we will turn your entire existence into oblivion. “This threat was spoken in his neutral voice… somehow the lack of rage or emotions, in general, made it even more frightening.

The construct throws Glorious into the guards behind him, throwing them all to the ground. The tangling mess of hooves forgotten Mech turns around and walk towards Rose.

“DIE!” a threefold battle cry came from behind.

“MECH!” Rose screamed and pointed her hoof.

The three guards of the twins, the unicorn Tonfa, the pegasi Mace and the earth pony Bludgeon race towards him, weapons drawn.

Mech only turned half around. The construct which had grabbed the lord morphed into a cannonlike tool and aimed at the charging Bludgeon. Another construct like the first appeared from his back and aimed at Mace. Instead of claws, it has a similar tool like the constructs, who had taken the unicorn guards out. A bright light came, then thunder like sound was to be heard. Then a smell mixed with ozone and charred flesh was to be smelled.

Every pony, including Rose and Glorious Hoof, was filled to the brim with shock and pure terror. Because all saw what Mech did to both Mace and Bludgeon. The earth pony was hit by a metal project near the shoulder. Whatever the projectile was it had torn through spells and the armor and ripped his head off, as well as his left front hoof and parts of his torso. The remnants had hit Tonfa, bathed in innards, blood, and gore and at last thrown her to the ground. But the most horrific thing had happened to Mace.

His entire head, neck, and part of upper torso with one of the wings were … gone. Simply vaporized. Whatever Mech had shot at him, it had incinerated that all and the edge of the wound was simple cauterized.

It was an absolute bloodbath, shocking each and every pony deep into the core. Mech looked at the guards. Both constructs on his back pointed in the direction of the guards. “Drop your weapons.” He ordered.

At first, no one moved. A clack from one construct and a starting him from the other pulled them out of the shock. “Drop your weapons.” He ordered again. This time no one waisted a second. As soon as the last syllable left Mech’s mouth, the guards throw their weapons as far away as they could and back up several feet.

Mech stared at them for a moment, then he turns around and walks towards Rose, still his constructs points at the guards. As soon as he was near her the shield construct zipped and the bubble disappeared, then it floats near Mech and vanished beneath the trench coat. The floating skull construct did the same thing. “Let’s go.” He offers his hoof to her, which she accepted. He pulled her up and helped her to adjust Rune at her back.

Then they walked over the plaza past the terrified guards, the Lord, who was still cold out. As they were on the edge, a cry sounded. Tonfa apparently was awake and saw the remnant of her brothers. “I WILL KILL YOU. I WILL KILL YOU. YOU AND ROSE AND RUNE. YOU ALL WILL BURN IN TARTERUS…” then Rose and Mech were too far away that they couldn’t hear the rest.

As if the universe was afraid of him, a train comes in. “Our train.” Was all he said before they boarded it. Mech guided her to a window seat in the third wagon. There she places Rune in the seat near the window, while she sits down in the one next to it. Mech places himself in the one opposite of them.

The train waited for a moment, then with a ruck, the train started to drive on and leave the station of Hoofshot. As the landscape start to fly past them, the silence between them was like a heavy blanket, only from time to time a soft snort of Rune disturbs it.

At first Rose switched between looking at Rune and the landscape outside. Then she looks at Mech, who stared again in trance at a point between her head and the wagon roof.

It goes on for a while until Mech suddenly spoke up. “You have any questions?” Of cause in his neutral tone.

So, after she saw him literal murder ponies and treat them in this tone, she snapped now. She jumped up, pulled her knife and hold it against his throat. “WHAT ARE YOU?” she asks him.

Mech didn’t show any sign of being intimidated. He puts a hoof on her chest and carefully, very carefully pushes her back into her seat. “No threat to you or Rune. They were thrash, a corruption like a bug in the system or a tumor in a body… I’m allowed to clean out these things.” Rose really start to wonder if Mech can only speak in this tone.

“Aha. And the things floating back there, the things on your back, how do you even know to fight?” She waved her hoof with the knife in it around.

“Drones. I have ones for attack and defense. The skull drone is a messenger. The “things” on my back are called bionics. They are like wings of a pegasus, but instead of flying they act like additional limbs, with tools and weapons in it. “He leans forward so he can whisper in her ear. “For the last questions… for now, let’s say… you train guards to fight, but sometimes you create weapons in many forms…”

Rose sack back into her seat. She puts the knife away and hugged the sleeping form of Rune. " Why us and where are we going.”

“You both have something on you… it fascinates me… I want to understand it.” Mech sat back into his seat too. “For the where. Canterlot… the princess is there. My brothers are also heading there.”

Now Rose raises her head and an eyebrow. “Princess…You have brothers?” she asks in disbelief.

Mech nodded. “Brothers in blood, honor, and oath."

Rose stared at him with open gaping mouth. “OOOOOOKKKKKKAAAAAAYYYY.” She said, but stretches the okay pretty far, as she couldn’t really imagine this.

“Which princess by the way.” She asks after a moment, seemingly trying to change the theme.

Instead of saying Mech just pulled his coat back to reveal a shoulder guard and the motive for it. It was a six-pointed sparkle, which was surrounded by 5 different sparkles. Rose couldn’t tell where she had seen it before.

“Huh… So you hadn’t taken the Bit from the royal sisters. Neither the princess of the crystal empire… But where I have seen it before?” Rose loudly thinks.

“Does the name Twilight Sparkle rings something?” Mech said after she finished her thinking.

Now a lightbulb appears over Rose’s head. “Right the princess of friendship… But how can you wear here cutie mark as marking? There had been a declaration from the Royal Sister, saying she died last year.”

Now Mech surprised her by showing something else then his neutral glance. He was smiling and Rose couldn’t decide if the fact, that he can show emotions shocks her or the fact that the smiles look unnatural, as he doesn’t know how a smile normally looks like. “Rose, I can tell you the messages of her demise are… exaggerated.”

Author's Note

So more story. This was the entry for a new OC... Mech...

So he is mostly inspired by Warhammer 40k (hint Floating Skull hint end).

Was fun to write, still costed me a while... RL really sometimes kills everything off.

Still hope you all have fun and leave a comment

Beginning Arc Chapter 6 Shattered Crystals

Location: Crystal Empire

Nighttime

Stellar Watcher walked down the hallway towards the part of the castle, which holds the library, observatory, and laboratory for the royal wizard. The guards in the hallway already looked tired, no wonder by the heavy drill the captain put them through.

Still, the crystal pony was happy, that her talents lay in magic, due to being a powerful unicorn and not guard talents. But her job was very fulfilling. Sunburst teaches Princess Flurry Heart and the process of teaching the young alicorn princess was a taxing job. Luckily, she was there to help him, as well as Starlight Glimmer.

The unicorn had been here for a year now, since that day… Stellar just shrugged as she tried to forget the memory. Starlight had been in the Crystal Empire, visiting her friend Sunburst, when the news hit pretty hard. She had been affected by it and decided to stay as if she would return she would have been faced with memories.

Still Stellar was happy that Starlight was here. Sunburst maybe a genius in theory of magic, but sadly he lacks the actual talent, but this is the point where Starlight jumps in, as she brings the muscles (in magical senses) in. The job of Stellar was divided between both parts and Stellar was proud to say she loves her job. The little princess may be a hoofful, but where would be the fun if the job was easy.

A small laugh escaped her and so the nearby guards were pulled out of his comatose sleep. He grabbed his spear tight and regain his guard stance and starred again at a point in front of him. Stellar sniggers again, but walked her way.

In no time she reached her destination, the observatory. She put her saddle bag down and pulled the books she had taken with her out. She studied them for a moment before she opens them and jumps to the chapter she needed.

Before she started she looked in the mirror near her. Her midnight blue coat sparkled due to the crystaling, as well as her platinum mane and eyes, she tends to simply let to hang down. Her glance wandered to her cutie mark, a white star. She glanced at her mirror a moment longer, then she starts with her work.

She pulls out a piece of white chalk and starts to first draw a circle in diameter von 7 ft. Then she proceeds to write protection spells in old runes. She decides had finished the third line in when the doors open and Sunburst and Starlight walkthrough. “Oh, you had already started?” Sunburst said while fixing his glasses with his magic.

Stellar now stands in the middle of the circle, three layers of protection spells around her. She levitates the rest of chalk away. “Instead of bucking each other, I have the time to do some research on the old knowledge. “Was the answer of Stellar. An answer, which caused both Starlight and Sunburst to blush. They maybe are married, still, that other ponies talk about them bucking each other, was still a raw point for them.

“Well… are you sure that is a good idea?” Starlight asked Stellar, trying to avoid to give an answer to that statement. She stood outside the circle and looks at the runes.

“Yes… You remember the night before… When the shock hit us?” Both Starlight and Sunburst nodded. “Magic lines with Equestria are down, so we can’t speak to them through Snow mail or telepathy. “Again, they nodded. “And that using normal magic didn’t change a bit.” A third time in a row the married couple nodded. Now Stellar start to grin. “This is where old runes come in. They open a channel through the magic lines into the between and so in theory, I can bypass the interferences through a magic copy of me and get a look on what happened.”

Starlight studied the runes. “Aha, and that you asked for Sunburst and me to stand beside is just for looking?” she asked.

Stellar still smiled, although the smile shrank. “No, cause the between is a dangerous place… I placed the runes as protection around me, your job would be fail-safe. If I need to pull out fast, then Sunburst pulls me back, while you close the portal.” She levitates each a scroll. “Your spells, please memories them.”

A quick minute and both unicorns nodded signaling that they are ready.

Stellar released a breath, then her horn light up in a platinum aura. She starts to chant the words to create a portal and a magical copy of herself. The words had to be spoken in old runes, but she had translated them so she knows in general what she said. “Open the gate, let the body pass through. Send it in the realm between, the place beyond imagination, let it wander, where once the gods walked.”

Before her, a light bubble appeared, which slowly changed into a copy of her. The copy was nearly identical to her, the only difference was that the copy was transparent. And before the copy a second light bubble appeared, which morphed into a small horizontal cut in the air appeared. The rift grew until it was a vortex as big as a door, it was colorful in the colors of rainbows. The vortex gentile swirl. It was relaxing to watch. The copy moved towards to the rift and in a blink, it was gone.

Stellar looked through the eyes of the copy and was fascinated by the view, at first it was just colors and no shapes. Then her view changed and the colors start to form objects, she now looked at her real body standing before the portal, with Starlight and Sunburst standing guard.

Stellar was able to lines coming from her horn, as well as Sunbursts and Starlights. “Magic lines…” she said in awe. The Between allowed her to see the lines of Magic flowing all around them. Also, she saw additional lines in more colors. She suspected they represent different aspects, like friendship or loyalty. A pink one stood out. This line comes from Sunburst chest and flow over to Starlight and touch her chest. “Huh… shouldn't surprise me that love creates a line…” She stood a moment and watch the scene, then she notices something.

There wasn’t a single wind in there, still, something moved around the body acting like a gust of wind, trying to lead her towards one direction.

But she didn’t follow the wind. Stellar had studied the old tomes and so she had an idea how to move. Carefully takes her steps and slowly she moved her body through the between and after a while she reached her destination. The view change as the colors start to form things. “I’m in Canterlot.” She said aloud.

Outside the between Sunburst and Starlight look at the real body of Stellar. It was a bit creepy to see her. She sat in a meditation pose, her rump on the ground, the hind legs pressed to her body, while the front legs are pressed together before her chest. She hadn’t moved her body since she created the magical copy body and the rift, the only thing that is moving are her eyes, although there were completely white. So, both bystanders where a bit scared, when Stellar suddenly speaks.

Starlight was the first to regain so much, that she speaks. “Already?... What you see?”

She spoke to Stellar, which heard the sentence, but it was a bit hard to understand, as it sounded as if she had her head underwater. “Time and distance are relative in here. It’s the night yesterday.”

Stellar moved her copy at bit forward and the blurry view starts to sharpen itself. She now looks at Canterlot at night. She saw the royal sisters on the balcony, then something happened. She saw the image of thunder and how the moon starts to change.

It may have been a shocking sight in real life, but in here she saw so much more… she even feels the echoes of the happening… the entire Between start to bend and shift. Sheer pressure applies to Stellar, who feel like a mountain weight her down.

She, or better the copy blinks and the view change to the moon, she saw the cracks and suddenly Stellar understand what happened. “Something passes through the between. What blocked the communication was an invader from the Between.”

“WHAT? INVADERS?” Sunburst cried out.

Stellar ignored his outburst. “Yes. One, two, five, nine presences…. By the Heart… They are powerful…” She stared at what she now saw. The presences moved towards the crack in the barrier. They start to apply more and more pressure on the already weak spot, still, it holds somehow, but then somepony weakens the spot from the other site. A quick glance shows the culprit. “No, it’s the doing of the Royal sisters and the guards. They cast magic on the crack point.”

And then the barrier, which separates between reality and Between, broke up. Stellar just saw in awe and vain, how one by one the presences leave and passes through the breach until it closed. “Equestria suffers an invasion.” She mutters under her breath.

Then her entire being was shocked, until in her soul. Under a titanic effort, she was able to look around and there she saw it. One presence had stood behind… and that presence advances towards her. And to the mountain pressing down on her, came now pure and utter dread.

“Pull me out. NOW. PULL ME OUT.” She screamed in panic and tried to gain distance, but that proven to be useless, as the presence advances towards her and the distance between them, steadily melt away.

Outside Sunburst sprung into action. He may lack the magical talent like Starlight, but for this spell, it’s enough. A quick spell and the Stellar was forced out of the between. And so, the copy shoots out of the portal and hit the real body. In the same second, when the copy leaves the portal, Starlight’s horn light up and she cast her own spell at the portal, which after it gets hit stopped moving.

All three unicorns start to smile, thinking that its over…

…

… but is far from it.

The portal didn’t falter and vanish as planned. It started to move again, but this time the vortex starts to change. The colors are drained and were replaced by darkness. The center starts to blacken, while the edges start to become dark purple and lighting appeared. That was alone terrifying, but the black in the center was the main cause of terror.

It was so black nothing was visible… no forms, shapes, colors, even lights…

Starlight and Stellar both shot again the spells at the portal in hope to force it to close, but the spells did nothing, instead of closing the portal started to grow and the former sooth surface trembles in turmoil. “All hope is lost.” Stellar thought and was near crying.

Then it happened... Somepony walked out of the portal. From one moment to another he appeared. Was simply there. The pony was clad in a robe, his face hidden due to the robe.

All three unicorns just stared at him, unable to move a hoof. His entire appearance was something so deep-down freighting, but then he tops that.

In a switch movement, he half turns and hit the portal with a hoof. The portal stopped to move, cracks appeared on it, then it broke like a mirror. The shards fell down of the ground, but before they could touch the ground simply vanish as dust.

Then there was only silence in the room. Sunburst, Starlight and ultimately Stellar didn’t dare to move an inch or breath.

“Who had open the portal.” The question was spoken and pulled all three out of their shock. They look at the hooded pony. “Who had open the portal,” he asked again.

Shanking in fear Stellar raises her hoof, more out of a reflex than a real conclusion. Then it happens so fast. The hooded walked to her and hit her with his hoof in her chest and send her flying. It was only due to Starlight’s quick reaction, that Stellar didn’t end as a splash on the wall, as she cast a levitation spell and caught Stellar before she hit the wall.

Then she turned to the invader and shoot a spell at him. He hadn’t moved, so it hit square in the chest. A small dust cloud appeared and hide him. Sunburst used that distraction to race to the door. It wasn’t due to cowardice, he wanted to call the guards.

Starlight may have advanced power in magic, but she lacks the training of the guards and for Sunburst… he is a theorist for the Heart’s Sake… but if he reaches the door, he could alarm the guards. They can deal with him, also the prince and princess can come to help, that should be enough to defeat him.

But all hope was cut short when something shot past him and embedded itself in the door. Shocked Sunburst tried to slow down, which lead to sliding brake and ended with his snout near inches before the door to the hallway.

Shivering he looked at the object buried in the door. It was an orb, made out of unknown material. The orb was black, with red rune-like marks on it, shining in a disturbing glow. Still shaking he turned around and saw the invader unfazed by Starlight’s spell. His robe wasn't completely burned. Just a few small holes and through these little holes they saw bits of armor under the robe. He stood there in a calm manner but was surrounded by five more of the orbs flowing around him (two of them look like the one he shot into the door, while the other three were silver with golden runes).

“Please wait… If you call the guards, it will end in a bloodbath… Something we want to avoid. Let us explain… we don’t want any harm.” The invader suddenly declares.

This forces a reaction out of Starlight. “ARE YOU BUCKING WITH ME? YOU SAIS YOU MEANT NO HARM, STILL YOU HIT HER SO HARD, YOU COULD TURN HER INTO A WET SPOT ON THE WALL!” She waved with her hooves at the still dazed Stellar and at him.

