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Chapter 2: Nightmares

I have had dreams and I have had nightmares, but I have conquered my nightmares because of my dreams.

                                                                                                                                        - Jonas Salk

        We all rush out the door of the shack. “Now you agree with me” I continue running “All it took with the destruction of that building!”

        We had quickly grabbed our thing before rushing out, apparently Ember and Shimmer had packed in preparation for me to awake.

        Shimer looks at me following close behind, “Oh shut up! I don’t want to hear it” She looks to her younger brother, “Ember Get up there with thunder and scout ahead!”

        Ember turns to her and yells “Yes ma’am!” He gets a running start and jumps. he lets out a call “Come Ash!”

        A phoenix flies out of the woods. Shimer casts a spell on the bird, enveloping it in a pink light enlarging it. It flies directly under Ember and catches him in the air. The two were about the same size, only the phoenix was larger.

        I looked jaw wide open. “You two have a phoenix?!”

        Shimer answers me “It’s not mine. He won’t listen to me at all, but he’ll follow Embers every order.”

        All I could say was “Wow, that’s amazing”

        Thunder spoke astonishment on his face, “I agree completely, how’d he tame it?”

        Shimer answers “He found it in the everfree and it just clung to him.”

        “Enough chit chat” Shouted Ember as he flew a bit faster. “We have a town to save” The bravado in his voice was obvious. I wasn’t very comfortable letting him go ahead.

***

        We were close now. We could hear the fighting. There were screams of pain. We could see Thunder and Ember returning. Embers enthusiasm was completely gone, all that was left was fear and pain. Thunder was by his side, his face somber and depressed.

        Ember jumped off Ash as it shrunk to its normal size. He ran, tears in his eyes, to shimer. “It’s gone. Almost all of it!” The sobs continued. It hurt to look at him. Under all the bravado, Ember was still really young, all of us were except Thunder. It was different for me though. It was like being on the outside looking in. I saw every thing they did, but it was distant and alien for me.

        Thunder completes the thought of the crying unicorn, “The town was leveled, every one who was in there is either dead or dying. There’s nothing we can do now, but run”

        I growl in anger, “They were making an example. Kill everypony, destroy everything. Mass destruction to strike fear in the hearts of the people and leaders.” I was in new york on nine-eleven. It was a family trip to my grandparents while I was in school. I knew what scare tactics were.

        Shimer collapses onto the ground crying. “No! It isn’t true! Our parents were in there! Fighting for the guard! They can’t be dead!” She moved towards the town, “I have to go and help them!”

        Ember stopped crying, but you could see the strain in his face. He was trying to be brave for his sister, “Shimer! Stop. They would want us to be strong, and they would want us to live. The best thing we can do now, for them and for us, is to leave and wait for another day.”

I was feeling cold and heartless. I knew people, or ponies rather, were dead, but the feeling just wouldn’t come. I was never was one to cry at movies, to me it wasn’t tangible. I remembered a face tough. The mare at the boutique, then the waiter at the shop. Then the feelings came. I knew they were real, but everyone else was just as real as words on a page. Two dimensional, but the ponies I saw they were real to me.

        I step in holding back newfound tears, “Shimer, he’s right. We have to keep moving, after we find safety we can split ways if you like.”

        Thunder joins in comforting her, “They did take P.O.W.s. There’s a good chance your parents are still alive. Assuming the surrendered”

        Shimer’s crying eases to gasps of air “No. I’m staying with you. I need to help. I’m strong, I was trained by one of the best minds in Equestria” She paused breathing heavily, “Ember you need to get to our grandparents in appaloosa, you’ll be safe there”

        Ember turns to, her still in each others arms “No. I’m staying. I’m a grown stallion. I have, or I should say had, my own house. This is my decision and I chose to stay”

Shimmer nodded without saying a word, tears welling up in her eyes, “Ember please I don’t want to lose you too.”

Ember put on a fragile smile, “I don’t want to lose you either, and in my mind the best way to protect you is to be with you.”

Shimer squeezes hard making Ember gasp for breath, “Oh why do you have to be so stubborn, Ember.”

        I turn to Thunder letting the two of them work out their problems, “What’s next?”

        “I think It’s time to take a visit to Canterlot.”

        “Why? What do we need to do their?”

        He turns his back to me “We need to form a real team. And I know the two people we could use.”

        “A team, why? I still haven’t decided to help you, Thunder.”

        “Okay then, maybe the princes could help you home, if that’s still what you want.”

        I knew he only wanted me there to rook me into helping, but I guess a part of me did want to, “Alright then. To Canterlot.”

        We set off down the road avoiding the sight of the watch outside what was once ponyville.

