Author's Note

Any and all criticism is welcome.

Chpt. 2: The Path Before Them

Consciousness slowly returned to Twilight Sparkle. Everything suddenly went black and now she was just starting to emerge from her sudden slumber. Opening her eyes, the purple unicorn took a look at her surroundings only to see a stranger close by. Leaning back in one of the old chairs in the library and wearing the clothes she had brought him was the creature. Trying to move to approach the being, Twilight soon discovered she had been restrained. Moving her arms then her legs, the purple unicorn grunted and struggled to break free, seeing that she had been tied down to one of the old chairs. She tried to focus her magic to try and undo her bindings but she was barely able to get a glow in her horn. Too tired to get a basic telekinetic grasp, the mare turned to the stranger just feet away from her. “H-Hey. Hey you.” She’d call, getting the creature’s attention. It turned to her with a raised brow. “Untie me!” She’d expect resistance, maybe even anger or something along those lines if he had tied her up like this. Instead, he merely smiled and stood up.

“Well, good morning there, sleepy head.” The creature approached casually, looming over the purple mare like a giant as she looked up at him from her seat. “Did you sleep well? I know a chair isn’t exactly a bed. I mean, I considered tying you down to that one over there,” He motions to the dusty old bed in the back of the secret chamber. “But half-way through that thought, I quickly dismissed the idea as it may get the wrong idea across” Taking a moment to realize what he meant, the purple mare flustered at the idea of being tied to a bed by the stranger, quickly associating it with trashy romance novels she may or may not have in her possession. “Now that you are awake, I have a few questions I need answered and you are the only… horse… woman… thing in this entire place that I’ve managed to come across.”

“I-…” She was about ready to protest and demand her freedom before she got to answering any questions, only to realize that this may be her only chance for some answers of her own. “Yes! I would love to answer your questions… but only if you can answer some of mine.” The creature was taken aback by her sudden burst of enthusiasm, taking a step back as her eyes lit up with glee. And despite that, her joy and eagerness faded when she heard a low growl emanate from her belly. The creature sees her cheeks turn a soft pink when they both heard the grumble clearly. “Hehe… um… do you think you could untie me so we can talk over breakfast?”

“Not until I know you’re no threat to me.” The creature wasn’t taking any chances with Twilight, not until he knew the full situation. “I wake up in a place I don’t recognize, butt-ass naked at that, with a a strange purple, horse woman from another dimension or planet… or where ever the hell I am; and the first thought I have is not ‘let’s get some brunch’.” Another gurgle emanates from Twilight. A pleading look from her and the creature starts to sigh. “Well… I did find those apples earlier. At least I think they are apples.” He points over to the table he was sitting at. Six apples, two of which had been eaten, rested on a plate that seemed to be sloppily dusted off. He’d bring one over to her and held it in front of her muzzle. A little taken aback by this method of eating, Twilight slowly opened her mouth and started to take slow bites of the juicy fruit. It wasn’t until she finished it whole that she started to wonder where he got said fruit.

“Hey, um…”

“Midas.” The creature said as he tossed the core aside. “You can call me Midas.”

“Right… Midas.” The name was strange to the mare, but all things considered, she’d find it stranger if he had a name similar to her own. “Where did you get these apples by chance?”

“Oh, when you passed out, I went snooping around this place in hopes of finding a way out of here. No luck considering this entire ruin is surrounded by some creepy looking forest. Eventually, I found a room with a light in it and after some looking around, I found a small bag filled with these.” Twilight knew immediately where he was talking about and went pale when he explained.

“You went through my stuff?!”

“I went through somebody’s stuff, yes.”

“But… those were my belongings, my private things. My notes, my research, my books, my-… erm… legitimate romance novels.”

“Yeah, I wouldn’t get all fussy, purple thing.”

“Twilight.”

“What?”

“Its my name.” Twilight calmed herself down a bit. “My name isn’t purple-thing. It’s Twilight Sparkle.”

“… I’m so sorry.”

“What?”

“Anyway,” Midas got the interrogation back on track. “I wouldn’t get all in a fit… Twilight, as when I tried to read it, I could not make heads or tails of what was on it. Either you have the worst penmanship in the entire world, or it’s in another language.” The mare let out a sigh of relief, knowing her personal belongings were safe. “However,” Midas turns back and heads to a familiar looking book bag. “I know a wanted poster when I see one.” Twilight felt sweat start to form on her forehead.

