Zer0 H0ur

Chapters

Integrating with S0ciety
The Less0n
C0mpr0mise
R0und 0ne: Kindness
C0mpassi0n
R0und Tw0: L0yalty
C0mradery
R0und Three: Gener0sity
Benev0lence
Unexpected Visit0r
R0und F0ur: Laughter
J0y
An0ther Pr0blem
Realizati0n
The Pr0blem
L0ve and T0lerance

Integrating with S0ciety

After a long sleepless night, Zero was greeted by the morning sun with only a few hours of rest. He did not really mind, however. He was used to little sleep in his previous occupation. Being a political assassin and local hitman left him with very little free time and that free time was usually spent preparing for a future job. As he began to stretch his limbs, he was hit by a very strong smell. Unlike the various sickening odors one could find on Pandora, this one smelt...sweet. He could not remember a time he had smelled something as divine as this new scent. Before he could begin taking guesses as to what could be producing the smell, the familiar voice of Spike rose up.

"Pancakes are done!" The lizard piped up, as if the smell wasn't enough to inform the residents of the home.

Zero had heard of pancakes, but due to their absence on Pandora, he had never actually had them before. The smell alone brought him to the realization that he was missing out on something quite wonderful indeed. He immediately raised himself and trotted towards the source of the heavenly scent, taking a seat at a table near the kitchen as he awaited his meal. As the pancakes were served to him on a plate, he was joined at the table by the lavender mare from yesterday.

"Good Morning, Zero!" She said cheerfully.

Zero responded with a simple nod before looking at his plate, a sense of dread filling him. He was unable to use a fork let alone a knife to cut the delectable meal before him. Not willing to skip out on the meal, he did the only thing he could do and began eating face first, ignoring the bewildered look of his companions. The meal was as delicious as it smelled and sure beat eating skag meat back on Pandora.

Twilight laughed nervously after watching her guest viciously scarf down the food with only his face. "Sooo Zero, why don't you tell us where you came from?" She asked, hoping to remove his attention from the pancakes so she could ask more followup questions.

Zero ceased his eating frenzy and pondered the question. Should he really tell them he came from what appeared to be a completely different universe? That would definantly draw alot of unwanted attention, but he did not know any of the local geography to make up a place of origin. Luckily, he came up with a solution "I am a traveler and therefore do not call any one specific place home" he answered confidently, hoping that would be the end of being questioned. It wasn't.

"I see, so what is that strange device you brought with you?" She asked as she pointed a hoof to his Gh0st module.

"It is an invention of mine that I have been working on" He lied

"So your special talent is Inventing?" She continued with her questions.

"My special talent? Can I not have multiple talents?" He asked quizzically

"Of course you can, but everypony has one specific talent that they are extra good at. Its usually defined by their cutie mark." explained Twilight, not sure how this stallion did not know what a cutie mark was. "For instance, my cutie mark designates my talent as magic." she stated with a hint of pride.

So magic was real and he had come to one of the best ponies to explain it to him, he thought. He then noticed the mare staring at his own mark.

"A zero? What could that possibly represent?" She said as she scratched her head with a hoof.

"Could mean zero as in he's a loser" Spike had teased.

"Or it could mean I have zero tolerance for fools like you" Zero shot back with a glare, not one for receiving insults.

Twilight quickly defused the situation "Anyways, since your new here we thought we could give you a quick tour of the village."

"I'd rather no-" Zero was cut off as the voice in his head spoke up.

"Take her offer and you will find an object which I believe belongs to you" The voice advised.

Deciding to take the voice's advice, he changed his mind "Actually, knowing my surroundings could prove beneficial. I accept."

"Great!" The mare exclaimed "We'll begin after we finish up breakfast."

"I'll have to pass on the tour, I promised I'd help Rarity with some gem hunting" stated Spike.

"That's fine but you'll miss Pinkie's party" Twilight responded

"You know about it?" Zero simply asked.

Twilight giggled lighty "Pinkie always throws a party when a stranger comes into town. Its basically tradition at this point"

"Great" Zero sighed heavily.

Eventually breakfast concluded, much to the disappointment of Zero, and the two ponies began their tour. Before they left, however, Zero had asked for some sort of pack in order for him to carry the Gh0st with him, not wanting to allow it to leave his sight. Twilight happily obliged, giving him one of the many packs she uses for carrying books. She then showed Zero many of the more important buildings in the village, including Sugarcube Corner, which according to Twilight is where his party would be located at. The tour continued for about another half hour until the two came across three fillies who seemed to be having a heated arguement.

"I found it first!" Shouted an orange filly who appeared to have small wings on her back. Zero quickly dismissed this, deciding to question it later as his gaze shifted to the object she was holding. It was a hilt. A hilt he was all too familiar with. As he stared in disbelief, the arguement continued as a yellow, apparently normal, filly spoke up in the same volume.

"Nuh uh!"

"Yea huh"

A third voice broke in, this one belonging to a unicorn filly "You're both wrong, I saw it first."

Finally, Twilight stepped in to settle the debate "Girls, Girls! What is with all this commotion?"

In unison, all three broke into a story of how they had found this strange object while questing for their cutie marks and they couldn't agree to who had the right to keep it.

As Twilight attempted to make sense of the situation, she was surprised to hear Zero break up the arguement

"You are all wrong. That device belongs to me." He stated, giving them a stare that caused the three fillies to back away slowly out of fear.

"We're sorry mister! We didn't know!" The orange one exclaimed.

"How did you lose it, Zero?" Twilight asked with a hint of suspicion

Zero quickly constructed yet another lie to cover himself "I must have dropped it when I was confronted by Pinkie"

Twilight grinned "She can be a bit overwhelming at times" She agreed. She then levitated the hilt from the three fillies and placed it within his pack for him. Zero raised an eyebrow at this, never before seeing unicorn magic first hand. He could see it being a useful addition to his skills if he learned to control it.

The three fillies wasted no time departing from the presence of the strange unicorn they had just met, as they were gone once Zero looked back to where they once were. Twilight looked up towards the sky and noticed that a good deal of time had passed

"It's just about time for your party! Aren't you excited?" She teased.

"I wish to simply get this over with" Zero responded with a hint of pain. He could tell he was not going to enjoy his night.

A few minutes later, the two arrived at Sugarcube Corner. With a slight nudge from Twilight, Zero approached the door and opened it slowly only to be greeted by complete darkness inside. Fearing the worst, Zero cautiously made his way inside. As soon as his whole body entered the structure, the lights flicked on to reveal a plethora of ponies and, of course, Pinkie herself.

"Surprise!" The congregation shouted.

"Oooohh I'm so glad you could make it!" The pink mare shouted as she gave Zero a hug, earning a flinch from the stallion.

Zero put on the best fake smile he could manage "I am equally glad to be here." He responded. To his relief the congregation ceased paying attention to him and began mingling amongst themselves. He noticed that he was not safe yet as three ponies separated themselves from the party and approached him.

"Lemme introduce you to my friends, Z!" Pinkie exclaimed, already having designated him a nickname. "This here is Applejack!"

"Howdy." Greeted an orange mare with a blond mane wrapped up in a ponytail. What stuck out most was her dialect, one he found sickeningly familiar to that moron Scooter back on Pandora who owned the Catch-a-Ride systems. He was quite confident that man was the product of incest. He decided not to judge this newcomer so early, however.

"And this is Rainbow Dash!" Pinkie continued.

"What's up?" Zero had to look up slighty as the voice belonged to a mare who seemed to be hovering slightly off the ground in front of him. She was a cyan mare with, unsurprisingly, a rainbow colored mane and tail. He again noted the wings she possessed, saving his questions about it for later.

"And finally theres....hey wheres Fluttershy at?" Pinkie asked.

The mare in question was cowering behind the one called Applejack. She peeked out slightly but upon meeting the gaze of Zero, retreated once more. Maybe he was more intimidating than he though, Zero joked. Applejack move over slightly in order to reveal Fluttershy. She was yellow with a long, pink mane as well as a set of wings. He immediately noticed that, like him, she was not one for being in the spotlight. In an act of mercy toward the visibly shaking mare, he drew the attention back to himself.

"It is a pleasure to meet you all." He stated with a slight nod.

"Well theres no point wasting time sitting around, It's time to Party!!!" Pinkie shouted with glee and she grabbed hold of Zero and dragged him into the partying mass to his dismay

After about an hour of meeting just about every pony at the party, feasting on some admittedly delicious cake, and being forced to suffer through the various party activities, the party was interrupted as the door to Sugarcube Corner was thrown open to reveal an out of breath Spike.

A concerned Twilight immediately appeared before him "Is everything alright Spike?" She asked slightly worried.

Spike continued catching his breath before finally speaking "No...Rarity... trouble" he managed between a few breaths.

"What do you mean trouble?" inquire Twilight.

"Kidnapped" Spike simply stated.

A gasp rose from the party goers "Kidnapped? By who, Spike?" Twilight pressed on.

"Diamond Dogs" He responded. Another simultaneous gasp arose and then fell into a deep silence.

Surprisingly, Zero was the one to break the silence "What are Diamond Dogs?" he asked curiously.

"They are a group of primitive, bipedal beings who have an obsession with gems. They must of taken Rarity due to her ability to locate gems."Twilight informed.

"Are they dangerous?" Zero continued.

Twilight gave him a puzzled look before responding "Why yes, explaining why we are concerned."

Zero gave a nod before turning to Spike "Lead me to them" He commanded.

Everpony gave him a look of disbelief before Pinkie spoke up "Are you loco in the coco!? We're talking about some of the biggest meanies in all of Equestria!" she shouted.

Twilight nodded in agreement. "Pinkie's right, we should call the guard in Canterlot." Murmurs of agreement rippled through the crowd. Realizing they would not simply let him face the "Diamond Dogs" alone, he made up yet another lie.

"I only wish to scout ahead. I am not foolish enough to face these savages alone." He assured.

Zero's skills at lying were quite magnificient, as the mare spoke up with a sigh, unable to comprehend why she was saying what she was about to say "Fine, I'll trust you and I'm sure Spike will stop you if you try to do anything stupid" She shot a look at Spike who nodded furiously.

Before setting off, Twilight had made Spike send a letter to a certain "Princess Celestia". And sending the letter, according to Zero, actually meant igniting the letter through the aid of a flame that Spike was able to conjure up. More questions he would ask later, though they seemed to be piling up at this rate. As Zero and Spike set off, the voice once again spoke to Zero.

" I know what you plan on doing and I implore that you do not carry on with your foolish quest. Wait until help arrives." She commanded.

For once, Zero ignored the voice. As the duo approached the lair of the Diamond Dogs, which consisted of a field of dirt desecrated by what seemed to be an infinite number of holes, Spike led his companion to a particular hole "This is the one they dragged her down into."

Zero nodded and began descending into the tunnel at the dismay of Spike "Whoa buddy! You said you weren't going to do anything stupid!" He shouted

"I lied" Zero simply stated as he disappeared into the tunnel, leaving behind a bewildered Spike

Zero immediately noticed that he was not inside a singular tunnel. Instead, it seemed this tunnel was part of a network of tunnels all interconnected seemingly at random. He had no clue where to even begin looking until he heard something in a distance. Upon focusing on it, he realized that it was...whimpering? Somewhere in the distance, someone was crying. After taking a couple of minutes to decide on which tunnel the noise had originated from, he began heading towards it. A few more minutes of traversing various tunnels, the sound was much more audible.

"He called me UGLY-Y-Y!" Shouted a voice.

Zero could distinctly make the voice out in the darkness. The voice belonged to a female, most likely the victim of the kidnapping, though the context of her sorrow was confusing. As he rounded the corner, he caught sight of the perpetrators who were inside what appeared to be larger tunnel, allowing for more room for movement. There were about 5 of them, large brutes who easily doubled Zero's size. Three of them were adorned in various gems and other shiny trinkets where as the rest wore a primitive form of plate armor. He sat at a distance in order to remain hidden so he could examine the scene. He noticed that the three "Dogs" adorned in gems, whom Zero assume lead the group, were conversing with the one called Rarity. Before he could further study the scenario, he heard movement behind him. He easily jumped forward to avoid an attempted grab by the being behind him. He turned and saw it was yet another Diamond Dog, one of the grunts with the body armor. He prepared himself for combat, assuming a combat stance that was familiar to him. However, it was not familiar with his new equine body, and as he stood of two hooves, he immediately fell on his backside.

"Hahahahaha!" His adversary had broke out laughing at Zero's attempt at standing on two hooves. "Stupid horsey" He remarked.

The dog's laughter was cut short, however, as he was struck by a hoof across his face. Zero was now slighty more accustomed to balance on two hooves being the quick learner he is. The blow would have normally knocked a man out cold, but considering his target was clearly not human and he was still not fully comfortable with his stance, all his attack accomplished was making his foe very, very angry. Zero could not react fast enough as the dog countered, sending him sprawling on the floor as he was hit directly in his stomach. Zero quickly recovered only to notice that the rest of the Diamond Dogs now caught sight of him and were approaching him slowly. A wave of panic ran through Zero as he recognized that he was in a dire situation. He would be lucky if he was able to take on just one of these beasts, but there was no way he would be able to take on all six. And then his mind clicked as he realized this is the type of situation he purposely searched for. A wicked smile crept across his face as he slowly reached into the bag retrieving both his Gh0st and the hilt of his blade, surprised he was now able to grip them. Apparently, his bodily instincts had taken over as the true nature of this situation dawned on him.

"A challenge" And with those two words, he disappeared, leaving six confused Diamond Dogs and one irate pony.

Rarity was watching this whole conflict unfold before her, a spark of hope rising inside her as she saw her "savior" land of blow on one of her captors. This quickly faded however as the blow was returned to her savior. She understood that his situation looked grim, but what she did not expect was for him to simply disappear, leaving her once again to these brutes.

"Did he seriously just leave me here?" She spoke aloud. "Of all the inconsider-..."

Her sentence was cut off by the agonizing howl of one of her captors. She looked to the source of the scream to see a Diamond Dog with a freshly opened wound carved into his side, causing him to crumple over in pain. Before any of his companions could react, they all received wounds of a similiar fashion one by one, whether it be a large tear across their calves, crippling their movement, or a deep gash tearing open their shoulders. A realization dawned on her, thanks to her eye for detail, that none of these wounds were sufficient to end a life. Each blow was constructed to cripple, not kill. Her savior was toying with them. Before she could continue her thoughts, the strange stallion reappeared in the midst of the bloodshed, a look of dissatisfaction upon his face.

He approached of the downed dogs, who reeled away from him in fear but did not get very far due to a wound in his leg.

"Please! Please! Don't kill me! We'll leave the ponies alone! Yes! Yes!" The Diamond Dog swore, begging for mercy.

Zero however, dismissed his statement. " You are pathetic/ Arise and fight me once more/ I want a challenge"

Zero noticed he still had a firm grip on his blade, which had digistructed while he was unseen. It was a pleasant sight to see the long, single edged blade again. The way it had a cereulean glow mesmerized him. He refocused his attention to his helpless foe, edging the blade dangerously close to his neck.

"I said rise" He repeated coldly, only getting a whimper as a response from the dog. As Zero's patience finally ran out and he was preparing to end his adversary's life, he was interrupted by the mare Rarity.

"Stop!" She shouted. "There's no reason to kill them! Though I'm flattered you would go to such an extent for little old me."

Zero shot her a quizzical look "Why not, did they not cause you suffering? One would normally enjoy seeing their captors suffer."

"That's true but they did not cause me that much suffering" She noticed her attempts at convincing him to spare the poor, broken creatures on the ground were failing. Her attention for detail kicked in again as she remembered something the stallion had said earlier. "Besides, killing them wouldn't provide any challenge" she added innocently.

Zero considered Rarity's words, sitting there in silence for a few minutes as his victims stared at him, unsure of their fates. Finally, Zero sighed, allowing his blade to deconstruct back into its hilt. "You are right." he simply replied. He returned his tools back into his pack, turned to the tunnel he had come in from, and began walking back to the surface. Again, he was interrupted by the mare.

"Wait! Are you going to just leave me here?!" She shouted, slightly annoyed "I could use some help getting out of this thing." She pointed to the cart of gems she was still attached to. Zero sighed once again as he trotted over to her in order to remove her from her constraints. "Thank you."

Zero took this time to examine the mare he had just saved. She was snow white in color with a azure mane which Zero noticed was style quite carefully. Even though it was slightly disturbed due the ordeal she had just been through, it was still evident alot of time went into the mane. The point of this was beyond him, though he had to admit she did look quite good. Once she was completely removed from the harness, the two began making their way back to the surface. They traveled in silence for quite some time until Rarity had spoken up.

"Now that we're a safe distance away, I wish to formally thank you for your timely rescue, Mister...?"

"Zero"

"Why, what interesting name. If you hadn't come along,I not sure what those uncouth brutes would have done with me!" The thought alone gave her shivers, causing her to move closer to the stallion for protection.

Sure, lets go with that.

As the two finally reached the surface, they were greeted by a mass of ponies, a good portion of which Zero assume were guards due to their flashy armor sets. Before the Zero could approach the crowd, a single scream arose in a voice he recognized.

"You idiot!!" Twilight shouted.

Before he could turn to face the furious mare, he received what he believed to be a slap across the face, causing him to grunt in pain. That actually stung.

"Why would you endanger yourself like that! I specifically told you to ont do anything stupid!..." Twilight ranted.

Luckily for Zero, Rarity intervened. "Twilight, dear. There's no need to fret. We're both safe and sound. If it weren't for Zero here I might have been taken too far away for even the Royal Canterlot Guards to come rescue me." She informed.

Rarity's words caused Twilight to visibly calm down. "Fine, but we already have somepony who's known for reckless stunts, we don't need another." She said with a brief look to a now arriving Rainbow Dash.

"Did you really take on all the Diamond Dogs? By yourself!?" Dash questioned Zero excitably.

"That he did" Rarity answered for Zero, snuggling up against him, causing him to wince as if it caused him pain.

Zero soon noticed the entire congregation of ponies was looking at him. An awkward silence permeated the air until a familiar pink party pony broke it.

"Way to go Z!" she shouted and with that the rest of the crowd cheered with her.

Now this was something completely new to Zero. Never before had he been so openly commended on his successes. Normally finishing a job would earn him the money designated and nothing more. This however, was much different, and even though he did not show it, deep down he enjoyed the recognition. As he stared at the cheering crowd and at the grateful mare at his side he couldn't help but give a smile.

A real smile.

The Less0n

Zero awoke the next morning utterly exhausted. He had not felt it last night due to the adrenaline pumping through him, but he had pushed his body to its limit. This equine body was not conditioned like his normal body. So with a combination of his combat yesterday along with use of the Gh0st, which uses his own stamina as an energy source, he had completely drained himself. Despite Twilight's being pissed at him, she still allowed him to stay at her home under much heavier surveillance. It was understandable, considering it was unheard of a pony taking on several Diamond Dogs by himself without breaking a sweat, well atleast a visible sweat considering the state of his body at the moment. As he brought himself to a stand, he was greeted by Twilight, who was in a much better mood he noticed.

"Well its about time you woke up! You slept all the way into the afternoon." She informed him.

Zero only responded with a grunt as he looked out the window to notice a small crowd gathered outside the door. He noticed several cameras with them as well. Twilight noticed him gazing outside and decided to explain.

"You see, after your little adventure last night, you kinda became a local hero" She said with a sheepish grin. "And at this rate, those reporters don't seem like they're leaving anytime soon."

Zero sighed deeply, seeing that the rest of his day would most likely be spent inside the library. He then realized it would be a perfect opportunity to further research the strange world he's in, especially wanting to focus on unicorn magic. With the help of Twilight, who was excited that her guest had an interest in reading, Zero managed to find a number of books that should cover some of the various questions he had about the world around him. He picked one out labeled "A Brief History of Equestria" and began his learning adventure.

Bored. Zero was completely bored. After about two hours of reading, he came to the realization that he hated it. He was a ~~hands~~ hoofs on learner, not a scholar. The only book that held any immediate value to him was one that dealt with the basics of unicorn magic. It more resembled a training manual than a book, and Zero was quite familiar with training manuals. He acquired a basic knowledge of the geography of the land and even stumbled across a section in a history text that involved something called the "Elements of Harmony". Besides that, he felt his time had been utterly wasted. With a sigh he returned to the book labeled "Unicorn Magic 101", hoping he could learn to properly utilize his horn. From the complexity of the first page alone he could tell this was going to take a bit.

After giving the section involving levitation in the book a thorough reading, Zero felt ready to try his hoof at it. He focused on the book in front of him and began to concentrate, eventually even physically clenching his face together. To his amazement, it actually began to work, a cerulean glow, identical to his blade's, enveloped his horn and his target. He managed to lift it a few feet off the ground before dropping it, slightly exhausted. Satisfied with his progress for the day, he allowed himself to rest. It occured to him that the voice in his mind hadn't spoken since she had told him to stay away from the Diamond Dogs. He just assumed she was also pissed at him and that it would blow over. As he began to shut his eyes in order to enter a well deserved nap, a knock at the door caused him to sit up alert. He settled himself, sure that Twilight or Spike would get it. After a minute of waiting and another knock, Zero came to the conclusion that Twilight and Spike must have left during his extensive research. With a sigh he picked himself and approached the door, opening it slowly to see who was there at first. He was surprised to see Rarity outside the door.

"Oh why hello there, dear. I wasn't aware you were staying with Twilight. Speaking of which, is she here by chance?" She asked with a polite smile.

"No" he said, half returning the smile with hopes of not sounding rude. He should really work on his social skills, he noted.

