Recap.

After the adventure through the mirror, Celestia and I sat down and talked about starting a relationship together and eventually, her joining the herd. When I told her I talked with Jackie and Lulu about our night together and how they were fine with it, she felt both hysterical and relieved at the same time. She still wanted to wait, but the wait time had shortened significantly. She also wanted our newfound relationship to be just between her, Jackie, Lulu, and me until we felt comfortable with it. After giving each other a goodbye kiss, I returned to find the girls looking over their new thrones in the center room of Twilight's castle.

Which is where we head to now.

"Wow! Mom, you finally have a throne to show that you're a princess!" Scootaloo told Jackie while sitting on a throne with three apples on the backrest of the throne.

"Your mother was always a princess to me," I said while coming up behind Jackie and giving her cheek a kiss. "Throne or otherwise."

"Aww, you always know just what to say," Jackie told me while returning the kiss.

"Always." I then looked to all the chairs and the girls and thought of something. "Hey, why don't you all take a seat on your thrones, and I'll take a picture to commemorate the occasion."

"Woohoo! Picture time!" Pinkie said while hopping over to her seat.

"It would be nice to hang a picture on the walls, it'll help with the decorating," Twilight said from her throne while Spike went to his that sat next to hers.

"Make sure to get my good side, darling." Rarity told me while fixing her hair.

"I'll be sure to do that," I told her while Shy, Dash, and Jackie got on their thrones as well and smiled towards me. I took a few steps back and readied the camera. After getting the angle just right, I took the picture. Once the flash went off, the floor in the middle of the chairs began to shift and move up. "The hell?" As the crystal reached the height of the armrests, it stretched and thinned out to make a large round table. "Well, that's a nice feature," I said while looking over the table.

We all took a look at the table and saw it was smooth and had a reflective surface. "Ooh! I can see myself. Hi, Me!" Pinkie said while waving at her reflection.

"Oh my, such a beautiful table. A fine centerpiece to go with our thrones," Rarity said while admiring the new table.

Twilight went around the table, examining it with a quill and notepad. She then pauses at the side of the table facing the door. "Hey, this looks like the keyhole from the box the tree of harmony sprouted," Twilight said while pointing at a keyhole in the table.

"Really? Let me see." I walked around to where Twilight stood and saw that there was indeed a keyhole, just like the one from the box, embedded into the rim of the table. "I'll be damned. Another keyhole." I brought out my key and held it next to the keyhole. "Let's see what happens." With determination and a touch of caution, I placed the key into the slot, gave it a turn, and pushed it into the table.

Soon, the table glowed a bright rainbow aura before the crystal surface was replaced with the image of a starry void. A second later the image of Ygdrassil projected itself above the table, leaving all of us in awe. "Oh my. Is that...Ygdrassil?" Luna asked out of curiosity.

"Sure is, dear," I told Luna while pointing out the different realms to her and the rest of the girls. "At the top, there is Asgard, home to the Aesir gods and where the worthy dead go to Valhalla." I then brought Luna into a hug. "I also met yours and Tia's father." That surprised Lulu a little. "He told me to tell you that he loves and misses you and that you're welcome to visit him anytime."

A tear escaped Luna's eye after hearing that. "Thank you, dear." She kissed my cheek before looking at the place of her birth.

"Hey, is that us?" Pinkie pointed over to one of the branches that held Equestria, and it was blinking. "Oh! It's blinking. Does that mean we get to party?"

"Maybe later, Pinks. Let's see what happens if we...take a look." I went and tapped on Equestria, and the whole thing zoomed in and laid itself over the table, making a map of Equestria with the tree-castle as the center of it. "Well, that's neat."

"No kidding! Look at this thing, it's amazing!" Spike said while walking atop the table.

"Hey, there's my family farm!" Pinkie said while leaning down on the map where an image of her family's rock farm is. "Hi, mom and dad!" She called before Spike stepped on it.

Soon, all the girl's cutie marks started to shine and a projection of their marks leaped off their asses and started hovering over the map, before moving to a remote spot near a mountain and gultch. "Oh~. That left a little tingle." Jackie said while feeling her ass.

"Hmm, maybe I should make it tingle a little more then?" I said while grabbing her flank and squeezing it.

"Not now darling. We gotta figure this out," She slapped my hand away with her hoof but still smirked at me, telling me that we'll continue this later. "So, what do you reckon this is, Twilight?"

"I'm not sure. But, whatever it is, I think we should at least start by following this map to where our cutie marks are leading us," She said while pointing over to where the map led.

"That sounds like a great plan. You want me to join you?" I asked while getting my shield out.

Luna put her hoof on my back. "I think we should let them handle it, dear. It's most likely a test for them, and if you were meant to go, the map would've said so." She rationalized while patting me.

"I guess you're right. Maybe I'll just fool around with this table, see what I can-" My thoughts were derailed when the map went back to Yggdrasil. My eye caught sight of one particular realm, Jotunheim. "You know something, I think I might go there."

"Isn't that the home of the giants, the sworn enemy of the Aesir, which you're now a part of?" Twilight said while pointing toward the realm.

"The very same. However, there are a few allies in that realm that I wish to meet. I just wonder how it works?" I asked while pointing to the floating realm. Once my finger touched the realm, a beam hit the table and it glowed a bright blue. Remembering my time in Asgard, I went back over to the key and plunged it into the table. Once the key was further in the table, the blue light shot from the table and towards the other end of the room, creating a doorway. "Oh hell yeah!" I grabbed the key from the table and ran forward and was about to open the door, but I was stopped by a lasso and midnight blue aura.

"Hold it there, darling," Jackie said with her rope in her mouth.

"We know you're eager for an adventure, but we need you to promise us that you'll be back soon, an hour at the most," Luna told me while giving me that pleading look that also said she had my nuts under her hoof if I didn't listen.

I gave them both a smile and nodded their way. "You have my word. I'll be over there an hour, two hours tops, and be back. You have my word as a god, but more importantly, you have my word as your husband." My assurance seemed to make them happy and they brought me into a hug. After a minute, we separated and I gave them both a kiss. "I'll be back soon."

"We know, dear," Jackie told me before I turned around and went toward the door leading to Jotunheim. Before I opened the door, I looked back and gave everyone in the room a nod before going through the door.

Two hours later.

I ran through the portal, back into the map room of Twilight's castle, covered in ice and giant's blood. "Fuck! That place was colder than a witch's titty!" No sooner had I said that I was tackled by Jackie than she started throttling me.

