Crimson Bonds

Chapters

Arc of Silence (Chapter 1)
Arc of Solitude (Chapter 2)
Arc of Stars (Chapter 3)
Alternative Line
The Same Man
The Night Flight
At Long Last
Twinkling Crimson
Prologue

Arc of Silence (Chapter 1)

I had been taken against my will, near my home along the countryside. I was taking a lively jog around my property, when I heard a whooshing sound. I knew that sound well, the sound of a fast pegasus. She had on some dark cloak, preventing me from seeing her face. All I knew was that I was being "kidnapped" by a mare with a purple cape. I had sworn that I had seen the outfit before, but my thoughts were inturrupted. A flash of light appeared, that blinded me for several seconds. A portal opened, as I was sent to Equestria. There were many swirling figures and voices. A cold stinging sensation was felt within my fingertips. I had no idea where I was going, nor how to get out of the mare's grasp. Before I knew it, I fell around five stories to the ground. My hands broke my fall, as I looked around at the desolate place. Everything that was once a peaceful town was now cluttered and distorted. "This is...Equestria?" I looked around for anypony to ask exactly where I was, but I decided to keep moving. Upon standing up, I rubbed my shin and grimaced in pain. It had seemed that I was injured from the fall, but nothing seemed broken.

I began to wander around as I spotted some creature with the head of a pony, but many other elements of other animals. "Why am I here?" I asked the creature. It turned its attention to me as it gave a small chuckle. "Hello. My name is Discord, would you like some chocolate milk?" "Why so sincere, Discord? I thought you were the bringer of chaos, not generosity." "Well, you are not allied with Celestia or an affiliate of the Mane Six. I thought to myself, why spread chaos alone, when humans do it better than I?" I was shocked at the proposition, but I had seen the episode, and I said, "Your kind will not be tolerated by Celestia or Equestria! I am loyal to Equestria, and my home!" Discord smirked, "Well, it seems that you may be tougher than the Mane Six in wit. I admire your steadfastness , boy, but I have better things to do."

I could tell that Discord was playing with me, like a puppeteer with his strings. "Look Discord, I just want to go home, not to be involved in some silly affair with two sides." Discord raised one eyebrow, "Yet you are still here? If you want to leave, then leave. Oh, that's right, I sealed you here in Equestria for the time being." I cursed under my breath, and decided that it was time to leave. "Human! Only I have the key back home for you. Don't you want to get back?" He had caught me in a snare, I knew I had to ally with him to get home. I was trapped, so I responded, "Yes, I will form a temporary alliance with you. If that's your goal, then you have succeeded."

Discord stood up and shouted with glee, having me submit to his will. He now gave me his first, and only, order, "Human, defeat Celestia and her crew, and the key to home I will give to you. You will not be able to speak, unless the task is completed. That, or I am defeated by them."

As he completed his talk, the Mares of the hour had arrived. "Looks like I don't have to d-" My body suddenly rebelled against me, as I coughed up blood. Discord smiled, "I forgot to mention, if you don't comply, your body will slowly shut down, ending your life." On my knees, my hands would not suffice in supporting my weight anymore. I stood up slowly, and a power surged through me. It felt red hot, like an inferno, I was burning. Meanwhile, the Mane Six were staring at me, with confused expressions. "Heh, seems like you needed help, Discord. You sure know how to break a man's will. I'll destroy them, then deal with you later." My hands glowed, as I shot lightning from my fingers. It had missed them, but this was practice.

I snapped my neck quickly, then made a sprint towards the Six. Rainbow Dash was the first to react, as she tried to beat me with her speed attacks. "What a naive filly, you seem to not understand the scenario you're in. Lemme show you my power." Her eyes widened as I ran faster than her wings could fly. I took a sharp U-turn and sprinted towards her. The filly never had a chance, as I was more experienced in combat than she was. It took a simple hand and a small charge of flaming lightning-bolts to bring her down. All that remained of her was a pile of dust, and her 'loyal' heart. With that, I had acquired her power, the Sonic Rainboom and Rainnuke respectively. My eyes wandered towards the next victim, Pinkie Pie.

She knew that was coming, and she tried to run away with her awkward fluctuations in speed. I dug underground, and quickly used sound-waves to find her. She had no chance, as she frantically scanned beneath her to find me. "Too late, PDP, your time's up." I shot straight up, and caught her by the neck. A simple flick of the wrist, and the life drained from her once cheery eyes. Discord laughed and said, "Very good boy! Now, kill them all! You are under my control! You cannot resist!." My head was bursting at the seams with power and madness. I couldn't control my actions, yet I couldn't speak under Discord's power. I was being pushed to my limit, and it was showing.

