Chapter 20: A Wild Slide - Part 1

[...]

What happened to me last night?

My mind was in disarray from the scene. The mauling that Pharynx had been through and the damage he had suffered attempting to stop that human fugitive was unsettling.

The way he was battered, the marks spreading across his body, and the known dislocations or fractures. It reminded me of the horrific scenes I witnessed on the front line.

When creatures of our nations went to fight against their oppressors or serious threats, I was there in the medical tents tending to the wounded.

No matter how many there were on the opposite side or how many we sent, the fighting raged on.

The casualties and overall suffering, however, were never-ending. I don’t remember how many times I shuddered from watching them being brought in or how many times I wept for the fallen, cursing myself for a patient who was in critical condition.

It haunted me to a degree unlike any other. And as I set Pharynx down on that bed in the medical lab, I saw that same hippogriff doctor from before standing over him.

Not saying anything, not moving a muscle…just there.

I tended to the changeling to the best of my ability, keeping my calm as I worked feverishly into the night to keep him alive.

It was unbelievable, but I kept questioning myself throughout my work.

Why did Alex choose to aid Pharynx after their fight and ensure he was still alive? I thoughtfully prodded. Sure the changeling was clinging onto the little amount of life he had left, but Alex could have left him for dead to run away.

The power we had assumed Alex possessed within himself was clearly underestimated. He wields more within himself. Is this the end result of challenging and threatening him? my thoughts continued. To such an extent that he could potentially kill to save himself?

gasp!

Oh, dear Faust, my eyes widened as the memory of that tragic day flickered once and died.

If Alex did what he did to save himself and others, then are we in the wrong for treating him maliciously and without care?

I shook my head slowly and got out of bed. It was already past 5:30am and I was already late. Celestia had exited from the bed as I slept from a long night’s work and raised the sun up quietly, pulling the curtains open a bit to allow the rays of the dawning sunlight to pour into the room.

Stretching my frame out and hearing some pleasant cracks to loosen my joints, I proceeded to the bathroom across the room and stepped into the shower. Turning on the cool water, it hit my fur immediately, causing me to shiver.

Who’s to say he’s right? my mind asked again.

I couldn’t let that scene go from yesterday. When I yelled at Alexander from across the field to stand down, he did it. Surprisingly, he placed his axes onto his back and just stood there.

It was as if he was waiting for something.

Waiting for us? Was he waiting for us to realiz-

sigh “Always five steps ahead, Alex,” I muttered, shaking my head while a smile spread across my face.

After a few more minutes, I got out of the shower and toweled off, ensuring every tuft of fur was dry. As I looked into the mirror, checking to make sure my coat was evenly smooth, I frowned in thought as the past few years of memories with Alex slowly replayed.

Why is it that every time there’s a single cloud of mystery surrounding that creature, I thought, he always dodges it? Why does he change the subject countless times as we try and understand who he is and try to help him with his struggles?

I walked out of the bedroom and down the long hallway toward the dining room. The guards on duty stopped as I passed by and saluted, to which I gave them a slight nod and smiled. Unfortunately, the smile felt like a mask as thoughts swelled in my head.

He doesn’t like talking about ‘it,’ I thought to myself. ‘Don’t bring it up,’ Alex always said. He’s been very, VERY adamant about that.

The number of times he’s made it very clear to not discuss his nightmares or why he’s mentally drowned, why his past is not applicable here in Equestria, or to drop the subject when he brought it up in the first place. It continued to frustrate Shifting, Celestia, myself, and most importantly, Luna.

`‘Princess Luna just wants to help you, Alex,’ I remember saying to the human.

‘I don’t care, just stop asking me about it!’ he snapped back. ‘It doesn’t concern any of you. It’s my dream, and they only affect me! Not any of you! So don’t ask me about it…please.’`

Yet, it felt like he was genuinely pleading for us not to prod. To…leave him alone.

“Good morning, Nacreous!”

================================<>================================

I looked up and realized I was now in the dining room. Unfortunately, all my thinking had clouded my awareness. I finally noticed three creatures sitting at the table: an overly-exhausted Princess Luna, a cheery Commander Shifting Sands across from her, and Celestia at the end.

I walked over and gave a warm-hearted smile to my special somepony, who nodded with a smile.

“How are you feeling today, Sunspots?” I thoughtfully asked.

“I feel…a bit better, Nacreous. Thank you for asking,” Celestia quietly answered. I nodded, turning my attention to the open seat nearby, and walked over to it.

