Nexus of the Void

Chapters

Prologue: Bloody Awakening
Chapter 1: Lost Memories
Chapter 2: Voices
Chapter 3: Shadows
Chapter 4: Unwanted Memories

Prologue: Bloody Awakening

The cool night air blew through the palace, rippling through Luna’s blue mane with a gentle gust. Luna always enjoyed the refreshing feeling of night air; it gave her solace from her thoughts, and her mind.

Things had indeed been hectic since she was returned to her true form after she had been released from her imprisonment. Tales of odd times in Ponyville, and even the return of an old foe had taken its toll on the young Princess’ mind.

Luna sighed. Her mind was restless, as turbulent as the skies before a coming storm. Shaking her head, she walked down the hall to the throne room.

Suddenly, she froze. Lingering in the air was a scent she knew well; the scent of wild magic. The wind rushed through the halls, seeming to be sucked into the throne room. Whatever was going on, the throne room was the source.

Breaking into a gallop, Luna ran towards the throne room, slamming the doors open. However, when she searched the brilliant, decorated room, she saw… nothing.

Not a soul was in the throne room in the depths of night, and only a few braziers were lit on the edges of the aisle to provide illumination for the cleaning ponies in case they needed to work on the white stone that formed the floor.

Then, Luna stopped. The magic lingered around her, brushing by her like the icy chill of winter. Whatever had caused the resurgence of power was still there, if only partially.
Luna walked around the room, examining every stone, every portion of the room, before she noticed something strange.

In the corner, a magic circle was burnt and used, the remains charred and blackened. The runes drawn around the symbol were meaningless to her, but she did know somepony who would understand what the strange symbols meant.

“Star Dancer.” Luna said under her breath. Head Archivist for Celestia, and the Keeper of the Grand Archives, hidden deep within the bowels of the palace. If anypony could make out what these runes mean, it was him.

Luna studied the runes for a moment longer, and then stopped. Something had changed about their twisted, glowing shapes.

Sure enough, they were fading. The shared black lines were disappearing, slowly, but surely. Luna quickly traced out each of the runes in her mind, trying to remember every detail before they disappeared.

Finally, they were gone. Luna looked at the spot where the circle was moments before, and let out a breath. Nothing remained, not a trace. Not even the smell of magic remained.
Something was going on.

Running down the hall while the runes in her mind were still fresh, she ran into her room, grabbing a quill and parchment and hurriedly scratching them down on paper. She managed to remember the runes as she drew a detailed picture, and quickly rolling the scroll up and placing it in a saddlebag nearby.

This could not wait; she had to see Star Dancer immediately. Informing her sister would come immediately after; Celestia might even be able to give some insight into the matter.
Hurrying out of her room, she began walking down the stairs to the palace gates. Normally, she would fly, but flying would gather attention she would prefer to avoid in the dead of night. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, she sniffed.

The scent of magic had returned, the feral, sickly sweet smell burning her nostrils. Whatever that spell had done, or created, was around here, and it was close.

Luna lowered her horn, preparing a simple defensive spell. Whatever this… thing was, she would not be caught unawares. With no time to prepare anything more powerful than a containment spell, Luna prayed she would be alright.

Suddenly, Luna heard a noise to her right, and turned. A shadowed pony was standing in the moonlight, obscured by a large cloak over their shoulders. “Who are you?” Luna asked, backing up a step.

The figure didn’t answer, but instead turned away from her, walking down the corridor. The pony’s movements were erratic, hardly able to keep on his hooves as he walked down the moonlit corridor.

Luna’s ears flattened. Whatever or whomever this was, she would not allow it to get deeper into the palace.

Leaping over the pony, using her wings for lift and landing on the other side of it, she lowered her horn. “Answer me, or I will cast this spell.”

The pony shivered for a moment, making Luna wonder if it was the threat, or the chill of the night air. Luna stepped back for a second, and then, time seemed to stop. A tiny voice whispered on the wind, barely audible:

“Who… am I?”

Without repeating himself, the pony leapt from the moonlight faster than even Luna had ever seen anypony move before, the cloak falling to the ground and revealing a deep, blood-red coat. The pony’s eyes could now clearly be seen, and what Luna saw sent shivers in the very depths of her mind.

Instead of normal eyes, the pony’s eyes were a deep, all-encompassing maroon, devoid of pupils and all other features, leaving his eyes as a deep and empty as a pool of blood.
Luna shivered involuntarily. She had never encountered anything like this before. The pony before her reeked with feral magical energy; untamed, wild magic that reminded Luna of the few times she had visited the Everfree Forest.

The blood red pony lashed out, revealing wings on his back as he did. The pony’s wings cut air above her, and Luna realized the pony was wearing Wingblades in his feathers.

Wingblades were a weapon used by rare, highly-trained members the Royal Guard and the entire team of the Wonderbolts, the feathers gilded with a rare metal and sharpened to a deadly point. The feathers could be removed and attached at will, held in place with a small enchanted buckle inside the down on a pony’s wing, or, with the case of the wonderbolts’ wingblades, magically adhered.

Luna immediately retreated. She was unarmed, but for her magic, and a Pegasus with a wingblade, especially one proficient in the Blade Arts, the art of the wingblade, could be a deadly threat.

The pony stepped forward towards Luna, a twisted smile of pleasure upon his face.
Luna released the containment spell, magical chains shooting from her horn and grabbing the blood red stallion around the wings, legs, and torso. The black chains, colored by Luna’s own internal energy, squeezed the pony tightly, forcing him to gasp for breath.

“How dare you attack one of the Royal Pony Sisters!” Luna shouted, walking up to the bound pony. “Who do you think you are, challenging an alicorn?”

Suddenly, the wild magic began to coalesce around the pony’s head. Magic blowing aside the pony’s long, platinum-blonde mane, Luna looked across his forehead for any signs of a horn.
There wasn’t one.

Instead, a large ruby crystal was set in the pony’s forehead, taking the same spot that a horn normally would have. It glowed with a bright light, as if it truly was a horn. Luna gasped, diving to the side of the hall.

The wild magic seemed to explode with voracity, shattering the chains and cracking the floor beneath the stallion, sending chunks of rock flying in every direction.

The blood-red pony spoke with another maniacal grin. “Royal Pony Sisters? If this is the best this country has to offer, perhaps his plans will change.”

Luna groaned, brushing some rocks off of her side with her wing. “His? Not yours? Just who are you, and who is your Master?”

The red pony grinned wider. “I… am change. And my Master is someone who does not wish to make himself known, at this moment.”

The magic around him began whipping up, more powerful than before, as the pony stood before her, every inch of him reeking of the same darkness as Nightmare Moon and Discord, and giving off that sickly sweet feral magic with every movement.

Luna seized the moment as the red pony was charging his spell, kicking dust from the ground into the pony’s eyes.

The red pony roared with anger and pain, rubbing his eyes as the dust blinded him. Luna rushed towards the pony, launching several arcane blasts towards him, forcing him to step back a few steps.

“Hahahahaha.”

Luna stopped. The pony was… laughing?

“The Princess of the Night is quite a feisty one.” The red pony said, his laughter continuing as he finished wiping the dust out of his eyes. “But even that will not save you from his wrath. A new era is coming, Princess, and you are powerless to stop him. That is his message to you, and your entire kingdom.”

With that, the pony turned, leaping through one of the large stained glass windows, shattering it and sending glass flying down to the courtyard, three stories below. Luna ran to the window, and saw the pony land, his wings outstretched to soften the landing.

“Guards! Stop that pony!” Luna cried, motioning for the guards in the courtyard. The guards stepped forward, two armed with spears and the third preparing a spell from his horn.

The red pony laughed again, and the wild magic began howling around him. The guards stepped back, unsure, and the red pony cast his spell.

The spell picked up the three guards, knocking them back heavily and sending them crashing into the walls and pillars of the courtyard. Even from three stories above them, Luna could hear the sickening crunch of bones breaking.

The stallion laughed, his laughter a deep, merciless tone that reminded Luna of her time as Nightmare Moon. Leaping from the window, Luna landed in the courtyard with a flap of her wings. The red pegasus turned to her, his smile as terrible as it was before.

“I enjoyed this little game, Princess, but I believe my time is up. Perhaps next time, you will try more than simple magics on me. Unicorns and Alicorns are not the only ones to have the call of magic within them,” he said, looking at the sky. With another shimmer of magic, the crystal released a spell, filling the courtyard with a deep mist. When the mist cleared, the pegasus had vanished.

The Royal Guard arrived moments later, swarming from the barracks in the courtyard. Luna noticed the lights flicker to life in her sister’s room, above the throne room, and sighed.
A few minutes later, the Royal Guard had taken the three wounded to the medical wing, and Celestia had arrived, clad in a brilliant white and gold night robe. Celestia walked up to Luna slowly, and stopped, the two alicorns staring at each other.

“What happened here, little sister?” Celestia asked, looking at the shattered pillar and the cracks in the wall.

Luna shook her head, recounting the events of a few minutes prior. With each sentence, Celestia’s eyes widened, until the story was finished.

“Another alicorn? Here?” Celestia asked, looking around.

Luna nodded. “He… wasn’t an alicorn. There was something… wrong with him. His magic felt… feral. Untamed. Not like ours. It was like I was facing down a fully-grown dragon, or an Ursa Major. There was a crystal that seemed to drip feral magic in his forehead, where a normal unicorn’s horn would be.”

Celestia shivered at the thought. Fully grown dragons were immune to magic, thanks to the chaotic natural magic within them. Ursa Majors were similar, but not the same; the powerful celestial magic that made their fur transparent was the reason for their strength and size.

“Are you sure?” Celestia asked.

Luna nodded. “I would never joke about things like this, Tia. You know that. But… there’s something else.”

Celestia looked down at her sister.

“Even when he was attacking me, I could feel… fear. Not mine, but his. His magic was confused. He never used anything more than simple counter spells, things that even a unicorn child would know. He used them well, but… it was nothing that showed the power of the howling magic that warped around him.”

Celestia nodded, and looked around. The window detailing Twilight and her friends’ defeat of Discord had been shattered, leaving only a few shards near the top of the window itself to catch the moonlight.

“Captain Shining.” Celestia said, turning to a Royal Guard with a large ruby in the chest plate of his armor. The white stallion saluted. “Yes, your majesty?”

“Search the palace. If what my sister said is true, then he should still be within the palace walls. He did not leave by the front gate, because the guards there did not report anything out of the ordinary, nor flew out of the mist, or the palace’s wards would have been activated. That leaves one possibility. He is still in the palace. Send soldiers to every corner of this building. Find that pegasus. If you find him, alert the rest of the guards. Do NOT engage.”

Shining Armor nodded, and immediately began ordering his ponies, sending them in groups of three down the corridors. Celestia watched several groups leave, and then turned back to Luna.
“Are you alright? Are you injured?”

Luna shook her head. I have a bruise from when he broke from his chains, but for some reason, even though he had ample opportunity, he didn’t finish me. The worst he did was send those three guards flying, and even then, he didn’t kill them.”

Celestia nodded at the implication. “Luna, this complicates things. An assassin? Here, of all places? This… complicates things. Especially an assassin with both the ability of flight and magic.”

Luna rubbed her forehead gently. “I don’t understand. Pegasi cannot cast magic; they have never been able to. But that pony was undoubtedly a Pegasus. What is that crystal?”

Celestia shook her head. “I have never heard of such a thing, a crystal that can give magic to pegasi. Are you sure you didn’t make a mistake? Perhaps you saw a crown, or some sort of ornament, and his horn was hidden inside his mane.”

“Tia! I’m not making this up! He didn’t have a horn, but you see what magic he was able to cast here!”

The guards returned a few moments, later, the leaders of the patrols quickly reported their futile searches. Some guards had seen flickers of movement, or something out of the corner of their eyes, but each time they had checked, there was nopony around them besides themselves.
Celestia nodded. “Could he have gotten out of the palace any other way?”
Shining Armor shook his head.

“Keep searching until morning. Make sure he isn’t here. I don’t want to call off the search only to have him able to attack again.” Celestia said sternly.

The Captain saluted quickly, ordering the guards to continue their search. Celestia returned to Luna, who was looking around the courtyard.

“Sister… there is something else,” Luna said quietly.

Holding up the papers with the runes, Luna saw Celestia’s eyes widen. “Where did you see these?”

“In the throne room,” Luna replied. Celestia shook her head. “Those runes are part of a powerful teleportation magic. Now we know how he got into this castle. But that leaves one question… who created this side of the spell for him to use?”

Luna realized the implications of this information.

“We have a traitor.”

Chapter 1: Lost Memories

Rain began to drip from great grey storm clouds above the Everfree Forest, falling down into a clearing where a pony slept, his purple form contrasting sharply against the green grass around him.

The rain awoke the young stallion from his slumber, the tiny droplets falling upon his royal purple coat and sliding off quickly. Around him, the leaves and grass of a large clearing began to capture the water, drops hanging off their leaves and glittering like crystals in a morning light.

The stallion opened his eyes slowly. Looking around, attempting to find any trace of where he was. Large trees towered around him, and above him he could see a large opening, the rain falling down on his face as he looked into the cloudy sky.

“What… am I doing here?” he asked himself, wracking his mind for the possibilities. His mind came up blank, void of any reason why he was sleeping in the middle of the forest.

Walking over to a tree, the stallion sat down. Diving deeper into his mind, he attempted to make some sense of his situation, searching even the deepest parts of his consciousness for any clue, any hint, or any information.

Suddenly, his eyes snapped open and went blank. He saw fragments of memories; a bright flash, a fall, and… darkness.

The darkness had surrounded him, penetrated him. And then, he was lost. He couldn’t remember anything past that point, rubbing his forehead as it began to send tendrils of pain around his mind.

Suddenly, he froze. Something was on his forehead, attached to his skull above his brow.

Rubbing it, the stallion found as he touched it a sharp sound echoed through his ears, as if he had head butted a piece of metal.

Walking over to a puddle of water, the stallion looked at his reflection. His crimson eyes scanned his face as he noticed a large ruby, the size of a golf ball, embedded in his brow.

“What the buck?” The stallion said, reaching up and tapping the crystal a bit harder this time. The sound echoed again, causing him to hold his ears in pain. The ringing stopped after a few minutes, causing the pony to groan.

“Alright. A giant crystal is stuck in my head. That’s new. At least, I think it is,” the stallion said to himself, walking over to another tree.

Suddenly, something glinted in the center of the clearing, close to the spot where he had awakened. Ignoring the rain, the stallion ran over, noticing the glint was from a gold symbol emblazoned on a black bound book, the symbol shaped like a unicorn’s head with two rubies for eyes.

