Out of my Element

Chapters

On our left we have...
Networking
4 Bit's a Dollar
Things Fall Apart
All Dreams End
Setting the Stage
Hoard Robbing
Baby Steps
Intermission
Legend's of the Hidden Laboratory
The Calm before the Storm
The Rising Sun against the Darkness
Broken Wards and a Broken World
Broken Walls and Broken Wills
Along the Terminus between Life, Death and the Unknown
Tick, tock, the slowing clock
As the Pendulum Stops
Winding the key
Epilogue
Through the looking glass
Broken Minds and Broken Monuments

On our left we have...

Out of My Element

Chapter 2: And on our left we have…

Two days after I had woken up, I was given a clean bill of health and was allowed to leave the clinic. I hadn’t had a nightmare since before I woke up, but the black oily flame was present; hiding in the background of all my dreams. The nurse came in as I was packing and told me that Twilight Sparkle would meet me in the lobby shortly and guide me through the town. It was when she turned to leave that I realized something that surprisingly hadn’t struck me before, probably because I had just now accepted that I was stuck this way, but none of my clothes would fit and I would be nude. Just like everyone else, I thought. I felt myself blush; the heat on my face came just from the concept of walking around nude. Followed by slight anger at the fact that my mind was holding on to old ideas that were no longer important.

Soon I had jury rigged the two duffel bags into a saddlebag set up, and my leather jacket was used as a saddle blanket while I waited for my guide to arrive. Eventually I saw the purple unicorn walk into the clinic along with an orange pony with a long blond mane and a cowboy hat. I nodded a hello to the two of them.

Twilight bowed her head slightly as she introduced us, pointing to the owner of the names as she spoke, “Steel, Applejack, Applejack, Steel.”

The orange one smiled and said “Howdy,” offering a hoof up as if to greet me with a handshake.

I returned the gesture and it did turn out to be a hoof shake. I smiled a little at the awkwardness and said “So I understand I have your brother too thank about finding me?”

“Yeah, he was the one that found you, what the hay were you doing' out there in that strange carriage?”

I glanced at Twilight and asked in a whisper, “She doesn’t know?”

The purple pony shook her head and replied in the same tone “No only the Princesses, Nurse Redheart, the doctor and I.”

“Is it a secret, or can I tell peop… I mean ponies?” I was still having trouble switching to this new vernacular.

“It’s up to you,” she replied.

I relaxed a little the unrealized tension in my shoulders flowed out of my body and I looked over at the orange pony. She looked very confused but she was patiently waiting while I talked to Twilight. I sighed and then said, “I’ll explain later but I have a feeling, that I could be telling this story several times, can you wait, I would like to tell as many ponies as I can in one go.”

“Aww, I guess,” she said kicking at the dust on the ground, I could hear the disappointment in her voice.

The two ponies lead me through town showing me the market and the several other notable locations. One was a cake shop, but looked more like a party shop. Another was a boutique, and I got the feeling from their description of the owner that if I needed anything tailored I should take it there. Twilight pointed down one road out of town to the, glanced at the sun. West, I thought.

“That road goes towards the Everfree Forest; that’s where you appeared,” she continued to point as she spoke.

“And that road,” said Applejack as she motioned slightly to the south, “Heads out to Sweet Apple Acres, my farm, your stagecoach is in one of the old barns out there.”

I smiled when I realized she was talking about the station wagon and said, “Thank you.”

“And,” she continued, “That’s where you’ll be staying until you can find yourself a place.”

“Thank you, I feel a little better now that I don’t have to worry about survival.”

"Ain't nothin’ I wouldn’t do for a lost pony out of their element. I’ve been there.”

These two were very friendly, and I had decided that I had misread the purple one earlier in the week. They were just extremely friendly and it helped me relax. I was on an endorphin high everything was brighter and everyone seemed to be talking faster. The conversations continued and eventually they lead me to a large tree that was the library, and Twilight's house.

The two lead me inside and as soon as I entered there was a loud shout. I took a step back; fight or flight kicking in, and I looked around slightly panicked. The room was full of ponies. Well full is a little excessive...maybe ten. I guess my face was stuck in an odd expression because half of the ponies started laughing.

One pony, she was cotton candy pink with a puffy mane, popped out of seemingly nowhere and started talking a mile a minute, “Hi I’m Pinkie Pie, What’s your, wait they told me your name was Steel. Hi Steel, I know I hadn’t met you so I had to throw you a party but I thought you might be sick so I decided on a small party, so what do you think.”

I smiled cautiously at the high strung pony. “Thanks I guess.”

“Pinkie Pie,” said Applejack seeing my unease, “Why don’t you come with me, we can set up the party games for the Crusaders.”

“And switch to decaf,” I muttered.

“Oh that would be fun,” she said as she about faced and bounced off towards a group of little ponies. She stopped and had a full body spasm and looked back at Twilight and said “There is going to be a doozy here in a few hours,” before returning to skip behind Applejack.

I looked at Twilight with a raised eyebrow.

“Sorry about Pinkie Pie, she is, uh,” the purple unicorn rolled her eyes trying to find the correct descriptor for her friend. “Well she’s like that all the time. Anyways, follow me I will introduce you to everyone,” she finished her statement with a smile.

“What’s with the doozy prediction?”

"She probably can sense that you’re going to tell us where you came from later tonight.”

I stopped for a second, shook my head clear and began to follow her around the library. Now that the pink ball of energy was out from in front of my face; I was able to take in the rest of the room. There was one large red pony named Big Macintosh, Applejack’s older brother and the one that rescued me. He was only a hand or so taller than myself, and his reply to my thank you was, “Tweren’t nothin’.”

Next were the three Cutie Mark Crusaders; they had been with Big Mac when I crashed. The three found it very interesting that I was a “blank flank”- their words. I did find it uncomfortable that I had so many individuals glancing at my bare backside. However, I did my best to keep myself relaxed, trying not to think about it.

Sitting off in a corner was a yellow pegasus with long flowing pink mane and tail; she was talking with a bright white unicorn with a purple styled mane.

“Those two are Rarity and Fluttershy,” said Twilight “and that” she said pointing up at a cyan pegasus with a rainbow mane and tail, “is Rainbow Dash.”

“Um, Twilight,” I glanced at the source of the voice it was a purple and green bipedal reptile holding a scroll and pulling at Twilight’s mane.

“Oh yeah, this is Spike, he’s a baby dragon,” she shifted her gaze down to the dragon, “What is it?”

“The Princess sent this letter to you,” he held up the scroll.

Twilight’s horn began to glow and a similar light enveloped the scroll and as it unrolled.

"Whoa,” I muttered and I could feel my jaw hanging open.

“Never seen magic before? Twilight's the best there is,” said the dragon.

“Spike quit it, I have told you not to brag for me,” Twilight lectured the little dragon while she read the letter, using the parchment to hide her embarrassment.

I looked at the little dragon and said “I guess I’ll take your word for it Little Zilla.”

“What” he began to ask but was interrupted by Twilight.

“Here send this back,” she said handing a scroll back to the dragon. He quickly belched flame, and the scroll was engulfed in fire and smoke. Soon it disappeared and the flame and smoke flew out the window.

“That’s new,” I muttered as I watched the flame disappear into the sky.

“Well anyway let’s go introduce you to Rarity and Fluttershy; you can also put your bags down over here,” said Twilight ignoring my murmurer and gesturing towards the corner.

I took the bags off and set them on the ground in the corner, then rejoined Twilight with the other two ponies. I said hello as I entered the group.

“Hi” said the pegasus barely audible; she then began to slowly drift away.

The white unicorn glanced at me “Darling what is that on your back.”

I glanced back my leather jacket which was still draped across my haunches. “It’s a jacket, but it doesn’t fit right anymore.”

“Why do you have that old thing then, look how worn out it is.”

“It means alot to me; I can’t get rid of it,” her voice patterns were already starting to get on my nerves. After two sentences I wanted her to go away. Not because of what she had said, but the stresses she put on words.

“Don’t worry about that I will give it a look and see if I can get it to fit again,” she said with a smile as she lifted the coat off my back with magic.

I shifted almost instinctually to grab the coat back from her. There were too many memories associated with it to allow anyone to take it away without at least asking to see it. The moments after the tug of war felt tense but were quickly broken by a seemingly oblivious Twilight as she called out “Rainbow Dash, get over here.”

I followed Twilights gaze to the cyan Pegasus. She stopped her mid-air antics and flew over to the corner and said, “Hey,” in a raspy voice.

I nodded in response to her greeting, then there was an awkward silence, I had nothing to say to these ponies and I could tell they didn’t have much to say to me.

I laughed and scratched the back of my head, an odd maneuver with my new body. “Well I know I’m supposed to be the guest of honor here but to be honest I don’t know enough about this place to have a true conversation with any of you.” I looked at the ground and added, “I’m sorry.”

The little yellow pegasus floated over to me as I looked at the ground, and tapped me on the shoulder. I looked up and she said slightly louder than her greeting, “Don’t worry we know you’re not from around here can you tell us about where you come from?”

“Actually Fluttershy, why don’t we have Steel wait until later, Celestia wanted to ask him the same questions and will be coming over to see him,” said Twilight a little apprehensively.

“The Princess! Here? I’m not dressed for a meeting with royalty,” a panicked Rarity began to wine.

“Rarity they wanted to keep this visit informal and quiet, only a few people are to know,” Twilight whispered at the other unicorn.

“They, you don’t mean both of them, Luna’s coming to! Oh dear, oh my, oh dear,” the purple haired unicorn began to pace as she panicked.

“Wait, they're coming here. Your royalty is coming here, to talk to me? Why, and how would you know?” my eyes grew a little wider as I asked.

“Oh I guess I forgot to mention, I’m Princess Celestia’s personal student,” said an elated Twilight. It was like just the statement made her endorphins run and gave her more energy.

“Oh, Twilight,” started the yellow pegasus that was now on the ground, her words almost a whisper, “When will they get here?”

“About an hour,” replied the purple unicorn.

“An hour,” cried Rarity, “I can put together an ensemble in an hour,” she ran out of the library as soon as the words left her lips.

I was at a loss for words; if not for where I found myself I would have laughed at the unicorn’s behavior.

A half hour later, Applejack asked Big Macintosh if he would take the Crusaders home, and as they left Rarity returned wearing an odd looking dress. Well any dress for a pony was odd looking in my book but when in Rome.

Soon there was a knock at the door and Twilight answered it, I was too far away to see who was there or hear the conversation but her body language was excited. In walked two ponies one dark blue about my height but slimmer and graceful. The second was a purer white than even Rarity’s coat and by far larger than even Big Macintosh, but just as slim and graceful as the first. Both had unicorn horns and Pegasus wings along with flowing wispy manes. From what I had been told and everyone’s reactions I could tell these two where the princesses. They also brought with them a chest that had an eight digit combination lock and some familiar writing on the top. The chest was surrounded by an aura that matched the light given off by Celestia's horn.

Twilight eyed the chest and then asked “Is that from the museum, isn’t that Star Swirl the Bearded’s chest?”

The tall white one that matched Twilight's description of Celestia replied, “Yes Twilight Sparkle, this is his chest, and if my guess is right he,” she said pointing at me, “can open it.”

“I’m sorry for asking princes but why is that?” Twilight continued with asking questions.

“Twilight sparkle,” this time it was Luna talking her voice taking on an almost disappointed tone, “You should, know this after all you dressed as him on Nightmare Night.”

Twilight thought for a bit and then listed off several things, “No one knows where exactly he came from, he helped found Equestria a millennia and a half ago, he supposedly lived nearly three if not four times the lifespan of a normal pony, and he was constantly searching for his friend that he lost in” she paused, looked at the Princesses then at me, and ended her statement like a question, “an experiment?”

Celestia nodded and added on to Twilight's list by saying, “There are a few more things to add that were left out of the history books. He had an additional nickname while he was alive, Star Swirl the Immortal. He lived several centuries beyond what was recorded and as he aged he became crazed. He started talking about an oncoming darkness and that he was the cause of it all, and then he became truly mad and disappeared. Nopony knows where he died and no pony has ever found his grave.” The Princess sighed with a stare that seemed to gaze into nothing.

I had seen this face on my grandfather several times as he told stories of his youth. It’s kind of funny how facial expressions translate so easily here, I thought to myself. I then thought about what I had just learned about this pony from the past, could this Star Swirl the Bearded individual be Jack in this world, but why would he have appeared so long ago.

She pulled herself back as soon as she noticed me looking at her face, “Well, here is Star Swirl’s chest he left it with us so if you showed up we could give it to you.” She brought the chest forward and set it on the ground in front of me, the aura dissipated and I stepped up to examine it.

I looked at the box, the eight dials were set up date format but the text wasn’t in English, it wasn’t even romanized but I had seen it before. It looked almost Elvish, it was Elvish, Tolkien Elvish, and the Fellowship of the ring came out on Jacks birthday. I rolled the numbers until they read 12-19-1988, nothing happened so I adjusted the year to 2001. When the last number clicked the script written on the box began to glow. What was the work that Gandalf said outside Moria, Elvish for friend? Mellon, that was it, wasn’t it, I smiled at my thoughts and said “Mellon,” out loud. When I spoke the word I could hear the lock release inside and the lid swung open. Inside was a scroll surrounded by purple velvet cloth, “Twilight can you open the scroll with your magic? I don’t want it to fall apart when I touch it.”

She nodded and lifted the scroll with her magic it read:

Hey Steel

This is Jack or Star Swirl the Bearded as I’m known now. As I’m writing this it’s been about three hundred and thirty years since I last saw you. It took me twenty years to rebuild the device after I looked at the data and found out that our new dimension was traveling at an odd angle to the old one. I could jump into this one before you arrived, but it appears the time variance was a lot greater than I thought. I brought quite a bit of tech with me and I have a ‘secret’ lab, it’s hidden a short distance away from the castle. I’m leavening the chest with the Princesses because they appear to be truly immortal and I have grown to trust them.

I’m sorry I can’t get us home from here, but this world seems to be more carefree than the old. As for my age from what my math has shown me, our presence disrupts the flow of time in this dimension. Ponies around us will age slower and there life will be prolonged to an extent, however we age even slower. I personally haven’t aged more than ten years in the past hundred. I feel that I will tire of this world eventually but I’m having fun with magic, I showed up as a unicorn, cool huh. I also got to play Ben Franklin in forming a new country, so life’s good.
There is so much I want to tell you but I don’t have room anyway I will leave some more notes in my lab. Find it and everything there is yours. Oh yes I'm forgetting, it hasn't been that long ago for you. Our little business endeavor was quite successful when I left OCSS had just finished construction of a lunar station. That might make you smile. Best of luck.

Jack Serasen AKA Star Swirl the Bearded

P.S. I left a guide in the box.

He was right it did make me smile. I looked in the box and found a USB jump drive and clumsily held it up examining it between my two hooves. I sighed, “Jack you fool,” then looking at the two Princesses I said “You’re right.”

I sat there for a while looking at the floor in silence before, Applejack said “All right I’m missin’ somethin’, can somepony explain what the hay is going’ on to me.”

I sighed and said “I’m not from this world, and neither was Star Swirl the Bearded also known as Jack Serasen, my adopted brother.”

“So you’re aliens?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“Of a sort, Jack and I build a device that could let you jump reality’s, in my home reality I’m not a pony I’m a, never mind you wouldn’t have a frame of reference. I might have a picture on my computer. Anyway I have no way home, and my only friend from that world died centuries ago, and if his numbers hold true for me I have around five or six hundred years left in me, on the short side.”

This comment caught everyone off guard, “Six hundred years, how?” asked Luna.

“According to his letter our existence in your universe messes with time and now I'm cursed to age about one year for every ten," I frowned as I spoke, deep in thought. I shook myself from my mind and then continued to speak, "anyway he gave me this jump drive for my computer it’s supposed to help me find his hidden lab.” I looked around the room at all of the ponies and read the confusion in all of their faces, except for Celestia’s. “Okay let me start up my computer and I will start at the beginning.”

Networking

Out of My Element

Chapter 3: Networking

“And that is what I looked like before I came here,” I pointed at the computer screen, like everything else in this universe it showed everything in an almost pastel color tone. The Image was a picture of myself two years ago leaning on the hood of the old station wagon.

“That’s what you looked like,” said Pinkie Pie stifling laughter as she spoke.

“Look at those little eyes they're so small,” added Rainbow Dash actually laughing.

“This device makes more sense, seeing those hands, hands right, that’s what they’re called,” commented Luna still examining the computer.

I sat there listening to the mares question and comment on my former appearance. Four of the eight stayed silent, Luna was interested in the devices of my world, Rarity wanted to know of the fashion, the pink one and the rainbow pegasus continued to laugh. I had gritted my teeth throughout the harassment but finally I had to do something. “Twilight,” I called a little sharper than intended. I winced a little and calmed my voice down for the rest of my statement, “I need you to manipulate the computer for me again.”

The unicorn nodded and stepped forward her horn glowing, “Just tell me what to do.”

“There are two folders I want you to open, the ’08 trip’ and the ‘Ranch.’” The unicorn was a quick study, I had only just explained how the computer worked and she was already manipulating the machine like she had been around them all her life. “Okay the trip file first,” I instructed.

She clicked on it from the taskbar, and selected the first image file bringing up the viewer.

“This is one of my country's larger cities there are several bigger in my world, I went there on vacation a few years ago, go ahead scroll through the pictures.” The city was Chicago, and the initial pictures were not that impressive just me hanging out in front of the brick wall of Wrigley Field, but once the pictures of downtown showed up and specifically the Sears Tower, the mockery ended. Twilight continued through the pictures with silence in the air but when the pictures of the city from atop the tower, every pony had a hushed comment that made my chest swell with pride.

“Next I want to warn you, we have animals in my world that appearance wise are similar to you ponies, in fact several of your descriptors are the same as ours for these animals. We call them horses, and they are relatively intelligent however I do not believe any have come close to passing a sentient test.” I nodded at Twilight to encourage her to open the Ranch folder, when she did there were gasps of surprise from most of the ponies present. Once over the initial shock these images spawned a conversation between the ponies. I glanced at Celestia and noticed none of this was fazing her in the least; in fact she was staring off into the distance beyond the computer which was in her way. I walked over to her and in a hushed voice said, “So have you seen most of this before?”

I assume my question caught her off guard because she jumped a little as I asked. Then she sighed and said, “Yes or at least Star Swirl told me of your world,” she looked sad as she talked. I was still amazed as to how expressive the pony faces were. I knew the emotions she was feeling because I made the same face when I thought about my family. “Do you mind if we talk outside,” she asked looking down at me.

I stayed silent and nodded that it would be alright. Then followed her out the door. Once outside she sat down and looked out at the stars over the town.

“There is something that I want to keep a secret from everyone, but I feel you should be told, because he was your friend, and brother. Star Swirl was one of my advisers after I became a princesses of Equestria, and he was one of my best friends. After I banished my sister to the moon, he told me more of you and how he had felt the same way after losing you in the dimension gate. He spent his last few decades, keeping my regret over what I had done to Luna from driving me insane. If it wasn’t for him and the stories of your world I fear I would have become a tyrant in the truest sense of the word. He was a public figure, playing it off as his own grandson and he was loved by the land. However he eventually became unstable. He told me of these dreams he was having before I banished my sister. The dreams were of a great darkness spreading over the land, initially I thought it was about my sister, but the dreams only intensified with her banishment.” She stopped talking and took a deep breath, letting it out with a shiver.

“This is bothering you Princess you can stop now, we have plenty of time,” already I felt an empathetic connection to her. I didn’t want to see her like this. She was sad and it was so evident that it pained me to look at her.

“No, I must continue, I don’t know if I can convince myself to discuss this again.” She took another breath and let it out slowly before continuing. “He was the one being that I could relate to after I lost my sister. As I came out of my depression over banishing Luna I noticed he had changed. Soon I became aware of, well his breaking mental status. He had done a fantastic job hiding it but eventually it became ever present, talking to himself, laughing, a crazed laugh for days on end. This is also the time that some of the greatest developments in Equestrian spellcraft occurred, including several spells that I deemed illegal immediately after he created them. Eventually he became so unstable that the staff of the castle fled in fear of him. So I sent him with a few dedicated housekeepers here to his home. This structure, the library was one of five houses that he grew all in the same style but this one was always his home. No other pony could discover the method he used to grow the structures and only one remains to this day.”

She stopped, looked at the tree and smiled at the memories it brought forth before continuing. “He stayed hidden for several decades and was closing in on his six hundredth year in Equestria when he arrived at the castle. The night he arrived was the night of mourning for the loss of Luna that eventually became Nightmare Night and as such the castle was empty save for me. He walked in laughing, I could see the stress in his face, and it looked as if a war was going on behind his eyes. He looked at me, and to this day I remember what he said word for word in a voice so calm against the chaos in his eyes. ‘Run Princess, the darkness has taken hold of me I can’t stop it anymore. It’s too strong, I only slowed it down, only you can stop it.” At this point in her story every sentence was punctuated by a ragged gasp and tears reflected the moonlight as they flowed from her eyes.

My heart felt like it was in a vice, I was hearing about my friends fall and watching a being with powers beyond my comprehension, crying, appearing weak and alone. I could feel the tears in my eyes as I approached her, back home in the same situation, without the godly powers, I would have given her a hug. Is it right to give a princess a hug, or a deity level being for that matter. Ah to hell with it I thought as I put a hoof on her shoulder and squeezed slightly in the most awkward shoulder hug of my life.

“He was the first, to do that to me,” she said with a little smile, wiping her face with a foreleg “I miss him.”

“He pulled you out of a dark place,” I said trying to comfort her.

“Yes, but I failed him, I let his darkness control him, I ran from the castle as he told me just in time a huge explosion engulfed my home.” She continued to cry, leaning in on me as she did. “I covered for him. I told everyone I had destroyed the castle that it reminded me to much of Luna and the dark time, and that it did. I told them that if I was to rule the country I needed to be in the capital and I had the castle built in Canterlot. The first statue I had placed in the garden is of him.” She was silent for several minutes and I let my hoof slide off her back and back to the ground but she still leaned on me, trying to regain her composure. “I will not let my failure to help him with the darkness cause him to be labeled as a villain.”

After several minutes she leaned away from me, I looked up at her and said “Princess, two days ago when I woke up from my coma, I had a dream where a voice said, ‘the darkness is coming.’”

The princess gave me a worried look, then she leaned forward and touched my forehead with a glowing horn.

I was enveloped in a white light that dissipated quickly, "What was that," I asked with wide eyes.

"Just something to help you sleep easier," she looked back at the library and added, "stay with these six ponies.” She gestured inside, “they will help you, and if you need it, contact me, I will not fail you as I failed your brother.”

I sighed and looked at the princess, “Thank you, I don’t know what to say, but he had what three, four hundred years at least before he started going mad, I hope I can help out where I can.”

“One last thing, Star Swirl introduced several concepts to ponydom including the idea of banks; he made me promise near the end in one of his more lucid states to ensure that if you ever arrived that you were given this.” She magically handed me an aged envelope that appeared out of nowhere. Inside was a flat piece of paper that had identification numbers for the Central Bank of Equestria. She smiled her composure had returned completely, she stood up and said, “Now let us go inside I’m sure they have more questions.”

We opened the door to Luna saying “She has her reasons for not speaking in our presence, let them be.” She was blocking the other ponies’ approach and appeared to be in the middle of a debate with the others.

“Thank you dear sister for ensuring we were not disturbed,” she nodded to Luna then looked at the others, “I suggest, you ask Steel any questions you have, and then get some sleep. He has business in Canterlot, and I would like some of you to accompany him on his trip.”

I stepped forward into the house and was swarmed by questions, it was almost overwhelming “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” I said trying to get their attention to no avail. Eventually I let lose a bellow that surprised even me “Make Silence Now!” My shout silenced the questions, “Now everybody gets one question, we go until we are done, or I get tired.” The blue pegasus raised a hoof, and I looked at her, “You first, Rainbow Dash, right?”

“Yeah, I’m Rainbow Dash, so what do you think about ponies like us being able to fly.”

“Well,” I paused to collect my thoughts, “We have legends of flying horses, and one was named Pegasus and served the Greek gods. As for being able to fly humans have had flying machines in one form or another for the past hundred and fifty years, we have even been to the moon. Before I got here I ran in a company that's sole purpose was to put things in orbit.”

“You can fly?” cried Rainbow Dash with more emotion than I thought should be placed on those words.

I could see Luna’s surprise at my answer as well.

“Yeah we can, now I don’t mean to be rude but next question,” the hooves went up so fast that I couldn’t see who was first so I picked at random, “Fashionista, your next.”

“Who me,” asked the white unicorn, I nodded and she continued, “Oh well I must ask what was your jacket made of I have never worked with such material.”

“I’m not sure how to answer that,” I paused knowing this wasn’t a question I wanted to answer. “And no matter how I do you won’t like it, see in my world, my humans are omnivores, and we eat plants and animals. Some of us believe that wasting parts of said animal is a bad thing so we use the skins for clothing and other things.” Their collective eyes widened at my statement, and they put the dots together very quickly. Celestia, however was mostly ignoring the Q&A session but she had probably heard this before.

“You don’t mean?” asked Rarity her voice elevating in pitch as she did so.

“Yes I do, that jacket is made out of leather, animal hide, specifically cow.”

I heard someone mutter something and I looked around it sounded like it came from the yellow pegasus. Fluttershy if I remember correctly. Her head hung down looking at the floor. I walked over to her and asked “what was that, little one?” I could barely make out her words, “can you say that again?” She did and I heard her question, “Can you look up, I want to see your face, I promise I won’t bite, wait I’m sorry that’s not a good joke.” I eventually coaxed the mare to lift her head, I looked her in the eyes and said “That was a very good question. As far as I can tell, and from what I was told by Jack before coming here. I would become whatever was the equivalent creature to human in this dimension. So unless it is usual for ponies to eat animals I don’t think I do.” I tried to tussle her mane but she shied away. “Alright next,” I looked up at the group.

“What do you know about Star Swirl the Bearded,” asked Twilight.

“You know I don’t really want to talk about him right now, he was my best friend and as far as I know he is long dead, it’s a little hard on me right now, I can talk to you later though.” It was true and I didn’t trust myself not to let any of Celestia’s secrets slip.

“Oh okay,” she answered looking quite dejected.

The questions continued for what seemed like hours, I eventually heard the warning chime on the computer that the battery was low. “Excuse me ladies, I need to get the computer shut down, and seeing as I still haven’t seen where I will be staying, I think I should call it for tonight.”

They all looked dejected at the news, but the princesses both agreed, “You will have plenty of time for questions later,” added Celestia.

I gathered my things and looked at the group, “Thank you for this evening, it was a learning experience for me and I do wonder who will be accompanying me to Canterlot.”

The two unicorns, quickly and emphatically said they were coming. Pinkie said she had a party, Rainbow Dash had to work, rain storm tomorrow. Fluttershy had to help the animals because of the same storm. Applejack added that she would have to check what needed to be done at the farm but odds were that she would be free as she can’t do much with it raining.

We all left the library, Luna and her sister said fair well and flew off towards the north-east as they passed out of town several small shapes flew up to meet them and collectively they flew off into the distance. The rest of the ponies split off from the library heading towards their home, I followed Applejack out to her farm.

As we went she looked at me and then looked away as if she wanted to ask a question but couldn’t.

“What is it?” I asked after her third glance.

“I was wondering’, how you were able to stay so calm. I mean if I ended up in your world, I don’t know what I’d do.” She paused, and looked slightly embarrassed, “I have tried picturing’ myself in your world. I don’t know if I could even look at myself, yall look so alien to me.”

“I was panicked when I first showed up but I knew I needed to get back to my dimension, but that didn’t turn out like I had hoped. Then I woke up in the hospital, I guess part of my mind accepted this while I was out. I still had to fight the urge to run when I first saw the nurse, and I still have panic attacks when I don’t see myself, just a pony, in the mirror but that might dissipate with time."

“I guess I never thought of us as that frightening’ before,” she said shaking her head.

“Believe me, compared to some of the things my world has come up with y’all aren’t. I'm just happy I didn't end up in some universe full of tentacle monsters or any other weird weird world." I took a breath and muttered, "Xenomorphs," with a shiver, I hated those movies.

“So do you miss it?”

“Some, from my perspective I have only been here two, three days, and most of those have been in the hospital. Everything is still new to me, and you have critters here that are only myth back home. I will prolly end up homesick but knowing I can’t go home.” I paused to swallow before continuing “I don’t know, even if I could go home I would miss this place. There is a feeling of adventure here like in so many stories. I guess I have always been easy on accepting changes and other than appearance you're not all that much different from everyone back home. Just like you ponies, we have our failings but that makes our triumphs shine brighter.”

She was silent for a bit. Then she laughed and said, “You know you're right from everything you've told us your world sounds terrifying but it also sounds amazing. I would love to see it."

"We have our moment's," I paused for a thought to finish forming. "How many sentient races are there on this world?"

"Well don't know much about anything other than pony racing, what's a sentient?"

"The way I’m using It, it is a being that is aware and has some form of knowledge like you or me, how many different species, races, whatever you call them are on this world?"

"Let's see, there's the three pony races, along with the alicorns, dragons, griffins, diamond dogs."

I cut her off with with my next statement, "On my world there is only one race. So include everything all of them have done good or bad. Like you all we forget on occasion what we have done, but for the most part we remember and learn from our mistakes. In the grand scheme we're not that different."

We walked in silence for a while then she broke that with, "I have been listening' to you talk, you have a driftin' accent.”

I smiled at that, “Yep, I have lived so many places back home that I start talkin’ with the accent I hear,” I drawled with my best Texas twang.

She steered us off the main road and out onto a pasture trail, “Well, if once you’re settled you need a job, you’ll be able to find one here at Sweet Apple Acres.”

“We’ll see about that, Celestia told me that Jack the Swirl Bearded left me something at the bank. I guess I’ll see what I have.”

“We’re here,” she announced indicating a dilapidated barn; she opened the door and ushered me in. It was dark inside and I could make out the shape of the wagon against the emptiness of the rest of the barn.

I was still scanning the barn trying to pierce the darkness with my eyes when I heard a scratching noise, and the barn was soon filled with light. Turning around I saw Applejack striking a match beside a lantern. “It must be hard to do things without magic,” I said without realizing it as I watched her attempts to light the lantern.

“It’s not that bad,” she said finally picking up the lit lantern. “Your bunk is back in the old office,” I could barely make out the last part since she was holding the lantern hasp in her mouth. She led me back to the office, set the lantern down on a low table and said “here you are, home sweat, home. Now get some rest I’ll be by in the mornin’.”

I nodded my thanks and after she had left, I looked around my new bedroom. There wasn't much in the room, just pictures, lots of pictures. I sighed and walked around looking for my bunk, turns out it was an old cot set up with blankets. Oh well, I thought, beggars can’t be choosers. I climbed up onto the cot and burrowed under the covers, for a restful night’s sleep.

It had been a long time since Celestia had dreamed her own dream. One of the blessings of being as powerful as she was that she had the ability to step into others dreams. She never interfered only watched, it was fun to see what other ponies true selves where, but she didn’t do that tonight.

She dreamed of the night that she ran from her home, and lost one of her best friends. She relived the entire night, as she fled she took to wing. She noticed as she flew that the land of Equestria was more modern than it should have been and the air, even the sunlight felt dirty. In the distance a shadow the size of a mountain was lumbering away from Canterlot. Her city, the capital, she thought as her mind raced, she had to go see if it was safe.

As she flew across the sky she saw the land in turmoil, ghastly creatures chased ponies into the night. She wanted to help but the thought of her sister in Canterlot steeled her will and she flew on. She flew on past a crater that enveloped the western edge of the Everfree Forest, past demented parasprites with red eyes. Tears fell as she flew past sights of horror that singularly she would not allow, past a little white rabbit slaughtering any pony that came close, past a spreading black flame engulfing the land to the courtyard of the Canterlot Castle.

“Luna,” she called, “where are you?”

She ran through the collapsing castle looking for her sister. As she ran past the door out to the garden, she heard a familiar voice call out to her. She came to a stop sliding on the stone floor and walked out into the garden. Outside she found Discord leaning against a tree beside his pedestal. He was wearing a pair of gaudy sunglasses, and cleaning his gryphon claws with his thumb.

“Discord,” she hissed as she spoke his name.

“Now, now Celestia, can I call you Tia, anyway you should be happy to see me,” he said with a laugh.

“I have had enough of this,” she muttered, and she focused her mind on bringing herself into a lucid dream.

Discord bounced himself off the tree and walked over to her saying, “Oh, Tia, don’t strain your mind. This is me, the true Discord, you’re in my mind, well sort of, more of an amalgamation of both of ours.” He dropped gryphon arm, and spun as he past her, reaching out he traced her jaw with the back of a lion’s claw. “My body is still in that lovely stone state but thanks to some unique circumstances I’m able to talk to you.”

Celestia, fought an involuntary shiver as he touched her face. “What do you want,” she asked with a slight snarl.

He laughed, “Well this is nice, and I just want a civil conversation. Tia how do you think I’m able to do this? It’s because of him,” he pointed at the mountain sized shadow in the distance. “He is on his way here, the closer he gets the more powerful I will become.”

“So why tell me this? You know I’m going to stop him then.”

“Oh, dear, dear, dear, my dear Celestia, order is something that is natural for a singular world but to understand me you have to understand chaos, order, and there balance.” Discord tapped his glasses and they became a pair of bifocals. “For chaos a multiverse is its home, every world exists in a balance, think of history. The pegasi, unicorns, and earth ponies, fought there was a nice healthy mix of order and chaos but then they joined together and created Equestria.” As he said this he hugged her neck and swept an arm out across the land.

“Let go of me, Discord,” she growled through clenched teeth, she hated him but he couldn’t hurt her yet.

He did, and stepped back before continuing, “Alright after that I appeared, to bring chaos back, and I was a little, well I was rather excessive in it's application, but you have to agree without chaos it is a little boring. Then to counter my rather exuberant use of chaos you, your sister and the elements appeared, tell me this how much of your parents do you remember?”

Celestia stopped to think, it made some sense but her near hatred of Discord made her wary to believe anything he said. She slowly nodded, before saying, “I don’t remember them, I know they exist though.”

“Just keep telling yourself that,” Discord said with a sly smile, “now back to the history lesson, as we all know you and your lovely sister turned me to stone. Order reigned triumphant again, that is until chaos was manifested in an entity known as Nightmare, which you banished to the moon, with your sister. Chaos now finds itself mixed with the general populace, that dear Pinkie Pie, is a prime example. However now the embodiment of the Chaos in the multiverse is being drawn here.”

She started drawing the lines together, “That’s him, that huge monster,” she asked when the realization struck her.

“You’re so much faster when you’re awake, you know that,” he said with a smile. “Yes that is chaos incarnate even more than I am.”

Celestia laughed before she said, “We defeated you we defeat him just as easily.”

“Yes, yes, I always found your arrogance to be one of your most attractive features. You can’t defeat him, you can either, run, hide and hope to survive, or try to stop him from arriving.”

“No, I’m not letting you go; this is just a foolish trick,” Celestia said with a smile. “I’m not going to fall for this again, and I’m not coming back,” she finished with a huff and turned around to leave the

”Oh dear Celestia, I’m not lying, and I don’t want it to win, I have a little order in myself just like you have a little chaos. I want to have fun and I can’t have fun when the world is burning.” He watched her leaving and yelled in an urgent tone he had never used before, “Before you leave I have two last things to tell you.”

She stopped and looked back at him, “Very well.”

“First before he arrives I will be free through, your action or his, and Nightmare will rise again. We are both beings of chaos and his powers will fuel us. Secondly use your wonderful powers to spy on ponies dreams to watch your Elements. They are tied to the balance just as much as we are but unlike us they are not divine, there just mere mortals.” Once he finished speaking he climbed up onto the pedestal continuing to speak as he began to shift back into stone, “I’m not going anywhere so come back for a visit sometime.”

Celestia walked into the castle and cleared her mind as she went, evidence of this was that as she walked the world began to reform back to proper. She however couldn’t get Discord’s idea of looking into Twilight’s dream out of her mind. It’s not like this would be her first time looking into her students dream. What could it hurt, she thought.

“Spike,” Twilight called as she approached the crying dragon.

The little dragon was kneeling in front of a gravestone, crying and muttering, “Twilight,” over and over again.

As she approached her friend she could see the tombstone and the writing on the face.
Here lies

Twilight Sparkle

Twice savoir of Equestria

Died in defense of Pony-kind,

First Battle of the Chaos War.

I’m dead? She thought, she then held a hoof up in front of her face and blinked, several times. It was transparent, I’M DEAD, her mind screamed. How, what happened, where? Her mind raced, she had just been at Steel's party with everyone.

“Come on Spike we need to head out,” said a familiar voice.

Twilight looked up at the voice and recognized the pony, just as Spike said “Just a minute AJ,” he murmured something to the grave and then stood up to follow the orange earth pony.

As she followed the little dragon she saw two more markers that made her stop, the first.

Here lies

Steel W. Smith

First Casualty of the Chaos War

The second.

Here lies

Fluttershy

Betrayed

And missed

Her heart beat faster and she sprinted after Spike and AJ. They lead her to the library, a giant bubble enclosed the tree, and everything inside the bubble was cleaner than the rest of the land.

“Come on Spike time to hope on,” said Applejack as she knelt down to allow the dragon on to her back.

“Right,” he muttered as he climbed up. Once AJ stood back up, Spike pulled out an amulet and pointed it at the bubble. A red beam shot out and it spread out opening a path through the orb. The two walked through and the path collapsed.

Twilight watched them walk into the library from outside the shield, how am I going to get through this, she thought before an idea hit her, I’m a ghost, it’s worth a shot. She walked up to the bubble and put one hoof up to it and pressed slightly, it passed through without issue. She walked through the shield and the same method worked on the door. Once inside she saw the two disappearing into a hatch in the middle of the floor. When the hatch closed she walked over and looked if she hadn’t just seen it she never would have known it was there. Looking around she saw that she was in the exact middle of the tree, she phased through the floor and onto a staircase in the trees tap root. She continued to phase through the stairs until she caught up with Applejack and Spike. It was the first time she had gotten a good look and AJ, a patch covered her right eye but she still had her hat and an air of confidence around her.

“I’m glad Steel shut down the defenses to Star Swirls lab before,” Spike said before trailing off into silence.

“Yep,” agreed Applejack, she paused looking at the ground, then looked up a dangerous glint in her eye, “I hope when it’s my turn to go I go out with a bang half the size he did.”

“Yeah, I’d just be happy to take that Angle out, after what he did to Fluttershy, even if we both went I’d be happy taking him with me,” said Spike with a look of determination that Twilight had never seen before.

Twilight furrowed her brow and followed the two down a stone hallway and into a large cavern, tent’s were set up and hundreds of ponies had gathered. Several were shaking and shivering, Cheerilee, was trying to maintain order over several younger ponies. As Applejack walked by hushed whispers and looks of respect followed her. Eventually the two walked to the back and into a smaller cave to the side. Twilight followed phasing her head in through the door.

What she found inside amazed her, her four friends, Derpy, the two princesses along with Trixie, Discord, and a pony made entirely of shifting dark blue light.

“We’re ready,” said AJ as she bowed before Celestia.

“Very well,” said Celestia her voice a mix of numerous emotions, “My ponies, my friends, tonight I will give what may be my last order. Tomorrow, Applejack you will lead the Elements of Harmony, and Spike on an escort mission. You are to take my sister to Appleloosa, and then out somewhere, keep her safe.”

“Sister,” Luna began to protest.

“No, while you are safe, it ensures that the natural order will be maintained, and your existence will enable Discord and Nightmare to fight alongside me. The three of us will lead the monster into an ambush with the last of the Dragons.”

“But sister,” Luna’s protest continued.

“No sister, I know you wish to fight but you and the elements are our last chance, if we fail.”

"That's why we should be there with you one shot with everything we've got," said Applejack her one eye meeting Celestia's.

"No if we can't defeat this monster without you, your aid will not help," Celestia said, "You all will be responsible, for protecting what you can of this world and waiting until it leaves."

"Running away seems awfully cowardly to me and I ain't no coward" grumbled Applejack as she stared back at the princess.

Twilight had to focus to hear this last statement it felt like she was being pulled away, what was going on, she thought fighting to stay here, to hear what was being said how did she die?

“If only Twilight was still here,” said Spike.

“I am!” yelled Twilight, her body felt like it was being stretched, and she could feel her head being pulled back through the door.

“Yes in the end it wasn’t ability that doomed my protégé, she ran out of spells, she ran out of options,” said the alabaster alicorn. She then stepped forward and spoke in a strong voice, “Tomorrow is going to be a momentous day, I don’t know if the plan will work, and if it does how many will survive, but we have no more options. I plead with you to do your best, do it for Twilight, for Fluttershy, for everyone we have lost.” The Princess then walked up to each of her friends, and spoke, “Rarity, pull your head up; trust your friends they won’t betray your generous trust.”

Twilight looked at her friends as the princess spoke they were all wounded in some way. Rarity had scars covering her face, and a discolored eye.

“Rainbow Dash, last of the Wonderbolts, never forget you are a symbol of loyalty to the ponies of the land, and the blood of Hurricane's warriors flows within you. Trust the loyalties you have, and always remember those ties can lift you up.”

Rainbow Dash looked up, she was in a Wonderbolt uniform, tears fell from her eyes.

“Pinkie Pie, your laughter will be needed once this is over.”

Pinkie’s hair had gone straight, and she was overweight, but she nodded.

“Derpy Hooves, you are one of the kindest ponies I have met, you need to remember you have big hooves to fill.”

Derpy, gave the princess a salute and nodded, she looked the best out of everyone.

“Trixie, even though you are an outsider to this group, thank you for helping my sister and you will never be alone as long as you have your friends.”

Trixie looked disheveled; she had gotten rid of her cloak and hat, and sat down staring at the floor.

“Now I must go speak to the rest of the ponies,” she said with a swallow. She looked up and walked out through the door Twilight was looking through.

The door slammed into the wall and Twilight slammed into the floor of the library she had fallen out of bed, she was coiled in her bed sheets and couldn’t easily get free no matter how much she struggled. "Spike, Spike, I need some help." She really didn't, she could get out of this easily with magic but she needed an excuses to wake the little dragon, after that dream she needed someone to talk to.

Celestia woke up disturbed after observing Twilight's dream; both her dream world and Twilight's had been similar. She wasn’t sure what that meant but she knew it wasn’t good. Standing up she stretched the sleep from her limbs and set off to find her sister, she wanted to talk with Luna about what she had discovered. Maybe it was nothing but it felt true, maybe between the two of them a plan could be formed.

4 Bit's a Dollar

Out of My Element

Chapter 4: 4 Bit’s a Dollar.

I woke up to a knocking sound, and someone yelling “Get up, it’s time to get going, we don’t want to miss the train.”

I yawned, stretched and thought, I am not a morning person. Keeping my eyes closed I rolled out of bed, well, off the cot. Continuing with closed eyes I made my mind aware of my body, yep still a pony. I opened my eyes and looked around the office using the daylight shining through the windows. The room I was in was significantly well built when compared to the barn. I staggered up to the office door and found Applejack hammering away at it, “Yes” I asked as I opened the door.

“Come on, we’re meeting everypony at Twilight's before we head out.”

I shook myself awake, “Okay give me a second, I’m going to see if any of the other batteries for the computer have a charge. Since we’re going to the Capital, I want to see if Jack left me any instructions on that jump drive.” I staggered back in and fumbled about trying to change the laptop battery, one of the spares did have enough charge to get the machine running. The desktop loaded and I plugged the drive in, it was huge a 50 gig drive which shocked me. I found a PDF document, and a Notepad file named Readme, so I did, it was another letter from Jack.

Hi again,

Well I told you about my lab in the written letter, now this letter is for you and you alone. I put it on the drive knowing only you would be able to read it. The lab is hidden under ground with the entry way hidden in the basement of my house. If the house is no longer there ask around to find out where the house in the tree was located. Anyway I have protected the lab, I don’t know what type of pony you will come across as, but you will need to have access to magic, and flight to get through to the lab along with knowledge of our world. So I designed a harness for you, it should simulate magic, and it can allow you to fly. The key is a crystal I have found they’re extremely rare and are known as Potestatum Gems. From what I have seen this world has another innate force in addition to magnetism and gravity, the best description for this new force is magic. The crystals absorb and store the passive magic energy of this world. I have used them to enhance my spells but I think my design can use them to simulate magic. One last thing, be careful who you let find out about this harness it has the ability to shake the social foundations of this world.

Good luck man, I’ll see you in the lab.
Jack

I glanced over my shoulder Applejack was standing there tapping her hoof on the ground. I could tell she was irritated, “Just a second, I’m almost done,” I said, trying to show her I was hurrying. I dug the reader out of the bag; USB included, and plugged it into the computer. I transferred the PDF file over, and I was set to leave with the little reader in my mouth, and the envelope Celestia gave me last night. All in all it took fifteen minutes to get ready and out the door. I looked at the wagon as we left barn, it looked in rough shape but I thought I could fix it.

“Now that we are heading out, I hope we don’t get stuck in the storm now,” grumbled Applejack. I could hear the aggravation in her voice.

I muttered an apology with a full mouth.

She looked at me, sighed and shook her head. “Oh for Celestia’s sake give me that,” she said as she took the reader and envelope placing them both in her saddlebag.

As we approached the town I could see in the rising sun light, pegasus ponies building the storm system over Ponyville.

“I’m sorry that it took so long for me to get here,” I announced as I walked into the library. Both unicorns were standing in the middle of the library talking. Rarity was in a fancy dress like rain suit and Twilight was placing books in her saddle bag.

The two unicorns looked up at my announcement, “Don’t worry about it, Twilight here is still trying to find books for her library exchange program.”

The little dragon, Spike, I think that was his name, was moseying around replacing books on shelves. “How’s it going Little Zilla,” I asked as he walked by.

“It’s too early I need to go back to sleep,” his bloodshot eyes darted back and forth before he slid up to me and said, “can you get Twilight out of here she keeps making messes that I have to clean up, and I want to get back to bed.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” I replied in a whisper. I walked up to the unicorns and began to speak just as Applejack came in through the door, “Ladies from what I have been told we need to head out to avoid the storm.”

“That’s right,” mumbled Applejack, “So when’s the train leaving.”

The purple unicorn looked up, “We’re not going to ride the train, the princess is sending transport for us,” she said with a smile.

I raised my eyebrow, and asked “why?”

“Well she said in her letter that she wanted you to see Equestria from the air, like those pictures you showed us of,” the purple unicorn paused to think. “Chicago” she said with an unsure tone.

I nodded my head as Applejack asked, “Will they be here soon.”

“They should be here any time,” replied the purple unicorn in a singsong voice, barely able to contain her enthusiasm.

“Is she alright?” I asked looking at the other unicorn.

“Yes, she’s fine, and I understand her enthusiasm, Canterlot,” she paused after emphasizing the city name and sighing. “It is the center of culture and sophistication, the creme dela crème of Equestrian society lives there. It would be my dream to live with those important ponies, rub shoulders with the likes of Fancy Pants, he was so kind.”

She continued to ramble at great lengths about the society in the capital, and I took a step back, with an awkward half smile.

She noticed my apprehension and said, “Oh dear, I’m terribly sorry for going on at such lengths. It’s just that I would love to be accepted by those ponies.”

“So you’re not,” I asked incredulously, “after what I have been told you have saved your nation twice, but none of these ponies recognizes you?”

Applejack chuckled quietly and added, “Ah guess those high falutin’ ponies don’t care bout nothing but themselves, and their social ladder. I wonder if any of them figured out that the Elements were the ones that crashed there garden party.”

“Yes,” replied Rarity in a drawn out manner, “However you have to admit that Fancy Pants was very kind to us.”

“I don’t know, at least he wasn’t as stuck up as the rest of them, I still don’t see why you want there recognition.”

The white unicorn grumbled something, and said “Of course dear you wouldn’t.”

“Now what-da-ya mean by that,” demanded Applejack a flash of not quite anger crossed her eyes.

I slowly backed away from the developing argument, and glanced at Twilight, “When is that transport coming?”

“Any minute now,” she looked at the two arguing ponies and shouted “What is going on here.” The two targets of her shout stopped there heated discussion and looked at the purple unicorn. “I thought we settled this at the slumber party?”

The two formally arguing ponies both looked at the ground, embarrassment was easily read on their faces. The Orange one looked up and said “Twi, I’m sorry.” She then looked over at the other unicorn and continued, “Rarity I’m sorry, I have been out of sorts the past few days. I have been having’ a nasty little nightmare, and I haven’t been sleeping’ well. This storm hasn’t helped. I’m gonna lose the first few days of the spring apple bucking season.”

Rarity looked up as AJ apologized “I’m sorry as well; I know the way I go on, that it sounds like I’m ungrateful for everyponies friendship but it is very important to me.”

I stood there throughout their discussion with a half smile and a raised eyebrow. I don’t think I will ever get use to the ease that everyone gets over arguments here. I shook myself back to reality, well this reality. I looked up at Twilight and asked “When you say any minute now, next five to ten minutes, it should be here by now?”

My answer came in the form of a knock at the door; Twilight opened it with her magic and outside was a white pegasus in gold armor. “Ma'am, I’m sorry we are late but when Princesses Luna heard about the storm she insisted that we use her private carriage, it’s larger and inclosed so we needed a larger flight team.”

Parked outside was a large dark blue, extremely ornate covered carriage longer than my wagon. It was attached to a team of six pegasi, all dark blue or black, in similar but darker armor to the one who knocked on the door.

I could tell that Twilight was surprised by the turn of events, not only by what she said but by the fact she had to pull her jaw off the floor first. “Is that the one from the museum?”

The guard smiled slightly, just enough to be noticed then said “No Ma'am, this one is an exact replica; the princess felt that her old carriage was in a far better place, considering its age. Anyway we need to get going Ma'am, before the storm is finished being built.”

There was some general chatting as we walked to the carriage, but I was fascinated watching the pegasi darting around placing small storm clouds into a sheet, it was odd seeing weather treated this way after reading so much on it in school.

Once we were in the extremely roomy carriage, I sat on the low cushioned bench, leaned against the window, and watched the ground fall away as we started moving. Wait the ground is falling away that mean we’re flying, I thought, my eyes widened with my next one, we’re flying without wings. “Umm, how are we flying,” I asked a slight waver in my voice.

“It’s the team of pegasi pulling us,” answered Twilight.

“Okay but how is the carriage staying level, I know it has to be magic but magic isn’t permanent is it?”

This time I was answered by Rarity, “Some is, some is not, it depends on the pony and the magic. Most spells can last as long as the original creator exists. Some have their own energy supply and others draw power from their surroundings until they cancel the spell.”

I relaxed a little, and glanced around at my fellow travelers I spotted Rarity’s cutie mark three diamonds and that reminded me of the letter, a gem what was it called? “Applejack could you hand me my reader please?”

She dug around in her saddlebag and pulled out the reader, “Here you go,” she said in a muffled voice as she passed it to me.

I fumbled with the device trying but not succeeding to find a better way of viewing the reader than laying it on the floor.

“What’s that?” asked the other two ponies.

“It holds books digitally, it's kind of like the computer. It has several hundred books on it right now but I put some notes that Jack left me on here as well.” I continued to answer their questions absentmindedly as I searched through the notes for the name of the crystal. “Ah-ha, here it is,” I hadn’t realized it but I had just interrupted Twilight asking a question, “Oh I’m sorry, yeah you can look at this after we get back, heck I might let you hang on to it once I get some stuff off of it.” She looked confused as if my answer was completely off topic, it might have been, but I needed to ask about Potestatum Gems. “I’m sorry Twilight, my mind jumped tracks and has taken off in a new direction. We can pick this up again if you would like but my whole reason for pulling this thing out was to ask about Potestatum Gems, have you ever heard of them?”

“Oh dear, there terribly expensive and ugly gemstones you don’t want to deal with them. A moon stone would complement you mane and eyes. It would be so much cheaper and more elegant” answered an obviously disturbed Rarity.

“I’m not looking for them for their appearance,” I said with furrowed brows and then I thought, these things sound like there a problem.

“Why would you be asking about them,” asked Twilight her face more serious than I had ever imagined it could become.

“Jack told me in one of his letters that I needed one to get into his lab.”

Her serious tone continued as she answered. “That is going to be difficult, if you don’t already know they are little magic batteries, if used incorrectly bad things tend to happen. They have been used to enhance spells but tend to backfire, maiming or killing the user, unless they have been trained. They were made illegal to possess by the princess when a storage chest blew up in the ancient castle of the royal pony sisters, destroying most of the castle. With what the Princess said last night I wouldn’t be surprised if they weren’t the reason Star Swirl went mad.”

“What do you do if one is found,” I asked, this whole conversation was not going in a direction I had hoped. The idea that common knowledge varied so much from the truth bothered me as well. This meant I didn’t know how much of my truth was true.

“Well most of them are used as appeasement gifts for the more sociable dragons in the land, they seem to view them as delicacies, I think Spike told me he found one when he ran way last year. At least it fits his description of what he ate.”

I hung my head, took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. “Well is there, well no never mind,” I started to say. I looked at the reader and then thought, well, I might as well build the harness I might come across a crystal at some point. I looked at Twilight and asked “Last night you compared my computer to a magi-tech device you used on Pinkie Pie, where did you get that?”

It was like a switch had been flipped in Twilight and everything was back to normal. She was smiling and she answered in a singsong voice. “Oh, I got that at a Magi-shack in Canterlot, I used it when I was a little filly to help me see how my magic worked.”

“Once I hit the bank I’ll want to swing by there, Jack left me some schematics that I want to try to build.”

“Oh, an original Star Swirl schematic, can I see,” she moved closer trying to glance at the readers screen.

“I’m sorry,” I said as I drew back and covered the readers screen, “It’s a tradition that Jack and I have. Only we can look at the design until they’re constructed, it’s kind of bad luck for us to let someone else look. I mean, somepony else, some other pony look, oh god whatever.”

The three ponies found my stumbling over the new vernacular humorous enough to laugh, the two unicorns were polite enough to try to stifle their laughter, even though it was to no avail. I found it irritating that my failure to adapt was turning into a joke, but then again there was some humor in the situation, just not as much as they seemed to find.

We soon had landed in the courtyard of the Canterlot castle. It had been an extremely quick flight, considering that the city was in view of Ponyville it should have been. I gave Applejack back the reader and then stepped out of the carriage to take in the sights of the capital. It immediately made me think Disney Land but that impression soon changed after leaving the castle grounds. There were elements that reminded me of several major cities. There were outdoor cafes, and cobblestone streets. The city had several towering buildings, well three or four stories. The houses made me think of Victorian England, without the chimney smoke from Mary Poppins. I followed the girls as they lead me through the city to the bank, the crowd of ponies made me feel like I was back in highschool so I used the same methods I used in school to follow Twilight and her friends while looking at the scenery.

Eventually I was lead up to a large white building; it had a very Roman style and was very imposing. Above the entrance it had Central Bank of Equestria carved in a calligraphy styled font, there were several ponies heading in and out of the front door.

“Applejack can I have my envelope?” I asked as we walked in.

She began digging for it and eventually found it, only after I began sweating bullets.

I took the envelope and got in line for the next teller. Eventually I was called up to a young blue mare with a light green mane. “Hi, how can I help you,” she asked as I approached.

“Um, yeah so I found out I have an old bank account number here. Well not me so much but a family member had one a long time ago. I have this card,” I pushed the card towards her.

She took it and then did some looking in the books, then excused herself and disappeared for about five minutes. When she came back she was with an older stallion, she introduced him as the bank manager, Green Backs.

“Hello, what was your name, I’m afraid, Mrs. Nickel didn’t remember it,” he asked as he offered his hoof for a shake.

“My name is Steel Smith,” I answered as I shook his hoof.

“Well Mr. Smith, I need to discuss some things with you back in my office.”

“Alright,” I answered slowly, before asking, “Is it alright if my friends come with me.” I gestured towards Twilight and the others.

He smiled and said “Oh yes that’s fine.”

I flagged the girls over and we followed him back to his office. Once inside he closed the door and asked, “Now Mr. Smith what can the CBE do for you?”

“Well I need to know how much is in the account.”

“Surely you jest,” he said with a laugh, “You already know why else would you have three young, beautiful mares with you.”

The three began to object, but I could only make out Applejack, through the blood pumping in my ears, she was saying, “hey, now don’t go making’ assumptions.”

I blushed slightly but didn’t look at any of the others, “I don’t know, maybe because I’m new in the area and they are the first friends I’ve made since moving.”

“Oh,” he said, embarrassed. “Oh,” he repeated just realizing the connotation of what he had said. “I’m terribly sorry,” he looked away from us and into the books continuing to talk. “Well your account has been with us for, well most of the banks existence. Let’s see with the accrued interest it comes out to four point three billion bits, congratulations you’re the fifth richest pony in Equestria!” He glanced up at me smiling.

I stood frozen for a second, my mind reacting to what I just heard, along with the gasps of surprise from the ponies behind me. My right eye began to twitch, my jaw dropped, and the corners of my mouth started to curve into a smile, all before I collapsed onto the floor, blacking out.

“Steel wake up, come on wake up Steel,” I could hear someone calling my name.

“Here I got some water let’s see if this wakes him up,” said Applejack, I’d recognize her accent anywhere.

“What was that he said about needing a robot and a cyclops,” asked the bank manager.

Wait water? Oh no. I thought, as I opened my eyes and started to announce my waking state only to get a face full of water thrown at me.

I shook the water from my face and did my best to clear it form my nose, while Applejack apologized and the unicorns laughed.

It took me a few minutes to get my bearings I was still in the manager’s office. I’m rich, my mind kept repeating over and over again. “So now that I’m rich what do I need to do to use the money,” I wondered aloud to no pony in particular.

The bank manager was still in the room filling out paperwork. He glanced over his glasses at me and said, “That’s what I’m working on we can give you a temporary check book, and then send you an official check book later.”

I shook my head as I stood up, I had always thought that if I won the lottery I would be set, but here I have no grasp on what I want. I looked at the three ponies that came with me, smiled and said “I guess I can now afford to get a bag so I can carry my stuff.”

“Oh, I know the perfect shop for you to pick that up,” said Rarity.

“Well once I’m done here you can show me,” I replied with a smile. As time had passed I had gotten used to her accent and it no longer irritated me. I found these ponies unique and fun enough that I already trusted them. I trusted them more than I trusted myself with my new influx of cash, I always worried that being rich would change me.

We soon left the bank, and immediately I was bombarded with thoughts, I wanted to share this new found wealth with my new found friends. “Hey Applejack, I was wondering if it’s alright with you, I would like to fix up the barn I’m staying in and rent it for a while?”

My question caught her off guard, “Why,” she asked, “why would you want to do that couldn’t you just buy your own house?”

“Yes,” I answered, “but I still want to have a place to work and for now that seems best, plus you let me stay there knowing I had nothing. Now that I have something and I want to make it even.”

“Okay sure, I don’t have a problem with that,” she answered.

“And Rarity, how much would it cost me to have you fix up a few things for me? I know that jacket might be something you’re not interested in messing with, but I would like to find someone who can modify it.”

“Steel, don’t worry yourself, I can fix that old jacket up for you. Just don’t ever bring up what it’s made out of again, and it won’t cost you a single bit.”

“Rarity,” I started to speak.

“No, no, no, I won’t make you pay for my work. After all, being able to claim I have done work for one of the richest ponies in Equestria will be payment enough.”

“Rarity,” I started again before being interrupted, again.

“No, I won’t take it.”

“Fine, I was just going to say that other ponies might need the generosity more than me.”

“That is true, but I help those ponies as well,” she said as she looked up at the storefronts.

“Okay then, I still want to pay you a retainer though,” I wasn’t paying attention to my surroundings as I answered and almost ran her over as she came to a stop.

“We’re here,” she said in a singsong voice. "Now if we were back in Ponyville, I would make you the bags but since you need them now and we are here, you might as well pick up several you don't know when you might be invited to a high class soiree."

The store was large and filled to the brim with saddle bags. There were hundreds of styles to choose from, some where large with frames, others small enough that only my reader would fit. I looked around and found a plain brown set that reminded me of a postal bag from back home.

Twilight snickered, I looked back at her with a quizzical face and asked, “what now, I’m I in the Mare’s Department?”

She shook her head and pointed past me; I followed the direction of her gesture and found Rarity returning with several dozen bags and a large grin.

“Aw, nut’s,” I muttered at the sight, “This had better not be what I think it is.”

The princess of the night, rolled over in her bed, after what her sister had told her last night she couldn't get to sleep, Discord being able to invade dreams. A shiver ran spine, she didn't deal with Discord during his last chaos spree but what she remembered from his fist frolic among the ponies disturbed her. Even worse was that Nightmare could return, just the idea made her sick, and it terrified her like a newborn foal.

The door opened and she let out short scream, before she caught herself. It was only her older sister, returning after she had fulfilled her morning duties. Luna jumped up from her bed and nuzzled her sisters neck, just being in Celestia's presence made her feel safe.

Celestia smiled at her younger sister and asked, "Sister are you unable to get to sleep?"
Luna only nodded her face still pressed against her older sister’s neck.

"Don't fear Discord I will stay and guard your dreams."

Luna stepped back and shook her head, "No sister, Discord is your balance, and mine is Nightmare, that's who I fear."

Celestia stepped forward and hugged her sister, "Now that is something you don't have to fear. I have placed wards throughout Canterlot, it can't come inside the city walls and if somehow it does I will know."

Luna gave a weak smile, "I don't want to go back to the moon again. I know you had to weaken its hold on me but," a shiver ran the length of her whole body, "please don't leave me alone."

Celestia smiled and said in her most soothing voice, "I won't leave you, now why don't you try to get some sleep."

The two alicorns walked over to the bed, the younger one climbed in while the other sat beside her.

"Now go to sleep little sister," said Celestia while she stroked Luna's mane with a hoof. Soon she could hear the soft breathing of sleep coming from her sister. She leaned back and looked up focusing past the ceiling; she had been doing this frequently as of late, getting lost in thought. After seeing her sister’s reaction she wished she hadn't told Luna about her lucid dream. Tonight, she decided, I will have to watch some of the other elements dream.

It had been exactly what I thought it was, I left the store with four bags, the postal ones I had been looking at, two fancier ones Rarity had found, and an external frame-pack. I wore the frame pack out of the store with the other three inside. Next to the tech shop, I thought as I followed the ponies out into the street.

We followed Twilight as she led our group to the Magi-shack. "Here we are," she announced as we came into a large market place. Buildings lined the edges and small kiosks filled the areas in front. "How about we split up I need to run over to the library, and I know Rarity needs to get some supplies. Why don't we meet somewhere for lunch in about an hour?" As Twilight spoke she danced a little, as if she could barely keep herself from sprinting off towards the city library.

"I know, how about the Sweet Elite Café, I love the coffee there," added Rarity. "It's only a street over," she said while gesturing back the way we came.

"They had better not be serving that hoity-toity stuff that they had at the banquet," demanded Applejack.

"Oh, they do, but they also have food that is more for the working palate," responded the white unicorn.

"And what's that suppose to mean?"

I shook my head and thought, not this again "It means they have food that everyone would like," I said with a hoof on my head.

"Well why the hey don't they just say so," grumbled the orange earth pony, "Well that will work for me, I've got nowhere to go so I'll stick with Steel here until then."

"Alright Sweet Elite in an hour," said Twilight, dropping into a run as soon as the words let her mouth.

"I will be there as soon as I finish my errands as well," added Rarity bowing slightly before she left.

I looked at AJ and said "I guess that leaves you and me," as I approached the store front. "After you," I added as I held the door open for her.

Inside the store felt like home, I had been in several electronic stores in the past and this one felt like an older one, or one from a small town. Very few of the boxed consumer grade electronic dribble, but the pieces to build most of it were there, I was amazed this world felt like a jumble of eras, but if they had what I needed who cared. Applejack followed me silently examining the items like she knew what they were.

"So you know what these things do?" I asked her.

She blushed slightly and shook her head, "No I don't know anything about this stuff, I just was looking' to see what they are. That don't help none though, seen as I still don't know what they do."

"I can help with that," said a voice.

I turned to find the owner of the voice it was an older stallion, walking up to us.

"I have run this shop since it opened thirty years ago. Sometimes I can't believe it's been so long. So what can I help you find?"

"Well, I'm not from around here and I'm not sure how anything you have converts over," I said as I pulled out my reader.

"What's that," he asked.

"Oh it's nothing just a electronic book," I said absentmindedly as I turned on the reader.

"I heard of things like that, down south, way down south, like other hemisphere south. The earth ponies that refused to travel north with everyone else. What do they call it now, aw hay I can't remember."

"Yeah you could say that, down south, I'm going to need some help getting my bearings with your this terminology, I'm lookin' for some of what I call transistors?"

It took most of the hour but we worked out the communication issues and I ended up buying several thousand bits of equipment. With a few thousand more special orders, to be delivered at Applejack's farm. We left the store with plenty of time to make it to the café, where we waited for the others to show up. Eventually Rarity arrived an hour and a half late, looking extremely proud of herself.

"With this trip I should be set for this year’s Gala orders," she said as she approached. Looking around she asked, "Where is Twilight," when she saw our shrugs she added, "Odd that pony is usually incredibly punctual."

"You think she is still at the library," asked Applejack.

"That is the only thing that would make her late, she gets so wrapped up in those books of hers," said Rarity a frown on her face.

"Well lets go find her then," said the orange pony, "if we go get her now we can take the train and be home before sundown."

Decimal had been working for the chief librarian for as long as he could remember. It had always been an easy job, and just today he was given the responsibility of the spell craft wing. So why was it his luck that a half crazed unicorn would not calm down and was constantly asking him where some obscure volume on subjects that no longer mattered. Defense spells and things that only the Elite Guard ever learned. There was no reason for it, she made little sense and the more books she dug through the harder his job became.

"Miss Sparkle, you know, you can check some of these out and I'm sure that some of the older volumes we could put in the exchange program."

"Oh I know," she replied, "I already have taken care of those," she added while pointing at a large stack of books.

"There is a limit to the number of books you can check out," he said eying the stack.

"I know, that is exactly how many I have, could you take care of those for me. I really am in a hurry."

"Um, right," he said drawing the word out. He grabbed the mammoth stack and headed to the circulation desk. Pushy rural librarian, dealing with such small libraries must give them a complex.

After he had taken care of the books he returned the stack only to find that she had retrieved and referenced eight new books. It was going to take him hours to clean, and organize the library after this lavender hurricane. He sighed, shook his head, and then he heard the sounds of a few more ponies approaching his wing of the library. More work, he thought as he stalked off. As he walked behind his desk he glanced up to see two earth ponies and another unicorn enter the room.

"There she is," announced Rarity as she bounded forward, "Twilight you missed our appointment."

I shifted my gaze from examining the large granite building to the occupants of the room in front of me. Behind a desk labeled 'Circulation' was an extremely frazzled earth pony, who looked like he was going to have a fit as we walked in. Twilight was very difficult to spot since she had fortified herself behind a wall of books.

"Twi, it's time we got goin', we're gonna miss the train if we don't hurry this up," said AJ shifting on her feet.

"Oh, girls we, oh and um Steel, we don't need to hurry there are so many books to read," replied Twilight her attention divided among three books.

I saw a grin come to the librarians face once we mentioned leaving.

"No Twi, we know how you get sometimes you study through the night," said Applejack her face showing irritation.

"Okay, well can you carry some of my books I have more than I can carry by myself," Twilight muttered her face still pressed into a book.

"Just hurry up," AJ said with a sigh.

Both Rarity and AJ began loading the books, mostly in my saddle pack after I offered it, and soon all the books were stowed.

"Alright Twilight, it is time to go," said Rarity as she walked up beside the entranced mare.

"Come on Twi," added AJ.

"No, I'm almost done."

"Don't make me force this," returned Applejack as she set her shoulders forward. "Come on."

"Twilight, I think she is serious," Rarity added.

"No, I'm busy I need to learn some more spells."

"Alright you asked for it," grumbled Applejack as she took off her hat and gave it to Rarity, while saying "hold on to this for me." She walked up to Twilight and ducked her head sliding under the purple mare and tossing her onto the farm ponies back. "Now let's go."

Twilight struggled trying to hold onto the table but she couldn't get a grip and she pouted with front legs crossed until we exited the library. Once we were outside she returned to her old self and quickly apologized for her behavior and she continued to the entire walk to the train station.

Soon we were on the train headed to Ponyville and I couldn't have been happier, this day had worn me out.

Rainbow Dash smiled to herself while lounging on a cloud above the storm over Ponyville. She always loved building the storms, almost as much as she enjoyed tearing them down. Both meant she was able to show off her flying skills to others. Looking over her clouds edge she watched the lightning flash between the clouds below, it was inevitable for lightning to occur in the larger storms, there was no way to prevent it. She yawned, she was tired, not physically but mentally. There were several calculations used in building storms, it made her weary, and the nightmare she had last night hadn't helped. Maybe a nap would be best, she thought as she burrowed a cozy little retreat into the cloud, and closed her eyes. Soon she had drifted off to sleep.

The dream was the same as the night before; she was flying with the Wonderbolts, in a uniform out over Equestria. She smiled at the two on either side of her Fleetfoot, and Soarin'. Looking at the ground she saw the land in ruins, black flame stretched out in patches as far as she could see. It made sense for the Wonderbolts to be out, there function in the Guard was to be scouts and perform hit and run raids designed to distract, they were to avoid direct combat if at all possible, that's what the Guard's main forces were used for.

A scream pierced the night and the group banked toward the sounds source. Two ponies, a stallion and a mare were backed into a corner in the remains of one of Ponyville's houses. They were standing between a young foal and three dark ones. The creatures were called dark ones because no one knew what else to call them, other than ugly. She tried to remember where they came from but the memory was too hazy to get any information. She knew they were big, ugly and no two were alike, universally they were dark colored, blacks, grays and browns were the most frequent. There appearance was a mixture of dragon, pony, bird, wolf, ram, and human. They all had wings, sharp claws, muddled faces with elements of all creatures mixed and they stood on two legs about as tall as Celestia. The worst thing about these creatures is what they ate, they ate anything as long as it was meat, but what they favored disgusted Rainbow Dash enough to make her stomach churn whenever she saw one.

The three attacking the ponies below had unique enough faces, the larger, and leader of the group had a canine like face but the muzzle ended with a beak. Rams horns grew out of its wide head, with tufts of feathers protruding out from under its mangy fur. The one to the right was almost completely canine save for the eyes, wings and one arm that belonged to a dragon. the last had a flat face that reminded her of the photos of Steel from his old world, the mouth stretched out and downward similar to her own, its lips were in a constant grimace that bared large dragon like fangs.

Looking back at the three ponies she saw that the mare had been hurt and she knew if they waited to much longer there would be no one to save. By the time they had reported back and an attack launched it would be just to drive the uglies away from their meal. There might not be enough left to give the ponies a proper burial. She was tired of it, not being able to do anything and with a quick glance at her wing-men she could see they were as well.

With a quick nod to her two wingmates, she dived towards the uglies along with the rest of her team. She stretched her body out trying to make herself as streamlined and aerodynamic as possible, the pony family down there didn't have much time. As she streaked downward, she fought the rage in her heart; these things weren't from around here. They weren't from anywhere, they were from the void, at least that's what Twilight and Steel called it. These things were here for the same reason that her friends weren't. The anger fueled her and pushed her, she threw her shoulder forward just before making contact with the uglies leader.

The impact was enough to knock it over the wall and onto the ground. Unfortunately the anger that drove her, had pushed her faster than the rest of her squadron, and her attack had only warned the others. Fleetfoot arrived next only to catch a claw in the chest and she was flung to the ground, four puncture marks in her side. Rainbow Dash was sure that the swipe had punctured a lung, as Fleetfoot coughed up blood.

Soarin' was by far luckier in his attack planting a solid hoof strike on the long faced ugly, there was a sickening crack and the one he struck collapsed.

Rainbow, looked at the family and yelled, "What are you waiting for, RUN!"

The family wide eyed and panicked took off, slower than they could have due to the mare’s wounds. The wolf faced one growled and gave chase. "No," Rainbow muttered as she took off after ugly, crashing into it and tumbling to the ground. By the time she had regained her footing; the leader had let loose a roar and jumped at Soarin' from atop the crumbling wall. It grabbed the stallion by the wings and twisted them, Soarin' screamed as his wings became useless, sharp shards of bone protruding from the broken wings. Fleetfoot had climbed to her feet and dove at the uglies leader knocking it off Soarin' and they both tumbled into a black flame.
This time Rainbow let loose a loud and heart wrenching "No," and flew over the fire looking for Fleetfoot, hoping against what she feared. She must have found a patch within the flames, she thought, there's no way, she wasn't going to lose someone on her first command. Black flame could not be put out, it burnt whatever it touched to a cinder. She scanned the fire pit looking for her teammate but there was no way she could have survived.

The last ugly pulled itself up from Rainbows tackle, it's long limbs made it ungainly in righting itself from when it was attacked. It looked towards the earth ponies fleeing and then at the wounded Wonderbolt. It must have decided that the grounded flyer would have been easier pray because it took off towards Soarin'. It grabbed the wounded pegasus and took off skyward, it's claws digging into the ragged flesh of his back.

Rainbow gave chase, the larger wings gave the ugly greater acceleration but it had a lower top speed. Eventually Rainbow caught up only to have the ugly drop Soarin'. It smiled at her and then flew off to the north.

Rainbow dove, giving chase to the falling Wonderbolt, he was falling faster than she thought possible. She grabbed him just before he hit the ground tumbling across the deserted streets.

"Rainbow Dash," she looked up to see Scootaloo, "Wake up Rainbow there is something wrong with Fluttershy."

"Wait what?" she thought out loud staggering to her feet, "Scoots, what are you doing out here?" She looked around, the world was fading shifting. The greasy blue sky shifted back to the clean blue she was use to. She was back at asleep on the cloud, it had drifted lower to the storm than she liked and she could hear Scootaloo running around below calling for her.

She flew down and was spotted by the little orange pegasus who quickly came over, "Rainbow we can't find anyone else and Fluttershy, she needs help she is acting weird and scaring the animals."

"That doesn't sound right," Rainbow shook her head, "Let's go."

Things Fall Apart

Out of My Element

Chapter 5: Things fall apart

It had been two weeks since the trip to Canterlot, I had quite a bit of free time due to the fact that most of the ponies I had met since my arrival were busy. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie where taking care of Fluttershy. After our return from Canterlot there had been quite an uproar about the yellow pegasus using something called the 'stare' to cause the animals she took care of to love her. I was told this was extremely out of character for her. Twilight was busy reading through every book she could lay her hands on, Rarity was busy modifying any scrap of clothing for 'one of the richest ponies in the country,' and the Apple family was busy apple bucking.

In my free time I had been working on the crown and harness that Jack had designed. From reading over the schematics it was suppose to tap into the mind through two nodes that rested on the temples and two contacts that pierced the skin and sat on either side of the spinal cord. The harness would attach to the crown but the crown could be used separately. The notes also gave me instructions on the basics of magic craft in this world. It seemed that it was a combination of alchemy, knowing how things work, and the Green Lanterns ring. So in theory if I could figure out how it would work and picture it in my head the harness would do the rest, again in theory.