“I… I can explain that.”

“And I’m sure you will, but that is only one of a plethora of other questions that I need answered and your criminal status is not one of the pressing matters… but it is the deciding factor of whether or not I’ll untie you from that chair.” Midas seemed to be growing more and more agitated. Knowing he had plenty of questions, Twilight would do her best to answer. “So, let’s get started. First off; what did you do to me?”

“I… could you be more specific?” She sounded hesitant to ask that question, not wanting to anger Midas or give him the wrong idea.

“I mean,” he leans forward, looking her in the eye. “Tell me why I look like a god-damn Super Saiyan! The gold hair, the glowing green eyes, this… body! I was barely over 5 feet tall last I checked and now I’m practically seven feet tall. So, what did you do to my body?” Confused and perplexed by this new development, Twilight started to look him over once more. There wasn’t much she could pick up other than the fact he was indeed alien and the clothes he had gotten him fit somewhat.

“Y-You mean, this isn’t your body?”

“I’m asking you that! This Olympic swim champion of a body does not belong to me. Granted, it’s one hell of an improvement from my old one, but I would at least like a heads up before I get put under extreme plastic surgery.”

“I’m sorry, but I have no idea what to say. I found you like this and to my knowledge, I figured it’s what you’ve always looked like.” Taking a deep breath to calm himself down, Midas started to collect himself for his next complaint.

“It’s fine. Like I said, the body is an improvement from my old one, however. I can accept all of this,” He motions around his figure once more. “But there is just one… major issue that I just cannot accept.” Lifting up his shirt and turning around, he’d show off the golden ring and grey gems on his back. “Care to explain what in the hell this is about?! Cause this looks really suspicious to say the least.” Twilight had been wondering that herself. Yet as she looked at the strange metallic ring embedded into his body, something in the back of Twilight's mind started to bug her. She knows she’d seen it before, she knew it had to be important. And then… she came to a realization.

“The elements.” She’d say under her breath.

“What was that?”

“The Elements!” She’d shout, rocking in her chair. “Those are it! The Elements of Harmony! Which means you’re him, you truly are him!” Twilight was about ready to rock herself out of the chair until her horn flashed before the mare suddenly burst in a display of light, leaving the chair and her bindings behind

“Whoa! What the!?” He’d back off, seeing the chair was empty now. Midas could only look at the empty chair, now smoking from whatever it was Twilight had done. He was about ready to write her off as dead by spontaneous combustion until he heard a book drop onto the table behind him, catching the man off guard. The mare had moved from the chair and out to the library, flipping through her notes and reading vigorously. The new barrage of questions and information hit Midas like a tidal wave, forcing him to take a moment to process what he had just witnessed. By the time he was done, he’d finally muster up his response. “Did you… Did you just fucking teleport?!” Twilight looked up from her book, realizing what she had done.

“O-Oh… um, sorry. I was intending to stay in the chair until you knew I wasn’t a threat. But I just had this moment of clarity and I needed my notes to confirm. Thank you for bringing them by the way, saves me the trip.” Smiling innocently, the mare went back to the chair and rested her arms on the rests, just over the restraints and ready to continue the questionnaire.

“Wait, you could have gotten out of that at any time?”

“Well, I was kind of stuck until you fed me that apple, thank you for that by the way. By them I could have gotten myself out in a multitude of ways due to my magic.” Midas felt his eyes start to twitch, frustration and confusion swirling around in his mind before coming to a pseudo-reboot and turned to the mare with a blank-expression.

“Magic?” Twilight nodded with a wide smile.

“Well yeah, I’m quite adept at all sorts of magic. But I was too hungry to use spells until you gave me that apple, thank you for that by the way.” Midas let out a low groan, feeling a migraine on its way.

“Ugh, that is the last time I show you any sort of kindness.”

“I should hope not, otherwise our world is truly doomed.” More questions in need of answers, and Midas felt his psyche on the verge of a meltdown with every new question in need of answering.

“Alright… I’ll bite. Why does your world require my kindness? Is it in need of some sort of saint, because I’m going to tell you right now; you could honestly do better.”

“No, we don’t need a saint. What my people need is a hero. The Hero of Harmony specifically. That being you.” Taken aback by this new development, Midas felt like he was about to pass out from the overload of information he was receiving. Seeing he was weak in the knees, Twilight stood back up and gently settled him into the chair she had been in. “I’m shocked that you don’t know any of this. Don’t you recall anything from the last time you were here?”