For a moment the stranger was quiet, then he spoke up again. “We are truly sorry, but her careless dive into the realm of the warp was so prone to catastrophe, that we come to conclusion punishment is in need.” He explained.

“BY KILLING HER?” Starlight screamed.

Sunburst wonders what give in first. “Her voice or the castle walls.” He thought dryly.

“We are sorry. We had overestimated the force in use.” He apologizes, although the tone of it didn’t clearly show that he was apologizing.

While the speaking Stellar regained her conscious. She stood up on wobbly legs, then she looks at the invader. “What … what do you mean with careless. I draw a rune circle, a three-layered even.” She said with weak voice. The hooded stranger looked down at the circle. He touched it with a hoof, then he smeared the lines. Stellar looked with open mouth at him. “Why are you doing this?”

The stranger looked again at her, this time Stellar could see his eyes. They were piercing through her, looking directly into her core. “You did a great number of mistakes. Who taught you this way?”

“No pony… I learned through old tomes.” Stellar feel like in school again, with him being her teacher, who asked her questions, which answers she didn’t know.

“Just old tomes? …Fool…” This lone word hits her hard somehow. It hurt her deeply. “You nearly caused a greater breach in the veil between the realms, while you had enlightened a beacon in the warp… a beacon so clear and bright… Simply daring every daemon in warp to come and go through.” He suddenly scolded her in a harsh tone.

“But the tomes…” she was put in defense by the harsh voice.

“First mistake…the circle is insufficient. It only prevents that lesser, lower and weakest middle-class demons could touch you. But it didn’t prevent them from going through the breath. They could pass you and then gained passion over the other two.” He pointed at the smeared circle and continued in his scolding tone. “Second, you used chalk, which has no endurance. Any bit of power would simple vaporizes it. If you want to create a circle… use the ash of burned trees, better etch it the circle with acid into the stone. As soon as a part of the ring became undone, no matter had small, the circle became useless.”

“Third mistake, you had sent a body of light into the warp, while it was attached to a line. In your naivety, you may have thought it was a good idea, as your partners could easily pull you out in case of danger, but every demon can follow the line, so no way to hide.” He pointed his hoof at her.

“Fourth mistake… your biggest mistake… Entering the warp, without being sanctioned in any form. Have you any idea what the consequence could be?” he barked in a daring tone.

Sunburst could hold himself and speak. “Grave consequences?” he asks in an unsure tone.

The hooded pony snorted. “Grave is an understatement.” He starts to walk towards Stellar. “When she used the body, her presence, her soul blazed in the warp. Every demon in there could saw it… There sheer power in your soul…” He was now near inches before her. He looked down at her, as he was a head taller than her. “A radiant sun in there… They couldn't resist. They would have swarmed you. Billions upon billions of demons coming at a powerful, unsanctioned soul. You could even have caught the attention of an elder god” He glared into her his eye piercing her, sending pure dread into her, as his harsh voice continues. “Then you would be grave consequences.”

Then he suddenly stepped back a few steps and continue in a different tone. “Your luck, that we and our brothers traveled through the warp… our own presence was enough to overshadow everything.”

Now silence lingers in the room until Sunburst gains the courage to speak.” Why are you here?”

Now the hooded stranger looked at him. “Please wake up the princess and the prince. We are here as a messenger. We carry good news both need to hear.” With that the orb in the door suddenly shivers, then it shoots back to the stranger and gets in the formation the orbs formed.

Sunburst, Starlight, and Stellar looked at him, then at the door, which was now free to open, then at each other. “Well then let us better do it,” Stellar said and all four starts to move towards the door.

…

Crystal Empire, Royal chamber

Princess Mi Amore Cadenza was in her chamber. She had put off her royal regions and prepared herself for the night.

The day she was busy with royal courts, where she had to deal with the problems, the citizen had broad forward. Small problems, like merchants, who argue with each other over prices of their goods, and bigger problems like taxes… The biggest problem in the court was the interaction with the nobles. The Crystal Empire has fewer nobles then Equestria, still they tend to cost Candance’s nerves.

Then had come the best part of the day, the afternoon, in which she had played with her daughter Flurry Heart. The little alicorn was a hoofful, but Cadance loves her over and over. Both had played some games, she had bathed her, tucked her into bed and read her a good night story.

That were the best moments, but right now in her royal chamber, she let her shoulders down. Uncried tears and sorrow laid heavy on her. She was a strong alicorn and now, that she must put up a strong face so that her people don’t panic, but inside her chamber, she let go of the mask, she wears all day.

She missed her sister-in-law, Twilight Sparkle. She had been there when she had grown up, as she had worked as the babysitter for her. Only because of Twilight she was married to her husband, as she had intervened and discovered the plot of Chrysalis, Twilight had helped to save the Crystal Empire and countless small and big adventures so far and possibly more…

But that wasn’t possible anymore… Twilight was away. Abducted by monsters of another world… it was even a possibility that she was dead.

Cadance stood at her make-up table and looked at her mirror. It showed the crystal alicorn, princess of the Crystal Empire, Protector of the Heart, but all Cadance saw was a mare far too young to be tired.

But she was tired. The spark in her eyes had become dull, she had dark shadows under her eyes, which she hides under waterproof mascara. All in all, the image Cadance saw was the one of a mare near her point of breaking down.

Slowly she walked away from the table and to her bed. Carefully she levitated the covers off and slip into the bed, then she puts the covers back. Then she laid there staring at the empty side of her husband. “I wonder how long he will work this time?” she thought sadly.

To her surprise, at that moment the door opens and a pony walked in and towards the bed. On the way she heard multiple heavy thumps, indicating, that the intruder let loose of the armor he wore. After a couple of more armor pieces falling on the floor, the covers shifted again and a body falls beside her.

“Night beloved,” Cadance said. A muffled grunt followed by snorting sound. She made a snort, then she hit the body with a hoof, earning another muffled grunt. Before she was forced to repeat the process, the body shift and faced towards her.

Cadance looked into the face of her husband, Shining Armor, Prince of the Crystal Empire, Father of the firstborn Alicorn, Captain of the Crystal Guard and many titles more….

What happened a year ago…the thing that nearly broke her, had done far more to him… once he was a proud stallion. Pride was in his eyes and fearless he had stood up to fight against every threat that could harm, his child, wife or sister…

But now this stallion was gone, the spark had diminished and was replaced by sadness and anger. There are times, where she found him crying for hours, only to be followed days of pure aggressive behavior.

He had become short tempered and Cadance must admit that she was ashamed of herself, that the target of his anger isn’t her or Flurry, but the guards. Shining Armor drills them rigorous… some council pony already spoken to her asking for relief Shining from his duty, as the training for the guards under his new regime resembles more torture, then anything else. A small number of guards had already retired, just a few, but the numbers start to rise. When he had been questioned about the reason, why he destroys his own guards he had shouted and raged, threated the ponies who dared to ask such a question.

“THE GUARDS HAD BECOME WEAK AND SOFT. THEY FAILED IN THEIR SOLEMN DUTY. WHAT IF THE SITUATION COMES AGAIN, THIS TIME WITH FLURRY HEART OR CADANCE HERSELF? IF THEY CAN’T STAND THE PRESSURE, THEN THEY SHOULD LEAVE AND DIE HIDING UNDER A ROCK.”

Cadance remembered this moment clearly. The council ponies had looked in shock at him. Cadance had witnessed the whole outrage. She didn’t agree with his way of improving the guard, but she notices that the guard had improved. The totally unfit guards had been fired, while the others are now in better shape regarding endurance and abilities. But he hadn’t only razed through the lower guards’ ponies. He had wiped the higher tiers too and kicked out, who had been unfit and only in position through their influence or political friends. Personally, she was happy about it, as more than one officer she had despised had been such pony.

“Everything alright Shiny?” she asks him in a quiet voice as if she was talking to a frightened animal ready to attack. In the last year, she had found out that this tone was the best to talk to him.

For a moment he was silent, then he grunted. Cadance thought that was all when suddenly he starts to shake. He dove his muzzle deep into her neck and then she feels her neck becoming wet… He was crying.

“A year… a year… since she…it still hurt… so much…” The words were nearly silenced by the heavy sobs.

Cadance had felt so powerless. She may be the alicorn of Love, princess of an empire, mother of the firstborn alicorn and so on, still all the titles, all the magic couldn’t help her very own husband. She couldn’t light up his heart, couldn’t take away his pain, couldn’t heal the wound on his heart and soul. The only thing she could do was do was holding him tight and let the tear flow.

And so, she holds him tight to her chest, allowing him to wet her fur with tears… tears she couldn’t allow herself.

The tender moment between the two was suddenly interrupted as the door to their chamber was violently opened, as a guard’s pony rushed through. “Pardon to disrupt…” the pony tried to say, but the sudden sounds of knives flying through air interrupted the speech.

A sound of hooves clapping onto the ground sounded and Cadance raised in her bed, while Shining Armor had jumped out of the bed, in his magic grab swords he keeps in the chamber near their shared bed. He scanned the body through the door and recognized the guard. “Flare Warden. What is the reason for your coming?”

It may sound strange that Shining asked that a Guards, instead of asking if the Guard is hurt by any of the knives thrown at her.

But Flare Warden was not a mere guard. She was one of the best guards. Evading multiple knives thrown at her was a child play for her. The pegasi with brilliant gamboge coat and Sapphire blue mane stand in the door. In her wings, she holds every knife thrown at her. “Again, Pardon to interrupt, but we need the princess and prince in the throne room. We have a visitor, who… asked in a very demanding tone for your presences.”

Shining already turned around starting to grab a new armor, while Cadance used the moment to speak to Flare. “When he had ad arrived?” she spoke, while she gets out of the bed and grabs her own armor, Shining Armor had ordered for her. It was the same as his with a few modifications, making it fitting for her more slender body and of cause for her wings and it was made out of Crystals, unlike his armor, which was still metal. “We hadn’t scheduled any visitors for the night?”

Flare moved with the knives in her wings, she carefully shifted them until she had all in a bundle and then she placed that bundle in her hoof. “Well… he is unplanned because he had come through a portal. A portal our wizard team had summoned.”

Both royals stopped near her, as soon as she had said that line. “What?” Cadance said. Her husband started to growl, as he throws glances at her, intending to set her at ablaze.

The pegasi mare resisted that glances. “Better see for yourselves… That bastard bucks Tartarus out of me.”

Shining seized his growling. “Are there guards watching him?”

Flare nodded. “Two dozen guards, under the command of my brother Flash Sentry.”

“Double the numbers.” The unicorn ordered, then he rushed through the door.

Flare saluted and handed the majority of the knives to him, as he passed her. She stood still for a moment, then she hands the rest of the knives to Cadance. “You know Flare, most guards just lay on the floor in order to avoid the knives. Only Flash and you catch them out of the air.”

The pegasi mare sported now a cocky grin. Cadance allowed her that, as she likes it how Flare smiles and for the most important fact… the cocky smile isn’t just a bluff, as Flare can and had proof it numerous times, that she has the best reflexes. “Training hones the abilities… also, the knives you throw are far more dangerous, than the ones thrown by Capitan Armor.” Cadance raised an eyebrow. “He throws a large number, trying to overwhelm through numbers, but you princess ... always aims at the vitals.”

Cadance now has a smile on her own. “I don’t know what you are talking about.” And with that she passed the mare, noticing the knowing spark in Flare’s eyes. “What about Flurry Heart?”

Flare had turned and was now at her side. “No loud alarm, so she is still asleep. Her own guards are still with her. Also, double their numbers?”

Cadance nodded and Flare pushes her wing to her right ear. “Command Warden here. All guards up with your flanks. Squads Ruby and Amber to the throne room. Squads Sapphire and Jade to Princess Flurry Heart's nursery.” She spoke in the magic stone embed in there.

A new innovation introduced to the guards after the … incident a year ago was the earstones. Magic stones allowing fast communication in short range. Perfect for the castle and allowed to shorten the time to mobilize the guards.

The ear stone in Flare’s ear buzzed and she gets with “Roger” answers from said squads. Flare turned to Cadance. “All set Princess.” Cadance nodded. Then she placed a hoof on Flare’s shoulder. “Brace yourself.” Was all she gets before Cadance teleported both.

The world vanished in a pink light, but before Flare could handle it, the trip ended. Her vision returned and Flare found herself beside Cadance in front of the door to the throne room, which Candace normally uses if she walks into the throne room.

Cadance turned to Flare and saw that the pegasi mare was green in her face and her breathing was irregular. “Calm down. Take a deep breath, hold it for a moment, then release it.” She said to Flare, who follows her advice.

After a moment she speaks to Cadance. “Princess, next time if you want to do that… leave me back.” She shrugs. “I think my innards are still on the wrong side.”

Cadance chuckles. “The feeling will go away. It happens always if a unicorn/alicorn teleport herself and one more. You get used to it.”

Flare waved her hoof. “I would like to pass that offer. Once in a life is already too much.”

Sniggering the last time, Cadance used her delight about Flare’s demise. Then she drops the smile and set a stern face on. Flare followed her action and puts a similar face on.

With that Flare pushed the door open and Cadance walked into the throne room, ready to face the visitor.

...

Inside the throne room

The first thing Cadance noted, when she entered the room was that Shining was already there… and more than fifty guards are in the throne room, lead by Shining Armor and his second of command, Flare's pegasi twin brother Flash Sentry.

Sunburst the Royal Crystaller, his wife Starlight Glimmer and Stellar Watcher where also in the room.

But the most important thing in the room was the hooded visitor, who was in the middle of the room.

He was a complete mystery for Cadance. He was taller than every pony in the room, easily taller than Celestia, but she couldn’t make out anything as the hood he wears hide much of his body. But Cadance managed to catches glimpses of his armor underneath the cloak. And the glimpse already shows her to much… The visitor is from another world. In her heart fear start to slowly rise.

“The Princess has arrived,” Somepony said aloud. Cadance turned around and look at Flare, eyes open wide in an unspoken question. Flare just shacks her head. She wasn’t the pony who called her out.

A noise of shifting clothes sounded and was followed by the sound of numerous spears shift-ed in attack position. The alicorn looked back at the visitor and her mouth opens in shock.

The visitor wasn’t as tall as she thought, he had somehow levitated. Now as she stands on all of his hooves she saw that he was just as tall as Shining Armor. Still six magic constructs, six orbs, circling behind him. But the fact, that he had used magic and still uses it without her noticing it… this was frightening.

“We send our regards for the Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Prince and Captain Shining Armor. We are pleased that the guards delivered our wish for a meeting. May the Twilight lead to Dawn.” His pattern of speech was strange, as well as his tone, but the fact that he seems not intimidated by the numbers of spears pointed at him, or the numbers of unicorns charged her spells, Starlight included. He just stood there and speaks.

Shining Armor was the first to speak up to him. “Who are you? “he asked him while taking a few steps towards him. With his magic, he had grabbed several spears, all of them pointing at him.

“We are called Shattered Legion, we are a servant of her grace.” He said.

“Who…” Cadance asked him. She knows that she looks intimidating in her armor and in her voice was determination, but deep in her she was frightening. “Who do you refer to?”

The stranger looks directly at Cadance and she saw his eyes. Cadance has the feeling he looks directly into her soul. She raised mental barriers, but still, she couldn’t let loose of the feeling that he can easily bypass them.

He maintains the look for a second longer, then two of his orbs moved. They flowed away from him, towards her but stopped a few feet away from him. For a moment they hovered in the air, then they changed.

At the start, they were just undefinable, but then they take the general shape of a small filly and a teenage pony. At first, they formed only the outlines, but then the forms start to get color and details. The teenage pony starts to grow wings and the shape starts to get color in a pink tone, while a three-colored mane grows. For a moment Cadance was at lost, but as soon as she saw the horn growing on its forehead, she opens her eyes in shock, as she saw recognize the pony.
As soon as she recognizes that dread filled her heart as she knows who the filly is. Meanwhile, the shape of the filly grows a horn too, and get a Pale, light grayish mulberry coat. Cadance closed her eyes, not wanting to see how the filly grew a dark sapphire blue mane with purple and raspberry streaks in it.

She opens her eyes after a moment and stared at the replicas of her teenage self and her filly sister-in-law. For a moment the two replicas stood quiet and motionless, then they started to move.

"Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!" both said in union while dancing the little dance that was part of this song.

As soon as the last syllable fade out, the replicas lost their shape. They become again orbs and fly back to the other behind the visitor.

Silent was the entire room. No pony dared to say a thing and the tension start to grow thicker.

Shining Armor was the first to move and speak. “FROM WHERE DO YOU HAVE THAT?” he shouted, not bothering to hide his rage.

The visitor was unfazed by the shutout. “From her grace itself… Lady Twilight Sparkle… May she protect and led us all into a new Dawn”

These words hang in the air. Suddenly Shining Armor started to charge at the visitor, but Cadance grabbed him and hold him back. “Shining calm, yourself. “She orders her husband, then she talks to the visitor. “What is your history with Twilight Sparkle?” she asked him.