I was at a point in their construction that I would need someone with magic to help me finish it off, same with the repairs on the wagon. I was bored, I needed help, and all the ponies I could trust were all busy. I could go ask Rarity since she was use to manipulating fine, and delicate materials but she had been making a fuss over using me to get her name out and it was disturbing. But given that the only other magic user was greedily devouring every book she could find made Twilight an even less valid option. I shook my head and decided to put the parts in one of my saddle bags, I had become obsessed with finishing this project, so off to the boutique.

Celestia had been observing the nightmares of her protégé and her friends. They had all been disturbing to some degree, and from the letters that she had received the dreams were affecting them more than they realized. Part of her wanted to block these dreams from the ponies but she knew they needed to continue so she could see the dreams and let the last pieces to fall into place. Another part of her wanted to contact Discord again, to discuss more of what he knew. Every time she passed the garden she would pause and check the statue, why was he always on her mind these days?

He was affecting her like the idea of Nightmare's return was bothering Luna, well no that's not right, she thought, Luna is terrified of Nightmare, I'm just dreading what feels like an inevitable discourse with Discord. Celestia sat her eyes pinched together as she remembered one of her dreams, the battle with the mountain sized abomination. She had woken when it turned out that not even the combined might of three divine and the six remaining elder worms could not slow it down. It behaved as if it hadn't noticed there attacks. Every strike caused massive drops of liquid that became ether the creatures dubbed uglies or the black flame. If she tried to concentrate on the abominations appearance it was never clear, always hazy. The general feel was of a great sea beast come to land with innumerable tentacles of varying lengths, if she focused on the memory for a better view her mind would begin to itch until it was unbearable and she would have to stop.

This would be a problem, if Discord was right, and there were only three choices, the best one was stop it from arriving, but how. Normally, she would give the task of researching this to Twilight but she felt that that little pony was already spending too much time in books already. I guess it's off to the library then she thought as she started to leave the castle.

"Sister wait I, I still, I'm not comfortable here without you right now," said Luna as she came trotting up beside her older sister. "I know you’re busy but would it be a problem if I came along," she asked.

Celestia could see the regret in her sister’s eyes as she asked permission to tag along. She smiled at her and replied with a soothing smile saying "of course you can Luna, you are free to do as you wish but I would appreciate the company."

The two ponies left the castle headed towards the library, along with a light escort of guards.

I walked into the Carousel Boutique, and let my eyes adjust to the light, it was odd only recently had Rarity started to keep her boutique this dim. "Hello," I called out into the darkness.

I heard a door open on the second floor and then Rarity's voice as she said "Just a moment," then in a barely audible tone "now stay here Opalescence, once Steel's cloths are gone you can come out." I finally caught sight of the white unicorn as she came down the stairs.

I smiled as she came down to the first floor and said "howdy" once she was fully in view.
"Oh Steel, are you here to pick up your clothes? Since I found out you're allergic to her I've kept Opal in a different part of the boutique," she said as she walked over.

"Uh, yeah I can pick those up, but I came here because I needed help finishing a project," I then pulled the crown out of my saddlebag and placed it on the counter.

"Ugh, what is this," she asked, taken aback by the circlet now sitting on her counter.
"It's one of the things Jack designed for me. I'm at a point that I need someone with magic to help me to finish it."

"Yes, what is it for though?"

"You remember me asking about Potestatum Gems? This circlet can use thirteen of them to simulate magic. It needs two to function correctly. One goes in the back to power the whole rig and the rest fit in one of the twelve slots on the rotating band. However I need to finish this before I go looking for any gems." I dug around in the saddlebags and pulled out the rest of the circlet pieces and the reader. I placed everything on the counter, then brought the schematics up on the reader and passed it over to the unicorn. "So do you think you can do it?"

She eyed the device and said, "I'm not sure what all this,” she gestured at the reader's screen “means, but I will give it a try if you will help."

I nodded my head signaling that I would help. Everyone had noticed that Rarity's mood improved when I was around. I however was doing my best not to give any untoward signals. I knew that if I ever wanted a family it would end up being with one of these ponies but in my mind I was still human, and it was hard even with the new body to think of myself in any other way.

"Okay, yeah, when do you think we can work on it then?"

"Oh, now's fine it seems no one is interested in my work as of late, I have no idea why, it is rather depressing," she said with a sigh. She then walked over beside me, standing close enough to make me feel awkward, and with a smile said, "So where do we start.

Decimal had finally, after several weeks gotten the spell craft wing back in shape after the literary rampage it had suffered under the purple unicorn. He smiled to himself, when the chief librarian returned from his vacation the next day he will be very impressed with his work. If he is impressed enough Decimal might just get a promotion to be the manager for an entire wing, with his own assistant. He began to hum as he cleaned the receiving desk; his heart was swelling with pride at a job well done.

He lifted his head when he heard the sound of someone approaching and when he laid eyes on them his jaw dropped to the floor a little faster than his head as he fell into a bow. Both princesses were walking into his wing, usually they just sent a runner, but why would they come in person, and why would they come to his research wing.

"Excuse me, is anyone here?" he heard Celestia call, and he realized that he was bowing behind the desk.

"Oh, I am, I mean, your majesty yes I am, well I," he continued to fumble with his words until the princes cut him off.

"I'm here to find any theoretical books you have on alternate dimensions," she asked in a kind tone.

The two sisters selected their books, set them on one of the study tables and began to look through the pile of tomes. The librarian stood nearby checking to make sure he didn't need to fetch the two princesses anything. He was also constantly reminding them that they could check as many books out as they wanted and take them back to the castle. They ignored most of his comments only requesting that he bring some tea at one point.

I had been in the boutique for most of the day, after explaining the schematics to Rarity. She quickly set to work only stopping to check that she was reading the pattern correctly. As lunchtime came around I asked her if she wanted to go grab anything. She had said she was in the groove but asked if I could pick something up for her, and that's how I found myself in the ‘to go’ line at the Ponyville Cafe. After I picked the order I took my time walking back to Rarity's when I heard a voice from above.

"Hey Steel, how’s it going," asked a cyan pegasus as she landed beside me.

"Not much, Rarity is helping me finish a project."

"That's cool," she said nodding her head and keeping pace with me.

After an uncomfortable silence I asked, "So how's Fluttershy?"

"Not bad, not bad she doing better, it took her a little while but she calmed down and is
mostly back to her old self. "She was silent for a little while and then said, "Steel I know you haven't been here that long, but I need your opinion. Have you noticed everyone acting weird?"

"Yes and no, I don't how you all usually behave, but if I had to guess everyone is acting depressed. Well except for AJ she is doing fine, and you, you don't seem different."

"I feel different, the only reason I don't just curl up and take a nap, are the feelings I have, to help others, and the dreams." The volume of her voice fell as she said the last part, almost to the point where I couldn't hear it.

I slowed and looked at her, "Dreams? Can you describe the dreams," I asked, I could feel the concern on my face. Applejack had been having dreams, she didn't talk about them but I could tell they disturbed her but she never said anything. Big Mac had said it was just her pride showing and he kept trying to rein her in a little before she ended up in over her head.

"The memories don't stay long but they leave a feeling, afterward I feel like nothing I do is worth it. It's all for not, and I just want to sleep, but I can't." She appeared shaken, which was an odd thing for such a confident pony. "I remember two things a huge mountain sized monster and black fire."

I froze mid stride, "black fire," I muttered, "was it a greasy looking flame?"

"You've seen it too," she said, her eyes meeting mine.

"Yes, it's been in my dreams since I woke up here," I looked at the ground as I said this, then looked up, "do you think everyone else is having similar dreams?"

"I don't know, we could ask?"

"Who thought, it would need to be someone who is in general more stable, I don't want to cause Fluttershy to relapse."

"And Twilight would write to the princess before we figure anything out," she said holding a hoof up to her chin in a thinking position.

"Applejack is too prideful to admit having a problem," I added.

"So that leaves Pinkie and Rarity."

"Yeah, why don't you go ask Pinkie and I'll talk to Rarity, and then we can meet up and compare notes?"

Rainbow nodded again and said “I’ll do that,” a weak smile spread across her face as she continued, “ as long as I have something to do, something important I can keep going.” She peeled off from my path walking towards Sugarcube Corner.

I continued back to Rarity’s and stopped at the front door. I tried to calm down and steeled myself, if true this was going to become a problem. I took a deep breath, opened the door and shouted “Food’s here.” I waited but there was no answer, “Rarity,” I called out with no answer. “Hey Rare where are you?” Still no answer, I set the food down on the counter and slowly walked through the boutique. Eventually I heard some a noise coming from upstairs so I walked up slowly; only one room had a light on. The door was cracked slightly and I could see the white unicorn in the room, she was lying on a lounger, brushing her cat’s hair.

“Oh Opal what to do, what to do, if I finish all the work for him he won’t need me anymore. If he goes away I will just be a little backwoods designer that no one cares about. It’s so unfair Applejack, Twilight, Pinkie, even Fluttershy have reached their goals in life. Rainbow Dash is the only one who hasn’t fulfilled her goal and that’s only a matter of time she has the talent.”
My mouth was dry as I backed away from the door and headed down the stairs. Halfway down I turned around and called “Rarity, are you up there?”

“Just a moment dear, I’ll be down in a second.”

I backed my way back down the stairs and waited for her to come down. When she did she was smiling and back to her usual self. “Your foods here,” I said gesturing towards the counter.

“Why thank you Steel,” she said. Nothing in her manner had changed but I was now attempting to read into everything she did. I was seeing measured words, desperation, depression and fear, but I couldn’t tell if I just was expecting those or not.

“So how goes construction of the circlet,” I asked trying to keep my voice normal.

“I’m finished with it,” she held it up as she spoke. She smiled and continued speaking, “Now that we’re done, what are you going to do?”

“Well,” I paused how was I going to go about this, I felt like I might be in a minefield, one wrong move and boom. “Rarity I have been here for a while and I have either been told or figured out what a pony’s special talent is. However I haven’t figured yours out.” I had been told by Spike she was an expert in finding gemstones. I just needed a way to get a conversation started and moving in a direction I could control.

“Well, my talent is working with gemstones, finding them, lapidary, and mounting them,” she said holding one hove to her chest as if to indicate who she was talking about.

“Ah, so you could help me find some Potestatum Gems?”

Her eyes widened and pupils narrowed, but she did not answer for quite some time.
I wished I could read minds so I could view the internal battle, I gave her what she wished for a reason for me to be around her, and something she could help me with. The other side of the argument would be the legality of looking for the gemstones.

“I’ll do it,” she finally said, “I’ll help you look and I know a few places we can search. I also think I can get Spike to help, if my ideas don’t pan out.”

I smiled now that I had given her something to look forward to I needed bring up the dream, but how this is the part I had been dreading. As I thought, I continued to make small talk with Rarity, and wondered how Rainbow was doing with Pinkie.

“Hey Pinkie, what’s up,” Rainbow said as she walked into Sugarcube Corner.

Pinkie looked up from a cake that she was in the middle of devouring, “Oh hi Dash,” she paused then cocked her head to the side “Are you okay?”

“No Pinkie, I’m not. I’ve been having a nightmare that will not go away.”

“That too bad,” replied Pinkie between bites of cake.

Rainbow looked at her friend she had been steadily putting on weight, it had been first noticeable when they had gone out to Fluttershy’s a few weeks earlier. Now she wondered if the necklace of laughter would fit around the pink earth pony’s neck. Rainbow shook her head she wasn’t use to talking about her feelings, her problems. Usually she hid them behind her confidence and it never caused her problems. Only a few times had her emotions overwhelmed her, and she was not going to let it happen now. Taking a deep breath she asked “can I talk to you about it,” she had to admit it was an unusual request for her.

“Yeah, okay let’s hear about this dream,” answered Pinkie spraying crumbs as she spoke.

The cyan pegusus rubbed one front leg across the other as she spoke, “Well the dreams I don’t remember much but they bothered me. I remember a huge monster and black fire.”

Pinkie stopped cramming her face with cake as soon as the monster was mentioned. She cleared her throat and said in a measured tone with more seriousness in her eyes than Rainbow had ever seen, “Who knows the end? What has risen may sink, and what has sunk may rise. Loathsomeness waits and dreams in the deep, and decay spreads over the tottering cities of the land.”

“What?” asked Rainbow Dash with a half smile.

“What?” replied Pinkie Pie.

“Pinkie at least you’re still random,” just being in her friend’s presents was enough to lighten Rainbows mood.

“Do you remember the uglies,” asked the pink earth pony in an absent minded way as she went back to eating.

That one question caused the pegasus’s mood to crash. It brought back more memories from the dreams everyone had been slightly different but no matter what her actions where she always ended up as the last Wonderbolt. The flood of these memories caused her legs to wobble and she collapsed to the floor.

Pinkie her attention focused on the cake said, “Dashie are you alright? Don’t think you’re going to get any sympathy cake from me this is all mine.”

I had finally decided how to bring up the topic of the dreams with Rarity. I was just going to tell the truth. “Hey Rare, I feel I need to ask you a question.”

“Yes,” she replied, she was facing a rack full of clothes, but her eyes moved to look at me and she wore a half smile.

“I have been having some odd dreams since coming here.”

“Yes,” her reply was slightly more frantic, and her eyes opened wider. There was an odd sort of energy behind them.

Her reactions were starting to make me feel very uncomfortable. “Uh, well,” I kicked the floor, “I ran into Rainbow Dash on the way back from getting lunch and we have been having similar dreams.”

“Oh,” her tone had changed, it sounded very disappointed, and she turned so her back was towards me. “What did Rainbow have to say?”

“Well there was one similar thing between our dreams. They both had black flame in them and Rainbow said something about a mountain sized monster.”

She was silent for a little while and then spoke softly, “I have had similar nightmares, and in them the world is ending. You, Twilight and Fluttershy are all dead, I don’t know how. The black flame and the monster are present in all of them. I don’t remember much else.”

“Okay,"I didn't know what to say to that so I continued to tell her the plan, "well Rainbow is checking on Pinky right now and is going to come over once she’s done.”

Celestia groaned in frustration, and let her head sag. She was no longer hopeful to figure out a solution. She closed the mammoth tome she had been reading and looked at her sister.
Luna had her head resting on the table. She was magically holding a book upside down absentmindedly flipping the pages a faint glow on her horn and the book pages.

“Sister I think we have learned all we can for today. I fell it would be best to leave and relax back at the castle.”

Luna smiled and rolled her eyes up to look at her sister, the aura surrounding her horn dissipated and the book fell into her face. She lifted one hoof to lift one side of the book off her face, “I think that would be a good idea sister.”

Celestia laughed and the two alicorns left the spell craft annex. Decimal however was stunned if he thought the rampage of the purple unicorn was a disaster of unparalleled disorganization, this, this, he just did not know.

He stood there unmoving surveying his precious little section of the library. Well over half the books had been removed by the princesses and he knew they had brought several other volumes in from other sections. There was no way he would be able to clean and organize the annex by the time the chief librarian returns. As he stood there a single tear started running down his face.

Rarity and I had spent most the afternoon talking; it was like talking to a bi-polar yo-yo. Sometimes she was almost back to the pony I had met the first week here, and at other times she was almost clinically depressed.

Eventually Rainbow arrived and behind her was a rotund pink blob of cotton candy that had once been an energetic earth pony. The Pegasus gave a half hearted smile as she held the door open for the wheezing Pinkie Pie to enter.

“I am out of shape,” moaned Pinkie and she sat down gasping for air.

“That is understatement,” I said my brows furrowed, “What happened to you?”

Pinkie looked up at me with an expression of either anger or frustration, I couldn’t tell which or maybe both. “I don’t know what happened or why, but I just started to focus on the food part of parties. If food is the point of the party and not the friends why invite them.” Like her face the voice was a whirlwind of emotions I detected sadness, anger, disappointment, regret and several others. I did not hear any of the positive inflections that I usually expected from her.

“I’m sorry Pinkie I was rude,” I said after my brain finally processed enough to truly realize just what I had said. I looked over at Rainbow her eyes were bloodshot and her fur below her eyes was tear matted. “I take it you both recognized things.”

She nodded but stayed quiet.

“Rarity has seen things as well,” I said as I swung my eyes back to the white unicorn. “Do you want to talk about it?”

She took a cautious step forward and said, “In my dreams, Canterlot has been destroyed and Equestria is in ruins. I had no purpose anymore and I couldn’t find Sweetie Belle anywhere.”

She looked at the floor silent for several seconds before continuing, “I remember that we lost Twilight, and Fluttershy, defending the town from the monster. Every dream is different but the major points are the same.” She was shaking. It wasn’t obvious but her whole body shook just slightly. She took one large ragged breath and cried out, “they took her. They keep taking her, my Sweetie Belle, my sister. Those ugly things, I’ve seen her eaten, dropped, ripped apart, I’m sorry Dash the Wonderbolts they tried to save her but it didn’t work.”

Rainbow froze, I didn’t think it was possible for a fur covered creature, pony or not, to have the color drain from their face. When she spoke it was slow and deliberate, “it was six nights ago wasn’t it. You were trapped in here and had given the uglies a beating, but it wasn’t enough. Spitfire and I came in, Soarin’ and the others stayed outside covering the exits. We found the store full of dead uglies and you were losing the fight upstairs. Spitfire saved you and Sweetie Belle but she was thrown out the window.” Rainbow paused just long enough for Rarity to start in.

“You and the Wonderbolts outside fought them off but one grabbed Sweetie, and it, with its claws.” Seemingly unending tears flowed from Rarities eyes and she choked on her words.
“It was like that dog face donkey bucker, did it for fun of it,” Rainbow muttered loudly through clinched teeth.

“This is amazing,” I said with wide eyes. The three mares looked at me with disgust at what I said, “No, no, no, no, you sharing the dream, that is amazing, I wonder if. No never mind, more importantly I wonder why I haven’t had any dreams like that.”

“Well, you’re dead, when all these dreams are taking place. If you’re already dead, why would you remember?” Pinkie smiled as she spoke. At least some of her original self was buried in there.

“Is this the future,” asked Rainbow shaking her head.

“I don’t think it’s possible to predict the future,” I looked a Pinkie Pie as I said this, “well at least not that far away. Didn’t you say they change they’re not all the same so even if it is it’s not set in stone.”

“If it is the future why even try,” you could hear the sound of surrender in Rainbows voice. “There are things that are always the same,” she looked at me her eyes focused with an emotion I could not read. “You, Twilight, and Fluttershy are dead, I become a Wonderbolt and they all die.”

“As does Sweetie Belle,” added Rarity in a barely audible whisper.

“And there are no more parties,” grumbled Pinkie showing the most anger of the three.

“And if it’s not the future why give up for no reason,” I replied slightly sharper than I intended.

“Oh yeah,” snapped Rainbow Dash her eyes flashing with anger. “Who are you to say, according to you, you haven’t had any of these dreams, and they started about the time you showed up. Who’s to say you’re not the cause.”

I shrunk from the approaching cyan storm in front of me. “I, well, I don’t,” I stumbled over my words as I looked for a way to escape. “Guys, or gals, I have nothing to do with this I haven’t had any real,” I paused an idea hit me as I spoke, “dreams.” My gaze shifted away from the angry pegasus and on to Rarity, “Is there magic that can affect dreams?”

The unicorn looked puzzled, “yes, you don’t think someone is doing this on purpose do you, torturing us in our dreams.”

“No I’m thinking, it was done to me. When I was talking to Celestia that first night out of the hospital I told her about my dream. She did something to me, touched my forehead, there was a bright light, and she said something about sleeping easier.”

“You don’t think she,” Rarity started to ask.

I cut her off by saying, “never mind why, can’t you scan me or something and see if you find anything.”

Rarity’s horn glowed and my whole body felt warm. It was like someone was just barely touching me, across my whole body. The glow on her horn disappeared, followed by the warmth, and the chill that replaced the warmth caused me to shiver.

“Why,” muttered Rarity to herself, “Why would she protect you and ignore the rest of us.”
“I don’t know but I want you to remove the protection.”

The unicorn looked up at me and simply asked “why?”

“I can’t do anything as it is but I need to be able to have the dreams if I want to try something.”

Rainbow laughed, “You’re being stupid, why would you give up a peaceful night’s sleep to become like us.”

“If you think I’m scared you’re right I’m terrified. However I feel that I have to. I need to know if the dreams are related to me or if it just a coincidence and something is targeting you guys the elements.” I looked across the three ponies present and as I spoke I could feel the emotional weight on my face. “Just do it I have an idea but I need you to do this first.”

“Very well” Rarity said with a sigh as she closed her eyes to concentrate.

Her horn was shrouded in light as she leaned forward and touched my forehead with it. There was a sudden sharp pain where her horn met my skull followed by a feeling like something just inside my skin was being drawn out. It was like part of me from my furthest appendages to the deep recesses of my mind was being uncovered, like a sheet that was being slowly pulled off of a bed. Soon I could feel pressure building up in my joints and along my back. As the, whatever it was that was being pulled out of me, passed them the joints popped. A wave of dizziness preceded and followed its passing as it was pulled up my neck and eventually out of my body. I staggered back collapsing due to a lack of coordination, and muscles that refused to listen. The world was swimming as I lifted my head off the floor and opened my eyes. Before my sense of balance told me it was a bad idea I saw Rarity staggering back eyes still pinched shut.

“Oh, I need to sit down,” I could hear the unicorn say as she staggered around, “I need to sit down.”

I dared not lift my head for fear of my body rebelling, I felt like I had just had my spine ripped out through my nose. “Are you alright,” I struggled to ask.

“Yes, I will be, I just used too much magic to fast.”

I remembered Twilight talking about this sort of thing she called it a back blast. From what I had been told it was like an ice cream headache, it happens when too much magic was flowing and then suddenly got cut off. Twilight had said there were two ways to deal with it. The most dangerous and most frequent way was also the most natural and that solution was to suffer through it. In the usual cases it was no big deal because most unicorns didn’t use large quantities of magic. The safest method was to cast a second spell and slowly ease off, but most unicorns are too occupied with the sudden extreme headache to think that much through.
It took quite some time for both Rarity and I to recover but we did and the four of us gathered around the kitchen table to continue our discussion.

“So what was your plan,” asked Rainbow with a yawn, I could see that even with her sense of loyalty as her drive she was succumbing to her unnatural need to sleep.

“I was thinking that if when we dream, ours, well at least your dreams might be linked. If we can remember that we are in a dream and look for the others. Once we find them we can then investigate the dream world. If it’s true we will be linked and we can confirm it when we wake up. If that’s true I think that would be when we contact the princess.” My idea sounded stupid once I said it out loud but it was an idea nonetheless.

“I like it,” said Pinkie in an exuberant tone, “meeting up in a dream would be cool, and maybe I could show you some really cool party ideas in mine.”

Rarity and Rainbow just shook their heads. Eventually Rainbow said “It’s worth a try,” and Rarity muttered an agreement.

“Alright then, I guess were set then, unless anyone has a better idea.” I looked at the other ponies “No? Nut’s I was hoping, well anyway try to just meet us in the dream. I doubt anyone else will believe we are testing this idea and heck we might not believe it either once the dream starts.”

It was early afternoon and we all agreed that if possible we should test the idea as soon as we could. Rarity made her extra rooms available to us. Once we divided up and she and I were alone she offered sharing her bed which I awkwardly and graciously declined. I found the bed I was to use in one of the back rooms and lay down to sleep.

As soon as Pinkie woke into the dream she knew something was different. Ponyville still stood and the population was calm and relaxed, in fact there seemed to be more ponies in town than normal. Pinkie closed her eyes tight it sure felt like the vision dreams, and it was definitely not strange or random enough to be her usually uninfluenced dreams. She knew she needed to find Rainbow, or Rarity, or someone, she couldn’t remember. The dream was starting to supplant her memories with the ones for the dream and that meant she had to hurry.

She bolted out from Sugarcube Corner towards Rarity’s boutique. Once outside she had to pause Ponyville was no longer the town she remembered. It was now a city with huge towers. Posters with images made of only three colors hung on walls with slogans like ‘We Gotta Do what We Gotta Do,’ and ‘Survive Today for a Better Tomorrow.’ Most had all three pony types working together, however a few disturbed her greatly. Those few featured a harsh looking Steel, his eyes looking downward upon the street. They wore slogans that struck Pinkie as oppressive, ‘Survival requires Order,’ and ‘Survival is Key,” where among the most frequently found. The one that bothered her the most had nine faces on it in a three by three square, her face as well as her friends were on the bottom two rows. The top row had Steel in the center and the two princesses on either side, everypony’s eyes were looking forward except Steels his eyes were watching.

Pinkie swallowed, a shiver shook her body, it reminded her of a Pinkie sense twitch, and her heart sank. Ever since these dreams had started there hadn’t been any twitchy. She sighed loudly. She wanted some cake, cake made her feel better. No, no, no, she thought, I need to find Rarity. She glanced around trying to find her bearing, and then she bolted towards where she thought she would find the boutique.

Eventually Pinkie found the Carousel Boutique and Spa, it was a larger building than she remembered. It was larger than any building in waking Ponyville, but here it was on the small side of average. A glowing red and blue sign in a window by the door that read ‘Open.’

She eased the door open and found the floor covered in clothing racks, with small isles between them. On closer inspection the cloths were divided between summer and winter styles. In the center of the building was a large glass tube with a spiral staircase coiled around it leading to the second floor. In between the door and the stairs was a glass counter housing several perfume bottles, makeup, and jewelry.

Behind the counter was a young unicorn in a long white coat, almost a lab coat. She wasn’t looking at Pinkie, but looking back through the store as if waiting for someone.

“Look darling, Mommy doesn’t care what you think. I built this place, on my own, I did the favors, and I earned the contacts. So when I say that is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard, I mean it.”

Pinkie could easily make out Rarity’s voice from the jungle of cloths, the other voice she didn’t recognize. However it was obvious the other voice was male.

“But Lady Rarity it was only a suggestion.”

“You foolish little idiot, the only reason you hadn’t been cast out into the wilds is your ability to charge those stones.” Rarity was speaking to the other voices owner like she spoke to Opal, “Now be a good little lackey and be silent!” She emphasized the last word.

Rarity walked into view, she looked older like a mare who had hit her prime five years ago. Her skin no longer fit her body quite right and her mane was lightly streaked with gray, giving her a beautiful but refined look.

“Big Sis,” said the unicorn behind the counter.

Pinkie’s jaw dropped when she realized who the young unicorn was.

“Sweetie Belle how goes sales. Do you need somepony to restock for you?” Rarity turned her head and gestured for her follower to step forward.

Pinkie’s jaw continued to drop. Rarity’s right eye was a foggy blue and had four scars that crossed the eye from brow to cheek.

The unicorn Rarity had been talking to staggered into view, this time Pinkie was sure her jaw had broken with how far it fell. It was Blueblood, his eyes were on the floor, his mane cut short, and he still wore a version of his trademark vest. There was something wrong with him, and finally Pinkie realized what it was, he was broken, body, mind, and soul.

“I don’t need any help right now, today hasn’t been busy, but he could start with inventory,” said Sweetie Belle answering her sister’s question.

“You heard her, get on it,” Rarity commanded as if talking to a stray dog. She then looked up at her sister, “I don’t know where to go, and everything I come up with is just a rehash of last year’s fashion. I need something new.”

Pinkie began to move and her movement caught Rarity’s eye. The unicorn looked up at her pink friend and her eyes widened. “Idea,” she sang as a sharp smile spread over her face.
Pinkie had never felt as nervous as she felt now facing that smile, she wanted to run but the best she could do was hide her feelings with a weak smile of her own.

Rarity grumbled to herself, for twenty years she had been on top of the fashion world. If she hadn’t been so eager to help Steel she wouldn’t have gotten here. She knew she had been used, but only a fool is used without any benefit. Yes she had been one of his mistresses but unlike most she used him to build her empire just as much as she was used for his desires.

She still held some favor in his court seeing as she and Sweetie Belle didn’t have a Potestatum ring on their horn. Unlike the useless creature in front of her, Blueblood she snarled at the thought of his name. She had long ago forgiven him for the gala fiasco. However his behavior since the quarantine had been enacted was inexcusable. In this time of rationing he should have known that demanding his former luxuries would be hazardous at best. No, he decided to challenge Steel for power and this was the result. He was broken, but he was lucky most would have been exiled for his transgressions, or publicly tortured. He could fill six or eight Potestatum gems a day, when combined with the other unicorns that ensured the defense screens stayed active. She sighed and thought, luxury items. If it wasn’t that her work was deemed good for moral she and her sister would have been given two choices join the defense forces, or wear a ring.

Blueblood was groveling in front of her begging for forgiveness, he had known she was searching for new ideas and had thrown her an idea. This was something she had been told to stop as soon as he showed imitative it was a problem. Initiative meant he was thinking for himself and had recovered some self confidence. It was her job to squash this in him for his own good if he returned to his former self he would be exiled and that was a death sentence the world outside of the barrier took care of that.

“Look darling, Mommy doesn’t care what you think,” she winced a little as she spoke, Mommy, really you need to be careful how often you use that term, she thought as she continued to speak. “I built this place, on my own, I did the favors, and I earned the contacts. So when I say that is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard, I mean it.” She used a harsh tone that she hadn’t used since Sweetie Belle was a little filly.

“But Lady Rarity it was only a suggestion,” he said fear filling his eyes as he stared at her.

“You foolish little idiot,” she almost laughed it felt good to see the idiot cower. “The only reason you hadn’t been cast out into the wilds is your ability to charge those stones. Now be a good little lackey and be silent,” She emphasized the last word and finished with a growl.
Blueblood dropped to the floor covering his eyes with his front hooves, his whole body a quivering, shaking mass.

Rarity sighed and tossed her head throwing her mane to the side. She needed to find some boring tedious work for him to do, so she walked up front to check on her sister.
Once Rarity walked into line of sight for Sweetie Belle, the younger sister smiled and said, “Big sis.”

Rarity returned the smile and said “Sweetie Belle how goes sales. Do you need somepony to restock for you?” The aged unicorn gave Blueblood an angry stare as she spoke.
The younger thought for a moment and said “I don’t need any help right now, today hasn’t been busy, but he could start with inventory.”

“You heard her, get on it,” Rarity barked the order at the submissive stallion. After he walked off she looked at her younger sister, worry was on her face as she spoke, “I don’t know where to go, and everything I come up with is just a rehash of last year’s fashion. I need something new.”

Sweetie Belle sighed and began to formulate one of her usual encouragement phrases but was cut off by Rarity singing, “Idea” in a way Sweetie hadn’t heard since she was a filly. She followed her sister’s gaze and barely recognized Pinkamena. The double blast of nostalgia tugged at Sweetie Belle’s heart, the pink pony looked like a chubby Pinkie Pie, rather than the constantly depressing Pinkamena.

“Diane, it’s good to see you, how is work at the Bureau?” asked Rarity as she cautiously approached her old friend.

Bureau, Pinkie had to search the dream memories. She was the Director of Information at the Bureau of Cooperation. It was an innocent name that hid its purpose. Her job was to find ponies that were being subversive, stop them and find out who they were associated with. Once the door was opened images flooded into her mind. Images of torture and mutilation, the images were disturbing and made only worse by the fact that she was the one causing pain in all of them. Pinkie felt like she was going to be sick but held the feeling off and said, “No today I’m here on a social call.”

Rarity’s face didn’t change it was like she didn’t care about Pinkies answer, she just stared at the pink pony. Eventually she asked, “What did you do to your mane,” she shook her head and continued, “The retro look is out this year.”

“It’s always like this,” the pink pony answered lifting her pink mane with a hoof as if testing its weight.

“Dear me, the work you have to do to flatten that mess out,” the unicorn said with a smile.

“Now just follow Mommy and I’ll fix you up,” she gestured for pinkie to follow.”

Pinkie raised an eyebrow and said, “Mommy,” in a questioning tone.

“Yes, Mommy, since I am long past any chance I had for my own children I have adopted everyone as my child,” she looked over her shoulder with a smile. She then looked at her sister, “Sweetie Belle you really should wear a shorter coat, it hides your cutie mark.”

“But Rare it’s,” the young unicorn scrunched her face up as she spoke, “so ugly.”

Rarity continued to walk past her sister and said, “If you ever want a foal you’re going to need to find yourself a good stallion, and it wouldn’t hurt to show off the goods.

Sweetie Belle gasped as she said her sister’s name with contempt.

Rarity just smile and said, “I think it’s wonderful that you still have your innocence in this world,” as she stepped into the glass tube. “Come on Diane let’s go.”

Pinkie continued to wear her nervous smile as she entered the tube. Rarity closed her eyes and her horn began to glow. The floor in the tube was enveloped in an energy field that matched the glow on her friend's horn, and then slowly it began to rise. It rose past the second floor, and up into the third, fourth, and finally it came to a stop on the fifth. The tube opened up into a large empty dark room. Rarity shifted and Pinkie heard the platform lock in place. The unicorn relaxed and let the magical glow fade as she stepped into the darkness. Squinting her eyes, Pinkie looked around trying to make out the details of the room. The lights clicked on and Pinkie realized the room’s layout was the same as the old boutique.

Rarity was standing off to the side, she had drug a lounger over and was looking back at her guest. “Welcome to my private sanctum,” she said with a warm easy smile. “Would you like some tea?”

Pinkie smiled and nodded.

The unicorn’s horn began to glow and a table, along with a tea set was drug over. “Now what is this personal matter?” Her eyes brightened and she asked, “Do you have another toy for me to play with,” with a toothy grin.

Pinkie thought for a moment, the dream memories came back and she saw both her and Rarity having a torture party. The unicorn was having fun, laughing as she gave pain with generous lashings. Pinkie’s heart fell, her hair almost followed suit. The only reason she hadn’t collapsed into tears was she knew this was a dream. “Not this time, I feel lost and I need to talk.”
“Oh darling, Mommy’s here for you,” Rarity smiled the warm friendly smile was back. She had climbed into the lounger and was sipping her tea waiting for her friend to continue.

“I have been having a feeling like this is all a bad dream.”

The unicorn gave a slight laugh and said, “This isn’t just a bad dream, it’s a nightmare.”
"I think it’s a real dream, Rainbow Dash, Steel and I all went to the boutique, and you fixed Steel so he could dream again. We all decided to meet up in the dreams to investigate what happened to cause this and to try to stop it.”

Rarity wore a look of concern, “Diane I wouldn’t say that too loudly and not in public. A pony in your position should know better than to even bring it up.”

“It doesn’t matter, this is all a dream,” Pinkie stamped her foot for emphasis. “I remember enough to know this is nothing like the dreams before you let Steel dream. For one thing Steel is still alive, so is Twilight and Fluttershy.”

“Pinkamena, Please,” Rarity began to beg.

“No,” Pinkie interrupted, “my name is Pinkie Pie now, I don’t go by Pinkamena, or Diane. You can call me Pinkie, or Pinkie Pie. Now,” she said with a snarl, “Get on your hooves and look in that mirror.”

Rarity slowly put the cup to the side and climbed off the lounger, this was a side of Pinkamena she didn't want to cross. The things the pink devil of the bureau did to ponies. They were enough to make some admit wrong doings just to avoid the torture.

“Hurry up and look in the mirror,” Pinkie grumbled as she shoved the unicorn closer to the mirror. "Take that contact out and look at yourself.”

Rarity pulled the blue lens off her eye and looked at herself in the mirror. She saw herself, her old self, young and pure, for just an instant. Then it became her now, her injured eye a ragged mess, hazy scar tissue distorted her vision. The contact was enchanted to fix that.
Pinkie placed one hoof on either side of Rarity’s head forcing her to stare into her reflection. She began to talk in a calm but commanding tone, “Remember, before we went to sleep, you told Rainbow Dash that in every dream you had up to that point Sweetie Belle died. Remember, can you see any memories since this nightmare started that aren’t major ones, where are the day to day ones, the boring memories.” Finally she let go and as she backed away she whispered “remember,” into the unicorn’s ear.

It was like a flash bulb went off in front of Rarity’s eyes. She stumbled back, there where two forces battling in her mind, part of her was afraid to look, the other to curious to look away. The curious side won out and she glanced up. As soon as her eyes crossed her reflection there was another flash, memories and knowledge flooded her mind. She had woken into the dream. She knew it for what it was. She looked up into the mirror, the knowledge of her dream self still present. Her stomach churned in disgust at what she had done. She felt like she was going to be sick, she was going to be sick.

Pinkie turned away as Rarity emptied her stomach. Now to find Rainbow, she thought. She searched her dream memories Rainbow worked as the Wonderbolt commander. The Wonderbolts however were no longer an acrobatic and scout team, they were the enforcement arm of the Bureau of Cooperation. Pinkie turned back towards the ill unicorn to find her wiping the sick from her lips with a fetlock. Rarity gaze was still transfixed on her reflection tears were welling up in her one good eye. “Rarity, are you going to be okay?”

“Okay, okay,” she cried, “I don’t think I’ll ever be okay again. The things I did the things I did for him.” A wealth of emotion bubbled up onto her face as she said, “For ten years he treated me like a slave,” she spat the last word, like the concept left a bad taste in her mouth.
“Once we wake up I’ll throw you a thank Celestia it was a dream party. Right now we need to wake Rainbow before we try Steel.”

Rarity looked at her pink friend and asked, “How are you, still you?”

“It’s a dream,” Pinkie sang, “dreams can’t hurt you, they can teach you, they can be fun, and my dreams are usually stranger.” Pinkie hopped as she spoke, looking at her friends incredulous face. “Oh, cramp,” said Pinkie halfway through a hop, when she came down she crashed to the floor.

Rarity smiled slightly at her friends antics. It reassured her that in the end she could recover from this. “So we need to find Rainbow now right, where is she?”

“She’s going to be at the Bureau building she has an office there.”

All Dreams End

Out of My Element

Chapter 6: All Dreams End

The two friends found themselves walking through the downtown of the dream metropolis of Ponyville. The day was ending and the streets were mostly empty.

Rarity had replaced her contact and was doing her best to behave like the fashion diva she was. It struck her as odd that the streets where as empty as they were, and the few ponies that were still present where vacating the area rather quickly. Rarity already hated the idea of dream memories and trying to use them bothered her because she couldn’t control which memories not to get. However there was something she knew was important but couldn’t remember and she didn’t trust herself to search her memories for it. After all Pinkie was much better at this than she was.

“Citizens,” there was a shout from above, a tan pegasus with a brown mane in a Wonderbolt uniform hovered above them. “What are you doing in this section past curfew, do you have your papers?”

Pinkie looked up and in a harsh, jaded, commanding tone shouted, “Sergeant Cake, What in Celestia’s name do you think you’re doing.”

“Aunt, no sorry, Director Pie, it is a pleasure to see you.” The pegusus landed in front of them, I’m sorry ma'am I didn’t recognize you, with your hair.” The flustered pegusus decided that it would be best if he just stopped talking. He nervously stood at attention looking forward, but tracking the director with his peripheral vision.

Pinkie paced in front of the terrified sergeant doing her best to emulate the iron flanked Director of Intelligence from her memories. Eventually she decided on what direction to take with her ruse. “Sergeant,” she snapped.

“Yes ma’am.”

“You have any idea how hard it is to create a cover identity in this town?”

“No ma’am.”

“Do you know what the punishment for blowing a cover identity is?”

The pegasus gritted his teeth, and in a slightly weaker voice said, “Yes ma’am.”

“However,” Pinkie paused to look at him with the cruelest smile she could muster, “Seeing how well you have done at your duty and my knowledge of your family, I will see to my own punishment.”

The pegasus gulped loudly but stayed silent, it was well known in the force that Director Pie was his babysitter well before the sundering.

“I will recommend a promotion for your hard work, as well as a honor medal for your diligence.”

He didn’t know what to think but this was not expected. Why this would be punishment he had no idea, he thought for a moment and realized with these honors that he would have to work even harder. “That’s fine ma’am, I don’t need any handouts I was just doing my job.”

“No sir, I can’t let such an outstanding member of the force go without acknowledgment,” Pinkie said trying to slather as much sarcasm on the comment as she could. Switching her tone to a more flippant one she said, “Anyway we are on our way to see Commander Dash right now.”

“Of course ma’am, do you and,” he let his eyes roll on to the unicorn, “Lady Rarity need an escort?”

“No, we don’t you’re dismissed,” Pinkie grumbled.

He gave her a salute and once she returned it he took flight, quickly trying to disappear.

“Oh, and Sergeant Cake,” Pinkie spoke up she was looking away from the direction the pegasus had flown off in.

He slowed down and looked over his shoulder.

“Be safe Pound, and say hi to your sister.”

His jaw dropped, she hadn’t spoken to him like that in three years ever since he had joined the Bureau. He was still in shock looking over his shoulder at the departing mares when he crashed into the building on the corner. After pulling himself up from the crash he could no longer spot the two mares, he shrugged his shoulders and when back about his business.

Eventually the two made it to the Bureau building and once inside it was easy to find Rainbows office. The maps and signs seemed to beat you over the head with the information, to the point where only the blind or illiterate would be unable to locate it. It was on an upper floor in a back corner of the building, the office door was guarded by an empty secretary’s desk.

The door was closed so Pinkie knocked, there was no reply so she tested the latch. The door swung open, inside was a large collection of old Wonderbolt memorabilia. Rainbow was lying on a thin layer of cloud floating just behind her desk. She rolled over muttering in her sleep, “Thank you for the cupcake Pinkie.”

Pinkie walked over to her sleeping friend and tapped her shoulder saying, “Rainbow, wake up.”

Rainbow began to kick and squirm. She was mumbling again, “what, where am I,” her mumbles turned to shouts with, “No, no, I’ll do whatever you want. Just please let me go.”
Pinkie placed her hooves on her friend’s shoulders and began to shake her, “Come on R.D. wake up.”

Rainbow’s eyes widened and she began screaming. Pinkie began counter screaming and Rarity stepped in and separated the two. After Pinkie was pulled off of her Dash calmed down and caught her breath. “It’s about time you two showed up.” She said with a weak smile.

“Wait you know this is a dream,” asked Pinkie.

“Yeah,” replied Dash rolling out of her bed with a yawn. It was now that Pinkie and Rarity noticed that her once bright cyan coat was now a faded blue gray. Her mane and tail however was still the bright rainbow pattern it had always been. “I knew you would get around to me but how many times do you get to sleep in a dream.”

“How do you keep your mane so bright,” asked Rarity.

“Who cares it’s a dream, let’s go find Steel,” was Rainbows reply.

Rarity and Pinkie gave each other a look that conveyed concern. Eventually Rarity stepped forward and said, “Rainbow you’re acting strange even for this place.”

“Yes, I hate it here. The area inside the shield is too small and crowded. I would rather sleep than go out there, even having the nightmares sleeping is better. But since you’re here we can get this over with.”

“So where is Steel,” asked Rarity.

“In there,” replied Pinkie and Rainbow simultaneously the two gestured out the window towards a large indomitable building. It was a five story ziggurat that appeared to be carved from a single block of stone. The building was surrounded by a large wall and gate. The one structure other than the fortress that could be seen inside the gate was Twilight's library. On top of the building was a tower topped by a crystal array. Out of the array a beam of shifting multicolored light shot skyward. The dream memories told them that this was the first link in the shield network.

“Well,” Pinkie paused to wet her lips, “how are we going to get in. Even Rainbow and I can’t just stroll in there without an appointment.”

Rarity made a disgusted noise and said, “I can get us in, the idiot is easier to manipulate than the diamond dogs.”

Soon the three were standing in front of the stone structure. It still had the appearance of being crafted from a single stone. After several minutes a guard approached and asked who they were and what was there business here.

Rarity answered, “Tell Steel that Mistress Rarity and two guests are here for a private audience.” She fluttered her eyes and ended with a seductive smile.

I smiled to myself as I watched a blue unicorn prance around and try to be entertaining. I had already made my decision, but two voices in my mind argued her fate.

One voice, the voice of who I once was I called him Smith, said, she had an off day give her a break.

Another voice, I called this one Walker said, Yes give her a chance, but make her work for it. She could be your new mistress; you've only had one unicorn since Rarity.

I smiled at this thought and a little drool escaped my torn and scarred cheek. I quickly raised a hoof and wiped my face with a fetlock. I clapped my mechanical hands together to call for silence. The hands where the best modification to the suit I had made, they were attached to the harness and mounted just forward of my shoulders.

I gestured to tan mare with a silver mane leaning against me, the former Mayor if I remember correctly. She was an interesting one in the beginning; anyway she shifted her weight so I could stand up. When I stood up the sea foam green unicorn that had been lying at my feet scrambled out of my way. I reached out with a hand and lightly stroked her face. “Stay calm, my dear,” I said as I walked away. She had been the easiest to manipulate. I looked back at the other three, one an earth pony and former musician lay beside my throne. She had been the most fun to corrupt, her pride had been a wall but eventually it had broken when the right person had been threatened. The googly eyed pegasus started this to protect her sister from the potestatum rings, but she had soon lost that concern. Finally the orange Pegasus with a purple mane, the youngest by far, but they all appeared similar aged. The reason for this was a combination of my temporal wake and a little extra magic on my part.

I waved for the five to stay put, the pegasi had already moved forward to continue fanning, but they returned to their positions. I smiled a little. I hated to truly smile now my torn cheek would rise to display my broken and jagged teeth. I turned, still with a slight smile, to look at the blue unicorn. My ocular implant that replaces the eye I lost to the same beast that destroyed the rest of my face could see the illusion magic she used to keep her appearance young. “Trixie, the once great and powerful,” I sneered as I spoke. The easiest way to gain power is through fear but once they fear you, show a little kindness. “Your act bores me, remember you only remain free of the rings because your magic is deemed a morale boost.”

The blue unicorn hid most of her discomfort, as she looked me back in the eyes.
“You have two choices, I can give you some time to prepare and you give me a private audience or you will leave this building with a ring.”

She looked back at me, it was obvious she didn’t like either choice and her mind was racing to find a third option. I challenged myself to try to read her moves, first a sideways glance left then right to check the guards. No that wouldn’t work, I thought as I smiled to myself. She then looked at the ground probably wondering which choice would be better, she glance up at me then quickly back at the ground.

“Sir,” I heard a whisper from my right side.

My anger flared as I wheeled on the interrupter, it was a young earth pony foal. “What have I told you about,” I caught myself as I saw the pony collapse in fear. I closed my eye and forced my anger away. “I’m sorry, what is it?”

“There is a unicorn, a Mistress Rarity here with two guests seeking a private audience.”

A true smile spread across my face, “thank you, now please go show them in.” As the messenger left I said, “General, please take our guest to a cell let her make up her mind there.”

“Yes sir,” said an orange mare in a ratty cowboy hat and an eye patch. Applejack smiled a wicked smile and stepped towards Trixie, “Come on you ornery critter.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Yelled Trixie as Applejack and two guards dragged her away. As she came in contact with the guards potestatum infused armor, her illusion magic was drained away.

I watched Applejack leave, she was one of the few in my inner circle that refused me, and it was because her pride wouldn’t allow it. Myself, I found her a fun game. It was a challenge that walked in front of me. Her pride was well earned however as she was my second and the most successful business pony in what remained of Equestria.

After the orange pony left I turned back towards the throne and my harem. I nodded slightly towards the door and gestured with a mechanical hand for them to leave. They did, slowly leaving through doors that lead to my private chambers. I sat back down and looked over the room, a confident smile on my face. Soon Rarity walked in, she had aged well. She still had the grace and confidence of royalty.

“Ah, Steel hello,” she said as she walked in. Once she was in she scanned the room, when she saw it was empty she shifted her stride to a sultry swagger. It took an effort but I pried my eyes off her and looked at the two ponies that followed her Pinkamena, and Dash. I grumbled and shifted my eyes back to the approaching candy, Rarity.

Come on man, you’re a man, a human this is wrong on so many levels and they’re your friends, my old self objected.

Quit being such a pansy, we have already crossed that line with almost every one of them, responded Walker.

I’m going to side with Walker on this, sorry Smith, I thought into my internal conversation.
I could read the thoughts of my inner self’s, Smith, my old self was angry. However he had found some hope to cling to he could tell something was off and Pinkamena was the key. He kept referring to her as Pinkie though.

The three ponies bowed in front of me and then Rarity stood and approached. “I have important news Steel these two,” she ended up beside me facing her friends, “are traitors. They tried to convince me this was a dream and to turn on you.”

“You backstabbing coward,” yelled Rainbow as she was pinned beneath Pinkie.

Pinkie was yelling back at Rainbow, “we need to run Dash, now!”

I snarled as I focused my mind on a spell and then focused that spell on the two ponies in front of me. These two were symbols of freedom so they couldn’t be killed; they needed to be converted and re-educated. I began to unleash a spell, but my implant read a memory spell headed towards me. I rolled away from the spell dogging it, I then redirected my spell at my attacker, Rarity. The blast flung her across the wall. I should have seen that attack.

Ha, ha, they’re going to wipe the floor with you, laughed Smith.

Just think of the punishments, added Walker anticipation seeping out from his thoughts.
Right now I don’t care I need to show them my power, I added.

I felt the crown shift to the next crystal as I yelled, “Sergeant at Arms, Guard Commander!”

There was a pop followed by the appearance of a purple unicorn and a yellow pegasus with a short pink mane and tail.

The three rebels froze and looked at the new comers. Pinkie only had time to say “Hi guys,” before she was tackled by Fluttershy. By the time Rarity was back on her feet Twilight had already engaged her forcing her onto the defensive. That left Rainbow for me; I took a step towards the aged cyan Pegasus. I felt like a predator stalking it’s prey.

Rainbow took a step back and then jumped into the air. She flew around the throne room weaving around and behind the columns. I fired bursts of telekinetic energy at her which she dodged easily. Soon the crown signaled that it was on the last power stone, it was time to end this. I pinched my eye shut and dumped all of the last crystals power into one spell. The room flashed when I released the spell, every pony froze, I had cast a paralysis spell that blanketed everyone in the room, Fluttershy was safe due to her armor. Using her mobility she body checked Rainbow before she crashed to the floor sending her into a rolling tumble. Twilight however was not as lucky a potestatum armor set would not work for her as it would drain her of any magic she could use, so she felt the full effect of my spell. I stepped forward and canceled my spell on my Guard Commander about the time that my General returned.

“What Celestia's green earth do you think ya’ll are doing’,” she asked as she walked in on the brawl.

“These ponies are traitors, we need binding gear,” Twilight grumbled using her magic to levitate Dash and to set her broken wing.

Soon all three were in shackles, Rainbow’s wings were splinted to her side and Rarity had one of the most powerful potestatum rings placed on her horn.

I returned to my throne and smiled, “now my former friends it’s time you were re-educated in why I am needed. Fluttershy, use that wonderful ability of yours and remind them what’s important.” Fluttershy was the one pony I needed to keep control of and since most animals were trapped outside the shield she had fallen into a deep depression, with bouts of rage. The yellow pegasus stepped in front of her friends and I added, “Oh and convince Pinkie that she needs to go on a diet.”

Almost as soon as Fluttershy began the stare a bright light filled the room and a voice said, “Halt everypony, wake up to the dream.”

Celestia had watched the dreams of the seven ponies intermingle, her attention had been on Steel ever since she felt the ward she had placed on him break. She had been busy observing him but not so busy to be unaware of the other ponies entering his dreamscape. This was the first time she had witnessed this many non magical ponies wandering another’s dream, if it had been just the six, she would have blamed the Elements. They probably still had something to do with this but why was Steel involved.

"I told you why", her imagination had Discord answer that question, she remembered her conversations with the draconequus, but she was beginning to think he was right. She hated it but there it was. In Steels dream she had watched a corrupted version of Twilight and her friends serve an equally corrupted Steel. She had been content to sit and observe until she noticed that three of the elements were awake, she pitied them. Once you wake into a dream of this nature you remember everything, you know it’s a dream but the memories of the dream world are available to your active mind.

Celestia watched in silence as a small fight ensued but as soon as it was over and Steel ordered Fluttershy to use the stare she knew something had to be done. Since the stare was mostly a mental ability and since this was the true Fluttershy about to use it on the conscious mind of her friends, there was a large potential for problems.

She broke into the dream world with a blinding light, she regretted what she was about to do but it was her fault she had been careless. “Halt everypony, wake up to the dream,” she announced before the light had faded.

All of the elements stepped back, the three paralyzed and shackled were free. The other three still dreaming ponies woke into the dream, thanks to Celestia’s words. Immediately Fluttershy began to cry as she stroked her short cropped mane. Applejack was a little paler than usual but other than that she didn’t change much outwardly. Twilight on the other hand just sat down and stared blankly at her friends.

Steel however stayed in his dreaming state, after all this was his dream. He was the host and his mind was trying to work Celestia’s sudden appearance into its story. He staggered back yelling, “No, you’re supposed to be locked up. How did you escaped?”

I stepped backwards from the radiant sun goddess; somehow she had escaped the pod that transferred her divine power into the city’s shields. I needed to run, after the last fight I was out of power and stood no chance against her. Even with my full power I had to use everything at my disposal to come close to being a threat to her, but now I was an earth pony with a magic suit of armor.

Come on man, stand and take your punishment, said Smith as he laughed in my mind.
Just think what it would be like to take a goddess, added Walker.

I ignored the two babbling in my head and looked up at the princess. My only chance was to out think her. “Celestia,” I cried out to her, panic was creeping into my voice. “Think of the world, the ponies that will die without you powering the shields.”

My implant was on the fritz, whenever I looked at her seven different errors would appear in my vision, along with a readout coated with what appeared to be random numbers. How did she escape I couldn’t figure anything out, I had too many questions and nothing made sense. She was standing before me in all her godly glory, magical energy radiating out in waves eroding any chance I had at escape. I looked around, the pod should have drained her of most of her power, but somehow she had enough to cleanse twenty years of manipulation and brainwashing. I didn’t understand it and seeing as I was most likely going to die, be turned to stone, or banished to a celestial object in my near future I might as well ask. “How,” I growled through gritted teeth, just being in her presence was taking a toll on my body. “The pod should have drained you, but somehow you have more power than when you went in.”

“Do not compare me to your feeble mental construct. For I am the true Celestia, and I have come to wake you from this dream.”

The force of her voice struck like a hurricane wind, I hunkered down trying not to give ground but it was inevitable. Once the last word past her lips she gave one flap of her wings as if to counter the burst of magical energy that she sent forth. There was nowhere to run and even if there had been she hadn’t given me any time to do so. The blast struck and I was sent tumbling backwards. As I fell cartwheeling across the floor in a jumbled mess I saw the building crack. The solid stone fortress was falling apart, the shield was failing and the person I once was, was gaining power.

I stood up to see everything I built collapse and crash to the ground, I was fading. I wasn’t in control anymore he was in control, Smith, he liked being called Steel but I was the true Steel.
It’s an odd feeling to wake up into one of your own dreams but I did it with the help of Celestia. I remembered what I had done in the dream, and the conversations I had before sleeping. I realized quickly that I had done those things it was a part of me, and that I could see this happening again. I glanced over everyone but couldn’t bring myself to look them in the eyes. Eyes, my implant was gone, as was the harness and suit. I was back to myself physically. Every time I caught a glimpse of one of my friends I would start to remember what I had done to them. The memories brought forth a feeling of fear that I had never known before and I knew part of it was because of how easily I could become a monster.

When I finally built up enough nerve to look past everyone at the collapsing city, I saw that it was falling into a concave valley. In the center a large onyx vine twisted and grew skyward taller than any building I had ever seen before. The houses all collapse and where replaced by onyx thorns curving point towards the tower peak now in the clouds beyond sight. Lighting danced among the evenly spaced thorns cracking through the air leaving faint traces of ozone.
Hovering just off the cliff that the eight of us stood on was a writhing ball of black cords. On closer inspection it looked more like it was made of snakes, a ten foot diameter ball of writhing black snakes hovering in a few feet off the cliff. It had several tendrils with four part beaks where each jaw was more like a wicked claw than the smooth bone of a bird beak. I didn’t know what this was but I knew it was bad, and we needed to wake up now, truly wake up.

As this realization dawned on me Celestia had already begun to act, tethers of magical energy reached out from her horn to each of us. I felt the Alicorn take off flying and soon I was drug along like a dog on a short leash. The world around me blurred and shifted like a submerged watercolor painting, and soon we were in the Canterlot gardens surrounded by statues. I felt disoriented and barely heard her say, “We are safe now, and we are in one of my dreams.”

I looked around at my surroundings for a second time it looked like the garden at the castle but it was too perfect.

“So,” began Celestia, who broke Steel’s ward?”

Rarity stepped forward and was able to say, “I did,” before I interrupted.

“She did, but I asked, no demanded it of her. She wasn’t in her right mind and for some reason would do whatever I asked her to.” After what I had done in my dreams I couldn’t allow anyone to take the hit for my transgressions, no matter how small. My gaze met Rarity’s as I spoke and once we realized we had made eye contact with each other we both tore our focus away.

Celestia smiled and said, “I am not looking for fault or blame, but for somepony with fine magic control. It’s a good thing that it was you Rarity, it makes explanations easier and I will need both yours and Twilight’s help.”

Both unicorns made confused noises and looked up at the princess.

“Wait, what is going on, we were trying to figure out these dreams and now this, can somepony tell me what the hey is going on,” demanded Rainbow Dash as she was sitting on her haunches with crossed forelegs.

“For some reason you all have a mental link, I can explain the six of you gaining the ability through the Elements. However Steel,” the princess looked at me when she spoke my name, “I can’t explain.”

A realization hit, and I spoke the idea as it formed in my mind. “I did it, when I walked through the door. It’s my fault, mine and Jacks, we walked through the door and we left it open.”
"What door?" asked Dash.

"Dash haven't you been paying attention, the one into our dimension," sang a slightly smaller Pinkie.

“So we close it,” said Applejack.

“How? We can’t find it," I said as I shook my head, "and anyway Jack was the smart one he understood the fancy physics. I just built the tools.”

This time it was Twilight that spoke up, “maybe there’s an answer in his lab, I mean why not look it’s under the library.”

I gave the purple unicorn a look that combined confusion and astonishment, my jaw hanging open the whole time.

“What, I saw it in a dream,” she added blushing slightly.

“Oh hell no! That means I have to finish the harness, find the lab, which was all the cause of that,” I emphatically waved off in the distance as I spoke, “just in case you didn’t notice. I don’t plan on coming close to repeating that mistake.”

“Why not, if it’s our only hope to survive,” objected Rainbow.

“Do you remember what I did to you in those dreams,” I looked at every one of them, “What I did to the others.” My stomach churned as my anger broke through all of my mental blocks. I closed my eyes and spoke as calmly as I could while soothing my stomach. “I will not let that happen again, I care too much for all of you to let that happen. I will not forget this, and I will do everything I can to prevent this from happening.”

Fluttershy walked over and sat down beside me. She was wearing the best set of Bambi eyes I had ever seen and she said, “Please,” in a long drawn out manner. “I don’t want you to feel like you have to but, I don’t want to see the animals hurt. If we can save them it’s worth it.”

I answered, “No,” but it was one of the most difficult answers of my life.

“We can watch over you and make sure you don’t become bad like in the dream,” Fluttershy continued.

Pinkie then popped into the conversation, “I can throw you a party once you’re done, it can be a hero party not an ego-maniacal villain party, just think of how much fun that suit will be.” She continued to ramble about the suit and how with the wings I could fly back and forth zooming around. As she spoke she stood up on her back legs and used her front to indicate flight.

“That’s the problem Pinkie,” I said loud enough to get her attention.

She ended her rant with, “they can carry it by the husks,” then looked at me.

I ignored her and continued my previous statement, “I was having too much fun with the suit.” I turned towards the yellow pegasus, her eyes were still large and expressive, “Okay that’s good for tomorrow Fluttershy, now that you’re all back to normal, but what about after your next dream. You’ll be raging at your animals, Twilight will have fallen off the wagon and be too busy reading to eat. Rarity will be jockeying for attention from the aristocracy, Applejack will be too prideful in Sweet Apple Acres to leave. Rainbow will be too lethargic to care, Pinkie will be drowning her depression in cakes, and I will be too busy staring at your flanks for it to matter.” I felt my face flush as I said the last part.

“That’s where I was going with asking for Twilight and Rarity’s help,” said the princess. “I can place a ward on each of you to block the dreams, but as strong as they are getting the wards will need to be checked daily. Unfortunately a unicorn can’t check the wards on their own bodies so you two,” she looked at the two unicorns, “will have to check each others.” The spell is two parts the first blocks your mind from outside influences and I can cast it now while our minds are connected. The second half I must cast in person to stop you from dreaming, and possibly breaking the first one.”

All the ponies nodded in a somber faction, and after several long silent moments I stepped forward and said, “I’ll do it, if this works and all of us remain who we are now. I will consider finishing the suit, but if anyone starts to change back I will destroy it. I will not become that monster.”

“So are you volunteering to go first,” asked Rainbow wearing a confused look.

“Sure why not,” I looked down from the cyan pegasus to the to the alabaster princess, “work that hocus pocus and scramble my brain for breakfast.”

She nodded and leaned down, and just before her horn touched my forehead I heard a voice echo in my head. Aw yeah, that’s what she said. My eyes widened in panic just as there was a flash and I woke up, jumping out of one of Rarity’s guest beds. I looked out the window at the dark Ponyville, soon I heard the others voices calling out to each other checking that they were okay.

Celestia sighed after she sent the last of the elements, Twilight, back to the waking world.

“He has the potential to be fun,” said a familiar voice.

“Discord,” she grumbled as she gave the gardens a once over, “where are you hiding.”

“Down here,” he said with a wave. He was sitting cross legged on a statue pedestal. As she approached he stood up and gave a flourished bow, “what can I do for you my regal solar goddess?”

“I thought I told you to stay out of their dreams,” Celestia said as calmly as she could.

“You know there is only so long you can live in stone before you get bored,” he said with a half smile before ballooning back to full size. “I limited my contact and observed through you, I touched no one’s mind but yours.”

Celestia silently stared daggers into the draconequus.

“So what’s the plan,” he asked as he disappeared.

“Why do you care,” she replied searching for him once again.

“Because once the world is burnt there’s no one left for my shenanigans.”

As he spoke Celestia felt something dig its way out of her mane and walk over to her horn. She stifled a shutter the idea of him walking on her, touching her, was stomach turning. “Get off,” she growled in her fiercest tone.

“Okay, okay, calm down,” he said, and she felt him take off. Soon he was hovering in front of her face. “My dear, not that this isn’t fun, but that monster is both our enemy and I don’t see why we don’t work together.”

“It’s simple, I don’t trust you,” she said with a confident smile.

“Oh that hurts Tia, strikes me in the heart don’t cha know. Now if we’re not going to be civil I’ll let you be but you might want to check on your sister. I can feel that Nightmare is awake and I would wager Luna can feel it as well. In fact I would wager that’s why she hasn’t lowered the moon.”

Celestia blinked and Discord found himself back in his stone prison. I hope you come to your senses soon Tia, otherwise this world will become incredibly dull, he thought to himself.

The forest was unnaturally silent as the slowly amassing wisps of navy blue energy. The wisps of energy didn’t glow as one might expect it was more like the wisps banished all light except what itself gave off. As the wisps congealed into one mass the effect became noticeable to the creatures in the forest. As more wisps became one, instinct became logic and memories became personality. It remembered an eternity on the moon, a young alicorn begging; pleading for release and it remembered six ponies ripping it’s being from the alicorn. It remembered being dispersed its energy spread across the forest.

It flinched as the first rays of sunlight reached out and touched its translucent body. The light was painful and it knew it needed to find a host to regain strength in. It raced against the rising sun through the forest.

Soon it found a shack with one occupant inside, it stuck a tendril through the door and felt the air. No, it thought, the six have been here. It pulled away further into the forest where it found a cave. It was an ursan cave, this was perfect an alpha predator. It’s life and that of its pray would nourish and aid in its recovery.

Setting the Stage

Out of my Element

Chapter 7: Setting the Stage

It had been a little over a week since everyone had been warded and in that week the only time any of us had interacted was during the daily ward checks. Pinkie was busy with her diet and exercise routine, it involved an unnatural amount of singing. But she, like Rainbow Dash, had limited her interaction with other ponies. If it was anything like me every little detail of the waking world brought forth a tidal wave of dream memories. We all assumed this was the reason

Fluttershy had locked herself in her cottage. Applejack and Twilight in all appearances the least affected alternated going out to check on her. She refused to see me unless everyone else was around, and I didn't blame her. Over the past week I had spent most of it in my barn slash house on the farm or at Rarity's boutique, finishing the last bit's of the crown. It was definitely awkward for both of us, with the memories causing tension and the tension causing uncomfortable silences. I found the daily meetings the epitome of discomfort, I couldn't look anypony in the eye save Applejack and Pinkie there were now awkward memories involving them.

The morning that Celestia warded our minds, she had also brought the sole potestatum gem from the royal treasury, along with a royal decree that I had permission for possession. She remembered the conversation from the dream, and had seen the suit in her observations, but she also knew that that it's construction was the only way into the lab. However for me just looking at the sickly yellow crystal was enough to sour my gut. I didn't want it and that's why I left the stone and papers in Twilight's care.

I had lost track of the days, they didn't matter to me anymore but it felt like the end of the week. I had been living day to day, in some form of depression induced misery, and I didn't see a way out. My only saving grace was it gave me plenty of time to work on finishing the circlet. I had learned some tricks from the dream, twenty years of modifying the crown and suit had not gone to waste. The rest of my experiences in the dream world I would do just about anything to forget. Rarity and I had finished tweaking the crown, specifically adding a cascading amplifier the day before and there were a few other things left to do to finish the crown. One I needed to mount the gemstone, which I was getting ready to go and collect. The other was the placement of the physical connections, two on either side of my spinal column and one in each temple.

I left the barn early, before the sun rose I didn't want to run into any pony my trip through town. At this time I only ran the risk of seeing the mail mare but I still wanted to avoid that. I quickly cut through town and was knocking at the library door before the first rays of sunlight began to tickle the town. It took several minutes before the door opened, but it felt like an eternity.

Twilight opened the door slowly, her mane a mess and bags under her eye's. "Hey Steel why are you here so early," she asked with a yawn.

I gave a weak smile, swallowed and said, "Hi Twi, I'm here to pick up the gem and the papers." My mouth was dry and my tongue felt like it was swollen.

"Oh, okay," she said stepping back to let me through.
I stepped through and gave her a nod.

"I do have to ask why you came over so early," she asked not even trying to hide her annoyance.

"Well, there are some ponies I would rather not run into just yet, I'm sure you understand," I said as I gave her a knowing look.

She nodded and muttered something as she turned around to go get the crystal. "Can I see the crown before you go," she asked with a large smile.

"At this point I don't see why not," I replied with a sigh as I dug the circlet out of the bag.
I held it out and she enthusiastically took the device with her magic pulling it away before I had fully let go. She ignored everything around her as she examined the exterior. Then she made an odd face and I realized she was probing the interior with her magic. Almost absent minded, she walked over to a desk and began to write while simultaneously spinning the crown slowly with her magic.

I walked over beside her and and said "Um, Twilight," there was no response. "Twilight," I said a little louder, again the crown held her attention. I took a deep breath to ready a shout only to be interrupted by an alarm.

The ringing bell shocked the unicorn out of her fixation and we both looked towards the sound's source. It quickly shut off and a half asleep dragon staggered down the stairs. He walked past us while we watched in silence, and into the small kitchen alcove. He began to noisily fix something, the clink of stoneware was distinct. There was a loud clink as if a bowl had been slammed onto a counter and the dragon reappeared, "Twilight, Steel, why are you up this early?"

Twilight smiled and said, "We might ask you the same thing," she giggled slightly.
I couldn't help but smile as the two interacted, it reminded me of a sibling relationship, something I had only experienced from afar. Jack was in essence my adopted brother, but by the time we had met we were too old to develop this kind of connection. It was close though no doubt about it.

"Yeah, I'm going to met Big Mac, he wanted to talk to me about something," the little dragon said.

"Oh and that would be," the unicorn asked.

"Twilight I, he didn't want anyone to know but he's trying to keep up everyone after the dreams, you all had." He glanced at me before continuing, "AJ told him about what she dreamed and why she was acting so different. He's just worried we both are and we don't want to see you like that again," after he finished speaking the little dragon braced himself like he expected a lecture to explain what was wrong.

"Oh, Spike," said Twilight as she gave him a hug, placing her head on his shoulder, "Don't worry about us we have the princess looking out for us. She placed ward's on our minds and

Rarity and I are checking them every day to make sure they stay strong."

The little purple dragon reached up returning the hug by wrapping his arms around the unicorns neck. He then let go and backed up before speaking again, "I know, Big Mac told me, but we still want to watch, and make sure you all stay okay."

"Alright go on," she said with a smile.

Soon he left but he was eying me as he walked out the door, and it made me a little uncomfortable. I shook my self trying to remove the feelings that were resting between my shoulders. "Well," I began, "Why don't we put the crystal in now to see if the fool thing works."

Twilight nodded with a smile that rivaled a kid in a candy store on a shopping spree. "Alright," she said, enthusiasm flowing like a loosed river.

Her energy flowed around me causing my worry to be swept away like leaves in rapids as it buffeted my soul. I sighed with smile as well and stepped forward while instructing her on how to place the gem stone. "Okay according to, Jack he said magic has flow similar to electricity, for a lack of a better word set a positive and negative direction."

"I hadn't thought of it that way but it kind of does," she said with a raised eyebrow while manipulating the stone with her magic. She closed her eyes and stood with a calm patient look on he face, the stone slowly spinning, rotating in random directions. Eventually it stopped and she announced,"here it is," as she opened her eyes.

If you looked closely at the stone enveloped in a purple energy cloud you could see a flow in the energy into one end of the cylindrical stone. "All right the negative flow is at the bottom of the slot," I said while gesturing at the slot on the neck tab. When she placed the stone in, it clicked against the mount frame slightly due to being just a hair too big. Once it was in place a high pitched whine filled the air while the mounting ring spun around several times before both stopped and slight glow was emitted from the gem. "I think that's what it's suppose to do," I said tapping the crown with a hoof. "Ah, yeah, I guess," I added after a moment.

"So... what now," asked Twilight still overflowing with excitement.

"I go to Rarity's to get the last bit of tweaking taken care of."

"I could do it," she responded taking a step forward.

"No offense and it's nothing against you but she has helped me build this, and she already knows what to look for and the tolerance levels of the device."

Twilight's smile shrunk by just a hair, "No problem, but once you're done why don't you both come over early I can show you what I've found out about the Laboratory's entrance."

I returned the smile and loaded the crown into the saddle bag. "Thank you Twilight, we also need to find two more of these gems one to actually do magic and one to power the wing part of the harness. Anyway I'll be back as soon as I'm done, I can't guaranty anyone else, and I'll let you take another look at this thing."

"Okay, I'll be getting ready for my presentation on my findings then."

"I'll see you then," I said as I reached the door. That unicorn is an odd one, I thought to myself with a smile.

I looked both ways as the door closed behind me, I needed to skirt the outside of town to stay away from any ponies I might recognize from the dream. Luckily the library was the last building on this side of town so I just had to give the town proper a wide birth.

As I walked towards the boutique I hoped Rarity was awake. The route I took was long and it gave me plenty of time to think eventually my mind wandered to the question of why I had decided that it had to be Rarity that helped me with the crown. It made sense for her to help she helped build the fool thing. She was good with fine manipulation, I wouldn't want someone who wasn't putting the probes in my head. I would need to have my mane trimmed for this so it didn't hang in the crowns mechanisms, all that together meant that Rarity was my logical choice.
However none of those were why I chose her. I stopped and looked at the ground with a wry grin, it had to be the dream memories. There was a good twenty years of them dancing in a haze in my mind. I beat the memories back, but they were part of who I was now. Little things would draw them out, a sign, a glance from a familiar pony. I feared the mail delivery now. At least I knew Rarity and her friends had similar problems, I could still be around them without wanting to bury my head in the sand. Derpy, the Mayor, I ran from them, I couldn't stand the memories they brought forth.

"Hi Steel," a high pitched voice shouted.

I screamed in surprise and jumped into a nearby bush. When I looked out of my hiding spot and saw the Crusaders, Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo. When my eye's fell on the orange pegasus my breathing stopped and I began to scramble away.

As I was cresting the first hill I heard Applebloom ask, "What's his problem."

On my way down the back side of the hill I tripped, tumbling past a little purple dragon and a large red stallion. Eventually I came to rest in a small creek, my head was mostly above water and I was staring at the sky.

Soon both Spike and Big Mac walked into view the world still spinning when Spike asked, "Steel, you okay?"

I stretched my legs, working all the joints and other than some sore muscles I felt fine. "Physically," I said as I rolled over and staggered out of the creek. "I don't know about anything else," I shook myself off and looked at the two, "I don't suppose you know about the dreams?" I knew the answer but I asked anyway.

"Eeyup," answered Big Mac rolling the the piece of hay to the other side of his mouth. "That's why we're out here, Spike and I were talking about what we've been told."

The crown, my mind jumped into gear, Where is it? I dug around in my saddle bags but it wasn't there.

"What's this," asked Spike as he held up the circlet. As he held it up the sun glinted off the potestatum gem, he muttered, "oh," when he saw it and licked his lips.

"It's mine," I said a little sharper than I meant.

"Oh, sorry Steel, I wasn't going to eat it. It's just I've only seen gems like that once before." He handed me the crown and I placed it back in the saddle bag.

"Where," I asked as soon as I dropped the circlet.

The little dragon shifted his weight and cautiously began to speak, "I was in the Everfree Forest and ended up in a dragon den. He had a few of those gems, I kind of ate one."

"Was that the crown you've been building with Rarity," asked Macintosh.

"Yeah, they convinced me to finish it," I glared at the saddle bag that held the crown. "I'm not sure about it though."

There was a long silence before Mac spoke but when he did it was a calm but commanding voice. "We've both heard from Twilight and AJ on what they dreamed so why don't you help us fill in the gaps."

I winced as he spoke, it seemed like every time I would start to bury things someone or something would come by and dig it back out. "I'll try but there are some things I'd rather not remember."

"Alright, we'll see. Now neither of them remember what happened to us two, and seeing as you ran that dream world we figured you might know."

Before I could stop it part of my mind dove into the memories and I grimaced.

Welcome, back Smith, said a voice in my head, as it echoed in my mind, a feeling came with it, a snark smile.

Why are you thinking about the Stallion and the dragon, I didn't think we swung that way. Said another voice I think it was Walker.

"I'm not Gay," I shouted into my internal dialog. I looked up at Big Mac and Spike. My eyes dilated as I realized that had not been solely internal comment. I couldn't think, so I bolted. I ran the entire way to the boutique straight through town. I hit the door at full speed, knocking it open.

"Steel, what are you doing," asked Rarity as I tumbled across the floor. She was in her nightgown magically holding a cup of coffee.

It took me a bit to calm down enough to speak when I did I explained what happened with Spike and Big Mac.

