I stared down at her; my expression was laden with surprise. Her magic?! 'I've read books on the kind of chaos and destruction she'd cause.'

Umbra's eyes narrowed slightly, "And what, pray do tell, did you think of my feats?" Wait. Is she...is she reading my mind?! The mare's throaty giggle sent shivers down my spine, "Indeed I am. When it comes to observing and manipulating the workings of the mind, you'll find that I am quite gifted at it, and you can have that too." Umbra leaned forward, her frigid breath washed over my ear as she whispered, "Think of what you can become. You'll be able to accomplish unimaginable things and compete with some of the most elite members of the Guard. I know how often you've wished for action, to finally obtain honor and glory. Don't you want that?" She pulled away and I noticed that her irises disappeared, leaving only haunting green orbs. The longer I looked into them, the more...entranced I felt, "Although I have committed incalculable amounts of evil, I still feel so horrible when I see you. Toiling from sun up to sundown. Yet you don't even get a thank you."

"B-But...if I talk to the princesses, maybe they could help."

Umbra scoffed and shook her head. Pity evident on her face, "Donovan, if the princesses cared for you, they would have assisted you with getting a home or a job besides that of the Guard. Are you so naive as to believe that they would take the time to help you earn the respect of your peers when they promptly left you on your own without any assistance? Apart from the meager amount of bits they threw at you?!" Her volume made my ears ring, "Donovan. I am offering you a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If you reject my offer...I will leave you to this meaningless life; you will remain a punching bag for Gallant and that group of fools he surrounds himself with. Eventually you're strength will fail and you will be cast aside...like garbage." I stared at her, my mouth moved, but no words were spoken. With a snort, she backed away, the purple mist wafting from her eyes now resembling a roaring fire, "Perhaps...you need an incentive." The intensity of her magic forced my eyes shut. Once I reopened them, I could see that I wasn't in that dark area. I found myself standing in the throne room. Luna was sitting on her throne, so Night Court had to be underway,

"Princess Luna!" No response. I walked up to her and waved my hands. Still nothing. What the hell did Umbra do to me?

As if on cue, she appeared from behind, "We are merely observing your memories, Donovan." I turned around on the spot. Her steel horseshoes shoes clanged loudly against the tile. She continued, "I need to remind you of your past. You seem to still harbor some compassion for these cretins. Does this memory seem familiar?" I gave her a confused look.

Before I could respond, a lunar guard ran into the throne room, "Your highness, we require your assistance!" Immediately, Luna rose and regarded the stallion,

"What is the situation?"

"A creature was spotted in the west wing of the castle! When we tried to stop him, he ran, we have 10 guards apprehending him, but he keeps resisting!"

My expression softened, "This is the night I arrived."

Umbra stood next to me, "Come." In an instant, we found ourselves in one of the castle hallways. Down the hall, I saw a writhing pile of dark blue armor, with me trying to fight my way out at the bottom. Seeing myself from those days was an out-of-body experience for sure, I was half-drunk and scared for my life.

Luna used her magic to restrain my movements, "Let me go! Fucking let me go, you goddamn horse!" I roared. One of the guards rammed his hoof into the side of my head,

"Speak to her highness with respect, you bucking freak!" He snarled. Luna had begun to reprimand the stallion for the misuse of force. With her focus trained on the Guard, Luna's magic was lessened. I broke free from her hold. In my confused and angered state and wriggled my way out from the guards. Going so far as to uppercut one of them. In my half-drunken stupor, I stumbled after a few short steps. Luna was so surprised that she didn't even react in time to avoid my head from crashing into her snout. I winced as I watched Luna recoil from the blow.

My hand flew to my face, "Aww, man. Forgot I did that dumb shit." I watched with bated breath knowing what would happen next. My action enraged Luna so much that her eyes turned white with arcane power. Then, a magical orb the size of a basketball flew into my chest, sending me soaring over the guards. That bruise stayed on my chest for weeks.

Umbra's cackle pulled my attention away from the scene, "Oh my! Donovan! Headbutting Luna of all ponies!"

She futilely pressed her hoof against her mouth to stop laughing, "Yeah yeah, laugh it up. It was an accident. When I got teleported to Equestria, I was basically half-cut. The guards beat the ever-loving shit out of me for that in the dungeon, though."

Her barrel shook with mirth, "I'm not laughing at you. I'm laughing at Luna's reaction. The way her eyes flew open was priceless!" I was about to question why that was so funny, then I immediately remembered how much she hated the Sisters. They fought each other over the Crystal Empire for decades, "Now without any further distraction." Another purple flash landed us in a cell. I was on the floor, bloodied and beaten. My nose was broken, shock coming into effect. My lip was cut open, and I had a knot growing on my head.

"So this was how they treated you on your first night here?" I nodded,

Seeing myself like this refreshed some bad memories, "Yep, I couldn't move for at least a couple hours. I didn't get a doctor until Celestia saw me. It took a whole week to find a doctor who wanted to work with me."

