The Legend Awakens

Chapters

Chapter 1: Damnation
Chapter 2: The Stranger From The Outside
Chapter 3: Sweet Apple Acres
Chapter 4: Castle of Friendship
Chapter 5: The Chaos Lord
Chapter 6: Thorax Rescue Op.
Chapter 7: The Hive
Chapter 8: Battle with Akula

Chapter 1: Damnation

I have paid the ultimate price for what I have become. I have banished myself to a hell that I can never escape. I have damned myself to a torment far beyond anyone’s comprehension. I have punished myself with loneliness: a life without living. I… I have failed them. They looked up to me… they sought my help in their time of need, only to be betrayed by the one they considered a friend. I have brought nothing but havoc and destruction upon these innocent creatures. I… I have failed them. I have failed… her.

1-9-2024, 6:23 AM

Two weeks after the first attack, in the aftermath of a great battle, the once peaceful world of Equestria had fallen to the might of the Ultimate Legion of Doom, a group of super powerful creatures of varying species. When the Legion took control of the capital city of Canterlot, Princess Twilight Sparkle, Equestria's beloved leader, had no choice but to surrender herself for the safety and well being of her subjects. It was not to last.

With the pain and destruction the legion had brought upon the land, everyone and everything was either enslaved or killed if they did not submit. The power of friendship had failed them, proving incapable of combating these evils, and as each of the main cities fell, so too did their hope of winning the war. One by one the ponies and their neighboring allies were defeated by Grogar and his team, slaughtered like animals.

The end of friendship itself seemed to draw closer with every city they controlled, the strength of the Ultimate Legion of Doom growing in the days that followed. No magic the ponies had acquired could combat the evils that threatened their very existence. Their only hope now was that someone would come and save them from their imminent demise. But if the Princess of Friendship couldn’t fight them, who else could stand a chance?

Banished within the confines of the Canterlot dungeons, many ponies of all kinds were bound to the very shackles that had once detained evil, now used to imprison those who fought for their homeland. Over half of the captured quadrupeds had already died off, whether it was because of malnourishment, death by torture, or even suicide. Those who were unfortunate enough to live through the pain were mostly insane, driven mad and unaware of their actions. Some would go as far as kill their own kind just to live another day. Of the limited numbers of ponies who were still somewhat sane, they kept themselves busy, thinking about their families or simply counting the days as they passed by.

Of all those who had wound up in the dungeon, a lone alicorn male of red and black hung in the air, chained by a most painful bondage. His life force barely resided inside of him, his head hanging down and the blood from his many wounds spilling off of his body and dripping onto the floor. His entire being, lacerated and tortured beyond belief, hung above the cold stone floor, quiet and still as could be. His limbs were held in place by a most cruel and vicious method, the ancient Chains of Tartarus: an old spell banned from usage due to the intense pain that it inflicts upon its victims, wrapping around one’s limbs and embedding itself into their flesh with its serrated thorns.

The alicorn said nothing, letting out nothing but staggered groans due to the pain that lingered within his body. He closed his eyes, trying to stay as still as he could so that the thorns that ran along the black chains holding him in place did not cut away at his flesh anymore than it needed to.

“You could’ve saved us! My son would still be alive if you just went out there and fought! Yet you cower in these prisons like the fool you really are.” A nearby stallion shouted hateful words upon the prisoner, spewing his vile talk from his mouth and letting it sink into his mind. “To think that Princess Twilight and the others considered you a friend. Bah! You are nothing!”

“Shut up, or else you will be the next one laying along the ground before me, taking the form of nothing but a lifeless clump of flesh and blood!” A familiar voice echoed throughout the dungeon halls, filling the imprisoned alicorn with an intense anger. A blue ram emerged from the shadows, bringing himself into the red alicorn’s view. “Miss me, boy?”

The alicorn said nothing, furrowing his brow and gritting his teeth. He dared not struggle within his bonds, fearing the damage it would do to him. The ram let out a booming laugh which reverberated all around the dungeon cells. He reached behind his back with his hoof and pulled out a small dagger. The ram lifted it and held it up against the alicorn’s neck, taunting the creature as the blade’s reflection hit his eyes.

“You gave my subjects a hard time.” The ram said, chuckling under his breath. “They all want to make sure that you are dead, fearing that you would use the Darth Spawn to fight back. But I have different plans; I have plans that will make you give me exactly what I want.” The alicorn had remained silent, staring into the ram’s eyes with a furious fire in his soul. “Have you nothing to say?”

The alicorn was smart, knowing that the ram wanted him to say anything that might help their cause. He ignored the ram’s interrogation methods, staying silent and just watching him continue. The ram gritted his teeth and pressed the blade against the alicorn’s throat with more force, anymore would’ve been enough to cut through his flesh.

“You will give me what I want.” The ram said, pushing his forehead against the alicorn’s. “Think about what is best for them, boy. Think about her. Do you really want her to pay anymore than she already has? She has lost everything, her subjects, her home, her friends, her family, everything. Do her a favor and do something for once in your life that will finally bring her nothing but good.”

“Fuck you.” The alicorn whispered, lifting his head and spitting on the ram with each word he spoke. The ram let out a shout of anger, taking the dagger and driving it through the alicorn’s chest. The alicorn jerked his head back, yelling out in pain as the blade penetrated his skin and muscles. He fought through the agonizing torment, feeling the rest of his blood spill out of his body. The alicorn’s head dropped, his eyes facing the ground. The ram grabbed hold of him by his throat and violently choked him.

“Maybe I was wrong. You really are better off dead.” The ram looked over and saw the lightning bolt shaped scar along the alicorn’s eye, smiling to himself. “It is afterall the only mistake I ever made.” The ram took the dagger and pulled it out of the alicorn’s flesh, wiping the blood from the blade with his leg, letting the vile liquid stain his blue fur. “I will not do the same thing another time.”

The ram turned around and walked away from the alicorn, leaving the dungeon and heading back up to the main floor. In the darkness that fell over the cell walls, the alicorn’s life slowly began to fade away from him, his vision getting dimmer by the second. With his body growing colder and weaker as the blood drained out of him. The stallion closed his eyes, patiently waiting for his death to arrive and take him away. He muttered incomprehensibly, slowly watching his life leaving his grasp. As darkness filled his mind, the alicorn’s body went limp, lifeless and empty.

Trapped in the emptiness of his soul, the alicorn opened his eyes, finding himself floating around in an empty void. It was all too familiar to him, hanging on the brink of death with nothing but a glimpse of the world between life and death passing him as he transitioned through the void.

The memories of his past returned to him, haunting his thoughts with their vile visions. He recalled all the terrible things that had happened to him, corrupting him and altering himself forever. As the returning images of the lives he took from the innocent filled his conscious, the alicorn could do nothing but loath in pity, disgraced by the things he had done so long ago.

The alicorn looked into a strange mass standing in front of him, reflecting the image of himself back at him. However, it was not an alicorn that he saw in the reflection, but instead a human being. The alicorn saw himself in his true form appear before him, the two entities staring at each other for a prolonged period of time. Moments passed by and the reflection began to morph into an older version of his human self. Hair from his chin appeared, along with his brow getting thicker and his body maturing. The man in the reflection stood tall, clad in golden armor with various symbols embedded along the exterior of the chestplate and pauldrons. He soon found himself looking at a future version of himself. The alicorn's eyes widened in horror, unhappy to see the man's familiar face once more.

“I told you not to come back.” The alicorn said, turning away from the human. He shunned the bearded man, refusing to look upon the face that he had once trusted.

“I did everything that had to be done for the greater good of both you and all of Equestria. You know this to be true.” The man said, flicking his hand to his side as he spoke with power.

“No! You only wanted what was best for them. You wanted to change history so that these creatures would never have to endure the pain that you experienced.” The alicorn said, quickly turning his attention back at the human, speaking with a slight growl in his voice. “It was never truly about me, was it?”

“It was... not.” The man said, the anger in his voice calming to a grumbled tone. “But if you had not learned about friendship then you would have indeed found yourself in hell sooner or later. My actions for you prevented what could’ve been the worst end of your life.”

“Ok, so I learned about friendship… so what? You told me that I have to change my ways, simple as that, yet now you expect me to eliminate a threat so powerful that it threatens the very existence of every creature here on this world by myself?” The alicorn looked down at his hooves, appalled by the man he saw behind the horse-like appendages. “I don’t think you understand what you are asking for.”

“I do, boy.” The man said. He noticed the alicorn staring down at his hooves. The feeling of fear felt all too familiar to him. “These creatures depend on you if they even want a fighting chance at victory. You feel it, don’t you? The feeling of wanting to fight for your friends. The need for vengeance. It resides within you… why not take your shot?”

“But I can’t.” The alicorn’s hooves shook as the creature was filled with troublesome memories of his past. “I promised myself that I would never go back to that life. It has brought me nothing but pain and suffering. The day she taught me about friendship was the day I was given a second chance at living the life I wanted. But now to think that I would have to fight once more. It is more than anyone could go through.”

“I know. I understand the toll it brings on you. No one could begin to imagine the things that you and I have gone through, but we must fight. You may not have chosen this path, but you must see the greater picture of it all.” The reflection of the man faded, revealing the man in full. He approached the alicorn, each step he took giving off a metal click from his armor. He knelt down and placed the palm of his hand along the alicorn’s shoulder, sympathizing for the creature. The man looked at him, remorse in his eyes. “If you do not fight for them, you will be hurting more than just yourself. They will not survive by themselves. There is a reason you were brought here… the same reason I was brought to Equestria in my youth.”

“But why me? Why must I go through such a violent, hurtful life? I do not want to see anyone die anymore.” The alicorn said, putting his hooves down to his side.

“If that is your true intention, then you know that it must be done. In order to protect you friends, you must face your enemies.” The man stood up, looking down upon the creature with a stern look on his face.

“Carter,” The alicorn said. “What happened that day? What did you… what did I do to them?” The man sighed at the boy’s question, regretfully remembering that dark day as if it was yesterday.

“You were infected by the Darth Spawn, fully exposed to its powers and corrupted in every way. You killed Grogar and his allies, but you were incapable of controlling yourself and what you did. You completed the mission, but in the process… you killed Twilight Sparkle.” The man shed a single tear, which ran down his cheek and was absorbed within the hairs of his beard. The alicorn gasped in horror, not wanting the same to happen to the Twilight that he knew. “I still remember her lifeless body laying against my arms as I held her, watching her die because of my need for vengeance. I sought nothing but the death of the enemy, but in the process did things that I could never forgive myself for. I… we spilled innocent blood that day.” The man turned to the alicorn, furrowing his brow. “I did what I had to do for you, boy. I wanted to stop you from becoming me. You and I may be the same person, but we should never share the same legacy. This is your second chance.”

“But how? How can I fight them without letting the Darth Spawn take over my mind? Everytime I fight I feel nothing but the need for correction and justice the way I see it fit.” The alicorn inquired. "I want to fight for them, but I am scared about the man I will become. I don't want to push away my feelings. I want to be able to feel happiness, sympathy, love, all those things."

“You must control yourself. It is ok to get angry in battle, but not ok to let it control you. You must find balance.” The man smiled, looking down at his own hands. “It took me a while to learn it for myself, too. You don’t want to kill them for your own personal benefit. You want to just protect your friends, right?”

“...Yes.”

“Well then, you know what must be done.”

“But, I am stuck here in this void. How can I get back to Equestria?” The alicorn asked, remembering that he was in the middle of dying.

“Ha. Death hasn’t stopped you before, has it?” The man said, holding out his hand. He gently pressed his fingertips against the alicorn’s chest, holding it there while his hand began to glow red. “This is where we part ways, Carter.”

“What? What do you mean?” The alicorn questioned, desperately trying to figure out what his older self was doing.

“I saved you before you could die back on Earth, but this time you are not so fortunate... or rather, it is I who lacks fortune. You will not be alone, Carter. I will guide you on your quest. With the rest of the power that I have left in me, I will bestow it upon you. You will take the form of your true self once again, as your pony body was only there to help you blend in during your journey. However, this is where they must see the real Carter. You must show the world who you truly are, who you want to be.”

“Wait, you are gonna sacrifice yourself for me!?” The alicorn shouted, trying to push the man away from him.

“No. I am bound to the spirit realm unless someone breaks my curse. But I have suffered for ninety years, Carter. I have fought through all the pain and suffering that I have put upon myself in my timeline. This is your story, now. Not mine.” Carter’s future self’s hand charged to its fullest with the magic inside him. “My power will allow you to overcome the Darth Spawn from corrupting you, but even my magic cannot destroy it entirely. It will reside in you for eternity, but you cannot let its fear consume you. Do not fear, Carter. Fear is what drives everyone to do things they regret. Fear is what powers the Darth Spawn and creates the evils you have come to know. Never fear, for only then will you overcome your enemies and free your friends. Only then will you save yourself from my fate.”

“Wait, don’t leave me!”

Within seconds a big wave of red magic engulfed his future self, converting him into nothing but ashes. The alicorn stared at him, shocked by the sacrifice that had been made. The ashes of the deceased man hovered around the alicorn, surrounding him with their magical powers. They soon dove into his body, filling him with the strength of his future counterpart. A loud shout erupted from Carter’s lungs as the magic ashes were absorbed. Lights and magical auras filled the alicorn’s vision as he was warped away from the void, the ashes returning him to Equestria.

Carter watched as his body changed. His skin turned black, showing that the Darth Spawn was fighting something inside of him. After a few moments, the dark pigmentation of his body changed to that of a bright white. The Darth Spawn had finally been tamed, freeing the alicorn from his vile bondage. The Darth Spawn, the one thing that infected him and tormented his mind for his whole adult life was now stopped, but the thought that it would forever hide inside him still scared him. Would he truly be able to become the man he wished to be instead of the murderous beast he had become?

As he was coming back to Equestria, Carter had flashbacks of his past. He remembered the pain of watching the people he loved die right in front of him, and the demon he became from killing all of those innocent people during his time in the military. The mental struggles that took hold of his life were stronger than anything he could imagine, pushing himself away from others so that he would never have to go through the pain he felt back then. But with what his future self taught him, along with her teachings, Carter realized that it was never just about himself. This was about them, it was about his friends.

Closing his eyes and shedding a single tear, Carter could not bare to think about his past. The visions... the memories that haunted him so made it difficult for him to accept. In his mind, Carter could not bring himself to accept his past, and because of this, the pain embedded itself within his soul, tormenting him for all his days. As the screams and cries of his victims rang in his head, Carter seemed like there was no hope for him. No chance to escape his fate. He had failed not only himself, but also those whom he had come to love.

Except to Carter, failure was not an option. He would not be defeated by death. He would not be tormented by his past, and he would not let his friends be hurt anymore. To give up on himself was one thing, but the thought of betraying those who had worked so hard to get him to be the man he became was something he couldn't allow himself to do. Carter reached deep down in his soul and fought the demons from within, freeing himself from death.

I have died as the enemy. I have been revived as a friend. I have experienced what most couldn't even imagine. Yet through all of these trials I am still alive and still ready to fight. Not even death can stop me from who I am and what I can do. I will stop them. I will defeat the Ultimate Legion of Doom! I will free my friends from their torment, and I will have my revenge!

Carter opened his eyes, filled with the strength, hope and determination he needed to fight the Ultimate Legion of Doom. He found himself back in Equestria, still trapped within the Chains of Tartarus, their painful, whetted spikes still engulfed by his flesh. Carter yelled out in pain as he pulled his arm outward, attempting to free himself from his bonds. The man shouted as he pulled his arm free, feeling every bit of the thorns tear at his limbs. With one final grunt, Carter found that the chains broke free of his arm, partially freeing himself from his bindings. Carter took his other arm and did the same thing, eventually freeing his other arm.

Carter’s body fell to the ground, his arms stinging with blood and pain, the holes along his arms spilling the red liquid along the dungeon floors. Carter took a moment to catch his breath and process things, checking his surroundings and himself for anything off. He found that his wounds were still intact, the dagger stab still visible in his chest. He pulled himself off of the ground and used his hand to cover his chest. It then dawned on him. He had a hand, not a hoof.

I am… human, again?

The man could not believe it. He was back to his normal form. Carter looked at his hands, the blood from his wounded arms spilling between his fingers. He smiled to himself, seeing and feeling himself wiggle his fingers for the first time in a while. He closed his hands into fists, feeling the tension between flesh and bone, a few cracks audibly coming from the joints. He looked around at his new body, happy to see that he was back to normal. His feet, legs, hands, arms, and even his…

I am naked. Great…

“I have been expecting you for quite some time, boy. Though I understand that the circumstances make you quite coy.” Carter quickly turned around, expecting to find a member of the Ultimate Legion of Doom standing behind him. However his guard was immediately lowered when he instead found a hooded figure behind the iron bars that kept him in his cell.

“Coy? What the hell are you talking about? Who are you?” Carter asked, using his leg to cover his genitals, which had little effect.

“Do not worry about me. I only ask that you follow and see.” The figure said. She threw down some special seeds along the ground, which opened up a portal in front of the man. “Take it, you have nothing to fear. Though hurry, for the others draw near.”

Though the timing of these events seemed a little suspicious, Carter, left with little to no choice, jumped into the portal, unknowing of where it might lead. The hooded figure turned and saw the shadow of Grogar slowly approach her position. She threw down some seeds of her own down on the ground and jumped into the new portal that opened up, closing just as fast once she was through.

As silence filled the room, Grogar made his way over to Carter’s cell, only to find that the chains that held him were lying on the ground, shattered into a million pieces. He stared at the remnants in surprise, wondering how he could’ve possibly escaped.

“Impossible. No pony could’ve had the strength to break free of the Chains of Tartarus… unless. He has changed!” Grogar furrowed his brow, angered by the change of events. “You may have escaped this time. But make no mistake, you will never free them. The ancient king was wrong about you, mortal; you will never win. Equestria is ours, now, and there is nothing you can do to stop us.”

Author's Note

The war between the Ultimate Legion of Doom and all of Equestria now hangs in the hands of Carter, once corrupted human bent on killing all who do bad just for his pleasure to right their wrongs. With the knowledge he now has about friendship, Carter must use this second chance to fight the very threat that haunts Equestria and its citizens while also keeping himself from going back to who he was.

Proud to begin this special sequel! Leave comments if y'all have any, but enjoy the story!

Edited 11-12-2020 (Reworked dream sequence to fit in with later chapters.)

Peace,

-MCX

Chapter 2: The Stranger From The Outside

Restored to my original form and given one more chance at redemption. I will find Grogar and his legion of corrupted soldiers, I will free my friends, and Equestria will belong to them once more.

1-9-2024, 1:49 PM

A sudden rush of adrenaline filled the man with sheer speed, spiking his heart beat and rate of breathing. A vision of three elder alicorns appeared in his mind, nothing but their shadows were visible to him. They were surrounding a tall sarcophagus that had just been closed, the contents within the golden coffin were unknown to him. There was a colorful image embedded on the golden exterior which resembled that of a human clad in heavy duty battle armor and a familiar red scar running down its left eye.

The oldest of the three elders looked to his soldiers and ordered them to bury the sarcophagus, hiding the contents far away from anyone’s reach. While the second pony stayed with him, the youngest of the three elder ponies turned away from the others and proceeded towards a different location entirely. He entered a small room, the inside being almost completely empty with nothing but a small box lying on the floor. The youngest pony picked up the box and held it in his possession. The elder pony let out a low sigh as he looked upon the box, a strange, sense of fear for the unknown swept over him, his expression becoming grim.

The image on this particular box was the omega: the greek symbol of war. With a cautious look on the stallion’s face barely visible through his shadowy features he used his horn to cast a special spell around it. This spell protected the contents inside from ever being opened unless the one trying to reveal its contents was worthy enough to wield such power. This was revealed once the stallion began speaking in a strange tongue, though, somehow, Carter was able to understand it while he observed the events of the vision from a third person perspective.

“Για όποιον ασκεί αυτή τη δύναμη θα φέρει όλο τον ουρανό και την κόλαση. Είθε να καθοδηγήσει το είδος μας στις απελπισμένες στιγμές μας και να φέρει φως στο σκοτάδι, ελευθερώνοντάς μας από μια κατά τα άλλα αναπόφευκτη καταστροφή.”

“For whoever exercises this power will bring all heaven and hell. May he guide our species in our desperate moments and bring light to darkness, freeing us from an otherwise inevitable catastrophe.”

The very words that were spoken by the alicorn shook the man from the inside, filling him with an intimidating sense of power and responsibility, for just the sight of the scar along the illustrated human alone made Carter realize that the one these ponies were talking about was him. It was he who was engraved into the sarcophagus, there was no doubt about it in his mind. However, the fact that the engraving portrayed him in battle armor made it seem less like him and more like his future counterpart. Was it him or his other self? But even then the reason for why they were doing the things they did was beyond his current understanding. It seemed as though the oldest of the elder ponies wanted to hide the creation, wishing for it to never be seen again. But then again, all of this was merely speculation.

Heaven and hell? Inevitable catastrophe? What does he mean by this?

Carter took a step back once he saw the youngest alicorn turn to him, facing the man as if he knew that he was standing right there. The alicorn nodded to him and just stared, his shadowy features keeping safe the very face that resided behind the darkness. The alicorn opened his mouth and spoke one last statement.

“The time to act is now. They will fear you for what you are, but you must show them the truth. Friendship will guide you down the right path and your strength and determination will push away all obstacles. Now fight, leave no evil left unvanquished.”

Carter was baffled by the alicorn's seemingly effortless shift to english. The shadowy alicorn began to slowly fade away from Carter’s sight, leaving him in a void full of darkness. The vision had ended, sending Carter’s consciousness back to reality. The vision had shown Carter glimpses of the past, a past he never knew about. The three alicorn elders were obvious to him, being the oldest known leaders of Equestria: King Cosmos, Queen Galaxia and King Terra. But the reasons for such measures being acted upon just for this strange event was beyond him. He wanted to know why his image was embedded within the golden features of the sarcophagus. Were they preparing for something? Did they know about Carter’s arrival before anyone else?

Carter awoke from his vision, groggy and dazed. He noticed that he was laying across a small table with a leather cloth wrapped around his waist. Carter found himself inside of a hut made completely from hay. He examined his surroundings, finding tribal accessories and knick knacks strewn all across the interior of the hut. He had never seen such ways of living before, which made him wonder where he was. The man felt something rubbing against his lacerated arms. Carter looked down to find that there were special leaves wrapped around the wounds on his forearms, their juices seeping into his wounds, possibly as a means of healing him..

Carter turned to his right upon hearing the sound of quiet whistling. He spotted a black and white striped animal stirring what looked like ingredients for a potion inside a large, iron cauldron. The creature turned to Carter, knowing that he had awakened. The creature locked eyes with the human and smiled, giving him the feeling of safety.

“You have awakened, foretold hero. I knew that your determination had not hit zero.” The creature said, cautiously approaching Carter. It walked over to his arms and analyzed his wounds, making sure that the aloe from the leaves were doing their job. The creature approved, nodding its head firmly and grunting to itself.

Carter had come to understand that the creature was a female zebra, but the fact that a zebra of all things was living in Equestria, let alone not captured by the Ultimate Legion of Doom, was beyond his comprehension. Carter kept his guard up, studying the zebra with every action she made. He wondered if this was a trap set up by Grogar and his subjects.

“You must have some questions, I presume. Let me answer those before you incorrectly assume.” She said, affirming the human that he was not in trouble. The zebra reached her hooves past Carter’s head and grabbed a small wooden bowl of water. She picked it up with her hooves and moved it over to Carter’s mouth. “I understand that you may very well be thirsty. Drink this water, don’t worry, it isn’t dirty.”

Carter, keeping his stern eyes focused on the zebra with every passing second, leaned in and placed his lips over the wooden bowl. The zebra tipped the bowl back and allowed him to drink the water from within. A couple sips of the cool liquid went through his throat and into his stomach before he stopped, lifting his right hand and gesturing to her that he was done. Carter however immediately regretted his decision when he felt a twinge of pain along his arm. Forcing himself to stay still and endure through the pain, Carter laid still across the table, his fingers tensing up as the pain increased over time.

“Do not struggle, Carter. If you do then fighting through it will only get harder.” The zebra said, placing her hoof against Carter’s forehead and pushing his head back against the table. Carter complied, calming his nerves and returning to a neutral state.

“Who are you, zebra?” Carter inquired, keeping his focus on the creature at all times.

“My name is Zecora, my friend. I am here to make sure you do not meet your end.” She replied, reaching her hoof into a large jar and applying more of the healing leaves upon Carter’s arms. She rotated herself, looking back at her cauldron, taking a look at the contents.

“You called me Carter.” The man said, just now realizing that the zebra knew him. “How is it you know my name?”

“Twilight has told me all about you. She has told me about your origins and all of the things that you do.”

“How long have I been gone?” Carter inquired.

“Two weeks, give or take. A lot has happened since Grogar’s wake.” Zecora reached in and fumbled around with whatever it was in the cauldron.

“Two weeks!?” Carter shouted, astonished by the amount of time that had passed since the beginning of this war. “Twilight! Is she ok?” The man inquired to the zebra, his nerves beginning to spike once again.

“Calm down, young one. I can assure you that her majesty is far from done.” Zecora said. The zebra left the cauldron and turned herself around, facing an old chest. She opened it, reaching inside and pulling out a wooden box

“What is that?” Carter asked. Zecora looked at him and showed the human the box in full. Carter couldn’t believe his eyes when he found a familiar symbol embedded along the top of the box. The omega: the symbol of war. “Wait! That’s the box from my vision. How the hell did you get it?”

“You’ve seen this very box before? Strange, I thought nopony had seen it for sure.” Zecora said to herself. “I found this while walking around the Everfree. It has been protected by none other than me.”

“Does it somehow correlate with me?” Carter asked, wondering why his visions would've shown this box to him. The timing of such events proved to be less of a coincidence and more like a destiny of sorts. They all lead up to something, but Carter was still unsure about what it was.

“I do not know what it is for sure. I only know who it is meant for.” Zecora admitted. The zebra placed the box on the floor and walked over to the other side of the hut. Carter’s eyes followed Zecora, trying to figure out what her intentions were. She made her way to another familiar item. A golden sarcophagus with his image painted on the top. “I assume this is for you too, as the man on this coffin looks just like you.”

“That can’t be! I just saw these things in my vision not too long ago! I need to know what is in those things!” Carter insisted, struggling to get up off of the table. He used his arms to push himself off of the wooden furniture, grunting as his forearms stung with pain once more. The man hastily got to his feet and made his way over to the sarcophagus. He examined the exterior of the golden item, still completely baffled at the fact that it had his image engraved upon it. He reached out with his hand to open the coffin to find out what was inside of it, but the zebra standing beside him slapped his hand with her hoof.

“Carter, you must not act with haste, or it will be nothing but death you taste.” Zecora said, warning the human.

“But why is this here? Why is my bloody face on this coffin!?”

“Carter! Please stop with this insolence!”

Carter turned around after hearing a different voice entirely. It was lighter, yet more grumbled. It was a voice he thought he would never hear again. He looked up and smiled to himself once he locked eyes with the one he searched for. Standing in front of him was a small pack of four timberwolves. The one in the front, the alpha wolf, stood proud in front of her allies, a dark bloody scar running down across her right eye.

“Gaea!” Carter shouted, happiness filling the human’s soul upon laying his eyes upon his old timberwolf pack once again. Carter knelt down and held his arms out by his side to prevent any pain from returning. The alpha wolf opened her mouth with her tongue hanging out and leapt towards the human, landing right in front of him and panting with excitement. Carter let out a hearty laugh as the alpha wolf licked his face over and over again, lapping her tongue across his soft skin. She eventually stopped to give the man some time to breathe. She backed away from him and sat with her back as straight as could be, her tail wagging ever so lively behind her.

“Carter, it has been so long since we have last seen you!” Gaea said, starting at the man as he got up off of the ground. As he got into a squatting position, Carter let a slight chuckle escape under his breath before placing his hand along the back of her head. Gaea leaned in and touched her forehead against his as a loving gesture.

The four timberwolves were once Carter's enemies, as they almost killed him and Fluttershy in their search for meat during a tea party between the two of them. After a violent battle, the timberwolves apologized for their selfish ways and joined Carter in his adventures, giving him the title of master. They walked with him wherever he went until the attack from the Ultimate Legion of Doom. Once Grogar attacked, Carter hadn't seen the timberwolves until now.

“I have missed you so much, Gaea. Not a day passed by where I did not think about you and your pack.” The two pulled away from each other, giving the other some space. “I am so sorry that I have let this happen to you all. I should’ve been stronger.”

“It’s quite alright, Carter.” Gaea said, placing her paw on Carter’s bent leg. “Nobody could have foreseen this horrific event. The good news is that we are all here and we are all ready to try again. Thanks to Zecora, we have been living here in secret. We tried to find you sooner but it appears our search has paid off all the same.” The human smiled at the alpha, scratching the bottom of her chin. Carter looked over the alpha wolf’s body and towards the rest of the pack.

