In the darkness, the world was still. A void filled with nothing more than silence and soundless air; and in that emptiness, he could hear his heart beating against his ribs. It thudded against his rib cage, echoing off the miles upon miles of nothingness surrounding him. Is this what it’s like being dead? The thought had never really occurred to him until now. He had never been one for such frivolous notions, but if this is what death is like, what does he have to live for now? Where does one go after they die?

He couldn’t say he was particularly religious—not like so many other people—and certainly not like so much of modern society, yet he felt a profound sense of peace at this moment. He wasn’t scared or upset, and he didn’t feel as though he would have to do anything anymore. He was free of life. At least for now, in this limbo of nonexistence, he was completely and utterly content with the idea of being nothing.

He blinked, and something appeared far away across the horizon. There was no way he could tell what it was exactly, just like he was unable to determine where he ended up either. As time passed by and his eyes followed its progress across the horizon, however, the shapes became more distinct and recognizable. They came together into a shape he could understand quite clearly, and as they drew closer, he realized that they were moving towards him. Said shape morphed into an unfamiliar symbol before finally coming to float in front of him.

It was a strange and intimidating symbol. He didn’t recognize it from any books he had read, nor did he recognize the image on it. It glowed brightly in red light, and it reminded him greatly of bloodstains. He found the image unsettling, despite being nothing more than a symbol—and yet, there was something about the image itself which intrigued him. Something was nagging him in the back of his head, urging him to look deeper into it, further down into the darkness that seemed to have enveloped it. He wanted to see beyond this image, this thing. What lay beneath it, and why was it there?

A chill ran through his body, and he shivered uncontrollably. It was getting warmer—it was always warm—but now it felt almost unbearable as he watched it getting a little brighter. The light grew hotter, and then, it exploded, bathing the world around him in crimson. It blinded him. The burning sensation continued, intensifying throughout his entire body. His breath caught in his throat and the scream died in his mouth as everything went dark.

Throughout the void, a deep voice spoke.

“They are rage, brutal, without mercy. But you… you will be worse. Rip and Tear, until it is done!”

Then, silence again.

Aiden woke up immediately shielding his eyes with his hands instinctively as if the last remnant of his memory blinded him. Beating wild, he could feel his heart pounding against his ribcage, beating as though he was still living through the last waking moment, even though he vaguely became aware he was no longer in danger. Fresh adrenaline coursed through his veins - eager and waiting for something that would happen, which it already had. Not only was his body motivated to be alert thanks to the adrenaline, but it also sharpened his other senses.

Completely aware he was no longer feeling the dread of incoming physical danger, he placed his hand close to his chest and tried to get his body to slow down. To slowly bring himself out from the last memory.

I'm fine….

I'm okay…

I’m… okay.

Using the right side of his body, Aiden tried to prop himself up with the use of his elbow. Although he could still feel the beating of his heart and the anxiety that lingered, he could sense that he was back in control thanks to concentrating on a different matter.

Unlike minutes ago when everything within him was running rampant, he could feel everything coming to a standstill yet again. With his breath stuck within his throat for god knows how long, he finally exhaled. Aiden had believed all this time that he was specifically on the ground, dying in the coldness of night-time.

What stood before him was nothing to his familiarity.

"What the..." He finally muttered.

This isn’t the town, Aiden thought to himself as he stared at the tall trees. Not too far from him was a round crater filled by clear water. Flowers were different, plants he didn't think existed dotted the forest floor in large frequency. What also didn’t add up was how different the trees looked. Last he remembered, he was nowhere near any forest of nature before it happened. In fact, he was in the process of returning back home. So why was he in a big forest? But most importantly, how in the world is he not dead?

“Hello?” Aiden called out into the forest. At least, he tried to call out. He felt a spike of pain in his throat when he tried to call out again, so instead of saying another word, he raised a hand to his neck, massaging where the pain lingered.