"You bastard! You left me and our friends to be held up in that crazy town for three days! And you still didn't show up for four days!" She yelled at me while beating me while I lay on the floor and wondered what she was talking about.

"Jackie! What are you talking about!? I was only gone two hours, and I was running from a pissed-off giant the size of a mountain!" I tried to explain through the beatings.

"Two hours!?" I looked to my right and saw Luna walk in, she was equally pissed if not more so. "You were gone for a whole week! We could've used your help to free our friends as well as our wife! Now, the perpetrator is gone to we do not know where!" She yelled in my ear after stomping over at my side.

Having enough and wanting answers, I wrapped my arms around the two of them and shushed them while rubbing their backs with my wings. "Shhhh. Shhh...I'm sorry. I didn't know that I was gone for soo long. I guess it works a bit like Alfheim but in the reverse. I should've thought of that before I left and I'm truly sorry for that. Please, forgive me." I pleaded toward the loves of my life, hoping to be forgiven.

Tears streaked down both their eyes before they both squeezed me and nuzzled along my neck. "I'm sorry for yelling at you darling. We didn't know time worked differently over there," Jackie said while nuzzling me.

"And I'm sure that if you had known, you would've let us know, or not gone at all," Luna said while peppering my neck with kisses.

"I'm sorry. I'll make sure not to do anything like that again." I kissed both their foreheads before we let each other go. "So. Wanna fill me in on what I missed?"

Two days later.

I found myself in Twilight's castle, looking to see where Swagger and Spike were, seeing if they would be up to watch the game with a few cold ones. After searching for them in the kitchen, I found myself in the map room again. When I didn't see either of them, I was about to go back, but then my eye caught sight of the table again. "Oooh, those two are gonna kill me for this," I told myself while stepping closer to the table. After remembering the adventure I had not too long ago, I felt myself reaching for my key to the Bifrost. "Screw it. Just a quick trip somewhere with a regular timeline, and I'm back by dinner."

I took my key and plunged the key into the keyhole and activated Yggdrasil. After looking over the world for a solid minute, I started eyeing the wood of the great tree. "I wonder." I touched the trunk of Yggdrasil, not really expecting anything to happen. But it did, the light shone on the table and I pushed the key in further, opening the door to the realms. As I took the key and stepped through, I found myself standing on the wood of Yggdrasil, with all the realms above, below, and to the sides of me. "Holy shit! This is amazing!"

As I walked along the tree, I looked out beyond the tree and saw a sea of bubbles containing an assortment of stars and swirling nebulas in a vast ocean of blackness. " This must be the void, but what the hell are all those bubbles?" As I kept staring at the bubbles, I saw a floating mass of land that just felt like it didn't quite belong. " Well, what do we have here?" Not wanting to lose my way, I placed a magical beacon on the tree and made my way over.

As I kept flying over to the floating rock, I would see that it would get bigger the closer I got. As I got closer, I started to notice that it had many different biomes and structures just scattered around the whole thing. " Man, whoever designed this needs to go back to the drawing board." I finally made contact with the floating rock and started looking around. Well, ain't this something."

As I kept looking around, I started to notice something weird. The buildings that looked like they belonged a couple of thousand years ago, looked like they had only been built a week ago, and some structures that I thought would fit well into the future, looked run-down and old. " That certainly is strange," I said to no one while looking at a vending machine that was nearly covered in rust.

As I kept exploring, I found various objects that looked like they belonged in a museum but were littered about like common trash. "Oh, wow." I leaned down and picked up a vinyl copy of Led Zepplin. "This is going in my collection," I said while putting the album in my bag. As I kept looking around, I came across a rocky hill below what looked like a medieval guard tower.

As I kept looking around on the hill, I started to feel the presence of another. "What the hell?"

"You!" I turned around in time to see a winged human jump down from the guard tower with his sword pointed right at me.

"What the fuck!?" I flew back just as the guy almost impaled me. "What the hell man?" The guy rises from his landing and I was able to get a better look at him. Like me, he had a pair of wings, but they were very different from any pair of wings I've seen. The top half had feathers while the bottom half was webbed like a bat. His hair was black with a white stripe going through. Emo. He looked at me with murderous intent. "Alright look, if this is your place, that's fine, I'll just head on back to what are you doing!?" The guy didn't seem interested in talking, so he decided to try to slice and dice me.

"Don't think you can talk your way out of judgment!" He told me while trying to hit me with an upwards slash from his sword.

" What judgment? What the hell did I ever do to you? If it happened in a bar, then I'm sure we can work something out." I tried to tell him while blocking a few of his strikes with my shield.

" Don't play with me fallen one. You'll pay for what you did to my people." I blocked his strike but then he boots me in the chest, sending me into what might've been a tavern at one point.

Seeing that words weren't getting me anywhere, I decided to use violence. " Alright pal, now you're starting to piss me off!" I unsheathed Frostbite and activated the frost runes. While the guy charged at me, hoping to take a limb off me, I planted the ax head in the ground, surrounding it with ice. Not being prepared for ice-skating, the guy started sliding, trying to keep his balance, right to me. As soon as he was close enough, I slammed the edge of my shield right into his left temple with a backhand. With him on the ground with a little blood coming out of his head, I held him down with my boot, held the ax blade under his throat, and wolfed out to make my point very clear. " Now, as I see it you got two options. Explain why you attacked me, or beg for your life. The choice is yours."

"Me, beg? Not even in your dreams you bastard," He declared before he snapped his fingers and he was beside me. While I was recovering from his sudden change of location he grabbed the fur at the top of my head before he threw me into what was once the bar of this place. I heard the sound of several smashing bottles and splintering wood before it went silent while a cloud of dust surrounded the once bar obscuring my vision of the guy who was kicking my ass.

While sitting up, I grabbed one of the smashed bottles and took a look at the label. "What a waste," I said while tossing the broken bottle.

"Just so you know pal, that trick of yours, changing your appearance to throw me off, you're gonna have to come up with something a little more impressive than that," I heard him say through the dust.

"Impressive? Alright. I'll show this motherfucker impressive," I launched my ax into the dust where I heard him speak and charged after my weapon. When I cleared the dust, I saw him deflect my ax with his sword, giving me the chance to grab around his waist and charge us through the wall of the tavern and back outside where I threw him like a piece of trash. As my ax returned to my hand, the guy used his wings to right himself into a fighting stance. I swung my ax to take his head, but he pulled a Neo and leaned back while propping himself with his wings, giving him the opportunity to kick me in the chest and jaw, sending me back away.