“Seems to me like you had quite the night, Commander,” I said with a chuckle, taking my seat near the stallion.

“I got to manage the Night Court again,” Commander Shifting responded cheerfully. “Luna went and observed the dream world for a while, so I took care of her responsibilities here. It was awesome!”

“Yeeaaah,” Luna responded lazily. “You certainly had fun….”

“What do you mean by that, Luna?” I asked as a plate of food was placed in front of me.

“Well, taking care of the nightmares and observing every creature’s dreams are one thing,” the lunar alicorn stated flatly, placing her fork down. “But I finally remembered to catch up with a creature I haven’t checked on in a while.”

“And who would that be?” I asked, looking over at Celestia momentarily as she closed her eyes.

“It was Princess Skystar,” Luna said quietly. “It seemed as though she’s been having a recurring nightmare, so I eased her mind and ensured she understood….”

“Understood WHAT exactly?” her sister inquired with a raised eyebrow.

“I don’t discuss others' dreams rather openly unless they want me to, dear sis,” Luna responded quite agitatedly as she returned to her food.

“That’s new,” I added as I picked up my fork. Luna dropped her fork and stared at me.

“Well, hah, let’s discuss more important matters then,” Commander Shifting interrupted, sensing the tension in the room. “How’s Thorax’s brother, Nacreous?”

sigh “It’s….” I said before stopping, setting my utensil down, and taking a shaky breath. “It’s…difficult to put into words.”

“You don’t need to discuss it, Nacreous,” Celestia said quietly. “We are at the dining table, and if it isn’t appropri-”

I shook my head in disagreement. “I know, but Pharynx’s condition is concerning,” I said, furrowing my brow. “He was in fully stable condition when I left him, but that shouldn’t have been the case….”

My talon started shaking as Shifting looked over with confusion.

“What do you mean by that, Nacreous?” the Commander asked cautiously. I looked at him and gulped.

“He sh-should…Ph-Pharynx should have died….”

“But he’s not,” Luna pointed out. It looked at her and mouthed, “Naw, really?”

“That is true, Nacreous,” Celestia added. “You did save his life.”

“Of course,” I continued, “but his injuries said otherwise. I’m not going to get into details since I don’t want to ruin anycreature’s appetite….”

“That’s fine, we understand,” said Celestia reassuringly. “Let’s move on from this topic and discuss whe-”

slam!

================================<>================================

“Your Highness!”

groan “Why does everypony keep slamming doors open in this castle?” Celestia complained.

“As if you haven’t been slamming them shut in response to your own frustrations, Celestia,” I heard Shifting mutter under his breath, making me stare at him from the corner of my eye. He looked back and mouthed, “What? You know I’m right.”

“Legionnaire Steel,” Luna addressed the stallion as he stood across the other end of the dining table. “How may we help you?”

“I have a report from Hope Hollow’s mayor,” the aged pony weakly said, exhaling before clearing his throat. “Mayor Sunny Skies said he was out and about a short while ago and noticed a pegasus descending from the sky rapidly. The pegasus crashed into the ground near the fountain and shakingly go-”

“Get on with it,” Celestia shook her head in frustration.

“I’m trying, Your Highness,” Tempered Steel retorted. “Anyways, the pegasus was from our Canterlot Royal Army division we had sent to the Wandering Woods. He was on reconnaissance to observe the perimeter of the southern edge when he noticed a creature matching the human’s description walking out of the forest.”

“What?!” I asked, standing up in shock.

“You said southern edge of the Wandering Woods, Legionnaire?” Celestia inquired.

“Correct.”

“If he exited through the southern side,” Commander Shifting thought out loud, “he’s heading for the mountains. The Jackalope Slopes, to be precise.”

“Well, what are we waiting for?” Luna said, getting up quickly. “We have a sighting, so we should investigate quickly before we lose track of him again.”

“Hold on,” I said, holding up a paw. “We should set a plan in place befor-”

“We’re wasting valuable time, Nacreous,” Celestia impatiently replied, getting up from her seat. “We need to move. NOW!”

“YOU are NOT going anywhere, Celestia,” I uttered, glaring at the solar alicorn. “As far as any creature is concerned, I am not putting any of US in serious danger.”

“What are you saying, Nacreous?” Celestia said, squinting her eyes.

“I meant what I said. YOU are staying here in Canterlot to resume your responsibilities of Day Court,” I huffed. “No more delaying it. WE will head over there to investigate. So YOU will stay.”