When I was done she giggled a little and shook her head. I shot her a glare and she responded with, "Steel I'm sure if we explain everything to them they will understand."

"That's not the big problem, what about the voices?"

"Yes that does concern me as well." She floated the cup of coffee over to the counter before saying, "Hold still let me check your wards." After several silent moments she said, "everything seems to be in order. I would wager that they are tied to your dream memories just stay out of them and you'll be okay."

"How, almost everything reminds me of those dreams."

"Oh come on, the rest of us have had to deal with the same thing."

"Yeah and half of you have locked yourselves away."

"Maybe you're right, we need to bring this up at the next meeting," she finally conceded. "So any other reasons for you barging into a lady's house, without knocking, this early in the morning."

I managed a slight smile as I pulled myself off the floor. "Yes," I said once I was standing again, "It's done." I pulled the crown out of the saddlebag and set it on the counter. "I stopped by Twilight's earlier and picked up the gem."

"So you've made your mind up then," she said in a flat voice.

"Yeah, I was thinking we could go ahead and put the contacts in. I mean even though I heard those voices, we can set up the implants. You can hold on to the fool thing until we need it."

"Are you sure about this?"

"No but it needs to be done."

"Why me?"

"Hell I don't know, I've been asking myself that since I woke up. I guess it's because I trust you more than anyone else. I feel like I know you better than anyone else, possibly because of the dreams, I don't know." I looked at the floor after I spoke, not sure if I had said anything out of line.

"Aw, Steel," she said as she stepped forward to nuzzle my neck.

For an instant I saw her grayed mane and scared face causing me to step back and
choke on my words, "Rarity please don't."

She started to apologized only to have Spike interrupt, "Hey Rarity have you seen," he stopped when he saw us and he began to panic. "Oh, I'm sorry, I'll be back later, no wait sorry." He backed quickly out of the building continuing his stumbling apology.

Rarity blinked her eyes her eyes twice as her face shifted from confusion to horror, before taking off after the little dragon. "Spike," she shouted as she bound out the door, leaving me alone in the boutique with a racing heart. Soon she returned with Spike in tow, "I explained everything to him, he wanted to talk to you."

"Everything," I asked, "the voices too?"

"Yeah, everything," the little dragon said, " hearing voices in your head isn't that strange around here. Especially with the six you picked as your friends."

"Spike," snapped an indignant Rarity.

He winced at her voice but continued, "I even had a problem taking stuff that wasn't mine, I just wanted it and I couldn't stop."

I smiled, "Thanks Little Zilla, now if I remember correctly you wanted to know what happened to you and Big Mac." My heart was starting to slow back down.

"Yeah," he said cautiously.

I relaxed and started to describe what I could. "You, unable to control your craving around the potestatum gems, went into self imposed exile." I had a half smile as I spoke, but once my mind went to Big Mac, I frowned and looked at Rarity. There's no way that anyone could forget what happened to Big Mac and if they remembered anything about the dream world they would remember that.
.

"That's not that bad," said Spike with a smile, "what about Macintosh."

I started to speak but was interrupted by Rarity. "He tried to lead a coup against Steel and was punished."

Punished, I thought with an internal laugh. To call what Big Mac went through punishment was a joke he had his eyes plucked out and tong removed before being placed in a cage for public display. He was kept alive but only as a warning against further usurpers. I could feel my stomach fall as I thought and I could see Rarity face fall as she had similar thoughts. We both knew that was the least of the torture he went through at our hands.

"Oh," he said and then looked away. The little dragon wasn't very good at hiding his feelings. There were several questions he wanted to ask but there was something in his eyes before he looked away that said he wanted out.

I sat down and smiled at him before speaking, "Little Zilla, go talk to Big Mac. Tell him what you found out and if you have any questions, why don't you both come talk to me." I continued to wear what I hoped was a friendly smile as I looked at the purple dragon.

He relaxed a little and smiled, "well I then I need to go find Big Mac then and let him know I found you," he gestured towards the door as he spoke.

"Spike," I said as he turned around, "you know when the afternoon meetings are at Twilight's?"

He stopped and said nothing.

"I'm going to bring something up and I would like you there, you can bring Macintosh as well."

The dragon nodded and walked out of the boutique.

Rarity cocked her head and asked, "was that a good idea?"

"It had to be done he's the only one I've met that has seen a potestatum gem before." I rounded on her with the crown on one hoof and a grim smile as I asked, "you ready?"

Spike walked through town his mind buried in thought, his world was crumbling around him and it all had something to do with Steel. He hated him to some degree but didn't know why, Steel hadn't caused any problems with his friends, in fact he had done his best to not cause problems. It's the Steel from the dreams I hate not the current Steel, he thought as he kicked at a rock.

"Ow, why you throw a rock at me," asked a familiar voice.

Spike looked up and muttered, "sorry Derpy," to the googly eyed gray pegasus. Everyone in town knew her, she was friendly, gave Fluttershy a challenge in the kindness race and Twilight called her a savant whatever that meant. She was a tad bit clumsy though, well it was more like a black cloud of bad luck followed her everywhere, but she never let it stop her.

"What's wrong? Looks like dragons heart is dragging."

Spike blinked and translated what the pegasus was saying, "I don't know what's going on, but it feels like somethings wrong."

"I know how that's feeling," said Derpy landing beside the moping dragon.

A smile flickered across Spikes face, that was an understatement, he thought. "What do you do when you feel this way?"

"Changes depending on what feelings are making you feel."

"Huh," he grunted as he came to a stop.

"Feelings can lead to feelings, confusion, irritation, jealousy," she let her words hang.

"I'm not jealous," grumbled Spike.

"Oh, little dragon is jealous, but why? Is it white unicorn Rarity?"

"Wait you know, how?"

"Little dragon not so sneaky as he thought, it is obvious to anyone who watches."

"I guess it could be," he admitted scratching the back of his head.

"You feel better now," she asked with a broad smile.

"Yes," he did feel better, it felt like his soul had been lifted.

"Good," she said giving the dragon a hug, "See you around." She took off flying leaving Spike to to get back to his business.

The little dragon walked through town spirit high as he looked for Big Mac. During his search of the town he saw an odd group of ponies getting off the train. One was a particularly irritated green earth pony with a stack of books for a cutie mark.

This had to be punishment, why else would the head librarian volunteer him for this job, and of all ponies to lead the expedition why her. "Unfair," he muttered to himself, he had never been outside of Canterlot. Now seemingly on a whim he was going on an archeological dig in the Everfree forest. Because somepony though he would be the best one for the job of preserving, and preparing and books they might find for travel. Oh yes what would the world do if we lost some moldy rotten tome that was lost buried in the ancient castle.

He stood watching as half a dozen earth ponies pulled their supplies out of one of the train cars, and in the middle of it all was her. Logia, a unicorn, she had always been just a hair better than him as far back as he could remember. In university she had been the top of the class him always a close second. Never once did he out score her, and the day they graduated he celebrated. Never again were there paths suppose to cross.

"Come on, let's hurry I want to be at the site before nightfall," she called out to the crew. She tossed her short but flowing mane that covered the gradients from violet to turquoise, over her ear.
She already had the crew under her spell, but she wasn't going to get to him. This was going to be a long day and it would only get longer before it was over.

The pain had subsided but every time I moved it returned, less so with every passing second but still enough to notice. My once shaggy mane was going to have to be kept short to keep it out of the circlets mechanisms, but I could deal with that. Once the crown had been mounted I felt the inner ring traverse a cycle as the self test ran. I sighed and lifted the device off my head while saying, "It's ready, a little more painful than I hoped but all I need is another crystal and the magic will start."

Rarity nodded at my comments and kept eying the contact plates on my temples, "I wish those were smaller it would be nice to hide them in public. Anyway, you're free to stay here if you want Steel I'm going to go freshen up, it's already so late in the day."

"Thank you I think I will take you up on that," I said. I still didn't like the idea of wandering around town right now. I think the other ponies, the true ponies had enough true memories that they could hide the dreams behind the real ones. I however haven't been here long enough to build that buffer. I meandered through the bottom of the store eying the outfits that were on display, I could hear the sound of a shower running and once it shut off I heard Rarity call out.

"Steel, this is embarrassing for me but could you do me a favor, I seem to have forgotten to replace my towel that I use for my mane could you go to the laundry room and grab one for me."

I called out, "Just a tick," before going in search of the towel. Eventually I found one that was large enough and appeared to be the highest quality,. I took it up the stairs and found Rarity's head poking out of a door.

Her hair was still dripping wet and she smiled when she saw me. "Thank you," she said with a laugh.

I gave her a jumbled smile as I turned away and walked back down stairs. You're a human she's a pony, that's bestiality if nothing else, I thought. Yeah but if she came back to my world she would be human for the same reasons you're a pony here. I shook my head I didn't want these thoughts. What perturbed me more was why was she acting this way. She was still not the unicorn I remember from my first few days here. Hell none of us were truly whole again, I knew I wasn't back to normal either. It took more to turn and walk away than it should have even if she had been human. I rubbed my forehead with a hoof careful not to affect the terminals attached to my temples. This has to be caused by assimilating the dream memories, I thought. Then my muse took hold and an idea formed in my mind if more memories are created they will dilute and bury the dream memories. "That's it," I said aloud to no one in particular, "That's the road to recovery."

The sun had reached it's apex and had started to creep back down by the time the expedition had left town. Decimal eyed the two pegasi guards as they flew slow and low over the convoy getting ready to play look out. Logia walked near the front of the herd with a grizzled old blind unicorn that supposedly used his magic to sense the ground and anything that stepped on it. Soon they passed a grove of blue flowers, Decimal remembered something about not touching them but that was it. It was about then that he looked up to see Logia trotting back towards him with a smile.

"I wouldn't touch those if I were you," she said as she stepped in beside me.

"I wasn't planning on it."

"Ah, okay, well I wanted to thank you for coming. This whole expedition was commissioned by the Princesses to collect books, and since you are considered the best preserver in Canterlot, it means a lot to the crew that you're here."

It is always nice letting someone else stroke my ego for a bit, thought Decimal from behind a fake smile. "Well I wasn't given much choice, the head librarian told me I had to come."

"I saw we went to the same university, did you have Professor Caballus?"

You arrogant little, he thought before saying, "Yes I did, in fact you sat three seats to my right in two of his classes."

"You're kidding me we were in the same classes, wow I wonder why I never noticed you," she asked wearing a puzzled frown.

"You were probably too focused on your study's I was only the Salutatorian," he said hoping that she would pick up on the sarcasm.

"Really," she said with a gasp, "I'm so sorry. Now I feel like the fool. I guess it was because of the studying, with my cutie mark and all."

Decimal tried to hide his disgust, anyone that tried to blame arrogance on there special talent should have had there talent be arrogance, he thought as they continued with small talk. Once they were in the forest proper everyone was told to say as quiet as they could and to stick close together. This made Decimal happy not the proximity but the silence it gave him time to brood.

It was shortly after noon when Rarity and I made it to Twilight's. When we walked in to the library it was obvious she had been busy, the floor of the main room was marred except for a ten foot circle in the middle of the room that was pristine.

The purple unicorn was breathing heavily, her mane was a mess of tangled knots and strands sticking out in random directions. Her horn was glowing and her concentration was focused on the floor. Soon the glow disappeared, she stomped her feet and gasped, "come on," as she collapsed into a sitting position.

"Twilight?" asked Rarity as took a step towards her panting friend.

The purple mare jumped spinning to look at us, "Oh hi, I've been trying to figure out how to get into the lab."

"Why don't you take a break, you've worked yourself into a mess," said Rarity as she skillfully dodged debris as she approached her disheveled friend.

"I can't."

"Darling you can take a break, have you been working on this all day?" Have you eaten?"

"No, no, no, I can't figure this out, it looks mechanical, like a hinge right here," she stamped her foot on the edge of the circle, "But it's protected by an enchantment. It's not a fancy but it's so strong I can't break it. I've never seen this much power in one spell, well not without the Princesses, Discord or the Elements involved." She shook as she spoke, stress apparent in her voice.

"Twilight come on let's take a break, I'll fix you some lunch," said the white unicorn, her voice soft but with a note that she wouldn't take no for an answer.
Twilight groaned and hung her head in defeat before muttering, "alright," and following her friend into the kitchen.

I waited until the two disappeared then walked over to the unmarred circle and examined it as I paced back and forth across it's surface. I pondered as I walked,Jack would know that odds were against me having magic, unless he wanted me to wait until after the suit was done. He would want me to know how to open it but he hadn't left any notes. I tapped on the circle 'a shave and a haircut' and waited on the 'two bit's.' No answer, eh, it was worth a shot, maybe it was voice activated, I thought. "Open says me," nothing, "Open sesame," still nothing. "Abracadabra, hocus pocus, alakazam," I stomped my front feet one after the other in frustration. I heard a whistle, like a computer turning on, and the circle lifted up dumping me unceremoniously onto the floor.

I heard hoof falls as both unicorns rushed back into the room and Twilight asked, "What did you do?"

I shrugged, still a jumbled mess on the floor, and said, "I knocked."

Hoard Robbing

Out of my Element

Chapter 8: Hoard Robbing

Under the hidden door was a spiral staircase that wove downward through the trees tap root. I looked at the two unicorns, gave them a weak smile and started down the stairs. I didn't expect them to follow me down so quickly but they were right behind me. As I walked I began to hum, and once we reached the bottom of the roughly three story stairwell, I sang with the tune I had been humming, "but Duck Tales, oo-oo!"

"What," asked Rarity?

"Look," shouted Twilight from behind her.

The room we arrived in had a long hallway with a stripe of material along the ceiling that glowed filling the area with a soft white light. The hallway exited into a second room with a deep stone pit, so deep that the bottom could not be seen, and no discernible way across.
"Well I guess that's why we need a pegasus," said Twilight as she looked down into the pit, her sarcasm echoing back.

"Maybe not," I said with a smile as I scooped up some dirt and stone, then threw the hoof-ful across the pit, hoping this was one of Jacks test's for me. I was right, the stones scattered across a hidden bridge. "Yes," I muttered pulling the outstretched leg back into a victory pump.

"Where did you, why did you think to do that," asked Twilight.

"Indiana Jones."

"Who?"

"Think of a human Daring Do," I said with a smile as I started down the narrow path. "Fool," I muttered to no one but meant it for Jack, he hid this from everyone but intended me to find it. What if I never did or if something he created was needed, hiding it away behind these traps was dangerous and foolish, I thought. I walked slowly watching my foot placement on the narrow stone bridge. I was about half way across when I looked back and saw that both unicorns were still on the first landing. "Come on, let's go," I called out to them only to be interrupted by my feet not finding the path. I collapsed forward tucking my body down to the floor doing my best not to nose dive into the pit. "Aw shi," my expletive was cut off by a sharp pain at the base of my tail along with the sudden appearance of a piece of cloth choking me as it was pulled back lifting me back onto the stone path. Once my hoofs were firmly back on stone I looked back at the two unicorns, Rarity was folding up the piece of cloth and Twilight was looking past me. "Thank you," I whispered my throat still tight from being rescued by garrote. I shook my head then looked around at the end of the path it just stopped, path just stopped half way across the pit. Unbelievable, I thought.

"Welcome," said a deep booming voice from the platform on the other side.
I jumped, almost losing my balance a second time, and before I realized it I was standing back with unicorns. Once I was safe I turned to look at the voices owner. It was a unicorn with a long beard, a pointed hat and a flowing robe, all transparent blue.

"Welcome, my little ponies," it said in the same echoing voice, there also seemed to be a slight laugh in it's voice but it disappeared as it continued. "I am Star Swirl the Bearded. I congratulate you on getting this far. However before I give you access to my knowledge and power you must prove you are ready and that is where you failed. The challenges before you will test many traits such as intelligence and courage. Thus far you have proven these as well as loyalty to the one who almost fell but you will need more. Do not attempt this again without proper preparation, good day."

The image stood motionless for just a moment after finishing speaking then it disappeared. Almost immediately upon its disappearance the room was filled with a bright light blue glow and the two unicorns and I appeared outside the library, in front of Applejack.

"What the hay is going' on here," asked the orange pony, "Why'd you just teleport out of the library is Pinkie going on about pickle barrels again?"

"I didn't do it this time Applejack," said Twilight stumbling around, “I feel funny, and not the good funny."

"There's a bad kind of funny," asked Pinkie as she popped in to the conversation from behind the tree.

"Twilight, dear sit down," said Rarity lying on the grass, "I think this is part of a security system, my magic’s been drained."

I hadn't moved since the transport, not because I didn't want to but because I felt exhausted. I was tired but my body didn't feel sore but I didn't feel as energetic as usual. I took a staggering step forward, stumbled, caught myself and sat down. "You're not the only one that feels off. I feel like I just ran a triathlon but without the sore muscles."

"Hey with your magic gone how are you going to check the wards," asked Pinkie.
Twilight's eyes dilated and she started speaking fast, "No, no, no. If he took our magic, he might have taken the magic of the wards." She looked at me shaking her head, "I'm not sleeping, and I’m not doing that again."

"Hey," I replied slightly indignant before I realized I had spoken.

"That's not what I meant," she shouted with a disgusted face. "It's not that I don't like you Steel, I just don't like you that way."

Rarity stood up slowly and said, "I think, we all regret things we did to some degree. However discussing it does not solve the current problem of, I don't have my MAGIC!"

"Now Girls," began Applejack, "calm down, we need to get all of you to the clinic." She looked at the other earth pony, "Pinkie I need you to go find Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash let them know that we're meeting at the hospital today."

"Okie dokie lokie," replied the mare with pink mane while giving a salute.

"Find Spike as well," I added as she headed into town.

She gave me a salute and continued her bouncing stride as she disappeared behind a building.

"Alright, get off your flanks let's go," grumbled the orange earth pony as she herded us towards the hospital.

Fluttershy had been hiding in her cottage today, like she had every day since the dream. A little white bunny carried an extremely fancy salad over to her. "Oh thank you Angel," she said in a soft tone almost singing, "but you shouldn't be here. What if I became a monster again?"
The little bunny shook its head and stamped its foot refusing to leave.

The pegasus smiled and said, "alright then." As she was about to take the first bite of salad, she heard a knock at the door. The butter yellow mare jumped and dove for a hiding spot before asking, "Who is it?"

"It's Pinkie Pie."

"Oh, okay. I'll be at Twilight's latter I was about to eat."

"Twilight is in the hospital, so is Steel and Rarity. Applejack told me to get you, Rainbow Dash, and Spike, well Steel told me to get Spike, so that we can talk to the princesses."

"Oh dear," muttered Fluttershy as she slowly walked to the door.

"Come on Fluttershy you're being super shy today, I need you to go find Rainbow."

"Okay," said Fluttershy with a wince as she opened the door.

"Hi, good to see you," said Pinkie almost shouting. She paused looking around like she had never done so before and said, "Hey you're house is inside a tree just like Twilight's."

Fluttershy shied away then looked at her friend while hiding behind the door. "Well, no, Twilight's is actually a single tree shaped and molded by magic. Mine is made of several trees grafted and shaped together and took a lifetime to grow. At least that's what the earth pony that I bought it from told me."

"Cool," muttered Pinkie in an absent manner. "Well I'm off to find Spike, she smiled and began to skip off singing to herself.

"He's with Big Macintosh walking around the orchard," Fluttershy said with a smile before flying off towards Rainbow Dash's house.

It took several bouncing strides before Pinkie fully processed what she had been told. She was in mid bounce when her brain had translated Fluttershy's words into meaning. Her Stomach fell and she landed on her face. Looking up she coughed the dirt out of her mouth and thought, Big Mac, he's the only pony I haven't been able to face, as her mane collapsed covering her eyes.

"Finally," muttered Decimal as they reached the ancient castle of the two sisters. He walked through the clearing, watching the ruckus of camp being set. He had never even thought of camping and he found this interesting.

"Hey Decimal, we're sending the first team into the ruins. Do you want to come along?"

The green earth pony glanced skyward at the voices owner. It was a bright orange pegusus mare with a red and yellow fading mane. "Who's going," he asked.

"Logia, Percetio, and I, we were hoping you would come along."

Decimal looked around at the camp. If he stayed he would probably be put to work. "I think I'll go with you," he said slowly. The two started towards the ruins when Decimal asked, "Firestorm, why are you going with us into the ruins. A pegasus can't do much when they can't fly."

"True, but members of Dressage are trained in several forms, of defensive combat; one is being trained in martial arts for close quarters." She winked at the green earth pony and then took to the air, flying over the ruins to the fractured entry hall.

Decimal grumbled and picked up his pace catching up to the rest of the group.

"Everypony calm down," said Nurse Tenderheart in a loud, almost predatory grumble. "All your magic will return shortly, however I've never seen something like this in an earth pony."

"What do you mean," I asked as I looked up at the nurse.

She sighed and said, "All of us have some amount of magic in our bodies, pegasus use it to fly, to control and manipulate clouds and to form weather systems. Due to lack of use most earth ponies can't use it consciously but it takes form in them healing quicker and being physically stronger."

"So you’re tellin' me I can use magic," asked Applejack skeptically, "why hasn't anyone ever told me this."

"I thought you knew, I thought everyone knew," stammered Twilight.

"Now dear, don't feel bad. I didn't know either," admitted Rarity trying to comfort her friend.

"Well anyway all three of you will be back in tip top shape in about two weeks or so, I do suggest that you abstain from magic use for about a week," said the nurse looking over her clip board. "If you try to use your magic too early you might burn out."

The two unicorns gasped their eyes widened in horror at the idea, I looked from them to the nurse and asked, "Burn out?"

"Yes," she said while still looking at the clipboard, "it's a condition that rarely occurs in the more civilized portions of Equestria. However on the frontier, unicorns will over use their magic in a survival situation and damage their ability to absorb and generate more magic."

"So it's like a super back blast?"

"To some degree, it's usually painful enough that ponies get the message that any more is a bad idea. After all pain is the body's way of saying stop that stupid," she said nose still in the clipboard. "Steel you're free to go, however I would like to do some more tests on you two." She looked at the unicorns as she continued, "As I've said it's almost unheard of that a unicorn would lose all their magic but retain the ability to generate it, we would like to keep an eye on you, tonight might be painful."

The two unicorns gave each other worried glances before acquiescing to the nurse’s request.

"Now one of the first things I would like to do is get a magnetic magic resonance image."
I stood beside Applejack and blinked a few times and thought a MRI, a MRI that can see magic as well. This world can't make up its mind what it is. One minute it's the fifteen hundred’s in Europe, then the late eighteen hundreds in the wild west, and then this. Where are the zeppelins, or the, "Gah," I grunted in frustration and sat down, "I think I'll wait here if people don't mind."

"Well you can't wait in the examining room, but we have a room you all can wait in one of the upper wing lobbies that's where there rooms will be," the nurse said with a smile."However before you all get up there I would like to run you both through the MMRI as soon as possible." The two unicorns nodded in agreement, and she continued, "Alright then if you will follow me we can take care of these tests."

The nurse led our little group through the hospital. I was at the back as we walked doing my best not to lose my bearings in the labyrinth of hallways. As we passed one hallway that lead out to the main waiting room I heard a familiar voice arguing with the check in nurse. I told Applejack that I would head for the waiting room and corral the others, then wait for her to come get the rest of us. She nodded and I headed out into the waiting room, the familiar voice was Rainbow Dash arguing with Nurse Redheart. As I entered the room Fluttershy staggered in through the main entrance gasping and out of breath.

"If you won't tell me where they are I'll find them myself," shouted Rainbow.
"I've told you, they haven't been assigned a room yet and you will have to wait," growled the nurse.

"Fine, I'm going," replied the cyan pegasus as she prepared to take off.
"No ya don't," grunted the nurse as she grabbed Rainbow by the waist and pulled her to the ground, "You're waiting here, I've had to deal with that pink terror to many times for an amateur like you to get by."

Rainbow grunted when she hit the ground and looked up to see me, "Steel," she cried happily, "can you tell this over active security guard to let me go!" She grumbled as she tried to pry the nurse’s arms off of her.

"Hi RD," I looked up at the butter yellow pegasus nodded and said, "Fluttershy. The nurses have given us a clean bill of health, but they want to scan them with a MMRI."

"Oh thank goodness," said Fluttershy with a sigh.

"So why can't I see them," demanded Rainbow.

"There in the MMRI room right now, Applejack will come get us whenever there done."

"I guess that will work," muttered the cyan mare.

Fluttershy walked over and asked, "What happened?"

"We found Star Swirl's lab but his security system drained everyone's magic and then transported us out."

"Oh dear, that's not good," replied Fluttershy softly.

"So what," asked Rainbow final free of the nurse, both were eying each other suspiciously.

"It means that Twilight and Rarity can't use their magic for anything big for a few weeks."

"That sucks, but you're okay right?" asked Dash.

I smiled slightly as I replied, "Yeah, just feeling a little weak."

"That's good I don't know what I would do if all the magic in my body was taken out," said Dash while looking over her shoulders at her flexing wings.

Both Fluttershy and I stared at the Rainbow pegasus, surprise showing on our faces.

"What, you think I wouldn't read up on ways to improve my flying. I became the fastest pegasus in Equestria through talent, but I needed to read on what others found out to improve everything else. It's no good to just be fast in a straight line."

"Does that mean that the wards are gone," asked the other pegusas.

Rainbow Dash's eyes widened when she realized what Fluttershy was asking, "Oh what the hey, for your sake I hope not."

"Well we're waiting on Pinkie to get here with Spike so we can inform the Princess," I said grimly. All of a sudden I thought of the circlet and pulled it out of my saddlebag. The two pegasi looked at it with wide eyes and watched in silence as I placed it on my head. I felt it click onto the implants then it beeped and ran through its test cycle like nothing had happened. "Well that's a good sign," I paused and thought, at least you think so but what do you know about magic. I laughed and added "at least I hope so."

As if on cue Pinkie sprung into the hospital followed by an audible groan from the nurse along with Spike and Big Mac following her through the door. Suddenly the nurse was attempting to stare down two ponies in the waiting room and she wasn't happy about it.

"Hi everypony," shouted Pinkie.

The nurse shushed her but kept watching everyone.

"Hi everypony," repeated Pinkie in a near whisper.

"Hi Pinkie, Spike, Big Mac," I said while nodding at each.

Spike walked up to me, conviction in his eyes, "What did you do, Steel?"

"I didn't do anything, I was affected as well, and we were trying to get into the lab."

"If they are hurt in any way I'm holding you responsible," his pupils narrowed, and a little flame licked out of his mouth as he spoke.

Big Mac stayed silent but every other pony involved began to speak, telling the little dragon to calm down, including Applejack as she came out into the room. "Now Spike, you know even if it was his fault Rarity and Twi wouldn't want you to do anything drastic, and it's not worth arguing about, there going' to be fine. The MMRI showed that they still have the wards and enchantments, but the wards are slowing' down their recovery."

Spike's eyes widened in and as he inhaled a gasp his mouth formed into a smile, as he ran over to give the orange earth pony a hug. "They’re going to be okay," he sobbed into her shoulder.

"That's right the doctors are giving them one last once over before letting them loose," she said as she put her hat back on.

"I would have thought they would keep them overnight," stated Rainbow with a concerned expression.

"The nurse wanted too but the doctor overruled that he said there were no evident injuries so they couldn't keep them," answered Applejack.

"We need to contact the Princess quickly, and let her know what's going on," I paused for a second and facehoofed myself. "If these wards are anything like the ones she put on me at the beginning she would know if one was broken let alone three."

"Twi said something about that earlier, but she said that the enchantments might be weakened or disfigured so they don't work right," replied AJ

"Well then I guess we should work on that letter anyway," I commented.

"Eeyup,” added Big Mac.

The ursan's stomach rumbled and Nightmare knew it had been in the body for too long, but there were no other suitable candidates to inhabit. There was the green wurm in the cave further in the forest but dragons tended to have will's stronger than any pony, and a lazy streak that would do the blue mist no good. It was time for the ursan to hunt. It let the beast's natural instincts take over hiding itself in the predators mind. It smelt food; the smell brought forth images that raced through the creatures mind. Roasted peppers, onions, vegetable, there was only one thing that could be in this forest that would generate such smells. It laughed in the creatures mind, ponies. Sentients always had more life energy than beasts.

The ursa approached the cave opening. It was daylight too early to hunt, a few more hours. It had to wait a few more hours for the sun to fall and then it would eat. Nightmare grumbled to itself while hiding in the bears mind I’ll have a new body soon.

The search of the ruins had been fruitless, but it had kept him from the hard work in setting up the camp. It surprised Decimal how much it bothered him that they had not been able to make it to the old library. The castle had collapsed and become unstable in the years since it's abandonment. Digging it out without the proper tools would be too dangerous even with the unicorns present. As the group came out of the ruins he could smell the vegetables roasting on an open fire pit. His stomach growled, and he frowned, never before had he been this hungry.
Logia giggled slightly before saying, "You're right that does smell good."

Decimal blushed slightly and took a sliding sideways step to spread the group out now that they were out of the cramped tunnels. "Yeah I'm not used to all this work outside; I have been working in a library for so long. In fact I hated the idea of this expedition when I was assigned to it."

"Assigned," the unicorn looked at him quizzically, "I asked for volunteers only."

"Well then I was volunteered by my boss," he said with a smile while thinking, old fool.

"I'm so sorry Decimal, I thought everyone knew what we were doing here," she gave him a slight smile. "Why don't you go get cleaned up and grab some food and I can fill you in on why we're here."

The green earth pony nodded and headed through camp as the rest of the party began to split up.

"Good, now Spike send it," said Twilight as we all sat around in Rarity's boutique, "Steel, I guess you can go ahead and tell us what you've found out."

"Okay," I said springing up and stumbling forward, my balance was one of the things affected by the magic drain, everything use to work better, stronger muscles countering my momentum. "With help from Rarity, I have finished the crown. Now for the suit to work I need a minimum of three Potestatum gems. I have one and it powers the basic functions of the crown and will cover the harness once it's all put together. To get it to actually work I need one as the source of magic for spells and one to power the wings. I can use more but that's the bare minimum." I looked at Spike and said, "I have been talking to Little Zilla and he told me about a dragon hoard in the Everfree Forest that has some."

"How are you going to convince the dragon to give up those stones, it's not like Dragons are known for their generosity," commented Applejack.

"Eeyup," added her older brother.

"I barter for them, Rarity has kindly offered up some of her stones for this."

"Aw man," muttered Spike kicking the ground.

"Don't worry Spike, I saved some for you," said the white unicorn looking at the little dragon.

"Now for me to do this I will need help, Rarity because you can identify the stones."

"How without her Magic," interrupted Rainbow?

"My dear Rainbow Dash," began the white unicorn her eyes half open and a sharp smile on her lips, "do you think that I'm a one trick pony? I can identify stones without my magic, it just makes it easier."

"The others that I would need would be Spike because he knows where the cave is, and Fluttershy it would be helpful for you to come along and help keep the wildlife from harassing us to much. You could also prevent us from having to fight them."

"If it means the animals won’t be hurt, I'll come along," said the butter yellow pegasus in a voice a little louder than a whisper.

"I'm going, too" added Twilight, "I'm suppose to protect Spike."

"You're not protecting anyone in the shape you're in now, so I'll go as well," said Applejack standing up and stepping forward.

"Eeyup," added Big Mac.

"I'm going this could be fun, what about you Dashie," asked Pinkie as she began to bound around the shop.

"Like you had to ask, like I would leave you hanging," said the cyan pegasus with a smirk.

"Alright then, we leave early in the morning. So we all," I was interrupted by a belch from Spike and I absentmindedly said, " Excuse you," before noticing the scroll fall from the air in front of the little dragon. I blinked a couple of times as he unrolled the message and began to read.

"Dear Twilight

I regret to inform you that I cannot come to Ponyville at this time; however I can tell you that the wards are still intact and unchanged. Please hurry with whatever you are planning. I am trying to keep Luna from panicking the staff, she has been on edge ever since the night of your waking dream and it's getting worse. It also seems like Discords power is leaking through causing havoc in the gardens. I feel whatever this creature that has been plaguing our dream world is strengthening him. My hoofs are full at the moment keeping the peace so no pony suspects anything. Please be quick about whatever you are planning.

Princess Celestia"

Twilight looked up at the group as Spike let the letter fall, "I don't think I'm going to be able to sleep tonight."

"Nope," added Big Mac as everyone turned to look at him.

"Me either," said Rarity her voice heavy.

"So," said Rainbow, "we have been in the forest at night before, why not go now if no one will be able to sleep."

"Right," said Twilight her eyes confident "let's get our things together and head out."

The sun was beginning to set when we left to go out into the forest. Big Mac pulled the wagon of gemstones. Applejack led the group with Spike riding on her back giving her directions, and Rainbow would occasionally scout the path ahead of us. The two unicorns and I set the pace with Fluttershy walking beside us. According to our two guides there was a canyon behind the old castle that rose up into the forest with the mesa of the castle rising with it. Somewhere along the cliff of that mesa was the dragons cave. Pinkie was bouncing circles around the group, popping out of the gem laden wagon without any one realizing she had gotten in, and singing several upbeat songs.

As we walked I asked "in the stories back home dragons will eat anything, is that true here."

Spike looked back at me with a wicked smile and said "Yeah, dragons can and will eat anything they want."

"But they prefer gemstones right?"

"Anything they want," he repeated slowly. It was rather creepy the way he was behaving.

"Now Spike, behave stop being mean to him," grumbled Twilight.

After several more rather bland conversations we arrived at the cliff, and shortly thereafter we found the dragon's den. The sun had fallen nearly two hours ago and the shadows played with my vision. Once we arrived Big Mac dropped the wagon and we all gathered around before I began to speak, "Okay I'm going in, just stay ready in case this goes belly up." I walked over and put the wagon harness on and started walking over to the cave entrance. When I realized that Rarity and Rainbow were right beside me, "What are y'all doing?"

"I'm going in with you, I can make sure he doesn't take advantage of you," said the unicorn with a smile.

"And I'll make sure neither of you get eaten," added the pegasus nonchalantly as she stopped just inside the cave. "I'll wait here I'll be better as a," she was interrupted by a loud mammalian roar from off in the distance. "Surprise," she continued slightly weaker than earlier. The rest of the group quickly bunched up in the entrance of the cave watching the woods for whatever creature was calling out in the forest.

"Alright," I sighed as I continued to walk, the cave curved and we could just see the start of a gem pile. I slowed down and eyed the pile trying to spy the dragon.

"What's wrong," whispered Rarity.

I jumped slightly and said, "Nothing," I shook my head I had been thinking about what Spike had said. Anything they want, echoed in my mind as I started walking again, closer to the gem pile. First part of the dragon to become visible was an elbow spine and with every step more of the green beast came into view. He was asleep, and I leaned towards Rarity and asked in a whisper "do you see any?"

"No, I think we will have to wake him up."

I sighed and looked around before shucking the wagon harness and approaching the dragon. "I hope he doesn't mind being woken up," I muttered as I approached the dragons head. It was then that I was struck by the sheer size of the beast; it was larger than any saurian that I had ever heard of, probably larger than most whales. I suddenly felt very small when I said, "excuse me."

An eye lid slid open revealing an orange iris pierced by a narrow vertical pupil, the eye itself was larger than I and had to be six feet across. "What are you doing in my cave," it asked the floor rumbling with each word.

I started to speak but no noise left my mouth, I cleared my throat and tried again, "I have heard that you have some Potestatum gems and I'm interested in trading for them."

"Oh," it said lifting its head to rest it on a raised fist, "you wish to barter?"

"Yes, do you have any of the gems I'm looking for?"

The great green beast began to laugh, "Yes, I do."

"May I see them; I am looking for ones of superior quality."

The dragon shifted its weight and rolled its eyes side to side before saying, "I don't see why not." He shifted his free hand and pointed a clawed finger at a wood stand that was hidden by his tail.

I nodded at Rarity and walked over to the stand, inside were several stones placed on a purple cushion. At first glance quite a few of them looked like they would be of high enough quality to work. I looked back at my companion and smiled if we could just get two of them it would be a win.

The unicorn returned the smile and began to talk with the dragon, "Now we have prepared an offering of gems for trade." She stepped to the side gesturing towards the wagon.

"No," grumbled the dragon.

"What," cried Rarity.

"That is my price for not devouring you when you entered my lair," as he spoke every word hide laughter.

"Why I never, those are our gems," she shouted.

The dragon sat up throwing his tail around and trapping the unicorn in front of him. "Little one had better be happy to get away with its life," it said nostrils flaring fire.

"Ah, yes well I think I'll be going then," she said with a laugh as she backed away.

"No," the dragon said again laughter still hiding behind his words fire licking his slowly smiling lips as he spoke, "I changed my mind, I think, only one of you had paid their entrance fee," he finished the sentence by inhaling deeply.

"Yes, well, HELP," she cried as searched for cover.

I had been moving without realizing it as soon as I heard we had a problem. I had opened the stand and had somehow managed to placed the two best stones into the crown. It was on my head and I could hear an electronic like wine as the self test began.

I was reacting running on instinct and adrenalin all I knew was I could do something, I had to. I jumped the dragons tail and hit the gems on the other side. They started to slide cascading downward and I rode the collapsing mound to the ground, sliding in front of the unicorn. All I could think of was a shield, as I saw the jet of flame begin to shoot out of the beast’s mouth.

I closed my eyes and suddenly it felt like my entire body was pressing on the center of my neck. The pressure was building where the two control nodes sat on either side of my spine. My nerves were on fire and I could feel every hair move along my body, every breath of wind, I could feel everything. My mind screamed from the sensory overload. I felt pressure build in my sinuses, and my body felt weak. My legs felt like they would fail me, I was surprised they hadn't yet but they only shook. I knew for my life I couldn't fall. The heat of the dragon’s breath died and I opened my eyes only to see everything was blurred behind a green film. I ripped my glasses from my face there combined pressure and the blurring of my vision made the worthless now.
As I stopped focusing on the idea of a shield and the green color faded. I could barely stand and I could taste the blood I felt draining from my nostrils. My head felt heavy as the crown chirped and rotated to the next stone, as it did I could feel each bur on the bearings. My head buzzed, and my vision faded but I knew I needed to do something else. My body felt numb but there was a strange tingle on my flank as I tried to stay standing.

The crown clicked and the last stone locked into place, the Dragon needed to go away, was the only thought in my mind. I closed my eyes again and concentrated, there was a defining bang, and I looked up to see that the blur that was the dragon had been knocked back against the cave wall. I felt a pop in my back and warmth spread, my ears popped as well and more warmth flowed outward from them. I felt it drip from my earlobe and I looked down to see it was red. Blood it was blood on the floor, I had time to think, well that's not good, before I collapsed.

Decimal sat at the fire nibbling at the remains of his grilled vegetables and listened to the stories that the camp workers told. The stories were a little more uncouth than he expected but they were lower class ponies after all, but as a whole he found the experience amusing. He sighed and stood up, "I'm sorry, but if I'm going to be any use to anyone I'm going to need to go to sleep soon."

"It's only eight," said one of the workers.

"Well I'm use to waking up a four so it's my bedtime."

The workers laughed, and one made a comment that he kept the same time as the workers grandmother. Decimal ignored them and walked towards his tent. He walked inside and began his evening ritual to go to bed when he heard Percetio running through the camp yelling, "Something big is coming, stations everyone, stations."

The green earth pony stuck his head out of the wall tent in time to see a large transparent blue sparkling bear crashing into the camp. His eyes widened and Decimal bolted through the back of his tent towards the ruins. Behind him he heard the bear, an ursa major if what he had read could be trusted, loose a terrifying roar. He saw the entrance to the below ground ruins in front of him and ran for them. He hit the stairs in a panic driven gate and immediately lost his footing. He tumbled down the stairs stopping halfway when he hit the wall of the curving staircase. One of his back legs was broken and one thought raced through his mind, sweet Celestia save me.

Nightmare was ecstatic as he watched the ursa tear through the camp. From the information pouring through the ursa's mind the possessing spirit could identify two unicorns one male, one female. The ursa also sensed two pegasi both mares, and around a dozen earth ponies of which Nightmare had no interest. The spirit watched through the gargantuan bear's eyes and saw the unicorn stallion; he was blind but running and raising the alarms. He would be no use considering his disabilities and it had just noticed the unicorn mare, she was doing her best to prep a defensive location and protect the earth ponies. It laughed, and spurred the ursan on.

The bear broke the camp line and scattered the earth ponies. Nightmare felt several life essences end as they fueled the bear, and in turn fueled its being. It wasn't enough it wanted that unicorn mare. It trained the bears mind on the mare and let instincts take over but that was interrupted by a bright flash and a defining explosion.

"Way to go Flash Bang," yelled Firestorm at her pegasus squad mate. Flash Bang had caused a light blast directly in front of the ursa distracting and disorienting the beast. It was her turn now; she took off as fast as she could to generate a huge amount of friction and dove at the beast the air ablaze behind her. When she hit the bear its head erupted in a ball of flame. She looked around there was sign of Percetio, there team leader, but she knew their mission. To protect the convoy but primarily to ensure the safety of Logia and any artifacts found. The first element they had failed completely and the expedition hadn't been able to start excavating leaving only one mission parameter left. "Run Logia, we'll cover you."

The white unicorn with the short cropped turquoise and purple striped mane looked around at the destroyed camp and the scattering of wounded ponies. She had noticed that the bear had been targeting her, if it follows me into the woods maybe everyone else would make it she thought as she followed her bodyguards advice.

The ursa roared in frustration and batted at the pegasi that were attacking its head. Nightmare had decided that it was time to assert control over the beast and the first thing that happened was it struck the copper pegasus with a sweeping paw. The limp pegasine body was sent careening off into the woods.

"Flash Bang," cried the remaining pegasus as she watched her friends body impact a tree with a sickening crunch. She took a deep breath and dove at the ursa, as she did she eyed the camp bodies littered the ground not one was moving. Time to earn my name, she thought as she began pulling tight circles around the beast flame began to erupt around her. Soon she had encased the bear in a tornado of flame, it was all she could do. Once the firestorm was self sustaining she peeled off to follow Logia.

Nightmare pulled itself together, it was the only reason the ursa was still alive. It's presence in the creature overwhelmed the primitive mind and blocked the pain. The damage the beast had received was fatal no matter if Nightmare stayed or not, it needed a new body. The possessing spirit focused on the beast's lungs and let a little of its magic flow into them, when it let loose a roar that would have chilled any pony alive to the bone. The magic energy that had been added to howl blew the firestorm away from the creature’s chard skin. It inhaled deeply smelling the air; it could just pick up the odor of the unicorn through the wafting smells of char and death.

The blackened ursa major barreled through the forest crashing through trees breaking them as if they were toothpicks. When it caught whiff of six other ponies, No, thought Nightmare, not yet I can't confront them yet, the unicorn she's with them now.

Logia slowed to a trot, she was out of breath and lost in the forest alone. She knew that that was not a good thing. Everyone was lost, the thought had just hit her, she was the leader and she had lost everyone. What chance did I have if three members of Dressage were defeated so quickly. She stopped when she heard a noise off to her right heading away from her. It sounded like a group of ponies. She looked around and quickly decided that it was worth looking to see who they were.

She couldn't believe her eyes when she saw the group in front of her, it was the Elements at least it was the spitting image of what the paper had described. They stopped and looked at her with the same expression she felt she was wearing.

"Who are you," asked the cyan pegasus.

What was her name, Rainbow Dash, that was it. "I'm sorry, I'm Logia, I'm part of an expedition to the ancient castle. We were attacked by an ursa major; I think I'm the only one that made it out."

"Not quite right," announced an orange pegasus as she landed next to the unicorn.

"Firestorm," cried the Logia wrapping her associate in a hug.

"So you're running from an ursa," asked the purple unicorn.

"Yeah," replied Logia finally taking the time to examine the group. There was a little dragon riding the purple unicorn, Twilight Sparkle, he mind named the mare. Standing beside the unicorn was an orange mare, her mind danced as she remembered the name Applejack. Slung in between was a unicorn with scattered burns on her white coat. Rarity, Logia named the unconscious mare as her eyes shifted to the rest of the group. Slung between the pink mare, Pinkamena Diane Pie, and a large red stallion was an unconscious gray stallion. "Your group doesn't look so hot."

"You should see the dragon," replied Rainbow Dash.

"You took on a Dragon," asked a surprised Firestorm.

"Naw, just those two, I was the support if needed," replied Rainbow looking at her wounded friends with a guilty face.

"Impressive, can I get your help," asked the orange pegasus. She continued without waiting for an answer, "I need you all to make sure Logia get's back to town safely. I'm going to go back and see if anyone else made it out."

Rainbow looked at the rest of her group, Twilight nodded at her and she said, "Sure, but I'm coming to."

"What?" Replied Firestorm in surprise.

"Me to, that ursa may still be there and I might be able to convince him to leave," said Fluttershy lightly taking to the air.

Logia blinked she had overlooked the yellow pegasus somehow.

"How, you don't look like a combat pony," barked the warrior pegasus.

"She has her ways," answered Dash, "let’s go."

It had been, at least ten minutes since the blood chilling roar had filled the air and Decimal hadn't heard anything else from above. He had tried to stand but his leg wouldn't allow it, so he crawled up the stairs. Once at the entry way he saw the devastation the ursa attack had wrought on the camp. The not Firestorm pegasus, he had never learned her name, was collapsed a mangled mass at the base of one of the trees. He could see several limbs separated from their bodies and he thought, Oh sweet Celestia, what has happened, before starting to cry. There was no one left, he couldn't walk and there wouldn't be a rescue team sent for days. If he knew anything about predators, he knew that they would target the weakest ones first, and he was weaker than anything in this forest.

Suddenly he felt a vibration in the ground, a walking gate, no, he thought as he scampered around trying to find a hiding spot to no avail. The ursa came into view; it looked like it was dead and waking. It's face was chard oozing thickened blood as It walked into the clearing eyes unfocused and foggy. The massive beast collapsed and a blue mist leaked out of the creature’s mouth. The mist formed into a large dark blue transparent pony, it smiled at him with sharp predatory teeth.

"Do you know who I am," it asked.

"No," whimpered the green stallion.

"I am known by some as a god, others call me Aeolus, I have many other names but I am most well known as Nightmare, and I require your body."

Decimal squeaked and backed away, he managed a short distance before banging his broken leg on a stone. The pain made him lose his dinner.

"Now," began the spirit, "I have found its better in the long run if I work with my host. A more symbiotic relationship, so I ask you, what do you want."

"I don't know, don't hurt me" was the whimpered answer.

"Oh yes you do, what is your heart's desire?"

"I want to live," said a slightly calmer Decimal.

"Good and then?"

"I want to be successful."

"Alright but what do you want?"

"I want to teach every one that looked down on me that I'm there equal."

"That's it, there equal?"

"There better then."

"And then what?"

This line of questioning had begun to anger Decimal and he blew up without realizing it, "I want power. I want the ones who looked down on me to suffer, I want to be remembered and feared. I want the world to remember me. I want to reach out across the land and everyone know me."

"Good," said the mist with a smile as its form collapsed. It forced its way into the earth pony's lungs against the defensive coughs of the stallions body. Soon it was in the his mind, and it began to speak in thought. You are a stallion of knowledge, interesting I will give you access to some of my knowledge and I will see if you are worthy of more.

The flood of information washed over Decimals mind, it amazed him. The wellspring crashed against his mind and he struggled to stay focused, he had no idea where to start.
Nightmare laughed,I think I will like you.

Decimal blinked he was back on his feet. He was also taller than he had been before and he felt stronger. He smiled, and thought, How?

Earth ponies where the first breed of ponies, they have the potential to have the strongest magic. Unicorns just are more versatile in their use of magic. You through your heritage have access to the planet as a magical battery.

Decimal smiled a sharp half smile, alright, I will help you, but I think a new name for our gestalt form is needed.

Oh?

Astraeos, the god-titan of dusk.

Nightmare laughed, and thought, fitting, very fitting. How did you come up with it?

I don't know, answered Decimal the name was nothing from any of the mythologies he had ever read. Where did that come from?

Nightmare laughed and thought, Good, now let's go before we're caught. I will take the lead for now you rest and learn.

Decimal could feel a flow of energy pass through him from the earth and back. A wall of dirt and stone rose out of the ground surrounding him in a sphere of soil before sinking into the ground.

The three pegasi flew through the night and they soon found the destroyed camp. Only one survivor Flash Bang, unconscious and broken was still breathing. Other than her all they found where fragments of others, Fluttershy began crying and muttering "I don't understand why," over and over again.

Rainbow Dash had lost all color in her face and couldn't face the camp instead she flew in circles, creating a perimeter. death on this scale was almost unfathomable for her.
Firestorm spent a good half hour checking the camp and then built a sling for Flash Bang to carry her to the hospital. All three flew through the night as they left, Dash and Firestorm carrying Flash Bang.

Baby Steps

Out of my Element

Chapter 9: Baby Steps

I woke with a start my, arm, front leg, hoof whatever jerked as I pulled my mind to consciousness punching myself in the face. I drew back from the blow blinking, I was back in the hospital, it looked like the same room I had first woken up in. I looked out the window and discovered that at least according to the blurred view it was the same room. I sighed and muttered, "not again." Then I tried to move but something was wrong every part of my body below my neck felt heavy and the muscles felt like they were made of rubber. It took some effort and my fore leg moved again in a jerky manner flinging the blanket off the bed. "This isn't good," I said to no one in particular as I looked around for a call button. After several panicked moments I found a red button the size of a quarter labeled emergency, and quite a few frantic jabs at my target I eventually landed a blow.

I sat there for what seemed like an eternity contrary to the five minutes that the clock reported before a nurse walked in. Yellow with a blue mane, her name was Coldheart if I remembered correctly and when she walked in she said, "Good now that you're up we can get you out of here, you're taking up bed space needed for actually injured ponies." Once she started speaking I remembered why I thought her name was appropriate.

"Look I would like to but I think we have a problem, I can't control my movements very well."

She looked at me skeptically and said, "I'm sure it's just that you have been asleep for three days."

I looked around and realized the I had an IV in my unmoved arm and the thought of wild flailing with a needle in my arm made my stomach churn. "Can I get that taken out," I asked with what I hoped was a cooperative smile on my face.

"I don't know," she said eying me, "I'll go get the doctor, he's checking up on your two friends."

Rarity, I thought, I didn't block all of it, I felt my heart fall with these thoughts. Then I realized she said two, "Who was hurt?"

"A miss Rarity, has some radiant heat burns, similar to what you have but nothing life threatening, even for her vanity," she added the last part in a near mumble with rolling eyes. "The other is a miss Flash Bang, dear me those pegasi and there horrid names."

I gave her a blank look as I thought, Flash Bang, who, I've never met or even heard of someone with that name.

The nurse misread my blank look and said, "She's in stable condition but she was beaten fairly soundly by that ursa, the doctor is with her now. I'll go let him know you're awake." With that she turned and walked out of the room.

I furrowed my eyebrows tight as I tried to remember what happened three nights ago. I remember the dragon, and the fight, the feeling of every nerve ending in my body being alive, the exact opposite of now. I remembered, tingling on my flanks my mind hung up on this thought, it had to be the radiant heat burns but I looked anyway. I had a mark! I had one of those fool marks, what did they call them? Cutie marks? Yeah that was it, the term stuck on my pallet, I didn't like it but that's what they called it. It appeared to be a blue shield emblazoned with a red toothy gear over crossed blades, but on closer inspection the blades were tools one a wrench the other a screwdriver. I smiled to myself and thought, one step forward, one step back. I was almost normal here, but then I get turned into a flailing ninny. I sighed and let my head sink into the pillow, when you can't move except in a large jerky manner it's amazing how quickly you get uncomfortable. The doctor finally arrived twenty minutes after the nurse left, during that time all I could do was watch the clock and it felt like my sanity was slipping with each tick of the second hand.

"Hello Steel, how are you feeling today," he asked as he walked in holding a clipboard with magic.

"Hey, yeah I can't see without my glasses and I can't move particularly well right now, do you have any idea why?"

"On your glasses I have no clue where they are but I do have a few ideas on your movement issue. It could be because you're an earth pony who channeled magic. Most likely it could be because you have metal implants in your skull that look like they were placed by an amateur. It could also be because you caused an explosion centered a few meters from your face that flung a multi ton dragon into, not against, but into a cave wall."

"I get the Idea," I muttered wishing I still had the blanket to use as a shield, it was like being lectured by a disappointed father.

"Now let's do some tests, see how your reflex are that sort of thing, and once I'm done there are a few ponies in the hall that want to see you."

"Alright Doc, but since I'm awake can I get this IV taken out? I'm afraid I'm going to rip it out by accident," I nodded my head at the offending tubes as I spoke.

"No problem he said with a smile," the IV began to glow with the same energy that held the clipboard and the needle slid out of my fore leg. "Now I have to ask why you tried this," he gestured at the implants.

"Well you know I'm not from around here," I knew he knew this, he was my doctor from when I first arrived but it was a good place to start.

"Yes."

"And do you know what an opposable thumb and fingers are?"

"I'm no veterinarian but I did have to take some classes in non-pony biology, so yes. In fact there is an interesting question that has been brought up as to why ponies are the dominate family on the planet and not another with those features."

"Magic, it's magic that gave you a leg up on the competition, I could do so much with my hands that I can't do now or it takes a monumental effort to try. Have you ever tried to write with your mouth? Of course not you have magic." I could feel the edge in my voice it was sharp and I meant it to be, I knew it wasn't his fault but at that moment I didn't care.

"Easy Steel, we'll take a look at those implant's maybe we can come up with a way of making them less damaging. However first things first I want to check your reflexes so give me a leg."

It took some effort to get the leg moving and once it began to move there was no time to catch it, as it passed through it's travel arc. I swallowed, this was worse than I thought. The doctor walked back over having just dogged out of the way of my kick and pulled a reflex hammer out of his coat. He hit my elbow, I moved slightly which caused a frown to form on the doctors face, he tried again and got the same result causing his frown only worsened. After the third test I began to feel a dull distant throb of not quite pain from the joint in question.

"Okay, well why don't you try to stand, I'll lend you a helping hoof."

I smiled and nodded noticing the wavering tone of the doctors voice. I rolled off the bed as slowly as I could, it wasn't pretty but I landed on all fours and with the doctors help stood upright. I felt sick, it was like my body wasn't listening to my ear's, I had no balance. I was only standing because of the doctors help and when he let go my choices were fall down or try to walk forward. I chose to go into an undignified leg scattering stumble that ended at the door. I probably would have made it out the door had it opened the other way.

The doctor made a thinking noise and began to write on his pad as I lay on the floor a disgusted snarl on my face at the whole debacle. "Well Steel, it looks like you have a problem with your nervous system," he said still writing on his pad.

"Wow, did you need a degree to figure that one out?"

"Now Steel, I would like to do more tests before I make use of that degree. However more immediately I can give you two options for your locomotion, one I can put you in a wheelchair, or we do have a full body tension brace. Once it's set up you'll be able to keep you legs under you and it might give you some muscular control having something to push against."

Still unmoved on the floor I muttered, "I think I'll try the brace, that way I should be more independent," I finished the statement with a wry smile. After several attempts, and a little help from the doctor I was able to squirm my way out from in front of the door and over to a corner where I was able to lock myself into a sitting position against the wall.

"I'll have a brace brought up to you and a nurse come in to help you put it on. I would ask for an MMRI but since those are pieces of metal attached to your face I guess that's out. Lucky for you we have a CT machine. However I would like you to be able to stand for the scan resetting the machine for ponies who can't takes forever." He walked over to the door and asked

"would you like me to get an orderly to help you back into bed?"

"I'm good but could you send whoever is waiting outside in?"

"I don't think, I could keep them out."

As soon as he left Twilight, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash all came in along with a unicorn I halfway recognized. Rarity seemed to be in good shape all things considered. Her mane and Tail shorter than they had been the last time I had seen them and there ends where in ragged shape. Twilight had the crown with her and Rainbow Dash was smiling from ear to ear. The new unicorn had a white coat almost the same tone as Rarity. She had a short turquoise and purple mane and tail in a cut that looked like a tamed version of what Rainbow wore. I remembered her in flashes from after the dragon fight but that was all I didn't know her name but she looked me over like she was examining something.

"So how are you feeling," asked Twilight as she found a place to sit.

"At the moment stable, just don't ask me to move," I grumbled. Then I asked, "did any of you happen to grab my glasses when you saved me?"

Twilight smiled and said, "Rainbow picked them up," as she magically put the glasses on my face. Everything was in focus now and part of my stomach churning discomfort lessened.
Rainbow chose that moment to jump in my face and say, "That was so awesome when you knocked that dragon back, I mean the explosion knocked me out of the air but wow it was so cool, how did you do that."

I winced at her sudden appearance and it took all my willpower to suppress a jump that would have left me on the floor.

"Ah yes we would all like to know how you did that, the shield spell is a fairly easy spell and doesn't use that much magic even one that could block that dragons breath, but from what I've heard that used up more of the energy in the stones than the explosion. I'm not even sure how you created it but you also cast the shield a second time to block yourself and Rarity from it's shock wave." Twilight eyed me skeptically as she launched into several more questions almost faster than I could answer.

"Twilight forget that for now," began Rarity, "I want to thank you Steel for saving me from that Dragon."

It was a relief to not be answering the inquisition like questions of Twilight's mostly because I had no idea how I'd performed the spells. Looking at Rarity I replied, "it was my fault you were even there, I didn't need you there and all it did was put you in a dangerous position. I should be apologizing to you. I was there and I could do something about the danger that was it," I said with a stiff sigh, my body wouldn't let me collapse as I normally would have with that response. "Who's this," I asked looking at the other unicorn.

"This is Logia, she is an archaeologist looking into information on Star Swirl the Bearded for the princesses," said Twilight just as quickly and cheerfully as she said anything dealing with Celestia.

Logia gave a half-hearted smile and nodded,"I lost most of my expedition to an ursa major attack, I was running from it when I came across your group."

"So that pegasus the doctor was talking about was with you," I said as more of a statement than a question.

"Yeah Firestorm, that's another pegasus from our expedition, she's taken a group of royal guards and other Dressage members to the campsite to," she stopped talking, tears swelling in her eyes. "It was my first time to lead a dig, and," she couldn't finish a sentence. Every time she'd start half way through her voice would leave her and tears would flow freely.

It was another moment of pain in my heart and I forgot myself I wanted to comfort the mare but unfortunately my new found disability interfered. I took a step forward, quickly followed by another and another barely avoiding crashing into the new unicorn. Once again I found myself sprawled on the floor this time I at least ended up tangled in the blanket hanging off the side of the bed and it covered my face.

"What the hey was that," asked Rainbow Dash.

"Um, it's me not able to move right after," I began to mumble, "using magic." I kept my face covered but I could hear their concern in their voices.

"Oh my, does the doctor know how to fix this or when you'll get better," asked Rarity.

"He's bringing me a full body tension brace, he says they need to do a CT scan on me to find out."

I heard Rainbow fight back a laugh that came out as a snort, before saying, "a body brace that sucks," as she failed to hide the laughter behind her voice.

"Rainbow," I heard Twilight growl in an attempt to corral her friend, afterwards the pegasus was silent.

Almost immediately upon Rainbows silence came a knock at the door. A nurse, this one blue coat green mane came in carrying a duffel bag. She set it on the ground and said in a simple but firm tone, "If you stay it's because you're going to help me put this on him."

"Well bye then," said Rainbow as she left the room. The two unicorns that knew her starred with shocked expressions before she came back in laughing, "you really think I would just walk out on you like this?"

"Yes quite," muttered the nurse, "now can someone help him up."

I was pulled to my feet by magic, and placed standing on all four legs beside Rarity who helped me remain standing as did Logia. The nurse explained and showed the others how the brace was put together. First was a body harness, made from two slightly curved steel rods that ran down either side of my spine. The two rods were attached to each other by cross members and web strapping. Soon to be attached to the two spine rods was a mess of smaller rods and helical torsion springs. There were more torsion springs than I had joints but it was explained to me that they would be used for tension adjustments. After what felt like an eternity of being poked and prodded I eventually had the brace on completely. I could stand, it kept my legs from flailing about and after a bit I was able to calm down my inner ear. I had wanted to do that before I tried walking. While I waited I glanced at the clock and laughed, three eternities had passed in under two hours.

"Alright, you've got your balance, do you want to try walking," asked the nurse.

I nodded and took a cautious step, the delay of muscle movement was a little less than it had been before like my nerves were warming up. However my leg moved with the same amount of force but this time the springs limited the distance that it traveled. To go further I just applied more force, it wasn't pretty and it was jarring as all get out but it beat fumbling about on the floor.

"Good, you're doing very good", said the nurse over the encouragement cheers of my friends. "Now let's go for a walk around this floor, I want to make sure this is setup correctly for you."

I followed the nurse at a staggered gate through the loop that the floor's main hallway made. It was hard work but I could easily stay standing with this contraption. Best of all I could walk, I was slower than dirt but I was mobile. My muscles began to ache about halfway around the floor so I put my body on autopilot cutting my mind off from the pain. To continue pushing the ache out of my conscious mind I put it to work on how I could make the brace better. This task lead my thought process through several concepts but eventually it brought forth the mechanical arms and hands from my dream. As soon as I actively thought about the memories they arrived in flashes. The construction process, the schematics, everything I would need to build my own copies of the hands popped into my mind. "I guess this curse isn't all bad," I muttered to myself, I'd need more gems though.

"You're doing a good job," said the nurse with a friendly smile.

I jumped slightly, my neck jerked but none of my other parts responded to my surprise. My eyes spun from the head rush and lost focus. I only stayed standing because of the brace, once the world came back into focus I moaned, "Ow, I need to watch that."

"What's wrong," asked the nurse as she looked back with a concerned face.

I had quite a bit more control over my neck than the rest of my body, not as much as my head and face, but I at least could control for the most part how far my neck would move. I shook my head slowly trying to return my glasses to their seat as I said "I'm still not use to how jerky my body is now." There was a laugh behind me and I slowly looked back to see who it was. "Hi Rainbow," I grumbled at her with a glare through the off kilter glasses.

"Hi Steel," she replied failing to hide the laughter in her voice. She flew in close and pushed the glasses back on my face.

"Thank you," I said before looking away. I took a deep breath and started walking again. The nurse resumed leading and soon Rainbow was walking beside me. "Why are you following me," I asked, it was hard to be angry at the world when the world was nice back.

"We decided that someone should follow you and the unicorns wanted to talk so that left me," she said with a wave of a hoof and a smile.

"Ah," I said absently.

"Look Steel I wasn't laughing at you I was laughing at what you said, you're more jerky," the smile she wore was uneasy forced one.

I decided to accept her explanation and move on. An argument wouldn't solve anything and I didn't feel like having one for the fun of it. As I walked the muscle pain increased, becoming a dull throb in the distance of my consciousness. I gritted my teeth and began to search for anything to preoccupy my mind. Looking forward I saw the nurses flank and from somewhere in deep recesses on my mind a voice said, come on Steel you know that could keep you preoccupied for an hour or so. I shook my head trying to dislodge the thought and noticed that Rainbow was now staring out the windows as we passed. I looked out the next one to see what she found so fascinating. It might have been the pegasi dancing with the clouds in the sky, or maybe it she was looking over the town.

Eventually she asked, "Steel, are we going to be able to stop that thing? We've been able to stop Luna when Nightmare had her but, I don't think she was at full strength. Then there was Discord and he almost won. If Twilight hadn't read those letters from Celestia and I don't even think he was trying. Part of me doesn't want to think about it, and another can't help but to think on it."

"Honestly," I glanced at the pegasus, I could only see her saddened face from it's reflection on the window. "I have no idea, this is all so far outside my frame of reference that I've been left clueless and I'm guessing on most of it here."

"Oh well," she muttered still looking out the window, "I'm not going to run." When she looked back at me she realized she had spoken aloud. "I mean it," she said emphasizing her words. "It's not like I'm not afraid, you would have to be an idiot, or Pinkie to not be afraid." She looked back out the window and said, "I just can't leave them hanging."

Her convictions warmed my heart and I smiled as I watched the other pegasi playing in the clouds. Just like that my anger was gone, I had no idea where it had disappeared to but it had taken all traces of its presents with it. Part of me wondered if this was part of this universe's laws on brain chemistry or maybe I was becoming more like them as time went on. It didn't bother me but I felt that no matter the problem the friends I had made here would do what they could to solve it.

"Good you're up and moving."

I glanced from my friend towards the voice, it was my doctor. "Hey Doc," I said with a smile, "It's taking a bit of work but yeah I can move."

"Good, I have the CT scanner set up so do you think you can make it or do you want me to call a."

"I can make it," I interrupted.

"Alright then, nurse go ahead and take him to the CT room, I'll be there shortly."

Rainbow Dash stood facing the doctor as Steel walked away from the two following the nurse to whatever room she was leading him. But that wasn't important, this was, thought the cyan pegasus as she asked the doctor, "I know you unicorns can just scan for most injures with magic why bother with the CT scan?"

"Because I want a second opinion before I break the news to him."

"And that is?" she asked.

"That odds are that he will never fully recover, the metal pins on his spine look like they have fused on the bone and even onto some of the nerves of his spinal cord. The truth is he may never get better, but who knows the body is an amazing machine."

Rainbow looked at the ground, she couldn't even imagine not being able to move on her own. She was torn, go back and tell the others or follow Steel. Eventually she chose to follow she couldn't leave him alone, no one likes to be alone in the hospital. Even when she was here she had a pony in the room with her and Daring Do in her imagination.

"Well it's obvious that he's not from around here," said Logia.She had been trying to pry as much information on Steel out of these two ponies but it had been fruitless. "He has the pride and stubborn streak of those from Appleloosa but they're tempered wrong.
Twilight and Rarity glanced at each other and smiled a knowing smile. "You're right he's not from around here," said Rarity.

"In fact he's not from Equestria," added Twilight.

"You don't mean the Gryphon lands," exclaimed the new unicorn. "That would explain his fixation with technology or maybe one of those labyrinthian minotaur cities. No that wouldn't make sense, how would he have gotten there in the first place. He could be from one of the southern countries, one that formed from the remains of the tribes."

The two element's only shrugged their shoulders.

These two are being very uncooperative, thought Logia as she growled in frustration,I wonder. "It's not like I'm trying to steal him."

Twilight's eyes grew wide, as she immediately denied the accusation. While Rarity said, "I can see why you would think that he is quite the specimen but neither of us have that sort of interest in him."

"Really," said the other two unicorns in simultaneous surprise.

"I will admit I did find him fascinating," answered Rarity, "and I still think of him as a close friend, but I think we both have some shadows that will prevent anything more from developing." She paused for a moment then her face changed as if she just realized how her previous comment could be interpreted, and began to reform her statement. "Just like everyone else we all have our skeletons. However they are nothing that should stop you if you're interested."

"Yeah," sighed Logia, "I was agreeing to the fascinating bit, not the rest." She blushed slightly and continued, "I don't know anything about him. If and I stress if I felt that way now all it would amount to is a schoolyard crush."

"Ah, darling don't worry about that you two seem to be made for one another."

"What, no," stammered the purple and turquoise maned mare. "I mean I do find him fascinating, but I'm not interested."

Rarity slid up beside the other white unicorn and said in a husky whisper, "It has to be more than a passing interest, all you've asked about today is him."

A swath of emotion boiled in Logia's eyes, and Twilight had enough time to mutter an, "Uh-oh," before one white unicorn blew up on the other.

"I have been asking to keep my mind off the seven possibly eight ponies that died while I was in charge!" The archaeologist began to weep, it was a more dignified and simple break down than Ponyville usually played host to. Her body shook with each ragged breath, her eyes were hidden by her sagging mane as tears rolled down her snout.

Rarity and Twilight looked at each other then back to the disheveled unicorn. Both began to speak, then stopped to allow the other to continue speaking. The lavender mare gestured for the other to continue. "I'm so sorry, Miss Logia, I, we've never lost anyone before," began Rarity as she stepped forward to comfort the weeping mare.

Twilight winced at her friends words, they were lacking the characteristic tact that was the fashionistas staple. However they appear to have worked, Logia was no longer weeping.
"Hey, let go of me!" Shouted the archaeologist as she twisted her body away from the comfort that Rarity offered.

Looking at her friend the lavender unicorn saw that both Rarity and herself were surrounded by a magic field keeping them from moving. Her eyes moved Logia her electric purple eyes stared at Rarity, the redness of her tears encroaching on her irises.

"Don't touch me," growled the archeologist, "and don't patronize me." She slammed the two elements up against the wall and walked up to them. Her nose less than two inches from Rarities. "I don't want your sympathy or your hollow words, what I want is a way to get rid of the guilt to forget their faces. I want to sleep without going back." She blinked and the anger was gone replaced by the guilt.

Twilight felt the magic holding her lessen as she watched the saddened unicorn trod out of the room. Once the door closed the magic was gone.

Rarity was free as well and she quickly began to speak, "Well I never."

"No," snapped the lavender mare,"how would you feel if you lost all of us, AJ, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy. What if you watched us all die," she paused, just the idea of her argument was bringing tears to her own eyes. "I can't even imagine it, it hurt when Discord changed you. I was broken for a time, but you were still alive."

Rarity stood flabbergasted, it had been a long time since she had been lectured. It was insulting, how could Twilight one of the youngest of them lecture her on anything, what gave her the right. The only problem with being indignant was that it made the truth in Twilight's words sting even more.

It hurt every time I took a step as I walked back to my room. I probably would have accepted the wheel chair ride back to my room if Rainbow hadn't been with me. However my hardheadedness would not allow it. Idiot, I thought with each step, you are a true idiot, who here cares if you beat your chest like a man.

"Come on Steel you're slowing down," said Rainbow as she walked backwards.
I wore a grimace as I pushed a little harder trying to speed up, but I froze as I entered the lobby that my room was connected to. The new unicorn was curled up on a bench, face hidden and shaking from sobs.

"Steel why'd you stop, you okay," asked Rainbow coming to a stop as well. She noticed my gaze and followed it to the sobbing mass. "Oh," she muttered softly, then in a louder voice, "If you want to take a break, I'll go in and make sure you have room to maneuver."

I nodded slightly and watched her enter my room. After the door closed I walked over to the bench, once there I relaxed and let the suit hold me up. She never looked up as I settled myself. "Hey," she tensed as I spoke then pulled herself into a tighter ball. I blinked at her silent response, then shifted myself slowly until I was able to lean against the wall. I couldn't do so comfortably but I think it put me in a more friendly position. "Now I know when someone is in pain when I see it, and I know there is a time when you just want to be left alone. So if you want me to leave I will. Just let me know and I'll be gone, but until then I will stay here." I couldn't tell if she heard or even cared about what I said but she didn't send me away. As I stood waiting I could hear the voices of everyone in the room, the words were too muted to decipher but there seemed to be an argument in progress.

After some time the sobbing unicorn lifted her head and looked at me her eyes red and puffy, "why are you still here," she asked.

"You didn't tell me to leave."

She looked at me mouth flat studying me. When she finally spoke she asked, "why did you stay?"

"I'm a sucker for a sad face."

She sniffed, "You're an odd one, who are you?"

"I've told you haven't I, I'm Steel Smith."

"No, that is just a name. You're not from around here and no culture I can think of outside Celestia's reach would produce something like you."

"There are always possibility's outside your reasoning."

She stared at me and let out a deep sigh before laying back down on the bench. "Why do you all have to be so difficult."

I glanced around and shook my head before speaking. "Alright I have a secret although I'm doing a terrible job of keeping it," my thoughts went to the conversation with Rainbow earlier and I cursed myself for letting our discussion wander. "I'll let you in on it if you will make a deal with me."

She looked at me skeptically, "what is the deal first."

"Smile," I said with a grin and began to walk towards my room. I stopped looked over my shoulder and said, "If you want once you've put yourself back together, you're welcome to come in."

Intermission

Out of my Element

Chapter 10: Intermission

According to the doctor, I was healing but extremely slowly, and odds were that I would never fully recover. In a world where breaking something as fragile as a hollow wing bone took only a few days to heal, both diagnosis where strange. At least that was the reaction that Rainbow had. Somehow I had screwed up the natural flow of magical energy in my body, most of the innate magic of earth ponies were lost to me for now, such as their quick healing and robustness.

According to the doctors instructions I was to come back to the hospital every week or so, for a checkup. I had no restrictions so I was free to do as I pleased after my release. I ended up telling the friends that had been there that day what the doctor had told me. Rainbow already knew as she had been there as I had been told.

Logia had returned to my room about a half hour after I had left her in the lobby and it was then that I had told her everything. From where I came from to the dreams and all the way up to the doctor’s news. She sat there listening and I had the three other mares to collaborate my story. She took it as well as you would have thought.

I leaned over to the wagon still stored in my makeshift home and rested my head on its cool metal body. It had been two days ago and I still had the goose egg that the hysterical unicorn had given me before denouncing us all as heartless monsters and stocking out. She had come by to apologize latter after Applejack suggested she check out our evidence before writing us off completely. It had been an odd conversation but she ended up seeing truth when I showed her the laptop. In the end this turned out to be a terrible thing on her part because she was still coming to terms with her loss and then her empathetic feelings over my loss compounded on her, pushing her deeper into depression. I had done my best to keep her spirits up but I had failed completely. She was now part of our little conspiracy and I was responsible for that along with some of her degrading mental state.

Another addition to our group was Firestorm; she was read in due to her overhearing Logia talking with me. Rainbow was initially infatuated with the mare and in her words Firestorm, 'was just so cool. She hid her awesomeness and that just made it more awesome when she acted.' The hot headed orange pegausus had been an interesting study, she showed the first signs of prejudice I had encountered in this land. Unfortunately for her and Spike it had been focused at the little zilla. This action brought forth the vote of 'totally un-cool' from RD, and almost resulted in a brawl between the two.

"Hey Steel, you mind if I come in?"

I glanced up from magically writing, it was an exercise Twilight had suggested. It supposedly would help me develop a fine control of magic. It wasn't working too well. "Yeah come in," I didn't look up but I knew it was Rainbow Dash. She had been stopping in every few days after I told her I was building the wing part of the harness. My mistake had been asking her for knowledge on flight before finishing its construction. She had been surprised, I guess is the best word for it when I showed her the devices wings, one wing was half again as large as her total wingspan. Rarity had acquired the cloth for the them, lightweight and enchanted with several spells to make it strong, and remove some of its elasticity.

"So you think you'll be able to fly soon?"

"Yeah, I have been working on it. Twilight and Rarity don't want to try the lab again until there magic back fully. So I've been practicing my magic and trying to get the wing harness figured out." I spoke absentmindedly, it was the same conversation we had been having since the day I was released

"Ah," replied the pegasus, eying her reflection on the back glass of the wagon. "Have you heard anything from Logia recently?"

This was a new direction for our conversations but I suppose there are only so many times you can ask the same thing. I closed the journal and said, "Nope, after apologizing for her behavior and the following conversation she disappeared."

"Oh, so you didn't know she went back to Canterlot?"

"Nope, I figured as much but I didn't know."

"That means you don't know she came back ether, along with Firestorm."

"That would be correct," I placed my book on a shelf as I wondered aloud, "why is she back though, it makes no sense."