"You fallen angels disgust me even though you slaughtered my family and my people you won't be satisfied till you see the job done won't you," He spat while he levitated his sword back to his hand.

"Fallen Angel? I'm a fucking werewolf!" I activated the runes on my ax, coating it with a layer of dry ice, and charged at him. I made to chop his head in two, but he blocked it with a heater shield that he had on his back.

With my ax blocked, he took his sword and impaled me right through my gut. Chalk it up to things that are able to hurt me I guess. "Now, join your fallen brethren in hell!" Instead of slumping over and coughing up blood, I grabbed his sword hand and brought him closer. "What? How are you not dying?"

"Because like I said, I'm not a fallen angel and I'm more than just a werewolf. The All-father has named me the Equestrian god of war as well as its guardian." His eyes began to widen at the mention of Equestria and me being a god. "So this little toy of yours," I made him pull the blade out and my wound healed within seconds, surprising my attacker. "is only a minor inconvenience."

Instead of attacking again, he seemed to be in deep thought over what I had said. After a minute, he took two steps back and sheathed his sword on his back. "Okay, so you're not a fallen angel my bad I screwed up there however in my defense I only know of one type of humanoid creature with wings like yours," He said as he folded his arms over his chest.

"If you're referring to the color, then I guess I can see where you're coming from. Damn, that sounded racist." I turned back to my original form and sheathed my ax. "Care to start again over some drinks? I think that bar still had some bottles that didn't get smashed."

"Fine by me." The guy follows me into the bar and we're able to find a bottle of scotch and two fairly clean glasses. I poured him and me a glass and he raised his glass for a toast. "Here's to a horrible mistake that didn't escalate further."

Skald!" We threw back our drinks and filled them again.

After downing the second shot, the guy actually asks questions instead of swinging his sword in my face. "So, who and what are you?"

"Glad to see we're using our words this time. My name is Joe Huffstutler and as I mentioned before, I am a werewolf, though due to an encounter with the elements of harmony, I also have the powers of an alicorn. I'm the king of Herot, prince of Equestria, as well as its god of war and protector, though the last two titles were recently given to me, like two weeks ago recently. Though I'm something greater than all those titles combined."

"Really, and what would that be?"

"A husband to the loves of my life, Jackie and Luna, and father to three wonderful children, Jack, Orion, and Scootaloo." I took another shot before inquiring about him. "Alright, your turn. Who and what are you? And since you keep mentioning it, who were your people?"

He let a deep sigh before slumping in his chair. "Where do you even start with me?" He asked before taking another sip of his scotch. "Well, I have a lot of titles. The first was Prince of Aephoceria then Captain of the Hyrule Guard, Lieutenant in the Dunwall City Watch, Member of the Three Hundred of Thermopylae, Captain of the Wolf Raiders, Frost Bringer, Dead Caller, Warden, Lord Warden, The Silent Sentinel, Private in the Australian Tunnellers during World War One, Corporal in World War Two, Sergeant in Vietnam, Knight of Freedom, Father, King of Equestria, Husband, God of Balance, Hand of The Reaper, Harbinger of Conquest there are a bunch of other tittles that I couldn't remember off the top of my head but if you wish to address my name it's Ash Blade my people were kind and peaceful during our time when the world was still young and wonder and adventure was in abundance we were called the Demonic Angels children of both Angels and Demons...but that ended when the Angels and Demons who disapproved attacked and my people were slaughtered without mercy whether they were young or old man or woman as punishment God cast the aggressor Angels from Heaven leaving the feathers of their wings charred black forever more," He said while taking another sip of the liquor.

I did my best to process all he said. " So, because my wings are black and I look human, you thought I was a fallen angel. Hearing how they and some demons slaughtered your kind, I guess I would react the same as you did." I took another swig before remembering he said he was a father. " So you're also a father, that's nice. What're the kids' names and who may I say is their mother?"

"Pipsqueak or Pip for short my eldest son and Midnight Star Midnight for short and I have one on the way. As for their mother, it's Luna but I have other partners as well. Nightmare Moon, Spitfire, and Tempest Shadow,"

I nearly spat out my drink at what I heard. "Luna! Well, she is beautiful, smart, knows war strategies, and can drink me under the table. I had no idea Nightmare was her own person, the entity that latched onto Luna was some floating eyeball with tendrils that are called a Nightmare. I have no idea who this Tempest Shadow person is, but I do know Spitfire. She let me train the Wonderbolt recruits and I turned them into flying marines. I think I know Pipsqueak, he likes to dress as a pirate on Halloween." I took a long swig straight from the bottle before bringing out my wallet. "Here we are." Ash looks at the photo that was taken in front of the barn at the apple family reunion.

He looked very surprised for some reason. "That's what they look like?"

"Of course, that's what they look like. What else are they supposed to look like?" Ash then brought out his phone and showed me a picture of him with all of his family and friends. "What the hell, they're anthros? Damn, Luna and Jackie have some big knockers." I said while staring at the alternate versions of my wives' knockers.

"Hey careful there slick one of them is my wife you're talking about and the other already has a stallion with a foal on the way," He told me while raising a brow at me.

"Uh right," I said while rubbing the back of my neck.

"So tell me something, what's someone like you doing in a place like this?" He asked.

"Funny story actually, you see that bubble over there with the giant tree?" He looked in the direction I was pointing to see the universe I came from. "I was experimenting with the crystal map in Twilights castle, which also serves as a gateway for the Bifrost, and chose the trunk of Yggdrasil rather than the worlds surrounding it. The door opened to its branches and I was subjected to the vast wonders of the unknown. While I was looking out, I noticed this pile of junk floating around. Ever the curious one, I sought out an adventure. Then, of course, I met you. We fought, took turns kicking each other's ass, settled our differences over some booze that may or may not be contaminated with some foreign bacteria, and swapped stories. So, what about you, how did you find your way here?"

As soon as I asked that, he slumped in his chair with a dejected look. "...Running if I'm being honest," He said but the look I was giving him said it all. "The Equestria I live in is in a bit of a jam with a neighboring kingdom, the caribou, the reason for their invasion is to achieve male domination over females by turning them into sex slaves 'ptui'," He said before he spat into a nearby brass vase in disgust at just saying that. "And to make matters worse they claim to be doing it in my name, saying I ordered such crap especially when they went to the trouble of robbing my resting place an-."

"Wait, wait, wait, wait what do you mean resting place? As in a grave?" This motherfucker was once a corpse!?

