Doom Slayer Reborn: Fall of Equestria

Chapter 2: Trek to the Camp

The Slayer was walking ahead, with Twilight and Tempest right behind him, while holding his new revolver at the ready, just in case one of the monsters of the forest decided to grow a pair and attack them. But so far, fifteen minutes of walking turned out to be uneventful, as though they heard the creatures, cockatrices, timberwolves, even hydras, yet nothing dared to attack them. They were afraid of the Slayer, and they had every right to be.

“Aaron?” Twilight said, getting the Slayer’s attention. He stopped and looked to Twilight for her to continue. “What happened to you? You were always so friendly, or at least tried to be. So what happened that made you become this way?”

The Slayer, now known as Aaron, lowered his head as if thinking about his answer for a few moments. After what seemed like an eternity, he dispatched the revolver back to the aether and lifted his hands to the sides of his helmet. After a slight twist to the side and the resulting hiss of the broken seal, he pulled his helmet off and looked Twilight in the eyes. Twilight lightly gasped as she saw his face for the first time tonight.

His hair was the same curling brown that she remembered, while his eyes were the same hazel, with light inflections of ice blue that were new. The blue inflections were different than when she last saw him on Earth. But she knew this was the human she came to know as a friend.

But what mystified her was the fact that he had a scar going down across his right eye, similar to Tempest’s. But it was more pronounced, like it was barely healed, gnarled, though it was completely healed. But the look in Aaron’s eyes told of a great sadness and weariness that even he did not have before.

“They were murdered. All of them.” Aaron said the sadness showing deeply in his voice now. “He killed my entire family... all for his petty revenge against me for something... that he did in the first place.”

Twilight looked shocked that Aaron’s family had been all killed. Tempest, despite having a calculating, deadpan exterior to those she doesn’t know, couldn’t help but look concerned. Twilight stepped forward cautiously, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“What happened?” Twilight asked a concerned tone in her voice.

Aaron looked into Twilight’s eyes. The genuine concern he saw was something he hadn’t seen for a long time, not since... he shook his head and looked back at Twilight.

“Alright, I’ll explain, but no interruptions.” Aaron said, his voice serious. “And this stays between the three of us, Celestia and Luna included when we get back to the camp. Understand?”

“Cross our hearts, hope to fly,” Twilight began to say, doing the motions of her party-loving friend’s signature unbreakable promise. Tempest did the same, but remained silent. “Stick a cupcake in our eyes. You have our word, this will remain our secret.”

“Okay.” Aaron replied, smiling as he knew the value of a Pinkie Promise. Then he looked up at the sky, seeing that it was getting too dark to keep moving. “We’ll set up camp for the night, it’s too dark now. I’ll explain once we make camp. And just in case any of those fuckers are around, I’ll ask some guards from the local wildlife. So don’t fear if they come, they fear me more than anything else, like I said earlier, since they know they would die if they even attempt to harm you.”

Before they started on making their campsite for the night, Aaron turned towards the denser part of the forest and took a big breath of air. Then, to Twilight and Tempest’s surprise, they had to cover their ears as he used a form of the Royal Canterlot Voice. But the language he spoke was not anything that either of them heard before.

“Waiwaketidiuwansu, tiutouvundibairununsu, emudou ayadoudiesu ifu tian nnundifudinn.” Aaron spoke loudly in his version of the Royal Canterlot Voice. “Waitoun tii toun emudou pudiitinwati tiansun tibai fudiitou tian waediubio baaurun ban waetoupu hidi tian muugati. Yaio baururu vun dinbaedidoundou hidi yaiodi anrupu.”

For a moment, Twilight and Tempest thought nothing would happen. But then they heard the multiple pattering of timberwolf claws, the slithering of cockatrices, and the earth-quaking pound of what felt like three or four hydras. The sounds got closer and closer until Twilight and Tempest, to their shock, saw all of the Everfree animals standing before Aaron. He stepped up to the hydra right in front of him, the biggest one of the four that they saw had shown up. None of the animals before them dared to attack them, instead, they bowed, yes, bowed to Aaron. Aaron shook his head.