He tried a third time and immediately whipped both hands to his throat when the pain increased tenfold. There wasn’t any reason why he should have been experiencing pain from talking. Yet here he was - completely unaware of anything beyond the surface level, yet still capable of experiencing pain. It took all of Aiden’s strength just to lift his head up. One thing is evident to him now: He can’t talk. At all.

Though his voice is still there, he could feel it. But some unknown force is blocking any form of vocal communication he could possibly use.

'Ugh, you’ve gotta be kidding me,’ Adien thought to himself as he quickly lunged into a seated upright position. Half a dozen scenarios crossed his mind but as one thought progressed into another, none really made any sense for his particular situation. Nothing could really explain why he was here in the middle of the woods. The most sane reason would have made perfect sense had he actually been sleeping and maybe he just woke up from his dream.

“Mm mm no, that can’t be it,” he muttered under his breath as he cupped his chin slowly stroking it. Barely enough for him to think through what he had to do, he decided to save the questions for later. For now, he needs to find out where he is and find out the location. It would at least ease his mind if he can get back to civilization.

Quickly getting up he planted the sole of his feet firmly against the earth’s floor as he stared ahead at the small pond. Without another thought, he quickly made his way towards it as I stared at the surface of the water.

Something felt off about him and though he had not sensed it while he laid on the grass, he could very much feel it now as he stood. It wasn't the dirt floor that he walked upon or the woods itself that was throwing him off.

Rather It was not only his height that he found to be incredibly disconcerting, but realizing now how his face behind his helmet looked much older, so middle age.

Getting on his knees he slowly leaned his head over the puddle. Immediately with a loud audible gasp he stepped back putting the distance between himself and the puddle.

At the age of sixteen, he was clearly a young fully developed young man, body parts and everything. My physical body, as bizarre as it was to describe it that way, felt somewhat lighter. Cautiously and with my mouth agape, I looked back at my reflection and blanched at what I saw.

‘Wh-Wha—What the hell?!’

Aiden crawled back to the edge of the pond. Shocked and in disbelief of what he was seeing.

Staring back at him in his reflection was a green armored man. His face was obscured with a tinted visor, and was clothed in armor from head to toe. The suit he wore was battered and worn. He also had a dark green metallic cannon planted on his left shoulder.

Aiden closed his eyes and took his head in both hands. How… How the hell did I not notice?! He thought to himself. No! Of course I had not noticed it while I laid on the ground and honestly, it was the very last thing on my mind but it was the sight of my reflection that brought my attention to the forefront of my mind. By doing this, he had consciously become more aware of himself, hence the reason he felt off since he got to his feet.

There was no way he could explain what he was seeing, how he came to look like... this! With his arms raised up he grasped on his head, as he stared back at himself. This… This isn’t normal, this is way FAR from normal! This has to be a dream. He has to be dreaming, because there’s no way he should look like this.

With his trembling hand bawling to a fist, he willed himself to slow down. To take a deep breath and just... breathe. Now is not the time to panic. He just needs to get out of this forest, look for people or a town hopefully.

“Quite shocking, isn’t it?”

Aiden snapped back to reality at the sudden voice. Looking around for the owner of the new voice, he heard a soft giggle coming from his right. He stood back up, slowly turning to the sound, looking up at where the laughter originated from.

Floating above him was a little girl. Her body was petite, and had long cyan hair cascading down her shoulders like ink. She was wearing a white dress that resembled the material of clouds, her light skin shining as she smiled gently down at him. She was beautiful and her appearance was ethereal - almost making her seem a little less real than she actually was. Her eyes glimmered with the purest of blue. They matched beautifully with her long wavy hair and a pair of pink lips formed into a genuine smile. Her wings, like a bird, fluttered softly behind her.

