We moved on foot through the woods to a more secluded section to get inforational tidbits of information. I knew it won't be easy to pry information about these Elite Masters, but, at the moment, she was my only solid lead. We eventually made camp in the partial clearing. I calmly watch Charie and Celestia exchange a silent staring match. The unspoken question still lingering in the air.

"Do you two know each other from somewhere?" I asked.

They continue the stare for a moment longer before Charie decide to answer me. "Yeah, I used to be the.... well, lead scientist to create the ultimate exotic pet project."

I cocked my head. "Ultimate Exotic Pet Project? Is that supposed to be a DNA splicing, and possibly, breeding experiment or somthing?" The used-to-be doctor seemed a bit apprehensive I guessed that right off the bat. I backpedalled. "Sorry, I have a bad habit of guessing possibly fairly accurate guesses. I'm not normally that specific. I just figured-"

"It's quite fine, Shadow. I'm just a bit boggled that you have quite the bit of knowledge for that particular field." She replied swiftly.

I looked at the greenery around us. "Let's just say I have dabbled with genetics before."

"Well, ok then. It should be much easier for you to understand." Charie looks back at Celestia receiving a deeper scowl. She looked deeply saddened before continuing. "The Ultimate Exotic Pet Project, or UEPP, was started and funded by the Elite Masters to bred the ultimate multipurpose 'comfort toys' through magic and bioengineering. The project was a long grueling process, it barely produced promising results until roughly a couple decades ago. This breakthrough produced the possiblity to create the first ever mythical fabled creatures dubbed 'alicorn'. During the project, only the first two subjects manage to survive the process in the laboratory. This leap in discovery led the project to be an overall success which led the elite masters to take the test subjects away for training." The hatred in Celestia's eyes burned with a fiery passion like no other remembering the humiliation and torture she and her sister must have to suffer through, thanks to this woman.

I was a bit surprised honestly. Anyone else would have been very reluctant to even be sharing a small part of this sensitive information so openly. She didn't seem bothered letting other people know as long as they were far away from spies and potential easedroppers. Either way, it was clear to me now that Charie was responsible for Celestia and Luna's creation. Yet, something didn't seem to settle well with me.

"Hmm. So from what you told me, you were largely responsible in the creation of these alicorns that are in front of me. And if what you are saying is true, then they would not know who you were so quickly..... How do you two know each other?"

Charie paused in thought, but it didn't last long. Celestia spoke up while Luna seem to shrink at the question a little. "I'll tell you..... Our innocence and lack of knowledge seem to annoy the masters, so she was task in making sure we got a bare minimum form of education. In other words, she was our caretaker, our mother for ten years, I think. They were the best years, and only happy memories, in my entire life..... until she handed us to the masters herself. Practically gave us to them willingly! She abandoned us. I didn't realize that fact, or what would happen to my sister and I until we were begging for mercy from our cruel masters...," I saw Charie flinch under Celestia's harsh tone. "And she still did nothing! She never even tried to stop our suffering once! The only time she was there for us was when the masters had all our first viriginities taken in public!"

Charie looked to be in verbal anguish. "Celly, I-"

Celestia walked up in her face glaring hateful daggers into her eyes. Her fists shaking violently. "Don't. ever. use. that nickname. Ever. Again. You lost every right long before I turned into..... into...." Her voice lost its intensity a moment later staring at me with a deep hopelessness.

One of my hands were firmly placed on my rapid-beating heart. Unpleasant memories took form in my mind, but they quickly disappeared feeling the same anguish Celestia and Luna were feeling. Celestia stared mildly shocked at my reaction. Luna looked at me with a subtle curiousity and surprise. I manage to get my irrational heart under control before answering them.

"..... Let's move until we find what we're looking for. Do you at least have a location of where the Elite Masters might be, Charie?"

She focused on me. "It's been too long since I retired from being Royal Scientist. By now, they could have easily moved locations. I know of a guy That us still in touch with them, however, maybe he could help."