“How is the rest of my favorite team?” Carter asked, pointing his finger towards the other timberwolves standing behind their leader.

“We are most excellent!” Theia said, her tongue hanging out of her mouth whilst excitement filled her soul. Theia was a beautiful, slender timberwolf with an amazing sense of hunting instincts. She was the warrior among the pack, leading them towards their prey anytime they would go hunting for food.

“It is an honor and our most sincere privilege to see you again, master.” Cronus replied, placing his fore paws out in front of him as he bowed before his human master. Cronus was a well built timberwolf, most of the time using his impressive strength and speed to catch his prey while the others searched for more. Cronus was a more quiet and self-centered timberwolf, following orders as they came along and always making sure that he only spoke with the most gracious of manners.

“That just leaves you, Hyperion.” Carter said, walking over to the farthest timberwolf. The man got on his knees and softly petted the top of the wolf’s head. The timberwolf purred with pleasure as he felt Carter’s fingers carefully caress his head. “How are you, buddy?”

“I am great, Carter. It’s amazing to think that we are still alive, even with all this craziness happening!” Hyperion was the youngest of the timberwolves by far, still living life in his youth. He was the most energetic of the pack, always letting his joyous nature rub off on his allies and give them the energy and confidence they needed.

“It’s a joy to see you too, buddy.” Carter lowered his hand but never dropped his smile. He stood up and proceeded back towards the sarcophagus. However, Carter stopped dead in his tracks once he remembered that he had forgotten someone. “Where is Conda? Has anyone seen him?”

“Right here, sssir!” Carter turned his head and saw a large anaconda slithering along Gaea’s back. The snake lifted his head and smiled at the human, his tongue flicking in and out of his mouth as he looked upon him. “You didn’t think the wolvesss would leave me to die, did you?”

“No, of course not.” Carter said. He held his hand out and let the snake travel up his arm. The snake moved over to his fingers and quickly slithered up Carter’s limb. The human shouted in pain once Conda moved over Carter’s forearm.

“Oh, did I do sssomething wrong?” Conda asked, stopping his movement and curling up into a coil.

“No, no, no. It’s quite alright, Conda. I just forgot that my arms are nothing but a cluster of bloodied holes. I acted out of reflex, not your fault at all.” Carter sighed, taking a minute of their time to wait for the pain to subside. “Just travel along my leg, instead. Those work just fine, so no pain will come from that.” Conda nodded and hopped off of Carter’s arm, landing on the ground. He then moved over and slithered past Carter’s rather large legs, traveling up his body and wrapping around the human’s torso to account for his lengthy, slender body.

“There we go. Isss that better for you, Carter?” Conda asked, wrapping his tail around the rest of Carter’s hip.

“That is totally fine. Thanks for coping with me.” Carter said, petting the snake’s head.

“Of courssse!”

The green, adorable anaconda known as Conda was once a beloved snake under the care of Fluttershy. But once an unknown evil attacked his home, killing his parents in the process, he too chose to follow along with Carter, hoping to one day find his calling. Until that day comes, Conda promised to protect Carter with his life should the need arise.

“Wait, I just realized.” Carter said, looking back at the timberwolves. “I am a human. How did you know it was me? The last time we met, along with every other time we have seen each other, I was an alicorn. How were you able to easily tell it was me?”

“We knew it was you simply by your scent. You have a very distinct smell, Carter.” Gaea said, putting her paw up to her nose. Carter suddenly felt subconscious about his scent, putting his nose to his chest and inhaling through his nostrils. Nothing smelled off about him, so he thought nothing more of it. “Well, that and the fact that Zecora had already told us that you were changed. But we timberwolves are quite keen through smell, so it didn’t take long before we recognized you.”

“That makes sense.” Carter said, impressed by the alpha wolf's remarkable sense of smell. “Now, Zecora, about these items you were talking about.” Carter turned his attention back to the zebra, who was busy watching the human get caught up with his animal friends. “What are they?”

“I am sure Twilight has told you about King Terra. Well, he sensed your arrival even back in his era.”

“But how? Did he see it through a vision?” Carter inquired.

“Like you and Flint Masters, Terra was the only one of his kind who could sense a vision. Once he saw the one about you, he knew he was given a most important mission.” Zecora placed her hoof over the golden sarcophagus and held it there. “It warned him of a threat that would come to Equestria in the future, but it also told him about you: the otherworldly creature. He took action and readied for the day when it would come, but his family thought it nothing but silly and dumb. So his brother, King Cosmos, took his things and buried it. However, King Terra kept one thing safe and hid it.” Zecora motioned over to the small wooden box resting along the floor.

“So… this is for me.” Carter said, slowly beginning to understand everything that was happening. “King Terra would have visions similar to me and Flint. Interesting. But, why would it warn him about me?”

“That is true. Why would you of all creatures be the one that is foretold in King Terra’s visions?” Gaea wondered, tilting her head and furrowing her brow in confusion.

“Well there is no use in guessing, we’d be wrong. Let's just open this up and see what has been hidden for so long.” Zecora said.

As Carter slowly approached the ancient sarcophagus, the human began to feel his growing anticipation. Never had he thought that someone from a couple millenia ago would prepare for a day like this. Whatever hid within this sarcophagus would be the one thing that changes the outcome of this war. As he fumbled around with these thoughts, Carter continued prying the lid off of the ancient sarcophagus, intimidated by the thought of what could be inside.

Within a few minutes a loud crash was heard, echoing around the hut. The front of the golden coffin had opened up, its contents revealed for everyone to see. They all stood in shock, amazed by the expert craftsmanship that laid before them. Carter’s eyes shot open, wide as they could be. Within the confines of the sarcophagus was a full set of golden battle armor, embedded with various symbols from greek origin. War, peace, space, and earth.

While the others looked at the armor with mixed expressions, Carter had a different reason to be surprised. Not only was it strange that something like this would be made for him eons ago, but it was the very same armor that he found upon the image of his future self, albeit more polished and less battle-scarred.

Older me really was telling the truth. I am destined to fight in this war. That explains his choice of attire.

“It would appear that you have been gifted a freak’n battle armor, Carter!” Hyperion said, rubbing his paw against the side of his face as he stood there, comprehending the golden armor in front of him. “How cool is that?”

“I… I…” Carter could not speak clearly due to the massive amounts of information filling his mind, mixing in with his already ever-changing emotions. He could not believe that it really was his destiny to fight for the ponies.

“This armor was made for you no doubt, but I don’t get why King Terra would choose this route.” Zecora said to herself, wondering why the ancient leader would choose to craft such a piece of work.

“It all makes sense to me, now.” Carter muttered under his breath. The man looked down at his hands, his fingers twitching in intervals. He imagined a similar image of blood running down his hands, but not just any blood… the blood of the innocent. He shook at the sight that reminded him of his past, the man he once was. He shook the feeling of fear off of his consciousness, remembering what his future counterpart had told him about letting fear take over.

“What? What does?” Gaea inquired.

“When my future self freed me from my death, he warned me about how I was the one thing separating these creatures from life and death. I am their only hope of winning this war. I thought it stupid to believe such nonsense, but it would seem as though King Terra probably saw the same thing in me, so he made me this battle armor to keep me safe from harm; ready myself for the battles to come.”

“Perhaps. But it is still strange to think that this is made for you.” Cronus said. “Not to say that I don’t believe you.”

“I know, it’s a lot for me to take in, too!” Carter said, rubbing his hand against his forehead, clearing the sweat from his brow. “But I feel like this is my destiny. I feel like I am supposed to fight. I am supposed to protect these creatures.” Carter turned to the little box on the floor. “That there, it was also for me, correct?”

“Yes, it is.” Zecora said.

Carter walked over and knelt down to the ground. He placed his fingers on the top of the box and ran them along the engraved omega symbol. He was less fearful with opening this box compared to the first one, so it didn’t take long for him to unhinge the lock and reveal the items hidden within the wooden box. Upon further inspection, Carter found that there were two swords inside, their blades resting atop each other in a crossed pattern. Carter picked them up and held the swords in his hands.

The human lifted the weapons towards his face, looking closely at each one. They were identical, each one with greek writing on it spelling out Blades of Unity, which was again surprising to Carter with how he was able to understand the foreign text. The blades themselves were strange, not straight edged like the toy swords he was used to while growing up. No, these were a lot more jagged, looking more like they were used to cut through flesh with ease and cling onto the bones of its victims. In simple terms, it looked like a weapon that killed with no mercy.

Carter shook at the sight of these weapons, their hidden potential coming to his understanding just by merely looking upon them. He knew his mission was to free the ponies, but once he held the swords in his hands he knew that the battles to come were not going to be blood free. It would be like any war, a time of violence, death and spilled blood. It was at this moment Carter understood what the pony had said in his visions, what King Terra had said to himself in preparation for this very day. He understood the intentions of such words and the power that would be bestowed upon him during this most horrific time.

Carter placed the swords back in the box and stood up, pacing a few steps backwards. The pressure that was placed on this young man was more than anything he could’ve imagined, but he was determined to go through with it all the same. The human looked over to Zecora, the zebra looking back in return. They looked to each other and nodded, Carter understanding everything at stake.

My will and determination to fight comes to me in hopes that my actions will free these creatures from their prisons and restore the peace that they so desperately long for. Protect me from harm and protect my mind from the evil thoughts that come with war, for I fear the things to come in the days that follow. Protect me, my friends, and those I love, for it is because of them I choose to fight. With the strength I have in me, I will fight for good, truth and justice, never indulgence, anger or fear. That is my word, and my word stands true.

The outside forest stayed quiet, nothing but the sound of distant rain hitting against the leaves on the trees above were heard for miles, creating a damp humidity in the air. The alpha timberwolf exited the hut, looking for her master. She saw the man off in the distance, keeping to himself.

Gaea approached Carter with her pack following closely behind her. The human was kneeling beneath a large oak tree, praying to his god before he would have to go to battle. It was what he had always done before battle, as it had given him a sense of hope that the things he did were for the good of everyone. The alpha timberwolf walked right up to Carter’s side and sat down beside him, staying quiet as to not intrude on his time of peace and recollection. The rest of the pack lined up behind Gaea, sitting just as their leader was. Conda rested upon Carter’s shoulder, patiently waiting for him to finish before any more words were spoken. Carter, now clad in the golden battle armor, readied himself for what would be the most intense battle of his young life.

Upon Carter’s body rested a hardened chestplate with chainmail interior that ran down to his stomach. Two giant pauldrons clung to the sides of the chestplate, one protecting each of his shoulders. With his upper arms left bare, Carter’s forearms were covered in a protective layer of gold colored steel thanks to bracers. The one on his left arm was small, acting as a simple means of protection. On his right arm the bracer was much thicker, holding a hidden blade inside of the steel which would shoot out into view upon releasing a mechanical hatch from within with his fist. Within each of the bracers were thin linen strips that were wrapped around his injured forearms to prevent any further irritation. Hanging from his waist was a greek styled war skirt made with leather strips and studded with iron studs for maximum protection value. Down by his feet were sandal-like shoes with steel armor protecting his legs from his ankles all the way to the top of his knee, which were topped with spiked kneecaps. Finally, resting upon the man’s back were the Blades of Unity: special swords with a unique spell that would keep themselves bound to the user as if attached to him by means of chains, keeping the weaponry close to the one who wields them.

With one final word of thanks, Carter got up from the dirt beneath him and opened his eyes. He turned towards a break in the trees where he could see the desolate wasteland that he once called home: Ponyville. Most if not all of the buildings now laid in ruins, no doubt because of the Ultimate Legion of Doom. With a slight feeling of rage building within his soul, Carter lifted his right arm and turned his hand so that the backside of the bracer faced him. He closed his hand into a fist and the sound of scraping metal pierced the air, releasing the hidden blade within the golden accessory. Carter took his left hand and grazed the edge of the blade. He flinched, pulling his hand back once he felt a shot of pain run up his fingers. Carter looked at his wound, watching as the blood from his fingertips slowly trickled down his palm. The man smiled to himself, approving the weapon. He was pleased with the outcome of the blade, as simply grazing his fingers across the blade was enough to cut through his flesh.

Carter opened his fist so that the hidden blade would return to its former position. He looked at his timberwolf pack and nodded to the alpha wolf. Gaea, standing tall and defiant as a representative of her loyal pack, nodded back to her master, understanding that it was time to take action. Something caught the alpha’s eye. A single tear running down Carter’s cheek.

“What is troubling you, Carter?” Gaea asked, letting out a slight whimper behind her breath. She hated seeing her master in a distressed state as she had a sympathetic soul.

“I am just nervous. I have never enjoyed taking a man’s life, let alone the life of another creature. I have never enjoyed war. I wish these things never had to happen.” Carter quickly used his hand to wipe the tear from his face, drying his hand off against his side. “But I know that the outcome of this war will affect everything from here on out, and I would be better off knowing that I took hundreds of lives to save millions instead of standing on the sidelines while I watch the innocent die because of my lack of aid.”

“You have a good heart, Carter. I do not doubt that you will do nothing but good for these ponies.” Hyperion said.

“We are with you every step of the way.” Cronus added.

Carter nodded to his team, glad to have such loyal companions by his side during this difficult time. His mission would start simple. Carter and his team would have to first go to the Castle of Friendship and take control of it. Inside he would find the Cutie Map, a powerful utility that would be able to open portals for him to travel through and back in order to fight the Ultimate Legion of Doom, as each member was in a different part of Equestria, and because he was no longer an alicorn he wouldn’t be able to use magic by himself. From there he would free the Mane 6 and take down each of the Legion’s members until only Grogar was left.

Carter reached back and fiddled his fingers against the handles of his swords, checking one final time to make sure they were secure in their respected holders. No movement was felt, giving him the assurance he needed. He stood strong in his position, his timberwolf pack beside him, ready to serve their master. Conda, coiled around the human, stared down at the destroyed city along with Carter, never forgetting the bad things they had done to him and his allies.

You will not win this war, Grogar. I will defeat your minions, I will return to you with vengeance and you will fall. Never again will you harm my friends. That is my promise to you! I am Carter, human of Earth. I am what King Terra foretold… I am the stranger from the outside.

Author's Note

The fight begins.

Chapter 3: Sweet Apple Acres

I have acquired the necessary tools to vanquish Grogar and his army. However, with the lack of knowledge I have, I am not sure how I can possibly hope to win this war. In order to stand a chance against these creatures, I must seek answers. A small group of friends is said to have survived the attack on the neighboring town of Ponyville, just two miles from where I am currently located. If I am to win this war, I will need to seek their help.

1-9-2024, 4:24 PM

Darkness swept over the vast lands of Equestria, eradicating any and all of the sun’s light. Storm clouds of all sizes filled the sky with their violent streaks of lightning, releasing the booming sounds of thunder which echoed all around the world. Rain poured down along every inch of ground beneath the clouds, dampening the soil with the many liters of water. Without any help from pegasus ponies to keep the weather under control, nature took control of itself, turning the once bright and sunny town of Ponyville into a storm infested war grounds. Many points of interest within the small town were either burnt to the ground as a result of the battle or completely demolished by other means of force. The ones lucky enough to stay together housed those who escaped from Grogar, acting as a bunker for runaway slaves.

Within the borders of Ponyville was nothing but frail, sick and malnourished ponies of all kinds. They all sat next to each other under the roofs of the broken down buildings, each of them sharing small fires for heat and rationing leftover food which they scraped together. Yet even through all of this poverty and depression the inhabitants seemed to get along just fine.

Ponyville was one of the luckier places to be attacked by Grogar and his army when it was, as it was kind of a hit and go type of attack. While major damage was sustained, the number of casualties were kept low, counting up to about only four accounted deaths. Grogar seemed to attack Ponyville for only one reason: simply to capture another city. Unlike the Crystal Empire or the capital city: Canterlot, Ponyville went under Grogar’s radar, as there wasn’t really any real reason for him to claim it. With this in mind, Ponyville was still under the watchful eye of the Ultimate Legion of Doom, so it was still far from a sanctuary of sorts.

Far along the edge of Ponyville was Sweet Apple Acres, the only consistent place where ponies could get food. Because the Apple family, the owners of the farm, had already picked the trees before winter hit, there were plenty of fruits to go around to the citizens of Ponyville. Grogar didn’t even plan on raiding the apple farm’s supply stash, so it was left alone after the attack. Ponies would come from all over Ponyville just to get their daily apple portions, and there were plenty of apples to spare.

Living within the acreage were the only members of the Apple family that had not been captured by the Legion. A stallion with a red coat and a yellow mane was busy passing out apples to needy families while his mate, a pink mare with purple hair, took time to go into the barn and pull out a new box full of apples whenever the current one went empty.

The red stallion looked down at a small filly that had just come next in line. She was a beautiful mare with divine beauty, her cute blue coat and pink mane making her stand out. The stallion took pity on the poor thing, as her right eye was completely swollen shut as the result of a recent injury. She approached the older stallion, patiently waiting for him to give her the apple that she traveled so far to get. The stallion smiled at the filly, reaching over his shoulder and grabbing a fresh apple from the wooden crate beside him. He held it in his hoof and lowered it towards the filly. The little pony took the apple from his hooves and squealed in excitement, thanking him for his generous act.

As the stallion stood on top of his porch, he watched the little filly run off in the distance, no doubt returning home to regroup with her family. The stallion smiled to himself as the feeling of good filled his spirits. He enjoyed watching others smile with hope after receiving something as small as a simple apple because he knew that his simple act of kindness would go towards something greater.

“Big Mac, how are you doing on apples?” The pink mare asked from inside the farmhouse, inquiring about the stallion’s current apple count.

“I should be fine, Sugar Belle. Don’t ya worry about it quite yet.” The stallion replied, looking over at his mate.

“How many more ponies are in line?” She asked.

“That was the last one… at least for now.” The stallion turned around and entered the old farmhouse, opening the creaking door and allowing himself entrance into his home. He closed the door behind him and approached his mate. The mare was busy making spiced apple preserves, mushing the fruits together and mixing them in cinnamon with a small, silver spoon in a plastic tupperware. The stallion came up to her from behind and gently wrapped his foreleg around her neck. She turned her head and the two of them locked eyes. They leaned in towards each other’s face and kissed, the stallion gently rubbing his hoof through her mane in a passionate manner.

“How are you feeling, babe?” The mare asked, ending the kiss as she pulled her lips away from his. The stallion said nothing, only staring at his mate. Though known to be one to speak as little as possible, his silence was abnormal. She could tell that something was bothering him, but he didn’t want to let it show. “Big Mac, what’s wrong?” The stallion’s lip began to quiver, his emotions slowly becoming too much for him to bear. He lost himself and softly cried, hanging his head over the mare’s shoulder for support. The mare teared up herself, hating to see her mate in such a terrible mood. She gave him some time to himself, patting him on the back while she patiently waited for him to process his emotions.

“Sugar Belle, I…” Big Mac sniffled. “I miss them so much. I feel as though they are gone because of me.”

“Oh, Big Mac. It isn’t your fault, don’t you dare put that on yourself.” Sugar Belle said, sympathizing with her lover. “Your job is already so much harder than it once was. Just take each step one at a time, doing the best you can and being the best you that you can be. We will get through this together, I promise.”

“I know, Sugar Belle.” Big Mac pulled his head away from her shoulder and sat down on the wooden floor beneath him. He wrapped his forehooves around her left hoof and stared into her eyes with an indescribable amount of love and commitment towards his mate. “I made a promise to you. On the day that we were married, I promised that I would never leave you. I wanted our love to be the best it could be, and I still want it to be that way. I mean it when I say that I will never leave you, never!”

“I know. You have done more than enough for us, Big Mac.” Sugar Belle said. She moved her head forward and gave him a small kiss on his cheek. “However, your job isn’t just to make sure that everything meets all expectations. You are still just a pony, and we all have to remember that sometimes we do make mistakes. But the loss of…” Sugar Belle’s voice cracked when she thought of her family. She held a hoof to her chest, trying her best not to resort to becoming a blubbering mess. “But the *sniff* loss of Applejack and Apple Bloom is not something you did to them. Grogar has done that to us, and there is nothing we can do now to change the past. What we must do now is think of the future and how we can make it better.” The two ponies hugged it out, pulling themselves together before doing anything else. Once their emotions were calmed, Big Mac stood up and walked over to the kitchen table with Sugar Belle.

“Do you need any help, dear?” Big Mac asked, watching Sugar Belle stir the cinnamon into the apple preserves.

“No, I should be done with this very soon.” She said. “Why don’t you go lay down on the couch and rest. You've earned it.”

“Ok, Sugar Belle.” Big Mac winked at his mate, smiling at her and proceeding towards the soft, pearl white couch at the end of the living room. He leaned down and carefully placed himself atop the couch cushions, lifting his hind hooves up off the ground and resting them along the armrest. Big Mac took a pillow from the ground and placed it underneath his head, resting it against the fluffy cushion. “I love you, Sugar Belle. You know that?” He looked up at the pink mare.

“I love you too, you solicitous farm pony.” Sugar Belle replied, finishing her spiced apple preserves. She lifted the silver spoon once she was done stirring the contents and licked the remnants off of the utensil, setting it on the table once finished. She then took a plastic lid from the nearby drawer and placed it on top of the respective tupperware, sealing the apple treat in its container. Sugar Belle picked up the now concealed preserves and loaded it in the refrigerator. “There we go, now we can have some nice food to look forward to one day.”

“Aren’t you just the best.” Big Mac said, complementing the mare for her resilient work ethic. Sugar Belle smiled, blushing because of his kind words. There was a sturdy knock at the door, alerting the two ponies about somepony’s presence on the other side. “I’ll get it, Sugar Belle.” Big Mac said, jumping off of the couch and heading over to the door.

“Who could it be?” Sugar Belle inquired.

“I don’t know, but it’s probably just another pony looking for something to eat today.” Big Mac replied, shrugging his shoulders. The red stallion grabbed a hold of the handle and opened the door. He had a smile on his face, thinking that he would be greeted by an innocent pony like himself. It wasn’t the case this time. What Big Mac instead found standing in front of him was an unreformed changeling clad in pure black armor, its blue, beady eyes staring him down with anger and pure evil radiating from within its soul.

“Who is it, dear?” Sugar Belle asked. Big Mac stayed silent, refusing to answer her question. He was caught off guard, as the sight of an unreformed changeling meant only one thing: doom.

“Can I help you?” Big Mac said, keeping himself from physically showing his fear. Though he asked the changeling why it was at his doorstep, he already knew why it was here in Ponyville.

“It is true…” The changeling said, growling under its breath.

“Pardon?” Big Mac said, baffled by the changeling’s strange choice of words for an introduction.

“By the orders of Queen Chrysalis, and the supreme leadership of Lord Grogar, you are hereby ordered to abandon this place and come with us immediately. No acceptions.” The changeling said, gritting its teeth at the stallion.

Big Mac was in full protection mode. He knew that the changelings had found out that they were living in Ponyville and away from Grogar’s prison camps. He knew that this moment would soon come, and he was prepared for the worst. With the one hoof he had behind the door he waved at Sugar Belle, signaling for her to get behind the kitchen table. Though he didn’t look back to check for himself, Sugar Belle’s eyes widened in horror. She did exactly as he told her to do, hiding herself from view.

“No. I will not leave this place. It is my home, and as such, I will protect it with my life.” Big Mac said, pushing away the fear that had taken control of him. He stood up, tall and defiant. “Leave my home and return to your queen. You’ll get nothing from me.”

“Oh, that isn’t a question. It’s an order!” The changeling shouted. “You have one warning. Surrender yourself to us right now, or you will be killed on sight.”

“You don’t want this fight.” Big Mac said, looming over the changeling with his well-structured body.

“Alright, that’s it!” The changeling took a stance, but not too long before jumping at the stallion. It grabbed a hold of Big Mac by his throat and pulled a small dagger from its side sheathe. The changeling took the weapon and drove it deep into Big Mac’s side. The stallion shouted in pain stumbling backwards and falling onto the wooden planks within his house.

Sugar Belle jumped after she heard her mate’s body crash against the wooden floor, forcing a squeal out of her. The changeling looked up and found the pink mare hiding behind the wooden table, grinning to itself. It pushed itself off of the stallion’s chest and ran towards Sugar Belle. Big Mac, regaining his senses after shaking his head once, reached out with his forehooves and grabbed the changeling by its hindleg, pulling towards himself and forcing the evil creature onto the floor. Big Mac then got up and sat himself down on the changeling, pressing his body against his enemy’s and forcing it on the ground. Big Mac then lifted his hooves and delivered three successful hooks on the changeling’s face.

The changeling knew that Big Mac’s weight alone would be too much for it to simply push the stallion off of itself, so it waited for an opening. Using one hoof to wipe the blood away from its face, the changeling used the other to land an effective uppercut to the stallion’s jaw. Big Mac’s head whipped back, his mind dazed from the impact of the attack. The changeling took the time to crawl out from under Big Mac and get back on its hooves. It followed up with biting down against Big Mac’s neck and throwing the stallion away from it with a mighty swing.

Big Mac landed on the dirt ground outside of the farmhouse, shaking away the pain and getting back on his hooves. However, he couldn’t get far from where he landed once four other changelings came out of nowhere, grabbing a hold of him and forcing his stomach down on the ground. He struggled to escape their grasp, flailing around in a vain attempt to get up and continue the fight. But even with all of his efforts, their combined strength proved to be just too much for him to overcome. Feeling the stallion flail around only agitated the changelings, one of them going as far as kicking him across the face with its hoof.

Big Mac laid on the ground, persevering through all of the attacks that came from the group of changelings that surrounded him. Kick after kick, punch after punch came at him with no way to protect himself. It came to a point where Big Mac slowly began to lose his senses, his vision growing fuzzy and his lungs filling with the blood from his internal injuries. He coughed up a small bit of blood, finding it more difficult to stay alive after each oncoming attack.

While the stallion was forced down, Big Mac heard the familiar voice of his mate in the distance. Sugar Belle’s screams rang through the air, troubling the stallion. Soon the mare was pulled into view, the solo changeling from before holding its dagger right up against her neck. Big Mac shook violently, demanding them to release her.

“Let her go!” Big Mac shouted, unaware of any other options.

“You should’ve thought about her when you decided to refuse our demands!” The changeling said, yelling at the stallion. “But now you will understand what happens to those who act against the will of our leader!”

“No! Leave her alone!!!” Big Mac pleaded, begging for the changelings to release Sugar Belle unharmed. Yet even after all he had gone through, after all of the pride he gave up just to beg for her life, the changeling stood tall, readying the blade. It would kill Sugar Belle right there in front of Big Mac, using her as a means to teach him about what happens to rebels.

“Big Mac!!!” The mare screamed, shaking violently with fear. Tears poured out of her eyes while she reached out for her mate.

“Sugar Belle!” Big Mac was in no better condition. He too cried out for his love, sweat and blood dripping down his face.

The changeling holding tightly onto Sugar Belle laughed maniacally before raising the blade above its head, ready to spill the mare’s blood onto the dirt beneath them. It pulled its foreleg back, then shifted its weight, lowering the dagger towards Sugar Belle’s body at blazing speeds. The sound of steel driving through flesh echoed around them, followed by silence. Blood was sprayed across the steps that led towards the front door of the farmhouse, trickling down onto the ground.

“Sugar Belle…?” Big Mac whispered the name of his mate from under his breath, unable to comprehend what had just taken place. There was spilt blood, but it wasn’t her's. It was from another body. Sugar Belle’s eyes were as wide as they could be. She heard the sound of cutting flesh, yet she felt no pain. At first she was too scared to look down at the wound that was inflicted upon her body, but the more she waited for the pain to kick in, the less fearful she became. Sugar Belle finally looked down at herself, examining her whole entire being for injuries. She found nothing out of the ordinary… at least, not on her. However, cutting through the flesh of the changeling that had once held her hostage was a strange weapon, the looks of which had never been seen before. They looked like swords, but not standard issue. They looked more like they were used to cut through flesh with ease and cling onto the bones of its victims.

Big Mac looked up at the changeling, feeling beyond relieved to know that his sweet Sugar Belle had lived through this fearsome event. As the mysterious blade was pulled out of the deceased changeling’s stomach, its body fell to the ground, spilling its bodily fluids all over the earth beneath the corpse. Sugar Belle regained control of her breathing and turned around very slowly. The changelings who were holding Big Mac down against the ground all stood up, terrified by the creature standing behind the mare. Each creature, pony and changeling, all looked at the creature with horror in their eyes. A tall, muscular bipedal clad in golden armor stood triumphantly over the dead changeling, a jagged sword held in each of its hands. The angle of its face blocked light from shining down on its eyes, making it seem like the creature was void of any at all. The spilled blood from the changeling clung to its body, spreading itself over its face and armor.

“What the heck are you?” One of the changelings asked, trying to talk normally through its trembling voice.

“It depends.” The creature said, moving nothing but its lips. Its voice was lower than most others, sounding almost foriegn. “I can either be considered your best friend, or your worst nightmare.” The creature lifted its head, letting the light from the sun shine across its face. It was a human male with a scar in the shape of a lightning bolt running across his left eye. He furrowed his brow, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists.

