The Future

"Playful, loyal, generous, creative, honest, considerate; savage, violent, petty, greedy, cruel, prideful. One of many words that could describe a Human. A race capable of spreading and adapting in almost any location. These creatures are tall and bipedal and have little to no fur covering their bodies. They're omnivorous and will eat almost anything that doesn't kill them; they strongly dislike hay and other grasses. Although playful, they are extremely dangerous if you draw their ire or have something they want. As chaotic as they can be, paradoxically, they crave control and predictability. If you encounter a Human, be wary and do not provoke, as they are revengeful and will do nearly anything to get back to you, even to their own detriment. If you must interact with one, eat something and offer it to them, you'll gain their trust."

"Oh? So if I offered that overgrown monkey an apple, I wouldn't be stuck in this wheelchair?!" Luna fumed as she sat in the wheelchair the hospital gave her. Her injuries have healed, but the doctors have told her to take it easy for another three days.

"Calm yourself, my student. "Starswirl did his best at trying to calm Princess Luna as he read from a bestiary.
"Maybe, you should have offered him a Banana? Hah," Flash Magnus joked, earning him a glare from the princess of the night and his fellow pillar members. Currently, he, Mistmane, and Meadowbrook were still injured, but they had new casts and bandages: and they were on their way to a speedy recovery. Princess Celestia sat with them, and she had stacks of paperwork in front of her. She paid them no mind, occasionally listening to the conversation.

Starswirl Continued on with his explanation."Be warned, DO NOT CROSS HUMANS.Especially if you know them personally. They will do everything in their power to get back at you and hurt you. The best example of this was the war on the Dragons. Humans would hunt them down and feast upon their flesh and wear their scales" Starswirl went pale as he read the passage.

Flash Magnus turned a deep shade of green and held a hoof over his mouth."Buck, I'm not the biggest fan of dragons, but I wouldn't even go that far. Still, how did these Humans overcome dragons" The pegasus looked at the Human diagram again, in the bestiary."They don't look at that tough...Besides Raven," The image of Raven standing over the dead chimera was burnt into his mind still.

Without missing a beat, the old unicorn continued with his explanation."While physically weak and fragile compared to a dragon, they overcame this with their ingenuity and control over a power known as 'El.' The Humans built war machines capable of piercing dragon scales. Eventually, the dragons grew wise to their tactics and banded together and attacked the Humans. Seeing the situation as dire, the Humans developed dragon slaying techniques; which allowed them to jump high into the air and come crashing back down, crushing or piercing the dragon's spine" Magnus's eyes bugged out in amazement.

"These warriors were named Dragoons and would be later called Demersio" Celestia's left ear swiveled, and she listened to the conversation. "With these new warriors and their war machines, Humanity pushed back the dragons and won the war. Even with the war over, the Humans still wanted retribution for their fallen brothers and sisters; mainly, the Dragoons were the most eager. It was a bloodbath; the Dragoons hunted them down didn't matter how old or young they were. As soon as these flying warriors struck down the very last Dragon, the Dragoons followed quickly after.

"Hold up!" Flash Magnus interrupted. "The Dragons didn't go extinct, and I'm sure as hay that there weren't any Humans jumping around and fighting Dragons." The soldier gave it more thought and added to his reasoning. "At least, not during our time.

"Yes, none of this is adding up." Starswirl agreed with his flying companion. The old stallion rubbed his chin in thought." Although the dragons I've talked to expressed fears about tall, lanky creatures with small beady eyes," Starswirl looks at the Human diagram again. "And Humans fit the description, so there is some truth. Ah hah!" The stallion remembered the conversation he had with the Human before parting ways. "The foals woke him from a long and deep slumber. But, Why? What reason would foals have to wake up an ancient creature?"

"It certainly complicates things; our little ponies believe Raven is the aggressor." Princess Celestia finally spoke up, sounding tired.

"Because he is." Princess Luna said through clenched teeth; she didn't sound very happy about it.

"Lulu," Celestia said in her motherly voice. "I believe this whole situation could be one big misunderstanding. Although it doesn't excuse the fact he stole a boat, destroyed Horseshoe Bay docks, scared our little ponies, and" The Sun Princess got out of her seat and nuzzled her little sister. "Hurting you, Luna." Princess Luna sat there with a frown still firmly planted on her face, but she was blushing. "But the best course of action is having a meeting with the Human. If I went alone, it might escalate things, and sending our guards would make matters worse."

"If only I could send Twilight and her friends" The thought of Twilight nearly brought tears to her eyes. Thinking about her former student still brought her great pain. The Pillars had their hooves full of finding their artifacts and the Pony of Shadows. Then Luna said something that made the alicorn giggle.

