With news of the enemies recent victory at the border, all of Equestria was shaken as citizens from across the kingdom began reading the latest headlines in the papers

War comes to Equestria once again

Prince Blueblood marches army across border

Unnatural blizzard continues to grow in the north

With so much troubling news, many began to wonder if things were going to go back to the days of the great war and some even considered moving out of Equestria entirely in hopes of avoiding it while others wasted no time in running to the nearest guard station to sign up for the army that was surely being assembled to combat the growing threat that was Blueblood. But while most found the war to be troubling, others had found it profitable as wars meant a high increase in demand for supplies such as food and blankets as well as medicines and spells.

Soon vendors from all across the land were out on the streets competing against each other to sell their wares to the numerous soldiers now patrolling the streets along with a few mercenariy groups from the allied kingdoms.

"You there sir! You look like a fine spell caster. How's about a scroll of invisibility? Perfect for sneaking around your enemies!"

"Please step right up! I got every kind of armor you need from leather to plate!"

"Finest weapons from the Crystal Empire sold right here! We got swords, shields, spears, axes and arrows!"

With the city more busy than ever, Celestia had her hands full trying to manage the kingdom but thankfully she had help in the form of her sister as well as her former student and friends.

Twilight was in charge of organizing the numerous meetings taking place in the castle with the help of Spike who now had his claws full preparing for his child now growing within Rarity's belly, Pinkie was in charge of providing refreshments for the various emissaries and lords who would be visiting the castle and had help from Fluttershy and her animals, Rainbow Dash was in charge of entertainment now that she was back in Equestria and flying with her old squad mates from The Wonderbolts.

Rarity was in charge of decorations but it would prove to be a more daunting task than usual now that she was carrying a little one inside her and would often find herself exhausted or sick leaving Spike to pick up the slack, not that he minded since he was used to doing multiple tasks with Twilight.

"Oh heavens. I'm so sorry Spikey Wikey." She apologized while her husband sat her down in a nearby chair and gave her some ice water to drink.

"No need to apologize Rarity. You work hard every day so it's fine if you need rest and besides, you're carrying precious cargo." Spike replied with a smirk and gently placed his hand on his wife's belly to feel a small bulge beginning to form.

"I seriously hope we can end this war and our child will only read about it in stories."

"I know Spikey."

Rarity held her husbands hand and seemed to enjoy it's warmth against her as they smiled down at her belly before he was called to help organize another meeting with Twilight and though she was not able to move for the rest of the day, she always brought something to help keep her busy.

"Well since I'm here I might as well knit." She said to herself while floating over a weave basket with a few knitting supplies and began to knit a purple baby blanket with green frills decorating its edge, seeing this tiny piece of cloth made Rarity smile knowing that her husband would appreciate it more once it was used to keep their little one warm and cozy at night or during naps. By the time she had finished knitting the blanket, it was already past noon which meant spike would be coming back with her afternoon tea.

"Can't let him see this yet can we?" She said to the little one inside her while putting the blanket away.

Spike came rushing into the room with a refreshment tray assorted with Rarity's favorite snacks and tea followed by Twilight and Fluttershy who had come to see how their friend was doing.

"Hello Rarity." Fluttershy said in her usual, gentle tone with a smile.

"Fluttershy darling! so good to see you." Rarity responded with a few friendly pecks to the cheek before allowing her to examine her belly.

Ever since the end of the great war, Fluttershy had become one of Ponyvilles most talented nurses and midwife. She began by taking out a stethoscope from a medical bag she brought with her and gently placed it on her friends stomach to listen for a heartbeat.

"How is it?" Spike asked feeling a little anxious.

"Your baby is fine Spike. Would you like to listen?"

Fluttershy handed the scope to Spike as he listened to the sounds of his infants heartbeat and sure enough he began to shed tears of joy while gently hugging Rarity.

"I still can't believe it. We're gonna be parents!"