“I am no king. I am just a warrior.” Aaron said, smiling. “I protect, nothing more, nothing less. I just need to get these two back to the old castle ruins, but we were attacked earlier by the Caribou.” At the mere mention of the Caribou, the animals before him roared. “I take it you all have had loved ones taken by them too, huh? Well then, show us that you aren’t as ruthless and mindless as the ponies believe by first proving it to Princess Twilight and her friend there.” Aaron pointed to Twilight and Tempest. “Prove it by protecting this campsite for the night, and your help will not go unrewarded. We will make sure to be peaceful if you all are as well. Now, who speaks for the lot of you in the forest?”

The biggest hydra of the four stepped forward and leaned its’ middle head toward Aaron. Aaron calmly put a hand on its’ head, giving it a friendly pat.

“I know I wouldn’t be able to understand the name you were given, since your native tongue is different, so I’ll give you a new one.” Aaron said, smiling a coy smile. “Your new name is King Ghidorrah. It was the name of a villain where I’m from, but I know you are not the same as the original Ghidorrah. So bring honor to your new name. Have the others establish a perimeter around the campsite, and if any Caribou come for us, you know what to do.”

Aaron’s new hydra friend, Ghidorrah, huffed in understanding and then the left and right heads barked to the rest of the assembled animals. They either hissed or howled in understanding and ran to their assigned posts. Aaron nodded and turned around, only to be surprised at what he saw. Twilight and Tempest had already gone ahead and set up the camp, piling the wood for the campfire. He walked back towards them.

“You two didn’t need to do any of the work. You’ve been through enough.” Aaron said. They looked up at him in surprise. Twilight smiled as she finished piling the main firewood on while Tempest set up the kindling. "Alright ladies, step back, let’s light this fire.”

Twilight and Tempest stepped back and, once they stepped back a sufficient distance, they were surprised when Aaron leaned towards the unlit campfire and used his Flame Belch to light the campfire. Once the fire was going enough, Aaron held out his hands and, out of the aether, he produced two sleeping bags.

“Get some sleep.” He said, handing one sleeping bag to Twilight and the other to Tempest. “We’ll head out after I catch us some fish and forage wild berries for breakfast.”

“Don’t you need to sleep?” Twilight asked Aaron. Aaron smiled sadly and shook his head.

“Ever since I became what I am now, I don’t sleep anymore.” Aaron said, shrugging his shoulders. “I’ll admit it’s a comfort I miss, but I’ll gladly give it up again, if given the choice, if it means I can stand watch all night without the adverse health effects. Now sleep. I’ll wake you up once breakfast is ready.”

Twilight and Tempest nodded, setting up their respective sleeping bags and crawling into them. Tempest was already fast asleep the minute she laid down, but Twilight looked to Aaron one last time.

“I know I said it already, Aaron, but I’m glad you’re here.” Twilight said with a tired smile. “I’ve missed you all these years. I hope this isn’t a dream when I wake up.”

Aaron couldn’t help but smile, remembering she didn’t want to leave him all those years ago back on Earth. Even though he could never find a way like he promised, it seems fate saw fit to bring him to Equestria to help restore the once harmonious world back to its’ former self from the vicious Caribou. Aaron knelt next to Twilight and patted her shoulder.

“I’ve missed you too, old friend.” Aaron said with a smile. “I promise you this is no dream. As I’ve said before, I have been and always shall be your knight, and friend. Now, get some sleep.” He patted her shoulder once more.

Twilight, despite the day, was convinced Aaron was no figment of hers and Tempest’s imagination, closed her eyes. In less than 10 minutes, a slight snore could be heard from Twilight, signaling that she was completely asleep. Aaron smiled, standing up and walking over to the edge of the campsite and began his guard duty.