I thought of anything to get back at Discord, but no amount of friendship could save me, for I was human. "GET OUT OF MY HEAD!! ARGH!!" I only thought of going home, and going back to my old life. "I. Must. Resist. Temptations. Help...me..." This had gone on for several minutes, and the remaining four just stood in terror. "Defeat Discord! While you still have ti-" The spell had me once again, as I slowly edged towards the four ponies. They now rushed away past me towards Discord, and used 'it'. It had seemed all too easy to defeat him, and I was right. They still had me to deal with, for I was (for all intensive purposes) his ally. But after they had seen what I had done to their friends, they contacted Celestia. She appeared immediately, in a blazing white mane and various colored hairs on her body. She was a sight to behold, and a force to be reckoned with. The powers that Discord provided me with had faded, as did his control. Now I was alone, with no excuse, and no way out. I was about to face the wrath of Celestia.

Arc of Solitude (Chapter 2)

Once her hooves touched ground, I was instantaneously paralyzed. I cannot recall what it was that struck a chill through my spine. Perhaps it was that glare from her eyes that reflected the revenge within her. After all, she was almost like a mother/mentor to her fellow people. To see two of her kind, struck down with such malice, must have infuriated her. She held her composure, however, a grimace appeared from the side of her face. Her once motherly figure was now gone, as she descended upon me. I could not move out of awe for her speed. She was even faster than some of the Wonderbolts, and her physical power was almost three times that of Big Mac's. The winged unicorn kicked me with her hooves, and sent me flying several meters into the air. This did not scare me as much as her unrelenting anger. Using her magic, she surrounded me with a black and suffocating magic. The cloud grew hands and tore at my skin, yet I dared not to breath. Luckily, she still had the control to send me into a dark and dank cave, so her pupils could not see the extent of her madness.

Blood rushed into my veins, and the adrenaline pumped through me. My body wanted me to move out and run as far away as possible. My brain knew better, for if I moved one iota, there would be nothing left of me. I gasped for breath, as I heard the rush of wind closing in. I searched for something to defend myself with, though the search would prove fruitless. The ground and rocks around me burst apart into glowing fragments. Celestia's eyes glowed white-hot, as she used a spell to throw objects at me. I kept on sprinting in a sporadic pattern to avoid the flying boulders and dirt. My legs suddenly collapsed from exhaustion, so I crawled away from her. She descended and landed in front of me with a loud boom. My ears rang with so much force, that they had started to bleed. I began to black out from the high frequencies of her sound wave spell, and I wished I was back at home. I had regretted what I had done, even if it was no fault of mine. The sunlight started to fade as I passed out from my wounds.

I felt a splash of water on my face, "Wake up, prisoner!" the guard said.
"Wha- oh..."
"It's time to hear your sentence in court."
"Do I have any defense? Or do th-"
"Did you expect to have anypony protect you after what you've done! Keep dreamin' buddy!"
"Alright, let's go, it's not like it can get any worse anyway."

I had then realized that I was in a cold stone prison, with a dank smell. It was a really moldy and rotten aroma in the air, and the prison was just a gray collection of stone walls. There were no chains that fit my size, so I was bound by magic from some guards, one of them was smaller that the others. It had a purple mane and sparkles on its flank, dazed, I couldn't remember who it was. My stomach was growling like mad, it seems that I did not have much since I got there. There were rusty chains and cells, like it wasn't used for awhile. My head kept pounding continuously and I started to black out again.

"HEY! WAKE UP!"
"Oh! Sorry...about...th-"
"HEY! Hey..." a guard kicked me in the groin, hard enough to keep me awake for awhile.
"AHHH!! Son of a parasprite! OWW!! Ugh...that doesn't feel good at all."
"C'mon, let's go..."

My steps were slow and sluggish, as we opened a white marble door. I sat alone, in a wooden chair, awaiting my sentence. Apparently, I was half-asleep the entire court process. But, I could still state my case, if they allowed time. "S'cuse me judge! May I tell them what I did?"
The courtroom was filled with tension, as the opposing side asked if my story would be relevant to the case.

The judge responded, "Even if we think we know he did it, I would like to know why or what caused him to...do...that..."
"Why, thank you judge...erm...your honor."
"Just make it quick..."

My legs shook as I headed towards the dreaded "stand". My head was swirling round with random lies and testimonies from TV shows I've seen. I told myself that I would speak the truth and perhaps return what I have took from them. I sat down, and looked towards the jury and looked around the room. All of the settings had a "Law & Order" vibe to it, with polished wooden furnishings. What caught my eye was the faces of the Mane F- Three? I had sworn there was still one more pony unaccounted for. All of them stood and stared me down, like looking into my soul. I hung my head low and muttered the opening theme, as I gained my composure.

