I like pirates bitch

Deep beneath the sunlit waves of the boundless ocean, a group of four courageous individuals embarked on a their next temple expedition. Big Mac, after taking on the leader role of the group op’ed to let Stygian take the lead. Stygian a skilled Master of the Shadow and spy, Discord, a brilliant and skilled user of the Chaos of this magical world, and Grill Cheese a masterful Cook and powerful Martial Artists, delved into the depths in search of four last artifacts Mason had mentioned before they left the boat.

As the group of four descends to deep within the intricate pathways of the ocean maze, they paused to catch their breath and take in their surroundings. The maze was an enigma with its twisting corridors and shifting walls, mimicking the unpredictable nature of the vast ocean itself. With a nonchalant attitude to the scary nature of a seemingly overwhelming maze.

"Quite a peculiar place to think Mason would get us here without any hitches or bumps.” Remarked Grill Cheese squinting at the distant walls. "Who would have thought the ocean had Discord’s last piece to the Chao in such a labyrinth?"
"Yeah, the ocean was the last place I was thinking of going. Since I can’t really swim." replied Discord , running his hand along the smooth, cool surface of the maze's walls only the wipe off some moss to rub between his fingers.

Big Mac turned to look at Discord suddenly in surprise, “I thought you said you could swim?”
Discord retorted, “I sort of can I just can’t go near large bodies of water it’s the one weakness of being a Chaotic Monster God!”
Stygian asked, “How is the Ocean your weakness?”
Discord sighed and then turned to look at the group and said, “Because the Ocean is the most recognizable element of Chaos. It can kill you if you’re not careful and because it has Chaotic energy flowing out of it and into the chaos lake I inhabit it’s like my natural source of energy and power. But I can’t control my energy source because of its raw power.”

Grill Cheese replied, “oh ok. So your weakness is large bodies of water then right?”
Discord replied, “Thats kind of right. The reason being the ocean is as chaotic as it is unpredictable. You know why? That’s because it can create natural disasters and it can swallow boats whole or the Ocean houses entities that are lovecraftian to you guy. It looks like a place to find food and other things but you only scratch the surface of what the Ocean holds.”

Stygian wondering asked, “So does that mean you have the ability to draw energy from the land as well since natural disasters happen on land or is that just an Ocean thing?”
Discord shrugged and responded, “Yes and no, the land in equestria doesn’t provide very pure Chaos in fact it’s pretty much a glass of water compared to the lake of pure chaos the ocean provides.”

The group was still conversing about how Discords powers worked and Stygian sensed his shadow power in effect to find the artifacts. His shadows felt all over the maze. That’s when Stygian felt something moving around stepping on his shadows he was controlling. The thing was approaching at a speed akin to a slow walk.

Stygian stopped talking and then focused on the specific species of the thing heading towards the group. Stygian said, “Not to ruin the mood. But we have a thing or enemy heading straight for us.”
Grill Cheese, took out a mallet for mincing meat and a butchers knife and covered them with condensed aura and replied, “Let’s roll on the side of caution but if we can talk it out that would be great.”
Stygian feeling something was off and in a shocking manner loudly said, “The four artifacts are located split up and head to the locations. Use my shadow arrows to get to the artifacts so that thing doesn’t catch you off balance and be wary of traps.”

The group split up and headed to different sections of the maze. Mason looked down at the waves of the ocean and in a nonchalant manner looked at the sky where Spike and Soarin were flying and do mock battle training.

Mason sighed and looked at the seed in his hand and thought to himself, “I wish the other me would have gave me a little something to look for instead of nothing. I mean he was the real one and I’m just his clone what kind of bullshit is this, and what about these two rainbow spirals. Am I even me anymore or am I doing what he wants. He did say don’t follow him and who is this guy he was talking about?”

Mason frowned looking at himself in the waves and his emotions were swirling around in his head like a tornado and the questions only seemed to increase as he thought about it. Mason sat on the boat and got into his meditation position and entered his mind.