"Bastards." Her lip was curled up in disgust at my pummeled face. "Onto...onto the next memory." She gripped my hand tightly, damn near crushing it in her magic. It didn't take long for me to realize where we were next. The Drill Instructors yelled at the recruits as they struggled over the wall, climbing their way back down. Some ponies collapsed in the mud, only to have one of the instructors bend down to berate them further,

"Move, you freak! MOVE MOVE MOVE!" There I was, my body was caked in sweat and mud. I was at the back of the group. I pushed myself as hard as I could to keep up with them. The stallion's name was Roaring Gale. Looking back on things now, I can't help but feel like he was doing everything in his power to make me quit. I collapsed and fell into the mud, heaving from exhaustion. "Oh, come on! You useless-" He stomped over and grabbed my head, "It's bad enough a freak like you desecrated these training grounds from simply being here. Now you can't even complete an obstacle course!"

"I-I'm sorry, sir, I'm trying as hard as I can." I wheezed,

"Aw, you're trying. Well, that makes it better, doesn't it?" His hoof shot out and connected with my stomach. I heaved and wretched, puking up my breakfast, "Oh you son of a-" Gale's hoof came down on my head, pressing my face into the cocktail of mud and vomit.

I stepped towards Gale, only to be halted by Umbra's magic, "Donovan. As much as I want to see you brutalize that sorry excuse of a stallion, it's just a memory. You'll just walk right through them." I took in a deep breath,

"Yeah, you're right."

"So, I take it you've seen enough?" My eyes returned to look at my past self, scooping up vomit and mud putting them in my pockets while Gale shouted rapid-fire insults at me.

I turned back to Umbra, "More than enough." With a nod, her horn was alight once more. However, we weren't in that black void from earlier. Instead, we were in a clearing. Surrounded by a forest of towering trees. The sky was an unnatural black. A supermassive moon bathed the land in ominous light. The grass long dead, adapting this gray color, "Umbra, where exactly are we?"

"This is where my soul resides. The Eternal Forest, I like to call it. At first, I made this place for my consciousness to avoid Luna's influence over my mind in the dreamscape. Every time I've been destroyed in battle, my soul comes here." Umbra teleported in front of me, "So have you decided?"

"I have."

Umbra closed the distance between us, "So, what is it?"

Reaching down, I pulled out a few blades of grass and let them float back down, "Teach me. Besides, what the fuck else do I have to lose?"

The unicorn pondered, "Well, if Celestia or Luna discovers your secret. You could be deemed too dangerous and entombed in stone or, at the worst, executed."

My body stiffened with resolve, "...Well, it wasn't much of a life anyway. I just have one question, though."

"Hm?"

"Why are you helping me? Aren't you a brutal and unforgiving tyrant? Why don't you control my mind and my body or something?"

A brief pause blared throughout, "Because I know what it feels like to be left out. Cast aside, and be...regarded as less. Nopony helped me when I was a young filly, roaming the streets of the Crystal Empire. I won't allow the same to befall you. Even a wicked mare such as myself has some sense of morality."

My eyes were wide open, "Wow, Umbra, I don't know what to say. Thank you."

She nodded, "There is one thing I must ask of you, though."

"Yeah, what is it?"

"In return for the power I shall bestow upon you, you will become my sworn Guardspony. My army dissolved long ago after I was defeated. On the day I return to the land of the living, I need someone by my side to protect me."

"Wait, so when you return to the physical world, will you try and take over the Crystal Empire Again?" To go from being the only human on Equus to helping Umbra retake the Crystal Empire is a pipeline that I wouldn't doubt myself going down at this rate.

Her expression softened as she stared up at the moon, "I-I am not sure. I have been destroyed too many times in my goal of taking the Empire. The whole idea seems...implausible to try for a third time."

"I'll do it." She turned to face me with a stern expression,

Umbra spoke authoritatively, "On your knees, Donovan." I did as she ordered. Umbra summoned her infamous war scythe, the snath of the scythe was wrought from the same dark iron as her regalia and shoes. The blade, however was a looming fang of carved obsidian. Even in this dark void, I could faintly see my reflection, "Donovan, the human, do you swear to stand by my side and be a an example of my will? To fight and kill in my name?

I can't say that the last oath didn't make me a little nervous, but I swallowed my pride and fear and responded, "Yes, Umbra."

"Are you willing to renounce Harmony and allow the clutches of dark magic to assimilate itself with your soul?"

"Yes, I am."

"Splendid. I am pleased with your faith and devotion. As far as I can see, this is the day you die. Your new life starts here, Donovan. Under my instruction, you shall grow to have considerable power and unending respect from those who trampled over you." Her irises once again vanished from the influx of power she was conjuring. My body was blanketed in her magic, and I was levitated off the ground. Every muscle spasmed and flexed. It felt like my skin was bubbling, and my eyes threatened to burst from my skull.

My teeth which were clamped shut gave way to the groan that left my vocal cords, "Endure Donovan! Endure the pain for a little while longer! I promise it's almost over." Just as she said that the stream of magic she pumped into my body grew in size, and so did the pain. My groan graduated into a roar of excruciating pain. Seconds felt like hours before it finally came to an end. Once my feet hit the ground, I swayed slightly before crumbling to my knees. My entire body felt like stone, enough to make me think I was sinking. The sensation of pins and needles on steroids came soon after. It felt like my skin was being repeatedly pricked. My breathing was wet and ragged, which brought on a coughing fit. The feeling of fur being brushed against my left cheek grabbed my attention. My breath hitched slightly when I noticed that Umbra was nuzzling me.

