Ignis

Chapters

2. Oppressive Chains
3. Vindictive Purges
4. Timorous Preparations
5. Shadowed Acts
6. Fiery Wastes
8. The Grave's Voice
1. Forgotten Memories
7. Dangerous Games

2. Oppressive Chains

It was a surprisingly shorter trip than I would have originally imagined. It was perhaps a few minutes before we stopped. I could hear the sounds of not only other gryphons and ponies but the occasional wild animal as well, perhaps caged as I was. After the initial stop we began a start-stop pattern of maybe a few feet at a time. I wasn't sure, as I couldn't see anything. This lasted for a significantly longer period of time. After a while I heard, or could now hear over the others, the sounds of one pony in particular. I don't know what he was saying and could not make it out at first. As we continued our approach I then heard the sounds of a crowd, a decently large one at that. As we continued it became clear that the one voice was a kind of announcer and that there was money involved. Then I got wheeled in and the crowd became crystal clear. My time had come. My heart dropped at the prospect of what might come next. It suddenly fell silent for a short time. The announcer finally cut the silence. "This here is a once in a lifetime opportunity! Never before has a beast like this been seen by the eyes of any creature! Can we get a starting bid on this rare find? Thousand? One thousand? The starting bid is one thousand bits!"

The cover was suddenly removed, leaving my eyes to adjust once more. As my eyes adjusted to the lights shining on me I could see a sea of faces screaming prices that drove ever higher. When I could take more thorough note of the crowd I noticed it was a mix of gryphons and ponies bidding. These were slavers, and I was their next sale. I became infuriated at the prospect of simply being sold as property, glaring wickedly at the crowd and hoping my features made up for the difference. The price continued to climb well past the tens of thousands but the bids began to slow. Things started to calm and the auctioneer now had time to count between bids. When he reached the count of two a voice rang clear through the hall. I did not understand the first time he spoke but it must have had a good enough effect, as it silenced the whole room. The pony spoke again. "Two-hundred fifty thousand."

My jaw would have dropped if it wasn't locked in a muzzle. The auctioneer tested it before sealing the deal. No other pony nor gryphon dared try to go higher. Indeed, I don't think they could have even if they all combined. The sale was sealed and my free will was sold for a quarter-million bits. If nothing else, this pony was very affluent. I was moved backstage, from whence I waited for quite a while. My owner eventually came backstage. His complexion was very fair, his body was not very large. He seemed as if whatever work he did was very light or not very physically demanding. He had a dark brown hide and carried a very well styled mane of silver hair. His eyes were a shade darker than his hide. He stood a little shorter than a normal pony, and was a touch thinner as well. All in all he seemed very well kept and very affluent. He opened the cage but I did not move. I simply sat and stared at him in a manner that was not the friendliest. Accordingly he spoke. "Let us take our leave."

His words simply bounced off of me, for I moved not an inch. "Come now, it won't be bad. I'll personally make sure you're comfortable and safe. I won't treat you badly, if that's your fear."

In part it was. The main part of my fear was that my capability of returning home had just been torn from me by a purchase involving more bits than I had ever seen in the duration of my life. "I made that purchase so that you wouldn't end up in the hooves of an abusive owner."

Begrudgingly, mostly because I saw there was no other option, I accepted his invitation to leave the cage. He smiled before leading me out towards a coach he had waiting outside. With a little effort, mostly due to the chains, he got me up and into the carriage. I sat rear-facing, looking out the small window behind the pony's head. We then left, leaving me to watch the forsaken little port town fade into the distance. I made special note to keep watch for how we turned and the way we travelled, marking any landmarks in case I decided to return to enact vengeance, should I escape to begin with. Fortunately enough we maintained a relatively straight path.

The cart stopped a few times for the cart team to eat and regain their breath. Other than that we rode from morning until dusk. Nightfall was when we arrived at our destination. He climbed out, presumably to talk with somepony outside. I sat in the spare time trying to figure out how to break free from the chains that held me bound. When the pony returned I had made no progress and had to stop. We then rode inside of the gates. As we continued, from what I could see out of my little back window, these houses probably cost more than the entire net value of Ponyville; houses, land and harvest included. If nothing else, they were definitely awe inspiring. We rode past several of them before we finally stopped. He had us disembark the cart, which rode off elsewhere to be stationed, at my best guess.

Along the outside of the house was a high stone wall, probably between three to four yards tall in total. In thickness it would most likely be about a yard of solid rocks. There was a wrought iron gate and a set of very large castle-style wooden doors securing the perimeter of the estate. The gate and doors both opened, allowing us to enter. The first thing to note were the gardens, aside from the fact that it was all very well lit despite it being the middle of the night. The plants seemed like exotic and beautiful mutations of commonplace vegetation found elsewhere. Roses were larger, abundant and far more vividly coloured than one could have possibly imagined. Daffodils, pansies, tulips and tiger lilies also all followed this kind of pattern. There were also a few that I did not recognise. The plants were thick, greatly beyond what others naturally would be. The flowers carried colours that faded into others, changing four to five times by the time it reached the end of the elongated petals.

When I finished admiring the plant life I looked down and noticed the walkways in between garden boxes teeming with lush flora. The walkways were smoothed, almost polished and very neatly kept, cobblestone paths leading everywhere that wasn't covered in plants. They were trim and very well organised. The property was enormous; that was beyond doubt. When I was done admiring what was there I turned my attention higher. What I saw was beyond price. As for an estimate I could not even fathom a great enough number to encompass the cost of such a huge, ornately decorated building. It was four stories tall. As it pertains to width, across it was nearly the size of two blocks in a city. The front was a very appealing cobbled stone wall. The shutters on all the floors but the top were currently closed. I could not tell whether the small metallic things I saw on the outside of each shutter was a lock on the outside to keep them closed or if it was mere decoration. The shutters themselves were white, in an attempt to not clash with the colours of the stones, but it was still easy to tell that they were of high quality. The roof was a typical Victorian-style shingle roof, from what I could tell. There was a patio coming out of the front of the house. It was long enough that two ponies could fit head-to-tail without sticking out and wide enough to do the same on either side of the massive double doors. There were four meticulously sculpted marble pillars holding up the patio cover. The roof itself reached in the space between the second and third stories of the building. The giant-sized doors to the house were elaborately decorated oak doors. They were almost twice the size of any normal door, both in height and width. On it were traces of silver adding trim to certain aspects of the doors' art, which almost seemed to represent some kind of dragon. It was, by far, the most detailed carving and artwork I have seen yet.

I was suddenly broken from my near-gawking state by the pony's voice. "Let's get you out of those chains, shall we?"

I looked over to him, nodding. My neck was really what hurt the most. My mouth was also sore from holding such a jarring gag in for so long. He then bid me to follow him as we made it around the side of his house. When I saw the length of the house it caused me to wonder further the cost of such a place, not only in construction but in upkeep as well. It was roughly as long as it was wide, that being more than a city block or two by itself. Many sets of shutters lined the side of the house, far more than on the front. We made our way into the back gardens, which were as overly flourished as the front ones were. Along the back of the stone wall that extended around the perimeter there were two sheds side by side, as if one was an extension of the other. The first stood nearly as tall as the wall, about a story and a half in height. The second was a little over half of that, big enough to fit a regular pony and whatever was inside of it. They both had roofs much like that of the mansion, in fact, they both were, in aspects, designed like the mansion in appearance. The size of both were bigger than a lot of houses I had seen before. We entered into the shorter side of the building, the entryway of which almost caused me to duck. The walls were lined from the one side of the door to the other with tools hanging on tool racks, half of which I had no clue what they did. Once we were both inside of the spacious shed he closed the door before turning to me. "Now, I'll get those shackles off of you, but on one condition: you have to promise me this one thing: you will not try to escape and you will submit to all tasks and requests I ask of you. Agreed?"

Seeing as I had no other option I nodded. He went over and retrieved a peculiar tool from off the wall and came back over. With a few quick motions the shackles were all cut from off of my legs. When he got the neck one undone he placed a black collar on before smiling at my inquisitive glance. He then undid the tail chain. He removed the muzzle, followed shortly thereafter was the gag removed. "There we go. That looks much better. Come, I'll show you around the house. Welcome home."

This was not home. It would never be home. Regardless, we went out of the shed and back around the front. I was astonished when we finally entered into the house. The first thing I did was look up, as I sensed the ceiling was high. It was, being an open ceiling all the way to the fourth floor. Hanging above the door, starting at the level of the second floor, was a chandelier. It had six tiers, each bigger than the last. The first three layers, starting from the bottom up, had eight branches, while the last three had sixteen each. Each of the branches split into three tips near the end. From each tip hung a large ornament. Smaller ornaments lined the entire length of each branch. The entire chandelier itself was made only and entirely of glass; no metal supported any part of it aside from the chain to hold it up.

After staring at the prismatic object in wonder for a while I looked downwards. On the floor where we stood was a spectacularly ornate rug. Swirling designs mixed with jagged lines smoothly; colours that normally should have clashed blended instead. The design of the rug tricked the eye and deceived the mind. Along that, gold threads were those used to outline the mat. I looked around the rug on the floor. The floor space not occupied by mats or rugs of luxurious design and price were either fervently polished marble or thoroughly stained and deeply coloured wooden floors. The pony bid me trot to follow him, so I did. We entered a few different rooms. Many of them I still do not know the purpose of aside from aesthetically lifting the perceived value of the house. One room we did enter was at the end of the hallway leading to the left from the front doors. The inside of the room rested past two large ebony doors. Within was a library with a very large window opposite the door. The light from the window was enough to keep the entire room lit, even now in the middle of the night. Details were not as visible but shapes could be discerned. There were three stories worth of bookshelves, each with a walkway beside it. The first floor walkway was simply a division from the shelves and the desks that sat within the room for study. Spiral staircases at each of the corners of the room led up to the second and third level walkways. The massive shelves, filled to the brim with books, went from floor to ceiling, three stories, and lined any wall space that was not already occupied with something else.

Once we were inside, I turned around to see a massive chalkboard. Upon it was some kind of a grid system. Roman numerals separated many names into four distinct groups. After the box to the far left was another box. Within the box were letters. They seemed random at first, but a further study revealed they each contained one of two different groups of letters. The first group was either an S or an M. It was then followed by one of three letters: E, U or P. I was confused at the meaning but my attention was pulled away by the bars to the right of it. Some names had larger bars than others. There were marks along the bars, as if to mark some kind of system. I looked up and turned around, looking to see if there were any features on the ceiling to be seen. The ceiling was actually rather dark, but I thought I could make out some kind of break in it that would lead into this room from the fourth floor. It was on the side with the window. I was snapped back into reality by his voice. "You've probably seen the chalkboard on the wall."

"I have." I turned and looked at him. "What does it mean?"

"It's a system I have. When the bar fills the corresponding worker either gets a material possession from me or shifts up a level. Tell you what, why don't we throw your name up there? I think Sapphire would-"

"Aqua."

"Aqua?"

"It's my name. Use it."

"Alright then. Let's get you up there, Aqua." A unicorn nearby wrote my name upon the board. He placed an M and an E inside the middle box. "Looks like the only spot that was available was a stone hauler. Interesting. Well, we'll pick up two after you to help you, make sure you don't have to spend too much time in that position."

"Sounds like my kind of job." He looked over at me in confusion. "Physical labour is my forte."

"Alright. Did not expect that, but that's fine. Oh, by the way, you may call me Duke."

"Very well."

"You live on the first floor. I'll show you to your quarters."

"Before you go I have one question, Duke."

"Yes?"

"What do all the letters mean?"

"What letters?"

"The ones in the second box up there."

"Oh. S is stallion. M is mare. E is earth pony. U is unicorn. P is pegasus."

"Ah."

"Now, follow me." We left the library and trotted for a while down a few hallways before he opened a door and brought us in. It was homely and simple, yet still had an air of expensiveness. The furnishings were currently limited to a bed, a dresser with a mirror on the wall behind it, a night stand and a chair with a little desk. "There should be a set of linens ready for you. Try them on."

I did as instructed and, to my surprise, found they fit. "I'll be expecting to see you ready for work tomorrow. If you turn right and follow the hallway down you'll find your dining hall. I wish you a good night."

With that he left, closing the door behind him. I got a chance to look around the room. All of the wood inside of the chamber, so basically the majority of what I saw as it pertains to furniture, was made of lightly stained oak. The overwhelming colour scheme was that of tan or brown. Everything was designed simply and for utility. It was in no ways fancy, but you could still feel an air of quality around it. As rustic and homely as it was, it was easy to tell that no cost was spared in the making of this room. It was built to be all that working stallions needed; it was all that I needed, at least. Without too much reservation I settled down for the night.

The morning came quickly once sleep had found me. Breakfast was served in the dining hall. It was not extravagant in the least, but it certainly made do. Almost predictably the room was dead silent. It was most likely one of two things: my appearance or my persona. I was almost uncomfortable just sitting there, but I took comfort in knowing that I could beat any one of them senseless should they try anything. There was no conversation in that room that morning. After I finished breakfast I headed quickly and promptly back to my own chambers. I prepared myself for the day and, shortly thereafter, heard a knock on my door. I opened it with a heavy air of caution. To my surprise it was Duke that was standing there. "Ah, Aqua. Good morning. Did the room treat you well?"

"Just as well as any other home."

"Excellent to hear." His tone suddenly dropped to a hushed whisper. "Now, how did the others treat you?"

"They didn't treat me at all."

His voice returned to normal. "What do you mean?"

"They didn't even talk to me."

"None of them?"

"Nope."

"Well, I suppose you are a rather strange sight to see at first. Regardless, are you ready to work?"

"That I am." I was simply just trying to do what it took to get out of this place.

"Excellent. Get yourself ready. I'll be waiting outside. Once you come out I'll lead the way."

"I am ready, Duke."

"Ah, good, then follow me." He started trotting off, so I followed, closing the door behind me as I left. It didn't take terribly long before we arrived at a large group of ponies. After all had been sorted out I was placed in a group with nine other stallions. You could tell these ones had hauled for many years. They were big. They were strong. They were cocky. As we loaded onto the carriage to depart for the quarry one of them finally spoke.

"Hey, missie. You're about to see what worthwhile stallions can do. Just don't stare for too long." They all erupted into laughter. I simply ignored them, letting the comment bounce off of me. After that, the ride was silent until we reached our destination. When we arrived we disembarked. As we waited for the stone to be loaded I heard one stallion speak, finally realising the situation.

"Guys, I just realised. We're going to have to babysit her. Who's going to be the ones that have to suffer through it?" I was thinking fast while the reluctant stallions were casting their lots.

"How about I watch you guys instead today? See how it works." They looked at each other for a short while before all nodding. They liked the idea and went along with it. Seemingly content they trotted over to the carts once the stone had be loaded. They were hitched into the yokes. Each cart fit three stallions. The carts themselves were a very sturdy wood and were built very thick. There were iron edges around each plank for reinforcement. The yoke stuck out of the front, nothing special there. The wheels, all three sets, had steel caps over the rim and were connected with steel-reinforced timbers. Once the blocks were loaded I could see why. They were massive edifices of marble hewn from the quarry and strapped to the carts. The stallions all, in turn, heaved and got their carts rolling. Shortly thereafter, they began to chatter. Now was my time. I hitched into the fourth cart. The stonecutters thought me mad but I reassured them. They didn't believe me, so I challenged them to see what happened. They looked at each other for a short while before shrugging and loading the next block on. I began to build up the drive needed to haul this much stone. Since I couldn't escape from this walled segment I might as well work. As far as I could tell this wall was too tall to scale and stretched from the cart storage to the destination. Nevertheless I would figure it out eventually.

Bracing myself as best I could I pushed against the yoke. With more and more effort I pushed, receiving no response. Most ponyfolk, when presented with this kind of situation would sit and wait in despair. Not I. With each failed attempt anger built from my thoughts that I should have succeeded. My anger turned to wrath, and from thence to fury. A new fire kindled and strength I had not before suddenly became mine. The cart began to move, albeit slow to accelerate. I eventually got the speed up, only to find the switchbacks out of the quarry ahead of me. The climb was brutal but I managed. I even managed to catch up with the others despite the situation and their head start. There was a little ways trot before reaching the unloading point. Once there the stone was taken off of the carts and we returned to the quarry. When I arrived the bewildered stallions looked at me in some kind of shock and awe, meriting only a chuckle from me as the load was lifted from my cart and I continued forth.

This repeated from sunrise to sunset. At the end of the day, when we all unhitched, the stallions came over. Apparently a few of them didn't quite see what I had accomplished. One of these spoke. "So, what did you think of a real show of power?"

The few that hadn't seen chuckled. I chuckled with them, but for another reason. Those who saw nudged those who didn't sharply. "Well, boys, you're slow. Let yourselves get fat did you?"

I left the few disgruntled stallions, smiling all the while. We took the ride back and had dinner. Those who had seen my display were quiet and attentive, almost as if gauging me. When dinner finished I thanked my coworkers for their company, turning to those who thought to show off at the quarry. "Hey, maybe I'll take the lead tomorrow, set the pace, huh?"

This notion was eating away at them, it was easy to tell, but I enjoyed playing with them as such. I then left before I started a riot right there and then. When I returned to my chambers I closed the door, locking it securely behind me. I then changed out of the dirty work clothes and flopped on the bed. I was more than thoroughly exhausted from the day's work. If only I could transform into my other form it would make this task simple. I had not, unfortunately, the capability of such. Sleep soon found my weary frame and I embraced it readily.

I awoke groggily to a knock on the door. The sun still had not risen, but moonlight shone through the shutters to illuminate the room. I quickly put the work clothes back on and opened the door. Somehow I was expecting Duke to be standing there. I instead found one of my fellow labourers. "Time to work."

I nodded, still tired, and followed him out. I now had a point to prove and I meant fully to prove it. We partook of the breakfast they had provided and set out. It was time to show what I had once more. The gates to our work station opened and we entered in. I, straightway, went for the lead cart and strapped in. I heard the few making mocking comments but disregarded them. They were soon silenced by the others. I then began to exert myself as I had before, but it wasn't yet getting anywhere. "Isn't that cute? Look at how angry she looks. It's not going to go anywhere."

Amid the few shameful scorns of ridicule I pressed on with firmer resolve. It was about the time they came over that, with one furious snort, the cart began rolling. Those last few were entirely dumbfounded, the others stamping their hooves in approval. They realised soon that they needed to keep working and, as such, went to their own carts. Every fibre of my being now strained as I pushed this massive payload up the switchbacks of the quarry. When I reached the top I stopped only long enough to have my cart unloaded before turning about. The others were now barely popping up over the hill which I was about to climb back down. Once the pathway was clear I descended. My pace did not slow. Once reloaded I ascended again just as they finished coming down. I chuckled as I passed them.

This pace continued until the whistle blew to end the second day. I returned the cart and let out a grunt of relief. When the others arrived we boarded and returned to our quarters after eating.

Day by day I could tell I was earning the respect of these, my fellow slaves. It went from overzealous cockiness to cold indifference. This became critical comments, which soon became calm approval. This approval grew into companionship, which almost turned into some kind of idolisation. We had worked together as a team of ten in a job meant for twelve until Duke found two more stallions to join in the labours. These two were stone haulers, built for work for sure. It did not take long for these two new stallions to become companions as well. It might or might not have been influenced by the other nine. I found, unfortunately, although the addition of these new stallions made it so my work load was lighter it also meant my work progressed slower and, perhaps, my escape as well. The two main stallions were the ones that "volunteered to be stuck with me", as they said. They tried conversation while on the job but found that I worked as unresponsively as a rock with a steely-cold demeanour. The work continued, slowly albeit, but it was clear that my time would soon come.

When I returned to the mansion a few days after having become a slave I had snuck in a rock from the quarry, keeping a running tally of the number of days that had passed in my bondage on the back side of my closet door. On the last day of my time in this position I counted the tallies, finding about three years to have gone by. I sighed heavily, almost with a hope so sore from time that it was close to giving out. I continued, nevertheless, so I could ultimately be reunited with my family.

Duke pulled me aside one day, taking me to the library where he had shown me the chalkboard the first day. When I turned and looked at the board it was clear to see that I had soared past my fellow workers. The bar was practically full. "As you see here, Aqua, you have done phenomenally at the job you were given. It was even surprising to me. I did not expect such from a frame as slender and supple as yours."

His words made me cringe, causing my tone to come out a little flatter than I had hoped. "Thanks."

"It was a compliment."

"Thank you." It came out a lot friendlier that time.

"Now, I'll explain what is about to go down. When that bar reaches full you will be rewarded. There are two types of rewards: the first is a material possession. It can be whatever you want it to be. The second is moving up a floor, thereby granting yourself a lighter job. When you advance you put another coworker in your place and you take theirs. When you reach the fourth floor you can start earning an even more special reward, but I won't tell you what that is yet." I had a sinking suspicion, but I didn't speak up. He then placed his hoof around my shoulder, which I begrudgingly suffered through. "Now, keep up the good work Aqua. You're the best worker I've found yet."

A few days of work later, I was pulled aside by Duke once more and asked about which reward I wanted. I, without hesitation, chose to advance up a floor. My body needed rest from the extreme physical exhaustion it had worked up. When I received my new call it was as the laundry returns. It was my job to collect and deliver the laundry as it was done during the night while the other workers slept. The stallion I had replaced almost seemed happy to leave the position, mumbling something about "work unfit for a stallion like him". I quickly found out why. The job itself entailed that I had to sneak into individual rooms and deliver the clothes of the workers while they slept. Unfortunately, because stealth had not always been my forte, the first few days were the roughest in my time within the halls of my prison, being reminded by Duke that failure in my field would mean a demotion to a lower floor. After that, I started getting the hang of trotting silently, and I learned it pretty quickly. After several weeks of practice I could all but hide the slightest sounds of my hoofsteps. It would improve with more time, but for now it was a skill that might come in handy in the future.

The room itself, I should say, was very comfortable while not being overly lavish. Again the furniture was made of simple woods, but it was clear that they used ones that were more appealing to the eye as compared to those on the floor below. These were stained more thoroughly than those of the first floor. The designs were a bit more refined, not being quite as rough or rustic as the first floor’s furniture. The sheets also felt softer, as if made from finer threads or perhaps crafted more carefully. The room had a tidy air to it and was well organised. It carried the necessities, namely a bed, a dresser, a chair, and a table, but also had a few luxuries, such as a nightstand, a vanity, and a wardrobe or closet type of thing built directly into the wall. I didn’t feel uncomfortable within this room, but I still felt out of place. I did my best to make it homely, including marking the number I had left in the room on the first floor before continuing the tally.

Aside from learning how to effectively sneak, my time in the laundry distribution team was entirely uneventful. Thankfully enough, nopony from the first floor ever wanted to take the position. During my time there, I continued marking tallies, counting the new number by the end of my stay on that floor; it had been another three to four years spent in that place. I managed to advance again, moving from the second floor to the third and continuing my march to the top. To my dismay, when I reached the third floor assignment I found it to be gender locked. As much as I would have liked cleaning the exterior of the mansion, mostly to plot out an escape of some kind, there was no option for such presented. Instead I was stuck as a domestic worker, a maid. To make matters worse the work clothes for this job were the most demeaning and undermining pieces of fabric I had seen in my life. I felt embarrassed and vulgar just wearing the pitiful thing even in the presence of only myself in my locked room. Needless to say I was a little more than upset at the circumstances here on the third floor.

Moving on from the pitiful situation I was finding myself in, I took a moment to examine my quarters. The room carried an air of luxury; that was for sure. All of the wood within was a very fine cedar heavily stained to make a deep, vivid red. The furniture selection was the same as the second floor but the quality was much higher. The bed was also very much more comfortable than those of the two preceding floors. I was now uncomfortable with my dwellings, but I didn’t say anything about it for fear of being removed back down to the second floor. I was getting close to, what I perceived to be, my shot at freedom and I wasn’t about to blow it all because I felt a little out of place in a luxurious room in a massive mansion.

As I soon discovered on my first day in my new assignment, I had, unknowingly, replaced a first floor maid. After I spoke briefly with some of the other maids I found floors two and three to be the most desired. Floor four, as I heard, was so expensive that extreme caution and diligence had to be used. Disciplinary action, as they called it even though it sounded like cruel and unusual punishment, was taken for neglect or carelessness; thinking on it, the punishment for improper cleaning of the fourth floor sounded about as bad as the pain I had suffered at the claws of Theogar. The precision of the task meant that only unicorns could manage to fulfill the requirement. Floor one was filled with insult and abuse, harassment and as I would soon discover, from the workers that lived on that floor. Some of the tales were too horrific for me to retell. I soon found myself subjected to some of the same.

It wasn't but a few weeks into this harrowing time than an incident occurred. I was off cleaning the South Wing, where one of the other servant quarters were located aside from where I had bunked previously. I was also scheduled to clean both the East Wing halls and the West Wing halls later that day. As I was dusting the ledges of the decoration on the walls of the hallway, a rowdy group of stallions turned the corner and was coming down the hallway. I braced myself mentally for the degrading comments that I figured would come as the typical onslaught did. No amount of preemptive preparation could have made me ready for what happened next. Now, before any assume my nature to be entirely volatile, while it may in part be such, my fury had been building over the course of the last few weeks. What happened next broke my reserve.

As they passed, no words were spoken, merely a few chuckles. Just as the first pony was trotting by I received a strong hit in the rump. They erupted into laughter as I instinctively kicked back as hard as I could. Perhaps it was my pent-up anger, or my previous profession and the life threatening risk involved therein, that caused me to lash out like that. Either way, it happened. My back hooves connected with one of the group and I heard a pony hit the opposite wall. Several cracks echoed down the hallway. I wheeled around in fiery indignation, filled with vengeance and entirely ready to defend myself. What I saw instead of a counter attack was the group of entirely dumbfounded ponies staring at me momentarily before turning to their friend on the floor. When I looked I noticed that part of his chest had collapsed in. In deathly silence the group took their friend and left. It wasn't long afterwards that a messenger asked me to report on the fourth floor. I fearfully obliged, uncertain of what would come next but dreading the worst.

It was into a dark room on the fourth floor that I was directed. I sat down on the only chair available in the room, a chair that sat a metre or two away from a desk that was almost invisible in the darkness. The messenger left and, shortly thereafter, Duke came into view from the other side of the nearly-hidden desk. I could barely make out his features until the light shifted, barely lighting us both rather than just the chair I was in. "Ah, Aqua, glad you could make it. Now, would you mind giving me an accounting of the day's activities?"

"Well, I was doing as my job indicated and cleaning the South Wing-" He arose suddenly, slamming a hoof on the desk. It startled me, but it was only a precursor.

"Did you need to break six ribs!?" His sudden tone caught me off guard and set my heart racing. We sat for some time in utter silence aside from the occasional breath. He cleared his throat and spoke in a much softer tone. "Now, care to explain why?"

"Well, after a good amount of degradation-"

"Have you grown soft?" I bit my tongue, trying to ignore his needling comment. "I thought work horses had thicker hide than that."

I could feel a slow flame burning me from the inside, urging me to anger. "It came to a head when that stallion-"

"That's it?"

"What?"

"I heard the report. I know what the stallion did. Is that all?"

"Of course that's all."

"You do not know your place then."

"I will defend myself as I deem necessary."

"That's not what a quarter of a million bits tells me." I fell silent. More now than ever I knew that I needed to get out of here. Desire was no longer in the question; my need to leave had now devolved into pure animalistic survival and necessity. "Now, let's try this again. Do you think you can handle this position or will you need to be demoted to floor two again?"

The tone was more than condescending. I swallowed my anger in order to respond. "Yes."

"Good. Continue cleaning floor one as is your assignment. You are dismissed." All I could do was nod and return to the South Wing. Thusly I continued work as normal, fearful of any retaliation that would be targeted at me. It never came, thankfully, and the full two years of my time in that accursed position slowly crept by.

The mid-winter months found me transferred up to the fourth floor. It was early in the morning one day that the exchange was made. To my apprehension, when I met the worker I replaced, she thanked me. Duke was there, unfortunately, so I could not pry into why she was so grateful to have been replaced. Duke personally led me to the room where I would stay. As I trotted in I could tell that no cost had been spared, indeed that every excess of price was made where possible. Satin and silk were the materials of each fabric item I could currently see. The room had high vaulted ceilings, giving it an air of luxury. The doors themselves were of ebony wood and gold, as were any other wooden items, such as the dresser, vanity, wardrobe and bed frame. Simply being in here made me uncomfortable with how much it probably cost. The room itself was spotless, cleaned thoroughly enough so as to seem as if it was simply ornamental. Duke's voice called me back from my searching. "Now, I'll let you get settled in. I'll be checking on you tomorrow. Then we can do some exploring."

He winked, causing disgust to shoot through my soul. I could only imagine what he was referring to, which in turn only fed my need to escape further. He then left me to my own devices, heading downstairs to check on how things were with the other worker. I now finally had the chance to look out the window, as the shutters were not closed. On top of the stone wall that enclosed this prison were the tips of nails lining the wall in a long row. They went all the way around, ensuring no escape. Looking up from the wall, staring out towards what should have been the horizon, I saw mansion after mansion, each walled and gated. This was a very impressive town, one that somehow had not managed, as I recalled, to make it on any map I had ever seen. Beneath the windows, in the gardens, were ponies working to maintain the snow-covered grounds, making sure the plants wouldn't suffer too much from the biting frost. I returned from gazing out the window, turning my attention to the wardrobe. Surely there had to be some kind of winter gear in there. When I opened the wardrobe I saw, to my disgust, the most appalling set of apparel I had ever seen before in my life. It was all types of articles that no creature should ever have to wear. I quickly closed it again. The view frightened my mind and spirit enough that I spent the entire day's worth of time plotting my escape.

I had arrived at no set conclusion when night had fallen. My pacing had continued all day with no success. I had determined, though, that the large quilt on the bed might be enough to shield me from the frigid air long enough to make it to warmer parts of the country. As I continued to trot back and forth, thinking heavily, a new idea suddenly dawned upon me: I could perfect my silent trots tonight, hopefully dodging Duke tomorrow. Yes, it would have to work. With new resolve I began working to improve my stealth capabilities.

Hour by hour passed until I was far too tired to continue. When I wasn't trotting back and forth I was examining the patterns of the guards, recording mentally the path each took and with what frequency. Once it was later than I could imagine I decided to retire to sleep for a few moments to recover.

When I awoke it was to a knock on the door, dawn having arrived. I then heard a key inserted into the door. I quickly arose, standing in the middle of the room. The door opened finally and Duke trotted in, closing the door behind him. "Ah, there's the mare of the hour. How did the room treat you?"

"I'm sure it would have been better if I was accustomed to luxury." I was trying to figure out how to dodge Duke, to make him leave so I could return to plotting.

"Well, it won't be too hard." He began approaching, causing my heart to accelerate a little. "But the room won't be the only thing that will treat you nicely."

He had gotten very close now, uncomfortably close. "So, what do you say?"

My mind raced a hundred miles per hour. I needed to find some way to get out of this room. "I'd like to see the gardens."

I could tell it kind of set him off, but not quite enough. He pressed in further. "There's all day for that. I'm thinking of something else."

I shifted out of the way, almost causing him to fall over. When he recovered I had moved considerably closer to the door. "I haven't seen your exotic gardens in the wintertime and I think it'd be enthralling."

"Oh, but this time is for us." He began approaching again. "So go ahead and enjoy it."

I turned and began trotting away. I was nearly out the door when he spoke again. "Where are you going?"

"To see the gardens. I need a bit more time to adjust, and spending this much time in this room is hard for me. I need it by phases; I need outside air."

"Fine, but tomorrow I will not be denied." I left before he had a chance to press the matter further. Once outside of his view I sped my leave, making it down to the gardens nearly in record time. I absolutely needed to escape before something happened, and I could only dreadfully picture what that could be. I began my trot around the gardens, 'enjoying the view', as I would tell the workers. In reality I was plotting out my escape. I pieced together possible escape methods paired with the patrol routes I had already figured out the night before. More than half of the day had passed by when I had finally decided to head inside, too cold to remain outside any longer and hungry enough to return for a meal. I returned to my chambers silently after that, not alerting Duke to my presence.

Thankfully enough, he did not check on me that night. By the time nightfall came around I had just about every detail and possibility worked out. I had periodically viewed the motions of the sun during the day to gain a sense of orientation while I was out in the gardens. I had mapped out a route during the previous night's stay as well. On top of that, I had worked on my stealth until it was nearly flawless. Now was the time to put all of this planning and practice into motion.

As the house fell silent as the hills, I took the thickest sheet from the bed and wrapped it as a cape, hoping it would keep me warm. I tied it so it had a cowl to cover my scaled face in case I ran into anypony outside, as my features were more than distinguishable. Once I put the cloak on I snuck out of the house, dodging the launderer, the gardeners and the patrollers. I took my route through the back doors, the ones I had noted opened the most silently. To my view was a fresh blanket of snow, newly fallen and covering the previous tracks. This would make my motions easily trackable; my escape was now exponentially harder. I would have to move quickly to get the maximum distance I could before morning. I silently closed the doors behind me and set out into the gardens. I took as direct of a path as I could to the sheds against the back wall. I set my front legs on the snow below, my hind legs on the wall of the shed and gripped the gutter with my tail. In a quick effort I swung myself up; the gutter creaked dangerously as I made my way up. I feared, had I moved slower, the gutters would have fallen, alerting others. Even the sound generated by the strain caused my heart to race in fear. I pressed on, as I had no other option, so I repeated the process. I was able to get atop the next roof, although it was a close call. It was the time for my escape; I repeated this again with the wall, preparing for the pain of the nails. I braced for what I knew was to come, gripping down on the wall and swinging up and over. The pain came, unfortunately, and I knew that I would leave a blood trail easily trackable from here on out. A nail or two had slipped underneath the scales on my tail to cause this. I landed on the ground in the adjacent yard on accident, overshooting the wall; landing on the wall would have given my pursuers a much more difficult time tracking me down. I quickly hid myself in the bushes nearby, seeing the light of a patrol nearing. I analysed the situation as they passed. The gate on this mansion had been left open, whether by accident, an errand or providence I know not. All I knew is that I needed to take it. When the patrol was around the corner and on the next side of the house I carefully left the bush before bolting straight for the gate.

Once I was in the street I looked out towards what I had previously discovered to be west. I would escape that way, heading the opposite direction from the port town where I had been sold in the first place. I knew this because Duke had failed to block my line of sight while we rode in the cart, allowing me to have that sense of direction. After a short while of trotting, I made it to the guard house. I made my way calmly so as to avert suspicion. As I approached the post the guard spoke. "Where's the miss heading?"

He didn't realise who I was. I had to use this to my full advantage, but I had to play it well. "My family is having a special event for us mares tomorrow. They were sending a carriage to meet up with me outside tonight."

"Alright, ma'am, enjoy your event. Did you want somepony to keep you safe out there while you waited?"

"That's very sweet of you, but I'll be fine. Thank you, though."

"Alright. Stay safe out there. Don't get too cold now."

"I won't. Have a great night." He opened the gate and let me by. I broke into a mild canter once outside, one that made it look like I wasn’t fleeing for my life. When out of the light and, therefore, the view of the guard post my pace became a full gallop. I needed to get as much space as possible between Duke and I and this night was the night to do it. I had not the slightest idea of where I actually was on a map, but I kept going west. This little town either didn't show up on maps simply because it was too small or because the property owners paid them not to put it on the map. Or at least that was my guess. I continued my flight, shaking the long string of possibilities from my head.

Day broke, as did my pace. I was tired and wanted nothing more than to just fall asleep but I kept going. The sun rose a little off-set to my right and behind me, meaning I was, indeed, heading pretty close to westward. I picked up the pace as best I could, but my missing hoof made everything more difficult than it needed to be. It was soon to be a full morning and the slave town would awaken; Duke would find me missing. I was exhausted at this point, as I had galloped all night to put a large distance between us. More distance never hurt, so I picked the pace up further than it had been moments before dawn.

It was a little before nightfall that I found myself out of the cold and snow. I dropped the blanket, glad that the burdensome weight of all that fabric was gone. Quicker movement was now possible and less tiring. As such, I moved faster towards my goal.

It was a good while after nightfall when I found myself at the shore of the ocean. Once there, I sat, gathering my bearings, resting and searching for a light in the horizon that would indicate a city nearby. Once I found it I mustered the strength to continue and set out in a quick trot once more.

Just as day broke I heard barking dogs. I broke into the quickest gallop I could ever have managed at this point. I gave chase for a long while, using the endurance I got from my work in the quarry. As good as my pace was, my handicapping leg made me too slow to outrun hounds. The dogs were now getting closer. Not far behind the dogs was Duke's carriage, pulled by several of the ponies I had worked with side-by-side for a decent while. They themselves were now galloping fiercely to overtake me. I judged I would not be able to make it to the city, now in view, before they were all upon me. Just as I was preparing myself to turn and fight the hounds I saw a very large shadow pass over top of us. The dogs suddenly stopped, the carriage scraping to a halt on the sandy shore. I was more preoccupied with this their sudden stop than I was with the giant shadow that had passed. A second or two later, just as I was about to start backing away, I was in the air. I saw Duke climb out of the cart in a fit of anger, going to yell at the team. I then decided to finally look up to see what had grabbed me. I saw the large scaled belly of a creature. I was in the clutches of its claws, as large and powerful as they were. I looked back down again and noticed Duke watching the trajectory of our flight before boarding his carriage once more and redirecting his team. It was then that I noticed the shadow of the creature below us as well. Looking at the shape of the shadow, also taking into account the claws and scales, I could only assume one conclusion: I had been snatched by a dragon. Why it had chosen me to take as prey I knew not. Where we were headed I knew not either.

I never even considered breaking the dragon's grasp. To do so meant either death or Duke, and I wasn't sure which one would have been worse. As I watched our flight, I noticed two things. The first thing was actually felt rather than seen, and it was how hungry and thirsty I actually was. Two nights and a full day at least had passed by since the last time I had partaken in anything, complimented by my heavy exertion made things worse. The second thing I saw. Based on the geography, and how many times I had read the map of Equestria, I could tell where we were. To note initially, we were heading directly to the mouth of a cavern in a mountainside. I looked at the surrounding area. If I was not mistaken we were near the White Tail Woods, a few hours trot west from the nearest city. This came as marvellous news to me, giving me encouragement in these dark times. Suddenly the flight pattern dipped. As we approached the mountain we descended. Right before the dragon landed he tossed me in. I tumbled and rolled into his hoard of treasures. When I came to a stop I tried to gather my bearings, something that finally happened once the world stopped spinning. I noticed the dragon had positioned himself in the mouth of his cave, blocking it. His brazen scales, however, were something to behold. I had never before seen a dragon that had scales of that colour. I quickly noticed that his deep green eyes carefully examined every move I made. More than a little befuddled over the whole situation I turned to his treasure heap. What I was looking for was something reflective, something that would show me once more what I actually looked like now.

My search took me quite a while simply because most of the treasure in this cavern was gold. The tint would not aide me; I needed something that would give a true reflection. I finally found a silver serving plate after a while and looked upon it. I saw myself once more. The pink eyes, missing horn and rent wings were all expectedly present features. What sparked my attention was the now close-up view I got of the scales that I had developed since I awoke in the wastes of the land of the gryphons. I already knew of their existence since the gryphon kingdom. What I didn't know was their exact lustre. These deep blue scales that adorned my body shimmered vividly like sapphires. I knew now why the dragon had grabbed me; I was another mere precious possession for it. I turned to the dragon, determined to convince it that I was a living creature. I approached it as best I could think at that point. "Release me."

"Is that a threat?" The dragon's deep, resonant voice echoed through the mountain cave.

"No, but it is an order."

"Even if I bothered to hearken to you for one second why would I obey what you ask of me?"

"I am no treasure to be hoarded. I am a living creature."

"With scales as sapphires you do not appear to be much more than an artificer's workmanship of magic."

"As to why I have them now I know not. I can, regardless, assure you as the sun shines that I am more than a mere construct."

"If you were a living creature then how come you, as a pony, have scales as a dragon encased in gemstone?"

"They are not jewels. The light simply caught your eye."

"As it does with other precious stones." It seemed as if it was no use. This dragon was quicker than I was. "Your artisan was careless in his assembly of you."

The statement caught me off guard. "What?"

"There are numerous flaws in your construction. Your horn and wings, for example."

"Those are not the work of unskilled hooves. They're battle scars."

"Scarring? Of a precious stone?"

"The scales only recently developed, after the horn and wings were torn from me if I might add."

"If this fabricated whole-cloth of a tale you are attempting to tell me was actually remotely true what reason have I in releasing you into the clutches of other dragons?"

"The reason you found me to begin with was I was fleeing from slavers."

"And that helps your position how?"

"Had I been as before I would not have been fleeing. I would have had armour to fight them."

"If your armour had been well kept it would have attracted my attention all the same." His wit was far sharper than mine. This discourse was not going to solve anything. "You cannot convince me, horse. My mind is set and your fate concrete."

"Then how will I survive? I need food, I need water."

"You'll figure it out. If not, well, you don't really have any other options, now do you?" With that he laid down in the entrance and blocked the way. Escape was now more than difficult. I could now, however, see past the dragon into the sky behind him. The sky was the deep, impressive red of sunset. As I admired the view, and attempted to devise a plan of escape, I could now fully feel the unbearable hunger and thirst that had come from my deprivation. Exhaustion edged its way in from this as well from lack of sleep. I sat down, awaiting nightfall in a hope that the dragon would not be able to see me as well when the shadows fell.

I waited just outside the treasure pile for quite a while, plotting out each point of my escape. Once I had planned it out I waited for the dragon to shift in his sleep, which he did, and move his snout from the wall. There was now a small gap that I could use. It was my only chance. I snuck past as best as I could, getting halfway through before I heard his voice and felt the air leaving his mouth. "Where do you think you're going?"

I began to move swiftly, bolting out of the entrance of the cave in an attempt to spot some kind of path that I could take down the face of the mountain. After one quick circuit around the top I found no ramp, no exit. He was now raising up, turning to face me. "I suggest you rethink your actions."

He was emerging now; I needed to leave quickly. Finding no other way I aligned myself with the woods below, those nearest the town, and jumped without a second thought. I slid down the rocky slope fine until I clipped a crevice. My back end flipped up and over while my front rotated on the mountain face. Like a gymnast, although much less graceful, I flipped and tumbled, twisted and turned down the face of the mountain. I only stopped when I hit the rock face beneath. I crawled to my hooves and looked up. The dragon was climbing down after me, and quickly. I staggered to get a view only to realise I was no longer grounded. More mountainside bouncing ensued. I soon found myself in the woods beneath, hitting a fallen tree dead on to suddenly stop all momentum. In the pitch black darkness of the woods I knew the dragon would not be able to find me. Thinking on my safety I simply sat silently slumped against this tree that had so brutally halted me. At this specific point in time I felt positively broken. Starved and athirst, battered and I'm sure broken as well, near hopeless and alone was how I found myself. I thought perhaps rest would help me recover.

I awoke in the self-same position I was in previously and arose as best as I could. The inky darkness of night still hid all visibility, and the thick canopy removed all hope of obtaining any. I still hurt just as bad as before and was in equally horrendous condition. Debilitating feelings of purposelessness and fatigue begged me to surrender. I knew my time was ticking. In spite of this, I kept moving; I had to. I had come this close, and I simply could not just surrender now.

I, at first, began by trudging through the shadows and jet black hazards. At this pace I wasn't sure if I would make it to town in time. The moment I thought this I threw caution to the wind. I figured that, because I had scales, I could resist most injuries fairly well. If nothing else, at least, it was no worse than falling down the face of a mountain. It was more than likely that I had broken several things within my body, judging by the wall of pain that shot down my body even at the thought of motion, but I simply could not stop. As such I galloped, ignoring what pain I could and limping on what I couldn't, until I hit a tree or tripped. After running face first into a solid trunk or catching foliage I would suffer, barely find the strength and courage to pick myself up again and continue thence. As I finally broke from the forest to see the city a little ways further in the distance I noticed that the sky carried the pink-orange hue of sunrise. I had spent all night in the woods. My time was running low. An overwhelming sense of drowsiness was begging me to submit.

Despite that, I made my way into the city, hoping to find anything to drink. The empty streets on the outskirts of town was anticipated. Most of the city folk here were probably closer to the heart of the city. As daylight and my limited time made their relentless march my worry grew. By the time I had found the downtown area it could have been no earlier than midday. Signs in the windows of shops glowed with a word so tauntingly familiar: Open. Perhaps I could find something in one of these buildings. As I went to go towards one of them my strength entirely failed me. I buckled and fell to the ground, collapsing in the middle of the street. All hope instantly fled. Unless some citizen found me quickly my inevitable doom would arrive. In the heart of a bustling city I found myself abandoned and helpless.

Just as I was about ready to surrender to my pressing fate I heard quiet, little hoofsteps. I barely managed to look up to find a small unicorn filly hovering a glass near my face. When I focused on the glass I could tell it was filled with water. I did what I could to take the offering from this little one. A majority of the water simply splashed on my numb face. Nevertheless I managed to get a few mouthfuls. As I turned my attention back to the filly I found it being dragged backwards by, what I could only assume it at this point to be, its mother. I tried to sit up, knowing it would be harder to fall into the clutches of death. I pushed up against the ground, fighting to rise. I gave and fell back to the earth once more. Again I tried, receiving the same result. I needed to get back up, I determined, so a third time I planted my hooves and fell again. It was only after this, what I resolved to be my fourth and last attempt, that I managed to lift myself to a sitting position. The mare drew the filly further away when I arose. Having risen I now attempted to enact my previous plan of finding a shop where I could find food. I discerned that a sandwich shop was nearby to my left. Figuring this was the next best thing I could accomplish I stumbled my way over to it. When I finally reached the door, as much running directly into it as reaching, I did as the door directed and pulled. I found the door to be locked. I glanced up to see the bright sign signifying that it was open. Another try to open the door reaffirmed that a lock prevented my entrance. With this, my best effort expended, I flopped over and leaned my side against the door. My head hung low in despair. I tried to maintain my determined countenance, my fearless composure, but fatigue, hopelessness and the ever present longing for home had eaten a hollow cavity within me. It was into this crevice that I collapsed. I sat down on the pavement finally, hoof falling from the handle of the door my side was pressed so firmly against. As my head hung down, tears began to well up in my eyes. I tried my best to hide them but, time and time again, my best was not good enough. As the first few slipped from my face to the ground below in the hushed atmosphere of this ghost town I whispered, for it was the only volume I could manage, in one last cry of sorrow. "Haven't I suffered enough for my mistakes?"

Simply saying this brought all my past sufferings, afflictions and failures to my mind's eye: the lost battles, the abuse and fear, the ever present darkness threatening to destroy me, my lost symbols of heritage, the agony of false accusation, the loss of free will and lastly, but most certainly the heaviest, fate's cruel and heartless denial of my return home. As each cascaded in a barrage of torment I gave in. Leaning now even more heavily upon the door to the shop I wept bitterly in the solitude of silence.

Perhaps it was the simple charity of the filly, or perhaps the final visual of the boundless depths of my anguish and desperation, that caused the next chain of events. To this day I do not know what changed the minds of those involved but I felt force applied to the door I was leaning against. I looked up, finding a stallion attempting to open the door. As best I could see through tear filled eyes I noted that he looked worried and sympathetic. I moved, as I was able to, out of the way of the door. It opened finally, swinging towards me. The stallion poked his head out around the edge of the door and spoke. "Hey, uh...I'll, like, buy you something to eat, or something. It'll be alright."

I simply looked up at him, not finding words to speak and hardly being able to even move. He spoke again after a few moments of awkward silence. "Do you think you can come inside?"

As he was speaking to me I saw a few others gathering nearby behind him in the store, as well as a few more in the streets. I began to try my best at the task at hand. The other ponies, seeing my struggles, came over to aid me. With their help, mostly because of their help, I was eventually seated inside the store. Within a few minutes food and drink was arrayed before me. The generosity of this pony was much appreciated, and I partook of what I could, but one meal was not sufficient enough to recover my might after all I had been through. Neither had I purse nor scrip. I did not know how I was going to survive here. Just as that thought passed into my mind the ponies began asking questions. It started out with questions such as 'are you alright?', to which the answer was no, 'where are you from?', and other such small questions. Then came the trigger question asked by that stallion who had opened the door. "What is your name?"

"Now, before I answer that question I'm going to establish one guideline: ask your questions one at a time. I will call out whoever if not."

"Alright."

"My name is Aqua WindStorm." The room erupted with chatter. "I was the Guildmaster of the Order of Protectorates."

Now was when the questions came like a bombarding siege. "My brother is in the Order of Protectorates. Aren’t you the one that saved it from impending destruction by fighting the old Guildmaster?”

"It is I."

"You're a little small, aren't you?"

"I was in my bigger form, which I cannot access at the present time."

"Where's the armour? Where are the weapons?"

"They were destroyed in a fight."

"The Aqua we know disappeared without a trace long ago. How do we know you are her?"

"You don't yet, but that doesn't mean I'm not her nor that I cannot prove it. All I can ask for currently is sustenance and shelter for tonight only. I can then leave tomorrow morning and, if fate permit, I will return. Then shall all be brought to light."

"How can we trust you? How do we know you'll come back?"

"You can't, but then again if you don't you never will know. It's your choice, unfortunately, whether you'll help me or not. I will make it to my destination one way or another." After a short while all but a few left the store, their curiosity sated for the most part I suppose. Those that remained looked eagerly on. "Are you willing to trust me or have your minds not reached a conclusion yet?"

That selfsame stallion from earlier spoke. "I trust you."

I smiled and nodded, indescribable feelings of hope coursing through me again. "All I ask is for aid. As you can tell I have nothing currently."

"I'll supply for you." The voice came from the shopkeeper, something that surprised me considerably. Now that I think on it I recall he had been watching intently. "I have an empty back room you can borrow for the night if you need."

Gratitude warmed my heart even further. "Thank you."

He showed me to the room. After a short while the ponies dispersed, leaving me alone to rest. Words cannot describe the deep joy and gratitude I felt for those ponies at that time. Content and peaceful, I closed my eyes once I was laid down to rest.

The night came and went, leaving the morning. The accommodations, although minimal at best, were better than being stuck outside or in chains, or worse. That much I could be thankful for. After I was given a good breakfast and lunch from the shop owner, after thanking him and promising him payment, I set out with the other group of ponies for the train station. Upon reviewing the schedule posted within the station and the accompanying clock nearby it was clear that the next train left very soon, in a mere minute or two. I parted with the ponies courteously but quickly and began my quick pace towards the station platform. When I passed the station guards I dropped to a sudden canter to avoid too much attention. As I was nearing I heard the train's whistle, signifying its departure. I broke into a full gallop, finding an open gap in the line of ponies at the ticket booths. I leaped over the mechanisms they had set up to control flow, causing the guards to yell and begin chasing me. I could see the train now, and it was picking up speed, soon to leave the station. I leaped across the one set of rails that separated me from my destination and continued as hard as I could. At last I took one last leap, hoping for the best, and barely caught one leg around the outermost pole of the caboose. The remainder of my body was trailing, my back hooves bouncing painfully off the rapidly moving tracks. I heaved as best as I could, swinging around and, after a little work with my tail and one leg, got aboard the back platform. Once I was secure behind the railing I looked back. The station guards were heading back, I suppose to make some kind of announcement or something. At this point it didn't matter to me. I was now homeward bound. I made my way through the caboose and the few storage cars towards where the passenger cabins were. I found an empty booth eventually and seated myself therein. Not too long afterwards a pony came back and announced the length of the ride would be several hours long. He left and the cabin fell silent again. I laid my head on the window and closed my eyes, content enough with the situation to try and rest further.

I was awoken by the opening of the cabin door. It was followed by gasps. Intrigued I lifted my head to find three stallions, two brandishing knives and one carrying a large sack. He placed it down and spoke. "Put all of your valuables in the bag and you'll live to make it to your next stop."

Judging by everything that was going on I connected the dots; these were train robbers. I arose and stood in the aisle way, blocking their path. I saw the first pony clench his knife harder and tense up. He did not speak because of the weapon being held firmly in his jaws, but I did. "Bring it on, half-timer. You probably don't even know how to use that thing."

Aggravated by my response and blockade of the aisle he heedlessly charged in. I sidestepped back into the seats when he was near, wrapping my tail around his neck as he tried to take a swipe at me while galloping by. The sudden change of force caused the dagger to pop out of his mouth, clattering along the floor. I constricted my tail with as much strength as I had. I heard his gagged chokes in reply. I stepped back out to see the others charging, more likely to free their accomplice than anything else. This would prove difficult, as he was behind me now. As they were in range now I kicked towards the first fiercely with my right front leg. The hit connected, causing the first bandit to tumble back into the second, both of them crashing to the ground. As they began to rise again I felt the one in my tail fall limp. The two began galloping towards me again with renewed vigour as I dropped their unconscious companion. I simply whipped around quickly and let my tail fall down upon the first one. It connected solidly and sent him sprawling on the floor. The sheer blunt force trauma was enough to knock him out. Having already turned around I lowered my tail and acted as if I was off guard. When the last one was in range, playing beautifully to my ruse, I whipped my tail up, catching him by the neck. I drug the squirming pony out the back door of the cabin, throwing him out into the space between cars. He hit the ground, tumbling away in several fierce rolls before leaving my visual range. I returned inside and, in turn, drug each of the other two out of the car. They too went out the side and tumbled. Satisfied with my work I returned inside. Wanting to make sure there were no more I picked up the knife on the floor and continued forwards on the train.

I didn't run into any other vagabonds until well further up in the train. There were five of them grouped in one cabin to rob the passengers. As the door opened they all looked towards the sound. One of them spoke once he saw the knife in my mouth. "Stall that one. Kill it if you must."

The others started moving towards me as he galloped towards the engine room. I waited until they drew near before springing into action. I quickly found that these were not trained swordponies in any sense of the word. A simply parry and quick counter slash was enough to disarm or dispatch each one. Those that I disarmed I quickly incapacitated in whatever manner I could, mostly with a kick or tail swing. Those who proved harder I simply slashed a key part or stabbed in a key area to seriously injure, if possible, or kill, if not. As each fell, some losing that sanguine fluid that keeps all of us alive, I took out the next in line until they all had fallen. Once I had finished I took each in turn and threw them off of the side of the train as I had the others. With the last one tumbling out of sight I turned my attention to the front of the train. It was only a car or two further ahead.

No sooner did I enter the engine room than I found the pony that had fled from me. His sword was pointed at the throat of the conductor. Through his clenched teeth he spoke. As best I could I discerned what he spoke. "One false step and he dies."

I held my place immediately. I could feel the inner urge to charge regardless but I resisted. "Knife on the ground and back to your seat. Your time to play hero is up."

I spat the dagger onto the floor in front of me, unfortunately out of reach. The bandit sheathed his sword, which was easily accessible to his mouth. "Alright, conductor, you're going to act like nothing is wrong and nothing happened here. Take us in normally."

"I have another proposition for you." I interrupted his plans momentarily. As I spoke it seemed as if the conductor grew fearful.

"Spit it out then."

"I'm on the run from a very...influential, affluent pony. He bought me for two-hundred fifty thousand bits."

"Your point is?"

"How much would he pay you if you returned me? All of it would be yours." He took a moment to think. "Several hundred thousand bits."

"Where do we need to go?"

"Up north, but I'm not the one in control here. I can't tell the conductor what to do or where to go, but you can." He thought again, losing perspective of my exact movements. I eyed the knife cautiously, trying to not attract attention. The vagabond turned to the conductor to give him orders. I snapped into action in that moment. In a swift motion I ducked down and clenched the handle of the knife between my teeth. Noticing my motions and hearing the clank of the metal hitting the flooring he began turning back, going to draw his sword. I sprang up from the ground and jabbed upwards as he finished drawing his sword to strike the conductor. The blade sunk to the hilt into the soft hide of his neck. Blood quickly seeped out of the part of his neck now replaced with metal. From the initial stab some of the fluid sprayed across my face. His sword dropped and I heard him make a surprised gurgle. I let go of the handle and stepped back to assess the situation. I looked him square in the eyes, watching the sheer terror and absolute fear as his life drained away. "Had you treated this less seriously you would have lived. What a shame."

He soon buckled, unable to react. Once he hit the ground I grabbed his body, dragging it outside and throwing it overboard. I returned inside, giving orders before taking the sword up. "Retain your current course to Ponyville. It is safe now."

He nodded, half astonished and half fearful. I trotted back to my original cabin. Each car I passed through grew deathly silent, although I don't blame them. I'm sure I was quite the sight. I sat in my original seat once more and waited a short while longer until we arrived in the station. The station itself was vaguely familiar to me but time had eroded my exact memory of it. When the train came to a stop I got up as the last one to disembark the vessel. No sooner had I set my first hoof off of the train than I was immediately surrounded by station guards armed and ready should I try anything. I was confused at first, not sure of what they were trying at. One of them spoke. "Ma'am, we ask that you leave all your weaponry in our possession to be handled properly."

It was then that I remembered the sword I had taken from the bandit leader. The feel of a sword on my personage was something so natural to me that I had not even thought about the repercussions of such. I set the sword down, pushing it over to them. As they grabbed it I apologised. "My apologies, sir, I had forgotten that I was in possession of that."

"How do you just 'forget' that you're carrying a sword?"

"Because I had done so so frequently that it hadn't crossed my mind."

"Well, because of regulations and whatnot concerning this dangerous item we ask to see your ticket." Now my heat began to race. I did not have a ticket, as I couldn't even purchase one prior.

"I do not have one, officer."

"Alright, ma'am, then you are under arrest for illegally riding the train and for possessing a dangerous item without proper authorisation or duties paid." As this was my home town there was no way around it. I sighed heavily, accepting the cruel fate. I wondered if maybe I should have waited to board, if I should have bought the ticket with the help of the citizens of the city. Then again, had I not done what I did the train would have been robbed and the string of banditry would have continued. It seemed as if trying to be good now was harder than ever. Dejectedly I nodded my head, subjecting myself to them. The whole group escorted me to the police station. When we arrived they locked me in what they called an 'investigation cell'. It was no more than a one horse jail cell in the police station instead of in the incarceration centre. After they had locked the door of the cell behind me I looked around my new furnishings. There was a mirror, facilities and a bed. I went straight for the mirror. When I viewed myself I beheld large crimson streaks across my face. I had completely forgotten to clean myself after the run in with the ring leader. I realised that, with this kind of appearance and having been carrying a sword, it would take mountains of effort to clear.

I had been in the cell for a few days when they finally interviewed me. In trotted a pony, I could only assume an officer of some kind, and two police to escort him. "So we have a few questions for you. Is that alright?"

"Absolutely."

"Good. We were going to ask them whether you were fine with it or not." I simply sat unamused as the others chuckled. He cleared his throat when he noticed me staring at him intently. "Well, I suppose the first question is: what is your name?"

"Aqua WindStorm."

"Where are you from?"

"Literally two blocks down."

"So a resident of Ponyville?"

"Yup."

"Good, good. Well, I received reports of you riding the train system without proper ticketing? Is this true?"

"Indeed it is."

"Well, would you care to explain why?"

"Quite frankly because I have literally nothing right now. The fact that I'm in this jail with a bed and mirror means I have two more things now than I did prior to me boarding the train."

"And what do you mean by that?"

"To be completely honest, and you probably won't believe it, but I was running away from a vicious group of slavers, one in particular."

"Slavers? Here?" They began laughing. I simply stared at them coldly. When the laughing died down the chief spoke again. "There are no slaves in Equestria. We're all free here."

"That is what you think, officer, but it is a very different perception than the reality I just fled from."

"Ok, we'll humour you here, say there's these mythical slavers here," a chuckle or two came from the other officers, "what makes me believe that a simple ride home is all you were doing aboard that train?"

"It wasn't."

"As I thought. Aqua, it's been real good talking with you but I believe I know now what-"

"No."

"Excuse me?" Sass rung in his voice.

"Excuse me, officer, for interrupting, but you do not know what I accomplished aboard that train."

"Well now, miss, care to enlighten us?" His tone was harsher, more direct and accusing.

"There was a robbery, sir. I'm not sure if anypony else reported said activities."

"That is not pertinent information for you to know."

"Fair enough. Regardless of whether or not you tell me I will tell you this: there was a robbery. Close to ten armed bandits attempted to steal the possessions of the ponies aboard the train. Had it not been for me they would have been successful and this whole thing would have repeated in another setting somewhere else."

"If you're supposedly the 'hero' here, how come your face is splattered with blood?"

"To be honest, sir, because I had to kill their leader before he killed the conductor."

"And how am I to know that?"

"Count the ponies that were on board. Figure out who bought tickets from the departing station, talk with them, track them down, and see if they're alive. You'll find every single one of them to be alive and well. A few might even say something about how a weird blue pony stopped a train robbery."

"You certainly are pretty bold about this, huh?" There was sarcasm in his comment.

"I know when I'm innocent."

"Well, we'll see about that one. You are to remain incarcerated until the investigation has been completed. If, however, we need to use the cell you are currently occupying then we will move you to the penitentiary, is that understood?"

"As clear as day, sir."

"Good. We will be seeing you later." With that he got up and left, leaving me alone once again. All I could do now was wait.

My incarceration continued for almost a month's time more. If nothing else I had been given food and it allowed me to recover from my recent deprivation. During my days in the cell I had overheard a few talk about convicting me of murder. Once the dust settled, my case clear and my guiltless nature having baffled the chief, they released me. Predictably the first place I went afterwards was home. It wasn't hard to find; not much had changed aside from a more aged look. I went to open the door and found it locked. I thought that bit of information to be rather odd; the door was hardly ever locked, or at least when I was there it never was. Seeing as I could not just simply walk in as I had done so frequently in the past I knocked. To my great delight Storm answered the door, albeit barely. He poked his head out from behind it. His face seemed weighted.

"Hello?" The tone was dull.

"Storm..." I was so happy, so overwhelmed by the emotion of finally being home that I couldn't quite think straight nor form a sentence.

"Can I help you?" Well, that certainly snapped me back to reality. His tone was cold, as if he didn't even know who I was.

"Storm, it's me, Aqua." I could see his eyes narrow.

"I don't know what you're playing at but I can tell you this: you resemble nothing of the mare I loved." My heart sank. I knew he was right in that aspect but I had to keep trying. I convinced paranoid gryphons. I was sure I could convince Storm too. Before I could manage to throw together a response he spoke again. "Something else: stop pretending to be her. Your tainted mockery of her presence makes me sick. Other ponies might have forgotten who she was and will believe your lies but I know the truth. Eleven years has not erased my memory of her."

This was the second low blow. I had both forgotten and not realised just how much time had actually elapsed since I childishly threw it all away to fight Shade. "So unless you can magically pull her back from whatever plane of existence she was banished to by that abominable Shade I suggest you go right back to whatever corner of the world you crawled out of."

With that being said he promptly slammed the door in my face. Now my worst fears were realised. Now it was the shattering of a heart already broken. As much as giving up screamed to be a good idea I continued. I needed the help of one of two ponies now. Both were creatures of the Void, rulers in their respective rights. The one was my ally while the other was my very opposite, a sworn enemy since we had first come into contact with each other. I decided that the best course of action would be to seek out my ally first. Galaxia was her name, and Storm knew her well. She might possess the capability of convincing him, I thought. In order to contact her, unfortunately, I needed my soul gem. I needed my source; I needed my white pearl.

I sat in the nearby park and waited for nightfall. Once darkness had descended I approached the house once more. I took a stone from the ground, holding it carefully. I threw the rock with accuracy and power, breaking the front downstairs window. I quickly ducked around the corner and remained perfectly still. I knew that Storm was more sensitive to disturbances in the air than normal ponies were. I let not one breath steal its way past my muzzle until I had heard him return upstairs. I managed to slip inside the window, barely making it past the glass, and hid just out of sight inside the kitchen. He came back down and began to blockade the broken window, probably until he could fix it tomorrow. I began stealthily creeping my way towards the stairs. I could see he noticed my motions, as he began to turn. At this point I bolted up the stairs. With a shout he chased after me. I burst into the bedroom, frantically searching for the pearl. If Storm caught me I knew he would probably kill me at this point. A quick search revealed the glowing sphere on a pedestal, most likely to protect it from any kind of harm. I quickly grabbed it and set it into my chest. Storm was now just outside the doorway. The pearl reattached, seemingly naturally, and I felt a surge of energy. When Storm burst in the room he was carrying his sword. Seeing this I bolted, leaping through the window on the second floor. I suppose as I was running Storm threw his blade, as it cut deep into the hind part of my back left leg. I shattered the glass, falling down towards the ground and landing with a thud before rolling in an attempt to lessen the impact. It all hurt regardless but at least nothing was broken. Regaining my ground I began to focus energy to teleport. Storm was almost upon me when the spell fired off.

When next I opened my eyes it was in pitch black. I cast an illumination spell and it revealed nothing but woodlands surrounding me. Judging by the dark and twisted nature of the flora around me I could only assume this was the selfsame Everfree Forest, and that my random teleportation had launched me here. Guessing this place was just as good as any other I began calling Galaxia. No sooner had I begun than she appeared. What I saw was frightening. Rage burned in her face, twisting it into a fearsome guise where I had hardly seen emotion before. She had always carried a stoic, somber disposition. Seeing her wrath caused me, the unshakeable Protectorate, to tremble slightly. Her voice echoed, the royal tone blasting out. "Who dares to steal the pearl of Aqua?!"

In a quiet, almost consoling, tone I responded. "Galaxia, I am Aqua."

Her voice quieted as well, but all the intensity was still behind it. "No. Even I know of Aqua's fate. I felt the disturbance in the Continuum as that spell was cast. Only entities such as myself have the knowledge for that spell.”

The fight with Shade. She knew of it. "I'm not entirely sure how it all worked out but Aqua, er, I didn’t perish."

"Impossible. That spell is among the most potent and unknown void magics that exist. It simply casts a creature out of existence."

"I weakened it with countermagic."

"Unheard of. No mortal has ever managed to countercast an entity such as Shade or myself."

"Remember, Galaxia, I'm not entirely mortal."

"You speak as if you are imitating Aqua."

"Galaxia, what was one of the most outstanding characteristics of Aqua?" I needed to think and react quickly. I had everything to lose here.

"A constant guardian disposition." Her eyes narrowed, almost in a judging manner. "Theft would have never crossed her mind."

"No, Galaxia, I meant something she had, some characteristic possession of hers." She almost didn't even need to think, her eyes opening again.

"She always had a particular pearl. She would use it to cast her most powerful spells."

"And do you know why she could use it to cast spells to begin with?"

"She dabbled in forbidden arcane arts."

"And what is this?" I brushed up a few of my soft chest scales to reveal the gleaming white sphere embedded underneath.

"An object you have stolen." Her eyes narrowed again.

"Tell me what it is."

"Something you should not have."

"Galaxia, tell me what it is. I already know what it is and how I got it again. I want you specifically to tell me what it is."

"An artefact of immense power."

"Immense soul bound power, right?"

"Your point being?"

"Aqua sealed her soul in this. If, per say, she didn't have this with her when she was targeted by a spell to wipe her from existence what would that mean for her then?”

"She went into the fight soulless."

"As such the spell would not have had full effect, thus meaning...?" Her eyes widened, the realisation finally hitting.

"Aqua could still be alive. I must find her. Deliver the pearl unto me."

"Galaxia, I'm right here. I am Aqua." The surprise left her face, returning it back to the look of contempt.

"I suggest you stop trying to deceive me, for it will not work."

"Then ask me questions only she would know. That's the only way you'll be able to know for yourself that I am not lying."

"Who is her spouse, how many descendants does she have, what is her profession and who is the next pony in line to take her place if something happens?"

"Greylak WindStorm, no fillies of her own but two adopted under her, Guild Master of the Order of Protectorates and Ajiin runs the Order in her stead."

"Parents."

"Both dead. A mare and a drake."

"Combat preference."

"Dual wielding swords in a hind leg standing position, tail for balance."

"You sure do know a lot about her."

"That's because I am her."

"Uh-huh. Two signature spells."

"Restoration and Weaponised Shadows."

"Effects of both upon her."

"Restoration generates a temporary fatigued headache as her soul recovers energy and willpower. Weaponised Shadows darkens her complexion and character, along with increasing her lust for battle."

"You have me both impressed and convinced. Be not misled, however, in thinking I shall render aid unto you."

"Aw, come on! Why not?"

"First of all, what you did was downright idiotic." She had a point there. "Second: you need to feel the consequences of such actions for once."

I trotted closer to her, my voice hushed but very intense. "You have no idea what kind of hell I have gone through already because of that choice."

"Since that is true I will idly stand by while you fight your own battle to fix this mess." With that she left and I was alone once more. Frustrated was not a strong enough word to describe how I felt at this point. The only other option I had now was finding Shade and hoping he would help me. At this point I could only assume he was my last hope in convincing Storm, despite a gap I could only guess came between the two a short while before my fight. As I was thinking I began to imagine the entrance to his domain as best as I could remember it. It was from this that I used as bearing to teleport once more.

Once I trotted a little way to arrive at the correct destination I entered into his realm. It wasn't hard, as he left it practically wide open. Upon entering I found Shade simply sitting upon his throne with a blank stare. He had not changed in the least bit from what I recalled. He perked up enough only to take note of my presence. Since he said nothing I spoke first. "Shade, I need your help."

"Mhm, and who are you that I should render it?"

"Aqua. Are you willing to help me?" The only one so far to believe me, his face instantly recognised the name. His tone suddenly shifted.

"I've had mountains of problems because of you and that Galaxia pony." He arose, anger evident. "How dare you return after what you have done!"

"Hold your peace! I didn't come here to fight. I came here for help."

"Why am I to believe that when in times past you fought with wasted purpose?"

"For one I have neither weapons nor armour. Secondly, as you can tell by looking at me, a lot has changed over the last, apparently, eleven years. Are you willing to help me?"

"I have no reason to lift a hoof at you, nonetheless with you. Begone and return not." He waved me off and returned to his thoughtless state. I tried addressing him again several times but received no answer. Seeing this, I knew I had no reason to remain. Thusly I left. Now I was forced to face Storm alone. He would probably attack me on sight. My scales protected my body a little better than my hide had but I still needed armour, as I discovered while fleeing from him. The problem here was that my armour was still in the house, leaving me with one of two options. The first was to fight him and hope I gained supremacy. The second was to shift forms and hope he realised the connection. The problem with this last option was that I was not sure I still could even manage such. With my new characteristics I knew not what would occur. Nevertheless I was still eager to try.