“I’m pretty sure that I’d recall something like you, Twilight. But no. I don’t remember any of this.” A little disheartened to hear the news of his lack of memory, Twilight sits back up and goes for her mentor’s diary. She starts flipping through the earlier pages, hoping to find something to jog his memory. Finding a promising starting point, Twilight started to read aloud. “Year 23, day 114.” She began, making sure Midas could hear her clearly. “We have run our new hero through a number of tests in combat, improvisational thinking, and magical aptitude. He is quickly acing many of our tests and I fear he may run my former mentor up the wall if he keeps succeeding. I’m almost a bit jealous at how he can drive Star-Swirl to a maddened rage of frustration.” She stops her reading and turns to Midas. “None of this is sounding familiar to you?”

“Nope, can’t say that it is. I’m sorry.” She goes back to reading, hoping to find some sort of trigger to his memory.

“If his progress continues, I feel that my sister and I may sleep soundly for the rest of our lives. I know that the name of F-…” Twilight froze, seeing the name written in the book. “F-… Franz Delune.” The mare started to turn pale, turning to the being before her. “… You, by chance wouldn’t have gone by a name of Franz Delune, would you?” He shook his head at that.

“Nope. Then again, Franz would be a bit more acceptable than Midas. My mother was a professor studying Greek Mythology and history and she was… let’s just say super enthusiastic about her work. Being named after a king succumbing to greed isn’t exactly my first choice.”

“You… remember your mother? What else do you remember?” Twilight felt her heart start to race as panic started to fill her.

“My entire life actually; every bully from first grade to graduation, both of my ex-girlfriends and the guys I caught them with, my martial arts classes, and my college course. Though… I will admit, what happened after dinner last night is kind of a blur to me.” This new development was not something Twilight had anticipated. Part of her blamed herself for this miscalculation, but there was no denying that he bore the elements on his back but she was clearly in uncharted territory. A fact that terrified the young mare to the point she started to panic.

“Oh no. Oh no, no no no!” She started to pace around, mumbling and gibbering to herself uncontrollably. “How can this have happened? I got the wrong pony!” On the verge of collapse, Twilight was soon held by her arms and was now looking into the face of Midas.

“Calm. Down.” He’d say slowly and firmly. “You’re freaking me out and if we both start freaking out, then we won’t get anything done.” Setting the purple mare back into the chair, this time not bothering to tie her up as he knew it was pointless. “Now, tell me; why do you need the Hero of Harmony?” Taking a deep breath, Twilight starts to form her words in her head before she speaks.

“About a year ago, a pony of dark power returned to Equestria after a thousand years of imprisonment. Before, yo- the actual hero of harmony and Princess Celestia imprisoned her together as it was only your combined powers that could suppress her.” She recalled the legend from memory, having internalized it by heart at this point. “When she returned, the mare of darkness, Nightmare Moon; could only be stopped by my mentor, Princess Celestia.”

“This already doesn’t sound good. So, does this Nightmare Moon rule over your land?”

“Yes… and no. Nightmare Moon is only one of three. During their confrontation, Celestia was victorious and forced her sister to yield.”

“Then what’s the problem?"

“Celestia… started to change.” The mare’s voice ran cold, clearly experienced first-hand to this change. “She became cold, distant, and… ruthless. She started to take Equestria into a direction that has left many, many families in ruin. The three tribes of ponies have been segregated and assigned to specific roles they are expected to fulfill.”

“Oh, this doesn’t sound good.”

“Before ponies had full control of their lives. They were free to explore what made them special but now; she’s gone into a much more direct method and intervenes in the lives of those that dwell in her new empire. Ponies are given their roles at birth and are expected to do them. Herds demand that tribes stay within tribes to ensure the strongest of their kind are born.”

“I can safely say that from my own people’s history, that has never worked out for anyone involved.” Midas felt his gut hollow with every word she spoke, seeing that his presence was hindering what should have been something rather important. “What about an opposition movement? If things are as bad as you say they are, I doubt there will be ponies who are willing to take this lying down.”

“And you’d be right.” Twilight stated, looking up to show her dower expression. “But they were dealt with long ago. A band of ponies opposed Celestia, or as she’s known now, Daybreaker. For a time, we thought that they’d get through to her… but then they all turned up dead… after being executed… publicly.”