“What do you want?” Another changeling inquired.

“What I want is for you to make a choice.” The man looked over at Sugar Belle, the stern glare in his eyes staying so as he eyed the mare. He gestured away from himself, telling her to back away. She did just that, tripping over her own hooves as she wrapped around the side of the farmhouse. Big Mac was allowed to stand, and once he did he immediately ran towards Sugar Belle’s position, running over to stand by her side.

“What choice?” The first changeling asked, raising its brow.

“There are two choices.” The man said. “The first one is simple: you leave Ponyville, never come back and I let you live. Or…” The man lifted his sword to eye level and held both of them out towards the group of changelings. “I will kill you right where you stand. Quite frankly, I would insist you do the former, as I don’t wish to spill anymore blood today.”

“Bah, get a load of this guy. Who does he think he is.” The second changeling said, laughing to the others.

“Now you are gonna get it, hero-wannabe. You have gone against the queen’s wishes, and she demands us to kill all who defy her.” The group of changelings all pulled out daggers of their own, ready to strike the human.

“Lord… *sigh* forgive me for what I am about to do.” The human raised his swords to his sides and took stance, readying himself for battle. The changelings all rushed the human at the same time, shouting “for the Queen!” as they ran full throttle towards their enemy. The man stood still, keeping calm and readying himself for a counterattack. The moment they were all in reach he lifted his swords in the air and spun them around above his head. He then let go of the blades, sending them flying through the sky in a circular formation. They were both sent spinning around, nearing the changelings, and before long the same sound of freshly cut flesh emitted from their bodies.

The man transitioned from a battle stance back to normal posture, looking at his adversaries. They all stood still, almost lifeless. Various expressions lay embedded on their faces while they stood still like statues. The man held his hands out, forcing the swords back to him. They flew into the air and went back to him, landing in the palm of his hands. The next thing he knew the heads of all the changelings fell off of each of their bodies and rolled around on the ground for a bit of time before their movement stopped. Shortly after, all of the changelings’ corpses fell to the ground, blood spilling from their decapitated necks and seeping into the ground. The man, satisfied with his work, lifted the swords behind his back and repositioned them back in their respective holders.

“Incompetant fools. If only they’d listen to me, then I wouldn’t have had to kill them. Wars… the outcome of an idiot’s choices.” The man said, wiping away all of the changelings’ blood from his face.

The man turned around and was met with Big Mac and Sugar Belle holding various farm tools at his face. He stared at them with a disappointed look on his face.

“I just saved your life and this is the thanks I get?” He said sarcastically, laughing to himself.

“Who are you?” Sugar Belle inquired, holding the rake in her hooves with a tight grip.

“Guys, you must surely recognize me by now.” The man said, shrugging his shoulders. He put his finger to his eye. “The scar?” He moved his finger down to his mouth. “The voice?”

“Wait…” Big Mac said, lowering his weapon as he began to recognize the human. “Carter? Is that really you?”

“There you go.” The man said, sighing with relief.

“Are you the one pony that Applejack introduced us to? The red alicorn?” Sugar Belle asked, adding to the questions.

“Yes, that is me. Or at least, that is what I used to be. I am really a human.” Carter said.

“Did Applejack know that you were a human?” Big Mac inquired.

“Yes, she did. Every one of the Mane 6 knew. Everypony knew… I guess you didn’t hear.” Carter replied. The man suddenly curled his lips together and whistled aloud, calling to someone else. “Come on out, guys. No more enemies.” Slowly emerging from the bushes were the timberwolves, along with Conda, who was mounted atop Gaea.

“Oh, it really is you.” Sugar Belle said, pointing to the timberwolves with her hoof. “I'd recognize those creatures anywhere.”

“Yeah, these are my battle buddies.” Carter said. “Hey, I hear that this is the best place to get a quick bite nowadays. Want to talk about this over some apples?” Carter suggested, pointing towards the front door of the farmhouse.

“... Eeyup.” Big Mac said, still a bit shaken up after all of the recent events.

“Sure. Why don’t you come inside, I’ll make you something nice and filling. Don’t worry, your timberwolf friends and the snake are welcome to come in as well.” Carter nodded, accepting the mare’s offer. The three of them all entered the farmhouse, leaving the sprawled out corpses to rot in the farm acreage.

“So, you really just broke out of the Canterlot prisons not too long ago?” Sugar Belle asked, surprised by the human’s determination. “Golly. I would’ve given up all hope of escaping a place like that long before then.”

“Two weeks. I was down there for two whole weeks.” Carter said, staring blankly at the floor. "You wouldn't begin to imagine the craziness that goes on in that place. Simply put, you aren't the same person in prison… or, same pony, rather." Sugar Belle walked over to the human and passed him a glass of sparkling cider. Carter thanked her for her kind act, taking the glass and holding it between his fingers. He lightly swished the contents around in a circle just to get a little fun out of watching the cider fizzle about. As they sat around the dining room table, the timberwolves were politely laying on the ground, eating some fish they caught fresh the day before. Conda was resting on Carter’s right pauldron, quietly listening to their conversation.

“I know it isn’t exactly wise to drink before something important, but I am sure that ya haven’t had much to eat or drink for a while.” Big Mac said, drinking his share of cider.

“Yeah, but my father taught me to keep myself accountable when it comes to drinking. You’re only hurting yourself if you become intoxicated.” Carter said, holding out his glass as he spoke. The man leaned his head back and downed every bit of the cider in one go, surprising both Big Mac and Sugar Belle. Once finished Carter placed the glass down on the table and let out a satisfied belch. He covered his mouth, slightly embarrassed at himself. “Forgive me, I have forgotten that I am merely a guest.”

“Ha ha. It’s ok, it lets me know that you enjoyed the cider.” Sugar Belle said, laughing at the human’s reaction. “In case you are wondering, no I do not drink. I only know how to make cider because of Big Mac. He always wanted somepony who could make a good cider, but he chose not to have any around Apple Bloom, as we both knew that she would one day get a hold of some while we weren’t looking.”

“I respect your limitations.” Carter said, nodding to the stallion with a half smile on his face. “Ok, now that I have some nutrients in me, I must ask you ponies a few questions regarding recent events about the war.”

“Ask away, Carter.” Sugar Belle said. She sat down at the table and gave both Carter and Big Mac a small plate of warmed cornbread made from the rations in the basement’s food stash. “We will try to do our best to answer all of your questions.”

“First off, I would like to say thank you for everything you have done for me. It is a blessing to know that I have others watching my back.” Carter said, showing his sincere appreciation towards his hosts.

“No, thank you. If it weren’t for your excellent timing then I fear that me and Big Mac would be…” Sugar Belle paused mid sentence, noticing that she was about to cry. She stopped herself before any tears were shed. “Dang, these events have just been a real pain to deal with. *sniff* We thank you very much, Carter.” Big Mac reached out with his hoof and wrapped it around hers, comforting Sugar Belle.

“Yes, Carter. We owe you.” Big Mac added.

“I appreciate those words.” Carter leaned down and took a small bite of his cornbread. The taste was beyond expectations, though he figured it was because he was comparing it to the crap he ate during his time in the dungeons. Nevertheless, he found himself enjoying the cornbread quite a bit. He swallowed his food and then continued speaking. “Ok, so let’s start this thing off. What has happened since the beginning of the war?”

“Oh, well that is easy for us to answer.” Sugar Belle said, straightening her posture before she continued. “After the first attack on Canterlot, Grogar sent his Legion to take over the different major cities of Equestria, conquering them and turning them into bases of operations. From there he and his subjects captured many ponies in Equestria, which I am sure you have noticed by now. Once that was done the world just kind of crumbled. Foundations gone, families and friends either killed or split apart. The Mane 6, Royal Advisor: Spike, the Royal Sisters… they are all gone.”

“Are they still alive?” Carter inquired.

“I doubt it. Grogar made sure that they were the first to go, as he feared that they would pose the most threat to his plans.” Big Mac said. “It makes me sad, knowing that Applejack may be gone. I want to have hope that they are still alive somewhere, but no pony knows of their location.”

“Strange…” Carter whispered to himself as he thought about the situation.

“What seems strange to you, Carter?” Sugar Belle asked, intrigued by the man’s words. “Do you think otherwise?”

“I do. If Grogar wanted them dead then he would’ve killed them the first chance he got. However, he didn’t, he instead had Chrysalis entangle them inside of her green cocoon crap or whatever it is called. Not only that, but Grogar didn’t choose to kill me, and I gave him a rough time the first time we met. I think he wants to use them, or at least keep them around.”

“Hmmm… you may have a point.” Big Mac said, finishing the rest of his cider. “But how can you be so sure?”

“I mean, I guess it’s like what you said, Big Mac. I guess I still have a bit of hope left in me.” Carter said, laughing to himself. “I mean, if we wanted to, then I… ARGH!!!” Carter stopped talking, letting out a distressed moan out of nowhere. The two ponies jumped out of their seats and rushed to his side, concerned for the human’s health.

“Carter, are you doing ok?” Big Mac said, rubbing his hoof along Carter’s back to try and subdue whatever pain Carter was dealing with.

“It’s ok, do not worry about it. Carter is just-” Gaea tried to talk to the ponies and inform them on what was happening, but alas, Carter was the only one who could understand the timberwolves and Conda. Because of this, Big Mac and Sugar Belle could hear nothing but barking from the wolves.

“What’s going on with your wolves, Carter? Are they becoming hostile?” Sugar Belle inquired, feeling a bit unsettled being near them while they were barking at her.

“Ergh, don’t… worry.” Carter said. Though he was still fighting through the pain, he was now able to control the situation enough to where he could talk fluently. “They are just trying to tell you that I am having another vision.” Carter propped his arms against the table and grabbed tightly onto his head, feeling the images of the past fill his mind. Carter waved his hand at the timberwolves, ordering them to calm down. They obeyed, returning to their sitting positions and patiently waiting for their master to go through his vision cycle.

“A vision? What are you seeing?” Sugar Belle asked, wondering what kind of things the human was seeing in his mind.

“Give me a second…” Carter said, gritting his teeth. Deep inside of his consciousness, Carter’s mind phased through many different images, searching for the one that was meant to be shown to Carter. His mind soon located the correct vision, slowing down and presenting it to him in full. The pain soon subsided and Carter was once again back to normal. “Ok, I am getting something.”

“What is it, what do you see?” Big Mac said, keeping his hoof rested on Carter’s shoulder.

“I see… I see a giant mass of… something. It looks like a home, no, a castle of sorts. There are a ton of unreformed changelings entering the castle. It seems like there is something important located inside of it. Uh huh… ok… I see now, they… wait…” Carter stopped talking, his eyes widening once his vision finished.

“What?”

“What did you find out?”

“I saw…” Carter fumbled over his words, a great amount of relief overfilling him. “They… they're alive.”

“They?” Big Mac inquired. “Wait… Applejack?” A smile grew across his face as a small spark of hope filled the stallion from within.

“Yes…” Carter said, turning to face the two ponies. “Yes, Applejack is alive!” Big Mac jumped with joy, shaking a bit after hearing the welcomed news. “She lives. Also Rarity, Fluttershy, Dashie, Pinkie… all of them.” While Sugar Belle and Big Mac pranced around the dining room in celebration, Carter turned back to his plate of cornbread, smiling to himself. “Twilight… she lives. I have a chance.”

“Carter, do you know what this means?” Big Mac shouted, placing his hooves on Carter’s shoulders and shaking the man around.

“We can free them.” Carter said, looking up at the stallion. “There is no time to lose. I must go.” Carter got up and headed towards the door. “Thank you for your hospitality. I will go now.”

“Woah woah, calm down Carter.” Sugar Belle said, running up to the human and tugging on his arm. “What do you think you are doing? You can’t just go fight Grogar.”

“I must do it eventually.” Carter said, pulling his arm free from Sugar Belle’s grasp. “If I have even a chance at saving Equestria, then dammit, I am taking that chance.”

“Carter, I don’t think you understand what you are asking for.” Big Mac said, he too prevented Carter from moving any further outside. Knowing there was no way past them without force, he turned to them and crossed his arms, ready to hear what they had to say to him. “Listen, I know that you want to get this thing over with, but you must understand. Grogar is a being of untold power. The only reason you beat him the first time was because you got lucky. Even with our entire nation fighting back, he alone proved to be more powerful than us. To think that you want to fight him alone, which I respect, is utter madness.”

“I know.” Carter said, furrowing his brow and lowering his voice to a more stern tone. “I do not wish to fight Grogar right now; I know how to play his game. He has six henchmen, and it is my mission to first take them down. Once that is done, then I will fight Grogar.” Carter leaned down towards Sugar Belle and stared at her with his stoic expression. “I know that Grogar is not someone to mess with lightly, but Twilight taught me about friendship for a reason, and rest assured, I will make sure her lessons were not taught to me in vain.”

“Carter, just…” Big Mac ran to the human and hugged him. “I don’t want you to die. You must be smart with your choices. You are about to fight a war bigger than you can even imagine.”

“I know. But even that alone won’t stop me.” Carter turned around and opened the front door, stepping outside of the farmhouse and going out into the stormy outside. "I will be heading to the Castle of Friendship in order to gain access to the portal system. Once there, I will attack Queen Chrysalis, freeing the others and giving us a fighting chance. Until then, me and the squad are on our own." Carter walked outside, feeling the raindrops make contact with his hair.

“Carter!” Sugar Belle shouted out for the human. Carter looked back, raising a brow at the mare. “We are all counting on you.” She said innocently.

“Believe me, Sugar Belle. I will free Applejack and I will return her home safe and sound.” He walked away from the two ponies, the wolf pack following closely behind him while the anaconda lay gently wrapped around his neck. They proceeded towards the Castle of Friendship, ready to bring down the evil ram and his subjects.

Author's Note

It would seem as though most of the captured ponies are hidden somewhere deep in an unknown changeling castle of sorts. With this in mind, Carter knows that his first target should be Queen Chrysalis.

Another great chapter here for everypony to enjoy! :pinkiehappy:

Chapter 4: Castle of Friendship

The mission begins. I must reclaim the Castle of Friendship for Equestria, that is if the Legion hasn’t already taken it for themselves. At any rate, the castle should give us the necessary means of transportation in order to travel across Equestria with ease, as Twilight had once told me that the Cutie Map had been modified to now send ponies to different locations. My only wish at the moment is that I hope I don’t have to fight any of the Legion’s members at this time. We are unprepared and lacking in troops. If they find us, we might be fighting for a lost cause.

1-9-2024, 5:06 PM

Carter and his team of animals walked through the brittle remnants of Ponyville, heading towards the Castle of Friendship: a grand structure made for the Mane 6 to travel across Equestria and solve various friendship problems. On their journey, ponies in the nearby areas looked over at the human, terrified by what they saw. Just the sight of the foreign creature walking with timberwolves by his side gave them a sense of extreme danger and discomfort. They all shook with fear where they stood, thinking that he was one of Grogar’s minions.

The man could feel every bit of fear that the nearby ponies expressed, making him feel slightly disheartened by their reactions. He knew he was fighting for their freedom and protection, but even then they looked at him like he was a monster. In an attempt to distract himself from the rise of negative emotions, he looked down at his right bracer, eyeing the gap that made way for his hidden blade. Closing his hand into a fist he watched the blade from within the gold plating quickly shoot out of its sheath and lock into position. He turned his forearm around, twisting the direction of the blade with it. He stopped all movement once he saw himself in the reflection of the blade’s steel, looking upon the image of the man he had once taught himself to hate. Carter retracted the blade, forcing it back in place and shaking away the painful memories. He looked straight ahead, pushing aside the distractions and shifting his focus back on the main goal.

“What do you suppose we do when we get there?” Hyperion inquired, trying to think of a plan before arriving at their destination. “I mean, I don’t think that trying to take control of something as big as the castle is gonna be easy.”

“He does bring up a good point, sir.” Cronus added, agreeing with the young wolf. “If we are to reclaim what was stolen from the ponies then we must think of a plan of action instead of walking in without any good ideas. For all we know we might be walking into a trap.”

“I agree with you there, you two. However, I don’t suppose you have any ideas of your own.” Carter said, shifting only his eyes towards the timberwolves as he continued leading them down the path.

“Well… no.” Hyperion said, embarrassed at himself for being so easily defeated. “I mean, do you know anything about the Castle of Friendship for yourself?” The timberwolf asked, tilting his head.

“Not much,” Carter admitted almost apologetically. “From what I understand it was passed down to Starlight Glimmer, whom I only recognize as the Head Mare of the School of Friendship. Beyond that, I assume that she is with the other survivors, locked up in the prisons under the Queen’s watchful eye.”

“Do you really think that the castle has been claimed by the Legion?” Gaea inquired, looking up at the human.

“Heh. Being as big as it is compared to the size of Ponyville, yes I think that it has been long claimed by Grogar.” Carter said, looking back at Gaea with a dumbfounded expression on his face. The timberwolf nodded, understanding where he was coming from. "Now admittedly, if they have really taken control of the castle then I have no clue what they would be using it for."

"I guess we'll just have to wait and find out." Gaea said.

"Yes, I guess we will." Carter replied.

The group was now about half way through with their journey; the castle became visible to them from far off in the distance. Yet even with their goal now in view, Carter’s attention was pulled away from the castle the second he saw a familiar golden bracelet buried underneath a pile of broken house pieces. He turned his head towards it, his eyes widening a bit upon realizing that the debris laying on the ground used to be his home. Carter walked in the direction of the bracelet, interested in seeing if any of his other valuables made it through the attack while he was away. The timberwolves saw this and quickly stopped in their tracks, looking over at Carter and sitting down along the dirt path. Gaea thought she should stop him from wandering too far, but instead she decided to keep to herself and patiently wait for the human to do what he wanted to do.

Carter knelt down to the ground and examined the bracelet, dusting off the dirt and wood that kept it buried within the wet soil. Once clean, he picked it up and held it between his fingers. The man leaned his head down, closely inspecting the various symbols that ran along the outside of the golden accessory. Honesty, laughter, loyalty, generosity, kindness and magic. They were the elements of harmony, and the very cutie marks that his friends had upon their flanks. He flipped the bracelet, taking a look at the inside. Just like he remembered, he saw the engraved message that ran along the gold material.

“Friends will always be there for you, never forget to do the same for them.” - T.S.

Carter smiled to himself, remembering all the times he had with the Mane 6. He began to recall all the fond moments he shared with them, good and bad alike. He remembered when he and Rainbow Dash vanquished the evil Pinkie Pie that hid within the Everfree Forest, as well as the time he screwed himself over by accidentally inviting himself to one of Fluttershy's tea parties. Just the thought of being with them one more time gave him the strength and determination he needed to fight his way to victory. The man held the bracelet with his left hand and placed it over his right. It was a bit of a struggle, as it was normally made to fit him while he was an alicorn, but somehow it managed to stay on his arm tightly and secured. Satisfied, he returned to the timberwolves, ready to continue their journey.

“What’s that?” Gaea asked.

“The present that Twilight gave me during Hearth’s Warming.” Carter replied. He looked back at the bracelet, rotating it around his arm with his other hand and seeing each element’s respective symbol. Though it was nothing to him in the grand scheme of things, there was some sentimental value that he felt every time he saw it. Conda could see that Carter was feeling rather distressed when thinking about the ponies that changed his life, as he always had a frown upon his face. Conda leaned towards him and gently pressed his forehead against the humans, showing compassion and understanding while he nuzzled up against him.

“Don’t you fret, Carter. We will free them sssoon enough and life in Equessstria will return to the way it wasss. Jussst… give it time. Thessse thingsss take time to happen, but the outcome isss more than worth the ssstrugglesss.” Conda said, boosting the human’s spirits. "Jussst think about it! Sssoon you and the poniesss will be back together, relaxing in a wide open field with the sssun in the sssky and no cloudsss to block the bright light asss you're enjoying a nice picnic, laughing and talking about what had taken place here today."

“I know, Conda.” Carter replied, shaking his head for a moment. “I just sometimes need to remember why I have to do the things I do. I love them dearly, and it is because of them I choose to fight. I guess it personally feels like me saving them will help make up for all my past mistakes.”

“Don’t worry, Carter. We are here for you every step of the way.” Theia said, walking up to his side. Carter knelt down and looked at the timberwolf. She let out a soft whimper, feeling sympathy for her master. Carter smiled at her and petted her head with the palm of his hand. She moved in and licked his cheek, thanking him for his kindness.

“I love you so much, guys. I wouldn’t be able to do this alone, and you have proved to me time and time again that you will never leave my side. I hope you know that I will do the same for you.” Carter got up on his feet and looked at each individual timberwolf, smiling at them while doing so. “Ok, I am ready to get back to work.”

“Good, we aren’t too far from the castle from here. Let’s keep it going.” Cronus said, leading the team down the path.

“So… Carter wishes to foil Lord Grogar’s plans, and in his true form at that. Interesting, I thought I was the only chaotic one in Equestria left free to run wild through the streets. He won't get far; Lord Grogar is more powerful than Carter could even fathom. But… if he is somehow able to stop him, then that would mean her death! No, I cannot allow this. I know it isn’t right for me to stop him, but I have no other choice! Her life rests in my hands. I will not fail her.”

The group had soon entered the edge of a small group of trees during their travels, the branches atop said trees protecting them from the rainstorm that devoured the skies above. Carter could see the entrance to the castle just beyond the vast vegetation of the forest, letting him know that their journey was soon over. He picked up the pace, lifting his feet off of the ground and switching to more of a slow jog.

“My my, you are in a hurry.” Theia said, catching up with the human.

“I can see the castle just up ahead!” Carter said, pointing towards the giant structure off in the distance. “We have no time to lose. Let’s hurry up and get going!” The team raced to the castle, relieved to know that they had finally made it. Carter and the gang came to the front door of the castle, looking up at all of its crystalic features. They finally made it.

“Sweet! What now?” Hyperion asked, awaiting orders from his superiors.

“Well obviously we enter the damn thing.” Theia said, shaking her head at the timberwolf’s ill conceived sentence.

“I know, I am just wondering about how we get inside.” Hyperion said, correcting himself. “I mean, this place could be booby-trapped or something. We can’t just-” Carter lifted his foot and kicked the door, forcing it open for them to enter through. “... or you know, you could just do that instead. Don’t mind me and my what-ifs.”

"Do not dwell on what could be, Hyperion. Only focus on what is." Carter said, looking around the area.

Carter drew his hidden blade free from underneath the bracer and entered the castle, checking his surroundings and searching for any potential threats. Gaea and Cronus walked by his side, putting their noses against the floor and sniffing the room for any unusual scents.

“I’m not picking up anything.” Cronus said, reporting his findings. “You?”

“Nothing. The area is secure.” Gaea said, affirming her partner. She motioned for the other two to regroup with the rest of them, flicking her paw towards the group. Theia entered the castle with a very sexy act, taunting Hyperion with long, striding steps and a swing of her hips.

“Oh no! Hyperion, help me! I was a fool and walked into the castle all by my wittle bitty self! There are booby-traps everywhere and I can’t do a thing about it!” She said, striking a pose and placing the back of her right forepaw against her forehead. Theia cried out to her companion with an innocent, light tone in her voice, driving the young wolf mad.

“Ok, I get it!!! There are no traps!” Hyperion shouted at Theia, feeling angered by her taunts.

“What? Nothing? Oh, I guess I am stronger than I look.” Theia said, returning to her normal position.

“Ergh… let’s just keep moving.” Hyperion spoke through his teeth. He walked right past the female timberwolf, not even giving her any eye contact. Theia just laughed to herself as she lightly tiptoed her way over towards the rest of the group.

While the timberwolves continued sniffing out the area, Carter and Conda took a peak at all of the many decorations that were properly placed around the castle. They were surprised with how good the place looked, especially considering the fact that the war had been going on for nearly three weeks as of now. However, seeing as the castle was still perfectly decorated triggered some much needed caution within the two of them.

“Carter, isss it jussst me, or doesss it ssseem kind of ssstrange that the cassstle isss ssstil nice and tidy?” Conda said, subconsciously looking behind himself in case anyone was sneaking up on them. His nerves made him tense up, accidentally squeezing Carter’s neck with his body. The human tapped the anaconda along his slithery body, notifying him that he was in some kind of distress. “Oh! I’m ssso sssorry, Carter.” Conda said, apologizing to the human.

“It’s ok, Conda.” Carter placed his hand over his neck and waited for the mild pain to subside. “But yes, I do think it’s kinda strange that this place looks so damn clean, at least comparing it to the rest of Ponyville.”

“Carter, I think I’m getting something!” Cronus said, sticking his nose towards a specific part of the floor.

“I’m getting it, too!” Gaea stated, placing her nose towards the same place.

“What do you smell?” Carter inquired.

“I don’t know what it is exactly, but it definitely smells like trouble, and we know what trouble smells like.” Cronus said, lifting his face towards the human. “Until we know what this thing is, just keep your guard up. I don’t believe we are the only ones here.” The group nodded in approval.

Carter led the team forward, scouting ahead with his arm blade drawn in case anyone was feeling in the mood to fight. He kept his head on a swivel, checking every direction for potential threats. They came across a purple door blocking them from continuing any further. Carter slowly approached it, withdrawing his blade and readying himself for another kick at the door.

“This is gonna be loud. Watch my back and make sure that we aren’t being followed. The last thing we need is someone calling for backup.” Carter ordered. The timberwolves nodded to their master, spinning around on their paws and keeping their eyes peeled for any hostiles. Conda hid his head behind the human’s head in case of any oncoming debris while Carter lifted his foot and kicked the door. The force of his kick was outstanding, being so strong that it sent the door off of its hinges and landing on the ground far away from their current position.

“You know, when you sssay that it’sss gonna be loud, I didn't think your goal wasss to make it asss loud asss possible!” Conda lifted his tail behind Carter’s head and slapped him on the back of his neck.

“Ow, stop that! I didn’t think I was capable of such strength!” Carter said, flailing his hand behind his head to move Conda’s tail away from him.

Carter entered the next area of the castle, the rest of the group following closely behind him. He looked forward and saw a strange table in the middle of the room surrounded by seven marble white thrones. Upon further inspection, Carter let out a shout of excitement after realizing that he had found the one thing he came here for: the so-called Cutie Map.

Bingo!

“Is that the map?” Hyperion asked. “I don’t think it looks like it works like a teleporter.”

“Yes, this is the one. Twilight told me all about it.” Carter walked around the map, running the palm of his hand along the side of the marble outline. “She said that it only works for those who the Spirit of Harmony deem worthy of its power.”

“Oh boy, more gambling with magic!” Theia said, rolling her eyes in disappointment. “You’re telling me that we walked all this way just to play a game of chance with this map of hers?”

“You are welcome to suggest something else.” Carter said, looking back at the female timberwolf with a mildly irritated expression.

“I trust him.” Gaea said, herself looking over at Theia. “He has his reasons for choosing to do such things, and there is a reason we chose him to be our leader.”

“Actually, you did! Ya know, considering the fact that you are the alpha and everything.” Hyperion said, talking smack towards his superior. Gaea swiftly turned her head in his direction and growled at the young wolf, forcing a fearful whimper out of him. He cowered at Gaea, lowering his body to the ground in submission.

“I do not expect you to always agree with my choices, Hyperion. But I am expecting you to trust me with this one.” Gaea said, closing her lips together and straightening her posture. The young wolf nodded, continuously whimpering. While all this was happening, Carter was standing over by the Cutie Map, looking for some way to activate it.

“Ha! What a baby.” Theia said, laughing at Hyperion and his childish ways.

“S-s-shut up!” Hyperion said, getting up off the ground and growling at her. They circled around each other, snarling and threatening the other with fake biting.

“Guys! Please keep your mind on the objective!” Cronus said, losing his normally patient composure and yelling at the two timberwolves.

“What are you gonna do about it, Cronus? Yell at us some more?” Theia said, throwing some banter at her companion.

“Do what he says. Now.” Gaea furrowed her brow and growled at the two timberwolves, raising her paw and gesturing an attack with her claws.

“Yes, Gaea.” Theia said, immediately following her orders and sitting her butt on the floor.

“Of course, Gaea.” Hyperion did the same thing, nearly wetting himself from fear.

"Everyone, shut the hell up!" Carter said, demanding their silence. The timberwolves all looked at him with varying expressions upon their faces, each of them surprised by the man's sudden outburst.

"Well geez! Don't act too happy that we are here to help you." Hyperion said, rolling his eyes as he mocked his master.

"Quiet!" Carter shouted once more. "Do you not sense it?"

“Sense what?” Theia inquired, oblivious to what threat Carter was feeling that she wasn’t. She looked around the area, trying to see what the human was warning them about.

“I’m getting it, too.” Cronus said, lifting his nose up and sniffing around the room. He picked up a strange scent, one that was very new to his senses. He sniffed again, this time the scent was stronger than before, so much so that the timberwolf’s nose was overwhelmed by it, forcing him to let out a hefty sneeze.