My journey to the Everfree Forest took about half a day's time from where I had been. Once inside I found my rudimentary shelter that had housed me for so many years. I then trotted to a nearby pond, for I always found my thoughts to be a little clearer on the water's edge. The first glance in the water revealed a little black collar around my neck; I still had the token of my captivity to Duke. I removed it and threw it back towards my shed. It didn’t matter much to me at this point, but I would later use it to fuel my vengeance for that wretched pony that had held me bound for so long. When all was done I returned to the pond I was at before. Sitting down close to the water I began thinking deeply, searching my memories. They were exponentially clearer now that I had the pearl in my possession. What I needed to find specifically was anytime in the past where transformation had occurred. Right before the battle with Shade is where I found the first example. Holding on to that feeling I remember, I started to use magic as I had before. I soon began to transform. It didn't take too terribly long to change completely. Once the feeling faded I leaned over the water's edge and looked within. It certainly caught me off guard, what I saw. The sapphire blue scales, soft as they were, were now replaced by bronze or amber scales. I felt them, finding them to be extremely tough. A strike or two from my claws revealed that they were, indeed, durable. That was something else that was strange to me; when I looked down at what would have been my hooves I saw they more closely resembled the paws of a dragon, fitted with vicious claws. Looking again into the water I saw horns curving backwards in a wave-like shape adorning my head now. I opened my mouth, revealing a set of sharp fangs capable of rending creatures apart. Closing my mouth again I noticed a ridge of horn-like material that now covered the peak of my muzzle and ran back along the top of my face to connect with the horns. Again curious of the fangs I reopened my mouth. This time, while looking at the fangs, I noticed two small holes in the roof of my mouth near the back, but a touch before, the throat. I closed my mouth and looked back at my body. Spines now lined the length of my back all the way down to the tip of my tail. Looking back into the water I finally noted the distinct draconic appearance my face now held. Whereas it was still equine it had the corners and features of a dragon's head. All in all I resembled a dragon. I still had some resemblance of a pony, but just slightly. This wasn't going to help convince Storm at all. The task before me seemed to get more daunting with each passing moment. I returned to the shack, although I sat outside because I did not fit, and slept, as night had descended upon me at this point.

After I awoke I changed back to my smaller form and returned to Ponyville. I was now prepared to face Storm, the stallion I used to call my own. As the morning broke he emerged from the house. He didn't quite seem to notice me, so I helped him. "Storm!"

He looked over and, upon noticing me, began charging in with rage. I transformed just in time for him to arrive with an impact that would have sent me sprawling. The force that would have brought me to the ground simply bounced him back off of my solid frame. When he arose he galloped back into the house to retrieve his sword. I waited patiently, here to prove a point. He came back out, sword trailing, and began charging once more. I simply laid down to protect my softer belly. "Kill me if you must. It will not change what happened."

As he was charging he shifted and jumped, throwing all of his force and weight into his swing. It was a mighty blow, a full hefty swing that I had braced for. I felt the strong bludgeoning impact but there was no bite from the blade itself. I was a touch confused and looked back. My hardened scales were, as I had just discovered, like unto steel. I turned back to him, seeing probably the selfsame confused expression that I wore currently. He tried another blow, finding the same result. He backed up after that, trying to analyse me, perhaps to find some kind of weakness. I stood and faced him. "Storm, you're blinded by sorrow and wrath. Let the past go and look to the present."

"Aqua is gone! Can't you see that?"

"Aqua is here, can you not see that?"

"There is nothing to see but a mongrel, imposter and thief!" I sighed.

"Strike me if you wish. There seems to be no convincing you." I raised my right foreleg, giving him a clear shot at my softer underbelly. He began charging, intent on my absolute and sure destruction. At the last moment I snapped and struck his blade down with my leg. I then head butted him square in the crown of his forehead. The hardened ridge on my muzzle and scalp prevented any harm to me while, at the same time, more harm to him. He staggered backwards, dropping the sword and holding his head before ultimately falling to a sit. He could not react in any other manner than reeling from the pain. I stood like a mountain over top of him, casting my shadow upon him. In a mix of anguish, fury and abandon I spoke, barely keeping my voice from cracking. "This is over, Storm. The pearl will be yours once more. I shall depart for my shack in the Everfree and wait there. One of two things will happen: you will accept what fate has given you or you continue as you have, crying over the past as you watch reality slip away. The pearl's energy will fade as I slip from this world, eventually fading to nothingness. Either you come retrieve me or I will teach you that I had returned only to die as alone as when I came into this life, the selfsame location and all. I have nothing else now. Nowhere to go, nopony to turn to, no family to find me, nothing!"

With that, and choking back a tear, I transformed back, took the pearl from my chest and threw it at him. It bounced off of his bleeding forehead. "I don't need this and neither will you. Enjoy your ignorant solitude while the mare of your life willingly trots into death's embrace, since your embrace is obviously lacking."

I turned and left, heading for the Everfree Forest once more. Even if it killed me, and it probably would, I was going to hold true to my word. I soon found myself at that same small shack as before. I fit within its walls this time, albeit barely. I was curled up tightly, listening to the noises without. My mind began to wander passively after a while, then actively as more time passed, through the darkened avenues of my memories. I myself was an orphaned crossbreed of dragon and equine, now sitting in the midst of an almost perpetually dark forest with the periphery nowhere nearby. I had been sent through battle after countless battle, received wound after innumerable wound. Near-death experiences were a normality as were tragedies. My life itself was one big current of pain but I had put it to use, made something from it. I learned ways to try and help others avoid the kind of life I had. Just as the abyss stares back, however, so too had my lifestyle changed me. My constant struggle with demons, horrors and monstrosities had formed me into one of them. Then I fought Shade and suddenly lost everything. I now had no purpose, little direction and just as few reasons to hope. I had been enslaved and both treated as and sold like an object, a mere possession. A murderer's fate tried to end me after the justifiable case of protection. Just as before my life was once more a string of tragic events stretching beyond anypony's perception. Now, with neither family nor friends, I could think of only one last place I could turn. Due to circumstances, unfortunately, I would not be going, so as to keep my word. I would not be able to see my Order again, the order I had saved and reforged into a legend.

I'm not sure how much time had passed away in my string of thoughts but it was getting miserable to be where I was. Hunger and thirst hammered away as headaches from malnutrition came and left. It was beginning to feel as if the sooner it ended the happier I would be. After a while of dawdling about in such dark thoughts I was pulled back to my miserable reality by the voice of a mare. I didn't pay much heed to it, as it wasn't Storm. Galaxia eventually came into view outside the tiny structure. She approached once she got to see inside. "There you are, Aqua. You're much harder to find without your pearl. What are you doing here?"

I didn't budge in the least. I didn't feel like expending the effort to do so. "You must arise, Aqua."

I merely flicked my ear this time, as if waving her away. She must not have understood it, as she remained standing there. "This is not the time to give in, Aqua. Arise!"

"What's the use? There's nothing for me anymore."

"There's help waiting for you."

"Why should I believe that when you yourself said you wouldn't help me?"

"I think all of us were still recovering from the thought of losing you."

"So you abandoned the one you feared losing? Great plan."

"I just simply couldn't believe that it could have been you."

"Even though I convinced you of such?"

"Even I was blinded by emotion."

"Say I chose to live. What good would it do?"

"The world needs ponies like you, Aqua. I need you."

"So then what? I'm just a simple errand mare? 'Go save XYZ group to keep balance'?"

"No, you're not."

"Then I'm a puppet."

"No, you're not."

"Then what am I? It's not like I even have family anymore."

"You and I both know that's not true."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Then how do you explain Storm's reaction?"

"He too was blinded by his emotions."

"So he tried to kill me?"

"Well..."

"I mean, if that doesn't scream 'nopony wants you' I don't know what would."

"That's not true, Aqua. We do need you."

"Do you now?"

"Yes. If a pony such as myself needs you-"

"A mere acquaintance. And if family doesn't-?"

"Then we convince them. We show them your importance." I let out the weakest laugh I have ever heard.

"With my current condition trying that will accomplish nothing."

"Ah, but you can always try."

"I have a promise to fulfil. Until Storm comes I'm not going to move."

"So you want to just throw it all away?"

"If that's what it takes to prove my point then why not?"

"You're ridiculous." With that she began leaving, turning back to make a few last remarks. "Storm will come."

"Don't bet anything on it."

"We'll see about that." Following her remarks she vanished. I was left alone once more, only able to detect the occasional sound from outside and the pains of my condition. As promised, though, I did not budge an inch.

I'm not sure how much time had elapsed in thought. All I knew was that an overwhelming drowsiness was taking hold. All I wanted to do at this point was fall asleep. My eyes began to feel heavy. At that moment I saw a familiar grey pony galloping up. It was getting harder and harder to stay awake and focused. I faintly understood him when he spoke, and what I recall I understood from his words was "I'm not losing you again."

He picked me up with the help of Galaxia. They then began galloping as quickly as they could. As the forested surrounding passed by me, overwhelming drowsiness overtook me. I fell deeply into slumber.

Despite that feeling, in what felt like a blinks worth of time I awoke. I knew not where I was simply because my eyes would not focus. I was gazing about the light room, hoping to gain some sense of direction. All I could tell was I felt both numb and hypersensitive simultaneously. I turned to my memory in some kind of hope of finding an answer while I waited for the world to become clear. The past seemed so far away now it was hard to determine whether it had happened or if it was all an extravagant dream. In my disorientation I felt an underlying fear building simply from the fact that I could not obtain a knowledge of where I was. As I was coming to, and roughly the time I felt capable of bolting for the exit, the door opened. Storm came in, quelling part of my fear but replacing it with a deep bitterness. He trotted over. "You're finally awake!"

"Where am I?" I didn't acknowledge his remark.

"The hospital."

"Why did you bring me here?"

"You were dying, Aqua...you had flat lined for a while." His tone was sorrowful and pensive, but I gave no quarter.

"What made you suddenly care?" My tone certainly rang harsh, if even a little harsher than desired. I could see it hit Storm hard.

"Galaxia had a little 'talk' with me."

"And...?" Storm was reaching into his saddlebag.

"I believe this is yours." From thence he drew out the white pearl. Some of the bitter rage died down, turned into joy. Not all of it, just some. I almost didn't feel like reaching for it but eventually decided to do so. I placed the pearl back into my chest, where it yearned to be. "If you don't mind me asking, Aqua, what happened over these past eleven years?"

"Can it not wait until I've recovered more and we're back home?"

"Yeah."

"Good. I want to get some rest finally." He seemed concerned about my comment but I didn't pay attention or bother to answer it yet. I simply sat in silence until I fell back asleep.

Time passed rather uneventfully in that little room. By the time they let me go I was itching to bust out of there myself. Once Storm and I returned home we got around to repairing the damages. Only after all of this did we rest long enough for me to relate my entire story to him. Well, almost the entire thing. I left out certain details in order to not overwhelm him. Even after the first part of the story I could tell his soul was much afflicted by his initial rejection of me. Nevertheless he would not permit me to stop until I had told him all that I was willing to. Once the story was done I cheered him again, but I could tell it would only be a momentary lift. I decided afterwards to visit the Order, being alive now as I was. I decided it would be best for me to venture by hoof. There's a certain joy I get in simply hiking off to far off places. At times it can be difficult and dangerous but that is wherein the thrill lies. As such I packed two saddlebags with supplies for my trek and set out.

A few days’ time elapsed whilst hiking. The sanctuary was now within sight. It had not changed one bit since last I was within its gates. I approached the closed gate and saw three ponies atop the wall. As I neared I could now discern that they had bows, drawn and ready. This was the main gate that I was standing at, after all. There was a side one that led to the little combat school I had originally attended, but that is not important. What was important was the possibility of being shot by arrows simply for having trotted up to the main gate. I stopped after seeing the bows drawn. One of the guards spoke. "State your business!"

It seemed a little odd to me how this was set up, considering I had never had ponies guarding the gates as fiercely when I was the Guild Master. I spoke to them to see if perhaps I could persuade them to not shoot me, first of all, and, secondly, to gain entry. "I have returned to direct this Order once more."

"We do not recognise you, stranger. I repeat: state your business."

"It is I, Aqua. It has been a long time since I have been here. Has Ajiin been well?"

"That information is confidential." I'm sure a look shot across my face that read 'are you serious?'. I looked up at them again, awaiting their next words. They were caught in a discussion currently. When they turned back around the first guard spoke again. "You do not resemble our previous Guild Master. You have one more chance before we open fire. State your business!"

Fed up with how this discussion was going I muttered, more to myself than anypony else "I don't have time for this."

I cast a teleportation spell through my pearl, landing myself atop the wall. In a flash I stood behind the archers. A tail swipe sent one down the nearby stairs. Continuing the circuit I bucked the next over the wall, hoping he'd be alright when he hit the ground. The third had turned around by now. I kicked his bow aside and his grip slipped, launching the drawn arrow far away off to the side. Another kick in rapid succession nailed him in the snout. He fell, covering it. It was a simple skirmish that finished as quickly as it had started. Now content on my entry I went down and began approaching the Main Hall. I was near the sanctuary of that grand building when I heard a bow twang. As I turned to the sound, pain shot up my left front leg. I looked down to see a barbed arrow with a line. Following the cord traced the ownership back to one of those three guards I had fought. He yanked on the line, hoping to force me off balance. Each tug caused another shot of pain. "You're not slipping by that easily!"

"I highly suggest you rethink your actions."

"You will not endanger the Order!" In an action fuelled by ferocity which I found in myself frequently I tore my leg away near-savagely. The unexpected force caused the pony to be tossed forwards, losing his grip. I began trotting away, aiming to enter the Main Hall. As I arrived at the steps, and after starting my way up, I felt the line tugging once more. Ignoring him and toughing through the pain, I resolutely placed one hoof in front of the other. I could tell he was trying his best to halt me, but I was not about to let that happen. I opened the doors as best I could and went inside. There were armoured guards nearby, two by the door to be specific. They simply watched my entrance, more likely confused than anything else, until they saw the whole situation. I heard swords draw and armour shift and clank as they began moving. They were kiting me, coming around front to block my path. As such I tried to pick up the pace. This was when the arrow, slipping backwards with each step prior, finally tore free. Immense agony caused my leg to seize up and a grunted gasp to emit from my throat. As best I could I continued forwards, limping with purpose. I could see Ajiin, dressed in a white robe with a cowl that covered his head, standing at the top of a few steps that lead to a seat in the middle of the room. I disregarded the bleeding divot in my leg that the arrow had left; I was bound determined to get to Ajiin. As I drew close the guards positioned themselves between myself and him, forming a wall of steel with swords pointed directly at me. They then parted upon command from Ajiin, who stepped between them. It was also easy to see how much smaller he was than those massive stallions bearing the plate armour. "My, my. That was quite the demonstration of determination. Tell me, where do you hail from?"

"It’s me, Ajiin. It's Aqua."

"That same blue mare that led this order eleven years ago?"

"'Tis I." He pulled back the hood of his cloak, almost as if in disbelief before speaking again. "You don't exactly look the part. You sound the part, but, then again, anypony can sound like anypony they like. How would I know if it was you or not?"

Suddenly there was a poof of smoke, the robes falling to the ground unoccupied. "I can answer questions to show you."

His voice came from the very air around my head. "Perhaps you followed her, watched her life from the shadows."

"I can orate tales of occurrence."

"Perhaps you simply read up on her, know of her doings."

"We can continue talking."

"Perhaps you have studied her mannerisms."

"I can use magic to demonstrate." He reappeared on the right side, trotting in and poking the stump of my horn while giving a little playful jump before disappearing again.

"Now wouldn't that be something? A sourceless unicorn casting spells? Why, that's just unheard of."

"Then perhaps you should see this." I lifted the soft scales of my chest to show him the little white pearl. He reappeared and snatched it, quickly jumping back when I tried to swipe it back from him. I went to move towards him, to follow his retreat, only to be blocked by the armoured ponies. "Hey! Give that back!"

"Eh, it's simply a stone." His manner with the pearl was not careful at all.

"Be careful with that!"

"It's a mere jewel. You sound like it's important to you. No matter. There are likely hundreds of thousands out there just like it."

"No, not this one. This one is very special."

"Ah, so it holds sentimental value."

"It's a lot more than just sentimental value."

"So it holds more importance than a mere gem. That would be an intriguing find to know why." He began tossing it up and catching it when it came back down. My heart nearly failed me in that moment.

"It holds more importance than you could possibly imagine." He chuckled playfully.

"Like what?"

"A soul, specifically mine." He caught it again and stopped. He looked over to me and trotted towards me. His tone was suddenly somber.

"How do you know?"

"That's my soul you've been tossing around, Ajiin."

"Could it really be you?" He got pretty close and began looking me over. "Stature's the same, eye colour too, but..."

"Different, yes, I realise. I have also lost my wings now as well. My scales are certainly something new, something to behold." That last phrase kind of shocked me, as if I was talking with the ego of a dragon.

"Fangs, eyes slitted...are you perhaps...?"

"A crossbreed? Yes."

"Fascinating. But still, after so long...is it true?" It almost seemed like he had a suppressed joy hidden behind his dark countenance. Disbelief still held him firmly.

"Indeed it is. I have returned-"

"from the lair of Death itself..."

"Basically."

"Wait, your leg!" I had forgotten about it as best one could forget a physical injury when their soul is in jeopardy.

"It'll be fine. A simple wrapping is enough."

"No. With my last moments as Guild Master I order it to be treated thoroughly."

"...fine." All I could do was entertain his request. It didn't take long for the medical staff in the Sanctuary to mend it. I just felt drowsy and a touch disoriented was all. I ate provisions and rested for a short while, as were his demands. I also opted to do so hoping that I would recover from what, more likely than not, was a loss of a large portion of blood. I then returned from the infirmary to the Main Hall to resume the task of leading the Order. One by one things were falling back into their proper place and it was making me feel a lot better about things. The next item on the list of things to do was to return home and reforge my armour to fit my newly mutated larger form.

After packing supplies and getting the Order back in order I gave them an order. They were to find those who had lost their courage during my absence, members of the Order who had fled when I went missing or at other times when they could not handle it any longer. Once found they were to be brought back in with the news of my return. After commissioning my fellow guildmates as such I departed for home once more. On my journeying home I let myself become lost in thought. There wasn’t a whole lot that my mind focused on; it more meandered through the alleyways of my memories.

When I returned through the door of my house the first thing Storm noticed was the bindings on my leg. He immediately came over to unwrap it and begin treating the wound magically. I reassured him that I was fine, that the medics in the Sanctuary were more than capable of tending a wound and that he needn't worry. He seemed hesitant but let the issue go. I then began to transform and, having done so I asked Storm to measure me exactly. The measurements needed to be of the utmost precision and of every inch of my body. He obliged, though perhaps he didn’t quite know what he was getting himself into.

As exasperated and tired as he had become after the sixth set of measurements I believe he saw the reason behind it all. It was only after the measuring was complete and I had every last dimension possible of my body mapped that I could see the dramatic difference between then and now. Regardless of whatever condition my old armour might have been in it was clear that a complete overhaul was necessary. I was far too large for the old set and needed to improve several things to begin with.

The whole process of the reforge itself took several days of concerted effort to finish. Once done, however, I knew I might very well be unstoppable. In this form I had this armour that was tougher than any conventional weaponry as a first layer. Underneath this were scales tougher than steel. I redesigned the frame and design of the actual armour, making it appear fierce and intimidating. I kept all of the old systems, tweaking where it was necessary. The responsive hydraulics from before, of course, remained but were improved upon. As powerful as I was now my strength still was not yet sufficient to fight, nonetheless siege, without aid or risk of fatigue. The idea behind this armour was to avoid emergency situations if possible. If this was unfeasible it was designed to meet them head on.

Once I completed the armour I equipped it onto my draconic body. A look in a nearby mirror showed a figure more than capable of inducing fear into the hearts of anypony that stood in my way. An armoured dragon. This will do nicely. I prepared a few more supplies in my saddlebags and resolved to set out. Storm was concerned with my idea at first but I managed to convince him. With the resilience I now had there were two places for me to go. The one was that more-than-affluent little unmapped town in the north. The other was that miserable port town filled with wretched slavers. For such I set my heading, and for such my vengeance and righteous fury was now directed.

3. Vindictive Purges

As the day of my departure arrived, around the time I was finishing preparations, Storm approached me again. I looked up momentarily and, seeing the concern in his eyes, ceased preparations for the moment. He spoke once he made sure I was paying full attention to him. "Aqua, please, don't do this."

"Storm, I believe we've been over this before."

"I know, I know. I still don't think this is a very good idea for you to do this."

"Look, Storm, I respect your opinion and the concern you have for my wellbeing in this situation. That being said, the facts are still the facts, whether we want them to be or not. Duke is still out there. The other slavers are still out there. The slaves are still out there. That isn't going to change here anytime soon unless somepony does something."

"That somepony doesn't have to be you."

"Yes, Storm, it does have to be me. I am one of the few, if not the only one, that has escaped from that life. Besides, look at me." At this point I transformed into my larger form and equipped my new, reforged plate armour, leaving the helmet folded back from off my head. "How many 'normal' ponies do you know that are my size with equipment like mine? How many others share my skill with the sword along with my combat expertise? How many others have taken oaths to protect others and have dealt with creatures far worse than a pony that happens to have a lot of money?"

"None but myself and a few select others."

"Now, how many of them actually know where this place is?" It was silent for a few moments before I spoke again. "I don't want to go and do this either but those ponies have no other chance at freedom if I don't."

"Perhaps another pony will come along that can, a pony that will know about them and will be able to do something to help."

"When?" Silence again ruled the house. "I thank you for your concern over my personage but there is no changing my course. This is something that I absolutely must do. It is entirely imperative."

I started packing the last few things into my saddlebags before putting them on and turning to face him again. "Besides, I'll come back. Don't worry yourself about it. I always come back."

He nodded, defeated. I gave him a hug of reassurance before putting my helmet on and making my way over towards the door. Right as I was about to leave I heard Storm again. "Aqua?"

I turned around to address him. "Yes?"

"Stay safe out there, ok?"

"I plan on it." He fell silent again and I left. The first place for me to go was the train station here in Ponyville. As I trotted in it was clearly visible that those around me were rather uncomfortable. It was understandable, as not many had seen an armoured pony before in their lives, nonetheless a half-dragon pony such as myself. The station master himself had almost a look of terror as I purchased my ticket. Once I boarded the train I noticed that the car I was in seemed coincidentally empty. I took my seat regardless and prepared for the journey towards that town that had saved my life after I was snatched by the dragon.

The train ride consisted of little more than simply gazing out the window at the rapidly passing landscape. When I found that watching nature pass by wasn't enough to entertain me I decided to get a little rest. Surely, I figured, I needed to be well rested for the remainder of my quest.

I was awakened by the sound of the train's whistle as it neared the station. I stretched and prepared my things. When the train finally stopped all the ponies began filing out of the other cars. When I looked around the car again it was clear that I was the only one actually in this one. I decided to disembark as the others were doing. Predictably I was stopped by the station guards and taken into a side room. I was seated across from two of them. Judging the situation to be a kind of customs interview I folded back my helmet to allow them to see my face. It was easy to tell that they were caught off guard by my appearance. "We just have a few questions for you because of some items you are currently possessing. Can you tell us what you plan on doing with those items?"

"You must be referring to my armour, correct?"

"Yes, that and the unnecessarily large saddlebags."

"I was simply wearing the armour so I could use the saddlebags to carry food, drink and a few coins for the journey I'm on."

"Is that all?"

"Yes. I was planning on hiking around the nearby countryside."

"Alright then. You're free to go." After I had stopped the train robbery I expected there to be tighter security and more questions. Finding nothing more I nodded before leaving the room, putting the helmet back over my face. From there I exited the station and began searching for that little shop I had been helped at before, the one that saved my life.

It took me not too long before I managed to find it. Once I had found it I trotted over, opening the door and entering. My heavy hoofsteps resounded through the shop as the tinkling bells eventually fell silent. The door, in which I barely fit through both height wise and with respect to width, closed behind me with a tinkle or two more. I stood well over top of the ponies that were now rising out of their seats, almost backing away. Indeed, I almost towered over them. A moment of silence rode by as I looked over the patrons who, in turn, stared at me in fear. To break the dread silence I spoke. "I have returned."

My words made no difference to the trembling ponies. As such I folded my helmet back once more. This as well had no sway upon their troubled hearts. I realised that this form was not what they had seen me in before. Thinking on this I set my saddlebags on the floor nearby and powered down my armour, letting it fold down before stepping out of it. Once free of the plated mass I transformed back into my smaller, blue scaled form. Once they saw this I heard a sigh of relief as they now recognised me. The crowd then came and thronged about me, asking questions. From the very long list of things asked were many requests to know what happened to me during those many years. Many others wanted to know why I looked so different, why I looked the way I do now, comparing it to the way I looked before. As I tried my best to answer what questions I could one statement rose above the mass of questions and silenced all within the store, myself included. "So it really was you."

This statement left the room hushed as all looked towards me. Unsure exactly of what he meant I shot him an inquisitive look. After a moment or two he repeated his phrase, more emphasis upon his inquiry into the past. "So it really was you."

I was still a little perplexed by his statement and saw that asking with gestures wasn't enough to get the clarification I needed. As such I asked for it. "I don't quite understand your statement. What do you mean?"

"You did return." Either the news from Ponyville and the Order concerning my return spread like wildfire or he put two and two together. Regardless they knew full well that I was back in business. I didn't quite expect his response. "You're here to keep us safe, right?"

I looked over this crowd of ponies once more. It was deathly silent. What had happened during the long decade of my absence I knew not. It is possible that some catastrophe or emergency struck and none of my Order was present or capable. Whatever it was it had clearly shaken these ponies and they now needed consolation. Thinking quickly I did what I thought was best to quiet their fears. "Yes, for this is why I have returned. It is my duty, my desire, to keep you all safe. For the time being I must depart once more to help protect others across Equestria, most specifically nearby in the surrounding wilderness, but I will return. When I do I will keep this city under close watch to ensure nothing happens. If the time comes when I would be unable to aid you because of another mission I have I will send two of my Protectorates to each quarter of this city. Whether by my own hooves or the eight sets I send here it will be the same. There is no more need for worry."

As I finished saying this I looked over them once more. It was quiet for a moment more before the room erupted with rejoicing cheers. I could see now that this is what they needed to hear. I nodded in satisfaction and shifted forms again. Trotting over to my belongings, the group of ponies following very closely behind, I put my armour back on before equipping my saddlebags again. I bid farewell and opened the door. I soon found, after leaving, that this simple goodbye was not sufficient. My entire journey to the train station was accompanied by this collection of ponies. What started out as a small bunch of followers turned into a large multitude as we reached the train station. Once there, although very much against my request, they purchased my train ticket for me. They chose to stay at the station rather than follow. I rode forth once more on the rails for the other side of the country. As the train left the station I waved one last goodbye to the excited crowd before settling in for more rest during this long train ride.

Sleep was, in part, fleeting. I was already more than well rested at this point, but there was a while left in the train ride yet. When I wasn't engaged in sleep I was idly gazing out the train window as the landscape passed by quickly. My thoughts would wander like a carefree filly, that is, until it fell upon the task before me. What first rehearsed through my head was what I needed to, or what I could, do about the black market in the port town. I came to no set conclusion after a long while of drifting through various solutions. Taking it one step back I realised I had to deal with Duke first. I had escaped his grasp but was now returning to his home openly. I knew not what I would do with him. I knew not what actions I needed to take in order to give him the desire to pay his workers, or what I needed to do to liberate them if he would not cooperate. As these thoughts swirled about more came in, begging me to pay them heed. Seeing as I still could not come to any sort of set conclusion I began to focus on the other thoughts. As I did I started picturing how to get to there once more, how to return to that forsaken little town. I tried my best to picture the landscape, piecing it together from the scattered memories of the desperate flight from Duke.

I was torn suddenly from my thoughts as the train whistle resounded. The station was very near, as was this looming task. I prepared my things as the train pulled into the station. Once it had stopped I disembarked. As we were all passing through the gates I, predictably, was pulled aside for questioning. Into a dark room, lit by one lamp off to the side, was I taken. Two ponies again sat across from me. They wore formal attire, so I could only assume their job was some kind of intelligence work. After a short while they addressed me. Out of courtesy I removed my helmet, again causing a bit of shock to play across their faces. Shortly thereafter the questioning began. "What is your name?"

"My name is Aqua WindStorm." I answered them in all seriousness, looking them in the eyes to demonstrate my unfaltering honesty.

"Where are you from?"

"Ponyville, Equestria."

"What is your vocation?"

"Guildmaster of the Order of Protectorates."

"What brought you here today?"

"It was the closest train stop to my destination."

"What is your destination?"

"I came up here to adventure through the surrounding landscape."

"And why do you need armour for that?"

Shoot. They dug into every last detail they possibly could. I had to think of an honest response lightning fast. "Well, I have been attacked many times by the wildlife in this region. I would prefer to be safe from such."

They must have been able to tell that I had to think, even for a moment, about the response. "Is that so?"

"Yes."

"What kind of wildlife? What creatures?"

"Timberwolves and other related creatures."

"'Other related creatures'?"

"I've been in a few other lands, seen a few other species of wolves and wildlife."

"Alright then. Why are you wearing the armour?"

"For my adventure in the wilderness." I thought I had made myself clear on that point before.

"Granted, but why currently?"

"I needed to use these saddlebags for supplies."

"If so then why not carry the armour as well?"

"That is a lot of weight to carry, plus these are the saddlebags I use normally to carry the armour."

"You can wear more than one set of saddlebags, ma'am."

"Then it would be for the weight."

"You are wearing the armour. What weight difference is there between carrying it around your body versus on your back?"

They are persistent, if not ignorant and hard hearted. "This armour has hydraulics. It's a power suit. It's virtually weightless to carry when worn."

"Are you currently carrying any weaponry, explosives, chemicals, live creatures or other such dangerous objects?"

"No." I resisted the urge to shift. I quickly justified my statement in my own mind to put down even the slightest reaction of a lie; I was not carrying my swords. I was wearing them.

"We respect the safety of our citizens highly. As such your honesty in this subject matter is highly suggested. Any contradiction or indication of ill will will be met with extreme prejudice." It seemed as if they caught on to my momentary justification, or as if they thought that I had lied on the last question. Technically, they were right. At the same time, however, they were not; there was no need for these ponies to fear what I had with me. "So I will ask you again and I expect your cooperation. Are you currently carrying any weaponry, explosives, chemicals, live creatures or other such dangerous objects?"

"No."

"Are you absolutely certain you are not carrying a hazard?"

"I am absolutely certain." They stared at me for a while as I stared right back at them determinedly. As almost uncomfortable as it was to lock eye contact for that long, I would not back down, indeed could not back down. They looked at each other and nodded.

"Then you are free to go. Enjoy your adventure." I nodded. Once I was released I made my way out of the city. I trotted my way around the periphery until I found myself on the beach to the north. Once here I turned my back to the city and travelled for the remainder of the day. When night came I made camp, ate and lay down. As I waited for sleep my mind would idly wander. As it did I started to get an apprehensive feeling about this journey. I shook the thought from my mind and preoccupied myself with reviewing how I got away from Duke so I would know how to get there, to that place that bought my freedom. After a few interjected yawns I decided to sleep.

When I awoke I prepared my things and headed north once more. It did not take long before I stopped and looked this location over. I looked out to sea to see if I could recognise any landmarks. I also looked inland as well. I readjusted my position on the beach until things didn't quite seem familiar anymore. Heading back to the more vaguely familiar area of the beach I took note of the sun's position. Using this, the direction it cast my shadow and the movement of the sun, I set my course. As I remember from my journey it was to my right before. Accordingly I set it to my left. From here, with this bearing, I set forth in a mild canter, making sure to be aware of my surroundings in case I recognised some feature.

After another day and a half of journeying I came across what I recognised as the little forest I had galloped past on my flight to freedom. Granted it was a mile or two away, signifying a bearing off by a few degrees. I set my course for it and trotted over. Once I arrived I reacquired my heading and set off again. It was late afternoon, early evening even, at this point. Seeing as there was time left I did not stop there for rest, but pressed forwards. The evening eventually became the fall of night as dusk began casting its shadow over the landscape. It was right as I was nigh about to set up camp for the night that I saw distant lights on the horizon. I decided instead to head towards them to see what it was causing the lights. The darkness of night shrouded my approach, a few times making it difficult to find my way. Nevertheless I did make my way over to find exactly what I had been looking for. These lights came from that little town I so despised. The time had come to settle this thing.

As I approached the guard post I could see the watchman trying to figure out what I was. As I drew closer, as I entered into the light shining from the post, the guard finally saw what I was. He panicked a little and caused an emergency lockdown. An alarm resounded as large steel plates rose up out of the ground to seal the entrance entirely. Spikes also came out of the top of the brick wall. These, I could only assume, were similar to what I had injured my tail on previously when I went to vault Duke's wall to begin my escape. I continued my steady cantering advance to the guard post despite the frightened pony manning the station. When I was but a few yards away the pony within finally spoke. "Halt! You cannot advance further. You are outnumbered and there is no entry. Turn and leave immediately."

I finished trotting up to the little room and leaned my head against the iron-reinforced windowpane. I laughed, almost menacingly, and caused him to back away from the glass. I sat for a while like that, watching his terror stricken face burn with contested desire to perform his duty. What added to his already quivering frame's fear was what I spoke next. "Good. It wouldn't have been fun if it was just you."

I left the glass and headed to the barrier beside it. It was a fairly large steel slab that protruded from the ground. I smiled as I approached the fixture, ready now to tear it down. As I neared the wall I turned around, facing away from it, and trotted the last tiny distance backwards. When I made contact with the metal plate I adjusted my position and locked my front hoof anchors into the ground. I pulled my hind legs in and bucked as hard as I could, coupling my force with that of the hydraulics. The solid connection with the gate sent an uncomfortable shock up my spine, forcing a shiver. A glance back at the gate revealed to my gaze a more than thoroughly warped steel plate. I heard barked orders from over the wall, orders such as to move them out of the way. I released the anchors, moved back further and anchored myself once more. Summoning my strength I bucked again and heard the large metal plate skidding down the road within. I unanchored after the next shiver and turned. A few more shuffles came from those within the walls as they now formed a solid barrier of hide. I trotted near, still out of their reach, to strike a kind of proximity fear into their hearts. I figured it would work since the tops of their heads barely reached the top of my shoulders. I could see that it did, but only in part. It was not enough to cause them to break rank. The fearful ponies still stood before me. Hoping that resorting to violence was not an option here I reared up on my hind legs, causing me to stand more than double their height, and extended my blades. After their initial sounds of fear only the hum of electricity echoed in the street as the blades heated to a glow. Terror caused a few to quake. They knew their cloth uniforms and wooden nightsticks stood no chance against my armour and weapons, yet still they stayed. With one last attempt I tried to disperse them without violence. "Now, do you really want to make this a fight?"

A few began to back up. One stepped forth, presumably some kind of captain. "We are to give our lives in defending these ponies."

"A noble goal, really. The shame of it is that all these you are protecting are unholy wretches who make their commerce in the exchange of equine lives." I retracted my blades again and dropped down on all fours. "I'm not here to stain my hooves crimson. I am here to speak with Duke. You all can leave."

I began trotting by and the captain barked at his subordinates. "Don't just stand there. Stop her!"

"I would suggest you don't even try." Some of the guards, the captain as well, began attempting to strike my armour with their pitiful weapons. Each stroke bounced fruitlessly off of the forged shell I wore. I turned to face those that were assaulting me in vain. It was the captain and a select number of others who continued to swing their nightsticks even after several had stopped already after seeing such fruitlessness. I chuckled audibly at the spectacle. "You simply don't listen, do you?"

After another moment or two of watching the determined ponies hitting my armour I, relatively gently, kicked the captain. He tumbled and rolled several yards away, ultimately coming to a stop in an unconscious heap. Those that were taking swipes stopped immediately; the whole crowd backed up several paces. Stepping one hoof forwards towards them I lowered myself a little. "Flee.”

With a jolted movement, and within a few moments, the whole group had fled, stumbling over one another in their panicked flight. I nodded my head, having finished dealing with this minor distraction, and turned towards the streets filled with houses. My next task was to find Duke's home, which, all things considered, was not difficult. It was easy to recognise the nightmarish structure that had imprisoned me for so many years. As I trotted down the lane to where the front of his property was I noticed his gate was closed. It was almost predictable, considering my all too recent escape. Nonetheless I found satisfaction in this chance to destroy what he had. I trotted up to it and kicked it with my front left leg. The gate warped immensely, but did not break surprisingly. I turned around and used my tail to finish bending it far enough to let me slip through. Once inside I approached the front door. Upon attempting to open it I found it to be locked. Finding great joy in defacing his property, possibly causing thousands of bits worth of damage, I turned about and bucked in the double doors violently. They splintered and caved in, leaving a mess of wood chips and expensive materials on the tile floor. It was a shame that I had to destroy such a beautiful piece of art such as his door, but the lives of those within meant more to me than an homage to my heritage. I began my way inside, finding I was heavy enough that each step cracked and destroyed the costly flooring underhoof. I reached the stairwell and made my way up to the fourth floor, probably more out of divine providence than architectural design. Each step cracked and creaked frightfully on my approach to the top floor. On the right side I saw a long hallway with double doors at the end of it. It was there that Duke was; it was there I went. The time was nigh. I reached the doors and an attempt to open them revealed that they were locked. Since, conventionally, the doors would not budge I bucked both in simultaneously as I had done to the front doors. These too scattered wooden shrapnel across his bedroom. When I turned I found a very startled and frightened Duke cowering on his bed. Beside him was a mare, one I recognised from my time in this hole; she was just as frightened as he was at this point. Duke had just woken up, and his fear was tangible as I trotted in. "Surprise! I'm back!"

The mare darted off to the side but he kept to his bed until he found that he could not remain safe there anymore. As he shifted to one side I set my hoof on the frame and applied weight as if to climb on. The frame creaked and ultimately snapped in twain on this side. He kept on the massive mattress nonetheless. I saw the mare fleeing from the corner of my eye but it did not matter to me, for my business was with Duke. I set both front hooves underneath the shattered frame and lifted up fiercely. The bed flipped on its side, causing Duke to fall within the now-imprisoning canopy. He was now cornered by his own grand canopy bed. The force caused me to stumble but I caught myself and moved in quickly. He was just up and ready to bolt when I wheeled around the corner of the frame to block his only remaining exit. He backed up until he hit the wall; I followed in after him. I found room enough to turn and grasp him with my tail. He shouted in fear as I drug him out roughly. I flung him across the room into one of his bookshelves. The force caused many of the books to become displaced, and several of the lighter volumes all together fell from the shelves. I trotted over, picked him back up and threw him to the other side. As he hit the shelves he was met with the same result by the contents of the shelves. He tried crawling away, and it was clear that he was injured, yet still I wrapped my tail around him and yanked him from the floor. In a voice cracking in fear he screamed at me. "What do you want from me?"

I threw him, but only with enough force to cause him to skid to a halt on the opposing side of the room. I folded my helmet back to reveal my face, one that I'm sure burned with deep anger. "Have you forgotten me so quickly?"

"What do you mean? I've never seen you before in my life!"

"How many scaled ponies have you known during your lifetime? How many ponies have you bought with that much money?"

He was momentarily silent. "Aqua? But I thought that dragon got you!"

"You thought wrong! Not even Death himself can keep me in his grasp! Did you really think one pathetic dragon could be my demise? That, however, is unimportant. I came here for one thing: you. Since I have you powerless and cornered it looks as if you have no choice but to fulfil my request. You must either release all of your slaves or hire them for a fair and marketable wage."

"Never. I'd die before then."

"That can be arranged." I bolted in before he could move out of the way and wrapped my tail about his hind right leg, a little above the knee on the thigh. I then quickly trotted over to the window. Using almost unnecessary roughness I shoved him out the window with my grasp still firm around his leg. The shattering glass echoed in the room, mixing with the terrified screams of Duke. He now hung precariously over a four story drop to his death. Where before he clawed to break free of my grasp he now clambered to keep my grip alive. I could hear him screaming still from the outside.

"No! Please! I'll do it! I'll do it!"

A part of me was disappointed, but I complied. I pulled him back in and threw him one last time against the wall. I trotted over to him and, once I had arrived, unsheathed a blade. The sword heated to a white hot and dimly lit the room. I brought it very near to his face and watched as he struggled in vain to escape the heat. "Now, here's the deal: you are either going to free your slaves and release them back into normal society or you are going to pay them for their hire. I shall return in time, the frame of which even I know not, to check on this place. If you have freed them then it is well and I will assure they fall not to slavery once more. If you pay them it is of equal esteem to me and will be treated the same. If you do neither, if you fail in this task as you did in keeping me imprisoned, I will personally see to it that you never have the chance to purchase anything more, slave or not. Period."

I retracted the blade and made my way for the entrance. Upon reaching the doorway I saw a very large group, indeed it seemed to be the whole household's worth of ponies, standing outside the doorway to Duke's chambers. They all looked at me. Some stood in a kind of fearful reverence, others in quiet anticipation. As they looked at me and I at them I took the opportunity to speak. "Remember this night; for it is the night your ransom has been paid. The one that escaped has returned to set you free. If Duke frees you not I shall return and enact justice in its fullest. Watch for that day."

I put my helmet back on as they began talking one to another. There was an air of jubilance and joy in that crowded hallway. I knew I had done something good for these ponies. Regardless of such I, myself, could not celebrate with them, for the task now before me was darker than the one I had just recently accomplished. Finding myself unable to shake the heavy thought from me I decided against joining their merrymaking and celebration. I set out from amongst them, finding my way out of Duke's house. Once outside I set my aim for the East Gate, knowing the forsaken little port town lay in that direction. Leaving from thence was almost unbearably easy; all of the guards must have been at the West Gate to assure no escapes or intrusions and the one guard here must have figured it to be easier simply to let me leave than to try and stop me. I walked out of the gate with grim determination.

It wasn't more than a half-day journey. The scenery, though little there actually was, blended into itself. No outstanding geographic or natural sights drew my attention away, especially as the little port town became visible on the horizon. I had to shake my head a few times on the journey there to shake some vile and dark thoughts from my mind with respects to what I was going to do when I arrived. As I drew closer my thoughts centred, almost unconsciously, on the unmistakable husk of a town I was about to enter. I was glad that I had my armour this time to keep me safer than I was last time I was here.

When I entered the port of the city I began looking around, searching. The last time I had been here I was shoved in a box and jostled about until I was sold and loaded in a cart, from whence I could not make out details very well. I realised I didn't actually know where the market was. Being as lost as I was I approached a nearby worker, who stood just as tall as I did, surprisingly. In order to draw his attention, and judging his character to be a little rougher anyways, I barked at him. "Hey, you!"

He turned about to face me, a look of disgust on his countenance. "What do you want?"

"Where's the market?"

"What are you, blind?" He pointed to the side. "There a huge sign that points it out, stupid."

"Not that kind of market you oaf." It was not hard to read the look his face carried when I said that; he tried to hide, rather poorly, his countenance of recognition. There was a black market and he knew where it was.

"Uh, we don't have that kind of thing here."

"Like hay you don't." I pulled out several bits from my saddlebags, hovering them nearby. "Do you know where it is now?"

His covetous greed sold him out in the end. "Yeah. It's in the biggest warehouse next to the docks. There's an auction starting here soon. I'm planning on seeing what they've got."

I put the bits back into the bag before he could grab them. "I suggest you don't go for your own sake. Thanks anyways."

"Hey, what's the big idea?"

"I'm not sure what you're talking about."

"Give me the money."

"What money?"

I was fibbing around, seeing where I could get with this pony, perhaps even convince him to not go to the auction. He drew his blade, his tiny little dirk. "Give me the money or I'll-!"

"You'll what? Hit me with your pathetic little dagger? Even if I had no armour it would do nothing. I don't think you quite realise who you're talking to here. Run along, now." He sat in silence, utterly frustrated. He could tell that the dagger would do nothing, so I left him where he was and went directly to the dreaded building. As I neared I could indeed hear, in the faintest, a bidding session taking place. I trotted around the whole periphery of the building. It was a quick scan, nothing more, simply to check the number of entrances. The answer was two: one of public access in the front and the other for the entrance of the merchandise in the back. I decided to take the public entrance, see if I couldn't but sneak inside at the minimum. Once back to the correct side of the building I quickly and quietly entered. The door closed behind me and I momentarily grew concerned that somepony heard it. Thankfully enough the room was far too alive for them to hear the gentle click of the door. I turned and unsheathed a blade, leaving my back to the audience currently and hiding as best I could the soon-to-be gleaming sword in front of me. Once it was fully heated I used it to primitively weld the doors shut, which turned out to be a little harder than I had imagined it to be. From here I made my way around the back of the crowd to the left. A few took note of me as I passed to approach the front but they brought no alarm, perhaps thinking I was there myself to bid. As it was darker I'm sure they couldn't make out what I was exactly and assumed me to be a large dock worker or some kind of security for the auction. It was only when I began climbing on stage that a ruckus picked up. A few tried to stop me as I approached the pulpit. Their efforts were in vain as I simply shoved them off of the stage. I drove the auctioneer from the pulpit and took control. As the room fell quiet, awaiting my reasoning, I took a moment to see what was being sold. It was a young mare and a stallion together. The mare was about average size, perhaps a little short. Her hide was a light grey, almost silver in colour. This was contrasted by her jet black hair, which, I can still only assume, was cut short by the traders. Surprisingly enough they had styled it, albeit roughly and a touch messily, yet I suppose it was enough to do the trick and raise the selling price. Her weight was a bit heavier than normal, but of a stronger build; I could only judge her to have done physical labour for a decent while. I couldn't quite place exactly the colour of her eyes, but recollecting on it I would say they were about a steel-blue.

The stallion was large and well built. His work must have been very heavy physical labour, possibly some kind of quarry or construction work. His hide was far darker than the mare's light grey hide, yet grey it still was. He was almost the colour of flint. His hair was a brown, not terribly light yet not very dark. His hair was also cut relatively short. Surprisingly enough his eyes were a touch more blue than the mare, yet a form of the same steel-blue they were.

Simply looking at the two of them impressed upon my mind that they were fetching a high price. As high as mine? Not hardly, but still more than others I'm sure. I turned back to the silent audience standing before me. I took a deep breath to collect my thoughts and begun. "Alright, here's how this is going to go down. This is up to all of you. You will now separate yourselves into two groups: property bidders and slave owners. Why does it matter? Well, I'll show you why. You there, in the front row."

I pointed my hoof at a gryphon that stood on the ground before me. He pointed to himself inquisitively. "Yes, you. Do you own slaves?"

"No." I turned and looked at those around him, seeking their answer. One disagreed while the rest of those around him asserted such. Needing a more general audience, for fear his bidding neighbours shared a close relationship of some kind with him, I turned to the rest of them.

"Tell me, the rest of you here in the building, does he own slaves, this gryphon up here in the front with the green and blue feathers?" An overall view of the bidders confirmed my assumption. It also gave me a very mixed group of responses. I took it in a moment longer, thinking deeply on it, before signaling for the gryphon and the mare that stood to his right to come up onto the stage. This mare had supported the gryphon and stated his innocence. As these two processed their way up I also made my way towards the two ponies that were being sold. They simply watched me in curiosity, albeit with apprehension, as I approached. When I arrived I whispered to the two of them in a tone the audience could not hear. "You two, I highly suggest you close your eyes tightly and cover your ears if possible. It might be better that way."

The two were more than confused but I didn't dare tell them I was about to soak my hooves in blood if I needed to so as to prove my point. As I approached the podium once more the gryphon and the mare came up. They were more pushed onto the stage than anything. They were soon beside me, while I was standing in the middle. I wrapped my tail about the midsection of the pony and put my front left leg around the gryphon. I turned my attention back to the audience. "Now, your honesty is very important in this matter. Is this gryphon a slave owner?"

Again the response was mixed, but it was now more affirmative than not. I turned to the gryphon and spoke quietly with him. "Where do you live?"

"Uh...in the land of gryphons."

"Interesting. What brings you out here to Equestria?"

"I wanted to see what was out here."

"Ah, I see. How have you liked it so far?"

"It's good, but I like my land better."

"Fair enough. Is your friend here a slave owner too?" I phrased the question to be an intentional pitfall. My heart raced a little, hoping that the gryphon didn't realise what I was trying to accomplish. I also quickly glanced out at the audience and saw a lot of them were nodding. Whether or not they heard the actual question or simply nodded in fear I’m not sure. I then looked back at the gryphon and anxiously awaited his response.

"Yeah." He hadn't realised the trap. He fell for it and convicted himself with his own words.

"Where does she live?"

"Small town. No one knows it."

"Super rich? Huge houses?"

"Yeah."

"Do lots of other slave owners live there?"

"Uh...I guess?" His answers were more cautious now, but it did not matter. I had all the information I needed.

"Yeah, I've actually been there. Fairly quaint. Thank you for telling me. I like your response."

"Wait, what do you mean 'I like'-" Before he finished his question I had extended one of my blades and violently jabbed upwards into the gryphon's chest. In order to avoid falling, as well as to add a little more force and emphasis, I reared up onto my hind legs when I thrust him through. The unheated blade sunk deep, the tip even breaking through the back of his torso. Deep red blood seeped out around the blade until it heated up, from whence the blood boiled and the wound cauterised. I twisted the blade before tearing it out of him. I watched as the life drained from his eyes, the normal and necessary bodily functions of respiration and cardiovascular circulation all but halted from the charred scar. The body fell limply to the ground when I released it. I dropped back down onto three legs. Having finished the first demonstration I turned towards the crowd. "Such is the fate of a slaver. Now let me show you what will happen if you decide to hide one."

Using the firm grip I had upon her midsection, I whipped my tail around to one side, releasing her right as I went to wheel back around. I swung my leg in due to meet the pony that was coming around. Within a moment's time the mare's head rolled out of my view. I looked at the decapitated corpse and let it stumble around for several moments before it fell. To the audience I turned once more. "Have I made myself clear? Now, if I suspect that any of you innocents are lying to protect your friends or acquaintances, in other words, if a few of you hide the guilty you will all die right here right now. The entrances have been sealed; there is no escape. Begin separating between slavers and innocents."

Once those words rang through the room a riot broke out on the floor. Pony and gryphon alike kicked, clawed and shoved as they tried to get some kind of organisation. With all of them distracted I headed over to the stallion, who seemed far more capable of answering my question at this point; the mare was cowering while he held her as best as he could. It was easy to see that the stallion was discomforted by my proximity. He was fairly nervous by the time I was nearby. I leaned in close to the stallion, who was leaning away just as readily, in order to speak. "I will not hurt you. You two can be assured that you are safe, but I need to know something very important. You were here before I was. Tell me, from what you can tell which side of the room contains those who were bidding for you two? Which do you recognise as bidding for your freedom?"

He motioned to the right, but made himself cautious and careful not to actually speak to me. I nodded and looked back upon the crowd. It seemed to have worked itself out for the most part, leaving a large group on the left shoving a few back into the slightly smaller group on the right. The space between the two groups was no wider than a pony is long. I took my place behind the podium and drew the activity to an end. "Enough!"

Things settled down except for a small group that kept trying to breach sides. As I took note of such I jumped off of the stage. I landed with a large thud and began my approach. By the time my first few steps had been taken after the resounding contact with the floor all but one pony had stopped trying to get over. Time and time again this pony fought in vain to get over, entirely oblivious to my presence. As I was very near I stooped low, drew one blade and thrust the sword into the pony. Sending the blade through his chest, ultimately kicking him in the chest with my hoof, I arose. Standing quickly I thrust upwards with all my might, retracting the blade and allowing the force to carry the body airborne into the crowd to my right. I now stood in the middle of this deathly silent throng. Slowly pacing upwards towards the back of the room I spoke. "You on my left: you will file on stage and wait there. You will make sure none others from the right climb on stage. You on my right: you will sit here and await further instructions, but know one thing: if any of you climb on stage with the others I will tear you limb from limb."

I quickly took my position by the doors and turned about. It was here in the back of the warehouse that I hoped to be able to see the movements of any creature that tried to slip through. The one group began filing up onto stage, looking at each other nervously. The other group sat in dread fear. One gryphon managed to slip into the group heading on stage; I took fervent note of his appearance. Another tried to climb on stage and was quickly and brutally shoved back down. Once the group, in its entirety, made it on stage I too climbed up, taking my place behind the group near the start of the stage. "Form a line slightly behind the lip of the stage, just out of reach of those below. You are to face the audience."

It didn't take them long to accomplish such. I managed to pick out the dark red feathers of the stowaway gryphon in the line, about three quarters of the way down. I began a slow, plodding trot behind the line. "The individuals you see before you, those on the stage, have not soaked their hooves and claws in the filth of the slave trade like those of you down below. Had you kept yourselves spotless from this barbaric institution there would have been hope for you yet. Those above will live to see another day. Those of you below? Well, that remains to be determined."

The anxious ponies and gryphons stood in fear driven silence as the only sound to be heard were my slow and heavy hoofsteps behind them. I eventually made my way down the line until I stood behind the gryphon. I stopped momentarily, hearing the fearful change of breaths of those in the area. I turned my back to the gryphon and lifted my legs. I heard a few from the lower audience begin shouting, but it was too late. I, relatively gently, bucked him off of the stage before wheeling around and leaping down after him. He was trying his best to scramble away while recovering but was unable to do so before I landed nearby. Those on the floor cleared the way as quickly as they possibly could. Those who didn't move fast enough were bowled over or shoved roughly aside. I caught up with the gryphon, who was nearly upon his paws, and kicked him brutally back down. Galloping over I placed a hoof upon his back, pinning him to the ground as he tried to struggle for freedom. As he tried crawling out from under my hoof I activated the anchors in the greave, clamping firmly into the flesh of his back. He whelped a little from the pain but I did not stop. I next wrapped my tail around one of his hind legs. Sensing what I was about to do, remembering the threat I had made, he quickly began to protest. "No, wait! Please! I'll do anything. Anything!"

He was sobbing at this point, scared spitless for his own life. "It's too late for actions, wretch! You made your choice when you snuck onto that stage!"

"Please! I have a wife and kids!"

"Yeah? What about the family of those you so heartlessly tore from their homes? What about the fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, spouses and fillies of those you bought and sold like objects? What about your family? What about theirs?! You chose this path with the first bet you made for a life! Now it's about to come to a close." I began pulling his leg away from his body.

"No! Please! Anything! I'll send them back! Pay the families! Please, just let me go!" As appealing as an offer as it was, and as much as I would have taken it, I had a point to prove.

"Your fate was already sealed. Now I'm here to finish it." I kept pulling, his hip flexor popping before ultimately dislocating. He began moaning and, through heavy and frightened sobs, kept repeating his plea for mercy. I wish I could have granted it, more than anything I wish I could have. It rent me to the core what I was inflicting not only on this poor gryphon but on all those watching and, ultimately, myself. Regardless, I had an image to uphold and a promise to fulfil. Three had died already in this demonstration of blood and it hadn't proved to be enough. Now a fourth was required.

"Please! Mercy!"

"Mercy cannot rob justice!" A few in the crowd came over and started trying to push me away or otherwise cause me to stop. Their actions led to more coming over. Their combined force proved formidable, threatening to move me aside, but I simply anchored to the floor and kept at what I was doing. The resistance of the others was unreal upon my tail and, only upon exerting my best effort was I able to continue the grisly task. As I pulled further his hide began to tear and blood began to drip. His muscles very quickly followed the example of the flesh under which it hid. Soon a sickening sound resonated as the limb came free. The whole time his screaming had become piercing and haunting, cutting my heart. Throwing this soul-crushing thought aside I kept at it. I threw the bleeding appendage into the crowd around me and grabbed the next rear leg. This, as well, was torn from his body in this barbaric manner. By the time the second limb came free from the body the screaming had all but died down; his body was giving in to the pain as he numbed, close to death. By this time the crowd had ceased trying to stop me and was now backing up to the outer periphery of the room. They hoped to get as far away from me as possible. Soon the third limb came free from the limp body, the sickening sound echoing through the deathly silent room, before being hurled at the cowering crowd. They quickly vacated from the limb's landing site. For emphasis I took the fourth leg from the dead gryphon and threw it to the other side of the warehouse. Again the crowd fled from the presence of the severed body part. As an extra show of emphasis, I wrapped my tail about the neck, pulling viciously away from the limbless torso. Once the neck followed the same disgusting pattern set by the limbs, coming entirely off of the body, I held it up with my tail. I then hurled it against the ground behind me, letting the crack of the fractured skull echo as the head bounced brutally across the floor. I then deactivated my anchors and left the limbless gryphon's body on display for the horrified audience to look upon. I folded my helmet back, barely managing to maintain a fierce disposition, to allow my ferocity to display fully. I carried a scowl and a snarl, both with a strong effort to resist breaking down in disgust. "Alright, whelps, this is how things are going to go down. I will take the two for sale, set them free and provide a means for them to return home. All of you on the stage will, from here on out, only bid on items; absolutely no intelligent and living creatures are to be sold. If such is offered: either vacate the premises immediately or beat the vendor to death and free the creature. Whichever you choose is up to you, for it matters not to me as long as no living thing is sold, save for plants. You that are down here with me: you saw what happened. There is no exit, so you will do one of two things. You will either swear to me the release of your servants or I will cut down each and every single last one of you where you now stand. As you have seen I will happily traverse either path. Now, have I made myself clear?"

It was deathly silent, yet all were slowly nodding their heads to the question. One by one, by direction, those gryphons and ponies swore to me on their lives that they would release their slaves. As well, I very easily pried out of them the location of the smuggler's den in the land of gryphons. It is still slightly surprising to me the information that lesser beings are willing to give after they have both witnessed and been scarred by acts that can only be abhorred by even the most savage minds.

With the last one having given me their oath, and with this horrendous display now finished and taken care of, I trotted over to the doors. The gryphons and ponies cleared the doorway well before I arrived, avoiding me like I was the plague. When I reached them I turned about, bucking back with vicious force. The doors catapulted from their welded hinges and frame. I trotted away from the opening to give those inside the chance to flee. Once they felt I was far enough away from the doorway they just about stampeded out of the open frame, slaver and property bidder alike. I turned my attention to the ponies in chains, finally able to drop the charade of ferocity. My face held a dead expression, numb from the soul crushing experience I had just inflicted upon myself. I tried to keep a look of compassion and a friendly attitude but it certainly was difficult, if not impossible, to maintain. As I approached, I noticed that the silver mare was trembling violently and appeared as if she had just stopped sobbing. The grey stallion stood by, keeping his body close as if to give her comfort, and was glaring in a very condemning manner at me. The closer I got the more he tensed up and the more fear-ridden she became. Seeing this I stopped and backed up a little. Hoping to diffuse the situation I spoke. Though I will admit, the first phrase that came out of my mouth was rather idiotic in these circumstances. "Is something the matter?"

"Yeah, you!"

"What do you mean?" I already knew the answer to that one but I wanted to hear him voice it.

"What was that?!"

"Keeping my word."

"What kind of monster are you?" The words sunk deep, cutting me in a way that I had so frequently done so to myself after I had realised my brutality in the past. All I could muster in my thoughts was how right he actually was.

"I will set you free and explain everything in due time."

"You stay away from us!"

"We must depart from here."

"We're not going anywhere with you!"

"Please, I implore you. It's safer that we leave here."

"And why is that? Especially if we have to follow you?"

"You're free now. I will set you free from those chains."

"If that is what freedom means I'd rather be a slave."

"Do not be so rash."

"Don't you dare talk to me about being rash! Not after that unmerited murder!"

"I did what I had to."

"You didn't have to do anything!"

"I set you free from the grasp of those who wished to do things far worse than you could have imagined them to do."

"You're one to talk."

"I had to purchase your freedom for you somehow."

"And that's the price?"

"As it turned out, yes."

"You disgust me. You're an abomination." I noticed the mare nudge him, causing him to turn his attention to her. "What is it?"

"Brother...please."

"I won't go anywhere with that…that freak!" I bit my tongue in order to hold my peace, holding back any reaction.

"This place scares me..."

"And this...this...thing doesn't?"

"Please..." The stallion looked at, what I could only piece together to be, his sister for a moment longer before glaring me down once more. I spoke again, not leaving him the chance to interrupt, with my helmet still down to let them see my face as best they could in this dark room.

"I don't expect you to trust me. I don't expect you to like me. I don't expect you to support the things I do. Let me, however, ask you this: if you decline my offer what else do you have? When I leave who else will come and rescue you? Where is your family or your friends? Where are they? Where are you?"

I put my helmet back on and approached them during their moment of silent searching for answers. The stallion was staring silently until he leaned in to his sister again, hoping that I wouldn't hear what he said. "I'm only doing this because I promised everypony that I'd keep you safe."

I unsheathed a blade, waiting for the length to begin glowing, and made the needed strikes with the heated blade, breaking the hinges on the cuffs that kept them bound. "Let's get moving. Stay close, and please don't wander off. You don't know the landscape well enough, if at all."

I saw apprehension on the face of the stallion as he begrudgingly complied. I led us out of the warehouse to find the port town completely abandoned. What had been a bustling place filled with rough characters now seemed like a desolate wasteland. I reached the regular market in but a few moments and surveyed the scene. Again there was nopony in sight. I then took from the stands nearby the supplies I believed were needed and put what I thought was enough into the massive saddlebags. The stallion spoke out while I was doing so. “Wait, you’re just robbing them of supplies?”

“Do you see a merchant here for me to buy the supplies?” It was silent for a moment. “I was going to leave a fair amount of bits behind to pay for them.”

“Bits?”

“What?”

“What in the wide land we trot on are ‘bits’?”

“Money. I thought it was a universal Equestrian thing.”

“We’re not from here.”

“What do you use in whatever land you come from then?”

“It’s all just bartering, trading one thing for another.”

“Well, here we have money to facilitate that, like this.” I put the last item into the bag and pulled out a decent pile of bits, placing them on the stand. The stallion remained silent, as did the mare. I then turned and left.

I led us from that place and started southward, for I knew there would be some town or other familiar sight that way. The others followed behind silently. They did so with some distance, still terrified of what I was.

By the time night fell on we three, we had barely reached Whitetail Woods. I took us a little further in for extra measures of security for the other two. We then stopped and set up camp, using a few rocks and twigs to set up a fire pit. I used one of my superheated blades to cause embers to spark in the foliage and twigs in the fire pit. Soon we had a decently comfortable fire going. Once all was set up the two took the exact opposite side of the blazing fire we had made. It was clear that the stallion wanted nothing to do with me, while the mare quietly dreaded my presence, as it seemed. I was content with our conditions, so long as they followed me to safety, and decided to try and get some rest. I powered down my armour, letting it pack up. I heard gasps of fear and shock from across the fire, so I turned to see why. The both of them were either looking at me or behind me and I could not tell which. Assuming that reacting to the second possibility would end up being safer I wheeled around, ready for whatever might have been behind me. What I found was a tree. Realising that it was my strange appearance which caused their reaction I turned back to them. It was a look of near horror on their faces. Perhaps it would be better, I thought, if I transformed into a smaller, less intimidating and gentler form. I did just that, but it didn't do much for them. It quieted their fear of my size, yes, but nothing of my appearance was very normal for them. I saw their faces still filled with fear and quietly sighed. "It's time I explain."

"You think?" The stallion seemed to appreciate retorting.

"My appearance is off-setting, I know. I'm a halfbreed: half horse, half dragon."

"I don't care what you are, just stay over there!" I nodded respectfully, the near palpable and unquenchable fear radiating from those two bidding me to comply. I laid down on my side of the fire to see if I could not but rest. While staying there, with my eyes closed, I had the idea of laying as if I were asleep and waiting to hear what they would say about me. I was staying on the ground for quite a while before the stallion started speaking. "Hey, do you think it's asleep?"

"I mean, it looks like it."

"Then let's sneak off, leave it here."

"Sneak off where?"

"Anywhere but here with that monster."

"So we can get lost and die? We don't know anything about where we are or where we are going. What would it possibly solve to wander away?"

"We're going to die anyways."

"You don't know that."

"But I am very sure of it."

"At least give it a chance. What do we have to lose?"

"Our lives."

"We'd lose them either way, but, I mean, it hasn't killed us yet."

"Yet. You saw what that freak did back there. This creature is more cruel and evil than the ponies that took us and burned our homes. It should be killed or locked up for good. Make us all safer." That was, probably, the most hurtfully honestly phrase I had heard in my life. It was hard to not react.

"Just go to sleep. If it's like you say and it decides to kill us it's less painful if we're asleep." I heard rustling for a while before it ultimately ceased. I waited several moments more before stealing a peek at them. Their eyes were closed, both of them resting on the opposite side of the dim and dying fire. I waited for a while longer, utterly unable to sleep or escape the nightmarish trap hole of my thoughts. After a large window of time passed, I quietly arose and snuck away from the camp. I went about a hundred yards, I'm sure, away before I, literally, stumbled upon a thick grouping of trees and foliage. As I fell into it I found it to be well enough formed and deep enough to hide within, so I curled up once I had settled down and adjusted. The dark thoughts simply would not cease swirling in and through my mind like a hurricane of unparalleled, self-destructive power. Mixed about in this wrathful typhoon were memories of the gryphon I had so heartlessly and brutally annihilated, an event far too detailed in my memory, along with condemnatory words of spite and malice. Echoing around were insults I had heard frequently, and I had to agree with them at this point in time. Monster. Freak. Abomination. Failure. These words, along with others of equal strength, were flung mostly by strangers and acquaintances I had met along the way. Perhaps it was an overactive, pessimistic train of thought running rampant but I thought I heard the voices of family and friends, those I had known for long periods of time, joining in the chorus. Then came my own voice, more coherent and brutally effecting at demoralising. In my mind were rehearsed words so razor sharp they still cut me to this day thinking on what I said to myself.

'What are you? You swore to protect others, yet what have you actually managed to accomplish? Nothing but murder and torture. What kind of barbarian have you become? Look at you. You will never amount to anything now.' The despair that had now hollowed my heart grew deeper and fuller, threatening to consume my very being. 'Just give up already. Nopony will miss you. Nopony needs you. Look, it will be real easy, simple. All you have to do is-'

My thoughts, thankfully, were interrupted, cut gracefully short by a whispered voice. "Hello? Are you back here?"

It was the mare. Having been convinced of myself that they would be better off without me I sat entirely still and silent. It seemed to have been working until she stumbled upon my alcove in the same manner I had. She let out a gasp as she fell upon me, backpedalling as quickly as she could. I let out little grunts and groans as she kicked me time and time again. When she managed to distance herself from me she waited in frightened silence. I eventually arose from the foliage. "Is...is that you? I-is it?"

Her voice trembled with fear. I had no other option than to answer. I might have been worthless, as I thought at the moment, but I could at least quiet her fears. "Yes, unfortunately."

I heard her sigh in relief. "You couldn't sleep either?"

"Anymore it certainly is getting harder and harder to do so."

"What do you mean? What's wrong?"

"Well, your brother put it perfectly."

"Don't listen to him. He's just scared and doesn't want to show it."

"Oh, no, no, he's right. Just look at me."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm a horse, with scales and claws, that ruthlessly inflicts pain and ministers death. If that doesn't make me at least some kind of a freakish abomination of both nature and society I don't know what would."

"You're just reacting badly right now."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You're just in a lot of bad situations."

"There's a reason I'm stuck in a lot of bad situations. They're my fault, just as I am a monster of my own make."

"Bad actions don't make a bad pony. They just show you're stuck in poor situations and have nothing else."

"I don't think you will be able to understand enough of me to manage to justify that statement."

"What do you mean?"

"I have no hidden facets, no alternate personalities. What you have seen from me thus far is who I am."

"I don't believe that. I've seen glimpses of something better."

"Don't lie to yourself. You haven't seen anything else, anything better, because there is nothing to see."

"Even if I haven't seen anything I don't need to. You're a good pony on the inside. I feel it."

"No. I have been tainted to the core by my own poor decisions."

"That's not what I see."

"Then you are either blind or are not looking at me."

"You might be doing that to yourself. I see a helpful pony, one that is kind."

"Knowing how blackened I have become in my time, I can do nothing else but decline that statement."

"Light chases away darkness."

"Oh, this is far beyond simple moral darkness. If that was all it was there'd be no problem. This is a staining of the very threads of my being."

"You can treat the spots or pull the threads out of a cloth."

"That would leave it tattered, vulnerable."

"Then guard it and go places where good, strong, and pure threads can slowly be stitched back in."

"I don't have time to just sit around. I have to keep going."

"Then make time. Stop for a moment. Let others carry your burden."

"And if they cannot hold up to what I have, what then? I am left with the blame, the shame and guilt that I wasn't there when I needed to be. With a crushing burden such as the one I carry how would I even start? Sharing any of the cargo's weight would crush anypony that tried to help."

"You don't know that."

"But I do."

"Have you let anypony else help you in your duty?"

I thought on it momentarily. "A few."

"To what extent?"

More thought. "Not much."

"Then you can't know for sure."

This mare had me stumped. Perhaps there was a level of wisdom behind those steel-blue eyes of hers that betrayed her youthful countenance. Perhaps even I could learn something from this young mare. "Then how do I start? With what I've done during my life who would even want to help?"

"You'd be surprised, but the first step is taken by you."

I'm sure my brow furrowed in disdained curiosity, although there was no way that she saw it. "How?"

"Focus on what you've done right. For example: you saved my brother and me."

"That doesn't justify what I have done."

"What you did might have saved thousands from evil and slavery, if not now then in the future."

"At the cost of my soul. This problem has dug too deep to be rooted out. Thank you for the advice, but I've afraid that there is no more hope for me."

I heard rustling from where she had been, causing me to assume that she arose to return to the little encampment. "You've acknowledged it thus far. Perhaps there's hope for you yet."

With that she left. I was alone once more with my thoughts. Hope? No, wretched creature that I am, I have no hope. I'm too far down this path of blood to turn around, on my own or not. I wasn’t just struggling in it; I drowning in it. The help of others? I don't have that, never have. For the duration of my life I've been alone in just about every endeavour I've had to undertake. What could possibly change that? No mortal pony could accompany me, and no sane one would even want to. This is beyond their realm of capacity. God and creatures from other realms would see my problems as below them anyways, so that was out of the question. I was hopelessly helpless in this fight.

Several moments of such associated thoughts passed by before I begrudgingly returned to the camp. I transformed outside the ring of trees and quietly took my armour. Again outside the camp I equipped it. I then returned again and sat by one of the trees near the exterior and kept watch over the two as they slept. My thoughts continued to vex me until morning light, when the two of them arose. When they took notice of me I spoke. "Glad to see you slept well."

The stallion was startled by my sudden statement. "Don't worry; I was only keeping night watch."

"Uh-huh. Well, what now, oh magnanimous leader?" His tone dripped with sarcasm, albeit it was tired sarcasm. I ignored it the best I could.

"First we eat. We will travel again after that." They seemed content enough with the answer, so I began preparations.

We finished breakfast after a little while. I took a quick stock of our inventory, finding that we were about out of provision. I packed the bag again and, as was promised, we began our trek through the forest. During the journey, the mare made every effort to walk beside me and ask questions during the journey, whereas the stallion sat in brooding silence a little ways back. Perhaps she intended to befriend me, nevertheless the questions rolled out. "What is your name?"

"The Sanguine Dragon." I tore that name out of thin air, no more than a fanciful answer woven in my mind, but I stuck with it. I wanted to see what satisfaction I could grant the stallion, so I started changed my answers to be far darker than normal.

"Where are you from?"

"The Everfree Forest."

"I knew there was something evil about you." The brother chided in response. He seemed ever ready to rebuke me for what had already cast me to the brink of destruction. "So what exactly are you planning to do to us?"

"Get you back home." As much as any other response would have proven humorous I had to be completely honest with that question. The walk was silent for a while until the sister spoke again.

"What do you do?"

"What do you mean?"

"For a job, for work."

"Murder, I guess."

"I told you it was evil." The brother was always willing to assert that point. The sister, nevertheless, kept going as if he never spoke.

"Nonsense. You have to do something else. I mean, why else would you have freed us back there?" She had a way of making even the worst things seem good. I could not answer her with any kind of negative rebuttal.

"I used to protect ponies, although anymore it seems like I have forsaken that calling as of late."