"Oh thats a shame. I had hopes of returning a few books I had borrowed. Im sure she'll be okay with me just leaving them here... do you mind, dear?" Zero moved to the side to allow the mare to go about her business, taking a seat on the couch. As she placed the books down in a pile on the front desk, she turned to face Zero again "I cannot thank you enough for what you did for me yesterday" she began "And I want you to know that if you ever need anything, feel free to ask. It's the least I can do for my hero" she finished with a wink.

Zero raised an eyebrow "Do you really have to refer to me as that?"

"Why of course! You did save me after all and I am forever in your debt" She replied as she bowed her head slightly, a smirk on her face.

Zero simply closed his eyes as he leaned back "As you wish"

Rarity did not take the hint that Zero was done talking and continued to speak "So Zero darling...what ARE you exactly?"

Zero opened his eyes and hesitated for a moment "What do you mean?" he asked cautiously.

"I mean, what you did to those ruffians yesterday, it was quite amazing, and a little bit disturbing, but mostly amazing!" she exclaimed "No normal pony could do such a thing, so I assume you have experience, hmm?" she asked, eagerly awaiting an answer.

Zero sighed. He saw no use in hiding his past occupation anymore, his prowess in combat is quite well known at this point. " My skills are product of my former occupation" He simply stated.

"And what occupation, do say, is that?" She pressed further.

"An assassin" He grinned at her surprised face. She had expected him to say a guard or mercenary, but certaintly not assassin. As far as she knew, assassins were cold, emotionless kilers, though now that she thought about it he was quite ruthless to those Diamond Dogs yesterday, but he certaintly did have emotions, she reasoned.

"But I thought assassins were ruthless scoundrels! You seem like a gentlecolt to me."

"Like I said, former occupation" Zero smiled assuringly "You don't have to worry about me, I don't have plans on killing anyone yet."

"That's good to hear" She replied nervously " Well it was certaintly nice getting to know you better, Zero" She gave him a quick smile before turning to walk out the door.

" The pleasure is mine/ to meet a beautiful mare/ like you Rarity" He delievered his haiku with a smile as he noticed the mare blush as she left. The ladies loved the mysterious assassin types. This was true even before his transformation, but he had never really acknowledged it before. Despite his short stay in this new world, he noticed he has changed quite a bit. He was unsure as to whether this should worry him or not. He decided not to dwell on it as he once again tried to get some rest. Unfortunately, he was once again interrupted as Twilight and Spike decided to return home.

"We're home!" Twilight needlessly announced.

"I noticed" responded an irritated Zero

"Hey Zero, did Rarity happen to visit by any chance? We had seen her coming from this direction and she seemed a bit flustered. Did you do anything to her?" Twilight eyed him suspiciously.

"Me? No." He smiled innocently.

Twilight stared at him for quite a bit before continuing "Riiight...anyways it seems your little adventure yesterday made it to Canterlot! The Princess herself has requested an audience with my friends and I and she specifically requested that we bring you as well. You've made quite a name for yourself."

"Great" Zero sighed. Princess. He assumed she meant Princess Celestia. He had seen her name used quite frequently in one of the books he skimmed through, apparently she was some sort of god-ruler. Hopefully she's more bearable than Handsome Jack was. "When are we leaving?" He inquired.

"We'll be leaving tommorow in the early afternoon, so make sure you get to bed early." She answered.

"You said your friends are accompanying us. Why?"

Twilight wasn't fully sure of this herself, but she answered anyways "Well I guess she didn't think it would be fair to bring me and not them along, I guess."

"I see" Zero stated, though he really didn't. As far as he was concerned, the only one who had significance in the events yesterday was Rarity and all she did was play the victim. What did the other mares have to do with it? He dropped the question, knowing he wasn't going to get an answer for it.

"Oh and one last thing" Twilight continued " I got you this" She held up what appeared to be a belt, or maybe a harness. He wasn't quite sure if horses could even wear belts. As he took it from her grasp he examined it, noting that there was a ring in which he would be able to easily keep his blade accessible at all times as well as a pack for any other objects he might need to carry.

"I figured you could use something with a bit more... accessibility" She said with a smile.

Zero nodded "Thank you. It shall prove quite useful."

As night approached and the residents of the tree house went to their respective sleeping areas, Zero thought he was finally going to get the rest he desired. Wrong. This time he was disturbed by none other than the voice inside his head.

"You ignored me. How am I supposed to help you return to where you belong if you don't listen to me?" The voice asked.

Zero listened intently. The voice was trying to return him to Pandora? He certaintly wasn't in a rush to return to that hell hole.

"You don't belong here. You know that, so I'm trying to return you to where you came from so you don't cause any problems" The voice continued.

At this point Zero was attempting to block out the voice, not in the mood to listen to it ranting about how he doesn't belong in this world.

"Fine. Ignore me now. I'll just deal with you tommorow"And with that the voice died down.

Zero let out a sigh of relief as he was now able to finally get some rest. However, something the voice said clicked.

I'll just deal with you tommorow

What did she mean by that. It then dawned on him.

He knew the owner of the voice.

C0mpr0mise

The night dragged on as Zero found himself wide awake after identifying the voice in his mind. Apparently, he had managed to anger the ruler of the ponies and was going to meet her face to face. As he pondered upon what she meant by "dealing" with him, he came to one general conclusion.

Shit was going down tommorow.

He noticed he had spent the whole night awake as the sun began to shed light into the room. He knew he was going to regret not getting any sleep as his nerves began to tear at him in anticipation of the confrontation with the Princess in a few hours. Since he had some time to kill before his traveling companions would awake, he decided to try and quell his nerves in best the way he could: Poetry. More specifically haikus.

"Sun rising slowly/ Universal light for all/ Burning away fear." He spoke softly to himself

Despite their simplicity, Zero always found comfort in haikus. They allowed him to shut down the incessant thoughts in his mind and focus simply on whatever was before him. Though they were normally used to describe the beauty of nature, he extended it to include the beauty of combat.

"Metal against flesh/ Precise wounds cutting deeply/ Most satisfying." He continued.

He went on for an hour, alternating between nature and combat for he had an equal respect for both. He finally stopped as he heard the sound of movement coming from the room of his host. The lavender mare appeared with a grin on her face.

"Good morning, Zero! Ready to meet the Princess?" She asked innocently.

"I am" Zero replied simply, cold determination lining his words.

After a quick breakfast, Zero met up with the rest of his traveling party at what appeared to be a train station. Immediately after boarding the appropriate train, Zero found a seat far in the back of the train in hopes of getting through the trip undisturbed. He wished to determine the course of action he would take upon arriving at Canterlot for his audience with the Princess. Should he openly confront her about her threat or should he keep quiet and allow her to explain herself, in case he had somehow misinterpreted her words. He settled on the latter, not wanting to risk appearing as a complete fool in case he was wrong in regards to the owner of the voice. He was soon joined by Twilight, who took a seat across from him.

"Is something wrong, Zero? You've been awfully quiet this whole ride." She said with a hint of concern.

Before he could respond, Pinkie burst into the conversation with a shout. "Yea! What Twilight said!"

Zero cringed slightly, still not used to the loud outbursts of Pinkie yet. He gave them both a smile as he replied.

"There are no problems/ That bother me as of now/ Only exhaustion."

"Returning to the hayku thing are we?" Twilight asked with a grin.

"What do you mean?" Zero returned with a raised eyebrow.

"I mean earlier this morning. You spent about a whole hour just speaking in hayku. It was quite beautiful, even the ones that involved maiming and killing." she laughed nervously.

"I see" Zero said with a light laugh as well.

"Hey! I don't think I've ever seen you laugh before, not even at the party!" squealed Pinkie, who was surprisingly quiet this whole time.

This caused Zero to think. It was true. He hadn't laughed since his arrival in Equestria. The last time he remembered laughing was when he had decapitated that psychotic raider who had foolishly charged at him. He decided to keep that thought to himself.

"Well it was only a matter of time until you got under his skin, Pinkie" giggled Twilight.

On that note, the two mares left Zero to his thoughts again as they rejoined their friends at the front of the train. He took this time to take a nap, his mind having settled down due to the distraction of Twilight and Pinkie.

Zero was later awoken by Spike, whom Zero now understood was a dragon. Though he was quite skeptical at first, he figured if there was a world inhabited by talking ponies then why couldn't there be dragons as well? It seemed he had arrived at his destination, for he could see the magnificient structures that made up Canterlot were much closer than they were before. Though Twilight had pointed out the majestic city from Ponyville, it was much more beautiful up close. If the city weren't so brightly lit, it could almost pass as imposing.

Almost.

As the group of ponies departed from the train, Zero couldn't help but admire the beauty of the city further.

"Such a wondrous sight/ Pristine buildings surround me/ I am struck with awe."

"Canterlot is quite beautiful isn't it?" rose the voice of Rarity. The rest of the group murmured their agreement.

Not wanting to waste time, the group proceeded to the palace. As they approached the door to the throne room, however, they were stopped by one of the guard ponies. Zero noticed this guard's armor was slightly more extravagant than the normal guards. Before he could examine him further, the guard smiled.

"Twilight!" exclaimed the guard as he embraced her.

"Shining!" returned the mare.

Zero watched in curiosity, assuming they were either good friends or family. It wasn't neccessary to assume, as he was told seconds later.

Twilight turned back to him. "Zero, I want you to meet my big brother, Shining Armor."

"Nice to meet you" Shining said cautiously. Apparently he had also heard of his exploits, Zero thought.

The stallion continued. "I heard what you did to those Diamond Dogs and want you to know that I think it was....commendable." It was obvious he did not really think so. Zero could only smirk at the guard's well placed suspicion.

"There is no need to worry. I do not plan to cause trouble." Zero lied.

Shining nodded slowly. "Right, well I hope you all enjoy your stay." He moved out of the way to allow the group to enter the throne room.

Zero immediately noticed two larger ponies inside the throne room. The one was pure white with a mane made up of several light colors. What stood out about the mane was the fact that it wasn't actually hair. Instead, it had a more other worldly look to it. Her bright colors, along with the sun cutie mark on her flank, allowed Zero to identify her as Celestia. He had no clue to who the one next to her was however. She was a shade of dark blue with a mane that reminded him of the midnight sky. She had the image of a crescent moon on her flank. Both of them, he noticed, had a set of wings and a horn. His observations finished, he noticed Twilight running up to the two imposing ponies.

"Princess Celestia! Princess Luna!" She exclaimed.

"It is good to see you again, my faithful student." Celestia said with a smile

Zero instantly recognized that warm, motherly tone. She was undeniably the voice he heard in his head.

She continued to speak. "It is also nice to see all of your friends again." She gave each of them an approving nod, but as she got to Zero, her smile noticeably dimmed. "It is nice to meet you, Zero. I've heard much about you." she said with fake politeness.

Of course she knew about him, she spent her spare time invading his mind.

"Likewise" He responded.

Celestia returned her gaze to her student with a slight frown. "Though I hate to ask a favor of you after just getting here, could you and your friends make sure the preparations for dinner are complete?." She asked.

Twilight only smiled. "Of course, Princess. Anything for you!." Before she and her friends could depart, Celestia once again spoke up.

"Except for you." She pointed a hoof at Zero. "I want to personally thank you for handling the situation with the Diamond Dogs."

"Great."Zero thought to himself. Celestia's voice appeared in his mind.

"I do not wish to involve them. This matter is between you and I."

Zero only sighed as his companions left him alone with the princesses.

He turned to face them both. "You can begin thanking me now." He said with a sly smirk.

Celestia shot him a dangerous look. "Don't act foolish. You know the reason I called you here. You must return to your own world."

Zero returned the look. "And what gives you the right to send me wherever you please?"

"I do whatever it takes to protect my subjects from threats. You are a threat after seeing what you did to those Diamond Dogs. Additionally, from what I picked up from your mind, you come from a place where ruthlessness thrives and is accepted. You do not belong here." Stated the princess with coldness that rivaled Zero

Zero's anger was now rising at this point. "You foolishly judge/ Based solely on my background/ You are a moron/" He stated, venom dripping from his words.

As he waited for Celestia's retort, he was surprised to hear the other princess interrupt.

"Celestia, perhaps thou is judging too harshly." Said the mare called Luna.

Celestia was taken aback "You would go against me, Luna?"

"No, dear sister. I only believe thou should give the stallion a chance. Come to a compromise." Luna said with a shrug.

Zero glared at Celestia as he watched her ponder her sister's words. After a minute of silence, she spoke up.

"Fine." Celestia simply stated to the surprise of Zero. He had not expected it to be so easy to convince her.

"However." she added. Zero knew there would be a catch

"He can stay only if he passes a test. A challenge if you will."She continued.

Zero could only smile. Challenges were right up his lane. He was prepared for whatever she could throw at him, or so he thought.

"You are to spend the next month of your time here spending time with Twilight and her friends, your ultimate goal being to fully understand the magic that is" She paused for dramatic effect. "Friendship."

Zero's previous confidence faded, replaced with laughter. Was she serious? Friendship? She had just asked him to learn the magic of friendship. That was quite literally a load of bullymong dung.

"Surely you are joking." He said, still chuckling.

"I am dead serious." Celestia stated and sure enough wore a serious expression.

This caused Zero to frown. "Learn friendship? What is the point of such a frivolous task?"

"What's wrong? Are you afraid of a challenge?" Celestia teased.

Zero immediately regained his serious attitude. "I don't fear challenge/ My life revolves around it/ I seek out challenge." He growled, angry at the fact anyone would suggest he was afraid of a challenge. He had never refused to take on a challenge in his life.

"Then we have an agreement then?" Celestia asked.

Zero took some time to think. At very least she was giving him another month for free in this new land. He stared her directly in her eyes.

"Yes"

He couldn't see how learning friendship could prove difficult. The task sure sounded simple enough. He smiled, confident his work was cut out for him.

R0und 0ne: Kindness

Remembering the directions Twilight had given him, Zero made his way towards Fluttershy's home. Immediately evident was the fact that Fluttershy, like himself, preferred seclusion. She lived a good distance from the town, but not too far as to make the walk there a bother. As he began to approach her cottage, he couldn't help but notice how serene it was. It was quiet and peaceful, making Zero a bit envious of Fluttershy's home. His jealousy quickly faded as he began to notice the various species of animals that seemed to crowd the outside of the home. At first Zero thought the mare might be having trouble with a critter infestation, but then noticed that there seemed to be housing constructed for them around her house and its surrounding land. Done with his observations, he approached the door and gave it a light knock. A few moments later, a voice was heard from behind the door.

"W-who's there?", the timid voice belonging to Fluttershy asked. Zero noticed that along with the normal shyness in her voice, there was something else. Sorrow. The mare had recently been crying.

"Is everything alright?", Zero inquired, ignoring her question.

"Oh it's you, Zero...I'm fine, no need to worry", Fluttershy lied horribly, as she opened the door a creak to look outside

Zero raised an eyebrow but decided not to push any further, instead returning to his main purpose for coming, "I was hoping to be able to spend the day with you in hopes of learning....kindness.", that last word left a bitter taste on his mouth. He was not really used to using that word.

"Oh I see...I would love to, but I'm doing something at the moment.", Zero could tell the mare was on the brink of tears. Despite seeing many a man and woman cry, having this particular mare on the verge of tears was literally tearing at him.

"There's no need to hide your problem from me. I may be able to aid you.", he assured.

Tears were sliding down the pegasus' face, earning a cringe from Zero. "Oh it's horrible! My little bunny Angel ran away when I didn't make his breakfast right and he went directly into," she paused with a gulp, "the Everfree Forest."

Zero raised an eyebrow, "Tell me about this forest."

Fluttershy calmed down a bit, now aware that Zero was legitamately trying to help her, "It's only one of the scariest places in all of Equestria! There are all kinds of mean and evil creatures in there...and just imagining my poor Angel in there alone...", once again tears began to fall.

Zero could not take it anymore. Having this mare cry was a crime against Nature itself! He gave her a stern, but reassuring look.

"Lead me to him."

Fluttershy was shocked by his command, "I couldn't! Its way too dangerous....and scary.", she hoped that would deter him.

However, he pressed on, "I promise you, we will find your pet."

Something in his eyes told Fluttershy that Zero was not going to backdown. With some reluctance, she caved in, "O-okay"

A short walk later, the two ponies found themselves at the edge of a forest. Zero recognized the forest, for he was near it's edge before when he first came into this world. At that time, however, he hadn't gotten a chance to notice how eerie it actually was.

" You were not joking/ This place oozes with evil/ Very ominous."

His companion could only manage a terrified whimper as they approached the edge of the forest. Despite it still being early in the morning, the forest seemed to be so dense that it actually appeared to be midnight inside. With a nod to himself, he entered the forest. He soon stopped, noticing that Fluttershy was not following him. Instead, she sat there at the edge of the forest, cowering behind her mane while shaking violently. Zero only sighed as he walked back towards the terrified pegasus, knowing well he would not be able to find Angel alone.

"There is nothing to be afraid of.", he spoke softly with what he thought was compassion. Another thing he was not used to.

It was clear she did not believe him. He couldn't help but feel bad for having her come out here. She had to be the least qualified person for this task.

He placed a hoof under her chin and forced her to look at him. "We must continue/ There is nothing here to fear/ I will protect you." There was strong emphasis in that final phrase.

This seemed to work, perhaps a bit too well. The mare wasted no time clinging to the stallion like her life depended on it, basically burying herself into his side. Zero facehoofed. Atleast they could move on now.

The duo inched deeper into the forest. They had been looking for atleast an hour now but to no avail. Zero decided it was time for a break, for traversing the forest proved quite the challenge due to the massive amount of undergrowth that thrived on the forest's floor. He could tell his companion was beginning to lose hope, her fear slowly being replaced by grief, already under the assumption that Angel was truly gone.

"Don't abandon hope/ I can sense that he is near/ We have to press on", he tried to convince her.

She was the image of sorrow and no longer clinged to him anymore. As he was about to attempt to cheer her up again, he was interrupted as something disturbed a nearby bush, causing him to wrap a hoof around the hilt of his blade. The sound seemed to break Fluttershy out of her funk as she once again buried her face in Zero's coat. Zero sat there, preparing for the worst but was surprised to see a small rabbit hop out of the bush.

"Angel!!", shouted Fluttershy, nearly causing Zero to go deaf.

As the pegasus ran up to embrace her pet, Zero couldn't help but notice something was off about the bunny. He was resisting the hug of the mare, a distinct look of terror in his eyes. He had recently been running. But from what?

His answer came in the form of a low growl and more rustling, much more in fact. This new creature was alot bigger than the rabbit just from the sound it made while disturbing the flora. The beast showed itself and was as large as Zero assumed. The creature could have passed as an oversized lion, if it weren't for the fact it had what appeared to be bat wings and the tail of a scorpion. As he began to scan his foe, looking for a weakness, he was utterly shocked to see Fluttershy calmly approach the beast.

"There,there", she cooed,"Is someone cranky?"

She grabbed the beast's paw, rubbing it gently. Zero sat back, his eyes glued to the strange beast. It seemed Fluttershy's plan was working, but Zero noticed the beast wasn't "cranky". No, this beast had a primal look in his eyes.

He was hungry.

Fluttershy did not notice this. She had no time to react as the beast brought down a paw upon her. Time slowed for her as she realized this would be the end for her. She sat there, petrified by fear. She managed to cover her eyes with her mane and waited. And waited. And waited. What was taking so long? She forced herself to take a peak and was taken a back by the scene before her. Directly in front of her was Zero, standing on his hind hooves with his blade in his forehooves. His blade had intercepted the manticore's blow and was holding the beast back. She wasted no time reeling away to a safe distance.

Zero had caught the beast by surprise as it just sat there and stared at him in disbelief. Was this tiny creature really challenging him? Zero on the other hand wasted no time. He shifted his blade down from the beast's claws on it's paw. Once in position, he slid the edge of the blade against the manticore's paw, tearing open a significant sized gash, rendering it virtually useless. The creature roared in outrage as it brought its undamaged paw down upon Zero. Once again the stallion was able to intercept the claws, but he noticed there was a great deal more force behind the blow as he began to lose his footing. Before allowing himself to be pushed fully onto the ground and most likely to his doom, he began to concentrate, his horn lighting up as it dug through his pack, his hooves much too preoccupied at the moment. He finally managed to pull out his Gh0st. He gave the manticore a quick smile.

"Ghosting", he said quickly as he vanished. The manticore claws dug into the ground below where his target once was. It spun around, trying to ascertain the location of his prey. Before long, however, a sharp pain rippled through the it's back. His target had reappeared, clinging to his back and unleashing a quick succession of blows in hopes of crippling the beast. The manticore did not enjoy this one bit as he forcibly bucked his unwanted rider. Zero was thrown quite violently into a nearby tree, dazing him.

By the time he managed to gather himself, the manticore had already begun to take another swipe. Zero attempted to evade the blow, but was caught on his right side as a large tear opened up, causing a large amount of bleeding. He fought through the pain, placing his blade in his mouth as he got on all fours in order to pick up speed. He darted to the right side of the creature, once again hoping onto it. He managed to get onto the beasts shoulder which was attached to it's good paw. After he got a favorable grip, he took hold of his blade and drove it through the manticore's shoulder.

He then began to furiously twist the blade inside the wound.

The monster roared and bucked furiously, but was unable to throw off his enemy, whom had made sure to get a much tighter grip. It resorted to the only thing it could. The manticore began to raise his tail, preparing to strike. Zero only smiled at this. As the tail reached the end of it's windup and shot towards where Zero was, the stallion simply let go of his blade and fell harmlessly to the beast's side. The manticore could only watch in horror, for it was too late to stop himself, as his own tail ripped into his flesh.