"Oh Spikey wikey."

Rarity nuzzled her husband as they sat down to have tea when she noticed Twilight looking rather depressed while reading her newest book.

"Everything okay Twilight?" Spiked asked while sitting next to Rarity and helping with her tea.

"Hm? Oh i'm fine Spike. Just thinking." She replied before turning another page in her book.

"Thinking about what?"

"Well...seeing as how you'll be having a baby soon, I guess you'll be busier than ever which means I'll be looking for a new assistant."

"Oh darling there's no need to worry, Sweetie Belle has agreed to lend a hand once the baby is born. She's been looking forward to being called "Auntie Belle" for a while now."

At the Crystal Empire, Shining Armor was walking through the halls of the palace to check in on Cadence and Flurry, as per usual. During his trek, he heard a strange noise coming from one of the rooms he passed by. With curiosity getting the better of him he cautiously approached the door and reached for the handle. Shining then opened the door with a hand on his sword as he gazed at what was inside. A mirror, taller than he, stood alone in the room and seemed to oddly ripple a tad making him quirk a brow. With caution still high upon his senses, Shining slowly approached the mirror as the ripples continued along the strange object.

“How in the…” Shining muttered.

“Is this…magic of some kind?” He wondered as he reached for the mirror.

Suddenly, the mirror began to ripple more startling Shining as he stepped back, ready to draw his sword. As the mirror rippled more, the sounds of screaming could be heard from it as the mirror began to shine. Before Shining could react, a mass of unknown origin came flying out of the mirror and out the door, causing a large crash to echo throughout the halls. Shining, still in shock, glanced back at the mirror that seemed to stop rippling entirely. The Captain shook his head and made for the door to see what had flown through. Outside, face down, a bipedal creature with large crimson red wings lay motionless on the ground. It wore a black hooded leather jacket, dark blue jeans, and black boots. Shining gulped as he slowly approached the unconscious creature laying before him.

Guards who had heard the crash came rushing down the hall to find their prince standing over the creature with weapons drawn.

“You alright sire?” One guard asked while the others inspected the creature.

“Yes, I’m fine,” Shining answered, not taking his eyes off the still unconscious intruder.

“Who is this stallion? How’d he get in the palace?” A stag asked.

“Look at the size of those wings! They’re huge!” A stallion commented.

“Focus, men! We don’t know who he is our how-”

“Urgh…”

Everyone looked to the stranger who groaned as his body began to sluggishly move. He coughed and wheezed as he shakily placed both hands on the ground and lifted himself up. Shining kept his hand on the handle of his sword as the creature leaned forward on his elbow and knee.

“I…can’t breathe…” the stranger wheezed as he clutched his chest.

“My chest…feels like it’ll burst…!”

A caribou soldier placed his hand on the stranger as he began to regain his vision.

“You alright pal?” He asked when the stranger stared at him with shock and began to grit his teeth in anger.

“Hey buddy you okay-ACK!!!”

The guard was suddenly pinned to the wall as the stranger gripped his throat to the point of crushing it.

In the movement of pinning the stag, the stranger’s hood fell off for all to see his face. To everyone’s surprise, he wasn’t a pony. His ears were small and on the side of his head, he had no muzzle and his nose was small, his hair was dark brown with a red streak on the side, but what stood out was his eyes. The stag who was struggling to breathe looked in the strangers eyes in fear as the stranger glared at him with death. The stranger’s eyes were bright amber and had black markings on his eyelids. To him, it was as if he was in the presence of a demon straight from Tartarus.

“What the fuck…are you doing here?!” The stranger snarled venomously. “I destroyed your Overlord, I slaughtered your brethren, and you have the fucking balls to walk around?! I’LL TEAR YOUR ANTLERS OFF! ALONG WITH THE REST OF THE SURVIVORS AND SEND THEM TO DAINN IN A CASKET!”

