My eyes slid open slowly. I rose gradually as I scanned my room. just as I’ve done every other day since.... My walls were a dull grey while my ceiling was a midnight black with constellations all over it. My floor was covered in a snowy white carpet. I suddenly sprang with a spin out of my bed and rocketed past my dresser... just like every other night. No one hid behind it, no one ever did, but the day I didn’t jump to action, would be a day I regretted. I sighed as I saw nothing amiss, but sent a quick magic pulse through the house.

Again, nothing. Stretching and popping some joints, I walked to my dresser popping open the bottom drawer of the dark brown piece of furniture. I dressed up in my usual under armor padding. It was a soft and spongy metal polymer. I didn’t know anything past that nor did I care. Next came my real armor. It was a skin-tight dark gray suit of metal. Next was my cloak, It was pitch black, and was slightly tattered at the edges. Just how I liked it. Quiet morning…. Regrettably.

Lastly, my mask. It was an ivory white once upon a time, but sand, dirt, and various other things have since darkened the mask's face. My other six masks lifted off of my dresser to float around behind me. I willed them to begin their circular orbital that I so liked.

Different masks, one for every situation. Happiness, Sadness, Anger, Shock, Neutrality, and Schadenfreude were my normal masks of glossy white. I had two more, one was Rage, and the other, Deceit. Rage was a cracked black mask with a large diagonal break across the right side of the mask. Embers flowed around the edges and through the eyes, but the lava flowing down the long break was what really sold the fiery theme to me. Deceit’s true form was a cloud of black smoke in the form of a mask, but most of the time it was disguised as one of the other masks, waiting.

With my masks settling into their circling pattern behind me, I decided to have breakfast. Breakfast was never any fun, so lets get to the interesting part work. I stood from the table in my dining room, brushed my clean cloak off, and ripped open a portal to the lobby.This never gets old.

As I stepped through I heard “YAA, what the hell dude, stop popping in like that! It’s REALLY damned annoying.” Closing the portal, I used my power to switch my masks from the dirty neutrality mask to the glossy mask of schadenfreude. Slowly turning and tilting my head, I peered into the speaker's eyes.

The enchantment on my masks acted as a one-way window. I smiled deeply as he averted his gaze from the black pits of the mask. I then responded in my most energetic voice “WHY HELLO there my little friend, I understand that my habits can be a TAD unnerving, but they are how I get around, soooo you better get used to it.”

At the end I deepened my voice, and layered some static as I spoke. I snapped back into my signature stance back straight, head slightly tilted, and hands behind my back. “Now, have a nice daaAAay, see you in the ring.”

I spun on my heel and walked towards one of the many halls Oh how I love illusions… even if they’re a little ..basic. It faded from the sterile white of an office to a replication of old Roman architecture. Colosseum architecture to be specific, and I Love It.

Looks like they’re going for the Ol’ Roman look today. A circular wall of marble surrounded the sand filled pit that I stood in. I stole a quick glance at the stone bleachers and saw them filled to the brim. The grin under my mask widened. Oh this will be fun.

However, my revelry was interrupted by the sound of shouting. I glanced at the opposite side of the ring, and saw, to my delight, the man that was annoying me earlier. Hmmm thunder specialty, wizard class….. Adept? He certainly wasn’t a novice, but he didn’t have that crackle of power surrounding masters….

He saw me staring at him, and shouted “WATCHA LOOKIN AT YOU MASKED FREAK. THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA WANTS HIS ANTIQUE FACE BACK.”.....

My mask was one of neutrality, then rage flashed its fiery head, and finally settled on schadenfreude. My favorite. The smiling mask was just the thing.

I slowly turned to the crowd “You know what? I think it's time to start teaching these youngsters to respect their elders, wouldn’t you say?”

I snapped my head back towards my competitor. I chuckled internally as I started layering a few illusions. First, static in the voids that should be the eyes of my mask. Next, black liquid that seeped from the holes, and lastly arcane symbols of the blackest kind, that phased in and out of existence around my head. He started squirming under my unblinking gaze. Heh, still got it.

Then a loud crack rang out above all the other noise, followed/accompanied by a thundering shout yelling “BEGIN.” I summoned a scythe made out of a lil piece of entropy itself. I decided spread my arcane wings, made of dozens of sharp metal plates. He threw a hand out, and lightning thrashed where I stood. However, I had already teleported just to the side.

No, no he needs a little hope.

He continued lashing out at me with lightning from his fingers. Sometimes the boy even had the creativity to throw lightning from above, or try to electrify the ground. How… predictable.

I suddenly stopped my constant dodging, and the adept, to his credit, paused. He seemed to think for a moment before charging up a massive bolt of lightning going so far as to infuse runes into it.

Quite the gamble isn’t it boy?