"We could always send Prince Blueblood." Princess Luna suggested with a smile on her face.

Princess could imagine it now, Blueblood being thrown off a cliff because he angered the Human. Celestia covered her mouth with a wing and giggled, "Hehe, Luna, you're horrible." She gave it more thought; she could send Princess Cadence instead. "Starswirl, what was Raven's occupation?"

"A mercenary, and from the way he carries himself, I'm inclined to believe so."The old stallion answered.

"I agree, and he might have been a captain or general," Rockhoof added.

"With all those scars, he was definitely a Captain," Magnus said with a knowing smile.

Princess Celestia found this conversation troubling. A Human with military experience and the strength to take on an Alicorn; terrified the mare. If they didn't play their hoofs right, it could be catastrophic. "It's settled then; as soon as the Human and the foals are found, I'll send Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Prince Shining Armor to negotiate with the Human." Hopefully, Shining and Raven form some kind of connection, considering their backgrounds. "

"Now if you’ll excuse me, I will be going back to my chambers.".Celestia's horn came to life, and she teleported the rest of her paperwork to her office" "I have a meeting with the leaders of Minoa, Yakyakistan, and Zebrica. Then I need to go to the medical ward and talk to a mare named Starlight. She's in critical condition." That was putting it lightly, as the mare was missing her hind leg and was screaming bloody murder about monsters. "Sweet Faust, what am I going to do?" Princess Celestia kissed her sister on the forehead. "Goodnight, everypony."

As she got ready to leave, the doors burst open, and a pony came running in. Princess Celestia sighed internally; she already knew another problem had made itself known. The pony that came in had a light gray coat with a dark brown mane tied into a bun. The Mare's cutie mark was a quill and inkwell. It was Raven Inkwell, Celestia's assistant, and it was unfortunate that the mare and the Human shared the same first names. "Miss Inkwell, is something the matter?" She did her best not to sound tired but couldn't help but yawn.

Raven Inkwell approached the princess as she tried her best to catch her breath. "Urgent news Princess Celestia, a letter from the border guards!" The mare held up a letter in her magical grip.

The Princess took the letter in her own magic and began to read. As she read, the mare's eyes grew wider and wider until Celestia's jaw dropped. "I-it can't be; after all these years, it finally shows up." And she had a good guess of who was responsible. This changed everything, she needed to send the Elements of Harmony as well, and it didn't matter if Twilight was ready or not. Celestia hoped Twilight'sght's love for learning was more potent than the despair she was feeling right now".

"What's wrong?" Princess Luna asked with a concerned look.

Princess Celestia swallowed the lump in her throat and turned to her sister. "Dream Valley has returned."

Silence, no one dared say a word. Dream Valley, the possible origins of all ponykind. A place that can only be described as a paradise that disappeared thousands of years ago. But now, after all of these years, it finally reappears. Everypony had a good idea of who might be responsible for this, but no pony wanted to say it. That's when Flash Magnus broke the silence with a chuckle. "Fifteen bits says Raven did this." Raven inkwell looked around, confused.

Golden Oak Library

"Gosh darn it, Twilight, you're more stubborn than a mule." Applejack says as she struggles against Twilight's strength.

"Come on, Twily; no Pony is out at this "time." Shining pushed against his sister as best as he could.

"NO, I DON'T WANT TO GO OUTSIDE!" Twilight refused

Horrorcorn's friends and family tried to get the mare to leave her home. They were trying to get Twilight to leave through the door, but she wouldn't budge as she used her hooves to keep herself firmly in place. "I can't go back out there; I'm a monster!"

"Don’t say that! You're the same Twilight we know and love, and you got a brand new weapon! Which makes you at least 20% cooler. Imagine all the cool stuff you can do with it!" Rainbow Dash pushed harder, but nothing happened. "What the heck, Twilight? When did you get so strong?"

Spike would add something to this conversation until he burped green fire. Soon enough, the green flame took the form of a letter with Princess Celestia's seal on it. "Letter from the Princess." Spike held the letter up for Twilight, but she refused. "I don't want anything to do with her!" She snorted angrily as her leathery wings twitched in irritation. Nopony could blame her, as the result of being Princess Celestia's student was made clear. Still, Spike read the letter aloud".

"Dear Twilight:

I know you still hate me, and I can never apologize enough, but this matter is urgent. Dream Valley has returned, and I believe the Human might have caused this. His name is Raven Maxwell, aka The Reaper. I need you and your friends to investigate the area while Princess Cadence and Prince Shining armor negotiate for the foals' release. Despite what the media has said, the creature is reasonable. I have complete faith in all of you.