“And what might you be?” The stallion said quietly, picking up the book and hurrying back to the trees, out of the rain. Shaking off a few raindrops, he opened the book to the first page, which had writing on it written in black ink, the letters slightly smeared from the water.

A single word seemed to stand out to the pony. Looking at it carefully, the stallion spoke it aloud. “Alern.” The word seemed oddly familiar. The stallion continued to read the written words.

“Alern. Change. This book tells of the past, and the follies of the future. Change must do his part. Alern must do his part. You, my friend, are change. You, my friend, are Alern.”

The stallion shook his head. The book addressed him. Whoever had left this book had meant for him to receive it. The stallion weighed the name the book gave him carefully. Alern. Change. It had a ring to it, a familiar tone that the stallion felt named him well.

Turning the page to the title, Alern continued reading.

“Chapter 1: Faust and the Beginning,” Alern read, turning the page.

“In the beginning, there was naught but darkness. Then came Faust, who gave the breath of life that brought forth creation. This breath took the form of a smear of though, a wisp of memory. This thought became the world.”

“In the darkness before time, the world was barren, populated by plants and animals of little sentience. However, things changed after the Breath flowed across the land, and magic began to flow around living creatures.”

“Firstborn were the Deer, their fragile bodies formed of near-pure natural magic. Taking that magic, they formed the basis of Equidoe, their ancient country. Here on the southern continent they remained, isolated and apart from the other races that would surely come.”

“Second came the Diamond Dogs, creatures of jewel and stone, who took the lands beneath the northern mountains for their own. Carving wondrous cities for themselves from living rock, the Diamond Dogs remained hidden to outsiders, for fear of theft and greed.”

“Third came the stars, dotted among the skies like an elegant tapestry. Forming the spectral creatures, these creatures too were given the breath of life, coming to the world and hiding within the darkest corners of forests and the deepest corners of the world.”

“Fourth came the Ponies, who separated themselves into three tribes. The Unicorns were powerful with magic, their strength compounded when they discovered their powers could move the sun and moon across the heavens. The Pegasi were the swiftest, discovering they could bend the weather and sky to their will. The Earth Ponies were the strongest, having the endurance and drive that far outstripped their companions. These three tribes relied upon one another for the weather, sun rising, and food, forming an uneasy tension that would escalate in later years.”

“Fifth and Sixth came the Zebras and Camels, making their home in the great southern deserts. Fighting over limited farmland, food, and water-“

Alern closed the book as he heard a rustling in the trees beside him. Quietly hiding behind a tree, he saw a shadowy form walk out of the underbrush on the other side of the clearing. The figure was that of a wolf, or canine, with glowing eyes and glittering points across its body.

Almost instinctively, Alern felt the name of the beast come to the front of his mind. “Lupus Minor,” he thought, watching it carefully.

As the beast began sniffing the ground where Alern had laid as the storm started, he silently thanked the gods or whatever stars might be watching out for him that the rain hid his scent. Carefully backing away from the clearing, Alern placed the book between his wings, holding it tightly while he began running away.

Alern gasped as he backed into a dry branch, the loud snap revealing his escape. The Lupus Minor’s ears flickered for a moment, and then pointed toward the sound.

“Horsefeathers,” Alern cursed, breaking out into a full gallop as fast as he could.

The Lupus Minor howled at the storm clouds above him, running after Alern with its paws thudding across the wet earth. Several other howls sounded moments after, and Alern noticed two other Lupus Minors appear from the forest around him, attempting to cut off his escape.

“No no no! This isn’t happening!” Alern said, spreading his wings frantically. Beating them as hard as he could, Alern felt his body being carried into the air.

However, he was not fast enough. Leaping onto a fallen tree, one of the Lupus Minors snapped at Alern’s wings, its large jaws crushing bone and flesh with a single bite. Screaming in pain, Alern fell to the ground, the three Lupus Minors staring at him hungrily.

“Not good. Not good.” Alern said, staring right back at the Lupus Minors, planning on giving them at least some bruises to go with their meal.

Suddenly, Alern heard the sounds of blowing wind around him, whipping around the celestial wolves in a fury. Hearing their whines of confusion and fear, Alern opened his eyes to see a massive tornado around him, tearing at them furiously. The icy winds buffeted their hides as it whirled around furiously until finally they turned tail and ran, yelping in fear as the tornado blew after them.

The leaves in the trees shifted, shining light by a large oak, revealing a single cloaked pony standing behind a tree, quietly watching the outcome.

“A lucky pony you must be, to survive an attack by Lupus three.” The pony said, pushing back a brown hood to reveal stripes down her mane and coat.

“You’re a zebra!” Alern said with amazement, quickly forgetting his fear as it was replaced by curiosity.

“A zebra I am, as you can see, but away from here, we must flee. Those Lupus Minors were a part of a pack, and soon I fear they will be back.”

Alern nodded as she turned around, following the zebra as she walked away. As they walked, Alern started noticing the remnants of a dirt path beneath their hooves, quickly widening the more they traveled.

“What sort of magic did you do?” Alern asked after a while.

“I did not use a magic spell. Special herbs work all too well.”

“Herbs? What herb can cause a tornado?” Alern asked, surprised.

“A small green flower has such a skill, the rare and beautiful Wind Chill. While the name warns against approaching the flowers, the seeds indeed have mighty power.”

“So this Wind Chill plant has the ability to create winds?” Alern asked, clarifying the zebra’s odd rhymes.

The zebra nodded. “The flower itself is very rare. Consider yourself lucky that I was there.”

“I do consider myself lucky,” Alern laughed nervously. Soon, the path branched, and the zebra walked down the smaller of the two, leading Alern to a large house, carved directly from a tree.

“The path we just walked leads back to town, or you are welcome to hang around.” The zebra said, walking in. Alern thought for a moment, looking back toward the path, and then to the small hut. With a slight sigh, Alern walked in.

Looking at the shelves of books, vials, and masks, Alern saw the zebra preparing a large cauldron of a viscous green liquid which bubbled furiously.

“So you stumble into my domain. I welcome you all the same.” The zebra took out a purple flower as she spoke, putting it into the brew.

“Yeah, I wanted to ask a few things before I left, Miss…” Alern said, realizing awkwardly he had not asked her name.

“Zecora is the name I have been given. But what is yours that you have kept hidden?” Zecora asked, turning to the purple stallion.

“Oh, I haven’t been hiding it… It’s Alern. Sorry,” Alern said sheepishly.

“Alern you say is your name? An odd name indeed, but one all the same.”

“Odd? What do you mean?” Alern asked.

“Ponies around these parts do choose, names that describe their own personal views. Cloud Kicker, Thunder Head, and Corn Cob; all names that are similar to the pony’s job.”

“Alern is a perfectly respectable name. I mean, your name is Zecora, after all,” Alern retorted.

“Zecora is a name from over the sea, in my ancient home without a single tree. All I could see were dunes and sand, until I came to this wonderful land.”

“Alright, alright, sorry,” Alern said. “Listen, what I wanted to know is…” Suddenly, a sharp pain flashed from Alern’s wing, and he remembered how the Lupus had bitten into it before. A few drops of crimson blood hit the dirt floor, and Alern lifted the wing.

The cut had reopened during the walk, and the feathers that made up his wing were deep red from the lost blood. Alern felt a little giddy at the sight.

“Your wing is injured, a baleful sight. I might have something to help this plight.” Zecora walked over to her shelves of potions, taking a small jar with an odd slime-green salve. Opening it up, Zecora took a dollop and spread it along Alern’s wing.

Flinching from the cold salve against his boiling hot wound, Alern held a deep breath as the pain shot through his head.

“Hold still young stallion foal, or you will make me drop the bowl!” Zecora scolded, forcing Alern to sit on the ground.

“I’m not a foal,” Alern snapped through clenched teeth.

Zecora ignored his statement, and finished spreading the salve. Closing the jar as she finished, she carefully replaced it up on the shelf.

“The ointment I placed upon your wing, will stop the bleeding and remove the sting. Your wing will heal well and sound, but until it does stay on the ground.”

Alern shrugged, an action that caused his wing to protest weakly, the salve beginning to soak into the muscle and relax it. “Now, about that question I had…”

“You appeared in this forest a night before last, and returned to the clearing before the skies became overcast. I do not know where you went, but you did go somewhere, I relent,” Zecora’s words were quick and precise, knowing exactly what he was going to ask.

“Wait. You mean I did something last night? What did I do? Where did I go? And why did I come back here?” Alern asked, his mind a flurry of questions.

“Questions like that are not mine to tell. That is something for you to know well. Your memories hide what you do not wish to see, and it is up to you to face that misery.”

Alern looked at Zecora, his face twisted in confusion. “I have absolutely no idea what you just said.”

Zecora sighed. “My rhymes are not something ponies often see, but the reason why I do them is a reason for me. The storm is quickly releasing its power. You will be able to leave within the hour.”

Alern winced. Perhaps he had misspoken.

“I apologize for any insulting words I said, Zecora. Your rhymes are just… difficult to understand,” Alern said, smirking sheepishly.

“I understand your current plight, but some things you just cannot fight. Rhyming is an act of my clan. It is something you must choose to understand. Ponies come for advice from me, but they must be the one to see.” Zecora then turned back to her brew, focusing on adding a few more ingredients as it continued to boil.

Alern began to think of the sentence she had spoken before, about himself. When he thought about it…

“So you mean for me to search my own mind for the answers I seek?”
Zecora nodded slowly, continuing to add ingredients to the brew before a large pink cloud was released.

Taking a glass jar, Zecora quick bottled some of the liquid, placing it on the shelf beside the other vials and jars. Taking a second, smaller vial, Zecora scooped up another and handed it to Alern.

“Minotaur’s Essence is a powerful draught, it can give you strength when you believe you have naught. Take this with you, when you leave. For luck, and for times when you are in need.”

“Thanks, Zecora.” Alern said, placing it beside his book. When the vial began to slide off, Alern grimaced as his wings could barely hold the small object without it falling from his back.
Zecora laughed, walking over to a shelf and taking a small green bag from it.

“Take this bag with you to town. Return it when you have a replacement found,” Zecora placed the bag gently behind Alern’s wings, strapping it to his back and placing the vial and his black book inside.

Privately, Alern was surprised to see his book still held by the hollows between his wings. He was sure he had lost it when the Lupus Minors attacked.

“Thanks so much, Zecora,” Alern said, bowing politely. Alern could also hear the rain beginning to stop, the pattering of drops falling to the forest floor slowly dwindling.

"The storm has stopped for now, you'd best get to the town. But before you leave, I must say, to hide that crystal beneath your mane. Magical powers are an uncommon sight, when used by a creature capable of flight." Zecora said, looking out her window.

Alern nodded, and walked toward the door, quickly making sure the crystal was hidden by his platinum mane. With a few final thanks, he walked outside and began following the path to where he had traveled to Zecora’s house.

Rounding the corner, Alern began to think. “Alright, I have no memories of who I was, or even what I did before waking up. Why am I going to town? And can that zebra be trusted?” Alern stopped for a moment, looking toward the end of the path and the exit of the forest. He inwardly did not know why he was being pushed to town.

“I have absolutely no idea what I am doing,” Alern said, shaking his head at the truth.
Alern began weighing each of the past events in his mind. “One. I have no memories. That is a given. Two. I have nowhere to stay, or any method to make money for food or shelter. Three. I have no idea what this town is, or why I am here.”

Alern nodded, releasing a quick breath. “Alright, let’s look at things logically. First, I should explore the town, see if anything brings back my memories, or gives me a reason that I came here. Two, I should look for some form of shelter or work. With a bit of coin, I can probably rent some sort of shelter, if only for a while. Three, I should find any evidence stating who I am or where I came from,” Alern said, nodding.

“Alright, that’s as good of a plan as any. Let’s get going,” Alern said to himself, walking out of the forest.

The first thing he saw was a large tree-house; much like Zecora’s and built directly into the tree. Around the tree, multiple animal burrows and pens were scattered, and Alern could see dozens of different creatures around the outskirts of the house.

Alern walked up to the house, knocking on the door with a hoof. The door opened slowly and just a crack, and a pair of scared teal-blue eyes stared at him.

“Excuse me, but I am looking for anypony that knows where I might find a job, or a place to stay? I am quite new to town, and…”

A slight murmur drifted to Alern’s ear, and the door slammed shut in his face.

“Hey!” Alern said, knocking on the door again. This time, there was no answer.

Alern quickly placed his hoof up to his head, remembering what Zecora said about the crystal.

Feeling his mane hiding it well, Alern felt confusion enter his mind. “What’s her problem?” Alern asked himself.

Walking down away from the house, Alern went back to the street. “Perhaps she’s a recluse. She does live near the forest, after all,” Alern said, shrugging. Looking down the road, Alern took a deep breath, and continued on.

As he neared the center of town, Alern looked around. Noticing pegasi in flight above him and unicorns and pegasi walking around the streets, Alern smiled. “This place doesn’t seem half bad.”

Suddenly, Alern felt himself collide with another pony, the two of them sprawling across the ground as their heads cracked against each other. Alern groaned for a second, stunned.

Shaking the stars out of his eyes, Alern quickly stood up, noticing the pony he had collided with. Around them, dozens of books were scattered on the ground where they had fallen after their mishap.

It was a violet mare, her horn plainly showing through her deep blue mane with a single streak of violet along the center.

“Pardon me, miss,” Alern said, reaching down to help her up.

“It’s quite alright,” the mare replied, picking up the books that had scattered around her with her magic. Alern quickly helped, stacking the ones near him into a neat pile.

Alern and the mare quickly finished picking up the books, the mare casting a spell to pick them all up when the task was complete.

“You have one hard head. Almost as if it was made of rocks,” The violet mare said with a smirk, rubbing her forehead tenderly. Alern smirked nervously, pretending to rub his own head, but instead making sure his crystal was hidden beneath his mane.

“Yeah, I’ve been told that on more than one occasion,” Alern said, grinning. “Listen, I’m sorry I walked into you. I was watching the sky, not paying attention to where I was going. Can I possibly help you out and carry those books for you?”

The mare grinned. “A gentlecolt? In this day and age? How strange. I’m not one to refuse such an offer, though,” The mare grinned, handing the books to Alern. “My name’s Twilight Sparkle. Are you new to Ponyville?”

Alern put the books onto his back, noticing how heavy they were. How much magic did that pony have to hold this much weight? Grunting a little, Alern grinned. “Sorta. Just wandered into town this morning.”

Twilight smiled. “Do you need any help finding out where everything is? Ponyville is pretty big when you first visit,” Twilight gestured around her.