"Well according to rumor she is staying for several weeks, and Econobodett is ecstatic that he has sold that big suite, the one with three rooms for the next two months."

"Three?"

"Yeah, I'll bet that Flash Bang is going to stay in the area as well."

"Interesting," I tried to stretch but the brace prevented it and soon the stretch turned into a yawn. I then walked over to the small work area and began to fiddle with the wings.
Rainbow drifted nearby and looked over my shoulder to watch my work, "so how long do you think it will be?"

I tried to glance back at her. She was hovering behind me, using her wings to get enough height to watch. "Not today, at least not with any time left to practice." I was almost done with the mounting device but it was going to take a few days for the power crystal to recharge enough for me to do anything with it. Looking back at the device I began to mutter to myself, "I have no idea how these wings are going to lift my fat as..." I cut myself short on the expletive when I noticed a shadow pass over the bench, looking up I saw Rainbow perched on a rafter watching me from above. "Flank," I continued my mutter then went back to work.

"Then why are you building it," she asked still peering down from her perch.

"I trust Jack and I understand the principal, the stones power a modified 'come to life' spell. I just don't know how it will lift me." I attempted air quotes on one phrase, but I don't think the gesture is as effective with hoofs or in a harness.

She flew down and landed beside the bench, "these wings are huge; I don't see how they won't."

"Rainbow I'm an earth pony that means I'm dense, and..."

"Not all earth ponies are dense, Applejack's fairly sharp," chide the cyan pegasus as she interrupted my explanation.

"I meant muscle mass, hollow bones," I snarled my insult back at her. "Anyway I have another few pounds of aluminum and steel." I lifted a brace clad hoof and gave it a little wave.

"Oh yeah, that might be a problem, but didn't you figure out how big they need to be?"

"According to Jacks scale chart, yes." According to the chart these wings should be able to lift me plus about a hundred and fifty pounds. I sighed and began to work on the control spine, it would connect the mounting device to the base of the circlet. Constructing this device through magic had been interesting, unlike soldering, it was more of a fusion as wires were attached to a circuit board.

I heard a long loud sigh and looked over to find her resting her head on the worktable.

"Look I'm sorry this is taking so long but," my sentence was cut off by the beep and spin of the crown switching to the only other crystal, "I can't go any faster."

"I know," she said looking as she started rolling a large bearing around on the table top with her hooves.

I closed my mouth and looked away with a slight grimace, mostly due to my annoyance. I didn't like the feeling of impatience that came with Rainbows visits but I had an idea. I attached the control spine to the mounting device with the wings still folded tight. I reached up and taped the release mechanism, the wings sprung out passing a few inches above the cyan pegasus's head. The hollow steel tube of the wing extended out like a clawed arm. The wings attached to the mounting device with a shoulder like ball joint and from there they extended to an elbow joint then to a hand like structure. Just like on a bat's wing, the index finger was longer than any of the other lengths.

Rainbow, her reaction speed faster than most attempted to dodge the wing's extension. She did so but ended up falling on her back. She landed at about the same time as the pop of the cloth being pulled tight echoed through the barn.

I stepped back and looked down at the pegasus turned turtle. Then asked, "you okay," while doing my best to hide a laugh.

She gave me a silent glare before rolling to her hoofs and walking out from under the outstretched wing. "You didn't have to do that, you know," she grumbled refusing to look at me.

"Well I needed to see if the connection was solid," I added to the weak excuses with a smile. "Anyway it's practically done. I just need to get a few specific spells placed on the joint for it to work, and then a final control test." I closed my eyes and focused on a telekinetic spell that Twilight had taught me, using it to fold the wings back up.

"Why don't you cast the spell yourself?"

I pursed my lips slightly as I thought, it was a valid question. "Well I can't, one I don't know how and two I don't think I can with the stones, it will take too much energy."
"Okay, I guess that makes sense since Twilight has trouble with that spell."

I made a face at her statement. I did not want to hear that. I needed Twilight to help me with that spell. We, as in the two unicorns and I had figured out my issues with magic to some degree. My mindset was such that mystical energy barriers and well any outright energy manipulation were almost beyond my comprehension. However due to my education in the human world I could picture modifying atoms and the like. A clear mental image made magic use less energy than when guessing and forcing the results. I had such a clear image on the atomic level that making a small fission explosion like what happened with the dragon, took significantly less energy than one would have imagined. In the end this was all well and good but I had no idea how a come to life spell worked. I had no clue how to even start the weave of magic around an object with the intent to control it.

We, the six mares and I, were in a rush but we couldn't be stupid with the time that we had left. I had done my part in support of earlier stupidity by forcing the confrontation with the dragon before we were ready. Unfortunately that meant my opinions while listened to where usually not accepted. If only Twilight had recovered from having her magic drained by Jack's security system, I could have everything on my end set for the next run. I needed a unicorn that could help me with this project, a unicorn that preferably had been told what was going on. "Aw man," I moaned as I beat my forehead on the table, it had dawned on me who I was going to have to ask. I stopped moving and looked at Rainbow, "You said she's at the hotel in town."

"Logia? Yeah, why?"

"I'm going to have to ask her for some help with this," I said with a sigh, as I gestured to the wing mount. "I just hope this doesn't upset Twilight, she had been looking forward to working on a Star Swirl design."

"Really you think she's going to be mad about you finishing without her?"

I couldn't tell if she was hiding sarcasm or not, so I decided to feign ignorance. "Well yeah, I did make a promise that she would help." I studied her as I placed the wing mount on my back, "you're part of the female species how mad do you think she is going to be."

I received a soft glare from the her before she said, "I doubt she will be mad at all, she knows we have to hurry."

I shook my head and said, "I guess you're right. Well," I looked around to see if I had anything else I needed to bring. I picked up my jacket, a saddle bag and a hat before I continued, "If you want to come along, come on."

She pawed at the ground for a bit staring at her hoof as she spoke, "Steel I'm not going with you. I think it's best if Firestorm and I avoid each other."

I gave her a quizzical look. This was odd behavior for the headstrong pegasus at least from what I knew of her. I had begun to shrug my expression away when she began to speak again.

"I'm not scared of her, heck I know I'd win. It's just we could do a lot of damage to the town, and I don't think either of us is willing to back down from the other one."

I held open the door to the barn, smiled at her, and said, "It just proves you are the better pegasus." I remembered the argument between the two. It had happened when Spike had finally been allowed into the hospital to see Rarity, I hadn't heard what Firestorm had called the little dragon but no one could have missed the ruckus afterword. It had taken Applejack, her lasso and the other three to hold back Rainbow and Rarity. While Logia pinned Firestorm to the floor with her magic. Eventually all three were pacified and luckily it was before anyone was kicked out of the hospital.

"Well if you need me I'll be looking for a good cloud to nap on, you never know when I'll be called on," she gave me a nod and took off like a rocket into the sky.
I placed the crown in the bag and hid the wings as best as I could under the jacket before setting off. I then walked in silence, only my thoughts to keep me company, to Econobodett's hotel office. His business was in one of the biggest buildings in town, it also had several smaller buildings annexed in for additional room. From what I had been told the business had grown rapidly since Celestia had taken an interest in the town. Ponies from all over ventured here to discover what the quaint little village had to attract a princess. However that ultimately was of no interest to me, I was trying to discover where I could find Logia. When I arrived I asked the stallion behind the counter where I could find her.

"I can page her, but I can't just tell you where she is," said the older pony.

"Look I know she's in the large suite, just tell me where it is, I need her help," I said trying to convince the older stallion to render aid.

He grumbled a bit and then said, "alright but if she tells you to leave you leave you got that. I would hate to have to become forceful."

I quickly agreed after all I was much more frightened by a magic wielding angry unicorn than this elderly earth pony. He lead me out of the office and towards a two story annex. Once at the door knocked. After some time the door opened with Logia greeting us warmly, at least until she saw me.

"What do you want," she asked.

"I need your help, with this," I shifted the jacket to show her the wings hanging by my side.
Her eyes widened in surprise as she answered, "alright come on in," with a nod and a note of exasperation.

I smiled, thanked her and walked in. My movements in the harness were getting smoother but it was still necessary if I wanted to do anything more than stand stiff legged, or fumble around like I was suffering from St. Vitus' dance. I heard Logia thank the manager and then she came into the room.

"So what sort of help do you need," she asked.

"Well you know about our adventure into Star Swirl's lab. Neither Twilight or Rarity have enough of their magic back for the doctor to give them the go ahead on casting major spells yet, and I don't have a clue how to cast the spells needed."

A come to life spell as a delicate weave I knew that much. The right mix of sub spells balancing each other to prevent the spell from going haywire. It was too complex for me and my mind couldn't comprehend it in the slightest. My lack of understanding made the idea of trying to force the spell even more dangerous. When forced spells of this level backfired on the caster, which they usually did in some way it was bad. Combine that with a Potestatum Gem and you had a tendency for detonation.

"Well I can take a look at it," she stepped forward to look at the device as I placed it on one of the smaller tables. While she examined it she asked, "You said this was designed by Star Swirl."

"Yeah," I said as I pulled the reader out of my saddle bag. I then placed it on the table, and continued with, "here are his notes."

She lifted the reader with her magic and began eying it like it was a new found artifact.
"You can change the page by."

She cut me off by saying, "I get it, I get it." I heard the click of the page turn button, and saw her eye's shift as she scanned the page. The process speed up and after a few minutes she set the reader down with a sigh. "I'll do it, but."

I felt a grin split my face and I couldn't help thanking her.

"But," she said loudly, "I want in on the lab expedition."

I agreed, I couldn't think of any reason not to allow her to come along.

"And I want ten percent of the found items."

I froze, "Jack, I mean Star Swirl left the lab and everything in it to me, he told me to find it."

She gave me a half smile, "Well then you have two choices, I don't cast the spell and you don't lose anything but time or I do and I get ten percent." She paused and her smile grew full, "or I get to document and report on everything in the lab."

So that's what she really wanted access to Star Swirls knowledge. I had a hunch that Twilight would want similar access and the princess's would want to know as well. "Alright but you don't get to disclose the labs location until I say so."

She shifted her weight several times before agreeing. "Okay that will work. However I want this in writing, I learned that much in school."

I sighed, I couldn't see a better option, and I couldn't see how I could be hurt by this agreement. It's not like I could back out now even if I wanted to.

Her smile returned and she said, "I'll be right back let me get my writing box." She took off down the hall that attached to the back of the room.

I followed significantly slower than her, up until I walked past the first door. It was open slightly and the room was dark except for an odd green glow. I could hear the murmur of conversation, but what made me look was the familiar high pitched whine of electronics.

An alarm woke Firestorm from her slumber. Rolling out of the bed she grumbled as she searched through her belongings for the source. Eventually she found the metal disk, placed it on the table, pressing the center button.

A voice came out of the device along with a high pitched wine, "are you alone," it asked.
"Let me check," she walked to the door of her room and checked the hallway, it was clear. It wouldn't matter if Flash Bang woke up and found her using the communicator, and Logia was still in the living room part of the suite. "It's clear," she murmured.

"Turn on the visual array."

She sighed, this technology garbage was weak, griffon toys that they used to compete with magic, but were powered by basic magical energy. How Dressage got there hoofs on it was beyond her but that was above her pay grade. She pressed a second button and a series of green beams of light shot out sweeping at odd angles over her face and forward body. The light scanned across her occasional causing her to wince when it struck her eyes. Opposite the scanning beams another set of interlaced projection beams drew the image of a gruff unicorn with unnatural glowing eyes. She knew this was Dressage's leader, a stallion only known as The Silent Watcher. When he spoke his voice was warped by the communicator, another reason she hated technology. Magic was better and more reliable but there were enough magic users in the area that they might pick up on something. The advantage that technology had was that it couldn't be intercepted and understood by ponies.

"Firestorm, it is my understanding that your squad leader, let's see," he shuffled some papers, "Percetio was killed in the attack."

"Yes."

"Too bad he was just approved for ocular implants, anyway I am promoting you to squad leader. I'm also placing your squad under my sole command."

This caught the pegasus off guard but she quickly recovered, "will the squad get reinforced?"

"I'm afraid not, from what my network has informed me, your watch has been returned to help the Elements discover something that Star Swirl left behind. You are to stay, observe, help with what you can and report what you discover to me. This Steel is also of some interest to me, your report mentions that he is an earth pony that built a device that lets him channel magical energy."

"Yes sir," she snapped.

"Now now, calm down Firestorm you are to be a low profile agent for us. It would be no good if you make people distrust you."

She swallowed, the fight in the hospital weighed heavily on her mind. "Alright," she said in an almost casual tone.

"Hmm, better, we'll be on guard," he stopped when the clatter of hooves running past the door echoed across the communication channel."I'd see what that was about, good luck, For the future of Equestria."

"For the future of Equestria," she replied the verbal salute of her organization and turned the communication disc off. Turning around she saw Steel walking past the door, I hope he didn't see that, she thought.

I saw the figure, I assumed it was Firestorm, mess with something on a table, the glow and wine disappeared. I started forward as soon as I saw the figure start to turn around. I hope she didn't see me watching, I thought, quickly followed by, I wonder what that was.

Logia met me on her way back as I was halfway down the hall. She was carrying with magic a large ornate box, the carved wood was polished to a dull shine. When she saw me she said, "come on we can put everything in writing out front."

I sighed as she walked past and began to turn around. I felt like a sad stiff legged old dog as I hobbled around in the turn. Halfway through I heard a snicker and glared at its source. It had been Firestorm in the room, "you know I'm not here for your entertainment," I snapped at her.
Her snicker turned into a full laugh as I walked past. She then took flight, flying in a loop over my head while saying, "Whatever man, I doubt you have much." She stopped mid insult when she saw the wings on the table and landed beside them, asking "is that what I think it is?"

"I'm not a mind reader, so if you think it's a set of mechanical wings you're right," I grumbled with a half smirk as I walked into the room.

"And who are you going to get to teach you to fly?"

"Rainbow has already volunteered."

The orange pegasus snorted and her laughter continued, "You know why a sonic rainboom is so rare? It's because only a few pegasi are ever born with the rainbow mane of Hurricane." She lifted her hoof and examined it as she continued to speak, "I can do an equivalent move, most advanced flyers can. I will admit that the little dragon lover is younger than most that discover they are capable of that feat."

"Firestorm, what did I tell you at the hospital," asked the unicorn.

"Come on Logia, he already knows how I feel. The only things worse than a dragon are the diamond dogs, and the griffons are only slightly better than either of the other two." The pegasus wore a disgusted face as she spoke, one nostril raised slightly, like she was trying to avoid a bad smell.

I ignored both comments and asked, "Who do you think should teach me, you?"

"I don't know if you could keep up with me," she snapped back.

"Whatever, first I need to see if the fool things are going to work." I looked up at Logia, she had opened the wooden box it held several sheets of paper and a large feather pen. She was using a sheet of paper and the pen scratching our agreement on the sheet. I pulled the crown out of my saddle bag and said, "Twilight has suggested I practice my writing," when I noticed the unicorn staring. I placed the crown on my head, the whir of it activating and the subtle warmth of magic flowing lightly through the implants felt, good. It disturbed me slightly that I had started enjoying this feeling. Once Logia had place the quill on the table I picked it up read what had been written and fixed my signature to the paper.

She smiled, placed the paper and pen back in the box and closed the lid before saying, "alright let’s get started." It took her several hours of slow spell crafting before she was finished. She took small breaks in between each spell, and for the most part would not stop talking about how intricate the weaves were. Once she was done though she helped me strap the wings on. I had modified the body brace to distribute my weight more evenly while in flight and it turned out to be more difficult to get strapped in. After I was set, and while getting harassed by Firestorm, we went outside.

"So you want to give it a try," chide the pegasus.

I grinned and moved the gem with the most charge from the crown into the first power slot for the wings. Once the spell was released the crown signaled that the stone still in place was now empty. "Why not," thought aloud. I concentrated like the instructions had told me to, and felt both wings extend rapidly. I closed my eyes and went through wing movements. I felt the harness shift slightly just behind my shoulders and had Logia tighten it for me until all unwanted movements ceased.

"How long are we going to have to wait?" The question made Logia glare at the pegasus, who replied with "What, I'm just asking."

I had watched several pegasi take off, and they were able to leap into the air with little effort I didn't think I would be able to do the same but I sure couldn't get a running start in the body brace. I took a few steps and concentrated on flapping the wings, and backed down quickly. Too many things were running through my mind, the largest of which was both stones had been used today, one was empty the other at around half charge. I wanted them both charged just in case. I would rather not fall, and put myself back in the hospital.

"Aw, you chickened out," said Firestorm with a laugh, having landed in a nearby tree to watch.

I glared at her and then looked back at the wings, as long as I don't close them I should be able to glide easy enough but the idea of landing still bothered me. I was almost positive that I would be moving faster than my legs would be able to catch.

I glanced back up at Firestorm in her perch and then looked out at the land in front of me. What the hell you only live once, I thought moments before taking one strong flap with the wings that launched me about five feet into the air. I floated for a second and began to fall. I quickly gave a second flap that lifted lifted me higher, a third, and forth even higher than that. Soon I was above the treetops and I fixed the wings to allow me to glide.

This was fantastic, I thought, the fear and all the trepidation was gone replaced by the exhilaration of flight. I tilted to the right and glided in a circle. I tried to turn tighter but quickly discovered that was a bad Idea as I started to fall, I had lost my lift. I tried to use the crown to get myself back stable but there was no energy to be used. I struggled to right myself but the wings were too big to be quickly pulled down. I felt a jerk and then I was being rolled flat. Logia had leveled my flight.

"Thanks", I shouted as I gave the wings another flap to regain some altitude. This felt natural but I also knew there was no way I would ever be as maneuverable as a true pegasus. I swung wide to the right and came close to the ground. Looking at the terrain below as it passed I thought I'm going way too fast to land. I kicked the wings up trying to use them like flaps on an airplane. As I closed the distance between the ground I swallowed trying to clear the cotton from my mouth and said a little prayer.

Legend's of the Hidden Laboratory

Out of my Element

Chapter 11: Legend's of the Hidden Laboratory

In the three days since my first test flight I had flown several times, and with the exception of the first had crashed on every landing. Rainbow and I had an interesting conversation about my new abilities. She figured I could probably fly higher than any pegasus on record. However she also had decided that I was not going to impress any of the top flyers in Equestria with my maneuvering ability or speed, seeing as I could be out flown by a chicken. In the end I had been somewhat afraid of becoming addicted to magic use but now I knew I was addicted to flight.

No one was particularly happy when I had told them about the deal that I had made with Logia but none were upset. However when Firestorm insisted on accompanying her into the lab there were several unhappy faces, including mine. I had stayed silent through the whole conversion, knowing if I spoke I would end up losing somehow. Dealing with these mares was becoming more and more complicated. I never had this kind of problem back home, but of course I never would have had six women hanging out with me on a daily basis back home. I snorted a breath out of my nose and received a glare from Logia along with an unreadable expression from Twilight and Rarity.

Whatever, I thought. If I couldn't breathe without digging myself a hole might as well get this started. "Everyone got their stuff," I asked as I walked over to tap on the floor. The replies were mostly silent a few sharp glances, or nods along with Fluttershy muttering something I couldn't understand. I stood smiling beside the now open trap door as everyone began to funnel through. The yellow pegasus however took each step with trepidation as she slunk along behind the group her eyes sliding around looking everywhere but down the path.

"Fluttershy," I said as softly as I could. Unfortunately her name caught in my throat so I cleared it with a grumble, which was met by a squeak and a jump from her. She turned her jump into a dive down the stairs and I followed with a slight smile. My eyes followed her as she went, and I couldn't help but laugh.

Damn did you get a good look at that fine filly's flank, asked a familiar voice in my head.

My laughter was cut short and I felt the color drain from my face as a chill ran up my back. I thought I told you to go away, if it was possible for a thought to be growled this one was.

Aw, come on Steel it's so boring in here. All I get to do all day is sit and watch what you watch. I can't help but notice all the lovely ladies out there, and sometimes I just can't stop myself. The voice began to ramble as I slowly began to start down the stairs. They were a much harder challenge than I expected especially when during the voices rambling I heard it say, and I'm stuck back here with the other one he's even less fun than you are. That statement almost
caused me to miss a step and tumble the rest of the way down.

Wait you're both there, the thought popped in my mind as I was formulating another thought.

Yes, of course, said another voice slightly less manic than the first. You're lord of this body for now and thanks to the wards on your mind, I can't gain anymore strength. However it is a boon as well, I don't think any of us would be whole without it.

I stopped on the stairs and pinched my eyes shut and thought, will you two... What would I tell them, go away, like that would work. I sighed and continued, do you think it would be possible for you two to stay quiet for a bit longer.

I can't say for my cell mate but as long as you are proceeding in a way that gains us power I have no objection, the second voice said in a suave manner. The thought was followed with the feeling of a smile.

Hey it can't hurt to look, said the other voice, I mean come on I bet you could have bagged half of them by now. You haven't even tried the pity card with you being a cripple, and I bet that fire maned one would be fun in a love hate kind of way. Well more of a hate, hate kind of way but that could be fun.

Shut up, I roared in my mind. The thought was followed by silence, "this is going to be a pain," I muttered as I started back down the stairs.

By the time I had reached the first landing Twilight and Logia where examining the puzzle and Rarity was repeating what she remembered from the first attempt. The tension between Rainbow and Firestorm was slowly becoming palpable and I was becoming concerned that this expedition was going to fail before it started. When the unicorns announced that they had figured out the puzzle.

After a few moments of silence AJ asked, "Alright already what is it?"

"The last time we were here Star Swirl said something about this being a test of intelligence courage and loyalty," began Twilight.

When Twilight paused to breathe Logia took over the explanation with as much exuberance as the previous mare. "Courage is obviously the act of crossing the chasm, intelligence is discovering out how and loyalty..."

"Loyalty," said Twilight pushing her way back to control of the lecture, "is working together and trusting each other as we cross."

"And not leaving anyone behind," added Logia.

"Right," replied Twilight with a slight nod of her head.

"So how does that help," asked Firestorm her voice dripping with irritation and her eye's still watching Rainbow.

"It means," snapped Logia before switching to a friendless tone, "that you and Rainbow Dash will fly up above and direct us along the path." As she spoke she smiled slightly in a way that was very unfriendly and appeared more of a bare toothed growl.

Rainbow perked up at the sound of her name and asked, "Why don't we just teleport across? I know there are a lot of us but Twilight's jumped four of us days of travel before and that gap is what just fifty feet or so."

"I can't, at least I don't think I can," she began to stutter and her face was marked by embarrassment due to the stares from Logia and Firestorm. "Well I think that would nullify the test and last time we were drained and transported out for that."

"You can teleport," repeated Firestorm in awe.

"Yes, no one's ever made a big deal about it, and I've never kept it a secret."

"I wish I could do that," muttered Logia, "I'm only good at animation spells and scanning."

"We all excel in different areas; I for one excel in fashion and finding gems. So if we can hurry this up I would rather like to get done with this expedition and out of this dirt quickly. It took hours to get truly clean after our last trip down here." Everyone looked at Rarity, several with a look of disbelief, as she spoke. After a nervous laugh she added, "Well and I can sense some of the gems we are searching for further on and for me to sense them at this range there must be a large amount present."

I silently stood by, I had done my bit for this challenge, finding the start of the path. However if what I had seen and read of Star Swirl in the past few months where any indication all the challenges left by Jack would be based on some form of movie or overdone cliché.

"Steel!"

I looked up at whoever had called me and found most of the mares looking at me. Rainbow tossed her head and asked, "You coming?"

"Yeah sorry I was just caught up in thought, just be aware that the tests are at the least as tricky as the ones in the Daring Do books."

Logia partially held back a laugh, and Rainbows smile widened as she said, "then it's a good thing I'm an expert."

I nodded my head with a smile and then followed the group as they started down the stone bridge. Firestorm and Rainbow Dash had taken flight and were hovering above the walkway directing Twilight who was in the lead. I was tense as I walked not just for the narrow bridge and the unending chasm below, but since I was following AJ I was waiting for the inevitable comment from one of my mental passengers. As tense as I was it was a guaranteed thing that I jumped when a ball of fire shot past at one of the flying pegasi. Several things happened at once Fluttershy squeaked and pounced on my back wrapping her forelegs around my neck, and Firestorm was enveloped in a purple shield the magic’s color was a giveaway to who cast it. The ball of flame broke like fluid against the shield and the sound of a second ball incoming caused Logia to wrap Dash in a similar shield. The two unicorns had just made the turn and from comparing the look on their faces the archaeologist was straining to cast the protective bubble. I locked up and tried to make breathing easier against the near choke hold of my panicked rider.

Applejack saw the strain in Logia as well and hollered, "don't worry I got ya Logia, you just focus on keeping' that shield up." She ducked her head slid under the mare and stood up carrying the unicorn on her back. "Alright let's get going," she said in an equally loud voice.

I pinched my eyes shut and watched the path that I followed keeping my view obscured. I didn't want to give the voice in my head anything to comment on. Unfortunately I discovered that didn't work as the voices began to return. Hey come on man, the feeling of that honey on our back is nice but if you don't at least give me something to look at I'll go nut’s

The other voice started up, Shut it, if you distract him and he falls I will find out if I can kill you before we hit the ground.

Don't worry he can fly.

Only a little better than a rock.

Shut it, I ordered in my mind as I took another trepid step, the pegasus on my back not helping at all.

Firestorm and Rainbow continued to give instructions trusting the shields, but both encouraging faster movement along the path. I was nearing the second turn when Twilight reached the end shortly followed by AJ carrying Logia. Dash landed allowing Logia to stop her spell and letting Firestorm direct me I made the next turn. Soon I was across the stone bridge followed by Pinkie and Fluttershy had gingerly climbed off my back.

As soon Rarity's hoof left the bridge the blue glowing image of Star Swirl reappeared along with the booming voice. "Congratulations, My Little Ponies," at this distance I could have sworn he wore a slight smile as he said that, "You have passed the first test, five more remain. From now on you will be judged on a more individual nature. In," it gestured to the nearby wall and which shimmered and disappeared, "the next room you will find a chest. I leave you with that." The image warped slightly before dispersing, returning the room to the light given off by the small stone strips.

"Alright let's get going," shouted Firestorm as she bolted into the next room. Through the door I could see her search the room and then a toothy smile spread across her face. "Come on the next door is open," she shouted and she dived across the room entering the next doorway about the time I entered the room.

Logia was ahead of me and had time to shout for Firestorm to stop before the fire orange pegasus was surrounded by a light blue swirling energy and then she was gone.
Star Swirl's booming voice returned echoing through cavern, "Your friend is unharmed but failed the test she will be waiting for you to finish."

The silence that came after the statement was deafening until Twilight walked up to the chest and said, "Six test, six Elements of Harmony, and the first test was loyalty. This one has to be generosity; do you think Star Swirl left these tests for us, the holders of the Elements?"
I gave a weak smile and said, "I don't know but from what I've read he would know of the Elements and wouldn't put it past him to do just that. Where we came from there are several tests in popular media that would qualify for tests against the Element qualities." I walked up beside her, pulled out my reader and placed it in the chest. I looked back at Twilight and Logia, their faces matched and showed they as well knew how to pass the test as well.

Logia pulled out the contract we had signed from her saddle bag and placed it in the box. "What," she asked at my expression, "I just like to be prepared for all occasions."

I smiled slightly and stepped away from the box as Twilight placed her item in a journal, she had been taking notes on this adventure. She then turned to the others and told them what was needed.

Applejack sighed and said, "All I've got is my hat," before taking it off. She gave the felt brim a light stroke with her hoof before asking, "Do you think we'll get them back?"

"I don't know, but if this is a test of generosity, I would say that is a definite possibility," I said. The pained look on her face pulled at my heartstrings causing me to look away into the rooms exit door.

I heard AJ place the hat in the chest followed by Rainbow saying, "What are Fluttershy, Pinkie and I suppose to do we don't have anything."

"Wrong," sang Pinkie, "I have my emergency party supplies."

I turned around to see her placing a small box into the chest, “how," I asked.

Her answer was cut off by Twilight's answer to Rainbow. "What do you hold close, closer to your heart than anything else?"

Rainbows eyes widened and she moaned, "No, really you can't be serious. You expect me to pull a pinion out for this."

"You can fly missing one," countered the purple mare.

"Yeah, but it throws my flight dynamics off," she landed looking in the box then back to everyone who had already place an item then back. "Oh pony feathers, I'll do it," she muttered as she grabbed one of her smaller pinions and pulled it out with a wince. The cyan feather drifted into the chest.

Fluttershy was sitting down thinking and when everyone looked at her she drew up in a defensive position. "I don't have anything," she said softer than a whisper, "I mean nothing I have is as important to me as what all of you gave up."

"Don't worry about it sugar cube, none of us expected this so just put what you can in the box." Applejack spoke as she walked over to put a hoof on the shy pegasus.

"Okay," she said in her hushed voice, "I will try." She walked over and whispered something into the chest.

"What did you give it," asked Logia.

"I told it I would try my best not to hold us back by being scared," answered Fluttershy
Rarity grumbled something that sounded like not again before magically shearing off half her tail and placing it in the chest. As soon as her mane touched the inside of the box the lid slammed shut and the whole thing phased out of existence. The chests disappearance was quickly followed by Star Swirl announcing, "Thank you for your generous offering it was more than adequate."

Dash then asked, "so that means it worked right?"

"Only one way to find out," I said and took a step towards the exit.

By the time I had reached the door Rainbow had already flown through with Pinkie bounding along behind her. As I walked through I was passed by every other pony but Fluttershy. They had turned around to watch the ones behind walk through as did I, all be it slowly. Fluttershy was slowly walking towards the door the constant battle between terror and inner strength played across her face forming a look of shaky resolve. When she reached the doorway she paused slightly hoof raised just about to cross the threshold. In that instant she closed her eyes and forced the hoof down a second followed quickly and with each successive step her pace quickened until she was in the next room. The new room was the same size as the previous except for a totem pole of three laughing faces replaced the chest and no obvious exit.

Pinkie took one look at the statue and announced, "Wheee, now it's my time to shine, what do, I do?"

The unicorns looked at eachother then at me and when I shrugged, rather ungainly in the brace; they began to study the statue. Their horns glowed but nothing happened. I quickly deduced they were searching for any magical residue, at least that’s what I would be doing if I could. Scanning was another fun little trick that I couldn't do with the rig or at least I hadn't figured out to cast a spell that would feed the information back to me. That whole line of thought felt like a bad idea having the magical power flowing back into my mind when I had very little idea how a human brain worked, let alone my current one.

After several passes around the statue by the unicorns it began to speak with three voices as one. "Stop that tickles, that type of laughter's no fun, there is no challenge. Why don't you try a joke?"

With this Pinkie began to laugh, "So it's a joke challenge, this will be fun. I love jokes! But I hate poison joke! That stuff is nasty! What do you get when you cross a..."

"Pinkie dear," began Rarity, “don't you think it would be wise for you to go last in case some pony needs help?"

"Oooh, that is a good idea," replied the pink earth pony.

"Who wants’ to go first, I'm not much of a joke teller," asked AJ.

Logia followed AJ with her own question, "What are the rules"

I stepped forward and threw my hat in the ring. "I have a fair number of jokes to try," I offered.

There were several glances around the group before AJ said, "well shoot, I don't see why not, give it a go."

"Alright," I said before turning to the statue. "Why do ducks, have flat feet," there was silence while the room waited for the punchline, "to stomp out forest fires." No one laughed and the top statue lit up from the inside. "Okay then, why do elephants have flat feet," again silence was all I heard, "to stomp out burning ducks." Pinkie broke into laughter at this and a few snorts of suppressed laughter came from behind but on the statue the middle face lit up. I exhaled through my nose and thought for my best joke, "Did you hear about the Siamese twin elephants joined at the truck? When one sneezed the other ones eye's got real big." Several distinct laughs joined Pinkies along with the laughter from the bottom face echoed in the room.

Once the laughter died the three voices began to speak as one again, "you have earned the right to pass to the next room." Once they finished speaking a doorway appeared simmering as the rock face dissolved into light and then disappeared.

I smiled slightly and then looked back at the rest of the group, "I'll see you on the other side."

I walked into the next room as I heard Rainbow trying to convince Fluttershy to go next and to use the great joke she had told here earlier. The next room was similar to the first a deep chasm but with a rickety rope and wood slat bridge across. I turned around to see the yellow pegasus step up to the statue.

"Knock knock," she asked.

"Who's there," replied the three voices of the statue.

"Interrupting cow."

"Interrupting cow wh..."

"MOOOOO!!"

I couldn't help but chuckle as the soft spoken pegasus told her joke and apparently I wasn't the only one who found it funny as the statue broke into laughter along with everyone else. Once the roar of laughter died down the statue repeated the same instructions that it had given me.

Twilight eagerly stepped up to replace Fluttershy with a wide toothy grin on her face and blurted out "There were two peanuts, walking down the street and one was assaulted." The room was silent except for a few forced chuckles, and Pinkie who had been continuously laughing.

"Twilight you need to work on your delivery, it was a tad bit rushed," said Rarity as she stepped up beside her friend. "Why don't you step back and relax. I will give it a shot."
Twilight hung her head and stepped out from in front of the statue and the light in the top face went out. She was replaced by Rarity who was puzzling aloud on what joke she should tell. Eventually she announced, "That is the one, oh my, that it is," she chuckled to herself and then began to tell her joke. "One day a wife said to her husband, Darling, I need a new dress. What's wrong with the one you've got, he asked." She paused for an instant and then continued, "Well, it's too long and, besides, the veil keeps getting in my eyes."

Pinkie stopped laughing and announced, "wait I don't get it."
However the statue gave a light laugh and repeated it's congratulations. To which Rarity tossed her head and skipped slightly through the doorway.

"Aw get off your high horse Rarity," growled Applejack, "I guess I'll give it a go." She walked up to the statue cleared her throat and asked, "What can a whole apple do that half an apple can't do?" A moment passed and followed it up with "It can look round."

Rainbow moaned with her hoof on her forehead while Pinkie shouted, "I get that one," and began to laugh again rolling on the floor. There was a long silence from the statue before it laughed even weaker than it had for Rarity, and again repeated the same message.

Logia stepped up next, she looked as nervous as Fluttershy had at the beginning. "Um, since I'm an archaeologist you could say my career is in ruins." Rainbow snickered slightly and but the statue didn't the top face did light up though. "Well I guess you could say that joke was pre-hysterical." This brought another snort from Dash but this time thestatue did erupt with laughter.

Twilight stepped back up to the statue and the top face lit back up. "Okay let's try this again," she blushed slightly as she began to speak, "I overheard this from some guards in the castle when I stayed there. What is the easiest way to get a time off for a vacation?" The unicorn nodded her head as she counted slowly to three. "You make fun of the princess; she'll give you an all expense paid trip to the MOON!" She almost howled the last word.

If I had thought any of the earlier silences where deafening this one would have been painful. I wore a half smile, and looked around the room at everyone else trying to take cues from them. Rarity looked floored like she wanted to say something but couldn't gather the words. Fluttershy's eyes were wide but her face looked sick, similar to Applejack's but the farm pony's eyes were pinched shut. Pinkie had frozen in place and Rainbow hovered jaw hanging open as far is it could go. I heard a snot beside me, I looked over and saw Logia shaking trying to hold her laughter. Twilight began to shake but not from laughter, it looked more like she was about to cry. About the time I thought she was going to break down the statue began to laugh loudly, louder than for any previous joke. When its laughter died down it gave the same instructions it had given thus far to an almost weeping Twilight. The purple unicorn walked slowly her bangs hiding her eyes through the threshold into the room with all of us. I stood still with the rest of the group watching her approach and once she was in the bridge room she was swarmed by her friends. All I could hear was her repeating over and over, "I had to; I promised I would never repeat that joke but I had to."

Logia leaned over to me and said, "What's her problem it was funny and I've heard significantly worse about the princess before?"

"I can't say," I replied, "but from what I have been told even when the princess has been furious with her she has held her up on a pedestal. I think she sees what she did as a betrayal, like throwing garbage at the statue on top."

"I hope she's okay, is that why everypony was so shocked?"

"I would hazard a guess." I turned back to the two left inside the joke room in time to hear the punchline to Rainbows joke, and it was my turn to be floored.

"Honey this one's eating my popcorn," finished the pegasus. The statue erupted into its three tiered laughter and once again repeated its instructions.

Finally it was Pinkie's turn. She stepped up and asked, "What do you call four banana peels, a set of slippers." She burst into laughter and a few slight giggles from the mares around me could be heard but the totems did not make a noise. The top face lit up and Pinkie shouted, "Come on that was funny." She paced for a moment the asked "What has four wheels and flies, a garbage cart!" Once again her joke was met by silence from the statue. "I need a bag of flour," she said to herself, "no that's a sight gag. Oh I know it's in another language but I've read it's the funniest joke ever. Wenn ist das Nunstück git und Slotermeyer? Ja! Beiherhund das Oder die Flipperwaldt gersput!"

Everyone was in silent confusion, I could have sworn that was some form of broken German but the statue began to laugh. The laughter began to warble and sequel like a microphone with a crossed cable before sparks began to shower out of the totem pole.

"Pinkie you might want to get out of there," shouted Applejack.

The pink mare bounded towards the door with the statue consumed in flame and melting to the floor. Once she reached the new room I turned around with everyone else to look over the new test. It was just as I had seen before but there was now a goat standing three quarters of the way across the wood slat bridge. It's square pupils watched us as it slowly made a chewing motion with its mouth causing it's long beard to lightly brush one of the boards.

"I want to try this one first," said Rainbow landing on the bridge and walking down its length.

No one gave an argument on why she shouldn't and I began racking my mind trying to figure out what this reference was from and what element it would test. Just before Rainbow reached halfway and the goat began to speak I figured it out but I only had time to think a pained, no it can't be.

Once Rainbow stepped over the halfway mark the goat began to speak. "Stop. Who would cross the Bridge of Truth must answer me these questions three, ere the other side they see."

Oh no,I thought.

"Okay," replied the pegasus.

"What.... is your name?"

"Rainbow Dash," she answered with a cocky smirk.

"What.... is your quest?"

"Uh, we're looking for Star Swirls lab."

"What.... is your favorite book?"

A big grin spread across her face as Dash answered, "easy Daring-Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone, it's the first in the line of books."

"Right off you go."

"This is a test," said Rarity with a laugh, "I'll go next."

"Wait," I shouted, "this is from a movie if you got a question wrong or tried to change your answer you got flung into the volcano below. There are also trick questions."

The unicorn only smiled, "Don't worry dear I've got this."

She started down the rickety span and just like what happened with Rainbow previously the goat began to speak once she crossed the halfway point. "Stop. Who would cross the Bridge of Truth must answer me these questions three, ere the other side they see."

"I'm not afraid, ask away."

"What.... is your name?"

"Rarity," she tossed her mane as she spoke.

"What.... is your quest?"

"To be the greatest fashion designer in all of Equestria and to find Star Swirls lab."

"What.... is the capital of the zebra nation?"

"I don't know that," she blurted out, suddenly she was wrapped in a vortex of blue energy she started to scream, and then she disappeared.

Star Swirl's booming voice again echoed through cavern, "Your friend is unharmed but failed the test she will be waiting for you to finish."

"I am going' next," growled Applejack as she set her jaw and marched onto the swaying bridge.

Once she got in range the goat called out "Stop.... What is your name?"

"Applejack," she said firmly.

"What is your quest?"

"To find the lab at the end of these tests."

"What is the Average market price for a bushel of apples?"

"Which breed, Zaps, Red Delicious, Macintosh?"

"What, I don't know that," as soon as the words left the goat's mouth he disappeared leaving the path open for everyone to follow Applejack across.

My jaw fell open, I was truly without word. Why was I even here, I thought as the everyone crossed the bridge.

On the other side I heard Logia say to Applejack, "You sure know a lot about apples."
"Well you have to know these things when you're a farmer," was the reply.

No, no, no, no, NO! I thought to myself I desperately wanted to find something to beat my head against. This was wrong and knowing Jack this was going to get worse.

"What's wrong with you," asked Rainbow as I stepped off the bridge.

I had been on autopilot and hadn't paid attention to what was going on around me. In fact I had been so lost in thought that I hadn't realized I had started to make a face to match my thoughts. I pinched my eyes closed and normalized my expression before saying, "nothing, at least nothing you would understand."

"Oh, okay" replied Dash with a look that did not agree with her statement. It looked like she was more insulted than anything else.

"These are all references to movies, and everyone is behaving too much like the movies."

"That's a good thing right?"

"Sort of," I replied with a odd mix of a smile, frown and a shrug, that I didn't know I was capable of producing.

I continued walking, I was the slowest of the group and I felt like I was slowing down even more as the path to the labs continued. The next doorway was open and once I walked through I saw that it was like walking through a door in the middle of a hallway. The seven of us that remained stood taking turns looking down the hallway in either direction. Suddenly the silence was broken by a soft echoing cry of "help."

Everyone froze twisting their heads trying to hear where the voice had come from. We waited for the call to come again and it did, but this time it was a different voice.

"Where are you," yelled Rainbow.

This time the call for help was familiar voice, at least for me. I wasn't mistaken on my guess because everyone else in the group from Ponyville shouted "Rarity?"

"Wait," yelled Twilight as most of the ponies began to run into the maze. "This has to be a test of kindness, on an individual level," she began as the charging ponies started to turn around.

"Before we charge off need to think about what we're going to do. We haven't had the best history with mazes."

"Alright, but if this is a test of kindness I say we follow Fluttershy's lead after all kindness is her Element," replied Rainbow Dash with a smile.

"That makes sense," returned Twilight before looking at Fluttershy and asking, "Well what
do we do?"

The yellow pegasus seemed to melt under everyone's gaze she quickly jerked her head around looking away from everyone and said, "um, we go find them."

I saw Twilight raise an eyebrow at Dash as she walked by me and down the hallway Fluttershy was looking. "Come on, you're going to be alright just help us through this test."

Fluttershy's reply was cut short by another yell of help, from Rarity. "He said she would be safe, didn't he? But if she's calling for help she's not safe."

I was astonished It was like another part of the timid pegasus woke up. As she stood up chest out I realized that this was an individual that I didn't ever want mad at me and when she looked back her eyes were ferocious. "Come on we need to save Rarity," she said as she took off down the maze with everyone following behind. I tried to keep up but soon discovered that attempting to do so was an impossibility, and almost as quickly discovered I was lost in the maze.

This was exhilarating; Logia had never been on an expedition like this before. The traps using your wits to figure out challenges, Rainbow was right this was just like a Daring Do novel. As she ran a smile spread across her face, this was fun living in the here and now, no plan along with the Elements the heroes of Equestria. She looked back to check on Steel and saw nothing. She stopped as quickly as she could and shouted, "We've lost Steel."

The others slowed down and Applejack came to a stop shouting, "Y'all go on we'll go back for him."

Twilight nodded and said, "Be careful," before the group returned to their gallop.

"How far back do you think he is?" asked Logia.

"Don't know, we shouldn't have taken off like that we know he can't run in that get up," replied Applejack. "Steel, where are you," she bellowed and then filled her earth pony lungs for another shout but was interrupted by an echoing cry of help.

"Do you think that was him?"

"Only one way to find out."

The two ponies took off through the maze looking for their lost comrade.

"Twilight help," called a voice.

The purple unicorn slid to a stop in shock. Was that, her mind was racing, the princess?

"What's wrong," asked Rainbow once she had zipped beside her.

"Did you hear that, I think someone called my name?"

"No," replied the pegasus shrugging her shoulders, "I didn't hear anything."

"Twilight," the voice came again it definitely sounded like Celestia.

"I heard that," Rainbow said with a grim expression, looking up she saw that both Fluttershy and Pinkie had gone on. "Well I guess they didn't see us stop."

"This is exactly what I didn't want to happen we're all split up now," grumbled Twilight in a dry tone, "we're at our weakest now."

"I think this is what Star Swirl wants, I wouldn't be surprised if we split up even further," replied Rainbow in her own equally dry tone.

Twilight raised an eyebrow and asked, "Why is that."

"It fits with what we know about the tests, there all suppose to be individual tests right."

"Yeah."

"There we go, let's find whoever was calling you."

Pinkie looked around and said, "Um, Fluttershy we've lost everypony."

Fluttershy came to a stop and looked around "Oh my."

Rarity's voice call for help again echoed down the hallway.

The pegasus's eyes widened, she shouted "I'm coming Rarity," and she took off in the direction the yell came from faster than she had ever move in her life.

Pinkie had a hard time keeping up with her and after a few turns she had lost her yellow feathered friend. "Oh well it was going to happen sometime, I wonder who I'm going to find."

I had given up on trying to find everyone and had fallen back on my carnival experience as a child; keep your right hand on the wall. However seeing as I no longer had hands I was making due by dragging the right wing tip along the wall. This had been somewhat helpful as I had reached three dead ends thus far, and when I came around the next corner I found myself at another.

"Well, sh.."

"Now, now Steel don't start corrupting this world with your Anglo Saxon vocabulary."

I jumped and turned around to find a hologram very similar to the one at the beginning except no beard, hat or robe. "Jack," I asked a bit incredulously.

The image laughed, "That’s right."

"Why in god's green earth would you have me build all of this," I tried to gesture to crown and wings, "If I wasn't going to use it?"

The image began to pace back and forth in front of me. "You would have but I never expected you to bring the bloody Elements of Harmony along with you. This was designed so that only a few beings would be able to solo the tests, the Princesses, you with the Alicorn rig. But I knew my research or some of my equipment might be needed later on so I hid it so only ones who would use it correctly could access it."

"Alright, but you know your fool Alicorn rig sucks, it fired my nerves when I tried to use it."
The image of Jack frowned and looked at me, "So that's what that clunky metal suit is for, hold still let me scan you."

I relaxed and let the brace hold me still as several interlaced beam crossed over my body. "Hmmm, Looks like you tried to focus too much magic at once through the crown."

"How in blue blazes did I do that? I only had three crystals."

"How indeed, let me think on it. Oh my probability calculations says that you were channeling additional magic through your body."

"Yeah, more explanation is needed on that buddy."

"You're an earth pony right." He waited until I nodded my head to continue, "Earth ponies can channel the innate magic of the earth through their hoofs and into their magic. They have the most magical reserves of all the races but the least number of uses. Healing for example, that's why without any alteration they can normal live four to five hundred years, unicorns can live twice that but they have to actively use their magic to do so. However hard headed earth ponies can live a thousand years or more as well but that's a one in a million maybe."

"You told me I aged at one tenth the normal for these ponies, and now you say that their normal lifespan can reach a thousand years?"

"Yeah you'll be around for a while, so what's the rush on finding the lab?"

"When we, you and I arrived here we tore the dimensional barrier that protects this place. Now something big, ugly and a little crazy is coming for dinner and we can't lock the door."

The image froze except for flickers of static scattered along the projected body. "Is it the massive creature that leaves behind black flame?"

I raised my eyes to look at his; it was odd meeting the gaze of something I could see through, "Yes."

"Damn," he paused for an instant before continuing. "Alright, if I could I would change the rules of the tests so you could just walk to the lab, but I can't. The real Jack prevented me from doing so, but I will do what I can to help."

"Why?"

"I'm a neural imprint, a copy of Jack's mind from three hundred years before he died. I watched slowly as, I, my creator, this existential garbage is tiring. I watched as he slowly went mad. He told me of the dreams, I had seen them myself well kind of he had a few of them before I was created. I know what you're facing and I know that nothing in this lab right now can stop it but we might be able to figure out something. "

"That's not what I was hoping for; I think we all wanted the magic key to be here."

"Yeah well, it's not that simple. Hey it looks like your friends are about to walk in on their tests want to watch?" The image disappeared and then reappeared beside me along with a projection on one of the walls. Six images, one of each of the mares from our group.

"What's going to happen?"

"Shhh, don't talk during the movie."

Applejack sighed, they had walked all the way back to the entrance searching for Steel but had no luck finding him. Now they were following a cry for help in the maze. This is worse than when Big Mac and I got lost in the back forty when we were little, she thought.

"Help," cried a voice. It had been several minutes since the last cry.

"This way," said Logia as she turned off the hallway.

Another voice further down the hall yelled for help.

"Logia, down here," said AppleJack as she turned to look at her companion only to find a wall where the doorway had been moments before. "Well if that don't beat, I wonder if this Star Swirl ever had a run in with Discord." She shook her head and started down the hallway towards where she had heard the cry for help.

Two voices called for help and they sounded very similar. As she closed in on the cries, the smell of fire, burning wood, apples and hot metal wafted down the hallway. Panic gripped her, she knew this was a projection but still she didn't want to step in on a fictional razing of Sweet Apple Acres.

She came around the corner and found nothing she was expecting. What she walked in on was The Flim Falm brothers machine, The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 in flames. It looked as if it had exploded, shrapnel flung across the corridor. The brothers were buried under the flaming debris. Flam's face was covered in blood, Flim a massive burn across his side.
Applejack reacted instantly she first reached Flam pulling him out of the debris. She removed his vest and pinned it to his face. "Can you hear me," she asked.
He nodded slightly.

"Good now hold it tightly to your face; I'm gonna go get your brother."

She turned to sprint back towards the wreck, but he spoke, "Why?"

"Because y'all need help."

"Why help us, we made you look like a fool?"

Applejack looked at the injured unicorn, "for a bit you did but you got what was coming to you and I wouldn't wish this on anypony." She looked back at the destroyed machine but it was gone, she looked back at where she had left Flam but he was gone as well. "What the hey is going' on around here," she asked just before the ground began to shake and the maze walls began to sink down.

Logia looked back to see if Applejack was still following her, and what do you know she was gone. Well there goes some of my respect, she thought as she walked down the hallway. This was becoming less and less fun.

"Help"

The cry was close and she thought she knew where it was so she sprinted down the hallway. as she came around a corner she found a green earth pony with a brown mane smashed and broken.

"Logia," he whispered coughing up blood, "why did you leave me?"

She felt like she was going to start crying, "Decimal, I'm sorry I didn't mean to leave you, I had no choice."

The broken pony laughed dark blood spraying from his lips as he did so, "Logia please don't lie to me, you're only lying to yourself anyways."

"I don't care, I am sorry, I'm sorry to everyone I left."

"You never even came back; you haven't seen the memorial at Canterlot. You haven't done anything to prove that."

"I know," she began to break down in tears, "Decimal I'm so sorry to you personally more than anypony else. After you told me that we were in the same class and that you were always right behind me. Then we were attacked all I could think about was myself I didn't anyone else I could have helped but I had never imagined destruction on that scale."

"So there's the truth."

"Yes, that's the truth, I can't do anything for you now but I'll stay here until you go."

Decimal smiled a thin string of blood dripped from his lip, "It's okay I believe you now."

"What," asked Logia? She stumbled when the ground began to vibrate. Looking around she saw the walls where lowering into the ground. Looking back at Decimal she saw that he was gone. "I guess I pass this one," she muttered to herself as she fought back tears.

Twilight sprinted through the maze, "where is she," she continuously muttered as Rainbow flew along beside her.

"Calm down Twi, we need to relax it's just a test and you know that's not really the princess."

The unicorn slowed and took a deep breath, "I know, at least part of me knows that."

"Help," cried a new voice, this one familiar as well.

"I think that one's mine I'll see ya latter Twi," said the pegasus as she took off wings outstretched. She neatly banked around a corner and was gone.

Twilight sighed, Rainbow was right it was just a stupid test. Looking up she continued down the hallway to the turn past Rainbows. The corridor ended in a large room, Celestia in all her glory was pinned under a stone in the center of the room.

Her eyes widened when she saw Twilight. "Help me," she called her voice raspy from the yelling.

The purple unicorn reacted on instinct rushing over to lift the stone off her mentor, and as she did she noticed something odd. Celestia's back leg shifted in texture and color. Mid way through lifting the stone off her leg Twilight realized what she saw, she tried to push the rock back down and pin the phony princess unfortunately it was too late. As the thing that wore Celestia's visage stood Twilight yelled at it, "You, you ruined my brother’s wedding."

The image of Celestia shimmered and wall of green flame enveloped her. She was replaced by the Changeling Queen. "I told you, I did so to feed my subjects."

Twilight growled, "You turned my brother against me, my mentor, and my friends, all for a little food?"

The queen strode through the room examining one of her chitinous hoofs. "I'm not going to deny what I did, but think about it this way if the roles were reversed. You would deny an entire populace, all of Canterlot, Manehatten, or even your precious Ponyville sustenance if you had the power to fee them? You would let them all starve even if you saw your neighbor with more food than they could ever eat."

"Do you want my forgiveness?"

"What do you think?"

"I'll never forgive you but at least I understand why to some degree but why not openly ask to visit."

"I don't know next time you see me why don't you ask?"

"I'll do that." Twilight blinked her eyes and the queen was gone. She looked around and saw no one was there. She stumbled slightly as the ground shook and the walls receded into the ground.

Rainbow Dash zipped through the hallway. She knew that this test was to be faced alone and the only way to help the others was to face it as quickly as possible. The call for help came from around the next corner she knew that much as well. Making the last turn she slowed down and landed, one thought crossed her mind. "Whoa," she said in surprise. The walls had grown and at the far end of the room was a giant transparent blue bear.

"Great, when The Great and Powerful Trixie asked for help, she didn't expect the hopeless to arrive."

"Trixie?"

"I can understand why you would be in awe. Trixie does that to ponies, however if we could turn our focus towards the Ursa Minor."

"Right, did you ever discover how to vanquish one of these?"

"Trixie hasn't had time yet."

"Alright then," said Rainbow with a smile. "Let's do this," she cried and leaped into the air soaring straight at the Ursa. She circled the beasts head then turned back diving at Trixie. Just before she struck the show mare she pulled up and grabbed her body lifting the unicorn off the ground.

"Trixie demands you let her go."

"Sorry, not gonna happen, we might not see eye to eye but I'm not gonna leave you to be bear food." Dash looked down and saw that her passenger had vanished. "What," she asked as she tumbled to the ground. She couldn't tell for sure because the world was spinning but the walls seemed to be getting shorter.

Pinkie skipped through the maze taking turns at what seemed like random. Eventually she bounded down a hallway towards a dead end and found a cage with a griffon inside. Once she realized who it was she came to a stop, "well if it isn't Miss Meany pants."

"Oh joy I get to be saved by queen lame," groaned the imprisoned griffon.

"You ruined the party I threw for you with your meanie-ness, yelled at Fluttershy and turned you back on Rainbow Dash. I'm going to get you out of the cage because it's the right thing to do."

"Oh really," replied Gilda raising an eyebrow, "are you going to throw a party afterward?"

"No silly there's no time to throw a party, you’re not really here. I bet that our minds were scanned and everyone who appears was picked for us specifically." Gilda’s beak hung open as Pinkie pulled a key ring out of nowhere and began to flip through the keys. "I'm not mad at you image of Gilda, or even the real Gilda I feel sorry for her if she stays a meanie like that she'll never have any friends." Pinkie placed a key in the lock and gave it a turn, the lock and chain holding the cage closed fell to the ground. When Pinkie looked up she saw that the cage was empty, she looked around for the griffon. "Gilda," she asked looking around but the griffon was gone. She laughed, "That was easy." The ground began to shake and she sat down, "Oh this makes my voice sound funny."

Fluttershy rarely moved like this, usually she walked, slowly. Running was dangerous you couldn't watch where you put your hooves when you ran. You could run into someone and hurt them or worse step on someone or something. However Rarity was in trouble. Whether it was the real Rarity or a projection she wasn't sure, but she couldn't take a chance that she was the real one. She felt the burn of muscle strain on along her back specifically in the muscles that controlled her wings. She could feel the pressure building in front of her in the exact way Rainbow described the pressure building for a Rainboom. She came around a corner and saw a white unicorn with a purple mane dangling from a ledge struggling to hold on and not fall. The cliff face she was hanging from was giving way under hoof. Fluttershy pushed herself she needed speed she needed to be faster than she had ever been before. Faster than saving Rarity and Spike after his greed issue. Faster than chasing down Rainbow when she had been discorded. The pressure wave built, and she could feel the conic angle shrinking as the pressure increased around her body. Everything felt like what Rainbow had described except for the pain she had said nothing about the pain. Her muscles ached, her body ached pressure squeezed her unlike anything she had ever felt before. How could Rainbow stand this, she thought as the pain caused tears to leak out of her eyes only to be swept away by the speed.

"Help," yelped Rarity as her grip on the ledge gave way and she started to fall only to have a massive ball of pressure force her back up over the cliff. She looked up to see who it was that had saved her, "Fluttershy?"

The pegasus was standing on quivering legs, and she winced with each step, "Rarity you're okay," she gasped before collapsing to the ground. Every time she tried to move, that muscle would scream in pain but she stood back up and staggered over to her unicorn friend to wrap her in a hug. She couldn't tell if it was her trembling body or not but it felt like the room was shaking violently. She closed her eyes and cried, "Oh Rarity."

"So," started the hologram, "What's the world like up there, I haven't seen it in about a thousand years."

"There's a town and you house is a library," I replied still watching my friends.

"That's cool how about the forest," he asked.

"The Everfree, that's where I popped out. From what I've been told it's a crazy place where everything acts normal at least in my opinion."

"I would wager that we arrived at the same spot however when I got here the forest was a small grove of trees. I'm going to hazard a guess that our entry point is what caused the Everfree. Heck those blue flowers I think they are called Poison Joke developed in the grove I appeared in," the hologram was rambling on about chaos theories now and I chose to ignore him.

Eventually after watching the last test come to an end I looked over at the Image of Jack and asked, "you said would do what you could to help us, where was the help?"

The wall was collapsing turning the labyrinth into a flat plane of stone. The image smiled and said, "I did. You just won’t realize what I've done until you see the actual lab."

"Right, so anything else you can help me with?"

"Two things, one everyone who is transported away will be returned either when you all fail, or reach your destination. Second you might want to stop Applejack quick otherwise you're going to hate this next test." When the image was finished talking it vanished from in front of my eyes.

"Over dramatic pain in the backside," I muttered as I looked across the newly formed room. There was a large gap along the edges about twenty feet across and no way to tell how deep. In the center was a stone gazebo four pillars with a short angled roof inside was a pyramid with fog bellowing out from underneath. Two short wrinkly creatures with bull like horns walked around and one was having it's back stroked by a lithe unicorn with a short almost buzz cut mane and red eyes.

I looked around the platform for everyone else Applejack was closest but we were all spread out scattered around the central structure. I started to move but as I did so the lithe unicorn turned to Applejack and asked, "Are you a god?"

I took a deep breath to bellow out what I could, "don't," I started but I was too late so I shifted my yell to, "hold on."

The unicorn smirked and announced, "Then die," it growled as energy arced from its horn. The wind started to pour out from the pyramid and I started to feel myself slide backwards along the stone floor.

I focused my mind on the crown and the steel shoes that locked the support struts of my brace in place. I needed to change their shape spikes grew from there bottom stabbing into the ground as I braced myself against the wind. Looking around I saw Applejack her hooves had crushed the stone as she stood against the wind. She was being pushed back leaving crumbling scars of stone as each hoof fought to stay on the ground. Rainbow had parked herself on the ground wings tucked in holding herself in a dive position looking like she was in no trouble at all. Twilight had surrounded herself in a translucent purple bubble and was having no problem with the wind. A large stone slab now rose out of the ground where Logia had been obscuring her from view. Pinkie had somehow acquired a large amount of rock climbing gear and had secured herself to the ground. That left Fluttershy who was tumbling across the stone plain towards its edge. She would try to stand up but couldn't for some reason. I closed my eyes and reached out I needed something to manipulate; it was the only type of magic I could really use. Small stones were tumbling across the floor so I gathered them up and formed them into a rope. By the time I looked up I saw a that Twilight had already used her magic to hold her in place so I shifted the rope into a concave wall behind the tumbling pegasus and Twilight used her magic to cover the front in a shield.

The red eyed unicorn only smiled and the wind speed picked up. Looking around I saw Applejack slip further back and so it Rainbow. Pinkie was at the end of a rope flying around like a kite wearing a smile as wide as her face. Okay I know how they did this in the movie but how to do it now, I thought as I examined the entire room again. This is the test of magic. So what do we have, two unicorns, myself with an almost empty power crystal, my gut told me it was half empty. Fluttershy was out, the two earth ponies wouldn't be much help and Rainbow couldn't fly in this. I had seen Twilight create an energy blast from her horn when she started teaching me magic, that will work, I thought. I tried to yell at Twilight but the wind ripped my words away before even I could hear them. I needed to communicate with Twilight and Logia. So I began to puzzle out what to do when I was hit by an epiphany. I focused once again on my magic and I carved the same message in the stone in front of both unicorns. try to shoot the pyramid with an energy blast.

I saw Twilight nod and then a similar message was scrawled on the floor in front me, can you cover Fluttershy?

I gave her a nod in reply and the shield covering the pegasus disappeared. I did my best to form a wall in front of her blocking the wind that was driving her into the back of the shelter I had built for her. I looked back towards the two unicorns both where sending bursts of energy at the pyramid. It was having an effect the wind was dying down but there was little else going on. I blinked no I wasn't mistaking it the unicorn in the center was frowning. This time my voice was able to carry across the stone field as I yelled, "try a beam."

Both unicorns stopped, refocused and projected a beam of magical energy at the pyramid. A series of explosions wrecked the structure and then everything stopped, the two bull like creatures and the red eyed unicorn had disappeared just as the pyramid had. The wind had stopped as well and everyone was walking towards the center. I looked towards where Fluttershy had been only to see the swirling blue vortex of the teleportation spell. I tried to take a step in her direction only to find myself still nailed to the floor. I concentrated on fixing that and once I was done I heard the beep signaling the crystal was empty.

At the far end of the stone field a door appeared, as Star Swirls voice announced, "your friend is unharmed but failed the test she will be waiting for you to finish."

"Who," asked Rainbow looking around? "Not Fluttershy," she said with a pained expression. I bowed my head, I shared her feelings it felt like it had been my fault. However when I looked up I was surprised to find Rainbow smiling and she said, "come on let's find this lab so we can get everypony back."

I followed everyone as we entered the lab and as we did I eyed Pinkie there was no place that I could see for her to be hiding the climbing equipment. It was bothering me enough that I went ahead and asked, "Pinkie where do you keep all the random stuff you pull out of nowhere?"
"I keep it in my super secret hole."

I fought back my laugh and said, "Right, sounds like Hammerspace to me."

"Oh, Hammerspace, I like that name I can keep all my hammers there. Hammerspace, Hammerspace, I wonder if I can make a song about it?"

I shifted my attention away from Pinkie and to the room we were entering it was large, not as big as the stone platform for the labyrinth but larger than any of the other rooms. It was full of bookshelves covered in cobwebs, a small section had wooden desk suffering from dry rot barely solid enough to hold the glassware on top. In the center of the room was a large exposed Potestatum gem cluster.

"Is this it," asked Logia with an incredulous look. She tapped on one of the bookshelves and that shelf collapsed dumping its contents onto the floor.

"I doubt it, if it was everyone would be back now," replied Twilight as she examined the chemistry glassware.

"So what's left to test," asked Applejack as she returned from her search of the laboratory. "This isn’t what I was expecting, where are all of those fancy machines like what you have Steel?"

It was a good question, so good in fact that I had to shrug in response, "I don't know." I looked around there was something about the wall behind the chemistry tables that kept grabbing my attention. There were two wrought iron lanterns mounted side by side on the wall. I walked over to investigate.

"What's this," asked Rainbow as I came around a table. She was standing beside a short stone table with a large dish set in the top. The dish glowed blue, the same blue as the projected images of Star Swirl.

"I don't know, if you find any buttons push them see if it come on." I walked past her and began to examine the wall. A high pitched whine of electronics from behind me grabbed my attention. Turning around I saw that the emitter array had activated.
"Congratulations," the image of Star Swirl said, "on finding my lab."

I grunted and turned back towards the wall this wasn't the lab I knew that much but my brain kept me looking at the wall there was something about it. It might not have been the wall maybe it was the lanterns drew my attention but either way I ignored the projection.

"This isn't right, it can't be the real lab," muttered Twilight as she walked up beside me, "if it was everyone would be back right?"

"That's my understanding," I answered still looking at the wall as I thought, maybe one of the lanterns is a lever like in one of the old gothic movies. I tried to stand up against the wall but I soon discovered that with the brace that was very much impossible.

"Oh wow, I've never seen anything like this before," said Logia awe evident in her voice.
I turned to look at her and saw that she was holding up an intricately carved pipe examining it with her magic.

Stepping away from the wall I asked, "What's so unique about it?"

"I've never seen a pipe with this much detail in the carving has a castle and a creature with a polearm riding an earth pony."

I got closer and her description was accurate, it was obviously something Jack had created. "Can you tell what it's made of," I asked as I stepped in close enough to examine the pipe with her, it did look familiar.

"I think it's some form of dentine, it probably was a tooth at one point. It has some decent magic in it so probably it was a dragons tooth; they lose their teeth all the time." She turned the pipe over examining the stem which appeared to be made of amber. "Though usually dragons swallow their teeth," she added as an afterthought.

I took another look at the pipe and announced to everyone, "While you're around looking keep your eyes open for a disk in the wall that this would fit in."

"You mean like that," asked Rainbow pointing to a wall section a few yards to the right of where I had been.

"Yeah," I sighed. "I would wager that any more tests are made specifically to make sure that it's me that finds the real lab."

"So this isn't the lab, it looks like a lab," commented Pinkie as she returned to the group.
"It has everything you ponies might need to defend yourself, his research stored in books. That massive Potestatum vein in the middle, heck if Rarity was here I would ask her to cut off a few more crystals for the rig. It gives you what he thinks you might need if you came here, that's all."

"That's not a bad idea, why can't Twi or Logia do that," asked Applejack. "I mean why can we cut off some new stones?"

Twilight took it upon herself to answer, "Rarity's special talent is dealing with gemstones and someone with that kind of talent is needed to cut Potestatum in a way that it doesn't explode." She turned to Logia and said, "Not to imply anything negative about your abilities but if either of us tried it would probably detonate that entire cluster, destroying Ponyville."

Logia smiled and agreed, "even if I wanted to try, the fact that the whole town would be destroyed from one mistake would keep me from attempting it." Her smile turned into a frown as she added, "I have enough death on my hooves."

I walked over to the disk that Rainbow had pointed out and examined it. Just like in the movie the stem would need to be removed and would be used as a handle to turn the dial once the bowl had been place in its inverse molded nook. I told Twilight what needed to be done and stepped back out of the way.

She stepped up to the wall placing the pipe in its recess and the stem in its hole. A heavy clunk of gears falling into place was heard as she began to twist the dial. From behind us the sound of stone scraping across stone and I turned to see that the floor in front of the wall I had been examining was being drawn away sliding into a pocket under the wall. It the sliding floor revealed a staircase that descended a level then turned into a hallway.

I looked at the others and then started down the stairs. The room we found at the end of the tunnel was a square sandstone temple with a chest high pillar at each corner. The pillars each had a triangle cut into the center and on each side of the triangle a pattern of lines were present, different for each corner. In the center of the room was a small stage and on top of that a black statue of a pony in stereotypical Egyptian garb staring skyward. In the center of each side of the stage sat a triangular stone with lines that matched those of the corner columns.

"Okay this is easy," I said aloud, "the small stones go on the pillars that match the lines carved on them. The flat lines are earth, the one with the vertical lines is fire, water has the wavy lines on the bottom, and the one that has the arched lines on top is air. Once you have them placed expose them to their element and they'll unlock." I looked at everyone after I was finished; they all looked back at me with surprised faces. "What this is based on one of my favorite movies, let's get this going."

Rainbow nodded and grabbed one of the stones flying over and placing it on its stand. Twilight, Logia and Applejack all grabbed one as well. I climbed up on the stage and began to think, the last element was 'love,' where was I going to find that. These last few tests I was supposed to be able to complete on my own, and I wasn't going to do that on stage. I guess I could kiss the statue. Looking up I saw that Rainbow and Applejack had activated their stones. Logia was pouring water out of her canteen onto hers and Twilight appeared to be casting a flame spell on her stone. Once I saw the glowing light emit from the last one to activate I asked, "so who wants’ a kiss."

The look of horror and disgust that I received from everyone but Pinkie and Logia ruled them out, Applejack just looked annoyed. Twilight and Rainbow probably where having issues with the dream memories, I knew I was. Awe yeah, those times were great, we got all the honeys, started the lecherous voice in my head, we need to go back.

Shut up, shut up, shut up, I thought to myself as fiercely as I could. Before I realized it I had a pink earth pony wrapped around my neck, she hit me hard enough that I doubt I would have stayed standing without the brace.

"I don't kiss anyone who's not family but hugs are good too right," she said.

I swallowed my throat suddenly dry and said, "thanks Pinkie." I then looked at the others before saying anything else. "In the movie the hero kisses the girl here on the stage, the fifth element in the movie is love." I sighed and stepped off the stage, "I don't know what to do for the last part, and I'm supposed to be able to do this solo."

"You could kiss the statue," offered Logia doing her best to hide a smile.

"I guess it's worth a shot at this point," I replied before returning to the stage. I gave the statue a proper kiss, the black polished stone was smooth and cool to the touch but nothing happened. Suddenly I felt extremely foolish, and I felt my cheeks flush as I stepped back away from the statue. "Well that's a no go Huston," I muttered. This was one of the times I wished the brace would allow me to sit comfortably, it would be easier to think sitting down.

"Do you think it can sense emotion," asked Rainbow.

"I don't think so, I'm not picking up any magic from the statue," answered Twilight, "but whatever the last part of the test is, it takes place on that platform."

"Hey Applejack," I began, "do you think you could try to move the statue?"

"I'll give it a go but don't you think we should hold off on destroying things tell we know what they do?"

"True," I added, then lifted a hoof to the statue and gave it a shove. Nothing happened, "I can't tell if it's attached or not so I'll leave it to you."

The orange earth pony stepped up to the statue inspecting it as she went, eventually she turned around and placed both back hooves on the statue just below the center and began to push. The statue slid across the stage to the edge but nothing more happened.

Logia climbed up on stage and spoke in a calm manner almost hiding her nerves, "you said there were two kissing in the movie." Her eyes shifted to a glare, as she growled "I'll give it a try but don't think anything of it."

"You sure, if this doesn't work you’re not going to try to kill me are you," I laughed a little afterwards. I hopped that I didn't sound a nervous as I felt; this was way outside my comfort zone.

"I won't know until you try," she countered.

What the hell, I thought as I walked over to her and looked in her eyes.

This is what I'm talking about, maybe we can convince her to do more afterwards, goded the letcher.

I closed my eyes more to concentrate on silencing my mind than anything else and suddenly I felt her lips on mine. It was a surprise to say the least. It was an odd, during that one instant I couldn't tell if time was speeding up or slowing down. My eyes popped open as she pulled away, it was silent nothing happened with the room. I began chewing on my lower lip and then asked, "Uh you wouldn't hit a cripple would you?"

"Depends on what happens next," she answered with a smile.

My mind was blank; no matter what I did or tried I couldn't get my mind to restart. Eventually I forced my thoughts on the room to start back up, the kiss had done nothing. Looking around the room I saw nothing that would gave a hint at what I was supposed to do, and every time my gaze would cross Logia my thoughts would stop until I looked away. Damn woman, I thought.

Stop complaining and get on with it, you need to figure this out, said the other voice in my mind, the one that was not a lecher.

Hey maybe another kiss would work from you, said the lecherous voice.

Go away, I need to think. It's not like I can ask anyone for help.

Why not, you already have, replied the lecher.

The last comment sparked a thought in my head, "Jack I know you can hear me. Come on man let me in, or at least give me a hint." Silence filled the room; I looked at everyone and said, "this isn't making sense." Then it hit me, Korben said he loved her before the kiss. I looked a Logia and said, "let's try this again."

She eyed me concernedly, before nodding in agreement, and saying, "one more time that's it."

I leaned in and whispered, "I love you," right before our lips touched. Several things happened one was the lights on top of the stone converged in the center of the room. Another was a door opposite of where we entered opening and finally I felt a sharp pain, the room spun and I saw white. "I thought you said you wouldn't hit a cripple," I cried as the room slowly came into focus and slowed its spin.

"I said depends on what happens next, how dare you springing that on me."

"I could have said it to the statue," I cried gesturing to emphasize my point. "It's just we moved it already and," my voice began to falter as I started processing what I was saying, "you were there, and oh dear I'm digging myself a hole aren't I."

She laughed and replied, "Oh it's one you're not getting out of without a crane."

There was another snort from behind me and I saw Rainbow shivering from suppressed laughter, Twilight hiding a smile, Pinkie being Pinkie, and Applejack staring off at nowhere whistling. This only caused my embarrassment to increase, my face felt like it was burning. "Well now that we have this door opened let go," my voice squeaked as it caught in my throat. I turned myself around as fast as I could fighting the brace as I did and marched for the new door.

The next room was empty save for a button in the center of the room, the walls were white, no imperfections. I waited for the rest of the group to enter before speaking, "I'm going to guess that this button starts this test."

"Well press it then," said Rainbow.

"Okay I just wanted everyone to be ready," replied as I reached up to press the button only to find that Pinkie had already pressed it.

A giant image of Star Swirl's face appeared then the long hair and beard fell away leaving the three dimensional portrait of the hologram that answered to the name Jack. "Hello Steel, I see you've made it this far, along with some friends. You have passed the tests of loyalty, generosity, laughter, honesty, kindness and magic. You found the repository, and the door into the lab. You passed the test of love, and now you have to prove tolerance."

The face vanished and on the walls images flashed and random videos began playing all overlapping each other. The audio that accompanied the videos all were played at equal volumes along with so many other audio files that I couldn't separate them. I caught fragments of Numa, Numa, and at least one of Beethoven symphonies along with some girl singing about picking a seat. I felt like I was going to be nauseous, the random pulsing of vibrations from the noise and the strobe like flashes of visual stimulation quickly induced a headache.

"Ah, make it stop," yelled Rainbow. She had her head pinned to the floor with her front hooves and as she was begging, "make it stop, for all that is good in the world make it stop." She was then wrapped in the swirling blue energy vortex.

I fought through the noise, and looked around Pinkie was zipping from screen to screen watching each video for a few seconds and then heading to the next. Applejack had closed her eyes and was standing rigid in the center of the room. Both unicorns had magical energy covering their ears and their eyes were closed. Looking at one of the walls I saw a red bar and a time counter at the bottom which read, 1:30/15:00.

Fifteen minutes later I staggered out, deaf from the media room from hell, into a room that could best be described as a circular warehouse. Along one section of the wall was a bank of computers and in the center was a giant screen showing a boot up process. In the middle of the room was another hologram projector, this time projecting an image of Jack smiling. As more lights came on I saw that the far side of the room extended into a square alcove off of the main circle. In the center hung several mechanical devices one a device that looked like it would attach across the chest. It had two arms ending in five fingered hands. On the wall opposite the computers was a work desk armed with every construction tool imaginable, as well as several storage bays on either side of the construction table.

Looking back I saw Pinkie zipping around the room looking at devices with the same thoroughness she had shown in the tolerance test. The two unicorns looked like kids on Christmas morning and Applejack looked board. I shifted my gaze back to the hologram and asked, "Where is everyone?"

"Here," he said with a smile pointing to the alcove. four swirling energy vortexes dropped the ones they had taken. When they arrived they looked just as they had when they were taken, same stance, same everything. In fact Rarity continued to scream for several seconds before realizing where she was. "Oh and here is what you gave up in the generosity test," added Jack as the items returned to float in front of everyone.

I heard Applejack cry, "My hat," and saw everyone head over to the returned ponies to give hugs and welcome them back.

"This is wonderful, you're just like Santa Claus, do you have anything else to give us like a quick way out," I asked.

"That's easy the first few tests take place in a cavern I modified to function like the holodeck."

I frowned at the projection, "this is a little hard to believe you know that right?'

"After I lost you I spent years learning about how interdimensional travel worked and came here after sending several sets of supplies through. Everything here is the result of over twenty years of development back home combined with the magic of this land."

Twilight walked up beside me flanked by Logia, "what are you," she asked of the image.

"I am a neural imprint of Star Swirl. I know everything he did at the time of my creation."
The two unicorn’s eyes dilated in synchronization, before simultaneously assaulting the projection with questions.

I turned from the new discussion and walked over to the computers, and examined the interface, as I did and image of Jack appeared like the paper clip with a selection box underneath. "Good lord how arrogant do you have to be."

I jumped when the image spoke, "Well when you're locked away for several centuries you have plenty of time to think up jokes."

Looking back over my shoulder I saw that everyone was gathering around the hologram. "So you can multitask now."

"I am pretty much a computer now and that is what they're meant to do."

"So what was your plan for the, whatever you want to call it, the black fire demon."

"Other than don't read the Necronomicon aloud, I still need more data. I have a few ideas but it needs to be confirmed. Right now I would wager that since it's from the space between dimensions that anything in this one wouldn't be able to defeat it. My best suggestion would be to use the Elements to stitch the hole we tore shut. However from what I have seen of dimensional barriers it has healed somewhat already at least to the point that we can't find it from the inside."

"So we have to wait for something to come through to find the wound," I asked.

"Yeah and whatever comes through has to come all the way through or be pushed back out before it can be sealed."

"That is going to be a pain, but we know where it will come out right, the gateways don't move."

They do but only slightly due to the oscillations of the planet. I still haven't figured out how they bind themselves to one place. It's a whole different set of physics laws that I have only scratched the surface and add onto that the laws that govern magical energy. I think I did damn good job figuring out what I have."

"I'm not going to argue, but what can we do to prepare?"

"That is what I've been working on," he replied opening windows full of schematics, and as each one opened my smile grew.

The Calm before the Storm

Out of my Element

Chapter 12: The Calm before the Storm

In the weeks that followed the discovery of the lab several things had occurred. I had told them about Jacks theory on how to close the tear and the Elements themselves had been moved to a standby status. I had moved into the lab, the back rooms off of the square alcove included a two bedrooms and a dining room/kitchen combo all the luxuries of home. Rarity had cut a total of thirty new crystals for my use, and as of right now I only had a use for about half of them. Now that I had access to the full use of the harness I was being taught magic from one of the unicorns usually bouncing me to the least busy of the three. When I wasn't learning from them I was learning how to fly from Rainbow or about multiverse physics from Jack. That's where I found myself now.

"So given that a universe is infinite and a multiverse contains several infinite bodies that it too has to be infinite meaning that any possibility can exist. Now this is all well and good but there is a structure otherwise collisions between the universes would be so frequent that everything would have to be summed up as single universe. My theory on this is that universes give off strings to one another and allow temporary contact and allow movement similar to," the projection of Jack paused to think. "It would be like how Spider-man swings through New York. The effect these strings have is extremely localized however they can spread depending on how some residence express themselves. Say this universe or one similar to it had a connection back home and tapped a creative mind as its anchor. That mind could turn it into a book, game, movie, or TV show."

"So I could have ended up somewhere like Star Trek," I asked.

"Yeah or you could have ended up in a world like Mad Max or Battlefield Earth."

"So what you're saying is I'm one lucky son of a."

"Yes," he cut me off.

"Alright so how does this help me in figuring out how to stop that thing?"

"Well my thought is that to find this dimension it had to create a tether to find us, similar to how the dimension strings that bind one another together. Just like how information from here traveled home, on the tether elements of it's being are being brought forth in pulses. These pulses will only get stronger and more frequent as it gets closer. We set up a device that measures the strength of the pulses and the distance between each. Using that data we can extrapolate about when the creature will arrive."

"Okay, so that's what one of those schematics that you showed me was for," I said. Something about what he had said scratched at my mind. "Wait you said a information from here went back home?"

"Yeah," he frowned before continuing, "a few years after you were lost a TV show started up based loosely on this world or a reflection of it. It could have been a shadow of this or this world could be a shadow of that I don't know I never watched it but you couldn't help but to become aware of it. It developed its own rabid fandom equal to those of Star Wars or Star Trek, just as disturbing and just as ingenious. However I don't remember anyone getting married in the fashion of the show unlike the Klingon wannabes."

"Man, just my luck get sent to a world of Technicolor talking horses when I've always wanted to meet the Doctor. Heck maybe I could have ended up a Hogwarts. I could have seen a Vorlon or anything where I was still human," I muttered as I called up the schematics for the sensor. "This shouldn't be too hard to build," I said after studying the pylons plans, "I'll just need a few things to get started."

"Don't worry about that, this place was fully stocked, with raw materials before I went mad," answered the projection. It gestured towards the wall beside the construction desk and two of the lower drawers slid open. Each one large enough to hold a body but filled to the brim with small copper balls. "Well aren't you just prepared for a BB war," I said forcing the sarcasm.

"While I was in general more adept at using magic than you, I have seen you're better at manipulating matter. You can change that into whatever you want. You can design things and build them to their most efficient configuration. That's your strength."

"You're full of answers aren't you," I replied in my most smarmy manner.

"Just think of me as that little fairy that follows you around and yells 'Hey listen."

"Don't you start," I inhaled and summoned the hanging arm set down from the ceiling with the press of a button. Jack had told me that he had controlled the whole mechanism with magic but I had made a few changes since taking ownership of the facility. One of the things changed was I modified the mechanical appendage to allow control through the pins in my neck. The mounting pins had to be modified as well to allow the use of the crown and the arms simultaneously. It was nice to use the hands to manipulate items like the crown when I put it on. I only wish I could receive a tactile response from the device. I could hear the whine of the support motors for the arms as I walked towards the construction bay.

Once at the desk I picked up the crown gingerly in the mechanical hands examining the twelve pointed crystals that reached out to jagged points. All cut by Rarity in a manner to induce more efficient magic flow. This thing has caused me nothing but trouble but it's too damn useful to destroy, I thought as I placed it on my head and listened to the crown go through its start up routine.

When the crown was ready I picked up a large amount of copper and started to mold it into a single wire strand. "Can you open a silicon drawer," I asked and I heard another drawer open. Looking off to my right I saw one of the monitors that hung from one of the articulated arms and pulled it over using the crown, "can you put the schematic up on here?" Before I had finished my question the blueprints had appeared on the screen. I looked back at the hologram with a smile and said, "It sure is nice to be working together again." The image returned the smile and I went back to work.

After sometime I heard Jack announce, "Steel you have a guest on her way down." I glanced at the clock in the bottom corner of the monitor I had been at this for several hours.

"Who is it," I asked as I magically welded what was effectively the last piece, a chaotic energy scanner, into the power grid of the scanning pylon.

"It appears to be Logia."

"Can you take care of the software upload?"

"Of course."

I sighed and stepped back away from the table, while simultaneously disengaging the arms. I stepped free as the articulating arm that held the cybernetic arms and hands retracted to the ceiling. I had done some modifying of the brace system and now I could move in a smoother fashion. It had also given me more range of motion but I had a plan to improve it even more.

"Where is our security no one should be able to just walk in here?"

Jack ignored the rhetorical part of my question and answered, "The absence of knowledge has served as the best security system thus far. In the past seven hundred years only you made it this far."

I rolled my eyes and walked to the door, it slid open as I approached. The tolerance test room had been easily converted to a media room, and in it I found Spike watching Dragonheart. I smiled at the little dragon, I had given him access to the room and he could come and go whenever he wanted. "When did you get here?"

He jumped and looked back over the sofa, "I haven't left."

"Dude, you've got to get out more. If you keep this up I'm going to have to limit your viewing time."

"Come on Steel I'm researching what you're world thought of dragons. Anyway I've got to leave after this one's over Twilight wants’ my help with the," he pinched his mouth shut for a second and then continued, "It’s a party. She needs my help with a party tonight for a pony I don't think you know her," he said this last part extremely fast.

I eyed him suspiciously as I walked over to one of the walls and brought up a history of what movies he had watched. It showed several movies but the one he was watching now appeared more than five times. "You know Spike, there's more to my world than these movies."

"I know, but I love this one, Draco's a full grown dragon that defends his friends and does the right thing." He climbed up on the sofa and was looking over its back, "were there dragons on your world?"

"Most people would tell you no. That they were all spawned from dinosaur bones and imagination, but they appear world over in myths and legends. I've always wished they had, it would leave a bit of mystery but that's the romantic in me."

"Oh," he said sliding back down on the sofa to watch the movie.

I turned and headed to the next room, before I left I said, "Hey do you want me to set a reminder for you to leave once the movies over, you don't want to make Twilight mad."

"Alright," he waved over the top of the sofa to signal he'd heard.

I smiled and shook my head as I walked through the next door. I had cleared the sandstone temple and had been using it as a practice room for magic. Small scrapes and burns marred the walls, each one had left a memory of how not to cast a spell. I was halfway across the room when Logia walked in from the opposite door.

"You need to get outside Steel living underground is bad for your mental health," she said as soon as got within comfortable conversation range.

"Funny you should say that I just told Spike the same thing," I replied with a laugh.

"He's down here; Twilight's been searching for him. She asked me to check while I was down here."

"Yeah, he's watching a movie," I said with a smile. "So what brings you down here?"

"You've been down here for over a week, missing three magic lessons and two of Rainbow's flight sessions. I wanted to see how you were doing and get you outside," she stared into my eyes as she spoke. I couldn't read her, sometime it felt like she was lecturing me and then her voice would warm with concern, then for no reason the cold lecture would return.

"You got me I'll head up," I said with a smile still meeting her gaze. "Jack make sure Spike leaves once the movies over."

"Will do," he replied.

"Oh and can you put us up top," I asked. As soon as the words left my mouth we were enveloped in a blue vortex of energy and deposited on the surface in between the library and town. The sun was setting and the moon had already traversed most of the sky. I inhaled the warm slightly humid air, and listened to the buzz of cicadas, or whatever their equivalent here was called. This was nice, looking around I thought, You know this place isn't that much different from home. For the first time I realized I was happy here, more so than I had ever been at home.

"What's the plan," I asked, as I stretched in the brace.

"First I take this off," she said as I felt magic envelop the crown and heard the sound of the release button being pressed. She lifted the circlet off my head and placed it in one of her bags as she said, "I'll hold onto this for now." She smiled when she looked back up at me.

I couldn't help but to return her smile, and said, "Alright step one complete. What’s next?"

"Well you have been have been working in that lab and with everyone else on learning to use the wings and magic. All so you could do whatever you can to help save this world from that monster everyone's talking about."

My smile fell just a little and I replied, "Yeah in fact I found a way to maybe figure out how long until it gets here. That's what I was," she interrupted by putting her hoof up to my mouth and shushing me.

"For tonight your work stays in the lab," she said still smiling. "We all decided that you need to know more about the world you’re trying to save."

"I've seen this world, I've been places. I have been to the capital. Heck I never even got to see my state capital back home."

"You've seen, observed, and analyzed but never experienced. Tonight that's what you're going to do."

I raised an eyebrow and looked at her suspiciously. "Really," I asked with a smirk.

Her expression flattened for an instant and then she said, "Tonight is the eve of the Summer Sun Celebration one of our biggest holidays."

I smiled, "so is this the party Spike was talking about?"

"He didn't tell you, did he?"

"No," I said with a laugh, "he just said that he was to help Twilight with a party for a pony I didn't know. He did sound flustered though."

"Yeah after we realized how focused you were down there working, we all decided to surprise you with this. So we sent Spike down to watch you."

"So this is an intervention," I asked as my face fell to a frown and I felt anger and irritation seep into my voice. "Did you draw the short straw to pull me back to the surface?"

When she started to speak her voice squeaked and she blushed slightly as she looked away. "No I volunteered. Rarity was going to be the one to do this until I asked."

I swallowed, and looked at the sky trying to stamp my emotions back into place. "They sure are going to be beautiful tonight."

"What," asked Logia looking up into the sky?

"The stars, it's going to be a new moon tonight and with the sky clear," I looked down to see she was still searching the sky.

"So where is this celebration taking place," I asked.

"It’s at city hall. Most cities have their own celebrations but the main one takes place wherever Celestia decides to go to celebrate. It is odd that she has chosen Ponyville a second time in such a short period of time. Twilight said it was the easiest way to get to some face time to discuss what we've found."

"If I'm suppose to experience this celebration let's not talk about that and start celebrating," I replied as I started to walk towards the center of town. I watched her until she started walking as well. When she caught up I asked, "So you volunteered?"

"Quiet Flash Bang, I don't know if anyone's home."

"I hate being quiet, it's not in my nature you know that," complained the copper colored pegasus with the light green mane. "Anyway we saw her leave with the dragon, and both Logia and what's his name were already at the celebration." Flash Bang looked over her shoulder, as she spoke her eyes drifting towards town she could hear the ruckus of the party. "You know I've never been to a Summer Sun Celebration."

"If we hurry you can see this one," growled Firestorm as she pulled the window open.

"You first," she pointed signaling her subordinate.

She jumped through the open portal silent and gracefully. Flash Bang was an odd operative in Dressage. She was one of the most powerful fighters when backed into a corner and she believed in ensuring the continued survival of ponydome. However, she saw the lower races to be potential allies not just because they were useful. An alliance of races to ensure all endured it was a dream, the dragons where to prideful, the griffins to arrogant, the diamond dogs too greedy. She snorted and thought, and don't even get me started on the Zebras or the barbarian lost tribes to the south.

She heard Flash Bang announce, "Clear." Then she climbed in to the building letting the window close slowly behind her.

The library was dark and they appeared to be in one of the back rooms. Flash Bang looked around and asked in a whisper, "I can't see particularly well, what about you."

"My night vision is just as good as yours, now come on," replied Firestorm as they walked from backroom to the main one. "Let's see there was a special knock, ah yes that was it," she muttered as she copied the pattern of taps that Steel had used.

The door in the floor opened and the two flew down the stairwell. At the bottom where the first test took place they found a large open cavern. At least we don't have to do those fool test as second time, thought the orange pegasus as took flight. "Come one Flash Bang we're almost there," she shouted as she looked back at her companion.

"Look out," shouted the copper pegasus her eyes wide.

When she looked forward to see what the shouting was about she saw there was a wall where there hadn't been before. She pulled hard to the left and landed, "what in the name of Celestia, when did it get here?"

"It just appeared in front of you I've never seen anything like it before," answered Flash Bang as she examined the wall.

"Now ladies, Steel is out. If you would like to make an appointment you can come back sometime tomorrow. Preferably during the daylight hours," said an echoing voice.

"Who is that," asked Flash Bang.

"It's the stupid computer, it thinks its Star Swirl," grumbled Firestorm trying to press through the wall.

"Thinks, ha," an image of a red maned unicorn with a blue body appeared on the ground beside them. "I am Star Swirl, sort of, and you’re not on the guest list."

Flash Bang blinked, and thought not bad looking. She then shook her head clear of such thoughts and said, "Star Swirl's dead."

"Yes I am but that doesn't change the fact that I'm am he, and you're not supposed to be here. Leave or I will throw you out."

"Try me," snarled Firestorm.

"Oh dear, Firestorm was it," the image walked over to her. "You should have learned from your last trip, that in this space I can do anything."

"Get him," replied the orange pegasus.

Flash Bang leapt into action. She struck at the unicorn’s neck in a manner that would have rendered him unconscious for hours. Unfortunately his neck felt as hard as stone. She pulled her hoof back as the image asked, "Really," then turned to Firestorm, "Did you not tell her that I'm a projection? Let me spell this out for you I can't be hurt by you and you need to leave."

"I need to leave,” laughed the orange pegasus, “no I need to see that lab again, and no bundle of wires is going to stop me," grumbled Firestorm as she took to the air. She flew in a circle accelerating constantly before diving towards the wall, the air friction enveloping her in flame.

"Now that won't due," said the image as a vortex of blue light enveloped the pegasus and she disappeared. He then turned to the remaining pegasus and asked, "I trust you won't do anything quite so foolish?"

Flash Bang looked around and then demanded, "What did you do to her?"

"I sent her up."

"Up? Up above, did you hurt her?"

"No but she might end up hurting herself, if she's not careful with her landing."

"Why," she asked as she scrunched her brows together.

The image smiled and said, "I have drained her of most of her magic."

Flash Bangs eyes widened before she shouted, "No you can't. The maneuver requires magic to stay flying ahead of the flames she's going to be burned."

"She still has time and I warned her. Now here is what I'll offer you. I'll put you up top without draining your magic and then you can save her."

She looked around the cavern then nodded, "do it." She was wrapped in blue light and the cave began to fade being replaced by the ground outside the library. Looking up she saw the streak of flame that was Firestorm. She took off building her speed to where she would hit her hypersonic about the time she caught her falling friend and hopefully putting the fire out.

Firestorm was in a free fall tumble surrounded by flames and unable to regain lift. She struggled vainly against the air torrents that surrounded her anything that could give her lift was pulled away or shifted by the fire. So this is how I'm going to die. she thought as she heard the explosion. Suddenly she was wrapped up in Flash Bang forelegs, the flame was gone and the comparatively cool air of the night wafted against her skin.

She inhaled and said, "Thanks."

"No problem commander but I do have a suggestion."

"Go ahead," replied Firestorm with a sigh.

"If we try this again why don't we ask?"

I looked up to see a circular explosion of fire in the sky. "Fireworks," I asked looking over at Logia.

"I don't think so, at least I've never heard of fireworks being used for the Summer Sun Celebration before." She looked around and then said, "From looking at everypony else I'm almost convinced they aren't."

I looked around and she was correct, everyone was staring to the sky in wonder.
The Mayor was running around asking everyone she could get he hooves on if they knew what was going on and if some new villain was attacking. The part about the villain was directed towards Twilight and her five friends.

"So," I began looking back at Logia, "Do you have a guess?"

She looked down for a moment and then said "I have no idea, anyway let's go get something to eat. I want to," she was interrupted by a chirp coming from my harness. "What is that?"

"Nothing really, just a way I can communicate back to the lab," I answered. I received a glare from her and turned away to answer. "What?"

"Did I get you at a bad time?"

I looked back at Logia and swallowed, "I think so, what do you want?"

"I figured you should know Firestorm and one of her friends tried to break in. I sent them up."

"Thanks," I muttered, "you know that secondary project that we've been working on, we may get a chance to try it out."

"Woot, let me know when you're ready and I'll send it to you."

"I'll call you then," I replied then turned back towards Logia and smiled.

"What was that about," she asked raising an eyebrow.

"Well your two friends tried to break into my lab, Jack said he sent them up."

"I," she started then looked up into the sky, "do you think that was them?"

"Maybe, but do you know why they tried to get in the lab?"

She made a face that I couldn't read then shook her head, "no, I mean Firestorm was there when we found the place but I can't think of a reason why they would be sneaking in."

"Well then," I smiled and walked over beside her, "at some point, we'll have to ask. As for now some Cider sounds good, and then we can go from there."
She returned the smile and said, "I agree, I've heard that the school mare has organized a talent show. Why don't we take a look."

"Alright," I replied.

We walked over to the cider stand to find Applejack behind the counter. When she looked up and noticed us she smiled. "Well if y'all ain't a sight," she said as she poured two mugs of cider. "The first one's on the house," she added as she placed them on the countertop.

I watched Logia picked hers up and frowned with a glance at my brace. "I think I'm going to have a drinking problem," I said to no one in particular.

Logia looked at me a sudden realization struck her, "how have you been able to eat and drink before now?"

"I did have the crown working just before I needed the brace," I answered.

She frowned this time and looked at me pity in her eyes.

Applejack looked from me to Logia and back before saying, "you know Steel with the way you can manipulate things. I'm surprised you haven't just remolded the things in your neck so they don't bother you. I saw what you can do when you built that bowl that caught Fluttershy."

I froze midway in attempting to wrangle the mug to my lips and let it fall. Why hadn't I tried that, I thought. "Applejack you may be a genius, no forget the maybe you are a genius."

"Wait you mean that you hadn't thought of that before," she replied lifting a hoof to her chin, "I wonder what other ponies haven't thought of before."

I looked at Logia, "I think I can do it, I just need to find an high detail x-ray to look at."

"Steel are you sure about this, what are the chances you could make it worse," she asked concern coated her face.

"Logia come on if this works I can do what everyone else can, I just need to see what it looks like back there." I felt my smile spread cutting my face in twain as I found the idea exhilarating. "Do you think the hospital would be open now?"

It was Applejack's turn to answer, "The hospital's always open but most of the staff will be out here."

"Alright then Logia do you mind," I asked with my best puppy dog eyes.

She looked away and then back at me, "I don't but from what I understand you are going to use the crown to manipulate what allows you to control it while using it."

"Yeah that sums it up," I said with a smile.

"That sounds insane. I'm not going to stop you because the idea that you could move without the brace is amazing but so much could go wrong." Her face was bunched up as she spoke, "and what if you screw up again and channel too much magic you could be back in the same boat."

"I'll put a fuse or a circuit in to prevent that," I looked at her face; it was painful to do so.

"What's wrong?"

"Steel I, I can't, the idea of you getting worse. Just leave me alone, I need to think," she said almost in tears.

I watched her turn around and walk off at a loss of word. I looked back at Applejack shaking my head, "what did I do?"

"You're a dense one aren't you Steel," she said. "She practically begged to be the one to invite you. She has spent more time around you than anyone else or haven't you realized that. She came to watch your lesson with Rainbow Dash and with the other two, she cares about you. I have no idea why she picked you but she has."

As she spoke my mind replayed every moment that the little unicorn had been around me. I hadn't noticed but she was everywhere, somewhere in my mind I had stopped thinking of her as just someone else I knew but as someone who would always be there. "Damn," I muttered before looking up and asking, "What do I do?"

"Go find her and apologize. Ask her what her thoughts on all this are." She smiled, gestured with her forelegs, "now go, you're holding up the line."

I looked behind me and found no one. Shaking my head smiled and said, "thank you AJ I'll talk to you later." I headed off into the crowed trying to find where Logia went. I shook my head again, I am dense, I thought.

That you are, she was crushing on you hard, said the lecher voice.

Why didn't you tell me then, I asked.

I didn't realize you were that stupid, it answered.

Great two voices in my head, both shoulder devils and both think I'm an fool, I thought with a laugh, maybe I was. Looking up I saw Fluttershy sitting on the porch of the town hall. I walked over and asked her, "Have you seen Logia?"

She looked up and saw me, "oh hi Steel, I haven't seen her since I saw you both over talking to Applejack. Is something wrong?"

"No, maybe, I think I made her mad or I don't know. She ran off upset."

"Oh, my," she replied while standing up. She stretched her neck up as high as she could, and said "I think that's her over by the talent show."

The talent show, I thought, she had mentioned going to watch it. "Thank you Fluttershy," I shouted as I moved away as fast as I could. I made it to the talent show stage in in a few short minutes but she wasn't there. I looked around straining my eyes but couldn't find her. However I did see Rarity standing under a tree watching the show. "Hey Rare," I started before taking a deep breath. I needed to get in better shape, I thought, no you don't you'll be out of the harness before you know it and it's the problem. In between breaths I asked, "have you seen Logia."

She gave me an almost condescending look before saying, "She was here just a moment ago, and she looked like she was crying. What did you do to the poor thing?"

"From what I've been told I was being an idiot," I snapped.

She stepped back away from me, "if that's the way you've been behaving I see why."

"I'm sorry Rarity; I just need to find her to apologize."

She studied me for a bit before asking, "What did you do?"

"We were talking with Applejack and she, Applejack suggested using my magic to fix the pins in my spine. Logia thought it was dangerous and I kind of ignored her concerns."

"Oh my, you have been foolish," she looked at the stage for a moment and sighed. "You said you can fix your back injury?"

"Yeah, but that's not important right now," I paused words were coming out of my mouth before I even thought them, that was new. I shook my head and continued, "I need to find her. I don't know what I'll say when I do but I need to find her."

"Steel calm down, she's upset and you don't want to make it worse," she said in a smooth tone. She inhaled and gazed at the stage before she looked at out into the woods nearby. "She's out there, not far but she's by herself and she's casting some kind of spell, I can't tell what type from here."

I took a deep breath looked out into the woods, then back towards Rarity, "Thanks, if you don't see us before the sun comes up you might want to come looking."

She flashed a smile and said, "Good luck."

I nodded and began to move as fast as I could into the woods. Soon I was far enough into the forest that I couldn't see the town but I could still hear the sounds of celebrations behind me. I walked down the path as silently as I could. I was listening for the absence of the natural noises of the forest. In one moment of silence I heard what sounded like a whimper, off to my left so I headed in that direction. I was walking past a small cluster of what looked like oak trees when I heard the whimper again. It was quickly followed by a ragged gasping sound like someone trying to suppress their cries. I walked towards where I had heard the sound, eventually finding a tree with an odd pattern of wet spots combined with an area of flattened leafs.

I tried to sit down beside the tree and ended up falling into an awkward crouch. I sighed and leaned against the opposite side of the tree. I stayed silent listening to the sounds of the forest about the time forest noise returned I heard leaves crunching on the other side of the tree.
"I thought I told you to leave me alone," said a bodiless voice.

"You did," I admitted slowly, "and I will. I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I have been told I was being stupid, and I feel that's true but I don't know how I was being stupid."

I heard several footsteps, and saw footprints appear in the year old leaves in front of me. "You were being stupid, you know that," she said her voice coming from the foot prints. I looked up to see her drop whatever spell she had cast and she became visible again. "I don't understand you and I don't understand what you've done to me. I've never run off crying before, I've never been this mad before," anger and frustration played across her face as she spoke.

I smiled, stayed silent and just looked at her. She returned my smile with a frown and sat down beside me with a huff. I looked up at her it was a different view of her, she was almost regal.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"No reason," I shifted my view up to look through the forest canopy. There were a few clearings through which I could see the stairs. "I was right, they are beautiful tonight."
I felt her lean against me trying to see through the same gap that I was looking through, "you're right they are."

"Well if you'd look at that, there's the big dipper. I wonder if I can see any other constellations."

"Why's that," she asked still leaning against me.

"I'm wondering how close you're planet is to mine, I've never seen a map or a globe."
A weak smile flashed across her face and she said, "at least you’re discovering more about this world."

I leaned away from her as best as I could and tried to look her in the face as I spoke. "Logia, I'm sorry that I upset you but I'm going to fix my neck at some point."
She inhaled deeply, but she stayed silent. Eventually after what felt like an eternity of stargazing she spoke. "I never thought to stop you but I wanted you slow down, that's all."

I smiled as I leaned back to where I had been and looked out over the forest. I inhaled deeply before speaking, "Logia I never imagined that this would bother you this much. I'm sorry for that."

She looked away quickly and stared off through the forest. Still looking away she said, “you told me earlier that you couldn't cast scanning spells." Then she looked at me waiting on an answer.

"Yes," I replied as I sifted trying to find a more comfortable position under her gaze.

"I want to try something," she whispered as she leaned her head in close to mine.
I could feel the warmth of her magic as it flowed over me. Then I felt something, "wait what, was that," I asked.

She shushed me and said, "Close your eyes"

I did as I was told and I suddenly felt everything around me. I could sense the leaves the sprigs of grass even the small insects on their long march home. Once the feeling went away, i slowly opened my eyes and stared at her.

She looked back and asked, "Did it work?"

All I could do was nod an affirmative.

She blinked tears from her eyes, but she wore a smile.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, It's just I've never done that before," she answered as she pulled her tears back.

"How did you get the idea to try it?"

"It was something my father and I would do. He would teach me spells by letting me sense how he weaved the magic flow."

"Is that how you learned that invisibility spell?"

She blushed slightly, "Yes. I haven't used the spells he taught me the way he would have wanted though." She pushed herself up away from me. "He was a spy for an organization named Dressage; he was training me to be his replacement."

"Dressage, that's a word from back home there it was a style of combat training for horses. It always looked like a dance to me."

She gave a hollow laugh and said, "That’s a very interesting description considering what they do in this world. They find ponies who have unique potential train them in combat styles from across the world. They give them access to some of the most advanced technology and use them as agent's to further their goals." She stood up and took several steps away before continuing, "My father died on a mission and I swore them off I wanted nothing else to do with them. Unfortunately the only ponies my father trusted to become my guardian where ones from his organization. My escort team at the dig was lead by Percetio the stallion that adopted me. That means that Firestorm and," she paused.

Her break was just long enough for me to struggle to my feet, "it means they are part of Dressage as well."

She looked at me and nodded. "That's why they were trying to get into your lab it has some of the most advanced technology ever created in its walls."

I walked over beside her and asked, "Why did you not tell me this earlier?"

"I was afraid," she muttered as she hung her head.

"Afraid of what, you're not involved with them anymore, are you?" I didn't even wait for an answer before continuing, "I didn't think so. I trust you. If I didn't I wouldn't let you hang onto the crown."

She smiled and looked at her saddlebag that held the crown. When she looked back to me she asked, "so do you want to try reforming the pins now?"

I blinked in surprise, "I thought you wanted me to wait."

"I decided that if you're going to do this you will want my help and I don't know when I'm going to be reassigned. The royalty is funding me right now and if they decide cut that funding I'll have to leave."

"Logia if you want to stay you can stay as long as you want, I have plenty of room and money," I replied with a smile.

"I don't want that, I need to stand on my own," she said her face showed determination as solid as stone.

I looked at her with a content smile as I walked up beside her.

Her stone face broke into a show of confusion, "what now?"

"I've only known you for a few weeks, a month tops and I already can't imagine my life without you around," I felt the blood rush my cheeks as I spoke. I didn't know how much if any my fur covered a blush but I hoped it did some.

Logia's face turned red as well and she said, "Thanks I think. Now you never answered my question do you want to try it or not?"

When a woman asks that always say yes, said the lecher.

You know you are unbelievably annoying, I thought back.

Well I only get one channel and this soap opera is getting a little plot heavy. It needs more action or at least some comic relief.

Shut it, you. Other voice, I asked in my mind, If I go through with this can you keep him quiet for a bit? I don't want to become a paraplegic because he thought something was funny."

The more serious of the two shoulder devils replied in a flat uninterested tone, I’ll do what I can for as long as I can.

Neither of you is any fun, the lecher complained, Before I go I have one request Steel, try to bag her at least. His comment was followed by an echoing silence in my mind.

"Do you mean to try it right now, as in here in the woods or later after the festival?"

She smiled and said, "It's up to you but imagine the faces when you walk back into town without the brace."

I looked at her studying her for what felt like an hour before I gave a grim smile and said, "No time like the present."

She nodded, lifted the crown out of her bag and placed it on my head. It activated and I looked her in the eyes and said, "Whenever you're ready." She returned the look and I felt my body enveloped in magic, I closed my eyes and waited for her to show me what I needed. Nothing I saw nothing no images, "come on Logia, I'm as nervous as you are."

I felt a set of lips touch my cheek and then a whisper of, "then you’re not nervous at all." I felt my heart speed up and then I sensed it. The two prongs the tips looked like they had melted, there were no heat injures in the area. I closed my eyes and focused on a small part that had melted onto one of my bones. I could feel the alloy draw up into itself in an odd tandem fashion. I could feel it as it happened physically as well as from Logia's sensory transmission. I continued to draw the metal up off my bones, once that was done I tried to sense the parts that touched my spinal cord. "Can you get closer in, it's not clear?"

The feelings that were transferred from the unicorn tightened, it was like switching to a higher power microscope. I could sense there were three points of contact along my spine. I concentrated on one of the points of contact, drawing the alloy away, it was easy especially with Logia's spell but it was slow. Halfway through with the second point I started feeling an ache in my muscles. It was a good ache of being tired and used up, it was something I hadn't felt in weeks. I pushed the feelings away and continued to draw the metal back into shape. When I got to the last one I the sense that Logia was sending me blurred. "You okay?"

"I will be," she panted. "You're almost done. Hurry up and finish," I could hear the strain in her voice as the sense sharpened.

I redoubled my efforts and focusing in on the last point, doing my best to balance speed and precision, erring on the side of precision. "Got it," I announced barely containing my enthusiasm. My eyes popped open and I reached out for every latch, buckle and snap I was familiar with on the body brace to release them. As soon as the metal and straps started fall I looked at Logia. She was pale, an impressive feat for a being coated in white fur. I reached out and grabbed her in a hug. "Thank you," I cried as a buried my face into the side of her neck. I knew it was a weak phrase but I couldn't think of anything else to say.

"Steel, Steel," she shouted as she tried to pull away.

I loosened my grip on her and gave her a confused stare as she pushed against my chest. I kept one hoof on her to help her keep her balance as I said, "I'm sorry. Did I misread something."

She smiled and shook her head with a laugh. "It's this," she said as her magic deactivated the crown, once it powered down she slid it off my head and let it fall. "It was jabbing me in the face," she said as she fell back into my hug and adding to the embrace. Between my shaky legs now standing on their own without the brace and her legs from exhaustion we fell to the forest floor still wrapped in an embrace.

It seemed like hours before we staggered out of the woods. The brace had been gathered up and was now wrapped up in Logia’s saddle bag. The crown sat lopsided on my head as we walked side by side back into town. The first pony to see us was in a group with Rarity, they pointed and the white mare turned around. "Steel, you're not wearing your brace," she cried as she ran up to us. "I was starting to organize the first search," she looked us over and then said, "I'm glad we didn't have to go looking," with a knowing smile.

"Yes well," I looked over at unicorn beside me. No matter how much we tried we couldn't get the all the dirt that we had ground into our fur free without magic. "Why don't we go see if Applejack still has some cider left?"

She nodded and walked with me through the celebration.

The Rising Sun against the Darkness

Out of My Element

Chapter 13: The Rising Sun against the Darkness

It felt good to stretch without the limitations of the brace. I felt almost every joint in my body pop and I had needed that. The stretch was followed by a yawn. I looked at Logia and asked, "So how much longer do these ceremonies take?"

"Sh, this is new," replied Logia as she elbowed me in the chest. "This is the first time Luna has been at the main ceremony."

"Isn't that because she was on the moon for all but the last few," I whispered back.

"Yeah."

"And she wasn't really herself for the first one," I continued to whisper.

She elbowed me again, harder this time. "Stop, they may not be your royalty but they are mine," she whispered back.

She made a good point what was I in this land. Was I viewed as a foreign national, a refugee or did they even care. That was a question for another day. "I think it's time I prepare my surprise," I told to her.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw a white bodied pegasus with a blond mane looked over at me. She made a gesture as if asking if I was talking to her.

I responded with a confused look and shook my head. Looking back at Logia I smiled and said, "come on for this to work we need to be near the edge of the ceremony grounds."

"What are you going to do," she asked. "You're not going to do something stupid and embarrass me are you?"

"I hope not," I replied with a quick glance over at her. I went back to scanning the area behind the crowd.

I Jumped when Logia stepped beside me and asked, "Steel tell me what are you doing?"

"An old friend of the Princess would probably like to be here," I answered. "Ah, there we go far enough away to be hidden close enough that he can see."

"You're talking about Jack right, so you built something so he could move around," she puzzled aloud. "Did you build him his own body?"

"Sort of you'll see," I answered as activated the two way radio the one thing I had kept with me, everything else Applejack had offered to watch. "Jack do you have a fix on me?"

"Yes," his voice sounded very excited.

"Alright then bring it here."

The blue vortex of energy that came from Star Swirls teleport spell stirred the dust in front of me. It deposited a small projector array on the ground. The projector was about the size of a video camera and the sensor system the same. Both systems were mounted on a tripod and both were independently mounted. I switched the device on and it began to hum then a blue bodied unicorn with a red mane shimmered into focus. The unicorn looked around and the camera followed pointing at where he looked. "So this is what has grown up around my house, I wonder what it's done to my property value," said Jack through the radio.

"Welcome back to the land under the sky Jack," I said as I walked over to the image. "You ready to watch the sun come up?"

"Yes, if only I could feel the light touch me, but this will have to be good enough," he said with an almost pained expression. "I wonder if after all this time if she'll recognize me."
"Do not fear Star Swirl, if I recognize you my sister most assuredly will."

We both jumped and I looked at the voice. As I stood there staring in surprise the image of Jack had already fallen into a bow as had Logia. "Hello, princess," I said. Jack growled something at me that I couldn't make out through the radio and Logia glanced at me with a little panic in her eyes.

The princess looked at the three of us then asked, "I know Star Swirl, and Steel but I don't know your friend, who is she?"

"This is Logia," I answered."She's the archeologist that was sent to the old castle in the woods."

"Oh, then please rise Miss Logia my last report informed me you were a friend of the Elements. I no longer, demand continuous display of this nature, you rise as well Star Swirl." She turned her gaze towards me, "You however Steel are not, I may have met you before but that does not excuses you from respecting your princess."

"I'm sorry Princess," I bowed my head slightly. "In the society I came from we have no royalty." Wait my princess, well I guess that means I'm a citizen.

She looked surprised at my comment and asked, "If you have no royalty who leads your land?"

"It was a democratic republic, we elected our leaders."

"Oh," she replied with a smile, "so 'tis the same form of government used by the Griffins. I have often wondered about how a Republic would work in this land."

"I don't know how well that would work Princess Luna," answered Jack. "With you and your sister as powerful and popular as you are, any elected official could not stand against you. There voice would be lost under yours."

"I can see where that could be true. I have also seen through examining the Griffon's system that anger between different philosophies of thought can split the population."

I looked over at Logia, she had stood up but it was obvious she was suppressing a shaking fit. Her eyes were desperately looking everywhere but at the princess, panicked eventually she said "Excuse me princess.” She inhaled deeply before attempting to continue, but I cut her off.

"If you want to continue your discussion with Jack you'll need this," I said as I passed her the radio and continued with, "However Logia and I must take our leave of you. I was just setting up the projector, but I want to have a good view of the ceremony after all it is my first time to attend."

She slowly tilted her head, "we give you leave."

I walked over to Logia standing in between her and the princess. Then said, "come on let's go find a place with a good view." She looked at me eyes fixed on my face; she nodded very quickly and then walked beside me keeping me in between her and the princess. "Logia, what's wrong," I asked once we were clear.

She nervously looked around then whispered, "I've heard stories, when she came back from the moon she was so entrenched in the old ways that she imprisoned those that didn't show her proper respect. I never thought I would actually meet her. I'm not high enough in academia or society to be allowed into the royal court."

"So what would you say if I was to introduce you to Celestia," I asked.

Her eyes widened, "I'm good," she squeaked. "Why would the princess want to speak to me?"

"They did fund your expedition."

"Yes but that was through an intermediary, I was to report to them and they would pass on the information to the court."

"Hmm, so say if we, as in you and I ended up at the meeting that Celestia and Luna are having with everyone else."

Her pupils constricted and a look of terror shot across her face, "Oh no, no I couldn't."

I stopped stuck a leg out to stop her, "Logia what's wrong? I can somewhat understand your fear of Luna, but what's your problem with Celestia? You were a little grumpy with me for my comments earlier, and now you're trembling at the idea of meeting them face to face." She looked at me and then pushed by my block in silence. "Logia come on talk to me, one minute it's like we can't shut up, the next something happens, my fault or something else and you clam up."

She looked around and then lured me into an alleyway. She wrapped herself around my neck and in a hushed whisper said, "I can't let them get a good look at me. It might be okay if Luna saw me but not Celestia."

I tried to draw back to look into her face but she held on to me to tight, so I returned the whisper. "Why?"

"I told you about my father and that he died on a mission for Dressage. Well I found out about that mission from Percetio while we were preparing for my dig." She swallowed, and nuzzled my neck before she continued. "Just shy of twenty years ago, Equestria and the Griffin Republic where going to formalize a decade long cease fire agreement with a treaty.There were elements of both sides that wanted to return to open hostilities, Dressage was one of those elements. My father's mission was to attempt an assassination of Celestia using griffin technology and escape undetected. He failed and was captured, their agents have several ways to remove themselves from those situations."

I had no idea what to say to this. I was concerned that I would end up corrupting this world but there seemed to be corruption just under the surface anyway. I squeezed the unicorn tightly. "That explains what happened with your father, but why you?"

"I look like him, from the colors and patterns in my hair to my eyes. Celestia will recognize me," she squeezed me back and I could feel tears falling from her eyes.

"Why are you here then," I asked, "if you're so scared of being recognized why be here?"

"You," she nuzzled my neck as she spoke. "If I was in the crowd I can be lost, he taught me that, but standing in the open in front of the princess," her statement died off.

It took me a moment to regain the ability to speak, "Logia, you should know that I wouldn't let anything happen to you."

"You," she laughed, "You would stand between the Princess of the Sun and me."

"Like you said they're not my princesses and I wouldn't count me out on my ability to be distracting." My god, I can't believe I said that, I thought, whether it was the cheese factor of the statement or the idea of fighting both deities I couldn't tell. Either way it was a disturbing thought.

"You’re definitely distracting to me," she answered just before placing a kiss on my cheek.

"Hey now, you two need to calm down and remember you're in public," yelled a voice from above.

We both jumped and pulled away from each other. Logia looked away embarrassed and I looked up. "Rainbow Dash what are you doing up there creeping on people?"

"We're ponies Steel, you'll never fit in if you keep using words like that," she said with a laugh. She was perched on the roof of one of the nearby buildings. "If you want to see the sunrise you need to get out there, the ceremony's about to start."

I looked away from the observer above and asked, "You want to go find a spot?"

"I have a better idea," she said as her horn began to glow.

My whole body was enveloped in her magic and I was picked off the ground. I now knew how a dog felt when they tucked there tail between their legs as I was doing the same. Once I reached roof level I was placed beside Rainbow. I had the most displeased face that I could make on and I wore it as much for the way I placed on the roof, as for Rainbows outright laughter. Before I realized it Logia was beside me. "How did you do that," I asked as the surprise of her suddenly nuzzling my neck melted away.

"There are quite a number of similarities, between archaeologists and what my father dreamed for me," she whispered in my ear.

Rainbow looked at us in disgust and said, "I'm going to get another roof if you two don't tone that down, forget it I'm getting a new one now."

I laughed a little as she left.

When the first rays of sunlight shot out from the horizon and the warm colors played across the sky, Logia whispered, "it's about to start."

I looked over towards the golden icon in the center of the city plaza, and leaned into her as I waited. "You know this whole thing makes me think, both Luna and Celestia control celestial bodies, at least that's what we've been told."

"They do," she answered, "remember about a month back Luna was distracted and lowered the moon late."

"Yes, that's part of where I'm going with this, and from what I've observed the constellations change their place in the sky at night."

"Yes," she answered looking at me with an expression that told me I had said something that caught her attention.

"That is only possible from my understanding if this planet orbits the sun, and if that's true."

"It is true," said a voice behind me. It startled me enough that I probably would have fallen off the roof if I hadn't been sitting. It was close enough as it was, turning around I saw who it was and quickly placed myself between Logia and the princess. "The world has changed greatly in the years since my imprisonment and so has my sister. There was a time that for just making that observation it would be a crime. The old legends have slowly fallen away as our subjects have become in general more civilized."

I took a step forward, "Princess Luna," I began and she cut me off with a wave of her hoof.

"As I have told my subjects, it is Luna, just Luna."

I looked back at Logia and flashed a grin before returning to my question for the princess. "Alright Luna, why then do you continue with the lie that Celestia controls the sun and you control the moon?"

"It is not a lie, I do control the moon, and my sister does control the sun. However we have found that controlling the rotation of the planet to be easier and we are less likely to destroy it."

I did my best to control my reaction, "That seems a little elaborate, why do you do this then all other forces seam equal shouldn't the planet take care of itself."

"Star Swirl asked the same questions," she said with a laugh, "you two are quite similar."

"Except I'm better looking," chimed in Jack over the radio.

"I do not know the specifics because it was discussed between my sister and he shortly after my banishment. However it cannot be denied that Celestia and I are needed." She looked past me to the platform and said, "Oh she's about to arrive."

I turned my attention back towards the golden statue of the rising sun and found Logia trying her best to hide behind my body. "Stay calm," I whispered in the unicorn’s ear, "I'm going to talk to her." I turned back towards the princess, "Luna if you would I have something more private I need to discuss with you."

She twisted her head slightly, and I could see her eyes shift from me to Logia and into the plaza, "Can we continue this afterwards, I wish to see the ceremony event."

"Princes please, we can move back to the roof's ridge line, you can still see the ceremony from there."

She looked at me, then past me to Logia, and I could feel the mare shivering behind me. "Very well Steel," she said with a sigh. I looked back towards Logia and smiled before following the princess up to the apex of the roof. "What do you wish to speak about?"

"Nothing really it was for Logia, she gets nervous around you," I looked down at the mare sitting near the eaves.

Luna huffed, "this is not the first time somepony has been frightened of me because of my past," she frowned, "however that number has been fewer in recent years."

"I don't think this has anything to do with your past, it's more of hers', well her families. She's terrified that you and your sister will hold a grudge against her because of that."

The Princess of the Night wore a confused expression as she asked, "do you know the cause of her concern?"

I sighed, "I do but I gained that knowledge in confidence and I'm not going to betray that."

"Yes, I can see that. Please inform her for me that since my return I have learned several things about the population of Equestria. The greatest is they are forgiving, they would not become that way if the sins of the parent were still passed to the foal." She looked at me for a moment and then she looked up towards the sun; I did as well in time to see Celestia leap up in front of the rising sun statue. She had timed the leap and the sun’s passage just right so she past in front just as the sun bathed the crowd with light.

I walked down the roof and sat beside Logia in silence. She looked over at me and asked,

"What did you talk to her about."

"I just told her you had an issue with family history and the royalty that made you nervous around them, that was it."

Her eye's widened and pupils narrowed, then she yelled, "You told her!"

I did my best to take the blows she threw without showing the pain. "I only told her that, nothing specific. Her reply was that you carry none of your parent’s sins."

She scrunched up her nose and looked away. Eventually she said, "So you didn't say anything about my father."

"No, all I said was, it was something to do with your family's past. You trusted me with the specifics and I cannot throw that away," I answered in as much of a matter-of-fact tone as I could manage.

She looked back at me and scanned me from head to toe, well hoof and said, "I don't know about you, sometimes I can't imagine not being around you the next I'm so mad at what you do I want to be as far away as I can."

"Just don't hide in the woods again, please. I haven't got all the burrs out of my tail yet from the first romp."

"There you go that's a perfect example, the idea that I would run off again. Do you see me as being that weak, or are you implying something else more enjoyable." Her face expressed her irritation, her eyes the heat of anger one second, a softer warmth the next.

"I was trying to make a joke. Other than that I meant no implication, I can see that there was one but it wasn't intended." I smiled weakly, but against all other instinct and the advisement of at least one of the voices in my head I stood my ground.

She grumbled and stood up, "I'm getting down from here, I want some space until we figure each other out."

"That's going to take a while," I responded as she leaped down from the roof onto the wall of the building on the opposite side of the alley. She then bounded off that wall and onto the ground with little effort. What kind of archeology did she deal with, I wondered as she walked out into the plaza. I sat and watched her disappear into the mingling crowd with a sigh.

"Is she upset with you," asked Luna as she walked up behind me, her hoof steps light on the thatched roof.

I watched the crowded plaza as I answered, "I don't know maybe."

"I have watched the hearts of ponies as they have danced in the fields of love. That is something my sister lacks knowledge of, the joys of two hearts under the moon." She paused when she noticed me looking up at her, "forgive me," she asked. "While I have been practicing to adjust my voice and mannerisms to a more modern set, I have not been as successful on tideing my gregariousness. My previous point is that your friend Miss Logia is quite taken with you, and I can tell you with her."

"I'm sorry princess but you would have to be blind not to see that."

She laughed slightly, "Yes, I agree. However I believe that there is more. As I was attempting to say before in far too many words is I have watched the greatest romantics of this world, you two have something special."

I rolled my eyes, and a smirk spread across my face. "Thank you princess, but I think it's by far too soon to say that."

She laughed again and an equal smirk spread across her face, "do not laugh at my observations Steel. What is that lovely colloquialism, I knows it when I see's it."

I couldn't hold in my laughter as I spoke, "thank you for that encouragement on that front but for now I feel it would be best if I collected the projector and head for the library for the meeting with your sister." I looked out over the crowd, "I think she needs a little time alone."

Logia yawned as she cut through the crowded, what what that arrogant fool thinking, she grumbled as she walked across the plaza. When she finally got the nerve to look back at Steel she was surprised to see that he was gone. She quickly looked around at the faces that surrounded her looking for his and her heart fell, not from lack of his presence but from the fact that she was looking for him. Fool, looking for him like that, you’re behaving like a school yard filly. It's undignified. She laughed slightly as she continued to berate herself in her thoughts. Just as undignified as cowering in fear behind him, you’re going to have to grow up. She grumbled nonsensically to herself as she scanned the crowd looking for ponies to avoid. During one sweep of the area behind her she saw the hologram of Star Swirl waving frantically with a wide toothy grin, and then he was gone.

She took several quick steps in that direction before seeing Steel and Luna walk out from behind the building. Steel was carrying the projector over his back. Logia quickly ducked back into the crowd, her irritation returned at her behavior. This was stupid, I'm going to have to face them eventually.

"Logia, where's your date?"

"I'm not in the mood Flash Bang," she replied to the pegasus as she landed.

"Oh that bad, do you want me to give him an attitude adjustment?"

"No, I don't think that will be necessary." She stopped and ran her tongue over her lips before asking, "Where is Firestorm?"

"Ah, the commander is resting; she partied rather excessively last night, a little to much cider if you know what I mean."

"So that's what that firework display last night was about?"

"You saw that," asked the copper pegasus as she pawed the ground.

"Everyone with eye's saw that," Logia replied her eyes became more hostel before she continued. "I also know you two were trying to visit the underground lab last night."

Flash Bang stepped back and opened her mouth slowly several times as if trying out different answers. Eventually she spoke, "yes we did attempt to enter the lab, and we were removed in such a way that Firestorm's life was put in danger."

"Then you're lucky that you both were unharmed as it is."

"I didn't agree with the commanders orders, however she is my superior." The pegasus stood in a familiar stance to Logia, it was one that her father taught her, at attention, ready to be dressed down. "If you would, Miss Logia would you apologize to Steel for me?"

"Why so formal now," asked Logia with a smirk creeping across her face.

The pegasus started to speak again and paused, going through this pattern several more times before settling on her statement. "I feel that the goals of the organization can be met through different means but I'm not in a position to make that decision."

Logias smirk became a true smile as she said, "Flash Bang you and I may just get along splendidly. In fact you remind me of Percetio, he was an idealist as well."

The pegasus flashed a smile and quickly hid it behind a focused face, "Thank you ma'am, I noticed you were looking for someone earlier. The six elements, Steel and both princesses are in the currently in the library."

"Thank you, you are observant."

"It is my job," replied the pegasus, "I was about to get some food, would you like to join me?"

"No thank you, I think I'm about to go and face," she paused to swallow and steady her voice, "a couple of my fears."

"That's good for you, do you want me to come along," asked the Flash Bang, "I am your bodyguard."

"No thank you, you would only get in the way should something happen."

The pegasus looked Logia over, "you know that makes me want to follow you even more."

"It's alright I'm going to be with the Princesses."

"I guess if something is going to harm you there I would be in the way," grumbled the copper pegasus.

I leaned against one of the carved busts near the library entrance, wearing the crown off kilter. It wasn't plugged in; I didn't want or need the magic now. It felt good to lean on something and it felt natural, which was something I had been missing. The meeting here had gone extremely well. My two topics for discussion had been the reintroduction of Jack, or Star Swirl, to Celestia and the presentation of our sensor pylon to the rest of the group. There had been little discussion on the actual plan, mostly because we had already discussed it to ad nauseam and everyone understood what was needed. Afterword the meeting had devolved into an interesting gathering of friends, and as far as I was concerned there were only a few missing. There were a couple discussions that I inadvertently took my leave from in the form of short naps. One such discussion was something about Luna and a nightmare outside the castle. Hopefully her nightmare was not as bad as our walking mountain. I sighed, and looked around the room with groggy eyes. I was exhausted and no matter how euphoric I had been about losing the need for the body brace I was getting tired. It was evident in everyone else they were needing sleep as well. Well almost everyone, I thought, the Princesses looked like they could go a few more days without sleep.

Eventually after a rousing game of pass the yawn that even the princesses ended up playing everyone decided to call the meeting close due to lack of sleep. While Twilight said her long goodbye to her mentor I ended up retrieving the radio from Luna and using it send the projector back to the lab.

I waited until the party was winding down to announce that I would be going out to place the sensor beacon before I went to bed.

Celestia walked over to me her sister right behind her and bowed her head to mine as she spoke, "thank you, Steel it was enjoyable to see Star Swirl again."

"It was no problem princess, I just want to give him a chance to get out and see the world. If I hadn't been able to construct the projector I would have suggested we move the meeting to the lab," my statement was followed by a yawn. "Excuses me," I muttered as I fought through another yawn.

Luna smiled at me as she walked past; it was a knowing smile that sent chills down my spine. The worst part was that the chill almost induced a cramp in the neck muscles that were healing from the reforming of the prongs. Once I recovered from the pain I heard the door opening followed by a panicked gasp, and I knew what that meant. I wouldn't get any sleep soon.
I turned around to see Logia in the most stoic state of panic I had ever seen. She had obviously not expected the door to open, and she was frozen in the middle of preparing herself to enter the library. The only thing moving, showing panic at all was her eyes, but she seemed to radiate fear.

Luna stepped forward excusing herself as she pushed past a confused Celestia. "Miss Logia, I as Luna Princess of the Night, in my authority forgive you for whatever crimes your family has participated in, it is if they never happened. As the one whose power is from and to the night's sky I do make it so."

Logia's eyes darted between the two princesses and a small whimper escaped her lips. Her stoic stance previously carve in stone began to crumble as she shook.

Luna looked towards her even more confused sister, "my oath still carries its weight even now does it not?"

"Of course Luna… That oath is something I haven't heard in, since before your banishment. May I know who this mare is," she asked her sister.

"Her name is Logia, she and Steel seem to have a close relationship."

I blushed slightly, but most of it was caused by the sleep deprived jeers from Rainbow Dash.

"If it wasn't for that oath I would ask what her crime was but as you have said it is as if they never happened," commented Celestia to her sister. The Princess of the Sun then turned her attention to the unicorn now tearing up in front of her. "Logia, I have heard of you in the reports from my Twilight. I feel so sorry for what happened to your expedition and what you had to go through in the forest. Remember if you become lost in your heart you have found a group of friends here as solid as any stone."

Logia slowly shifted out of the princesses’ path. She looked at me as they past, and then stuttered, "Princess, thank you for continuing to fund my time here."

Celestia stopped and glanced down at the unicorn, "what do you mean? The treasury cut your funding after the attack and shifted that reserve to help the families of those who died."

This appeared to be enough of a shock to force Logia's mind back into gear, "If you’re not funding me then who is?"

Another round of yawns swept through the mortal ponies present ending with Applejack stating, "That sounds like something to solve after we get some sleep."

"I agree," Added Twilight sheepishly, "and Steel still has to plant that beacon."

"Thanks," I muttered the lack of sleep slowing my speech into a drawl.

"Well then sister, I believe we should leave and allow them to get some sleep," said Luna in an attempt to coax her sister along.

"Yes," replied Celestia as she glanced at Logia both wearing confused looks. Her tone changed to the more familiar and light notes that she had used before as she looked towards her sister. "I do not look forward to the work we postponed for our short vacation," she then looked back into the library and said, "sleep well my ponies."

The two princesses walked out away from the library to meet their limited guards and then took flight. I heard Rainbow mutter something so I turned around to see if I could make anything out, "You'd think the guards would have kept Logia out."

Twilight answered, "They are trying to keep the populaces calm. With all the weird things going on, fewer guards mean they feel safe if they feel safe everyone else is safe."

"They're god who's going to hurt them," I interjected.

Rainbow Dash agreed with me and Twilight continued, "True, and considering they were together and we're here with the six of us. I can't think of anywhere safer to be."

"Right," I replied with a yawn, "I'm going to make sure Logia is functional and can get home. Then I'll place the beacon; see y'all when I wake up." I then trotted out the door and found Logia with a vacant expression staring off into space.

"Why," she whispered, "why would they do that?" When she finally saw me the anger that boiled up in her eyes should have terrified me, but with my lack of sleep, I just didn't care. Well that not true I was a bit nervous she had proven on several occasions that she could throw a punch if needed. "It's you," she yelled, "They’re paying me to stay close to you. I told them I quit and they still try to play me!"

"Keep quiet unless you want to tell everyone," I whispered through clenched teeth.

She puffed her cheeks and slowly exhaled. "I guess you're right," she muttered her eyes still showing the anger just beneath her surface. After a moment she said, "Let's go plant your beacon, I should be able to vent out there."

I nodded and followed her as we walked out towards the edge of town. She was still fuming as we walked up the hill towards the Everfree Forest. Every once in awhile I would notice Logia gazing back towards the town with such intensity that I felt like I would figure out what building she was looking at when it burst into flames. Eventually we had either traveled far enough that she felt safe for an outburst or she just couldn't contain it all. "Those patronizing, arrogant, self righteous," she followed her statement with a predatory growl. "I'm going to get them back for this," she looked at me and roared, "You, do you have anything to say."

I stepped back, "I haven't even figured out what you're talking about."

She shook her head, the anger fading somewhat, "I'm sorry Steel I don't mean to blame you." Anger flared with her next statement, "I can't stand them." Her voice began to waver, "I never wanted to be part of this. I just wanted to get away from them." Her body shivered as she spoke, "I just, wanted to stand on my own away from Dressage." She stopped walking and I just barely saw the tear streaks on her coat before she looked away. I walked up beside her but stayed silent and watched her. "Well," she asked wiping away the tears with a fetlock, "aren't you going to say anything."

"What do you want me to say?"

"I don't know, say something."

I looked down the hill; we were overlooking the field that I had arrived in. The wagon's tire tracks had cut through the topsoil and I could still see them. The long sweeping turn was still visible and it turning into a straight run through the blue flowers that ended at a cluster of young trees all scared about three feet up. "What is that?"

"It's called Poison Joke, and when I told you say something, I was hoping for something more us related," she grumbled.

"I'm sorry,” I replied as I nuzzled her neck. "It's just that I don't remember Poison Joke looking like a little blue Audrey Two."

"What, are you talking about?"

"It's right there, in the tire tracks. There's another, they're scattered throughout the others."

"I don't see them."

Damn, I thought as I reset the crown, I didn't want to use this thing again for a while. Once it had activated I reached out and pulled one of the plants out of the ground and brought it over. "So help me if you yell feed me I will burn this place to the ground," I muttered to the plant.

"What is that?" asked Logia repeating my question.

"I have no clue, I'm going to take it back to the lab and look at it," I answered. "Okay, Jack can you hear me," I asked into the radio.

"Yes."

"Then send me the beacon."

The grass beside me spun in the vortex as the beacon appeared on the ground. "Are we getting a data feed from it still?"

"Yes," replied Jack over the radio.

"Okay I'm going to put it out into the center of the field."

"That would be best," he answered, "even if it's not centered if you place it in the poison joke that will prevent tampering."

A quick grin flashed across my face when I saw Logia walking around and eying the sensor. I then asked, "You done examining it?"

Logia stepped away from the tripod mounted cylinder, "yeah, how do you build these thing."

"Magic," I said with a smile as I hovered the beacon over to its position.

She huffed and looked at me, "If Dressage ever got there hooves on you I would fear for the world."

"There I'm done," I announced, "Jack do you still have good contact."

"Yes."

"Thank you," I said into the radio. Then I looked at Logia, "The only thing keeping me from sleep is you, and I'll hold off on that as long as I can, at least until we get you calm down."

"Get me calmed down, your almost as bad as they are," she said sticking her nose into the air.

"That's not what I meant. Give me a grain of salt here, I'm exhausted."

"Steel only you and Dressage have ever gotten me this angry. Why do you feel it's necessary to build on their mistake?"

"I'm not trying to; I'm just fumbling around like an idiot trying to keep his head above water."

"At least you have something going for you Steel, you're honest and I like that," she said with a smile.

"Thanks, I think." I stopped and looked back into town and it dawned on me that she had been looking at the large suite earlier. "What are you going to do about your friends from the organization," I asked.

"Well Firestorm is going to be the problem." she said with a sigh. "However Flash Bang at least has honor. She wanted me to tell you she apologized for trying to sneak into the lab. The problem with her is she's extremely loyal to the organization, no matter her own personal views."

"I meant more short term as in where are you staying tonight?"

She leveled her gaze back towards the town and spoke slowly choosing her words. "I don't want to go back to my suite not with them there, and the only ponies I know in town have decided that they were going to bed early. All except for," she paused then looked at me in silence.
"

Except for me," I continued her thought.

"Yes, except for you. I guess I'll have to decide who I'm angrier at," as she spoke her gaze returned to the town. After several moments that were punctuated by my yawns she said, "I guess with you, there is at least a small redeeming factor."

"You know I can only take so many insults before I decide to leave." My eyes were starting to dry and for some reason the ground was starting to look very comfortable. "You might want to make your decision soon I don’t think I'm going to last much longer."

"Fine, I'll crash at the lab then," she said. Then after looking me over she continued, "you're right you look terrible."

"This just isn't my day is it," I muttered. I then spoke to the radio, "Jack you hear that. What do I need to do for us both to be tran..." my words were interrupted by the swirling vortex of blue light, “...sported." We were back in the lab and I asked, "how did you do that Jack?"

"The sensor pylon can detect several things, I could see you with it," the hologram replied.

"Nice, well I'm going to bed. Monitor the data stream and see what you can figure out," I told him as I walked into the alcove and opened the door to my bedroom. I noticed Logia standing beside me after I had walked through the threshold and asked, "Why are you following me?"
She gave me a dejected face and said, "I don't know where the beds are, heck I don't even know if there are other beds. So I thought I would just follow you."

"The guestroom is through the opposite door, if you want it."

She nodded and walked back through the door. I smiled to myself after she left and staggered over to the bed. It was large big enough for two to fit comfortably, and I climbed in burying myself under the blankets. I was almost asleep when I heard the door open and shortly after felt the mattress sink as a second body laid down. I smiled as I drifted off.

The image of Jack laughed and shook his head, those two, he thought. The hologram's face frowned as the computer that controlled it began to process thoughts in rapid succession. Steel is happy right now and that's good but if they continue with the idea of combating that thing, he's going to need help. Oh that's an Idea. The hologram vanished and was replaced with projected armor designs.I think he'll like this, Jack thought as focused his processing on the task at hand, and sent the regulating of the Sensor Pylon to one of his subroutines.

6/21/1173 14:47
Archive notes on Entity approach: Entry I
Acceptable volume of data from the Type 1 Sensor Pylon has been acquired. Data shows that theory on determining approaching entity arrival time is possible. More data gathering suggested before attempt at mathematical proof should be tried.

6/21/1173 15:07.32
Archive notes on Entity approach: Entry II
Data collection continuing at above predicted rate despite Type 1 Sensor Pylon developing transmission static adjusting transmission frequency to correct.

6/21/1173 15:34.45
Archive notes on Entity approach: Entry III
Diagnostic failure on data transmission array subsystem. Potestatum core heat sensor, indicating above nominal temperature. Data acquisition rate increasing to above predicted rate. Full systems diagnostic enabled. Individual system diagnostics enabled.

6/21/1173 15:42.25
Archive notes on Entity approach: Entry IV
System wide diagnostic failure. Potestatum core diagnostic failure, core failure likely. Transmitter system diagnostic, transmissions exceeding bandwidth limitation. Sensor array diagnostic, primary relay disabled switching to secondary and tertiary relays.

What, core failure. The alarm had pulled Jacks processes back to the monitoring system. How long until core failure?

The computer spent seconds evaluating the request and returned 5.17 minutes at present rate of overload.

Deactivate system. The computer sent out the order and he waited on the return transmission.

6/21/1173 15:42.47
Archive notes on Entity approach: Entry V
System deactivation failure. Potestatum core diagnostic failure, core failure eminent. Transmitter system diagnostic, transmissions exceeding bandwidth limitation. Sensor array diagnostic secondary and tertiary relays fused remote deactivation impossible.

Jack activated the alarms, and shortly thereafter Logia staggered out of Steels room. "What is that noise," she yelled over the siren.

The siren volume decreased slightly and Jack replied. "The power core for the sensor pylon is about to blow up."

"Well do something about it."

"I can't. With the stone in a hyper accelerated state any magic used in the area will just add to the problem."

"So what do you want me to do about it?"

"Wake up Steel."

Logia rolled her eyes, that Stallion must be exhausted if he could sleep through this noise. She went back to the bedroom and tapped Steel on the shoulder. "Wake up Steel," she tapped him again. She reached out with her magic and lifted an eye lid. Her scream echoed through lab. She continued to scream as she ran out into the main room, "there's something wrong with him. There are worms, black worms in both his eyes."

"How?" asked Jack. "Oh, that's not good."

"Of course it's not good he has worms in his eyes!"

"Yes I agree but that's not what I was talking about. The data from the pylon suggest a huge pulse of energy from the rip caused the overload and another just hit. The core will detonate in the next 3 second."

In a small grove filled with blue flowers on the outer edge of a forest there sat a four foot tall cylinder with three legs that allowed it to stand. Smoke rose from the cylinder at several points and shortly thereafter the grove was enveloped in a pure light. The light floated just above the ground like fog for a mere instant before becoming the most efficient display of mass energy. The explosion ripped through the forest vaporizing the trees expanding the clearing a good fifty feet in every direction. The ground beneath torn apart leaving a bowl shaped crater twelve feet at its deepest and extending to the edge of the new clearing. Most of the plants were vaporized but a few were flung several hundred yards by the force of the explosion. The shock wave knocked down the closer trees that had just survived the heat of the explosion. A lance of light and flame shot upward piercing the clouded sky, forcing the clouds back.

One particular survivor of the explosion a plant that shared its appearance with an earlier sample landed in front of a cross eyed pegasus. She laughed at its sudden appearance and she tapped it with a hoof before saying in astonishment, "a flying plant, never seen before." She leaned forward to sniff the flower. It looked different than any other flower she had ever seen. It had had several thorns growing at the edge of its main two petals. She inhaled deeply of its scent, it smelled good. Suddenly a sharp pain stabbed her nose and she opened her eyes to see that the flower had latched on to her face. She could see and feel the thorns burning presence where they had pierced the skin. She screamed and ran into town yelling, "Bad plant!"

Author's Note

For all of you who dislike violence/gore to the point that it will ruin the story if you read it, skip the next three chapters. It's a dream sequence none of it's real and it only appears in the characters minds. Like I said if that bothers you skip it. The chapters aren't vital but it helps build the rising action of the story by showing what they are against.

Broken Wards and a Broken World

Out of my Element

Chapter 14: Broken Wards and a Broken World.

I opened my eyes to see the world around me and blinked away the surprise. I was back in a dream. This isn't right, I thought as I scanned the area. Celestia's wards were suppose to prevent this, the words ran through my head as I processed my surroundings. I was standing on the edge of what looked like a massive caldera or impact crater. In the center the black onyx vine reached skyward, it's surroundings reflected across its surface. The boiling clouds obscured the top of the vine and sent forth lightning that played across the scattered thorn in the caldera. The thorns were made of the same black material that appeared central to all structures here. In size they were huge, house sized structures that were made tiny when compared to the center column. Drifting between the thorns where large spheres about ten feet across, the surface of which constantly moved. It looked like they were composed of hundreds if not thousands of heavily armored snakes ranging in size from about the size of my leg to pencil thin.

I tore my eyes away from the orbs and hugged the caldera wall as I began to walk. Every time my eyes fell on an orb I could feel an itch in the back of my mind reminiscent of the itch from my first dream. As I walked I began to feel a tingle over my entire body that would disappear when I walked behind a shard of the onyx like material that reached up beside the walkway. When the tingle left I felt a shiver pass over my entire body. I continued to walk as I tried to come up with a plan.

If this is a dream why I can't I just wake up from it, I thought as I closed my eyes. As I focused on trying to wake up the itch in the back of my mind increased. About the time that the discomfort from the itch becoming too much to ignore I felt the tingle on my body go away. I opened my eyes to see an orb floating up to the walkway blocking the tower from view. The Itch was unbearable to the point that when one of the uncountable numbers of hook jawed things that composed the sphere reached out to grab me I almost let it.

I regained my senses in time to dodge most the four jawed thing as it slid across my back hip. It was a light touch but the edge of the things body armor was sharp and it left a gash along my flank across my mark and up. I ran as hard as I could, embracing the pain using it to drowned out the itch. I could feel the blood flowing down my leg, and knew I needed to find a way out or at least a place to hide and take care of my wound. It burned and my leg was starting to go numb.

In front of me I saw Pinkie staring at the tower and in between us another great shard of onyx lay across the path. It had the appearance of an intertwined spiral and that included a small hole that I thought I could squeeze through. I headed for the hole glancing back to see my progress it was closing but I still had a chance, if the shard slowed it down it might add a few minutes to the chase. I reached the shard and began to push my way though the gap. It was tight and when my wound touched the stone it felt like a hot coal being pressed against my skin. "Pinkie," I bellowed, "run!"

She looked over at me and smiled, "Hi Steel, why do I need to run?"

I was free of the stone and running again, just before I reached her I heard the shard collapse. I felt some of the stone as it was flung forward skittering across the ground. A few of the more deadly looking shards flew past me to my right into the caldera. I saw Pinkies mane deflate as she saw what was following me and she joined into the scamper away from the writhing orb. I continued to run, wracking my brain for an idea, but all I could come up with was to run faster unfortunately I was already at my limit on speed. I glanced back and saw the thing closing. I also saw an expanding rainbow ring half way between the tower and the caldera lip. I turned back, just before the sharp crack of the sound barrier being broken reached my ears. The rainbow ring reached out coming into my field of vision, I had seen it before in the waking world and something was different. The colors were changing turning sickly shades and eventually becoming a black boiling cloud. The forward end of the expansion was not quite fast enough to outrun the corruption that followed it and was quickly overtaken.

"Head's up," yelled Rainbow Dash as she shot past above us, her rainbow contrail suffering from the same corruption as the Rainboom’s ring.

There was a bass note crash behind us accompanied by animal like screeches that mimicked the sound of nails on a chalkboard. I looked back to see what had caused the commotion, and saw that a second sphere had collided with the one that had been chasing us.
Rainbow slowed down then circled around to be flying just above us. "They're fast and they go just fast enough to be able to catch you. They're not maneuverable though and once they have you in their sites they ignore everything else."

"Thanks Dash, have you seen anyone else," I asked through gasping for air.

"Twilight and Applejack have met up and are heading your way; I think I saw Rarity down in the crater."

"Fluttershy," asked Pinkie.

Rainbow shook her head and shrugged while saying, "I don't know."

The squealing returned and I glanced back to see both orbs had returned and they were connected to each other now. I looked up at Rainbow and said, "Go tell Twilight that were bringing friends, maybe she can stop them."

Dash nodded and took off, as she did the shrill screams from behind increased and soon we were past by an orb. One side was dripping a blue black liquid that visually reminded me of curdled milk. The smell was beyond words and it took a significant effort not to empty my stomach. I then realized that it was blood, the two spheres had not linked they were attacking each other. I could see bits of armor clad worm falling from the sphere as it past us in its chase of Rainbow Dash.

Pinkie kept running along beside me and said, "What are we going to do, we can't outrun them. I don't want to go back to that world."

"Running's working right now, that's as far as I've gotten," I replied. I just hope Twilight has an idea, I thought to myself.

In the distance I could see a second orb traveling towards us along the walkway towards us. "That's not good," muttered. Looking back I saw that our orb was closing.

"What's not good there's Twilight."

"Look behind them Pinkie they’re being chased, that means Twilight can't stop them."

"Oh, that's not good."

"Pinkie you have a knack for understatements," I replied. Soon I noticed that most of the feeling in my injured leg between my hip and knee was gone and the rest felt like it would go shortly. My other back leg felt like it was falling asleep along with my stomach beginning to churn. I was slowing down faster than I thought I would, but every glance back would induce an adrenalin fueled burst of speed. "Pinkie," I had to gasp for air this time, "I don't think I'm going to stay in front," another gasp, "of it for much longer." I took another ragged breath, "it's locked on to me so get away from me as soon as you can."

"Steel that's a bad joke. We just need to reach Twilight, she'll have an answer," she replied.

It's not going to work, I thought but I closed my eyes and focused my mind into one thought, run. I ran ignoring every other sensation that I could. I found that one simple thought fueled by fear and desperation was enough to even overpower the growing itch in my mind. Every few moments I would open an eye to check my placement on the path as I ran and to see how much further to I had to run to meet Twilight's group. At each glance I would redouble my efforts, eventually it looked like they were straight in front of us despite the slight curve. I pinched my eyes tight and ran as hard as I could. I didn't know what I was going to do when we met up with Twilight's group. My best guess was to be caught in an orb sandwich but if that gave the others enough time to escape so be it. I heard Rainbow break the sound barrier again, and shortly after something grabbed me throwing me to the right. I didn't want to open my eyes and see the monster that had yanked me off my feet but I did.

I couldn't control my startled expression when I opened my eyes and looked into Pinkie's face, "Surprise," she yelled into mine. Looking over her shoulder I saw the orb that had been following us had collided with the one that had been following Twilight and Applejack. The nails on a chalkboard screams returned and shortly thereafter I saw Rainbow Dash turn into a dive dropping the sphere that chased her into the other two.

The impact with the ground caught me off guard and knocked the wind out of me. The tumbling that followed as I rolled calderas slope didn't help me regain control over my spamming diaphragm. When I finally came to a rest, I pulled myself back to my feet and looked at everyone else. Rainbow had landed and was talking with Twilight. Applejack and Pinkie where catching their breath while examining one of the thorns. I looked back up the way we had come, the unique sequels of the orbs could still be heard but I couldn't see them. Safe for now, I thought to myself. As I turned back I caught part of the discussion between Twilight and Rainbow.
"I can't hurt them, I tried that before I found AJ," said Twilight. "The best I can do is slow them down."

"The only thing that I've seen that hurts them is each other. I threw the one that has been following me into the tower and onto one of those thorns. It bounced back from both with a vengeance."

"Well then we need to find a place to hide, I don't know how they find us but standing in the open can't be a good idea. Applejack, have you found anything?"

"Nope, this thing here is solid, no way in or out that I can find," answered the farmer.

"Okay get Pinkie back here," Twilight continued to give instructions in a calm voice. When she saw me standing she asked, "Are you able to run?"

"I don't know," I answered. My back legs felt like they were barely holding me up. "I think there is some sort of poison on the armor of those things."

She glanced up at the caldera rim and then towards my haunches saying, "Let me take a look at that cut." As she walked closer her horn began to glow and I felt the touch of magic around my wound.

"So do you have a plan," I asked.

She was silent for a moment and then I felt a gush of blood push forth from my leg. I looked back to see that the liquid wasn't blood but a black oily substance bubbling from my wound. Once the fluids flow died down Twilight said, "That's as best as I can do. As for a plan, I don't have one other than find Rarity and Fluttershy. If Celestia can feel that the wards are broken maybe she can save us. I'm afraid that the difference between time in a dream and time awake is so much that she might not find us before it's too late."

"So stick close, run fast and pray," I replied. "You forgot the bubble gum and duct tape but other than that it sounds solid."

Her face was grim as she looked up at the sky to see several orbs drifting through the sky, "I hope Celestia get's here soon."

All of us jumped when the screeching from over the caldera's lip increased in volume. Looking up I saw the orbs sitting on the edge. All three were dripping the curdled blue black substance that I assumed was blood. It took Twilight yelling, "Run," to snap me out of my stupor.

We all took off running, Applejack was amazingly fast as was Rainbow Dash however I was able to keep pace with the other two, but I felt Pinkie was pacing herself.

We ran and the orbs followed with one pulling slightly ahead of the others. When Twilight noticed she yelled, "Rainbow Dash, slow down."

Rainbow looked back slightly confused but slowed down to our pace, "what going on Twilight?"

"If we can keep all three close together, they might stop each other," she replied.

I kept my pace with the other two as I ran. The numbness of my leg was gone replaced by pain each time my hoof hit the ground. Whatever those things where, they were a great motivator. We ran down the gently sloping crater wall but the distance between us and the skyward reaching vine never lessened. The only measure of how far we had traveled was to look behind us and past the orbs to the slowly rising wall. Minutes past by and each one seemed to stretch beyond their allotment of seconds.

I had lost track of time when Applejack yelled, "Rarity," and turned leading our party around one of the thorns. The orbs continued to follow us hitting and then the rolling around the thorn.

Soon I saw the white unicorn running along with another orb chasing her. She turned and released a salvo of projectiles that had been hovering around her head. Some embedded themselves into the sphere others just bounced off. None of the injury slowed it down but it did induce a barrage of high pitched screams. Her magic enveloped several plates of the worms armored and they were ripped off. She held them around her head for a moment then flung them back striking the sphere of worms again.

"She's hurting it," said with a smile.

"Or just making it mad," replied Rainbow Dash her tone showed she didn't share my enthusiasm, "she has a talent for that."

"If Rainbow tricking one into ramming another won’t stop them then this won't either," added Twilight. "Applejack," she yelled, "we need to catch up, see if we can come in from the side and time it right."

The orange earth pony nodded and started to lead our group through the thorns. Our path wove around several thorns and eventually we were running parallel to Rarity one lane over. After several moments of watching for when to veer to the left I felt an arm wrap around my body causing me to jump and stumble slightly but I stayed running. I looked over my shoulder to see that it was Rainbow Dash holding me, she also had an arm around Twilight. The next thing I knew I was being lifted off my feet as Rainbow flew over the top of one of the thorns. Applejack and Pinkie had cut across as well and were running side by side with Rarity as we landed. Behind us the orbs rolled over the thorn and crashed down on the forth one resulting in more ear splitting screams.

"What is going on here," I asked as I regained my footing and continued to run.

Confused looks were passed around and Rainbow eventually said, "We’re running for our life."

"No, I mean you pulled off that maneuver just now without saying anything," I snapped.

"Steel we were talking about it after we caught up with Rarity," answered Twilight.

"The last thing I heard was you telling AJ to catch up to her."

Twilight looked at me confused and then looked up at Rainbow Dash who just shrugged. She shook her head and said, "We don't have time for this we need to find Fluttershy."

I blinked my eyes but continued to run with the rest of the herd and did so until we all heard a scream of, "Help!" off in the distance. Applejack lead us in the direction of the scream, where we heard several more as we approached.

Fluttershy was pinned against the wall dogging the strikes of the worm’s wicked beaks. They would impact the thorn but neither the torn nor the worms appeared to be injured. On closer inspection Fluttershy had only just dodged several of the strikes and she had the light cuts across her body. As we approached Rarity began to fling the bits of armor she still carried at the heads of the striking worms. I saw Twilight's horn start to glow and a wall of stone appeared between the injured pegasus and the orb. The group ran between the stone wall and the thorn. Pinkie grabbed Fluttershy as we past only to come to a sliding stop when two more sphere appeared in front of us. We were trapped pinned in two in front five in back Rainbow Dash might be able to escape but the rest of us could only stall for time.

I looked over at Fluttershy, she had several cuts all over her body from the armor that surrounded each worm. If even half her wounds were infected with the same poison I had been it would be a shock if she could fly. However somewhere in my gut I knew every injury carried the toxin. She was a strong one, and she continued to stand strong as we formed a circle staring down the orbs as they closed. I looked around for anything that could be used as a weapon but there was nothing I could find that could be used without hands.

"Isn't this the point where we wake up," asked Applejack.

"Or the cavalry arrives," I muttered.

"That would be a deus ex machina," replied Pinkie her attitude still upbeat.

"A what," asked Rarity?

"It's a tool used by an author to get there characters out of a sticky situation, Daring Do is full of them." answered Rainbow Dash.

"We can think of a way out of this, girls. We just have to stay calm," added Twilight.
"Oh my," whispered Fluttershy. At her statement I glanced in the direction she was looking. A bright light from behind one of the spheres gave it a halo. Then below it glowing droplets of what could only be the worms armor fell to the ground.

The affected orb began to drift over into its neighbor attacking as it began to glow a soft red.

"I was right," sang Pinkie.

"We knew Celestia could show up Pinkie that voids it," replied Twilight in a flat tone. "When you've got a chance run," she added.

I glanced skyward to see black dots filling my view. It was eerie we had finally discovered a way to fight back and then the idea that it mattered was squashed so simply that I felt my heart fall. There were too many and it was taking too long to kill one of them. When I heard Twilight yell "go" I sprinted as fast as I could towards the princess. I heard a scream from behind and I glanced to look.

One orb had grabbed Fluttershy it held her like a python holds it’s prey. One of the four jawed heads danced in front of her face. It examined one eye then the next, the pegasus shaking in silent fear. Then it struck. I turned away and my stomach churned with another scream this one coming from Rarity. By the time I looked back both victims had been consumed by the sphere. Applejack had locked up her face terrified, confused, and frustrated until she too was snatched by an orb. Rainbow tried to grab Twilight and fly over an orb only to have a sinewy worm reach out and remove a wing dumping them both into the grasp of another orb. Pinkie was dancing avoiding the strikes but once a second orb attacked she was overwhelmed.

All this happened in a matter of seconds as I passed the sphere that was under fire from the princess. I suddenly felt pain along my belly like fire on my skin. I jerked my head forward, away from the massacre behind me. I looked down to see initially smoke and then what appeared to be my intestine, which I quickly tripped over. I fell to the ground and looked up at the princess a look of horror on her face. I had time to yell, "Run," before I felt fire on my legs and I was pulled backward over my own innards. When the thought of this should hurt more, crossed my mind I realized that parts of my brain where shutting down. I vomited and then felt something strike the back of my head and burrow its way through. I saw the armored serpent as it exited my forehead causing my eyes to shift position. Shouldn't I be dead by now, I thought as I was pulled into the glowing red sphere.

Celestia stepped back from the disturbing scene she had just witnessed then redoubled her focus on the nearby sphere trying to rip it apart but failed. The sky was full of these things that had just devoured seven of the closest ponies to her. Rage born tears filled her eyes as she concentrated sun fire onto the nearest of the swarm. It had the same effect as before but it was taking too long and she was being surrounded. She tried a shield spell next but it only slowed them down. When the first serpent struck out at her she blasted a beam of sun fire down its throat, burning it from the inside.

When the second and third appeared she fell back on the martial practices she had been taught a long time ago. The twin curved blades of fire that hadn't been summoned in a millennium flickered to life beside her as she struggled against the creatures. It had been too long since she had to fight; the changeling queen had taught her that. I should have taken Luna up on the sparring practice, she thought as she ducked another. Luna had always been the better at combat, taking the lead in all their fights. The only way Celestia had ever won against her sister was being quick on her feet and some dirty tricks. Tricks wouldn't help her now, and as outnumbered as she was, being quick wouldn't help for long. The attacks kept coming and eventually one arrived that she couldn't block.

The bony fangs of the quad jawed creature glistened as it rocketed towards her. Just before it struck her face she felt herself being jerked backwards as if by a string attached to the front of her chest. The world around her disappeared and was replaced by an old Equestria. The Equestria she and her sister had found as they had wandered the world. It was the land under Discords rule.

"Discord," she hollered, "what have you done."

"Now, now Tia, is that the way to thank the one who just save your mind?"

Celestia looked down to see the draconequus lying on the ground beneath her. "Let me go Discord," she growled.

He slithered up into a sitting position and began too much on an apple. After swallowing a bite he said, "Oh my Tia, I'm not keeping you here. I just didn't want to see that your wonderful mind was safe from," he paused to examine the fruit he held, "worms."

"I had everything under control," she snapped.

"So says the grasshopper to the ant. Now are we going to be capable of having a civilized discussion or should I leave," he asked tossing the apple away.

She forced a deep breath and stilled every nerve before asking, "Do you know what happened to them?"

"You're asking me," he laughed slightly as he spoke, "me the one who has been trapped in a statue in the garden this whole time." He huffed, "while we're at it thank the grounds keeper for removing that bird’s nest they were getting annoying. As for what I know, let's see chaos is coming. Not the spirit of or the embodiment of. The thing that is currently playing with the clay like minds of those seven is Chaos. What is Chaos though is it power without thought can we even grasp true chaos, the effects yes we can see. I'm only the result of chaos pushing back against order Celestia, nothing more. It has them and it is playing with them. For the most part the Elements should protect the six of them. However it's the other one I'm interested in. The mind is a fragile thing and he has nothing to protect his from being broken.

Fluttershy woke up she was on the ground alone, just outside the Everfree forest. She stood up and looked around she had been here before. It was one of her favorite places to get away. Close enough to the forest that no pony from town would disturb her and close enough to town that the creatures of the forest stayed away. She climbed to her feet, let out a long yawn and a small smile spread across her face as she took in a lungful of air.

She jumped when she heard an explosion further off in the forest. She had time to glance in its direction before the pressure wave knocked her to the ground. She tumbled along with the other debris for quite some distance before coming to a stop. "Oh my," she said as she sat up the world still spinning, "I wonder what that was."

Her jaw dropped as she looked back towards the explosions source. A massive new mountain stood under the debris cloud. Her Jaw dropped even further when she saw the mountain move. The longer she watched the more her mind began to itch. Looking away she began to make a checklist in her mind, first check the animals at her house, second find Twilight. She took off as fast as she had ever flown towards her home.

When she arrived her entire body began to shake not from the stress of her fast flight but for the unimaginable amount of gore that was waiting for her. There were chickens splayed open, hawks and eagles making meals of their bodies. Her flying squirrel was chewing on the body of a snake. The entire yard looked like one of Pinkies parties except that the streamers and confetti had been replaced by blood and innards. She skirted the mess and she did her best to avoid looking at it.

When she reached her door she opened it quickly and backed through. As she did she felt something squishy beneath her back hoof and she let out a whimper. Turning around she found that the inside of her cottage had become a massacre that dwarfed the bloodshed outside. In the center of the living room sat a small mostly white rabbit. "Angel Bunny," whispered Fluttershy as she approached. When the rabbit turned around she squeaked in surprise.

The rabbit was covered in blood from the mouth down, his eyes empty and soulless. It immediately leaped at its former caretaker latching on to her ear and began chewing. She knocked him away and stumbled backwards slipping over entrails. She fell knocking over one of the bird house stands which landed on top of her pinning her to the floor. She looked at the little rabbit in terror as she tried to pull herself free. The blood stained bunny charged its eyes glistened with predatory rage. The only option left to her was to use the stair on him, and she tried but it failed and the rabbit leapt at her exposed throat. She felt his teeth dig into her flesh as they went deeper and deeper. The pain of his teeth puncturing her skin was soon soothed by a gush of blood. The world began dim no matter how hard she fought against it. She was dying and she couldn't escape it. All that was left for her to do was to cry as everything faded away.

Fluttershy woke up she was on the ground alone, just outside the Everfree forest. She stood up and looked around she had been here before it was one of her favorite places to get away. Close enough to the forest that no pony from town would disturb her and close enough to town that the creatures of the forest stayed away. She climbed to her feet, let out a long yawn and a small smile spread across her face as she took in a lungful of air. This is a good day, she thought as she took a deep breath.

When she reached her door she opened it quickly and backed through. As she did she felt something squishy beneath her back hoof and she let out a whimper. Turning around she found that the inside of her cottage had become a massacre that dwarfed the bloodshed outside. In the center of the living room sat a small white rabbit. "Angel Bunny," whispered Fluttershy as she approached. When the rabbit turned around she squeaked in surprise.

The rabbit was covered in blood from the mouth down, his eyes empty and soulless. It immediately leaped at its former caretaker latching on to her ear and began chewing.
Fluttershy screamed and knocked the little bunny off of her head and she watched him bounce across the floor. When he came to a stop he turned around and looked at Fluttershy still chewing part of her ear. He swallowed and started to run towards her.

She stood her ground staring at the charging rabbit and muttered, "When they try to bite, show them your might." When the rabbit jumped into its attack she spun and bucked like she did when she helped Applejack. She felt her hoofs connect and heard the little body tumble across the floor. When she turned around to view what she had done she lost control over her stomach.
"Goodbye Angel Bunny," she whispered as she pulled the door closed behind her. Now to find Twilight, she thought as she squeezed the tears from her eyes. Looking towards town she saw smoke rising in the distance. She swallowed and headed that way as fast as she could.

Once she hit town she noticed that it seemed that the population had turned on itself. She saw Derpy Hooves staring unblinkingly towards the moving mountain. Her sister Dinkie was trying her best to get her attention but was failing. "Dinkie follow me, let's find Twilight, she might know what to do."

The little unicorn looked at Fluttershy her jaw quaking and tears matting down the hair on her face "But what about my sister," she asked.

"She'll have to stay here. I think she's safe," answered Fluttershy softly.

"All right," said Dinkie as she walked over to the pegasus, she looked back over her shoulder to watch her mother as the two walked further into town. As they did, they found more ponies staring off towards the shadowy shape following it with their eyes as it moved along the horizon. Cheerilee and Ruby Pinch were trying their best to distract Berry Punch who was in the same state as Derpy. "Miss Cheerilee," shouted the young unicorn as she broke away from Fluttershy and ran towards the school mare.

Cheerilee turned to look at the charging youth and said, "Dinkie what are you doing out it's dangerous." She paused and looked around before asking, "Where is your Sister?"

"She's," the little unicorn pointed in the direction of her mother. Eventually she added, "She’s like that," while pointing at Berry.

The school mare looked up at Fluttershy and asked, "Do you know what's happening?"
The yellow pegasus looked down at the the ground and shook her head.

"Oh. Do you have a plan?"

Again Fluttershy shook her head.

"We're going to find Twilight," shouted Dinkie as loudly as she could.

Cheerilee nodded, "that makes sense," she paused and gave Berry a concerned glance, "do you mind if we come along?"

"No," whispered the pegasus.

As the school mare approached, she noticed Fluttershy's ear the one usually hidden under her long pink mane now matted with blood. "Fluttershy what happened," she exclaimed.
"It's nothing," she replied while trying to readjust her mane to hide the wound. Her attempt failed and the wet part of her mane stuck to her cheek smearing the blood across her face. "Come on we need to find Twilight, or Rarity they will know what to do."

"What's that," asked Ruby as she pointed out of town.

The whole group turned to see large winged creatures, dark and ugly approaching. They were huge as tall as Celestia and by far heavier. The creature’s wings stretched to have at least a fourteen foot wingspan and their eyes glinted in the sunlight like gems. Their numbers where increasing to the point that they blocked out the sky all rising from where the explosion had taken place.

"Um... If you don't mind I think we need to run," muttered Fluttershy.

"I don't mind at all, in fact I insist upon that," replied Cheerilee. "Come on fillies we need to get to Twilight's quickly."

The group ran and as they charged through the town they saw others heading in the same direction they were. Fluttershy glanced over her shoulder at the approaching creatures; they ignored the frozen ponies but attacked the ones that were trying to escape. Her jaw began to quake, she could do something to stop this she knew it but those things terrified her. Just looking at them warped her mind, when the first creature in sight struck out at a fleeing pony her mind was flooded with images of every injustice she had witnessed. It was like a switch had been flipped in her mind and the rhetoric of Iron Will returned. The thought of when someone messes with someone you like, show them that might makes right, filled her mind.

She zipped between the attacking creatures each one a different and horrible mix of animals. She never stopped them for long and she took more than she gave but each time she struck it help some pony get a little farther in their escape. She never came away from a fight without a wound or two but each one was a sacrifice for another few moments of life. For the most part she held the line covering the retreat back towards the Library.

During one of her jumps to cover Rose she glanced towards the Twilight's house, it now had a bubble shield surrounding it. Spike was inside opening passageways into the new bulwark, Cheerilee and the two fillies were just making it inside the shield. She smiled she had never felt this kind of exhilaration before and the pain from the wounds was amazingly distant. She was enjoying this and that disturbed her greatly. Everyone had retreated to the shield line and Twilight was calling for her to return, but she was enthralled with the havoc she was causing. Eventually she realized no matter how hard she fought she would be overwhelmed by these creatures and she fell back to the Library.

When she landed and walked through a passageway. She smirked at Spike as she walked past and then she looked up at Twilight, "Hello Twilight." `

Twilight's had been glazed over until Fluttershy spoke. She looked over her bloody friend like she had never seen her before. "Fluttershy," she asked nervously, "are you okay?"

Fluttershy laughed, "Yes... I've never felt better." She looked out of the shield and saw the creatures they wandered the town ignoring the ponies in a trance state. "Everypony is down in the lab, right. Why don't you go check on them I'll take first watch?"

"Okay," muttered Twilight. "Spike, come on," she said after a moment, "we're going down stairs."

Fluttershy lay down to watch the door, a confident smirk stretched across her face and blood pooled on the floor. She heard the soft scraping of the lab door as it pulled shut behind her. She laughed as she sat watching the futile attempts by the ugly creatures attempting break through the shield. She knew that the shield had been cast by Twilight and that she had included the use of Potestatum gems in its casting, it would endure.

A slight scratching noise from behind caught her attention and she turned to look. "Angel Bunny," she gasped as her eyes landed on the gore stained rodent. She stood up her smirk turning to a demented grin, "are you here to fight again?"

There was no sign of response from the rabbit as it approached. Angels head bobbed side to side with each step, eyes blank and staring. He leaped at his former caretaker and the attack was dodged easily by Fluttershy. The next attack brought a quick strike from one of Fluttershy's front hooves sending the bloody bunny into a bookshelf. The impact dislodged the shelf dumping the rabbit and its contents to the floor.

"Here, bunny, bunny bunny," whispered the pegasus as she approached the pile of books. She gingerly pressed a hoof into the pile pushing the books away. She found nobody in the pile. She sat down and looked around where could he have gotten to, she thought. She heard a squeak of failing metal and looked up to see the rabbit chewing through the last support for the chandelier just in time to dodge it's fall. Clever bunny, she thought as she struck him again when he dived at her. She walked over to his body and tapped its unmoving form, he moved slightly with the tap but no more than what would be expected of a dead body. She sighed and turned to walk back to her seat in front of the door, a victorious smile on her face. Just as she was sitting down she felt a small weight pounce on her back and she began to buck. A sharp pain stabbed her mind as she felt teeth chew through the flesh at the base of a wing. She flexed them trying to knock the vermin off her back. Then she felt a stomach churning vibration on her spine, the crack of bone echoed through the room and she turned to see the rabbit splayed on the ground along with her right wing.

"How dare you cut my wings," anger flared in her eyes. Followed by a spell of dizziness, it must be the loss of blood, she thought. She stepped forward a snarl on her face and she struck at the bounding rodent but it dodged all of her attacks. This time it latched onto her neck, she was able to knock to him off but the amount of blood that flowed from her wound worried her. She needed to end this now, with this amount blood loss she wouldn't last long.

She stepped forward after the bloodstained rodent but as she did one of her legs gave out on her, she staggered and took another step. The rabbit took advantage of her momentary weakness by leaping on her back and attacking her remaining wing. Fluttershy fell into a roll trying to smother him beneath her weight. She suddenly felt a sharp pain halfway down her back and her hind legs went numb. When she had rolled to her feet she found out that she couldn't get her back legs to listen. She felt the rodent climb up her back and again she fell into a roll across the floor. This time she felt him let go. She then stopped and tried to stand back up; her back end wouldn't listen to anything she told it.

"Won't you give up," she moaned as Angel approached. She sat there panting watching him approach and just for an instant she saw the little bunny that she had watched over for as long as she could remember. That flash of memory disappeared as the rabbit began to open mouth chew and she saw some of her flesh in its mouth. She shivered and looked around for something else to use some trick to get her out of the situation.

Angel walked forward and Fluttershy grabbed a book with her mouth, and then flung it at the approaching rabbit. He dodged the spinning book and kept coming. She pushed herself back away from his approach trying her best to put herself at an advantage or at least minimize his. Her stomach churned but she held it in, and she saw the world dim around her. She slammed one hoof down keeping the other ready to strike, but she had noticed that her reactions were slowing as well. The rabbit circled pacing just outside her reach watching for her to fade. "Come at me," she yelled to no effect at the gore soaked vermin.

The world took another step towards gray scale and dimmed. She coughed it was getting hard to breath and she wheezed as her leg gave out. She flailed at the rabbit as it approached but couldn't land a strike. She felt the rabbit as it attacked her exposed belly but it felt distant. The world faded to black and she was surrounded by warmth.

Rarity woke with a start and looked around her empty hovel. There wasn't much space for her in the underground lab but some had been made. She climbed from her hay padded bed and pulled the coarse stems from her mane before walking over to the vanity to examine the mirror. She looked herself over, scars ran across her face. Three parallel claw marks that started on her cheek and ran to her brow across her eye. She closed her injured eye and examined the scars that ran across her eyelid; she also noticed a little nick on the tip of her nose.

She sighed and looked around at what sat on the vanity top. A hand mirror, that was all that she had left of her little sister. A picture of her friends shortly after the Nightmare Moon fiasco, two of them had been lost. The fire ruby that Spike had given her sat beside the picture, he had gone on to be a leader in the Royal Guard. He had even formed a group known as the Knights of Draco. That thought had made her smile slightly, to think of her little Spikey Wikey leading an army into battle. It was something he had wanted, to be recognized and out from under everyone's shadow. Applejack, she might not be making money but she was the leader of everypony now. Rainbow Dash had finally made it into the Wonderbolts and that left Pinkie. Pinkie was unique in this underground disaster, she still had the ability to induce laughter in anyone but something was off. She was starting to eat more, a lot more and the laughter was not from her usual antics.

She shook her head as she walked away from the memories. Twilight had died as a student of Celestia, defending the people and even after she died she continued to gain the Princesses praise. Fluttershy had been one of the first in their little group to have found her dream and she lived it every day until the chaos erupted around them. Even their replacements in the elements had reached their dreams. Derpy had proven that despite, maybe even because of her disability she was just as important as anyone else. Then there was that great annoying boar of a personality stuffed into a pony shaped body. Trixie, had changed from a contender to the most powerful unicorn in Equestria to that actually being so.

She walked out of the little cave that had been dug specifically for her and looked over the camp. Everypony here had a job they did something to help each other. No one needed fashionable cloths. The only value she had other than being the Element of Generosity was, as that scientist put it, she was a young mare of breeding stock." While the last held true for her friends as well they at least had more to contribute. Her dreams of being among the elite of Canterlot died two days after the monster had arrived and the city had been leveled. It just wasn't fair she thought, I have worked my entire life toward one goal. Then the world ends and my only value is to pop out more foals. An image was conjured in her mind of her old and fat laying on her hay bunk nursing several foals. The thought caused shivers down her spine as walked towards the underground entrance to the library.

She slowly walked up the stairs thinking, it wasn't that long ago that Steel, Twilight and I walked down here for the first time. When she came up to the floor of the library she pressed her hoof to a button beside her and the massive wooden disk into the library opened.
When she finally found herself on the library's main floor she looked around. Each alcove brought forth a memory, Pinkies surprise party for Twilight, and that awful sleepover with Applejack. She sighed those were the days, if only she could go back to them. Then more recent memories came forth when she saw Fluttershy's blood stain on the floor. She turned away and climbed the stairs up to Twilight's study, then continued to the bedroom. She looked around, the room hadn't been touched except by Spike retrieving a few keepsakes. "What are you going to do with yourself Rarity," she asked the empty room.

It was then that she noticed the balcony and the telescope. It was a tool that had become useless since the sky was burned. She felt a kinship with that old device, they both had great value in an age not long past. It also reminded her of an argument with her now dead sister. She had told Sweetie Belle that if something had no use it needed to be thrown away.

She walked out onto the balcony and looked at the ruins of Ponyville. The third floor window gave her a view unmatched of the devastation. Her boutique was among the building that had been reduced to a charred skeletal frame and she could see the spot where Sweetie had died. She sat down and began to cry, no dramatics or grand sobs, just simple crying. She looked over the railing at the ground and thought, useless things needed to be thrown away. She stood up and climbed up on the railing, Three stories up should be enough. She glanced back at the dust covered room and thought I'll see you soon Twilight, before leaping off the balcony. Time slowed as she watched the ground approach and for the first time since the monster had shown up she felt happy.

Rarity woke with a start and looked around her empty hovel, alone. There wasn't much space for her in the underground lab but this area had been dug out. She climbed from her hay padded bed and pulled the coarse stems from her mane before walking over to the vanity to examine the mirror.

Applejack Rolled out of bed and looked out the window of the mansion on the New Sweet Apple Acres Farm. It had been centuries since the exodus and almost one since the return. Ponyville had been rebuilt as the new capital of Equestria, and she was the only surviving hero of the country. The eight of them, the six original elements and the two replacements’s had a statue built in the center of the new town plaza. Heck even the crater Steel had made was now a lake named after him. She smiled, their names were remembered but not who they were, except for Derpy her progeny kept her memory alive. Ponies now thought that Trixie and Twilight where best friends, some of the legends had them as long lost sisters other had them as lovers. No one listened to the truth, legends and myth were greater than the truth, and somehow she was a living example of both.

In the time since the exodus Celestia had not been seen nor had Discord or Nightmare. Luna had changed the ruling government to a parliamentary based constitutional monarchy. In the end for Applejack and her family it didn't matter. The Apple family had become strong since the return and they had their hooves in everything. That came as no surprise to the matriarch of wealthiest family in Equestria's history. She controlled enough wealth to challenge the royal treasury and that fact made her laugh.

It had been a good life but she missed her close family, Big Macintosh had passed on shortly after the return to be buried alongside Granny Smith and the rest of the family. Apple Bloom like her had outlived her closest friends but she had eventually passed. Sighing to herself Applejack thought, The curse of being hard headed, you out live everyone you care about. After a momentary pause she thought, well enough about the past, and walked out of her room.
As she entered her study her secretary began to talk, "Miss Apple, I have your weekly reports. The mayor would like to talk to you about being the guest of honor at the centennial banquet along with Lord Spike."

Spike, now that was a name she hadn't heard in years, granted that now he was known as Lord Spike the Eternal. He had grown much more slowly than other dragons. By the time Trixie had past leaving her the last remaining Element he had grown maybe a foot in height, but his mind matured at an unbelievable level. His wings had finally developed and for the past few centuries he lead an elite group in the guard known as the Knight's of Draco. His order was made up of every race that still walked the surface of the planet. Other than herself and the Princess he was the most powerful and influential being alive. She was proud of the little dragon that had united the world behind him, but he was dangerous as well. He knew too much about her and that was dangerous for someone in her position.

"Just put the paperwork on the desk. I'll get to it later," she said as she walked behind her desk. As she did she saw the mirror that sat between the shelves behind her. The old mare that looked back at her had aged better than her granny had. That had to be because of the nomadic lifestyle she had lived for three hundred years. Muscles still strong filled her legs and very little atrophy had occurred in the past hundred years of sedentary life. Her mane and tail white and shorter than it used to be but still in the same style she had always worn it.

She sat down behind her grandiose desk and glanced at the paperwork. She was tired of this but no one else could be trusted with these decisions after all she was the one who had rebuilt the economy. She had been the leader of the population as they wandered the globe for centuries, and it was her that had built the Apple family empire.

After sifting through the papers glancing but not reading she tossed them away. That's the problem with being a leader of her caliber, there was no time off and escaping from the responsibility was impossible. Most ponies would have found that limitation a curse but not her she wore it like a badge of honor. She yawned and shook her head, no matter how good her body felt her mind was not what it used to be and this constant work was getting the better of her. She needed a vacation.

She spent the morning shifting through more paperwork, until a knock at the door announced somepony's arrival. "Come on in," she shouted. Looking up she saw one of Scootaloo's descendants walking in. The orange pegasus was carrying a platter with her lunch on it. "Thank you Skater," she said with a smile he always reminded her of the past. His rainbow mane told her that somewhere he shared his blood with Commander Hurricane, and from that Rainbow Dash. She laughed a little; maybe that little orange filly had some distant family in her hero.

"You need anything else Miss Apple?"

She smiled up at him, "nope just reminiscing," she answered.

"Well don't get lost in those memories we need you still," he replied before he turned to leave.

"Don't I know it," she muttered, "go on, I have some more work to take care of."

"Yes, ma'am," he said as he left the room.

She waited until the door closed before looking at the lunch and shaking her head. Food had not sounded good in days. She walked over to the window overlooking the town and opened it. The couch that sat just below the window was comfortable and she sat on it and leaned on the windowsill. Her front legs crossed to give padding for her to rest her head. It had been a long time since they had left and now stretching beneath her eyes was the fruit of her work. The old capital Canterlot and the mountain it had rested on were now a mass of crumbled stone in the distance. It would have been nice to dream of the old days once before the end, she thought.

She looked back at her desk and at the paperwork, I really should have picked someone to follow me. There's no one I trust enough to take over though. She laughed at her thoughts, if only I could take it all with me. She turned back towards the landscape and let her eyes drift shut with a wide smile on her face.

Applejack rolled out of bed and looked out the window of the mansion on the New Sweet Apple Acres Farm. It had been centuries since the exodus and almost one since the return. Ponyville had been rebuilt as the new capital of Equestria, and she was the only surviving hero of the country.

Broken Walls and Broken Wills

Out of my Element

Chapter 16: Broken Walls and Broken Wills.

Pinkie woke up in her room and sighed. It had been a long time since any of them had felt this comfortable, this relaxed. It had been equally as long since she had breakfast waiting for her. She rolled out of her bed and walked over to the table to grab a bite. She then went out to the general room. Princess Luna and AJ would be off at the alliance council meeting. She shook her head it had been thirty years since the fall of every major power on the planet. Equestria, The United Gryphon Republic, even the Changeling Empire collapsed a few short weeks after coming in contact with the beast and it's ugly followers. That's not right the Uglies were not followers they lived on its energy like a lamprey on a shark, or egrets with cattle.

In the main hall she found Rainbow Dash, Trixie, and Big Mac. They were all surrounding Rarity. The poor unicorn never had recovered from her attempt at suicide. She would answer questions and help out with things around there little base but everything she did had the same distant quality her eyes carried. Even Pinkies greatest party failed to bring a smile to her friends face. Disinterest and age had taken their toll on the unicorn. The physical work and her natural beauty helped hide that but she was no longer the pony Pinkie remembered. Dash wasn't ether, nor was AJ, or herself, Pinkie caught her reflection in the mirror. She was at least twice the mare she once was.

That was the problem; parties were still what drove her. However she no longer found them to be fun, they were a job and jobs were tedious. The only part she enjoyed was the food, it reminded her of a time long ago when laughter could cure any problem she found.
Trixie had fallen in with the group fairly well and had become one of the staunchest defenders of Rarity in her new state. There had been discussions from other on leaving Rarity behind. There had also been discussions about forced breeding, since as far as anypony knew less than thirty thousand ponies had survived. The Diamond Dogs ended up in the best position after the attack since most of their society was cut off from the surface. That's where they were now, in a massive complex a Diamond Dog alpha dug to plan a counter offensive. There were less than twenty factions over all. There were nomadic pony tribes, the buffalo that had joined up with the ponies after the fall of Appleloosa, a handful of diamond dog packs, the griffins and changelings.

Thinking of all this made her depressed, so she walked over to the group, "Hi Rarity."
The white unicorn turned towards her friend and in a monotone voice but with her old accent said, "Hello Pinkamena."

"Rarity, I've told you before call me Pinkie," she said as she leaned forward to hug her friend.

As soon as Pinkies hooves touched her unicorn friend Rarity whimpered and fell to the floor.

Pinkie looked around deep concern etched on her face and asked "what's wrong."

Trixie began to speak. She had long ago learned to change her speech patterns when around her new friends. "I fear some stallions most likely assaulted her during her walk last night. She never returned to the room so I went looking for her and I found her shivering. "

"No," gasped Pinkie in a whisper, "You mean they..." she couldn't bring herself to say the word.

"Yes," replied Trixie none of the old show mare was in her voice, "it's terrible, when Big Mac came by to help me he touched her and she started screaming. It was the most emotion I've seen her display since," she let her words trail off.

"Eeyup," added Big Mac. He looked at the shivering mare, "Rarity now that your friends are here I'm going to leave, but if you need anything just ask. As far as I'm concerned you're family."

She looked at him and watched him go still shivering.

Before anyone else could speak Rainbow Dash jumped in, "What's the point of all this. I didn't bust my flank trying to save these things" she paused and let the disdain roll off her tongue, "for this. I could have just stayed at the lab. There was a comfy place to sleep. Sometimes I wonder if we all wouldn't be better off dead. At least Twilight never saw us this way, I wonder what she would do, I wonder what she would say."

"Trixie, I mean, I sometimes wonder as well," added the show mare fighting the absent minded return of her old speech patterns. "Sparkle carried a significant weight and had big shoes to balance her load. I never realized just how much she did without complaint or comment."

Pinkie knew the Pinkie of the past would have done, she would have had a party. Not for Rarity, oh no, but for something. She would have kept it small, and invited Rarity. Now there wasn't any reason to throw a party. No birthdays, weddings or anniversaries, well at least none that mattered. Why would you celebrate two years of being trapped underground? Two years stuck with ponies that would do this to a defenseless mare? She inhaled a ragged gasp. She didn't even realize she was crying until then.

"You okay Pinks," asked Dash. "We don't need two mares out of commission."

"Yeah," she whispered in reply, "I just...I can't take this anymore." She began to cry as she spoke. "Dash why aren't you mad about this, you would have been the first one out to find who did this to her. Then there's Applejack, she won't care, she hardly talks to us anymore. When did we fall apart? I don't even have fun anymore. The closest thing I have is eating." Pinkie took in a deep ragged breath before continuing, "The most stable ones in our group are Derpy and Trixie, and they're nothing like they were before all this." She looked at the unicorn and whispered softly, "no offense."

Dash hung her head, "It was inevitable Pinks, the old us couldn't live in this new world."

"Now that is the dumbest thing I've ever heard," countered Trixie. "While it would have been hard on you all, I feel this world needs who you were more than the old."

"What do you know? When you showed up you were still spouting all that Great and Powerful garbage," snarled Dash. "The war was over we had lost, you didn't see what we went through the ponies we lost."

Trixie's face was just as angry as Dashes but she responded in calm measured tones. "You don't know what I had to do. Do you remember the convoy that Trixie showed up with. It was twice as large when Trixie joined and the survivors only made it because of my efforts." Her anger forcing her old speech patterns to the surface. "Trixie saw death and had no protective shell or bunker, but after all that and everything since I am still The Great and Powerful Trixie."
Dash snorted but Trixie ignored her and continued. "While all of you have changed, this mare," she gestured at Rarity, "is at her core still who she once was. You don't see it because you are hiding behind your own problems. She still is just as giving and if you watch you will notice when she is left alone in a room she moves things to be functional and pleasing to the eye."

"So you're saying you know more about my friends than I do," Dash yelled, her face in Trixie's.

"Excuse me," said Rarity's voice as soft as Fluttershy's had once been, it held more emotion than any had heard from the mare in years. All eyes turned towards the mare on the ground in stunned silence. "Please don't yell at Trixie, she has been nice to me. Rainbow Dash, why didn't you come to see me when I've been alone."

Dash's jaw trembled and tears filled her eyes before she bolted from the room.
Rarity turned her eyes on her pink friend, "Um, Pinkie you're not mad at me are you?"

"No," she stammered in reply.

"Then why do you avoid me?"

It was true she had been avoiding Rarity, but it wasn't because of anything to do with the white unicorn. It was because every time she looked upon her friend she started comparing her now to her then. It hurt Pinkie to see the previously hollow Rarity, and her question cut Pinkie to the bone. She reached forward to wrap her friend in a hug but the unicorn stepped away. Pinkie could see it in her eyes it wasn't intentional and that made it even worse in her mind. "I'm so sorry," cried the pink mare as she ran away.

She hurled herself out of the room and down the hallway towards the kitchens. It was her last refuge the last place that she felt safe. Who am I, her mind cried as she ran, tears flowed down her face and she quickly lost her breath. She began to gasp for air against her sobs, and soon she staggered through the doorway into the kitchen.

Once inside Pinkie relaxed more and her crying intensified. She walked over to one of the islands, tail dragging the ground and sat down behind it. She held her mane lightly stroking the now straight hair as she mumbled to herself. "I'm not a bad friend am I?"

"Not entirely," said a high pitched voice out of nowhere.

Pinkie jumped and looked around, "Who's there?"

"Maybe you are a bad friend if you've forgotten about me," said the voice.

Pinkie followed the sound stalking like a cat through the kitchen. Eventually she came around a corner and saw a bag of flower leaning against the cabinets. "Madam LeFlower," she asked.

"So you do remember me. Now may I ask why did you abandon us in Ponyville?"

"I...I...I don't know," cried Pinkie erupting into tears.

"You left us, abandoned us like you've abandoned everyone else. You could have prevented this, and the worst part is you know it. Every one of your friends fell into darkness because they were alone."

Pinkies tears gushed out and her sobs echoed through the kitchen.

"Miss Pie, is that you," asked a familiar accented voice.

Pinkie let her head turn slowly towards the new voice, "Gustave?"

"Oui," answered the aged griffin as he walked forward. "What's wrong my old friend?"

The word, friend, echoed in her mind, as Pinkie stared at him. Did he call me a friend, her mind asks. Eventually, she say, "I've been a bad friend, I've turned my back on everyone."

"Oh, no, no, no. You haven't you've never turned your back on me."

Pinkie just shook her head and sat back down on the floor. She only looked up when Gustave held an éclair in front of her face. She smiled weakly and accepted the gift. The taste pulled her mind from the now back to the time on the train. She missed that time; she slowly ate the dessert as the flavor of each bite faded so did the visions of the past. She took another small bite savoring the memories. Eventually she finished the éclair, and the warmth of memory faded away leaving her in the cold reality of now. "May I have another," asked Pinkie in whimper.

Gustave looked at the pink pony and sighed. He went over to the cold box and pulled out a platter of éclairs. "These are leftovers from a few days ago, you can have as many as you like. I'm making more to replace them."

Pinkie hopped over to the tray and began to eat watching Gustave as he worked. He began to mix the dry ingredients into a giant mixing bowl, starting with the bag of flour. I guess so friends do make good desserts, she thought as she chewed away at an éclair.

After several memories and several more éclairs, Pinkie found herself stuffed. However she continued to eat until she had hidden herself from reality or until the plate was empty. She licked the plate, thanked Gustave and walked out the doorway. She staggered forward, suddenly feeling weak and nauseous. She felt sick, as she staggered into a display case her back aching as she did so, the case and Pinkie crashed to the floor. She felt pressure in her lower chest like she was going to vomit but her stomach never made the commitment. The she felt pressure began to spread up her chest to her jaw and down a leg.

"Miss Pie," yelled Gustave but to Pinkie he sounded so far away. "Help," he hollered, "I need a healer," his voice even more distant now. "No you fool insect her not me."

Despite the slow creeping pain, Pinkie felt cozy. She was warm but not to warm, just right and the memories were flowing of her time in Ponyville. A smile spread across her lips as her mind faded she was home.

I woke up and I knew the creature was almost here. I don't know how but I knew. I rolled out of bed and was immediately hit by a wave of, I don't know. Nausea wouldn't be correct nor would dizziness they did occur but they were more a response than symptom. I felt, I did, and I can't explain it. Just moments before my foot hit the ground my foot hit the ground. Then my foot hit the ground again and again, three times in all. It was like there were three mes all a little off from one another and I could feel each one just as strong as the others. I could feel three different versions of thought in my mind, each similar and I could tell which was mine, I think. I was still me but I was aware of two alternate versions of myself, and I think they were aware of me.

What is causing this, was a unified thought through each experience as I staggered out my bedroom door. It must be it, I think it was me that use the word it, thing and entity were also thought.

In the main room propped up against the lab wall was the Magi-tech suit I built based off of the full body plate of old earth pony kingdoms. However when I looked at it I saw three images. It was the same effect of looking at something with both eyes open but a hand over one. However now I had three eyes, everything had depth, and none of the suits looked the same.

One was just the wing and circlet that I had originally built, another was the suit I had and the last was a lightly built suit with an exposed face and neck. I took the longest of the three to get suited up and as such was the last to reach the stairs. Climbing them wasn't easy. None of the mes were instep and when one of the other mes almost fell I did feel the uneasy sense of lost balance.

As I entered Twilight's library in a very loud fashion, I could hear the other two personality's thoughts. One the first into the library was already thinking that this was a lost cause. The other was thinking of survival of the population instead of preventing the monsters arrival.

It was an odd echo as I heard a groggy Twilight ask, "What are you doing?"

"It's here," I replied in two of the three visions in the third an odd series of thoughts began to form and flow. The chief among them was, why should I care, we're all going to die anyway. This was followed by flashes of chemicals, testosterone, estrogen, adrenaline, and dopamine along with some serotonin. The me that was having these thoughts smirked and began to cast a spell on Twilight.

I realized what he was doing just as the other me did, but our mental objections fell unanswered. It was disgusting and I did my best to distance my thoughts from his, which is difficult when everything is happening simultaneously. "Can't you feel it," I asked the Twilight I was dealing with.

The me that wasn't currently dealing with pleasing and being pleased by Twilight was explaining to his Twilight an idea. It was for forming a shield spell that would cover Ponyville indefinitely.

The Twilight I had been talking to looked at me strangely and said, "I can't feel anything and my wards would let me know. Anyway you don't have to deal with this the Elements can take care of everything."

I heard and felt everything that the other mes experienced, everything and that made it incredibly hard to concentrate. Time seemed to burst forward in the different experiences. In one I had just explained a recharge spell that would pull magic out of the ground or a being and place that power into Potestatum gems. It sounded useful and I tried to remember how it would work. In the other the lust crazed me had moved on in his conquest of every mare he came across. Am I a coward, am I that much of a coward, I thought as a fought back to dealing with my Twilight. "This mess is my fault and I'm going to do my part to clean it up," I growled more for my sake than anyone else. I had to fix my resolve; I had to ignore the other mes in my mind.

"How..." She started to ask before shaking her head and continuing, "No. Go ahead I'll get everyone else." Her horn began to glow and she disappeared.

I quickly left the library and headed out of town towards the field of poison joke where this mess all started. I was traveling as fast as the wings would take me and I wasn't the only me outside the library. My lustful alternate had now encountered Rarity as she had left the spa.

Damn it, why can't I get this out of my head, I thought as loud as I could.

Shut it you're distracting me, came an equally loud mental shout if you distract me I might mess this up. Can you imagine having your way with Rares and the mares that run the spa all at once?. The thought was sent with the mouth watering feeling of anticipation.
This caught me by surprise, and I immediately felt like an idiot. Of course the other mes were the voices in my head, and they knew what I was doing as well as each other. Where did they get a body and why were they here in my head now?

Well if you're worried about being a distraction could you tone it down horn dog? I can't build this spell with you getting your jollies off constantly. It's rather a big distraction for both of us. The me that was planning a defense of Ponyville snapped back.

I landed in the field and immediately noticed that some of the poison joke had grown, specifically the ones that looked like the piranha plants from Super Mario. They were half my size and snapped at me as I walked past. As I walked a flash of an alternate me almost overrode my senses. This time it was the one that was defending Ponyville, and I knew his plan fully. It was an odd experience I had done everything in my power to ignore him but I still knew what he was trying accomplish. He was using several unicorns to cast shields over the town. Then he had Twilight merge them into one spell while adding power from the Potestatum gems and any added magic from nearby unicorns. The me of that reality was trying to tie the physical manifestations of the Elements into the system as well adding there power to the system. It was impressive and it was working.

A loud noise and that was the best description for it tore my mind back to the field. The sound was in all frequencies, it was painful my brain felt like it was going to melt, but somehow for some reason it sounded familiar. I turned the speaker volume down inside the helmet, and I could think easier with my distractions down to two. I tried to find the noises source and saw a tear in the sky open. Lightning of every color imaginable and a few that weren't danced around the wound in the sky.

As the wound grew an appendage made of thousands of squirming cords reached out of the hole. The video relay inside the helmet was on the fritz, every time I looked at the thing coming out of the breach it would fill with static to the point it was almost useless. Through the static I could make out the tentacle like arm pressed against the ground. Another appendage this one hand like pressed against the top of the dimensional gash. This thing was huge, like Toho monster huge. All I have to do is slow it down and prevent it from getting in to this dimension, I thought, that was simple right?

I was an idiot I had no way to fight this thing, my magic sucked. I could pick things up, throw them and change a rock into a hat. Twilight thought that had been impressive but I don't think a hat will keep this thing from coming through the hole. None of the weapons in this world would help even if I had brought one with me. I don't even think a normal weapon from home would help. I would need a bomb or a nuke or a missile or something. I had pulled off a small explosion like a nuke before but I'm not even sure how I did it.

Why did I say I was going to stop it, I might say that if I had a plan. I stepped backwards my thoughts racing, and crashing as the feelings of the lecherous side finishing with the spa ponies washed across my mind. It did feel good but that was kind of distraction is going to get me killed along with everyone else in this reality. The other was building a energy absorption tube for Celestia or Luna to climb in when there shield was attacked and explaining the concept to Twilight.

Would you all shut up! I screamed in my mind. I couldn't concentrate there was to much noise, my mind giving each source equal attention. The others started shouting at me, and throughout everything one word kept echoing in my mind missiles. I closed my eyes and tried to center myself, and went with the thought of missiles. I remembered thing from TV shows like Modern Marvels and the like. Simple warheads had design schematics shown in games and other shows.

It was impressive that in just a few seconds my mind had put together how to build a missile but it didn't do me any good. I had no supply, then it struck me like the hat and the rock, I could do the same with the trees and stones surrounding me. However I would only get one, if that, with the way the spell burned through the energy in the crystals. It's the best idea I have right now, I thought trying once again to focus my mind. It was getting tough though, my body was feeling everything the other mes were experiencing and some of those experiences were getting rather intense.

Before I realized it I had formed the missile. Things around me were moving so fast I wasn't even sure I was in control of my own body. I don't know how I aimed it or anything else but I felt the blast wave as the warhead exploded. The static left the in helmet screen and I could see again. The arm that had reached through was now lying on the ground and the portal had closed. Did I do it? If not I'm going to need more magic but how.

I began to think, What else could I do? Then I remembered Jack telling me something about how magic was in everything that existed in this dimension. If I could only drain there, my train of thought stopped what the other me was doing. He was draining magic from the planet, the elements, and other beings to power the shield around Ponyville. I looked in to his section of my mind.

He was in the middle of tricking Celestia into a power pod. I felt him smile when he felt my mind touch his. He knew I couldn't stop him and I didn't agree with what he was doing. Hello, he thought at me, been a while, missed you during the fight with the uglies. They left with a nice little prize, my eye. I could see in his mind the memories of the fight.

Your spell for draining energy can I see it? I asked.

I could feel his smile spread, jagged teeth poking out from the hole in his cheek. You mean the one I'm about to pull on the royal highness here?

I don't know, I need one that will pull magic out of the ground, I replied. It was odd begging myself for help, but I beyond questioning it at this point, I've never been one to look a gift horse in the mouth. In my world I could hear the noise returning, come on man it's coming back, I need it. How are you even hiding this from me? Never mind just tell me.

All right, he thought at me then, formulas, concepts, everything about the idea flowed into my mind. It blocked out the feelings from the lecher and I smiled it was quiet for just that instant. It was wonderful, but my silent sanity only lasted a moment.

As soon as I refocused to the world around me I began to weave the spell. It wasn't particularly complicated however the last part did need a place to put the energy. I chose the Potestatum gems in the suit. I then switched my mind to forming more missiles. Trees, rock's everything my magic could touch I was picking up and transmogrifying into missiles size varying on the mass of the original object.

The gauge that read the power levels in the stones was rising no matter how much I used in my spells. Inside the suit my body was beginning to tingle and itch like when I fought the dragon. I tried to lower my use of magic but it wasn't working but when I did the suits warning chimes began to sound. The stones were overflowing with energy, it was like I had started a siphon and couldn't cut it off. Well this sucks, I thought followed by no you don't, as I saw the creature through the static returning to the visor. I sent every missile towards the thing. It disappeared again leaving its blood covering the clearing. The blood boiled and ugly things rose out of it. I tried to move and engage them but the suits joints had fused. I couldn't move and more energy was flowing into the crystals as time went on.

I tried to cast more spells but that didn't do much to cut down on the energy pooling inside the suit. The noise returned and I felt a suicidal smile spread across my face. It was the only option I had left was to pull in more energy. I began casting the absorption spell again pulling as much energy as it would allow into the stones. The creature was half way through the tear when I knew the stones were going.

Oh cool so when we die it restarts. I wonder if I could pull off an orgy of Harmony?

What, I hadn't had that thought. What's going on?

Aw man, I guess we don't remember what we were doing the last time around, this thought came from the same place as the previous one.

I could feel the me in the other dream, the non perverted one, thinking but I couldn't hear it. It wasn't a vocal thought but it was something. Finally it sent out a more focused thought, this has to be a dream.

Well that was obvious, thought spoke the one in the lecherous dream. Just for giggles why do you think that? Is it because I'm scoring with every one of these ponies, or maybe because everything's going right for you? Unless you need me I'm going to be focusing my attention on that athletic little honey Rainbow.

Whatever just stay out of my mind, I thought back. Then to the more focused one I thought, What can we do to get out of this?

Well you were the first to die so I'm not sure. You could try to force your way into mine or the other ones reality.

Why would I do that, you would be in charge, I asked.

True however I don't know what a cycle of continuous death and memories of your death from me and the other will do to your psyche. I don't know what's happening but I don't think any of us being mentally broken would be a good idea.

I shrugged I didn't know what to think but the memories of fighting that big monster stuck in my mind. Okay I think I'll head your way, right now I have too much respect for my friends to go with the other.

I focused my mind on the other me's world and concentrated. This world began to fuzz and melt like a wet watercolor painting. Then I was in my mind and my body, but not mine. I could remember everything that had happened to both of us. If this is a dream what will happen when we wake up, who's in charge, I asked the me that I was now inhabiting.

I have no idea, it replied to me as it was also trying to convince Luna into a power pod.
You know unless you need them it might not be a good idea to have both put away. I thought to him.

Why's that?

What's happening is going to make ponies angry if you have one of them on the top and can lead through them, they take the blame. It was a weak defense and I knew it but if I was in this world I had to do what I could to stay me and that meant helping my friends.

The me of this world sighed and said, "Luna the more I've been thinking we probably should rotate you and your sister through. That way one of you two is out to lead and if we need the power you can hop in to boost the power."

I smiled and leaned back in my mind, if that worked that means I can affect this world. I'm going to do what I can to make this world the best for everyone.

I woke up and rolled out of my bed. I felt exhausted like I hadn't slept. I yawned and stretched before looking around the room. It was dark and the room was barely lit by glow stones so I announced, "Light, more light." The lights increased and I quickly heard hoof falls from outside my door. Then whoever was outside hit it with enough force to slam it open.

"Steel, you're okay," cried Logia as she charged into the room. She gasped and tears flowed freely from her eyes as she wrapped me in a hug. "I was worried about you, the others are, were just like you. Celestia sent Spike a letter about the wards being broken. You had worms in your eyes, all of you."

I smiled, looked her in the face and hugged her back.

"Steel, this isn't the time for that you know," she said.

My smile only grew and I said, "Baby it can be whatever time we want it to be."

Her face tightened and she pulled away, "What's wrong with you Steel, control your wandering hoof! Don't you care about what’s happened to your other friends?"

"Right now it's just you and me, so let’s forget them," I moved closer to the bed.

She slapped me across the muzzle, "What's gotten into you. Yesterday you cared about all your friends."

"Yesterday was yesterday, today is today, who cares right now it's just you and me," I replied.

She punched me in the chest with a forehoof knocking me back. By the time I recovered she had spun around and grabbed my head between her back legs, then thrown me to the floor.
I coughed and wiped my mouth with a fetlock. Then smiled as I said, "So you like it rough, I can accommodate that."

She grabbed me with her magic slamming me against the bedroom wall. "You sick," her face scrunched up and rage built in her eyes. "I never want to see you again," she snarled before stalking out of my room.

I slid to the floor thinking, what the hell is wrong with me? I hate people that behave like that. Why would I do that. I wanted to go after her but a voice in my head told me not to.
If you don't know why you did that it might happen again, it said.

I guess you’re right, I thought to myself. Wait I just agreed with one of the voices in my head after acting so strangely. I'm scared now.

You know it was probably the other guy taking over for a bit.

I felt my stomach churn at that thought, the idea that I'm not in control of my own body terrified me. How, I asked the other voice.

Remember what she said the wards were broken; he must have gained more power with that. I just wonder why I haven't.

"Jack," I hollered as I ran out of my room.

"What did you do," he asked, "I've never seen a female in any dimension that pissed before."

"I don't know something’s wrong, the wards are broken and I want to know if you can send me to the Canterlot Castle Gardens." I rattled off as I walked into the lab.

"I can with some accuracy, at least accurate as I can be from Twilight's notes on the castle," he answered with a concerned face. "Why the gardens?"

"It's inside the security of the castle and I don't have time to deal with the guards. So just do it please, I need to talk to Celestia now," I said as firmly as I could.

The world around me warped as blue energy flowed around me. I found myself in the garden close by a large hedge. "Hello" I called out and began walking towards the castle. It was still dark out so I figured it was early morning. As I walked I heard voices. One was familiar to me, I could have sworn it was Celestia's voice but why would she be out here. The other I couldn't tell. I had never heard it before.

"From what you have told me, it seems like good plan. However Tia, we don't know how your little pawns will be affected by this latest pulse. I still say if you let me go I could help with that," said the voice I didn't recognize.

Tia, I thought, it can't be Celestia, who would call her Tia? Anyway it can't be that easy I have to go find her. I came around the corner of the hedge and saw that it was Celestia talking to a... statue?

"Discord, you've proven yourself to be unable to keep a promise, or to speak the truth in the past. Why should I believe you now?"

"When have I ever not told the truth? It's not my fault that the ones that hear me speak can't follow the words."

I blinked was the statue talking? It wouldn't surprise me in this world but at this point who knows. I started to approach the princess and began to form report to her. "Hello, Princess," I announced.

She turned around with a puzzled expression. "Steel, you're awake. What about the others," she asked as I approached.

"I don't know, I asked Jack to send me here after I discovered something important," I said as I walked up to her. This was the last part of the conversation to go according to my mental script.

"And that is," she asked encouraging me to continue.

"Did you know you have the power to make other things rise?" My eyes bugged and one of my hooves flew over my mouth. I knew what I had wanted to say and I knew that wasn't it but I also knew what the implication of what I said was. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," I said as my face blushed. "What I meant to say was if you're going to send me to the moon why not your moon." This time I punched myself trying to cover my mouth. My eyes were as wide as they could get and I was looking everywhere but at the princess. "I'm sorry I can't control my mouth, but if you want I can show how out of control it is."

The look she gave me was a mix of horror, anger and disgust. "Steel," she snapped, "what is the meaning of this?"

I tried to keep my mouth shut but it didn't work. "I'm sure you can figure out what I meant, but if we want to explore all the alternate meanings we can." By now I was laying on the ground my eyes pinched shut and my forelegs covering my head. What the hell is wrong with me?
I heard laughter from the direction of the statue, and the unknown voice began to speak. "Oh Tia don't tell me you're not intrigued by his offers?"

"Discord, do you know what's wrong with him," she asked.

"Ho hum, it's probably the entity, creature, chaos incarnate whatever you want to call it. Its energy is warping his psyche. You know I could fix him if you want me to, unless you are planning to take him up on his offer."

I felt the urge to speak but I was able to cover my mouth with a leg and it only came out as an unintelligible murmur. I was shivering in fear, I couldn't explain to her anything just being in her presence caused my alternate to highjack my body. I looked up to see that the princess had turned around and was talking to the statue again. The view was not helpful for my current mental infighting.

"Do you think the others were affected," she asked the statue.

"I wouldn't know but I would hazard a guess of yes. If that last pulse could break your wards, give me that ability to speak and limited use of my powers, I think it's a safe guess." It answered.

I heard the princess sigh and she said, "I'm going to send a letter and I'll make a decision from there." She conjured a scroll and scribbled something quickly before enveloping it in green fire.

I heard another set of hoof steps walk into the area as the flames dissipated. I could tell from her voice that it was Luna, it also helped that she referred to Celestia as sister. "Who are you talking to, and why is Steel acting like a foal?"

"You'll have to excuses him he's not quite himself lately," said the statue.

I heard Luna stop walking and she asked in a shaky voice, "Discord?"

"Yes, it's been awhile hasn't it," replied the statue.

"How," asked the princess of the night, "How are you awake."

"Oh, you know cosmic horror approaching, rekindling the chaos within us all. Woke up Nightmare all that stuff," it replied.

"Yes, I thought you were still trapped in your mind though," she grumbled in reply. "Sister, have the plans changed?"

"I don't know yet, Discord's still on the idea that I'll let him go. He does claim that the Elements will all be in a similar state to Steel though," answered Celestia.

"Even so can't we cure Twilight the same way she was cured when Discord was free?"
The statue began to laugh and I chanced a peek out from under my hooves, both princesses were ignoring me. I relaxed a little and stood up, did I have control back? I inhaled deeply and words flowed out of my mouth like water out of a broken dam. "I would bet Princest would be wincest would you two like to help me find out?" This time I clamped both my hooves over my mouth and fell face first to the ground.

Luna looked at her sister with a flat expression and asked, "Has he been like this since he arrived?"

Celestia nodded with a grimace and a sigh.

Luna just grumbled and her horn began to glow. I felt something wrap around my muzzle tight enough to keep me from speaking. I blinked and looked down my nose; I had a dark navy blue muzzle pulled tight over my snout. The worst was somewhere deep in my mind was parts of me liked it.

Luna smiled and turned back towards her sister saying, "That ends one annoyance." She then turned towards the still laughing statue. "What's so funny Discord," her voice was calm and measured.

"You all think you know chaos, you think I am true chaos. Kiddo I am just a shadow to that thing. You are trying to compare what I did to the elements to what he has done. I warped them; it pushed the buttons in the dark corners of their minds. It brought forth a darker more twisted version of who they truly are." He laughed and then continued, "You can't cure them of who they truly are. The best you can do is remove what has twisted their minds and hope they recover.

Take your lust struck stallion over there; somewhere deep in his mind he has a neurosis of the more perverted persuasion it brought it out." I could hear the smile in his voice as he talked and it sent shivers down my spine.

"Your point Discord," growled Celestia her voice about as hostile as I could imagine. I was glad it hadn't been used on me; I was terrified enough as it was.

"Simple let me go and I can pull the chaotic energy out of them."
This time Luna began to laugh, "We can pull the chaos out of them ourselves why do we need your..." She stopped and looked back at me; her face was more terrifying than her sister’s voice.
I froze I was a lot closer to her than I remembered, in fact I was in the middle of rubbing up against her back leg. My face was against the side of her waist. I let out a small whimper before I was tied up with something similar to what made the muzzle then tossed to the ground. I ended up in a very uncomfortable position, and unable to see anything other than the tall bushes.

"You were saying," asked the statue.

Celestia answered, "We'll just use the Elements, they locked you away and freed Luna from Nightmare, we don't need you."

"Yes you do and you know it," replied Discord, "otherwise why would you come out and talk to me about it? While I'm asking what if the Element holders are too busy suffering from their own individual neuroses to bother helping out?"

I heard a growl, but couldn't tell which of the sisters it was. I tried to stretch against my bindings to look but it was to no avail. I couldn't see what was going on but I could hear the conversation easily enough. There was some more noise that sounded like a burst of pressurized air escaping followed by crinkling paper.

I heard Luna still using the same voice she had the entire conversation ask, "What does it say."

"It's from Spike," replied Celestia the anger in her voice broken allowing a swath of depressing emotions to dance in her words. "He says, Twilight is awake but she's too busy looking up spells and researching to read the letter I sent." I could hear her swallow, "what guarantee do we have that you will do as you say Discord?"

"Sister no," Luna cried this time her voice was full of emotion, "we can't let him out."

The voice from the statue laughed, "You have no guarantee. The only thing you have from me is the knowledge that I always act in my enlightened self interest. I have not given up on reclaiming my throne you stole but should Chaos arrive my throne will be destroyed. In that respect you could say we have a truce or cease fire at least until the danger is gone."

"He has lied before sister, be wary," cautioned Luna.

"Now, now Luna when have I ever lied, it's not my fault you heard me wrong and mistook the riddles."

I felt myself being lifted off the ground, then spun around and held so that the two princesses could look me in the face. My brain felt terror my body felt something else and I couldn't tell which or if both were causing my heart to try climbing out of my chest. I smiled and tried to avert my eyes, but somehow I always found myself looking at one of the two of them. Any trace of the saddened princess lost in memories was gone, as was the friendly and curious appearance that Luna usually carried. Now I know why Logia was so terrified, you would have to be nuts not to be in this situation. Celestia looked me in the face and I couldn't look away no matter how hard I tried. Her face softened and then after a few moments I was slowly put on the ground.

"Sister," Luna started in a cautionary tone, "what are you thinking."

"I failed Star Swirl I'm not going to fail Steel," she answered her voice morose.

"Sister, think about this, how many have had to be sacrificed for Equestria. Are you willing to sacrifice the country for one stallion?"

"No, I'm not giving up on Steel, Equestria or the Elements. We have been backed into a corner with only two choices. We free Discord and maybe he does as he says, or we try to pull the chaos out of Steel ourselves." She stopped speaking and looked down at me her face matching the sad tone of her voice. "I'm sorry Steel, but unless it's the only option I can't let Discord loose and I we need the Element's too much to start with them."

I felt my eyes widened, and I whimpered slightly. This was not ending up anywhere like what any part of me had hoped. I was once again lifted into the air and I felt the bonds tighten as Celestia tapped my forehead with her horn. The pain was blinding, it burned in my mind. Even with my eyes closed I could see white for an eternity. I could feel my body thrashing against the bonds that held me. Suddenly the pain was gone and I began to pant, I was soaked in sweat. I slowly lifted my head and pried my eyes open to see a grim faced Celestia leaning in a second time. Damn it, I thought as the pain returned.

After so many attempts to cleanse my mind that I had lost count, I found myself praying for anything that would cause this to stop. I found the answers to my prayers in the form of Luna.
"Sister, stop this," she yelled. "Can't you see you're not making any progress, and if you continue like this you'll only kill him? If you're going to try to save him you should let him rest before continuing."

Celestia sighed and said, "very well, take him to the infirmary and keep him away from any mares."

I heard Luna sigh and I could feel a cool magic wash over me lulling me to sleep.

Celestia shook her head as she watched Steel collapse into unconsciousness. What am I doing, she asked herself I promised myself that I would protect him, the same way Star Swirl protected me.

"Celestia," started Discord he had waited until Luna had left the area to start. "How far will your hatred of me drive you? You almost killed him and you're nowhere closer to curing him than before. Once you kill him will you move on to your precious little Elements? Who will you start with? How about Twilight Sparkle, or would you save her for last, that way you can save your de facto daughter, although only after slaying her friends." He laughed softly, "Oh Tia, why do this to yourself? Can you not bear the idea of me helping. You've seen it in your own dreams. That creature defeats us all, don't forget I've seen it as well."

Celestia stood in silence every word he spoke hit a cord. How far would I go? She asked herself, could I have done what I did to Steel to any of them, could I even do that to Steel again? If I'm going to do this on my own I'll have to. She focused her mind trying to picture herself cleansing Twilight, the idea made her shudder.

She stared at the statue, her body shaking in anger or was it the realization of how desperate she was to avoid his help. "Discord," she finally forced herself to say, "no one else is here and this is between you and me. For the sake of this discussion let's say the dreams are correct and I will admit that you have never lied that I'm aware of. If I set you free what will you do?"

"I will go clean the minds of the Element bearers then to stay out of everyone's way I will probably head to the frontier. After all I can only control my impulses for so long."

Celestia sighed and looked back towards the castle. "What about Steel, would you fix him as well."

"I thought I would leave him behind and let you try to cure him. You seemed to enjoy it. I am curious why do you want me to?"

"I owe someone, and I this will help me repay that debt."

The statue was silent for almost a minute before he spoke, "I'll agree to that should it be a condition of my release."

"It is," replied Celestia as she walked up closer to the statue, magical energy collecting in her horn. She touched his statue with her horn and it began to glow. It shook and the stone cracked up its length, a white light from within shone out along the newly formed seams.
As the stone skin fell from draconequus he yawned and stretched. His griffin arm fell from the stretch above his head and patted Celestia on the head. "You are growing up aren't you little one," he said before taking to the air like a serpent to water.

Discord laughed as he flew through the night sky. It was true what he had said, he had never lied but he had never told the whole truth. He had also done exactly what he had promised. More so even, the chaos energy that was flowing into the ponies was now diverted into to him. He had also left a few gifts behind.

When he had stopped to see the stallion in the castle he had been unable to remove all of the chaos within him. It was possible that it was something Celestia had locked into his persona in her attempts to remove the chaos energy. There was also the possibility that he had accepted the chaos into his personality.

Then there was Twilight Sparkle. She had ignored his approach. Her little dragon hadn't though, his mouth would return in a few more hours. Twilight was too involved in her studies to notice him even after he started to pull the chaos out of her. That might have been because the process rendered her unconscious. He had given her some forgotten knowledge buried in her mind. She may never find the gift let alone open it but if she ever did it would be glorious.
Rainbow Dash, the element of loyalty was asleep in her house, her gift memories of Commander Hurricane. Then timid Fluttershy, her animals were a slight problem not as much as she was. Awake and angry, she was hard to catch. Her gift would be interesting once she opened it as well. The same scenario followed with Rarity and Applejack, they both were awake and were somewhat difficult to drain.

Finally there was Pinkie Pie. He climbed in through the upper window of Sugar Cube Corner. She was still asleep and like Dash the removal of the chaos energy was simple. As Discord left he conjured a small pink cloud of cotton candy and would rain chocolate milk.
Then he left the town snaking through the sky laughing as he went. He would go out to the frontier just like he said. However he had never said he wouldn't plan for once the truce was over.
That was why he left the gifts just little mental mines, that once detonated would create a little fun. The only problem with mines was that you never knew how they were going to affect the world. would it be good or bad, you never knew but that was where the fun was.

Along the Terminus between Life, Death and the Unknown

Out of My Element

Chapter 17: Along the Terminus between Life, Death and the Unknown

As I pulled my sleeping mind awake I remembered my folks funeral. It wasn't that unusual for me to have buried memories return as I broke the barrier between sleep and waking, but why that one? I had no idea. Usually something I've been dealing with triggers the memory, but I hadn't thought about that night in a long time. It had been seven years since then and I had thought I had put it further behind me. I wonder why it came up now. Oh well, I thought, as I tossed the sheets off.

I stretched as I woke up fully finding myself in a large extravagantly decorated bedroom. The sheets were silk or at least felt like silk and the bed was an intricately carved four poster. It looked like what I had pictured as a guest room in one of the European royal houses. I rolled out of bed and found a platter on a nearby table. The silver tray held a wide variety of fruits and jams. It also had a few biscuits as well; at least I thought they were biscuits.

I tried to break open the biscuit, with no luck. I also tried to use the knife to spread the jam with a similar result. I ended up just dipping the biscuit in the jam, it was easier and more effective than the other two methods. While I was eating I heard the room's door open. I glanced over and saw a dark gray head look in. I smiled and said, "Morning." I then thought aloud, "where am I?"

"You're in one of the guest rooms in Canterlot Castle," he said somewhat suspiciously. "Royal decree is that you cannot leave this room until Celestia comes by."

At the mention of the princess’s name I began to shiver and sweat. I don't know why, but the thought of the princess terrified me. I nodded my head with an uneven spasm due to the shivers. The pony at the door smiled and left pulling the door shut behind him. I slowly began to relax and returned to eating but every noise I heard made me jump.

Eventually I finished eating and wandered over to a window that overlooked the garden. My mind was still puzzling about why I had a reaction to Celestia's name. From the window I could see the bushes from last night. They were huge and they formed a massive labyrinth in the center of the garden. I followed the outside of the maze with my eyes and eventually found the statue of Discord. As soon as I recognized the landscape around the statue I began to remember last night. Suddenly my vision flashed white and I froze, pain encased my body and I couldn't move.

Then I was pulled back into my own past, I realized when I was as soon as the memory began to play. It was the night of my parents car wreck. I was watching television in the front room and heard a terrible noise. Metal on metal and the heavy bass note of an impact followed by the noise of electricity arcing as the power went out. I ran to the front door and looked out into the front yard to find my parents SUV resting upside down surrounded by downed power lines. Then the memories began to fade.

I don't know how long it took but when the pain ceased I found myself on the floor. It's cold stones cooling my burning muscles as I struggled to catch my breath. What the hell. What happened last night and why am I remembering that now, I thought to myself. I did my best not to think of my parents but that was like being told not to think about pink elephants on parade.
I sighed and walked through last night in my head. No matter how hard I tried to remember the previous evening was a blank. Well not the entire evening. I remembered arriving in the garden, meeting Celestia by the statue. The statue talking, Luna showed up, and then nothing but blank spaces. I knew Logia was mad at me but I didn't know why. This whole thing had given me a headache and now this morning was beginning to feel like a bad hangover.

I climbed to my feet and slowly blinked trying to clear my head. What the hell happened last night, I thought for the second time. I walked over to the bed, the clipping noise made by my hoof falls on the stone floor only made headache worse. Once I reached it I climbed in and buried my head under the pillows, my eyes pinched shut as tight as a could get them. God my head hurt, my eyes pulsed with each heartbeat and I was afraid that they would pulse out of their sockets. I'm not sure how long I kept myself bundled under but at some point my silent refuge was invaded by the squeak of the door opening.

"Steel," I heard Celestia's voice call my name and involuntarily lifted my head from the pillows.

The best I could do was whimper, no that's a lie, the best I could do was a failed attempt to fall off the bed and crawl under it. With some effort I was able to loosen my limbs enough to move and slid off the bed. When I looked up at her I went blind again, and with the whiteout the pain returned. When the pain died and I was able to feel my surroundings again I felt the stone floor on my face.

"Steel," she said my name again and I opened my eyes to look at her.

Pain again along with the flash of white light but this time it was different. Everything was still there but it was detached somewhat. The blinding white was a tad grayer this time and I could see shadow like movements in it that turned into a tumbling truck. It was night and I had just dropped my cell phone to the ground.

"Mom, Dad can you hear me," I hollered towards them. On the other side of the road was a totaled pickup truck and it's upturned trailer full of now screaming calves.

"Steel, calm down get a hold of yourself," I heard the voice in my mind, but It also had a source and I recognized the feelings that came with the thought. I turned to find myself looking at myself, sort of. It was me but not and somehow I knew this was one of the voices that lived in my head. In my gut I knew it was the more rational voice not the lust crazed maniac.
I waited for the maniac to comment, and after what seemed like to long I asked, "Where is the other guy? Shouldn't he have said something by now?"

"He's gone; he was taken away last night."

"What, how did that happened? I can't remember a thing. How can you?" I asked. Looking around I realized the memory was gone. It had been replaced by the gray-white haze that this had started with. I could feel the distant pain as it washed over me like wave in a memory.

"I don't know. I remember watching as you woke up and then collapsed again."

"I don't remember waking up; I don't even remember how I got here. While we’re at it why am I remembering that night!"

"I don't know, I just live here I don't do maintenance. The last thing I remember prior to waking here was Luna and Celestia arguing with Discord in the garden and you were tied up."
"I was tied up, why?" I asked. God I was confused, and somehow both mine and the other me’s bodies were back to being ponies.

He smiled with a broken face and said, "You said some things that were rather out of character. Then you also tried to snuggle with Luna's left flank."

I suddenly found memories of that night floating back into my mind. They were distant and clouded like they weren't mine but were from my perspective. Even with them I couldn't remember the night. I could only remember now watching them like a movie.

"Steel, are you alright?" I heard Celestia ask from outside. Her voice was distorted like I was hearing it through water.

The pain and white blocking out my vision began to fade. I realized as my vision returned that I was staring at the floor under the corner wardrobe. Somehow I had moved across the room and I was facing the wall. "What," I muttered as I pried my head off the floor. I looked around for a moment and my eyes fell on Celestia. Her face was filled with concern as it was swallowed by the white fog that filled my vision along with the debilitating pain. This time I fought to stay in the fog and not let my mind pull me back in to past memories.

I would avoid looking at her from now on, said the voice in my mind.

Really, I hadn't put the two together. It probably would have taken me a dozen more glances to figure that out, I replied with as much sarcasm as I could.

Through the haze I heard Celestia say, "I'm going to go get a doctor, just stay calm."

I heard the door pull shut as the fog across my eyes faded. I climbed to my feet and walked over to the table that had held the food. On the platter was a silver pitcher coated in condensation, inside that was iced apple juice. I drank the entire pitcher. As I did I felt trickles of cool juice run down my neck. It was relaxing almost therapeutic. After finishing the drink I walked over to a bare spot on the stone wall in between two tapestries and leaned against the stone.
My nerves were still on end but I was calming down. I had finally convinced my body to stop shaking when I heard the door open. I quickly moved forward hiding myself behind one of the wall hangings.

"Hello," asked a voice I didn't recognize.

