A Whisper on the Wind

Chapters

Chapter 01 - A Strange, New, and Terrifying World
Chapter 02 - Investigations
Chapter 03 - Desecration
Chapter 04 - Unfamiliar Bedfellows
Chapter 05 - Unexpected Maneuvers
Chapter 06 - A Path Decided
Chapter 07 - Onward We March
Chapter 08 - Tomb Raider
Chapter 09 - Nightmare
Chapter 10 - What happens in Las Pegasus...
Chapter 11 - ... Will Have Serious Repercussions
Chapter 12 - A Phoenix is Reborn
Chapter 13 - When Worlds Collide
Chapter 14 - On Steel Wings We Fly

Chapter 01 - A Strange, New, and Terrifying World

ACT I

I didn’t ask to come here.

One moment, I was happily walking along the paved path within a local park on my way home from work, minding my own business, as freezing rain pelted me from above; in other words, the perfect British weather for a Thursday evening in the summer. The next, I heard an earth-shattering thunderclap and a blinding flash of lightning struck, with enough force to knock me to the ground.

As I struggled to get back on my feet, my hands sank into grass and mud, rather than the cold asphalt I’d been walking on moments before. I looked around, initially thinking that I’d been thrown onto the grass of the park, but as tilted my head up to look into the sky, it was immediately apparent that it was much darker now, with no trace at all of the rain that had been pummelling my jacket and backpack not moments before, the latter of which still hanging heavy on my shoulders. I looked around and saw no sign of the park I’d been in not moments ago… no sign of civilization at all, in fact—just trees and a large expanse of grass greeted me, all bathed in crisp moonlight.

The moon is already out? Did someone just abduct me and leave me in a random field somewhere? I should probably check to see if they’ve taken a kidney…

My pockets were still full; a wallet, two mobile phones, a pair of earphones, and my house keys. Everything was accounted for—even the twenty-pound note that I’d withdrawn earlier was still in my wallet, waiting to be spent. It seemed unlikely that thieves were involved, as they would’ve easily been able to shake me down for some loose change. I undid the encoded locks on the backpack, slid my personal effects inside, and resealed it, freeing up the weight from my jeans.

After adjusting my jacket and donning the backpack once more, I started walking, and I continued walking for what felt like hours, seeing no signs of human life or civilization whatsoever. My initial confusion had given way to a sense of mild panic, punctuated by flashes of fear and the unsettling feeling that something was watching me. I was hopelessly lost, and the hours began to blur together, my sense of time thoroughly disrupted. My legs ached, but more urgently, my bladder was becoming painfully full, demanding that I find somewhere private to unleash The Fucking Fury™.

Fate seemed generous today, and it wasn’t long until I spotted a structure, its stone construction reflecting just enough moonlight for it to be visible against the sheer black backdrop. As I approached, the smell of something burning grew stronger.

Moving between the trees, I tried to determine whether the figures ahead were friendly. But as I got a good look at one, I immediately realized it wasn’t even human. It had an almost equine form, a suit of shining armor betraying its position in the moonlight. To one side was a spear, menacing in its simplicity, and to the other, a shield that looked sturdy enough to knock me down if I tried anything.

And it is here, ladies and gentlemen—multisex, undecided, or robot—that I made one of the worst mistakes of my life.

I gasped.

Then, I ran.

I heard shouting behind me, but my plan to escape had a fatal flaw; I was weighed down with a really heavy backpack and a bright red jacket, both of which drastically slowed my movement and restricted my maneuverability. To say the resulting skirmish was one-sided is a bit like saying that the Great Hurricane of Nineteen-Eighty-Six was a bit windy. I was quickly overwhelmed; first ensnared by a web of rope, then dragging away, causing me to become far more acquainted with the taste of dirt than I cared for. At that moment, I recanted my earlier assessment of Fate and concluded that it was a lying bastard.

Then they started jabbing at me with their spears. Seriously, those things fucking hurt. Despite the intense pain, I begrudgingly admired their craftsmanship as my helpless body came under attack. Actually, that was a good point—being hurt and feeling pain meant that I wasn’t dreaming. This was probably going to be much worse, a point I became increasingly sure of as I was dumped into some sort of primitive wooden vehicle that soon began to wheel me off to places unknown, my captors joining me to continue inflicting pain as I impotently protested for them to stop.

The journey to their base had been long; dawn had broken by the time we arrived, although the sunlight did little to enhance my mood. I was once more dragged to a small outbuilding made of loosely draped animal hides, which looked like it was extremely ineffective at keeping out the elements. Unceremoniously, they dumped me inside a cell and closed an iron-barred door behind me. The creatures then dispersed, leaving only a lone sentry keeping watch at the door. After a moment of stunned silence, I began to stir and gather my bearings. First, I shed the web of rope, then discarded my heavy backpack and jacket, taking stock of my surroundings, which immediately struck me as a jail or a brig of some sort.

As I looked towards the entrance, my eyes met the creature standing guard. He—yes, that bulge near his undercarriage was a dead giveaway—had a similar build to the creatures that accosted me earlier, but his pristine white fur caught and evenly reflected the orange light from some nearby torches. Folded at his sides were what looked like wings, and he wore a protective suit made from a material that looked like leather from where I was sitting. Initially avoiding my gaze, I sensed his curiosity matching mine, and eventually, he succumbed to temptation as I felt his eyes look all over me from afar as I shakily got up on my feet.

I’m no expert at reading facial expressions, but I can spot shock when I see it. He tried to conceal it, but it was already too late, for the truth was written all over his face. Approaching me, I could now make out his features more clearly. He stood shorter than me, his muzzle reaching my abdomen, while his ears twitched involuntarily at small noises echoing through the room. My shoes crunched on twigs and dirt as I approached the bolted door to my cell, putting my hand through one of the holes and reaching it out to the figure in front of me in a gesture of goodwill.

Suddenly, without warning, he bolted from the room and dashed into the distance, leaving me utterly confused about what had just happened. I exhaled sharply, sinking back to the ground and waiting in silence. Closing my eyes, I listened to my surroundings; the flicker and spit of torches, murmured conversations beyond the tarp walls, occasional birdcalls from the forest behind us, the loud demands of an impatient cu-.

“You! Get up now, or I’ll feed you to a woodchipper feet-first!” she bellowed, her threat jolting me so much I momentarily forgot where I was. Glaring at my unintended non-compliance, I steadied myself and rose shakily to my feet. Standing before me was another creature, their coat a deep shade of purple, hair highlighted with a lighter purple with white streaks. Unlike her guards, she sported a horn instead of wings, the appendage seemingly engraved with a number of concentric rings all the way to the tip. Clad in a menacing black armor adorned with spikes, she utterly exuded fury beyond measure. It was abundantly clear that I had earned a spot at the top of her shit list, and every fiber of my being was screaming at me that my day was about to take a turn for the worse.

Now fully on my feet, I regarded her with a weary and tired look. “Can I just say, first of all, that I love that I’m able to understand you? It’s wonderfully accommodating of my psychotic break, don’t you think?”

In fewer than five seconds, I had my answer—a resounding “No.” Her guards promptly opened my cell and began pummelling me with their hooves, delivering crushing blows to my sides. The pain was excruciating, confirming that at least my kidneys hadn’t been stolen; stolen kidneys couldn’t hurt like a motherfucker, after all.

She raised one of her hooves, and the others relented from their combined assault, a small smile creeping across her face.

“You’ve got some nerve showing your face again after the damage you've caused. Here’s what’s going to happen: I’m going to hurt you; I’m going to enjoy hurting you, and when I’m finished, there’s going to be precious little left to remind everypony else that you were once a stallion.”

My bladder announced that it was done with this shit and promptly surrendered; I felt warm wetness spreading into my jeans, completing my humiliation at the hooves of this absolute fucking psychopath. With a swift nod, the guards on either side of me forcefully hauled me up from the ground with their wings.

“Bring him,” she ordered, her tone icy cold.

Being shorter than me, the guards struggled to fully lift me from the floor, and my feet dragged in a constant reminder that I was not in control of this situation. As I left the building, I blinked against the morning light and found myself in a scene reminiscent of a war documentary; dozens of creatures toiled at what appeared to be subsistence farming, while others with wings strode among them.

It didn’t escape my notice that those in apparent authority sported wings, with whips being firmly held in what I could only assume was a prehensile wing grip; the ones who labored lacked wings or horns. As I was dragged farther, I began to grasp the hierarchy of this place; the wingless and hornless creatures were clearly subjugated, but the relationship between the ones with wings and those with a horn remained a mystery to me.

I was brought to a stone fort and taken down to a musty, damp basement with mossy stones. Another creature with a horn was already here. saluted the other horned figure.

“Ma’am! Tricky Canvas reporting, situation normal here.”

As I caught wind of his (judging from his rather masculine accent) name, I noticed his fur and hair were shades of brown, his coat being of a much lighter shade. Only then did I realize both my captor and her likely subordinate sported insignias on their armor, covering their flanks. The one already in the room had an insignia of what looked like a blank piece of canvas with a paintbrush in front of it, while my more immediate problem had an insignia of a top hat with a spotlight being shown upon it.

At the end of the rectangular room was a contraption very clearly designed to restrain limbs. In my weakened state, I could offer no meaningful resistance as they locked my arms and legs in place; the female unicorn, who was by now almost certainly going to be my torturer, tightened the straps around my torso rather expertly, disturbingly suggesting prior experience in doing this.

My eyes darted around the room in search of anything to help me escape, but my efforts were as futile as my predicament, and I had no choice but to resign myself to the unpleasantness that was sure to follow. The guards stripped me naked without ceremony, exposing my family jewels, while my captor started to preen.

“I expected more from a human like you, Alex.”

Record scratch.

“Uh… I think you have the wrong person, who or whatever you are. My name isn’t Alex.”

She regarded me with incredulity. “We all know that you disappeared. I have it on very good authority that you claimed you’d return, and I quote: ‘When ponies faced their darkest hour.’ You’ve taken a good look around outside; If I were coming back to protect something, now would be the time.”

I shook my head, my brain dismissing a fleeting thought as being completely absurd. “I don’t think you heard me the first time, I am not who you think I am. Also, you mentioned ponies — is that what you call yourselves?”

“Only the chosen deserve to be called ‘ponies’ — unicorns like myself or the pegasi, like my guards. Filthy earth ponies don’t deserve that honor.” She said, spitting on the floor in disgust.

The situation crystallized for me; if it wasn’t clear beforehand, it certainly was now — I was in a new and perilous world, and if my captors were any indication, a very dangerous one at that.

“Okay, so I assume the ones working the fields are earth ponies, as they lack wings or horns. You don’t look like any ponies that I’ve seen, but I’m in no position to argue. You haven’t even told me your name yet.”

She sighed. “My name is… Show Stopper. Captain Stopper to you, by the way. And speaking of names, if you really aren’t Alex, you haven't shared yours either.”

It was my turn now to spit on the floor in disgust. “In fairness, I've been manhandled, brutally assaulted, and then dragged to a torture chamber by your goon squad. Forgive me if this hasn't encouraged me to be entirely forthcoming with you. But, in the interest of clearing up this little misunderstanding, I'll cooperate. I’m Stuart Robinson, Stuart Dennis Robinson if you're my mother. Now, where the fuck am I, and who is this Alex you keep accusing me of me of being?”

Her expression softened, betraying the beginning of her belief before her words caught up. “You really don't know… do you?” She shook her head. “He… was a Prince of the Realm, and his actions led to what you see out there. We once believed in equality, but that notion died long ago. Now, survival is paramount. If that means ten earth ponies have to starve tonight so I can eat, so be it.”

I narrowed my brow, catching a flicker in her eyes. “You don't just hate him, do you? You despise him.”

Weariness briefly shadowed her muzzle before she composed herself, meeting my gaze with a cold, indifferent neutrality. “Despise him? No, my little human… I despise what I’ve become because of him.”

At that moment, a chill ran through my blood as my situation became increasingly dire. I stared into the abyss of the unicorn’s crimson-ringed eyes, and the abyss from within them stared back. Before me was somepony who had embraced their inner monster, no longer bound by moral or ethical restraints, the air heavy with a shared understanding that there was no need for a pretext to do whatever pleased her, and I got the impression that hurting me was about to please her greatly.

I mentally scrambled to salvage my situation. “Since it's abundantly clear I'm not the one you seek, how about letting me go, hmm? I can prove very useful if put to work, as you can see from my having hands.”

She raised an eyebrow. “You’d willingly work for us?”

I scoffed. “I don't want to die. It's as simple as that.”

Show Stopper smiled—not quite a grin, but she was definitely pleased. “Very well… but after I’ve had my fun.”

“Your what? Look, I have no useful information for you to extract, this is utterly pointless!” I pleaded, but she ignored me.

“I’m not interested in information!” she raged. “Right now, the only thing I care about is your breaking point. Tricky, bring me the stone!” she commanded.

The other unicorn saluted and made a brief trip upstairs, returning with a small, cone-shaped object that he hoofed over to Show Stopper. From my vantage point, it resembled a polished, shaped gemstone, radiating a brilliant bright blue light against the chamber’s decrepit walls.

“This, my little human, holds the power of my ancestors. I care not for its original purpose, but I know its effects: it will inflict agony beyond compare, searing your senses and making you wish for death… and yet your body will remain unharmed. It exemplifies dominion over the weak, and now you will learn to fear the power of the unicorns!”

I had mentally prepared myself for pain, but nothing could ready me for the assault on my body that followed. It felt like I was engulfed in flames while being electrocuted simultaneously, in addition to being stranded naked in the middle of the Antarctic. I tried to suppress my urge to respond as I clenched my jaw, to deny her the satisfaction of seeing it, but to my eternal shame, she broke me; my screams echoed through the room, interspersed with my desperate pleadings for the senselessbrutality to cease. Time blurred as agony and despair intertwined to inflict upon me the cruelest nightmare imaginable.

At some point, the torment had ended, but I wasn't coherent enough to register when it did. When I came to, I was back in my original cell, my jacket draped over me, and my clothes tossed carelessly to one side, still reeking of my earlier humiliation. As I wearily dragged myself back to consciousness, I noticed that no guard was posted at the entrance. My ears also picked up that the outside was considerably noisier than earlier. I dressed quickly and, after confirming my backpack was still in my cell with me, began inspecting my cage.

With the earlier chaos, I hadn’t had a chance to properly examine the door of interlocking iron bars. Now, without any immediate pressure, I noticed a latch on the opposite side. It occurred to me that the door was designed to prevent creatures with hooves from opening it from the inside, and was clearly not built to contain someone with opposable thumbs.

The noise outside grew louder in intensity, piquing my curiosity, I cautiously opened the latch of my cell and peeked outside.

Chaos reigned as ponies ran in all directions, with numerous small explosions punctuating the scene. Rising smoke tainted the air with an acrid, foul stench that wafted into the outbuilding.

I hurriedly grabbed my jacket and backpack when that same alabaster pegasus from earlier burst in. “Your Highness! Follow me!”

I wasn’t about to argue with shit kicking off outside, so I ran after the pegasus as best I could. Pitched close-quarters melee battles raged around us, and it wasn’t long before somepony started giving chase.

Show Stopper.

We had the advantage of distance, but she clearly had the advantage of endurance. Ahead, I saw that my escort was leading me to a hastily constructed chariot surrounded by numerous ponies. Suddenly, a hailstorm of spears rained down from above, momentarily blocking Show Stopper's path. It was enough of an obstacle to prevent her from overtaking us before we reached our goal.

We stopped a short distance from the chariot, and Show Stopper was now upon us, her expression outright menacing. “That’s as far as you go, coward,” She taunted, unsheathing a blade attached to her hoof.

The ponies around me readied themselves for a fight, but something in the distance caught us off guard. “Hey, look! She’s helping him get away!” bellowed a soldier from the chaos.

Show Stopper’s confidence shattered, and I quickly climbed into the wooden chariot while the unicorn’s world undoubtedly fell apart behind her. I glanced back at my former torturer and made a choice.

“She comes with me,” I said, pointing to Show Stopper and curled a finger to beckon her on board.

The others around me were visibly taken aback, but said nothing; it felt like they were deferring to me, but I couldn’t fathom why. The most I received was a glare from the squad leader, identifiable by her metal armor and matching helmet, while the rest of her detachment wore leather. The pegasus leader, her dark grey coat shimmering in the sunlight, chose not to challenge me or my demand. Like Show Stopper, her armor also bore a brand on the flanks—in the pegasus’ case, it was an iron shield with two crossed swords.

Show Stopper apprehensively boarded the chariot, and both of us looked rearward as the four ponies in front of us covered our escape.

“Shields up! Protect the chariot!” the grey-furred pegasus shouted from the front. Three of the four ponies raised rounded, wooden shields as the chariot picked up speed, propelled by the three forward ponies. My earlier escort, who lacked a shield, promptly dove into the chariot once it was safe to do so.

Our pursuers gave chase briefly but they soon realized that they had been outmaneuvered and retreated hastily back to the battlefield. The ponies in front then climbed into the chariot with us, and we all resumed the journey at a more relaxed pace, which for them, was still breakneck speed. Weapons and shields were now no longer bared, and I could sense that I was out of immediate danger. Show Stopper meanwhile sat rigidly, avoiding eye contact with me or anypony else.

Emboldened by my new position, I leaned towards her. “Do not mistake this for altruism, my little pony. You have information I am extremely interested in obtaining. That is the price you will pay me and all these other ponies for saving your arse.”

She nodded after a brief moment of hesitation. Only then did I allow myself to let my guard down, my eyes drifting to the passing landscape. I wasn’t sure where we were headed, but anywhere had to be better than being tortured again.

Twice in one day now, I've been mistaken for royalty. If I had a penny for every time that’d happened, I'd have two pence. It’s not much, but it's fucking weird that it's happened twice.

—

The journey to their settlement was silent, except for the sounds of squeaky wheels and rumbling tummies—mine included, which was becoming a noticeable problem. Along the way, we were joined by a legion of battered and bruised soldiers heading back to the same settlement.

As we pulled into one of the settlement’s outer camps, I was greeted by a scene of pure misery. Ponies of every hue and size struggled to survive in what was now a bleak and cruel existence, encampments stretching for as far as the eye could see.

The grey pegasus mare saluted me before addressing her squad. “Take this mare below and clap her in irons!” she ordered, pointing to Show Stopper. Her subordinates followed their instructions unquestioningly. She then turned back to me. “I'm glad we found you. You must be exhausted. Do you need rest?” She asked, her tone surprisingly caring compared to what I'd experienced so far.

“We need to talk… in private,” I replied. She motioned for me to follow her, and we made our way to a large building made of animal hides, spacious enough to allow for a degree of comfort. She finally removed her helmet and invited me to take a seat.

“Now, what's on your mind?” she asked.

I took a deep breath, unloading my jacket and backpack onto the floor, aware that what I was about to say might cause further problems. “First off… who do you think I am, precisely?”

She gave me a puzzled look but answered honestly. “Our intelligence says that you're Alex, Prince Consort of Equestria. We've been waiting years for your return, sir.”

I knew at that moment I had to set things straight; I didn’t want my presence here to be built on lies or deceit.

“... I’m not Alex.”

Those simple words caused the mare in front of me to kick a table in furious anger, the flimsy wood construction crumbling and sending stationary flying everywhere. “Bucking hell! I lost a hundred soldiers today getting you here; not only did you make us take an enemy combatant with us, but to cap it all off, you’re a bucking nobody!”

I sighed and leaned back in the chair. “I’m sorry… I’m not sure what I can do, but I’ll strive to make it up to you. Do you have any pictures of this ‘Alex’? I’ve been mistaken for this guy all day, and I really, really want to know who he is,” I reasoned, genuinely curious.

She raised a hoof in the air for a moment. “Wait here,” she instructed. After several minutes, she returned with some papers clutched under a wing, which she then hoofed to me.

As I looked at the photographs, memories of the name ‘Alex’ surfaced. An intrusive one thought I’d dismissed earlier now seemed relevant. A man named Alex had gone missing a year earlier, while I was still on Earth. He’d been a close friend of mine and had been since my first day at university. He studied biology, while I studied computer science; our interests in cybernetics and transhumanism bonded us deeply. I remember the day he disappeared like it was yesterday, leaving no trace at all of him; to say that it left me feeling hollow was an understatement.

I grasped the photograph tightly… and I sobbed. Ugly, relieved tears streamed down my face as I realized that my friend had not just vanished, but had instead been brought to this world. He was alive!

I blew my nose into my shirt, to the clear disgust of the pony standing not two feet away, and finally felt myself fully relax for the first time since I’d arrived here. Then, something important dawned on me. “Say, um, my apologies, but I don't know your name. Mine's Stuart, by the way.”

“Battle Scarred, but you can call me Scar. That’s what everypony else around here does,” she replied with a nod. “I'm sorry for my outburst earlier. We're all feeling a little on edge at the moment, especially with the challenges to our food supplies.”

No apologies necessary.” I assured her, taking mental stock of that issue for a later time. “Who's in charge around here? Is there a mayor or a council I could speak with?” I asked, genuinely curious about this place’s leadership structure.

“We… used to,” Scar began. “We had a mayor, Chancellor Gumdrop. Up until three weeks ago, he'd been advocating for us to lay down our arms and surrender to the settlement we just freed you from.”

My curiosity was piqued even further. “And… what happened to him?”

“A ‘Severe and Self-Inflicted Injury’ with a pair of pruning shears. It was the damnedest thing.” Scar explained, her expression darkening.

I honestly didn't know if that was true, but my gut said otherwise. Though I didn’t feel like I was in immediate danger, the ponies here seemed just as formidable as those in the previous settlement. “Who commands the armed forces here?” I asked.

Scar locked eyes with me. “That would be me. I authorized yesterday’s operation and led the extraction squad that brought you here. Any decisions regarding our defense come through me. Are we clear?”

I nodded silently, acknowledging her authority. With formalities aside, my mind shifted to the next pressing question.

“What the hell was Alex doing here… and if he’s still around, where the fuck is he?” I asked, the question hanging heavy in the air.

Scar glanced at the ground before responding. “We… have very little information. It’s been over fifty years since he disappeared, Stuart. Since then, society has almost completely collapsed. Much of the information from that time has been lost.”

I rose from my chair and headed towards the exit, glancing back to address Scar once more. “I have a hunch that our new prisoner will have a lot of answers for us.”

The pegasus arched an eyebrow. “And how do you figure that?”

“Because if she doesn't, we’re screwed.”

Scar chuckled softly and accompanied me as we walked towards the makeshift jail, leading the way. I wasn’t prepared for the ethical dilemma that awaited me.

Show Stopper was shackled to the floor, her movements severely restricted. A face mask had also been secured on her, likely to prevent any attempts to bite anypony unfortunate enough to approach her. My previous escort now stood watch beside her cell.

Let me speak directly to you, dear reader, for a moment. We’ve all entertained fantasies about confronting those who have wronged us—perhaps you were bullied in school, had an uncaring or indifferent boss, or had a family that overlooked your struggles and achievements alike. I’ve had those thoughts, and I suspect that you have as well. We often ponder how we’d react when faced with such a choice, and now that choice was before me.

The pegasus guarding the unicorn’s cell approached me and hoofed to me something. Stepping back, I realized what he’d given me. It was the same magical device that the chained unicorn had used on me—first stripping away my clothes to rob me of my dignity, and then using the device to strip me of my humanity. Now, our roles were reversed, and the fate of our future interactions now rested in my grasp. Sensing my hesitation, the pegasus turned to Scar and me.

“I interrogated her, and we found this in one of her armor’s pockets. She admitted using this on you… and that it caused you great pain.” he explained.

Scar’s expression turned aghast. “Stuart, did she… torture you?” Her question carried a weight beyond mere inquiry; it was a plea, a call for swift and justified retribution against our new prisoner. It was a retribution that I was certain would be violent in the extreme if I permitted it to happen.

Clutching the pulsating gem tightly in my fist, its soft blue glow warming my hand, I met Scar’s gaze. “Yes,” I admitted, with a feeling of deep shame. “She did. She stripped me bare and subjected me to this. The pain it caused was indescribable—like a waking nightmare that I fear will haunt me for a long time to come.”

Scar saluted me once more. “You have my word, sir, that she will face severe punishment. If you would permit me to use that gemstone, I’ll ensure she-”

“No.” I cut her off.

Anger began to simmer in her expression. “You can’t be serious! You know the threat she poses, we can’t just let her-”

“Unshackle her and bring her along with me.”

My words dripped with venom, delivered in a calm, cold rage that echoed the disappointment of a parent. Reluctantly, Scar nodded, and the alabaster pegasus freed the unicorn from her restraints while keeping the face mask in place. I strode purposefully outside, heading straight for the smithing area, easily identifiable by the assortment of armor and weapons on display. The lone earth pony stallion who manned the forge looked surprised to see me, doubly so at me being flanked by two pegasi and a unicorn. As I approached him, I couldn’t help but note his sky-blue coat and light green mane—a striking contrast to my expectations of what I thought a pony blacksmith would look like. His flank bore the design of a gleaming metal shield with an anvil inside it; the intricacy of the design within his fur was something I found rather impressive. It then dawned on me that the designs I’d seen earlier on their armor likely mirrored their actual physical markings.

“I want the biggest hammer you have. Now.” I demanded sternly, staring into the flustered blacksmith’s teal-irised eyes. He stammered incoherently and hurried to the back of his tent. After a minute or so, he returned with a sledgehammer. As I took it into my hand, I admired its sturdy construction—a solid wooden shaft and a head that clearly forged from steel. It was then I realized I still held the gemstone in my other hand, which I promptly placed on the anvil in front of me.

Scar finally grasped my intentions, but her pleas for me to stop fell on deaf ears as I swung the hammer down onto the gemstone in one swift, powerful motion.

The stone shattered instantly under the weight of my rage, sending shards and sparks flying in a brief, pyrotechnic display. Silence fell over everypony around me as nervous looks were exchanged by all. Stepping back, I addressed them all as a group.

“You don't know me. You don't know the life I’ve lived. I’ve hurt people, and I’ve done unspeakable things for selfish reasons. But then, I met Alex. He has this infectious personality that inspires you to be your best. In our first year of study, we made a pact; from that point forward, neither of us would tolerate injustice, nor would we use people for selfish gains… and nor would we inflict pain or suffering upon someone, for any reason.”

Nopony knew how to respond. That was fine by me.

I turned to the now-unshackled unicorn, holding my fingers close together until only a small gap remained. “I came this close to breaking my promise in that room because of you, and I hate that you made me even consider it. I destroyed the stone so that nobody would ever have to suffer from it again.”

Looking at the blacksmith, I sheepishly handed him back the sledgehammer. “Sorry, I guess I got a bit carried away there. My name is Stuart; what’s yours?”

“U-Uh, my name is, C-Crushing Shield, sir,” he stammered, setting the sledgehammer down. “Are you okay?” he asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

I shook my head. “Honestly? No. But I’ll get there. In the meantime, however, we should find a private place to talk.” I gestured toward Show Stopper, Scar, and my former escort. They all nodded, and Scar led us back to the outbuilding I had been in earlier. I took a seat in the same chair, while the others found seats around the room. Scar then removed Show Stopper’s face mask, sensing now was the right time to do so.

After we were all seated, my former escort spoke up first. “It’s so good to meet you, sir! We’ve heard stories about—”

Scar cut him off. “It’s not him. He might be a human, but he’s not Alex,” disappointment evident in her voice.

I extended a hand to my impromptu bodyguard. “I've already been introduced to Battle Scarred here, but don’t think we’ve been properly introduced. What’s your name? Mine’s Stuart, it’s good to meet you, and thank you again for your help earlier. I’m guessing that you were only pretending to be a guard for the other camp?”

“My name’s Aerial Ace, but you can call me Ace,” he replied, shaking my hand. “Yes, I’ve been spying in their camp for the last few months on Scar’s orders. When you showed up, I could’ve sworn that you were Alex… I didn’t even think that another human could be here.”

I rubbed my hands together as a chill wind swept through the open entrance. “I’ll level with you all, I’m extremely tired, extremely hungry, and I’m probably going to be mentally out of it for the rest of the day. So, let’s get my requests out of the way; Firstly, Scar, I’d like for our prisoner to be set free.”

Scar immediately objected, “Sir, I must protest! She has shown herself to be incredibly dangerous, and I cannot allow—”

I raised a hand to cut her off. “Yes, she has shown herself to be exceptionally dangerous, but if we hand her back to the other settlement, they’ll kill her. I can’t and won’t allow that. I’m not expecting a complete change in her attitude, but I see no reason to deny her a chance at redemption.” I said, looking directly at Show Stopper. “Secondly, Captain Stopper, as you told me to address you; you are going to be debriefed on everything you know—everything. That includes things as mundane as your morning routine and how frequently you take a shit. You’ve mentioned being an intelligence officer, and I expect you to contribute any information you can to help this camp survive. Are we clear, Captain?”

Briefly making eye contact with me, she nodded in grim acceptance of her new role, now a traitor to her former cause and comrades. I could see it caused her significant discomfort in her, but I was done caring about that today.

“And, lastly: I need a full debriefing on this world’s history, and every scrap of information from everyone at this settlement on what Alex has done, what his plans were, and what he’s up to now. While we gather this information, I’ll help the settlement as best I can with whatever you need, no matter how menial. And Captain Stopper here will also lend a hand. Consider it community service for being a pain in my fucking arse.” Once again, the unicorn mare nodded hesitantly.

With no objections, I got up from my seat. “It’s only afternoon here, but I need some rest before I fixate on something trivial and it ends badly for everypony. Can you help me with some accommodation, Scar?”

Nodding, signaled for me to follow, “I have just the place in mind!”, she called out as she headed outside. I kept up as quickly as I could, with Ace and Show Stopper in tow. Scar led us to an outbuilding similar to the one we had just left, but this one had several beds inside, tended inside by an earth pony mare with a light pink coat and a gorgeous flowing mane and tail of the purest golden color I’d ever seen. Her flanks bore the design of a peach surrounded by flames. She was currently moving about the room, performing spot inspections and humming a tune to herself. “This is our guest lodge,” Scar continued, ”It’s supposed to be used for visiting dignitaries, but we haven’t had any of those in a while. You’re officially a guest of the settlement, so you can use one of these beds for now.”

I walked up to a bed, and I ran my fingers over the mattress and covers before turning to Scar. “When I first arrived here, I saw ponies living in little more than tents, in conditions that I would charitably call ‘barbaric squalor.’ This, by comparison, is luxury. I… don’t know if I can accept this kind of generosity.” I hesitated.

The earth pony in the room clearly overheard me and leaped onto the bed I’d inspected, meeting me at eye level. “As Scar said, you are our guest, and we take care of our guests. Everypony out there would gladly give up something to help somepony in need. That’s really what we’re fighting for—equality for all ponies, a just world, harmony with one another, and the ability to be kind and charitable to others. Please don’t feel guilty about accepting our hospitality.”

I stared into her hazel-irised eyes, the occasional twinkle shining against the light from above. For the first time, I realized that while some ponies here might indeed be dangerous, I’d found an oasis of calm in a sea of violent and turbulent waters. Before I could restrain myself, I hugged the mare, tears in my eyes, “Thank you,” I whispered into her ear.

As we broke the hug, she responded with a whispered “You’re welcome”.

Turning back to Scar, I asked, “I’m going to get some rest, do you mind giving me a wake-up call tomorrow morning?”.

Scar nodded. “Sure, I’ll be here at oh-eight-hundred. Sleep well, Stuart,” she said, saluting again, and then ushering out all but the new pony I’d just met.

I flopped onto the bed, finding it surprisingly comfortable. Focusing my gaze once again on the earth pony mare, I said, “Say, my dear, I didn’t catch your name. I’m Stuart.”

The earth pony quickly zipped back over to my side, “My name is Flaming Peach, but everypony here just calls me Flame. I meant what I said earlier—if you need anything at all, please don’t be afraid to ask,” she beamed with an infectious smile.

I smiled back at her. “Thank you Flame, and I mean that sincerely. I’m going to get some sleep now, but if I need anything, I’ll let you know, okay?”

Nodding, she departed to give me some space. I closed my eyes, ready for some much-needed rest.

Unfortunately, that rest was not going to be forthcoming.

—

My prediction about my torture affecting my sleep sadly proved accurate. I woke up several times during the night, screaming so badly that Flame was scared out of her skin. Despite her fright, she ran over to check if I was okay. Scar had given me my agreed-upon wake-up call, and by the time morning had fully broken, while I was still bleary-eyed and hardly bushy-tailed, I felt like a million quid compared to yesterday.

That morning, I discovered that the settlement essentially runs a soup kitchen for meals. Scar pointed out the logistics to me, and an idea entered my head, which I ran past my impromptu entourage, who agreed to help organize it. I headed back to the first building I’d been taken to, finding my backpack and jacket still on the floor where I’d left them. I moved one of the long, rectangular tables to the center of the room, and positioned four chairs around it. Before long, Scar returned with Ace and Show Stopper, followed by another pony pushing a cart with four steaming bowls of what was described as vegetable goulash and a loaf of bread. I invited the three of them to sit at the table with me.

“Thank you all for coming. You’ve shared your hospitality with me, and words alone can’t fully express my gratitude to you all. Thus, I’ve invited you here to share a tradition from my home country with you.” I nodded to the teal-furred earth pony manning the cart, who happily served us our breakfast and goblets of water at the table, and then placed the loaf of bread in front of me. With a nod and a gesture of thanks from me, they wheeled the cart out, leaving us to begin our breakfast.

“My country has a history that spans more than a thousand years. Over those years, many ideas and traditions have taken root, flourished, and evolved. What I’m about to share with you is one of those traditions.” I took the loaf into my hands and gently applied pressure to both ends, causing the crust to split in the middle; I continued until the bread had been separated into two halves.

“This is called ‘breaking bread.’ It dates back to a time when this gesture was primarily a way to give thanks to God for the food a family was about to eat. As we’ve grown and evolved, the gesture has taken on a deeper meaning. Nowadays, it is traditional, although not widely practiced, to ‘break bread’ with prospective friends or even adversaries. It symbolizes friendship, and that is what I wish to extend to you all. And yes, that includes you, Captain Stopper.” I gestured to her as I broke the two halves into quarters and passed them out to the group.

“I… don’t understand you,” the unicorn replied. “Anypony else would have gladly thrown me to the wolves back there… but you didn’t. Nopony has ever done something like that for me.”

Ace spoke next. “I would have done it… and it makes me ashamed to admit it. I don’t know how you do it, Stuart, but I’m in awe of your resolve.”

“Well, she hasn’t tried to kill anypony else yet, so for now I have no problem with her. But, with you, Stuart, I’ll gladly take you up on that friendship offer. You might not be who we planned on saving, but you seem pretty chill… when you’re not pissed off like you were earlier, because, damn.”

Ace nodded. “I agree, and I’ll also more than gladly accept that offer of friendship from you,” he said, with a wink that aimed at me for reasons I couldn’t fathom.

All eyes fell upon Show Stopper, who was obviously quite intimidated at being put on the spot like that. “I… accept your offer. Maybe we can both learn something from each other.”

“I’ll drink to that,” I said, slurping the liquid from my bowl, a gesture that everypony at the table soon repeated. “Also, Scar, while I remember, please don’t salute me. I’ve never been a serving member of any military, and it makes me uncomfortable. Deal?”

The pegasus mare nodded. “Deal,” she said, followed immediately by her saluting me again and sticking her tongue out with a playful smirk. It was at that point that I knew I was going to like her.

Ace appeared visibly troubled. “... there are ponies out there barely scraping by, and here I am, eating a decent breakfast. It feels wrong, somehow,” He opined, his eyes guiltily fixed on the empty wooden bowl before him.

“Ace, your role in defending this place is crucial. If we don't feed you, we’re all at risk!” Scar countered passionately.

Raising my goblet to her, I nodded in agreement. “Unfortunately, I have to agree. It was the most basic rule that any nation on my planet had to follow just to have a chance at prosperity. We called it ‘Rule Zero: Keep the Army Happy’.”

Show Stopper shook her head. “Why not just make that the first rule?”

I shrugged. “I suppose because it’s an unspoken, and thus an unwritten, rule. No one likes admitting that some people’s welfare should take priority, especially in times of war. But it’s an unfortunate reality.” My voice trailed momentarily as I stared into my nearly empty goblet of water that had previously been full of precious, precious water.

“It’s really quite simple,” I continued, my gaze sweeping across the faces at the table, “If we set aside race, creed, and ideology for just a moment, it becomes clear that this moment we’re sharing here today, is a privilege that not everyone gets to enjoy. We owe it to those less fortunate than us to honor that privilege.”

Silent nods of agreement rippled around the table, the food serving as a balm for the turbulent night behind us. As I glanced around, our gathering was abruptly interrupted by a guard bursting in. “Scar, there’s an enemy sentry on the outskirts of the settlement. He’s carrying a white flag and insists on speaking with, uh…” The guard’s voice faltered as he realized that the subject of his message was right here instead of in a cell. “... our former prisoner, ma’am.”

Scar, ever composed, pondered briefly before nodding decisively. “Take us to him, soldier, quickly!”

We hastily abandoned the remnants of our breakfast and followed the flustered guard to the edge of the settlement’s perimeter. After a brisk walk, I immediately recognized the stallion from our earlier encounter.

“I remember you, Tricky Canvas. You’re either incredibly smart or incredibly stupid to show your face here after the atrocity that you participated in.” I accused pointedly.

“Sir, I was only-”

I picked up a nearby rock and threw it in his direction. It narrowly missed him, a deliberate choice on my part. To my surprise, instead of turning tail and fleeting, he retrieved the rock I’d thrown. Carrying it in his mouth, he spat it out at my feet and sat down on the grassy plain. “You missed, sir. If it will help make amends, I’ll sit here and let you hit me with that rock. As many times as you need to…”

I turned to Show Stopper. “He seemed to be under your command back there. You’re about to get a crash course in what friendship really means, and the first step on that journey is trust. Do you vouch for him, Captain?”

Before she could answer, I raised a finger. “And by ‘vouch’, Tricky, I mean that if you step out of line, even once, I won’t seek punishment for you; I’ll seek it for her,” I said, pointing at his former commander.

His mouth agape, I turned back to Show Stopper. “Do you vouch for him, Captain?”

Without hesitation, the unicorn nodded.

“In that case, Scar, now is a good time for that debriefing we discussed earlier, with our newest guest present. I’ll leave you to it while I check what other help the settlement needs. Agreed?” It was more of a statement than a question, but the air of the moment left little doubt that I wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer.

With unanimous nods, I departed, with Ace in tow. “I hope you don’t mind me tagging along; my duty roster is pretty empty today.”

I smiled and instinctively reached down, running my hand through Ace’s mane. Suddenly aware of the potential boundary I might’ve crossed, I pulled back. “I… sorry about that, Ace. Your size sometimes makes it easy to forget you’re not a pet to be petted at will.”

The pegasus chuckled heartily and grinned at me. “No need to apologize. I didn’t mind it at all… So, where are you headed now, if you don’t mind me asking?”

I gestured ahead. “I’m going to talk to that blacksmith again. I owe him an apology after that stunt I pulled yesterday, and since he’s crucial to this place’s defense, I want to see if there's any assistance he might need.”

Ace regarded me with an unfamiliar expression. “You really care about protecting us, huh?”

I smiled. “If you’d asked me that yesterday, I would’ve said your survival is tied to mine, and that would be it. But after talking with some of you here, I’ve realized you’re not just fighting for survival; you’re fighting to preserve your identity. I guess you could say that I’m emotionally invested in your prosperity now.”

That seemed to uplift Ace as we reached the smithing tent. Crushing Shield was back at his station, polishing a sword with a whetstone. “Hello again, is there something I can do for you?” He asked warmly, with a genuine smile.

“I must apologize for yesterday. It was reckless, and I put you in danger when I destroyed that stone. I should not have done that, and I am truly sorry.” I stated sincerely to Crushing Sheld.

The earth pony nodded thoughtfully. “Yes, it was reckless, but I’m equally to blame for hoofing you that sledgehammer. Tell me, what do you know about waging war?” he asked pointedly.

I exhaled sharply. “I understand the principles from studying military history, but I've never had to actually fight in a war.”

The earth pony nodded solemnly. “That makes you a liability in my eyes.” He stated confidently.

I was taken aback by his blunt honesty, but I respected it. “You strike me as someone who tells it like it is.”

Crushing Shield roared with laughter. “You appreciate brutal honesty, then?”

I shrugged. “That’s debatable. Where I come from, people who defended their harsh words with ‘brutal honesty’ tended to be more interested in the brutality over the honesty. But, I respect your straightforwardness—I know that it comes from a position of survival.”

I extended my outsplayed hand toward him. “This is called a handshake. It’s a gesture of welcome and friendship where I come from,” I explained, prompting him to reciprocate using his hoof, which he did promptly. I grasped it firmly with both hands, giving his hoof a gentle shake. “I choose my friends carefully, Crushing Shield. I can tell that you're the sort of pony I can rely on to keep me grounded in reality. I'd like to consider you a friend.”

“Just call me Crush, there's no need to be formal around here. As a friend, though, can I ask you a personal question?”

I nodded. “Of course, Crush.”

“When was the last time you bathed? You smell like a yak’s behind,” He stated bluntly, no longer hiding his olfactory discomfort.

“Oh, Celestia, I'm glad somepony finally said something,” interjected Ace, dropping his facade. “Actually, I think you've undersold the stench, Crush. To me, it smells like a skunk soaked in expired milk,” he added, with a slight gag.

I had definitely opened the floodgates. “I've been stinking up the place since I arrived here, haven't I?

“Uh, pretty much, yeah. We didn't want to say anything, you know, out of respect,” Ace admitted.

“Well, I need to fix that. Before I do, Crush, can I help you with anything?” I offered.

Crush pondered my question for a moment. “Not right now. Give me a day or two, and I’ll find something worthwhile for you. I just need some prep time.”

I nodded respectfully. “On Earth, my home, this is a gesture of deep respect,” I explained, bowing slightly. “Thank you, Crush, I'll be back soon. In the meantime, perhaps I can help something else. Who handles the food supply here?” I inquired, addressing both ponies present.

“Flame does, you've met already her,” Ace replied.

“Then let’s pay her another visit. Shall we?” I gestured toward the direction of where I'd spent the night.

Ace shook his head. “Let’s get you cleaned up first. I'll see if I can find somepony to wash your clothes. By the way, your people seem to have a lot of gestures for respect and friendship,” he remarked.

“Ha, that’s nothing; you should see how many gestures we have for telling someone to go fuck themselves,” I joked.

Ace looked perplexed. I sighed. “Let's add a crash course on our respective cultures to that meeting, shall we? It’ll come in very handy for the future… pun not intended.”

“Uh, I guess we could do that, but if you wanted to see my dick, you could have just asked,” he teased, winking again. Mercifully, we'd arrived at the showers. Inside there was a row of showers on the left and squat toilets on the right, conspicuously lacking any dividers.

“I see that privacy isn't a big thing here,” I remarked, dryly.

“Well, we are herd creatures. Solitude isn’t our thing. Your world different on that too?” Ace inquired.

I headed for the showers and searched around for soap and towels. “Privacy is pretty ingrained in our culture. I know that this place isn't The Ritz, but do you have any soap or towels around here?” I asked.

After some searching, Ace handed me the basics; a bar of yak soap, a flannel, a toothbrush, and a towel. With little choice, I stripped naked and started the shower for a quick rinse, the pegasus continuing to watch me. “You know, there are plenty of stallions out there you could watch rather than me, right?”

“No humans out there, though. Are you asking me to leave?” Ace quipped, nudging the matter forward.

“Fine, you can stay, but only in the interest of cultural exchange. Just… keep your comments to yourself. If I wanted to hear comments about my genitalia, I’d talk to my ex… if I could,” I half-joked, a touch rueful.

Ace quickly turned away, and I then realized that he was perhaps more curious and fixated on my presence than I initially thought. I empathized with his situation; it must’ve been challenging for him in this world to explore or understand such things freely. I harbored a lot of sympathy for him, more so than many in my position would, and I genuinely wished the best for him, but my immediate concern, for now, had to be sorting out my own predicament and getting my shit properly squared away.

Now wearing a towel around my dignity, I followed Ace to a smaller tent adjacent to the showers. Inside was overflowing with rows upon rows of pony-sized clothes on hangers, with a large washing basket in the center of the structure. Ace silently assisted me in washing away the stench and my embarrassment, hanging the cleaned garments to dry. “We should probably wait for these to dry before we go to see Flame, otherwise she might blush and lock herself in the back room of the lodge.”

Unbeknownst to Ace, Flame had approached the tent moments ago, presumably for her to tend to some laundry herself. Ace, bless him, was utterly and completely oblivious, and had just slandered Flame while she stood just behind him. I stood there, arms crossed, watching the awkward scene unfold between them. Ace finally turned around and faced an extremely annoyed earth pony. “F-Flame! How long have you b-been standing there?!” he stuttered nervously.

She huffed. “Long enough. You’ve got some nerve calling me out when you’re the one who’s been pestering our new guest like some sort of creepy voyeur! Don’t think I didn’t see you watching him while he took a shower earlier. You should be ashamed of yourself!”

Ace’s concern turned to panic as he shuffled nervously between us. Eventually, he gathered his courage and bolted away before either of us could react further. I briefly considered chasing after him, but the dampness of my Y-fronts reminded me that streaking through the camp naked wasn’t an option.

“Are you… are you not going to go after him?” Flame asked, a small measure of concern in her voice as we both watched the pegasus zip off into the distance.

I exhaled and looked over at her. “I think that he needs some time alone first. I’ll… find him again, later. In the meantime, however, can I help you with these clothes?” I offered, eager to divert the conversation to something more productive.

Flame’s expression brightened considerably in response, and with a nod we together tipped her basket of clothes into the large reservoir of water, with Flame then depositing in a very small basket of a dry, flakey substance, which I reasoned with probably a soap of some kind. As we let the clothes soak in the clear liquid, both of us regarded the other with tired expressions as we stood around the wooden vat for a few moments, the wind whistling up through my towel and between my buttocks as I was reminded that a towel was all I was wearing.

A sense of contentment soon settled over me as I leaned against the hard surface; despite the challenges I’d faced so far, and the hard work that was undoubtedly ahead, I realized that the ponies here were genuinely good-natured. Even those who’d been difficult so far I thought had the potential to become something more given the right encouragement.

We remained sitting there for a few moments longer, letting the sound of the disturbed water sloshing about fill the air around us before I saw Flame get up. Doing the same, I saw her extend a mechanism from above the tub into the water, before going around to the side of the vat and turning a small crankshaft. As she did so, the mechanism turned, agitating the water and what passed for soap.

As Flame continued turning the crank, I felt some of the tension from earlier begin to lift as I watched the blades continue to whirl in the water, catching glimpses of garments as they momentarily floated to the surface.

"You know, um, Stuart…" Flame began, breaking what was beginning to feel like an awkward silence between us, "I want to thank you for organizing that meal earlier, by the way."

I chuckled softly and nodded. "You’re very welcome… I think everypony needed it, and frankly, so did I."

Flame nodded thoughtfully, grabbing a stray garment from the wash and wringing out a stain from it. "It was nice. When, um, Scar brought you here, I kinda had my doubts about you… and I still do. But… you've shown that you genuinely want to help us; I don’t know if things will change… but, I want to believe that they will, with all of my heart."

I put my hands on the wooden frame of the tub as I mulled over her words. "I appreciate your honesty, Flame… I have doubts about me, too, if that makes you feel any better. Just… little more than a day ago, I was walking home through the park near my flat… well, my home, anyway… I was looking forward to stepping inside, preparing a nice hot meal, and chilling out with some music. Then, all of a sudden, I found myself in a forest clearing, all alone. Everything was different; the time of day, the weather, everything!”

Flame stopped using the crankshaft for a moment. “That must’ve been really scary for you!”

I nodded when another thought struck me. "I've been meaning to ask this, but I’ve not really had the opportunity," Stuart began tentatively. "Scar mentioned something earlier about the settlement and some challenges you’ve been encountering with its food supply. What's the situation?"

Flame sighed as she once again started working the mechanism. "Well, she’s right. Every year, o-our harvest yields dwindle. I c-can’t be sure, but… I think the soil is contaminated with something… but I’m having trouble identifying what that something is. The pegasi here also told me that the weather patterns are becoming more erratic lately, a-and unpredictable, too.”

I looked down into the pool of water as it churned before looking at the earth pony once again. “How do the seasons treat you? I can’t imagine that Winter is especially pleasant here…”

“Well, um, winter is especially harsh… every year, the cold claims far too many of the very old and the very young. If things don't change… everypony here is looking at a really bleak future within just a few years."

I nodded thoughtfully. "Well… needless to say, that sounds like a very severe problem. What are the settlement’s options? Is there a way to… I don’t know, improve the soil, or maybe find alternative food sources?"

Flame shook her head slowly. "We've tried everything we can think of, but… our options are limited, as I’m sure you’ve noticed. We’ve tried, um, crop rotations, composting, and even fertilizers before those ran out. Any improvement we get is temporary. We're all at the mercy of the land and the weather; it almost feels like this place doesn’t want us to survive. If we were nearer the coast, we’d be able to harvest fish from the sea, but we’re such a long way from the ocean that it’s impossible to do that."

I frowned, my mind racing with thoughts of potential solutions. "Surely there's something that can be done. I’m no farmer, but maybe there are farming techniques from my world that could help?"

Flame looked at me hopefully, a glimmer of optimism in her eyes. "Do you think so? If there's anything you could offer to help us, we'd be willing to try it. But, I think we need to understand what’s affecting the soil first; until we do that, countering it might be impossible."

I nodded curtly. "Well, I’ll keep all that in the back of my head for now if you think assessing the soil is the best course of action. If the situation really is as serious as you’re making it out to be… then this world might be heading for a calamity. If that’s the case… I’ll do what I can to help you prevent it. After all, your survival is my survival."

Flame smiled gratefully, a spark of hope reigniting within her. "Thank you, Stuart. Even just your willingness to help us means more than you know."

Flame churned the watery mixture for a few moments more before stopping, and removing the blunt wooden blades from the water, now resorting to using a wooden catcher with a net against the wall to fish out her garments.

I decided, then and then, that I was going fully dedicate myself to protecting both them and this settlement. They’d taken me in, and given me food and shelter after my ordeal.

I resolved to not let that debt go unpaid.

Chapter 02 - Investigations

As Flame and I finished washing her laundry together, I reflected on our productive, if depressing, conversation regarding the settlement’s food situation. She appreciated having someone new who cared about trying to help out with that, but although she confessed that she didn’t think my arrival would change anything, she was willing to give anything a try. My main takeaway from our discussion was that, if nothing changed, the settlement would eventually disappear, its inhabitants scattered to the corners of the world or worse. This is before we even examined our more immediate problems, like the hostile settlement I'd escaped from, which was likely planning revenge.

I’m a problem-solver. That’s what made me good at what I did in my day-to-day life. When I saw a problem, I deconstructed it, analyzed its parts, and then rebuilt the concept to test it. Many of my clients thought that what I did was magic, a skill that they thought they could never hope to emulate, much less understand. Yet now, the problems I’d previously faced seemed utterly inconsequential compared to what I now found myself facing. How do you save a population when the very land and climate themselves become incapable of supporting life?

After a warm hug of appreciation, Flame and I parted ways. Now suitably re-attired, I set off to search for Ace. After asking various ponies where he might be, I was pointed in the direction of the barracks, a large structure not too far from where I’d met Crush earlier. Upon entering, I immediately knew I was in the right place, for I couldn’t help but hear faint sobbing as I moved about the reception area. I followed the sounds of wailing, past the fitting room and into the washroom at the back. There he was, hunched over, tears staining his muzzle. His eyes caught sight of me, and he adorably tried to wipe his face as I approached, but we both knew it was futile. I put my hand on one of his hooves, spurring him to speak, “Y-You came…”

I gently sat down next to him. “Did you honestly think that I wasn’t going to check that you were okay?” My acknowledgment was a nod, and a few sniffles for good measure. From this brief shared moment, a lot of things around me in the settlement suddenly fell into place. I realized now that, from my perspective, friendship was just a word to the ponies here, a thing said out of habit with no deeper meaning behind it. It was quickly becoming apparent to me that many here had never experienced genuine friendship before.

I squeezed his hoof gently. “Listen, Ace, I don’t know what’s going on here, but Flame had a point earlier about your comment. It wasn’t nice, and you know that. Part of my responsibility as a friend is to be honest with you, and I’d be lying if I said you were in the right. Yes, she could’ve handled it better, but you threw the first verbal punch. Do you think you can apologize to her, big guy?”

Silence filled the room, but a brief nod gave me the answer I was looking for. “I also need to address how you’ve been acting, too. It takes a lot to offend me, my boundaries are probably much further back than most, but if I were anyone else, you’d have crossed a few lines in the last two days. I’m dealing with a lot of shit at the moment; my life has been uprooted, and everyone I’ve ever known is gone. I can’t tell you how empty and alone I feel… and that’s before we even get to Alex. Something happened to him, and not knowing what feels like an open wound. So, here’s the deal; I will sort my shit out, and when you’re ready, you and I will talk about what’s been happening between us. Does that sound fair?”

I got a verbal answer this time. “... yeah, it does,” he said, sniffling and wiping the snot from his nose.

Smiling, I hugged him, and he smiled back, wrapping his forelegs around me and nuzzling my cheek. We stayed like that for several minutes until a familiar face walked into the room.

“Oh good, you're here,” said Scar, grinning at the sight of seeing us together. “We’ve gathered enough information to give you a decent picture of the kind of place you've ended up in, and what kind of place it used to be. If you want to follow me, we'll get started.”

We both took that as our cue to leave, Ace taking a few moments to compose himself before he too left to catch up with Scar and me. “Who are you inviting to this debriefing?” I asked her, intensely curious.

“Uh, myself, you, Ace back there, and our two new unicorns. Why, did you have any specific ponies in mind?” she inquired.

“Yeah, I did.” I stopped and turned to Ace, who was walking rather sheepishly behind us. “Ace, can you fetch Crush and Flame for me?” I asked, turning back to Scar. “I think those two can offer some useful insights during our discussion.” She mulled it over and eventually nodded, and Ace sped off to go round up my choices.

We returned to the outbuilding where we'd shared breakfast earlier. The table had been cleared and prepared for the upcoming discussion. Already present were Show Stopper and Tricky Canvas, now joined by Scar and myself, and within a few minutes, Ace appeared with Crush and Flame in tow.

With everypony seated around the table, Scar cleared her throat. “Thank you all for coming. As you've no doubt guessed, this meeting is to give our new resident human here an understanding of this world. Is there something that anypony would like to say first?” she asked, looking around the circle.

I put my hand up first. “I know I asked for this to be a glorified history lesson, but I've been thinking: I need to know about you, as in ponies in general, from a more personal standpoint. I need to know how you live, how you fight, how to fight alongside you, and, er… how you reproduce. Once I'm suitably informed, we can then move on to your history.”

A couple of ponies shifted uncomfortably in their seats, most noticeably Flame and Show Stopper, but Scar, ever the consummate professional, remained composed. “Sure, I think we can handle that. What did you want to know first?” she asked, a sly little smile creeping across her muzzle.

Crush saved me from my lack of direction. “I think he should know about our foaling seasons first. You’ve just missed one, Stuart, but it'll come around again later in the year.”

I was curious now. “You only have foals twice a year then, I take it?” The group nodded in collective agreement. “Okay,” I continued, “Does that mean… fuck it, I’m just gonna say it, does insemination only occur twice a year too?”

More nods followed. “We call it ‘Estrus’,” Flame offered, “It happens twice a year, and it's when mares go into season, ready to be… well, ‘given’ a foal. We carry them for eleven months, and then we give birth, either at the beginning of Spring or Autumn, depending on when we, um, conceive.” She blushed fiercely, the color visible even through her fur.

Scar interjected. “And Spring Estrus is only a few weeks away. Celestia, I hope we’ve stocked up enough on nettles…”

Ace tapped me on the knee, sensing my confusion. “We use nettles to make nettle tea, which we ration to the mares and fillies in the camp… after we segregate everypony by sex.”

Show Stopper contributed next. “We did that too. Well, we kept the earth ponies segregated anyway, but the unicorn and pegasi mares and stallions made sure to give each other a wide berth for a few weeks.” Crush and Flame shot Show Stopper dirty looks, likely in response to her segregation comment.

Scar continued. “Unlike what some horny colts might claim, Estrus doesn’t turn us into sex-crazed maniacs. It makes us itch down there, raises our body temperature, and makes us more likely to consider doing things we… otherwise wouldn’t. And it’s not just mares and fillies; stallions and colts aren’t immune to the allure either. Well, most of them anyway,” She momentarily glanced at Ace, as if she thought I wouldn’t notice.

“But I’m not a stallion. Do I personally need to take any precautions?” I asked, aware that this might be important information later.

“Honestly… I don’t know. I'm not even sure if you could get one of us pregnant, you’re so… different.” Scar’s tone wavered between curiosity and apprehension. “Anyway, members of our military forces are explicitly banned from engaging in sexual relations during or near Estrus Season where a foal is a possible outcome. You don't need to drink that nettle tea, though; that just helps us mares manage our symptoms.”

“And it's disgusting,” Show Stopper chimed in. “But, unfortunately, it's the best thing we have to suppress our… urges,” she said, a slight hint of revulsion in her words.

I put my hands together. “I'll give all of this some greater thought when the time comes. On a different topic, how do you engage in warfare?”

“Depends,” Scar began, “Spears and shields primarily; some ponies use maces or swords like Crush here, while a small number prefer hoof-to-hoof combat, like yours truly. We used to use ranged weapons like bows; in fact; we still have some, but arrows aren’t quick enough for us to manufacture to replenish how many would get used in a typical engagement. Ponies have vulnerabilities, though. Despite wearing helmets, a unicorn’s horn is vulnerable despite them no longer being able to cast magic. They have to keep it unsheathed due to kinetic feedback, so if you can manage to bludgeon or fracture a horn, you'll cause crippling nerve pain that'll effectively disable them.”

“Since we can't fly, there’s little point going for our wings in combat,” Ace contributed, “You're better off trying to go for our legs. We're the fastest tribe on land, and any damage to our limbs greatly hinders our effectiveness.”

Crush spoke next, “And never, ever attempt to take on an earth pony head-to-head. We will come out on top in a physical fight. In fact, we have a saying, ‘If you go up against an earth pony, and it’s a fair fight, you both screwed up’. We may not have the same strength as our ancestors, but we're still the physically strongest tribe. If you want to take one of us out, you'll need to hit us where we're weakest: our undercarriage. Due to our size, we have to compromise on armor, and a lack of coverage there is a tradeoff we have to make; we sacrifice protection for dexterity.”

“As someone who’s studied military history, this is extremely interesting information. I’m sure it’ll come in handy for future conflicts if the worst comes to worst. For now, though… let's change the subject to history. Have pegasi, unicorns, and earth ponies always existed alongside one another?”

“I think I can help with that,” Tricky Canvas spoke up. “I previously helped compile a compendium of information on that topic, and I think I have most of it committed to memory. In short, yeah, pretty much. We don't know a lot about our very early history, but ponies were living together when… that other human arrived.” he said with a small degree of lament in his voice.

Tricky Canvas now had my full attention. “Do you know what the circumstances of his arrival were? Do you know who he met, and what he did during his time here?”

The brown unicorn shook his head. “Not precisely. We're sure he met with the royal diarchs, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, he would’ve probably needed them to sign off on his formal citizenship. Beyond that, we have photographic evidence of him with a group known as the Element Bearers. Judging from the surviving records I’ve seen, he was very close with them all.”

I couldn't tell you how happy I was hearing that. “I am incredibly happy to hear you say that. I'm sure that they were extremely lucky to have him as a friend. Who were Princess Celestia and Princess Luna? You mentioned the word ‘diarchs’, which implies that they ruled jointly. On Earth—my planet—they would’ve been called ‘queens,’ with ‘princess’ being a title for one of their uncrowned descendants.”

“They were alicorns known for having the power to raise the sun and the moon in the sky,” Tricky Canvas continued, “I mentioned the Element Bearers earlier; they, along with the human, were responsible for saving Equestria numerous times from enemies who sought to invade and destroy it.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Equestria? Is that where I am now? Also, what are alicorns?”

Show Stopper joined in. “Equestria was the name of the kingdom when it still existed. You're within the area claimed by its historic borders, but the kingdom itself no longer exists. All the major towns and cities were abandoned. Another consequence of your supposed friend’s meddling.”

I did sympathize with her more now than earlier, and yet I was searching for a reason as to why this all had happened in the first place. Before I could wander down that mental road, Tricky Canvas answered my second question.

“Alicorns, according to legend, were the physical and magical embodiment of all three pony tribes. They had wings like the pegasi, a horn like a unicorn, and the strength of an earth pony, each aspect magnified and enhanced many times compared to a regular pony.” He moved forward slightly, resting his forelegs on the table. “There were six known alicorns; Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Cadance, Princess Twilight Sparkle, Flurry Heart, and Opaline Arcana.”

Tricky Canvas shifted in his seat as he shared his knowledge. “I mentioned the Element Bearers earlier. History records that there were six of them too, each embodying an aspect of friendship. Twilight Sparkle was the Element of Magic, for example. Over time, the need for the Element Bearers became less urgent, and Twilight Sparkle at one point was appointed as the sole ruler of Equestria. Until Opaline showed up…”

Scar cleared her throat. “After Opaline launched an insurrection against the crown, the world went to Tartarus in a handbasket. Afterward, Alex helped Twilight to seal our magic away. When you showed up, we thought he'd come back to unlock it for us again so we could finally use our magic to rebuild our society. But that's not going to happen… is it?” she asked, her voice heavy with doubt.

That question began to weigh heavily on me. There had been a calamity of apocalyptic proportions in their past, and now everypony was searching for a way end to it all, only for the world to show them it had other ideas. My thoughts once again turned to Alex.

“Okay, so, Alex has very clearly had a big impact on this world, and whatever his motivations were, you are all suffering in the aftermath. I know the man, and I know that if he could see your suffering today, it would break his heart. That’s probably cold comfort to many of you, but he seems to have a plan, albeit one I’m not privy to… at least, not right now.” I said, trying to lift the spirits in the room. “His plan does not involve me, nor would I presume to interfere. I trust him and his judgment, even if it appears to have lapsed at some point. If he is truly seeking to correct a mistake he made, I want him to succeed. However, our collective future is unwritten, and while I propose that we must do all that we can to help set his plan in motion, our own survival must inevitably be our concern as well.”

I looked at Show Stopper. “You mentioned to me that Alex would return when ponies are facing their darkest hour. Now, don’t get me wrong, shit is proper fucked out there… but it’s not hard for me to imagine that a greater calamity waiting in the wings. As far as I’m concerned, we’re standing upon the shoulders of giants who’ve come before us, and it’s up to us to lay the foundations for the giants who are yet to come. Who's with me?”

One by one, the ponies in the room raised a hoof. All of them except for Show Stopper.

“You're a sentimental fool.” she spat, figuratively dripping bile. “Do you seriously expect me, or any of us, to just quietly accept being a cog in someone else's machine? What comes first for you; our prosperity, our survival, or his plan?”

Her question was valid, and I didn't have an easy answer. “To whatever force in the universe may be listening, I hope that I never have to make that choice. I'd rather die than betray any of you or this settlement; how's that for an assurance?”

That seemed to placate her, and she too raised a hoof. I turned to Crush and motioned for him to hand me the sword he carried, currently sheathed at his side. Taking a few moments to realize what I was asking for, he eventually hoofed the sword to me.

It being a bastard sword, I was able to rest the tip on the table, the sharp edge making a dent in the battered wooden surface. “I, Stuart of the House Robinson… probably the first of my name, do solemnly swear that from this day forward, I will uphold the ideals of friendship, courage, and gallantry of the former Kingdom of Equestria. I will do my utmost to serve and protect not only those present here today but also the settlement and all who dwell within it. And, if the time should ever come, know that I would gladly lay down my life to protect any of you. On behalf of you all, I swear this creed; that I will be an advocate for friendship and compassion to all, to move in the shadows as an avatar of justice, and to be known in the annals of history as nothing more than a whisper on the wind.”

I’d never seen a pony clap before, never mind six of them clopping their hooves together and stamping them on the floor in applause.

I took a step forward, and handed Crush his sword back, watching as he immediately re-sheathed it with a nod of thanks. “Thank you all for doing this for me; you've given me a lot to think about. Captain Stopper and Tricky Canvas, would you mind staying for a bit while our friends give us some privacy?”

Scar saluted and swiftly ushered everypony out, a clear demonstration of respect for my request. Both of the unicorns exchanged apprehensive glances, clearly unsure of what was about to transpire.

I took a seat, placing myself between the two unicorns. I regarded them with a penetrating stare, the silence in the room thick with tension. “My world has a saying; ‘Let cooler heads prevail.’ I wanted to get some sleep and some food in me before I had this conversation with you, Former Captain. And. it’s only your impeccable timing that you’re here too, Tricky Canvas. If I’d had this conversation earlier, I would’ve quickly lost my temper. Now that I’ve had time to calm down, I wanted to give you the chance to explain why you thought torturing me was justified that day.”

The two unicorns remained silent, their discomfort palpable. Tricky Canvas opened his mouth to speak, but Show Stopper immediately cut him off. “Be quiet, Tricks. This is not yours to excuse.”

I leaned back, somewhat surprised. “Tricks, huh? I guess I should've expected that. Let’s drop your rank, Show Stopper. You're no longer in service to your former commander.”

“Call me Stopper, then. It's all the same to me,” she said, gazing off to one side.

“Well then, Stopper, I'm still waiting for an answer as to why you did it; why you scarred my mind and put me through Hell. I want to know why.” I pressed, my calm, deliberate tone filling the room as I pointed a finger squirrely at her.

“I was following orders,” she replied coldly, avoiding my gaze.

“Is that your answer too, Tricks?” I asked. He only nodded muted.

I could tell that this wasn't the whole truth, but it was a start. Truth nearly always begins in lies, especially the ones we tell ourselves.

“Would you like to know what we did to people on my world who helped commit atrocities, and claimed they were ‘only following orders’?”

No response. I clasped my hands together. “In many cases, they were executed, my little ponies. I still remember what you said, Stopper—that if ten earth ponies had to starve so that you could eat, so be it. If I go out there and ask Scar, I know she would agree that it would be morally justifiable to withhold food from you in light of those comments. I don't agree.”

I sat back in my chair and crossed my arms. “You have both been given an opportunity—an opportunity to be better ponies than you are. In that spirit, Tricks, I am extending you the same offer I made to Stopper; an offer of friendship.” I leaned forward and extended an arm. He hesitated, but then extended his hoof to meet it. As I clasped his hoof, his expression softened, and despite his brave effort to hold back, tears began to stream down his cheeks.

After a few seconds, I released his hoof and stood up. “Get up, both of you, and follow me. I’m about to show you that I meant what I said earlier.”

The two unicorns, even more mystified now, silently followed me outside. I led them to the barracks, where, as luck would have it, Scar was inside filling out some paperwork—exactly the pony I wanted to see. I approached her with the two unicorns flanking me, catching her attention and prompting her to put down her pen, which had been held in one of her wings. “Stuart. What can I do for you?” she asked, as chipper as ever.

I gestured to the two ponies behind me. “I know I have no authority here, but I have a request. I’d like for these two to be given the appropriate rank and station befitting ponies of their talents. Stopper, what’s your specialty?”

She stepped forward. “I cut my teeth in military logistics. Put me in charge of your resources, and I’ll make your military the most effective fighting force this side of the Celestial Sea.”

Nodding, I raised my voice just enough for the other unicorn to hear me, “Tricks, what’s your specialty?”

The male unicorn took a step forward, “I am adept at stealth and subterfuge. My skill lies in gaining access to places where I am decidedly not welcome. Put me to work, and I’ll boost your intelligence-gathering by a factor of ten.”

Scar weighed my request carefully before responding. “I’m sorry, Stuart, but I can’t risk the settlement on a request like that. You gave a good speech earlier, and it gave me a lot to think about, truly it did. But I don’t have the luxury of taking chances on ponies who, not three days ago, would have killed any one of us without a second thought. I made a previous decision earlier based on faulty intelligence, and I have a responsibility to this settlement to do my due diligence, which I failed to do. I can’t take the risk you’re suggesting, I’m sorry.”

Scar had now unknowingly wandered into my specialty.

“Then, if you won’t put your trust in them, I ask that you put your trust in me. I have a compromise in mind; let me lead an expedition into their settlement, with these two as mission specialists, to recover valuable materials and artifacts. You two—what do they have?” I said, deciding to test their loyalties on the spot.

“Tear of the Moon,“ advised Stopper, “It’s a magical gemstone. It has a low magical output, but it continuously recharges from the ambient magic around us all. We used it to charge that… thing you destroyed…” she trailed off, a hint of regret in her voice.

Tricks quickly added, “And I collected dossiers on numerous ponies of interest, both past and present. Allow me to retrieve those, and you’ll have the best cache of intelligence you could ever hope for, and then some.”

Reclining in her seat, Scar scrutinized me as if measuring my resolve. “You can’t lead an expedition, Stuart. As you mentioned earlier, you have no authority, and no rank in my army. You can’t command a squad, nor can they follow your commands proper rank appropriate to your stations…” She rummaged through a drawer at her desk, eventually tossing something at me—a pin adorned with two upward chevrons. Digging deeper, she placed two more pins on her desk, each with a single upward chevron, silently indicating for the two unicorns to retrieve them.

“Stuart Robinson, by my authority as Commander—self-appointed as it may be—I hereby grant you a field commission to the rank of Corporal. Show Stopper and Tricky Canvas, I also grant you each a field commission to the rank of Private. You will follow Corporal Robinson’s orders. Upon your return, Corporal Robinson will report directly to me with an assessment of your mission. That assessment will affect both your and your squadmates’ future standing in my beloved corps. You depart at midnight under the cover of darkness. Your primary objective is to recover the Tear of the Moon and the personnel dossiers. Your secondary objective is to recover additional artifacts or resources that do not compromise the primary objective. Are my orders clear, troops?!” she commanded.

I saluted sharply. “Sir, yes, sir!” I responded with equal authority. Stopper and Tricks mirrored my salute, echoing, “Sir, yes, sir!”

Scar leaned back, visibly satisfied. “Very well. You are off duty until twenty-three-hundred-hours. Report to the barracks for a final briefing then. Dismissed!”

Stopper and Tricks departed ahead of me, and just as I turned to follow, Scar delivered one last verbal twist, “Now, you’re the one that has to salute.”

—

Scar graciously lent us the same wooden chariot that I’d escaped in earlier, and our three-pony escort had dropped us a couple of kilometers from the target’s boundary. My backpack, now emptied of all worldly possessions except for a portable charger, was strapped securely to my back, and my trusty black hoodie provided adequate warmth on this mild spring morning. In my hand, I held one of my phones, charged and ready, serving as a navigation aid with its compass-augmented capabilities. The only issue with my phone at the moment was adjusting to this world’s twenty-six-hour day, a problem I’d have to address later.

My two subordinates (and boy does saying that feel weird) were modestly equipped, each clad in their original black armor and matching helmets from their previous commands, with saddlebags flanking their sides. They traveled without weapons, though it would be foolish to consider us unarmed collectively.

Stopper glanced over at me holding my phone, “That’s a neat little bit of tech you’ve got there.” she commented.

“Fucking should be, it cost me enough,” I replied, adjusting our course to keep us on track. As we moved a few hundred meters further, Stopper halted me with a hoof.

“I need to know something, Stuart. Do you trust us?” she asked, with Tricks now focusing his attention on us both.

I pocketed my phone. “Isn’t that the crux of all this?”

She snorted. “There’s trust and then there’s trust. I’m asking about the latter.”

Before I could answer, a loud horn sounded in the distance, and three armor-clad pegasi armed with spears swarmed in to engage us. I glanced to my side and realized Tricks was missing, a jolt of panic shooting through me. Stopper stepped forward. “How gracious of you to welcome us. As you can see, I’ve returned with our captive. I demand to see Commander Stormhoof immediately.”

One of the pegasi spoke up, “Did you really think you’d fool anypony by returning here?”

“In my defense, you left me little choice after threatening me. But results speak louder than words, and I’ve delivered the human, Prince Alex, into custody. Now, I suggest that you deliver us to the Commander before he loses patience with you.” she said, the pegasi soldier visibly wavering.

“Follow me,” he ordered begrudgingly. Reluctantly, I marched onward with them into the distance, the pegasi behind me seemingly enjoying stabbing me in the buttocks with their spears. I made a mental note of that.

We were escorted to a large stone building, spanning two stories. Stopper and I ascended a spiral staircase with a solitary guard trailing behind. The staircase led directly to a spacious office where a visibly high-ranking pegasi sat behind a large desk. “Leave us,” he commanded his guard, who promptly exited and closed the double doors behind us.

Commander Stormhoof slouched behind his cluttered mahogany desk, his bloated figure a stark contrast to the air of authority he tried to exude. “Ah, Captain Stopper!” he exclaimed as he got up and met his returning soldier personally.

“You always were my favorite.” he drawled, his tone dripping with insincere charm. “I have to admit, I was disappointed when you abandoned your post, but it seems your loyalty has led you back to us with a great prize—returning the traitor Alex to our grasp!”

Stopper stifled a giggle, her demeanor suddenly shifting. “Tell me, Commander. What has four hooves and a hole in its face?” she queried, her question hanging in the air like a threat.