***

        We were several miles from ponyville by now, we had be moving quite quickly for the past two hours. I fish through my bag to see what was in it. I found some emergency food and a small square of cloth bound by twine. I could see Thunder with one, He undid the string and the square inch of cloth expanded rapidly into a sleeping bag. Everything in this world apparently is magic. I do the same with my sleeping bag.

Ember lights the fire and starts to cook some lettuce, and potatoes. After mashing the potatoes, he scoops them into lettuce shaped into cups. He hands one to each of us.

        “Here you go. It’s simple but will do.”

        We all thank him and eat in silence.

***

        I fall asleep, but even my subconscious is out to get me. I fall into a nightmare. I see the ponies I killed. Evil voices calling “Why? Why did you kill us?!”

“You were killing innocents!” The place was dark, completely black. The figures were a ghostly grey.

“You are not God! You do not hold the power to decide who dies and who lives!” The ponies were approaching slowly, their mouths plastered with a mad grin.

“You Hypocrites! All you did was kill and murder! I heard what you did to those ponies in Baltamare, he told me.”

        The ponies snickered, “ Who? That deceitful pegasus Thunderclap! Half of what he says is a lie and the other half isn’t entirely true.”

        That shook me, what if I was being lied too. I didn’t trust Thunder to begin with. He seemed to have his own agenda, and I was the best candidate to fulfill his goal whatever it was. “Maybe,” I stopped, “Maybe you’re right,” A fire lit inside my heart, “But that does not excuse you! You and who ever you serve attacked a small town full of normal ponies, not soldiers! That’s not warfare, that is terrorism!”

“You still think you’re fighting for what is right? You don’t have the full story. You don’t know the truth!”

        “Nothing excuses what you done.”

        The ghost scoffed, “What we’ve done? What about you! You killed us!”

I back up, but am stopped by an invisible wall, “You deserved it! You were killers!”

“Did our families deserve it? our foles, our spouses? Every action has a consequences and here’s yours!” the forms jupt on top of me biting into my skin, sinking deep into my flesh. The only thing I could remember was pain.

***

        I burst up in a cold sweat. My mind is racing, my body shivering uncontrollably. I look up and see Thunder watching me as he sat by the fire. Shimmer and Ember were both sound asleep. My eyes drifted over to Shimmer and I stop staring for a little too long at the sleeping form.

        “It’s finally caught up to you, hasn’t it?” My attention quickly moves to Thunder, his blue eyes were staring into my own telling me he’s been through this himself. “Killing another pony is always hard, but it get’s easier. That’s something I’m not very proud to say.”

        “Does the pain go away?”

        He looks at me sadly “No it doesn’t, but it fades, Like a scar. It fades, but it’s still there.” He turns to the fire. “I can remember the faces of every pony I’ve killed. No matter how long ago.”

        I walk to his side sitting with him. “That is” Looking for words to comfort my ‘friend’ “so sad”

        He looks at me again. “I don’t need pity, I know what I signed up for. You, however, just found us. You shouldn’t even be involved, but you. You just wanted to help and got sucked into this mess.”

        “I wanted to be involved. I wanted to help you. You needed me”

        He looks at me. Straight into my eyes. “You didn’t need to do anything. We would have won without you. All you did was save us time.”

        His words hurt. With them I lost all of my importance. Now I was just another pony in this God forsaken univers. Unneeded. Unimportant. Anger welled up in me I was shouting. “What about you! You believe me for no reason to my knowledge! You have told me barely anything about yourself and have basically left me to wander by myself!”

        His expression doesn’t change as he stares at me calmly. That only angers me more.

        “You saying ‘this is my story’ maybe it is, but you should be there to guide me when I need it, at least if you a true friend.” I hear our companions waking and soon my rage turns to them. “And you two! Both powerful unicorns! Why didn’t you help! That town could have been saved if you were there!”

        Shimer opens her mouth, but I cut her off. “There is no excuse for what you did, or should I say didn’t do! I shouldn’t even be here! I belong at my home! Not in a land of magical ponies! I’ll find my way home! By myself!” I knew it was impossible, and the fact I was acting like a toddler, an entire world to search by my self for someone, or something powerful enough to send me home. It simply couldn’t be done, but anger and strain makes you do stupid things.

        They all stare, like I was a beast. Scared wide eyed, all except Thunder. He look with only disappointment, and that made me burn. It made me fester, almost to the point of attack.

        Thunder's voice rang out cold and rebukingly “Well you wish to leave, then leave. According to yourself you don’t need us. Find your own way back to your world. Leave this one to die.”

        May rage grew only more. I charged, but I didn’t even get close to Thunder. He flew like lightning landing a blow to my legs. I flip and rolled until I hit a tree nearby. Knocked out cold.

***

        “Come on Ditzy. We have a job to do.”

        “Yes Doctor.” The grey pegasus Thinks a moment and asks a question “Hey Doctor. Why don’t we just stop the war our selves?”

        “Because I don’t know what happens in this dimension. I’m only helping because I was asked by Princess Celestia.” He looks back to his companion “Besides It’s nice to take a back seat sometimes, you know not have the entire pony race in my hooves”

        “But it’s still unlike you to not be directly involved.”

        “Ditzy. I have lived nine hundred years, in over a dozen different bodies, not counting this one. You don’t know everything I do. Sometimes indirect help is just what the world needs.”

        “I see Doctor. So what exactly are we doing”

        The Doctor turned to Ditzy once again while approaching the underbrush. “We are keeping an eye on our friend Mr. Aren. Making sure he doesn’t make any dangerous mistakes.”

        “But isn’t the point of this to stay out of the direct contact.”

        He rethinks his sentence. “My definition of indirect help is direct help without anypony knowing.”

        They hear I fight in the distance. “Ditzy come to the underbrush” The pegasus runs over. “Stay low, don’t get noticed.”

        They can hear ponies in the distance arguing. “You saying ‘this is my story’ maybe it is, but you should be there to guide me when I need it, at least if you a true friend.”

        “Ditzy thats Aren! Get down” While moving the leaves rustling drown out some of the conversation.

        This time a different voice “Well you wish to leave, then leave. According to yourself you don’t need us. Find your own way back to your world. Leave this one to die.” There is a charging and a crash as Aren hits the tree right next to the Doctor.

        They hear them speak again “Shimer, grab his gun.” A magenta unicorn envelopes the gun in a light pink aura and pulled it to herself. to herself. “Now we need to leave. Lets go.”

        The Doctor waits for them to leave then gets up. “Come on Ditzy we have some work to do.”

***

        I moan in pain. I sit up and look at my leg. It wasn’t broken, barely bruised. Thunder wasn’t trying to hurt me, but why. I stand my left hind leg buckles, but holds. “Gaw. It still hurts though.”

        I look around, and see what looked like a makeshift fire place about three feet away. The fire had been doused and you could still see some embers in the dawn sun.“Well they didn’t move me.” I step forward, but I hear a crumpling. I lifted my hoof to reveal a small note. What’s this?

        I levitate the paper to my face. It was handwritten and looked speedily done.

Do you think you could live with what you’ve seen here? Do you think you could return?

        The letter was unsettling, but I doubted it was from Thunder. At this point he would be long gone. He probably flew to Canterlot, which I assumed was the large castle on the horizon.

        I think about the letter. Who could write it. Maybe it wasn’t for me, but that doesn’t make sense it fits me too well, but as far as I knew only thunder knew my story. It all just doesn’t add up.

        I see another note near the campfire. Laying under a rock. I cautiously move towards the note and levitate it to my face.

Do you still deny what you need to do? No man could just leave when they have the power to help, at least no man worth knowing.

        The words stung, but they were true. Deep in thought I ponder my next action. I can’t go back to find Thunder. Even if I manage to find them what would they say to me. I just vented all of my anger on them. I couldn’t go back, but without them I’m just lost in a world in peril.

        I found it strange that the note used the word man but,my thoughts are broken before I could think about it too much. There was a soft sobbing in the distance. I listen closer and I hear a faint voice. “Mother, Father run away. Get out of there. Get to safety.”

        The voice was only a boys. I walk towards it and find its source, a small Ember sleeping on the grass. I whisper “It will be alright” to his ear, and his subconscious seem to understand as he eased with my words.

***

        Embers eyes open slowly. He turns them and spots me, as soon as he does he nearly jumped eight feet, and I mean literally, apparently the laws of physics are a bit more lackadaisical here. “Aren!” He said surprised. “How did you find me?”

        I looked at him and let out a little laugh “You were talking in your sleep, but I have a question for you. Why are you here?”

        He stands and shifted on his feet back and forth. “Well, um, Thunder told me to watch over you to see when you cooled down. He said you needed time to think about what to do next.”

        I smile wide and happily “Well I’ll tell you what’s next, we go to Canterlot!” While he was sleeping I spent time thinking. I wasn’t into destiny, but the chances of me just falling into a world of ponies with magical abilities were low to say the least. I was convinced that someone or something wanted me here, I just didn’t know why. All I knew for sure is that their world was being attacked, possibly by humans.

        A smile widens on Embers face to. “So you’re staying?!”

        “That I am, Ember. That I am.”