“Hey put him down!!” A unicorn guard shouted before blasting him down the hall with his magic while Shining Armor unsheathed his sword and ordered them to surround the attacker.

“Use stunning magic, we need answers!”

“So the rest of you fuckers wanna play…” the stranger chuckled maniacally as he wiped his mouth and stood up straight.

“Fine…I’ll tear you lot limb from bloody fucking limb!”

What happened next made all the soldiers and Shining Armor stop in their advance. The stranger raised his hands to his sides and unfurled his large crimson red wings. His wings had to be at least 8ft and width, arguably bigger than even Celestia’s wings. Suddenly, his hands were set ablaze as smaller embers ignited along his body and wings. More so, the feathers of his wings seemed to morph and change in shape. They became pointy and sharp, like dozens of daggers had replaced each feather. Everyone was at a loss what to do, no one had ever seen anything like whoever this creature was.

“What’s wrong?! Getting cold feet?! Don’t worry, by the time I send you all to Hell, you’ll warm up in no time!” The stranger threatened as the flames along his body flickered violently and raised his fist.

“GET BACK!!” Cried out Shining Armor as he put up a shield at the last second, while none of the men were hurt, the entire hall was scorched by the flames along with a few curtains.

That should’ve easily broken the shield! What happened to my powers?! The stranger thought.

“Hah! Decent shield, but I-”

His speech was cut short when he finally saw the Captain within the group. His eyes widened and his stance relaxed as the flames seemed to snuff out all at once. The feathers also returned to normal as the stranger furled his wings back as he continued to stare at Shining.

“What the…Shining Armor?” The stranger said, in a surprisingly more calm tone. His eyes had even changed color from bright amber to a steel grey.

“No way…but how?”

The soldiers used this chance to bind the intruder with their magic before piling on him to the ground as he was restrained.

“DON’T MOVE!!” A guard shouted while slapping on a set of shackles as they dragged him to the prince.

“Get off me!” The stranger struggled as he was forced to his knees.

“Fucking hell, why’re my powers weakened?!” He looked up to Shining and his face looked like he was visibly confused.

“Shining Armor, how are you here?! Why are there Caribou walking around?! Why am I in shackles?!” He looked around as if he was looking for someone.

“Wait, where is Draco? And Flash, Zephyr, Maud?! And…Twilight, where’s Twilight?!”

The second his sister’s name was mentioned, Shining Armor brought his sword up to the stranger’s neck looking ready to kill him without a second thought.

“Who are you and how do you know my sister?”

“She…” he was about to answer when his words seemed to die in his throat. He stared at Shining as if he’d seen a ghost, and it made him frown and lowered his head.

“I should’ve at least tried to save you,” he said quietly.

“She was so heartbroken, and yet you stand before me. Is this some kind of sick illusion Dainn had in store? Just to torture me for my failure of not showing up in time?”

“Dainn? Dainn Stonehoof? How does he know that bastard?” The caribou guard from earlier asked while his friend helped him up.

“You injured soldier?” Shining inquired while keeping an eye on the prisoner.

“Just a few bruises sir.”

“Head down to the infirmary for the night. We got this.”

“You…” the stranger sneered as he looked back up to Shining. “How the hell are you here?!”

“What do you mean? I-”

“I WATCHED YOU DIE RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME! I WAS AT YOUR FUNERAL! I SWORE TO YOU I’D FIGHT DAINN STONEHOOF AND BRING BACK EQUESTRIA’S PEACE!” He bellowed in confused rage.

Having his fill of this madness, Shining slapped him across the face leaving a visible mark before grabbing him by the collar.

“WHO. ARE. YOU?!?” He shouted in an annoyed manner while looking him in the eye.

The stranger was taken back by the slap but knew Shining would do it again if he didn’t get what he wanted. Taking a deep breath, he calmed himself so he could speak.

“Before I answer, please allow me to ask you something,” the stranger requested.

“You’re in no position to ask anything!” Shining barked.