Shining looked bewildered at her, but a quick glance from her prevent any outburst. She wanted to know everything from the visitor and she couldn’t have that if Shining loses his temper.

The visitor himself looked unfazed by Shinings outburst. “Lady Sparkle is our grace, our sworn lord. One year in your time she was abducted by for you unknown being. They had taken her through a portal out of your reach. On the other side of the portal, she was faced with terror so horrifying for her… her very soul cried out in pain and despair.” He explained and Cadance feel how Shining start to fight against her grab. “And our brother and we heard the call of her soul. We answered and she accepted it. We became bound by oath, blood, and soul to her. We became her guards and soldier.”

Now Shining calmed himself a tiny bit, not much, but he reduced his efforts to fight against Cadance grip. “And what are you doing here?” he bellows.

The visitor turned to him. “Prior the night our brother and made an outbreak. We killed the abductors, lay waste to their base, released her grace and opened a portal into the realm between. We had taken her grace with us. At the moment she should have arrived near the city called Canterlot.”

Again, the silence was in the room. “Is this true?” Shining growled. Instead of the visitor answer-ing Stellar speaks. “Your Highness… your visitor spoke the truth. I saw them traveling through the warp.”

Now the attention was on her. “What?” came from Cadance and Shining Armor in union.

Stellar gulped then she spoke again. “I used a spell to get into the realm between. I witness their arrival near Canterlot. Our visitor, he preferred to be called Legion, had separated himself from the group. He traced me in the realm and so he ended up here.” She pointed to Starlight and Sunburst. “Both had witnessed it and can confirm it.”

Cadance though a moment over it. “The realm between?” She tried to remember where she heard that before then she came to a conclusion.” The Warp!” She looks at Stellar. “Stellar, what were you thinking? There is a reason any knowledge about it is forbidden.”

Stellar looked ashamed at her hooves, before looking back at Cadance. “I’m truly sorry princess. At the time it looked like a good idea.” But before she could say more, the visitor, Legion cut in.

“We apologize to interrupt, but we recommend to begin preparation to travel to Canterlot.” He said.

For a moment nothing happened. Then Shining Armor jumped into action. “Flash sentry, Flare Warden. I want two squads ready in the morning. Also made the train ready. At 10 o’clock we travel to Canterlot.” Both saluted and started to bark the order in their earstones.

Legion nodded. “We agree with that wise choice. We also shall accompany.”

Shining turned back to him. “Oh no. You get locked down. Guards arrest him.” He waved his hoof at Legion and so every guard start to get closer to him, their weapons readied at him.

“Bad choice.” Was all Legion said, then he made his move. He stood still, but for a mere second, Cadance sensed his magic flaring up. A shock wave emits through the room. Cadance was set back for a moment, then she looks back at him and as soon as she saw the result of his doing Cadance stared with open mouth at him.

Every guard in the room, save Flash, Flare and Shining, as well as herself, had lost their weapons and armor. The remnants of them are just dust at their feet. The armor and weapon made out of magic resistant crystals and enchanted to improve that… simply vaporized, in a mere fraction of a second. And as Cadance realized as she looks at Legion and now saw his face, as he had pulled his hoof back.

She saw the horn on his forehead, his mane hidden under a cloth, with only a few strands visible. His mane and his coat in a black and white color scheme like a zebra have. His eyes so black, that no light could enlighten them, his body looking so frail. The fact that shock her was the fact, Legion’s body may look fragile, but he has magic power… more than her, more than the Heart… and that look in his eyes.

At that moment she realized that Legion has the power to kill everyone the castle in seconds… and he had the will to kill them if necessary. In short, he has the power and cold bloodiness to kill them and that the fact, that the guards are only stripped of their weapons and armors was only due to he allowing them to stay alive.

“You seem to misunderstand a point. We accompany you… and this point is not for dispute.” He said in a flat tone, the threat lingering mere inches beneath.

Author's Note

So surpirse update...

Why the long time between chapters?

First, full-time employment pays well but sucks up too much free time.
Second new games had come out like Kingdom Come: Deliverance and I had played them...

But new chapter hurra and I hope you like it. Please leave a comment, as I like getting those.

Beginning Arc Chapter 7 On Way Home

Author's Note

So new chapter after an eternity...

Sorry about that, I'm a damn son of a gun.

RL is a fucking bitch to me... I hope that I can write more in the next time...

But not wasting more time, here is the new chapter.

Beginning Arc Chapter 7 On Way Home

The ride was a tense one.

The train itself was the personal train of the royal family, so the only passengers, where Princess Cadance, her Husband, their child and the guards, as well as some other personal needed, like the crew on the engine.

But right now, it also has the royal crystallizer, his wife, and their aid, the crystal pony Stellar Watch… also in the last wagon where the visitor out of another world was currently placed.

The said visitor had proven glimpse of his powers, as well he had mentioned that the long-lost princess had returned.

Shining Armor had been agitated by this news and had ordered the train ride, but also the imprisonment of the visitor… but said had visitor had given them good reasons not to force a confrontation, as the results involve death.

So, he was with on the train, but in the last wagon with a few guards watching him. And that car was the target of Stellar. She couldn’t hold her curiosity and so she wanted to talk to him.

She stood before the car and saw the guards on duty before the door. It was Flash Sentry and his sister Flare Warden, but in their armor, but with additional anti-magic enchant and enhancements. “Shining really didn’t like Legion...” She thought. The armor both guards wear is the maximum of anti-magic fighting gear a pegasus can wear without sacrificing air mobility.

“Greeting you both.” Stellar said and waved her hoof to them.

“Hey Stellar,” Flare said, while Flash only nodded. “What brings you to us?”

“Can I see the pri… guest?” she corrected herself before she said the wrong thing.

Flash starts to twitch, while his sister was a bit more relaxed. “The order is no one goes in, but he made it clear, that if any pony wishes to enter they can through.”

“And you comply?” Stella asked.

“Well between facing the enraged captain and the alien, who could literally obliterate us…” was all Flare said. Flash kept his stoic face, still, he used the bottom of his spear to open the door.

Nodding Stellar walked through and as soon as she was through... she falls down.

She opens her mouth to scream, but before a sound left her mouth she hit hard the ground. For a moment she was dizzy, then she cleared her vision and head with a firm shake. “How could I fall down…” whatever she wanted to say died midsentence as she became aware of her surroundings and the reason why she had fallen down.

No not fallen down, fallen up. Right now, she was at the ceiling of the wagon. The whole gravity of the room was upside down. The “floor” was the ceiling, while the last had become the floor.

Stellar just stared. She had heard and read of magic like that, but seen it, in reality, was different, it was marvelous.

“We apologize. We weren’t aware that ponies wish to enter the car. “Stellar looks at the speaker and saw the stranger, who had called himself Legion. He sat in a strange pose. He sat cross-legged, the legs tightly coiled with each other, while his hind hooves resting on the upper thigh of the opposite leg.

He had taken his robe off so that Stellar could see his body. From the stature, he wasn’t so impressive as he was as tall as Shining Armor and due to his black and white coat and mane looked like a zebra. Also, he looked very weak and fragile, but that was a but a lie.

He had no soft eyes, they were more like black holes, which seem to devour every light falling into them. His body may be looking frail, but she had witnessed the powers he had…

But every thought about him casual murdering was pushed aside, as she looked into his face. A few strains of his mane had come loose under the bandana he wore. They in his face, but he didn’t make any effort to push them back. At the moment he had his eyes closed and kept an overall neutral expression.

He raises one of his hooves and slowly the room starts to shift. In mere seconds the room was normal again and both sat on the real floor.

“I don’t believe it. You can manipulate gravity?” it busted out of Stellar.

Legion just opens one of his eyes. “If we meditate, we relax by applying small amounts of our power to the surroundings. We choose in which manner we twist it.” He calmly explained.

Stellar just stare at him. “Small amounts? Do you have an idea how much it takes to use manipulate gravity? I know a fair number of spells, how to try to do that, but they ether to much magic to cast or are unstable.” She blurred out. “How can you do that so effortless?”

“By not using magic…” he stated.

Stellar just stared, but before she could answer, the door opens again and both turned to look at the newcomer.

Legion nodded his head, while Stellar bows deep, as Cadance walked inside, with her was Flurry Heart. Behind her followed Flare, while Flash remain at the door.

“We great you princess…” Legion said while he nodded. Then his glance stops at the little alicorn filly. “We see, that you have your Sprouse with you…” he didn’t say more, but still it sounded more like a question, than a remark.

Cadance sported a small smile. “Thank you… you won’t hurt her.” She asked, while she holding Flurry close to her.

Legion didn’t react. He remained still, but after a moment he answers. “We have no intention to hurt her, or you for the matter. The Lady had given us orders and one of them had been no harm to a certain member, or ponies for the better term.”

He looked at Cadance, then at the little alicorn filly. “Besides the order, we wouldn’t dare to harm her. She is young, pure and innocent. Her mind… her soul… is like a pure crystal. No hate, no harm…no strain.” The zebra colored pony took a deep breath in and out. “Since our making, we had been surrounded by hate, anger. Constantly we had been kept in darkness.” Again, he took a deep breath in and out. This time he even sports a hint of a smile. “Just her being near, so that we can feel her… Never we felt so free.”

A moment of silence lingered in the air before Cadance spoke up again. “That is good to know, but I wish to ask a few more questions.”

Legion waved a hoof and a desk with a tea set and a small glass appeared. “We would be pleased to give answers.”

So Cadance sat, with Flurry between her forehooves. Followed by Stellar and Legion. Flare choose to stand, mostly to appear as a guard.

As soon as all sat, the tee can start to levitate. A faint white aura was around it. Stellar looked at it, then she looks at Legion and she noticed that his horn was glowing in the white light. After a moment she noticed his eyes glow too.

Cadance noted that too. “Why do your eyes glow too?” she asked.

Legion holds the tea can for a moment. “We simply use our power. A reason for the difference is the difference in our very nature.”

Then without another word, he starts to pour tea into the different cups. Stellar and Cadance watched in awe, as Legion poured the tea in. It was graceful and he didn’t even spill a tiny bit of the liquid.

As soon as he sat the tea can down, Stellar and Cadance both took their cups and drink a sip of it. “Marvelous, black currant.” Cadance smiled as she enjoyed her tea.

Stellar raised an eyebrow. “You mean, lavender tea. The tea is lavender tea.”

Cadance opened her mouth. “No, it’s blackcurrant.” She levitates her teacup to Stellar, who looked in it. Indeed she saw that it was blackcurrant. Without a word she levitates her cup to Cadance, who saw that she has lavender tea in it.

Both turned to Legion who took a sip out of his own cup. “HOW?” Both said in unison.

“With a teapot.” Was Legion’s answer. He again levitates the tea can over to them and poured the liquid into the glass. This time is being a white liquid.

Flurry Heart, who had nabbed on her own hooves, stopped in her track and instead pointed her hooves at the glass.

Cadance lights up her horn and engulfed the glass in her magic. She checked the liquid and she found out…” It’s milk?” she came to conclusion.

“Yes. We thought, that tea would be a wrong choice.” Legion explained. In awe, Cadance watched how Flurry takes the glass and greedily she drinks the milk.

“How did you manage that?” Stellar asked him.

“Our nature is different. You use magic to interact with the world. We use warp to twist reality.”

Cadance took another sip of her tea. “Did you create the tea out of thin air?”

Legion shock his head. “No, creation is not in the nature of warp.”

Flare intervene. “That doesn’t answer the question.”

“It does, but you lack to understand.” Was all Legion said. And so, the silence was in the wagon.

“Ok. But now different questions… if you don’t mind.” Cadance said in an effort to change the subject.

“We don’t question.” Legion nodded his head.

“First of all, why do you speak in the third pony? Are you royal?” Cadance asked him. She wanted to know the reason behind his speech pattern, as the use of “We” is for royal.

“We aren’t royal. Our name is Legion, for we are many.” Was the cryptic answer.

Stellar shakes her head. “That didn’t answer the question.”

“It does, but you lack to understand,” Legion said as an answer, that sentence again.

Cadance snorted and the alicorn continued to ask more questions. “Anyway, you said Twilight is your sworn lady. Can you explain it a bit more?”

Legion releases a deep breath. “We will leave some details, as these are too dark for you all.” He looked deep into Cadence eyes. “Like we had said in your throne room. Lady Twilight was abducted into the world, where we had been. The Scientist…” He spoke the word with utter disgust.” … did a number of experiments on her; some basic on her physique, some more stressful and some so disregarding of life…”

He paused and looked into her eyes. Cadance could feel a cold sweep into her core. “…it made her soul cry out. She had been alone, cut off her friends, home, and family and was forced to endure things, even her mind couldn’t imagine or even process.”

He leans a bit back and let his glance wanders over the three adult mares. His words sunk into them. “Her soul cried out… “now he started to show a facial expression, a mix between a shark face and smile. “… and we and our brother answered the call. We swore loyalty to her. She had become for us Lady Sparkle. Her wisdom and grace lead us out of the darkness and into the Twilight of a new dawn.” He ended his speech and let it sink in.

Before Cadance could say a thing, Flare interrupted. “Just a little question from the sideline. Who are you and your so-called brothers?”

Legion didn’t raise an eyebrow. “Simple. We are nine.” He waved his hoof and ten rag dolls appear on the table. One in the center and nine around it. Stellar and Cadance noticed that the one in the middle looked like a replica of Twilight, while the others are basic and not very detailed.

Flurry Heart curred and hiccuped as she saw the dolls. She pointed her hooves in the direction of the dolls and her horn glowed. The Twilight doll was engulfed by her magic and flows directly into her little hooves and as soon as the doll was there, the little filly started to play with it.

Cadance, Stellar and Flare awed at her adorable shenanigan, while Legion didn’t show anything. Instead, he waited for a moment, then he pointed with his right hoof at one of the dolls.

A doll clad in armor, standing on his hind legs and welding a type of spear, but instead of a simple tip, it even had a head like an ax. “One of us is a Lawbringer. He represents the will to do the right thing.” Legion pointed to another, this one taller than the rest. “One is the unstoppable force.” And so, he goes one, with each doll. He pointed to a doll with was covered in flames. “One is burning rage.” He pointed to a doll with wings, which floated. “One is the will to be free.” Then he pointed at a ghostly white one. “One is the hunter.” Another doll, who seemingly was made out of machine parts. “One is the god of the machine.” He then pointed to one of the last three dolls, the one dressed in a jester costume. “One is the actor.” He took the two remaining dolls up. One was wearing a helm with a red cross. “One is a healer.” He levitated this to Flurry, who happily accepted the doll and integrated her in her own play.

They all watched for a moment. Then Flare interrupted again. “And let me, guest. The last you represent you? And means wicking powers?” she said and spat the last part out.

Legion nodded. “You were right. The last one represents us. And yes, wicked power, but we would prefer the term Psyker.”

Cadance looked at him. “Ok… If I may sound rude, but what are your powers?”

Legion looked at her and raised an eyebrow. The black and white colored pony looked at Stellar. Said crystal pony get the hint. “What the princess had asked is what is your special magic, the magic you are very adept in.”

Again, Legion looked confused. “We are adept in the warp.”

And again, every adult pony was silent and only Flurry Heart was the only one who made any noises.

Stellar looked at Cadance and Flare, who look back at her. “Ok Legion… we turn again in a wheel… and please don’t say It does, but you lack to understand again.” She pointed her hoof at Cadance. “What we mean is, in which field your magic excels. For example, Cadance’s magic is especially all around love.”

For a moment Legion was quiet. As he processed the explanation and thought about his own answer. "Our powers are tied with the warp. Your magic is tied to ..." he thought about the right word. "...harmony. We can't compare both, as their core aspects are so much different."

Stellar thought about it. "Can you explain it to us."

To Stellar's and Cadance's surprise, Flare talked first. "Leg, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't warp made up out of emotions, like rage and fear?"

The crystal unicorn and the alicorn princess were surprised by Flare's answer, but even more when Legion suddenly starts to laugh. It sounded strange, as he wasn't used to laughing.

After a moment he had collected himself. "We are surprised, that you have knowledge about the warp." He keeps his laugh for a moment before he drops it. There wasn't any trace of it anymore. "But yes... Imagine the warp as a storage basin for certain emotions, like rage, but also fear. In addition, there are more aspects as eternal change, amoral desires, simple decay." He raises he hooves until both are in front of him. On top of both hooves appear flames. One was a white flame, emitting a warm light. The other was a black fire, radiating no warm, but the atmosphere of decay.

"To explain it even more simple. Your magic based on harmony, based on everything, that is good. My powers based on the warp, based on everything that is bad." he ended his speech.

He put his hooves down and the flames died down. For a moment all were silent again, but Stellar spoke again. "But what can you do with your powers? For what had you used them normally?"