Confusion flickered across Stormhoof’s features, and in less time than it took me to blink, Stopper swiftly spun and landed a precise kick to his head. The Commander crumpled to the ground, motionless. Rushing over, I checked for a pulse.

Nothing. He was dead. Stopper gestured to his desk. “Second drawer on the right.”

I wasted no time, retrieving the jewel emitting a soft, pulsing blue light—the Tear of the Moon, no larger than a marble. Pocketing it, I pondered what else might be of use.

Across the room, a sprawling bookshelf caught my eye, its contents in a script I didn’t recognize. Stopper joined me, pointing out three particular tomes. “If you’re interested in learning about magic, take these,” she suggested, “They won’t be of use to us, but they’ll provide some of that cultural insight you wanted regarding unicorns.”

I nodded, stuffing the tomes and a gold pendant with a green gem from the desk into my backpack. But, one immediate concern remained.

“How do we get past the guards?” I asked. Stopper nodded towards a hole in the wall with a sloped floor leading downward. I peered into the darkness. “Do you know how deep it goes?”

“That’s a good question,” she replied nonchalantly, giving me a swift push. As I landed with a stumble, I was greeted by a pungent odor, realizing that I’d hit a steaming pile of excrement at the bottom.

“It’s about four meters,” Stopper called down from above.

Giving her the finger, I moved aside to give her room to land, which of course she did more gracefully than I, contrasting sharply with my earlier introduction to the Element of Surprise. It probably wasn’t something an Element Bearer would have borne, but I doubt that Stopper would’ve complained if that had been her aspect. However, I was silently complaining about needing to get pony shit off of my shoes when we got back.

Seeing no guards around, we hastily departed. “What about Tricks?” I asked, breaking our stride.

“He’ll know where we are; now, see if you can get us back to that chariot,” Stopper challenged. We had put some distance between us and the camp when a familiar voice joined us. “I’ve completed my task and collected all the dossiers. I’ve also secured and torched their maps of the surrounding areas, along with the map room itself,” Tricks announced casually

“Well, Stopper here just assassinated the settlement’s leader. Aren’t you concerned about retaliation?” I asked with a tinge of worry in my voice.

“No,” Stopper replied coldly, “It’ll ignite a civil war. The power struggle among the important ponies will distract them. Many of the rest will perish or flee, those left behind won’t pose a threat to us for a very long time.”

It was hard to argue with her assessment. After circumventing the complete shitshow we’d just unleashed, we’d regrouped with our escort and headed home.

Home.

That word began to hold meaning for me again. Though I was far from feeling safe, I found a sense of purpose brewing within me. Sometimes, feeling useful was enough to anchor oneself in a storm. The three of us settled in for the journey back, allowing me time to mull over the morning’s tumultuous events. Both Stopper and Tricks had not just burned bridges to their old lives; they had completely incinerated them, crossing whatever the pony equivalent of the Rubicon was.

As dawn broke, we arrived back at our settlement. Relief washed over me at the sight of Ace and Crush waiting for us, offering us much-needed water pouches for sweet, merciful rehydration. Stepping out of the vehicle, Ace saluted me with a grin. “Now you’re saluting me, too?” I teased.

Ace chuckled. “Scar told me about your promotion, congratulations! I’m just a Private First Class, so you outrank me.” He gestured for me to follow. ”Scar wants to see you as soon as you’re settled. Follow me, Corporal Robinson,” he said, lightly teasing me with the use of my new rank.

At the barracks, I stood before Scar with Tricks and Stopper at my side. As we all saluted, Scar ordered, “At ease, soldiers.” Tricks and Stopper sat while I remained standing, hands clasped behind my back in a posture reminiscent of a school assembly.

“Corporal Robinson, I wish to hear your report on the morning’s events,” Scar addressed me directly.

I gulped, not out of fear of having done anything wrong, but out of concern I might disappoint my new commanding officer. “Yes, ma’am. We encountered enemy units before reaching the camp. At that point, Private Canvas proceeded independently to achieve one of our primary mission objectives. Private Stopper employed strategic deception and lethal force to accomplish the second primary mission objective. Together, we also managed to fulfill our secondary mission objective. In my assessment, our mission was a resounding success, ma’am.”

Scar regarded me with the same intense scrutiny as the day before. “Please provide further detail on the use of lethal force,” she requested.

I mentally kicked myself. “Private Stopper made a tactical decision based on the situation at hoof. Her actions were conducted discretely and are expected to significantly diminish the threat from that settlement, enhancing our security,” I reported, maintaining my military bearing.

“What is your personal evaluation of that decision, Corporal?” Scar pressed.

Meeting her gaze squarely, I replied, “I fully endorse Private Stopper’s decision. It demonstrated astute tactical acumen honed through extensive experience. Both privates acted admirably during the mission, and I recommend they be considered for deployment elsewhere and promotion to positions reflective of their performance, ma’am.”

“Permission to speak candidly, ma’am,” Stopper interjected.

Intrigued, Scar nodded. “Granted.”

“I believe the corporal is glossing over our actions, ma’am. Private Canvas left our group without authorization, leaving us vulnerable at a critical juncture. While it is true I used deception to gain an advantage, I also deliberately assassinated the commander of a rival settlement in an unprovoked, lethal assault. And, admittedly, I shoved my commanding officer into a latrine because I thought it would be funny.” Stopper admitted bluntly.

Scar leaned back, processing the information. “And was it funny?” she inquired.

“Very,” Stopper affirmed, her smirk evident without even looking.

Scar stepped away from her desk and approached us. “Beyond these walls, there’s no Admiralty Board, no Geneighva Convention, no treaties guaranteeing safety for anypony out there. I won’t pretend that honor and decency will prevail in every situation; those are luxuries of a time we’ve left behind. But I do believe there willcome a time when they matter again.” Her voice carried a mix of pragmatism and professionalism. “I’m entrusting you with discretion in future missions. If you can avoid unnecessary bloodshed, I support that. But if you must act to ensure your safety, you have my authorization to use whatever means are necessary, as long as you can justify your actions later.”

The weight of responsibility settled on me like the heavy backpack I’d first carried here. For the first time, I had to consider not just my own welfare, but that of my new comrades-in-arms. “Future missions? Does this mean we’re approved for active duty?” I inquired.

Scar nodded. “You've impressed me, which isn’t easily done these days. Now, show me what you brought back from your expedition.”

Without hesitation, I placed the Tear of the Moon on her desk while Tricks organized his paperwork nearby. I opened my backpack and laid out the tomes Stopper had recommended along with the pendant, its green gem gleaming in the light against a gold setting.

Scar examined our findings. “Much of this may not be immediately useful, but it’s better in our hooves than theirs. They hold cultural significance, at the very least.”

“I believe that they can offer more,” Stopper interjected, “These tomes contain magical theory from our tribe; Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced levels. They may be useless, but they preserve our legacy. If others can read these, they’ll know who we were…”

“This means a great deal to you, doesn’t it?” I remarked, sensing the depth of her attachment.

It dawned on me that until now, I hadn't fully grasped the magnitude of their loss. It wasn’t just identity; it was the essence of their existence that had been stripped away unjustly. Every time a unicorn looked in a mirror and saw their horn, every time a pegasus looked at their wings, and every time an earth pony tried to invoke their strength, they were reminded of a stolen birthright.

I crouched to meet Stopper at eye level. “If you'd like to teach me what's inside these books, we can make time for it. Okay?” I asked. She turned to me, and at that moment, I saw a flicker of something new in her eyes. Before I could fully comprehend it, she surprised me with a tight hug, wordlessly accepting my offer.

Scar smiled and returned to her seat. “Private Tricks, Private Stopper, you’re off-duty for now. Corporal Robinson, please remain. Dismissed,” she said with a nod, as the two unicorns departed visibly happier than yesterday. I back to Scar. “Is there something specific you need from me, ma’am?”

Reclining in her seat, Scar clasped her hooves together and sighed softly. “What’s your secret, Stuart?”

I turned my head slightly, furrowing my brow, “Ma’am?”

“Stuart, you have a way of… how can I put this? You seem to bring out the best in ponies. You’ve turned two former enemy combatants, one of whom is honestly one of the most dangerous ponies I’ve ever encountered, into valuable and productive members of our community. How did you manage that?” Scar asked, genuinely curious.

I pulled over a chair and sat down. “Earlier, I mentioned that you don’t know me, my life, or my beliefs. Over time, I hope that you will get to know me and all that I am. But, for now, the one thing you really should know about me is one of my core beliefs: If you treat people with compassion, you can turn today’s enemies into tomorrow’s friends.”

Her smile showed she understood, but I continued. “I know it sounds idealistic, and yes, sometimes it might mean sacrificing a battle. But I believe that if we don’t take that compassionate approach, we risk losing the bigger war—whether it’s out there or the war of hearts and minds of those who remain.”

Scar nodded thoughtfully, seemingly satisfied for the moment. “Crush asked me to let you know he’s ready for you to visit. He’s got something planned for you.”

I grinned and chuckled. “Good to hear. I’ll head over right away.”

Scar shook her head, a hint of amusement in her voice. “Not before you bathe, I can smell you from here.”

—

After tending to my ablutions and meticulously cleaning my incriminating footwear, I made my way over to Crush’s tent as the afternoon sun began its descent. He grunted a greeting upon my arrival and pointed to a pile of equipment to his right.

“Alright, time to see how well you handle combat. In that pile, you’ll find a shield, a mace, and some chainmail. I’ve estimated your measurements as best I could, but I erred on the side of caution, so it might be a bit baggy. Put on the chainmail, grab your shield, and meet me in the ring over there.” he instructed, pointing to a large fenced-off circle a short distance away.

As Crush headed over to that arena, I pulled the chainmail over my hoodie, trusting the fabric to provide some additional protection. Surprisingly, despite his caution, the chainmail fit snugly with minimal adjustments. Securing the shield around my right wrist, I joined Crush in the arena where he awaited.

The arena appeared larger up close, easily spanning six or seven meters across. Crush stood in the center, grinning as I approached, “Impressive armor, if I do say so myself. Now, we’ll see how you fare against an unarmed earth pony,” he declared, moving to the perimeter of the circle while I positioned myself at the opposite end. “Do not worry about hurting me. I will be coming straight at you. Your task is to protect yourself from my approach. Ready yourself!”

I braced myself with the shield in front of me, feeling uncertain of exactly what the fuck I was supposed to do. Before I could fully process it, Crush closed the distance between us swiftly. Instinctively, I pushed forward as he made contact, the shield making contact with him with a thud… and that’s all it did. I was rendered utterly powerless as his momentum overwhelmed me completely, sending both me and the shield flying well beyond the bounds of the arena. Momentarily winded, I coughed a few times before getting back on my feet and returning to where Crush patiently waited.

“That’s the first lesson: never meet force with force. You’ll lose every time!” Crush explained passionately before retreating to the edge of the arena again. “Begin!” he called out once more.

He charged at me again, a relentless juggernaut that seemed absolutely unstoppable.

In a split-second decision, I swiftly withdrew my wrist from the shield, gripped its rim tightly, and hurled it at his head.

Time seemed to slow as I watched the shield sail across the arena. Crush, unable to adjust his massive frame quickly enough, took the full impact of the shield’s rim to his face with a resounding THUD. Stunned, he crumpled to the ground in a heap.

Ignoring where the shield landed, I rushed to his side, flipping him over so that he could breathe. Blood trickled from his nose as he gasped, “Bucking… Tartarus…”

After a tense moment, he managed to roll onto his hooves, wiping blood from his face. “Actually, you might have a knack for ranged combat. Give me some time, and I’ll see what I can come up with. Good work today,” he complimented, bowing slightly as he retrieved the shield and headed back towards his tent.

Without further instruction, I went back to the barracks to find Scar organizing equipment in the fitting room. “Looks good on you, champ,” she complimented absentmindedly. “What can I do for you?”

“I need a place I can store this chainmail?” I replied, nodding towards the armor, “The guest lodge doesn’t have any storage.”

She pointed to an empty box nearby, granting silent permission to stow the armor there for later. “On another note, do you still have those tomes on magic? I’d like to start reading them soon.”

Scar stepped out briefly and gestured to the tomes still on her desk. “Take all three if you want. They should be labeled by level.”

“I’ll leave them here for now,” I decided, “I have some things to do first; is there a study area that I can use?” I requested.

Scar gestured towards her right, saying, “I normally use it if I need some privacy, but sure, knock yourself out if I’m not around. On one condition, though.”

“Name it,” I challenged.

“I need to know about you. If you’re going to serve under me, I need to know who you are physically. I need to know your weaknesses are, your strenghs… essentially, Corporal, I need you to submit to a physical inspection,” she instructed.

“When would you like this physical inspection, ma’am?” I asked, unsure of what she was ultimately looking for.

She looked again towards her study. “Now, Corporal.”

Taking a sharp breath, I entered the room first, followed by my new commanding officer, closing the door behind her. Sitting down at the sturdier desk inside this room, she leaned. “Please undress.”

If she was looking for a sense of shame, she was barking up the wrong tree. My clothes formed an unceremonious pile on the floor In short order, leaving me exposed as the day I was born. Scar smiled, and practically leaped out of her chair as she circled me, her curiosity evident in scrutinizing every difference between our species. There was one area she seemed particularly interested in, her hoof causing it to swing from side to side. “I’ve seen everything I need to; get dressed, Corporal,” she ordered.

I needed no further invitation and quickly donned my clothes. Once properly attired we both took seats in the room. “As we discussed in our briefing, Spring Estrus is approaching,” Scar began, “I wanted to see if you are compatible with our biology, and honestly, I think you might be. I know that this is a lot to take in, but I needed to ask you this in private: If I asked you to participate, would you be willing?” she asked

I was taken aback. Did I even have the right to bring a new life into this world? “That’s a… big ask, ma’am. Do you even know if, uh, relations between our two species are can produce offspring?” I asked her, my mind racing with the implications of such a union.

Scar brought a hoof to her chin, “We don’t, but we’re trying to rebuild a shattered society here, and that means maintaining our population levels. Would you… be willing to give it a try with somepony?” she inquired.

I considered the offer carefully. “How are partners assigned? It can’t be a free-for-all.” I reasoned.

“We assign stallions to mares on a rotational basis due to a severe gender imbalance; for every three mares there is one stallion,” she stated matter-of-factly.

I had made my decision. “In the interests of scientific progress, I’ll gladly assist in any way I can. However, I have one non-negotiable condition: I would need somepony to volunteer, rather than being assigned to me. If you can accommodate that, I believe I can help.” I stated firmly.

Scar smiled, “I think I can arrange that. Can I ask you a personal question?”

“You want something more personal than seeing my genitals?” I quipped.

Scar chuckled, “I deserved that. What are your… preferences? I don’t expect them to be identical here, but did you lean towards mares or stallions on your world?”

I pondered for a moment. “I didn’t focus much on that aspect. I’ve always been more drawn to individuals rather than what was between their legs. As for your species, I’m open to both at the moment.”

Scar nodded with a sly smile and gestured towards the door. After saluting once more, I left the barracks to find Stopper and discuss what she wanted to teach me about magic. It didn’t take long; I found her in Crush’s tent engaged in what seemed like a heated argument.

“I will not have my combat prowess questioned by you!”, screamed an extremely-annoyed unicorn.

“And I will not have my vocation belittled by you!”, Crush screamed back. I walked over to the both of them.

“What’s going on here?” I interjected.

“This!” Crush pointed accusingly at Stopper, “She’s claiming my craftsmanship is inferior!”

Stopper scoffed, “Hardly, I just said that my former settlement had access to higher-grade metals. Your armors are inferior compared to theirs. Crush here then insinuated that my combat skills were lacking!”

“Enough!” I intervened firmly. “We’ll settle this later. Stopper, come with me.”

She huffed but followed me back to the barracks. “We can discuss this incident tomorrow. Right now, I need your insights on these tomes,” I said, indicating the numbered books on Scar’s desk.

Stopper examined books, each adorned with intricate gold designs. “The first book covers magical theory, essential for understanding the foundational principles of unicorn magic, along with some simple spells like telekinesis and levitation. The second book delves into basic spellcasting, teaching defensive shields, sound manipulation, protection wards, and even contraceptive spells. The third book, advanced spellcasting, includes teleportation, energy beams, and more lethal offensive spells,” she recited with evident passion.

I nodded, absorbing her words. “I know this sounds grim, but I have to know: do you know if there have been any attempts to transplant unicorn horns onto other ponies?”

Stopper paused to consider. “There were experiments in the past. Stories were passed down about attempts to graft a horn from a deceased unicorn onto an earth pony, but it was unsuccessful, and the research was abandoned.”

“How exactly do unicorn horns function? Are they merely collectors of magical energy, or do they serve a more complex role?” I inquired, delving deeper into my query.

“They absorb ambient magical energy and store it within their structure. A unicorn’s nervous system regulates this energy, enabling us to channel it into spells,” Stopper explained, her hoof lightly stroking one of the tomes.

Continuing, I pressed on. “Have there been any records of attempting horn grafts on creatures other than ponies?”

Stopper was taken aback by the question. “I’ve… I’ve never heard of such a thing. Where is this leading, sir?”

I took a deep breath. “I have an idea, Private. It’s an idea that, back home, would be highly controversial and likely illegal. I need the horn of a unicorn.”

Chapter 03 - Desecration

Stopper just looked at me, and while I'm no expert on pony body language, I could tell that she wasn't happy about me asking for a unicorn’s horn.

“You… you want a unicorn’s horn? Why the buck do you want one of our horns?! What bucking possible reason could you have to need one?!” she demanded of me, her voice rising with each word.

I paced a few steps, collecting my thoughts. “Because I've been thinking about my place in this new world, and how I want to be a force for good. I want to try and see if I can wield magic like your ancestors did. Even if it doesn't work, I think we could all learn something from the attempt.”

Stopper scoffed. “You don't seriously expect somepony to just give up their horn? Removing it would be extremely painful, with life-long complications!”

“I've thought about that,” I replied, my tone steady. “Instead of condemning somepony else to a life of misery, I have an alternative plan. I want the horn from a dead unicorn.” My expression was devoid of all emotion, projecting profound seriousness.

“You want to… to desecrate somepony’s final resting place? Is that what your world is like, full of hairless creatures that strip the dead of what little dignity they have left?!” she shouted, her voice quivering with rage.

“When you were at your former post, did you strip dead earth ponies of their valuables before you buried them?” I countered, and it stopped her train of rage dead in its tracks. “Are you being passionate about this topic only because I mentioned doing the same thing to one of your kin?”

“I… you're talking about cutting off a horn, about mutilating somepony! We never did that!” She responded, her voice now edged with a mixture of anger and disbelief.

“No, you just murdered them in cold blood, I'll bet.” I sighed. Her expression hardened as I approached her. “Whatever moral high ground you think you have here doesn’t exist. Yes, a unicorn's life needs to have ended for what I want to attempt. But I want to ensure that their life did not end in vain. I think seeing if your magic can flow again is about as noble a cause as any right now.”

Stopper turned her head to the exit, her resolve visibly shaken. “When do you plan on asking Scar to do this?” she asked, her voice now softer.

“If I have results, or if it fails. Until I’ve explored this, I don’t want anypony else to know what I'm about to do. I can’t risk somepony saying no, so… deception it is,” I said, knowing that I was about to cross a moral and ethical line.

Stopper smiled at me. “Well, well, well, the human has a devious side to him after all.”

I shot her an angry look. “And what is that supposed to mean?”

Stopper snorted. “I had you pegged as some naive little colt scout; who knew there was a tiny bit of changeling inside you just waiting to get out?” She tightened her smile at me, which admittedly softened my expression. “Fine. I'll find you a horn. What do you intend to do with it?” she questioned further.

“I’ll show you at the barracks later. For now, I need to speak with our resident blacksmith to see if he has the tools I need. If you need Tricks’ help, you have my permission to involve him.” Stopper merely nodded and departed without further comment.

With the first part of my plan underway, I headed toward Crush to see if he’d get me what I needed. He recognized my approach quickly and offered a three-legged bow.

“If you’re here about that ranged weapon I mentioned, it'll have to wait a little while longer while I source some extra parts,” he explained.

I held up a hand. “Relax, I'm here about another matter. Before I mention that, though, I have to know something… how good are you at keeping a secret? I asked softly, a serious tone bleeding into our conversation.

He put a hoof on his muzzle. “Is this something that Scar would want to know about? he asked directly.

I grunted with a nod. “Yes, it is. I need a tool from my world, called a ‘hacksaw’: it’s a loop of metal that forms a handle, and a larger body attached to it that holds a serrated blade. Do you have anything like that?”

Crush shook his head briefly. “Sounds like a precision tool… we don't have much demand for those. If you could show me a drawing, I could probably fashion one overnight.”

I had an idea. “Assuming it still works, I think I can do just that. Follow me.” I beckoned.

Slightly unsure, Crush followed me to the building where I'd left my laptop. I carefully gathered it from the floor and placed it on the long table inside, taking a seat in front of it. With a single push of the power button, the laptop roared to life, and I felt a profound sense of relief that it’d survived my rough ordeal to date. After a moment, an image of a blue arch appeared, shortly followed by a login screen.

I stood up from my chair and punched the air with a fist. “Yes! This thing still works!” I cheered but quickly sat down again when I realized that I had no way to charge it. “This, my friend, contains something that has the potential to reshape your world; perhaps even your world’s very destiny.”

Crush looked at me with skepticism. “Well, beforehoof you had my curiosity, but now you have my attention.”

I smiled at him. “As a party trick, I kitted out this thing to hold the entirety of our largest encyclopedia. No matter where I was—tent, hotel room, or the middle of nowhere—I had instant access to the collective knowledge of humanity. it’s a complete record of our civilization, from the amazing to the mundane, and even the truly horrific.”

I had an idea. “Watch this,” I said, closing my eyes and turning back to the laptop. With practiced ease, I ran my fingers over the keyboard, entering the password without looking. The desktop screen then appeared, displaying a background of a swirling ocean under a moonlit sky.

Crush was clearly impressed. “You did all that without even looking?!”

I nodded, twinkling my fingers. “It’s called touch-typing. I know where every key is by feel alone. I can type in the dark or even blindfolded.”

After checking that the memory card was secure in its slot, I fired up the search tool. The laptop’s battery was about ninety percent charged, I noted. After a moment, I’d managed to bring up a picture of a hacksaw.

Crush studied the image as I zoomed in. “I'll need to bring in one of my apprentices, but I think we can do this. Is this the secret you mentioned earlier?” He pointed to the laptop.

I nodded. “Yes, but the bigger secret is what I need the hacksaw for. Please don’t mention this to anypony for now. Also, what’s on this laptop must remain hidden. At least for now, while I'm still uncertain of where Alex is or what he was hoping to achieve. Revealing anything could have unforeseen and far-reaching consequences.”

I shut down the laptop to conserve power and then got up to stretch my legs.

“How soon can you have the saw ready?” I asked.

Crush pondered for a moment. “If I start now, I could have it ready by tonight, or more likely, by morning,” he said confidently.

“Perfect. I’ll check back with you first thing in the morning, just to be sure you’ve been given all the time you need,” I said, relieved that my plan was coming together.

Crush then made his way out to begin the task. As for myself, the thoughts I’d suppressed out of necessity began to surface. An overwhelming realization hit me: I might never see anyone I knew ever again. Friends, family, acquaintances… how long until their faces faded from my memory if I couldn’t return?

The sudden weight of that realization became too much, and I collapsed onto my crumpled jacket. Tears streamed down my face, blurring my vision. Through the haze, I spotted a figure at the entrance. They walked in tentatively, and after a few blinks, I recognized Ace.

I wiped the tears from my eyes to try to compose myself, but like our previous encounter, the gesture fooled nopony. Ace approached me silently, and without warning, he sat on my legs and leaned back into me. Instinctively, I wrapped my arms around him, my hands resting on his barrel.

Tears continued to fall as I rested my head against my new friend, my tears matting his fur. I blubbered uncontrollably, my body betraying all the doubts, fears, and worries I’d pent up over the last few days.

Eventually, my sobbing subsided to muffled sniffling as I began to regain control of my emotions. “Thank you,” I whispered. Ace turned around, meeting my gaze as he lay down again.

“If you wanna talk about it… I'm here,” he said, placing a hoof against my chest. I avoided his azure eyes, trying to collect my thoughts.

“I, uh… I was, uh, just thinking about the people I've left behind… and then I remembered when Alex disappeared,” I trailed off, recalling the weeks after he vanished. “Do you remember how I said that he just disappeared one day?”

Ace nodded.

I sniffled, wiping my nose on my sleeve. “I got a call from his mother, very late at night; she asked if I'd heard from him that day at the university. I was due to meet him, in fact, after I changed our plans… but he never showed up that morning. I tried to contact him, but it didn't connect. Mind you… London was terrible for signal in places, so I sent him a message asking him to let me know that he was okay.”

“Was it… unusual for him to not contact you?” Ace askes.

“It wasn't unusual for him at all, he'd done it before, often when he attended my country's facilities as part of our exchange program. When I said to his mother that I hadn't seen him all day, her voice broke. That’s when we both knew that something serious had probably happened to him…”

I replayed that day over and over in my mind for months. I remember thinking that it would’ve been easier if he’d died; at least there’d be closure, and a funeral to attend. But there was nothing, just a sudden disappearance and no clue why.

“His mother invited me to stay with them,” I continued, ”She insisted on paying for my plane fare, but I refused. I wasn’t about to take money from a grieving mother just to make my life easier.”

Ace sat there, listening intently, his presence a comforting anchor in the storm of my emotions. I wiped the remaining tears from my eyes. “I sat at their family dinner table with his parents and sister, as I’d done before… but nobody spoke for a long time. The silence felt like a comforting blanket around us. The void his disappearance left was immense, but we humans cope with grief in our own way; for hours, we shared our memories of our time with him. His mother even shared a few embarrassing stories, but I think he’d forgive her, given the circumstances. And, now I know… that this is what my family will be going through after I disappeared.”

Tears threatened to well up again as Ace continued listening with rapt attention. “I had three people in my immediate family; my sister, my mum, and my dad. My father, Dennis, was an engineer, and an expert with internal combustion engines. Give him any vehicle, and he could tell you how much power its engine had. My mother, June, was a telephonist, an operator until she retired, with the most beautiful customer service voice as you could ever hear.”

Ace fidgeted slightly. “What about your sister?” he asked.

“Anne and I… never really saw eye to eye. Our scholastic upbringings changed us both, and we grew apart over the years. Still, I hope she's doing well… even if I think that she wouldn’t be too upset over my disappearance.”

Ace kept looking at me, those deep azure eyes staring back. “Even so,” I continued, “That all pales in comparison to what's happening out there. Look at me; I'm complaining about never seeing my parents again, and yet that's a daily reality for a lot of you here. God, you must think I'm so pathetic…” I said, looking away, unable to meet his gaze as a wave of shame washed over me.

Ace got up and pressed a hoof into my chest again, a little harder this time. “I don't think you're pathetic…” he said, trying to force eye contact. I reluctantly stopped fighting him and looked down into his eyes. I figured now was as good a time as any to get some answers out of him about what had been happening between us.

“Well, now you've seen me bare my soul a little… can we talk about what's been happening between us?” I asked, noticing his body visibly tense up. I put my hand up. “Let's make this easier for you; I’ll ask you some ‘yes or no’ questions, and you just nod or shake your head, is that okay?”

Ace nodded, explicitly confirming acceptance of my terms as he swallowed hard.

“Is this about something that embarrasses you?” I began.

With great hesitation, Ace nodded slowly. You didn't have to be an expert at reading body language to see the shame behind that nod.

Now for the next question. With everything that’s happened recently, I’ve probably been extremely oblivious, but the shower the other day was quite revealing—pun not intended. “Are you… attracted to other stallions?” I pressed.

He nodded, but now I had a pony visibly choking back tears, doing everything he could to hold back the flood. I didn’t enjoy this, but I had to press on.

“Are you attracted to mares?” I asked. He shook his head, and another puzzle piece fell into place for me, making me realize the significance of what had been happening.

“Ace… have you ever, uh, been with a stallion?” I decided to rip the band-aid off rather than dance around the topic.

He shook his head again, and the waterworks began. His frame hunched over as his resolve crumbled, and fresh tears stained his cheeks. Instinctively, I reached out and pulled him into a tight, almost suffocating hug. Now it was his turn to sob in our embrace. I gave him all the time he needed, occasionally whispering comforting words into his ears as he unleashed what felt like years of anguish.

My heart ached for him. I’d wished for a kinder world when exploring my sexuality, and knowing that he’d likely had a much rougher journey filled me with a cold rage—the kind of rage that can drive one to fight for change.

Several minutes before Ace regained control of himself. By then, he’d slid down my front, his head now resting against my chest as my arms remained around him. I looked outside and noticed that it’d grown considerably darker. As if on cue, I yawned loudly with the pegasus still held tightly in my arms. The room’s ambient light now came only from the soft orange light of magical candlelights, with each of their orange gemstones providing a warm yet inoffensive glow.

“Look, Ace,” I said softly, “I'm probably one of the few people who can really understand what things have probably been like for you here. If you ever want to talk more about this, or about anything else you think is embarrassing, just let me know and we'll talk about it privately, okay?” He swiftly nodded.

I decided that I needed to get up, but Ace had other ideas. As I shifted my body weight, his hold on me tightened. Sighing softly, I ran a hand down his cheek. “Do you want to stay here for a bit?”

Ace nodded again, this time trying to bury his head in my chest. I resigned myself to spending the night here—an act I feared my back would never forgive—and I shifted uncomfortably. Carefully, I removed my jacket from under me and draped it over the sleepy pegasus. Then, I repositioned my backpack to use it as a buffer between me and the wall.

Closing my eyes, I let the sounds of Ace's steady breathing fill my ears. The warmth from his body started to spread under the cover of my jacket, creating a small, cozy cocoon. Slowly, I started to relax, the tension in my muscles easing as I listened to the rhythmic rise and fall of his breathing.

As the room darkened, I felt a strange sense of peace despite everything that had happened. The nightmare of the last few days seemed to momentarily fade, replaced by the simpler comfort of another’s presence. I waited for sleep to take hold, hoping for a reprieve from the nightmarish stranglehold my thoughts had had on me lately.

—

My dreams that night were… odd. Instead of reliving my torture, as had been the case the previous night, I found myself in a much stranger scenario.

I was standing in what looked like a village, although it wasn't any village I recognized. All around me, ponies wandered, but none of them looked at me. Instead, like me, they were drawn to a commotion in the distance, where the sounds of an argument echoed.

As I approached the disturbance, I saw that the shouter was indeed a pony. Though I couldn't make out their features clearly, I noted their vibrant lavender coat and the golden regalia adorning their body. They were shouting at another figure who was pointing a finger at them—

A finger.

A finger.

Just as I was about to focus on that figure, I woke up to the sound of snoring. As the morning haze cleared, I realized Ace was still lying on me, blissfully asleep, his hooves twitching involuntarily.

I needed to get up, but Ace was in the way. A light prod to his withers jolted him out of his comatose state. “C'mon Ace, I need to get up,” I said softly. After a few seconds, he rose to his hooves and hopped off me, leaving a large cold spot where his body heat had been.

He looked at me and smiled softly. “Thanks for last night… I haven't felt this good waking up in… well, I can't remember how long actually…”

I smiled back. “Happy to help. But right now, I need to deal with some pressing issues, like taking a massive leak. I'll find you later, okay?”

“Sure, I'd like that. I should go report to the barracks anyway. Catch you later,” He said, trotting out and leaving me alone. I had to admit, I felt the best I had since arriving in this place. I wondered if it was due to the lack of a nightmare or the comfort of spending the night with another soul.

I didn't have the luxury of pondering that dream further; I had more immediate questions that needed answering.

Who was that mysterious pony, and who was the figure next to them? I hated drawing conclusions from incomplete data but… I couldn’t shake the feeling that I'd just seen Alex, even if I couldn't be completely sure.

For now, I wanted to see if Stopper had been successful in the task I’d assigned her. Stepping out into the misty blue of a crisp spring morning, I made my way to the washrooms to handle my most pressing needs. Afterward, I picked up some breakfast from the makeshift kitchens— a bowl of porridge and berries.

Honestly, I couldn't stand porridge back on Earth, but everypony around me was making do, and I wouldn’t be the exception. I hadn't planned to visit the barracks, but when I didn’t find Crush at his smithing station, I decided to make a short detour to wish everypony a good morning.

As I approached, I heard raised voices. Ace was receiving a severe reprimand from Scar.

“You were supposed to be at your post at oh-six-hundred; it is now oh-seven-thirty. I want an explanation, and I want it now, Private!” she demanded from behind her desk, as Ace's confidence visibly waned. It was then that I stepped in.

“Commander Scar, Corporal Robinson has something that he would like to add to the official record, ma'am,” I began, noticing her surprise at my unexpected arrival. With noticeable reluctance, she nodded, and I continued. “Private Ace was with me last night. As his superior officer, I should have enforced his routine more strictly. The blame lies with me, not him. I request you discipline me in his place.”

Scar reclined In her chair and closed her eyes, her wings shuffling as she considered my words. “In light of this new information, and because this is your first offense, I will enter a reprimand into both of your records. While I agree you share culpability in this matter, Private Robinson, each soldier has a responsibility to be on time to their post. Both of you are dismissed.” She waved us away with a dismissive hoof. We didn’t need to be told twice, quickly vacated the area. Ace was the first to break the silence.

“You didn't have to do that, you know,” he said as I walked beside him, scanning the area for for anypony I needed to catch up with.

“Honor demanded that I do it,” I replied, looking ahead and spotting Stopper and Tricks in the distance. As we approached them, the two unicorns glanced around nervously, as if ensuring the coast was clear. Tricks immediately sensed that something was off with me.

“I'd say ‘Good morning’, but you look troubled,” Tricks greeted me. “Has something happened?”

I crossed my arms, hesitating. “I… had a dream. It was a strange one. I feel a bit silly talking about it,” I dismissed, but my squad wasn’t about to let it go.

“Sir, I'm not sure if anyone's told you, but dreams hold a lot of significance for us. It's even been known for dreams to be shared between ponies, though that hasn’t happened in decades. I think you should share what happened, sir,” he urged gently.

“Before I do that, I have to ask: Do those dossiers of yours include color photographs by any chance?” I asked, shifting the conversation.

He put a hoof to his chin in thought. “I believe they do, yes. Is there a particular reason you wanted to know?” he asked curiously.

“Possibly,” I conceded, “Tricks, can you meet me in the guest quarters with your dossiers as soon as you can retrieve them?”

“I can, yes. I’ll meet you there in a few minutes,” he acknowledged, speeding off. I then turned to Stopper. “I take it your mission was a success?”

Stopper nodded and offered a small bundle of linen, which I carefully took and tucked into my hoodie before zipping it up to hide the package. “Thank you. I’ll make sure this is put to good use. For now, please follow me.”

With a gesture, I led Ace and Stopper to the guest house. “You’re not skiving, are you?” I asked him.

He shook his head. “I’m not on guard duty until tomorrow morning. So, what sort of dream did you have?” he asked as we entered the guest quarters, Flame smiling as we walked in.

“I’m so glad you’re okay. I was worried when you didn’t come back here to sleep last night,” she said, trotting over and giving me a big hug. “Where were you?”

I ruffled Ace’s mane affectionately. “I had a pressing engagement to attend to. But since you’re here, I could use your input on what I’m about to say.” As soon as I spoke, Tricks rushed in, carrying a hefty tome from his saddlebag, and deposited it on a bed. I sat on the bed opposite, collecting my thoughts for a moment.

“Right, I think that it’s time I told you all what’s happened. Last night, I had a dream. In that dream, I saw a pony arguing with what looked like a human. That argument was taking place in a village full of ponies. That pony at the center of that argument had a purple coat; I’d call it lavender if this were Earth. I don’t know if you have an equivalent, and were wearing some gold regalia, possibly ceremonial. Height was, uh…”

I stood up, and pointed a finger at Tricks, trying to remember the angle of the arm from my dream, making assumptions about height based on Alex and I’s height difference. My hand came up some way above Tricks, maybe half again to twice as tall as he was. “Taller than you, tricks… maybe not quite a full meter, but close to it,” I remarked.

I then paused, looking at their attentive faces, and continued. “I couldn’t see everything clearly, but it was a heated exchange. And the human… there was something familiar about them. I think it might’ve been Alex.”

The room fell silent as they absorbed my words. Flame was the first to speak. “That’s… quite a dream. Do you think it means something?”

“I’m not sure,” I admitted. “But if dreams hold significance here, I think it’s worth looking into.”

Tricks opened the tome, flipping through the pages. “Let’s see if we can find any clues. Maybe there’s something in these dossiers that can help us identify the pony or the human in your dream.”

As we pored over the pages of the dossier, a sense of urgency filled the room. The dream felt like a puzzle piece, and we were determined to fit it into the larger picture.

Tricks didn’t need to do much searching. “So: pony, purple coat, taller than average, with regalia. There’s only one possible fit for that. Here,” he said, offering the tome to me with a nonchalant tone, displaying a two-page spread with several color photographs attached.

“Princess Twilight Sparkle,” I read aloud from the header on the first page, my eyes catching a glimpse of the pony via the embedded color photograph. “‘Ruler of Equestria’ and ‘Element of Magic’ it says here. Now, I remember hearing about her before, but I’ve never seen a picture until now. How the fuck is it possible for me to dream about a pony I’ve never seen before?” I asked, though I knew it was a question nopony could definitively answer.

Tricks spoke up first. “Based on my admittedly limited research… I wonder if you experienced what we used to call ‘Dream Bleed,’ where the dream of one is experienced by another, quite possibly carried by the magical currents of the world.”

I looked at Tricks, intrigued. “Are you suggesting that a creature out there is dreaming and I saw their dream?”

The male unicorn shook his head. “Not just any creature; according to our theories of magical transference, it would have to be the same species. If I’m right… you weren't witnessing a pony’s dream, you were witnessing a human’s dream.”

I slowly nodded. “So, this suggests that Alex is still alive, but considering the time that’s passed, he’d be nearing the natural limits of our species’ lifespan.” I exhaled sharply. “Has he found a way to cheat death, I wonder?”

Tricks and Stopper exchanged thoughtful glances, debating silently. Stopper was slowly shaking her head while Tricks was slowly nodding his. Eventually, Tricks spoke up. “There are ways to halt aging. A suspended animation spell, for instance, could stop the aging process. However, such belong to a banned school of magic. Even before the world changed, that kind of magic was strictly locked away.”

“Well,” I mused, “If I wanted to time travel into the future, that’s how I would do it, legality be damned. Could this ‘dream bleed’ phenomenon you mentioned be possible if someone were in stasis?”

Stopper stepped forward. “Magic works in mysterious ways, even to us. I can’t say it's impossible.”

“Nor can I,” Tricks added.

I returned to the dream still echoing in my mind. “So, let’s assume this pony, Princess Twilight Sparkle, was arguing with a human—let’s say it really was Alex. That argument, in the center of a village with lots of onlookers, would have to have been about something serious. For a ruler to have any dispute in public, the issue must’ve been significant.”

I paced for a bit to stretch my legs. “Here’s how it looks to me: Princess Twilight Sparkle and Alex might’ve taken away your magic, quite possibly to stop this Opaline that was mentioned earlier. It sounds like Alex found a way to travel into the future to return your magic when ponies would need it most. This implies Alex didn’t agree with the princess on removing your magic, even if he played a role in it,” I trailed off again, circling once again back to the dream I couldn’t shake off.

If you had a hand in this, Alex, you’d better have had a damned good reason.

“So, what am I to do in the meantime? If Alex plans to restore your magic, it’s unlikely to happen within your lifetime; it’s possible, but unlikely given the state of the world at the moment. Maybe this Opaline is still out there, and the world as it is right now wouldn’t stand a chance against her if she regained her magic. But if future generations can enjoy magic again thanks to Alex’s future actions, maybe that should be our goal.”

I looked around the room at the group of ponies. “Well, what are your thoughts?“ I asked.

Stopper spoke first. “If he is around, we need to find him and wake him.”

“To do what?” I countered. “Let’s say we find him and bring him back. What if he can’t accomplish what you want right now? What then? He’d be pissed off beyond measure, especially at me for not trusting his judgment. No, there are too many variables. Inaction is the safest action for now where Alex’s location is concerned.” I could see Stopper was annoyed but hoped she understood the reasoning.

Ace went next. “I can live without flying, but if what we do means that one day, the pegasi can reclaim the skies… I’d be very happy with that.” He smiled at me, full of confidence that we could achieve that reality.

“I agree,” said Tricks, as Stopper turned to look at him. “All my life, I’ve heard stories of our ancestors conjuring such wonders with their magic. If I knew with certainty that in a hundred, two hundred, even five hundred years from now, unicorns would have magic again… I’d walk into Tartarus to make that happen.”

“I agree as well,” Flame added. “It’s been tough these last few years. But if the result is that ponies get back their magic, I’d endure tougher times ahead.”

I clasped my hands together. “So, my task is clear: protecting you all so your society can prosper. I don't know what that looks like long-term, but for now, it means shoring up defenses and improving the food situation. Anything else is probably a conversation for another time. Thank you all for your input. You’ve been immensely helpful as usual. However, I have another issue to attend to.” I swung my legs off the bed and stood up. “I'll catch up with you all later,” I announced, heading straight for the smithing station.

This time, Crush was there, waiting for me. “I have your order ready; I think you'll like it,” he beamed.

He waved me through to his side and unwrapped a linen cloth, revealing my promised saw.

I carefully took it into my hands, marveling at the craftsmanship. My estimation of Crush's abilities rose considerably as I tilted the saw, examining the serrated blade.

In short, I was impressed. “I don't quite know how to thank you. This is exceptional work, Crush.” I smiled profusely. “Do you have a workshop I can use?” I asked.

Crush nodded and led me further back to a large rectangular area, separated from our current location with a chain-link faux door. Inside was a series of well-used workstations with chairs.

“Can I use this right now? I'd like to put this tool to good use immediately,” I requested. Crush nodded and directed me to use the first station on our left. Once I was comfortably seated, I grabbed a nearby flat wooden board and retrieved the bundle from inside my hoodie.

Unwrapping it carefully, I was taken aback; Stopper hadn't provided me with one horn—she'd provided six! Crush sat down at the workstation opposite mine and regarded me with a skeptical look. “Well, isn't this something?” He said, shuffling his hooves together nervously. “What do you plan to do with all this?”

I held up my hand, and pointed to my outstretched fingers. “Do you see these dark spots in my fingers here?” I asked the earth pony. He nodded. “In two fingers on each hand, I have tiny magnets embedded in them. These magnets are composed of an element called neodymium, which can produce a large magnetic field relative to its size. In my day job, they allowed me to detect if a wall or a panel had a live electrical circuit behind it; I could ‘feel’ the magnetic field from the electricity. I wondered if the same principle would hold with the magic of your world.” I cradled one of the horns, running my fingers over its grooved surface, my head lowered in contemplation.

It hadn’t fully sunk in when I made the request, but as I looked down at the azure-tinted appendage, I realized I was holding the remnants of a unicorn’s life. A pony had been born, lived, and died… and here I was, about to defile their remains in the pursuit of science.

I looked back up at Crush. “Has your species ever held any religious beliefs? Like, I don't know, a belief in some greater force in the universe that you look up to… or fear, even?”

Crush pondered for a moment. “I wouldn't exactly call it a religious belief, but our earliest stories told us what happened when ponies didn't get along. The Hearth's Warming Fable, passed down as part of our oral history, tells of a time when our society was nearly wiped out by a vicious enemy that fed on our hostility. The coming together of the three tribes and the birth of harmony between them led us to prosperity. Harmony was our way… until everything fell apart,” he lamented.

I pressed my questioning a little further. “What I mean is… do you think that there is some omniscient all-seeing force somewhere that could be listening in?”

“You mean… that can hear us talking?” he asked for clarification. I nodded. “Well… I've always suspected that there's been something… but it's just a feeling.”

“May I?” I asked him, gesturing to his hoof with my hand. Slowly, he extended his limb, and I grasped it tightly.

“To whoever or whatever may be listening…” I began, feeling slightly silly talking to nothing. “I haven't been here long, but I’ve come to know this little band of ponies, and I think that they could use my help.”

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. “I’m about to commit an act of grotesque indecency because I believe it can help us all. I’m asking for your forgiveness for this crime, but I am also asking for help to make this work. I pledge myself, to whatever or whoever is out there, that if you help make this work, I’m willing to become an avatar of your will.” I opened my eyes, released Crush’s hoof, and set to work.

Slowly, I made the first cut with my new saw. After a minute or so, a thin sliver of horn had been freed, swiftly followed by a second. I held up both discs and passed them to Crush. “I know it's not a lot to work with, but can you use your whetstone to make these discs razor-sharp?” I asked.

He mulled over the idea before taking the two discs to the whetstone and setting to work with diligence. In almost no time at all, Crush handed them back; the rim of each disc was indeed extremely sharp.

“How squeamish are you?” I asked the earth pony. He raised a hoof in question, but at that moment, I plunged the disc into the center of my left hand, deliberately and very slowly sliding it under my skin. I’d been expecting pain, but expectation never fully prepared me for the sheer rush of agony flooding my nervous system as I resisted the urge to scream.

After a minute or so of careful and painful positioning, the disc had entirely disappeared into my palm. The workstation was smeared crimson, a reminder of the blood dripping from the wound I was now attempting to staunch. “Do you, uh, have anything for the bleeding?” I asked, my face undoubtedly contorted in pain.

Crush got up and rummaged around in a wooden box across the room. Taking out a flask, he hoofed it to me. “Take a sip only,” He cautioned.

I did as instructed, bringing the glass tip to my lips after uncorking it, letting the lime-green liquid touch my tongue. I was immediately assaulted by an extremely strong menthol sensation, and as I swallowed it, that sensation followed, spreading a cooling numbness across my chest and into my injured hand. As I looked down, I noticed the wound starting to heal before my eyes, of pain progressively disappearing it was completely gone.

I pushed the cork back into the flask and looked at Crush. “That was… I have no words. How the fuck did you make this?” I asked.

Before answering, he went to a separate box and extracted a yellow gemstone, placing it on the stained workstation. “This is a Zebrica Stone; it's from a tribe very far away. This is what makes alchemical reactions possible in the absence of magic.”

I mulled the answer over in my head. “Alchemy… There are references to the practice on my world dating back to ancient times. It was believed that one could turn lead into gold. Naturally, it was all bollocks, but the idea persisted in our fiction. What can you make with this?” I asked, pointing to the gemstone.

Crush sat back down at the workstation opposite me. “Primarily? Potions. I can take various reagents and make potions from them. The one you just tried was a healing potion, which is fairly simple to make. But, I can make more exotic potions; invisibility, super-strength, and many others.”

Just when I thought this world had shown me everything, it revealed something new. “Right… Now, where was I…”

—

It had taken two hours of excruciating pain, tempered by Crush's stash of potions, but as I walked out of the smithing station, I looked down at my hands and admired my handiwork.

A large disc rested under each palm, while smaller square horn fragments were strategically embedded at key points, including each finger segment and around my palms.

Encouraged by stray twinges of electric arcing across my hands, I came to the unfortunate conclusion that I might need to wear gloves in the future if ever wanted to hold my hands together again.

I headed to the barracks and, seeing nopony there, retrieved all three tomes from Scar’s desk. I then went into the study to read the first volume of the magical instruction books we'd confiscated.

It was… an interesting read. I soon learned that unicorns did indeed have to make the magic ‘flow’ from their horn. The tome advised that using a mental mnemonic often helped serve as an easy shortcut for spellcasting, but it also advised that mnemonics could be verbal or somatic instead. The first chapter outlined the importance of finding a way to immediately stop all magic casting, to prevent a runaway spell from wreaking havoc on the environment, the caster, or others.

The first spell detailed was Levitation, with annotations on controlling the flow of magic.

Levitation is the simplest spell a unicorn can learn. It counteracts Gravity and, when properly used, can make day-to-day life much easier. To begin, focus on an object, and imagine lifting it with your mind. If you are successful, you will be able to raise the object by a couple of meters. It will be difficult at first, but as you practice, it will become progressively easier, eventually becoming almost effortless.

On the desk was a small stone paperweight, oval in shape, with a polished granite appearance. Deciding to use this as my first target and slightly unsure of what to do, I stretched out a hand and imagined lifting the stone with my mind. The pieces of horn seemed to project a new sense within my brain; it was thoroughly disconcerting, but before long I was able to feel a small pulse within my hand as a faint glow surrounded it. Concentrating for a few moments, I aligned the pulses emanating from my hand with the suggestions from the spellbook.

At first, there were no results. The stone sat there, quietly mocking me as I tried to invoke the ancient power of the unicorns. Recalling the book's advice, I looked down again at my palm.

While the mnemonic you choose may be entirely within your mind, beginners may find it easier to verbalize a command, or even move their hooves in a specific gesture that can be mentally tied to the act of casting the spell.

I had an idea.

Back on Earth, I'd been a fan of a tabletop game called Dungeons & Dragons. The Fighter had always been my favorite class; there was something cathartic about playing a character that just hit everything with a sword until it died. However… I did possess a soft spot for the Sorcerer class, respecting a class that saw magic in the world and sought to learn it at all costs—even crossing a few moral or ethical boundaries to do so.

In Dungeons & Dragons, levitation fell into a school of magic called Transmutation; which was all about altering the nature of reality. Perhaps, in this world, such categorizations held a certain logic to them.

I raised my hand again, hesitating at the sheer silliness of what I was about to do; I reminded myself there was no hidden camera looking to catch me in a ‘Gotcha!’ moment.

Focusing my thoughts, I spoke a single word. “Levitate,” mentally tying the spell name to the action I was trying to perform.

A short shock caused my hand to spasm and my concentration to falter, but the rock itself moved slightly, teetering on its center of gravity. The shock felt like gripping one of those electro-mechanical amusements that challenge you to endure gripping two vibrating metal cylinders without pulling your hands away.

To this day, I have never been bested by one of those infernal machines, and today was going to be no different. Refocusing, I was now prepared for the surge of power. This time, my concentration held; my hand felt like it might vibrate off my wrist, but I kept my focus on the stone.

This time, I shouted the command. “Levitate!”

After a few seconds, the rock slowly lifted off the desk, suspended several centimeters above the wooden surface. The paperweight was encompassed in a pulsing blue aura, which reminded me of the color of my eyes.

Testing the book's recommendation, I broke my concentration with a deliberate mental image of a ‘Stop’ sign, the kind you'd see on any roadside across most of Earth. The stone fell back to the desk, bouncing after its initial impact and eventually settling with a series of deep thunks.

To say I was thrilled was a colossal understatement. I leaned back in my chair, feeling giddy at what I'd just unlocked. Eagerly, I turned to the next page in the musty tome, which detailed the next spell: Telekinesis.

Telekinesis is the next spell most unicorns learn, an extension of Levitation. This spell allows you to manipulate objects in a magical grasp, with the added bonus of immunity to things like temperature that your hooves would be vulnerable to. Together, these two spells form the foundation of unicorn society.

The instructions advised casting Levitatation first, then casting Telekinesis while Levitatation was still channeling. It seemed unicorns could cast more than one spell simultaneously, a feat I hadn’t considered. Up to the challenge, I stood and conjured the levitation spell again. As I held the stone in the spell's aura, I attempted to generate a second magical pulse in my hand while keeping the first pulse distinct.

I had mixed results; the field around the stone shifted visibly, but the stone didn’t move from its hovering position. As I tried to produce the second spell, the pulsing of the first one was disrupted, and I had to pour all of my concentration into keeping it stable.

Eventually, maintaining the rhythmic pulse of the Levitation spell became easier, and I started to focus on casting Telekinesis.

After several minutes without progress, I reconsulted the book and realized that I’d overlooked something.

When you have established the Telekinesis spell, you will need to modulate the field. This will allow you to move the object through all three axes of movement. At first, this will happen slowly, but after practice, you will eventually be able to control the movement of objects with extreme speed.

I decided this spell might need a verbal command too. After brief experimentation, I was able to move the stone in a variety of directions using the command ‘Kinesis’, albeit slowly as warned. Nevertheless, I felt more than a little chuffed. As I brought my spellcasting to a halt, the stone fell from the air and landed back on the wooden desk.

Over the next hour, I practiced my spellcasting technique, alternating between Levitation and Telekinesis. With each attempt, the spells became easier to manage and control. By the end of my session, I could exert much finer control over the stone. I even managed to launch it at a fair speed andbring it to a complete halt mid-air.

Deciding I’d done enough for now, I carefully closed the tome and left it on a shelf. As I walked out of the study and then the barracks itself, an idea struck me—I was going to field-test my newfound abilities with a bit of fun before I went to see Scar. Nothing too serious, just some harmless mischief.

Walking out of the room and then the barracks itself, I resolved that, gosh darn it, I was going to field test this first with a little fun. Nothing lewd of course… maybe some light mishaps though.

I found Crush still at the smithing station, engrossed in polishing a metal peytral at his whetstone. “Hey, Crush. Could you show me more of those potions of yours?” I asked casually, surreptitiously eyeing the shelves above us.

Looking up, Crush replied. “It’ll have to wait. I’m smoothing out some battle dents in this armor.” As he spoke, I silently directed my focus behind my back, targeting a chisel on the shelf. It fell with a dull thud on the padded floor, catching Crush’s attention. Seizing the moment, I then caused a sickle on the shelving opposite to fall next, followed swiftly by a hammer dislodging itself with another thud.

Crush grew suspicious, his gaze narrowing. “What are you up to?” he asked warily.

Deciding to reveal my new abilities, I targeted Crush this time. Raising my hand, I attempted to envelop him in my arcane grasp but struggled to establish the field. Remembering my original focus method, I shouted, “Levitate!” My hand responded, an azure glow engulfing Crush as I floated him off the ground to his mild protest.

“What are you doing?! Put me down!” he exclaimed, his hooves flailing ineffectively as I concentrated harder to lift him, his body being much heavier than the paperweight earlier, but I was now well-versed in adapting my focus. After a few moments, I managed to elevate him several feet above the floor, his hooves danging as he realized he was powerless to escape.

“Kinesis!” I commanded next, carefully maneuvering him out of the smithing station toward the arena where we’d battled before. Balancing both spells took effort, but I managed to gently place him in the center of the arena. His hooves flailed comically as he landed, trying to regain his footing on the grass.

Standing nearby, I awaited his reaction, unsure of what to expect. His face betrayed a mix of surprise and amusement, which quickly erupted into laughter.

“Well, now this is something for the history books!” Crush boldly stated, “I’ve heard stories of other creatures using magic, but honestly, that was kinda impressive! Slightly terrifying at the same time, too,” he added, making his way back to his station. “You know you can't keep that a secret forever, right?”

I nodded with a grin. “Oh, the cat will be well and truly out of the bag by the end of the day, but I wanted some fun first,” I said with a wink.

Departing with a wave, I strolled around the settlement, noticing a heightened buzz of activity that there hadn’t been before, with ponies nustling about carrying various goods. It didn't take long to spot Stopper and Tricks together, who seemed inseparable. They were in the company of Scar, who wore an expression that spelled trouble. Stopper and Tricks appeared uncomfortable under Scar’s scrutiny as I approached, catching the tail end of their conversation, which sounded like an interrogation.

“... and then my scouts reported some disturbed graves north of here. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?” She was demanded, her voice laced with irritation. She didn't look at me when I joined them, her focus fixed on the two unicorns.

I could see the weight of the situation pressing on them both torn between loyalty to me and their duty to obey the chain of command and spill the beans. To ease their dilemma, I turned to Scar, feigning innocence. “Hey, Scar… when did you last see a pegasus fly?” I asked.

She spun to face me, incredulity written across her face. “... What are you talking about?!” She demanded.

Extending my arm toward her, I focused my mind on her grey-furred body. “Levitate!” I commanded, the familiar blue aura enveloping the surprised pegasus, lifting her off the ground. “W-What are you d-doing?! Get me down!” Scar protested, her hooves pedaling uselessly in the air as she hovered, drawing the attention of bystanders.

Moving to the next phase, I shouted. “Kinesis!” exerting control over Scar’s levitated form, guiding her gently upward before bringing her to a halt mid-air. “Spread your wings!” I instructed, cupping my other hand to my mouth to project my voice, ensuring I could be heard. Hesitant at first, Scar unfolded her wings, eyeing me with a mixture of apprehension and trust.

With precise movements, I continued manipulating her in the sky, increasing her speed gradually. Her initial concern gave way to a smile as she experienced the sensation of flight once more, the wind rushing through her feathers.

As her faux flight reached its peak, I gently her back to the ground, Scar landing with a sense of newfound calmness. Folding her wings, she approached me, curiosity gleaming in her eyes. Glancing at Stopper and Tricks, I noted their stunned silence, both rooted to the spot, unsure of what to make of the display.

“That was incredible! How did you…?” Scar asked, making me turn to face her.

“That,” I began, “Was quite possibly the most incredible thing I've ever done. And yet, I've no one left to share it with…” I said quietly, cradling my right hand in my left as my fingers ran over the raised indentations.

“That's not true, sir!” Tricks shouted, causing me to snap my head in his direction. “You've got us to share your achievements with!”

Scar nodded. “If that was what I think it was… you've done something that no creature on Equus has done in over fifty years. Although, it can't just be luck that you're not only the second human to come here, but you're also the second human ever to wield magic…”

Her passing comment derailed my train of thought. “... What did you just say?” I asked, not quite believing what I'd heard.

“That you’re only the second human to come here?” she clarified.

I shook my head. “No, you specifically said that I’m the second human ever to wield magic. Are you saying that, after all this time, you knew that Alex could do this too? And yet you said nothing?” My words were sharp, aimed like barbs at the now wordless pegasus.

It was time for some answers.

With a huff, I put my hands on my hips and glared at all three of them. “Barracks. Now.” I ordered. Despite Scar being my commanding officer, she complied, as did the unicorns, and soon we were back in Scar’s office. Taking a bit of a liberty, I sat in her chair as the three ponies lined up on the opposite side of the desk.

I cast an expectant look at them. “I think that Alex being able to wield magic is something you should have told me about. What else do you know about that, Scar?” I asked, impatience clear in my voice.

Over the rim of the table, I saw her hoof pawing at the floor. “ W-We don’t know much. The orders passed down to me were to ensure that if he were to ever come back, the gauntlet he’d retrieve would be protected… with our lives if necessary.”

My eyes narrowed. “What’s so special about this gauntlet?” I asked pointedly.

“It’s what allowed him to wield magic, sir,” replied Stopper. “That’s why we were convinced he’d be coming back to dominate us… that gauntlet, according to the stories I’ve heard, made him extremely powerful.”

“Why didn’t you tell me about this?” I demanded.

“You didn’t ask,” she said dismissively.

I took a deep breath before asking another question. “Are there any photos of this gauntlet?” I asked the group.

Tricks, always prepared with his dossiers, quickly scanned through the pages and showed me a two-page spread with a large photo on the second page.

It was unmistakably Alex. The color photo, taken from the front, featured Princess Twilight Sparkle by his side, looking up at him with what could only be described as ‘bedroom eyes’.

If I'm reading that correctly… you lucky son of a bitch, Alex.

The photo also showed him wearing the gauntlet. My first thought was that it looked like a discount Infinity Gauntlet, but then I reconsidered, realizing that I probably couldn't have done any better with this world’s resources.

My eyes were drawn to several gemstones of different colors set into the knuckles of the gauntlet. I tapped the photo, highlighting my attention to it for the group.

“If Alex was inspired by what I think he was, I'm guessing that those stones are the source of the gauntlet’s power… and, by extension, his.” I mused aloud, mostly using the group as a sounding board. “Did you know about this, Stopper?” I asked directly.

“I did, yes,” she replied.

“And… you just let me use those horns knowing full well that there was another way to do this?” I accused, realizing the jig was up as Scar turned to the unicorns and scowled.

“I thought it was a fool's errand. I never actually expected you to succeed! Besides, those gemstones, never mind the buckin’ gauntlet, haven't been seen since Equestria fell. It's not like that option was ever on the table anyway,” she answered, her voice tinged with annoyance at having to state what she felt was obvious.

I raised a finger. “Ah, but Scar said a moment ago that if Alex ever came back he'd retrieve the gauntlet. That would mean he's got it stashed somewhere…”

I mulled over an idea. “No… he might have planned to use it in the future. Besides, I don't think I need it. So… what to do now…” I pondered aloud, letting my thoughts trail off.

I turned in the chair to look at Scar. “Let's deal with the proverbial elephant in the room. I ordered these two to retrieve some unicorn horns from already dead ponies. I then grafted pieces of some of them into my hands. See?” I raised both of my hands, displaying the indentations and slight scarring from my handiwork.

“They were acting under my orders for a project of serious importance, as you witnessed the conclusion of,” I continued. “As I promised them, I came to you after I finished my testing. This could significantly help our chances of survival—yours and mine.”

Scar sighed. “I can’t claim any moral high ground here. We’ve all done worse to stay alive. If it can help us, I'm fine with it. Although a heads up would’ve been appreciated…” She paused, the silencing hanging in the air.

“Granted, but then I wouldn't have been able to surprise you,” I countered.

“That was bucking terrifying! But it felt so good—the wind through my wings… I'm glad that I got to experience that. It made me realize what we're all fighting for. Actually, now that I think about it… I think you might be able to solve a mystery for us…”

I was curious. “What kind of mystery?” I Inquired.

Scar pointed to the desk. “Bottom drawer, in the blue box.” She said, her eyes urging me to reach for it.

I opened the drawer and took out the box, placing it on the table. Slowly, I unlatched the clasp, and inside a velvet inner layer was a crystal with a yellow hue and an inscription in an unfamiliar language. The crystal was cylindrical, with four sides and equilateral pyramids at each end.

Stopper didn't need prompting to explain. “That’s a Mnemosyne Crystal.”.

“I remember that Mnemosyne was the Greek Goddess of Memory on Earth, a titan seen as a predecessor to the pantheon of Greek gods. Is this a ‘memory shard’?” I asked.

Stopper nodded and extended a hoof towards the crystal. “Yes. If I had magic, I could see what's recorded on it… but I can teach you how to do it instead.”

I liked that idea. “Then let’s do that. Let’s formalize our next steps…” I started, closing the box. “Stopper and Tricks, you'll assist me with magic training, and together we'll uncover what's on this crystal. Then, we'll break for Estrus, because nopony is going to be focused during that. After the season, we'll reconvene to discuss our next steps—hopefully with a map. Agreed?”

Everypony nodded. The two unicorns made their way out, leaving Scar behind. “I'll be back in a bit. When I return, I'll discuss your Estrus arrangements,” she stated. After I nodded in agreement, she left the building, leaving me alone for a moment.

Curiosity got the better of me. I removed the crystal from its box, holding it in my hand. It felt cool to the touch, like an ice cube. In an instant, a flash of icy cold shot up my body, and for a moment my mind felt like it had the worst case of brain freeze ever.

I was not prepared for what came next.

END OF ACT I

Chapter 04 - Unfamiliar Bedfellows

Author's Note

This contains M/F and M/M clop. You have been warned.

Chapter 04 - Unfamiliar Bedfellows

ACT II

As soon as the pain vanished, I found myself surrounded by white, like one of those fashionable dream sequences from TV. I had this odd sensation ripple through me, and I couldn't quite pin down what it was; it was as if I was floating in a sea of endless nothingness, but it felt like I was being dragged away in all directions. I turned in every direction I felt I was being dragged, and reached out with my hands expecting to find something, but I found no purchase on anything.

Time was meaningless to me here. In either an eternity or an instant, a figure appeared, clad in casual clothing that could only have come from Earth. Alex’s form materialized before me, and a moment later, our vista changed to a rural setting, one I distinctly recognized from my dream not long ago.

“Hello”, he spoke in his absolutely distinctive English-language voice twinged with Spanish overtones. “If you’re hearing me, well… you’ve just found yourself a mystery. I wanted to make a record of my thoughts in these crystals, in case something happens to me and I don’t make it out of this situation. I don’t know who you are, or what you are, but if you’ve found this, that means that you have access to magic. So, I’ve either succeeded in restoring magic to this world, or someone else has usurped that power.”

His arms were crossed, and his brow was furrowed in that trademark of his whenever he was displeased about something. “If you’ve acquired this power by unnatural means, I’m sorry to disappoint you: no magical secrets await you here. However, regardless of who you are, I must issue a warning to you.”

The mental recreation of Alex approached me, but I couldn’t tell if he was making eye contact with me or if it was just my imagination. “If you find this recording, and I’ve not yet returned to this world, I ask… no, I beg of you: Please leave me be. Don’t come looking for me. If you do, you risk undermining everything I’m trying to achieve. I know only one person I’d trust to try it, and if by some absolutely wild twist of fate he’s listening, I know that he would respect my wishes not to, in spite of that trust.”

Alex then sighed. “I wish I could record a message for everyone I knew, there is so much I want to say, to each of you… in fact, that’s exactly what I’m going to do. I’ll leave a message for you all, each stored in a crystal.”

An image of the crystal I’d just grabbed came between us. “Each of the crystals, like this one, will vibrate at a specific thaumaturgic frequency that propagates over extreme distances. You already have access to magic, so this should be well within your ability. You can thank Starlight Glimmer for the spell matrix within the crystals for that idea to work. To other creatures, that frequency will be just like background noise… but if you can properly attune to it, you’ll be able to seek them out.”

Alex’s image turned to look over the view around us. “Beautiful, isn’t it? This is Ponyville, and I called this place home for many years. By the time you find this, it might be nothing more than a ruin. This…” he said, arms outstretched for a brief moment, “...is how I want to remember it. Maybe you’ll visit it someday. If you do… Please be respectful. Not much might be left of it, but it was home to many ponies… however, the place might be full of the souls of the dead by your time, in which case, if you do go, pay my respects for me; I only ask that you leave the place as you found it.”

The figure walked back a few paces. “I’m sorry that I disappeared. I had no control over it. I know that it must have left a void in all of your lives, and for that, I will feel guilty until the day I die.” The tone was one of someone far from happy about his situation. I hadn’t seen it often from Alex… but I recognized it when I heard it.

“But, I did carve out a life here… and I even found love for a time in this strange, strange land. I ask that you not be sad that I was taken from you, but instead remember the good times we had. Who knows? Maybe we’ll see each other again. And, if you’re as crazy as my old friend… crazy enough to want to go searching for these crystals… good hunting.”

I felt a force pulling back on me; but, before I could react, I was thrown back into the waking world, flailing where I lay as my senses returned to me with violent force. However, I wasn’t expecting to have ponies all around me, all visibly worried for some reason.

My eyes went around the room, and I spied Ace, Stopper, Flame, and Scar at my bedside. Ace and Flame were noticeably the more worried of the two, while Scar and Stopper were noticeably more reserved. That was until Stopper hit me over the head with a hoof.

“Has anypony ever told you that you’re a bucking idiot?” she barked, verbally laying into me.

I raised a finger in ineffective protest. “In my defense, nobody told me I wasn’t supposed to do that. It’s not like there are warning labels on anything here.”

Flame smiled. “It’s okay. She just wants to let you know that she cared and that she’s happy you’re alright,” she said, looking at Stopper with a barely concealed grin. Stopper just glared at her and stormed off, leaving the three of them alone with me.

“Well, I’m happy to know you all care. But, enough about that, why am I here?” I queried with the group, realizing that I was still tightly clutching the Mnemosyne Crystal from earlier as I brought it up to rest on my chest.

“I found you slumped in my chair. You’ve been in here for most of the night,” Scar mentioned. “You know that you ruined that chair, right? You soiled yourself while you were slumped in it, and you were still tightly grasping that damned crystal. We couldn’t even pry it from you, your grip was like a thousand pythons.”

My other hand instinctively felt its way down to my nethers, feeling the damp wetness of my shame. I winced, but deep down I knew that they understood that I couldn’t have helped it.

“What did you see?” Ace asked. I smiled, dropping the crystal onto me as I reached out to cup the pegasi’s chin, lightly running a finger across his cheek.

“I saw… Well, put it this way: I now have a quest to follow. See this crystal? It contains some of Alex’s personal thoughts, and there are more of them out there with messages for those who knew him. I… owe it to him to collect them. Not only to keep them away from others but also to preserve them for the future. Heck, maybe he even left me a message? Man, wouldn’t that be something?” I asked as a rhetorical question. I tried to get up, but Flame pushed me back down.

“You’ve just been through a nasty shock! You can’t possibly think about getting up!” she said, keeping a hoof pressed against me. Avoiding looking at her, I turned to Scar.

“I think my faculties are coming back to me… I believe you were going to talk about arrangements for me for Estrus?” I queried.

Scar just pointed a hoof. “Well, here's your volunteer. Isn't that right, Flame?” Flame blushed profusely under her fur.

“Um, y-yes… I-I volunteered.” She said, as her head now tried to avoid my gaze. Ace removed himself from my hand and went outside… I then remembered that he was supposed to be on duty this morning. I reached out to Flame and grabbed one of her hooves with my freed hand, gently squeezing it.

“That, uh… means a lot to me. I guess we'll be getting to know each other pretty well, huh?” I offered in a bashful tone, the earth pony simply nodding back. As she did, I swung my legs off the bed, despite her hoof once again protesting against my chest. I grabbed her hoof in my hand, gently bringing it down. “Sorry my dear, but I have to, for the very young do not always do as they're told.”

Without stopping to entertain her concerns, I left the lodge, gripping the crystal again tightly as both she and Scar followed me. Stopper hadn't gone far, and I approached her as she caught up with Tricks. As I got near them, they both looked at me, a somewhat guilty expression on Tricks’ muzzle.

I picked up on it immediately. “Morning, Tricks… is there something you want to tell me?” I asked him, unsure what the reason for his sudden guilt could be.

He nodded apprehensively, removing something from his cloak. In the early morning light, the faint pulsing of a gemstone could be seen. A gemstone that wouldn’t have looked out of place mounted on that gauntlet, in fact.

“I’ve… been using this for some time. I never really thought about it, but when you pointed to the gems in that gauntlet… I wondered if this might've been intended to be used with it.” he said, carefully hoofing me the precious stone. I gently ran my thumb over it, feeling weak pulses of energy emanating from it.

“What does this stone do, exactly?” I pressed, attempting to extract valuable information from the unicorn.

“It’s… hard to put into words.” He started to explain. “When I use it… it doesn't make me invisible, but it sort of makes me… ‘unnoticeable’, I think is the best word.”

I rolled the gem around in my hand. “So, this effectively alters the perception of you by others. Surely full invisibility would be better?” I reasoned.

Stopper shook her head. “Invisibility is a high-level spell; the power required to channel it is enormous. The spell in that crystal is a cheaper one; it doesn't require magic much to channel it… compared to a spell like Invisibility, anyway.”

“Fine,” I accepted. “I think it's time we got started on my magic training. You two between you seem to have an excellent grasp of magic, and that's despite being unable to wield it yourselves.” I said, gesturing to the barracks. “Shall we?”

With nods of approval, we all made our way over. I knew, with absolute certainty, that I was going to enjoy the next week.

That ended up only being mostly true.

—

The next seven days were a mixture of both exhilaration and pain. Stopper had been a massive help in my magical instruction; to say she was gifted as a teacher was an understatement. Tricks, meanwhile, was quite a good field supervisor, putting me through my paces in the outdoors as he got me to use my new skills in a productive manner. In the week since I’d been found slumped in that chair, we’d gone through seven new spells together. Some were easy… while others were very painful.

The first day had been spent combining Levitation and Telekinesis into a single spell, a development that had been made after the tomes publication, and had apparently been passed down to Tricks through his family. I ended up changing the command to ‘Levenesis’, but this only became necessary with heavy mass movements.

Each day that followed involved a new spell being taught to me, followed by field exercises to get me using it in a practical setting. The first new spell I learned was ‘Shield’, a protective weave of magic that deflected physical attacks. We asked Crush to provide the muscle for my instruction, and he was more than happy to accommodate our request, providing an ample demonstration of martial prowess even in the absence of the much-vaunted strength of his forebears.

Day two was spent learning the spell ‘Shell’; similar in nature to Shield, this spell was used for deflecting magical attacks; while ponies themselves clearly lacked magic, the rest of the world was a mystery, and we all felt being prepared was a prudent measure. The last part of the day had been spent combining the two protective spells together, a combination I'd termed ‘Wall’ for ease of casting.

One side effect of using these spells became abundantly clear early on; each time the shield was struck, I felt the feedback from it vibrate throughout my body. It required enhanced concentration to compensate, but I was beginning to realize that even defending myself here was going to come with a cost.

The next four days were spent learning and practicing what unicorn magi referred to as the ‘Elemental Basics’; Fire, Ice, Thunder, and Water. I learned that, while these spells were indeed low-level ones, their teaching had been strictly controlled, and limited only to unicorn guards in service to the Crown.

Each of those spells could be cast on its own, or together, with each combination capable of its own unique side effects. The actual casting of those spells had started to induce real pain for me, and after one particularly intense casting of Fire, I'd developed a reaction in my hand; tendrils of something had started to snake down my hand toward my wrist, all of them starting from an embedded piece of horn. But, after half an hour or so of resting, those tendrils had receded back.

The last day has been used to teach me a healing spell, which I'd mentally labeled as ‘Cure’. Casting it on myself was an odd experience… I didn't feel any different, but an old scar on my left hand was now no longer present.

We'd all intended to train for a few more days, but instead, Estrus Season arrived earlier than we anticipated. Scar enacted a well-tested playback of actions, leading to the separation of all ponies according to physical sex. Thus, I now found myself back in the lodge, surrounded by Crush, Tricks, and Ace. Each of us lay on a bed, waiting to be called to enact our ‘service’. Except for Ace, for whom I hadn't been surprised to learn had been given an exemption from participating.