—3hours later—

*Tempest’s POV 3rd Person*

Tempest woke up with a start, sweating heavily. She had not only had the nightmare of when her horn was broken when she was young, but of what happened earlier. When she moved her head around, she saw that she was still in the camp that they had set up with Twilight’s friend, Aaron Evans, aka the Doom Slayer. She saw Aaron with his back to the camp, inspecting his revolver, doing some maintenance, and overall admiring the weapon.

“I already know what happened.” Aaron said, surprising Tempest. “Two nightmares in one. One was about something from your childhood, the other was about today.”

“How did you—?” Tempest started to ask, only to be cut off by a gesture from Aaron.

“Because I used to have double nightmares all the time after that bastard murdered my family.” Aaron said, after which he spat on the ground. “After I took him out for what he did, I was empty, hollow. I was nothing but a shell of who I used to be. That’s when he appeared to me when the nightmares almost drove me to insanity.”

“Who’s ‘he’?” Tempest asked, curious as to where this was getting to.

“My previous incarnation, the original Doom Slayer,” Aaron said, smiling at the fond memory. “Though he didn’t speak ever to me, he didn’t need to. I knew what he wanted to say without him needing to. He helped me become what I am now. And though I never had to fight against the demons or the forces of Hell as he once did, I just wanted to right the wrongs of my own mistakes. I wanted to protect those who could not protect themselves. He trained me in everything I know, from the weapons to everything in the melee area of combat as you had seen today.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Tempest asked, unsure of the point.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Aaron asked, huffing in slight annoyance. “Having similar nightmares as each other? Becoming a hollow shell of who we once were? I’m offering to help in the same way my predecessor helped me.” He then smiled when he sees the shocked look on Tempest’s face as realization hit her like a ton of bricks.

“You’re saying that—?” Tempest began, after which Aaron nodded in confirmation.

“When I get a set of Praetor Armor like mine tailored to your measurements, then yes,” Aaron said, smiling, “I’m making you my apprentice.” Aaron sat down on the log near her. “I’ve dealt with what you’re beginning to go through, Tempest, the nightmares are just the start. But with my guidance, and my training, that won’t happen. My training will help you channel that and use that anger and rage on the Caribou. The Caribou are rage, brutal, without mercy. But you and I... you and I will be worse. We will rip and tear, until it is done. Besides, it would be kind of boring if I did this all by myself. So what do ya say? Want to learn the way of the Doom Slayer and truly help this world back to the way it was before the war?” Aaron held his hand out as if to invite her in a handshake.

Tempest was shocked that he knew exactly what she was going through. But that he had it worse, as it was just the start for her, like he said, Aaron said he was almost driven to the point of insanity if not for the intervention of his predecessor. And he sees the same makings of a Doom Slayer in her? Tempest didn’t need to second guess this offer, as the mistakes from her past spurred her decision. She lightly took his hand and shook it.

“I won’t let you down.” Tempest said with complete sincerity. Aaron nodded.

“I know.” Aaron smiled. “Now get back to sleep, I’ll wake you two up when breakfast is ready. And Tempest?” Tempest rolled back over to look at Aaron, “For the first part of your training, repeat this as you go back to sleep. It helped me with the nightmares when I began my training. Say, ‘Rip and tear, until it is done’. Repeat it over and over until you fall asleep. That’s your first step.”

Tempest nodded and rolled back over. Aaron stood back up and walked back to where he was standing before Tempest originally woke up. Ghidorrah stood there, keeping watch alongside him.

“Having an apprentice Doom Slayer is going to be interesting, Ghidorrah. But I think she’ll make a great one.” After he said that, Ghidorrah playfully nudged him, as if to say he agreed.

EXTRA:
Slayer's Melnics Tranlation
Cockatrices, Timberwolves, and Hydras of the Everfree. Come to me and protect these two from the Caribou while we camp for the night. You will be rewarded for your help.