Legion turned his glance to her. He waved his hoof, animating them to drink more of their teas. "In combat, I'm the one giving support for my brothers, but the most important part is the bond."

"Bond?" asked Cadance with a raised eyebrow.

Legion tipped his head with his left hoof, as he holds his own cup in his right. " The bond is what connects all of our brothers with us and Lady Twilight. It is a bond between our minds. We share memories and mental stability in order to prevent madness and insanity."

Flare hold her hoof up. "Slow down a minute. A bond between minds? Sharing memories?" She leans a bit forward. "Are you like a hive mind?"

Legion made a noise, it was unclear if that a snigger or a snort. "No, a hivemind would mean only one mind. The bond between us is more like an exchange market. We all interact with the others."

"And Twilight is in that bond?" Cadance asked, fear in her voice. She had heard of the magic of that kind. It means that the ponies, who apply them weren't themselves anymore.

"Yes. And through her presence, she changed us. As we protect her." Legion said.

"Explain," Cadance ordered in an unusual strict tone.

"She suffered a emotional trauma, due to the torture the scientists inflict on her. When she cried out in her soul, it was us, who had answered. We formed the bond. We take her pain and made it endurable for her. In exchange, she gave our her memories." Legion closed his eyes for a moment. "Could you imagine, that neither our brothers and we had seen green grass."

All mares were surprised. "You had never seen green grass?"

Legion shook his head. "The world where came from... it still suffers from a war, which had scorched everything. There hasn't been much plant life left." For a moment he let it sink in.

Cadance flinched, as she remembered something. "Legion, is the band still intact?" Legion nodded. " Then you can feel her?" Again he nodded. "Did you tried to contact her?"

"It hadn't been of no use. We had put her in a sleep coma, as we had done our outbreak. It wasn't planned to wake her up before all of us are there, so why should we reach out?" Legion explained.

"Could you still try to reach her?" Cadance now pleaded.

Legion was still for a moment before he answers." If it what you desire, we do as you wish."

He stood up and took a few steps back. Then he sat in the same meditation position Stellar had first seen him. For a moment he was still, then his eyes started to glow and he even started to hum. It goes one for a moment, then he spoke. "As we told, Lady Twilight is still in the com..." He suddenly stops dead in his track.

A moment, then another he was silent. then he spoke again. This time with panic in his voice. "No, no, no, NO. She isn't planned to wake up." Suddenly he cries out in pain and crooks his entire body.

Stellar watch dumbstruck, while Flare and Cadance jumped to action. "Princess..." With a cry on her lips the pegasus jumped in front of Cadance, who put her own wings before her child and cast a shield bubble around her.

With a final outcry Legion moved once more, then he looks with ghastly eyes at the other. "She woke up." And with that, a shock wave came from him and darkness swallowed all of them.

...

Screams of pain sounded. Someone gets tortured. The owner of the voice cried out in pain.

Stellar couldn't see, who screamed.

After a moment she realized she couldn't see at all. No black, nor white only nothing and so panic roses in her.

Suddenly the nothing changed. Shapes started to form. But the shapes look more like black shadows. No features, but the outlines were visible.

One shadow levitates another. "Look what we have caught. A low grunt, more pig than man. A rapist and murder. Your being disrupted the balance, as there is no equal for your evil.” The other shape tries to scream. “Begone…” and the shape was ripped into oblivion. Then the remaining shape vanished to.

She realized that the screams had come from everywhere.

It seems like she drifted through wherever she was. All around her shapes appear and disappear. Sounds bombarded her. Speeches plead for mercy, screams of death. It was too much for her. Slowly she starts to succumb to the experience.

But before she could break, a drastic shift happened.

The whole scene changed and morphed. She stood in a wide plaza. Eight shapes, vaguely formed like a minotaur, were held down by shackles and several other similar shapes, in a half circle. The eight shapes try to overcome their bonds, but somehow they couldn't.

In front of the circle stood another vague shape and hold another one. "You are weapons and no human. We bred you to fight and not to cuddle." The shape spoke in a voice mixed with disgust and rage. "We gave you orders and you fulfill them, or you die trying."

The shape pointed at the one he holds. "And you still disappoint us. So we don't spare the rods anymore. Starting with her."

The eight shapes enhance their struggles but to no avail. They couldn't break free. Then without any warning, the shape moved and his hostage loses his head.

It drops to the ground and silent lingered in the air. Then all eight shapes cried out in animalistic growls and rage. Their screams get louder and louder until everything stopped.

The whole scene chattered and looked like a broken mirror. The sharks all levitate, then they drop and vanish.

Then was the oblivion again, until it changed into darkness. Completely darkness, where no light could be seen. But slowly darkness vanished as a single lavender light appear and pushed the darkness away. "Help me, oh by Celestia. Help me." the light said.

A sudden thought occurs. "That is the voice of the princess." Stellar was setback by the pain the voice.

The pleading for help grew louder and louder, while the light starts to flicker and dimish. "She dies..." Stellar came to that conclusion and fear starts to grow in her. the crystal pony stills remember, when the Crystallising of Flurry Heart had happened and when the Heart had been shattered by the alicorn filly. Stellar couldn't imagine, what would have happened if the princess of friendship would die.

But for the light could go out, eight new appeared. They hovered close to the lavender light. Thin bands start to form and connect the eight with the one, which started to brighten up.

"What did I just saw?" Stellar wondered.

"Our life, our fall into the darkness and how we had met Lady Twilight." A voice around her said.

Stellar looked around and saw a figure. It had been one of the minotaur-like creatures she had seen. "Legion?" she asked in a hunch.

The figure nodded. "What you saw are parts of our memories and what you see now is our old form." As he stood before, Stellar realized that she could make out details. And so she took every little detail in.

His body was like a minotaur, walking on two legs and two arms with thumbs, but that was where the similarities end. He lacked the massive amount of muscles, the horns on his head and even the fur. Instead, he was lanky and more fragile. He body lacked the fur, only having a mane on his head.

"We will explain when we are back." He offers his hoof, no his hand Stellar correct in her mind. Hesitant she moved her own hoof and touch his hand. "Please steel yourself. What will come now is wearing for the mind."

And with that everything changed again.

...

The crystal pony was back. Well, at least back in a world she now. Stellar was still in the same place when Legion had his surge. She looked around and saw that Cadance and Flare were still in the same position. She wanted to talk to them, but then she realized the lack of movement and sounds. "No..." Stellar saw. "They are frozen."

"Not really. For you, it seems like they are frozen. But the answer is simple. The time moved at a friction of its normal speed. One second there isn't even a moment for them. We could stay for a hundred years in this time disorientation, but for them, only a second had passed." Legion explained and released a breath through his teeth.

"You can caste time-related magic?" Came from Stellar. After a moment she corrected her sentence. "No, this is related with the warp."

Legion give her the tiniest smile she ever saw on a pony. His eyes flicker for a moment and the time runs normally again.

"...Cadance." Flare shouted while she positions herself in front of Cadance. The alicorn holds her spouse and protected her.

It looked a bit comically, as there wasn't a single threat. But Stellar didn't laugh, as she could feel the tension in the room.

A moment passed, then Flare opened her eyes and sat the lack of a threat. "What by the heart is your problem?"

Legion tilted his head. "Do you mean my outburst?"

It was Cadance now, who answered. "YES THAT OUTBURST." she shouted in her royal voice. Stellar was surprised that Flurry Heart didn't scream out in fear, but a quick look revealed that the filly was surrounded by a sound bubble.

Legion returned his head into normal position. But before anypony could say a thing, the door of the wagon burst open and Shining Armor and Flash Sentry, along with six other guards rushed inside, all of them weapons ready.

Legion was unfazed by the weapons pointed at him. "It was due to Lady Sparkle." He said it and the weapons were pointed closer to him.

Shining Armor walked in front of him, a spear and sword in his grip, and he threats him with both. "Explain yourself. What does my sister have to do with it?"

Legion simply stood up. "She woke up too early, most likely due doctors other than Vet. To put it simply, we had put her into a coma for the journey. But they woke her up with the equivalent of throwing a bucket of water in her face. She panicked and in her panic she loose control over her magic."

With that, he walks past the guards and left the car.

After a moment all follow him outside. The train had stopped and stood still on the tracks. Legion had left the train and stood now on the plain beside the tracks to Canterlot.

There he stood in silence and everypony watch him. And minutes passed without him giving a reaction. Until Shining Armor couldn't hold it anymore. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

Legion ignored him. Instead he simple whistled and that whistle sounded far over the land. As the last part of the whistle died down, only the wind waved through the air.

Then an unknown voice spoke. "Oly Oly Oxen Free."

Again the guards raised their weapons, now in the direction of the voice. A pony walked out the nearby forest. Slowly the walked towards the train.

The pony was clad in a mantle, effectively covering all details. That and the fact the pony gets closer to the train did nothing to ease the tension.

As the pony was only a few steps in front of the train it stopped. Legion looked at the pony. "Why we don't fear the night anymore?"

" Cause we know, the darkest hour is always just before the dawn." the pony pulled down his hood. Under the hood was a unicorn, with a yellow coat and a scarlet mane. But that was not the frightening part. It was the fact that the pony looked androgen and has heterochromia with a pink and a green eye.

It wasn't unheard that a pony was born androgen or born with heterochromia, but born with both was unheard. And Stellar could senses that this pony wasn't born in Equestria.

The stranger walked closer to Legion and when he was close to him, Legion surged forward and embraced him in a hug. The stranger returned the hug. "Brother it's good to see you."

"Illusion, we are pleased to see you too." He brakes the hug and turned back to the train. "Now we can continue with our journey to Canterlot. "

With that, he and the visitor start to walk towards the train.

As they were near the train, the guards find their composure. Flash Sentry was the first to react. He walked towards them and raised his spear. "Stop right now."

He tried to be imitation, but it was lost to them. The unknown walked past him, unfazed by the weapons. Instead, he used his tail and wished over his chest plate and face.

Flash starts to blush vicious, as the tail wishing is a highly improperly act, as it was highly sexual. His sister wasted no second. "already making familiar with her?" she teased him.

The stranger turned around. "Darling, I only greeted him," he said in a very feminine and seductive voice.

"Are you a mare?" some other guard blurred out.

Now all stare at him in disbelief. Illusion smiled simply. Stellar was surprised, as Illusion seems to have more emotions and is more able/willing to show them. "I'm many things," he said and a part of his mane covers one side his face, the side with the pink eye. "I'm a great warrior, the death on the battlefield." he turned his head and now the side with the great eye was covered. "I'm the voice you hear after a night of good fucking." He waved his head again and both eyes were no visible. "So be nice and you have the chance to win a round," he said in a cheery voice.

And so the strange and surreal atmosphere returned. Stellar looked at Cadance, who looked equally disturbed, then at Shining Armor, who looked like he is going to have a seizure, then at Starlight Glimmer and Sunburst, who just happened to arrive at the scene.

"Did we miss something?" Sunburst asked while he rubs the sleep out of his eyes.

Stellar signed and shook her head. "You won't believe it..."

Beginning Arc Chapter 8 Brothers Assemble

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Beginning Arc Chapter 9.1 Law

Under the Foal’s Mountain, inside the lair of Don Coltione.

The unicorn stallion Don Coltione sat on his own throne and enjoyed his evening like he was a king. It may sound arrogant, but Don was the greatest criminal leader in area and beyond, his wealth enormous and his influence was only short the princesses, his hooves wherein all area’s a pony could think of and he was intelligent so he used the perfect balance between business and violence, so his many crimes couldn’t link to him directly. So, he lives his life and enjoys the pleasures.

Right now, three mares, dressed in fine silk imported from Saddle Arabia, served him. One feeds him grapes, another washes hoof and the last worked with her mouth in his crotch area… “Mmm.” The Don moaned with a filled mouth. He petted the mare busy with him on the head. “Good Pet.”

The mare hums in delight. It was a fake one, as she was afraid to fail in pleasing him. Failure means punishment and all three mares know what that means…

Don didn’t pay more attention to them, instead, he turns to his second, who was enjoying the same treatment as him. “See, if one does his job well, he gets a reward.”

His second, an earth pony stallion called Shady Deal, bows his head in respect.” Yes, my Don. I’m honored by your gift.”

Don waved with his hoof, making a fourth mare appear, which carried a tray with two wine glasses. The mares, who had washed the hooves abandon the task, instead, they grabbed the wine glasses and carefully hold them so that the Don and Shady could drink out of them. After drinking the last drop Don waved again, making the tray mare disappear and the other restart with washing. “My dear Shady, you have proven yourself again and again. Not only had you improve my businesses in Manehatten, but in a way so inconspicuous, the whole Guard is still ten steps away from me. You had done more in just one year, others did in ten.” He gives him a warm smile.” So why shouldn’t I reward you?”

Shady smiles again. “Again, my Don, I’m honored by your words.”

The Don then looks at the other ponies in front of him. His lieutenants and enforcer, as well as some grunts. “Dear friends. Do you enjoy this night?” he asked them.

The ponies hollowed their delight, a few were even drunk already.

Don smiled. “I know that the visitor we founded today worried a few, but he is still cold out and tight locked in an enchanted cell. He couldn’t harm us, so enjoy this night. Drink and eat and enjoy the mares. Tonight a party, tomorrow I want you double your efforts.”

Again the mob roared and the Don leans backward. “Life is good.” He thought.

Then suddenly the door opens and a pony rushed through, then closed the door with a thunderous thud, then he turns to the others and rushed into the middle of the room.

His face was full of panic, his clothes ripped and he was breathing heavy as he had run as Cerberus had been on his heels. “Don run the prisoner is on his way.” He forced out between his inhaling of air.

The whole mob stopped in their doing and looked at him, The Don from his throne. “Speak up… I can’t hear you.”

“THE PRISONER IS ON THE WAY…RUN.” Came as cry.

For a moment, everypony was silent, then they start to laugh. They laughed for a while, then the Don spoke up. “A lone pony break through the chains, the cell and is on the way to here…” He leans a bit forward, making the mares around him stepping back. “… and you say I, the Great Don, should run like a coward.” He turns to one of his lower lieutenants. “Kill him.”

On the other side of the room, Huck Bite, the pony, who had rushed in and tried to warn them, panicked again. “WHY, why did I take the job for the mob. All bits are for waste if I get killed here.” He thought.

Some ponies of the mob had pushed the mares servicing them away and grabbed some weapons, like batons and such, ready to beat him to death. Then a loud FUMP sounded through the hall, coming from the door.

All ponies stopped in their tracks and watch the door. It opened slowly, showing the guard that had been posted in front of it. Before a pony could say a thing to him, he dropped to the floor like a sack of flour and lay still, a thin trail of blood running down from his mane over his face to the ground.

Then with heavy steps, a pony walked over him and Huck began to back up to one side on the room, crawling while screaming like a scared fool. When his back reached, he curls into a fetal position and started to weep.

Don was disgusted by the sight, but before he could deal with that sick excuse of a pony he turned to the pony, who had walked in and over the guard at the door.

It was indeed the strange pony, they had founded nearly a day ago in the mountain. It was still donned the strange armor, covering all ranging from head to hooves, making it impossible to even make out the gender, colors, cutie mark, only the part of its tail, showing the scarlet colors, mixed with stripes of gray and black. The armor itself seemed to be black plate armor with mail underneath, a plate helm covering his whole head and pieces of a coat of arms sticking at his flanks.

Don was a bit confused about this get-up. The whole armor was a relic from older times when the old kingdoms still fought against each other. Heck, the royal guards in Canterlot wear armor, but there was lighter and gave more maneuverability. This armor instead looked like it weighs a ton. (Looks a bit like the Tical Armor of the Lawbringer Class of For Honor)

The weapon wasn’t anything common. It looked somepony had mashed a spear, an ax, and a hammer together. Sure, there finer detail, like the spike on the ax blade and the skull on the part connecting, still it looked crude and ineffective. (Looks a bit like the Chillion weapon of the Lawbringer Class of For Honor)
Unfazed the pony still walked forward until it was stood in the middle. Turning his helm, in order to look around, he viewed each and every one of the mobster. Then his head turned the last time and looked at Don. “Are you Don Coltione?” came from the pony.

“Huh, he’s a stallion.” Don just noted. “I’m the Don,” he bellowed, then leaning forward. “And for what you want to know that?”

The pony holds the poleaxe in one hoof. He hit the ground one time with the bottom end of it. “You and your mob are criminals, guilty for many crimes, stand down and offer no resistance. I will take you to the nearest hall, where you will stand a trial.”

The hall was silent, then all mobsters started to laugh in full bow, some even falling down to the ground, limbs flailing around, as they couldn’t hold their laughter.

Don also laughed his heart out and after a few minutes, he had his breath so much under control, that he could speak again. “Are you serious?” The armored stallion just nodded, sending every mobster in the room down another spiral of laughter. “You must be out of your mind, why should I step down and offer me to justice,” Don said after his mobster’s laughter had died down.