It was a profoundly uncomfortable wait, so of course, conversation inevitably started between us, if only to distract us all for a moment.

“So, Crush… I take it that this isn't your first rodeo?” I started, causing the earth pony to give me his full attention.

“This is the eighth time now. I think I've lost count now of the number of foals I've sired… we get assigned multiple mares, you see, and no, that's sometimes not as great as it sounds. Although… the ones I have this year are pretty fine, if I do say so myself.” he said, trying in vain to cover up his growing erection, no doubt at the thought of pleasing those particular mares. As much as Crush tried to hide it, his pink-mottled tool stood proudly below him.

Way to make a guy feel inadequate, Crush. You are packing an absolute monster there!

That set off a chain reaction; Ace was the next to fall victim to improper thoughts, his ebony shaft also paying the group a visit; the difference between him and Crush, color aside, was that Ace’s erect member, while smaller, had a tapered point, which I was sure could be put to some very good use.

Tricks was the last proverbial domino to fall, his brown-colored dick now standing at full mast, with absolutely no attempt made by the unicorn to hide it, his hooves crossed as he, like the rest, eyed each other semi-covertly. I got up.

“I just realized that I’m not being very fair to the rest of you; it’s time to fix that,” I said, removing all pieces of clothing below my waist, the faint breeze faintly tickling my buttocks as everypony's gaze now fell on me and my contribution to the day’s festivities, most notably the pegasus to my right.

“Well,” I began, “I think some ponies here are as curious about me as I am about them, sooo…” I said, lying back down on my bed, with my tool in my hand that, honestly, felt like it was the hardest it ever had been. Crush, like Tricks, now crossed his hooves, giving all of us an unobstructed view. If I had to make a judgment call, I'd say that of the three stallions in the room, Tricks was the closest in size to me, as I observed that the tip of his rod was flatter than the others, and was probably the smallest of the three.

“Well…” the earth pony said, slightly hesitantly, “... this bit at the top expands when we’re ready to, uh… what's the human word for when you deposit your seed in your mares?”

I chuckled softly at him. “We have many, at least in my mother tongue. If I wanted to be fancy, I'd say ‘Ejaculated’. My favorite word though? Spunked, with Spaffed a close second. There's just something so utterly crass about those words, and yet I find them quite endearing.

I was keenly aware that Ace was letting his curiosity get the better of him; he'd long since hopped off the bed and was now getting quite the eyeful. I turned to him, “Ah you can see, Ace, humans are quite different to ponies. Check this out…” I said, as my fingers pulled back my foreskin, exposing the darker tip, and aided somewhat by the now somewhat-flaccid state of my cock.

“This bit of skin protects my little guy when he doesn’t feel like coming out, a bit like your sheaths do, and yes I have noticed. It's not like you can hide them, either.” I justified, remembering fully how exposed I felt Ace’s sheath was when I first saw him.

“C-Can I join you on the bed?” the pegasus asked, to which of course I nodded my head and patted beside me as I scooted over to make room. The pegasus practically leaped onto the mattress, before lying on his back beside me, his rod still very much letting the world know of its desire to be touched and caressed.

“I'm not forcing you two to watch, by the way; I just don't have the same level of shame as some of my fellow humans would,” I spoke to both Crush and Tricks, neither one of them choosing to look away.

“Who says I don't like looking?” Replied Tricks, his hoof idly stroking himself. Crush was a bit more reserved.

“I'm plenty curious… for educational reasons, mind you.” He asserted, quite possibly more to himself than to any of us.

Taking that as my cue to proceed, I turned once more to Ace. “You're allowed to touch it, by the way,” I reassured, gesturing to my nethers. It took the pegasus a moment, but he eventually overcame his nerves, inching a hoof forward to touch my shaft; it twitched as his limb made contact, and his eyes filled with a genuine sense of wonder.

Not to be denied some form of intimate payment, I snaked my hand across his chest, and gently grasped his penis, closing my fingers slowly around it. The supple yet firm flesh in my grip pulsed with the rhythmic beating of his heart, his breathing becoming noticeably shallower as my fingers exerted a gentle pressure around the stiffening appendage.

I always wondered how ponies gripped things, and I suppose I now had my answer; as Ace's hoof continued its curious journey against my flesh, I felt multiple, almost finger-like tendrils of force snaking across my skin, which was a very pleasurable sensation. My eyes closed as I allowed myself to be lost in Ace's ministrations, while I did my best to return the favor. I was enjoying this so much that I didn't even hear Scar enter, a curt clearing of her throat thoroughly killing the vibe in the air and snapping us both out of our combined desire for the touch of another.

“If you're… quite done in here, I believe Flame is ready for you now.” She said in my direction, a touch too coldly for my liking.

“He comes with me,” I said, fully serious to the clear surprise of the room.

“... Any particular reason?” Scar asked reasonably.

“Well, after talking to Crush here, I understand all this a little bit better… and I've come to the conclusion that I could do with a good fluffer… ma'am,” I said, attempting to persuade my commanding officer. “Besides, it's not like he’s been lined up for any activities this week.”

Scar looked at me quizzically. “I… don’t know what a ‘fluffer’ is, and I’m not sure I want to know. Fine, I trust you… come with me.”

I complied after restoring my dignity; Ace followed suit, and soon we were following Scar to where Flame was. After a short distance, she stopped and pointed to another building in the distance.

“Inside, the furthest left booth on the left row. You’ve got two hours to pump that mare so full of seed that she wouldn’t look out of place on a birdbath. Go get ‘em.” she said, smacking my clothed buttocks with a hoof, no doubt as payback for earlier.

As we very slowly approached the building, I turned to Ace. “Do you know what I asked you along for?” I asked him, talking in a hushed tone.

“Uh… I think so,” he replied with more than a hint of uncertainty, his muzzle snapping up to look at me.

“I’m going to need to do some… repeat performances in there. The spirit might still be willing, but the flesh needs… ‘additional encouragement’, shall we say. How do you feel about providing that ‘encouragement’?” I asked him, unsure if convincing him to take such a leap was truly a good idea.

He didn’t even need a moment to respond. “If it makes you happy, I’ll do it,” he said, and I could almost swear that his tail was wagging behind him. Smiling, I reached down and ruffled his mane.

“Thanks… and I’ll make it up to you, I promise. For now, though…” I said, looking around like I had something to hide. “... Hang around here for a bit… quietly; I’ll come out looking for you in due course, okay?”

Ace nodded, and slinked off into the shadows, leaving me to approach my duty for the evening. Stepping inside, I found two aisles, one on either side, with partition curtains of dense, opaque fabric down the sides of each aisle separating me from the carnal acts within. The whole thing reminded me of something far seedier and unpleasant than what I knew was waiting for me, and it was hard to break that mental connection. All around me were the sounds of squealing, grunting, and plapping, the collective noises of a society letting out its frustrations by indulging in the biological urge to breed.

Hehe. The Aisles of Rut. ‘twould be a good name if it weren't so utterly morbid.

Wishing that I'd had a very stiff drink, I summoned every ounce of courage I had and headed for the partition containing Flame.

It’s no big deal, Stuart; you’re just going to go in there and fuck a pony. Mummy would be so proud of you.

Dispelling my brain’s attempts to dissuade me from my commitments, I parted back the curtain; it revealed a bed on the left and a light refreshment stand on the right. On the bed itself lay Flame, who promptly sat up at my arrival before practically tackling me to the floor, such was her apparent enthusiasm.

“You came! You really came! I thought y-you’d disappear, or go into h-hiding, or-” She stammered as I put a finger to her lips to silence the runaway train of her thoughts.

“Let it never be said that Stuart Dennis Robinson does not follow through on his obligations. Still, this…” I said, gesturing to the room itself. “... isn't quite something I'm used to.”

I approached the stand to my right. “I see you have some tea, do you mind?” I asked her.

Flame shook her head. “Of course not. As long as you don't mind nettle tea…” She warned. In truth, I’d been curious about trying it since I'd heard it mentioned, and as today was all about new experiences, now felt like the perfect time to indulge.

Bringing the cup to my lips, my nostrils were hit by a bitter yet herbal fragrance, the smell swirling around my senses as I took a small amount of liquid into my mouth.

The floral taste was… unique, certainly, and I could now see why the drink was so despised. As the liquid went down my throat, it left an exceptionally bitter aftertaste, like I'd just binged on a jumbo pack of sour gummy worms. I gave the cup a disgusted look and returned it to the stand. “The only word to describe that is ‘offensive’,” I stated.

Flame giggled to herself and hopped back onto the bed. “That's everypony's first reaction to it… you just get used to it, I guess.” She opined.

Putting the cup back down, I turned to her. “So… how do you all do this?” I asked her with genuine curiosity.

“Well, um…” She said, hesitating for a moment, “... if it’s a young stallion, they’ll be unsure and embarrassed. Mares sometimes need to guide the younger ones at first. B-But the older they get…”

She looked at the floor, and I could feel a deep sense of pain from her words. I joined her on the bed, and held a hoof with a hand, squeezing it and running a thumb over the fetlock.

She looked at me. “... the older ones would come in, and… there’d be no joy in it. We’d p-present ourselves, a-and they’d just take us there and then…”

I was finding this all very hard to take in. I looked into the mare's eyes, and I… I couldn’t imagine subjecting her to something like that. It suddenly felt horrible to be here, like I’d stepped into someone else's nightmare. I brought up my other hand to also clasp her hoof. “We… don't have to do this, you know? I don't want to be just another layer of misery in this… well, whatever this shit is.”

“But you're not like that!” She protested, her other hoof pressing itself against my chest. “ When I first met you, you felt awful about accepting our offer to help you settle in. You felt genuinely terrible… and that means you cared… cared about more than just yourself. I haven't forgotten about that, and neither has anypony else!”

Without warning, she lunged forward and connected her lips to mine, and in a mixture of desire and instinct, they both parted ways for our tongues to gently dance together. I was finally starting to relax around her… until I heard something that made my blood run cold.

“... I need more time to rest! If you stick it in again, it’s going to hurt!”

“I don’t care! Now, present that ass to me before I come over there and do it myself!”

I broke the kiss and tilted my head to the source of the argument, which appeared to be next door. Flame just looked down. “S-Sometimes… s-stallions don’t listen…” She whispered, her heart heavy with what I hoped wasn’t from personal experience.

I got up and loudly barged into the partition next to us, the sky-blue earth pony turning around to face me. “Who the buck are you?” he demanded.

I lost it. I lunged forward and grabbed the earth pony with my hands, pinning him against the surprisingly sturdy wall, my face within point-blank range of his as I barely restrained a snarl.

“You don’t know me, but if you don’t start treating others with more respect, you are going to know me, and the day you do is going to be a very painful one for you. Do I make myself clear, you miserable little sack of shit?!”

That last part was directed into his ear with more than a little menace, spittle flinging itself at the earth pony's fur and lime-green mane, his eyes closed to avoid having to look at me.

I was fine with him not responding, and I lifted him again into the air, making my way to the exit as he weakly struggled against me. Once outside, and without thinking, I launched the earth pony forward with surprising force, causing him to land roughly on his side. Without even acknowledging me, he turned tail and fled into the night, leaving me to contemplate what I'd just done.

I turned back, and returned to the previous room, finding the golden-furred unicorn mare with a yellow mane sobbing quietly on the bed. I approached her, reaching out with a hand to hold her hoof. Instead, she threw herself at me, hugging me with what felt like the full force of her strength, leaving me with no option but to return the gesture, my hands reaching around behind her in a hug of my own. “Sssssh… it's okay…” I whispered into her ear as my hands lightly stroked her fur.

It was some moments before her composure returned, and once she released me from her grasp I knelt in front of her. “I need you to do me a favor, okay? I need you to find Scar and tell her what happened. If she needs to talk to me, she knows where I am.”

The mare nodded and gave me a small peck on the cheek before slowly making her way out, brushing past a curious Flame, whom I now turned my attention to.

“Is this how Estrus affects stallions here? Heightened aggress-”

The words died in my mouth as I realized that what I'd just done was definitely something that would count as heightened aggression.

Have I been infected by this place? I'd have never done that back home!

Flame just nodded back at me. “Sometimes… y-yes.” she said, in a tone of voice that told me that ponies here had already accepted that as a risk in these times. She turned to go back to our original room, and I followed suit, making sure to secure the partition fabric on my way back in. We both looked at each other before I remembered where I was; I sat on the bed, where Flame soon joined me, snuggling up against my side.

“Can I ask you a personal question?” I queried her, staring at the way out.

“You can ask me anything you want.” She said, resting against me.

“...How many times have you done this?” I inquired, my hand stroking her golden mane.

“... three times. I’ve had t-three foals in total… but none of them survived their first winter…” She explained, choking back tears. I reached down and gave her a hug.

“I’m sorry… Do you really think we can do it? Like, bring a new life into this world?” I questioned.

Flame reached up and gave me a peck on the cheek. “I can think of nopony else I’d rather have a foal with right now than you. You’d make a good father, I think.”

I reached down and gave her head a small peck. “Then I think we'd best get started. Hang on a sec, and let me get comfy. It’s too bad I don’t have my Spider-Man costume…”

I started stripping off my clothes; once again they found themselves dumped in an unceremonious pile on the floor, my naked body on full display to the mare in front of me.

In reciprocation, she changed her position to lay on her back, her head propped up against a pillow; she parted her legs and lowered her hooves to accentuate the raindrop-shaped purple lips of her genitals, gently parting them to reveal the pink flesh within. A small twitch occurred at the top, momentarily exposing a small, heart-shaped nub that was almost immediately pulled back in again. A small rivulet of clear discharge ran down her anus, her tight pucker reflexively contracting at the liquid seeping down it, before dripping onto the mattress below.

Kneeling before her with a semi-flaccid dick, I ran my hands down her sides while moving my head lower, with progressively stronger floral hints wafting into my nostrils the closer I got.

It’s okay, Stuart; granted, you’ve had rather more limited opportunities with women compared to men, but you’ve got this! You’ve read the textbooks, you know where everything is on a woman… you just need to hope that the mares here are wired in a similar way.

It was a good job that I enjoyed playing poker; if I didn’t have that experience to put on my best poker face, my expression would be awash with uncertainty and doubt as I crouched down. Looking up at her, now only centimeters away, I sought to at least pretend I had an aura of confidence. “I forgot to mention; when I get a buffet put in front of me, I usually want my dessert first.”

Before she could respond, I sealed my lips around the purple prize, gently snaking my tongue up and down Flame's slit, occasionally sinking my tongue in deeper to gently brush against her quivering walls.

Briefly glancing my sight upwards, I could see that Flame had closed her eyes, soft coos emanating from her mouth as I continued my ministrations.

Feeling her clitoris once again exposing itself, I quickly assaulted it with my tongue, earning an “Aah!” from the earth pony letting me know that I’d at least found my target. Even as it was smothered once again by her folds, my tongue insisted on delving deep within, providing much-needed friction against the mare’s love button. Meanwhile, my hands moved lower down and lightly massaged her mammaries, carefully running my thumbs over the teats as soft moans filled the air around us.

As my assault continued, Flame instinctively pushed back with her pelvis, pushing my nose into her fur; the scent of her arousal was more than noticeable now as the floral taste on my tongue intensified. Getting bolder, I started to thrust my tongue into her tunnel, feeling it immediately contract at the sudden intrusion as the sensitive muscles pleaded with the invader to go further.

“Mmmm! Yes!” was the mare’s ringing endorsement of my efforts, “D-Don’t s-stop!” she continued to plead as her nethers remained under constant assault; each wink from her clitoral hood was rewarded with extra attention from my tongue in a steadily rising feedback loop of ecstasy.

I started to pour all of my focus onto her clitoris as I subjected it to a merciless campaign of stimulation, taking turns between swirling my tongue around it and flicking it with broad strokes. Her body held out valiantly, but the involuntary spasms of her body betrayed her even as she tried to stifle her body’s release.

Despite her efforts, a “Mmmmmmmmmaaaaaaaaaaah!” was screamed into the room, a tone that was music to my ears; it was followed by numerous smaller ‘Mmm’ and ‘Ahh’ sounds as I continued to lightly run my tongue around her cavern as she basked in her afterglow, my mouth greedily slurping up her sweet-tasting discharge as she rode the aftermath of her orgasm.

I lay down on the bed next to Flame as her breathing recovered, a hand reaching over to give her some belly rubs, her hooves reaching out and cradling my arm as my fingers lightly scritched at her fur.

“Well…” I said, breaking the silence that had fallen between us “... we still have around ninety minutes or so left. Did you want a breather for a bit, or should we skip straight to the matinée performance?” I offered.

In an assertive action that I wasn’t expecting, she pulled herself up to my ear. “I n-need you to stick that thing in me r-right now, or I’ll do it myself,” she said, a hoof now reaching out to grasp my rock-hard member in what I was mostly sure was a playful suggestion. Only mostly, mind.

Getting comfortable, Flame lay back and lazily opened her legs as I got up and moved in front of her. Gingerly moving her legs aside further, I grabbed her by the hips, and gently positioned her still-twitching marehood in front of my cock. With a shared nod, I gently eased her down, the mare eliciting a hiss through clenched teeth as she adjusted to the new feeling of my length burrowing itself within her.

After a few moments, I felt myself reach the hilt, and I leaned forward to allow us both to get used to our new sensations as Flare’s hot tunnel tightly gripped and convulsed around me. Reaching down, I pushed my lips to her, the earth pony reciprocating with an enthusiasm that I had rarely seen in my life, her tongue eager to explore every nook and cranny in my mouth while impaled on my shaft.

Breaking the kiss to get more comfortable, I started to extract myself from her moist cavern very slowly, the mare’s canal doing everything possible to keep me inside before I could thrust back in again, a small ‘Aah’ being my reward for my efforts. As we relaxed further, I was able to get a steady rhythm going, the room steadily being filled with the plap sounds of two souls enjoying an intimate union.

In a sharp deviation from my expectations, Flame shouted “W-Wait! Stop!”

Fuck.

Being uncertain as to how best to approach this, I fully removed myself from the situation and lay on the bed next to her. Reaching out a hand to calm her down, she instead got up and straddled herself over me, impaling herself once more on my still-hard erection in one swift movement.

Fuck yes!

Now it was Flame’s turn to take control, and I let her indulge that desire to her heart’s content; her hips steadily moving up and down my flagpole as her wet and hot vaginal cavity, desperately craving my seed, sought to extract it from me by any means necessary.

To say that I was pent-up was an understatement, and I was in no fit state to offer any meaningful resistance to the mare’s persistence; soon, that familiar feeling began to build, and I was about to cross a metaphorical Rubicon from which there would be no return.

“Flame… I’d, ah… get ready if I were you, this, uh… t-thing’s about to blow…!” I weakly warned as Flame took the cue to sink herself fully onto me as hot, thick ropes of human semen squirted inside of her, the collective outpouring of a month’s worth of unspent ejaculate now being deposited deep within the earth pony. I could only manage a guttural grunt as my body surrendered its gift to the mare on top of me, who by this point had a wide smile on her face that I only managed to glimpse for a moment as I felt my face contorting into an expression that extremely few people had ever seen.

I was in no position to do much of anything; I lay on my back for a moment as Flame slowly and carefully extricated herself, my receding member falling back down onto me with an audible smack.

After taking a few moments to catch my breath, I got up and started to get dressed to the confusion of Flame. “Leaving so soon?!” she queried, somewhat distressingly.

“You didn’t think you were getting just one, did you?” I asked semi-rhetorically. “Just… let me take some time to recover, and I’ll be back for Round Two, mmkay?”

Flame nodded, and I took that as my cue to exit, stumbling out as my body readjusted to the state of post-nut clarity that always accompanied men in the aftermath of coitus.

Stepping outside, I walked a short distance away and was soon accosted by Ace. “Do you have some water nearby?” I asked him. Using a hoof, he pointed to a location not far from us, and we traveled the short distance together to what turned out to be a well, with a large tent behind it that appeared to be storing the drawn water; numerous glass bottles were on display, each one filled with water, with many different colors and shapes of bottles adorning the shelves inside.

With nopony around, I felt that asking forgiveness was easier than asking for permission as I grabbed one of the smaller glass bottles. Uncorking it, I immediately put it to my lips and tilted the glass upward, letting the cool water flow over my tongue and down my throat as it quenched my thirst.

After I’d downed the entire thing, I turned to look at the pegasus. “Well, that’s one problem out of the way… fancy helping me take care of another?”

He nodded slowly, and with me leading the way, we found a secluded spot not that far away, obscured by tents all around it that, unless you went out of your way to go down it, would not be seen by ponies passing by… especially this late at night.

Going down the far end where an untamed bit of grassland was present, I sat down with Ace following suit as he lay down in front of me, his eyes looking at me with a hint of uncertainty.

I sighed, and looked into those eyes, the deep azure tones reminding me of the aura of my magic. “Ace… I’m about to ask you for something… and it’s something deeply personal. It’s not hygienic, and you are absolutely free to say no… “ I paused, shuffling down my clothes until I’d revealed Stuart Little, now concealed in his most popular habitat.

“I… need some additional stimulation down there. And yes, we both know where this little guy has been… what do you say?” I asked, curious as to the pegasus’ reply.

He was clearly thinking it over but eventually responded. “On one condition,” he stated. I, of course, nodded solemnly. Ace then very quickly rose to his hooves and pressed his lips to mine; stallions, like the men of my world, had colder mouths than the opposite sex, and that mouth was now eagerly accepting my tongue. I let him explore the foreign appendage to his heart’s content, and before long he was exploring my mouth, his tongue meeting mine and together battling with it for attention.

I was definitely getting something out of this, and I could feel myself getting hard again as the cool night breeze flowed between it and my sack while Ace and I shared a kiss under the stars. Eventually, as all things must, the kiss ended, and Ace eyed my half-mast shaft. With no further prompting or encouragement needed, he knelt down and took my entire length into his mouth, using his hooves to gently pull down my foreskin to expose the sensitive head, his tongue taking its time to get used to how I felt.

His inexperience showed, but that was fine for now, his attentiveness and methodical exploration doing everything needed to give me an extra dose of endurance for the night ahead. Eventually, I knew that I was at peak hardness, and I gently disengaged him from his task, a thin trail of saliva dripping to the ground as his lips left my tool.

Wishing to take full advantage, I kissed him on the head and pulled my clothes back up again before springing back to my feet, with Ace also rising to his hooves; as he got up, I could see that he was fully, and possibly rather painfully, at fully attention. “I might need to call on you again; wait for me like last time, okay?” I instructed, feeling a bit bad at leaving him in the lurch.

Ace nodded, and I sped back to the Aisles of Rut, eager to demonstrate how a human would perform with a Black and Decker on his hips.

—

Three.

Three fucking repeat performances that evening. The matinée performance was great, and even the encore was appreciably good, but chafing and fatigue were rearing their ugly heads on encore number two, and by the end of the third encore I was ready to beg for mercy.

Flame was everything I could ask for in a female partner; she was accepting when I stumbled, and patient when I needed time, and overall she was just happy to be on the journey rather than worry about the destination.

Ace had been amazing in his support role; his only frustration had been not being able to see each job through to its conclusion. I needed to pay him back, and I had promised to do so, a fact I reminded myself as I met up with him again after Flame and I had parted ways earlier, the time now well into the early morning as the moon shone down brightly from above.

“Where are we going?” Ace inquired, as I strode briskly through the settlement, albeit with a stranger gait than normal; to combat the chilly air, my hoodie was zipped all the way up and my hands were in its pockets.

“Not far, you’ll see,” I reassured, tussling his mane with my hand.

I took us both to an extremely large tree that was outside the settlement’s outer border. Stopper, Tricks and I had done some target practice here, using the massive hollow tree trunk as a natural obstacle as they sought to assist me in honing my magical prowess.

The tree trunk’s entrance was facing opposite to the direction of the settlement, so while it was exposed, it wasn’t exposed to anypony that mattered. Moving inside it, I gestured for Ace to follow me as I sat on the floor, idly brushing aside some loose sawdust. The trunk was big enough for us to sit next to each other as Ace deposited himself right beside me.

I reached out a hand and held his hoof in it while running a thumb over the hard keratin. “I… don’t really have the words to thank you for what you did for me back there, Ace. I… appreciate greatly that you wanted to finish what you began earlier, but buddy, let me tell you that, not only am I completely spent right now, but my todger here is spending the next few days at Lake Flaccid; in fact, I’ll be lucky if I’m walking right by the time I wake up tomorrow.”

I shifted in my chosen position as my buttocks started to disagree with the wood surface. “However… I could see how much it was making you frustrated. I’m offering to relieve you of that frustration, right here.” I said, in what I’m sure was the least-sexy way that anybody has ever propositioned another for a blowjob.

Ace looked up at me as our eyes met. “Y-You’d do that… f-for me?” he stammered, to which I could only nod slowly.

I rolled over to him and took a moment to savor the smell wafting from Ace’s groin. It was noticeably different from the mare earlier; stronger, muskier, and with more earthy overtones giving way to an extremely faint hint of lilac. His penis, meanwhile, was still recessed into his sheath, the ebony darkness of his telescope yet to be revealed to me in this impromptu intimate moment.

Acting a little bit on instinct owing to the late hour, I planted a kiss on his lips, and soon we were back to trading saliva with each other as we each explored the other’s mouth. Meanwhile, my hand had reached over and was now weakly holding the stallion’s partially hard member in my grasp, letting the expanding appendage fill my grip as our tongues continued to battle for supremacy.

I was intensely curious how a stallion’s dick would feel in my hand, and I was getting a thorough education on the subject; I gently moved it up and down the pulsating shaft, taking careful note of the ring mid-way down. As I’d noticed earlier, his tip was tapered, and I gently ran a finger around the raised flesh, causing the stallion to moan into my mouth as I spread the precum forming at the tip around the head.

Gently breaking the kiss, our eyes made contact for a moment, and I could feel him following me down as I headed straight for his pelvic region; gently cupping his scrotum, I wrapped my lips around his throbbing stallionhood, running my tongue over the head and sampling the slightly-salty taste of the already-slickened member as my lips formed a seal around the sensitive flesh.

Moving slowly down, my lips passed the ring as my tongue started to explore every contour and vein of the pegasus’ rod as I inched ever closer to taking in the whole thing. As I subjected him to my oral assault, I could hear his breathing become less steady as every twirl of my tongue caused his respiration to take a brief pause, his mind clearly struggling with what I could only assume were completely new sensations for him.

I felt that I had more than just a responsibility to Ace here; it felt like I had an obligation to make his first experience a good one for him. It was not my first time being in this position, but it never ceased to be enjoyable; that was especially true here as I looked up and could see the pony’s eyes closed, his face contorted in a way suggesting that this was indeed deeply pleasurable for him.

My nose then made contact with his tummy, having now fully enveloped him with my mouth, the tip now pressing on the back of my mouth; luckily for him, I had long since developed a way to suppress my gag reflex as my tongue continued to explore the entire length of his appendage. Further beads of precum continued to leak from the tip as I swirled the salt-laced liquid around the tapered point, further moans escaping the pegasus’ lips despite a clear urge to suppress them.

It’s fine, Ace… you don’t need to hide yourself from me.

I wasn’t going to pressure him; this was likely close enough as it was to his comfort zone to risk anything further. But, he was still going to get the full experience; my lips now started to rise and sink back down again along his pulsating cock, my tongue continuing to dance across the head while paying careful attention to any further leaks coming from its tip.

I raised a hand to lightly stroke his chest, and I could feel his breath quickening beneath my touch, his inexperience betraying him as I could feel him nearing the end of his endurance; now having established a regular pace around his twitching member, he could no longer hide his emotions from me.

“Ahhh!… Ahhh!...” he repeated as I willed him further to my goal, his shaft now starting to twitch reflexively under my campaign of stimulation. Paying deliberate attention now to the very tip, I started to lightly suckle on it as my lips focused on applying just the right amount of pressure, my tongue swirling around the tapered tip as I eagerly awaited what I knew was coming next.

“Hhhhnnnnnggg!” was the stallion’s final outburst as the metaphorical dam finally burst and sprayed copious amounts of semen into my mouth. While I had been prepared for the event itself, I had not been prepared for the sheer amount of it, the pegasus depositing a load far greater than a human’s beyond my accepting lips.

Everything about this next experience was interesting; it was saltier than I was used to, with a consistency not too dissimilar from a regular human male. I did my best to swallow it all while keeping up the seal around his cock, the duty of every true gentleman, but inevitably some of his seed did leak out and run down my chin as Ace’s breathing slowed back down again.

It took a moment or two for his tip to stop spurting, and I insisted on using my mouth to clean up anything I’d missed that had dribbled down his retreating rod. Once I was sure that he’d fully come down from his orgasmic high, I got up and sat back down, electing to pull him into my lap in a warm hug that was most welcome with the cold chill remaining in the air.

“Are you okay?” I asked him as my hands rested on his chest, pulling him semi-tightly against me. While he was not facing me, I could tell he was nodding. “Yeah. That was… nopony’s ever done that with me…” he said, now looking up at me.

“Like I said, I wanted to thank you. You didn’t tell me in as many words earlier, but I figured that you’d never done something like this before. I… hope it was okay for you.” I said, my mind still insisting on being a member of the Imposter Syndrome Club.

Ace smiled widely back at me. “It was better than anything I’d ever dreamed of. I-I don’t even think a ‘thank you’ will do, but… thank you… for giving me this.”

I rested my head against him as I exhaled sharply. “I think we should head back, and I think I’m going to go find a nice pot of nettle tea when I get there.”

The pegasus shot me a confused expression. “Isn’t that really disgusting?” he asked.

“Yeah, it is… but, I think I’ve found a new use for it,” I said, smirking until it turned into a full-on laugh with Ace soon following suit with a laugh of his own. The two of us just sat in that hollow tree, laughing with each other until we grew tired and sank back into each other’s company, basking in the aftermath of what we’d just experienced together.

I was exhausted, and fatigue was threatening to rob me even of my ability to walk, but I knew with absolute certainty that I was going to sleep well that night.

Chapter 05 - Unexpected Maneuvers

The rest of the week flew by with very little fanfare; Flame recuperated while seeing if our little tryst took hold, Tricks and Stopper each took some time off while Estrus was in full swing, Crush continued to work, while Ace and I gradually began spending more time together after our little ‘experience’.

The morning afterward had been spent giving Scar a run-down of my successful coupling with Flame, and that was followed by my formal submission to her of a plan to explore the surrounding areas. We agreed upon a week for her to call a formal briefing together, and that time would enable her to gather as much data as she could about the current status of the world around us for us to all agree on our next steps.

This morning I was scheduled to resume my magical training with Tricks and Stopper, and I was now on my way to a newly commissioned structure that I’d requested to collate together all of the magical artifacts and knowledge scattered around the settlement, both for future reference and to assist me as I grappled with the gravity of the new ability I now had.

The building was a three-story cylindrical stone structure with a tiled blue roof, located on the northern boundary of the settlement. The tower had been present previously, but had been in a state of disrepair until only yesterday; with the help of the settlement’s small engineering corps and some laborers, plus support from me with some of my new magic, it had been repaired in only a few days using repurposed stone taken from several other ruins beyond the settlement. Looking at it from afar, it reminded me of the typical Mage Towers seen in numerous fictional settings.

The past week had also started to present me with certain… dietary challenges. I’d supplemented my diet with extra fruit and vegetables (including what looked like analogs to chickpeas and lentils), but I’d been having cravings lately for meat… several times, in fact. I didn’t know how I was going to solve that problem, but for now, I’d have to make do without a solution, much to my distress.

Entering the tower, I noticed both Stopper and Tricks present, each carrying out specific duties related to securing everything magical. The center of the room had a large circular table, upon which lay numerous scrolls, tomes, crystals, gemstones, and as-yet-unidentified magical artifacts, all of them awaiting indexing and cataloging.

All were arranged according to an indexing and cataloging system that yours truly was happy to implement. Maybe one day I’d even organize it into one of my beloved spreadsheets; for now though, paper and quill would have to suffice, with a master parchment listing everything.

As I approached the table, I couldn’t help but notice the arrangement of crystals on its surface, with dividers and deliberate separations even between crystals of the same color. “Hey, Stopper… what’s with the layout of these crystals?” I asked, intensely curious.

The unicorn walked over. “Crystals need to be kept separated. If you allow them to touch, they can discharge some of the energy stored within it.”

My curiosity grew bigger. “Discharge… how?” I pressed.

“Well…” she continued, “It’s one of the most ancient principles of magic application; every strike of a crystal is met with an equal and opposite reaction. So, if I were to strike two green crystals together, the energy would exit the struck crystal in the opposite direction to the strike. The energy would be in its raw form and would be potentially dangerous to anything living.”

I sometimes cursed myself for my species' natural affinity for war, and today was no exception, for I could easily see a way for that natural law to be weaponized.

“I'm… going to pay Crush a visit later regarding that. For now, though, I believe we have some more training to do?” I reminded her.

Stopper didn't even look up. “You have a visitor in your chambers to take care of first.”

Puzzled, I decided to prioritize them instead. “Very well, then; I'll see to them first,” I said, turning to and then walking up the spiral staircase.

I passed the room on the first floor and slowly made my way to the second floor, where a brown wooden door surrounded by stone greeted me.

To be pony-friendly, I chose to employ neither handles nor knobs, the door itself able to be pushed open by hands or hooves alike.

Applying gentle pressure, the door easily swayed open, revealing my new quarters and my new impromptu visitor, who was currently lying down on my bed.

“If this is room service, I’d like to order the buttered lobster and creamed spinach, please.” I jested in Flame’s direction.

The mare smiled at me, bouncing off of the bed and almost rugby-tackling me into a hug, her hooves tightly embracing me. Tussling her mane a bit, I casually waddled over to the bed with her still attached to my torso. “ Hey, um… how've you been feeling since we, uh.. you know…?” I asked, still not really believing that we’d hooked up.

Finally separating herself from me, she joined me on the bed, lying down at my side. “Well, my symptoms disappeared the next day; that’s normally a good sign!” she said, her smile positively beaming from her muzzle.

I was happy for her… no, that’s not quite correct, I was ecstatic for her. To think that we might've actually added something positive to the universe together…

“I’m very glad to hear that. But, I get the feeling that this isn’t a social call…” I said, trying to tease out the real reason for this visit.

Flame nodded. “As of this morning, I’m your new yeomare.”

I mulled the proposition over; Yeomen in the military on Earth were tasked with administrative duties. “So… that makes you my new military secretary, then?” I asked.

“Sort of, yes. I'm not officially part of the military, so I'm not obliged to obey any orders, but I will be organizing your day-to-day life to help make this whole wizard-in-the-tower thing a little easier.” She explained.

I was grateful for the help, pulling in my new colleague for a hug, the only reply being a super-adorable squeak as my hands held her close for a moment.

“So… what's our first order of business?” I asked, immediately choosing to make use of my new assistant.

“You've got your magic training at ten hundred, Scar's briefing at fourteen hundred, and I think that's about it… unless you have something you wanted to add?” She asked inquisitively.

I nodded. “Can you put in a meeting with Crush for seventeen hundred? I want to follow up on our midweek talk regarding a ranged weapon.”

Flame too nodded her head. “Sure, I can organize that.” She said, hopping off the bed and making her way down the stairs, presumably to talk to Crush.

I followed, but only until I got downstairs, deviating to bother Stopper once again. “So… now that that's over with… what's say you and I continue with my training?” I nudged as she continued to work.

She looked at me before going back to organizing some crystals… I think. “You've already gone through the basics… how's your magical history knowledge?”

“Only one way to find out”, I replied, shrugging my shoulders.

“Very well,” the unicorn began, “Who was the first Archmage of Equestria?”

“Pfft. That’s an easy one,” I responded. “Starswirl the Bearded.”

Stopper smiled. “Well, the first one’s always just a warm-up. How many Thaums in a Kilothaum?”

I pondered for a moment, realizing that she’d asked me a question very open to interpretation. “Classic or Modern scale?”

“Hmm… Modern.” she countered.

“Well… the Modern scale accounts for inaccurate measurements made with older equipment. The Kilothaum was rebalanced to one thousand and twenty-four Thaums about a hundred years before the return of Princess Luna.”

“Alright,” She continued, “What about… Celestia's Second Law of Magic?”

You are going to have to get up much earlier in the morning to catch me out, Stopper.

“Trick question,” I smiled. “There's only one law in Celestia's name, and it states that ‘Friendship is Magic’... whatever that means.”

Rolling my eyes a bit, I went fishing through the crystals to retrieve the yellow one from earlier that Alex had recorded some thoughts on. I'd replayed the damn thing over and over again during the past week, looking for anything I might have missed.

He pretty much said that anyone going looking for the rest of these crystals is as crazy as I am. If that's not an open invitation, I don't know what is.

I still didn't know how I was going to find them, but Alex had at least thrown me a clue; something about these crystals was supposed to be making them emit a magical signal. I just needed a way to first identify that signal, and then seek out further signals just like it. The script in the middle of the crystal had been tricky to translate at first until Tricks realized it was a dialect of Old Ponish, the original written language of ponykind. After that, the script's translation came out as ‘Memories of a Wanderer: Crystal One’.

I pocketed the crystal for now, and turned to the sound of the front entrance opening; Flame stepped across the threshold, dusting herself off.

“Let me guess, he’s been using too much flux again?” I asked, knowing full well the answer.

Flame sighed in my direction. “He’ll be ready for you this evening, he’s just putting the finishing touches on your commission.”

I folded my arms and smiled. “Excellent. One more thing… do you think Scar could be persuaded to move up that briefing to, uh, now if possible?”

“I… suppose.” She responded, “Do you still want her and the others to meet us at the usual briefing room?”

I shook my head. “No. The Basement.”

—

I was honestly quite proud of how it turned out.

I'd given Tricks and Stopper essentially free reign of how to organize the ground floor, while Flame insisted on organizing and fitting the first and second floors.

Me?

I'd chosen the basement level, accessible via an extension of the same winding staircase, as my personal project. Inside it was a slightly larger round table than the one on the ground floor, with several wood chairs arranged around it. The ceiling was punctuated by magical illumination candles, giving the room a medieval ambiance.

Each chair had a long back, and I’d worked with several others to add a little bit of a personal touch to each, reawakening my woodworking days in secondary school.

Atop each chair's back now had a replica, etched into the wood, of each cutie mark of my friends.

My table didn't have a cutie mark; instead, wanting to at least have some sort of distinguishing mark, I opted for one of the most iconic signs of my neighborhood that I’d also adopted into my academic work.

Inscribed into the wood of my chair was a large, stylized “S”, known informally as the “Cool S”; as it matched the first letter of my name, I’d always felt an affinity to it. I used it in all my communications to Alex, just as he’d used his chosen mark in his writings to me, the mark of six overlapping circles that I'd now instinctively begun to associate with him.

Scar had agreed to my earlier meeting request, and had adorned the table with its crown jewel upon her arrival: a highly detailed map of the known world was now spread across it… or at least, this known conglomeration of continents was.

Filtering in was everypony I'd invited; Ace and Flame arrived first, who then seated themselves to my left and right respectively. Next, Crush arrived, who took a seat behind Ace, while Scar sat in her chair behind Flame. Lastly, Tricks and Stopper came down the stairs, Tricks taking his seat behind Scar and Stopper taking hers behind Crush.

Once everypony was seated, I then joined them, taking my seat in front of everypony. Casting my eyes around, I broke the silence.

“Thank you all for your help over the last week; I can think of no better place to help us organize and plan our next moves than here,” I said, smiling with a professional joy I hadn't felt in a long while.

“This wouldn't have been possible without your magic,” Scar mentioned. “The amount of stone and tiling you moved was beyond anything we could've done in that short a time.”

I nodded. “Just doing my bit to help, that’s all. This briefing I asked for here is primarily for my benefit… but this should have applications for everypony here. So, let me lay this properly before you all…”

Fishing out the yellow Mnemosyne Crystal from my pocket, I stood up and gently placed it on the table. “I know that you only have my word for what I saw… but I’m sure you trust me enough to know that I wouldn’t lie to you. Alex, it seems, has made several recordings, sealed inside crystals like this one, for his friends and family. I don’t know if he somehow intended for these to one day find their way to Earth, or if he was just doing this as a form of therapy… or even something else entirely. Either way… I owe it to him to recover these. This goes beyond friendship, professional respect, and even personal feelings; This is a matter of honor for me.”

I looked around the room and moved the crystal further up the table. “This is something I have to do; the rest of you… do not.” I conceded, sitting back down again.

“You’re not doing all that alone,” spoke Crush, adjusting himself in his seat. “You’ve been a breath of fresh air around here. I say that we all pitch in for what you need to do.”

“You mean to risk our lives, don’t you?” said Stopper, really cutting to the heart of the matter. “Don’t get me wrong, I'm willing to risk my life for my survival… but this? This is a treasure hunt! A treasure hunt of no worth to anyone… other than you, our resident human. I question the logistical investment in such a venture.”

Scar spoke up next. “I hate to agree with her, Stuart, but she’s right; I’m stretched pretty thin as it is…”

I held a hand up. “Point taken. This needs to be a surgical approach; I couldn’t and wouldn’t ask our militia to accompany me on these missions. In fact, I only need three ponies…”

I pointed each to Stopper, Tricks, and Ace. “I know I can trust each of you with my life, as I hope you trust me with yours. I’ve seen your skills out there, and I know that, together, we’d make a formidable infiltration team.”

I then turned to Scar. “Your race’s entire history is under threat. Locked away, out there, are fragments of your past; pegasi, unicorn, and earth pony alike. There are potentially even artifacts out there that can help stop this land from rotting beneath you…”

I then turned to Flame. “We spoke about this; Your land is steadily losing its ability to sustain life… for what reason, I don’t know, but inaction is just waiting around for things to get worse…”

Turning my attention to Stopper, I grabbed the crystal, holding it in my hand. “There is so much more at stake than these crystals; finding them could very well lead to uncovering much more important artifacts. I'm not content with just sitting back and doing nothing while things steadily get bleaker outside. Don't you see, Stopper? Assisting me with this is your survival!”

I exhaled sharply and once again pocketed the crystal, but it was Scar who broke the uneasy silence that had now descended upon us.

“... He's right. After our former commander perished, I inherited his paperwork. He estimated that if something wasn't done… We have about a decade left. He thought that by combining our numbers with other settlements, no matter the cost or the price he'd ask us all to pay, we'd become big enough to be immune to whatever is coming.”

I shook my head. “Numbers mean nothing if the land is losing its vitality. Is it happening across what's left of Equestria, or is it local to here?” I asked.

Flame shrugged. “We've had no way to know without access to magic… wait! You could take magical readings of new locations! That should tell a lot more about what's happening!” She said, not quite happily, but pleased enough that she might finally get some answers on this sore subject.

I pointed to the map on the table. “And that, ladies and gentlemen… er, I suppose ‘mares and gentlestallions’ is the appropriate translation there, right? Anyway, mares and gentlestallions, that leads to the next item of business… other locations of interest.” I said pointing at nearly the dead center of the map. “The annotation here says ‘Canterlot’... what was it, what is it now, and does it hold anything of interest?”

Tricks raised a roof, and I acquiesced with a nod. “Canterlot was Equestria’s capital. But, by all accounts, it’s been abandoned, and there’s a magical shield of immense power around it.”

I stroked my developing beard with a hand. “Is that shield to keep ponies out, or to keep something else locked away within?”

Silence once again filled the room, everypony looking between themselves. I got my answer. “So… nopony knows. That’s still good to know; either way, going straight in or straight over seems like a bad idea… so that leaves going under. Tricks, have there ever been stories or rumors of ponies trying to gain access to Canterlot from below?” I queried.

Tricks scratched his chin for a moment. “Ponies, no… but griffons? Yes!” He exclaimed. “You know that gemstone I had on me? We confiscated it from a pair of griffons who bragged that they'd stolen it from Canterlot. I thought that they were lying… but after what you've just said, maybe they weren’t lying after all…”

Nodding, I turned to Flame briefly before turning my attention back to the group. “So… that puts Canterlot in the ‘Maybe’ list. Canterlot seems to be due south from here, and reasonably close, too. Next, to our north… the Crystal Empire. What do we know about it?

“We sent two scouts there last year. Neither returned.” Said Scar. “Either the snow and ice got them, the remains of the empire did, or they met a grisly end on the way. As far as I'm concerned, that whole region is a no-go.”

“Noted.” I continued. “What about east of here? There are… three dwellings shown here; Manehatton, Fillydelphia, and Baltimare. Have you tried re-establishing contact with them?”

I’d love to know why this place is full of horse puns, but I doubt I'll get an answer there.

Scar nodded. “Our scouts reported that all three locations were deserted… but while Manehattan seems to still be mostly intact, nothing at all seems to remain of either Baltimare or Fillydelphia. However, as of a month ago, we now know there are some griffon squatters in Manehattan, no doubt trying to strip the city of anything that's not been nailed down.“

I hmm’d to myself. “Useful to know. Maybe Manehatton contains some things of interest, in which case, that’s going into my ‘Maybe’ list… and if we do end up going there, we go armed.”

I now cast my eyes to the other side of the map. “So, on the western side, I see a few places that look interesting… uh, Vanhoover, Las Pegasus, and… Tartarus; let’s go with those, what do we know?”

Ace spoke up this time. “Vanhoover is like Manehattan, deserted as far as we can tell. Las Pegasus is a bit too far for us to have scouted, even if we were to take advantage of the old abandoned railroad system. The same’s technically true for Tartarus… although I’d never go near that place.”

I think I know why.

“I’ve heard you use the name in somewhat negative tones. I take it that it’s some sort of hostile land?” I queried.

“Sort of,” replied Scar. “It’s where many of Equestria’s most dangerous prisoners were banished to. If there’s one place in Equestria I’d avoid at all costs, it’d be that one.”

Pandora’s Box, in a sense.

“OK… so, Vanhoover is another ‘Maybe’ candidate. Now for Central Equestria… seeing as Alex has already mentioned Ponyville, I think that’s going in my ‘Likely’ column. Do we have any intel on conditions there?”

“I, um… I may know some ponies there…” said Flame, eliciting horrified looks from Scar and Ace.

“This is the first I’ve heard about this!” said Scar, in quite an annoyed tone. “How could you not disclose something like that?!”

The earth pony sighed. “They’re… my cousins. They just wanted to be left alone… so, they occupied the old farmhouse to the south. For the last five years, I’ve seen them every few months or so… they give me soil readings to compare with ours.”

I understood Flame's hesitance… I knew that she was the type of pony who would go to great lengths to protect her family, as I would have for mine. I might’ve made a similar call in her place.

“What’s done is done, there’s no point dwelling on it now; on the bright side, this gives us some additional options. Flame, how amicable would they be to visitors like… well, us, but more especially, me?” I asked, extremely interested in potentially having an ally or two down south.

Flame looked around, and then down at the table. “They wouldn’t have a problem with the ponies sitting around this table… but you, Stuart? You might take a little convincing… nothing I can’t take care of, though,” she said, looking up at me with a small smile. “Conditions there are like ours here… only with more ruins.”

“Okay, that makes me feel a lot better about an expedition there,” I added. “Now I just need a way to find the rest of those crystals; each of them is emitting a signal that I and likely everypony here can't feel, see, or hear…”

I reached into my pocket to grab the crystal again, avoiding triggering the message while rolling it around in my palm.

I let my mind drift back a bit to the first time I viewed the message and the odd sensation I felt. I remember some unknown force pulling on me like it was trying to tear me apart in every direction. I didn't and still don't know what to make of it, and it happened each time I re-watched it.

I needed some time in solitude… or at least in a quiet room to focus for a bit…

I may even try that meditation thing that so many people seemed to swear by.

I rose to my feet and shuffled behind my chair. “Thank you all for your time today, but I think I need some alone time to clear my thoughts for a bit. Crush, I’ll meet with you later, I have an idea to run by you in any case. The rest of you I’ll catch up with later.”

Without sticking around, I headed straight upstairs to my bedroom on the second floor, still clutching the yellow crystal. After entering the room I just stood in the middle of it, not really sure of what I was supposed to focus on.

I brought the crystal up to eye level, trying to peer within its sparkling layers when something made me jump a bit.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

I wasn’t sure who to expect, but I’d still receive them regardless. “Um… come in,” I said, sheepishly.

The door slowly opened, and Ace gingerly made his way inside, his coat brushing against the door as it closed. Seeing as I had a guest, I sat on my bed and gestured for Ace to join me, the pegasus jumping onto a space next to me. I was a little unsure as to why he was here, but his presence was no less welcome. I held up the crystal in front of us both.

“Ace… somewhere inside here is the key to finding other crystals just like it… and I have no idea how to unlock it. How am I supposed to move forward if I can’t even figure this out?” I asked him, somewhat rhetorically.

I could see Ace looking at the crystal briefly before turning to look up at me. “Maybe you just need a moment of clarity… y’know, like clearing your mind.” He encouraged me, leading me back to my earlier thoughts of meditation.

“Yeah, I was thinking about that earlier. Maybe if I just sit very still, and shut out all distractions, I might be able to concentrate enough when I next view the message.” I reasoned, now rolling the crystal around in my hand.

“I, uh… h-had another idea for that…” he stammered as he got off the bed and started immediately sticking his nose in my crotch, the pegasus taking an audible sniff to the point where I could feel the air moving through my trunks.

Somepony knows what they want…

I put my hands on Ace’s head, inching him back from the fabric of my jeans. “I almost forgot… we never got to finish this bit did-?”

I was interrupted by the stallion evading my hands completely to suddenly kiss me, pressing his lips against mine in an unexpected but not unwelcome addition to my day.

Passing one hand around him to stroke his back, my other slipped behind his head, pressing it more forcefully against me as we locked lips with one another, my tongue meeting little resistance as I explored the pegasus’ mouth to my extreme satisfaction.

You know how to make someone feel wanted, I'll give you that…

After a short while of exchanging gratuitous amounts of bodily fluids, we both came up for air, Ace using the downtime to press his nose once more into my groin, this time meeting something significantly harder than before.

I used my hands to guide his gaze to mine as I found myself once again lost in those azure orbs, our noses touching as he steadied himself by planting his hooves on my thighs. “You don't have to do this, you know…” I whispered to him as my thumbs brushed against his cheeks.

“But I want to…” he whispered back. “You've done so much for us… for me… I want to do this. U-Unless you d-don't want me here…” he said softly, his voice quaking lightly as those words broke free of his lips.

I immediately pulled him into the biggest hug I could muster as I held his head tightly against my chest. “I don't ever want to hear that again... not from you, and not from anypony else here…”

I sighed as I rested against him. I really didn't expect today to turn into something lewd, but I was starting to come around to the idea of Ace giving me some genuine help with my current problem.

I got up and fastened the bolt on the door… if something was going to happen here, it was going to happen without any interruptions. As I returned to Ace, I started removing all of the articles of clothing I was wearing, the pegasus paying rapt attention as I rendered myself stark bollock naked in front of him. Although he tried to steal a cheeky lick from my raging boner, I wagged my finger briefly at him in a silent conveying of ‘not yet’.

Moving across to the other side of the bed, which Flame had very kindly arranged as a double bed, I lay down on the soft linen, causing Ace to turn to keep track of me as I continued to grasp the crystal.

“Well… here I am. Do you… want to come over here and play?” I offered, slightly widening my legs.

The pegasus approached me cautiously, and after a moment, he was close enough for me to feel the hot breath from his snout against my bare chest.

In a bit of an unexpected move, he went straight for one of my armpits. I honestly don’t know what he was getting out of that, but if his pulsating erection was anything to go by, he was definitely enjoying my odor.

Taking a step back, he began to eye up his real target; it was most assuredly stiff and utterly ready for him to give it some attention, which came far sooner than I was expecting as he darted quickly to smother my rod with his lips, teasing me playfully as he ran his tongue across its head while he did so. In no time at all, he had fully hilted me, and I could feel hot, shallow breaths against my pubic hair.

Having not been desensitized first, the sensations this time around were so, so much more enjoyable with Ace, his eager tongue-lashing sending shivers up my spine as my free hand gently applied pressure to the back of his head, willing him on as the seal of his lips sent ripples of pleasure back to my brain as he started to slowly ascend and descend my shaft.

“Argh!” I moaned repeatedly, for I couldn't help but give voice to the tender pleasuring the pegasus was bestowing upon me; while he may have lacked experience, he more than compensated for it with ample enthusiasm, his increasing tempo making it clear he wanted what had been denied to him previously.

I wasn’t going to be able to hold out for much longer and I felt the point of no return approaching, but unlike last week, I had no need to force self-control upon myself or Ace, and he was about to receive payment in kind for his help.

“Nearly… there… Grrrrukh!” I half-grunted as I felt my release wash over me, the pegasus receiving a week’s worth of frustration into his mouth that, judging from his continued ministrations, he was happily sending down his throat even as his tongue continued to scoop up any further spurts late to the party.

At the apex of that wave of pleasure crashing into me, I tapped into the crystal still in my grasp, once again finding myself in the now-familiar all-encompassing milky whiteness that seemed to stretch on forever.

The sensations returned, and I once again felt multiple tendrils of force vying for control over me. With my mind now clear of all petty concerns, I focused on one particular application of force, letting that force alone manipulate me within this mental mindscape.

After a while, I could tell that the force was pulling on me with a rhythm, a steady pattern of tugging that seemed to be urging me toward it.

I mentally reorientated myself and attempted to repeat this distillation of focus with another tendril trying to pull me in another direction.

Soon, with enough patience, I once again felt the new force refine itself into the same rhythmic pulse as it also tried to draw me closer.

Mentally breaking my connection to the crystal, I brought myself back to the real world, a curious Ace now standing over me with an intrigued expression. “A-Are you okay, Stuart?” he asked, putting a hoof on my chest.

Nodding, I held the crystal up in front of us. “Thanks to you, I think I've found a way to find more of these. But, that’s a topic for later… I think somepony in the meantime needs some attention…” I said, my eyes drawing themselves to the throbbing erection attached to Ace’s undercarriage as I put the crystal on a side cabinet next to the bed.

With the element of surprise on my side, I tackled Ace from the side, and whumf’d him onto his back, his expression changing into one of mild shock as his underside became fully exposed to me.

The least I could do was pay him back; I reached forward to grasp his twitching shaft, the head rather noticeably gleaming in the light from above due to the copious amount of precum that had already leaked from the tip.

My hand slowly started to pump up and down the fleshy length as Ace let out small, adorable moans, his entire body becoming an instrument that I was finely plucking to my chosen tune.

Unable to resist temptation, I sank my head down to run my tongue across the tip, once again savoring the stallion’s taste as my hand continued its single-minded focus of voiding the contents of his testicles.

With his now-familiar slightly salty musk soaking my tastebuds, I abandoned my sampling of his cock and raised myself slightly to connect our lips once more; our combined tastes mingled together as one while our tongues danced harmoniously together.

After a few moments of frantic and passionate tongue-hockey, our kiss broke as the stallions' breathing quickened. “Almost… almosssst…” he whispered, letting me know that he was about to cum very soon.

The now-familiar twitching of his stallionhood began, the ebony flesh announcing that Mount Pegasus was about to blow imminently and blow hard.

Deciding on the easiest approach, I swiftly dived to envelop his cocktip with my lips, fully prepared for the oncoming tsunami of ejaculate that was about to hit my senses as my other hand gently cupped his scrotum, feeling the stallion's flesh contract in preparation for the onslaught about to crash over him.

Ace’s muscles tensed and he could no longer hold back the wave of pleasure about to overtake him, and he gave a final heaving moan of release as the first spurts of stallion seed sprayed from his shaft’s tip into my waiting mouth.

“Aaah… aaah… grrrrrraaaaahhhhh!” He screamed as truly excessive quantities of pony spunk made their way down my throat while my lips suckled hard on the head, determined to drain the pegasus dry of all he had to give.

Once his ejaculation had died down to a weak dribble, I pulled myself off his receding member and once more pressed my lips to his in yet another intimate showing of affection, only this time with a little gift for him.

As our mouths opened to one another, I passed a wad of Ace's semen into his mouth, using my tongue to spread his taste to every nook and cranny within as my hand caressed his stomach, the white fur feeling warm to my touch as our noses pressed against each other’s during his post-orgasmic bliss.

Eventually, our kiss came to an end as a thin strand of saliva insisted on us remaining together; slowly, I laid myself down on the bed next to him, embracing him in a cuddle from the side, my arms reaching around his back and across his chest to pull myself tightly toward him. For several minutes we lay aside one another as I embraced his body heat. Finally, Ace broke the silence between us.

“So, uh… w-what move was that again?” he asked, no doubt referring to the little gift I’d given him.

“Just something I picked up… did you enjoy it?” I asked, only now realizing that I should probably have been a little more upfront with asking first. The pegasus merely nodded.

“Yeah! It was, um… k-kinda hot…” he stammered, as he turned his head to look at the crystal I’d left on the side. “I wish I could see the message in that thing, it seems really important to you…”

I sighed softly. “This message is just a breadcrumb trail… the messages afterward will be much more valuable. But, to everypony else, what we find on the way will likely be much more useful. That reminds me…” I said as I practically lept off of the bed to start putting my clothes back on.

After very quickly making myself presentable to the outside world (not that I thought they’d particularly care about another naked creature walking around), I took the crystal from the bedside cabinet and beckoned for Ace to follow me as we both descended the stairs, once again coming across the unicorns still neck-deep in cataloging work.

“Remind me to teach you a soundproofing spell, sounds from upstairs can very much be heard down here,” said Stopper as Tricks looked at myself and Ace with a sly grin.

“I didn’t know I had an audience. If you wanted to watch, you could’ve said something…” I jested to the mare who met me with an icy glare. But, before she could protest with a response, I started rummaging through the crystal stash we had, eventually finding two blue crystals similar in their cut appearance to the Mnemosyne Crystal I was already carrying. Taking care to stash the crystals in separate pockets on my person, I also fished out the Tear of the Moon, its regenerative abilities being the key to my next idea.

After taking the time to deduct the items I’d taken from the official inventory roster, I headed out, Ace in tow, to first collect my laptop and then head to Crush’s smithing station to see if he would see me earlier.

Arriving with my laptop already displaying what I needed it to, Crush immediately beckoned us both into his sanctum, and I sat with him at the workstation I’d used earlier to adorn my hands with the fragments of a unicorn’s horn as Ace sat to my side. Setting my backpack down, I laid out the two blue crystals and the Tear of the Moon in front of Crush and then put the laptop to the side with the screen facing the earth pony as it displayed a picture of a pistol.

“Crush, this is the curse of my species,” I began, “We’re capable of seeing an idea and immediately thinking of a violent application for it. Now, I loathe violence, especially when it’s needless or cruel… but I know that the world outside doesn’t have the same qualms about it as I do, so… based on what I’ve read, I think that this idea will be a decent, long-range but ultimately non-lethal weapon for me to use.”

I pointed to the two blue crystals. “The first tome said that blue crystals hold magic strongly linked to illusion and the trickery of reality… and that any raw magic released from them would be the least-lethal of the known crystal colors.”

I then pointed to the Tear of the Moon. “This little gem constantly recharges through a mechanism we don’t understand, and it transfers its stored energy to another crystal upon contact.”

I then arranged the crystals differently, placing the first blue crystal on my left, with the Tear of the Moon beneath it, and then placing the other blue crystal to my right, to the side of the first one.

“According to magical theory, when a crystal is struck by another, the stored energy is released in the inverse direction of the strike. Take a look at the weapon on the screen here.” I directed, as my fingers gestured to the contours of the sleek nine-millimeter instrument of death I’d chosen to illustrate my request. “This is called a ‘handgun’, and it fires small bullets of metal driven by a chemically-explosive reaction in the rear,” I said, resisting the urge to laugh as I pointed my finger further down. “The trigger is here, which causes the firing chamber to be struck by a flat metal surface. That impact causes a gunpowder charge in the bullet to detonate, the power of which forces a metal pellet out at extremely high speed, through the barrel, and towards its target.”

Crush looked at me in a little bit of disbelief. “I didn’t know your species was so… violent.”

I shrugged. “This isn’t even close to the violence my species is capable of. Here’s how I envisaged this working…” I said as I lifted the first crystal on the left. “This should be sanded or filed down at one end so that it’s flat. The second crystal should have a piece cut off the front, pointy on one side with a flat end. The flat end of the first crystal needs to be struck by the flat end of the severed piece of the second, which should cause at least some of the energy stored in the first crystal to be released from the opposite end.”

Crush looked at the image on the laptop before turning to me as he nodded slowly. I exhaled sharply as I then reached over to shut down the laptop to conserve battery power, before putting it back into the backpack. Sitting down once more, I pointed to the smaller gemstone on the table. “This stone needs to be in contact at all times with the first crystal to keep charging it with energy; that’ll serve as this weapon’s ammunition.”

Crush pursed his lips for a moment as he stroked his chin with a hoof. “I’m going to need to draft in everypony I know to lend some expertise, this is going to need some mighty fine craftsmanship to pull off. I was working on a ranged weapon for you, but whatever I thought of making never seemed quite right with your new magic… so, instead, I want you to have something that’s already been made…” he said, reaching down to pull out a long, wooden box that he deposited on the table with a hard thunk before using a hoof to push it toward me.

Understanding the gesture, I grabbed the box to pull it closer, unhooking the clasp on the side and opening the box along its lengthwise edge. Inside the velvet lining was a sword that shined in a shimmering silvery reflection of the light from above, decorated with numerous insignia across both sides of the blade; the hilt jutted out either side, giving this away as a Bastard Sword, but what was most notable about it was the large hole in the hilt that made the whole fitting look like a grip.

“That is a sword formerly used by the Royal Guard of Canterlot,” Crush said, pointing to the bottom of the sword. “The grip you can see in the hilt was designed to make the sword able to be wielded by hoof, or by magic, meaning that unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies alike could use it. It’s strong and lightweight, and I think you’d have no problem swinging it with those hands of yours until I can fix up this weapon request for you.”

With great care, I ran my fingers through the hole, accentuated as it was by a lining of leather; I then stood up to raise the sword into the air to my side, opposite of the side that Ace was sitting, looking curiously up at me as I moved the sword through the air in small, uncertain movements.

As I continued to move the blade, I got a feel for the balanced weight of it against my movements, my mind mentally running through how I might best use it, which was something that I was sure Crush would be keen to help with. I then sat back down again, carefully depositing the sword into its box.

“Crush…” I started, the words struggling to leave my lips. “...I don’t know what I did to deserve the generosity you’ve all shown me, but I promise you… in fact, I make this promise to you both…” I said, looking over at Ace briefly, “... that I will not let this gesture go to waste.” The earth pony smiled and wiped a small tear from his eye in a movement that he did his best to obscure.

“I have every confidence that you’ll use this weapon with honor… or, if it comes to it, with measured and proportional violence. If you ever find the blade on that thing dulling, you can always bring it here for me to sharpen. Here, you’ll also need this…” he said, taking another item from beneath the workstation and hoofing it to me. “You’ll need this sheath to store your weapon while you’re not using it, otherwise it’ll cut you or somepony else by accident, and when you’re far from here, that’s the last thing you want to happen.

I nodded solemnly. “I will treasure this until the day I die. Thank you, Crush… would you mind keeping it here for a bit… and maybe giving it a final sharpening for good luck?”

The green-furred earth pony laughed heartily. “I can do that, sure. Come back when you need it, and it’ll be here waiting for you,” he said with a wink.

Nodding my acceptance, I reached out with a hand in a gesture that Crush had long since become used to, an outstretched hoof now grasped by myself in a brief but firm hand-hoof-shake.

As Ace and I left Crush to resume his other tasks, I headed for the barracks with my backpack once again on my person, Ace following dutifully beside me. “Say, Ace… how good is your orientation for what lies beyond here?” I asked him, wondering if there was an easy way to get my bearings relative to the outside world.

“Uh… I’d probably ask for a second opinion, just in case I’m wrong.” he offered.

“Fine, let’s go ask Scar if she’s available for something,” I said, hoping she was in her usual chair… which she was not; the barracks itself had several other ponies in it, but there was no sign of Scar at all.

As we exited the structure, I looked around for the brown pegasus as the alabaster one to my side did the same, neither of us having any immediate success in locating her.

In the periphery of my vision, I saw something in the sky, a naturally-honed predisposition from a former citizen of a world with aviation. Tapping Ace on his withers, he turned his attention to me as I pointed to the sky.

As the pegasus held a hoof above his eyes to block out some of the excess light from the open skies, a horn sounded in the distance, causing Ace to immediately turn his ears in rapt attention.

“Griffons!” he shouted. “It's another raid!”

Pushing me into the barracks forcefully, he immediately went to suit up, leaving time for me to get some much-needed answers.

“What happens during a raid?” I asked as Ace donned his helmet.

“They attack with explosives dropped from the sky… that tower you helped rebuild? That was destroyed only last year.” He said, selecting a spear from a nearby rack.

“... How close do they have to get to drop a bomb?” I queried, gears in my head turning.

Nearing the door, Ace turned to me. “Uh… pretty close to be sure of hitting a target. Why?” he asked.

I grabbed a spear of my own from the rack, the obsidian tip more than capable of doing what I was intending. “Because I’m about to upset the balance of power around here. If you were a griffon, what target would you pick?” I queried.

The pegasus thought for a moment.

“The tower!” he blurted out, and both of us made a run to the tall structure, my body now regretting the extra weight of my backpack as we huffed and puffed to our intended destination.

“How many casualties have you guys managed to inflict on them during these attacks?” I inquired, fearing the answer.

“None in the last year” Ace replied, in a tone of voice that told me he was bitterly annoyed at that number.

No wonder they’re attacking with impurity, you’re at a massive disadvantage here!

Looking up at the sky, I could see a figure approaching us in the distance as I tried to judge the best potential spot to launch something from as an explosion in the distance forced me to think fast about what I was about to do next.

I judged the ground as being a bad choice for making a stand; instead, I entered the tower and vaulted up the stairs to the second floor, with my spear in hand, practically launching myself up the ladder to the right of the door to my room.

The hatch to the roof opened easily, and I soon found myself on the blue-tiled roof, a flat circle going all around the circumference to enable someone to do what I was about to attempt.

I spied my target, and it became immediately obvious they'd spotted me; their aerial speed increased considerably as I steeled my resolve to give myself the best possible chance of success.

“Levenesis!” I shouted, the spear immediately becoming ensnared in my magical grasp as I waited for the right moment to strike.

I pitied the poor sap, who was unaware of what was about to happen, but I had been put in a desperate situation, and I had no option but to use violence, as regrettable as it was.

Mentally willing the spear to advance, the slender weapon sailed into the sky as a deadly missile, and directly into the flight path of my approaching mark at an extreme speed that I privately estimated to be similar to that of a bullet fired from a gun.

The griffon stood no chance, and by the time they realized what was happening, they were unable to avoid the impact of the blade; a loud shriek then filled the skies as my feathered victim dropped like a stone to the grassy ground below, not far from the entrance to the tower.

In less than a minute, what had previously been a creature soaring through the sky had been reduced to a crumpled heap on the ground in what was a very nasty landing.

The ordinance they'd been carrying had become separated from them, and it too impacted the ground several meters away from the downed combatant, causing a large explosion that scorched the exposed grass caught inside the fireball that, thankfully, was nowhere near either life or property.

Taking no chances, I raced back down to ground level and, after giving Ace a nod, he and I grabbed the feline hindlegs of the injured creature and dragged them into the tower, our unfortunate prisoner being in no fit state to offer any meaningful resistance to their capture.

The two unicorns were understandably shocked to see me and Ace manhandling a griffon across the threshold but they had enough sense to give us enough room to prop them up against a wall.

The spear was lodged in their left side, the obsidian blade having partially sunk into their chest as the griffon’s breathing was getting shallower and shallower; precious time ticked away as every breath of theirs became a battle in its own right for them to conquer.

The griffon started to cough as blood splashed on my jeans, the creature struggling to hold off their appointment with the Grim Reaper as labored gurgling sounds echoed around the room.

Making the call, I rose to my feet fully and steadied myself against the stone floor as I gripped the bloodied spear with both hands.

In a short, sharp application of vertical force, the spear was freed from the griffon, which was then followed by a much worse flow of blood from the wound; I estimated that, if there was no further intervention, they would bleed out… and all over my nice clean floor, too.

If the griffon had been killed by the impact of the spear, that would've been a different story… but this one was still alive, and inaction on my part would condemn them to death.

Murder; to do nothing here is to murder someone. Are you a murderer, Stuart?

I was torn… torn between sending a message to our would-be attackers that they were no longer invincible in the sky, and my innate disgust at being responsible for another being losing their life, even if it was borne out of an act of self-defense.

I silently cursed the heavens above at being made to decide between the two choices, and I opted for the honorable one to alleviate this griffon’s pain; kneeling on the blood-soaked stonework, I put my hand on the griffon’s chest, my fingers being stained red by the blood pumping from the open wound as I prepared to cast the spell.

“Cure!” I shouted into the room as the regenerative magic flowed from my hand into our prisoner, the wound visibly closing before my eyes as the griffon's expression contorted in pain while the spell did its job.

I was then struck by an extremely painful burning sensation across my back as I continued to channel the spell, only ceasing the channeling of the spell when the wound had fully sealed. As my bloodstained hand decoupled from the creature's torso, the burning sensation across my back lessened but did not disappear completely, and I knew that that would be something I'd have to attend to later.

The griffon slowly regained consciousness, and in response, I immediately thrusted the spear in front of their face to make it exceedingly obvious that they were not in control of this situation.

With our captive offering a silent understanding of the reality of their situation, I turned to my pegasus friend. “Ace, take a peek out the door and see if we have any company.”

The private complied and took a brief peek outside before reporting back. “Four of them, about twenty meters from the door.”

With my spear still in hand, I moved towards the door. “Everypony, stay inside; that’s an order.” Ace wasn’t happy about it, but I waved a finger at him before he could even begin to protest. “I’m your superior officer; your safety is mine to safeguard,” I said, addressing all present, before turning to our new prisoner. “You especially should stay put if you want to demonstrate that you have something bigger than a sparrow’s brain in that head of yours.”

Not even waiting for a reply, I barged the door open and made my way outside, the sun’s rays casting my shadow across the ground as I walked out onto the soft grassland. It was eerily silent, and I could see nopony else around; in fact, my only company out here was the four griffons taking up positions not far up ahead.

Coming to a stop about ten meters from them, I sat the wooden shaft of the spear down on the ground with the bloodied obsidian tip pointing toward the sky, giving my quarry ahead the opportunity to size me up, in what I hoped wouldn't turn out to be a misplaced gesture of respect.

Their body was utterly fascinating; the torso and lower body of a lion, with the head, wings and upper body akin to that of a large bird, analogous to an Earth eagle. Their partially-obscured facial feathers and beaks each bore colored markings, and they wore simple, loose-fitting clothing with very obvious straps for ordinance around their chests.

One of them stepped forward, their talons digging into the earth as they approached me, taking up a final position about two meters away from me.

With a no-doubt-practiced ease, they removed their helmet that was adorned with a spike on top, letting their full facial plumage mingle with the soft breeze flowing through our stand-off.

Let’s start as we mean to continue, eh Stuart?

I locked eyes with the griffon before me. “My name is Stuart Robinson, and I am the one responsible for gravely wounding your colleague.” I started, shifting my weight slightly to favor my right side as I continued to hold the spear to my left, going next for the obvious question.

“Who are you, and why are you attacking this settlement?” I proceeded to ask with a calm and measured restraint to my tone of voice.

“My name ist Stormborn Titanus, captain of ze eighty-sixth aerial assault squadron, and you ask a curious qvestion indeed,” the male voice began. “In vawr, vone attacks vone’s enemies, do zhey not?” he countered, his vocal inflections carrying an accent not too dissimilar to what I would expect from a German.

If there's a war still going on here, I need to know more…

“I know nothing of what these ponies have done that could possibly justify what you have done here today,” I said, trying to bait out of them a justification for attacking this place as I resisted both the urge to wince at my sore back repeating its insistence to be seen to and the urge to collapse onto the ground in a giggling fit, a product of my juvenile sense of humor at hearing the griffon's name.

The griffon audibly sighed and rolled his eyes. “Not zhat zhat matters; ve did what ve came here to do, and zhat was to make sure zhat you can never attack us again!” he practically squawked at me while pointing at me with one of his talons.

Now I was curious. “Who attacked you… and when, for that matter?” I attempted to press.

The griffon in front of me waved a claw dismissively at me. “Some air balloons flew over ze Griffon Kingdom decades ago, coming from Eqvestria’s direction. Zhey unloaded zheir cargo from above our capital city, a number of mana bombs zhat inflicted severe casualties on its population, killing adults und cubs alike. As per our doctrine, ve've been launching retaliatory strikes ever since on vhatever pony encampments ve can find.”

“Look around you, Stormborn Titanus… does it look like this kingdom has a functional government anymore?” I said, gesturing with my hands to the settlement around us. “You’re waging a war against something that no longer exists! I doubt that the ones who attacked you are even still around!” I reasoned in an exasperated tone.

The griffon’s beak glistened in the sunlight from above as his expression switched to a forlorn one. “... Ve vere just protecting ourselves. If you give us back our comrade, ve vill leave and-”

I stopped him by raising a pointed finger. “I offer you a counter-proposal, Captain: I will return your colleague to you, and in exchange, your squadron will accept our hospitality.”

Captain Titanus was a little taken aback by the suggestion. “... How can ve be sure zhat ve vill be safe here?” he asked, and not unreasonably in my opinion.