Alern smiled in return. “I think that would be great. But first…” Alern gestured to the books on his back.

Twilight giggled. “The library’s not far from here. Just follow me.” Walking down the road, Alern followed, the weight on his back supported by his wings, the wounded one twinging slightly at the exertion.

The two quickly arrived at the library, Alern noticing it, too, was a large tree, the library itself built into its trunk. With a smirk, Alern quietly mumbled to himself, “What is with Ponyville and trees?”

Twilight quickly opened the door, holding it with her magic as Alern brought the books through the frame, setting them down on a table nearby. Twilight smiled as Alern began looking around the library, the different books filling his gaze.

“You have quite a collection,” Alern said, walking over to the shelves. Twilight smiled, and walked over. “Yes, I suppose I do. A lot of these books where here when I moved to Ponyville. Others I’ve collected over the years, forming the basis of this library. The books you brought in were several I just ordered from Canterlot.”

Alern nodded, grabbing a book off the shelf and skimming through it.

Twilight smiled. “I said I’d show you around Ponyville, don’t you remember? There’s time to read books later, even though I can understand wanting to read them.” Twilight giggled lightly.

Alern nodded, replacing the book and walking over to the door. Opening the door, Twilight quickly shouted up the stairs, “Spike! I’m showing a friend around town! Keep watching the library for me, will you?”

Alern heard a muffled voice shout back from upstairs, “Alright, Twilight,” before she turned back to him. “Now, let’s go.”

Alern and Twilight walked down the main road, the gravel crunching beneath their hooves as they walked along. Twilight began speaking, attempting to start idle conversation to pass the time.

“Where did you live before this?” Twilight asked.

The question caught Alern off-guard, hesitating for a few seconds before he quickly blurted out the first name that came to mind. “Canterlot.”

“I have a few friends who live there. I used to study there, before I moved here.” Twilight turned forward, smiling.

Twilight and Alern continued on for a few minutes more before she stopped in front of a large building with what appeared to be a carousel rotating on the top of it. “This is my friend Rarity’s boutique. She handles clothing and fashion. She’s really good at designing clothing, too. A lot of famous ponies wear her dresses and costumes.”

“I’m not much of a fashion fan,” Alern said, smirking.

Twilight laughed as well, the two of them continuing on. “I’m not either. I’d rather be reading then worrying about the latest fashion trends.”

As the tour continued, Alern began feeling a flickering memory in the back of his mind, just beyond his grasp. The feeling returned multiple times, when Twilight brought him to the market, to the hospital, and many other prominent locations. Each place he visited seemed to bring a feeling of déjà-vu.

Finally, Twilight brought him to a large building, near the outskirts of Ponyville. The ringing of metal on metal could be heard as smoke billowed above the building.

“This is Bright Metal’s workshop. He does most of the metalworking here in Ponyville. He even makes some of the armor and gear for the palace,” Twilight said, waving at the grizzled old smith, who put down his hammer and returned the gesture.

Alern felt the flicker of a memory return, hammering against his head the closer he looked at the forge itself. The burning embers seemed to call to him, imploring him to remember his forgotten memories. The feeling was tempting against the back of his mind, almost as if could reach out and reclaim what was once his.

Alern closed his eyes and sighed. This forge… he remembered it. There was no doubt in his mind. He would have to get a closer look.

“Can you pardon me for a moment, Twilight? I would like to ask him something,” Alern said, reopening his eyes.

“Alright, go ahead.” Twilight said.

Alern quickly nodded, walking toward the forge as the old pony plunged a glowing metal bar into water, sending off a furious hiss. “What d’ya want?” The grey unicorn asked, using his magic to thrust the cold iron back into the forge.

Alern bowed politely, speaking quickly. “Was I here before? At any point in the past?”

The smith seemed surprised by the question, dropping the iron bar into the forge. “What d’ya mean, kid? Do I remember if you were here before or not? What sort of daft question is that?”

“Sir, I have this strangest feeling that I have been to this forge in the past. In fact, this feeling seems to tell me I have also met you before. I know it sounds strange, but please, could you answer my question?”

The smith looked at Alern carefully, grabbing the iron from the forge and walking it over to an anvil nearby. “Nope. Can’t say I recognize ya.”

Suddenly, Alern noticed a small irregularity in the iron the smith was pounding, a flaw in the red-hot steel. “What’s that?” Alern asked, motioning toward the oddly-shaped mark.

The smith put down his hammer, eying the mark. “Well, I’ll be. That’s a magic blister. Happens sometimes if the iron has been hit by magic. Good eye, kid, if I had hit that it would have ruined the blade.” The smith walked back over to the forge, placing the iron rod against it before bringing it down, hard, against the inside of the forge, breaking the mark and sending sparkles of energy flying out of the mark.

“I could use a kid with a good eye around here. You up for a job?” The smith asked, turning to Alern. Alern nodded quickly.

“Come back tomorrow at sunrise. I start workin’ then.” The smith quick grabbed the rod with his magic again, returning to the anvil, where he began pounding it furiously.

As Alern walked out of the forge, the smith turned, eyeing him as he left. “Hey, kid.”

Alern turned back to the smith, who nodded. “Good luck finding your memories.”

Alern froze. “Wait… how?”

The smith grinned. “Been a lot of talk of amnesiacs appearin’ around Equestria. You just confirmed to me you’re one of em.”

Alern clamped his mouth shut, walking back over to Twilight, who immediately questioned Alern.
“So? How’d it go?”

Alern grunted. “Went fine.” Twilight smiled, and walked with Alern down the road, continuing the tour.

* * *

Twilight and Alern stopped at high noon, right in front of the Town Hall, the massive structure shading them as they stepped beneath its eaves.

“So I can get a house here?” Alern asked, pointing at the building.

“Well, yes. I’m surprised you came here without any place to stay,” Twilight replied, sitting on a wooden bench. “What brings you here, anyways?”

Alern grinned nervously. “Oh, just… wanting a change of scenery.” Alern inwardly scolded himself. Why lie to Twilight? Why not explain the situation?

“Because she must not tell the Princess about you,” came a hissing response from inside his mind.

Alern froze, immediately attempting to pinpoint who exactly said that. The voice was definitely not his own, but more of a sinister hiss, something that chilled him as he thought of it.

Another question that came to his mind was: The Princess? Why would she listen to a violet pony from Ponyville?

“Alern? Are you alright?” Twilight asked, snapping him out of his trance. “What? Oh, yeah, I’m fine.” Alern quickly turned back to Twilight, smirking.

“You seemed dazed for a second,” Twilight replied, looking at him carefully. “Are you sure you aren’t sick?”

“I’m fine, Twilight,” Alern replied. “I was just thinking.”

Twilight nodded. “I think I’m heading back to the library, if that’s alright with you. Spike is probably wondering where I am.”

“It was quite considerate of you to show me around,” Alern said.

“It was my pleasure,” Twilight smiled once more, and walked off toward the library, leaving Alern alone.

“Well, I suppose now it’s time to see about some sort of shelter for tonight,” Alern said to himself, walking toward the door. Opening it quickly, Alern walked inside, lush carpets muffling the sounds of his hooves as he walked into the massive town hall.

Dozens of ponies behind desks both large and small dotted the first floor, writing and reading scrolls, letters, and books. The entire room was strangely quiet, save for the sound of rustling paper.

Quietly walking to the closest desk, Alern waited patiently for the pony, a light blue mare, to notice him.

“May I help you, sir?” The pony asked, the tones of her voice hinting annoyance as she kept her eyes on the papers she had on her desk.

“Yes, I was wondering where I would go to look for a home in Ponyville?” Alern asked quietly, ignoring the tone.

“Real Estate is the one you want. He’s the green stallion, last desk on the right. Now please leave me to my work,” The pony said, pointing behind Alern before returning to her papers.

“Oh! Thanks,” Alern said, gritting his teeth walking down the rows of desks.

Alern soon came to the dull green pony, who wore a smart black tie around his neck. Compared to the papers on the other pony’s desks, Alern noticed Real Estate’s was nearly empty.

“Excuse me? Are you Real Estate?” Alern asked softly, calming himself down with a quick breath.

“Why yes, yes I am,” The stallion replied, smiling. “Can I help you?”

Alern sat down in a chair in front of the desk. “I’m new to Ponyville, and was looking for a place to stay. Is there anything available?”

Real Estate nodded, taking a large stack of pictures from his desk drawer. “Why yes, there are several apartments, a few rooms for rent, and I believe there is one… small house as well.”

“What would be required for me to own the house?” Alern asked as the stallion placed pictures down in front of him, noting his hesitation.

“Well, homes in Ponyville are free to those that can use them, but you would need to fill out a proper identification form, and also I am required to warn you about some parts of the house.”

“Warn me?” Alern asked, surprised. “About what?”

“The small fact… that the house is haunted,” Real Estate said quickly.

“I don’t believe in that sort of superstition,” Alern replied. This green stallion was beginning to get on his nerves.

Turning toward the pictures and examining them, Alern continued. “Is there anything else about the house I need to know?”

Real Estate quickly continued. “The house is located near the forge on the edge of town, you can’t miss it. It used to be owned by a rather rich pegasi family, who gave up ownership after their daughter died tragically.”

Real Estate took out a large scroll and opened it with a single fast movement. “I will need your name here, your race, and your current occupation. Sign here, here, and finally here,” Real Estate said, pointing out the dotted lines where Alern signed.

“And that’s it? I own the house?” Alern asked, surprised. He had been sure there would be more steps than that.

“Yes, you now own the house. It’s as simple as that!” Real Estate said, rolling up the scroll and sealing it with a large gilded stamp. Grabbing one of the pictures and writing on it, Real Estate handed it to Alern.

“This is your address, simply follow the main road-“

“I know how to get to the smithy, thanks. It should be simple to get to it from there, as you said,” Alern snapped.

“Very well, sir. Have a pleasant day!” Real Estate returned to several papers, placing the pictures back into his desk drawer. Alern stood up, and walked toward the door.

Opening the door, Alern felt a large gust of wind come from outside, sending the papers on the ponies’ desks flying everywhere, filling the room with sheets upon sheets of papers which slowly floated down to the floor.

“Sorry!” Alern said quickly, running out the door and slamming it behind him. Inside his head, Alern could have sworn he heard a soft snicker.

Chapter 2: Voices

The house was oddly quiet as Alern walked down the road, passing the forge as he walked. The day was swiftly darkening as the pegasi prepared a light rain above him, the first droplets striking the ground around his hooves.

As he approached, Alern looked at the outside. The house itself was quite beautiful, with two stories and styled after Cloudsdalian Architecture. Six pillars held up a large roof over the doorway, each pillar made out of pure cloud.

Alern quickly walked up to the massive wooden door, opening it quickly. The door groaned as it opened, revealing a massive entrance hall, two stairs winding around the outer edges and several doors dotting the floors where Alern could see.

Walking into the house, Alern froze. The feeling of somepony watching was evident as soon as he stepped over the threshold, a cold stare seeming to greet him as he looked around.

Oddly enough, the house was quite clean, the only thing wrong being a thick layer of dust around him. Alern sneezed as some of it entered his nose as he kicked it up. He walked around the large house carefully, looking in each of the large doorways. One was a massive dining room, another was the kitchens. He could also see a large study, an old oaken desk placed in the middle of the room.

Walking up the stairs, Alern stopped upon reaching the top, looking around. The feeling was stronger up here, as if somepony was staring intently at him, from somewhere.

Walking up to the first door, Alern opened it. A large conservatory greeted him, massive glass windows revealing the cloud-filled skies. Alern smiled to himself; this would be an excellent place for him to unwind and relax.

Leaving the room, Alern saw a flicker of movement out of the corner of his eye. Quickly whipping his head to the movement, he noticed a massive wooden door at the end of the corridor, a large black symbol burned onto it.

“The Imperial Seal of the Wonderbolts.” Alern said, then shook his head. How did he know that?
Walking up to the door, he grasped the handle. The handle itself was covered in dust, the cold black copper almost freezing his hoof as he grasped it. Alern shivered. Whatever presence was in this house was definitely behind that door.

Alern snorted at his wandering thoughts. Presence? There was no such thing as spirits or ghosts. Still, the feeling that he was being watched evident, sending a shiver through his bones. He had to be sure.

Steeling his nerves, Alern pulled on the handle, the snapping of wood greeting him as he pulled. With a mighty heave, the door swung open, revealing a long hallway, a single door at the end, also marked with the same symbol.

Alern shivered again, this time not from the cold. The feeling was overpowering here, as if somepony was standing next to him, staring directly into his soul.

Alern took a single step into the hall, unfurling his wings as he did so, the caked salve masking the twinge of pain as he did so. He felt more at ease when his wings were open, a feeling he did not fully understand, when he thought about it.

Another step, then another. Alern continued walking down the hallway, step by step, then froze.
Instantly, the hallway turned black, much too dark for anypony to see. The door behind him slammed, and Alern could feel something push him down onto his back, his wings spread to each side of him. The feeling remained on his chest, and then the lights flickered suddenly.
Alern screamed.

Inches away from his face was a green mare, her teal mane tangled and messy, dried blood caked in the strands. Her eyes were a pitch midnight black, staring directly into his own, as if she could see his soul. The mare’s wings, or what remained of them, were dripping red blood onto the floor where they had been sliced off. The stumps were covered with ragged, horrid tears, as if somepony had cut them with a dull knife.

“Welcome to my home.” The specter whispered. Her voice was shrill and wicked, as if somepony was scratching their hooves against a chalkboard.

Alern opened his mouth, and screamed.

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

Alern bolted, slamming into the door in his haste. Hurriedly opening it, Alern ran into the entrance hall, trembling furiously.

“That wasn’t a ghost. That couldn’t have been a ghost. You’re just going nuts. Yes. That’s it. It was a hallucination. Hahaha,” Alern giggled, terrified.

Alern remained like that for several minutes, each of them seeming like hours as his terrified body refused to move. While he cowered, Alern was always aware of that horrifying presence watching him, staring directly toward his shivering body.

Finally, Alern calmed himself, taking a deep breath to steady his shivering form.

“Alright, Alern. Your mind just made up something that it expected to see. That’s all. Ghosts don’t exist. They can’t exist.” Alern closed his eyes, trying to ignore the feeling of being watched as best he could.

Alern shivered as he thought of the icy touch against his chest where the ‘ghost’ had pushed him to the floor. Where she touched him, two bruises were beginning to appear, darkening his chest.

Alern whimpered.

“And these bruises were from something entirely different. Yes, that must be it,” Alern reassured himself, standing up.

Walking back up the stairs, Alern took another deep breath as he noticed he had left the door to the hall opened, the oaken door swinging on its hinges as if it weighed nothing. Gulping heavily, Alern approached the door, placing a hoof onto the doorknob.