“… Oh. Were there any survivors?”

“None that wish to come out of hiding. To my knowledge, what little of a dissenting voice that may oppose Daybreaker died with those ponies. Now it’s do as she says or there will be consequences.” With that explanation, Midas was starting to get an idea of what was going on. As well as the fact that he was now taking the place of a legendary hero that, for all intensive and purposes, was her last hope. “Midas, I know you aren’t the actual Hero of Harmony, but you have his body; you have the very thing that made him so powerful in the beginning. But… I can’t force you to help me, nor my people. This isn’t your fight, and I cannot lie; the odds are not in our favor.”

“You’re not doing a good job on selling me this little proposition, Sparkles. If you want my help, lead with something that would benefit me. Maybe a reward.”

“I don’t suppose good will and the safety of an entire nation could be the deciding factor will suffice?”

“A noble goal, but as you said before; you’re not looking for a saint.” Twilight had to give him that one as she started to think. With her current situation, Twilight didn’t have much to offer for his help. Though, as she started to think, she may have something.

“Well… how about… m-me?” She says with a bashful smile.

“… What?”

“I know I’m not much to look at, but… if you help me, I will offer myself to you and you may do whatever you desire to me.”

“Twilight, what the hell!?” She was taken back by his rejection, her smile fading instantly.

“D-Do I not please you? I’d gladly follow you as a herd-mare, o-or I can change my appearance to something suitable to your-.”

“No, I’m not going to take you as a sex slave or… whatever the hell a herd-mare is!” She looked a little hurt, a small tinge of guilt forming in Midas as he saw her look away. “Look, Sparkles, I can see you’re desperate for my help, and… I’ll admit, for a horse-girl, you’re kinda cute,” A firm fluster forms on Twilight. “But… that doesn’t mean I want to turn you into my… herd-mare. If by some miracle I did want that, I’d rather you do it because you wanted to, not because you have to.”

“But… it’s all I have to offer. There is nothing else I can offer to compensate for undertaking a task of this magnitude.” Midas lets out a sigh of frustration, finding his options difficult and compromising to his morale compass. “Please, I’ll do anything to stop the madness that has taken over my home… so, please… take me. It’s all I have.” He watched her drop to her knees, pleading to him as she tossed away any sense of dignity and pleaded with the stranger. “Midas, I have nopony else to turn to. I was abandoned by my family, my mentor, my home. You’re all I have left. Please… please…” Twilight turned to face him, tears streaming down her eyes. “I need you.”

“… You’re really that desperate, huh” He’d say coldly, looking her in the eye. The man saw she was devoid of hope, willing to go as far as she needed to ensure he could help. “You said you can use magic. Is that how you brought me here?”

“K-Kinda.” She’d wipe a few tears from her eyes. “I brought you here with the Tree of Harmony; it’s the ultimate defense Equestria has with magic that can dwarf almost any creature in the land.”

“And this… tree; it can send me back?” Twilight felt her heart stop.

“I… It can.” She stumbled through the words. “I don’t know how, but the diary said it was used to send y-… the Hero of harmony back to his world.”

“I see. And… what else does it do?”

“Legend… L-Legend says that the tree houses magic beyond compare; specifically used to defend Equestria from any sort of threat.”

“And I’m the only one that can wield it?”

“You’re the only creature in existence capable. Not even Celestia can hold the power at your finger-tips. Such power would kill any other pony.” Weighing his options, Midas started to re-evaluate his position in things and offered a hand to Twilight to help her up.

“If… and I do mean ‘if’, I do accept, there are going to be some conditions.” Twilight lit up, taking his hand and coming up to face him.

“A-Anything. I’ll do anything you ask.”

“First things first. If we are going to do this, then we are going to do it together. I have no idea what Equestria is like and you seem pretty knowledgeable.”

“W-Well, I have tried to keep my ear to the ground but I have memorized a plethora of books in my years of study. Though, obscure facts may require a refresher.”

“Good. In that case, you and I are partners in this. No one is beneath the other; if you pull your weight, I’ll pull mine.”

“I can accept that.” Twilight smiled, agreeing to his terms.

“Second, if I can use this uber-magic you speak of, I’ll need your help learning how to control it. I can’t go walking around with a bomb on my back not knowing how it works. I’d rather not hurt anyone unintentionally.”

“I’ll offer my years of magical study and my own personal research to you; I’ll even tutor you on the finer details of magic and magical theory.”

