"This can't be happening!"

Silverstream cowered behind cover along with everyone else. A hail of death flew over their heads. Their cover, a random boulder that was thankfully nearby, suffered the brunt end of the wrath of their attackers. Second by second, the bandits slowly dug into the boulder with their weapons.

And still, the ring Ocellus held was acting violently. She did her best to hold it in place, it was like it had a mind of its own.

"This is great, I was expecting a boring trip, not weird bandits attacking us for no reason!" Gallus complained.

"Yona wanted to crush rocks not hide behind big rock!"

"Okay, everyone shut up!" Starlight scowled as she massaged her temples. "I need to think for a second, and teleporting you guys somewhere safe is top priority! Then I'll deal with these guys!"

Ember growled. "I can't believe that they dared to even invade my land! Bandits or not, whoever chooses to just attack like this is sure to feel my wrath!"

"There's too many of them, and they have a train!"

Suddenly, the attack halted, and silence befell upon them. Silverstream grew enough courage to peek over the boulder to see the reason why. And her friend could see the colors drain from her.

"Uh guys, they have a cannon pointed at us!"

The others soon looked around the boulder to confirm, and not only were bandits slowly inching towards them but there was indeed a cannon ready to obliterate their cover.

"Oh, this is not good..." Starlight muttered.

She wanted to teleport everyone out, but a bandit had managed to sneak up on them, they all called out to Ocellus as the Psycho pulled her away. "Canned soup for the soul!"

"Hey, let her go!" Gallus made an attempt, but the Psycho pulled his weapon out and pressed it against Ocellus.

"Don't move!" A Marauder had also closed in on them and trained his weapon Starlight. "Give us the artifact and you'll get hurt less!"

"No you idiot, we offer them safety, then kill them once we get the stuff!" Another said.

"Oh, right..."

"Don't try anything funny, magic pony! Or else we put a cap on one of them!"

Starlight cursed under her breath, they were surrounded. The bandits waited for her to make a move, so they could have an excuse to just get rid of her. Under this pressure, Ember felt powerless, she hated that feeling. Outnumbered, and unarmed. If only she had her dragons, if only there was a way to call them for support against these invaders.

Smolder, she felt fury, her friends were threatened and like her leader she was helpless. Gallus worried for the others, the bandits were not playing any games, any wrong move could end in a tragedy. They all tried individually to think up a solution to their problem, Gallus and Smolder wanted to save Ocellus from the Psycho, but knew that they had no power to do so.

Ocellus was too deep in her fears to even move, she felt the Psycho breath down her neck as it stared at the ring that hovered above them. The lenses of his mask turned from blue to purple mysteriously. Heck, for every Psycho that grew closer to them, their eyes changed as well. As if they were connected somehow.

"Hey, don't you dare!" The Marauder scolded a Psycho who was trying to snatch the ring. "You know what happens if you touch that, it eats you!"

"Right, we need a unicorn to hold that thing..." His friend said as he looked around for someone to help them.

*Don't be scared...* Ocellus gasped lightly as a calm soothing voice spoke. *Don't be scared...*

She knew not where that voice came from but wished that whoever it was they could help her and everyone from this pinch they're in.

Suddenly, the boulder blew up, everyone near it was tossed to the ground by the explosion. "Damn it, who ordered the cannon to fire!?" They demanded to know.

Due to losing balance, the Psycho and Ocellus separated as they crashed into the dirt. But the ring fell out of her hold. Everyone that was a bandit panicked, they watched as the ring bounced on the ground once, then it froze in the air. Their attention focused on the ring that hovered above the ground. Even Starlight was shocked to see the event unfolding in front of her.

None said a word, a deathly silence filled the air. Only the ring itself hummed an ominous tone.

"Shiny..." A Psycho was mesmerized by the artifact, he slowly moved forward to it along with a few others, their eyes sharing the same shade of purple.