        The small boy jumps for joy, and I took all the strength in me not to follow suit. Oh how happiness is contagious. He saw something in me, perhaps it was hope, I only wish it is not misplaced. “Come on Ember it’s a long walk to the capitole.”

        He looks at me happily. “Not really.”

        I look at him quizzically “What do you mean? I can see it, but were on a plain and the capitole on a mountain. To get there will be a bit more than a skip, hop, and a jump.”

        The young man smiled and said simply, “Thunder is friends with the princess”

        “Wait what?”

        Before he could answer he took out what looked like a walkie-talkie and spoke in “Two for direct transport the the testing chamber.”

        A voice came over from the other side “Affirmative, direct transport commencing.” There was a bright flash of gold light.

***

        “And then the monkey stole his liver!” The pony breaks into hysterical laughter, but abruptly stops, “Okay, anywho let's get back to the task at hand”

        I stand dazed from the sudden flash, as my vision clears I see what looks to be a lab. All of our ‘team’ was there and what looked to be a mad scientist in a lab coat, and the pegasi equivalent to a bodybuilder, his muscles slightly bigger than Thunder’s and a wide frame. “Where am I?”

        Thunder looks at me “Aren so you’ve decided to help us after all. This is the Canterlot laboratories. This is the good Doctor Gearbox, many ponies call him Nuts and Bolts, for more than one reason.” He points to the scientist earth pony. He had gray body and a white mane very mangy, only adding to his mad scientist look.

        I look at him “Hello I’m Aren Marks”

        He runs over to me and shakes my hoof vigorously “Hello Mr. Marks! I heard your story. A very, and I mean very, interesting tale it was” I try to remove my hoof from his grip, but can’t seem to get it loose, “It’s not everyday a trans-dimensional tourist pops into the Everfree.”

        “Gears, he’ll need that hand for fighting.” Thunder's voice was commanding, as usual.

        He looks down to his hoofs, “Oh yes, very true.” He lets go and raised his tinted goggles up to his forehead revealing red eyes.

        Thunder spoke again “This is Jack” He points to the large pegasus. His body was a dark tan color, whilst his mane was brown. “He’s very powerful, but a bit of a knucklehead. His stubbornness has almost gotten me killed over a dozen times.”

        He glares at Thunder, then turned to me “Hello Aren. Nice to meet you.”

“Um. Hello Jack. Will you be joining us?”

He looked at me as if I were an idiot. “Yes I am and so will the wonderful Dr. Gearbox.”

I looked at the Doctor. He looked so frail and old. How could he help in a fight. “ He’s coming too?”

The Doctor looked at me angrily “Yes I’m coming. I’m not the strongest of you, but I’m the smartest. You’ll need a strategist. Besides my tech will help me fight if the necessity arises, I do plan on staying back for,” He paused looking for the right words, “Technical support.” His face suddenly turned delighted “Oh by the way I have a gift for you Mr. Martin”

He started to dig in a drawer and pulled out a small, well I didn’t know. It was a crimson color. It had a canister rounded on one end and screwed into the device. The cylinder glowed a faint purple. There was a small outcropping on the top of it that after about an inch up it jutted at a ninety degree angle where the canister screwed in.

It had a long cylinder that looked like a barrel coming out the front. The body looked like a gun, trigger and all. Then it hit me It was a gun, but none I’ve ever seen. The doctor turned back to me. “ This is the Magical Energy Pistol MG-32, or as I like to call it the ‘M.E.P’.”

For a genius he’s bad with names. I think I’ll stick with MG-32. I look at the gun quizzically “ So how does it work?”

Gearbox turned to me “ Simple. It is just a pistol run off magical energy. After a while the power will refill itself by tapping into the latent magical energy of the plants and animals around it.”

Happy the onslaught of words was over I let out a sigh, but it was too soon. The doctor turned back to me from the gun and said “ I have one more gift for you Mr. Martin.” He digs in his drawer and pulls out an old dusty book. “ A book of magic. Shimer will help you train.”

Wait I get to train with Shimer. My stomach felt strange, like it was filled with air bubbles. Then I figured out why. I’m not. Oh damn it I am. I think I fell in love with a pony. A pony! That shouldn’t be possible. Maybe the change effected my natural hormones.

I had never been good with girls. Never had a kiss, but I had never really wanted one. Never found someone. I always wanted to wait for the right person. That ‘right person’ did come once. We were close friends and I had wanted to go further for a long time, but by the time I had the nerve to ask her out she was already dating, I didn’t think It last, but a year later they were married at nineteen, and had a strong relationship till the day I popped up here. That question put a strain on our friendship, not too mention putting me in a state of depression for a month, and it eventually collapsed. That was when I was still in school. I think the reason I never went for another relationship is I didn’t want it to fail like my last try had.