I nod. "Then we leave now to your friend's location." I eyed the Charie's pegasus and unicorn companions. They stood in relative silence behind her. They were like statues which creeped me out a bit. We walked back on the beaten path lead by Charie to our next destination.

The night blanket the world around us before we knew it. Charie told us we the location of her friend is a decent ways away from the city populations. Even though I haven't stumble upon a city yet in these woods. Regardless, we stopped here to get our energy back again for the trip. Celestia and Luna were sharing a bed due to shape and weight limiting our movement. Charie and her two companion's were talking amongst themselves. Most likely exchanging boring conversations to each other.

I couldn't get an ounce of sleep. Especially since the fire kept waking me up. I don't know why, but my body is not responding like it normally would. It's almost like its forcing itself awake. It's probably just my nerves. My ears swiveled a bit hearing the alicorn sister bag russle. I looked up to see Luna wrapped her arms around Celestia smiling to herself. It looked so peaceful and.... familiar.

"Mmmm."

I groaned. "Come on, sweetie. You have your own bed."

"But it's thundering outside.... And.... I'm scared..."

"Oh?" I rose from my sleeping prone position. "I thought the scary, tough girl of mine slayed that creature of darkness a long time ago?"

She didn't seem to look me in the eyes. "It's not the thunder that scares me..... I..... You go to other places and save them without a single thought.... Will you save us from evil too? Will you protect us?"

I placed a gentle hand on her head. A sweet smile graced my lips. "Of course, my little dark angel. I'll do anything in my power to save you. No matter where you are."

Her eyes seem to brighten at my response. "Really?!"

"Really." I picked her up and placed her in her proper bed, next door to my room. She didn't seem pleased with doing this. "Now get some sleep, okay?"

She huffed, but complied to my wishes settling into her bed sheets. "Ok-ay. Good night Daddy..."

"Good night, Tina."

I snapped out of my dazed phase when Charie tapped my shoulder. "Hey Shadow. Are you okay?"

I looked back at Charie briefly before staring back into the fire again. "Yes. I'm fine. I can't sleep, so I'll take night watch."

Charie seem to frown slightly at my reply, but didn't push the topic any further. She straightened up to full height. "If you say so." Her two companions beckoned Charie somewhere else leaving me alone with my thoughts again. That memory.... I know it was mine, but it was like I censored those events for some reason.... Tina.... all this time I had something precious besides Zecora in the next multiverse. It's unsettling how the memory just comes back after all this time. But the why can be sorted out later once I deal with the Elite Masters circle problem first. I was still going to watch out for these group of misfits after all.

I didn't get a wink of sleep, but the rest of my traveling companions slept like rocks. Not like sleep deprivation bothers me anyway..... Okay, maybe a little, but that's only because of my current physical form! We set on the road again that morning. We eventually breeched the thicket of the forest into a valley of sorts with a winding dirt path to an out-of-the-way village. Although the village wasn't more than twenty houses and a tavern. Charie beckoned us to the pub saying something about her friend loves to drink booze often. It didn't help ease the intense stares of the townsfolk.

"A-Are you sure this is the right place?" Luna asked, a bit tensed.

"Of course it is! No village around the Farcry Forest is this.... underdeveloped. It's part of the reason the village is so famous." Charie replied opening the door into the tavern.

I stared at Charie's back of her head irritated. I see even the universe wants to throw its own puns at my face.

The strong smell of alcohol hit the newbies like a freight train. You could tell with their noses wrinkling in disgust at the smell. Strong adventurers and bounty hunters idoly chattered amongst themselves throughout its thick atmosphere. And for a pub, it was a bit spacious even with so many people inside.

"Alright I suggest we split into two groups. Celestia, Luna and I got the left side of the tavern. You and your companions take the right."

Charie looked slightly irritated. Her companions stared at her for an answer. "Whatever you say 'boss'."

I rolled my eyes glancing behind me to spot the two alicorn sisters. "Alright. Stay close to me. Pubs can get very dangerous if you're not cautious enough." They nod in agreement before we sat down at the bar counter.

