New History

New Elria, mess hall

It was another beautiful morning in the mess hall! The honeycomb and hagfish hive were giving the Equestrians the stink eye. The vamponies were hanging from the ceiling, doing their best to hide. Maud, the first sister, wore her cloak, not wanting to reveal herself to Pinkie Pie and her friends. Adagio, Aria, and Sonata were nearby, listening to conversations and scheming. The Lamias counted the jewelry they found in the castle treasury; there wasn't much, but they were worth many bits. Members of the Black Crow and the Equestrians sat across from each other and ate in silence. Moondancer picked at her food, not wanting to look at anypony, especially Twilight. Ambrosia sat there enjoying the awkwardness while Myxine wondered why she was even there.

Meanwhile, Raven sat at the wooden table, half awake. The man could barely keep his eye open before dozing off again. Queen Ambrosia, who sat next to the man, saw this and thought messing with the Human would be funny. "Psst!" She called quietly, grabbing everypony's attention at the table. Using her telekinesis, Ambrosia switched the position of Raven's eye patch, revealing his blind eye.

The man suddenly jerked and started looking around frantically but only saw darkness. This earned a couple of chuckles from the ponies at the table. Hearing the laughter, Raven realized what had happened and placed his eyepatch back over his blind eye. "Ambrosia, never do that again." He grumbled.

"How do you know if it was even me?" Ambrosia feigned ignorance.

"Because for the short time, I've known you, you've been pushing my buttons. So please, don't remind me of my vision impairment," He said coolly.

Losing sight from his left eye was still a sore subject, and Ambrosia could taste it. "Aw~, I'm sorry. Let me make it better." Ambrosia gave the former captain a peck on the cheek, causing the man to blush slightly. "All better."

Raven grumbled while ignoring the flat or disgusted stares from the Equestrians. Dignifying any of it would worsen things, and it was none of their business. So they sat in awkward silence again until Princess Cadance thought it best to get answers from the Human. "Mr.Maxwell, who is this Henir, and how do we defeat him."

"You can't," Raven said flatly. "Henir is a God, and we are mere ants compared to him. It's best to avoid his notice. As for what he is, Henir is the god of darkness and rules over the void named after him. That's all I’ll say about him. The less you know, the better." Raven was going to leave it there, but he saw the unimpressed expression from Cadance and continued. "As for why Henir has corrupted Twilight Sparkle, it's because of the facility I was slumbering in. My people built them back in ancient times. In their ignorance, they discovered Henir's dimension and used the energy from there to power the facility."

He paused to let some of the information sink in. Twilight had gotten parchment, and a quill from somewhere and was writing down the information with her mouth. Some of the Equestrians were putting the pieces together. "When my children and I tried leaving the facility, we somehow triggered an unknown self-destruct sequence, vaporizing foal mountains." The table went utterly silent after Raven's revelation. It explained so much and why foal mountain was gone. Still, something was off, and Applejack could smell it. The Human was lying about something!

Raven ignored Applejack's glare and waited on the pink Alicorn's response. "Are there other facilities you know about?" She finally answered.

"No." Raven lied. Cadance didn't believe it and stared at the Human, looking for any hint of dishonesty. Raven felt his stomach clench as Cadance continued to stare, and the farmer pony’s glare wasn't helping. "Hold it together!". So he kept his poker face up and was thankful when Twilight asked a question.

"Is it possible to revert the corruption?"Twilight asked, sounding a little desperate.

"Pull down your hood. I want to see the extent of the corruption." Twilight hesitated, not wanting anypony to see her face. Raven gave a slight tilt of the head. "Nothing to be ashamed of here. No one here is considered normal by pony standards." Raven encouraged. Still, the horrorcorn hesitated until Rarity placed a hoof on her withers. At the same time, her friends and family gave Twilight encouraging looks.

With that, she pulled down her hood, revealing her face. Moondancer dropped her spoon in shock at the reveal. Ambrosia and Myxine weren't too pleased with the shape of Twilight's horn. Everypony else didn't mind her appearance; after all, they had undead ponies amongst them.