“Third, when this is all over, you’ll send me back home. I don’t care if this quest takes us a hundred years, when it is done, you send me back.” Twilight looked a little hesitant at that condition, but she’d reluctantly agree.

“Then I’ll do whatever research I can to ensure that you are sent home. It may take some time, but I promise I’ll see it is done.”

“Thank you. That means a lot to me.” As he spoke, he came to an unintentional fourth term. “And uh… about that… herd-mare thing.” Twilight felt herself fluster.

“Y-You can forget about that! I-I was just kidding. Hehe, f-funny joke and all that.” Midas could practically see the sweat falling off of Twilight’s forehead, watching her panic somewhat.

“I will admit… the offer you made was... tempting.” Twilight felt her heart race, a restrained smile forming on her muzzle. “Though you and I aren’t the same species, it has been some time since I last… ya know, got any action. Still, I’m not about to take advantage of my new position just for a quick lay. Especially with a girl in your situation, Twilight.” She starts to turn red, smiling his way. “So, for the moment, lets keep things simple and stay friends. Does that sound fair?” He offers her a hand, a gesture of friendship and in hopes that maybe they could form this unlikely partnership.

“Alright, I can work with that… friend.” Taking his hand, the two shook hands, forming a pact. But no sooner had they done so, something truly strange happened. The glow in Midas’s eyes started to intensify and change from a neon green to a potent white. Twilight and Midas found themselves floating in the air before the castle and forest around them gave way, shifting to form a desert spanning for miles without an end in sight. The harsh sun pelting them with its harsh rays of light yet they felt no heat, they felt no breeze, nor did they feel anything out of the ordinary.

Hearing a soft rumble, the two watched something rise from the sands; a building made from wooden planks and murky glass for windows. It resembled a shack or something cobbled together in a hurry, and before they knew it, more of the same buildings slowly started to rise from the sands. Some acting as homes while others had signs advertising for shops or any other sort of business. It wasn’t long before an entire town had risen from the desert itself. Midas and Twilight were only able to watch this event take place. “Twilight… what the hell is going on?” They both heard Midas’s voice echo with a strange reverb, almost as if he was speaking down a long, narrow tunnel.

“Your guess is good as mine here.” Twilight tried to move, walking in any random direction yet she felt like she was moving through a tub of honey, her hooves slow and heavy to move through the open air. She’d reach out with her magic, trying to teleport or cast any form of spell. Yet she could hardly even manifest a glow. “I can’t use my magic in here.”

“Then what are we supposed to do.” As they looked to one another, something fell from the sky, landing between the two. It was an old, dusty Stetson hat, sporting no discernible features or attachments and yet the fact it fell from the sky was enough to catch them both off guard. Cautious to touch the hat, Midas moves to grab it by the rim and picks it up. It felt almost real and for a laugh, he’d put it on. “What do you think, Sparkles? Does the cow-boy life suit me?”

“Please take this serious, Midas. For all we know, this could be a sign.”

“A sign? A sign from who, there’s nobody here!” He turns around, motioning to the empty town. But in that moment, Twilight caught a glimpse of his back and saw that one of the stones was no longer grey. The center stone had shifted from a bland grey to a vibrant purple, matching her coat in shade and color. It was then that Twilight started to get what was going on.

“The elements! I think the elements are showing us a vision.” Midas couldn’t help but notice how much she lit up when she solved a puzzle. He had to admit, seeing her smile and dance in place from her sudden moment of clarity was a little adorable in its own way. “I think this is a real place. Maybe this is where we need to go?”

“Alright, any idea where this is?”

“I… haven’t the faintest idea.”

“Any chance that these rocks on my back can be a little less vague then?” Midas got his wish as something new started to rise from the ground. This time it was not a building but it was made of wood. Sprouting from the sands, growing taller by the second; Midas and Twilight watched as a tree began to rapidly grow before them. Lush green leaves filled outs its branches, adding some much-needed color to the dreary little town. Bulbs started to grow on its branches that soon became three lush fruit emerging before dangling before the duo, adding to the new assortment of questions “Alright… that’s a start. Still pretty vague though.”

“This is strange.”

“The tree, the hat, the town, or all of the above?”

“It’s clearly a message, but what does it all mean? This has to mean something.”