"Yeah, I died and came back as a god a few years later after the caribou first invaded and conquered about nighty eight percent of the world but anyway I had just returned to my place called home after dealing with...something the caribou were working on. And upon arrival, I realized that we were under attack by the caribou. As I made my way down to the streets, Granny Smith manages to stop me and informs me that the caribou had managed to grab Applejack, Apple Bloom, and their mother Buttercup," After hearing that, I crushed the glass in my hands while letting out a few wolfish features while growling. "I hear ya I was the same as you when I found out. So much so, I decided to do something stupid."

"What?" I asked while cleaning the scotch from my hand with the cloth given to me by Ash.

"I decided to tap into a power I didn't fully understand and used my anger as a fuel for said power along with my own demonic power to kick it up a notch. But magic driven by emotions is a...very dangerous thing," He told me before conjuring up an orb to show what he'd done. I watched the battle from his point of view. I saw him turn into some sort of raging monster and tear apart the caribou and what looked like treacherous males. I witnessed him save AJ, Bloom, and Pear by eating a unicorn with the same wings that Ash has. When he was done eating the bastard, he turned on Jackie and almost devoured her as well, but was stopped at the last minute. When he was done, the orb disappeared and he waited for my reaction. "So, that's the stupid thing I decided to do."

"Wrong!" Ash was a bit surprised by my answer. "You did what was necessary. You defeated, no, slaughtered an invading force that would gladly take all the females and kill any males they saw getting in their way. You not only defended your home, but you also sent a message to any survivor if there were any. And that message is, ' To protect those I love, I will do terrible things." I reached behind the bar and found myself another glass. I threw down another swig before continuing. "Anyway, it's not like I haven't had moments like that either."

"What do you mean?"

"Since Arminius, my first Lycan ancestor, there is a darkness that is locked up inside us. When released, we go into a rage where our vision is tinted red, and all we care for is spilling the blood of those who wronged us or put our loved ones in danger. When the Romans took Arminius' infant son in revenge for the massacre at the Teutoburg forest, he fell into this darkness and killed not only the soldiers that kidnaped his son, he destroyed the entire Roman empire. We call this state of bloodlust the Fenrir, after the great wolf. Since Arminius, the Fenrir has only been unleashed a total of eight times in the last thousand years, and four of them were mine." I took a second swig before fixing him with a glare. "However, you ever lay a finger on our friends in whatever universe in that way again, I'll drag you down to Helheim and let Garm have you, as his personal chew toy!"

"Thanks, like I don't feel crappy enough, now you're giving me shit."

"Sorry, I just really care for those three." I brought my arm around him and did my best to soothe his pain. No homo. "Listen. From what you told me, you've lived with them for a long time and they trust you with their life. I honestly don't think a one-time fuck-up like that will have them run for the hills whenever you approach."

"You really think that?"

"Hey, if I can execute Blueblood, using the Blood Eagle and still have my wives stick by my side, then I think they can forgive you. Though I think you were right in going somewhere till that little incident blows over," I told him while taking another sip.

"You may be right," He said before he looked at his half-empty glass before he let out a snort of laughter.

"What's with you?" I asked.

"Sorry sorry it's just...here we are sitting in a bar, a god of Norse religion, and a god connected to Christion religion by being both demon and angel. Surely there's a joke in there somewhere," I said.

"Perhaps. It's been a while since I heard a decent two guys walk into a bar joke. However, I can only think of this. You know what you get when you cross a donkey with an onion?"

"No, what?"

"You get a piece of ass that'll bring a tear to your eye."

"Haha, that is a good one. You know what you call a farmer with a sheep under each arm?"

"What?"

"A Playboy."

"What do you know, Little Nicky has jokes." The name I gave him seems to have given him pause.

"Who's Little Nicky?"

"A character played by Adam Sandler. He's the son of the devil and an angel named Holly. You know what, why don't I just show you?" I conjured my own magic and created a screen in front of us.

"...Can't say I've ever seen that before...So what now?" He asked.

"Well," I got up from my seat and looked to my universe. "I think I'll head back home. Though I think I would like to return here, this place is pretty amazing." I placed another beacon on one of the rocks. I opened a portal to the first beacon and was about to enter, then a thought occurred. "You know, you're welcome to come unless you want to mope around here by yourself?"

"Ah, what the hell, it might be fun?" He said while following me.

Ash followed me through the portal and we made it back to Yggdrasil. I turned to where Equestria was and saw that the door was still there. "This way." We went through the door and found ourselves in a familiar room. "Welcome. This is Twilights castle, though you probably already know that."

"Don't worry, I do." He told me with a nod.

"That's terrific." Off to the side, we heard the door open and my wives, friends, and children walked in. "Well, hey, I was about to come and get you guys." My greeting was short-lived when Luna brought me over to her and Jackie. Once I was in arms reach, they started to squeeze me.

"I told you not to leave us so soon, but do you ever listen? Nooo, you just jump from one dangerous situation to another." Luna told me while smothering my face with her chest fluff.

"You leave without telling us again and I'll have you muck the pens with an olive fork," Jackie told me with tears staining her eyes.

Feeling bad about worrying them, I brought them both in my arms and whispered sweet nothings to them. "I'm sorry I was such a fool. I promise the next time I feel like doing something dangerous, I'll let you know first."

"Pinkie Promise?" They both asked me in unison.

"Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." My promise earned me a smile from both of them and a kiss on each cheek. After our tender moment, I noticed everyone in the room was staring at Ash, who in turn looked at them with a nervous expression. "Crap, where are my manners? Everyone, this is Ash Blade, Ash Blade, this is everyone."

"Hi nice to meet you all," Ash said.

"Hey, Joe where'd ya find this clown," Rainbow asked as she made a gesture at him with one of her hooves, causing Ash to raise an eyebrow at her rudeness.

"Silly Dashy, he's not a clown. If he was a clown he'd be wearing white face paint have green hair and have a biiiiig red smile over his mouth unless he just decided to not wear it today," Pinkie said.

"I can assure you I'm no clown, Miss Pie," Ash said.

gasp "Are you psychic?" Pinkie asked while suddenly appearing out from Ash's jacket collar and using her hooves to grab the sides of his face in order for her to turn his face towards her.

"No," He simply said as he used his left hand to grab Pinkie by the scruff of her neck and pull her the rest of the way out of his jacket before setting her on the ground. "Good to know that Pinkie is a Weird here as well though."

"Hey!" Pinkie yelled.

"You better take that back pal or I'm gonna knock those teeth of yours back down you're throat," Rainbow Dash yelled as she zipped forward in front of him with a hoof ready to carry out that threat.