“I don’t think we have ever encountered any kind of threat like this before.” Gaea stated. She lifted her head and howled, alerting the others to come to her side. They ran to their leader and grouped up, keeping their backs to each other as they searched for the threat.

While the timberwolves formed their protective group, Carter knelt down to the ground, Conda wrapped tightly around the human. Carter found a strange aura emitting from the floor of the castle, catching his attention. He lowered his hand down to the floor and grazed his fingers across the crystalic platform, expecting some of the aura to cling to his fingertips. He lifted his hand and rubbed his fingers together, but nothing stuck to them.

“What isss it, Carter?” Conda asked, hoping that the human would have a better understanding as to what this strange aura was, and more importantly, who or what was causing it to appear. Upon further inspection, Carter gradually began to recognize the color and trail of the aura. Carter noticed that the aura had begun to accumulate around his ankles, as if ready to engulf him. He stood up and looked over at the pack of timberwolves, watching as the aura slowly surrounded them as well.

“Uh… Carter! What’s going on!?” Hyperion shouted, feeling the need to break from his pack and flee the scene.

What is going on? Is this some sort of security system implemented into the castle in case of any trespassers?

Carter thought about the situation, thinking of an answer. The timberwolves on the other hand slowly moved away from the growing mass of aura, but wherever they went the magic would simply follow them. Each of them tilted their heads in confusion once the aura began to bubble. The magic had begun to spawn a multitude of sentient feathers that began to float around the timberwolves. The pack moved around in a circle, growling at the floating feathers and throwing out slashes with their claws. However their methods of attacks proved to be ineffective against this unusual threat, and it only seemed to irritate them. Soon the feathers all began to vibrate intensely, grazing themselves against the timberwolves’ bodies. It was an attack… of sorts. Theia began to lightly giggle, feeling the feathers graze across and between her slender toes. The rest of the feathers went over to the other timberwolves and they began to break out into a fit of laughter as well, rolling around as the feathers did their thing. Even Gaea, their stoic leader, fell victim to the feathers' ticklish ways.

Tickling? What the hell is this?

Carter could not seem to wrap his mind around the situation. If this was an attack, then why was it merely tickling from feathers? But solving that would have to wait, as the ceiling above him and Conda soon began to light up with the same aura. Carter pulled out his swords from behind his back, expecting some sort of enemy to appear from it. But alas, the only thing that came out of the strange magic were dark storm clouds that filled in the empty space above their heads. The clouds erupted with a mighty thunderclap, only to be followed up with rain… but Carter smelled something off about the rain that the clouds released.

Lemon drops?

As the timberwolves all ran around the room in a futile attempt to escape the feathers’ wrath, Carter and Conda were left by themselves, beyond confused by the castle’s methods of attacking. The human moved his hand to his chin as he pondered the situation.

“This makes no sense. Not even Pinkie Pie herself would form something as crazy as this.” Carter looked over to the anaconda sitting on his shoulder.

“Perhapsss thisss wasss meant to ssscare away tressspasssersss.” Conda said, trying to come up with an answer of any kind.

“I don't know about that. All of this would do nothing but confuse them, the same way it is for us.” Carter said, struggling to figure it out. He wracked his brain trying to come up with an explanation, but there was nothing logical about the situation. “This is madness! The way this magic works is crazy! First feathers, then lemon drops? There is no rhyme or reason for this, it’s… it’s…” Carter stopped talking. After simply talking it over with himself, it seemed he had answered his own question. He gripped the swords in his hands and took a stance, looking around for the only one who could create such magic.

It’s chaos magic…

In the blink of an eye, Carter’s body was sent flying across the map room, forcing the human onto his back when he landed on the ground. Carter tried to get to his feet, but he felt something wrap around his bracers. He looked back and found a multitude of vines breaking through the crystal floors and entangling themselves around Carter’s forearms, preventing him from moving any further. He tried to pull himself free of the vines, but they were too much for him to overcome.

“Ha! That was easier than I thought it would be!” Carter lifted his head and turned his attention towards the mastermind behind the bizarre magic. He gritted his teeth once he came face to face with the one responsible for such chaos.

“Discord!!!”

The draconequus standing before him laughed at the human. Conda let out a hiss of anger. He was free to move about, so he launched himself at Discord in an attempt to wrap his body around his throat and choke him until he was unconscious. It didn’t work, as Discord simply grabbed the anaconda by his head and grinned. Discord lifted his hand and used his chaos magic to paralyze the snake. Conda squealed as he felt himself go limp. Discord released the snake from his grasp, watching the snake fall at his feet.

“Ha! Pathetic!” Discord gave the human a nasty look, staring at him with his villainous eyes.

“You bastard! How could you turn against your own friends!?” Carter shouted, demanding an answer from the draconequus.

“Me, turn away from my friends?” Discord scoffed at the human, offended that he would think so little of him. “Everything I have done is because of them. Why, I have done nothing but protect them.”

“Right. You helping Grogar achieve world domination is helping your friends.” Carter gave another tug at the vines, feeling an overwhelming urge to punch Discord right in his face. “Your betrayal has led to nothing but death and destruction for them. Not just that, but your carelessness has made everypony in Equestria come to hate you for what you’ve become. You aren’t helping in the least.”

“I stand by what I said, Carter. I am doing this for them.” Discord lowered his brow and clenched his fists. He was beginning to lose his normally careless composure and become rather pissed off at the human. “If only you could see things through Lord Grogar’s eyes. He seeks only the best for Equestria, nothing less.”

“Oh, right. You seek pony genocide, ok.” Carter leaned in closer to the draconequus and clenched his teeth together. “I am sure that Fluttershy is just so proud of you for everything you have done for her.” The man spoke through his teeth. Discord snapped, running at him and grabbing Carter by his throat with a firm, violent grip.

“Do not bring her up, you hear me?” Discord’s expression portrayed just how angered he was at the human. A fire from within his soul was felt burning inside him. “I promised her that no harm would come to her. If I fail Grogar, then she dies. So unless I need to kill you, I suggest you watch your mouth.” Carter could feel the pain and anguish Discord felt for what he did to the ponies and to Fluttershy. Carter grinned, looking at him dead in his eyes.

“Then do it.” Carter said, pressuring Discord with his taunts. “Kill me, right here, right now. Strike me down and watch as the blood from my body spills across the floor while you smile with content at what you’ve done. You can show Fluttershy who you really are!”

Discord erupted into a fit of rage. He lifted his fist and punched Carter straight in his gut. The human was released from the vines and sent flying towards the back of the map room, his body crashing against the wall behind him. He fell to the floor, groaning in pain. The timberwolves noticed that the magic from the feathers had dissipated, each of them falling to the floor. They all looked over at their master who had just been attacked and ran to his aid. Discord approached the human with heavy steps, snarling at him for what he said about Fluttershy. He went to deliver another punch to Carter’s face, but the timberwolves stepped in front of him, guarding Carter from anymore attacks.

“Enough! I grow tired of your incompetence!” Discord lifted his hand and summoned a portal to spawn just behind him. He snapped his fingers and the portal began to suck the others into its void. One by one the timberwolves began to get sucked into the portal until there were none left. Conda had been engulfed by the void as well, leaving only Carter and Discord left in the castle. Discord leaned down and grabbed Carter by his wrist. “I won’t hurt you anymore, but I cannot let you risk her life just for their safety. She means more to me than anypony else, and I will not let you take her from me!” Discord threw Carter into the portal, closing it once the human was fully engulfed in the void. “Don’t worry Fluttershy. I won’t let them hurt you.”

Carter awoke from unconsciousness, dazed and groggy. He pushed himself off of the ground and back on his feet. He looked around for the timberwolves and Conda, finding all of them stacked on top of each other in a pile. They too were just waking up, pushing each other off of themselves.

“On your feet. We need to get back to the castle and fight Discord.” Carter ordered. The timberwolves got back on their paws and shook off the pain they were feeling from the impact. Carter knelt down and picked up Conda, reaching back and placing him over his shoulder. The paralysis effect had begun to fade, returning full control of the snake’s body to himself. Carter looked around at the world around him, trying to figure out where they were teleported. They appeared to be in a strange, unknown place. Floating islands and simply indescribable things of all kinds hovered around the world. The skies above were green and yellow in color, looking nothing like Equestria.

“Where are we?” Gaea inquired.

“Just as I feared.” Carter said, cursing to himself under his breath. “Discord put us in the Chaos Realm.”

“How do we get out of here?” Hyperion asked.

“I don’t know.” Carter admitted. “But we cannot stay here. We must keep moving.”

Author's Note

Trapped within the Chaos Realm, Carter and his team must find a way back to Equestria in order to stop Discord from spreading anymore chaos. If only Fluttershy were still around.

Another chapter down! Hope you enjoyed!

Peace,

-MCX

Chapter 5: The Chaos Lord

We have been banished to the Chaos Realm, a world lacking any and all balance, control and order. Being as Discord is the only known creature with the ability to control Chaos Magic, the very thing that put us here, we are forced to find other means of escaping this accursed place. Though the odds of our escape seem astronomically low, I do believe that hope will be the one thing that helps us get back home.

1-9-2024, 11:23 PM

The team of heroes were amazed by all of the crazy things they found within the Chaos Realm. It truly lived up to its name, being as chaotic as possible. Seemingly anything and everything anyone could think of could be found in this realm, randomly floating about in the open sky.

Gaea led her pack across a narrow, wooden bridge that connected two floating islands together. They, along with the human and the anaconda, walked across the bridge, periodically looking down at the infinite void below them. Hyperion was beginning to lose his sanity in the craziness that was the Chaos Realm. The poor timberwolf began to hyperventilate, twitch and cower in fear, imagining an infinite number of dark possibilities and fearing the worst to come. The others took notice of his insecurity and tried to ignore it, but his constant whining only grew in volume with time, so much so that the other timberwolves felt rather irritated by his reactions.

“Hyperion, quit it with your incessant whining and get a hold of yourself!” Theia bellowed, shaming the frantic timberwolf for acting so childish. "Gosh, you are being so pusillanimous."

“I-I-I am sorry, I just need to catch my breath. I mean, it’s not like there is a gigantic pit of death right under us.” The frightened timberwolf placed his paw against his chest and regained control of his breathing. “I seriously don’t understand how you guys aren’t scared right now!”

“Because we aren’t choosing to focus all of our attention on the bad things, Hyperion.” Carter said, looking back at the timberwolf. “If you focus on only the worst of circumstances then you’ll never overcome your challenges. Do us all a favor and take some time to calm down before you lose your sanity. The last thing we need is another problem for us to deal with.”

“Yeah… right. I can do that.” Hyperion said, running towards the others to regroup.

The group soon made their way across the bridge and over to the next island. Carter kept his head on a swivel, surveying the area in search of anything that could help them get out of the Chaos Realm safe and sound. None of them had the ability to use magic to escape, so their only hope was to find something else that could do it for them. Their journey had lasted hours, yet still their was nothing to be seen. Hyperion began to return to his panicked mindset, wondering what Carter had in mind. He tilted his head to the side and raised his brow.

“Carter, how do you plan to get us out of here?” Hyperion inquired. He tested his human master, wanting to know if he really did have a plan to escape the Chaos Realm. “Do you even have an idea?”

“I do not.” Carter muttered through his clenched teeth. He was fully aware that the young timberwolf wanted nothing more than to test his patience, so he made sure to keep his words to a minimum, controlling his anger as he conversed with Hyperion. He turned his head over his shoulder, giving him a smug but understanding look.

“Oh, well that’s just great.” Hyperion plopped himself on the ground and whined. “Face it, there is nothing we can do now!”

“Hyperion, you need to just take a second to calm down.” Gaea noticed that the conflict between Carter and the young timberwolf was only building up by the second. She wanted to save Hyperion from going insane before it was too late. “We are not out of the fight just yet.”

“No…? No…!?” Hyperion shouted at his leader, mocking her for proclaiming such untruthful words. “Gaea, you are so wrong, and I say this with the utmost respect, we have no chance of escaping this place! Ever since we started this journey we just thought that everything was gonna work out the way we wanted it to. But no! The first thing that happens to us is our damnation in the Chaos Realm. If this is happening to us right now, one can only imagine the horrors that await us later down the road if we choose to continue fighting!” Hyperion hung his head in defeat. “Just face it, guys, we are hopeless. If Princess Twilight couldn’t even put up a fight, then what makes us think that we will do any better?”

The other timberwolves were at a loss for words. As much as they didn’t want to admit it, the young wolf had a point. Princess Twilight was known for being one of, if not the most powerful creature in all of Equestria, and even the likes of her was easily defeated by Grogar and his subjects. What were they thinking? They were just four timberwolves, a snake, and a human from an entirely different world. They had no magic, no wings to fly around, not even a means of fighting, besides Carter’s newly found blades. There was seemingly no point to continue on their quest, as nothing was looking to be in their favor.

Carter could sense that his allies' determination was beginning to falter. He too felt ashamed for being so easily defeated by Discord, but he knew that even though the battle was lost, the war was not yet over. If there was any chance to get revenge, then he was sure to take it. Carter raised his right arm to eye level and stared at the golden bracelet around his wrist, reminding himself about the Mane 6. He knew there was still hope, it was just a matter of finding it.

“No… we are not done.” Carter stated, walking past the group of distressed timberwolves and stopping at the edge of the island cliff. He looked out across the realm with his stoic expression. They all looked up at him, intrigued by what he had to say. He carried on peering into the vast lands, placing his hands on his hips. “We did not expect things to go our way, and we should’ve expected things to be difficult. We may be at a disadvantage, but there is always a way to overcome our problems. We must keep pushing forward, for we are only defeated once we choose to give up.”

“But how can we keep going?’ Hyperion asked, looking up at the human. “We are out of options.”

“Nonsssenssse.” Conda said, flicking his tongue at the young timberwolf. “You never give up when you are looking for food everyday. You and your pack keep hunting, hoping that you will find sssomething ssso that you don’t go to sssleep hungry. Thisss isss one of thossse momentsss. We mussst not give up, even if thingsss look difficult.”

“I will never lose hope, Hyperion.” Carter knelt down and placed his hand underneath the timberwolf’s chin. Hyperion raised his head. “And neither should you. I didn’t force you to come with me on this mission, you chose to tag along on your own accord, and you chose to do so because you had hoped that things would be better if you helped. Don’t just lose that because things get hard. Suck it up and keep going. I have faith that you will not surrender this easily.” Hyperion let his emotions spill out as he jumped into the humans arms, nuzzling against his chin. Carter could tell that Hyperion was scared and concerned for his well being, but he also knew that the young timberwolf had a lot of potential within him. He just needed a bit of encouragement.

“Ok… if you don’t give up, then neither will I.” Hyperion turned and hopped off of his master, landing on the ground. “I am ready to keep going.” The young timberwolf dropped his nervous countenance and smiled at his master, hopeful that he would stick to his word and find a way home.

“Good.” Carter said, signaling for the rest of the timberwolves to stand. They did as he commanded the moment he made the order. They stood up on their paws and straightened their posture as they awaited further instructions. “Let’s find our way back home.” The timberwolves firmly nodded in agreement, following the human across the island in search of a means to return to Equestria.

After many miles of walking, the group of heroes came across an oddly shaped rock formation jutting up from the ground. It was a marble pillar, located in the middle of an open area all by itself with no other formations like it as far as the eye could see. Gaea was the first to interact with it, analyzing the strange object with her keen sense of smell. She placed her nose against it, sniffing for any signs of danger. Nothing out of the ordinary was found to be.

“This is safe, no danger.” Gaea stated, alerting the others to her position. Carter led the rest of the group towards the alpha timberwolf, inspecting the pillar for himself. Carter immediately took notice of the strange symbols that were embedded in the pillar. They were similar to the one on the box that contained his Blades of Unity.

These symbols, they are written in the same language that King Terra spoke…

Carter looked around for some sign of importance to the pillar, as he found it odd that it was left by itself in the middle of the open. He found one peculiar symbol engraved in the top of the pillar, one which he actually recognized. Unlike the others, this one was not a foreign character, but rather Twilight’s cutie mark. This alone gave him enough proof that this thing, whatever it was, was quite possibly their ticket back to Equestria.

“This thing has the Princess’ cutie mark engraved on the top of itself. Perhaps we can use it to get back to Equestria.” Carter said, examining the pillar for anything else that could help them figure out its true purpose.

“That is rather odd.” Cronus said, seeing the image for himself. “You don’t suppose the Princess herself placed this here, do you?”

“Possibly, but I don’t believe that she knows of the old king’s tongue. Heck, I don’t even suppose Celestia herself knows it by memory, and both her and Luna are old enough to be considered ancient by this point in time.” Carter replied. The human straightened his stance and looked back at the cutie mark engraving. He ran out of logical ideas, so he just went with the first thing that came to his mind.

Maybe there’s a secret button or something somewhere hidden within this thing?

Carter reached out with his hand and pressed his fingers against the cutie mark engraving, hoping that something would happen. He made contact with the pillar, feeling its grainy texture between his fingertips. Nothing seemed to be happening for the time being, so he pushed against it with more force, this time intent on trying to find a secret button of sorts. The area around the engraving was pushed into the rest of the pillar, triggering a series of mechanical machinery from underneath his feet.

"Chaos Realm Cutie Map Online! Subject ID: Carter of Earth... confirmed. Initiating reconstruction protocols.”

Well… that seemed to do something.

The ground beneath the group of heroes shook with a mighty force as the pillar began to sink into the ground, splitting the very foundation of the entire island. Conda held tightly onto Carter as he and the timberwolves slowly backed away, watching the event take place from a safe distance. Soon the pillar was fully submerged underneath the ground and replaced with a Cutie Map identical to the one back in the Castle of Friendship. The shaking eventually stopped, concluding the shift of the landscape.

“Welcome, Carter. I have been expecting you for some time, now.” The human peered at the Cutie Map as a voice began to speak to him. With every syllable it spoke, the light emitted across the entire map would pulsate. The voice in question sounded feminine, one which Carter could only describe as having a light, welcoming tone.

“Who are you?” Carter inquired, wanting to know who was responsible for such peculiar events.

“I am the Spirit of Harmony, the very same one that used to live within the Tree of Harmony back when the elements were once in physical form.” The voice stated. Carter began to understand, knowing that it was the Spirit that led Twilight and her friends throughout all their friendship problems back in Equestria.

“What are you doing in the Chaos Realm?” Carter asked.

“As the Spirit of Harmony, I am gifted with the ability to travel through time and space as I please, thus my explanation as to how you have found me here in the Chaos Realm.” The Spirit explained. “What you see before you is a replica of the Cutie Map. There is a Cutie Map within every known realm that I have traveled to, in hopes that one day my teachings will be spread across not only Equestria, but other worlds as well.”

“But why? Why would you help us now?” Carter asked.

“Hah… you don’t think you are the only one who doesn’t fully trust Discord’s decisions, do you?”

Fair point…

“I had a strong feeling that he would one day banish somepony to this cursed realm, and it would seem that that day is today.”

“How can you get us home?” Carter asked.

“Well, with my help, you can return to Equestria and finish what you started.”

“Wait, really!?” Hyperion exclaimed in surprise. “We can go home! Yes! I never doubted you, Carter. I always believed that you would find a way back!” Carter looked over his shoulder and gave Hyperion a smug look, glaring at the young timberwolf with his furrowed eyebrows. Hyperion smiled nervously at the human, knowing that he was caught in the act.

“What’s the catch?” Carter inquired, turning his head back towards the Spirit.

“Catch?” The Spirit said, confused as to why Carter thought as such.

“Princess Twilight made it clear that the Cutie Map would only work for those who you deem worthy of your aid. What makes you think that we are worthy of such power?”

“I have been watching you for quite some time, Carter. The strength, courage and determination you present for your friends is unrivaled.” Even though he really didn’t want to, Carter smiled to himself, feeling honored to be known for such heroic acts. “Not only that, but your will to grow and adapt as a man prove to be quite considerable attributes as well when it comes to finding those who can share the true power of friendship. Equestria needs more like you if they wish to beat Grogar and protect their homeland.”

“But Discord is a being of incredible power. How can we expect to beat him this time instead of just getting sent back here?” Carter asked. “We were easily defeated the first time we encountered that madman. We weren’t even able to put up a fight.”

“That is where I can prove to be of service.” The Spirit spoke with a humble tone. The marble rim along the side of the map closest to Carter opened, revealing a blue crystal charged with special magic encapsulated within itself. The crystal was engulfed by a purple aura and sent levitating towards Carter. The human, though quite cautious, approached the crystal as it came to him. Once in reach, Carter held out his hands and the mystical object was dropped, the blue crystal losing the magical aura that carried it over to him as it fell into his palms. He lifted it to his face, getting a closer look at the supernatural object.

“What is this?” Carter questioned, rotating the object in his hands as he observed its distinct design.

“Unfortunately, this Cutie Map in particular lacks the special gem I require in order to open portals for you, so I alone won't be able to help you, not here. That crystal you're holding is one of the few crystals in all the realms that grants any creature the ability to control magic just like any other magic bearing creature. I have been saving it for somepony who needed it, but it looks like you will be needing its strength if you wish to stand a chance against Grogar and his subjects.” The gem glowed brighter the longer Carter held it in his hands. “Open your mind and allow the magic to enter your body and flow through you. Only then will the gift of magic be upon you and you can open portals.”

Fascinated by the power sealed inside the mystical crystal, Carter placed it between both his hands and held it out in front of him. He was unsure exactly how he was gonna ‘embrace’ the power of the crystal, but he did know that the ability to control magic in his human form would prove to be a great advantage against his foes. Closing his eyes and relaxing his body, Carter gripped the crystal, expecting to feel some sort of energy flow through his soul and grant him magical powers.

Carter stood there, patiently waiting for the energy to transfer from the crystal and into his body. The others on his team sat behind him, viewing the event take place from a distance. Seconds passed and nothing seemed to be working. Carter figured that it was because he wasn’t doing it right. In order to correct himself, he repositioned his feet and widened his stance. Then with a heavy breath, Carter reattempted to absorb the crystal’s magic.

“Give me your powers.” He whispered, struggling to feel any change occur within him.

“Erm… Carter, I don’t think it’s working.” Theia said, placing her paw over her mouth in order to keep herself from letting out a mocking laugh.

“Perhaps you are just not focusing enough energy into the crystal.” Cronus said, hoping to be of some help to the human.

Carter opened his eyes and dropped his head, staring at the crystal in defeat. He had no clue what he was doing wrong and it irritated him. He looked up at the Cutie Map and pursed his lips.

“What am I doing wrong?” Carter inquired, calling to the Spirit for aid.

“Nothing.” Carter, along with the rest of his group all lifted their heads in surprise, the same shocked expression coming over each of their faces.

What…?

“You are doing everything right, but it seems as though the crystal does not want to bestow you with its magical capabilities.” The Spirit spoke with a troubled tone, pondering the situation. She had clearly overlooked something about the human, but what that exactly entailed was unclear to them all. “You appear to already have that power within you.”

“You’re telling me that I already have the power to use magic?” Carter said, bewildered by the Spirit’s statement.

“Yes, you do.” The Spirit replied. “Even I am amazed by this phenomenon. It is beyond even my understanding. Nevertheless, this will simply make things easier for you and your team… in a sense.”

“Ok, so if I have the ability to use magic, then I should be able to open portals by myself, correct?” Carter inquired. The human wore a little smile on his face, feeling pretty good about knowing that he could control magic just like some of the ponies.

“Well… yes and no.” The Spirit answered. Carter perked his head up, fascinated by her statement. His smile immediately dropped. “In theory, yes, you can control magic as you please. But right now you are no more intelligent than an infant in the world of magic, thus you cannot open portals just yet.”

“How can I change that? How can I learn to control magic enough to open portals?” Carter asked.

“You must learn them for yourself, though I am afraid that a spell of that power is too much for you to learn so soon. In short, you cannot do it by yourself, not yet.” The Cutie Map began to glow with its purple aura and reached out for the crystal held within Carter’s hand. It lifted the mystical object and returned it into the map’s confines. “However, there is an alternate method of making this work.”

“What is your plan?” Carter inquired.

“It’s a long shot, but I can transfer myself into your body and use your magical capabilities to open a portal back to Equestria, similar to the Cutie Map. All you have to do is place your hands along the edge of the map and I will be able to open portals for you.” The Spirit said, offering another method of aiding the human in his quest. “But I must inform you that this method of helping you could mean the end of us both. Whilst inside your body, I will be dependent on you and you alone to sustain life. To put it simply, if you die, I die too, and that would impact all of Equestria for the worse.”

“Why is that?” Carter queried. “I don’t know much about spirits and such, but why would you perish if I die?”

“I am connected to this world through the earth that forms it. If I am transferred to you, I have no way to return, for unless you choose to put me back in the map, I am stuck within you. With that said, it is understandable that your death will kill me in the process, as I will have nothing to live off of. You can place me back in the Castle of Friendship’s Cutie Map once we get there, but until that point, I will be fully relying on you to stay alive.”

Carter began to understand the severity of the circumstances. He gritted his teeth as he thought about the situation further, fumbling around with other possible options. The human didn’t even want to chance the possibility of killing the Spirit of Harmony, the very thing that gifted balance to all of Equestria, but from what he could gather, this was the only option they had. He turned to the Cutie Map, placing one hand over the other to crack his knuckles.

“You don’t suppose there is any other way, do you?” Carter asked.

“Not that I see, no.” The Spirit admitted. “But I understand just how serious this threat is. I am more than willing to transfer my powers to you, as I fear that it might be the only way for you to get where you need to be.”

Carter moved his eyes down to the Cutie Map and approached the large structure. The human leaned down and rested his hands out across the edge of the map, readying himself for an expectantly unpleasant feeling to overcome him.

“What do you need me to do?” Carter asked.

“Just keep your hands out on the map like that, leave the rest of the work to me.” The Spirit’s bright and vibrant colors that came from the Cutie Map faded from its origins and began to head towards Carter’s arms. The magic from within the map pierced through the marble exterior and flooded Carter’s soul, filling him with the mystical powers of the Spirit of Harmony. While in effect, Carter strained his neck and grunted as the magic from within the Spirit transferred from the map to his body, the intense colors emitting from his skin and making the human glow with a prismatic color scheme. Carter did not experience pain as much as he thought, but the feeling of the intense magic flowing through his body all at once still proved to be an overwhelming experience.

The timberwolves standing behind him pulled their heads away from the human, wondering if they should help him. Though anxious, the alpha timberwolf ordered the others to stand down and simply let the event play out, knowing that Carter could endure the shift of magic.

All of the strange colors that lit up the human’s body slowly faded away once the shift of magical powers ended. The Cutie Map was drained of all previous activity, standing in the middle of the ground grey, dormant and lifeless. The human pulled his hands away from the Cutie Map and knelt to the ground, clenching his fists and fighting through the overwhelming feeling. Carter still felt the surge of magic from the Spirit of Harmony flow through him, but as time went on he began to become accustomed to the feeling. He lifted his shaking hands to eye level and stared at his palms, watching as his nerves would change in color every so often.

“Hold on just one second, Carter. Your anatomy is unlike anything I've ever studied before. The process will take a bit longer than I’d like to admit, but not too much longer.”

Carter heard the Spirit’s voice echo in his head, surprising him at first. He looked at the timberwolves and asked if they heard the voice, lifting his finger and pointing to his head. They shook their heads, oblivious as to what the human was trying to ask of them.

“They cannot hear me, Carter. I am like a simple thought in your head; I am all but physical.”

“Can you read my thoughts?” Carter asked, lifting his eyes to his forehead and furrowing his brow. “Cause if so, we might need to rethink this plan of yours.”

“No, I cannot read minds. Even if I could, I don’t believe I would enjoy some of the random thoughts that appear in your head.”

“Good.”

“... There, I got it figured out. You can now use my powers to create portals of your own for now. Just lift up your hand and imagine the place you want to be. Leave the rest to me.”

Carter lowered his fists and beckoned to the timberwolves. They all stood in unison and regrouped with the human, Gaea leading them as they approached their master. Once together, Carter gave a quiet nod to the pack, silently making sure that they were ready for departure. They nodded in return, affirming the human. With the team ready for action, Carter lifted his right hand and held it out in front of him, fighting against the kickback from the magic’s power with his left hand over his right arm. An image of the Castle of Friendship appeared in his mind as he focused the Spirit’s energy into his palm. Sparks of purple magic sputtered out of his hand, spawning a ball of energy out in the air in front of him. The small orb of mass grew bigger with the more energy it was receiving. The portal was ready, waiting for the heroes to step inside and take them back to Equestria.

“The portal is open and ready when you are, though I must advise caution. Discord will know of your return, and he will not hesitate in stopping you and your team. This time, you must put an end to his selfish plans and stop him here and now, for this may be the last chance you have to make things right.”

“Let’s get this son of a bitch.” Carter led the group into the portal, ready to fight the draconequus that stood on the other side.