“Yeah, you can say that again.” He turns to his back to face the stones. “Any chance we could get one more hint? And make it a good one, please.” He’d get his wish, but he’d soon wish he hadn’t. Twilight and Midas started to hear the buildings groan and creak. Though they couldn’t feel the growing winds, the two felt the sand particles in the air flying by and pelting their bodies. Turning away from the sands, Midas and Twilight turned to the tree once more. The beautiful tree that had come before them started to wilt and grey. The fruit started to spoil on its branches before turning to dust; eventually becoming a withered old stump of dead-wood.

The wind grew stronger now, pieces of the buildings flying off the little shacks and off into oblivion. Piece after piece, each building started to come undone as nails and boards were flung into the distance. Midas felt a chill run up his spine, watching the little town destroyed by a torrent of wind. “I’m starting to think that this may be a little overboard… and that wasn’t a joke, I’m dead serious.”

“You have no idea.” Twilight was facing the opposite direction now, her eyes fixated on what she was seeing; a clear expression of terror locked as she watched the cause of these storms. Curious, Midas turns to see what it was that had caught Twilight’s attention, and slowly started to regret that decision as he started to form a similar expression to her own.

“Ho-…-ly… shit!” A wall of dust and sand and wind had overtaken the horizon; swallowing the desert whole with every mile it took. Twilight watched as it slowly started to devour the sun itself in its thick clouds, but that wasn’t what scared her so much. Within the wall of sand, Twilight and Midas saw three titans looming within. Bolts of thunder illuminated the wall, revealing their imposing presence. While Midas was left dumbfounded, his hand clinging onto the Stetson like some sort of safety blanket, Twilight recognized the three figures instantly. Her knees started to quiver, seeing the shadows of three alicorn titans loom over her puny size. A bolt of lightning flashed across the clouds, revealing the intense glare the middle alicorn had, horrified to see it was focused on them. “Twilight… how do we get out of here?” She couldn’t respond, she was too paralyzed with fear to speak or move. “Twilight?” Turning to the purple unicorn, reach out to her with his free hand. “Twilight!” He’d shout her name, gaining her attention. “How do we get out of here?”

“I… I…” A loud crack of thunder shook the two, returning their attention to the titans as one of them slowly started to stretch out their hand. Their massive palm slowly reaching out to what little was left from the town and with Midas and Twilight in the middle of it. “I… I don’t want to die.” Was all Twilight could muster, breaking down in tears as death seemed certain. Yet Midas stood firm, watching the hand loom over, eclipsing the sun and the sky itself. Light was fading fast but before darkness consumed them, he’d turn to Twilight and kneel before her.

“Twilight.” His voice was soft and he’d try to sound as comforting as possible. “I know you’re scared… and frankly, I am too. But it’s not real.” He goes to hold her hand firmly. “None of this is real. It’s only a vision, remember.” She slowly turned up, seeing the titan’s hand slam down onto the town, leaving the two in a void. The only light source that could be seen came from the glow emanating from Midas’s eyes, currently illuminating Twilight’s terrified face. “Focus on me; I’m real.” She slowly looked up, focused on his brilliant eyes in the dark. “Remember; it’s a vision. You figured that out.”

“… I did.” She’d stammer, still clearly shaking with terror. “… Its… its…” She slowly started to calm herself. Reaching out to touch Midas. She felt his arms, slowly following them down to his hands until she grabbed hold for dear life. “its… a vision… nothing more. It can’t hurt me. It’s not real.” She closed her eyes tight, chanting that new mantra to herself and soon she’d find herself in a familiar spot.

The void was gone, and with it the desert. Midas and Twilight were now back in the library with nary a moment having gone by. It was all a vision brought on by the elements and Twilight started to feel her fears melt away. A smile formed for a moment, only to quickly vanish as fast as it came. She knew it was fake, a vision that could not harm either of them. Yet, looking at Midas’s left hand, she saw him holding a familiar looking Stetson. “Midas… h-how did you-?” He saw he was holding the Stetson, tossing it aside. No sooner had he done that the hat melted away into sand.

“… Twilight, I dunno what the hell just happened… but whatever the case, I think it is safe to assume that our path is laid down before us. So, perhaps we start walking before the roc- erm… elements of harmony, deliver another pants-shittingly terrifying message again.”

“Y-Yeah. That would be best.” The two turned to face one another, glad to be back in what they knew was reality. But before they could set out, it was Midas’s turn to take note of something odd. “Hey Twilight. Is your horn supposed to be doing… that?” He points to the mare’s horn, watching it slowly pulse with a violet light.