PS: The creature has a military background, so be cautious." Spike scratched his head in confusion as he finished reading the Letter.

Twilight was slack-jawed as she stared into space. "D-d-dream V-valley? Truly?" Her ear twitched at the thought of stepping foot in such a place. Meanwhile, Everypony else wasn't as thrilled.

"The Princess wants us to confront the Reaper?! He'll eat our souls!" Fluttershy ran under the table and quivered in fear.

Rainbow Dash brought her hooves together and cracked them. "Pfft, no problem; I'll knock him on his flank if that Hooman gives us any problems." The cyan pegasus looked like she was ready to brawl."

"It can't be helped, and if the Princess says this creature is reasonable, then I will make something extravagant for him to wear." Rarity seemed rather excited at the prospect of the noti

"WE'RE GOING TO THROW THE BIGGEST PARTY WHEN WE GET THE FOALS BACK FROM THAT MEANIE!" As usual, Pinkie Pie was hyped.

Applejack snorted in frustration. "Another adventure? I'll need to tell BigMac and Granny."

"A lost piece of land reappearing after disappearing thousands of years ago, with a mysterious dark lord controlling it?
Deja-Vu," Spike said skeptically.

"I'll give Aunty Celestia a piece of my mind later." Princess Cadance placed a hoof on her forehead in frustration.

Shining Armor's expression was grim as he pondered "Not good; this creature could be five steps ahead of us; we need to be careful. And this time, I'm bringing backup!" The stallion looked over to his sister. "Twily, you don't need to go if-"

"I'm going." Twilight interrupted, " I'm not doing it for the Princess, but for the foals and possibly stopping another villain." The horrorcorn had mixed feelings about this; she didn't want to be an Element of Harmony anymore. Still, she wanted to save the foals and possibly learn all she could about Dream Valley. "Rarity, I will need you to make me a cloak."

Abandoned Ferry

Queen Myxine stood on the deck of the abandoned Ferry and looked toward the sea. "Where are they?" She spoke in a shallow voice. The Queen of the Hagfish Hive has always struggled to find food for herself and her children. Ever Chrysalis' foolish decision to invade Canterlot, the Ponies have become suspicious, making love scarce. To make matters even worse, a mythical creature of unknown origins came out of nowhere and did battle with Princess Luna. This all happened over Horseshoe Bay, where they lived. With the creature's escape and the docks being destroyed, the Ponies became fearful. Once the Royal guards were called in, Myxine and her hive had little choice but to leave.

Now they're adrift at sea with little to no love to feed on. "Damn Chrysalis, and damn that creature." She wanted revenge on the Queen of the emerald hive, but it was suicide. The next best thing was getting revenge on the creature that forced her and her hive out of their hiding spot. "I'll drain the love out of him and turn him into a husk," she snarled. Of course, she wasn't going to fight the creature head-on; she and her children would sneak up on him and strike.

"I'll have my Revenge; just you wait."

Dragon Lands

Hatchlings, drakes, and even some adult dragons were gathered around Princess Ember, who held an Equestrian newspaper in her claws. They usually weren't concerned about the Ponies, as they were soft and weak creatures. Today was different.

Gabriel was the only Dragon who didn't know what was going on as he was too busy kicking rocks. The young drake raised an eyebrow at sight. "What the heck is going on?" The drake pushed past his peers and a couple of the hatchlings. Earning him snarls and growls, but he didn't care. When he saw it, Ember was holding an Equestrian Newspaper; the drake nearly busts a gut. "HAH! You guys can't be serious! You're reading one of those mamby pamby Po-" His blood ran cold as he saw what was on the cover page. The creature was tall, lanky, and stood on two legs.

It was a creature of nightmares that Dragons would occasionally dream of. A creature that would chase you endlessly. It would hunt you down no matter where you went; sky, land, and even sea. Once you fell over in exhaustion, the creature would stand over you with a small smile, before devouring you. Before today, this creature had no name. It was simply named 'Death.' Because no matter what, you couldn't outrun death.

Princess Ember's claws began to shake as she spoke the creature's official species name. "H-H-Human."Everydragon worth their horde either ran or flew away screaming. "Bahamut, have mercy on us."

Dream Valley

Ambrosia laid on the grass with a smile on her face as she rubbed her full belly. "It's been a while since I've been this full." She burps, causing a pink mist to come out of her mouth, and this causes her to giggle. But her good mood was ruined by the Human sitting next to her. Uncertainty, repressed lust, and self-loathing; were the emotions she could sense from Raven. It wasn't anything unusual from someone with his background. Still, he was a potential mate, and she needed to be delicate. "What's bothering you?"

Raven smiled bitterly. "Everything I once knew and loved is gone. My family and friends are either dead or long gone. And yet I still want revenge, but on who? The people who wronged me are long gone. I've made sure of that." There was one he couldn't find, Owen Fulford, the one man he wanted to kill most. "I want to kill them all and spill their blue blood. Parasites that will condemn their fellow men.

"Such filth should be washed away."

"...Did you enjoy it?" Ambrosia asked.

Raven sat there and didn't say anything for a long time; he couldn't lie to himself. "Yes, I did. Watching those aristocrats back away in fear, watching their life fade away, made me happy. They were old, weak, and frail; the only thing they had to defend themselves was their money and silver tongue." The man had a genuine smile on his face. "'Those things won't save you in a real fight. Some had quick and clean deaths, while the others weren't so lucky. I gouged out their eyes, ripped out their tongues, and even a man’s heart out and crushed it right in front of his face! " Raven's smile became twisted and full of malice. "I would do it again if I had the chance!" The smile turned to regret as he gripped his arm. "Why did I go down this path?"

Ambrosia kept a straight face and asked. "What do you mean?"

"I could have just ignored my arm and focused on my blade. Maybe I could have given into my rage, used my Nasod arm, and destroyed everything in my path. Hell, I could have modified my claw to shoot fireballs. But no, I did the stupid thing and broke it." Raven looked at his Valasia arm and wondered how things would have turned out if he chose another path. "With my mind clear, I knew what I had to do, avenge my comrades."

"Was it worth it?" At this point, The Queen didn't bother reading his emotions as they were bouncing in every which way.

"Yes, it was, no matter how I felt at the end or how many lives I destroyed. I could die knowing my fiancee and the men who served under me were avenged." Raven placed a hand over his face. "And yet, I still crave more bloodshed; I didn't want this, I didn't want to become a monster." Ever since he fought Luna, something within him awakened, and now he can barely control it.

"You're overthinking this." Before Raven could reply, Ambrosia came in and nuzzled him in the neck. It was odd, to say the least, for the Human. "Look to the future and use all that pent-up frustration use it for something productive."

"But I can't forget about the others and Seris." Raven looked down at the Changeling Queen with a pained expression.

"I'm not saying forget them dumb dumb, but you have to look to the future. And at some point, you need to stop wallowing in self-pity. And move on." Ambrosia placed a hoof on the Human's lips, stopping him from saying anything. "Easier said than done, I know. Just think about it, and if you're feeling frustrated, just come on by, and I'll suck your dick."

For once, Raven blushed at Ambrosia's crude remarks. "You're terrible; you know that."

"I know~" Ambrosia sensed eight Ponies come from the west, and she had a good idea of who they were." It looks like your future is approaching." She pointed a hoof at the approaching young members of the Black Crows. "I should leave you alone with them." The Changeling Queen pulled away and flew off.

Raven stood there waiting for his charges to make it up the Hill. Once they made it, they all gave the tired Human a smile. Moon Charm, Xuez, Oleander, Cozy Glow, Night, Dew, Amber, and Jade; These were the Ponis that brought him great joy ever since he woke up. Jade climbed off her sister's back and crawled over to the Human. Raven bent down and picked up the babbling foal. "D-daddy." That one word washed away all the self-doubt and hatred burning within him.

"Let's see." Oleander started off. "We defeated a crazy machine, rediscovered Dream Valley, and found an archive that belonged to an ancient race. We're just missing one thing."

"And what's that?" Raven asked with a smile and raised an eyebrow.

"A new name for our country, Dream Valley doesn't exactly roll off the tongue." The mare joked, but she was right.

Raven already had something in mind. "New Elria, in honor of Elria and those who came before us. From this day forward," Raven turned from his charges and looked over the land. "you're all Elrians and." The former mercenary wasn't sure if it was his place to do so, but it felt right. These children needed a father, someone to guide them and love them. Raven turned around and faced the foals "My Children."

(End of ACT I)

Author's Note

I'm sorry for the long wait guys! life and work got in the way. This will be the only update for the week, I'll be sure to have more for next week!

Also again thank you for reading guys! I'm glad you're enjoying it. Also if you're wondering why I added the dragoon part, I just wanted a cool way to explain why the dragons during Raven's time went extinct.

(Also, I don't know what happened, but Grammarly shat itself and made a mess, please point out my mistakes if you can. Seriously it messed up half of the chapter and it really pissed me off.)
Thank you all again!