I realise Gears was still talking and missed some of it “I’m sorry Gears, can you say that again?”

He looked slightly aggravated “ Yes I can I said you will be training with Shimmer and Ember with you magic. You’ll train with Thunder and Jack for hoof to hoof combat, and weaponry.”

I look down. I’m the only one on this team without a skill. I felt useless, but a question interrupted my thoughts. “Hey, Gearbox how did you make MG-32?”

He looked at me again and said with a sigh “It wasn’t a completely unique invention. We took a model from the enemy forces. They ran on an energy we couldn’t create, so I modified it to work off magical energy. If you find any more of their energy weapons I might be able to modify it.”

“Wait I thought you didn’t know how guns work?”

Gearbox smiles, “It was simple really. After the battle some of the survivors were smart and salvaged some weapons as they fled from Baltamare or returned from the Everfree, unlike our Thunder over here,” He glared at the pegasus, “It wasn’t hard to deduce how they fired. The guns that used physical ammunition were easy to work out. The two energy weapon we received were a different story,” He points to a gun in a glass case surrounded by schematics and drawings. “I’m using the one in the case to study and the second one I changed the energy source to magic and called it good,” He picks up the gun and hands it to me with his mouth, “Will you do the honors.”

I levitate the gun and fire, but it failed. When I pulled the trigger there were only a few sparks and some smoke out of the baral.

The doctor quickly took the gun back. “Oh no. I was afraid of this,” He quickly ran to the desk near the other energy weapon and began muttering to himself while busily drawing and prying apart the failed experiment.

 “Ahem. I think it’s time we head out. Celestia already set a mission up for us. We are to take back Ponyville. We’ll meet a squad in a camp about a day's walk north. We have four days to get there. I would suggest you spend your day in town, well just that in town. Get some food and supplies. Train a bit. The barracks is south of the courtyard. Also Stay together. We’ll be heading out on the third day. Me and Jack have some catching up to do. I suspect Gears will be staying here, so you three don’t get lost.”

***

“So what next?” We were standing outside the lab door. Thunder and Jack had just left down the hall.

Shimer looks to me “We train”

If I only knew what her idea of training was. She acted like a drill sergeant, and worked me till I could barely stand. I was so weak by the end of it I couldn’t even levitate my bag. Worst part was throughout the training Ember just sat there and smirked.

I trained from When we got to the barracks to 7:00 P.M. then we ate a small super and trained till nearly midnight.

“Okay Aren, I think that’s enough. Head to sleep.”

With a grateful sigh I walked into the barracks and fell into a cot, but that was short lived.

“What are you doing Aren!?”

Shimmers voice was loud and made me jump. I look at her angrily “Sleeping”

        “Not in there! Out here, on the ground, with only a sleeping bag!”

        Confused and dazed from fatigue I ask “Why?”

        She looked at me like I was an idiot, why did everypony do that, and said “Because that’s what you’re going to do for the next several days.”

        Groggy and tired I walked outside. I try to lay my sleeping bag out but am too tired to levitate it. Shimer smirks, and she helps me. Ember laughs at the spectacle. “Already too tired to open a sleeping bag.” In his laughter he falls on his back off the wall he was sitting on.

        I ignore him. “Thank you.” I was shaking severely, but let out a small laugh. The pain was excruciating. Using magic drains you body and mind. The worst part was I only learned three spells from the old book.Raising a protective shield, Shooting lighting which was, in all honesty a blast to do, and a stronger levitation spell. I could carry a lot heavier things with my magic than I was able to before.

Once Shimer opens the sleeping bag I settle into it. The material was soft and warm, and my tired body was very eager to sleep.

Shimer had set her sleeping bag very close to mine. It was within an inch. While she was setting it I saw her plot and quickly looked away. I really didn’t want her to think I was a perv and I was positive I was bushing.

When she finally got into her sleeping bag, after she had bumped me several time causing me to blush brighter, she said a soft good night with her head turned from mine.

“Good night”

I heard Ember holler from the barracks where he had chosen to spend to sleep, “Good night”

I quickly drifted to sleep and into another nightmare.

This time it wasn’t the ponies, but me back on earth. It started happily with me and my friends. I would relive moments I had long since thought forgotten. Then the memory of my old friend came. Her rejecting me and my sad state afterwards. The happiness that was once in the friendship was gone. As the happiness left the friendship, so to did it leave my dream. I started reliving the worst parts of my life. They played over and over in my head till I was shaken awake.