Mason pissed yelled for the older Mason to come out so he can at least answer his questions. The older Mason walked out of the white space and gave a gentle smile asked, “The questions you asked yourself are easy to answer. But in order for those questions to have answers you need to feel with your heart and soul. Not just your mind and brain. Your logical response is good just not instinctual the heart you have is one of a kind, and the soul you have in pair is not just rare it’s special but you don’t want to here anything that doesn’t illicit a logical response.”

Mason looked away in shame a bit and Older Mason kept saying, “Why do you think Eversor and you were split in the transformation. In order to make the best you, required hardship and that’s why your heart and Brain were split. So you Mason got the Mind and brain and Eversor got the Heart and soul. He was drawing out your emotions and raw personality. But you were drawing out the thoughts and desires.”
Mason replied, “Who is the guy you are talking about not trusting and what not?”

Older Mason frowned and responded, “I’m bound by a promise and spell to never tell his name to outsiders. But when he shows up don’t join his dumb fight. You have to tell him to stay away from this universe. You can keep him away because now you have a stronger body and soul. You are already a thousand times stronger than him when he shows his face!”

Discord flying took sharp turns making a left and right and then dodged a few tricks and traps and then grabbed the necklace with two stones on it and the necklace had enough room on it for one more stone that was missing.
Discord flew fast to find the others in his group.

Big Mac walking in his section of the maze heard foot steps behind him and that’s when he stopped and turned around and saw the thing chasing before the group split up. The thing was a pile of hair from the look of it and the thing following Big Mac. Big Mac took his sword out and was about to swing at it until the pile dodged it and as he missed the pile mumbled something and Big Mac stopped and in a confused tone said, “What? Did you say something?”
The pile repeated, “Do you have some scissors? I need a haircut.”
Big Mac handing the pile the scissors from his bag, replied, “Yeah I do. You got a name?”
Long John in a speed almost impossible, cut all the hair around him and responded, “Thanks, it’s been several decades now since I’ve had visitors in the temple maze. My names Long John the guide dog.”

Big Mac now showing clear signs of confusion and Long John handing over the scissors and said, “I know this is very confusing but I’m just a guide not the big bad boss of this maze.”
Big Mac asked, “Who’s the Maze boss?”
Long John replied, “He doesn’t like people in his maze and definitely doesn’t want me giving the knowledge away.”

Big Mac walked into the room with the podium and an earring was floating above the podium. Big Mac bumped into the podium still listening to Long John who was a Golden retriever dog human. Big Mac grabbed the earring and started walking back the way he came.

Stygian following his shadow power to the artifact which he got to with relative ease as he made his way to the podium there was an eye ball with a different type of energy coming off of it. Stygian grabbed the eye and put it in his shadow and kept walking back towards the center of the maze.

Grill Cheese skipping all over the maze section just having fun with it watched the whole maze open up to him and lead him to the podium with a weird looking ball that would wiggle to the touch. Grill Cheese was about to grab the ball but it jumped onto him before he could react and the ball touched his hand like a dewdrop, nestled onto Grill Cheese’s skin. It started to spread on the body like a form-fitting suit. Its gel-like texture molds, matching the wearer's contours, mimicking their complexion or preferred attire. It adheres like a second skin, offering comfort without constraint. This living attire evolves, responding to the wearer's thoughts, emotions, and environment. It adjusts its properties—temperature, texture, and color—on command. Beyond style, it enhances the wearer's abilities, acting as a protective barrier, absorbing impacts, and fostering a profound connection between host and symbiont, an extraordinary living ensemble.

Grill Cheese felt the aura in his body leave to help the symbiont to evolve and make aura itself to get stronger. Grill Cheese looked at his spiffy new clothes and said, “This is something else!” Grill Cheese turned around and started walking toward the center section.

Discord made it back to the center section of the maze and sat down. He looks at the necklace and how it was radiating chaos energy from one of the stones and the other one was just giving a bit of a hum to it. That’s when Stygian came around the corner and Grill Cheese came from an opening in the Maze. The three looked at one another and that’s when Stygian was about to say something only for the three to hear a voice unfamiliar talking about the Maze and how it was made and then they saw Big Mac walking around the corner interested in the information and the dog human stopped talking only to see three defensive anthro’s readily in fighting stances.