Now for a manticore this is one of the most embarassing things imaginable. Granted, the creature was immune to the toxins stored in the tail, but it still hurt like hell. As his foe howled in pain, Zero took the time to use his magic to retrieve his blade from the beast's shoulder. The beast finally recovered and the two combatants locked eyes. Zero knew this was it. If he did not finish this fight here, then he was going to die. The single wound he had sustained took too much out of him, as he was beginning to feel woozy. He gripped his blade tighter than ever before, his foe also preparing, imitating a bull right before it attacks. They both gave each other one last look.

Then they charged.

Before blade could meet claw in one last catastrophic collision, a shout from the sidelines caused the stallion and manticore to stop dead in their tracks.

"Stop it!", shouted a clearly distraught Fluttershy. Tears flowed freely from her face due to the gruesome battle she was being forced to witness. She sat there sobbing, unable to speak another word. Zero returned his gaze to the manticore, who was also staring back. They continued this staredown for a full minute before Zero, with a sigh, lowered his blade. He wasn't going to expose Fluttershy to further bloodshed. He was surprised to see his adversary give him a look he knew well. A look of respect. The beast knew it had met its match and with what seemed to be a nod, the manticore limped away into the darkness of the forest. Once it was completely out of sight, Zero allowed himself to succumb to his wounds and fall to the ground. He had grown weak. He went too long without honing his skills and nearly died because of it. He was brought back to reality by the voice of a terribly concerned pegasus.

"Oh no, please, stay awake! Don't fall asleep or you might not wake up!", the mare cried. She was convinced this was all her fault. She was the one who caused Angel to run off in the first place. As she drowned herself in guilt and sorrow, she was shocked to see Zero pull himself up despite his horrendous wound. He wasted no time with pleasantries, and immediately began making his way out of the forest. Through a feat of extraordinary endurance, he managed to make it all the way to the path outside Fluttershy's cottage. He had been ignoring whatever the mare had been saying, only focused on getting to safe haven. He collasped, this time for good. He looked up at the terrified face of Fluttershy and smiled.

"My energy spent/ I must rely on your aid/ I am in your hooves.", and with that last haiku, he allowed himself to fall into unconsciousness.

C0mpassi0n

Zero experienced one of the deepest sleeps he's ever had, which would have been refreshing if it weren't for the possibility of him not waking up at all. Fortunately, he began to stir, slowly opening his eyes to reveal an unfamiliar and dark room, for the sun had yet to risen. As his eyes adjusted to the dark,He attempted to turn his head in order to get a look of his surroundings, but was stopped when a spike of pain shot through his neck. He was aching and sore all over, no doubt thanks to his collision with that tree in the forest. He then felt a weight shift on his body lightly. He managed to raise his head enough see what the disturbance was. There, half seated on a chair at his bedside and the rest buried into his left side, was Fluttershy. Zero assumed she had kept vigil throughout the night before her urge to sleep finally overcame her. He couldn't help but smile at how adorable she was, not mention the thoughtfulness behind her actions. His smile soon faded as guilt fell over him. He felt horrible for making her witness the brutality of his duel with the manticore. He could only hope it would have no long term psychological effects on the poor mare. Zero sighed deeply, accepting the fact that he was going to be stuck here for quite awhile. He began to recount the events of yesterday, specifically his fight.

"Unacceptable", he mumbled to himself.

The fight should have ended much earlier and in more favorable terms for him. In reality, the feat he accomplished was unheard of. Nopony would ever dare stand before a manticore, let alone almost slay it. However, to Zero, his performance was pathetic. His skills had dulled during his time in Equestria and so his first order of business after he recovered was to resume his daily training regime. He would not let himself be caught in another near death situation again. With a goal now in mind, he had to kill the indefinite amount of hours he would be incapacitated. He began his massacre of time with his signature haikus.

"My skills are now weak/ This is unacceptable/ I will correct this.", he began. He kept this going for quite awhile, long enough for the sun to begin its rise. He narrowed his gaze on the mare resting on him, delivering his final, most heartfelt haiku yet.

"I live due to you/ Your acts have spared me from death/ I owe you my life.", he concluded. He would find a way to return the favor, though it seemed impossible. How could he repay someone for saving his life? Before he could ponder upon the question, the meek voice he was all too familiar with now spoke up.

"Twilight was right, your poetry is beautiful", said the mare with a hint of amazement. She must have been up for a good portion of Zero's haiku marathon, for she did not have the appearance of one who had recently awoken, her eyes alive and alert.

As she raised herself from his body, Zero caught sight of the bandaging that encircled his body. He was unsure of how the mare was able to do this, for he was much bigger and heavier than she. Fluttershy noticed his look of confusion, and as if she had read his mind, began to speak up.

"My animal friends helped me.", she explained, "They were especially eager to help after I told them what you did for me, especially Angel.", she pointed a hoof at her prized bunny. As Zero shot the bunny a look, he could have sworn the critter had given him a military salute. He assumed his eyes were playing tricks on him, returning his focus to Fluttershy.

"I only sought to protect you like I promised I would. I'm sure anyone else would have done the same", he stated, downplaying his feats.

"But nopony would have gone into the forest with me in the first place", she quickly said. Before Zero could react, she gave him a very warm embrace. "That was the kindest thing anypony's ever done for me.", she finished. Zero could only sit there, unable to resist the mare's hug due to his weakened state. However, upon further thought, he probably wouldn't have pushed her away if he could. He knew she needed this hug much more that he did. Then his mind settled on her words, specifically "kindest". Could this possibly mean he now had an understanding on the subject? He decided to risk a question.

"It's safe to assume/ I know enough of kindness/ to please the princess?"

The pegasus held her iron grip on the stallion, "I think it's safe to assume you knew kindness way before you even met me. You're one of the nicest ponies I've ever met", she stated with a squeeze.

Zero was taken aback by her compliment. Was it true? Was kindness that easy for him to grasp? Being an assassin did not leave much room for kindess to grow. However, it was possible that he did not completely discard it either. Rather, he could have just hid it deep in the recesses of his mind, waiting for the day in which he would be able to release it and allow it to bloom, so to speak. This brought a strange sense of comfort to him, and before he knew it, he was returning the mare's hug, despite the pain he was causing himself. He had never held someone before without the intention of killing them. It was a nice change of pace.

Their embrace lasted a good couple of minutes before Fluttershy finally broke away, a blush evident as she realized she may have overdone it just a bit. Zero took this time to ask a question that had been bothering him since awaking.

"How long do you think I should rest?", he inquired.

"Oh I don't know, atleast a week, though you might be able to walk again within three or four days considering how strong you are.", she responded with a slight blush.

"I see. I should be fine for tommorow then.", was all he said.

"What? No, that's too soon! You're just going to hurt yourself again!", stammered the mare with concern.

"No need to worry/ I know my body's limits/ I will be just fine.", he spoke assuringly. His haikus seemed very capable of ending arguements, for this caused the mare to back down.

"O-okay, if you insist.", she said, defeated.

The remainder of the day was uneventful. The only strange thing Zero had noticed was that the bunny, Angel, he had saved yesterday was not following his caretaker around. He instead opted to stay by Zero's side, monitoring the door as if he were some kind of guard dog. Zero found it admirable that the bunny wished to repay the one who had saved him from the manticore. As day turned to night and into day again, Zero was able to pull himself out of bed. He knew he should get atleast another day's rest, but he did not want to waste any more time than he had to. He wished to begin his training immediately. After another slighty drawn out hug and salute from Angel, Zero left Fluttershy's caring hooves. He made his way home as his body rebelled in pain, though it was not nearly as bad as he had believe it would be. Upon arriving at his destination, he did not enter his home. Instead he trotted towards a field that was within viewing distance. The field was completely empty, providing a perfect place to begin his training. He did not want to alarm anyone who may catch sight of him, for carrying weapons in this small town seemed to be unorthodox. He removed his pack, only his blade hilt in hand. He watched as his blade digistructed before him, a sight that never grew old to him. He ran his hoof along the edge of the blade before looking ahead towards the emptiness in front of him.

He rose on his hindhooves and assumed a combat stance. And then he began.

To an onlooker, it was as if he were dueling an imaginary swordsman. He cut away at the air in front of him, occasionally assuming a defensive position and unleashing a pretend riposte. His movements were elegant, as if this were simply a dance and his blade was his partner. He continued this for about five minutes before digging his sword into the ground and assuming a hoof-to-hoof combat stance. He unleashed a variety of punches and kicks, though technically everything was a "kick" with hooves. As he went about his training routine, he was unaware of the fact that someone was watching him. It wasn't until the onlooker spoke that he was alarmed to the presence. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a cloud descend with a pony atop it.

"Whoah! Those are some swe-.", Rainbow Dash was cut off as Zero had resumed hold of his blade, now pointing it towards her. Upon realizing who it was however, he dropped his alarmed status, redigging the blade into the ground, leaning against it as he gave the cyan mare a questioning look.

"Is there something you need?", he asked.

It took some time for the pegasus to recover, as Zero had startled her with his reaction. "Uh..no, not really. I was just watching you from up there," she pointed a hoof towards the sky, "and noticed your moves are almost as awesome as mine!", she gave a smug grin.

Zero raised an eyebrow, "Almost?", he asked coldly.

Dash stumbled over her next words,"Well maybe we're uh..on equal levels of awesome...or something." She couldn't tell why but the stallion before her instilled her with fear.

" I see.", Zero stated, "But there has to be some reason you are here. What do you want?", he asked again.

"Well you see", Rainbow Dash began, deciding to tell the truth, "I was wondering, since you have to do that test thingy for the princess, if you could spend the next day with me? I really want you to teach me some of those awesome martial arts skills you have!", she then put on a display of some sterotypical karate moves.

Zero gave the request some thought. Not only would he be able to begin learning of another Element of Harmony, but he would also be able to continue his training, considering the mare wished to be taught to moves he was just demonstrating. He nodded.

"I accept."

"Sweet!", exclaimed the pegasus, "I'll see you tomorow, Z!", and with that she was gone.

Zero sat himself next to his blade, which was still deep within the ground. He watched as the sun began to set, providing quite the sight. Satisfied that he had a task set for the next day or two, he allowed himself to rest while admiring the beauty of nature before him.

"Though the sun is set/ My journey has just begun/ This should be quite fun", he finished with a smirk.

R0und Tw0: L0yalty

Zero began his day normally. Breakfast was made and consumed, he slung his pack across his back, and approached the door. He then realized that Rainbow hadn't given him a place where they would meet at. With a sigh, he turned back into his home. He was sure she would find him when the time came. But until then, he found it to be a perfect opportunity to continue studying his magic. He still possessed various tomes he had borrowed from Twilight a while back. He picked out a particular book that dealth with a topic he had interest in: Illusions. He had forgotten that the clone that usually appeared when he stealthed was tied into his combat armor, not the Gh0st device itself. Once he had realized he was capable of magic and that there was a school of magic focused on illusions, he made it a primary focus of his studies. He was amazed at how much he would be able to do besides a simple clone. With a light smile, he began his reading.

He managed to get through two hours of uninterrupted studying before boredom began to set in. As much as the subject was interesting, Zero just wasn't one for books. He took a few notes he thought to be essential and decided he would go test what he learned outside. He managed to set one hoof past his door before he was intercepted by an angry Rainbow Dash.

"Hey Z! Where have you been?", she immediately questioned him, sounding quite displeased about something.

"I have been indoors/ Continuing my studies/ Where have you been at?", he counter questioned.

She dismissed his question, "We don't have time for that poetry junk. I need your help with something.", she stated quite crudely.

Zero sighed, "And what could you possibly need help with?"

"There's this new mare in town who's supposed to be some kind of powerful wizard. When someone questioned her abilities, she offered a challenge: She would go against anypony in anything and do it better than them.", she explained.

The stallion's ears perked up, "A challenge? Very well, lead the way." Rainbow didn't need his permission, for she already began dragging him to the center of town.

Zero immediately noticed the massive gathering of ponies who seemed to be surrounding some kind of stage. Before he and Dash could meld into the crowd, a very distraught Rarity broke away from the gathering of ponies with what looked like seaweed on her head.

"My beautiful mane! It's green! GREEN!!", the unicorn shouted as she sprinted past the duo. Zero could only assume that it had to do with the problem he was about to deal with. As he got closer to the stage, he noticed that there was a single unicorn standing at its center. She was a cobalt blue mare with an icy blue mane. She had a smug grin glued to her face and literally reeked of overconfidence.

"Are there anymore challengers for the Great and Powerful Trixie!?", she exclaimed, emphasizing her own name. Zero immediately compared this new mare to Handsome Jack. The overconfident tone and the obvious superiority complex, this pony could have passed as Jack in pony form. Zero really wished that wasn't the case. His thoughts were cut short as his companion answered the unicorn's question.

"Yea! Right here!", Dash shouted.

Trixie located the source of the response and smiled, "Well if it isn't the sad excuse of a pegasus again. Do you really wish to be put down again? I think you've suffered enough embarrassment for one day."

Before Dash could formulate a response, Zero stepped in, anger lining his voice.

"Watch your tongue, you fool/ You speak highly of yourself/ You will prove your worth.", he glared at the mare.

Zero's threatening tone had no effect on Trixie, for she only grinned, "Fine. Name your challenge and the Great and Powerful Trixie shall show you what she is capable of!"

The crowd gasped in unison as Zero drew his blade, his eyes locked on Trixie, "Prepare yourself."

Fortunately, Dash managed to stop him, "Whoah Whoah, Z! I didn't bring you out here so you could fight her. I just wanted you to shut her down and put her in her place.", she stated.

"Her place is several feet below the ground.", he hissed. He was fed up with people like Trixie. Pompous, inconsiderate, conceited morons. He felt that way even before meeting Handsome Jack. Jack just pushed him over the edge after he hurt whom he considered his only friend on Pandora. He dismissed that last thought and sighed deeply as he saw the horrified faces of the ponies around him. He allowed his blade to deconstruct back to it's hilt form and put it away.

"I am sorry. That was uncalled for.", he attempted to apologize.

Trixie could only stare, mouth agape. That stallion was perfectly willing to cut her down right here and now. She regained her smug demeanor, not wanting to appear weak to the crowd.

"Right, so are you going to state your challenge today perhaps?", she asked, a bit impatient.

Zero had to give this serious thought. What could he challenge her with that wouldn't involve him strangling her in the end? He wasn't in any shape to do any kind of extensive physical challenge. He was going to have to resort to his wit in order to win. An idea formed in his mind. It wasn't the cleverest thing he's ever thought of, but it would get the job done.

"I have a simple brainteaser for you, if you're not above it.", he began.

Trixie scoffed,"I'll take a challenge, whatever form it's in." That sounded strangely familiar.

"Alright, here it is: Your best friend gives you an apple. Her eight friends all give you eight oranges. Half of the oranges are taken back and replaced with twice as many peaches. How many fruit do you now have total?, he finished.

Trixie almost laughed at this so called "brainteaser". It was a simple math problem, barely worth the time of a filly in school. She grinned as she confidently gave her answer.

"I would have 97 fruits total", he beamed at her success.

"No.", was Zero's reply. Trixie gave the stallion an enraged look.

"No?! What do you mean no? My math is flawless. There is no way my calculations were off!", she shrieked.

"I never said your math was wrong.", Zero replied coolly, biding his time.

"Then how was my answer incorrect?", Trixie demanded, visibly angry.

"You failed to see the point of my problem", he began to explain, "The question stated that your best friend gave you an apple."

"Yes, and?", snarled the mare.

"Well the thing is", Zero took on a serious demeanor, "It's quite clear you do not have any friends, so how could you have received any fruit at all?"

The crowd sat in silence as the gravity of Zero's statement sank in. Trixie was outraged.

"What!? How can you make such ridicoulous claims! The Great and Powerful Trixie has many friends.... right?", she looked at the crowd, each of the ponies conveniently finding the ground worth staring at.

"Your personality prevents people from liking you. You are narcissistic, overconfident, and generally annoying. You are unwanted.", his words cut deeper than any physical blow he could have dealt.

Trixie visibly shrank as she fell into a depression. Everything he said was entirely accurate. Her boastful attitude pushed others away. She truly was alone. Anyone who had even attempted to be her friend she dismissed, thinking she was better than them. Before she could continue wallowing in her sadness, the stallion once again spoke.

"However, I can see that theres more to you than your obvious downsides. If you truly were full of yourself, you would have continued your arguement. As such, since I have misjudged you, I would like to apologize.", he lowered his head awaiting a response.

Trixie was at a loss for words. First, he cuts her apart in front of a huge crowd. And now, he is publicly apologizing, making himself look like the bad guy. He was either a complete moron, or he was scheming something. She decided to speak her mind.

"You're right you know... I am a horrible person.", she spoke softly, verging on tears. She was surprised when Zero placed a hoof on her shoulder.

"But there is hope for you yet", he stated, "and with your permission, I would like to consider myself your...friend. Do you accept?"

Trixie ignored the awkward way the stallion worded his statement, it's meaning blatantly clear. He had this planned from the start. The crowd around them were waiting in anticipation for her answer. She gave a nod to the stallion and the crowd erupted into cheers. It was strange to see the crowd cheer for something as simple as her making a friend. But then she realized that it wasn't so much as what happened as to how it happened. Zero had played the crowd like a fiddle, and ultimately she came out looking alot better than she had before. After several minutes of cheers and stomping the crowd eventually split apart, everyone returning to what they had been doing before Trixie had showed up. Trixie watched as the stallion, whom she had apparently just befriended, trotted away, turning his head around briefly to give her a smile. That stallion, despite his hostile attitude, had intended to help her all along. He was her friend before she knew it. He helped her deal with the problem that was herself. He was loyal before he even knew her. She just couldn't wrap her head around it.

Zero couldn't help but grin at his success on the way back to his home. Though he had originally planned to just crush Trixie and leave it at that, something deep down would not let him go through with it. He knew it had something to do with his talk with Fluttershy about "kindness". At first he thought he was becoming weak, but seeing how his scheme had worked out in the end squashed any doubts of his strength. He was merely gaining a different kind of strength, one that proved very effective in the previous situation. Maybe Celestia was on to something when she challenged him to learn of the Elements of Harmony. There was definantly power behind them, and he had only mastered on so far. He allowed himself to smile fully.

" Princess of the sun/ You were wrong to doubt my skills/ I am learning fast."

C0mradery

Zero made his way back home, but upon noticing that it was still quite early in the day, he decided to instead go to the field outside his home to train. His routine was exactly the same as the day before, swordsmanship into hoof combat. He stopped a bit early this time, however, wanting to try something new. He stood straight up on his hind hooves, closed his eyes, and focused. His horn began to shimmer as he attempted to make use of the hours of study he had earlier. He continued his trance for several minutes, but he couldn't feel anything changing. His focus was finally broken once he heard the voice of a rainbow maned pegasus.

"Hey Z-- What the hay!?", Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

Zero shot her a quizzical look before he noticed she was looking behind him. He turned around only to come face to face with four exact replicas of himself. He couldn't help but have a smug grin on his lips. His studies seemed to have been worth it in the end. He risked poking one of the clones, surprised to see that it was actually solid. However, as he pressed harder, he broke through the clone's skin, causing it to shatter like glass and fade away. With a quick thought Zero caused the rest of the clones to erupt. He decided he would continue experimenting with his new trick later. But right now, he had to deal with a certain cyan mare.

"That was awesome! Where'd you learn to do that?", she asked.

"Reading", Zero answered, noticing the disgusted face she gave him.

"You're an egghead too? And to think I thought you were cool.", she grinned at him.

Zero only shrugged, "If that's how you feel/ Then you must not wish to learn/ The techniques I use."

"Slow your roll there, Z. I never said that. I still expect you to teach me, which brings me to the reason I'm here. Teach me.", she commanded, pointing a hoof towards herself.

Zero nodded, "Alright then. First things first, you must learn to stand on your hind hooves." He figured he would get her used to the stance and maybe teach her a basic move or two to begin. And so, he began to train his pupil.

Zero was beginning to lose hope. Over two hours had passed and Dash was still unable to successfully remain on her back legs without stumbling over. He was, however, impressed by the mare's determination. She simply would not give up. Finally, after what was her 46th attempt by Zero's count, she managed to maintain her balance on her hind hooves without falling. Granted, all she was doing was standing, but it was a success none the less. Zero gave her an approving nod, which was a signal for her to allow herself to fall to the ground. He noticed that the sun was beginning to set and decided that they had made sufficient progress for the day.

"Man, that was a lot tougher than I thought it would be.", she stated.

Zero gave her a smile, "Now that you have a grasp on the stance, the rest should come easy to you. We shall continue with your daily training tommorow."

She gave an excited grin, "I can't wait! Thanks for taking the time out to teach me, Z. You're pretty cool, for an egghead that is."

Zero sighed. She wasn't going to stop calling him that for a long time, he reckoned. It was only one book!

The pegasus continued, "By the way, what you did to that show off Trixie was pretty cool too."

"I could have come up with a better insult.", he replied with a shrug.

Dash shook her head, "I'm not talking about that, though that was pretty clever. I'm talking about how you somehow made her look good in front of that crowd. It's like you used some kind of crazy mind control magic, which wouldn't surprise me after seeing that trick of yours earlier."

Zero stared at the setting sun. Apparently, his meeting with Trixie was a big deal around Ponyville. He managed to convince a whole crowd of ponies to like a mare they had previously despised.

Dash continued, "I mean, was it your plan all along to do that? It seemed like you were just about ready to strangle her to death, then you just changed. After you apologized, it seemed you two became best friends right on the spot. And you didn't even stop there! You publicly asked for her permission, which was crazy. I'm the element of loyalty and even I wouldn't have done that.", she finished.

Zero gave her a stern look. She clearly did not understand the sentiment behind his actions towards Trixie. He spoke up, hoping to teach his pupil in ways beyond combat.