***

“Aren wake up!” Shimmer was shaking me awake while Ember and Ash stood by her looking at me with a worried expression.

My eyes fluttered open. I was drenched in sweat when I was awoken. The sun was just barely over the horizon. I looked to Shimer, her face was covered in worry. I wondered what had happened to do that.

“What happened” I mutter slowly.

Shimer worried face quickly turned to anger, “You were talking and kicking in your sleep that’s what! It was bad, we thought you wouldn’t wake up!”

Ember began to speak, “You were having a nightmare and a bad one. We were trying to wake you up for a good ten minutes.” He looks to Shimer, “ My sister here thought you might not wake up.”

Shimmer spoke next, “As soon as you went to sleep you started to roll around. I hadn’t thought much of it and move my sleeping bag a few feet away.” She stops and points to her sleeping bag that she had indeed moved, “Then you moan, quite loudly. You were flailing around, talking to yourself,”

I had no idea what to say. It wasn’t every day you wake up to people thinking you were in some type of coma. There was an, awkward silence, each of us waiting for the other to talk. Till Ember spoke.

“Maybe we should let him rest” They started to walk away to the other side of the courtyard.

Several minutes passed before I got up. When I did, I went straight for Shimer. Ember was in the barracks where, I assumed, he was sleeping. “I’m sorry Shimer” Really didn’t know what to say and apologising was the only way I figured I could help. It didn’t.

She turns to me, “What are you apologising about! Dreaming? You scared me, but that’s not your fault. The only other thing you could be apologising for is my parents,” Her voice got angry, “ and I don’t need your sympathy!” She got quiet again looking into the pavment, “Can you just leave me alone. Go see Thunder and Jack”

I really hadn’t known what I said to her to make her go off on me, but I didn’t question it. I did what she said and headed up to the castle. It occurred to me I didn’t know where Thunder was, so I did the next best thing. I picked up my saddle bag and went to Doctor Gear Box.

I remembered the way from walking out the day before, or at least that’s I thought. I got lost in five minutes. I had ended up climbing several sets of stairs until I was in front of large ornamental doors. I walked up to the large doors. They were the size of the doors you would see to the entrance to a large cathedral.

I pushed on the doors and they creaked as they slowly opened. Anypony in there knew I was coming. When I managed to get in the room I was greeted by two large ponies.

They both had pegasus wings and unicorn horn. I assumed these were the alicorns Thunder had told me about. One was a stark white pony with a flowing rainbow mane. The other was black or dark purple, I wasn’t sure which, with an astounding mane. It was like looking into the stars. It was floating by itself as it moved the picture would change slightly. They were both obviously mares.

The black one was seated on a large pillow off to the side of the center of the hall. The white pony was standing at the center of the massive hall.

An awkward silence fell over the room as the two alicorns looked over me.

“Maybe I should go.” I start to walk out the large doors when the black alicorn began to speak.

“Halt unicorn! Wait so we might speak” She spoke with an old english accent. It sounded like something from the colonial era.

The white alicorn spoke immediately after her, “She means to tell you to stay. My sister is still readjusting, right sister?” She turned her head to her sister.

“Um,” She paused with another awkward silence. “Yes I am readjusting.” She cleared her throat and began to speak with the same accent, but with more modern language, “My name is Luna, princes of the moon and the night, my sister is Princess Celestia. Her domain is the day.”

Celestia waved me closer with her head, “Come over here Aren.”

I didn’t move, “How do you know my name?”

celestia smiled, “Thunder told me who you were. I have been waiting for you to wander in here,” She walked to and faced a nearby stained glass window. The scene it depicted was a dragon holding marianettes. She spoke again, “Aren, I need to do something. The world is falling out of balance and I don’t know if I can stop it. That’s why I need people like you, the brave, to fight with me. What I need you to do is find out who’s behind this war. Who would threaten my people. I have an idea of who it could be, but if I’m right the world is in grave danger. I can tell you something. You attract the right people. Thunder, his strength is only second to his will. Jack, he could run through a brick wall without flinching,” She smiled to herself, “in fact he did once. Then you have Gears, the finest equine mind on the planet. I know Shimer and her brother Ember, fine students of my finest pupil. Aren, I know you’re lost and confused in more ways than one, but trust Thunder he’s there for you and for me.”

I wasn’t sure how to respond. I had just been given an order from, how Thunder had described it, a god on earth. I only managed a small, “Yes ma’am”

Celestia turned back to me, “You should go see Gears. I think he fix that contraption of his.”

Luna stood from her cution. “I will lead you to him.”

***

We were standing at the door to the laboratory when Luna levitated me a metal zippo lighter.