Big Mac put both his hands up and said, “Stop he’s a guide not an enemy you guys need to calm down!”
Stygian responded, “Sorry! We thought he was holding you hostage.”
Long John said, “Wow I didn’t know you had more friends I hope boss doesn’t mind company over today.”
Discord repeated, “Boss?”

Big Mac answered, “Yeah there’s a boss of this maze that Long John works for.”
Grill Cheese interested asked, “Is he interested in fighting or can we be civil with him?”
Long John confused replied, “What’s civil mean and he hates fighting.”
Stygian thought he felt a familiar scent in the air and before he could speak the maze walls started to fall turning the maze into a flat square dome.

Stygian heard a familiar voice he had not heard in a long time say, “It’s been a long time since we’ve had visitors, and do my eyes fail me is that Star Swirl the Bearded’s lackey.”
Stygian with a pissed tone replied, “Scorpan is that you? How’s the family you coward stone shit.”
Scorpan smiling with a frustrated attitude responded, “You know I’m banished from the nether lands. I can only hide from my evil brother, by the way how’s the squire work your doing for Star Swirl or did he kick you out for going behind his back and being a piece of trash.”

Stygian visible upset from what Scorpan said looked away and saddened at the thought of his friend not even thinking of his feelings or how all he wanted to do was help.

Scorpan looked at Discord and asked, “Why are you here? Your that villain with the chaos powers that was turned to stone by Princess Celestia and Luna?”
Discord responded, “I’m actually a reformed villain not evil and neither is Stygian so why are you being a dick to him?”
Scorpan still unwavering in his attitude replied, “Villains don’t change and they never will. So this whole reformed shit is obviously a trick.”

Big Mac repeated, “No Discord and Stygian are definitely reformed. I mean Discord has a kid with an anthro pony in Ponyville.”
Scorpan shook his head and asked, “Why are you guys here anyway, and what’s the reason for the sudden drop-“

Scorpan noticed that Big Mac had a familiar ring and Grill Cheese had an earring and saw the necklace on Stygian. Scorpan in a frantic tone said, “Who gave you those artifacts and how did you know where this maze was?”
Stygian replied, “Bite me! You sack of shit! I’m not saying jack tell you apologize to Discord and I for that disrespectful behavior and shit talk.”

Scorpan look and Grill Cheese and Big Mac and replied, “Are you going to let this villain speak for you?”
Big Mac responded, “He was given the title of leader by our boss before coming here. So, yes he is speaking for all of us.”
Scorpan pissed asked, “And who prey tell is your boss that you’re forced to work with villains, and one of them gets to be the leader no less?”

The group now getting visibly angry with the way Scorpan was badmouthing Mason and his capabilities. That’s when Masons voice rang out in everyone’s head and said, “If you have a problem with how I run things. Then how about you prove you are better or why not fight for the position I occupy.”
Scorpan responded, “What position do you occupy the position of lease holder or dog owner.”
Mason’s voice responded, “How about we take this to the surface then.”

The whole dome started to shake uncontrollably and that’s when Scorpan felt uncomfortable. Because he had enough magic to control the dome without breaking a sweat. But now he had no control over it. He tried to push it back down but nothing was working. Mason’s voice said, “I can’t have you putting up a fight for control of the temple while I’m in the middle of transitioning it to the surface of the water.” The force Mason was using was stronger than Scorpan could handle.

Scorpan saw the under belly of the boat off to the side. That’s when the temple moved out of the way to make space for the boat to not rock back and forth. Scorpan looked at the group who were smiling and snickering to each other. Scorpan confused demanded, “What’s so funny? Whoever this Mason is we need to be ready to fight it. Because it’s stronger than all of us!”
Discord replied, “You are right he is stronger than all of us. But he was never going to fight if the situation demanded it. It’s funny because you insulted not just his competent leadership skills and his friends but his brothers in arms.”