Seeing her glowing appendage, Twilight waved it off. “Its fine, it’s just my ala-.” Twilight froze, realizing what this meant. “Oh no.”

“What? Please tell me it’s not another oncoming nightmare.”

“It’s worse.”

“How the hell can it get worse?”

“Because, somepony set off the alarm; there are intruders in the castle.”

~ddd~

The castle was rocked by a sudden explosion; tearing the large metal doors from their hinges. The now warped front gates lay on the floor, letting three similarly armored stallions to walk in followed by a heavily armored pony coated in gold. The leader of the group scanned the surrounding area, looking for anything to catch his eye. Meanwhile, Midas and Twilight watched from afar, hiding behind a wall of rubble on the second floor. Twilight kept her eye on the heavily armored pony, feeling her heart race when she saw the decorated shield on his right arm. The armored stallion turned to where they were hiding, to which the two immediately got out of view before being caught. “I can’t believe he’s here.” Twilight whispered, biting her nails after seeing him. “This is bad. Very, very bad.”

“How bad? On a scale of 1 to-.”

“A thousand.” She nearly lost control of her voice, visibly shaken by the pony’s presence. “He cannot find me, none of them. If they do… then that’s it for me, Midas. I’m as good as dead.” Twilight took a moment to recover, mentally preparing herself and trying to focus her attention. “I need to gather my things. I need to gather what I can, and then we have to make for the nearby town. There are some ponies there that can help us.”

“What about me, what do you want me to do?” Before she could answer, the two froze as a third voice was heard.

“I know you’re out there.” Twilight practically lost all color when she heard his voice, trembling when his voice echoed out into the castle. “There’s no need to hide Twilight; you’re surrounded. Give up.” Midas listened close, turning over to the edge and saw the lead guard scanning the area still. “Come out peacefully, and we can end this. No more running, no more hiding. It’s time to end this game and come home.” Turning back to Twilight, Midas had a feeling of what he’d have to do.

“You get your things. I’ll keep them busy.” Hesitant to do so, Twilight knew that this was how things must play out. She needed her research, her belongings if they were going to survive out in the world. But she didn’t have a lot of time to do it; a distraction was what she needed.

“… Meet me across the bridge, I’ll be waiting for you. And… promise you’ll be careful.”

“I promise. Get your things, and I’ll meet up when I can.” Shooing her away to get ready, Midas took a moment to ready himself for possibly a not-so-friendly confrontation. Once Twilight was out of the area, Midas stood up and called out.

“Alright, ya got me!” He held out a hand, letting them catch him. The four guards turned to face Midas, perplexed by his alien figure. He slowly came out, hands in the air and feeling all eyes on them. “I’ll come quietly, no need to get violent, officers.” The well armored stallion came forward, taking off his helmet to reveal a stallion with a white coat and a deep blue parted with a sky-blue streak. He was eyeballing Midas, trying to figure out who, what he was while the other guards weren’t about to take any chances and drew their swords.

“Where is Twilight Sparkle?” The lead stallion asked firmly.

“Who?” Midas played dumb, jerking his neck forward while sporting a confused look.

“Purple unicorn, book-worm, magical prodigy; I know she’s here. No other pony besides her or one of the empress’ could have done such a thing.”

“Geez, she your girlfriend or something?”

“She’s my sister. Or rather was.” Midas felt a twinge in his heart, seeing that her lawless life had brought some tension with her family. “I won’t ask this again; where is she?”

“And I told you, I have no idea who you are talking about. It’s just me in this castle, with the obvious exceptions standing in front of me.” The stallion didn’t seem all that convinced and merely glared at the alien.

“So, you are telling me that the massive spire of light that woke half of the country last night was not Equestria’s most wanted… but you?” There weren’t many details Midas had on how he got here or what his summoning was like, but he’d roll with it.

“Y-Yeah! Nobody else here.”

“Uh-huh. And… care to tell us how Mr.…?”

“M-…” Midas froze, thinking quick. “Melvin. Melvin… Lemons.”

“Right. Mr. Lemons, how is it that you managed to cause such an explosion of light to rival the very sun and moon respectively?”

“Oh, that’s easy; fireworks.” The stallion was caught with his mouth slightly agape, taken off guard by nary a sense of hesitation and ridiculousness response Midas gave.