The bar tender took a passing glance at potential new customers. He noticed the alicorn sisters with recognition. I took advantage of his shock. "I know this sounds blunt, but are you a friend of Charie, perhaps?"

That snapped his attention on me. Critically eyeing me with suspicion. He walked up to us before leveling a stare at me. "I know many people by the name 'Charie'. I also happen to know a lot of things."

This guy was playing the cold shoulder. Fine. "I understand. You can't always put a name to a face. However, you might know a woman named Doctor Charie Wu."

The human seem to freeze at that name, or it could be that I know the name specifically. His voice dramatically dropped. "Okay, what exactly do you want to know about her?"

I sighed. "I don't want to know anything about her. What I want to know is where can I find the Elite Masters?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm not exactly sur-"

The doors to the pub open when I suddenly felt an urge to kill him. I pulled out a dagger before opening his throat wide open. Everyone in the pub stared at me in mute horror.

I felt the words force their way out of my mouth. "I said, I wanted another damn drink you damn son of a whore!" I felt the stares begin to annoy me, so I stood up glaring harshly at the people around me.

"Master, you shouldn't be so-" I hit Celestia across the face sending her to the ground.

"Shut it, bitch!"

What the hell is going on?

Celestia whimpered holding her cheek in pain. I felt like my body was acting on its own. I heard a set of footsteps entering the pub before my lowered awareness finally noticed the approaching figures. I turned around seeing something incredibly bizzare.

The obvious leader of the group was a human male he had to be at least five feet tall. He was not the most physically built human in the pub, but what he did have was an unsheathed sword. He also had fancy looking knight armor on his body that you would see straight out of a fantasy game. The strangest part about the human was he didn't look like he had a distinct face you could just simply make out. All that was clear to me was his sneering smile, in my direction.

Behind him was three mares in overexposing slutty outfits. Two of them were unicorns while the last one was a earth pony of sorts. The earth pony mare was some how different though. She looked to gave a certain divinity to that of a goddess. Of what I wasn't entirely sure.

This sudden group of whack jobs grew even more suspicious with the sword that he carried in his hands. It couldn't be no longer than a medium sized dagger, but the details of this sword seemed strangely familiar. The sword's blade itself seem to be ancient beyond its own carbon dating, yet it was sturdy enough to stay intact. An ancient language of some kind was written on the hilt with a similar look to a Chinese dragon going up along the blade part of the sword. Even with these extra details it looked incredibly ordinary in the man's hands.

My actions continued against my wishes. I sneered. "What are you looking at stupid monkey? Do I have a bannana in my mane?"

Who even says that?!

I may not be able to make out his exact face, but I could tell unbridled rage seeped from my lower intelligent insult. He got into a battle position. The earth pony goddess looked extremely uneasy for a moment.

"Master Anon, wait! We need to take the Slave Raper in one piece!"

The man, now named Anon, charged at me. "Screw the consquences now! No one calls me a 'stupid monkey' and gets away with it!"

Normally, I would be able to dodge such a simple straight forward attack. A brave warrior with two brain cells could. But for some reason, my stupid body just stared in dumbstruck horror.

He skewered me with his dagger/sword immediately forcing me to the ground. I hacked up my own blood a scream of agony tore from my abused throat. Anon grinned manically glaring at me with pure evil deep within his incognito eyes. He pulled the blade out before stabbing me repeated with the blade. The pain continued to fill my mind. I lost track of time in his attacks.

My vision swirled, but I could tell everyone was watching. Everyone of them, including my travelling companions not even a minute ago. Even Celestia and Luna stared down at me with raw hatred and disgust. They seem to be glad I was getting what was coming to me. I was nothing to them, to all of them. Just an evil monster getting hacked to pieces by a random 'hero'.

Hero

That word sparked something in my tainted mind. A word that set fire to my soul. A deep seething hatred that refused to die in me even after all these years. My focus returned to the man mutilating my soon-to-be corpse. I saw a sick green light illuminate from the sword. A familiar magic trying to overwrite my entire being. This clued me in on what exactly was going on.