"Hey take it easy there. I believe you misunderstand when I say Pinkie is Weird, I mean to say she is a wielder of Weird magic," I said.

"Uh?" Rainbow said.

"Beggen yer pardon Mister Blade but Pinkie is an Earth Pony she can't use magic," Jackie said.

"First off just Ash is fine Mister Blade just makes me sound like an old man especially when I'm only ten quadrillion years young. Secondly, Pinkie here has just demonstrated just randomly made herself appear out of the collar of my jacket as if she were a rabbit in a hat not to mention her ability to warp reality around her based on her subconscious desires is what we call Weird magic it's called Weird because it has a very complex and weird set of rules that don't apply to the more well-known forms of magic that would be familiar forms of magic."

"Wait a sec. You mean to say there is a way to categorize Pinkie!" Twilight yelled and it was then I noticed a few hairs in her mane and tail were sticking out in crazed spirals.

"Wait that's what you're holed up on not that fact that he just said he's ten quadrillion years old!" Spike cried out.

"Young, Mister the Dragon, not old young. There is a major difference there," Ash explained.

"How so?" Luna asked.

"Well if I was old, then I'd probably be looking like an old man, but as you can see I look like I'm still in my mid-twenties, so young," Ash said.

"That's what people say when they're trying to bullshit themselves. Anyway, Dash, quite intimidating our guest." Dash grumbled before landing next to the others. "Secondly, Ash here is from another universe and Equestria." Everyone in the room went slack-jawed after hearing that. "Long story short, he needs to be away from his own Equestria for the time being, and I offered to house him for a bit."

"Another one? Isn't our house full enough as it is with us, Discord, and Brok?" Luna asked with a raised brow.

"I didn't mean at our house darlin', I just meant here in this Equestria."

"Well, I suppose I can offer one of the rooms here? Would that be okay with you Ash?" Twilight asked Ash.

"That'd be just fine." Suddenly, Ash remembers one of my remarks. " Wait, Discord lives with you, and who's Brok?"

"Yeah, Discord became my familiar after I kicked his ass when he escaped his stone prison. Over the years, he's become like the crazy uncle you can tolerate in small doses before it gets annoying, and he played a vital part in sending Tirek to Helheim. As for Brok, he's the best damn smith in all the ten realms. He's the one that crafted Mjolnir, Gungnir, even Frostbite, and my shield here." The door then slammed open, revealing the blue midget. " And speak of the Dwarf, here he is."

"Shut up you half-backed turd, I just came by to tell ya there's something wrong with your TV," Brok said with his usual grumpy voice.

"What's wrong with it?"

"There ain't nothing good on!" Brok then notices our guest, more accurately, his wings. " Hey, what's your deal, your mother fuck a bat?" No, he didn't.

"It seems the master dwarf here has a death wish or maybe he'd prefer I rip his tongue out before I stick it up his ass, where all his shit ends up," Ash threatened.

"What you say fuck stick!" Brok said as he marched up to Ash.

"Bring it on tiny I've killed beasts a hundred times your size with a fouler attitude than you," Ash growled out.

"Hey, hey cool it guys," I said as I came between them. "Now I love a good scrap as much as the next guy but c'mon."

"Tch," Ash grunted before he went to walk around Brok and me. "I'm gonna get some air."

"Yeah, that's right run ya lil piss ant, run! Go suckle from mama tit like the wee babe ye a-," Brok began but didn't finish when Ash decided to show him just how powerful he was by releasing his aura.

It was the same aura Ash used not too long ago when he was on the bridge of that flagship when he became that thing. The aura flooded the room changing it to have a darker tone of color and I could hear several individuals grasp their necks as if they were out of breath but in reality, they were just holding theirs. Ash made sure they were not harmed however the aura that surrounded Brok shifted and twisted and took the shape of skeletons that ran their hands over Brok's body and beats that were a terrible sight to behold circled around him like sharks to wounded prey.

"Brok, Rainbow Dash. Let me give you both a solid piece of advice. Don't start a fight with someone outside you're weight class," Ash said as he looked over his shoulder before the aura vanished leaving everyone who was holding their breath to release it before he made to walk out of the room but stopped. "Oh and Joe about my age I wasn't lying I mean think about it you've heard just some of my titles right," He said before he left.

"Well duh," I said to no one.

As I watched Ash walk out the door, the others looked a little frightened by what happened. After recovering from the spectacle, Jackie came over to me. "Honey. What was that?"

"I guess I should explain that Ash is a god and that he recently went through a bit of a rough patch."

"I sympathize entirely, but what happened to him to cause such a short temper?" Rarity asked while still getting over what just happened.

"Well, Rarity, from what he's told me so far, he's had to deal with his entire race being wiped from existence, with the obvious exception of him and his kids. He learned that his parents were murdered by an army of angels and demons and that in some small way it was his fault just because he was born, which is total bullcrap. His entire world is under the caribou's control and on the last battle he had with them, he nearly killed you my sweet apple fritter." My explanation, however brief it might be, seemed to leave my audience shocked.

"He tried to kill me and you invited him to stay? Did you get hit in the head?!" Jackie asked me.

"Among other things but that's not the point. He feels terrible about what he almost did and he needed a place to think. Instead, he gets two blue hot-heads that don't know when to shut up." Dash looked down in shame while Brok gave me the bird. "I'm going to go find him and try to calm him down. In the meantime, Pinkie, how about setting up some food and drink at my place?"

"Sure thing. A party can always lift a heavy heart." Pinkie zipped out the door to get things started.

When I headed out the door, I had no idea where to look, then I remembered I was a werewolf. I sniffed the door and picked up his scent, and for some reason, Celestia's as well, though it smelled a bit spicier. The scent led off into the Everfree, no doubt he's heading for the old castle. I opened a gate to the castle and stepped through. When I made it to the front, I heard wingbeats behind me. When I turned around, I saw Ash come in for a landing. "Guess I beat you here?"

"How did you know I was coming here?"

"Did you forget that I'm a werewolf? I caught your scent by the door and it led to the forest. The only three places I know that reside in the forest are this castle, the tree of harmony down in the gorge down there, and Zecora's hut. I didn't think you would go to Zecoras since she doesn't know you, so I made a deduction."

"Impressive."

"Thank you, though I do have one question. Why do you have a spicier version of Celestia's scent on you?" The moment I said that his aura started to spike again. "Nevermind, I came to cheer you up, not rattle the cage further." His aura disappeared and he went to sit on the stairs. I sat by him and went for take-two. "So, I explained the situation to them about you, I'm not gonna lie, they're a little shocked but willing to look past what you did. Not to mention Brok was way out of line."