“Please, I swear I’ll answer anything you want.”

Shining was hesitant at first, but he needed answers to the many questions spiraling within his mind.

“Fine,” he nodded. “What is your question?”

“…What’s the one nickname Twilight always calls you whenever you’re together?” The stranger asked as he looked at the Captain dead in the eye.

Shining blushes as the nickname was a bit embarrassing to say but had no choice despite his soldiers being there.

“I’m…her…BBBFF.”

The soldiers snickered a little as the stranger kept a straight face.

“And that stands for?”

“Rrr…Big Brother, Best Friend Forever…” Shining sighed as the blush on his cheeks grew brighter.

Some of the soldiers then laughed out loud, making Shining groan in embarrassment. The stranger blinked a few times before exhaling and nodded.

“You really are Shining Armor.”

“Of course I am, now tell me who you are!” Shining snapped.

“Very well, my name is Dimitri,” the stranger said with a soft smile.

“Dimitri Lockdrom, I’m a human.”

The soldiers talked amongst themselves as they had only heard of humans in legends and folktales.

“Okay Dimitri, my turn. How did you activate the mirror?” Shining asked, pointing to the mirror.

“It was actually a bit of an accident, now that I recall,” Dimitri replied. “Twilight was fiddling with it and asked me to see if I could find any magic power source and why it works the way it did. She attempted to cast a spell on it but it backfired when the damn thing pulled me in. Next thing I know I’m flying around in a crazy ass looking void and my chest felt like it was being torn apart before I was flung forward into another portal. You obviously know the rest.”

“I see,” Shining nodded, but then narrowed his eyes at Dimitri. “How do you know my sister?”

“She’s my marefriend,” Dimitri said nonchalantly.

Shinings mane turned frazzled and his right pupil became dilated along with a slight twitch in his left eye.

“I...see…” his voice cracked a bit before he cleared his throat

“You’re Twilight’s coltfriend?”

Both men turned to see Cadence walk in with Flurry Heart holding her hand. She looked around the scorched hallway and looked at her husband curiously.

“Shiny, why is the hallway burnt? Who is that? He said Twilight is his marefriend, why didn’t she tell us she was dating somepony? How come he’s in shackles?” Cadence peppered Shining with questions.

“Uh long story you two. Did we wake you?” He asked as Flurry squirmed around trying to get comfortable.

“We heard a commotion, but the guards told me to remain safe. Once everything had calmed down, I came here.”

“And who’s this strange man, daddy?

Flurry Heart then looked at Dimitri and tilted her head as Dimitri just stared back at her. She then walked up to the man and eyes his wings, curiously.

“Uh…hey there Flurry,” Dimitri said with a smirk.

“You have pretty wings, mister,” Flurry smiled.

“Thanks, you too.”

“Thank you, mom always tells me to keep them nice and preened.

“You should keep that to heart, it’s always important to keep your wings healthy.”

“My, she certainly has taken a liking to you.” Cadence smiled.

“You think so?” Dimitri asked.

“I mean technically, we only just met.”

“I think you’re pretty cool, mister!” Flurry chirped.

“Thanks kid, you’re not so bad yourself. It’s pretty surreal seeing you all grown up.”

“Grown up?” Flurry tilted her head.

“Alright sweetie, that’s enough questions, it’s time for bed.” Cadence called out as Flurry.

“But mom, I wanna talk to this nice stallion,” Flurry whined.

“It’s late. We can discuss more in the morning.”

“Ugh, fine…” Flurry nodded as they turned to leave.

“You seem like a nice guy Dimitri but I have to follow protocol. Men, take him to the dungeon.” Shining ordered feeling a bit guilty as they escorted him.

“All things considered, I don’t mind,” the human said as he was escorted away. “Also, call me Lock.”

“Sounds good seeing as how we’ll have you under…”

“Sir please don’t.” one of the soldiers begged

“LOCK and key!” Shining joked making almost everyone groan.