"Used to? What about us? You're protecting us." For the first time in a long while a smile broke across my face, a smile not requisite upon bloodthirsty satisfaction. They could not see it, though, so they never knew.

"I suppose I am."

"You know, you're not so bad after all. You just need somepony to tell you that you're important." Important. Not many times have I been told I was important, that my presence mattered. Even if ponies mentioned it they always mentioned my importance as the importance of my decisions or position, of my mentality, or technology and magic. Mere aspects of me were praised by those around me. Yet of my whole personage? Infrequent or sporadic mention at best. Now I was here, trotting with two complete strangers, of whom I did not even know the names, that I had just scarred for the rest of their lives, and the one told me that I mattered. Me, myself, my whole being, I was called important. Just like that little smile that had stolen its way across my face a warm feeling crept into my cold heart. It seemed like this young mare was teaching me something I had not managed to learn before, something I did not have the opportunity to learn in my own youth. I did not have the loving company of family to teach me; I was not graced by their care. Suddenly my thoughts were interrupted by the mare once more. "Do you have a family?"

"In what meaning?"

"Parents?"

"Dead." It fell extremely silent. Perhaps she was not ready for that statement. A few more awkward moments passed before the next question.

"Any siblings?"

"One sister just as messed up as I am." Again it was silent for a short time.

"Spouse?"

"Yes."

"What's he like?"

"He's fairly sweet."

"That's nice to hear. How does he treat you?"

"Well, I was away for quite a while recently. When I got back he tried to kill me." These two certainly were not ready for those answers. The silence was nearly painful in and of itself.

"Fillies?" I needed to dodge this one. If they weren't ready for the last few answers they wouldn't be ready for this one. Almost as if heaven-sent, the city came into view from the tree line.

"Would you look at that? The city. It's time to get you two back home." I started heading towards it.

"Wait! You didn't even answer my question!"

"No would be the answer for that."

"Why not?"

"I mean I have no fillies."

"Oh. How come?"

"That's a bit personal."

"You two waiting? Freshly married? How come you don't have fillies?"

"Do you actually want to know the answer to that one?"

"Of course!"

"During a battle with a frost hydra I took a shot from a massive icicle in the lower abdomen. It pierced through the back and shot out of my undercarriage. It took my team a while to finish off the beast, so I sat and suffered irreversible damage to the area from severe frostbite. I'm artificially barren is why I don't have fillies. That blessing was wrenched from my grasp." Now started the longest lasting and, possibly, most painfully awkward silence I have ever experienced in my lifetime.

It was only once we entered the city, the train station to be exact, that the mare spoke again. "Will we ever see each other again?"

"Hopefully not." The look the mare shot a disgusted look over to her brother over this response dripping with disgust.

"Your brother's probably right on this one. Not quite that pessimistic, but still correct nonetheless. It's very possible that we never meet again."

I could see disappointment and heartbreak flood her face. How, after one day and one display of public butchering, she could be heartbroken over us parting I still don't know. It is still a mystery to me today. "But...but..."

"Come on, sis, pick your chin up. It's time we go home."

"No. I want to go with her!"

Her response came as an absolute shock to both of us, especially when she took a single bound to stand directly beside me. "Absolutely not, sis. We need to be home to help with the work."

"I want to help other ponies like she does."

"Your brother has a point here. Every day I have to face either creatures far worse than me. I also have to make decisions that I don't even want to acknowledge. I stare down death almost daily. It's not something you'd want to do. Besides, this mantle is mine to bear and mine alone. I have to run solo on this one. I always have and I will always have to."

"But being alone is what made you into what you don't like. It's what made you what my brother calls you."

"Hey now-" I held my hoof up at him, ordering him to silence.

"Didn't you want to fix that?

"Even if you could help me accomplish that, there's no way I could endanger you like that. You don't have, or even know, what it takes to live like I do."

"Then teach me."

The brother spoke again, regardless of what I had ordered. "Cam, I'm not going to let you do this."

"Lance, I can take care of myself."

"I can't just leave you, especially not in a different land and especially not with that." He pointed to me.

"Then come with me." It was silent for a short while, the two siblings staring at each other in defiance. I was quickly thinking.

"Cam, is it?" She turned to me and nodded. "Cam, I'm going to ask you a few questions, without your brother in earshot."

"No way am I-"

"Can it! This is her decision, not yours. Leave her to answer the questions given to her without adding your commentary for once, eh?" Frustration and anger showed on his face. He left, nevertheless, to comply with the request. I turned back to the mare. "Now, are you ready for the questions?"

"Yes."

"If you so choose to accept this call there is no backing down. You will be committed to a full life's service in protecting and helping others. Is this something you are willing to do?"

"Yes."

"Are you proficient in weaponised combat?"

"Like swords and stuff?"

"Yes."

"No."

"Are you willing to endanger your life in order to train and become proficient in a combat school?"

"Yes."

"To accept this call means you will prepare yourself for the possibility of facing creatures that no other pony can or even wants to imagine. These horrors have caused even the noblest of warriors throughout the history of time to tremble in fear. Also included are criminal minds so warped that sanity is more of an idea to them that a state of being. Are you willing to fight past this?"

She swallowed hard, nervous about this question. She was unsure. She was fighting inside herself, seeing if she really had the courage to accept. I could see she wanted to accept the question but her mortal fears were barring her way. Several moments of silence rolled by before she answered. "Y-yes."

"Joining this cause means you are ready, if need be, to substitute your own life in the place of one soon to perish. Are you willing to make such a sacrifice as this?" I needed to be hard with these questions. I needed her to be absolutely sure that this was something that she wanted to do.

"Yes." Her tone was still a little shaky.

"After you accept this call it is possible that you may be forced to participate in or perform actions that are contrary to accepted social norms. Some may be rescuing enemies of the state or your own nemesis, should one arise. Others may include acts worthy of abhorrence. Regardless, ponies may, and most likely will, talk poorly of you should it occur and many may even begin attempting to take your life for such. Are you willing to tough through acts so unseemly that others shrink from the thought?"

Her courage was wavering. She seemed ready to buckle, to no longer pursue this course of action. Her thoughts must have turned to the things I had done in that warehouse-bound black market. It was taking a very long time for her to think. Finally, and resolutely if I may add, she nodded to give her acceptance. "Yes."

My heart both sank and rejoiced at the same time. I was glad she could be near to pick me up when I had been trampled underhoof, but my soul was also racked with torment at the thought that I was now the ultimate cause of her future demise. "You will soon enough know my name, my actual name that is, the name of the Order and what you must do. You must try your most earnest efforts to not use my name without the walls of the Order so as to avoid any who might be searching for to harm me."

"Why?"

"That information currently does not matter. Do you pledge to do this, using only my title and rank in the Order in its place?"

"I do."

"Good. Call your brother. I much desire to converse with him over the subject matter as well." She trotted over towards him. Within a few moments both were standing by me once more. "Now, Lance if I'm not mistaken?"

"Don't wear it out."

"Right. I have interviewed and found your sister willing to become capable for the task at hoof. Answer for me this one question. There are two parts. Part one: are you willing to allow your sister to join this order and embrace all of the associated implications thereof?"

She looked at him intently and full of hope for a few minutes. He sighed in defeat. "I suppose so, if it will keep her safe and I can maintain contact with her."

I didn't want to tell him that it put her infinitely in more danger, so I immediately moved on. "That brings us to part two: are you willing to join her in this?"

"That depends on what's required."

"If you accept this call there is no backing down. You will be committed to serving, protecting and aiding others for the duration of your mortal life. Is this acceptable for you?"

"Sure." He didn't seem like he was fond of the idea.

"Yes or no? This is a close ended question with two answers and two answers only: yes or no."

"Yes."

"Are you proficient in weaponised combat?"

"I worked a lot with hammers back home."

"As a weapon?"

"No."

"Alright. Are you willing to put yourself in harm's way to become proficient in any field of combat?"

"It'd be kind of intriguing."

"Meaning...?"

"Yes."

"Accepting this call will force you to prepare yourself for things unimaginable. You will face fear inducing creatures of darkness and even wickedly evil individuals, a kind of which you cannot imagine currently. Are you willing to ignore your fears and continue strong in defending others?"

He did not want to go through with this; that much was for certain. He looked at Cam for a while; her bright complexion of hope must have been a help for him in this moment. He thought a moment longer, perhaps that there'd be somepony like me he had to face. He then turned back, almost reluctantly, and answered. "Yes."

"By taking this offer you may find yourself forced to do things that will make you the target of scorn and mockery, be it acts that go against social or even moral principles. Are you willing to toughen your resolve to do so regardless?"

He most certainly thought about what I had done recently. Once could simply see it in his eyes long before his question had formed. "You mean like what you did back there with the slavers?"

"I wish I could promise you no, but I do not possess that kind of foresight. It is, however, extremely rare to have to go that far. It certainly is not something done more than once in a bicentennial blue moon."

"If I answer no, then...?"

"You will not enter the Order."

"Then my answer is yes." I looked at him for a moment, concerned about whether or not he wanted to actually do any of this.

"As the last question I must ask: are you willing to substitute your own life in the place of another should a death be unavoidable?"

"Yes." I believe he was thinking of Cam at that point. His answer was strangely determined and I could find no other reasonable explanation.

"To finish this little interview you must promise me one thing, make one oath: when you learn my real name you will not use it outside the walls of the Order for security reasons. This you must swear to me."

"I will not use your name, but what would I call you then?"

"You can use my title from the Order."

"Alright." It was clear he still did not want to do this. Do it he did, though, but only for and simply because of his sister's decision. "With all of that settled let us stop by your family to make final preparations and bid farewell."

It grew very silent; the mare kicked at the ground while the brother was visibly uncomfortable. "Is something the matter?"

"My sister and I are from the Far Colonies. The slavers left nothing behind when they went through and ransacked our town. As far as we know we're the only ones that survived the pillaging."

"No family?"

"Not anymore. Nothing to our names either."

"Then let us depart for the Sanctuary." I contemplated asking them why they were so determined, at least why he was so determined, to get back home when home didn't even exist anymore, but I decided against it. Some things are better left unspoken, so instead I nodded and motioned for them to follow me. Working our way through the station we eventually managed to purchase tickets and get to the correct platform. We waited a while for the next rain to arrive. When it did we boarded it. We were headed to Ponyville, my home as well and the closest town to the Order as well, and this ride was going to get us there as quickly as possible. The train set off eventually and we settled down for the duration of the trip.

When we arrived in the Ponyville station and disembarked the vessel I was, undoubtedly, taken aside for questioning. Behind closed doors they began. "What is your name?"

"Aqua WindStorm. We've been over this before." The one signalled to the other who began searching through some papers nearby. When he finished he simply shook his head.

"No, we have not. Where are you from?"

"Here in Ponyville, and are you absolutely certain?"

"Positive. It shows no records under that name."

"I had a sword with me last time, the train robbery, no ticket, any of this ringing a bell for you?" The one searched the records again for any cases involving a sword, I'm assuming. He then shook his head again. "Well, anyways, I know I've been through this procedure before."

"Mhm. What are your plans with your hazardous cargo?"

"You mean the armour?"

"Yes."

"Get home and pack it up."

"And why are you wearing it in the first place?"

"Convenience. It's easier than lugging it around."

"Fair enough. Anything else you care to bring to our attention? It will be far worse if we discover it later."

"I currently have nothing else."

"Alright. Take care of yourself out there."

"Thank you." With this they released me to meet back up with Lance and Cam. He was the one that spoke first between the two of them.

"What did they want?"

"To make sure I don't do anything stupid with the weaponry I have with me."

"Oh." He must have thought on the recent event; his tone betrayed that there was something else behind it than just simply curiosity.

"So then let us be off. We'll stop back at my home before we head out, as the day will soon end." They nodded. We left from the station towards my house, making our way through town. Once there I knocked on the door. Storm answered it and grew ecstatic when he saw me alive and well. He went to give me a welcoming hug but stopped when he saw the two additional party members.

"Who are these?"

"Storm, I would like you to meet Lance and Cam. I saved them from the black market on my recent journey."

"The black market." His statement seemed on the brink of being a question, or better stated, his question came out more like a statement than an inquiry.

"Yes."

"There's a black market?"

"Yes. Err, there was a black market. It was where Duke bid all that money on me, remember?"

"I do." I could tell that he didn't want to. I trotted inside, Storm moving out of the way. "What exactly were you doing over there?"

As I went to take my armour off Lance jutted in. "Murdering."

His sister certainly was opposed to his comment. He was right, nevertheless in one sense or another, and I could not deny that. "Basically."

When I turned, my armour having folded down and allowing me to step out, I looked at Storm. His face read both disappointment and apprehension. He knew what I had been before, what I had become well before I disappeared for that long window of time. He was crestfallen to hear me acknowledge that I had participated in such dark activities. "We'll talk about it later tonight, Storm. We were planning on staying the night here, as dusk is upon us. In the morning the three of us will depart for the sanctuary. From thence, the two of you will be under my personal watch."

Cam seemed more than ecstatic about such news, while Lance was anxious at best. Storm worked quickly to arrange accommodations for them to stay the night at the house. Once dinner was partaken of and the plans for the morning were discussed, Storm and I went upstairs to rest for the night while Cam and Lance remained downstairs. We sat in the room in silence for a while before Storm started asking questions. It was clear that he was worried and I could not blame him for it. "What happened?"

"I think Lance put it best."

"There's got to be more to it than that."

"Are you looking for me to expound with more details?"

"I suppose I am. Enlighten me."

"I went to the black market and butchered four intelligent creatures."

"Can you explain why?"

"In part: assuring that nopony else was sold like I was. I suppose also a few reasons were trying to stem illegal conduct and personal vindication."

"Personal vindication?"

"Yes."

"Meaning...?"

"I got back at the creatures that had so cruelly torn from me my agency for more bits than I could have imagined."

"So what did this accomplish?"

"Well, I suppose rescuing Lance and Cam was something I managed to do. That and striking abhorrence into the hearts of a few hundred individuals."

"What did you do?" He seemed cautious, as if unwilling to ask this kind of probing question.

"Well, the first I simply stabbed. The second I decapitated. The third I stabbed. The fourth..." I had to pause, hoping to use every force of soul to block the horrific memory from replaying over in my head. Once I got myself under control once more I spoke to finish the sentence. "The fourth I tore limb from limb in a grisly demonstration."

The absolute shock on his face after hearing what I had done is completely understandable. Never had I done such a thing with my own hooves and, unless I am mistaken, I had never told Storm exactly what I had done in the Arena. I had never told him the exact, brutal and bloody details of the fate of those assassins so long ago. "Aqua..."

"I mean, it shouldn't come as a surprise."

"Aqua, please don't."

"From where I was going in the past it was only a matter of time before something horrendous like this happened."

"Aqua, wait-"

"You know, ponies were right about me before. Look at where I've gotten. This is just downright and undeniably vicious and uncalled for."

"Now hold on-"

"My whole life I have fought monsters unimagined by even the most disturbed minds in existence. Yet each one gets worse than the last, each is more difficult than its predecessor. Now I'm facing one I cannot defeat, one so horrid that nopony would even want to try: myself."

"Aqua, don't say that." He was now concerned rather than worried. It was clear he didn't want this self-destructive talk to remain, yet continue with it I did. Perhaps it was simply because my soul was so far afflicted that I was beyond consolation that I continued to vent.

"How can I lie to myself any longer, Storm? I've become just as evil and malignant as those things I vowed to protect others from."

"That's not true."

"The problem is, Storm, that's what I told myself this whole way and look at where it got me."

"We can work through this."

"No. This new enemy knows everything about me. It knows who I am, how I fight, where and what my weaknesses are, when I'm no longer able to fight, how to break me down, and why I do what I do. It's hopeless."

"You’re poisoning your mind with doubts. You’re lying to yourself, Aqua.”

"Am I, Storm?"

"Yes, you are."

"Think on it. Think on it for a moment. Grasp the magnitude of the situation. You know me well enough to know that what I'm saying holds ground."

"You have forgotten yourself, Aqua. Who are you?"

"A disgrace."

"I said who, not what."

"I am a failure of no importance."

"Again, I asked for who, not what."

"Why does it matter?"

"Answer my question and you will see."

"I am nopony of note."

"Try again."

"Fine. I am Aqua WindStorm."

"You know what the Aqua WindStorm I know is good at?"

"Letting others down."

"No. The one I knew is good at helping ponies. She's good at being their friend. She is wonderful at standing up for others when nopony else wants to. She's good at letting others know their importance. She always makes other ponies happy and is good at lifting those too full of sorrow to continue. She is a bastion of protection, a beacon of hope. While it did not always go perfectly she is always willing to forget herself and go to work. That is the Aqua I know. I'm still waiting for her to shake off the chains of discouragement and death like she always seems to be able to do. I'm still waiting for her to come home."

"Maybe I just need sleep." In my distraught condition I only said that to end the discussion, especially since I could find no ground for a counterargument against a point so thoroughly thought out.

"If you believe that is what will help you the most then it would be a good idea." We lay down on the bed and he wrapped a wing around me in a comforting manner. I sat quietly for a while, eventually pretending to be asleep. It was a little while after this that Storm's wing slacked and he eventually rolled over. He was asleep at this point. Using my best sneaking capabilities, and the fact that he could not sense my movements in his sleep, I climbed out of the bed and quietly stood at the stairwell. I listened for the two refugees downstairs. Their conversation also must have sojourned not too long ago as the last shuffles of the two climbing into their respective beds sounded before the whole house went quiet. I waited a while longer in painful silence until I was sure that they were asleep. I then trotted down quietly, heading to and leaving through the front door. Only the slightest of clicks sounded as the door closed. I snuck away until I was sure I was out of sight and sound of any part of the house. I then broke into a normal canter, wandering aimlessly around town and even occasionally outside of the periphery. Where I was going didn't matter. I could barely see, regardless. It was late at night with a new moon hardly illuminating, with its trivial amount of light, the path before me. Though it was pitch black I was not concerned about getting lost. If I did care, I knew that I could simply teleport back home. I simply was too weighted from the recent experiences to sleep.

Most of the night passed in this aimless wandering. As morning came, or the first rays of the sun started to chase the darkness away from around me, I could finally see where I had roughly ended up. I could only assume my night prowl took me several circuits around town and put me where I was: on the brink of the Everfree Forest. I did just the slightest bit of reorientation before heading home.

4. Timorous Preparations

It wasn't too far to return home, since we lived closer to the forest than not, and I managed to silently reenter the house before the sun had peeked over the horizon. I snuck my way back upstairs, returning myself ultimately to the bed in a sleeping position. I remained there until Storm awoke. As I had oriented myself to be facing him, my eyes closed, he greeted me with a kiss on the forehead, just below the stump of my broken horn. "Good morning, sunshine."

I smiled, or at least the best I could, in return. I then stirred, getting up and acting like I was just waking up. After a stretch I spoke. "Today I take the two refugees to the Sanctuary. We should make necessary preparations."

He nodded in agreement. Following this, we got out of bed and went downstairs. Breakfast was prepared and the four of us happily partook therein. Once finished I transformed back into my draconic form and equipped my armour. We then loaded my saddlebags with supplies to make the trek up to the Order. "Well, Storm, I'm going to be at the Sanctuary for a while."

"I know. Take care of yourself, alright?"

"I plan on it." He then turned to the others.

"Cam, Lance?"

They responded in chorus. "Yes?"

"Take care of Aqua for me. I don't want to keep losing her anymore."

Cam took charge. "I will personally make sure of it."

"Good. Have fun at the Order."

"I'm sure we will." I spoke before turning and opening the door.

"Aqua?" It was Storm. I turned once more.

"Yes?"

"Come back alive, please." I nodded. With this we departed. The journey through the wooded trails was around a half day's trek. Thankfully enough, nothing much happened on our trip, not even any encounters with wildlife.

When we broke out of the secluded woods we found the Sanctuary not too far in front of us. We approached the gates of the Order, which were again guarded by three bowponies. "State your business!"

"Do you really want to go through this again? I believe you shot me in the leg last time, did you not?" Their bows lowered. Within a few moments the massive and ornate iron gates opened and we trotted inside. The Main Hall stood directly before us in all of its royal majesty and grandeur. To the onlooker, the large structure appeared almost out of place; the castle-like building certainly was big enough to be an individual fortress. Indeed it was, having proved to be a refuge in times past. To the left were many buildings which served as classrooms and duelling rings. On the right were the barracks. Never taller than three floors, these edifices held nearly all of those Protectorates which resided under my care with room still to spare. Directly behind the classrooms was the armoury. The vast structure contained weapons of all kinds, enough to arm all within the walls and more. Armour, as well, was stashed therein. Behind the barracks was the mess hall, the purpose of which being self-evident. Directly inside of the gates was the Main Square, with the Main Hall, and the associated grand stairs, directly after it.

When we were within the Main Square, in front of the Main Hall’s grand stairs, I folded my helmet back and spoke to them. "Now, Cam, you will be under my personal care, watch and instruction."

"Not without me." I turned and looked at Lance. The determination that showed on his face was something I had not seen in a while.

"Alright, fair enough. Follow me." After having motioned to them, we made our way around the outside of the Main Hall to the left. The armoury was our destination. We trotted inside and took in the view that was within. Many large racks were filled with a near uncountable number of weapons. The various types were organised and separated. Among such items lining the wall were dirks, broadswords, war hammers, halberds and staves, to name a small portion. "Go ahead and look. Find which weapon you think you'll enjoy the most."

Just like that they were off like fillies in a candy store, gawking over the various displays. I noted that Lance stuck more to the blunts and polearms. He seemed especially interested in the spears and morningstars. Cam, on the other hoof, was more directed towards blades. She looked mostly at glaives and longswords. I waited patiently until they returned. Once they were standing before me I addressed them again. "Did you two find anything you like?"

They both nodded enthusiastically. "Excellent. Now, put it on hold."

Lance seemed more crestfallen than Cam did. "What? Why? Why did you have us look in the first place if we were just going to wait?"

"My specialisation is in the sword. It is my weapon and it is what I am proficient with. Does that mean I am not capable of using others? No. It does mean, however, that I am more apt with the sword and will more capably teach the two of you regarding its use than any other weapon. I will train you both in basic combat, advanced combat and mastery of the sword. That is, however, unless you wish to seek training from another instructor?"

Cam resolutely voiced her opinion. "No. You will be my mentor."

With her tone it sounded like more of a command than a statement. Lance was momentarily thrown off by her personality but he, too, accepted to place his desired combat school on hold. "If she is doing it then I will too."

"Well enough. I will give you both your iron training swords. I am going to test a few things to see where training must begin." I went over near the swords, entering in a side forge; it was the blacksmith's shop I was standing in. The pony within, defined well by the work he was doing, was at the current moment touching up a few of the sets of armour. "Smithy."

He paused from his work and looked up. "Ah, to what do I owe the honour of being visited by the Guild Master herself?"

"I have two new recruits under my wing, metaphorically speaking of course." I roused a chuckled out of the stallion before me as I outstretched the one joint of a wing that I had left. "I need iron training swords."

"Lucky enough I think I have a few. Just need to find the little buggers." He trotted off into various parts of the shop, including the back, before eventually emerging with the two unsharpened blades. "Here you are. The only thing left to be done to them is sharpening."

"I think we'll wait a bit for that." Another laugh from him.

"Fair enough. Enjoy your time with them, Guild Master." I took the two swords in my tail, nodding my acknowledgement and thanks to the smith before leaving. Lance and Cam were waiting still. When I drew near I placed the swords before them.

"Watch the way I grasp a sword; learn and study it." With their attention fixated upon me I went over and grasped the hilt of one of the sharpened swords that rested on display with my teeth. I straightened and held the sword level in my jaws, extending out to the side, in the view of my two new trainees. After several moments, and a swing or two, I put it back accordingly on the rack and headed back over. "That is how we, as ponies, hold swords."

"What about you? Why do you carry them on your legs?" Lance asked this out of curiosity. I'm sure anypony would have.

"I'm a bit of an exception. You don't see very many ponies like me trotting around, do you?"

"Not really."

"Have you seen any other ponies with a tail like mine?"

"No."

"That is the reason why. My tail allows me to balance, especially in a fight. I can fight on only my hind legs because of this. Basically, that is the only reason I have leg mounted blades. Now, changing the topic, go ahead and take a sword. Careful, they're heavy. No need for a lot of caution, since they cut just as well as any other hammer." Lance trotted up and took the first. I could see some minor strain as he held the blade. Overall he seemed capable of holding the sword, but swinging it is a whole different world of effort. Cam appeared to be excited with even just the concept of holding a sword, and because of such trotted up eagerly. After she had grasped the hilt in the manner she wanted, she attempted to lift the blade. The tip remained rooted to the ground as her head tilted from the weight. It was clear that she couldn't quite bear the mass of a sword yet. I chuckled a little. "You two can keep these and use them to work up strength in your neck so you can wield them. Here, I'll carry them so I can show you two to your quarters."

They both put their blades down, allowing me to grasp them with my tail. I beckoned for these two new recruits to follow me as I headed for the entrance. It didn't take more than a few minutes before we were within the barracks. After we arrived it didn't take them terribly long to select the room that would become their accommodations. After that, they simply needed to get settled down. Surprisingly enough, it was apparent now that even Lance was excited for the road that lay before them. I drew their attention once more. "Be not mislead by false feelings of security. This training, under the direction of my own hoof, might be the hardest thing you both do. We will start tomorrow with physical exercises to prepare and condition your bodies. This will be bi-hourly, trading off with skill refinement. We will not move on to the next skill until the one we are working on is satisfactorily perfect. If the two of you put your whole mind behind this, I believe that you will need a few months to a half a year's time."

I put the swords within the chamber and was about to leave when I was interrupted by Cam. "So what do we do for now?"

I turned back around. Both of them were still looking at me intently. "Explore the Sanctuary, or even just rest up for tomorrow. You'll need it."

On that note I left their quarters. I set my course for my chambers, satisfied with the current conditions they were now in. These two, especially Cam, had potential. I was going to tap into that potential and drag out two very strong and capable Protectorates. The only thing that could hold them back, that could impede their progress, was themselves.

Once outside the barracks, more specifically once I was inside my own chambers. I lost myself to thought. It wasn’t much of anything, but it occupied my time.

When I was inside of my room I decided to try and rest. The next half a year's time was going to be exhaustingly challenging. For them it would be because of the gruelling training I was about to subject them to. For me it was going to be because I needed to hide the borderline crippling insomnia I now seemed to so readily suffer from. The string of recent events was probably what was hitting me the hardest. The things I had seen and the things I had done to others had frequently snared my mind and caused agonising distress; the acts fervently kept up with me in my mental landscape so that each time I closed my I was violently bombarded by the memories of the atrocities I had committed over the years. Each moment that my eyes remained closed the images would become fiercely clearer until the shrieks of horror and the screams of undeniable agony rang in my ears. The cries then would echo through my mind for hours after I had been yanked so violently from the thought of sleep. My condition was detestable, but there was nothing I could do about it. My deeds tore at the very fabric of my sanity. I was becoming unsure about how much longer I could keep this charade going.

With a bit of a sharp breath I tore myself from the agonising plains of my mind to find I hadn't even ended up in my chambers at all by the end. Instead of remaining in my chambers I suppose I had wandered about. It was far into the night now, which I assume meant that I either had rested for a moment or carelessly wandered in thought for all those many hours, or both. I took a moment to reorient myself; I now recognised where I was: inside the Main Hall, not terribly far from my chambers held several floors above. I was unsure of why I was here, or even how I got here in the first place, but considered it best not to question. Considering the fact that sleep fled from me and rest left my very soul shaken and battered, I thought it best to wander rather than subject myself to misery. As it was rather late I figured nopony else was awake, except the night watch. After several moments of pointless trotting, about half the perimeter of the Hall to be precise, I heard the movement of cloth beside me. My current scaled form considered, I figured myself in no situation of serious harm. As such I only offered a haphazard glance to the source. I found Ajiin beside me and, in his usual playful manner and joyous tone, he broke the mountain of silence. "What are you up to?"

"Trotting." My answers were dull, reflecting my depraved and sleepless condition, as well as my battered soul.

"Trotting, hm?"

"Indeed."

"Can I ask why?"

"I suppose you can."

"What is causing you to trot the halls at this time? You're normally never awake this late into the night. Is something the matter?"

"I can't sleep."

"How come?"

I stopped and looked around. This place was far too open, too resonant to tell him. Even though nopony else was awake I wanted to make absolutely certain that the reason for my restless state remained as secret as possible. "If you want to know the answer to that one we will need to go to my quarters to discuss it. I can't have anypony else know."

"Lead on, then. I've got all night."

"Are you sure you want to know?"

"Of course!"

"Positive?"

"You've got my curiosity up now."

"If this is merely to sate curiosity I will not tell it."

"As your second in command and as a close friend since you were first accepted into this organisation I want to do what I can to help you through whatever is bothering you to this degree."

"Suit yourself, but don't say I didn't warn you. Follow me."

It didn't take long for us to arrive, thankfully enough, for the duration of the trot was in complete silence. Once we were both inside I closed and locked the door. I sat down therein, far from the door. Having just now realised I had left my armour on I arose once more, removed it and shifted forms before seating myself again. Ajiin sat very closely beside me. It certainly didn't take him long at all before he asked again. "Why can't you sleep?"

"Just have a lot of stuff on my mind."

"What kind of stuff?"

"What I've done."

"Recently?"

"Throughout my life."

"Like what?"

"My whole life thus far has been learning how to help, uplift and defend others and then following what I had learned. I've done it a lot. Some ponies might even call me a professional or an expert. I suppose it's true, I mean it is my profession. I've saved a lot of lives in the course of my own. Yet there has always been something brewing deep inside of me, breeding in the unknown parts of my soul. It's been coming to bear recently and it's, quite frankly, frightening. As I look back to see when I have rescued others, when I try to focus on the good things I have done, there's something else, something I refused to notice back then."

"What is it?"

"Some form of a growing bloodlust, a never ending, unquenchable drive to fight and to kill. It only grew the more it happened, but it was always dormant, always there like some kind of primal instinct. It could never have surfaced because of all of my good intentions and the hopes for a brighter future were drowning it out."

"So something happened that caused all of it to start? What do you think it was? Some event or something?"

"I don't know, and that's part of what's been racking my soul thus far. If I know what it is I won't do it; if I knew what it was I wouldn't have participated."

"Have you ever sat down and thought on it?"

"No." I let out one chuckle. "My lifestyle hardly ever leaves time for me or my family. When it finally does, the only time I have is to sleep."

"Try thinking on it now, I mean you can't get to sleep anyways. Look at all the times you said that there were good things you did, but the evil intent was lurking behind each one. Try to figure out what caused it."

"Are you willing to stay beside me as I do? I think it will help me keep my head level and my soul stable."

"I am willing to do so." I nodded before turning my gaze away from him. I sat and thought about the things I had done in the past, at least all the things I could remember. At first, tracing backwards, I could see absolutely no pattern, only barbarism. After a while I reached events that were of equal proportions but there was something different. Many times in the past I had used that spell that could twist my shadows into physical entities. Yes, I had realised that the spell made me want to fight more but I had never noticed the dark connection of its permanence. It was very clear to me now what that spell had been doing to me. It now seemed to me, thinking on it, that each time I used the spell in the past I had used it in a more grisly and barbaric manner than the last time it was used. What I could not put my hoof on, yet, was how or when I had picked up the accursed spell in the first place.

"I think I might know what caused all of this."

"You do?"

"Yes, but I don't know when it all started."

"Then think more. If you actually want to stop this you need to be putting in more than your all right now." His sudden tone change from jesting to serious and solemn both startled and frightened me. Once I had settled down once more I began thinking again, perhaps in a hope of finding when this all started to begin with. As I sat, almost lost in thought, the memories were coming to me freely. This being said it is also worthy to note that they were not the most pleasant memories. As horrid scenes from my past played before my mind's eye I was filled with deep regret and sorrow. These memories harrowed my soul deeply. Before too long it became overwhelming and I had to simply shake my head in an effort to shake myself free from the thought of exploring that dark past.

"I can't."

"What do you mean you can't?"

"It's just...I...the thought..." Words could not describe what I was feeling, nor would my feeling let me use words to begin with.

"Come on, Aqua, you have to. There's no other way."

"I can't. I just can't." I simply shook my head from side to side. Ajiin looked at me a moment longer before sighing.

"I thought you wanted to change this."

"I do, but with everything that's sitting on my mind right now I just can't subject myself to that."

"Then perhaps you should keep it simple."

"What do you mean?"

"Take care of the weight you have gained recently. Let your mind rest, unload. It will help you."

"And how do I do that?"

"Tell me what's on your mind. Tell me what is bothering you."

"We see how far that got."

"Start with the recent stuff. Don't go so far back." I looked at him for a moment before spending a short time trying to think of how to best approach this. I could tell he wasn't going to leave until he had heard something. With a sigh I began.

"Well, I suppose what's stuck on my mind is what had happened in the last eleven years."

"Like what?"

"My imprisonment and torture in the land of the gryphons, my journey back to Equestria and the subsequent event of being sold into slavery."

"All that happened to you?"

"Yeah."

"Is that all that's on your mind?"

"No, unfortunately. If it was just that I'd be fine. You should know something like that by now."

"Alright, then, what else is on your mind?"

"It's something I would prefer to not relive."

"If you don't confide in some manner your burdens they will eventually destroy you." I looked at him momentarily.

"Fine."

"I'm all ears."

"What followed was, is, hard to explain. One can never know just how thoroughly it eats at your soul until they experience it firsthoof. Perhaps it was the sadistic and barbaric punishment I suffered at the claws of the gryphons. Perhaps it was the self-defending nature I had to adopt while I was enslaved. Maybe it was the pessimistic surrender I was willing to consign to in order to finally release my soul to death's grasp. Then again it could have just been sheer spite and ill will. Whatever it was I know not. All I know is that something had reawakened that dark magic's influence. It was reawakened as or before I went for retribution with Duke and the slavers. I merely threatened Duke's life in order to get him to submit to the needed conditions, but what I did to those slavers..." I hung my head in some vain hope that Ajiin couldn't see me fight back the anguished tears that so forcefully threatened to escape from my eyes. As I sat attempting to quiet my emotions Ajiin sat beside me, waiting for me to finish. The room was deathly silent for what seemed like an eternity because of it. Once my emotions were finally under control again I lifted my head once more to finish explaining. "What I did to those slavers is unforgivable. I don't blame Lance and Cam for their apprehension. My ignominious actions caused even myself to quake in sickened abhorrence."

"Why? What happened?"

Again the thought of sharing such information almost overwhelmed me. "No...I can't say it. It's just..."

"Tell me, Aqua." I thought his tone had been serious before, but it was nothing compared to that sentence. I finally managed to breathe and began my best effort in explaining it.

"There were recently four that I had ruthlessly murdered, but it's simply unforgivable what I did."

"Tell me. It will make you feel better." I looked at him for a moment before I began explaining the event that had transpired in the black market. I had left out many of the grisly details, dodging around the worst parts of the whole thing. Most of it was simple until I got to the fourth creature I had slaughtered. This one tore me to the core. It was absolutely and unnecessarily barbaric. As hard as I tried to block them out, his anguished screams and helpless pleas for mercy rang on through my head. In that moment I thought it better that I die than suffer through the ensuing psychological torture. As I got the best control of myself as any pony could have in a situation like that I swallowed hard and finished my explanation. Once I got done painting the picture in the simplest and least detailed way possible I sat for a moment.

"I didn't want to do it, Ajiin. I didn't want to but I couldn't stop myself from doing it. I can throw all the justification I want to try and hide it but there's nothing that can possibly make it right." Ajiin sat in utter silence as I hung my head low. I don't think even he was prepared to hear what I had just explained to him. I don't think anypony could ever be prepared to hear what I had just told him. After the silence permeated for a while I raised my head again. "No other pony must or should hear or know of the things I have told you. If they did, this Order would crumble and evil would finally take root in the world."

"It seems it already has, starting with the one who vowed to stop it, no matter the price. This tale dies with us, but more than the tale has died. You have lost my trust and my assistance. I ask you to seek the aid of another for further counsel. I knew that first forbidden magic spell was a mistake to give you and Tigerfire. I should have known better than to trust you with it, than to trust you, in the first place. What a disappointment this has been. You should consider retiring and allowing somepony to take your place, somepony who’s actually trying to protect others." With that he left me. The task ahead was already utterly daunting to begin with. Ajiin was one of the last few that I could turn to, and his response was certainly not what I was expecting. Now, without the aid of others, I had to go it alone. The weight of my future, paired with the utter rejection of one of my closest friends, came crashing down upon me. My entire being groaned under the crushing burden. With a devastated sigh I decided to retire to rest, if I could even manage such.

I awoke early the next morning, surprised by the general lack of nightmares this previous night. Shaking the thought I readied myself for the exercises ahead. It had been the first real rest I had obtained recently, albeit rather light and short. Still, it was better than the sleep I was getting before: fleeting at best, absent frequently. This general lack of sleep had left me exhausted and fatigued at the very least. Any hope for improvement on my current state of being was very rapidly fading. Perhaps training these two ponies, hopefully placing them in my stead in the future, would allow me to isolate my degenerate self and resign my soul to the only fate I saw possible. Swallowing my anguish, and deciding it best to not dwell on such type of thoughts, I left my chambers and headed towards the hall where Lance and Cam were currently residing.

I arrived on time to find Cam waiting for me already. If nothing else she was eager. Lance came out shortly after I got there, looking fairly tired himself. "Are you two ready?"

"Yes!" Cam's enthusiasm bled readily from her. Lance simply nodded.

"Excellent. Let's go." We began the exercise with a brisk gallop within the walls of the Sanctuary. It wasn't long into the course that Cam began asking her questions. She always had some.

"What is your name?"

"I will point out the condition you agreed to before starting this. The only reason I'm not going to respond with Guildmaster is because, solely because, we are within the walls of the Sanctuary, where everypony already knows me by my real name. I will tell you the name, but only upon your reaffirming the promise you had made: do not speak my name outside these walls."

"I promise."

"My name is Aqua. That much is all that is needed."

"I like that name."

"Having told you mine answer me this:"

"What?"

"What is your second name?"

"My what?"

"Cam, Cam-what?"

"Oh, like my last name?"

"Yeah."

"Lot."

"An interesting name. His is the same?"

"Yup."

"Very well."

"How did you meet Storm?" Her breath was short, as was her brother's. Mine was still full and unhindered.

"A good question. It wasn't long after my heart had been shattered by the rejection of another that I met him. The first time I'm not entirely sure. Can't think of it off the top of my head, as I was too concerned about perfecting my combat expertise. All I know is he began picking up some of the pieces of my shattered life."

"Oh."

"Why did you want to know?"

"I always love hearing stories like that. Something happy in our sad world." I don't know why but those last few words stuck especially in my mind. Was there really enough happiness available for access to dull and, ultimately, disregard or discard the pain? I was snapped from that train of thought by her next question. "When did you learn to fight like you do?"

"As a filly. I had to learn from necessity. I mean, it's not like I had a family to keep me safe." It got quiet for a moment. "I had wandered the wilderness for a while and found a little school for fillies that taught the basics of using weapons."

"You know, you're not too bad."

All I did was cock an eyebrow. "You're telling whom?"

"You."

"Then I suggest you redirect your comment. It is given to the wrong individual."

"I don't think so."

"Then you have not yet studied who I am or what I've done."

"You weren't always like that, were you?"

"Anymore I don't even know." It was silent again. Memories began racing through my mind. There was a reason all of this was happening, I just hadn't figured it out yet. I would have to sit down and forge my way through the depths of anguish and back just to find the cause. What is was, or what it was doing to me, I could not tell. All I knew was that I was snapped back to reality by Lance's voice.

"Hey! Where are you going? This sign says this is the armoury. Weren't we going there?" I had been so lost in thought that I had missed our destination.

"You are correct. That is where we were heading." I returned to them again. "I was just a little distracted was all."

"Well, we're here." The three of us entered. When Lance spoke it was clear that he was out of breath. It seemed like he had neither worked nor been worked in at least a little while. "Now what?"

"Now I train the two of you in the use of the sword. There are wooden swords on the first rack. Go ahead and take one each, then follow me into the training room." We all trotted over. They grabbed their respective weapons and I, in turn, grabbed two for myself before we entered the side room. It was a very large structure, although few ponies used it at this hour of the day. I took us to a part where nopony was near in order to train them. "Alright, which of you two is the better fighter?"

Lance shot his hoof up. "As I thought. You will fight me in the front. Cam will fight me from behind. Are we ready?"

They both nodded in accord, Lance finally showing approving enthusiasm. I took one of the swords held in my tail and placed it in my mouth. I left the other in my tail. I was now wielding two and, after a slight movement, was in my battle stance, ready to fight. This was to be a test to see how well they actually knew combat skills. I nodded to indicate that I was ready for them.

The two began charging directly at me, in a manner that only an untalented, and entirely untrained and unpracticed, combatant could. I jumped back a little, giving me more room between Lance and myself and shortening the gap to Cam. I swept my tail in a low arc horizontally behind me, catching Cam's legs on the go around. I heard her hit the ground with a thud and a slight groan. As Lance drew within range I deflected his attempted swing and parried with a disarmingly hard strike. When the wooden sword had pegged him strongly in the side of the face the sword shot from his mouth. Lance hit the ground roughly as well, only shortly after his sister had done so. His sword was several metres away as he lay on the ground groaning and grasping his face. I sat and looked at them for a moment before taking my two weapons back to their respective weapon rack in the adjoining room. I put them in their place before returning to where the two lay in pain. I stood over them for a moment longer. It took no more than a few mere seconds to drop these two in an outnumbered fight. Training them was going to take longer than I had expected originally. After that thought passed through my mind I addressed the two of them once more. "With that little test over I know how best to train you. The two of your will spar against each other for the time being. I will stand to the side and give advice when needed and occasionally come in to correct things physically when necessary. The training has just begun for the day, so I will give you a few minutes to recover from what just happened. I'll know you two are ready when you both are standing before me with swords grasped."

Once that was said it took nearly no time at all for Cam to be standing again. Lance, on the other hoof, took a bit more time to rise. That was entirely understandable, though, because I had walloped him, while I had simply tripped her to knock her down. Still, and regardless of this, he got up and came over. "Excellent. Now, because you two are going to be sparring partners you must disregard your relation. Just because you are siblings does not mean you can take it easy on the other. If you want to get anywhere in this training you must consider the pony in front of you to be your enemy. For Lance I'm sure that's fairly simple. You probably need only imagine me to be standing across from you."

I saw Cam's face change to protest. Lance tried his best to hide his reaction. Try as he might, just the faintest of grins broke across his face. "Both of you take positions across from one another and get into the best stance for battle you know. This will be the subject today."

They did as instructed almost to the dot. I looked at the poses they had taken and could only shake my head a little with the faintest trace of a chuckle. I trotted over Cam first to begin repairs. "Now, I'm going to poke you a lot with my tail in order to correct your stance. When you feel a poke I want you to move that part of your body just slightly in the direction opposite of my touch. Keep adjusting until the poking stops. Is that clear?"

She nodded, the determined look still on her face. I then began poking her in various places to adjust her stance. As it had been, it was very narrow and easily toppled. I needed to get her to stand wider in order to give her a firmer stance and a more intimidating demeanour. The poking was mostly on the inside of her legs, followed by her back. I kept poking until she finally lowered herself a little. I then did the same to lower her head, to bring it closer to the ground. When I thought I had finished I took a step back and looked at her new pose. After a short while of examination I nodded in satisfaction. Compared to the topple-prone stance she had struck before, she now looked intimidating in a way, at least more formidable than before. Ready now, I turned and looked at Lance. His pose seemed relaxed, non-threatening, and highly inefficient. Whatever it was it needed work. I turned back to Cam to give her an order. "Hold that pose."

I then headed over to Lance and relayed the same instructions as I had previously given to Cam. I then took several moments to fix his pose. His was too wide, too forced; he was trying too hard to copy Cam's stance and thought he could do better. The majority of the pokes were along the outside of his legs in an attempt to get him to narrow his stance so he would be able to react in battle without extra effort just to break out of the pose. Once the legs were better I began poking his underbelly so that he would rise up a little further so his stance would hold more power. After I had finished poking him I stood off to the side. I was satisfied with the work I had just wrought. Nevertheless, and despite this, I knew still that if I didn't work this point relentlessly, if I left the foundation as cobblestone instead of flawless concrete, any future work carried the possibility of crumbling and falling, tragically going awry. "Alright, relax your poses."

They returned to their regular stances, comfortable and weak. I made sure it didn’t last long. "Assume your poses."

They both tried their best to return to what they believed were their other stances. It came out flawed, predictably mirroring their first attempt with improvements towards what I had given them. Because of this I went to each one in turn, fixed their posture and gave them advice on how to more quickly and more effectively get into that stance. Afterwards I stood off to the side again and repeated the process, ordering them to relax their poses before assuming them once more. I continued doing such for the entire duration of our time in the training hall. We then headed out for another hour of physical training and conditioning. Afterwards we returned to the training hall and continued working on their posture. Such was the repetition of the day, pausing only for lunch. By the end of the sixth hour long training session, the final one of the day, Lance was a bit more than fed up with the monotony of our activity. "Why are we still working on this? It's about time we move on."

"Have you forgotten what happened last time you tried to rush headlong into something without thought or work? I'll just let you carefully examine the more-than-apparent mark on the side of your face to answer that. Regardless, we will be working on how to properly carry and use the sword tomorrow. Get a little to eat and head off to your quarters. You both need rest after today's work." Lance was more than a little deflated. Humbly he nodded and took Cam, heading for the mess hall. I returned their weapons to the racks before heading out myself. Instead of heading for food, however, I went straight for my chambers. I had recently developed a frightening disinterest in food.

I sat awake, lost in thought within the confines of my chambers, for a few hours more. My mind simply wandered down the alleyways of memory lane, trying to pinpoint exactly what set me on this path of bloodshed and nightmares. I knew what had started it all, or at least what had caused it all to develop. That accursed spell that I had used so frequently in the past to get what I wanted stood behind everything I could think of. Perhaps the advice of Ajiin would help. Perhaps I simply needed to plow my way through the darkest and most painful memories I had in order to find where it had all began.

Memory after memory racked my soul with torment as I forced myself through the depths of my mind. Each act of brutality on the path of bloodshed filled me with regret and shame, but continue I did anyways. I had discovered the pattern of my violence previously, of when I would spill blood in the past, with exceptions existing for the most recent events that had occurred. It was that one spell, Weaponised Shadow, that stained my soul time and time again. I tried to find when it had started, when I had begun using it in the first place. Along the way there were times when it seemed like I had reached the first memory concerning the spell only to find another instance several more back. Finally the time arrived, after tearing my soul to shred with the search, that I found the one instance where, had I had the chance, I would have used the spell but didn't for one reason or another. I then searched my mind for anything that happened between those two points.

Now, before any mistake themselves and believe that my memories are easily accessible like a vault of records, I must say this: the memories were blurred at best and sometimes didn't happen in chronological order as I recall. Regardless I did find the trigger event, or what I believed to be the trigger; before my mind played the fragmented memory of when we fought the last necromantic sphinx. Suddenly to my mind came the reassuring feeling and a thought that this was indeed when I received that malignant spell. Thinking on the recent events I could only come to one conclusion, which was, that the shadow that the sphinx had planted, whatever it actually was, had matured because of the fuel I had provided through its bloody usage. This shadow must have festered in the corner of my soul, feeding on the anguish of those I used it on in order to afflict them with pain or death. It must have reached some point along the way that it now was strong enough so as to directly evoke my actions and not simply my emotion. A new fear welled up inside of me as soon as that thought crossed through my mind. It was a fear that the now ever present, ever creeping, malignant darkness that had brooded within my soul might possibly take over and cause irreparable damage, leaving my hopelessly tattered character to deal with it. I needed to purge this evil from my soul, but this already challenging task was only made that much more difficult by the absolute and crushing solitude that had been forced upon me. After this thought, my mind wandered through many possible outcomes, each one seemingly nigh impossible, for how to fix me.

It was only when the rays of the rising sun crept into my room that I realised the time. I left my chambers, once I was ready, and found not only Cam but Lance as well awaiting my arrival. Either they wanted to participate more eagerly in training or I was late. Both were possible. They didn't ask about it either; perhaps last night's ordeal had left such an impact upon me that they could see the condition I was in but didn't want to say anything about it. Regardless, I approached them before taking off for the first running session. Once we finished and were within the training hall, I gave them a rundown of today's subject of training: swinging the sword properly. The rest of the day proceeded uneventfully, as highly repetitious practice usually does. I was barely able to continue the training throughout the course of the day from the crushing mental exhaustion I was suffering from. As the two continued training and improving one could see a building excitement and enthusiasm in both of their faces as they progressed and grasped the concepts. When the day ended we split up and each returned to their own quarters.

Many months, if not a whole year, passed by in their training. Their physicality had quickly improved as they now kept up with my pace better, although considering my slight physical deterioration due to lack of both food and sleep it's not quite as far for them to reach as one would think. They had become proficient in the use of the blade. Wielding the heavy iron swords was now possible for them, and was no longer extensively tiring. Among the skills they had developed were strikes, slashes, parries and dodging, to simply list a few. As I had been observing those around us, as well as Lance and Cam, it became clear to see that these two had catapulted past some of the better recruits that had been here for years. It was actually on or near the anniversary of their rescue that I approached them with a special assignment. It was just before we split for the night, after teaching combat rolls, that I spoke to them. "Lance, Cam, I have something I need to ask you two. It's something very important."

Cam's face lit up in sheer excitement. "A special assignment?"

"Exactly. I feel as if you two and several others of the upcoming Protectorates are the only ones I can count on for something like this."

"What is the assignment?" She was basically jumping up and down.

"I have received the location of two collections of slavers and their respective slaves. We are to go and free the slaves from their owners." I almost didn't even finish my last sentence before Lance spoke.

"We're in. Whomever we can get freedom to we will."

"Excellent. After I have trained you two in the use of armour the three of us and a group of other qualified recruits will embark on the journey to deliver the captives in these two places." They nodded before we parted ways for the night. Once alone in my chambers I was left to my thoughts again. I had to be careful on this next task. I wasn't heading out solo as I had always done. The lives of this small band that I would be assembling were my responsibility. Not only this, but should I lose myself and become the wild and bloodthirsty abomination I feared I might become it would more than thoroughly destroy the moral of these fighters, not to mention the possibility of the Order collapsing when news returned to the Sanctuary. Above this, if I turned bloodthirsty in their midst, there was a high likelihood that I would be the only one returning from this journey. The thought scared me spitless, but it was my duty as Guildmaster to prove the recruits and ensure that we were allowing those who were actually ready, not simply those who were willing. This mission certainly was risky, and all of it on the fault of myself. I needed to watch myself once I was out there, taking as much of this task as possible to reduce the danger to those around me. I needed to curb my emotions. I took a deep breath, feeling the burden of the next step pressing upon me heavily.

I returned to my quarters, having slowly made my way through the Main Hall. Due to the size of the structure, and how I organised the Order to begin with, there were very few ponies inside of the building. Those of note would be the ponies who stood guard at the doors and in the hall itself, which was a tradition that I kept from the last Guildmaster. Ajiin was usually to be found somewhere within the building, albeit it in rather unconventional locations; high arches, windowsills, and dark corners were his usual perches. Even then, and much as I predicted, he remained hidden from me for the time being. Granted, admitting that you tore a pony limb from limb would be enough to cause anypony to have an aversion to you. Regardless, my trip through the empty hallways of the upper floors was uneventful and entirely quiet.

It was in this stark silence that I trotted until I reached my room. The opening door broke the monotony of my hoofsteps, though it was a fleeting break. Once the door was closed and locked, a force of habit more than anything. I sat down and sighed. I wasn’t sure how long I could keep up this charade, nor did I care what the implications were for falling short. I dropped my head and gently shook it from side to side before pulling it back up again. I took a moment to push aside the lingering thoughts of future failures using current objectives. After all, I couldn’t mess up the training of Lance and Cam simply because I was afraid of what might happen to them, or rather what I might do to them, in the future. I had to prepare them in case anything happened, and I intended to put myself behind that. Accordingly, I arose and trotted over towards the bed. I climbed in, getting as comfortable as I could, and closed my eyes. All there was now was waiting for sleep.

The light of morning pulled me from my bed, forcing me to get up. I rubbed my eyes, thankful for the full night of sleep I had gotten. It felt like the first one I had obtained in months, and my body rejoiced in it. The bed bid me return, the inviting comfort of the linens almost making me succumb. I, rather, went about my day, starting with preparing breakfast.

Once breakfast was had, and my gear prepared, I set out of my house. I thought it strange that I couldn’t remember how I had ended up in my own bed, but it wasn’t the first time I had been moved while asleep or unconscious, or dead, so it wasn’t out of the question. I looked around for Storm but couldn’t find him. I shrugged it off, figuring his own organisation needed him, and set out from the house.

The first place I went to was the Order. I found the walls along that usual trail that I took and approached. The gates opened without a hitch, letting me in. The Main Square was bustling, bursting with activity. When they saw me, however, it was as if the activity halted. Suddenly, they erupted into cheers, stamping their hooves and welcoming me back in a celebratory way. I thought it rather odd, as I didn’t figure I had accomplished anything recently other than training Lance and Cam. Even then, they hadn’t even finished yet. There were many recruits I didn’t recognise, either. Perhaps they had been picked up in my absence. I couldn’t get many glimpses, as I was being shuttled off rather quickly in the crowd. Three ponies caught my eye as we passed, mostly due to their abnormal colouration. One was monochrome, but his eyes were a contrasting vivid colour, light blue if I recall correctly. The other, a mare, had a dark purple hide with blazing orange eyes. The third had yellow hide and a kind of dark orange-red hair. I gazed over at each with concern riding my brow; something seemed wrong, like they weren’t supposed to be there. I couldn’t find any explanation, as they could very well have just been new recruits. Something was strangely familiar, though, and it made me a bit uneasy. I was, practically, deposited at the top of the stairs leading to the Main Hall. Once the ponies around me cleared, leaving me as the only pony at the top of the stairs, Ajiin stepped up. He came about halfway up the stairs before turning around and speaking. “Today, we celebrate the return of our Guildmaster, Aqua! After suffering severe injuries while freeing many of us here, she has returned!”

There was cheering, and each moment of it made me even more confused. Cam was in the crowd, near the front. She nudged a pony with grey hide and turquoise hair forwards. The stallion spoke. “Um…on behalf of those of us that you saved, we pledge full service to this Order. Perhaps one day we can save ponies like Aqua saved us.”

I had absolutely no idea what he was talking about, but he disappeared into the crowd after I nodded out of habit. I tried to pick him out in the crowd again but was unable to. A gryphon stepped up next, which in and of itself was quite the shock; there had never been any gryphons in the Order before, but now there was suddenly a large number of them. This gryphon, with her frame adorned by white feathers tipped in red, spoke. “We came from the land of gryphons to swear our allegiance to you, Guildmaster. Perhaps when we have trained hard enough and earned your favour we may be able to establish a branch of this Order in our homelands and retake the Wastes.”

I nodded again before I could even stop myself and the gryphon disappeared into the crowd as the stallion had. Once again, Ajiin stepped up and spoke. “Let’s give it up for our Guildmaster, Aqua WindStorm, protector of the innocent!”

There was another round of cheers before the group began to disband. The normal hustle and bustle started up again, leaving me alone on the steps. I sat for another moment before deciding to make my way out of the walls of Sanctuary. The guards were a little puzzled as to why I was leaving so soon, especially so soon after the celebrations, but I told them I had personal matters to tend to. They nodded and opened the gates, letting me out.

I made my way back home, lost wholly in thought. Something seemed a bit off. Between those three ponies, along with the seeming gap in my memory, something wasn’t quite adding up. Had I missed something? Did I finally suffer that moment where I lost myself? What had I done in that time? The questions continued to flood, confusing me further.

I finally arrived home, opening the door to find both Storm and Lazuli there. They turned their attention from lunch to see who it was at the door. Storm was the first to speak. “Oh, there you are, dear. I had just finished setting down a plate of food for us all. Why don’t you come inside and rest those weary bones of yours? You’ve worked hard enough recently; it’s time you had a short break. Spend some time with us!”

His inviting smile and warm tone made it impossible to refuse. I closed the door behind me and sat down to eat. As we continued the meal, Lazuli spoke. “I’m glad you’re feeling better, mom. After the injuries you had when you came home from that mission, I wondered how long it would take to get you back. Thankfully, it was just a month or so.”

Well, that would explain the reaction of the Order, not to mention the large number of faces I didn’t recognise. Storm spoke next. “Cularix filled me in on some of the details, but I wanted to hear from you; what exactly happened out there? You were pretty beat up when they carted you back in.”

I sat for a moment, trying to remember. Absolutely nothing came to mind. It was an entirely blank draw. “I have absolutely no idea. I was hoping one of you could explain what in Equestria happened over the last month or so.”

“Well, you were unconscious, so that’s why you don’t remember that.”

“Before I fell unconscious.”

“Didn’t you go off to the Order for a special mission?”

“What was it about?” At this point, Storm and Lazuli looked at each other before turning back to me. Lazuli answered.

“It was your mission. Don’t you remember?”

“No.” Again they looked at each other.

“Should we call Galaxia and Bane to check her head again?”

“It might not be too bad of an idea. I’ll do that. Keep talking with your mom.” Storm got up and trotted upstairs, leaving Lazuli and I alone on the first floor.

“It’s ok, mom, we’ll get you better.”

“I’m perfectly fine.”

“Then why don’t you remember your mission?”

“I don’t have anything wrong with my head; my memory is just fine. I remembered you and Storm, along with where this house was and where the Order was. We shouldn’t waste Bane and Galaxia’s time with something like this.”

“But we have to get your memory back.”

“I never lost it.”

“Then what happened on the mission?” It was getting frustrating. I hadn’t gone on a mission. I didn’t even feel that feeling I felt when I was in the land of the gryphons and trying to remember my name. There had been no mission, and there certainly hadn’t been a month-long period that I was unconscious for; I wouldn’t have felt so refreshed when I awoke. Every other time I had recovered consciousness from some extraneous circumstance I would feel groggy and weak. I felt rested and ready to take on the world at this point. Just as I went to assert my point again, Storm came down the stairs.

“Ok. Bane and Galaxia should be here at any moment now. They should be able to set things straight. They might have messed up while fixing you, but I’m not sure.”

Before I even had a chance to respond the door swung open. In the doorway were the two familiar frames of Bane and Galaxia, who trotted inside and closed the door behind them. Bane was the first to speak, even before me. “So I hear you’re having some slight memory issues, correct?”

“N-“

“Yes, she has.” Lazuli butted in over top of me.

“No I-“

“Well then, Galaxia and I can fix that for you. Shouldn’t be more than about a week of keeping you under and exploring every part of your brain to make sure that we didn’t mess something up while we were getting you put back together.”

“Look, I-“

“It is not a difficult procedure, Protectorate. As you should know, my magic is more than capable of keeping you sedated and asleep.”

“That’s not-“

“This is probably what’s best for you, Aqua.” Storm spoke over me, something that seemed to be happening a lot more.

“Storm, I-“

“Are we ready to begin?” Bane’s voice cut me short again.

“No, there’s-“

“If you wouldn’t mind taking her to the couch. It will be easier there.” Galaxia didn’t give me time to interject.

“Will you-?”

“Sure thing, Galaxia.” Now Lazuli was interrupting me too. I could feel my frustration building. As she went to help me up and over to the couch I pushed her hoof away and shouted out.

“Will you all just shut up and listen to me?!” It grew silent for a moment. “There is nothing wrong with me! My memory is fine! I know who I am, I know who all of you are: Bane, Galaxia, Storm, Lazuli.”

I pointed to each in order. “I know your relations to me. I know where the Order is. I know what rank I am. I know where this house is, what town this is. My memory is not messed up! Now if you will just-“

Storm grabbed me, trying to pick me up and move me towards the couch. Having reached my limit, I kicked him off of me, sending him across the room. All of us sat with open mouths, staring blankly at his shifting form. Lazuli’s voice was the first one to be heard. “Mom?”

It was enough to break me from the trance. As such, I bolted for the door before the others could properly react. Bane was the closest to me, but even he was several body lengths behind and only getting further. He stopped after a short while and cried out. “Running from your problems will only make them worse!”

I didn’t break pace until well into the Everfree Forest. Once I was sufficiently inside the twisted landscape I slowed to a canter. I then made my way to where my small shack was. I arrived at the place, the surrounding landscape being familiar, but there was no shack to be found. The pool of water was still nearby, but the shack was gone. Before I could even catch myself, I spoke. “What in Equestria is going on?”

I trotted over to the pond, looking into the water. The sight was strange indeed. It was as if I was a hybrid between my orange form with scales and the orange form without scales. The scales weren’t consistent, didn’t cover my whole body, and the scars were plain underneath. I pulled a hoof up to my face to feel it. When the hoof began rubbing against the scales they began to fall off like paper, floating carefree down until they gently touched onto the ground. Had I been shedding scales for the whole flight? My eyes widened as I looked towards where I had entered the clearing, finding a sparse trail of scales. Suddenly my heart began racing as I began frantically running my hooves over the length of my body, or at least what I could reach. For the scales I couldn’t get I flopped onto the ground, rubbing about and tearing them off of me.

After a while of this frantic action I examined myself in the pond’s surface. Once I knew that I was clear of any scales I bolted from the area again, breaking into a full gallop towards the other side of the forest. I had to distance myself from the others so I could think.

I only broke pace when I stumbled upon the ruins of the old royal castle. I entered for shelter, at least for the time being. I found the most enclosed chamber, or at least the one that looked the least like it was going to fall apart, and sat down to catch my breath. Once I was rested enough to be breathing normally, I set myself to pacing and brainstorming.

Something wasn’t right. In fact, hardly anything was. The Order had never accepted gryphons, mostly because it was in Equestria rather than in their domain. Yet suddenly there were dozens, if not hundreds, of gryphons in the Order. As well, the way that Bane, Galaxia, Storm, and Lazuli were acting I could tell that something was off. Very few times have I ever felt that I needed to flee someplace with my life, and that was one of them. The last time was when I was in Duke’s manor, assigned to a fourth floor position, and he continued to make advances. To be specific, though, the most offsetting thing about the exchange with the four of them was how they wouldn’t let me finish a sentence, as if they were determine to give me some kind of treatment. The fact that it was a treatment regarding my memories frightened me, as something could have happened. I can’t explain it; it just felt off, too far off to be exact. The other point of concern that still struck me were those three ponies. Granted, the pony that came forth to thank me for rescuing them looked almost exactly like Storm, which was also very strange. The more I think about it, however, the more I feel like those three ponies, the yellow one, the purple one, and the monochrome one, didn’t belong there, like there was something wrong with them being at that place. I couldn’t shake the feeling, and it was driving me insane; I needed to know why they were so out of place in my mind.

After a while longer debating the issue, I decided my best course of action was to return to Sanctuary and find those three ponies; I needed to discover their identities. As such, I set out from the ruined castle I had been hiding in. It was time that I got to the bottom of this.

The sun still shone fully as I approached the walls of Sanctuary. I was beginning to think it was a little odd just how much time was passing, yet not at the same time. I shook the thought from my head and focused on the issue at hoof. I was particularly brought back to the task when the clanking of the gates signalled their opening. I trotted within the entrance, finding the hustle and bustle that was there last time. I made my way through the crowd, climbing the stairs in front of the Main Hall, before stopping and turning about. I sat at the top of the steps, gazing down at the crowd beneath me. I needed to find even just one of the three ponies in the crowd, one of those that I was curious about.

I was standing at the top of the stairs for a considerable amount of time before Lance stopped beside me. He was the first to speak. “Why are you just standing here?”

“I’m looking for somepony.”

“We can have them summoned to the hall. What was their name?”

“I’m not sure. They’re newer, I think. I mean, I was gone for a while, wasn’t I?” While I don’t believe that, I figured I could play it.

“True. Do you know what they looked like?”

“There were a few, but I’ll be able to find them just fine.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah.”

“Alright. Well, let me know if you need anything, Guildmaster.”

“How’s your sister doing?”

“Cam?”

“Yeah.”

“She’s adapted well, filled the role like the rest of us, and seems to be enjoying herself while doing it.”

“That’s good to hear. I’m glad you two have adjusted well.”

“Any chance I get to save ponies from what I went through is welcome and I think she feels the same.”

“Alright. Thank you for your report, Lance. You may leave now.”

“Yes, Guildmaster.” His humble responses to my authority were strange at best, but if I had been gone for a month it was possible that something had happened in that time to change his mind. Regardless, I had ponies to find, so I returned to my watch.

After a frame of time that I can’t quite recall, I spotted dark orange-red hair in a style I recognised. I quickly, but calmly, made my way down towards the pony, eventually managing to break through the crowd. As I recall, it almost seemed like the crowd was being particularly difficult to breach, and that it required significant force to push past a few of those present. Whether or not this was the case doesn’t matter. I eventually arrived, stepping in front of the stallion. He stopped and looked up at me. “Hello Guildmaster.”

“I would like to speak with you for a moment.”

“I would love to speak with you, Guildmaster, but I have some duties to tend to before I can.”

“You don’t have about a minute?”

“Not really.”

“Then let me accompany you to the task. Surely my strength cannot be a burden in such a matter.”

“Well, the thing is…” I cocked an eyebrow. “…it’s, uh, kind of a solo project thing. Something I have to do by myself.”

“Well, you’re not working on it while we’re trotting there, and I’m sure the company wouldn’t hurt.”

“Well, that’s awful gracious of you, Guildmaster, but I have to refuse the offer.” Something was strange.

“How come?”

“I, uh…I…I need to…uh…I need to…use…the bathroom! Yeah, I need to use the bathroom.”

“Protectorate, you’re trying to avoid me.”

“Wh-what? No, never! I’m honoured by your presence!”

“I’m not an idiot.”

“I didn’t say you were!”

“Identify yourself, Protectorate.”

“You know who I am, though!”

“I was gone for a month and there are a lot of ponies I don’t recognise; you happen to be one of them. What is your name?”

“Why do you want to know?”

“Because I like to know all of my Protectorates by name.”

“You’re really desperate to know, aren’t you?”

“I’m not desperate; I’m expectant.” Just as I was finishing this sentence, another pony bolted into my peripherals, launching themselves between the two of us. The tan-coloured mare spoke loudly just as the familiar stallion behind her spoke his name.

“Guildmaster!”

“What is it?” I made sure to keep a sideways eye on the stallion.

“There’s something that needs your attention!”

“How urgently?”

“Very, like right now!” I hesitated for a moment before nodding. I knew I’d lose the chance to figure out the stallion’s name, but if there was something this urgent it meant that I was needed immediately.

“Alright, lead the way.” I followed behind the frantic mare as she led me across the square and into the barracks. Up the stairs we went to the second floor. Before I had even made it up the stairwell I could hear some kind of shuffling in one of the nearby rooms. When we got closer I could hear grunts. The mare led me to the chamber, opening the door. Inside were two creatures fighting, one gryphon and the other pony. Both were male, and both were viciously going at each other. I burst into the room, using my larger mass to clearly announce my presence. When that wasn’t enough, I spoke.

“Enough!” The two kept at it, claws and hooves flying in combat. I burst between the two, practically trampling them as I broke up the fight. “I said enough!”

They finally separated once they were standing again. “This is not how Protectorates behave! You should both be ashamed of yourselves!”

I saw the gryphon’s visage drop, the guilt cutting in. The stallion, on the other hand, got defensive. “He was the one that started it!”

“I don’t care who started it! The fact that you were both at each other’s throats tells me that you’re both guilty of inappropriate conduct. When I was in your position, such behaviour would have you beheaded, so I suggest you shape up.” The stallion lashed out in a display of fury, launching a kick into the side of my face. The impact hardly moved my muzzle, despite the tremendous force behind the strike. It fell deathly silent in the room before I spoke in a very hushed tone. “Young Protectorate, I would suggest that you never repeat what you just did to me a moment ago.”

I stood over him in a very intimidating fashion, hoping to cause him to rethink his course of action. “And what are you going to do about it, huh?”

He took a low stance, ready for a fight. I simply looked down at him for a moment. “Tell me you’re joking.”

He dashed in, attempting to knock me down. Instead of the intended effect, he bounced off of my scaled legs. “This is your final warning; back down or suffer the consequences.”

I saw the stallion’s eyes dart around the room for a moment before he darted over to grab a sword. I immediately dropped into a lower stance, waiting for his next move. He charged over, sword in a firm grip in his jaws. I whipped around, pegging him with my tail. He was launched across the room, breaking through several layers of the thin walls between rooms. He ultimately stopped, slumping against one of the walls. The mare and the gryphon both looked at me for a moment, a horrified look resting equally on their faces. They quickly went over to the stallion through the gaps in the walls, stopping when they arrived. I moved to look at them through the tunnel, finding them checking their friend. After a short moment or two, the mare turned back around, her voice quaking. “H-he…he’s dead! You killed him!”

“A blow like that hasn’t managed to kill so much as a squirrel.”

“He’s not breathing!” I began moving towards the stallion. It was as I was entering the next room when the mare and the gryphon drew their blades. The mare spoke again through clenched teeth. “Stay back! We won’t let you go through with this; you’re not going to eliminate evidence of your heinous crimes!”

“I was approaching to check his vitals and use healing magic.”

“Stay back!” The gryphon was now adamant. After a moment or two of our little stare-down, I backed down. It wasn’t worth endangering the rest of us to see if I could fix the stallion. “That’s right, just leave.”

“Then you had best hope that the medical crew is competent enough in magic to revive him.” I turned and trotted out, hearing them mutter something about ‘off to kill somepony else’. I shook my head to clear the anger building up. Their accusations were infuriating, and I was barely managing to keep it together. Perhaps I just needed time alone. As such, I turned my course to the Main Hall.

I was undisturbed for a while, sitting in the room I had vented in a few times. I began trotting back down the many stairwells, which seemed longer and more twisted than I remember. I’m pretty sure there was a set that was sideways, but I might be remembering things incorrectly. Regardless, I eventually made my way through the strangely dark corridors of the upper floors of the Main Hall. Even the main part of the Main Hall was different; the throne was shattered, the room ruined, and the general look of chaos prevalent. I was cautious as I trotted over the rubble, ensuring there wasn’t a threat in the room. I eventually made my way to the massive doors of the structure. They were slightly ajar, so I peeked through the small gap created by the opening. I couldn’t see much of anything, but I could hear a bit of a ruckus. As I didn’t have my armour, and as I was trying to be cautious, I quietly swung the door open far enough to allow my exit. I poked my head through the gap first, looking out to see what was happening. What met my eye was not quite what I was expecting. The members of the Order were assembled, seemingly locked in a heated debate; this included every single last pony and gryphon arguing fiercely. The deep orange hue of sunset discoloured and altered their appearance, but I could still make out some of the faces. I recognised Cam and Lance in the crowd initially. Also among the bodies were a few that seemed so far out of place that I couldn’t help but notice. After a short analysis, they appeared roughly as the three that I had recognised previously, those that seemed out of place. This time, however, they were grotesquely different. I barely recognised the yellow hide and rich auburn hair; he was immensely pale and impossibly thin and deathly looking, almost as if he had no blood pumping through his body. His visage was that of death, his body wickedly contorted and shriveled. The next one, the monochromatic stallion, was standing there, in broad sunset, with his skull cleaved in half, the cut stretching down his neck until the beginning of his torso. Despite this, and the fact that they were very visibly separated, he continued talking and functioning. Even the floating chunks of his neck and jaw weren’t stopping him. There was also the third impossibility, a mare. Her dark purple hide was interrupted by three bloody, charred slits; she had two stabs in her chest and one directly between her eyes. Despite her injuries, she, too, continued debating.