Scorpan watched as the temple dome cleared the waves. The temple moved higher tell the floor of the temple was above water. Scorpan could see three bodies on the boat watching and staring at the dome. None of them showing any signs of fatigue or distress from lifting the temple out of the sea. Scorpan visible shocked saw the monkey looking anthro lift his hand and force teleported all six onto the boat. The temple started to sink back into the sea slowly. Scorpan turned around and watched it go down past the dome part of the temple and he turned around.

Scorpan saw the Alicorn male, a stronger looking dragon. This average looking monkey anthro hybrid standing by each other. Scorpan looked at the Alicorn and said, “Why did you lift me from my temple? Why are you trying to provoke me with having two villains enter my temple without thinking about my hatred towards them?”
Mason tilted his head and then in a pissed tone replied, “first off, your temple has what we need and secondly, I was never trying to provoke you in any manner. I didn’t even know you existed or lived in the temple. Thirdly, I’m the dog owner you were speaking to earlier.”

Scorpan pissed responded, “So you’re the leaders of these two villains. If I had half the power I had in my youth. You’d be ashes being this disrespectful in my presence.”
Mason smirked and lifted his arm to Scorpan and said, “Ok, here take your full power back then.”

Scorpan confused felt his power increase and hit his highest power level. Scorpan looked at his hands and in a crazy laugh asked, “How would you like to die! Monkey!”
Mason smugly replied, “How about this, if you can turn me into ashes like you just said you could do. You can be the leader of this group.”

Scorpan chanted in a nether land dialect and as he finished the spell he looked back at Mason and said, “When you turn to ashes those two evil anthros are next and then I’ll take the rest home.”
Mason still watching Scorpan and in an uninterested mood retorted, “Yep, but remember that’s if you can turn me into ash.”

Scorpan watched with bated breath and as seconds turned to minutes. Scorpan started to get pissed and Mason looked at Scorpan with no emotion in his eyes. That’s when Scorpan in a frustrated voice asked, “Why won’t you turn to ash?”
Mason stared and said, “That’s because I’m stronger than your spell. There was no way to kill me anyway. Because, I’m immortal.”
Scorpan looked at Mason angry and shouted, “Cheater!”

Mason said, “Yep, I’m the cheater. The guy who gave you back all that power and you still couldn’t turn me into ash.”
Scorpan grinding his teeth in anger. Mason teleported Scorpan back into his temple that was still sinking with his assistant Long John. Mason turned around and walked into the captain’s quarters and called Discord into the room.

Discord walked in and asked, “Why do you need me?”
Mason replied, “So I can help activate the necklace. You have in your hand.”
Discord held up the necklace and saw Mason put the harmony seed on it. That’s when the necklace started to glow and the three stones on the necklace started moving to create a Yin Yang Yong symbol. The necklace floated and started spiraling into a crystal stone and entered Discords chest. Discord turned to crystal and chaotic energy and harmonic energy entered Discords crystal body. The third energy was small and spinning in the middle of the two energies.

Mason walked out and called Stygian over to the other side of the boat into a storage room. Mason held out his hand and Stygian opened a shadow pocket and reached in and grabbed the artifact eye and put it into Mason’s hand. Mason looked at the eye and then said, “Buckle up, this is going to hurt and take some time to adjust so you’re going to need to wear an eye patch after ok.”
Stygian responded, “How painful and what is the eye patch going to do?”
Mason answered, “I have to implant this eye into your eye socket. Which will only take two minutes but this artificial eye has its own vision. That you aren’t even capable of processing so the eyepatch will block your eye until you can fully understand and process the vision.”

Mason after explaining put the artificial eye into Stygian’s right eye. The color of his eye changed into a neon purple. Mason put the eyepatch on his right eye as he felt the energy in the artificial eye start growing. The energy mixed with his shadow power. Mason held out his other hand and Stygian placed the bracer in his hand. Mason activated it and nodded in approval to put it on. Stygian put on the bracer and entered the cocoon.