With a quick push, he closed the door, a clicking sound greeting him as it shut. Alern released the breath, turning back toward the other rooms.

“I have plenty of space here without going into that hall. And that was only one room down there, anyway,” Alern reassured himself, walking to another door and opening it.

This room was just as massive as the conservatory, towering above him like some enormous beast. The sides were covered in bookshelves, each of them filled almost to the brim with hundreds of books.

“Wow.” Alern said, looking around him. “I wonder how long it took to gather all these.”
Walking into the room, Alern noticed a massive velvet chair pushed to the center of the room, with a small table beside it, candles stacked neatly underneath. Alern smiled. Whoever owned this room last must have enjoyed reading.

Alern sighed, walking over to the bookshelves and gazing at the covers. “Well, I guess this house is mine, and this means the books are mine, as well,” Alern said to himself, reaching over his shoulder and pulling out his black book from the bag.

Placing it carefully on the shelf Alern turned to the other books, taking a small green book labeled “The Wonderbolts and the Royal Guard.”

“This should be interesting,” Alern said to himself, walking back to the chair and sitting down.
Immediately, another flash of movement caught his eye, and Alern whipped his head around. A shadow greeted him from the corner of the room, and in that shadow, two pitch black eyes stared at him coldly.

Alern rubbed his eyes, his mane beginning to stand on end in fright. When he lowered his hooves, Alern saw the eyes were gone, the shadow a mere shadow, cast by the light from the window.

“I’m going nuts,” Alern said to himself, slouching back against the chair. Opening the cover, Alern began reading.

* * *

Alern awoke to the crimson rays of the rising sun as it peeked over the horizon. Groaning, Alern turned over, only to promptly fall out of the chair he had fallen asleep in.

“Alright, I’m up! I’m up!” Alern shouted, standing up. Shaking himself off, Alern made his way to the restroom, where he began freshening up.

“First day of my apprenticeship. Let’s hope it goes well,” Alern said, splashing his face with some cold water. Stretching his wings, the dried salve began cracking, revealing healed skin and bone.

“Zecora was right, that stuff did help pretty well,” Alern said, shaking off the remaining dried salve. Stretching his wings, Alern quickly hurried outside, heading down to the forge, which was already belching out black smoke clouds above it.

Carefully walking in, Alern saw Bright Metal picking up scraps of iron on the forge floor, placing them into the forge where they started to glow red-hot. Noticing Alern, the old pony smirked.

“Good to see ya, kid. Get in here, I could use your help with gathering the iron that I dropped,” Bright Metal’s voice was as sharp as the blades hanging on the wall, making Alern grin sheepishly.

“Yessir.” Walking over quickly, Alern began to pick up some of the shards, watching Bright Metal as he walked over to the forge.

“Not many pegasi enjoy smithing, kid. Was pretty sure you wouldn’t show up,” Bright Metal said, taking out a few of the iron pieces from the forge and hammering them together.

The statement surprised Alern, who quickly asked, “Why don’t Pegasi bother with smithing? I would think, with the Wonderbolts…” Alern was quickly cut off by Bright Metal’s voice.

“Wonderbolts? Those gits? They are interested in one thing. Power. They use Wingblades, sure, but they refuse to teach anypony that they deem ‘unworthy’ of their skills. They even attack anypony foolish enough to watch them training!”

Alern continued picking up the metal scraps, placing them beside the forge in a large pile as he worked. “Isn’t that a bit harsh?” Alern asked.

“The Wonderbolts don’t understand the meaning of ‘too harsh,’ kid. They are above Equestrian law, and they know it.”

“But aren’t they just a stunt team?”

Bright Metal laughed deeply as he pounded another bit of metal onto the growing mound of iron. “Kid, the Wonderbolts are to a stunt team what I would be to a librarian. They are the elite of the Royal Guard, chosen from the best flyers of Equestria, and trained to defend the crown and country when the times require it. When a dragon attacked Ponyville, they attacked. Unluckily for them, they forgot that wingblades don’t work very well against dragons. I imagine they were… punished quite harshly.”

“But that shouldn’t give them the right…”

“Do you really think they care if they have the right or not? The Wonderbolts care for only two things. Themselves and Power.” As he spoke, Bright Metal hammered furiously at the metal, sending sparks flying around him.

Alern was silent for a moment, picking up the last few scraps before watching the old smith hammer away at the metal.

“Kid, what do you know about Wingblades?” Bright Metal said the sentence quickly, as if it was something he would forget in an instant.

“Not much. Why do you ask?” Alern replied, watching the sparks fly after each hammer blow.

“I used to make them, you know. Was one of the finest smiths in Equestria, before they decided I knew too much. They publicly humiliated me, made it so I could never work in the Wingblade business again. After that, other smiths started disappearin’. One by one, they stopped making or selling Wingblades, until I was the only one left that knew how to make them.”

“Are you saying the Wonderbolts killed the smiths?” Alern asked, his eyes widening at the implication.

“I don’t know, kid. The only thing I know is that Wingblades are now only made in Cloudsdale, by the personal smith of the Wonderbolts, Metal Wing.”

Alern shivered. The name sounded… dark somehow. A darkened outline of a Pegasus greeted his mind at the thought of the name. He did know him, even if it was only a quick greeting. Could he be related to his missing memories?

“Here, kid, grab that hammer in the corner,” Bright Metal said, keeping his eyes on the white-hot metal. Snapping out of his trance and walking over to the corner, Alern picked up a massive hammer, heaving it over his shoulder with a grunt.

His horn beginning to glow, Bright Metal pointed it at Alern, a thin aura of magic building up around him. After he finished the spell, Bright Metal nodded. “Hit the metal as hard as you can, right in the middle. Don’t worry about the sparks; my spell will make sure nothing happens to you.”

Alern nodded, raising the hammer in his hooves. The heavy metal hammer striking down with a massive ringing sound as it flattened the metal by a half inch.

“Again.”

Alern lifted the massive hammer once again, bringing it down with a resounding noise. As the hammer hit, sparks flew around the room, blocked from the two ponies by Bright Metal’s magic.

“Again.”

The hammer blows continued, the metal becoming flatter and flatter as Alern struck it, the metal itself quickly forming a long, flat edge. As the white hot metal tapered off to become a dull red, Bright Metal thrust it back into the forge.

“Not bad for your first time, kid,” Bright Metal said with a smirk.

“That… hammer… is… HEAVY!” Alern wheezed, dropping the massive hammer beside the anvil. Outside, the bright sunlight and little shade indicated the heat of midday, amplifying the overbearing heat of the forge itself.

“Now do you see why Pegasi avoid smithing?” Bright Metal smirked again, pumping the bellows with a hoof.

Alern slouched against the anvil, catching his breath. “I thought you said that Wingblades were only made in Cloudsdale now? I thought Cloudsdale is the Pegasi city?”

“I said pegasi avoid smithing, not that they don’t do smithing at all, kid. You really need to listen. Metal Wing is a pegasi, and an extremely good Wingblade smith. Not as good as I used to be, but hey, that’s what you get for driving me out of Canterlot!” Bright Metal spat.

Taking the now white-hot bar out of the forge, Bright Metal put it back down onto the anvil, narrowly missing Alern’s mane.

“Get up, kid, we have a sword to finish!” Bright Metal said. Alern sighed, and picked back up the hammer. It was going to be a long day. Almost in response, his head began to throb.

* * *

Alern groaned. His front hooves hurt like crazy after all that hammering. When Bright Metal had said they were done for the day, he had been all too happy to take the six coins he offered and leave.

He was now walking toward the market, the sounds of haggling ponies vibrating through the air as he got close. His headache was now a full-blown pounding against his skull which got worse as he got closer to the loud market square.

Alern finally got to several food dealers, buying basic supplies and food to fill his fridge at home. Also on his ‘list’ was a massive foot long submarine sandwich made of seven types of flowers and six types of cheese. Alern finished it within moments, filling his empty stomach.

Walking past several more stalls, Alern rubbed his throbbing head as the sounds got worse. Walking up to a large grey vendor pony standing by a bag stall, Alern looked at the multitude of different colors, noting that the sign above the stall said all colors were only two bits.

“Do you have any in purple?” Alern asked, looking through them again.

“I do have one, but it’s the last one, so it’ll cost ya,” The vendor replied, smirking.

Alern’s eyes narrowed. “How much?”

“Ten bits,” The vendor smirked, holding up a deep purple bag.

“I’ll give you two,” Alern snapped back, placing two coins on the vendor’s table.

“Nine then.”

“Three, or I’m gone.”

“Five.”

Alern felt his headache pounding behind his brow. “Your normal bags are two. I said three was my final offer.” Alern’s tone was serious now. He was done playing around.

The vendor weighed the options in his mind for a second, then smirked.

“Alright, kid. Four bits. I’m not going a single coin lower.”

Alern felt anger welling behind his eyes, a deep blinding red rage. Part of his mind screamed for him to stop, but the other side, supported by the pain throbbing within Alern’s mind, screamed louder.

Alern grabbed the vendor, slamming his head against his stall. “Listen, you foal. I am not about to haggle any longer on a price that is clearly gouging. Either you sell the bag to me, right this blasted instant for one bit above the normal price, so help me Celestia I will knock you out for the rest of the day.”

Something about Alern’s blood red eyes twisted in rage made the marketpony stutter for a second, finally finding his voice.

“J-j-just take it! As a gift! I’m sorry!” The vendor was terrified, the fear in his voice evident. Around them, ponies were watching with mixed feelings, some afraid themselves, and others stunned by the violence.

Alern released the vendor, taking the fallen purple bag from his hooves. “A pleasure doing business with you,” Alern sneered, placing the three coins on the vendor stand.

Turning around, Alern saw the crowd that had gathered around, murmuring to each other as Alern eyed each of them in turn. With a glare, they quickly stepped aside, murmuring all the while as he walked away.

Alern could feel his anger rising again. Inside his mind, he could hear a voice echoing around his ears, “Why are they judging you? They have no right! I mean, the vendor was being a git, after all…”

Finally, he snapped. Unable to take the murmurs against the throbbing in his head, he turned back to the crowd and screamed, “WON’T YOU ALL JUST SHUT UP!”

Alern’s sudden outburst echoed across the market, causing the ponies to become deathly quiet. He quivered, his head throbbing even worse than before from his shout. Breaking into a run, he squeezed his eyes shut, knocking over ponies in his way as he bolted.

“Alern!”

A familiar voice shouted his name as he ran by, his eyes still tightly squeezed shut as he ran, ponies quickly stepping aside as he barreled past. Finally, Alern felt a large rock in his path, and his hoof caught it, sending him toppling muzzle over tail, directly into a large puddle left over from the night before.

“Alern!”

Alern opened his eyes, thankful that the cold water seemed to stop his throbbing headache, at least for the moment. Looking up, Alern saw the form of Twilight staring at him, concerned.

“Are you alright?”

Alern’s eyes narrowed. “I’m… fine.”

Twilight sighed. “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up. Where do you live?”

Alern rubbed his head as the pain started to come back. “Old house, near the forge.”

“That’s much too far. You’ll have a cold by the time you get there. Come on, let’s get you to the library.”

Alern felt an odd feeling around him as he was lifted up out of the puddle along with his food, which was now soaking wet. Twilight’s horn was glowing with a bright violet light, which was also surrounding his body, floating him a few feet off the ground.

Alern snapped his eyes shut as his headache returned to full force. This time, however, it felt more of a sharp pain, and a strange voice echoed in his ears. “Sorry, kiddo, but things are about to get a hell of a lot worse.”

Alern felt the pain grow stronger around the crystal in his head, a sharp pain that felt as if something was slicing into his brain. Unable to tolerate the pain any longer, Alern shouted out, squirming in Twilight’s magic.

“We’re almost to the library, Alern. Hold on,” Twilight said, lifting him toward the massive tree.

* * *

The first thing Alern realized as he opened his eyes was the fact that a pair of bright green serpentine eyes were staring at him.

“GAHHHH!” Alern said, sitting straight up. The dragon, for that was who the eyes belonged to, looked at him, unamused. “Twilight! He’s awake!” The purple and green dragon walked over to the door, opening it up.

A few moments later, Twilight walked into the room, carrying a bowl of water and a rag with her magic. “Alern? Are you alright? When we got to the library, you were burning up!”

Alern sighed, leaping out of the bed and landing on his hooves easily. “I’m fine. It was just a headache. And those blasted foals didn’t help it, either.”

Twilight looked at Alern, confused. “You smashed a pony’s head into the table of his stall, Alern. I heard the stories. There was no call for that.”

“He was trying to scam me,” Alern retorted, glaring.

“Scam or not, you didn’t need to go berserk like that! What if he was hurt or something?”

“I wouldn’t have gone that far.”

“How do you know?”

Alern grunted in response, glaring at Twilight, who walked over and placed her lips against his forehead. Alern immediately backed up, tripping over the corner of the bed in his haste.

“W-what was that for?” Alern stammered, unsure if he was angry or not.

“The best way to feel a fever is by using your lips. They are the part of your body most sensitive to heat. And I think you still have a fever, your forehead is still really hot.”

Alern blushed bright crimson, sitting down on the bed. “I… I’m fine. Really. I think I’d better be leaving.”

Alern suddenly felt magic fling him back onto the bed, covering him up with a blanket.

“No, you’re not. I asked Nurse Redheart, and she says you might be really sick. Now you need rest, and you are not leaving this room until I say you are!”

Alern crossed his hooves, mumbling something under his breath.

Twilight smirked, and nodded, walking out of the room. Alern saw the small dragon was still looking at him from the side of the bed.

“And who are you?”

“I’m Spike, Twilight’s number one assistant!” The dragon said proudly.

“Alright, number one assistant. Can you do your… assisting somewhere else please?”

Spike looked at Alern for a second, glaring. “Fine.”

Watching Spike leave the room, Alern sighed, slinking back in the pillow. Was he really out of control in the market? Why had he acted like that?

“Gahhh…” Alern said, turning over in the bed. As he did, he heard a sharp clack as the gem on his forehead hit the headboard. As it did, a flash of pain shot through his head for a split second.

“Buck buck buck buck.” Alern cursed, holding his head and cringing. Tears welling in his eyes, Alern rubbed the gemstone, and noticed an odd warmth coming from the center of the gem.

“Strange…” Alern said, touching the gem again. The gem gave off another flash of pain for a moment, then stopped as Alern continued running his hoof along the outline.

Just then, the door opened, and Alern’s hoof snapped to his side instinctively as Twilight entered the room.