The situation was shocking enough to me, as all three should have been dead and it seemed like that was how it was supposed to be, that I actually caught myself trotting out into the Square. There was a momentary pause, the debate suddenly hushing when I came into view. Suddenly, a few voices started up in angry protest. “There she is!”

“The murderer has finally shown her face!”

“You should die for what you did!”

“How many more are you going to kill?!”

“You’re a monster!”

“Execute her!”

“Turn her over to the princesses!”

“Make her suffer like that gryphon!”

“Yeah! Tear her legs off!”

“Jab her eyes out!”

“Chain her up forever! Starve her!” The accusations, insults, and threats continued pouring in at an ever accelerating rate, too fast for me to catch what they were saying. Eventually, the whole crowd was in on it, the railing remarks now an indistinguishable echo of ideas that weren’t coherent enough to be understood. Eventually, however, Ajiin had calmed the crowd enough to quiet them. He spoke shortly thereafter.

“Alright, alright, we understand that you are feeling angry about everything.”

A mare from the audience shouted out. “Just kill her already!”

“I don’t quite think that such would be an appropriate action. I have another proposition for you, though, that the Council and I have agreed upon.”

“Then spit it out already!” A stallion was the one that interrupted him this time around. Ajiin cleared his throat and began speaking again.

“In the time she brooded in her locked room in the Main Hall, the Council created this device.” Ajiin lifted a small, metallic, circular object in one of his hooves. “This is the answer we made.”

“What’s it do?” A male gryphon spoke up.

“You see, Aqua is not to be trusted anymore; she has killed far too many ponies and overstepped her authority. Since we have decided upon exile as her fate, we created this device that I have in my hoof.”

“Just tell us what it does!” A female gryphon was the one to speak.

“Aqua will be under constant supervision, ensuring she doesn’t harm another pony or gryphon through the course of her life. This device will broadcast to us her location, allowing a unicorn, or myself, to track her wherever she goes. Should she threaten to kill, or attempt to kill, another pony or gryphon, the simple press of a button will end her life. We will surgically implant this device around her windpipe. Once activated, the device will begin expanding. It will crush her windpipe, sealing it and suffocating her, before ultimately decapitating her.” I did not like the sound of this at all. I needed to get out of here and I needed to do it very quickly. The problem was: the entirety of the Order was sitting between me and the exit, and I had neither the strength nor the weaponry to fight them all for freedom. As Ajiin turned and began speaking again, a plan was beginning to hatch. “Now, apprehend the drake so we can implant the device. We can all rest easier once you’re contained.”

He took a step towards me, which caused me to wheel around and bolt. I heard the commotion behind me as they reacted to my attempted escape. I knew leading them around the Main Hall wasn’t an option; there were far too many to evade with simple tactics. No, what I had planned instead was to use the back gate, the one that led to the training school I had attended as a filly. The gate was still open, as the guards weren’t attentive to the issue in the Main Square. I was galloping as fiercely as I could, Ajiin and the entirety of the Order behind me. I could hear Ajiin shout as I approached the gate. “Close the gate!”

The confused guards turned about, finding the entire population of Sanctuary chasing me down. Ajiin was still shouting at them to close the gate, which they eventually snapped to. My window of escape was slipping away as the portcullis was closing down. I slid under the iron bars, narrowly making my escape. Ajiin made the slide, too, along with a silver gryphon with purple accents. As they were recovering, I was bolting along the forested path. In all honesty, it seemed almost too wooded to be the right trail, but it worked either way. I simply needed to lose them, and try not to run into Bane and Galaxia.

The chase was hard, but quick. There was a sharp turn in the trail, a kind of switchback if you will. As there were woods all around, and as the two of them couldn’t see me because of the last corner, I chose to catapult myself off of the corner rather than follow it through. I barely managed to keep myself upright as I scrambled to a halt. I was careful not to disturb too much of the surrounding foliage, leaving as small of a trace as possible. I quickly, but quietly, made my way behind a large tree, hiding and listening to hear them pass by. Sure enough, not a moment after I tucked behind the trunk, the sound of two pursuers skidding around the sharp corner tore through the surrounding woods. As the commotion died down, the echoing chase fading in the distance, I began making my way among the trees. I had a general idea of where I was, so it shouldn’t be too hard to find where I needed to go.

I eventually made my way into town, the sun barely tucked behind the surrounding hills. I wasn’t taking any main routes in, all things considered, but rather the alleyways from the backs of houses. I was about to peek my head out from the shadows when I heard a pony coming towards the alley. I ducked behind some trash, waiting to hear what happened. There was some kind of wet slap noise, followed by what sounded like paper. After a short while, the sounds stopped and the hoofsteps began again. There was another wet slap, followed by paper, and the hoofsteps started once more. I carefully made my way towards the mouth of the alley, as the noise was quieting, to investigate. I quickly checked both sides, finding nopony but the pony trotting away from the alley on my left. The pony had a bag with papers on one side, a bucket with some white liquid on the other side, and a rolling sponge on a rod in his mouth. The pony smothered the wall of a nearby house in the white liquid, explaining the wet slap. He then slapped a piece of paper to it with a hoof, making sure it was attached all the way, before trotting off. As he continued away from me, I decided to brave a peek and see what the paper was all about.

I rounded the corner of the house, exposing myself entirely, and gazed at the poster attached to the wall. The two most prominent features were the pictures of me with their caption, “Wanted!”, written in red above the portrait paintings of me. I decided to read further, figure out what they were framing me for.

WANTED!
Name: Aqua WindStorm.
Species: Half-dragon
Age: Unknown
Sex: Female
Height: Princess
Weight: Heavy
Crime: Murder, aggravated assault, resisting arrest, abuse of power, damage to property, terrorism, reckless endangerment of life, treason, violent rebellion, inciting rebellion, fraud, deceit, criminal misrepresentation, criminal negligence, collusion with the enemy, tampering with black magic, theft, trespassing, violent intimidation, threatening violence, manipulation, cruel and unusual punishment, obstruction of justice, refusal to obey travel laws, threatening royalty, harassment, domestic violence, use of forbidden magical items.
Reward: 1,000 bits for information regarding the subject. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CONFRONT. CRIMINAL IS ARMED AND HIGHLY DANGEROUS. REPORT SIGHTINGS TO LOCAL AUTHORITIES. They will relay the information to the Royal Guard, the Equestrian Army, the Association of Alicorns, and the Order of Protectorates.

I couldn’t believe what I was reading. All of these crimes were either wholly untrue or blown so far out of context that this poster was the only thing presenting criminally misrepresenting anything. I shook my head, resisting a snort of frustration. I made my way back into the alley, hiding behind the trash. I was fuming, but there was nothing I could do. Confronting anypony about this injustice would just compound my problems. Thankfully enough, though, the picture that was on the poster was the one where I had scales and dragon horns. I had neither currently, and appeared as a pony, so it would be harder for strangers to report me. Those that knew me, though, were going to be the problem.

I decided that there was nothing for me in town and set my course towards the forest I grew up in. I made my familiar way to the site that had my shack on it, only to realise upon arrival that it was still missing. I had to find a new place to stay, it seemed, especially when I noticed the number of tracks in the area. They were fresh, and from several ponies. Apparently, they had already tried to find me here. This location was now compromised, rendering it no longer viable for a refuge. I had one other idea for what I could do, however, so I set my sights there.

Night had just about fallen by the time I had carefully trotted my way over to the abandoned castle in the forest. I crossed the rickety rope bridge to the exposed ridge it was connected to, eventually making my way into the destroyed building. As I was trotting inside I felt a drop of rain. I looked up to the darkened sky, feeling a drop or two more fall upon my face in the time I was gazing. I decided to see if I could find any kind of shelter in this place, so I began quickly making my way around. Sure enough, there was a smaller side room with the ceiling still intact. I made my way within, closely examining the area. Everything seemed to be structurally sound, and what little furniture was left could be shifted to provide shelter and cover from any passerby who wandered in here.

It didn’t take long for me to tip over the nearby tables and rearrange them. I tried to make it look as haphazard as I could manage while still providing me enough cover to sleep behind. It would have to work either way. I settled down, curling up behind the table wall I had created. I sat until the sound of rain lulled me to sleep.

When next I awoke I was in a bed. Without knowing where I was, or how I got there, I snapped awake, catapulting out of the bed to analyse the room. Looking around revealed my chambers back in Sanctuary’s Main Hall. Confusion and fear worked in equal parts to terrify me. I managed to get myself under control enough to sneak over to my door. I quietly unlocked the door, creeping my way out and down the hallway. I made my way down to the large, open portion of the Main Hall, eventually reaching the massive doors. I opened the wooden edifices and crept out, looking around. Everything seemed familiar, and the dead of night gave me the perfect cover to ensure that I was safe. Before I left through the open doors I turned about. I looked through the darkness at the floor of the open chamber. There was no debris like there had been the last time I was here. I thought it rather strange, and didn’t figure the Order could clean it up in the course of an hour or two, massive stone chunks in mind. I needed space, especially if they were still chasing me down. As such, I quietly made my way to the gates, finding them closed. I quietly cursed my luck before hatching the idea of leaping from the wall. I carefully made my way up the stairs leading to the gatehouse, peeping my head over the lip to make sure there were no guards on the wall. The coast was clear to the right, but there were a couple of guards keeping vigilant watch from the gatehouse to my left. I quietly mounted the wall and went right, trotting to a darker patch of the wall. It was there that I jumped down, rolling with the impact and bolting into the forest about a hundred yards off. I could hear the inquiries of the guards over the noise, but by the time they had illuminated the area I was already behind the trees. I continued my flight for a while longer, ensuring that nopony was following me.

I eventually made my way to where I had thought my shack to be, although where it wasn’t the night before. I knew it was risky to head there, as the area had been compromised, but it was a point of reference for most of my navigation in the nearby area.

When I arrived at the familiar pool I looked around. The thick darkness of the forest didn’t permit a large sight range, so it was the first thing I found. I trotted past the water to where I swore my shack was. As I approached I found the tiny structure. Of course, I was more than confused at this point; one day it’s there, the next it’s gone, but now it’s back again? Something wasn’t adding up. I trotted back to the water and gazed into the still surface. Although it was nearly pitch-black, silhouettes could still be determined in some degree. At least, with as radically different as my forms were it wouldn’t be hard. It was then that it struck me, as I was gazing fruitlessly into the water; I had used a light spell before the fight with Shade. Perhaps I could use one now?

With that in mind I focused. Using all of my magical might I did what I could to cast the spell. It eventually fired off, granting just the dimmest of light, but it was enough. I could see in the pond the reflection of my scales, even the reflection of the pearl on my scales. But it begged the question: if I had scales now, what had happened to them yesterday? There was only one thing left I could do in the silence of night, entirely alone, that would bring an answer to my questions.

I eventually made my way to town, sneaking my way through the alley as I had done yesterday. I crept around the corner of the house, into the street and into the sightline of anypony who was out at this ungodly hour of the night, and looked over at the wall. It was dark, yes, but the moon lit the wall up enough for me to see what was on it. As much as I looked, there was nothing. I searched the nearby houses as well, finding no posters calling for my arrest. It was as if yesterday had never happened. Could it have been some kind of elaborate dream? It was just so detailed, so realistic, and so believable. Yes, there seemed to be continuity hitches, but everything else was recreated so perfectly that it was hard to believe it to be a mere construct of my dreamscape. I continued these thoughts as I made my way back to the Order.

As I arrived at the gates, there was one last check I needed to do. The gates were closed, and I needed in. There was no way in but the gates, either set, so I called out to the gate guards. “Hey!”

“Who goes there?” Their light turned on me, nearly blinding me after I had adjusted so well to the dim night air.

“Aqua WindStorm, the Guildmaster.”

“Ah, welcome back, Guildmaster.” I heard the gates opening. It was either a trap or yesterday hadn’t happened at all. I was about to find out. I trotted inside, being greeted by yet another guard.

“Where did you go? Nopony usually uses the gates at this time of night, save for Ajiin every now and then.”

“Just needed some fresh air. Had a lot on my mind.”

“Pacing in here didn’t work?”

“No. I needed more space, more roaming, something different from the usual. I felt kind of boxed in.”

“Fair enough. What are the plans now, Guildmaster?”

“Sleep, hopefully.”

“Alright. I’ll let you get to it then. Enjoy the rest of your night.”

“Thank you. Don’t work too hard.” We both chuckled, knowing that night watch had almost nothing to do. I then set my course towards my chambers again, making my way through the main part of the Main Hall and up the several flights of stairs. I entered my chambers, closing and locking the doors again before settling down in my bed once more. I closed my eyes and hoped that sleep would come.

5. Shadowed Acts

Morning eventually came before giving way to an eventual night. The day passed uneventfully, as did a few weeks. By the end of the month, Cam and Lance wore the steel plates well. They were encumbered, yes, but still able to wear it. Once they reached this point in their training I knew we could head out. As such I gathered together a small band of a few less than two dozen other recruits. Aside from my personal selection of Cam and Lance I brought in trainees from the teachers, each giving their good word and telling me this was their star pupil. So with the recruits of all kinds gathered and the supplies stocked I decided to address them. "I've gathered you all here to test you, to see if you are all ready for the tasks of this Order. Now, it is not sparring or a death match. It is no kind of competition, where only a select few of you become Protectorates. No, in fact it is indeed possible that you all attain that rank. This is a test of mettle, of combat prowess, resourcefulness and rationalising, reasoning. It requires thought. It requires dedication and patience. It requires decisive action. I have been informed of the location of two dens of smuggling slavers. These are our targets. As Protectorates, however, it is not our duty to mete punishment to these blackened thugs. We are to avoid harming them if possible, letting law enforcement carry that out. Now, I am not saying go defenceless or to surrender if confronted. If anypony tries to hurt you, you are to first disarm the situation. If they persist, disable them. Only after this shall you destroy. Our main task in this duty is to ensure the safety of those who are unable to do so for themselves. That is why this Order exists: to defend and protect. Once we have secured the captives we are to take them to the nearest town to receive aid. You will receive further directions as it comes and as it is needed in the future. Is everypony ready for this?"

With one accord they answered with a yes. Seeing their eagerness I began the end of the preparations. To start, I placed my two large saddlebags upon my back. Afterwards I gave orders that they should strap the largest cart, a three-horse job- to my body. I figured I had a long enough torso that both the bags and the harness would fit. There were a few complaints from the recruits, mostly about whether or not I could handle the weight, but I quelled them. They silenced themselves once their doubts had been sufficiently answered and did as they were ordered. When the other four supply carts were properly secured and ready for departure I gave the order and we set out. The worried expressions of many of them were eased when they saw what little effort it was for me to pull the massive cart. We left the front gate, signalling that we were now on our way. The task ahead, though daunting, was about to be begin.

Our journey involved a special train ride in order to ensure that the carts came along with us. When we reached that selfsame port town I had arrived in originally, the which thankfully did not recognise me now that I was not currently wearing my armour, we stopped to purchase the remaining supplies I figured we’d need. With our carts entirely restocked we embarked and set sail on the next available ship for the land of the gryphons. For me it wasn't a terribly long voyage, and certainly it seemed shorter than my original trip going the opposite way. For these fresh recruits, eager to prove themselves to the Guildmaster, it most likely seemed like an eternity.

When we finally made port it was easy to see that they were more than anxious. We restocked our supplies again while in connected market. As we were about to leave, now having obtained provisions, I took the time to address them once more. "I would congratulate you on the progress you've made but we've only just begun. This part of the trek can be one of two things. It can be long and boring or it can be highly dangerous and filled with combat. It entirely depends on the fauna, the wildlife. The creatures on these flats are easily defeated, being malnourished to the point of frailty, but are many in number and ravenous in cause. Do not let your guard down. Are you ready for the test to begin?"

The yes was unanimous but it was clear there was the slightest worry in their tone. I nodded in accord before taking my armour out of my saddlebags. Once the plates had all latched securely onto my body I turned my attention to the entrance of the port. They all followed regardless of their concern as we began making our way through the barren and scorched earth plains. I knew it would be a couple of days just to reach our destination, so I had to carefully monitor those around me. The recruits were all on edge, wary and carefully looking out for trouble. The first day of hiking passed and we made camp. I took night watch, knowing sleep would flee from me anyways.

The hours of the night passed quietly; only the sound of my armour shifting could be heard as I patrolled around the camp. I made sure that I kept this little camp of mine safe. I also tried my best to ensure that this little camp remained asleep.

Morning came and we set out once more. It was about halfway through the day that the ground began to rumble very faintly. I stopped the group and waited momentarily to ensure it was what I thought it was. There was no mistaking the quaking; that cursed worm was back. My heart began to race as I began barking orders. "Unstrap me from this cart!"

They were momentarily confused by my sudden shift in tone and forceful volume. "Now!"

In a rush they undid the yoke and removed it from me. The rumbling was getting strong now, signalling the worm was close. I quickly dashed forwards, apart from the group. I intended to have good distance between the recruits and me. To ensure this, I hissed another order. "Stay put there! Don't move even a single hoof!"

This creature was not to be messed with, as it could probably devour the entire camp in a single pass, so I didn't mess around. I had created a large gap between us by the time the worm surfaced. The tremor was immense at this point. I stamped my hooves heavily a little more to assure it was only headed for me before unsheathing my blades. Instead of standing on my two hind legs like I normally do I folded up as best I could. I folded and crossed my front legs in front of me, sticking the two white hot swords out past my sides. The recruits were frozen in place with fear as they watched in horror, not knowing what was about to happen. As I got into the lowest and most compact form I could have assumed I yelled one last thing. "Don't move!"

As the last word rolled from my muzzle I was engulfed. The thing hit like a locomotive and, for a while, the only thing audible was the echoing wails of its jagged fangs screeching along my armour. The force being exerted upon my swords was tremendous, causing me to fear for a moment that my legs might break, snapping backwards from the force, or that my legs would be pulled down and I would be immobile and lost within this creature. Thankfully this was not the case. It was still pitch black but I was now plunged deep into the soft tissue of the interior of the worm. Using my full measure of strength, and aided by the hydraulics in my armour, I uncrossed my legs, circling the blades around, and extended them as far as I was allowed. It wasn't long before the crushing force, which threatened to snap my legs like twigs, slowed and ultimately halted altogether. When all was still and once the juices had settled I began flailing and swinging with whatever window of grace the muscle lined interior of this creature gave. After what seemed like several wasted minutes of frantic action light eventually shone momentarily in one spot. I tried my best to locate the point of origin and focused at hacking away a large portion of the inside of the creature, hoping to find the light again. Within the next few minutes light shone through steadily. A few moments of struggling found me outside of the worm once more. My eyes had fully adjusted again to find the entire group of protectorates galloping over, Cam being the first one moving. As she neared me she came to a halt, I suppose noticing I was covered in the interior juices, being either the mucous lining or digestive fluids, of the creature. The rest of the recruits caught up as well. It seemed they were all either too awestruck, or too frightened of the prospect of losing their guide, or so to speak. That is until Lance came up, he being the first to speak. "What was that?"

His tone sounded to be half astonishment and equal parts fear and wrath. "One of the many creatures out here, but I had been needing to do that for a while."

"Would you please not do that to us again?" It was as if he spoke authoritatively for the group of recruits, as they all seemed to be in accord.

"I don't think I'll have to. Let's keep moving, but until this gunk dries up off of my body I would ask for your cooperative help, Protectorates, in tending to the cart I pulled. Would that be alright?" Several of them nodded and went over to the cart. After a short while they worked out that five ponies were necessary in order to push the cart without extensive strain. "We should arrive at the locale by tonight. We'll bring the carts around to form a protective circle until the early morn. I will scout it out and change plans as necessary."

"I'm going with you." Cam stood forth boldly.

"I need you to help out the others and keep them safe during the night. We don't have a lot of ponies." Regardless of my words she was resolute and unchanging. I looked at the determined, albeit partially concealed, countenance she bore for a moment or two longer. "Alright, you will come with me. The rest of you will go as assigned. Are we clear?"

Another unanimous yes. "Good. Let's head out."

The remainder of the excursion to our destination was rather uneventful. There was one minor scuffle with the wildlife, but the skirmish was so undeniably easy that it is not worth mentioning further. As night descended, all grew dark. We had reached the coordinates given but were unsure if they were true. All we found was what seemed like a small mountain, possibly artificially made, with what looked like a metal wall on one side. Unless it went underground, this was far too small to house anypony, nonetheless an entire community of slaves and their masters. I ordered the recruits, except for Cam, to stay put and remain on vigil. Cam and I began approaching, albeit cautiously, with me in the lead. As we neared, not only did it finally appear as a gate but I heard the crackle of a speaker sound forth. "What's the code?"

I looked back at Cam, who looked just as equally confused as I was. I trotted over to the source of the crackling: a small box with a fine metal grate on the front of it. "Which code do I need to use?"

"You should already know that if you belonged to this place."

"What is 'this place'?"

"Unless you give me the code I cannot divulge that information."

"I don't know which code I need to use."

"Then leave. You are not meant to be here." I was playing dumb but it was not working very well.

"There are several gryphons I met who asked me to come by."

"Unless they gave you the code they do not want you here. Leave." I trotted away from the speaker and over to Cam again.

"Go stand a little ways off. I don't know what could be behind these doors." She nodded, quickly clearing away from the area. I trotted back over to the massive metal doors. I turned around and activated the anchors on my front hooves. I brought my hind legs up and bucked as hard as I could, using the help of the hydraulics on my suit. The metal warped and twisted from the resounding impact that sent a highly uncomfortable shockwave up my legs and spine. I unanchored and backed up to kick it a second time in like manner. I heard an alarm emanate from within, but figured it was no matter. After a couple more bucks of a similar fashion there was a gap under the door large enough for me to fit under. I unanchored and ducked under the door. As I went under, the few guards that had already assembled began firing off their weapons. Green bolts of, presumably, plasma tore quickly through the dimly lit alcove. I did the best I could to dodge them but it wasn't good enough. The guards were moving, extending out around the periphery of the alcove as more popped their heads up over, what I could only assume to be, a large stairwell into the earth. I broke out into a gallop, not paying any more heed to dodging. Within moments I was upon those on the stairs, blades flying. Swing after swing the number of living gryphons dropped. After more than a dozen slain their morale broke and they began to flee. Unfortunately for them I was faster, managing to kill them even with my blades retracted. After a few more minutes, the majority of them had been slain, their bodies scattered and strewn around the cavern. I took the next few moments to conceal them all somewhere nearby.

After they had been hidden I unsheathed my blades again when I was near the door, allowing them to heat up before sinking them into the massive metal slab. I cut as large of a hole as I could with my reach and pushed the large metal scrap aside. As I stepped out, approaching Cam to deliver the news, I heard a few shouts. One sounded like a scream while the others were unrecognisable at this distance. I glanced quickly at Cam, who glanced back at me in return, before I broke into a full gallop towards the noises. When I arrived I found the camp under attack by a startlingly large pack of wolves. Not bothering to unsheathe my blades I got to work with tail and hooves. It didn't take long for all of us to kill them off, and thankfully with few injuries it seemed. As victorious as it appeared to us all something felt amiss, like when you have the gut feeling that something is wrong and you don't know what. Just then we heard the scream again. Tracing the sound I galloped with full intent towards it. I found a small grouping of wolves biting and clawing ferociously at the armour of one of the recruits. I quickly came over and dispatched each with vicious bludgeoning force, the principal source being a hefty tail swing. When all the wolves were dead I looked at the recruit, noticing that one of the wolves had managed to get under his armour. The aftermath was not pretty. I unequipped my armour as quickly as I could. By the time the plates had all retracted the recruit had fallen unconscious. Lance was nearby. "I don't think he's going to make it."

"He will."

"What? Look at him! That's enough to kill anypony! How can you be so sure?"

"Because you haven't seen everything I'm capable of yet."

"Like bringing the dead back to life?" I ignored his jabbing comment, even though I might have been capable of such at one point. When I could, I laid down beside the unconscious pony. His condition was pretty bad, but I had healed far worse. I sat beside him for a moment longer, retracing my memories to the feeling of using my healing magic. It had been so long I could only hope it worked. Once ready, I channelled the spell, yet only upon exerting my full effort of soul did I cause the bleeding to stop; the wound neither closed nor healed. As joyful as I was that he would now live my soul was anguished over my incapability of using something I had utilised so religiously in the past. My fatigued body offered no solace to my distraught condition. My magic, most specifically that for healing, was being hindered by an unknown force beyond my control. In sombreness I reequipped my armour and carried the unconscious pony back to the rest of the camp. When I arrived I set the recruit down and solemnly gave orders after standing once more. "Bring all of the carts within and rest once inside the gates. Lance will be in charge of the camp while Cam and I sweep the complex to finish the tasks before us. While inside, treat your injuries."

Within the next few moments all was in order. I placed the dislodged portion of the metal door in the gap once more before we placed the largest cart in front to fortify it. The recruits should be safe after that much preparation. Satisfied with things up here I beckoned Cam to follow, albeit at a short distance back. I knew her life was in grave peril when I finally reached sufficient light to see the numerous holes in my armour. As I passed the light she also took note with an audible gasp. "Aqua...! Your-"

"Armour?"

"Yeah, what happened?"

"A little skirmish. I guess their weapons are a bit different than any other kind I had seen before."

"Are you alright?"

"Yes, thankfully."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. None of it actually pierced the armour."

"...ok." If their weapons had punched holes like these in my armour they would tear through both sides of her armour, passing right through her like nothing. I wasn't about to let that happen. I felt much more comfortable with her a couple yards back.

As we made our way down this structure, made entirely of metal, we noticed that the stairwell was the only passageway. There was, about halfway, down, what looked like it could be a door. As we neared we discovered no handles or knobs. Being confused I trotted towards it to analyse it better. As I neared it the door opened, the two halves sliding horizontally to leave the frame open. When I looked within there were more stairs descending, such as those we were climbing down already. I beckoned Cam to follow.

The stairwell was surprisingly long, taking several minutes to descend to the next door. As this one opened, a great cavern filled with houses was what caught my view. I stepped within to catch a better gander. From floor to ceiling it was probably at least a hundred yards. The walls of the cavern gave it the feeling that this was not a natural cave. Perhaps it was dug out by the slaves of those who now dwelt here, or perhaps their ancestors. I knew not. What I did know is that a project such as this couldn't have taken less than decades. The floor of this place was all paved and, seemingly, completely even. The buildings were not as needlessly large as those in Equestria, but overly large they still were. Their design was very squared off, seemingly focusing on having nothing but right angles adorn their house. The roof was flat and, on many of them, looked accessible from the interior of the house. The principle colour here, between the houses and the cave itself, was grey. In order to get to the houses we had to descend another large set of stairs. I would have said something to Cam about the number of stairs in this complex if we weren't trying to be stealthy.

Quietly, then, we descended. Once having gone down the, as I would guess, four or five flights worth of stairs Cam and I began searching all of the houses. Surprisingly enough, as we found out, they were entirely vacant. Just to make sure, we searched each house one by one but found only the same emptiness in each. After the last house, when Cam and I managed to find each other again in this massive labyrinth of houses, we looked momentarily at the buildings. I then turned to her and spoke. "Perhaps they did vacate as I had ordered. I'm sure, though, that there are more places to check. Come."

Cam followed me back up the stairwell into the main corridor. We then descended further down the principle stairs, passing several passageways more. We explored each as they opened to us. Every single last one led to a mine or several mines, completely abandoned and devoid of light. We were spending a lot of time down here and it was getting us nowhere.

When we finally reached the absolute bottom of the complex there was another door, but larger and more noticeable. Instead of splitting down the middle and sliding to the side, this door slid up. Inside was yet another cave, a mine to be specific, that was dimly lit. When we trotted in, the door closed behind us. It took a moment or two for our eyes to adjust, but when they did we saw very large veins of luminescent blue crystals running throughout the cave. This room was massive, curling even past a distant wall into who knows what else. What caught our eyes next were the vague shadows that occasionally passed by the crystals. I noticed Cam got closer, almost into contact with my shoulder. As we continued to observe, and possibly only because our eyes adjusted further to the lower light levels, we noticed that the mined crystals were placed into carts. These carts, no larger than the average pony, were pulled along tracks that ran through the cave. Most were emerging from the area of the mines where it vanished from view around the corner. Cam and I could not tell from whence they came and to where they went. Half leaning to Cam I whispered. "I'm going to investigate. Stay here."

"Ok..." Her tone was quiet, full of fear or apprehension of some kind. Hearing her agree to remain behind comforted me, if only just a little, so I activated the folding mechanisms in my armour. Cam, apparently, did not support the idea of me removing my armour. "What are you doing?"

Her hushed tone betrayed her disdain. "This armour would make too much noise going down. It must be in silence.

"You'll be vulnerable!"

"Not vulnerable enough for them to stop me. Just watch; I promise I'll stay safe."

"Are you absolutely sure?" If nothing else she at least cared for my well-being.

"Yes." She seemed satisfied with my response. Having finished the whispered exchange I transformed into my smaller, weaker and, if nothing else, quieter form. Using the training I earned while imprisoned at Duke's place I stealthily descended the stairwell and approached one of the figures. As I neared I could tell it was a gryphon. I stopped its work and began questioning it. "Is there room for help?"

"Always. Help me haul this stuff." He seemed almost grateful for the offer, so I joined him. Shortly thereafter I continued my 'interrogation'.

"Who's the hirer?"

"What do you mean?"

"Who pays you?"

"No one."

"So this is unpaid labour?"

"Yup."

"Is it enforced?"

"I'm not sure I understand your question."

"Are you forced to work for free?"

"Kind of."

"Kind of?"

"We get food, I guess."

"That's it?"

"Yeah, just about."

"Nothing else? You only receive food?"

"Clothes and a place to sleep, too, I suppose."

"No pay?"

"No."

"Who do you work for?"

"He's on the tower, way up on top. It's kind of hard to see."

"He won't be up there for much longer." He had a look on his face of both confusion and concern. "Make it seem as if nothing has happened. I'll return soon.”

As I started stepping away from the cart he kind of protested. "Wait, where are you going?"

"To free you. You will be a slave no longer." He was too perplexed to react. I silently trotted back up to Cam, who had remained standing at the top of the stairwell. As I changed back into my larger form Cam couldn't hold back any longer.

"What happened?"

"I found out they are exactly what I would have assumed them to be. It's time we freed some slaves." She seemed to be excited. "However, there is only one creature in charge down here. What I need you to do is to be on overwatch. Make sure nothing happens down here, like guards coming from elsewhere in the mines to catch me unawares or perhaps coming from the door behind you. We want to be sure we can get these slaves unharmed and that they don't butcher any of them because of a revolt. Are you ready?"

She nodded, apparently convinced of the necessity of the task before her. As my armour finished equipping I headed back down, finding the tower mentioned by the gryphon. I set my sights there and began trotting over. My hoofsteps were loud enough to catch the attention of the overseer, apparently. "What are you doing over here? Get back to work!"

"Oh, believe me, I am working." I unsheathed a blade, allowing it to superheat. The creature took note of my appearance, probably from the glow of the blade, and became fearful.

"Wait, I don't remember one as big as you...who are you?"

"I'm the being that will bring you and those like you down to dust and ashes." As I finished the sentence I swung my blade, cutting through the support like it was nothing. I then cut through the others in like manner. The metal supports creaked, but it wasn't enough. I sent my blade through the first again, but in a different spot so as to cleave out a block of the leg. I kicked it out but found no change. The overseer was scrambling down the tower at this point in a mad effort to not be caught very high up when it fell. I quickly cut the next leg in a similar fashion, kicking out the block and causing the massive tower to, ultimately, begin falling. I decided to hit the third leg as well. As I finished the tower's trajectory curved, causing the creature, which had only made it about a quarter of the way down the ladder, to freeze. He could not descend further due to the shift in force. I was frightened that the fall might kill him, but my thought was drug away by the sound of a small scuffle at the periphery of the cave. Taking no thought of it yet, I continued to watch him fall. As the tower hit the ground a near deafening ringing emanated and pealed through the cave. I quickly approached the very dazed individual, a gryphon I managed to discern as I neared, and jumped on the situation. The workers began to gather around the fallen structure. Finding the gryphon to be in no situation to give me answers I decided to address the slaves instead. "You will all be free soon from this yoke of bondage, but I need your help. Until this individual is more coherent, and I can question him further, it is up to you to keep him here. Keep him here but keep him here alive. If I return and he has perished by your claws and hooves...well, let's just say that I don't know how many of you would leave, nonetheless alive. If he remains alive all of you will be set free. Is this clear?"

They nodded, thankfully enough, so I broke from the crowd to try and discover the source of the noise that distracted me earlier. Perhaps thinking Cam knew what it was I headed back to the doorway we came in. Instead of Cam eagerly awaiting my arrival I found two dead gryphons, two guards as I recognised them to be. I was both confused as to where they came from and absolutely and utterly terrified as to what could be or could have been happening to Cam. Approaching the door did nothing to open it and there was no mechanism in sight to do so. Rather than wait on that one dazed gryphon to recover enough to tell me how to open the door, I did what I do best. Turning around and, unfortunately having disregarded my anchors, I bucked as hard as possible against the door. Not only did the sheer force heavily warp the door but nearly pushed me off of the stairwell as well. I recovered and came back up to the door, forcing it open enough to slip through. As soon as I got past it I ascended the stairwell as quickly as possible. My mind assumed the worst of the situation. I feared the other recruits had been captured, or worse: slaughtered.

As I broke the lip of the stairwell I saw the little band camped there still. They were all looking, as my ascent was probably not the quietest thing to have occurred. They seemed perplexed. "Everypony is fine up here?"

One of the recruits responded, confused as ever. "Yeah..."

"That's good. No wildlife attacks?"

"No."

"Excellent. Wait here a little longer. We're gathering the refugees." That was a lie, but they absolutely could not discover that Cam had gone missing, and directly into the claws of sadistic gryphons. I turned and started down the stairs quickly. I looked through each doorway and their respective hallways as quickly as possible. When I reached the houses my heart sank. The need to search all several-dozen of the massive, overly massive, maze-like homes was daunting at best. I swallowed, chocking back hopelessness, and began the urgent, near panic stricken flight through the hundreds or thousands of chambers.

The whole time I was searching I kept feeling as if I shouldn't spend my time here, as if another part of me was telling me to search elsewhere. Thinking it to be pessimism I dismissed the thought and continued the search until the last room of the last house. The desperation became fury as I found not one trace. I continued quickly, albeit with excessive force to 'open' doors before me.

Leaving behind a trail of splintered wood and many loose stones, having charged through many objects to curb the wrath within and make the shortest path possible, I left, quickly getting back to the main corridor. As I went back down the stairs I noticed a steel sword on the stairwell; it was most likely Cam's, as the gryphons here didn’t use swords. Unsure of what it meant I passed it to find the gryphon I had downed. As I neared I heard a door close further up. Perplexed I returned back up and looked within each of the long hallways. Of the four not one had anypony within, and my flight had been quick enough that I knew nopony could have made it down one fast enough to leave no trace or echoing sound. Now practically flying down the stairwell I closed as much distance as possible. When I reached the door I slid under it. As I quickly approached the crowd I saw a few of the group beating the only hope I had. I galloped up quickly, probably shooting pure fear into many. The group parted very rapidly, allowing me a clear shot at the assailants. I slammed into the first, coming from under to launch him high enough to break over the group and fly, possibly, a dozen or two yards. The others I kicked or bucked roughly, sending them sprawling and more likely than not, breaking something. With all having backed off I unequipped my helmet and, in wrath, barked roughly. "What did I tell you, you worthless, pathetic wretches?! Did I not warn you that punishment was mine? One more insolent act like that and you all die by my claws! Do I finally make myself clear or do I have to commit murder first?"

My words, tone, volume and countenance must have, all combined, struck pure terror into their hearts, for not one was within twenty feet of me by the last hissed word. I turned back down to the quivering, rather pathetic looking, gryphon. "Now, you're about to help me out."

"With what?"

"Finding a hidden chamber, one where captives are taken."

His response was pure bravado. "And why would I ever help you with that?"

I drew a blade, allowing it to heat to a glow before holding it near his neck. "Because if you don't I will personally ensure that you are slaughtered and your battered and unrecognisable remains are fed to dogs. If that isn't enough reason I'll do it to your family too. If, however, you help me out nothing will happen to either of you, you or your family, and pardon will be granted. Have I made myself clear?"

He nodded vigorously. Using my tail I picked him up by the mid-section and trotted out of the mines with him almost dragging behind me. Once in the hallway I set him down. "Alright. Lead on and open the passage way. By the way: don't try any funny business. Remember that I am bigger, stronger, faster and a lot better armed than you. Not even the weaponry of the guards here was able to penetrate this thick hull."

I hit my armour a few times for effect. It must have worked, seeing as he did not delay in going to and opening a passage way. It was very near where Cam's sword lay. I could not count the number of times I had galloped past that selfsame place in search for it and found nothing. When it opened the wall itself off-set and parted to open the way. Inside was a very long hallway with doors lining both walls. After a short moment of silence the gryphon finally spoke. "Can I go home now?"

"Yes. That was all I needed. Thank you." With that he fled towards the top of the stairwell, leaving me alone again. I entered and turned to the first door on the left. I bucked the door in, causing it to swing violently on its hinges. Inside was an empty room, devoid of features. There were, however, four small metallic rings bolted and anchored; two mounted on the floor, the other two on the ceiling. Seeing no point in staying here much longer I turned and headed to the next door, kicking this one in in a very similar fashion to the first. Inside was a very meagre prison cell, barely furnished and utterly lacking in many aspects. Cam was not here either, so I left.

After several more doors were collapsed inwards I heard, from down the hallway, a cracking I was very familiar with. I immediately ceased all action and listened intently. Another resounded, albeit faintly, from further down the hallway. I started trotting over slowly, assuring myself of its direction. Another crack, louder this time, sent me into a full force sprint. If my suspicions were correct then I needed to get to the sound, and get there immediately.

By the time I reached the sound two more strokes of the whip shot their painful chorus down the hall. The sixth stroke perfectly identified which door it came from. I bucked it in violently, almost causing the door to dismount from the hinges, and turned to find a whip-bearing gryphon standing behind Cam. Her tear soaked face was twisted in vivid anguish. My heart sank seeing her bound and beaten as such, but the sorrow I had was consumed as dross by the unmatched fury that ate me to the core. "You disgraceful, wasted sack of flesh! Leave her be!"

I charged in, causing the whip-bearing gryphon to flee as best he could. As I neared I heard clicking and a voice from behind me. "I would suggest that you do not take another step, horse."

I wheeled around, rearing up and drawing my blades. I almost hit my head on the ceiling in the process. "It's not your life on the line here; it's hers. You are familiar with our weaponry, yes? Your armour says so. Imagine it hitting exposed flesh. Not quite as easy to shake off, or would it be? All weapons are pointed at your accomplice. Take one step and she dies."

I was forced to hold my ground. I sheathed my blades and lowered myself back to all four hooves. Rage fiercely burned inside me, at them for their acts and at myself for having drug Cam into this mess. My mind raced frantically, hoping to free Cam from any more scourging. "What is she even worth to you?"

"She might fetch a decent price, that is, if we even decide to sell. We might keep this feisty one, make her pay for the harm she's caused."

"So you're looking to turn a profit?"

"Maybe. We're not sure yet."

"Let me tell you this much: there's a way you could earn a whole lot more." The gryphon that was speaking was perplexed.

"What could you possibly offer us?"

"An exchange, perhaps, would grant you more." Cam looked up finally, utterly distraught from what I could tell from my peripheral vision. "Let her go and take me in her place."

"Aqua, no! You can't do that!"

"It's fine, Cam. Trust me." In a situation like this I simply shook the fact that she had just broken her vow.

"And how would this benefit us?"

"I'm a quarter-million bit escapee running around. Imagine what my master would pay you to get me back, especially since I already demonstrated to him my capability of beating him into the dust. With me rendered helplessly submissive, especially after a show like that, imagine what a pony like that would pay you. Besides, what threat is she to you compared to me? Plain plate armour, awkward with the blade, easily overtaken." I glanced at Cam. My words had very obviously hurt her. I could only hope to make it up later, and that she realised I was bluffing to save her life. "Now, what am I to you? Bigger, stronger, faster and more deadly than all of you combined. I am an expert with the blade, nearly unparalleled, with highly sophisticated, specialised armour that your weapons proved unable to penetrate. I am driven by an insatiable and vindictive fury to guide me, yet here I am offering to surrender myself to you when your dozens couldn't stop me before. You still demand retribution for the two she killed? What about the two dozen I slaughtered just getting into this place? Besides, even if you didn't sell me to the same owner, how much more money, how much higher of a price, would a fair and appealing drake fetch for you rather than a simple, plain young mare? I'll give you two minutes to think on it."

The room exploded into a frantic discussion. Cam's disappointed and sorrowful expression cut me deeply, but it turned not from me; she stared at me intently, perhaps hoping that I would change my mind. Within a minute or so the discussion ended. They all turned to face me, one speaking for the whole group as they had before. "We'll take the offer."

"Excellent. Set her free and the armour comes off."

"Take the armour off and we set her free." I glanced at Cam, who was shaking her head. I conceded defeat and powered down my armour. When I stepped out of the plates I transformed into my smaller form, giving the impression that my larger self had been explicitly tied to the armour. At this point they undid Cam's bindings. When she arose they forced her out of the door, protesting as she did the whole way both to me and at them. Her shouts of desperation were weak at best, but pitiful all around. I had to simply let her remarks bounce off of me at this point as I sat pondering what to do next. When she was gone I made myself seem crestfallen and the gryphons began to rejoice in my 'defeat'. A few jeering taunts ensued before we started heading out.

When we reached the concealed door I had worked out an idea that had a good possibility of utter failure, but it was the only shot I had. As the leader went to open the door I snapped into action. I transformed forms again quickly and bucked backwards. I connected with one of the two behind me, sending him a long way down the hallway. I then took a swipe and caught one in the face, leaving large gashes from my claws. While taking the swipe I swung my tail at the one that dodged the buck. With careful twisting of my tail the spines on the top of the lengthy member pierced him. As I finished the swing I caught a second one between the wall and the gryphon I was swinging, hitting with enough force to incapacitate him. Three were now either limp or unconscious with a fourth further down the hallway. Two guards remained, the first finally raising his weapon. I leaped, pinning him on his back, and tore his throat to shreds with a few feral swipes. As I arose to confront the other excruciating pain shot up my leg, followed by a hit in the torso. I wheeled around as best as I could and saw the nearby guard firing his rifle. These shots barely pierced my scales, but it was enough to cause deep wounds underneath and terrible waves of pain. The shots, leaving their cauterised marks in my body, suppressed me and continued to riddle my back and legs with holes, that is, until he couldn't fire it any longer. He began fiddling with the weapon, another cartridge filled with green material at the ready. I shook off the pain and began charging. By the time the energy cell, as I could only assume it to be, was slotted I was upon him. I reared up, catching his head in my two clawed hooves and yanked him around violently, the sheer snapping force and rapidly changing directions causing a crack to finally echo down the hallway. Having dropped the limp torso and getting back down on all fours, I turned my attention to the last guard. He fumbled with his rifle and, by the time he was actually ready, started firing at me as I charged. Some of the shots whizzed by, whereas most, unfortunately, hit. The narrow hallway did not permit enough room to dodge and my charge was slowed by the crippling holes in my hind legs. The shots that did connect mostly hit my chest, leaving it entirely ruined. Many hit my face, probably hurting the most, and a few hit my legs, begging me to stumble and fall. I, nevertheless, ignored it all and, once in range, leaped upon him as a tiger would its quarry. The pinned gryphon was helplessly lying on his back. Using the bone-like ridges along my forehead I bashed his face a few times with mine, each drawing a crack, until he stopped moving. I will refrain from describing his resemblance, as it nearly made me gag. Suffice it to say he was more than killed from the blunt force cranial trauma. Once he was dead I arose, barely, and headed back towards the chamber wherein my armour was. The trip towards the cell was more than enough to demonstrate that my time was limited and I needed serious help.

When I arrived I equipped the plated suit of hydraulics in the hope of remaining standing for longer than I would have been able to. Hiding my condition from those poor recruits was another benefit, as we could make more ground in the hopes of better medical care in town. I then set my course for the mines once again.

Once within, having cut the door open this time, I stamped my armoured hooves on the metallic stairs a few times to draw the attention of all those that had remained below in the mines. Once their shadowed faces looked either eagerly or fearfully up at me I spoke. It was difficult, but I managed to do so without betraying my condition. "All those of you within this hole in the rock hearken to me. Your freedom has been restored unto you. Those of you who wish to remain here do so. We head now for the capital."

As they began to come forth I turned and headed out the doorway to begin the ascent. Difficult and painful are not words powerful enough to describe climbing the seemingly endless stairwell. By the time I reached the top the only thing I thought was possible for me to do was to collapse, but the recruits were all looking at me now. I had to continue leading, as impossible as it was, because all of these lives depended upon it. So I shook off the feeling of death as best I could and snapped back to reality. What caught my attention was Lance's determined march towards me. It was very clear that he was highly discontent. I looked down at him as his march came to an end directly in front of me. "What in Equestria were you thinking?! You almost got my sister killed, or worse! Does that not matter to you?"

I remained in stone cold silence, far too weak to engage in an argument with him. Regardless of my seemingly neutral indifference his words cut me more than the plasma shots that had riddled my body with holes. Yet still he continued. "Doesn't her life matter to you? Do any of us? Or are you simply using us like puppets and decoys so you can run free and do what you want? Do you not care if we perish?"

The thought of engaging his pointed questions was irritating at best. Shrugging it off in cold indifference I trotted past him, pushing him aside. He was almost outraged at this point. Perhaps he saw that I would not answer to him, as he stormed off to another part of the cave. I eventually made my way to Cam. When I did I sat beside her and folded my helmet back. Perhaps she might not see the holes that lined my face if I sat beside her instead of in front of her. After a moment or two I finally spoke, gently and quietly for I had not the strength for anything else. "Are you alright?"

She nodded. "I'm sorry you had to go through that. It's always a terrifying experience. How's your back?"

She simply shook her head. She didn't want to talk much, and I can't blame her. She was shaken beyond words. "You're safe now, Cam.

"The others?" Her sudden words almost caught me off guard.

"Those gryphons?" She nodded. A bit of regret bit my heart. Not only had she been emotionally torn by the brutal flogging she had to endure but now I had to tell her that I had killed six more intelligent creatures. I sighed and finally told her. "All six are probably dead. I had no other choice."

"Was it quick?"

"Yes."

"That's good then. At least they didn't suffer."

"If nothing else, Cam, I think our work here is done." As I finished this statement, almost as if on cue, I heard the sound of many creatures moving from the stairwell. I turned to see who it was, just in case it would become a confrontation. What I found, to my relief, were those individuals who had been held captive moments ago. "And there they are. You helped free them, Cam. You're a hero to them."

"I am?"

"You sure are. You helped to free all of them that you're looking at. Good job." She beamed through her more than apparent misery. When I turned a little further there was somepony standing in my peripheral vision. I arose to finally see who it was, turning completely to face them. Lance stood before me, albeit a fair distance away. His countenance had changed completely, seeming to be more humble or regretful than before. Perhaps it was my demonstration of concern and attempts to console or cheer Cam. Perhaps, instead, he saw the wounds on my face, the holes that adorned my muzzle, and realised that Cam was not the only one that suffered injury from this experience. Whatever it was it was a pleasant change. As I began trotting by he spoke.

"Hey, uh, sorry for before..."

"It's in the past. Leave it there." He seemed discontent with such an answer. As such he protested as I was about to pass him with my slow, painful trot.

"Yeah, but the way I treated you, what I said-"

I wheeled around as best I could, wincing at the undeniable pain of such quick movement and accidentally letting out the quietest of pain-riddled grunts. My tone was sharp, my comment blunt and my grace dull as I responded. "There is absolutely no point at picking at this in some effort to make yourself feel better, Lance. What has happened is in the past. I have not changed my attitude about you over it because I understand why you reacted in such a way. I might let you apologise any other day but, to be quite frank with you, I too went through more than an emotional rollercoaster trying to find her. I am also dying in brutal agony currently from wounds sustained while rescuing her, and no, I cannot and will not accept any medical care until we have reached our destination. So again, what has happened is in the past. Leave it there. Have I made myself clear?"

Although quietly whispered to him it appeared as if the tone was enough, as he quietly nodded and backed away. My soul grieved inside for my sharpness but my condition left me no alternatives. Taking in a deep breath and exhaling once more I turned and headed over to the group on the stairwell. They seemed lost, and I don't blame them for such. As I neared they perked up. "Are you all ready to leave?"

They nodded, almost in one accord. "Excellent. My Protectorates shall create a protective circle around you and we will arrive safely to our destination."

They were excited, and for good reason. Seeing them hopeful made me content, so I turned around and headed back to my recruits. I gathered them in together and spoke. "You will form a mobile fortress around them. Make sure, whatever you do, that not a single soul perishes. Now, let's get moving. I trust I don’t have to spend the time to instruct you on how to make a circle."

I let my helmet fold out upon my head once more before anything else occurred. Once that was done we moved the carts out of the way of the door, which was the easy part. In my current condition I wasn't sure I could move the large metal slab I had put in the way of the door. Whether I could or not didn't matter at this point, as it was a 'had to' this time. I neared the slab, pushing myself against it, and took in a deep breath. Using my best effort I strained against it. The slab finally began moving but I did not take a break until after the opening was entirely clear. No sooner had it opened than I heard the sounds of wildlife outside. As quickly as I could manage I got back into the doorway just in time to see those dog-like burrowers approaching quickly. I took out as many as I could with my hooves but they were too quick and my injuries slowed me too much. Thankfully enough, the recruits had been ready and the sound of steel and yipping echoed until all fell silent once more. I turned around to see my band standing triumphantly. I smiled, but the grin was soon wiped from my face by the sobering thought of the long journey ahead of us. I thought for a moment on how we would go about this. Once an idea formed I spoke. "The carts and the refugees will be kept within the circle and, if it is alright with those of you whom we rescued, we ask your help in pushing and pulling the carts so that we may more effectively defend you from the creatures like you just saw. We will have, from my band, a night watch to keep us safe during the dark hours. It shouldn't be longer than two or three days to arrive at our destination."

I had to stop speaking at this point and sit. I nodded to signify that I had finished and soon, under the surprisingly coordinated orders from Lance, all things were put in order. I’m not sure what caused him to step up and assist like this, but I was thankful for the help nonetheless. I arose once more to be the first out of the door, regardless of not having enough strength for it. My protectorates came next, followed by the refugees and carts. From here the circle formed, Cam making sure she got a spot next to me whereas Lance took the one furthest, and we departed. The others were engrossed in pleasantries and happy conversations, obviously about the recent developments and their plans when they returned. Just the opposite for us, Cam and I trotted in utter silence.

Thusly we travelled and the first day rode by seamlessly. When dusk arrived those night scavengers came lurking out. Several attacked the camp but it amounted to nothing. We set up camp when the sun was casting its last rays. I took the night watch, assuming it better than sitting aimlessly awake for the whole time anyways, or facing the possibility of succumbing to my injuries while asleep and leaving the group helpless in the Wastes. Cam opted to join me on the watch, perhaps to talk with me, but never found the courage to speak. When it was darkest out I aligned our heading for the lightest part in the sky, knowing the city remained there. Other than this, the calm of night passed without a hitch.

Dawn broke, awaking the camp. It took a little while for everypony to get everything situated, including stowing supplies and equipping armour, but once it was taken care of we set out on the new heading. Nothing of notable value occurred, as the prominent detail is that of the scavengers lurking about our camp. They never attacked us, for whatever reason.

Day passed and gave itself over to night. The night moved aside for the next day. The next day invited the next night on our journey, and it was here that Cam finally spoke. It was during our typical, silent night watch shifts when she sat beside me. She eventually sighed at one point during the night before speaking in a grave and sullen voice. "Have you ever had that happen to you?"

The question came completely by surprise and caught me off guard. "What do you mean?"

"What happened to me back there, has it happened to you?" My thoughts flashed to the agony I had suffered under the claws of Theogar and Azundir. Almost as if hoping to avoid that wound I sidestepped the question.

"How many strokes?”

"Strokes?"

"How many times did they whip you?”

"You trotted in on nine." I suppose I had missed the first three.

"It seems like you took them pretty well."

"Thanks, but you still haven't answered my question." My heart sank a little, realising it would be necessary and unavoidable. It was I that sighed this time before I finally answered Cam’s question.

"I have experienced that, yes. The brutal nature of it is…yes, I know it well. The last time I suffered those pains, it nearly brought my demise."

"How many?"

"How many what?"

"Strokes." My mind brought those harrowing memories up again. In all of that memory I could not even come close to an estimate of the number of hits.

"All I can recall is that there were more than a couple dozen."

"Oh..."

"I don't know what it is, or even why it is, but death has been utterly unable to keep me. There have been moments of pain and various injuries that should have killed me off long ago, yet here I remain."

"When you don't have your armour on you still don't even look like you've been through anything."

"I suppose, after suffering a heavy arcane shockwave, part of my nature changed so that when I should normally have scars these scales grow instead. That tells you how many scars I would have."

"And before the scales?"

"Scars, just like any other pony."

"What did you look like?"

"Before I mutated and adopted a more draconic appearance?"

"Yeah."

"Well, debatably normal."

"What?"

"I was kind of like your average pony in many senses, height and everything. My ears and tail, however, were almost always my defining characteristics. Along with this, depending on how far back one goes into my history, I had wings and a horn on top of it all."

"Wait...are you...?"

"Royalty?"

"Yeah."

"No. Far from it. There is nothing royal at all about my backstory or my nature."

"Then what are you?"

"I am a drake, a half-breed between dragon and pony. There aren't many in the world that are like me, if any exist anymore besides me."

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, we're either hunted and killed for being 'abominations' or sold as expensive showcases. The first happened to my parents, as I've been told, and the second happened to me personally.”

"Your parents were hunted?"

"Yup. They were murdered in cold blood because they weren't the same as those that chased them down."

"Who were they?"

"The ones that pursued them?"

"Yeah."

"Some rather hateful individuals, I suppose."

"That's not right...they can't do that!"

"Well, they did, but they can't anymore."

"Anymore?"

"I haven't always had the cleanest hooves, and those ponies certainly left their stains. Try as I might now the haunting images won't leave me be.” There was a momentary pause in our conversation, just enough for me to notice the sunrise. “Look, the sun comes. Let us wake the camp."

She nodded, albeit still seemingly concerned for me, and we did as I had said. Within the course of a couple minutes the camp was awake and preparing itself. As they did so I sat, finally overwhelmed by the vertigo imposed by my injuries. I dropped my head and shook it, hoping to stay awake and conscious. Sleep deprivation only added to the misery. Cam must have noticed, as she trotted over to me once more.

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

She could obviously tell I wasn't. She cocked her head momentarily before returning it to an upright position. After another moment of looking at me she spoke. "You need to rest."

"I can't until we get there, until I know that everypony under my care is delivered safe and sound."

"But Aqua, you can't keep going like this."

"I have to, Cam. I don’t have any other options. I’m the only one here that knows where we’re going."

"Then do you promise to rest after we get there?"

"Yes, for I will have completed my task and everypony would have arrived safely, as I had sworn to accomplish." She nodded and left me, probably to hurry the camp along. I arose once more, barely, in order to keep going while I still could. When the group had packed all of their supplies together once more we departed, hoping it was the last day.

There were a few times during the voyage in which I felt as if I was not going to make it. I almost fell from exhaustion and deprivation several times. Cam made sure not to leave my side until we arrived.

When the gates opened and the others were embraced by the city guard it became almost a city-wide festival. A show was made as the returned souls were paraded to the king. Assuming them safe and all affairs in order, I ducked into one of the alleyways not yet populated. As the sounds of the procession faded I made my way as quickly as possible to Segaran's. He was the only one here that knew exactly how to treat my wounds, as he had done so previously. From the time I spent here before, it did not take me long at all to find my way. When I arrived I anxiously knocked on his door, knowing my life depended upon it. He did not answer. Determined, albeit weakly so, I knocked again, but louder this time. Within a few breathless moments the door opened. Segaran looked up to greet me, but his reaction quickly changed. Frightened by a, presumably, unknown, massive, and armoured horse he yelped and attempted to slam the door. I put a leg in the doorway in time, preventing him from shutting it. He tried twice more by the time I began pressing in. "Segaran, we do not have time for this. Please."

Perhaps that frightened him further, as he wheeled around and fled, flying up the stairs with unmatched swiftness. Remembering what had happened to Duke's stairwell from my absolute mass I decided it best to shut down my armour and set it aside. As the hydraulics of the suit lost their effect my task became exponentially harder. Once my armour was entirely unequipped I commenced the climb up two stories in an attempt to reach Segaran before it was too late. By the time I reached the top of the stairwell my legs buckled. I collapsed upon the brink of the stairs. Try as I might I simply could not find any kind of energy to continue trudging, nay, crawling, to even one destination. All of the physical exertion, the sleepless months, the wounds I had sustained, and the mental and emotional fatigue I had suffered finally caught up with me and cultivated into this muscular failure. The house now fell eerily silent, occupied by one scared more than half to death and the other more than half dead already.

As this silence drug on for, what seemed to me at the time, an eternity I was falling deeper and deeper into despair. It was seeming a very real possibility that I might pass on until something could tear me from death's clutches once more, as it always had. I was ready to close my eyes, to give up the fight once and for all, until I heard the slightest clicking of a door lock. It came from up here, of that I was certain. It was soon confirmed as I saw motion from the corner of my eye. Directing my attention to it I saw Segaran peeking his head out from one of the rooms. He quietly and very slowly began approaching me. In my mind I screamed earnestly for him to hurry, but I found none of the strength necessary to do so aloud. When he arrived nearby he poked me a few times, probably seeing if I had died yet or not. I twitched one of my legs in response, causing him to leap back in fear. I could only assume he did not recognise me in this form, as it was nothing he had seen before. Summoning what drive I had left, or perhaps giving up what drive I was using to maintain my larger form, I shapeshifted back into my smaller, blue scaled form. Sure enough this was something he was able to recognise. When he realised how familiar I actually was he spoke. "...Aqua?"

I barely shifted my head as if trying to nod, barely able to do more. "Aqua, what are you...how did you...those wounds! Wait here!"

He bolted past me down the stairs, disappearing into the lower levels of the house. At first I thought he had left, running to get help of some kind. When I heard panicked rummaging downstairs I was assured he was still here. A few minutes, I'm assuming, later he came rushing back up with a large bundle of items in his grasp. He began treating and binding my wounds in a desperate, hurried manner. As he continued working I felt as if I was slipping. I tried to hold on for as long as possible but my efforts were proving to be in vain. Seeing the end inevitably coming quickly I exerted what little I had left to lift my head, look at him and speak. "Keep the others safe."

My head dropped back down onto the floor, hitting with a resounding thud. Despite any effort I tried I still approached the self-same fate; my body gave out from the exhaustion and the world very quickly fell dark.

When next I became aware of my presence I was standing in inky blackness so thick it was palpable. I turned entirely about, searching for even one particle of light to guide me. What I found was nothing; no point of reference appeared, no objective became clear. I was simply lost in deep darkness with a tinge of fear creeping in upon me. Seeing no other solution I began trotting forwards. After a short while there started a slight chuckle. It was deeply resonant, echoing from all around. I stopped dead in my tracks. My blood ran chill as a shiver hurried up my spine. Every fibre of my being begged me to flee, to panic. I almost did so but managed to get myself under control. I needed to find a way out and panic would not help. I trotted further, trying my best to disregard the incessant noise. I looked around a few times, hoping to find anything. After a short while I heard what sounded like a hoofstep behind me. I turned and looked, seeing only two piercing red eyes in the direction of the sound. I just about panicked here; fear was definitely present at this sight. The chuckles became full-fledged laughter before the air fell silent again. In the silence, as I continued trotting away, the voice spoke. "You can feel it, can't you? You can taste it, hear it, see it. I can certainly smell it, and it is enthralling. You want to give in. You've denied yourself for so long. You deserve it. Let your fear loose. Embrace what you had when you were young. Enjoy it. Your body pleads for it, aches for it, so just panic."

With each word he spoke the dread was only growing deeper. He chuckled one last time and spoke again. "Then again, where are you going? You cannot even see. You'll never make it out. For all you know you might not even be moving anywhere. Just give up. It'll be quicker."

"No!" It was the only word I could manage before my tongue was sealed. I tried to give utterance but found myself physically incapable of such.

"Hush now. Let the silence speak for you." One last chuckle echoed before it fell deathly silent. The quiet now was almost more agonising than his words. Undaunted I marched forwards, hoping perhaps to keep him from catching up. As I continued, seemingly through the trials and fears, there were tinges more of light. At this point I could tell and perceive shapes but could neither see nor distinguish them. Trudging further, hoping for more light, I passed through the inky blackness. I began hearing noises, whispers as it were, echoing around me. They continued to increase in volume until they reached normal chatter. I recognised the voices, as they were all from those I knew and loved. Segaran, Ajiin, Galaxia, Lazuli, Storm and even Cam's voices all rang out in condemnation. Their cries echoed accusation and disowning, hate and retribution, disgust and reviling.

"I shouldn't have saved you from Theogar."

"You don't deserve the trust of the Order."

"All of that training, and for what?"

"You never really did care about anypony else but you."

"You treat everypony else as resources to be used for your own gain."

"You're nothing more than a murderer. How could you have killed them? What did they ever do to you?"

"Look at yourself. You're an abomination. Give up." My own voice jutted in. I was trying my best to block them out, but such harsh comments flew like daggers, piercing me to the soul. I was snapped back to reality when the creature trotted beside me. I still could see no more than his eyes at this point.

"The truth hurts, doesn't it? You see, as much as I'd love to lie to you and get this selfsame effect from my words instead of theirs it simply cannot be done. But, you know, this is what ponies think of you. You've simply scared them too much with what you have done for them to ever tell you. Let that sink in." He faded once more. He couldn't be right, I thought, he had to be wrong. I kept moving, trying my best to block the shouts of accusation. As I continued on they began to silence slowly as the world grew a little lighter. Colour finally accompanied the increasing light. It was all lightly tinted, not enough to distinguish between hues, but a little less dreary than utter darkness. As I began marvelling at the change a pained scream tore through the silence. It was one of fear, pain and death. One became two. Two multiplied into several. Several compounded into multitudes. The cries of the helpless were entirely unexpected and drug my soul into deep sorrow. The volume of the voices was neither loud nor harsh, but perfect for the creature to speak once more. "Do you hear that? The aching cries of the doomed? You put them in here yourself. They all cry their last breath's tones and words before you murdered each and every last one of them in cold blood. They draw your symphony of slaughters into a perfect chorus."

He laughed and faded once more. This was when the volume increased. One might compare their wails to the cries of the damned. It was long, drawn out and sopping wet with agony. It hurt body, soul, and mind to no more than passively hear them. I did my best to block the incessant despair but it reached deep. As sorrowful, baleful, and regretful as I was I had to continue. One hoof stepped in front of the other, head held painfully high as I trotted, hoping this would end as the others had. It took a while but the wails eventually died. As they did, objects faded into view, enough so as to distinguish them. I now stood without a town, no, a metropolis; it was absolutely massive. The street before me, narrow and lined with houses joined together, mostly, at the sides gave me an impression like those buildings that I had trotted through in the land of the gryphons. After several houses there was a pattern-less, periodic break represented by an alleyway. I felt strongly that I needed to get to the other side or the centre or something. I started in to the street to see if it was true or not. Before too long the shadow appeared before me on the path. It was entirely visible now. The jet black hide of his face had two distinguishable features: his piercing red eyes and a wicked, toothy grin of fangs. Within his fangs was a black-grey dirk ornately decorated in gold lines running around the hilt and blade. He, himself, was intimidating and his presence commanded pure fear. I was strongly tempted to give in, but yield I did not. "You're strong. You're resilient. You're courageous. You're stupid. You've run for too long, worked too hard and suffered too much. You gave in to your own weakness. Now you are here. Strength, resilience and courage don't matter anymore. Your time has come. You will never leave this place."

His tone was different, almost determined. He had no laughter to add this time. He was no longer playing. Seeing as he blocked my way I attempted a side passage. As I approached the alley, shadowy wisps of smoke flew by, forming once more into my attempted tormenter. Seeing him there caused me to turn, hoping for the main passage. Again the shadow shifted to bar my way. I turned to the last option. From the corner of my eye I could see a large wall where I had entered, signifying no escape. The only chance I had was this passage in front of me. I trotted over, making it through. As I passed the walls I heard the wisps once again, forcing me to look. He stopped dead in his tracks, seemingly unable to cross that threshold. With a frustrated grunt he left in a poof of smoke. I turned back to my original heading and trotted out. Another long, stretching street was where I ended up. It appeared almost the same as the first, albeit the alleyways were located differently. The shadow again barred my path to what I felt like was my destination. I began searching for the next opening.

What seemed like minutes turned into what seemed like hours, perhaps days, as I continued trotting around this labyrinth. As I wandered I noticed more and more how maze-like this place was. Granted it was trying to kill me, but I was working my way through it. As I slowly got closer and closer to my destination there was less and less warning before the shadow appeared to try and strike me with the dirk. The world also became lighter and more vibrant. Another detail I noticed was that this maze was circular; I was only able to discern this from points when streets combined into each other, eventually leaving less than a dozen paths. I had been wandering considerably closer to the center than before, just leaving a transitional alley when I heard a shriek of fury. "No! Your sentence is death! You cannot escape; I will end your pathetic existence!"

I looked to the sound to see the shadow galloping quickly towards me. I, myself, bolted, heading towards the centre where the light was the strongest. It was a frantic chase. As I was galloping I suddenly felt an imbalance. I looked down momentarily to find my left front hoof was shorter than the rest, as if I had forgotten but now remembered the stark difference, or as if it was suddenly shorter now than it was before. The shadow was now outpacing me and the distance I had between us could only last for so long. As I was near the light I felt a sharp pain about a quarter of the way up my tail. In one last act of desperation I kicked off as hard as I could, gaining a slight boost as I became airborne. I landed within the light, skidding painfully to a stop as my side scraped across the rough cobblestone road. I looked behind frantically only to find the shadow blasted into nothingness upon reaching the periphery of the light. Where next I looked was my throbbing tail. I saw the stab wound, yet no blood flowed from it. What instead caught my attention was that the scales of my tail, about halfway up to my torso and down to the tip of my tail, had drained of colour, leaving grey scales. These faded into darker shades the closer it was to the epicentre of the stab. Directly beside the injury was pitch black, almost as if it could have faded into nothingness.

As I marvelled over recent events gentle whispers perked my ears. I listened intently, trying to discern them. I was utterly unable to do so until one soft voice spoke out clearly. "Arise, come, the others await you."

I was unsure of what the voice meant but I found no other option. As I arose and looked about I eventually found a pony trotting towards me. His hide was light, almost shining. His mane was also very light with the same glimmer that his hide carried. White robes trimmed with gold adorned his body. Every part of his appearance was very clean and pure. His eyes were amber. Simply looking into them soothed any fear one might have had and left what I can only describe as contentment or peace. As to who it was I know not. All I recall is that he was familiar and he meant me no harm. "Who are you?"

"We must not keep them waiting my child." He turned to leave, as if he had not heard me.

"What is your name?"

"Follow; I will lead you." I was frustrated. He seemed unwilling to identify himself and his familiarity nagged heavily at me. My tone got more determined as I spoke again in some hope of learning his identity.

"I must know who you are." He stopped and turned back to face me. Serene his face was still, gentle and soft, but one could sense the urgency of his tone.

"We must get there soon. Come." Defeated in my pursuit of knowledge I bit my tongue and followed. We trotted silently through the maze-like buildings, which had so long denied me entry into the centre of town, without any problems. After a while, we reached one that I could recognise; we stood before Segaran's home. The tranquil pony bid me enter. Unable to argue, I did as directed. Almost as if without the chance to choose I began heading downstairs. As I reached the floor shapes started becoming apparent. As I paused I noticed that the shapes were creatures and that these creatures were familiar. I recognised them as Segaran and the recruits from the Order being crammed together in the basement of the house. Lance stood in the back as opposed to Cam trying to be as close as possible. "Your time has not yet come. Go and live. You will know when it is enough. Trust."

I turned to the voice, finding the same pony beside me. He was bidding me into the room with a hoof outstretched towards the group. I nodded, turning back to the group. I started moving in and finally took note of my body on the floor. As I approached myself my eyes closed of their own accord. The world fell dark as I was seemingly lowered. "Now what must I do?"

"Open your eyes, Aqua." I did as the voice commanded. I heard cheers and screams before being hugged rather violently. When I finally had a hold on reality almost everypony was joyfully thronging me. I pushed them back and sat up, which prompted another hug. When everything settled, more or less, the bombardment of questions began. Some I could answer, others I could not. As best I recall it went a little something like this.

"What happened?

"Did you die?"

"What was it like?"

"Did you dream?"

"I need you all to calm down and ask me your questions one at a time. I can't answer that quickly."

"Tell us what happened." One of the stallions spoke first.

"Well, I succumbed to fatigue, sleep deprivation and injury."

"Did you die?" It was the same mare from before. Apparently she really wanted to know.

"I'm not actually sure."

"Was it like dreaming?"

"Kind of, but I was fully capable of controlling myself and everything seemed too real to be just a dream."

"Did you do anything awesome?" Everypony looked at the stallion that said such momentarily. "What?"

"I believe so." I didn't want to so much as mention the shadow or anything he said. Cam asked the next question, thankfully enough to keep me from having to answer any further.

"Are you going to be alright?" Everypony turned to me anxiously and with great concern showing on their faces.

"I believe I will be just fine." It was as if a sigh of relief silently emitted from the collective group. "We should be able to return home before too long."

There were cheers before Segaran spoke. "You need to rest. Your body gave out under its own pressure. You need to make sure that doesn't happen in the Wastes. Not everyone can carry a half-dragon half-pony as big as you, and being in a coma for weeks out there like you were in here wouldn't be any help to anyone."

I couldn't believe that I had been out for weeks. Other than that, though, I believed him. Surprisingly enough I was humble enough to acknowledge that he was right. "I think that would be a good idea. I will rest here for a few days before I again venture with you all when I have recovered. I hope you all are alright with that decision."

They nodded emphatically. It wasn't much longer before the group dispersed. Segaran saw to it that all arrangements were in order. After I finally managed to get up he helped me to a room, one I'm assuming had been prepared shortly after my initial departure.

Once the visit was finished and our band, for my sake, was fully rested and rejuvenated we set out to resupply our carts. When we arrived we found them to have already been taken care of, prepped for the pending journey. Theogar, surprisingly enough, was the one that approached me. His helmet was removed, revealing his face once more. His sharp red eyes seemed to be a mix of emotions that I wasn’t sure how to read. He spoke, ensuring me of what he was feeling at the moment. "Both as thanks for rescuing our missing brethren and a personal apology from me we have supplied you with the finest provisions Anthakar has to offer."

The recruits seemed confused. Lance voiced what they probably all thought. "An apology? For what?"