1-10-2024, 5:59 AM

“I hope that she understands why I do the things I do. She can’t hate me for protecting her… right?” Discord was found near the Cutie Map found inside the Castle of Friendship. The draconequus sat in the crystal throne with the symbol of kindness engraved upon it. He leaned back and placed his chin against his knuckles. He kicked his feet up and rested them on the map as he talked to himself. “Bah, if only she could see things my way. I am only doing these things for her own good. If she wants to think otherwise, then so be it! She can come crawling back to me once this whole thing blows over.”

The familiar sound of interdimensional travel reverberated off the castle walls and into the map room, alerting Discord and warning him that someone was inside. He peered over his shoulder with a vile scowl and snapped his fingers, teleporting him to the front door of the castle. He held his hands out and used his magic to open the doors so he could get a good look of the outside. Standing just a few feet in front of him were the four timberwolves, each of them lined up against one another, snarling and barking at Discord with the desire for revenge burning inside them. There was a portal swirling around behind them, and soon the human stepped out of it and into Discord's view. Carter's golden armor glistened in the light of the portal before it closed, all the while Conda let out an angry hiss at Discord, flicking his tongue out at him. Carter stared at the draconequus with a most furious expression on his face, his eyes engulfed by the flames of vengeance. Discord returned the look, staring down upon the group of heroes.

"Ready for round two, Discord!?" Carter shouted, putting himself in a battle stance. The timberwolves stood by their master, ready to attack on his command.

"How did you get out of the Chaos Realm?" Discord asked, intimidated by the human's sudden growth in power. Never had he expected them to leave the Chaos Realm so quickly, let alone escape it in general.

"It would seem I still have allies in Equestria." Carter reached behind his back and pulled out the Blades of Unity. He tightly grabbed each of the swords' handles and held the weapons out in front of him towards Discord. "Me and my team have come for our revenge. For the sake of all Equestria, as well as your beloved Fluttershy, your reign of chaos ends now!"

"Hmmm… then it is as I feared." Discord closed his eyes and shook his head, disappointed with the human's choices. "You prove to be a threat to Lord Grogar's plans, and because of this, I am afraid that I have no choice but to dispose of you right here."

"Of all the lives to worry about, Discord, mine is not one of them." Carter said, flaring his nostrils and gritting his teeth as the rage from within his soul seeped through him.

"We will see about that!" Discord's eyes illuminated with a bright, yellow tone as his body began to levitate off the ground. Carter and his team all watched as the draconequus prepared for battle. As the storm clouds hovered over the land, the rain continued to pour down on the nearby area and the thunderous sounds of lightning echoed through the sky. Though the outcome of this fight was still to be determined, they both knew that the battle had officially begun. “Forgive me Fluttershy, for I must protect you at all costs.

The two sides began to circle each other in their fighting stances, daring the other to make the first shot. Discord stared grimly at the human and his pathetic excuse for a team while Carter kept his stoic composure, keeping his eyes locked on his target whilst sticking with the timberwolves. Discord broke the silence and shot a burst of chaos magic from his hands, aiming the magical beam straight towards Carter. The armor-clad warrior ordered the timberwolves to break off in different directions and away from the shot while he himself rolled backwards along his back, narrowly dodging the attack. The human got to his feet and thrusted his right hand out in front of him, sending the blade in that respective hand to go flying towards his adversary. The deadly weapon barreled towards the draconequus who, with a surprising display of reaction time, easily teleported away from the attack and appeared behind Carter.

Carter was unaware of Discord's current location so he spun around on his heels in hopes that he would be able to spot his enemy before he could attack. He found Discord standing on the ground, placing his hands together and charging up another blast of chaos magic. He was about to shoot it at the human, but Hyperion jumped into the air and towards Discord in order to give Carter some time to get situated. Upon landing, Hyperion leaned down and bit Discord's dragon-like leg, sinking his teeth into the scaly flesh. Discord writhed in pain once the timberwolf's sharp teeth embedded themselves into his leg. The draconequus looked down in anger and slapped the timberwolf across his face, forcing Hyperion high into the air and away from him.

While this took effect, Carter ran at Discord with his left sword in hand, reaching back with his right hand to recall his other means of fighting. His right blade levitated off the ground and flew straight to him, the hilt of the sword landing in Carter's palm. He grasped the weapon with a firm grip and leapt at Discord with both swords lifted above his head. Discord simply snickered at the human's ill conceived method of attacking him and summoned a block of metal to appear to his right. With a flick of his wrist, the metal block was sent flying to Carter as a means to intercept his attack. Knowing that the human was already fully committed on his part, Conda slithered off of Carter's shoulders and jumped at the metal block coming towards him. As a result of a brave yet stupid act, Conda took the blow, colliding with the block of metal and stopping it in mid air with his own body before it could come in contact with Carter's.

With nothing else preventing him from following through, Carter lowered his blades and swung them out in front of him. Discord could not do anything but dodge the attack, but it all happened too fast. The draconequus did manage to evade most of Carter's sword attack once the human landed, but he found himself subconsciously grunting after feeling blood leak from a fresh wound located on his chest. The blades had pierced Discord's flesh enough to where a deep cut could be seen, splitting the flesh.

"How dare you hurt me, mortal!!!" Discord aimed his hand forward and began to return fire. Carter rolled forward and dodged the chaos beams, avoiding any potential injuries. He rolled forward once more and bounded upwards on his recovery in an attempt to close the distance between him and Discord. The draconequus snapped his fingers and spawned a sword in his left hand. He stepped backwards a bit and took a probing swing with his sword once the human landed. Carter parried the blow with his left bracer and threw out a straight jab to Discord's face, which connected to his jaw. Discord whipped his head back once the jab connected, pacing a few steps away from the armored warrior in order to give himself enough time to recover.

Discord kicked his leg upward, leaning into his momentum, but Carter narrowly dodged it with enough time to counter strike. He grabbed Discord by his ankle and threw him over his shoulder, forcing the enemy onto the ground face first. Whilst dazed, Carter took the opportunity to hop on top of Discord and throw out a mighty hook toward the back of his skull. However, Carter instead connected his fist with the dirt beneath him, as his attack was promptly dodged by Discord's incredible display of agility. The draconequus bucked his hips upward and pushed Carter's body up towards his chest. Once in position, Discord grabbed Carter by his hair and went in for a headbutt, but Carter swiftly countered by putting his right bracer in front of his face. Discord's nose came in contact with the golden plating, forcing the draconequus to retreat backward as a sharp pain filled his nostrils. With no other plans to act upon, Discord snapped his fingers and teleported away from Carter, positioning himself away from the human in order to regain control of himself.

In order to take advantage of this time, Carter ran over to the metal block that landed on Conda. Bending over, Carter grabbed a hold of the block of metal and pulled it off of the poor anaconda, making sure to lift with his legs. Once successfully off of Conda, Carter threw the metal block to his side and knelt down to examine the anaconda. Conda had many bruises and appeared to be unfit to continue fighting. Carter gingerly placed his hands underneath Conda's body and lifted him off of the ground. The human beckoned for Cronus, who arrived shortly after.

"Conda is wounded. Take him with you and do not let Discord near you or him. Is that clear?" Carter stated.

"Yes, Carter." Cronus replied. "I shall see to it that this snake is protected at all costs."

"Good, now off with you!" Carter gestured away from himself, ordering for the timberwolf to escape with Conda in his possession. Once cleared, Carter turned around, ready to continue the fight. He was too late, as Discord proved to be three steps ahead of him. He shot a burst of chaos magic straight at Carter which made contact with his armor. The golden plating was enough to prevent any major injuries from being inflicted upon him, but the force of the attack was enough to send Carter stumbling backward. With a quick recovery, Carter grabbed a hold of his swords and attempted a left swing at his opponent, but Discord boosted backwards, breaking off the engagement temporarily. Carter immediately returned to his fighting stance, holding the Blades of Unity close to his chest.

"You cannot win, Carter. I will come out on top, and I will ensure Fluttershy's safety." Discord shouted, throwing taunts at Carter.

"Oh, for… damnit, Discord, we want to make sure they are all safe! Why can't you just accept our help!?" Carter replied, dropping his hands to his sides.

Filled with hatred for the human, Discord aimed his hand outwards but Carter, with a hasty slash of his right sword, struck the draconequus’ dominant hand charging the magic beam, forcing a pained shout from him as he retreated. Carter capitalized on this advantage and took a step back, leaning in on his rear foot and throwing his left sword out in front of him. He let go of the weapon in the middle of his attack and used his ability to recall the sword just enough to keep the blade in mid air and sweep the area in front of him, giving Carter a bit of a ranged attack to work with. The blade neared Discord, forcing a reaction out of him. The draconequus held his hand up and used his chaos magic to summon a wall of stone to block the oncoming projectile from striking him. The sword collided against the stone barrier, embedding itself inside of the defensive wall.

Carter recalled the blade to his hand and prepared for another attack. Discord briefly rushed at the armored warrior before snapping his fingers and teleporting behind him. Carter quickly spun around and closed in with a heavy roundhouse kick. The human parried the oncoming blow and counterattacked with a strong haymaker to the enemy’s gut, forcing Discord to go into a vulnerable position once he felt the punch knock the wind out of him. Carter followed up with a rising uppercut with his sword in hand. The blade’s hook-like edge caught a hold of the flesh underneath Discord’s chin and sliced through with ease, spilling even more blood onto the metal weapon.

“Urgh! Enough!!!” Discord exclaimed, stepping backward before dashing forward towards the human and instigating brutal melee combat. He wrapped his arms around Carter and forced him onto the ground, forcefully pushing his palms into the warrior’s neck. Carter grabbed a hold of Discord’s wrists and pushed against them, attempting to give himself some room to breathe. However, the draconequus’ strength proved to be quite intimidating, as he found himself struggling to fight against him.

Carter lifted his right leg and hooked his ankle around Discord’s neck. He pulled down against his body and forced Discord onto the ground, granting him the advantage. Carter threw his swords to the side of him and mounted himself on top of the draconequus, pinning his arms underneath the warrior’s legs and preventing him from attacking. Carter lifted one arm at a time above his head and sent powerful cross jabs across Discord’s face, the blood from each blow spilling out and splattering across the warrior’s fists. Discord knew he was in a very bad position and snapped his fingers once more in order to teleport away from the human.

Discord reappeared behind Carter and pinned him to the ground with his foot, burying his clawed toes into his neck. Carter grabbed a hold of Discord’s ankle and applied enough resistance to keep his claws from puncturing his flesh. Gaea and Theia knew that this was their chance to help their master, and so they both ran to his aid, biting down on Discord’s forearms and tearing away at the skin. Discord lifted his arms, forcing both timberwolves off the ground. He then snapped his fingers and forced two sets of vines to shoot out of the ground and wrap themselves around the timberwolves, immobilizing them in its bondage. Discord then looked back at Carter and lifted his other foot, kicking the warrior across the face. He repeated the attack several more times, forcing Carter to lift his free hand towards the side of his head in order to block the oncoming blows. Realizing that kicks would no longer suffice, Discord pointed his hand out at Carter. The ground surrounding him split and more vines emerged, wrapping themselves around Carter’s arms. Unable to move, Discord moved his claws and pushed against Carter’s neck, slowly cutting into the skin. Carter let out a pained grunt after feeling the sharp appendages bury themselves into his flesh. Discord looked at the human and laughed, knowing that victory was near.

“I am sorry that this had to happen, Carter, I truly am. However, just like you do, I too have my reasons to fight. I never sought your death, boy, but you leave me no choice.” Discord commanded the vines to pull against Carter’s arms, slowly pulling them out of socket. Carter's voice violently escalated from a grunt to a shout of pain as he felt his body gradually rip apart. “It pains me to see you like this, but I know that this is what must be done.”

“You don’t know shit about what needs to be done, Discord. You’re not doing this for Fluttershy, you are doing this for yourself.”

“Maybe… but I would rather see her alive than dead.” Carter could feel his limbs hang on the brink of tearing apart, the vines continuing to pull away at the human’s body. “If only Princess Twilight was wiser with her choices, she could’ve picked a better, more suitable hero to save the day. But no, she had to choose you. Foolish.”

You want to see what “better” really is!?

Carter erupted with a roar of anger, his body fuming with the hatred and intensity of a creature filled with nothing but pure rage. His scar glowed red and his eyes began to change colors, shifting from the normal green to an intense white. With one mighty pull of his arms, Carter broke free from the vines’ bondage and swung his fist towards Discord’s kneecaps, connecting with the bony appendage and breaking it, hearing the sound of bones snap as the attack made contact. The draconequus shouted in pain, his leg collapsing against the weight of his body. Carter stood up and freed his other arm, turning his attention back towards Discord. The armored warrior grabbed his adversary by the scruff of his neck and delivered a hefty gut punch to Discord’s abdomen, sending him flying across the way and smacking into a nearby oak tree. Carter let out another roar of pure rage as he ran towards the enemy, fists clenched by his sides.

Discord got up and limped a few steps away from the tree, but felt a pair of hands grab him by the back of his head and force his face into the oak tree. Carter kept one hand against the draconequus’ head and used his other to deliver a straight punch directly towards him, making contact with the back of Discord’s cranium and further pushing his face into the tree’s bark. Discord lost all feeling in his body for a short time after the punch connected, resulting with his entire body falling to the ground, nearly unconscious.

Carter looked at the tree and noticed that about half of its trunk was broken off. He looked back at Discord and snarled, thinking of an idea. He withdrew his hidden blade and cut away at the tree trunk with one swift swing of the blade. The tree, now split in half from where he cut at the wood, slowly descended down towards Discord. The tree fell to the ground, colliding with the dirt beneath and crushing the draconequus underneath its heavy, wooden structure.

Carter could not see Discord moving underneath the tree, notifying him that the battle was over. He looked down at his hands, watching as they shook around while the rage within him gradually faded away. He gingerly clenched his fists together and closed his eyes. He let out a small breath to regain his composure, feeling the rest of him return to normal. Carter opened his eyes and proceeded towards the rest of his team. He reached out with his hands and retrieved his blades once they flew back to him.

The human found Gaea and Theia still trapped in their viney bonds. Carter leaned down and cut away at the vines in order to free them. Once done, the alpha timberwolf thanked her master for his help and beckoned for the rest of her pack to regroup with her. Cronus and Hyperion noticed her signal and rushed to her side, the former carefully carrying the wounded anaconda on his back.

“Is it…” Hyperion spoke through panted breaths, “... is it over? Did we win?”

“Yes, Hyperion. We have won.” Carter said, smiling at the young timberwolf and reaching behind his head with his hand, scratching the wooden creature behind his ears. Hyperion let his tongue hang from the side of his mouth, his foot thumping in pleasure as he stood there, enjoying the feeling that came from the human’s loving gesture.

“What now?” Gaea inquired.

“Now we continue our mission. Discord is but one of the many threats we must eliminate in order to save Equestria. I fear our work is not nearly done.” Carter answered, wiping the blood from his neck wounds.

“Damn, that was tough.” Theia said, shaking her head in amazement. “To know that this isn’t it. We still have so much more to do.”

“We do, but we will get through it.” Carter said, standing to his feet. The team turned and faced the Castle of Friendship, ready to continue with their mission. The snap of a nearby branch echoed through the area, alerting the team that someone was nearby. Carter was the first to find the one responsible for the noise, but he stopped all movement after finding Discord with his right hand pointed at him, fully charged with chaos magic.

“You will never get away with this! Do you hear me!?” Discord exclaimed, tears filling his eyes as he shouted angrily at the human. “Why can’t you just accept change? I have seen the greatness Lord Grogar has to offer, and I will make you understand, one way or another.”

“Now now, Discord. Let’s not do something we might regret.” Carter said, trying to ease the tension felt within the draconequus.

“No!!! Fluttershy will survive, and I will not let you take her away from me!!!” A flash of light erupted from Discord’s hand, releasing the power of the magic beam straight towards Carter. The human, with little time to react, held his hands in front of him, expecting some sort of intense pain to overcome him. However, as time went on, he felt no such pain. He carefully lowered his arms and looked upon a most horrible sight.

Standing before him was Discord, but to Carter’s surprise, the draconequus was encased in stone, forever prohibited from life. Carter was in shock, wondering how this could have happened. However, to Carter’s disappointment, he got his answer shortly following the discovery of the stone-encased Discord. To his right, Carter saw Hyperion with his jaw clamped down against Discord’s fist. The young timberwolf was engulfed by the stone as well, the two creatures forming one big statue of sorts. Carter couldn’t begin to accept it.

He sacrificed himself for us…

“Hyperion!” Theia shouted, running over to the stone- encapsulated timberwolf. She stood up on her hind legs and pressed her forepaws against the stone, looking for a way to free him. “This can’t be, I refuse it!”

“Theia, there is no way we can free him.” Cronus said, hanging his head in shame.

“There has to be!” Theia looked over at Carter, desperate for aid. “Can’t you just use the Spirit of Harmony to help us?”

“I wish I could, truly I do. However, I am afraid that freeing someone from stone is beyond my level of expertise.”

“She cannot help us.” Carter replied.

Theia looked back at the stone timberwolf, softly crying as she came to her senses. Knowing that there was nothing they could do to free him, Theia pressed her forehead against his and let her emotions spill out. Carter walked up to the distressed timberwolf and placed his hand over her shoulder. She looked up at the human, her eyes big and beady with the feeling of sadness overwhelming her.

“We must keep going, Theia. If we hurry, we may find somepony that can help us free him.” Carter said, comforting the saddened timberwolf. “He did a very brave thing, you should feel proud for him.”

“I know… I just…” Theia could not find it in herself to talk. She hung her head down, contemplating the thought in her head in silence.

“Come, let’s keep moving.” Carter beckoned for the pack, who followed beside him as he entered the Castle of Friendship, ready to find the next threat to eliminate. Theia looked back at her stone-encased companion and gave off a sad smile, as she knew deep down that what he had done for them had saved their lives. Carter turned his head as well, looking back at Discord. "Don't you worry. Fluttershy will be safe now, that is my promise."

2 hours later…

“I have reestablished connection to the castle’s Cutie Map. I am now able to transport you to and from any destination in Equestria from here.”

The Castle of Friendship’s Cutie Map lit up with a plethora of colors and shapes as the Spirit of Harmony reinserted herself into the map and used her magic to return power. Carter stood at the end of it with his hands resting along the marble outlining, looking around for any signs of Grogar and the Legion.

"Spirit, how should I go about this?" Carter asked, wondering how he should plan his attacks.

"Grogar is protected by six special barriers, each one powered by one of the Legion's members. Having defeated Discord, one of the barriers have been eliminated, thus moving you one step closer to defeating the Legion. In order to fight Grogar you must eliminate the remaining five members."

Carter surveyed the area on the map, looking for his next target. He spotted a large black dot located near the south side of Equestria. The shape of it seemed familiar to him, catching his attention the moment he first saw it.

“Spirit, what is that place right there?” Carter inquired, pointing his finger in the direction of the black dot. The map zoomed in and enhanced the image of the location, giving Carter a more clear visual of the location.

“This is the home of the Changelings. Once belonging to the reformed variants, Queen Chrysalis has taken control and brought forth the destruction of their homeland, making it her own personal kingdom to rule as she pleases. Currently, Queen Chrysalis is keeping not only the reformed changelings, but also all of the pony slaves within the kingdom’s walls, as Lord Grogar has requested that she take charge of the pony prisoners while he expands the Canterlot prisons. If we hurry, we may be able to destroy Queen Chrysalis and save the ponies, as well as the Changelings.”

“Then that is where we will start. Spirit, open the portal to the Changeling Kingdom.” Carter stated.

“Can do. Give me just a moment while I acquire the coordinates.”

While the Spirit did her thing, Carter turned around and faced the rest of his team. He saw the three timberwolves all lined up behind him, along with the anaconda who laid beside them.

"Alright, remember to stay here and protect the castle while I am gone." He said, speaking to the timberwolf pack. Carter turned his attention back to Conda. "I understand you just healed, but if you would like to accompany me on this mission then you are free to do so."

"I think I am ok, Carter. I will come with you." Conda replied, slithering over to the human and crawling up his back. The anaconda perched on Carter's shoulders and stayed there until further instructions were given.

"The portal is open and ready when you are. Good luck."

"That's our cue, Conda. You ready?" Carter said.

"Alwaysss ready."

"Good luck out there, Carter." Gaea said. "We will do our best to make sure that no evil enters this place until you return."

"Good. Be back soon." Carter shifted direction and walked towards the portal. He stopped in front of it, preparing for another crazy ride to the Changeling Kingdom. The image of the Mane 6 appeared in his mind, remembering all the fond memories he had with them. He smiled, looking forward and entering the portal. The timberwolves sat beside one another, watching Carter step through the portal until it closed behind him once he was successfully through.

Don't worry, girls, I am on my way.

Author's Note

The first of the Ultimate Legion of Doom has been eliminated, encapsulated in stone. With one down, five still remain. Next stop, The Hive.

Bit of a longer chapter, I know, but I just couldn't let Discord go away without a proper fight scene. Hope everypony enjoyed this one! As always, comments are always encouraged!

Peace,

-MCX

Chapter 6: Thorax Rescue Op.

With the ponies' location now known, Conda and I are traveling to the Hive, Queen Chrysalis' hideout. We don't expect it to be easy, but I fear there are no other options. I have done some stupid shit in my life, but taking on an entire army of flying parasites by myself with help from a snake is probably a personal best. I can't say I want to do this, but I sure as hell can't avoid it.

1-10-2024, 8:10 AM

“Oh, what fun! The Mane 6 have been sent to my domain just for some time alone with me!” The leader of the unreformed changelings, Queen Chrysalis, trotted over to the encaged Princess of Friendship. She pressed her face against the iron bars and stuck her tongue out in a taunting manner. “You girls really do like showing everypony the true power of friendship. I mean, I can’t believe all the great things that I have missed out on! If this is what it’s like to have friends, then sign me up!” She leaned her head back and cackled aloud, basking in her evil ways.

The lavender alicorn sat in her cage, silently glaring at the queen. Her body was covered from head to hoof in scratches and other superficial wounds, her normally purple coat tainted by the blood from said injuries. The rage in her soul was unfathomable, filling by the minute as she thought about everything that the Legion had taken from her. Looking into the eyes of her enemy, she wanted nothing more than to use her magic to blast a hole right through Queen Chrysalis’ face, but the green gems littered around the area disabled her magic manipulating powers, rendering her weak.

“Tell me, how does it feel to lose everything you worked so hard for?” Princess Twilight grit her teeth together, violently striking the iron bars with her hoof. “Everything you once loved and cared for is gone. Now you know exactly what I feel. Consider this revenge, revenge at its best.” Chrysalis glared down at the alicorn princess, her malicious stare embedding the feeling of fear and dread into Twilight’s soul.

“You better back away from her, Chrysalis.” Rainbow Dash shouted, using her words to pull the queen’s attention to her. "We won't let anyone talk to Twilight like that!"

“That’s Queen Chrysalis to you, fool!” The changeling queen shifted over towards the sky-blue pegasus’ cage and kicked her hoof against the bars containing the creature. “Do not disrespect me! I am the queen of the changelings, their true queen, and you will respect my title! Understand?”

“Sure, whatever.” Rainbow Dash said, turning her head away from Chrysalis. “Remind me to actually give a care when you learn to shut up for once.”

“Oh, you want to end up like all the others who defied me!?” Chrysalis kicked the cage again, this time with even more force. Her voice increased both in volume and intensity, enough to strike fear into anypony else. But, Rainbow Dash kept calm, glaring at Chrysalis as she yammered on. “Do you really want to lose your life over something as minor as this!?” Rainbow Dash kept her mouth shut. As much as she hated to admit it, she knew very well that the queen meant what she said. Rainbow Dash had always thought of herself as a very fit, agile pony, but without the ability to fly, due to the unfortunate fact that her wings were tied together with rope, she knew she couldn’t take on any more than three or four changeling soldiers by herself. “That’s what I thought.” Queen Chrysalis turned away from the pegasus, focusing her attention back on Princess Twilight.

The rest of the Mane 6 were all located behind the princess, each encapsulated in their own separate cage. Rarity sat up against the iron bars, using her hoof to groom her mane. Applejack kept her hat down in front of her face, casting a shadow over her eyes so that no pony could see what she was looking at. She kept a blank expression on her face, keeping to herself as to not annoy the queen any further. Fluttershy kept low to the ground, shaking vigorously while hiding her face behind her pink mane. Even Pinkie Pie could not find any reason to be happy, as her normally joyful spirit was completely stripped away from her. She layed in the corner of her cage, softly crying behind the cover of her forelegs.

“Just you wait, Twilight. Soon everything will return to normal, and you will finally experience the greatness that Lord Grogar has planned for us.” said Chrysalis.

“You are wrong.” Twilight said, pulling her head into the light.

“Ah, so she does speak.” Chrysalis chuckled to herself. “And how exactly am I wrong about that, dear princess?”

“You will never win, Chrysalis. The power of friendship will overcome all the evil that you have placed in Equestria and we will stop you from hurting anypony else.”

“You have so much hope that things will turn out ok, don’t you.” The changeling queen lowered her head towards the Princess of Friendship. “I don’t see that happening. Whatever, it isn’t like I don’t enjoy watching you perish in these cages, haha!” Another cackle escaped from the queen’s lungs.

An unreformed changeling clad in black battle armor suddenly came into view, bursting through the dungeon doors. He stopped in front of Chrysalis, holding his halberd straight in the air and standing straight in front of his queen.

“Commander Akula. What brings you here?” Chrysalis inquired.

“There are reports of an unknown creature covered in golden armor seen spawning in front of the hive. We do not truly know if its intentions for coming here are hostile, but I have my reasons to believe that this thing intends on attacking us.” The armored changeling reported in an almost monotone yet powerful voice.

“Can you tell me more about this… unknown creature? Pony? Changeling? Come on, I need answers.” Chrysalis demanded, striking the ground beneath her with her hoof.

“It does not resemble any known creature, my queen. None of my men know of its existence, nor its reason for coming to Equestria.” Commander Akula informed, squinting his red, beady eyes. “Although, I do suspect that it is not one of Grogar’s accomplices. It’s appearance can only be described as a tall biped, around six feet tall; hair on its head and unclawed hands and feet.”

Each of the ponies all perked up. They knew of the creature that Akula had spoken of. Princess Twilight stood on her hooves and leaned closer towards the two changelings.

“Wait, is it a human?” Twilight shouted, eager to know more about the creature they discussed about. A hopeful smile swept over her face as she thought about him. Chrysalis looked over her shoulder, glaring at the alicorn princess.

“Oh, so you know of this thing?” Chrysalis grinned at the princess, knowing that she had caught her in her act. Twilight’s heart sunk, immediately regretting her outburst. Her eyes widened once she realized that she just exposed the identity of the creature. “Well, that makes things a whole lot easier. Commander Akula, ready our troops and take care of this thing. I want it dead. Now. No questions asked.”

“Yes, my queen. It shall be done.” The commander rotated and proceeded through the doorway and exited the dungeon. Meanwhile, Queen Chrysalis stared at the Mane 6 with an evil grin, laughing aloud.

“No! Don’t do this to him, he doesn’t deserve the same fate as us!” Twilight shouted, begging for Chrysalis to recall the attack.

“Chrysalis, don’t ya go through with this! Ya hear me? Let him go!” Applejack exclaimed.

"Don't you dare touch him, Chrysalis! He doesn't deserve this!" Fluttershy yelled, pushing her mane away from her face and striking her cage with her hooves. “You cannot do this! YOU CAN'T!!!”

“Quit your whining, you pathetic ponies.” Chrysalis shouted, stomping her hoof down against the ground. “If this thing poses a threat to me and my kind, then I am forced to act accordingly. You may not want him dead, but the way I see it, it is the only way to make sure that you do not leave my sight.” The changeling queen pressed her forehead against the iron bars on Twilight’s cage. “Believe me, Princess. You will never see him again, I will make sure of that.”

Queen Chrysalis turned around on her hooves and exited the dungeon, leaving the mares in the dark as the doors closed. Twilight could not believe herself. Her careless act had brought doom to the human. She stumbled backwards and away from her current position, pushing herself into the corner of her cage. She curled into a ball and buried her face against her forehooves. Humiliated and embarrassed, she began to softly cry, letting the tears freely escape from her eyes and flow down her hooves. The other mares all hung their heads in sympathy for their leader, feeling the same dread while they thought about the human.

“Carter. Why…? *sniff* Why did you have to come back?” The lavender alicorn could not hold in her emotions anymore. The weight of her burdens grew too much and she fell to tears.

“Don’t worry, Twi. Carter will get through to us. Ah know for sure he can do it.” Applejack said, attempting to lift Twilight’s spirit.

“Applejack, I don’t think you understand.” Twilight said, turning her head towards the orange farm pony. “I appreciate your positive outlook on things, but if he… if Carter is really out there, he is not going to make it here alive. They will outnumber him, they will hurt him and they will kill him.”