“F-Fireworks?”

“Yup. Why else do you think I look like this? I lost all my damn fur in that explosion.” Feeling his eye twitch, the stallion pressed further with his interrogation.

“A spire of light, bright enough to light the night sky, towering above the tallest mountains, were the result of you and some… fireworks?”

“… They were really good fireworks.” Something snapped in the stallion, having reached the end of his rope with the stranger and slowly took a deep breath to calm his nerves.

“… Arrest him.”

“Woah! I haven’t done anything wrong; you can’t just arrest me for nothing.” The stallion shot Midas a firm glare, clearly having none of anything he said or any excuse he may have.

“How about disturbing the peace, use of dangerous pyrotechnics, trespassing; all on historical property I might add. And there’s also the additional charge of lying to law enforcement with that ridiculous story you came up with. I mean, seriously; fireworks? You could honestly do better, Mr. Lemons.” The stallion took a step forward, readying his shield. “But, all of that pales to the fact that I know who really did it, and I know she is still here.” The stallion showed off a black shield, the edges filed out to be just as sharp as any sword. “So, you are going to tell me where she is, and you will do it now. Otherwise, I’ll just add aiding a wanted criminal to that list.”

“And… what if I say no?” Midas asked, seeing the white unicorn hold up his shield with the pointed tip aimed for Midas’s throat.

“That depends; we don’t really need you alive. You can either spend the rest of your life in a dungeon… or I can just kill you right now.” Midas needed more time to stall, and proceeded to look as if he was actively contemplating his offer. He’d press his finger to his chin, letting out “Hmms” and “Huhs” as if he was actually turn between the ultimatum. “I’m going to give you the count of ten to give me your answer; after that I’m gutting you.” Midas felt sweat drip down his forehead, his stalling time having been cut down to ten seconds. “1… 2…” The stallion began, bringing Midas to slightly panic. He needed to think quick. “5… 6…” Thinking quick, Midas started to recall that Twilight told him that he now had powers, of which she didn’t quite explain or tell him what they were. He’d try to focus and force something, anything to happen. “8… 9…” The stallion started to make his horn glow, along with the edge of the shield he carried. Seeing his time to think was over, Midas acted.

“Alright! Ya got me!” He held his hands up. “I’ll tell ya everything.” Midas caved, sighing in defeat as the stallion ceased his countdown. “The explosion or whatever it was that happened last night wasn’t because of fireworks… and… your sister was indeed involved.” The stallion slowly lowered his weapon, seeing that he was getting somewhere. “She summoned me here from a realm far from your own, to act as a savior and to aid her. For you see… I am the legendary Hero of Harmony.” Midas struck a pose, looking valiant and heroic. The stallion turned back to the entrance where he saw the old statue and turned back to Midas with a furrowed brow.

“… 9 and a half…”

“Wait, I’m not lying… this time. I swear, I am the guy.”

“Bullshit! The hero of harmony is a myth, a legend. Everypony’s mother has told their foals the tale of the stallion that kept the land safe from danger. You certainly do not fit that cut.”

“But I can prove it.” Turning around quick, Midas pulled up his shirt to show off the golden ring and the five grey stones and one purple gem in the center. Yet, Twilight’s brother was not persuaded. “See, explain this?”

“Seem like a tattoo to me. Pretty cool looking one, but I sure as hell wouldn’t go and shave my entire body for it. Seriously, why are you bald all over, it’s really disturbing.”

“Because I’m not from here!” He turned back around to face the guards, just in time to see the stallion stomping his way over. He was done listening to Midas and he started to run, aiming for Midas’s neck. Seeing that he had run out of time, Midas threw up his arms for defense. In that moment, with emotions running high, Midas felt something strange and unexplainable happen to him. In that moment, just when Shining leapt forward to strike, a surge of power rushed through the man’s right hand and fired in a bolt of golden energy. A magical bolt though weak, was enough to catch the stallion off guard and knock him off course and into a wall. The lead guard had just enough time to throw up his shield to take the brunt of the force, but he was still pushed away from Midas and into a wall.

Looking to his hands, Midas was left stunned, feeling a tingling sensation run all the way through his arms and to his back. It was bizarre to say the least, but so long as he was still alive, he wasn’t complaining. The stallion slowly stood back up, feeling a little sore but still pretty pissed off. “And now… we can add assault of a Royal guard; death sentence it is!”