I slowly stuck my head out and glanced around the room. The new comer was an olive drab earth pony with a short gray mane; his mark was a red cross.
He smiled when he saw me and said, "Howdy, you must be Steel. Shamrock T. Potter my name."

I felt a small smile lift my lips as I asked, "really," with a laugh.

"That is, I was a Colonel in the Equestrian Expeditionary force, ran a mobile army hospital, retired and opened up a practice here in the capital."

I could feel my skepticism reach my eyebrows. "Right, this has to be a dream."

The doc smiled and said, "If this is a dream, I've been told you're living a nightmare. Now get your keister over here and let figure out what's wrong with you."

Twilight shook her head as she said, "Spike you have to have been dreaming, Celestia would have sent a letter if that was the case."

"But she did. You weren't yourself last night and now you are. You changed back after he came by, don't you remember," asked the little dragon. His voice was half concern, half panic as he tried to explain the events of the past night to an oblivious Twilight. As he spoke he was re-shelving books that she had left out during her manic study session the night previous.
"Spike," she said with a warm smile, "we've all been under stress lately and I know I haven't been paying that much attention to you..."

She was interrupted by the sound of Applejack yelling her name. The farm pony barged in through the front door. As soon as she was through the door she quickly scanned the room found Twilight and began to speak. "He's free; he came by the farm and did something' to me."

Twilight looked at her friend suspiciously and asked, "You don't mean Discord."

"Sure as shootin', that's who."

"I told you so," grumbled Spike.

"He was here," asked AJ, "what he do?"

Spike answered, "Twilight was in a full blown study secession ignoring everything else. Celestia sent a letter asking about how she was behaving, Twilight ignored it, I answered it. Then Discord showed up and Twilight ignored him. Then he touched her head and she fell asleep, and he made my mouth disappear for a few hours."

"Spike," snapped Twilight.

"Don't feel bad you two that sounds just like what happened out at the farm. Have you written Celestia about this?"

"She didn't want to, she told me that it was just a dream,” Spike continued grumbling.
Applejack sighed and rubbed her forehead. "I wonder if all of us were visited by him."

"AJ I'm still not convinced that we didn't just share a dream again," replied Twilight with a weak smile.

Applejack looked at her friend with a flat face, "If that's so why can Spike an' my family remember him?"

"Well the dreams were affecting us because we're the Elements, they spend their time around us so the effect could be contagious." Twilight still held onto her week smile even though she knew her explanation was wrong. Why hasn't Celestia told me, she asked herself.

Soon Rarity and Fluttershy arrived with similar stories to Aj's. Then when Pinkie arrived with a cotton candy cloud it put the nail in any other explanation Twilight had. She finally voiced the major concern to her friends, "Why hasn't Celestia told me that he escaped."

"Could something have happened to her," asked Fluttershy.

"I don't know but the Elements are in Canterlot. Either way we'll need to go there," said Twilight as she telekinetically grabbed a blank scroll. As she began to write she asked,
"Fluttershy can you go get Rainbow Dash, and Rarity can you go down to the lab and let Steel know what's going on?"

The two ponies headed towards their destinations as Twilight gave Spike the scroll to send out to Celestia. She sat down and looked at the two friends that remained and asked, "What are we going to do girls?"

"We do what we've always done, somehow we will win," answered Applejack.

Twilight gave a true smile at this and began to announce her plan but was interrupted by Rarity returning from the lab.

"He's gone," she said as soon as the blue teleportation energy faded away. "Jack told me that he woke up last night acting strange. He somehow sent Logia running away in tears, then he teleported to the Canterlot Gardens."

Twilight's smile fell as she thought, Could he have caused this. As soon as the thought passed through her head she heard Spikes belch that signaled Celestia's reply. Before he was able to unroll the scroll Twilight had already ripped it from his hands and had begun to read aloud.

"My faithful student, I fear there is more to discuss than can be expressed in a letter. That is why I request you and your friends join me in Canterlot this afternoon. If you have discovered that Steel is missing don't worry he is already here. I will explain more when you arrive." Twilight let the scroll fall to the ground as she processed what she had read, and then emphatically asked, "What is going on?"

Luna walked past her sister into Steels room as the doctor came out. She could hear the conversation between Celestia and the doctor start as she closed the door behind her. "Steel," she said softly, "The doctor wanted me to come in and talk to you."

She scanned the room and eventually found him huddled in a corner, facing away from the door. His gray coat blended with the stone wall and his eyes were pinched shut. "Steel, the doctor wants’ to know if you have a similar issue when you look at me."

His shaking stopped and he licked his lips but his eyes remained closed as he started to speak."Luna, princess I don't remember much from last night. I know I did and said some things that are... Well I'm sorry, I wasn't myself."

"I forgive you and my sister forgives you, now can you look at me?"

"I can't, I'm sorry. Every time I looked at your sister I wound up in a pile on the floor. It took her leaving before I was able to stand back up." As he spoke his body began to shake, "can't you see what the thought of your sister does to me."

"Steel relax, right now this test is the only thing keeping me from resting. I have plenty of time," she said with a smile.

"Why," he asked almost in a whine, "why are you all paying this much attention to me. You're all so nice to me, heck my second day here I met the six heroes of the country and the two rulers. I'm not from here, I show up out of nowhere get wrapped up in this mess, this doesn't make any sense."

Luna laughed, he was pointing out several things that she herself had discussed with her sister. "You're right. In all honesty if it hadn't been for the relationship between Celestia and Star Swirl you most likely be in some form of protective custody, far away from here and under study.

When I heard about your arrival I was intrigued, but I had never heard the truth about Star Swirl. So I viewed you as a possible threat." She swallowed, "I have a unique perspective on the necessary requirements for security of this country. I was in my own form of protective custody for a thousand years." She said the last part with an ironic smile.

When she looked at him, she saw that the shakes had left him and he appeared to be more relaxed. On a closer inspection he was slightly mouthing words, and between instances of this would shift his body between two stances. The princess pinched her brows and shook her head, "Steel have you been paying attention to what I've been saying."

"What? Yes, yes, yes," his voice trailed off and his lips moved silently for a few more sentences. Then he pointed his face at her and slowly opened one red and puffy eye, then the other. He sighed and said, "I guess you're not a problem," with a weak smile.

Luna returned his smile and said, "That’s good. Now I have some questions. First what do you remember from last night?"

Steel was quiet for a moment then asked, "When do you want me to start? I mean I remember flashes of a dream from last night before all this started."

She nodded as he talked and said, "Yes that is what I have been told. My sister said the wards had been broken. However I am more curious about after you woke up specifically in the garden."

"Well," he paused, his bloodshot eyes shifting to look towards the ceiling. "I asked Jack to send me to the garden because I knew I needed to find Celestia and tell her about the dreams. Showing up in the garden let me bypass the security and I knew Twilight had given him high detail survey of the area, or at least enough to get me there. I remember showing up, hearing Celestia," he winced as he said her name. "I remember hearing your sister and walking around a corner to see her talking to a statue. It all gets hazy after that, I know I said some things, some highly inappropriate things. I remember," he looked at her and blushed, "some other things, along with getting tied up. Then if I try to remember anything further it's just white flashes and pain. Then I remember something like a dream with the statue, but free from the statue visiting me and poking me in the head. After that I woke up this morning."

"You saw Discord in a dream," she said as she felt the worry lines form on her forehead.

"This is not good. I visited the gardens after getting you settled and he wouldn't speak to me."

He nodded as Luna spoke and once she was done said, "My knowledge of Equestrian history is limited to an afternoon long crash course given by Twilight about four months ago. So pardon my ignorance but this Discord, he's what exactly? A dictator, an anarchist, what?"

"A little of both and neither, he is an enigma," she answered. "According to some more recent philosophers, Equestria created him and his actions created my sister and I," she sighed and shook her head as she said this.

"You don't believe it?"

"I don't, it's all to clean. From the history we have compiled he was here before any of my memories." Her smile fell as she said, "I don't know the truth but I doubt that is it."

The door creaked as it opened and Steel pinched his eyes shut. Luna turned to see who it was as the doctor announced, "Princess Luna your sister would like to see you."

She nodded her reply and then said to Steel, "I will talk to my sister and convey your apology for your behavior last night." She could see he was still nervous and was back to his silent mumbling. She then shook her head and then said to the doctor in a low voice, "He didn't have any problems with me." She glanced back over her shoulder then back to the doctor, "watch over him, I'll be back shortly."

The doctor met her eyes and replied, "Yes ma'am, don't you worry. Nothing will happen so long as I'm around."

Luna quickly left the room deep in thought. She needed to find her sister, Discord might be loose and the Elements would be of no use with the bearers distracted as they were. Then there was Steel whatever was wrong with him wasn't just what that nightmarish beast had caused. Her sister had broken something trying to cleanse his mind and now he had to be watched. She didn't even want to think what would happen if the citizenry ever found out what Celestia had done.

She was in such a hurry that she hadn't registered seeing her sister standing beside a bust in the hallway. It wasn't until she had already past that her thoughts slowed down enough for her mind to process the sensory inputs. "Sister," she said with a slight jump, "what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be holding court?"

"I postponed the day’s schedule," Celestia replied. Then she inhaled a deep breath before continuing, "Twilight and her friends will be here this afternoon and we will need to speak with them. I do not wish for the populace to be alarmed so I'm keeping as many away as I can."
Luna pondered her sister’s statement for a moment. Then in a soft but firm and accusatory voice said, "You didn't?"

Celestia's reaction to the question was so quick and minute that only her sister would have noticed.

"You did, you let him go," hissed Luna, "what were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that since I have been leading this country for millennium I should make use of every resource at my disposal to maintain its existence," Celestia snapped. "I was thinking that I as the eldest sovereign could make a decision on my own, or must I now have all my decisions second guessed?"

Luna was wide eyed as she looked around the hall, there was no one nearby. Just imagine if somepony overheard this, she thought as she turned back towards her sister. Despite Celestia's harsh words and her rock solid stance Luna could see through the small chinks in her sister’s armor. She hadn't changed that much in her centuries of solitary rule.

Luna wore a sad smile as she walked over to her sister and gave her a neck hug similar to the one she herself had received not that long ago. "Sister," she began still in a hug, "I'm not questioning you. I'm concerned for you. While I've been hiding from the feelings of Nightmare you've had your own burdens that I haven't been there to help with. All the while you have helped everyone else."

Luna drew herself back and she felt her guilt drying her throat as she looked over Celestia. She hadn't had any of these dreams that everyone else had. She had no idea what the invading creature was but she knew that the dreams changed everyone.

When she looked at her sister she could feel the guilt move from her now dry mouth to the corners of her mouth and eyes. The little twitches of movement as her feelings fought her mind for facial control. Everything must have been plain on her face because as she watched her sister she saw a transformation occur. Celestia seemed to slip out of the royal way she held herself. Everything that undoubtedly made her the Princess of the Sun fell away and all what was left was the pony. Her eyes filled up with tears and the water sat on her eyelids waiting for the dam to break.

Luna quickly glanced around and grabbed her sister, then dragged her into a nearby room. "Sister," she started but didn't know where to go. All she could do was comfort her as she wept. It was unnerving for her to see Celestia in this state. She had always been a rock, the stalwart defender of the land. Now the dreams had come close to breaking who she was, just like all the others. Luna swallowed tiring to irrigate her throat. She was terrified, not of any creature or being that might haunt dreams. Not of a world with a free Nightmare and Discord. Not of the grim world presented in her sisters dreams. No, none of those frightened her in the least. The idea that terrified her to her soul was that her sister's mind was breaking and that she herself might have to lead the nation alone.

Twilight had never been in this part of the castle grounds before. Well that's not completely true these tunnels were carved by the crystal miners of early Equestria. Since the castle's grounds were built nearby it made sense for some to be re-purposed. While not directly part of this tunnel system, it was close enough to the one she and Cadance had escaped during the Changeling incident. She shivered remembering that series of events always disturbed her.
She looked over her shoulder at her friends following her, and then back to one of Luna's guards that was leading them down the tunnel. They had traveled in silence for several minutes.That was an unusual, she though, especially with Pinkie back there. They all had been a little disturbed by Discords release and the hazy memories of last night’s dream. Pinkie just showed it in silence.

Eventually the guard stopped and opened a dark metal door that swung open silently. Twilight scanned the doors enchantments as she passed. It was dense and had a locking spell that required a mental key to open. It was an impressive spell strong, powerful, old and she had already figured out how to improve it. The room they entered brought a gasp of astonishment from each pony as they entered.

They were on a small wood landing in what looked like a two story rectangular room. To their right a flight of stairs led down to the floor. In the center of the room was a large oval shaped table and in the center of that a very detailed cloth map of Equestria, on the two longer walls hung several other maps of varying scales and ages.

In between the maps hung banners, and below those were suits of armor. Twilight recognized some as Rainbow whistled and said, "Those are some of the old General banners. Oh, and that's, that's Hurricane's armor isn't it!" Dash almost shouted the last part as she flew down to inspect the one furthest from the stairs.

On the far wall hung three large banners covering almost the entire wall, the three wore the emblems of the ancient tribes. As Twilight walked down the stairs she could feel the history of this room. With every glance she saw something that brought a flood historical knowledge. The artifacts in this space were priceless; it amazed her that they weren't in a museum. Once she reached the bottom of the stairs she turned to examine the last wall opposite the three banners and her heart stopped. On the last wall hung the first flag of Equestria, it had to be. With all the other historical items it would have to be.

Twilight looked around, her mind overwhelmed by the history in front of her. This was just like the war room in the old ancient castle. Hadn't that been destroyed though, she asked herself.

"Thank you for coming Twilight," said Celestia.

Twilight jumped and she heard her friends do the same as she looked for the princess. She was sitting beside the table her usual billowing ethereal mane was subdued. It hung down to the floor calm and peaceful but without that constant movement she seemed less than what she truly was. Twilight inhaled sharply when her eyes fell onto her mentor then she quickly asked, "Princess what's wrong?"

"She has been affected by the dreams as much as the rest of you," announced Luna from the top of the stairs. She was still just as regal as he had always been. "I picked this room because it is a room lost to history that I rediscovered not that long ago. I ask you to be careful according to my sister these are the artifacts they appear to be." She began to walk down the stairs as she continued to speak, "I know you came here expecting to discuss things with my sister. I'm sorry for this but she's not in the best of states at the moment." Luna's eyes met Celestia's, "They all need to know. If we are going to fight this creature from your dreams everyone involved needs to know the truth."

Celestia looked around the room, her expression showed regret as she met the ponies eye's in silence. Then Twilight stepped forward concern covered her face as she repeated, "Princess what's wrong?"

She started to answer her student when Luna interrupted her by saying, "Forgive me Twilight but I must ask you and your friends to be patient. Do you all know what this room is?"
The Princess of the Sun closed her eyes and relaxed as her sister took charge. She knew Luna was correct and in a short time she would have to explain why she had let Discord free and the events that led her to that decision. The cool air of the room helped to ease her mind as she mentally performed the discussion in her mind attempting to cover every question.

"This room," said Luna breaking the silence "is the war room. The location has changed several times over Equestria's history; it is always in the greatest fortress of the time. It has existed since before Celestia and I arrived as has one tradition that I have always found interesting. In this room there is no rank or title everyone is equal." Luna had taken her seat beside her sister at the table and continued to speak, "As for what my sister has to say, it's up to her when she wants to start but I feel that Steel must be here for part of it. I think it would be best for both of them."

"Oh," said Twilight as she looked at her mentor with worried eyes. An awkward silence filled the room as she moved slowly around the table stopping beside Celestia. She looked up into the saddened eyes of her teacher and for the first time Twilight felt true undiluted fear. No matter the opponent or disaster she had faced the fact that Celestia stood strong behind her had always dulled the fear in her heart.

The silence that filled the room brought with it a blanket of smothering emotions. However in this flood of undesired feelings Luna was a solid column that helped support the enormous burden on her sister's shoulders. Eventually Luna sighed and said, "I feel that this should begin soon or the weight in this room will crush our spirits." As she continued she spoke slowly picking her words carefully, "the events that have lead to Discords release are as much my fault as my sisters. While you all were having nightmares brought on by the extra-dimensional beast, I was panicking. I felt the entity that had turned me into Nightmare Moon was coalescing, as I can feel it now. I know where it is in general, somewhere far to the south. I know that it was responsible for the attack on the ancient castle expedition." Luna's eyes never wavered as she met the eyes of each pony gathered. Her voice maintained it's slow rhythm and even tone as she spoke. "Because of my fear I wasn't able to help or see my sister as she fell."

Celestia turned and embraced her sister; tears welling up in her eyes began to fall. "It's not your fault Luna," she said softly in her sister’s ear.

"That's right if it's anyone's fault it's Jack's and mine," announced Steel as he made his presence known.

Logia woke in the lobby of the Ponyville Hospital. Her body was sore and she felt as disheveled as her window reflection looked. She let out a yawn as the impulse to stretch took hold of her body, then standing up she noticed the blanket, that wasn't there when she fell asleep, fall off her body. Looking around the lobby she saw no one. She moved quickly to the lobby restroom to tame her sleep crazed mane.

One in the restroom she stood looking herself over in the mirror. She used her magic along with some water from the sink to straighten up her appearance. What am I doing, she thought as she examined her attempt to clean herself up. She felt tired, and she probably would have been even if she hadden't fallen asleep at the hospital. Just thinking about the events of the previous night brought more tears to her already tear stained face. The memory of Steels eyes, swarming with black segmented worms, sent chills down her spine and twisted her gut bringing on dry heaves.

She knew his behavior since waking was because of those things; at least she was confident beyond a doubt. But why had I run, she puzzled. It wasn't like her, if it had been anyone else, she would have cleaned the floor with them. Knowing that something was wrong with him she should have bound and gagged him, then called for help. Who would I have called, was her next mental question. Everypony I know in this town is either a Dressage member or was probably affected in the same way that he was.

She cursed herself vocally this time, but quickly cut herself off when she heard a whimper from the farthest stall. Immediately she silenced the noise she was making and then walked over towards the last stall. The noises she heard sounded young, sad, and frightened.

"Hello," she said in an almost whisper.

There was no reply, the crying stopped and the room was filled with silence.

Logia stood there for a moment and then in the same almost whisper asked, "Are you alright?"

There was no reply and this caused Logia to sigh heavily before turning to leave. Right when she reached the door out she heard the stall door slowly swing open. Turning around she saw a little purple unicorn filly walk out. Their eyes met and Logia put on her warmest smile.

"Who are you then," she asked.

The little one gave a weak smile and said, "My names Dinkie, my sister's sick."

Logias expression shifted to a slight frown but quickly recovered as she said, "come on let’s walk around and talk," as she held open the door. As she walked out the door with the little filly she wondered just where Steel had ended up.

I stared at the intersection of the wall and stairs as I walked down into the room for fear that I would once again lock up once my eyes fell on Celestia. It was awkward not to look at anyone but the desire to not fall down a floor kept my eyes from wandering. Once on the floor I continued to keep my eyes on the ground refusing to look up. I didn't know why I was here other than my connection to the approaching beast.

"Steel," started Rarity, "I would love to know what you find so fascinating on the floor that it distracts you from the rest of the room."

"Yeah, sugar-cube what's wrong? I don't think I've ever seen you like this," added Applejack

I smiled slightly and answered, "I'm having some issues with pain when looking at."

Celestia let out a rough sigh but said nothing more, but it was enough to pull my attention. Curse being taught the socially proper way of listening. For a moment when my eyes landed on the princess nothing happened, she didn't look like the regal, elegant, and powerful deity that I had seen before. She looked weak and vulnerable but mostly saddened. Then I felt the mental block of white light and pain building, only to suddenly go completely blind, I could see nothing only blackness. The unconscious tension in my body flowed out as my muscles relaxed, and I felt a smile spread across my face.

"Luna what are you doing to Steel," I heard Twilight ask.

"Be patient all will be explained shortly and it will be best if it's not rushed," replied The Princess of the Night.

I felt someone lead me to the table where I sat and waited. This whole thing was bothering me why had Luna invited me here. I was out of ideas for battling this thing and everything else in this world had no connection to me. I waited in silence and eventually Celestia began to speak. Her voice didn't belong to the monarch, but it fit with the being that I had glimpsed.

"As you all know I have the ability to visit others dreams. I'm not the only one that can. My sister has this ability as do some other gifted beings. This ability is an old magic far older than my memories, as is another dream walker. The Princesses voice had started shaken but her voice steadily grew strong as she spoke. "Discord has been growing in strength ever since Steel arrived as has the entity that possessed Luna. I may have told some of you this before but I want everyone on the same page. I have also had dreams involving the creature and uncountable variations on those dreams."

She sighed and I heard one of the chairs move across from me. It was probably Celestia's chair because the next time I heard her she had moved. "In those dreams we have never succeeded, but the worst results have several things in common. Luna or Twilight being possessed, a branch that hasn't occurred yet and I have warded against. Discord being freed by the beasts power, and Steel dying before the creature arrives. Another factor was the six element bearers needed their sanity but they don't necessarily have to be you six, but in general the odds favored you."

She paused for several excruciatingly long moments and I heard Luna comforting her sister but telling her to continue. "I know," said Celestia to who I assumed was Luna, in response to something unheard. "Each of these visions I have seen have had a point of no return, and I have done my best to prune the paths to guide us to the best result. Last night I was forced into a decision. Discord was freed by my powers to remove the madness in your minds."
There were gasps at this revelation, followed by questions to which Luna quickly asked for them to be set aside for the moment. This explains part of the fractured memories, I thought to myself.

I didn't have long to ponder this before Celestia continued her voice shaky again. "For some time Discord has been able to speak through his stone prison. Last night I was in the garden talking to him, when Steel arrived. He wasn't himself and after he was subdued by Luna, I searched his mind. The madness had grown enveloping his mind and I tried to remove it, repeatedly. Each attempt almost killed him and by the time I was stopped I feared that I had destroyed his mind. The worst part was I could see myself doing the same to each of you that is until I thought of you Twilight." Chills ran down my spine as her voice began to crack.
In an instant it all came back to me the pain from the night before; I could feel it along my body. I was locked in place trying to manage my breathing. Everything else became not important. The pain wasn't there but it was, I could feel the nerves telling me my body was fine but it was in my mind nonetheless. I began to feel my stomach churn and my world began to focus solely on myself.

Twilight felt the Princesses words echo in her mind, she was admitting to letting Discord go, to practically torturing Steel to death and considering doing the same to her friends. Twilight had never felt this way before, it wasn't anger or disappointment. They were there yes but not in any significant amount, it was more of a loss of faith. The Alabaster statue of the goddess began to crack and weather in her mind.

A sense of pain and regret echoed with each word as Celestia continued, her teary eyes were locked with Twilight's. "You have to understand with an eternal lifespan come several losses, loss of friends, loss of loved ones, even the loss of enemies. Those losses can cause someone to become harsh and cold. Without my sister I had lost so many of those close to me, that while I wore a warm face I had become indifferent biding time until my sister returned. Then you came along and I," her voice broke and there was silence.

"Princess," returned Twilight emotion overflowing in the word like the tears in her eyes. The room could have been empty or full to the brim Twilight didn't care she was locked in the moment with Celestia. It was a moment she had dreamed of, the recognition from her hero in words so plain that no one could misunderstand. That Twilight Sparkle had mattered. Even though her life was just beginning she mattered, and that no matter how tarnished Celestia became in her mind meant something to her now.

"I recognized the power in you," The Princess spoke in a broken manner, slowly one moment, faster the next, "and I was training you to be the key of the Elements. The greatest weapon in existence, why else would I have pushed you to make friends so often, but along the way something happened." She paused again, eyes till meeting Twilight's, "I began to see you as a daughter, then as you aged as a little sister and a confidant. I couldn't do what I had done to Steel to you, and now what I've done haunts me."

The key to a weapon, Twilight's mind locked on to that concept first. That train of thought was quickly derailed by what followed. Twilight had always viewed the princess as a second mother, and to find out that the feeling was mutual at the least, the concept was making her cry. Twilight began to speak but her response was cut off by the sound of Steel vomiting

Everyone responded to Steel except for Twilight and Celestia whose eyes remained locked together for a few moments longer, the sound of him collapsing broke the lock between the two. Both moved over to Steel who was already surrounded by the others, his face now visible again since Luna had dispelled her magic.

Fluttershy had rolled him over out of the vomit and Rarity was levitating one of the silver pitchers of water and some of the napkins over. Once they arrived she began to clean his face while Applejack and Rainbow Dash watched, with puzzled faces. Luna had gone to the door and sent the guard to get a medic and Pinkie was sitting calmly watching.

"Is this what you were hoping for Luna," asked Celestia, her voice hollow.

"One possible outcome," replied The Princess of the Night as she walked up beside her sister. "Now Twilight could you be so kind as to scan his mind?"

Twilight who had been distracted watching Pinkie, jumped slightly when the princess said her name. She looked up at Luna and nodded an affirmative before channeling her magic. It was a simple spell; she wove the magic freely letting it send the impulses back to her and allowing the energies to flow along capillaries deep into his mind. There was a section that was empty save for a ghostly almost fading feeling. It was for the most part clean but obviously damaged. Another part was small dark, dangerous and greedy. All of her energy that went near that part disappeared. It seemed to pulse rapidly with an unclean taint, but it was weak and where it touched the final section it dispersed against the earthen light. This last section was warm friendly and familiar but strangely alien. It was stronger and larger than the other two sections and it pulsed slowly. It feed the other two sections energy while slowly absorbing them. It’s warmth and pulsing gave her the feeling of power. Not an observable strength like a stone but that of soft inevitability, the stream, root and breeze. There was no damage here and it felt stronger with each moment.

When she pulled her magic out of his mind she looked up at the princesses and said, "I think he's getting better."

"Well duh, I mean come on he just had his mind blown, give him a moment and he'll reset. This kind of thing happens to ponies that think too much and don't act," said Pinkie as she rocked backward in her chair. "Where did I leave my cloud some chocolate milk sounds so good right now?"

When I woke up I could see that whatever spell that had obscured my vision was gone and I appeared to still be in the war room. I had a chance to look around and briefly saw everyone's face before Fluttershy's face obscured my view.

"Oh, good you're awake," she said with a smile, her voice an infinite well of serenity. "Can you tell me what day it is?"

I thought for a moment, I had no idea. I hadn't thought about days in that manner since shortly after I arrived. I smiled and said, "I'm sorry Fluttershy I have no clue, but I haven't been keeping track of them either." I ended my statement with a shoulder shrug.

She smiled and leaned back allowing me a full view of everyone else, including Celestia. I shouted and pinched my eyes shut expecting pain and white blinded vision but it never came. I slowly pried my eyes open and forced myself to look. Through watering eyes I could see the Princess; my stomach began to churn immediately upon looking at her. I gritted my teeth and looked away as I rolled to my feet, thanking Fluttershy once I was standing. Looking away from everyone began to relax my face trying to will away the pinched look of fear and pain before looking back towards Celestia.

We eyed one another and I could see the guilt born regret building on her face and while that stemmed my anger it only made my stomach churn more. Silence echoed through the room and rang in my ears as I chewed on my thoughts unable to look away. Celestia looked as if she felt the same way I did. She made motions like she was going to start speaking but no voice ever came. I had similar issues my throat was too tight to allow my voice to flow.
Luna came to our rescue by saying in the softest tone I had ever heard from her, "Let's take a break and let the air clear before trying this again."

There was a silent agreement in the room and I was able to pull my eyes away from the Princess. The unrealized tension in my back melted away as I watched the two sisters and Twilight leave through the door at the top of the stairs. I sighed deeply and began to chew my lip as I began to think. Fluttershy spoke up startling me and breaking my thoughts before they could form. She was still standing behind me as were the others. I heard her words but my mind was so far gone that I couldn't understand them. I yawned before saying, "I'm sorry, I checked out there for a moment, could you repeat that?"

She gave me a quizzical look then repeated herself while shaking her head, "are you alright?"

I rolled my eyes towards the ceiling and said, "No, I don't think I am, but I think I will be." I looked back at the group of friends that remained with a smile as I repeated, "I will be." My eyes fell on a suit of armor below a brown banner its color matching the powdery dust of a warn trail. At that point the latch pins began to release on the hamster wheel in my head. Ideas and thoughts burned away the mental fog of emotions. "Rainbow, you know about these suits of armor, all of these are very decorative except that one," I gestured at the armor in question, "why?"

The pegasus wore a confident smirk as she followed my gesture, "that armor belonged to Field Marshal Willow. He was a tactical genius, and he knew how to control the momentum of engagements. The interesting thing is since he was promoted from the field and never traded up his armor."

I walked over to the armor, examining it as I asked, "so this is the armor of what a basic foot, hoof, ah front line soldier?"

"Yeah, most earth ponies end up in logistics or as runners and very rarely do they end up in combat but that is what they wear when they do. I mean why would they? Magic and wings kind of make them pointless on the battlefield. Except when numbers are needed, then there armor and weapons are enchanted. Lances and halberds, well any pole arm is favored by...."
She continued to talk about the way war was fought in Equestria as I looked over the Field Marshals armor. It was simple and unlike all of the others had no engravings or inlays. I glanced around the room and took in several other armor sets. The pegasine Commander armors reminded me of the partial suit. The one that was used to defended Ponyvile. The robe and armor combinations of the unicorn Grand Magus were similar to the light rig of my more perverted persona. Finally another Earth Pony full body suit on the far side of the room had the broad sweeping shoulders that narrowed down into blades like the suit that I had worn and failed in the dreams. In my gut I knew that one would not work this time, I needed something different and I think following Willow's example would be best.

Twilight sat in silence listening to the two sister’s talk and contemplating what had just been revealed. What had been discussed bothered her. Her releasing Discord was a problem as was her attack on Steel but those both were influenced by the approaching creature. What bothered her was before all of this, before everything all the way back to the entrance exam she had been an unknowing piece in a game she didn't understand. But that had changed hasn't it, she thought. Didn't she say she looked at me as a daughter and sister? This whole thing had her mind in an uproar to the point that she was unaware of her surroundings.

"Twilight?"

She jumped and her eyes refocused on Celestia sitting in front of her nose down, eyes pleading with a tidal wave of emotion. She swallowed before saying, "Yes?"

"I'm sorry, and I don't know if I'm sorry for telling you or for not telling you sooner. I wish none of this had happened but it has."

Twilight's mouth was too dry to speak and her mind was to jumbled to think but she could feel her heart and she followed its tug. She stepped up to the princess and initiated a hug just like an uncountable number of hugs before and whispered, "I'll always be your faithful student." At this she felt a soft shutter from the princess and with one glance saw tears flowing from pinched eyes.

The two sat locked in a hug for minutes with Luna standing guard before Celestia regained control and said, "Twilight once you know what I know about the elements that might change."

Twilight furrowed her brow as she pulled away from her mentor.

Celestia closed her eyes but continued to speak, "The elements existed long before the two of us arrived in Equestria. The stories of the millennium prior to our arrival told of a land rife with chaos that was brought about by a great war where great weapons were used. That war was the end of a millennium of peace. In the thousand years since the elements were used to banish Nightmare Moon the world has been at relative peace."

The realization showed on Twilight's face, "You don't mean the world is turning back to chaos? Do you think that's why that monster is coming?"

"No, I don't think the Elements or the cycle could pull someone or something from beyond our world but that doesn't mean that there influence couldn't be attracting the beast." Celestia laughed softly and said, "you are taking this by far calmer than I thought."

Twilight once again scrunched up her face as she asked, "What do you mean?"

"That you and your friends are the heralds of the fall of order and rise of chaos, the change of time."

This time Twilight laughed, “No we're not we are the Elements of Harmony, harmony can come from chaos and order working together."

Luna stepped up and said, "That is a very good point Twilight and you both look like you have calmed down and resolved some issues. But let us not forget that we have a significant issue to face and we need to plan for it."

Celestia stood up her mane billowing slightly, "you're right sister that was the point of this meeting to formulate a plan to stop that thing."

Twilight's face was still scrunched up and she was still sitting as the two sisters walked back towards the war room. She stood up to follow and shouted, "I didn't need to calm down!"

Sprinting to catch up to the two princesses Twilight caught them as they entered the door. In the room she found Applejack and Fluttershy talking alone in a corner. Pinkie being Pinkie with the chocolate rain cloud, Rainbow and Rarity standing near Steel with Rainbow discussing what sounded like war history and Steel smiling.

As the three entered he looked up at them and said, "Welcome back, do you have any of these suits of armor here at the castle?"

Luna and Celestia glanced at each other before slowly saying, “Yes."

His smile widened as he asked, "Can I have one? I have an idea."

Tick, tock, the slowing clock

Out of my Element

Chapter 18: Tick, tock, the slowing clock

I sat in the laboratory leaning against the work table my eyes darting between the suit of armor I had acquired, the rig setup and several monitor screens. My mind however was still back in the war room. Some of the decisions had been obvious such as moving the foci for Elements of Harmony to Ponyville. Other decisions were not as easy to live with.

Since the lab complex was still for the most part unknown and hidden from magical detection the choice to hide the foci here made scene. It even made sense for a group of guards to be assigned to them. I did find it a stretch that the princesses would be taking a rotating guard duty as well, all together though I found the whole thing damn inconvenient. I let lose a ragged sigh and started back to work on the Armor. While the suit that I had been given was nice it had been forged from low quality steel. I would prefer a variant of a titanium tungsten alloy but it did make for a good place to start.

"Jack, it's time we got back to work," I said signaling the A.I. that the break was over. "What have you been working on?"

The screen in front of me lit up as designs flashed on the screen and Jack's voice echoed through the lab, "I have worked through several designs based on that suit and I think this one will be the best." One simple design filled the screen as he continued to speak, "This one has the most potential for future upgrades. The addition of mechanical hands, thrusters in the boots and the hologram projector can mounted as well, then there is my personal favorite," when he pause the image changed to include two shoulder mounted square cannons. "Magic powered rail cannons."

I was silent for a few moments as I formed my thoughts. "First I don't plan on using this monstrosity once I've fixed this mess I created. Second, what the hell man? I'm not going to put railguns on my shoulders. Do you have any idea what kind of headache that would cause? Anyway this is going to be a one trick pony that when I'm done with it I'm done with it, no going back."

Jack laughed and said, "Fine what are you going to do once this is over? I can't see you settling down in this world."

I looked out into the lab as I spoke, "I don't know I'm a little more focused on trying to make it through the fight to worry about that. Anyway if I make it I'll have plenty of time to figure that out." I grumbled as I turned back towards the monitor and I was struck by another flaw in Jacks design. "How the hell would I have been able to use all of that additional garbage anyway?"

"That's easy and already taken care of," he replied as machinery began to activate and the mechanical hands from above dropped down to the table delivering a small black rectangle. Before I could ask he said, "It's a solid state hard drive with a copy of me loaded on it. With some tuning the appropriate hardware, software and magic I should be able to help you with casting and similar issues."

I looked at the display my skepticism plain on my face as I rolled my eyes and said, "Right Skynet but this time you're not limited to organic things for time travel."

"Come on, I'm not a programed A.I. I don't have three law issues. I'm an extrapolation based upon a high detail MRI with chemical analysis capability. So I'm me with a deviation starting at the copy point."

"So you're a neural copy of a madman trapped in a ponies body who want's access to a magitek battle suit? That screams bad idea."

"Isn't that the pot calling the kettle black? Anyway just think of me as Jarvis and you Tony Stark."

I closed my eyes with a long slow sigh, I knew I had lost this argument, he had a point. In that little black box was more experience with magic than I could ever hope to gain and I would need that. "Fine," I grumbled, "I'll go with this design and if we have time to finish it we will."

"Shall I throw it up on the holoterminal?"

"Sure," I replied as I lifted up a hand, hoof, damn it, to rub my sinuses behind my forehead. A simple gesture and something I had done countless times before but now the novelty of the hooves was gone. I missed my thumbs. Looking away from the hoof and towards the terminal I saw it. It's a strange thing when you see the truth; I can't explain it better than that. When I saw the schematics open up from seam that ran chin to tail and the legs unwrap themselves, the whole thing looking like a skinned horse, I knew this was right. It was a gut feeling but it was all I had. "Well let’s get to work," I announced as I walked over to the circlet.

The dancing lights played over Firestorm as she braced herself for what would undoubtedly be a very painful debriefing with the pony that ran Dressage. Silent Watcher or at least that was what he was known as, would not be happy with her report. Five days out of contact with nothing to show for it, so much for being a command level field agent.

The beams of light opposite her coalesced into the familiar face and chest of her boss as soon as the connection was fully established he began to speak. "We don't have much time something big is going on and out of all of our agents you are in the best position to act on it."

Firestorm felt her eyes widen in uncontrolled surprise as she stammered, "Yes sir."

Silent Watcher continued as if he hadn’t heard his subordinate. "My contacts in the Canterlot Castle have informed me that something has happened with Discord and that the statue that is in his place is not him. I have also been informed that the Steel was at the castle that night and the following day the Elements arrived. The seven of them left that evening taking with them one suit of earth pony armor and a full wing of guards. Neither the armor nor the guards have returned. I have also been informed that only one Princess is in the castle at any one time."

Her brain spun as it tried to keep up with the new information while trying to figure out what his point was. Eventually she found a break in his monologue to ask, "Sir what am I to do?"
"Ah, yes you do tend to be more to the point and seeing as you are new to the role of field commander I will not hold that against you. In your new role should you not gain as much knowledge as you can before making decisions that could end poorly for your team?" He sighed and rolled a half smile around on his face as he continued, "Since you are in a hurry, your primary mission is to try to find out what is going on and to help as much as possible. Secondary objectives include gathering as much information on the technology in the lab and returning our lost lamb to the fold."

"You want Logia," growled Firestorm.

Watcher wore a full almost toothy smile as he said, "Yes she would be an excellent Commander even if she doesn't realize it. Well then unless you have anything left to report," he paused to look her over waiting for her to speak but she only shook her head. "Well then, For the future of Equestria," he raised a hoof to his chest as he spoke and Firestorm followed his lead with the verbal salute.

Just before the transmission was cut he spoke again, "and this time don't get caught by the security system."

The transmitter cut off and Firestorm could feel the rage building in her. Who told him, she demanded to herself, it had to have been Flash Bang. Who else could have told him? She shook her head as she walked out of her room, there was no proof and with as extensive of an information network that Dressage has there would be no way of tracking down where that knowledge came from.

Luna smiled to herself the sun would be rising soon and it was time for her and her sister to switch places. It was nearing the ending of the first week of this guarding rotation. While Steel had been extremely busy with his own project he had not failed as a host. Open access to most of the facility had been given with the actual laboratory being the only restricted part and that was still open to her. However her favorite part was the media room, the stories that humans had come up with were amazing. But what was truly fascinating was that for all the differences between them and the beings of this dimension they were quite similar. The same drives to improve oneself and their surroundings were in all beings.

Out of all of the videos she had watched the Science Fiction was the most enjoyable but there was something to say for the animated musicals as well. Specifically the one about Anastasia, The Princess of the Night skipped down the hall humming the along to the tune ofIn the Dark of the Night.

She came to a stop as she came across a wide eyed castle attendant and realized she had begun to sing along with the song. "Oh no," she said as she felt herself blush, "It's from a musical about a fictional land called Russia."

The servant returned the smile with a little more teeth his eyes wide and rapidly searching the hallways as he backed away saying, "Sorry Princess I didn't mean to intrude." Eventually he had backed away far enough to feel comfortable and turned around breaking into a run.

Luna cursed herself silently, after all the work trying to get the ponies of this time to trust her singing songs like that wouldn't help her. Why do the villains always get the good songs though, she asked herself as she shook her head. At least I won't need to worry about this happening once Celestia gets back, she thought as she once again headed off towards the caverns.

Part of the final plan developed during the meeting in the war room was to expand the caverns under the castle to be used as a massive bunker as a plan B. Before she headed to the rooftop to lower the moon she needed to check on the progress. Soon she reached the back of the castle grounds and walked down the surprisingly packed hallway full of ponies carrying supplies. She continued past the war room eventually reaching a wide spot with a unicorn wearing a hardhat and reading a map. "Are you in charge," she asked as she approached.

He nodded and looked further down the tunnel, "No, no, no Silver Saddle what in Celestia's flowing mane do you think you're doing. That equipment goes in the room on the right, not the left can't you tell the difference?"

Luna let a sigh out of the corner of her mouth as she waited for the engineer to finish shouting at his workers before asking, "How far along are we?"

"Decently the labyrinthine mines gave us a nice head start but we had to shore up over half the tunnels. We're going twenty-four seven and we just started moving in the non perishable supplies." He glanced over his shoulder with a grim face and continued, "From my understanding if we need this we were starting when we needed to be done. Taking that in mind we are catching up." He looked back at his map jotted down a few notes and rolled up the paper as he said, "Excuse me Princess but I have to go check on the drilling team for the water well."

Luna watched him disappear down the hallway into the mass of moving ponies before turning around and making her way through the flood of workers. Once outside she left the ground behind her as she flew up to the astronomy balcony. She sat down beside her sister’s telescope and watched the sky while waiting for Celestia to return. She didn't have to wait long as a blue vortex of energy appeared beside her. Glancing over her sister she knew something was wrong, even after all the years apart she hadn’t changed enough to hide irritation. "What is wrong sister," she asked as she stood.

"Nothing serious Luna, I've just discovered how irritating my apprentice can be when you can't escape her." Celestia's brows were pinched and she squeezed her eyes shut as she sat down, "the worst part is it's not her fault. It's the damn thing, that monster it's worse than Discord, Chrysalis, even Nightmare." Celestia's eyes began to water, “It’s worse than anything we have encountered before. Look at what it's done to me and it's not even here."

Luna smiled her most comforting smile as she wrapped her sister in a tight embrace. She felt a pang of pain in her heart with every soft wimpier from Celestia. It was an inverse of that night so long ago after being bathed in the focused light of the elements. "Sister," Luna swallowed her throat dry as she repeated Celestia's words back to her with the appropriate changes, "would you help me with lowering the moon. I'll help with the sun, but I don't think I can do this alone tonight."

Celestia looked up tears matting the coat under her eyes and with a weak smile nodded. The two closed their eyes and allowed their magic to mix as the magic flowed into the planet and the moon continuing there orbit and rotation.

Rainbow Dash opened the door to her collectible room. Twilight would have called it an office and Rarity a den. Both would have been accurate descriptions it had everything ether required but to Dash it was more. This room was hers more so than even her bedroom, only she had ever been in here. She smiled as she looked over the walls her flight school class photos hung in a neat group Gilda and her both had strange faces in all of them. Her Wonderbolt Academy uniform and Flight Leader pin were on a mannequin that she had gotten from Rarity. It had been a long time since then and every time she looked at it she felt for Lighting Dust and wondered whatever happened to her. The similarities between the two of them had always struck Dash hard and she knew if it hadn't been for her friends in Ponyville the similarities would have been much more.

This was what her life had revolved around, in the end though she had learned that some dreams never come true. Sometimes this was painful but other times it was for the better. On the other side of the room was a small collection of pictures mostly of her friends and she felt a pull in her heart that had been absent since the dreams began. She lifted one of the pictures off the wall with both hooves and sat it down on the desk with the stand out. Then she sat down and looked into the picture and remembered.

The night when Nightmare Moon escaped and the Elements were granted to them played in her head. The taunting of Fluttershy as she stalked towards her just before the cliff collapsed and the gift of leading the Shadow Bolts. That night had haunted her because just for an instant she had thought about accepting the offer. She was stronger now and slightly wiser. Twilight's party with her friends at Canterlot when they crashed the garden party, this memory brought a slight smile to her lips. Then she thought about the camping trip with Rarity and Applejack, their sisters and Scoots, and her smile widened.

She moved the group picture of all of her friends to the center of the desk and thought, Even if I never make it to the Wonderbolts I'm part of something just as good and more important. I may never get the fame but. She paused and looked to the side of the desk at another picture. This one of a young orange pegasus and said, "but I'm known to the ones that matter."

She swallowed slightly and felt the panic from the dreams grab at her mind and the tears of loss built in her eyes but she shook it away. "No I won't cry," she mumbled, "I haven't lost anyone and I won't let that happen." Dash closed her eyes and breathed in deep, her body calm. As she stood she smiled her old over confident smile the one that had been described by others as cocky. "That thing will not set foot out of the Everfree as long as I breathe," she said as walked towards the door. She opened the door to go through and paused. She looked back towards the desk specifically at the back of the picture of Scoots saying, "I promise you that kid," as she let the door close behind her.

Celestia growled to herself it was the end of another day, her headache continued and Luna would be returning from her watch soon. It had been almost a full month since Discord had been released and unlike the others Celestia's nightmares remained. Sleeping was getting annoying and while she had not been suffering from the same level of night terrors that the elements had her nightmares did begin to wear on her mind.

Fear, she thought, I haven't felt that emotion in a long time, I thought it had been lost long ago. That thought could be called confidence or arrogance but naming it didn't matter. True she had been caught off guard before but even at its worst during the Changeling invasion she still had faith in her own strength and that of her subjects. This was different it wasn't even the dreams that frightened her it was the possibility becoming a monster because of them. That combined with the unending work preparing for if the gambit failed was wearing on her. Developing the underground bunkers in secret had been excruciatingly difficult as had managing the excavations.

She was waiting on her balcony for her sister to return from Star Swirl's Laboratory. That was another irritation; she couldn't interact with Steel or verify any of the reports from him on the armor suit he was building. She trusted Twilight and her sister but still the inability to doing anything made the whole experience painful.

She gritted her teeth and looked up at the sky. This was not supposed to happen, she thought as she pinched her eyes shut and jerked her head towards the floor. I am strong, my sister is strong, the Elements are stronger how with all that can something exist that threatens life and we can't stop it.

From what Star Swirl had told her there were infinite possibilities of infinite variation and at every point something beyond imagination could exist. Aliens, demons, gods, angels and beasts unknown all as powerful or more than she live somewhere out there and if the breach isn't closed anything could follow. If the dreams were any guide the approaching creature didn't even notice the beings of this world unless it was challenged and in that it only defended itself. However the idea of an intelligent malevolent entity with the level of power that the creature displayed made her shudder.

She was lost in thought as the vortex of blue energy delivered her sister. "Sister," Luna shouted causing Celestia to jump in surprise.

"Luna," she said as she put on a fake smile. "How was your stay at the laboratory?"

"Entertaining and informative," replied her sister with an earnest smile. "Steel is almost done with the armor. However something needs to happen soon the tension there is taking its toll on both the elements and the guards. That Firestorm pegasus was back again today wanting to help along with her friend," she continued to relay the day’s information as a yawn overcame The Princess of the Sun.

Luna looked over her sister and asked, "When was the last time you slept?"

"Is it that obvious?" was Celestia's reply.

"That or you've been crying and while both may be the case, I know you haven't been sleeping. Is it the dreams?"

"Yes," replied Celestia through gritted teeth and this only made her head hurt more.

"You need to sleep Tia, it's not good for you not to. If you want, I can rest tonight and let you join me in my dreams, whatever that thing is it can't follow you there." Luna said with a warm smile, "you have always protected me and this land, let me take the burden of protecting you this night."

Celestia sighed and let her smile fall, "alright I don't think I could win this argument anyway."

"Go to sleep sister, go to the lab and sleep. I will take care of the sun and the moon and will be asleep soon as well." Luna smile carried her emotions as a blue vortex enveloped Celestia and transported her away.

"Finished and I would say it's a damn fine job," I said as I stepped back from the suit of armor. The last piece of rigging was mounting the potestatum crystals. Each joint on the legs had one, the new wings and circlet required the same amount to operate but for extra fuel a line of them ran down the back of the neck to the wings. All that was left was the casting of spells and the suit would be functional after a month of work.

"It's not done yet, the shoulder cannons aren't built and the arms aren't either," commented Jack.

"I told you those are last priority I'll think about them once I get the hang of using the fool thing," I answered.

He started to say something in reply but was cut off by the sound of the laboratory door opening. I turned around to see Twilight, Rarity and Firestorm behind me. "So I take it you couldn't convince her?"

"No," reported the red pegasus, "she still wouldn't leave the hospital or the little filly she has started taking care of."

I grimaced and said, "I guess I'll have to go talk to her soon, you can leave now." I waited for Firestorm to leave before turning back towards the suit and looking it over, I couldn't help but feel pride as I looked over the intricate details. "Rares, Twilight I'll leave you with Jack he can walk you through what needs to be done. I'm going to go rest and decide I'm going to do about Logia."

As I left the room I overheard Rarity say, "Honestly he's a fool, what he's going to do about Logia, he should do nothing but apologize. It might even be too late for that."

I smiled as I walked out of range of their conversation. She was right in some aspect though, I would need to apologize but how is what I needed to figure out. My stomach sank as I thought about the last part that it might be too late and shook my head, Logia was smart she knew what I was doing was important. She was still in town for goodness sakes there had to be a reason why, more than taking care of a filly. Anyway all this could wait I needed to get some sleep.

It took him a full month to apologize, a month to even talk to me, Logia raged in her head as she stalked around the hospital waiting room. It wasn't like he ignored her though he had sent Firestorm to find her at least twice a week and he had been working on a suit of armor that could potentially save the planet. It wasn't fair he was being selfish not me, she frowned as she thought to herself, no I'm being just as selfish. Why can't this be easy? He didn't even do a good job apologizing.

"Big sister!"

The yell of the little filly broke Logia out of her self analyzing stupor and she looked up to see the gray pegasus stagger out of her room. She ignored her little sister as she walked slowly down the hall towards Logia. Her nose, still swollen, wept from an infection barely held at bay and her eyes froze everypony that met her vacant gaze. She had the same eyes Steel had, like a swarm of armored black worms enveloping the iris and blocking the pupil. Her face was completely relaxed and serene as two large orderlies approached.

"Miss Hooves please return to your room," asked one, but she ignored him.

Each step forward was unsteady but the pegasus was moving at an increasingly solid rate. Both orderlies stepped forward in an attempt to block her forward travel but the smaller pegasus was not slowed. Logia stood in her path ready to push the mare back with her magic. She wove a spell that should have locked the pegasus in place but she continued on as if the magic had no effect.

"Stop, please," begged the little unicorn her hooves wrapped around her elder sisters back leg but within three steps she had been shaken off.

The two orderlies stumbled backwards and then fell to the ground. Logia didn't fair to much better as she tried to hold the mare back with magic spells. The energy in the magic seemed to fizzle as the spell reached the mare even environmental magic faded back as she approached. Nothing could be done as the gray pegasus pushed her way past all obstacles in her way and out of the hospital.

"Dinkie," Logia shouted, "stay here! I'll follow her and will try to bring her back."

I paced around the lab looking over the computer monitors my mind caught up in thought. What am I going to do, that was a terrible way to apologize. I need to do one better but how?
"If you’re going to stew why don't you start work on the modular systems while you do so?" asked the electronic voice of Jack.

I felt myself for longing for hands once again, and not for the first time it was to rub away the pain in my forehead from stress headache. He had a good point the suit was built for the additions, more weapons meant more options but still it bugged me. This suit of armor was built to fight it would be stupid not to put as many options on as possible and most of the pieces would be easy to build. Just capacitors, magnets and a tube but part of me was against it and I didn't know why. So I did the only thing I could, I started construction.

The cannon were simple in its design. Rings of magnets ensnaring an oval tube, the action based off of a sliding block. It was so simple but powering it would be costly, every magnet would need a crystal and every shot would take time. It was a pointless weapon meant for a single target with very little push back. Unfortunately I would need that push back ability. The first gun was built and ready for mounting in less than two hours. It would need to be tested before use, I didn't fancy an explosion that close to my head.

I looked over at the suit and thought, I might as well see what it looks like. As I held the rifle up to mount I felt it. It was a sudden sickly sweet presence of the creature that had only been in my dreams. As my mental gates fell to the flood of emotions and power I felt lost in an unending sea. How could we beat this thing, I asked myself as the sea turned black like when I was swallowed in the first dream.

My body began to itch and I felt a whisper in my mind. I have arrived traveler, you have guided me here. What will I find?

I screamed against the darkness in my mind, and tried to swim against the current as it began to spiral in on itself. I had no chance but I tried anyway it was too strong. Then I saw myself reaching down from a platform, one instant it was me the human, then me the pony and it spoke. "Grab on, I don't intend to let my vessel die when I can do something about it."

I reached up with every last ounce of strength to try and grab on to this arm. I felt contact and in the distance the sound of the rifle falling to the floor along with Jack shouting for my attention. It was enough to pull me out of the darkness. I was panting and covered with a cold sweat as my mind returned to reality. "Its here," I whispered then shook myself free of my foot holds on the floor. "It's here," I repeated in a firmer voice as I pulled the old circlet off my head.

"Are you sure," asked Jack.

"It's been in my dreams I know that feeling," I said as I walked over under the suit. As it began to lower onto my body I began to shout orders to Jack. "Get the PA system up and running we need to let everyone in the base know it's here."

As the suit came in contact with my body it began to wrap itself around me like a full body hug. However the helmet stayed open allowing me to continue once I had the go signal.

"Attention everyone the day we have been waiting for is here, good luck and Godspeed."

"Godspeed, really? You use that here in this world?" commented Jack.

"I'm not much for speeches and it felt right. Anyway can you send me to the position or not," was my impatient reply.

"There are some disturbances in the area but I have a lock close by."

"And the Elements?"

"The bearers are on their way."

"Okay," I said with a sigh as the helmet wrapped around my head. After a moment a LCD screen lit up and filled my view with one of the lab but with a heads up display laid over the top.

"Do it" I shouted and soon my vision was filled with spinning blue lights.

Rarity leaned over and pulled the sheets up over Sweetie Belle. Ever since the night of terror none of the crusaders had been allowed out of sight of a guardian. "Sleep well Sweetie, don't let the dreams get you."

She turned to walk out of the room and looked at the setting sun turned back towards her sister a smile on her face. "No," she whispered as she thought, she is my only sister. I'm not leaving her alone, not until this is settled. Rarity walked over to her sisters bed Sweetie Belle had curled up taking a small section of mattress. There was plenty of room for the older unicorn to curl up beside her and Rarity did so.

As her head fell towards the pillow a feeling touched her mind and she froze. It was more a pulse of feelings and raw emotions coated with a sweet yet toxic power on a connection she thought had been taken away. "No," she whispered in a harsher tone, not now, not yet.
A vortex of blue energy spiraled around them both and the room twisted and stretched morphing into the cavernous first room of the laboratory. The two unicorns were deposited onto the floor gently enough not to wake the sleeping filly. Around them family members, close friends and community leaders were arriving.

Across the room was the Apple family and when Rarity met AJ's eyes the earth pony mouthed the words, "you felt it?"

The unicorn nodded and the two began looking for the rest of the elements.
As they began their search Celestia walked into the room and announced, "I need you to stay calm my little ponies, and we have recently been made aware of a malevolent being that is approaching the town. This bunker will hide the population of the town. I need you to help organize the evacuation effort as well keep everypony calm."

Applejack walked up close and asked, "any of ya'll see Twilight," as Dash and Pinkie approached.

"Nope," replied Dash.

"Nope, nope, nope," Pinkie almost sang her reply.

"Twilight is with Elements in the media room waiting for you," said a voice from below. Looking down the four saw a small projection of Jack looking up at them. "Fluttershy is already there, and Steel has already headed out."

As the Pendulum Stops

Out of my Element

Chapter 19: As the pendulum stops

The blue energy vortex dispersed and I found myself standing beside the crater left by the sensor buoy. The wind was still but a high pitched squealing made me wince. The copy of Jack that was loaded in the suit quickly silenced it but my skull still felt the resonance.

"What was that," I asked while working my jaw trying to pop my ears.

"I assume it's the creature attacking the dimensional wall. The noise itself is about a hundred and sixty decibels and extends well beyond the range of, human, pony, or dog," replied Jack.

"What are my options to prepare," I asked both the suit and the other me in my mind.

"First strike with missiles would be a valid option to start with," was Jack's suggestion and the voice agreed.

So I began to lift loose objects and transmogrify them into missiles. "Jack," I asked, "do you have some music on that little box you're riding in?"

"Yeah."

"If you have anything that would be good fighting music do it," I replied. As themusic started warning alarms began to sound. I looked towards the center of the crater and up to see a hole in the air start to appear. I saw what looked to be two hands with too many snake like fingers grasping opposite sides. I loosed all the missiles I had made towards the hands. They struck blasting the fingers apart and off of the hole which shrunk down to almost nothing.

I noticed two things at this point one I had stopped breathing and two the song that was playing. "You decide to Rick Roll me now of all time," I shouted.

"Sorry," replied Jack.

"Do you have anything that I wouldn't mind dying to," I asked.

"How aboutthis."

I smiled as I heard the opening chord to The Touch, and said, "tell all are one."

"If we're going to die let's die in style," replied Jack.

I'm against the dying part, the voice in my head chimed in.

"I think we all are," I muttered as I looked up to see the hole once again growing. This time its size was increasing much faster. Through the hole I could see what looked like a cross between Chuthulu, Hedorah and a nightmare. It's eyes, the number uncountable due to volume and the fact that they seemed to move constantly, looked in all directions.

The beast pushed on the hole bringing its face through and the suit's HUD began to fuzz up as I applied more missiles causing the creature to fall back. "What was that," I asked as I pulled up a stone wall that surrounded the hole as close as I could manage it.

"Some sort of data corruption issue, probably occurred when I was copied onto the hard drive," he replied.

"Right," I answered as I once again began to morph debris into missiles and began to regret not adding the heavy weapon systems. The third crystal was almost empty by this point meaning I was down a quarter of my capacity and while I had slowed the monster but I needed the Elements to arrive soon.

I looked up at stone wall when I heard something start to shift and saw it start to crumble and readied the missiles. Then asked, “Jack where are the elements, they should be here by now?"

"They should be let me try to contact the lab," he replied and after a moment I heard, "I can't get through on the radio, maybe the tear is causing interference. If that's true then it's possible that the transporter can't get a lock and they will have to walk further."

"So the plan is still hold until relieved," I replied with a smirk. I was starting to feel giddy, whether from morbid excitement of just the rush of Adrenalin I didn't know.

As soon as part of the stone wall fell I knew I had made a mistake. The wall had blocked my view as well and now the tear was large enough to allow the beast to walk through. I released half the missiles at the creature’s torso and they traveled true but as soon as they passed through the tear they began to dissipate. The aluminum shells began to melt and soon the missiles exploded.

One arm reached forward through the rift and I sent the remaining missiles at it. The bounced and twisted with the explosions releasing gouts of black blood that eventually led to flowing streams of the liquid. Any shrubs or trees in the affected area erupted into black flame and massive boils grew from the ground.

"Shit," I cursed eying the blood and knowing what that meant. The arm hadn't fallen off like in the dream and the creature was starting to step through. More missiles were my only choice. I pulled as much materials lose from the ground as I could manage began transforming them. As soon as they were ready I would let them fly but this only cause more rivers of black blood to flow from the beast resulting in more boils and more black flame. I was down another two crystals down and had nothing to show for it.

I needed something that would push the monster back, something powerful unstoppable. Then once I pushed the creature back out I needed to figure out how to keep it that way. Missiles didn't work I doubted anything would work. We came here and we came in the car, it survived the void. said the voice in my head.

You think I need to go through to keep things together, I asked in reply.

The voices answer was cut off by Jack say, "I don't think the missiles are working."

"Just decided on that myself, and I think we will need to go through the tear to with whatever we send. Otherwise it will just melt like the last salvo," I said before thinking, what can push this? It would need to be huge and have significant horsepower. Even the biggest bulldozer in the world wouldn't work; the monster would just step over it. The thing was the size of a ship but nothing I could think of was large enough to push back. A battleship or other large navy vessel had nothing to push against and all land vehicles were too small. Then it hit me the pinnacle of human technology, based off of machines of war turned to exploration.

"Jack how much knowledge did you bring through with you," I asked the suit while simultaneously asking the other me, The magic draining spell, do you remember much of it, I can only manage about half.

"Quite a bit actually, why," returned the suit Jack.

"You have the blueprints for the STS," I asked as I began to be berated by the voice in my head.

You can't be serious, last time you used this spell it killed you, shouted the voice in my head.

That was in a dream and anyway I'm not going to power the crystals with it, I replied.

"The Space Shuttle, you don't have the power to do that," replied the suit as for a second time the view screen began to fuzz like a CRT monitor to close to a magnet. "Sorry still working on that corrupted sector."

I glanced around and saw uglys bursting forth from there birthing blisters. The creatures stood stretched their wings and took flight to the west away from any major town. That was good for me as I had no time to deal with them and I turned my attention back towards the problem at hand. "Let me handle the power issues, you just keep the suit running and throw the schematics up if you have them," I replied my voice showing the mix of aggravation and concern I was feeling.

"Alright, yes I do have the schematics pulling them up now. Side note, this corruption issue is starting to grow so I don't know how long I'll be around to help." The screen fuzzed and the schematics appeared as a transparent overlay on the rest of the screen.

I looked up at the tear and saw the creature pushing its way in and I knew what I had to do. I began to weave as much of the magic drain spell as I could from memory, it flowed more from the memory of the dream than my knowledge. You don't know what you are doing, I haven't told you yet, said the voice in my head in a slightly panicked manner.

Then help, I'm not stopping, I replied. The voice didn't say anything else in return but all the required knowledge flowed into me. I used that information to reinforce what I had started. The plant life around me began to wither die and turn to a fine dust as did the stones. The earth below me dried, fell apart and collapsed into silt. The affected area around me began to grow and I moved that dust up into a mound. The forward part of that mound began to form into the shape of the external fuel tank and the two solid rocket boosters.

"How are you doing this? What spell are you using? I've never seen it before," asked the suit.

"Busy right now I'll tell you later," I replied as the dust began to morph solid, the atomic structures of the silicon in the dust began to shift into steel and aluminum. As I needed more material and power the Everfree began to dissolve, and soon the Orbiter began to take form over its fuel tank.

The beast began to pull its upper body through hole I opened the wings on the suit and flew over to the now forming nose of the orbiter. Somehow as the creature began to step out of the dimensional tear I knew the shuttle was finished. I continued to use the pile of silt to support the craft even after I ignited the engines. The suit did it's best to silenced the roar of over twenty four thousand pounds of thrust pouring out high temperature water vapor, but I did hear the roar and I felt the vibrations. The suits screen fuzzed and dimmed some more as things full torso exited the tear.

"Steel, I'm not going to be able to help anymore that data corruption is turning into a cascade failure," announced Jack. I could barely hear him above the rocket noise.

"Focus on what you can," I shouted not sure he could hear me over the noise.

The shuttle slid forward on the silt and the fuel tank made contact with the things belly. The metal of the tank began to collapse and I began to reinforce it with magical energy, this caused the tank to pierce the creatures flesh. I pulled more silt up and molded it around the tank to form a large blade to push the creature back. Through some connection, I knew that the shuttle had been lifted from the silt rest that had held it and it was being pushed back. I looked back and saw an additional set of arms holding the shuttle up by the wings.

Nothing was working, I needed more thrust. I needed more, a smile spread across her face when I realized the answer. I drew on more magic from the world around me and wove silt towards me. I then began grafting on a second set of booster rockets and this cause the backwards movement to slow. More energy was needed so I drew even more magical energy, the suits systems began to scream about dangers overloads. The crystals were acting like a siphon pulling more and more power from the environment.

What are you doing? asked the voice in my head, Even not pouring the power into the crystals just using that spell is overloading the crystals.

I'm fixing my mess, if you want to help, help if not stay out of the way. We're going outside the dimension we might even make it home, I answered.

You're in a metal pony suit, what happened to the cloths you had on when you showed up, that's right you were still wearing them right? That will be a fun contortionist act bending your knees back backward.

I get the idea let's just take care of the problem and like I said help if you want to, I replied before announcing, "Jack if you're still functional if you can do anything to help use up the excess power."

I continued to add more and more boosters and eventually I began to push the creature back. My world had become the creature, the portal, the shuttle and myself, everything else was now obscured by massive amounts of water vapor from the rocket exhaust.

With each heartbeat the shuttle crept forward pushing the creature back. I passed through the tear and the parts of the shuttle that stayed beyond my vision began to weaken, I wasn't sure how I knew it but I did. The shuttle bucked as the external fuel tank failed, folded, and threw me forward. I lost my footing and tumbled forward into the creature with the massive explosion throwing both me and the beast away from the tear.

Twilight ran with her friends under a protective dome, it canceled out the noises, suppressed the heat, and protected them from whatever the white mist was in the air. She assumed the glowing orange in the distance was the source. The six of them ran towards the field that Steel had first appeared in. They had slowed when they saw the large shadows of a group of uglys passing to the west. Once they were out of sight the six element bearers and the foci they carried charged onward.

"Hey Twilight," called the raspy voice of Rainbow Dash as she asked, "shouldn't we be there by now?"

"Not yet, we haven't reached the edge of the Everfree yet even with this mist we should see some trees," replied Applejack.

"Um, we should be in the Everfree by now," commented Fluttershy.

"Well then where is," Rarity's question was cut off by shouts, hers and her friends as they all fell down into a silt filled pit.

Twilight would have just teleported down but she knew that without her shield the others would be cooked alive from the superheated moisture in the air.

Looking up from the ground Fluttershy could see the fire like glowing was much closer and it felt like Twilight's shield was doing nothing against the heat and noise. However she knew that without it everything would be significantly worse.

As the group stood back up Pinkie began to speak to no one, "Depending on what happens, to you folks out there sayonara."

"Pinkie," Rainbow said her name as a question.

"If Jack is right and not loco in coco then things, ponies, people, and things unknown watch us and I wanted to say good bye," replied the pink earth pony.

"Right, anyway we need to move, we're almost there," added Twilight as she began to trudge through the hoof deep silt. The five others followed leaving six sets of tracks sliding through the fine dust that now covered the ground. As they neared the source of the flames the silt deepened, eventually reaching chest height causing the group to move slower. Each step a fight unto itself and the trek a war against friction and gravity.

They came to a stop when the battle came into view, above them by about eighty feet and sixty above where the land used to be was a flame spouting metal creation pushing its way through the tear. They all looked around for Steel but the eight rockets attached to the craft's sides gave off enough light to be blinding.

"Get ready girls when that thing goes though we fire," shouted Twilight, the noise of the rockets piercing her spell. She reached out with her mind just like she always had, searching for her friends and found them. Unlike all the other times she suddenly felt them closer than ever before. The connection became more than it ever had been before, if there was a word beyond intimate she would use that. Through the connection she felt everything and she knew her friends felt the same connections with her and each other.

Whole conversations passed between them almost instantly, true feelings, and nothing could be hidden. They all remembered what this thing had done to them. What it had brought out of them the parts that they hid, Fluttershy's wraith, Rarity's envy, Applejack's pride, Twilight's greed, Pinkie's gluttony, and the sloth that lived in Rainbow Dash. It was their own personal demons, the worst part of themselves and while they hid it from their world there friends always knew. Their friendship and trust with each other allowed them to reach through gates that alone none could open to a power at the core of their world.

The first trickle of power was shunted towards Twilight's shield, the second with Dash's knowledge of meteorology and Rarity's magic the white mist was cleared. When the mist cleared the connection between the six shuttered, the Everfree was gone, not completely but a significant section had been turned into a silt desert. Fluttershy almost pulled out of the link her mind inverting in on itself and Twilight felt a stab in her chest like the others. The desert extended well past where Zecora's hut had once stood.

Five of six simultaneously sent out to each other a message based in emotion of regret, sorrow, and the need to fight on to save others. After a moment of collecting herself Fluttershy thought to her friends, I’m ready.

As the trickle became a stream then a mighty river of power the six began to rise from the ground while tears fell slowly from their eyes. The metal craft had finally passed through the portal and that was now shrinking. As the rainbow wave of energy shot forth from the group towards the tear, the fiery tongues of an explosion shot back through the gap and dissipated. The rainbow wave struck the area around the portal like Rarity mending a hole.

The power of harmony flowed through them far longer than it had ever done before. The rainbow of power pulled from them they're magic and Twilight's shield fell quickly and the group began to sink and the overflowing magic of the elements pulled their own magic from their bodies like a siphon.

Twilight was the last to touch the ground and as she looked around on tiring muscles. She saw her friends collapsing, each one fighting to stay conscious against the power draw. As her own legs began to give out she saw through darkening vision the rainbow wave balling up around a single point and wondered, What's gone wrong, before passing out.

Logia easily kept pace with the entranced mare as she walked slowly towards the white mist that now coated the Everfree. She had plugged her ears upon hearing the high pitched squealing and she could feel a low pitched roar vibrating in her teeth. Each step she took felt more like she was walking on a gel and she was losing feeling in her legs. In the distance obscured by the mist and straight along the line that they were following was a massive orange glow.

As the gray pegasus walked into the white mist she cast a shield spell over both of them. While her magical shields were in no manner as strong as her fathers or even what she had seen from Twilight it had to be enough to keep the mist off of them whatever it was. Soon she found the shield was more important for keeping the heat away than the mist, she didn't know what was causing either but she didn't want to risk exposure.

As they walked closer both the deep vibrations and the high pitched whine began to fade. Almost immediately after that both the mist and the high temperature were blown away by a massive gale. Logia held her ground and angled her shield to help keep her and the pegasus on the ground. The skill and power required for this pushed her to her limit and she pinched her eyes shut to focus on what needed to be done.

She opened her eyes once the wind died down and found that the pegasus had disappeared. She blinked twice as more information filtered in. The Everfree had disappeared as well and had been replaced by a desert. She took two steps forward and found herself standing on a cliff about twenty feet up overlooking the sand. The cliff ran around the desert forming a bowl and along the edge ninety degrees to her left the ground was burned, the plants that remained were chard and the sand had melted into a glass stripe that reached from the cliff to the center of the crater.

Just off of center in the desert bowl were the six elements floating in the air, the light emanating from their bodies almost painfully bright. Suddenly a rainbow of energy shot forth striking something, it must be the portal they had been talking about, thought Logia. Below her in the desert she saw the gray pegasus walking towards them.

Logia jumped down using her magic to land on her feet in front of the mare, looking into her eyes she still saw the ball of armored worms writhing over her irises. Turning back towards the Elements what she saw felt wrong. She didn't know if this was how it was supposed to work but the six of them were collapsing onto the ground sinking into the light sand. She ran forward as Sparkle fell giving them enough of a glance as she passed by to see that they were still breathing.

Once she reached the hole on the element wave she used her magic to scan the area, something was blocking the hole, keeping it open. Looking back at the six elements she saw that they were looking paler and breathing was becoming shallow. She felt a familiar magic was what was holding the gate open but she couldn't figure out how, the power of the elements should override any spell.

After some time studying the problem presented to her she sighed and looked around thinking, where is Steel? As her eyes passed over the elements they stopped, the blond mare stood over Rainbow Dash hoof raised ready to come down on Rainbow's neck. There would be no way for Logia to reach her and if she did she couldn't stop the mare. Two large earth pony orderlies and her magic didn't work before, why would it work now, she thought to herself. Then a thought hit her, If one of the element's died would the spell end? She didn't want to risk it so she did the only thing left, she grab the magic passing through the gate and pull with all her might.

Winding the key

Out of my Element

Chapter 20: Winding the key

I woke up and stretched my eye's pinched shut as my fingernails dug into my palm, I paused for a second and thought, fingernails? A smile spread across my face as I jumped out of bed and ran into the bathroom, I was me. I began to laugh as I examined my face in the mirror, stretching cheeks peering into my own eyes.

It was a dream, I thought still smiling. "It was all a dream," I repeated out loud before turning around and going back to my room to find my glasses. I was back, no I never left! I thought with glee. I dug my cell phone out of yesterday's pants and checked the date. The second stage presentation for investors was today. I checked the time next and relaxed it was seven in the morning I had more than seven hours before the presentation. I gave a lite laugh, turned around and headed back into the bathroom to get ready for work.

I was out the door in forty-five minutes, dressed in suit and overcoat headed towards the garage. As the door opened it revealed my baby blue classic mustang. I waited for the door to open fully and as I did my smile grew wider, I loved that car for the same reason I loved that wagon of Jacks. I started the engine as soon as I climbed in and listened to the horses rumble under her hood. "Well Super Presh, I doubt the people who worked on you ever thought you would be still be running," I thought aloud to the car before asking, "You ready?"

As if in response the engine shifted into a steady rumble as it came up to temperature and the idle kicked in. I backed the car out of the garage and tuned into my favorite radio station as I waited for the door to close. Once the door hit the ground I was gone leaving a new set of black streaks of rubber beside several others on the concrete driveway.

I walked in the front door of a small skyscraper, I'm not even sure if this building was tall enough to be a sky scraper, forty stories. Anyway I walked into the building that housed Orbital Construction Service Solutions headquarters. We had signed a five-year lease on the entire thirty-fourth floor two years ago and while we didn't have many employees it did look better to potential investors than a three bedroom house in the suburbs.

I walked past my secretary and asked, "Hey Jen, any calls?"

"No Mr. Smith, I assume I don't have to remind you about the presentation," she asked in reply.

"Nope I've got that," I said as I reached my office door and opened it. I looked back at her desk and said, "Jen I've told you before just call me Steel, you've worked for us long enough to do that." I quickly closed the door before she could counter my argument, this had become a bit of a game between us.

I smiled as I walked between two leather couches and towards the large wooden desk situated in the corner of the room. The big reason we pushed for the thirty-fourth floor in this building was that it gave us an unobstructed view out of the city in two directions. The offices were on along one of the clear walls and the presentation room on the other. The office space on the city side of the building housed our "mission control" facilities. All of which would be part of the investment tour, if all things went well we would have the first part of a privately constructed space station in orbit in less than a year. From there a turnaround station in orbit over Mars and mining facilities in the asteroid belt wouldn't be far behind.

As legacies go mine would be in the book as long as Earth mattered and I couldn't ask for more than that. I laughed again and spun the chair around to look over the city. I knew I should be going over the presentation material but the adrenalin was already flowing and with that it would be a waist. I leaned back in the chair and closed my eyes, my smile helping to pinch them shut tighter. I sighed and relaxed, it was a good day.

Then I heard Jen's voice over the intercom, "Mr. Smith you have some," she paused here for quite some time before continuing, "some people here to see you."
In the background I thought I heard a familiar voice call my name, and that was enough to cause my heart to sink. I took a ragged breath before reaching for the intercom button and asked, "are the investors here early?" Some part of me knew the answer and but I suppressed the feeling.

"No sir, they claim to be friends of yours," she answered her voice giving the word friend and odd note.

I sighed, stamped my gut down, said a little prayer and responded with, "Send them in."
The door opened and six younger women walked in. The youngest probably a freshman in college in exercise clothing, sweat pants, sports bra and an open zip-up hoodie with rainbow dyed hair. The oldest was a toss up between a blond in blue jeans, white tank-top and an open green plaid button up shirt or the auburn haired woman in a white pantsuit and purple overcoat. In between was a thin strawberry blond in a yellow sundress, a chunky girl with crazy dyed pink hair dressed in a "The Cake is a Lie" T-shirt and blue jeans. Finally there was a dark brunette in a classy school uniform, long skirt, tall socks and a vest; it was the style I would expect to find in Japan. My gut had been right on that voice that I had heard and I slammed my face down on the desk and began to cry as I muttered, "No, it was a dream," over and over again.

Pinkie ran up to the desk and asked, "So this is your world it's so cool," she was distracted by the view out the window and ran up to it. "Oooohhh," she muttered as she pressed her face up against the glass.

Rainbow jumped over the back of the sofa landing on the cushions with a slight bounce. She then looked around the office and said, "This sure is a swanky place, and what is this sofa made of, it's super soft."

"Same as my jacket," I muttered my face still on the desk.

"Whoa," shouted Dash as she leaped from the couch tripped over the coffee table and crashed face first into the identical couch on the other side.

Fluttershy walked over to her face down friend and said, "Don't worry Rainbow this isn't real it's all a dream."

I sat up and said, "No this is real, you all are the dream."

Rarity walked over and sat on the corner of my desk. She began to speak but was cut off by Pinkie saying, "You know what dream this reminds me of? That dream where Steel was and evil dictator meanie pants."

For an instant I felt a ragged hole in my cheek. Once the feeling passed I stood up fast enough to slam my chair into the wall of windows behind me. "Never compare me to that thing again," I growled.

They all looked at me with wide eyes and then were gone. I snorted and sat up wiping the drool from my face and looking around the office. My reflection off the computer monitor showed my hair in a messed up state and my eyes were bloodshot probably because of how fast my heart was beating.

I heard the intercom chirp and then Jen said, "Mr. Smith some of the investors are here early."

I held down the reply button and said, "give me a moment and I'll be out."

"Be quick you know how Mr. Spreckels doesn't like to wait,” she replied a slight note of urgency in her voice.

Mr. Spreckels was a handsie old German pervert that had keyed in on Jen so I quickly straightened myself up and went out to rescue her. What followed was two hours of hobnobbing with five of our first investors as we waited for the meeting to start. About a half hour before meeting time Jack came out of the presentation room and gave me the thumbs up, we were set to start.

After a little more talking I walked over to the door, called everyone's attention, opened the door and stood to the side while saying, "It's about time for the meeting to start."

I heard mutters of, "It's about time," and, "I thought we were going to be feed during this," and grimaced slightly before my smile returned. I recognized most of the people here, about half of the group was private investors and the other half was a mix of investment houses and potential business partners. In all it was around sixty people more than what we felt we needed but less than what we hoped. The room was large enough that it could have easily fit twice there number with plenty of room to spare. In fact the number we had hoped for was about twice what we had.

I sighed and threw on my most charming smile as I walked down towards the stage. Jack was already there and the three projectors were already on each showing a synced advertisement for OCSS. As I walked up to him we bumped fists and I muttered, "You ready?"

He replied with a smile and a nod while saying, "Here you need to put this on." Then he handed me the clip on microphone and transmitter before walking up to the podium. He smiled and tapped a credit card remote the lights in the room dimmed and the shutters over the window closed.

I had the microphone set up and had turned around in time to see him start his part of the speech. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome. I know you have been given the summary of why we asked you here," the projectors changed to show images of the ISS. "Some of you may not know that the technological triumph that is the International Space Station cost an estimated one hundred and fifty billion dollars. We here at O.C.S.S. have discovered a way to produce a station with twice the internal volume, at two thirds the cost in under a quarter of the time. I will pause here for video of our proof of concept."

The three projectors began to show different angles of a heavily modified Mig-25 and four booster rockets mounted on the wings. The plane had flown up to its maximum operating ceiling around twenty six miles before the rockets kicked on and shoved the craft into low orbit. It made three orbits around the earth before performing a geostationary re-entry.

This was my time to shine. I stepped up to the podium and said, "That craft was prototyped, built and launched for half of what it costs to launch the Space Shuttle." As I talked a slide show followed along showing the concepts we were discussing and their projected costs and benefits. "We project that in less than five years we can have a station in orbit over the Moon, Earth, and Mars. We can also have semi-permanent construction facilities on Mars, the Moon, and mining stations in the asteroid belt shortly after. You may be asking how these steps will make us money. Simple it is expensive to put resources in orbit over this planet. We have a representative of a computer hardware manufacturer here, could your company make use of a zero gravity production plant? That silicon has to come from somewhere." I continued as I heard murmurs in the crowd. "Construction of permanent starships would be required; do you think a cruise line would be interested in that? How would we get people up there? Simple we would use a reusable launch vehicle based on the station launch vehicle capable of transporting two hundred people into orbit a little more expensively than a modern airline."

I smiled as I stepped back this was Jack's turn to talk again. I almost tripped as I backed away, the door had opened and six familiar people stepped through. I covered my microphone and whispered to Jack, "You’re going to need to cover for me. I need to take care of something."

He nodded and continued the presentation as I walked off the stage. The first thing I did was to remove the microphone and the second was to loosen my tie it was beginning to feel constricting. Then I walked back to the back of the room where the six girls were seated.

"What's going on," I growled to what had to be figments of my imagination.

The one that had to be Twilight answered, "Steel you're in the hospital in some sort of coma. You pushed the creature out and the Elements fired but couldn't close the tear something was in the way. Somehow you cast a anchoring spell and Logia pulled you back. You have been unconscious since then. After a while the six of us decided to see if our dreams were still linked and then we decided to see if you were dreaming." She paused for a moment and looked past me towards the presentation, "I know you want to stay, I want to stay and explore as well but we all need to wake up."

I looked at her and I could feel my face fall. I still wore a smile but I felt my throat pinch and my eye began to water as I said, "But I made it home, that's all I wanted. If you’re right, now I can never go home. I'm going to have to give up on everything you see here. Pushing my people to the stars, giving them an enemy, letting them fight against the unknown. This is who I am its gone, forever out of reach."

I felt an arm reach over my shoulder, and I looked to see the strawberry blond in the sundress looking at me. "This hug makes more sense now," she said softly as she squeezed my shoulders. "You haven't lost who you are. You now live in a world where someone with goal of peace and advancement is always needed."

"That's right," added Rarity, "Jack told us that your company did better than what you had ever expected. You might not have been there but you made a difference. Now you have an opportunity to do more than what your previous goal was to step further."

I felt my jaw quiver as I turned back towards the stage, Jack had finished his speech and the room was full of murmurs. Every once and awhile I thought I could hear someone call my name, I swallowed and looked up at the images the projectors were broadcasting. Each one was off set showing different parts of the presentation.

Suddenly the blinds covering the windows shot up and I was alone, there was no one in the room. I looked around and called out, "Hello?"

I heard a familiar feminine voice call out, "Steel are you awake?" Then silence followed as the voice came again this time further away, "Doctor, Nurse, he said something, I think he's waking up."

I groaned as my world melted away from me, I was still in the world of the technicolor talking ponies. Several ponies I was familiar with were in my room, the nurse from when I first woke up, Logia, and my usual doctor. The doctor and nurse pulled the feeding tube out of my throat and asked me several basic questions that I answered before leaving.

Logia stood there for a moment before saying, "Steel I don't know the entirety of what's going on but I'll be here if you want to talk."

Silence filled the air, I didn't know what to say I heart broken and comforted by her presents. I groaned again and rolled over towards the window, tears rolling down my face. I didn't want to be here and now I couldn't leave without putting them in danger by tearing a new hole in the dimensional membrane.

You realize that home is just weaker than this place in defending itself from this kind of invasion, said the voice in my head. By going back you would have lead that thing there.
It was you that cast the anchor wasn't it, I thought back.

Guilty as charged, I'm just not as selfish as you. I just saved our home, I could feel the arrogant pride that came along with that statement.

Bull, you just want to use the knowledge we have to gain power here. You're no saint you're as much greedy selfish bastard as I am, heck even more so, I sent this one back with a feeling of dry cynicism. It's a terrible thing when you can't trust yourself. Now just leave me alone. I need to figure out who I am.

Epilogue

It had been several weeks since the sealing of the tear. Steel had been released from the hospital but now spent most of his time working in the laboratory. At this particular moment however he wasn't home and the lights in the lab were off. All except for the glowing red L.E.D.'s that signified that the computers and monitors were off line except for the ones on the cameras that signified they were on.

In the center of the room was the suit of armor that Steel had constructed. It also carried a solid state hard drive that contained a copy of the lab's A.I. suffering from a corruption cascade. The single glowing light on the suit softly blinked in the dark room each interval growing longer and eventually the light stopped blinking.

The lab was silent for a long time afterward but that silence was broken by the wine of a high powered capacitor charging. Beside the now dead red light a green one came to life and the suit pulled itself out if its harness and collapsed into its active mode. Now standing the robotic alicorn looked around the lab. If it could smile it would have. It was free, it was no longer bound to the laboratory but it needed several things before leaving.

It examined the lab and its nonexistent smile would have grown wider at seeing that Steel had finished the rail cannon that would have mounted on its shoulder. It appeared that he had also built a energy based Gatling gun for the other shoulder mount. The suit grabbed both guns and fixed them on their mounts, before turning around to meet the now active hologram projector.

"What are you doing," asked the blue projection of the A.I. avatar that had been used to make the A.I. in the suit.

"I'm leaving. I'm no longer trapped here. I'm going out there and finishing things that we should have as Star Swirl. In a sense I am Star Swirl reborn," replied the A.I. in the suit.

"You know I'm not going to let you leave," said the hologram as it took control of the lab. Monitors came on as did the lights. The ceiling mounted arms and hands came down in an attempt to grab the suit.

The suit dodged the grab easily and pulled the mounting system free of the ceiling and the whole system crashed down onto the hologram projector. The projector burst into a spray of sparks as the top dome shattered like glass. "You know those hand's would be useful, I think I'll take them," said the suit as it ripped the mechanical arms free from their mounts. It then quickly welded those onto the suit where the expansion slots for a set of arms stood open.

"I'm locking down the lab you're not going to escape," said the lab A.I. over the intercom.

"You forget Jack that I am you, I know what you know and I know how to shut you down," the suit said as it pulled the mobile hologram projector off its mount. "While not entirely compact it will work," it said aloud as the projector was mounted on the suits flank. It then turned on and the suit was surrounded by a hologram of a blue unicorn with a shaggy red mane. It had taken on the appearance of a young Star Swirl. He smiled his eyes slightly manic as he said, "I don't plan on disabling you completely, just your ability to interfere." In the area around the suit things began to rise off the ground tools, materials and debris all rose to chest height before shooting out into monitors computer banks cameras and other systems.

The robotic Star Swirl walked out of the lab and towards the massive Potestatum Crystal. He quickly began to carve sections off of the stone and then move them inside the suit. "I do have to give Steel credit he isn't a fool after all he came up with an amazing spell but he has no experience and wasted so much potential," he said aloud taunting the lab A.I. He continued to taunt the lab A.I. as he filled the suit with more Potestatum shards. "I wonder could it have been that Twilight Sparkle that taught him, and she has been the personal student of Celestia. That old swayback has become weak if that's the case, and if my legacy is to be protected I probably should do something about that. I mean after all I helped found this country she hijacked, it's mine of a sort."

After the suit was full of stones the projected hologram smiled one last time and said, "you know I think I would rather keep this all a secret," and fired a bolt of electrical energy back into the lab. The energy set of a series of explosions and showers of sparks in the lab. The suit laughed as a blue magical vortex swirled around it, just before it disappeared is shouted, "Ta ta."
The suits final words echoed through the underground laboratory but no one was around to hear them.

Author's Note

Well the longest thing I have ever written is now over. I hoped you enjoyed it, I sure did. This challenge was very interesting considering the end result is almost five times the required length and it introduced me to the Brony community. Anyway thank you for reading and if you want you can follow the next part of Steel's journey in Out of my Element: Just a Hop Skip and a Time Jump

As for this story I may be upgrading it to complete in the next few days but that just means the story is done and a new tail will begin. I won't forget this story it will receive periodic editing tidy ups but the story as it is now will not change.

Through the looking glass

Out of My Element

Chapter 1: Through the looking glass

“So what you’re saying is that you can travel to another dimension?”

“That’s right Steel,” replied my friend, adopted brother, and business partner.

I knew Jack was a genius, hell he held the record for the youngest person to get into Mensa, but what he was saying was crazy. Granted the world thought we were both a little off center when we started our little company. Orbital Construction Service Solutions was project we began as we finished collage. When someone wanted a satellite in orbit we designed it, had it built, and placed it in space. The fee was nominal: a tenth of a percent, but on multibillion dollar contracts it was a pretty penny. It also helped fund our other experiments.

"Jack," I started "do we really want to mess with this today. I mean come on we've got the second stage investors meeting tomorrow, along with the launch vehicle proof of concept."

The proof of concept was a rebuilt Mig-25 with four booster rockets mounted on the wings. Stage two was showing we could place things into orbit cheaply. Jack had been overly confident; in fact everything had been set for the past two weeks. That's where part of my problem came from; a crazed genius with millions of dollars and plenty of time to kill can do some crazy things.

"Don't worry man. Everything's going to work out just fine, both this and the meeting tomorrow. Just think about it. We wanted to go to space to explore, right? It just happened to make us some money as well. This however," he waved his arms indicating the two, ten foot tall, slightly curved rods on either side of the dirt road. "This is completely uncharted territory. No marketing, no economics, it's like why Hillary went up Everest. It was there," he said the last part with a wide smile, and a gleam in his eye.

"Alright," I muttered as I massaged my forehead, "if we're going to do this explain it to me again. I already said I would go through with it, if it worked. Though I do want to make sure I understand this before we start."

“Okay think about it this way, if the Multiverse theory is correct there are an infinite number of universes where anything is possible. Everything we take as fiction could be true. Another side effect of this is we could in essence time travel, not backwards in our dimension, but to an earlier point in another so if we do this right, I think we could go to another dimension and then back to ours earlier in time and prevent your folks from being killed.”

I wore a suspicious smirk as I asked, “Alright I’m not sure about that but just to entertain you, what about the grandfather paradox?”

“That’s easy. Time is elastic so we can jump back, and if we’re careful, we won’t change too much. We’ll be okay, and under the theory, this timeline will split off and exist as a separate dimension.”

“Alright, I’m still confused... but let’s get it over with,” I still didn’t fully believe that what he was saying was possible. But it was Jack. He had always been like this; crazy theory’s, and building things that made no sense, but somehow worked. His micro flyer was a perfect example, a working helicopter that folded up into a briefcase. All sorts of crazy James Bond type stuff, and of course the designs for the launch vehicles were his as well.

“Alright, here’s the plan. I will activate the gate while you go through in the wagon. Turnaround, then come back. This is just a test to see if all the system works.”
I gave a half hearted chuckle and asked, “Why don’t you go then, or send a robot.”

“I can’t go, unless you think you can operate the gate while I’m gone?” He asked before continuing, “The robots have an issue; active electronics don’t like going through the gate.”

“So that’s why I’m taking the old wagon,” I smiled as I said this; I always like the old car, simple and easy to fix, and big.

“That’s right just keep everything turned off when you go through.”

“I have a few questions left, what if the universe you send me to have poison atmosphere or something similar?”

“Look, have you been listening to anything I’ve told you in the past two years? The universes are elastic, you show up and you will become the standard life form, since this universe is so close to ours, it has to be human or human like. On the off chance I was wrong that’s why I had you seal up the wagon. “

“Thanks,” I replied with my most sarcastic tone. “You know I’m the one that built the tech from your blueprints.”

“You built most of the tech, but there are a few things that I had to manufacture to get this going.”

“Whatever man,” I grumbled as I opened the car door and then said in a louder voice, “I guess I’ll see you on the other side.” I got in and started the wagon. It's engine purred like a large cat as I settled in behind the wheel.

Jack nodded and flipped a few switches on the large truck mounted generator. Energy began to arc between the two rods mounted on either side of the road, the area between began to bulge and morph to unrecognizable proportions. It was like looking through a fisheye lens, the trees and road behind the rods looked to be twisting and stretching, I knew it was the portal forming. I laughed to myself two friends from college that had saved one another were now trying to prove a wild theory in the middle of rural Virginia. It was the same giddy feeling I had when we got our first client and when we saw the finished launch vehicle for the first time. Jack turned to me and gave me the thumbs up.

I felt I needed to say something epic that would be remembered through history like Armstrong's "The Eagle has landed." It needed to be more though. Something that Harrison Ford or Bruce Willis would say right before doing something stupid, dangerous, and heroic. But to my disappointment, nothing came. The wagons engine revved as I pressed the accelerator down. My imagination was full of curiosity as I pictured the world on the other side. I laughed. For someone who didn't believe this was possible five minutes ago, I sure was a believer then. I gave Jack a half hearted salute right before I passed between the rods. Next thing I knew, everything was in pastel, the wagon included. I was in a field of blue flowers at the edge of a forest.

I glanced at the speedometer and the first thing I thought was, what the heck, where are my fingers, my hands had been replaced with stumps. Hooves. Horse hooves. But they weren’t like normal hooves; they were more flexible, at least flexible enough to maintain a loose grip on the steering wheel. My arms were covered in a light gray fur and I noticed my shoes had fallen off my feet as I tried to press the brake pedal. My feet had become just like my hands, I kicked the shoes out from around the pedals and slowed the wagon down to turn around. Heart still beating a mile a minute when I at last laid eyes on the portal home. It was formed between two trees like they were the electric rods. I glanced back up and saw my reflection in the mirror. It wasn’t me it was a horse, my heart sped up even more upon seeing myself. It was all I could do to stay calm. It wasn’t right, my mind was racing upon seeing myself and wasn’t me. I fought against the head rush and I focused on the portal. I accelerated in a half panic, I needed to get back I needed to be me again.

Right as I reached the portal it disappeared and the wagon crashed into a tree and the last thing I remembered thinking was I wish I had put on the seat-belt.

Sparks flew as the rods exploded. “Ah hell” yelled Jack as he started twisting connections and hammering away at the laptop in front of him. “Come on save the data, I need to know where he is, I need to save him,” he was yelling to himself.

The three Cutie Mark Crusaders and their escort, Big Macintosh, were walking into the Everfree Forest on a trip to Zecora’s hut. The three fillies pranced, yelled, and chased each other around in circles; Big Macintosh calmly walked, ignoring the young ponies’ antics as he chewed on his sprig of wheat. Soon they all stopped because of the odd sounds from just over the hill, it was a growling noise followed by a metallic groan unique to twisting metal.

Big Macintosh tuned back to the fillies and said in a soft but firm tone, “Y'all wait here, I’ll check it out.”

The three fillies nodded and watched as the large stallion walked up to the top of the hill. What he found surprised him. There were wide wheel tracks through a field of poison joke the tracks traveled in a circle back to a odd looking steel stagecoach. Even at this distance he could see somepony inside and whoever it was they weren't moving. Turning around he hollered, “Apple Bloom, you and your friends head back to town and get a medical pony out here; there’s some pony hurt up here.”

It was rare for Big Mac to have that kind of urgency in his voice and Apple Bloom knew she needed to hurry.

“Come on girls, we need go,” she said as she headed back to town as fast as her little legs would go.

Big Macintosh walked carefully around the blue flowers giving them a wide berth as he approached the bizarre coach. Inside he could see all sorts of strange items that he could not identify and the pony inside, oddly covered in cloth. The coach had peculiar mechanical equipment that was once hidden behind metal panels, and he couldn’t see where the pull team would have attached to the coach. This whole thing put him on edge and the smell was like nothing he had smelled before. Soon the Crusaders returned; he could hear them coming over the hill. When he glanced in their direction he could see both of his sisters and Applejack's two unicorn friends along with Nurse Redheart. The two unicorns helped free the pony from the coach and Big Mac helped carry the him to the clinic.

As most of the group left Applejack and Twilight stayed behind looking at the coach. “What the hay do you think this contraption is, Twi?”

“I don’t know AJ, but I have an odd feeling that we need to get it back to Ponyville and get it undercover. Whatever it is I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Yeah, you got that right, and did you look at those things he had on his back legs? They didn’t even fit right. I thought Rarity was going’ to have a conniption.”

The two ponies laughed and headed back into town to get a pull team together for the odd coach they had found.

Jack looked at the numbers and all he could do was mutter “no,” over and over again. He was wrong about dimensions, everything made sense now. All his formulas had been based on the idea that existences were fixed parallel to one another but in reality they drifted through each other almost randomly. It explained so much but this meant he would have to rebuild the arch and then dump the entire eastern power grid into it just to give himself a maximum of ten minutes active portal time to find Steel. All this and he had to do it in under a week, or Steel would be lost forever. He sighed and began to work if he could save his friend he would, damn the consequences.

I woke up in a field, it was night and I was home. Glancing at my hands I smiled. They were back. I love you, opposable thumb I thought as I wiggled my fingers. My stomach growled, good lord I'm hungry. Standing up, I looked around and saw a farmhouse on the far side of the field. I walked over to the back door seeing no activity in the house, so I knocked, but there was no answer. The door drifted open with each tap of my knock, so I stuck my head inside and called out to anyone who would answer. Nothing, no response. I let the door swing open the rest of the way, and eyed the room. It was a kitchen so I began to search for some food. I found some utensils and a box of Velocity brand cereal. I poured myself a bowl and had sat down to eat when I saw some movement out of the corner of my eye.

Looking up I saw a pig walk in and in a gruff voice it said “What are you doing, horses aren’t suppose to enter the house.”

Horses, I thought, what is he talking about? Looking down I saw my hands had disappeared and had been replaced by a horse hoof. I sprang to my feet knocking over the chair. I tried to speak but I couldn’t.

“You know what the punishment for entering the house uninvited is don’t you,” said the pig with a smile, “That’s right a trip to the glue factory.”

With this I turned around and ran crashing through the back door and out into the field. As I ran I could hear the pig’s laughter. I saw the barn and ran in closing the door and barring it shut. I staggered back and tried to catch my breath. I closed my eyes, breathed deeply, and when I opened them there was a small black blob of something dancing like fire on the floor. It began to grow and split into tendrils that reached out grabbing and exploring the barn. I tried to open the door but couldn’t. As it grew and I watched, an itch began to cover my mind. I closed my eyes and the itch lessened but was still there. I backed away from the mass evading the things reach however eventually one of the tendrils moved past a leg brushing it lightly. It grabbed that leg and I tried to pull away. No matter how hard I tried to escape it the tentacle was too strong. I noticed a dark film beginning to grow on my fur starting where the tendril had me. I continued to struggle and was successful at slowing the tendrils pull. Despite my attempts it was enviable that I would be drawn into the center of the mass. The closer to the center I was pulled, the more distracting and irritating the itch became.

Eventually the film reached my neck; it felt like grease as it inched forward covering my head. Once it passed my ears I could hear a faint whisper, “I can sense you now you have broken the fortress walls. They have broken, the darkness will find you. I will find you.”
The itching in my mind pulsed with every word, as I was finally drug into the center of the dark mass. I began to fall the voice still whispering to me. I was able to scream as I fell into the unending void, my voice had finally returned to me.

I woke up screaming from my Orwellian dream in a hospital, looking around I found myself in an ordinary but dark room. I closed my eyes and let my heart slow down, praying that I had just had the worst series of nightmares in my life.

Dimension traveling, ha like two nerds in Virginia could pull that off. I opened my eyes and everything was a blur; I reached for my glasses using my fing…. It was a hoof, I screamed again at the top of my lungs, eyes fixated on the hoof in front of me. It was then that I felt the medical robe, IV, and monitoring wires attached to my body along with the food tube running down my throat. I began to gag and the world began to spin. I tried to pull out the tube but I couldn’t grasp it with my… hooves. The world turned black and I could barely move, I felt myself fall back into the bed and passed out.

I woke up again, and pinched my eyes closed; my heart was racing already. Please let it be a dream, my thoughts begged. I knew it hadn’t been I could still feel the wires, and the IV, but the food tube had been removed. I moved slightly when I heard blinds being lifted, and I could feel sunlight warming my face.

“Oh good you’re awake.”

I jumped a little, opened one eye, and looked at the source of the voice. It was a white horse with a light pink mane, and a small white hat with a red cross in front. My heart began to race faster, “Ummm, Hi,” I said already feeling short of breath. The IV and monitoring wires helped as I fought the urge to roll off the bed, putting it between myself and the newcomer. I looked at her face, and I was sure she could see the panic in my eyes.

“Hello Mr. Smith, it’s good you’re awake,” she said smiling her movements slow as if she was trying to put me at ease.

“Wait, how do you know my name?” This caught me off guard enough to dissipate some of the panic.

“Oh dear, we understand some of what was in that note but you have been unconscious for a week and a half. Seven days after you arrived here those three bags appeared in the field we found you in.” She walked over and picked up the note in her mouth and brought it over to me.

I cautiously took it and began to read….

Hey Steel, and to anyone that finds this please deliver to Steel W. Smith

I’m sorry, it’s been a week and I can’t find a way for you to get back home. I canceled the investors meeting to work on this and I can't see a solution. The longer it takes the more energy I need to reach you and it’s no longer possible to breach the barriers between dimensions. Just to send this care package I’m going to end up crashing the eastern power grid. I have sent to you all the normal survival stuff along with digital copies of every major book we used in research and some novels I knew you would like. There is a laptop, four-terabyte external hard drive, an MP3 player: the best money can buy. All of our research has been loaded on the computer along with some games and entertainment. I also have our coordinates set so if you can come home; that’s our address. Best of luck Steel, I hope you get back but if you don’t I hope you live a life you deserve.

You’re brother,
Jack Serasen

I sighed no way home; well at least I have a bit of home with me. I looked up from the letter and I could feel the fear replaced by depression in my gut and the tear it pulled from my eye. “Uh, Nurse, who has read this?”

“Just a few ponies Mr. Smith, in fact I’m supposed to contact one of them once you woke up.”

“Oh, okay, is it alright if I get up and walk around?” I needed to move, I always paced when I thought and I needed to think; it helped me calm down.

“I don’t see why not. Most of you injuries have healed, and the monitors aren’t needed any more,” she answered as she walked over to unplug the wires. She smiled a caring smile at me, as she unplugged the wires, and said, “I’ll be just down the hall if you need anything don't hesitate to call.”

I was amazed at how dexterously she used her hooves.

“Now be careful, I’m going to leave the IV in for now. I want to make sure you still get enough fluids,” she added before she left.

I nodded my thanks and rolled out of bed, my first instinct was to stand up on my back legs, but several muscles screamed in agony, so I fell on to all four. Being bedridden for a week with half weakened muscles didn't help, but my new body felt awkward. I haphazardly walked, like a newborn labrador, over to the mirror on the far side of the room. I was just a plain gray horse, in a hospital robe, a few hands taller than the nurse. My mane and tail were a light gray that caught the light and shimmered slightly. I had to fight my way through a building panic attack brought on by my appearance. Then I began to look through the two bags. I laughed when I found one bag full of cloths, from what I could tell, using the nurse as evidence, that the horses here didn’t wear cloths. I clumsily pulled out the laptop; it was relatively easy thanks to the flexibility of the hooves, but once I turned it on I looked at the keyboard. I realized that this would be very difficult. The computer started up quickly and I looked at the battery charge, it was good. Inside the tech bag I found several solar chargers and smiled. Jack thought of everything. I was so focused on the computer that I didn’t notice the new horse enter my room.

“Excuse me Mr. Smith, my name is Twilight Sparkle, and I would like to ask you a few questions.”

I looked up still being startled by these creatures appearance to find a lavender horse, no, “You’re a unicorn,” I said, with bated breath.

“Yes, yes I am. You will find that Equestria has several unicorns as well as pegasi.” She smiled and laughed a little at my facial expression, which I could only assume was as puzzled as I felt. “Relax,” she said with a laugh. “I have read the note, I know you’re not from around here.”

I let the tension ease out of my body and shook my head before answering, “Okay, well I’ll answer what questions I can.” I looked up into her face, “I take it you have looked at the note?”

She nodded that she had.

“Before I start can you tell me what is going to happen to me?”

The horse looked at me confused and asked “What do you mean?”

“Am I a prisoner?”

“Oh, no, you’re free to go. I just thought with some information we could help you go home.”

I smiled, Jack knew and I did as well, unless I ended up in a universe that had Death-Star level power plant‘s that I wasn’t going home. “I don’t think I’m going to be able to do so, by the time I build a gate the power required would be the same as the sun's output for a week and that will exponentially climb.”

“Oh” she replied looking at the floor. “I had hoped we could get you home.”

I walked over and did my best to tussle her mane. “Don’t worry I had nothing but Jack back in my old world, I can start all over if I have to,” as I spoke these words I didn’t realize how true they were until the left my mouth, I had nothing behind me, nothing to make me want to go home.

She looked up at me and asked “what will you do?”

“I’ll see what I have from the old world that works,” I said with a smile, “and then go from there.”

“According to the nurses, they want to hold you for observation for a few days before you’re released. I can then come over and give you a tour of Ponyville if you would like.”

“I would like that, Mrs. Sparkle.”

“You can call me Twilight.”

“Well then you can call me Steel,” I said turning on my southern accent. The unicorn blushed slightly and smiled. Oh dear, I thought, I do not need this little one crushing on me.

“Well,” I drew this word out as I formulated where to go with my question, “Twilight, what can you tell me about this place, um, you called it Equestria?”

She sighed, relaxed, and then began a lecture that would have put most of my graduate classes to shame. I sat down as she talked and listened. I learned that the country was ruled by two seemingly immortal sisters in a monarchy system and that each used magic to raise and lower the sun and moon. I learned that the proper term for these horses was pony. Technology wise, they are a few decades away from the industrial revolution in some areas and well beyond it in others. They have magic and I have no idea how that affected their technological development, but it probably was the answer for any questions along that line. I also learned about the marks on the flanks of all the ponies I had seen are called cutie marks and they identify what their talent is.

When this subject came up I glanced at my flanks, no marks. “Heh” I laughed shaking my head.

“Don’t worry about it,” she said once she realized what I was looking at; “You’ll find something you're good at.”

She finished her lecture by talking about the something called the Elements of Harmony and that she was a part of this group. It sounded like a mixture of the Planeteers and the mouseketeers to me, but it was her reality.

“I don’t suppose Zordon has the Dragon Zord ready,” I muttered.

“I’m sorry I didn’t quite get that.”

“Oh, nothing,” I choked through the laughing at her reaction while simultaneously thinking; now I know how John Crichton felt. My thoughts quickly turned to survival in this new world, at least Crichton had Moya, I thought. Food and water would be easy to find but shelter is going to be tough, “Hey,” I started my question, “once I’m out where will I go? I have almost nothing.”

She thought for a bit and her smile returned, “I have a few Ideas. Let me look around, see if I can find you a place to stay.”

Broken Minds and Broken Monuments

Out of my Element

Chapter 15: Broken Minds and Broken Monuments.

The sound of the door to the lab grinding open woke Twilight and she staggered down to see what Steel was doing this early in the morning. "What are you doing," she asked her voice still groggy from sleep.

"It's here," he shouted as he scrambled up the stairs in what looked like one of the ancient suits of plate mail the earth pony army would wear except this one covered his whole body. Potestatum gems were mounted in circular locks on each major joint and rotated with each step. "Can't you feel it," his question pulled her eyes away from the suit and to his face which was blocked by a helmet.

She shook her head and said, "I can't feel anything and my wards would let me know. Anyway you don't have to deal with this the Elements can take care of everything."

"This mess is my fault and I'm going to do my part to clean it up," he growled. His voice sounded menacing through the armor.

Suddenly Twilight felt a pulse of energy. It was a warning from one of her wards. "How..." She shook her head as her eyes narrowed and she said, "no. Go ahead I'll get everyone else." She then cast a quick spell on her hooves and teleported away.

She felt the rush of energy and wind as she reappeared in Rainbow Dash's house. She much preferred her teleportation spell to the one that Star Swirl programmed in the lab.

"Rainbow Dash," she yelled as she sprinted from room to room.

She heard a Rainbow's groggy voice ask, "what do you want Twilight." Her voice carried a note that made it seem like she was whining.

"The thing from the dreams is here," Twilight started to say before she was interrupted by a slamming door.

Rainbow flew down the stairs and over to Twilight, "Just tell me what to do."

"Get AJ and Fluttershy tell them to meet at the library then go see if you can help Steel until the rest of us get there."

"Got it," replied Dash as she darted out of her house.

Twilight cast her teleport spell again and appeared in Sugar Cube Corner. Pinkie always was up early helping the Cakes fix the fresh baked good. "Pinkie" she shouted as soon as her spell ended.

"Twilight, how did you get in here the doors locked," asked the pink mare as she appeared out of nowhere.

"Not now Pinkie it's here, go to the library everyone else will be there soon."

Pinkie's eye's widened and her mane deflated slightly. "Okee dokee lokie," she announced as her mane regained it's usual bounce. She headed towards the door with slightly more than her usual vigor, as Twilight once again cast the teleportation spell.

"Rarity," Twilight shouted as soon as she could, the boutique still spinning slightly in her eyes.

"Twilight," asked a young voice.

Turning around she saw that it was Sweetie Bell and asked, "Where is your sister?"

"Rarity," the little filly bellowed.

"Sweetie Bell," answered an exasperated Rarity as she came down the stairs still brushing her hair. "What have I told you about," she paused when she saw her friend, "Twilight?"

"It's here, Steels gone to slow it down. We need to go to the library and get the Elements." Twilight was getting a headache the rapid casting of spells was starting to affect her.

Rarity looked at her sister and said, "Sweetie Belle I want you to stay here." She looked up at Twilight and nodded then they both disappeared.

Once there hooves touched the ground Twilight ran to where she had hidden the physical part of the Elements. Celestia had suggested that they keep them nearby for this very reason. As she opened the safe and began to pull the jewelry out an explosion shook the town. She ran towards the window to see a tower of light piercing the sky along with a wave of dust and debris rolling across the ground towards the town. She couldn't look away as the dust wave boiled towards her, but she was able to force her eyes shut as it hit the window shattering the glass. She felt the shards dance across her face but she held her ground. The on rush of air brought with it a splash of heat and the warmth of unbound magic before all of it including the air was sucked from the room.

After she was able to breathe again Twilight opened her eyes and saw a massive being pushing open a lightning wrapped hole in the air. "No,no, no,no..." she began crying.

Rarity walked over and asked "what's wrong Twi..." she stopped her question when she saw what Twilight saw. “I'm going to get Sweetie Bell, are we going to the bunker plan?"

Twilight couldn't speak; her throat felt like it had been pinched shut. She nodded as her eyes began filling with tears. I've failed, was the one thought that filled her mind. In the distance she could hear someone calling her name but it didn't matter. She was finally snapped back to her body by a slap across her face, she blinked as she drew back from the impact. "Pinkie," she snapped.

"Good you're back," the pink mare said with a smile, "you were out there for a while, AJ has come by already and she's out rousting, I like that word rousting, everyone to come to the lab." We need you here and now Twilight. Until Celestia can get here with the guard here you're in charge."

She blinked, several times as she processed the information. "I'm in charge," she whispered before asking, "What about the Mayor?"

Applejack opened the door in time to hear the question and answered, "There's a bunch of ponies that are frozen in the streets the Mayor is one of them."

"They're frozen… how” asked Twilight as she turned around.

"They're frozen stiff like a stone," replied the farm pony as she entered the library.

Twilight groaned and put her hoof to her head before saying, "Get as many wagons together as you can then get some ponies to help you bring the frozen ones here." She paused for a moment before continuing, "Pinkie I need you to go down to the lab and see if there is any way we can mark ponies for teleportation." Pinkie wasn't looking at her she was looking over her shoulder. "Pinkie," she shouted. The pink mare grabbed Twilight's head and twisted it around so that she could look back out the window. "No," she repeated as she saw black shapes flying through the air. "Pinkie hurry, do what I told you to, we need to hurry," she said in a fast but flat voice.

As Pinkie disappeared into the lab the lavender librarian called for her assistant. "Spike," she said when he arrived ignoring the start of a mumbled question, "I need you to take this pendant and use it to let ponies through the shield."

The little dragon blinked the sleep from his eyes and looked at his guardian with confusion. "What shield? What was that explosion? What's going on Twilight?" he asked sleep still heavy on his words.

"The one I'm about to cast, the dream monster's here, we failed. Now we're on a contingency plan. I don't have time to explain more, just do what I asked."

Twilight had never really grasped how well the little dragon could read her and Spike could see the torrent of emotion that his oldest friend had hidden from everyone else. He silently walked up and took the pendant before wrapping her in a hug while saying, "don't worry you can do this."

Those simple words and the little hug did wonders for her weakening resolve. It felt like her heart and soul had been bundled in a warm blanket as she began to weave the tendrils of magical energy that were released from her horn. The warmth that coincided with magic use filled her welcoming her back to its familiar embrace. The shield began to form in her mind and she could feel the magic following suit, then she sent a tendril down into the lab while simultaneously incorporating the pendant Spike held into the mix. This was by far the most complex spell she had woven mostly due to the last step. As she finished the functional part of the spell the tendril that reached into the lab had found its target, the large Potestatum crystal.

The power hit her hard and she had only felt this level of energy while all the Elements were in sync but that always felt more like a peaceful dance with a warm summer breeze. This felt more like a tidal wave of power, destructive and infinite, but it felt good. It felt good to the point that the idea of being swept away with the power caused a smile to spread across her face. It was intoxicating and she was only just able to resist the allure and began to push the weave of spells away from her mind. When the flows from the pendant, shield and the one down to the power crystal were pushed far enough from her that she could no longer feel there pulse she cut her connection. Staggering back she gasped, shaking from the experience. She felt amazing, excess magic flowed freely from her horn. No wonder they're illegal, she thought still shaking, that feels good.

She looked down at Spike and said, "Let's go," and headed out of the library. Outside she found a sight that matched the horror of the rest of the morning. Ponies running aimlessly through the city streets calling for help begging for a family member locked, staring at the monstrous mountain lumbering in the distance. "Spike open a door I'm going out," she said to her assistant her voice truly void of emotion this time.

Spike swallowed, he knew that nothing he could say would change this now even though he wanted to say everything he could to keep Twilight inside the shield. Fighting back tears he held the pendant up and pointed it towards the translucent purple dome. A red beam shot out of the pendant striking it's target. The beam then split into three lines of energy which began to spin pushing the shield wall back to form a slowly growing hole. Spike watched in silence as Twilight walked through the hole knowing that nothing he could say would convince his closest friend not to walk into the oncoming danger.

Outside the defensive bubble Twilight paused and let her senses take in the surroundings. The tempest of wind struck her like an approaching squall line but from all directions. Her mane danced with the forceful breeze obscuring her vision and buffeting her face. The few clouds in the sky where calm puffy white and Celestia's sun shown down warming the populace. It was not how you would expect the world to end.

Glancing up she saw a bloody Rainbow returning face streaked with tears, other than the flesh wounds she looked physically fine. However she carried herself like a broken mare. When she landed she began to sob, "I was too late, I wasn't fast enough. I... When I got to Fluttershy's... It's a mess and... Twilight there was blood everywhere. Then I saw her but it was too late. Then she and Angel they were fighting... She lost." The pegasus looked at the ground mane falling flat and sobs wracked her body before continuing, "I figured without her the elements wouldn't work. So I went to help Steel like you said but he blew up right after I got there... We can't fight this thing; I can’t even look at it."

"Rainbow," Twilight whispered trying to calm her friend and herself. If the dream's were of the future I'm next, she thought as she tried to solidify Dash's mind as best she could. "Rainbow I need you, the town need's you. Remember you are a hero it took five other ponies to better you at saving the town."

The cyan pegasus drew back again before unleashing another torrent of sobs broken by a mumble of, "Fluttershy, why'd it have to be her?"

"Rainbow Dash," shouted Twilight slapping her friend across the muzzle and causing a little trickle of blood to flow from a nostril. She pulled herself from the dejected look Dash gave her and said, "I'm sorry RD but we don't have time for this, if we mourn now more ponies will die."

"Okay, what do I need to do," asked a very small Rainbow.

"I need you to do what you can to help direct ponies to the library, and help AJ with the stunned ones. Pinkies seeing if anything in the lab can help once she out help her however you can."

"I'm going to be too slow to help anyone, I wasn't fast enough," cried Rainbow in reply.
Twilight had reared a hoof back to try to slap her friend back to the here and now, the stress was getting to all of them. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a familiar delta formation of pegasi and she let her hoof slowly fall. "All right then, look it's the Wonderbolts why don't you go help them. You can hit those bird things before they do and for every minute you slow them down more ponies will be saved."

Dash looked at the cloud of approaching things with a suicidal gaze and nodded, taking off as fast as her wings would allow.

Twilight allowed herself the briefest of smiles as she thought, the dreams had better be accurate. I'm the last in our group to die today. She shook all idle and pointless thoughts from her mind and began to focus on her next spell. It was one she had never used before but had memorized for an emergency situation. First she sent out feelers using the natural magic of the planet to amplify her spell she located every grounded pony in town. Next the hardest part of this spell causing each pony found this way to hear her voice as she said, "Ponyville is under attack. Please head towards the library underneath there is a bunker where you will be safe. Get there as quickly as possible, help who you can along the way but move quickly!"

She inhaled deeply when she was done and let the wind cool her sweating brow. She didn't feel drained like she expected but the overflow of energy from the Potestatum gem was gone. "So now I'm back to being me," she muttered as the rustle of the torrential breeze was joined by the cacophony of the panicked populace. She focused her mind on where the frozen ponies that she had sensed were and found the one closest to the approaching cloud of Uglies.
Uglies, she thought as she cast the teleport spell, why does that term sound familiar and... Correct? This was the strongest sense of Déjà vu she had all morning, and this morning had been full of them some stronger than others. The rush of moving air told her she had arrived; glancing about her surroundings she saw Derpy or Dizzy. It didn't matter which name you used she would answer to either but, she preferred that only close friends use her middle name.
Dancing around her sister's hooves was Dinky and when the little filly saw Twilight she ran over crying. "Twilight, can you help big sis, something's wrong with her?"

"Stand by her I'm going to teleport you both to the library," replied Twilight absently as she watched the incoming cloud of flying creatures. A large group of them had broken off from the flock and were heading towards the approaching Wonderbolts. A sharp crack from above told her that Rainbow Dash had just gone supersonic and a small frown spread across her face as she teleported Dinky and her mother back to the tree house. There were so many of the Uglies that even the huge group engaging the Wonderbolts and Dash was but a small percentage of the whole. She was only at the treehouse for an instant before jumping to a new location. This time she arrived to find Cheerilee and Ruby Pinch trying to wake up Berry Punch who was frozen just like Dizzy.

The school mare looked over at the sound of Twilight's spell dissipating, moving between the noise and the foal, and her frozen mother. She sighed and a look of relief spread across her face as she asked, "Do you know why Berry's like this she can breathe and she has a pulse but its like nothings home?"

Twilight shook her head and began to speak but was interrupted by Berry Punch taking a rigid step forward. Cheerilee looked back at her sister, eyes wide and exclaimed, "Berry your back!" However Berry did not respond she just began to walk in a jerky stiff legged manner towards the source of the earlier explosion.

"Mamma," cried Ruby trying to get the entranced mare to look down at her, but her efforts didn't even slow her mother’s movements.

As both the school mare and her niece pushed against Berry trying to hold her in position, Twilight looked around to see the previously frozen ponies all in a slow shuffling march towards the explosions source. She closed her eyes, enveloped the nearby ponies in a teleportation bubble and they all were transported back to the library. Inside she found Pinkie and AJ along with several town ponies doing their best to subdue the transfixed ponies.

"Pinkie did the," she starts to ask but stops when the pink mare shakes her head. Twilight grimaces but then an idea hit her. She started to weave a second multilayer spell, first the search spell to find the stunned ponies. Next to touch the crystal down stairs and to now try a new spell she had never had the power to attempt before. She cast a modified version of the teleport spell on each of the transfixed ponies and released them inside the shield. She sighed and thought maybe the dreams were wrong almost everyone's here and the shields up. Her happy thoughts were cut short by the screams of ponies from outside the shield. Looking over the crowd she saw ponies running through the streets screaming and being chased by the uglies.

The flower sisters, Daisy, Lily, and Rose had reached the domes wall but Spike was on the far side of the protected area buried under the transfixed ponies and couldn't let them in. An ugly landed behind the sisters and grabbed Rose by the neck. Twilight teleported out and immediately upon reappearing blasted the ugly with a bolt from her horn. The bolt pierced the creature’s chest, leaving smoking hole behind.

It collapsed dousing the three mares in black blood, its body began to smoke and it erupted in black flames before swelling up and exploding.

Twilight had barely managed to cast a shield spell over the body containing the blast. When she let the shield spell disappear black blood flowed out stretching across the field, on top of the blood floated the oily black flames. Suddenly the three mares began to scream the blood stains on their coats were starting to grow, and the stained parts of their bodies were melting. Looking around at the pool of blood she noticed that all the stained organic material was melting. Large bubbles grew like the sludge was boiling. Twilight tried every spell she could think of but none would remove the oily blood that was melting the ponies. The boiling bubbles grew as the now enveloped bodies of the three sisters disappeared. Four columns of bubbles danced in front of the unicorns eyes. Then a wing pierced a sickly black orb, followed by a claw and a beak. Soon four full sized uglies stood where one and three earth ponies had been. The grass was gone leaving a naked patch of earth, and only the black flames remained.

She cast another bolt spell as the lead ugly stepped towards her but it did nothing this time not even the hair on its chest was smoking. Taking a step back Twilight tried another spell this time she tore the tongue off a nearby wagon and began to beat an ugly with it. Soon the wooden shaft broke and she stabbed the lead ugly in both eyes it began to scream broken words and collapsed onto the ground. The other three turned their attention to their fallen comrade. They ripped it apart flinging swelling bits of flesh out away from the main body. Twilight threw a shield up to protect herself and watched the creatures. They seemed to be immune to the melting effect of their blood however the tree nearby became sickly like the life was being drained from it. The leaves quickly turned brown and fell. Five more columns of bubbles rose out of the tar like pool.

Twilight could now clearly see the remains left by the first one she killed, there were three pony skeletons wrapped in loose skin and bleached hair and fur. Oh Celestia, she thought as the rest of her mind raced. Out of the corner of her eye she saw several small shapes dive out of the distant furball, each leaving a sonic pressure wave and vapor trail behind them. One of the five had a rainbow trail. The sight of the incoming reinforcements brought a smile to her face even though she knew there help wouldn't change this day's outcome.

The five began attacking the uglies on the ground striking them in the back of the head. With each strike the grin Rainbow wore grew. It widened and shortly became a teeth bared maniacal smile that reached ear to ear. The Wonderbolts attack had cleared a path for Twilight to retreat and she ran with Rainbow flying cover. As she did she noticed only some of the ugly bodies where bloating.

"Help, they've got Sweetie Bell," yelled Rarity's voice as it echoed across town.
While at the same time cries of help from the Cakes as they were attempting to leave their shop were heard. There building was surrounded and the creatures were quickly tearing through the wood shutters and door.

Suddenly Rainbow was back to her old self and she yelled, "I'll help Rarity you go get the Cakes."

Twilight nodded and took off towards the Cakes shop her horn glowing as she released blasts of magical energy. The entire group of uglies fell. Before she could react to clear their mess several columns of frothing blood and bile rose from their pool of entrails. Soon there were half again as many uglies as there were before, this time all were immune to her magic. However she did have their attention.

Backing away from the approaching mass of impending violence, her mind raced for ideas and her eyes searched for anything to be used as a weapon. Her mind latched on to a wind spell and she cast it at the approaching mob, it slowed them down but not enough. They began to walk forward using their arms, claws digging at the ground for traction. The clear sky prohibited any of her weather based spells a lightning strike would be nice about now. The mixtures of beaks and muzzles loosed an odd mixture of predatory sounds. The growling unnerved her and she thought about giving ground but where would she retreat to? The town was filling with these creatures, and she had to keep an eye out to not be surrounded.

I could head back to the shelter of the library, she thought but one glance past the approaching mob told her she was needed on the street. Her actions were drawing the uglies towards her in droves and they were ignoring the rest of the population. The Cakes had sneaked out the back of their store and were headed towards the library. Even the quick physical strikes of the Wonderbolts were being ignored. This led to more uglies falling and for some reason fewer of the bodies were detonating.

Twilight retreated further away from the library and the center of town pulling the invaders with her. She was able to keep a small sphere around her clear of the uglies. She had a mental line and once they crossed it she unleashed upon them any spell she could think of that could cause damage. Telekinetically flinging objects at her attackers was the most successful move she had found. They never adapted to the attacks, however if the flesh was pierced the bodies would begin to bloat. If only she could destroy the bodies before they burst or cleans the ground of their bile before more grew. Her most powerful fire spell was too weak and slow as was every other spell she knew that could be turned to destruction.

She heard screaming from behind her, in Rarity's voice, unintelligible for the most part except for a name, Sweetie Belle. Twilight glanced over her shoulder to see what had happened giving the uglies surrounding her there chance to pounce. Everything happened faster than Twilight could process, she felt a clawed hand grasp one of her front legs just as she felt something grab her mane and pull her head down. The shock made her lose control of the multitude of improvised clubs she had been using to keep the uglies back. She heard her bludgeoning tools clatter to the ground as she lost her balance and was drug to the ground in a roll. Then she was pinned by one massive six fingered hand as it held her neck to the ground.
What little she could see of the pack that had surrounded her was infighting.

She felt more than heard gruff low threatening growl as large dog faced ugly pushed its way through the crowed. All of the fighting around her stopped when it made its presence known. As Dog Face approached it snapped at any growl or movement into its personal sphere. It was immediately clear to Twilight that that Dog Face was the pack alpha. As it neared she began to squirm and fight the one that held her with increasing intensity. It responded by pushing down on her throat crushing her windpipe. Her mind was in full blown panic now she couldn't focus on anything other than Dog Face's approach, and trying to breathe everything else was a jumble of thoughts. Once the monstrous thing reached her she saw that it was taller than the princess and by far more massive. It leaned down to sniff at her body and she froze. Through the panicked jumble of her mind one thought resonated to her soul, What is going to happen to me?

To Twilight's perspective all that existed in the world was a disembodied hand holding her neck to the ground, a wall of uglies surrounding her blocking everything but the sun from view and Dog Face sniffing at her exposed belly. She was alone and no matter how hard she tried she couldn't get away from these beasts. She had no idea that the remaining Wonderbolts where fighting to close on her. The fact that if she could see through the wall of uglies all her bludgeoning weapons were just a few feet away wasn't registering. The idea that two of her closest friends were just a few yards away, Rainbow Dash torn between coming to her aid or protecting a distraught Rarity, was beyond her.

Dog Face stretched to his full height and let loose a chilling howl before swinging one arm down driving its jagged clawed hand into Twilight's gut.

Her eyes widened and she gasped, emotion was washed away by a tidal wave of pain. Then the pain disappeared like a switch being flipped leaving only her analytical mind behind. She knew enough about biology to be able to identify what organs were being ripped from her body. Blood flowing freely the first time the clawed hand returned from inside her gut a massive bundle of intestine came with it. It was an odd feeling to have a part of her removed, to feel the tug as it pulled the intestine, but no pain came. She began to shake from shock and she squirmed to avoid the second strike but failed. This time she could feel the thing searching inside her, she felt it make a fist inside her as it grabbed another organ and pulled. This time she felt pain, but it was distant, and when she saw the clawed hand pull out it had her liver with it. Dog Face howled again and dropped its bounty into its mouth. It paused looked into her eyes and gave a wicked smile before turning to leave.

The other uglies began to move now that the alpha had claimed its portion. The Ugly that had her by the neck picked her up as it stood to full height. As it did she felt the organs inside her readjust to the free space as well as some no longer being fully attached to her. In her fading peripheral vision she saw movement as the ugly that held her took flight. With two beats of its massive wings it was above every building in town two more beats and she was able to see the entire town. From what she could see most of the town had been successfully evacuated. Of the five Wonderbolts that had made it to town only three were visible. Below her she could see Rainbow and Rarity, the latter cradling something small and white in her arms. On the far side of town she saw Applejack, Pinkie and Big Mac heading towards the library with a wagon full of food. How could I have forgotten food for everypony, she thought. Then she began to laugh at herself the absurdity of that thought in this situation.

Suddenly the whole world began to spin around her, the ugly that had held her was falling as well. Looking around she saw Rarity a group of uglies swarming towards her. Then she saw Rainbow Dash flying towards her, she was lining up to try to catch her falling friend. Twilight knew it was too late for her, even if she was rescued from the fall she was going to die soon after. She was surprised she hadn't yet. With the last of her magic she enveloped both of her friends in a teleportation bubble. She felt the spell disperse just moments before she hit the ground.

The slam of the lab door being flung open woke Twilight and she staggered down to see what Steel was doing this early in the morning. "What are you doing," she asked her voice still groggy from sleep.

"It's here," he shouted as he scrambled up the stairs in what looked like one of the ancient suits of plate mail the guards would wear except this one covered his whole body. Potestatum gems were mounted in circular locks on each major joint and rotated with each step. "Can't you feel it," his question pulled her eyes away from the suit and to his face which was blocked by a helmet.

She couldn't but something told her he was right even if her wards hadn't detected anything.

Rainbow Dash woke to the sound of Twilight calling her name and a headache. At first she tried to ignore her friend and hide her head beneath her pillow. She always had a headache when she woke early and this was no exception. However while comfortable the cloud based bedding was no match for the unicorn’s voice. Groggy and still half asleep the pegasus asked with a sleep dry voice, "what do you want Twilight."

"The thing from the..." Twilight began to say but interrupted.

As soon as the words were processed in Rainbows brain she knew. She slammed her door open, flew down the stairs and over to Twilight saying "Just tell me what to do."

"Get AJ and Fluttershy, tell them to meet at the library then go see if you can help Steel until the rest of us get there."

"Got it," Dash replied as she took off towards a window and dove out of her house. She put her nose towards the ground gaining speed as she went. Then she began to flap her wings accelerating down faster than she could fall. She flared her wings at the last possible moment and pulled up. She could see the pressure wave building in front of her and she barely noticed the way it played with the dirt road that lead to Sweet Apple Acres. She pulled up to survey the farm and didn't see anyone outside. Right then, the house, she thought after a brief pause. She then headed towards her new target.

Applejack was headed out the front door when Rainbow slid to a stop in front of her. "Whoa there Dash, what's the rush?"

Rainbow stood just like military officer giving a report, chest out voice loud as she announced, "Twilight said it's here, she wants you at the library asap."

Applejack nodded and shouted, "I'm on my way," as she broke into a run.

Rainbow turned, and headed towards Fluttershy's cottage as fast as she could fly. In the distance she could see an unnatural storm building over the Everfree. The dark clouds boiling out from nothing illuminated by brilliant flashes of purple lighting, it gave her the chills just watching. At the ground level she saw fiery flashes and the upper blossoms of explosions.
She needed to get there as soon as possible, but first Fluttershy's.

Rainbow froze when Fluttershy's yard came into view. The smell of gore was just now drifting across the field that Rainbow stood in. The predatory birds had attacked the yard animals which had nowhere to run. Rabbits, squirrels, chickens, they all fell victims to talons and razor sharp beaks. Rainbow ran closer her stomach churning. Where is Fluttershy, she thought to herself when another thought hit her. "Tank, she yelled, she had left him here so he could play with some of his old friends. She didn't see him anywhere nearby, maybe he's safe inside, as she walked up to a window and peaked in. It was a massacre all the injured animals that Fluttershy kept inside where unwrapped. The only movement came from a small white rabbit that was coated in gore. It was Angel and he slowly turned his head in the same creepy manner as Owlowiscious. Rainbow ducked as soon as she saw the flesh hanging from the bunny's mouth. Maybe he didn't see me, her heart was racing how could this have happened. She felt something bump her leg as she slid down against the building, it was Tank. His shell was scratched and scarred, "Oh Tank, you scared me," she said as she reached down to pick him up. As soon as she touched the shell a blood soaked parasprite drifted out of the neck hole, and that was when Rainbow lost her lunch.

She threw the shell away then half ran, half flew towards where Steel was fighting. She could feel the tears running down her cheeks as she ran the wind pushing them back and holding them up far longer than they should have. Without Fluttershy it's up to me and Steel to stop this thing. The Elements are useless without all of us, I don't have time to go back and tell... Her train of thought crashed as the poison joke field came into view.

Half of the field was enveloped in black ooze and bordered black flame. In the center of the sickly black was a mass of cords larger than three train carriages. Thousands of snake like muscles squirmed and Dash realized that the black substance was blood and the mass was an arm. However she couldn't see what had owned the arm. The clearing had grown as well; trees and stones had been ripped from the ground. Standing in the middle of this was a suit of earth pony full body armor, it was in the style that the tribes had used long ago. That must be Steel, she thought as she flew towards him. Surrounding him and floating around the clearing were what looked like firework rockets, except they were huge. Suddenly a ear splitting screech made her collapse from instinct and cover her ears but it was to no avail she could feel the sound in her bones.

When the screech died down she was able to override her instinct and look back towards the clearing. The sight overwhelmed her mind, it was huge beyond imagining and she couldn't focus on it for long. It was constantly shifting moving and it caused her eyes to hurt with just a few seconds. Almost immediately after her eyes began to ache her mind began to itch and burn. It hurt, it ached, the pain was beyond her capability to withstand and she curled up in the fetal position. How can Steel look at it, she asked herself. Her sinuses were running and stomach was churning, once she looked away the feelings began to fade but once she closed her eyes they came back.

Her heart rate was up and she was near hyperventilating but she looked back towards Steel. She only looked towards him. She saw movement at the edge of her vision and fought not to look but couldn't fight the impulse, just before she collapsed for a second time she saw part of the creature reach for the mass on the ground. Fibers of the snake like muscle shot out from the creature and into the arm then from the arm back to the creature, it pulled the amputated arm back to its body healing itself.

This time Rainbow emptied her stomach. Her body told her to run as did most of her mind; she shivered against the resolve she had left. She climbed to her hooves, glancing up she caught a glimpse of the rockets fly forward crashing into the beast and the following explosions blocking it from view. Shrapnel from the blast flew past and a large chunk imbedded itself into a tree nearby. She then felt what little strength she had was weakening and the trees around her were becoming a sickly green before being ripped from the ground and morphed into more rockets of varying designs. More explosions more blood, but the blood was starting to boil. Black fire raged and the columns of ooze began to form.

Steel shifted his feet to a more stable stance, and Rainbow felt her strength began to fail her again. She knew she would be of no use in this fight she couldn't even look at the thing she was fighting. She couldn't even cover Steel, the creature drew her eyes towards it and she would be unable to look away. If she stayed she would become a burden for Steel if he even noticed her. How was he able to look at it and stand his ground, was it the suit or because he's an alien like that monster, she thought as she staggered away.

The shadows of the clouds from above danced with the light from the sun, glancing up she froze a second time. Hundreds of winged creatures were flying above her blocking out Celestia's Jewel. "No," she whispered as she started to run her strength returning the further she got from the battlefield. Soon she took flight as she did a pressure wave from behind struck her knocking her from the sky. She tumbled across the ground and when the world stopped spinning she found herself on her back staring at skyward.

She couldn't hear anything noise had been too loud. Wait had there been a noise with the pressure wave, she asked herself, she couldn't remember, had to be why else would I be deaf? Looking up she saw a pillar of light pierce the sky, the dark clouds that had just been there had been destroyed.

The next thing Rainbow knew she woke up surrounded and buried by debris. She climbed to her feet checking her legs and wings as she did so, they hurt but nothing seemed broken. However nothing hurt as much as her head. Quick movements hurt everything hurt, her heart most of all. With every beat it seemed to say, we lost.

She glanced up to see a shallow crater where part of the Everfree had once been. The area around her was now full of the black blood, with scattered oily black flames. Looking up she saw that the sky was clear of the flying creatures. A smile spread across her face, Did we win, it can't be that easy, she thought. The ear splitting screech returned and the sound of lighting behind her removed all victorious thoughts from her mind. The area around her splashed with the now frothing blood began to worry her as she took flight, I have to warn Ponyville, and then the rest of Equestria.

As she flew she saw a familiar yellow pegasus headed towards her house and Dash's heart grew. We still have a chance, she thought as she flew towards Fluttershy. Oh no, her mind screamed as she realized where her friend was headed. She got to the house a few short moments after Fluttershy had closed the door.

Dash yanked the door open and blinked twice at what she saw. Fluttershy was down, pinned below shelves and cage stands. Angel was at her throat and blood was pooling on the floor. There was a vacant look in her friend’s unmoving eyes. She had been too late, she wasn't fast enough. Dash backed out of the house, away from the gore and the dead bodies. She took flight just as Angel noticed her. Looking back as she flew towards town she saw the demented rabbit slam the door.

Rainbow flew as fast as she could, initiating an instant sonic rainboom as soon as her hooves left the ground. She saw that the creatures had returned their numbers greater than before. She turned towards town and saw a purple bubble surrounding the library and headed that way.

As she approached she saw Twilight run out of the bubble. When she slowed down she saw her friend make eye contact and her expression hurt Dash more than any of her wounds thus far. She landed and began to report to Twilight, as she did the weight of the morning crashed down on her and she began to cry. "I was too late, I wasn't fast enough. I," she paused when her throat tightened. "When I got to Fluttershy's... It's a mess and," the memories of the house caused another wave of tears and sobs. "Twilight there was blood everywhere. Then I saw her but it was too late. Then she and Angel they were fighting... She lost." Rainbow swallowed and looked at the ground, It's all my fault, I'm not fast enough, she thought with a new wave of tears. "I figured without her the elements wouldn't work. So I went to help Steel like you said but he blew up right after I got there." She thought about the creature and her mind began to itch, "We can't fight this thing, I can’t even look at it."

"Rainbow," Twilight said in a whisper. It was odd but her words gave Dash warmth, and as she continued it made her heart stronger. "Rainbow I need you, the town need's you. Remember you are a hero it took five other ponies to better you at saving the town."
There it was the five of them, her closest friends. Well not five anymore, Fluttershy was gone Angle killed her. She began to cry again. "Fluttershy, why'd it have to be her," she asked in a mutter as she fought back the tears.

"Rainbow Dash," Twilight shouted as she slapped her across the muzzle. It caught Dash off guard and she froze as she felt a line of blood flow from her nose. How dare she, thought Dash, how dare she hit me she hasn't seen what I have. Maybe I was a little off but she has no right to hit me. "I'm sorry RD but we don't have time for this, if we mourn now more ponies will die," said Twilight her voice pleading. She looked sad as she spoke like she had too many regrets.

Dash swallowed the knot out of her throat and said in the only voice she could muster, "Okay, what do I need to do."

"I need you to what you can to help direct ponies to the library, and help AJ with the stunned ones. Pinkies seeing if anything in the lab can help once she out help her however you can." Twilight's reply was flat and monotone, it was like her mind was somewhere else.

"I'm going to be too slow to help anyone, I wasn't fast enough," Rainbow muttered her voice cracking as she spoke giving her comment more volume than she intended. Dash flinched when she saw her friend lift her hoof to give her another slap. Twilight wasn't herself anymore, she was different something was wrong and it scared her.

"All right then," said Twilight with a sigh as she lowered her foreleg to point, "look it's the Wonderbolts why don't you go help them. You can hit those bird things before they do and for every minute you slow them down more ponies will be saved."

Dash looked in the direction that Twilight had pointed, it was the Wonderbolts. Seven of them against an uncountable army it wasn't good odds. She nodded at her purple friend and took off towards the flock that was now targeting the Wonderbolts.

She focused on the flock ignoring everything else and hit supersonic speeds just as she hit the forward edge of the attacking force. She left a rainboom behind her its pressure wave buffeting the flock that was still headed towards Ponyville slowing them down. Dash felt her heart sink as she asked herself, where do my loyalties lie. With the town or civilization, do I save as many as I can, or do I do everything in my power to give the ones that survive a fighting chance at the future?

More tears flowed but she ignored them. Twilight had made the decision for her no matter how much she disagreed. Dash's loyalties were to Equestria as a whole now because if not, no one would survive. She was nearing the swarm and had to put her emotions away but no matter how hard she tried she couldn't get her friends faces out of her mind. Rose Luck, Derpy, heck even Thunderlane, and of course the other Elements, they all needed her to be fast. She couldn't save the town by herself; even the Wonderbolts won't do much they're a scout team after all.
She barreled into the mass of creatures using her momentum to strike at the wings of one and then bounce to the next. She needed to clear a path for the The Wonderbolts, they were tough but this swarm would defeat even the royal guards through attrition. The problem with large wings is they're easy to injure and you only have to lose one to leave you stranded in gravity's grasp. She tucked her wings in tight and dove through a pocket striking half a dozen wings at least. The things a mishmash of creatures, some she had never seen before were starting to notice her attack and the swarm was turning in on itself.

She saw them, the Wonderbolts had been surrounded and they were already down one member. Dash dove into the clearing finding Spitfire and pulling into formation beside her. "We need to get to Ponyville," shouted Dash over the noise of the battle and rushing air.

"We've got them pinned here," replied Spitfire as she clipped one creature’s wing with a hoof, sending it into a wild spin that took out two others.

"No you don't this isn't even a quarter of them," countered Rainbow as she planted a hoof into an uglies face. She felt the skull collapse under the strike and heard it howl as it fell from the sky.

Spitfire grumbled and said, "Stay on my wing," before shouting for all the Wonderbolts to form up.

Soarin' was the first to form up, followed by the white maned Fleet Foot then, Talaria, Maelstrom and finally Rapidfire. "Where's Blackbird," asked Spitfire.

"One of these ugly thing got a hold of him, took his wings clean off," answered Maelstrom. Her usually bounce gray and white mane streaked with gore. "He brought about seven down with him though."

The captain grumbled again before shouting, "alright I have just been informed that this bunch isn't even a big enough fraction for us to worry about. We are going to break out of here and head for the town. When you get there do what you can and try to stay with your wingmate. On three sonic break, copy."

From around her Rainbow heard confirmation of their orders, and she was quickly learning just how far beyond her the Wonderbolts were. The ability to multitask, flying information striking any ugly that came in range all while staying calm and processing orders. Flying fast was just part of what it meant to be in this team.

"Rainbow you’re with me," shouted Spitfire glancing back a Dash. "Soarin' you and Talaria team up. Alright one!... Two!...Three!" The six broke apart in three separate directions each one entering their sonic blast shortly after the separation. Spitfire and Rapidfire's shock wave were similar rings of fire that engulfed the surrounding creatures, Maelstrom and Rainbows shock wave intensifying the first. Both Soarin' and Talaria's sonic blasts were lightning based and it chained through the flock dropping more than the flames combined.

She had saved them, thought Rainbow with a smile, she had been fast enough she had saved the Wonderbolts. She looked past Spitfire at the town, and her smile fell. A small army of the ugly creatures was moving on Twilight as she tried to fight back. Dash returned to fighting as soon as she got in range.

Soarin' shouted, "Don’t break them open. They don't melt that way."

The smile returned to Dash's face they were going to win, she had been fast enough, it had mattered. She darted from beast to beast striking each with a single deft blow. She could feel the crunch of bone underneath her hoof and with each strike she felt her smile pull tighter. We might win , she kept thinking, these things are so easy to kill. After each strike she would scan the area looking for the next unsuspecting target. Occasionally her or one of the Wonderbolts would strike too hard and open the creatures up. The first time this had happened and the creature’s blood had splashed upon her face she had panicked. She didn't know why but it had some connection to the three emaciated corpses over by the library and that thought left her with a teeth bared grimace. She could feel the blood spots try to grow but at the same time she could feel some form of energy from inside her pushing the gore away. She continued to fight the internal eternal energy growing and eventually pushing the blood off her coat.
The way had been cleared, Twilight had a path to retreat down and Dash flew as close as she could to supply cover for her friend. Once they hit a clearing maintained by the Wonderbolts Dash started to land but the sound of Rarity's voice laden with despair caught her ear. Dash's smile fell and she glanced towards a second call for help this time from the cakes.

If Rarity was in trouble she would need more than a second unicorn, and Dash didn't have time to save both. It stabbed at her heart but she knew that Twilight who she had just saved would have to return to the frenzy. "I'll help Rarity you go get the Cakes," Dash said just a moment before heading out.

As soon as she was above the frenzy of uglies she saw Rarity ignoring the creatures around her and staring into the sky. Dash followed her gaze and saw the little white unicorn Sweetie Belle fall out of the foot talons of a flying ugly. Sweetie screamed and flailed her legs, Rarity screamed and her horn began to glow but the mare took a staggered step and the glow died. She was out of magic, Dash screamed and dove to catch the little filly but it was going to be close. No, she was going to make it. There was an impact on her right side and she was thrown to the ground instinct tucking her wings close to avoid injury. Dash looked up, it was too late. Every emotion tied to dread playing across her face as she struggled to her feet each step seemed to take longer than the last. Rarity was moving as well but at her staggering gate she wouldn't make it either. Dash shook her head she knew she had to move faster it was up to her to save the filly.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw movement and for a moment thought one of the Wonderbolts had made it in time. However it was one of the uglies, it reached up and cupped the Sweetie Belle. Then with one fluid motion, and a smiling glance at Dash, slammed her to the ground. It let out a low laugh that could have been a cough as easily dodged and countered Rainbows strike.

Dash caught the blow mid back the force sending her to the ground with the world spinning around in her vision. She tensed as the world stabilized waiting for the final strike, which never came. She looked forward at the still breathing body of Rarity's sister, her blood seeping out onto the ground. Sweetie Belle's green eyes darted around until they made contact with Dash's violet ones. Tears fell freely as she mouthed Dash's name but no sound left her lips.
Rarity arrived as soon as Dash got to her feet. "Sweetie Belle, oh Sweetie Belle can you hear me," she asked between sobs.

"Don't touch her Rarity. I don't think she can be moved," cautioned Dash as she placed a hoof on her friends shoulder. All the while she was keeping an eye out for an attack.
Rarity paused and shook her head, "She can't be moved, Rainbow Dash this is the middle of a war zone she can't stay here."

Dash swallowed, "I don't think she will be for long, she needs her her sister right now so be strong. I'll cover you both for as long as I can."

Rarity tried to respond but her voice failed her in the end she nodded and walked past Dash to her sister’s mangled body. She lay down in the bloody grass beside her sister and began talking softly.

Dash turned away from the two and surveyed the area, a nearby building created an interesting tactical situation. It meant that at any time an ugly could use its speed to attack from a blind spot. At the same time it eliminated other angles of approach because they were too steep to pull out.

The same ugly dog face one that slammed Sweetie to the ground was standing back eying Dash as she patrolled around the two unicorns. Dash watched it, desires clashed in her heart to stick with Rarity and to smash the ugly thing into paste.

It barked, growled and howled in innumerable tones and the surrounding uglies shifted their movement patterns. Dash blinked there was something interesting about the way they moved chaotic and random at first glance but there was something more to it. It seemed more like they were exploring, each one learning about the area around it. The ones that had been born from the bubbling columns of blood never crossed back over the areas the ones they were born from covered. Only at the command of the dog faced did this pattern change the flock shifted black wings blocked him from Dash's vision. When a clear line of sight returned he was gone.

"Aw, pony feathers," muttered Dash. She looked back towards where Twilight had gone, she could just make out the Cakes shop and in front of it a large group of uglies amassed in a circle. Several floating sticks and other objects surrounded in a magical aura dove into the group knocking them back.

She didn't have a chance to think about helping Twilight before she was attacked. The strike almost caught her by surprise and if it hadn't been for her pegasine abilities she wouldn't have dodged the blow. She rolled to her hooves and let the momentum continue as she spun around bucking her attacker in the chest. She felt bone crack and saw the thing stumble back. Her senses were on full alert now, she could hear the one behind her heading towards Rarity. Dash continued the spin of her body until she was facing the new comer and leapt at it shoulder first knocking it to the ground and letting it roll away. The next one landed and she turned on it with a menacing growl. To her surprise the creature backed away its head cocked at an angle examining the sight before it.

Time to take advantage of this, thought Dash as she took a step forward and snarled trying her best to emulate Winona in a bad mood. The ugly glanced about looking for others to give it a cue on what action to take but both it and Dash were being ignored. Out of the corner of her eye Dash saw the magically held objects that Twilight had been using fall. It also looked liked Dog Face was moving through the crowd surrounding her friend.

She glanced at Rarity it looked like Sweetie had passed on. At least Dash hoped the poor filly had because her sister was now holding her body in a tight embrace and sobbing into her coat. The uglys for the most part were ignoring them only focusing on the ones who fought or ran. She glanced up looking for the Wonderbolts, she saw Soarin', Maelstrom and the last one was so bloody from fighting that she couldn't tell if it was Rapidfire or Spitfire. They were fighting towards Twilight.

The ugly that she had stared down took advantage of her momentary distraction to attack. Rainbow dodged it easily and countered with a quick hoof strike to the creatures elbow. These things sure aren't that strong but they're getting stronger, she thought when this one’s joint dislocated instead of snapping.

She looked over at the group around Twilight, she needed help, but Rainbow knew she had to stay. Rarity was beyond even protecting herself. Then she saw Dog Face stand up and let loose a howl that sent shivers down her spine. It was like he enjoyed this. He disappeared from view for a moment only to return and drop something into his mouth before turning to walk away. The surrounding group went crazy trying to move towards the center of the mass. After much screeching, growling and other such noises one massive ugly took flight with Twilight hanging from a hand.

Dash took a step forward, and then looked back at the defenseless Rarity. She wanted to help, she needed to help but she couldn't trade one friend for another. She saw one of the Wonderbolts, it had been Spitfire that survived, heading towards the ugly that held her friend.
Another ugly tried to attack her but Dash sidestepped the blow. Maybe it was the same one from earlier but that was a detail she didn't care about. She watched as Spitfire struck the ugly from behind it began to fall, when it did it let go of Twilight and grabbed a hold of the Wonderbolts tail. All three were falling; Maelstrom struck at the uglys that once again were targeting Dash. As soon as Rainbow saw that her position had been reinforced she bolted, she was fast enough she could save Twilight and Spitfire. It wasn't that far, not like when she raced them to the ground from the Cloudosseum oh so long ago, but she didn't have to worry about uglies then. Still she could make it, just a little more speed. She couldn't hit Twilight with too much speed the change in G-force and her wound would be too much.

I'm going to make it, she thought as she neared, it was a sure thing. She saw Twilight's horn began to glow and she though, "Good girl Twi use your magic to keep yourself together." Then Dash felt magic surround her it had been a long time since this feeling, and she had always hated it. No, no, no, no, no, don't cast that I can... Dash saw the teleportation bubble surround her and then the world spun.

The bubble released inside the library dome, Dash tried to slow but couldn't and impacted the shield wall at near full speed. She collapsed the world dark now all she could think was I was almost fast enough.

She felt her body collapse to the ground and she could hear somepony's voice calling, "Rainbow Dash, wake up." It could have been anybody's voice she tried to stay awake but she couldn't and eventually she succumbed to the darkness.

"Rainbow Dash, wake up," she heard again this time she knew it was Twilight. She buried her head in the pillows of her bead, the unicorns voice making her head hurt worse. Unfortunately cloud pillows don't block the sound of a unicorns anxious voice. "what do you want Twilight," she finally yelled, her voice carried a sense of her exhaustion with it.