"It takes strength to harm/ And break down your enemies/ While watching them fall," He continued, linking two haikus together. "It takes even more/ To see past your foes errors/ And build them back up.," he concluded, in a sage like manner.

Dash considered his words, for once not finding his poetry a bunch of mushy crap. She came to a conclusion.

"You're one cool stallion, Z"

"I know", he replied as the two watched the sun descend past the mountains in the distance.

As darkness fell upon the land, the two ponies said their goodbyes and went their separate ways. Zero made his way back to his home, but was surprised to Trixie waiting for him. He acknowledged her with a nod and she began to talk.

"I want to thank you for earlier. I didn't deserve it, but I'm grateful anyway", she said softly, eyes locked to the ground.

"You didn't deserve the initial punishment. I had no right to say such terrible things about you", he began, "But everything afterwards was sincere. I just hope you'll consider me a friend as well."

Trixie shook her head in confusion, "I don't get you. Nopony would be my friend for good reason, yet you seem so determined to be mine. I'm still the same pony as before."

"You are mistaken/ You've changed much since our meeting/ You must accept this", he said, compassion lining his words.

Trixie could only stare at Zero, for she was at an utter loss for words. Zero continued, "You had reminded me of another who shared your no longer present arrogance. He would slaughter countless men, women, and children just to further his goals. I feel guilty for ever comparing you to him. You have a beautiful personality deep down but you need to let it show.

Zero was caught off guard as the mare threw her hooves around him, sobbing lightly. He gripped her back, knowing at this point there was no point in questioning her actions and to just go along with it.

She held onto him for several minutes before finally pulling away, "Thank you.", she whispered. Zero watched her as she returned to wherever she was staying while in Ponyville. He finally stepped inside his home, removed his pack, and prepared for sleep. He was slightly irritated when he heard a knock on his door. Apparently, Twilight let it be known to everyone where his new home was. He would have to have a word with her about this. He opened the door and was surprised for the second time today as he saw that Rarity was waiting on the other side of the door.

"Hello there darling! I hope I'm not interrupting anything important.", she said with a bat of her eyelashes.

Only my sleep, he thought. He sighed lighty before giving her a warm smile, "Not at all." He stepped aside to allow the mare to enter. "What brings you here at this hour?", he asked immediately.

"Well, I came to ask a favor of you.", she began, "Since you are eventually going to spend a day with each of my friends and I, I would like to to be next on your list."

"Why?", he asked without having to think. There was something she wasn't telling him. Something he probably wasn't going to like.

"What? Can't a lady spend quality time with one of her friends?", she countered.

"Then you wouldn't mind waiting another day then?", he said with a grin, knowing he had effectively cornered her.

Realizing she was caught, she fessed up, "Okay fine. There's this fashion show I've been invited to in Canterlot tommorow and I'm supposed to bring a date and-", she was cut off by Zero.

"No", he simply said.

"But you didn't even let me finish! I could have asked any other stallion, but I decided to ask you. That has to mean something, right?", she continued.

"No", he repeated. He was not going to attend a fashion show.

"It would be very generous of you if you went with me.", she stated, trying to manipulate the stubborn stallion.

"No", he said yet again.

"Oh please please please!", she said, bordering on begging.

It was apparent Rarity was not going to leave until he said yes. He groaned, seeing no other way to remove the mare from his home besides forcibly evicting her. With great reluctance, he gave in.

"Fine, I will attend/ But I make no guarantee/ I will stay for long.", he informed.

Rarity beamed at him, "Oh thank you thank you!", she hugged him viciously, squeezing the air out of him. Mares sure did enjoy hugging him apparently. "It's going to be so much fun, I assure you!", she exclaimed confidently. "Make sure to be at my place first thing in the morning, understood?", her face becoming dead serious.

The mare basically skipped with joy out the door after he nodded. What did he do to deserve this?

"Well I did kill countless amounts of people", he thought to himself.

But still, he believed this was a sinister punishment indeed, even if it was karma for all that he's done in the past. No way to turn back now, he decided to just let it go and get some well deserved rest. As he was about to shut his eyes, a voice rang in his head.

"Hail Zero! It is thy princess, Luna! Ooh our voice sounds so echoey in here!, the voice shouted a bit too loud for Zero's taste. But he didn't mind, considering it wasn't Celestia. It was instead her sister, whom he held high regards for ever since she stood up for him before Celestia.

"Is there something you need, Luna?", he asked out loud.

We wish to speak with you in person in Canterlot!, the voice explained.

"We? You know I'm not on very good terms with your sister.", he reminded.

Oh we're...err I'm sorry. Old habit. I request an audience with thou, not my sister., she said in a much quieter tone.

"What for?", he questioned.

"A small matter has arisen that I need...taken care of. I believe your particular skill sets would be perfect in aiding me in my predicament."

This caught Zero's attention. Obviously, she meant his skill in battle, which made him wonder what kind of problem the princess could have that would require violence.

"Fine. I will be there tommorow.", he answered.

"Huzzah!", Luna shouted,"We eagerly await your arrival!", and with that the princess withdrew from Zero's mind.

Zero sat there, now wide awake. He was attempting to guess what the princess was going to ask of him. He was excited, for this moment reminded him of when a person would hire him for an assassination contract. Though he found it very unlikely that Luna was about to hire him for an assassination, he was still excited that there was going to be combat involved and hopefully a challenge as well. He smiled at the thought of it. He looked forward to tommorow, despite the fact he was going to have to suffer through Rarity's show first.

"Maybe tommorow/ Will be more interesting/ Than I first assumed."

R0und Three: Gener0sity

Zero, now anxious to get to Canterlot, wasted no time in his morning routine. He quickly made his way out of his home with his personal effects and began walking to...well he didn't quite know. Yet again, his companion for the day had forgotten to tell him where to find her. He decided he would roam town in hopes of a chance encounter with the mare. He considered just visiting Twilight and asking her where Rarity lived, but found he wouldn't need to as he stumbled across a particularly flashy building. He approached the building adorned with various light shades of blue, pink, and yellow, hoping he had found his destination. Before he could even knock on the door, it swung upon to reveal Rarity.

"Zero, darling! You're late!", she informed.

Late? How early had she wanted him to be here? He gave her a simple shrug as he stepped into her home. Though it wasn't so much a home as it was a shop. There were various fabrics strewn about random spots around the room he was in. He also noticed several pony shaped mannequins in the corner. He managed to find an uncluttered seat and made himself comfortable, his host seemingly busy with preparations.

"Just sit tight, dear. I'm just finishing up your outfit for our day in Canterlot.", she informed him.

"Outfit? I did not agree to this.", he replied. He was not about to wear some silly looking suit.

"Oh don't you worry. I'm not going to force you to dress up. Well originally I planned to but I figured I was lucky enough to get you to come along. This little design is just a "Thank You" gift for accompanying me to Canterlot", she explained with a smile.

Zero still didn't get the concept of clothing as a horse. It just seemed strange to him.

Rarity went on to explain the design,"Now I designed this with your quiet personality and your err...skills in mind. It should be perfect if you should ever encounter ruffians like those diamond dogs.," as she said this she brought out one of those pony mannequins with a covering over it. With a flourish of a hoof, she unveiled her work.

Zero was actually quite surprised. He had expected something ridiculous looking. Instead, before him was a ponyequin with an ebony hood and cape, the color matching that of pitch darkness. Zero was quite familiar with that. All in all, the design was quite stylish. There were many pockets on the inside for him to store a variety of tools. He approached it, feeling the fabric it was made of. It was extremely light and wouldn't restrict movement, yet covered enough so he could keep things concealed underneath it. Only one word could do the cloak justice.

Badass.

Rarity noticed Zero's approving gaze, "I knew you would love it! It perfectly complements your "mysterious stallion" attitude!", she exclaimed. Zero removed his new cloak, which he would from this point on dub "Phant0m", from the ponyequin and slowly pulled it onto himself, feeling the cloth against his fur. It was cold around him and he enjoyed this greatly. He flipped the hood over his eyes, giving him the image of the assassin he truly was. His savoring of the moment was interrupted by Rarity.

"It looks smashing on you! Now, my turn.", and with that she backed away into another room. Zero payed her no mind, still admiring his new clothing. Moments later Rarity returned in an outfit of her own. It was a simple dress, obviously meant to highlight natural beauty. Zero took no notice of that.

He nodded at her, "Looks nice"

"Just nice?", she said with a bat of her eyelashes.

Zero narrowed his gaze on her, "You're not getting anymore out of me", he allowed his eyes to slide under the cover of his hood.

"So that's how you want to play it, hmm? I accept your challenge.", she stated. Zero gave her a quizzical look.

"I know nothing of/ This challenge you speak about/ Did I miss something?"

"I will get you to acknowledge my beauty by the end of this day", she said with a flip of her mane.

Zero grew serious, "You will lose this duel/ Challenges are known to me/ You have zero hope."

"You are not alone/ For I also know hayku/ You have been warned, friend.", she replied in a teasing tone.

Did she really just counter him with a haiku? This was going to be a worthy challenge indeed.

The duo made there way to the station that would transport them to Canterlot, but were stopped when they came across Rainbow Dash, whom had been looking for Zero. He just realized he had forgotten to tell her about his plans for the day and that he would not be able to train with her.

"Hey Z. Whoah, sweet threads.", Dash said with a hint of awe.

Before he could reply, Rarity spoke first, "Well you of all people should know my designs are always magnificent, Rainbow."

The cyan mare rolled her eyes, "Yea, yea whatever. Anyways, I was wondering if we could start our session a bit earlier Z. I've been trying to walk around on two legs and I think I'm starting to get a handle on it."

Rarity once again answered for Zero, "Oh did he not tell you? He will be accompanying me this evening to a fashion show in Canterlot and will be much too busy to attend your...lesson."

Dash was furious at hearing this, "What!? You're blowing me off for a fashion show! Are you serious!?"

"Well obviously he thought spending the day with me in Canterlot would be a much better use of his time than spending it with you.", Rarity retorted.

Zero finally spoke up with a forceful tone, "Enough. Both of you. My reasons for going to Canterlot extend far beyond attending Rarity's show, Dash. It was a sudden occurence and I had no time to inform you. I apologize.", he turned towards Rarity, "As for you. I already told you I most likely will not stay for the full duration of your show. I have other things that I wish to accomplish."

The two mares stared at him, not sure what to say. Finally Dash spoke up. "It's alright Z. I'm being selfish. I'm sure whatever you need to do in Canterlot is much more important than my lesson. I'll leave you two to your trip, but you better be ready for tommorow.", she added as she flew off.

Zero looked back towards Rarity, who was still silent. "Let's go", he told her.

The train ride to Canterlot was uneventful. Once they arrived, Zero noticed that it was around noon.

"When is your show?", he asked.

"Oh, well it isn't for about another three hours. In the meantime, I thought I might show you around-- where are you going?", she asked as Zero began walking away from her.

"I'll meet you here in two hours. There is someone I must see.", he answered.

"Well can I come with you?", she asked, "The whole point of this trip is to spend time with you afterall."

"No", he replied. Before she could say anything else, he disappeared into a nearby mass of ponies.

"I really shouldn't have given him that cloak", she said to herself while pouting.

Zero quickly made his way to the palace, deciding to visit Luna now since he had a few hours before the show. He approached the palace's doors, let himself in, and was dissapointed by what he saw. Instead of seeing Luna like he had expected, he instead was greeted by her sister, Celestia.

"Zero? What are you doing here?", she asked with genuine curiosity. It was clear she did not know of his upcoming meeting with Luna. He decided telling her would not be a good idea. He began to conjure up a lie about why he was standing before her.

"It's nice to see you again as well, Celestia. Is your sister Luna here by any chance?", he asked innocently.

"Why?", she replied, raising her eyebrow.

"I wish to ask her a question regarding...", Zero had to pause slightly in order to thinking of a suitable topic for his fake question. He then remembered Luna's cutie mark,"the Moon.", he finished.

"I'm sure I can answer any question regarding the topic. I've once had full control over it for 1000 years before Luna.", she said with a smile.

Zero wasn't sure how he was going to get around this stubborn alicorn. He found it very convenient that Luna had walked in at that moment.

"Sister, thou has ate thee last banana again!", she shouted before noticing the stallion before Celestia, "Oh Zero! I was--", she cut herself short. She, like Zero noted earlier, hadn't told her sister about inviting him to Canterlot in order to speak with her. She rephrased her statement, "... wondering what you are doing here."

Zero easily picked up on her ruse. It wasn't the first time he had visited a client at an inconvient time. He spoke to Luna in hopes of being able to get her to somewhere they could talk. "I was just looking for you, Luna. I had hopes of asking you a few questions, as Celestia knows. Would you mind taking a walk with me?"

Celestia misinterpreted Zero's statement entirely. She gave Luna a sly wink, thinking the stallion was trying to get some alone time with her sister, which was true in a sense. Luna blushed slightly at her sister's look.

"Why of course.", the princess of the night answered quickly.

Zero and Luna quickly made their way out of the throne room, leaving behind a smiling Celestia. They soon found a relatively quiet spot to begin their meeting.

"I apologize/ If Celestia mistook/ My bringing you here.", he stated.

"No worries, noble stallion! We have much bigger things to discuss.", she began, "I have called you here to deal with a potential threat to Canterlot itself!"

"Explain.", Zero commanded as he took on his "strictly business" tone he normally used when dealing with a client.

Luna began explaining the situation,"Recently, a group of griffon's claiming to be here on political business arrived in Canterlot. Though there seems to be nothing wrong with them on the surface, I've noticed them acting rather suspicious during the night hours. I had brought my concerns to Celestia but she had dismissed them and forbidden me from taking any actions. This is why I called you in, I truly believe them to have malicious intent. Ponies and griffons have never been on the best of terms and wish for you to investigate in case these particular griffons are planning something."

"And what do you wish me to do about it?", he simply questioned.

"From my observations, I believe the griffons have something planned for a public gathering at an old theatre in the Noble District. I want you to attend this gathering and watch for anything suspicious. If anything does catch your attention, I wish for you to investigate.", she finished.

"Dead or alive?", he again questioned.

Luna was slighty taken aback. "I... would prefer if you kept them alive if it came to that. Questioning would be neccessary."

"Understood. Tell me of this social event.", he continued, wanting to get any detail that may aid him.

"I believe it is a fashion show hosted...", Zero stopped listening to the princess. She undoubtedly meant the same show he was to attend, for it was unlikely that there would be two different fashion shows in a single day. One part of him found it convenient, for he wouldn't have to find a way into the gathering since he already had a ticket due to Rarity. Another part was worried, for if these "griffons" truly did have impure intentions, then it would most likely be in the form of some kind of harm towards the gathered mass. And one of his friends was going to be part of the mass. He gave the princess a nod.

"I shall be your eyes/ To investigate your fears/ You need not worry", he said, his way of accepting the contract.

"Wonderful! Do this for me and you will have earned my eternal graititude.", Luna bowed before Zero and returned to the palace.

Zero sat there, thinking in silence. He was not going to accept at first. Alot of Luna's worries were based on speculation, but when she mentioned the show, something clicked inside him. Even if Luna's claims turned out to be false, he couldn't risk the safety of Rarity. With a face of grim determination, he turned his gaze towards the Noble District.

"Challenge Accepted", he said as he broke into a sprint towards his destination.

Zero's first order of business would be to somehow convince Rarity to not attend the show. It would greatly ease his nerves knowing that, if anything did occur, she would be safe. It didn't take him long to sort her out from the crowd of ponies who had arrived extra early for the show, thanks to how much she stood out in terms of looks. She was easily prettier than any of the other mares in the crowd. He wasted no time running up besides her, reassuming his calm demeanor.

"Miss Rarity", he acknowledged her with a nod.

"Oh hello Zero", she returned, "You're early you know. The show isn't for another hour and a half." She was obviously saddened by something. Probably had to do with him ditching her earlier. Whoops.

Zero brought up the reason he was here,"Is there, by any chance, something we could do besides the show?"

She frowned lightly at his questions, "I'd rather not. This show means alot to me. I'm going to be able to converse with some of the greatest fashion masterminds of the century and witness some of their masterpieces. I certaintly couldn't pass up an opportunity like this."

Zero sighed. It was hopeless to convince her otherwise and he didn't want to outright tell her about what might occur during the show. If he wasn't going to be able to keep her from the show, then he settled with just keeping her close while he kept his vigil. Time dragged on as it finally became time for the show. The crowd that made up the audience was massive. This would be the perfect place for an attack against Canterlot. He and Rarity found their way to their seats as the show began. He paid no mind to it, his eyes scanning the crowd, making note of anything or anyone that seemed the least bit suspicious. He remained like this for well over an hour and was finally about to let himself relax until something caught the corner of his eye. He noticed someone rise from their seat and exit through one of the staff corridors. Normally this wouldn't cause too much concern, but this person was not a pony. Zero couldn't see much for the stranger wore a brown hood that covered most of his face, but he did notice the talons. A griffon. Zero rose from his seat, getting the attention of Rarity.

"Where are you going?", she simply asked.

"Bathroom.", he quickly responded. After Rarity gave him a nod and returned her gaze to the show, he set off after his target. Before he followed his prey into the corridor, he quickly checked one of the exit doors. They were locked, most likely to prevent anyone disturbing the show as they entered/exited. Zero could only wonder what moron thought that was a good idea. With the knowledge that this place was practically set up for a potential tragedy, he made his way into the corridor.

Zero traversed the staff only section of the theatre, noting the lack of staff. The hallways were literally empty. He also noticed there was a strange liquid tracing the floor. Upon furth examination, he realized the liquid was oil. He assumed the griffons were planning on starting a fire. A very big fire. He quickened his pace, only slowing down after finding the staff. Or should he say what was left of them. It was quite the gruesome sight, several bodies piled upon each other, each looking as if they had been on the receiving end of an animal's primal fury. The corpses had several lacerations, most likely caused by talons considering he was dealing with griffons. He crept along, deeper into the theatre, coming to a complete stop when he heard talking. He only heard one voice and it seemed to be giving commands.

"Patrol the halls again to make sure that all the staff are dealt with", shouted a gruff voice. It was a voice you would imagine a war veteran to have. "And you, make sure the oil trail wraps aroun--" the voice stopped suddenly. Zero could hear audible...sniffing? Did birds even sniff? Zero's thought train was interrupted by the voice.

"I know you're there. Show yourself.", the voice commanded.

At this point Zero would have stealthed in and killed the source of the voice, but considering the voice could sense him and Luna has specifically requested to keep casualities low. He stepped into the large room on his hind hooves, prepared for the worst. Only a single light shone in the middle, revealing the owner of the voice. His hood was down, revealing his eagle-like face. He had a large build, though Zero assumed that was natural for his kind. The imposing figure looked over Zero before speaking.

"You should not have come here, moon heretic.", the griffon growled.

"Moon heretic?", Zero replied. He's never been called that before.

"You are here on behalf of the alicorn, Luna, are you not? She and her sister claim ownership over all of Equestria when griffons should be the rightful rulers.", explained the griffon, "and we plan to make that a reality. This is only the beginning."

Zero raised an eyebrow,"You're very open with your intentions. It seems foolish."

The griffon gave what Zero thought was a smile, "It won't matter. You'll be dead soon enough."

Zero was about to give a clever reply until he saw something lunge towards him from the shadows with incredible speed. Zero, however, was faster. It seemed another griffon was attempting to strike him with the talons of it's right hand. Zero managed to get a grip on his attacker's arm, stopping the attack from reaching him at all. The griffon could have brought its other talon in for an attack, but was momentarily stunned by the speed of the stallion. Zero wasted no time, however, as he pressed the hilt of his blade against his foe's chest. His blade began to digistruct through the griffon's chest, effectively piercing it as it reached its full length. After a forceful twist of the blade, he ripped it out of his foe, allowing the griffon to crumple to the floor lifeless. Zero then realized he disobeyed Luna's orders to not kill.

"Oops", was all he said as he flicked the gore from the griffon off his blade.

The leader snarled, "Kill him", he commanded, more griffons stepping from the shadows. As Zero assumed a defensive stance, he noticed the leader griffon step out. He refocused on his new adversaries. There were four of them, all pacing around him as they waited for their moment to strike. Though he was able to deal with the first one quite easily, these others wouldn't make such a foolish mistake. Suddenly, they all lunged at him at once. He was barely able to hold off their assault and put space between him and his adversaries due to the amazing speed they possessed. He wouldn't be able to fight them with just his blade and he had just the trick to help him.

"All you see is lies/ The truth is not known to you," he vanished before them with his Gh0st, "I will bring you truth", he finished from the shadows. He wasted no time, knowing they would eventually sense him like their leader had. And closed his eyes and began to concentrate.

The griffons were surprised when the stallion they had been fighting simply vanished. They recovered quickly, as one of the griffons shouted.

"Find him!", the griffon hissed.

Before they could begin to try to sniff him out, they were utterly confused as, one by one, stallions appeared before them. But not just stallions. The same stallion they had just been fighting, but there were now four of him. They had no idea which one was the real one. Before they could pick their target, the clones charged them.

Zero noticed his clones, while capable of causing damage, did not fully possess all of his skills. Regardless, they did their job, which was to distract the griffons so he could single them out. As the griffons fought against the clones, they were helpless against the real Zero. He traversed the chaos of the battle, cutting down the griffons one by one. The first was fully decapitated by a cut precise enough to almost be considered instant surgery. The rest followed suit, having no chance to stop the invisible reaper that was Zero, their attention held by the decoys. As the last of his enemies fell, he began to search over their bodies. It was a bad habit he had picked up on Pandora. He would always loot the bodies of the bandits he had slain, occasionally finding things of great value. He noticed each griffon possessed a small, lightweight curved knife, probably used for cleaner kills when talons would make to much of a mess. He took each of them, seeing as they could have potential use in the future. Eventually, it occured to him that he was wasting time. After quickly cursing himself for being a "loot whore", he ran out the door he saw the griffon leader step through.