“DAD! THAT’S SO LAME!” Flurry snapped, facepalming in embarrassment.

“Honey, leave comedy to Pinkie Pie.” Cadence sighed as they returned to bed.

As the guards took Lock further down, the human was surprised to find the number of guards and maids of equestrian and caribou descent mixed together and even being good friends with each other. One pair however stood out as he spotted a tall, amazon-like doe flirting with a butler.

“Mmm you’re cute~. Wanna hang with me for tonight?” She asked, letting him get a view down her breastplate.

“How is this possible?” Lock thought out loud.

“I thought Dainn had everyone and everything under his hoof?”

“Pfft! Fifteen years ago, maybe.” The guard scoffed, making Lock’s eyes widen.

“But these days, most of the Stonehooves are on the run. King Wulfric really sent ‘em packing.”

Hold on, fifteen years?! I traveled through time?! Lock thought. But…that mirror is only meant for one purpose! How the hell did it send me to the future?!

“And Dainn?” Lock wondered, trying to keep calm.

“Dead, slain in battle by our great King Wulfirc Warborn,” the guard said.

“Dainn’s…dead here?”

“Good riddance too, may he rot for all eternity.”

So Dainn Stonehoof is dead here, and I traveled through time? This all just keeps getting stranger and stranger.

They all soon arrived at the dungeons and opened one of the cell doors. A barrier was activated and his shackles were removed.

“This barrier blocks out all magic. Compliments of the changelings,” One of the guards said as Lock stepped into his new quarters.

“Changelings, huh?” Dimitri said, examining the barrier.

“Impressive, but I should tell you I don’t use magic but I will comply since I don’t wish to cause any more trouble.”

“We would hope not,” the guard said as he removed his shackles and closed the door. “We’ll be back tomorrow morning so Prince Shining can formally question you.”

“Seems fair, can I request something real quick?” Lock asked.

“What is it?”

“I’m a little hungry after today’s events, got anything to eat?”

“Mmm I think we got some leftovers in the fridge. I’ll have a peek.”

As the guard made his way to the kitchens, he noticed the same butler from earlier covered in lipstick with a frazzled mane and a goofy smile saying.

“I think i’m in love!”

“Good on you, kid!” Lock called out as the stallion skipped away.

Lock sat on the bed of his cell and sighed. He then looked at his hands and concentrated. Small embers flickered in the palms of his hands but he could tell something was wrong. He tried to make them glow brighter, but his little spat from earlier left him drained so this was all he could do at the moment.

“I just don’t understand it,” Lock thought aloud. “It feels as though I’ve been weakened, did that mirror do something to me?” He shook his head and snuffed the flames out and stood up. Not seeing anything else to do, he decided to do a little exercising before his meal was brought to him. He unzipped his jacket, took off his shirt, and kicked off his boots until he was only wearing his pants.

“Might as well work up a sweat before I eat.”

Meanwhile, a young mare and doe maid were walking side by side towards the dungeons with platters in their hands. When they rounded the corner, they noticed a bunch of doe and mare guards peering into one of the cells and silently giggling to each other. The doe’s were all biting their lips and had lidded eyes and the mares’ faces were all beet red.

“What’s everypony looking at?” The mare maid wondered.

“Check out this guy~.” One of the guards replied pointing to Dimitri doing sit ups in his cell.

Both maids peered in and gasped as their faces flushed red. Lock had perched himself upside down on a bar and had both hands behind his back. All females got a very generous look at Lock’s exceedingly muscular torso. If anyone had to guess, no one could remember if they had seen such bulging muscles as the ones that littered the human’s body. Not to mention that his large crimson red wings were a bit of a plus.

Lock soon finished his crunches and back flipped on the ground. With a deep inhale and exhale, he wiped his brow and turned to see he had an audience.

“Evening ladies,” Lock waved with a hand on his hip.