I didn’t move, but still I gave the order. “Ace! Get your flank out here and bring the prisoner!” I shouted.

After a few moments, the door opened behind me, but I chose to keep looking forward until both the pegasus and the injured griffon were beside me. Nodding to Ace, he gave our now former prisoner an encouraging push with a hoof, and she slowly made her way across the de facto divide to rejoin her squadron.

I lowered the spear and provided it to the pegasus, who out of instinct wielded it as normal, keeping it pointed at our new guests until I nudged it with a foot, causing Ace to realize his faux pas and correct it as he put the spear down onto the ground while I crossed my arms.

“I've demonstrated today that you no longer have air superiority over the skies here.” I said as I stared at the Captain. “I could have let her die back there, but I chose not to let that happen. I could kill you right now, in fact, but I choose not to do that. You have my word that no harm will come to you here.”

Taking a few steps forward, I kneeled in front of the griffon, and extended my right arm.

In a surprising olive branch given the carnage raining from the skies not minutes earlier, he outstretched his right claw, and our limbs met in a cordial but firm hand-claw-shake.

Sharing a nod of understanding with our new guest, I got up and then turned to Ace. “Go find Scar and Flame; tell them that we have some guests to cater to this evening.”

Ace nodded after a brief hesitation, and he then sped off into the distance as our new guests reconvened in private for a hushed yet verbally passionate confab over their new situation.

Guess who’s coming to dinner?

Chapter 06 - A Path Decided

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Chapter 07 - Onward We March

ACT III

“Fire!”

A momentary flash of magic from my hand caused the small campfire to blaze as night began to descend around us. The past week of preparation had been grueling, and after having finally departed for the west coast, this was our first night under the stars, away from the relative safety of the settlement.

Everypony's mood had brightened during the past week; I'd even seen Stopper wearing the occasional smile when she thought nopony was watching. Crush, meanwhile, had been unable to finish my weapon request, so it had been left in the trusty hooves of his apprentices and assistants to finish while we undertook our journey.

Ace took to his new position as a scout with gusto, and he'd already been extremely helpful with helping us avoid some potential hazards, like a shallow, flooded cave system and a rather nasty outcropping that a manicure was suspected of hiding in.

Hearing Tricks explain what a manticore was put me in no mood to tangle with one even with my new sword in hand, and we gave the area a wide berth to be safe.

After conducting a cursory scout of our temporary camp’s perimeter, I joined the others as they huddled around the smoldering blaze, sheathing my sword before kneeling with them.

“Have you named your sword yet, Stuart?” Asked Crush, his minty-green coat tainted with brown smudges from our trip to date.

Stopper snorted. “You name your sword?” She asked incredulously.

“Lots of ponies name their sword!” he countered.

“Lots of ponuts.” She spat as Crush turned his attention back to me, expecting an answer.

“Well, uh… I haven’t really given it much thought,” I lied, “How about I call it… ‘Oathkeeper’?”

Nods of approval abounded from almost all gathered, and soon my thoughts wandered to a well-trodden tradition from Earth. “So, as is customary where I come from, let's kick things off with a story or two. Only fair that I start…”

I ran through the multiple options I had available, and the best part? It was all new to these guys!

… or, rather, that was my plan, until Ace spoke up. “Can you tell us more about your world? It feels like all we've been doing is telling you about ours… I'd like to know more about where you’ve come from.”

I took a sip from a water pouch stashed at my side. “That’s a… complicated ask. Well, let’s start with the obvious: Humans are a form of what we call a primate; we’re bipedal in that we walk on two legs, and we have hands with opposable thumbs that have allowed us to develop and use tools. Our recorded history dates as far back as twelve thousand years with varying levels of accuracy, and our planet has many, many nation-states, each with its own distinct culture, history, and identity.”

“Tell us about your culture!” Implored Flame, as they all sat with rapt attention toward me.

“I’ll tell you about my culture, but I need to preface this with something,” I cautioned. “Due to my education and upbringing, I’m going to be a little bit biased in what I describe, in the same way that Alex would no doubt be biased towards his culture in certain respects; tribalism isn’t trivially solved, much like I suspect the case was here, on your world.”

“You two are from different cultures?” asked Crush, who was taking a swig from his own water pouch.

“Yes. I’m from a nation called the United Kingdom… or if you want to be formal, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.” I clarified with great enthusiasm. “Fancy, huh? Lots of history behind that name. Alex, however, is from a nation called Spain, itself referred to formally as the Kingdom of Spain, which lies to the south of mine across the sea.” I said, doing my best to use my hands to point out relative positions, which I’m sure was no help whatsoever. ”Our ancestors were historically enemies, and battles were won and lost between our nations on several occasions. In modern times, our respective governments are allies, but there’s still some lingering resentment between our two cultures over a few issues.”

“What other kinds of battles has your nation fought?” asked Stopper, who was predictably going for the military dimension.

“Many,” I stated, bluntly. “Way more than I could list here without some help, certainly. However, if I were to list my country’s most impactful conflicts, then I have to mention the two global wars that we fought in.”

“Two of them?!” Exclaimed Tricks, “They sound… violent.”

“One of the hardest things to come to terms with… for me, anyway, is my species' abundant talent for warfare and violence. But, that paints an unfair picture…” I said, stoking the fire with a branch. “I will openly admit that my species is capable of violence and sadism that makes us look like monsters, but that’s balanced by the kindness and compassion shown by the decent people of my world, in such acts that'd make your heart weep with joy. Overall, I think you’ll find-”

Rawwwwwwwwwwwwwr!

Never before have I ever risen to my feet so fast as my hand reflexively unsheathed Oathkeeper, all of us turning our attention to where that roar originated from. Not seeing much of interest, I grabbed a smoldering log from the fire with my magic and swung it loosely in the direction of where I thought I heard the disturbance.

The light wasn’t great, but the creature’s unmistakably angry features were rendered visible through the soft light of my temporary torch with nearly everypony taking up positions beside me as we collectively faced down our new adversary. “Manticore!” shouted Stopper, her hoofblade now fully extended and prepared to inflict severe physical harm if necessary.

Tricks was nowhere to be seen, but I trusted him to do something of worth from the shadows. Ace, on the other hoof, was joining me in our emergency defensive line as Crush and Flame hung back a bit.

Me? I was getting just a little bit pissed off.

“Uh, Stopper… tactics?” I asked with a very noticeable air of concern as the beast started pacing back and forth, the sight of our weapons seeming to have an effect in staying its immediate instinct to run us through like we were tissue paper.

“Go for the legs. If it can’t run or walk, it’s not a threat,” she said, matter-of-factly.

The creature continued to roam back and forth, and our time was fast running out to find a solution. “What I wouldn’t give to have Dr. Doolittle with us right now.”

“Who?” Ace questioned without turning his gaze away from our target.

“Later, Private! Do you reckon you can distract it without getting hurt?” I asked.

“Yeah, just watch me!” he shouted as he immediately sped into the distance towards his mark, dirt and twigs being kicked up from his sudden burst of speed as the pegasus corralled the enraged target into following him. The manticore was quick, but Ace was quicker, and the pegasus used his natural affinity for speed to his advantage while keeping within range of the light from the campsite as he drew our adversary away from us. Nodding to Stopper, we waited for the manticore to once again fall within our line of sight.

The manticore repeatedly lost its footing, further giving Ace the advantage; the creature kept looking around to see what new threat was present but found nothing in the darkness.

Without even needing to look at each other, we each noticed the appropriate visual cue, both of us now running as fast as possible toward the creature, Stopper’s four legs giving her a natural speed advantage as we attempted to outflank our target for an incoming pincer attack.

Putting every ancillary thought out of my head, I closed on my target, doing my best to track the creature’s left leg against the moonlight from above as my body complained about being given a proper workout. Fear threatened to creep back into my mind as I gripped the hilt of Oathkeeper hard, my target nearing as my legs continued to give chase to the rampaging entity.

Fanning out slightly, we both then darted directly into the sides of the manticore; Stopper was the first to make contact as she landed a direct hit with her blade, extending it with a single precise motion that was visible against the backdrop of the night’s illumination.

With the creature’s attention now fully occupied with its new wound, I inflicted my own; Oathkeeper pierced its hide with ease, and my follow-up motion jerked the blade upwards on its trajectory out of the damaged flesh. Both Stopper and I continued to run as the manticore fell harshly to the ground with howls of agony; we took that as our collective cue to double back to confront the injured creature, with myself taking a momentary pause to catch my breath.

As we approached the struggling beast, Ace circled back around, and all three of us were soon within smelling distance of our quarry, the creature’s musky odor wafting through the chill of the night air as we approached; its flailing started to decrease, and the beast’s snarling impetuousness soon gave way to timid whimperings as we slowly reached striking range. The manticore was in no position to offer a threat at this point, but all of us knew what needed to happen.

Remember: You are their leader. Their safety is your priority. You must do what needs to be done.

Before I lost my nerve, I swung my bastard sword and put a deep gouge in the creature’s neck, causing a healthy amount of blood to spurt out as the creature quickly began to bleed out.

Within a matter of moments, all signs of life had faded; on autopilot, I walked back to the campfire, still clutching my blade and not even acknowledging the two ponies accompanying me back, with Tricks joining us once we were close enough to be warmed by the heat of the smoldering fire. It took some time before I even registered that the hilt of the sword was still in my fist's embrace, slowly sheathing the bloodstained blade once I realized, my head avoiding looking at the group as I sat down cross-legged on the grass.

“Is this… what I have to really look forward to here?” I asked rhetorically to nopony in particular.

Flame moved closer and put a hoof on my knee. “If Scar was here, she’d say you made the right decision; you encountered a violent, dangerous animal, and you did what you had to do to protect us.”

“You need to be comfortable with killing,” Stopper remarked. “It's either us, or them, and you know what the only right answer is there.”

“You don't want me to be comfortable with killing,” I responded. “I've seen humans that are, and they're not people you need in a world like this. You need people that can add to your world, not excel at taking things away from it.”

I got up and regarded the ponies present with a tired expression. “I'm turning in early; take turns being on watch and wake me for the last shift,” I instructed before walking over to one of the two animal hide tents that we'd brought with us, sheepishly making my way inside.

The inside was spartan; four sleeping bags plus pillows and bags for myself and the three stallions. Unbuckling my belt, I lay my sheathed sword to the side and set about wriggling into the linen sleeping bag, turning over to the side in my favored sleeping position. Using my jacket for additional protection, I draped it over me and closed my eyes as my head hit the pillow.

As I buried my face in the pillow, I began to sob as I contemplated what I’d just become.

A killer.

—

Perspective: Aerial Ace

I watched as Stuart went to our tent, all of our eyes upon him as he slinked into the dwelling, before we all looked at each other, not sure how to digest what had just happened.

I wanted to go after him, but I knew that that would've been a mistake; I remember the first life I took, and even now I still think of her… even if she had been trying to kill me. I didn’t want to talk to anypony, and I guessed he was going to be feeling the same.

The purple mare sitting to my side spoke up first. “At least we made it out of that one intact. The first time I went up against a manticore I wasn't so lucky…” she said, pointing a hoof at her eye to show off a scar reaching all the way down her cheek. “The beast got a lucky swipe in, and I was lucky to still see out of this eye. That was the only luck it got in that fight.”

Stopper continued to look at me, and leaned in. “You like him, don’t you?” she whispered to me, causing my cheeks to utterly burn when she uttered those words. “C’mon, follow me,” she said, rising to her hooves as she sauntered over to the tent we’d earmarked for the mares. As she stepped inside, I followed suit, and we both sat down across from each other, my hoof reflexively touching my goatee’s hair as I sat in silence.

“How long?” she asked, with that knack she had for cutting through everything irrelevant. I was starting to see why Stuart treated her the way he did.

“Since w-we, um… got c-close…” I stuttered, struggling to form words. I didn’t know what I was feeling, but something made me want to march into that tent and just give him a cuddle… but, he wanted us both to not do that stuff while we were out here… and that hurt.

“You more than like him… don’t you?” she pressed, and I weakly nodded in the only response I was capable of, my eyes now streaming with tears as they rolled down my cheeks. To my surprise… She got up and gave me a hug; I didn’t know what to do, but all I could do was bury my face into her chest as I continued to cry.

I don’t know how long she stood there, but the waterworks soon stopped, after which she sat down beside me.

“If you tell him that I hugged you, it won't be pleasant for you,” she said with a sly grin, enough for me to nod my head to accept her terms… even if I suspected she was joking.

“Have you ever had… feelings for somepony else?” I asked.

The unicorn shrugged her shoulders. “I don't get to enjoy things like that.”

“That's not what I asked.” I pointedly stated back.

“If you must know… no, I haven't.” She confirmed. “I've had my brain rutted out of my skull, sure, but love was never a part of that. I’ve honestly given up on finding it, but you shouldn’t.”

I nodded. “Ever since we… you know… all I've wanted is to be close to him. It hurts when I'm not by his side, y'know?” I asked, desperately seeking affirmation.

“Not really,” she replied. “But, I can imagine. Regardless, he needs to know about this, and you know that he needs to know.”

“Not now…” I said, resigned to the fact that it couldn't happen. “When we all get back to the settlement. That's when I'll tell him. I'll sit him down, and then I’ll make a complete fool of myself, after which he'll probably reject me.”

“You don’t know that.” She shot back. “He’s not the tough guy that he wants others to think he is. If you opened up to him and offered to share his life with him, I think that’d make him really happy.”

“What gives me that right?” I asked. “He's equally close to Flame; buck, she might even be carrying his foal. What right do I have to intrude on that?”

“Because happiness sometimes requires selfishness,” she explained. “You have to be prepared to fight for what you want.”

“Maybe,” I conceded. “I don't know what to do about Stuart back there, though.”

“He's not a soldier,” she observed. “This is probably all new to him. Leave him to me; if he needs it, I'll kick some sense into him.”

I grinned. “You like him too, don't you?”

“Ace…” she cautioned, “If anypony else had just said that, I'd have smacked them. I'm many things, but one thing I'm not is attracted to that hairless human. Now, let's head back outside, before the others start gossiping.”

We slowly made our way back to the campfire, the others eying us up as we once again got comfortable around the fire.

“Well, we have another long day ahead of us tomorrow,” began Crush, “So I think it's best we all get some sleep. Who wants to take the first watch?”

“I will,” I said, “You folks rest up; Peach, I'll wake you up in about an hour; Tricks, Crush, and Stopper, you take the next watches in that order.”

Everypony nodded in unison, and everypony but me retired for some sleep.

—

Perspective: Show Stopper

Prod.

Prod.

I interrupted the sleep of our resident human by jamming my hoof into his side; I knew it'd worked when he sharply inhaled, his head turning automatically to find the one who'd awoken him.

“Oh, it's just you, Stopper.” He said, wiping his eyes. “I guess it's my turn, huh?”

I nodded, and we both emerged from the tent, careful not to disturb the stallions who were by some miracle still sound asleep.

The fire had mostly died, but the sky was a lighter shade of blue and the full dawn would soon arrive to give us ample light.

“How're you feeling?” I asked him.

“... I don't want to talk about it,” he replied, shutting me down.

Oh, we were going to talk about it until I was sure he’d got the message.

“Follow me,” I said as I took us to a large tree, about twenty minutes behind our campsite, our journey conducted in complete silence. I was done with this charade, and I didn’t want anypony to overhear it.

Once we reached our destination, we each took up positions opposite the other. “We have a problem,” I began. “Our commander helped kill something last night, and now he's having a personal crisis over it. He's not talking to his squad about it, and he's putting on a brave face, but inside, he's far from okay. How am I doing?”

He'd sat me down and got me to share my personal thoughts, and by Faust, I was going to make him take his own advice.

“You don't understand!” He shouted at me, his arms extended.

I stepped back. “I don't understand? Have you already forgotten about how I told you I slaughtered zebras because they killed my father!? How dare you trivialize that!”

I might've been over-dramatizing a bit, but he needed that splash of cold water.

“...You're right, you did tell me that.” He said after a brief pause. “I'm sorry. I didn’t mean to downplay what happened to you, it's just…”

I waved a hoof before pointing it at him. “I don't know what kind of world you've come from, but if you're still holding onto hope that your sense of honor is going to survive being here, you need to march right back to Scar and tell her that you're unfit for command.”

He put those hands of his on his hips. “You think I need to be more like you?”

“What you need to do is to stow away that good part of you for now. You're responsible for us, and that means being comfortable and prepared to take lives to protect ours, just as we have to do for you.”

Stuart paced around the tree for a moment, before stopping to look at me. “I'm not sure how to do that and honor the pact I made.”

I remembered. When he destroyed that gemstone, he spoke of his promise to not inflict pain or suffering for any reason.

“What do you think he would want?” I challenged. “For you to honor it and be dead, or forsake it and remain alive?”

We both knew the answer. “He'd rather I live… as I would wish for him if our roles were reversed.”

“There you go, then.” I reinforced, “You do have good ideas, you know; that thing you did with the griffons was a masterstroke. Me? I would’ve killed all of them and displayed their heads on spikes as a warning.”

“You think about violence a lot, don’t you?” He asked.

“I don't just think about violence… but I can't deny it's been effective for me. You need to not beat yourself up over needing to inflict it occasionally.”

The human briefly looked back in the direction of the camp. “Fine, I get what you’re saying. Let’s head back to the camp; I’ll go on watch and you can get some more shut-eye.”

—

Perspective: Corporal Stuart Robinson

Stopper had given me a lot to think about, and it consumed my thoughts for the rest of my watch. As soon as everypony else was awake, we all packed up our gear, and soon we were all ready to depart. It was then that my eyes caught sight of an incoming storm cloud moving in, although it seemed to be far larger vertically than any cloud I ever remembered seeing.

“Hey, guys… that’s quite the raincloud, isn’t it?” I queried, pointing up to it.

Ace took a few steps forward, looking into the sky before turning to me. “That’s… Cloudsdale,” he said solemnly.

“Clousdale? What’s that?” I asked.

“It’s the old pegasi capital city. A floating city in the clouds, cloudcrete as far as the eye could see. When we lost our ability to fly, it couldn’t be maintained, so it turned into a violent storm cell.” he lamented.

Flame spoke up next. “I think it may be responsible for some of the unpredictable weather lately. It floats across the continent, and bad weather always follows it.”

“It seems like it would be difficult, if not impossible, to re-establish control over it if the pegasi can’t fly. Maybe in the future when you can fly, it can be re-claimed.” I suggested.

Ace nodded and we departed, making sure to give the storm a wide berth as we continued on our journey. After a few hours of travel, we encountered a double railroad track, heavily overgrown with vegetation.

“There used to be a railroad system that spanned Equestria,” explained Crush. “It connected the east and west coasts to everything else. These battered tracks are probably all that’s left of it.”

I fished out my phone from my pocket, once again finding the compass application. As the phone picked up the planet’s magnetic field, and after properly positioning myself, the electronic display finally indicated which direction was west, with the tracks loosely following in the same direction.

“If we follow the tracks, it should eventually lead us to the coast; from there we can probably get our bearings on where to go next,” I advised.

The group nodded in unison, and together we followed the railroad track as it led into the distance. We still traveled in our usual formation, but more tightly packed together as a side-effect of following a path.

After an hour or so of continuous walking with barely any change of scenery, I heard a whistle from up ahead. As per our practiced routine, I too blew my whistle and continued my walk to meet up with the group’s center, Crush following to my right a little bit of distance away. Once everypony was assembled, we began our debriefing.

“Who blew the whistle first and what did you find?” I asked.

Ace raised a hoof. “I did. It looks like there’s an old abandoned railroad depot just a bit up ahead, both of the tracks branch off into it. I think it’s worth checking out,” he advised.

“Fine, lead the way,” I said, agreeing with the proposal, and we immediately followed Ace as he led us further up the tracks. Just as Ace had mentioned, both sets of tracks branched off to the left into a depot of sorts, the rusty iron gates at the entrance not even offering resistance when pushed open.

Walking inside, it felt like being back at home, the area having a clear industrial feel to it with numerous piles of scrap metal in every direction. In the distance were a number of maintenance bays, the two tracks each splitting into a further four on either side as we approached them. I looked around, and felt nothing but sadness at the decrepit state of the facilities; several steam engines were present, but they’d be useless without sources of fuel or water. Looking to my right, I was now intensely interested in something else, striding faster to reach one of the sheltered maintenance bays while also taking note of the switches between the tracks.

As I walked in, my suspicions were correct, and I eyed up the primitive handcar (or ‘hoofcar’ as they’d probably call it here) still present on the tracks; it was about seven meters long, a good meter and a half wide, and had raised ironwork around the sides, probably to prevent goods from falling off. It’d suffered some wear, quite understandably, but was in very good condition, all things considered. As I walked around the contraption, I took note of the see-saw handle on the top of it; gingerly climbing onto the wooden decking after navigating its metal shell, I examined the mechanism. The bars on either end were tarnished from years of oxidation, but there were two polished sections, one on either side of each bar that indicated past and possibly even recent usage. The mechanism itself was responsive and showed signs of recent lubrication, cementing my assertion that others had been here fairly recently. There was also a lever sticking out of the floor that I hoped controlled the brakes on this thing.

“I think we can use this to cover some distance. Crush, how do you feel about giving me a hoof with this?” I asked.

The earth pony nodded and leaped onto the wooden decking alongside me, easily clearing the ironwork. “Just say the word!” he beamed.

I walked around to one side of the bars while Crush followed suit on the other side as I placed my hands on the shining rod of metal on my side. “If this works like the ones on my world do, we can propel this thing by putting pressure on either side to push down the bar. For now, let’s gently ease this thing nearer the switch outside.”

I gently pushed down on the bar and the hoofcar moved forward. Once I gave the signal, Crush pushed down on his bar, and the vehicle inched forward once again. After a few more repetitions of this, the car had been maneuvered out of its shelter and was now positioned before the first switch point. I pointed at the lever on the ground I could see was controlling it. “Ace, can you push that lever for me?” I asked.

Saluting, the pegasus did as he was instructed, and the metal lever clicked over the switch to its alternate position. After some more motions from myself and Crush, the hoofcar was now on the right track (so to speak), and I could see up ahead that the final switch was already in the correct position. After a short while, we’d positioned the vehicle on the set of tracks that would take us on our intended course, but a lot faster than walking.

I wasn’t sure if the lubrication on this thing was going to hold, and I wondered what else this depot held… but I didn’t have time to consider that as I spotted a few ponies making themselves known at the entrance gates.

My fight or flight response kicked in, and rather than risk a skirmish, I opted for a quick and hasty exit. “Guys… hop on!” I commanded, every other pony clambering or jumping onto the carriage as ordered. I then turned to Crush.

“Start pumping!” I ordered, and we unsteadily started the long process of getting the car to its top speed, the whole thing creaking and complaining as we put it through its paces; we had two hundred meters or so of ground before we got to the entrance, and I was intent on making out like a bandit.

A cursory glance ahead told me that the others weren’t quite as keen on that idea as I was, as they lined up on both sides of the track while we approached, weapons ready and clearly intent on a ranged assault.

Less than fifty meters away, I spotted a pony refusing to leave the track, the grey-furred pegasus absolutely intending to bar our path. Glancing at the ponies still on either side of the track, I decided to employ every defense I could muster, raising a hand while keeping the other on the mechanism, pushing it down with all the force I could muster as I began channeling my intended spell.

“Wall!”

A large spherical shimmering azure aura descended around us all as our speed increased, and soon we were within point-blank range of the pegasus on the tracks, her white vest flapping in the breeze as she continued to refuse to yield.

A myriad of objects then struck the shield from the ponies on either side, and I could feel each one; every impact sent a small wave of shock through me, but still, my shield held as we hurtled through the rain of weaponry.

Leaping at the last moment, the female pegasus was now standing in front of us, fire in her eyes.

“You’re not taking this out of my junkyard!” she barked, clearly extremely annoyed at our trespass. However, I was beyond caring at this stage; I looked at Stopper, and with a brief nod between us, I stopped casting my spell. The unicorn then stepped between us and our stowaway as we thundered out of the entrance and along the tracks to our left, Crush and I keeping up the rhythm to maintain our speed.

Coming right at Stopper, the pegasus made the foolish move of going for her midsection, but after Stopper easily repositioned herself, nothing could save our apoplectic stowaway from Stopper’s next move, a quick and brutal buck to their side with her hind legs, causing them to be ejected from our vehicle and onto the grassland to the side; I was concerned for their wellbeing, but I dismissed thoughts of that out of sheer practicality.

I’m not disagreeing with your methods this time, Stopper.

With the threat dispatched, Crush and I continued to pump the mechanism, further increasing our speed as we raced along the track. Ace had taken up a position at the fore of the hoofcar, watching out for anything of interest while we sped along, while Stopper had retreated to the rear, keeping an eye out for any threats to our aft. Looking back, I could see in the distance that we had some pursuit, but I was confident we’d lose them owing to our much faster method of transport. Flame and Tricks, meanwhile, had taken up crouching positions near myself and Crush; not having an outright affinity for combat, they'd been forced to take cover until the threat had subsided, both of them only now getting back to their hooves to watch the landscapes either side of us zoom past.

With our pursuit soon nothing more than pinpricks in the distance, I felt a little more comfortable as we continued hurtling along, mountain ranges passing on either side of us as Crush and I maintained our speed along the overgrown tracks. The condition of the track initially concerned me, but on reflection, if whoever was back there was still using equipment like this, it would behoove them to have scouted the rail tracks first, so I concluded that we were in little danger of derailing.

Eventually, fatigue started to make itself known in my body, in contrast to Crush, who showed no sign of even slowing down, let alone stopping.

“I need to rest, can I have a volunteer?!” I shouted, my voice having to be raised over the turbulent air.

“Step aside!” Stopper bellowed in response, taking up my position on the mechanism. With nary a glance shared between her and Crush, they started a concerted effort together and before long had us going even faster than before, our car now traveling at breakneck speed down the track.

A small town passed us to our left, but seeing no obvious way to safely disembark, I made a mental note to check it out later. Soon after, another larger town came into view, complete with a picturesque coastline and ruined buildings dotting it as the expanse of the nearby bay came into view. After a short while, the coastline receded from view, replaced by rolling hills, and I started concluding we'd probably need to get to the railroad terminus to get off this thing without leaving an obstacle on the tracks.

In the distance, a series of urban conurbations started coming into view as the sun’s rays started dipping, twilight nearly upon us. After we’d gotten much closer, Stopper pointed at the rapidly expanding vista.

“Vanhoover!” She shouted to us all; feeling a massive sense of relief as we hit our intended destination, I looked ahead to the distance and could see what looked like a very similar depot to the one we left behind earlier. Only, we weren't headed for that… we were headed for a siding with a buffer at the end!

Taking off my backpack, I got myself mentally ready. “Brace!” I ordered as I pulled the lever to slam on the brakes to slow us down as we careered down the track toward the apparent terminus.

The lever came off in my hands, which is something that I wasn’t expecting at all. Thinking on my feet, I gave the only instruction I could.

“Abandon the car!” I screamed, swallowing my fear and taking a leap onto the grass after throwing the backpack first; my tumble was far from graceful, and I rolled for a good while before coming to a complete stop. Shortly after, a loud CRASH could be heard as the car collided with the buffer at the other end of the track. Weakly rolling myself over, I had one concern, and one concern only.

“Everypony alright?!” I shouted desperately into the air, unsure as to whether or not anypony had been hurt as I looked up into the darkening sky.

“Fine here!” came a feminine voice that could only have come from Stopper, because of course, she would be fine.

“I-I’m okay!” came another voice, this one being attached to Flame, what sounded like a fair distance away.

“Crush reporting!” came the masculine voice of Crush, who sounded much nearer.

“I’m o-okay!” stammered Tricks; his voice was the closest so far, and I was met with his shaken appearance when I got up and looked around.

I grew agitated as one voice was yet to join the chorus of ponies in alerting me that they were okay. I got to my feet, dusting myself off and taking a concerned look around. Ace was nowhere in sight, and I felt a surge of panic run through my spine; running towards the impact site, I took a look ahead and noticed something just a little bit further up the tracks. It didn’t take long for me to recognize it as Ace.

Now sprinting over to him, I could see that he was lying on his side, muzzle facing away from the car, probably thrown from it after he didn’t move quickly enough. Within seconds, I was right by his side, thanking the stars above that he was still breathing.

I put a hand to his side; his breathing was elevated, but regular, his body weakly stirring at my touch.

“It… it hurts…” he complained as my hand ran over his barrel. Looking over him, I found no obvious signs of injury to his limbs and decided to act. It was going to hurt like fuck, but I was the furthest thing from caring at that point.

“Cure!” I practically screamed into the air, the surge of magic causing my back to bathe in pain as a river of red-hot agony surged across it. Looking down, tell-tale tendrils of green life energy flowed from my hand into the injured pegasus.

As the pain in my back partially subsided, Ace sharply inhaled and rose on his hooves, standing unsteady for a moment as he looked over himself.

“Thanks! Um, sorry about that, I kinda misjudged the impact point…” he said, pawing at the ground nervously.

I sighed and patted the pegasus, running my fingers through his mane. “Remind me to add that to our training regimen…” I said, trailing off as I spotted a number of ponies approaching us.

“Form up!” I shouted, and within seconds everypony was at my side, ready to meet the oncoming herd. These ponies were coming from the direction of Manehattan, so they weren't the ones we'd appropriated the car from, but they'd no doubt been alerted by its rather sudden crash. At the head of the pack was an earth pony stallion, taller than Tricks but a nose shy of Crush; mellow brown in color with a dark brown mane and tail, his mustache and almost cowboy-esque hat blew gently with the breeze in the air as he slowed and approached us, flanked on either side by an entourage, a collection of ponies armed and willing.

“Who the fuck are you?!” He bellowed at us, and I was a little bit taken aback.

“... What did you just say?” I asked after a brief pause, my eyes meeting his teal-ringed irises as we squared off.

“I said, ‘Who are you’, and where the-” was all he got out before I pointed a finger at him.

“Nonononono! That's not what you said!” I corrected with as much passion as I could muster at hearing some actual profanity for once. “You said fuck. Now, I've been living with these fucking ponies,” I continued, stretching out my arms briefly, “For about a month or so. And in all that fucking time, they've never fucking sworn like you just fucking did. So, I ask you: where the fuck did you learn to curse like a human?”

The stallion took a step back before addressing me. “I-It's been passed down to us by our forebears! They said a strange creature once came to our world, one that walked on two legs rather than four, an alien that became a Prince of the Realm. Now that I think about it, actually… you fit his description. Have you returned as you told my ancestors you would?” He asked, eyes momentarily lit up with a flicker of wonder.

I shook my head. “No… I'm not Alex. But, on my world, he was my friend. In fact, our mission relates to him, in a way.”

The stallion looked to his left, and then to his right. “Stand down!” He commanded, the ponies behind him lowering their spears and slings, the stallion turning forward to address me once more, momentarily removing his hat and bowing. “Name's Golden Sunshine, an adventurer around these parts of no small renown, I assure you. My crew behind me…” he continued, moving between them, “First up, Moon Burst,” he introduced, who was a blue-furred pegasus with a mane and tail of red and gray and eyes of deep green with a hint of red, kitted out with a scarf and spear, a dour expression on his muzzle as he indulged his superior.

The earth pony moved along. “This is his brother, Moon Guard,” he continued, who also had a blue mane, but in contrast to his brother, Moon Guard had a mane and tail of solid white with vibrant orchid eyes, armed with only a small, round shield that reflected the sunlight as it dipped in the sky, destined to eventually cloak us all in a veil of twilight.

Golden Sunshine kept moving along, “This is Ice Wisp, who is rather unusually, an ice-aspected kirin,” he said, planting a hoof on the dark-green scaled back of the green-furred stallion, his lime-green-and-white mane and tail shimmering in the wind as his crimson eyes regarded us all with a guarded expression from behind an elaborate horn of multiple red hues.

I'd never seen a kirin before, and I had to confess that this one was rather striking; his tail flowed out from behind him, thin and with a long tuft of hair at the end, while his horn stood proud on his head, a path of dark-green scales leading from its base to his snout.

“I thought all kirin were fire-aspected?” Stopper questioned the stallion.

“Why do you think I’m here, pony?” he said, with no small amount of disdain in his voice; whether it was at us or his situation was unclear.

“Err, moving swiftly on…” the earth pony said, moving along as he intended. “This here is Genesis Frost,” he went on, introducing an alabaster unicorn with solid crimson eyes, mane, and tail, equipped with a spear in hoof and with a dagger very visible at her side.

“And this here filly is Apogee, our latest recruit,” he said, his hoof gesturing down a yellow-furred pegasus with cute freckles with a three-tone green mane and tail, her crimson eyes sizing up all of us before turning to Golden Sunshine. “I'm not a filly, I'm a young mare!” She protested, turning her nose up and closing her eyes.

“This is all that’s left of our little band of travelers,” the earth pony continued. “As for you, good sir… As far as I’m concerned, any friend of Alex's is a friend of ours, too. What’re your names and what brings all of you out here?” He queried.

I smiled, happy to have established a rapport. “My name is Stuart Robinson, Corporal Stuart Robinson if we’re being formal. My humble crew is,“ I said, gesturing from right to left, “Crushing Shield, Flaming Peach, Aerial Ace, Show Stopper, and Tricky Canvas. Our mission involves these…” I said, taking the Mnemosyne Crystal out of my pocket and holding it up to him. “See this? Alex recorded some of his memories in them, and these crystals seem to be scattered across the world. I'm tracking them down to find out what he's hidden, to honor his memory… and maybe for me to find some peace as I learn what he did here.” I said, confirming my intentions as best I could.

The stallion nodded solemnly, digesting my words. “I'd offer you some hospitality, but we're in the process of packing up our gear to return to Las Pegasus… or what's left of it, anyway…” he said, trailing off for a moment. “We were on an expedition not far north of here. There's a tomb hidden in the base of the Crystal Mountains, of a unicorn of no small importance; it's been said that there's a powerful artifact inside, one capable of revealing if somepony is being truthful or not, a valuable ability in this place as I’m sure you’d agree. But… we lost two ponies trying to get it, and I judged it too dangerous to risk further loss of life. So, we're pulling out, and heading home.” He continued, clearly disappointed.

“Okay, putting that to one side for a moment… Why aren't you at each other's throats like, oh I don't know, nearly everypony else I’ve met so far?” I quizzed the stallion.

“What makes you think we care about what's happening out there?” He shot back, candidly. “I imagine we're like your rag-tag crew here, just trying to survive.”

“Fair point,” I said, nodding as my stomach started to grumble. “Now that we've firmly established that we're not going to harm one another… Do you have any food?”

—

After retrieving my backpack, the group of six ponies we'd just encountered led us to a large building near the center of the city. Golden Sunshine explained that it used to be the city's town hall before it was abandoned. Before I could step inside, Stopper accosted me and motioned for me to go to the side of the building, following me and looking around like a mare expecting an ambush.

“I wanted to pull you aside for a moment,” she began, “Do you know how long kirins live for?”

I put my hands in my pockets as a chill gust of wind swept through the street. “I dunno… eighty years?” I offered.

She shook her head. “Try centuries.”

I tried to wrap my head around such a lifespan, but that thought was sharply pulled back by another. “If they can live for centuries, then that means…”

“Yes,” she acknowledged, nodding her head.

“Which means it's possible that…” I attempted to continue.

“Yes,” she stated again, putting more emphasis on the single syllable.

“Which means he might've…”

“Yes!” She whisper-shouted at me. “They age much slower than ponies do. He might look young, but he could easily be a century old.”

I stood there, mouth agape.

A living, breathing witness to past events. Holy shit.

“I need to talk with him,” I stressed, looking around in a combination of excitement and anticipation of what he might know. “Although truth be told, he didn't seem that friendly back there,” I said, recalling our earlier introduction. “Is there anything else I should know?”

She shook her head. “Nothing I can think of.”

I nodded. “Fine. Let's go inside and rest up.”

I gestured to the entrance, and we both made our way inside, the door's frame was taller than me, which struck me as odd for a city of relatively short quadrupeds, something I mused to myself as I ran a hand over the ornate granite construction.

“Wondering why the door's so much taller than us?” Golden Sunshine said to me as he approached.

I nodded once more. “Yeah. You're all roughly half to two-thirds my height. The height of the door seems like it was designed to accommodate something of my height.”

“Oh, there's a reason for that. Come inside and I'll show you,” he offered, and before long he'd led us into a large chamber, a still-intact glass dome above us; at the end of the room was a desk, flanked either side by a statue.

“Those statues over there are one-to-one depictions. Go on, take a look!” He urged.

I approached the first one, on the left. The marble construction was obvious and had been carved to represent a pony whose eye level was equal to mine. Despite its lack of colors, the statue projected a regal elegance to it; wings extended, with a piercing yet caring gaze upon the room.

“I'm sure you've heard her name already on your travels.” Said Golden Sunshine, approaching my left side.

I nodded. “I recognize her. Princess Celestia, right?”

“Very good! As you can see, she’s as tall as you are… taller if you count her wings and horn.” He pointed out.

“If this is Princess Celestia…” I began as I approached the other statue on the right, “Then this must be Princess Luna?” I suggested, looking back at the earth pony, who merely nodded in confirmation.

The other statue was equally elegant in design, a striking figure carved in onyx whose eyes fell a little short of mine, but her pose was no less regal than the statue of her sister; her wings were also extended with a similar gaze in her eyes, the lifeless figure still conveying a look of intense care and warmth.

My eyes were then drawn to a statue on the wall behind them; I then moved in front of the desk to get a better look at it.

Golden Sunshine nudged me. “I have no idea what that statue is, though,” He stated, but as my eyes ran over it, I had but one thought about its purpose.

“Did this place ever serve as a court? Like, to issue punishments and sanctions against those that broke the law?” I asked.

“Yes, it did. Why? Is that important?” He questioned.

“It is if you want to know the meaning behind that statue,” I said. The statue was of a mare, standing on her hind hooves. “The resemblance is just… uncanny,” I said, not quite believing just how similar it was to the well-known statue I'd grown up seeing in various guises.

By now, a small crowd was gathering around me, and Ice Wisp had approached me on my right side. “So… who is she?” The kirin asked.

I shook my head. “I don't know what you call her, but I'll compare her to what my world’s version of her is. Take a look at her left; she's holding a sword, pointing into the air. That sword represents the authority of the judicial system to enforce the judgment of the court. On her right, she's holding a set of scales; they represent the requirement that the evidence should be presented and weighed in order to reach a fair judgment.” I said, pointing higher. “She's also wearing a blindfold. That represents the need for the court to be impartial and to pass judgment without bias or outside influences interfering. I would call her the Mare of Justice, for that is the virtue that she represents, in my opinion.”

“You have… quite the way with words,” came a voice behind me; turning around, I recognized her as Genesis Frost, the unicorn we'd been briefly introduced to earlier. “We've been here for two weeks, and it never even occurred to me to pay that statue a second glance.”

“Stick around him long enough, and you'll have enough wisdom to fill a book in no time at all.” Came another voice, this time from Crush, standing further back in the room, smiling at me as I lowered my hand.

“I want to hear about culture,” Tricks said, “All you've talked about so far is history,” he continued, turning to me. “I want to know more about your culture; music, literature, your performing arts… I want to know a little bit more about what your kind values about those.”

“That is a big question, my unicorn friend. But, I think I can give you something you'll all appreciate.” I said, removing my phone from my pocket.

I had just the song for them. My phone had some exceptionally powerful speakers on it, and I could already tell that the acoustics in the room were very favorable.

< Thomas Bergensen - Remember Me >

< https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsb_vMuS1LY >

After powering the phone on, I selected the track for playback and the beginning of the melody came through the speakers, the deceptively light opening movement echoing through the hall.

All present gathered around the device as it played back the music, the first crescendo filling the room before settling into the solo vocal that was the centerpiece of the performance.

Even now, in this alien place, I closed my eyes and allowed myself to be lost in the beautiful singing that radiated to every soul in the room, mine included.

As the final crescendo washed over my very being, the room fell silent along with my phone, nopony knowing how to articulate themselves yet. I decided to use the silence to my advantage.

“That melody is what accompanied a scene from a play I went to. The play told the story of a princess of a kingdom, cursed with immortality, destined to one day rule as queen, but having to endure the agony and torment of watching each and every one of her friends grow old and die, while she never aged, not even a day.”

The kirin spoke up. “What did she do?” He asked with a curiosity that I could tell was something he didn't experience often.

“She studied all the magic in her kingdom,” I said, crossing my arms. “Spending many years and many sleepless nights looking for an answer. Eventually, she finds one, and the final scene of the play is her walking into a wing of her castle, where the remains of all of her friends are interred, each one entombed since the day of their passing.”

Everypony continued looking at me, so I continued. “That vocal melody was the spell, each syllable and inflection forming part of an incantation she needed to complete with pitch-perfect precision, each sound directing the magic all around the room to surge within her. At the apex of the melody, the spell succeeds, and she restores her friends back to life in the prime of their youth, but at the cost of her immortality. As the princess tearfully rejoices with them, one of her friends asks her why she did it.”

I looked around and noted that they were content to let me finish. “She said that she’d rather live out her days surrounded by her friends than spend an eternity without them, such was the bond between them. I think that's a hauntingly beautiful sentiment.”

Stopper snorted. “Don't knock immortality. You might be offered it one day.”

I laughed outrageously. “I'm not royalty, so no, I don't think so, somehow. However… I am curious about something,” I said, looking at Ice Wisp. “I indulged your curiosity earlier… would you permit indulging mine?”

He hesitated slightly but ultimately nodded. Looking around the room, I spied a few doors leading off to places unknown. I gestured to one of them, and the kirin followed me, a cautious but permissive expression on his muzzle.

The door led to an anteroom, filled with a mess of old, decrepit paperwork; a lone desk and chairs next to the wall represented a lone island of calm amidst a sea of decay and chaos. As the kirin took a seat, I closed the door and sat opposite him, resisting the urge to blurt out every question I had for him at once. Instead, I opted to start simple.

“I may be new here, but I’m blessed with friends and comrades who are at least partially informed… first things first… Ice, wasn’t it?” I asked with the kirin nodding in confirmation. “Okay, Ice… how old are you?”

“Twenty-four,” he responded, an answer that was an obvious and practiced lie.

“Ice… this is a valuable lesson you’re about to learn from my world: You can’t bullshit a bullshitter. How old are you really?” I pressed, although I was in truth hiding a big, fat bluff, but thankfully, the kirin either didn’t detect it or didn’t care enough to maintain the charade.

“... Seventy-four,” he said after a long pause.

“Is ‘twenty-four’ what you told them out there?” I asked.

The kirin nodded. “When we met out there, I thought you were lying about what you said… about being Alex’s friend. It wasn’t until you said your name that my opinion shifted,” he said, his tail swishing behind him.

I was floored. “You… know of me?” I queried.

“Alex used to talk about you all the time. I still remember being sat in a classroom, at the front, and he was talking about the time he found you looking at something perverse on your equipment,” the kirin replied, with a hint of smugness in his voice. “He also said that given even half a chance, you’d talk our ears off. That little show back there was all the proof I needed that it really is you.”

“You…” I said, pausing to process my thoughts. “... Okay, firstly, it was tasteful, not perverse, and secondly, when I next see him, I’m going to fucking kill him… or at least clock him one,” I said, somewhat irritated at my private life being made public. “Although… I suppose he never expected me to be here. What was Alex doing in a school, anyway?” I enquired with curiosity of my own.

“He was one of my teachers. There was a school in Ponyville that specialized in friendship lessons. I graduated from there before… well, before the world went to shit,” he said, looking down at the floor.

“I’m impressed you can remember events from fifty years ago,” I said, crossing my arms.

The kirin pointed to his head with a hoof. “Eidetic memory. Once I learn something, I never forget it. I remember every anecdote, every comment, and every reference Alex ever made, just like I can with Trixie, Starlight, Twilight, and the other teachers I had.”

“Ice, I… saw something. It was a dream, or a vision, or whatever fucking else it was. I saw an argument… in Ponyville, I think. It was between a human and Princess Twilight Sparkle. Do you know what that was about?” I queried, desperate for some context.

“I remember it like it was yesterday. The princess was walking across Ponyville with Alex; I was nearby, and I overheard her say that she was nearly ready to complete the integration of the crystals, and Alex… I think he’d had enough. He told her that she was about to betray everypony and that if she went through with this, she was no better than Opaline. Twilight reminded him the crystals were his creation as well, and that if she was about to be a betrayer, he was going to be one as well.”

I mulled it all over. “Alex might not have pulled the trigger, but it seems sure as hell that he helped load the chamber… I need some time to think. For now, that tomb sounds interesting. Deadly, but interesting.” I mused.

Ice shook his head. “We need unicorn magic for it; I can only manipulate water and ice, so I'm not much use there. If Alex was here, he could use his gauntlet, but he's not… so that place is off-limits.”

I could tell him, sure, but a visual demonstration would accomplish my next task much better. Looking around the desk, I spotted a paperweight, dark black and probably a piece of obsidian, oval but with an uneven, jagged surface. Reaching out my hand, I began casting the necessary spells, and before long, the paperweight was floating in the air, suspended in an aura of deep blue.

The expression of the kirin changed to one of dumbfoundedness, mouth open while his eyes tracked the object as I moved it in the air before coming back to look at me.

“You really are as smart as he said you were,” He said, smiling.

“I always thought he was the smart one,” I replied, bringing the stone back to rest on the table and putting my hand down. “I think I might be able to help you with your tomb, Ice,” I offered.

The kirin nodded enthusiastically. “What else can you do?” he asked me, tail practically wagging behind him.

I winced as I got out of my chair, my back still hurting from earlier. “Watch this. Cure!” I shouted as the familiar green tentacles of life sprouted from my hand and went for my back. Within moments, the pain had disappeared, and I breathed a sigh of relief at that burden being lifted from me. Far more comfortable now, I stretched out my hand once more.

“Wall!” I again shouted, the now-familiar azure aura descending around me. My audience was utterly lost for words, a situation that continued as I halted my spellcasting, but instead instantly went for the door.

Running after him with a bad feeling welling up inside me, I heard him shout into the room. “Golden! Show him!”

The earth pony was caught off guard. “S-Show him what?” He stammered as I arrived at the kirin's side, the green stallion looking up at me.

“He has one of those crystals you seek,” he told me, and I had to stop myself from marching to the earth pony and ask him just what the fuck he thinks he was playing at. Sighing and looking down, Golden knew the jig was up.

“Fine. I know where it is, but I want something in return; I'm not going to just hoof it over without being compensated for it,” he demanded, eyes now fully fixed upon me. The kirin, meanwhile, seemed to have my back.

“He keeps it in a desk on the upper floor. Follow me!” he commanded; I naturally followed suit, as did what felt like everypony else, all of us following the kirin as he led us up a partially collapsed stairwell and into a large, ornate room with various flags and statues present. Without waiting, I practically ransacked the creaky wooden desk, the aging furniture offering up its treasure with practically no resistance as the crystal came into view, the script identifying it as the second crystal.

Using Levenesis, I extracted it and provided it to Stopper for safekeeping, who promptly put it in one of her saddlebags. All eyes now turned to the room’s entrance, a rather sheepish Golden Sunshine looking nervously inside at his squad.

“Look, if you’re all annoyed about me not giving it to him-” he said, attempting to justify himself when Genesis Frost cut him off.

“I'm not pissed off about that, Golden,” She explained. ”I'm pissed off that you didn't mention that you had a gemstone in your possession, and a potentially valuable one at that!”

“Yeah! What else are you hiding from us?” Said Moon Burst, brandishing his spear while his brother, Moon Guard, donned his shield and angled it menacingly at the earth pony.

The mood in the room was turning.

“Rather than getting violent, I have another idea; let’s go to the tomb and see if I can at least help you retrieve the bodies of the ponies you lost back there,” I suggested.

Apogee shook her head. “They’re not dead! He ordered us to leave them behind!” she explained, pointing a hoof accusingly at Golden.

I was starting to get angry, but it seemed that I was at last becoming used to this place, and I saw a situation to take advantage of. I put my anger aside and tried to push forward with an alternative. “We’re going on a rescue mission. We’ll get those two out, and then explore deeper into the tomb if we can.”

Now it was Golden’s turn to point a hoof at me, “Like fuck we are! You know what? You can just fuck-” he said before I’d finally had enough, and I opted to let my magic do the talking for me.

I extended my arm and shouted, “Levenesis!” My aura smothered him, and I dragged him through the air, the earth pony making only unintelligible whimpers and whinnies as I brought him to the center of the room, every pair of eyes now fixed on him.

“Mares and gentlecolts, I present to you a choice,” I said, walking around my captive. “Follow me and my squad, and we’ll do our best to protect you. Or, you could follow this shining example of morality. He’s left two of you to die already; how expendable do you think he considers the rest of you? Now, a show of hooves: Who still wants to follow this stallion?” I candidly queried the rest of his group.

Not a single hoof went in the air.

“Now… who wants to follow me and my crew?” I asked them, and almost immediately, five hooves went into the air. You didn’t need to be a math wiz to work that one out.

“Then it’s decided. Stopper, go see if you can find a jail cell or something for this disgrace.” I said to her, and after a brief salute, she went off to go find a cramped, and hopefully deeply unpleasant cell for our new prisoner.

“Everypony else,” I said, turning my voice to the others, “Confab downstairs. We have a rescue mission to plan.”

Chapter 08 - Tomb Raider

After a brief search, Stopper had located a jail of sorts in the town hall's basement; nothing fancy, but kitted out enough at least for us to hold our new prisoner

I would see to it that he would receive a fair trial, but that would have to wait; I had a new bunch of ponies to induct into our ranks after they'd turned on their former commander.

After checking over the cell and its locking system, I nodded to Crush and Stopper to bring forth our captive, throwing him in rather harshly as I closed the door and locked it.

The cell itself had a bunk and what I was reasonably sure was a non-functioning toilet, the entire thing exposed to us all and separated by a long series of bars, door included. The situation was far from ideal, but I wanted to set an example for the ponies in the room of what justice should look like. Scar had been telling me about Equestrian jurisprudence during the week after Estrus, and while I didn't know as much as I would’ve liked, I was eager to put what I did know into practice.

“Golden Sunshine,” I began, “As per the Articles of Jurisprudence enacted by the former sovereigns, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, and later confirmed by their successor, Princess Twilight Sparkle, you are hereby formally placed under arrest for gross negligence in the execution of your duty of care to your squad.”

The earth pony remained silent, and I chose to press forward, adding a little bit of flair from my world.

“You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defense if you do not mention, when questioned, something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence. Do you understand?” I asked him, getting only a muted nod in response. He looked utterly defeated, his entire world having come crashing down around him.

Making my way out of the custody area, I led the rest upstairs into the hall from earlier. Once everypony else was present and accounted for, I motioned for them all to stand closer to me.

“Now that Golden has been taken care of, I think it's time we discussed what happens next,” I opened with, everypony now focusing their gaze upon me. “To our newcomers: you've all agreed to follow me and my squad. For now, I'm placing you all as a detachment under the command of my Executive Officer, Private First Class Aerial Ace,” I said, gesturing to the pegasus who, after a little hesitation, saluted me in acceptance.

“Now, for some ground rules. I expect orders to be followed, but as I've told my squad a few times now, I don’t want mindless drones for soldiers. Each of you has valuable knowledge and experience, and I expect information to be freely volunteered if it can help. Like this guy did earlier,” gesturing to Ice Wisp as I concluded my little induction. “Everypony in agreement?”

Nods and MmmHmms rang out as somepony else got curious.

“Hey, Ice,” began Moon Shield, “How did you know he had that crystal?”

“Because he got sloppy and left it on the desk once. I didn’t even think it was valuable until Stuart here told me of its significance,” he said, briefly looking at me.

I held a hand up briefly. “Plenty of time to go digging on that point, but I need you all to focus for a bit,” I said, putting my hand down. “We're from a settlement due east of here, focused on helping each other survive; pegasi, unicorns, and earth ponies alike. I'm willing to extend an offer to you all; join us, and we can work together.”

Our newest recruits looked among each other, silent considerations no doubt being exchanged.

“Well, things do seem to be getting worse,” said Moon Shield, bringing a hoof up to his chin. “Crop yields have been decreasing year-on-year. It's not life-threatening yet, but…”

“You've noticed it too!” Exclaimed Flame, moving closer. “That can't be a coincidence!”

I nodded. “It would seem fitting that we visit this place. Am I right in thinking that's the place Golden mentioned earlier? Erm… Las Pegasus I think it was?”

More murmurs of agreement. “I could introduce my dad to you!” said Apogee excitedly, “He's an inventor, he could show you what he's been working on!”

“I would love that!” I returned with equal enthusiasm, “But, after we've returned from that tomb. Now, the rest of you… tell me everything you can about this tomb, no matter how small…”

—

The tomb we were now approaching was quite inconspicuous, the passway to it hidden very well within the rock face unless one knew exactly where to look. Which, thanks to our meeting back in the ruins of the city, I did.

After a good night's sleep and the inevitable trading of food rations, we left at first light. Leaving nothing to chance, I charged Flame and Crush with looking after Golden while the rest of us headed to the tomb.

The journey north was spent traveling fairly close together so that everypony could become familiar and acquainted with each other's movements, although I did notice the unicorns and pegasi each grouping up by themselves as we walked.

On our way, we passed by another abandoned town, Stratusburg, which the group had used as a layover. However, given lives were at stake, we had to press on; we were already approaching three days since they'd been left there, and as every hour elapsed, so too did their chances of survival.

Approaching the rock face, I ran my fingers over it, looking for the tell-tale indentation I'd been told about. However, before I could complete my search, I felt a hoof tap me from the side.

Ice Wisp stood there, nervously. “Do you remember what we told you about what's in there?”

Oh, I remembered, and it creeped me the fuck out.

“About something being alive in there? Yeah, I do, although I'm not sure I quite believe it. You said that something laughed at you as you retreated?” I queried, in equal parts horror and curiosity.

The kirin just stared at the rock face. “We know it's the tomb of somepony. It just feels like that pony is still around, y'know?”

I snorted. Ghost stories were frequently told on Earth, and this even felt like an old cliché of a tomb's occupant tormenting would-be thieves.

This would be nothing but nonsense back home. A vengeful spirit targeting graverobbers? Utter piffle…

My thoughts trailed off as I remembered that Equestria had this strange ability to make the impossible quite possible, and I was suddenly less sure of my factual certitude.

Finding the indentation, I pushed the button the group had indicated would be present, and the facade of the rock face recessed before rolling away to the right, revealing a stairwell that led down.

I turned back to the group. “Let's keep this party light; Ace, Stopper, and Ice, you're with me. The rest of you, stay here on standby, we might need your assistance later.”

Nods echoed through the group as the four of us slowly and methodically made our way down the flight of stairs, the golden hue of the brickwork being illuminated by a series of magical crystal torches that seemed to increase in illumination as we approached. Behind us, the facade rolled back, sealing us for now in the tomb, but I was at least secure in the knowledge that it was far more easily openable from the inside.

“Well, Dorothy, let's follow this yellow brick road and see where it leads, huh?” I said, marveling at the construction as we reached a plateau, a trapezoidal corridor now before us leading to the first chamber.

Looking at Ice for approval, he nodded, and we all pressed forward, eventually entering the expansive chamber. As I looked around, I was immediately struck by the ostentatious imagery before me, numerous statues around the domed ceiling, all seemingly depicting a unicorn in various poses; some gracious, some majestic, and some very, very lewd.

All of those paled in comparison to the statue in the center of the room, a startlingly accurate and larger-than-life representation of that unicorn, the marbled construct towering several feet over me as I approached it to read a plaque, itself mounted on an equally ornate pedestal.

Here lie the remains of The Stallion, The Myth, The Legend, Prince Donald Blueblood III Esq., BSc.

A towering intellect and a shining beacon of cultural enrichment in life, the world undoubtedly now all the poorer for him no longer inhabiting it.

In each chamber from here, you’ll find stories celebrating his life, as well as numerous treasures on display that he collected over the years. But, these treasures are not for the taking! Beware, thieves and pillagers, for only death and despair await you beyond this room!

“Charming fellow…” I mused as I ran a finger around the edge of the plaque. “Where are the two that got stranded?” I said, turning to Ice, who merely pointed to the chamber up ahead.

“There are two smaller rooms that branch off in there, and each of them has an artifact inside,” he explained. “One fell through a trapdoor that swung open, the other was trapped behind a rotating wall.”

“What were their names again?” I asked him as I walked towards the exitway that led to the next room.

“Uh, Kiwi Nectar and Rhea Aurelius, earth pony and pegasus respectively. Rhea fell into the trapdoor, and Kiwi is the one that got trapped behind the revolving wall.”

“Uh-huh,” I answered, noticing that the other two were still looking around. “A bit much, isn't it?” I said, turning to address them.

“Look at all this,” replied Stopper. “Just another swaggering, self-important stallion with too much vanity and not enough ability.”

Ace, meanwhile, was pacing around in front of the statue. “Um… I think this thing's eyes moved,” He observed, continuing to move and focus his gaze on the statue’s head.

I joined him, and against my expectations, I saw one of the statue's eyes move just a fraction, a large blue jewel in each eye serving as the pupil. I then turned to once again look at Ice.

“I'm starting to believe you on that laugh you mentioned. I think something is watching us,” I said, moving to the corridor that would lead to the next chamber. Ace, however, was a little more cautious.

“If something's watching us, shouldn't we… you know… do something about it?” He asked.

“Not really much we can do at this stage,” I responded, shrugging my shoulders. “For the moment, I’m assuming it's dangerous and that we shouldn't let our guard down,” I further advised as I headed for the tunnel up ahead, all three following behind me.

Upon entering the next room, I noted that it was decorated similarly to the first, but with statues in different expressions and poses. In the center of the room was another statue, but much more true-to-life, the marble statue holding a sword, a very real-looking sword, as it stood on its hind legs, wielding it as if challenging any who would approach. I immediately moved to the plaque on the accompanying pedestal.

“There's an inscription here. ‘Whomsoever takes up this blade shall wield power eternal. Just as the blade rends flesh, so must power scar the spirit.’.”

Stopper immediately trotted over to me. “Does it really say that?” She asked in a mixture of curiosity and disbelief. I shook my head.

“Sadly, no,” I conceded. “If it did, that would be awesome and terrifying all at once. Nah, this thing just mentions that this was his favorite sword. ‘Widow’s Wail’ was its name, apparently.”

“He's starting to sound like a bit of a cunt,” offered Ice, and I confessed to myself that I was finding it hard to disagree with him.

“Show me the chamber that had the revolving wall,” I asked, and Ice led us to a room on our right, much smaller in size than the main chambers; in the middle of it was a pedestal with a magical field surrounding it; inside that field was a book, suspended in mid-air as it rested within the field's grasp. On the wall opposite the entrance was a display of sorts, a large semicircle etched into the floor in front of it.

“That's actually quite clever,” I conceded, walking to the side. “Your colleague obviously assumed that the display on the wall here controlled the field… but what if this display is just a ruse? A tool to just be sure that someone was here when they fiddled with it, which then flings them outside the room using that rotating wall when any attempt is made to interfere with it?”

“Oh, this one is smart! How delightful!”

The masculine voice boomed out all around us, and I ran back into the previous chamber with everypony else in tow, the statue here making it much more obvious that it was watching us very closely, two shining blue eyes fixing their gaze directly on me.

“Who are you?!” I demanded sternly, unsheathing Oathkeeper while Stopper readied her blade too, the two of us squaring up to the marble monument.

“Oh, my, my, my! Just questions, questions, questions with you isn't it?! Just look around and reflect upon my accomplishments!”

It was quite obvious now as to whom I was dealing with.

“So, I'm talking to the prince whose body is interred within this place?” I queried, although in truth it felt quite obvious.

“Quite right! My death was undoubtedly a staggering loss to the arts, culture, and civilization of Equestria, a loss now firmly confined to this place. But, even in death, one must still have purpose!”

“Purpose?” I asked incredulously, “What purpose do you have? All I've seen and heard so far are the remains of a preening, egotistical fool, desperately screaming against the darkness.”

“That darkness you speak of is more real than you could ever imagine, and it's coming for us all! It's why I chose to be here, why I paid the top archmages in the land to sequester my spirit inside a dimensional pocket. This place is far, far more than just a monument to my existence; it's a proving ground to see if there's somepony out here worthy of standing against that darkness…”

“What darkness do you speak of? It's already pretty bleak out there.”

“More questions! I have a better idea… why don't you play my games so I can see what you're all made of?”

“What makes you think we're interested?”

“What makes you think I'm giving you a choice in the matter?”

A loud rumble filled the room, followed by the sound of numerous thuds in the distance as well as one very near us as our way back was cut off. A cold bead of sweat dripped right into my arsecrack as I took a step back.

“Over the years I've found that, given the proper incentive, anypony can be made to play my games! You're locked in here with me now, little ones!”

“You don't seem to understand the situation,” I fired back, “We’re not locked in here with you, you're locked in here with us!”

The room fell silent.

“What's that? No clever reply? No witty retort?” I taunted the silent statue, “You'd best be bringing your A-game, pal; there's already been a human in this world, and I'm sure you saw firsthoof what he was capable of. I might not be him, but I can make you wish he was here instead of me and this amazing squad behind me,” I said, pointing to the ponies behind me with a thumb.

I looked around the room once more, gesturing to the only open passageway as I looked back at the others. “Well, we might as well get a move on. We've got two ponies to save and a demented spirit to humble.”

Nods abounded as we pressed on, the entranceway sealing itself as we got halfway to the next area; more statues around the dome above us, but in the center of the room this time was a spiral staircase leading down.

Seeing no obvious locations of interest here, we all approached and descended the staircase for a good few minutes before the elaborate stairwell ended in a square room with a single exit. Walking through it led us into a rather more modest room than the chambers above, roughly square with an exit on each of the other three walls. The room itself was completely spartan aside from some illumination; as we approached the room’s center, the door behind us sealing firmly shut as a barrier came out of the side, completely eclipsing our way out.

“Come one, come all! Welcome to the real test! Buuuuuut!... It's not going to be a very fair one for you!”

“Color me shocked,” I said with a heap of sarcasm, “The discount Jigsaw is about to level something unfair at us? Didn’t see that coming at all,” I further taunted the voice.

“Ooh, this one is feisty! But don't worry, I'll explain the rules; Under the correct exit, there is a magical conduit that guides you to the end of the maze; a unicorn with magic would be able to detect such a conduit. Every other exit leads to an endless maze deep within the catacombs below us. But, as you don't have magic, you'll just have to guess which one is correct!”

“I have magic! Replied Ice, as we all turned to look at him, “But, all I can cast are ice spells. I've never been able to feel magic in the world, though.”

“Is the use of magic one of your tests that whoever steps in here is worthy?” I asked.

“Why, of course! If only that other human could see what is unfolding before me! Now, his magic was nothing short of impressive; had we been better acquainted I might’ve even asked for a private show! It's too bad that you can't use magic, however; you've now stepped into a place where that's likely going to be very deadly for you!”

I stepped forward and turned left, stopping at one of the exits. Kneeling, I put my hands on the floor and began the process of casting Levitate at the floor, the magic swirling between my hands and the golden bricks of the ground as I moved my limbs in concentric circles.

I felt nothing. In truth, I wasn't sure what I was searching for, but after a few minutes, I got up, and moved to the entrance opposite the sealed exit, kneeling once again.

Casting the same spell and moving my hands in the same motions, I began to feel a force pushing back against some of my fingers, the same fingers where I'd had those small neodymium magnets implanted. As I moved my hands more, I started to feel shapes and boundaries, as if the conduit beneath me was putting out a magical equivalent to a magnetic field. I was so engrossed in the sensations that I hadn't noticed Stopper approaching me, catching me a little off-guard as her horned head came into view.

“What can you feel?” she asked softly, striding over to my side and looking down at my hands as my magical casting continued.

“It’s… like when you first grasp an onion. You can feel the outer layer but you know there’s something harder beneath it,” I said, getting up to look around the room. “You were saying something about me not having magic?” I pressed the discombobulated voice.

“B-But… That's impossible! You’re not wearing one of those gauntlets!”

I repeatedly clenched my fists. “And yet, here I stand. Come on, let's go,” I directed at the others, who dutifully followed as I headed into the corridor leading to the next area, another large chamber with seven passageways dotted around the perimeter, all but one barred by a series of metal bars. In the room's center was a series of plinths, ten in total, with one of them holding a number of very small figurines.

Four of the plinths had figurines already on them, a notable amount of cobwebs denoting that it'd been a long time indeed since they'd been disturbed. As I held one of the figurines in my hand, the voice boomed once more.

“Are those not the most perfect representations of a unicorn that you've ever seen?! Each of them was hoof-crafted by the finest artisans in Canterlot, each of them an absolutely stunning example of me!”

As I held the figurine closer, I noticed that it indeed looked very much like the large statues in the room above, and very detailed given its size… even the underside seemed to be anatomically correct.

“Hey! You over there!” A voice called out to me from my left, a pony now at the bars and gesturing wildly for my attention. I put the figurine back and immediately ran over to them.

She was a pegasus, with white fur and something that I'd not yet seen here: her eyes were heterochromic, her left eye a striking shade of red, while her right was a cool shade of blue. As I approached, I could see that she was shaking, her wings at her sides drooping onto the floor. I put a hand through the bars, a gesture that she immediately sank into, her eyes closing briefly at my touch.

“How do we get these doors open?” I asked her, willing the answer out of her.

“The v-voice said that we'd have to wait for somepony else to get here, to wait for them to s-solve the puzzle…” she stammered, weakly pointing a hoof to the center of the room, her limb shaking.

“What's your name, my dear?” I asked as I withdrew my hand, and reached for my water pouch.

“M-My name's Rhea. Rhea Aurelius,” she confirmed as I passed my pouch between the bars, encouraging her to take a swig of the liquid inside, an offer which she hungrily accepted.

“Hey! Don't forget about lil’ ol’ me over here!” Chimed another voice directly behind me. Carrying over the pouch, I approached the owner of the new voice.

“Y'all have no idea how happy I am to see ya! I've been lickin’ the walls back there since I got trapped,” she said, gesturing behind her with a hoof. “Name’s Kiwi Nectar by the way, sugar, but y'all can just call me Kiwi,” she said, fluttering her eyes at me in what felt like a very seductive gaze.

She was an earth pony with a body of dark orange fur and a green mane, her eyes an alluring and disarming hue of lilac. I passed my water pouch through the bars, and she too took a healthy swig from it.

After taking back the pouch, I reattached it to my belt and walked to the center of the room. “So, in order to release you two, we have to solve this puzzle, huh?” I mused as I studied the plinths. One of them had a large number of figurines, positioned in front of the remaining nine. Four of those nine had figurines already on them; the first had two, the second had three, the third had five and the fourth had seven. I gestured for the other three to join me. “What does this look like to you all?” I asked.

Ace studied the layout intently. “Well, the second lot is just one greater than the first, while the next two are each two greater than the one before it. Maybe the next three should go up in increments of three: ten, thirteen, and sixteen?”

Stopper shook her head. “That leaves two left, and those being in increments of four just doesn’t sit right,” she pondered. “There's not a lot of information to go on here…”

I looked over at Ice. “What's your take on this?” I asked him.

“Primes,” he said, looking straight at me. I nodded my head after re-examining the plinths, while Ace and Stopper both looked at him.

“What's a ‘Prime’?” Stopper queried while Ace's expression revealed that he held an identical question.

“They're a concept in mathematics,” I began, gesturing a hand to the plinths, “Ice here is old enough for him to have been taught these all the way back in the School of Friendship. Am I right, Ice?”

The kirin nodded and Stopper stomped a hoof onto the floor. “I knew it, I buckin’ knew that you were older than you looked,” she said, looking darned pleased with herself at her correct intuition.

“Anyway,” I said, changing the subject, “A prime number is a number that is only cleanly divisible by itself and one. The number of figurines here definitely lines up with that pattern; one is excluded because it's the factor in deciding the other prime numbers. The next number is two, and then three, neither of them able to be divided without a remainder. Four is missing because it can be divided by two. That means the next number is five. Six is ineligible because it can be divided by three, so the next prime number is seven. There are five remaining plinths, so the puzzle wants the next five prime numbers.”

“Eleven!” Rang out a voice from the side as I turned to look at the pegasus.

“Very good, Rhea! Eight is ineligible because it can be divided by four and two, nine can be divided by three, and ten can be divided by five and two. That leaves the next one as indeed eleven,” I confirmed, taking some figurines and putting eleven of them on the fifth plinth. “Now, what comes next?”

Ace was circling the puzzle, deep in thought. “Well, twelve can be divided by six and by two… But I don't think I can divide thirteen!”

“If thirteen is the next one, then the one after must be seventeen!” Exclaimed Stopper.

“Which leaves the final number as nineteen,” I added, making all the necessary changes to ensure the plinths all matched our collective train of thought. As soon as the last figurine was placed, a low rumble rippled across the floor as each of the iron bar doors lowered slowly, the two captives slowly making their way into the main chamber, both of them eventually joining us in the center of the room.

“Can’t thank ya enough, sugar,” Kiwi said, flicking her tail, ”I was beginnin’ ta think that place back there was gonna be ma swan-song, I owe ya for gettin’ me outta there.”

“Yeah, uh, me too,” added Rhea, “Where are the rest of us?”

“Topside, all except for Golden Sunshine,” I began, “He's back at the city being kept under lock-and-key as our prisoner.”

Rhea spat onto the floor. “You'd best keep him there. If you don't, I'll kill him myself.”

Nodding, I motioned for all gathered to come closer. “I think some introductions are in order; Rhea and Kiwi, my name is Stuart, and I’m sure you're already familiar with Ice Wisp. The other two are Aerial Ace and Show Stopper,” I said, moving my hand to point each of them out. “We came here to get you out.”

“Aaand to find some treasure,” remarked Stopper as she looked to the room's exit.

I sighed and briefly looked over at her. “Fine, treasure too. But that's a secondary concern. How are you both doing?”

“I’m as hungry as a whorse,” said Rhea, with Kiwi narrowing her eyes at the unicorn.

“I'm standin’ right here, sugar,” Kiwi teased, giving all present a twirl. “But, yeah, I'm feelin’ a might peckish, too.”

“Understandable. We'll see to it that's remedied once we get out of here. Speaking of which, let’s all get a move on, shall we?” I suggested, making my way to the exit. However, something I felt caused me to stop in my tracks as I approached the arch of the way out; it was just a tremor in my hands, and maybe it was some of the adrenaline wearing off, but as I got closer, more tremors flooded my hands, and by now I suspected something magical and very powerful was directly up ahead.

By now, the others had caught up with me, gathering all around my rear as I kneeled and took my backpack off, eventually fishing out a throwing knife, still sheathed in an inside pocket of the bag.

Removing the knife, I stood up again and threw it with some force toward the center of the room. After barely a second, a spark bathed us all in a bright, blinding light. Suddenly, there was no more dagger, and the corridor's walkable interior was now entangled in a web of crisscrossing blue lines.

I sighed, turning my focus to the ceiling. “You have fucking lasers?!”

“Concentrated mana beams! No expense spared, my lovelies! Oh, what a tantalizingly devious conundrum you now face! To know that your goal is so near yet so very far away, and yet, tangling with these beams means your almost certain destruction!”

Pacing back and forth, I spied and visually inspected one of the emitters to the right from afar; a lens inset in a rim of gold, jutting out from the wall by a good couple of centimeters. I waved a hand out behind me. “Might be an idea to give me some space here… can you guys stand over there for me?” I asked, pointing to the cornet to the right of the exit, “That way, if things go wrong, you won't be in the way of it.”

The ponies all shuffled off to the side, joined of course by the kirin as I approached the exit once more, my hands again feeling tremors of force coming from the passageway up ahead; closing my eyes, I focused my attention on those tremors and before long, as I moved my hands around, I could feel the direction of the magical current.

“Right side it is, then,” I said to myself as I moved to cover myself on the left, letting only what I needed of my body be exposed. Channeling magic with my hands, I focused a magical grasp on one of the nearest emitters; all I needed was that barest protrusion from the wall, and I was soon straining to forcibly extract it.

“Levenesis!” I shouted, my magic ramping up in force as the spellword unlocked the power I needed. With an almighty mental effort, the emitter sparked, then went dark, and then came careering out of its housing, now held in place in the air by my magic; I floated the object over to me, my hands reaching out to grab the device as I took it from the air.

It was a long, metal cylinder, with a lens on one side and one side of a crystal on the other. The lens was light blue, easy to discern even with the flickering golden illustrations in the room, while in the device's rear was a completely transparent crystal, wedged in and immobile but its shape was not unlike the one used by the Mnemosyne Crystals I was already familiar with. Holding the device by the crystal it felt like, just for a moment, I was carrying the Olympic Torch.

Getting an idea, I channeled a small amount of magical energy into the hand holding the device, and even that small amount was enough to cause it to project a beam onto the ceiling. After a few seconds, I ceased casting and looked up, only to see a very fresh, very black, and very round scorch mark where the beam had been.

I cackled, a devious idea of my own forming.

“What are you up to?!”

The voice was demanding but a slight panic was detectable as its vocal tones wavered.

“What am I up to?” I teased, “Shall I tell you what I think that contraption in there is? I would bet my life savings that it's a closed-loop system; all it probably does is funnel energy around itself. If all you want is a show of force, that's good enough. But coming up against someone like me? Oh, this isn't going to end well for you. Ice, would you mind lending me a hoof here?” I said, looking over at the group. He ventured nervously to me, taking up a spot to my side. “Tell me; when you cast your ice magic, are you able to keep that magic in its raw form, without aspecting it?”

“I… I think I can, yeah. What's your idea?” He asked me.

I took the device into my magical grasp again, aiming the lens at a wall in the passage. “Fire a weak beam of unaspected magic at the crystal and hold it steady,” I asked. The kirin nodded, and after a few seconds, a white cascade of magic formed between Ice and the device, a cold blue beam of light coming out the other end. Using my magic, I aimed the beam at one of the receiving lenses on the left.

“You want to know something, my erstwhile prince? I think the ponies who put this place together for you cut a few corners. I can believe that this place can extract magical energy from the world outside...” I said, fine-tuning the cylinder’s position while Ice kept up the energy beam coming from his horn. “But I don't think anypony thought that bleeding off excess magical energy would be necessary in a place like this.”

The beam grew brighter as Ice directed more energy into the device, the light from his horn glowing brighter as I kept the beam squarely focused on the chosen lens. “That's the thing about closed-loop systems… all that energy has to go somewhere…”

“No! You can't do this!”

“You've imprisoned people and you’ve been prepared to commit murder,” I countered as the voice impotently protested. “Regardless of what your intentions are, you represent a threat. That threat ends here, today.”

The lights all around us flickered before going dark completely, the sound of a distant explosion echoing through the halls as all of the beams up ahead faded from view, Ice stopping his magic flow as the room around us went black; the door behind us then suddenly opened, but all our attention was now given to something of interest up ahead.

That something was a light source, quite far ahead in fact, a steady amber beacon in an ocean of pitch-black darkness.

“Right, let’s hurry!” I said as everypony gathered around me; soon, we were making our way to that beacon quickly, crossing through numerous other rooms and passageways to get there, caring not one whit for their contents.

Upon closer inspection, the beacon of light was shining from the ceiling onto a pillar, with a column of glass hiding something inside. The object slowly rotated, and as it came into view, I discerned a yellow gemstone housed in a round seal of gold, a solid necklace of that same gold attached to it. As I got closer, so did Ace, until both of us were on either side of the pillar. “It’s so… pretty…” uttered the pegasus, a sentiment I agreed with wholeheartedly. My attention turned to how to remove the glass.

“Ace, can you give me a hoof with this?” I asked as I placed my hands at the top of the glass, gesturing for Ace to put his hooves on the bottom portion, in the hope we’d be able to safely remove it and expose the artifact underneath.

As soon as Ace put his hooves on the glass, the light suddenly became blinding, and before I knew what was happening, I found myself on the floor, winded and on my back. After a few seconds of temporary amnesia, I realized that I’d been hurled from where I’d stood; looking up, I could see Ace similarly struggling with Ice checking him over as Stopper looked over me, having obviously rushed over to me. Before long, we’d both managed to get up and dust ourselves off as the other two looked on nervously. I felt a little woozy as I rose to my feet, but that feeling soon wore off as I approached the pillar once more.

The glass pillar was now vertically raised, suspended in the air as we both put our respective forelimbs on the pillar.

“What the fuck was that?” I asked rhetorically, Ace shrugging his shoulders. I exhaled sharply, catching sight of a side passageway, illuminated brightly in sharp contrast to the light of the beacon above the pillar, which had now dimmed considerably.

Wanting to explore that passageway first, I pointed to it, shuffling toward it; every step I made to it was harder than the last, the strain eventually causing me to crash to the floor on my knees, my body slumping forward.

Crawling to turn around, I could see Ace similarly struggling, his crumpled form looking at me with a mixture of fear and confusion.

Everypony in the room was silent as I crawled back to the pillar, my dizziness and nausea subsiding gradually as I got closer. By the time I reached the pillar again, I felt as right as rain.

So too did Ace, apparently, his expression a more relaxed one as he stood next to the pillar. Taking the opportunity, I removed the necklace from the invisible force rotating it in place, holding the gem-seated medallion in the palm of my hand. I didn’t even need my hand to tell me that this thing was projecting a magical field; the yellow gemstone pulsed slowly in its setting, and reams of possible explanations ran through my mind.

Deciding to test one of them out, I crouched down and gestured for Stopper to come forward. Hesitantly, she trotted over, and I put the trinket around her neck, the medallion resting against her fur.

“Just… walk back the way we came. I'll tell you to stop if I need to,” I said, my breathing still a bit labored. The unicorn nodded and steadily made her way to the exit. Even before she got halfway, the nausea kicked in again, and I soon found myself on my knees as my body became unable to sustain itself.

“Urgh… come back!” I shouted as I winced in profound discomfort while also looking to my side to see Ace in exactly the same predicament as me, although he was reduced to crawling on the floor. Predictably, my body's situation improved as Stopper came back to us; I took the amulet from her and adorned it around my neck, making sure to hide the gemstone beneath my shirt and hoodie before turning to look at Ace. “We've got a major problem, but for now, stay close to me at all times. Got it?” I asked him, getting a rapid series of nods in reply.

“Good. Let's head down that passageway there,” I said, pointing to the open recess in the wall. After making sure that Ace was keeping close to me, I turned into the hidden passage, finding a descending set of stairs.

Carefully descending it, everypony followed me and Ace, with us all eventually finding ourselves in a fairly spacious room, with technology seemingly reminiscent of Earth's, like flatscreen displays and keyboards. As I approached the equipment, I noticed that the keyboards used a different design from the ones I was used to, with extra keys for Ñ and Ç that weren’t present on the keyboard on my laptop.

Did these ponies just… copy the Spanish keyboard layout from somewhere? Ohhh… you’ve made quite the impression on their technology it seems, Alex.

The more I looked around the room, the more it resembled a control room of some kind, a thought more-or-less confirmed when I looked out of the glass panels above waist height; before us was another very expansive room, cool blue hues permeating every inch of the place, a large circular chamber coming into view as I moved closer.

To the left and right of the apparent control room were stairs that descended into it; making my way down, the rest followed me, all apart from Ace fanning out behind me, the stallion keeping very close to me.

In the center of the room was a tall, large mass of electronics, seemingly inert at first glance, but as we approached, I could see parts of it reacting to our arrival as peripherals passively moved with our presence.

With a hiss of gasses being released, the upper and lower segments each retracted in their respective directions, revealing an amber-lit chamber with numerous crystal shards within it; a large cluster of them was at the base, their numbers thinning as the crystal structure grew taller, eventually culminating in just a single crystal that seemed to be the source of the amber ambiance.

My ears picked up the sound of mains hum as speakers crackled into life, the screens attached to the device flickering into life as a burst of activity consumed the mass of electronics. Slender metallic arms with black orbs at their tips were now actively moving around us as the bottoms of the walls danced with a small light show, as bars of white light rose, fell, and momentarily left a line of white before that, too, faded from view.

I exhaled and put my hands in my hoodie's pockets. “I take back what I said earlier; this is ostentatious.”

The images on the screens now focused into a three-dimensional visage of the discombobulated head of a stallion with a horn, and I didn’t need any guesses to know who it was.

“Prince Blueblood, I presume?” I offered, in the barest minimum tone of politeness I could muster.

“I suppose you've come to gloat?”

The head on the displays moved its lips and face exactly how I'd expect a real pony to, as those white lights around the bottoms of the walls rose and dropped off in time with the tones of his voice.

I shook my head. “I didn't even know you were here. I thought I destroyed you back there, in all honesty.”

“You overloaded the power grid! I was disconnected when that surge of power burned out the fuses leading into here. I'm preserved… but this machine is running on battery power. When that expires, I will no longer be able to interact with the world. You've condemned me to an eternity of silence in this crystal.”

That last part well and truly caught my attention. “Oh. Ohhhhh! This… computer, whatever you want to call it, that's not you, is it? Are you… imprisoned or something in one of those crystals up there?” I asked, pointing up at the inverted chandelier.

“The crystal is my conduit into the world. My essence, everything that I am, is now bound to another dimensional plane, my soul now functionally immortal. This place allowed me to project my will, but now you've gone and ruined that.”

“Okay, in fairness, you started it. When you escalate a situation, don't be surprised when the other person escalates as well.”

“...Good point, well made.”

I looked around the room before focusing on one of the displays. “Until recently, have you been on your own since you were installed?”

The head on the screen nodded. “Apart from the odd bird… or griffon that got too close to my sensors in the mountain.”

I put my hands on the metal finish of the contraption's controls. “Can you observe things via the crystal, or do you need this… thing to allow you to see things?”

“I observe everything within range of the crystal's magic. I don't know exactly what that range is, but it isn't small. Talking back is really what this machine allows.”

I took a step back, contemplating the choice before me. “It seems to me that there are two possible outcomes here. Either I leave you here to go insane from lack of social interaction, and bear in mind that the next time could be centuries away; or, I take your crystal with me. You get to explore the world with us, in exchange for company and the occasional bit of information… if I can work out how to talk to you.”

Silence fell as the pixelated avatar worked through an impressive number of facial impressions, no doubt weighing up his options.

“It seems I have little choice but to accept your terms. Fine. You may remove my crystal when ready.”

I didn’t need to be invited twice, my magical grasp floating the crystal up and out of its crystalline receptacle, eventually depositing it in Stopper's other saddlebag. As soon as the crystal was freed, the contraption powered down, leaving only the cool blue hues of the illumination from the floor.

I put my hands once again upon the device, feeling its controls with my hands as a blissful silence fell upon the room; there was no longer a hum, and the only sound was the breathing of everyone present.

“Whatcha thinkin’ bout, sugar?” came a voice from the back, my curiosity no doubt on full display to the group, whom I now turned to address.

“When I first entered this place and saw the little teases of technology, I wondered how ponies had developed it. When I saw those terminals back there, the layouts of those keyboards matched Alex's laptop. That's beyond a coincidence,” I said, gesturing to the control room. “I think he's had some influence here; heck, this technology might even be based on the stuff he had on him! That's just… I have no words. This technology might very well, one day, fundamentally alter the trajectory of your society… assuming it hasn't already.”

I looked around the room, marveling at the teases and whispers it no doubt held. I could spend the next month here and still have more questions than answers.

But, I instead chose to follow my self-appointed mission, and for now, that meant getting out of here.

Pulling out my phone, I switched on its flashlight; the illumination it provided would be more than enough to assist our passage out of there.

“Let's all get going. I've had enough of this place for one day,” I said, with a sharp exhale following. Ace naturally kept close to me, and soon we were all making our way out, passing every room and chamber on the way, wasting as little time as possible.

As we walked, I could've sworn that I heard voices in the distance; muffled, indistinct whispers even against the near-total silence of the group, save for our collective steps against the floor.

I chose to ignore it for now, focusing entirely on retracing our steps. Luckily, the earlier havoc I'd wrought seemed to have the side effect of opening every door between us and the exit, and after a little while, we found ourselves at the set of stairs leading up to the last exit.

“I can't wait to taste fresh air again.”

“Yeah, neither can I,” I said, and the entire room looked at me. It took a few seconds for me to realize there was a problem.

“Why's everypony looking at me like that?” I questioned, the wide-eyed expressions on their faces making me take a moment.

“Did nopony hear that?” I said, looking all around to nothing but silence and some of them shaking their heads.

I put my head down and two fingers to my nose, closing my eyes as I contemplated whether or not I was fucking losing it.

“Fine… maybe I'm just more tired than I thought. Let's get out of here, rest up in that local town, and then head back to the city; how does that sound to everypony?” I asked, getting a chorus of nods and approving murmurs in return.

As we ascended the steps, more discombobulated whispers teased themselves on the periphery of my thoughts, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that the incident earlier was responsible.

Either way, I'd deal with it after a good night’s rest and with a clear head.

We passed the final barrier without fanfare; the remainder of the group was getting antsy about our return and were relieved to see us make it out.

Well, some of them were.

“Sooo… where's all the flashy treasure?” Asked a curious Genesis, her wings shuffling in what I was sure was irritation at seeing us mostly empty-hooved.

The door closed behind us as I put my hands on my hips. “An explosion of unknown magical force occurred back there. For everypony's safety, this tomb is off-limits for the foreseeable future. Is everypony clear on that?”

Groans echoed across much of the group.

“I know, and I'm sorry. That being said, we managed to retrieve your two colleagues, and we also retrieved an artifact from back there; however, it seems to be causing some… unforeseeable side effects. So, for now, the artifact is in my custody.”

Kiwi spoke up. “It's true, y'all. Saw it wit’ me own eyes. That amulet he's wearin’ is cursed somethin’ fierce.”

Grateful for the assist, I crossed my arms. “We should rest in the town nearby before we head back into the city. If we leave now, we should make it there by nightfall.”

With agreement all around, we started our journey towards the town, my mind still plagued with whispers and, in a worrying new development, flashes of images in my mind. They were too brief to pinpoint what they were, but each image carried with it a feeling, the most numerous of which was trepidation.

As we got closer and closer to the town, the whispers became louder and more distinct.

“I hope he's feeling okay.”

“You know they only tolerate you, right?”

“You are more powerful than you know!”

“You don't need those other ponies!”

I didn't dare respond to any of those voices, even if I couldn't help but entertain them.

What If they do all just tolerate me…

This was all while trying my best to keep walking while also keeping up the illusion that everything was just fine, despite the reverse very much being true. Ace was walking beside me, and while I could see him glancing up at me occasionally, he didn't raise any concerns if he had them.

Stopper and Tricks were out in front, while Apogee and Genesis flanked us to the sides, with Kiwi, Rhea, and the two Moon brothers directly behind us, the sounds of hooves and feet alike trudging across mulchy grassland being the only companions for us all.

The town itself was modest, although it, like Vanhoover, was showing obvious signs of urban decay, with numerous broken windows on display and nature doing her utmost to reclaim what was once hers as flora of every description smothered the buildings that yet remained.

“Welcome to Stratusburg… what's left of it, anyway,” announced Moon Shield as Genesis led us to a fairly large building, most likely the town hall for this place if the mini statues of Celestia and Luna adorning the entrance were any indication.

I turned to Ice before we went inside. “Did you ever meet them?” I asked, eager for a distraction.

“I was near them several times, but I don't think I was ever formally introduced to them. Why do you ask?” He replied, undoubtedly curious.

As we entered the building with Ace alongside me, I mulled over my reasoning as best I could but decided to ask further questions for now. “Do you know what happened to them?”

“Last I heard, they disappeared. As to where though, I'm not sure. They might even still be out there…” he said as we made our way further inside, the debris strewn around making it clear that this is where the group was previously camped.

I focused on the last part of what the kirin said. “As in… still alive?” I sought to confirm, the kirin merely nodding as I removed the large backpack and took a seat in one of the many chairs in the room with a loud exhale. “How long do alicorns live for, anyway?” I asked as Stopper came into view, who seemed to have overheard.

“Nobody really knows how long they can live,” she said, taking a seat next to me, her armor clinking against the wooden furnishing. “Princess Celestia was at least a thousand years old, or so the stories say. Faust, what I wouldn’t give to sit at her feet and ask her questions about what the old times were like…”

I put a hand to my head, the familiar sensation of a headache spreading across my head. “Sorry, I… I think I need to go lie down. Is there, um, a quiet place I can rest up in?”

Ice turned towards a flight of stairs and gestured with a hoof for me to follow him. I climbed the steps with Ace in tow, and on the upper floor were a number of rooms with beds, all adorned with upholstery bearing the Sun and the Moon.

“When we first came across these rooms, we grabbed the sheets and everything, took it all outside, and washed them all in a stream not far from here,’ said the kirin as all three of us entered the room. The furnishings were rather spartan, but even this modest upgrade was like heaven compared to what was back home.

Home. Home. I really am starting to think of this world as home, aren't I?

I rolled onto the bed as Ace watched over me, Ice making the sensible choice to leave us both alone, closing the door behind him as Ace hopped onto the bed next to me, laying his forelimbs on my legs as yet more whispers intruded my mind.

You know that they'll never accept you, outsider.

Do you honestly think what you do here matters?

I hope he's okay…

I closed my eyes and put my hands up to my face, a long exhale leaving my lungs. I didn't see it, but I could feel the pegasus scooting closer to me. I laid my head back onto the pillows and withdrew my hands, opening my eyes to look at Ace. “It's fine, I'm alright…”

He shook his head. “I know you well enough to know when you’re not being truthful. You've been acting strange since we got out of that tomb. I'm worried about you…” he said.

I looked into his eyes and I saw a look of concern etched into his face; that was all it took for my facade to crumble away. I couldn’t hold back the tears any longer, and I devolved into a sobbing fit interspersed with repeated attempts to stifle the flow, all of them in vain.

“I've b-been hearing voices. Mean ones and friendly ones… all of it’s happened since we found this accursed amulet…” I said, a hand cradling the socketed gemstone.

“I've… been hearing voices too…” Ace confirmed, as he briefly looked away before refocusing his gaze on me. “Or, rather… just one voice…”

I tilted my head slightly. “What has this voice been saying?” I enquired, trying my best to keep my concentration as I nosily cleared my nose. It was then that I felt a wave of… something wash over me, like an ocean wave that was just a hair away from being uncomfortably cold.

It took a few moments for me to process what I felt, but I eventually zeroed in on what it was.

Disgust.

It definitely wasn't me feeling that... at least, not right now. Meanwhile, Ace's expression momentarily contorted, his nose scrunching for an instant before normal service resumed.

I refused to believe that those two events were a coincidence. I could see that Ace was hesitating to answer, but I needed to press on with my questioning. “Ace… what has that voice been saying?”

He briefly continued to hesitate but eventually offered what he knew. “I heard something earlier. It sounded like somepony was asking if others just tolerated them.”

I nodded. “One of the voices… they whispered that to me, making me doubt everything, making me question everything…” I said, wiping my nose on my sleeve. “But… There was one voice among them all wondering if I was okay.”

Ace looked down and I felt something new wash over me. It was hard to pin down; for an instant, I felt like a fox cub curled up in the warm embrace of its mother. It was a fleeting, yet extremely comfortable feeling, but once it departed, I realized that something profound had happened back in the tomb.

“... I felt that, Ace. Has it… been you that I've been hearing all this time?” I asked him, although that thought deeply troubled me given what I'd heard lately.

“I did wonder if you were okay… but that other thing you said? That wasn't me…” he conceded.

I nodded, extremely grateful that he wasn't the source of those hateful messages… leaving a very big unanswered question as to their origins. Before I could focus on that, however, I felt something else stir in me. This one made me recall a memory; the time I treated my last boyfriend to dinner at a Korean restaurant, a feeling of closeness, comfort, and… love. But, as soon as it came, that feeling disappeared, like that thought was being scrubbed away.

I sat up and took one of Ace's hooves into my hand, gently squeezing it as I ran a thumb over his fetlock. “Hey, Ace… don't push that thought away…”

Of course, he fell into the trap of not thinking of something automatically making him think of something. That sensation returned to me, only now it felt like I was in the warm embrace of someone, an innate and intimate feeling of safety that I hadn't felt since… Well, the night we spent together. I let his hoof go, more out of shock than genuine intent as I looked into his eyes, despite their best efforts to avoid my gaze.

“Ace… how long have you felt this way?” I asked as I fully sat up and crossed my legs.

“Since… uh, not long after we left the settlement. I didn’t say anything 'cause I wanted to wait until we got back. So, uh, yeah…” he said, blushing profusely at this point.

I crossed my arms and exhaled, looking down for a moment, “I’ve been such a fool,” I said to myself. That got Ace’s attention as he moved his head lower to look up at me.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

I tried to avoid looking at him, but I eventually caved and met his gaze once more. “I was the one that escalated things… and I was the one that started getting physical with you. How could… I just… I wasn’t counting on anypony here being capable of, well… having feelings for me. I guess I really shouldn’t be that surprised about it, but… damn.”

Ace was looking at me, almost expectantly. Lying to him wasn’t an option, nor him to me; that infernal amulet around my neck was making sure of that, for better or for worse.

“Ace, I… need some time to think about this. I’m only just now starting to feel like this world is my home, and I need to think about how I feel about all of this, because, honestly, I’m a bit of a mess right now. Let’s just… get some sleep, and we’ll talk this over some more tomorrow, okay?”

The pegasus nodded at me, which I took as my cue to flop back onto the pillow. Turning over on my side, I patted the empty part of the bed next to me, gesturing for Ace to join me, a request no doubt strengthened by him presumably feeling that I was thinking it. He lay down on the bed, back toward me, and I reciprocated by putting an arm around him, pulling him in closer for a warm embrace. Maybe he’d have a stabilizing influence on my sleep tonight, just like he did last time, a thought I continued to entertain even as I drifted off to dreamland.

Unfortunately for me, I was about to endure something far worse than a fitful sleep.

Chapter 09 - Nightmare

Perspective: Aerial Ace

When I went to lie down next to Stuart on the bed, I felt awful, but not for me; I’d spent the last few hours watching him behave more and more erratically, and while I was deeply concerned, I kept those worries to myself rather than worry him that I was worried. He’d been continuously looking around him, at things that weren’t there, but he hadn’t done anything to harm us or himself, so I just continued walking with him, silently hoping that he was okay as I let my worries eat away at me.

Not that I had a choice to walk beside him… that thing he was wearing around his neck had somehow bound the two of us to it, meaning that neither of us could be far from that trinket before the distance made us weaker.

I found it difficult to drift off to sleep that night; I heard whispers of thoughts from him, saw fragments of memories, and felt shards of emotion as he seemed to wrestle with himself over and over again.

I witnessed bits and pieces of what looked like his old life. I saw him hurt people, and I felt the stinging guilt he felt every time he remembered something like it; all of a sudden, that first day of his in the settlement made sense to me.

~You don't know me. You don't know the life I’ve lived. I’ve hurt people, and I’ve done unspeakable things for selfish reasons.~

Until now, I thought he’d been exaggerating, but he hadn’t. Maybe he was tired, and what I saw was just a result of being unable to fend off those thoughts. Or… maybe he did this to himself every night; maybe he tortured himself for his past mistakes right before he drifted off to sleep every time he went to bed.

I felt him get angry after each pang of guilt before it was all followed by something much colder. It felt like fear, and it seemed to accompany images of us, his friends. Was he afraid of something happening to us… or of us saying or doing something?

I struggled to imagine what such an existence would be like, but then I realized that, maybe, we weren't so different; I often found my mind wandering at night. I remembered my home; my parents, all taken away from me on that darkest of nights.

I was dreaming of seeing my mother and father again when I was woken up by Stuart violently sitting up. I froze for a moment, trying to hear what was happening.

“Who are you?” he asked. I turned around to find him getting out of bed and about to open the door; I immediately scrambled to join him as he practically flung himself out of the room and toward the stairs.

“Stuart… What's happening?” I asked, but he didn't even acknowledge me. I continued to keep pace with him even as he struggled to walk; his gait was uneven, but still full of purpose as he made his way to the building's exit.

“What are you?” he said as he practically slammed the doors open, stumbling out into the twilight of morning. He immediately started heading for some grassland; his feet, with nothing more than socks on, picked up dirt and other debris as he walked. As I followed him, two more ponies joined me.

Stopper and Tricks practically bounded out of the doorway; both of them were missing their armor, probably just awoken from sleep themselves.

“What the buck is he up to?” Stopper asked me as she pointed to Stuart, followed by a yawn, to which I could only shrug my shoulders.

“He just woke up like this. I don’t think he can hear us,” I said to them as I kept close to my friend. Shambling about still, he led us to an open grassy field, whereupon he put his hands to his head and shouted.

“Get… out… of… my HEAD!”

Without warning, a violent storm cell arrived out of nowhere, the weather suddenly engulfing us as a swirling purple-tinted fog surrounded Stuart, my friend crying out in agony with his hands still clutching his head, writhing in visible agony. That same dark purple fog now thrashed the skies above us as streaks of lightning thundered across the underside of the strange cloud formation.

The wind viciously whipped around us as Stuart took his hands off his head, making fists with them as he lowered them to his sides.

His appearance had changed; his brown hair, once flat on his head, was now standing fully upright as arcs of powerful energy rippled and danced across the individual hairs. His exposed skin had fissures of bright purple, while his eyes swirled with a bright, menacing green aura. His expression, initially a visage of suffering, had reformed into a devilish grin as he looked all around the landscape.

“Now, isn't this interesting? I never thought that another human would grace these lands.”

The voice was Stuart’s, but yet it wasn't; it was underlined by artificial, metallic tones that spoke of a foreign invader occupying his body, which was now flexing and limbering as surges of magic pulsed from his hands.

“The arcane output of this one is strong; he doesn't even understand the greatness he's capable of! He will make a fine vessel for my power; the night shall last FOREVER!”

That last word of theirs whipped the storm around us into a raging tempest as it raised Stuart's arms above his head, arcs of energy flying out of his hands into the skies above. At the same time, I felt something on the periphery of my thoughts, like I was watching a hailstorm approach as a cold front washed over me.

I saw… darkness. Cold, empty, foreboding darkness that was coupled with an icy rage that transcended anything I thought I was capable of feeling. I was at a loss as to what to do, feeling a sense of hopelessness soaking my body. But, as I looked on in despair, Stopper stepped forward while Tricks hung back.

“I’ve heard stories about you!” she shouted as she moved in circles around her new quarry, “I know what you are, Nightmare! You might’ve succeeded in taking over his body,” she continued, her voice rising above the cacophony of the howling winds, “But I know that Stuart is still trapped in there, and I know that he will defeat you!”

The Nightmare…

I always thought that the Nightmare was just an old mare's tale, something invented to frighten colts and fillies over a campfire when telling spooky ghost stories. Now I'm learning that it's actually real?!

My surprise was cut short when that… thing extended a hand toward us and grabbed Stopper with black magical tendrils, pulling her toward it.

“Speak only when spoken to, peasant!”

It then flung her to my right with an almighty swing, causing her to crash and roll on the ground with an audible yelp. After a moment, she very slowly started getting back onto her hooves. Undeterred, she continued to defy it.

“I've suffered worse from better creatures! Stuart, you have to listen! It’s a parasite; it's feeding on your doubts and your fears! I don't know what it's been telling you, but it's not true!”

The expression on Stuart's face changed to one of annoyance.

“I've only told him the truth, my little ponies; I have seen the darkness within him, and I know the evil that he is capable of! He will never be accepted here for what he has done!”

Stopper shook her head as the wind continued to howl around us. “And yet, he’s done more for us in a month than you ever have!”

“She's right!” Chimed in Tricks as he stepped forward. “I've heard stories of you, too, Nightmare! You're like a plague of locusts that swarms when it senses a meal! You bring nothing but disaster and despair wherever you go!”

Whatever was controlling his body started becoming more agitated, the swirling violet storm above us becoming erratic as bolts of lightning struck the ground around us, leaving craters and burned vegetation across the field.

Don't hold us back, my little human! You can feel my power coursing through you, can’t you? You know that you can use it to accomplish your mission! Total protection against the dangers of this world! All you have to do is join with me, as we were meant to be!”

Stopper wasn’t finished yet. “Stuart, if you accept that offer, you won't be you anymore! That’s what the Nightmare does; it bides its time, just waiting for the right moment to strike, and when it does, it consumes the mind, body, and soul of its victim in a never-ending thirst for power!”

Looking at and walking over to me, Stopper put a hoof around my back, leaning in to whisper something into my ear.

“Tell him.”

I looked into her eyes, her expression telling me all that I needed to say. I took a gulp and stepped forward, the wind whipping my face as I looked up, staring down the Nightmare that had possessed his body.

“I know you can hear me, Stuart!” I shouted, the apparition turning its head to look at me an expression akin to confusion. “You are accepted here, by all of us! You've shown us how to be better ponies, and that's more than anypony else has done for us in a long time! Don't give in to what that thing wants, you're better than that!”

The wind suddenly died down and the green aura in its eyes flickered; something was happening, and I sensed that it was no coincidence.

“I've seen what you've done, Stuart,” I began, no longer needing to raise my voice. “I felt it all last night; the horror, the guilt, and the anger you felt at yourself when you relived those memories.”

The storm above us started to dissipate, giving way to a dark, overcast sky behind as the vortex started to diminish, although it still continued to swirl menacingly.

“And then, I felt something else; you thought of us, and you became afraid. I didn't know what it meant then, but I know now what it means; you fear losing us. Well, you've had our backs, and now, we've got yours! We’ll follow you into Tartarus itself if that's what it takes to help you!”

The apparition sank to its knees, its expression changing to one of profound discomfort as it raised its hands to its head, almost like a battle was being waged inside. I approached it, feeling Stopper's watchful gaze upon me.

“I know we had that talk last night, but I want you to hear me say it… I've just been too scared to do it. So… here goes…” I said, closing my eyes briefly and taking a deep breath.

Come on, Ace! You can do this!

“... I love you,” I said as the entity seemed to be struggling to maintain control, Stuart's body now violently writhing against an unseen force as a primordial scream ripped its way out, his head now facing the sky. Tendrils of inky black now regurgitated out of him, taking with it a hulking mass of darkness from his body, the entire thing seeming to escape into the vortex above us, the magical portal closing as the last of the darkness slipped beyond its horizon.

Stuart's body crumpled forward, and we all darted over to him, my hooves immediately rolling him onto his back as I desperately searched for signs of life.

To my relief, he suffered a coughing fit, his body rolling itself onto its side as control of his limbs seemed to return to him. As he began to sit up, his coughing fit subsided, and that trinket once more came into view, the socketed gemstone continuing to rhythmically pulse with magical energy as all three of us stood in front of him.

Before any of us could react, he lunged forward and grabbed us all, holding our bodies against his in a powerful, suffocating hug. A muffled “Thank you.” left his mouth as he relaxed his grip upon us, all of us taking a moment to stay and ensure that he was okay.

“You beat it.” Said Stopper, her face lit up with what, for her, was an uncharacteristically happy expression.

“Beat it?” He fired back. “No… You don't defeat something as powerful as the Nightmare just like that…”

—

Perspective: Stuart Robinson

I thought that sleep was all that I needed. I put my problems down to fatigue and exhaustion and willed myself to be rid of them when my head hit the pillow.

Sleep, however, was difficult; my mind became filled with unfamiliar images like I was watching an out-of-sequence stop-motion film. A burning village came into view, punctuated by flashes of grim atrocities.

Sleep eventually called out to me, but soon I found myself in a similar mental position to when I'd examined the first Mnemosyne Crystal… only this time, darkness extended all around me. I then felt a cold and furious presence invade my personal space, and a chill began to creep over me.

I then suddenly found myself back in the room, having been dumped unceremoniously back into reality. Still, the presence swirled in my mind, while my base instincts took over as my body got out of bed.

“Who are you?” I asked it as I stumbled out of the room and down the stairs.

“I am the beginning, the end, the one who is legion.”

The only thing I knew now was that whatever this thing was, it was immensely powerful, for I could feel the hum of magical power throb within me.

“What are you?” I demanded as I forced the lower doors open, my body now striding towards an open field, for I was determined to lead whatever this thing was away from what was left of the town… and my friends.

“I have been many things, little human, but I will always be The Nightmare. I have come to you with an offer: accept my power, and I will aid you in your mission.”

I was struggling harder and harder against its influence, and I felt my vision grow darker as I dragged my body across the wet, muddy grassland. I didn’t have shoes on, and my socks were by now thoroughly soaked by the damp grass and mud.

“You know that these little ponies will never accept you for what you’ve done, manling! I have seen the things that you’ve done, things that you had to do. We are destined to join together!”

The voice was booming inside my mind, to the point where I felt like my head might burst as I stumbled further into the empty field. All I could think about was how good it felt to be praised, even as the pressure building up inside me became overwhelming.

“Get… out… of… my HEAD!”

“Then accept my offer, manling!”

The throbbing in my head intensified, and all I could think of was a way to end my torment, to end the unrelenting assault upon my senses. The presence responded as if it were reading my thoughts.

“Accept… and be free of your pain!”

I whispered something that I never thought I would ever say to anyone… and yet, I saw no alternative, no way to escape the spirit that was subjecting me to such a brutal onslaught.

“I surrender.”

In an instant, a cold embrace wrapped around me, my mind giving in to the temptation it was being offered if only to stave off the unrelenting torture. I felt my body surrender control to the apparition, its muscles and ligaments moving under a will not of my own. I could now see out of my eyes again, my vision once more unencumbered, but I was now no longer in control of where they looked, my soul reduced to being a passenger in its own body as mental barriers squeezed my inner voice every time I tried to speak or move.

“Now, isn't this interesting? I never thought that another human would grace these lands.”

I heard my voice, but it wasn’t me in control of it; a most distressing feeling indeed. The entity was obviously aware of Alex, but precisely to what degree remained a mystery to me, although flashes of its dealings with him ran through my mind; it would seem that our thoughts were intertwined.

“The arcane output of this one is strong; he doesn't even understand the greatness he's capable of! He will make a fine vessel for my power; the night shall last FOREVER!”

It was an incredibly weird feeling hearing somebody else praise me like that. As the voice crowed, images of the past raced before me. I saw what looked like memories of the entity taking over the body of Princess Luna, becoming Nightmare Moon. I watched as that same Nightmare Moon wreaked havoc upon the land, and I witnessed Princess Celestia using the Elements of Harmony to banish the Nightmare to the Moon. I saw it grapple with Alex, and inflict much the same suffering as it had upon me, and a thought occurred to me: did it specifically target me because I’m human?

Those memories made me realize that I was dealing with something that was both incredibly ancient and incredibly powerful and, in a moment of weakness, I’d allowed it to take over my body and stifle my mind. The squeezing upon my very being got worse, as if my increasing despair weighed me down more and more against the ruthless efficiency of this eldritch horror. It was then that I heard a voice calling out.

“I’ve heard stories about you! I know what you are, Nightmare! You might’ve succeeded in taking over his body, but I know that Stuart is still trapped in there, and I know that he will defeat you!”

The voice was unmistakably that of Stopper; she was brimming with confidence that I was going to defeat this creature. While I didn't share her enthusiasm, it warmed my heart to see the faith she had in me, especially considering our past… history together.

I was caught by surprise when the entity used my body as a conduit for its dark magic, grabbing Stopper and pulling her toward me in a violent chokehold as inky black tendrils of force shot forth from my hand.

“Speak only when spoken to, peasant!”

Without warning, the creature controlling my body flung her to the ground with its magic, a pained yelp sharply penetrating the air as I desperately, and impotently, tried to fight against the invisible chains holding me in bondage.

I was getting angry, a desire to rip this thing limb from limb building inside me even as the creature contained my rage in its invisible prison. And yet, Stopper got up and continued her defiance of this evil being.

“I've suffered worse from better creatures! Stuart, you have to listen! It’s a parasite; it's feeding on your doubts and your fears! I don't know what it's been telling you, but it's not true!”

Well, that explained why I felt myself get weaker earlier; could positive thinking really defeat an abomination like this? Was it really that simple?

“I've only told him the truth, my little ponies; I have seen the darkness within him, and I know the evil that he is capable of! He will never be accepted here for what he has done!”

In my heart, I knew that it was right. I deserved neither love nor happiness for the suffering I'd inflicted. I felt more of that icy darkness enveloping me, and I made peace with the knowledge that this prison was to be my punishment, my torment, and my just desserts for my past crimes.

“And yet, he’s done more for us in a month than you ever have!”

As Stopper continued her impassioned defense of me, I conceded to myself that I might've been a help to them now, but could I trust myself to continue doing it? I had difficulty believing that I could.

“She's right! I've heard stories of you, too, Nightmare! You're like a plague of locusts that swarms when it senses a meal! You bring nothing but disaster and despair wherever you go!”

Tricks’ words rang true, but it only added to my sense of hopelessness; how could I hope to defeat something that insidious, that relentless in its pursuit of power?

I felt a surge of power building up, and I could feel the magical energy about to target Ace as he cowered in front of the invader occupying my body. With an almighty mental heave backed by furious anger, I temporarily interfered with its control, diverting my hand to cause the magic to harmlessly target the ground as bolts of lightning struck the grassy field around us, leaving holes and charred vegetation as a reminder of the sheer power that this thing was capable of.

It was a small victory, but an important one, for I now knew that this being was not invincible, despite every fiber of my soul screaming that struggling against it was futile.

It was right; I could feel the raw power surging through my body. I may only have been a passenger, but I could still feel everything… and it felt great. Being surrounded by that kind of power was beyond intoxicating.

“Stuart, if you accept that offer, you won't be you anymore! That’s what the Nightmare does; it bides its time, just waiting for the right moment to strike, and when it does, it consumes the mind, body, and soul of its victim in a never-ending thirst for power!”

Stopper's words flowed into me, but the arcane energy cascading through me was at that point impossible to resist.

“I know you can hear me, Stuart! You are accepted here, by all of us! You've shown us how to be better ponies, and that's more than anypony else has done for us in a long time! Don't give in to what that thing wants, you're better than that!”

My vision had now squarely focused on Ace, his positive reinforcement brushing up against me like the warmth from his body I'd previously enjoyed. My thoughts now turned to what would happen to him, and the others, if I allowed myself to succumb to the Nightmare's Siren call.

I made a decision, right there, that I wasn’t going to allow anyone to harm my friends, least of all this foul abomination. I fought back against the force trying to contain me, applying every ounce of mental fortitude I could muster. I knew it was working, at least partially, for I felt the howling winds die, the cacophony replaced by the general sounds of nature.

“I've seen what you've done, Stuart, I felt it all last night; the horror, the guilt, and the anger you felt at yourself when you relived those memories. And then, I felt something else; you thought of us, and you became afraid. I didn't know what it meant then, but I know now what it means; you fear losing us. Well, you've had our backs, and now, we've got yours! We’ll follow you into Tartarus itself if that's what it takes to help you!”

Apart from my family, only one other person has openly accepted me for who I am, knowing what I’ve done. I thought back to the week that Alex and I met, to the only time that I'd ever felt like that.

—

My university had a foreign exchange program, and I was paired up with Alex. They liked to pair up students from different disciplines; they clearly felt that technology and biology were an interesting and mentally stimulating matchup.

For the first week after we got paired together, I kept my distance from Alex. My mind was still haunted back then by my experience of being arrested, my journey to the police station, and being questioned in an interview room with only the duty solicitor as counsel.

I remember vividly the police coming to my house at six in the morning, rounding me and my roommates up in the living room, and above all, I remembered the thumping beating of my heart as my world threatened to crumble around me.

It was surreal. I didn't think that it would happen to me, that only other people got arrested. It was like having an out-of-body experience; I was just watching as events unfolded. Several of my roommates were in tears, demanding to know what was going on, and I remained utterly silent like the coward I was. They escorted us all to our respective rooms, and in a state of near-panic, I did something incredibly fucking stupid.

I admitted that I knew why they were there; I didn't tell them everything, giving them just enough general information to know they had their suspect. Then, they formally arrested me and read me my rights, and while I wasn’t handcuffed, I was led outside in disgrace and bundled into the back of an unmarked police van. At the station, I then had one of the most profoundly uncomfortable conversations of my life, my mind plunging to new depths of shame that I didn’t think were possible.

And I only had myself to blame for it.

Unbeknownst to me at the time, all of my computer equipment had been confiscated, and I was bailed pending investigation. They didn't find much, but I was offered a deal to accept a formal caution, which I took on advice from my solicitor. I was only eighteen, and I now had a criminal record. Granted, my life wasn't over, but it was now going to be vastly more complicated.

The new term started, and already my reputation was ruined; my peers wanted nothing to do with me, so I did as they wanted, and I isolated myself as much as possible. My experience at the university soon parallelled that of the one I had at school; snide comments, dirty looks, and occasional physical contact that was just begging for me to retaliate.

Only this time, I'd earned all of it.

A month after the new term started, the exchange program kicked off. By then, I was so used to cutting myself off from others that I no longer thought about it, I just did it. When Alex and I were paired up, I just assumed that he would hear about me from everyone else and that he'd do the sensible thing and stay away from someone who would do him absolutely no good.

Only… he didn't stay away. Quite the opposite, in fact; he outright did his best to spend as much time as possible with me, someone who was probably very lousy company. I knew he'd been talking to others; after all, it wasn't hard to miss him in the students’ canteen as he socialized with the rest of our peers. On the Monday of the following week, he was waiting for me not far from the campus to invite me for a morning coffee, since we both had a free half-day; I tried to dissuade him, but the stubborn bastard wouldn't take ‘No’ for an answer… which I was going to learn was very typical of him.

I thought that if I put it all on the table, he'd see sense, and stop this foolish pursuit of trying to befriend someone who didn’t deserve it.

So, I laid out my shame in precise detail. I explained that I was tired of being the butt of a joke whenever I walked into a classroom, of being assaulted without consequences, and of being the general punching bag of the class. I told him that I swore to myself that I would have my revenge.

I stated, from the outset, that I knew what I did was wrong, but I insisted on laying out the scope of my crimes. I explained my rationale; I didn't believe that my tormentors were capable of shame, so I resolved to target members of their families instead to make my problem their problem.

I told him that I used all my knowledge and skills to make life hell for those around the ones who'd made my life a living hell for nearly five years.

Bitchy emails, unflattering voicemails, compromising photographs, and what should have been secure financial information all made their way into the hands of people who shouldn't have had them. I was arrested because I got careless; I didn't obscure myself properly with one particular indiscretion. That, I explained to Alex, was all they could pin on me, hence why I was offered the deal for a formal caution in lieu of it going to court.

I remembered his expression; completely stone-faced, looking at me with a piercing set of eyes that felt like they were trying to burrow into my skull, before he asked me a question.

“Are you sorry for what you did, or are you sorry that you were caught?”

I told him that both were true; I was genuinely sorry for the distress I'd caused, but I was still feeling sorry for myself at being caught, on top of dealing with the shame of others knowing of what I'd done. I told him that I regretted my actions and that I felt remorse that I had dragged my family into my mess. I explained further that my mother and father stood by me and supported me in the aftermath, but my sister wanted nothing more to do with me; I said that I would do anything to repair the damage that I'd caused and that I regretted and lamented the fact that some relationships might not be repairable… and that I had to live with the consequences of that.

He looked at me and leaned forward, my body doing the same.

“You are going to swear something to me, and I will swear it with you. We are going to swear it on the blood of our families. No matter what we do in life, who we meet, or who we fuck, this is going to bind us together until the day we die. Do you understand?”

I honestly wasn't sure what to make of that, but I was too intrigued to say no, so I nodded in acceptance, prompting him to recline back.

“Repeat after me. ‘I solemnly swear…’.”

Nodding once more, I went along with it.

“I solemnly swear…”

“That from this day forward…”

“That from this day forward…”

“I will not tolerate injustice…”

“I will not tolerate injustice…”

His eyes remained focused on me as we each spoke our parts.

“Nor will I use people for selfish ends…”

“Nor will I use people for selfish ends…”

“And neither will I inflict pain or suffering upon someone…”

“And neither will I inflict pain or suffering upon someone…”

“For any reason…”

I hesitated for a moment, but I continued.

“For any reason…” I said, matching his vocal inflections.

“Until the day I die.”

I swallowed hard.

“Until the day I die.”

—

I used that memory to help me further in shattering those supernatural bonds. I sensed I was getting closer, and I could feel my body sink to the ground as the Nightmare's control over it seemed to be weakening.

“I know we had that talk last night, but I want you to hear me say it… I've just been too scared to do it. So… Here goes... I love you.”

That verbal demonstration of affection was just the pick-me-up I needed; I'd had it spelled out to me that I mattered, that I was desired, and honestly, I hadn't heard enough of that in my life. But, to the entity still clinging on to control of my body, those words were like poison to it. With a final mental heave, I at last managed to cast off the dark tendrils that had ensnared and squeezed my spirit like a boa constrictor, the Nightmare presumably retreating back to its domain as it released its grip on me.

The world went black, and the next thing I knew, I was on my back, the dampness of the grass soaking through my hoodie and into my shirt. I was so surprised that I mistakenly swallowed some saliva down the wrong way, and I started furiously coughing, rolling onto my side out of habit.

As normal service resumed, I sat up, the three of them all sitting in front of me, each pony wearing an expression of intense joy.

I was so overwhelmed that I immediately pulled all three of them into a hug, being so, so grateful for what all of them had just done for me. I could barely speak, but I uttered at least one “Thank you” as tears threatened to burst forth from my eyes.

“You beat it,” said Stopper, who looked noticeably more chipper than I'd known from her recently.

I just shook my head and looked down at the ground briefly.

“Beat it? No… You don't defeat something as powerful as the Nightmare just like that.” I mused as I looked back up at the group. “Even now, I can still hear it, still feel it, like white noise in the background. As you said, Stopper; it bides its time. I sensed supreme patience when we shared a consciousness together. I saw, firsthand, that it can wait centuries for the right time to strike… just like it did with me.”

I chose to not get up to my feet for now, instead consolidating my seated position by crossing my legs and patting my lap while looking at Ace, my eyebrows raised in an open invitation to sit in it.

It was an invitation he accepted gladly, the pegasus practically bounding into my lap as I wrapped him up in a warm hug, applying a smooch to his forehead as I resumed looking up at the others.

“I saw memories of when it possessed Princess Luna. I felt how it seduced her, what it did to her… but I only saw that after I'd surrendered control to it. I… never want to feel that way again. So… It looks like I’m going to need to be vigilant to keep that… thing at bay, and I’m going to need the help of all of you to do that. But, after that little display earlier, I know that I don't even need to ask for that help from you all.”

The two unicorns just saluted, which made my smile wider; as they lowered their hooves back down, they both turned their heads to see behind them as the sound of hoofsteps became noticeable. Eventually, all of the other ponies came out to join us, led by Ice Wisp. I raised a hand to them as they approached, the kirin trotting ahead of the group to join the three of us still sitting on the ground.

“What in Tartarus was that?” Ice asked as the other ponies sat on the ground some distance behind him.

Lowering my hand, I sighed. “Hopefully something that won't be coming back. Sorry if it gave you folks a scare back there.”

Ice just stood there. “That… was the Nightmare, wasn't it?”

“The what, hon?” Said Kiwi from the back row. I just looked at Ice.

“I suppose I can't be surprised that you know about the Nightmare.” I conceded. The kirin did attend the School of Friendship; after all, he'd probably heard stories about it firsthand. But, others here? Probably not.

“You should come back to Las Pegasus with. I know a couple of ponies who arrived there about a year ago; they said that they were scholars from a far-away settlement, and the Nightmare came up a few times in conversation with them.”

I was intrigued. “Who are these ponies?”

The kirin put a hoof to his chin for a moment. “Uhh… I don’t remember their names but I know that one's a pegasus, and I think the other’s a unicorn. They claimed to be sisters.”

I put Ace back onto the ground and I got up, still looking at Ice. “Sounds like two ponies that I'd like to meet. Right, everypony, gather ‘round and listen up!” I shouted as I beckoned everypony to come closer, all of them following my cue to sit around me as I prepared myself.

“So, as you all know, there have been some changes…” I began as I momentarily looked at Ace before returning my gaze to the rest of the group. “Those changes mean that I need to make adjustments to the structure of the squad to maintain efficiency. So, first up…”

I looked around the group, looking as serious as possible. “Since Ace is pretty much anchored to me by this damn gemstone around my neck, he cannot effectively serve as the squad's scout. So…” I trailed off as my gaze fell onto Tricks. “That duty now falls to you, Tricks; and, along with that I am hereby promoting you to the rank of Private First Class for your distinguished service to date.”

To say that the unicorn looked happy was an understatement, a wide grin covering his face before he remembered where he was. “Thank you, sir. I won't let you down,” he said with a salute.

Nodding, I once more turned my gaze to the squad. “I also need a more mobile Executive Officer. So, Stopper…” I said, now looking at her. “You are being promoted to the rank of Specialist, for your exemplary conduct thus far. You are now also my Executive Officer. I'll talk more about that with you later.”

No such emotional contribution came from her, the unicorn neatly saluting and nodding.

“And one more. Ice Wisp; for your help, I am authorizing a promotion for you also to the rank of Private First Class. I’m also making you the squad's Second Officer; in the absence of myself and Stopper, you are in command, and again, I'll go through things with you later as well.”

I could tell that the kirin didn't know what to make of it, merely nodding amidst his visible nervousness, and nearly fumbling a salute… but, I let that one slide, under the circumstances.

Crossing my arms, I turned my attention to the group as a whole. “Now that that's over with, pack up the supplies and prepare to move out. We head back in one hour.”

—

We began our journey back to the city now knowing the lay of the land. Tricks took to his new role with enthusiasm, and as we set off, I explained my intentions for Stopper and Ice in their new roles. All the while, I could feel that Ace was feeling let down by what had just happened, the shards of guilt from him being quite unmistakable, and I knew that I needed to put his mind at ease.

“Right, you three,” I began as the wider group fanned out from us, leaving me to walk with Stopper and Ice, and of course, Ace, the four of us, for now, walking together in tight formation. “Let's run down what I expect after that little reshuffle earlier.”

All eyes were now upon me as we walked together across the grassland between Stratusburg and Vanhoover.

“Stopper, you have several responsibilities. First and foremost, you're to support me in the orders that I give. I welcome alternatives, of course, but once I've made a decision, it is your responsibility to carry it out, regardless of how you may personally feel about it. Any further objections should be given to me in private, not in front of the squad.”

The unicorn nodded, and I turned my attention toward Ice Wisp. “Ice, you as Second Officer are the contact point for the rest of the squad for any issues or problems. If there's a major problem, you raise it with Stopper. Additionally, if both myself and Stopper are either incapacitated or separated and thus unable to command, that puts you in charge.”

Ice nodded. “What are your orders for when, or if, something like that happens?” He asked.

“Fall back to the settlement; one of my guys can show you the way back. You are then to report to Commander Battle Scarred, and provide a report to her on the situation to date and then follow her orders.”

I harbored few illusions that things would be that easy if the worst happened, but I heard no complaints for now, the two nodding and fanning out ahead of Ace and I; while the two of us were verbally silent, however, the mental chatter between us was anything but.

“You know that I had no choice, Ace,” I spoke with my mind's eye, to which I was surprised to hear a direct response.

“I know. It still hurts, though.”

The rest of the journey back was spent in silence, save for the occasional stray thought between us. Hours passed, but eventually, we returned to the city… and just in time to watch a situation developing.

As we began our final approach back to the town hall, we could all see three ponies in the square just before it. As we came in closer, I could eventually make out that two of them were Crush and Flame, with an unidentified third pony standing opposed to them on the other side.

As I tried to remember where I'd seen the other pony before, I got a nudge from somepony else.

“Just letting you know, that's my mom up ahead,” Apogee said, her gaze fixing on the mare in the distance, their gray fur and white vest now coming into view.

“What should we do?” I asked, keen for suggestions as I remembered that her mum was probably the one that Stopper had punted away from our cart shortly before we arrived here.

“Um… just let me go on ahead and I'll see just what the fuck she wants,” she asked, my head still not used to hearing a pony properly swearing.

Nodding down to her, the freckled yellow pegasus took off as snippets of the argument could now be heard coherently.

“... so, where is he?!”

“... um, p-please calm down, h-he's not here right now, b-but he should be back soon…”

Apogee immediately went across to the gray-furred pegasus while Ace and I looked at each other before darting straight for Flame, her face lighting up like the Blackpool illuminations as we approached her, Crush merely nodding at us as we took up a position in front of them, casting our sights all around at the confrontation.

“Can somepony please fill me in on what the fuck is going on here?” I demanded with a modicum of courtesy.

“You!” replied the gray pony, the mare holding up a hoof to point at me.

“Yeah, I remember you, too. I hope you didn't hit the ground too hard after my associate gave you a right good kick,” I fired back, remembering when Stopper made her leave our acquired vehicle by force.

“You stole my cart! That was my junkyard you plundered!” She replied, smashing her hooves onto the stony ground in anger.

I shrugged. “I saw no signs of declared ownership. You really should do a better job at protecting your valuables in the future,” I retorted as the mare was reigned in by her daughter.

“Mom, I told you to put signs up and keep the gates closed! If this human didn't didn't steal that cart, somepony else would've eventually!” The young mare fired back at her mother, causing the elder pegasus to storm off in a strop.

As Apogee turned to me, I put my hands in my hoodie's pockets and exhaled. “Look, I'm sorry I took it, but this world isn't exactly a forgiving place. As much as I loathe it, I’m learning that it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission around these parts.”

The young mare sighed. “I know, it's just… she's my mom, y'know? It's her own fault ‘n all, but I still don't like seeing her angry. Meh, maybe Dad can build her a new one…”

I tilted my head. “Where's your dad?”

“He’s in Las Pegasus, probably tinkering with his inventions again… Honestly, you’d probably like him, he’d be excited beyond words if he knew he was about to meet a human for the first time.”

I chuckled. “Well, you guys didn’t really seem that fazed when I showed up.”

The pegasus shrugged. “Long hours on patrol will do that. It’s just… kinda hard to see something wondrous for what it is when all you’ve seen so far is conflict and strife.”

That got my attention.

“Wondrous, huh? I assure you, I am undeserving of that compliment.”

“Now you’re just being modest. Maybe when you first showed up, you were undeserving of it… but if what Ice said on the way over, that you beat the Nightmare of all fucking things, then you are something special.”

I raised my eyebrows. “You know about the Nightmare?”

“Only because of my dad. He’s brilliant… from what he’s told me, Alex lectured his father personally at the old School of Friendship in Ponyville, and he passed down all that knowledge to my father. Then, my father did the same with me.”

I sighed, looking at her in a slightly different light now. “You’ve had to grow up far sooner than you should have had to.”

“Welcome to my world,” she said, walking off to go chase down her mother who'd wandered off into the distance during my conversation with Apogee. Her presence was replaced by Flame's, the earth pony sauntering up to give us a look over.

“Oh my, you two look exhausted! Was your trip… a success?” She asked, completely oblivious to what had transpired between Ace and I. Crush moved closer, and both Stopper and Tricks had by now joined us, too. Perfect time for a confab now that my inner squad was all together… but there was one issue still lingering in my mind.

“Yeah, it was; we rescued the two ponies trapped in that tomb back there. How’s our prisoner been during our excursion?” I asked.

Crush sighed. “Restless. What should we do with him?”

I sighed. “The others seemed completely done with him, and I sure as shit don't want him tagging along with us. But, we'll deal with him in a moment; for now, I need to make you aware of something else that happened to us.”

I made motions to Flame and Crush, and soon, they and Ace too were sitting in front of me.

“We found this in the tomb,” I remarked, holding the trinket around my neck briefly with a hand. “Ace and I both went for it and something… explosive happened. Now, we seem to both be tied to it.”

Flame tilted her head. “Um… t-tied to it?”

I nodded. “Yeah. If either of us stray too far from it, we get weaker… like an inverse kryptonite.”

Now it was Crush's turn to tilt his head. “Crypt-o-nite?”

I waved a hand dismissively. “Doesn't matter. The point is… this means that Ace and I have to stay together, at all times. So, that means I've had no choice but to change the squad formation…”

I shuffled forward a bit with Ace in tow. “I know that you guys aren't really part of the command structure, but you still need to know about this change. Ace here… is no longer my Executive Officer; Stopper has now been given that role. Additionally, Ice Wisp is now the squad's Second Officer.”

Looks were exchanged between the two before they looked back at me. They didn't even have to speak for me to know their concerns.

I held my hands up briefly. “I know what you're both thinking. But, he's quite knowledgeable, and I think he understands the bigger picture; those message fragments could yield valuable information about the past… and, maybe some clues for what we should do next.”

Crush spoke up. “If you think it's a good idea, we've got your back. How do you want to handle… him in the basement?”

“Assemble everypony and have them all meet me in the square. Only fair that all concerned get a say in what happens to him.”

Crush saluted as he departed, leaving me with the others as the earth pony went off to gather up everypony else. Just as he did, a pang of discomfort shot through me, and I didn’t even need to look down to know who it was from. I hunched down and gave the pegasus a one-armed cuddle as I looked up at the others. “Can you guys, um… give us a few minutes?” I asked, getting nods of understanding in reply as they vacated our personal space.

As the two of us were left alone for the moment, I lowered my voice and spoke to him. “I know that this hasn't been easy for you… least of all because of what happened earlier. But, I need you to know that this is something that needs to be done. Scar would make the same call if we were back at the settlement with her.”

Ace was clearly taking a longer pause than usual to collect himself before he responded. “... I know. I just… want to be useful... to you, and to the squad. I know that I'm being sidelined for a good reason but… it still hurts.”

I put an arm around the pegasus and pulled him tighter to me, a gesture he leaned into as we both sharply exhaled. “I know… I know. Maybe we can find somepony who can help us with it?”

The pegasus just weakly nodded his head, and I figured that now was the right time to discuss what happened earlier.

“I know you might be feeling a little embarrassed after what you said,” I said, giving the stallion’s ears a few scritches. “But, I need you to hear this next bit from me: words are not enough for me to thank you for what you did for me… for what all of you did for me. I am… beyond grateful that you helped me cast off the shackles of that… thing.”

Ace just looked up at me. “Is it… gone?” He asked, hesitantly.

“I can’t hear it anymore, but… I can’t shake off the feeling that something feels different, somehow.”

It was such an alien feeling that I couldn’t put it into words. Maybe I’d be able to express it later…

Meanwhile, the pegasus rubbed his head up against me. “I’m just glad you’re back with us…”

“So…” I began, pausing briefly to sharply exhale, “... where do we go from here? Should we… see where a relationship leads? Is that even the right thing to do here?”

That caused Ace to get up to look at me directly. “What do you mean?” he asked.

“Well… this world is very dangerous. Something might happen to one of us… and what then? One of us would leave behind someone… I don’t know if I could handle that. I don’t know if you could handle that…” I said, trailing off as the thought of losing any of my friends crossed my mind. A deeply unpleasant and gut-wrenching thought.

Ace was now almost muzzle-to-face with me. “... that’s what love is. Or, so ponies keep telling me…” he said, lying down on the ground and looking up at me. “From the day you showed up here, you accepted me for who I am. You showed me affection like nopony else has, and you held me when I needed it most.”

I nodded while looking down at him while occasionally glancing off to the sides. “From the day I arrived, you’ve been beside me. At my lowest, you were there to comfort me. You allowed me to share your personal space… and some deeply intimate moments. And, it was your words that granted me the last bit of mental strength I needed to throw the Nightmare off my back. That’s a debt that I don’t think I can ever pay back…”

Ace scooted up closer to me, holding out a hoof. “Let me be yours, and I’ll consider that debt paid in full.”

I took the hoof in my hand and squeezed it, suddenly aware that I was practically grinning like an idiot at the pegasus propositioning me… but, I didn’t care. This one act alone made everything so far worthwhile.

I pulled Ace toward me and gave him what I’m sure felt to him like a suffocating hug before I pushed him back a little to plant a soft kiss on his lips, one that was eagerly reciprocated by the stallion, and before I knew it, we were swapping saliva and smacking our tongues against each other’s… that is until we were rudely interrupted by a green-furred earth pony approaching us.

“I've, uh, grabbed everypony I can. Whatever you're about to do, you'd best do it now.”

Disengaging from the pegasus, I nodded and got up as Ace followed me dutifully if a little woozily, all eyes turning to me as I approached what had probably been the center of the town square, the large water fountain in the middle decayed and very likely hadn't been used in decades.

“Everypony, listen up!” I shouted, enough to get every eyeball fixed on me. “We have a bit of a situation that we need to resolve before we move on… and it's sitting in that basement.”

With all their attention focused on me, I continued. “I don't have the right to decide what happens to him. The right belongs to a court of his peers… which is all of you. Tell me; if you find out that a member of your community had been hiding things from you, hiding quite valuable things, in fact… how are crimes like that treated on this planet?”

Genesis took a step forward. “At the very least, they get exiled. But, the worst offenders? They get executed.”

I guess I shouldn't have been surprised; practically all post-apocalyptic fiction from Earth depicted a breakdown of civil liberties, often to the point of a brutal, authoritarian regime taking control. Someone allowed to remain is someone taking up valuable resources.

“I'd prefer to not execute somepony if it can be avoided,” I stated, “Does his crime fall within the remit of exile?”

Nods abounded from the group as Genesis continued. “Yeah. He'd be banished and forbidden to return, either to us, Las Pegasus, or any outposts of ours. And, well… you know how hostile the world is out there; now, imagine how much more hostile it would be for a clanless pony.”

Stopper spoke up next. “I'd execute him. If we let him go, he could become a problem for us in the future. If I was back in my old clan, we'd kill him and bury him in an unmarked grave.”

I turned to look at the unicorn. “That's a bit cold, isn't it?”

She just shook her head. “We would inflict the greatest insult of all to ponies like him: to be forgotten.”

“Hmm. I'd never actually thought of it like that; horrifying, brutal, and just a little bit callous. I think we’ll stick with exile if that has a consensus with the rest of you?”

Nods echoed throughout the group, except for the ticked-off unicorn.

“Very well. Crush and Ice? Could you please escort our guest from the basement and bring him here?”

Ice nodded while Crush saluted, and as they both went off, Stopper approached me. “Can I speak with you in private?”

I instantly knew what this was going to be about, and I ushered her off to a little alleyway between two crumbling buildings, Ace following as usual.

“Sir… I think this is a mistake.”

I knew she'd have to really be concerned to speak up like that. “Very well. Make your case, Specialist.”

“By imprisoning him, we've made an enemy. Do you know how powerful spite is as a motivator?”

“What are you saying, Specialist?”

“I'm saying that, if we let him go, he could seek us out later for revenge; either us specifically or his former comrades.”

I had trouble believing that. “He's just one pony.”

“The right pony in the wrong place can make all the difference in the world. Tell me, is this about doing what's right, or is it about avoiding killing somepony?”

“I…”

My words died in my mouth. I knew, deep down, that she was right. I didn't want to kill anyone; the death of that manticore earlier still weighed heavily on my mind, never mind the thought of adding to that total. Was it even possible to turn back from crossing the Rubicon despite being waist-deep in its waters?

“You're right, Specialist. I don't want to kill. On my world, I like to think that such a mindset is one of the hallmarks of being an enlightened individual. Maybe that'll rub off on your world if I try hard enough.”

She sighed, and I could tell that she was bitterly disappointed in her words not being heeded.

“Look, Specialist… I know that you might be right… but I'm fighting a cause for all of the lost tenants of society that this world needs to remember. This is all in pursuit of higher ideals; revenge, spite, and mistrust have no place in a right and just world, in the world that, by all accounts, used to occupy this very land. I need you to trust me that fighting for those ideals is a battle worth fighting.”

She nodded and looked up at me. “Alright, then. Looks like he's being led out into the square; we should head back.”

I nodded and with the other two following I strode back out onto the cobblestone paving, the rest of the ponies fanning out into a circle around the fountain as Crush and Ice accompanied Golden Sunshine. He’d been freed of restraints and entered the circle with no small amount of apprehension.

I stepped forward, for it now fell to me to enforce the collective will of the group.

“Golden Sunshine. Your peers earlier formed a quorum to discuss your fate, and they have now come to a decision.”

A pause followed, the stallion sitting down and frowning at me. “Just get on with it!” he shouted, the earth pony firing a taunt at me like a last, desperate arrow from the bow of a wounded archer.

“Very well, then. Golden Sunshine… by the power vested in me by Commander Battle Scarred, and by the authority of those assembled here today, I must sentence you to exile. You are banished from this place and are forbidden to return to Las Pegasus. Additionally, you are to be treated as an enemy combatant; if any one of us sees you again, you will be shot on sight. Now, I suggest that you get moving before the group enforces its judgment; if you get moving now, you might even find shelter by nightfall.”

A small gap opened up to the road that I assumed would lead out of the city, the stallion slowly undertaking a walk of shame. A few meters up the road, he turned to address us all, but me in particular. “Remember this day, human! For one day I shall see you again, and your ambitions will turn to ashes in your mouth.”

Stopper looked at me with that oh-so-obvious ‘I told you so’ look as the rest continued to watch him walking out of the city, all of us keeping our collective gaze upon him until his body became naught but a pinprick in the distance. One by one, the ponies started to look back at me until someone broke the silence.

“What’s our next move?” asked Moon Shield, with murmurs of concurrence from the others.

“I think we should head for Las Pegasus… or, what remains of it, anyway. Those of you who have just joined us can rejoin your home settlement, and we can all take stock of our next steps from there. Does that sound good to everypony?”

Nods and whispers of approval swept through the group, with very obvious and direct nods of approval from both Stopper and Ice.

“Then it’s settled. We’ll take a couple of hours to wrap things up here and pack up all of our equipment, and then we’ll move out. Now, get to it; Dismissed!”

Everypony scattered, save for Stopper and of course Ace by my side. The unicorn merely nodded to me in a silent ‘I hope you know what you’re doing’ look before walking off. As I turned heel to join her, my thoughts returned to the earth pony’s warning.

A pit formed in my stomach that, for all my good intentions, I might have just unleashed a problem that would now be waiting in the winds. I hoped to whatever forces were listening that such a thing would not come to pass.

Chapter 10 - What happens in Las Pegasus...

Packing up everything took longer than expected, but we were forced to press on even as twilight descended on the land. We were all aware of the potential dangers of night travel, but our collective food rations were running low, and either we headed to Las Pegasus or we returned to camp. Las Pegasus was much more interesting as a destination, so we decided to press on and make our way there.

The disused train depot had several manual locomotives and open carriages in various states of decay and disrepair, but after a short while, we'd managed to cobble together a complete train using a combination of parts of what the group had brought with them from Las Pegasus and what was left in the depot. The vehicle we hijacked, however, was a complete write-off.

After putting together a three-carriage vehicle and giving it a time-constrained inspection, I now found myself a passenger in our Frankensteined train as it trundled along, with Crush and Stopper currently taking turns on the locomotive cart. I sat in the middle carriage with Ace lying down at my side trying to sleep while I channeled a low-power fire spell - just enough for our path ahead of us to be illuminated as a fireball moved in the sky along with the train. Everypony else was in the rear carriage. Of course, our speed was slower than usual due to the very low light conditions, but our new squad members were confident that we'd reach Las Pegasus by dawn at this speed.

I then felt fur brush against my vacant side as Flame came to sit next to me. She looked weary and had probably had as little sleep as me.

“Hey. Sorry, I guess we haven’t had a chance to talk lately. Do you… feel anything down there at all?” I asked, trying to restrain my enthusiasm at even the remote possibility that we’d created something together, but the mare’s response extinguished any hope of that as she shook her head. I could see that the mare was struggling to hold back tears, so I reached out to give her a hug with one arm, the earth pony soon devolving into muffled sobs against my hoodie as the wind swept through our hair. I knew it was a long shot, but…. God damn did it hurt.

After a few moments, she nodded that she was fine and settled into a loafing position next to me as I looked to the front of the train at Tricks, now on his first official tour of duty as the squad’s scout. He'd already demonstrated an aptitude for it on this trip by spotting several hazards on the tracks, calling out for the brakes to be applied, and for the rest of us to get out and deal with whatever it was he spotted.

And by ‘the rest of us’, that tended to just be me, like using Levenesis to move a particularly large stray boulder from the tracks.

As I was thinking about how well the tracks had held up over the years, a voice shouted, “HALT!”

With quick reactions from Stopper, the brakes were applied, and soon the air was filled with the screech of metal as our speed died and the train came to an abrupt halt. The cacophony was enough to nudge Ace awake, and after a few groggy moments coming back to the waking world, he joined me as I hopped out of the carriage, canceling my fire spell and letting my eyes adjust to the darkness as the fireball extinguished itself in the next few seconds.

After some welcome stretches, we both approached Tricks, who was still in the Locomotive cart as he peered down over the metal fencing surrounding all of our segments.

“What did you see, Tricks?” I asked, curious what it would be this time. The unicorn just pointed a hoof to a location forward of where we'd stopped. “That.”

My eyes were still adjusting to the darkness, but even against the poor starlight from the skies above, it was easy to see that something was rampaging across the landscape. Something big.

I looked down at Stopper, who'd just hopped off the locomotive cart. “Options, Exec?” I asked.

She barely blinked before responding. “Pre-emptive strike. We distract it, and you zap it.”

I gazed at my hands, once again thinking back to the manticore I helped slay before I turned back to briefly look at those now under my care.

Your squad comes first. You must do what needs to be done. Even if that option is violence.

“Zap it, huh? Not torch it with fire?”

“It's a chimera. They're fire-aspected creatures; you'd actually heal it with fire.”

“I… huh, really? Well then, let's do… uh, it's coming right for us!”

The creature had no doubt had its curiosity piqued by our arrival, and it approached us at a fair rate of knots, my hands throwing up a fireball into the sky to raise the light level, mostly for my benefit so that I could see what we'd be up against.

The chimera stopped a short distance away from us, the light from above revealing its features in all their terrifying glory. From its front, it had the head and upper body of a tiger, and another head and the lower body of a goat, while a serpentine tail nestled between them, at the head of which was… well, the head of a snake, baring its fangs menacingly as all three of them took in the sight of us.

“What a sssssssurprise to see our next meal, ssssssserved to us on a sssssssilver platter.”

The voice was feminine, and yet it instantly carried a weight of deviousness and cunning.

“A roaming band of ponies, so far from home! Enough of you for a proper meal…”

The next voice was the head of the goat; this was much more recognizably feminine, with an air of charm to it and even a hint of flirtatiousness.

“Surrender, and we will make your deaths quick.”

The voice of the tiger's head, while still feminine, was much more guttural and rough, the beast raising one of their feline paws and very suddenly extending its claws.

Realizing that I was about to deal with a sapient being, I took a step forward. The heads collectively recoiled, which brought a smile to my face.

“I take it that you've seen one of my kind before?”

“Ssssssso many years ago, wearing a pair of gauntletsssssss did he attempt to slay usssssss.”

“You are unarmed! You cannot save these ponies from our hunger!”

“Your blood will flow like a tidal wave!”

The heads continued to threaten us, making my next decision much easier.

“Ponies, scatter!”

On cue, everypony apart from Ace immediately made themselves scarce, running off behind me to take refuge in the flora and darkness. My hand immediately unsheathed Oathkeeper, causing the chimera to reconsider charging at me, the fireball above continuing to illuminate us as I moved to the side, coaxing the creature over to me to make it avoid the train.

“You are clever, human. We ssssssshall relisssssssh wearing your ssssssskin like a sssssssuit.”

It was hungry, and it was desperate. But, I still had to give it a chance.

“You don't have to do this. Walk away… or however you move, and we'll forget we ever saw you.”

As I resheathed Oathkeeper, the creature took that as its opportunity to surge forward, allowing me to test a theory I'd been baking in my head on the ride here. I first ceased channeling my fire spell, leaving it to fizzle out in what would be a roughly ten-second delay. I then began to cast a Telekinesis spell, but in a departure from what I’d done previously, I instead tried to concentrate the force on a single point in front of me. That force then swelled into a blue-tinted spherical ball as I surged magical energy into it. I then cast a second Telekinesis spell with my other hand, which I then used to grab and quite literally push that ball into the path of the oncoming chimera.

“Hadouken!”

I scored a direct hit as the ball of force smacked into the tiger's head with the force of a bowling ball before the shock of the impact caused the magical spheroid to disintegrate, the creature stumbling over itself before slumping to the ground in a crumpled heap as its front legs failed. Ace and I ran off to evade the faltering attack as the light source snuffed itself out, taking cover in the darkness so that I could have enough time to pull off another double cast. Ace quickly kept pace with my movements, in spite of the darkness.

“You okay there, Ace?” I asked quietly as the pegasus crouched behind me.

“Me? What about you? What the buck was that move?” He whispered back.

“Get up you bumbling fool!”

The goat half of its body seemed to kick the tiger's head with a cloven hoof, but the delay I'd bought was going to be its downfall. It was going to hurt like fuck for me, but it was either the chimera or my friends, and I sure as shit was going to pick my friends.

As the creature unsteadily got back onto its feet, I felt arcs of electricity cross my hands as I commanded each one to channel its own Thunder spell, letting the spells’ power reach their collective peaks before unleashing them against the chimera.

“Thunder!”

As the power word unlocked the mental barrier in my mind, the sum of all that magical energy ripped into the hapless creature, wails of pain ringing out as the bolts of lightning arced across to it, leaving cracks and scars in its flesh and fur that continued to burn and smolder even as the creature fell silent into a much more silent heap.

I waited for the inevitable burning sensation to radiate across my back… but nothing came. I had no time to dwell on that, however.

“Let's get back to the train, follow me closely,” I said to Ace as we sprinted back to the carriages. Once he and I boarded it, I threw up another fireball into the sky to once again bathe the train and our surroundings in light.

“Ponies, assemble!”

I felt no end of satisfaction saying that as everypony came out of hiding to board the train as every one of them took up their former positions.

“Get us underway, on the double!” I commanded Stopper and Crush, the two of them putting in tremendous efforts to get us away from the charred hulk of the chimera at a rapid rate of acceleration as the chilly wind of the night once again ran across skin and fur alike, my hands continuing to keep that ball of fire above us to light up our path as we charged ahead.

Slumping back onto the hard wooden deck of the carriage, I propped myself up with my backpack as Ace and Flame once again settled into furry loaves at my side as I clenched and unclenched my fists repeatedly. I couldn't stop thinking about the lack of pain from earlier, a thought that gave me much anxiety as we trundled along for several more hours, Ace continuing to try and get some rest as Flame and I shared a mutual sad glance and a cuddle.

As Ace drifted off into slumber, I found my mind staring into his thoughts: A village on fire, the mangled and butchered bodies of other ponies strewn about the place like discarded rubbish… and a crimson-red mare in a cage, crying out for Ace as she's led away.

He'd never once mentioned any of this…

I wasn't one to pass judgment, and I'd be tactful when asking him what it was all about, but the scene was still shocking to witness, in all of the casual brutality of it.

The remainder of our journey was free of incident, with all of us getting a wake-up call when dawn broke and the Sun's rays fell upon us. As soon as light conditions permitted, I ceased my low-level spell channeling and properly relaxed for the first time since we'd departed Vanhoover.

Yet, even amidst that spell of peace, my mind kept going back to the chimera from earlier, and how I was able to unleash full-strength spells without suffering any ill effects.

I should've been happy, and yet I was deeply concerned. I shouldn't have been able to cast those spells without consequences, and the reasons for the situation changing ranged from the concerning to the alarming.

I was so engrossed in my own thoughts that I barely registered our train entering a depot. As I shook myself free of my mental rut, I looked around and could immediately see that this depot was much more elaborate than any I'd seen so far here. The entire structure was ornate with a canopy that was seated with patchy stained glass windows that obscured and transformed the Sun's rays into a multihued rainbow as we approached the buffers at the terminus.

Once we'd come to a complete halt, Kiwi and Ice hopped off of the locomotive cart, the two of them having taken over from Crush and Stopper a couple of hours ago, while the rest of us wearily made our way off to join them. After a few stretches, I dusted off my hoodie and made sure that Oathkeeper and my backpack were secure before turning to Ace, the pegasus’ yawning enticing my body to reciprocate with a yawn of my own, my fatigue threatening to rear its head once again.

Ice took point and led us out of the building to a road, stopping for a moment to point a hoof toweard the end of it. “Our village is down there, in the suburbs before you get to the ruins. Follow me,” he said as he made his way down the bricked road that was pocketed with flora that sprouted from its cracks. In the distance, I could see skyscrapers that still stood, the skyline not dissimilar to ones from certain cities on Earth. It wasn't as big as Canary Wharf, but it was certainly more impressive than Des Moines, even in the state of urban decay that it seemed to be in.

As we continued walking, the sea started to become visible to our right, and a marina with several boats attached to it indicated some degree of recent, sustained use.

Moving further inland, larger structures came into view, like warehouses made from corrugated iron and smaller bricked structures that could’ve been commercial properties previously, in addition to smaller personal dwellings, all of them suffering from a lack of skilled maintenance as vines and decay stretched across most of them.

Eventually, we came to a large set of open metal gates with an arch over them that read ‘THE SKY'S THE LIMIT’, confirming for me that Las Pegasus was indeed very likely a pegasus-dominated settlement previously.

As we all walked inside the settlement, numerous ponies emerged from various places, my immediate vicinity now awash with many, many different hues of pastel-colored ponies as they crowded around us, a barrage of questions and comments bombarding us as we attempted to make our way forward.

Two ponies seemed to stand out from the others, so much so that other ponies seemed to go out of their way to make room for them as they waded through the crowd concentrating around me as I alone apparently and understandably elicited a state of curiosity from them as I was prodded and poked by hooves and snoots alike.

As the two purpose-filled mares further trudged through the sea of ponies, the ones near me started to fan out, until only I and Ace remained together as the pegasus and unicorn approaching us got closer, enough for me to get a really good look at them.

The pegasus on the left had a coat of brilliant white, with a mane and tail of gold that shimmered in the light, almost as if her hair itself were enchanted. On the right was a unicorn, with a coat of a deep navy blue and a mane and tail of a lighter but still quite solid blue, the individual fibers twinkling as if obeying a silent spell of their own.

As they drew closer, their cutie marks came into view; the pegasus on the left possessed one of a gold feather against the backdrop of the Sun, while the unicorn to the right had the vista of the Moon peeking through a patch of dark clouds.

They both wore something akin to jewelry, the pegasus wearing around her neck a golden triangular amulet of sorts, while the unicorn wore a simple silver earring in her right ear.

Once they were within four paces, they stopped and sat down, the pegasus looking around and smiling at some of the ponies in our group who'd made their way home before ultimately turning her attention to me.

“My apologies for the rather overwhelming welcome from our little community. They, like me, have heard numerous stories from long ago of a creature that looked very much like you. A creature that… touched the hearts of many. Tell me your name, newcomer, and why you have come here.”

Her voice was… almost matronly, as if it was inviting you in for a cuddle and a cup of hot chocolate. It was like a Siren's Call, only it called out to me to be stringently honest.

“My name is Corporal Stuart Robinson, and this is my squad; Aerial Ace, Show Stopper, Flaming Peach, Crushing Shield, and Tricky Canvas. We are on a mission to recover some very important gemstones relating to that individual of which you speak.”

“You are not the first to covet the powers of gemstones, for that individual also had a singular fascination with them.”

The unicorn's voice was direct and brash, yet her tone was refined and she spoke with an air and grace that only those with an enlightened education could reach.

Ice quickly stepped forward, the two ponies before us nodding at his movements.

“This one personally knew the Prince of Knowledge. He spoke of their friendship, so we have brought him here to enjoy our friendship. He helped us recognize the value of working together, and of standing up to injustice.”

The unicorn and pegasus shared a brief glance, while I took a step forward toward the pegasus, crouching on the grass before her.

“You had an earth pony by the name of Golden Sunshine accompany them to Vanhoover. He dishonestly kept secrets from his crew, and it was decided that he was to be banished, for he put profit and greed above the safety and security of his squad.”

This caused the pegasus to clear her throat. “I see. Then it is fortunate that you have been looking out for my little ponies. You have my sincerest thanks for your efforts. You… knew Alexander Kintobor?”

“I did. On my world, he was my friend, and I was his. Everywhere I go, I see reminders of the influence that he's had, the lives he's touched, and the friendships he's made. It was an honor to know him, as I’m sure you’d agree if those stories are even half as true as they suggest.”

The unicorn stayed seated while the pegasus walked up to me and held out a hoof.

“Any friend of Alexander is a friend of ours. Welcome to Las Pegasus, Stuart.”

“What is left of it, sister,” said the unicorn curtly as she got up to approach me while I shook the hand of the pegasus. As the unicorn extended a hoof toward me, however, she froze and locked her gaze upon me as her facial expression contorted into what looked like curiosity, followed by apprehension, and then fear. Suddenly, she turned tail and quickly galloped away into the distance, leaving me and the pegasus alone as I concluded my handshake with her outstretched hoof.

“My name is Golden Feather. That was my sister, Lunar Dawn… please excuse her, she was never one for the social graces. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to see what's bothering her.”

The golden-maned pegasus then ran off to chase down her sister. Meanwhile, I smelled a rat, and I turned to my squad as I approached them with my hands on my hips.

“All those in favor of chasing after them, raise a hoof.”

As I looked across at them, I could see Ace, Stopper, Crush, Flame, and Tricks all raising a hoof, making me smile as I nodded to them, but as I continued looking on, our newest squadmates also raised their hooves; Ice, Kiwi, Rhea, the Moon brothers and Genesis all stretched a hoof into the air, making me smile wider. After a short delay, Apogee sighed and raised her hoof, and then prodded her mother, to also raise her hoof, which she did.

“I love it when a squad understands its commander. Come on!” I said as I gestured a hand towards the distance, and soon all of us were racing after the two ponies that had departed.

It didn't take long to find them again as the pegasus chased after the unicorn and caught up with her, the rest of us then having to chase them both down as they slowed while I silently cursed my fitness levels.

They noticed our approach only when we were almost on top of them, leaving them little choice but to stand there as we all came to a halt about ten paces from them. As I slowly approached both of them, Lunar Dawn suddenly stepped in front of her sister.

“Stand back! I demand that you come no closer, you demon of darkness!” She shouted, causing even her sister to give her a worried look as the unicorn pointed a hoof at me in an accusatory manner.

“Sister, what has agitated you so? He has only just arrived here…”

The unicorn continued pointing a hoof at me, jabbing it further in my direction. “I can sense it, dear sister. I can sense the taint of the Nightmare upon him! Just as befell Alexander!”

Now, that got my attention as I very, very slowly moved towards Lunar Dawn.

“Look, I don't know how you can sense what's happened to me, but I've had a very shitty week. I've been imprisoned in a tomb, I've had to kill nasty creatures to survive, and just to top things off, I’ve had to deal with an fucking eldritch horror trying to take control of my body, which I was only able to fight off with the help of some of my friends here. I'm shattered, and I'm hungry, as are the rest of my squad behind me. I'm begging you to allow us to rest here.”

The pegasus put a hoof on the unicorn’s shoulder. “He has fought off the Nightmare, too, it seems...”

I heard that, folding my arms with a sterner expression.

“Who are you? And I mean who you really are. You're obviously older than what your bodies suggest for you to know what you do.”

Lowering her hoof, Golden Feather approached me. “Fifty years later… could it be that another Empyrean has come to our lands?”

I raised a hand to point a finger upwards. “Uh, sorry, what’s an Emm-peer-ree-ann?”

Having calmed down a little, the unicorn addressed me. “If you are truly another Empyrean, then there is much we should discuss. You and your friends are most welcome to follow us to our place of residence, and that includes our returning citizens you took into your care.”

Extending my hand out in a ‘lead on’ gesture, the two ponies before me peeled away and cantered off, leaving me and everypony else to follow them as they brought us to a large collection of buildings in the middle of some fields.

As I followed and crossed the boundaries of the conglomeration, it became obvious that this was a farm of some description as we passed by a chicken coop and open fields of numerous crops.

“You seem to be doing well out here,” I commented, eliciting a response from Golden Feather.

“We only came here last year. From what we've been told, crop yields were much higher in the past, but something's causing a decline in crop yields and we can't seem to pinpoint what’s causing it…”

We were led to a warehouse, mostly empty except for a stack of compressed hay blocks in one corner. As Golden Feather moved to the far end, Lunar Dawn hung back to close the door behind us before joining her sister.

“We are about to reveal our true forms. Prepare yourselves,” The pegasus asked, to which we all nodded as I crossed my arms.

The two ponies closed their eyes as their respective accessories started to glow, a searing ball of white light causing me and likely everypony else in attendance to cover our eyes until it ceased.

As the light faded and we all recomposed ourselves, I was immediately drawn to the two ponies opposite us, who had seemingly been replaced by two, very much taller ponies.

In Golden Feather's place was the form of a pony that was the clear tallest of the two now, her coat a shimmering white with a multihued mane and tail that seemed to ebb and flow as if were influenced by an invisible breeze. More notably, she had both wings and a horn, and as I moved around to look her over further, I observed that her cutie mark was a full-on image of the shining Sun. She was as tall as I was, not including her horn, which itself was much longer than any unicorn’s horn I’d seen to date.

In Lunar Dawn's place was a pony with a deep navy blue coat and a mane and tail that carried whispers of starlight as they too danced to the tune of an invisible force. Like her companion, she also had both a horn and wings, her cutie mark being that of a crescent moon against the inky backdrop of a dark cloud formation. Her height compared to me was only about half a foot shorter, again not including her horn.

I immediately knew that I’d seen both of them before, in Tricks’ dossiers and in the statues I'd seen in Vanhoover. Deep in my bones, I felt them exude an invisible force that made me feel like I was in the presence of two ancient and powerful ponies. I couldn't help but be in awe, even if I'd never met them.

Looking around me, I could see all of the other ponies bowing with their heads lowered, all of them very obviously conducting such gestures in a mark of deep respect, possibly even reverence, maybe even feeling that same sense of awe as I was. Following suit, I bowed my head for a few moments before the white-coated one spoke.

“Your fealty is heartwarming to see, my little ponies, but it is not needed, for we are no longer the rulers of these lands. For those of you who have lived here, we are sorry to have deceived you; we felt it was best that we remained hidden, but alas, we can no longer do so now. I believe there is one amongst you in particular to whom we should introduce ourselves properly.”

As she finished talking, she spread her wings to their fullest, demonstrating her impressive wingspan before tucking them both back to her sides.

“Fifty yeeeeears will give you such a crick in the wings, am I right?” I asked as she smirked.

“Quite true, Stuart. Your name was spoken many times by Alexander after he came here. My name is Celestia… formerly Princess Celestia. This is my sister, Luna, formerly Princess Luna. Together, we used to rule the nation of Equestria that previously exercised dominion over these lands.”

Luna then took a step forward. “As you may no doubt have guessed, we have chosen to remain hidden… everything we fought for has fallen apart since Equestria fell. The time of the alicorns has ended, and we no longer have our magic to avert what is happening… to our eternal shame.”

Celestia then also took a step forward. “It is a pity that you do not have gauntlets like Alexander did. He was quite the magic wielder, that one.”

“So is he,” interjected Stopper as she stepped forward to stand next to me. “He took down a chimera single-hoofedly… er, handidly. Whatever. The point is… he's a capable mage without needing those gauntlets. He’s not bad at swinging a sword, either.”

“Ah, so this one is a battle mage? The parallelity of this one's path to Alexander’s grows more by the minute,” replied Luna as a small smile grew on her muzzle.

Exhaling, I moved over to the compressed hay bales, pushing some over to clamber atop the rest of them as I ensured my sheathed sword didn’t get in the way while letting the stack also take the burden of the weight of my backpack. As I took a much-needed seat, all of the other ponies now approached me, with my squad to my left and the former princesses to my right.

“So… tell me what an Empyrean is, and why it relates to either me or Alex.”

Celestia and Luna shuffled their wings.

“Well… Luna and I were once Empyreans. There is… a force that courses through this planet, woven into its very being. Every so often, a soul appears to be chosen by that force to do great things.”

“When a soul is chosen, not even death can claim them until their task is concluded.”

As each sister spoke, I nodded my head.

“What does that have to do with Alex… or me for that matter?” I asked.

“We did not know it when he arrived, but Alexander's soul had been marked to become an Empyrean, just as ours were, long ago. We only knew about it when he…”

Celestia's voice trailed off, her face looking down at the floor, leading me to lean forward.

“Tell me what happened,” I said, my voice firm.

Neither of them seemed eager to tell me, and that worried me beyond belief. Seconds upon seconds passed without a single word, causing my tired and irritable mind to betray me in frustration.

“TELL ME!” I shouted at the two sisters, everypony present visibly recoiling at my outburst.

“He um… h-he died.”

As Celestia uttered those words, I couldn't believe that I'd just heard them.

No…

I don't believe it.

I can't believe it.

I won't believe it.

I was frozen, waiting for somepony to make it make sense.

“After he died… something reanimated him,” continued Luna on her sister's behalf, “Even now… when I close my eyes, I can still hear his screams…”

Still, I sat, in utter silence, having to hear about a friend enduring the ultimate agony… and feeling an impotent rage stirring within me that I wasn't there to prevent it from happening to him, as both of my hands pressed into the hay bales, my fingers digging into the hay as I wrestled with anger and rage. It took every ounce of my self-control to resist having an angry tantrum.

“Celestia… you mentioned something about a soul being chosen to do great things. Was Alex… was he restored to life to accomplish something, some… specific task?”

A curt nod was her reply. “I believe he was… although he never spoke about it to us. Now, Twilight Sparkle on the other hoof… I'd be very surprised if he never spoke about it with her.”

A neuron fired in my brain, back to Tricks’ dossiers and that photograph of Twilight Sparkle looking up at Alex.

“I take it that they were more than just friends…?”

Luna and Celestia both nodded in unison. “Yes. They were lovers,” declared Celestia.

I smirked. “I saw the look Twilight was giving him in a photograph. On my world, we'd call that look the ‘I've seen you naked’ look.”

Crush snorted. “I've seen you naked. It's nothing to write home about, you know…”

The entire warehouse, me included, then erupted into laughter that seemed to dampen my earlier anger.

You are an absolute bastard, Crush.

Celestia then turned to address the ponies of my squad. “I have something I want to ask you all… and, Stuart? I want you to remain utterly silent while I do it.”

In no position to argue, I crossed my arms and nodded with a mild eye roll as the former princess enforced her will.

“Tell me about your companion here. He’s clearly led you a long way to get here… and I want to know what made you all follow him.”

A bit of shuffling and an awkward silence followed, to be frankly expected when you put anyone on the spot.

“Because he reminded us of better times. They might be behind us, but he’s taught us that they can be ahead of us as well. Even if we’re not the ones who get to experience those better times.”

Stopper’s endorsement was a far cry from anything I would have expected from her if I were just going by her conduct on the day we met. To say that I was proud of her would be a monumental understatement.

“He swore an oath to protect us and our settlement, and to uphold the ideals of friendship, courage, and gallantry of Equestria… even if that place no longer exists today. Oh, and he likes giving speeches, too.”

Ace was undoubtedly paying attention that day, and that brought a smile to my face, but his admission caused both of the alicorns to turn to look at me.

“He did, did he?” remarked Luna. “Wouldst thou all agree that he has discharged his oath with honor and distinction?”

Every single pony nodded their head in agreement.

“You could scour the land and not find anypony as honorable as he is,” replied Crush, the earth pony nodding at me solemnly as a mark of respect, a gesture I returned in kind.

The two sisters looked at one another.

“If I were a betting pony, dear sister…” said Luna with Celestia nodding in response.

“Even as one slumbers, another has possibly arrived.”

Luna nudged her sister. “Could he…”

Celestia nodded her head. “Yes, he could…”

The two once more shared a look before they both turned their attention to me. “Our apologies. We… were not expecting this turn of events. If you truly are an Empyrean… then you are crucial to this world’s survival, more than you could ever know,” said Celestia.

I shook my head. “I’m just an engineer. I’m not worthy of having something like this thrust upon me. There are billions of souls on my world who would have been a more worthy choice than me. Why me? Why fucking me of all people?”

The two of them looked down at the ground momentarily before Celestia spoke again. “The how and the why is always a mystery… We don't know why we were chosen, long ago. Maybe your closeness to Alexander was a factor? Or, maybe you were just in the wrong place at the right time.”

I got up and paced back and forth a bit in the warehouse as I collected my thoughts before addressing the princesses once more. “You mentioned that Empyreans can’t die until their task is completed. What happens after they complete their task?”

Luna cleared her throat. “In our case, our lifespan ticked forward as normal. Alicorns can live for around five hundred years, and that’s barely started to accrue for us. As Empyreans, both my sister and I have lived for over three thousand years. We are once again mortal, and eventually, both of us will pass and our spirits will then return to the great Faust, the Maker of All.”

I made a mental note to ask about that later, for I was intensely curious about any form of supernatural deity pertaining to creation myths.

“Why did you step down from the throne?” I asked.

“Before we abdicated,” began Luna, “I felt another presence in the dream realm. It was familiar, yet alien, reminiscent of an ancient and powerful being from our ancestral home. That is why we tasked Twilight Sparkle to lead Equestria in our absence, while we tried to confirm our suspicions.”

“And… did you?” I asked as Luna shook her head, putting aside my personal desire for her to explain what the ‘dream realm’ is.

“Nay. When we found no further clues we could follow, we returned to these lands…”

“... only to find that we could no longer fly, and nor could we use our magic.”

I put a hand to my chin, stroking what was by now a decent-looking beard. “You sound surprised by that.”

“That is an understatement. We've been trying to piece together what happened,” clarified Celestia. “Likely the same as you have.”

“We knew of the tensions with the one called Opaline before we left... but never in a thousand moons did we ever think that Twilight Sparkle would implement so… so drastic a solution!”

“So… this was all her doing? That doesn’t explain why Alex went into stasis, though.”

“Well…” Celestia continued, “From what we've uncovered over the years, we think her solution was based on technology that he helped to develop.”

I reclined back into the hay as another piece of the puzzle seemed to fit into place. “So… it would seem that here, Alex is your version of J. Robert Oppenheimer.”

Luna tilted her head. “Who is that?”

“A scientist from my world who helped to develop a deadly weapon, and he felt that he had blood on his hands when it was used in warfare where it killed thousands. Granted, the two situations are not an exact comparison, but I think the analogy fits, regardless.”

Celestia's expression soured. “I do not think that he would appreciate being compared to someone like that.”

I just shrugged my shoulders. “Well, he's not here, and as his friend I get a pass to make the odd backhanded compliment behind his back every once in a while,” I remarked before turning to address everypony. “So… that pretty much cements it for me. He probably feels guilty as heck about what happened. If I were in his shoes… I'd look for a way to fix things, too.”

I pinched my nose with my hand and sighed. “But, if we don't fix what's happening to the land, there might not even be a civilization left for him to return to. Looks like that's our next mission after this one is concluded.”

Celestia turned her head slightly. “What is your mission? You didn't really explain it.”

I took off my backpack and laid it on the ground, fishing out the first Mnemosyne Crystal I found.

“These contain messages from Alex to his nearest and dearest. We've located two so far, and I'm on a mission to locate any others. He said somepony called… Starlight, I think, helped him make them.”

Celestia shook her head. “I haven’t heard that name in… quite some time. You might’ve just solved a mystery of ours, in fact. We have a crystal that we stumbled upon after exploring the old Ponyville ruins shortly after we got back, and we’ve never been able to tell what its purpose was.”

I had to fight myself to restrain my enthusiasm. “I think it goes without saying that I’d like to see it. I take it we have your leave to remain in the town and rest up?”

Both of them nodded. “Of course,” confirmed Celestia. “Our town’s amenities are open to you all as well.”

Luna put a hoof to her chin and stroked it. “He still carries the taint of the Nightmare upon him, however. Tell us, Stuart, how you have been feeling since the battle concluded. Have there been any marked differences in your abilities since you emerged victorious?”

Now it was my turn to be a little bit hesitant, but I decided that honesty was best. “I don't think that that was a victory, Luna; at best, it felt like a stalemate. When I previously cast powerful magic, I got burns to my back, probably from my body being unable to properly radiate all that raw magic away before it caused damage. Anyway… that didn’t happen last time. I struck a chimera with two simultaneous full-strength magic casts, and I suffered none of the consequences I expected from it.”

“Maybe it was a gift from the Nightmare,” quipped Stopper, but I knew enough to know that that just couldn't be true.

“No, Stopper. A gift is given freely, without expectations of reciprocation. This… if this is a mark left by the Nightmare, its only purpose is to serve as a reminder of its power. Now, every time I cast a powerful spell, I have no choice but to know that it's due to the Nightmare. I think it wanted to show me the power it's capable of bestowing.”

Luna nodded. “For such a young creature, you appear to understand it well. The Nightmare will always be there, just beneath the surface, ready to seek out and exploit any weaknesses. That is the life you must lead now; one of vigilance and cunning.”

“How are you able to cast magic in the first place?” Queried Celestia with a quirk of her brow. “I find it difficult to believe that a non-native to this world would be able to wield magic at all without the use of an artificial aid,” practically scoffing at what for her was likely something she thought of as an impossibility. “Alexander had his gauntlets, but you appear to have no aids at all.”

I paused a moment before I showed them both my hands, scars clearly evident from my earlier handiwork.

“I used the horn from a dead unicorn and inserted bits and pieces of it throughout my hands. Perhaps the pony who ended up being the donor won’t have died for nothing if I’m as important as you say I might be.”

Both of the alicorns were visibly fighting back signs of revulsion before wrestling back control of their emotions. “Well… these are trying times, even if such a thing threatens to upturn thy breakfast,” said Luna, looking over at Celestia. “Perhaps, sister, the time has come for us to emerge from the shadows and grant this one a station befitting his abilities. I feel as if a sense of hope has returned to our plight, Tia.”

“I feel the same way, Lulu. Stuart, we wish to bestow upon you a gift, one to not only reward you for your actions to date, but to also ask you to formally embrace a responsibility to protect all of my little ponies. Do you accept?”

No pressure, Celestia.

“That is… quite the obligation. I already swore a personal oath to defend the settlement I came from. And now, you want me to not just defend them, but all ponies everywhere? I mean… what gives me the right to accept that responsibility?”

Luna put a hoof to her chest. “Because I, as well as my sister, I believe, can see greatness within you. You came to our world and you chose, of your own free will, to take up arms to defend our little ponies. To say that that is admirable is an understatement.”

Celestia nodded. “Alexander gave the gift of knowledge to all of our little ponies. But you, Stuart? I think you can give them the gift of wisdom, and the ability to once more see the world not for it is, but for what it could be.”

I paced back and forth, mulling over the proposition before coming to a halt in front of the alicorns.

“You leave me no choice…” I began as I unsheathed Oathbreaker and held the bastard sword in front of me.

“He's about to make a speech,” commented Crush, leading to much mirth and merriment between all the ponies present, with even the former princesses forcing themselves to stifle a snicker as I smiled and nodded at Crush.

“You know me too well. Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna… I, Corporal Stuart Robinson… probably the first of his name, do hereby acknowledge and accept the obligations being tasked to me. Now, with that out of the way…” I said, resheathing the sword and looking at the alicorns once more, “What happens next, and what is this gift you mentioned earlier?”

Both of the alicorns smiled coyly at one another. “We will need your sword for the installation ceremony, for we will enhance it. That enhancement is to be your gift, and will be presented to you during the ceremony,” advised Luna, prompting me to unsheath Oathbreaker once more, and handing it over to her as she carefully grasped it with a wing.

“Please take care of her, she's been good to me,” I asked as Luna nodded.

“You have our word. Now, to help organize this…” she said, turning to my squad. “I have a task for those already familiar with this town. You are to round up everypony you can find, and ask them to come to the amphitheater at noon tomorrow. Tell all of them that it is imperative that they attend. And please… do not tell them of our disguises just yet; we'll come clean before we begin the ceremony.”

Each of my new squad members gave a salute to Celestia and Luna, except for Apogee's mother, who just huffed as she followed the rest of them out of the warehouse, her dirty grease-specked vest occasionally getting caught by her fur as she made her way out, leaving me, my original squad and the two former princesses in the warehouse.

Without a word of warning, the warehouse was once more bathed in excruciating light as the alicorns returned to their disguises once more.

“If you'll follow us back, we'll get you some accommodation and food sorted,” said Celestia in her Golden Feather form as she opened the door, allowing all of us to make our way out and to follow the two alicorns-in-disguise to our next destination.

As we started to come within range of the inner series suburbs directly surrounding the ruined skyscrapers, we were led to a small urban square with a fountain and a square cobble road around it surrounded by a number of brick buildings with tiled roofs. The moon brothers had already arrived to tell everypony here to go to the amphitheater tomorrow, the situation generating a lot of interest from onlookers as we were led to one building in particular that was larger than the rest. The buildings here, while needing some attention, looked quite intact with at least an effort expended to attempt to repair and maintain them.

As we stepped inside, I could tell that it was probably a hotel of some kind as Celestia approached the counter.

“Good morning! We have some new guests that have just arrived. Could you please assign them some rooms? Looks like six rooms will be needed…”

“Five,” I corrected, making the alicorn-turned-pegasus cock an eyebrow as she looked at myself and Ace right next to me, putting two and two together.

“Very well. Five rooms, one of them with a double bed, if you'd be so kind,” said Celestia, with the blue-furred earth pony behind the counter nodding as he motioned for the other staff to escort us upstairs.

My room was the first one pointed out, so Ace and I took our leave from the group as we made ourselves comfortable, which mostly consisted of us both flopping onto the bed, the smell of reasonably fresh linen filling my nostrils. I didn't really want to move, but I had a moment of privacy, and I had to make the most of it, so I begrudgingly got up and took my shoes off before once more getting on the bed, now sitting up to directly look at Ace.

“Ace, buddy… I need to ask you about something, and I apologize in advance if I'm overstepping a boundary here. When you were sleeping earlier, I saw a red pony screaming out your name as she's led away in a cage. Who is she?”

Ace slowly got up, hopping up onto the bed to sit down on the duvet. “She's, um… m-my sister.”

I honestly wasn't expecting that answer.

“Your… sister? You've never mentioned her, not even when I told you about my sister. Why?”

Ace looked down, and I could feel a pronounced sense of shame from him. “Because… because I couldn’t protect her!” He said, raising his voice at me in a manner that I hadn't seen from him since we met. “Look, I've… seen how ashamed you felt at the things you did. I failed to protect my sister and my entire family! My shame is a thousand times worse than yours! How do you think I feel?”

I reclined slightly, letting the pillows behind me support my back. This was the most passionate and angry I'd ever seen him; the sheer weight of his past pressing down on him must've been suffocating. The fact that he'd been so calm and professional up until now was something of a minor miracle. “Tell me what happened, Ace.”

The pegasus sighed, his face contorting in anger for a moment. “We lived on the west coast. They invaded and looted our village, killed the elders and those that fought, and took the rest back as slaves with them.”

My mind grew concerned at this development, but still, I probed for answers. “Who were these slavers?”

“Zebras.”

I mulled over that answer. “Stopper's town was attacked by them, too. It would seem that they've been quite a menace here. How did you survive?”

Ace screwed his eyes shut. “I… I ran. I waited until they were distracted and I ran away. I hid in the forest for weeks… nothing was left of the town when I got back. They’d… torched it after I left. All that was left was burnt-out buildings and a… mass grave.”

Slavers. I wanted to spit in disgust, but I was mindful of spoiling the carpet. “Ace… I can’t imagine what you’ve been through. Slavery is… something my own people have a history with, not to mention mass murder. I’m guessing these Zebras are similar to ponies… Do you know where they come from?”

Ace shook his head. “I only know that they came from across the sea to the west. My town was inland, but they must’ve used the railway tracks to get to us. Stuart… Do you think she’d forgive me?”

I moved forward a bit, and patted my lap, an invitation for the pegasus to sit in it, which he did after briefly hesitating, my arms then wrapping around him in a cuddle. “I think she’d be thrilled to know that you survived. It’s been… What, several years now? Do you think that she’s alive?”

The pegasus nodded in our embrace. “I have to believe she’s alive… if she is, can we rescue her? I know it’s probably impossible, but…”

I sighed and just squeezed him tighter. “If Equestria has taught me anything, it’s that the impossible is sometimes very possible. Some day, we’ll make our way there to try to find her… even if they won’t be happy to see trespassers.”

Silence followed for several moments before it was broken once more by Ace. “... thanks, Stuart. That means a lot.”

“I know. We should get some rest… I’m absolutely bushed. Maybe when I wake up, we can have a look around. That sound good, buddy?”

A small nod within the cuddle led me to fall to my side, positioning Ace as the little spoon as I settled in for some much-needed rest, feeling better about my situation than at any point since my encounter with the Nightmare as I closed my eyes and waited for sleep to come.

—

KNOCK.

Three sharp raps on the door wrestled me away from my trip to Slumberville.

“Mmm… what is it?” I weakly blurted out as I ascended back to consciousness, the door opening and a brown earth pony mare with a maid's outfit stepping gingerly into the room.

“Um, so sorry to wake you, mister human, but there’s a pony outside asking for you. He said that it's urgent.”

Surprisingly, I was feeling quite refreshed as Ace too slowly awoke beside me. Slowly getting up, I made eye contact with her and waved a hand gently at the mare.

“Uh, sure, just… give us five minutes, okay?” I asked as the earth pony nodded and departed, leaving Ace and me alone once more.

“You hear that, Ace? Somepony new wants to talk to me. C'mon, let’s get up.”

The stallion weakly protested, leading me to put my hands underneath him, like I was trying to remove a stubborn pet from the bed. Ace eventually got the message as he hopped off of the mattress, the pegasus doing a partial body shake as he went for the door. Following him downstairs, I nodded to the pony at the counter as we headed out the door.

As we stepped into the early beginnings of evening, both of us were greeted by a pegasus stallion, his cream-colored coat looking a bit disheveled as his three-tone red, orange, and yellow mane and tail danced in the chilly breeze that promised a colder evening than had been for a while.

“Holy shit! Delta Vee and Apogee were right! You're another human!” He exclaimed, the stallion practically dancing with delight. “I used to hear stories about the other one from my father, Socket Wrench. He told me that they spent a lot of time together. Oh, my name’s Jet Stream, by the way.”

I nodded at the pegasus. “My name's Stuart; I'm a friend of the human your father knew, and I'm glad to hear that Alex and your father were close. You said that this was urgent, Jet Stream?” I queried.

“Just call me Jet. And… Yeah! I have something to show you, come with me!” He said, bounding off at a fair rate of knots across the cobblestone path, leaving Ace and I to give chase. The stallion led us out of the immediate urban vicinity to a series of fields, one of which was home to a long strip of tessellated smooth stones and a large warehouse of corrugated iron and wood. Opening a door on one side, Jet invited us inside.

The inside was dark, but amidst that darkness, I could see several large objects inside, all shrouded by tarp and fabric. In an instant, Jet flicked on the lights and almost simultaneously pulled back the tarpaulin from two large objects. What I saw left me speechless and in awe.

As I approached them, I reached out a hand and cautiously stroked the metallic chassis, feeling its smooth and well-crafted surface. I was a child again, reduced to a state of innocent wonder as I moved to the vessel's front.

“Jet… I have no words. This is an airplane, a fucking airplane! And not only that, but two of the fucking things!”

I moved around them to get a good view. They were both biplanes, each with two spaces for pilot and passenger alike. The front of both of them consisted of a standard mono-propeller system mounted onto an engine, each plane supported by two wheels at the fore and one aft. Neither of them was immediately distinguishable from the other, as both had just an unpainted metallic frame. “How the fuck did you build them?” I asked, still not believing that it was even possible.

“My father, Wind Rush, built them, but he always told me that Alex was his inspiration. As you can see, even the passenger and cockpit wells are big enough for a human to sit in. My dad always said that he built them with the thought of him returning in his mind.”

Ace was just as enamored with them as I was as he looked at them with delight and joy. Jet Stream might very well be the first pegasus to take back their place in the skies.

“Your dad built these, huh? He must've been one heck of an engineer,” I mused as I looked over at Jet again.

“Well, he built the airframes. Everything else in there was built by me. The engines, crystal radios, flight controls, and the basic hydraulics are all my designs.”

I immediately strolled over to him. “Radio? These fucking things have a radio in them?” I said, pointing at the crafts.

“Well, they're radios with crystals. I used two identical paired crystals, one in each plane. Voice input into one is output via the other, and vice-versa. I, uh… had to sell practically everything to get my hooves on them, and that was after already paying handsomely for the lightning crystals in the engines to power them.”

“Lightning crystals? You mean that these things don't use liquid fuel?”

“That's right. The crystals innately extract aether from the environment and convert it to electricity. As long as Equestria has ambient magic, these two will fly. Practically unlimited range, too… in theory, anyway.”

I was still trying to process all this. Two new vehicles that could fly over the oceans?

If I can use these… it would greatly aid me in my mission.

“Do these two ladies have names yet?” I asked Jet as suggestions for them ran through my mind.

Jet shook his head. “I'm afraid not. I don't know what to call them.”

“Well, they're getting names today,” I said as I walked in front of the vehicles. “Ace, Jet… I'd like to introduce you to the Hurricane and the Tornado, our newest friends,” gesturing to the plane on my left, and then to the one on my right. “I mean, you're a pegasus, Jet, using weather-related names is the least I can do.”

“They're beautiful names,” said Ace as he cautiously looked over the propeller on the Hurricane. “Are they airworthy?” He asked Jet.

“Uh… theoretically, yeah. They both power up fine, but I've never flown either of them. This, though, might be of interest to you as well…” he said, leading us both to a work table across from the two planes with a number of layers of tracing paper on it, looking unorganized and messy.

“Flatten ‘em,” he insisted. My hands smoothed out the paper after making sure all the corners lined up. As a mild aviation enthusiast, I immediately noticed when the papers revealed the blueprint of something… something quite extraordinary given this world’s level of technology.

“Jet, this is… I can't believe I'm actually about to say this… it's a jet engine. A fucking jet engine! And, if my eyes don't deceive me, one powered by magic to boot. This… this could revolutionize your world… it's a shame that we can't build it.”

Jet nodded. “I know. I'm limited by the technology of my time. But, someday, I am going to build it, I just know.”

I left the table alone and went back to admire the planes, once more running a hand over the bare metal chassis of the Tornado. “These two ladies need paint jobs. Blue and yellow for the Tornado, and red and white for the Hurricane. Actually, that’s a good point; Do you even have paint here?”

Jet shrugged his shoulders. “I think we have the raw materials for making some, but I don't have anything immediately usable.”

I frowned. “Well, if you can commission them, we'll likely need a pot of each. Paint doesn't just make them look good; they're important aids to visual identification, and they help protect the metal underneath it from weathering and corrosion.”

My thoughts then turned to another form of protection. “I'm guessing that you don't have armaments that could be mounted onto the chassis for extra defense. I might be able to extend a shield around the craft I'd be flying to protect it, but I don't think I could do it for two at once.”

“I can't wait to fly one. I designed the controls to be simple to operate; it doesn't matter if you have hooves, hands, talons, or claws, you'll still be able to fly it.”

After inspecting the Tornado, I followed suit with the Hurricane. “Who else knows about them?”

“Only Delta Vee, Golden Feather, and Lunar Dawn. I was waiting for the time to be right to reveal them to the others here… but, it never seemed to come.”

As I laid the palm of my hand against the Hurricane's cold metal skin, a thought crossed my mind. “Your father clearly intended for Alex to fly one of these. He was meant to fly one. I know I'm not him, but I think taking on the reins is a good way to honor him... don't you think?”

“I think he'd be delighted. Do you have any flying experience?”

“Well, I've been in simulators before. In fact, not long before I came here, I was in a simulated cockpit for a very large aircraft. Obviously, the plane didn't really exist, but the cockpit had computers and displays that pretty accurately represented how the plane would respond.”

“And… How did you do?”

“Well…” I began, putting a hand on the back of my neck for a moment. “The first time, I crashed into another plane because I forgot to ask for clearance from Air Traffic Control. The second time, I was given a TCAS warning but wasn't told until afterward how to respond to it, so the oncoming plane collided with mine… The third time was a landing. I aced the landing, but I forgot to engage the slats. So, the plane kept going until it hit the outer perimeter fence.”

“Hmm. My dad often told me about Alex’s tales of his… your world's technology. He mentioned something called television. What is a… television?”

I smiled, both for the opportunity to recount my world's history and from knowing that ponies here could be inspired by it.

“I'll cut you a deal. Show Ace and I around the village properly, and I'll tell you everything you ever wanted to know about television… and anything else about my world that you'd like to know. How does that sound?”

The pegasus smiled as he stroked a region of fur around his chin and mouth that seemed to approximate a five o'clock shadow.

“You've got a deal… Stuart, wasn't it? You mentioned that you were a friend of the one that came before you. Maybe you can share some stories of what he was like? He's become a legend to many of us here. Hard to imagine he's gone.”

I shook my head. “Oh, I think he's around. Somewhere. He just doesn't want to be found… and I intend to respect that decision, as should all of you.”

“He's earned that right, I guess. You wanted a tour of the village, right? Well, there's a small tavern not far from here. I think you'll like it. Well, shall we?” He asked as I extended my hand in thanks, followed by the both of us both out of the warehouse with Ace still remaining at my side.

If ‘tavern’ meant what I thought it meant, I was going to use it to relax before the ceremony tomorrow, an event that I was actually starting to look forward to as I followed Jet to his choice of watering hole.

Chapter 11 - ... Will Have Serious Repercussions

Urgh, my head…

As the minutes ticked by and noon approached, I found myself in an annex attached to the stage of the large amphitheater, something that would probably have been used for performers to change or get freshened up. I'd been in here for the last half-hour or so as Stopper and Ace both assisted me in getting ready for the upcoming ceremony, my head pounding away as I nursed it with a free hand while we waited for one of Celestia’s assistants to return with a special request, not failing to notice Stopper looking at me with a judgemental eye as Ace looked on with a more neutral expression.

I couldn't look at either of them; in fact, I had difficulty looking at anything right now as I continued to massage my temple with my hand, trying to remember just what the fuck I did last night.

“You're such a lightweight,” the unicorn commented as her words pounded in my head like a jackhammer.

“Can you not shout, please?” I gently asked, my words barely feeling like they were little more than a whisper. Stopper, to her credit, at least had the decency to lower the cadence of her voice to match mine.

“I wasn't… but, how’s this?” She asked as she lowered the tone of her voice, to which I was only capable of nodding as a bespectacled mare, who I'd only just learned this morning was called Diamond Gavel, slowly made her way inside the annex, a sealed flask being carried around her neck and secured with a thick lanyard of rope. She approached us and took up a sitting position in front of me as she removed her precious cargo and held out the metallic container for me.

I slowly grasped it and whispered a “Thank you, Diamond,” as I started to unscrew the lid, already smelling the strong citrus notes that I was expecting. After briefly hesitating to let the scent waft up into my sinuses, I put the concoction to my lips and downed its contents without so much as even taking a breath. Naturally, I was gasping for air once I'd finished, but the mixture would soon do its work, although I would be feeling sore elsewhere for a while as my other hand massaged my left kidney. I passed the flask back to Diamond, who nodded in acceptance as my now free hand went to the amulet still swinging around my neck, my palm taking the socketed gemstone into its grasp and briefly clenching tightly around it.

I vaguely remembered that I'd been escorted to a tavern by Jet. He introduced me to a variety of alcohol… Moonshine, probably, judging from the smell. One swig became two, then three… and then I didn't remember anything.

“At least you’ve got oranges here; that would've been far less pleasant without them,” I said, still talking at what was practically a whisper level of volume as I massaged my head once more. “Fuck me, I really went overboard yesterday, didn't I? And why the fuck does my side hurt?”

Nods abounded with an obvious eye roll from Stopper. “You tried to get up but you fell on a table, you klutz. What were you trying to do, anyway?” She asked.

“Tradition. When you meet someone new… you try to drink them under the table. And I think I won last night… although me falling on a table probably reduces that to a score draw.”

Nopony responded to that as we waited for the princesses to arrive. Before she left to fetch my hangover cure request, Diamond Gavel had hoofed me an embossed card with prepared lines for me to read during the Ceremony. Fishing it out of my pocket once more, I read and reread what was being asked of me as I felt more of my concentration returning amid the realization that I could easily read everything here from memory.

“It feels like I'm about to be inducted into something quite grand,” I mused as the volume outside increased quite dramatically. Instinctively looking out to the stage, I saw both the princesses in their disguises slowly walk onto it from the opposite direction, eventually coming to a halt as Celestia turned toward the audience and held a hoof briefly in the air, causing the volume to plummet to barely perceptible whispers.

“Thank you all for coming. As you all know, my sister and I came to this place a little more than a year ago. You embraced us and you welcomed us into your lives… but, more importantly… you accepted us. Over time, you’ve come to embrace us… and we’ve been privileged to have been trusted to help govern this community. However… we have not been entirely honest with all of you…”

I could see Luna in her disguise also stepping forward to join her sister on the stage, the lunar alicorn also turning to face the audience. The two of them once more became bathed in a white ethereal light that radiated from their jewelry. After several seconds, the light subsided, revealing both princesses in their natural forms. Audible murmurs could now be heard from the audience until Celestia held a hoof up once more, again lulling the crowd into silence.

“As I am sure you all know from our history, I am Celestia, and this is my sister, Luna. We wanted to remain hidden, to watch all of you grow and prosper without our interference. Alas, something quite monumental has happened, and we can no longer hide in the shadows as we once wished.”

Luna now cleared her throat. “Many of you know of the legend of Alexander Kintobor, the Prince of Knowledge. He was a human that came to us from afar, and he taught us much about ourselves, and about each other. He no longer walks among us, but his impact can be felt far and wide. As one who knew him… he is missed, more than he could ever know.”

“However,” Celestia continued, “Another human has come to this world. My sister and I are firm in our belief that there is greatness within him… even now, he has distinguished himself in his leadership, and it is high time that we recognize his courage and dedication. Thus, we have gathered you all here today to bear witness to that recognition. Stuart… would you please step out here?” Celestia asked as she looked in my direction, my headache starting to finally subside. Shaking my head a bit in an attempt to dispel the worst of the nausea, I looked down at Ace, realizing he’d have to come outside with me, too; I then leaned down and gave his mane a tussle as I held him against my leg for a moment before I extended an arm toward the stage and beckoned for him to follow me. After we both took a deep breath, we slowly marched onto the stage, every single eyeball in the stands now firmly fixed on us, their expressions ranging from wonder to apprehension.

The seating around the amphitheater was arranged in a large semicircle radiating from a large marble disc at the center, the seats extending both outward and upwards to fifteen or so levels of spectators. The backdrop to this arena of culture was the ruins of the abandoned core of the city, currently partially obscured with a rather large and dark cloud formation nesting at its top.

I took up a position between the two alicorns, facing the audience, with Ace choosing to sit to my near left as the two sisters continued with the ceremony. In the left-side seating, in the first row, were the other members of my squad; Crush, Flame, and Tricks all gazed upon me with profound smiles on their faces.

“This, fillies and gentle-colts, is that human. He has joined us after traveling from a faraway settlement, but I hear that, while he was there, he swore an oath to protect both it and all the ponies within, with his life if necessary. I think you will all agree that, in trying times like this, such devotion to our kind is beyond mere thanks. Corporal Stuart Robinson, we hereby wish to induct you into the Order of the Tempest, the highest military honor that Equestria is…” Celestia stopped and as I turned to her, I noticed her looking down at the floor for a moment before she recomposed herself. “My apologies… that Equestria was capable of bestowing upon its champions. Diamond Gavel, please bring out the Corporal’s sword.”

The bespectacled mare did as she was asked, and emerged on stage with my sword being carried in a wooden cart on wheels attached to her back.

“Take up your sword, Corporal,” Luna commanded, an order I gently obeyed as I gingerly lifted the bastard sword from its velvet seating, with Diamond Gavel departing the stage as soon as I removed the weapon from her cart. The sword had been polished to a mirror shine, but as I inspected it from every angle, I spotted two additions of note, one to each side of the blade.

Each side of the sword, at the bottom, near the hilt, now had a metallic seal bonded to the metal: on one side was a crescent moon, while on the other side was a shining Sun, both of them similar in theme to each of the two sisters’ cutie marks.

“Corporal… I, Celestia…”

“And I, Luna…”

“... have summoned you here today so that you might serve as a beacon of light against the darkness that threatens us all. Will you swear an oath, here today, to not only to protect your newfound friends but to also protect all of ponykind?”

I was being asked to take on the mantle of a massive responsibility. I had a task to complete, sure… but maybe there was some actual good I could do while I was here.

“I will,” I responded stoically.

“Very well. Please speak the oath when you are ready,” Celestia said as she sat down, with Luna following suit.

I confirmed her instructions with a solemn nod in her direction. I'd been given no further instructions on what to do, so I decided to add some of my own personal flair to this event, initially holding the sword upright with my outstretched right hand.

“By gods above and gods below, unto me, your grace bestow,” I began, as I moved my hand to the right, towards Luna.

“Grant me courage, that I shan’t be held back by fear,” now transferring the sword to my left hand and moving it in the opposite direction, toward Celestia.

“Grant me strength, that I may smite evil from the realm,” I continued as I now pointed the blade at the audience.

“Grant me wisdom, that I may judge true and righteous,” I spoke as I pulled the sword back and held it against my chest, pointing the blade at my head.

“May I be the sword, to fight for those who cannot,” I said, now pointing the sword to the left while showing one side of the blade to the crowd.

“May I be the shield, to defend life and honor,” sheathing Oathkeeper and opening my hands to the audience.

“When I die, may it be with glory and resolve,” I said, lowering my hands until they once more hung at my sides, one of them giving the pegasus to my left a gentle pet as I spoke those words.

“Until the end of my days, I swear this creed, until there is only peace… and harmony,” I concluded, looking over at Luna and then Celestia for those final words before once more looking back at the audience.

Not bad for someone who’s hungover.

The theater was silent until one pony in the middle got to their hooves and started stamping them on the floor. This was followed by another and then another; soon, every pony in the stands was rapidly stamping their hooves on the floor, with even the two former princesses joining in.

Maybe this is their form of applause…

Soon, the loud stamping died down, and everypony returned to their seated positions, the corner of my eye spotting Diamond Gavel hoofing a long, thin sword to Celestia, the blade very much resembling that of a rapier.

Taking the blade in a prehensile wing grip, the white-furred alicorn then turned once more to us as Luna came over to sit beside her. “Please kneel, both of you,” she asked, and a spark ignited in my head of what she really wanted to do.

Ace and I moved to the right of the stage, turning our bodies to face the alicorns as Ace settled in to my right. I then got down on one knee and lowered my head as Celestia approached me, the shadow of the blade slowly moving on the floor toward my kneeling frame, my peripheral vision noticing that Ace’s forelegs were bent, lowering the upper half of his body closer to the floor.

“In the name of the Great Faust, the Maker of All…” she began, lowering the sword until it lightly touched my left shoulder before she raised it and then lowered it against my right shoulder, “... in memory of those who could not be saved…” she continued, this time moving the blade with the same motion to my head as the cold metal touched bare skin, Celestia now proceeding to hold it against my scalp as my head throbbed a little even as the earlier concoction minimized the worst of the ill-effects, “... and for those souls yet to come… we, the former sovereigns of this land, do hereby command you to uphold the ideals of friendship, courage, and integrity… to protect the sanctity of life, to banish the demons of injustice, and to be true, honest and just in your words and deeds from this day forward. Now, arise… Ser Stuart Robinson, for you are now a Knight of the Order of the Tempest.”

I looked up at her and slowly got to my feet as Celestia continued. “Equestria may no longer exist, but maybe, someday, and with your help, it will again.”

The new reality of what had just happened refused to sink in for a moment as Celestia moved to the pegasus next to me. “And to you, Aerial Ace… every knight needs a squire…” she said, moving the sword to each of his shoulders before also resting the blade on his mane, “I dub thee Aerial Ace, Esquire. I charge you with keeping this Knight of the Realm safe, equipped, and comfortable… something tells me that you already have some experience there…” she said with a smirk, but as Ace got up onto his hooves, I raised a hand.

“Your grace… your servant has but a humble request to make. You spoke of being true, honest, and just in my words… I would not be here, were it not for the actions of Ace here… but neither would I be here without the actions of another. In the spirit of honesty and justice, I beseech you, please allow me to call my comrade Show Stopper to the stage so that she may be justly recognized as well.”

The taller alicorn nodded, and I turned my head to the obscured annex at the side of the stage, stretching a hand outward and bending my fingers back and forth in a ‘Come here’ sign to Stopper, a gesture that she hesitantly obeyed as she slowly shuffled out onto the marble stage, coming to a seated position next to me on my left as I looked over at her, and then back at the two alicorns.

“Sergeant Stopper has gone above and beyond in her duties, and she has been an absolute stalwart companion on my journey across your world. I ask that she be recognized for her commitment and dedication.”

Luna cleared her throat. “Ser Robinson, you have been granted a full military commission. You are now an officer, with the power and authority to promote others to the commissioned ranks below yours. However… we see the wisdom of your request for an official recognition…” she said, as Celestia passed the rapier to Luna’s wing grasp, the shorter alicorn moving closer to the unicorn.

“What rank do you wish to bestow upon your comrade, Ser?” she asked as I looked once more at Stopper before looking directly at Luna.

“Given her history and her outstanding service to date, I think granting her the title and privileges of the rank of Captain is appropriate.”

That caused the unicorn to look at me with a rather shocked expression before she remembered where she was, turning her head to gaze once more upon the former Lunar princess.

“Very well. Kneel for us, my little pony,” asked Luna as Stopper immediately lowered her front legs before the lunar alicorn. Like her sister, Luna directed the blade to touch both of Stopper’s shoulders before resting it on her mane as the unicorn kept her head down.

“By our command, we hereby dub thee Captain Show Stopper, for your unswerving devotion to duty and your defense of this Knight. May you continue to show such dedication in your service to him,” she concluded as the alicorn retracted her blade, causing the unicorn to instinctively rise to her hooves and hold her head up high with a smile that was visible even from the side.

As Stopper got up, a new wave of hoof stomping echoed throughout the theater, as Luna passed the sword back to Diamond Gavel with an exchange of bows.

Meanwhile, I was still trying to process what had just happened, my hungover brain really not letting it all sink in.

I'm a Knight. An actual, bona-fide Knight. A protector of the realm. Well, my life here just got a lot more complicated… eat your heart out, Prince Kintobor.

“Congratulations, you three. There is but one last thing we wish to bestow upon you,” said Celestia as Diamond Gavel hoofed a crystal into the alicorn's grasp that she then offered to me with a wing grip. I slowly took it from her and held it up to the light, seeing an imprinted number ‘five’ inscribed within its interior.

“So, this means that at least five of these crystals were made. I have crystals one and two, and with number five here, that just leaves three and four, assuming there are no others. Oh, the secrets these might reveal…”

I put the fifth crystal into one of my rear pockets, before putting my hands on my jeans to feel the outlines of the other two crystals against the denim, having earlier placed each in one of my jeans’ regular pockets.

I reminded myself that I was yet to see and hear the contents of the second crystal, a situation that I believed should now come to an end as I removed it from my left pocket.

“Your Majesties. If you would permit the indulgence, I would like to see what’s been recorded in this crystal before we depart the stage.”

Luna and Celestia both turned to look at each other before looking at me and nodding. With permission gained, I rolled the crystal in my hand and clenched my fist around it.

Nothing.

This was in stark contrast to my experience with the first crystal, where my just holding it triggered a vision.

Now, though? Utterly nothing.

“Is… something supposed to happen?” Asked Ace as I mulled an idea in my head.

“All of you, get back. I'm about to do something I shouldn't, and I don't know what the outcome will be,” I advised as I waved my arms to encourage all on the stage to move to the outer rim of the marble disc. As I did so, murmurs of curiosity emanated from the crowd behind me.

“Captain, what did you tell me about touching crystals?” I asked as I got the first crystal out and held them apart but still very close to one another.

“To not do it?” She confirmed.

“Right! Time to do the exact opposite!” I said as I pushed the two together, their pointed tips making contact as I felt a surge of heat in my hands.

I then found myself back in that ethereal white from when I accessed the first crystal… Only now, I had another presence for company as I looked around I saw Ace at my side, who was now looking up at me.

“Where… are we?” He asked as both of us turned around to see what was, for me anyway, a familiar sight; the standing form of Alex had his arms crossed with an almost steely expression on his face.

“Well, I guess that amulet is making us share this, too. This is pretty much what I saw when I accessed the first crystal.”

The pegasus approached the mental projection of Alex, moving around his standing body slowly. “He's… taller than I expected. Taller than you, even,” he said, looking back at me as I nodded to him.

“Only by a couple of inches. His clothes are the same from the first recording… maybe this was done right after?

Ace slowly made his way back to me and sat down, the visage choosing that moment to animate.

“So, you discovered my security feature, by doing the one thing you're not supposed to do with crystals,” he said, pointing a finger momentarily up in the air. “Whoever you are… you're either very smart or you’re stupidly reckless. Or, maybe, just maybe… you’re plain lucky. In any case, you're about to get your reward… which, unluckily for you, is just going to be me talking,” he said, likely not even realizing at the time who could possibly be listening to him at this moment.

“He talks differently to you,” the pegasus commented as a chair phased into existence behind Alex.

“Well, yeah, he's from a different country, he's speaking my language with the accent of his home. If I were speaking what little Spanish I knew, I'd still sound like my home to him. And probably while not making much sense, either.”

Alex then sat in the chair before nodding to his left. “Cheers, Starlight. I should probably get comfy for this,” he continued as he once more folded his arms and crossed his extended legs.

“Starlight over here feels like I should get my thoughts down about my family… Well, families. I accepted a long time ago that I wasn't ever going to be able to go back to Earth. When I came here, I felt like my limbs had been cut off, like I'd lost parts of me that would never return.”

Ace looked up at me slowly. “Is… that how you felt when you came here?”

I looked down at him and sighed. “Deep down, I still feel exactly like that,” I explained as we both turned our attention back to the monologuing human-shaped mental construct.

“Even now…” the figure of Alex continued, “I miss them. I wish I could tell them about what I've seen, what I've done… and what I'm about to do.”

The image of him seemed to tense up for a moment before relaxing.

“Mi querida madre… I wish I could tell you how proud I am to be your son. I'm sorry that I left a hole in our family… you'd like Starlight here, one of the many friends I've made since I got here. She's got a proud streak a kilometer wide, and it takes an ice age before she asks for help, but I think you two would get on like… what did Stuart use to say? ‘Like a house on fire’? Yeah, let’s go with that.”

“I feel like we shouldn’t be watching this,” said Ace softly as I reached down to pet him between his ears.

“This is a mark of respect, Ace. We’re doing this for the families he can’t give this to.”

“Mi querido padre… We may not always have agreed with each other, but there is one thing I think you will agree with me on; I didn’t say ‘I love you’ to you enough. I always had the greatest love and admiration for you and everything that you did for me… and it pains me more than words can ever say that I can’t ever tell you that. I wish I’d taken the time to say it more when I was on Earth… and now I fear that I never will again. That pains me beyond words.”

Until he mentioned it, I’d avoided really thinking about it… but, Alex’s personal revelation rang true for me as well, and as my thoughts dwelled on it, Ace looked up at me, no doubt sensing my thoughts. Neither of us had any words for the other, so we both focused our gaze once more upon the recording as it continued.

“Mi querida hermana… I know that we bickered, as siblings often do, but I also know that you’d have been the first out there looking for me when I disappeared. If by some miracle this ever gets to you… please take care of mamá and papá. They’re getting older, and… fuck. I can’t be there for them… which means that you have to be there for them now. Please, take care of them, as they took care of us. And remember that I will always love you as the feisty little sister that any brother would be proud to have.”

I crouched down on one knee, and for a moment, it almost felt like he was directly looking at me, with the unmistakeable look of tears running down his cheeks as his face threatened to break out into a sobbing fit, a threat only neutralized by the noisiest of sniffs as he cleared his sinuses. Even in this ethereal place, I still felt myself go a little misty-eyed as I sat down fully next to Ace and hugged him, bringing him closer to me as we both kept watching.

“I suppose I should mention the former princesses here. Luna, Celestia… you took me under your wings and showed me what enlightened, dignified rule looked like. You granted me access to Canterlot Castle, and you shared with me the combined knowledge and wisdom that only a lifespan measured in thousands of years could shape and nurture. You then made me a prince, against my better judgment, and elevated me to a position that, right now, I feel like I don’t deserve. But, in spite of that, to say I’m grateful to you both for your counsel is an understatement. Should this message find you… Know that I made a mistake, and I fear that what I have done may never be undone, but you always taught me that the individual who tries and fails is always superior to the individual who never tried. So, I need to leave to try to undo that mistake. Please, look after each other, and know that I will always hold the deepest respect for you both.”

The visage of Alex closed his eyes and took in a deep breath before bending forward and opening his eyes once more.

“Now… for my family here, in Equestria. I hope beyond hope that, one day, this somehow finds its way to you, to tell you later what I cannot tell you today. I suppose I should start with you, Spike…”

The name registered with me as I remembered a page being dedicated in Tricks’ dossiers to him. A dragon, by all accounts, who seemed to be quite young for his species in the attached photographs.

“You were the best little brother I could ever have asked for. When I was flung into Equestria, you saw that I was very out of place… which, given the fact you were a dragon living with ponies at the time, was probably very easy for you to spot. You got your friends to spend time with me, who then became our friends. You even floated the idea of the Sparkles adopting me, and we both know how happy they were to do it. We spent so many nights just talking… so much so, that I practically know what you’d say to me if I told you what I’m about to do.”

The figure sighed and gave himself a few stretches before he continued.

“Fuck, I’m mentioning Stuart a lot lately, aren’t I? I think he’d have something for this, too; I’m probably paraphrasing, but I remember him saying ‘Bad things happen when good people do nothing’. I can’t just stand back and watch as every pony’s birthright is stripped from them… I think you can understand that more than anyone.”

Ace and I shared a glance and a nod before the pegasus spoke. “He knew about it…” he said, to which I responded after a brief pause.

“Yes. It looks like he did…”

“That brings me to you, Shining Armor. I never had a big brother on Earth, but even though we didn’t see as much of each other as I would’ve liked, I always found you to be a kind-hearted and decent pony, every bit as much as your wife. I wish I could watch Flurry Heart grow up and become the princess we both know she could be… Please, take care of each other and watch over your subjects in the Crystal Empire.”

I hadn’t read much about Shining Armor, but every comment about him labeled him as a steadfast and loyal husband and father. Judging from Alex’s words, those comments were every bit justified.

“Even now, it still feels weird saying this, but to my mamá and papá in Equestria… Twilight Velvet and Night Light… you welcomed me into your home when I had little more than the clothes and bag on my back. You fed me, out of your own pocket, when I was hungry and asked for nothing in return. Your charity and selflessness are examples that I wish the rest of ponykind would follow. It is a kindness that I would repay back a thousand times over if I could. Maybe I still can, one day…”

The apparition of Alex briefly unfolded his arms to scratch his head before settling back in.

“The last entry is going to be for the mare who’s the reason why I’m about to do what I’m going to do. Twilight Sparkle… I could fill every book in the Crystal Tower’s library with words about how much I love you, and it still wouldn’t be enough. I know that you think what you’ve done is right, and that there was no other choice. For months, I fought with you, but still, you pressed on with this… this foolhardy solution. I don’t want that on my conscience anymore… I no longer want to go to bed at night thinking about how I’ve helped let everypony down. You swung the sword, but I helped create it, and our hands and hooves both have the blood of the inevitable conflict that’s going to follow.”

Alex suddenly got out of his seat and stood up, pointing a finger forward, causing me to get up and on my feet in response. “I will NOT be a willing accessory to that conflict! So, I’ve decided: I’m going to seal myself away and hope that I wake up in the future, to unravel everything that I’ve helped unleash here. Maybe then… the nightmares that haunt me will stop,” he said, bringing a hand up to rub an area of his chest obscured by a t-shirt. “If you happen to see this… take care of yourself, and remember the good times we had together. I will cherish what we had for the rest of my days… and, though it may be hard to believe, know that my love for you will never, ever be extinguished.”

As suddenly as it happened, I found myself back on the stage, my hands still stretched out and causing the two crystals to touch. I immediately separated them and brought my hands back down to my sides as I exhaled sharply at the scenes I’d just witnessed.

“What the buck was that?” asked Ace as the alicorn sisters approached us both to examine us.

“Now you know how I felt the first time around,” I said as Celestia looked over all of me before settling her gaze upon the amulet around my neck.

“The gemstone… it glowed for a moment. Are you alright?” she asked out of genuine concern.

“I saw Alex again…”

“I saw him, too…” chimed in Ace as I slipped the crystals back into my pockets.

After Luna examined Ace and found no obvious signs of damage, she approached me and stood to the side of Celestia as she looked at me. “What did he have to say?” she asked in a whisper.

“I… think I should discuss with you all in private. Let’s send our audience on their way first…” I said in hushed tones before turning to face the crowd. “Thank you all for coming, but I have some pressing business now to attend to in private. If you see me walking around, feel free to say ‘Hello’.”

With that, I turned to walk back into the annex, with Ace and Stopper immediately following me, the two former princesses waving to the crowd as they departed before ultimately joining us, with Crush, Tricks, and Flame also making their way inside to join us. All eyes eventually fell on me as I leaned up against the far wall, holding the amulet in my hand briefly before turning to address everypony present.

“Well, as Ace can now testify to as well… I’m not going insane. It really has been Alex recording messages in these crystals. He said that you two made him a Prince,” I stated as I made eye contact with Luna and then Celestia. ”And that he feels like he doesn’t deserve it. He’s really got it into his head that he’s helped cause all of this.”

Celestia sighed and nodded. “Did he say how?” she asked.

I just shook my head. “Only in the metaphorical sense. My impression is that Twilight definitely is the cause, but he feels like he contributed to it, and in quite a big fashion. That seems to tie into what you told me earlier, Celestia, that this all came about because of technology that he helped to develop.”

“So, he is the cause of all this?” asked Stopper, causing me to pause in thought for a moment.

“He thinks he is… but guilt doesn’t always tell the whole story. I’m… missing something…”

I tried to dig around a bit in what I’d just been shown, but Ace was the one who dug up something for me.

“Didn’t he say something about being made a prince against his judgment or something?” he offered as I briefly looked down at him.

“Yeah… he did say that. That’s a good point, actually…” I continued as I once again looked at the alicorns. “Was he forced, or coerced into this? Because I didn’t hear anything even resembling pride from him at that kind of promotion.”

The two sisters shifted uncomfortably, and that gave me the opening I didn’t want to see. Now, I was going to drive a stake through it and rip it wide open.

“I’m going to tell both of you, right now, that if you made him a prince and he was in any way reluctant, and if this whole chain of events was started from that decision, then you are every bit as culpable as he is for anything he did.”

No counter. No retort. Just a look of resignation on both of their faces until Luna summed up the courage to speak.

“It is… complicated. He brought so much knowledge from your world, and all of us wanted to see it used to bring about a new golden age… not just for ponykind, but for everycreature on this planet. Nopony could have predicted… this!”

Celestia then turned to look at her sister. “But… perhaps we do share a measure of the blame, Lulu. He was… reluctant to take up the position, after all. Sometimes, we become so preoccupied with our enemies… that we forget to look out for our friends. Yes, I believe that we did indeed fail him… there is no instruction manual for running a nation, after all.”

My headache threatened to return as I rubbed my forehead with a hand. “Fine, there’s probably enough blame to go around… and there’s little sense dwelling on it now. Who knows… if I was in his shoes, would I really have done any better?”

I took the first crystal out of my pocket once more, holding it tightly in my fist as I brushed past everypony and once more emerged onto the stage, the backdrop of the ruins of Las Pegasus still very visible in the distance. I pointed the crystal at the ruined skyscrapers and turned my head to look at everypony else emerging from the annex to join me. Fishing out my phone with my other hand, I found the compass app, and it told me that I was pointing north.

Now having at least a rough idea of where I was looking, I slowly moved my hands, as I waited for those tell-tale vibrations in the crystals that would lead me to the other two that I knew for certain must exist.

Sure enough, I got a bite on my left, in a roughly north-west bearing, while another vibration occurred to my right, in a roughly north-east bearing.

“Hmm… one signal to the east, and one to the west. Ish. Probably bearing a little bit north on both of them. That's a start, at least.” I said as I turned to look at the former princesses. “So… What's out there?”

“Let me think…” began Celestia, who joined me on the stage to my right, looking out towards the ruins. “North-east from here would take you to Canterlot, Ponyville, and eventually, Manehattan.”

Luna then approached me, joining me to my left on the stage. “North-west would take you to Tartarus… and the old changeling hive. You might also count Zebrabwe, given its proximity due south of the hive.”

That last one got my attention. “Zebrabwe, huh? Never heard of it. Who dwells there?” I asked.

“Zebras,” confirmed Celestia, “Zebrica, home to the great ziggurat of Zebrat, and Zebrabwe, are the two Zebra nations. As far as we've been able to tell, Zebrica has kept to itself since Equestria fell, but Zebrabwe has grown bolder, conducting slaver raids and unprovoked attacks at sea.”

“They sound like a menace,” I affirmed.

“That is not all… I have heard unsettling rumors about the nature of the magic they are using. But… we should talk more about that in private. Now that our secret is out, you can join us at our residence. Come,” she offered as she walked off, immediately joined by Luna. Seeing few alternatives, I decided to follow them, with Ace following me at my side, and everypony else following behind me. We traveled in silence, following the alicorn sisters to their abode, until Ace whispered to me.

“Do you think… Zebrabwe took my sister?” He asked me.

“Hard to say… but if they're as aggressive as we've just heard they are, it's certainly possible.”

As we continued walking, I spotted Jet outside the same tavern we'd holed up in last night. As he approached me, I realized that he was probably specifically looking for me. I gestured for him to follow me as the alicorns led us to their abode, a double-story reasonably-maintained thatched cottage with a door large enough to accommodate Celestia as she crossed the threshold.

We all filed into the house, my eyes picking out their modest, yet comfortable furnishings, with an array of bookshelves and spots for nik naks punctuating their living space. Being the well-trained houseguest that I was, I took my shoes off and placed them off to the side, letting them and my now-uncovered black socks air while I found a place to sit on one of their sofas.

Not a moment after I'd sat down, Ace joined me, depositing himself in my lap with what felt like a cheeky grind against my groin before he laid down, the both of us watching as the others took up various seats around a large, wooden, and dark coffee table, circular in appearance with a series of ornate designs across its surface that spiraled down its legs, capped with a hefty pane of glass that had been polished to a completely pristine state of transparency.

Sat next to me and Ace now were Flame and Crush, both of them reclining against the upholstery as Stopper, Tricks, and Jet Stream sat on the sofa opposite ours. To my left, Luna seated herself, while to my right, Celestia sat down, both of them occupying single-seater upholstery.

As the sounds of depressed springs and the shufflings of fur and fabric died down, a silence fell upon us all, disturbed only by the relentless tick-tock of a grandfather clock not far from where we were all seated.

Celestia cleared her throat. “It is good to have guests again,” she beamed as she cheerily kicked off the conversation.

“And thank you for inviting us into your home. I have a message for you from Alex, to start off with. He wanted you to know that, despite everything, He’s immensely grateful for the guidance and counsel you gave him, and that he will always have the utmost respect for you both.”

Both of the sisters nodded with a proud smile on their muzzles. “It is… most gratifying to hear such praise,” said Luna.

“I concur, Lulu. Thank you again for accepting your new responsibilities, Ser. I am sorry to do this afterward, but I think there is some additional… information that you should know.”

I leaned forward slightly, putting a hand on Ace's back and lightly running my fingers back and forth across his fur, a gesture that earned an appreciative stretch from the pegasus. “I'm listening,” I said as I waited to see where this conversation was going to lead.

If I asked you, ‘What does the word “harmony” mean to you?’, what would you reply with?” The white alicorn asked me.

The question seemed simple enough. “If I think back to my musical theory lessons, ‘harmony’ would be an orderly arrangement of sounds to bring about an entirely new musical idea. It's about combining components to make something more than the sum of its parts.”

Both of the sisters nodded. “That is a very… astute description,” spoke Luna, no doubt continuing for her sister. “But… What if we were to tell you that ‘harmony’ is not just a metaphor for unity? That ‘Harmony’, is, in fact, a conscious, living entity, who permeates every aspect of life on this planet?”

“You mean to tell me that his hunch was right?!” Blurted out Crush, making me remember when I implanted those pieces of unicorn horn into my hands, a very painful process only tempered by the healing potions Crush had apocathery'd. The earth pony's outburst definitely caught the sisters’ attention.

“What hunch?” Asked Celestia as Crush sat up fully.

“When he came to me that day…” the earth pony began, “The day he stuck those bits of horn in those hands of his… he asked me if I believed if an all-seeing deity was watching over us all… I thought he was mad to even ask that question. But, even when I said I didn't believe that there was one… he did a sort of prayer, asking it to forgive him for what he was about to do…”

“... and I offered it a bargain,” I interjected. “If it helped me wield magic, I offered myself as an avatar of its will in exchange for it. Well, assuming something that powerful was listening in, of course.”

Both of the sisters looked at one another before turning their glances toward me. “It would seem that our intrepid guest is already playing the game, without even knowing about it,” said Luna with a sweet sort of grin, one that thoroughly unnerved me.

“Sorry, what do you mean by ‘game’?” I queried with a frown.

Celestia smirked. “Our apologies. That's another legacy of your predecessor. We did not have a word for it before he came to us. After he was… well, brought back from the dead, he developed the same understanding that Luna and I have of what Harmony really is. He coined the term ‘game’ to refer to the way that Harmony interacted with us.”

“And… What is Harmony, really?” I pointedly asked.

The white alicorn exhaled sharply. “A being with motivations beyond anything we understand or maybe even can understand. A being that is capable of taking living beings, be it from this planet… or others, it would seem… and turning them into extensions of itself. Exactly what happened to us,” she said, gesturing to herself and Luna with a hoof.

I folded my arms and sighed. “How did you two find out about your… involuntary recruitment?”

They both leaned forward in their respective seats.

“We were both born as alicorns, as you may know…” Celestia started as she put her hooves on her chest. “From a kingdom in the sky that existed so long ago that nopony else here can even remember its name… Ustaryn, on the sky continent of Skyros. When we first came to these lands, it was… a very brutal time for ponykind.”

“Ustaryn was destroyed. We… Barely made it out of there alive,” continued Luna, “When we first came to these lands, we were taken in by a unicorn settlement. They taught us much; we learned from a pony called Starswirl the Bearded how to raise the Sun and the Moon, and that is where I also learned to travel to the dream realm.”

“But,” Celestia waded in, raising a hoof in the air for a moment. “When we received our cutie marks for learning how to raise our respective celestial bodies… something changed in us. We knew neither what nor why at the time, but something… well, within me at least, told me that I was destined to do something great. Even now, if I close my eyes in a dark room… I can sometimes still hear that voice whispering to me.”

“I feel the same way… sometimes,” confirmed her sister. “I couldn’t put a hoof on it at the time… but after some discussion, we felt that reuniting the pony tribes was to be our next task.”

“And sometime after that, the Elements of Harmony were bestowed upon us. That was when Harmony revealed itself to us; only then did we truly understand the scope of the task it had bequeathed to us: To serve as stalwarts for ponykind across the centuries, to steer our little ponies on the path to their destiny, a united world where earth ponies, unicorns, and pegasi alike are joined together in a civilization to stand the test of time.”

“And thy thestrals, dear sister… or is history doomed to forget about their plight once more?” She said as she frowned severely, the topic clearly a sore one for her.

“Uh… beyond a reference that I’m pretty sure only Alex would understand, what is a thestral, exactly?”

Luna’s frown softened for a moment. “They are ponies, but with leathery wings and fangs. Many call them ‘bat ponies’ because of their resemblance to those misunderstood creatures. Alas… I have been unable to locate my children. I hope they are doing well… even if they may have forsaken their mother by this point.”

Something had clearly happened to this other tribe of ponies, but I did not feel the need for now to poke that particular sore spot. I did, however, make a mental note to look out for these ‘bat ponies’ in the future.