“Absolutely not,” Celestia started to protest before I shook my head firmly.

“Doctor’s orders,” I said, getting up from my chair and walking to the Legionnaire. “Or would you like for me to tell you the specifics of Pharynx’s gruesome injuries and how he would have died if it weren’t for the human having a heart, sacrificing time of escaping to stay and tend to his near-fatal wounds?”

The room fell silent as I continued. “Not guaranteed Alex will be as merciful to us as he was to the changeling,” I sighed. “So I am removing a serious irritant for Alex to give us a better chance to catch him.”

Celestia started to growl on the other side of the dining room table, but Luna stepped over and placed a wing around her. Then, she slowly led her sister out of the room before I walked over to the Legionnaire Tempered Steel.

“Are you sure that’s a good ide-”

“Legionnaire?” I interrupted before lowering my voice. “Make sure Princess Celestia starts Day Court and manages her daily responsibilities. See to it that Miss Raven is also made aware and not let her out of sight. Understood?”

“Yes, Emperor,” the stallion said, saluting and exiting rather quickly. I looked at Commander Shifting, who nodded in agreement. Princess Luna returned a minute later and exhaled, giving me a slow nod.

“Good. Now then,” I said before preparing some runes, “let’s head out!”

================================<>================================

What a wonderful world, I thought softly. Of course, I knew I was lying to myself, but maybe lightening the mood of my current predicament would cheer me up.

Damn right it will, my right side said, again splitting into two.

“When you first got there, what did you think of Equestria then?”

What a wonderful world, I jokingly thought.

“Ha ha haaa…no, seriously.”

In all seriousness, the world of Equestria was beautiful. The gorgeous landscapes and natural environment, where numerous unique creatures frolicked across the regions, differed from the world I was accustomed to on Earth.

On top of that, the world wasn’t so industrialized, where there were roads everywhere unless you were in the major cities. But even then, there weren’t cars to drive. Taxis were available for transportation, but ponies pulled them, so that doesn’t count as a car.

"No duh, Alex."

My point still stands: there weren’t actual cars in Equestria.

On Earth, you needed some form of transportation to get from point A to point B, and most individuals had a car to drive aroun-

“Don’t bore me. I get the gist of it. Let’s steer back to the mountains.”

Damn, okay, my mind thought.

As I neared the Jackalope Slopes, I looked up at it, and my jaw dropped. The expansive mountain range sat as a towering presence within the region. It was a threatening piece of terrain that had to be conquered.

I reached the base of the mountain and did some stretches. Then, as my nerves calmed and my breathing relaxed, I slowly began my ascent up the side of the mountain.

The path I had chosen was reasonably easy to start, with some minor curvatures here and there. However, as I kept climbing, the way got even steeper, making me stop and think carefully about every step I should take.

It started to wear me out quickly, considering it had been a while since I had done so without the proper hiking equipment. The shoes I wore, for example, were improper for mountain climbing. But it hadn’t bothered me thus far, so I kept climbing.

This is challenging, to say the least, my right side grunted as I stretched up to reach a divot.

Yeah, we should definitely rest, the left side sighed.

Why stop now? I questioned myself. We just started ten minutes ago.

”Keep up, Alex.”

I stopped, gripping the side of a rocky edge.

Was that…was that my brother’s voice?

”Alex, let's go! the voice reminded me. “We have to keep going if we want to make it back in time.”

I never forgot. I remember that trip as clear as day. The only time during the summer my older brother came along with my mother and me to visit her homeland.

“Tell me about it. What happened during your vacation in Poland?”

================================<>================================

`It was a lovely, warm afternoon in July. I was on vacation in Poland with my mother and my older brother, Michael. The day had started as usual, with both of us getting up and preparing our bags for the hike we were going to take.

Packing only the essentials: water bottles, extra pairs of clothes, towels, a Nintendo DS system, some energy bars, and some gloves. Then, making sure we were ready, my mom ushered us out the door, and we were on our way to the bus stop.

As we waited for the bus to take us to the location, I stopped by a bakery booth and paid for a couple obwarzanki krakowskiej. My brother went to a nearby convenience store, needing energy drinks to keep him awake.

I was sixteen at the time, while Mikey was 24 years old. I didn’t know back then, but because of my internal issue, I knew that I naturally had an infinite reserve of energy without requiring any energy drinks.`

================================<>================================

“How long is this story, Alex?”

“...”