Her hoof came to rest on my head, "I was right about you."

"What-What do you mean."

Snaking her hoof under my chin, she gently pulled my head up to meet her, "The amount of magic I gave you was far beyond what most have been gifted with, let alone survived." I blinked,

"Are you saying that could have killed me?"

"That could have killed most, but you survived."

I shook my head, "That's not a very comforting thought, and," My sentence was interrupted with a weak cough, "Who's to say I won't die later on? I've heard stories about ponies turning to maniacs or husks from using too much dark magic."

"Yes. Ponies, which is something you don't happen to be. It seems your body and soul can handle higher infusions of dark magic than an average pony." Umbra's forehead met mine. I looked up at her eyes, " You are more than worthy to be my Guard and student. As long as we trust and protect one another, we will find solace." Her voice soothed me and brought forward a sense of comfort. "For now, it's time for you to awake from your slumber, my human." But, wait, I never told her what I was. So how did she know? Umbra's horn met my head, and I went numb . Before I hit the grass, she quickly caught me and flipped me over. The fur on her belly tickled my bare scalp. Umbra's hooves caressed my head. I looked at her face and was met with a soft smile. My eyes started to shut.

Maybe there was more to this mare than malice and hate.

I shot up from the bed, "Holy shit." My body was outlined in the bedsheets from sweat. I was frozen in thought at what I had just experienced,

"Good Morning," Umbra's voice reverberated in my head, "I apologize for the pain you went through. Although, I can assure you the corruption is underway."

"Corruption?"

"I merely tainted your soul with a hefty dose of dark magic. Think of it as a virus. Dark magic will flow throughout your body, washing away any kind of harmonic magic that has become attached to it. Until then, I can't teach you any spells. I will tutor you in the dark arts when you are fully corrupted. Luckily, the process is not long. I predict that it shall be completed within hours."

I threw my legs over the bed and stretched, "Hours, huh? Well, the Forge is closed on weekends anyway. So I don't have anything to do today."

"In that case, is there anything you have planned for the day?"

I rubbed my stubble, "Gonna go order more metal, get some food, and that's it." I pushed the metal door open. It responded with a loud screech before the rusted top hinge gave. A clang reverberated around the chamber. I stared at the door with an apathetic expression, "Guess I'll fix the door first."

My worn leather boots thudded against the clean floors. The pristine ivory walls of the palace always seemed to glow under the rays of the morning sun. The only ponies I saw this early in the morning are solar guards starting their shifts or maids preparing to go about the day.

It was such a contrast to the bleak and empty feeling that the Forge gave you, "Donovan?"

"Yes, Umbra?"

I thought, "Where are you going? I thought you were going to change?"

"I use the barracks to shower and clean myself up since there's no bathroom. It's tedious, but it's the only option I've got to take. I usually go a lot earlier than this, but my bedroom door needed to be fixed."

"You aren't even afforded your bathroom so that you can stay clean? By the gods, I knew the ponies were hypocrites about that "Friendship and Harmony" nonsense, but that is unfathomably insensitive."

"I tried to seek an audience with the Princesses about it."

"And what came of that?"

I sighed, "Celestia was too busy with Day court to get back to me. Luna, on the other hand, just sent back my paper. Albeit, it was balled up." I could hear her scoff,

"So I suppose it's safe to assume Luna still hasn't forgiven you for headbutting her?"

"Yep, right on the money with that one. You should see the looks Luna would hit me with. After repeatedly trying to at least speak with Princesses, only to have them brush me off...I just stopped trying. There was no point to it. The results would have been the same each time."

I could feel warmth washing over my body, along with a feeling of comfort, "They abandoned you, swatted you away like a fly from their tails. I would never do such a thing. You are a part of me, as I am of you." A small smile came to my face,

"Thank you, Queen Umbra."

"Of course, and please, just call me Umbra." I arrived in the barracks, garnering the usual stare or disgusted look.

Any conversations being had faded off, replaced with murmurs, "That freak again."

"He doesn't even have any duties. He just sits on his ass all day."

"Freaks like him don't deserve to wear our armor."

"Why can't the Princesses just strip him of his title? He's been ranked as a Private for the past three years."

"Sweet Celestia, I could smell him from here!"

"He reeks, doesn't he?"

"Bastard's lucky the Captain is here."

"I hate how he always waltzes here as if he's something." My right hand twitched. I tried with all my might not to form a fist. Then, grabbing a towel and a soap bar, I entered the showers. The stallions who were inside promptly turned off their water and left. Tossing my change of clothes in my locker, I stripped down and turned on the water. Watching as the water ran the drain, a smile formed on my face.

Author's Note

Okay, kinda feel like I fucked up the pacing here. I've been writing on my phone and grammarly forces you to pay money in order to get help with advanced writing issues. other than that, here's chapter 2.

Edited on March 20th, 2022