The second their gaze met, the little girl let out a delighted giggled. Before he could blink she flew down at him with great speed, floating in front of him without breaking eye contact.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” she said, smiling sweetly. “You’re confused, for that I am certain. Allow me to introduce myself.” She closed her eyes, waving at him before folding her arms and opening her eyes again. “Hello, I am VEGA, the sentient intelligence assigned to guide you wherever your journey may lead.”

VEGA? What kind of name is that...? Aiden wondered.

VEGA then floated around him in a circle. Her eyes glowed brightly before dimming to her usual blue.

“I believe you are the one who’s called Aiden Walker, yes?” She asked him. Aiden nodded slowly, unsure of how to proceed from there. It’s not like he had a clue what was going on in these weird circumstances anyway. “Hmm, just as I expected," VEGA chuckled. "You do have quite an interesting name, you know."

Aiden stared at her blankly.

“Well, now that we have the introduction sorted out," she began. "Let us begin our discussion by stating the obvious. Not too long ago you gave up your life to save the life of an innocent soul, which I must say is very noble indeed. Usually the average soul after dying would ascend into the afterlife depending on how you view the concept.” She continued. “However, unlike the average soul, yours didn’t make it into the afterlife. Instead, you were given something no one has ever received in eons: a chance to be reborn.”

VEGA paused mid sentence, giving him time to fully understand what she had just explained. Aiden was slightly taken aback.
REborn? Reincarnation?

“As for where you are right now, you’re in a new world,” VEGA continued. “A world home to many different species but not one of your own, the ones called humans. The main inhabitants of this country, known as Equestria mind you, are beings identified as ‘Anthropomorphic Ponies’ or Anthro Ponies for short. Each of them are different from the other races in each aspect. You have the earth ponies, the soaring pegasus, and unicorns that can use magic.” VEGA finished.

Aiden’s eyes widened once he heard the description of the other races. In fact, he couldn’t help but wonder why they were referred to as ‘Pony’ instead of just ‘Earth Pony’. He then immediately shook his head trying to clear his thoughts.

“There are also Minotaurs, Griffins, yaks, and many more. But these creatures are not what you should be setting your sights on,” VEGA warned, her eyes narrowing. “While all of those creatures have their strengths and weaknesses, they are nothing compared to the true threat of this world. Would you like to know more?” VEGA asked, crossing her arms.

Aiden silently nodded at her question, unable to bring any words to his lips as VEGA went on explaining.

“Very well. Do pay attention.” She instructed. “Fifteen thousand years ago, before the world was shrouded in darkness; Equestria was a beautiful paradise. All life thrived in its beautiful lands. Friendship flourished between the various races living on the land. But most of all, harmony reigned. Everyone lived together peacefully with one another in a peace such as never had been seen. It was the happiest and most peaceful time in existence, until the day when a horrible tragedy fell on the world.”

Aiden listened attentively as VEGA went on speaking.

“It started about five years prior. An army of monsters invaded many kingdoms in Equestria’s borders, destroying anything and anyone they encountered. The monsters slaughtered every living being within a two mile radius. Many of the ponies who lived in kingdoms, small towns or villages were killed mercilessly before being eaten alive by the monsters. These monsters are known by their name that has pierced the hearts of every pony. They called them… demons,” she said solemnly. “The demon’s armies ravaged across many kingdoms like a wildfire, destroying everything in their path. As the demons grew closer to another territory, the number of casualties began to rise rapidly, especially during battles. It wasn’t long before one kingdom in the north began to fall to the demons’ control. At first it was merely an ordinary village in Saddle Arabia, but soon enough, it was overrun. The population there dwindled by hundreds of thousands, with the death toll reaching tens of thousands of victims.”

VEGA turned away from him, looking straight ahead.

“There used to be those who fought the demons and managed to push them back, but not anymore, it seemed. When it became apparent that it was hopeless, all of these people gathered together and decided to fight the demons. The Sentinels they were called. Some fought and died bravely; however, not everyone made it back alive. There, many of them were slaughtered like sheep. It left them no place to rest. They were all gone. Their souls now reside in an eternal sleep within the heart of Equestria.” She looked back at him, smiling once again. “But not all is lost. The sentinels are gone, this is true, but not all of them are gone from this world; there is still one Sentinel remaining.”