“I’m… sorry to hear that. This is… wow, a lot to take in,” I said, looking up briefly as I sighed to myself. This entire conversation was making the hairs on my back prickle up, and that was usually a bad omen.

A supernatural being that is capable of altering the destinies of others, on a whim? Just what kind of horrific shit have you gotten yourself involved in this time, Stuart?

“So… what are you two saying, exactly? That this is my future that I have to look forward to? Of being a slave to an unseen demigod?” I asked as I tried to dig deeper. I sure as shit wasn't a fan of hearing that my destiny might be being controlled by another entity.

“Well… I suppose this is just us letting you know that Harmony is the one in control here,” continued Celestia, “Not necessarily in control of any one of us in particular, mind you, but of events as a whole. Everyone plays their part in her grand scheme… whether they want to or not.”

“Wait a second… Harmony is a she?” I countered with.

Celestia just shrugged. “Well, that is what it feels like; something woven through me leads me to believe that Harmony is indeed a she. I do not, however, believe in coincidences. You are here for a reason, one that is unknowable to us or likely even to you at this point. You might be far more important to us than you give yourself credit for. You are not a slave, however… Harmony cannot control your actions, but like us before you, you might find out that free will is an illusion.”

Luna spoke up next as I cast my gaze across to her.

“If you take anything away from this meeting today, take this: the only other human to come before you has turned into a pivotal part of our history. He is arguably at least partially responsible for everything that has happened in the last fifty years; both good and bad, whether he was ready or not for the mantle he took up… that we encouraged him to take up. Just imagine what a second human could accomplish for ponykind.”

I scoffed at the notion. “You mean more of… what, this?” I said incredulously, gesturing my hands toward the window. “Your kingdom has fallen, ladies. You can't seriously expect another human to do any better. What if…”

Thoughts swirled in my mind of all the bad things that might happen were I to be given the reins of leadership.

“... what if I fuck things up worse? I'm happy to help, I just…“

My thoughts continued to expire in my mouth before I could shape them into words as my hands clasped over my mouth with my eyes closing tightly shut. I was beginning to feel the walls metaphorically closing in on me as my lungs tightened… until I felt something furry brush against my hands.

Only then did I open my eyes once more to see the blue-irised eyes of Ace staring back at me, his expression twinged with concern.

“It's okay, just breathe,” he said to me… which was more help to me than he could've known. I focused on his voice as he repeated that mantra to me a few more times before my breathing stabilized, the others all casting sympathetic looks at me… all except for Jet, who looked at me with a piercing glare before nodding once at each of the alicorns.

“You're going to need my help,” he seemed to offer as he crossed his forelegs and looked at me once more. “If you're as important as these two are implying you are… then ponies like me have an obligation to help you. Even if there is a demigod manipulating events for her unknown ends… you kept that one quiet, you two…” Jet said, earning nods from both alicorns.

“We couldn’t speak of it… we have, in fact, for years yearned to reveal this story to somepony since we returned… We think that, now, the time is right. But, this is more than just a story to tell… this is a warning,” said the elder sister as Luna fidgeted in her seat. Celestia then looked directly at me, our eyes meeting in a shared gaze as my hand patted Ace on the head. “A warning to you, Stuart. I believe that Harmony is growing bolder in her actions… out of desperation or complacency, we cannot say. However, know this: Until the day that Alexander Kintobor was resurrected, nothing like that had ever happened in our history. Bringing somepony… someone back from the dead is… unnatural,” she spoke with a visible shudder to her body. “Alexander’s return to this world, welcome as it was to everypony… was an aberration, an act against nature itself. It should not have been possible…”

“... and yet it was,” I said, highlighting that point. “Because of that, he’s now in a position to fix what he thinks are his mistakes. Maybe… I might even get to see him again… all thanks to that little gift of life.”

“I… do not think he would agree that it was a gift,” said Luna. “Something changed in him that day; it was like a piece of him died when he was brought back. If he spoke to you now… one wonders if he would have preferred to remain deceased. One wonders if you would still recognize the human you remember so fondly… or if he would regard you the same as he once did.”

That last point hit me like a gut punch. I’d never, not once, stopped to consider if his experiences could’ve caused his perspectives to shift.

Not that I would blame him in the slightest. I didn’t like me back then, either. I don’t even think I like me now.

I sank back into the upholstery and closed my eyes, taking a deep breath.

“Whatever Harmony thinks, the fact remains that I'm in no way worthy of that kind of responsibility.”

As I sat back up again and opened my eyes, Luna smiled sweetly at me. “Alexander was of the same opinion… but, there is an old saying from one of our oldest archmages, that truly great leaders do not seek power; they instead have power thrust upon them.”

“We won't be around forever…” cautioned the other sister. “You might not feel the whispers of Harmony yet, but I think you will, eventually. She might still be evaluating you.”

“Great…” I said, rolling my eyes. “So, I'm effectively being continuously judged by a non-corporeal, seemingly immortal pseudo-deity. Or is that just a normal Tuesday around these parts?”

That got a chuckle from a few in the room, which made me feel a lot better.

“Well, I can only wait for her to decide to do something. For now, I want to pick up on something you mentioned earlier, Celestia…” I said, sitting forward as I laid my hands on Ace's rump. “... What did you mean when you said that you'd heard rumors of the type of magic that was being used across the sea?”

“Well…” she started as she leaned back. “As I'm sure you know, there are five orders of magic: Divine magic, Destruction magic, Life magic, Illusion magic, and Necromancy. But… a long time ago, Starswirl the Bearded pioneered the creation of hybrid schools. One of the products of that research was Soul magic, a fusion of Life magic, Necromancy, and Illusion magic.”

My curiosity had been well and truly piqued. “Soul magic… You mean the ability to shape and manipulate the will of another being? Didn't we just have a conversation about this?”

“Not even Harmony can change the will of another directly… we thought that it was best to not help proliferate a power she lacks. We banned Necromancy for… obvious reasons,” she said with a shudder.

“But we still taught both Necromancy and Soul magic to a select few,” Luna advised. “Understanding both of those disciplines of magic has practical applications, like understanding the limits of the arcane and coming to terms with that.”

“Buuuuut…” I added, sensing that wasn't the point.

“But…” matched Celestia, “... While Necromancy is about creating and manifesting the undead… Soul magic covers a profoundly more powerful aspect: Summons.”

I matched her gaze as I repeated it back to her. “Summons? What is a… ‘summon’?”

“I've heard about them,” interjected Stopper, joining the conversation for the first time. “Legends tell of powerful, massive creatures that were conjured by trained summoners. They had the potential to level whole cities.”

Celestia nodded. “Yes, that's right, and they leveled more than one city in our history. The desert south of here was the site of one particularly aggressive battle between three summoned creatures. They destroyed one another… and the explosion of magic from that battle caused the land to drain all life away as a consequence, a permanent reminder of the dangers of such power. That is why we forbade such magic from being widely taught.”

“If such a creature were to be summoned unopposed… it could lay waste to the entire world…” added Luna. “... or allow its summoners to dominate the population, even enslave it.”

“What does all this have to do with Zebrabwe?” I probed, but I could already sense where this was ultimately heading.

Celestia leaned forward and shuffled her wings for a few moments before reclining back. “It has long been suspected that zebras are well-versed in Summon magic. I don't think a summoning is likely, but the minute it happens, we'd feel it in the aetherial currents.”

Multiple paths were now open in front of me, the group seemingly looking to me for guidance and a decision on what to do next.

“We have a lot to do. Jet; I need to ask you to ferry Stopper back to our settlement in one of those planes, she can give you rough directions to find it from the air.”

This was met with Stopper going wide-eyed at the both of us. “Wait, what do you mean fly?!” She asked with what sounded like a bit of panic in her voice.

“Afraid of heights are we, Captain?” I taunted light-heartedly, but I understood her apprehension. Before she could answer, Jet answered her concerns.

“Pfft, don't worry; I've got enough parachutes for everypony. Nopony is going to get hurt under my watch.”

“Well, now that that's sorted… Stopper, when you arrive, give Scar a report on everything that has happened to us since we left. Then, ask her if she has any further instructions before coming back here. Oh, and grab those magic tomes while you’re there and make sure my personal items are safely hidden in the tower if you'd be so kind. Jet, when you get back, you're teaching me how to fly.”

“You got it, friend,” said Jet with a smile and a salute, Stopper merely nodding in acknowledgment, still a little perturbed I guessed from knowing she was about to fly in the skies, albeit it a metal vessel.

I then turned my attention to the others. “While these two are gone,” I said, pointing to Jet and Stopper, “You two,” now briefly pointing each at Luna and Celestia, “Are going to teach me everything you know about Summon magic. I don't want to be caught with my trousers down if shit hits the fan, and that means learning about anything a potential enemy could do. A little history lesson on zebras wouldn't be amiss, either.”

Both of the sisters hesitantly nodded in an eventual display of understanding.

“Once we're all up to speed, we’ll scout out that signal to the west, and investigate it. Eventually, we'll do the same with the signal to the east. We'll also need to investigate Zebrabwe, but we can do that later. Am I missing anything?”

Celestia raised a hoof. “I think you should consider taking a trip to Everfree Castle… or, the ruins there, at any rate. I think there's a certain someone you should meet there.”

“There's… no such thing as ‘Everfree Castle’,” confirmed Tricks as he waded in, “There is a castle within the Everfree Forest, but that's called ‘The Castle of the Two Pony Sisters’.”

The alicorns shared a mutual grin before Celestia continued. “Canterlot wasn't the original capital city. That honor belongs to Everfree City. The castle I mentioned was at its heart and is only now known by that name. Its original name was ‘Everfree Castle’.”

“And… just who do you think I'm going to meet there? As you said yourself, the place is a ruin… Who could possibly still be inhabiting that place?”

“There is… a tree, at the center of the ruins of the castle, with a treehouse in its canopy. It is not the tree we once knew, but at that site…” said Luna, the alicorn trailing off as her sister finished her thought for her.

“... the Elements of Harmony were bestowed upon us.”

The pieces slotted into place for me, and I now understood who they were asking me to meet. It filled me with a sense not only of curiosity but of foreboding as well.

“So… let me get this straight… you want me to go to this tree, in the middle of a ruin, in the middle of a forest, and… what, commune with Harmony? Ask it very nicely if it wouldn't mind explaining just what the fuck it thinks it's doing? Yeah, I'm sure that'll go down well.”

“I… I think we should see it,” remarked Flame as she joined the discussion. “I just… feel like something important is there. I, um… can't put my hooves on it.”

Maybe it was my experiences on Earth making me overcautious, but every cynical fiber within me was now screeching that something wasn't quite right here. And yet… I was also feeling that going to the tree was the right thing to do.

“I think that settles it, then,” I said, exhaling sharply as I crossed my arms. “Jet, Stopper, you still proceed as planned to the settlement. I'll go over what I need to do here while you're gone. Once you're back, we'll form a recon party and fly to the Everfree Forest to check out that tree. Any questions?”

Everypony in the room shook their heads as Stopper prodded Jet. “You'd better be a good pilot.”

Jet just smirked back. “Well, Delta did say once that I have exceptional stick control…”

Chapter 12 - A Phoenix is Reborn

“Do I have to go with him?” Stopper mock-pleaded, pointing a hoof at her waiting pilot and chaperone. Jet, himself kitted out in a very stereotypical pilot's get-up, with a padded jacket that I was almost certain was genuine sheepskin, leaned against the metallic as-yet-unpainted hull of the Tornado, a very unceremonious ‘T’ daubed onto it until much better arrangements could be made for a proper paint job.

“If he tries anything funny, you have my personal permission to render him unable to achieve an erection,” I offered, eliciting a light chuckle from the unicorn as both Ace and I escorted her to her waiting chariot… of sorts.

“In case I haven't said it enough… Thank you, Stuart. I finally feel like I'm part of a family again… and I have you to thank for it,” she smiled, looking up at me as my eyes threatened to mist up.

“You're a good pony… a good person, deep down. I… just needed to make you see that. Now, get going, Captain, that's an order,” I said, raising my hand in a salute, a gesture reciprocated with a firm nod before she turned to Ace.

“Hold down the fort here, Squire,” she said with a nod that Ace returned before the unicorn departed, her light purple tail swaying in the breeze before she hauled herself into the spacious rear compartment at the back of the Tornado’s fuselage, with minimal assistance from what was quickly looking like this world's version of Howard Stark… flirtatious nature included.

Both Ace and I waved at the two of them as the plane roared off, Jet having spent around two hours making test runs before he was satisfied with his vehicular handling. We continued watching as the plane trundled along the dirt track until the chassis lifted back and allowed the craft to ascend into the sky. I kept my eyes on it for as long as I could before it became nothing more than a speck in the sky, deciding only then to walk back the way I’d come and return to the former princesses, with the alabaster pegasus in tow beside me in what was very quickly becoming our new normal.

“What was in that flask you drank before the ceremony? You seemed to perk up a bit after you finished drinking it…” he asked as we walked along the dirt path.

“Oh, that? Ancient hangover remedy. Salt, sugar, and orange juice. Restores electrolytes and alleviates dehydration, the perfect counter to a hangover when you don’t have a fry-up available.”

“Uh… what's an electrolyte?” Ace asked.

“Something to do with neurotransmitters, the elements that our bodies use to make us work. Alex was the expert on that subject, I just know that salt helps. Maybe, if you ever properly meet him, you can ask him that yourself, and for the both of us.”

The Sun was beginning to hang low in the skies, and I knew that twilight wasn't far away. For now, I rounded a bend in the road and once more approached the sisters’ house… or, ‘The House of the Two Pony Sisters’ as I'd nicknamed it when leaving earlier.

There to greet us was Celestia, albeit in the middle of some… rather unorthodox pruning of their front garden, the alicorn chomping heartily on a rose flower as we got closer.

“Mmm. A bit earthy, for my taste, but they show promise. They’ll ripen by summertime,” she added as we reached her.

“Well, do you know what's better than roses on your piano? Tulips on your organ!” I joked, earning a blush and a giggle from the two ponies.

“Ah, such crass humor. It took poor Alexander a whole year before he dared to tell a dirty joke in my presence, the poor dear.”

“As I recall, you then feigned offense, dear sister,” added Luna as she walked into view from the side of the house. “Did he not sink to his knees and beg for forgiveness?”

“He did! Shortly before I couldn't hold it in any longer and I just burst into laughter at him. Once he started laughing, too… I think that's when he realized that this place was now his home. How are you feeling about that, Stuart?” Asked Celestia with a look of care and concern. “About this world being your home now?”

Multiple conflicting thoughts about that subject raged in my head like the very tempest that I'd just been inducted into.

“It's… been strangely liberating… being here, I mean. Sure, I arguably have something very important to do… even if I don't know what that is yet… but, I'm not worrying about my day-to-day life like I did back on Earth. I'm not fretting about rent or the black mold in my bathroom, or if I genuinely have enough biscuits in the house.”

“You were in danger of running out of… biscuits?” Asked Luna, looking slightly perplexed.

“They were very moreish ones, mind!” I clarified, raising a finger in the air for a moment. “Little shortbread fingers coated in chocolate. Eating one led to eating a second, and then a third… before you know it, you've eaten the whole box and then you hate yourself for your lack of self-control.”

“I see,” Celestia chuckled as she looked at both Ace and I. “Unfortunately, one cannot summon biscuits… but, I do have a summon that you should be able to help me with. Luna, could you please fetch Volume Five from upstairs?”

A nod and sigh later, Luna slowly trudged inside the house, leaving Celestia alone with the two of us for the moment.

“I have an old friend that I should introduce you to, Stuart. Do you know what a Familiar is?” She asked as I plundered my Earth-centric memories.

“Uh… In the fiction of my world, a Familiar is a companion, usually an animal or otherworldly denizen. They're effectively a form of support for a spellcaster, be it healing, offensive damage, or distracting an enemy.”

She seemed impressed. “For living in a world without magic, you seem to know a fair amount about it…”

I put my hands up for a moment, showing both my palms to the alicorn. “Hey, it's not my fault if this world seems to enjoy a few parallels to the stories I've read. It probably gave Alex an advantage when he came here.”

The alicorn nodded as her sister emerged from the house with the requested tome held in the grasp of one of her wings that she then extended toward Celestia, who then hoofed it to me. I took the rather hefty book into my hands as I ran the fingers of one of them over the front, feeling the raised gold lettering under my hand.

“That is ponykind's collected knowledge of Summoning magic,” Celestia advised as she tapped the tome with a hoof. “I do need to warn you, however, that this type of magic is unusually taxing on the caster, both mentally and physically; even the survival of the caster is uncertain when a particularly powerful summon is used.”

I continued to run a hand over the tome before I once more looked up to meet the alabaster alicorn's gaze. “Are you saying that performing a summon could kill me?” I attempted to clarify as I could feel my eyebrows raising.

“If the summon needs enough mana, yes,” she answered as she briefly turned to look at Luna. “And that… eventuality, is something that you need to be prepared to do.”

Luna now stepped forward to formally join the conversation. “There may come a time when invoking a summon is the only solution available. You are the only friendly face we know who can cast magic… and we need you to be ready to make that sacrifice.”

I swallowed hard.

Yeah, you dun fucked up, Stuart.

“Well… I already said that I'd be willing to if needed. But only if there's no other option. So, I guess that means I should start reading this, huh?” I guessed as I curtly raised and lowered the book.

Celestia nodded. “Turn to the first chapter, there is a spell on the first few pages that will tell you how to summon a Familiar.”

As I flicked the gold-lined pages, a thought struck me; I smirked and uttered “Levenesis,” targeting the book as it slowly floated out of my hands with my now-distinctive blue aura surrounding it. I held the book up with the magic, and I was then able to manipulate the field enough to turn a few pages without using my fingers.

“You have impressive telekinetic control. Are you sure that you don't have any unicorns in your lineage?” Teased the elder sister as I found the spell she'd just advised me to find.

“Ah, here we are. Hmm…” I said with a pause as I read over the spell’s instructions. “I can see that it wants me to draw… a summoning circle. I've not done that before,” I commented as I carried the book in my telekinetic grasp while I looked over at the nearby grassland.

“Now, the question is… what Familiar should I summon?” I proposed, genuinely seeking inspiration from everypony.

“What about a big, heavy animal, like a bear?” Offered Ace.

“That's… not a bad call. Ferocious in battle and likely would be quite intimidating to face,” I mused.

“A bat,” was the answer Luna gave. “They are silent, can sense well in the darkness, and are the perfect stealthy companion.”

“I… have a third suggestion,” noted Celestia as she looked down for a moment. “An old friend, in fact. Are you familiar with phoenixes?”

I paused, wondering how much more that this world really shared with Earth's fiction.

“Only that I think they're fire-aspected creatures with the ability to revive those that fall in battle…”

Celestia smiled. “There is a bit more to them than that, but those are the basics, I suppose. Create the summoning circle, and repeat this mantra: ‘From one to fire, fire to one, come to me as I call upon thee. Shower me in fiery blaze and smoky haze as I invoke thy name: Philomena the phoenix’.”

“... Huh. You alicorns don't do anything small, do you?” I joked as I repeated the mantra in my head and loosely on my lips as my mind's concentration focused on the tome's instructions for the summoning circle.

“Probably best if you go stand next to Luna, Ace; apologies in advance if this makes you a bit nauseous,” I said, gesturing to the navy blue alicorn. The pegasus trotted over and sat next to her, giving a nod.

“I… feel a bit weird, but nothing I can't handle!” He said, raising his voice as he set about watching me perform my instructed task.

“The only thing missing from this get-up is a cape, but no matter…”

I ran a finger over the instructions for the creation of the summoning circle as the tome continued to hover in mid-air with my magic. Using my free hand, I scorched the ground and flora beneath me, weaving the intricate pattern called for as I stood in its center.

After a few moments, a light began emanating from the circle as I completed the instructions, the book going to great lengths to reassure me that this was completely normal as I turned to look at Celestia.

“The circle is prepared,” she affirmed, “You know the next step.”

I nodded slowly at her and levitated the book across to Luna, who grabbed a hold of it with a wing as I turned to look into the distance.

“From one to fire, fire to one, come to me as I call upon thee,” I began as I held my arms against my chest, crossing them together. “Shower me in fiery blaze and smoky haze as I invoke thy name: Philomena the phoenix!” I shouted as I held a fist up to the sky, just as the ground started smoldering beneath me before shortly erupting into an inferno. I was about to panic before I realized that the flames were not actually burning me; rather, they had no sensation at all, and after a few moments, they started to transform into an intricate light show within the circle.

The flames then suddenly coalesced in an instant into the appearance of a medium-sized bird with a flaming tail that then soared upward and across the sky with what sounded like happy squawks before coming back down again to rest upon Celestia's back, the two of them then sharing a tender nuzzle as the rest of us looked on at the happy reunion.

An old friend, you say…?

I let them have a few moments as the summoning circle beneath my feet faded and decayed before walking over to Luna and Ace to stand next to them as we continued to look on while Celestia recomposed herself.

“I’m… sorry about that. Please allow me to introduce Philomena. She's been my Familiar since I was taught how to summon her… a long, long time ago now. Say ‘Hello’, Philomena.”

The bird squawked with an unmistakably happy expression on it. The phoenix had a plumage of bright red crimson, with its secondary wing and tail feathers exhibiting bright orange and yellow hues, mimicking the majesty and glory of a roaring fire. Her beak didn't instantly match up to anything I expected to see, being slightly larger than a bird of its size would be expected to have, were I to compare her to Earth approximations.

“Good girl, Philomena,” Celestia said with a profound smile. “I haven't been able to summon her since we both returned to these lands from Skyros.”

“I remember you mentioning Skyros earlier. A continent in the sky, you said?” I queried.

“Yes. Right now, it’s hidden, insulated from the changes to these lands as a consequence of the magic contained within…”

“... which is why we did not know about the magic dampening effect here,” further clarified Luna, “We now cannot even return to Skyros.”

I was growing ever more curious by the moment. “You said that you only returned to… well, what was Equestria, about a year ago. I assume that you were exploring Skyros, then?”

“Yes. We knew that it’d risen from the ocean centuries ago…” continued the dark-furred alicorn until her sister spoke up.

“... But we had little reason to visit it. Until Opaline Arcana came along…”

That name was another one I'd heard mentioned previously.

“Wasn't she the one who drove the wedge between the tribes in Equestria?” I asked.

“Yes. We recognized the name, which is why, once we were sure Twilight and Alexander were settled in their new positions, we returned to Skyros to see if other alicorns had survived the destruction of the Kingdom of the Alicorns as we had.”

“And… Did they?” I asked.

“No… either they all perished…”

“... Or, they do not want to be found.” Luna finished.

The phoenix continued to nuzzle the elder alicorn, prompting Celestia to turn her attention toward me.

“I think the time has come to pass the torch, so to speak. Philomena, how would you feel about protecting this one,” pointing a hoof at me, “As you have done for me all these years?”

The bird launched herself and landed on my shoulders, digging her talons into my skin as she shuffled to my right while her beak ruffled through my black hair that was, by now, in serious need of a trim, along with my unkempt beard.

“I think she likes you,” Celestia said with a smile as the others looked on.

“I did not know that summoning our Familiars was an available request. Wouldst thou summon ours to join thee?”

“Another phoenix?” I asked as the younger alicorn shook her head.

“Nay. He is a more… terrestrial creature, a water-aspected opossum named Tiberius. Like my sister, I was taught how to summon him in my earliest days here.”

This place is starting to feel like North America…

I mulled over the thought in my mind, but couldn't think of a reason not to grant her request.

“I don't suppose you remember the summoning mantra?” I asked before Celestia held up a hoof briefly.

“I think that this is an ideal time for a lesson,” she began as her hoof lowered. “Mantras are not set in stone; they just need to invoke key words related to the summon one is attempting. All you need to do is perform the one I gave you, but swap out some of the words for more relevant ones, like changing references of fire to ones of water, for example.”

“Huh… That actually makes a lot of sense,” I answered as I churned those words of hers in my head, looking for words or phrases to change. After a few moments, I decided on my chosen set of phrases, moving off to the side for a moment to once more cast a summoning circle, but now doing it without the aid of the tome. Within mere seconds it had been completed and radiated light from below in the same manner as the previous circle. After looking down to admire my handiwork, I looked up at Luna while nodding in her direction as I extended my hands, while still feeling the talons of Philomena digging into my shoulder.

“One to ocean, ocean to one, come to me as I call upon thee; Save us from watery blight and shower us in your tidal might as I invoke thy name: Tiberius the opossum!” I shouted as I reached a hand upward and toward the sky, followed by a torrent of water falling from above that failed to make my clothes even so much as moist as I moved through the waterfall that was now descending all around me. After several moments, the collective water concentrated into the form of a grey-furred rodent with a head of white fur and a bright pink tail.

The opossum looked surprised to be here, in as much sense of surprise that a rodent's face could convey, before looking around and then immediately scampering away toward Luna, the small critter climbing up her leg to perch on her back before they, too, tenderly embraced one another as we all looked on.

“Tiberius the… thirty-sixth?” She asked her sister.

“Thirty-seventh. The previous one was choked to death by an evil little filly as a show of force,” Luna remarked as she spat on the floor in a clear show of disgust.

“Wait… you've had thirty-seven of these things?!” I sputtered, not really believing that rodents could have such long lifespans.

“He, like Philomena, is a magical being. His lifespan is around a century, but he is still vulnerable to more mundane terminations of his existence,” Luna replied nonchalantly, the opossum shivering as it sought refuge in her mane.

“I will… pretend that I understand some of that... Also, ‘evil little filly’? Just how evil could a kid really be?” I asked as the summoning circle faded around me.

“I’ve seen many troubled souls in my time,” confessed Celestia, “But, Cozy Glow? That filly was beyond troubled.”

“She was sadistic, psychopathic, and resistant to all attempts to help her reform. She was the one who…” Luna looked down for a moment, joined by her sister in the gesture. “... who mortally wounded Alexander.”

It was an odd sensation to hear so casually about the one that had ended the life of my friend, even if it had ultimately led to his resurrection.

“What happened to her?” I asked in a flat, neutral tone that was doing some seriously heavy lifting to mask my anger at this past event.

“Twilight Sparkle sealed her in stone,” continued Luna, “Along with her partners-in-crime, Tirek and Queen Chrysalis. Together, they nearly brought about the end of Equestria, and if by some miracle you somehow released them, they'd dominate the land once again, for what is left of Equestria is wholly unprepared for their return!”

“In other words, my dear apprentice summoner: Don’t go looking for them,” ordered Celestia with a frown, every bit underlining the potential danger to me. “Maybe, one day, you’ll be strong enough to deal with them, but that day is not today. Do you understand?”

I looked at them both before glancing down at Ace before I very reluctantly nodded my head. “Yeah… I do. So… when will that day come? The spell I've just cast is obviously a low-level one. What's an example of a high-level spell?” I asked as I once more levitated the tome toward me, out of Luna's grasp.

“Turn to page sixty,” Celestia instructed as my manipulation of the magical field turned the pages.

“Hmm… Summon Beast… Summon Elemental? You guys could summon creatures of fire, water, and so on?”

“Yes, but we largely avoided doing so. Aquarius, the Water Lord, got quite angry when one of us summoned a Water Elemental,” explained Luna as I continued turning pages, choosing to park the fact that the elements here apparently have Lords, for now.

“Hmm… Summon Gigas… oh… Summon Aeon?” I queried as my finger once more ran over the paper on page sixty. “It says here that such a summon is to be considered a summon of last resort. Wait... what is an ‘Aeon’, anyway?”

“An Aeon,” began Celestia, “Is a creature of immense power, born from the prayer of a summoner, and is cast as the final option when all hope seems lost. ”

“They are, ultimately, extensions of their summoner,” added Luna. “They can represent feelings, emotions, memories, even abstract concepts. But… the summoning of an Aeon taxes the summoner to their very limits; If one is summoned, the summoner that wills it rarely survives.”

I crossed my arms and let that possibility flow through me. “So… in other words, if I were to summon an Aeon, I should be prepared to die as a consequence?”

That last point made Ace look very uneasy, his state of mind washing over me via the amulet, making me feel like he absolutely didn't want me to part ways with this mortal coil, which was entirely understandable, and was a feeling I shared. I clutched the amulet with a free hand for a moment, the oversized pendant now suddenly feeling much heavier in my grasp.

“Your phrasing is… crude, but accurate,” confirmed the former lunar diarch, “Let us hope that it does not come to that.”

“But you should read up on that spell, Stuart,” encouraged Celestia. “I, too, hope that it will never be cast again… but, these are dangerous times, as I'm sure you've noticed. You,” she punctuated by pointing a hoof briefly at me. “Are now the only ally we have who's capable of casting that spell.”

I returned my gaze to the book still levitating in front of me, focusing on a gold-embossed illustration of an almighty dragon-esque beast being summoned by a unicorn summoner. The weight of the situation finally started to sink in for me as I crossed my arms and exhaled deeply, closing the tome in front of me telekinetically while keeping it in the air.

“Well,” I began, “If I die, may it be with glory and resolve. I don't intend on kicking the bucket unless it's the only option, mind you; I quite like being alive, despite the understandable misconception that I have a death wish.”

I was about to grab the book when an overwhelming sense of nausea came over me, causing my concentration to falter and the tome to drop out of the air and land on the grass as I fell backward, the phoenix fluttering away as I collapsed onto my back; Despite my sudden malady, I could feel Ace immediately running to my side as I saw stars for a few moments, but still having enough presence of mind to reach a hand immediately around to my back to attempt to soothe my coccyx with a few generous rubs.

“I believe that someone is in need of rest,” offered Luna as both of the sisters approached me, my nausea diminishing as the alabaster pegasus nuzzled my cheek.

“Summoning even small creatures can be detrimental to one's health, especially to someone who is inexperienced. It is a wonder that you were able to hold out this long,” mused Celestia as I continued to awkwardly lie on the grass while I grabbed the tome off the grass.

“‘Tis no wonder at all, unless the Nightmare is not providing assistance to him,” Luna countered before I gave Ace's head a pat and slowly got back onto my feet, albeit shakily.

“Perhaps you two should stay with us tonight. It has been too long since we had overnight guests,” Celestia offered with a hoof pointing to their front door, accompanied by a slight bow of her head. In no real position to decline, I nodded and shuffled inside, Ace dutifully following as the two alicorns did the same, Luna closing the door behind us all with a satisfying click.

I plopped myself on one of their sofas after putting the book on the rectangular coffee table, shaking my head to dispel the last remnants of my mental miasma as Ace came over to lay in my lap, looking up at me as his wings shuffled at his sides. I reached out a hand to cup one of his cheeks, but my grasp was subverted by Celestia as a hoof pulled my hand away, the alicorn studying my palm intently for a few moments from her seated position next to the sofa.

“While I am certain that a unicorn did not meet their end at your hands, you nevertheless have the remains of one in your hands. I truly hope that you realize the scope of what you have done… despite the fact that such an act might very well save the world. It is… profoundly uncomfortable to think about.”

I closed my eyes for a moment and exhaled sharply before looking up at her still running a hoof over the bumps in my palm.

“Then I think we all owe it to that unicorn to ensure that we make that post… equinus sacrifice counts for something.”

I felt an invisible mental pressure for a moment; I knew not its source, but it made me recall the two creatures whose lives I'd extinguished, each one of them evoking feelings of guilt and remorse, despite the circumstances of their deaths and their, at the time, their necessity.

“Celestia… I understand that you counseled Alex during his time here. I… am in need of that counsel.”

I hated, hated, hated admitting that I needed help or advice… but, I was starting to feel circumstances slipping out of my control, and I was becoming acutely aware that this whole experience was making me feel like a fish out of water, like I had no business being here at all, much less a knight.

The white alicorn made her way over to the sofa opposite the one I was seated in, softly depositing herself upon its upholstery as she reclined back and put her hooves together.

“I wondered if you were going to have the courage to ask for help. What is on your mind, Ser?” she asked, a motherly tone now becoming evident.

I struggled to think of what to say first; I had so many conflicting ideas in my head that they all threatened to pile on top of one another.

“I’m… having difficulty… coming to terms with killing other creatures,” I began as Ace nuzzled my hands. “I've killed twice since I got here… and I hate myself for having done so. But, more than that… I hate having broken a promise I made to Alex on the subject. I feel like… If he knew what I've done here, I think that he'd be disappointed in me…”

Celestia continued looking at me while Luna appeared to busy herself in the kitchen as Philomena swooped in through an open window to perch on the back of one of the sofas.

“He really did mean a lot to you, didn't he?” The elder alicorn remarked as her gaze continued. “Well, I’ll tell you the same thing I told Alexander when he expressed similar concerns…”

Luna then joined us, carefully hoofing a selection of biscuits and four steaming mugs of tea onto coasters on the table in the middle of our meeting, before joining us on a seat to my right.

“Thank you, sister. I told him that it’s a good thing to… What were his words again? ‘Feel Like Shit’? Yes, I think that was it.”

That got a chuckle out of me as I encouraged Ace to let me lean over to grab the mug of tea with my hand.

“It’s a good thing to ‘feel like shit’ when you take a life. There is no place in the world for wanton, indiscriminate murder… But, there will come a time when it becomes a binary choice; either you come out alive, or they do.”

“Incidentally, Alexander named his weapon of twin swords ‘Binary’, although I do not think that its name was intended as an allegory for choosing between life and death,” commented Luna as her hoof dived across the table to fetch a biscuit that she devoured whole.

Maybe I'll get to see that weapon, one day…

“The fact that you feel remorse over those deaths is a good thing; it should remind you that life is precious and is something that should be fiercely defended… even if that defense means ending a life in the pursuit of it,” continued Celestia as she leaned forward to pick up her mug of tea, taking a generous slurp from the porcelain as it met her lips.

A gulp from my own mug had me ruminating on the flavor; a pity that, despite my heritage, I never was very good at telling one tea blend from another.

“Does it ever get easier… taking a life?” I asked as the warm liquid descended down my throat.

The sisters both paused in thought.

“Well… Every time I took a life or ordered my guards to do so, I went to the gardens in Canterlot Castle and planted a flower,” advised Celestia, taking another gulp of tea, “It helped remind me that life and death, rather than being opposites, are in fact part of the same journey that we all undertake. Planting a new life was my way of giving something back in exchange for taking the life of another. It made the process only slightly easier, mind you.”

A final gulp and a hushed “Ahhhhh,” from me signaled the depletion of my beverage while I thought about what Celestia had just mentioned.

“Then, I will do just that,” I said as I redeposited the mug on its assigned coaster on the table while Ace was barely halfway through his. I sat back once more, crossing my arms. “Every time I extinguish the life of another in pursuit of peace… no, in pursuit of harmony, I'm going to keep a running total. Then, when this world is a little more forgiving, I will create a garden, and in that garden, I will plant a flower for every life I've ever taken.”

Luna and Celestia both finished their tea at the same time, each putting their respective mug on the table at the same time.

“I am grateful that my suggestions are rubbing off on someone else,” Celestia said with a smile. “You should also know that, while I truly believe peace is the noblest aspiration… it sometimes cannot be won without violence, and that, on occasion, you must be prepared to fight for it,” the elder alicorn cautioned.

I laid back in the seat, prompting Ace to get up and shuffle up next to me, his face burying itself in my armpit as I settled my hand on his body for some slow strokes across his fur. My thoughts then wandered back to the day that Alex went missing; I must've become lost in my own mind for a moment as I suddenly noticed that Celestia was waving a hoof at me. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, it's just… I was just thinking back to the day that Alex disappeared. I'd messaged him earlier that morning to meet me at my residence; I was originally planning to walk over to the international students’ accommodation to meet him and then we’d walk down to the university together, but… he never arrived.”

“Was an investigation conducted into his sudden disappearance?” Asked Luna, to which I nodded.

“Yeah. But, they only found a partial route that he'd taken. He was seen walking into an underpass… but he wasn't seen walking out of it. Had I met up with him as I'd first planned… I would've had to walk through that same underpass to get to him. In fact, had I left my flat at the time I usually would…”

Oh.

Oh, fuck!

I stood up suddenly, unwittingly causing Ace to face plant into the fabric I'd vacated before putting my hands on my head. “Oh my fucking god!”

My sudden shouting had clearly caught everypony napping as I stood there, bringing my arms down slightly.

“If I'd left my home at the usual time to meet him, I would have to have gone through that very same underpass at roughly the same time that he did that day. I changed our plans less than half an hour before he was last seen.”

I hadn't bothered to think about it much since I got here. I'd dismissed it as an irrelevant detail, only now mentally addressing the incident with a new potential factor: Harmony.

I put my hands on my face and exhaled, closing my eyes briefly. “If I hadn't had to change plans… would I have been sent here instead of him?”

The revelation seemed to plunge the room into an uncomfortable silence.

“Assuming that is correct… Why?” Celestia asked. “Why would Alexander be taken if just the timing was different?”

I sat back down, feeling all eyes upon me. An answer loomed in my head, and yet it felt impossible.

“Could Harmony… have made a mistake?” I posed, scarcely believing that a demigod was even capable of making an error. My question initially was met with yet more silence, but Celestia’s brow wrinkled for a moment. Sensing an answer, I dug deep for it.

“Do you know if that's even possible?” I baited as the elder alicorn shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

“There was a time, long ago, when I would never have even dared to think about something like that,” she said, looking around at all of us. “Maybe… It is the nature of humans to be unpredictable. Maybe… Harmony found your behavior difficult to predict?”

“Difficult to predict?” I countered.

“Mmm. We've made many assumptions about her, including that she can see the future. That assumption might be an inaccurate one.”

“Well, either she can see into the future or she can't, right?” I pressed.

“I… have a theory,” offered Luna. “Are you familiar with Starswirl's Chaotic Assertion, the belief that every action ever made, no matter how slight, affects the universe in unforeseen ways, enough to affect subsequent actions?”

I once more crossed my arms. “I… think I know what you're getting at. The nickname for it on my world is ‘The Butterfly Effect’; however, it's probably better described by its scientific name, ‘Sensitive Dependence on Initial Conditions’. It gets its nickname from the belief that the wingbeat of a butterfly can set in motion a chain of events that could ultimately lead to a tsunami on the other side of the planet.”

“You must have very odd butterflies if they can do that,” said Ace as Luna and I shared a smile.

“What I am getting at is that,” continued the younger sister, “For centuries now, I have suspected that Harmony does not see the future… but possible futures.”

“What makes you believe that?”

“She never acts directly. If she could see the future outright, she would likely interfere with the timeline itself. Instead, she has others rise up and do what is needed. I do not think that she would do this unless she was attempting to balance probabilities.”

“You can't be serious,” I said, “Do you actually believe that Harmony makes decisions on the basis of probability? That is… insane!” I exclaimed, my eyes probably going wider than usual. “You really have a supernatural quasi-deity playing with dice here? Man, that’s fucking wild.”

My assertion was rhetorical, for no creature present could possibly understand Harmony enough to make a definitive answer, least of all me, and the room's silence reflected that.

“Fine. Whatever. Pointless thinking about that for now, I suppose. There’s probably an alternate timeline where I did get here first, and if there is, I sure as hell hope that I didn't fuck things up.”

Celestia then turned her head to look at me. “Speaking of alternate timelines… Do you remember the name Starlight Glimmer that you mentioned earlier to me?”

I nodded slowly and unfolded my arms as Ace once more returned to tuck himself into my armpit, my hand again finding its way over to rub his back and side.

“Well, she was once the self-appointed leader of a town where she coerced and manipulated its citizens into following her vision of equality. Twilight Sparkle and her friends visited her town and revealed to the whole town that Starlight was deceiving them. She rebuffed every attempt of Twilight trying to reason with her, shortly afterward escaping from the town and the rest of its inhabitants after being confronted.”

“That sounds… complicated,” I pondered, wondering what would drive someone to do that to an entire town.

“Shortly after Twilight and her friends returned home, Alexander arrived, and he later ended up being caught up in a showdown with Starlight, alongside Twilight Sparkle and Spike. To enact her plan to correct an undesirable situation for her in the past, she dived through time itself; Twilight and Alex pursued her through multiple alternate timelines of Equestria, each one caused by Starlight going to the past while Alexander, Twilight and Spike repeatedly pleaded with her to stop.”

“Wait… She time-traveled?” I asked, having difficulty accepting that such a thing was possible here, never mind being possible at all.

“Yes, using a forbidden and hard-to-learn spell. According to Alexander, one of those alternate timelines featured a barren and desolate world, with many signs pointing to a war in progress. He claimed that his sigil was featured quite prominently on some very… authoritarian posters. He couldn't be a hundred percent sure, but he believed that that version of Equestria was one where he became Equestria's sole ruler… where his desire to do good somehow became corrupted.”

“A fascist version of Equestria with Alex in full control of it? Man, that thought must’ve shaken him up a bit,” I said, finding the very idea a difficult one to swallow.

“It did indeed. He was never the same after he witnessed that… and he confided in us that he feared that he might do the same here, that he might lose himself and become a force for evil instead of good.”

“Those other alternate timelines had very undesirable outcomes, too,” added Luna, “In one of them, Nightmare Moon apparently won against my sister when she returned to Equestria. Another showed Queen Chrysalis and her changelings dominating Equestria, with yet others showing Equestria under siege from the past, vanquished foes of this timeline.”

“Sounds rough,” I commented. “Let us hope that the ponies in those universes were able to eventually rise up and free themselves from oppression.”

Time travel…

The very thought of it intrigued me, despite the obviously disastrous ramifications of using it.

“Alex is technically using a form of time travel, too… only, he's using it to travel to the future, not the past,” I observed.

I looked down at Ace, the stallion looking a tad weary as his nose buried itself into my hoodie.

“I'd follow him given half the chance… but then I'd leave all of you guys behind… and, I'm not sure that I could do that.”

Celestia nodded. “If you could take them with you, would you?”

I thought about that for a few moments before responding. “Only if I was sure the settlement and everypony in it was safe. I swore an oath, after all… I don't get to break it when it becomes inconvenient. I mean, it would be nice to take everypony with me, but I don't think that that's even possible.”

As soon as I'd uttered those words, I mentally reminded myself that Equestria, or what was left of it, had a knack for making the impossible look mundane.

“Tia, I know that look,” accused Luna as Celestia let a small grin cross her features. “That is the look you get when you have an idea.”

“You know me too well, Lulu,” she addressed her sister before turning to me. “There are many ways to travel to the future, Ser: Stasis, dimensional folding, and mass summoning, for example.”

I snapped my fingers. “I remember Alex mentioning that he was going to seal himself away… which sounds like stasis, in all honesty.”

“Yes. Stasis is generally quite safe, but getting out of it on time is tricky, although the time penalties are usually measured in days or weeks at worst. Then, there is dimensional folding, but it would only spirit you away… and the exit mechanism is unpredictable; even a moment later than needed might put you much further in the future than you wanted, usually on the order of years.”

“What about mass summoning?” I queried.

“Mass summoning is… impractical.” she continued. “While the energy costs are low to seal yourself or others away, it requires a tremendous amount of energy to summon them back, to make the void return them… depending on how many you’re summoning, of course. It's also risky keeping them within the void itself; the upper limit is about a thousand years, but conditions in the void make that figure unreliable at best.”

The situation with the land decaying was forcing me to consider such unorthodox solutions, just to survive.

“If the land dies, nothing will live to see the future,” I contended, “If we do somehow fix things, the land might take decades or even centuries to fully recover. In the meantime, settlements like ours might not be able to survive.”

I continued to give Ace's fur some generous scritchings as I outlined my plan while he practically snoozed next to me. “I think we should do all that we can to repair the land. Then, if it turns out that staying put in this time is a bad idea, I propose that we all travel to the future. Every last soul in both known settlements.”

“That is… extraordinarily risky!” stated Luna with significant enthusiasm in her cautionary warning. “It would risk oblivion for anyone who agreed if they could not be extracted from the void in time.”

“I know!” I exclaimed in frustration as I looked at the younger alicorn. “It should only be done if the extinction of the settlements in the long-term looks certain. Maybe…” I trailed off, thinking for a moment. “... it’ll mean we can meet up with Alex.”

Celestia had been listening but took a while to voice her comments.

“If this plan can grant refuge to everypony who wants it, I’ll endorse it, even knowing the risks. If we are truly set upon this being a possible outcome, then we should investigate the catacombs of Canterlot together.”

I looked up for a brief moment in thought. “What would we find there, Tia?” I asked, repeating Luna’s apparent nickname for her sister, the alicorn not even batting an eyelid at my doing so.

“Well, probably artifacts and equipment that can help; spell mantles, mana orbs, and imprinting matrices, to name but a few items of interest. We won’t be able to breach the magical barrier over the city, and the Gate of the Ancients is impassable without our magic; though you may be arcanally inclined, it’s impossible to teach you the unlocking spell, as no physical notes of it were ever made, and it’s too complex to orally recite.”

“That means the old sewers are going to be the only way in,” added Luna. “We did block them off, but the protection is weak enough to overcome now that we know someone who can wield magic.”

I chuckled to myself. “Yet another item on the list of places we should visit,” I mentioned as I looked out the window, noticing that it had gotten much darker since coming into the house. “It’s getting late out there. As you’ve probably noticed, this guy…” I said in hushed tones, pointing to Ace, “... is looking a little sleepy. Maybe we should get some shut-eye and reconvene tomorrow.”

Celestia continued looking at me, before briefly pointing a hoof at me. “That necklace you’re wearing… where did you get it?”

A light snore alerted me to the pegasus now having drifted off to sleep as I removed my hand from his body and cupped the socketed gemstone in my palm. “There’s a tomb to the north, beyond the town of Stratusburg, hidden within a cliff face, inhabited by the discombobulated intelligence of someone who referred to themselves as ‘Prince Blueblood’. This artifact was at the end of the tomb.”

Luna now also began to scrutinize it from her seated position. “You have the Amulet of Truth!” she practically shouted, rousing Ace from his slumber with an annoyed grunt. “For decades, we thought it had been lost. That thieving nephew of yours stole it!” she angrily pouted at her sister.

“I think being dead is enough punishment for him,” Celestia indicated with a long exhale, like she now finally found herself free of some prior hidden burden.

“Well, dead nephew or not, Celestia, he managed to save his mind. There’s a crystal in my backpack that seems to serve as his window into the world from wherever he’s managed to stash his consciousness. I’ll grab it tomorrow and bring it to you; maybe you can keep it,” I suggested. “What do you two know about this amulet, then?” I then asked, curious to know what else this thing shackling Ace and me together might be capable of.

“Well, as you have found out, if improperly handled, it binds its finders together in a mental and physical bond with it, to deter thieves and tomb raiders,” Luna advised as she momentarily narrowed her eyes at me while Celestia gave her sister a side glance.

“Without our magic, we cannot neutralize the active spell within it,” Celestia noted, “It uses old changeling magic, like the necklace and earring we used to hide our appearances. Reversing changeling magic is not something that can be easily taught; unless you were to live for the centuries needed to learn it, that is.”

I reached a hand out to ruffle Ace’s mane playfully. “Looks like we’re stuck like this, huh?”

“It’s alright. I don’t mind…” he said while trying and failing to hide a blush forming on his cheeks, the amulet conveying every thought the pegasus was having, causing me to poke his chest in jest. “Later, hun.”

“If you’ll follow me, I’ll escort you to your room,” offered Celestia, and as she got off the upholstery we followed suit, the elder alicorn leading us up the stairs to a landing that led to a series of rooms; two doors were at the end of it, each with the cutie mark of one of the sisters upon it, presumably their private bedrooms.

“You can sleep in our guest room, just here,” she said, motioning to our left with a hoof. “There’s an ensuite bathroom attached to the room; It’s already got fresh towels in there, so feel free to freshen up before you sleep.”

“Yeah, I’ll make sure he does,” the pegasus said, this time causing me to break out into a blush as I cleared my throat.

“Thank you. I appreciate your and Luna’s hospitality,” I acknowledged as I opened the door, stepping inside the reasonably spacious room as Ace followed, hopping onto the bed while I walked around it. “Sleep well when you go, you two,” I said to Celestia, making eye contact with her as she smirked.

“We will. And, please… if you need anything at all, please don’t hesitate to wake us; We’d be more than happy to sort out any problems,” she offered with a wink that I wasn’t entirely sure about before closing the door behind us, leaving Ace and I alone as my mind immediately turned to the bathroom.

My mood immeasurably improved when I walked into the ensuite and flipped a switch on the wall, causing the room to illuminate from a fire crystal socketed in the ceiling. A metallic shower head was now visible, installed above a very spacious wooden bathtub. I reasoned that the entire feature was likely made bigger to accommodate the sisters’ larger frames compared to other ponies.

I poked my head out of the bathroom and extended a hand toward Ace, bending a finger back and forth at him. “If I'm having a shower, then you're having one, too,” I stated, the pegasus apparently needing little convincing to join me.

As soon as he entered the room, I closed the door and then hooked the amulet's chain around one of the bath taps before turning my attention to the shower mechanism. After a few moments, I pulled the lever to the right to align with the ‘red’ side of the affixed temperature guide, causing the shower head to erupt with a forceful stream of water into the bathtub.

The water itself was warm to the touch almost immediately, probably due to magical means like the fire crystals the settlement used for its own showers. Needing no further motivation, I started unbuckling my belt, the pegasus with me sharing yet another experience of me getting naked; only, this time, he was very much staring at me as I did it.

Before long, I was as naked as the day I was born, my clothes and shoes now deposited in an unkempt pile on the floor away from the tub. Turning to Ace, I pointed to the running shower. “Get in, then,” I encouraged as he did as I asked, the pegasus gingerly hopping in and immediately soaking himself with the water as I joined him by carefully stepping foot in the tub too.

After grabbing the soap, I momentarily stole some water by sticking my head under the stream, letting the warm liquid flow across my scalp and down my face before I reached down to start scrubbing Ace's back with the soap bar, the warmth of the water ensuring that it took almost no time at all to form a lather.

“So, how does it feel to share a window into my mind?” I asked him as I lathered up his mane and tail with the suds from his back.

“It's weird. Before, I was just hearing your voice as you thought… but now, I can see things that you're thinking of in my head. It's like having a third eye.”

“Just like when I can see what you're thinking of. This world of yours is really something else, you know?” I asked rhetorically as my hands moved to soap the stallion's undercarriage, feeling like I'd earned enough trust at this point to give his sheath a lather with my hand, a gesture that almost instantly caused an image to flicker in my mind of precisely what a certain pegasus wanted to do with it.

“Maybe when we've had a good night's sleep, eh? You must be really pent up down there,” an observation that resulted in Ace trying to flick his sopping wet tail at me.

“I know you must be, too,” followed by a much lewder mental image from him. I fired back with a much, much lewder one, causing Ace's whole body to quiver in response, even as a torrent of warm water continued to douse us.

With the stallion now properly soaped up, I turned to my own body, my companion getting a front-row seat to a rather vigorous cleaning of my sack, crack, and foreskin with an available flannel before I then sat down and grabbed a clean sponge, handing it to Ace.

“My back could probably do with a thorough clean, too. This bit’s always easier if I can get a helping hand… or, hoof with it,” making gestures with a hand at the sponge now being firmly gripped by my bathroom buddy in one of his forehooves.

Getting comfortable, I sat down cross-legged as I turned my back to the pegasus, who immediately got to work on a thoroughly satisfying rub-down of my skin, the combined sensations enough to encourage me to close my eyes and just relax together under the shower. The pegasus seemed to use my unconscious appreciation to focus on specific areas, like the small of my back and my shoulder blades, doing an absolutely stellar job at getting all that loose skin dislodged.

Sensing that he'd finished, I turned around and grabbed hold of him, depositing him in my lap as I exposed his barrel to the water, watching the escaping stream carrying with it several days’ worth of sweat, grime, and frustration as it swirled down the plughole.

Once I was satisfied that our bodies were squeaky clean, I reached up to halt the flow of water before sitting back down in the tub, continuing to hold Ace against me as our wet bodies rubbed against one another.

It was easy to tell that Ace was enjoying this private time with me as a warmth flooded my mind; images flickered in and out of focus but most of them projected a feeling of safety and protection.

Alas, the dampness of our embrace would soon give way to the chill of the cold, so I gently eased him from our hug and got up, stepping out of the tub and grabbing a towel before unceremoniously throwing it on the supremely moistened pegasus; a minor pang of annoyance came through the mental link we shared, backed up with a huff as he shook his head to free his eyes from their temporary confinement in the fabric.

Seeing him momentarily flummoxed by a towel got a hearty chuckle from me as I grabbed a towel for myself; while I got to work drying myself off, Ace took his time joining me. Once I was merely moist rather than sopping wet, I hung my towel back on the rack and helped the stallion finish drying himself off, a much more intensive task due to his fur and feathers.

After much patting down and strategic drying, followed by Ace shaking his entire body, I opened the door to the guest bedroom, almost immediately regretting it as the steam escaped and I was greeted by a sudden cold chill against my clammy skin that made my whole body momentarily shiver.

Leaving my clothes in the bathroom, I grabbed the amulet and hooked it around my neck before turning the light off as I stepped onto the lush carpeting of the bedroom, walking over to the window to close the curtains, lest prying eyes get more of an eyeful than they intended. The room was now much darker, so I went to one of the bedside tables and touched the surface of it, causing the socketed crystal within it to glow softly, illuminating the room with a weak, steady light.

“I keep forgetting that all you ponies walk around naked. Humans don't really get that luxury unless we're somewhere warm and safe. Feels liberating to just walk around in the buff for a change.”

I could tell that he was staring at me; not that I minded, but it still had this undercurrent of weirdness that I couldn't quite shake.

I noticed that Ace was still looking a little damp, so I went and grabbed a couple of clean, unused towels from the bathroom. I then removed the green duvet, revealing a crimson bed sheet that I proceeded to drape the towels over, giving the bed some protection against our combined moistness.

Tentatively planting my buttocks on the fabric, I bounced up and down to test the firmness of the mattress before applying my full weight to it and swinging myself around to put my feet up before patting the other side of the bed, an invitation that was immediately accepted as the pegasus hopped onto the bed with gusto, lying down and facing me as I laid back against the pillows.

“We… haven't really had time to properly talk since we left the settlement. How are you holding up?”

“Me?” He said, pointing at himself with a hoof. “I should be asking you how you’re holding up! You've just been told that you should be prepared to lay down your life! I… I don't… want you to die…” he said, lowering his head and despondently looking down.

“Believe me, Ace… I don't want to die… but, after reading from my country's history, sometimes, the ultimate sacrifice must be made, for the good of all.”

“Why you?” He fired back at me. “Why not somepony else? Let them save the world…”

“Because there is nopony else!” I raised my voice and somewhat startled the stallion in the process. “If there was? Sure, I'd let them take on the responsibility. But, there isn't anypony else here who can wield magic with your interests in mind… so, I have to be the one to carry that burden. If I don't, then everything you've worked for could be snuffed out.”

I sighed and hit the headboard with my noggin as I looked up at the ceiling briefly. “You guys took care of me when I had nowhere else to go… despite the fact that I wasn't who you were hoping I’d be. That is a debt to you all that I can never repay… Protecting all of you is the least I can do… Even if it means giving up my life at some point.”

I then put my arms out towards Ace, making grabby gestures with my hands that prompted him to come over and join me in a mutual hug as our bodies once more rubbed against one another, but without any clothes to separate us this time.

“Look, I don't mean to be morbid, or anything… but, nothing lasts forever…” I began, as Ace looked up at me, “Let's just enjoy what we have, and worry about the future when it comes, okay?”

The alabaster pegasus nodded before I leaned forward a bit to plant a kiss on his lips, our noses touching as we hugged each other tightly in our embrace, his damp fur brushing up and rubbing against my clammy skin.

“It's probably best that we sleep apart tonight, otherwise neither of us will get dry,” I said, breaking the small kiss as I motioned to the unoccupied pillow to my left; Ace then slowly and very reluctantly pried himself off me to lie down facing away from me on the other side with a heavy thump, accompanied with a mental nudge equivalent of ‘Okay, but not because you asked me to’.

“Sleep well, Ace,” I said, reaching a hand across to him to give his body a few gentle strokes from top to bottom, getting a series of low murmurs in response from the sleepy pegasus. After mentally offering the same affection to him, I turned over and tapped the bedside light once more, extinguishing the light from its crystal and plunging the room into pitch-black darkness before I opted to finally rest my weary head on a rather voluptuous pillow.

It wasn't long before a series of soft snores wafted over to me, the stallion's mind offering no further thoughts via the amulet that I unhooked from my neck and put between us on the bed. Closing my eyes, I let the warmth of the room radiate across my naked body as sleep finally claimed me for the night.

Chapter 13 - When Worlds Collide

Expecting to find myself in bed come morning, I instead suddenly found myself walking through a woodland forest in broad daylight, atop a hill with trees and foliage that appeared to be in the grip of autumn. Before me was a dirt road that led down into a valley with a row of trees on either side of it, the buildings of a town visible in the far distance as clouds hung low in the skies above me.

It took me a few moments to realize that I had autonomy of movement, and I started looking around me as I came to a stop. As inevitably as night follows day, Ace was a short distance away, he too coming to a stop as we made eye contact with each other.

“You’re wearing clothes again,” he observed, which I confirmed by running my fingers over my body, feeling the familiar sensations of my hoodie and jeans against my touch.

“That’s… a very good point,” I mused as I looked behind myself briefly, “I was in bed, naked… next to you…”

“So… this is…”

We both sighed and agreed together, “A dream.”

“God, this amulet is making us share everything. Not even our dreams are safe from each other, are they? That said, though… I don’t recognize this place,” I conceded as I walked down the dirt path, beckoning the pegasus to follow me. “How about you?”

Ace shook his head as he began to walk alongside me. “I think I’d remember a place this beautiful.”

I was about to agree with him when my eyes caught sight of something running toward us. Definitely pony-like in stature, they bounded up the path toward us; as they came into view, they appeared to have a coat of minty green with a mane of white and green. Sensing an opportunity, I came to a stop and stood in their way.

“Hello there! Perhaps you could tell me where we-”

The pony ran through me like an ethereal specter, running off into the distance without even giving me the time of day. Looking down once again at the bottom of the valley, another much taller individual was now sprinting towards us. It didn’t take long for me to see who it was.

“Shit! It’s not our dream, it’s his dream! Quick, hide!” I shouted as I dived behind a line of trees beyond the boundary of the road, Ace following just as quickly as the very familiar sight of a human came into view; Alex wheezed as he seemed to struggle to make it over the hill as both of us watched from our hidden vantage point behind a tree.

“Why would he be dreaming about this? It makes no sense,” Ace commented, a fact I couldn’t disagree with as I reached across Ace to pick up a smooth pebble, about half the size of the palm of my hand. “What are you planning?” he said to me as I lined up my idea.

“Something very reckless, that’s for sure. Time to test a hypothesis,” I fired back as I darted right and took my shot, firing my projectile at the other human as he breezed past us, the spheroid missile making direct contact with his skull and knocking him off balance as he crumpled into a heap on the ground.

“You've killed him!” barked Ace as I shook my head.

“It’s just a dream! He’ll be back on his feet… probably,” I said with a sharp exhale. Sure enough, the toppled body of Alex rose and got to his feet, dusting himself off and looking around very confused.

“That wasn’t how this went…” he muttered as he shook a finger at nothing in particular, his facial expression continuing to express a mixture of concern and bewilderment.

“How what went?” I asked as I emerged from the shadow of the tree and into his field of view, ready to test just what exactly this was. The air, such as it was between us, went deadly silent as Ace followed me, taking up a position to my left; all the while, the mental image of my friend appeared to scrutinize me before briefly looking up at the sky.

“Oh, look; another ghost of my past is here to tell me what a failure I am, just like he always does here. Go ahead, lay into me; it's nothing that I don't deserve.”

I sighed, looking up and down the mental projection of my friend, kitted out as he was in a white vest and lime green running shorts. “Maybe the old me would do that… but not the new me. I don't know what part of you needs to hear this, but whatever you think you've done… I forgive you.”

The apparition moved closer to me, looking over me as if not believing his eyes. “Kind of you to say… that's not what you usually say in this place.”

“Look, mate, what the fuck is this place? I’m reasonably sure you’re not a figment of my imagination,” I reasoned, causing this apparition of Alex to once again turn to me, but this time approaching me as his slightly taller body came within smelling distance of me, the odor of sweat becoming very noticeable as he and I locked eyes.

“This…,” His palms open with his arms spread wide, “... Is just a lucid dream, a side-effect of stasis; keeps the mind healthy across the centuries, but memories can’t persist into the waking world. I don’t know why I’m explaining this because, well, you are just my imagination, and you know all that I know.”

I could only shake my head in response. “No! I mean, I’m not part of this… fantasy! This isn’t your mind talking back at you, this is me talking, the real me!”

Even as I persisted, I could see his mind having difficulty grasping this new information; he moved closer to me, putting his hand on my chest. “Stuart… could it really be you? But… you’re not here, you’re back on Earth. I got taken here and… I left you behind.”

“Alex… I’m here. I don’t know how and I don’t even really know why yet… but, I’m stuck here now, just like you. Only I’m… something like fifty years in the future compared to when your stasis started. The world’s gone to hell out here, my friend.”

That revelation did something, the conjuration of my friend turning crestfallen and morose. “The dreamscape has grown unstable; if you really are here… this is not a good sign.”

“Probably not. But, I know that you’re planning something,” I continued, “I don’t know what it is exactly, but I know that you’re going to try to fix a mistake that you think you’re responsible for; and, that’s fine. I don’t need to know anything; I know enough to leave you well alone to do… whatever it is that you’re planning to do. But… God fucking dammit!” I exclaimed as I punched the air around me impotently. “This is the closest I’ve come to you and you won’t even remember this conversation when you wake up!”

Neither of us said a word, but Ace decided to break the silence as he sidled up alongside me and addressed Alex directly. “Sorry about that, he’s had a rough month here,” he said, prompting Alex to, for the first time, properly take notice of Ace as he turned around to regard him with a furrowed brow, followed by him crouching down to inspect the stallion more closely.

“Well aren’t you adorable?” he said, reaching out to cup Ace’s cheek and give it a gentle stroke, much to Ace’s simultaneous enjoyment and chagrin. “But, why are you here with him? If every pony could join my dreams, I'd be seeing a lot more of them.”

“This is why,” I said, pulling out the amulet from behind my shirt, the artifact making itself apparent even in the dreaming world. “We found this, and something happened when we got close to it. We can’t be more than a few meters from it before we get weaker, and it’s bound us together at the mental level, too; thoughts, dreams, memories… all of them are shared with each other.” I mentioned, before putting it back where it was.

“That’s… the Amulet of Truth!” He said, standing y
up. “It went missing about a year ago; where the fuck did you find it?” he queried of me, arms crossed.

“A tomb to the north. Final resting place of somepony called Prince Blueblood, apparently a pony of some minor renown.”

That got a hearty chuckle from Alex. “The only renown he enjoyed was being an object of ridicule. So, who’s this cute little guy, Stuart? I certainly don’t remember him.”

“There’s no way that you would know who this little guy is… probably because he wasn’t alive when you were last walking around. Alex Kintobor, please allow me to introduce you to Aerial Ace. He’s my…” I stopped as the next words failed to land in my mind. Boyfriend? Lover? What’s the right term to describe what we are?

“I’m his coltfriend,” Ace said with an eye roll “And you can call me ‘Ace’. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, sir,” he interjected, extending a hoof toward Alex that he then bent over to accept.

“He thought I was you when we first met. He helped rescue me from my captors, thinking that you had returned,” I said, followed by a sharp exhale that Ace immediately filled the gap of.

“He got tortured on his first day here, too,” the stallion confirmed, which changed Alex's demeanor for the worse.

“What the fuck did he just say about you being tortured?!” he sternly asked as he pointed a finger at me.

I stopped for a moment as the painful memories of that day flooded back. “My captors thought I was you. I paid the price that day for a mistaken identity, from a pony that blamed you for unicorns losing their magic.”

Alex's brow furrowed and he sighed with a heavy exhale. “Well… she's right. Even in stasis, I still seem to cause suffering.”

“No!” I responded with, rather forcefully, “It's… fine; I've made my peace with it. In part, due to this little guy…” I said as I leaned over and gave the stallion’s mane a tussle. “Needless to say, everypony was disappointed when they learned that I wasn’t you. But, this guy right here… he seems to be enamored with me, for some reason,” I said with mock disapproval as Ace smugly grinned in retort.

Alex nodded before smiling widely, giving me a big bear hug that lasted for several moments until he pulled back. “You have no idea how happy I am to hear that you’ve found someone. If you really are here… holy shit. I’m so, so sorry you’re living in the… well, the aftermath of what happened; If you really are in Equestria… You’ve got some tough times ahead, my friend.”

“Tougher times than you know, mí amigo,” returning the salutation with one in Alex's mother tongue, “The land is dying, Alex,” I added, this new information causing a sea change in Alex’s demeanor.

“It’s… dying?” He said slowly, looking up directly at me, “Explain!” he demanded, in a manner consistent with this being completely new information to him.

“I, uh…” I scrambled, trying to put my thoughts in order, “... Harvests are dwindling. No matter what the ponies try, their crop yields are getting smaller. If I… if we don’t do something, you won’t have much of a world to come back to.”

Alex suddenly turned away from us, pacing up and down the dirt path we mutually shared for a few moments, his hands animating silently as they highlighted his mind in deep thought before he turned his attention back to me.

“A pony called Sunburst once told us that this might happen. Twilight overruled him, judging the risk as far too small to matter… Fuck! You need to fix this!” he pointedly asserted, my arms going wide for a moment.

“Yeah, but how?” I asked him, seriously stumped for answers as Alex put his hands in his pockets.

“Are you familiar with something called Harmony? As in… an actual creature called Harmony?”

“Um, yeah. I got a crash course from Celestia and Luna on how she works. Bit of an eye-opener… in the most horrifying kind of way,” I shuddered.

He smiled and chuckled to himself. “They’re both with you, right now?” to which I nodded. “Well, I hope that they’re well. They were a rock for Twilight and me; make use of them, their knowledge could be invaluable to you. Anyway, Harmony…” he trailed off as he walked away before coming back, “Go ask Harmony how to repair the land. If those two sisters don’t know what to do, Harmony is probably going to be your… our only hope.”

His concentration was broken by a chuckle as he again looked down at my four-legged friend. “Ace, wasn’t it? Your name reminds me of something… Stuart, do you remember when you took me to that karaoke bar in… where was it again?”

“Uh… that was in Soho! Quite how I got that past the approval board at the university, I’ll never know. Why, what does that… Oh!” I shouted as the memory clicked. “Deep in the blackened void of space…” I began to lightly sing, moving my arms in memory of when we sang that song together.

“... There flies many of an Ace,” he countered as we both momentarily looked down at the pegasus with a smile shared between the two of us.

“The dark abyss, it calls us forth…” I continued as my hands continued to move to the imaginary beat.

“... To fight on another day,” he finished, as I pointed finger guns at him for our joint successful recollection of that particular song.

“Yeah, we fuckin’ trounced the other team with that performance. So, yeah… I’ll fight on. Not that I have much of a choice… what is this place, anyway? Why would you be dreaming of this dirt road?” I asked him, holding a hand up and moving it against our immediate scenery.

“This? I think it’s the first time I did the Running of the Leaves, an old earth pony tradition to welcome in the autumn season. I think I…” he stopped, clutching his head suddenly with a hand as something overcame me, too, a booming voice echoing from all around us.

“Both of my vessels, gathered here together? What luck…”

“It can’t possibly mean…” Alex said as he shot me a look of disbelief. “The Nightmare has only targeted Empyrians like me before!”

“Well, it seems to be chasing after me! I had to fight it off once before!”

“And you will have to do so again!”

The world got darker around us as twilight descended suddenly in the skies, an apparition of twinkling lights bound in a dark, violet haze swirled and coalesced in front of us, taking the ethereal form of an alicorn pony before us both. A bright light shone from where Alex was standing, causing me to look over as one of his hands now sported a metal gauntlet, his body appearing to recover from whatever had overcome him.

“One of the benefits of lucid dreaming; I can conjure whatever the fuck I want. If you’d like, I can conjure one for you, too,” he offered, but I shook my head, dispelling with it the last of the mental pain from the Nightmare’s earlier arrival.

“No thanks… I don’t need one to cast magic.”

I wondered if a summon was going to work in the dream world, but I felt like I had no choice but to try. Extending my hands, I burned the needed summoning circle I’d remembered from the tome’s final chapter into the ground below me, causing both Ace and Alex to take several steps back.

“How the fuck are you doing that?” asked my human friend with a mix of wonder and concern.

“Long story,” I said, finishing off the summoning circle’s runes.

“You can wield magic?! And not only that but summon magic?! That’s… impossible!” he shouted at me with incredulity. “Leaving aside how it's even possible… Do you have the slightest idea how dangerous that branch of magic is? It could kill you!”

“Hey!” I returned with equal volume, snapping my head and pointing a finger at him, “If you have any better ideas on how to fight this thing, I’m all ears!”

Alex smirked, turning to look at Ace. “Hey, Ace! Try seeing if you can fly here!”

Doing as he was bid, the pegasus flapped his wings unsteadily, no doubt drawing on his tribe’s innate inner knowledge as he achieved lift after a short delay to his significant enthusiasm. “It’s working! Haha, I‘m actually flying! This feels awesome!”

“I take it that you have an idea on how to best use my pegasus, then?” I asked Alex, as he raised his gauntleted hand.

“Reflecto!” he shouted before pointing his gauntlet at Ace; the stallion was soon momentarily covered in a green orb of magic that faded almost as soon as it appeared. “Now she can’t hit you with magic. Go and do some hit-and-run attacks to try to keep it off-balance!” he commanded, Ace flying off as soon as I nodded in approval; the creature immediately seemed to notice the pony taking flight from the ground as Ace appeared to have successfully drawn its attention away from Alex and me.

“Reflecto, really? Do all of your spell names sound so… grandiose?”

“Do yours not?”

“Well, how does this one sound? Levenesis!” I shouted, picking up a nearby rock in my telekinetic grasp and firing it at the shadowy apparition while Ace soared in the sky, ready to begin as instructed. The rock bounced off of a shield surrounding the entity as it kept its focus on the stallion, a shrill shriek filling the air and betraying the effectiveness of my strike.

“It’s vulnerable! Ace, do your thing!” I shouted up at the heavens as the pegasus swooped in low. The Nightmare struck him with a bolt of lightning that appeared to ricochet off of the shield that Alex had placed on him; the spell bounced back on itself to hit the entity as it screamed in a fiery mix of anger and pain while Ace zipped away into the darkened skies.

“Levenesis, huh? And you call my spell names grandiose…”

“It’s functional! Anyway, here’s another: Frostfire!” I shouted as I extended my hands outward, willing the combined forces of fire and ice directly at the Nightmare. The spells struck the creature simultaneously, encasing its lower half in ice while engulfing its upper half in a blazing inferno, with several panicky and angry noises now coming from it. “Okay, that’s a bit more powerful than I can normally pull off,” I observed, folding my arms.

“Nice moves. Let me show you mine, though…” he said, raising his gauntleted hand into the air before aiming it at the Nightmare as Ace came in for a landing next to us. “Fulgur Maxima!” he shouted at the top of his lungs; an all-exposing bolt of lightning came down from the heavens to strike the creature’s head directly, briefly illuminating everything around us as the spell extinguished the flames and shattered its icy prison, replacing both maladies with a new one of arcing electricity across its spectral body that caused it to writhe and contort in audible anguish. Yet, the creature refused to yield.

“That spell’s shocking, I’ll tell you that,” I admired as I looked down at the summoning circle I’d assembled earlier. “We need to finish it off, now. If you have no other ideas, I’m going to perform a summon.”

“Not alone you fucking won’t,” Alex said, lifting up his arm to offer his gauntlet to me. “Grab hold of it.”

Doing as I was told, I put my hand on its cold, metallic shell as my other hand activated the runes beneath us. “They say that a summon is a prayer… I think I have the perfect recipient for it.”

Holding onto the gauntlet tightly, a warmth started to spread outward from it and into my body as my other hand performed the summon. “Answer is in our hour of need, I beseech you, listen to my heed. May ice and diamonds shower your presence; now, appear before us with our reverence, Shiva the Ice Queen!”

My knees threatened to give out as a surge of magic left my free land that I somehow managed to aim into the sky, the darkness of twilight immediately giving way to a shimmering white aura that formed amongst the clouds and descended to ground level. A swirling mass of snow, ice crystals, and mist coalesced in front of us to take the form of a large, Celestia-sized alicorn, with a fur of stunning white that connected to a pair of translucent blue wings that, if they hadn’t moved, I would have guessed were made of the purest solid ice. Its tail was a mix of blue and lavender, twinkling as if it were filled with ice crystals as they shimmered in the creature's own light.

“Buck me!” came a sudden shout from Ace as we all looked on.

“Holy shit,” I uttered, transfixed by the sight in front of me. “I summoned that, huh?”

“Holy shit, indeed. Yeah, you did; nice choice of Aeon, by the way,” he complimented as I steadied myself, keeping my hand firmly grasping one of the gauntlet’s digits.

“Thank you for answering my call, Shiva. Now, finish off this despicable creature with your Diamond Dust attack!” I shouted, stretching an opened palm toward the being I'd just summoned.

The Nightmare was still immobilized from the arcing electricity that danced across its translucent body, leaving it utterly defenseless against the onslaught that was about to be unleashed as more and more warmth spread from the gauntlet and across to my other hand, almost feeling like someone had lit a bonfire within my chest as a searing pain rippled across my body.

At my command, the battlefield’s newest entrant lit its horn as magic surged from my free hand toward it, the creature's spell causing a sudden localized blizzard to sweep in and utterly consume the malevolent entity, soon freezing it within a pillar of pure crystal ice. Then, the summoned creature reared itself onto its hind legs and brought together its front hooves with a sharp clack, causing the pillar to shatter and the malevolent creature to give one final cry of pain as it fell to the ground, the inky blackness of its ethereal form dissolving before our eyes.

After it went back onto all four hooves, the remaining alicorn turned to me and bowed, before disappearing in a snowstorm that carried it off into the distance. The fire within my chest died down but didn't entirely subside as I took my hand off the gauntlet and sat down harshly on the ground.

“Ow.”

I put a hand on my head while the other rubbed my chest. “Feels like my chest’s in a vice,” I complained as Ace came over to me to sit beside me while Alex crouched down.

“Told you; Even here, it's a dangerous form of magic. Luckily for you, my magical endurance is much, much higher than yours, even here; I took the brunt of the magic needed for that summon, but if you do that in the real world, you won't survive.”

I nodded with a grunt, shakily getting back up on my feet as Alex followed suit. “‘Both vessels’ it said… Did the Nightmare target you, too?” I asked.

“Did and still does, it seems,” he observed with an air of lamentation about his words. “Once it chooses you as a prize, you'll spend your whole life running from it… Just like I have since I got here. But, why is it chasing after you, I wonder?”

I crossed my arms as my gaze alternated between Ace and Alex. “I don’t know. I know why it wants you, Empyrean… But, maybe it’s seen another human and it’s just hedging its bets.”

Alex laughed as he shook his head. “The alicorn sisters really have told you a lot. Well, if it thinks that you will be an Empyrean… Words alone can’t explain how much danger you’re in. To think Starlight convinced me to do those memory crystals… did she foresee something that she couldn’t tell me, I wonder?”

I was about to point out that I’d found some of them when parts of the world started to flicker, trees and flora alike phasing in and out of view like they, too, were ethereal in nature.

“This instance within the dreamscape is breaking down. We've got only a few minutes, at best before we get catapulted away,” Alex confirmed as he turned to my pegasus companion. “Look after him, Ace. He'll lead you to great things, I know it,” he said as he also leaned in to give the stallion's mane a tussle of his own before turning his attention to me.

“And you?” He pointed a finger at me once more. “Especially after seeing you in action here… know that I'm proud of you. It's a shame that you can't join me in the future; I always intended to fix my mistake alone, but… if you were to show up, I think I'd be grateful for the extra pair of hands.”

“Alex… I will find you. I might be a little late to the party you're throwing, but I will find my way there to join you… eventually, even if you never remember this conversation.”

“Don't worry, I'll make sure that he does,” Added Ace to Alex before looking up at me. “If I can tag along, that is.”

I chuckled and reached down to pick up the pegasus, who only feigned expressions of dissatisfaction.

“Only if everypony can tag along. I'm not leaving any of you behind if I can help it.”

The very ground beneath us started to flicker and fade, prompting me that we had only mere seconds left.

“Take care of yourself, Alex! Give the future hell for me!”, a verbal goodbye that was responded to only by a salute from the other human before I fell, and the world went black.

When I came to, I tried to steady myself for a descent that never arrived by gripping hold of the mattress before my faculties returned to me. Turning around on the bed and rubbing my eyes, I spotted Ace lying peacefully at my side, his head drooling on the plush pillow as he lightly snored.

Of course, my new apparent status of coltfriend warranted a privilege enjoyed by many; the right to rudely awaken my partner as he slept, a right I then exercised by pressing on his snout with a finger, the momentary interruption of his breathing lifting him out of his slumber and stirring him awake. He, like I, instinctively reached out for something to hold onto, finding a pillow that he squeezed for a few moments until his eyes opened and caught sight of my still-naked body on the bed.

“Please tell me that I wasn't the only one here who had that dream last night…” I asked Ace as he groggily sat up and wiped the sleep from his eyes.

“That… was a dream? It felt so real, though….” He said, lazily scooting over to lay closer to me. “That Aeon was so pretty. Where'd the name ‘Shiva’ come from, anyway?”

“Well,” I began, “I took Alex to a museum once. There was an exhibition of many artifacts from a particular region of the world that I escorted him around; ‘Shiva’ is the name of one of the three main deities for the culture those artifacts represented. In fact…”

“Oh!”

I was interrupted by a muffled, yet very audible sound that didn't come from either of us. It piqued my curiosity enough for me to step out of bed and approach one of the walls.

“What was…” was all Ace managed before I briefly turned to him and put a finger to my lips with a low ‘Shhhh’ sound traveling between us before I turned my attention back to the matter at hand.

“Yes!”

I put my ear to the wall and got a lot more than I bargained for, with much lower sounds of heavy breathing, creaking, and the odd very muffled moan or two coming through the drywall. Not really knowing how to process that, I slowly returned to lie on my side of the bed. “It seems that we're not the only ones in a good mood this morning,” I noted with a smile as I picked up Ace and deposited him in my lap as I sat back up again with not even a huff of disapproval.

“I think somepony is overdue a little gift,” I whispered as I put my hand on the stallion’s barrel; that move, coupled with a mental reinforcement of what was about to happen instantly caused his wings to pomf out from his sides, causing me to chuckle as I pulled him close.

“A certain pent-up little pegasus…” I continued, teasing Ace with a little nibble of one of his ears, causing him to moan softly as his wings lowered, with another cry of ‘Buck!’ then traveling through the wall to us.

I was about to move my hand lower and down his undercarriage when a thought struck me.

This is going to be his first time. I have a duty to make it special for him.

I knew what I had to do, but that didn't mean I couldn't have some fun in the meantime as I finally brought my hand to rest over his genitals; the pegasus was already quite aroused, and his erection, while not at full mast, was well on its way there as my hand gripped his shaft, giving it a gentle squeeze as the warm rod pulsed within my grasp. I held him for a few more moments like that, feeling his dick stiffening and steadily pushing my grip as it grew in my hand.

Once I felt like he’d run out of length, I slowly started to rub it as a hand moved up and down its smooth and taut surface, stopping momentarily to slip the head between my grip and smear my palm with his liquid arousal. Ace, meanwhile, offered no words to my ministrations, only hitched breathing and the occasional moan when I hit a particularly sensitive spot.

Suitably prepared, I spun the pegasus around and put my arms behind him, immediately slipping his moist erection past my lips as my own no doubt made itself known to Ace down below as it poked his fur and ached for some attention of its own, my flesh twitching as yet more lewd sounds came from the bedroom next to ours.

The stallion’s taste flooded across my tongue as the salty moisture mingled with my tastebuds, every inch of the stallion’s tip now being caressed by me as little drips of precum started to form, each one eagerly lapped up by me before I had to remind myself that, while I wanted him to blow, I didn’t want him to blow just yet.

Extricating myself from him with a wet plop, I put him to one side of me and got on my knees, slapping one of my buttocks with a hand gently. “I think it’s time you put that thing to use,” I said, an invitation he didn’t need any convincing to accept as he reared himself on his hind legs, placing his front hooves on my lower back as he attempted to steady himself in his new position. “Don’t worry about being gentle, either; I’ve had my fair share of backdoor bandits back there,” I reassured as Ace inched himself forward, and I soon found his tapered tip awkwardly stabbing against my buttocks.

After a further stab and missing the mark, I raised myself to my knees and guided his erection with my hand to its proper destination before getting back down on all fours. “Now, scoot closer to me and the rest will take care of itself.”

Following my instructions, he put his hooves on either side of me and pushed his hips toward mine. “Urgh, fuck. It’s fine, keep going,” I uttered through gritted teeth as my back passage adjusted to the new sensations as Ace’s penis burrowed within me, the hot and thick rod doing its best to stretch me open as he got progressively closer. With a soft grunt and an inversely harsh one from me, the pegasus hilted himself and came to a halt as he practically rested on top of me.

“How you doin’ back there, buddy?” I asked him, getting a slow nod from him in return.

“I’m f-fine. You’re so… warm in there,” he responded while he wriggled about in there, my tight pucker giving him a few squeezes for good measure.

“You’ve got this. Just… push it in and out,” mentally bracing myself for the stallion to shift gears as he started to gyrate his hips slowly, rewarding myself by meeting his hips with a push back, allowing his pointed tip to stab me in juuuust the right place. “Fuck!” I said with a raised voice, wondering if that expletive had crossed the walls into the other bedroom, a thought interrupted by Ace as he started to practical piston himself into me, the bed starting to noticeably creak as he slammed his body forward, his scrotum slapping against mine each time he thrusted forward.

“Told ya y-grugh!-got this!” as I held his head against me with a free hand, the stallion was already getting breathless as he made up for his inexperience with remarkable enthusiasm. Being a newbie to this, his endurance had limits, a wall that the pegasus was about to smack into as his breathing became shallower and his thrusting started becoming irregular.

With an almighty groan, he slumped against me with his full body weight and pressed himself against me as deep as he'd go, soon followed by a familiar, warm feeling as he unleashed himself in my backside.

“See? I knew you had it in you,” I complimented as the stallion, still spurting within me, took deep recovery breaths and he rested his body atop mine, still weakly thrusting into me to drive his seed as deep as he could.

As his release started to finally taper off, rivulets of fluid ran down my legs that cooled and pooled onto the fabric of the bedsheet, the earlier towels having been displaced during the night.

“That was…” was all poor Ace could manage as his senses returned to him while my body very much felt him softening up as he removed himself from me, a wet shlick greeting us both while a low groan left my lips as he withdrew, now replaced by a feeling of equal parts emptiness and warm, gooey sloshing.

After giving his cheek a kiss, he leaned down and noticed something. “Hey, you didn’t finish…” he pointed out as he crouched and sniffed at my aching erection.

“Yeah, in real life, having an orgasm together is rare. Fancy lending a hoof with mine?” I asked, Ace then immediately darted forward to envelop my length in his mouth, causing a particularly loud moan this time to escape my mouth as Ace used his to great effect, reminding me of the first time we'd done this, only now we were doing it with zero pressure.

Using a free hand, I coaxed him to move as I swung around, now able to use the headboard for leverage as I looked down at him bobbing his head on my cock.

“Just remain still for a moment,” I asked as I started to move my hips toward the pegasus as he welcomed me further into his mouth and down his throat. In spite of my thrusting, Ace kept still, willingly offering himself as a receptacle for my frustrations.

Keeping up with my movements, his tongue slathered over every inch of me as I upped the tempo of my thrusts. “Yeah, that's it! Good boy!” I praised as my assault into his mouth continued while I continued to clench my anus to hold the worst of Ace's seed in there.

I wasn't far from my orgasm, taking my hands off the headboard to instead grip the stallion’s head directly, pushing and pulling him as my strokes threatened to overtake me. “Get ready, hon,” I warned before I reflexively scrunched my eyes and pulled Ace all the way down onto my dick, letting out a loud, primal “Fuuuuuuuck!” as I unleashed several day's worth of abstinence down the pegasus’ throat as he hungrily devoured every drop I had to give.

I felt him pull back a bit, offering no resistance to the adjustment as I felt his tongue continue to lick and caress the head of my rod, even as it continued to spray into his mouth; the sounds of loud swallowing and heavy breathing filled the room as cold trickles of fluid flowed down my thighs from my leaky backside.

Opening my eyes again, I looked down and saw that he was looking up at me with the happiest eyes I'd ever seen a pony wear, even now continuing to nurse me for the last few dribbles of semen I had to offer as my hands cupped his cheeks and softly caressed his fur.

Gently lifting him off me, I lifted him up and pinned him against the headboard, diving in to join our lips together as I tasted the last remnants of my cum in his mouth and on his tongue while sheath and shaft mutually rubbed against one another.

Eventually, we both came up for air with the pegasus leaning in to breathlessly whisper into my ear, “P-Put it inside me…” as his hoof stroked my softening length.

“Are you sure?” I whispered back, getting a silent nod in confirmation as we looked into each other's eyes, feeling a surge of arousal flow into me upon hearing the sexiest four words known to man. Lowering my hands, I firmly asked him to turn around without uttering a word, the stallion turning his back to me and flagging his tail as his virgin tailhole came into view.

Feeling adventurous, I lowered my head and traced my tongue across his ballsack before going higher to run it across his ponut, the taut ring of muscle immediately contracting as my tongue traced lazy circles around its circumference.

“Ohmygoshohmygosh, that feels so weird!” He loudly commented in a heightened voice as I ever-so-slightly pushed the tip of my tongue into its hole, tasting nothing beyond sweat and musk due to the rather thorough cleaning I gave it earlier.

Reaching a hand around to grip his steadily hardening sheath, I finished up by giving his puckered hole a kiss as I raised myself up and pressed the tip of my renewed erection against his freshly lubricated backside.

“Just tell me if this gets too much for you, okay?” I stressed, getting a short ‘Mmm’ in reply as I pushed myself into him. He wasn't as warm as Flame, but he was much tighter, a fact demonstrated by him as he relentlessly squeezed my cock as it slipped within him. “Just relax a bit down there, buddy,” I advised as I stopped and gave him some time to get used to me inside him.

After a few moments, I could feel the vice-like grip around me diminishing, so I pressed myself further into him until our hips softly collided; I then started to use my fist to give him a simultaneous handjob as copious amounts of fluid leaked from its tapered tip, allowing me to practically soak his shaft as he got to experience first-hoof one of the perks of having hands.

“That f-feels so g-good…” he uttered as I continued to rub his length while slowly withdrawing from his rear until only the head remained, letting his tight pucker twist and flex around it before I sank it deep within him again, causing a deep, satisfied moan to saturate the room as I timed my hand to rub along his tip at the very apex of my thrust into him.

“Such a good boy… you're doing well, bud,” I again praised, pressing the stallion against the wooden board as I leaned in to gently nibble one of his ears; I then applied just a little bit of pressure as I withdrew from him once more before clamping down with my teeth on an ear, using a bit more force to nip at it to coincide with another deep press against his insides, aided by both of my hands pulling his rump as far onto me as it'd go. This seemed to encourage a much louder moan from the pegasus to bathe the room and probably bleed over into the next.

The room next door had grown silent; either that, or we'd been loud enough to drown them out. Regardless, I now was buried balls-deep within my favorite pegasus, his relentless squeezing encouraging me to keep myself in my current position as I gave some short, sharp stabs against his innermost depths, making Ace release some brief, high-pitched squeaks in response.

Despite the stallion's behind doing all it could to keep me contained, I put a concerted effort into breaking past his resistance; I wasn't sure how comparable our respective strengths were, but I was determined to not be found wanting in that arena. After a few attempts to dislodge myself, I finally found my figurative footing and started a steady rhythm of repeatedly thrusting myself inside his rear, figuring that speed might keep his muscles off-balance and keep the way open for me to spread his inner walls deeper.

Ace's hooves, hooked over the rim of the headboard, were now trying to grab on with renewed purpose as our rodeo commenced, our hips smacking together as flesh met fur, our shared space now being filled with the visceral sounds of lovemaking as the pony under me whinnied against my huffs and grunts.

“F-Finish in me,” he commanded me in between shallow breaths, a request I had every intention of granting as my movements down below became a blur, my fingernails practically digging into his fur as I roughly rode him on the journey of our mutual enjoyment.

“Ace, I'm…”

As the bed now started to noticeably creak, my peak hit me with barely any time to sound a warning to my partner; pinning him properly this time, my body seized up while I held my breath and gritted my teeth as I felt myself cum hard, unloading a torrent of spunk into my coltfriend, his insides harshly clamping down on me as my warm goo splashed within his tight embrace.

With my body preventing the pegasus from moving, I had enough presence of mind to return a hand to his obviously aching erection as I vigorously rubbed along its length while Ace offered short grunts of his own at the dual assault on his senses.

His relative inexperience showed itself once more as my hand easily coaxed another orgasm from him. “Oh, buck!” He loudly exclaimed as I felt him spray in my hand; looking down, I saw a veritable fountain of fluids splashing against the headboard and pillow as I aimed his dick upwards while I continued to unload inside him, his inner depths milking me for every drip and drizzle possible.

“Yeah, t-that’s it, let it all out,” I whispered as our bodies collectively discharged their second loads of the morning, my hand long since soaked in with his seed as his spurts started to die down, my hand continuing to massage his erection even as his leaking ceased.

Neither of us wanted to move, it seemed, although a coldness from below told me that we probably should, if only to clean off.

“Shower?” I softly suggested as the stallion nodded.

“Shower.”

Extricating myself from him, I leaned over to grab the amulet before crawling over to hop off the bed, quickly entering the bathroom to turn the light on and get the water stream started as Ace followed me just as quickly.

“I hope they won't be too mad at us,” I remarked, directing my voice to him. “There's no way to hide those kinds of stains,” I noted as Ace briefly looked behind him at the disaster we'd just unleashed.

“Fun, though,” he mentioned as he walked over to lap at the hand that less than five minutes ago had been jacking him off.

“How do you like how you taste?” I asked as he thought for a moment.

“Hmm… I prefer yours,” he said with a grin as he hopped into the wooden tub with a happy spring in his step, dousing his head in the water stream before turning around to soak his rear. Meanwhile, I squatted down to make use of the toilet recessed into the floor. “Why're you crouching like that?” to which I shot back with a piercing glance.

“Well, it ain't comin’ out any other way…”

—

After getting suitably cleaned up, we both stripped the bed to at least make everything we'd defiled easier to wash; the headboard and mattress might some attention, but I'd help in any way I could with them should I need to.

Now fully dressed again and with Oathkeeper firmly sheathed at my side, I finally summoned the courage to open the bedroom door, escaping to the landing as my companion followed. The air was filled with aromas that made me think I was at a bed and breakfast, making my mouth salivate as my stomach reminded me that I was very, very hungry.

After a brief mutual nod, we headed down the stairs to find the two sisters occupying a sofa each as they both looked up at us.

“Good morning, sleepyheads. How was your rest?” Asked Celestia, who seemed to be in an exceptionally bubbly mood. Both sets of eyes remained fixed on us as I took an unoccupied seat with Ace hopping up to lie down on me.

“Before we get to that… we might've turned the bed into a Jackson Pollock painting,” I explained, causing the older sister to chuckle.

“I don't know what that is, but I heard enough to guess,” a light blush overcoming her features.

“Yes, well,” I began, “We heard you,” a revelation that caused Luna to blush so hard that it practically shined through her dark coat.

“Our… apologies,” the former Princess of the Night offered, “I trust that you are not offended?”

I shook my head as Celestia continued. “After a few centuries of living… well, things start getting a little boring.”

That caused me to laugh to myself as I patted Ace's rump. “You remind me of someone else I knew who told me their life journey.”

All eyes were now on me as I cleared my throat. “First, he started off with one woman… or, mare, if it were here. Then, he gets to two women, followed by two women with toys, and then to two women with toys while he watches. Then he asks to watch his best friend nail his wife, moving on to them both double-teaming his best friend's wife. Then, they nail each other's wives, before watching their wives nail each other while they then watched.”

The princesses each took a sip of their tea as I continued. “Eventually, he found himself canvassing the local hotels looking for a room with a glass coffee table so that he could be under it while a prostitute he hired took a shit on the glass.”

Both of them looked at me with mouths agape, before Luna cleared her throat.

“You, uh, certainly kept interesting company,” she said, giving their own coffee table a side glance that she was probably hoping I wouldn’t notice.

“Just saying that I… understand the effect age has on what, for many, are taboo subjects. I’m not judging… I like to think of myself as open-minded… perhaps a little too open-minded sometimes.”

Ace then batted me with his tail from his prone position. “Tell ‘em about that summon!” he said with a grin, looking back at me as both of the princesses darted both of their gazes toward me.

“What summon?” came from Celestia as Luna narrowed her eyes.

“I am… now reasonably sure that Alex is alive. Ace and I saw him in our dreams last night; this infernal necklace is binding us together there as well.” Pointing at it, I exhaled. “The Nightmare found us. We battled it and won, but it took an Aeon-level summon for us to defeat it… a summon that I called forth, with Alex’s help.”

Luna immediately sprang from her seat, pointing a hoof at me as a voice boomed from her mouth. “This has gone on long enough! You are ill-equipped to deal with the dangers of that infernal curse! Forthwith, I demand that you undertake training to control that power, to be instructed by me! Is that understood, human?”

I sank into my seat, looking at the other alicorn as I naively expected her to call off her sister’s oral assault.

“Alas, while her use of the Royal Canterlot Voice was… uncalled for, she has a point.”

Feeling like the time I was scolded by the headmaster in front of the entire school, it took me a few moments to fish myself out of that mental rut with even Ace being made to feel small.

“... You present a compelling argument, your ladyship… mareship… whatever. When do you propose we start?”

Luna merely pointed toward the front door. “You have had your fun this morning. The time for thy instruction is nigh. Perhaps you had best retrieve your sword while we retrieve the summoning gem.”

The plan sounded good in my head; although I was unsure what exactly she meant by ‘training’; her mention of Oathkeeper, however, was enough to at least hint to me that there was going to be combat involved.

“By your command,” I addressed with a salute. “Ace, let’s go.”

Both of us made our way outside, the morning breeze greeting us as we both looked at each other and nodded, thereafter briskly walking in the direction of our previous accommodations. A feeling of contentment filled my mind, both from myself and my pegasi companion, a feeling that was disturbed by a mechanical sound from their air.

As both of us instinctively looked up, the sight of a plane came into view, the craft taking a rather conservative approach for a landing back to the village as we both followed it in hot pursuit, catching up only when it was in the final stages of touching down, the wheels kicking up dirt and grass as it landed in the same open field they’d originally departed from.

Breaking out into a sprint, we immediately started to close on the vehicle as it slowed down, its engines dying as the propeller started to slow. Both of its occupants waved to us as we came into view, the unmistakable body of Stopper hopping out of the plane before it came to a complete stop, immediately doing an awkward three-legged run toward us with something clutched within the grip of her occupied hoof.

As we caught up with each other, she unfurled her hoof and offered a device to me. “Take it,” she instructed as my hands immediately reached out to take it into my grasp. The form was unmistakably that of the handgun I’d shown Crush to provide to his apprentices, but it was exceptionally well-crafted; it had a metallic shell, polished to a mirror shine with two red crystals contained within its barrel. Those were a surprise to me, having already planned to use blue-aspected crystals. The handgrip had the pulsating gem I knew about socketed within it, while the mechanism at the rear had the pointed tip of one of those blue gems, designed in such a way that its flat surface would impact against the smooth surface of the first crystal in the barrel.

“Where’d you get the red crystals from? I don’t remember us having any of those,” I said as I stroked my beard.

“After you left, we scoured the camp for anything else we could find that was magical and organized them in the tower. Found a few things of note, those two crystals included. Scar was apparently keeping them in reserve for something.”

“Nice of her to only just now tell us, but better late than never, I suppose,” I turned away from everypony and held the weapon up against an imaginary point in the distance, feeling like a badass for a very brief moment.

“I think I need to break this bad boy in. Did you bring anything else with you?” I asked as I turned my head back toward her.

“Come have a look,” she offered as Jet Stream joined us; all four of us then walked to the Tornado as she invited me to peer inside the rear compartment, seeing that she'd managed to pack in the three magical tomes, plus a metal shield.

“You can thank the apprentices for that shield; They said that it’s been reinforced, and that it'll pair well with that pistol.”

I fished out the aforementioned shield and admired the long diamond-shaped off-hander, my eyes immediately recognizing the large “Cool S” of my sigil imprinted on its surface.

“... I need to thank them properly when I get back. I'll take these tomes with me,” grabbing them after placing the pistol in one of my hoodie's pockets and donning the shield on my wrist. “Sorry to be a bother, Stopper, but could you grab my backpack from my room at the inn and bring it to the House of the Two Pony Sisters? I need to head back there and ask them if they wouldn't mind holding onto these for a bit.”

“It’s no bother. I'll return with it soon,” she said as she bounded off into the village.

“Jet, prepare this girl to fly again,” I asked him directly. “I want to be in the air with her this afternoon.”

The pegasus nodded. “You got it.”

Giving him a salute, Ace and I returned to the alicorn sisters with our new equipment in tow, Luna’s eyes going wide as she saw us approach.

“From whence did you get these?” She demanded, although not nearly as forceful as I felt that she wanted to.

“These were, uh, ‘liberated’ from another encampment. I've only read the first one so far.”

Placing them on the ground next to the front door, I retrieved my pistol from my pocket and brought up my new shield to pose with them, facing the gun away from all present as any marksman worth their salt should.

“These were a present from the blacksmith apprentices at the settlement. Look pretty good, don'tcha think?” I smiled as I felt the alicorn approach me from the side, scrutinizing the weapon with curious eyes as I pointed it into the distance.

“I have never seen such a thing. What manner of device is this, human?” she queried with an energy I’d rarely seen anypony here radiate.

Turning to look at her, I brought the pistol lower and adjusted the shield to fit better on my arm. “Find me a target and I’ll show you,” I offered, a proposition that the alicorn seemed to have already anticipated. Holding a gemstone in one of her forehooves, she pointed to a field some distance away from the house with her other one.

Seeing no choice but to follow her instruction, Ace and I were soon in the middle of a patch of smooth grassland, with Luna following but keeping some distance between us.

“I am about to bring forth a Gigas!” she barked, “I can dispel it, but I want to see how you tackle it first; Now, prepare yourself, thy little human!”

The stone seemed to respond to her wishes, and before I had time to ask why, a summoning circle formed below the mare, followed by a featureless ethereal materializing between us in a flash of magical fury, causing me to instinctively bring my shield up and raise my new weapon to the side of it, the barrel peeking just over the metal rim of the buckler.

“This is a summon that was specifically tailored to be a facsimile of Alexander!” the alicorn continued, a smug grin now adorning her face. “It learns every move used against it and it forces the opponent to drink deep from their training! Now, be unleashed, my Gigas!”

The creature, sporting a polearm of sorts, immediately came for me, and I fired off a single shot from the pistol directly at its chest. The gun’s barrel seemed to fire a wave of light directly at the summoned being, causing an impact that radiated a rippling wave of magical energy from it, making the construct pause in silent, seemingly deliberate thought.

Luna, meanwhile, narrowed her eyes at me as the impact from my weapon seemed to veil everything in silence. “A curious weapon. One wonders how potent it will remain. Now, attack again, my Gigas!”

The construct once more resumed its course toward me, and I fired off another shot from my new pistol in response, once again reverberating against the ethereal being as a shower of prismatic light radiated out from the impact site. This time, the construct didn't pause, slowing instead on its relentless path toward me.

I discharged yet another round, but the Gigas was now wholly unimpeded by its impact, in fact quickening its movement toward me. As it neared, I brought the shield up and struck whatever was approximating its head with a forceful impact, causing it to fall onto its back as I retreated further to give me additional space.

The alicorn, meanwhile, gave nothing away as she looked on dispassionately.

Sensing the Gigas was now adapting to my choice of weapon, I pocketed the weapon in my hoodie and unsheathed Oathkeeper, bringing both it and my shield to bare as I banged both against each other, letting off a deafening clang as metal struck metal.

It thundered after me, almost like it was pissed off at having been bested; it swung the polearm in a blur of movements until it made contact with my shield, toppling me over and making me land on my back as my hand lost its grip on Oathkeeper, my sword landing precious inches away.

The creature swung at me again, leaving me no choice but to use the shield still attached to my wrist to take the brunt of the impact, the sheer force of it rippling through me.

“Dismissed!” came a voice from the distance, the creature dissipating in ripples of light until naught of its form remained as the alicorn walked calmly over to me.

“You have been defeated, a rank amateur to your predecessor, it would seem,” she commented, with a hint of disdain in her voice.

Retrieving my weapon, I got up on my feet and dusted myself off, sheathing Oathkeeper once again and inspecting the shield, which had sustained only light scratches against the summoned Gigas.

“He had years to learn this stuff, while I am barely in my second month here! I can’t be expected to be an expert at this stuff already,” I explained, removing the shield from my arm as I spotted Stopper making her way over with the backpack I asked her to retrieve, eventually coming close enough to fling the bag at me.

“Thanks,” I said to the unicorn as I fished around in the backpack for the crystal we’d retrieved from the Tomb earlier as Celestia made her way out of the house, probably to see what all the noise was about.

“I need you to hold onto this,” I nodded to Celestia as I handed the crystal to her, the elder alicorn accepting it with a wing.

“What… is this?” she asked, looking at the crystal with a look of profound concentration.

“That is, apparently, the final resting place of somepony who called himself Prince Blueblood. He seems to have bound himself to some other dimensional plane, and uses that crystal to see into the world… not that he’s been able to do that since I took it, but still… it’s probably safer in your hooves for now.”

As she looked at the yellow crystal was curious eyes, a smirk traveled across her lips. “Always looking to cheat something, aren’t you, my dear nephew?”

Putting my hands on my hips, I chuckled incredulously. “He’s your nephew?! Bloody Hell… I suppose that explains the royal title…” to which Celestia raised a hoof in the air to counter.

“He's not a blood relation; I took him in from a young age, much like I did with Princess Cadance. Did you know that ‘Prince’ is actually his first name, and not a royal title?”

I snorted, shaking my head in disbelief. “Well then, I guess that makes him the pony formerly known as Prince,” as I looked over at Luna. “You honed Alex's skills into a potent weapon, didn't you?” I queried, to which she nodded curtly. “Then I ask you to help me accomplish the same.”

The former Lunar Princess sauntered over to me, possibly giving my body an appraisal. “If we do this, we go all in. You would endure many moons and many a sleepless night filled with rigorous training. Are you prepared for that, my little human?”

I looked down at Ace and Stopper before returning my gaze to Luna.

“With these two behind me… I can't fail.”

Chapter 14 - On Steel Wings We Fly

I managed to squeeze in a few more training sessions with the Gigas until I started to tire; the physical exertion had been a little bit too much for me to continue further with after a few sessions had sucked the energy and resolve from my body. Jet had joined the crowd after a while, and when I tapped out (to Luna's disappointment), he hoofed me a handwritten book with instructions on how to fly the biplanes.

It was more than just an instruction manual, however; inside, it contained detailed notes, illustrations, and diagrams on the theory of flight itself. In my hands was possibly the single biggest surviving record of pegasi putting to paper their understanding of the world around them… from a physics standpoint, anyway.

It even had notes expressing the beginnings of electrical theory; while those notes were primitive, the subsequent assertions made in their wake were scientifically sound, including observations on thermodynamics.

Not wishing to further push back my agenda for the day, I'd asked Jet to take us back to where the planes were located, who escorted all of us present over to them as they sat waiting to get underway once again.

After thoroughly poring over the instructions for how to fly the planes, the time came to put my initially collected knowledge to the test. Unfortunately for Ace, he'd have no choice but to accompany me; I didn't dare test how he'd fare if he were left on the ground, the amulet around my neck forcing that accommodation.

Taking the initiative, I removed all pieces of equipment from me and handed them to Stopper to look after before I hopped into the cockpit of the Tornado with the manual and started familiarising myself not only with what each control and gauge did but also where they all were in relation to one another as well, like the aviation equivalent of touch-typing.

The steering controls felt firm yet pliable to my grasp, and after adjusting the seat, I started to really feel comfortable at the controls. Ace then hopped in as I donned the included helmet, wired into a socket on my right, just off the seat. Looking back, I could see that Ace was immediately doing up his seatbelt, reminding me to do the same as I brought the clasp over by my left shoulder down to socket itself in the clasp to my bottom right.

A series of switches now started to be flipped by yours truly; the first activated the thaumaconductors to allow the flow of electricity, while the second switched on the avionics systems. As I flicked down the protective covers, everything started coming to life, including crackles in the helmet's included speakers.

“H-Hey, can you hear me?”

It took me no time at all to realize that it was Ace behind me that I could hear.

“Affirmative, can you hear me? Over,” I responded back; it then occurred to me that I'd have to teach everypony about proper radio communication etiquette, too.

“Yeah, I can hear you.”

The response certainly clarified to me that the intra-plane communication system was working, leaving me to test the external controls as I toggled what looked like ailerons, looking out of the cockpit to see Jet giving me a firm nod in confirmation of their working order. I then repeated the same process with the tail rudder, getting another nod of approval from Jet in turn.

“Control mechanisms seem fine. Initiating engine start-up sequence.”

Switch number three was then flipped, causing the forward propeller to spin as a sudden wind flooded my eyes. Over the noise of the engine, I gestured to Jet and Stopper to pass us their goggles, still hanging from their necks after their earlier journey.

With goggles now in hand, I placed them carefully over my face… before taking them off again to clean the glass lenses with my shirt before reapplying them and securing the strap. All of a sudden, the wind was no longer a concern as everypony else retreated to a safe distance away, leaving me with the task of taking off.

Ordinarily, I'd have loved for Jet to accompany me, but there was something to be said for learning something on one's own, despite how dangerous this really was.

Stowing the manual safely under my seat, I adjusted the ailerons and pushed the throttle to my right all the way, causing the propeller to really kick into life and the plane to start moving forward, albeit bumpily as the wheels trundled over the uneven soil and grass. Luckily for me, this actually wasn't too bad of a place to take off from, and soon we reached enough speed for me to pull the yoke back, causing the airframe to ascend into the air, the whole experience giving me the absolute willies.

For the first time since I got here, I genuinely understood what had been denied to Ace as the wind rippled through us while I leveled the plane off in the air and took in the sight of the ground below.

“Haha! Take that, you scuba-diving Spaniard!” I loudly proclaimed as the vista below offered a truly breathtaking spectacle. This aircraft had the potential to drastically improve our ability to explore the world… but who said that I couldn't have some fun with it first?

Taking the craft higher, the air started becoming noticeably thinner, taking that as my cue to descend and bring us about, eventually locating Las Pegasus and bringing our course parallel to the remains of the city.

“Ace, do you trust me?”

An initial silence before a meeker response than I expected came back.

“I did until you asked me that!”

“Well, get ready for something I call the ‘Super Duper Looper’! Hang on!”

Taking the craft on a low-flying path parallel to the ground, I pulled the yoke back and sent the plane on a sharp vertical trajectory further into the skies. Not wishing to go too high, I made the vessel fly upside down as soon as it was practical to do so, complete with “Bucking Tartarus!” and “Ohmygosh!” coming over my helmet’s speakers before I eventually curled the Tornado back down again to once more fly it parallel to the ground while the terrain flew past underneath us.

“Now, that's what I call being an aerial ace! How're you doing back there buddy?”

“Urgh… been better…” he responded, his voice fully informing me that he needed some winding down time once we landed, a situation I was fully intending to rectify as I spotted the outlying settlement away from the city. It took several flyovers, but I eventually located the original stretch of land we'd taken off from, complete with everypony still sitting there waiting for us.

“Right, I'm taking her down. Hold onto your drawers, and don't piss in ‘em,” I cautioned, more to myself than Ace, however.

Landings are always the trickiest part of aviation, and today was definitely going to be tricky; no asphalt, no braking flaps, and no instrument landing system. I was going to have to do this completely manually.

You can do this, Stuart!

Psyching myself up, I brought the plane around and lined up the landing gear for descent… only to pull back at the last moment, my instincts kicking in and telling me that the ground was going to be too uneven… Well, the ground was going to be uneven wherever I brought her down, so I added a mental check to override that abundance of caution on my next approach.

Coming about, I zipped the airframe across from the landing area before bringing her down for another pass; that same instinct to abort the landing grabbed my focus, but I resisted and forced the wheels to make contact with the ground, immediately cutting the engine off and letting the craft come to a stop.

Which it did, but only after the plane's right wing violently threw itself into the ground, sliding and deforming as it rapidly brought us to a halt, my body now just inches away from fresh, uncut grass.

“Ace! Are you alright?!” I shouted as I attempted to unlock my harness; a weak response then came over the headset of Ace letting me know he was okay as I slithered out of the cockpit and immediately went to help him, undoing his seatbelt and gently easing him out of the passenger seat.

Everypony else was already running over to us, no doubt concerned for our welfare; after checking over Ace, who was thankfully unhurt beyond being scared witless, I traced the Tornado’s approach and found the cause; a rather large rock that had clearly impacted the craft's right wheel, causing enough force to shear the wheel off of its mounting and causing the right wing to snag the ground.

Jet was the first to arrive, looking over the damaged airframe with an expression of concern one normally reserves for an injured relative.

“Fuck! Well, this might be repairable if we can weld it back, but I'd want to rebuild the entire support frame eventually. What happened?” Jet asked as I kicked the offending rock, not even succeeding at nudging it, much less moving it.

“This cunting thing! It's a minor miracle that this hasn't happened before. How long do you reckon until she'll be airworthy, Jet?”

“Hard to say. The wing can be done in a day, but replacing the wheel support frame will take a month; to just do a temporary repair will only be a day or two though, which would be fine for a few flights. Might even be a faster and better quality repair with your magic if you can weld with it.”

I'd never actually considered welding being possible with magic, but it would probably be a good opportunity to practice some finer magical control.

“We'll do that, then. Let me know when you need me, and I'll help. In the meantime… Let's find a more reliable runway, huh? One that doesn't kneecap these planes upon landing.”

The hours of twilight were upon us, meaning no further flying for the rest of the day, which irritated me slightly but I knew that it was for the best.

“Right, here's what we need: A runway, a proper hangar, and a team of mechanics to service the planes; do what you can to satisfy those requirements, Jet, and I trust that the former princesses can be relied upon to direct aid where appropriate?” Eyeing them both as they nodded. “Great. Tomorrow, Jet, I need to have you fly the Hurricane, with Ace and I in the back; we're going to pinpoint the source of the next crystal to retrieve.”

“You got it; if I can get some help turning this girl over, we can weld the wheel back on, and then when the metal cools, we can wheel her back to join the Hurricane. After I repair her wing there, she should be good to fly.”

“Alright, then; stand back and give me some room, folks,” I warned as I focused the two spells needed in my hands. “Levenesis!”

The azure aura spread over the stricken airframe as I slowly and cautiously raised it into the air, attenuating the field slightly to rotate it until the remaining wheel was pointing upward before neatly placing the craft back down onto the grass upside-down, the sheared metal of the disconnected axle now readily visible.

Taking the wheel from Jet's grasp, I floated it over and held it in place while I used my other hand to channel the next spell needed: a very focused telekinesis spell. “Kinesis,” I calmly spoke as I caused the other wheel to rotate in place, held in place by supports, as I held what remained of the wheel's axle against the broken part while it spun.

As minutes flew past, I raised the speed of the attached wheen ever higher until the join on the other side started to glow red. On the right track, I ratcheted up the rotational speed as the join became orange, then yellow, and finally white.

After stopping the rotation, I used a bit of magic to even out the metal's surface and remove the slag that had accumulated before uttering “Water,” to cause the join to be flooded with a contained band of clear fluid that immediately steamed and filled the air with the scents of amateur metallurgy.

“Friction welding. Cheers for the engineering knowledge, old man,” looking up into the sky before refocusing on the task at hand. “This weld needs to rest for a bit before we start putting pressure on it; Get something to cover the poor girl with, and we'll wheel her back in the morning after I turn her over.”

As everypony around seemed to be agreeing, I turned my attention to Jet directly. “I'm leaving the runway project in your capable hooves; you know what we need, and I'm sure you know a pony or two around here who can be trained up as mechanics. I'll meet you back here tomorrow morning to get the Tornado back upright, and once she's wheeled back, you'll take Ace and me up in the Hurricane for some reconnaissance.”

Jet saluted, despite his lack of rank. “You got it. I'll go grab some tarp for this thing. See you back here at eight.”

With a nod and a curt “Mmm,” from me, I began the walk back to the settlement, eventually finding my way back to the House of the Two Pony Sisters with everypony in tow behind me. As we got to the house, a thought struck me.

“Say… what do… or did you ponies play in terms of games here?”

“Well, uh…” began the solar sister, “We used to play board games, but we've never found one that was intact.”

“What about card games?” I pressed a nod each from the two alicorns.

“Very much so, but we don't have a deck of cards to play with.”

Turning to enter the house, I went for my stashed backpack and extracted a deck of playing cards from its smallest pocket as everypony came inside.

“I always carried a deck of cards with me; I think now is a fine time to teach you some games from Earth. Shall we?”

Everypony shuffled around the table, taking up various spots on the sofas and armchairs surrounding it before I joined them, taking up a now very much expected seat next to Ace. Stopper placed my backpack and sword next to me, beside the sofa, before hopping up on one of the armchairs to join us.

“Is there a stash of coins around here we can use?” I asked as Luna left the group for a minute or two as I removed the cards from their sleeve, the gold-embossed sides no doubt eliciting a curious glance or two from the others as I extracted the jokers from the deck before setting it on the table for a moment as Luna returned with a hefty, jingling sack.

“You can use these bit coins. ‘Tis a shame that they are now effectively worthless.”

Mulling over that inadvertent reminder of cryptocurrency, I put my hand into the sack as Luna laid it on the table, extracting a gold-colored coin that had been stamped with a hoofshoe on one side and Celestia's face on the other. I then distributed 20 of those coins to each player present: myself, Ace, Stopper, Celestia, and Luna.

“The game is ‘Texas No Limit Hold ‘Em Poker’. The goal is to win every coin currently on the table. You do this with a combination of luck, bluster, and subterfuge. Hmm… I need a dealer token, too…”

Running back over to my knapsack, I was met with an obvious solution; decoupling the pin from its secured placement, I carried both it and its setting over to the table, planting them next to the deck as a complete pin.

“What is this?” Celestia asked as she took the pin into her hooves for a closer inspection.

“It's a poppy, or rather a symbolic representation of one. In my culture, the poppy is a mark of respect for the men and women of the armed forces who've given their lives in the service of their country. However, here, I need to use this as a dealer token,” taking the pin and simulating it being passed around the table clockwise. “Whoever has the dealer token deals the cards. Additionally, the first and second player after the dealer must make a bet, like this.”

Putting the pin in front of Celestia, I then put one bit from Luna's pile in front of her, and then two bits from Ace's pile in front of him.

“These are called the ‘small blind’ and ‘big blind’ respectively. At this point, the next player after the blind players would call, raise, or fold depending on the cards they held. Before the blind is made, the cards are dealt, like so.”

Grabbing the deck, each player got one, and then a second card, after which I laid three upturned cards on the table.

“The cards you all now have are called ‘hole cards’, while the three cards face-up on the table are called ‘community cards’; the specific act of laying these three cards is called ‘the flop’. In the later stages of each play, two more community cards are revealed in phases, known as ‘the turn’ and then ‘the river’. You need to match up your cards, either on their own or selectively with any of the community cards, to form a ‘hand’... or a hoof, I suppose in your case. As each card is laid, your final matchup of cards might change… and sometimes you’ll bet in the hope a card you want is dealt.”

Revealing my hand, I showed that I had a King of Spades and a Two of Hearts.

“In each deck, there are fifty-two individual cards, with four suits; Hearts, Diamonds, Spades, and Clubs, each with thirteen cards. Each suit is equal, and all have cards representing a numerical value; one, two, all the way to ten, followed by the Jack, the Queen, and the King in increasing value. However…” I paused as I pointed to the first upturned community card, the Ace of Spades. “Cards like this one, the Aces, normally represent the number one; however, in this game, Aces are in fact the highest card, with no card representing the number one, effectively.”

Putting my hole cards down, I pointed to the King of Hearts and the Three of Clubs laid as the other community cards. “There is a king on the table. As I have a king, too, this means that I have a pair of kings. That is the second-lowest hoof possible; if nopony can attain even that combination of cards, the pony with the highest card wins. In cases where a hoof is equal to another and the card values are identical, both of them would be the winner.”

Flipping over the turn and river cards, they revealed a King of Diamonds and a Two of Spades.

“And that leads us very nicely into demonstrating some more possible card combinations. The next combo up from a pair is two pairs, which I could invoke with both two’s and two of the kings, but with what's on the table now, that’d be rather foolish.”

I then pointed to my king, followed by the other two kings on the table. “The next combo up is three of a kind, which is three cards of the same value. One up from that is a straight, which is a sequence of five cards, of different suits, with a sequential number order, like two, three, four, five, and six, or, say, ten, jack, queen, king, ace. The next combination is five cards of any one suit, regardless of value, which is called a flush.”

Turning my attention to the community cards once more, I moved the two kings and the two slightly in relation to the other two cards. “When a player has three of one value and two of another, that's called a full house. As you can see, I have one king in my hole cards to pair with the two on the table, and one two to pair with the two on the table as well.”

Putting back the cards into their original position, I upturned the deck to pull out the last king from within it, the King of Clubs, before putting that card on the table. “The next combo is four of a kind, where the player has four cards of the same value. Then, there's the straight flush, where you have a line of cards of sequential numbering of one suit, like a two, three, four, five, and six of Hearts, for example. The highest combination possible is a ten, jack, queen, king, and ace of any one suit.”

Turning over Ace's hole cards to my right, I knew what they were going to be due to hearing him think as I revealed the Ace of Clubs and the Ace of Hearts, quite an appropriate stroke of luck to match his namesake. “Now, Ace here has two… aces. This means that he can also attain a full house, but because those aces also outrank my kings, his hoof is higher than mine.”

Reaching over to my left, I turned over Stopper’s hole cards, a Five of Spades and a Four of Clubs.

“Now, had I gotten these cards with the first three community cards we turned over, I might've opted to discard them, or, more accurately, to fold. If not paying a blind, this means conserving the bits you have by not betting.”

Going right, I then revealed Celestia's cards, a Three of Hearts and a Queen of Diamonds.

“Now, this hand has some promise. It already has a pair, but Celestia over here might press on anyway, despite the fact that it's not an overwhelmingly good hoof. She might choose to bluff, to falsely assert that her cards are higher in value than they really are, and it would be down to the other players as to whether they believe her or not.”

“Ah-hah!” Cried out Luna as she turned over her own cards with a wide smile, revealing the Jack of Spades and the Jack of Clubs. “That is the subterfuge of which you spoke, the intentional deceiving of other players? Sister, I believe that I have found my new favorite game!”

A smirk crossed Celestia's lips as I started collecting the cards and shuffling them back into the deck.

“It's called ‘No Limit’ poker because there is no limit to how often players can raise, even within the same round. Each bet goes into what is called the pot, which is distributed to the winner of the round; or, in the event of a tie, the pot is split between the winning players,” making a gesture with my hands like I was invisibly dividing a pile. “If a player ends up putting their last coin into the pot, they are said to be all in, and they become immune to having to put up additional collateral if the bet goes up. But, if they then lose that round, they lose the game, as they have no remaining coins left.”

Everypony was looking around a little undecidedly, and I then realized that I'd probably lost them a bit.

“Okay, let's play a hoof, and hopefully then it’ll start making a bit more sense,” providing the deck to Celestia. “As you have the dealer token, you should be the one to deal each player two cards.”

The alicorn gripped the cards with a wing, using her other one to deftly flick cards from it toward everypony with a smug little smile as she no doubt picked up on my amazement at her skills.

“Well, you don't live for three-and-a-half thousand years without picking up a thing or two,” she explained as she deposited the deck on the table and upturned the flop cards, laying each one nearly next to one another; the Jack of Clubs, the Six of Hearts and the Ace of Hearts.

“Okay, now that the cards have been dealt, we can all examine our hole cards.”

Turning up mine briefly before laying them down on the table again, I saw the King of Hearts and the Two of Clubs.

Bit of a shit hand.

I knew that Ace likely knew what I had as his thoughts swam over to me, telling me silently that his cards were the Three of Diamonds and the Ace of Spades; a significantly better showing than mine.

“Luna, as the small blind, you need to put one bit into the pot; Ace, as the big blind, you need to put two bits in there.

Both complied and a small pile of bits soon formed on the table, next to the community cards.

As the bits fell onto the table, I was struck by the thought that playing this game might be harder for ponies than for humans due to our anatomical differences; humans don't have wings or a tail, nor do our ears swivel. Each one of those body differences could potentially betray a pony's desire to court deception in a game like this.

“Now, as I'm the next player after the blinds, the next move is mine; at this stage, I choose to fold… or as some might say, ‘Too rich for my blood’,” as I leaned forward and created a discard pile next to the deck. “I should point out that, if a player chooses to fold, they are under no obligation to reveal the cards they had. Stopper, the next move is yours; you can either call, where you match the big blind, raise, where you put a higher number of bits on the table that anypony staying in has to at least match… or, do what I just did, and fold.”

The unicorn's eyes darted between us all before she picked up four bits and leaned forward to add them to the pile. “Raise,” she said coldly.

No ear movements, and no tail flick. Stopper was absolutely in control of her emotions, but given her journey to date, I guess that it wasn't that surprising that she'd be ice-cold in a game like this.

“Okay, now is a good time to discuss reraises, and this is something even experienced players can get wrong,” pointing to Stopper. “Stopper has just raised the bet by two to four; Ace's big blind set the bet at two, and now Stopper has made it four. However, It's now Celestia's turn; she can choose to raise the bet further, but if she does, she first has to meet the existing raise, and then she must raise the bet by, at minimum, the raise that Stopper made, which was two. So, if she chooses to raise, she needs to put in a minimum of six bits into the pot.”

Celestia, looking at the unicorn with a sly smirk, then proceeded to put eight bits into the pot. “You're welcome to see what cards I have, Captain, but it's going to cost you more for that privilege.”

The smirk from the elder alicorn was accompanied by the smallest of twinges from her wings. Ordinarily, I'd chalk it up to a harmless twitch, but as it happened at the same time as her smirk, I would’ve bet money that she thought she had a good hoof.

I then cleared my throat as everypony switched their gaze to me.

“It's common practice in games like this to leave rank at the door; we're all equals around this table. Likewise, anything that happens around this table stays at this table.”

All eyes were on me as I then turned to look at Luna.

“Now, with that out of the way… As you were the small blind, Luna, you either need to call that raise with an additional seven bits… or, if you wanted to raise again, you'd need to bet an additional eleven bits to make it twelve.”

The navy blue alicorn barely needed a moment to put in an additional eleven bits.

“Ah-hah! The intrigue has been tripled!” she goaded as all eyes now fell on Ace, who to my senses was remaining quite stoic, with no trace of any nervous movements from his ears, wings, or tail.

My eyes then returned to Luna as I tried to read her body language. Like her sister, her wings twitched in addition to her earlier jubilant assertion. She too likely thought that she had a good hoof.

You have a pair, Ace. Your only likely winning hooves will be either a full house, or a three of a kind, and those will depend on cards we can't yet see. It's your call, but the odds are against you.

After mentally communicating that to him, he put in ten bits, followed by Stopper putting eight more bits into the pot, and then Celestia putting four more bits in.

“Okay,” I continued, “Now that the bets are equal, another possible action opens up: check. Check is when you wish to keep your bet static; you either declare it verbally, or you rapp your hoof on the table twice, like so,” as I curled up all the fingers of my right hand save for my middle finger, and rapped the table with its knuckle. “Additionally, Stopper, as you were the first one to raise the bet, you now cannot re-raise, although others are free to do so.”

The striking of hooves on the table continued from everypony present, starting with Luna until the round passed back to Celestia.

“Now that everypony has agreed to the bet for the round, the dealer now turns the next card on the deck over and places it next to the others.”

Celestia followed my instructions and revealed the King of Diamonds.

Hmm…

My original hand would've been weaker than Ace's, so that was no major loss to me, but the turn card seemed to change the demeanor of everyone, likely not playing at all into their hopes; either that or certain ponies were very good at deceiving others, possibly even myself included in that despite my earlier predictions from additional potential difficulties when it came to equines playing Poker.

Luna rapped her right hoof on the table as everypony followed suit until play once more returned to her. Nodding to Celestia, she then revealed the river card, the Ace of Diamonds.

I watched the alicorns and observed a microexpression on Luna's face, her brow raising for just an instant while Celestia and Stopper remained static; Ace, meanwhile, was channeling a sense of happiness into my thoughts, although his expression and extremities did not betray his thoughts to the others.

The rapping of hooves continued until play came back to Luna, signaling to me that nopony whatsoever was confident enough in their hoof of cards compared to one another to up the stakes any further.

“As everypony has confirmed their betting intentions, all players still participating must now declare their cards to each other.”

Stopper went first, showing off the Six of Clubs and the Six of Spades with an unashamed grin, one that was promptly smashed by the elder alicorn revealing the Jack of Hearts and the Jack of Spades.

“I did say that it was going to cost you, my dear,” fluttering her eyelashes in the unicorn’s direction before turning to her sister, her face donning a shade of concern as Luna sported a wide grin, upturning her own cards to reveal the Two of Diamonds and the Ace of Clubs.

“You have let your overconfidence show, dear sister,” Luna positively dripped those honey-spiced words onto her sister's misfortune.

I knew what was coming, so I just sat back and watched as Ace revealed his hand, wiping the smirk from Luna's face and leaving her expression akin to that of a slapped arse.

“And that's how you play Poker! The highest card wins; Ace's Ace of Spades and Three of Diamonds outranks Luna's Ace of Clubs and Two of Diamonds, and he takes the pot!”

The pegasus was positively chuffed as he hoarded the mountain of bits with a gleeful smile, pulling every last bit toward his portion of the table.

“Pray, tell… do humans bet with things other than currency?” Asked Luna as she hoofed her cards into the discard pile, followed by everypony else.

“Well… it's been known to happen. Strip poker is a thing where people bet with taking off their clothes in place of money if they lose a hand… often in creative ways, like counting jewelry or body piercings. I even met a houseshare once that would bet immunity to chores and, um… sexual favors…”

Reaching across to pass the faux poppy serving as our dealer token to Luna, I grabbed all of the cards and recombined them into a new complete deck before handing it to her, who then dealt us all a fresh hoof with her wings before upturning the first three flop cards; the Seven of Hearts, the Ten of Spades, and the King of Clubs.

“Is it me, or do ponies with wings have an easier time at the moment with tasks requiring dexterity?”

Celestia then cleared her throat. “I suppose that's an accurate assessment. If the ISIT program was still in place, everypony would be equal in that regard.”

The term was completely foreign to me, and I found myself understandably curious.

“What was this… Eye-Sitt Program?” I asked as I looked at my two cards briefly; the Ten of Clubs and the Jack of Spades.

“It stood for Inter-Species Integrative Technology. It was… Alex's idea,” confirmed Celestia. “No more would any denizen of Equus be limited in a task because of their biology or lack of direct magical prowess.”

As I looked around, Ace put his small blind in, while I followed with the big blind.

“That sounds like quite the noble goal. What happened?”

“Ponies started to not see the other tribes as necessary for their own survival,” continued Luna. “It bred resentment; not for how they were superior, as it would've been the case in ages past, but because of how redundant cooperation became in their eyes.”

“Sounds like something a bad actor might exploit,” I reasoned, eliciting a nod from the alicorns. “We, Alex and I, both believe in the idea that humanity could be more than it is… or, was, I suppose. Actually… follow me for a moment,” I said, making an immediate beeline for the front door as everypony followed me outside, the twilight having already given way to nighttime, the stars in the sky coming out to shine as I pointed up at them. “Tell me: When you look up at the stars… what do you all see?”

Everypony shuffled about, looking up into the heavens but not offering much commentary of substance… apart from Luna.

“I see my former charge, a tapestry of life and light writ large over the land. Sometimes, I catch myself looking up into the night sky, imagining that each point of light is a dream from our little ponies.”

Poignant, I thought.

“Well, Luna… I see stars, each one of which is capable of potentially nurturing an intelligent form of life. I remain firmly of the opinion that mankind's destiny is in the stars… and, the more I look at your world, the more I'm convinced that your destiny is among those stars above us, too.”

“Are you truly suggesting that we should journey away from this world?” Asked Celestia with a bit of disbelief in her voice. “That would be impossible, would it not?” She asked, getting nods of agreement all around, except from me.

“Nothing is impossible,” I countered, taking a few steps forward and turning to face the group. “There is a long journey ahead of this world if it ever wants to get to that point. To that end, I want to propose something, here and now, for the benefit of everycreature on this planet; I propose… ‘The Alliance’.”

Everypony looked at one another before turning to look at me once more, and I realized that I needed to properly sell this idea.

“This is much more than what the ISIT program was, at least if I'm understanding its intent properly; this is about bringing every sapient species on this planet together, and burying old hatreds once and for all,” pointing at all of the gathered ponies. “Pegasi, earth ponies, and unicorns would be its founding members… and technically me as well as the sole representative of humanity currently walking about… but it would work for the betterment of all. Aid, trade, defense, and everything in between would flow between its members.”

Celestia chuckled lightly as a slightly dejected sigh seemed to escape her mouth.

“Alex attempted the same thing. He called it the ‘Grand Globalization Effort’, an attempt to bring all of Equus’ creatures together in a common cause.”

“I take it that that effort didn't work?”

“Ultimately? No… too many ill intentions and not enough genuine will to work together.”

The alabaster alicorn slowly walked over to me, raising a wing and dragging its feathertips across my face.

“It's curious… here you are, the same species, with the same wish of bringing everycreature together. Does every human carry with them such a desire for peace?”

This time I shook my head as her feathers rested against my chest.

“Some do, some don't. There are those of my kind that truly wish to work together for a better tomorrow… and then, there are others who just want to watch the world burn. I can think of no better honor than following in Alex’s footsteps in that endeavor, to bring you all into the fold of peaceful coexistence.”

“Do you truly intend to take up the diplomatic mantle of your predecessor? As I'm sure you know, those are some very, very big boots to fill.”

I grasped her wing with my hand, feeling the soft down slip between my fingers as I held it tightly for a moment.

“I'd like to at least try. Alex might not've succeeded in his vision… but, if I can do some good with my proposed initiative, it would vindicate his belief that it was possible and that he was right to attempt it… even in spite of it failing to work the first time around.”

In the midst of all this, Stopper stepped forward a little bit, a small smile on her face.

“I skimmed the intermediate magic tome before I left; while we’re out here, how about I teach you a spell from it? I think you’ll find it quite useful.”

Nodding softly, I put my hands on my hips as Celestia freed her wing to pat me on the head with it before slinking back to join her sister. “Uh, sure, I guess. What does it do?”

“It’s an identification spell; it lets you see echoes of what’s around you, both living and inanimate. It’ll even let you tell different species apart.”

I was very curious now, and I could barely contain my excitement of how useful that ability would be.

“Well, then… How do I cast it?” I asked, hands still on my hips as I casually looked around.

The unicorn appeared to think for a moment before committing to an answer. “Uh… remember the attack you used on that chimera? A bit like that, but the ball of force you create should be expanded and dissipated; the shockwaves will then reverberate and travel back to you.”

Taking a few more steps backward, I put my hands together. “I'm not sure how well this is going to work… stand back, everypony,” I cautioned as I started to concentrate a ball of force into the space in front of me, already picking out a mental command to use with this new ability.

“Libra!” I shouted as I pulled my hands apart to stretch and then burst the ball of energy as arcane waves rippled out harmlessly from it, my body listening in as the aëtherical signatures of my friends in front of me reverberated back, the magical signatures of a unicorn, pegasus and two alicorns washing over me.

It was a curious series of sensations; the strongest two signals were obviously from Celestia and Luna, and they felt like an entire orchestra being thrown at me, their combined musical melodies compressed into a mere instant of time.

The next strongest signal I guessed came from Stopper, and it felt like an opera singer hitting the highest notes of a virtuoso performance. The remaining signal felt like a drummer rhythmically striking their instruments, and I reasoned that it must be coming from Ace.

I then got a mental outline of our surroundings, like seeing a sketch of a landscape flash in front of my inner eyes. I saw everything around me, like the sisters’ cottage, the trees all around us… And the aëtheric signature of a fifth individual behind me, their reflected wave being a powerful strike that tapered off into a low rumble, a pattern noticeably different from the others.

“Stopper… fetch my sword,” I firmly asked, immediately hearing hooves scramble as I turned around, my back now facing the remaining group as I looked up to my right. There was a significant density of trees with one tree in particular in front of them standing out from the rest as I mentally recalled this general area being the source of that fifth signal. I did initially think that it might've been an earth pony… but that didn't explain why it was coming from the top of that tree.

As I got closer to it, I fired off another “Libra!” to confirm that the strange signal up in the tree I'd felt was still there, which it was. If it was going to flee, we'd undoubtedly see it emerge, but no visible or audible signs of movement could be discerned in the meantime.

“If you've been listening in, you'll have heard my speech back there. That offer of mutual friendship extends to you and your kind, too… whoever you are, if you'll come down from there to greet us.”

Nothing. Not even a rustle of leaves or the snapping of branches emerged, the night air around us silent except for a very, very light breeze. Stopper then approached me from the side and hoofed me Oathkeeper before falling back to join the others.

“Look, I don't know who you are, but I don't appreciate being spied upon. Now, I suggest that you come down from there… otherwise, I'm going to make you get down.”

If my threat was being taken seriously, no sign of it was offered, leaving me little choice but to carry it out. Sheathing my blade, I brought my hands together to generate a fireball that illuminated the woodland around us before I fired it into the tree with a loud “Fire!”

My prediction came to pass as a figure shot out of the tree just before the ball of molten force made contact with it, leaving behind a tree now utterly up in flames as they attempted to soar into the night sky.

“Oh no you don't… Levenesis!” I shouted, attempting to grab onto part of the figure's anatomy with a pinch of force.

“Gotcha!” I practically shouted with gusto as I felt the spell take hold, my hands commanding it, and whatever it’d latched onto to come racing back down, eventually resulting in their body striking the grassland in a harsh and unforgiving impact, the being rolling around before it finally stopped and ended up in a crumpled, defeated heap several paces away from us.

As we all moved in closer, an audible gasp came from Luna as the creature's features came into full view; they’d ended up on their front as a pair of leathery outstretched wings, adorned with talons on specific parts of them, obscured much of their body, while a pair of saddlebags lay in their wake, likely separated from their body by the impact. The kind-of-sort-of pony then began to rouse themselves from their impromptu meeting with the ground as their blue fur and blonde mane and tail shimmered in the growing moonlight from above.

“Shield!”

A blue-tinted shield now imprisoned the being as the stallion within impotently resisted it before conceding defeat as he slumped onto the grass.

While this was all transpiring, Luna walked up alongside me and sighed. “You are a long way from home, puer lunae,” she spoke softly to the new arrival as she put a hoof on my shoulder. “Please, lower the barrier. Now that he has been defeated, he will not fly away.”

I wasn't particularly comfortable doing that, but I trusted the mare's judgment; cancelling my casting, I felt Ace brush up alongside me too as we all took in the sight of our newest guest.

“I know of your kind, human… you are like the one who came here before you. He… showed us a path away from our barbaric past. He was… a friend to my kind… much more than the company you keep ever was,” he accused, pointing a wing talon at the younger alicorn. I didn’t need to be an expert to tell from her body language that such an accusation deeply upset her, possibly even gravely wounding her spirit as the tell-tale signs of tears started to well in the corners of her eyes.

Meanwhile, I nodded my head sagely in understanding at the stallion’s words even as alarm bells started to ring inside my head that something was not right about all this. “Alex was a friend to me, too, on my world. God, I seem to be saying that a lot, lately… my point is, though, if he was a friend to your kind, then we have both been blessed.”

The stallion scrunched his face as another pang of agony stabbed at him. “You have, Ah!… b-bested me… my life… is now yours. Pray be quick,” he said with a wince, closing his eyes and offering his neck in what felt like an invitation to execute him. Obviously, that was out of the question.

“Don’t be ridiculous, I'm not going to kill you… but, leaving aside how you can fly for the moment, I want to know what you were doing up th-oh shit, the fire!”

Turning my attention behind me and seeing the tree consumed by a raging inferno, I put my hands together and shouted “Water!” to deliver an absolute deluge onto the tree, snuffing out the fire and leaving smoldering branches and a thick smell of burning in the air around us in its aftermath before I turned back to give the creature my undivided attention. “So, obvious question first… What are you? You look like a pony, but there’s something… different about you.”

The wings were not the only thing on his body out of place; his flank lacked a cutie mark, despite looking very much like a pony back there. I couldn’t explain it, so I just filed it away under ‘Shit to investigate later’.

The stallion was about to speak as he reined in his neck, but Luna answered for him. “They are, in Modern Equish, known as ‘bat ponies’, although many would come to call them ‘thestrals’. But their true name, translated properly, is ‘Descendents of Tsukuyomi’... in other words, they are my descendants; their lineage stretches back to a legion of pegasi guards when the Nightmare corrupted me. As it corrupted me into Nightmare Moon, I corrupted them and turned them into living weapons, a true warrior caste to help the Nightmare take down my sister, so many moons ago.”

The former Moon Princess approached the thestral, cooling her words as a parent would to an estranged child. “My dear creatura noctis… While it is true that you are a reminder of my failure to control my worst impulses, please know that you were always cherished in my heart, as if I had birthed you all myself. You are a part of me, and you always will be…”

Despite Luna’s best intentions, the bat pony was unconvinced by her words.

“You… abandoned us…” the stallion rasped as he spat on the floor, “We had heard rumours for months now… that you had come back. And, yet… you never once thought to check… how your so-called children were doing?! Your words are hollow, Betrayer! I was ordered… to scour the world to find you, and if I did, to report back that you had been fou-Ah!”

He winced in pain as his face scrunched up and a hoof went to his left, massaging part of his body as he clearly fought back an urge to more loudly give voice to his pain.

“I… I had no choice! I had to go looking for my kin!” Luna cried out as I moved forward slowly, eventually reaching the bat pony's personal space. “But the worst part about that is… I found no trace of them.”

“Let me take a look, you’ve had a nasty impact, and-”

The other pony swiped my hand away with a hoof in open defiance of my olive branch. “Stay back… !” He shouted through pain that looked and sounded like it was worsening.

“Let him examine you, child!”

The sheer vocal force from Luna behind me sent chills down my spine, but it caused the bat pony to relent as they looked down at the ground.

“Do… do what you have to do…”

Taking that as my cue, I placed a hand on his back, just above his wings as I channeled the healing spell into the body of the bat pony.

“Cure!”

I could feel a warmth spreading out from my hand, and within seconds, the stallion's face eased as visible relief seemed to wash over him, the tell-tale signs of my magic flooding across the stallion’s blue coat in a sparkly blue aurora that, just for a moment, seemed to accentuate the stallion’s features in the moonlight.

“See? We're not your enemies here. What's your name, my friend?” I asked, patting his back before retracting my hand and taking a cross-legged seat next to him.

“Phantom… Phantom Light. You… show the same kindness that the other human did toward us…” he observed as Ace and Luna joined us up close, both of them taking a seat next to me as I shook my head. “I… was told that, were I found and captured outside the Hollow Shades, I would be tortured and killed…“

“Well,” I began, although that statement alone was a lot to unpack, “We're not doing that here… but you were spying on us.”

“On me,” Luna corrected as I nodded.

“Right. Like, first off, rude… and secondly… why were you going to tell this ‘Matriarch’ of yours that Luna was here?”

The bat pony shuffled and sat himself up, looking at us all with skeptical eyes. “... So that they would dispatch a unit of elite soldiers… to kill her for her betrayal.”

Obviously, that caused me no small amount of concern as I considered our options.

“That… would not be wise,” I warned, although this really now felt like I was wading deep into waters I had no business being in. With silence now falling between us, Stopper hoofed the stallion’s saddlebags to me after gathering them up from the ground. As a potential enemy combatant, I found it prudent to search them but only found them full of luminescent little green balls that smelled sweetly when held up to my nose.

“Lumigrapes,” Phantom explained. “As long as we eat those, we are spared the need to… drink the blood of others to sustain ourselves.”

“You… holy fucking shit, you used to drink blood?” I said with as much disbelief as I could muster for the day, Equestria once again setting me up with something capable of blowing my mind.

“No more! Your friend, as you claim he was to you, found us that substitute. We grow them all over the Hollow Shades.”

“They grow nearby to Las Pegasus, too,” added Celestia, “They're a touch sour for my taste, but they grow very well in the climate here. Very popular with griffons, as I recall.”

Rolling one of the lumigrapes in my fingers, the size felt equivalent to that of a kumquat, but green, and with a skin akin to what I commonly knew as white grapes. I then held the lumigrape I’d been cradling and held it up at the batpony, raising an eyebrow at him as my curiosity got the better of me. “May I?” I asked him, to which he nodded curtly.

“You may have one… as thanks for that curative spell.”

Popping one into my mouth, I pierced the fruit’s soft flesh and was immediately overcome with an intensely sour, slightly metallic flavor that made my mouth practically collapse in on itself. The only sounds I could manage were the fruits of my pathetic attempts to masticate the sharp-tasting oversized grape. I didn’t fail to spot an amused grin coming from Phantom, probably finding a great deal of joy in a foreigner tasting something he probably took for granted.

Finally, with my mouth now in a position to swallow, I did so and flexed my jaw to alleviate my muscles of their discomfort, many of them having been forced to contort by the fruit’s potent sourness. “I, uh… Wow. I think you’ve really undersold just now sour these lumigrapes are, Celestia. Painful, yet refreshing at the same time. I may have to go pick some more of these later…”

“You get used to the taste, human. We eat these as soon as we can digest solid food. They are a part of cultural heritage now.”

As I refocused my attention on the real matter at hoof, I now had a serious problem… Well, more accurately, we had a serious problem.

“Phantom… if we release you, would you tell your people that you've found Luna?”

It was now the thestral's turn to nod. “It is my mission, and so it is my duty.”

“I understand your commitment to the mission, soldier,” I commended, genuinely; I might’ve intensely disagreed with the action about to be undertaken, but I respected a soldier’s commitment to their duty… even if I’d refuse such an order, myself. “Then you will take a message from me back to your Matriarch; I demand her presence here, as recompense for sparing the life of one of her scouts.”

The bat pony huffed as he visibly scoffed. “You don't have the right to-”

“But I do!” Countered Luna as she asserted herself to help me. “As the mother of you all, I have had that right ever since my corruption led me to bestow upon you this… curse. You will instruct the Matriarch to come here, and we will settle this once and for all.”

The blue-furred pony looked at me, expecting an answer, likely due to my earlier betterment of him, to which I could only put my hands up in the air.

“You're not a prisoner, Phantom. You're free to return home; tell your Matriarch that she is to arrive here at sunset tomorrow. Given that you can all apparently fly, I think that's a fair ask. We’ll be waiting.”

I then lightly shook his saddlebags.

“I'm keeping these, though. Call it collateral until she meets with me,” I asserted before softly throwing a stemmed bunch of lumigrapes at him. “For the trip back.”

It was plain to see that he was more than a bit miffed, but that didn't prevent him from grabbing the bunch of grapes and stretching out his wings before taking to the skies at a speed that I could feel Ace being positively jealous of, leaving the rest of us to contemplate what might happen tomorrow.

As far as I was concerned, war had been declared, but hostilities were not yet a reality. That would soon change, however, and I deemed it prudent that we should be ready.

“Are there any underground bunkers or caves near here?” I asked as I removed my new pistol to inspect it again.

“There are caves in the mountain to the north,” offered Celestia as I holstered my weapon and put my hands on my hips.

“Enough to hold the population here?”

“It’s been a while since we have laid eyes on them… but, yes, they should. What are you planning, Ser?”

“We're evacuating the town,” I commanded to shock and concern all around. “I will not risk innocent lives as an unknown enemy force comes to pay us a visit with hostile intent. Celestia, I need you to gather up everypony that you can and ensure they reach the cave system safely. Luna, I need you to scout out the caves within the mountain, just to make sure that there are no unwelcome surprises in there. I then need you to scout out any favorable positions in the town for ranged weapon users to lie in wait.”

“That doesn’t seem very fair,” observed Celestia with a little bit of a coy smile.

“There’s a popular saying in certain communities on my world: ‘If you turn up to a fight, and it’s a fair fight, both you and your opponent fucked up’. I do not for one second intend for this to be a fair confrontation if I can help it, and I will take every advantage I can to ensure we all come out of this with our hides intact.”

I then turned my attention to my two squad members.

“Stopper, first of all, I need you to go find Jet, and then tell him that I need the Hurricane ready to go at first light for some reconnaissance. Then, I need you to find Ice Wisp and tell him to report to me personally, as I might need to call upon his ice magic. After that, go find Flame and Crush, and then all three of you together will assist Celestia with the evacuation. While that's ongoing, recruit anypony that can use a ranged weapon and tell them to also report to me. You all have your orders; Company dismissed!”

Everypony but Ace bounded off without protest, leaving me and the pegasus alone with one another to contemplate what was about to happen, and for me to dwell on the path not taken.

“Have I done the right thing, Ace?” I pointedly asked. “I just let that pony go… and now he's going to let slip that Luna's here. I might've just signed her death warrant… all because I didn't want to kill him.”

I sat on the grass, bending my knees and hugging my legs as Ace moved in closer, the pegasus resting his body up against me as I couldn’t help but return the favor, my nose burying itself in his fur as his body odor wafted into my nostrils.

“Do you have a plan?” He counter-asked, carefully sidestepping my question, but his thoughts couldn't hide from me that he thought it was a mistake to let him go.

“A plan? Luna’s my friend, Ace. I’m not going to let any harm come to her if I can help it. When the Matriarch, and probably a contingent of guards, gets here tomorrow, I’m going to give them a choice to decide, on their own terms, to let her live. If they refuse… I will use every means at my disposal to defend her, such is the duty of a Knight of the Realm to protect his kingdom’s subjects.”

I knew deep down that this meant that I might have to spill blood come tomorrow’s twilight. I hoped beyond hope that I wouldn’t need to, that they’d all see sense… but I resolved, there and then, that should the need really and truly arise for violence in self-defense, I would be ready to mete out righteous justice to any who would do us harm, to defend my friends and comrades…

… even if it meant that blood would be shed.