================================<>================================

`Fast-forward a couple of days, and we were preparing to hike up the mountain trail. “Hurry up, man,” my brother reminded me. “We don’t have much time. We should hurry so we can catch the last bus back to Krakow today.”

“You're right,” I responded as I hurried up to my mom and brother. We walked up on the mountain trail through the Tatra National Park south of Zakopane. My mom told me about a beautiful lake at the trail's end and how geographically significant it was.

I didn’t know anything about the ‘Morskie Oko,’ which my mother said was the name of it, which meant the Eye of the Sea, but I loved geography a lot. It was considered the fourth largest lake in the mountains, and because I hadn’t seen it in person, my curiosity got the better of me.

I learned that if you threw a coin into the water and made a wish, it could come true. Or at least, that’s what some of the stories said. But, I don’t know, I've never been to a ‘wishing well.’

And as we climbed up the slope, my legs moving me forward with every labored step I took, it dawned on me that having a car back in the States was a massive luxury and that I should appreciate the life I have.

Not needing to constantly walk to school and just be driven five minutes to the high school was great, and it also made me stop and appreciate not having to ride the bus too. I knew how lousy traveling on the school buses was, and I never did after grade school.

Aside from that, our walk slowed as we neared the end of the primary trail. The lake before me sat still, the deep water’s hue incentivizing me to sit down. My mom said she would be right back as she went to one of the nearby restaurants, and my brother decided to buy something to drink from there.

As I took a seat near the water’s edge, the calming and breezy atmosphere of the altitude kept my nerves at bay. Letting my mind relax, I closed my eyes and hummed a tune.

Nothing to bother me.

No problems.

Just…peace.

I dug a coin out of my pocket and sat there for a few moments. Then, looking at the 2 zlote coin, I threw it into the lake and sighed in contentment.

I then noticed the extensive mountain range reflecting off the surface of the water, causing my eyes to wander up and look at the beautiful mountain range.

It was…majestic.

It was an incredible sight to see. Geography was one of my favorite courses in high school, learning about the world we live in, the many countries, and how the terrain resulted in humans adapting and improvising ways to live within the environment.

But the mountains always seemed to amaze me with everything they could hide and show to the beholder. The elevated paths branched into the scenery, their towering presence that dared us to trek up their slopes. The journey upward was half of it.

And the view from up the mountain was incredible. Looking at where you started and how far you came, not to mention the small cities below with the little ant-I mean, people. Noting the buildings that lay within its sequestered circle.

What a breathtaking place to be in.

“...”

I wish I could stay here and never leave.`

================================<>================================

“But that was a long time ago.”

More than a decade ago, in fact. My eyes started to water at the memory.

It was a heartfelt moment at the lake. We took a picture as a souvenir of our trip to preserve its memory, not knowing what would happen next. The image had burned itself into my mind, my brother and me standing next to each other by the water’s edge…

Fuck, I sure miss him now.

“Wait, what do you mean ‘you miss him now?’”

I looked down at the rocky surface and suddenly felt my skin pricking. Senses going haywire, I deduced slowly. Chills. Feels like someone’s watching me. That can only mean…

Oh shit, my mind said in unison as I turned around and stared up into the sky.

Two creatures were flying high above in the morning skyline, and it looked like both had kept their eyes on me for a while. The problem was they were both getting closer, causing me to resort to my only other option.

Welp, might as well jump from this cliffside and run back towards the fores-

My body froze for a second. As it turned out, I was flanked by a long line moving toward the base of the mountain range.

That’s the army, Alex, my mind thought out loud.

“No shit,” I said irritably as I went back to climbing up the mountain even faster than before.

================================<>================================

“You sure Celestia will be okay?” Commander Shifting asked me with concern.

sigh “While I very much dislike to see her like this, I think it is for the best that she stays behind for once,” I said to my special somepony.

“You ready then, Luna?” Nacreous asked me. I closed my eyes and exhaled slowly, relaxing before giving them a firm nod.

“I’m ready. Let’s go.”

Nacreous placed his runes down, and the portals quickly appeared, marking our destination within the Wandering Woods. As I stepped through to the other side, I quietly observed my surroundings, unfurled my wings, and silently flew towards the treeline.

The sun’s rays hit my eyes hard as I burst into the sky. The world's temperature was much warmer than Canterlot, and even the skies were mostly clear.

Nacreous appeared abruptly off to my left side and nodded. We both picked up speed as we made our way towards the Jackalope Slopes south of the Wandering Woods.

As we made it to the southern perimeter of the forest, I motioned for Nacreous to stop. Then, I pointed a hoof toward the mountain range and set my eyes on what, or more precisely who, was there.

“Is that him?” I whispered to Nacreous.

“No need to question, Luna,” Nacreous replied with assurance. “That is definitely Alex.”

We rose slowly into the sky as Nacreous kept his eyes on the human being. Once we reached a comfortable level, I looked down and waited for the army to emerge from the forest.

On the other hoof, Nacreous had fished out a parchment box and tapped it twice. The box disappeared into the morning breeze, and then he motioned for us to glide toward the mountain range.

As we did, I kept my eye on the southern entrance of the forest and saw the Royal Army slowly emerging. I nodded to Nacreous as he retrained his focus onto Alex, who had passed the halfway point of the mountain’s treacherous slope.

“How do we approach him, Nacreous?” I whispered. The hippogriff looked at me from the corner of his eye and scratched his chin.

“I was thinking of having the army move to the other side and slowly surround the mountains to prevent him from escaping, but I’m curious,” the hippogriff emperor asked. “What’s your suggestion, Luna?”

“Can’t we teleport to the top of the mountain and hide?” I suggested with a smile. “That way, he won’t anticipate us, and we can secure him quickly.”

“While that would be a good option, I don’t believe it will work,” Nacreous replied flatly, causing my smile to fade. “He can sense something is wrong from over a mile away.”

“Then I got nothing, Nacreous,” I said with disappointment.

“Well, let’s get some details straight,” Nacreous noted. “Commander Shifting is moving his forces through the plains toward the mountain range to flank behind him. He won’t be allowed to turn back now.”

“So we should get to the other side and trap him!” I exclaimed, but the hippogriff put his paw up to motion for me to ‘slow down.’

“Yeah, so he can move right past us and evade capture again,” Nacreous replied flatly. “No, we have to simply swoop in and startle him enough that he’ll have no choice but to stop what he is currently doing and defend himself.” I slowly felt a shiver run up my spine as Nacreous lowered his brow and growled softly.

“From there, Luna, we must attack with impunity and disable his watch. We may have to not only knock him out cold but also prevent him from moving further.”

“I think I understand what you’re trying to say, but I would rather keep him alive, Nacreous,” I admitted. “I…I can’t bear to know what would happen if she found out what really happened here if we killed him now.”

Nacreous closed his eyes and exhaled slowly. “I understand your concern, Luna,” Nacreous said before leveling with me. “But she shouldn’t know. And if this goes through, then that’s what we’ll have to live with.”

“We can certainly take him back to Canterlot alive, Nacreous,” I pleaded. “His memory can’t end and be forgotten on a mountain far away from his home here.”

“This isn’t his home!” Nacreous yelled before catching himself. I flinched back as he silently collected his thoughts. “Sorry, Luna. I didn’t mean to yell at you….”

“It’s okay,” I responded while wiping a tear away. “I understand your frustrations with this situation and Celestia’s response to it, and I’ll make sure to tend to her dream bubble tonight. But Alex should be kept alive, and I’ll stick to that notion.”

“We’ll play it by ear,” the hippogriff ultimately decided. “For now, be ready to attack Alex with everything you got.”

I nodded my head in defeat as I readied myself. I didn’t want to tell him the actual truth, but I figured that if he was alive for another day, then maybe Princess Skystar would have a chance to see him one more time before he was gone for good.

It’s going to be okay, Luna. Let’s not injure him severely, I thought to myself. After all, I have that promise to keep.

As we started our descent toward the human’s location, Nacreous kept his eyes focused on Alex. I began to fly faster downward but then immediately noticed something alarming.

I almost instinctively felt an unsettling aura emanating from Alex, and he decided that this was the perfect moment to turn around and stare into the sky. He didn’t move for a few seconds before looking down the mountain.

Looks like he knows what’s happening, I thought before another chill ran through my frame. Oh, Faust. It seems like he has no fear. Like he’s been expecting us…

But, as we neared the slope, he turned and started to scale the mountain quicker than before. This just made me feel more uneasy about all of this. One thought clung on for dear life as we neared Alex.

Please, Alex, I pleaded internally. Don’t make this harder for yourself. It’ll only get worse from here on out if you let this persist. Thy judgment will come eventually.

================================<>================================

I didn’t care about who was following me or what might happen when I resisted. All I knew was that I had to move.

And fast!

My legs were tired from the climb already, but the added pressure of those damn creatures chasing after me kept me pushing through the unbearable pain.

I have to push onward, I thought to myself. I cannot let The Crown win.

Move to the right, Alex! my brain screamed.

I immediately jumped to the right and ducked. I peeked up and saw that Princess Luna had flown overhead at high speeds. I kept low and resumed my climb, tracking the two royal creatures flying upward and circling above.

Great, I thought while gritting my teeth. Just what I need. The Royal Army, which means the Commander is here, an emperor hippogriff with razor-sharp talons and a knack for ancient magic and weaponry, and an alicorn princess who can send me to the moon in an instant.

“But what about the last one?”

She could literally be anywhere, I thought to myself cautiously.

I hurriedly moved, closing in on the peak of the Jackalope Slope, and started to think I was going to make it without further incident.

But where the hell is she? both sides of my mind asked. She has to be here somewhere, Alex.

I kept a note on the two royal members of The Crown as they flew outward and began another approach towards me. I raced up the mountain and started jumping from rock to rock, doing my best not to slip and further injure myself.

crackle!

boom!

“Whoa!”

An intense beam of magic hit one of the rocks I had planted a foot on and exploded into shards of rocky pieces, catching me by complete surprise. My body was struck by the explosion's shockwave, the rocky fragments cutting my skin and causing me to slip.

The peak is getting closer, my mind said in unison as my foot got caught within a tight divot. Don’t give up, Alex!

“I know,” I grunted, attempting to shake my foot out. “I know I can’t give up….”

And I won’t!

Losing the shoe wedged within the divot, I got low to the ground again as they completed another flyby. A gust of wind knocked me back over just as I caught myself, and I quickly recovered.

I took off the other shoe and requested the hiking boots from my watch to be spawned onto my feet. The request was quickly accepted, and I resumed my treacherous climb of terror.

The pressure kept mounting as I neared the peak of the mountain top, just thirty feet away. Knowing entirely well they were going to unleash hell onto me as soon as I reached it, I discussed some options with my inner conscious’s.

“Gotta think, Alex,” I told myself under my breath. “If they fire those shots, we gotta deflect them. We need a power-up for just that.”

That leaves us with two options, the left side said hastily. But I don’t think the reflector will work against an alicorn princess's magic, Alex.

OOOOO!! my right side squealed in excitement. Can we test it out? Can we? Can we? Can we? Can we?..

“I don’t see why not,” I finally remarked, knowing I was taking a calculated risk.

LET’S GOOO!!

“Someone’s excited, huh?”

You have no idea, my left side sighed.

I have been waiting so long to try this shield out! my right side gushed in ecstasy.

“Tell me about it then, Alex.”

As I neared the peak, I quickly looked over my shoulder and saw the alicorn princess prepare herself for an attack. The sparks sparkled from her horn in the morning skylight, and I hastily brought my left wrist to my mouth.

“Mikey?” I inquired, staring at the two creatures beelining right for me.

“Yes, Alexander?” the monotone voice replied.

Now or never, I thought. Taking note of the magic beam spawning from the horn of the alicorn princess, I jumped into the air and spun around to face them. The beam shot out as a vicious blast of energy, blindly screeching toward me.

That was when I screamed into the watch, loud and proud for all to hear.

“ACTIVATE ERDRICK’S SHIELD!!”

“Request accepted!”

fshing!

boom!!

================================<>================================

Meanwhile, within the shadows of the northern mountain range of the Jackalope Slopes, a singular shadow slowly materialized from its hiding spot atop the mountain peak. His toothy grin and red eyes illuminated as he chuckled to himself.

“Ehh Ehh Ehh,” the shadowy monster cackled softly. “Seems like The Crown is preparing our future suitor for us without our intervention.”

The shadowy figure slowly descended towards the Umberfoal entrance and made quick notes on what news to tell his Master.

“Okay, let me review this, so I don’t mess this up,” he said to himself. “Firstly, I tell my Master of the progress of The Crown chasing Alex. Okay, then I will prepare the final training requirements for the one possession I have left. Alright, yeah…”

A grin slowly dawned on his face as he sunk into the void within the Umberfoal. “And finally, the most important part…revel in the destruction we shall bring upon the land of Equestria as we had done so long ago.”

The shadowy apprentice disappeared without a trace left behind, his laugh echoing into the morning air.

It was clear what was at stake, and it would be only a matter of time before destiny arrived.

Author's Note

Oooo! Erdrick's Shield!!!

Be back in 12 hours for Part 2 of "A Wild Slide."