“Alern, I have to ask you something,” Twilight asked, walking over to the bedside.

Alern blushed. “W-what?”

“What is that crystal stuck in your forehead?”

Alern’s face went from crimson red one moment, to deathly pale the next.

“You saw the crystal?”

Twilight gazed at Alern for a second, a concerned look entering her eyes. “It was… glowing. When I put you in bed, it was glowing with the brightest red light I had ever seen. Then, a few moments before you woke up it stopped. Spike was looking at it before you opened your eyes.”

Alern looked at Twilight for a second, his eyes narrowing. “The crystal is my business.”

“Alern, it might be dangerous! I don’t even know what that is! When I tried to examine it with magic, it put up a warding spell! While you were unconscious!”

Alern crossed his hooves again, glaring at Twilight. “I told you, it’s my business. You don’t need to worry about it.”

“Alern…”

Alern released a breath as he felt his anger growing. “Listen, Twilight, I appreciate the concern, but you just met me, and now you’re asking me about something private?”

Twilight took a step back guiltily. “I didn’t… I thought…”

“Just… leave. Let me be alone for a bit. Then I’ll decide whether to tell you or not.”

Twilight hung her head for a moment, and then walked out the door. As soon as the door closed, Alern’s ears flattened against his head.

“Stupid stupid stupid!” Alern shouted at himself, banging the back of his head against the headboard. “Now you’re snapping at your friends now? What the buck is wrong with you?”
Alern banged the back of his head a few more times for good measure, the familiar pain dulling his mind for a moment.

“Stupid…” Alern said to himself, looking up at the ceiling. The ceiling itself was covered in stars, patterns among them easily visible. Sighing, Alern closed his eyes, trying to collect his wits.

“You know, kiddo, anger isn’t that bad of an emotion. It means you’re alive.”

The unfamiliar, gravelly voice caused his eyes to snap open, his body sitting up as he looked around the room.

“Hello?” Alern asked.

The door opened a crack, and Twilight’s voice spoke out. “Is there something wrong?”

“No… nothing.” Alern said, rubbing the sore spot on the back of his head. As Twilight closed the door, Alern shook his head fiercely.

“Alright. Now I am pretty sure I am going insane. First the ‘ghost’ and now this? I’m completely nuts!”

Alern giggled to himself uneasily, looking out the window. The moon was slowly beginning its journey across the sky, shining its silver light onto Ponyville.

“I guess I was out for a little while, eh?” Alern asked himself.

Suddenly, Alern noticed a flicker of movement in the town square, just far enough that he couldn’t see who the outline belonged to. The figure, however, was definitely a pony.

“What…”

Another figure suddenly walked across the square, the pony’s darkened profile made more prominent in the moonlight.

“Alright, what the…” Alern got out of bed, walking over to the window just in time to see another two figures run across the town square, all heading down the road Alern had traveled when he first came into town.

“Twilight?”

Twilight immediately walked into the room, and noticed Alern by the window. “Why aren’t you in be-“

“Shhhh.” Alern hissed, pointing out the window. “Is nighttime a popular time for walks?”

Pointing out to the town square, Twilight walked over and noticed more ponies walking down the road.

“No, it’s not.” Twilight replied. Walking back over to the door, Twilight turned to Alern. “I’m going to go see what’s going on. You stay here.”

“Oh no you don’t,” Alern retorted, walking over to the doorway with her.

“Yes, I am going. Alone. You’re sick, and-“

“I am going with you down the stairs, or I’ll jump out the window. I’m a Pegasus, remember.”

Twilight’s eyes narrowed, and she sighed furiously. “FINE. Let’s go.”

The two ponies walked down the stairs to the front door, where Alern noticed a large owl reading on a perch above the desk.

“Owlycious, something’s going on. Keep an eye on Spike.”

“Whoo,” The owl responded, nodding.

Alern and Twilight walked out of the house, quickly heading toward the mass of ponies gathering in the town square. Several of them were holding torches and candles, the golden light illuminating their faces.

As they two got closer, Alern could hear several voices from the crowd. One of them, an especially loud voice with a southern accent, boomed over the crowd.

“Ah’right, everypony. We need ta’ split up and start searchin’. Cherilee, you an’ Big Mac should search near th’ schoolhouse. See if they might be there. Mr. Rich, you-”

“Applejack!” Twilight shouted, running up to the crowd. The orange pony that had been talking stopped, looking at Twilight.

“Twilight! What are you doin’ out this late?”

“I was about to ask the same question! What’s going on?”

Alern calmly walked over to the edge of the crowd, watching the conversation quietly.

“Sugarcube, Applebloom’s missin’. Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Diamond Tiara are as well. They all went to sleep, telling some tale of some voice as they nodded off. But when we went ta’ check on ‘em, they were gone!”

Alern’s ears perked up when the term ‘voice’ was mentioned. “Voice? Did they mention what the voice was saying?”

Applejack looked over at Alern, eyeing him suspiciously.

“And who in tarnation are you?”

“A friend. Just answer the question, if you please.” Alern said, glaring right back.

“Diamond Tiara was mentioning that it was some sort of deep voice, saying to come to it. I thought it was just her imagination,” A voice from the crowd said, belonging to a brown earth stallion dressed in a very expensive looking nightgown, whom Applejack had addressed as Mr. Rich.

“Did they mention anything else? Such as where it was telling them to come?” Alern asked, walking past Applejack.

“No, they didn’t mention anything like that,” Mr. Rich said.

Alern closed his eyes. The voice he had heard, and the voice the other ponies had heard. If they were connected, he had to find out.

“Alright. I think I know what’s going on. But you all have to trust me,” Alern said, eyeing the crowd.
“Trust the one who smashed Brown Kicker’s face into his own stall?” A voice said from the crowd. Many ponies murmured in agreement, and Applejack sighed.

“I appreciate th’ help, but Ah think you’d be best off leaving th’ searchin’ t’ us, alright?” Applejack asked, smiling slightly. Alern gritted his teeth, and stared at Twilight.

“He might know something that can help! Why don’t any of you trust him?” Twilight shouted to the crowd.

“He’s nothing but a troublemaker!” The voice from the crowd spoke up again, leading many ponies to agree. Alern’s ears flattened in the back of his head.

“Sugarcube, do ya know this pony?” Applejack looked over at Twilight.

“He’s… a new friend,” Twilight said quickly.

“Can ya bring him home? The crowd’s getting all riled up, and at this rate, we won’t be savin’ nopony.”

Twilight sighed, and walked over to Alern. “Alern, come on. Let’s leave.” Glaring at Twilight but grudgingly following her, Alern and Twilight walked away from the crowd. As they got farther away, Alern’s eyes narrowed in anger.

“Fine. They don’t believe me? I’ll save those ponies alone, if I have to.” Alern turned and walked down the road toward the entrance to the Everfree Forest.

Twilight ran up beside Alern. “Alern. Alern! Alright, it’s time for some answers. What exactly do you know about this voice. Your questions sounded very specific to me.”

Alern glared at Twilight, continuing to walk down the street. “I… heard the voices as well. That’s what the headache was about, I think. And I have a feeling I know where they are.”

Twilight’s eyes widened. “You heard the voice? And what do you mean you know where they are?”

“I heard a voice,” Alern replied, the two ponies walking past Fluttershy’s cottage. “I honestly have no idea if it’s the same voice or not. But I’m going to find out.”

Twilight looked at the darkened branches of the Everfree Forest, stopping suddenly as Alern walked toward the entrance.

“You mean to tell me they’re in the Everfree Forest?”

Alern whipped around, gritting his teeth. “Twilight, you don’t have to come with me. This is something I will do myself, to show all those blasted foals that I can help, regardless of what they think. It’s a matter of my own principles now.”

“You are going into the Everfree Forest? And you expect me to think you can handle yourself? You are ten years younger than me!”

Alern glared at her. “I don’t give a buck how old either of us are. Whether you’re coming or not, I’m going in. I woke up two days ago in the middle of this forest, and I have a feeling that whatever is going on, the ponies will be in here as well.”

Alern disappeared into the forest, following the path through the deep emerald leaves as he walked. After a few moments, Alern could hear Twilight enter the forest, pushing branches aside with her magic.

“Alright, I’m coming. But you had better be right about this, Alern.”

The forest was deathly quiet as they entered. Not a cricket, nor a bird made any form of sound. Alern looked around him carefully. Somepony had been through the forest, and quite recently, if the birds were silent.

“Twilight, what do you know about this forest?” Alern asked as they continued down the path, passing the trail leading to Zecora’s home.

“All I know is that it is said to have been created by magic, and some of the most powerful creatures in the world make their home here,” Twilight replied, wearily eying her surroundings.

“Anything else?”

“I do know of a castle in the depths of the forest, the ruins of the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters. Other than that, I don’t know much.”

Alern sighed. “Fine. Come on, we’re getting close to where I woke up.”

“So you mentioned you woke up in the forest. When? And How?”

Alern glared at Twilight, responding to the question quickly. “If I knew that, I’d have been rid of this blasted crystal and back wherever I was originally from.”

Twilight shook her head. “You mean you lied to me when you said you were from Canterlot?”

“Yep. I have no memories from before I woke up in the forest.” Alern wondered to himself why he was answering all these questions. Then again, if he died in this forest perhaps it was best somepony knew the truth, or what truth he did have.

“How cute. Attempting to save a pony from a great evil voice. Very poetic.”

Alern ignored the taunting voice in his head, instead continuing deeper into the forest. Soon, he came to the clearing, the moonlight shining its silver rays onto the grass around it.

“This is where I woke up,” Alern said, looking around. There was no sign of anything wrong that Alern could see, so he took a step forward.

Immediately a flash of pain shot into his head, causing him to take a step back instinctively.

“Alern? Are you alright?” Twilight asked, running up.

“Yeah, I’m fine. But I know we’re close, now.”

Alern stepped back toward the clearing, the pain flashing again, but this time he ignored it, taking another step.

The pain continued flashing, hitting Alern’s mind like a bullet. Alern could hear Twilight stepping into the clearing behind him, sniffing the air.

“Alern… this scent isn’t natural. Do you smell it?”

Alern stopped, ignoring another flash of pain from his skull, sniffing the air. It had a sickly sweet scent to it, almost similar to burned sugar.

“Yes, I smell it.”

“It’s feral magic,” the voice in Alern’s head said snidely.

“Feral Magic?”

Alern heard Twilight jump at the term. “I never thought of that. Do you think it could be? Feral Magic is supposed to be stronger than unicorn magic, and only used by the stronger beasts in the forest. I think we should leave.” Twilight’s tone was quickly filling with fear as she stepped back.

Alern felt the pain in his skull start to subside, and he looked at the slight hill in the center of the clearing. “No. Something is trying to stop me from getting to the top of that hill. And I plan on finding out what.”

Alern took another step, then froze. The ground where he put his hoof shimmered for a split second, looking like a ripple in a clear pond.

“What…”

The single word was all Alern could say before he felt an immense tugging on his gut as he was thrust forward, directly into a mass of liquid magic. Alern felt strange as he stepped through, his body appearing on the other side, giving him a strange feeling of stepping through water, without getting wet.

“Ugh.” Alern said, looking around. He was definitely not in the clearing anymore, but instead at the steps of a large grey castle, a large insignia with two alicorns above the once-grand entrance. The stone steps were shattered and broken, only a few retaining their shape in this ruin.

“Alright, Twilight, where are w-“

Alern whipped around. Twilight was gone, leaving him alone in the forest.

Chapter 3: Shadows

Alern’s eyes narrowed as he looked around. Indeed it was a ruin of some kind, the walls and pillars around him a crumbling mess. Alern thought back to what Twilight had said.

“Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters. Would explain the insignia, at least.” Alern walked up the stairs, entering the ruin. Inside, Alern saw a massive entrance hall, the old windows and walls shattered and crumbling. In the center of the room, a strange object stood, resembling an ancient planetarium, but missing some of the planets.

“Odd,” Alern said, eyeing the missing planets. Suddenly, Alern froze as he heard a sound, a tiny murmur, hardly louder than the wind around him.

Alern looked around, noticing a large stairway nearby leading up to another part of the ruin. Walking over to it, Alern felt the hairs of his mane begin to stand on end as he felt a strange presence around him.

“So, you come to the Everfree Forest as unprepared as when you awoke. How genius,” Alern’s inner voice taunted him, whispering into his ear.

Alern stamped a hoof on the ground defiantly. “I can take care of myself. I have Zecora’s potion, after all.”

“Oh, really? When a few Lupus Minors managed to beat you so easily? If I remember correctly, Zecora saved your flank that time, just as you were about to become dog food.”

Alern gritted his teeth. The voice inside of his mind was much more vocal, and much more annoying. Ignoring the voice’s taunts, he began walking up the stairs, the presence around him becoming more defined as he climbed.

Finally, he reached the top of the stairs, slowly opening a pair of rotten wood doors, looking inside. There, sitting on the floor, was a single orange mare, her fuchsia mane curled around her shivering body. Around her, shadows flickered in and out, taunting, teasing, always staying out of sight.

Alern walked into the room, prompting the shadows to quickly hide themselves in the darkness. Walking over to the mare, he nudged her with a hoof. The shadows slowly began to advance.

“Hey, mare. You alright?” Alern made a mental note to think of something better to say next time he rescued somepony.

The orange mare’s eyes flickered open, her light purple eyes looking up at Alern carefully. “Who… are you?”

Alern shook his head. “That doesn’t matter. What matters here is that you are in the middle of the Everfree Forest-“

“I’m in the Everfree Forest? Why am I here? I remember going to sleep in my bed, and then-“ Her voice was panicked as she franticly looked around her.

“Stop panicking!” Alern shouted. The Orange mare flinched, quieting down quickly.

“I think we have other problems besides the fact we are in the middle of a ruin in a dangerous forest. Darker matters,” Alern said, pointing a hoof at the shadows, which were slowly advancing.

“What are those things?” The mare asked.

“I don’t think it matters. They look like living shadows, and they are getting closer. I say we leave; I don't want to find out what they will do when they reach us.” Alern stamped a hoof near one of the shadows, causing it to retreat a few inches.

Grabbing the orange mare under his wing, Alern shoved her toward the door, backing slowly to follow as he watched the shadows creep ever closer to the two of them.

“Alright, RUN!” Alern shouted, pushing the orange mare down the stairs. The two quickly ran back into the main part of the castle, Alern looking backwards as they ran.

As they reached the entrance hall, Alern looked over at the orange mare, who was shaking her head groggily.
“Alright, now, what’s your name?”

“Scootaloo,” The orange mare replied, looking around. “Are we really in the Everfree Forest?”
Alern nodded, watching the stairway carefully for any signs that the shadows had followed them. “Yeah, we’re in the ruins of the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters, I think.