He ran a good distance before he caught up to the leader in an area directly behind the stage of the theatre. There was a large pool of oil in the center of the room, trailing off through the hall Zero had just come from. The griffon leader stood there, a lit match in hand. If that match were to make contact with the oil, the whole theatre would go up in flames in seconds.

The griffon smiled at Zero, "Burn in Tartarus.", he flicked the match and sprinted through a path which had no oil trail, obviously prepared especially for an escape. Zero was extremely calm considering he's was about to be burned to cinders. Zero sighed as he simply caught the match with his magic before it hit the ground. His hood had hidden the fact he was a unicorn from the griffons.

Zero simply shook his head as he blew out the match, "What a fool.", he said before resuming his chase. The griffon had planned to escape through a skylight in the main room of the theatre. Zero followed him out onto the stage, confusing much of the audience. Before the griffon could take off, Zero shut the skylight windows tightly with his magic, locking the griffon in. Realizing he had no obvious route of escape, he turned to face the stallion that has been causing him so much trouble.

"You are unnervingly persistent.", the griffon said as he slowly backed his way towards the audience. He had an idea.

"So I've been told", Zero replied coldly. He had his prey cornered and he was savoring it.

"However", the griffon began, "I will not allow you to have me so easily." With a lightning fast movement, he grabbed one of the ponies that made up the audience. Zero stared in horror as his foe took a hostage. But it was no ordinary hostage. No, the hostage he took was none other than Rarity. He stopped making his way towards the griffon as he brought his curved knife up to the mare's neck.

"Let. Her. Go", Zero hissed, fury lining his words.

"My fate is sealed", replied the griffon, "I know I cannot defeat you one on one. I just wish to claim one more of these pathetic ponies' lives.", He slid the flat side of the blade across Rarity's cheek. "My, you are quite the pretty one", he cooed.

Zero's mind was running in overdrive. This griffon did not seek to use Rarity as an escape ticket. He simply wanted to claim one more life before his own was taken. Zero couldn't find a logical solution to the problem. Then, he said something he thought he would never say.

"Take mine", was all he said. The griffon raised an eyebrow as Zero continued, "The guards will be here soon to finish you, so I am no longer needed. I offer my life over hers."

The griffon smiled devilishly, "You offer the life of the one who claimed some of my best fighters in exchange for the life of this simple mare?"

"Yes", Zero replied, dropping the hilt of his blade and his Gh0st on the the ground. He approached the griffon, kneeling once he got close enough. "I assume you follow some sort of warrior code?"

"I do. The griffons are a very warlike people.", replied the griffon.

"Then you would find it only fair if you took my life and none others?", Zero continued.

The fact this stallion was willing to bring in codes of honor into their deal established his credibility. He truly was prepared to give his life for this mare. The griffon would have considered it an act of supreme generosity and selflessness if it weren't so foolish. He released his grip on Rarity, whom was completely speechless. She had listened to Zero's words, but could not believe he was sacrificing himself for her. She could only watch in horror as the griffon approached her, for the second time now, savior.

The griffon stood in front of Zero, savoring the moment of the execution. "I agree to your terms." He turned to face the crowd, "This is what awaits all of you", he said, referring to the execution he was about to perform. With saying that, he attempted to turn around, but found he couldn't. In fact, he couldn't even feel his legs or arms. He could only stand there as a voice whispered into his ear.

"A fatal error/ You have just foolishly made/ Never turn your back", Zero spoke softly. While the griffon leader turned around to face the audience, he had pulled out one of the daggers he procured from the griffons earlier and stabbed him in the back, right below the neck, effectively damaging the griffon leader's spine beyond repair. The griffon could only fall to his knees, unable to move anything besides his head.

"You would break a code of honor?!", he shouted. No one dared dishonored the code.

"Code? Only fools who cannot handle the chaos that is bloodshed use codes.", Zero said with a chuckle as he looked down at his helpless opponent.

"I am a master/ Of combat; an assassin/ Win at any cost", he stated simply, beginning to walk out of the theatre.

The griffin shouted after him, "Are you going to just leave me here!? Finish me!"

Zero stopped, turned to face the griffon and smiled.

"I told Luna I would keep one alive for questioning. Lucky you.", and with that he walked out into the night, followed by a rather confused Rarity.

Benev0lence

Zero slowly trotted away from the theater, ignoring the screams of outrage from the griffon. He began to pick up his pace when he noticed the guards arriving at the scene. It wasn't that he was worried they would try to apprehend him. Rather, He didn't want to to be recognized as a hero again and have to face the crowd of reporter ponies. He certaintly did not enjoy that experience. After getting a significant distance away from the theatre, he found a public bench and took a seat. He allowed himself to rest and noticed that he was being followed this whole time by Rarity. He nodded towards her.

"Miss Rarity."

She wore a look of utter bewilderment, "What just happened back there?", she asked.

Zero grinned as he answered her literally, "Was it not obvious? I prevented an attack against Canterlot by the griffons and ended all but one of their lives."

The mare shook her head. Her mind went into shock when she was taken hostage and she was still trying to piece everything together. "I mean specifically when that one griffon grabbed me. He clearly intended to take my life but instead you offered your own life in exchange. Would you really have given you're life for me?", she asked as if it were a simple question.

Zero frowned as he pondered the question. The answer was yes and no. No because he knew soon after examining his foe further that it would not need to come down to giving up his life. However, he was fully prepared to stop the griffon from harming Rarity, regardless of what it cost. In truth he would have done this for any of his other friends, such as Fluttershy or Rainbow Dash. They had been nothing but supportive towards him since he had been in this world. He was closer friends with these ponies, whom he had only spent two weeks with now, than anyone he's known back in his own world for his whole life. He felt the need to give back to these ponies. His answer decided, he spoke up.

"Yes", he replied softly. Zero was completely caught off guard by what happened next. The mare leaned forward and pressed her lips against his. It was his turn to be shocked as she kissed him. He quickly pulled away, not exactly enjoying this act of affection.

"That was unneccessary.", he stated.

"Oh I'm sorry...I just thought...I must look so foolish now.", she stammered

Zero glared at her. He wasn't sure how she could have thought that he would enjoy something like that. He wiped his face with his hoof.

"Do not do it again or else I may not save you next time.", he warned.

Rarity pouted. "And here I was hoping to win you over for our little challenge earlier. You are going to be much tougher to crack then I thought."

Zero chuckled lightly, "I shall never crack/ It is not in my nature/ You should just give up." He got up from the bench and began making his way to the palace in order to report his mission's success to Luna. Rarity stayed behind a bit before beginning to walk behind him.

"Never.", she whispered to herself.

As the two made their way to the palace, Zero decided to tell Rarity of his meeting with Luna earlier. He explained how she had asked him to investigate for any suspicious activity during the show and that was the reason why he had not returned after saying he had to use the restroom. Rarity nodded as he told his story, no longer mad at the fact he had ditched her earlier. As they approached the palace doors, one of the guards spoke up.

"Might wanna be careful in there", he warned. Zero did not get the reason for the guard's warning until he entered the throne room to see Celestia and Luna having a heated arguement.

"I gave you an order to not take action against the griffons but instead you go behind my back and do so anyway!", Celestia spoke in a terse tone.

"I did what I felt was right, sister", hissed Luna, venom dripping on the word "sister".

Before the two could continue, they both noticed Zero as he entered.

"You!", shot Celestia with fury lining her voice, "I should have know you were up to something earlier! Why I even gave a savage such as yourself a chance to prove your worth is beyond me."

Luna quickly rose up in his defense, "If this noble stallion had not done as I commanded, hundreds of ponies would have been lost in the theatre as it burned. You heard what the guard reported. There was oil lining the entirety of the structure. The griffons clearly meant to set it ablaze."

"That is not the point! The point is that Zero should not have been involved in this at all! We cannot trust him!", shrieked Celestia.

Zero had enough. He was fed-up with Celestia's bullshit. He drew his blade, his gaze locked with pure hatred towards the white alicorn.

"I will take no more/ Of your judgement without proof/ I will make you see."

Luna and Rarity gasped while Celestia returned the glare. Rarity began to whisper to Zero in a concerned voice.

"As much as I agree that Celestia is being rather unreasonable, that is no reason to start a fight. And besides, she possesses powers bordering upon godly!", she said in a hushed tone.

"Gods can still bleed.", he replied with a tone devoid of any emotion.

Before things could escalate any further, Luna once again spoke up, "Will neither of you see reason? Fighting will get us nowhere!"

Celestia kept her unblinking gaze on Zero, ignoring Luna. "You take action behind my back and now you openly threaten me. What is stopping me from throwing you into the dungeon?", she asked.

"How about the fact I saved one of your 'Elements of Harmony'?", Zero replied.

Upon hearing this, Celestia immediately recognized Rarity standing by the stallion's side. "What do you mean?", she inquired.

"Rarity was in attendance of the show. Had I not done what I had, she would have died along with hundreds of others. I did not do Luna's will to defy you. I had orginally decided to decline her request. It was the fear that harm may come to Rarity that convinced me to go through with it. I was not going to allow her to be hurt.", as he finished, he felt Rarity nuzzle his side.

Celestia had no response. Once again, the stallion made her appear foolish for assuming something that was not true. Knowing her apology would mean nothing to him, she simply told him, "Leave.", in a quiet tone.

"Gladly.", was Zero's reply as he turned to walk out into the night again. He stopped, however, as Luna called out to him as she approached.

"Wait!", she shouted, catching up to him, "I didn't get a chance to thank you for what you have done. I am especially grateful that you left one alive for interrogation. I promise I will find a way to repay you."

Zero simply shook his head, "Consider it an act of charity. You need all the help you can get with Celestia." He once again began walking out into the night, Rarity in tow. As they made their way to the station to return to Ponyville, Rarity began to speak.

"Those things you said back there...", she didn't finish her statement, instead continuing her thoughts, "I really must make this all up to you one day."

Zero pondered her statement for a bit. "I'll think of something.", he stated.

Upon arriving back in Ponyville after a quiet ride in the train, the two ponies parted ways. Rarity again thanked Zero as he disappeared into the night. He took his time as he made his way home, admiring the beauty of the night sky. The embrace of darkness was always comforting to Zero.

"Shadows before me/ Darkness consumes my vision/ Night is my true home", he stated to himself.

Upon arriving at his home, he noticed a note had been taped to his door. He pulled it off and began to read.

Hey Z! It's me, Pinkie! I was wondering if you'd be able to come by Sugarcube Corner tommorow. I wanted to ask for your help with something super duper important in a few days. Dashie told me you went to Canterlot, so I left the note here. I hope you'll be able to make it!

Zero sighed. He knew he would eventually have to deal with the ball of energy that was Pinkie Pie. Atleast he wouldn't have to worry about actually spending the whole day with her until later in the week, if what she said in her note was accurate. He had planned on giving himself a free day or two considering his amazing progress with Celestia's challenge. He stepped inside his home and removed his gear, hesistating slightly when removing his cloak, Phant0m. He really did love it due to the way it looked and how useful it was earlier. Despite the questionable behavior of the mare, he couldn't argue with the quality of her work. He made his way to his bed, laid upon it, and began to ponder his life so far in Equestria. He couldn't help but wonder how the situation fared on Pandora. He was sure the other vault hunters were suffering without him.

Axton fired a full clip of his combat rifle in the direction of the bandits before throwing down his Sabre Turret and taking cover behind a nearby wall, his two companions joining him shortly after. He began to speak with them.

"Do you guys feel like we're missing something?", he asked.

The siren Maya answered, "You're right. I thought there was four of us. What happened to that guy who dressed like a ninja? He kinda creeped me out."

"That weirdo?", replied Salvador the Gunzerker, "Didn't he speak in poetry or something?"

"Yea, that's right. I remember he wouldn't even use gun. I can't tell you how many times he passed on an amazing piece of equipment that a bandit dropped because he insisted on only using his sword."

The three vault hunters looked at each other before shrugging, "I'm sure he's fine", finished Axton as the three of them continued their quest for guns, guns, and more guns.

Unexpected Visit0r

Despite Zero's absence, the three Vault Hunters on Pandora continued their fight against Handsome Jack. They finally tracked him down to the site of the Vault, only to have him unleash the Warrior upon them. After a long and monumental battle that involved several thousand bullets and plenty of near death experiences for the hunters, they brought down the Warrior to the disbelief of Jack. As he ranted on about how the Vault Hunters were the savages and he was supposed to be the hero to defeat them, Axton simply put a bullet between Jack's head with his sidearm. After it was revealed to the Vault Hunters, along with Lilith, Mordecai, and Brick, that the Vault Key would be able to lead them to even more vaults, the group was ecstatic. Everyone except Mordecai, that is. As much as he was one for a challenge, he wasn't the same ever since Jack had taken Bloodwing from him. Mordecai swore vengeance against Jack, and now that he's gotten it, he wasn't sure what to do next. He still planned to go with his friends to hunt for the other vaults, but only because it would give him something to do. Until the time to go vault hunting came, he had to find a way to spend his free time besides drinking. He found his solution in the new group of Vault Hunters. He would go with them as they continued clearing out bandit outposts and any Hyperion Facilities that still remained on Pandora. Things went pretty well for the most part. That is, until the day he got into an arguement with the siren Maya over loot distribution.

"What could you possibly need a sniper rifle for?", questioned Mordecai. He couldn't see why the siren, who primarily used elemental powers, would need a Jakobs rifle.

"I feel like I need something to help me with those longer range encounters.", she replied.

"But I specialize in long range combat! I should get first dibs on any sniper rifles.", he retorted.

They continued for quite a bit, each giving more reasons for why they should get the gun. It was rather trivial considering they would probably find a better one five minutes later. As their arguement went on, they decided to have a duel over who would keep it. It was a standard fight for the most part as they traded shots, both skilled in gunplay. It wasn't until Maya attempted to phaselock Mordecai did things get out of hand. Normally, the phaselock would have caused incredible amounts of pain to Mordecai. However, since Maya had been following Lilith's practice of using Eridium to enhance her natural siren abilities, instead of a basic phaselock, she created what appeared to be a miniature black hole. Despite Mordecai's resistance, the black hole began to pull him inside of it.

"You bitch.", was all he managed as he was fully enveloped by darkness.

Approximately eight hours later in Ponyville, Zero began to stir. He quickly went through his morning routine and stepped outside in his dark attire. He had some time before Rainbow Dash was going to come to him about their training, so he decided he would roam town in hopes of finding something to do. His aimless wandering was interrupted as he heard a scream coming from the center of town. After mumbling something about never getting a break, he sprinted off towards the disturbance. As Zero approached the town's plaza he was surprised to see that, in the middle of a crowd of confused ponies, was a stallion standing on his hind hooves with a frighteningly long hunting knife in his right fore hoof. Furthermore, this stallion had what appeared to be a long barreled rifle strapped to his back. Zero wasn't even aware that there were guns in Equestria at all. This didn't stop him from speaking up.

"Put your weapon down.", commanded Zero.

The stranger shot him a dangerous look, "I don't know where the hell I am and I'm sure as hell not going to let my guard down.", the stallion stated. Zero took the time to examine the stallion. He was crimson red in fur color and had a strange mane that involved very pointy looking black hair as well as a pair of wings that marked him as a pegasus. His eyes were brown and had a cutie mark of some sort of bird of prey, most likely a hawk. What stood out the most was the fact that the stallion seemed to have facial hair on his chin in the form of an unkempt goatee. He repeated himself.

"Drop. your. weapon."

"Make me.", challenged the stranger. Zero lunged, his blade already constructed, at the newcomer in hopes of disarming him. He was surprised to see his blow was blocked by the stallion's own blade. This stallion was no stranger to combat. Zero quickly recovered and began to unleash a flurry of precision strikes. The sight was awe inspiring as blade met blade again and again, sparks showering off at each connection. The two stallions took turns striking at each other, only to be blocked and countered. Eventually, Zero decided to hold one of their collisions, blades locked against each other as the two warriors held their positions.

"You are impressive/ Not many can withstand me/ I will savor this", Zero stated. His opponent assumed a look of disbelief after hearing Zero speak in haiku. He jumped back to provide space between him and Zero in case his assumption was wrong. He spoke up.

"Wait a second... There's only one person I know who speaks like that. My God, is that you Zero?", the newcomer asked.

Zero lowered his blade slightly at the mention of his name. "How do you know of me?", he counter questioned.

The stallion only chuckled,"This is crazy. It's me, Mordecai.", he informed.

It was Zero's turn for disbelief. "Mordecai? How did you get here?". He was stunned. Mordecai was the only person he ever remotely related to. They both qualified as assassins and both enjoyed the beauty of a clean kill. He was the closest person to a friend back on Pandora. Zero couldn't believe he didn't recognize Mordecai's signature blade. It was unique to Mordecai, much like how Zero's blade was unique to him. He fully lowered his blade, having no intentions of continuing the fight.

"I..don't have a clue", replied Mordecai with a shrug, "I got into a fight with Maya and somehow she warped me here. I have alot of questions though, beginning with why the hell am I a horse with wings?"

Zero chuckled slighty. He should have figured a siren would have been behind Mordecai's sudden appearance. He motioned for Mordecai to follow.

"Come. I will answer as best I can on the way.", he quickly turned to the gathered crowd, "There is nothing to worry about. This was simply all an act. Return to your daily routines." He led Mordecai away to his home, leaving behind the crowd, many of them still mesmerized by the blade fight they had just seen.

Zero gave Mordecai a very lengthy explanation of everything he had learned since arriving in Equestria. Mordecai only shook his head as Zero continued to talk. Eventually, they arrived at Zero's home as Zero was finishing up. He looked at Mordecai to see his reaction.

Mordecai laughed slightly, "Man, this is insane. So I'm now in a world that consists of talking ponies and I'm one as well? What the hell?", he sighed lightly before continuing, "So you've been here all this time? When you didn't show up with the rest after that attempt to steal the Vault Key, I had assumed you were dead along with Roland.", he finished, gritting his teeth upon bringing up his friend's death.

Zero frowned at that last statement before answering, "Yes." Zero opened the door to his abode and invited Mordecai in. They both took seats at a table before Zero decided to begin asking questions.

"How did you adapt so well to the new body?", he asked. Mordecai had seemed completely comfortable with his new form during their fight.

"I really don't know. At first I was stumbling around like a moron, but then one of those ponies approached me and began to talk. I guess I sort of freaked out and let instinct take over.", Mordecai answered.

Zero nodded at his response, for it was similiar to how he had learned. You tend to learn things quicker when you believe your life depends upon it. He decided not to question why Mordecai would think a talking pony would attempt to harm him. He instead asked Mordecai how the situation on Pandora fared.

"We finally got that bastard Jack.", Mordecai informed him. Zero noticed the solemn tone in his friend's voice.

"Are you not happy that you have gotten your revenge?", Zero asked. He had remebered the time Handsome Jack had birdnapped Bloodwing from Mordecai. He remebered because he had to fight the bird after it had suffered through experimentation at the hands of Hyperion. It was one of the fews times he did not wish to fight because of the amount of suffering it caused Mordecai.

Mordecai gave Zero a saddened look, "It felt good for a little bit. But eventually it faded and I was left with nothing. Bloodwing is still dead, nothing is going to change that. Even after we found out there were even more vaults out there to explore, I still didn't care."

Zero nodded again. He couldn't sympathize with Mordecai, for he had never experienced a loss like his. Bloodwing was his best friend. Even during the periods of time he had been going out with Moxxi he still held the bird in higher regard. Before the two could continue their conversation, someone knocked on the door. Zero got up and answered, not surprised to see Rainbow Dash before him.

"Hey Z! You ready?", was all she asked. Zero nodded at her before turning to Mordecai.

"Would you care to accompany us?", he asked.

"In what?", replied Mordecai.

Rainbow Dash answered him, "Z here is gonna teach me some of his awesome fighting moves!"

Mordecai raised an eyebrow, "Some training eh? Sure. It's not like I have anything else to do."

Zero quickly introduced Mordecai to Rainbow Dash as they made their way to the field. Mordecai couldn't help but laugh at Dash's name. He thought some of the names bandits took to calling themselves were dumb, but "Rainbow Dash" was just plain stupid in his opinion. Dash didn't take kindly to this as she mumbled something in reply about Mordecai being a dumb name too. As Dash prepared herself for her lesson, an idea came to Zero.

"Spar with me", he said in the direction of Mordecai, whom shot him a quizzical look.

"Huh?"

"Fight me. I wish to show Dash combat between two veterans. Unless you've grown weak in my absence.", Zero said with a smirk.

"You're on.", replied the hunter. The two pandoreans removed everything they were carrying before facing each other.

Then they began.

A flurry of hooves was all Dash could see as the two stallions fought. Zero fought with a deliberate and precise style, making sure each blow was aimed at a place of weakness on his foe's body. On the other hoof, Mordecai's style was very abstract and freeform, allowing him to easily adapt to the style of Zero. Occasionally, one would land a blow on the other, but the fight was never one sided. After 15 minutes of intense combat, the two stallions realized that neither was going to prevail over the other. They stepped back from each other, panting.

"You impress further/ I am proud to call you my/ Equal in combat.", acknowledged Zero. He now had a rival he could attempt to overcome. It brought a drive in him to further sharpen his skills.