"I know what he's referring to." As I spoke the recruits looked to me expectantly. It seemed like dread struck Theogar's face. I kept my tone cold when I spoke again. "While I appreciate the gesture, no quantity of apologies could ever make up for that hell you put me through. We thank you for the supplies, as it will help us on the journey, and we are sincerely grateful. Retribution, however, is not something I'm looking to exact. You left your mark. Marks, I should say. How many was it again? How many times?"

He looked down shamefully. "One hundred it was."

"I was always curious. It's not something one can just forget. While I don't hold it against you it will always keep our relations bitterly cold. Again, thank you for the provisions. You are dismissed." He walked away as a dog whimpers and shamefully retreats with its tail between its legs. After a silent moment of the recruits awkwardly standing around Cam asked a question to break the silence.

"What was that about?" I turned to her solemnly, the raw memory of the unquenchably bitter pain still fresh in my mind.

"You had asked me earlier if I had felt what you had in that mountain city with the slaves. There is your answer. It is not a memory I wish to remember but the trauma was simply too grand for me to ever forget. That was not all they did, by far no, but it is all I wish to share at this time. Now," I turned my attention to the rest, "let's get to the other set and bring them freedom."

I expected a cheer or something. Stone cold silence reigned. Directions were given and orders carried out. Before too long we were standing before the main gate, ready to embark. The guards stood before us as the gates opened. It took a minute or so for them to clear the entry of the creatures of the Waste. After that, we set out. The journey itself was dull, barely filled with any notable events. The gryphon port town was as rough as ever. Probably thanks to my size and appearance we were given accommodations almost immediately. It was not long before we finally set sail for Equestria.

The sea faring was not notable in any definition of the word other than the exceeding length of the journey. When we arrived in the port town we were addressed by several ponies about what we were carrying. Everything checked out, and I suppose it was some kind of customs or something, and we disembarked into town.

What we found was an absolute ghost town. Not one soul beside us stirred. Perhaps they had seen me on the ship and I had not noticed them, I thought. It was the only explanation that made sense. We went to go buy victuals but found nopony at the stands. Unsure of what to do I simply began loading the carts, ordering the recruits to take only what was necessary, and left behind some coin to pay what I thought appropriate. Once we were reloaded we headed out from the port town. We departed hence, our course set for what I knew to be the town where Duke dwelt.

Due to the time we left and the pace we had kept it was well into the night by the time we arrived. In the silence therein I gave orders for the plan of attack. I divided my band into four teams, one for each entrance. They would assure that none fled as Cam and I cleared this den, as well as protect those slaves that had been freed already. The recruits were in accordance, so we divided up and got into position.

The night was probably half spent when I finally approached the guard house. Surprisingly enough, even after the events that transpired last time, there were still ponies on duty. When they saw me, nonetheless recognised me, the alarm sounded and the gate raised. I trotted casually up to the guard post. The two within grew nervous. I leaned near, almost touching the glass with my armoured face, and addressed them. "You remember me well enough to know why I'm here. Perhaps, however, not well enough to remember what happened last time you tried this. If you don't you can ask your captain. He should be able to tell you all about it. So, I'll ask you this one simple thing before I do anything rash: lower the gate."

They looked apprehensively at one another but did nothing. "Suit yourselves."

I backed up slightly before wheeling around, whipping my tail along. The heavy, heavily armoured appendage shattered their reinforced glass and bowled over the supporting frame, leaving the gatehouse wide open. The guards had already scrambled out by the time I climbed in. I exited by means of the door to find a large grouping of guards assembled. A few of them had strange machines upon their backs connected to an apparatus within their hooves. As soon as I left the doorway they fired, electricity shooting forth from their weapons like lightning bolts. They arced off of every surface possible but never quite reached me. I drew a blade and began moving towards them. As I neared, the arc finally connected with me. I felt no different; my armour was fine at first. As I approached, forcing the lightning to arc less before hitting me, my armour began having electrical problems. By the time I arrived it all but shut down. The electricity ceased as I got into their midst and they all turned and fled. My systems recovered and I began galloping after them. No sooner had I started than I heard Cam's voice. "Aqua!"

I whipped around, trying to see if she was in danger. She was safe. She was leaving the guard post, approaching quickly. "Let them go."

I stopped moving, allowing her to catch up. When she got near her tone was quieter, softer. "Let them go. It's just their job. Besides, we have more important things to do, remember?"

"You're right. Let us finish our work here." She nodded, so we proceeded. The first house that we went to, by sheer necessity, was Duke's house. We approached his freshly repaired gate. It was more secure than the last and more durable by far. Perhaps he had 'precious cargo' within, or perhaps he hoped to keep me out. I chuckled and backed up. I was not in the mood to test the strength of his new gate, so I aimed elsewhere. I charged, working up a vast momentum before slamming shoulder first into the brick wall. I felt the accompanying force, likely fatal to those less prepared, and heard the raucous echoing of crumbling stone. As I stumbled to a halt and got my bearings once more I found myself within his front yard. Cam entered shortly thereafter to follow me as I approached his door. I tried to open it, finding it to be locked. It was slightly unusual for Duke to lock his door. No matter, I thought, it just makes it all the better. I kicked his front door violently, causing it to splinter. I then charged through it, shattering it completely. Wood chips and splinters scattered across the floor as I moved in. I did not so much as pause before I began storming up his stairs. The hallway at the top gave me sufficient space to begin galloping. Again I blasted through his door, spreading wooden shrapnel across his quarters. He was shocked awake but did not have enough time to move before I was upon him. My tail wrapped about his midsection as I drug him roughly from his bed. He began screaming pitifully for help before addressing me. We were in the hall as he did so.

"What do you want from me?!"

"Open this door!" I placed him roughly in front of one of the chambers. He did as commanded, opening the ebony wood doors. I then drug him within, finding nopony therein. I recognized these as having been my quarters, my prison, that I had dwelt in just before fleeing from Duke that fateful night. With a grunt I turned and drug him behind me, placing him before the next, equally gold-ornamented ebony wood door. Again my gruff order came and he complied. This repeated for several doors, finding them empty. Perhaps he had hid them or maybe he didn't have any slaves anymore. Either way I needed justification for all this destruction, so I searched floor three in equal manner, dragging him along. These were more populated. Finding these individuals here gave me confirmation on one variable. Now I just needed to know their status. I approached the third floor balcony and vaulted it, Duke screaming in terror as we dropped. I caught him, of course, but my landing did immense damage to the carefully cared for, and meticulously polished, flooring. He was whimpering at this point. I drug him around into my view, turning to ensure I could see him. In a rough manner I spat my question. "What is the meaning of all these ponies?"

He reacted fearfully to my harsh tone. "T-tenants!"

I looked over to Cam, who was, herself, shaken by my behaviour. In a soft tone I spoke. "Cam, I need you to find out from the ponies in here whether they are slaves or tenants."

She nodded and headed towards the residency rooms of the first floor. Duke blurted a fearful response, perhaps hoping to dissuade me. "There are no slaves! I don't have any slaves! I swear!"

"Silence! We will know that within the next few minutes. Until then you are not to so much as mutter a single word."

We waited several moments in silence. I'm sure the dread, for him, was palpable. He trembled as I held him firmly. When Cam returned she reported. "They told me they receive nothing."

I looked at Duke, his eyes growing wide. He knew exactly what would come next. In rage I threw him against the nearest wall and marched over intimidatingly. The force of the impact must have knocked his wind out, as his breath was short and he didn't move much. I put my hoof on his muzzle, over his mouth, and activated the anchors. The five prongs shot out, flipping down and digging harshly into his face. He left out a muffled groan or scream of pain. Blood began to well up before it ran and dripped. I then drew my sword, readying to strike his exposed neck. "Wait!"

I turned to see what the matter was. Cam was addressing me. "You can't kill him!"

"And why is that?"

"Is it really worth death? The slaves?"

"Before I found you, Cam, I broke into here, drawing a promise from his lips. On his life he vowed to have no slaves upon my return. As there are slaves here still I have a promise to uphold."

"Isn't this exactly what made you into that thing you hate so much?" I looked at Cam for a couple of seconds. She was right, and letting Duke go was probably the right thing to do. I turned back to the crying, bleeding wretch. I sheathed my blade once more and unanchored, shoving his face aside roughly. A couple of moments of deathly silence passed, broken only by Duke's sobs.

"Cam?" My tone was somber and quiet in a manner foreign to me.

"Yes Aqua?"

"Round up the slaves into the front garden."

"You got it." She headed off to complete the task. When she was gone I turned back to Duke.

"You're lucky, you know that?" It merited no response. "If Cam hadn't been here I would have butchered you. I hope you have learned from your mistakes."

I trotted off, leaving him to bemoan his fate. It took Cam and I a few minutes to awaken and gather all of the slaves from the extremities of the mansion. When we were finally together I spoke. "My fellow slaves. Some of you might remember me as that scaled mare, others as the one with insurmountable strength, others yet as the maid that broke ribs. Whatever your memory of me is I bring news. I am the one that made it out. I was the one that escaped. I have now returned to herald your freedom. Make your way to the North Gate. Cam will protect you as you journey there and, upon arrival, she will free you. Once every slave in this compound has been gathered we shall depart."

A cheer was heard from the crowd. Cam trotted up to me as they did so. "Please, just don't kill anypony."

"I will try my best. If a life is in jeopardy I will defend it by any means necessary." She nodded, apparently content with my answer. Once the rejoicing began winding down Cam and the slaves left for the gate. I returned back to Duke to emphasise once more what I had stated. "Find your fortune another way. The next time you own a slave will be the last day you live. Cam will not be there to save you. Am I clear?"

"...y-yes..."

"Hopefully clearer than last time. Know this: I am a pony of my word. Unless death has a hold of me, which it seldom can keep, I will return and I will find you. If necessary I will end you. Now clean yourself up and go rest. You've lost quite a bit of blood." He nodded, arising and staggering off. I believe I had successfully made the impression that time. I trotted out to begin work.

I travelled from house to house, breaking and entering, and not always the most quietly, to round up those within. It was true that Duke's neighbours all had more under servitude than he, each in worse conditions than his. It seemed like I had gotten a lucky draw when I was purchased. Disregarding that, I continued. By the time dawn threatened to break through the night’s grip Cam and I had managed to gather all the remaining souls in the complex. The group was reassembled further away from the town by the time the sun first peeked over the horizon to see what we had done in night's secrecy. The group now was colossal. We had to heavily ration the food in a hope of making it through the estimated three day journey to the capital. We set out as soon as possible, heading for the tallest mountain.

By the end of the first night of our journey we ran out of supplies, having hardly partaken of any to begin with. Hunger was sweeping the camp and I was doubting that they would make the mountain trek while on the brink of starvation. I knew that not all of this band would survive if nothing was done. I spoke to Lance and Cam privately that night, hoping to not merit panic. "Lance, Cam, how good are you two at navigating?"

Lance's answer came first. "Good enough to not get us lost."

"Perfect, because I need your help." That was something I certainly did not say frequently.

"You didn't get us lost, did you?" If the situation was not as dire as it had been in that moment his comment would have made me chuckle.

"No, thankfully not. What I need is fairly simple. You see that huge mountain?"

"How could we not?"

"Excellent. I need you two to lead this group as you all continue to that mountain, the one we've been heading towards for a while." Cam spoke next, puzzled and worried.

"Why won't you lead the way?"

"I'm going for help. Whatever I can get I will. This little band, er, massive band won't make it to our destination if I don't. Keep as straight of a path as you possibly can, got it?"

"Yes."

"Good. I should be able to return within the midnight hours as tomorrow ends. Whatever you do just keep moving, alright?" They nodded. Satisfied, I left them. Once I was a little ways in front of them I channelled my magic and teleported to the best remembrance I had of Canterlot Palace.

I ended up outside of the palace. I headed quickly towards the gates. I was, expectedly, stopped by the night watch, the Princess' Thestral guards. "State your business."

"I must speak with the princess. It is a dire emergency.

"To which do you seek audience."

"Either, any, both, I don't care."

"What is the nature of the request?"

"There is a group of at least several hundred, if not nearly a thousand, in the wilderness heading towards here and they will perish before they arrive if they go unaided." After the guards nodded they trotted within, leaving me without. The lives of all those ponies currently rested in my hooves. Waiting out here at the mercy of others left me anxious, worried about those forging the hills of Equestria. Thankfully enough, before too long, they returned. "The princess has approved an audience with you. You may enter."

I nodded in thanks. The large palace gates opened before me and I trotted within. The princess of the night sat upon her throne, awaiting my arrival. As I approached I unfolded my helmet. When I was near I halted and kneeled before her, bowing. She arose in accordance. "Arise. What dost thou require of us?"

"There is a small group of ponies under my direction and jurisdiction forging their way here through the open plains to the north of here. We are a convoy of protection for a group of at least a few hundred refugees. There are not supplies sufficient to keep this company from the clutches of starvation, as we have absolutely no supplies remaining."

"How didst thou manage to come hither prior to them?"

"Teleportation."

"Canst thou not teleport them as well?"

"No, your majesty. I have not the capability of such currently, as my own was hard enough. I am not rested well enough to perform such an act of magic. I am requesting supplies in order to aid them in the long journey here."

"How seekest thou to deliver such a task as this? Didst thou not say they were lost amid the plains?"

"Not lost, your majesty, but forging. This mountain is visible to them as they approach. I will deliver the supplies myself if needed. The largest cart, loaded with supplies, rations of food and water, is all I ask. I will personally deliver it."

"Hm. Very well then." She turned to the guards beside her. "Begin preparations."

They nodded and galloped off to fulfill her command. "Tell us about these other ponies that thou hast found. From whence came they?"

"A few years ago I found myself in the clutches of slavers-"

"Slavers? Here?"

"Not anymore, your highness. My Order has taken care of it."

"We must thank thee for purging our fair lands."

"Thank you, your majesty. Continuing on, these ponies, these refugees, were the slaves of the selfsame ponies that sold me as property."

"Hopest thou to bring them here?"

"Yes. It is the closest place where they can receive help and become accustomed to society once more."

"Very well. We thank thee for the assistance thou hast rendered. Thy supplies shall be ready momentarily."

"Thank you, princess."

"Thou art most welcome. We thank thee again for the service thou hast rendered. Go with safety." I nodded and left. There was no security in the task ahead. I took a deep breath and continued. Once I was outside one of the guards beckoned for me to follow him, so I did. After a short trot I found a massive walled cart, larger than those I had used to haul marble as a slave, being loaded to the brim with food items. The stack was immense; this was no small gift of food. I got strapped in to one of the five yoke slots on the cart. They seemed skeptical of my capability to push the cart until I tried. Using my monumental strength and mechanical assistance of my armour I managed to exert enough force to get the cart rolling. As I did the guards cheered and wished me a safe journey, with all speed. Some of the guards even followed me down the mountain pass, down the frighteningly steep switchbacks of the rugged face of Canterlot Mountain. They made sure that I arrived at the bottom unharmed. Once there, however, I was all alone.

I began the fatiguing journey. The only other time I had to continue moving at this pace for this long was during my flight from Duke. My pace was swift, never slower than a brisk canter, for uphill struggles, and occasionally reached a full gallop, being swept downhill by momentum. The daylight hours passed as I made my way as quickly as possible to where I hoped they were. Night descended swiftly upon me; no sign of the group was present. I stood now, after dusk had become dark, where I thought they should have been. I was the only one here. I ascended a nearby hill to search. I scanned the entire horizon and found no traces of them. I looked again and thought I saw shapes moving. I quickly headed in that direction only to find it had been a trick of the mind. I grunted in frustration and figured that I would best be able to find them by returning to where I was before I left them to begin with. I sighed, my fatigued body already begging me to cease, before taking a deep breath and continuing the desperate journey.

Nothing more than a quarter of the night remained before day break when I had finally caught up with the band of travellers. By this time I suffered sharp head pains, my breath was short and raspy and my heart felt as if it would simply cease to beat. As the others began crowding around the cart I locked the armour to prevent myself from collapsing onto the ground. No sooner had I done so than my legs buckled. I simply fell against my armour and decided it was rest enough for the time being. I could tell Cam was approaching; my breath had not recovered enough yet by the time she was before me. "You certainly do keep your word. Where did you get all of this?"

"Canterlot. The Princess." My answers came out short and breathy. Cam must have picked up on it.

"Are you alright?"

"Oh yeah, just fine."

"Aqua, how long were you galloping?"

"Little after I left."

"You didn't stop?"

"Nope."

"Aqua, you need to rest up. You can't be working like this."

"No time. They need help."

"You're going to kill yourself if you keep this up!"

"So be it. I'd rather die saving these hundreds than live regretting their death. I cannot be the cause of their death."

"We need you, Aqua. Think of the Order!"

"Ajiin led it for nearly eleven years in my absence. I have been training you in case that happens and Ajiin refuses. Not only that, but this is fulfilling my vows, my pledge and oath to protect."

"What about Storm? What about me? What if we lose you?"

"Death cannot hold me. It will not be the end."

"But-"

"Take the supplies from this cart and put it in all of the ones that this group carries once all have partaken. I will see if I can obtain more to make sure you all can make it up the mountain. No ifs, ands or buts, got it?"

"...ok."

"Good. Keep them in good care, Cam. I trust you."

"Thanks." She finally smiled, apparently comforted. After several moments the cart was emptied, the carts of the band having a few supplies within them. I set my course for the mountain once more and began anew my gallop. Perhaps I could deliver supplies one more time before we trekked up the mountain.

I scaled the mountain and entered the city as quickly as I could. Once at the castle I sought out the guards again. As it was daytime now the guard had changed. They stood in the same position as those Thestrals, these normal royal guard did. I approached the guards swiftly, causing unease. It almost seemed as if they prepared for a fight. "At ease, guards, I am not here to harm you. I seek an audience with the princess."

"On who's part?"

"Aqua, Guildmaster of the Order of Protectorates." Once of the guards nodded and went inside the gate. I remained outside with the other one until the first returned. While we waited other guards came and removed the cart from my personage to take it back. When the first came back out I grew hopeful, wishing to get the supplies before dusk.

"I'm sorry, but the princess is not currently accepting audiences."

"When will she?" Perhaps even a day's time would not be too detrimental.

"She said she can in a week's time."

"She cannot do so any sooner?"

"No."

"This cannot wait that long."

"I apologise. There is nothing I can do."

I had to think quickly; my window was fading. Suddenly an idea came to my mind. "Actually, there is something you can do."

"Like what?"

"Lend me the cart again." The guards seemed perplexed but went to it. After several moments six guards came back, towing the cart with them. "Excellent. Now, I will take this cart to the base of the mountain. What I need from you six, and probably two more, is to tie long ropes to this cart. It will need to be very long sets of rope, as in rope that will reach down to the bottom of the mountain. I will load the refugees into the cart and, with your help, haul them up the sheer face of the mountain one load at a time. Do you think you can help me with that?"

They seemed cautious and perplexed but nodded before moving out to find such a large quantity of rope. Night had fallen, and a good chunk of it had passed, before they returned with a great number of bundles of rope. With the ones too short for the task they began trying together at the ends, making sure it was very secure knot. Most of the night had now passed by the time preparations had finished. The guards then strapped me into the cart before tying the four prepared lengths of rope to the front of the cart accordingly. "Now, when I tug on the ropes I want you all to begin pulling. Is that clear?"

They all responded affirmatively. I nodded before beginning the descent backwards accordingly. It took a good amount of time before I reached the bottom, which made me nervous for the hauls ahead. It was when I reached the solid ground below that I waited for the others to arrive.

The sun was around the midday mark when I saw them on the horizon. I could not travel further, so I patiently awaited their arrival. I assume Cam saw me first, as one of the armour clad ponies bolted forward, away from the others. As it drew close I could finally tell it was, indeed, Cam. She slowed when she was within an audible distance. "The cart's empty? Where are the supplies?"

"There are none."

"Will we be able to get any?"

"No."

"Are you sure we can make it?"

"It'll work itself out. Don't worry yourself about it." She was definitely still worrying about it. She did not, however, have time to say much more; the recruits were arriving. They seemed worried and were conversing among themselves. I noticed that they had absolutely nothing for rations once more, hitting me with a bit of despair as I had been hoping for something to help me get up the face of this mountain. I disregarded this, hoping I could do it without such help, and got their attention quickly. "So, as you can see, there is no food in the cart. It is, in fact, entirely empty. So here's how this is going to go down, since I don't anticipate or hope that you would make the perilous journey up the switchbacks. As many as possible will load into the cart. Guards are stationed at the top and will pull the cart up. It will not be the most comfortable near-four hour ride, but you will all survive. We will continue taking group after group until all of you are safely standing in Canterlot. Are you all ready?"

They nodded. Cam quickly came up, almost seeming to be frightened. "Aqua, you can't do this! You've already done too much!"

"I still have more to give, so I will give."

"You're going to kill yourself!"

"I appreciate your concern, but we have been over this matter before. This is how it must be, Cam. There is no other way."

"But-" I shot a glance at her, moving my covered head to so indicate. She sighed. "Alright."

"Good. Now, if you could unstrap me from this cart I'd appreciate it." She nodded and did so. The recruits and I then loaded the cart with the refugees. Once it was full I ordered Cam to strap me back in. I then told them to pull the ropes. To the refugees I said to hang on. The cart then lurched and I began pulling in accordance. When we hit the steep slope was when I felt the crushing burden of the task before me. One shaky step in front of the other was the only way I could work this out now. I bowed my head for the oncoming agony.

I'm not sure anything I could have done over the course of my life could have helped me during those nearly four hours. By the time I reached the top my legs nearly buckled. My heart raced like never before and breath was the shortest it has ever been in my entire life. Once the cart came to a stop safely atop the hill eight guards came over to unload the refugees. As they approached I spoke. "Four of you: go get more of you to pull the cart up. I can't...I can't..."

I didn't even manage to finish my sentence. I buckled onto my front left knee before struggling to rise once more a little while later. The guards were shocked by my statement, as if they had known me previously and knew I never asked for help. Nevertheless they nodded and four broke off into a gallop. As they left the other four began unloading the refugees from the back of the cart. Once they had all filed off I had the nearby guards prepare to lower me once more. From there I nodded and the descent began.

Down I went again with the cart, moving more quickly than before. It was a couple of hours before I arrived at the bottom, dusk having crept in around the corners of daylight. The next load boarded and, shortly thereafter, we began climbing again. It was far easier this time, thankfully, due to the extra pull on the ropes. It was, nevertheless, a very long climb up a very steep mountain. It was, all the same, a torturous pain that shot through my entire muscular system.

When again we reached the top I found the pleasant surprise of twice as many guards as there were before. As they helped out they seemed more than eager and their efforts showed it. At this point I didn't care enough to speculate the sudden increase in morale and their personal drive; I was just thankful that they were helping me. Once they had finished unloading the ponies I was lowered back down the face of the mountain.

Two more trips passed under the thick, blanketing shadows of night. With the last cartful they finally unstrapped me. I was thoroughly tempted to surrender, to collapse under the overwhelmingly crushing weight of my privation and fatigue. I knew I couldn't. I knew others yet counted on me, and I knew I had to keep going. So I lifted my spirits and channeled a teleportation spell through my pearl, my source. I was quickly brought back down to the base once more. I looked around to gather my bearing before trotting over to the largest cart. The three that were currently strapped in looked at me expectantly. They all looked, waiting for my first command, each and every one of the recruits. "Unstrap from the cart. I can handle it from here."

It certainly was not what they were expecting. It seemed almost as if their countenances dropped. They were puzzled and concerned. Nevertheless they did as directed. Before too long after that I was strapped in instead. Cam, of course, protested. She came swiftly. "Aqua!-"

"Yes?" She came over, speaking to me quietly when she neared.

"How are we going to get up? You don't have the cart."

"The mountain pass."

"I don't think all of us will be able to make it all the way."

"Whomsoever cannot trot any further we will place upon this cart. If too many fall we tie the empty cart to it as well."

"But-"

"That is an order, Cam. It is not a suggestion. If I must carry the whole burden I will." She saw that, as before, she could not win this argument. She simply nodded. She was not content in the least bit but knew there was nothing she could do. Satisfied now I directed myself to the others. "We head for the switchbacks. We make the journey."

One of them piped up. "It's so much further and we'll have to climb so far. We have no supplies. How are we going to make it up?"

"If any of you can trot no further we will place you in the carts. If need be we will tie the carts together and I will continue pulling. Either way we will all make it to the destination. All I ask for is your best. You have already given so much. Just a little more is all I ask. Now, let's get moving. Daylight approaches and time is our enemy here." With that we began moving again, as stiff and sore as I was. I wasn't sure how much I had left at this point either, but it would not, could not, stop me. With hope again I moved on.

We arrived at the trail leading up to the mountain a little before dawn. Already had one of the recruits fallen and been placed in the cart. The journey was deathly silent, each of them focusing intently on remaining up and moving. Switchback after steep switchback came and passed, occasionally heralding a pause as they loaded another into the cart. Around halfway up, there only remained enough of us to pull the five carts, but that quickly changed. Soon it was only Lance, Cam and I, but even Lance's determination wore thin and he, too, fell. Not long afterwards, despite her unquenchable spirit, Cam also succumbed. When she dropped I had to use my magic to detach her, levitate her to the cart and strap the remaining one to the train I had been pulling, draining me further. All this had happened by the breaking of the first day following our commencement. Several times my deprived body tried to give in. It fell once but I managed to arise once more. My whole frame was numb. I was trying more than my best and only getting the most sluggish pace possible.

The day was drawing to a close by the time I set my hooves on level ground. I still had a small distance to go before I arrived at the gates. I was unsure whether or not I would actually make it at this point. I moved on, nevertheless, until I arrived at the gates. The sky was a deep red and orange colour by the time I entered. No sooner had the last cart slowly rolled in than I collapsed on the floor, utterly unable to give any more. Others, presumably guards, were galloping fiercely over as I began desperately clinging onto reality. Fearing the worst I cried out for Galaxia, Storm or anypony. The cries, however, did not make it to my lips, leaving me silently pleading. My world was rapidly fading in and out, growing the fear I had of falling under. The world seemed nothing more than dim shades when I perceived who I thought to be Galaxia. They took me and bore me thence. Where I ended up I could not tell. Everything around me was nothing more than blurry shapes. Perhaps, I thought, I only need blink and I could discern my surroundings.

When my eyes opened once more I was in a room I did not recognise. Surrounding me was Storm, Galaxia and, to my surprise, Lazuli. I sat up, the three of them watching me intently. Surely I was safe, but I still wished to know where I was. Turning my attention to Galaxia, likely the one who knew best, I spoke. "Where am I?"

She, of course, responded. "You are safely within the walls and borders of my principality."

"What happened to the recruits?" Storm was the next one to answer my question.

"I took them back." Galaxia shot him a glance and nudged him. "Er...we took them back."

The change in response merited a nod from both Galaxia and Lazuli. My question, however, still lacked a key point. "Are they all alive and well?"

It was Lazuli this time that responded. "Of course. We knew that would be one of your main concerns, so we personally made sure they were taken care of."

Her response was comforting at the least. Making sure I didn't forget any other details I sat and pondered for a moment. I was struck hard by another question, almost fearing the answer I'd get. "How long have I been out? How long have I been trapped and asleep?"

All three of them looked at one another, almost not wanting to answer the question. Galaxia finally broke the silence. "Four weeks."

A slight panic set into my heart. A frantic pace set into my body, a feeling that I had to get back to what I did best. As I tried to arise and set forth both Storm and Lazuli restrained me. It was fairly easy for them, so I assume I had taken my smaller form after I had dropped. Galaxia stood in front of me and spoke. "Cease these useless, futile actions at once!"

I did, more confused than anything. It wasn't often Galaxia spoke like that, if at all. "You drove your body to the brink of extinction. We barely managed to rouse you again. You disregarded my counsel given at the time of Erazul and it nearly cost you dearly. Your body needs rest, rejuvenation and recovery. I suggest you take it at this time before you go and overwork yourself again."

Seeing no other alternative I did so. Storm and Lazuli seemed as if they sighed in relief. Perhaps resting up was not a bad idea. I consented to her advice and relaxed once more.

Another week drove by in painstaking sluggishness. When it was over I was more than ready to leave and go about my business once more. Galaxia teleported me out of her domain when she thought that I had recovered adequately enough. Where she had left me was none other than my own chambers within the Sanctuary. The sun shone brightly through the window, signalling that it was during the day currently. I decided to make my way out to the courtyard to see what was new. As I left the Main Hall I found the Order moving about its normal business and at its usual pace. While I was standing there, observing the movements of all the Protectorates I heard a loud gasp. This was shortly followed by galloping hooves. By the time I turned to face the sound I was hugged so fiercely that I nearly got bowled over. Cam was thoroughly latched to my body. "I'm so glad you're ok!"

"Of course I'm ok. I told you I would be." Her concern was heartwarming at the very least.

"It's just that when I woke up you weren't there. I wanted to ask the guards what had happened to you but these three ponies led us all the way back here. I recognised one of them. The other one was blue with a tail like yours. Another one had a mane that looked like it had stars in it."

"Probably Storm, Lazuli and Galaxia, in that order. They have all had a lot of contact with me over the years, so they knew to take care of you."

"Since then I've been looking all over for you. Nopony was home, either."

"Well, there is no more need to look for me. I have returned to lead this Order once more."

"So what's next?"

"Now? Now we have a gathering. It's time to let you all know how it went." She nodded excitedly before turning and galloping away fervently to announce it. I then awaited the arrival of the Order.

It didn't take too long for groups to begin trickling in. Not much later than that, the whole assembly was gathered together before me. Some of them had their eyes fixed firmly upon me, while others spoke one with another. I eventually got all of their attention. "Protectorates, I have gathered you all together here for a welcoming ceremony. I ask those who recently participated with me in the expedition to come forth."

In no more than a minute's time all eighteen stood in the open space between me and the remainder of the Order. All eyes were upon them until I spoke again. "These ponies arrayed before you here accompanied me on a quest about a month or two ago. The quest was to protect and free those who had lost their freedom to slavers. These ponies fought those vile individuals and helped to free hundreds of souls. They gave it their all and then some. They laboured more fiercely for the deliverance of those rescued than I had ever seen recruits do before. I am happy to announce that not one soul perished during this two-part operation. Their deeds were valiant and proved true their desires to follow the values we hold dear. We welcome these eighteen into the Order with open hearts. Protectorates, arise and congratulate your new associates."

Suddenly, on cue, the crowd came forwards to greet and talk with the new Protectorates. They were swarmed suddenly, probably being bombarded by a large number of questions relating to the recent excursion. Satisfied with the general friendliness I beheld, I turned around and trotted into the Main Hall once more. Once the doors were shut, blocking most of the sound, I began looking for Ajiin. Not finding him with an initial sweep I called out to him. This merited no response. Perhaps he was about some kind of business, I figured, so I shrugged it off and continued the day's tasks.

As much as I beckoned and called for Ajiin the next couple of days he never hearkened. Neither at night nor at day did he respond. I was planning on returning to the Wastes to visit Flowing Hammer for the first time since my disappearance. After several days of frustration I sought and alternative. The only other pony I figured I could trust was Cam. I sent a messenger to bring her to the Main Hall. As this pony left I began pacing back and forth, from one side of the large room to the other. Before too long Cam busted in, excitement clearly showing on her face. "You wanted me to come?"

"Yes. Thank you for coming promptly."

"What did you need me for?"

"Cam, I need your help." She got even happier than before.

"What is it?"

"I need to visit my sister."

"You have a sister?"

"Yes, I believe we have been over this before."

"Oh, right."

"I need to visit her, let her know that after these near-twelve years I am actually still alive."

"So what do you need help with?"

"I will be away from the order for a while, but I cannot contact Ajiin. I've tried for a while with absolutely no response, so I must turn to somepony else. I must entrust the Order into your care."

"Wow. That's a big responsibility. What am I supposed to do?

"Simply make sure the Order runs smoothly in my absence. It's a simple task, really."

"Ok."

"I'll be in the Badlands for a while. Can I trust you with this?"

"Yes, Aqua."

"Good. I don't know when I will return, but return I will, ok?" She nodded. "Excellent. I have a lot of trust in you, Cam."

"I won't let you down!" She was adamant in her tone.

"Great. Now, I must make preparations. I will see you later, Cam." As I was finishing the sentence she approached me. After the last word she hugged me again.

"I'll miss you, Aqua." I was a bit confused at the gesture but accepted it anyways, returning it by wrapping one leg around her in response. She then let go and headed out, leaving me to prepare. From thence I turned my attention to preparing for the journey ahead. It had been a while since I had seen my sister; that's for sure. At this point I wasn't sure whether or not she would be able to recognise me.

6. Fiery Wastes

I took the journey once again from the Sanctuary to my home. It was a road well-travelled by me, one I was very familiar with. Upon entering the house I found Storm there. He smiled warmly, welcoming me back home with a hug. I accepted and returned the gesture before breaking away to set my things down. "Welcome back home, Aqua."

"It definitely feels good to be back home. It isn't often I get the chance to rest."

"How long will you be able to?"

"Not long." Storm seemed disappointed, saddened almost, by my response.

"How come?"

"Well, I figured it's been about twelve years since I last saw my sister."

"Flowing Hammer?"

"Yup. I figured I should go see her, let her know that I actually am still alive." He seemed satisfied with this response, perking up a little.

"Alright. You should probably go then."

"Thank you for understanding, Storm." He nodded before we both began the necessary preparations for the journey ahead. From there I headed to the train station. Once again I was halted by security and pulled into a side room. Before they had time to ask the first question I spoke. "Look, guys, we've been over this before, several times. My name is Aqua WindStorm. Yes I am wearing armour. No I'm not planning to harm anypony with anything I'm carrying. No I am not carrying dangerous items. Yes I understand that safety is a priority. Any questions?"

They sat, dumbfounded by my statement. Those present shook their heads. "Good. Now, can I continue my journey to see my sister?"

They nodded, still unable to find words. "Thank you."

At this I arose and headed out back into the station once more. From there it was an unhindered ride down to the small town near the mountain pass. I was not stopped at this station, being a simple open platform almost in the middle of the desert. The landscape in this part of the land was dry and dusty, generally of high heat as well, making me thankful that I had the controlled conditions inside of my armour. Regardless, I started out on hoof at this point, making my way across the dry land. After some time I arrived at the verdant little valley that rested in the only opening of the colossal southern mountain range. The sheer vicissitude of this oasis was starting every time I was in it. Once I set hoof out of this peaceful valley I knew I'd be subjected to the overwhelming privation of the Badlands. Knowing this I took a few minutes more to appreciate this oasis. I always felt tranquil and carefree while I was within this place, vividly contrasting the feeling of the life I had led. A few moments more to breathe in the purity was all I needed.

As much as I would have liked, indeed preferred, to have stayed there I knew that I had to continue my march. I continued on, breaking through the line of trees to find that bare, scorched earth death bowl I had frequently seen before. I sighed at the depressing contrast, wishing to return to the valley. This was not an option, so I started forwards into the parched land. As I trotted, that unending stretch of dead terrain before me seemed to continue on forever.

When night fell I found myself wandering still. Figuring there was no danger I set up camp. This didn't turn up much as my sleep was still moderately disturbed by the recent nightmarish thing that had happened in my life. When day broke again I was found near-sleepless. I shrugged it off as I had before, broke camp and continued on my way. I could faintly, barely, see the city on the horizon.

The relentless scorching midday sun was high in its heavenly motion when I arrived. Upon entering the periphery of the town I found it not only strangely devoid of life but also frighteningly quiet. The last time I was here, just before butchering those wretched assassins in the most brutal ways possible, ponies and husks openly brawled in the streets without worry or care. Fighting was a sport to them, scars simply a mark of how fully you had lived your life. Now the streets were entirely empty. As I was trotting in I saw makeshift barricades blocking many of the alleyways. These haphazardly heaped piles of furniture and dirt were curious sights indeed. After I had passed a few of them I heard rustling. I paused, perking up to try and identify both what the noise was and where it was originating from. I could only guess it came from behind a barricade. My assumption was ratified by a voice that emanated from behind one. "To whom do you swear your loyalties, stranger?"

I still could not tell which barricade it came from. I was a bit more than confused at this point. "What?"

"Which side have you joined?" Now I was more concerned about the questions than where they were coming from.

"What do you mean which side have I joined?"

"Which cause do you fight for? Ours or theirs?"

"I don't have any idea what you're talking about."

"Then what brought you to the Torn Avenue?"

"Where is Flowing Hammer?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Because I am her sister and I wish to converse with her." I heard more rustling; some of it was very nearby. I looked around, hoping to find the source. Looking behind me revealed a husk, marrow blade in mouth, charging towards me. Barbaric bloodlust was the only visible emotion as it galloped up towards me. I prepared to react, lowering a bit. It swung the sword, hopelessly watching it shatter upon my armour. Its eyes widened as it clenched up. I now had a big enough window and took it. I bucked backwards catching the flabbergasted husk and launching it airborne. I missed my mark, unfortunately, and ended up landing it gently upon the roof instead of the wall. It scrambled to its hooves and disappeared over the rooftops. I was, at this point, half turned to face it. I heard the pony at the other barricade speak again. "What is your name?"

I turned back to face him, finding him now standing atop the pile of rubbish. "Why do you want to know?"

"So we can inform Hammer whom it is that is seeking her."

"Tell her that the pony seeking her it named Aqua. She will know who it is." He nodded and quickly dropped down beneath the brim again. I sat down in the street, making sure no husk would be able to sneak up, as if it actually mattered. I waited patiently for the arrival of Flowing Hammer. It wasn't terribly long either before I heard a commotion behind the, presumably, friendly barricade. I then saw the recognisable, red chitin plated visage of hers pop up over the lip of the blockade. "Ah, Aqua, it certainly has been a while since you stopped by. What took you so long, sis?"

"Flowing Hammer, how's everything been?"

"Fly over the barricade. We can talk about it when you're safely within the walls of our refuge."

"I can't"

"Sure you can. Just use your wings."

"That's just it, I can't."

"Nonsense. You're an alicorn. Of course you can!"

"No, I don't think you quite understand. I don't have any wings, or at least not anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"I lost my wings."

"How do you lose wings?"

"They were shredded, mutilated, disconnected, removed, torn from my body or whatever else you choose to call it."

"Oh. How about teleporting?"

"I don't know the interior well enough. It could go pretty badly."

"Such as?"

"I teleport into a wall and die or telefrag one of your followers, as I am not the lightest individual."

"So then what?"

"Surely you have a door?"

"Two blocks up, one alleyway in on the left." I nodded before trotting in the direction she had signalled. I made my way as directed, navigating a dark maze-like alleyway. Upon reaching the end, I found a scrap iron wall blocking my path. Set in the wall was an equally rough metal door. Moments after I arrived the door opened and I was urgently beckoned inside. I did as directed. Once I was inside the door was locked and barred behind me. I was still confused about what was going on as I was plunged deep into these tunnels. The buildings closed off together where the second floor began, leaving a short, sunless maze of alleyways. These were dimly lit by blue magical flames. I was soon snapped back to the task at hand by Flowing Hammer. "Come, we have much to discuss."

I did as ordered, following her through the complex headquarters they seemed to have established. The only creatures inside this place were ponies; not one husk was to be found. Nevertheless their faces, disheartened and anguished, stared at me expectantly as I passed by. When we arrived at her quarters, her planning room, she closed the door behind us. As I wandered in and gazed around I noticed many murals, maps and models. These all plotted out the layout of the city. Scattered all over the maps were sandy yellow pebbles and grey metallic shards along with both white and brown barricade markers. I was intrigued not only by the detail and depth of it all but also by what it could mean. Flowing Hammer must have been able to tell that I was curious, so she spoke. "A bit complex, isn't it?"

"Oh yeah. What is it?"

"The city."

"I kind of figured that to be the case, but what do all the markers and tokens stand for?"

"Well, we're in the middle of a civil war right now. We 'regular' ponies are fighting to stay here in our lands of inheritance. The husks are fighting to drive us out once and for all. We are the grey markers." I took a moment to look again. What I found was a stark and startling contrast between the tiny number of grey shards and the seemingly endless sea of yellowish pebbles. I grew a bit worried. "Things have been going downhill fast as of recent. I'm glad you showed up when you did. I feared their next attack would be the end of us. We have too many wounded, and those not injured don't have enough morale to fight back. You've been the only hope I've managed to instill within them."

"What do you mean?"

"The expectation of your return has done much to hold their courage fast for many years."

"Why?"

"They know how well you fight. They know what you can do. They know that you could win this for us, even if by yourself. The thing is, though, you never came. The losses stacked up, both in lives and territory. Now here we are staring down extinction on every front."

"What needs to be done?"

"We can't stay in here or we'll all die. We need to take the fight to them, to put them on the defensive for once."

"So how do we do it?"

"These white markers are their walls. As you can tell they've walled in a lot. We need to break them down."

"How thick are their buildings' walls?"

"Not that kind of wall. We need to break their bone walls."

"Bone walls?" I tried to imagine what it would have looked like. I couldn't manage, or even try the think of what effect it had on those here.

"The husks have been collecting all who have perished, consuming their flesh and leaving the bones to sun bleach before stacking them up as we have with dirt and furniture."

"How many have died?" My tone was hushed, slightly fearful and awestruck by the possible count. Looking at the white bars and, figuring the piles to be tall like unto a one story building, I couldn't even fathom a number.

"The population of the city has been reduced to a little under a tenth of what it was. The majority of the losses have been from our side."

"How long has this gone on?"

"Longer than a decade."

"Since I left..."

"Slightly after you did. They've used your name as justification for slaughter ever since."

"I will put an end to this. It's time I fixed what I had wrongly started all those years ago."

"Good to have you back on our side, sis. Now, we will be clearing them sector by sector until we-"

"Where is the heart of their operations?"

"The arena. Why?"

"I'm there."

"That's suicide."

"A lot has changed since I left, my sister. Don't underestimate what I can do now that I have grown and our father's side has matured exponentially within me. I have more now than I ever could have had before."

"Aqua, you're literally the exact same as you were before, stature and everything. What are you talking about?" I retracted my helmet, showing the more-than-apparent draconic features that showed in this large form. "By the light of the sun...what happened to you sis?"

"I told you a lot has changed. I'm nigh invincible now with these scales. I will go to the arena and I will return with their leader's weapon as a sign of our victory and his surrender."

She sighed. "Be careful, alright?"

"Don't worry. I will."

"Go to; win this war." I nodded before leaving quickly from her quarters. I did my best to retrace my steps, eventually finding the entranceway. When I arrived I heard repetitious, echoing impacts against the metal door. Those nearby had drawn their swords fearfully, trembling. I stood before the door and drew a blade. It hummed with electricity as the blade superheated. Once ready I turned to a nearby guard.

"Open this door."

"What? Are you mad?! We'll all be slaughtered like the others were!"

"I don’t care about your opinion. I gave you an order; I told you to open the door, so open the door or I'll do it myself!" My presence outweighed that of the husks without. He swallowed hard and trotted over, fumbling with the lock. "Now!"

He jumped before finally getting it opened. What met my gaze was a veritable wall of unrecognisable creatures, more warped and deranged than I remembered them to be. Upon seeing me they began yelling behind them in a new guttural language I'm sure they had developed in my absence. They were all trying to turn about to flee. As soon as I could I bolted towards them. "Get over here, wretches!"

What followed next was nothing short of a slaughter. Swing by swing the alleyway filled with the cauterised remains of those deplorable creatures. Within minutes silence fell once more, leaving the two door guards frozen in awe. After a few moments of me looking over the corpses one spoke. "So...it is true."

I turned to face them, confused by the statement. "What is?"

"My parents and Hammer told tales of your ferocity and skill in combat. I thought they were just making things up to make us feel good." He must have been too young to remember the butchering of the assassins. "But no, you're the real thing."

"I am. I will end this needless bloodshed. Maintain the base. It's time I crush theirs." I turned and left the speechless guard behind. When I broke out of the shadows of the alley and into the scorching light of the avenue I turned myself towards the arena. I could see the top of it poking out from above several of the before-mentioned bone walls. The sight of the walls put me on edge. To see the remains of that many creatures, nonetheless of my own kin, heaped up was unsettling to me. I could only imagine the mental strain it put on those that were less accustomed to seeing horrors. I shook my head and snorted, steeling myself. After scuffing a hoof several times in an act of bravado, to pump myself up, I broke into a mild gallop. As I approached the first wall I lowered my head and burst up my speed. I rammed straight into the wall, hearing nothing but the deafening roar of many clattering bones. The wall was shattered and my way cleared as I stumbled and recovered from the impact. I repeated this process through the next four atrocious edifices.

As I recovered from the last hit I looked up. Suddenly my heart missed a beat or two and my stomach churned heavily. The wall before me was two stories tall, extending from one side of the wide avenue to the other. It shared the appearance of the last few, being a mere pile of marrow. I could only estimate the remains of over a million dead to be the building blocks herein. A little ways behind these bones lay the arena. Knowing my goal was this close I started again. I saw archers perched atop the wall, nocking and drawing their bows. I simply upped my speed until I couldn't move any faster, even with hydraulic help. When they realised my intentions they began to flee, scrambling wildly down the wall. Upon reaching the wall I leaped for as much extra force as I could afford. I rammed the wall face first, getting lost in the ensuing avalanche of bones.

For several moments I was deaf, dazed, and disoriented. Not even the light of day pierced the sun bleached fragments of the dead. I squirmed until I managed to determine what was up and what was down inside of this dread wall. I arose against the crushing weight and began making what motions I could, feeling like I was flailing more than anything else. Crack after audible crack passed before my ears as I slowly ground my skeletal prison to meal. I would work my way out eventually.

How long I was within the wall I know not. All that I know was that, until I broke out, my actions were frantic, almost panicked. I could only have remained submerged so long before things turned sour. The light of the low afternoon sun bolstered my resolve, granting me new strength. As I cleared the last part of the blockade I shook the last remaining bones from my back. Hundreds of those indistinguishable husks ran around before me. Several larger ones commanded their forces, organising them in front of the arena's entrance. I glanced behind me to see the carnage I had left. A large divot left their main wall breached, the arena's exterior now vulnerable. A large mound of the dust of crushed bones curved over a decent height of the hole in the wall. With a chuckle I turned back to face the small wall of warped creatures that now blocked my way into the interior. I stared at them momentarily before scuffing the ground. As they clung to their weapons it was easy to see the terror in their eyes. I prepared to barrel over top of them to get inside. It was then that a huge shadow darted over top of us. My stance relaxed as I quickly looked up. Not very far up in the air above us was a dragon circling around like a vulture. It was of no concern to me until the numbers began increasing, until more arrived. One soon became five, which ended at around a full score of them. I suddenly looked back down at the husks, almost with urgency. "Clear the way! I must speak to your leader."

One of them managed to speak in the most foolhardy bravado I have seen yet. "No."

I lowered myself down again, repeating the scuffs. "Suit yourselves."

I began charging. The speed in which the group before me parted to let me through was absolutely incredible. I very soon found myself standing within the walls of the Arena. They had stacked up crates and other materials, covering it all with cloths and other such tarp-like coverings to create a makeshift shelter. Towards the middle were the, seemingly, immortalised streaks of blood I had left from those I had murdered here. A quick scan over the turning husks revealed one that stood higher than the rest, one that was adorned in apparel that made it appear more important than the others. The remaining husks began charging but ceased when the larger one spoke one word. It stared me down for a short while, almost gauging my strength. Not wanting to waste time I spoke. "You. I must speak with you."

It looked me up and down before speaking in a deeper voice than the others. "You? Who are you to demand an audience with me?"

"I just bulldozed your grand wall and managed to thwart an assault from your forces in solitude."

"Impressive indeed, but you have yet to-" His sentence was cut short by panicked shuffling and cries from outside. One bloodcurdling scream resonated, causing all but myself to react.

"That's why I demand audience. Leave this pavilion and see the raging calamity your troops are in." In quick motions we were outside to witness the carnage. The scene we beheld was grisly at best. Whosoever was not being bathed in the fiery breath of the dragons was being carried off in their claws. I turned to the husk once more. "End your petty war and organise your forces to take care of this issue."

"You brought them here, didn't you?" His tone rang out in a condemning manner as he marched over. Now that he was actually beside me I could measure his size. He stood possibly a little taller than I did and was certainly broader. His presence certainly was a fearsome and commanding one. "You called them here to help your side win. All you pretty little wretches want is to kill us and take the town for yourself!"

"My murderous streak knows no bounds, whelp. Ponies, husks, gryphons, dragons, any that cross my path are subjected. Have you so soon forgotten who started all of this mess in the first place? Have you forgotten the blood soaked sand?" The chaos ensued around us even as we spoke. The occasional jet of flame would merit a move from him to dodge it, once or twice bathing me in flames with no response or harm caused to me.

"That one monster that butchered the assassin's guild."

"The same stands before you. Those were not your kind. They were mine. Now get your forces organised and do something about the threat bigger than ponies."

"I will not take-"

"Before we all die! Move!" He swallowed before nodding solemnly. I kept a watch from where I was as he moved forwards to begin ordering the husks. It was then that I saw a dragon swing down for a pick out of the crowd; it was headed straight for him. I quickly darted forwards, ramming into the large husk. It tumbled him by a couple of yards. I, myself, didn't have enough time to react. I heard the claws grasp my armour. This was followed closely by hard wing flaps and with that I was no longer grounded. I watched the husks reorganise, a confused look on their leader's face, while I was lifted ever higher. Before long they became nothing more than specks. I was hopelessly out of range now.

Night had fallen as our journey continued. As the first rays of dawn broke on the horizon below us the dragons dipped the angle of their flight, heading for the southernmost mountains in the land. We were headed for a mostly dormant volcano, it seemed. Flames were still present, as was lava, but it was inactive in respects to eruption. As we neared, the dragons began dropping us into a small alcove that was open on the top. This near bowl-like structure seemed like it had been used frequently. Some places were so far scratched, hammered and rent that several pools of lava had formed in the lowest portions of it. I, of course, made the largest impact, almost shaking the crater. The husks were scrambling to climb up the sides of the alcove by the time I had risen again. No sooner had I done so than a very loud and prominent thud shook the whole of the mountain, causing us all to drop back down into the bowl. When next I arose I looked around. Several of those that were with me had ceased trying to escape, locked in fear. Others began the scramble again. One had fallen into the lava that had risen a little farther. This flailed in vain before grotesquely ceasing to be any kind of a recognisable shape. I then looked up out of the alcove to find the largest dragon I had ever beheld. The size thereof was easily larger than a castle. Red scales lined the gargantuan creature. It was built very squarely; it was wide and bulky. The strength, and mass, of such a creature was unmistakeable. Its countenance was one of peaceful wrath, if such a thing even exists to describe it. The face was so full of fury and spite, yet held so regally and in such a stoic manner. When the deep voice thundered I thought it possible to hear it miles away. It clearly was not pleased with what was before it. "This is it? This is all you have brought me? Two score whelps? Where are the others that you brought so frequently? Where are those with meat? Where are the ponies?"

One of the nearby dragons fearfully responded. "There are no more. We have emptied all of the villages. Even their city is nearly devoid of all life."

"You lie!" The massive dragon swung a claw as he bellowed. The smaller dragon was unable to move fast enough to clear the large spread of the paw of the bigger one. With a massive thud the ground shook, knocking a few of us over again. I remained standing, watching as the colossal creature carried the relatively small body of the dragon to his mouth. In one swift motion the corpse was gone, swallowed into the gullet of the monstrous dragon. "I suppose that will make up for it. Now, come here, whelps!"

The husks were screaming or fleeing, whichever seemed to grip them more. I was, with heart pounding, strategically manoeuvring so as to avoid being within the dragon's grasp. Despite their attempts, throughout the midst of their panic, they were devoured one by one. I alone was now left as the target of this behemoth of a dragon. When his attention turned to me he stopped and spoke. "And what is this little treasure they have brought for me?"

My heart raced faster than it had before. "How cute. You think your armour can save you? From those wretches, yes. From other dragons, perhaps. But they are no longer of any concern to you, now are they?"

A thought popped into my mind as I anxiously and inwardly begged for some kind of escape from the imminent. Perhaps my own draconic nature could cause him to spare my life. I folded my helmet back, suddenly being hit by the dizzying heat of the slowly rising lava. "Destroy me not, for I am of your blood."

The dragon reeled, crying out in rage. "Bastard child! You defile the very scales that adorn your tainted frame!"

"You carry a hatred for ponies. Look at me, for I am not entirely pony."

"Yet neither are you entirely dragon. Your muddled blood has left you nothing more than a wretched crossbreed than never should have survived." I put my helmet back on, since that idea didn't work. I was cooled off moments later.

"What do you mean I never should have survived?"

"All those times in your life when it seemed like death was the only thing before you, all those times that you fought and squirmed to tackle tasks that sunk you in over your head, do you really think those were freak accidents? that they were mere encounters?"

"Yeah, actually, I did."

"Then you thought wrong. That evil presence that stalked you in the forest night and day was sent by my word, spoken to Erazul, to ensure that you remained alone and forsaken until I could recover fully. I paid the assassins to kill Bane, although they failed more than I had anticipated; they ended up killing your parents instead of the pony that would save you time and time again. Although, I thank you for properly dealing with them for me, by the way. It was I that sent that greedy dragon to that wilderness to assure that you perished, yet it only hoarded you as treasure, ultimately sparing your life. I spoke dark lies and evil words in the ears of Shade to corrupt him, to turn him against you, but you were too powerful by then. While you lay comatose for that time in the Wastes of the gryphons I sent the black magic and corrupting presence that warped the wildlife with an unnatural bloodlust, causing them to slay all moving creatures. As I can see now these puppets have not been enough to kill you. Graciously, now, I have been given the opportunity to take you out myself."

"Why do you want to destroy us ponies so fiercely?"

"It was your wicked kind that drove us to the brink of extinction. Your vicious kind were they that drove us from the lands of our inheritance. Your filthy kind exterminated all of the elder dragons I knew of with only one exception: me. It was your perverse kind that murdered the Great One in cold blood. You and your kin have committed sins unpardonable. Now is the time for retribution for all the wrongs and it all starts with you." There was no consolation to be given him, as talk simply drove his stoic face further into raged expressions. "You, yourself, are an abomination of nature and have been from the day of your conception. Now, as I have watched your pitiful life roll on I've seen you become the 'Defender of Equestria', as vile of a taste as that name leaves on my tongue. Your prowess is unmatched by far for your kind in recent years. But the age of alicorns has come to an end. The day of heroes has passed. The black of night will over shadow your kind. With you out of the picture no more shall my children perish in this abhorred waste."

He raised his massive claws. Seeing as it was, most presumably, an attempt to destroy me I quickly mobilised. I bolted, scrambling up the rocky ledges out of the lava filled divot we had been in. I had barely crested the brim when his claw struck. It narrowly missed me but nonetheless sent me tumbling because of the pure force. His claws were sucked into the lava as the divot collapsed. Once I stopped tumbling I was unable to recover due to the ensuing quakes. As they finished I arose, noticing the lava level rising and, equally so, the smoky ash began building up around me. All of the other dragons had now taken flight, fleeing the now active volcano. It was becoming difficult to see at this point, making my current task that much more of a challenge. I, myself, was fleeing from the centre of the crater when I was struck suddenly by a nigh debilitating force. As my new flight path continued I noticed the tip of the tail of the dragon. Suddenly he stopped in his rotation, causing me to hurtle far across the crater. I bounced and skidded like I was nothing. The impacts with the ground became fiercer as my path caused me to begin ascending the fringes. As dizzy and dazed as I was at that point I managed to get on my hooves once more. The ground shook violently now as the lava continued building up around us. When I looked up to see what the colossal dragon would do next the only thing that came to my view was his gigantic head. The titanic jaws opened, revealing several large glands in his mouth. I turned to flee and, as I took my first step, heard an eruption of flame. With hammering force the combustible fluid, now alight in fire, pinned me to the rocks. From this face-down vantage point I could see the rocks around me turn white hot before melting into lava that would soon feed the active volcano. At temperatures like this I knew my armour wouldn't last. Not only was the rising lava level threatening to engulf me but the very rocks around me were trying to envelop my body. Thankfully enough the fire-breath stopped, but I got the urgent feeling that I needed to move. I teleported as quickly as possible, guessing his next move, and moved as best as I could. The resistance of the armour now, being half-melted, seemed close to being too much to overcome. I felt the massive impact that had been meant for me, the impact that caused the whole mountain to shake violently. When I looked back he was pulling his paw out of the molten mountainside. He faced me, rage showing clearly on his face. "You can't run forever, crossbreed!"

The volcano was on the brink of eruption and his one step towards me caused just that. In less time than it would have taken me to blink I was catapulted into the sky, my hearing now having been cut to nothing more than deafening screeches. My ears shot with pain and I could not even hope to try and catch my bearings until it had stopped. My equilibrium was nonexistent until later when the migraine inducing screeches became monumental ringing. I opened my eyes again, finally able to concentrate on sight. All I found was my view turning from land to sky and back again very rapidly. I flailed my tail as best as I could manage in a hope to counteract the spinning motion. I eventually slowed enough to determine two things: I had been catapulted far from the volcano and I was now very rapidly approaching the ground. I braced for what I figured to be imminent death.

Either to everypony else's eventual joy or to my own frightful disdain the impact did not manage to kill me. The combination of how I landed paired with what padding and armour there was left did not allow such. When I hit the ground I heard only a resounding thud but felt the sharp stinging pain of fractures. The impact caused me to rebound and catch air once more. I tried to use my tail again to slow my spins. What met my efforts was a sharp wall of pain insurmountable; it was very possible that the hips or spine had shattered on impact. After the numb response from my tail I stopped trying to spin. I was now about to helplessly bounce and tumble my way to an agonising stop.

Five more times I limply got tossed back into the air before my flight pattern converted into only tumbles. Here was when my armour really began falling to shreds. Each skidding roll hurled shards and scraps of plated material streaking across the scorched earth. The whole of my protection, all of my unbreakable plated armour, had shattered and scattered long before the rolling had ceased. After the last several yards of skidding I simply sat there in unquenchable, inexplicable agony. All I wanted to do at this point was die, succumb to the overwhelmingly wrenching pain of my lower body. The pain within my front shoulder was unbearable as well, with several other places numbly pulsing in agony. I closed my eyes and pictured home; Storm would both know of and be able to get me to the care that I needed. With the image of my home town in mind I began channelling and exerting what energy I could into my pearl. As I was doing so I heard the selfsame thunderous voice echo across the darkened wasteland. "You will rue the day you came into this world, wretch! The claws of Flametread have not passed from over you yet!"

The spell finished preparing and cast. When I opened my eyes I found myself lying on the grass of the park not too far from my home. At this point, unfortunately, I could not even exert the effort to call out for assistance. I was too drained and numbed by pain to try. All I could do was await the painstakingly slow process it would be for somepony to finally find me here in the grass.

It wasn't terribly long before some passerby found me. The stallion rushed over, trying to rouse me. Walls of paralysing pain prevented me from reacting further than looking at him and breathing heavier. When he saw that I could not get up he panicked, arising and galloping away after telling me to stay there. I was once again left along in numb expectation. The agony I was feeling in that moment, and the longer I felt it only added, made me nauseous. After, presumably, a few minutes the stallion returned with an entire entourage. Many of those that arrived were average everyday citizens of the town. Several were in matching uniforms. These were they that carried me away. They managed to roll my massive body onto something that would allow them to transport me easier. It consisted of very thick material attached to two parallel rods. I could tell that those who took me away struggled immensely to do so. After a while I was brought to the medical centre, from where they began preparations. The doctors rushed around, preparing every needful thing. It was then the idea dawned upon me to transform back into my smaller, more manageable form. When I did so it certainly bred shock and apprehension. They eventually calmed. It was as they drew near to begin the procedure that my grip on reality slipped and I passed under.

When next I managed to open my eyes a new room filled my view. The room was bare of the machinery that had been present in the last place. As I went to look around I was halted in my attempt to do so. It was as if my body was not responding fully. I was sore and tired, possibly to a degree beyond what I had already felt in the past. On top of this my senses were dull and my grip on reality was blurry at best. As best as I could faintly tell there was some kind of commotion from just outside the room. Suddenly the door burst open and a group of ponies flooded the doorway. The one in front declared "Where is she?"

The room fell utterly silent when he took note of my presence. He then slowly trotted over. As he approached I recognised him as Storm. When he arrived at the bedside he sat. After a few moments he spoke. "How are you feeling?"

It took some time for my response to complete, as my breath was slow and shallow. "Exactly how one catapulted many miles from a volcano would feel like."

Confusion showed clearly on his face. I chuckled. Violent waves of pain shot through my body with each chuckle, causing me to thoroughly regret my decision. When it calmed I spoke again. "That was one crazy trip to visit my sister."

"But you're safe now?" I looked at him for a short while.

"That would be a private chat." Storm turned to those that stood behind him. He signalled for them to leave, waiting until they did so before turning around again to face me.

"Alright, continue. I'm listening."

"No, I am not safe." His countenance immediately dropped.

"What? Why?"

"I'm being hunted, and I have been for a very long time now, indeed, since before I was born."

"By what?"

"A dragon."

"That's it? I will easily keep you safe."

"You have no idea what I'm facing here. You don't know what kind of dragon is hunting me."

"That doesn't matter, Aqua."

"Yes it does Storm."

"Why?"

"Picture your average large dragon."

"Ok. No problem still."

"Now imagine something capable of smashing and grasping it in one paw before consuming it."

"What?"

"This dragon consumes other dragons in one bite like it was nothing."

"Well, it shouldn't be too hard."

"Storm."

"What?"

"Look at me."

"What about you?"

"I'm a wreck. I got more than walloped."

"And?"

"The reason I'm like this is because he demolished my armour like it was nothing. That armour was the best shot any of us had, but it wasn't enough." Storm was deep in thought. "It's like we need something bigger, something stronger. We need something more...more..."

"Feral."

"More feral?"

"Something on his calibre."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm going to talk with Galaxia. Stay right there." He arose quickly and turned to head for the doors.

"Wait, Storm, what do you-" The doors closed, he having left in a rush. "...mean?"

Stay right here. With all things considered, including the full body cast, it wouldn't be terribly difficult. Still, my mind was caught up trying to imagine any plausible outcome from his words. Again and again rang the words 'something more feral'; they echoed relentlessly. The notion worried me considerably. Perhaps he meant one of the creatures under the control of Galaxia. Then again, perhaps he had it in mind to turn me into an actual dragon. This concept, however, made little sense to me. The image of that unfortunate dragon being smashed like a play thing with no forethought flashed in my mind to demolish this idea. So then what were his plans? I searched fervently for an answer, finding that only those first two ideas actually made any kind of sense. Just as I was ready to shrug his comment away, and return to rest, the door opened. Storm trotted in. As I spoke the door clicked and closed behind him. "You had better explain what you meant by what you said earlier."

"I don't have to." I shot him a venomous look before the door opened and Galaxia came in, quenching my frustration for his response. "She can, and she will."

I simply cocked an eyebrow, for that was about all I could do, and awaited her response. "So, Aqua, tell me of this recent development."

"You didn't watch it?"

"No." I was a bit surprised, as hitherto now she had taken an intense interest in my life. "Enlighten me."

"I was launched from a volcano."

"By what?" I looked at her momentarily, awaiting her response to the obvious. None such came.

"The eruption of said volcano."

"What caused that?"

"Seismic activity?" I could only guess that either she was playing me or she really had no idea.

"And what caused that?"

"A pretty big dragon."

"How big?"

"Bigger than any I've seen before."

"How so?"

"It ate another dragon like it was nothing."

"Ah. What colour were the scales?"

"Red."

"Hm...It’s definitely an elder dragon."

"Elder dragon? He had mentioned something about it but I figured it best not to ask him."

"Yes, elder dragons. They were some of the first dragons to have lived, being the first generation of offspring of the Great One, the supposed first dragon to have existed. These dragons were venerated by a group of deranged fanatics in a day forgotten by time itself. These cultists, through their rituals and magic, granted unto the Great One and the elder dragons immortality in the hope of exchange for unparalleled dominion over the world. They did not complete the promise, killing the cultists before spreading over the planet. Some of them lived in the regions nearby Equestria for eons with their broods. Then, during the Era of the Alicorns they were driven out by a large group of alicorns wielding magical power beyond even what I can imagine."

"Oh..."

"The only one that was left anywhere nearby was Tidecrusher because he was simply too far away when the alicorns conquered the dragons. The thing is: he was blue..."

"So then what?"

"What was the dragon's name?"

"You think I asked?"

"Knowing you, no."

"He has a pretty huge grudge against ponies if that helps."

"Most of the elder dragons did. They were uprooted, remember?"

"Well, he hates crossbreeds and regards us as abominations."

"Slightly less did, as they were split on the subject. Some thought crossbreeds to be an improvement to ponies while others as a shame to dragonkind."

"He was in a volcano in the Badlands."

"Tidecrusher inhabited those mountains before and is ultimately the cause of those arid conditions there."

"He ended up killing my parents?"

"To be honest, several had been trying."

"Oh. Well...hm. Is any of this helping you figure out who it is?"

"Kind of."

"He's hunting me before he conquers Equestria."

"There we go. A select few, four or five I think, inhabited the land before the alicorns came. Was it Tremorstep?"

"No."

"Steelpaw?"

"Nope."

"Flametread?"

"That one sounds familiar."

"And you say he's seeking to destroy Equestria?"

"Bingo."

"He'll go for Canterlot first. The city is on the mountain that used to be a part of his lair."

"We have to stop him."

"This might be beyond my own forces." I looked at her for a moment, hoping she hadn't just said that.

"What do you mean?"

"If Flametread is hunting you there's good reason to fear. Still, not all hope is lost." Again I hoped she had not said that.

"So you'll help?"

"Only as I can. My forces will not and cannot fight this for you." My hope was crushed. In a more desperate tone I responded.

"Then what am I supposed to do? That marvellously strong armour I had was absolutely demolished by him. How do you expect me to defeat him alone like that?"

"You can change forms, correct?" The question caught me off guard, causing me to simply sit and stare at her. "You can shift between different forms, am I not mistaken?"

"Yeah."

"Excellent. We're about to ramp that up tenfold. Are you ready for this?"

"No."

"That's rather unfortunate, then. When you have recovered and are set free from the hospital we shall immediately begin work. I'll see you then, Aqua." She turned and left, leaving only Storm and I in the room. It was only another moment before he arose and bid me a loving farewell. My curiosity still burned as to Galaxia's plans for me.

"What is she planning to do?" He simply looked back at me as he left. "Storm, what is she planning to do to me?"

The door closed, leaving me alone in my frustration once more. For some reason nopony would tell me what was going to happen. I was left to try and cast the prospect out of my mind in order to rest.

It was about a month or so later when I could finally move unaided. It was also moments after I had left the doors of the hospital that Galaxia came, almost half kidnapping me and removing me to her realm. When I finally managed to ask her what she was doing I got the kind of response I'd expect, or had come to expect, from her. "It's time for your training to begin. It cannot wait any longer."

"What training? What else is there for me to learn?"

"How to fight Flametread. He's amassed every dragon within the range of several continents. He plans to attack soon. We need you capable of fighting him almost immediately, so that is why we are here in the Chronochamber."

"Okay, but I still don't know what I'm doing."

"I'm assuming you remember how to shift forms?"

"Of course. Why?"

"Good. Now, your capabilities have grown with age but I fear they have not grown nearly enough. So, we're going to subject you to some magically simulated situations, see if we can't find some kind of trigger for what we need."

"What are we even looking for?"

"You are going to become a dragon." I nodded solemnly, not entirely sure how I would manage such. Galaxia stepped to a far corner of the chamber and her horn began to 'glow' as it does. A faceless pony soon appeared before me but was quickly removed again. Several large and menacing creatures, not unlike some I had fought before, appeared. With ease I transformed into my larger self. The shapes disappeared shortly thereafter. "It seems that won't quite be enough. Let me try something else here."

I shifted back down and awaited the next creature or creatures' appearance. Not too much time passed before a full sized adult dragon appeared before me. Again I took up my larger form. The dragon charged in, bidding me to do the same. As I neared it the dragon swept me aside with a claw. As I stopped tumbling and attempted to right myself it pounced upon me. I was now pinned on my back, trying to break free fruitlessly. The dragon roared, sharp fangs barring. I tried to raise my hind legs to buck it away but, by then, it was already too late. It darted in to rend my throat. As it did it vanished, leaving me to try and calm my nerves. I eventually stood and shifted down again before Galaxia spoke again. "It's not good enough. That form is too small, too weak, to properly handle an enemy that big."

"It can. It has before. I just need to act right." She simply looked at me for a moment before conceding with a sigh. I suppose she was going to let me learn the hard way here.

Several miserable failures passed slowly before I figured enough was enough. I arose once more, changing back into my smaller frame. Each failure ended with the dragon consuming me in form or another, so I turned to Galaxia to figure it out. "Alright, then, tell me what I have to do to beat this thing."

"Try and focus more on being a dragon and less on being a horse. Disregard my counsel I gave you with Erazul at this point, as you have done anyways; defeating Flametread is more important in this situation."

Something inside of me was more than reluctant to try. I swallowed before nodding to Galaxia. She nodded back and cast the illusionary dragon again. As it started charging I put it all on the line. Focusing with all energy of soul I pictured myself as a dragon and transformed. I felt different this time, far different, but there was not enough time to explore my newfound body before I had to react. I blocked the swipe of its claws with my right leg and took a swipe of my own with my left. My claws sank through the windpipe of the other dragon. I then quickly pounced upon the reeling creature, bowling it over and doing as it had done so many time to me previously. It then disappeared from view, dematerialising. Shortly thereafter I fell out of form, almost collapsing. I felt completely drained. Galaxia came over. "Well done, there is hope yet."

She helped me up out of my sitting position. "Regardless, there is no time to rest. We must continue trying. Prepare yourself for the next test."

I wanted to cry out, to plead for a break so I could recover. Knowing that time was limited caused me to stifle my desire, my need, and prepare for the next trial. When Galaxia was back in her original position she channelled. Before my view arose a dragon almost equal to Flametread, though its appearance marked it as another. Mustering what strength I could I changed forms, ending up as the small dragon I had recently discovered. Within a few mere moments I was smashed, left to recover as I shifted forms again. This repeated a few more times, each ending in the most pitiful failure possible. By the last time the illusion played out I could not even manage to change into my larger equine form. As I lay on the floor nearly crippled after another, literally, crushing defeat and the most recent failure Galaxia came over and looked down at me. Disappointment showed clearly on her face as she spoke glumly. "You need rest. Perhaps there is tomorrow."

She helped me to stand once more. Almost as soon as I rose another illusion came to my view. I stood upon a ledge very near the peak of the central mountain of Equestria. Before my view below me was Canterlot, very accurately depicted compared to the real thing. There was one difference, and it was very clear: Canterlot was aflame. The castle town had been razed and now burned clearly in the dusk hours of the illusion's day. I turned quickly to try and find Galaxia but was unable to do so. At this point I didn't even feel her presence. I could receive no explanation, as I was completely alone, so I merely turned back and looked on. Suddenly to my view came Flametread. He passed over, shooting huge streams of fire upon the already ransacked city, before curling back around to perch atop the mountain's peak. His face drew very near to me, completely overshadowing me. I figured it to be another attempt at my transformation, and thusly was ready to simply fail again to get it over with, until Galaxia's voice penetrated the air. "Aqua? Aqua? Speak to me! Storm, hurry. Call Flare. Something is wrong. She is seeing some kind of illusion and I have no control ov-"

Flametread snorted, blocking out whatever else she had to say and submerging me within the now horrifyingly frightful nightmare. "You're too late, horse. Canterlot has been destroyed, the mountain reclaimed as my own and dragons are pouring all throughout the land even as I speak. We dragons shall possess our bounteous lands of inheritance once more. You weren't there to stop us. You have failed. Breathe in your disgrace."