"Yeah, though I should really learn to reign in my anger from time to time."

"No shit. Listen, Pinkie's setting up a party at my place, so if you want to hit the reset button, that'd be the best place to do so."

"I really don't know if I should."

"Not wanting to attend a Pinkie Pie party? Now I'm questioning your sanity." I thought of something that might cheer him up, then I remembered my stash. "Wait here a moment." I made my way through the war-torn castle and headed for the cellar. Once I reached the doors, I inhaled the many different choices of alcohol. I browsed through the casks till I found one that might catch Ash's interest. With the cask in hand, I made my way back up and plopped the large cask next to him. "In my time in Alfheim, Lord Elrond gifted me with a cask that he claims to have been brewing since the very creation of Equestria over ten thousand years ago. And since fifteen minutes here is one year in Alfheim, then shit is older than dirt. I've waited for the next special occasion to open this bad boy and I believe that this might be that time. That is, of course, you'll join the party?"

"Well-aged elven wine from Alfheim," Ash said as he shook his head. "That's a dirty move mate...and it sucks that it works."

"So I take it that you're coming?" I asked with a smirk.

"Something tells me that you're going to persist until one of us gives and I'm pretty sure we both know we're both particularly stubborn so what say I just make it easy for the both of us," Ash said as he began to spread his wings to take off again.

"Oh please allow me," I said while gesturing to make a portal. He motioned for me to go ahead while he hid his wings inside his own body."Whoa!" I said as I saw his wings recede into his back.

"What...Surely that's not the freakiest thing you've seen in you're life?" Ash asked me.

"No, but...it is on the list but fascinating at the same time," I said.

"Yeah, I don't really bother with the mechanics on how I can fit my wings in my body all I know is that it's possible to do and that it's a lot more simple than you think," Ash said.

"Neat but why?" I asked.

"Well, an illusion or invisibility spell only conceals my wings from sight, not touch, plus doing it like that just drains magic power as time goes on and it helps me squeeze into tighter spaces when I have them out. Also, I don't draw as much attention in crowded areas like here and back on Earth," Ash explained.

"Huh...All good points...Think you could teach me?" I asked him.

"Party first trade info later."

"Fair enough," I said before I teleported us just outside my house. As we made our way to the door, I noticed Ash look around the orchard. "Hey, Ash you coming or what?" I asked.

"Huh...Oh sorry lost in thought," He said as he quickly jogged over to catch up with me and once we made it, he reached for the door because I was carrying the cask but before he turned the handle he paused. "Hey what are the chances that at least half the town is waiting on the other side that Pinkie managed to get over here in the short time we were gone."

"Only one way to find out," I said.

Without another word, Ash turned the handle and opened the door before we both stepped inside and were greeted by a dark room. Suddenly the lights turned on and we were greeted by a very large 'SURPRISE!' from everyone within and lo and behold Pinkie managed to invite a large majority of the townsfolk along with Tia, Shining, and Cadance.

"Figures," Ash said quietly.

I took him around the house, introducing him to everyone, though I assumed he had met with everyone already from his world. After showing him around the house, I left him to himself while I went to mingle with Tia. "Hey, beautiful~."

"Hello, handsome~." We gave each other a quick kiss before she looked over to Ash. "So, who is that man you brought with you?"

"A troubled man in need of help. I thought it would be a good idea to bring him here and cheer him up." I said while watching him sit on the couch with the same dejected look.

"You're a good man, Joe. Taking him in and helping him through a difficult time." She kissed my cheek before heading over to mingle.

I smiled over at her before fixing some Elven wine for my guest and walked over. "Thirsty?"

"Cheers," He said while taking the glass and raising it towards me before taking half a mouthful of the liquor and savoring it for a moment before swallowing and releasing a sigh. "Good stuff."

Soon, the girls made their way over to make proper introductions. Pinkie started it off. "So you enjoying the party?" Pinkie asked with her excited bounce.

"I am thank you but there's one last thing that needs to be addressed," Ash said before he stood up, placed his hands at his sides, and bowed at the waist. "I wish to apologize for my actions earlier today...regardless of how I feel on a personal level lashing out at all of you when you had done nothing wrong was inexcusable and there is no excuse for my actions."

"Peace Ash Blade and please raise your head," Luna said causing him to straighten up. "Our husband has explained a bit to us of what has transpired in your home and why you are here, so I suggest we take the time to take this as an opportunity for a clean slate."

"Yes please," Ash said.

"Very well I am Princess Luna but as an acquaintance of my husband you are welcome to call me Luna," Luna said with a slight bow of her head.

"Tis' an honor," Ash said with a friendly bow at the waist once again.

"An I'm Applejack also Joe's wife or as he prefers Valkyrie nice ta meet ya Sugarcube, welcome to our home," Jackie said as she held her hoof out for him to shake.

"Thank you for your warm welcome Applejack," He said as he grasped her hoof and gave it a shake.

"Hiya I'm Pinkie Pie now I only have one question for you...milk or white chocolate?" Pinkie Pie asked causing me to raise an eyebrow at her like she was crazy.

"Why must one choose when both are better together?" Ash asked, and just like that, Pinkies eyes lit up with stars before she wrapped him in a hug with those rubber-like limbs of hers.

"Oh, I'm going to like you!" Pinkie cried out before she released him.

Next up was Twilight. "Hello, my name is Twilight Sparkle. Do you mind if I ask a few questions?" Twilight asked.

"Not at all, as long as you don't mind if I choose to keep my privacy, depending on said question?" Ash asked before he turned to the next mare which was Rainbow Dash who was just hovering in place and appeared to be studying him and after a few seconds, Ash decided to break the ice. "Was there something you wished to say or are you just going to stare?"

"Hm...oh uh...I just noticed you seem...different like something was missing," Rainbow Dash said.

Ash cocked his head at Rainbow wondering what it was she meant when he remembered his wings were out when they first met. "You mean my wings?" He asked.

"That's it!... So where are they?" Rainbow asked.

"Just hidden they would have been in the way if I left them out," Ash said.

"Rainbow ain't there supposed to be something you oughta be saying bout now?" Jackie said through gritted teeth as she gestured toward Ash.

"Yeah, yeah I'll get onto it sheesh," Rainbow said, causing me and Ash to shake our heads.

"How ya doing names Rainbow Dash fastest thing alive," Rainbow Dash said causing Ash to shake his head.