Unfazed by the amusement he had caused the stallion spoke up again. “Then I use force, to beat you all in submission.”

Now every pony was quiet again. “Oh… you want to use force… And you really think you can beat me of all in submission.” Don leaned forward; all traces of joking vanished.

“If it's necessary, to undo the injustice going on… always.” Came an answer.

The Don leans back and looked at Shady. “Send them in.”

His second-in-command Shady flinched as if he had been frozen in shock and Don’s voice pulled him out of it. Another small shake and he gave out the order. “Killy-Brothers… get him.” He ordered; his voice slightly trembles with hints of fear.

In the mass of the gangster, four stallions pushed themselves through until they stood in front of them. Four stallions, tall, packet with muscles. All wield mean look weapons, like hammer, maces and even a cleaver.

They walked towards until they were just out of reach. The first of the stallions spoke. “Already afraid?” He pointed his own weapons, the cleaver at the armored stallion. “Do you know you I and my brothers are?”

The tip of the strange weapon moved and pointed towards the brother, who had spoken. “Abrahorse Kilkenny…” The tip wandered in line to the next brothers. “Bestouat Kilkenny… Creaster Kilkenny… Dialos Kilkenny.” The eyes of the stranger seemed to burn for a moment, then that moment passed. “Thieves, Slaver, Rapists, Murder… All of you have committed numerous crimes… Surrender and your execution will be quick and painless.”

For a moment the brothers were silent, then they start to laugh. The youngest and impatiently brother, Dialos, walked a few steps closer and swung his mace…

It never did any damage. Faster than any pony could react the armored moved. He brought his weapon up and parried the mace, in an uppercut slash. The force behind the slash, send the mace flying and forced Dialos on his hind legs. Before he could recover the stranger had positioned the axeblade behind Dialos left hindlegs and pulled, robbing him of his stand and so Dialos landed on his back, knocking the air of his lung. And before he could breathe in, the spear tip of the weapon penetrated his barrel, the hardened steel cutting through him, ripping heart, lung and blood vessels. When the tip had passed all layers of flesh and hit the stone ground the momentum was stopped and then reversed.

The stranger pulled his weapon free and held in a ready position near him. Dialos tried to take a breath, but the wound was too grave, his heart was ripped and the lungs pierced. Instead of air, blood filled the lungs, then poured out of the entrance canal, made by the weapon. He struggled for a moment, then with a gurgle he ceased and lay still. “Dialos, your judgment was rendered and executed.” He said in a casual voice, not affected by the fact, that he had just killed a pony.

The other ponies in the room were a mixed back, the mobster stared in fear and open mouths. Dialos may not be the most dangerous of the Kilkenny Brothers, but still, he had been leagues over every different pony… and the stranger killed him so easily.

The remaining brothers were shocked too, but only for a short moment. Bestouat was the first to move. “You killed D… I will rape your corpse.” He spat in rage, rushing forward and swung his hammer.

The stranger parried it again, but Besouat was more adept in fighting, so the parade didn’t throw him off. He used the force and swung again, this time managing to hit the stranger. Only for his hammer to slide off the armor. Carried forward by his own momentum he got too close to his opponent. The stranger used it. A quick hook with his armored hoof pushed Besouat back, then with a wet thump the ax blade buried deep in his shoulder, cutting through flesh, muscles, and veins.

Blood gushed out of his wound, Besouat dropped his weapon. The shook cause by the sudden and significant wound rendered all of his strength, his mouth open in a mute scream. Before he could do a single thing, the blade was ripped out of his body, opened the wound further rending his chances of survival to the equal of a snowflake in Tartarus. The stranger turned his weapon and hit him with the blunt end of the shaft, knocking him up. Another turn of the weapon and the stranger hit Besouat with a wide swing, the hammer part of his weapon hit on the unwounded side of his body, namely his head. The force behind the swing was so great, the criminal was lifted airborne and flown several feet before he hit the ground, where he laid still. The blood still poured out of his shoulder wound, but the killing blow had been the hit with the hammer, skull, and spine broken and ripped, leaving the second oldest of the Kilkenny brothers dead on the floor with a mangled body.

“Besouat, your judgment was rendered and executed.” Again, the armored pony spoke in the same manner, sending more fear into the mobsters. He turned to them. “Cease all resistance and you will live to your trail.”

The remaining Kilkenny brothers, Abrahorse and Creaster just looked at the bodies of their brothers, then at each other. Dead silent they looked into each other’s eyes, until both nodded once, seemingly come to an understanding. They turned to the stranger. “Are you willing to surrender peacefully?” he asked the brothers. Instead of an answer they scream blood and murder and rushed towards him.

Their bloodlust and rage made them more dangerous than the brothers before and as both attacked together it was now a real fight.

In a whirlwind of slashes and swings both fight with the stranger, who parried and evaded their attacks, a few even managed to hit him and even draw blood. The mobster started to wake up from their shock and a few even started to cheer for the brothers.

The Don started to smile too, as the situation seems to turn into his favor. “Well, it seems that this is the end.” He said while starting to turn to his second-in-command.

Then a crack sounded and every pony looked at the source, the battle between Abrahorse and Creaster with the stranger.

The stranger parried a double attack of the brothers, and while doing it shattered their weapons. Now with their defense open, he moved in for the kills. He rushed forward and buried the spear tip in Craster's chest… and moved forward. The mobster earth pony was lifted off the ground, as the weapon’s end was rammed into the ground. So Creaster was impaled on it, his hooves flying in the air, trying to grab hold, but nothing was in reach.

The stranger didn’t waste a mere second. As he had rammed his weapon into the ground, in doing so impaling Creaster, he proceeds his attack on Abrahorse. His armored hooves bashed into Abrahorse’s face, then the stranger stood up on his hind hooves and the armor on his front hooves split in individual small extensions. Using both he grabbed Abrahorse’s neck and lifted him off the ground, like his brother and contrary to said brother the stranger didn’t leave it there. He starts to choke him in his hold. The sheer force on his neck and his breathing tube, makes Abrahorse flay around, bashing on him, in an attempt the break the hold.

But his meager efforts did nothing. With a loud and resounding snap, his neck broke, and the body goes limp. The stranger opens his hold, letting the body fall on the ground. He then turns to weapons and kicked the end. This disrupts the balance and the body on top of it falls down, hitting the ground with a loud thump.

The stranger swings his weapon in a wide swing, the blood on it flying off and hit the mobster standing to close.

“Impossible…” Don stammered. “Who … What are you?” he asked, his voice stricken by panic.

“My name is my duty. I’m Lawbringer. Where an order has fallen, where cruelty and lawlessness tainted the lands, Lawbringer is justice. I come when needed and I come always prepared. My armor is without an equal, it’s construction a secret. My weapon is the poleaxe, versatile and deadly. Pray that I never come, and should I ever come, pray that you have done no wrong.” The stranger, Lawbringer, said.

He turns to the mobster. “Again, I repeat. Surrender and you will live to your trail. Fight… and you join the four at the ground.” He shouted.

For a moment every pony was silent, then Law hit the ground with his poleaxe. It broke the silence in the room, forced a panic reaction from the Don. In a rare instance, the fight reflex broke out of the Don, making him send a magic blast towards Law.

The blast, a magnate colored beam, hit Law on his chest plate, seemingly catching him off guard. He vanished behind a cloud of smoke.

With him currently out of view, Don regains his composure. “Ha, as if you could stand a blast of true magic.” His voice hollered, in an effort to hide his fear. “Maybe that should have done it.” He thought to himself.

And for a moment he really thought that he had won, but that moment was cut short when the cloud of smoke was blown away with a swing of Law’s weapon. Standing without a scratch, wrapped in his black armor, and after witnessing him slaughtering the Kilkenny-Brothers, he seemed like a titan of old times… the room began to smell of fear and piss and a moment later the silence was broken by tons of weapons hastily thrown on the ground.

Beginning Arc Chapter 9.2 Gentle Giant

Daisy Cutter finished another turn of walking in circles. The earth pony mare did that for about three hours by now. “Where are they? They should have arrived long ago. Hope they are ok.” She mumbles under her breath without a pause the whole time.

“By Celestia’s table silver, mare… just stood still for a moment. Any more pacing and we have a trench deep enough to defend for a siege.” The stallion muttered.

Now the mare stood still, she raised a hove-to her husband. “Are you not worried for your children?” she asked in questioning tone.

The Stallion, taller than most stallions, with the name Lumberjack, snorted. “By the sun and moon, cause but I’m just better in hiding it.” He snorted, before standing up and walking towards her. As soon as he was in reach, he hugged her. “Calm down, mare. I’m sure nothing happened to them.”

Hearing his assuring in a calm manner really manage to cool Daisy Cutter off and she started to relax, her ragged breath returns to a normal pattern, and the few wrinkles made due to the stress vanished.

Lumberjack smugly grinned, as he had managed to calm her, but before he could celebrate his victory, but a cry from the entrance shake both.

“MOM, DAD… WE ARE BACK.” screamed the mare running up the small way to the house and her parents.

Daisy was back in the worried mother modus and swapped her daughter Green Branch off her hooves. After a quick hug (with the obvious near breaking her daughter in half) she looks at Green Branches brown coat and green mane looking for any kind of injury.

Lumberjack sighed once, as his try to calm her was now undone, but he pushed all negative feelings about that aside, as his daughter was now her. “What took you so long and where are your brother and the cart?”

“We had an accident…” Green Branch started to say but was cut short, when Daisy Cutter grabbed her again.

Pulling her daughter again into her tight embrace, Daisy turned around and scolded her Sprouse. “This is all you say, where the cart?”

“Well, we need the cart to transport the wood we cut and so make bits. As it’s necessary to make more bits to keep a roof atop and food on the table, I think a few concerns are allowed.” Lumberjack said. “And you should ease your grip on our daughter.”

Daisy wanted to shout at him when she realized that Green was strangely calm. She looks down into the blue face of her daughter and quickly realized that she had nearly strangled her. So, she eased her grip and Green take a few breaths to get precious air back into her lung.

“Oh, sweet air, I missed you” she muttered, then spoke up. “We had an accident a few miles before the town. A wheel came to lose and the cart broke down. Bosk has swept aside and his hoof broke.”

Now Daisy Cutter paled, then started to tremble. Green Branch and Lumberjack could see, that every fiber in her body demanded that she should act like a mother… freaking out and rushing towards her hurt child.

Green spoke up before she even moved an inch. “Well, then a stranger came and helped us. He pulled the cart up, pushed the wheel back on, sprayed something on Bosk’s gashes and now he pulls the cart with Bosk on it here.”

Lumberjack listened to what with only a fringe of his attention, as he feared that his wife could run off, if he took his eyes off her for even a second, and nodded to what she had just said. After a moment he registered what she had said. Now focusing all of his attention his daughter he realized what she had said.

“He pulled the cart up, pushed the wheel back on and pulls the cart… alone?” he asks.

“A fully loaded cart with heavy iron oak… and my brother.” Green stated.

Lumberjack blinked a few times. “… Have you hit your head?” he asked, question what she had just said.

Green stomps with her hooves on the ground. “Now, the stranger is freaking strong… and bucking big.”

Barely suppressing his laughter Lumberjack looked at his daughter. Even for him was pulling a loaded cart an impossible feat. This is why he sent both his children, as the strength of two are needed.

But before he could outspeak his disbelief, Green shouted. “oh, here the cart comes.” And run towards the entrance.

Chuckling Lumberjack followed here, grabbing his ax as a force of habit. As soon as he stood near his daughter, he could see the cart entering and he gasped.

The stranger his daughter told was pulling the cart in. Bosk sitting at top of it. One wheel didn’t even roll properly anymore, showing that it, in fact, had broken down. The stranger pulled the cart alone, despite the heavy load and even despite that one wheel didn’t roll anymore… a feat not possible for a lone pony, but he does it and he doesn’t look like he is sweating.

After the first shock Lumberjack looked again and gasped again when he looked at the stranger.

Lumberjack knew he was a tall specimen, taller than average and years of hard work had given him the build of a work pony. He had been several times in Ponyville, where he had to meet Big MacIntosh, a farm pony living and worked on Sweet Apple Acer, the only pony bigger than him. Heck Lumberjack had even seen Princess Celestia himself once when he was young at a Summer sun celebration and knew how much taller she was. So, all in all, he knew how tall a pony could be.

The stranger dwarfs everything just with his presence. He was a literal MOUNTAIN on hooves. And to add to his impressive size he wore plate armor, but it looked so bulging and massive, it must weight nearly a ton. He didn’t wear any helmet, showing his black mane and brown coat.

Without saying anything, he flicked the harness off, that bounded him to the cart and turned around. He picked Bosk up and walked over to the house, where he simply dropped him on the ground, due to the height difference he dropped from nearly 3 feet height.

Together his wound Bosk cried out in pain, so triggering an instinct deep in Lumberjack.

Seeing his child cry out in pain, make him see red and so he acts. Rushing forward his trusty ax in the hoof, he quickly advanced towards the stranger and when he was in striking distance, Lumberjack swung his ax with all of his strength. Meanwhile, his daughter screamed in the back, but the words didn’t reach his mind.

The ax came down and the steel blade, normally able to strike into the iron like wood, which gives the timber he harvests and sold, the name iron oak, came down to and hit the stranger on his shoulder on a small part where the plate didn’t overlap and left an opening… and stuck there.

Lumberjack tried to unstick the ax but failed to do so. He tried once more, but then an avalanche hit him and he was sent flying. When he hit the ground, all air had left his lungs. Trying to comprehend what just happened, he tried to catch his breath, when suddenly the sun was blocked out. The giant towered over him, his eyes, these deep grey eyes, never left Lumberjacks, even when he slowly reached up and with one move ripped the ax out of him.

Shocked by this Lumberjack threw a quick glance at the ax and gasped when he saw the ruined ax head, the shock that the tool was practical destroyed.

The shock was visible for all to see, but before any pony could say a thing Daisy Cutter screamed. “Stop hurting my family.” She screeched while holding a crossbow in her hooves. She led the bolt lose and it rushed through the air, hitting the giant and buried in his cheek.

The last third shaft of with the feathers stuck out of the cheeks. A little bit of blood dripping from his flesh. His head had moved a bit, then slowly it moved back into the position prior to the shooting.

It was a freighting sight. The giant looking down at Lumberjack, a bolt sticking out of him, the mane and coat in a state of his disarray, but all of all… his absences of any reaction towards the bolt.

The giant seemed untouched by it even. His face didn’t really show any emotions, his grey eyes are equally unfazed. He moved his hoof to the bolt, grabs it and in a slow pace he pulls it out. When the tip gets free, it had ripped the hole wider, making a mess, but the stranger didn’t cry out in pain, heck he didn’t even grunt.

Instead, he dropped the bloody bolt next to the shattered ax, then he pointed his equally bloody hoof at his face, then at Lumberjack. “Apologize.” He spoke in a flat tone.

Fearing the worst Lumberjack starts to apologize. Frantically he spoke. “I’m sorry.” On and on.

But the giant just shakes his head and repeated to point his hoof at his face, then at Lumberjack. “Apologize.” He spoke again, still in his flat tone, although he seemed to grow more agitated.

Lumberjack starts to tremble, and repeated his apology, but the giant again shakes his head and repeated his pointing.

Now fear took hold and Lumberjack started to fear for his life. But before anything could happen, his daughter was at his side and pulled at his hoof, while screaming something into his ears. It took him a moment, to understand that she talks to him and even longer it took him to register the words. “Stop he means no harm.”

She was meet with a bewildered stare from her father and an equal bewildered mother, who had discarded the crossbow and rushed to her husbands’ site. Green Branch ignored his stare. “He didn’t want that you apologize. He’s apologizing.”

That catches Lumberjack off guard. “What?” was all he could stammers.

Turning around Green looked at the giant. “You want to apologize.”

The giant nodded.” Yes, … for dropping him. Your kind … so weak.” He spoke. “Apologize… for hurting him more.” He said to Lumberjack, then turned back to Green. “I helped you… now help me. Where citadel?”

Now Green was the one to look confused.” Citadel? We have no town called this way.”

“Citadel… the place where princesses live,” he said, his tone hinting that he is annoyed, that he must explain it.

Now the gears in Lumberjack head had turned and he gets what the giant said. “You mean the capital… Canterlot?”

The giant stared for a moment, then he nodded. “Yes… the way to the citadel.”

Gaping with an open mouth, Lumberjack stared at him, then he shook his head. “Well, the fasted way is following the river. “He pointed to the river near the house.” … against the tide, then a bit further you walk through a ford, then you follow again to counter the tide. All the way until the river connects with the big river, which you also follow counter the tide. You just walk until you reach Canterlot… It’s placed a top of the waterfall, which supplies the rivers.”

“Thanks…” was all he said. Then he turns to the river and walks towards it.

“W…Wait.” Green Branch stammered. “We need to treat your wound.”