He turned his head back down to Canterlot to admire the view. Knowing this was not Galaxia's doing, matched with the stark realism compared to her previous illusions, caused deep sorrow to eat away at me. Perhaps it was a vision of the future that I had to suffer through. I was not sure. As I sat watching the burning city the sorrow slowly turned to rage inexplicable. The massive dragon's head turned back to face me once more. "Aw, look at the adorable little abomination getting all worked up. Face it, horse, your pathetic race never stood a chance after the alicorns left, and all of this because you ran like the coward you have always been."

I let the words sink in to further fuel the quickly growing fury. In a bout of unbridled wrath I transformed, almost with some fragment of the broken hope that it would work. My eyes closed as I started exerting my soul fully to shift forms. When it stopped I let out an immense roar and opened my eyes. To my surprise I found the two of us to be about the same size. As he reacted in surprise or fear I lunged in, ready to rend his miserable frame in twain for what he had done to the city. As I was about to land upon him the illusion suddenly vanished, leaving me staring down at Galaxia as I caught myself. She was tiny, almost the size of an ant. She spoke, but it wasn't to me. Flare was nearby Galaxia, Storm standing a ways off in awe. "Have we recovered her? Do we have a secure hold again?"

Flare answered. "Yes. Remember this day, Galaxia, for hope has risen again."

Galaxia looked up now, happiness on her voice. "Aqua, you did it!"

Upon hearing this my anger subsided and, accordingly, my frame. I shifted quickly back down to my smallest form. A moment more I stood before falling to a sit. As the three came over, Galaxia the quickest, I tipped over onto my side. Flare trotted over with the same unfazed expression. Storm galloped over, filled with relief. Galaxia sprinted in carrying an entirely uncharacteristically vibrant joy. I'm not sure which of her two emotional outbursts scared me more: this lively display or her vindictive fury when I first used the pearl again after my enslavement. She came over and half fell on top of me and half hugged, also a frightening experience. Galaxia's normally somber expression was entirely overcast by her surprisingly warm smile. Storm arrived shortly thereafter and the two helped me up. All three helped me out of the chamber to put me to rest.

It was a few hours later when I finally awoke and was capable of functioning once more. Nopony else was within the chamber and, after a few moments of lonely waiting I decided to quietly arise. Using the skill I had learned during my slave days I snuck towards the door. As I approached the chamber doors I heard talking. As I went to open them I heard Galaxia speak. "...if she found out it was then there'd be no hope. Whatever you do: do not let her see Canterlot."

Assuming she simply meant the burnt ruins of what it used to be I took no thought on the subject matter. I opened the door and it fell silent. Storm and Galaxia stood a little ways off and looked at me for a short while before coming over. He spoke first. "How do you feel?"

"Sore and tired but ready nonetheless." I knew there was no more waiting, as every moment was another moment passed that could signal Flametread's ultimate destruction of our race.

"Alright. Well, to the Badlands we go." At this point I didn't care how I felt. So heavily was the image of Canterlot's flaming destruction pressed upon me that nothing could detain me. I was more than ready to administer death to the last elder dragon. As I prepared to turn back to ready myself, Storm spoke again, begging my attention. "Now, Aqua."

"Yes?"

"Please be careful. Anymore, recently, I've lost you more than I've had you. You worry me, a lot."

"I'll do what I can to be cautious, Storm, but this is beyond me. The fate of our race is in danger here. Not me, not you, not Ponyville, not even just Equestria but our entire species is in danger here. With that much on the line I'm not going to hold anything back. Know this, though: should I fall, fail, and the task remain incomplete Flametread will be weak, wounded, fatigued, and, on top of it all, vulnerable. Do not hesitate to strike with everything the two of you have. If not, and if Flametread survives, my death would have been in vain. Am I clear?"

"Crystal."

"And Storm?"

"Yes?"

"Take good care of Lazuli, as she is practically my daughter. Also make sure that Cam and Lance are always doing well, and that the Order continues to grow and serve faithfully."

"You're saying all of this as if you expect to die."

"I almost do."

"You won't Aqua. You're better than that."

"You at least have instructions. See them through at the end of it all." Storm was crestfallen and downtrodden at best, depressed and hopeless at worst. I could clearly see it in his eyes, so I spoke again to cheer him. "Know this: I took oaths during my lifetime to protect others. It was my duty to help the helpless, to save the doomed. This is different. Defending you isn't out of duty. It is because of love. You, Lazuli, Flowing Hammer, Cam, even Lance, all have a special place in my heart. Lance and Cam were my pupils, rescued by my own hooves and trained to fill any absence I might have left. Flowing Hammer is my sister; of course I'd keep her safe at all costs. Although Lazuli isn't actually my daughter I treat her as such and she likes being designated in such a way. But you,"

I lifted his drooping head to look at me before speaking again. "you are completely different. You are my partner, my mate. You have never left me, well, almost never abandoned me."

He looked away, most likely thinking on times such as when I first returned after my eleven year absence. I had to pull his attention back, pausing until he looked at me again. "Look at me, Storm. No matter what happened you ended up being there. You've helped me more times that I can ever hope to count, but this isn't a number game for deeds done. This isn't a brownie point shop. This isn't just a trust thing. This is more. When I was ready to give up you were there. Time and time again it happened. You know what? It's my turn now. You have sacrificed so much for me because I was recklessly heroic. I now return the favour. How much I will have to sacrifice I know not. All I know is that you don't have to sacrifice anything this time."

He was still clearly saddened. "But I have to sacrifice you..."

"I go to this knowing that death is possible but that doesn't matter anymore. The fear of death, its victory, has all fled from before this desire to finally sacrifice for the most important pony in my life: you. So take courage, Storm. Even if I pass all is not lost. You can be at ease, for him who wished me dead shall feel his own sting. Lift up your heart. I go now to meet fate, whatever that may be."

He was fighting back tears as Galaxia trotted up and spoke. "It cannot be any other way, Storm. Aqua, I will take you to the Arena in the Badlands. If I am not mistaken you have some unfinished business to tend to, no?"

"I do, Galaxia." I don't know how she knew about the civil war since she didn't know what had caused me to nearly die when I went there last time. I also didn't know why but each passing moment brought an emotional pain I hadn't felt in a while. It was sorrow mixed with fear, the feeling of signing one's life away, the pain of apprehensive sadness. Words still fail to describe it.

"Once that has been accomplished go out into the wilderness and let vengeful wrath consume you. Find then the one responsible for this mess. Defeat Flametread and claim victory as your own."

"I plan on it."

"We believe in you, Aqua, and you are all we have left." Her words only fuelled the soul wrenching emotions swirling inside of me. Regardless, I nodded. Galaxia drew close and began casting a spell. In a few moments we were back in the arid Badlands, standing in the middle of the sandy arena floor. Coincidentally enough we stood upon the traces of the very blood trails that started all of this over a decade ago. When next I turned to look Galaxia was no longer there. I was now completely alone for the end of my trials. I was quickly approached by one of the husks. Fury rode upon his visage. "You! What are you doing here? Get your filthy kind out of here!"

"We ponies are not leaving."

"Not the ponies, you dolt! The dragons!"

"That is what I came for. Where is your leader?"

"He's holed up with the ponies. I got separated out here when the city fell. I don't know why I'm hiding anyways, for all is lost!"

"Don't you dare say that!" My sudden harsh tone caused him to shrink back a little. "Take me to him."

"Are you crazy?! I'm not going out there again!"

"Then the dragons stay."

"No-no-no! Okay! Okay! I'll take you!" I smiled as he quickly turned and began heading out cautiously, leading the way. Once out in the clear he bolted, forcing me to quickly pursue. We arrived at the garrison in a very short frame of time. When I navigated my way through the fearful crowds to Flowing Hammer's chambers I found her and their leader engrossed in a very bitter argument. Insults were being flung about as much as actual arguing occurred. They were completely oblivious to their surroundings. I removed my helmet and approached. Finally sick of their arguing I tried to jut in.

"Hey!" No response. "Hey!"

It was louder this time but merited nothing. Again, and more aggressively, I tried. "HEY!"

Even this turned up no response. I could not take any more, nor was there enough time. With a heavy swing I slammed my hoof down on the large table in the middle of the room, nearly breaking it. In a colossal shout I followed up. "ENOUGH!!"

The room fell silent as the two looked at me startled and afraid. I'm sure my countenance was burning as angrily as was my frustration. "That's enough from both of you! I'm taking things from here."

The commander of those near-corpse creatures marched over angrily. "By what authority?"

"By my own."

"You have no authority here!" I kicked him in the muzzle as he was finishing his sentence. He stumbled backwards a step or two before dropping himself into a seated position. Blood began to seep from his nose.

"Unless you want another demonstration on what authority I'm acting under I suggest you sit there and shut it!" He nodded, whimpering quietly. I saw Flowing Hammer in the corner of my eye as she went to add something to what I said. I turned and addressed her accordingly. "That goes for you as well. I am taking full control of both sides. There are to be no ifs, ands or buts. Remember: I can beat the tar out of either one of you with ease and I will do so if need be. Do I make myself clear?"

They both nodded emptily. I finally lowered the volume of my voice, maintaining the same intensity. "Good. First thing is first: end this pathetic quarrel between the two sides. Dragons are threatening to destroy this city and neither of you could manage to put your childish pride away long enough to realise that this petty war made you easy prey. While you are ignorantly bickering about whatever minute detail you might be fighting over a dragon larger than the whole of the city has been gathering forces. We needed to be teamed up, not bickering like a bunch of oafs! That time, however, has passed because of your combined idiocy. You two, together if I might add, will evacuate the city and take its inhabitants to refuge in the fertile valley until the massive dragon falls. Have I made myself clear?"

Again they nodded. "Then get to it, and if the two of you fight I will beat you both senseless until your blood colours your hide!"

They hurriedly arose and left, not a word spoken between them. I hoped that the chastisement of the two had made clear my point. Another thing hoped for was that they would spread that spirit of reproof and fix the situation with their forces as well. Regardless of what they did one thing remained certain and unchangeable: the time had drawn nigh. My fight with an elder dragon was at the doors. The closer it got the less prepared I felt to confront it.

Swallowing my fear and insecurity I worked my way calmly out into the streets once more. Creatures fled, speeding past me as I slowly trotted in the opposite direction. So vivid was the contrast that, by the time I reached the outskirts of town, I could not see them on the horizon. As I trotted into the wastes I took a deep breath in, preparing myself. I then saw it: Flametread airborne. He was approaching from the bordering mountains in the south. The sight of him brought vividly to my remembrance the memory of what I saw in Galaxia's Chronochamber. With the image of Canterlot ablaze still painfully engraved in my mind, anger began building rapidly. It didn't take too long before I was furious enough to expend the effort to transform. As soon as he passed was when I had finished. I moved quickly to catch up, as he flew near the mountains while I was further in. Wanting to catch him here in the Badlands I billowed out at him in my newfound voice, hoping to get him to turn. "Get back here, Flametread!"

He merely glanced my way. I suppose he mistook me for some other dragon, as he didn't pay much mind. "Bronzetail, come and aid me in destroying these pitiful creatures."

His pace slowed while he talked, but all the while not looking over. A moment or two flew by as I approached. I was now dangerously close to him. As I had not responded he turned to address me. It was then I leaped, swinging a set of vicious claws. "Bronzetail-"

The blow connected, sinking my claws deep into the side of his head behind the ear. As my motion finished it left four rake marks down to his muzzle. The force knocked him out of the sky. After a skid or two he got back up, shocked but angry. "Bronzetail, what was that?!"

"I am not Bronzetail, miserable whelp! For decades now you have tried to murder me. It's my turn now!" He was backpedalling furiously, escaping my reach.

"The abomination?"

"The name is Aqua WindStorm." I ceased trying to reach him, as he barely managed to evade me every time. It was left to words for the moment.

"How did you...?"

"Did you really think I was a useless, miserable halfbreed stuck to be a horse my whole life?"

"You were just a pathetic sack of flesh for the last century. What happened?" It almost seemed as if his tone changed, as if he was more accepting of me now. It was almost frightening.

"After that failed encounter with Shade I was subjected to a massive burst of arcane energy. It mutated me, made my father's side more prominent."

"You have taken the true form of a dragon. It is impressive."

"I didn't come here for flattery, whelp!"

"Shake your Equestrian chains from you. Together we can lay waste to these oppressive ponies and a new day, a new brood, of dragons will reign supreme upon the face of the land again."

"I will do no such thing!"

"Embrace your draconic heritage."

"The only thing I will do is reclaim my father's inheritance, the one that should properly be his!" I had begun hissing and spitting my words in fury.

"Your father gave up his inheritance when he became a filthy scoundrel and a worthless vagabond!"

"Yet he was more respected and more valuable than you ever were or will be."

"That is a lie!"

"At least my father didn't need to hide like a coward to accomplish his work. You really are just a pathetic waste of scales."

"Enough!" In fury he now lashed out. He charged, ready to take swipes. I, myself, reared up, using my hind legs and tail for balance as I had so frequently done before. My experience sword fighting would serve me well here, I could tell. He brought his first swing from the right, aiming for my side. I swatted his claws away and brought my other paw down. He collided with me with more force than I could resist. A fall was imminent, forcing me to react. I sunk my left claws into his back and used my right to forcibly change our falling trajectory. I had pushed and squirmed enough that we both fell on our sides simultaneously. I brought my hind legs up and kicked. Whether it was to shove him away or inflict damage I'm not sure. Either way my claws sunk in slightly as the two of us were shoved apart. We both got up, standing on our hind legs. In a very animalistic fashion we took one swipe after another at each other. Several of his connected, dealing a fair bit of damage that was disregarded. A few of mine hit for lesser impact. When we finally dropped back down we both stepped back a short distance. He then dropped his head and began to charge. I lowered mine in due fashion and braced for the impact. As he drew close I jutted forwards, thrusting my head out to butt it against his. Our skulls rang out the echoing impact as we both stumbled backwards a short distance. I looked up quickly, expecting to see him charging again. I found him instead just barely recovering from the impact. As he brought his head up I noticed the many punctured wounds that now adorned his head. He then shook himself while bulking up. I didn't know what his next move was until he did it. Regardless, I was closely copying his actions.

Flametread opened his maw and I saw his flammable fluid shoot forth. It caught fire as I went to mimic him. Right before the flames hit, my own streams shot forth. To my astonishment it was neither fire nor flammable. What was being ejected from my own glands was water. This spray steamed and, ultimately, extinguished the stream from Flametread. Defeated, he ceased trying to breathe fire, causing me to stop as well. We stood a short distance from each other at this point, too far to engage in melee. "A water dragon. Your appearance would denote that of a bronze or copper dragon. Only blue or sapphire dragons, along with sea serpents, would be able to breathe water like that. You're an even greater mutt than I had imagined."

"Your words are going to be the death of you, mangy cur!"

"Speak for yourself, runt."

"Murderers such as you earn what you deserve."

"Murderer? Have you so soon forgotten that your forsaken race nearly eradicated us all in an unjustified holocaust?"

"And yet look at where you are. You are no better, no more justified in your genocide."

"I am here to exact justice, abomination."

"I might be an abomination of nature but it's better than an unprincipled psychopath."

"I'll make you eat those words!" He began charging in again. I turned myself about, swinging my tail heavily. The solid mass of muscle connected with the skull and shoulder of the rapidly approaching dragon. As I was about to withdraw my tail in preparation to lunge upon him I felt, in a point-by-point sequence down my tail, two claws' worth of punctures grip my tail. I then felt myself being yanked backwards. I could not resist the force, ultimately losing my ground. We both began tumbling but he recovered first. In the time it takes to blink he was upon me. He threw swipe after feral swipe, trying to tear into me. Several strokes left gashes upon my belly and chest, others on my sides and shoulders. As quickly as I could I got my legs underneath him and kicked as hard as I possibly could. He was forced off, catching air and leaving me to squirm to a stand. With a colossal thud he hit the ground. Sparing no time I charged over. By the time I arrived he had barely recovered. I rammed into him shoulder first, bowling him over again. After a short stumble I picked up my speed again, arriving before he had prepared. I leaped, extending my front claws out, and caught his exposed chest. When he was pinned he began fighting more desperately. He flailed, claws first, in a wild fit of attacks. At the same time I ferociously bit down on his neck. The metallic taste of blood quickly washed over my tongue. As he continued scratching wildly, sending immense walls of pain shooting through my sides, I continued wrenching at his throat. With one last yank I attempted to rend his throat but was unsuccessful. I then took several barbaric and powerful swipes at his neck and face. He kicked me off after around a dozen landed swipes. I arose, as did he, to find a decent distance between us. I looked him over, gauging what strength he had left. He was coated thickly in his own blood as I imagine was my own condition as well. At this point I simply felt sickly and dizzy, ultimately signifying my own enormous loss of blood. He must have felt the same, as he hesitated to continue fighting. The silence broke when he spoke. "You're better at fighting than I imagined. If you joined me we'd be unstoppable."

"I would never join such a malevolent, malignant cause as yours."

"Perhaps if you stepped down from your ivory tower you'd see what I'm really trying to accomplish."

"Climb out of your childish dugout first and see just what havoc vengeance wreaks." Having taken offence to my words once more he charged in again. I ducked down into a low squat, preparing for what came next. He ended his charge by leaping into the air, swinging a paw in a mighty effort. I took the signal, practically jumping at him headfirst. His paw, originally aimed for my head, tore deep into my side, sending waves of pain up my body. My head connected horns first into the shredded, fleshy part of his neck and his jaw. His body weight collapsed down upon me while I was trying to avoid it. When I finally separated from him he tried another few swipes. His breath was short and raspy, causing his strikes to be nothing more than gentle slaps. At this point I was fatigued and disoriented. When I finally caught hold of my bearings he had risen. I approached with the intent of ending his life. As I, relatively, heftily swung my tail from the left he got airborne. I missed, eventually skidding to a halt. When I turned and found him again he had flown a considerable distance towards, what I could only assume to be, the south. Hoping to discourage him from returning I billowed out at him. "Running off like a coward?"

"This isn't the last you've seen of me, horse!"

"Leave this land and never return! Next time I won't go so easy." My bravado worked; he continued his trajectory. As he disappeared on the horizon my rage began to subside. Eventually I couldn't manage to hold this form anymore. I transformed back down, finding myself far too drained to even hold my larger equine form. Ultimately unable to remain upright any longer I collapsed. As I lay entirely drained on the scorched earth I knew my time was severely limited. Using what little energy I had I called out to Galaxia. I tried my best to remain conscious but, soon thereafter, the world fell dark.

When next I awoke it was in the presence of Galaxia and Storm. Surprisingly enough I was not sore or incapable as I normally was after an experience like that. Accordingly I tried to sit up. Deep, indescribably pain shot up my body, causing me to collapse back down and let out a grunt that ended up being more of a squeak than anything. I searched for the cause, finding the only reasonable explanation to be the thick wad of bandages wrapped about my midsection. That was probably it but I needed to see it for myself. Looking at Galaxia I finally spoke. "Show me."

She connected the dots quickly. "Aqua, that would not be the best course of action."

"Let me see it."

"They must remain wrapped up."

"I need to know."

Storm spoke this time. "Aqua, please, listen to what Galaxia says."

"Storm, I need to know how bad it actually is, especially after that fight." Storm looked over at Galaxia in concern, who herself looked a little defeated. She let out a sigh.

"Go ahead and remove the bandages. I can get Flare to cast the spell again." With that she turned and left, presumably to contact her counterpart, the other demigoddess, Flare, whom I had little contact with. Storm was left to do the ugly task. As he unwrapped the bandages it became clear it was going to be messy, The more he removed the more crimson the next layer was, As he was undoing the last layer, once open air hit the wound, the remainder of the bandages collapsed in on it. My side was sunken further than any nightmarish image I could have imagined. As the rest of the dripping bandage left my stinging side I got to view what grisly sight was left of my body. A large portion of my torso had been carved out messily, presumably by the raking claws of Flametread, until the ribs remained visible. Blood seeped continually from the nauseatingly fleshy area, pooling up within the little cavity. I continued looking on in sickened disbelief, wondering how I was alive, nonetheless awake. Not many moments later, as I was feeling more tired and dismayed, the doors to the chamber slammed open. Flare came storming in with Galaxia in tow. It was clear that Flare was not happy. "I told you two that, under no circumstances, were you to remove the bandages!"

Galaxia responded calmly but defiantly. "If you knew her better you'd understand why we did so."

"I don't care who it is! If I give an order I expect it to be completed. Simple. Now, move out of the way and let me work." Flare took the bandages from Storm roughly before using her magic to prepare them once more. Her tone had calmed by the next time she spoke. "Galaxia, knock her out. We don't want her to be awake while I repeat this."

She nodded before her horn glowed in that selfsame strange, light absorbing manner it usually does. Within mere seconds an overwhelming sense of drowsiness overcame me. I had no option but to succumb.

My next awakening was within my own house. Storm was the only one nearby. I could tell he had been eagerly awaiting my awakening. I went to get up, which caused him to draw near quickly, but the overwhelmingly sharp pain dropped me back down onto the bed. "Hey, easy now."

His tone was very soft and concerned. When he got over by me he placed a hoof on my shoulder gently. "How long have I been out?"

"To make sure you didn't over exert yourself too soon Galaxia put you under for a full month." He knew what my reaction would be before I had time to react. He kept me down with his hoof and spoke once more. "The Order is fine. Ajiin took it over again."

"That's not comforting at all."

"What? Why?"

"He knows." As much as speaking hurt my sides I had to convey my point.

"Knows what?"

"He knows what I did."

"What thing?"

"The slaughter."

"The slaughter? You mean the slaver thing?" I nodded. "Considering what his job consists of I would think that it wouldn't matter as much to him."

"Apparently it did."

"That would explain why he didn't even pass by." His statement made me curious. Who had passed by and when? Just as I was about to speak he did so instead. "Oh, by the way, you had visitors a few hours ago."

"Oh? Who?"

"Cam, Lazuli, some pony named 'Nancy' that spoke of a caravan, even Battlescar and this 'Sparky' character all came by." The last three names on the list surprised me. The mare I had helped in the caravan a very long time ago, the barbarian whose place I stole in the Order and the mare that had trained with me in the combat school had all passed by. They were all acquaintances from a very long time ago, yet seemed to think very highly of me. How they remembered me I’m not sure. If nothing else the news warmed my heart.

"Good to know I matter to some small group of ponies."

"That you do. Well, rest up Aqua. Before too long you should be good to go." I nodded, spirits having been lifted, before closing my eyes to embrace sleep once more.

8. The Grave's Voice

In one last order before the fight began I looked at those beside me, those ready to lay it all on the line. "Stay here. I need space for this."

With that I trotted forwards, putting what necessary distance I deemed worthy of my transformation. I focused intently, letting my wrath for Flametread strengthen my resolve. The landscape, and those nearby, rapidly shrunk in scale as I became the colossal dragon I had discovered previously. With my new, booming voice I spoke one clear command. "Kill the others. Flametread is mine."

I heard the ferocious cries of those behind me and, as breaking floodgates, we erupted into a charge. Some creatures of Galaxia's command took to the skies to match the dragons. Before the two sides collided I charged forwards with an extra burst of speed. I leaped into the sky, swinging one massive, clawed appendage to catch Flametread's face before he managed to breathe any fire on those below. My claws rent deep, throwing him with enough force to cause his trajectory to drop. He crashed into the ground, sliding while attempting to stand once more. I came over in another charge, crashing down upon the stumbling monster. After a few successful slashes he kicked me away and got up. We both rushed in again. He reared up to take several swipes; I ducked down and headbutted his thorax with grand force, launching him away. He did manage to land a few claws on me to leave his fair share of marks upon me. The punctures in his abdomen and chest were reason enough for the careless manoeuvre. He arose once more, too far to reach. "This day will be your last, mutt!"

"You couldn't manage to kill me last time. You're just as pitiful this time. Give it up already."

"I will never rest until you are sent to the grave where you belong."

"We'll see each other there then." He charged in again, head first. I got into a low position, bracing myself for the impact. He jumped up, arching down to head butt me. I lurched upwards in a swift motion to meet him, clashing horns. When he landed down we both reared up. What followed next was a flurry of slashes and swipes from both sides. Each landed several blows, rending the sides and legs of the other. The pain only seemed to fuel me in this moment. Flametread, being less accustomed to remaining on two legs than I was, lost balance and dropped forwards. This granted me several free strikes on his head and neck. He then leaped forwards, grabbing me firmly and knocking me over backwards. At the same time his claws sunk within my sides, as I lost all ground, I began fiercely kicking with my hind claws, shredding his undercarriage. When I hit the ground he let go, hoping to deal major damage while I was pinned. I, instead, kicked him off with colossal force. I could not afford to be in the position he was trying to pin me in. Thusly, I sent him flying across the scorched earth. When he got back up he began charging, so I did the same. We collided with a very loud crash. The impact, as prepared as I had been, left a ringing pain in my skull. I could tell it left him worse as he rocked backwards to allow him room to grasp his bleeding crown. Flametread then growled before roaring at me. I returned the gesture, causing him to move in once more. He came in with claws flying. I managed to block his swipes, even landing one or two when he set back down upon the ground. He then tried to swing his tail around to hit my face with the large mass. I ducked and spun as well, sweeping my tail from below and connecting with his jaw in the opposite direction. He was forced backwards with a tumble or two. When he arose again he charged once more. "You will be mine, whelp!"

I prepared myself for the charge. He suddenly beat his massive wings to launch himself airborne. He was rapidly approaching with all four sets of claws. I intentionally fell onto my back and, as he was attempting to latch on, kicked him over top of me, narrowly dodging his fierce hooks. When I could I rolled over and arose once more. He was skidding to a halt but remained upon his paws. When he stopped he approached, opening his mouth to breathe fire. In rapid response I opened my mouth and jetted water into the fluid erupting from his mouth. The mix did not, indeed would not and could not, catch fire. Before I had time to react he swung a paw heftily for my face. It connected, his claws rending fiercely the whole left side of my face from the cheekbone to the snout. The force alone caused me to stumble, allowing him to land two more swings. When the last connected I snapped back, grabbing his leg fiercely in my fangs. I yanked a time or two but ultimately had to release when his next swing came. I barely managed to avoid the blow. As I drew back a little ways he began swinging his tail low, hoping to trip me. With a mighty twist I leaped in a horizontal circular rotation, bringing my tail around from above. It crashed heavily upon Flametread, knocking him down. As he recovered I threw several more swings in rapid succession. I was unable to dodge his next blow, a swipe in the abdomen. Pain shot up my frame from the rending strike. I shook it off, seeing him rear up again. I followed quickly in suit and prepared to lash out. He instead, as I had done earlier, ducked down and leaped forwards, tackling me. As I approached the ground I raked his sides and back viciously, meriting enough reactionary release from him to force him off again. We both got back to standing, facing each other. He taunted first. "You're a slick one. You've had practice in cowardice."

"Says the one that used worthless underlings to try and kill me off. You were too scared of me to even try."

"We'll see who’s scared this time, mutt!"

"Wretch! You'll run like you always do!" He roared and charged back in. I met him with a tail slam. It connected, but he managed to grab a hold of my tail with his claws. As I was yanked back with the force, the pain of the punctures caught up with me. As my equine nature had taught me to do I kicked back with full force. The two paws connected, detaching Flametread at the cost of wicked gashes forming on my tail. I arose and wheeled around, facing him. By the time the pain died down he was nearly upon me again. We reared up and he swung one set of claws. As I went to block it he changed the trajectory, forcing me to block with both paws and opening my side to his other claws. He landed a couple of blows like this, tearing apart my sides. As he attempted the last, being fed up with his vicious tactics, I shot both front legs forwards, connecting with his chest. The force sent him sprawling backwards. When he recovered he began charging in. I braced for his impact, anticipating a head butt. What I received instead was a wallop in the side of the head from his paw, followed then by the impact I was expecting. I was sent skidding across the scorched earth, his first strike having reduced my bracing for the second. When I stopped he was already charging again. Once more I was struck by his claws before the charge, but this time I had braced for both. Whereas the force was still more than I could withstand I simply skidded a short distance. When I stopped I looked back up to see him trying to breathe fire again. Once more was it met by my own breath weapon and the attempt was extinguished. This caused him to speak again. "Why is it that abominations are always harder to kill?"

"Because you're too dumb to know how to do it!"

"Ignorant pest! I'll make those words your last!" He reared up when he was in range, forcing me to do so as well. He repeated the selfsame tactic from before, but I was aware enough to dodge most of the harm from the slash. When he tried it again, seeing an open opportunity, I leaped upon him, tackling him to the dirt below. He didn't manage to kick me off before I shifted enough to clamp my teeth heftily upon his throat. A metallic taste filled my mouth as I firmly grasped his neck in my fangs. He let out a strange noise, half roar and half gurgle, before frantically scratching at my body. As the pain sunk in I got desperate. With his throat in my grasp I began viciously yanking and tearing my head back and forth, hoping to rip it out. It proved too resilient to accomplish my goal and, figuring the damage to be enough as it was, released his profusely bleeding neck after chomping a few more times for added effect. Half hoping to clear his blood from my mouth and half wanting to drown him, I began shooting the streams of water into his face. He struggled desperately, trying to either get me off or to block the stream cascading into his face. After a short while, probably from his lack of breath, his swipes became very weak. Just as I might have come out victor the water ceased after my body lurched forwards. I was hopelessly weak at this point, barely able to remain upright. Flametread took the opportunity and rolled, forcing me off. I fell from him as he rolled the other way. I barely clung to my form at this point. I tried to arise but was too weak to do so. Flametread hacked and coughed, sending a mixture of blood and water spewing from his mouth. When he finally ceased he spake, the words barely capable of leaving. They were raspy, occasionally gurgled, and spaced farther than normal. "Your time...has come, pest. You never stood...a chance. Death comes."

He coughed again, spitting more blood than water this time. He began approaching once he stopped the renewed hacking. In desperation I gave it a few more tries to get up. I did, albeit barely. When he neared and attacked his swings were weak; my swings were weaker still and my defence was nearly nonexistent. After he landed a few more gentle blows I shoved him back a little ways. An idea sprouted into my head, one that was fatal for both Flametread and I, highly dangerous for those nearby and capable of terrible failure. Fearing the worst for those I cared about I turned to where the rest of the conflict was and, barely managing, shouted "Run!"

What I wasn't aware of was Flametread's renewed vigour. He suddenly and unexpectedly rammed me in the side, the flayed and tattered flesh stinging wildly. The force knocked me further along the rough dirt than I had anticipated. All the pain caught up like a freight train and suddenly I collapsed. I couldn't manage to hold the colossal form any longer. I shifted back down into a normal sized pony again. Without a moment to lose I began amassing as much energy as possible into my pearl. I was creating a bomb. I did so as long as possible, draining everything that I was and making my very soul volatile. A shadow overcame me and, within seconds, I was hammered by Flametread's massive claws. The blunt force trauma was undeniable, several ribs cracking and shattering. I'm sure I looked nightmarish at this point, but it didn't matter. I continued, nevertheless, as best I could but the pain was eventually too much. My concentration was wavering. I felt the ground beneath me shift before I was picked up, dusted off and dropped into his mouth. As I entered he bit down. My reaction, albeit faint and tiny, did wonders, for when his maw shut it simply caught the entirety of my right hind leg and the majority of the left one as well. Both these were severed. My tail in its entirety was also rent from my torso, landing who knows where. The pain was unreal and all hope was fading. He then swallowed, forcing me down his gullet. It was here my concentration ultimately failed. Suddenly the device I had been holding together ruptured from overloading. I was heftily forced back into the muscular wall that was the back of his throat. When I managed to see once more, the effects of the blinding flash wearing off, I noticed that the front of his throat had ruptured. The weakening from before, paired with the immensely volatile force, was too much. Flesh and blood shot outwards from the open orifice of his throat, coating the dirt before him. Before the wall of muscle recovered, Flametread rotated and dropped. After the brutal drop the pains and losses overcame me. The light shining through his demolished windpipe, as well as the rest of my world, faded into inky blackness.

1. Forgotten Memories

I awake. I try my best to gather my bearings but I have been left deep within a jungle. My head is ringing, my heart is pounding and pain has nearly paralysed me. It was physical torment, at best, to describe what I was feeling. I could only assume that I was passing in and out of wakefulness, as time passed swifter than was even possible. I lay still in this state of passing consciousness. After a while I managed to work up the strength and drive to arise, fighting through the aching feeling of death to begin wandering. I tried my best to trot in a straight line, but I'm not exactly sure how straight it ended up.

Night had fallen by the time I wandered out of the forest. Only occasional glimpses of the sky kept any sense of time alive. I decided to head back into the jungle once more to await dawn, when perhaps I could tell where I was. I quickly found, as I attempted to rest within that jungle, that sleep eluded me. I was unable to obtain even the slightest wink of sleep during those dragging night hours. When I noticed the light returning to the world around me I arose and trotted out of this place once more. Looking out of the tree line revealed a desolate landscape, a barren waste, contrasted heavily by the verdant green of this place. Where I was seemed almost out of place. Before I headed out I decided to look myself over, unable to remember much of what might have happened. Scars lined the entire length of my body and each one, in turn, tugged heavily at my mind, suggesting that I knew why I had those scars. But even then I had not the slightest inclination. My own identity seemed to flee before my now conscious mind. I managed to look upon my chest lastly. From what I could tell a scar, shaped roughly like an eight armed galaxy, rested upon the centre of my chest and overlapped the others. Again, the scar bid my memory to recall but I received none such recollection. Perhaps time had slurred my memories, blurred my mind.

As I began exploring the motor functions of my body I found wings. Having forgotten I had wings until the bodily overview, I tried and successfully managed to work the wings. It felt natural, as if it had been a large part of my life. I also felt a little hollow, as if something was amiss or perhaps I lacked in something. What it was I could not tell, nor could I recall. I shook the thought and spread my wings to take flight. Perhaps a higher vantage point would allow me to find some kind of civilisation or get some other inkling of bearings. No sooner had I broken past the top of the trees than I was ferociously assaulted by creatures that flew at speeds of lightning with force and determination of destruction like that of a hurricane. They flew by, making passes with talons to tear me asunder. I barely caught the glimpse of one as they tore by me. It had almost a canine-like snout, long and slim. Each of the four wings carried a set of claws while two legs drug behind with talons outstretched. Their tails were stubs that came to a round point a little ways off of the body. Their overall structure was elongated and streamlined. Shortly after the carnage began I hit the trees once more. I collided with branch after branch, either snapping them off, hitting the branch with a crack, or being hurled away. The ground eventually found me and I hit it with a resounding thud. The pain I suffered in that moment was worse than when I first awoke. I sat through the writhing agony, hoping for an end.

It took a little while for me to find the willpower to continue my attempted journey, but before I did I looked back at myself to see the damage. Several gashes lined my body, but that was not the worst damage. To see my wings in the state they were filled me with deep despair. One had been rent entirely, torn from my body and missing all but the slightest stump near the base. The other was still attached, but it might as well have not been. It hung from the first joint by who knows what little flesh there was left. I decided it best to simply remove the thing instead of have the deformity attach itself again. I grabbed hold of the dangling remnant of my right wing before taking a deep breath. I grunted and winced as I jerked my head away, the wing still in my mouth. I spat it out onto the ground before me and tried my best to clear the taste of blood from my mouth. With the deed completed I was left with what remained: a stump where my left wing had been and a bleeding protrusion where my right wing had been. As much as sorrow demanded tears, as broken and lifeless as I currently felt I was, I felt as if I had to keep going. My only hope of survival rested upon stumbling onto some form of civilisation in this hopelessly barren waste.

I rested for a short moment, hoping the pain would subside and I would gain strength. I could only pray the soul crushing despair that persisted would flee as well, but I quickly found I didn’t have time for such thoughts. I heard the rustling of leaves nearby and perked my ears to find what else I could pick up. Upon my ears fell the sound of snapping branches. When the resounding crack of a tree trunk sounded out my heart began racing. I decided it best to keep moving. It was but a few moments before I managed to find the edge of the forest once more. Upon finding it I examined carefully both earth and sky. The creatures that had torn me from the sky rested upon the fringes of the canopy in this out-of-place grouping of trees I was in. They must have been waiting for me, seeking to assure my destruction. I decided to wander within the periphery of the jungle to reach a different side, perhaps hoping to evade the flying beasts. By the time I reached another part of the jungle's opening dusk had fallen and shapes were now hard to discern. It was then that I left, setting out.

As I left I made sure to carefully examine the sky, first and foremost to assure myself that the creatures would not descend upon me, but also to check for lights. City lights of a metropolis would light up the sky well enough that I would be able to determine which direction I would need to travel. Towns or far away destinations would be far harder to recognise. The longer it took me to search for any signs of life the further my hope of finding it shrunk. I continued, nevertheless, and eventually managed to find just the slightest tinting of the air along the horizon. I turned towards it and began trotting.

As the night passed I was almost aimlessly wandering over the scorched landscape. The air had grown a little frigid, as opposed to the prior and oppressive heat of the day. I'm sure if I could have seen anything that my breath would have been visible, but the lands around me were near-pitch black. Only by continuing my motion did I manage to keep myself warm enough. At a certain point the sky began to lighten once more as dawn approached. As the sun's approach became more and more imminent I began to make out shapes on the ground that I had not seen during the night. I could not tell what they were yet, and really didn't pay enough attention to them in the first place to figure it out. As the sky grew light and the sun broke, however, I looked once more. It wasn't hard to determine what the shapes were when the sun bleached colour of them was easier to see. Bones lay strewn across the cracked and parched dirt. The skulls gave the impression that they had belonged to gryphons. At the time, it seemed to me as if these bones were strewn about the barren landscape between the city and the forest. I wasn’t sure if they were only found in the stretch of land I was in, but I was sure that something had to cause their death, and so nearby where I had awakened.. Whatever that forest was or what purpose it served I did not know, and could only hope it was not as grisly a thought as I was imagining.

What I did know was that the ground began rumbling ever so slightly. Brushing off the tremors as simply an earthquake I continued unhindered. They continued to increase in magnitude, but I continued regardless, albeit a bit shakily. At one point I stopped and began looking around, and why I know not. I heard faintly some kind of noise from far behind me and turned around. The first search revealed nothing. Again it happened when I turned around, so I looked again. No signs of life were present. I sat and focused on that direction, trying to see what it might have been. Suddenly a very large monstrosity burst from the ground before burrowing back in. The second burst granted me a better view. It was almost like a giant worm of sorts, but the maw was filled to the brim with row after row of jagged teeth. This itself sectioned into four parts that opened and closed in harmony to form the gullet of the monster. Seeing this creature barrelling directly towards me caused me to wheel around and gallop with all my might. As quickly as I could gallop I went, and as swiftly as the ground beneath my hooves was passing by it just wasn't enough. Fear gripped my heart as that thought passed through. Thinking became harder and harder, as did the task of remaining upright; the earth beneath was shaking violently now and with great magnitude. I turned my head to look over my right shoulder to see how close it was. Consequently, as it were, upon turning my head my whole personage veered right along with it. As the creature descended upon me I was just far enough out to the right that it merely grazed me with a passing blow. Even then, as gentle as that may sound, the worm's force was that of a freight train. I tumbled time and time again across the dirt and rocks. After the tumultuous bout of flips, rolls and skids I finally stopped.

As I sat for a moment, regaining any sense of direction and all drive to keep going, I thought momentarily on the creatures I had seen thus far. All the fauna here seemed to have mutated or adapted in order to kill and eat whatever poor creature found itself lost in the wastes. On top of it all, it seemed as if movement egged them on the most, as if perhaps they sensed motion better than they saw. This did not mean I was going to stop trying to find the town, absolutely not. I was not going to all but stop my attempted search simply because I might run into a little trouble. Indeed, it only meant I was going to try that much more to find sentient life nearby. As such, my mind began to wander the mental boulevards to find a way to make the process more efficient.

Breaking away from my thoughts once more I stood back up. It was harder this time. Within my left shoulder was a dull, but very deep, throbbing pain. I felt almost as if something had happened to it before, another memory pleading review, but I could not place what happened. This kind of thing happened frequently, actually. It mostly came when I took a moment and reviewed my physical state or current injuries. It felt like perhaps there were memories tied to them that had been long forgotten. I decided that racking my brain with personal torment, trying to find answers I didn’t have, wasn’t really worth my precious daylight hours. Once more shaking the thoughts from my mind I waited over the course of a few hours, taking note of the movement of the sun, hoping some kind of basic astronomy would help me out here in these wastes. It was oppressively hot as I patiently waited for an idea of where I was facing. I eventually began trotting, in part limping, once more towards where I thought I needed to go.

As night fell I noticed the light on the horizon was now a little brighter than it was before, albeit a little to the side of me. I realigned my course with the light and began my journey once again. It wasn't long after I had done so that I heard the sound of scratching claws on the hardened dirt. I paused to look towards the source. With what little light remained at these dusk hours I could see the outlines of small creatures. It wasn’t light enough, and they were far enough away, that I could not make out what kind of creature it could have been. Regardless, the shadows avidly picked at the ground and gnawed on the bones scattered all around. I tried my best to simply sneak away from any groupings of them. It all seemed to be working until one perked up, sniffing. I tried my best to keep away from it, to avoid a confrontation. The creature was insistent, however, and continued to pursue me. I knew that if I had increased my speed it would have caused them all to take note. When it drew too close I held still. I was able to make out the details of the creature. It was very dog-like in appearance, but seemed to have a hide more like a reptile. The claws on the paws of this small creature had seemingly wickedly sharp claws. This creature, as well as those in the sky, had a very slim build exaggerated more fiercely by, what I could assume to be, starvation or famine. Spines lined the back of the creature, making it look bigger and more intimidating than perhaps it actually was. The spine-like hackles on its back raised as it brought its face near. The snout of the creature, a very long and slim face, drew close to my hind legs. It began sniffing the blood on my left leg. At this point I knew I was done for, so I bucked back hard and connected with the creature. Unfortunately it whimpered as it flew, and upon landing I heard several cracks emanate from it. It lay limp upon the ground. Suddenly the others perked up and looked in the direction of the sound. I moved as quietly as possible further away from the initial contact.

It was but a few small moments before they were upon me. I killed as many as I could with tail sweeps and kicks before they arrived, but there were simply too many of them. Their numbers didn't matter to them, and they were so intensely bent on eating my corpse that any loss didn't matter to them. It became a struggle for my life as my hooves and tail had to face their claws, spines and fangs. As I soon discovered their bones were brittle and easily broken, and the creatures themselves easily perished from injury. Despite this, there seemed to be hundreds of the little beasts. The more of them I killed, it seemed, the more there were, as heads of a hydra. As valiantly as I fought there were simply too many to defeat. They began to overpower me, and I began to concede the inevitable. As I was thus struggling on the brink of destruction the rumbling of the ground returned again and, within moments, the little dog-like monsters were gone, whether buried in the ground or having fled so quickly I could not trace them. I backed up, making sure to make as little contact with the ground as possible, and to do so softly. The worm-like creature from before began bursting from the ground, and did so a couple of times before bursting one last time to fall upon the mass of bodies I had left behind. In one swift motion the vast majority of the dead were gone. I waited momentarily, making sure the worm was gone, before continuing as I had been before.

Day broke once more; the previous night's encounter made today's journeying even harder. Injuries were quickly compounding with hunger, thirst and the ever present fear that I would never make it back, that I had awoken just to die. Every now and then in the eventless hours of the day a thought would creep upon me, one promising sure destruction out in these forsaken wastes. I kept casting these unholy thoughts from my mind with as much zeal as I could muster. I needed to return. I knew that I needed to return, but I could not figure out why. I did not even know where I needed to get to, nor to whom or why. It simply felt like I needed to do so. It was more than simple survival.

Night swept away the day, followed by the return of day thereafter. The bones were now more numerous than they had been prior. It was almost as if I hit a point where the majority of the others, those that had tried the same journey I was on, succumbed to something. As I stumbled through the field of bones the day slowly slipped away, leaving me now in the third night. It was halfway through this, the third and seemingly final, night that I saw the lights that cast their glory upon the sky to guide me. Buildings, with all their lighted windows, appeared upon the horizon. The closer I got the more I could tell that it was a walled city, a very large one at that. In excitement of my discovery I began moving quicker, disregarding discomfort from injury. Because of this increase in pace and distraction from the world around me due to intense focus on the possibility of survival, along with the thick darkness that surrounded me and engulfed the land, I did not see the looming hole before me. I took a step further and fell directly into a large pit. As I regained my bearings I heard growling. I fearfully froze. It was familiar growling. Although I could not place why it was so hauntingly familiar, I quickly realised I had fallen directly into a den of wolves. Backing up slowly I found that there was an incline behind me. It might have been an exit ramp, so I hopefully continued backing up. As I backed up the incline, having a higher vantage point, I looked back down into the hole, which revealed dozens of glowing dots. As soon as I broke the lip of the cave I wheeled around and galloped as quickly as I could. It wasn't too long before I heard the telltale yips and sounds that signified that the chase was on.

The flight was quick, but it was also very clear that it would end poorly very soon. As the city approached I hoped that there was some kind of creature upon the wall, some kind of sentient being. I figured servitude was better than becoming the dinner of a lost pack of wolves. Hoping not only that something was on the wall but also that it could hear me I cried out. It was a mighty shout, in an effort to reach all the way to the wall, followed by a choked yelp as I suddenly hit the ground. A sharp stinging pain resounded in my leg, forcing me to turn my gaze back towards it. One of the wolves had a very firm grip upon my hind right leg with its powerful jaws. As much as I tried to break free, as much as I kicked at the wolf and squirmed around, I could not break the grip. Fear took the reins, causing me to let out one last plea. It was the loudest sound I could muster, and possibly the most pathetic sound I had ever made, but it was surprisingly sharp and clear. My next cry, choked by both pain and terror, garbled out and died within my throat. The wolf was dragging me backwards, yanking hard on my leg. I kicked and yanked in return but never quite managed to connect hard enough to kill it. Each moment brought my doom that much closer. The other wolves were approaching now. They would soon be upon me, tearing me apart in a mad feast. Right about the time I was awaiting that terrible moment a light came on upon the top of the wall. In desperation, maybe to help those that might come, I lashed out a few more times at the wolf. Even my tail was not enough to dissuade the hungry beast. It seemed as if I was surely going to die. I braced myself, closing my eyes in anticipation of the unimaginable pain that would follow.

After a terror filled moment I heard yips and scuffling, mixed with a few grunts and cracks. After a blink's worth of time my leg was freed. Shortly after that the world fell silent. A few moments later I was jabbed by the end of a spear's hilt. The voice that accompanied it was fairly gentle. "I could only guess this made the noise?"

The next voice was harsh and coarse. "Probably so."

"It's not moving. Is it alive or were we too late?"

"If it doesn't move it isn't worth our time. Doesn't seem like anything is happening. Let's head back then." Fearing a new resignation to doom I grunted and shifted. I was too deprived and exhausted to do much more.

"Wait, it's alive!"

"Great. Guess we get to drag its sorry carcass back to the city."

"I'll carry it." With that, I felt my personage lifted and set down again. I was now on the back of one of my saviours. We began moving, albeit a little slower than I had originally anticipated. I finally opened my eyes at this point. Not only could I see we were headed to the city that I was fleeing to before but I also finally saw what had come to my aid: two armour-clad gryphons. I was grateful for the help, but hoped for the best. Relations between ponies and gryphons had been strained at best for a while, decades even. All I could do was wait and see if fate was forgiving.

After what seemed like an eternity we neared the gates. As we approached it was clear to see that creatures had assembled outside the gates and were clawing at the thick metallic doors, hoping to breach the gatehouse. We heard the gates begin to open and the creatures frantically attempted to enter. They were met with pikes and swinging swords, ending only in their utter annihilation. The little skirmish didn't take too long; the creatures of these wastes were far too weak to ever do anything against armour and weapons. We were greeted by the platoon that led the slaughter before we were heralded inside.

"Ah, Theogar, what did you two find tonight?" One of the nigh-unrecognisable armoured guards addressed the one beside my carrier.

"Just some dumb pony out in the middle of the wastes. Almost got itself killed."

"How come you saved this one?"

"I'm not sure. It seemed different. Perhaps it knows of their plans." The guard chuckled. "What?"

"Oh, it's just that you always go on about how they have a plan to overthrow the government, conquer the kingdom, yada-yada-yada. Out of all the ones you've asked not a single one has answered. What makes you so sure this one will?"

"Believe me. It will." His tone seemed a little darker when he said that.

"Well, tell me how it goes. I'm always enthralled by your tales."

"Watch your tongue, recruit. Just remember who you're addressing."

"My apologies, captain." The guard’s retort was sarcastic in nature.

"I have business to attend to. Keep up the good work."

"Yes, sir." Once we were completely inside, the gates locked and barred once more, I finally got the opportunity to weakly gaze around. The town was made entirely of narrow houses bunched together. They seemed oddly different to me, but I could not place why it would be different. They were just tall houses; why would it have been strange? These houses appeared to have the width of a room and a hallway, but they rose four stories tall. Out here, near the city walls, the roofs of these houses met in the middle, blocking the light from the world outside. Each floor extended a little further out than the floor that was beneath it. The houses were clumped in groups of five wide before breaking into an alleyway. The alleys were narrow, barely enough room for one pony to fit at a time. Everything seemed rather middle-aged, the cross timber frames of the houses accenting the feel of the town. As we continued our move inwards not only was it harder for me to stay awake at times but the houses seemed to spread out a little further from each other. They definitely got bigger. Whereas there was only room for one in the alleys, now at least two could fit. They remained in clumps of five still. After we passed this they became small houses with alleys between each, but they were still close together. Suddenly to view rose a very large, almost anachronistic spire, almost as if to try and conquer the sky itself. It was magnificent, but I was too weary and weak to truly care. It was to this spire that we were headed.

When we reached the doors they opened of their own accord, sliding to either side to grant us passage. There was a desk of sorts and a gryphon sitting behind it. The one behind the desk and this 'Theogar', as he had been addressed as, conversed for a while before we departed once more. I didn't catch much of what they said, as all of my energy was being exerted to stay awake and alive. Either way, we moved for a little while before stopping in some kind of lift. They half set and half dropped me onto the floor before grabbing hold of handles along the sides of the machine. Theogar pressed a few buttons and awaited the doors to close. Once they had, we jolted violently into motion, causing me to shift before hitting the wall. This merited a chuckle from him. He muttered something but I didn't understand it. After a few moments of movement in this direction the lift stopped, then jolted in another direction. Again I rolled, but it wasn't far enough to hit anything. One last time it stopped and started again, vertical this time. This continued for longer than the other two times before, before it stopped and the doors opened. I was picked up, rougher this time than last time, and carried into a room. They dropped me in the midst of it before they spoke to each other. None of their words registered, almost seeming to be alien to me. After a short talk they left through the lift again. I was left alone in my agony now. I was bleeding, most notably from the bite on my leg, my wings had been torn from me, my left shoulder felt like something was wrong with it and my numerous injuries sustained were most likely infected. All of this misery added together overshadowed me with a growing sense of weariness. All I could muster was the thought that sleeping seemed better than any other thing that I could have done.

I awoke the frenzied motions of gryphons all around me. Voices seemed far when bodies brushed near. Images faded as lights focused. Numbness grew as I felt the world around me. My presence seemed hazy at best, my circumstances surreal and my mind detached. As my paradox of an existence began to sort out and fixated itself on the real once more I began to discern voices. I went to get up, only to be quickly pushed back down. One of the gryphons spoke. "Rest now, creature."

Creature? Did they not know what I was? Could they not recognise my equine nature, that I was a pony? My mind began to scream in protest as my body began to react, to attempt harder to arise; I was too weak to resist them. Then something jabbed into my neck and a numb wave of pain shot through me. It wasn't long before I dropped back onto the surface I was on, falling under once more.

When next I awoke it felt as if I had been gone for ages. My body ached and I had all but lost my sense of time. As I looked around I began to discern features and objects in the room. Where I had been resting was no more than a pile of straw. The walls were all reflective, as if made of mirrors mounted upon the walls. This was all I could find upon an initial inspection. I decided to take advantage of the surrounding reflections and finally see what I looked like. I recoiled in fear from what I saw. I had assumed I was little more than a simple pegasus, albeit wingless, so what stood before me was a complete system shock. My hide was a light blue, at least what hide was exposed at least. Spread across my hide but not quite covering all of it were scales hued and shining like sapphires. My eyes were a bright, almost fuscia colour. They were slitted and more reptilian than equine. I showed my teeth to find that a few of my front teeth had replaced themselves with fangs. What else I saw was the stump of something coming from my head. Upon closer inspection it looked like it used to be a horn. It felt like there was a story behind it, why it was missing, but I could not recall it. I poked it, making sure it was authentic and, sure enough, it was. I saw once more the condition of my wings, filling my heart with grief. As I turned my head back around I noticed that the shape of it seemed foreign to me, as if that wasn't quite what it was supposed to be normally, as if it was slightly different than what a horse was supposed to look like. Again, I could not find a reason behind the feeling, especially because I was the only horse in this entire blasted wasteland. My mind rapidly searched for an answer to my bizarre appearance, some kind of explanation. The only conclusion it reached was that I had been experimented upon. My thoughts snapped back to reality as I heard a voice, almost seemingly from nowhere. As it spoke I searched for some kind of a source, eventually finding something on the ceiling that my mind satisfied itself as to be the source. I then listened again. "Ah, now you're listening. Excellent. We grew worried for a moment there. I see you've noticed already the changes your body made. Quite interesting, actually. I would like to study you if I could."

Using raised volume, and speaking towards the 'vent' I responded. "What have you done to me?"

"You needn't speak so loud. There are microphones."

Figuring he didn't understand my question, rather heard my volume, I spoke again. I answered softly this time. Despite this, the same intensity was still in my tone. "What have you done to me?"

"Quite frankly, my dear, nothing. Your body did it all for you. We wish we knew why or how." My haziest memory was trying to scream why. That still left unanswered two questions I had. Hoping to sate my curiosity I spoke again.

"Who am I and where am I from?"

"The answer to the first, there's no way we could ever find out if you don't tell us. We can only assume you came from Equestria, but we have no way of knowing due to your bizarre nature." The name sounded so familiar it almost made my head ache just thinking on it. "We simply don't have enough information."

"Where is this 'Equestria' place?"

"North-East of here, a few weeks journey by boat."

"Take me there."

The grizzled voice from before, Theogar's voice, jutted in. "I don't know who you are or what your plans are. That's why we're here for find out. We will know whether or not you’re a spy."

A spy? "A spy?"

"Yes, and we're here to get what you know, one way or another." It fell quiet for a second or two before one part of the room opened up. In walked two armoured gryphons, followed by one in armour more extravagant than the first two, ending with another set of two regulars. I could only imagine that the one in the middle was the captain. When they entered the room he was boxed in by the surrounding four guards. His voice betrayed his identity; it was Theogar. "Now, either you answer our questions or we pry the answers out of you. Question one: who are you?"

My mouth opened instinctively to answer the question that should have been of no regard to me. Nothing, however, came out and no name came to mind. The memory of my name, of my identity, seemed so far lost by some barrier of time that it was unfeasible to think on it further. "A quiet one, huh? Strike one. Question two: who sent you?"

Another blank. I could not think of a response. I felt as if I were here of my own accord, but perhaps there was one that sent me? I shook my head and a few moments of awkward silence dripped by. He was now very close, within reach. "How exciting. Strike two. Question three: what is your mission?"

Sick of the silence and this game I spoke. "I cannot remember my name and nopony sent me. I don't know what happened. Perhaps it was an accident, a mishap?"

"Lies!" Theogar swung and hit me across the face. The blow was solid and his claws dug into the flesh of my face from about my ear down a diagonal line to the bottom of my jaw. A deep and all-penetrating fury suddenly began burning within my chest. "Nothing 'accidentally' ends up in the Wastes!"

Not having turned my head back up from the impact I spat my words out. "If you dare touch me again I will personally see to it that your limbs are torn from you one by one."

I finally looked back up. The rage on my face must have been the most apparent feature in the room. Theogar hissed back. "Is that a threat?"

"It's a mandate."

"Look around you, wretch. You're in a land filled with gryphons. None of your pathetic horse friends back home can save you out here. So guess what? If you ever want to see those four legged monsters again you will answer my questions."

"I have already answered your dumb questions."

"All you have done is lied to me. You will tell me the truth or I will tear it from your lips."

"I have neither the power nor the need to answer your questions."

"You will answer them or I will pry the answers from your dying breath in the most mentally damaging and physically excruciating way possible. So let me give you this: if you had any sense of intelligence I'd suggest you start pounding that thick, ignorant skull of yours against the wall to find those answers. Think on your options." With that he left with his guards. I was alone once more. I went back over to the straw pile and sat down, thinking heavily while trying to devise a way to escape from their clutches. After finding nothing, I gave up thinking and laid down to rest once more. It wasn't too long before sleep overcame me.

When next I awoke it was to the gentler voice of the two guards who had initially found me. He seemed almost apologetic in tone. "Hey, you're awake, good. I know of a way to get you back home."

My ears perked up and I arose, listening intently to the voice. "Because of the rapidly declining conditions of the Wastes and increased need for guards the progress on the wall has slowed dramatically. The king saw this and set forth a decree that prisoners who help build the wall will have their crimes pardoned, receiving a brand for their crime instead of a lifelong sentence. I can arrange something for you, if you'd like."

"Yes, please." Something from within me burned, as if this was what course I should take. I looked around the room, hoping to find the silhouette of the one speaking. I found nothing until the door opened. In came the troupe of armoured gryphons from before. Theogar spoke.

"Alright, wretch, you had better start giving us answers. Who are you, what are your plans and who gave them to you?"

"If you bothered to recall what I said earlier then you would already have your answers."

"I don't have time for your useless banter or your cheeky remarks, horse. Tell me all you know."

"Even if there was something I knew that I hadn't told you, I have neither the need nor the desire to do so."

"Is that so? Well, that kind of remark makes this job worthwhile. Seize her."

They approached. My heart began racing. "Lay not a talon upon me. That is your only warning."

"You have no authority here, horse."

"I do have the power to end your life." It was entirely bravado, but something told me that I actually could.

"I'm impressed by your stupidity. Maybe your shrewdness with answers will make it more enjoyable." The guards drew close, ready to apprehend me. As the first made contact I quickly snapped into action. I threw myself underneath him and flipped him over top of me as violently as possible. The next had managed to jab his sword into my left hind leg. I wheeled and bucked back, connecting with his helmet. The beakpiece warped heavily, the force sending him sprawling across the room. His weapon dislodged from my leg incorrectly, a large gash replacing the smaller puncture. The third I whipped my tail under, tripping him and forcing him to land face first. As I continued my spiral I kicked down to add more force to his fall, slamming his beak into the concrete floor. It was clear that he was unconscious, or at least I hoped that was all. The fourth came quickly but I had enough time to swing my tail around again to connect with his windpipe. He tumbled back and lay still, clutching his throat and wheezing heavily. As I turned to face Theogar he connected with me solidly, charging in with his spear shaft turned sideways. He shoved me against the wall and held me pinned by the throat, my hind legs barely remaining connected with the ground. He pressed ever more firmly, choking me. In an act of desperation I lifted my two hind legs from the ground, forcing the choke further. I bucked as hard as possible and connected with his chest. He flew backwards and hit the wall, leaving a spiderweb crack across the entire surface of the shattered glass wall and falling limp. His helmet rolled off of his drooping head, revealing what he actually looked like. His feathers were a dark brown, with a few of them tipped with a sky blue acting as accents. From the corners of his eyes, and including some of the area around them, came a streak of the sky blue. They curved up his head before connecting with his pileum, ultimately making the plumage on the top of his head the same colour. The bands from his eyes split as they turned upwards, creating another branch that turned downwards, wrapping around to the back of his neck. I can only assume it tapered off. He also had a streak of the sky blue feathers from the base of his beak down his neck, although his armour blocked my sight on the rest of it. His eyes were closed, and his head drooped, so I didn’t get a chance to see what colour they were. I wouldn’t have had the time to regardless.

As I recovered a little of my breath, and recovered from the surprise of just how much strength I had, I enacted a plan. I galloped over, taking Theogar's sword, unsheathed it and held it firmly in my mouth. It would come in handy, if nothing else. I then turned towards the door. The time had come to make my escape.

It might have been that they were too stunned to react in time to close the door, or perhaps one of the other gryphons was helping me escape. Either way, the door was open long enough for me to leave. I barely got out before the door slammed shut. Unfortunately I had not entirely made it out and quickly found that my tail had been caught in it. I panicked a little and began kicking the door. Each buck sent waves of pain up my injured leg. This pain turned to rage and my bucks only became fiercer. Something clicked inside me, some kind of primal 'do or die' instinct. The wrath deepened and ignited a new kind of strength from me, one which I knew not could be obtained. With one monumental buck the door bent out of shape, caving in enough to free my tail. Suddenly, out of nowhere, all of the pain of my tail caught up with me. It was near crippling, but I continued regardless. I needed to find the exit, and this sword was going to help me get there.

It wasn't long before the alert got out. I fought through a few groups of guards, albeit small patrols, that lent little or no delay on my journey. When I reached the main gate, however, I found the majority of the guards stationed there. The beginning of the fight went exceedingly well, surprisingly enough to my forgetful state. Things worsened when they brought rods of electricity. I succumbed to the lightning strike's worth of electrical current and sheer number of guards. I soon fell, unable to move or react. I was entirely helpless again. They drug me back to an isolated and solitary cell. They dressed my wounds therein before leaving me alone to convulse a little more.

After several moments rolled by, enough so that I recovered enough to arise unhindered by spasms, the cell door opened again. In poured guards with shields, who corralled me into the lift. They engulfed me with their shields, as much as I resisted, and drug me to another cell. Once we arrived I was shoved into the room and beaten into submission before being bound, my strong resistance causing no benefit to myself. They then forced me into an upright position, tying my front hooves into rings mounted upon the ceiling and my hind legs into those on the floor. I was bound tightly and left entirely helpless. They left once I was secured. After a few minutes of struggling I heard the gryphon with the softer voice speak. "Thank the skies you're still alive! After that display I wasn't sure whether or not they would actually let you live. But there's not much time, so I have to hurry. You need to hear these directions and you must do exactly as I say. Before too long Theogar will be up here with his six pronged whip. He's savage and barbaric, but you're going to have to stick it out. As unbearable as it will be you need to keep yourself awake. He'll probably ask if you're a spy or not. Whether or not you actually are, for the love of the air, just say yes. We probably both know it's wrong, but I can more easily help you if you do. The lift is here. I have to go."

It fell silent again in the room. A few moments later the door opened. Theogar came striding in, the whip dragging behind him. It certainly was an intimidating sight. Each cord of the whip, all six of them, had knots tied, with little razors embedded within each knot, that ran all the way down almost to the tip. Pain was soon to come, and a lot of it. He began pacing around me once he was inside the room, speaking in an almost menacing tone. "That was quite the stunt you pulled there. Incapacitated four royal guards, one of which is in intensive care. Not only that but you hospitalised a couple over twenty guards, set the laboratory into a state of emergency, disgraced me by the use of my own sword and destroyed a heavily reinforced metal door. We had to get the engineers down there to cut us out. They're still working on it, you know? Fixing the mess you made. Now, we gryphons pride ourselves in being educated, scientific, something you detestable creatures seem to lack. We believe in equity, exchanging equals. Suffering for suffering. Pain for pain. Humiliation for humiliation. So, tell me this once and I might contemplate letting you go with only a few stripes. Are you or are you not a spy?"

"I don't even know who I am or where I came from. How do you expect me to know if I was sent by anypony or why they sent me?"

"That didn't answer my question."

"I don't answer it because I can't."

"You're trying my patience. This is a yes or no question, horse." The last word was spat harshly. "Are you or are you not a spy?"

"With my best judgement I would say I am no spy."

"Hm. Well, that makes this job interesting." He had paced around back behind me at this point. He stopped, causing my heart to race. "Let's see if a few new scars improve your judgement."

He laughed a little before drawing the cords and taking the first stroke. Sheer, unbridled agony followed. Just one stripe from this brutal instrument would have been enough to bring a riotous subordinate into exact service for years. Several would have made an enemy of the state into a faithful servant of the king. But this went on for more than several, for many is all I know. I lost count after several dozen. By the end of the shredding, which did not encompass only my back but my undercarriage and legs as well, I didn't have the strength or the will to react to the blows. The first few were agony enough to kill. A few of them drew groans of pains from my throat and several dropped tears into the pool of my own life essence beneath me. By the last dozen or so the impact merely hit, my body reacting only from force rather than avoidance. It was several pounds of rope and razors being flung at high speed. My face was dull and lifeless, I'm sure, by the end. Theogar must have noticed and grown tired of receiving no reaction. He finally stopped the scourging, came around front and looked me over for a moment. "Well, how about it? Tell me now, horse, what your answer is: are you a spy or not?"

I simply sat and stared at him with a blank expression of disconnect, as if his words had not even registered. I had no means of answering a question, for my strength was entirely fled. He simply shook his head and undid the bands. Upon releasing the first my leg fell limp, leaving me dangling by one leg. He undid the other and I slapped loudly into the sticky liquid that had amassed on the floor. I sat, utterly unable to feel and not wanting to do so either. "Pathetic. I went easy on you. Now, the damages need to be recompensed. Now, for need to remove the door I need to remove something from you. I could do the tail, or perhaps...wait, what's this? Quite strange indeed. A line here on your hoof."

He had moved close to my one leg. Indeed there was a faint line upon it. My mind, weakened and unwilling to process as it was, begged me that it knew, that I knew, what the answer to it was. "It seems almost as if it's all scarred beneath this line. Did you lose a hoof and regrow it? You are strange indeed. Well, I'm sure you won't miss it again. Guards, bring my sword!"

A few moments later, the door opened and the blade I had stolen was carried in. Theogar took the blade after giving orders to the guard. His lackey came over and held me, extending my leg. Theogar drew close with the sword, looking over my hoof one last time. Panic struck me deeply as I realised just what he had in mind. In some kind of burst of unknown strength I pulled back, causing great strife for the guard holding me. Theogar would not be able to cut it without hitting the guard too if this continued. I wasn’t able to fully pull away or lash out at any of the nearby gryphons, but I made sure he wouldn’t be able to hit me. Instead of trying, he came over towards my head and began hitting me hard with his claws, as if putting a disorderly pet back in line. My head splashed back down a few times into the pool of blood, hitting the hard cement beneath the surface and stunning me. The world was spinning now, flashing and sweeping in and out of focus. The strength I had found departed once more and the guard pulled my leg out from under me again. I couldn't budge and could only fearfully watch as Theogar prepared the blade. He swung down. I saw the blade sink deep, severing the hoof from the leg. As numb as I was I could still feel the immense pain of the injury and groaned as I could. I felt nauseated enough to contemplate vomiting. "There we go. Recompense for your actions has been paid. We'll leave you here to contemplate your answer for the next time I arrive."

With that, he and the guard left after giving me one last kick to the side. It was but a moment after the doors had closed and the lift departed that the other gryphon rushed in, a panicked looking expression written clearly on his face. I couldn’t focus enough to gather an appearance. I simply felt weak, sick and tired. All I wanted to do was fall asleep. I suppose my eyes had closed momentarily, as the gryphon shook me violently to keep me awake. "You're not dying yet. I'm dressing you as best as I can, just hold on!"

As I kept threatening to slip I saw his frantic actions shift between wrapping my wounds and keeping me awake. From what I could tell a mixture of emotions read in his eyes: fear, sorrow, anger and desperation; the emotions of something fighting off the death of another. Just as he was finishing dressing my wounds I felt my grounding on reality slip.

Shaking was the next thing I felt. The room was unfamiliar, far different from the blank room I had been in before, and I could not focus enough to recognise the creature beside me. Fear clutched my heart and I leaped to my hooves. As soon as I did I collapsed back down, the impact with the floor knocking me out again.

The next time I awoke I managed to recognise the creature beside me as being a gryphon. As far as I can recall, he resembled the one that had tended to me in the torture chamber. He spoke, the words barely registering. "For a while there I feared you had died instead of simply falling unconscious. I knew that Theogar was barbaric, but that was just absurd. Now, I have some bandages to dress those wounds of yours again because we need to cleanse them first. Unfortunately, the tub is on the second floor. This is the basement. Do you think you can manage to get up there?"

I simply looked at him, my body screaming for me to stay down here, but I did not want to be proven unable; for some reason unbeknownst to me I was absurdly stubborn when it came to resisting physical limitations. I arose, fighting through the steep price of pain. I almost fell over several times, making this kindly gryphon panic accordingly. Surprisingly enough, my uneven stance did not feel terribly foreign to me, even though I had thought my legs to be of equal length up to this point, almost as if I had known the feeling before. Once I arrived at the base of the stairs I finally felt the magnitude of my situation. Steeling myself, I put one shaky hoof in front of the other. It was difficult to keep balance, most particularly on my shortened leg. This task was particularly difficult because each time I tried to step on the severed hoof I would shiver through waves of pain that shot up my leg and down my spine again. Every time I fell or stumbled, however, the gryphon was there to catch me. One stair after another, the climb eventually ended as I found myself on the second floor. He told me to be seated eventually and I more than gladly complied. Plopping down on the welted wounds of the whip felt a lot better than remaining standing on the throbbing stump of a hoof I had. After a short while, I was beckoned over by the gryphon to a wash basin. "Now, climb in. It's going to hurt because of the cleanser I put in the water, but at least it will keep me from having to scrub you, which might hurt more."

It's going to hurt indeed. As I stepped into the water I felt a pain only describable like unto being impaled by a thousand needles simultaneously. The pain raised to agony as I sat down into the liquid. I let out a sound that was half moaned and half groaned. Once I was inside the basin the pain subsided shortly thereafter. When I looked over at the concerned gryphon he motioned for me to submerge my head underwater. I closed my eyes and did just that, pulling my head back out of the water only after the pain had subsided. When I emerged again I recovered my breath and was addressed by the gryphon. "Ok. You just need to soak for a little while to make sure those wounds come out clean. Every time this five minute timer dings I need you to submerge your head again."

I nodded. He pulled out a little device that resembled an hourglass and turned it over. He turned his attention back to me. "I suppose since neither of us can leave just yet we should get to know each other. My name is Segaran. What's yours?"

I sat in silence staring at him until the resounding ding broke the solemn air. I dropped my head under until I needed air and came back up. As hard as I had been thinking I could not remember my name. All that came to mind was the fact that I should know the answer to his question. After another submergence, Segaran tilted his head and asked in a very concerned tone "So you weren’t kidding after all, not even in bravado against Theogar. You don't remember anything, do you?"

All I could do was simply shake my head from side to side to indicate a negative response. "Ok, well, I guess we'll try later I suppose, and hope for the best. You're almost done soaking."