"No, you idiot, don't!" A bandit tried to stop one of the Psycho, but was unable to do so.

*Don't be afraid...*

Ocellus stared as she realized where the voice was coming from, it was the ring, it spoke to her. Or... did it? She felt it more that the voice did not even see her, it spoke to someone else. She turned to her friends and wondered if they could hear the voice, but it would seem that they were caught up with the odd anomaly to even confirm.

Then the screaming started, every Psycho that was too close to the ring screamed like they were in pain. Their hands wrapped around their heads as the glow in their eyes intensified.

*Wake up...*

Those who were suffering screamed even louder as energy started to flow out of their face. Through their eyes, the mouth of their masks, it was a fear-inducing sight. Everyone was too stunned or curious to do something, if anything, they were scared.

And finally, it happened, the ring only siphoned so much from the Psychos but allowed them to live with a sliver of their energy. It glowed even brighter, the bandits started to back away as the artifact positioned itself horizontally, then the unthinkable happened. A purple silhouette formed itself from head to toe. A shape of a large dragon, taller than Celestia. Details started to show themselves, a mask similar to those Psychos. He flexed his claws as if he had just regained control after so long.

A dragon who had an awful resemblance to Smolder stood under the ring, and from their perspective, it looked more like a halo. He had a few bits of metal all around him that acted as armor, around the lower part of his legs were a cloth that covered them. While his right arm was wrapped in bandages. His horns were like a bull's, pointed forward ready to skewer his foes. He was a bandit by the looks of it, and though this is something new to Starlight and the others they knew quickly that they cannot trust him so easily.

Then his eye snapped open, his one single eye which glared with a deep scowl. His hunched figure eyed every single one of them, his body quaked as if he was diseased.

"Oh no..." The Marauder muttered aloud, he looked as if he'd seen a ghost. He then made the right choice and bolted for his life.

The dragon saw this, he did not like that one bit, and he even expressed himself by going after the bandit. The Marauder glanced over his shoulder just in time to see the Psycho dragon upon him. He could not scream as his head was crushed between the ground and the palm of the beast.

Silverstream screamed, everyone was aghast by the violent display. Ocellus, for the first time, felt no fear. She remembered the voice from before and remained calm, unlike her peers. Perhaps this was who the voice spoke to, the dragon who looked like the bandits around the train station. She also noted that the ring stayed above his head, a detail she would surely remember.

He rose back to his feet and stared at his bloody palm, a low deep chuckle escaped him. *Krieg... calm down...*

"Krieg?" Ocellus muttered, this went unnoticed by the others, even a bandit nearby heard her utter the dragon's name.

"Krieg!? Oh no, everybody run!" He told them as he let loose all of his ammunition at Krieg.

The Psycho turned towards his attacker, and Ocellus could tell that he wore a manic smile under his mask.

"Salt... good GOD where's my salt!?"

Those were his first words before everything went downhill for the bandits. Weapons that were aimed at Starlight and her group before were now focused on the large dragon with a halo. For the first time in their lives, they've seen blood spilled and souls taken from the living realm. Krieg had produced a weapon designed from scrap, the circular saw blade spun to life eager to take lives. They were frozen deeply in terror, a maniac started to massacre the bandits with a ferocious thirst for the red juice.

Quickly, Starlight gathered her students and Ember and pulled them towards safety. Ocellus could not rip her eyes away from the spectacle. The way Krieg moved with a wild step, it was like watching an animal that hunted for sport. A sadistic form of art.

Then she remembered how Ashborn, the dragon from before, had shown distaste for Smolder's mistake of believing that he was the Wing Eater, or the inspiration of. He mentioned a beast that must stay dead or a new age of darkness threatens the balance. Could it be that the beast and the Wing Eater are just one and the same? Why did they not write this down in history?

So many questions filled Ocellus' brain.

Once far enough, Starlight stopped everyone into a crater where they were safe. Bullets could not harm them there, and the bandits could not harm them as long as they were distracted. Ocellus turned to meet her eyes, Ocellus saw how empty they were, Starlight's pupils were as small as pinpricks. Everyone tried not to listen to the screams of the bandits, but they could not hide their emotions. Silverstream and Sandbar nearly cried, Gallus was like a ghost, Yona was sickened by such violence. Smolder stayed strong and simply wanted for it all to end.

Ember, on the other hand, was confused. She was the only one brave enough to join Ocellus and watch the violence that Krieg brought upon the bandits.

"Who is he?" Ember muttered.

"He's... the Wing Eater..." Ocellus said.

"But, he was just a story, I'm sure of it!" Smolder argued. "T-this guy is... I don't know!"

Ocellus decided to make her own answer with all the information she had. After a few seconds of thinking, she finally came up with a possible story. One that she hoped was far from the truth.

"Guys... I think he's the reason why dragons have a boogeyman, maybe Princess Celestia and the leaders of dragons and griffons united to fight against him, but that does not explain why there was a fort in the Dragon Lands. Unless it was meant to lure him here... Away from any major cities and settlements."

"But..." Ember was doubtful. "If he was entrapped here, then why haven't any of us heard of him?"

"To hide him," Starlight deduced. "He's... He was meant to be hidden somewhere no one would even dare to look, and the dragons that you said who lived in the Wicked Nest, were guarding that ring... or halo by the looks of it."

"The stench of madness... Are the bandits related to him somehow, other than appearance?" Silverstream wondered.

"Uh, everything went quiet." Sandbar pointed out the lack of explosions. They could hear the train leave the station and the screaming stopped.

When Ember tried to look over the edge, she found a fist wrapped around her throat. She struggled in Krieg's hold as he lifted her to his eye. "Meat..." He hummed loudly as he eyed her hungrily.

Ember clawed and punched at the limb, but her attempts were like a small child playfully attacking their father. "I am... Lord Ember! I order you... to release me!"

"Crack the ribcage to get the goodies!" He laughed as his other hand pressed against Ember's chest.

Starlight zapped him with a spell, which only received a powerful glare from Krieg. He released Ember and snatched Starlight away; she could not even fight back or cast any magic as his other hand wrapped itself around her horn. The students quickly went for the rescue seeing as this was just one dragon, all but Ocellus who stared at Krieg with a curious glint in her eyes.

While her friends struggled to separate Krieg and Starlight, there was another conflict, one that Ocellus alone could witness.

*Let her go!* The voice shouted. *She isn't a bandit!*

"Self-harm, a beautiful display of guts and feces!" What the others might see as inane blabbering, Ocellus saw an argument. It appears that the Psycho before her communicated with random blabbers. "Bloody bombers!"

Ember made the worst mistake of her day, she set Krieg ablaze which prevented the others from helping. "H-how!?" Ember exclaimed with a short stutter.

Starlight only panicked more as the fire grew too hot for her, she could not speak as this giant held her throat tightly.

*It was an act of self-defense, you attacked them, they are innocent!*

"The broken gavel is married to your eyeball!"

*And those appear to be children, you're possibly attacking an adult who is in charge of them. Let her go or else I'll-*

"Who are you two?" Ocellus finally spoke, she earned the attention of every soul around her. "Are there... two of you?"

Her friends stared at her confused, but then all staggered back as Krieg released Starlight from his grip. Krieg strode over to Ocellus, the others were about to save their friend but they saw a different scene from before, Krieg gently wrapped his claws around Ocellus and raised her to his face.

"The caved skull spits!?"

"Uh, yes... I can hear you..."

This made Krieg happy, but confused the others even more. "Fart taste, eat the glue!" The fire around him died down.

"I don't understand him..." Ocellus said truthfully. "Just you, I um... Could you not hurt my friends?"

Krieg glanced over his shoulder to look at the others, they were petrified under his gaze, and the two dragons felt a burning hatred directed at them both. The Psycho faced Ocellus once more. "Out of the cage, into my pooper!?"

"W-what?"

*He's asking if those two dragons really are your friends.*

"Oh, well yes, so could you not attack them?"

Krieg sighed audibly and groaned after. "Wandering blood donor?"

"Gallus?"

Upon being mentioned, Gallus swallowed a lump in his throat as Krieg turned to glare at him.

"Yes, Gallus is my friend. Why do you ask these questions?"

*I... don't know why he... I can't remember anything... But the Vault entrance... Does... Krieg knows?*

Ocellus hummed softly. "Hey Krieg, do you know?"

"Free for all, big ball!" He screamed loudly. "Flamebuckets, Seven Spices! Pointies! Bloody Krieg!"

*A war... Between the dragons, griffons, and ponies... But, how come I can't remember?*

Everyone was taken aback when Ocellus repeated the voice's words. The truth that Krieg was part of the war between griffons and ponies was a surprise, but they mentioned the dragons which was a shocking reveal.

"Hold on now," Ember took a step forward, but retreated back when Krieg's eye met hers. "Uh... Right, well, the dragons don't exactly go to war, we aren't as organized as other countries."

"No!"

All eyes looked towards the sky, Krieg gently placed Ocellus back on the ground so he could grab his buzz axe. "Ketchup, back to the slaughter!"

Above them all, a distraught Ashborn hovered, his eyes threatened to release a flood of tears. "Years, I have been keeping you beneath the earth, only for my own mistake to forever haunt me! How could I allow this!?"

"Spine sings for me!" Krieg laughed. "Thirsty for thee!"

"Revenge?" Ocellus muttered, the others heard her. But they and the voice were all confused. It appears that the voice knew not the truth, only the Psycho that ruled his body.

"You may have brought madness to my brethren, but I still live! Your days are numbered Krieg, for I will amass an army to bury you once more!" Ashborn said as he glared at Krieg with an undying hatred. "You have doomed our home, the sun shall fall, the moon devoured, and the blight shall corrupt the Dragon Lands! But I will not surrender so, beware, Krieg, I shall return!"

With that, the old dragon flew away, Krieg cried out and cursed at Ashborn, he threw a stick of dynamite at the dragon in the sky but he was too far to reach. So with nothing else to do, Krieg cursed at the heavens and promised an unending pain upon those who crossed his path.

"That's ominous..." Gallus commented.

"Winner winner!" Krieg nearly slammed his fist into Gallus' face but he was lucky that Starlight was there. Krieg's fist froze just a few inches away from Gallus' beak.

"Did you just try to hit me!?"

"Rat king drank the bone marrow!"

"I think... He wants to eat you." Smolder guessed, and boy was she right.

"Alright, I am not dealing with this!"

"Deal with what?"

All turned toward the new addition in the group, Sunburst, he stood there confused just like everyone else. He even questioned who Krieg was and why he was there. Starlight sighed as she realized that the rest of the class had finally returned from their field trip with Garble.

Before any of them could answer, a scream was heard from where the massacre took place, everyone remembered the horrors that were caused by Krieg. Though they accepted that he saved them, he still had tried to attack Ember and Starlight. But this was just the beginning. For their adventure on Equestria had yet to end with this bloody mess. Unbeknownst to them, they had opened Pandora's box and released its contents upon Equus.

Author's Note

Alright, here's the reboot. I've made a blog about the idea and now had executed it. So another adventure awaits and perhaps I could finally get that same drive I had from when I started the first one.

Like my rwby crossover fic, I am giving this one a new look.

Plan is different, but the plot is the same. Macguffin, young 6, secret history.

Also, I was playing around with that ai art app thing on my phone and decided that I should make one for this story. And it turned out fine and recognizable. I was aiming for turmoil and madness within, haha.

I hope that you all stay for the story.