“This is where Twilight and her friends defeated Nightmare Moon!” Scootaloo said, looking around at the ruin. “This place is so cool!”

Alern sighed. “Well, we don’t really have time to spend here. There’s several others who are also missing, so-“

“Others? What do you mean, missing? What’s going on?” Scootaloo turned to Alern, confused.

“I mean that you and several other ponies just walked off in the middle of the night. Nopony knows where you went, or where you walked off to, but if you’re here, then I would wager that the others are in this forest as well.”

Suddenly, Alern stopped as he heard the hoofsteps of another pony begin to approach the entrance of the castle.

Spreading his wings and leaping in front of Scootaloo, Alern glared at the door. “Stay behind me.”

Alern could feel the presence from before start to make his mane stand on end, the feeling giving him a chill down his spine. As the hoofsteps got louder, Alern waited to see who it was.

Suddenly, a familiar face looked into the ruin, and spotted Alern. “Alern! Are you alright? I just saw you disappear, and- You found Scootaloo!“

Alern relaxed, folding his wings to his sides. “Twilight, thank Fau-“

Alern felt the presence get stronger as Twilight walked closer, his gut instinct telling him to not allow her to take a single step toward him.

“Twilight, stop.”

Twilight quickly obliged, stopping a few yards away from Alern and Scootaloo. “Alern? What’s wrong?”

Alern honestly didn’t know. The feeling was beginning to overwhelm him, and he could fee a tingle at his muzzle as the sickly sweet scent of feral magic entered his nostrils.

“Twilight, do you remember when we kissed?” Alern asked.

“Kissed? Ew!” Scootaloo said behind Alern.

“Kissed? Oh yes, I remember that. You are really good at kis-“ Alern didn’t wait for her to finish the sentence, instead charging right at the violet unicorn. Head butting her in the neck, the two ponies went flying, Alern continuing his charge until he felt the two of them strike a wall, a loud snapping breaking the silence around them.

“YOU ATTACKED TWILIGHT!” Scootaloo screamed, backing away from Alern as he leapt aside.

“That isn’t Twilight,” Alern said, gritting his teeth. “She kissed me on the forehead, not the lips.”

The false-Twilight grinned evilly, her eyes turning as black as pitch. “Seems like we have to do this the hard way,” Twilight’s voice quickly turned dark, the tone a sickening void as it vibrated around them. The false-Twilight shimmered for a moment, twisting itself into a large black dragon. The dragon snarled, and released a roar that shook the foundations of the ruined castle.

“Scootaloo?” Alern asked, unfurling his wings.

Scootaloo gulped loudly. “What?”

“Stay behind me.”

Scootaloo glared at Alern, standing beside him and unfurling her own wings. “I can take care of myself!”

Alern smirked, turning back toward the black dragon towering over the two.

“If you had just come with me, everything would have been fine. But no, you had to be all intelligent. Intelligent prey always makes a mess of things.” The dragon taunted, lifting his claw to strike.

Alern and Scootaloo leapt aside as the claw struck the ground where they had stood moments before. Flapping his wings and taking to the air, Alern charged at the dragon, using his momentum to deliver a kick to its chin.

“Is that all you’ve got? I’ve seen better at a filly’s competiti-“

The dragon was cut off when Scootaloo leapt from the ground, delivering a massive flying kick to his stomach. The scales caught some of the blow, but the mare’s kick was not something that could be taken lightly.

“Nice kick, Scootaloo!” Alern said, calling down.

Scootaloo smirked in response, leaping aside as the dragon brought his tail down to counter the kick.

“You blasted little wench! I’ll crush you, no matter what the master says!”

Alern caught the ending of the sentence, flying aside as the dragon swiped at him. “Your master? You mean you aren’t the one behind the ponynappings?”

The dragon laughed, eyeing Alern with his massive serpentine eye. “Me? A mastermind? No, I am nothing but a minion for the Master. You, however, don’t need to worry. Soon you’ll be-“

Alern smirked viciously. “I don’t think so.” Grabbing the vial he had received from Zecora from his saddlebag, Alern quickly uncorked the liquid, and drank it in one gulp. A rush of strength and power flowed through him, and he quickly twisted in the air and he bucked hard, directly into the dragon’s eye. There was a sickening sound as the eyeball popped, sending blood and eyeball fluid down the dragon's face.

The dragon roared in rage and pain, thrashing behind him. His tail swiped a wall of the ruin, smashing it quickly. Flying down, Alern landed next to Scootaloo in time to pull her away from a vicious tail lash.

Alern grinned. The power in his muscles from this potion was an incredible feeling; a rush of adrenaline accompanied it and sped his movements. As the dragon rubbed its sore eye, Alern leapt towards its chest, and delivered a massive blow.
A resounding crack could be heard, echoing through the stone hall, as the dragon’s scales shattered on his chest, black blood dripping from the cracks. Alern quickly chained his movement to another blow, delivering a swift punch to the dragon’s chin.

Scootaloo quickly seized the opportunity, and instead quickly kicked at the dragon’s leg, causing it to lose its balance. It roared as it toppled backwards, scales hitting the floor with a loud clacking noise.

The black dragon roared in anguished pain as it took a step back. Pulling itself up, it looked around, and saw Scootaloo. Lifting its claw, the dragon slashed out towards her.

Alern saw the blow, and as fast as he could shot towards her. At the last moment as the claw was about to crush her, Alern grabbed it, yanking hard, using the last few moments of the potion to lift the entire dragon up, and fling it into a wall, which quickly crumbled.

Alern quickly turned back to Scootaloo as he felt the strength fade, leaving his limbs sore and tired from the exertion.

“Come on! Let’s fly out of here!”

Scootaloo shook her head. “I… can’t fly.”

Alern sighed. “Of course.” Grabbing Scootaloo around the waist, Alern lifted into the air as his wings pumped furiously. The two of them flew into the air.

“I’ll get you for this, you pathetic pony!” Alern heard the dragon roar, black blood dripping rom the eye and the chest wound.

Alern resisted the urge to shout something back, instead focusing on flying away from the ruin, the emerald trees forming a sea below them.

“Alright. Where in Tatarus did you manage to learn to fight like that?”

Scootaloo blushed. “I’ve… been training with Rainbow Dash for the past five years.”

“She must be a good teacher.”

“She’s the best! And she’s the best flyer in Equestria, and…” Scootaloo went on to detail Rainbow Dash’s accomplishments until Alern cleared his throat.

“Alright, Scootaloo, that is a bit… weird that you are so infatuated with her. But anyways, do you know where any of the other ponies might be?”

Scootaloo shook her head. “No, I don’t. I fell asleep in my bed and the next moment, you were waking me up. I don’t remember anything.”

“Sounds like someone I know,” Alern mumbled, looking around. Alern noticed a clearing as the two of them flew, and Alern took a deep breath. “Alright, let’s stop here.”

Landing quickly, Alern put Scootaloo down on the ground, folding up his wings to his side, noticing a bit of a cramp developing. That mare was heavier than she looked, and his muscles screamed from the aftereffects of the potion.

“So you say there were other ponies that disappeared?” Scootaloo asked, looking around.

“Yeah, if I remember correctly, it was you, Appleflower, Sweetie Pie, and someone named Diamond Crown or something.”

“It’s Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Diamond Tiara,” Scootaloo said impatiently. “Get their names right.”

“Friends of yours?”

“Applebloom and Sweetie Belle are friends, but Diamond Tiara is more of a bully. She’s been mean to other ponies since she was a filly.”

Alern shrugged. “Whatever.”

Suddenly, Alern heard a rustling from the bushes nearby. Leaping to protect Scootaloo instinctively, Alern spread his wings as a shield.

“Easy now, you pegasi. You need not fear, it is only I.”

Zecora stepped from the bushes, looking at Alern and Scootaloo.

“I see you have found young Scootaloo. You know that Twilight Sparkle is looking for you.”

Alern couldn’t feel the strange prickling of his mane, but he decided to ask anyways. “Zecora, what color was the bag you gave me?”

“What an odd question to be had, but I will tell you green is the color bag.”

Alern nodded. “There was something in the forest that took Twilight’s shape. I had to be sure.”

“Zecora, do you know anything about any other ponies that have been through the forest? There are three others that are missing, too.” Scootaloo asked, stepping from behind Alern.

“Sweetie Belle, Diamond Tiara and Applebloom, have all been returned to their families too. Each of them I had found, and returned them without messing around.”

Alern groaned. The rhymes again.

“The two of you should follow me, and I will lead you out of the trees.” Zecora turned toward the way she came, smiling.

Alern and Scootaloo followed the zebra as she led them through the forest, soon coming to her home.

As they got close to the door, Alern saw it swing open, and Twilight’s happy face appeared. “Scootaloo! Alern! You’re alright!”

“Yeah, yeah, we’re fine,” Alern said. “And do I have a story to tell you.”

Turning to Zecora, Alern smirked. “I’m pretty sure we can make it back to Ponyville on our own. Thanks for the help again, Zecora.

“The pleasure belongs to I, young pegasi.” Zecora replied with another smile.

Twilight, Alern and Scootaloo walked toward the path, Alern quickly telling Twilight what had happened after he disappeared. The shadows especially interested her, and the shape changer as well.

“You mean you actually head butted me?” Twilight said, glaring at Alern.

“I knew it wasn’t you, I mean…”

“But you still head butted me! And without hesitation, either!”

Scootaloo was giggling beside the two as they fought, stepping out of the forest into Ponyville’s outskirts.

“Yeah, totally without hesitation.” Alern snapped sarcastically.

“You did save Scootaloo, though. That was quite heroic.” Twilight replied, messing up Scootaloo’s fuchsia colored mane. “Zecora said she found the other three wandering past her house. I guess Scootaloo was the only one who managed to make it all the way to the castle.”

Alern looked at Twilight, his eyebrow raising. “You seem to be treating this as some sort of simple thing.”

Twilight giggles. “Of course! There’s been instances in Ponyville where I was turned into a statue by a cockatrice, and my friend Fluttershy saved me, there’s also been multiple times where things have gone wrong, and-“ Twilight continued on as they reached the center of town, where the crowd was celebrating the return of the young ponies.

“There’s Mr. Streak. I’d better go, Twilight, Alern.” Scootaloo smiled, and then walked over to a grey pegasi, who was standing in the middle of the crowd. When he saw her, he smiled, and began talking.

“Is he her dad?” Alern asked Twilight.

“No, just a foster father. She’s an orphan, you know.” Twilight replied.

“Oh.”

Alern looked around the crowd, and shrugged. “I guess that’s that, unless you think there are some other heroics to be done?” Alern joked around.

Twilight laughed. “It is getting late, I certainly hope not.”

Chapter 4: Unwanted Memories

Alern yawned as his eyes fluttered open, slowly making his way off the bed. Using his wings to steady himself, he quickly walked to the bathroom, splashing cool water over his face.

“No matter how many times I do it, getting up at sunrise is a pain in the flank,” Alern said to his reflection in the mirror. Picking up a comb by the side of the sink, Alern combed his mane over the ruby, glaring at it.

Walking downstairs when he finished, Alern hurriedly grabbed a bit to eat from the cloud fridge, munching on the remainder of last night’s dinner as he walked out the door. Continuing down the street, Alern soon found himself at the forge, the smelt of charcoal burning reaching his nostrils.

Walking inside and quickly putting on his apron, Alern grinned at the smith. “I’m here.”

Bright Metal smirked back, placing a few pieces of metal into the forge to melt.

“So, kid, tell me about your time in the Everfree Forest.”

The question surprised Alern, who nearly dropped the sword he was carrying to the storeroom. Looking back at Bright Metal, Alern replied. “How did you know I’ve been there?”

“The whole incident a few days ago with Scootaloo and her friends travels quickly, especially if you know who to ask,” Bright Metal said calmly, taking a drink from a large bucket of water before turning back to the forge.

“Yeah, but… nopony really paid much attention to me. Zecora was the one who did the most. I only saved o-“

“Life is something precious, Alern. Remember that. Saving one or saving many, it’s the same thing at heart. You did well, but what I am interested in is the true details.”

Alern smirked nervously. “What do you mean?”

“Those kids were bewitched. You knew where at least one of them was. How? And where?”

Alern gulped as the forge master grabbed a half-finished sword from the forge, beginning to pound the metal into a blade.

“Well…”

“Out with it, colt. I don’t have time for hesitant answers.”

Alern closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He supposed he could tell his master, of all people…

“I heard a voice, the same day they heard one as well. I thought of myself, where I woke up and what I did, and traveled back. I found Scootaloo merely by chance and luck.

Bright Metal was quiet for a moment, hammering away at the blade. “There is no luck, kid.”

Putting the sword he had been holding away, Alern walked back into the room, the old smith hammering the weapon again and again on the anvil.

“How did you protect yourself?”

“Huh?”

From the way you spoke, it sounded like you went farther than just the entrance to the forest. There are a lot of creatures out there, both good... and evil. How did you defend yourself, exactly?”

Alern blushed. “Well, Twilight was with me for some of the trip, and-“

“You relied on a mare to protect you? That, my young apprentice, is just pathetic.” Bright Metal said, his hammer blows becoming even heavier as he spoke. “Did you have any personal weapons? A sword, or perhaps a decent dagger?”

Alern shook his head. "All I had was a potion of strength Zecora had given me."

“So you went into the depths of the Everfree Forest with no weapons, and only a potion made by a shamaness. Tell me, how did that work for you?”

Alern remembered what the shape changer had said. “Is that all you’ve got? I’ve seen better at a filly’s competition.” Alern gulped as he thought back to the fight. If he hadn’t had the potion of strength, he would have been helpless.

“Not that well.” Alern said after a few minutes, staring at a speck of dust on the floor. “Not well at all.”

The old unicorn snorted, putting the sword back into the forge. “Would you like to know how to protect yourself, kid?”

Alern looked up at Bright Metal, and noticed the old pony seemed to be staring through him, directly into his very soul with his deep brown eyes.

“Yes, Master. I would.” As soon as Alern finished the sentence, he felt something flying through the air at his head.

Instinctively, Alern leapt aside, and the blacksmith hammer hit the stone floor with a loud crunch.

“The rule number one. Never leave yourself open, even around your friends,” Bright Metal grinned, using his magic to pick up his blacksmith hammer once again. “The second rule is… always have a weapon nearby.”

Alern could hardly dodge the next flurry of blows aimed for his face, neck, and chest as the old blacksmith, with startling speed, charged right for the purple stallion.