"That was so awesome!", squealed Dash as she squeezed her cheeks. Zero nodded towards Mordecai before turning to begin his lesson with his student. Mordecai sat there and watched for a bit before turning to face his rifle that was laying on the ground. He hadn't had a chance to attempt to fire it since waking up. A fear sat deep inside him, for he wasn't sure he would be able to fire it in his new form. Pushing his worries aside, he picked it up and began to examine it. It was a rifle manufactured by Maliwan, its bullets capable of coating targets in the vulnerability inducing slag. Though he prefered Jakobs himself, he couldn't argue with the effectiveness of the gun. He raised it up and took aim, relieved that he was able to barely fit a portion of a hoof over the trigger. It wasn't the most comfortable firing position, but he would adapt. He took aim at a nearby tree and pulled. A hole the size of a pumpkin opened up on the tree as the bullet ripped through it. Mordecai had turned the slag generator of the rifle off, but the damage was still incredible with a normal bullet. Mordecai turned around to see both Zero and Dash staring at him.

"What the hay was that!?", Dash shouted.

Zero was about to explain that it was a weapon from where he came from, but realized no one yet knew that Mordecai was from Pandora as well. As far he knew, Luna was still watching Celestia to make sure she wasn't doing any more mind probing, so Celestia wouldn't know of his presence. He quickly made something up, "It is an invention of Mordecai's. It can hit a target from a distance, removing the need to get close." Zero shot Mordecai a glance that said he would explain later.

"That's pretty sweet! I can't wait to kick flank like you guys do!", she exclaimed. The lesson continued as normal with Mordecai watching. Zero was able to finally teach Dash some defensive technics since she had the stance on two legs mastered. Another hour later, Dash decided to call it a day. She quickly thanked Zero and took off, leaving the two stallions to themselves.

"So why did you lie to her about the gun?", Mordecai immediately asked.

Zero sighed and went into another explanation. He explained that, though they knew he was from Pandora, they did not know that Mordecai was. When asked why it would be problematic if they knew where he came from, he continued on to explain his challenge with Celestia and how irritating she could be. Zero did not want to put Mordecai through that.

Mordecai nodded, understanding Zero's intentions, "I see. Thanks for watching my back then, I guess. So what should we do now?"

Zero looked up and saw there was still time left in the day. "We shall return to my home. There are still things I believe I haven't told you yet. Did I mention anything about magic?"

Mordecai shook his head, "Don't think so. What do you mean by magic? Like that siren bullcrap?"

Zero only smiled, "No. It's much, much more." With that the two stallions made their way back to Zero's home. Zero was quite content. He would finally have someone to discuss his combat exploits with and not worry about getting strange looks.

"It is convenient/ That you have come to this world/ I have much to share", stated Zero.

Mordecai understandably gave him a strange look.

R0und F0ur: Laughter

Zero and Mordecai arrived at the former's home after finishing another lengthy conversation, this time involving the three types of ponies and the differences between them. As they stepped inside, Mordecai could only slowly shake his head at everything he was just told. He finally looked up at Zero.

"So you can use magic and I can fly.", he said as he flexed his wings. He hadn't really paid much attention to them since he came to Equestria. He was too busy panicking. " So how does it work? Do I just flap or something?"

Zero gave him a light frown, "I have no clue. I had to do some reading before using magic. Maybe you could try a similar approach or find someone to teach you."

Mordecai returned the frown, "I don't like those options. Hopefully I can figure it out on my own. I prefer to do things that way anyways." He paused for a moment before continuing, "So tell me more about that challenge you have with that princess. All you really told me was that she's a bitch basically."

"I am to come to a full understanding of the "Elements of Harmony", which represent different aspects of...friendship. There are six total and each are represented by a particular pony. I am to spend a full day with each of these element bearers in hopes of understanding the element they represent.", answered Zero. A realization hit him. "Speaking of which, I am to meet with one of them today." Zero had completely forgotten about his meeting with Pinkie.

Mordecai nodded, "Don't let me keep you. I'm sure I'll be fine."

Zero shook his head, "No. First we find you/ Something to do while I'm gone/ You'll not be idle."

Mordecai shrugged as he followed Zero back outside again.

Zero lead Mordecai through town before finally coming to his destination: Twilight's treehouse. He figured if anyone would know of a task to keep Mordecai occupied, it would be Twilight. He approached the door, knocked, and was greeted by a familiar glow enveloping the door and opening it. He stepped inside with his companion following suit.

"Hey Zero! It's been awhile since I've last seen you.", remarked Twilight.

Zero nodded towards her before noticing that the pegasus Fluttershy was also in the room. She appeared to be in the process of checking out some books.

"Miss Fluttershy.", he said with a smile.

The mare jumped slightly before turning to face whoever called her name. She returned the smile as she recognized Zero and then quickly cowered behind her mane as she also noticed the stranger next to him. Zero grinned at her reaction towards Mordecai and decided to introduce them.

"Fluttershy, this is Mordecai. He is a friend of mine.", he stated. Fluttershy peeked out slightly.

"Well if he's a friend of yours...", she fully revealed her face with timid smile, "It's nice to meet you, Mordecai."

Mordecai nodded towards the mare before Zero asked her a question. "What are you doing here, Fluttershy?"

"Well I've been taking care of this poor, sick phoenix that I found near the Everfree lately and I don't know much about them to treat it effectively. I thought maybe one of Twilight's books could help.", she answered.

Mordecai spoke up this time, "Wait. Did you say a phoenix? You're joking right?" He then realized things that did not exist back on Pandora could very well exist here.

"No.", replied the mare in a quieter tone after being questioned by Mordecai, "I really do have a sick phoenix to take care of."

Mordecai chuckled slightly, "Now this I've got to see. Mind if I come along? I'm a fan of birds myself and wouldn't dare miss an opportunity to see a real live phoenix."

Fluttershy visibly lit up at his last remark, "You like birds too?"

"Of course. I used to have a pet, though I considered her more of a friend. That is, until she passed away.", Mordecai finished with a hint of sorrow.

Fluttershy grew sad at Mordecai's statement, "Oh.. I'm sorry.", she then smiled at him, "I would enjoy your company if you know so much about birds. Maybe you can help me!", she exclaimed.

Mordecai smiled back, "Sounds good. I'll catch you later, Zero." And with that, Mordecai left with Fluttershy.

Zero could only shrug. " I'll not question it/ The result came out the same/ My job is finished", he said to himself as he left, leaving behind a rather confused Twilight.

"Wait! Was there something you needed?", she called out before sighing.

Zero wasted no time getting to Sugarcube Corner. As he approached the building, the door was thrown open to reveal the pink party pony.

"Hey there! Didn't think you would come!", shouted Pinkie, "I'm so glad you did, though! I've got a big favor to ask." She stepped aside to allow him into the bakery with a huge grin glued to her face. Zero made his way in before speaking.

"What do you require?", he simply asked.

"I need your help with a task of the utmost importance", she began, taking on an unusually serious tone.

"And?", Zero pressed on.

"It will be a challenge greater than you've ever faced before!", she continued.

"And?", Zero pressed further, noticing that he was beginning to get excited.

"I need you to help me with....", she paused. Zero was grinning with anticipation at whatever challenge the mare could possibly have. The way Pinkie put it, it sounded like she was about to command him to slay a dragon. As he thought about the endless possibilities, he was interrupted as she continued.

"I need you...", she repeated, "To...", Zero glared at her for her delay.

"Help me bake!", she finished with one of her signature smiles.

"I acc-", he stopped himself as the mare's words sank in. Did she really just ask for his assistance in baking? Zero could not possibly think of a more pointless use of his time. He frowned at her before replying.

"No", he stated.

"But I need your help with a baking competition coming up!", she replied.

"No", he repeated. He couldn't help but find this conversation frighteningly familiar.

"It would be a perfect opportunity to get to know each other better!", she pressed on.

Zero would not be forced into something he did not want to do again. "No"

"Come on Z! There might be some super cool reward for you when you're done! Like a skin customization or something!"

Zero stopped for a second, "Wait, what?"

"Err...Nevermind. Bad habit.", she explained as she rubbed the back of her head with a hoof, "But seriously! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it!-", Zero interrupted her before she could drive him insane.

"No. That is final."

A spark of realization appeared in Pinkie's eyes, "Oooooh! I get it! You're afraid because you don't know how to bake!"

"I am not afraid.", Zero shot back with a glare.

"Then why don't you prove it? Huh? Huh?", she continued endlessly.

Zero growled, "Fine! I will help you/ If only to silence you/ You're worse than Claptrap"

"Yay!", she shouted before hugging him.

Zero only stood silent before her. He could not believe he had gotten himsef in yet another ridiculous situation.

Pinkie continued, "We'll begin tommorow in the afternoon, okie dokey?"

"Fine.", Zero replied before turning to walk out the door.

"See ya tommorow, Z! Oh and say hi to Ember for me!", she quickly placed a hoof over her mouth,"Oops. Did it again."

Zero only shot her a questioning gaze before walking away towards his home. Who the hell was Ember?

While Zero was being manipulated once again, Mordecai was enjoying his time with Fluttershy. He enjoyed the seclusion from the town that her cottage provided as well as the mare herself. They had just finished up a conversation of their joint love of birds before arriving at Fluttershy's home. She led him into her home and brought him to one of the rooms in the cottage. That's when he saw her. She had to be one of the most majestic birds he's ever had the pleasure to lay his eyes on. She was a shade of deep red, much darker than his own fur. The phoenix's beauty only added to the pain he felt when he noticed that one of her wings was bandaged. Mordecai quickly made his way over to the bed the phoenix was resting on. He tenderly brought a hoof down to inspect the injured wing. He was relieved that it seemed to only be sprained,not broken. He noticed that the bird was looking up at him. It dawned upon Mordecai that the bird wasn't sick or injured. She was simply sad, most likely due to the fact that her injury kept her grounded. He began to affectionately run his hoof gently through the phoenix's feathers, noticing the warmth they generated, before speaking up.

"She's not sick.", was all he said.

Fluttershy gave him a confused look, "What do you mean?"

"She doesn't like being cooped up in here. Have you considered letting her outside for some fresh air?, he questioned.

"Well..I...no. I really thought she was very sick and didn't think bringing her outside would be a good idea.", she responded with a frown.

Mordecai nodded, "Makes sense." He then leaned over and attempted to pick up the phoenix. At first she struggled, but eventually settled down as Mordecai placed her upon his back. "Let's get you outside." He trotted outside with his new passenger. He immediately noticed the improvement of the phoenix's attitude as the wind began to rustle her feathers. She attempted to take off but was stopped by Mordecai's hoof.

"Whoa there. It's still a little too early for that. You need to recover.", he said. The bird shot him a strange look before giving him what he assumed was a nod. She continued sitting there, perched on his back. Fluttershy came out to join the two.

"I guess you were right.", she said with a warm smile, "You certaintly do know how to communicate with birds."

Mordecai began rubbing the phoenix's chin with his hoof, "I get that a lot." He continued like this for a while before speaking again. "Would you mind if she stayed with me for the time being? I think some time spent outdoors will do her some good. And besides, I enjoy her company."

Fluttershy held her smile, "Of course it's okay with me. She seems very fond of you as well.", she noted as the phoenix began to nuzzle Mordecai. Upon hearing Fluttershy's answer, Mordecai reached around to his gun and pulled something off that was attached to it. It was a talon. Bloodwing's talon.

"Is it okay with you?", he whispered to himself, looking up at the sky while rubbing the talon. He had acquired it when Bloodwing had accidently got it caught in a bandit's leg after tearing deeply into him and managed to dislodge it. It was her first kill and he had kept the talon ever since as a reminder of how proud he was that day. He allowed a tear to fall as he recalled the memory. Eventually Fluttershy spoke up again, not noticing his sorrow.

"First, we should probably give her a name.", she said.

Mordecai pondered for a bit before speaking, "Ember." He found it appropriate because she would be the ember that would spark meaning to his life again. Some might say that this is an early assumption considering he had just met the bird, but he knew deep down that they were meant for each other. He smiled as he looked out into the distance.

"Ember.", he repeated, "I like that."

Fluttershy lit up at the happiness her new friend was now experiencing, "That's a pretty name. I'm sure you two will be the closest of friends."

Soon the sun began to set and Mordecai decided it was time to leave. After a heartfelt "Thank you" to Fluttershy, he left with his new companion in tow. He began to speak to Ember on the way.

"Do you think Zero will be cool with you living with us?", he asked. Ember clearly shook her head.

"Yea, me neither.", he concluded as the sight of his temporary residence came into view.

"This is wonderful./ You bring a bird to my home./ Care to explain this?", was Zero's reaction to Mordecai's new pet. He had just finished his training session with Rainbow Dash and was not in the mood for any surprises.

"Don't worry about it, man. She won't bother you none.", Mordecai said reassuringly.

Zero only sighed. It could be worse. His home could be like Fluttershy's with various critters literally living beside the cottage. "Fine.", was his response.

"Thanks man! I'll make it up to you one day.", Mordecai replied with a smile.

Zero nodded to his friend as he made his way to his bed and laid upon it. He thought about his schedule tommorow and frowned at the idea of his quality time with Pinkie. Not only did she represent laughter, something he did not indulge in often, but she was also forcing him to bake. He couldn't help but blame himself for getting into this mess.

"Tommorow, I bake/ What the hell was I thinking?/ I am a true fool.", he concluded.

J0y

Zero awoke the next day begrudgingly. He took a much greater time with his morning routine, not in any particular rush to meet the day's activities. The only positive side to the day, in his opinion, was that he would be able to atleast have another training session with Rainbow Dash before his adventure in baking. He made his way out of his home, heading to the field that served as the site of his meetings with Dash. Despite there not being anyone at the site, Zero knew she was watching him. She always did. She enjoyed their sessions so much that she would push anything aside in order to get an early start. As Zero reached his destination, he was unsurprised to see a rainblow colored blur rocket down from an above cloud.

"What's up, Z?", she said with a smile, "You're early today. What gives?"

"I wish to start our lesson early. I have a meeting with Pinkie Pie later in the day.", he replied

"What for?", she pressed on.

Zero sighed, "I am to bake."

Rainbow Dash burst with laughter, "Bwahahahaha! You? Baking? You've got to be kidding!"

He glared at her. "This is not amusing.", he stated coldly.

Dash settled down after wiping a tear from her eye, "You're right. I actually feel bad for you. You're gonna make a complete fool of yourself.", she finished with a grin.

Zero ignored her teasing and refocused on the reason they were both here. "Assume your stance.", he commanded.

Dash immediately raised herself on her hind hooves as she took on the combat stance Zero had taught her. He noted how much her stance had improved as she was much quicker and maintained her balance perfectly. He nodded towards her, a sign for her to begin to warmup. It consisted of a basic combination of punches and kicks in order to prepare her for whatever Zero planned to teach her. Since he allowed her 10 minutes to do this, he decided to pull out a tome he had brought with him. It was a simple book that involved elementary level teleportation, but he knew he could make it much more. Since the spell required little effort compared to more complex spells like his illusion conjuration, he figured he could cast it multiple times in quick succession. He continued his studies until he saw that Dash was beginning to wind down. He abruptly shut his book.

"Very well. I will now teach you something new.", he stated as he walked over to her. He motioned her aside as he assumed his own stance. He stared at the emptiness ahead of him, pulled his right fore hoof to his side, and forcibly jabbed it forward, turning his body slightly to the left along with it. The force of the blow was impressive, potentially able to flat out break bones. Dash watched attentively at his display.

"A precise attack/ Useful for stunning your foe/ A true Cobra Strike.", he finished as he allowed himself to relax.

"Cool! Let me try!", exclaimed Dash as she pushed Zero aside. He could only smile as he watched her attempt the Cobra Strike in vain, for the move was deceptively complex. If the right amount of force was not applied, then you risked losing your balance. He watched her stumble about for several minutes before intervening.

"It will come to you eventually. For now, we review."

Their lesson continued as normal as Dash practiced the various basic techniques Zero had already taught her. After several hours, Zero decided it was time to stop. Rainbow Dash said her thanks and he began to make his way to Sugarcube Corner. Dash remained there by herself and eventually took a nap that lasted a good part of the day. It wasn't until a figure appeared behind her did she get up. She quickly turned around and relaxed slightly when she recognized the face.

"Gilda? What the hay are you doing here? I haven't seen you since flight school!", Dash asked.

Gilda the griffon stood imposingly before Dash, ignoring her question. "Where is he?", she hissed with fury evident in her voice.

"Where's who?", Dash replied, slightly confused.

The griffon gave her a look of grim determination, "Zero."

Zero began to formulate a plan of action once he arrived at his destination. He had very limited cooking skills, only enough to sustain himself. Hell, he could barely make a mediocre breakfast. This, however, did not mean he wouldn't try. He never half-heartedly attempted a challenge and this was no exception. If he had to wing it then that's what he'd do. He approached the bakery and once again the door was opened before he could reach it.

"You're right on time, Z!", shouted Pinkie. Zero was not going to enjoy listening to her incessant talking for the next couple of hours. She continued, "I just set everything up! Come on in!"

He nodded towards her and walked inside, spotting the tools he would be using for the day on a nearby counter. Immediately noticeable was the ungodly amount of sugar. He truly hoped that they would not be using all of that, for he was quite sure you could kill a bullymong with that much sweetness. He took note of the various other ingredients, but did not recognize them. This was going to be one hell of a challenge. Pinkie had him remove his equipment and gave him an apron to wear instead.

"You are kidding.", Zero stated as he examined the apron.

"Well, we don't want to get sugar all over your nice clothes, do we?", replied the mare.

He only sighed as he tied the apron around his back, "Anything else?"

"Nope! Let's get this party started!", she shouted. Zero was led to the counter of ingredients. The mare had planned to make a cake along with several batches of cupcakes. Pinkie quickly explained exactly what they would be doing and he was surprised at how basic the actual set up was. Pinkie had him mix the batter as she threw in plethora of ingredients in a certain order. After mixing for several minutes, Pinkie took the batter away from him and began pouring it into the various molds she had set up. After finishing with preparations, Pinkie placed the molds into a pre-heated oven and turned to face Zero.

"Once they're done the real fun will begin!", she exclaimed.

"Can't wait.", he replied dryly.

"Oh come on, Z! Cheer up! I'm sure you'll have a blast once we start decorating!", she assured.

Zero sat there in silence as Pinkie began to ramble on about random, unrelated topics.

"...and that's how Equestria was made!", she finished. She noticed her companions blank expression before a question popped into her mind.

"When was the last time you laughed, Z?", she asked.

The stallion shrugged, "I cannot answer."

"Well that's no good! We've got to fix that!", she said with concern, "Everypony needs to laugh every once in awhile. It's only natural."

Zero raised a hoof to silence her, "There's no point to it/ It is not neccessary/ I'll live without it."

She visibly saddened, her mane and tail deflating slightly. They quickly resumed their original forms, however, as a loud ringing noise was heard.

"Oh goody! They're done!", she happily trotted over to the oven and began checking over the newly baked goods to see if they were cooked through. Upon finishing her inspection, she began to spread an alarming amount of icing over the cake they had prepared. She brought the cake out to one of the tables in the bakery that Zero was sitting at and placed it in front of him.

"Here ya go! Now start decorating!", she said with a grin.

"Err...how exactly?", he asked.

"I don't know. Get creative! This cake is gonna be for Twilight and the others. I only need the cupcakes for the competition.", she finished as she went back into the kitchen, leaving behind a rather puzzled Zero. He wasn't sure how to even begin. He decided he would simply sculpt the icing into some sort of crude picture. He stood up and went over to where his gear was stored. He quickly took hold of one of the daggers he had hidden inside his cloak and made his way back to the table and began. He gently placed the blade of the dagger into the icing and began to sculpt. He had no clue what he planned to draw and so thought about the recipients of the cake: the six element bearers. He payed close attention to his strokes with the blade, making each one precise and deliberate. He continued this for several hours until Pinkie interrupted him with a loud gasp.

"Z! It's amazing!", was all she could get out.

He shot her a questioning look before backing away from the cake. Looking back at him from the cake's surface were the faces of all six of element bearers. The detail in each of their faces was incredible, each one easily distinguishable from the others despite them all sharing the same color due to there only being one type of icing. He then looked up to notice a small crowd had gathered to observe his artistic display. As he lifted his cake in order to admire it up close, he was stopped when the door to the bakery was thrown open, a particularly angry griffon in the door's frame.

"You!", she shrieked while pointing a talon at Zero.

He shot her a questioning look, "Hrm?"

She glared at him, "You were the one who killed those griffons in Canterlot, right?"

He nodded slowly, "Yes. Why?"

He didn't get an answer as the griffon leapt at him. He wasted no time with surprise, his horn already beginning to shimmer. Right before the griffon collided with him, he teleported to the doorway she was just at. He didn't want to fight her inside the bakery for a bystander might get injured. He sprinted outside and was met by a frantic Rainbow Dash.

"Is she here!?", she wasted no time asking.

Zero didn't answer as his attacker was already stepping outside behind him. He noticed the worried look she shot towards the griffon, rather than him. She knew who this griffon was.

"Don't hurt her.", Dash pleaded, confirming Zero's suspicions.

He turned to face the griffon and then realized he had none of his equipment. Instead, he was still holding the cake. Gilda rushed him again, hatred obvious in her eyes. In response, his tossed the cake in the air,grabbed her as she charged by him, threw her to the ground, and caught the cake in one blur of motion. He was not about to let his last few hours of work go to waste. He decided to try and reason with his opponent.

"What have I done to anger you so?", he questioned.

Gilda looked up at him, "You killed him. You killed my father."

The ponies that had been watching from the safety of Sugarcube Corner gasped.

"Is that true, Z?", asked Rainbow Dash cautiously.

He shrugged in response, "If it is, then he was one of the attackers in Canterlot."

Gilda calmed slightly at the mention of the attack on Canterlot, "He...lead the strike force. I told him not to do it. It was a suicide mission."