The giants turned around. “No need.” Green wanted to protest, but she gasped, when she saw that the wound already healed so far, that it looked like it happened not minutes, but weeks ago.

Now he continued to walk towards the river. When he was near it, he grabbed the helmet, which had hung around the belt and put it on his head. When it was in place, his armored hissed and shifted, within a blink the gaps sealed.

After the hissing ceased the giant was up to his hooves in the water… and he continued to walk further in it, all while the family watched him.

Finally, Green catches on and screamed after him, but he ignored it.

He walks deeper and deeper into the water until he vanished beneath the water. Then the trail of bubbles starts to move, against the tide of the river.

Unable to understand the family watched, until the trail vanished behind a curve of the river.

All family members just stared at each other, as they didn’t understand what just happened. It was Bosk, who said the first words in a while. “Did he just walk into the river…?” he was greeted by slow nods of three heads. “Good, I thought that the pain starts to make me crazy.”

Lumberjack turned to his daughter. “Dear, can you fetch the small cart out of the shack, we put your brother on it and bring him into town, to a doctor.” Then he turned to his wife. “Daisy, could you fetch the old bottle of scotch, the one atop in the kitchen?” He looks at all three. “I think we all need a dose of booze to understand, the buck just happened.

Prolog Part One

Location: Facility for Advanced Research Omega-26. Exact Location Unknown

Time: Midnight

Inside the obversation room are two humans standing, both dresses in with clothes with a cloth over them. They hold each an electronical PDA in their hands, various data lay there open. One of the research glance another looks at the PDA before he looks up and speaks to his colleague. “Dr. Seuß. Had you witness the last big test of the subject. How knew that it could do so much damage. It was so fascinating, so many data was acquired. “The researcher starts to shiver because of this excitement. “Only thinking about the hours and hours we will spend working with them. I can’t stop to shiver.”

His colleague on the other hand wasn’t so delighted. “I did, Dr. Zirks… but had you look at the damage the subject had done?” He holds his PDA up. “It blows up half of the quarantine complex and killed over four dozens guards and technicians before they were able to take her down.”

The researcher called Dr. Zirks, looks at him with an inquiring look. “What about it. It had only costed us grunts and low-level staff. The property damage was far more than the costs of the compensation for their relatives.” Dr. Seuß let out a small sigh, sensing that his collogue didn’t get what he wanted to say.

Instead of say another thing he touches his PDA to open a com channel into the room, where the test subject was. It lay on a bed with restraints all over it, to immobilize it. Also, it has a tie over it eyes, making it blind, while several cords connect the subject with some medical surveillance machines around it.

“What takes so much time nurse. Why is the subject not already prepared for the next test?” He talked to the one other being in the room.

A male nurse, who had the job to tend the subject and prepare it for the next test series. “Dr. I wouldn’t recommend it. She is very weak and need some rest, as well as food. Her body …” The caregiver, who was called a nurse, tried to say, but the other Doctor had already linked himself into the com.

“We don’t give anything about, what you recommend. We had ordered you to prepare the subject for the next test series. IT…” he emphasise the it part “… doesn’t need any rest or food for that.”

The nurse simply sighs. “Yes Doctor.” He said with a lot of spite in it, but a click had already signaled him, that the com link had already closed. So, they didn’t hear his answer and also now they didn’t hear anything what he says in the room. “Bloody bastards.” He moans under his breath. “I’m so sorry princess. I wish I could give you some rest.”He talks to the subject.

“Not your fault… cough… not your fault, Vet.” Came with a weak voice the answer. “But can you see the sky, are tonight the stars and the moon there?” The caregiver called Vet grabs some old bandage, soiled through blood and walks towards the window, where the trash can stand. He throws it in the trash and then look through the window.

“This window is not a luxury, but simply mockery. Give her a window, but force her to wear a bandage over her eyes to blind her.” He angrily thought. Still, he looks at the night sky. “Tonight, they all are out. I can the Orion belt. And the Sagittarius. But it’s strange. The moon is red like blood.” With that, he turns back to his patient. “And why is that so?” came the weak voice of the patient.

On the bed lay a strange creature. It was a simple pony. But this is strange due to different reasons. This one was having a wonderful lavender coat with purple and violet stripes in her man. The next reason was the fact that this pony has wings and a horn, like a mix of a unicorn and a Pegasus. But the main reason is the fact that the pony is the owner of the voice. A pony that could talk, fly and use magic. That is normally a reason to freak out. But Vet was moved by it, instead, he is furious, but not on her. The source of his anger has another reason.

The researcher of the facility had somehow opened a portal into another world, Vet didn’t really get it how this was possible, to where they had open a door. But he knows what they had done and why. They had abducted this pony from her home and done to her things…. they forced her into experiments so unmoral he wished, the entire staff would go to hell. He had seen that she comes from a peaceful world and here… they cut her open, they electrocute her, let her bleed, just to see how her magic work. And when she had given in and show some tricks… they had doubled their effort. More and more experiments, until last week there she somehow broke and used a different magic.

Sometimes he still sees how she had killed the guards in ways… ripped them in half, burned them with this black flame, but the most shocking thing. The black mist which had swallowed an entire team in one instance without any trace left of them. Vet was the one able to calm her down a bit, but doing so she seemingly realizes what she had done. And she had gone from bloodthirsty berserker to regret in person. She had blown off any magic she had cast and then tried to take her life. Only the arrival of another batch of guards shooting and filling her up with tranquilizer stopped her. In the end, she had killed over 50 humans in a span of 3 minutes, but the sickest thing about it wasn’t the fact that a seemingly peaceful pony had done it. This price goes to the reaction of the doctors.

‘Splendid. This is even better than we thought.’

They didn’t even care about it. Their only goal it is to create the perfect tools for an army. An army out of enhanced soldier, more weapon, then living beings, who only had to obey their twisted wishes. His job in this nightmare facility was simple, making sure that she didn’t die too soon. So, he had nursed and talked to her. Tell her about his life and tell her if the stars in the sky, while she in return talks about herself, her life in her home and so much more…

So, he knows, that she was royal, but she had earned her title through various crazy adventures with her friends. Vet personal favorites stories are how she first met her later friends and how together they get the elements of harmony, some magic devices of great power, or how she saved her brother from an fraudster at his own wedding. Vet’s comment about the story was simple, it had been the answer from the godfather of his orphanage, who happened to be married once, before a really nasty divorce. “I was married once too, it ended in a really nasty divorce. She was a beast in human hide. Really wished you had shown up on the wedding in first place. Would save me a lot of trouble, money, stuff, and pride….” The more he knows of her the more he knows, the more he curses the entire staff.

‘I hope, that if there are gods, they give a miracle and save her from any more of this.’ Vet pray, while he walks to her side. “The godfather of my orphanage had once told me an“fear a moon colored in blood, for it’s a sign of coming doom”. It means that every time such a moon was in the sky terrible things will happen. Rivers of blood will flow and spoil the ground, the earth will tremble and the sky will fall down… Anything’s his drunken mind could imagine.”

That makes the pony giggles, but only for a second, before the pain turns the moment of laughter into pain. “… They plan to replay what happened at the last test… I don’t want to do it again. So much darkness…”She says, before she moans out of pain.

Vet feels how his heart rips that her remark. He had heard her pain in her voice. As his eyes starts to get wet he fast close them and point his head to the ceiling. ‘Oh, please all the gods here and every dimension else. If you have a tiny bit of mercy. Send a miracle, save the princess and send this place into hell and damnation.’

And then in a moment of silence he heard something. At first, he didn’t get it, but then it repeated. The stomping sound of heavy boots and it come closer to them. He moves his ears a little. “Strange… military is normally not in this part of the facility.” The stomping sounds grew louder, so whoever was it comes closer.

“Does anyone make an unplanned drill?” Vet grew a bit nervous about it. Then as he had listen a second longer he heard it clearer.

‘That aren’t simple soldier. That are MAS. And by the sound of it. The heavy kind.’ Now the nervousness starts to grow into panic.

He turned his head, when he heard the princess cough weak. “Are they coming to take me to the test area?”

Vet was taken back by her sentence, not because what she had say, but how she had say it. ‘So much hollow pain.’he thought.

Still set back, he needed a moment to answer. “That doesn’t sound like the normal crew. I think that are…”

Vet didn’t come to finish the sentence because suddenly a loud thump sound. Hastily he turns to the bulkhead, which serves as the door. Another loud thump comes from the door, but now more clearly than another. Vet’s eyes grew, as he notices that the bulk started to bulge. And then with another thump, the bulge grew. Shock runs over his body as he comes to a conclusion. Before he even says a thing, like a warning or even a small cursing, his body acted and moves on his own. In just a few steps he got to her side and shield her body with his own, facing her and show his back to the door. Just in the very moment, he leans closer towards her, the sound changed.

Instead of another dumb thump, he hears now the sound of a motorized powerfist (a really nasty thing a MAS could carry) hitting on the reinforced bulk, this time instead of bulging it more, the fist simply shatters it and tore some parts right out of it, sending them flying through the room. The scraps turn into a shrapnel and hit the one-sided mirror at the other end of the room. They piece it without any effort and turn the other side into a slaughterhouse, as the scraps chop Dr. Seuß upper body into tiny pieces, while Dr. Zirks lost his arm and both legs down the knees. While Dr. Seuß died so fast that he didn’t have time to scream, Zirks did it for his deceased colleague, he cries and whines, while holding the remnants of his legs.

Vet didn’t hear any of it, because as he turns around he sees, the culprits who break in. It were two. At the first glance, Vet sees that he was right with his guess that it where MAS (A Motorize Armored Suit, an exo suit, like out of some old Sci-Fi-movies or Video Games.) These suits make a person stronger, faster and allow to carry and use heavier weapons and equipment’s than a normal person could. But as his eyes regain their focus and give him a clear view of both MAS, his eyes grew as fast as his heart sunk into his pants.

There were two MAS, which have more and thicker armor than every MAS he had ever seen. The one MAS, who shattered the bulk had powerfist as hands, while the barrel of a large weapon towers over his already giant height. A powerfist was simply explained as a heavy armored gauntlet (heavier than the normal gauntlet), but through motor support and an energy generator, it gets inhuman powerful so that a punch can shatter things, like the bulk, with minimal effort… and if it hit a soft thing, like a human, said human simply turns into something that resembles a squashed tomato splashed over an area of 3 square meters.

While this MAS guards the breach hole, the other one moved inside and stands before Vet and the princess. He holds a halberd in his hand, which is fitting for the size of MAS. This seemingly ancient and archaic weapon sends shivers of down of Vet’s body, because he knows, who these persons were.

He put his hands up in the air, trying not to look like any kind of threat. “Don’t shoot, Law. They didn’t even pay more enough the face against you.” Vet shout, still his face lack any sign of fear, but shows a small smile.

The addressed pilot laughs inside his MAS and answer. Through the fact that his helmet covers his head, he speaks through the outdoor com. “Good choice, Vet. That makes you the first intelligent man in this base. Everyone else on your way up to here, got stupid and try to stop us… you can think what happened to them.”

Vet didn’t move a bit because of this statement, although he knows what Law means. He had been at the FAR, for six years, so he learned of the project, which resulted in Law and his brother. At his arrival, he had only heard rumors, (which had been already bad), but after a month he was chosen to be one of the nurses for the band. They used them up in a fast pace, forcing the facility to replace them in a cycle of a quarter. Vet wondered why that was so and he found up on the hard way. The project grinds them… literally…, but Vet had survived long enough and so he had become the only nurse, as the band accepted him and only him. So, he had been forced to know them more personally, allowing Vet to know their abilities, but more importantly their personalities. The security guards, Law, and his brother had met on the way to her, are defiantly dead. ‘Huh, that would explain the moon.’ Vet thought in a moment of morbid humor and his face starts to light up as his grin grew.

Law wasn’t aware of his thoughts, so instead he states his request. “We know what the shitheads had in plan for her tonight. But we are against it, so we are going to take her with us.”

Vet lose a bit of tension in his body, as he had heard what Law wanted. Instead something else rises in him, hope and delight, that some gods had heard his pleas and send a miracle. But then the princess cough, shocking both and make them look at her.

In the meantime, Dr. Zirks regain so much control, that he had open the com and speak. “No, you don’t you filthy lowlifes. It is my project you are talking about. And I will do every test with It, until I’m done with it, then it will only serve as breed machine to give me more research projects and then…”

He didn’t come farther, because while had made his monolog, Law simply had risen one of his hand and point it to the hole in the mirror where the Doctor was. A small thump came from his gauntlet as he shoots a grenade out of it into the hole. The grenade didn’t fly far in the room, just as she had entered it, she exploded right over Zirks and vaporize him and the mess left of Seuß.

Law didn’t move, when the grenade detonated, he didn’t even look when he shoot. “I think I had stated my request.”

Vet shakes his shoulders. “Admirable desire, but I can’t allow it.” Not even a second after Vet said that, the tip of the halberd was pointed at his face, only a mere inch away from it.

“And why is that so?” Law asks him in a tone, which would normally frighten people into losing a decade of their life. Vet simply holds his gaze.

Just as he opens his mouth to answer, the tension between them shifts its focus as, the princess starts to cough relative loud and throw up a chunk blood. Fast Law points his weapon away, but his gaze locks at her. “Because she is still injured. You all lack the proper medical skills to keep her alive long enough to get out.”

A deep voice enters the conversation. “What Injuries? Are Life treating?” The pilot in the MAS at the door had ask.

“Yes Behemoth.” Vet answers him with steel in his voice. “The wounds from the test are still fresh. She is in no condition to be moved. So, if you take her away without someone skilled she will die.” He points his one hand to Law and put the other on the bed.

“We will take her with us… even without you.” Law tighten his grip on the weapon, forcing Vet to pray for another miracle.

And to his delight it came. The princess, although being unconscious, had gripped his hand, as she seemingly had heard the conversation and feared that he vanishes from her side.

Law sees this little gesture and a short snore escapes him. “Looks like we have a solution for the problem. We have our medic, who comes with us to take care of her.”

Vet was not surprised. “Taking care of a princess while on the run. Thank Faust, finally a job that is really challenging. Good thing I have already a travel bag ready with the things I need for her care.” Vet said hints of sarcasm dripping in his answer, while reach under the bed and grabs said bag, which he placed there.

come to think about it. I had just woken up this morning and the first thing I had done was packing this travel pack. I know who I found that strange.” Vet thought, while he fast puts the bag on. “Good thing, that I had did it.”

Vet simply smiled, as he unzips every cord that connect the princess with the medical machines around her and when the last connection was gone, he put his arms under her and lift her gently up, then proceed to carry her in princess style out of the room.

Law grabs his halberd, while Behemoth turned the energy generator of his Power Fist off and grabs the weapon on his back. “Ok, B you go first, I will take the rear. Vet follow Behemoth. We go to the Station.” Vet simply nods and follows the giant, who already walked. As he knows that they are on the way out he allows himself to blend out his surroundings. So, Vet didn’t really notice, Law reloaded his hand grenade launcher or how the large weapon in Behemoths hands start to power up and begins to sizzle, as it starts to build up its energy.

Also, Vet didn’t miss that Law talk into his com. “Everyone we have our price. Get to the Station, the next phase of our plan is in motion.”

The com canal simple ping six times. Each ping had indicated, that everyone else has heard and acknowledge him. After the last ping sounds off, a voice came speaks into the channel. “What’s with the trash?”

Law didn’t hesitate with his answer. “Take it out.”

Other side of the Base …

In the cantina were many of the technicians and other personal at the base on their knees with theirs hand behind the head. Technician Leroy was between two collogue and didn’t stop to curse his luck, because instead of dying fast, he gets caught and must now awaits, whatever their three MAS guards, who watched over them, had in mind for them. He glace again to them.

One MAS having Energy claws as hands, which could slice through human bodies, like a hot knife through butter. The blood on them, as the dismembered bodies lying around, shows that he had already demonstrated it. The second MAS stands at the other side of the group, with fewer bodies than the clawed MAS, still with enough around him to show that the guns in his hands are deadly. If Leroy closes his eyes he still sees how the three MAS stormed into. How the clawed one slices through the one nearest to the door, while the one with the hand guns shot the ones far in the back. The most fighting fact had been the fact that the MAS had moved with a grace like it all had been a dance while causing this violence in a span of mere seconds. “We didn’t even have the chance to scream.” Leroy though, while shakes because of the memory of this terror.

But he didn’t dwell too long in memories as in the moment the main source of fear was the third MAS. A bulky scorched MAS… with a giant tank on the back, connected with a rifle like a tool in his hands. The pilot had his helm open but turned his back with the tank to the prisoners. As he suddenly turned around the content of the tank sloshes. Leroy thought that he could throw a glance on the pilot’s face, but this moment passes too quickly as a cigarette appears from his left gauntlet, which the pilot placed between his lips, while he raises the rifle muzzle towards his face. With a whiz, a small flame appears on the muzzle.