Mason walked away and went to Big Mac and activated the earring in his hand and nodded to put it on. Big Mac after putting on the earring entered the cocoon which looked different from what it looked like back at the temple in the jungle.

Mason after setting up the three stopped in his tracks and noticed the symbiotic monster slime on Grill Cheese.
Mason asked, “Where’d you find that and what’s up with it?”
Grill Cheese explained, “I was in the middle of the Maze and the walls started to fall down in the direction of this little guy he was scared so I took him with me. I didn’t want to leave him. Why was I not supposed to take him with me?”
Mason replied, “ Well I guess. Did you get the artifact that I ask you to grab?”
Grill Cheese took out the ring and Mason activated it and within a few seconds he was wrapped in a cocoon as well.

Mason called out the Spike and Soarin and asked, “How’s the flight training and mock sky battles going?”
Spike a little ruffed up and wet replied, “Fun but if Soarin played fair.”
Soarin joked, “The enemy won’t play fair this is not a game of tag Spike this is war and it’s alls fair in love and war.”
Mason retorted, “Wrong it’s not a war it’s a fight not one single creature has the power to take the seven of us down but the monsters on Sombra’s team will most likely be stronger faster and easily 10x more of a pain in our asses then the previous creature they use to be.”

Soarin asked, “So like fighting Tirek and him almost taking over Equestia, pain in the ass or Chrysalis replacing every pony in ponyville and Cantorlot, type of pain in the ass.”
Mason replied, “More like Sombra taking over the Crystal Empire and everyone in Equestria with evil dark magic helmets, kind of pain in the ass.”
Spike nodded and then responded, “So a level of tomfoolery that will anger us so badly that we’d go berserk and choke slam the shit out of them.”

Mason nodded and then told them a bit more stuff to suspect and a few other thing and after a 45 minute conversation about the problem with Sombra’s little helper and what could be the best solution to some of the issues they went back to mock sky battles and flight training.

Mason sat down and entered his mind palace where he met Older Mason and Eversor talking with one another and when Mason entered Older Mason looked at Mason and said, “We will start the ritual to perfectly and unify you both back together permanently.”
Mason replied, “Ok, what about you you’re supposed to join us?”
Older Mason responded, “No! I took myself out of the equation and will disappear from the multiverse after this union. In every universe we all combine together in union and something happens and we become an anomaly that they want for more man power. The Mason they don’t take is a Mason that isn’t an anomaly. I want you to live happily not whatever this is I became.”
Mason nodded his head and agreed with him and made the alchemy circle from the black book in his memory. Older Mason had Mason and Eversor stand at two points and the remaining energy in older Masons body was charging up to make Mason whole again. Mason stuck in place tried to stop him but older Mason slapped the ground with his hands and as the energy left his body. Older Mason’s body started fading away to the point Mason could only see the outline of his figure.

Masons and Eversor’s body turned into balls of Blue and red light and as there lights fused together the color of light that shined purple came out and as the light faded Mason came out and the pain of losing Older Mason hit him and that’s when Spike and Soarin felt the emotion of sadness and pain come out of Masons meditating body and as soon as they felt it. It had disappeared.

Mason came out of his meditation and walked to the Captains room and sat in his chair and that’s when discord came out of the Crystal and was stronger then normal and he looked at his hands and saw harmonics energy in one of his hands and chaotic energy in the other. Mason with his chair turned away from discord and Mason stared out the window watching the ocean.

Discord left the room looking for Mason calling out to him and Mason sitting in his chair heard the muffled noises of the group members talking. Mason heard a few more sounds of the other three leaving the cocoons they were in and as the group conversation continued in greater detail Mason looked at his hands and could see the problem with his soul. He was incomplete the whole time but never thought about that and kept up the discipline and routine to keep his mind off of these problems.

That’s when he heard Grill Cheese enter and saw Mason looking at his hands for an extended period of time.
Grill Cheese asked, “How are you feeling Mason?”
Mason replied, “Different Grill, You know like how it feels to make a dish or food without that one important ingredient for a long time and you started adding it back into the dish and or food and you realize that’s the missing key to the puzzle? You know what I mean?”
Grill Cheese pondered the questions and the answered, “I guess but you are looking more complete then before and your aura was missing something that I couldn’t put my finger on but whatever it was it seems like it’s back and you are looking more put together than before.”