As the flurry drew to its close, the old Smith suddenly grabbed a poker from beside the forge, swinging toward Alern as he dodged another blow. Unable to dodge in mid-leap, Alern instinctively used his wings, lifting them over his face and hitting the poker with the muscle of the wing, knocking it free of Bright Metal’s magic.

Bright Metal stopped, smirking. “An interesting tactic. While that move could very easily have taken your wing if it had been a bladed weapon, you still managed to knock it from my grasp.”

Alern smirked back at the smith, keeping an eye on his surroundings in case he attempted something else. “Wasn’t much I could have done. If I hadn’t stopped the blow, I would have gotten a rather nasty lump on the skull, don’t you agree?”

Bright Metal snickered, placing his hammer onto the anvil. “You are quite an odd Pegasus. To many, their wings are their life, and treat them as such. But you were so quick to use them as shield…”

“Wing wounds can grow back,” Alern said, thinking of his encounter with the Lupus Minors. “However, if you lose an eye, or take a dangerous blow to the face because you didn’t use what was available to you at the time, then you are the only one that is to blame.”

Bright Metal looked at Alern for a moment. “That phrase is quite… interesting. Have you heard it somewhere before?”

Alern shook his head. “No, why?”

Bright Metal turned away, walking over to the Storeroom. “No, it’s… nothing.”

Walking out with a pair of carved wooden swords, Bright Metal handed one to Alern. “Come with me.”

The two of them continued out of the forge, and Bright Metal led Alern to a large field behind the building. The grass rippled slightly in the early morning breeze, making the green of the field look like a sea.

“How would you hold the weapon?” Bright Metal asked, turning around.

Alern put the handle of the sword between his teeth, chomping down tightly.

“No, you foal. If any strikes get past the sword’s guard, your life is forfeit! Try again.”

Alern grabbed the sword with a hoof, holding it carefully.

“Now, tell me, do you think you can do any real damage with that weapon?”

Alern shook his head. “No, sir. I need four feet on the ground in order to remain standing. If I was flying, however…”

Bright Metal nodded. “Most of the Royal Guard that use weapons either use them for show, or are unicorns. Pegasi soldiers within the Royal Guard instead normally use Wingblades, to keep their hooves ready to dodge, or to strike, if needs be.”

“I thought you said that Wingblades were only used by the Wonderbolts?”

Bright Metal shook his head. “No, but the Blade Arts are something only they know. The wingblades are but a tool. To use them well, now that is something they hide jealously.”

Alern nodded, looking at the wooden blade in his hoof. Thinking for a moment, Alern smirked.

Placing the blade near the front of his wing, Alern quickly grabbed a vine nearby and wrapped the handle to the inside of his wing, so the blade stuck out along his side. “How’s this?”

“Now you’re thinking, kid. No matter the weapon, if you pair it with your wings, the reach is effectively doubled. Reach is something that wins fights. The longer your reach, the easier you can strike your opponent.”

Alern nodded, swinging his wing around for a second to get a feel of the weapon. He couldn’t fly, but he had a feeling he wouldn’t need to during this training anyways.

“Now. Come at me,” Bright Metal said, staring at Alern.

Alern didn’t hesitate, charging directly at Bright Metal, his wing prepared to strike as he approached. Suddenly, Bright Metal moved, pushing it aside as he dodged the blow. The push managed to misalign the strike, which harmlessly struck the dirt. Bright Metal, however, rapped Alern behind the head with his practice blade.

“Your wings are vulnerable when you use a basic weapon with them. Remember to never leave your feathers open to an attack as you charge,” Bright Metal said, smirking at Alern.

Alern returned the stare, waiting for the opportune moment to strike. Just as Bright Metal blinked, Alern leapt into the air, his hind legs propelling him forward.

Weapon stretched forward and ready to attack, Alern smirked as he saw Bright Metal attempt to dodge. Suddenly, Alern’s eyes widened as he saw what the unicorn was about to do.

“WAAAAAAAAAH!” Alern shouted as he passed right underneath the unicorn pony as he levitated himself into the air.
Bright Metal laughed, looking at Alern, who was face first in the dirt. “That’s another lesson. Never just charge into a battle. Know your opponent’s strengths and weaknesses before you attack, or you can very well end up dead in the first strike."

Landing a few feet away from Alern, Bright Metal slashed the air a few times with the wooden blade, staring at Alern.

“Attack me again.”

This time, Alern stood his ground, watching Bright Metal intently. Inside his mind, the beginning of a plan was forming.

“He can use magic to redirect himself, and he has much more experience than I do. His strikes hadn’t made contact yet, but there was something he noticed about his movements. “He favors his left side,” Alern said to himself, noticing the old pony’s stance.

Sure enough, the pony seemed to put most of his weight on his left side, even preferring to keep his weapon on that side. However, Alern’s mind continued to think.

“His magic allows him to easily attack me from whichever angle he chooses. That magic… how can I fight a magic user with just my wings?”

Alern heard the voice in his head respond to his question. “You can’t. Magic users are the best at using a simple blade for a reason. But, just to help out this once, I’ll give you a tip. Magic users require eye contact with the weapon or item they are levitating, otherwise it requires them to have a good mental picture of the item in their mind. Disrupt that image, remove their eyes as a factor, or change their surroundings, and you will have the advantage.”

Alern nodded to himself, looking at Bright Metal for a second.

“What are the rules in this engagement?”

Bright Metal smirked, immediately falling into a defensive stance. “There are no rules. Pretend I’m going to kill you.”

“Fair enough,” Alern replied, looking at the ground beneath him. Part of the earth was sandy, dusty beneath his hoof.

Perfect.

Running at Bright Metal, Alern feinted, instead leaping aside as Bright Metal countered the feint, and Alern smirked as he found himself right below his face.

Stamping his hoof against the ground, Alern kicked a large chunk of earth into the grey unicorn’s eyes, temporarily blinding him as he staggered back, rubbing his eyes. Alern noticed his hold on the wooden blade and charged, leaping over him and bringing his own blade up to Bright Metal’s throat.

“Bravo, kid. Although…”

Bright Metal smirked, and rapped Alern’s skull with his wooden blade, which he had positioned behind him during the movement. Alern groaned.

“Don’t feel bad, removing a unicorn’s vision is the basic way to win against a magic user. I was wondering when you’d try something like that.” Wiping the dirt out of his eyes, Bright Metal smiled. "Unfortunately for you, I've learned to keep control of my magic in such conditions."

Bright Metal finished wiping the last of the dirt from his eyes. “Now, let’s do something a little different. Take off your wooden blade.”

Alern quickly obliged, leaping aside as Bright Metal swung at him as soon as the blade was off.

“Good. Remembering the first rule,” Bright Metal said with a smirk.

Alern nodded, turning back toward the unicorn. “Now what?”

“Now, I’ll teach you what I know about wingblades.”

The statement caught Alern unaware, causing him to flinch. “Wingblades? Teach me?”
“

Are you deaf, kid?” Bright Metal growled. “I said I would teach you what I know. It’s not much, but I did see the Royal Guard training with them a bit. Don’t get yer hopes up too much, though.”

Alern nodded, spreading his wings. “So where do we begin?”

Bright Metal walked over and positioned Alern’s wings in several positions, remarking at each one.

“Repeat that series until I say otherwise.”

Alern began repeating the series, lifting his wings in the movements Bright Metal had shown, each one flowing into the next. Alern felt his mind calm as he did this, his wings flowing through the air like liquid.

“Not bad, kid.”

Alern closed his eyes, focusing on the movements, and felt his body following them as he moved, each position and each flutter of his wings having a position that seemed… right.
“

"Kid? Are you sure you haven’t done this before?”

Alern continued the movements, shaking his head as he did so. “Not that I know of. Why?”

“You’re moving your body like a Royal Guard would.”

Alern smirked. “Really? It just felt right to move this way.”

Bright Metal smirked as he watched Alern, then turned back toward the forge, mumbling something under his breath. Walking into the building, Bright Metal called back to Alern.

“Keep going.”

* * *

Alern’s sweat beaded around the crystal on his head, dripping down into his eyes as he continued his movements. His wings were beginning to protest, his muscles burning as he continued. Alern smirked to himself. The movements felt like second nature; as if he had done them before.

A few minutes more, and Alern heard the sound of hoofsteps behind him. Continuing on the movements, Alern saw Bright Metal stand in front of him.

“An excellent beginning,” Bright Metal said, nodding. Alern stopped, his tired wings falling to his side, too sore to fold themselves in any way.

“Now, what do you know about the wingblade itself?” Bright Metal eyed Alern as he asked the question.

“I don’t know much about it. Only that it is a weapon that is attached to your wings to give them added power and strength, and give you the ability to attack with them.”

“A good start. But a wingblade is much more. They are forged with magic, by magic, in magic. Wingblades are considered to be the pinnacle of Equestrian weaponry, with each movement a double edged sword. An untrained wingblade user is more likely to harm himself than his opponent.”

“When wingblades were first invented, the pony responsible for the invention, Star Wonder, the first leader of the Wonderbolts, actually managed to slice off part of his ear in training. Today, we try to avoid that,” Bright Metal snickered, turning to Alern.

“So before we even begin training with wooden or normal wingblades, you have to understand the basic movements of using one to its fullest. This movement you just completed was the most basic of the skill sets. Now, we move on.”

Alern groaned to himself, feeling the throbbing ache in his wings. As Bright Metal began showing him the next movements, the muscles began to stiffen, causing his wings to refuse to move.

“Don’t tell me this is all you can do?” Bright Metal said snidely, noticing the stiffness.

Alern smirked back. “Not likely.” Forcing his muscles to loosen with sheer willpower, Alern began to move in the six movements that Bright Wing had just shown him. The same familiarity began to seep into his mind, the movements of his body beginning once more to match his wings.

As his wings began moving, the soreness of the muscles began to mask itself, instead continuing the movements. Bright Metal watched with a smile.

“This kid is really something,” he said to himself.

Watching Alern for a few minutes, Bright Metal walked back toward the forge, stepping inside. The heat of the coals had begun to taper off, and Bright Metal quickly restocked the forge with more fuel, walking into the storeroom.

“Let’s see what we can do,” Bright Metal said, looking at the stockpiled weapons and armor in his forge.

Hours passed once more as Alern continued the different movements, the sweat now completely drenching his mane, matting it against his coat. Alern could feel the beginning of true exhaustion setting in from his continuous movements, part of him wanting to stop this repetitive moving, the other part enjoying the freedom of the style.

Finally, Alern heard Bright Metal’s voice calling from the smithy.

“Alright, kid. Come in here for a second.”

Alern gasped for breath, letting his wings fall to his sides, the burning sensation preventing him from folding them to his side. Walking into the smithy, Alern felt the wave of heat from the forge causing another few beads of sweat to appear on his brow.

Walking over to the forge, Alern looked inside and saw Bright Metal hammering at white colored steel. Unlike the metal they had been working on before, this steel was a bright, vibrant white and even the cooled parts of the metal resembled the white of snow.

“What metal is that?” Alern asked, watching Bright Metal place it back into the forge.

“White Steel. Forged with magic. It’s lighter, harder, and naturally sharper than iron or normal steel. Wingblades are made out of this metal, mixed with iron by those smiths too lazy to work with it. However, I used to make my wingblades entirely out of White Steel. They were rather expensive, but they were the best of the best, if I do say so myself.”

“And where did you get this white steel?” Alern asked as Bright Metal pumped the bellows.

“You really think I would just move to Ponyville without taking my stock of materials? I might have been publicly humiliated, but I’m still a smith,” Bright Metal smirked.

Alern shrugged, watching the white steel turn a bright blue as it heated, white sparks dancing along its edges. A large blister formed as the metal heated up.

“Is it supposed to do that?”

Bright Metal grabbed the bar with some tongs, quickly dipping it into a bucket of water to cool it. The bubble’s metal froze, and the white steel began to shine steadily.

“Kid, listen. Remember that small bubble you saw in the iron when I hired you?”

Alern nodded, watching as the bubble began to crack down the middle, white sparkles cascading along the crack itself.

“White Steel is inherently magical. Magic buildup is common. However, pegasi smiths are unable to contain the magic; it’s why many of them prefer to use an alloy of white steel and iron instead of pure white steel. I need you to hurry and get out of this forge, so I can contain this.”

Alern saw the white sparks were becoming even more frequent, dancing along the edge of the metal in a joyous waltz.
Alern took a step backwards, but it was far too late. With a magical burst, the crack ripped open, and white sparks whirling around the forge. They whipped around, kicking up the wind in a massive whirlwind. Books and items flew off shelves, scattering dust and debris around the two ponies.

“I said, get out of here!” Bright Metal shouted over the howling magic. Alern, however, didn’t hear. The magic itself was dancing around him, showing off a rainbow of beauty to his eyes. Rooted in place, Alern watched as the magic, undoubtedly feral from the sweet smell around him, began whirling around his wings.

Almost like a living being, the feral magic roared, twisting itself around Alern’s purple coat like a snake. Part of Alern wondered if something like this should hurt, but the sparks instead made their way to his wings, where they ran along their length, diving into the spots that were most sore.

Disappearing under his flesh, Alern could feel the exhaustion in his muscles disappear as the magic entered his body, coalescing around his jewel as well, whipping his mane away as it began to glow in a brilliant red color. The white sparks danced around his eyes, diving into the glowing gem. Alern could almost hear the sparks’ joy as they met the crystal’s own magic, flowing around his body like a waterfall of energy.

Finally, the magic calmed, the jewel in Alern’s forehead dimming as he released a held breath. Looking around, Alern saw Bright Metal’s surprised face.

“Alright, what the hay just happened?” Bright Metal’s confusion was evident in his voice as he approached Alern, eyeing the crystal.

“And what in the nine layers of Tatarus is THAT?” Bright Metal asked, pointing a hoof at the crystal.

Alern smirked nervously, rubbing the back of his mane.

“Well, it’s sort of… complicated,” Alern said.

“Try me, kid. When a Pegasus with magical powers managed to contain a white metal release right in front of me, I tend to start understanding things pretty well.”

Alern laughed nervously as he explained everything he knew about the crystal, how it seemed to resonate with magic, and even sometimes respond to his commands, though very slightly. As he continued the story, Bright Metal returned to the white steel, placing it back into the forge.

Finally, Alern finished, taking a deep breath to steady himself. Inwardly, Alern wondered how long he could hide the crystal; Twilight knew about it, and now Bright Metal? He was taking quite a few risks.

“So, essentially, you have no idea where the crystal came from, but it gives you the ability to use magic? So you are telling me you are an alicorn?”

Alern snorted. “Yeah, I’m an Alicorn. I’m also related to the Princesses, and am secretly a Prince in exile.”

Bright Metal laughed at the thought, and Alern joined in, the nervous air around the two disappearing quickly. Finally, Bright Metal stopped, looking at Alern.

“You know, if you can use magic, you need to see Twilight. She could probably teach you to control it. Well, I guess she could. I wouldn’t really know,” Bright Metal said pointing at the crystal. “And a bit of magic never hurts around the forge, or in a self defense situation, if you know what I mean.”

Alern nodded. “I suppose you’re right. But Twilight? Teach me magic? I never really thought about that possibility.”
Bright Metal smirked. “She’s the greatest unicorn wizard since Star Swirl the Bearded. Also, she’s a nice mare. She’ll teach ya.”

Alern smiled, blushing. “Well, I know about how nice she is, but I didn’t know how powerful she was…”

“She’s a humble one, that Twilight Sparkle. You mark my words, in the future she’ll be even more famous that Star Swirl, and all the while she’ll be trying to say she isn’t important.” Bright Metal laughed, looking at the white steel in the forge.

“Yeah, I suppose you’re right.” Alern walked over to the forge again, and saw the white steel beginning to heat up to a brilliant blue color once again.

“So, we’re making a wingblade?”

“That’s right,” Bright Metal said, watching the metal.

“Isn’t it a bit… early to be considering a wingblade? I mean, I’ve only just started-“

“A wingblade is something you never forget how to use. After watching you practice the movements, I am pretty sure that parts of your locked memories are saying you knew how to use one before. Nopony can just ‘guess’ and be as accurate to the movements as you were.”

Alern blushed. “I was really that good?”

“Your form was excellent, and the movements sound. The only thing that you lacked was the blade itself.” As he said this, Bright Metal took the metal from the forge, placing it onto the anvil nearby.

“C’mere, kid.” Bright Metal said, motioning for Alern to walk forward.

Alern complied, approaching the white metal. As he got close, Bright Metal grabbed Alern’s wing roughly and tore out a large feather from the tip.

“Hey! That’s a primary! Without that, I can’t-“

Bright Metal smirked, putting his hoof over Alern’s mouth. “Let the stallion do his work, my young apprentice. Just watch.”

Placing the long feather on top of the white metal, Alern watched as the metal seemed to come alive, tendrils of the magic alloy wrapping itself around the feather and fusing with it, the metal folding over itself again and again as it claimed the feather as its own.

“How…”

“Magic.” Bright Metal grinned as the feather was ejected from the metal, a glowing silvery-purple color.

Grabbing it with his own magic, Bright Metal lifted the feather and placed it next to Alern’s wings. Alern flinched as the metal itself reached over his wing and grabbed it, attaching itself to where the feather had been moments before.

“I thought you said Wingblades were weapons, not feathers!” Alern said, surprised. The feeling of the warm metal over his feathers was odd, like a cream applying itself to his wing. The feather fitted itself back into its slot, making his wing whole
once again.

“Normal wingblades are, kid. Alloys are dead, no feeling through them. Wingblades made that way have to be hammered, and they have to be installed in the middle of the wing rather than the edge. Also, it’s pretty hard to fly with alloy-wingblades, the iron contrasting sharply with the lightweight white steel. But wingblades made with pure white steel are more of a living creature. They are light, they replace a pony’s feathers, and react with a pony’s thoughts. Give it a shot.”

Alern nodded, reaching his mind out to the feather. As he did, Alern felt a warm feeling in the back of his mind, and he latched onto it, trying to control it.

“Bravo, kid.”

Alern looked at the feather, and saw a blade had formed around it as he watched, the blade a deadly sharp edge as he looked. The blade itself was a bright silver color, and the feather was slightly glowing.

“Now put it away.”

Alern released his hold on the feather, and relaxed. The blade disappeared, and the feather dulled in color to match the others.

“Now, we have to do five feathers on each wing for the wingblades to form a decent blade. Once you replace your feathers, they will also be useable in mid-flight; the blades will move just like your other feathers.”

Alern nodded as Bright Metal walked over again, plucking another feather from Alern’s wing. As he repeated the process, Alern looked at the wingblade feather in his wing carefully.

“Master, the feather itself is hard to tell from the others. Isn’t that a bit dangerous?”

Bright Metal nodded as the white steel spat out the feather, coated in a layer of the white metal. As he walked back over and replaced the feather, Bright Metal spoke.

“After the Griffon Campaigns, Wingblades were hailed as an elegant weapon for an elegant age. Every Pegasus wanted a set. Of course, where there’s pegasi with such weapons, there are those who abuse the powers. Three separate times, pegasi attempted to assassinate the princesses, and three times the assassins were struck down. Finally, Wingblades were outlawed in their use for all but the Royal Guard or the Wonderbolts, and normal ponies with the weapons were stripped of their feathers. This harsh punishment came to be known as the Wingblade Persecutions. It was a dark time for Equestria.”

Alern felt his heart skip a beat as he heard the word “outlawed.”

“You mean to tell me this is illegal?” Alern shouted.

Bright Metal smirked, looking up at Alern as he replaced another feather. “Kind of. But as long as you don’t use these wingblades for anything dangerous, or attack anypony, I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

Alern backed up a moment as Bright Metal took yet another feather. “Wait… you mean you are breaking the law for me? Why would you even risk yourself like this? I know I needed a way to defend myself, but you saw my crystal, and I can use magic if I need to. Why risk yourself on something that can easily land you in prison?”

Bright Metal smirked. “Kid, I have a feeling you will be needing these wingblades more than you know. It’s a certain… air around you. Something big is going to happen in your future. And I plan on giving you every opportunity to survive that ‘something’.”

Alern felt the metal latch onto his wing as Bright Metal replaced his fifth feather on his left wing, turning to his Right when it finished and plucking the first primary.

“But-“

Bright Metal laughed. “Listen, kid, you are the most paranoid pony I have ever seen. Just know that I see potential in you, and I have a feeling that potential will blossom into something big. When the Wonderbolts recruit ya, just be sure NOT to mention me.”

Alern sighed. “Yes, Master.” Privately, Alern wondered why the old smith was taking such a risk. Something didn’t add up in his story. Giving a teenage pony a dangerous weapon that could be used in assassinations? The old stallion had to have some ulterior motive.

Finally, the feathers were replaced, and Alern could feel the warm presence of the metal when he reached out his mind. The feathers felt lighter than before, and a few flutters of his wing revealed he had greater lift than before they were installed.

“I assume you feel that added strength in your wings? Well-made wingblades are, in a way, parasites. They feed off your energy and act as an entity outside of yourself. They lend you their power, and in exchange you give them part of your energy. It’ll take a while to get used to them, but when you do you will be flying faster than before. Heh.” Bright Metal smirked, then burst out laughing.

“What’s so funny?” Alern asked, walking over.

I was just thinking about one of Twilight’s friends. One Rainbow Dash. Always trying to get into the Wonderbolts. If she knew that wingblades were able to increase the speed of a pegasi, she would be pestering me to no end. As it is, she hates the stuff I do here. Says my armor and weapons aren’t ‘cool enough’. Remarked to me that they need to be twenty percent cooler.”

Alern smirked at the phrase. “Her loss, I suppose.”

Bright Metal nodded, and then looked at Alern’s wings. “So, I see you are rested. Are you ready to learn the next series of movements?”

Alern nodded. “The magic from the white metal seemed to restore most of my energy. I feel excellent.”

Bright Metal smirked evilly. “You’re going to need it, kid. I’m going to teach you some advanced movements, next. The two from before were utter cakewalk compared to this.”

Alern’s smile quickly disappeared.

* * *

Alern groaned as he walked back to his house, his wings hanging limply at his side. Every muscle in his body was screaming for rest, from his neck to his wings themselves.

Reaching the house, Alern quickly walked inside, heading up to the massive library, where he took a seat in a large plush chair.

Releasing a breath in happiness, Alern looked around the room as the last few rays of the sun illuminated what it could of the bookshelves. Grabbing the book he had started a few days prior, Alern noticed a flicker of movement in the corner of his eye.

“I am not in the mood, ghost.”

The movement stopped quickly.

Alern had established an uneasy truce between himself and the ghost after he had made it clear he was not leaving the house. Parts of him still believed he was seeing apparitions, or going insane, but the things he saw happen around the house were not natural, not by a long shot.

Going back to his book, Alern sighed as he found his eyes closing. Shutting the book and placing it on the table, Alern uneasily left the library, walking into his room. “Why did I even bother coming in here?”

Out of the corner of his eye, Alern saw an odd ripple in the air as he left the library, walking into his room and climbing onto the bed. Staring at the ceiling, Alern yawned, his eyes slowly closing as he drifted off to sleep.
Alern felt himself falling. Deeper and deeper he fell, the ending nowhere in sight. The feeling was indescribeable. Not like flying, more like… despair.

The feeling got worse the longer he fell, and he began to see images, pictures around him. Pictures of himself, pictures of others, all of them parts of the last week.

“You know, you are quite an interesting fellow to watch.”

Alern looked around himself as suddenly his descent was halted, his hooves touching the ground lightly. The pictures quickly disappeared, and Alern could see the figure of a pony just beyond, hidden by the darkness.

“You know, every pony has a bit of darkness inside their soul. Jealousy, Hate, Rage, all of it is the same when you come down to it. And you are no different.”

Alern gritted his teeth, looking at the pony hidden in the darkness. “Who are you?”

The pony walked closer, the voice entering every facet of his mind as he got closer.

“Why, my dear Alern. I am you. I am you in your most basic, primal form.” As the voice spoke, the pony stepped from the darkness.

The pony was almost an exact copy of Alern, but with a deep, ruby red coat. His eyes were a deep blood red, the color filling them, hiding the pupils behind the red color. The pony stepped up to Alern, and smiled, his teeth wickedly sharp. The ruby gemstone was embedded in his brow, glowing brightly as he got closer.

“Who… are you?” Alern asked again, backing up.

“I just told you.” The voice replied quickly, smiling even more, advancing toward Alern.

Reaching over his shoulder and whispering directly into his ear, Alern heard his sinister hiss as he spoke softly.

“I… am Regna. Anger. Your darkness. Remember me.”

Alern awoke, sweat streaming down his face, soaking the blankets enveloping him. Alern gasped for breath, the image of the blood red pony burned into his mind.

“Regna.” Alern said to himself, walking out of the room in a daze. “Regna.”

Quickly making his way into the library, Alern began looking through the books in a hurry, grabbing everything he could find on the supernatural.

“You won’t find anything about me there.”

Alern promptly dropped the book in fright, whipping around. He knew the voice was inside of his mind, but he still attempted to find a source around him.

“You know, I told you, I am a part of you. I’ll help you a bit. Go and get your mail.”

Alern shook his head. “My mail?” Walking downstairs, Alern made his way to the door, where the mailbox was waiting, the small flag indicating waiting letters. Opening the small door at the base of the box, Alern grabbed several scrolls from the box.

One of them was stamped with an odd pink symbol, resembling cotton candy, or a cloud, or something. Opening it, Alern began reading.

“Hi! My name’s Pinkie Pie! I wanted to say hello and invite you to a welcome to Ponyville party on Sunday! I would really like it if you would come! The party begins at noon, and it located at Sugarcube Corner! If you need help getting there, Twilight will show you the way!”

Alern rolled up the scroll, smirking. That might be fun. Taking the second scroll, Alern saw a dark-colored seal emblazoned upon it. Opening it, Alern’s heart leapt into his throat.

There, staring back at him, was an almost exact representation of Regna, as the red pony had called himself. The red eyes were unmistakable in the colored poster, and Alern felt a bead of sweat fall down his muzzle.

“WANTED: Unknown Pony, calls himself “Change.” WANTED FOR: Attempted Regicide, Assault, Battery, and injury of Royal Guards. Anypony with information should contact the closest Royal Guard station as soon as possible. Suspect is armed and should be considered extremely dangerous.”

Alern paled as the voice taunted him once more. “You know, kid, being in your head all the time does get boring. At least I managed to have some fun before I got locked away.”

Alern gritted his teeth together viciously, closing his eyes. “What do you mean, ‘fun’? What did you DO!” Alern shouted inside his own mind.

Alern could feel Regna’s wicked grin inside of him. “Why, I simply borrowed your body for a while. In return, I made sure that you woke up in a decent location to be found by that silly Zebra.”

Alern felt his anger building. “WHAT DID YOU DO?”

“Why don’t I show you?”

The simple sentence was all Alern heard as a torrent of memories were released, Alern seeing a dark blue pony on the ground in front of him, a metal wingblade draped across the top of his wing and pointed at the alicorn.

The memory changed, showing the red pony pick up three Royal Guards and send them flying into the wall. Alern felt
himself turn back to the blue pony, who had leapt down behind him-

“ENOUGH!” Alern shouted furiously, the volume of his voice shaking the room. “What’s the matter, kid? Didn’t you want back some of your memories? I just gave you a freebie, and you all of a sudden can’t take it anymore?” The voice continued taunting, and Alern felt his entire body heat up with rage.

“You USED me! You used me as a bucking puppet!” Alern screamed, trying to look at the crystal in his forehead.

“Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t. You know part of you enjoys that havoc you create. Part of you enjoys acting in anger. I saw what you did to that vendor pony in the market. It was a delicious act of unnecessary violence.”

“I didn’t… I didn’t mean…” Alern stuttered, running out of the room toward the bathroom. Looking in the mirror at himself, Alern saw the ruby’s glow flicker each time the voice spoke.

“You didn’t mean to? Oh boo hoo. Why don’t you tell the vendor that? Or the entire town for that matter? You’re an outcast. You will always be one. There’s nothing you-“

Alern screamed in rage, slamming his head against the mirror, shattering the glass and sending shards of it flying everywhere around him. “Wait, kid… what’re you…”

Alern ignored the voice, looking at the wall where the mirror had been moments before. “Don’t you even think about-“

Alern smashed his forehead against the wall, the ruby hitting the stone with a loud CRACK! Alern felt a massive flash of pain shoot through his head as he did so, but he ignored it, feeling a tendril of blood drip down around his eye.

“Kid, don’t do this!" Regna's voice was panicked, frantic.

Alern ignored the voice again, smashing the ruby against the wall and sending another blinding flash of pain through his mind. Again and again Alern began smashing the ruby against the stone wall, harder and harder, the flashes of pain beginning to dull as shock set in. As blood began to blur his vision, Alern stopped.

Glass shards and blood littered the floor around him, causing him to stagger for a moment. “I wonder how much blood I lost…” Alern said to himself, and was greeted by naught but silence.

With a smile, Alern felt his eyes flutter shut as he plummeted toward the floor, falling unconscious instantly.