"I have taken away two of your beloved ponies from you, and I am sorry. I know confessing anything like this is meaningless at this point, but I would like to speak my mind. It is true I have committed the first murders in recent pony history. It is true I have done it in cold blood, with not much regret. I was under the control of Discord and my accursed human desires. Humans all have the desire to hate, to destroy, to kill something or someone for the simplest of reasons. My world is filled with these corrupt people, and I hated them and wanted to leave. Under certain circumstances, I somehow came here. I was astounded at what my eyes have seen, I was in the world of my dreams. This world seemed like a paradise to me, yet I noticed things were amiss. I went to investigate and found Discord in his throne, smirking at me. He knew of my world and how to control me and twist me into an evil being. I was under his control, and I was sealed there until I did what he asked or he was defeated. I wanted to run away, but he used me as a tool to defeat the Mane Six. I unconsciously took down two, and his control broke on me. I am now a shell of my former self, and I've nothing to live for anymore. I have killed two of my favorite ponies, and I have killed my dreams. I implore you, please, don't make me suffer more than I already have. Please, let me die by my own devices, for it was I who killed them. I have nothing further to add, your honor, so I'll sit back down."

The room filled up with whispers and the Mane cast talked amongst themselves. The jury was soon sent out to make a verdict, and came back ten minutes later. The moment had came, to see if my pleading was any use. The jurors stood up and began the reading of the verdict.

"On the 30th of October, 20XX, we have reached a verdict."

"How do you plead?"

I took a big breath and sighed, "Guilty"

"The jury finds the defendant..."

I started to black out again, why of all times?

"...uilty"

I strained my ears to listen, but the ringing in my ears still continued on.

"What was the verdict again???"

The judge trotted up to me and told me the news, "You were found guilty for first-degree murder of two ponies."

"Y'know, I expected that they wouldn't change it, no matter how emotional my speech was..."

My feet collapsed again, as I coughed up dark crimson blood, and I collapsed yet again! "Why does this happen to me...ugh..."
I heard several voices trot towards my direction and they lifted me up, taking me to somewhere...

Arc of Stars (Chapter 3)

"Where am I?" I asked into the dark sky. I looked around me and saw only the stars and the outline of Ponyville's borders. I checked myself for any injuries, and found that I was unscathed from the beatings earlier. Somepony had healed my wounds, but why? After all that I have done to them, why have they healed me? I was still a bit dizzy, so I kept low on my stomach and pondered some more. If I got out here, who broke me out of prison? I didn't want anypony finding me, so I ran towards the Everfree forest. I heard hoofsteps behind me and rolled to my right, quickly shifting my body towards them. I couldn't make out their faces in the darkness, but I did see a purple spark in the corner of my eye.

"Twilight? Why are you, why did you...what is going on here?"

The figure said nothing, and advanced towards me. Backing away slowly, I planned to use my combat skills to subdue it. I shifted my weight and made a b-line towards the figure. Getting closer, I noticed that it had a strange dark hat, like something out of an Indiana Jones movie. I was about one meter away from it when I heard more ponies approaching. With increasing desperation, I asked, "Why are you helping me, who are you! Answer me!" There was still no response, as the ponies stopped behind me.

A pegasus flew in front of me, and stared in my face for a few moments. I raised and eyebrow and asked, "May I help you? No, seriously, would any of you care to-"
"We think you are innocent, and we would like to help you redeem yourself."

The hatted figure stepped forward and spoke, " The mare you were just talking to is Spitfire. She is one of a few willing to help you out."
"Yeah, well, who are the rest of these ponies? Or is it too soon to say?"
"Nah, we'll introduce ourselves soon, so follow me, or, maybe not..."
"Are you really going to knock me out? I swear, I'm lucky I'm not in a c-"

A sharp pain hit me in the back of my neck

"Really? Really? Whate..."

I slowly lost consciousness.

I awoke in a hut, where an indefinite amount of filled jars lined the walls. Is Zecora in on this? That could explain how I am healed and refreshed, or it could be the extra "sleep" I've been getting. I sniffed the air, and it smelled like honey, chocolate, and evergreen trees. "Weird, it smells just like home..."

It was at this moment that I realized that the ponies were watching me talk to myself. "Umm....hi?" The hut was lit by a single candle, and I still wanted to know the ponies I was saved by.

A voice uttered out, "Alright, it's time to reveal our identities." The candle from before suddenly burst out into hundreds of mini-candles and lit the hut.

The first pony that I saw, was Mare Do Well. It obviously had to be one of the Mane ponies, but I couldn't put my hoof on it. The second was Spitfire, who was staring at me intently. She motioned for me to keep looking around the room. The next pony was Twilight Sparkle, who was averting her eyes trying not to look at me.