"Wow even across dimensions the ego that belongs to one Rainbow Dash knows no bounds," Ash said causing all of us to laugh and chuckle at her misfortune.

"Hey," Rainbow said.

"Also Rainbow I mean no disrespect but I've seen beings that could leave you in the dust before you can even get off the starting line," Ash said.

"Oh, like you perhaps?" Rainbow Dash asked as she leaned into Ash's face with a good-natured grin.

"Maybe," Ash said returning the grin with a small smirk of his own.

"Ohhh it is on! You and me, let's go," Rainbow challenged.

"Whoa cool you're wings hotshot I ain't going anywhere for a bit. What say we enjoy the party before we race tomorrow?" Ash asked.

"Pfft fine but only because Pinkie's parties are fun," Rainbow said causing Ash to nod before turning to Rarity.

"Greetings darling my name is Rarity, I am the owner of Carousel Boutique," Rarity said.

Ash decided to act like a gentleman and raised her hoof with his magic "Charmed milady," Ash said before placing a light kiss upon her hoof causing Rarity's face to flush a beautiful pinkish-red.

"Wow I didn't realize you were such a smooth talker," I said.

"I had a rather intriguing life that led to me picking up a few habits," Ash admitted.

"Oh uh well um...anyway this lovely dear is Fluttershy," Rarity said after stuttering with her words while she pushed the timid pegasus forward.

"Um hi...it's...It's nice to meet you," Fluttershy said quietly.

"It's both a pleasure and an honor to meet such a brave mare," I said.

"Pfft brave...Fluttershy?" Rainbow asked before she started laughing causing Ash and me to quietly glare at the cocky show-off.

"Yes actually do you want to know why?" Ash asked.

"Oh please enlighten me," Rainbow said wiping a tear of laughter from her eye.

"She is afraid of me that much we can all agree especially since most of it is probably based on our first encounter am I right Miss Shy?" Ash asked and it looked like Fluttershy was about to respond with words but instead just nodded. "And yet she still said hi to me and said it's nice to meet you despite being scared of me that right there is a true display of courage to take your fear head-on despite being scared."

"Hear, hear," Luna said as she too smiled at the butter-yellow pegasus.

"Damn straight," I said while raising a glass.

It was then I heard applause from around us and it seems like everyone heard Ash's little speech and were stamping their forehooves on the ground in applause I then looked at Rainbow who was looking at the ground while rubbing one of her forehooves with the other in shame. Ash cleared his throat to get her attention before he made a gesture towards Fluttershy.

The message was clear and Rainbow seemed to get it because I saw her nod a few times before she glided down towards Fluttershy. Ash turned back to his seat and sat just across from me.

"That was really well put, thanks for sticking up for her," I said with a smile.

"I only said what was true...in fact, she reminds me a lot of my worlds Fluttershy just a...different shape if you know what I mean," Ash said causing me to laugh.

"What's this about a different shape?" Luna asked as she walked towards Ash's side.

"Oh hey um well you see the individuals from my world share a great many similarities to everyone here but when it comes to their bodies...well they often say a picture is worth a thousand words," Ash said as he took out his smartphone and brought out a picture of his family to show Luna and me.

"Oh...these are...well they look...uh," Luna said trying to find the right word for what she was seeing.

"Bizarre it's okay I know you mean no insult if anything I think that would probably say the same thing," Ash said.

"Wait a sec, is that us, from your world?" Jackie asked as she and the other girls came over to see.

"Yep, I'm pretty sure you can all guess who is who," Ash said.

"Oh my such unique styles of clothes it seems that this version of myself is quite successful in the clothing industry," Rarity said.

"What in the sam hill is hanging off that gal's chest? I mean those are huge. Surely they would get in the way of work," Jackie said, making a reference to Applejack's breasts from the world Ash came from, leading Ash to take back his phone.

"Everyone has their own working style Applejack and we all make do with how we're born as but just so you know just because she has a different body shape than you she is not inferior to you in strength. I mean, I've seen her and Big Mac kick down fortress walls as if they were bucking apple trees for crying out loud." That made all of us gawk.

"Now that sounds like a story I got to hear," Rainbow said.

"Another time perhaps," Ash said.

"Hey, Ash you know any good songs?" Pinkie suddenly asked.

"I know a few why?" I asked.

"Why don't you play a few for us you know, to liven up the party," Pinkie said.

"Well I...uh," Ash seemed a little hesitant, so I decided to goad him on.

"Aw come now don't tell us you have stage fright," I teased causing him to raise an eyebrow at me.

"Pinkie," Ash said.

"Yep?" Pinkie asked.

"Is there a place here where a temporary stage can be set up?" He asked.

"Sure," Pinkie said before she zipped off, and bout 15 seconds later she came back. "Got it set up out the back."

"Great if you will all kindly follow me please," Ash said as he got up and began to lead us out the back where we came to a simple stage and he proceeded to the center of the stage before turning to face the crowd.

Ash summoned a microphone before summoning a violin and began to tune it up and once he was done he took in a breath before he began to play.

As Ash's bow ran along the strings the sounds of multiple instruments joined in from somewhere thanks to him using the harmony song. We were captivated by his violin playing, but once he began to sing, we were truly enchanted. When the last note was played, everyone in the audience cheered while Luna, Jackie, the girls, and I could only stare in bewilderment. Ash got off the stage and smirked my way. "What'd you think?"

I shook from my dazed look and directed my attention to him. "That was pretty good, good use of the harmony song by the way." He crossed his bow over his chest before giving me a bow. "But, now I believe it's my turn to entertain the masses. Boys, Swagger, time to get the band together!" Out from the crowd of party-goers, my sons, Jack and Orion, and my oldest friend came over. We made our way onto the stage while I summoned our instruments. A bass guitar for Jack, a drum set for Orion, a guitar for Swagger, and a guitar and microphone for me,

With our equipment hooked up and a song was chosen, I turned to the audience. "Hello, party people! Are you ready to rock!?" A chorus of cheers and applause met my question. "Well, then let's rock all night, and party every day!?"

Once the song ended the audience applauded, there were even a few whistles here and there. Ash was also clapping as we took our bows. Swagger and my boys left the stage while I gestured for Ash to come up for another song. "I think we've got time for at least one more song know any that we could play together," I asked.

Ash closed his eyes and concentrated till he let out a smile. "Yeah I think I know of one, coincidently this song was sung when I was with the Raven Clan, a clan of Vikings that operated in England. Give me your hand," Ash asked me.