After the last immersion he had me step out of the basin. He then took a towel and dried my body in a very careful and gentle manner, one with such care as I had never seen or felt before. He then beckoned for me to come to the stairwell. I did as ordered and, before too long, began descending. I'm still not sure how he managed to get me back down those flights. I'm sure he carried me as much as I actually trotted down the steps, as each step was a losing battle against collapse. Once back in the basement I sat upon a pile of fresh linens to rest. It was soft, refreshing, but it still hurt to be upon my wounds. "Those cuts should begin closing and healing within the next few weeks, and the welts going away about the same time. If there is anything I'd be able to do for you until then tell me and I will do it, alright?"

I gave my best effort for an affirmative nod, laying down and resting my head upon the linens. My plan was to simply rest and recuperate in that time. He left upstairs, leaving me alone down here once more. I tried to think again on who I was, but ended up getting nowhere and gave up. A few moments later Segaran came back down with a plate of food. I perked up, having been so numb that I had forgotten the fact that I was famished. I ate as much as I could, which was not a lot at this point, and Segaran took the rest upstairs. Of course, there was one problem that arose out of such an opportunity: eating only made me hungrier than I was before. After, I'm assuming, several hours of rest he fed me again.

This kind of pattern repeated for quite the window of time. It consisted of sleeping at all hours of the day until awoken for another session of eating or cleansing, followed by the questions of who I was and where I came from. I did not mind Segaran's asking of these questions mostly because I knew it was innocent curiosity, and that made it kind of amusing in a way. After the questions, and the lack of a response thereafter, I would fall again into slumber.

As time passed I noticed two things. The first thing to note was the gryphon’s appearance. Since he wasn’t clad in his armour, I could finally see what he looked like. He had silver feathers, with purple accents curling down from behind his ears in an S shape down his cheeks before ending underneath his beak. He also had a diamond-shaped mark of the same colour with the bottom point starting the shape at brow-level. The shape cut off at the level of his ears, joining with the S curves on his cheeks. The feathers of his wings, not the feathers on the joints but the feathers that were ultimately responsible for flight, were also that same royal purple. The feathers on the end of his tail were also purple. His eyes were a gentle mix of amber and yellow accents that created a softer shade overall.

With his appearance aside, I can focus on the more important issue. What I noticed is that as he continued to ask the questions, as he needled for that information, I felt that the feeling of 'I should know this' was slowly being replaced with vague mental images. Even though I noted such and focused as best I could upon the images I was still utterly unable to make out the meanings, or even what was being shown for that matter. I was still just as confused as ever.

One day, after the little bout of kindly interrogation, he paused and thought. "You know, I've been thinking about it. I don't think you'll be able to work on the wall."

My heart sank at this statement. In a response as cold as steel in a forsaken arctic tundra I inquired of him. "What are you trying to say?"

"Well, it's just that I marked you off as having died on the records so I could get you out of the Citadel."

"I'm pretty sure I had."

"So if Theogar and his guards saw you-"

"Then they would assume you bluffed about the whole thing."

"Lying to a senior officer merits several strokes from the whip. Lying to the captain of the guard is considered treason, punishable by public execution."

"Is there some kind of back way of doing this? Some way that I would remain away from Theogar?"

"I'm not sure. I'm trying to think..." He sat for a few moments, deep in thought. "Well, I think there might be one way."

"Spit it out then."

"Since so many workers have been called to the front wall, where the danger currently lies, and others have been drafted as guards, nobody is currently working on the wall into the mines."

"Set me off over there, then."

"Well, that's the thing. You'd have to do all the work by yourself. The wall has been sectioned off, as it is, and you need to complete several sections in order to get one petition of the king. Carrying the blocks, lifting them, setting them, everything would be solo. There aren't even any cranes left back there."

"Doesn't sound too hard. I'll manage."

"Are you sure you know what you're getting into? Those blocks are heavier than you might think. Are you sure you would be able to handle it?" I nodded. After a moment of silence he spoke again, albeit in a concerned tone. "Alright then. Follow me."

I arose and shook off the bandages he had used to treat my injuries. When they had all slipped off I saw that, where the scars should have been, sapphire-blue scales replaced them. Most of my body was now covered in these shimmering, near-gemlike things. I turned back to Segaran, who, almost as if shaking himself back to reality, turned around and beckoned for me to follow him again.

We wandered through town for a while, eventually reaching a part of the town that was covered by an overarching hill. We continued in, eventually passing the last building to find a little wall in the back. It was made from a dark, almost onyx, stone. This wall separated the city from what lay behind it. "Here it is. It's not much to look at yet. They started building this wall first, thinking that the creatures would come from within the mountain. When they found out that the casualties lay on the opposite side of town they quickly commenced building over there and abandoned this wall. They have not come back since. Behind here is actually the quarry for the stone. The gates, as they will be built, are wide enough for a stone hauler's cart to fit."

After that little lesson he showed me where the stone was and how I might be able to set the blocks on the wall. Following his brief instruction I set off to go to work, trotting over to the large stack of onyx stone. When I lifted the first block I instantaneously knew that this would be a monumental task. These dense little blocks weighed more than they first appeared, more than I could have imagined them to weigh. The one block fit upon my back perfectly, but that one block was all I was able to carry. In my time malnourished and destroyed, between the wastes and the clutches of Theogar, I had grown pitifully feeble. Each time I brought a block I returned slower than I had departed the time previous. It was gruelling work to move one of these things across the cave, nonetheless up a wall. My hope of finishing this task quickly began diminishing swiftly.

The day ended, hardly any progress having been made. I had moved several blocks from the back of the quarry to the front, but that was the limit of my efforts. I was ready to pass out before I set the last one down. Segaran, seeing this, bid me to cease. My will departed and I caved in, allowing myself to sell a little shorter than I otherwise would have and, ultimately, rest from the work.

It was not until the next day that I returned to work. I was sore beyond what I thought I had known, and heavily doubting if I could feasibly manage the day's work. Regardless of this, I continued. I had something to achieve, as vague as it might have been, and hopefully that goal would propel me far enough.

Several weeks of this monotony and fatigue crawled. There was, however, a break in the grind. I was stopped one day before I headed out, Segaran's face showing a bit of urgency. He absolutely forbade me leave. "Aqua, you cannot go outside, not today."

I was more than a little perplexed, so I inquired of him. "What's so special about today?"

"It's the first of the month."

"...and?"

"Theogar brings the workers back to haul more stone to the main wall, to gather the supplies they'll need to continue the near-twenty four hour, non-stop construction. All progress on it ceases until tomorrow."

"So what does this mean to me?"

"It means Theogar is going to be back in the quarry overseeing the workers as they load and transport the materials."

"I won't be able to enter."

"Exactly. We can't have you discovered. Not yet, at least."

"Does this repeat?"

"Every month."

"I see. You will have to warn me when that is."

"Alright." I returned from my desire to leave and work, taking the day as a much needed break from the physical exertion. My body was tense; that was for sure. The first part of the morning was quiet as I spent most of the time resting. Around lunch time he descended with a plate of food. As he entered I spoke.

"Segaran, since we're going to be stuck here all day anyways, I want you to keep asking the questions. I don't know why but I feel as if something might come of it."

"Well, I suppose that's alright." He set the food down. "I suppose question one would be the same as always: what is your name?"

I sat in silence, thinking on it. When he went to speak I raised my hoof and signalled for him to remain silent, which he did. I focused intently upon what I felt, what I saw in my mind's eye. The images I had seen before continued coming to me, but this time they had finally slowed down enough for me to catch glimpses. As I tried to remember the pictures they came to me, hazily at first. What impressed upon my mind the first time was that of a lake or pond, I'm not sure which. It does not matter as much. The water therein was still, serene and gentle, almost creating a feeling of peace and tranquility. Then came the second in its fury. A tempestuous cloud rampaged across the sky, blowing to and fro and threatening to rend the air with thunder and drown the ground beneath. Feelings of fear and anger rested in this image. As it pertains to an understanding of its meaning I had none, but I felt like I almost did. I felt as if, should I focus on it further, I would obtain the answer to the interpretation. I tried to think on them but the images fled, leaving me alone again with a feeling unsatisfied, a desire left bare and a mind wracked with the torment of not knowing a fact I should know. I looked back up to Segaran, his hopeful expression taunting my own sense of hope. I simply shook my head and watched his expression drop.

"Still nothing?"

"No."

"Well, shoot. I guess the next question then: where are you from?" Any and all thought spent on this question simply brought mental images of ponies trotting around, but I could never focus on the rest enough to figure out where or what the locale was. Another shake of the head. "How did you end up here?"

The only thing that came to mind was the fleeting thought of an explosion and a drop, a fall. Nothing more came and it left as soon as it arrived. Again I shook my head. Perhaps it was because he couldn't stand not receiving an answer but he arose. "Well, I'll let you continue resting. I need to get back to my post. I had been playing sick to care for you, but I can't fib any longer without raising suspicion."

"Fib about being sick?"

"Yeah. There's no way I'm telling anybody about you, so I lied to get time off. Anyways, I’ll see you after my shift."

"Be careful, Segaran. You're the only hope I have in accomplishing anything here." He smiled before leaving. I was left alone once more. I decided rest was the best option. I tried time and time again to fall asleep, yet slumber evaded me harder than ever. I simply could not clear the feeling of my impending closeness to the answer. I gave up on the idea of sleep after another try or two and began pondering the images, focusing more upon them. Each moment I spent in deep meditation upon the images the more they cleared, the more they stayed. I heard a few whispers and quickly looked around. Finding nopony else nearby I panicked a little, shutting out the whispers. When they left, so did the clarity of the images. Fearing the loss of my one shot of a cleared mind I scrambled to get the whispers back. They did not come back, the imagery only continuing to fade, so it was there I directed my mind. The images began clearing again and, with due time, the whispers returned. There were many voices that spoke quietly. Some were with words of peace, friendliness and hope. Others, most of them, chanted words of malice, rage and bloodshed. The more I focused on the one set of voices the more they flourished, diminishing the others. Part of me began focusing on those dark chants, almost telling me that my fate previously had been one of war. A growing sense of dread, uneasiness, and fear began to take root, bolstering the evil chorus. Thinking there had to be something else for me I did my best to ignore them, giving heed to the faint voices gently pleading for my attention. As these grew the others quieted, making it easier to focus upon their good tidings. Peace began to fill my frame. Finally, after the struggle had passed, the peaceful, serene voices spoke a word that begged familiarity. It was after several times that the meaning of the word clicked: it was my name. Aqua.

Suddenly memories poured into my mind like a floodgate had been broken. All the way from the beginning did my memories play in rapid succession. Event after event unfolded before my mind. Tragedy after heartbreaking tragedy played out. Do not be mistaken. The gut-wrenching things I saw were also mixed with events so joyous that my whole being seemed to burn with a righteous endeavour to repeat such actions. Lives saved and tear-filled reunions kindled a flame within me that I knew not had existed within me, nor had I known that it had quietly burned out. Suddenly, predictably almost, things turned for the worse. Whereas actions of good and justice took the bigger part in the earlier memories, dark and looming shadows now overhung. I watched as my actions turned from noble to barbaric, from righteous to sinful, from good to evil. Wrath overshadowed my memory, though not my person now. Sorrow sunk deep into my heart as I watched myself turn from a deliverer to a monster, a leader of example to a tyrant; I saw myself now as a vagabond of fury more uncivilised than those daemons I had sworn to defeat. I had become a failure, a hypocrite. What else added to my unending grief? I now had the agony of watching my biggest mistake yet.

I wandered to the mountain where Shade and I had previously engaged in conflict. He had told me to return for his challenge, a duel, and so I had. Smiling in anticipation of the fight I stopped near the entry to reassess myself. I had previously transformed in preparation for this fight. My slim, blue frame of swiftness would not have cut it in the least bit. I needed this bigger, stronger form with its distinct orange hide. I made sure all systems were running in my armour, the near-impenetrable fortress I had constructed. It had served me well and I anticipated it to do the same here. The two large blades, capable of heating to extreme temperatures by conduction were weapons to be feared. I had also prepared two other blades in case I needed to attack while moving. Anticipating Shade's resistance to be great, and the possibility that I did not return, I crafted a mimic of the original pearl that contained my soul and imbued the mimic with a portion of it as a failsafe. Actually, to assure myself the likelihood of victory, I put the vast majority of myself into the imitation, leaving the actual soul-bound gem with very little, as well as being well hidden within my home. Thinking all preparations had been made I entered through the way. It was time to put Shade down once and for all.

As soon as I entered I was stuck dead in my tracks. I looked around as best I could, finding nothing. It then dawned on me: I was stuck in a form of arcane webbing, imitating the properties of a spider’s web. Before I had time to free myself I heard the portal behind me close, followed closely by a whizzing sound. I was struck suddenly, catapulted far from the web by the impact. Amidst a few rolls and bounces I regained my ground when I could and turned to face the force. I then saw Shade, appearing now as some kind of haunting visage of Death itself instead of his smaller, armoured form. He was wielding a large and very threatening scythe and was charging directly at me. I arose onto my hind legs, locking the anchors of my hind greaves. I unsheathed my two blades, hoping that they properly heated in time, locked the hydraulics in the legs, and used my tail to brace for impact. His swing came and, even with all the support one could possibly get, it almost forced me from the ground. I locked my two swords against his scythe and pushed back. A contest of strength began. It quickly became clear that he would win, but at the price of his scythe. It certainly was not as durable as I had first imagined. Shade quickly broke the grapple, trying to add room between the two of us.

After he recoiled away I undid the hydraulic clamps and anchors, sheathed the swords again and began moving quickly. I was galloping around him, hoping to find a weak point. I managed to dodge a few Shadow Spears that he had cast and flung my way. He saw that such an attack was not successful and, as such, swung his massive scythe around in a circle instead. I jumped over it but did not do so as well as I ought to have. My tail was clipped at the end and I was thrown slightly off balance, enough so as to where I could not dodge his next blow. It hit me square in the chest and sent me tumbling backwards. Once I stopped tumbling and brought my attention back up I saw Shade taking a leaping strike downwards. I tucked and rolled to the right, barely dodging what could have been my certain doom. I got back upon my hooves and began galloping directly towards him. He raised a leg to buck me. Upon seeing this I ducked and tumbled to the left this time, anticipating it to be the easier of the two directions to dodge towards. I quickly recovered my ground after having narrowly dodged the blow and drew my swords while I was underneath his frame. I raised up upon my hind legs once more, using the force from standing up to deliver a strong slash along his underbelly. I then managed to get three quick, solid slashes upon his legs before he brought his hoof back and kicked me going the opposite direction. It was not as strong of a kick, but it was enough to send me tumbling out from between his legs. "You're quick for a lumbering oaf."

I shook my head and regained my sense of direction. As I looked back to see where he was I saw a javelin made of pure shadow but could not move quickly enough. The spear hit directly on my helmet, forcing my head to recoil from the force. One javelin after another was being lobbed my direction. Many of the first set hit before I managed to roll out of the way. I then quickly galloped to the side, winding my way in towards him. When I reached him he kicked out at me. I unsheathed my blades, feeling the connection of his massive leg with my armour, and sunk them deep into his flesh. He grunted and began attempting to shake me from him. He was not successful in this effort, as I remained firmly attached to him. I began to cast my own shadow magic in return, summoning blades that whizzed by his frame and left gashes in their wake. I then felt a breach in my armour at the small of my back. I looked back, finding his scythe sunken deep into my armour. I was then torn away from his leg and tossed across the room. After tumbling and skidding I finally regained my ground, arising again and turning back to try and find him. I could not see him in any direction. Realising I stood in immediate danger I bolted to the side. Shortly thereafter I heard the clang of metal striking the ground. I turned around to see Shade reappearing. I turned and began charging directly towards him. He prepared himself to counteract my charge before launching a comment to dissuade me. "I've never seen an underling as bold as you are, fighting a god in his own realm."

Disregarding his jeering remark I moved forth at full speed. He began a sweep of his scythe as I drew close. I tucked down, sliding across the floor. I skidded directly underneath the weapon and between his legs. I unsheathed my blades and began slicing his legs as best I could while moving quickly through. I was afforded one shot on each. Most of the others merited little, but I managed to hit a key tendon in his rear right leg. I turned over and I slid past, sinking my sword into the ground to turn myself and, ultimately, stop my motion. When I looked up I was met with a large hoof, a strong buck from Shade. Even with padding and everything else I had accounted for, nothing could have spared me from that kind of force. I was catapulted across the chamber, not managing to touch the ground, before slamming into the wall with colossal force. All of the wind was knocked out of me, leaving the only option for me as awaiting the return of my breath. I sat limply attempting to recover as best I could to no avail. Shade was slowly trotting over, limping heavily with his hind leg's injury. His scythe was, at first, dragging along the ground before he raised it up. He was ready to end me, to deliver the killing blow. I barely managed to arise as he came over. "It's been fun, but it's time to put you where you belong. You cannot escape death any further. I'll make sure you get a decent burial."

He laughed a little in an intimidating fashion. I anchored my hind legs against the ground in preparation. My back was already nearly against the wall, so my tail did little to help me in this situation. His scythe was now quickly approaching. I unsheathed my swords, preparing them to cut through his scythe, and held them up to protect my vital areas. He struck surprisingly low, catching my legs instead of the blades. This time, though, he didn't stop pressing. I could feel the gauntlets buckling from the sheer force. In an act of desperation I pulled one leg away, causing the force to increase exponentially upon the other, and quickly shifted my stance to press the sword against his scythe. The gauntlet was compromised, and the pressure of the rending scythe now also rested upon my armour. Pain was more than evident, but my blade was now superheated and ready. I pressed the sword against the scythe, hoping more for relief to my other leg than actually doing damage to his weapon. It began to eat its way through Shade's weapon, but this did not stop him. No, it only made him press harder. The blade of his scythe had dug halfway through my one leg and was now breaching the armour around my chest. It had begun digging its way through my body when his scythe finally gave way. The blade clattered onto the floor and Shade stepped back, his weapon now utterly useless. He threw it aside, not stopping for even a moment. He turned around, preparing to buck me with full force. I could not react in time to dodge it, so I simply kept my blades drawn and held them forwards. The hoof met my blades, sinking in all the way to my own legs. Shoulders and knees dislocated or broke as I hit the wall. The corresponding shards of armour were wickedly contorted and dug deep into my flesh. When his leg moved away and my swords withdrew finally I unanchored and sheathed my weapons to land on all fours. As soon as pressure was applied to my front two legs I instantly collapsed to the floor. I looked up to see Shade, his limp worse now than before. "Perhaps there is more to you than meets the eye. Perhaps you're not simply another mortal. As curiously strong as you are, however, your time has drawn to a close."

I had to think fast, as he would soon be upon me. My fear turned nigh unto panic when I saw that he was charging a spell instead of planning on destroying me physically. My mind raced as quickly as I could, suddenly hatching a radical idea. Perhaps I could counter-cast his spell, negating it. Seeing as it was my only hope I began. I noticed that he took note of the fact that the spell was slipping away from him, as the successful counteracting was occurring. He feared losing the spell, so he simply cast it as it was, firing it off early. Realising what he had just done he galloped away quickly, fleeing in terror. The spell, in midflight, erupted into itself, imploding in the air before me. The gravity of the room suddenly and dramatically shifted as a small pinhole became a gaping black hole. I felt myself sliding along the ground, moving towards the all-consuming anomaly. I anchored my hind legs as best I could, proving to be enough momentarily. I needed to leave this place immediately or be consumed, yet I was both too weak and too near the expanding pull to manage to escape physically. I needed to teleport but, finding that the counterspell had drained me too far, I was unable to. As the pull of the black hole increased I saw some of the shrapnel from my armour tear from the rest of it and fly towards it. I had one hope and one hope only remaining: the warp core. The machine ran on kinetic motion, banking its energy on movement and changes in acceleration. Unfortunately this also meant I had one shot at it. Swallowing my fear I switched the warp core to active, setting the destination to some open fields outside of town. I then released the clamps of my hind legs and began sliding, before taking off into uncontrolled flight, into the hole. The armour around me started stripping off as I approached the growing mass. All was well until I saw the warp core leaving the armour. Not wanting to fail this one shot, I shot my front legs out and grabbed the device. The actions of both extending my legs, both in general and as quickly as I had, and subsequently grasping very firmly the core between my hooves was more than excruciating. I pulled it close to me as best as I could. I held the core as securely as possible, as my life depended upon it. I entered the periphery of the black hole, which felt like passing through a veil into a land of sheer agony. My body would not hold against this force for much longer. I closed my eyes, hoping for the best as the core continued to charge.

I opened my eyes again to find myself free falling. I was quite the ways up in the air, dropping rapidly towards the barren landscape below. One decently sized forest was the only feature visible at this point. I felt several sparks of electricity shock my throbbing legs, forcing me to look down towards my hooves. It was the warp core that shot off the sparks. I foresaw the imminent and let go of the core, unable to throw it very far due to my injuries. It was not much further ahead of me when it ruptured, exploding in a blinding flash of purple and blue. The shockwave, the force of the rupture, all but stopped my fall momentarily. The arcane nature of the explosion did not singe my hide like most other fires would, but it did heavily affect the pearl. I felt the overly energised creation pulsating with rampant arcane capabilities. Each pulse was another unbearable wave of pain in my chest, as if I was being eaten from the inside out. It then shattered in turn, shooting deep pain through my chest once more. I looked down at where it had been, seeing vaguely what appeared to be a wound shaped like an eight armed galaxy. When I looked back up I noticed that I had reached the trees unawares. I broke down into the canopy, hitting a large branch near the front of my body. The already destroyed front legs of mine were only hammered harder by the sheer force of the impact. The force caused me to begin spinning backwards rapidly, unable to control my motions as I tumbled back-first and hooves over head time and time again in a very short frame of time. The only thing I recall happening after that was a massive concussive force to the skull, the corresponding visual flashes and the ensuing drop into nothingness.

I snapped back into reality, almost instantaneously collapsing to the ground. All I wished to do at this point was cry out in a fit of anguish. Not only was Segaran right there beside me but I had such a splitting headache that I was rendered entirely incapable. As best he could, Segaran tried to minister unto me and render what aid he could. In spite of this I gave out under the pain and dropped out of consciousness.

To this day I do not know how much time passed while I had been out, either in that forest that I had smashed my way into or here in the basement of a house in a land filled with creatures that held a deep resentment for anything remotely related to a horse. Once I had recovered well enough from my severe handicap I finally arose. Segaran was, of course, more than a little concerned. Perhaps, though, he saw something was different in the way I held myself or something, as he did not even spend the time to ask if I was alright, nor to welcome me back from my trip into the dark embrace of a coma. Regardless of all this, the relief on his face was a sight to behold. "Who are you?"

He must have been so excited about the fact that I might have the answers that pleasantries went to the wayside immediately. I answered the questions regardless, almost more excited than he was that I finally had answers. "My name is Aqua WindStorm, former Guildmaster of the Order of Protectorates."

"Former?"

"Well, considering all that has happened I might as well have died, or at least be considered dead to the rest of the world. I have absolutely no idea how long I've been in this blasted waste."

"Where are you from?"

"A small town in Equestria."

"Which?"

"Ponyville."

"Why do you have dragon scales?"

"As to these I know not. I only know that they are new, appearing only since I arrived in this land and following an arcane explosion. They seem to replace my scars and, as I would guess, come from a part of my heritage."

"Your heritage?"

"I am half-dragon. My father was a drake."

"So then what happened to the horn? You've got nothing more than a stump."

"I lost it while fighting an evil entity, a pony, that sought the destruction of my family and friends."

"Your wings?"

"Creatures out in the wastes shredded them beyond repair."

"Your hoof?"

"The first time it was to an acidic plant. This time, it was at the claws of Theogar."

"What's with the tail? As far as I know I don't remember horses' tails being like that."

"As previously stated it would probably derive itself from my father's lineage."

"Do you think we'd be able to sneak you out of the city?"

"As it stands I would rather do it honourably, paying my debt." He seemed confused at first, but eventually nodded in agreement. He then prepared the supplies I needed for working on the wall. I guess sometime while I was either recovering from the near-death experience or when I was recovering from the rush of all of my memories he had made custom saddlebags for the job. They seemed massive, big enough to hold a decent amount of that stone in the quarry. I figured it would make work faster, so I opted to use them. With all things situated we headed out. This time, though, I had a new resolve, something I didn’t have before. Time and injury could no longer cloud my vision of home. It was with this end in sight, finally returning home and being welcomed back by Storm, that I set out with new determination to work.

Once I arrived in the mines I wasted no time. Where before I was slowly, purposelessly hauling a lone block at a time I now brought five, straining heavily against the mass. As difficult as my steps were I hauled the blocks relentlessly. Nothing could break my resolve to finish this task ahead of me, not even the near-deadly fatigue I suffered from daily. Segaran seemed impressed with the new vigour I had suddenly, and seemingly from nowhere, acquired. I had not noticed the first several times I made the trip back and forth but he had gathered two other guards, presumably ones that had not known of me before, nor that had known that Theogar had charged me as a spy. I didn't know exactly why they were there but I worked regardless of their presence. It didn't take too many more months before my work of hauling, lifting and building was finished.

Segaran woke me the day following after the last block was set and prepared me. He explained I was meeting with the king to gain my freedom and my wish. He told me that, no matter what happened, I should go free to reunite with my family. I had nodded in accordance before we set out to find the palace. It didn't take too long; a building such as this one was not hard to miss. It was roughly the size of the massive citadel I had been held within initially, but not tall as it had been nor was it adorned with spires. The walls were beautifully polished and kept meticulously clean. Inside was even more so, but the first thing I noticed was the architecture. The outside adopted an almost castle-esque appearance. The inside had high vaulted ceilings that were supported by two rows of massive stone pillars. The pillars themselves, along with the floors, were well polished. A rug led from the door to the stand, guards lining the entire length of the rich red carpet lined with gold thread. To the left and right of the stand, stretching forth along the walls, were two sets of stands to house scribes and other personnel as such. It had already been filled entirely with such gryphons. Directly in front of the stand, several yards away, was the throne. It was very ornately decorated, a well-polished peach-coloured stone with gold trim and red accents upon it. The king sat upon the throne in his royal attire. Nearby the throne were seats for either other dignitaries or guards of high rank, I could only assume and I was not sure which; I could not discern it at the time, but the seats remained full. As I thus marvelled over the architecture I was startled slightly by a powerful booming voice. "Is something needed?"

I arrived at the stand, noticing all eyes were upon me. This had been a planned meeting. I went to speak but was barely preceded by Segaran. "Your majesty, this individual has completed those requirements previously declared for pardon."

"Was the individual alone in the endeavour?"

"Yes, your majesty." The king looked to the two other gryphons that stood nearby. I narrowly recognised them as being the gryphons that had, before, been watching my progress. They both nodded.

"Well, then? What was the crime to be forgiven?"

"Assault of the guard." I figured I might as well say that, as I had done it. It was a true crime that I needed to repay. I was confident in the situation until I caught motion in the corner of my eye. I looked towards it, focusing. My heart sank as I saw Theogar approaching the king. He seemed to be eager to make my life misery, and he certainly took this opportunity to do so. He rose to the king and spoke. I knew it was all over now.

"Your majesty, this individual is responsible for espionage and plotting the demise of the state."

"Lies!" I hissed back at him. He seemed a little taken back by the response but the king arose regardless.

"What is the meaning of this?" His tone and rising sent the whole room into a thunderous uproar. After a few moments he managed to silence the room again. "Explain yourself, now!"

Theogar went to speak but the king kept him silent. As such, I spoke instead. "I can assure you, my lord, that I am no spy."

The king couldn't keep him silent any longer. "Then explain your presence on our borders."

"A freak accident in a long string of mishaps and mistakes. You yourself saw the pitiful condition I was in when you found me."

"An excellent cover up given you by luck of the draw, allowing you to more fully infiltrate our civilisation." Guards had begun to come forth to take me, but also to my dismay Segaran and the two witnesses. I had to think quickly to dig them out as well.

"Even if that were a fraction of the truth what fault would these witnesses have?" It grew deathly silent and the other guards stopped, eventually returning to their posts. Mine remained nearby.

"Segaran had filed the report of your death, yet here you are."

"From the loss of blood I suffered under your incapable talons I probably had died at some point. Even if I hadn't, I would have perished before any other creature came to me from the wretched condition you left me in. You, yourself, left me to die in that forsaken cell!"

"Enough." The king was standing once more, having seated himself previously to hear our banter. "I have made my judgement based on the knowledge presented to me on the situation. The pony is to come under my custody for interrogation. Segaran is hereby sentenced to exile for treason."

As the guards mobilised I spoke up again. "My lord, you forget the favour that is still owed. I finished that wall as was detailed in the contract. You are bound to that promise, are you not?"

The room fell silent again. Theogar went to interject but was silenced by the king, who sat back down into his seat. He leaned in, listening intently. "You have my attention."

He was certainly intrigued by what I was going to ask for next. For a split moment a selfish though ran through my mind. Disregarding the overwhelming urge to ask for transport home I thought momentarily before speaking. "I have made my decision."

"Tell it, then."

"I wish to grant Segaran full and total pardon of any crime or crimes you currently hold against him and for his continuation in a state unpunished for crimes that could have been committed."

The room again broke into chaos as the gryphons tried to reason among themselves why I had chosen what I did. Segaran broke away from the guards that were holding him and approached me very quickly. "What are you doing? This is your one shot at freedom. Take it!"

Turning back to face him I spoke. "I cannot leave here with my conscious seared by a hot brand of this misdeed. I will not have your blood upon my hooves; I already have enough blood on them to last through several lifetimes of washing. Freeing myself by killing you is far worse of a punishment than anything they can exact upon me."

"You have no idea what you're letting yourself get into!"

"I don't care what I'm getting myself into. It's time I started doing things right, no matter how hard they are. Go, continue your service. Perhaps you will save the life of another." Deep sorrow shot across his face, almost forcing him to tears. The guards then led him out of the room, leaving me alone again before the king. I turned to find the king sitting on his throne, deep in thought. Even Theogar was taking a moment to run the recent events through his mind again to process it all. Every single last gryphon in the room at this point seemed entirely dumbfounded by my choice. The king, nevertheless, had order to keep. He silenced the room again before he spoke, but it neither caused him to rise out of his throne nor to arise out of his thoughts.

"Your wish has been granted. Segaran holds no crime nor punishment thereof. You are still under the jurisdiction of the guard with the possibility of execution should we discover you are acting under espionage."

Theogar protested. For what end I knew not. "Your majesty-"

"My decision is final. Carry out all the necessary actions."

"...yes, your majesty." The guards caught hold of me. I followed without resistance. It was better that Segaran was not here for this, as he might not have reacted in a cordial manner. As they led me away I knew that I needed to survive whatever came next. Whether it was, at this point, for Storm and my family or for Segaran I could not tell. I braced mentally for the coming storm.

We walked for a while, eventually ending up at that same massive tower. We entered into a room, the room just after the one I had broken out of. The group consisted of the king, Theogar the guards carrying me, and myself. The king was the first to speak once we were all in our positions. "So, who are you?"

His questions came from curiosity at this point rather than the intent to discover either a wrong or some kind of fault.

"My name is Aqua WindStorm, former Guildmaster of the Order of Protectorates."

"What do you mean 'former'?"

"I am sure I have been replaced now. My fate is probably believed to be death."

"Yet you are here before me speaking?"

"I meddled in a few things I shouldn't have, both of magic and technology. In a long string of regrettable events I ended up getting catapulted by a mishap teleportation into the wasteland outside of town."

"How am I to believe this?"

"Had Theogar not whipped me to the brink of death I could have shown you the scars." It seemed now as if regret showed in his face. The king merely shot a glance over at the gryphon who appeared ashamed. "He does know, however, that the creatures nearly killed me before they got there. A pack of wolves, if he remembers correctly."

Theogar nodded. "Well, as much as I might trust you I still must double check for security purposes."

Theogar approached him, whispering in his ear. After a few moments of silence the king spoke again. "As requested it will not be Theogar interrogating you. It will be Azundir, second in command."

A new group of armourerd gryphons came in and collected me. It seemed very strange to me that Theogar's face now read worry and concern as I left the room. These guards took me to that same forsaken room, my dried blood still caked on the floor. At least, I could only assume that it was mine. There was, however, a table this time. They had changed the room, or at least whatever was inside of it. They secured me to the table and left me alone with the captain. She began pacing around the table for a short time, giving me enough time to see what she looked like. He feathers were a rich blue, with accented tips of golden yellow. Her crest had small streaks of the yellow colour that ran along the length of the feathers. From her beak came several jagged lines of the gold-yellow feathers. Her undercarriage was the same colour, and had, what appeared to be, mock designs of claw marks in the golden shade. These rounded, yet jagged, lines originated from the undercarriage and swept back on a curve, totaling in 4 sets from behind her shoulders to her hips, each with different trajectories and lengths. She gazed down at me with maniacal eyes of rich yellow matching that of her feather accents. She spoke in a higher tone than I had originally imagined coming from a gryphon like her. "Now, lovely, riddle me this: one, two or three?"

The question absolutely befuddled me. Out of curiosity I responded. "Three...?"

"Excellent. Salt it is!" I looked over at this gryphon. She seemed a little too excited for this. She left the room momentarily. Before too long she reentered, a large vat of white crystals trailing behind her. She came over, leaving the salt a little ways off. She leaned in over my face and spoke. "Now, this is quite the scientific wonder what we have here. I won't tell you its chemical compound or anything like that, but I can and will tell you this: it looks like salt, tastes like salt and feels like salt, in every sense of the word."

She went over to the vat once more, leaving me on the table. She put the talons of one of her front legs into the crystals. She picked some up and let it fall while doing so before turning back to face me. "Thing is: it's not salt and it doesn't affect wounds like salt does, at least not in any harmful way. It's entirely non-toxic. That means I get to have all the fun with you that I want."

She began pacing around me again, leaving the stuff where it was. When she neared she ran one of her talons along my side gently. A thick shiver ran up my spine as she did so. Upon seeing this she stopped momentarily, letting her talon fall once more. "So, tell me, are you actually a spy?"

Out of nothing but pure honesty I responded. "No."

"I was hoping you'd say that. Makes my job that much more fun." She paced again a little ways, eventually reaching the vat of salt-like substance and dragging it over with her the next time she neared. She left it nearby, within reach, and ran a talon along my scales.

“Wait, what do you mean it makes your job more fun?” She eventually left her talon in one of the spots where my hide still showed. With a giggle she pressed in strongly, sinking the talon deep within my side. She then tore a large gash open on my side, fiercely dragging her claws along my body. I tried to shy away from the attack but was too securely bound to move in any significant measure. Once she pulled her talon out of my side, once she reached the end of the open hide, she quickly reached her claws into the vat, pulling out a decent portion of the salt. What followed next was sheer agony. She shoved the salt into my wound without any hesitation. The grains of salt seared my body as a hot iron. I wrenched in pain, attempting to escape the torment; this only fuelled her further. She let out a little giggle of contentment before finishing her task of smashing the clawful of salt into the wound. Once the last brutal grain had finished dissolving into my open flesh, and the pain began subsiding, she spoke. "You're a tough one. The others that I prototyped this on either died or screamed after the first grain. You didn't even grunt. I'm kind of disappointed. Looks like we'll just have to try harder, won't we?"

As she circled around my other side I felt like shouting out a resonant 'no' to her statement. Unfortunately the pain was still dying down and I was too paralysed by it to speak. "So, my dear, tell me this: are you a spy?"

After a short moment or two I managed to spit out my answer. "No!"

This merited a giggle before she savagely dug her talon into another bare spot in my hide and repeated the process. Once the last drop of writhing agony was squeezed out of the wound she repeated the whole process. It was as such that she continued.

The amount of time that passed in that forsaken room of misery is yet unknown to me. Once Azundir finished torturing every open part of my hide, dropping in that devil-sent chemical, she still had some left. Almost as if expected, she simply re-salted the previously maimed wounds. I tried to escape the pain but nothing worked. After an eternity's worth of suffering it finally ended. Azundir had no more of the wicked substance. She seemed almost a little disappointed at first. She left momentarily, leaving me to bask in the nauseating, roaring pain as it slowly died down. After a few moments she came back in. "Well, lovely, this is the first time anything has made it through this session, nonetheless through this much of the stuff. I'm, quite frankly, impressed at how durable and stubborn you are. I wish I could play with you a little longer, but the king wants you again."

She came over and unstrapped me before pushing me off the other side of the table. I hit the ground with a thud. I curled up in pain shortly thereafter. After a short while she started prodding me with a rod until I arose. Once I had arisen, she began striking instead of poking. Each was carefully aimed to line up with where the wounds were, and each strike was evidence that she was more than talented with this rod that she carried. Each hit, sending shockwaves of pain through the surrounding region, was followed by her giggles as I reacted. This gryphon was purely sadistic, finding pleasure and joy in my suffering. I eventually began trotting in the direction she wanted me to go. After we left the cell she directed my movements by quickly working her way around me and striking the gashes on the opposing side to get me to turn. She drove me like a dumb animal, but I had not the power to strike back. This abusive pattern continued mercilessly until I was standing in the room with the king once more. When I entered he looked over. "Ah, I see she wasn't too hard on you."

If I could have hit him I would have done so. I simply held my peace. He outstretched the large claws on one of his front legs and swept his leg sideways, giving me a welcome invitation. He then pointed across the table from him. "Come, have a seat."

With the immense pain currently shooting through my body I opted out of sitting on those wounds. This was, as I soon found out, not an option. Vicious hits followed, egging me to go within. More out of reaction than of violence I kicked back. My leg was grasped by Azundir's talons. They dug deep into the wounded flesh. She then yanked up hard, forcing me to tumble. Once I was on the ground she began striking me ruthlessly until I moved and sat down before the king. Nothing but pain followed as I thunked against the floor. "Good, good. Now, you know what will come next. Before you think about it I would suggest you be honest. If you lie it just means you get to spend that much more time with the lovely Azundir here."

New fear gripped my heart. My fate was resigned to these gryphons' perception. It almost seemed as if my fate was sealed already. I pressed on regardless, hoping for the best. "Now, pony, where are you from?"

"I am from a small town in Equestria."

"What is your name?"

"I am Aqua WindStorm."

"What is your task?"

"I was Guildmaster for the Order of Protectorates."

"Of course, but what is your task now?"

"I'm just trying to get back home to my family."

"What were you doing in our land?"

"I was searching for life, searching for a way to survive after I had been dumped into the middle of that wasteland by a miscalculated teleportation."

"How am I to believe this?"

"There are many who can tell of me back in Equestria."

"I'm sure there are, your accomplices."

"Actually, my husband, my Order and those that I helped and protected, to be specific."

"So you want me to send a messenger to Equestria to find out?"

"If that is what it takes to clear my name."

"The journey, if he makes it, is at least a month. You'd be under the jurisdiction of Azundir and Theogar for that entire time."

"I don't think that would be appropriate."

"Nonsense. They've taken care of you so far."

"If by 'taken care' you mean almost killing me? Yes."

"So then what do you suggest we do, hm?"

"Is there any other way of finding out from this end?"

"I can consult some others, but this would take time as well."

"Less than several months?"

"Several hours."

"I'll take it."

"Very well then. You are to be returned to Azundir for the waiting period." Dread filled my soul. "I'll leave you to it while I consult my specialists."

Azundir came back over and began striking my wounds again. I shot her a vile glance after the first two hits but, nevertheless, had to comply. "Come along, my little pony. We're going to have some fun together."

To that selfsame accursed cell I was drug. After a few moments I was secured on the table once more. Azundir came over, leaning over me once more. "Since three was used already: one or two?"

Dread-filled decision making is a horrible feeling. I knew not which of the two would bring more misery. Hoping for the best I responded. "One..."

"How sweet of you. Bring the generator!" Generator? She didn't mean- "This is going to be an electrifying play date."

She did. After several moments a small cart with a very large box was rolled in. "This battery should give us all the fun we need. Are you ready, dear?"

I merely looked at her, not wanting to answer the question. After a short moment she turned around to face the generator. At first I thought she would turn around with paddles or some other type of apparatus, but I don't know what I was expecting, really. It somehow didn't surprise me when she turned around with two metallic stakes. She was humming now, a tune I did not recognise, and paced a little. After she meandered over towards me she paused near my side. She lined up the first stake, aiming it just to the far side of one of the wounds she had inflicted upon me. Her humming jumped in volume suddenly as she jabbed the metallic stake down brutally. I squirmed a little out of natural reaction; she giggled in response. She sunk the other side in due manner on the opposite side of the long gash. She wandered back over to the battery and flicked a switch. The ensuing pain was unreal. Electricity shot down the path of least resistance: the full length of the salted wound. All I could do was groan under the incessant and excruciating agony. Through pain-squinted eyes I could see her jumping up and down. She was getting much joy from this experience, a little too much if you ask me. I'm not sure when she knew, or how she even would, but she pulled the stakes out just in time for the muscles to begin cramping from the electrocution. The associated muscles gripped and released in rapid succession, meriting that much more pain as the wound was being flexed in different directions. Azundir paced around me a little while longer until she found a wound that satisfied her psychopathic sadism. She then jammed the one stake in, followed by the other. Electrocution of the worst degree ensued.

This continued until each gash in turn had been singed by the electricity. My whole existence hurt and, at this point, I wished I had simply died in the Wastes, oblivious to who I was or where I was going. Once the final shock treatment ended, and in total it took a very long time, she unbound me. She pushed me off the table in like manner as before. I hit the ground with a thunk. My muscles had writhed uselessly against the bindings that held me fast while I was on that cursed table, and the scales were the only things preventing severe abrasions on each of my legs. Once I was off of the table I was free to convulse and retract into a ball. Each violent shake shot numbing pain through my system. I sat in that pure agony of pain and the ensuing nausea, waiting for something to improve my current state. What I got instead were a few kicks, and not gentle ones either, from Azundir. "Come on, lovely, we need to go see our friend the king again. Let's go!"

I didn't move. In reality I couldn't. I simply sat on the ground suffering from minor convulsions as she struck the burnt lacerations a few times. When she saw that I wouldn't move from the external stimuli Azundir huffed. She then grabbed me by the tail and drug me out of the room. She certainly was not gentle as I scraped across the cold metallic floor. After having dragged me roughly down the hallways, causing me to hit every last wall possible, we entered into a room, possibly the same from before. She then dropped my tail, or threw it, I'm not sure, and wandered out. I sat there for a little while in the silence of the room before sitting up, shaking fiercely as I did so. After a few more moments of shaking in my seated position the door opened, letting Azundir and the King in once more. He spoke. "Ah, good to see you again. How are you feeling?"

I shot him a dry look. If I wasn't feeling as bad as I was I would have collapsed his beak in. I simply sat in silence. "So then, I want to verify everything as being accurate. We already have your last responses recorded, so if there's any difference in answers we'll know."

With great effort, and the accompanying tremors, I responded. "Go ahead then."

"Who are you?"

"Aqua WindStorm."

"Where are you from?"

"Equestria."

"Where?"

"Ponyville."

"What is your occupation?"

"Former Guildmaster of the Order of Protectorates. I just want to go home. That's all I'm trying to do."

"What are you doing here then?"

"It was not my intention to do so."

"Answer the question."

"I was teleported here on accident and was simply trying to survive."

"Now tell me, as I have seen the reports from before on your answers to such questions. Where did you suddenly find all this information? Or were you withholding it this entire time?"

"I had suffered a major concussive force when I was teleported, knocking me unconscious and causing me to suffer from amnesia."

"And how did you suddenly remember it?"

"I simply had to keep trying to remember until something clicked."

"So your memories were locked?"

"Yes."

"Well, I need to ask an advisor about this. It will take some time for us to come to a conclusion. Until then, Azundir, you are free to take 'Aqua' here for one last session to see if anything changes." Azundir got frighteningly giddy at the prospect.

"Your majesty, please, into any other hooves. Any."

"Is something the matter?"

"She's literally trying to kill me!"

"Well, torture never is easy or enjoyable. You should know that by now. You wouldn't give us answers, so we needed to use whatever means necessary. This time it is just to assure your honesty."

"I'm not complaining about the torture. I've fared far worse." That was not the most truthful sentence I've uttered. "I need to be kept away from her."

I pointed to Azundir. My leg shook heavily, quaking at even the thought of staying extended. The king arose and spoke calmly. "Your concern has been acknowledged but it will not be addressed. Azundir, continue."

He left. Shortly thereafter I was getting struck once more. I didn't move. Half of my motivation was because I couldn't, the other half because I would not. Again she huffed before grasping my tail firmly and dragging me away. I couldn't resist or overpower her as she drug me away towards that forsaken chamber once more. The room had changed, or perhaps it was a different room. Instead of the table being the main article in the room it was bare aside from four anchor points, two mounted on the ceiling and two being bolted to the floor. Once there, I was bound again, immobile and helpless in an upright standing position. Had I had the strength to resist or fight back I would have. Azundir giggled and spoke. "Now, you just sit tight here while I get everything ready for number two."

She skipped away, leaving me alone in anxiety of the time set before me. The vents echoed and clanked before the noise in the room dulled and muffled. After that, I heard the door open again, watching Azundir walk in with a three-level cart filled with many canisters of some kind. Propped upon the top of the stack on the top shelf was a mask to be put on the face. I did not know what to expect this time, nor if I would survive or not. "I redirected the flow of the vents to the outside to properly give this room the air it needs, and to keep this from going to the rest of the facility. At the same time, I lowered the exterior circulation as much as I could, making sure you don't die from asphyxiation or low oxygen."

She then put the mask on. It came to a dull point on the bottom, slits lining the beak of the mask. It must have been to filter air, thinking back on it, so she didn't suffer from what was about to come. "Are you ready for some fun?"

This was going to be anything but fun, I could already tell. She pulled out a few of the canisters, pulling on the ring located near the top. Orange-red mist began to spray forth into the room from these little cylinders. For each pin she pulled she would toss the canister to another random location in the room. Regardless of the dozens on the floor already she kept throwing them. The mist was close to my face now, begging me to close my eyes. The stinging that rung on my body was low but sure, sending wave after wave of dull aches up from the cuts. I closed my eyes and took in a breath as best I could in anticipation. I waited for as long as I could, trying to not suffer the pain that I knew would follow. Unfortunately my efforts were in vain, as the sound of metallic ringing continued to ring time and time again as Azundir continued. Eventually my breath drew short and I was forced to breathe. The ensuing pain came and it came quickly; like a brick wall it struck against me. Every breath felt like an intake of scorching flames and, due to the injuries burning in the evil orange mist, each moment I spent chained there felt like I was bathing in lava. I began hacking and coughing, my body hoping against hope to rid itself of the vile irritant. I didn't know how long I would have to last through this torment, and at one point the thought of whether I could or not passed through my mind.

I lost count of the number of canisters after several score. Each one of Azundir's steps kicked them about the room. At this point I was happy enough simply listening to things playing out around me as I awaited the end. I heard Azundir stop and my heart began to race. "Aw, what's the matter, beautiful? Do you not like the pretty colours I made for you?"

I heard her approach and my fear began to take over. I felt her front claws grasp my face. I tried my best to squirm away from her, managing to do so a few times. Suddenly I felt a sharp impact in my abdomen, a swift and sure punch, forcing me to curl forwards slightly in an attempt to battle the sharp waves of nausea that ensued. It was then she grabbed my head again, digging her claws into whatever hold she could on my muzzle and cheeks, along with one talon on each claw near the neck. The pain stopped me in my motions, as each shift caused her claws to dig or retract a little. I then felt her grip loosen slightly before two claws rested upon each eye. Panic shot through my frame at the prospect; she was going to force my eyes open. As hard as I tried to resist, the strength of her claws was greater than that of my eyelids at that point. As soon as the world came into view again, my eyes began weeping from the sheer pain that followed. The tears instantly formed to try and flush the burning mist from my eyes, but to absolutely no avail. The red-orange overlay was extremely thick in the room and only thickening until the last few canisters stopped. Now I just had to wait out the torment.

If nothing else, Azundir is excessively patient. She sat for most of the time holding my eyes open and giggling at each tear that slipped out, and each cough I emitted. It was taking an eternity for the system to drain the polluted air, that is, however, until I heard the echoing of the fans in the vents. It was almost as if disappointment swept across her face. As the thick, red air began to dissipate she left to collect all the canisters. A voice came on over the speakers as she was finishing. It was Theogar. "Azundir, you've had your fun."

As far removed mentally as I was, I still barely managed to make it out. When I looked at Azundir she was looking at the mirrors, presumably as if something lay behind them. "Aw, but it was supposed to last for six more hours!"

I just about died from heart failure hearing a phrase like that. Knowing what her plans were made me eternally more grateful for the intervention of Theogar. "I have news from the king. The prisoner is now under m-"

"Under no fault, Theogar. You may release the pony, Azundir."

"...fine." She came over, undoing the shackles holding me up. I dropped, hitting the floor with a resounding thud. Existing hurt more than I thought bearable at this point and dying seemed the only reasonable thing to be done. Regardless, I tried my best to press on. The voice of the king came on again through the speakers.

"Theogar, Azundir and I shall depart. When capable, return to the court, Aqua." Once the air had cleared enough a little green light flickered on, allowing Azundir to leave. I was left alone in complete silence at this point, trying to deal with the utter burning agony. I could only assume that wretched concoction had its roots dipped in some kind of pepper extract of some torturously high level of spice. All I knew it to be was burning death. Breath after breath was painstakingly slow and torturous, being fought for with every fibre of my being against the instinct to hack, wheeze, and cough.

I'm still not sure exactly how long I had remained in that room, listening to the ventilation. It wasn't until my eyes ceased to burn with the intensity of the sun and my lungs no longer felt like they were filled with fire that I arose. The rest of my body, at this time, was just recovering as well. I eventually stood once more. I needed to see what I needed to do to escape this accursed land and those sadists that held me captive.

It took me a little while to find the court again. Entering in the massive doors caused the king to arise from his throne. Only him and a few select others were nearby, Theogar and Azundir included. The king spoke once I was entirely inside and the door had been closed. "Ah, I was just ready to leave. Glad to see you made it. Please, take your place at the stand."

I did as instructed. "After reviewing your case, the actions and information we have gleaned turned you up as being guiltless. Therefore: because of our unjustified actions we shall grant unto you every favour you ask of us."

I thought for a while. This moment was absolutely crucial. I needed to get all I could to ensure my own safety and the safety of Segaran. After a few minutes I spoke. "I ask for a few things."

"Please do."

"The first is safe passage to Equestria and sufficient supplies to do so. The second is for Segaran to accompany me to the border. The third is for a platoon of guards to aid the both of us in arriving and returning, in his case, safely. The fourth is sufficient supplies for those guards."

"The only way to Equestria currently is via boat due to political positions. There is a harbour a fair distance away from here. The guards can follow and lead you there. There will be no problem with supplies. When can we expect your departure?" I hadn't thought that far. I thought as quickly as I could.

"Three weeks from now."

"Very well. I wish you luck, pony."

"I don't need luck. I just need those requests filled." I turned and left. Once outside I began to search the city, hoping to find Segaran's house. After having lived there for the time that I did I figured I could find it again just by seeing the surrounding area. The problem was that I had no idea where to begin searching for it. I decided, at last, that heading to the little wall I had worked on before was my best option for navigating.

As I was wandering through town I passed through a few alleyways to cross streets more quickly. One of these alleyways, unfortunately, was more trouble than it was worth. Upon entry I saw seven gryphons standing with their backs to me, talking. Trying to remain undetected I quietly backed up, hoping to back out of the alleyway. What instead happened was I backed into something tail first. I turned around to find a gryphon bigger than I thought they normally got. He towered over top of me in my smaller form, and his presence caused me to back away from him. He spoke, catching the attention of the others. "Better watch where you're going, missy. Don't want that pretty face of yours messed up."

I took a few more steps backwards and he followed suit closely. I looked behind me and saw the others drawing close. Had I armour or weapons I could have easily taken care of the situation. It's funny how much more vulnerable you feel without either. One of the gryphons behind me spoke. "Course we can't just let you leave. Where's the fun in that?"

"I don't know who you are but I suggest you let me bid my leave. You'll be safer that way." I was hoping that some kind of bravado would spare me from this situation.

"Ah, talking tough. This girl's got a fire kindling inside. Why don't we tap into that, see where we get?" There were a few cheers of approval from those around him.

"I highly suggest you do not tamper with my anger."

"Or what? Eight of us, one poor, defenceless you, all in a dark alleyway in the middle of nowhere. Give in, lady. I'll go easy on you."

I stamped my hoof down in defiance, turning 90 degrees to keep both sides in sight. "Touch me not!"

"Well, we'll see how long that one lasts." The lead gryphon was close enough to grab me, and as such reached out to do so. In a lightning-quick reaction, using tail and hoof, I inverted the rotation of the knee on that leg, dislocating it and overextending the joint. He fell back, clutching the now-deformed leg and groaned. The others stood there, almost fearfully. "Don't just stand there you dolts! Get her!"

Upon, what I could only assume was, the leader's command the fear of the others turned to anger. I reacted quickly and as best I could. The handicapped leg slowed me and made things more difficult but I could still manage. I ducked underneath the one large gryphon and flipped him over my body. He collided with a few of the smaller ones, but by the time he stopped, and when they had recovered, I had already broken out of the alleyway. I was trying my best to gallop, and it seemed to be going well at first. The gryphons soon left the alley in quick pursuit, forcing me to gallop harder. Regardless, this handicap was giving the gryphons enough time to reach me. At this point they were nearly upon me. Thinking quickly I used my bum leg to aid me in darting quickly into an alleyway; I used the changing and lowering momentum to redirect my course sideways. They gryphons whizzed by as I continued my flight. By the time they managed to return to the alley I had already left, finding myself nearly a full street over and another alleyway up. I continued fleeing, putting as much distance as I could before tucking into one last alleyway and quieting my flight. I now moved silently and in a generally diagonal route to try and keep the line of sight broken.

I had made it quite a ways further down when I was tackled by a flying gryphon shortly after emerging from an alley. In the tumbling that ensued I managed to wrap my tail around his body. As the rolling stopped I used the last of the dying momentum to fling the gryphon against a wall. Acting quickly I wrapped my tail about him again, pinning the stunned gryphon to the wall roughly. I stood with my side to him "What do you want?"

"Boss is looking for you. Put quite the reward, and not money either." He chuckled in a dark manner, almost frightening me for the prospect of what his boss had offered.

"Give me one reason to let you live."

"Oh, I can certainly make it worth your time." Again he let forth a filthy laugh. Something was wrong with the way he laughed, like some kind of dark purpose was behind it. The situation felt off, like something was horridly wrong. I saw no need for his crude comments any further, so I turned about. Using my hind legs I bucked his laughing face hard, hitting him squarely in the beak. I heard an almost rewarding, resonating crack and he fell entirely limp. I dropped the worthless husk and moved on. I feared that the others had heard the noise so I began moving more swiftly. I did manage to find the wall once more, thankfully, and from there I knew my bearings. I continued from thence along the familiar pathway we took from his house and back.

I was no more than a few blocks away from the house when the gryphons from before landed around me. They returned, and in bigger numbers. The eight were now more than double that. The leader was not present. In his stead was another leading the group. This one spoke. "Little missy here is causing quite some trouble for the boss and us. You know what we do to troublemakers, right boys?"

The circle nodded and laughed, almost in an equal manner as the other I had confronted. I was turning about slowly, both looking over the filthy gryphons and searching desperately for any escape or resource I could use. As I searched the street clutter the circle began to shrink, the gryphons moving closer. I managed to spot a wooden plank a little ways off. I turned my full body in that direction, facing the gryphon. I scuffed my hoof once and began galloping. I charged in, head butting the gryphon that stood before me. The two nearby gryphons attempted to grab me as I shoved the one quickly out of the circle. I felt his claws sink into the wounds on the side of my neck as he attempted to stay attached. I ignored the pain and continued. I only picked up speed before finally slamming the both of us into the wall. My head rung from the impact, but his grip loosened severely as I heard all of the wind within his frame depart. I ultimately broke out of his grasp and bolted for the plank. Just as I grabbed it the two nearest gryphons were upon me. On the one I used an uppercut stroke just after I had gotten a secure grip on the makeshift weapon. It clipped him under the beak, causing his head to whip back and his body to tumble. The second had a grip on my tail and was going for my hind leg. I rotated instead and bucked him in the chest as he came around. He lost grip on my tail and joined his accomplice in tumbling. The next was nearby already. I swung the board sideways and connected with his neck. He limply fell a few feet away. I took the same swing at the next gryphon nearby but he managed to dodge it. I used my momentum to instead rotate far enough to sweep my tail to knock his footing out from under him. Continuing my circle I rotated all the way around and violently swung the plank down on the scrambling gryphon. It connected with his chest, sending resounding cracks echoing in the alley. Whether it was from the board or his chest, or both, I'm not sure. Regardless, he simply curled up into a ball and cried out in pain. It was then that I finally turned to the rest of the assailants in an intimidating stance. I was prepared for the next gryphon to arrive for a beating. What I saw instead was the overwhelming terror in the eyes of those left standing, regardless of the near dozen of them still standing. I backed up a little, giving myself more space to prepare in case I needed to fend them off. They instead took their wounded and fled, bolting away at even the slightest motion I made. Once they were out of sight I spat the plank out and turned my attention back to finding Segaran's house.

When I found Segaran's home I knocked on the door. Before too long he answered. He was pleasantly surprised at first but it soon slipped to worry. "Ah, Aqua! How-ow-oh...What happened to you?"

"Just a little run in." I thought he was referring to the blood trickling down my neck.

"No, those wounds!"

"I'm serious, it was just a few goons. There's no problem. My neck will be fine."

"No, no, not those, no. The rest of you, what happened to it? Never mind, just get inside, quickly!" The urgency in his voice was clear and it was making me concerned for my own personal physical state. Without protest I entered into his home. He took me upstairs to the washbasin he had helped me in before. "If it's from what I think it might be we really need to get these things treated now."

"How come?"

"Get in the basin." I did as ordered as he frantically filled it with more of the cleansing liquid.

"Why is this so urgent?"

"It was those little canisters, red-orange stuff, right?"

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"You need a drink and to soak for a good while."

"Segaran."

"What?"

"What is going on?"

"You may not have noticed. Your body's reaction to that stuff is...not good. Anyone's reaction, really, is terrible." I looked down at my legs, finding the wounds that he was referring to. I noticed the skin had begun to peel away, almost as if flaying itself. The separated skin was quickly dying, faster than normal. I simply looked at it in despair and apprehension. "As much as she brags about how it’s finished, the compound is not finished. Did it get in your eyes?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Pop your head under the water's surface with your eyes open. It will hurt, a lot, but it's better than being blinded permanently." I continued to obey his orders, rinsing my eyes in the way he had told me. When I could not hold my breath any longer I resurfaced. Anytime I broke the surface for air Segaran would desperately urge me back under. At the end of it all my body burned intensely, as if set ablaze, and ached from the torture. Segaran led me back down to the lower levels, where he laid me upon another set of linens and began wrapping my wounds. It quickly became clear that I was bleeding again, as if I had stopped bleeding to begin with, and he muttered something about the cost of medical supplies and the citadel not doing anything about it. I didn’t press any further, but instead let him work. Once he had finished he laid me down to rest. Seeing this as a pretty good idea, I decided to take him up on the offer and begin trying to embrace sleep.

Segaran had let me stay in the lower levels of his house again until things were ready for me to depart. All of the preparations were made under the direction of Theogar, and under the close watch of the king. Segaran gave me the saddlebags that he had made earlier for the work on the wall. It was in these that I put the many supplies that they gave me, though it was cumbersome in my smaller form. I met up with Segaran and his platoon at their barracks, seeing if they were ready to depart. At that point they were finalising the loading of their supplies into wagons. Once they had finished, we marched to the front gate. The guards there received the orders from Theogar on the procedure to let us out. Members of the wall guard were there as forerunners for the opening of the gates. Creatures had gathered outside already, as I’d soon discover. As the gates opened these deprived monsters tried viciously to gain entrance into the city, being beaten back by those already at the gate. The wall guard did not stop the slaughter until every last creature had been decimated. They then allowed us to leave the gates and begin our trek to the port town. Once outside, the gates closed.

It took two days for us to arrive. Each night, the guards had a small skirmish with the wildlife. Nothing much came from it other than a few scratches and used bandages. When we reached the port gates the guards and Segaran stopped. When I sensed they weren't following any longer I turned about in confusion to face them. Segaran addressed me at this point. "I wish I could enter and safely get you set off towards your home but that's not going to happen. It's a sport in there to hunt and kill gryphons like us, guards and soldiers. It's rather lawless in there. So we have to let you return home alone. I wish you the best of luck. You might need it in there."

"I don't need luck, but thank you." I trotted over to him, eventually sticking a hoof out towards him. "This is for formalities, to thank you for helping me thus far."

He shook my hoof. I then, unexpectedly for him, pulled him in close and hugged him. He was caught off guard, seemingly dismayed at the initial thought. He warmed up to the idea eventually, but by then I broke the hug. He almost seemed a little bashful in that moment. "That was for saving my life thrice. I wish you safety and success in your future. Perhaps we shall meet again one day."

"Thanks, I'll be waiting. Be safe, Aqua." With that, he left with his platoon. With my saddlebags secured I entered in. Just by walking through the streets one could hear all the tales of the sailors about what they had done recently. Whether true or not one thing was easily discernible: this was a group of ruffians and hooligans. As I thought on a few past experiences I realised armour would have made it so much safer. I saw a lone and burly gryphon loading a cargo ship and thought for a second how I could approach him to find a ship heading home.

"Hey!" Yeah, that got his attention. He turned to face me. "Which one of these vessels is Equestria-bound?"

"Just this one for quite a while. What's it to ya?"

"It's high time I shipped back."

"This would be your only shot. Good luck, though."

"I don't need luck. I need on this ship."

"In case ya ain't noticed this here be a cargo ship. Crates and stuff only."

"Then I'll travel by crate."

"If ya manage to get one let me know. Until then: scram!" I turned and left, trying to find anywhere where I could obtain a crate to travel on the ship. What I saw was a nearby ship unloading its freight onto the docks. Among what else there was I found an empty crate, presumably my size, laying beside others that had already been emptied. I simply trotted over, setting the lid inside of the crate, and started pushing it over to the other gryphon. I heard a few cries from the crew and soon there were gryphons all around me. It was clear that they wanted to keep the crate, but I needed it worse. One, soon enough, shouted at me as they approached.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going with that?"

"Where I need to."

"I don't know who you think you are but you're not about to walk off with that."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah. Leave it."

"Make me, if you think you can manage." That seemed to have gotten them going. It wasn't my intentions originally, but I found it worked. A few of them came in quickly to start a scuffle. As the first few came in it simply took a few bucks to drop them, either knocking them into the waters or into surrounding items to stun them. As the next few came over they learned from the examples of the first, choosing to come from flanking sides. It simply took a few sweeps and swings of the tail to dispatch these. The last one nearby caught hold of my tail but was met with a ferocious buck, catapulting him into the bay. As the final member of their crew came charging in I simply tripped him, forcing him to tumble in alongside his crewmates in the waters below. It soon fell silent until I managed to get the crate over to the first gryphon. I set the crate before him before speaking gruffly. "Here."

"Quite the stunt you pulled there."

"I held up my end of the bargain, hold up yours. Get me on this ship."

"Aye, aye. Workin' on it." It didn't take him long either. He closed and, with two small nails, barely sealed the top. The crate, containing me, was then hoisted and placed into the boat, sideways. I sat patiently in the stifling crate until the sound of loading ceased. It wasn't too long after that when I felt the boat set sail. Once I felt the listing that signified open waters I pushed against the sides of the crate until I felt one shift. Pushing further unsealed the top and granted me freedom of movement. Once the lid was removed I was a bit astonished at the handiwork of the gryphon. It was interesting, to say the least. He had, using larger crates, built a kind of shelter for me. It was covered, had four walls and small gaps between some of the crates to allow air flow. I was thankful, at least, for the efforts of this kindly sailor.

I did what I could to make it as homely as possible. I managed to engineer a way for it all to work; the little details gave me a little trouble, though, but I worked my way through them. The journey took a little longer than I had previously anticipated. My rationed supplies ran out a little before we arrived in harbour. The signal came, the listing stopped, and I knew it was time to prepare to disembark. I re-entered the crate, putting the lid back on as best as I could. I put the lid on the bottom, standing on it and lowering the rest of the crate on top in a hope that it would seal better. As I sat within the closed crate again I heard container after container unload from the ship. The time finally came for mine. I felt it pushed over on one side and, fearing that the lid would fall off, I followed the motion. I heard a few disgruntled orders from those dealing with the box but everything worked smoothly. As they lifted the crate up and attempted to pass it over I felt a sharp jut as it connected with another. The crate listed suddenly, forcing me off balance. I hid the side, the lid unfortunately in this case, and it popped off, dropping me down onto the crates below. As I rolled I heard the scuffle of nearby gryphons or ponies coming over and the shouted command, broken by my rolling impacts: "Get it! Secure it!"

Suddenly I was grasped firmly by the claws of gryphons and drug back onto my hooves. A rather salty looking gryphon and a pony dressed very finely approached me. The gryphon spoke. "Well, well, what do we 'ave 'ere? A stowaway?"

The pony beside him spoke, his tone much gentler than that of the first. "Captain, I've never seen this before."

"'Course ye've seen stowaways afore. 'Appens all the time."

"No, captain, I mean this type of creature."

"Right ye are, laddie. What reckon ye we oughtta do wiff it?"

"I'm not entire sure, captain."

"The market, aye? Be fetchin' a high price this one 'ere would. We'd be blinkin' rich, that we would! 'Ey! Ya blokes there, get this one 'ere sealed back up an' sennit to the shop!" It was here I gave the best resistance I could. I acted quickly, catching the gryphon holding me off guard. It was a few simple bucks and a squirm to get me out of his grasp. He fell away, stumbling. The first one nearby came close. I simply swung my tail, connecting it hard with his face, knocking him down onto the ground. The second was close by, grasping my tail firmly. I bucked back hard, connecting with the gryphon and nailing him into the nearby crates. The group was, unfortunately, too close. It wasn’t much longer before their vast numbers thronged me. They came too quickly. As hard as I tried they simply overpowered me. They threw me back into the crate, sealing it as quickly as possible. I kicked against the side once, splintering it. The crate then lifted, knocking me around with the jolting and sudden motions. When it set down shortly thereafter I picked myself back up and continued trying to break free. I bucked back as hard as I could a time or two, barely splintering it further. It was now very apparent that they had placed me in another, stronger box in addition to the one I was already in. As I tried a few more times I barely heard the voice of the captain speak. "Got a bloody fire under 'er britches."

Whatever that meant. I didn't sit and think on it. I tried a few more kicks and found no progress. Had I the capability of becoming my larger self I would have easily erupted from these crates and overcome my assailants, but here I was helpless. As such I waited through the jostling, moving and plunking that occurred. After a while it eventually ceased. I prepared myself, expecting them to open the crate to retrieve me. The top of the first crate was taken off, I'm assuming as I heard the typical sounds of a crate being opened. They then cracked open the lid on mine. I was prepared to jump, but just as soon as I was about to the crate suddenly listed, knocking me off balance, before it fell to the side. Due to the sheer speed and force of the tip I lost my ground, falling towards the cracked lid. I did not have time to react, rolling instead into the top of the crate. It popped open as I tumbled out. The room that I was now in was far too bright at first. My eyes were still adjusting from the near-pitch black I had been subjected to, and were still doing so even as I arose after having forced a few more rolls away from the crate to avoid an ambush. As soon as I stood I felt cold iron clamp to my legs, as well as on my neck and tail. I went to protest but a rag was shoved into my mouth and tied behind my head, gagging me. A muzzle was then placed as my eyes finally adjusted. I looked down to find shackles about each of my legs. A chain connected each of the four shackles to a main chain that ran from my neck to my tail along the undercarriage. If I moved a leg it had to be in small movements or risk tripping. If I moved my head I needed to move my tail with it, and vice versa. I was now, regrettably, at their mercy. They prodded me until I moved into a cage that was mounted on a low platform that rolled on wheels. They then locked the cage and placed a large cover over top of it, obscuring my vision and causing darkness to blanket my world once more. Shortly thereafter we began moving.

7. Dangerous Games

It was several weeks before I could manage to move around when aided. It wasn't more than a couple of weeks after that when I obtained independent movement again. It was also around that time that we were given the word to remove the bandages. When the thick wad was being removed, as the last few now-crimson wrappings left my side I was shocked to see that it as if nothing had even happened. I'm sure that, had I not grown scales as I had, the whole of my side would have consisted of scar material.

It wasn't long after that, a few days to be exact, when Storm let me leave the house once again. The day came when I could not wait any longer and I proposed my idea to Storm. "Storm, I must go and see the Order."

"Aqua, I can't have you leaving for destinations like that yet. You have to be at full strength in case something happens."

"This Order has been my life; I must know what is happening."

"You have been my life, Aqua. I can just find out for you; you don't have to make the journey there yet."

"I also must take back my role as their leader."

"It cannot wait?"

"No. If Ajiin didn't come it means he is not with me. With him in there unchecked...I cannot risk another moment passing like this."

He sat momentarily, upset and trying to find a counterargument. He finally sighed and spoke again. "Fine. Just don't do anything dumb, alright?"

"I promise."

"Alright. Good luck." I nodded before packing supplies and heading out. Figuring I would arrive without problems I packed one sword only for defence against possible wildlife encounters along the way. It wasn’t much longer after I had got everything situated that I set my course for the Order and set out.

It took me a little longer than anticipated to arrive at the gates, mostly due to my slower pace. When I finally did, as I approached the main gates, I was hailed by one of the guards. His hail, however, caught me off guard. His tone was very aggressive and his mannerism curt. "We don't like your kind around here."

"What?"

"I suggest you run along now and forget this place, drake."

"What?" I was more than thoroughly confused, both by how he addressed me and the words he used.

"You heard me. Scram! And don't come back!"

"What are you talking about? I'm the Guildmaster!"

"Not anymore you're not."

"Then tell me: who is?" My comments had become a little sharper.

"Ajiin has begun his reign." At this point it sounded less like a benevolent faction and more of a prospective political power.

"His reign? Grant me access so that I may speak with him."

"Not going to happen."

"Why not?"

"We will not allow something so tainted and infused with evil desecrate these grounds."

"What are you talking about?" I already had an idea of what he was referring to but I needed confirmation.

"We know of what you have done."

"Enlighten me, then, and tell me what I did."

"You broke Protectorate vows and slaughtered innocent ponies." There we go; I knew I should not have trusted Ajiin. Still, his betrayal stung deeply.

"I must speak with Ajiin. There has been a misunderstanding."

"Not going to happen. There was no misunderstanding. Ajiin relayed your words very clearly."

"You have been lied to and now you refuse to hear what actually happened?"

"We know well enough already, as well that we are to not trust your forked tongue. Leave now or we will open fire." I was about to say something but figured it best not to. Seeing the uselessness of this argument I gave up. I turned and left, feeling utterly betrayed and abandoned.

When I arrived back home, the entire journey occurring in bitter, rage filled silence, Storm could see that something was wrong. I could only assume he was trying to ease out an answer, one I would have given at this point regardless. "Everything alright dear?"

"No."

"Did something happen over there?"

"I'd venture to say so."

"Would you be willing to tell me what it was?"

"I was usurped in my absence by a filthy tide of lying tongues."

"What do you mean?" He was now more concerned than curious.

"There's only one other pony here who would have known about these things from the past."

"I'm assuming that it's-"

"Ajiin. No doubt he's spun a fanciful tale out of the whole story."

"Let's not jump to any conclusions yet. There might be something we don't know yet. We still need to figure it out."