“You don’t know that, dear.” Rarity said.

“Carter is one of the coolest guys out there, and that’s saying something coming from me!” Rainbow Dash added.

“If he has made it here after all this time, Ah am sure he can do it.” Applejack stated.

“Maybe…” Twilight moved her head to its previous position. “but if he doesn’t make it, what then?”

“Well then… we will have nothing more to lose.” Pinkie Pie said.

“All we can do now is hope.” Fluttershy added.

The portal closed behind the armored warrior once he was fully through and safely on the other side. Standing before him was a massive structure built from what could only be described as black webbing glued together with green ooze, towering in comparison to everything else in the vicinity. The structure itself did not seem to resemble anything like a castle, but rather a hive similar to that of insects.

“So, this is the changeling’s new home.” Carter raised his head as he analyzed the Hive, finding himself bewildered by its unique appearance and architecture. The Hive itself was protected by a wall made of the same material, with a single doorway granting passage protected by a multitude of changeling soldiers. “Looks like shit.”

“How do you sssupossse we get inssside?” Conda inquired, laying his head against Carter’s shoulder and tilting it in his direction.

“I don’t know. We will just have to see if they can tell us that themselves.” Carter said, lifting his right hand to eye level.

“Umm… I don’t think they will jussst tell usss how to get in sssimply becaussse we asssked politely.” Conda said.

“Well then-” The hidden blade from within the golden bracer extended out of its sheath and into view, locking in place once fully extended. “-don’t let it be said that I never gave them a chance to cooperate.” The armored warrior retracted the blade and lowered his hand.

“Hello, can you hear me?”

A sudden voice echoed in Carter’s head. The source was unknown to him, sounding like a monotone male. He lifted his head up, looking around for the one responsible.

“Who’s there?”

“I take it that you can in fact hear me. Great!”

“Who are you talking to, Carter? I don’t hear anyone.” Conda inquired, looking around and expecting to find someone nearby.

“I don’t know. I hear someone’s voice in my head.” Carter answered.

“I won’t waste anymore of your time, as I have been informed on the severity of these events. I am SETH, the sentient spirit embedded within your armor. I was created by King Terra in order to help you with your journey. Forgive me for being so late, but I was unknowingly awoken just now.”

Hmmm… so I have my own personal voice in my head. I mean, that can only mean good things, right? Took its sweet time, but I guess it's better late than never.

“What is it you do?” Carter asked. While the human began to strike a conversation with the spirit in his head, Conda just rested along the human’s shoulder and watched in silence, hoping that Carter hadn’t lost his sanity after going through the portal.

“My purpose is limited, but can grant a very great advantage where it applies. I can project a map of nearby areas, allowing you to see places that your eyes can’t. I can also inform you about points of interest, such as special items and places that may be of help to you. I will work in silence, so you need not worry about any distractions. I will only talk if you call for my aid.”

“Interesting.” Carter turned to Conda with a half smile. “I guess I got my own little scanner in my head. It says it can help us map out the area.”

“Wow, really? Who gave you that?” Conda asked, tilting his head in confusion.

“I think it was the old king. It’s name is SETH.”

“Ok, I guesss I can underssstand that.” Conda said, looking back at the hive. “Well, if it can give you a map of the nearby area, why not try it out right now? Tell SssETH to ssscan the area ssso we know where to go from here.”

“Good idea, Conda. SETH, give me a map of the hive.”

“Understood, calibrating Chrysalis’ domain now. Processing…”

As SETH created the map image, Carter found himself astonished by what he was seeing. The map was being drawn out in his mind, allowing him to mentally see the map as if it were physically in front of him. Conda shook in surprise, finding that the human’s eyes began to glow with a purple pigmentation. Carter’s jaw was left agape, surprised that the king would give him something so advantageous. While the human and the snake patiently waited, the map soon stopped in development, ending just outside the hive’s walls.

“What happened? Are we too far away?” Carter inquired, raising his brow in confusion.

“No, it is something else. It appears that I am unable to scan the area any further due to magic prohibiting crystals located inside the Hive. With these activated, I am afraid that I do not have the means to locate Chrysalis from here.”

“Damn, it’s a no go.” Carter said to Conda.

“Ssshoot. It wasss worth a ssshot.” Conda replied.

“Luckily, I have found another means of getting you in the Hive and finding Chrysalis.”

“Really? What do you have planned for us?” Carter tilted his head.

“According to my scans, it would appear that all of the reformed variants of the changelings are located outside the walls of the Hive, just east of your current position. Upon further inspection I have located their leader, Thorax. If you can free him then he may be able to guide you through the Hive in order to locate and defeat Chrysalis, as well as free the ponies. I have marked Thorax’s coordinates on the map. There are no magic prohibiting crystals outside of the Hive, so I will be able to keep him marked for as long as he is outside the hive’s walls.”

“Understood, on my way.” Carter said.

“Well, what did it say?” Conda inquired.

“SETH has been able to find and mark Thorax. If we free him, then he might be able to tell us where to find Chrysalis. It’s not guaranteed, but we have no other options… I mean, unless we just want to go in swords swinging.” Carter flicked a quick smirk at the anaconda.

“No, no. I think your firssst idea isss better.” Conda shook his head violently, protesting against the human’s second option. “Let’sss jussst find Thorax and help him. If we are lucky then we can get sssome help from the reformed changelingsss asss well.”

Carter nodded to the snake and proceeded on course with the path that SETH’s map had created. Traveling along the outskirts of the Hive walls and staying out of sight, the armored warrior traveled through bushes and small trees in order to give himself some natural cover to work with.

Hundreds of unreformed changelings flew above the Hive, patrolling the area and searching for any potential threats such as the human. They would travel to one side and then proceed to the other side once they confirmed that it was clear, repeating the motion nonstop. Carter and Conda made sure that they were out of sight, keeping a lookout for any oncoming enemies.

The sound of two changelings conversing with each other was soon heard, alerting Carter that someone was nearby. He pressed his back against a nearby pillar, maintaining a low profile while also giving himself enough room to eavesdrop on their conversation. Carter flicked a quick glance at Conda, ordering him to watch his back while he looked forward. The anaconda nodded, turning his head and surveying the area. Carter leaned his head in a bit closer, listening to what the changelings had to say.

“I find it quite pathetic, really. You were so easy to overthrow.” The first changeling to speak had a low and raspy tone, which Carter titled ‘the grunt’.

“Our queen thought that you would be of at least some challenge to her, but now all she can talk about is how boring you were. To think that they chose you to be their leader, ha!” The second spoke with a slightly higher pitch, no rasp at all. Carter named this one ‘the scout’.

“Who are they talking to? Can you get a glimpssse of them at all?” Conda asked, keeping his eyes focused on his side.

“No I don’t. Just keep quiet and make sure we aren’t being watched, I might get enough info to work with if I listen to their conversation a bit longer.” Conda replied with a silent nod, keeping watch over Carter’s shoulder. Carter remained quiet, resuming his tactical espionage.

“You know what? I don’t know what the queen has in store for you. It makes me giddy trying to figure out all the possibilities.” said the scout.

“I don’t know either, but I am quite certain that her highness will be more than happy to torture the hell out of you when she gets the chance!” added the grunt. The two changelings erupted in laughter, no doubt imagining all the cruel things that Queen Chrysalis would do to this unknown creature. Through their chuckling, Carter could hear the sound of wings flapping in the distance, closing in on their position. The armored warrior kept to the pillar, hoping that it would pass by without noticing them.

“Hey, what are you idiots doing!?” Carter and Conda froze up, expecting to have been caught. However, the sound of flapping wings stopped on the other side of the pillar, giving Carter the knowledge that this new creature was in fact heading towards the two changelings instead of him and Conda. The two of them looked at each other with nervous smiles and let out a quick sigh in order to regain full focus. Upon further audible examination, a third changeling had entered the scene, surprising the other two with his booming tone.

“C-C-Commander Akula! We were just… uh… making sure that he was in his rightful place, yeah.” said the grunt, who stumbled over his own words due to obvious panic.

“That is correct, sir. We were just doing a quick check on him, nothing more!” The scout also found it rather difficult to speak fluently, as he too was filled with anxiety.

“Enough of your insolence, you two!” Commander Akula struck the ground with his boot-clad hoof, furious by the way the grunt and the scout were acting. He growled at the other changelings. “I have been sent here to inform you two that there have been a few of my men telling me that an unknown creature has been seen walking around the Hive. Our queen has ordered me to tell you that if any of you find this thing, be sure to kill it on sight. No mercy.”

“Why? What could be so bad about that?” asked the grunt.

“You dare question the queen’s orders!?” Another forceful, metallic stomp echoed through the air for a second.

I swear, if he stomps the ground again then this whole place is gonna turn into a crater.

“No, never!” said the scout, his voice rising due to the fear he felt for his higher-up.

“If you must know, it has been confirmed that this creature I speak of means to attack us and free the ponies. As I have previously stated, if any of you find it, kill it. Does that make sense to you two? Have I specified it to your likings?”

“Yes, Commander Akula! We understand completely!” said the scout.

“Good, now get up there with the rest of my men and help them search for this thing. We cannot afford to let this thing slip past us.”

“Yes, Commander Akula!” The sound of fluttering wings was heard once more, this time getting quieter the more it went on. Carter kept still until the sound was fully mute, letting him know that they had left the scene.

“I think they are gone.” Conda said.

“Yep, but just give it a second. For all we know there are still a couple more in the area. The last thing we need is for the whole platoon to come after us.” Carter replied, keeping his back against the pillar. He kept his ears alert for anything like a footstep or even a whisper; anything that could ruin their plans.

“If it would help you at all, I can do a quick scan for nearby lifeforms.”

Are you serious!? You just now tell me that you can search the area?

“Sure, go for it.” Carter said, speaking with a bit of irritation, yet keeping it to a soft whisper in case any other changelings were nearby.

“Understood. Activating vital scans, view your map for details.”

Carter's eye color shifted to purple, changing what he saw to get a look at the map image. A pulsating wave came into view on the diagram, expanding across the nearby area. Soon following, a multitude of small green dots were seen on the map, warning Carter that there were still a massive number of creatures in the area.

“Threats?” Carter inquired.

“No, not threats. Anything of caution will be highlighted in red. This is actually the entirety of the captured reformed changelings I previously mentioned. Somewhere just on the other side of this pillar is Thorax, which I have marked for you on your map display.”

Carter looked up at the map, noticing that one of the green dots had the familiar mark right above it. The armored warrior gave off a deadpan expression, feeling stupid for not picking up on this any sooner. He gingerly leaned his head past the pillar and looked around at the area behind him. Sure enough, all of the reformed changelings were right there, trapped within separate cages. Flicking his eyes to either side, he made one final scan before he left the pillar’s cover and stepped into view.

While Carter looked around for Thorax, the rest of the reformed changelings all stared at the human, their eyes widening in fear. A collective gasp was heard coming from each one as they laid eyes on the human. Carter could sense the fear that came from them, as it was something he unfortunately found himself accustomed to. He turned his head and looked out across the entire nation of reformed changelings, feeling sympathy for them, as he found it impossible to find at least one that wasn’t encaged.

Carter lowered his eyes and looked upon a small, innocent, reformed changeling boy. The boy looked back at him, their eyes locking in place. The human gingerly made his way towards the boy, slowly approaching him. The young reformed changeling began to cower in fear, scared by the mere sight of the human. Once Carter made it to the otherside of the bars that detained the young boy, he knelt down and continued to look upon him with a welcoming smile. The boy moved to the corner of the cage, whimpering and nearly breaking out into tears.

The human could tell that the young boy was not entirely sure that Carter meant no harm, so he held out his left hand, hoping that the gesture would be enough to calm the boy. The young reformed changeling calmed himself for a second, but looking back at the armor covering the human’s arms sent him right back to fear, making him hold his forehooves in front of his face and shut his eyes closed. The other reformed changelings all stayed silent, watching the event take place.

Carter sighed, thinking of some other way to show his peace. He looked down at the straps that kept his gauntlet tightly around his forearms. He looked at the golden plating covering his fingers. It was then when Carter thought of the perfect idea. He unlaced the straps and removed his left arm from the gauntlet. His bare arm came into view, with nothing but the linen straps protecting the wounds on his forearms. He then held his hand out once more, allowing the young boy to get a real look at who he really was.

The young reformed changeling opened his eyes and looked down at the human’s bare hand. The sight of skin and flesh somehow calmed his nerves, so much so that the boy felt brave enough to cautiously approach the human. Once in close proximity with each other, the boy looked at Carter’s eyes, wondering what he was supposed to do. Carter quickly glanced down at the boy’s hoof, then to his own hand. Understanding the gesture, the boy lifted his hoof, albeit hesitant at first, and rested it in the palm of his hand. Carter smiled at the young boy and softly stroked his hoof with his thumb. The kind and loving gesture rubbed off on the boy as tears of relief accumulated under his eyes.

The boy leaned his head as close to the human as the bars would allow, happy to know that there were still those who were there to help. Carter moved his left hand to the boy’s head, petting him with tender and gentle strokes. The two had formed a bond, and the other changelings all began to smile. The boy rested his head against the palm of Carter’s hand and smiled. Carter returned the smile, leaning in and sighing. Conda leaned his head down towards the boy and smiled. The young reformed changeling shook in surprise, but he then returned with a smile, looking at the anaconda with interest. Conda moved in and flicked his tongue out, licking the boy’s face. The boy let out a playful laugh as the snake’s tongue tickled his cheeks.

“Can you tell me where Thorax is?” Carter asked, speaking softly as to not scare the boy anymore. Conda moved away and allowed Carter to speak with the boy. The young reformed changeling nodded, wiping his tears away with his hoof and pointing towards the east. Carter leaned back on his heels and found the cage where Thorax was imprisoned. Carter turned his head back towards the boy and nodded in return. “Thank you.” Carter lifted his gauntlet off the floor and placed it back on his left arm, locking it in place.

Carter turned to meet up with Thorax, but he was instead met by two unreformed changelings standing in front of him, preventing him from walking any further. Surprised at first, Carter furrowed his brow at his enemies and clenched his fists.

“Well well well, look what we have here.” Carter immediately recognized the voice of the changeling as the grunt from before.

“It would seem that Commander Akula was telling the truth after all. There really is a creature roaming around the Hive.” The other changeling was easily identified as the scout.

“What do you say we kill him?”

“Ha, that is our mission, isn’t it?”

“You do not want this fight.” Carter said, giving the two changelings one chance to run away before brute force was used. “Leave now, or you will leave this world for good.”

“Oh no, I am shaking!” scoffed the scout.

“Let’s just get this thing over with.” added the brute. The two changelings reached behind their backs and pulled out a spear, holding it in the crook of their forelegs and pointing it straight at Carter.

“Dammit. You fools never learn.” Carter let his hidden blade escape its sheath as he took a stance. He did not want to fight them, especially with a whole bunch of reformed changelings watching him, but he knew they were not going to retreat.

The grunt lost his patience and charged straight towards Carter, spear pointed straight at his chest. Analyzing the attack, Carter simply side stepped the attack, countering with a left hook. The force of the punch was enough to knock the grunt off its hooves and land on his back. He grunted in pain, swearing as he applied pressure to his wounded nose. The scout shouted in anger after watching his ally get easily defeated. He too ran at Carter with his spear in hoof. Carter lowered his arm and parried the spear with his gauntlet as he raised his arm. The spear was flung out of the scout’s hooves, landing on the floor beside him. Carter let out a vigorous shout directed towards the scout.

“Leave now, and I promise you that no harm will come to you!”

“Likely story!”

“Carter, look out behind you!” Conda shouted, warning the human of an oncoming attack.

Carter felt a spike of pain erupt from his left cheek. He stumbled back and placed his hand over the wound, revealing blood that had spilled out. He looked back and found that the grunt had landed a successful attack with his spear that had glanced off the side of Carter’s face while he wasn’t paying attention. The armored warrior got up and gritted his teeth.

I warned you.

The scout rushed in and took another stab at Carter, but the human had had enough of their stupidity. He grabbed the spear with his hands and yanked it out of the scout’s hold. He then flipped it around and kicked his foot under the scout, forcing him to the ground. Knowing he had the advantage, Carter raised the spear above his head and drove it straight through the scout’s head, ending his life then and there.

“No! You bastard!!!” Carter could hear the grunt yelling at him from behind as he ran towards him. Carter quickly turned around and took a stance. Waiting for the right time, Carter jumped into the air and dodged the spear attack, parrying with his hidden blade and cutting the grunt’s left foreleg clean off the rest of his body. The grunt fell to the ground in pain, bellowing as he crawled over to retrieve his spear. However, just before he could reach it, Carter stomped down against his hind hoof and kept him from moving. Carter then followed up by lifting his right arm and driving it into the grunt’s skull. Blood escaped from the wound and spilled out onto his blade, ending the battle.

With a nod, the human stood up and retracted his hidden blade. He looked down at the blood that ran down his hands, the cruel image reminding him of his dark past. He closed his eyes and clenched his fists, forcing himself to move away from the hurtful memories. While this happened, Carter noticed that the deceased changelings' bodies began to melt, turning into pools of black goo. Even the green blood that tainted his blade formed into goo. Soon following, the black substance faded into thin air, disappearing from view. This was not a good sight to Carter, as he remembered this very same goo from a previous battle all too well.

That battle with the evil Pinkie Pie… is she and these creatures related to this ooze situation? I swear if I have to fight that bastard again, I will not show mercy.

Shaking away the memories, Carter turned his attention back towards the reformed changelings, only to be welcomed with faces of pure fear. One in particular, a mother with her newly born infant, used one hoof to shield her baby’s eyes while she herself cried in horror. Carter could do nothing but hang his head in shame, giving off an expression that said ‘I am truly sorry.’

“Do not be sorry, warrior.” Carter looked over to his left, finding Thorax applauding the human for his bravery. He was smiling sympathetically at him while he clapped his hooves together. “You have nothing to be sorry about. You have done the right thing, even if it was difficult.”

“Thorax!” Carter said. He was in pain seeing the leader of the reformed changelings. Thorax was covered in bruises and cuts from only God knows what. “What happened to you? Who has done this to you all?”

“Queen Chrysalis. She had captured all of us and sentenced us to death for betraying her.” Thorax said, sitting up on his hindlegs. “I take it you are here for the ponies.”

“I was, but I am afraid that will have to wait. How can I get you out of these cages?”

“Behind you, along the side of that pillar, there is a special crystal that keeps us locked in here. Break it and the spell will be broken, freeing us in the process.” Thorax pointed his hoof towards the pillar that Carter used for cover.

Hehehe, bingo! I guess every unreformed changeling is an idiot.

Carter walked over to the green crystal behind him and unsheathed his hidden blade. Raising his right hand and clenching his fist, Carter stabbed the crystal with the blade, shattering the crystal in the process and breaking the spell. As the pieces of the crystal fell to his feet, Carter could hear the sounds of cages breaking under extreme stress. He turned to find that one by one every reformed changeling was freed from their bonds, the cages around them glowing bright before fading from existence. While the rest were freed, Carter proceeded towards Thorax. As the human held out his hand, the reformed changeling leader reached his hoof out and let Carter help him to his hooves.

“Freed at last! Warrior, I cannot even begin to express our sincere gratitude!” Thorax said, praising the human for his brave efforts. “I must know your name.”

“Carter.”

“Carter?” Thorax’s eyes opened wide. “You are that creature that Princess Twilight was talking about. You were the red alicorn!”

“Yes, that is me.” Carter replied, nodding his head as he spoke.

“But… how are you… whatever you are?” Thorax inquired.

“I don’t know how I became this, but this is what I really am. I am a human, from another land far from Equestria. I was sent here to understand the true power of friendship, but my goal now is to save Equestria from Grogar and the Legion.”

“Is that so? Well, whatever you are I gotta tell you that you are doing us all a great service.”

“Thanks.” A small smile slipped under Carter without him noticing. “How is it that Chrysalis has such a big army at her command? From what I could gather every changeling was reformed once you took the throne.”

“They did. The unreformed variants like the ones you fought earlier are evil versions of us.” Thorax answered.

“How is that so?” Carter crossed his arms and leaned back on his heels. “Did they just shift loyalty to the queen?”

“Grogar used his bell to create alternate versions of us all. They aren’t living creatures like us, but instead masses of black goo that mimic our ways. The process was… something I do not intend on sharing with you right now." Thorax shuddered upon the thought of the cloning process. "But what I will say is that you have no reason to find remorse for them; they aren’t really living beings. They were made to do evil.” Thorax explained, waiving his hooves in front of him as he described the process of creating Chrysalis’ army.

“So they are merely clones.”

“Exactly. I know it is hard to kill someone, I feel the same way, but luckily they are not living beings… if that is of some relief to you.”

“Ok, I think I understand that. Thank you for this information, Thorax.” Carter said, nodding his head to the changeling leader.

“Oh, thank you Carter. You have no idea how much this means to us.” Thorax placed his hoof on Carter’s shoulder and shook him a bit in excitement.

“I would love to hear about it, but I am afraid that this will have to wait. Can you and your kind fight?” Carter said.

“Us?" Thorax questioned, holding a hoof to his chest. “No, we cannot. My kind have not eaten in days, and I am sure that half of them have a family to look after. We are not known for being the most warrior-like species in Equestria.” Carter was afraid to hear that. While he didn’t prefer this, he knew that Thorax was right. Under these conditions, the reformed changelings would be slaughtered in seconds. “I am very sorry, but as leader of these creatures you have to understand that my decisions are only for their safety.”

“Very well then, I guess I can get you and these creatures to safety.” Carter held his hand out behind himself and beckoned for the Spirit to open a portal back to the Castle of Friendship. The entire group of reformed changelings all gasped at the sight of the phenomenon. “Enter this portal, all of you! It will get you to safety! You will meet up with a group of timberwolves, don’t worry, they are friends! Stay in the Castle of Friendship until I return, and do not under any circumstances split up.”

Eager to escape this accursed place, the reformed changelings all lined up and entered the portal. Carter and Conda motioned for them to enter in a single file fashion, signaling for the next one in line every so often.

“Carter, what will you do?” Thorax inquired.

“I am going after Chrysalis. I must free the ponies and rid this land of the queen.” Carter said. “Can you tell me anything about how to get in and find the queen undetected?”

“I do not know how to reach the queen, but I can tell you how to get in.” Thorax said. “There is a secret entrance just on the right side of these walls. Go in and there will be an elevator that will take you to the main chamber. I know because they used it to move us out here not too long after the ponies had arrived. Other than that, I do not know anything else. Queen Chrysalis built this once she took the throne, so this is all too new for me to know anything else. I am afraid that you will be on your own from that point on.”

“Understood. I will do my best to make sure that you and your kind get your land back. That is a promise." Carter said, holding his hand out to the reformed changeling leader. “Take care of yourself and protect them. Being a leader requires a lot of courage, but I have no doubts that you will do the right thing.”

“You too, Carter. I will do my best to help protect the castle while you are gone. That is my promise.” Thorax replied, shaking the human’s hand before heading towards the portal. However, just before he took a step through, Thorax turned his head back towards Carter. “Hey, Carter!” The human looked back at the changeling with a raised brow. “I need to tell you one more thing. It’s about my brother, Pharynx. I don’t know what happened to him, but no one has seen him since the attack. If you can find him… please bring him back to me. I don’t want to lose him.”

“Don’t worry, Thorax. I will get everyone out of here and freed soon enough. You can count on me.” With that, the two nodded once more before Thorax stepped through the portal. Once all the reformed changelings had gone through, Carter closed the portal and headed towards the secret entrance that Thorax had spoken of.

Carter walked up to the Hive walls and looked around for some way to get inside. Unable to find the switch, he tapped the walls with his knuckles, listening for any hollowed parts of the structure.

Nothing… nothing… nothing… aha!

Carter heard echoes come from the other side of the walls by his fourth attempt. With that in mind, it was all the info he needed to push forward. Carter took a step back and threw his foot out in front of him, kicking the wall down and revealing the secret entrance. Sure enough, just as Thorax described it to be, the elevator shaft was just across the dark hallway in front of him.

"You really couldn't have thought of a more sssilent method of entering!?" Conda shouted in disbelief.

"They probably already know of our arrival. If we can't be sneaky then we can be quick about it." Carter said.

“Alright then. Phassse one complete.” Conda said, rhetorically lifting his tail in the air in a cheerful manner.

“Yep, now the real fun begins.” Carter added, shaking his head as he stepped onto the elevator. He looked around for a means to activate it, but soon felt it rise once he placed both his feet firmly in the middle of the elevator. As it began to rise, Carter and Conda felt more and more stressed about the battles to come.

“How much do you want to bet there are hundreds of changelings up there by the time we arrive?” Carter asked rhetorically.

“Are you ssseriousssly wanting usss to die!?” Conda slipped a threatening hiss at the human.

“No… just preparing for the worst. Hasn’t served me wrong yet.”

Queen Chrysalis sat back in her throne, enjoying the greatness that came with being the queen. She looked over to her right and ordered her servant to feed her more grapes. The servant nodded, grabbing more of the vined fruits and rolling them into Chrysalis’ mouth. She bit down on the grapes with a grin, laughing as she chewed on the fruits.

“Ah, it feels so good to be back in business.” Chrysalis said, rolling her eyes back as she let out a satisfied sigh. In the middle of her enjoyment, the doors to the throne room blew open with haste, revealing Commander Akula. The commander looked unusually stressed upon arrival, which confused Chrysalis. “Akula? What are you doing here, can’t you see I am having fun being the queen?”

“Your majesty, I have to regretfully inform you that the creature has freed all the reformed changelings and is now making his way inside the Hive!” Commander Akula said. His usually calm yet booming voice had a bit of anxiety hidden beneath it all.

“What!? How is this possible!?” Chrysalis shouted, nearly choking on her grapes. "You mean to tell me that Thorax and the reformed changelings have escaped because of one creature!? You're seriously telling me that my entire army let this one guy slip right under our hooves and just freed an entire nation's worth of creatures!? Is that what you mean to tell me!? Is it!?"

“Every one of the cages that detained them has vanished. Not only that, but we have also spotted a hole in the Hive walls where we believe the creature has entered.” Commander Akula sighed. “You were right, my queen. This creature possesses strength and skills beyond us. We underestimated him, but it shall not happen again. Our strength in numbers will overpower him, and your legacy will live on. What do you wish for us to do?”

“What do I want!? I want the reformed changelings back this instant. I want you to make sure that this thing can't reach the ponies! I want you to get every soldier in the Hive and I want that thing dead!!! Do you hear me!? DEAD!!!” Chrysalis flailed about in her throne as she yelled at the commander.

“Yes, my queen. It shall be done.” Commander Akula turned around and proceeded outside the throne room, the doors closing behind him.

“Do not disappoint me again.” Chrysalis said as she tossed a few more grapes into her mouth. "I do not fear you, human. Come if you dare… I will be waiting."

Author's Note

Well, well... it would seem that the heroes have gotten one step closer to Chrysalis, as well as freed the entirety of the reformed changelings! Things seem to be going smooth for them... for now.

Hope everypony enjoyed this one! Chapter 7 will be a bit more action packed for all you fight scene enthusiasts. :moustache:

Chapter 7: The Hive

As we now infiltrate the Hive, me and Conda have only gotten a taste of what is to come. I have no doubts that our journey will only get harder from here, but I hope that the others back at the Castle of Friendship aren’t having the same trouble.

1-10-2024, 10:26 AM

Within the map room of the Castle of Friendship, Cronus and Gaea were sitting down on the floor, patiently waiting for Carter and Conda to return. The two timberwolves had some time to themselves, enjoying each other’s company and conversing. Near the end of their talk, Gaea turned her head away from Cronus, letting out a sigh of distress. Cronus could easily tell that something was troubling her.

“Why are you so sad, Gaea?” Cronus asked, scooting in closer to his leader.

"I am worried about Theia. She has been outside of the castle by herself for a while now, and she is never usually like this." Gaea turned her head towards Cronus and looked at him with her big, beady eyes. "I cannot begin to understand what has her so down."

"Gaea, she has lost Hyperion. We have all lost that poor soul. It is no wonder she is so saddened." Cronus said, feeling sympathy for the young timberwolf.

"I know that, Cronus. I too still feel the pain and guilt that came when I saw him turned to stone. But with Theia… I don't know, she just seems to need a lot more time to herself in order to get over his loss. I can understand that and all, but I just don't know why she is taking so long." Gaea stared at the floor, putting her forepaws out in front of her.

"You don't see it, do you?" Cronus inquired.

"See what?" Gaea questioned.

"Theia loves him, and he loves her. He sacrificed himself so Theia wouldn't be hurt." Cronus stared off into the distance, thinking back on some unknown thoughts. "I'd know that courage anywhere," said Cronus.

"You can't be serious!" Gaea felt embarrassed for not noticing any sooner. Cronus just looked at the alpha wolf with a raised brow. "That would explain so much. I… I feel like a fool!"