The girls squealed like a bunch of teenagers before dispersing as the guard brought him a small platter of soup and bread with a cream puff for desert.

“Man you lucked out, that’s the last cream puff and not just any cream puff. That was made by Gustave la Grande.” He said with a bit of envy, handing over the platter.

“Heh, thanks I guess,” Lock shrugged as he took the platter and set it aside.

“What are you doing?” The guard wondered.

“Drying off,” Lock said. Before the guard could question him, Lock clapped his hands and he was briefly covered in a puff of flames. All the sweat from his body immediately evaporated off his skin, filling the cell with steam. The guard blinked in shock and looked over to see a couple mares had fainted with dopey grins plastered on their faces.

“So, got a name?” Lock asks as he sits down to eat his meal.

“Oh, name’s Flint. I run the night shift here most times. Heard you gave the boys quite the beating. Be glad King Wulfric wasn’t here because buddy, let me tell you: He’d ice you for sure!” Flint said in a brooklyn accent indicating he was from Manehattan.

“You know, that’s the second time I heard that name,” Lock hummed as he slurped his soup. “Who is he anyway? He sounds to be a big name around here.”

“WHO IS HE?!?” Flint yelled in astonishment.

“Only one of the biggest heroes ever to emerge from the great war! Lemme give ya a quick history lesson pal.” He said grabbing a nearby stool.

“Fifteen years ago, old Dainn and his goons invaded Equestria but before that, they had to eliminate any potential threats from the other clans. Enter Wulfric and his clan; The Warborn. These guys were against the invasion and refused to support the Stonehooves so Dainn had his shamans trapped them in a blizzard for almost a year.”

Flint shook his head and smirked.

“That was a mistake. Soon as they got free, Wulfric lead his clan and a band of others left behind by the Stonehooves and began a series of raids starting in the little town of Ponyville and sure enough they met up with Shining Armor and the Knights of The Golden Sun and then the Changelings until they formed a massive army and began taking the fight to them! And my gramps was one of those soldiers who joined the fight!” Flint said proudly before showing a very surprising photo of equestrian and caribou warriors standing together under Equestria’s banner.

“That guy at the end here? That’s my gramps.”

Lock gazed at the photo in admiration with all he had been told. He never would have expected Caribou and ponies alike to work together to fight a common enemy. One of the Caribou looked to be wearing traditional royal Viking armor with large antlers. Next to him were two mares he seemed to recognize immediately which made him quirk a brow.

“Is that Rainbow Dash and Applejack?” Lock asked.

“Yup and that guy right there is King Wulfric; Their husband.”

That last bit made Lock almost choke on his soup but managed to swallow properly. “Eh?! Husband?! They’re married here?!”

“Well yeah.” Flint said nonchalantly.

“Got hitched right after the war in Canterlot.”

“Huh, never expected that, of all things,” Lock said as he finished his soup. He then walked over to fish something out of his jacket pocket and pulled out a pack of matches and a small box. He flipped open the box and pulled out a white stick and placed it between his lips. With a snap of his fingers, he lit the stick with a small ember on his thumb and inhaled. When Lock exhaled, a puff of smoke escaped his lips as he relaxed on the edge of his bed. “To think, I’m in another world, forward in time, Dainn’s dead, and my powers are tapped.”

“So uh...you gonna eat that?” Flint asked, pointing to the cream puff.

“Eh, sure,” Lock shrugged as he placed the stick between his lips and tossed Flint the desert. “Never really had that much of a sweet tooth anyway.”

“You are very generous, my friend.” He said before taking a bite and crying out with satisfaction.

“Oh! Dang that’s good. See ya in the morning.” Flint said before turning in for the night.

Lock chuckled as he continued to smoke and sat on his bed and crossed his legs. He then closed his eyes and cleared his mind as if he was in deep thought.

Lucifer…

The Next Day

Shining had contacted the other royals by holo crystal and briefed them on the situation that happened the other night. Needless to say, they were a bit surprised that the mirror was still working despite it being inoperable for the next thirty moons.

“So he came through the mirror?” Twilight pondered, scratching her chin.

“It must have taken a great deal of magic to pull that off,” Luna said in astonishment before turning to her sister.

“Your thoughts Celestia?”

Celestia pondered for a moment until she looked to her former Captain.

“Bring him before us, I wish to meet him.”

“I as well,” Wulfric hummed, crossing his arms. “If what you say is true, that he is a being of great strength and power, I wanna see what he’s all about.”

“You and that drive for battle, I swear…” Rainbow sighed before being slapped on her flank.

“And you love me for it,” Wulfric chortled and Applejack giggled.

“Shining, if you will,” Celestia said.

“Of course,” Shining bowed and turned to one off his guards. “Bring the human.”

“Yes sir,” he saluted and went to fetch Lock.

After about ten minutes of waiting, the doors opened once more to reveal a few guards and the prisoner in question. However, none of the royals or even Shining, Cadence, and Flurry expected to see Lock wearing his hood. Lock walked in with shackles on his wrists and his hood over his head. Lock’s face was completely hidden in the shadow of his hood, it was as if there was no face at all and only shadow remained. The hooded human strode in and stood before the royals and he looked up at them. Celestia, Luna, and Marshall took notice of his wings and were surprised to see how large they were. The same went for Wulfric and his wives, for they had not seen such wings as red as his.

“What’s with the hood? Show us your face man!” Wulfric said impatiently.

“Wulfric, have patience. I’m sure he has his reasons.” Said Marshall.

“May someone please remove my bindings?” Lock requested politely, holding up his hands.

“Your majesties,” Shining looked to the council and after a brief exchange of glances, they gave the guards permission to remove his shackles. The guards beside him took out their keys and unlocked the shackles and Lock rubbed his wrists. He paused for a moment before giving his wings a sharp flap and unfurled them out wide. Out of nowhere, he jumped in the air and did a few somersaults and flips, even ran along the walls of the room before gracefully gliding back down to the ground and reaching up to remove his hood.

“Ah, nothing beats flying,” Lock said, revealing his face smirking. “The wind in your face, the freedom you feel, makes you wanna just fly around the world if you could. It’s nice to meet you all, I am Dimitri Lockdrom the human.”

“Woah…” Flurry said in awe.

The council found themselves a bit surprised at his aerial display with Wulfric giving a small round of applause.

“Not bad. Not bad at all.” The King in The North smirked.

“Dude, that was awesome!” Rainbow said gleefully. “Those wings look so bad ass!”

“Gotta hand it to ya, partner, you got some skills,” Applejack agreed.

“I try,” Lock shrugged bashfully. His eyes soon trailed to Twilight who was scribbling in her paper which made him smile. “Hello Twilight.”

Twilight’s head jerked up at the sound of her name and saw that he was staring at her with a caring smile. She blushed a little and smiled back and gave him a small wave.

“Um, how do you know my name?” Twilight wondered.

“To put it simply, turns out that mirror that sent me here is connected to more than one dimension. I can’t say much, but I am already aware that you already know what humans are. However, that’s not where I came from. I come from an alternate Equestria, fifteen years in the past. I know everything there is to know about Equestria, excluding anything I might not know, which is why I know you and the others names.”

“Astounding,” Twilight said.

“You’re really from an alternate Equestria?” Marshall asked.

“Indeed I am, which is why I was able to recognize Shining Armor and his wife and daughter. Including Twilight, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack who stand before me.”

“Then I take it your Shining Armor is helping to lead the fight?” Wulfric grinned at the thought of his old war buddy leading the charge again but Lock was not as enthusiastic.

“I’m…sorry to tell you all this,” Lock sighed. “But…Shining Armor isn’t alive in my world.” The room fell dead silent as Wulfric quickly lost his smile and Cadence and Twilight looked more shocked than the others. “He gave his life to save Canterlot, I watched him pass in front of me on his death bed. The last thing he heard was Flurry Heart’s first word, which was dada.”

“I...I didn’t know. I apologize.” The northern king said as he looked away in shame.

“My brother…is dead?” Twilight whimpered.

“He died a hero,” Lock said with a smile. “Before I arrived in my world, I had heard that Shining Armor managed to get his wife and daughter out of the Crystal Empire before it fell. He then rushed to Ponyville with the Stonehooves hot on their tails as they used their foul magic to corrupt the Crystal Heart and brainwash any unwilling males. Shining managed to evacuate most of the residents of Ponyville and fled to Canterlot, where he put up his most powerful shield and held it for months on end. His last moments were using his own life force to power the shield and demanded that the Princesses, element bearers, and his family flee as far as they could. I managed to dispatch the stockade bombarding his shield but…I was too late to save a great stallion.”

The room was silent for a brief moment as Cadence looked at Flurry Heart who had run up to her dad and hugged him and couldn’t imagine raising her without Shining Armor.

“Well now that we know who you are, there is the matter of your current situation.” Said Marshall referring to Lock still being labeled a prisoner.

“From what I’ve seen, this man is not a threat to us despite our…first encounter. I say we bring him to Canterlot as a guest. Any objections?”

All were silent, much to Lock’s satisfaction, and the matter was settled.

“Before you depart, Dimitri, I must ask something,” Cadence said.

“Sure,” Lock nodded, then Cadence formed a devious smile.

“What’s your relationship with your world’s Twilight?”

“Oh, she’s my marefriend.”

All three princesses were astonished by what they heard while Twilight’s face began to turn bright pink before she used her wings as cover.

“Aunt Twilight has a coltfriend?” Flurry asked with glee.

“BWA AHAHAHAHA!!” Wulfric bursted out laughing. “THE MAN HAS MOXIE!!”

“Well that was unexpected to hear,” Marshall smirked.

“I don’t see what’s so funny?” Lock questioned.

“Twilight’s been the love of my life since I arrived in my world. Along with another mare, but I’ll keep that bit to myself.”

“Oh hoo a herd man huh?” Rainbow grinned.

“Hope you got the goods to keep both of em happy.”

“RAINBOW!!” Twilight shrieked.

“Mom, what did Aunt Dash mean?” Flurry asked.

“I’ll…tell you when you’re a little older dear,” Cadence said sheepishly.

“Now, that’s enough you two,” Celestia scolded. “As for you Dimitri, we shall have one of our airships bring you to Canterlot.”

“Seems fair,” Lock shrugged.

“You best get here soon, my good man, I look forward to shaking your hand,” Wulfirc smirked before the holo crystal deactivated.

That certainly went smoother than I thought.

“That was pretty cool how you jumped around the room like that, Mr. Lock,” Flurrry said with a cheerful smile.

“Practice makes perfect, I always say,” Lock chuckled as he tickled her tummy. “And since you like my wings so much, let me give you a little present.” He unfurled one of his wings and plucked a feather and handed it to the little filly. “It’s a lucky charm, keep it with you at all times.”

“Really? Thank you, Mr. Lock!” Flurry cheered as she took the feather. Shining smiled at the sight of his little girl making a new friend.

“I’ll schedule the airship to leave at noon. It won’t take long.”

“Thanks a lot, Shining,” Lock said as he shook his hand.

“No problem, Lock,” Shining said.

Shining and his family then walked Dimitri to the ports to see him off. Once there, they said their goodbyes, before Flurry gave him a hug which surprised Lock, and said that they would meet again as the air ship took off. Lock watched the Crystal Empire get farther and farther, more specifically the way back home.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can,” Lock said to himself. “Wait for me, Twilight, Moon.”

End.

Author's Note

A big thank you to WurkyWilk358 0W0 for making this chapter possible!!