I grinned beneath my mask.

Oh the hope I see in his eyes.

He shouted while the ball of electricity left his hands and barreled towards me. I simply spread my hands to the sides and tilted my head. The sphere struck like the hammer of an angry god. The crowd was silent, then muttered, then cheered with joy.

The lightning adept was grinning from ear to ear. “HOW’S THAT, YOU SMUG BASTARD? THOUGHT YOU WERE TOUGH? WELL GUESS WHAT-”

His cliche taunts were cut-off by a burst of mad, demonic laughter. “You really thought you stood a chance, didn’t you?”

The laughing died down to chuckles as the masked man in a cloak walked out of the cloud of billowing sand completely unscathed. The only reminder of the previous attack were the small crackles of blue lightning that flashed all over me. “Enough of this farce.”

And with grim, joyful finality, I blinked behind him, and brought my scythe around in a sweeping arc that flashed through him like he wasn’t even there.

I began to walk away as he fell into pieces, literally. Of course, this arena had a reset enchantment; he would be fine, mentally scarred, but fine. I hummed a little happy tune as I cheerfully marched down the hall.

The receptionist had a beaming smile on her face. “Wonderful performance, you should do that kind of thing more often!”

I smiled at her enthusiasm as I replied, “But that would take away the special feeling as my theatrics become the norm… a few centuries of these performances and everyone would be doing it….”

I bowed my head slightly before ripping my usual portal into space-time. As I stepped through I had a funny feeling.

Eh probably nothing, after all It’s just a portal.

I closed my eyes as I stepped through. I breathed in deeply to find something... off.

This isn’t my home? I could’ve sworn that I had the coordinates right.

I opened my eyes and they instantly shot wide open. Meanwhile, the portal behind me closed leaving only a few crackles of blue lightning as a memory of what once was.

I blinked a few times. I shook my head. Then I reached under my mask and rubbed at my eyes. Where the hell is this forest? I’ve never seen it before…That's when I heard a trio of screams belonging to…. Small girls? I instantly charged in their direction.

At least this place might be interesting.

I crashed through the underbrush, and used small blinks to bypass larger obstacles. Then I thundered onto a small dirt path and spotted…. Three ponies? I flicked my head the other way and saw…. Wooden wolves?

God whoever made those must be getting desperate. I mean seriously, wood? For wolves? How unimaginative and…. ineffective. The leader of six wolves growled at me as the pack stalked closer.

I rolled my eyes. “Really? First wood, second wolves, third they’re feral, how incompetent is that wizard? Weak material? Weak spirit? AND he STILL can’t keep control of his mutts?”

I sighed as I shook my head. “Oh, how the education system has failed you my dear mage.”

The weird pony things started shivering. Again, rolling my eyes, I sighed. “Just calm down, little ones, these things aren’t actually dangerous.”

To emphasize my point, I waved my hand to send an arc of lightning through the pack dropping them dead.

I chuckled at my own antics. What, do I show off for tiny horses now? How the mighty have fallen…..

With sarcasm dripping from my internal monologue, I turned towards said little horses.

“Well then, I honestly have no clue what to do with you three.”

I looked them over. The one in the middle was slightly bigger than the other two, had crimson hair, and a yellow coat. The small pegasus was orange with purple hair, while the unicorn was white with a myriad of purple colors?

Eh I’ve seen stranger, only way this could be weird by MY standards is if they started….

My thoughts were cut off by the normal horse stepping forward shakily. “W-w-w-well ya c-could help us get ta Ponyville, Mister?”

The poor thing looked down immediately after saying that, and followed up with “I-i-if you don’t mind.”

Well, at least it's something new….. Should be interesting.

I shrugged while I replaced my current mask with Happiness.

“Not at all. I’m not from around here, so this is all new to me.” I slowly walked towards them, stopped around 3 feet away from the cowering fillies.

At least I think that’s what baby horses are called.

“Wellllllllll are ya gonna point the way? I ain’t exactly a tour guide.”

I kept my happiness mask on to keep them calm. I don’t really feel like chasing these ones all through the forests.

Slowly the pegasus filly started walking past me, the remains of the timberwolves, and in the direction I presumed their town laid in. I smiled beneath my
mask as I raised a fist in mock passion.

“Onward to glory, and gold and fame.” My stomach growled in the middle of this “..AND HOPEFULLY FOOD.”

The three fillies started snickering as we walked towards this new place.,

This should be very…… ɨռȶɛʀɛֆȶɨռɢ.

The three fillies started snickering as we walked towards this new place.,

This should be very…… ɨռȶɛʀɛֆȶɨռɢ.

Author's Note

first thing i've tried publishing so far. I'm new to writing, so tips are appreciated.

Hope ya guys enjoy! and lemme know if ya want more