Mason stood up and walked out of the Captain’s room and breathed in and then out getting the smell of the salty water and crisp air and the wind hitting his hair. Mason looked up at the sky changing to night and thought of Celestia and what she is doing right now.

AT CANTERLOT CASTLE

Celestia was trapped in the Canterlot Castle with her sister Luna and the people holding them in place was the nobility and cadence’s Crystal empire guards who were being controlled by Sombra.

Celestia looked out the window and thought of Mason. That’s when the Storm King came into the room and with Chrysalis around his arm and his hand on one of her tits and an alcoholic drink in the other. Storm King looked at Celestia and said, “He won’t win so you might as well just get it done with and marry me Celestia. You’d make a creature of my stature very happy not to mention how much love making we’d be doing. Let me tell you none of us would be able to walk for several weeks.”
Celestia not looking at the Storm King and replied, “You’d never be happy with just me and I doubt your 3 inches could ever satisfy me. Mason will come for me and I can assure you he will win and I personally can’t wait to see him shove your head up your own ass!”

Storm King snarled and left in a pissed fashion and as he kept walking to the secret entrance to the groups evil chambers Sombra sat at the head of the table and looked at Storm King come in and to his left was a taken over Cadence and Sombra had taken over Shining Armors body and on his right was Libitina.

Sombra looked at the information they got on Mason from the knocked out Twilight Sparkle and other information she studied. Sombra smiled smugly and noticed a message enter his chamber from a guard and the message was sent from Blue Blood who was trying to take more than Sombra was willing to give.

Sombra looked at a guard and nodded and the guard left and brought Blue Blood to the Chamber in his nightgown and the guard hit him in the head and brought him to his belly.

Blue Blood demanded, “What is the meaning of this? How could you treat your benefactor like this? If it wasn’t for me none of the nobles would have followed this plan!”
Sombra in a pissed tone replied, “You want more riches even after I gave you all the land that’s not being taken and I even gave you a high position in slave labor I was going to setup.”
Blue Blood responded, “I merely want to own slaves not be one sir please I humbly request that you reconsider the idea of me being a slave with a higher position. I’ll be the best slave trader you have ever seen and I can even make them breed to make stronger slaves for you to enjoy.”

A bunch of the villains started laughing and chuckling at the idea of someone who was apart of their own race wanting to put them in chains and make them do slave labor. The comedic irony was too strong for them to resist laughing.

Sombra looked at Blue Blood and frowned at the sight of his cowardly form. Sombra turned to look at Libitina and she looked at him and with a nodded. Sombra blasted Blue Blood to to dust only leaving his head intact and a small puddle of blood leaking out. Sombra waved his hand and everyone who wasn’t apart of the villain group left the room.

Sombra asked, “Where are they?”
Chrysalis replied, “We don’t know but we are searching everywhere for them.”
Libitina responded, “They are in a boat in the Celestia Sea in between Hayseed swamps and Baltimare.”
Sombra looked at Libitina and held her chin in his hand and as she looked him in the eyes they locked lips and made the room real awkward for all the other villains.

The Sirens asked, “Why would they be in the Celestia sea the only thing there is a shit Maze owned by Scorpan?”
Tirek replied, “So that’s where he was hiding, if I take Cozy Glow we can capture him and make him talk what the group was there for.”
Sombra retorted, “No on with the plan as usual we will be stronger than there little group of losers. Rid this world of any who oppose us and rule our territories with an iron fist.”
Storm King happy laughed and said, “Hell yeah! Let’s destroy those pussies and take over the world.”

The group of villains all looked at the Storm King and then each other and back at Sombra as if they were asking him something with their eyes and Sombra looked at The Storm King in scornful hatred. He tried to over look the Storm Kings failure but he couldn’t because of how many times he failed him.
Sombra said, “Storm King I have noticed you have been very inactive in your work I’ve been assigning you lately.”
Storm King confused replied, “What work you never told me to do anything!”
Sombra blasted the Storm King to dust and said, “I know it was a rhetorical question.”