Zero interrupted her, "You said he led them?"

Gilda raised, "Yes. Why?"

"I didn't kill the leader", he stated.

The griffon gritted her teeth, "You liar!", she shouted as she lunged at Zero again. He met the brunt of her attack and quickly turned her own momentum against her, pushing her to the ground and holding her there. While doing this, he suspended the cake in midair.

"Control yourself now/ Or I will be forced to act/ You do not want that.", he warned.

Gilda struggled under his surprisingly strong hold, "I'll control myself once I kill you for what you've done."

Zero began shaking his head. "Your ignorance blinds you. Your father is not dead. I only crippled him." Zero did not see much of a difference between the two. Gilda's father was most likely never going to move on his own again.

As much as she wanted to believe the stallion was lying, she could tell he was speaking truthfully, "But they told me everyone on the mission had died!"

"Your people are based on honor. It is more honorable to die in battle than to be kept as a prisoner. He is most likely in the Canterlot Dungeons as we speak." He pulled himself off the griffon, allowing her to get up.

Gilda couldn't believe what she was being told. Everything Zero had said made sense. They would have most likely covered up the fact her father wasn't killed to spare his family the shame. Despite the possibility of her father being alive, she wasn't going to let Zero off the hook. She knew, however, that he was too strong for just her.

"You better watch yourself. The griffons will get you back for what you've done.", she hissed while taking off with amazing speed into the sky.

Zero sighed at the foreboding warning he was just given. The last thing he needed was even more trouble.

"Thanks Z. For not hurting her.", said Dash as she patted Zero on the back.

The blow on his back caught him by surprise and broke his concentration. He watched in silent horror as the cake he was just levitating quickly met with the ground. The crowd, whom were still watching, gasped again, prepared for all hell to break loose. Dash realized her folly and began to apologize.

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to do that!", she explained.

"Not the cake!", squealed Pinkie. Pinkie knew Zero would not be happy. He had just spent the last several hours creating the masterful artwork that was etched into the cake's icing.

Suddenly, to everyone's surprised, Zero began to chuckle. But this was much more than one of his normal chuckles. It was a genuine laugh. He couldn't help but laugh at the humor of the situation. He spent all this time defending this cake only to have it destroyed by the last person he would have expected. The other ponies began to join him in his laughter and Pinkie was ecstatic that her friend was laughing. However, he soon abruptly stopped and shrugged.

"Still don't see the point.", he commented before walking back into the bakery, followed by the pink mare.

"That's no fair! I really thought you were enjoying yourself, too.", she replied sadly.

"I never said I did not enjoy myself. I just do not express it the same way as you do.", he replied as he gathered his gear and removed the apron he was still wearing.

"But I want you to laugh! Why won't you laugh!?", she shouted.

"I cannot answer that. But it does sound like a worthy goal for you to persue. A challenge", he said with a grin.

"Eh, I'll get you to laugh eventually. No doubt about that."

Zero gave her a strange look, "That's....a bold statement to make. What makes you so sure?"

She grinned at him, "Well isn't it obvious, silly? If I didn't win then the story wouldn't be as interesting!" She quickly covered her mouth with a hoof. "If I keep this up, Voriz is gonna take me out of the story completely!"

Zero only shook his head as he left Pinkie to her ramblings. He knew well enough now that once she started to talk nonsense, it was time to leave. He smiled as he made his way home.

"What a strange pony/ There is no logic to her/ A true mystery."

An0ther Pr0blem

As the early hours of the morning approached, something stirred Zero from his sleep. Initially, he was confused and it wasn't until he took a deep breath did he realize the problem. He smelled smoke. Assuming that his house had somehow caught fire in the middle of the night, Zero jumped out of his bed, quickly made his way to a window, and swung it open so he could step outside. However, he saw that it wasn't his house that was on fire. Rather, it seemed the whole town was on fire as a gigantic cloud of black smoke hovered ominously over Ponyville. He immediately scanned for any fires, but was unable to find a single one. He turned to see that Mordecai was already outside, looking in the direction opposite of Ponyville with Ember perched on his shoulder.

"What is happening?" Zero questioned.

Mordecai raised a hoof and pointed towards a mountain that was barely visible in the distance, "It's coming from up there. Something big must be living up that mountain."

"What makes you think that?" replied Zero.

"I sent Ember up there to scout around. She heard whatever it is causing all this smoke snoring in a cave at the top of that mountain. She couldn't actually see what it was due to the smoke being too thick," answered Mordecai.

Zero nodded as he saw that the smoke did indeed seem to be coming from the mountain. "Perhaps the others will know more."

Mordecai returned the nod and the two of them made their way into the center of town.

It wasn't long before the two encountered a mass of ponies, all talking amongst each other in concerned tones. The two stallions took their place off to the side as they noticed Twilight preparing to address the crowd.

"Everypony calm down," the mare shouted, "The smoke is not the result from a fire." The crowd let out a sigh of relief. "Instead, the smoke appears to be coming from a dragon who has taken residence in one of the nearby mountains.", she finished. The crowd immediately fell into chaos again at her words. Zero took this time to get close to Twilight and speak with her.

"A dragon? Like Spike?" he asked.

Twilight shook her head slighty, "Spike is only a baby. This dragon is full grown and much, much larger."

He nodded and then turned towards the crowd, "Silence."

The ponies complied, all of them turning to face Zero. They all knew who he was at this point. They knew about his fight against the Diamond Dogs. Some even knew of his involvement in stopping the attack in Canterlot. They especially knew that, if Zero spoke, they should listen.

Upon gaining the full attention of the crowd, Zero continued, "I will handle this/ The dragon will be put down/ You will all be safe."

The ponies began exchanging glances. What Zero planned to do what quite simply insane. One did not simply "slay" a dragon. But despite their doubts, they accepted the stallions statement. It's not like they had a better alternative. The crowd quickly dispersed, leaving Zero, Twilight, and Mordecai behind.

"Princess Celestia has already asked my friends and I to handle this situation. She wishes this to be dealt with diplomatically," Twilight said once the crowd was gone.

"Your going to try and reason with a dragon? How the hell do you plan to do that?" questioned Mordecai this time.

"I'm sure there's a way to convince the dragon to leave without anypony having to get hurt," she replied.

Zero spoke up, "Then you will not mind if we join you. Just as a safety precaution."

"Well," Twilight began, "I'll leave that decision up to the others."

"Fair enough," he replied as the three of them made their way to the meeting place Twilight had told her friends to gather at. They arrived to see that the rest of the group was already waiting for them. The rest of the group except a certain pegasus, that is.

"Where's Fluttershy?" Twilight asked her friends. They all gave her looks that said they had no clue.

"I haven't seen her," said Rainbow Dash with a shrug. The others also stated they had not seen her today.

Zero nodded, "Then she must not have left her cottage." He wasted no time waiting for a response from the group as he took off in the direction of Fluttershy's home. Mordecai shook his head before turning to the group.

"We'll be back," was all he said before following Zero.

Mordecai caught up to Zero right before arriving at the cottage. Zero quickly approached the door and gave it a light knock. After several moments, the door cracked open to reveal the timid pegasus. Upon realizing who was at the door, however, she opened the door fully.

"Hello Zero," she looked over to the other stallion with Zero, "Hello Mordecai." She smiled warmly.

Mordecai responded first, "Hey Flutters. You know your friends are waiting for you, right?"

Her smile quickly faded, "Oh um...about that. I was going to go with them, but then Twilight told me about the," she visibly shrank, "Dragon."

Mordecai gave her a reassuring look, "I know you're afraid but your friends need you. Your way with animals might help them reason with the dragon. And besides, if you don't go, who's Ember going to talk to?" He smiled as he pointed a hoof at the phoenix perched on his back.

Fluttershy lit up, "You're going with them to?"

Mordecai nodded, "Zero and I plan to. Just in case anything goes wrong, we'll be there to protect everyone."

"Oh...well in that case," the mare began, "I guess I'll go. For Ember's sake."

Zero shrugged, "That works."

The three united with the rest of the group and they soon began their trek to the mountain. Their journey was mostly uneventful, though Fluttershy would occasionally refuse to move as the group began to hear the dragon in its slumber. The only way to get her to budge was to place her between Zero and Mordecai, where she would take turns cowering behind one or the other when she was frightened. After surviving an avalanche that Fluttershy inadverently caused, the group found their way to their destination. They settled themselves outside a cave in which the trail of black smoke was emanating from. Twilight began informing the group of her plan for removing the dragon from the cave. Zero payed her no mind, for her plans did not involve him. Instead, he joined Mordecai, who was sitting a good distance away from the group against a rock.

"Do you think they'll be able to reason with it?" Mordecai asked as Zero took a seat next to him.

Zero shook his head, "It is unlikely."

They both watched as the various attempts of their companions to get the dragon to move failed. It wasn't until Rainbow Dash prepared to go in did they pay close attention.

"Let me show you guys how it's done," Dash said to her friends. Before Zero could stop her, she darted into the cave. Several moments later, she came back out, fear evident on her face. Then, the whole mountain began to shake as what he assumed was the dragon began to move inside its cave. Then he saw it. The dragon approached the group of ponies, each step producing a thunderous sound. Zero slowly drew his blade, eyes locked on the great beast before him. The creature was atleast five times the size of the manticore he had faced before and was clearly much more powerful. Zero grinned, knowing that this wasn't going to be easy.

"Badass approaching/ This will be a true challenge/ I shall enjoy this."

The dragon rose to its full height and looked down at the ponies. "I have had enough of you incessant ponies.", he growled. The dragon took a step closer, "You will leave my mountain or you will become my next meal. Your choice."

"I choose neither," stated Zero as he sprinted at the beast, raising to his hind hooves as he got close. The dragon watched in amusement at the bravery this particular stallion was exhibiting. Eventually, the dragon brought down a hand to crush the pony. Zero easily dodged it and latched himself onto the dragon's arm. He attempted to drive his blade into the dragon but was met with a loud clang, his blade harmlessly bouncing off the dragon's scales.

"Uh oh.", was all he managed before the dragon flicked him off with a single claw, launching Zero back towards Mordecai. Zero twisted in middair and landed on his hooves, minimizing the damage. Mordecai was looking at him with a grin on his face.

"You done jumping the gun yet?" asked the hunter.

Zero shot him a look, "Do you have an idea?"

"Just one.", Mordecai replied as he drew his rifle and flicked a switch on the side of it. The tubes that ran through the gun began to fill with a purple sludge-like substance Zero recognized as slag. He took aim down the rifle's scope before speaking again, "Go for the weak points." He took a shot, a direct hit on the dragon's left leg. The shot itself didn't seem to phase the dragon, but that didn't matter. What mattered was that, where the shot had connected with the dragon, there now was a large purple patch of slag. Zero immediately understood Mordecai's plan and sprinted towards the dragon again. Dodging another predictable attack by his foe, Zero managed to reach the dragon's left leg and climb to the slag stained area. He once again attempted to drive his blade into the dragon, but this time he was able to pierce the dragon's scales. Zero grinned as the dragon yelped in pain. Despite his disgust with slag, Zero could not argue with its effectiveness. His grin was soon wiped from his face as the dragon slapped him away with surprising speed. He slid across the ground a short distance before stopping and steadying himself.

"Ouch," was his response as he rubbed his head. He then continued his assault with the aid of Mordecai. They striked at random, hitting various points on the dragon's body in hopes of not developing an obvious pattern. The dragon would occasionally get lucky and return the blows to Zero. Despite the progress he was making, Zero was taking a lot more damage than he was dealing. Finally, Zero decided to pull back and reconsider his tactics with Mordecai. As he did this, however, the dragon swung his tail with blinding speed, catching both the stallions off-guard and launching them against the nearby rocks. Zero tried to raise himself, but found his body was reaching its limit. He raised his head to see what his foe was doing and was horrified by what he saw. The dragon was no longer paying him any attention. Instead, he was now approaching his friends, whom were backed onto the edge of the cliff. He knew that the two pegasi in the group would be able to save themselves and one or two others, but some would have to be left behind. He wasn't going to force them to make that decision. He slowly rose to his hooves, ignoring the pain tearing through his body. He turned to Mordecai who managed to sit himself up and was now groaning about needing alcohol once they were done.

"One more shot," Zero commanded Mordecai.

The pegasus gave him a confused look, "What makes you think this one will be any different?"

Zero did not have time for questions. "Do it. Aim for the head."

Mordecai was going to argue that Zero should back down but saw the cold determination in the stallion's eyes and instead shrugged, "Fine. I don't see how you're going to get up their in your state." He aimed to take one last shot at the dragon, a clear view of the left side of the beast's face. He held his breath to steady himself, shot a quick glance towards Zero, and pulled the trigger, the sound of the shot ripping through the air.

As soon as he heard the gunshot he requested, Zero began to make his way to the dragon in a rather slow pace. He took one look at the dragon, whom was now refocused on him, and closed his eyes. He began to concentrate, conjuring up the now much more familiar powers of a unicorn. His horn began to shimmer lightly but soon intensified, coating the area around him in a cerulean glow. He was not casting any spell he had practiced. He was simply allowing the magic to flow through him, as if by instinct. The radiant glow began to envelop his blade, random sparks of arcane energy arcing off of it. He began to quicken his pace, not sure how long he would be able to maintain the magic. The dragon grinned, impressed by the perseverance of the stallion. Noticing that the unicorn was not moving at his usual quick pace, the dragon rose a foot and brought it down upon Zero. After grinding his foot into the ground in order to make sure the stallion was truly dead, the dragon turned his attention back towards the group of ponies. Before he could even approach them, however, he felt a small weight upon his head. He tried to get a look at what was on his face, but stopped once a familiar voice began to speak.

"This is between us/ They have no part in our fight/ You shall not have them.", said Zero as he brought the blade deep into the dragon's face. The dragon growled as a spike of pain ran through his face. Before he could remove the stubborn stallion, the pain in his face grew immensely. As the blade found its mark, it unleashed a magical shockwave that tore the initial piercing wound wide open. Zero quickly teleported himself away from the dragon and watched as the wound he had just created bled profusely. The dragon was stuck in a state of complete disbelief, for he had never seen himself bleed as heavily as he was now. Unsure of what to do, he did the first thing that came to mind: He ran. The dragon launched himself into the air and flew away in order to allow his wound to heal. Once his foe was out of sight, Zero allowed himself to fall to a knee, fatigue overwhelming him. He looked over to see Mordecai approaching him with a grin on his face.

"What a bitch. He could have slaughtered you if he didn't back out," the pegasus informed Zero.

Zero only returned the grin, knowing perfectly well what Mordecai just said was completely true. The rest of the group had trotted over in order to tend the two fighters' wounds. They both shrugged them off and began making their way into the cave.

"What are you two doing?" questioned a concerned Twilight. She had just seen them both take quite the beating and they still persisted on moving.

Mordecai turned to face her and smiled. "We're going to go see what loot that dragon was hiding in there."

Zero and Mordecai were not surprised to see the massive hoard the dragon had. Gold littered the floor and there seemed to be an endless supply of jewelery and gems. They didn't care for these things, however, and began looking for anything that could benefit them. They went their separate ways as they explored the hoard. Eventually, Zero saw something that caught his eye. He trotted over to the point of interest and saw that he was looking at a longsword submerged in the sea of gold. He got a grip on the hilt and pulled it from its golden tomb, immediately examining its features. It was a great deal heavier than his own blade, but not so much heavier to the point where it was a burden. He did not recognize the metal it was constructed of but admired the light gray color of it. Despite being unused for a long time, the blade was still extrememly sharp. The blade was a perfect balance to the one he owned. Before he could continue his examination, he was interrupted by Mordecai.

"Zero! You gotta see this," was all the hunter said. Zero walked over to the pegasus in order to see what was so important. As Zero approached, Mordecai held out something towards him. "Look at this."

Zero looked at the object in his friend's hand and was completely taken aback. There, in Mordecai's hoof, was a shard. A shard of something he knew all too well about. He took hold of the shard and examined it, comfirming his suspicions.

He was looking at a shard of a Vault Key.

Realizati0n

Zero was unsure what to think. The presence of a Vault Key on Equestria revealed many things. To start, Equestria was not another universe, but rather just another planet of the same universe as Pandora. Second, from what Mordecai had told him about the contents of the previously opened vaults, this new vault could contain another being of immense power. Zero wasn't sure if the ponies would be able to handle something such as that.

"What should we do?" Mordecai finally spoke up.

Zero thought for a moment before responding, "Let's keep this to ourselves. No need to worry anyone. If we have this piece, then the key must not be completed yet, if anyone else even knows about it at all." Zero placed the shard into his pack as the rest of his friends caught up to him.

"Are you two insane!?" shouted Twilight. "You're both gravely wounded and all you care about is what the dragon has in his hoard? Especially you Zero. You're still bleeding!"

Zero shot a glance down to confirm that he was indeed still bleeding. However, his wounds weren't nearly as severe as the ones he had gained from his bout with the manticore. He returned his gaze to Twilight and smiled.

"We are quite alright. We've both been through much worse. I believe it is time for us to leave, before the dragon realizes his wounds are not nearly as severe as he may think," he stated.

The mares nodded in agreement and soon the group began its descent back down the mountain. The walk did no favors for Zero as pain began to ripple through him every step. Despite how minor they seemed, a wound was still a wound. Eventually Rarity broke away from her friends and helped Zero.

"Allow me. It's the least I can do," she stated as she supported him. Zero allowed her to aid him as they continued their descent. The trek continued mainly in silence until Rarity decided to strike up a conversation.

"So did you find anything good?" Zero shot her a questioning glance before nodding. He stood on his hindhooves and withdrew the blade that was strapped to his back. Rarity frowned before continuing, "Anything else?"

"What do you mean?" Zero replied with rising suspicion as he sheathed the blade.

"I could have sworn I saw you put something else into your pack. Much smaller than your weapon there," she answered.

"There was nothing else of value," he lied while shaking his head.

"Nothing else of value? That cave was filled to the brim with gold and jewels! How is that not valuable?" she persisted.

"They hold no value to me," Zero began, "I only take that which will enhance my abilities in combat, nothing more. The same goes with currency. It is only used as a means to further improve my arsenal or myself. That was all that mattered where I came from. The pursuit of the perfect arrangement of weaponry so no one and nothing could stand before you."

He thought for a second before finishing, "Weapons made the man/ Survival of the fittest/ Life was bought through death."

"Death?" Rarity inquired.

"Of others. It was a kill or be killed enviroment. The fact that I still live is testament to my skills," Zero replied.

As impressive as his explanation was, Rarity did not believe him. Before she could press him further, however, Zero was visited by Ember. The phoenix perched herself on top of the stallion, slid her head underneath his cloak, and began rummaging through Zero's pack. Zero turned around in time to see the Phoenix withdraw something from his pack. Something he did not remember placing there. The phoenix had pulled out a rather large ruby and proceeded to drop it into the outstretched hoof of Zero. Rarity smiled at this exchange.

"Atleast she's honest," Rarity teased.

Zero shot a glance back at Mordecai, who answered with a sly smirk. Zero simply shrugged and look back towards Rarity. Without warning, he tossed the ruby in her direction. With surprising reflexes, she caught the gem and began examining it immediately. After a few seconds she refocused on Zero.

"For me? Are you sure?" she asked cautiously.

Zero nodded, "I'm sure you will find more use for it than me."

The mare lit up. "Oh thank you!" she exclaimed while hugging the stallion, "I promise I'll make this up to you! Come to think of it, I have some designs you might like." Zero only replied with a grunt of pain which caused Rarity to release him. "Oh sorry. Forgot about that. I'll just leave you be then. I have to discuss something with Twilight." And with that, Zero was left to himself again. The rest of the walk went uneventful in Zero's mind. He did hear mentioning of a "cider season" that was supposedly arriving earlier this year for some unexplained reason, but he paid no mind to it. Eventually the group arrived back in Ponyville, but were reluctant to part ways with Zero. After yet again assuring them that he was perfectly fine by himself, they let him leave. Mordecai, however, decided to follow Fluttershy to her cottage after she offered to treat his injuries, which were nothing compared to Zero's, personally. Zero suspected this was not the only reason, but he figured it was none of his business.

Now truly alone, Zero found his home, entered it, and plopped himself onto his couch. Sleep was elusive and boredom began to set in. With a sigh, Zero rose and removed the Vault Shard from his pack. He couldn't help but feel this shard was connected to the events in Equestria as of late. From what he knew, the griffons, despite their dislike of the ponies, had never openly showed aggression like they had done several nights ago. A nation would not make a move as large scale as a attack on the civillian populace unless they felt as if they had an upper hand. Zero's thoughts then drifted to Celestia. Could it be possible she knows of the vaults? It would explain her initial reaction to his arrival somewhat. Before he could ponder further, a knock was heard at his door. Curious as to who could be knocking, he approached and opened the door. He was surprised to see Applejack awaiting him at the doorway. Easily the least known of the six elements to him, Zero can't recall a time he's actually conversed with the farmer pony. She spoke up, breaking his train of thought.

"Ah'm not interrupting, am I?"

Zero shook his head and invited her in, "Is there something you need?"

"Yea, but I reckon you'd also benefit from it as well," she replied.

Zero nodded, "Continue."

"Not sure if you've heard or not, but cider season is arriving earlier this year than normal. Ah'm not really sure why but that doesn't matter. What matters is that me and my family are going to be swamped with extra work in order to prepare for the opening of the season. I was hoping you might be able to help us out and we'll consider it as a day spent with me. That sound good to ya?" Applejack finished.

The deal sounded simple enough to Zero. He would be able to knock out the element that would have caused him the most trouble with some simple farm work. Granted, farm work didn't seem all that interesting but he couldn't see a reason not to accept. He smiled at the mare.