VEGA floated over towards him, staring at him closely as she reached for his hands. Her soft fingertips brushed against the knuckles as she held them in hers, staring deeply into his eyes.

“It’s you Aiden Walker; the last Knight Sentinel. You, who were chosen by fate to become the next Sentinel of Equestria, are destined to restore peace back to this world, Aiden. And you alone have the key that will allow such a thing to happen and bring about the end of the demon’s reign upon this world.”

She released his hands before flying back to her spot.

Even though Aiden couldn’t speak, he was speechless. I’m going crazy, he thought to himself. This whole situation must be just a dream... It’s too bizarre for me to believe, I can barely process what I’ve learned.

He sat there in silence for some time, letting all that she had said sink in. Oh who was he kidding, this isn’t a dream. As much as Aiden wanted to deny it, he knew deep down that VEGA was telling the truth. This entire situation just had to be a strange combination of coincidence and chance. One that he had somehow ended up getting mixed up in.

A part of him wasn’t sure if he was actually scared or excited by what was happening to him. Sure he’d always believed in fairy tales, but he’d never really experienced one. To tell the truth, he wasn’t feeling overwhelmed and nervous; on the contrary, he felt calm and collected. It was kinda odd. Kinda think of it, he wasn’t just calm but… angry. Aiden felt it when VEGA uttered the word ‘demon’. His hands curled tightly together, fists shaking slightly.

A sense of loathing spread through his body. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t stop his anger from rising inside him. He was so mad that he wanted to tear apart these demons wherever they were. He shook his head vigorously, attempting to shake the thought from his head. What is this… this anger. This rage feels… overwhelming. So much anger. Aiden glanced down at his hand, noticing that they were balled into fists. He loosened them only to realize that the feeling hadn't left. He squeezed his fist tighter before opening it slowly, causing the skin of his palm to burn.

‘What the hell?’ he thought.

“With all said and done, we can begin our journey. All I need to know is one thing… Are you ready?” VEGA interrupted.

Aiden looked up at her once again. His sudden rage slowly subsided, and was replaced with determination. Which surprises him, he could feel something in him taking over. Something which he didn’t feel comfortable yet at the same time exciting. He looked into her eyes, nodding his head in agreement.

VEGA smiled. “Good. Our first destination is far but not to worry, I have another alternative planned. I have the ability to create portals that can take us directly to where we need to go. Opening the portal now.”

Not too far from Adien and VEGA, dirt, dust and wind began to pick up. Plants and bushes whipped around violently, leaves and pebbles on the ground being swooped away, pulled towards some anomaly that was taking place.

As the wind grew more ominous. Blue particles begin to spark out and fly around in this contained windstorm, before a small blue ball appears in the road. Shining bright for just a flash, the ball dulls to an almost black shade of color, as it rapidly expands in size. The ball transformed into a large, deep blue circle. Standing almost as tall as one of the buildings in this town, the circular anomaly spins ever so slowly, small blue sparks fly out and dance around it.

Once it came into a complete spin, VEGA flew towards it with Aiden close behind. He looked up at her as she turned her gaze towards him.

“I almost forgot, you’re going to need this.” VEGA stated as she snapped her fingers. With that statement, a tool falls out of nowhere. Aiden’s hand snapped up instinctively, catching the object that had fallen while VEGA flew into the portal.

Right hand wrapped around the pistol grip, fingers on his left hand tightly grip the rubberized, polymer pump. Looking back into the portal, his eyes deeply narrowed. He flexes his left arm.

CLICK-CLACK

Author's Note

Thus the adventures of Adien the Doom Slayer begins. Hope you all enjoyed this first chapter and hope to see you all in the next one!