The rest of the villain got up and went back to their rooms and had plans of their own for territory take over and other evil plans.

Celestia watched as the stars flickered and shine with radiance and beauty.
Luna asked, “Mason’s got to be close by right?”
Celestia replied, “I can’t confirm his range at the moment but I think it would be best to not look through the orb for the time being.”
Mason retorted, “I mean it’s not like it matters they can’t track my group and me and they aren’t even close to understanding what I’m capable of. So they can just get fucked.”
Celestia responded, “I still think we should be careful about usi-..”
Celestia turned her head in a speed faster than light itself as she saw Mason her frown changed to a smile with a few tears falling down her cheeks. Celestia pounced onto Mason wrapping her arms around his neck.

Mason jokingly said, “Well, I was going to do the whole “honey I’m home joke” but we aren’t even married yet, and then I heard you guys talking about me and thought why not answer the question.”
Celestia replied, “I don’t care about your jokes or even the question I asked. I haven’t seen you in person for a long time. I just want to feel your touch and enjoy your presence right now!”
Luna retorted, “Mason what’s the plan here because I’m positive that the baddies you guys are facing are not as easy as using the power of friendship to stop them?”

Mason looked through the castle using his power and almost immediately he saw all the enemies doing their own thing trying to setup plans for world domination and starting wars with the territories the other villains who were going to occupy those other territories. Mason felt the troublesome entity sensing his presence and that’s when he realized Libitina was staring back at him. Mason smiled smugly and then Libitina noticed Mason snapped his finger and he immediately disappeared from her powers senses. Libitina in a frustrated mood paced back and forth for reasons Sombra couldn’t understand.

Libitina thought, “Why is his powers not that strong? I know he was supposed to be as strong as an anomaly. Did the older Mason not show up? No! He had to there’s no way an immortal clone could get that strong let alone become a real human version of the real Mason. He was supposed to be stronger than this universe could contain or even handle so why is it the power he emits not that of an anomaly?”
Sombra gently rubbed libitina’s shoulders and interrupted her thoughts and said, “Honey, please let’s head to bed we have a big day tomorrow with the lake of chaos and the bell separating the powers evenly amongst the other villains.”
Libitina replied, “Ok. I was just deep in thought about who should go first and how the training and how each of there minds could handle the pressure and pain.”

Libitina laid on the bed and went to sleep. Mason teleported both Princesses and Twilight Sparkle back to the boat and the group of guys were down in the crew quarters talking and eating dinner. Mason walked downstairs to the crew quarters and saw the guys eating and having a good time.

Mason said, “Hey guys we have guests so come up here and greet them.” The group confused took glances at one another and went upstairs and saw Celestia and Luna along with Twilight Sparkle.

Soarin, Big Mac, Grill Cheese, and Stygian all got on a knee and lowered their heads to greet both Princesses.
Mason pissed said, “Soarin you’re an Alicorn now why are you kneeling to the Princesses?”
Soarin chuckled and replied, “Sorry, force of habit.”

Spike went to Twilight and hugged her. Twilight returned the favor and hugged him back.
Twilight said, “I heard you were being a bad dragon while you were gone. Mr. Dragon King.”
Spike retorted, “Happy to see you too Twilight.”

Stygian walked up to Luna and said, “After this adventure is done I’d like a technical adviser role in the Shadow Guard if you’d allow Princess Luna.”
Luna responded, “What about your duties as a government official in the Griffin Kingdom?”
Stygian replied, “Mason said it was a temporary position for he needed a anthro capable of teaching law and moral and ethical values and principles.”
Luna said, “I’ll consider it but at the moment I’ll need some time to think it over.”

Mason teleported Celestia up to the Crows nest where they could talk for a while. Big Mac asked, “Hey, Twilight have you got any news about my sister’s?”
That’s when all the memories of what happened while the group was gone from Ponyville.

Twilight replied, “The changelings and the Storm King forces invaded and kidnapped my friends and some of the towns anthro.”
Discord asked, “What of my FlutterButter and my son chaotic?”

Mason sent a mental message to Discord to do two things. The first thing was to move the chaotic lake and the second is to bring the bell to Mason .”

Discord took the lake and placed it in a spot nobody could find which was inside itself like an infinite möbius strip and as he finished the moving of the lake he took the bell and brought it to Mason and Mason from the Crows nest teleported himself and Celestia back to the main deck.

Mason took the bell and looked at the group and then smiled and said, “I think it’s time for some well needed changes.”
Big Mac said, “Can we at least teleport my sisters and Twilights friends here.”
Mason got in a sitting meditation form and sensed for the anthros that we’re missing. Mason in deep focus searched only to find the rest of the girls and Discords son along with the other anthros under canterlot castle in the crystal caverns. Mason opened his eyes and did a forced teleportation on all the people there.

Mason with blood coming out his nose and mouth shot some of the bells powers at himself to ease the strain. All the anthros stuck in the Crystal cavern were teleported to a boat.

Apple Jack and Apple Bloom scared looked around and then saw Big Mac in front of them built like a brick house. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie were standing in front of Soarin and Grill Cheese. Flutter Shy and Chaotic was in front of Discord and Rarity was standing in front of Stygian and a few of the other anthros were below deck in the hammocks.

Mason with blood coming from his nose and mouth coughed and vomited blood and some food he had ate earlier.
Celestia holding Mason said, “That wasn’t very wise you could have saved the rest after you defeated Sombra and the others villains.”
Mason in a weak voice replied, “no one gets left behind even if it kills me to save them I refuse to die before they are safe.”

Mason passed out and entered his dreamscape. Luna and Celestia were talking about something that Mason couldn’t understand be he could feel the emotion coming off of them.

Mason watching the dream play out saw himself walk into the picture. Mason saw as the dream Mason hugged Celestia. Then walk away, he watched from the perspective of Celestia and how she got pregnant and had kids. As Mason watched the kids grow up and the emotions of resentment and hatred for him in his kids raised. Celestia’s sadness and loneliness and want for Mason grew. As the dream kept going on Celestia began to age to the point she was old and in a bed that’s when Older Mason came in and held her hand in her last moments.

Mason watching this happen heard, “As much as this feels like a nightmare it’s worse then that. Sadly, if you had absorbed me, that would be your fate or future you could say. I want you to understand that we can’t get stronger than this universe.”
Mason turned and asked, “Is that why I’m not supposed to be an anomaly?”
Older Masons distant and disembodied voice replied, “That is a fact you are forced to work for a group that doesn’t need you but wants you to train other versions to be stronger and sadly it amounted to nothing. Then you had to hide in different sub space dimensional cracks for eons just to keep your family safe. Only to hit that point of it was to late. you couldn’t even go back to the moment after you left. Because messing with any universes time with the group watching. That would’ve been what they were hoping for. The group would’ve erased the universe and its memories of you.”
Mason retorted, “So it was a lose, lose situation that even I couldn’t beat.”
Older Mason responded, “You are beating it, by breaking the time loop and being your own man. The man who has a loving relationship and family and finally getting the happy ending.”

Mason responded, “What if we didn’t break the loop we merely separated ourselves from the branch in the timeline and are on a different path outside the loop?”
Older Mason retorted, “That might not be so bad. Because what we endured was nothing short of suicide. You teach versions of yourself that were weaker than you. We are stronger, we were the strongest anomalous being in that group. They treated us like an Atom Bomb or a last resort.”

Author's Note

Sorry it took so long for this chapter I’ve been typing on my breaks and a on weekends but I damn near went through like 20 fucking rewrites for this chapter only because I was having trouble finding my original copy of this chapter I use to save it in a document folder in my computer but it fucking shit the bed and broke down on me so I had to rewrite it from memory and I still had to tweak some things and I ended up with this chapter so please do forgive me and if you won’t then ok I’m sorry I’ll do better next time