"I will do the work/ Bringing me one step closer/ To my victory"

Applejack chuckled, "They weren't kidding when they said you're weird at first."

Zero shrugged, "Say what you will. Is there anything else you need?"

"That should be it. Oh wait, I wanted to thank ya for what you've been doing with Rainbow. Since you've been working with her, she's been out of my mane as of late. I can't tell you how much of a relief that's been. Don't get me wrong, I love the pegasus to death, but she can be a bit much after a while, kinda like Pinkie," she explained.

"I've more or less disciplined her enough to the point where she no longer bothers me. I quite enjoy her company, in fact. It gives me a partner to train with," Zero replied.

Applejack shrugged, "If ya say so. The opening of cider season will be in a few days so make sure you get your rest. From what you've been through today, I'd say you're gonna need it." With that, the apple farmer left Zero's home. Zero resumed his place on his couch and sighed, fully prepared to fall asleep. He once again pondered on all the problems the presence of a Vault Key could bring to Equestria. As sleep finally fell over him, someone far away stopped listening.

Luna was digesting the information she had gained from probing Zero's mind while on one of the higher balconies of the Royal Palace. As much as she was against it, she felt it was neccessary due to recent events. She was soon joined by Celestia.

"Did you find anything new?" Celestia inquired.

"It is hard to tell, but I feel it would do no harm to call him in once again. It seems he may have made a similiar discovery to ours and knows what it is," replied the princess of the night.

Celestia nodded and looked out into the distance. She remained silent for several minutes before speaking again, "I fear ill times are ahead of us, sister. The shard we found has a strong magical aura and I cannot imagine what would happen if all the shards were brought together. We aren't even sure how many of them exist! I truly hope Zero can clarify their purpose." The princess of the sun retreated back into the palace, leaving Luna to herself. Luna considered contacting Zero directly, but decided against it. Bringing the fact that they too possessed a shard to his attention might bring unwanted worry. She did, however, plan to contact him soon in order to once again invite the stallion back to Canterlot. Luna did not tell her sister the specifics of what she heard in hopes of not frightening her, but according to Zero's thoughts, this vault could unleash an evil more powerful than anything ever before seen in Equestria.

She had every right to be very worried.

Mordecai, along with Ember, made their way back to Zero's home as night began to set in. He did not simply walk, however. Instead, he was "hopping", taking a few steps then flying a short distance with the assistance of his wings. The quality time he had been spending with Fluttershy was not just to be in her company. In reality, Mordecai had secretly asked her to teach him how to properly use his pegasus wings. Though he original shunned the idea of finding a trainer, he felt unnaturally calm with the idea of Fluttershy helping him and eventually decided it was for the best. She was reluctant at first, stating pegasi had to go through flight school in order to properly learn how to fly. After much persistence on Mordecai's part, she eventually agreed to aid him. Even though it's only been a week, Mordecai was already able to suspend himself in the air, albeit for only a brief time. Regardless, this showed that he truly was a fast learner, a skill that was a neccessity for a hunter in order to adapt to any situation. He grinned at Ember before taking on a mocking tone similiar to a certain assassin.

"I have learned much now/ And flight will soon be in reach/ I really cannot wait."

Ember shot him a disapproving glance and he only chuckled. "Too many syllables on the last one? Well shit, it's not as easy as I thought. Guess I'll just leave the poetry to him from now on." Ember nodded as if in agreement and the two made their way to their makeshift home in Equestria in order to get some well deserved rest.

The Pr0blem

Light. A bright light. This was all he remembered after being forcibly teleported by the siren, Lilith. It had all happened so fast.They had released "Angel" from her torment and retrieved the Vault Key, but while Roland, Lilith, and himself reveled in their so-thought victory, Handsome Jack had appeared, ending Roland's life and enthralling Lilith with a strange collar device within a matter of a few seconds. Jack was furious at the recent death of his daughter Angel, whether because of his fatherly nature or because he was angered at losing his catalyst for the Vault Key is unknown. As Jack ordered Lilith to strike our hero down, Lilith was able to commit one last act of defiance, teleporting our hero far, far away. She, however, may have teleported him a bit too far, not knowing the limits of her own power.

Zero began to stir, unsure as to whether or not he was still alive. He would not have been surprised had that burst of unstable, eridium-infused siren energy instantly vaporized him. After a few seconds of composing himself, he attempted to stand. He immediately noticed how sore his body was as a jet of pain shot through it, causing him to grunt as he steadily raised himself. Second, he noticed that he was not raising himself with hands. Rather, it seemed his arms and legs were replaced with....hooves?

"It seems I have hooves/ What a strange predicament/ Could it get stranger?" Zero spoke to himself in one of his infamous haikus.

Zero began to turn his head, examining the rest of his body, coming to the full realization that he was, indeed, a horse. He was a dark ash gray stallion with a short and untidy black mane, piercing red eyes, and upon his flank, he noticed, was a dark red "0", much like one others would see upon his visor occasionally. This thought brought to his attention the fact he no longer had his visor as well as the rest of his combat armor. Normally, this would concern him, but considering the main purpose of his attire was to maintain his anonymity, he doubted anyone would be able to connect his normal form to this new equine one. However, the absence of his suit's secondary function was worrisome, for his suit had an attached stealth modulator which allowed him to completely disappear from sight. Without this, Zero felt nearly naked. The only thing that would normally prevent him from feeling fully nude was his blade, which he had seemed to also misplace.

"Not good." He stated needlessly to himself.

It was then that it caught his eye. His stealth modulator, cleverly named "Gh0st", lied several feet away from him. As he scrambled to retrieve his lost piece of gear, Zero realized just how hard walking on four legs actually was. After several embarrasing falls, he arrived at his destination with a basic sense of equine movement. Upon reaching his device, however, he realized another problem had arisen. How the hell was he supposed to pick it up? After several minutes of failed attempts at using both his hooves to "sandwich" his device in order to raise it, he had given up. As he stared with defeat at the reflective metal object, he managed to catch a glimpse of his face in its surface. However, his attention was not focused on his face itself, rather, what was above his face. He apparently had a horn. After a curious look between his legs to see that a certain part of his body had not been....misplaced, he examined his new feature with curiosity. It was ivory in color, giving it the appearance as if it were a bone of some sort. What this new feature was use for, however, was far beyond him.

"The situation has become even stranger" He mumbled.

With no more shocking revelations to be revealed, Zero finally took a moment to examine his surroundings. He was at what seemed to be the edge of a forest, for there was a dense cluster of trees to his one side and a plain to his other, both connected by what looked like a road. Zero decided to travel the road leading to the plain, for in the distance he believed he saw some structures. Normally, he would avoid structures due to the possibility of bandits, but a feeling in his gut told him that he was certaintly not on Pandora anymore.

As Zero continued walking his path, lightly kicking his Gh0st module along with him for he did not want to leave it behind, he stopped as he got a clearer view of what he believed was a village and noticed a great deal of movement. Upon closer inspection, he realized that these structures did indeed form a village.

A village of ponies.

Zero stared on with disbelief, unable to comprehend was he was seeing. Not only was he himself now a horse but he could be in a world potentially made up of horses! After several minutes of staring with his mouth slightly agape, Zero finally regained his senses as his mind began to process his options. His most obvious course of action would be to simply march into town, but Zero was not fond to drawing attention to himself for he noticed that this village was one of those settlements where one person knew everyone else that lived within the village. He would immediately be labeled as a stranger. On the other ~~hand~~ hoof, he could simply avoid the village and keep his distance until he became more accustomed to his new body. Before he could come to a decision, however, a flash of pink caught his attention. He noticed it accelerating towards him at an alarming rate and as he prepared himself for impact he was surprised to see the "flash" was actually another pony who stopped directly in front of him and wasted no time before beginning to speak.

"Ohhh! You're not from town are you? I know everypony in Ponyville and I've definitely never seen you before!..." The pink mare ranted on.

Zero easily blocked out the hyperactive voice so he could focus on it's owner. He was looking at a mare who had light pink fur, a darker pink mane that was poofy and curly, and light blue eyes. He noticed that she also had a mark upon her flank, but in place of his zero, she had three balloons, 2 blues ones on both sides of a yellow one. His examination was cut short when the mare had, to his disbelief, picked of his Gh0st module.

"What's this thing do?" The mare said as she began to shake the device everywhich way in order to discern its purpose.

Zero was mesmerized at how she was somehow able to handle the device with her hooves. It shouldn't be physically possibly, but there she was making it seem like it was common knowledge, which it was. Finally breaking out of his trance, he spoke up cautiously.

"I must inquire/ How it is possible to/ Hold things with your hooves?" Zero asked calmly.

"What kind of question is that, silly? You just do! Although since you're a unicorn you might not use your hooves." The mare responded, ignoring his odd speech style and pointing towards his horn.

Zero gave a questioning look "I don't understand/ What does this horn have to do/ With holding objects?"

"Well duh! You can use your unicorn magic!" She replied innocently.

That was enough for Zero to label this strange pony as insane. Magic. She had just said that he was potentially able to use magic. The closest thing to magic he's ever seen is the powers of a siren, but considering they were only female and they were very few in the universe, he doubted he was one. With one last questionable look at the strange mare, he scooped the Gh0st module from her grasp and managed to clutch it against his chest with one hoof. As he began to walk away from her towards town, he was stopped as she blocked his path, moving at seemingly impossible speeds.

"Wait! You never told me your name! I'm Pinkie Pie but my friends just call me Pinkie! How about you?" She asked with a huge grin.

"Zero" He replied coldly, deciding to keep the name given to him by the people of Pandora.

"Ohhh mysterious! Make sure you're at your party tommorow!" And with that, Pinkie merrily trotted away.

"Party?" He simply repeated, now regretting ignoring her for the first half of their conversation.

Shrugging off the feeling that he was going to dread tommorow, he considered what he should do next. Finding somewhere to stay the night would be a good idea, considering the sun was beginning to set in the distance. Where he would find shelter was beyond him, however. It was then that "she" spoke to him in his mind.

"Do not be alarmed, I am here to help you." The voice stated.

Zero was taken aback by voice, having believed they would stop after Angel was killed, but then he realized this voice was different. It had a warm, motherly tone to it and he could just feel the power behind the voice.

"Look for a hollowed out tree with a door. Inside you will find shelter for the night. I will return tommorow to check on you"

Having no other choices, he obeyed the voice despite his past experience with mysterious voices. After a few minutes of wandering the village he found the tree the voice had mentioned. It was a strange sight, for despite being hollowed out and turned into a house, the tree was still green and very much alive. Deciding not to ponder on how that should be impossible, he approached the door, braced himself, and knocked gently. Despite his preparation, he was not prepared for the sight that awaited him once the door was opened. The creature that had opened the door was a small reptile-like being, much shorter than Zero with purple scales and green spikes running up its back to the top of its head. The creature spoke up in a voice that could belong to a boy in his preteens.

"I'm sorry buddy but the Library just closed. Maybe you can come back tommorow?" The creature said slightly irritated. He was obviously preparing to go to sleep.

Before Zero could respond, another voice spoke from inside the structure, this one belonging to a female.

"Oh nonsense Spike! We only just closed and I'm sure I can help whoever's at the door with finding what their looking for." The voice assured.

The creature, apparently named Spike, only shrugged as he walked back inside of the tree only to be replaced by a pony. This one had lavender fur with a violet mane with a single streak of pink running through it as well as dark purple eyes. Her mark consisted of one large star surrounded by 5 other small ones. What stuck out about her for him was the fact that she also possessed a horn. If the claims by "Pinkie" about being able to use magic are true, then he may be to ask this one about how it is done.

"Oh I haven't seen you around here before. My name is Twilight Sparkle." The mare said with a smile.

Zero considered the concept of magic for a few moments before finally responding.

"Zero is my name/ It is a pleasure Twilight/ to be acquainted."He said hoping that he had come off as polite, something he was not very used to considering the majority of his social interactions involved slaughtering droves of bandits. Her initial look of confusion led him to believe he had failed his challenge of charisma but her response surprised him.

"Did you just speak in Hayku?" She asked with a slight tilt to her head.

"Yes" He said cautiously, not used to anyone questioning the way he spoke. Most of the people of Pandora feared him too much to asked about it. He was going to miss his intimidating image.

After several minutes of awkward silence, Twilight finally spoke up "So is there anything I can help you with, Er..Zero?" She asked with a polite smile.

"I require a place to stay the night." Zero responded, avoiding the use of haikus to prevent further questioning.

Twilight rubbed the back of her head with a hoof. It's not everyday a complete stranger comes to your door and asks for a place to rest. But from what she could tell, this stallion's been through alot. "I guess you could sleep on the couch if your comfortable with that."

Zero nodded "That will be sufficient." and with that he walked past Twilight, located said couch, and planted himself on it without another word, seemingly lost in thought.

Twilight only shrugged as she went to go get some spare blankets for her strange guest.

Upon returning, she found her guest sitting on the floor looking at some sort of contraption in front of him. She noticed that he seemed to be trying to pick up the device, but to no avail.

"Do you need help there?" She asked with curiosity.

"No" Zero then slid the device to the foot of the couch. He then turned and noticed his host holding blankets. With a simple nod, he managed to grip the blankets in a similiar fashion to his Gh0st, against his chest, and returned to the couch, settling himself in. Twilight bid him goodnight, too tired to further pursue any conversation, saving tommorow for any questions she has for the strange stallion. Zero sat there in silence and examined the house he was now occupying, noticing that it was more of a library than a house due to the presence of thousands of books lining shelves around the rooms. These books may be worth checking out later if he wished to learn more about where the hell he was, he thought to himself.

He began to ponder his current situation for he had no clue as to what his current goal should be. Should he return to Pandora? Fighting against Hyperion was starting to become too easy and he was sure any of the other 3 Vault Hunters he arrived on Pandora with would be able to continue the fight without him. He dismissed his thoughts, convincing himself that he'll just tackle the days as they come and maybe the strange new voice will give him some insight on what to do and not almost get him killed like the previous voice had done.

Hopefully.

L0ve and T0lerance

Their business concluded, Zero and the two princesses sat in silence. Finally, much to the relief of Zero who for once found the silence intolerable, Twilight and her friends returned with news that dinner preparations were complete and it was ready to be served. Celestia led the group to the dining hall which was magnificient, though Zero assumed a majority of the rooms in the palace were beautiful as well. He was too caught up in his thoughts, however, to admire the beauty of the architecture as something in the back of his mind bothered him. He did not like the way Celestia had full control over their conversation moments ago. It seemed he had no leverage over her, however a sinister thought came to his mind. He would be able to deface the "pure" image of Celestia before her very own subjects if he played his cards right. He picked up his pace as he made his way to his assigned seat, eager to enact his simple yet sweet revenge.

Zero finished his meal expediently, finding it quite delicious. However, he had much bigger things on his mind than a good meal. He knew at some point Celestia was going to have to have to tell Twilight and the gang about the compromise she and Zero had made earlier. He sat in waiting until finally Celestia spoke up, just as he had anticipated.

"Now that you have all had your fill, there is a matter of great importance I must share with you.", Celestia began, "The matter concerns your friend Zero here and a...favor he has asked of me.", Celestia informed, twisting the conversation earlier into something that almost sounded innocent. Zero only gave her what he thought was a pleasant smile, allowing her to continue.

"After thanking him for his service to Ponyville, he began to ask questions concerning the Elements of Harmony." She stated with a sly wink towards Zero. He chuckled at how a supposed image of all that is good could be so diabolically evil.

"Instead of giving him an explanation myself, I found it would be much more efficient to learn it from each of you individually. And in order to aid him in his endeavors, I am allowing him to live in a recently vacated home in Ponyville. I'm hoping I am not asking too much of the six of you but I believe you'll be able to sate Zero's curiosity with a month's time in Ponyville. So can you do it, My Little Ponies?", She finished with a warm smile.

"Zero's going to be able to stay in Ponyville for a while longer? That sounds great!", exclaimed Twilight. Zero had forgotten he had said he was a traveler, which must of made it sound like he was not going to be staying in Ponyville long.

"This is awesome! He'll finally be able to show me some of those sweet moves of his!", Rainbow Dash commented with excitement.

"Yay! We're gonna be the bestest friends, Z!", shouted Pinkie.

As the rest of the six agreed, Celestia turned to face Zero. "This is of course okay with you, correct?"

He gave a genuine smile as he began response. "Of course, your majesty. But would it be too much to ask of you to stay out of my mind?", he asked loud enough for the whole room to hear.

The ponies at the table exchanged confused glances with one another before Princess Luna spoke.

"Stay out of thou mind? What doth he mean by this, sister?", She questioned Celestia.

Before the other princess could respond, Zero continued his attack. "She has been invading my thoughts for the last week, even speaking to me on occasion."

A devilish grin spread on Luna's face, "I only thought thou read his mind when he stood before us. If thou are so interested in this mysterious stallion that thou must forcibly insert thyself into his thoughts, maybe just simply asking him-..."

"Quiet, sister!", hissed Celestia, not liking where this was going.

"Is this true, Princess?", questioned her faithful student Twilight with a frown.

Celestia knew she had to get the situation under control, so she opted to turn the attention to Zero, "I only did it because he is not from this world!", she shouted, earning gasps from the assembled ponies.

Zero quickly retorted, "Am I not like you?/ Don't I share a pony form?/Am I that different?", he continued his flow, savoring the moment, "I have done nothing/ Against you or your people/ Yet you still judge me?", he was visibly angry at this point, much to the understanding of the ponies, "I shall prove myself/ I accepted your challenge/ And it shall be done."

His six companions were speechless as they awaited a reply from their leader. She noticed their gazes and spoke up, in a much humbler tone.

"I-I....You're right. I have been to harsh, but I cannot simply take your word. I must see first hand that what you say is true. And so with that, my decision stands true, you shall still abide to our compromise."

"Understandable.", Zero finished with, his response so cold that it could cause shivers, which it did, even to Celestia.

As silence hung about the room for a full minute, Luna finally broke it as she spoke once more.

"Do not worry, sir Zero. We shall watch our dear sister to make sure she no longer probes thy mind.", she gave him an assuring smile.

Zero calmed himself, granting the Princess of the Night a smile, "Many thanks to you/ It is refreshing to see/ One princess is sane." He stood up from his seat and proceeded to leave the dining hall. He walked through the streets of Canterlot, which were much less crowded than earlier. He no longer admired the beauty of the city, for only one thing was on his mind.

Showing Celestia what he was capable of.

After a couple of minutes wandering the streets, he managed to stumble across the train station he had arrived from. Noticing his train wasn't to arrive for another half hour, he took a seat at one of the appropriately placed benches, taking a moment to rest his eyes. His rest was cut short, however, as the voice of Twilight sounded before him.

"Zero...", she spoke in a soft tone. He opened his eyes to see that all six of his "friends" were there. He gave them a quick nod before closing his eyes once more.

"I'm sorry...I don't know what's wrong with the Princess, but I'm sure she didn't mean it.", the lavender mare attempted to assure him.

"You have nothing worry about, big guy. With your amazing skills, you'll be able to show up the Princess, no biggie.", added Rainbow Dash.

"Rainbow's right, darling. We all know your a kind hearted, caring, compassionate, handsome..." As Rarity continued listing qualities of Zero, she noticed he was giving her a curious look. She laughed nervously with a blush, "You get my point."

"Besides, Z's my newest friend!", stated the ever energetic Pinkie, "I'm not gonna let anypony take him away!"

"He has been nice to us so far... and saving Rarity was pretty heroic... I wish I had that kind of bravery.", murmured a quiet voice that belonged to Fluttershy.

"Ah'm sure he'll be just fine. Ah might not know him as well as yall do, but it seems to me he's got a good heart", concluded Applejack.

Zero couldn't help but smile at all the support the six ponies were giving him. He wasn't smiling due to the thoughtfulness of it all. No, he was smiling because he knew he was already winning the challenge. He again wondered why Celestia thought this was a worthy challenge.

The train ride home was uneventful. Upon arriving back in Ponyville and separating from his companions, Twilight remained to show him to his new residence. It was a normal house like the rest, but lied at the very edge of town. As he and Twilight parted ways, he took time to examine his new abode. It was small but not cramped, perfect in the eyes of Zero. It was enough for him to be comfortable, but not too big as to draw any unwanted attention. After taking a quick tour of his home, he found his bedroom and took his place in his bed, which was much more comfortable than the couch he had recently been sleeping on. It took very little time before sleep descended upon him.

He was awoken by the sound of knocking on his door. As he grudgingly got up and answered the door, he wasn't surprised to see Twilight once again.

"So how's the new house?", She asked with a smile.

He responded, "It is...sufficient. Is there something you need?"

"Actually, I thought I might be able to help you. I figured we should waste no time beginning your lessons about the Elements of Harmony. The best way to accomplish this, in my opinion, is to have you set dates on when you would spend the day with each one. I'll leave the order up to you.", she explained.

The thought never occured to Zero on which element he would begin with. Honesty? Like hell. Loyalty? Considering he was previously a hired assassin, loyalty was not well known to him. Laughter would have been an acceptable start, but he was not quite ready to spend a whole day in the company of Pinkie. Generosity? Only generous act he's ever committed was mercy killing. He then thought about kindness. Though it wasn't exactly his cup of tea, he would be spending the day with Fluttershy, whom he had noticed is extremely quiet and would make bearable company. It would be an easy start, or so he thought.

After comfirming that Kindness would be the first element he would tackle, Twilight left him with a wish of good luck. He didn't need luck where he had skill. After downing a quick breakfast thanks to the fully stocked larders that came with the house, Zero gathered his belongings, opened his door and stepped outside. He gave a light smile at the task before him.

"My challenge begins/ Nothing shall stand in my way/ Success awaits me./"