"Hey mister, would you like a muffin?" I could recognize that voice anywhere,
"No thanks Derpy, I just don't feel up to it at the moment."
At that point, a brown stallion said, "I apologize for my assistant here, she sometimes can be a handful."
"It's quite alright Doctor, quite alright..."
"Eeyup. Seems like you were in a bit of a bind there."
"Yes I was Big Mac...thanks..."

I saw a yellow pegasus gliding away from me. "Fluttershy, please, sit down. I would really appreciate it."
"Um...okay...if that's alright...um.." She stammered, but eventually sat down.

Mare Do Well suddenly stood up, "Where is Lyra? I thought she'd be here by now."
Dr. Whooves responded, "She will be here shortly, she's covering our trail. Don't worry, I've got a tracker on her."
"That's good, Futtershy, where is Zecora?"
"She's...out looking for new healing methods and potions."

Rarity chimed in,"Speaking of Zecora, she really needs to clean her...place..."
"I think it is a fine home, not that I'm an expert in fashion or anything." I responded.

The door opened, as Zecora and Lyra trotted in,
"We have the plants, alright, now, let's get some potion together."
Mare Do Well responded back, "There's no need to, he's awake now."
"Aww, and I wanted to try a new potion too..."

So, the ponies and I all greeted one another, and sat down again. "This is it? All of you fought off royal guards and Celestia? That's impressive..."
Mare Do Well took off her disguise and let me look at her. "Luna??!!! Well, no wonder, you know a lot of things regarding Celestia. Wait...is she behind this??"
Luna responded, "No, but she is being controlled by Discord, like you were. That's why she's been so paranoid and irrational lately. She's been suppressing Discord's control. Ever since the remaining Mane Six defeated him, he somehow escaped. It was probably because Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash were..."
"Killed by me, yeah, I kinda got that down."
"We have been searching for a way to revive them and bring Equestria back to its normal self. We need your help to somehow subdue Celestia and remove Discord. We then have to destroy Discord as a team, so that things will turn back to normal."
"Well, I guess I have no other choice but to save Equestria from Discord's clutches. When do we begin?"

Dr. Whooves stepped up and said, "You have a hidden power within you, and the only way to release it, is to become a pony yourself."
I was somewhat shocked, so I said nothing while I tried to sort out my feelings. "Will I be able to return home?"
"Yes, but you might still be a pony."
"So, in all seriousness, I will become a talking animal?"
"Yes...are you alright with that?"
"If it means saving Equestria and resurrecting Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, then yes."

"Alrighty, if you trust him enough to let 'em do this, I'm in too..."

The door opened and Applejack walked in. Big Mac was agape and steam came out of his nostrils.
"I thought I told you to stay at the farm!"
"Well, I didn't and I don't regret coming here! I wanted to see if he was a good person or not, is that too much to ask?"
"No it's not, sorry sis..."

"Well, did you invite all of Ponyville or something, because this is a lot of people, err, ponies..."

Luna gathered herself, Twilight, Rarity, and Lyra in a semi-circle around me. All of them sent a magical cloud towards me. As I inhaled it, I became weak, and blacked out.

Alternative Line

Author's Note: This chapter might seem confusing, so try to keep up...

I was in a dream, where a human me was searching within the light. I had an opportunity to warn him about the things to come. I went to him and spoke about how my story went. Obviously, he was in shock at what I did. I showed him, first hand, what happened, and let him think it through.

He was in his body again, but this time he felt a power rushing into him. "What is this..." He panicked and could only watch as he saw himself kill two of the Mane Six. The man slowly began to lose his composure.

I spoke to him again, "You see, you will come across him, and you will destroy and mend."
His hands shook uncontrollably, as he struggled to utter words.
"Wha...the hell does that mean?"
"You will see...you..."

The images faded away, as white light blinded him. "What the hell was that? Could it be that another me would come along...no...that's not possible...then how can..."

I had arrived outside the man's base of operations. I yearned for tobacco, much like Solid Snake would in this scenario. It was only now that I realized I was a pony. I heard the safety of a handgun go off, someone was aware of my location. I rolled into an open window, right in front of a human's line of sight. I swore under my breath, but kept calm, for I knew that he would stay quiet to keep his friends safe. I looked myself over in the mirror and was impressed.

I had white eyes and a black body. I had on a dark crimson chest plate of armor and a cape. My eyes were empty of anything, I didn't have any pupils. My senses were sharp, despite my heavy breathing. I knew that he was under the bed, so I trotted around the room. In a deep voice I said, "Ian, come out of that bed, I need to talk to you." He was naturally shaken up by my voice, which was void of emotion. I spoke, "Come here now, or I might have to exterminate your friends."

He crawled out from under the bed, and stood eye level to me. He composed himselfself, and said, "Whatever you want is not here, move along."
Then I scanned him, and saw the weapon in his hand. "You don't plan on using that, do you?"
"I'll save the bullets for more worthy adversaries."
"Is that so?"
"Yes, and if you are who I think you are, you'd best not to interfere."
"Don't fret Ian, for I am you."
"Yeah, I know that already."
"I was sent from that alternative story...erm...universe to help you."
"Equivalent exchange, right?"
"Yes, I help you with your princess, and you help me with my problem."
"We have the same dilemma, so how will we go about doing this?"
"Simple, we switch universes, temporarily. You can't obviously infiltrate the castle without an inside man."
"Your universe has two evils...Celestia is being controlled by Discord in your universe."
"Yes, Discord will not be expecting a human who isn't controlled."
"How will the timelines not interfere?"
"Simple, since it is night in this version of Equestria, the other will be day."
"I think I got this..."
"Are you ready to make the switch?"
"Let's do this!"

The human me bumped his hand with my hoof, a brohoof.
I began uttering code numbers, "22, 42, 22, La Mortia De Levante...Alpha, Circa, Beta, Darkness binding fates, and Light release..."
There was a grey hole opening up in the floor, he bid me a farewell, and jumped into the void.

Not a sound was heard, nor any voice, whatever this may bring, it was my choice...

Author's note #2:
See what I mean? If you want to see the other universe, read Twinkle Tonight.
If you want to see the pony side, go after the chapter of the same name in Twinkle Tonight.
If you want the human side, stay with this story.
If you are confused, which I don't blame you, follow a path that you want to read.

As always, the choice is yours to make...

The Same Man

The ponies stepped back to let the mist settle down before looking at their handiwork.
"Did it work?"
"I dunno, we just have to wait a few more seconds."

A loud thump was heard from the mist, and a Ian stepped out of the mist.
I looked at them all, "Hello, I am Ian."

The group of ponies gasped, thinking that the spell didn't work. In reality, it did work, but swapped the main character with another. The only difference with the man standing there was that he had powers as a human without a transformation.

"You may think that the spell you cast did not work, that is where you are wrong. You see, the spell turned Ian into a stallion, but sent him to my world. We decided to switch places, with him in my universe and vice versa."

The group was still shocked, but they nodded signalling they understood.

"Anypony need more explanations? Good, now, let's get started. We need to defeat Discord, right? But I need brush up on my skills first, any ideas?"

Dr. Whooves stepped up, "You may train with one of each kind, Alicorn, Earth Pony, Pegasus, and Unicorn."
I grinned, "Why don't I take on all of each kind at once."
"I don't think that you can handle-"
"Doesn't matter...we have a days rest ahead of us anyway."
"But it's morning..."
"Oh, I forgot about that, so, let's begin."

I looked at the group of ponies, and made my choice. "I would like to train with you Earth ponies first."
"Alright guys, let's do that."

Several Hours Later...

Applejack, Big Mac, and Dr. Whooves surrounded me in a triangle formation, the worst case scenario. I beckoned them with my fingers, "C'mon, let's do this!"

Big Mac rushed at me at full-speed, about as fast as an NFL linebacker. The speed and power was intense, as he collided with me, head-on. I nearly blacked out on impact, but overpowered him quickly, moving him up on his hindquarters. I looked and saw Applejack coming at me from behind. Her speed was phenomenal, leaving a dust trail. She bucked me in my back, and I heard several cracking sounds. I ignored the pain, and flung Big Mac in a circle, hitting Applejack's ribs. She had her breath knocked out of her, and was shocked at the impact. With the two in a tired heap, all that was left was Dr. Whooves. I looked around, but saw no signs of him.

"You have to analyze all your opponents, before attacking. If you don't, you leave openings."

"Really Doc? Are you really underground? Such a petty tactic."

I used my legs to crush the earth beneath my feet, suspecting the Doctor was there. It turned out that he was, but he had a weapon in his hand, that looked somewhat like a pen. I recognized what it was for, and dodged the attack. The Doctor anticipated this, and kicked my face with his hooves, breaking my nose. Despite the amount of blood gushing from my nose, I pushed on. Grabbing the hooves that kicked me, I applied force to one of his pressure points. With that, the Doctor announced that the training was over, since I defeated all of them.

The three got up and shook my hand, congratulating me on beating them. The only reason why I beat them was that I took self defense classes for a year on Earth. That, and for some reason, I had more strength here than on Earth.

The training session seemed short, but had lasted for a few hours. Time flies when you're beating up friends. When sunset arrived, I decided to stay up that night to meditate and clear my head to form strategies for approaching Discord. Little did I know, a dark figure had infiltrated our training grounds.

The Night Flight

I was alone on a hill overlooking the remnants of a once peaceful town. My legs were crossed, and I cleared my head to regain control of my sanity again. There was a dark force approaching me, and I could sense it was a very powerful one.

"Who goes there!"

No Response...

I rose to my feet, moving cautiously towards the force. It was a tall figure, almost as tall as...Celestia. This must be the other 'controlled' one. I readied my knife, which was quite sharp, and gleamed in the moonlight. The sound of rustling leaves had indicated her position to me. I stayed still, hoping to somehow counter her attacks, whatever they may be. A flash of light blinded me, and I fell into darkness.

Even being temporarily blinded, my senses were still sharp. The rustling stopped, as I held my breath to steady my shaking hands.

Suddenly, a mighty force pushed me down, pinning the knife down against my hand.

"Dammit! What do you want Celestia!"

There still wasn't any sound coming from her, but I heard a greater, even more powerful being that hovered over me.

"Celestia, you can get off of him now..."

She moved away from me. My vision suddenly returned to me. I saw Discord, with his teeth a pearly white.

I said to him, "Wanted to start the party early, huh?"

He laughed and said, "Yes, I've waited for you to arrive here. I know that the other Ian is in the other world. You have no hope for victory now."

I scoffed and said, "Right...like you'll be able to stop us."

He shook his head, "Ian, you don't understand, I have Celestia on my side, and our combined power will crush your efforts, however strong they may be."

Several voices objected within the night, "Discord, you may think that, but nothing can beat the power of Friendship!"

Spitfire, Derpy, Dr. Whooves, Twilight, Big Mac, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity, Princess Luna, and Lyra all stood on the hill, and smiled at me.

"We have come to defeat Discord and heal Celestia. We're not too late are we?"

I smiled, "Nope, you're just in time to see the fireworks."

We screamed at the top of our lungs, "FUS-RO-DAH!!!" and descended upon Discord and Celestia.

At Long Last

(POV: Ian)

Our legs took us down the hill at breathtaking speeds. My head was pounding from the amount of adrenaline. Discord and Celestia just stood and stared us down, not moving an inch.

I felt something bubble within me, as I tumbled down the hill. The everypony else still charged at the two, with all their might. I paused and took in the sight. The ponies all tried their hardest to inflict damage on Discord, making zero progress. They tried magical spells, flying techniques, and physical power to defeat him, but all was lost. A flash of silver magic blew them all back several feet, knocking them out cold.

"What's this? How did you..."

Discord smirked, "You are a pitiful man. Abandoning your former allies and forgetting to aid them. Such a waste of huge potential my human friend."

"What the hell are you going on about, Discord?"

"You and I are alike, wanting to destroy our enemies and seeing them suffer. That is what all humanity is about, chaos. In fact, humans may even be more chaotic than I am."

"I won't ever be like you Discord, you manipulate ponies to have fun! I show my true colors to gain allies and friends."

"I never had any friends to begin with boy! I have tried to, but everypony seems to turn away! Look at you, trying to act all high and mighty, when you can't even protect one friend."

My eyes grew wide, Discord was right. How could I act all cocky when my friends are hurting? Why was I such a fool, to get them into a fight they could never win.

Two voices cried within the darkness...

There was nothing you could've done, Ian. Let us take over from here...

Suddenly, a bright flash of a rainbow lit up the sky. It looked like some sort of comet crashing down to Earth. The rainbow swirled and made various loops, as it landed next to me. As soon as the rainbow landed, a sound of fireworks filled my ears. There was a joyous laughter, as a pink pony came running with some sort of cannon.

"You can't be...there's no way..."

Rainbow Dash smiled, "Well, we couldn't let you have all the fun! We wanted a piece of Discord too!"
Pinkie Pie chimed in, "Yep! We still have things to do too, like celebrate your arrival with a party!"

"Pinkie, I hardly think now's the time to have a...Pinkie...what are you doing with that cannon?"
"Well, the readers want some unexpected action, right? Why not host a party out in the middle of nowhere?"
"It's time we get serious Pinkie, two universes depend on this fight."
"No balloons?"
"No."
"No streamers?"
"No."
"No...cupcakes??"
"Especially not cupcakes..."

Discord raised an eyebrow, "Are you done? Because I have some chaos to spread."
I cracked my knuckles, and pointed at him, "Tonight...you..."
"I what?"
"You shall be sealed once more by a human, and the valiant efforts of all my friends, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie."

Another explosion filled the night, as one lone stallion joined the fight.

"Hey Ian! Missed me?"
"Montez, why are you here?"
"Defeated Discord, and I've brought along some friends."

A portal opened, as Princess Luna, Spitfire, Derpy, Lyra, and Dr. Whooves stepped out.

All of my friends who were knocked out were revived within seconds, thanks to Montez. He and I nodded our heads and said in unison, "Take this! Our love! Our anger! And all of our sorrows!!!!"

With that, the EPIC battle began once more.

Twinkling Crimson

(POV: Ian)

I noticed that Montez was sweating, which was very odd. He shook all over his body, and his eyes bugged out for several seconds.

"Montez, what's wrong?"
He turned towards me, "Listen Ian, I am you, from a different universe. Unlike you, I succumbed to the darkness within my heart. These allies of mine are only here because I am here. Once I die, they will listen to you, and they will follow you till the end."
"Why are you telling me this now?"
"I never got a chance to tell you before, I just wanted to look badass in front of Discord. I will give you my powers to defeat him. There is no other way, Ian."
"What are you talking about?! Are you really going to end it all through some cheesy little sacrifice? I don't mean to be blunt about it, but you are INSANE!!"

Discord smirked, "Are you two lovebirds done with your little chit-chat?"

I sighed as Montez got my attention again by snapping his fingers at me. He shook his head and turned his back to me, and he looked up into the sky. Quickly spinning around, Montez dove at me, and pierced my body with his right arm. He began to laugh and looked down at me.

"Hmm...it's disappointing that you actually trusted me to this point. Funny how it all works out. First, I found you and decided to switch places to take over the other Equestria. That, of course, ended in a bust for me, after I saved Equestria. It was through this that I gained the trust of all Equestria. It was never my intention to give any power to you. The other Celestia was right, I AM evil. Speaking of which, this one has to die...."

Montez lowered his body quickly, as he sprinted towards Celestia. Discord was taken aback at such an act, thinking that Montez would seek to destroy him. Montez's eyes became white, as his flesh melted away to reveal a crimson skeleton. His body became faster with each step, as he cast lightning from his fingers. The lightning struck Celestia, and within an instant, she was gone.

Discord was still wide-eyed, not having any clue of what happened, not noticing Montez coming after him. He barely even had time to react, as Montez struck his neck with a vicious blow. It was already too late, as he collapsed in a heap, not breathing. I could only just stare at him, seeing his face permanently in shock.

Montez looked up into the sky, and raised both hands up. From his hands sparked a red fireball within several chains of purple lightning. His power began to grow, as the sky began to turn grey and the world started to melt into a waxy substance. He was literally sucking the life out of the planet, as I could only watch in horror and awe.

My friends all ran towards Montez in a vain effort to stop him. One by one, they were instantly absorbed into his hands, becoming part of his own power. No amount of friendship or magic could stop him now, as the entire world was now grey. All the creatures that had been teeming with color and life were all gone, as I was the last remaining person in the world.

Montez turned to face me, as rags began to form around him, covering him in a dark crimson cloak. His eyes were still intact, and were fully bloodshot, as they pulsated with his every breath.

"Like what I've done with the place, Ian? It really turns the world on it's head, doesn't it? What, no answer? I guess the ponies really got to you man. The entire goal here, was for me to destroy you. But I realize that if I destroy you, then I wouldn't be able to have any fun with you!"

I spat on his skull, as he stopped and punched me square in the jaw.

"I wasn't finished talking, Inter-loper. We are both Interlopers my friend! Both of us intruded in other worlds, whether we liked it or not. I loved to twist the characters till their innocence snapped like an insignificant twig. In any case, I thank you for watching me destroy your friends."

I looked behind Montez, and saw a bright white light, as a white-cloaked woman appeared from the sky. She silently floated behind him, as Montez was totally clueless as to what was going on. She lightly touched his shoulder, making Montez spin around in shock.

His eyes widened, "Hey, I thought I killed you! How are you still alive?!"

The woman came closer to him, her face almost touching his. She gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek, as Montez stood expressionless. He smiled, "You think that a simple kiss would stop me from controlling the world? Well, your off you rocker! There is nothing in this world that can-" His face began to grow flesh again, as his lethal power grew weaker. He panicked as he tried to find a way to reverse the affects.

The woman lowered her hood, as she spoke, "Montez, you may have power to hate and kill things. There's one thing that you didn't account for though."

Montez gritted his teeth, "WHAT! There's no way that I am not the most powerful being in the universe!!"

"You were corrupted by the other Celestia, the one who tortured you, when you were the one being controlled. It wasn't your fault, no, it was mine, for letting this go on for so long. I, as a princess of Equestria, have failed my loyal students and citizens. I can only atone for my other's actions by putting you on the correct path myself."

With that, she dove on him and hugged him tightly, as Montez's power further diminished. It did not take long for him to lose all of his power, and for his body to return to normal. His eyes became blue, as his short white hair grew from his head. He was covered in dark blue armor, with the symbol of the crescent moon on his chest. He had only one scar across his face, where he was tortured before so many times. He returned the hug and began to cry, as the salty tears trickled down his face.

I stood up and sighed, wanting to return home, or to at least see my friends again. Celestia walked over to me and gave me a hug, and whispered things in my ear.

"Ian, I thank you for trying so hard to stop Discord, I couldn't have appeared if it wasn't for your valor. I know it's hard, to lose everything you love in one fell swoop, but we can return home. The three of us can create a world together, and recreate Harmony and Equestria once more."

I began to weep, not because of sadness, but it was the joy of getting to see my friends again. I agreed to her plan, as the three of us recreated the world. We left it as it was after Discord's defeat at the hands of the Mane Six.

The three of us, with Princess Luna, sat in the main hall of Canterlot Castle. After talking about our goals for the future, Celstia pulled me aside, as Luna and Montez talked.

Celestia turned to me, and said, "There is a pony who has watched you from afar, and has wanted to say something to you for a long time."
"And who may that be?"
"Well, just see for yourself..."

The doors opened, as Spitfire walked into the room, without her Wonderbolt costume on. She slowly walked over to me, and said, "Hi. I'm really not that much of a romance type of mare, but could....could you be my special somepony?"

I was shocked at those words. How could a pony ever love a human? Let alone have any romantic feelings for a different species. It was then I realized, that Love and Tolerance was key. I then accepted the fact that she was a pony and I was a human. Did it really matter what she looked like? No, as long as she loves me for who I am, I will love her as well.

Celestia winked at me, as I rolled my eyes. I got down on one knee, and stared directly into Spitfire's eyes. "Yes. I would love to be your special somepony. I don't just mean for Hearts and Hooves day either, I mean it for all of time. Although I barely know you, Spitfire, I hope that we can have a wonderful time together."

She blushed deeply, as we gave each other a hug, which almost brought Celestia to tears. Montez and Luna looked at one another and shrugged, as they too became a couple.

Celestia said to Luna, "Look, I know that you may not agree with this, but I cannot allow you to...oh never mind. Besides, all that time on the moon must have made you lonely, hasn't it?"
Luna nodded, "Yes. Like Montez, I had been cast away by you, only to return to you once again."
Celestia smiled, "From this day forth, Luna, you won't be alone anymore. Both you and Montez can rule the night together, just as long as you don't try to pull a "Mare in the Moon" escapade again."
Luna shed a tear, as Montez hugged her gently, and smiled.

So the story ends here. Spifire and I have been in a wonderful relationship together for at least a few years now. Luna and Montez rule the night, and add stars every day they are together. As for Celestia? She still helps the Mane Six from time to time, but always has a chat with me once in a while. Everything seems as it should be, as I bring this adventure to a close, let me say one more thing...

No matter how hard we have it, or how others have it
Love can pull us through the darkest of shadows

Keep that in mind. Anyway, I have to go and cheer Spitfire on. After all, she is observing the Cloudsdale water gathering ceremony today.

Good Luck and Farewell,

~I.M.Y.

Prologue

These crimson bonds that have shown upon my hands, are eternal. I know not of where they are from, but they are marks of a traitor. Traitors deserve to die at the hands of their victims, and most do. This tale is not one of entertainment, nor is it meant for any sane man to see.

I was in Celestia's dungeon, a suspect in the act of treason. For over a year now, I had suffered many torture methods they have used against me. Celestia is a brute, no doubt. I was once on her side, then I wavered in the Discord incident. He was a clever leader, but the censorship of the media would portray him as an insane quack. Let me remind you how men fall into darkness, greed, and wickedness.

Power over all things in this world. The ultimate power over all of Equestria and my world. That power has no name, perhaps it is the influence of a leader to strive for progress. The iron hoof of Celestia cannot be fought, with the Mane Six in tow. That I knew immediately, for I have watched the show.

I am but a lowly man without purpose now, I can only destroy and never create. Why did I descend into the dark path, when I was merely fighting for my life? I was a normal man, yet I know how quickly a man is misunderstood and thrown away.

This is how I wound up after Discord's defeat, a lone prisoner of war. It was of no fault of my own, for I was controlled by him. His influence is the very core of destruction and death. I am not the man I once was, for I am now just a shadow. I was controlled by that fiend for only a short moment, but it has scarred my life forever. The smiles have faded into a gray spiraling abyss of solitude. I walk alone in this world because of him, because of my own darkness. This is a vague account of my last happy day, and the start of an eternal daze.

I look upon my hands, and see only death...