The pain suddenly vanished from the rapid stabbing into my chest. I smiled sinisterly at the man above me.

You want to play this game? Fine. I immediately grabbed the man's hand preventing the blade to impale me again. I felt the raw power flow through me. The primal need to right the wrong this blade forced upon this world.

A distorted chuckle broke my lips making my smile widen further. I could tell Anon's eyes widen in absolute fear of my new aura. "TimE tO PaY fOr YoUr sInS!" I felt the scene shift.

The bartender rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm not exactly sure if I know the Elite Master's whereabouts. What I do know is-"

The doors to the pub open abruptly. A pang of realization must have awaken inside the bartender. Eyes wide, he felt for the nonexistent wound on his neck. I turned to the enterance spoting the man, Anon, the earth pony goddess, and the two mare unicorns. The wimpy man walked into the tavern like he, somehow, owned the place.

"Face me you worthless coward! You, the Slave Rapist, will not harm anymore sluts on my watch! For I, the Mighty and Powerful Anon, will defeat your need-to-be punished ass and feed it to Cerberus himself!" Anon yelled out into the tavern. That broke everyone out of their conversations to glare at the man at the enterance. Even Celestia and Luna didn't appreciate his foul language and inflated ego.

The man continued. "It's okay if you want to beg for your worthless life. I'm the god of justice after all." He approached me, but I didn't attempt to move to him. His female companions seem to settle near the entrance, waiting for him.

I sighed knowing what I needed to do. "Sorry, but no 'god of justice' would break the natural law of sequential order to restore 'justice' into the world." I snapped my fingers watching his own shadow coil tightly around Anon. Anon's mare companions stared in utter shock at this display.

The man screamed in surprise trying to break free from its grip. I smiled amused by his struggles. I glanced back at the bartender. "Excuse me for a moment. This won't take very long."

The bartender wordlessly stared at me before I grabbed the shadow bound Anon carrying him into the bathroom. The female companions seem to sense his need for help following after me. I carefully placed Anon against the wall. Although, my strength accidentally made an imprint into the wall itself with the bound Anon. The earth pony goddess glared at me, her blue magic sparking to life from her finger tips. The unicorns did the same with their horns.

"Let Master Anon go, you vile monster! This hero will cleanse you from this wor-" the earth pony goddess started, but I already knew where this was going.

My black magic encased her, and the unicorn's entire bodies before restraining them with said magic. Their weaker magics seem to quickly fizzle out with their confidence. I rolled my eyes. "Would you just shut the hell up? I would do this out in the crowd, but I have questions that need answering before I do anything extreme." I glared back at the bound Anon watching him stiff up at my intense stare.

"H-How can this be? A villain defeating a hero? The villain is supposed to be defeated! Brave chosen heroes always win! They never lose! This is wrong, you're all wron-" I kicked him hard in the face. His head recoiled hitting the wall. I could tell I knocked some teeth out with the blood running down his lips.

I crouched down to his eye level showing the deep anger in my soul. "A 'hero never loses', huh? I'll explain something to you real quick, 'chosen hero'. What you were told are nothing but lies," My eyes must have drifted in a colder look seeing Anon shiver from my presence. "Heroes are nothing but destiny's play things. They have always been from the very start. Villains, however, are what happens after fate is done with discarded hero trash. You want to know the truth? You're no better than that dust bunny on the bathroom floor over there. Hell, you won't last long enough to even make a real impact on anything. The only reason you can even influence the world around you is because of the sword you have in your hands. Speaking of which..."

My magic flared again removing the odd blade from his person and placing it far away from him. "Now normally, I don't care for the name titles because, in the end, they are useless words." I cracked my knuckles and bare my sharpening teeth and fingers before staring back at him. "But calling yourself a hero doesn't make you one. You're an imposter trying to be something that this world clearly lacks. It makes me sick you think you have the right in deciding who lives or dies. I don't appreciate someone using logic to try and force their image of what they see me as upon me."