"I suppose you're right, but everything just points to him."

"I know. Perhaps when you're a little more rested we can investigate."

"Speaking of which..."

"Yes?"

"When am I clear to transform again? You said, if I'm not mistaken, that I was not at full strength yet?"

"More or less. It won't be for a while."

"How long?"

"By now I'd say about...half a year, according to Galaxia, if I've got it right."

"Half a year?" It was a crushing reality, but reality it was nonetheless.

"Yes, but I don't think you'll be needing it anytime soon, the situation with the Order considered..." The comment stung heavily, more because of the cruel reality of the situation than any ill intent on Storm's part. "...perhaps simply resting would be best."

I nodded in a defeated manner. I then headed upstairs to comply with Storm's request. It would be hard, though, to keep my mind off of the matter.

I never quite managed to, though, causing a couple more anxious weeks to pass by agonisingly. Finally the day arrived when I could wait not longer. One day, when Storm wasn't paying full attention to me, I went to where I stashed my armour. I began equipping the mithril plates the best I could. At one point I looked over to find Storm standing beside me, staring. I paused my preparations momentarily, staring back in fear that he might force me to wait longer. He spoke a moment later. "Couldn't wait any longer, huh?"

"No. I need to get to the bottom of this and I need to do so quickly."

"I'm coming with you."

"Whether or not you-. Wait, what?"

"I'm coming with you." At a loss for words I simply nodded. I couldn't believe that he was letting me go to the Order again, albeit on his conditions. I had been expecting some kind of resistance. What I got instead was a companion. He turned and headed up for his own armour. Content with his support, and glad somepony was helping me, I finished my own preparations before checking on Storm. When we were both ready we headed out.

The journey along that selfsame trail was taken in determination and utter silence. Our arrival took less time than normal accordingly. As we approached the gates we were addressed, again in a gruff manner. "Who goes there?"

"You know very well who I am. Open these gates so that I may talk with Ajiin."

"Not going to happen, drake. We warned you already." It fell momentarily silent; I'm sure Storm was confused by the statement. "The other pony with you, who is he?"

Storm spoke first before I could respond. "I go by Storm, the name of which, no doubt, you have heard before. I seek an audience with the Guildmaster here. There is some urgent business that I must conduct with his counsel."

The guards looked at each other before nodding. "Your audience is granted but on two conditions. The first: the murderous wretch standing beside you stays outside these walls. The second: you must surrender your weapons and armour before entering the gates. Do I make myself clear?"

I looked at Storm, almost silently begging him to not disarm. Looking back at me he nodded. "I must do what I can to fix this for you. I can tell when something is eating at you and this certainly is doing just that. Don't worry, I’ll get this sorted out."

"No, you cannot risk going in there alone." I looked over at the gates, almost not wanting to look at Storm.

"Hey, look at me. It's my turn to take the risk this time. You've done so more than enough recently." He was right. It seemed like anymore my life consisted of putting it all on the line and hoping somepony would fix it. Realising this I nodded. Still, though, I wanted more than anything to go in with him. With my approval now Storm turned again towards the guards. "I accept your conditions."

He trotted forwards, standing before the very gates I had forged so long ago. He began removing his armaments, as directed. Once he was unarmed and unarmored the gates opened, allowing him entrance. They closed behind him once he had entered, leaving me alone out here to wait.

It had been about an hour before the guards decided to try and provoke some kind of reaction from me. It worked, but perhaps not in the way they were expecting. "So, drake, murder anypony recently?"

I ignored the comment, which they threw a few more times. When they saw that I would not respond they flung a rock, narrowly missing. It was then I turned my attention to them. "You weren't even close! What happened to all that training you had when I was Guildmaster? Has Ajiin forsaken it?"

"Missing with a rock is better than slaughtering innocent ponies." However they tried to connect the two I had yet to figure out.

"Let's get one thing straight here, fool. They were in no wise innocent. Blood had long since stained their hooves."

"That's not what Ajiin told us, liar."

"Did he also tell you about the fact that these individuals murdered families and entire colonies just to trade lives like livestock?"

"He told us they were innocent."

"Did he also tell you about a city's worth of ponies that I saved without shedding a single drop of blood? Did he tell you of how I had to carry the entire group of refugees up the side of Canterlot Mountain? Or that I had to carry eighteen potential Protectorates and their gear through the treacherous mountain pass? Did he tell you of the large group of gryphons I personally led through a wasteland of creatures more fearsome than you can possibly imagine?"

"What were you doing saving gryphons? They hate us! That's betraying the state and worthy of capital punishment."

"If you didn't have such a blind, terrible memory you would recall that we, as an organisation, protect ANY creature that needs our help, not just ponies." They looked at each other in a manner both confused and concerned. "He also didn't bother to tell you of the many times I had saved this Order, did he? How many times I thwarted some form of evil or another from destroying the very organisation that now rejects me on grounds unproven, did he not tell you?"

"The only evil here is you." Their response seemed almost shaky, as if they weren't sure anymore.

"Did Ajiin mention how many times I had saved Equestria itself from destruction? Even now I have been doing such from a creature you cannot even fathom. He just kind of left out the details on how many ponies I had rescued and how many vows I had upheld, didn't he? He left out the details of the old Guildmaster, Erazul, and MoonDusk, am I right?" They fell silent. "You’ve missed a lot of history and Ajiin is intentionally misleading you with what you don’t know to get you to believe what he spins out of whole cloth. Think on that. Maybe ask him. Then again, he'd probably just fling lies again."

With that I was left in silence for a long period more before the gates opened again. When I looked I saw Storm trotting out. As happy as I was to see him returning I quickly became rather curious as another shape was trotting out with him. Curiosity became concern when almost a dozen bulky shapes rounded the gatehouse towers. I began trotting closer, hoping to figure out what was happening. I managed to make it into talking distance in time to hear phrases that filled me with apprehension. What added to my fear was a row of pikes half at the ready. When the next sentence was spoken I noted that it was a guard speaking it. "...and for that little demonstration we'll be needing payment. That armour you had looks nice, in good repair. Should work as payment."

Storm was, of course, upset. "No, you will not touch that."

With Storm standing in defiance it drug a response from the guards. I was within several body lengths by the time one of the guards jabbed him very roughly with the butt end of his pike. I instantaneously broke into a full-fledged gallop, charging in fury. "Pitiful wretch! Nopony does that to Storm!"

I saw the lances draw to the ready, a wall of sharp iron facing me. I simply ran through it, the iron heads of the pikes unable to so much as even scratch the mithril plating that covered my body. As roughly as I possibly could I slammed directly into the one that jabbed Storm. He stumbled, falling into a roll several feet away. I recovered quickly, drawing a sword while I was in the midst of the other guards. They faltered, stepping back a little, when they recognised who I was. "You ungrateful little whores! After all I had done for you and this Order this is how you repay us? With treachery and abuse?"

I saw one or two motion at Storm, a pike or two turning. "Don't you even dare think about it. I vowed to protect Storm at all costs and I fully intend to do just that. It does not matter to me whose blood I spill or how much of it is spilt."

I was playing on the lies Ajiin had told and it worked. These, the large and durable Sanctuary Guards, quickly manoeuvred to the gate before closing it and fleeing. Storm returned to his armour, putting it on as the dumbfounded guards on the wall simply watched. I looked to see who the other pony was, rejoicing to find it was Cam. She was beaten, bruised and bloodied. Figuring it better that we left before the guards came to their senses I spoke. "Let's go. We'll discuss what happened later when we're safe again."

Cam protested. "But Lance is still in there!"

"Knowing how much he liked me, paired with Ajiin's tales, it's safe to assume he fits right in with the rest of them." I saw Cam's eyes drop. She knew it was true but she didn't want to admit it. We turned and trotted away from what used to be sanctuary but what had now converted into the breeding ground for malice against me and those with me. I shook my head in frustration, letting out a sigh, before taking lead of our journey.

When we arrived back home I began tending to Cam's wounds, some of which had suffered so much neglect they had festered in infection. My magic was still not the strongest, barely a fraction of what it once was, but it was enough to remove the infestations and cure a few minor wounds. Out of curiosity, while binding those wounds I couldn't heal magically, I began asking Cam some questions. "So what caused this whole mess?"

"Well, Ajiin took over, saying your time was over and then started telling all these nasty stories about what you did." No surprise there. "It took only a few minutes for him to tell the worst stories imaginable about what you had done. Then he sent out a decree that if any of us saw you that we should tell him so he could either kill you personally or send the whole guild to do so."

"He sent out a death verdict?"

"Yeah." That statement concerned me more than anything. He had so far warped the order while I was absent that he was missing the whole point behind why it existed.

"That isn’t correct in any sense of the word. That goes against the very base principles of the Order. "

"Yeah. He was pretty serious about it too." After a quick glance at Storm I looked at her again, so she continued. "So I started telling everypony about all the cool stuff you did, the ponies you saved and all that stuff. Some of them believed me. We all got beat up and thrown into the prison."

"There's a prison?"

"Yeah. A big one too, underground." I looked up at Storm who looked down at me with disbelief and apprehension to match mine I'm sure.

"I never built a prison when I was the Guildmaster, and I had the few holding cells repurposed and renovated. Even the corrupt Guildmaster, working in line with Erazul and MoonDusk, had only a couple of small holding cells."

"So what did you do with ponies like me?"

"Better stated: ponies like Ajiin. There were none. Everypony was honest in my time. Before my leadership only a broken vow was punishable, and with public execution."

"Oh..."

"Hardly ever happened. Wait, didn't you say that others believed you?"

"Yeah."

"What happened to them? You were the only one that left?"

"We were all tortured so that we'd forget the good things about you." Fury indescribable filled my frame when I heard this. The changes that Ajiin had made were absolutely unacceptable, not by the Order's standards and not by moral standards either. "They said it was like purging us of your lies, or something. But I didn't forget. I could never forget."

"Then how did you escape?"

Storm answered. "When the guards weren't looking I snuck off and freed her. When they caught us it very quickly became apparent to them that they would lose. Not wanting to cause more problems I struck a bargain that they couldn't resist. If they let us go they would remain alive. If not..."

"So you threatened Protectorates?" That came out with a little more accusation in my tone than desired.

"I had to. There was no other-"

"I would have done the exact same, Storm, don't worry. I mean, honestly, I did that at the gate, right? Besides, those within the walls currently blaspheme the very meaning of Protectorate and can hardly be called such." The room was silent for a moment while I finished dressing Cam's wounds. When I arose Storm asked the next question.

"So now what?"

I sat and thought momentarily. "Secure the house. We need to make sure that absolutely nopony can get in without our approval. Perhaps even obtaining a secondary safe house would be best. It's possible that Ajiin will launch an assault now that he knows we aren't playing around."

"Why would he attack you now? He already has what he wanted." Cam's tone was one of innocent curiosity.

"If Ajiin was willing to lie to get this far he'll have no shame in using any means possible to wrap up the loose ends. If he rids the world of the three of us nopony will witness against him or cause any kind of rebellion."

Storm spoke next. "So say we secure a secondary safe house. Then what?"

"We wait."

"For how long?"

"Six months."

"Until you can transform again."

"Exactly. Ajiin will have a lot harder of a time taking us out if I have access to a bigger arsenal. We can also get better armour for Cam. Three immensely prepared experts are far better than anything Ajiin has at his disposal. Not even an army would be able to defeat us." Both Storm and Cam nodded. "You'll need it before too long anyways."

"Aqua," Storm's face was serious, his tone somber, "I need to tell you something."

"Tell it. I'm listening."

"I got an audience with Ajiin, surprisingly."

"What did he say? I must know what I'm dealing with."

"He told me he was the new, permanent, Guildmaster, so I asked him what would happen if you returned one day to take back your rightful place."

"And?"

"I quote: 'if she shows her hideous face, if she lays one blood-soaked hoof near this Sanctuary then I shall hunt her down and rid this physical plane of her existence. She's far too dangerous for the poor souls of this world to simply be left alone to run amok.'"

"I knew it..."

"That's not all. He also said something about 'getting help from a source near and dear, one beyond my own.' or something. I don't know what he was trying to say with that."

"I don't either. All I know is that the sooner we have an impenetrable refuge the better." Storm and Cam agreed, albeit a touch solemnly. From thence we went to work.

We managed to acquire a small plot of land elsewhere in town. Using my influence as the previously well-known and successful Protectorate I had been it wasn't hard to find craftsponies I had helped before. With around a dozen workers 'paying back for what the Order did for them' and the three of us it took a little under two months to construct a new house and move in. We only took our valuable possessions, such as weapons and armour. We fully secured the new house using a mix of technology and magic. It took a few days to finalise preparations. Once done, though, I knew that there was no way Ajiin or anypony else could break an entry into our home. Satisfied now with our work we settled down for a while.

Nothing had occurred between the time we finished the fortifications and the end of my recuperation period aside from two things: Cam's armour, as well as mine, had been completed. Cam’s set was a full suit of draconic scale mail, at her request to 'honour me', made of steel that we heavily fortified magically. We called the material Darksteel, due to the darkened tint, almost a dark grey-blue, that the metal adopted when we forged it. It was far more durable than steel, although not quite as durable as mithril. Cam tried the armour on and almost instantly approved of it. My armour was a simple remake of what it had already been before. With all things having now been prepared I sat down with Storm and Cam to brainstorm what our next step was going to be. "Ok, here's where we are right now: we have armour, we have weapons and we have supplies. We can either sit in here and hope this somehow blows over, either with his death or some kind of resolution, or we can go and do something about it. Now, I've been thinking about it, trying to figure it out. What if we take this to Ajiin? Confront him directly?"

"No." Storm's answer was firm. "Not only would we have to fight him, Lance and the Sanctuary Guard but also all of the Protectorates he has brainwashed or convinced through torture. They all already believe that you're evil. Let's not shed more blood than is necessary or make their belief concrete. We also don't want to deal with the repercussions, including civil war and the ultimate dissolve of the Order of Protectorates as we know it."

"True, so then what do we do?"

"Stay here?" That was an almost predictable suggestion from Cam.

"No. I cannot sit idly while Ajiin is out there slandering my name to every last creature that breathes. It's only a matter of time before he spreads the lies beyond the walls of the Sanctuary, including to the citizens of Ponyville and even the princesses themselves. That would cause a very dire situation for us, ultimately leading to our expulsion from this land."

"Perhaps, then, an ambush? Lure him out?" Storm and I both looked at Cam astonished. Her idea was a sudden stroke of genius.

"Brilliant, but now arises a better question: how are we going to go about doing that?"

"Sneaking up on the master of stealth is not the easiest thing in the world. Aqua, Cam, do either one of you have ideas?" We sat and thought momentarily.

"He's after me specifically, no doubt about that one. Judging by his quote that you related earlier from when we first went I'd say he's so bent on it that he's not going to be completely aware of his surroundings. Is he going to be oblivious? No, but he will be a little unaware. He'll be so intent on watching and stalking me that he might not notice you two if you manage to do it right."

"Are you certain that it would work?" Storm was cautious, that's for sure. I can't blame him; everything was on the line here. One mess up and it would end in catastrophe.

"Do we have any other options?" It fell silent in the room. "It will work. It has to, because we don't have any other options."

Cam spoke. "So how do we lure him out?"

"I don't think we have to. If he knows I'm alive he'll be looking. I could probably adopt a fixed route of movement, a repetitive and daily pattern. When Ajiin finds me he will probably quietly observe me first before doing anything. That means I have to be aware at all times. I will return immediately back here if I sense I am in any kind of danger. When he figures out my pattern he'll figure out the best ambush location. I can then place you two as a counter. It should work."

"Are you certain?" Storm seemed a little skeptical.

"Yes. He seemed a little uncomfortable with this plan but decided it to be the best course of action.

"Just be careful, alright?"

"I plan on it. It's my life on the line." They both nodded solemnly. "Then let's start this, shall we?"

Again they nodded. With that I arose, making sure my armour was securely in place upon me before heading out. The two of them double checked everything before I left as well. I knew they were worried, and for good reason too. I was worried, myself, at this point. Ajiin is not the kind of pony that one can play these kinds of games with. He knows all about this sort of thing. Yet here we were, hoping that his reckless drive was enough to cause a slip up. As I set out I made sure to note each of my movements, mentally mapping my daily trot. I kept track of where I was at all times so the pattern could be easily repeated time and time again. The hunt had now begun.

When I returned home that evening I marked a map to indicate the route I had taken before settling down for the night. The next day was again filled with this slow, near-aimless trotting, as was the entirety of the week. It had been no more than a little after the first week of trotting the same path at the same time, at the pace of a slow canter, when I picked up the first sound that was out of the ordinary. I was trotting through the Everfree Forest when I heard a twig snap a moment after the faintest rustling whispered out from the underbrush. I froze and immediately examined my surroundings. After finding nopony and no creatures nearby I turned around in my path and broke into a full gallop, taking no chances. I soon arrived home and was let in. Storm was the first of all of us to speak. "What happened? You came back early."

"I think Ajiin has a lock on me now."

"What makes you say that?"

"While trotting I heard rustling and the snapping of a twig underhoof. When I looked at the source there was nothing there."

"So what now?"

"We now know where Ajiin will set up his ambush. Do you still have the map for my route?"

"Of course."

"Bring it out. Now we plan our counter-ambush." Storm went and retrieved the makeshift map. I pointed to the approximate area where I had been. "It was around here that I heard the sound. He will be waiting near there. He’ll be using the forest for cover, both from the townsfolk as well as the rest of us."

I then shifted my point to further up the route. "Up here is a clearing. It's not very large but it would still give us the advantage."

Pointing to two distinct locations I signalled their attentions. "Wait in one of these two. If Ajiin wants to use the clearing he'd wait here or have Lance do so, or however many others he tries to bring."

"Alright. Cam and I will rest up now and sneak our way over there, avoiding your path completely so he doesn't know. We'll head out in the shadow of night. Just make sure you make it to the clearing tomorrow."

"Absolutely. Tomorrow is when we face him. Are we ready?" They nodded. "Good. Rest up now. I'll keep watch."

Several hours passed before they came back down. It was now the dead of night, the perfect time for them to head out. I was now left alone in the house, aware of my surroundings like I had never been before. I waited in painful silence and suspense for morning to arrive.

When the time came I headed out, just like normal. It was difficult to maintain the same slow canter while my heart was already racing. Sure enough I made it into the forest and, not terribly far from where I had predicted, was confronted. I heard, not Ajiin, but Lance speak from a distance behind me; he called my name. In response I simply glanced back at him momentarily before breaking into a gallop capable of being chased. Lance responded in kind, trying to keep up. "Hey! Come back! I desire to speak with you!"

Faintly over all the thudding of my own heavy armour and the clunking of Lance's plate armour I could hear another in motion. The rustling underbrush gave away the fact that Lance was accompanied, most likely by Ajiin. Thinking on this I picked up my pace, hoping to cause Ajiin to break much further than his slower accomplice. I also hoped to absolutely remain in front of the both of them. I did so until I had arrived at the predetermined location. I anchored one of my front legs in order to wheel around, coming to a skidding halt a little offset from the middle of the clearing. I drew a blade and watched Lance come sliding in, his own sword out. He barely managed to stop just outside of my reach. I went to pounce, to strike at him before any others came, until I saw Ajiin bust out of the forest to begin circling like a hungry predator. "Well, will you look at that? The 'Sanguine Dragon' decided to come out and play. Must have been a hard choice to make."

There was a heavy tone of mockery in place of Ajiin's normal, joyous one. Hoping to show bravado to dissuade their decision I spoke. "Two against one. It would be in your favour if I wasn't larger than either of you and stronger than the two of you combined tenfold. Perhaps if your puny little weapons weren't as easily thwarted by my own weaponry and this bulwark I carry you'd stand a chance, even if it was minimal."

"Oh, that doesn't matter to us." Ajiin's ear twitched, as if he heard something that I did not. "Well, for the most part. Your friends can come out of hiding now. I know they're there."

Both to tell Storm and Cam to not come out, as well as to try and persuade Lance and Ajiin that I was alone, I shook my head. "There's nopony else here but us."

"Don't lie to us, filthy cur!" Lance had become surprisingly bold. "You'd never survive alone."

"Really? So I didn't survive rescuing you?" I could see his physical reaction to a statement so effective at eating at him. "Oh, had you forgotten about that? I'm sorry; did I bring up the fact that you're not being flogged by ruthless savages at the current moment?"

"Hey! You shut your mouth!" I was now very much under his skin. I just needed to provoke an attack.

"Lance, calm yourself."

"Oh no, Ajiin, it's fine. He would learn well from the barbarians. You could even ask Battlescar the Blue how well that lifestyle treats him, especially when I easily beat him and took his spot in the Order. Maybe if I let Cam see this-"

"You leave her out of this. She's far better off without you, just like the rest of us are."

"That's why it's because of me you're standing here telling me I'm worthless. Either way, Cam would just die to see what you became in the end." He was on the verge now; it was clear to see.

"Lance, drop it! Keep your head clear. Think!"

"But then again, you know, if all was as you believed it is I probably would have flayed her already. How enjoyable it would be to watch her squirm in agony, no?" That threw him over the edge. In a bout of berserk rage he charged in. As great as it would have been to have destroyed his sword, or armour, in that moment I decided a better course of action. I sheathed my blade and readied myself. As he swung his sword I quickly threw a hook from the hilt side, catching him square in the helmet. The blow was not gentle in any sense of the term; he and his sword tumbled over again to the periphery of the clearing. The impact dazed him and dented his helm well. As he rose to his hooves again I spoke once more. "Just as bad as the first day in the Order. Was that not the same side I struck last time? Did you not learn anything from what I taught you?"

He picked up his sword and tried to charge again. I unsheathed my blade this time, ready to do what was needed. Perhaps it was because of this action that the following occurred. Faster than any of us could react Cam was standing between the two of us, blocking and holding him away from me. Surprise shot across his face before she shoved him back roughly. When he stumbled to a stop he dropped his sword to speak, which caused Cam to do likewise. "Sis? What are you doing?"

"What you don't want to, what you're too blind to do: upholding the Order and protecting the innocent."

"That...thing is pure evil. It is not innocent in the furthest stretch of the word. It's a heartless killing machine. Step out of the way and let me do my job." Cam shook her head, almost showing remorse, disgust or disbelief.

"I thought you were better than that."

"I will kill that beast no matter the odds."

"And the cost?"

"Whatever it takes."

"So you'll kill me, your sister, your own blood and the only family you have left?" He paused, unable to answer. I heard hoofsteps behind me, albeit very faintly. I wheeled around with my blade drawn, swinging it back towards the noise. Ajiin jumped away to the edge of the clearing once more. Lance swallowed before he spoke again, not wanting to give the answer he was about to.

"If you're not with me then you're against me." He picked up his sword; Cam mimicked his actions. From thence he charged, but Cam had him matched. Their combat took them out of the clearing and into the nearby woods out of our sight. I turned in time to see Ajiin leaping for me, a crimson blade in his mouth. I quickly swung my tail around, catching him in time with a hefty blow. The force caused him and the dagger to be knocked well away. In a kind of apprehensive fear, recognising the colour of the dagger as matching that of my armour, I quickly looked at my tail. My nightmare became reality when I saw a cut mark I had not ever received from any kind of other metal. He had a dagger composed of the exact same mineral as my armour. How he had acquired it I don't know but with it he could actually harm, maim or even kill me. As he recovered, more quickly than seemingly possible, Storm leaped from his post, looking to strike Ajiin. He narrowly got out of the swing in the nick of time, rolling away. I reared up and drew the other blade, filling the clearing with the electrical hum of the heated swords. Any movement to get around me that Ajiin made was followed closely with my rotation, assuring that he was always in front of me. He seemed to be buying time, pacing just out of reach of the two of us. Any time Storm tried to get at him he would roll away. As he kept circling I decided to try and pry at him a little, see if I couldn't but dissuade him from attacking me.

"Why are you doing this, Ajiin?"

"I'm just doing my job."

"What kind of job is this? We never go on the offensive."

"I'm getting rid of you before you can cause harm to anypony else." My front legs dropped down, now hanging at my sides and showing the complete disbelief I had for his comment.

"Wait, are you being serious right now, or-"

"Yes, I'm serious!"

"Really? That's your reasoning?"

"Yup. Sticking to it."

"Ajiin, that's not how the Order works. That’s not even remotely what we as Protectorates do."

"They protect ponies, like you said."

"As the need arises, not before."

"And the need has arisen to protect them by ending your long and malicious streaks of blood."

"It doesn't work that way, Ajiin. 'Pretection' is not a thing."

"But don't you see how effective it is? Taking out evil before it harms the good is what I am doing here."

"By doing that you're only harming the good. You're destroying things you perceive to be evil before you know whether or not they actually are or are not as malicious as you think."

"This isn't about you, Aqua."

"I never said it was. I don't matter in this picture. Whether I live or die is unimportant here. What matters is that I fix the fragmented idea you have, an idea that has clearly blinded you."

"No. It will make the world better."

"Better for what? Brigands? Monsters? Murderers? You'll be killing off those whose experiences would have shaped them to be magnificent fighters for good. You're killing potential, potential for good that would have been unmatched. You're throwing it all away."

"No! Can't you see? I'm going to fix this world one soul at a time."

"Start with yourself on that one, Ajiin. You're deluded and mislead, driven insane by a prospect that is far more than impossible for even a god."

"No, I can get it. I can achieve it. Just you watch."

"Give it up, Ajiin."

"No!" He lunged in, aggressively but not recklessly, to take a swing at me. When he saw Storm move in towards him he ducked back out before even coming close to me. "You're wrong! I'm going to achieve it and I'll prove that point through you!"

As there was no reasoning with him I remained in silence. Several pained moments of circling passed before we heard Cam scream something. Judging by the tone it sounded like she was in trouble. "Storm, go."

"Aqua, I can't leave you alone with him."

"Go. She needs you right now more than I do."

"Are you certain?"

"Absolutely. I'm more capable of holding my own against an opponent than she is right now."

"But-"

"Go!" With the harsh order he bolted off in the direction that the sound came from. As soon as Storm left the clearing Ajiin suddenly got more aggressive. He took a few lunging attempts to stab at me with the dagger but each time he was warded off by my blades like a beast with fire. He tried rolling to the side in order to flank me but I was quick enough to keep up with him. He continued ducking and rolling, pushing harder each time than the last. He was trying to speed up and one could tell it was working in the slightest degree. He began outpacing me, finally darting in to take a swing. I swung my blade in an arc back towards him, forcing him to roll away again. He was barely too far away to do anything more than scratch my armour. I swung my blade once more, causing him to roll. What he did not see this time was the tail coming in duly; the solid armoured mass must have hit like a boulder as I swung him in a half circle before flinging him into a nearby tree. He collided with a resounding thud, near paralysed from the impact. His dagger had popped from his grasp, now being just out of his reach. Taking advantage of the situation I sheathed my blades and bolted over. Just as he was trying to get back up I pinned him roughly back down to the ground. He spoke again. "You know, as Lance and I formulated this plan we wondered how oblivious you would have been to a few minor details."

I could tell he was reaching his hoof for the blade so I pressed down upon him. Other than tightening his breaths, straining against the force, he didn't react much. Duly, I activated the anchor clamps. They dug deep into his flesh, penetrating his hide armour easily, and he reacted accordingly. He let out a strained groan as his hoof grasped my leg. He then let it fall to the side once more, probably going for the dagger. "You know, Aqua, you're not the only inventor in the world."

Shortly thereafter I felt a sharp pain in my leg, accompanied by the sight of the dagger protruding therefrom. It was attached to his hoof with some curious device that gave it mechanical digits. As curious as it was to me it, nevertheless, did not matter to me very much. In response I picked him up and slammed him down against the ground several times, hearing at least a crack or two, before disconnecting the anchor, wrapping my tail about him and hurling him away through the woods. I started galloping over, dagger and parts of his curious machine still attached to my leg. As I was approaching he got up with a pained grunt and began to flee from before me. Every time I got close he rolled away from me, gasping in pain each time, far enough to dodge my swings. That was the case until he couldn't. He vaulted a dead tree trunk that had fallen along his flight course. I ploughed right through it, swinging my tail around through the storm of rotting wood chips to pelt him heavily. He tumbled and rolled until he came to a stop near a couple of small trees. He had taken a heavy beating, blood staining his armour and his face, and his fatigue was showing clearly. Just as I drew nigh to finish my task I was growing extensively tired. He rolled, better said flopped, away with a few grunts and moans before rising to his hooves and coughing up a large portion of blood. He barely stayed out of my range. With a laugh he spoke. "You might have the brawn but I have the brains. Using your own mineral, a shard from your old suit of armour that you carelessly left in the Badlands, to pierce your bulwark was genius, not to mention the poison coating I placed upon it. Tell me how it feels to lose in your own profession, eh?"

I collapsed, unable to remain standing any longer. The last thing I remember was hearing his laughter as he came over and began toying with my armour.

I awoke next in a dark room. It was difficult to make anything out aside from a small white light shining faintly a decent distance before me. As I sat in the near pitch black darkness I heard Ajiin speak. "Are you awake yet?"

I made no sound, no motion and hoped he'd just leave. In response I saw a torch lit and Ajiin bearing it, though the bearer looked to be in very poor condition; he had blood-soaked bandages over a large portion of his body, with the bruises from the impacts barely visible around the edges of the cloth. His movement was limped, though it didn’t stop him. He came trotting directly towards where I was. Once I was within the torch light he spoke again. "Ah, you liar. Playing games again, are we?"

I went to wheel around to nail him with my tail only to find my motion highly restricted by shackles connect tightly to my sapphire-blue scaled legs. I could move no more than a few inches in this situation. "Ah-ah-ah, careful now. We don't want you setting off the mechanism."

I was entirely confused and, as such, cocked an eyebrow. He chuckled and trotted away, heading towards the edge of the dungeon. He lit a nearby torch before making a full circle around the room to light the rest. Afterwards he set the last one in its holder and trotted back over, having lit all sixteen of them. The torches barely lit the room enough for me to see the details of everything therein. "Now, do you see that little pedestal over there? Can you make out what's on it?"

I looked over to where he pointed. Indeed there was a little stand in the exact middle of the chamber. It was a simple, square half pillar with a gap in the middle. On the bottom of the gap was my pearl. Hanging above it was a dark, almost black dagger with a very ornate gold pattern on it. The dagger was hauntingly familiar to me. I realised within a few moments that I had seen it before, that I had been near me before, but it felt hazy, as if it had been in a dream and no more. "Isn't that just an absolutely beautiful sight?"

"What's with the dagger?"

"Ah, a very astute observation. Well done." He put a hoof around me in mocking congratulations. I tried to shake him off but my limited movement didn't help me much more than yanking on the chains a few times. "Careful now. I'll explain why later."

"Explain it. Now."

"Patience, now, I'm still explaining your first question. Geez." He trotted over towards the pedestal and, accordingly, the dagger. When he got there he pointed at it. "You see this? This is a very special item I got from a dear friend of mine. It's got a name, you know. It goes by 'The Dagger of Ending'. A bit of a nasty thing, if you ask me. Has the habit of making things it stabs or slashes kind of stop existing. It's, uh, rather unfortunate if you ask me. But no matter, I'm sure you'd know who my friend is. Let me go get her for you."

He turned and faced the pearl for a short while. Shortly thereafter Galaxia appeared in the room. I absolutely could not believe what I was seeing, nor what I was feeling right then. "Tada! Here she is. Look at that, it's like magic or something."

In bitter disbelief I cried out with anguished fury. "What have you done? Galaxia, what have you done?!"

"I did what I had to, Aqua. I've heard enough of what you had done during those years you were missing to know that you were different. You were too dangerous to leave alone to wander."

“Galaxia, what about Flametread? What are we to do in order to survive his cataclysm? What were you thinking?!” I turned to Ajiin now in mountainous rage too profound to even begin describing. "What lies did you tell her? What tales did you weave? What slander did you fling?!"

"No more than what you gave me."

"I gave you nothing but the anguished concerns of a dying soul!" Unable to contain myself anymore I strained heavily against the shackles that held me bound. In my anger I received more strength than would have been possible any other time. As such I began pulling the anchors out of the floor and warping the plates. Ajiin spoke rapidly, almost fearfully.

"I suggest you be careful there, for you were out for a while. If you pull too far you'll die." I paused momentarily, blood still boiling, to let him finish explaining. "You see, I worked quickly in the month you were out. I took the liberty of rigging together quite the system. You see how there are strings attached to the back of the anchors?"

I looked back towards the now warped metal squares. I couldn't see anything yet, so I moved back a little and changed my perspective. Sure enough there were threads attached to the underside of each square. "Those and others I'll explain later on are connected to the blade's mechanism. They were fortified magically, so they cannot break or wear with age. Each connects eventually to the mechanism that maintains the dagger aloft. If the strings pull too far the device triggers. If the device triggers the dagger falls upon the pearl, rending you from existence soul-first. I've seen how death has no effect upon you, so I needed to step up my game. That's where Galaxia comes into the picture."

He trotted over, putting his hoof around her. "My good friend here-"

She pushed his hoof off of her and moved away from him. "Do not touch me."

"My good friend here gave me this dagger after I told her the plan, which followed your stories."

"You mean the disgusting fables you spun out of whole cloth?"

"Call them what you want, Aqua, it doesn't change them. Now, I took the liberty of making a few adjustments since we planned." Galaxia shot a nervous glance over to Ajiin. "First of all: now the pearl is in a holder that is also connected to the strings so nopony else takes it when I'm not watching. Move it and either you or it will be cut from existence as the blade snaps down with lightning speed. Thankfully, before then, I convinced Galaxia to place a spell ward in this room, only allowing magic to be used if it is through your pearly directly. Thing is: only you and I know how to use it."

I shot Galaxia a narrowed, spiteful look. I still cannot gauge what she felt there. "Had you forgotten that I knew which book you and Tigerfire had used because I was the one that momentarily and illegally borrowed it for you from the Canterlot Royal Library? Anyways, there's one more part to it, but we'll touch on that when they find it. In the meantime, any questions?"

"Yeah. What exactly do you plan to do with me now? You've captured me. I'm at your mercy. Now what?"

"Nothing." I looked at him for a moment in disbelief and confusion.

"Nothing?"

"Yup."

"What do you mean 'nothing'?"

"Exactly what it means. I'm going to do nothing to you."

"No torture, no abuse, no murder, no deprivation, nothing?"

"Yup."

"Why?"

"Why not?"

"There are thousands of reasons why that's a dumb idea. Among them is simply using the dagger yourself to end me."

"Where's the fun in that?"

"Where's the fun in that? So what? I'm nothing more than a plaything chained down here in the depths of who knows where for who knows how long just to be your sadistic source of amusement?"

"Yeah."

Galaxia turned to him and spoke. "That is the most shallow, spineless thing you possibly could have done in a situation like this. You have Aqua, the most competent Protectorate in the history of its existence and the most dangerous pony on the face of the planet, completely at your mercy and you're only going to keep her down here by herself for however long you deem worthy?"

"Yup."

"I don't know which of the two of you is worse." With that she stormed out.

"Beautiful. Now, if everything went as it should have Storm and Cam are probably going to try and rescue you. Well, after a very long time, that is. I spent a good amount of time working through all of this. They're on the hunt for a shadow and a dungeon that might as well not exist. Finding it to begin with will be the hardest part. The secret passages I take here are only known to me. The labyrinths-"

"Labyrinths?"

"Yes."

"Labyrinths, as in not just one labyrinth but multiple?"

"Exactly. I, alone, have the maps for the labyrinths, nopony else. Even if your friends make it through them they probably won't be able to free you because of something special I put for them."

"What do you mean?" I was apprehensive of what was in store for Storm and Cam. At this point he turned and began leaving, almost skipping. "Ajiin, what do you mean by that?"

"I'll be seeing you later, Aqua!" He was, indeed, skipping at this point.

"Hey! Get back here and answer my questions you heartless monster!"

In a sing-song tone, and without skipping a beat, he called back. "Pot calling the kettle black!"

With that he was gone. I sat down hopelessly. With the cunning genius locked inside his head I knew there was no way I'd get anything done. He had probably thought out every last detail excruciatingly, perhaps since the time I told him of what I had done. Since that day, it seemed like he had slowly turned into a minor megalomaniac. Why else would he need to exercise this kind of dominion over me? I shook my head and sighed. This, I knew, was going to be a long wait.

As the long moments pressed on, I started looking around the chamber I was stuck in. It was all made of stone. Sixteen torches made a perfect circle around the edge of the circular platform. It seemed to be a couple-score yards wide. Extending out another dozen or so yard from the edge was a gulf. I don't know how deep it was or what was at the bottom to this day. The stone walls extended towards the ceiling, which was probably about a hundred yards high. There was an opening on the opposite side of the circle I was on. The pedestal sat between the entry and me. Other than that it cannot be described in further in detail. Neither can be described how long I was locked up. One has no sense of time while confined within a dungeon with no windows or other source of exterior light. I wish I could tell you how long it was between events so as to give a measurement to the eternities I was down there for. Sadly, I cannot, so I can only tell you the landmarking events.

The next contact I had was Ajiin. He came down with a small plate filled with a meagre amount of food. He placed it in front of me. I looked at the pitiful portion, then to him with an eyebrow cocked. There wasn't even enough food on the plate to feed a small colt, nonetheless a full sized pony such as myself. This had to be a joke. Upon seeing my reaction he spoke. "Is something the matter?"

"Are you trying to kill me?"

"If you didn't want food you had only need tell me." He went as if he was going to pick it up. I needed to react quickly.

"Of course I want food, Ajiin, but this isn't even enough for a filly. I'm a full grown horse, Ajiin; my body needs more than this."

"I'll keep that in mind for next time. I thought you'd be grateful." He stood and left. I cried out as he did but to no avail.

"How do you expect me to live like this?" It was no use. He was already gone. I was thoroughly convinced he was trying to kill me at this point. I needed to get out of here. I needed to be rescued, as I could do nothing to save myself; I was entirely helpless. I needed somepony, anypony, to come down that passageway. At least, I needed anypony except for Ajiin. I took what little opportunity there was and ate the pitiful plate of food. I then sat trying to brainstorm ideas on how to get out, on how I might go about this, even though everything seemed to stack against me.

After a painfully long amount of time Ajiin again came down the passageway with a plate of food. The problem was that there was even less food on it than before. The hunger had long since left me, leaving an overarching tired feeling hanging in the gap. Food was few and far between, it seemed. Ajiin set the plate down and looked at me momentarily before speaking in a condescending tone. "Aw, poor Aqua looks a little tired."

"I'm starving, Ajiin." The tone came out flatter than I could have even attempted otherwise.

"Eh, doesn't look like it." I looked back at myself momentarily. Indeed I had thinned, there was no disputing that. Perhaps it wasn't quite to the level he had anticipated.

"I can’t keep doing this."

"Sure you can. You're immortal. Wings, horn, dragon blood, all of it shows me that."

"Just because I had wings and a horn doesn't mean I automatically inherited the physical properties of an alicorn. Besides, I lost both, if you couldn't tell." That was spat very spitefully. "And dragons have to eat too."

"Not as often."

"But when they do it's mountains' worth of food more than this."

"I'm sure you can make it work. You always do." He turned and left. As he reached the doorway I cried out.

"I'm dying, Ajiin!"

He paused right at the mouth of the entrance, turning to look back at me. "Well, even if you are you'll just come back again. You always do."

With that he left. "Not by myself in a magically warded dungeon hidden in the depths of Equestria!"

Frustrated and defeated I ate the meagre portion before me and laid down. There seemed to be no convincing him. All I could do was wait.

The next voice I heard was not Ajiin's. It was familiar for sure. I decided to open my eyes to see who it was and sit up, which felt akin to trying to stand while buffeted by a large waterfall. Galaxia stood before me. Perhaps if I had more energy I would have cried out in rage. Instead I sat in spiteful silence staring at her. "Aqua, I must speak with you."

"Why? So you too can spread lies about me with that forked tongue you have?"

"My tongue is quite normal, thank you." She completely missed the expression. "I need to brainstorm with you ideas on how to get you out of here."

"Get me out of here? You sold me into here to begin with! What in the bloody stars do you mean ‘get you out of here’?!"

"I only partially got you stuck down here. All I contributed was the dagger and the magic ward."

"It's not like those are the two main and key contributors to my captivity down here in this hellhole."

"Granted."

"Besides, what made you suddenly care anyways?"

"I thought you had defeated Flametread, had killed him, but I was wrong."

"Seems like kind of a big deal. Perhaps you should have found that out personally before signing my life away to begin with?"

"Just help me think of things, anything, to get you out."

"Kill me."

"No."

"Well, I'm sure I'll come back anyways."

"Not so sure about that one."

"Then leave me here to die."

"Absolutely not."

"Well, there go my ideas. I was just your puppet anyways."

"Enough of your pessimism! I only directed and helped you when you were already trying to do the most good you possibly could have." I snorted out air, almost in denial or laughing once to mock. Rebuffed, she continued. "Ajiin said that only the magic from your pearl works. There has got to be something we can do with it."

"What, like duplicate it?" My comment was sarcastic but I could tell she thought on it momentarily.

"Exactly. Perfect. I like the way you think."

"Ok, but how? Only Ajiin and I know how to use its touchy nature. I'm chained here, unable to reach it, and Ajiin? Well, he...yeah, no."

"He mentioned a book."

"There was a black magic book I had him borrow, don't ask why, in the Canterlot Royal Library that contains information on items such as my pearl. Perhaps a thorough study would lead you to know how to use the pearl so you can replicate it properly."

"I will find that book and I will return."

"So aside from being your tool to save Equestria from a power that's too strong for you to fight why else did you suddenly decide to help? With the kind of stories Ajiin tells, with what he twisted from what I told him, there's no way anypony would suddenly just change their minds like that."

"I have my motives."

"Tell me, Galaxia."

"I do not feel at liberty to do so at this time." I stood and began straining against the shackles again. Letting my anger go I struggled furiously. At last the anchors creaked and shifted further. “Ok, ok, I'll tell you. You act like such a filly sometimes."

I collapsed back down, having spent my energy. "Storm. I went and talked to Storm about it. Cam spoke too. I interrogated a few others to see what they knew.”

“And you didn’t just get both sides of the story to begin with because…?”

“I don’t need that kind of input. Besides, more than not, the ponies of this land spoke highly of you. Those in the badlands said you weren't the same, bloodthirsty creature you were before.”

“A little late for the touchy-feely story of how you came to realise I’m not just some blood spilling monster.”

She rolled her eyes before continuing. “Duke said-"

"You asked Duke about me?"

"Yes. He said that he was not particularly fond of you but that you had killed nopony while he saw you. He did, also, say how he could see how you might do something similar."

"I'm surprised he spoke so gently."

"Yes, but I must go. I will return when all is ready."

"Galaxia?"

"Yes?"

"Do what you need to do quickly. I'm not sure how long I'll last like this, and there are absolutely no signs of any improvement."

"I'll do my best but even I have limits." She left. Her statement worried me a bit. Deciding to disregard it rather than waste what little energy I had in contemplation I went to rest once more. The stone floor certainly was not the most comfortable accommodation but I had to make it work.

As I had slept so much recently I couldn’t quite manage to fall asleep. Instead I sat aimlessly gazing out at the stone wall before me, or occasionally at the pearl and it’s dimly glowing aura. Ajiin's voice broke me from the kind of bored trance I was in. "Hm, Aqua, have you lost weight?"

I shot him a highly venomous, albeit tired, glance. It was true; my starvation had robbed me of a lot mass. At this point I was unsure whether or not I had the strength to leave even if somepony found me and freed me. "It's a good look for you."

"You're disgusting."

"I was just trying to cheer you up."

"You want to know how to cheer me up?" It was clear that my tone was one of frustrated spite.

"Ooh, how?" His was of deranged entertainment.

"Let me out of this cursed pit! Afterwards you are more than welcome to take my place here instead."

"Hm...No can do." He moved the tray of food, which I had hither to been oblivious to, closer. "You see, not even I can set you free. That's entirely up to Cam and Storm. I actually checked on them recently, by the way, which is why I hadn't come back in a few weeks. You see, they've only found a few of the many clues I left for them. I'm good at hiding things."

"And once they've managed to find your clues?"

"They get to traverse the labyrinths."

"Then what?"

"Then they push a button and you're free, I think."

"You think?"

"I've forgotten a few minor details. Nothing major."

"Yup. Nothing major. Not like I might get wiped from existence or anything along those lines."

"Nah, you're fine." I just shook my head in disgust. "So what's new with you?"

I didn't answer. I felt no need to communicate further. "Aw, is something the matter?"

Still no response. He sat for a while before getting up to leave. "You're no fun. Lighten up, sour puss."

I made no acknowledgement of his remark. He left shortly thereafter. Deciding it best I ate the food he had left for me before going to rest up once more on the stone floor.

It felt like a notably long time had passed in solitude before I was awakened next. Ajiin was nudging me. Again, his tone seemed more deranged than anything. "Hey, get up! They found it; they finally found the cave that leads to the labyrinths! We've got to be ready for when they finally make it down here. Sit up. Sit up!"

I didn't feel like moving. Existing hurt to begin with and moving was too much effort for me at this point. Eventually, after Ajiin's incessant pokes and repeated commands to arise, I sat up with a great effort. "Perfect! Now we wait."

We sat in silence for some time before Ajiin became impatient. "What's taking them so long?"

"Maybe it's the multiple labyrinths?"

"No, they're super easy."

"Because you have maps and designed them to begin with."

"Nah. They're probably making maps as it stands right now." I decided it best to not press the point. Speaking took energy I already didn't have. Accordingly, we spent the rest of the wait in silence.

It took a considerably long time before we saw torchlight enter a small enjoining chamber separated by glass. How I had missed it before I'm not sure. Storm, Cam and, surprisingly, Lance trotted in. It was clear to see that Lance was being held captive. When they were finally looking at us Ajiin spoke. "Well, well. Would you look at that? You finally showed up. Took you long enough."

"No fault of our own." Storm was predictably sharp.

"Well, it sure does seem the part. They weren't that well concealed. Plus you trotted by this place several dozen times. Seems you're not doing too well at helping her. Some husband you proved to be."

My anger kindled anew when he flung that insult. "Hey! Cant it, you pathetic runt!"

"The pathetic runt that pacified and captured the Sanguine Dragon because she was too animalistic and impaired to realize that I lured you perfectly into a trap according to plan." I could see Storm tense up, ready to pounce on Ajiin for his harsh words. He ultimately refrained from doing so.

"Just tell us what we need to do."

Ajiin turned back towards them. "Hmm?"

"We brought Lance. If you give us Aqua we will give you Lance in return. Do you accept?"

"Hmm..." He sat in idle thought momentarily, perhaps for no more than sadistic effect. "No."

"No?"

"Exactly. N-O. No."

"But the papers said-"

"Nope."

"We have your accomplice, your wingpony." Ajiin was shaking his head. "No? Why not?"

"Two things for you: one is that I can't actually free Aqua myself. Two: that's in your hooves. Before you is arrayed one-hundred twenty five buttons. Only one of them releases Aqua's shackles. The rest of them trigger the spring mechanism and, quicker than you can blink, this very special dagger will rend the pearl from existence. Aqua's soul will be no more. Her body would fall like a wet noodle. Heh, that'd be funny." I looked nervously at Storm who returned my feelings exactly. "Oh, and the third part is that I don't need you, Lance. I used you. You're actually worthless to me."

It was clear to see the devastation that had struck his face quickly turn to anger as the reality of the situation sunk in fully. "Thanks to your naive nature and blind vengeance you just imprisoned and doomed Equestria's finest protector in its entire history. Good job. That one's sitting on you."

"You lied to me?"

"Of course I lied to you! Did you actually think I was being honest?" Lance fell terribly silent. "The world is now safer thanks to my efforts. It feels good being the one-"

"Ajiin." I spoke this time.

"Ah, commentary from the peanut gallery?"

"Yes."

"Too bad. Keep silent."

"No."

He now turned fully to face me directly, my refusal offsetting him. "What did you say to me?"

"I will speak my mind."

"You will do no such thing."

I arose to a stand, albeit with extreme difficulty. "I...will not be still any longer."

"Try what you will. There's nothing you can do." He turned back to the others. As he spoke my anger would increase until I could contain it no more. "Before you touch any of those buttons ask yourself: will this permanently exterminate Aqua? If you think so-"

"Ajiin, I command you to be silent!" My tone was loud and harsh, filling the room. I'm not sure what caused it but it seemed as if Ajiin suddenly became afraid of my presence. Regardless, it had the effect I was looking for in the moment, as he ceased speaking. "Look at what you have done. Look at it! The Order has been torn apart-"

"No fault of my own."

"-because of your self-righteous, self-absorbed crusade of incompetence. I am on the brink of death-"

"Then how are you-?"

"Shut up!" My shout came in a manner brutish enough to get the needed effect. "Look at the pearl. Do you see how it glows so dimly? I'm dying, wasting away into nothing because of your poor management. You are literally murdering me. If the Order was run by somepony, even a gryphon, that was even remotely more competent than you, then you would have already been tried and killed according to not only Protectorate code but also Equestrian law for one of a few things: cruel and unusual punishment, assault, or attempted murder, which very well might shortly here after become an actual premeditated murder. What you have done here is not only illegal but, as well, irresponsible, unreasonable, selfish, a poor example of leadership and just downright idiotic. You let your emotions tear you to shreds. Because of that, the Order hangs by a thread. Had you gone any further you would have torn apart the nation and opened the door to our extinction, and I'm talking every stallion, mare and filly of any type that lives in this land or anywhere nearby.

"I don't think-"

"I don't care what you think! You will shut your whore mouth until I have finished! Do I make myself clear?!" He fell silent again. "There is a creature out there with an engendered hate larger than all the hate of the Protectorates you have brainwashed against me combined and multiplied several times through. It will stop at nothing until it has committed a genocide of billions of lives and has reclaimed this land. Even before now I wasn't sure whether or not I'd be able to stop it. Take me out of the picture and where does that leave our kind?"

He was silent; we all were. "Answer me! What would happen without me there to stop that dragon?"

He could not respond even if he wanted to. Perhaps my words had sunken in and taken root. It seemed like an eternity passed by, my frame quivering violently with the heavy effort I had given, until he simply turned and left without a word spoken. After he had finally left I half sat and half collapsed back down onto the floor. I looked over at Storm. Concern shown clearly in his eyes. What caught my attention next was the faint reflection of my body in the glass; I was a horridly thin creature, nearly every bone showing visibly despite the scales that lined my body, pathetically maltreated with the very guise of death hanging upon my face. The sight frightened me deeply and in a way I can’t begin to describe. My attention broke back to the three of them starting to look around the room they were in. After the most thorough search I have ever seen they looked at each other, then the buttons before finally turning to me. Storm spoke first. "Do you know which it is?"

"No."

"Any clues?"

"No."

"He must have hid something, anything, somewhere."

"The labyrinths." They all looked at me again, almost as if asking if there was another solution. "My only guess is within the labyrinths. Ajiin would hide something in them. A puzzle, an indicator as to which it is. Numbers, even. Something might be in there. Or he completely lost his mind and left nothing."

"At that point," Lance added quietly, "with the condition he's in, I mean, I wouldn't be surprised."

"Come on, you two, let's go back. We might even finish our maps." At Cam's request the three left again, heading back into the labyrinths. I was alone once more to wait. Rather than give in to sleep, I waited patiently, painfully awake.

It took what seemed to me an abnormally long amount of time until they returned. They looked both perplexed and frustrated. Eager for any news they might bring I spoke. "Did you find anything?"

"After scouring every square inch of that blasted maze, ceiling included, we found two numbers." Lance was clearly the most upset, even showing it in his tone. "The thing is: they were in the same maze, nearly equally far from both stairs. We can't even figure out how the two tie in or how we need to use them. Do we multiply? Add? Is one in the tens place and the other in the ones or are they both tens? I'm so lost..."

His head hung down low, leaving us to sit in silence momentarily. "I'm so sorry for all of this. I'm sorry for this nightmare I put you all through. It wasn't supposed to be like this. He told me we were simply going to send you somewhere else, like to the gryphons or the sphinxes or something...he deceived me."

"If it is any consolation," the voice coming from the stairs was Galaxia's, causing all of us to turn to see her trotting in, "he managed to fool me as well. I think my betrayal is worse than anything here."

"Did you get it?" I was hopeful again. "Did you learn how to do it?"

"No. The book was gone." Suddenly all light fled from me. "There was a vacant space in the shelf right where it should have been, and it was not in any other part of the library. I could only assume either Ajiin or somepony under him took it before this even started. I believe that it is probably in his possession as we speak."

Storm spoke as this soul crushing despair punched me in the heart. "So how do we get it back? That would be going into his territory looking for an object most of us wouldn't even recognise even if we saw it. This isn't even mentioning the fact that it’s been hidden somewhere, who knows where, by a master rogue, a pony whose job it was to do what we're trying to do right now."

"We need some kind of tracker." Cam, always filled with genius, threw the idea out there. It seemed to sink into Galaxia's mind, as she sat and thought on it momentarily.

"Hm...I could try some of my Void Hounds, see how they would fare in this task."

"Galaxia," she turned to me, "whatever you choose to do please do it quickly. I feel as if my life is drawing near to an end, as if my time is running out."

"I shall employ my best resources into this search. If the object is stationary it should be but days, maybe no more than one. If it is on the move, if somepony is fleeing with it, it will take longer based on their travelling speed and how big of a head start they have. I can make no promises." I nodded solemnly, almost apprehensively, before she turned and left. I looked over to the other three in their chamber. They sat in deep contemplation of what lie before them. After a very long while I addressed them.

"Hey." They turned their attention to me. "Don't worry. Galaxia should be able to track it down."

"We'll figure this out, Aqua. I'm not going to lose you yet again. Just wait there." They left, heading back into the labyrinths. I waited, as directed, because I had nothing else I could do.

I was awakened by Ajiin this time. "Hey. Hey! I need answers."

He helped me sit up. "To what?"

"Questions."

"Granted, but questions like what?"

"You said there was a power out there capable of making us extinct?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"What is it?"

"There was an ancient, dormant dragon that goes by the name of Flametread. He has a vindictive rage fuelled by events long in the past. His goal is our extinction, or in other words, the eradication of our race. He hopes to destroy every single last pony."

"How do you know all of this?"

"Because I was, guess I still am, his first target. I barely managed to defeat him when I was at full strength. In a wretched and pitiful state like this? Equestria might as well already be burning." Ajiin's usually playful, recently psychotic, expressions were utterly wasted into soberness. "The best part? He's probably just about recovered from our fight by now. Soon he will start his streak of destruction unhindered. Billions will be murdered in mass genocide while I sit here and rot. What's better? It will all be because of you."

"No. That's not true."

"You tricked Lance and Galaxia. You devised this plan. You imprisoned me. You orchestrated it all. This rests on you." One could almost see the weight of the situation fall upon him.

"I thought you were a monster. I thought you were going to kill us all like you did the others. I thought it best for you to disappear. I had no idea."

"So what now? You cannot free me. Storm, Cam and Lance cannot either, for they can't figure out the vague clues you put in the labyrinths. Galaxia can't for she does not have the book she needs to finish her part. I can't for obvious reasons; I sit here uselessly. All the while Flametread recovers further. Unless you can figure out a way to free me there's no hope for this race of creatures."

"There's one thing I can do."

"And what's that?" He looked over to the pearl. I knew in an instant what he was thinking. He was going to try and remove the pearl and risk eradication. "No. Out of the question."

"It's the surest way."

"Doesn't matter. You are not going to touch that pearl."

"I have to. We're all going to die anyways."

"You might be nimble but don't you dare risk it. Use something else, like a rope or something. Pull it out of there. Get a stick and push it out even if you so choose. I do not trust you enough to let you try by yourself."

"There's a chance it wouldn't work with another object.."

"There's also the chance of that if you try to get it out of there by yourself."

"I can do it."

"Even if you manage to, which would lead to your sure destruction, what would I do? I'm still chained up and far too weak at this point to try breaking free. If you're extinct I'll simply be stuck here until I die anyways."

"...I see. So then what?"

"Use a stick or a rope. Nopony will care if a stick is torn from existence or a rope permanently disappears."

"True, but what if I mess up?"

"My fate would be just the same as if you never tried." Ajiin nodded. He then turned and left. I sighed after he was gone. This had all turned into one oversized escapade, and only from a small set of lies. I sat back down and awaited the next pony to enter.

A short, relatively short, time later the trio reentered. I had a bit of hope to start but it was quickly dashed watching their hopeless canter. "Did you find anything?"

They all glumly shook their heads. It was easy to tell that the disappointment and grief of finding nothing from yet another search was hitting Storm the hardest. "That's alright-"

"No, it's not alright." Storm had had enough of it all. "Here we are banging our heads against the wall trying to figure out the deranged mind of a psychopath while on a very short time frame before all hope is lost. I can't lose you again, Aqua. I will not, under any circumstances, let you slip out of my hooves yet another time."

"Hey, it may look bleak right now but we must keep our heads high to see what is before us." That was a hypocritical statement, as I sat wallowing in crippling hopelessness, but I had to do whatever I could to try and keep him going. "Something will happen; it always does. Look at all the times I should have died, yet here I am. I don't know why, nor can I explain how, but despite fate's best efforts to kill me off there seems to be something that doesn't want me to pass yet. Why would this time be any different than the other hundreds?"

Storm's face was grim, almost darkened by the despair that gripped him so tightly at this time. "It will come one day."

"Yes, but today is not that day."

Cam spoke next. It almost seemed like she was on the brink of tears. "Is everything going to turn out alright?"

The honest questions hurt the most sometimes. As best as I could I smiled, albeit weakly, and responded in the most sincere manner I could muster. "Yes, my child. Don’t you worry yourself about it. I will return eventually."

"How are you so sure?" Lance spoke disdainfully. "How do you know?"

"I don't know and I can't explain it but this time I just feel like it will all turn out fine. Trust in my feeling. I'm trying to."

Storm, with his usual determination, asked the next question. "So then what do we do now?"

"Leave."

"Absolutely not."

"Storm, I mean it."

"I can't just leave you here like this. I can't just abandon you like this and leave you here to die!"

"There's nothing you can do, any of you, in this situation. You can either sit there in despair, moping over what this situation is until you make a rash action or you can leave and wait for me to come back."

"So then what are you supposed to do?"

"Your solution is not the only one I have working out right now. I have more in the works. They just have not come to fruition yet. As yours neared we saw that it could not have come to pass. So now we simply watch and wait."

"Wait for what?" Cam asked this question.

"Galaxia or Ajiin. One of the two has something working out right now. Unfortunately there is nothing else you three can do. Return home and await my arrival."

Lance, skeptical as usual, spoke up. "How do we know you'll arrive?"

"You don't. You'll just have to wait and see." Glumly, after a short period of silence, they began heading for their exit. "Oh, and Storm?"

He turned back to face me. "Don't do anything stupid, especially because of any bitterness you might feel towards Lance. Got that?"

"Yes."

"Good. Now, go." They turned again and headed out. Alone again I was in this pit of despair. I laid down, finally overcome by fatigued and starved drowsiness.

I was next being awakened by fervent shaking and a panicked voice. "Aqua! Aqua!"

I barely moved in some kind of effort to respond. The nudging ceased and the fear stricken voice calmed but there was still a sense of urgency about it all. "Aqua, get up! You have to get up!"

With a monumental amount of help I did manage to sit up once more. I was finally conscious enough at this point to recognise that it was Ajiin helping me. Noted also was the presence of Galaxia nearby. Once I had successfully become stable in my sitting position Galaxia spoke to Ajiin. "Good. She has not passed yet. Now, leave."

"Wait, what?" It was easy to hear in his tone that he had been caught off guard.

"You heard what I said. Leave immediately."

"But why?" He was distressed now.

"You have served your purpose in restitution. Leave now." Galaxia was frustrated if not angry.

"Galaxia, I must see her safely delivered!" She came marching up to him in full royal fury. "Please!"

"Absolutely not! You are to leave here at once!"

"No." I barely managed to speak. The effort to do so was unreal, almost impossible at first. My sudden response caused both of them to turn but Galaxia spoke first.

"What?"

"No." I was as firm as I could possibly be.

"What do you mean 'no'?"

"He stays."

"He's the one that got you stuck down here in the first place. He's the one that trapped you in this hole!"

"And?" Galaxia was silenced for a period of time. "Ajiin?"

"Yes?"

"Bring me food. I don't have the fortitude for what is about to come next. If you supply me with three meals, three actual, full meals, I think I should simply fall comatose for a short while instead of die outright." He nodded and quickly headed out. It was clear to see that Galaxia was still perturbed by something I had said. “You’re not fond of my decision. That’s very clear to see.”

"How can you still trust him?"

"Some effort is needed but it is doable."

"After all of this?"

"I've managed to forgive him and move on. What gives you any more right to hold a grudge?"

"He betrayed me and led me into this mess!"

"He betrayed me and led me into this mess as well, yet you're not the one in this mess that is shackled to a dead dungeon floor with their very soul and existence in peril. Galaxia, don't pick at this or it will fester, and we've both seen what that can do." She fell silent once more. Shortly thereafter Ajiin came bolting in, a large plate of food in his possession. "Thank you, Ajiin. This will help me greatly."

At this point if I wasn't eating, albeit painfully and with difficulty, the large plates that Ajiin would bring I was asleep to gain as much energy and strength as I could. Upon awakening the final time, once a little less groggy, I nodded to Galaxia. Shortly thereafter she began working on duplicating the pearl. After a long time, Ajiin watching by far the most intently, Galaxia finished. She held an exactly identical copy of the pearl. Both this copy and the original glowed dangerously dim. I almost couldn't believe it; she did it. She used the pearl's magic to make it replicate itself, something I hadn’t done in a very long time. I stood, barely, and nodded courteously at the two of them. Now my time had come. I began leaning, straining, against the shackles. At this point I was unsure of whether or not I could actually manage to do what needed to be done. I pushed even harder, shoving aside my thoughts and letting desperation fill my heart. When I was about to concede defeat I felt the anchors budge and heard the accompanying sounds of the bolts scraping out of the ground. Gaining enthusiasm as I heard this progress I pushed harder. I continued to move very slowly, snorting and grunting the whole time, until I heard either a snap or a click. I looked up and saw the dagger snap down onto the pearl, which seemed to instantaneously disappear. Immediately thereafter my body completely gave out and collapsed. As I fell the world turned black as pitch.

I awoke in my bed at home, groggy and disoriented beyond anything else I had ever felt before. I took note, at least, that Storm was nearby. Other than that, however, my surroundings were dull at best. Storm came over to the bed next. Leaning in he kissed my forehead and held himself there for a little while. He must have been crying, as I felt a few droplets land upon the crown of my head. He whispered in a hushed tone before pulling away. "Please stay. I can't keep doing this.

With that he sat back down where he had been before. Poor guy. I thought back on everything that had happened through the course of time since I had met him. No matter what the circumstances were he always seemed to end up receiving the worst part of the situation, almost entirely by my own fault. Time and time again it seemed like he would lose me forever more to the cold grasp of death, or occasionally worse. While all hope seemed lost, while he was stuck firmly in those agonising pits of despair, I would come back like some kind of phoenix, but it was never enough. He knew that it would happen again sometime later. He could never truly rejoice. I still have yet to figure out why he never left me, but this type of pessimism can be saved for another time. I must continue with the story. As my mind was engulfed in dark thoughts as such I ultimately succumbed to sleep once more, hoping to recover.

A long while passed while I was stuck like this in my poor physical state. Storm cared for me night and day. As I recall I never once saw him take a break, but perhaps Bane or Galaxia stepped in every now and then on his request as he dozed off. When I would sleep, and if he didn't decide to go and make something for me when I finally woke up, he watched over my pearl to assure himself that I was indeed alive and stable. He took good care of me while I was thus handicapped, but at the expense of himself. Half of the time he was worried sick, literally. The other half of the time he was preoccupied doing something to try and help me. As time progressed I eventually found more energy and was able to start using it. I would spend more time awake. I would also spend more time admonishing Storm to finally get some rest, which he did under one condition: he had to know I was still there beside him. I continued recovery, and it wasn't terribly long, until I could get up and move. It was with help at first but I quickly improved. As soon after that as I could I began training. To start I noted that my physical condition was both horrifyingly poor and detestably weak. Exercises to increase strength and endurance filled the entirety of my day. I put as much of my effort, both physical and mental, into recovering my former strength as possible from dawn until dusk. Unfortunately there just was not enough time. While training one day Galaxia interrupted me. As I slowed my efforts, and ultimately stopped, she drew near. "Aqua, there is no more time. My scouts just spotted Flametread in the southernmost boundaries of these lands. He has amassed an enormous army of dragons and has set his trajectory for Canterlot."

"Canterlot? But I thought-"

"That it had burned? No. I still cannot explain what happened in that chamber or why you saw that."

"But you said to Storm that-"

"I know. We were afraid that if you saw Canterlot whole and not razed that you would not be able to transform and stop Flametread the first time."

"Well enough. How much time do we have before he arrives this time?"

"In no more than a day he will arrive in the southern Badlands."

"Curses...there's just not enough time. Warn and prepare the others. We must head out immediately."

"But you do not have the strength sufficient for this fight. You have not fully recovered yet!"

"That's rather unfortunate."

"He will easily annihilate you."

"I have a plan."

"We can stall him while he is down there."

"For how long? A day? A week? Or perhaps months or a year? I don't know how long I’ll need."

"You can continue training until-"

"No. This cannot wait."

"It has to!"

"Galaxia, while I appreciate your concern for me we must still acknowledge that my life cannot come close to the value of all the lives in peril right now. If I go I'll probably die anyways regardless of whether or not I'm actually successful. If I wait I'll get to behold the soul crushing extinction of our entire species because I wasn't willing to fight. Flametread won't wait and neither can we."

"We will lose the best blood of Equestria."

"But which is more important? Keeping the best blood of Equestria or keeping the life blood of Equestria? If I go out there, stop Flametread and the two of us die everypony else will survive. Society would continue as normal, as if nothing had ever happened. But what if I stay in hiding, Flametread comes and everypony dies? What would happen then? I can't create a society alone. In fact, I can’t create a society at all. I’m barren, Galaxia. I can’t repopulate after a complete annihilation of our race. I would have failed in my duty, we would be extinct and Flametread will have won."

"Surely there is something-"

"No, Galaxia. I must go. There is no other way." She looked utterly downtrodden, an emotion I had never seen before on her face. "Gather the forces that you will need to fight his army of dragons. Just because I have to do this doesn't mean I have to do it alone. I need your help."

Galaxia nodded solemnly and warped away, most likely to rally her underlings for the fight. When I turned around I saw Cam standing a short ways behind me. She was staring up at me, sorrow clearly showing on her face. We sat in painful silence for a moment before she came over and hugged me, half collapsing with a few silent cries. I, myself, sat down and returned the hug in an attempt to console the sobbing pony. After a few moments more of comforting her, she pulled her head away to look up at me with tear filled eyes. She then buried her head into my scaled body once again and, with a whisper barely audible, plead quietly. "Please don't leave us, Aqua."

She knew exactly what was about to come and the prospect was breaking her heart. Seeing her like this both tore my heart asunder with grief and, at the same time, warmed my soul with gratitude. I did not want, any more than anypony else, to go and do what would come next. I did not want to leave these ponies, of which I had grown so fond, behind without guidance or experience. But then again it was never about what I wanted to do. Giving myself in the aid, service, and rescue of others brought the deepest joys I have ever felt. Peaceful contentment, despite my looming demise, came from knowing I had touched the hearts of at least a few and left behind a legacy to be followed. I had started this all alone with nopony to guide me. I now finished my life surrounded by friends and family. The absolute and undeniably powerful cascade of emotion brought a few tears to my own eyes. This time I gladly let them slip. After a few more silent moments I arose, Cam still attached firmly to my body. "Alright, with that precious moment spent we now must be on our way. I must tell Storm now. Preparations must be made for what is about to come next. Come."

She finally released her solid grip on me in order to begin trotting beside me. Poor thing was absolutely grief stricken and I can't blame her for being so either. If I had even one wing that I could still use I would have wrapped it around her to console her. Fate was not kind enough to grant me such an opportunity, unfortunately, so I had to refrain.

When we arrived at the house we found that Storm had already begun preparations. It was clear to see his mood was not the best. He turned to us once we were inside. "Galaxia filled me in. This is absolutely idiotic and pure suicide by any standards, but I suppose it's better than extinction. When do we head out?"

"When Cam has equipped her gear."

"You won't be bringing yours?" Cam was concerned about the fact that I would have neither armour nor weapons. She didn't know what was about to happen, and I’m not sure if she would have been ready for it either way.

"No."

"Why not?"

"I won't need it."

"Why not?"

"That, my child, you will have to see for yourself." She wasn't satisfied with my response but thought it better not to prod further. "We'll meet Galaxia near the entrance to the Badlands. We’ll see what happens from there."

Cam headed over to her armour and put it on while Storm finished his final preparations. Solemn silence reigned at this critical moment; I was silent in pensive fear for being underprepared and, in accordance, falling victim to death once and for all. Storm was silent for the impending loss of me, while Cam remained silent for the imminent loss of one of her only friends, not to mention her role model. Regardless of the sullenness of the moment, preparations continued. Once she was vested and ready she returned. Storm came over and we all nodded stoically before heading out. We were now heading out towards what could be summarised as my rapidly approaching demise.

After the long journey, a night filled with nothing but trotting across open landscape and train rides of painful silence, we arrived in the fertile little valley. This, too, we traversed in utter quiet. The first word was spoken by Cam after we broke into the Badlands, and only after watching the sunrise on the horizon for a moment. "Is she here yet?"

"I'm not sure. I don't see her yet, but she'll show up for this battle. Trust me." Almost as if on cue, while we were trotting the barren landscape, a massive portal ripped open the dry, arid air. From within came pouring out nightmarish creatures, a few too bizarre and frightening to even hope to describe. Some were our size while others yet were larger than entire buildings, with every size in between. We eventually saw Galaxia trot out surrounded by wickedly warped creatures that vaguely resembled dogs. She approached us as the last few creations trickled out and the portal closed. "Perfect. Here she is."

"These creatures have fought for the eternities for sport. It is time to see if they will fight for blood."

"Excellent. We'll wait here until..." My sentence trailed off as I focused on an object far in the distance behind her. Cam must have seen it also.

"What is that?"

Galaxia and Storm both looked towards it. "Aqua, Galaxia, I think that's it. This might be the end of the line."

"It has to be Flametread. Nothing else could possibly be that large." Galaxia was right. I swallowed hard, hoping to push my way through the undeniable wall of fear that stood so starkly before me.

"Well, everypony, it's been great, but it looks like the wait is over. He approaches; Flametread is upon us. If anypony wishes to back out and find shelter now would be the time." I heard Storm in response first.

"Aqua, I promised that I would stand by you through thick and thin. I intend to keep that promise."

"Ever since you rescued me I've tried to stay by your side. I won't leave you, no matter how scared I get."

"I always wanted to kill a dragon." I broke my gaze from the approaching dot to look at Galaxia; I'm almost certain we all did. Considering my nature it almost worried me, if Flametread hadn't already preoccupied all my concern. "To tell Flare that we killed an Elder Dragon will be bragging rights indeed."

If the situation hadn't been so bleak I'm sure I would have chuckled. Her answer was good enough for me regardless, so I turned my gaze back to the quickly approaching shape. As it continued to get closer it was unmistakable: Flametread was here. The time had now arrived.