"Imagine losing someone you loved very dearly, Gaea." The alpha wolf's heart sunk, imagining the sight of her love dead on the ground in front of her. It was then Gaea could feel the emotional pain that Theia experienced. She shook her head, ridding herself of the foul thought before tears could fill her eyes. "Give her at least time to process this. It's the least we can do."

"R-R-Right… I can do that." Gaea said, keeping her eyes locked on her paws. Cronus glanced over at her.

"Are you doing ok?" Cronus inquired.

"Cronus, have you ever found a potential mate?" Gaea replied. Cronus turned his head in confusion, wondering what would make the alpha timberwolf talk about such an interesting topic.

"I have not. Um… have you?" Gaea said nothing in return, keeping her eyes focused on her paws. Cronus did notice a faint blush that began to glow from Gaea's cheeks, letting him know that she was deep in thought. He wanted to say something else to her, but he just couldn't find the right words to tell her. He slouched back where he sat, pursing his lip and keeping to himself.

Gaea and Cronus instantly looked up when they heard the faint sound of hoofsteps approaching their position. They got up on their paws and looked towards the doors of the map room. Gaea let out a powerful bark in an attempt to scare off the unknown intruders. The footsteps only got closer. Another loud bark came out, but there was still no effect. Cronus walked up to Gaea and stood by her side, growling quietly as they heard the stepping stop on the other side of the doors.

A couple seconds passed by, the two timberwolves waiting for the perfect moment to strike. But some unknown sense of calming came over them. The scent of their companion, along with two other very familiar scents came over them. The doors were slowly opened, revealing the creatures on the other side. Gaea and Cronus grunted with a mix of anger and relief once they saw Theia standing there, along with Big Mac and Sugar Belle, the former pony carrying a large sack over his shoulder.

“You know, simply telling us that you are coming would’ve helped us.” Gaea said, snarling at the timberwolf.

“Forgive me, Gaea. I am still a little… distressed is all.” Theia said, apologizing for her insubordinate behavior. The alpha stopped her snarling and nodded to Theia as a sign of forgiveness. “I have some company.”

Gaea and Cronus looked up at the two earth ponies, cocking their head sideways and waiting for answers. Big Mac and Sugar Belle, although unable to understand them, took the silence as a way of notifying them that it was their turn to speak.

“We came from the farm to offer ya guys some food. It had been a while since ya last visited and we just wanted to make sure that ya guys are staying healthy during yer big battles.” said Sugar Belle. The two timberwolves stiffened at the sound of food, their primal instincts kicking in almost immediately. They hung their tongues over the side of their mouths and began panting eagerly.

“I reckon they do want a little snack.” Big Mac said while pulling the sack off of his shoulders. Gaea barked in excitement, finding it difficult to stand still. Big Mac pulled away the rope and opened the sack. Gaea and Cronus watched the pony reach in and pull out two rather large salmon. They began to whimper as they stared at the fish held in the earth pony’s hooves, almost taunting them with their delectable smells.

“Calm down, you two.” Sugar Belle said, laughing at the timberwolves. “Ok, Big Mac, let ‘em have their fun.” Big Mac tossed the fish towards the timberwolves and enjoyed watching them jump into the air, catching the meal between their jaws. Once in their possession, Gaea and Cronus laid across the floor, using their paws to pull the bones away from the meat.

“Well, they seem to be enjoying it.” Big Mac said. He looked over at Theia and held another fish above her head. “Do ya want another one?” Theia jumped without warning and snatched the fish from Big Mac’s hooves, chewing down on her food. Big Mac and Sugar Belle smiled, enjoying the sight of the three timberwolves enjoying themselves. It brought happiness to them, as they had not seen a lot of joy since the start of the war.

“I wonder where Carter is?” Sugar Belle wondered, looking around for the human.

“Yeah, wasn’t there also a snake or something?” Big Mac added, joining his mate in her search. The poor alpha tried to inform the two earth ponies that Carter and Conda were gone, but they could only hear the sounds of barking coming from the timberwolf. “Are ya enjoying that fish, girlie?” Big Mac said, talking to the alpha as if she were a little foal. Gaea grunted and resumed with eating her food. She knew she was of no help, whether she wanted to admit it or not.

“I wonder if he is outside the castle somewhere. I’ll go look for him.” Sugar Belle said, directing herself to Big Mac.

“Alright, be safe out there.” Big Mac replied.

Sugar Belle went to exit the map room, but before she could take one step, a portal was opened on the other side of the room, startling the ponies and the timberwolves. Big Mac and Sugar Belle walked backwards a bit while the three timberwolves got up on their paws and stared at the portal, waiting to see who would enter through the void.

The reformed changelings all piled out of the portal and into the map room, filling the area one by one. They all stepped into the Castle of Friendship, unable to tell where they were. A couple of them gasped when they saw the timberwolves standing in front of them. Cronus even walked up to one of them and began sniffing their hindlegs, searching for any scent that would reveal signs of hostility. That particular changeling shouted in fear and ran away, startling Cronus quite a bit and leaving him wondering what he did wrong.

In time the portal closed, spitting out the last reformed changeling. Thorax came to the front of the group, looking for anyone he could talk to about the past events. He saw Big Mac and Sugar Belle standing in front of him, raising his spirits and giving him a sense of hope. He walked up to the two earth ponies and cordially greeted them.

“Thorax? Ya guys made it here?” Sugar Belle inquired.

“How in Equestria did ya guys escape? Does Queen Chrysalis know about yer escape?” Big Mac added.

“I don’t think so, but I doubt it will stay that way for long.” Thorax explained. “There was a strange creature by the name of Carter. He helped us escape the Hive.”

“Wait, Carter is at the Hive by himself!?” Sugar Belle shouted. “Is he insane!?”

“Perhaps, but I do believe his insanity has its reasons. He is a very able warrior and had no trouble freeing us from our imprisonment. He is going after the ponies now.”

“The ponies… so ya mean like Applejack n’ Apple Bloom!?” Big Mac exclaimed, the vivid image of his lost sisters appearing in his head, filling him with various emotions. A hopeful smile swept over his face, Sugar Belle joining him in his excitement.

“Yes, exactly.” Thorax replied. “I can only hope that he succeeds. Again, he and the snake are by themselves, and Chrysalis isn’t somepony to mess with. She will stop at nothing in order to get what she wants.”

“Well then what are ya guys doing here in the castle?” Big Mac inquired. “Shouldn’t you be helping Carter fight the queen?”

“I would be honored to aid him, but as I have already told him, me and the rest of my kind are not fit for battle. We haven’t eaten in days, maybe even weeks. We are living off of the scraps of the earth, and our bodies have gone through enough pain and suffering.”

“Food is it, huh?” Sugar Belle said, a grin appearing on her face. “Big Mac, ya reckon we have enough apples to feed all of ‘em?”

“Yeah, I think we can.” Big Mac replied. He looked up at Thorax and nodded. “Don’t worry, Thorax. Me and mah wife will be sure to get y’all some food to satisfy yer needs. In the meantime, do be patient.”

“Ok, can do.” Thorax said.

Sugar Belle and Big Mac then departed from Thorax and headed back to Sweet Apple Acres in order to restock their bags with enough food to feed the entire reformed changeling population. It was a tough task, but if they could help out in any way then they were sure to do so.

“Ya think Carter is doing ok?” Sugar Belle asked. “I don’t want that kid to kill himself.”

“I don’t know, Sugar Belle.” Big Mac admitted, sighing to himself. “We can only hope that he succeeds.”

Carter had his back leaned against the railing of the elevator while he waited for the ride to end, clasping his hands together as he grew evermore anxious when thinking about what to expect next. Conda slithered off of the human’s shoulders and down to his feet, landing on the floor of the elevator in order to get some room to stretch his lengthy body. Carter looked down at the anaconda, smiling after it let out a satisfied hiss.

“I have acquired special data about the Blades of Unity. Would you like for me to inform you on my findings?”

The journey up to the top of the Hive still had a ways to go, and the armored warrior wasn’t really in the middle of anything important at the moment, so he shrugged his shoulders and let SETH tell him about what he discovered.

“Go ahead and tell me. We’ve got time.” Carter said. His vision shifted over to his purple alternative. An image of the blades appeared in the middle of his vision, showing different lines pointing to different parts of the weapon.

“The blades appear to have the ability to be upgraded with various elements, such as fire and ice. If ever on your journey should you encounter something with a very large amount of elemental magic, your swords can absorb them and harness their power, giving you the ability to fight with elemental attacks.”

Pfft… this sounds like some sort of video game crap. Whatever, if it helps then I can’t argue with the logic. Besides, Terra probably knew more about combat than I ever could.

“Thanks, SETH. I will keep that in mind.” Carter said. Conda finished up his stretching and slithered back to Carter, crawling up his body and resting on his shoulders.

“What are you planning on doing when we get to the top?” Conda asked, looking up at the human.

“We must defeat Chrysalis. Until she is defeated we have no hope of freeing the ponies.” Carter said, staring off in the distance.

“Yeah, but how do you sssuppossse we find her?” Conda inquired.

“I don’t know. We will just have to look for her.” Carter replied. Conda rolled his eyes at the human’s answer, but he knew he was right. They had no way to use SETH to search for her with all of the magic inhibiting crystals scattered around the Hive, so they had to think of something else. That’s when an idea sparked in Conda’s mind.

“Carter, what if we sssearch for all the anti-magic cryssstalsss?”

“Go on, I’m listening.” Carter said, perking up at the anaconda.

“Well, if we can find all of them and dessstroy them, then we can ussse SssETH to find Chrysssalisss.” Conda said, explaining his idea to Carter.

“Hmmm… not bad. That actually might work.” Carter lifted his hand and petted the top of Conda’s head. A pleased hiss escaping Conda’s mouth as he nuzzled against Carter’s palm. “This is why I have you around.”

“We are nearing the top of the elevator shaft. Be prepared.”

“Alright, Conda. Are you ready for this?” Carter asked.

“Ready asss I’ll ever be.” Conda replied, readying himself for battle.

The elevator stopped in place, the doors in front of them opening to reveal the room ahead. Carter stepped outside of the elevator, Conda wrapped tightly around the human’s neck just enough to stay on and not suffocate him. They emerged on top of a balcony and into a large room with a giant pillar located in the very middle of it all. To the right of them were stairs leading to the floor beneath them. They saw many changelings circling the room, no doubt searching for them.

“Alright, let’s get down there and find these crystals.” Carter said. The sudden sound of someone’s voice coming over the entire room by means of sound amplifying magic echoed around.

“Attention, the human has made it inside the Hive. Every changeling soldier outside the Hive walls needs to stay put and look for the human in case he tries to escape. The rest of you, please find this creature and kill them on sight. The queen must not be harmed!”

The changelings all turned to Carter and Conda once someone announced their presence, spears in hoof and ready to fight. Carter reached behind his back and pulled out the Blades of Unity. Conda let out an angry hiss. The changeling army rushed towards the two heroes, prepared to protect their queen with their (rather nonexistent) lives. With his swords in hand, Carter and Conda knew the battle had begun.

Standing on top of the balcony, two changeling soldiers were the first to approach them. The one on the right was the first to attack, jabbing his spear straight towards Carter’s chest. Carter swiftly dodged to the left and parried the spear with his right sword, knocking the weapon out of the soldier’s hooves. Conda launched himself off of Carter’s shoulders and sunk his teeth into the soldier’s flesh, tightening his hold and using his lengthy body to constrict the changeling. The force of the snake’s hold was too much for the changeling to fight, rendering his wings immobile. Carter leaped high in the air and came down with his swords pointed straight towards the changeling. Conda slithered away as the blades penetrated the changeling’s body, black artificial blood spilling from its wounds. After a quick cry of pain the changeling’s body lost its shape and melted into black goo.

While Carter finished killing the first changeling, Conda went after the second soldier. The anaconda wrapped his tail around its spear and yanked it out of its hooves, using the momentum to launch himself at the soldier. Landing on its back, Conda bit down on its left wing and with a mighty tug pulled the appendage clean off of the changeling, causing it to fall to its death. Conda jumped off of the soldier and landed on Carter’s shoulders just before he was too low to return.

Confirming that the two changeling soldiers were dead, Carter and Conda proceeded down the stairs and toward the second of three balconies. The human sat along the railing of the stairway and let gravity take him to the bottom of the stairs.

“I mussst admit, that isss a very interesssting way to get down quickly.” Conda said, struggling to hold on to Carter once they hit max speed. Carter simply smiled, but their break was not to last. The second they made it to the second balcony, Carter could see three more changeling soldiers approach them.

The two closest to Carter stuck their spears out in front of them and lunged at the human. Carter didn’t expect a team-attack, so he held his arms up in front of him, hoping to use his golden bracers to deflect the spears away from his face should they connect. One glanced off of Carter’s right arm, but the other spear was thrusted lower than expected, stabbing through the armor and penetrating Carter’s right side. The human shouted with a mix of anger and pain, pulling the spear out of his body and stabbing the changeling with it, resulting in a quick death. The other changeling soldier backed up a bit and lifted the spear above its head, aiming it at Carter before it threw the weapon at him. Conda shouted at Carter, warning him about the oncoming attack. Carter spun on his toes and dodged the spear just in time, returning with his own spear throw. The spear penetrated the changeling soldier’s skull, stopping all motion sending it falling to its death.

With the first two gone, the third snuck up behind the human, hoping to get a quick sneak attack. Conda already prepared for an attack from the third soldier and made adjustments. He slithered down Carter’s body and wrapped himself around the soldier’s four legs, stopping its movement and tripping it. The soldier fell to the ground, unable to fight back. Hearing the loud thud that came from the changeling face-planting into the ground, Carter turned around and lifted his foot. With force he drove his heel into the changeling soldier’s skull, turning it into nothing but black goo.

“That’s all of them, let’s keep moving.” Carter held his hand out, offering the anaconda quick access back to his shoulders. Conda moved up the human’s arm and held tightly to his neck. The snake looked down at the human’s wound, watching the blood drip down his armor.

“Are you ok?” Conda asked.

“I’ll be fine.” Carter said, reassuring the snake that they were not out of the fight yet.

Carter made his way down to the stairs towards the third and final balcony. From there they would have to travel down one more flight of stairs before they would reach the bottom. Stepping onto the final balcony, the shadow of another changeling soldier hovered over them. Carter spun around, expecting to find another spear-wielding changeling. However, the human was knocked off his feet and onto the floor after being hit by a large shield, dropping his swords in the process. Quickly recovering to his feet, Carter looked up and saw a changeling soldier who carried not only a spear but a shield as well.

“A changeling hoplite!” Conda shouted. The changeling hoplite kicked the swords away from Carter’s reach, but the human simply held out his hands, recalling the blades to him. The swords levitated off the ground flew towards Carter, the hilt landing in his palms. Now with a means to fight, Carter lunged at the enemy and swung his swords out in front of him. The changeling took a stance with its shield out in front, protecting itself from the attack. Carter’s swords bounced off, his efforts weren’t even enough to leave a scratch on the shield.

The changeling hoplite came out with a counterattack, keeping its shield in front while jabbing the spear out to its side. Carter moved the tip of the spear aside with his left bracer and used a quick punch to the shield to knock the hoplite off its hooves. Once the changeling was on the ground with its shield towards its back, Carter stepped down on its left foreleg and pulled the shield free of its arm. The changeling picked up the spear and attempted to stab the human, but Conda wrapped himself around its other foreleg, preventing the weapon from going any further. With no time to lose, Carter lifted the shield above his head and sent it straight down onto the changeling’s head, the bottom tip pushing through its skull and ending its artificial life.

Carter and Conda regrouped once more and proceeded towards the last flight of the stairs. Making it halfway down, they were met with four more changeling soldiers in flight. Carter glanced over at one who went in for the first attack. The armored warrior grabbed the spear before it could hurt him and pulled the changeling closer to him. Carter got a hold of the changeling by its head and smashed its face into the stair rail, the impact killing the changeling and staining the railing with black goo.

Three more…

Conda had a bit of trouble keeping track of the rest of the changeling soldiers, as all three attacked him at once with their spears. Carter finished up with the first one and ran to Conda’s side, ready to aid him with the other three threats. While the anaconda jumped onto the rightmost soldier, Carter threw his swords out at the other two, each blade flying towards a different target. His right blade made contact with the enemy, slicing it in half, but the left soldier dodged the attack. The living soldier flew at Carter and wrapped its hooves around his neck, forcing him into a chokehold. Carter did find it difficult to breathe for a moment, struggling to fight back in his disadvantaged position. But once he felt the soldier move his head right, Carter lifted that respective arm and elbowed the changeling in the jaw. The force of the blow was just enough to make the changeling loosen its grip, giving Carter enough time to slip out from under and grab the changeling by its throat. He then jumped down the stairs and landed on the changeling soldier once he made it to the ground, crushing its bones and killing it. Satisfied, the human recalled his swords and moved forward.

Meanwhile, Conda was dealing with the last of the changelings. He bit down on the soldier’s throat and tore it open, the black goo spilling from its wound. A curdled scream erupted from the changeling before it went limp and rolled lifelessly down the stairs. Conda slithered back to Carter, this time choosing to stay on the ground.

Now that they had made it down to the bottom floor, they were now looking for a way to locate and destroy the anti-magic crystals. However, their search was put on hold once two more changeling hoplites came down, blocking them from pushing forward.

“Thessse guysss jussst don’t let up.” Conda said, getting himself ready for another fight.

“I don’t think you would be stopping anytime soon if you were given the mission to protect your queen.” Carter replied. “Besides, we aren’t backing down either!”

Carter decided to approach the right hoplite while Conda fought the left one. Carter and the changeling circled each other in their fighting stances, the human looking for a way to get passed its shield. He knew that rushing it would be futile, as it could simply throw out its spear behind the cover of the shield. His swords also proved to be useless, as they couldn’t even break through their defenses. He decided that he would have to wait for an opening.

While Carter waited for his chance to strike, Conda used his long body to slip past the hoptile’s shield and wrap around the changeling, suffocating it until it fell unconscious. Once the changeling went limp, Conda slithered over to Carter’s aid, wrapping himself around the changeling’s body and giving Carter an opening. Carter went in and shoved his right blade straight into its heart, ending the fight then and there.

The coast was clear, no more enemies to be seen… at least for now. Carter and Conda took a moment to catch their breath. Carter placed his swords behind his back before putting his hands down on his knees. The journey had so far seemed to be in their favor, but only time would tell what else laid ahead of them.

“Alright… that’sss one way to make an entrance.” Conda said, sprawling out across the floor.

“Come on, Conda, we don’t have time to waste.” Carter said, kneeling down and picking the snake up with his hands. He hung him over his shoulders and proceeded towards the pillar in the middle of the room. He initially walked right past it without thinking twice, but something was definitely strange about it; enough to where Carter had to back up and examine the pillar for himself. Carter didn’t know what it was about the pillar that stuck out to him, but it was enough to catch his interest. He continued staring at it for a bit and soon found what he was looking for. Carter had found another magic-inhibiting crystal clinging to the pillar. He grinned and threw his fist out at it, shattering the crystal with his shear strength. With that, the magic was restored in the surrounding areas.

“Analysis completed… data acquired.”

“SETH, is that you? What did you find, SETH?” Carter inquired, surprised by how quick the spirit proved to be.

“With magic now able to freely move through the Hive, I have discovered that there is a secret entrance to your right that leads to the bottom floor of the complex. It may be where the ponies are kept away.”

“Really?" Carter looked over at the wall on the other side of him and found a special door protected by about three or four iron locks. It was clear to him that it led to somewhere special considering all the heavy protection. "Ok… that could work, but how the hell do we get in? I don't see a key anywhere.” Carter asked, concerned that SETH’s idea wasn’t the most practical.

“I cannot find any keys nearby, and you have no way of destroying the door by any means physically. However, I do sense a weapon strong enough to break it open somewhere nearby. If you can locate and acquire it then you might be able to break the door open and enter the secret room.”

A secret weapon of enhanced strength What could the changelings have that could possibly hold that power?

"We don't have much time, if we don't do something now then you will soon have the entire changeling army to deal with. It is up to you, sir. That is just my recommendation."

“Ssso… what’sss the plan?” Conda inquired. Carter pursed his lips together, going over the options in his head. He flicked a quick glance at the snake once he settled on an idea.

“We have to break through that locked door. SETH informed me that it leads to the bottom floor of the Hive.” said Carter.

“Ok… but how are we gonna get inssside?”

“I have already thought it over. This plan could work, but we will need to find something that can generate enough force to break it. SETH says that there is a weapon or something nearby. We need to find it if we wish to move forward.”

It troubled Carter greatly to know that he wasn’t strong enough to break down the door, but deep down he knew it was foolish of him to think so highly of himself. Carter looked around the area, searching for a means to destroy the door. There was nothing big or destructive that caught his eye, but he kept looking all the same. Conda joined him in his search soon following. Although he couldn't see well (being a snake and all) he did actually sense something big in the distance with his adept sense of taste. Against his luck, Conda sensed the presence of another enemy. The taste got stronger, warning Conda that this unknown threat was rapidly approaching them.

“Headsss up!” Conda shouted, alerting the human to his position. Carter flicked his head to the side, watching as a giant, armored changeling soldier equipped with a large war hammer came barrelling toward them. Carter and Conda dove away from it, splitting off in different directions. The armored changeling smacked straight into the door, shaking its head upon impact and turning to face the human.

Seriously!? Not even he could damage that thing? That’s just reassuring, isn’t it?

Carter pulled his swords out and prepared for another battle. Conda rushed over to the human’s side, slithering up his body and perching on his shoulders. The armored changeling laughed maniacally behind the cover of its helmet, staring at them without any signs of fear. Carter rushed in and slashed at the armored changeling with his swords, but the outcome of the attack was less than satisfying. His swords bounced off of the changeling's armor, rendering the blades useless. No damage was done to it, not even a scratch. Carter was astonished at first, but he then realized that the changeling’s armor was made up of the same material as the hoplite’s shields. The armored changeling snickered at the human and his futile attempt.

“Uh oh…” Carter held his arms out in front of him as the armored changeling lifted his war hammer and swung it across the area. Carter got all the wind knocked out of him as he felt the extreme force of the war hammer connect with his chest. Carter and Conda were sent flying across the room, doing cartwheels in the air and smacking straight into a wall. The force of their impact broke the wall, sending the two right through and on the other side. Carter let out a grunt of pain while Conda hissed in distress. The human got up with the snake still hanging over his shoulders and looked up, finding that the debris created by the damage they did to the wall was piled in on itself, blocking them from going back the way they came.

“Well, could be worssse.” Conda said, using his tail to wipe off the dust and rubble that clung to his scaly body from the crash. Carter rolled his shoulders a couple times to make sure nothing was seriously damaged. He wondered if he broke any ribs from the impact of the hammer, but he felt no pain, so he ditched the thought.

Once he confirmed that he and Conda were okay, Carter looked around at his surroundings, finding that they were in an entirely different room. Their location in question looked like some secret base, no doors leading in or out of the area were to be found. There was a single light strung up in the middle of the room, coming to the brink of burning out. Relics from all across time were found hung up on racks, their designs resembling nothing like the changelings.

“What are these?” Carter murmured to himself, looking at all the interesting objects. He walked up to a particularly large shovel located in the back of the room, the design and shape of the tool in question capturing his interest.

“A ssshovel?” Conda wondered. “Why would they keep sssomething like that here?”

“It doesn’t look like just an ordinary shovel. Something about it stands out.” Carter said. The human wrapped his fingers around the hilt of the shovel, taking a moment to admire the expert craftsmanship. Embedded in the middle of the wood was the greek symbol for strength. Carter found himself equally astounded every time he realized that he could understand greek. He tried to lift the shovel, but the weight of the tool was more than he first anticipated. With this knowledge, Carter took a stance and lifted with a bit more force, moving the shovel up and away from its respective rack. Once in his possession, Carter firmly held on to the shovel, analyzing the complex tool.

“Do you know what it isss?” Conda inquired, watching Carter play around with the tool.

“I don’t have the faintest idea…” Carter paused for a moment, as if a chill ran up his spine. “… I do however feel… stronger…? I feel like I can do a lot more with this thing.” Carter shrugged his shoulders at the thought. “Perhaps I was just made to do farm work.” Conda got a good laugh at the human’s joke, breaking out into a hissy laughter.

“Your body does not deceive you. That is the legendary Shovel of Dýnami, the same one that was wielded by the courageous and powerful Rockhoof.”

“Rockhoof… wasn’t that one of the Pillars of old?” Carter inquired. The name stuck out to him, remembering the history lessons that Twilight would tell him during their more relaxing days.

“Yes, the very same pony. Rockhoof carried a shovel around with him everywhere he went, using it and his mighty strength to help his allies during their journeys. This shovel is the remodeled version of the original, which was broken during the battle between Equestria and the Legion of Doom. This one was made to never break, and this was done through Princess Celestia placing a spell on it before she left the throne alongside Luna. The spell itself allows the shovel to deal five times the force of what it receives, basically making the user five times stronger.”

“Well if this belonged to Rockhoof, then I am sure that all these things belong to the ponies.” Carter said, reaching out with his right hand and grabbing the leather sheath for the shovel. He grabbed it by the straps and threw it over his shoulder, placing the shovel safely inside once tightly secured.

“You’re jussst going to sssteal it?” Conda inquired, looking at the human with a raised brow.

“What, it wasn't stolen beforehand? Besides, their respective owners can't use it right now, Conda. We can.” Carter had an idea pop in his head. “Also, SETH said that this thing makes the user five times stronger. If this is true, then maybe, just maybe, I can use this to deliver enough force to break the door.”

“Ooh! I like your thinking!” Conda said, wiggling his tail back and forth in excitement. "And here I thought I wasss the only one with good ideasss around here." The human glared at Conda with a deadpan expression.

"Don't play coy with me, Conda." Carter turned his head towards the pile of rubble, then back to the shovel hung up on his back. He figured that he could test out the shovel’s capabilities by first using it to clear a path back to the main room. He took a couple steps in the direction of the rubble, but his eyes soon drifted off, looking over towards a golden shield. Once again intrigued, Carter walked over and grabbed the shield, holding it in his possession.

“What is this thing, SETH?” Carter asked, analyzing the shield up close and personal. The design of the shield was very intricate and polished, its shape unlike anything him nor Conda had ever seen.

“That is the Nitidus Shield, a very powerful means of defense used by Flash Magnus. This shield is resistant to most attacks and is immune to all things fire-based.”

“Well, that’s one more for the arsenal.” Carter said with a smile. The armored warrior placed the shield over his left arm and tightened the leather straps, securing the defensive tool in place.

“Carter, thisss isss no time to go ssshopping. Remember why we are here!” Conda hissed angrily, knowing very well that they had just wasted a lot of valuable time.

“I know, I am all done now. Let’s get back to work.” Carter turned on his heel and faced the rubble, unsheathing the shovel and holding it out in front of him. With a grunt, the shovel was lifted in the air, ready to strike the debris and clear a path. But before the human could use his new tool, the debris was blown away, revealing the armored changeling standing on the other side of the broken wall, staring at him menacingly.

Oh, he wants to give me a rematch.

The human was lifted off the ground, his throat clasped between the armored changeling's forehooves. Carter was tossed onto the ground behind him. The changeling swung his hammer at the human, aiming a devastating blow to his chest. The human barely had time to hold his shield out in front of him before being sent into the air once more from the impact of the changeling’s war hammer, only this time he was able to decrease the overall damage by blocking the attack with his new shield. After some rather nauseating aerial somersaults and landing back first into the iron door, Carter wobbled up to his feet, shaking off the pain. He took a second to analyze his shield, making sure it was still in usable condition. To his surprise, there were no dents or scratches.

“Alright you bitch, let’s see if what they say is true about this thing!” Carter shouted, pulling out the Shovel of Dýnami with his right hand while wielding the Nitidus Shield in his left. The armored changeling wasted no time, swinging its warhammer in a circular motion in an attempt to get a cheap hit off. Carter held his shield up and blocked the attack, this time taking both the pain and pressure of the force into account. The changeling’s hammer connected with Carter’s shield, pushing the human back a bit as he skidded to a halt.

The armored changeling attempted another hammer attack, swinging the weapon in the opposite direction. Carter got a running start and slid underneath the weapon just as it came to him, sneaking past the attack and closing the gap between them. From there the human bounded upward and thrusted the shovel out towards his enemy. The blade of the shovel collided with the changeling’s bulky armor and broke through the right chestplate almost effortlessly, splitting it apart and sending the particles flying across the way. Though masked behind its helmet, Carter could sense that the once fearless changeling could sense that it was now fighting quite the formidable opponent.

Carter saw the changeling flinging his war hammer straight at his head with vengeance. The human rolled out of the way just in time, narrowly avoiding a potentially fatal blow. Conda hopped off of the human as Carter got to his feet. The anaconda slithered up the changeling’s armor and entered through the broken pieces. The changeling was throwing out hateful words towards Conda, but its taunts were soon interrupted by the sounds of agonizing screams. Conda went around the changeling’s body from within the armor, biting down on its flesh in order to buy Carter enough time to go in for the kill.