"Are there any other mutations or new appendages I should know about?" The former captain asked calmly.

The Horrorcorn nods. "I grew thestral wings, a dragon's tail, and I have holes in my hind legs like a changeling."

"I see then. I can most likely revert some of the more obvious changes, but the corruption itself might be with you forever." Raven said honestly, "Also, I won't be able to do it right now."

"Why not?!" Rainbow Dash got up and slammed her hooves on the table, startling a few of them and making Jade cry. Rainbow Dash was smart enough to look sorry for that one. "Oh, uh, sorry."

Raven started rocking the crying Jade back and forth with his right arm. "Because I have a country to run, a family to care for, and ponies and changelings in need of my guidance." He stopped and debated if he should tell them about the El. "You might as well. And give them a history lesson while you're at it." The voice told him. "And even if I had the time, I still need to learn how to use the El properly. And what is the El? Let me tell you. In the beginning, there lived the god of Darkness, Henir, and the goddess of light, Elria."

Five minutes later

Raven gave the Equestrians a watered-down version of the history of Elrios. Of course, he cut out how the world ended and why he was put to sleep. "The El masters are gone, and their replacements, the El priestesses, are also gone. I'm one of the few remaining who can use the El properly." The man worded as carefully as he could, not wanting to give away that he was the only Human left. "Until I have the time, this will be on the back burner."

While he said this, the Equestrians had a hard time trying to digest this new information. Twilight was writing down all this fantastic new information. Then the mare stopped in the middle of her writing. "Wait, that means you're over ten thousand years old!" She said manically.

"Technically, yes, but I was asleep then, and right now, I'm around...Let's say twenty-eight years old." It didn't matter, but it was nice to keep track of it.

They fell into silence again, and thankfully, Raven could calm down the crying Jade with his claw. He brought his ring and middle finger into his thumb. Then he had his index and pinky finger point upwards. "Fox!" Causing the filly to giggle in delight. He even imitated the sound of a fox whine. He ignored the 'Aws' and giggles from everypony else.

"By the way, darling. Are you looking to be compensated for helping our dear friend Twilight?" Rarity asked out of curiosity.

Raven was slightly offended. "No. It's in our best interest to see Twilight Sparkle cured or at least mitigate most of the corruption. Your friend will most likely look the way she was, and I don't have to worry about a Henir fanatic running around causing trouble. Furthermore, I..." He stopped mid-rant and looked at Rarity. "You're a seamstress, yes?"

"Oh! Mr.Maxwell, I'm more than that!" Rarity flicked her purple mane to the side, hitting Applejack in the face. "I'm a fashionista!"

Dramaticsts aside, this was what Raven needed at the moment. "Yes, in exchange for helping Twilight, I want you to make undergarments for me." Yes, it was strange, but Raven didn't care and ignored the strange looks his subordinates and children gave him. "Really, undergarments?"Even his thoughts betrayed him!

"But of course, you came to the right mare for this!" Rarity clapped her hooves together in excitement. It was such a rare opportunity to make clothing for such an exotic creature. "Where should we even start? We must add more colors to your armor; black is so drab! I think red or white might be a good fit for you!" And Rarity went on and on.

Seeing how she wouldn't stop any time soon, Raven held up his claw, signaling the mare to stop. "I'm grateful, but I only need undergarments and only that. And before you go saying, " I need more armor or clothing." The man gestured toward the armor he was wearing. "This armor is specially made for me. It's self-repair and self-cleaning. It also slows the spread of venom throughout my body."

" You don't mean that you're.." Rarity asked, sounding concerned.

"Afflicted." Raven finished. He merely shrugs. "Such power doesn't come without a price." He brings a talon over an empty glass cup and taps it once with Valasia. In an instant, the glass turns to dust and blows away. "It's well worth it, though."It was a small reminder the man in front of him could have gone on a small rampage if he wanted to, but he didn't.

"I-I see, later I need to take your measurements." Rarity answered.

This brought up another question for the lone Human. "I have to ask, are you being compensated by the crown?" The man found it strange that these ponies, not including Twilight, would drop everything just because a new threat arose.

"Of course not; we're the bearers of the elements! It's our duty to protect Equestria. Don't need no compensation. Seeing ponies smile is reward enough." Applejack answered firmly.

Raven rubbed the bridge of his nose in annoyance. "Yes, but you're civilians with jobs and families. When you return to Equestria, I recommend you discuss making a contract with the crown. Because anything could happen while you're out on these adventures." He looked at Rainbow Dash and Applejack. "Career-ending injuries." The two mares shuddered at the mere thought of being unable to fly again or bucking. Raven looked at Fluttershy, causing the butter-colored mare to flinch. "Trauma that will leave you a wreck, unable to return to normal life." He brought his attention to Rarity and Pinkie Pie. "Death, leaving your love ones behind." Rarity's eyes began to water at that, while Pinkie Pie looked heartbroken, her mane deflated, and her color became mute.

"She does look like Mena, like that, " The man thought. Finally, he brought his attention to Twilight. "That's enough, Mr.Maxwell," Shining Armor interrupted. "They've known the risk since they stepped into the Everfree forest upon Nightmare Moon's return."

Raven wanted to say more but kept his peace. " I was merely warning them." The feeling of melancholy washed over him. "I've seen too many unable to continue or cut down in their prime. As I said, talk to Princess Celestia about this, it might be worthwhile."

Again, they were left in uneasy silence. "So, uh, Mr.Maxwell? Can I ask you something?" Asked the nervous young drake.

Raven shrugged nonchalantly. He was in a better mood today. "Of course, and you may call me Raven if you want. Calling me, Mr makes me feel old."

"Back during your time, were there any ponies, like earth ponies, pegasus, and unicorns?" Spike asked curiously.

Raven shook his head. "Yes and no, they were called horses, and Humans rode them. " This earned him a few snickers throughout the mess hall.

Myxine snorted in amusement. "Would you like to ride us too?" She asked sarcastically.

Ambrosia gave the Human a nudge to the side. "You can ride me anytime. All you need to do is ask?" Again she gave the man bedroom eyes.

"Oh, hush, all of you. It's horse, not whore or however you ponies say it." He just wanted to finish answering the question.

"Daddy, what's a whore?" Asked Amber. She looked up at her father with those big innocent eyes.

Raven face-palmed and spoke in a muffled voice. "I'll tell you when you're older. " How could a simple question derail the situation so quickly? "As I said, horses were much taller and weighed around 1,500 to 2,000 pounds."

Applejack whistled in amazement. "Sounds like those fellas could do some damage." commented the farm pony

"That they could do, but it was their weakness as well. A broken leg was a death sentence for horses as they were too heavy to support themselves with only three legs. In the wild, they were good as dead. Even the ones we kept domesticated had to be put down" He might have let that last part slip because he didn't like how the Equestrians gasped at them.

"You enslaved them? Could you be so cruel?" Came from a distraught Fluttershy. The other equestrians didn't look happy either.

Raven nearly rolled his eye. Instead, the man answered her question. " Fluttershy horses had the average intelligence of a three-year-old human child. At best, they were sentient and nothing else. Horses didn't have a culture, language, or imagination. Just animals." He wasn't being cruel; he was stating the facts. It wasn't any different from what the ponies did.

"Hold on. They aren't all mindless animals!" Pinkie cut in with her mane back in its usual messy state. "Cows can talk, and Dasiy Jo is a good friend of mine; she always provides milk for Sugarcube Corner.

Raven's eye momentarily widened for a second. " The bovines can talk?" Once he received confirmation. He became silent, despair taking hold of him. " And I thought Humans were cruel."

Myxine cringed at the taste. "Are you alright?" The Changeling Queen wondered what had him in such a state.

The man nearly shed a tear but couldn't show weakness now. "I'm mourning the fact that I won't be able to have another stake. I'm not willing to eat something that talks." Raven chose to ignore the scoff that came from Oleander. "That Chimera was delicious. "

Twilight gave Raven a nervous smile. "So you do eat meat?" Raven opened his mouth and showed off his canines. Ambrosia cooed at how adorable they were since they were tiny compared to Changelings. Even Thestrals had bigger fangs. "How about I suggest some animals that fit your criteria?" Fluttershy was about to object until Rainbow Dash slapped a hoof over the pegasus's mouth. They wanted the big scary Human to eat anything that wasn't a pony or sapient. "Chickens, pigs, and most of the monsters in the Everfree forest."

Pinkie Pie added her suggestion. "Quarry eels, they're big and mean. Just like you." Raven gave the mare a flat look. "Sorry! You need to smile more!" She smiled sheepishly.

"Them, bats, that ate ma family's apples." Offered Applejack. The mare could hold a grudge.

"Girls! How could you?" Fluttershy said with watery eyes.

Rainbow Dash hugged her long-time friend and looked at the Human. "Fish, me, and Glida had it when we were younger." The cyan pegasus offered her two cents.

The only one with nothing to offer was Rarity, which was fine. The talk about meat was making her queasy. Raven smiled and thanked the mares for their fantastic suggestion. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind when looking for my next meal. Now, I think it's time we start our little bet." As soon as Raven stood up, Spike burped up green flames. "Mind your manners, boy." Raven chided.

The green flames became a yellow envelope. It was addressed to Shining Armor and Princess Cadance. The latter took it with her magic; it was most likely a response letter from her aunts. The pink Alicorn opened it and took out pictures. She regretted it. Shining Armor felt his stomach flip at these pictures. Meanwhile, Cadance galloped to the nearest trash can and emptied the contents of her stomach. The mare pulled her head out, with tears running down her cheek. "Oh, sweet Celestia, who could do such a thing!" She wailed.

The mane six seeing this tried to look at the photos. Shining Armor firmly refused and floated them over to the Human, who took them. Raven's heart sank once he saw who was in these photos. " A Freak Beast, and a Skin Splitter." The hall became deathly silent. Those who were there for Raven's explanation of Henir became fearful. "These things need to die."

"Just wait a minute!" Fluttershy took to the air and got in Raven's face. "We need to talk to these creatures, and I-" Raven showed a photo of the Skinsplitter, and behind it was the carnage it made. Fluttershy became pale and slowly floated down. Once she hit the floor, she curled up and mumbled.

"Let me be clear," Raven announced. "Unlike Twilight, these things have been fully corrupted by Henir. Both in body and mind. If you tried talking to one of these creatures, especially a Skin Splitter, it would rip you in half, slowly." Raven looked at the prince. "I recommend ranged combat for these things. You can get away with fighting the Freak Beast at close quarters but not the Skin Splitter."He would have recommended Artillery but remembered that they didn't have any. "Also, use real combat spells, not a generic magic blast. Use fire or lightning to pierce its hide and ice to slow it down. "I'll even make some potions for you to take back. "

It was in everyone's best interest to see these cultists die. "Let's just start the bet." As Raven left, Princess Cadance gave Rainbow Dash a letter. The cyan pegasus took the note after trying to get Fluttershy to talk about what she saw. The mare read the letter and was devastated. Scootaloo's parents were dead. Rainbow Dash crumpled the letter and wailed in anger.

It was such a good morning too.

[Skin Splitter Sugar Belle]

[Art by Redahfuhrerking ]

Author's Note

Alright got another chapter out! I'm sorry for this one, this was originally going to start of the game, but then it became filler. Well, not filler but more Character interactions and lore from Elsword.

Yeah, sorry for the lack of action in this one. It'll be in the next chapter, promise.

Also, amazing artwork by Redahfuhrerking did an amazing job with Sugar Belle and the look of our town.

Thank you for reading!