Anon actually shook in his bounds. He might have peed on himself by the monstrous aura I released in order to further drive my point out. All he did was stutter uselessly in an attempt to retaliate back. Suddenly, all my features return to their pony normal self before I smiled. "Now, tell me where the location of the Elite Masters are, boy. You seem to have enough knowledge about me to know a proper answer. I expect a truthful answer."

Anon stuttered a few more moments before I placed a hand around his neck, putting a bit of pressure. "They are in the Alpha Plains! Th-They told me to capture you alive, I swear! Just let me live, please."

That's all the information I needed to hear. "See? That wasn't so hard, now was it, Anon?" I got back up and turned around walking toward the bathroom door. "Oh, I almost forgot. I did promise I would make you pay for your sins. Maybe a couple legs would compensate for your past deeds."

Just then, a sudden memory surfaced to the forefront of Anon's mind. The dawning horror evident in his face. His shadow retreat from his legs before my magic engulfed each leg independently. He begged, but mercy for him was deaf to my ears. A loud series of snaps, cracks, pops, and Anon screaming in pain soon followed after.

I didn't take pleasure in the screams, but this had to be done. By the time my magic was done twisting and mangling leg bones, Anon had passed out with his legs going several different angles, almost like a living leg pretzel. I knew he was alive at least, so I decided to leave him like that. I left no evidence to trace back to me anyway.

I wrapped the odd sword in my magic again before warping it into my space inventory

"Damn you, you sick bastard! I'll kill you! I swear on my life you'll pay deeply for hurting him!" The earth pony goddess screamed.

I froze my advance to the door. I wasn't particularly mad at her, but rather, I felt incredibly sad at her ignorance. I turned toward the three captured mares in my magic. The goddess glared with intense hatred while the unicorns seem too traumatized to notice all the commotion that went down. I stared evenly at the goddess watching her try to intimidate me with verbal violence. Except normal threats don't seem to make me feel anything.

So I decided to share what I saw. "What you think you know about your 'Master' Anon is entirely wrong, Beyla. You have been placed under his spell from the moment you first accompanied his journey. I can only glance into memories for a short time, but I saw what he has done to you and those two mares behind you. Not only that, but the innocent people he murdered... He mercilessly murdered ponies, humans, and other races to raise his own status... All in cold blood. He would come up with new creative ways in torturing his victims for all that they were worth before ruining their lives completely. And you cheered happily in the background calling the poor souls begging for their lives vile names. None of that should have been forgotten.

"You may think he is a true hero of honor, but that same hero of honor took your virginity in order to satisfy his own carnal desires. The two behind you had worse treatments." The earth pony goddess' eyes widen in shock and doubt. I snort at her realization before turning back to the exit. "You can believe me, or not. It makes no difference what others think of me. Though, if you still want to follow up on revenge then I would have to fight you for real next time."

I left just before she could respond back. I don't like to linger in one place for long. Celestia and Luna were waiting anxiously at the bar. I also noticed I couldn't hear anything in the bathroom. I inwardly sighed.

Old habits die hard, I suppose.

I effortlessly deactivated the silence barrier and any other magic restrains in the bathroom before walking up to Celestia and Luna. They looked awfully worried and uneasy.

"What's wrong?" I asked not sure why they looked that way.

"Y-You just suddenly went into the bathroom with an aggressive man in tow. I th-thought you were going to die..." Luna said trying to seem as small as possible in the public eyes.

Celestia didn't look too happy. "Why do I feel like you slapped me for some reason? I know it never happened, so why do I feel like it did."

I smiled in a calm manner. "Brief spontaneous burst of phantom pain can happen from past traumas. Besides, I think I have what we came for."

Luna's ears perked up. "Really?"

"Yup." I looked to the bartender. "Hey, bartender, do you happen to know where the Alpha Plains are?" I asked.

The bartender looked thankful I didn't bring up anything more personal. "Sure. It's Northwest from here. I believe it's two weeks on foot."

I half smiled placing a handful of bits on the counter. "Thanks for all your help. Here's to compensate for everything." The bartender said his pleasantries in return. Before I left the tavern for good, I might have erased any bystanders memories of what transpired in the pub. At least enough to not make it suspicious.

Either way, Celestia, Luna and I regrouped back with Charie and her company. Another step closer to meeting the puppet masters.

Two of the Elite Masters sat comfortably in cushioned chairs in their castle. One wore a green color themed robe with a flipped up hoodie attached to it. This Elite Master just kept his face hidden within the darkness of his hoodie shade. He was slightly taller than the other.

The other Elite Master had on a blue color themed robe. His robe swirled with new, different patterns every second. The blue robed Master held a crystal orb gazing into the ball. A picture of Shadow with his companions could be seen in the view. His eyes swirled an almost eternal amount of raw power, like an endless blue whirlpool

"Are you sure that's him? He looks drastically different than before. Even his power is not that impressive. We could easily squash this bug flat." The green robed man said dismissively.

The blue robed Master held back a sneer. "While it might seem farfetched, I saw the Dark Lord returning to us in this universe. There's no mistaking his chilling fear aura. And if we don't act soon I don't see a future for any of us."

The green robed master grunted in annoyance massaging his forehead with two fingers. "Geez, this asshole doesn't know when to throw in the towel. I suppose he lives up to his reputation, even if he's supposed to be dead. Espolio will not be pleased to hear this."

The blue robed master rolled his eyes. "Obviously. But I think I might have the perfect solution to deal with this problem. After all, we have our own monster." He snapped his fingers before a sphere of bright blue light encircled the platform in front of them. A beaten and bruised female draconequus laid on the floor.

The draconequus had an anthropomorphic slim, voluptuous feminine body, big breasts and a plump ass. She had two blackish blue hippogriff wings, long back, spiraling curved horns, green cat like eyes, and a cobra hood with a yellow interior stretching along her neck. Her body has smooth silky blue scales that look like luxurious blue skin. Thin narrow feline claws with tuffs of dark pink on her body. She has a long tail that was covered in deep pink tuffs ending with a scorpion shaped telson. Unknown stone bracelets were placed firmly around her wrists, ankles and neck as a safety precaution by the Elite Masters.

The draconequus shakenly tried to stand in her current, naked state, in an attempt to not look pathetic in front of her master. The blue robed master rolled his eyes before flicking his wrist. Right before her eyes the wounds and pain quickly fade away like they were never inflicted on her body. Even now, this sort of power terrified her. The draconequus wanted to question the purpose for her summons, but her mouth remained closed in fear of receiving her master's wrath.

"I have summoned you here for a very important task," The blue robed master raised the orb in his hands for her to see, the image focused on Shadow. "I want you to end this stallion's life. Make sure that this fool can never come back from the grave again."

She slowly prostate herself in a deep bow. "Your will is my law, Master Reinto."

"Good, don't disappoint me, Cosmos." The female draconequus shift her current form into a snake body, making her voluptuous figure disappear. She quickly floated off to complete her mission.

The green robed master scoffed. "You still have the order spirit bitch? I thought she was gotten rid of a long time ago."

Reinto, the blue robed master, idoly shrugged staring back at the orb in his hands. "Even broken toys can be useful. Besides, we have no clue how powerful he is right now. This is the perfect chance to see what he can truly do."

The green robed master sighed standing up from his chair. "Whatever. Call me if anything interesting happens." His form reflected into a thousand images of himself before disappearing in thin air

Reinto continued to stare into the orb. All he could do was wait and see what happened next.

Author's Note

Quite the flip-around!

Oh, yeah, you might be wondering why the hell an 'Anon' is here in this world. Don't worry, there is an explanation to that. This Anon is like those bad representations of horribly done Anons. I might have got a bit of inspiration from a Discord journal story.

As for the strange scenes of the 'fight'.... Just know that it's not time warping, or time travel of any sort.

Here is a link to the draconequus I'm referencing to in the story.

New: Wow, quite a while to wait. Hopefully I satisfied y'all enough for what's to eventually come..... MORE ANSWERS!

Hope you enjoyed this chapter installment.