"Why?" I asked, wondering where this was going.

"I'm just going to transfer the memory of the song to your head, once you have it you'll be able to sing the lyrics as if you had it memorized by heart," Ash said.

"Handy but is it safe?" I asked.

"Don't worry I've recently gained a lot of experience when it comes to mind magic," Ash said.

I tossed the idea around before shrugging and allowing Ash to take my hand. Soon, the lyrics to a song started flooding my head before the sensation abruptly stopped. "Well that was bizarre but you could have told me about the headache," I groaned.

"It will fade in a few seconds don't worry," Ash said before he summoned a lute and began to tune it up, and once I was ready he began to strum the lute.

Once more the audience was captivated by the sound. Soon the phantom instruments began to play and after that, I began my part by singing and after a few verses, Ash began to sing. Once we ran out of lyrics Ash stopped strumming and let the lute play out one final hum before going quiet and like before everyone gave a loud round of applause before we all took a bow. Once we gave our bow, we made our way to the picnic table where Rarity and Spike were, and my scaled pupil was glaring at me. "Hey, Spike. What's with the look?"

"Like you don't know. You get the band together and don't even bother bringing me in? What happened to Wyld Stallyns for life?"

"You know I would have, but the song I had in mind didn't require a piano. Besides, you'd rather be in our company, than your marefriends?" Off to the side, I could hear Ash choke on his drink.

"I... uh... well, see the thing is..." He was cut off by Rarity bringing him close to her and giving his cheek a peck.

"Now Joe, don't tease him like that." Rarity told me with a slight hint of anger.

"But then the fun's all gone." To my right, I saw Brok approach. " Hey Brok, enjoying yourself?"

"As much as one can when sober." He grabbed a cup and downed it, though when the taste hit him he spat it back out. "Fucking shit, what's with the elf piss?"

"I was using it to help my friend here cheer up. Speaking of which, you still need to apologize for your actions earlier."

"We all know that's not gonna happen, but tell you what fuck-stick." He directed his attention over to Ash. " You want a new weapon, armor, trinket, or just want something fixed up, I'll do it for half the price."

"Brok!"

"Alright fine, for free. So what do you say, boy?" Brok asked Ash.

"Tch a half-assed apology is better than none I guess but if you don't mind if you have it there are a few materials I'd like for something I've been meaning to work on and if necessary I will compensate you for the items I need," Ash said.

"You know how to work a forge?" Brok asked with a little surprise.

"I'm over ten quadrillion years young Brok I'd personally find it strange if I didn't know at least some information on how to man a forge," Ash said, causing Brok to grunt dismissively.

"So why you need to buy materials from me anyway if you know how to work a forge, you ain't lazy are ya?" Brok asked.

"Dwarven materials are harder to come by especially if you have no knowledge on how to harvest them," Ash said causing Brok to look at him strangely. "I said I know how to work a forge I never said it was to Norse Dwarf specifications after all you lot are a very secretive bunch."

"Fair point but now my impression of you has dropped somewhat now that I know you're a common smith," Brok said as he folded his arms across his chest.

"Brok!" I yelled toward him.

"Now that was uncalled for and for the record, I'm no common smith I have had teachers, not that it matters much to you I bet," Ash said.

"Oh yeah, who?" Brok asked.

"Hephaestus Greek god of fire and the forge and before you go and open your pie hole about how he does a better job with automatons than weapons and armor keep in mind he is a close second to you dwarves," Ash said.

Brok just looked at Ash for a second before he began to pace back and forth a few times while grumbling something under his breath. "Okay fine I take that back but tell me what exactly you need them materials for anyhow?" Brok asked.

"Just some modifications to some weapons of mine is all," Ash said.

"Alright, give me a list of what you need and I'll get it for ya." Ash conjured paper and a pen and wrote down what he wanted from the dwarf. When he was done, he gave it to Brok who looked over the list. "Well, I can find most of this in my shop, a couple of these from the old shit box, but the last one's gonna take some time."

"Well, how much time is that?" I asked the stubborn dwarf.

"At least two days, three if there's something good on TV."

"That's fine with me, I'm not in any real hurry to get back." Ash took another sip from his drink before seeing Swagger come up to us. "You know, I don't think we've met properly." He got up and extended his hand for a shake. "Ash Blade."

Swagger took his hand and gave it a shake. "Gunnery Sergeant Bob Lee Swagger, USMC retired, General of Herot and sniper instructor. Listen, Twilight told me about what happened in the map room, so try to keep that temper in check."

"I can only say that I'll try. But, why would only Twilight tell you instead of the others?"

"Well, when your marefriend comes to you for comfort, you lend an ear." Swagger said with a grin.

"Ah...listen I'm sorry about that I know this ain't much of an excuse but I've been having a bad way of it lately," Ash said.

"I know she told me," Swagger said.

"Right," I said.

"She also said I shouldn't do anything on account of you apologizing," Swagger said.

"So a warning then?" Ash asked.

"A warning," Swagger said.

"Right...Well, I don't know about you guys but I've had enough excitement for one day so I'm gonna turn in," Ash said.

"I'll show you your room," Spike said as he led Ash to the door.

As Spike took Ash toward the castle, Swagger and I went over to the grill for a private discussion. " So, watcha think of him?"

"You mean besides his musical talent?" We both chuckled while I turned the hot dogs. " Honestly though, it looks like he's hiding a deep emotional pain."

"Well, the guy did just go through a rough battle and his version of Jackie was almost killed by him, I mean who wouldn't have pain?" I asked while sipping my beer.

"No, no, I saw all that. But I also saw something else, a pain I've only seen on Sarah Fenn after her time with Payne."

I went through my memory bank on who Payne was and when I did, my stomach just dropped. " So, you're saying that Ash-"

"Was raped. Yes, I think he was." Swagger grabbed a dog from the grill before leaving me to my thoughts.

How could I not see it? The flare-up over why I asked he had Celestia's scent. By Odin, Celestia's scent. Is she the one who did that to him? He didn't flinch or shy away when Celestia introduced herself. Whatever the reason, he was putting up a front to mask his pain. "What the hell did she do to you, Ash?"

Author's Note

I'm sorry for the delay, but life, work, and the holidays are to blame.

I would like to thank Wolf Blood, who wrote in his character, Ash Blade. He's been a good co-writer and friend, please follow him if you're not already and catch up with his stories, A Wolf among Ponies, and A Wolf among Caribou.

The next chapter will continue the adventure with the interdimensional visitor. But before that, the clips.