The small flame was close near the pilot’s face, but instead of burning his face, it lights up the cigarette. The pilot takes a breath in, igniting it fully and as he breathe out the smoke covers his face, before the helm some down and seal… with the lighted cigarette inside…

This Leroy’s mouth was faster than his mind. “So, are we free?”

“No, I prefer to burn my trash.” Came as the answer from the pilot, as he quick sniggers. Leroy needs a moment to understand this answer. But the pilot had risen his weapon and pull the trigger. The tank on his back starts to gurgle. Then the rifle starts to spray some liquid. At first only the liquid flows at the first rows of people, to which Leroy doesn’t count as he was more in the back. But then a quiet click came and the small flame reappear… and then he starts to scream, as he witnesses, how the liquid turns into fire. The entire room starts to heat up, as people turn from humans into living torches. He scrambles to his feet and walked a few steps. He didn’t get far as a whizz zap through the air and suddenly he looks at his feet while his body gone a few feet further before it falls down. His last seconds of live Leroy tries to scream, but as soon as the fire touch him everything went dark.

At the Station….

“Station” was the call name of the place, where the FAR research the possibility to travel to others world. At first, it was used to search ways to travel to the stars, but after discovering the Portals, the focus shifted to find another world, better dimensions. So, it was used for that but right now instead dozens of technicians and scientist swarming all over the place, only 3 persons in MAS are in the room. Well, there are more people in, but only as shredded bodies. With blood, everywhere. This gruesome act of violence shows, that as the MAS take the room, they didn’t bother to take prisoners.

All over the place are marks from the short and one-sided fight. Marks of bullets, molten metal from explosions, ripped limbs and blood everywhere. Everybody shows heavy signs of damage, some even so much that it is impossible to tell who had been the person.

Still, the three MAS stand at the main room of the station, without even a scratch. One MAS, completely white, with only some dirt on it, holding a large bolt-action rifle in his hand. He listens for any possible enemy, who try to sneak on them. Another MAS stands on the consoles. Out of his back comes two addition arms armed with tools and together with his natural hands they all flew over the console, tapping in a furious speed tipping in commands. Meanwhile a couple of drones’ swarms around him, one that also looks at the consoles, while the rest, big and small ones look around the room, their weapons ready to fire at any target at a time. “The Portal starts to warm up, the coordinates are in and the system is fully under my control.” The MAS with the rifle barely nods, while the MAS continue speaking. “The recovering group is on the way. Pyro and Hawk are also on the way. Hunter, three guards, level seven, behind the third barrel after the headlight two.”

The said guards, who are trying to sneak in, stop by this remark. They all wear special armor, with enhanced cloaking. There is no way, that anyone could see seem. But after a moment, to recover from their shock, they start to move on again, as their confidence returns, as they know their position is not in the direct point of view of anyone of the three MAS.

But this works also works the other way around, as they couldn’t see the MAS. So, they didn’t see that the white MAS had risen his gun and fired one bullet.

The bullet went flying and as soon as it hit the first catwalk in the hall, it starts to defy all normal physically. It ricochets serval times of metal roads and catwalks in the hall. At first, the soldiers are shocked that the sudden sound, but relax, as they hear how the bullet simply ricochet. They want to move again, but then the bullet ricochets the last time. It hit the first soldier direct in the helm, pricing through the metal and piercing through the skull before it repeats it's previous doing in the second soldiers head, and leaves his head only to miss the third one by a mere millimeter. Still, it sprays said the soldier with blood, bone pieces and brain from his dead colleagues. This sudden happing startled him and he forgets his whole training and experience as he jumps backward like some rookie fresh in training. But doing so he jumps off the reeling and tumbles towards the ground. He spends his seconds of fall to scream and to lose control of his bladder, but he didn’t feel that he hit the ground.

At first, he was eased, but as he touched his legs to feel what had catched him, the euphoria of being alive turns into pure dread. His upper body was in the hold of an energy field, which shimmers in an indefinable color and this field was connected to the risen arm of the third MAS.

It was a slim and fragile looking MAS, which didn’t carry any weapon and had even less armor than the other MAS of the band. This gives the impression that it’s a weak MAS, useless in any situation, besides training or cargo duty, but this impression is a false illusion. The pilot of this particular MAS is his own way the strongest soldier of the band, as he is the one, who can use powers, resembling magic. He can manipulate elements like fire, water, he can levitate thing like he does now and it is known that he can use his magic in ever more dark and twisted ways. “Look what we have caught. A low grunt, more pig than man. A rapist and murder. Your being disrupted the balance, as there is no equal for your evil.”The soldier tries to scream, as he feels something ripping inside of him. “Begone…” Before he could even take a breath in the MAS snipped his gauntlet and in a blink of a moment, the soldier was changed from a solid human being into a messy cloud of blood. The Magician had used his ability’s to shredded him into oblivion.

The spider-like MAS at the consoles comment that dirty method. “Really, couldn’t you simply threw him into a wall or something. You know Legion, something that isn’t not such a bloody mess?”

The addressed MAS only wave his hand. “Without Balance, there is a disrupting. Mech you know that. So, we restore Balance. And in order to restore balance, we eradicate the evil into oblivion. Destroying it so thoroughly that nothing should be left.”

Mech, the pilot in the MAS at the console, shrugs with his mechanic shoulders and wanted to say to Legion, but Hunter interrupted him. “They come in hot.” Hunter in his white MAS said, startled them both.

Psy starts to collect his powers, while Mech return his gaze to consoles. “Hawker and Pyro are her in 3 seconds.” Mech said, as he checks the console and video feeds displayed on them.

A loud scratch sound as Behemoth enters the hall, followed by Vet, who carry the princess, and Law, how already shot at their persecutors. Behemoth waited for a second, for Vet and Law pass him before he fired his weapon, a prototype of a plasma cannon, which shoots a project of raw plasma. The projectile hits the first row of the group, incinerate the first half of them in an instant, before the unstable plasma loses the control and explode, killing of the other half. Meanwhile, Hawker and Pyro crash through the roof and land fast on their feet’s, while Illusion slides through the hole and land on his feet, with the precision of a dancer.

Law sees them and move his hand in a motion, so that they all come closer and make a loose circle. “Good all are here. Mech is the portal ready?”

Mech moves a hand up. “5 minutes then it’s open, then we can go through. We must wait 20 seconds between, as the MAS cause a slight disturbance in the portal.” Law nods.

“Was with Vet?” Behemoth asks, as he lowers his gun and walk to the group, after he had closed the door and melt the edges together, making it impossible to open the door.

“Yeah, why is he here and why he carries the princess in princess style?” Hawker remarked with a small grin, with a little envy at the caretaker, as he wanted to carry the princess.

“She needs medical treatment, but more importantly, she wants him to follow.”Everyone nods in agreement. No one question the will of her.

Mech was the one of take up the conversation again.“Vet, you go with the princess first through the portal. As you didn’t wear a MAS there will no problem with the mass. Still, I send Icy to accompany you and her. After you gone through, the portal will lose his stability for a moment. But it will stabilize in few seconds and after that, the rest of us goes in.” Mech explains, while a small orb ejects from him and fly over to Vet. It hovers a moment before him and the princess, as it seems to look for a good place before it makes its choice. As it had chosen it the orb shakes a bit, before fly closer to the princess. As it had come closer it shifts the shape and came to rest as a necklace around the princes's neck. She didn’t make a move, mostly because she was cold out.

“Vet one thing... Under no circumstances… NO CIRCUMSTANCES… Ever let go of her. Get that buddy?” Law speaks to Vet, giving him this order.

Vet’s chest filled with an unknown feeling… pride. He knew that if he survives and become old and look back at his life that this moment is the most important of his life. He saves an innocent from evil… Faust above him like that. “Don’t worry I don’t let her fall.” He assures everyone. “I swear by the mother Faust. Only over my dead body, I will let go of her.”

Hunter raise his rifle, repeat the bolt and load a new bullet. “Incoming.”

As this lonely word sounded the next stage of the escape plan comes in motion. Everybody goes to defense positions, facing the door, so that only Mech and Vet are still standing near the consoles at the portal. “Damn, nearly forgot to give it to you.” Mech said.

Vet didn’t look at him, as he looks at the other, but he turns around when he heard that Mech shuffles. “Forget what…?” he tries to ask, but one of the bionic arms of Mech grabs his head and tilde it so that it, so that Mech has easy access to his neck.

“That will hurt a tiny bit.” Came from Mech in his mechanical voice. And something starts to dig into Vet neck. It costs him all of his willpower not to scream or to let the princess fall, still he shears tears. Through watery eyes he shoots death glares at Mech, who simply look at a holoscreen appearing on his forearm. “Good, the implant is in and soon will link. Also, the vaccine starts to work and your body didn’t show any sign of rejection” He looks up and snickers at the death glares of Vet. “Come one. I only shot you the basic thing. Over there, get some rest and then you will understand.”

Just as Vet opens his mouth, probably to insult Mech, a ping sound and Mech quick push a bottom. The Portal, a giant metal ring vibrates brief and then he starts to spin and in his middle a ball of energy appears. As the Ring turns faster the ball warped and pull him the ring. As soon as the warped ball touches the ring it changed. He creates a dark blue and wavy surface, making it unable to make out any details. “Vet it’s go… go… go…” Mech shouts, urging him to go in.

Fast before he even knows it Vet ran towards the portal and run right into the portal. As soon as he hit the surface he feels strange. At first it feels like his hits water, but as soon as his body was engulfed something like electric powers starts to load him up, and then something starts to pull at his body and mind, but just after a timespan of what could have been a millennium or a brink of a second his world shift Vet and the princess were gone.

Outside the portal Mech had witness this. As soon as the presence of both vanished from the sensors of the portal, Mech cracks a smile and scream, “They are on way. 15 seconds before the next can go through.”

Law grips his halberd. Without looking around he scream his order. “Ok, hold out. Hawker you go next.” A roar comes from him, showing his approval. “Mech, you and Legion are the last to go through. Are you have already a farewell present ready?”

Mech grins. “Hell yeah, you are going to like it a lot.”

In few words, he explains it to Law, who starts to grin in a very scary smile. “Hell yeah” he repeats.

Outside of the Station Brigadier general Harker screams another order. “I don’t care that the Golf platoon is wiped out, send another platoon, better send them all at once.” He spat the orders into the face of his adjutants, along a good porting of spit. “Damn, I had said the higher ups. Don’t create these freaks, without a real control device in their head and a bomb in their chest. Because if they would do something like that, all I had to do is push the bottom and bang… there goes the problem.” He places his hands over his face. “God, this is a mess.”He mutters under his breath.

When he was dishonorably discharged out of the army when his superiors find out about his handling of females in his units (the rape and blackmail of nearly every one of them) he gets the job offer to become chief of the security unit of some remote research facility. At first, he wasn’t interested, but as they promised him not only a bigger payment than the army but also that they give him free hand in handling, every situation and for him, more importantly, the females in the facility, he didn’t wait any longer and accept the offer.

At first it had been a nice job. The money was nice and so the females. Some were fast broken, while some resist a bit longer. The job would be the best job he ever had, but he had learned that every paradise had its own devil. This damn band of freaks.

Harker had already said, that they are too free minded and that they need some restraints to keep them in line. If the lash was too long, shit like this could happen, but his concerns were pushed aside, as the risks of damaging the goods was too high. And what he has now. The entire band has rebelled and taken the freaking thing, this … pony … with them. They had already killed the half personal of the base. “How, how in the fuck are they able to kill so much. Who taught it would be a good idea to give them weapons? The higher ups will be pissed.” He thought about the current situation.

At another place in the Facility, a Second Lieutenant Adarma Jeffers was… nervous. At the moment, he was Leader of Hotel… to name it better he was the field-promoted leader of what is left of the Hotel-platoon. At the morning, Hotel had been a normal full platoon, out of four squads made out of eleven soldiers (six soldiers, 2 medics, one heavy weapon duo and one officer), but since the beginning of this nightmare their numbers had to dwell and since the last attack two-third of the platoon, along all superior officers are dead, leaving 2nd Lieutenant Jeffers with a platoon, with 13 persons (Himself, one medic and only soldiers as rest.) “Ok, guys. Their fire seems to fade. Now it’s time to attack. Let’s round these bastards up and then we go to athe party and celebrate our victory. “He raises his gun, trying to motivate his comrades, but failing so… still, they follow his move and tighten their hold on their weapons. “And go,” Jeffers scream and run towards the hole, which had been the door, but right now it was reduced to scraps, as multiple charges tore it down.

But now something was different with this attack.

... No counter-fire. So, in no time Hotel was inside, standing on the corpses of their dead comrades from prior attacks. And what was more shocking…

“What do you mean, there is no one?” scream Brigadier General Harker in his com. “Where da fuck are they?”

Jeffers hold the com unit a bit farer from his face, as Harker nearly deaf him. “What I just said, sir. They are all gone. No bodies, no traps and not even one of the Mech toys.”

Harker couldn’t believe it. He sprints out of his command tent, and in a couple of minutes arrive at the Station. Hotel platoon was now supported India and Juliet platoon, securing the Hall. “Jeffers…” Harker scream “I want answers right now.”

Jeffers steps beside him. “Sir, some techs from Juliet had analysed the portal. They had used it to escape to a currently unknown position.”

Harker turns around and nearly fall down on his face, because of his spin he lost his balance. After a moment he had catches himself, preventing him to make a foul out of him. But as soon as he gains his grounds he starts to scream again. “What are you waiting for? A parade, a paycheck, a fucking whore sucking your dick? Collect the fucking troops, activate the double fucking portal and the third fucking and damn follow them.”

A technician comes by nearby. “Sir, we already tried to power up the portal, but something is wrong with it… it seems to drag more energy than normal, also it seems that the energy matrix has some sort of swings in it… I would wait until we have fix that… we could a proper test in about 3 or 4 weeks…”

Before he said more Harker had raised his fist and beat him down. Then he walks over wounded technician at the ground over to the portal. At the control console, Harker starts to pushes the bottom. “Bullshit, we go now after them.” The portal starts again to build up, but instead of vibrating only a brief time it didn’t stop to vibrate. Harker didn’t give a damn about it, the Portal get hit by some grazes so that it didn’t work smoothly is normal. But the orb of energy which normally generates was red rather than blue.

Some of the tech start screaming. “Stop the portal, you will kill us all.” even one runs away. Harker pull out his gun and try to shut him down, but stopped as he looks at the portal. The Orb didn’t get pulled the ring. The orbs stay as a ball shape, but now it starts to grow, while it warps into a spike ball.

“What is going on…” Harker scream but the portal answers instead.

The ball shifted one last time and then return into the form of a perfect ball. In this form, it remains still for what feels like an eternity, but was really only a second. Then it explodes.

Brigadier General Harker, Lieutenant Jeffers, the remnants of Hotel, India and Juliet, died in the first second. Then in the next second the facility was vaporized and after a third second everything in a radius of 40 miles was vaporized.

Author's Note

So first try to write an MLP FF. Please make a comment. It helps me to improve, also I want to hear your opinion.

The MAS looks like the Exo Suits from the Game The Surge. So normally they leave parts uncovered, but the MAS of the Band were more advanced and enhanced, so they are more like full-body armor, as their pilots must survived in more dangerous situations ( Hint Pyro has a flamethrower, would be a bad if he feels the heat on raw skin)

Beginning Arc Chapter 2 Utter Terror

Celestia absorbs this answer, before speaking again. “Well, hope you have luck. But Twilight starts to wake up right now, so if you want to be here, come quickly.”

Celestia cuts of the connection, but Luna seem wanting to add something. “WHAT? NO TIA, DON’T…” but the rest of her answer was cut off.

Luna stood still for a moment. She couldn’t believe it. Her sister had cut her off. “What…?”, she just stares in the regal of the library.

Then after a second, which felled like an eternity, the realization came. “Dear Mother above.” She turns away from the regal and darted to the door of the library. She uses her magic and push the door open.

Because of the sheer force behind it, she didn’t simply open it… she ripped the door out of the hinges. The guards beside the door, two batponies called Vlad and Tepes, were forced to jump out of the way. They were shocked for a moment, but then their training returned. They readied their weapon and point it to the threat, just to realize that there isn’t an enemy but the startled alicorn of the moon.

“Princess, are you alright?” Vlad asks her.

Luna didn’t answer. As she had passed the remnant of the door, she had realized that she nearly wounded her own guards, so takes a moment to make sure she didn’t hurt them. “Vlad, Tepes. I’m sorry for nearly smashing you both.” She says between ragged breaths.

Tepes waves with his free hoof. “No problem. We are trained to be quick on the hooves, so if you had hit us, we would have deserved it.” This small joke on their cost, makes Luna smiling.

But only for a moment. Then she had remembered why she was in such a hurry. “With me. We must hurry to the infirmary.” Her smiling fall and was replaced by a face filled with dread.

Vlad and Tepes gulps at this sight. The wondered what could startled her, but again their training override their thoughts. Both straighten and grab their weapon. “Princess.” They both said simulate.

Better, their mouths moved, but no sound leaves their mouths. For the split of a second Luna was confused, but then she feels an enormous amount of raw magic in the air.

The magic rushes through the corridor. And everything that was touched by the magic get blown away. Artworks, Armors, bouquets in the hall were thrown by the blast. They get ripped, smashed or simply thrown through walls… And the magic wave didn’t spare the unlucky guards and the alicorn in the corridor.

Vlad and Tepes’s eyes were filled by pure terror, as the magic hit them. They both started their mute screaming, as the magic start to pull on them.

Fearing for the worst Luna quickly acts. She lungs herself to the guards. As soon as they were in her reach, she embraces herself and them in a shield. As the bubble had closed around the three sounds returned. The air in the shield was filled with the sounds of wind rushing and the two guards screaming out of their lungs. Luna did her part to the chaotic orchestra, as she joined her guards in the screaming.

They all scream until they hit a wall at the end of the corridor. The shield spell holds for a moment and so deaccelerate them that the impact didn’t kill them instantly. Still the remaining force was enough. The moment the shield broke and all three receive the force of the impact, they all black out. Luna was able to prolong the black out for a second longer than her guards and so could only think one thing. “I had failed.” Then she lost herself in the darkness.

Luna couldn’t say how long she was out, but she after a while she starts to reawaken. The hearing came before everything else. “Damned… Just wake up… “A voice said.

“Huh” was all Luna could make as sound.

That seem enough for a start, as the voice starts to speak again, clearer than before. “Good… good… Try to look into the light…Don’t fear the light.” The voice lures her.

Luna was confused. “Which light?”, she thought, but asking this question was an impossible task. Instead of words only a weak moan escapes her maw.

Suddenly the sound of a hoof hitting hard on flesh rings through the air. “DAMMED… COULD YOU ALL STOP HITTING ME. I’M NOT A ****ING PUNCHING BAG.” The voice bellows.

“Then stop waggle with the little lamp in her face.” A female voice said in a tone of clear annoyance and distrust.

The sudden outburst allowed Luna to regain her conscious more. She recognizes the female voice as the voice of Midnight. The other voice was male. So, Luna collect her power and finally managed to move a part of her body. She opens her eyes.

At first, she was dazzled, as a light shine direct into it, but only for a second before it was pointed at another point. This time outside her field of vision. The first glances were blurred. Something easy corrected by a few blinks.

They proved her right. Luna sees that there was Midnight in the corridor. The bat pony stands near a unicorn stallion and points with her hoof at him. Her face shows her clear distrust. The stallion shows the annoyance, while he rubs on hoof at his shoulder.

Luna was unsure, from where she knows the stallion. But after the next sentence, it became clear for her.

“Should have left you in my place in the cell. I can do without your violent streak.”

This sentence, along with his appearance, as a white unicorn with a yellow mane, made the recognizing clear. It was the prisoner, who had carried Twilight out of the portal.

Midnight and the stallion continues to exchange insults, in the meantime was Luna able to get on her hooves. As soon as she stands on all four, although where unstable, she coughs and catches so the attention of both.

“Your Highness.” Midnight wasted no time and rushed to her side, in trying to support her. The stallion simply looks at them. Midnight puts her body under Luna and so pushes her up.

As Luna stands on her hooves, Midnight doesn’t leave her. Luna was grateful for that, as she was still weak. “Midnight, thank you for the support.”

Midnight smiles at her. “Not worth to mention. Princess.”

Luna opens her mouth to say something, but she was interrupted by the sound of painful moaning. Midnight and her moved their heads so fast in the direction of the moans, that they both nearly causes themselves a concussion.

The Stallion stands beside the mauled bodies of Vlad and Tepes. He moves his hooves of their bodies, for what purpose Luna didn’t see.

Luckily Midnight asks him for her, but also unfortunately Midnight asks him… in a not so friendly tone. “Get your damn hooves from them… scoundrel.”

The Stallion snorts. “While you must do kiss-eyes from that big assed royal over there, I was forced to witness that and for my sake, instead of waiting for the kiss between. I have made myself useful.” He waves his hooves at both bat ponies. “Looked after them both, besides a concussion they will heal up. But I would hurry up. They only will live longer if they get a real medical treatment”

This eased Luna a bit and she finally asks the stallion herself. “How do you know that? Have you already scanned them?”

The stallion tilts his head, while showing a frown on his face. “No, but I have medical education.” He waves his hoof. “But besides that. I know what happened and before I’m forced to dig the really deep hole for the bodies, I would defuse the delicate bomb in the medical wing of this damned castle. So, it would be nice if you get your royal ass, get up and show me the damn fucking way.”

“Watch your tongue scoundrel.” Midnight raises the one hoof she could spare at him. “Don’t dare to speak in that manner to the princess.”

The stallion walks towards them, before he stops a few feet away. “First of, I won’t watch my language, I love swearing. Second, we are in a delicate situation, moments before the moment shit hits the fan. But most importantly, I’m not called scoundrel… I’m called Vet. “He puts some venom in his voice. “So, use it… batsy.” He mocks her.

Midnight leave her side and walks to him, so that their snots are nearly touching. “DON’T CALL ME BATSY.”

Luna was a bit fascinated by their bickering. She wanted to see more but more important matter where on the hoof. “Well, before you both start to murder each other.” She takes a deep breath. “To the royal infirmary it’s this way.” She starts to walk and soon both follow her.

Midnight and the Stallion followed. As soon as they had walked a bit Luna couldn’t resist to ask. “Dear … Vet is that right?” she asks, only to get a grunt from him. “Okay…” She was for a moment at loss of words before she continues. “Well you released you from your cell?”

Vet snorted. “Funny thing. The group of colorful ponies along with the big assed one where in my cell, where I was chained to the wall. We talked, and suddenly realized that my patient wasn’t with me. Then they walked away, ignoring my demands for an answer and my warnings. Batsy over there...” He pointed at Midnight, who look at him with killing intent.” … stayed for a moment. She listens to me, then started to leave, but demanded to tighten the security. But just as she was in the door out, shit had hit the fan.”

Luna looks at Midnight. She shrugged her shoulder. “Well so far had sums it up very good. Although I wouldn’t use the phrase he used to describe what happen next.”

The moon alicorn nod with her head. “But how came he out and why are both already up?”

Vet snorts, making Luna look at him again. “Well yeah… in the moment the eruption had happened the guards had open the cell door. The moment the wave hit our dear batsy, she was send flying. Good for her the cell door where already open. Bad for me, I was in her flight path. She was thrown against me and then we both get thrown against the wall. She was simply shocked. But she was the only so far able to quickly recover. I had already open my chains. Out of a moment of weakness I had taken her with me, probably to get directions to the infirmary. She was shocked for a few seconds, then she recovered and run beside me until we found you. I’m a bit impressed how she could recover so fast. “He looks at her. “Shame that the other guards are such a wimp.”

Midnight growls. “Don’t make me stab you.”

Vet simply shrugs with his shoulder. “Don’t fear you. I have worked with far freighting persons. Also, I know what will happen if my patient fully lose control. So first taking care of her… then you can come and try to stab me.”

Midnight continue to growl but only for a moment. “What do you mean your patient? And also … fully control? By the moon. What happen even in the first place?”

But another wave, this time only a small one erupted. It cuts through the air, given them all only a chill down their spine. So, Vet starts to run, instead of wasting his breath for an answer. Midnight and Luna followed in his pursuit.

Both had little problem to follow him. He may set up a fast pace, but he seems to have problems with his legs. Every time he tried to cut a corner he lost his grip and overshot into a wall… and every time he curses. The most used phrase

Was “too many damn legs”.

In what could be only a few moments, the group arrived in the corridor before the infirmary. The sight of it was a shock. All Inhabitants in the room, Princess Celestia, The Mane6 and the dragon Spike, as well as guards and medical personal lay in the hall, some are even stuck in the walls, all around them are black crystals.

The crystals had such a deep black, it remained Luna of the Eternal Night, which her dark Alter Ego wanted to unleash, or the crystals of the Fallen Unicorn King Sombra.

The crystals seem to suck out the light from their surroundings. In an interval of seconds, a purple light emitted from them, given the illusion that the crystals are alive.

Everything simply scream that they are unholy, still Luna and Midnight were relieved when they see that no was pierced on a crystal. They heard a moan and then realized that Vet walked already near the others.

He didn’t stop at the sight of the crystal and already start to check them. “Well some are totally out of the game for the next two or four days, maybe a week, but besides broken bones, few cuts and possible concussions, everybody is fine.”

Midnight seem to start another bickering round with him, but Luna did pay any energy for them as she spots the fallen form of her sister and rushes to her side.

“Sister are you alright?” She asks with worry in her voice.

“Uhh…Lulu…” came weak from the sun alicorn. “Are you that?”

Luna hug her sister. “Yes, it’s me. I’m so glad you are ok.” She put effort in the hug, and so Celestia starts to groan and so Luna only tighten her hug more.

“Not wanting to be the one who point it out… but if think if you tighten your grip, your sister need a undertaker instead a caretaker.” Vet stands beside the moon alicorn and touch her shoulder.

The sentence and his touch were enough and so Luna break out and release her sister, after she had seen that her sister starts to run blue. “Upps… Sorry.”

Celestia coughs a few times and then takes a big breath. She looks at her sister. “Luna… you are here…” she let her glance wander and spot Midnight. “Your captain is here too…” and with open mouth her head fast turn around and look at the prisoner. “You…” she points her hoof in an accusation. “How and why are you here...?”

Vet licks with his tongue over his lips, then he clicks his tongue. “Well first, good old batsy over there” he pointed at Midnight “… had stayed a little longer than you all so she gets my threats. She ordered the guards to tighten my chains, but in the moment, they opened the cell door the blast hit she was thrown into my cell. Freed myself and take her with me, then we found your sister… “He stops his tell. “So, for the second question why I’m here. Look around the entire scene…” He moves his right hoof and wave it around.

Celestia was shocked by the pure madness. How the entire corridor was filled with the unholy crystals, how the ponies are laying around, how the entire air seems to be tainted.

“Are they all dead?” she asked him, but a moan emits. Slow by steady the Mane6 and Spike start to get up, still the others seem to be out.

“No… and don’t interrupt me further.” Vet barks at her. “But to answer, no one is dead … yet.”

This seem like a shock so ever pony looks at him. “WHAT?” came as unison answer from two alicorns, the bearer, the dragon and the captain from the night guard.

Vet waited a moment. “This entire thing… I said it. Wake her up without me … THIS WOULD HAPPEN! IF YOU HAD LISTEN THIS ALL WOULDN’T HAPPENED: NO ONE WOULD BE HURT, NO DESTRUCTION…” he screams at them. He short interrupts himself to catch a new breath before he continues to scream. “… and more importantly… TWILIGHT WOULDN’T BE IN PAIN!”

“Now fellow, get your voice down and explain yourself.” Applejack was the one to ask the question, while she points her orange hoof at him. She probably wants to threaten him, but he ignores her outstretch hoof.

“Let me ask something first. She was asleep when she was in the hand, hooves, whatever… of the doctors. They spot something in her blood. They washed it out somehow and she started signs of waking up. You all happily stand at her bed as she opens eyes and then the entire thing had gone down the gutter…RIGHT?” he asks them.

They were all silent for a moment, letting the said sinking in. Then it was Rainbow Dash who answers. “Well yeah… Maybe…So, what now?”

Vet slap his hoof to his face. He let it stay there for a moment before he released a breath through his teeth’s, it sounded like grinding a stone. “Well we are short on time, so in short. The drug inside her blood was a medicine, to sleep her sleep for a long time in a dreamless sleep.” He lowers his hoof. They all see his serious face. “She was in a very worse state. I had given her some medicine to at last patch her up, side effect it puts a stroll at her body.”

He raises the hoof again, cutting a questions short. “Before you ask, yes that was dangerous, but we had to get her really fast out, because she had only three options, … definitely dying there, maybe dying on the way out, or maybe surviving until we reach her home. So, in she had get the drugs.”

He waves his hoof around to scene around. “The dangerous thing about the special cocktail she had, that if someone…” The glare he sends to every pony could have melt stones “didn’t follow the right procedure or worst case simply make a cold detoxification, like you all did…” he clicks with his tongue.

“She wakes up, but instead of her normal consciousness, it forced her inner side out. “He starts to turn around and start to walk towards the remnants of the door to infirmary.

“ And you don’t want her inner side out.” He ominous state, while casual walk.

Rapid Step was already up. “What. Stop right their prisoner. Stop your evil work.” He had been laying at the other side of the corridor, so when he had awakened he hadn’t heard anything from Vet. The guard only saw a picture straight out a nightmare and then he spots the prisoner free and walking towards to the center of the disaster. So, his training kicks in and he jumped up. He rushes towards Vet and so he walked in front of the gaping hole, which had been the door.

He screams a war cry, completely ignoring the pleas of the princesses. The prisoner looked a bit surprised and Rapid allowed himself to grin.

BANG…

Then a bang echoed and midair he blacked out.

All ponies fall back to the ground as soon as they heard it. Vet simply stood still and looked at the body of the guard to his hooves. He turns his head and bellows into the infirmary. “Nice shot. He is out.” Over his shoulder he hollers to the other. It’s better you stay back.

Then he suddenly run in.

Another BANG sounded, but instead of another body falling to the ground, a little bling sounded, as something small ricochet around.

Vet was calm, despite being shot at. “Icy. It’s me. No need to send me down.” A small beep sounded and a small construct flies towards him. It looks like a flying cube with two small cylinders at the sides with another on them. It looked like a toy but Vet know what the construct could do.

It beeped again, before flying back to its old position. Vet was relieved that Icy was still able to sense him. “Getting shot by its bullet, may only deaden someone, still it fucking hurt.” He thought to himself.

With small but steady steps, he walks on his hooves to the center. It was hard for him to see what was there. It gives him memories of the only time it happened before… something he wanted to never witness before.

“Well the universe is full with cruelty and uncaring, so why should I had thought it will fulfil my wish.” He thought with bitterness in his head.

He looked at an awful scene. A fairy tale castle in partly in ruins, the white and marvelous wall, burned and cracked, all around are the black demon crystal pulsing in the unholy, demonic heartbeat, and the center of it lays on the remains, what could have been a bed. “A real bed, with a soft mattress”.

On said bed lay the body of a pony in what he could describe as fetus position. The lavender colored pony slowly wipes herself, while she mumbles something so quietly no one couldn’t make out, but Vet had an idea what I could be. “…No more pain… please no more pain please…” he whispers.

The pony, the alicorn princess suddenly stopped her wiping. Slowly and stagnating she raised her head. Her mane was a mess, as it points in every direction possible and her eyes were in no better state. There were bloodshot and hectically jump around, as they try to look at every point in the same time.

“Vet?” she asks in a quiet shaking voice. “Are you that?”

Vet cowers at her side. “Yeah it’s me.” He starts to smile

“How… how can you look like a pony.” Her eyes start to fill with fear. “It’s a trick… It’s a trick. Vet can’t be a pony…” She starts to tremble.

Vet realize that she starts to panic. He knows what could happen if she panics. So, he talked to distract her. “Sparks, it’s me. Vet. Remember the last time we talked about. I tell which stars I could see and about the Red Moon… What he means?”

She nods with her a in stuttering motion. “Yeah. So… if you a Vet… how are you a pony? Is it a trick?”

Vet shrugs with his shoulder. “It’s not a trick… I’m a pony, because I had carried you while we had fled to your home.”

Twilight stops to tremble and stare with open mouth at him. “Home?”

“Yeah Sparks, we got you to your home.”

She gulps. “H…How…?” she asks with unsteady voice.

“They had come. Your knights had come. They had killed the staff, break through to you and I help them to get you out. We had taken you from your cell to the portal. We used it to come to your home. We get you back, you are in Equestria.”

Twilight stood still. “I’m home?” Vet nods. “Really home?” Again, Vet nods. “No test, no more examinations?” Vet nod for a third time.

She remains still for a moment longer, then she suddenly moved. She propelled herself from the bed to Vet and cling herself around him. Her hooves reach around his barrel and she buries her head in his neck and mane… then she started to cry and the tears flow in streams.

Slowly Vet lowers himself on the ground and allow her to cry on his shoulder. Meanwhile the crystal starts to crack and collapse into dust, before been blown away.

As soon as the last bit of the crystals are gone the princesses, the elements and Spike slowly start to enter the infirmary. They were shocked at the sight. With the crystals gone the infirmary didn’t look as threating as before, still the sight of Twilight awake and crying into the coat of the unknown stallion called Vet, disturbed them all.

Someone of them coughs and so Vet notice their presence. “Well… I think now I have a lot to explain.”

Author's Note

So yeah new chapter...

Hope you like it.

Please R&R helps me a lot