“Take this” She said, “It’s artificial dragons breath. Burn any paper with this it will be sent to me. Use it to report back to my sister and I. If you discover anything that could be important don’t hesitate to send it to me.”

I took the gift and stowed it in my brown bag. “Thank you,”

She didn’t say anything more. She proceeded to walk back to the main hall.

I turned to the metal doors of the laboratory and walk in. When I finish pushing the heavy doors I’m greeted by Gears busily working at his desk. He doesn’t seem to notice me as I walk into the room.

I tentatively said hello, not wanting to disrupt his work.

The haggard doctor looked up at me and smiled, “Oh hello Aren, I’ve been wanting to see you for a while now. I’ve been working on the MG-32 for a while now and I think I’ve finally have it operational. It took me almost all night to fix it. I found out the power converter was malfunctioning. Without it the weapon won’t accept magical energy and will short out.” He looked back to the pile of paper covering his desk and started sifting through it. When He finally came to the bottom he produced the gun in his hands, “Take it. From my calculations it shouldn’t fail again.”

I carefully took the gun from his grasp and tucked it into my saddle bag, “Are you certain Gears, I’d rather this thing not explode in my face in a fight.”

He looked at me with a worried smile, “Well,” He put a lot of ephesus on the well, “there is a ten percent chance that the power converter will fail and cause a catastrophic failure. In which case you have a very large and very expensive grenade on your hands. If it starts to give a high pitched sound I’d suggest you throw it,” He gave me tired smile, “I think I’m going to get some sleep, I’ve pulled to many all nighters lately,”

Gears didn’t particularly reassure me about the gun. I’d probably rather go at somepony with a stick than it at that point. Not wanting to get lost again, I put aside my manly pride, which I really didn’t have much of at that point considering I was a pony, and asked for directions. I was instructed where Thunder was and how to get there. He was near the barracks where I had slept, waiting for me to begin combat training.

***

When I got there I found Thunder, Ember and Jack eating a hearty serving of scrambled eggs.

Thunder looked at me and smiled “Aren your back. We can start training now.”

I looked at the food and my stomach began to growl. I realized I hadn’t actually eaten anything that morning. “Wait can’t I eat first.”

        Thunder smiled “No. You’re going to have to earn your food.”

If I thought Shimer was bad thunder was worse. He took immediately stood and rushed at me. I, instinctively, ran for my life.

Thunder continued to chase me, “Oh come on you sissy, stand up to me!” He took to the air and landed in front of me. I didn’t have time to stop and tumbled into Thunder.

I was on my back laying on top of thunder who was laughing hysterically. He managed to speak through his laughter, “Nice landing Aren, I give you a ten!” He went back to laughing.

I flipped over ignoring Thunders joke. Thunder managed to get up before me, he was still chuckling, “Okay lets try that again, but this time don’t run like a baby.”

He charged again, I was prepared that time, but it doesn’t mean I won. He jumped just before he reached me and tripped up my hind legs with his wings as he landed, leading me to fall again.

I got back up, “You know for an instructor you're not doing much instructing”

He smiled at me, “You know for a unicorn you’re not using much magic”

“Wait you want me to use magic, I figured that’s kinda cheating”

“All’s fair in love and war, and this is war”

Thunder charged again, but instead of jumping he went for a slide attempting to knock out my legs.

I raised my magic shield, but he could adapt faster than I could. As soon as he saw its crimson glow he flapped his wings and propelled himself straight up. I gripped his wings with my magic, keeping them stationary. He started to tumble to the ground, but he was too strong for me. He broke my hold on him and started flying towards me.

With little time to react, he headbutted me in the chest. I stumble and fall, my chest writhing in pain.

After a few moments I stand shankly. Thunder comes up and braces me with his wing while he walks me over to the fire, “I think you’ve earned your breakfast.” He lead me slowly to the fire where Ember was eating his eggs. Thunder set me down and started cooking.

Soon after he started cooking a question came into my mind, “Wait you guys eat eggs. I thought horses were herbivores.”

Thunder snickered, “We are, kind of. We’ll eat eggs when they're not fertilized. There is no actual animal life in the eggs,” He came over and served me a large plate of scrambled eggs. I wolfed the eggs down with gusto, leaving my plate empty in less than a minute.

After the meal we go back to training. He explained to me that the first fight was just to see where I was. The training afterwards seemed, so much worse.

He would teach me a series of punches, ducks and kicks and make me practise them over and over. One after another he would teach me a technique he say that saved him multiple times. After several hours of gruelingly boring training was over, Thunder put up a challenge.

“Aren I want you to fight Jack, If you can last five minutes in a fight with him you get to eat supper, but if he knocks you out you’re going to go hungry tonight,”

I stared at him blankly, “You think I could last against him?” I point to the ripped pegasus who had been aiding in my instruction from time to time, “You are absolutely mad! He could rip me to pieces!”

Thunder laughed, “I don’t think he would, but you have to be careful. There are two major mistakes you can make in battle, underestimating your opponent, but overestimating them is just as bad,”

“Honestly I think you're overestimating me, Thunder. I can’t beat him,”

Thunder smiled, “That’s not what I’m asking, all I want you to do is survive for five minutes,”

“Fine Thunder, but if I die it’s on your head,”

“Good, now wait I need to get someone,”

***

Jack and I were standing facing each other about fifty feet apart. We were waiting for Thunder to return. I had removed my saddle bag and placed it next to me.

Thunder soon returned with a gray unicorn by his side, “Okay are you two ready?” Jack and I nodded, “Well then, private raise the shield!”

I looked to him distress on my face, “Wait, what!?” It was too late, a bubble shield formed around Jack and I, giving us a large dome to spare in, “Oh come one Thunder! Is this really necessary.”

He voice was muffled, but he answered, “Yes it is. I don’t want you to spend 5 minutes running. I want you to actually fight.”

I felt like crying, I was going to die in a bubble.

“Get yourself ready, I ain’t holding back!” Jack voice rang out and echoed in the large bubble.

“This is going to hurt,” I sighed and faced the behemoth pegasus.

Jack jettisoned towards me at break neck speed. He closed the gap in between us in less then a second, luckily I had time to duck. After flying mere inches from my head, he did a full loop and landed in the center of the arena. He stretched out his wings and as he did I noticed a glint of silver light. My eyes strained trying to see what was on his wings, what I saw surprised me. Set on the edge of Jacks wings were thin blades.

“You get a weapon! That’s hardly fair.”

Jack snickered, “Like Thunder said ‘all’s fair in love and war, and this is war’, but it’s not like you don’t have anything. Check your bag,”

I looked to my side and found my bag just on the edge of the force field boundary, but still inside. Out of my bg I produced my crimson and white lance. I flick it out to full size. The large weapon was lightweight and solid.

I was wary about using my lance, for fear of harming Jack, “Jack I don’t want to hurt you,”

Jack smiled, “I know you don’t, but a weapon is used for more than just attacking,” He didn’t wait any longer, he flew to the top of the arena and dived towards me. This time I lunged inwards towards the center of the ring. Jack landed with a crash and a pile of dust merely inches from me.

Out of instinct I threw Jack into the arena wall with my magic. When he hit the wall he let out a grunt of pain. He fell face down into the dirt. While he was recovering I scurried to the far end of the arena with my lance.

I looked out to Thunder with pleading eyes. He called out a muffled by the shield, “four minutes left,”

four minutes, lovely. In four minutes I could be sliced up into several hundred pieces.

By the time Thunder finished Jack was back on his hooves preparing for another charge. He once again went head on. I ducked like the first time, but I also brought up the butt of my lance into the stomach of Jack.

The surprise made Jack lose his focus and flew into the magical wall. With a thud he fell back first into the ground. I could here Ember cheering me on in the background.

Needing  time to think I summoned up a barrier of my own over jack. The bubble was barely able to fit Jack and restricted his wings. Jack was flailing wildly trying to break the dome of magic. Slowly cracks appeared in the crimson field.

My plan was to buy time to think, but the concentration required to keep the magic alive left little room in my brain to think. With each pound on the shield a pain in my head would swell.

Eventually Jack was able to escape. When the shield shattered the pain in my head subsided to a light headache.

I could hear Thunder yelling into the ring, “Only two minutes left!”

I had only to survive for a bit longer. This time I charged Jack. With my horn set straight towards his chest, I wasn’t worried about hurting him, I knew he could dodge it.

Jack jumped and landed right behind me as I came to a stop. I turned to him lance in my grasp. “Alright Jack in less than two minutes I’ll be the victor.” I was more confident now than before, less afraid. “What will you do now?”

Jack grind, “No weapons no magic.” He slipped the deadly sleeves of metal from his wings. I followed suit and dropped my lance.

I was the first to move lunging straight for jack. With a prideful ease he dodged my atack. As I fell into the dirt he stepped a heavy hoof onto my back crushing the air out of me.

“You won’t win I assure you. You may be my friend, but I hate losing.” Jack was slowly putting pressure on my back creating a slowly rising pain.

I coughed barely able to breath with my lungs being compressed against the ground. The landscape slowly faded out, being consumed by a darkness. I was barely able to breath and the pain was nearly unbearable. The last thing I saw before I lost consciousness was the shield falling.