With a simple nod, Carter leapt onto the changeling’s back and sheathed the shovel, swapping out the large weapon in exchange for his hidden blade. Following the sound of the steel locking in place, Carter shoved the metal blade straight through the grooves on the front of the changeling’s helmet. From there everything went silent, no more screams or metal clinking echoed through the room, just silence. Carter hopped off of the deceased changeling and watched its armored body collapse, spilling black goo between the armor’s grooves. Retracting the blade, Carter took a much needed moment to recover.

“Conda… *pant* *pant* are you okay in there?” Carter asked, waiting for the snake to reply. Within a few seconds, Conda slithered out of the armor, covered in black goo. He had a face that said “I wish I were dead right now.” Carter chuckled a bit before walking over to the anaconda with his hand out to him. “Nice job, buddy.”

“If you tell anyone about thisss, you are next on the menu.” Conda hissed furiously, climbing up Carter’s arm and resting along the comfort of his shoulder pauldrons. Conda hid his face beneath the cover of the rest of his lengthy body, no doubt embarrassed by his current appearance.

“No one is gonna care, Conda. If anything it makes you look more like a badass.” Carter said in an attempt to lift the snake’s spirits. However, to the human’s dismay, Conda did not seem like things were any better for him as he kept his head hidden.

With that fight out of the way, Carter proceeded towards the door. Upon arrival, Carter gave it a dirty glare, as if he and this inanimate object had a dark past. He was determined to come out on top this time. Pulling the shovel out from behind him, firmly gripping it by its haft.

Alright, let’s give it another go. For real this time.

Winding it back to gain some momentum, Carter thrusted the shovel straight at the locks, feeling his strength being multiplied as the tool gained speed. Just as predicted, the door shook violently and the locks chipped the moment the shovel connected with it. The strength of the shovel was strong enough to break through one of the many locks, giving Carter hope.

“Haha! It actually works!” Carter said, relieved that things were finally going his way.

“Yeah, that’sss cool and all, but I am afraid that we have company!” Conda shouted, pointing his tail out towards an army of changeling soldiers rapidly closing in on them.

Just when I was having my fun.

Carter picked up the pace, pulling the shovel out of the door and driving it in the same place another time, breaking the second lock. It was working, but it wasn’t yet enough. Again he pulled the shovel back and thrusted it towards the door, another lock crumbling to the ground. Unknown to the human, the floor beneath him shook with every swing, and the force of each hit cracked the very foundation of the Hive. The door was close to collapsing, it only took one more jab of the shovel before it would give way.

“Any sssecond, Carter!!!” Conda exclaimed, sitting on the human’s shoulders while he was forced to watch the changeling army get closer and closer.

“Hey, Conda!!!” Carter shouted.

“What!?”

“Hold on tight!!!” With one final blow, Carter managed to finally break the locks down. The pieces of iron chains that once locked up the door fell to the ground in pieces.

As the damage took its toll, Carter and Conda noticed that the floor beneath them began to crumble in on itself as well, falling down into a black pit. The pit itself was abnormally large and deep, almost as if it was dug out beforehand. It was there that the two heroes realized that they were right above the secret bottom floor to the Hive. Their journey was now halfway completed.

“Any idea to sssafely get down there?” Conda asked, the amount of flooring they could stand on decreasing by the second.

“We jump!” Carter shouted.

“WHAT!?” Conda squealed as the human blindly jumped into the void, both of them unknowing of what to expect on their way down.

The ground caved in once the two heroes fell down, preventing the changeling army from advancing on their enemies. They were stuck on the surface, leaving Carter and Conda trapped below ground. As the rain clouds continued to pour down on the surface of Equestria, the bodies of all the deceased changelings washed away as their corpses dissolved into their gooey counterparts. But even with the numbers of enemy changelings heavily affected, they knew Chrysalis still remained a threat.

Author's Note

This chapter was a doozy. Lots of revisions had to go into this one, but I think it all played out well in the end!

As always, if you have any questions or comments then feel free to comment and/or PM me. :pinkiehappy: Chapters should be rolling out at a normal rate from here on out.

Chapter 8: Battle with Akula

My mission is almost completed. I have fallen into the underground depths of the Hive and I am certain that Chrysalis is very close to our current position. I can only hope that Twilight and the others are doing ok. It is because of them I choose to go through with this. But… even after saying that, I must admit that my past actions seem to haunt me with every life I take. While I watch the blood of my enemies run down the palms of my hands, I am forced to remember the man I once was; the monster I became.

1-10-2024, 1:12 PM

Travelling ever-deeper into the dark abyss that loomed beneath the pair, Carter and Conda not knowing when they would reach the bottom, nor if they would even survive the fall. Nothing but the feeling of regret consumed their minds as they continued further down. It was obvious that there was no other way to prevent this, but even then the two felt as if they chose the least appropriate course of action.

Carter knew he had no choice but to brace for impact, but how exactly he'd do so was something he could not figure out. With little thinking, Carter grabbed onto Conda's scaly body and pressed it up against his golden chestplate, securing the snake in his arms. If all else failed, he would at least ensure Conda's safety.

A sudden force hit him like nothing he could have expected. He was sent spiralling to the side after his right shoulder collided with a rock in the wall. Desperate to keep Conda safe and secure, Carter curled into a ball and braced for another painful blow to his body.

The next wave of pain hit just as hard as the last, knocking him away from the point of impact. Conda struggled to keep himself mounted on top of Carter's shoulders but managed to hang on and keep himself as calm as the situation would allow him. Soon, Carter began tumbling down like a pinball machine, knocking into the walls every other second.

With time, the walls gradually sloped at an angle, allowing Carter and Conda's descent to slow down. Carter came in contact with the slope and began rolling downward, tumbling over the rocks that stuck to it. Many more summersaults followed but in time the human came to a halt, laying across the ground on his back.

Moments passed as Conda regained his balance, shaking away the feelings of non stop spinning. Fully recovered, the anaconda slithered over to Carter's face, checking up on his human companion. Carter's eyes were shut and his movement was minimal, but his breathing was normal and he had no signs of any serious injuries besides a few scratches along his face.

"Carter…?" Conda felt worried for his friend. He knew he wasn't dead, but the fact that he remained silent was unnerving to the poor snake. "Carter, pleassse get up." Conda leaned in and used his strong sense of taste to survey the air and detect any harmful elements that could affect Carter. None were discovered. Yet, even with everything pointing to Carter's well-being, he began to fill up with nothing but pure fear. The image of a wounded friend reminded him of a past he didn't want to look back on.

To Conda's relief, Carter slowly opened his eyes and looked down at the snake. His vision was blurred at first, but once he was able to regain focus, Carter smiled and petted the top of his head. They were both alive, at least for now.

"I am ssso glad you are ok." Conda said frantically. "I thought that… well, I knew you weren't… but, I thought you, I…" Conda couldn't make himself talk. The feeling of almost losing Carter was too much to think upon. He buried the foul thought in his mind, calming himself before things got worse for him. "I don't want to lossse you. I lossst my parentsss… I can't bear the thought of losssing you, too."

"You don't have to, Conda." Carter said reassuringly. He lifted his index finger and gently stroked Conda's chin. Deep down he knew he could sympathize for the poor snake. "I know you lost them and I am sorry I was not there to stop it from happening. But one thing you should know is that I won't leave you. You chose to stick by my side. You chose to be there for me, and as such, it is my job to make sure you are safe, happy, and loved. No exceptions." Conda smiled at the man and let out a loving tongue flick.

"We should get moving." said Carter.

"Yeah, you are right." While Carter got up to his feet, Conda wrapped around Carter's neck and awaited further instructions. After thinking over it, Conda suddenly felt stupid for being so emotional. He knew that this was a time to be serious and wanted to make things right. "Sssorry for that sssappy moment. I will do better not to let that happen again."

"Do not be sorry, Conda." Carter spoke firmly, looking back at the anaconda with a stern yet forgiving look on his face. "War has no bounds with how it can corrupt you… believe me, I know. It will do many things to you, physically and emotionally, like mess with your mind and play with your emotions. There are times to be sad, scared and vulnerable, but in the heat of battle we must be disciplined and focus on the task at hand. Do you understand?"

"Yesss, Carter." said Conda. The anaconda felt better knowing that Carter was overall understanding. "Well then, let'sss go free the ponies."

Carter had a bit of a pause before replying. Having realized just how much they had accomplished so far, perhaps there was a chance that their journey was almost completed. Maybe, just maybe, the ponies were sitting there just out of reach, waiting for Carter to take that last step to help free them from Grogar's clutches.

"Yes… let's go get the ponies." With his stoic expression still visible, Carter proceeded forward with Conda resting along his shoulders.

Having landed in the middle of a long hallway with torches barely bright enough to illuminate the area around them, Carter and Conda proceeded down the path before them, keeping their guard up in search of hostiles. The armored warrior would scout ahead and cautiously move forward while his reptilian companion surveyed the area behind him. The sounds of Carter's warrior boots hitting against the cold floor with each step echoed through the hallway, adding an eerie feeling to the already unnerving atmosphere.

The two quickly caught note that unlike the rest of the Hive this part in particular was not constructed from the changeling's same artificial material. Instead the hallway appeared to be simply mined out and used for something secretive considering that the entrance was locked away, but what exactly that entailed was beyond their knowledge.

Nearing the end of the hall, the duo saw a giant door standing before them. Carter quickly noticed that the door in question was protected by a spell seeing as it had a colorful reflective coating. With this in mind, the two of them were certain that this door was the one thing standing between them and Chrysalis.

Don't worry, girls. I'm almost there…

"Somepony is outside. Everypony stay quiet."

Carter and Conda instinctively flicked their heads to the right to them. Just beyond their reach there was a smaller door. Unlike it's bigger opposite, this one was not protected by use of spells.

"You heard that, didn't you?" Conda inquired, keeping his voice to a whisper. Carter didn't reply, but it was still evident that the human did in fact hear the voice coming from the other side. What struck his curiosity was that he swore he recognized the one who spoke. Intrigued, yet still cautious, Carter went over to the smaller door and placed his hand upon it.

"Conda, be ready for anything." Carter stated.

"Roger that." Conda replied.

With haste, Carter opened the door with his hand and surveyed the surrounding area. It was pitch black inside the other room, only the light from the hallway lighting up the area by his feet. Though he couldn’t see, Carter heard the faint sounds of gasps after opening the door. He knew someone was nearby, and not just one, but multiple. Jumping to conclusions, the duo thought that this was some form of sneak attack.

“SETH, can you find a way to light up the place?” Carter inquired quietly.

“I am unable to use magic as a means to illuminate the nearby area. It appears that there is still one more anti-magic crystal located behind the other door, thus blocking my magical abilities.”

“No luck then… hmm.” Carter began searching for alternatives. He was already wasting time standing around, but he knew that it was suicide walking any further into the next room without a source of light. Then it came to him. “Conda, can you go grab a torch off the wall and bring it to me?”

“I can do that.” Conda replied, jumping off of Carter’s shoulders and slithering over to the nearest torch. Meanwhile, Carter kept his senses sharp, looking ahead and scouting around for even the shadow of a figure.

Then the voice appeared again.

“Who are you…?”

The voice sounded scared and uncertain. Carter went to pull out his blades and prepare for an ambush, but he was hesitant. He knew that the voice was familiar, but he couldn’t seem to remember who exactly it belonged to. Lowering his hands to his side, Carter replied with the same question.

“It depends… who are you?”

“You are not changeling… I can see your silhouette in the light.” The voice began to come out more calmly. “But what exactly you are I cannot tell.”

A question for a question… who is this?

“May I ask for your name?” Carter asked the mysterious voice, hoping to come across as an ally. The voice, however, never replied with an answer, of which Carter expected. He had a strong feeling that, whoever this was, it wasn’t a changeling. Its voice didn’t sound threatening or illusive, but rather innocent and hopeful. A voice similar to that of a-

Pony…

Conda came back with a torch coiled in his tail and stopped at Carter’s feet, raising the light source up to the human’s side. Carter nodded and grabbed the torch with a firm grip. Now able to illuminate the area, Carter held up the torch and allowed him and Conda to see what was in front of them. It took a second for him to get adjusted to the light, but after a few seconds, Carter and Conda were left speechless. The two heroes found a seemingly never ending row of imprisoned ponies located on each side of the room. They had found what they were looking for.

The emotions that soon came over them as the human and the snake looked upon their captured friends was almost overwhelming. All of the ponies were brutally bloodied, beaten and tortured. None of them looked hopeful in the least. Conda had a strong sense of heartfelt sympathy towards them all, as he hoped and wished dearly that this image was merely a nightmare. Carter however had a different emotion rise within him, one which he was all too familiar with. He wanted vengeance. He wanted to sink his blades into the flesh of the one responsible for the damage brought upon his friends and make the enemy wish for nothing but death. However, these dark thoughts reminded him too much of the man he once was, and because of this, he quickly shook them off.

"Carter!?"

The voice echoed yet again. Carter and Conda flicked their heads over toward the direction of the one who spoke. Filled with hope and relief, the two of them saw three recognizable ponies locked in cages next to each other: Pear Butter, Bright Mac and Flint Masters. Without hesitation, Carter made his way over to them.

"You are alive!" Carter shouted with relief, rushing over to Pear Butter's cage first. The older mare ran to the side of her cage closest to Carter and pressed her hooves up against the metal bars. She practically begged to feel his touch, as everypony including herself had not made physical contact with outsiders for weeks. Carter slipped his hands through the bars and gently wrapped his fingers around her hooves, caressing them softly. Pear Butter was then overwhelmed with emotions, feeling beyond happy to finally be in the presence of another living being. "I am so glad to see you once again."

"Ah’m so happy to see ya as well. Ah didn't think ya'd make it alive. Oh, Ah am so glad that Ah was wrong." Pear Butter replied. Her face lit up with the cutest smile as tears began dripping from her eyes. Her cheeks also began to glow red as she smiled. "Funny… Ah guess me n' Bright Mac are to be forever locked behind cages." She said with a chuckle.

"No, no! Do not ever say that, Pear Butter. You deserve so much better than this, all of you do!" Carter spoke almost angrily, damning her for speaking such negativity, even if it was a simple joke. "None of this should have ever happened to you. This is all my fault. If I had only been stronger then I would have prevented this whole thing from happening in the first place. I failed, and I know that. But now I am here with you once more, ready to make things right."

"Awe, ya always were the hero type." Pear Butter replied.

"I am no hero, Pear Butter…" Carter didn't want to reflect the mare's kind complement, but his past actions prevented himself from accepting the title. After becoming what he was, could he really call himself a hero? His expression sank into a saddened frown, but he quickly phased out of it. "But I am someone who helps their friends in their time of need, and right now I am here to set you free."

"It's ok, Carter, don't be so modest. No matter what happens, we're still indebted to you." said Pear Butter.

Carter nodded with a smile. He leaned down to Pear Butter's forehoof and kissed it before backing away from her cage. All the while the orange mare wore a hopeful smile across her face.

"You are a good… man." said Flint Masters, thinking of the right words to say since Carter was not a pony.

"Flint. Are you holding up well?" Carter inquired.

"Hell, ya think?" Flint rolled his eyes and laughed. "Yeah, I’m getting through it each day, same as the rest of us."

"Where are the girls?" Carter asked, hoping to find Twilight and the others.

"They aren't here." Flint admitted regrettably. "They were recently taken somewhere else, along with Celestia, Luna and Starlight Glimmer. I don't know where they are, but knowing Chrysalis, she no doubt has something sinister planned for them."

Damn, of course Chrysalis has to make things difficult.

"Carter! Is that you!?" The human quickly spun around and saw Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo all trapped in the same cage. He smiled and nodded. "Are you here to rescue us?"

"Yes I am, girls. Don't worry, you won't be looking through iron bars for much longer." Carter said with a smile, trying to give them hope.

"Carter," Apple Bloom spoke. "Ah haven't seen mah brother. Is he okay?"

"Big Mac is fine, Apple Bloom. In fact, I talked with him and Sugar Belle just the other day. They are both safe and sound." Carter said reassuringly.

"Oh, that's so good to hear." Apple Bloom said with relief.

"Oh yes… very good indeed." Carter and Conda both jerked their heads towards the door once they heard it slam shut. "We knew that there were some ponies who had escaped Lord Grogar's grasp, and the last group we sent to find them never came back. But thanks to you we now know why they didn't return."

Standing on the other side of the room was a heavily armored changeling. The changeling warrior in particular wore a special necklace that glowed with green energy. Conda paid no mind to it, but Carter immediately recognized the aura that the necklace produced, as his head began to hurt as a result of it.

Darth Spawn. Damnit, Grogar must still have control of its powers.

"Who are you?" Carter inquired, striking a stance.

"I am Commander Akula, protector of the queen and royal servant to Lord Grogar. I have come to destroy you and prevent you from interfering with Lord Grogar's plans any further."

"So you are Akula? Funny. I expected more of you." Carter said threateningly.

"I will give you one warning, stranger. Surrender to the queen and I promise that no harm will come to you." Akula was having none of Carter's sarcasm and spoke to the human with force behind his voice.

"Never." Carter reached behind his back and withdrew his blades. Holding them at his sides, he prepared for battle. "Grogar has sent the ponies here, which means that you have what I want. Your queen's rule has come to an end."

"I didn't want it to be this way, but I see that you are persistent." Akula pulled out a sword and held it with his hoof. "By the orders of our queen, you must die."

"Ready, Conda?" Carter said, gripping the hilts of his swords.

"Ready!"

Akula made the first attack, lunging his sword out in front of him and aiming towards Carter’s chest. The human parried with his own blades, knocking the sword up above Akula’s head. Carter then followed with a strong kick to the changeling’s chest, knocking him back a few meters. Akula took the hit with ease, his armor tanking most of the damage. He stayed on his hooves and attempted another attack, this time coming in from the left and slashing at the human. Carter blocked the attack with his shield and rolled backward in order to give himself enough space to work with.

Resetting the fight, Carter threw his blades out in front of him. Akula was not expecting this and had no choice but to hold his forelegs in front of him as a means of protection. The sound of metal banging against each other was heard for a split second before silence fell over the room. Akula lowered his hooves and stared down at the ground. Carter’s blades were left on the floor.

“Ha! Your weapons are no match for my armor!” Akula laughed at the human, feeling foolish to think that he would put up a good fight. Carter cursed under his breath as he recalled the blades to him. He sheathed them and tried to come up with an alternative.

“Hisss armor isss too ssstrong.” said Conda.

“Indeed, but this isn’t the first time we dealt with this.” Carter replied, pulling out his secondary weapon. “Maybe the shovel can break it.”

“Maybe. Although I don’t think we have much of a choice.” added Conda.

“A shovel?” Akula laughed, further mocking the armored warrior. “I didn’t know you were so into farm tools, boy! Ha! Perhaps I could even hook you up with a hoe to make things interesting! Haha!”

Carter clenched his teeth and gripped the shovel. Akula had enough fun up to that point and went for another blow, sending his sword out in a stab-like motion. Carter blocked the attack and countered with a swipe of his shovel. However, due to the weight of the weapon, Carter’s attack came out rather slower than he anticipated which gave Akula more than enough time to dodge the attack almost effortlessly. Retaining his stance, Carter swung his shovel once more only to get the same results.

With Carter now stuck in a vulnerable position as he tried to recover, Akula took his chance and jabbed the sword straight into Carter’s chest. The weapon made its way through the human’s chestplate just barely enough to break through the metals and puncture his flesh. Carter shouted with a mix of pain and anger, dropping the shovel to the ground and pulling the sword out of his chest. Akula swung again, this time aiming for Carter’s face. The blade cut through the flesh above his left eye just a bit before Carter knocked the sword back with his arm bracers. Carter then came in with two gut punches. However this did nothing to Akula, as his armor took all the force, leaving Carter with bloodied knuckles.

The rage within Carter grew exponentially as the fight pressed on. The human did not accept defeat, but he knew that something had to be done if he were to beat his enemy. Right when Akula stabbed at Carter once more, he grabbed him by his hoof and tossed over his back, forcing the changeling warrior away from him and giving him enough time to regain his shovel. Akula landed on his back and groaned as he got back to his hooves.

"Conda, buy me enough time to land a hit on him. Try and wrap your body around his hooves like last time." said Carter. Conda nodded and jumped off of Carter's shoulders, slithering over to Akula.

Akula noticed the anaconda approach him and he acted with a sword slash. Carter stepped in and blocked the attack with the blade of his shovel just before it cut Conda in half. The snake took the opportunity to wrap around the changeling warrior and end up behind him, pinching Akula between him and Carter. Akula was now stuck without many options, trying to figure out a successful getaway plan.

He doubled back and tried to sneak away, but Conda was quick and tripped the changeling, forcing him off his hooves and onto his back. Conda then wrapped his body around his hooves and trapped him in place for a moment. However this was not to last, as Akula's strength was overcoming Conda's hold on him.

"Quick! I can't hold him much longer!" Conda shouted.

Carter ran up and lifted the shovel above his head before sending it straight down onto Akula's chest. The changeling warrior tried to grab it before it connected, but the added weight of the shovel's magical properties prevented this and sent the blade of the shovel straight through his chestplate, breaking it like ice and sending pieces of it flying everywhere.

Panting, Carter left it in Akula's chest, making sure that the fight was over. Akula writhed in pain, barely able to breathe enough to stay alive. Conda let go of the changeling and climbed back up onto Carter's pauldrons, mounting himself safely on top of them.

"This didn't have to go this way, Akula. You could have done so much good." Carter said, looking down at his foe. The human lifted his right hand to his chest and applied pressure to the wound. He let go for a moment and analyzed the amount of blood loss he was experiencing. Blood ran down his hand and splattered across the floor as the drips hit the ground. It was noticeable, but he deemed it nothing worth his time.

"Grrr. Ah! You… went against… the queen." Akula muttered, blood spilling from his mouth. "The changelings… could've lived… in peace."

"You wouldn't have lived either way. You are all nothing but copies of the real changelings, fake decoys to stand in my way. Your blood is not even real, just…" Carter stopped his speech suddenly as he inspected Akula further. Something was off about him… something that immediately caught his attention. At that moment, Carter had realized that Akula was not like the other unreformed changelings. His blood was green, same as Thorax and the other reformed changelings. Akula was not a clone like his fellow soldiers, he was alive and sentient. He was a real changeling.

"Carter, his blood!" Conda shouted, his nose picking up the scent as Carter stood there staring without answers. The human cursed himself, but he had no explanation as to how there were more than just one unreformed changeling.

"But how… there were no other changelings that followed under Chrysalis' rule. At least, that's what Twilight told me." Carter turned to Conda, but even the snake was unable to predict how this all made sense. "How could he… wait." Carter then stared at the necklace that Akula wore around his neck. He remembered the feeling of the Darth Spawn take hold of his body. He thought that perhaps that would have answers.

Carter pulled the shovel away from Akula's chest and sheathed it behind his back. From there he then grabbed the necklace with a firm grip and pulled it right off of Akula's body. Looking down upon the artifact, Carter growled at it with rage, as it seemed to almost taunt him, forcing him to remember his past and the lives he stole from the innocent.

Damn you, Grogar.

Suddenly, Akula began to have what could only be described as a seizure of sorts. Carter stood up and backed away as the changeling's body lit up like a firework. His body underwent massive transfiguration and began morphing into something completely different. Carter lifted his hands in front of his eyes, blocking the intense light from damaging his vision. Conda also looked away from Akula's transformation while it took place.

As the light began to settle and the room fell dimmer, Carter and Conda looked down upon a different looking Akula. Unlike his unreformed variant, this one appeared to be more like the reformed versions of changelings. Akula appeared to be similar to Thorax in appearance, except with a more darker skin tone. Realizing this, Carter knelt down and propped Akula's head with his hand.

"Akula? Do you hear me?" Carter inquired.

"Ugh… Akula? Who… who is that?" The changeling replied.

"You do not know of that name?" Carter asked, wondering if this was a trick to fool him.

"No. I don't…" The changeling spoke honestly, which only confused Carter further.

"Oh my gosh!" Flint shouted. "Carter, don't hurt him. That is Thorax's brother!"

Pharynx!!!

Carter stammered over his thoughts as the answer finally became clear. The necklace had infected this changeling and turned him into Chrysalis' personal slave. He looked to Conda with envy for the changeling.

"That explains how Chrysalis was able to get a real changeling to do her bidding. But to go as far as take control of someone's mind…" Carter swore under his breath as to not let the younger fillies nearby hear his foul language. Then again, he wasn't exactly happy to know that he spilled blood in front of them. "Pharynx are you feeling ok?"

"Urg… I think so." He said, trying to stand up. In the end, however, Pharynx fell to the ground and spilled more blood, going as far as coughing up the green liquid.

"Pharynx, please stand down. You have done enough." Carter said, easing Pharynx to the ground and laying him down on his back.

"Am I gonna die?" Pharynx inquired, looking down at his wounds. His insect-like body went cold and his heart rate increased by the second, trying to keep up with the loss of blood.

"No. I won't allow it." Carter replied, applying pressure to stop the bleeding. "I have killed too many innocent creatures in my life, but you will not be one of them."

"But… I am not innocent." Pharynx said. "I may not remember the past events much, but I remember doing terrible things. I watched as I killed my own kind. I stood there and tortured my own flesh and blood… I even hurt my own brother." Tears filled his eyes as Pharynx pondered over his time as the accursed Akula. "How can you consider me innocent?"

"I have experience with being incapable of controlling my thoughts. There was a time where I too was corrupted by the Darth Spawn. But the important thing is that we now have the ability to choose what we do yet again. Do not dwell on the past, only focus on the present." said Carter.

"Thank you for your mercy, stranger." Pharynx said gratuitously.

"Of course. Us guys got to watch out for each other." Carter replied.

"Carter," Pharynx writhed in pain as the blood dripping from his wounds began to worsen. Conda noticed this and informed the human. "Pharynx isss in danger of losssing hisss life. We have to find him help!"

"We can't do that, Conda. We have to stay here and fight. We don't have many options." Carter said. "It's too late to turn back now."

"Maybe, but who sssaid that we have to be the onesss to go back?" Conda asked.

"What are you getting at?" Carter inquired.

"We can sssend him through a portal back to the othersss and maybe the freed changelingsss can help him before it'sss too late." Conda insisted.

"... Maybe you are right." said Carter. "SETH, do we have enough magic to open a portal back to the Castle of Friendship?"

"We do not have access to any magic. However, opening portals only requires that at least one side has magic. The Spirit of Friendship can open a portal through means of the Cutie Map for you. I will gain access now."

"Alright, Pharynx let's get you out of here and have you healed." Carter said. The human held out his arm and used the Spirit's magic to open a portal back to the castle. Once opened, Carter helped Pharynx up to his hooves and walked him over to the portal. Pharynx kept one hoof over his wound to stop some of the bleeding. His breaths became quicker and lighter, so they moved quickly to the portal. "Just walk on through and you should find the other reformed changelings waiting for you on the other side."

"Ok, I will do that." Pharynx said. "Thank you, Carter."

"Take care, Pharynx. Tell the others what happened and inform them on what's taking place. If I am lucky then Chrysalis won't be much of a problem. But I can't say for sure."

The two creatures exchanged nods before Pharynx limped over to the portal. Pharynx stopped just before entering. "That necklace you have there, that is the key to get through to the other side of that cursed door. When you open it you will find Chrysalis waiting on the other side. Take her down and destroy the crystal to free the ponies. But be careful, as it is also the power source of the whole Hive. If you break it this entire place will crumble to the ground. Tread cautiously and have an escape plan… and make her pay for what she has done to our kind." Carter nodded once more before Pharynx stepped into the portal. Once through, Carter stuck out his hand and closed the magical gateway.

"I hope he's ok. He didn't deserve this." Carter said, unable to push away the thought that he almost killed Pharynx, the one creature Thorax asked him to specifically bring back safely.

"Agreed. But it'sss like you sssaid, Carter… sssometimes we just have to focus on the mission." Conda said, hoping to remind that human their goal had yet to be completed. "You had no way to know."

"Right… let's keep going." said Carter. The human bent down and scooped up the necklace in his hands, gripping it with anger. He looked over at the rest of the ponies before leaving the room. "Don't worry, everypony. I'll be back to free you all once I have defeated Chrysalis and made her pay for her crimes. That is a promise."

"Do be careful, Carter." Bright Mac said.

"Yes, dear. Don't be too careless." Pear Butter added.

"I will be careful." The door slammed shut as the human and the snake left the room. Just like he said, they would not return until the queen of the changelings had been defeated.

Author's Note

This chapter took long enough to get out, huh. Anywho, the fight against Chrysalis is just around the corner. Soon the Hive will crumble and Equestria will have their revenge.

For all of you wondering, Akula is the rough translation of Shark in Bulgarian. I have a weird way of coming up with names by simply throwing some word into google translate and seeing what comes up. :rainbowlaugh: