The night dragged on, the air thick with unspoken tension. Stray Sentinel sat in stunned silence, replaying his disastrous mistakes from the night before. Beside him, Brave Heart was lost in his own grief, guilt eating away at him. How had he not seen it coming? Across from them, Goldiethine was bored out of his mind, tapping his hooves and scanning the horizon for something—anything—interesting.

As the first light of dawn peeked over the horizon, Goldiethine, ever the impatient one, decided it was time to move. With a dramatic flair, he kicked dirt over the fire, snuffing it out like a child ending a tantrum. He shot them both a look that made it clear this wasn’t up for discussion.

"Get up, you two! We’ve got a D.M.U to catch, and don’t forget the crate! It might actually be useful for once!" he ordered, already walking off toward the mountains.

Stray and Brave exchanged glances, their shared guilt and frustration forming an unspoken bond. With heavy sighs, they stood and hefted the crate between them, the strange weight of it unsettling. The crate hummed with electricity, making them both uneasy as they followed Goldiethine, who was already a speck in the distance.

As they walked, the crate suddenly let out a mechanical whir, followed by a hiss. The front panel opened with an ominous creak, revealing a glowing red optic staring them down. A golden golem emerged from the box, its dark, swirling patterns and razor-sharp claws sending a chill down their spines. The thing had a grill-mouth and a glowing chest device that hummed menacingly.

The golem’s red optic locked onto them, its metallic voice sending an icy chill down their spines.

"Target marked. Objective: Eliminate target."

Stray Sentinel and Brave Heart froze, hearts pounding in terror. Goldiethine, however, barely spared them a glance before continuing his casual stroll, unfazed.

With a thunderous crash, the golem jumped from the crate, landing with perfect precision. It ignored the ponies completely, focusing on Goldiethine as its VIP. A red energy sword ignited from its hand, and it began hacking its way through the landscape like a one-robot wrecking crew, oblivious to the chaos it caused.

"Hey, slowpokes! Keep up! The D.M.U isn’t going to catch itself! And don’t sweat the golem—he’s with us. Evergore never disappoints, trust me!" Goldiethine’s voice drifted back, too cheerful for the situation.

Stray and Brave exchanged uncertain glances, but what choice did they have? They hurried after him, the dense forest giving way to patches of shimmering gems. They soon reached a glowing cave entrance, where two Diamond Dogs stood guard, their eyes flashing menacingly.

Goldiethine stopped in front of them, utterly unbothered. Stray and Brave trailed behind, nerves rattling. Goldiethine’s horn flared, and he grinned widely.

"Look at you chicos—glowing eyes, dark magic leaking out of everywhere! Looks like you need a little remedy!" With a dramatic flick of his hooves, he shouted, "¡Aplasta su cráneo!"

Before the ponies could blink, the golem moved like lightning, its fist smashing into one of the dogs' skulls with a sickening crunch. Blood and brain matter splattered across the rocks in a gruesome mess.

The second dog barely had time to react before the golem’s energy blade sliced through its neck, decapitating it cleanly. Blood sprayed like a fountain as the head rolled away, the body crumpling lifelessly.

Stray and Brave stared, wide-eyed and speechless. Goldiethine, however, strutted past the bloody scene like it was a regular Tuesday.

"Good work, buddy!" he said to the golem with a pat on its head. "Let’s go, we’ve got places to be!"

The ponies could only follow in stunned silence, the cave entrance now unguarded and dripping with gore. They had no idea what was coming next, but they were in it now.

I strode down the ancient, damp path, the sound of my clawed feet echoing like an ominous drumbeat. The cool air clung to my skin, making me shiver, but I didn’t mind. Thunderhide followed behind, his giant shadow a comforting presence.

At the end of the tunnel, a massive stone gate loomed in front of us. With a casual flick of my wrist, I ripped a boulder from the ground and tossed it at the gate. It exploded on impact, sending debris flying in every direction. Thunderhide jumped back, his eyes wide as if I’d just set off a fireworks show in a cave.

"Relax, buddy," I called over my shoulder with a grin. "We’re almost there. Just a little more fun before the big prize."

I stepped over the rubble and entered the vast quarry beyond. The place was a wreck—crates, tents, and broken wagons scattered everywhere like a forgotten yard sale. This place was a ghost town, but something told me the ghosts might be a little more real than usual.

I rubbed my chin, surveying the quarry with a thoughtful frown. The abandoned state of the place screamed "Lord Chrysalis"—it was the kind of mess he left behind. The gate we just blew open? Definitely his hidden shortcut into the mountain, probably to avoid any princess-related inconveniences. If I could reverse-engineer it, we might have something useful. Or, you know, just blow it up for fun.

I snapped my fingers, and Thunderhide popped up beside me like a trained dog. "Crystallus said it’s at the bottom here, right?" I asked, squinting down into the abyss.

Thunderhide nodded, dead serious. "Yes, boss."

With a devilish grin, I whacked him on the back with my tail, sending him tumbling off the edge. His expression was pure gold—like a mix of confusion and terror—until his scream disappeared into the void. A few seconds later, I heard a satisfying thud, and I felt it through the ground.

I stepped off the edge myself, counting the seconds as the wind whipped past. By the time I hit four, I spread my wings and slowed my descent, landing next to Thunderhide, who was now in a small crater.

He groaned, picking himself up with a series of pops and cracks. "Boss... never do that again," he wheezed, his eyes glassy.

I just shook off the dust from my wings. "Don't be dramatic."

The quarry was a sad sight—crates, broken wagons, and flickering crystals like abandoned mall lights. In the center was a stone arch with a metal structure looming next to it. I casually flipped the gate key in my hand, the blue gem glowing.

The arch hummed to life, its runes sparking as a portal started to form, shimmering like a puddle of liquid magic. I grinned, stepping forward, feeling the ancient power pulsing in the air. Thunderhide hesitated but followed.

"This is it," I muttered, eyeing the portal. "Let’s see what secrets are waiting."

Before I could take another step, a massive armored hand punched through the air, slamming me into Thunderhide. We both went down like a ton of bricks. Groaning, I picked myself up and saw the metal structure had turned into a terrifying, bipedal beast—cannons, pinchers, glowing green chest, the whole shebang.

One of its cannons pointed straight at us, and a robotic voice boomed, "This is government property. Show identification or be eradicated."

I sighed. "Well, this is awkward."

Thunderhide and I stood frozen for a moment, caught off guard. Then, I reacted like any competent leader would—I flung Thunderhide into the portal with a wave of my magic. He screamed as he disappeared, and I dove sideways just as the robot fired its cannon, leaving an eight-foot smoking crater where I used to be.

I quickly grabbed the robot with my magic, but the pit in its chest glowed, and a green wave of electricity fried my magic to pieces. Before I could react, another blast shot at me. I barely dodged, wings spread, while Buddy conjured a shield to protect us from the shockwave.

With a grin, I telekinetically hurled every crate and broken tent I could find at the robot, burying it under a massive pile of debris. But just as I was about to dive into the portal, the robot exploded free, charging at me like a tank on fire. The ground shook as it tore through the rubble, but I wasn’t slowing down.

I leapt through the portal just as the robot launched another attack, crashing into something hard. Coins scattered everywhere, and I groaned as I stumbled to my feet.

The portal flickered, and then—bam—a massive black metal arm shot through, gouging the ground as it tried to grab me. I watched as it fizzled with green electricity and blue smoke before the portal closed, severing it. It twitched, grabbing at air, then fell still.

Buddy slithered over to it, wrapping around the stump and absorbing the electricity like a vacuum cleaner. I lay there, catching my breath. "What the hell was that?"

"War golem from the Dark Empire," Thunderhide said, emerging from a pile of gold and gems, casually shaking his gauntlets and dropping coins.

I blinked, then looked around. The room was a treasure trove. Gold, gems, artifacts—everywhere. This couldn’t be Lord Chrysalis’ stash—no way he had this much.

"Thunderhide, you seeing this?" I asked, rubbing my eyes.

He grinned. "Definitely not a bad stash," he said, still trying to empty his gauntlets of gold.

I absorbed the gold into my palm and stood up, surveying the room. More treasure rooms, but what really caught my eye was a tunnel that looked like it had been burned out. Metal? That’s what we were after.

I snapped my fingers to summon Buddy back and gave Thunderhide a look. "Guard this area. If Lord Chrysalis or that damn robot shows up, report immediately. Don’t do anything stupid."

Thunderhide nodded, and I marched toward the tunnel, driven by the promise of more treasure and secrets.

The tunnel was short, but the chamber we entered was massive—more treasure, of course, but also a forge. At its center was a glowing shard that looked like pure magic. But I stayed focused. The mission was still on.

Buddy, meanwhile, was already lost in the piles of gold and gems. I moved ahead, but Buddy froze, sensing something. He turned, eyes wide, and froze in shock as he stared at a massive, glowing eye—ten times his size.

He recoiled, bumping into me so hard I almost stumbled. I glanced back at him, annoyed.

"Watch where you're going, Buddy!" I snapped, as he bumped into me.

"Hiss! Hiss hiss hiss!" Buddy pointed dramatically.

"Shut up, you idiot. We're not here for sightseeing. We're here for the magic metal. Do you even remember what we came for?" I growled.

"Hiss!" Buddy hissed again, his claw pointing even harder toward the mound of treasure.

"Yeah, yeah, the magic metal. Now stop whining and start searching. And for the love of—keep it down."

But of course, it was too late. From the pile of gold, a massive, jagged shape rose up, glowing eyes filled with disdain. A dragon. I froze, locked in its fiery gaze.

I barely had time to look up before its maw opened wide, flames ready to roast me alive.

In an instant, the inferno erupted.

"AAAAAAHHHH!!!" I screamed, barely audible over the firestorm.

Buddy gave a half-hearted hiss, probably considering if this was worth the trouble.

Buddy’s eyes bulged as he watched me disintegrate into a pile of ash. Panicked, the snake dove for cover, slithering into the pile of gold like a coward. The dragon wasn’t amused. Rocky—the Elder dragon—glared at the pathetic, wriggling mess that was Buddy.

Rocky chuckled darkly as he grabbed Buddy by the tail with a single claw, lifting him to eye level. "Where do you think you're going, you tiny worm?" he growled, voice dripping with mockery. "Did you honestly think you could steal from me and just leave?"

Buddy only hissed, his fear palpable, but Rocky wasn't done. He shook Buddy like a chew toy before opening his massive jaws, ready to swallow him whole. I was still reassembling myself in the shadows, every piece of my body coming together in a wave of pain. Once I was whole, I took one look at Rocky about to eat my best friend and snapped.

"Take this, you scaly bastard!" I screamed, summoning a beam of pure white magic. It shot toward the dragon like a laser of vengeance. But... it evaporated instantly on contact with his scales.

Rocky looked at me, unimpressed, as he wiped away the imaginary dust from his shoulder. "Is that the best you can do? Really?" he rumbled. "I’m Rocky Forge, the greatest blacksmith, third-born Elder dragon, and your worst nightmare. Magic? Pfft. Try harder."

Before I could respond, he unleashed another blast of fire. I screamed in agony as my body once again turned to ash. This cycle repeated several times—he would burn me, and I would be reborn, only to burn again. Rocky was having a blast testing my immortality.

Finally, after what felt like the hundredth fiery death, Rocky turned to Vex, pinning him to the ground. "You’re immune to fire but completely useless in combat, huh? Well, maybe you’ll be useful for something else." He stroked his chin thoughtfully, a devious grin spreading across his face.

"I have a plan," Rocky declared, clearly excited. "A little task for you. It involves fire... and magic. And you’re going to help me with it."

I glared at him, despite the growing pit in my stomach. "What kind of task?" I demanded, trying to sound tough even though the dread was sinking in.

Rocky’s smile grew wicked. "A fetch quest," he said, his eyes gleaming with malicious joy.

"NOOOOO! Just kill me! End this!" I screamed, my voice echoing off the cavern walls.

Rocky’s laughter rumbled like a thunderstorm. "Oh, I can definitely do that," he said, sounding far too pleased. "But don’t forget—you’ll just come back to life so I can kill you again. And again. And again. Until you beg me to let you do whatever I want."

A chill ran down my spine. The thought of endless dying was too much. Desperation took over and I raised my hands in defeat. "Okay, okay! I’ll do it! Just... just tell me what you need."

Rocky grinned, satisfaction radiating off him. He pointed to his forge, where a glowing, transparent diamond hovered. It was beautiful... except for the gaping shard missing from its core. My heart sank. Whatever this was, it was going to be a nightmare.

“This crystal is the heart of my forge,” Rocky grumbled, voice thick with pride and resentment. “The princesses of Equestria destroyed it during an attack to stop me from forging weapons. They shattered the crystal, took a chunk, and tossed it into the Minotaur Kingdom. Ever since, my creations have been… meh.”

His eyes darkened, a memory of rage flashing across his face. “I need that shard back. You’ll get it for me, or I’ll keep you alive just to kill you repeatedly. But if you do this, I’ll give you a gift. The kind of power you can’t even dream of.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Why not get it yourself? You’re Rocky Forge, right? You can fly, fight, and basically ruin everyone. What’s stopping you?”

Rocky’s nostrils flared, smoke pouring out as he hissed, “They took my wings, idiot. Destroyed them. And they left me for dead. Now I get to destroy them all.”

With a deep sigh, he turned to show me his wings—or, rather, the jagged stone spikes where they used to be. “Do you get it now?”

I nodded. A dragon without wings was a sad sight. “Fine. I’ll get your stupid shard.”

Rocky grinned and handed over a bag. “Here’s a map and some books. You’ll need them. Minotaurs are jerks, and the shard is in a really dangerous place. But if you’re lucky, you’ll survive.”

He tossed me a strange key and smirked. “Use this to come and go. Don’t lose it.”

I grabbed it and took a step back. “Got it. I’ll go now.”

Before I could get far, Rocky’s claw lashed out, slamming into my arm. A fiery symbol burned into my skin, and I yelped in pain. The world spun, and I collapsed to the floor, cursing through gritted teeth.

Rocky chuckled. “Little enslavement seal. Don’t try to double-cross me, or things will get… uncomfortable.”

I tried to stand but collapsed again, feeling the magic flare inside me. Rocky snapped his claws, and the pain shot through my body like a thousand needles. I gasped for air, vision blurring, and felt like I might die.

Buddy, meanwhile, flopped around like a confused sock puppet, his wide eyes locked on me in distress.

When the pain finally subsided, I pushed myself up, sweat dripping from every pore. “Let’s get this over with,” I muttered, dragging Buddy along with me.

We made our way out, the darkness of the cave clinging to me like a bad ex. I gritted my teeth, furious but too weak to do anything about it. Crystallus, you bastard, I thought. He was probably behind all this.

Buddy, looking thoroughly unimpressed, slithered beside me, rolling his eyes. “Don’t blame me for this.”

“Oh, shut up,” I snapped, not in the mood for his sass. “If you'd just used a shield, none of this would've happened.”

Buddy glared at me, about to retort—then froze. “Sssshhhit.”

I blinked. Had Buddy just spoken? I must be losing it. My exhaustion was probably playing tricks on me.

“Great, now I’m hearing things,” I muttered, dragging my feet as Buddy slithered silently beside me, looking more worried than usual. Something was off, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.

At least it couldn’t get worse, right?

Emerging from the tunnel, I discreetly tucked the branding seal behind my back, feeling Thunderhide's sharp gaze on me. He gave a curt nod as I passed by, still on high alert.

“Follow,” I muttered, irritation barely concealed.

He fell in step beside me, clearly awestruck as we approached the ancient Geode Passage—an archway covered in glowing runes pulsing with soft blue light. My claw gripped the triangular stone in my hand, its central rune matching the arch's glow. I glanced at Thunderhide.

“What do you know about Fort Rapture?” I asked, raising an eyebrow as Buddy coiled around my waist like an overprotective snake.

Thunderhide scratched his head, deep in thought. “Used to be home to a general who served the king. Not much else. His bulls were loyal, though.”

“The fall?” I pressed.

His eyes widened. “You don’t know about the Minotaur kingdom?”

I blinked. “Nope. Enlighten me.”

Thunderhide sighed. “It was already a mess before the Crystal Wars. The clans started fighting, the king lost his bulls, and eventually, his whole kingdom fell. All that’s left are abandoned fortresses.”

I smirked. A kingdom of ruined fortresses? Perfect for what I had in mind. “Sounds like a gold mine. What’s the crime scene like?”

“Surprisingly orderly in some areas,” Thunderhide replied. “The clans handle it. Outside of that? Bandits, mercs, and wild animals. And the clan wars left a bunch of military gear for scavengers.”

That got my attention. Minotaurs, bandits, and tech? Perfect breeding ground for my next experiment.

“There’s also the griffin issue,” Thunderhide added casually, making me pause.

I turned. “Griffin problem?”

He rubbed his neck. “Yeah. Been at odds with minotaurs for centuries. Even the gods fought over it.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Gods?”

Thunderhide leaned in, lowering his voice. “Legend says two brothers—one a minotaur, the other a griffin—defeated a god and took his divinity. The brothers, Devramar and Devakar, became gods of Honor and Conquest. Naturally, they fought constantly. One day, Devakar led a griffin invasion, and Devramar flattened mountains on top of him.”

I frowned, suddenly uneasy. Gods of Honor and Conquest? Yeah, I was pretty sure I didn't want to mess with that. “Is there any hope for peace?”

“Not likely,” Thunderhide grunted. “Grievances run deep. Some say if Devakar wakes up, the whole cycle of war starts again.”

Wonderful. An ancient god of war sleeping peacefully beneath the mountains... for now. “Thanks for the info,” I muttered, eyeing the intensifying blue light from the arch. “Looks like the gateway’s ready.”

Thunderhide nodded. “It’s lit up like a bonfire in the middle of the desert.”

I gave him a confused look, but before I could respond, a high-pitched scream cut through the air.

“Aaaaaahhhhhh!”

I squinted, hearing the faint cry grow louder. “Sounds like a little girl…” I muttered, brushing it off. “Not our problem.”

“AAAAAAAAAHHH! Captain! Wait for me!” A frantic voice shrieked.

I turned around, eyes widening as a figure barreled toward us, kicking up dust with every step. A jester hat bouncing wildly.

“Jinx?” I shouted, just before he collided with me, sending me stumbling backward. “Jesus, man, what the hell?”

Jinx, wide-eyed and panicked, slapped his hoof over my mouth. “No time! Portal! NOW!”

Before I could respond, a golden needle shot past his head and embedded itself in my chest. The mechanical screech that followed was enough to make my skin crawl.

Then, I saw it. A red dot. A golden, boxy robotic arm emerged from the darkness, its red eye zeroing in on us.

“Time to go!” I yanked Jinx and Thunderhide through the portal just as a red bolt of magic nearly hit us. The portal flickered out, sealing behind us.

We tumbled out the other side in a jumbled heap, limbs everywhere. I teleported out of the mess with a pop of white magic, rolling my eyes as Jinx and Thunderhide scrambled like idiots.

The surroundings were dramatic as hell. We were surrounded by towering rocks, jagged peaks disappearing into the clouds. The early morning light bathed everything in a surreal glow. In the distance, abandoned war remnants dotted the landscape, with gleaming white structures atop distant mountains.

“Well, we made it. Barely,” I muttered.

“Griffins, Minotaurs, robots, gods of war… What else can go wrong?”

The exit, hidden beneath vines and bushes, beckoned. I slipped through effortlessly, my body morphing into smoke as I passed. On the other side, a dirt road stretched out before me, and a wooden sign stood ominously: Welcome to the Land of the Bull. Beware of the Horns.

“Charming,” I muttered, eyeing the sign.

After the claustrophobic cave, the peaceful air was almost too quiet, but I stayed alert. As I surveyed the fields, the faint sound of hooves echoed through the air. The scent that followed reminded me of something unpleasant—and I fought to suppress a wince, covering my nose and turning away from the group.

Jinx, always the talker, grinned. “Looks like your magic rock dropped us right on the doorstep of this delightful dump. No offense, Thunderhide.”

Thunderhide shrugged, unbothered. “Dump’s harsh. Accurate, but harsh.”

“Regardless, this is where the real work begins.” I gestured to the fortresses across the mountains. “Strategic location. Perfect.”

I turned back to Jinx, who was now balancing a shadow bomb on his nose. I cleared my throat, catching his attention.

“By the way, Jinx,” I said sweetly, then turned on him with a fierce glare. “What the hell was chasing you back there?”

Jinx raised an eyebrow, feigning innocence. “What are you talking about?”

“Don’t play dumb! I mean the golden robo-bitch!”

Jinx leaned back, grinning. “Oh, that? Just a little something I picked up on my travels.”

“And what the hell was it?” I snapped, irritation boiling over.

“Beats me,” Jinx said with a shrug.

I clenched my fists, barely keeping it together. Then, without warning, I shot a magic blast into the distance. It hit a mountain, causing a massive avalanche to crash down. Jinx and Thunderhide froze, clearly wary.

Buddy, who’d been clinging to my waist, unwound himself. His cool presence calmed me instantly. I ran a hand through my smoky hair, forcing a controlled breath. Turning to them, I spoke in a frigid tone.

“Here’s the plan. I want power, and those ponies are in my way. So, we take one of those fortresses, make it our base, and then…” I conjured a shadow ball, its glowing eyes piercing through the dark. “We build an army.”

I crushed the ball in my hand, snuffing out its light. Thunderhide flinched, and Jinx chuckled nervously.

“It’s perfect here—no one’s going to snitch. Phase 1: take the fort. Phase 2… we’ll get there when we do.”

I glanced down at the fire rune on my wrist, its faint glow mocking me. Under my breath, I muttered, “No one—not even gods—will stop me.”

Evergore lounged in his lavish chamber, surrounded by oak furniture that screamed "I have too much money." His king-sized bed, draped in red and gold, was practically begging for attention, but he was too busy watching the footage of his MK 3 Golem slicing through the Diamond Dogs with robotic efficiency.

Goldiethine had unleashed the golem after learning the dogs were swimming in dark magic, and the execution was flawless. Too flawless. He frowned, rewinding the footage. "Why were they running?!" Evergore grumbled. The Diamond Dog pack had bailed before the golem even got started. His target had escaped through some fancy Geode Passage, totally blocking his magical tracking. But at least the golem tagged him with a dart—too bad the dart was now far beyond Equestria’s borders. Well, it was something.

Despite the minor setback, Evergore was in a great mood. The raid had netted him everything but the kitchen sink—slaves, dark magic warriors, and shiny assets begging to be exploited. The MK 3 was his crowning achievement: sleek, agile, and ready to navigate urban environments. It was perfect for VIP protection or turning city streets into a hellscape of metal and destruction. Meanwhile, his Crystal Towers project was coming along nicely. Everything was falling into place for his rise to power.

His eyes drifted to the newspaper on his desk: "Grand Galloping Gala Returns After 500 Years!" A sly grin spread across his face. The headlines were gold: House Dawnbreaker’s dayguards were the toast of the town, while House Nocturna was taking heat for bungling Luna’s absence. Oh, how the tables had turned.

Everything was aligning. The raid, the Golem, the intelligence—soon, Evergore would strike with precision. No one would see it coming.

Author's Note

Hey, Trashmanic here with an Author's Note. It was good to finish up with the Cave stuff, and now it's time to move on to the land of the bull!

Here's some character art:

RockyForge:

MK 3:

Jinx:

Tunderhide: