What does a Hero Truly Need? Vol. 1: A New Age of Heroes

by zelkova48

Rating: teen
Tags: Main 6, Princess Luna, Other, Adventure, Crossover, Princess Celestia, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe
Length: 184420

When 5 heroes from Dota are pulled from their world and thrown into Equestria, how will they react? How will they get home? And more importantly, how are the ponies going to react when they find out the outworlders are more dangerous then they look?

What does a hero truly need?

This is a question constantly being asked by the mighty heroes of DOTA. They can move as quick as the wind, shudder mountains with the flick of a wrist, and bend the very essence of nature itself to their will. Yet they still ponder what it is they need. Is it the divine rapier? a weapon so omnipotent that it possesses more then one wielder. Or maybe it is the Aghanim's scepter which grants the heroes knowledge and skill beyond mortal comprehension. Maybe what they are looking for is more metaphorical in nature rather then a weapon? perhaps they were never meant to know at all.

But they can try to at least. Especially when some of the heroes are pulled from their own world and thrusted into Equestria. What will they find in this mysterious and unknown world? and more importantly, how will the inhabitants react to them when they find out they are more violent then they look?

>Well this is my first attempt at writing a fic ever in the history of my life so please bear with any spelling and grammar errors i may have overlooked my writing is a little shoddy at times. Constructive criticism is always a nice thing to look over so feel free to critique my writing or pick up any errors i have written in regards to mlp and dota 2 lore.

Published 2012-12-19 06:30:01 UTC
Last updated 2014-07-04 23:46:19 UTC

Chapter 1: The Battle Begins

What does a Hero Truly Need?

By: Zelkova48

Chapter 1: The Battle Begins

It was just another average day on the battlegrounds. That is, if you count heroes clashing with each other in combat to decide harmonious balance as average then, yes, it was. The Ancient of benevolence and malevolence had chosen it's five respective heroes already, and the battle had been raging on for quite some time now, at least an hour so far.

On the Radiant side were a ragtag group of misfits that didn't seem to connect well together, but did so regardless.

The first was Rhasta, the Shadow Shaman. Once a traveling con man, he now uses his mystic powers to defend himself and to defeat his enemies.

The next hero was Aiushtha, the Enchantress. Half deer, half loving Human with the innate ability to spread joy to those in need, and pain to those who wish to cause harm to others.

Next was Gondar, the Bounty Hunter. One could describe him as a short cat person at a glance, but his reputation precedes his appearance. For the right price he can find and hunt down anything.

The fourth member of the team is Rubick, the Grand Magus. A powerful magus with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, and penchant for mischief.

Finally there was Sven, the Rogue Knight. He infiltrated and destroyed the Vigil knights as revenge for his family. He now wanders as a rogue knight, believing that honor is only to himself.

As for the Dire side, there were equally strange members.

The first being Pudge, the Butcher. They say he lived in a land where nothing decomposes, and that it's his job to chop up all the corpses to feed the carrions.

Next was Clinkz, the Bone Fletcher. Once a great archer, he manage to achieve immortality for his skills. Unfortunately, he achieved it when he was alight, thus turning him into a blazing skeleton of fury.

Third was Razor, the Lightning Revenant. A servant of the Underscape who patrols the narrow maze, hastening lost souls to their fate using his fearsome lightning whip.

The next hero was Undying, the Almighty Dirge. Once a great warrior, he is now a walking corpse spreading blight as he lives his eternal suffering.

The last was Enigma, the Consumer of Worlds. He really is as his name would imply; an enigma. Among other things, he was a fundamental force of nature beyond the realms of mortal understanding.

About an hour in the fight, the battle had reached a temporary stalemate. Both sides had already destroyed their first row of towers, now they needed gold to purchase rare artifacts and further enhance their fighting abilities to end the battles quicker. Rubick, Rhasta and Aiushtha were in the middle 'lane' of the battlegrounds, calmly defeating the soldiers that the Ancients send out to aid them in battle as well as act as a source of revenue for our heroes. They were little guys but they packed a punch in numbers. These 'creep', as the heroes nicknamed them, were not to be trifled with, despite being the weakest of enemies.

"Ah, no matter how many times I battle here, it always manages to surprise me each and every time," Rubick thought out loud as he was 'farming' the creeps that stood before him. The Grand Magus loved every second of being on the battlefield, he would always learn something new in the process and became as giddy as Bloodseeker chasing a bleeding rabbit.

"I do believe I learned how to materialize a meat hook out of mana for my own use! Oh, wonders never cease to amaze me!" he thought aloud once more as he casted a fade bolt on a poor unsuspecting creep that was attacking their inner tower. Then, using his free hand, he wiped away a tear that was forming beneath his combat mask.

Rhasta and Aiushtha traded glances at each other, and began sharing a small chuckle.

"Rubick, my magus friend, you are thinking aloud again," Rhasta replied to him. "We understand your love for knowledge, but can you please keep look out for the other team?"

"Oh? But of course, Rhasta."

"Say? Where's Sven and Gondar?" Aiushtha asked. "I hope they don't get ambush by the other team" Aiushtha was genuinely concerned about her friends well being. Earlier in the day she messed up a 'gank' and got Gondar killed in the process. Since then, she has been more alert and prepared than normal, all the while maintaining her cheerful demeanor.

" I believe they are fine Aiushtha, they are both at the bottom lane. I think that Gondar is trying to finish his Sange and Yasha, while Sven is building up towards his Black King's Bar" Rhasta replied as he struck another creep with his energy bolts. "They're very tough together, they won't be taken down so easily"

"Besides, they will probably kill the fool that plans to assault them. Which mean we'll end up with more gold!" Rubick replied. Rubick was an incredibly intelligent man, so his assurance did enough to quell her nerves. But she couldn't help shake the feeling that something bad was gonna happen. She quickly brushed the feeling aside as she threw her javelin out, striking a creep and gaining the gold that spilled from it's body. "Dough for a doe!" she chuckled.

The three continued to farm up for a few more minutes, but little did they know that a certain blazing skeleton was watching their every move.

Sven and Gondar were just casually farming the bottom lane so that they could purchase their weapons. The two worked best together since their abilities work synergize so well together. They were deadly enough together, and downright devastating when they joined up with the rest of their team.

Sven brought the outcast blade down upon the creep wave, its size caused it to slash all the others around him, effectively killing the other creeps and gaining all of their gold. "Haha! Just a few hundred more gold pieces and the Black King's Bar is as good as mine. I'd like to see tubby try to stop me now!" Sven bellowed from beneath his mask, eliciting a small chuckle afterwards

As luck would have it, at the bottom lane Sven was caught in Pudge's vile meat hook and yanked away to the other side of the forest, followed by the customary shout of 'FRESH MEAT!', the sound of thrashing meat cleavers, and the pungent odor of rotting flesh wafting all over. Gondar, who was standing next to him, immediately stopped what he was doing and ran to the direction of the hook, blending in with the shadows with each step he took.

"Ugh, when I catch that oversize sack of flesh I am gonna do more then skin him alive!" he grumbled.

Just as he was covering ground though, a strange purple dust filled the air around him. Gondar stopped dead in his track as a dreadful realization took over his mind. "Gah! Dust of Appearance!"

He desperately looked around for the source of the dust and found a dark outline of a far too familiar looking warrior.

"Undying," he whispered. As the black figure stepped into the stark moonlight, his features began to show. He was a tall and incredibly skinny to the point where he was practically a walking skeleton still wearing his skin, albeit looser than what would be considered healthy. He wore a simple set of teal armor, with a horned helmet to match. Flies enjoyed being around his rotting carcass almost as much as they like being around Pudge.

"Hunter...." Undying's raspy lungs bellowed. "It's time.... to die.... Aagh!" he then struck the ground with his fist, causing the field where Gondar was standing to wither and decay with a pestilent blight. Gondar could feel his strength being drained after taking the hit.

Gondar gripped both of his blades and gritted his teeth. "You just had to get in the way, didn't you?" he took no breaks as he dashed again into the shadows, in which Undying retaliated by summoning a ghastly tombstone to aid him in battle. Gondar didn't care now that his opponent could see him, he just needed the dark's power to synergize with his enchantments as he whispered them to his beloved blades. He quickly dashed pass the tombstone and narrowly dodged another decay attack. He then brought his knife down upon Undying's chest plate, piercing it as if it were made of cloth and cutting the exposed flesh beneath.

Undying reeled back from the brutal strike, grasping his chest as a disgusting green fluid leaked out of him, almost as if he was in actual pain. Being undead of course, the force of the attack merely caused him to stumble back. He narrowed his soulless white eyes at Gondar as his face contorted to form a look of anger.

"Ha! is that all you've got?" Just as Gondar was breaking out into laughter at his enemy's incompetence, his black pupils practically shrank back into his head as he witnessed Undying's form grow beyond anatomical proportions. His once skinny exterior gave way to an oversize mass of muscle and pain. His chest plate burst off of him, and his helmet stayed stuck atop his massive oversize head.

He let out a fearsome shout as his transformation was completed.

"Rraaughh!"

"I'm gonna need a bigger knife..." Gondar was in the deep end now. His opponent became stronger and the zombies from the tombstone started to get restless at attacking random creep that they decided to turn to him. He tried rushing again using his combo, aiming at any weak points the flesh golem may have had. He successfully struck Undying's hip section eliciting another wound, but it was short lived as it did little to deter the undead giant from swinging his muscular arm at him, sending him flying into the treeline.

The Bounty Hunter stood up as best he could, shaking his head to get rid of the spiral floating around the top of his head. He was in bad shape, another blow like that and he would be done for. For now, he only had two option; run and hide, or fight it out. He picked the former.

The zombies were catching up to him. He began making a beeline towards his nearest tower, which was the inner bottom tower. He ran, grasping at his arm in pain, looking back every so often to see if the gigantic lug was following him. To his dismay, he was on his tail and gaining.

Undying was closing in on his position fast. Gondar had nowhere to hide, but he kept pushing himself to run further, to no avail. Undying was now standing next to him, ready to deliver the final blow. Over in the distance however, they both heard the sound of crackling thunder. They looked over to the left and saw a large bolt of energy rushing towards Undying.

It collided face first with the giant and stunned him as well as his zombie minions. From out of the blue, Sven barreled towards the rotting behemoth, roaring an ear piercing warcry that fortified his ally's resolve. Gondar was unsure of how he survived Pudge's attack, but took advantage of the situation and ran towards Undying, slashing him over and over with renewed strength. Sven rushed in as well, sweeping his massive slab of metal through Undying, which in turn slayed all of his zombie minions around him.

Undying, now unable to continue fighting, decided to flee. Using a special powder Soruq the hunter taught Gondar, he used it track down Undying. Both of the heroes gave chase to the shambling zombie, whose body had since deflated back to his scrawny self. With Warcry and Track on, the two managed to catch up to him and swiftly end his life. With Undying dead, his body returned to the Ancients to be resurrected once more within a few minutes. Smirking victoriously behind his mask, Gondar began splitting his gold with Sven, a hard earned reward on a kill well done.

"You've earn your keep, Sven," Gondar said as he shook his own bag of gold, letting the coin piece make a jingling sound.

"Ja, I can finally afford the BKB," Sven replied, eliciting another small chuckle from beneath his obscuring mask. The two then began making their way to the middle lane to assist their other teammates.

"By the way Sven, I got something to ask you," Gondar gave Sven an inquisitive look.

"Shoot, my feline friend," he replied.

"How the hell did you escape Pudge's ambush?" Just as he finished asking, Sven broke out in a fit of laughter. Gondar figured he was just in a really good mood today.

"One word, my friend: Armlet!" His laughter never ceased as they made it to the half point of the river towards the middle lane. His laughing fit was cut short when they received a telepathic message from Rubick.

"While I don't wish to interrupt your jovial bouts of joy, perhaps you wouldn't mind speeding up a bit? We're in a bit of a bind her- Oof!" His message was cut short as he took a flaming arrow to his shoulder.

The two heroes picked up their pace and ran towards middle lane with all of their might, praying that their teammate would still be alive when they reach it.

Clinkz, Razor, and Enigma assaulted the middle lane without end. Rubick and the others were doing their best to defend against the relentless offense. Aiushtha managed to deny them their inner tower, so that was all well and good. But it didn't take a blind monk from the Shojin monastery to see that if they didn't retaliate soon, they would be slain by the enemy team. Lightning crackled around Razor, while the scorching heat of Clinkz's body charred the grass around the Radiant's side. Enigma attacked with his army of Eidolons, beings born from the malevolent aspects of a physical being sent into another plane of existence.

Rhasta was badly wounded after taking several lightning bolts from Razor. He had backed off earlier to heal himself at the fountain.

"I do not believe we can keep this up. My wards are nearly gone," Rhasta said, catching his breath as he was running back to defend his tower.

"We just have to hold out a bit longer," Aiushtha replied as she deftly dodged one of Clinkz arrows. "We need Gondar and Sven's help!" another flew right by her but she evaded it as well.

"Hahahaha! Dance, fleshies, dance!" Clinkz laughed a madman's laughter as he sent blazing arrow after blazing arrow at the defensive Radiant team. Razor joined in on the festivities before him, forming a massive storm cloud above his head riddled with thunderous electricity.

"What fun this will be!" Razor snickered.

Enigma remained eerily silent throughout the assault, relentlessly attacking with his shadowy army.

The three heroes of the Radiant were slowly being whittled down. Rubick stole Razor's "Eye of the Storm" ability for use against the onslaught of creep that barreled down upon them, but it did little to stop the advancing team. Just when all hope seemed lost he spotted a familiar yellow and blue blur on the horizon. Using his mastery of Telekinesis, he picked up Clinkz and hurled him towards his allies. Sven once again let out another Warcry to hasten his and Gondar's movement. He then let out another 'Stormhammer' at the unsuspecting Bone Fletcher, practically knocking his block off and stunning him into inaction.

The Hunter and the Knight made short work of Clinkz, their blades extinguishing his wild flame and shattering his bony body. They then moved on to attack Razor. Rhasta, Aiushtha, and Rubick leapt into the fray to assist their allies, their spirit revitalized by Sven's Warcry. Razor and Enigma began making their escape, only to be enchanted by the Enchantress, slowing both of them down.

It was time to end the fight.

Their hopes for success however, flew south when Enigma decided to pull out his strongest ability. With but a gesture, he tore apart the very fabric of reality, creating a miniature black hole, trapping the heroes of the Radiant in its yawning maw. All except for one. Using his blink dagger Rubick blinked away from the quantum singularity just in time to steal the technique from Enigma.

Razor, taking advantage of his teammate's power, began to assault the helpless members of the Radiant with his 'Plasma Field'. With quick thinking, Rubick blink back into the fight and began to make his own black hole. His plan was to trap the final two heroes of the Dire then end the battle once and for all.

That was when it all went wrong.

For some strange reason, the black hole didn't work as intended. Instead, it overlapped with Enigma's own, warping the very fabric of space and time, sucking in the unfortunate members of the Radiant. Everyone tried to grasp onto whatever they can and hold on for dear life, but everything slipped away from them as the small patch of earth was beginning to collapse upon itself, taking whatever it caught with it.

"What's happening Rubick!" Aiushtha shouted, gripping desperately onto a tree vine that hung above her

"I don't know! But I think we're about to find out!" Rubick could say no more as he was forcibly pulled into the very void of the black hole, erasing his presence upon this plane of reality.

"Rubick!" Rhasta yelled, before he too was consumed by the void.

"Ugh, and I was having such a good day too!" Sven said, before meeting the same fates as his allies.

"Is this really happening right now?!" Gondar thought to himself as he was devoured by the singularity.

"Gondar! No!" Aiushtha cried as the vine she was holding onto snapped in two with little effort. She was the last to be sent to who knows where by the void.

As the dust settled down from the desperate final attack of the Radiant team, all that stood was Razor, looking around rather confusingly at the weapons and artifacts left behind of the Radiant, and Enigma who was just floating around in his own ethereal plane.

"Goodness. Was that supposed to happen?" Razor asked Enigma, hoping that he would answer him.

"Uncertain. I believe that the overlapping of both quantum singularities tore into the heart of the universe, opening a portal to another realm or perhaps even another universe parallel to our own within the ever expansive multiverse, engulfing the very Radiant team and sending them to a whole other world ripe with wonders and horrors much like our own."

If an energy being like Razor could make a face right now, it would be that of a slacked jaw expression forged from his very own lightning. Never before has anyone, or anything in this case, have ever heard Enigma speak more then a few words or at least one sentence.

"So..." Razor looked around his surroundings, pondering what to say next after that perplexing event. "Maybe we should push for their Ancients already. Pudge, Clinkz, and Undying must have been resurrected by now."

"Yes," was all that Razor could hear coming from Enigma's ethereal voice.

The two went on assaulting the creeps and towers that barred their entry to the rivaling Ancient, so that they could destroy it. The battle ended much quicker than normal as the Radiant team never respawned since then. But the heroes of the Dire didn't care much. They had won the battle and claimed victory for themselves. They all exchanged cheers and jeers before being transferred out of the battlegrounds. Though they still wondered what happened to the Radiant team.

That was for a later time however. Now was the time for celebration!

"Dire Victory!"

The wind. It wasn't a gentle breeze or a torrent of air. No, this didn't seem natural at all. It felt like it was forced upon them. Like standing in front of an out of control windmill, or being caught in one of Karl's tornado. But why?

One by one each of our heroes opened their eyes after being plucked from their own world and violently plunged into another, then they finally deduced where the air was coming from.

They were falling.

Well, that certainly explained why there was so much wind being thrown at them. As they all grimaced at the sight of the one thing you do not want to see when you are falling from a thousand feet in the air.

The rapidly approaching earth.

Sven didn't scream or yell. No, he just let out a tired sigh. "Ugh, and I was having such a good day too..."

It was another average day in Ponyville. Twilight had just sent away a letter from the Cutie Mark Crusaders to Princess Celestia about their lessons on friendship and was just checking through the library's record to make sure no one was keeping any book for longer then they should be. Being branded as being an obnoxious Canterlot snob didn't sit well with her or others, and she had more then enough issues at hand that it would've drove the poor girl off the deep end had it been prolonged any further.

She had already forgiven the three rambunctious little fillies, and continued on her librarian work without interruptions. Eventually, Twilight came up to a name that she was all to familiar with. "Rainbow Dash," she thought, "she must've forgotten to bring back the Daring Do novel... again."

Twilight let out a sigh as she brushed her mane away from her face. "I swear, she may be the Element of Loyalty, but she's certainly not loyal to due dates." Ever since the whole incident with her injured wing, Rainbow Dash had been more interested in books than before. But that certainly didn't deter her laziness on even the most menial of task.

" I might as well go find her." Twilight cleaned up her work space and trotted down to the main foyer of the library where she spotted Spike dusting some of the books on the top shelf.

"Hey Spike! I'm heading out to find Rainbow Dash, can you look after the library for a little bit?" Spike, surprised by Twilight's sudden appearance, nearly fell off the ladder he was standing on when he heard her, but deftly regained his footing just in time as he set his sights on her, wiping away the nervous sweat that formed upon his brow.

"Sure thing Twilight, lemme just-" Spike couldn't finish his sentence as a sudden tremulous explosion rocked the library, shaking him off of the ladder and sending him careening towards the floor. Using her magic, Twilight caught the little dragon in the nick of time, swallowing thickly as she righted him.

The shaking continued however as the two quickly dove under the nearest table available to them, huddling together as all the books from the walls began to fall out of their respective shelf, much to their annoyance. When the shaking finally stopped, Twilight and Spike both peer out from underneath the table and beheld the devastation brought forth to the entire library. The shelves were empty, the floor was littered with books, and the two were positively fuming.

"Aw come on! I Just shelved those books!" Spike roared as his anger reached a boiling point. He had spent all day fixing and rearranging the books, and there was no way in Tartarus he was gonna go through it all again.

Twilight on the other hand (hoof?) was more concerned about the recent explosion rather then books scattered all over the floor.

"I'll put the books back myself later, Spike. Don't worry your scaly little head." Twilight's words of assurance calmed the little guy down, but there was still a problem at the moment. "What I wanna know was what caused that explosion?" She then levitated Spike onto her back and began making her way out of the library searching for clues.

"Do you think Rainbow Dash was just practicing another sonic rainboom?" Spike inquired.

"I don't believe so, Spike. Her rainbooms are more of a controlled explosion. Whatever happened earlier was far more destructive." Twilight began thinking about any plausible causes that may relate to this. Her thoughts were cut short when she ran into Rainbow Dash as well as everypony else in town. They were all looking at the sky, Twilight looked up as well and what she saw caused her jaw to hit the ground.

There was a massive black vortex in the sky just over the Everfree forest, swirling around as electricity crackled from within it. Then it all stopped, fading away into the blue of the sky as quickly as it appeared. Everypony traded worried glances among themselves, they didn't know what was going on but apparently it stopped just like that. After a few more minutes of staring at the sky, everypony slowly began to disperse and went on with their lives as if a mysterious inexplicable phenomena didn't just put everything on hold minutes earlier.

The few who stayed were Twilight, Spike, and all of her other friends.

"What the hay do you think that was? Rainbow asked.

"Ah don't know, but whatever that was Ah'm glad it's over and done with. Dang explosion was rocking the apple orchard like there's no tomorrow!" Applejack replied with a tone that clearly expressed how crossed she was at what had transpired.

"I'll say. I was working on a fabulous new dress when the shaking messed up my stitch work! It looks absolutely horrendous now!" Rarity said, acting out in an overly dramatic fashion her friends have all known her for. "Not only that, all of my gems are cracked now, which means I will have to go out and find some more," she stated with a much calmer demeanor.

"I didn't think it was that bad!" Pinkie Pie replied as energetic as always. "At least nopony got hurt! Besides, the shaking helped with my newest cake creation!"

Pinkie then pulled out a large cake from out of nowhere to show to her friends. The icing work on this delicious two tier cake left a lot to be desired according to the looks all her friends were giving her. They couldn't make head nor tails of whatever design it was meant to be. The frosting was splattered all over the cake, giving it a messy presentation that made it more akin to a work of modern art than something that was meant to be consumed.

She then put the cake back to... wherever it was she took it out from. Her friends really didn't want to understand her kind of logic. It was for the better, of course.

"I'm just glad none of the animals got hurt. That would've been terrible!" Fluttershy said, still shaking from the aerial explosion. Yet, she was brave enough to go and find her friends to see if they were okay.

"Everything looks like it's back to normal," said Twilight, giving the immediate area a quick once over. The flower trio were working their flower stands, Big Mac was selling apples at his apple cart, and Doctor Hooves was going about his own business, pondering about life and the universe as always (he keeps muttering to himself about somepony name Susan, Barbara, and Ian). Everyone seems to have gone back to their lives.

"Huh, maybe it was just a bizarre weather phenomenon. I mean, it did happen over the Everfree forest." All of them nodded in agreement at Twilight's hypothesis. It seemed logical, or illogical, considering it happened in a forest where the very laws of nature seem to govern themselves. Fluttershy shuddered at the very thought of animals taking care of themselves in such a harsh and terrible environment.

Just as they were about to leave back to their homes, Rainbow trotted over to Twilight.

"Oh yeah, I've been meaning to return this to you today." She then pulled out the copy of Daring Do she'd borrowed from Twilight and handed it over to her. "It's been a little hectic lately," she nervously scratched at her neck, "I can't remember everything I was suppose to do."

Twilight was ecstatic to see the book again. "Wow! You actually remembered!" Twilight quickly covered her mouth when those words came out, Rainbow shot her an offended look.

"Wait, what! You're not telling me you thought I would've forgotten did you?"

Twilight turned away, hiding the blush dusting her cheeks. "Well... maybe?"

"Aw, come on, Twilight! I'm not that lazy!" Rainbow fired back. All of her friends traded uneasy looks with each other.

The six would've continued on about who was right and wrong hadn't it been for Spike, who let out his signature fiery belch whenever a letter was sent to them through dragon fire. Twilight went and picked up the letter and began reading it. All of her friends were wondering why Princess Celestia would send them a letter now. Surely it had nothing to do with the freak vortex that occurred above the Everfree forest?

They would soon find out as Twilight began reading aloud.

Dear, Twilight Sparkle

My faithful student, I am sure that you felt the shaking in Ponyville that happened just a few minutes ago. My sister and I felt it as well, all of Equestria must've felt it for those precious few seconds. We believe that this is the work of an unnatural force and we would like to once again ask for you and your friends help in investigating the explosion.

We would do so ourselves, but you know how the nobles and politicians are in Canterlot. They've been over me and Luna's flank about the tax break they didn't recieve during this year's collection. We're caught neck high in paperwork and it doesn't show any sign of ending so soon. We will try our hardest to get all of these documents sorted out quickly, when we are done we will personally join you for further investigations.

We suggest that the first area to search for clues would be White Tail Woods, just on the outskirts of town. Luna spotted an object falling from the sky that landed there through her telescope when the shaking woke her up. We do not sense any magical energies around the woods so it appears safe for now, but bear caution my student. We hope this will be nothing more then a freak environmental disaster. Good luck, and may the sun, the moon, and the stars above the Heavens keep you safe.

Love, Princess Celestia

P.S. Luna says hi to you and all of your friends, plus she sent Spike a little present.

And wouldn't you know it, when Twilight finished up the last sentence, a box poofed in front of Spike, wrapped in a neat red bow. When he opened it, his eyes practically shot out his sockets in excitement.

It was a box of assorted gems ranging from rubies, to sapphires, topaz, opals, emeralds, you name it! But the one thing that caught his adorable little dragon eyes was the large cut diamond that practically whispered words of temptations to his ear.

"Eat me... " it said, "I go great with hay fries..." By pure strength of will, Spike resisted the urge to downright swallow the diamond and decided to dig in to the other gems instead, saving the diamond for last.

Twilight just rolled her eyes as her number one assistant continued to greedily consume all of the gems in his possession, only to be stopped by her magic. She then grabbed the box and covered it with the lid, teleporting it back into the library. Spike could only mope as he knew he couldn't do anything about it.

"Well, this is an interesting turn of events," said Twilight. "It's still pretty early, so we could go and investigate now." Twilight trotted back into her home and began packing her equipment whilst simultaneously cleaning up all the books that scattered all over the floor of her home. When she was done, she turned to her friends. "Who wants to help me investigate?" she asked.

Rainbow Dash was the first to speed by to her side. Twilight knew she wouldn't turn down a chance for adventure, even if it was something mundane as looking for clues to something that might not even be dangerous. Rainbow Dash's loyalty couldn't be questioned at all, she was resolute when it came to helping out her friends.

"You know, I wouldn't give up the chance to possibly save the world again," she said with her wings out and her forelegs on her sides, demonstrating that she was prepared for anything.

Applejack was the next to join her side. Applejack was rough, tough, and able to withstand almost anything thrown at her. Heck, she even manage to ride a wild Manticore when it meant defending her friends against it. Her earth pony heritage made her an absolute brick wall of honesty.

"Ah know I got work on the farm to do, but if that 'something' Princess Luna saw falling from the sky gets crazy, we should stop it before it harms anyone else." She brushed her blonde mane aside and held onto her hat with a confident look in her eyes.

"Thank you girls, does anypony else wish to join us?" Twilight asked.

The other three shook their heads.

"I have to go make sure none of the animals were hurt during the shaking," replied Fluttershy.

"As much as I would love to go on another adventure, I'm sure you can do this without me. I am in dire need of more gems if I'm ever going to fill out this humongous order I received from Hoity Toity last week." Rarity gave her best to look considerate, but her friends didn't hold anything against her. She did have a life outside of the constant 'saving Equestria from certain doom' routine.

Pinkie just shook her head. "I'm sorry girls, but Sugarcube Corner's got a boatload of customers, and it's up to Pinkie to help everyone obtain their sweet desire!" With that, she gave her friends a quick wave before darting off to her workplace in a pink blur.

The remaining five nodded with each other and began to go their separate ways for the day. Fluttershy and Rarity returned to their homes, while Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack went straight to White Tail Woods.

The three were making good progress on there way to the supposed crash site. Only one thought was going through each and every one of their pastel coloured heads.

"I wonder what we'll find out there?"

Chapter 1 end -

Author's Note

Ok this new layout is a little tricky to work with but other then that it is manageable. Don't worry there's gonna be alot more to come within the next few chapters. And since im on winter break im gonna devote more time then i normally would towards writings. plz feel free to point out any error i may have made while writing this story.

Did i get Celestia's tone and voice right?

Also did anyone catch a small reference i made to a certain other moba game whose name will remain anonymous.

Chapter 2: The Enchantress

What does a Hero Truly Need?

By: Zelkova48

Chapter 2: The Enchantress

Aiushtha finally opened her eyes after being constantly assaulted by the wind, her gaze still very hazy as a side effect of being lunged into another universe by a black hole. All she could see for the time being was the glare of a very bright sun, fluffy clouds, and a beautiful blue sky that painted the Heavens.

It was then that she realized the Heaven's made her a land creature and that she shouldn't really be up here. With that thought in mind she quickly shook her head, clearing up any haze that may remain and spun around, throwing her body in free fall.

She looked down at the earth, which was rapidly closing in on her. She managed to make out the fact that she wasn't on the battlegrounds anymore. And that meant no resurrection from otherwise fatal occurrences that may befall her. Her eyes widened as she knew what would come next if she didn't do anything.

Screaming while falling to her death was clearly out of the question, and she brushed the suggestion aside in her mind. This was one of the few times in her life where she prayed she was given wings to help her fly around. Sadly, praying won't exactly help this time around as the others weren't around to help her.

Aiushtha only gave a small yelp as she prepare for whatever may happen next, she close her eyes and took a deep breath in midair. Her life flashed before her very eyes; from the moment of her birth, to meeting the other heroes of the Radiant and the Dire, and finally all of the battles she had faced in a effort to help maintain balance of her world. She would hope this was her world at least.

She had finished her last memory, the recent battle that got her into this predicament. She knew she was never really a fighter, yet she tried her best to use her abilities to the fullest.

Her friends would always cheer her on whenever she was dominating the enemy team with her powerful javelins that can rip through enemy's like a hot knife slicing through butter. And even when she failed, no one really held her accountable for it, which in some cases bugged her because of her nature no one could really be mad at her. But, she could tell when some one is speaking from the heart or out of consideration for her feelings.

"Friends..." she thought. "What I wouldn't give to see them again."

Her eyes began to well up with tear as she remembered them. Treant Protector and Nature's Prophet understood her problems and were always willing to lend a helping hand.

Rylai and Lina would always argue with each other and come to her for help being a tiebreaker, which always resulted with them filling the air with laughter and joy simply by chatting. She enjoyed going on manhunts with Gondar, practicing her shots with Lyralei, and the list goes on and on. Even with the Dire heroes she found many a times having such fun with them. Though, Karl would brag about his skills every chance he got, Akasha and Aiushtha would be there to humor him on his flights of fancy.

Aiushtha couldn't stop the tears from flowing, she just let them run until she was content. She was going to wipe one of the tears off when all of a sudden, "What the?" she looked down at her hands, or rather hooves.

She'd always had hooves, only she use them to walk with rather than wipe her tears with them. She had hands for that. In fact, now that she thought about it, she couldn't feel her upper body. Well, she could, but the upper body she was feeling was her lower body. That would mean that her lower body and upper body were.... which meant.... "Ugh, what is going on here?" Her sorrow and melancholy were replaced with confusion as to why she can't feel her upper human half.

The confusion was swapped again with sorrow as the earth began closing in more and more. She closed her eyes again, waiting for fate to take it's course.

Fate, apparently, felt really soft, with a silk like texture caressing her form. Death felt rather comfortable in her opinion. In fact, her acceleration seemed to have slowed and she was resting upon some sort of ticklish bed. She peeked with one eye open to look around, her splattered remains were still attached to her, which was good, but she was still in the air.

She looked down, and to her surprise she discovered she was being carried by a flock of beautiful pink butterflies that have gathered together to help her float down to safety.

"Funny," she thought, "I'd always thought Travex would carry us." She let out a laugh as her nerves began to calm down to the point where she could crack jokes without the fear of death haunting her well being.

The butterflies closed in closer to the ground. When they reached an appropriate height, she hopped off and touched the ground without any fear of falling to her doom. She was on the earth again, which allowed her to fully concentrate in the matter at hand. But not before she thanked the group of butterflies that spared her from a horrible fate.

Her eye went wide at what happened next though. All the butterflies formed together to created a big smiley face followed by the letters "N" and "P" in which they promptly left afterwards. "Hmm, smart butterflies. Who knew?" she giggled at the thought.

Aiushtha observed the world around her once her mind was clear of fear and doubt. She was back to usual cheerful self, but there was still a couple of problems that needed her immediate assessment at the moment. "Okay. Right now, I don't exactly feel like myself. Secondly, I need to find out where I am. Third, I need to find my trusty javelin. And finally, I have to find out where my friends are."

She furrowed her brow in deep concentration, trying to grasp just what the heck was going on. One moment they were fighting the Dire team, and the next they were swallowed by the rampant black hole and scattered across the four corners of the globe.

She looked around herself, taking in the lush and beautiful scenery that unfolded before her. There was a vast plain the stretched as far as the eyes could see, with several trees lining up to form a great forest on the horizon.

The air around was as pure and clean as nature could get, and the sun was shining down upon her, cascading her body with it's warm gentle glow. Up ahead, she could spot a small cottage and a town right behind it practically hustling and bustling with activity at the moment. But the one thing that she adored the most was the forest behind her.

She could feel the life emanating from it, she wanted to step in and dance around to relieve some stress. But that would have to wait until she was done with her other goals. Now, she wanted to check out why she felt so strange. She walked over to a nearby puddle that just was just big enough to see herself, and what she saw took her breath away.

She was still herself per say only she was more in touch with her side of nature. Gone was her upper human half she was now fully a doe, but she still had her horns that she was so fond of. Her coat glistened in the sunlight as she continued to examine her new form.

She would now have to walk out all fours but it felt incredibly natural for her so it didn't really bother her in the slightest. Her clothes and jewelry have been adjusted as they perfectly conform to her new body, her leafy dress and earthen accessories still remained, making the already enchanting Enchantress more stunning and gorgeous.

"At least I still have my good looks," she said, batting an eyelash at her reflection to accentuate her ravishing beauty. She would stick around a bit longer but Aiushtha was never really one for vanity, and she had to focus on the next few goals she needed to accomplish.

She looked across the horizon and spotted the small cottage again. "Hmm.. maybe the person that lives there could help me. I can't really do this on my own right now.". With a strengthen resolve she picked herself up and began trotting over to the cozy little home in hopes that she would find what she is looking for there, taking in more of the scenery as he slowly approached it.

"Hmm this body isn't half bad," she thought aloud while walking, "I do miss my old self though, and hands."

Fluttershy was in her cottage home tending to the birds and furry little creatures that were running about in her home, many of whom were still frightened about the recent shaking.

Squirrels, chipmunks, and all manner of miniature mammals crowded around Fluttershy in hopes she would protect them from harm, just being around the the meek little pegasus eased them of their anxiety. All the ground animals were no longer panicking now that their caretaker was there. All the birds and other flying creatures sat on the various branches around her house without a trace of fear within them anymore. Although, some had chosen to reside in her pink coloured mane, just to be on the safe side.

"Hush now little ones, there is nothing to fear anymore. Twilight and my friends are solving this mystery as we speak." Her calm and soothing voice resonated throughout the cottage.

For a moment, it felt as if all of the wrongs and fear in the world disappeared in respect for Fluttershy's kindness. For a moment, all was right with the world, and Fluttershy's animal friends wouldn't have it any other way. Even Angel bunny, who normally acted rude and unruly, was now relaxed beyond comprehension.

Just when Fluttershy and the animals were starting to settle down, however, the calm was broken when a mysterious object crashed through the roof of her home scaring all of the animals out of their minds again. Fluttershy scrambled around trying to maintain order "Oh please! just..can you.. Eep!" She tried talking to them with her outside voice, which was technically also her inside voice... and her whisper.

After a couple of minutes of chasing and finding every animal that had a panic attack once again, order was restored at the Fluttershy household. Though everyone's nerve were still very much on edge as the all huddled around Fluttershy, staring at the strange object that crashed through her home.

They all stared at it, trying to make out what it was. It looked like a long green oblong stick thingy, what it was meant for no one had even the slightest clue. As if the shaking and the explosion in the sky weren't enough, now there was random objects falling out of the sky.

One of the chipmunks broke out of it fearful trance and approached the strange object. Fluttershy tried to stop him but was still frozen in fear, she couldn't do anything about it. The chipmunk reached out to touch the mysterious object.

Everyone held their breath as they waited for something to happen, but nothing out of the ordinary occured. He tapped it again and again, only to be met with the same result each time. Everyone let out a great big sigh of relief knowing that nothing was going to hurt them. And just like that, everyone rushed over to the green stick examining its features.

"Oh my! what is this?"

Well, asides being various shades of green and yellow, there was was a butterfly emblem near one end of the shaft, with a golden spear head at the end. It was sort of like the ones the royal guards had, only this one was smaller. Near the other end of the stick was a three pronged tip of varying sizes.

"Maybe I should go find Twilight, she would like to see this," she asked her animal friends. Sure enough, Angel was nodding his head in agreement along with every mammal, bird, and reptile in the little cottage home. "Oh, but she's all the way at White Tail Woods. Everyone, I will be right back. I have to find Twilight and the others."

She took several deep breaths, and checked with her animal friends twice before she made way to the door. She had to find the others, they would know what was going on. She has had one too many unpleasant surprises today. For once she would like good surprise to happen today.

She nearly jumped out of her own skin when she heard the knocks on her door though, She quickly gathered herself when she figured it was nothing more than a friendly visitor or Ditzy Doo delivering her mail. When she opened the door however, she found out that it wasn't Ditzy. Instead, it was the 'good surprise' she was hoping for.

Fluttershy's eyes grew wide as saucer as she took in the sight before. Standing in front of her little doorway was a breathtakingly stunning doe just slightly taller than she was. Her brown and white coat looked as though they were expertly painted on by a master artist. Her tail and ears flickered every so often with such graceful movement, like they were constantly being choreographed by an ethereal director.

Her leafy dress and eye catching jewelry only served to accentuate her great beauty. She had a golden loop earring on each ear, her hair was tied back with three gold rings, letting it flow back like the wind. Her dress appeared to be made out of several leaves with a butterfly emblem on her chest, which looked vaguely familiar. Then there were her horns. They didn't look threatening in the slightest, They weren't sharp nor entirely dull it was in between. It made her look just like... a princess, in fact!

"Hello there," The beautiful doe spoke to Fluttershy in a gentle voice.

Fluttershy just stood there staring at the mysterious figure with her mouth open, like she was trying to say something, but she just couldn't say it. She stood like that for a few more seconds before she found the courage to speak properly.

She let out a loud *GASP* and began incoherently yelling "OMIGOSHOMIGOSHOMIGOSH!"

If Rainbow Dash were here now, she'd be very flattered by her imitation of her.

Aiushtha could only watch as the little winged horse darted back and forth around her, asking a variety of questions and complimenting her looks. Right now, she couldn't tell if the little horse was overly excited or was suffering a violent seizure. She deduced it was the former.

She had never seen a creature like her before, but then she thought back to the flying courier that was ever so helpful to her team during the fights on the battleground. Only she remembered they didn't talk. But then again, she wasn't exactly in her world right now.

Eventually, after several seconds of excitement, the yellow horse settle down, her face glowing a bright red. She was clearly embarrassed from her outburst.

Then she spoke with a very soft voice, so soft that Aiushtha had to lean in a bit closer to hear her.

"Umm... sorry for that, I got a little carried away," she said, rubbing a hoof on the back her neck.

Aiushtha simply smiled in return. "It is quite alright little one. Might I say I have never a little horse like you before"

"Oh, I'm not a horse, I'm a pony. Oh, dear! I'm afraid I haven't properly Introduced myself yet. My name is, Fluttershy," she replied as she extend out a hoof in friendship.

"Ah! So you're a pony, that makes much more sense. My name is Aiushtha by the way, I am The Enchantress." Aiushtha reached over and shook hooves with Fluttershy.

"Aiushtha? I never heard of that kind of name before. Oh! I have so much to ask you! Where are you from? What's it like there? Are you a princess? You look just like a princess! Oh, wait. How rude of me! Please come inside!" Fluttershy's excitement returned full force and Aiushtha was dragged into the cottage against her will. She didn't mind though. At least she's a friendly one and not some thieving bandit she'd come across so many time before in the forest back home.

"*Sigh*" She missed her home, but she didn't know exactly where she was right now. She just decided to follow Fluttershy into her home and try to get some answers about this alien world.

She was prepared to answer whatever questions Fluttershy was going to throw at her if she could expect to get some answers in return as well. What she wouldn't expect to find though was her trusty javelin stick upright from the inside of the cottage. She quickly ran over to it, glad to see that it was still in one piece.

"My javelin! How did this get here?" she asked Fluttershy, but only then had she noticed the large swath of animals that dwell within her little home.

They don't seem threatened by her though. In fact, it seem they enjoyed her company. She had that kind of effect them. A certain white little bunny rabbit ran up to her and curtly hugged her leg before running back to his own little house, Fluttershy smiled at this. It wasn't very often the Angel would be openly affectionate like this, often time he would be abrasive around other mares and stallions. This was proof enough that Aiushtha is a kind spirit.

Fluttershy walked by her, looking at the object "This is yours? Well, it crashed into my home a while ago."

Aiushtha looked up seeing the damage that was caused. The was a small hole in the ceiling shaped just like her javelin. Her cheeks flushed red, she felt guilty. This was her javelin after all, she indirectly created a hole in Fluttershy's roof while she was falling from the sky. "I am incredibly sorry, Fluttershy. I'll help you fix later, if you like?"

"That would be very nice. Thank you, Aiu... Aiush... Aiusha?" Fluttershy fumbled with her words for a minute. "I'm sorry, it's a little hard to pronounce your name." Fluttershy's face cheeks were once again red with embarrassment.

"It's quite alright, Fluttershy. My friends had the same troubles too when they first met me. It is pronounces Aiushtha." She let out a giggle before remembering why she was here in the first place. " Oh! That's right. I must find my friends." She quickly approached her weapon to retrieve it. She looked down at her hoove and pondered to herself. "How am i supposed to pick things up with hooves?"

Fluttershy saw her concerned look "Is something the matter? Here let me help you" Fluttershy walked over to the weapon and just like that she picked it up like normal person would with hands. Aiushtha was incredibly surprised at what she just witnessed.

"How did you do that?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" The yellow pegasus replied "All ponies, whether they are earth ponies, pegasi, or unicorn, have innate magic that they could control. The simplest being able to grasp objects with our hooves. I believe you can as well," Fluttershy then handed her the javelin.

Aiushtha reached out to grab her javelin. She could feel a strange sensation around her hooves, like her body, it felt disturbingly natural even though she wasn't quite use to it yet. Then, she could feel the energy begin to take shape like a rudimentary limb and she grasp her javelin as easily as she would've done it with her hands.

She then got technical and began standing on her hind legs, spinning the weapon around with her two hooves with remarkable dexterity. She'd even manage to swing it around her back before she took her other hoof and spun it upwards, taking care not to hit the ceiling. The Javelin spun around in the air for a few seconds before it began to fall, in which all the animals and Fluttershy gasped in surprise, only for Aiushtha to deftly catch it in mid air and steady it right beside her in one graceful motion and struck a rather epic pose.

Fluttershy and the animals gave her a standing ovation, where Aiushtha bow courteously to her applauding peers.

When the clapping died down, Fluttershy ran over to her with a smile as wide as a mile "Omigosh! That was incredible! Where did you learn how to do that!" she was all giddy again. Fluttershy didn't care anymore, this was by far the best time she has had all day.

Aiushtha giggled. "I'll tell you all in due time, Fluttershy," she said as she twirled her javelin once more to get use to her new form."This world is overflowing with magic," she thought, only realizing just now how similar this world was to her own. "I do hope the others are safe..."

'Would you like to ask me those questions now?" she asked.

Fluttershy was extremely ecstatic when she was given the chance to openly bombard her with questions. She decided to ask the simplest one. "Oh, yes please. Where do you come fro-" her question was cut short as they both heard yelling coming from outside.

The two sprang into action and ran out to the clearing as quick as they could to search for the source of the noise. It was all quiet on such a sunny day. Then they heard the yell again.

"HIIIYAAAAHH!"

Both Aiushtha and Fluttershy turn their heads in the direction of the noise. While Aiushtha was overjoyed to hear a sound she was all to familiar with, Fluttershy's heart began pounding quicker and quicker as she looked to where the sound was.

The Everfree Forest

"Rhasta!" Aiushtha shouted. She was elated to hear that her friend was alive and well but the yellow bolts of electricity that shot out form the forest opening filled her head with grave thoughts. "Rhasta would only use his ether shock for self defense."

" *GASP!* "Rhasta's in trouble! I have to help him!" Her usual cheery personality was replaced with the feeling of dread. She rushed over to the entrance of the forest, only to be stopped by a terrified Fluttershy.

"What are you doing!? The Everfree Forest isn't safe! Please come with me. We have to find my friends, they can help you," Fluttershy tried her best to stop Aiushtha, but she ignored her warnings and ran around her, and straight into the heart of the forest.

"I'm sorry, Fluttershy, but I have to help my friend!" With javelin in hoof, she trotted double time and disappeared into the unnatural darkness that plagued the forest hoping that her shamanic friend was still alive when she got there.

Fluttershy was hyperventilating at a rate so quick she felt her heart was ready to shoot out of her chest at any given moment. She feared for her new friend. She couldn't stop her from running to her doom even if it meant helping another friend.

Just as the day was beginning to get good, it was all flipped upside down at the drop of a hat. Tears began to well up in her eyes as she wept for her new friend, tears that wouldn't stop no matter how hard she tried. She wanted to help Aiushtha, no matter the cost. She may have only known the doe for a few minutes but they had become fast friends and Fluttershy was going to save her no matter what.

She searched her heart for the courage to stand up and take action, and when she did, she wiped away the tears from her eyes and steeled herself. Her resolve much stronger than it was before, she knew what she had to do, but she couldn't do it alone.

"I have to find the other," she thought, "I need their help."

She turned around and quickly flew as fast as she could to the White Tail Woods to find Twilight, Rainbow, and Applejack like she had previously planned when the javelin fell into her home. She knew the woods like the back of her hoof and took a shortcut that cut the travel time in half. She looked back at the Everfree Forest one last time before she was just overhead of the woods.

"Don't worry Aiushtha, help is on the way""

Chapter 2 end

Author's Note

Phew this one took several attempts to get it just right plus several hours of lost sleep. I hope i portrayed Aiushtha and Fluttershy right without breaking them out of character

Fluttershy is this strong in my mind, she just needs the proper incentive

And for Aiushtha i kept her joyful personality and tried to work on her worrisome emotions

Chapter 3: The Shadow Shaman

What does a Hero Truly Need?

By: Zelkova48

Chapter 3: The Shadow Shaman

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" Rhasta shouted in the sky as he plummeted down to the earth at breakneck speed, rapidly flailing his arms and legs around in a futile attempt to slow his descent. Ever since he opened his eyes he had regretted that decision for the last few hundred feet he was falling. Since then, he had resorted to screaming in abject terror as he rambled his way down to an inevitable messy end.

"Is this my punishment for all those customer I swindled back then?!" he yelled to whatever mysterious entity that dictated his fate. "How was I suppose to know you had to wash your hands each and every time we performed a circumcision for five pieces of copper? I was only twelve then! Or at least I remember I was!" he yelled once again. "I've change since then! Surely you saw all the good that I've done when my master passed away!"

Fear overtook Rhasta's spiritual mind, his eccentricity and lively attitude was no more as his fate was about to be sealed. He closed his eyes and simply waited for his end to come. He awaited his death.

Death... death... death...

Life and death.

For some reason those words resonated within his mind like a continual stream that flowed into the vast ocean. His eyes shot open as an epiphany struck him harder than one of Zeus's lightning bolt.

He remembered everything that made him who he was today.

It's true what they say when your life flashes before your eyes when you're about to die, and Rhasta couldn't have been anymore happier.

He remembered when he was first discovered by his beloved master, he remembered all of the cons and the trickery they pulled together with their life on the road. He remembered when he first discovered his shamanic power that he used for entertainment and for self defense when he killed his master's murderers.

He remembered burying his master and leaving to find a better life in which he could truly help people rather than feeding them lies. He remembered meeting and fighting alongside his friends and compatriots of the Radiant and the Dire.

He remembered why he still walked the earth.

Here he was bawling like a baby with a broken toy for no reason, but that all changed in an instant. His spirited smile full of crooked teeth returned, his witty personality filled his body like Mangix's heavenly wine. He broke out in uncontrollable laughter.

"HO HO HEH HEH HEH HEH HA HA HA!" His fear of death was replaced with an insurmountable levels of happiness.

Rhasta ceased his flailing and steeled himself. He narrowed his eyes upon a clearing of the dark forest that was quickly getting closer and closer with each waking second.

"I am not yet worthy to go beyond the hill! For I am the intermediary between life and death!" He focused his inner shamanic power that laid dormant within him. It began to charge with power as he moved it with his will. It slowly began to take shape, forming the image that was in Rhasta's mind.

Rhasta was emanating a bright orange glow when he fully grasped and controlled what he needed. His power surged like the mighty oceans that he had traveled so many years ago to live a new life. He concentrated it onto the ground and cast his magic. The air crackled with magic, shortly followed by the faint sounds of hissing.

"Hear me, I speak for the Shades!" The ground began to shake violently as he spoke his words.

"I AM RHASTA! I AM THE SHADOW SHAMAN!" His very voice shook the trees that now surrounded him as he plunged deep into the heart of the clearing.

From the earthen soil, a gargantuan golden ethereal cobra rose from the ground and looked up towards the sky. A low reverberating hiss left it's smiling maw as it resonated throughout the forest. With blinding speed the cobra shot its head forward, fangs and all. In one swift motion, the cobra caught Rhasta out of the sky just in the nick of time before he'd crashed onto the forest floor. The cobra slowly set its master down to the ground where it then began to shrink down in size and hiss in happily for his masters safety.

Rhasta took several minutes to get reacquainted with the world around him, his torrent of adrenaline slowly faded away as the calm serene tone of the forest eased his frantic nerves. He was alive and really that was all that mattered. He looked over to the cobra that saved him and began to pet him on a job well done.

"Thank you my scaly friend, thank you," he whispered softly. The cobra itself enjoyed getting his head rubbed, hissing quietly in return to display its pleasure. He was glad to break out of the mental funk that he was offended to even have.

"The material plane does truly matter!" He shouted joyfully. He was calming down and that was a good thing, he couldn't risk having a panic attack in a situation like this. He cleared his thoughts and began concentrating on the things that mattered now, such as finding his friends and getting back home.

It was then that he looked down to the cobra and saw something that was very off about himself. He had hooves instead of hands. He quickly dispelled the cobra and began examining himself.

"By the Shades! What is this?" Rhasta looked over his entire body and beheld his new form. It felt much like his own, only now he was more like the couriers that delivered him his artifacts on the battle grounds.

He ran over to a nearby puddle and just barely made out what he saw in the dim light of the woods. He was a tiny horse, or donkey? He could never really tell the two apart anyway. The one thing he did manage to make note of was the spiral horn that stuck out from his forehead.

"Hmm, this is an intriguing development." He brought his hoof to it to see if it was real or not. Sure enough it was and this only served to confuse the shaman even further. He couldn't make heads or tails of anything right now, but he brushed the thought aside.

He was used to these kind of things by now. After all, fighting living mountains, living water, and living everything else was an experience all on it's own on the battlegrounds. Then another thought popped up in his head.

"Where are my wards?" he asked nobody in particular. Mere moments after, an object crashed itself onto his head, nearly giving him a concussion.

"Ugh!" He gripped his head as he examined what had struck him. What he found however made him jump with joy.

"My ward! There you are!" He ran up to it to see if it was still in good shape. Despite all the hardships it been through, never once had it ever failed him.

"Wait, where's the other one?" His question was immediately answered as he felt another object slam itself atop his head once more.

"Agh!" Rhasta collapse on the floor as his other ward finished what the other started, leaving behind a dazed shaman on the ground. To think, after impressively surviving a ten thousand foot drop from the sky he would be taken out almost immediately by his own weapon once he had collected himself.

He tried to stand up, he tried to fight to maintain consciousness, but to no avail. There was nothing he could do, the haze in his eyes did little to help with his current state. The drowsiness that he was combating turned into an friend that welcomed him with open arms. Rhasta gave in to the darkness. He has had far too many surprises today.

As sleep finally took over his body, the predators of the forest began to make their move.

From out of the thick brush a small pack of timberwolves crept towards the unconscious shaman. Their wooden limbs creaked with each passing step until they fully surrounded Rhasta. The leader of the pack, a burly alpha male, was the first to step forward from the group and it raised it wooden claw ready to end the life of their soon to be meal. Growls and snarls filled the clearing as they awaited the killing blow.

Just as the alpha male was about the bring down its claw, a loud bang echoed through the trees, frightening all of the wolves. But the thing they were terrified most of was the smoky green after image of Nightmare Moon looming over them. Without hesitation, Nightmare Moon leaped at them with her jaw wide open, hoping to devour them all in a single gulp.

When Nightmare Moon crashed down upon the timberwolves she disappeared in a brilliant flash of vibrant green dust that scared all of the timberwolves into hiding. When the dust settled, a familiar zebra stepped out of the smoke and walked over to the sleeping shaman.

The zebra quietly looked over Rhasta several times before tapping his shoulder. Rhasta stirred, but didn't get up immediately. Slowly but surely, he got up on all fours and shook his head to clear out any fatigue that hung around his body. He struggled with his frazzled motor controls and nearly fell on his side when the other figure caught him and helped him back upright.

"Huh? What? How long was I out? Wait, who are you?" Rhasta said as his head finally felt like it was screwed on properly. He looked over to see who helped him up and saw a miniature zebra standing in front of him.

The zebra was no bigger than he was and had a grey coat lined with black stripes. The stripes all formed a unique shape by her flank, a spiral sun complete with all of it's points. But the most interesting aspect of the zebra was her outrageous mohawk of a mane.

"Do not worry your bizarre yellow head. For now, just be glad that you're not dead," the zebra spoke.

Rhasta was a bit shocked to see a talking horse let alone one that can rhyme, but, again, he was used to these kind of things. "Were you the one who woke me? Wait! What do you mean be glad that I'm not dead?" he asked, bemused.

"Yes it's true, that I was the one who woke you. As for the reason you are still alive, a pack of hungry timberwolves I managed to terrorize." She continued her rhyming. "They seek to eat you while you sleep, so I scared them off with a little treat."

She then pulled out a little pouch from her bag and using her hooves she retrieved some coarse green powder. She threw it on the ground creating the illusion of a larger more fearsome horse with wings and a horn. It flashed him a sly smile before fading away as quickly as it showed up.

Rhasta smiled and laughed at the trick the zebra pulled, it reminded him much of his own tricks. The only difference was that his were real. "Ho ho heh heh heh ha! Brilliant illusion my zebra friend! Have you ever thought about being a traveling performer?"

"Plans for travel or entertainment I have not, I like it here mixing healing brews at my hut." She rhymed once more before a better question arose in her mind. "By the way, what are you doing here? This is a forest that embodies fears. Even though this is my home, the Everfree Forest is still terrifying to roam," she said, putting emphasis on the terrifying aspect of the forest.

"There was some shaking not long ago, I ran out looking for my friends, perhaps they know." Her rhyming never faltered. "I ran out of my house to head into town, but then I find you unconscious on the ground!"

"Ah, the shaking must have been me, I used my powers earlier to stop myself from crashing into the earth," Rhasta calmly replied. "As for me being unconscious, I was knocked out by my own weapons when they fell from the sky". The zebra just looked at him with a wide eyed expression

"Perhaps now is not the time to explain. But can you tell me your name?" the zebra asked.

"My name is Rhasta, I am the Shadow Shaman!" he replied with a hint of pride laced in his voice. "I am the medium between the worlds! Also, I am looking for my friends as well. Have you ran into any of them?"

"You have a very strange name Rhasta, as for me, my name is Zecora." Zecora replied once again in her ever so amusing rhymes. "A medium between worlds? I do not understand. But you do look like you come from a faraway land."

The stallion standing before her really was a mysterious one.

Zecora scrutinized the strange stallion. She had never seen a pony like him before, although she can't argue that she had been on the receiving end of this experience when she first came to Ponyville.

For starters, he was an orange unicorn with no visible mane and a very short orange tail that was obscured by all the clothing he was wearing. His teeth were grotesquely crooked and his eyes were an unsettling milky white. In fact, it looked like he didn't even have pupils!

He wore an equally strange garb that seem to wrap his whole body in black bandages from his face to his right forearm and all the down to his hips where it split into eight free flowing bandages that covered his posterior. He looked like a mummy in dark wrappings at a glance.

Continuing with the trend of oddities, there were several planks of wood on his person that were binded in place by the wrappings. They looked like normal strips of wood but each had strange inscriptions and carvings on them that Zecora couldn't make heads or tails of. There was one on both sides of his head, one on each foreleg, and two on each of his hind legs.

Then there was this cape interwoven with large metal coins that draped over his lower half. Lastly, he carried a collection of junk with him that included two small jugs carved from gourds, a crude frying pan, what Zecora presumed was a rolled up map, and a simple red bag. She could almost have mistaken him for being a weary vagabond from a faraway land.

Zecora came back to her thoughts after she was done examining Rhasta. He had mentioned something about his friends. "I don't know about your friends, but perhaps I might. Could you please describe what they look like?"

"But of course, one of them looks lik-" Rhasta couldn't finish his sentence as the sound of wolves froze him in his tracks. Zecora became incredibly worried and ran beside Rhasta. They both looked around desperately trying to find the source of the noise. All around they saw multiple sets of burning yellow eyes of the timberwolves that Zecora had chased away earlier. They seemed to have wised up to her tricks and came back to finish the job.

All of the wolves slowly stepped out of the thick foliage of the forest. They were angrier than before, knowing they were scared off by a cheap Nightmare Night trick. They came back in much greater numbers, ensuring their chances of success.

Slowly, they once again encircled their prey in hopes of making him their next meal, and it looks like they scored a bonus this time around. There was a zebra in addition to the unicorn they tried to eat before. Each and every single one of the wooden wolves licked their grainy lips in anticipation of the glorious feast they will soon partake.

The wolves expected to eat the two without much resistance, and even if they do choose to run, it will only serve to make their feast that greater of an experience. What they didn't expect to see however was their meal to laugh at them.

It wasn't one last laugh out of desperation of an inevitable death, no, this laugh was of the joyful kind. The orange one was laughing almost like he had won the Ponyville powerball on his very first try with his last bit. The wolves looked at each other in frustration. They had the two before them cornered, and hopelessly outnumbered. There were at least thirty wolves all ready to strike at a moments notice.

Zecora gawked at Rhasta with a dumbfounded look. They were about to die, and there was no way her illusion would scare the wolves off again. If they tried to run away they would be hunted down and caught almost instantly due to the sheer number of predators. She couldn't understand why Rhasta was being so jolly about their situation. She just had to ask.

"Rhasta!? Why are you not afraid? Can't you see we are going to die this day!" she asked, which seemed to have snapped Rhasta out of his laughing fit. Yet his grin remained.

His grin only serve to further confuse Zecora as he walked over to his wards and attempted to pick them up. As he walked over, all of the wolves stepped forward ever so slightly, making sure that their prey doesn't try anything funny. Rhasta simply looked over his wards and his hooves. He could feel a rush of magic flow towards his hooves and take shape. He picked up both of his wards without a hint of hesitation and stood up on both of his hind legs.

Rhasta turn his head towards the large alpha wolf and grinned once more. With him standing at his full height all of the wolves began to feel intimidated, yet it wasn't enough for them to run away again.

"You were the wolves that tried to eat me in my sleep..." said Rhasta. "When I was awoken from my brief slumber by this kind zebra, she explained to me about what you tried to do." He began to shake his body back and forth, little by little, like he was moving to the sound of a unheard drumbeat, swinging his forelegs and wards in tandem with his bodies movement.

"I am not at all a vengeful man. I am but a humble messenger of those gone by, a mere drifter helping others along the way." His wards began to glow from a faint dim to a bright yellow light. "I had forgiven all of you and had chosen not to seek revenge." His white eyes narrowed upon the alpha wolf. " But now, you have threaten my new friend and this will not stand." Small charges of orange electricity discharged from his wards in small burst.

"The shades demand flesh! Hear me! I speak for the shades!" The small static around him jolted and jumped all around in a fearsome display of light.

The alpha wolf's patience had finally been severed. This pony was making a mockery of him in front of his pack and it will not stand. It let out a bloodcurdling howl that echoes throughout the woods as he rushed towards the arrogant pony, fangs and all. The rest of his pack followed suit and charged in like Tequoia's treant warriors, only far more wild and savage.

The alpha wolf pounced at Rhasta with unrestrained fury, it was ready to slash his throat open and feed on his cold dead carcass. Mere inches from his prey, the wolf was consumed in a bright yellow light for an instant before landing to the ground on the ground in a daze. It looked around worriedly, feeling much smaller and more vulnerable then ever. Then it went *Bukaw!*

"Ha! A fine form for you!" Rhasta said, bearing witness to the alpha wolf's transformation into a small helpless chicken, feathers and all. Zecora, who was still beside him, gawked at Rhasta with a slack jawed expression. She knew unicorn magic was strong, but to turn a large alpha timberwolf in another creature so easily was nearly unheard of. Rhasta was only warming up though, the real show was about to begin.

Ten other wolves stopped by their former alpha leader, inwardly chuckling at its misfortune. They shook it off though, and began charging at Rhasta. Clearly there was no way he could survive being tackled by ten angry timberwolves, right? They would be sorely disappointed however as he let loose a torrent of ethereal energies that shocked his enemies in more ways than one.

"HIIIIYAAAAAAH!"

All of the timber wolves were violently knocked back by the sheer force of shamanic power that Rhasta had unleashed upon them. Some were still able to stand but others were either unconscious, on fire, dead, or about to be.

The wolves that were on fire ran around in a panicked state, rolling around on the ground in a desperate attempt to put themselves out. Being made out of wood had it's advantages, such as making them much more resilient towards physical strikes. Sadly, that does not apply towards being set ablaze by a bolt of electricity.

"Shocking, isn't it?" he said as the wolves backed away from him. They were truly terrified of him now, but that didn't deter them from trying to kill them.

All of wolves regrouped together. There is still nineteen of them left, which was more then enough to try to take them down. Only this time they decided to try something different. The wolves split into two groups, one that aimed for Rhasta and another that charged at Zecora. The thought was that Rhasta couldn't protect both of them at the same time. Once the wolves claimed Zecora, they would all go for Rhasta.

The wolves that went for Zecora wasted no time in trying to maul her. One of the wolves lunged at the zebra and the rest charged behind it. Zecora reacted quickly enough though, as she instinctively reached into her saddle bag and flung a pouch full of powder at the charging wolves eyes, causing it to stumble on the ground.

"Foul beast, keep away! You shall not take my life this day!" Zecora shouted as the wolf tried to rub the away the irritating powder from its eyes.

Not missing a beat, Zecora tried to strike the rest of the charging pack with the powder as well, but the wolves avoided the attack all too easily. One of the wolves broke through the smoky cloud and ran straight to Zecora, bearing it's fangs ready to kill.

It never got the chance however when several large ethereal cobras tackled it to the ground and began to tear it apart with their lava like fangs. Zecora's stomach churned as she witnessed the cobras' fangs ravage the wolf's body, eliciting a sickening *Crack!* sound each and every time they brought their jaws down upon their victim.

When the cobras were done with the wolf there was nothing more than a pile of broken twigs and shredded leaves left in its wake.

"No no no, your fight is with me. Going after my friend behind my back isn't going to work when my pets are protecting her." As Rhasta finished speaking, the cobras all formed a protective ring around Zecora. There was at least eight large golden cobras ready to defend Zecora and their master.

"Watch well my pets." Rhasta then turned around to face the others wolves that were attacking him, striking down another with his energy blast.

One of the other wolves didn't seem all that fazed by the golden wall that stood between them and their goal. It jumped at the wall only to promptly get blasted by a barrage of the cobras' mystic venom. The wolf landed upon the ground with a loud *thud* where its wooden body began to melt away like candle wax as the venom ate through the wood.

All of the other wolves looked shocked beyond belief, more so then being struck by Rhasta's ether shock as they witnessed one of their own melting away into a thick brown soupy paste that coated the forest floor.

Rhasta held his ground and blasted four other wolves with the energy blast that came form his wards. He then used his Ether Shock on the remaining few that tried to flank him.

"Suluchi-nominus-forti-cali!" Rhasta chanted, making short work of the group of wolves that attacked him. "The spirits will be seeing a lot of you!"

As the last timberwolf was struck down with indignation, all of the remaining wolves gathered together. There must have been at least twelve left still alive aside from the alpha male, who was still a chicken. They did what any sensible predator would do in a situation like this.

They fled as fast as their wooden limbs could carry them.

Rhasta let them run away. He wouldn't chase after them, no, he was better than that. He dispelled his cobra pets and walked over to Zecora. "Well, that was some fight, eh?" his words peeled Zecora away form the pure shock that clung her like Batrider's sticky napalm.

"I cannot believe my eyes. You have saved both of our lives!" Zecora said with a delicate mixture of joy and awe.

"I am a hero of the Radiant, It is what I do. Are you alright?" Rhasta calmly replied. Zecora was more than relieved to still be alive after surviving a fatal encounter with some hungry timberwolves. Had it not been for Rhasta's fighting expertise, they surely would've perished.

"Yes, I am fine, now that we are out of a bind." The two were finally free of all the adrenaline that rushed through their body for them to think properly. They had to get out of the forest for sure now. "We should probably leave the forest now, I wouldn't risk staying and becoming chow."

"Yes, yes we should," Rhasta replied as he stared back to the chicken that was once the alpha male of the pack. As the two began to leave for the forest entrance, he lifted the hex he had placed upon the poor wolf. "I believe you have suffered enough, feathered one. I shall restore you to your former self."

With a few short chants and one flash of light later, the chicken was restored to it's former woody self. Rhasta then walked over to the wolf and gave it a warning.

"I have chosen to leave you alone once more. Return to your pack, and don't come looking for us. However, should you choose to chase after any of us again, I can guarantee you my wooden friend, you shall become a middling sacrifice for the shades." His normally jolly voice dipped into a grave whisper of doom.

With his warning delivered, he joined up with Zecora, who was happy to see him spare the wolf rather then slay it. She was putting out the wolves that were still on fire from Rhasta's ether shock, she didn't want a forest fire to break out near her home. Rhasta regained his smile again and the two then turn towards the bright opening at the end of the forest and began making there way towards it.

The alpha wolf fell to its haunches, staring at the two meals that turned into their destroyer, its mind was clouding up with anger. Pride got in the way of its better judgement.

How dare they humiliate him before his own pack. He was their leader, he was the strongest out of all of them, yet he was taken down so easily by an odd looking unicorn and a zebra. It began to growl again, it bared it's fangs and claws once more before rushing Rhasta in one last attempt to eat him.

Rhasta could easily hear his would be predator run up behind him. He merely sighed and turned around, prepared to strike down the alpha wolf once and for all.

"Give my best to the ancestors," he said, preparing to unleash another Ether Shock, only to be stopped when a familiar looking javelin sailed through the air and impaled the wolf right into the treeline where its body hung lifelessly like a rag doll pinned to a cork board.

The javelin then dissipated into smoke as the wooden corpse clattered lifelessly onto the ground. Rhasta's eyes grew wide, knowing full well whose javelin that was and became overwhelmed with happiness as he heard a familiar voice call out to his name.

"Rhasta!" a beautiful doe called out to him, carrying the very same javelin that struck the alpha wolf.

"Aiushtha! You are alive!" Rhasta shouted as he and Zecora ran over to Aiushtha. "How did you find us? And more importantly, where did your human half go?" The two shared a quick laugh as they got reacquainted with each other. Zecora only smiled politely at the being before her, it's not every day you get you get to see a being as graceful and majestic like Aiushtha.

"I saw your ether shock from outside of the forest, and as for my form, I'm not sure. Although, I could ask the same about you," Aiushtha replied as she let out a small giggle. She turned to face Zecora, who let out a sheepish smile. "I see you made a new friend Rhasta. Greetings, friend. My name is, Aiushtha," she said while giving a courteous bow.

Zecora bowed as well before she replied. "A pleasure to meet a majestic friend of Rhasta. My name is, Zecora." She turned to Rhasta. "I do believe she is the friend you were looking for, hopefully finding the rest won't be a chore." Rhasta just smiled as he spoke.

"If Aiushtha is here, then the other three shouldn't be too far away. We should save proper introductions for later though. For now, let us focus on getting out of this forest." The three nodded in agreement and all trotted towards the clearing where they were greeted with a bright opening to the outside world.

They picked up their pace and ran all the way towards opening where they were rewarded with the bright sun shining its warm glow upon them. They lingered by the clearing for a spell, enjoying the sun's warm rays after being stuck in a dark forest for so long.

While Aiushtha and Rhasta were enjoying their moment's reprieve, Zecora had decided to look for her own group friends. She still needed to ask them about the weird events that had been happening so far, aside from Rhasta's own shaking, of course.

"I have never been so glad to see the sun, but sadly my friends, I must run. Twilight and the others I must find, to receive answers and achieve peace of mind." Zecora began to walk into town when she was stopped by Aiushtha.

"Wait! You wouldn't happen to know anyone by the name of Fluttershy, do you?" She asked, a look of worry gracing her features. She had been wondering how she was doing after she had abruptly left to help Rhasta in the Everfree Forest.

"But of course. She is yellow, yes? She is probably with Twilight and the others, that is my bet," Zecora rhymed.

"Do you mind if Rhasta and I joined you? I would like to tell her that I am okay," Aiushtha asked once more with concern laced in her voice.

"Of course you can. Perhaps you will even fine your other friends," Zecora answered with a smile.

"Why thank you, Zecora. This means a lot to us," Rhasta replied as he affixed his wards on his back.

"It is the least I can do, after you save me from that dastardly group," Zecora replied, glad that the two bizarre guest she had only known during her near death moments were going to accompany her to meet Twilight and the other. She didn't know if anything else was going to happen today with all the shaking and airborne explosions making it uncomfortable to live in her hut.

The three turned around and took one last look at the Everfree Forest before making their way into town.

"Well, we better be off then. The quicker, the better!" Rhasta said as he began making his way into Ponyville.

"Yeah, let's go! Sproink!" Aiushtha shouted as she busted into a full gallop down the road, leaving Zecora with a curious expression.

"Sproink?" Zecora thought.

Chapter 3 end.

Author's Note

Ugh this chapter gave me such a headache but at last it is done, I had to comb the first half of the chapter for mistakes and did the same for the last half, hopefully i caught most of them.

Also happy not world ending day!

Chapter 4: The Bounty Hunter- Part 1

What a hero Truly Need?

By: Zelkova48

Chapter 4: The Bounty Hunter- Part 1

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

Gondar was not having the greatest time. Falling from the sky after getting sucked into a black hole and deposited into who knows where had sent him into a panic. Adrenaline rushed through his veins faster than Storm Spirit in his Ball Lighting form as the ground below him grew closer and closer. He needed to act fast before he became Gondar, the late Bounty Hunter.

He quickly holstered his sword and mancatcher before scouring the impending earth to see if there was anything to soften his landing. Sure enough, he spotted a dense forest next to a rocky field and rushing river.

The trees were tall enough for him to try and grab onto one of the branches and slow his descent down to earth. One wrong move however and he'll end up careening directly into the treeline, crashing his way down and mangling him along the way. There was absolutely no room for error, Gondar had to make sure of it.

Being a professional, he took advantage of the adrenaline coursing though him, granting him enhanced agility and heighten reaction. He steadied his nerves and locked away whatever fears that plagued his mind on the drop.

He was ready.

Gondar stared at the earth, his eyes locked with resolute determination, much like whenever he was going for the successful kill of a long and harsh manhunt. He wasn't about to die now; he simply refused to accept his fate.

His mind now a fortress of willpower and focus, he prepared to push his body to its absolute limit in order to save himself.

The forest slowly moved into view and he could see the individual pines and oaks instead of a large mishmash of green and all of its tints and hues. With measured movements, he turned his body little by little in the air until he changed his course and glided towards the forest just as he planned.

Before long, he found himself within the treeline, moving with incredible dexterity as he nimbly dodged branch after branch towards his safety.

"Got to time this just right," he thought.

This was it, he couldn't fail now.

The world was still crawling with crooks, criminals, and brigands. Gondar couldn't die now, the world still needed him. So long as someone had a price on their head, the Bounty Hunter will find them and take their head as proof of his successful hunt.

Gondar peered through the various branches of the tallest pine tree he was falling next to, reaching out with his hands, searching for the right moment to latch onto one of the branches and to slowly descend his way back onto the ground.

"Come on, come on!" Time was a luxury he didn't have. The earth was getting closer and closer and he had to grab now, otherwise he'd be nothing more than a memory. Without a thought, he pulled his arm all the way out and grabbed the nearest branch he could find, only things didn't go as he had planned when he looked at his 'hands'.

He didn't have any fingers. For a moment he thought he lost his hand, until he closely examined it mid flight. It was a hoof. He had hooves now.

"Wait? What the hell!?" was all he manage to say before his disrupted focus caused him to shift ever so slightly. This lapse in concentration caused him to bash right into the trunk of the tree and spiraling him out of control, crashing into almost every tree branch down the line. The only sound you could hear echoing from the forest was the grunts and pained yells coming from Gondar.

"Gah! Guh! Huh!? Yah! Ugh! Hyuugh! Wah!"

*Crack!* went his ribs.

*Snap!* went the bones in his limbs.

*Clang!* *Rip!* went his backpack and weaponry as they were torn off of his person.

*Thud!* went his body as he tumbled and rolled to a halt upon the soft dirt, blacking out on the spot.

After what felt like an eternity to Gondar, he was finally coming to. He hacked out a few coughs and breathed in deeply before feeling the cold wind blowing across his face like a flat blade of ice running across his cheek. He was still alive but he was hanging onto life by a very thin thread.

"*Cough* *Cough* Well.... that could have gone better."

Using whatever strength he had leftover, he opened his eyes very slowly and took in his surroundings. Now that he was grounded he got a good view of where he was.

Though his vision was still very blurry he could make out some of the features that made up the land. He looked around with his aching head and saw that the trees were far away now, his fall had dropped him past the forest and rolled him unceremoniously onto the rocky fields he saw in the sky earlier.

Everything was either a hazy brown or a blocky gray judging from the land. Gondar could tell the grays were the many rocks and boulders that made up the clearing and the browns being the bare soil in which he laid.

It wasn't a soft and cozy bed, but after coming into contact with so many trees and branches it felt like an exquisite silk mattress to him.

There was really nothing more to the land. He couldn't see if there was any other signs of life aside from the occasional chirping of the birds or the skittering of the small woodland creatures.

He was alone in the middle of nowhere.

Aside from the modest scenery he also noticed that most, if not all of his equipment, were gone. His sword, mancatcher, and shuriken were nowhere to be found, and his backpack was missing as well. He was only left with the clothes on his back and his favorite bandanna around his face.

He was left with nothing to defend himself with in the wild. Not that he needed his weapons at the moment, but they would've helped. His hand to hand combat skills was second to none and keen survival instincts were a part of his very being. However, they were worthless if he couldn't move at all.

Even though his situation was quite dire he kept his cool as he tried to move his body. He shifted his body to the side but several shocks of pain rang out from his injured limbs cried for him to stop. His arms and legs weren't doing so well, he tried to move them only to feel several broken bones get jumbled around.

He suppressed another cry of agony as well as he could before the pain subsided. Moving his limbs were out of the question. It felt like being shocked by Zeus each and every time his body made even the barest of movement.

His chest fared no better. There must have been several ribs that were either completely broken off or fractured like glass. It was a miracle that none of those broken ribs punctured any of his internal organs along the drop.

Yet, even in the unimaginable amount of pain he was experiencing, he struggled to stand up using his sheer force of will to resist the pain that was constantly tormenting him with each waking second.

"Gyuuuh!" he let out another yell as a sharp pain rang out from his side. He shifted his vision, and to his disbelief, saw a large wicked gash on the side of his abdomen. To top it all off, he was bleeding profusely.

"What's this?" He glanced over at the wound and saw a piece of broken metal just barely sticking out of the wound. From what he could make of it, the foreign object was a bloodied blade that was once part of his shuriken. It must have cut into him on the way down then broke off from the force of the landing after all of his equipment were ripped off of him mid fall.

He reached over with his han... hooves, to try and remove the blade from the gash. He'd have to figure out what happened to his body later. That is, if he lives at all to get some answers about his altered form. His arms racked with pain as he reached on over to the wound to try to pull the blade out, how he was going to do it with hooves instead of hands was something that completely slipped his mind as his hoof finally reached the blade.

His muddled thoughts were interrupted when he felt a tingling sensation atop his hooves. He couldn't see the mysterious energy, but he could most definitely feel it. The energy warped and contorted to the will of his thoughts, which gave him an idea.

He focused this alien energy around his hoof and shaped it into something that he could grip objects with. Sure enough, the energy formed around the blade with a tight hold.

"Well, that is interesting. Now all I got to do is... hyuugauh!" he grunted through gritted teeth as he attempted to pull the blade out. Slowly but surely (and painfully) the blade made it way out from the gash. His breathing grew heavier and more labored the longer he took to remove the blade. His mind and vision were beginning to be enveloped by a dark haze.

"Okay *sigh*, so far... so good." Beads of sweat grew more and more frequent as the blade edged its way out. "Halfway there, just got to... gaaaah!" The blade cut into his side as his hooves nudged it the wrong way, sending another wave of shock rippling throughout his body and blood to leak out at a hastened pace.

His focus broke, and with it, the grip from the blade. He immediately let go and laid down on his sides, waiting for the pain to subside. He couldn't try again. He had no more strength left and the dark haze was overpowering him. He could feel his soul being pulled out of his body by an unseen force.

"Is this *cough* how it will end?" He chuckled at the thought. "I never would've thought I would be finished off by something so simple as... falling, heheheheh," he whispered to himself as the encroaching darkness grew nearer and nearer.

"I guess this is really it. I gambled... and I lost... Time to... cash out..." His thoughts filled with regrets as his consciousness began to slip.

He cared not for the vast amount of wealth he was leaving behind, he could always make more on his own time. He cared not for the fools that will stain his name once word reaches that the fearful Bounty Hunter was killed by something so humorous as falling from the sky, his reputation was the least of his problems now.

No, the things he regretted most were not being able to hunt down criminals anymore, and never getting the chance to properly say goodbye to the friends and acquaintances he had made during his time fighting for the Ancients. He would probably never admit this to anyone, but personally he enjoyed his time fighting alongside the other heroes among the battlegrounds.

As a person who kills for a living, it can be a lonely pursuit. The people he calls his "allies" were always prepared to stab him in the back. Yet, no one has ever succeeded in killing him. He really was unbelievable as the stories, myths, and rumors spoke of him.

But the heroes of the Radiant and Dire were different. He enjoyed their company every chance he got.

He could relate to Rikimaru's situation. He never had a real family but they were both assassins who shared similar skills and goals, and it was always ridiculous to track down fleeing enemies while completely invisible with him.

The beautiful Lanaya was also an assassin who he has fought alongside. She'd often assist him from all the way across the battlegrounds with her helpful traps, of which he was ever so grateful for. He also liked the fact that she could keep a secret, unlike others he had worked with.

Meepo was a shady character, but you could always go to him whenever you needed something that was otherwise unattainable, which proved an invaluable asset to have when Gondar was hunting down his toughest bounty yet: the Crimson Cut-Throat.

Underneath the tough and hardened exterior of the hidden hunter was a hero that was willing to defend his closest friends to the last breath.

" *Sigh* I miss my friends..." He then used his peripheral vision to look around to see if he was truly alone. His heightened senses reassured him that there was no one watching or listening to him from a distance. "I really hope no one heard me say that..."

With his last word spoken his body began to grow cold and his consciousness slipped from his mind. The darkness that was waiting patiently for him finally took over and the mighty Bounty Hunter was finally unconscious, surrounded by a small pool of his own blood. All was still and quiet for a few seconds, until the silence was broken by the sound of a faint squeaky wagon echoing throughout the calm clearing.

Rarity calmly trotted down the dirt path that led to the mineral quarry just outside of Ponyville, hauling a rather unique looking gem cart behind her and wearing one of her more extravagant sun hats.

What? It was more than just a fashion statement. She was going to be out in the quarry under the hot sun all day and she needed proper protection from the sun's rays.

She had no time to lose, the deadline for Hoity Toity's dresses were creeping closer and closer. The explosion and shaking earlier cracked and chipped all of her gems and she needed to gather some undamaged ones before it was too late.

One would assume that with Rarity's posh and refined personality she would be easily shaken, pun intended, by the recent tremor that shook the little town and wouldn't be able to make the long trek to her destination.

But her friends knew otherwise. She hated dirt, true, but she knew it wasn't exactly the end of the world if she got a little dirty (though she still highly detested dirt and mud stains upon her fabulous coat). As for her physical safety, that was another story.

It was at this very same rock quarry she was traveling to where she was captured by the dastardly diamond dogs, who held her prisoner after discovering her talent of finding gems. Rarity's mind recoiled at the memory as she reminisced on what happened after.

They had had her captured, outnumbered, and with no real method of escape. She was at the whim of the dogs. They would've made her search for gems until she was a old wrinkly mare.

But then she turned the tables upon them. A small smile formed upon her face as the memory progressed. The dogs thought they had the upper hoof until she complained them into the depths of insanity. She giggled at how a clan of large, oafish, and semi-intelligent dogs could submit to something so trivial as Rarity's simple complaints.

Rarity knew how to take care of herself, she was strong that way. Twilight, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie weren't the only ones who could defend themselves. Heck, she even bucked a manticore in the face on their very first adventure together in the Everfree to stop Nightmare Moon.

"I wonder how they're doing right now?" Something had crashed in the White Tail Woods and everybody but Pinkie and Fluttershy went to investigate. She would've gladly joined them on their little excursion but she had work that needed to be done.

She'd only wished that her little Spikey Wikey was with her, he always assisted her whenever it came to gem hunting. He would help her dig the gems out so that she wouldn't get dirty and he would receive some gems in return as a reward (although to Spike, the real reward was getting to spend time with the pony of his dreams). He would've help her gather the gems twice as fast but he was on duty at the moment.

She would have to pulls the gems out herself using her magic. It will take a while to gather all the gems she required this time around, but she was ready to do it.

Rarity had brought along her surprisingly stylish gem cart to carry all of the gems with. Truth be told, it was the same one she had 'borrowed' from her captors, she just cleaned it up and had it glamorized to suit her taste. Nobody expected that she could transform an old, beat up, rusty wagon into a thing of beauty, but she managed to do so regardless.

It was absolutely fitting for the young fashionista. All of the rusty metal parts had been polished to achieve a mirror shine of brilliant silver. The rest of the cart was painted a glossy pure white that matched her flawless coat, it even had her cutie mark emblazoned on the side to represent who the cart belonged to.

In it was a picnic basket filled with all assortments of treats and refreshments, and her emergency sewing kit (for sewing emergency's of course).

Was she afraid of the diamond dogs? Was she afraid that they might come back and attempt another kidnapping? Heck no! If anything, the diamond dogs were more afraid of her than she was of them.

"I doubt those ruffians will be back if they know what's good for them" She huffed at the very thought of those dirt covered troublemakers trying to pull another fiasco like that again. She could handle herself no problem.

She slowed her pace down to a full stop when she had finally her destination. The view that stood before her would be unimpressive to the average pony. Nothing but dirt, rocks, and at least one tree off in the distance. But Rarity begged to differ. It was gems that helped her acquire her cutie mark in the past, and it was gems that brought her dreams of being a fashion designer into fruition.

Rarity could sense the vast never ending veins and stashes of minerals and gems that downright littered the deceptive clearing, she had always known there were an audacious amount of gems in the very soil of the land.

It wasn't until she was captured when she truly realized how massive it really was. It spanned all the way down into the very depth of Equestria with various caverns and cave systems that not even the greatest of cartographers could map out in their lifetime.

She took a breather as she unhooked the cart from herself, stretching to remove any soreness or aches that may have occurred during the travel. She briefly took in the scenery and her surroundings, she could sense all of the beautiful gems hidden beneath the bountiful earth.

If the diamond dogs weren't still scouring the depths of the quarry to sate their lust for the shiny and colorful rocks she would actually consider making a summer home here, even if it was just a short walk away back into Ponyville.

"Alright Rarity, time to go gem hunting!" Without a second thought, she dashed directly into the clearing using her magic to sweep the area to find any hidden caches of gems.

Sure enough, she immediately finds a small cache just a couple meters into the bare field. Using her magic she unearthed the gems from the ground. One by one the precious minerals made their way up. Diamonds, sapphires, topaz, and several other precious stones floated around in mid air, basked in a light blue glow. With a light shake all of the dirt and loose soil crumbled off of the gems.

She grinned as she had just found her first batch of gems, admiring the shiniest ruby of the bunch that displayed her flawless complexion in its reflection.

"Oh! Who's that gorgeous looking filly looking back at me?" she joked. She quickly placed the gems into her cart and continued on with her errand. She ran briskly back and forth throughout the clearing, constantly returning with a collection of gems, each one larger than the last. It was a solid pace and she should be done collecting all the gems she needed before it was noon.

Then all of a sudden, her gem detection spell began to react violently.

"Oh my! What's this?" She felt something enormous off in the distance, right next to the nearby river. It was perhaps the largest cache she had discovered today or even in her life. If she were to mine this cache she would have collected all of the gems she needed to fill out the order, plus extra!

"What a lucky score! If can I get to that cache I'll be finished with the dresses before the week is over!" She ran on over to her cart and hooked it back on. With vim and vigor, she dashed towards the direction of her miracle gem cache.

It only took seconds for Rarity to reach the source of the gem cache, she could sense all of the gems underneath her perfectly hooficured hooves. There was so many that she almost got a migraine sensing so many at once.

She quickly scanned the ground to see if there was a opening in which she could pull the gems out without causing dirt to fly everywhere. Too bad there was going to be dirt everywhere. It wasn't going to be clean but she knew what she had to do.

"Oh, sweet Faust. Please let this end quickly," she prayed as she discovered a decent opening to harvest the gems.

With deep focus, she used her magical grip and grabbed one of the many gems underneath. With a solid pull, the gem dislodged itself from the center of the bunch, popped up from out the ground, and landed with a small *klink* sound.

Rarity waited eagerly for the veritable explosion of gems that was to come, but no such thing happened. She stood there, confused.

"Why, I was sure that would've..."

Her thoughts were cut short when the ground suddenly began to rumble, not quite as violent as the earlier shaking, but it had enough force to nearly cause Rarity to trip and fall. A small well cracked open from the earth that grew larger and larger until a literal geyser of gems erupted into the air, causing it to rain dozens, if not hundreds of gems from the sky.

Rarity's eyes grew as wide as dinner plates. It was like a beautiful dream, a dream where it rained precious stones from the Heavens as a result of her hard work.

She couldn't contain herself. She tried to hold back the urge to giggle and prance around hysterically like a young school filly with a new toy, but the feeling persisted and overtook her senses nonetheless. There she was in the middle of a barren field next to a hill of gems hopping around without any signs of self control.

"This has got to be the greatest day of my young life!" she shouted at the top of her lungs, the shouting apparently snapped her out her unrestrained euphoria and she slowed down as a result. When she finally collected herself her face was about as red as a tomato.

"Ahaha... I really hope no one saw me act in such a vulgar manner..." She looked around a bit to see if she was truly alone. To her relief there was no one besides her and her pile of gems.

"*Phew* Thank Faust there was nobody her- *gasp!* " whatever relief she may have had earlier was replace with shock and fear. She raised a hoof to her mouth to try stifle a scream that desperately wanted to escape. Diamond dogs she could could handle but the sight before her made her blood run cold.

It was the body of a male earth pony lying in a pool of his own blood.

" H-h-how... c-could this have h-happened?" her trembling voice did little to help her maintain rational thought. "Did the diamond dogs do this? No, they couldn't have". As annoying as diamond dogs are they could never resort to something as barbaric as attacking and killing an innocent pony without reason. It was probably an accident or a blind attack by the animals of the Everfree forest. The pony could have stumbled all the way out here and collapse from exhaustion.

She couldn't deal with the image she beheld in her eyes. She felt was beginning to feel incredibly nauseous, in fact it looked like she was turning a fair shade of green as she suppressed the urge to vomit.

She swallowed whatever gruel wanted to leave her stomach in an act of defiance, such an act as vomiting would be considered very unladylike even if it was in the middle of an empty field. Time seemed to have froze as she stood there trying to cope with the mental trauma she was currently suffering from.

Luckily she wouldn't have to suffer anymore as the sound of raspy breathing coming from the unconscious pony brought her back into reality. " *Sigh* thank goodness, he's still alive" Her sensitive mind calmed down slightly but a new problem arose in the wake of the last. She has a dying pony in her hands and she had to do something about it.

Her mind raced to find a solution, she could attempt to move him into her cart and bring him to Ponyville's hospital to receive proper medical care. It seemed like a good plan until she actually got close to examine the poor pony's body.

The bruises on the limbs indicated several broken bones within the body from his arms to his legs. Then there was a large bloody gash on his side with something shiny jutting from it, this along with the bones discouraged any effort to move him anywhere without causing any more damage to his already ravaged body.

"Good gracious darling, what did you get yourself into?" she couldn't move him at all in his current state and running back to Ponyville to fetch a doctor would take too much time.

She ran through her list of options one last time before coming to a medically sound conclusion, she had to nurse him back to reasonable health here so that hopefully he would be conscious enough to accompany her back to the hospital. It was a bit of a stretch but there was really no other way, he could die anytime being carried back into town and the death of fellow pony was something she would not want to have haunt her conscience in the future.

Without missing a beat she used her magic and pulled out her picnic basket and emergency sewing kit, quickly bringing them over to her side. She looked over the poor pony one last time before taking deep breathes to steady her nerves.

She couldn't believe that she was about to help a dying pony escape the brink of death, she couldn't understand why something like this had her so rattled. She and her friends stopped NIghtmare Moon from plunging Equestria into eternal darkness, they ended Discord's chaotic reign of psychopathic madness, She has handled problems where the very fate of Equestria hung in the balance!

So why was this one pony so troublesome to her thoughts, her morals, her ethics? What was so special about this one lone pony compared the thousands of others she and her friends have saved time and time again.

Was he a wealthy noble? Was he royalty? He could be nothing more than a roamer, a nobody, or even a rotten thief. She didn't have to do this, she could just leave him here and no one will even care. She would just take her gems home and continue on with her life. What was the one compared to the many? She doesn't even know him!

*WHAM!*

Her head rang like a school bell, her right cheek was red with pain. She looked over at her hoof, tears beginning to form at her eyes. She'd just slapped herself. Why did she do that? Was she starting to lose it? was her sanity starting to unravel? It was something she subconsciously did, she was so confused at why she just harmed herself until she looked over to her gem cart and saw her cutie mark. It all became clear.

She was Rarity, the very pony that was the embodiment of generosity. She felt glad that she slapped herself now that she remembered, at the moment when her mind was questioning everything there were two Rarity's at the moment instead of one.

She was disgusted by the fact she had even considered abandoning this injured pony, leaving him for dead. She was acting selfish and it was up to her other self to bring her back to her senses. She'd the same conflict of interest a few months before during her trip to Canterlot between the canterlot elite and her friends. It didn't seem like that big of a deal then even after the problem was resolved, but the fight within herself was a painful indeed. She was still glad she made the right choice.

And now she has chosen to help save this pony's life. This was the life of element of generosity, always giving with altruistic intent, always thinking about others more so than herself. Her mind was free of any doubts and fears that have been troubling her, and her heart was in the right place. As she gathered her tools of her trade she was prepared to use her special talent in a new manner.

She glanced over the wounds a few more times to understand what she was getting into, after carefully observing the large cut she made it her number one priority to seal it up to prevent any more blood loss. Using a spare cloth she had in the picnic basket she soaked it in water from her canteen and began cleaning the wound. She held her breath as she cleaned the bloodied area around the gash, before she knew it the wound was free of any dry or wet blood that remained, underneath that harsh shade of crimson was a clean but scraggy looking shade of yellow.

" *Sigh* so far so good" she wiped away the sweat that was forming near her brow, the wound was now clean.

Next came the hard part, she had to suture the cut to prevent any more blood loss. Luckily for her that was not that deep but then there was the foreign object that was still lodged in the opening.

She braced herself for what she was about to do next, using her magical grip she held onto the object and gently pulled it out, being precise and cautious to avoid damaging any of his internal organs. When she finally heard a sickening squishy sound she realized that the object was fully removed from the gash.

She wiped off the blood from the strange curved object to see what it was. She was shocked to find out that it was a small blade, she ran her hoof on the edge to feel its quality. She didn't put any pressure on the blade but when she looked at her hoof she saw that there was a small cut. It wasn't anything serious although she could tell this little blade was comparable to that of a surgeon's scalpel.

This was a professional blade. Once again her mind struggled to piece together what this pony might had gotten himself into.

" Ugh, I really hope he's not some thug being chased by the royal guards" she pondered, then another thought occured. " Wait, what if he's really a prince from a foreign land? Maybe his throne was maliciously usurped and he fled from his country to contact Princess Celestia and ask for her help!" Her thoughts were teeming with some fairy tale fantasy that only a unicorn like Rarity could come up with.

" Perhaps he requires the help of the elements of harmony!" She shifted her gaze from the blankness she was staring so passionately at towards the mysterious pony, trying to see if she could get a glimpse of his face.

Her expression fell when she noticed he was wearing a mask, half of his face was obscured by tattered bandanna. She tried to remove it to get a better look at his face but the large gash on his side made her remember why she was helping him in the first place. There she was fantasizing again when somepony's life was in danger.

Breaking away from her made up stories she quickly threaded her needle with only the speed a master seamstress could possess. One quick sterilization of the needle with a little fire spell and some water and she was set to suture the gash.

With intense focus and her magic she quickly and cleanly sewed up the wound with her own brand of surgical precision in a single deft movement, after the wound was sealed she cleaned it once more for good measure. It was a jaw dropping sight, the once bloody and life threatening cut was all closed up and clean within a matter of seconds.

Her friends would've never believed her if she told them she manage to perfectly clean and suture up an open wound of a dying pony on her first try.

Little did they know that all of those times she spent volunteering down at the local hospital has taught her a thing or two about proper medical treatments and procedures. Nurse Redheart always said that if Rarity wasn't already a dressmaker she would have made an excellent surgeon, with her incredible precision she could possibly the very best there was to offer.

Too bad she would never have the nerve to become a doctor with all of the blood, diseases, and the awful scrubs all of the staff members had to wear even if they did match the curtains.

" There we go, all finished... eh, sort of" with a snip of the thread with her trusty scissors and one knot later the injury was no more, he was still breathing but she had to make sure that he was going to make it.

She approached him and leaned in to listen to his heart. It was still beating, which was a good thing and his pulse seemed fine. For as much as she knew about medicine he was stable enough to live. His bones on the other hoof would have to wait. She didn't know anything about setting bones so she had to wait until he was up and about to get some real help from a doctor.

She fell back on her haunches to relax a bit after going through so much in so little, she looked at the pony she just saved. A smile graced her face, being the element of generosity was a lot of hard work. But she wouldn't have it any other way. She just hoped that she wouldn't get any wrinkles when the day was over and done.

She stood up and walked on over to the pile of gems she neglected when she was helping out the stranger, she just stared at it for quite some time before she started gathering them into her cart.

She did not forget about her order nor did she forget about the sleeping pony, as she was moving the gems into the cart she simultaneously used her magic to fold her picnic cloth into a makeshift pillow and gently place it beneath the strangers head making sure not to startle him. She would let him rest until he is well enough to be moved into town.

" Honestly, can this day get any stranger?" she wondered as she piled on the gems into her cart. First explosions and earthquakes then a mysterious stranger ends up nearly dead in a mineral quarry.

She should have a talk with Twilight and the others later, but not before she finished her errand without anymore interruptions. She used her magic and levitated the gems into her her cart. Within a few minutes of work the gem cart was overflowing with gems of all shapes, colors, and sizes.

"There we go, a pile of fresh gems to work with" She gleaned over at her bounty.

It was finally done, she had collected all of the gems she required. It had been a strange day indeed but that did not impede her work in the slightest. She just wanted to stare in awe at the giant pile of gems she had collected.

Her mind was locked onto the pile until the stranger started to stir. She was quite surprised that he regained consciousness so quickly, she ran on over to make sure he didn't strain himself when he wakes up. His eye began to open and Rarity was right beside him.

"Are you alright, darling?" she calmly asked.

The stranger didn't respond immediately, her looked around blearily and stared at Rarity, a confused look in his eyes. She was getting a little uncomfortable being stared at and she couldn't tell what he was feeling beneath that mask of his. Was he frightened? Or maybe he just doesn't understand what was going on.

She wanted to break the awkward silence but before she could get a word out, he spoke. In a raspy but clear voice he asked:

"Who are you?"

Chapter 4 end

Author's Note

Hi there I hope you guys enjoyed your holiday season as I have and had a great time. It is really a shame that Frostivus got cancelled but that meant I got to go smash so naughty greevils and earn presents in the process!

Man this chapter is bigger then i thought, so big that I am going to have to split it into two parts. This way you guys can read something and I can go and fix properly mistakes without scanning through over 10000 words worth of headaches. Also happy new year!

Chapter 5: The Bounty Hunter- Part 2

What Does a Hero Truly Need?

By: Zelkova48

Chapter 5: The Bounty Hunter- Part 2

"Huh? Where am I?"

Gondar's mind was trapped in a dark haze. There was only a surreal void of black nothingness with a nonexistent floor that was blanketed by a thin veil of smoke. He stood in the center of the strange void attempting to comprehend what was going on, and then it hit him; he was dead, or at least in the state of being dead.

He had been to this limbo many times before, but his prime status usually prevented him from going any further beyond. However, this time was different. He looked around the void that was his own subconscious, expecting to see a familiar face in the realm of the dead. He waited, but nobody came.

"So, what happens now?" He decided to kill some time by examining himself, he checked to see if his hands were back to normal. Sadly they were still hooves.

As his vision trailed up his arm he finally noticed that he was more horse like in appearance, and that he had to stand on all fours. Being mortally injured earlier left him little time to fully understand the severity of his situation. As he faded into the spirit world, that was when he could clear his thoughts and think properly.

"Was this a hex gone bad?" He thought back to the battle before being sucked into the black hole.

No one purchased a Sheep Stick or had a Scythe of Vyse yet, and he was sure that Rhasta couldn't afflict teammates with his own hex. So why was it that he looked like a courier who decided to dress itself as Gondar for the Diretide celebration? He pondered a couple of ideas, but then a certain somebody showed up in his head. It wasn't the person he was expecting, in fact, it was someone much worse.

Within a blinding flash of cosmic energy, a terrifying being materialized before Gondar.

The being had the appearance of a big obsidian statue comparable to that of an centaur with wings. pulsing with an unearthly glow of bluish green emanating from the many open cracks of its body. It carried with it a large forked staff as its weapon, and had a haunting ethereal voice that would shake your very soul each and every time it spoke. With emotionless eyes that appeared carved upon its face it stared directly at Gondar. The being was:

Harbinger, The Outworld Devourer

Gondar looked at him with confusion. Why was Harbinger in his head? He was a magisterial being, surely he had other things to do instead of going around peering through people's minds. Besides, wasn't he suppose to be guarding the Outworld or something?

"Funny, I was expecting to meet Krobelus. You know? Cause of the whole fact that I'm dead," His crude attempt humor did nothing to faze the Outworld Devourer, his face remained impassive as it always was and ever will be.

Harbinger merely floated there, his unsettling glowing eyes boring directly into Gondar's own. Just when he was about to crack another joke, Harbinger raised his hand and began to speak.

"Krobelus does not govern death, she can merely attempt to foretell it. You of all people should know this fact." His voice was as bone chilling as ever.

"I know, but I figured she would be around the realm of the dead. Considering the fact that death has denied her passage over and over again." Gondar knew about Krobelus's issue, he just didn't know what else to think of it.

"That much is true. But know that I did not come to visit you in your own subconscious to partake in idle chat." Harbinger then leaned in closer to Gondar. Gondar shrank as the celestial being towered over him. He started to get a little nervous.

"I know we don't talk or fight much together, but I know for a fact that your presence outside of the battlegrounds normally meant that...." Gondar didn't get to finish as Harbinger rudely cut him off.

"I bring dark tidings," Harbinger stated. Gondar didn't look too shocked at the revelation. Every hero who fought for the ancients knew that whenever Harbinger showed up outside of the battlegrounds it was a sign that something cataclysmic was on the horizon.

"FIgures... But why tell me? What's so special about me that you have to go into my mind just to tell me some grim dark future? I'm just a professional bounty hunter. Besides, I'm dead in case you hadn't noticed," Gondar gestured to his surroundings.

"I cannot cross over into another plane of existence without inciting any negative consequences. If I were to do so the damage done to the world will be irreparable. I am merely communicating to you through another plane: your subconscious," Harbinger paused.

"Uh... I sort of got that, but that doesn't answer my question. Why are you talking specifically to me? Why not somebody like Ish'kafel or Darkterror?"

"You are unconscious, therefore you are the only person I am allowed to speak with. No other hero will suffice." Gondar looked at Harbinger, bemused.

"So, It's just because I'm dead that you're talking to me. Again, why?" Gondar tried his best not to sound too annoyed, Harbinger was beginning to act like a broken record.

"Do you wish to hear the premonition or not?" The obsidian being asked.

"*Sigh* Fine, just let me have it," Gondar conceded.

He knew constantly questioning Harbinger was like talking to a dog that was chasing his own tail, It would go around in circles with absolutely nothing accomplished. He might as well get this prophecy over with if Harbinger was here for that very reason, plus it will greatly reduce the stress that was beginning to form in his head.

Harbinger then landed on the floor of Gondar's mind. He planted his staff onto the hazy ground and his glowing eyes began to shine brighter and brighter. It then became so bright that Gondar had to raise his hooves to shield his eyes from the light. Then, with an ethereal voice that thrummed with unspeakable power, Harbinger spoke of the impending doom...

"At the moment when day and night intertwine"

"Both the sun and the moon shall be brought down"

"A betrayal like none other will come to pass"

"An unholy trinity will rally their kind against the duality"

"They will oust and enslave the Heavens"

"They will bring forth a new age of discordant harmony"

"The sun will scream, The moon will weep"

"The whole of the world will break"

"It will rain fire. It will rain ice"

"Mountains will crumble. Oceans will turn to dust"

"The people will celebrate a new age of harmonious discord"

"The people will bring forth the end"

"The people will be prosperous, the world will burn"

".............."

"All will be well for the people"

As Harbinger foretold the future, the dark hazy room that they were both in began to change. The walls were no longer an endless void of darkness, instead it became a whole other place.

Gondar looked and saw that they were in a bright field of grass. It was far too bright to see much but he could make out some of the details. He could see a mob gathering around a set of six gallows. A lone man cloaked in black stood in front of the mob, he held up what looked a locked box. The man then proceed to open the box and pull out six sets of jewelry, 5 beautifully crafted necklaces and a brilliant tiara.

"I... I don't understand, what's going on?" he spoke to Harbinger.

"This is but a glimpse of what is to come," Harbinger replied, his voice somehow managing to sound even more haunting and spine chilling than before.

Gondar looked back at the scene, the man had thrown all of the jewelry onto the ground and began crushing them beneath his feet. The crowd cheered as the man turned the once remarkable jewelry into a shattered mess.

Little boys and girls joined in on the amusement, jumping and laughing like they didn't have a care in the world. As the children merged back into the crowd all of the adults began to spit upon the shattered jewelry, they all stopped when six figures made it onto the gallows.

Gondar looked at the six prisoners and saw their faint expressions. It was that of hopelessness. One of the figures appeared to be crying so much that the floors of the gallows were soaked in tears. Another tried to remain hopeful, a broken smile was all that was there. The others just looked down, they couldn't bear to face the mob before them.

As the nooses were tightened around their necks, all fell quiet. The silence was unbearable, it was absolutely deafening. Gondar bet that not even Nortrom, a man who practically valued silence, could stand the pure dread that filled the air.

Then, in absolute perfect harmony, the bodies fell one by one.

*Ka-chunk!*

*Ka-chunk!*

*Ka-chunk!*

*Ka-chunk!*

*Ka-chunk!*

*Ka-chunk!*

It was rhythmical the way the prisoners were executed. As the bodies hung lifelessly from the nooses the foul silence that previously dominated the air was replace with the sound of joy.

The crowd roared with ear splitting cheer like a great beast that had claimed its prey. Gondar began to feel uneasy as the vision dragged on. He was used to these kinds of sights but for some reason the image before him made him shudder. The whole scene before him eventually faded away into nothingness and a new scene began to take place.

Gondar saw a burning castle being stormed by an army. The entire city that surrounded it was set ablaze and the locals were running about in fear.

He could feel the heat emanating from one of the nearby building, he could hear the screaming and wailing of men, woman, and children being slaughtered everywhere he looked. Gondar's head began to hurt, he couldn't take the visions. The scene faded away and was quickly replaced with another.

The scene had shifted to the aftermath of the attack. This time he saw the army walking out of the castle. The city around them had been reduced to nothing but charred and smoldering ruins. The leader of the army then dragged out two prisoners who had been trapped in a cage.

Beatened and badly wounded, the prisoners were chained along the walls of their small prison. All of the soldiers began cheering as they claimed their victory.

Gondar couldn't take it anymore, his chest felt tight and his breathing grew short. He couldn't handle any more visions of the future. He wanted to leave and never look back.

"Harbinger.... Please, I beg of you. Stop this. I don't want to see these visions anymore, they're too horrifi,c" he pleaded to the Outworld Devourer.

"...Forgive me my friend, but there is one last vision that I must show you, then you may rest." For a moment, the Outworld Devourer sounded sad, maybe Gondar was starting to grow paranoid. He then braced himself for the final vision.

With a bright flash Gondar saw not one but several towns and villages. All appeared well before the blue sky turned into a harsh shade of crimson. All of the villagers and townsfolk looked up and saw a large bloated sun and a broken moon hanging in the sky.

Then the sky and the earth began to burn.

Large debris crashed down into the small village as the raging fire consumed those who could not escape. The screaming of the people rang throughout Gondar's mind, it was driving him insane.

Another bright flash occurred and he saw the land from a bird's eye view. A large mountain range began to crumble into gravel, the ground split open and magma escaped the earth.

The skies were blackened with smoke and the oceans churned violently as the moon changed it position in the sky. A small port town by the ocean was swallowed up by a massive tsunami claiming almost everything in sight. The screaming grew louder and louder as the the visions progressed.

Gondar fell back onto his haunches. Fe closed his eyes and covered his ears to muffle the wailing screeches of pain and suffering.

"MAKE IT STOP!" he shouted but his voice was lost among the sounds of destruction that clamored around him.

"Be strong, Bounty Hunter, it is almost done," Harbinger reassured his friend.

Several images began to flash all at once, each more treacherous then the last. Gondar could feel the flames scorching his skin, the heat grew beyond survivable conditions.

As much as he didn't want to he managed to open his eyes regardless. To his horror he saw that a raging inferno was rapidly approaching him. A large wave of lava swept across the land, consuming everything in its path. Gondar's heart almost stopped as the wave of lava formed into a large wave and slowly collapsed upon him.

He held his hooves up in a futile attempt to hold back the wall of fire, but to no avail as the wall enveloped him in fiery carnage.

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

In a split second before his second demise, Gondar looked past the flames and saw something he could not believe.

All was well. Just like the end of the prophecy.

He saw a land full of people living happily with each other. Everything was stunningly beautiful, both the city and the landscape. There was no more suffering, no more agony, no more screaming. Everything was almost comparable to a utopia. But Gondar did not feel better, in fact he felt much worse. There was something off about this picture, something sinister.....

Gondar opened up his eyes, struggling to steady his labored breathes. His heart was beating so fast it felt like it was going to explode out of his chest.

He looked at himself and Harbinger and saw that they were both okay. The void remained hazy and dark as it was before. He climbed his way back onto all fours and tried to collect himself, his nerves finally began to settle down but his head was still ringing from the screams. He looked up to Harbinger who peered at the Bounty Hunter without emotion.

"What... the hell.... was that?" He asked in between breaths, holding his head afterwards to sooth his headache.

"What you saw was the fate of the world should this prophecy come to pass. Forgive me if the visions were too frightening." Harbinger lifted off the ground and floated again in place.

"The Bounty Hunter is never afraid! But what you showed me was indescribable in nature." Gondar's headache began to fade away as quickly as it came.

"It is the truth," Harbinger replied.

"Day and night intertwine? The sun and moon being brought down? What does that even mean? Why be so damn cryptic?" He asked.

"I am afraid I cannot answer your questions." Harbinger shook his head.

"Typical. First you speak in riddles, now you have to be silent." Gondar's patience with Harbinger was beginning to wear thin. He still couldn't understand why he of all people was chosen for a viewing of the future. He was starting to think he was just here to screw with his mind. Then another thought came to head.

"What am I suppose to do with this information? I'm a dead man, remember?" This one little detail slipped his mind while he was being shown the fate of the world.

Harbinger was silent. His body began to fade away piece by piece, he was leaving. Gondar became incredibly furious that Harbinger was leaving so abruptly after telling him something that he didn't even know what to do with.

"Don't you dare leave yet! WHY, are you telling me this!? WHAT, am I suppose to do!? HOW, am I suppose to stop whatever this is? I'M DEAD! I can't do anything!" Gondar roared. As the last of Harbinger's body faded back into whichever existence he came from, he echoed one last sentence.

"...You are not dead dead dead dead"

And just like that, Gondar was once again left alone in the darkness with nothing to do to pass the time. Was this his fate? Was his mind his own purgatory?

Gondar scowled beneath his mask. He was angry that Harbinger was pulling the average seer routine; you get fed breadcrumbs but never the whole pie. There was one thing that Harbinger said that bothered him though. What did he mean when he said 'you are not dead'?

"Damn it, he could have stayed so I have some company at least." His head hung low, the Bounty Hunter didn't know what else to do. Maybe he should go to sleep. Yeah, that sounded like a good idea. Harbinger's prophetic experience had left him positively drained.

Wearily, he laid on his side and closed his eyes, patiently waiting for what would come next. However, his attempt at rest was halted as he felt a mysterious tug pull at his chest.

"Whoa, what was that?" said Gondar as his eyes shot open. The next tug that came was more forceful than the last, pulling him across the ground. The one after practically launched him up from his spot on the floor, pulling him into a standing position.

"Wah! What is this?!" The tugging continued without pause, dragging his struggling self all the way across his mind, past the seemingly endless void, and into a new entirely location.

When the tugging finally stopped, Gondar fell flat on his face onto a marble flooring that mysteriously appeared out of no where. He rubbed his nose to relieve some of the pain but something caught his attention. He stared at the monument towering over him. It was a large golden gate adorned with several wreaths of beautiful flowers.

He looked past the gate and saw his body at the very same clearing where he was before losing consciousness. He saw that the wound on his side was completely stitched up and he wasn't bleeding anymore. Someone must have helped him while he was out.

Beside him he saw the most peculiar thing, it was a small white unicorn with a curly purple mane. It made him think of the courier, except the courier was a donkey, not a unicorn. Then he saw the craziest thing, the unicorn levitated a pair of scissors over to his sutured wound and cut away the leftovers.

A unicorn was the one who had saved him.

"First, I get sucked into a black hole and sent to who knows where. Then I get visited by Harbinger and had to endure horrible visions of the future. Now a unicorn was the one who save me? This day just keeps getting better and better..." He muttered beneath his breath.

Just as he was contemplating how a unicorn might have saved him the golden gates opened up. Slowly, the barred gates swung open for Gondar, almost as though they were inviting him to enter. He watched the other tentatively side while contemplating on what he should do. Perhaps this was what Harbinger meant when he said he wasn't dead.

"Hmm...If going through this gate means having a second shot at life and a second shot at hunting criminals again, then I got nothing to lose. It's a better deal than being alone here."

Without a moment of hesitation, Gondar jumped directly through the gate and never looked back.

His vision was immediately assaulted with a blinding flash of light, everything went white as his mind became one with his body again. He could feel all of his limbs and the numbing pain that they were in. His view became dark again but that was only because his eyes were closed. He struggled briefly to open his eyes, but when he did he was greeted with a familiar sight.

There was a white figure standing beside him. As his vision grew clearer he managed to identify the figure as the unicorn he saw from the gates. He didn't really know what to say, what was there to say to a unicorn who stitched up your open wounds other than ' Thank you for patching me up little unicorn'.

He opened his mouth to say something but then the unicorn began to... speak?

"Are you alright darling?" Unicorns can talk, who knew? Judging from her voice it was safe to say that the unicorn was a girl. But after all of the things that he has experienced so far, the thought of a talking unicorn didn't exactly faze him as much. He didn't really care anymore of whatever the world might throw at him, he just went with the flow. He looked around a little before asking:

"Who are you."

"Ah, of course, how rude of me. I haven't properly introduced myself yet. My name is Rarity, I was the one who stitched up your nasty cut." She watched as the stranger attempted to stand up, but his broken bones and lack of energy made it difficult. "Hold on, let me help you up." Her horn lit up, a soft light blue glow covered her horn as well as the stranger.

"Whoa!" The stranger cried as he was levitated over to her, he flailed his legs around as he floated in the air but the pain pulsing in his limbs stopped him short.

"Calm down, you're only making it worse for yourself!" With a bit of concentration she brought the stranger beside herself where he wrapped his forelegs over her neck. "There, you should be able to stand with my help, but try not to put too much pressure on your hooves and legs." After a few seconds of balancing the stranger was finally standing up straight.

"*Sigh* Thank you very much, Miss Rarity, for the cut and for helping me up on my feet. But I think I can stand on my own from here on out." The stranger pulled away from Rarity and staggered a bit but regained his footing.

"I believe I should introduce myself as well, my name is Gondar. Let's just leave it at that for now." He then bowed to her, pulling his mask down to breath easier. "Thank you for saving me."

"Oh my," Rarity blushed, 'nopony's ever thanked me like this before.' She held her help hoof to her face to cover her blushing.

"It's really nothing at all, I'm just doing what any sensible pony would do." It seems that some of her dreamy assumptions about this mysterious stallion might be true. But it was still far too early to tell, especially with a name like Gondar. It didn't sound like any other pony names she had heard of.

The way he dressed certainly wasn't anything she had ever seen either.

She finally got a chance at getting a good look of him as he began maintained his balance. Aside from the red bandanna on his face and neck, he wore what appeared to be a simple set of brown shoulder pads. Moving down he was wearing a pair of brown pants complete with a set of belts and some side guards that had a short red cloth tailing behind.

Clothing aside, he looked like he came from the distant land of Saddle Arabia. Another one of her dreamy assumption might have been proven true.

His appearance was also different than that of the average earth pony found in Equestria.

Gondar's coat was slightly shaggier than that of most stallions around Ponyville, nor was he as tall. Compared to Rarity, he was around eye level, only edging her out by a few scant centimeters. His tail was yellow like his coat but it was very short and was obscured by the red cloth behind him. He didn't exactly have a mane, rather he had a short mohawk formed from his shaggy fur, coupled with a short beard.

Physically, his face was more triangular in shape and his ears were far more pointed. He had two spike earring on both ears, with one gold ring earring on the left.

His eyes were by far his most unique and exotic features. His pupils were black slits rather then a rounded shape, centered within a sea of dark crimson. His eyes were both intimidating and mesmerizing at the same time. Truth be told, Rarity thought he looked like a cross between an earth pony, a goat, and her cat Opal dyed in a vibrant shade of yellow.

Rarity didn't know what to think of this pony, she couldn't see his cutie mark so she couldn't make out his special talent. She mulled over her thoughts about the enigmatic stranger, he only told her his name and that was it, nothing else. She was taken by surprise when Gondar began speaking again, his mask was pulled up by then.

"Would any sensible pony assist a dying individual out in the middle of nowhere by suturing up his bloody gash with their own equipment? he asked.

"Uhh... No, I guess not. Hehe." She then saw Gondar wince as he shifted in place, she remembered that she still needed to get him back to Ponyville's hospital. "Gondar, your bones are still broken. I couldn't do anything about that. If you could follow me back into town the doctors there could get you properly treated"

Gondar would've followed Rarity back into town but getting his bones set and healed would take several weeks, he needed to be in peak physical condition now. He had something that he needed to take care of.

Now that he was mostly well again thanks to the help of Rarity, he needed to find out if any of his friends survived being flung out of the black hole and into the sky. Together, they could figure out what happened at the last moment of their fight on the battlegrounds and maybe find out how to change him back to his regular self instead of being a tiny horse.

His bones ached as he was deep in thought. What he wouldn't give for a healing salve right now, those handy little potions could fix even the most serious of injuries. Or even one of the runes along the river, specifically the regeneration rune. The magical rune made the injuries and wounds disappear without even leaving a trace.

In fact, he could have sworn that he had bottled one with Sven before the last battle they fought in....

"I think I have a better idea, Miss Rarity. Have you seen a bag around here somewhere? It contains something that might help my physical condition."

"Why no, I haven't. What's so special about this item that you would disregard medical attention for?" Rarity asked.

"The item in question is my medical attention." Rarity quietly mouthed an "oh" before the two started to look around for Gondar's missing bag.

He just hoped his bag wasn't completely lost, otherwise he could kiss his plans of a rapid recovery goodbye. The two scoured around the bare area, looking past any nook and cranny that the field may have had. Purely out of luck, Rarity looked up the lone tree that was in the area and saw a ripped brown knapsack sticking out of the leaves. Using her magic she levitated it out of the tree.

"Gondar, I think found something!" She levitated the bag over to him.

Gondar quickly snatched bag out of the air and sifted through its contents. All of the weapons and artifacts he had purchased for the earlier fight were gone. A pang of fear stabbed at him, but the feeling was quickly replaced with a wave of relief as his hooves brushed the cool edge of a small glass bottle.

He pulled out the bottle and checked to see if the regeneration rune was still inside, the faint green glow floating in the center of the bottle reassured his hunch.

"It's still in here!" Gondar frantically scrambled to uncork the bottle as Rarity watched in bewilderment.

"What's in there? How could a simple bottle of water solve your problems?" She asked, but she immediately got her answer when Gondar finally opened the bottle.

The cork came off of the bottle with a light 'pop.' Gondar's form began glowing a faint green as his wounds began to heal at unnatural speed.

The sickening creaks of his bones snapping back into place could be heard by Rarity who visibly cringed from the sound. The scar on his side faded away into nothingness, leaving behind perfectly healthy flesh.

Rarity watched in awe with her mouth agape as all of his broken bones and scars ceased to exist. In the span of only a few seconds, Gondar looked as if he had never even taken the full brunt of the fall at all.

"W-what just happened? Your wounds! They j-just d-d-disappeared!" Rarity stuttered, gawking at Gondar with a slack jawed expression. Opening up a little bottle of water healed all of his injuries in only the span of a few seconds, whatever that was she had to ask him where she could get one of those.

With his wounds mended and his body returned to peak strength, Gondar began testing out his new form. A series of agile flips and rapid fire punches in the air proved that he was back to his old self, even as a quadruped. Rarity mouth fell even further, she just witnessed an earth pony pull off stunts that only pegasi could do.

"Just who is this stallion? What are you hiding?" She thought. As Gondar finished his practice he turned to answer her.

"Let's just say it was magic," Gondar said nothing more. Rarity pouted, she was clearly unsatisfied with his answer, though it was feasible. Perhaps it is like one of Zecora's potions, but much more potent in nature. She had to ask him another question, one that has been bugging her since he woke up.

"How did you even get hurt so badly anyway? Please tell me you're not some bandit being chased by the royal guards." She was expecting some kind of outlandish answer but she would've never expected what he would say next.

"To answer your question, Miss Rarity, I fell. From the sky." Rarity's jaw practically hit the floor when she heard the answer.

She had expected him to say something along the lines of 'I was attack by a group of highwaymen on my way into town' or maybe 'Some timberwolves snuck up on me and I barely escaped with my life' or even 'My country was taken over, I was mortally wounded by the fiend who took my throne and fled away to safety. My wound was too serious however and I fell unconscious.'

"What were you even doing in the sky? You aren't even a pegasus!" Her mind was being overloaded with so many questions. He answered, true, but he was very evasive about them and that only left more questions in her wake.

"You sure ask a lot ask a lot of questions don't you?" Gondar thought back to his time with Harbinger, he was asking a boatload of questions then as well. It felt like the role had been switched around. Now Gondar was the one being cryptic and Rarity was the one bombarding him with questions. He knew where this was going and it wasn't going to end unless he gives Rarity some straight answers. "Like talking to a dog chasing its own tail"

"*Sigh* Alright, since you're asking so many questions I might as well tell you my story. You deserve as much for saving me. But I won't go into full detail, I'm afraid."

"Thank you, Gondar," replied Rarity. Although he wasn't going to tell her everything it was a sign of trust that he was even willing to let slip more information.

"Well, here goes. I was participating alongside some friends in a competition. Me and four other were winning until the other team pulled off a last ditch effort for victory, a mishap occurred and we were taken off of the fields and flung into the sky. What happened to them I am not sure but I intend to find out. As for myself, I messed up my landing and crashed around the trees, painfully, I might add. Then you showed up and helped me. I'm afraid that is all that I can say without breaking my anonymity."

Rarity thought over his story. There was enough information to tell that his appearance here was purely a freak accident, possibly of the magical kind. She remembered what Princess Celestia said in her letter to Twilight.

The princess had mentioned that her sister Luna saw something falling into the White Tail Woods. Perhaps Gondar, the aerial explosion, and recent tremor are all linked. She needed Twilight's help to be sure. As she mulled over her thoughts, Gondar approached her.

"I'm sorry, Miss Rarity, but I'm afraid I have to go now. I need to find my friends." He bowed again. "I do hope I can repay the debt in full some time in the future." Whether he was going to meet her again later was unknown to him, but he is willing to assist her should the time come. He then turn to leave, only to be stopped by Rarity.

"Now hold on a moment, I think I can help you. You mentioned falling, correct? Something fell from the sky close to here and my friends are investigating the occurrence, maybe it's one of your friends? If so, allow me to lead you to them." Rarity offered.

Gondar raised a eyebrow at her offer. His tracking skills was the best there is in the world, he could find his friends alone. But he knew that tracking was more then just scents and trails, it's also about information, and Rarity's information might as well be worth its weight in gold.

She was a generous one, this unicorn.

Since she was offering her help it would be rude to turn down such a nice lady. He was glad he didn't have to tell her that he was a bounty hunter, he didn't need to trouble someone like her with his occupation.

"Alright, sounds like a plan. Bring me to your friends, hopefully I'll find mine as well." With the decision settled, the two began preparing for the short trip.

Rarity, sadly, had to leave behind her cart and the giant gem pile. They would only slow them down anyway.

Gondar looked over his knapsack. He was somewhat frustrated, one of the holding straps was ripped apart. There was no way he could wear it without it constantly falling off. Fortunately, Rarity noticed his plight and proceeded to fix it with her amazing sewing capability, going so far as to even add her own unique flair to the stitching. He was genuinely impressed at the display.

"You're real handy with a needle and thread, aren't you?" said Gondar, to which Rarity responded by giving him a look full of pride

"I'm one of the best. It is my special talent of course." She struck an elegant pose as she finished stitching the bag which she levitated over to Gondar. He fumbled around with the bag but managed to get it on his back.

"I know the basics, but I wish was as good as you are, Miss Rarity." He smiled beneath his mask. Rarity blushed again from his praise. Despite his shoddy appearance this stallion was a gentlecolt in disguise. Was her suspicions coming to fruition? She shook her head to remove the foalish thought, this was neither the time nor the place.

She began to help lead Gondar to her friends, the two walked side by side together leaving the quarry and towards the White Tail woods. It was nice quiet walk but Rarity had something she wanted to ask Gondar.

"Say, I don't mean pry into your personal business or anything but I have to ask, what is your special talent? You don't have to answer if you don't want to." Gondar decided to keep the fact that he was good at hunting and capturing criminals to himself. It would be much too weird.

"I'll keep that piece of information to myself for now." Rarity nodded her head understandingly and continued to lead.

All was at ease and peaceful for the two, yet there was a lingering feeling of dread hanging over Gondar.

The visions. He still remembered them.

They meant something but he didn't quite understand it yet. Why would Harbinger show him those horrible images? He was only certain of one thing from the visions. They were going to happen, whether they could be stopped or not is still in the dark.

He shook his head to clear his mind, the horrible visions can wait for another time, he needed to find his other friends. He was glad that he was accompanied by Rarity though, It wasn't as lonely with her around.

Time seemed to fly for Gondar as his mind spaced out from the serene locale, he almost ran into Rarity when she stopped suddenly.

"We're here!" Rarity said in a sing-song voice. Gondar broke out of his concentration and took in the sight before him.

It was another forest but the vibrant leaves that filled the many trees was breathtaking. The scenery here was much better than the simple clearing that the two had just left. Rarity started looking around trying to find her friends, but there was no one around aside from the two.

"I wonder where they are? They should be around here." They both looked around to see if anyone was close by.

"Maybe they're somewhere el-" Gondar stopped as a loud crackling sound boomed from beyond the edge of the woods. The sound was loud, almost like thunder and lightning had struck the ground. But the sky was clear, the only person who could make that sound was...

"Sven!" There was no question about it, that was the sound of his Stormhammer. He was somewhere in the forest.

"Rarity, one of my friends is here! Come on, we have to move." Both Rarity and Gondar started sprinting towards the direction of the sound. As they ran a large purple explosion rocked the trees, the sound of bucking could also be heard throughout the forest. Rarity immediately recognized what the sounds were.

"Girls! My friends are here as well." The two briefly looked at each other and started running double time. As they continued on through the forest, the sounds of thunder and explosions grew louder and louder...

Chapter 5 end

Author's Note

Imma be taking a bit of a short break after this chapter, I wanna catch up on some other stories on this site and brainstorm some later ideas as well as the next chapter. You can expect the next chapter some time later this month, perhaps by the second or third week of January, no promises though if work gets in the way but it will be out soon.

Chapter 6: The Grand Magus

What does a Hero Truly Need?

By: Zelkova48

Chapter 6: The Grand Magus

"Are we there yet?" Rainbow Dash asked a highly irritated Twilight sparkle and Applejack for the forty-eighth time in the last half hour they've been walking.

"NO!" the two yelled. Rainbow Dash let out a loud sigh, she wasn't as used to walking to her destination.

"Well, why don't you guys pick up the pace then? I could have flown there by now!" Rainbow tried to jump up and fly towards the crash zone only for her tail to be caught in a purple glow and yanked back down to the ground.

Applejack and Twilight glared at the grounded pegasus with an irritated look in their eyes, to which Rainbow smiled sheepishly at her friends. Applejack was the first to speak up.

"Rainbow Dash, Let's be clear about three things. One, it's not that far to the White Tail Woods from Ponyville. Two, we need to stick together for when we encounter... whatever it was that crashed here. We don't even know what this thing is! And three, It could be dangerous and If you were to fly off without a plan who knows what would happen to you?"

Both Applejack and Twilight's irritation were replaced with that of fear and distress. Rainbow sighed once more rubbed at her neck nervously. She hated it whenever some of her bone headed actions lead to her friends being all worried about her. It wasn't a serious issues now but they were right, if she just ran off like that what would happen to her in case of an emergency?

"*Sigh* Alright, I'm sorry you guys. I promise not to pull off any more stupid stunts out here as long as we're still helping Princess Celestia." Both her friends smiled. Truly she was the element of loyalty, even if she didn't show it most of the time.

The three ventured off for a few more minutes until they came across the opening of the White Tail Woods. A brief moment of nostalgia washed over them. Applejack and Rainbow Dash's out of control rivalry led them to earning last place in the 'running of the leaves' event while Twilight managed to snag the highly esteemed fifth place position. A valuable lesson in friendship was learned that day but now a discovery was about to be made.

"Ha, good times," quipped Applejack. The trio shared a good laugh before a certain number one assistant crashed into Twilight.

"Yeow! Spike? What are you doing here? I thought you were at home in the library." The little dragon was clearly distraught. His breathing was heavy and his face was red as a tomato, it looked though he had been running the whole way to find Twilight. He was gripping something fierce in between his claws.

"*Gasp* Twilight! *gasp* Letter! *gasp* Celestia! *gasp* Trouble! *gasp* Tired... " he said no more as he collapsed from exhaustion onto the ground, his little legs twitching as he struggled to breath properly. Without missing a beat, Twilight quickly scooped up both Spike and the letter, putting Spike on her back where he instinctively grabbed onto her to rest before reading the letter aloud.

Dear, Twilight Sparkle

My faithful student, I regret to inform you that neither Luna nor I shall be able to make a trip Ponyville and assist you with the investigation. I am afraid that I do not have much time writing this letter as the castle is in high alert, all of the royal guards are clamoring around my chamber door worried about our safety. I will be brief with the answer.

Somepony had made an attempt on our lives

Do not fear for us however, the assassin has been detained and sent to Gladius prison for questioning. We ask you to continue the search for the crash object at White Tail woods, report to us when you have discovered the object and determine the course of action. Should it be nothing more than debris we shall leave it, if it is hostile in any way call for us immediately and we shall come to your aid.

Celestia.

Everyponies jaw hit the floor when Twilight finished reading, the sheer amount of shock they received left them all speechless. Somepony had just tried to murder their kind rulers, the thought alone sounded too outrageous to be believable. They all regained their senses after what felt like forever, Rainbow Dash was positively fuming with rage.

"Who the hay was the pony that did this! I wanna kick his flank all the way to moon!" she stamped her hooves down in angry, her nostril flaring. She was about ready to beat the alleged assassin into submission if she got her hooves on him.

"I'm as outraged about this as you are Rainbow but try to keep a clear head. The princess is okay and she still wants us to investigate the crash site." Twilight's reassurance did little to quell Rainbows wrath.

"Ease up sugarcube, the princesses could have probably stopped that idiot themselves. In case you haven't forgotten, they control the sun and the moon, remember?" Applejack interjected. Rainbow's anger began to dissipate when she was reminded how powerful the princesses were.

"Yeah, you're right. They can handle themselves." Just as she finished Apple jack batted her in the back of the head with a loud *thump!* sound. The hit was so forceful that the pegasus fell to the ground

"Yeow! What was that for?" Rainbow asked as she rubbed her throbbing head.

"For breaking the promise ya made five minutes ago ya dummy!" Applejack answered with a smile. Rainbow let out a loud sigh, there she was thinking about pulling off a bone headed action again. She shook her head and got up before Twilight addressed the two.

"Can you two pull it together, we have an object to find. If the object does turn out to be dangerous then you can go ahead and kick its flank to the moon, okay, Rainbow?" Rainbow smiled at the thought, maybe she would be able to kick some flank today after all. Applejack just rolled her eyes as Rainbow started to get giddy.

"Now come on, lets head on out." The two nodded in agreement and followed Twilight into the woods.

As they scoured the woods they keep an out for any obvious signs of impact damage; broken trees, fire, or a crater would aid in their search. After a few minutes of searching they come across nothing out of the ordinary. The White Tail Woods was in pristine condition as though nothing had crashed into it at all.

Everypony all traded confused looks as their search came up empty, until a faint pillar of smoke was seen billowing off in the distance. With this new development the group dashed off to find the source. When they finally reached the location of the smoke they were greeted with an unusual sight.

It wasn't any sort of mysterious artifacts, a rampaging alien, or even a small chunk of random debris. No, it was something else, something entirely out of the left field.....

It was just some weird masked unicorn with a giant candlestick lazing around a campfire roasting walnuts.

Before anyone could say anything the mysterious pony turned around and startled everypony, save for one sleepy dragon. The masked pony tilted their head in curiosity before speaking.

"Why hello there! I've never seen a creature like you before, care to indulge in some roasted walnuts with me?" the unicorns asked. His voice could be identified as male with a light canterlot accent with his own twist upon it, it also sounded heavy and ethereal thanks to the mask on his face.

The trio of pony gawked at him with a dumbfounded look. Did he seriously just say that he had never seen someone like them before? Yet he himself was clearly a unicorn. Rainbow was the first break out of her trance and spoke up.

"Wait, what are you talking about?" the masked unicorn just looked at them for a bit, his mask hiding any facial expression he may have had underneath. His reply was anything but normal.

"Ah! You can talk! How wonderful, absolutely wonderful!" The unicorn's fascination with them almost felt tangible.

The trio just gawked again with the same dumbfounded look that stuck on their face the moment he began speaking. After hearing everything he had said so far Twilight went on ahead and dismissed the unicorn as a raving madmane. He sounded madder than she did when she freaked out about Princess Celestia and the weekly friendship report.

His clothes did not exactly help in the matter either.

Most ponies don't normally wear a lot of clothing unless it was work related, a special occasion, or because they just simply wanted to wear something. But this unicorn was bundled up like he was preparing for an early winter. His clothes also looked downright comical and clownish, it was to the point where none of them could take him seriously. Well, anymore seriously than they do already.

His mask appeared to be made of metal, it had a silver frame all around with one line from the top to the center representing the symmetry of the face, the rest was colored black. It fitted snugly upon his face, it even had a hole for his horn to stick out of. The rest of the neck and head area was cover by a long turtleneck which was also black and lined with green accents.

His mane, which stuck out from atop his head, was a bright green and tied in a tight ponytail.

The rest of his clothes consisted of an exquisitely designed green shirt (which glowed and 'bubbled' eerily in the light), some robes covering his midsection, and a pair black pants.

He had this audaciously large four pronged cape that was black on the back and green on the inside, with each prong of the cape curled to where they formed four small loops. Above the neckline the cape formed a simple yet quirky forked collar that went past his head.

The rest of the cape was covered with and even bigger and garish golden colored mantle that was larger on the right than it was on the left and was embedded with four green gems in no particular pattern. Near the front of the giant mantle was a golden inscribed shawl that completed the look of the cape.

Then there was this oblong looking candlestick he had; It was long and had a slightly melted green candle near the top. Although, from the looks of it, it was more like a staff than a candlestick. The most unique aspect of the candlestick was how there was this amorphous blob of green energy on top floating about in place, possibly through the work of magic given that the stranger was a unicorn.

If wearing clothes like that didn't make somepony look insane or suspicious Twilight wasn't sure what will. But there was something she had to ask this pony, no matter how crazy he was. She had to ask him if he knew anything about the object that fell into the woods.

But before she could ask the unicorn, Spike began to stir. The smell of roasted walnuts must have triggered his hunger senses. The little guy yawned and stretched loudly upon Twilight's back. With a quick smack of his lips and a rub in drowsy eyes he was finally awake.

"*Yawn* Phew, I needed that nap. Hey, who's your new friend?" the baby dragon asked, to which the unicorn swiftly ran up to Spike with an air of curiosity surrounding him.

"What's this? My, you are a magnificent creature, little one. I've seen dragons before but never one quite like you before." Spike hopped off Twilight's back and stood up with his little claws on his sides, he was positively radiating with pride.

"Gee, thanks buddy. Say, what's your name? Mine's Spike." The dragon held out his claw.

"Ah, Yes, how could I have forgotten to introduce myself? I am Rubick." He proceeded to shake Spike's claw.

"Rubik? Are you're that one pony who invented that weird cube puzzle thingy that Pinkie Pie can't ever hope to solve?" Spike asked.

"No, I don't believe I ever invented such a thing. Perhaps you have me mistaken for someone else," Rubick replied. The two were having a casual conversation together until they both noticed the glares they were receiving from the three fillies standing next to them.

Twilight cleared her throat and decided to speak up.

"Well... since we're doing introductions, we might as well introduce ourselves as well. My Name is Twilight Sparkle, The pony wearing the stetson is Applejack and the prismatic pegasus is Rainbow Dash. A... pleasure to make your acquaintance" They all smiled nervously.

"It is a pleasure meeting you all." Rubick bowed.

The trio rubbed their necks, being the ones bowed at was kind of awkward. Normally they would be the ones doing the bowing, especially whenever the princesses came around. Now that introductions were out of the way it was probably best to try to ask him about the fallen object.

"I hope we're not intruding or anything Rubick, but can you answer some questions for us?" Twilight asked.

"Hmm, well I suppose it couldn't hurt. Come, sit by the fire. I can tell you have a lot on your mind. At least make yourselves comfortable." Everyone walked on over to Rubick's campfire and sat in a circle.

"Would anyone like a roasted walnut?" he offered, "I have plenty." Spike raised his claw and Rubick levitated on over a perfectly cooked walnut where he gobbled it down quickly. The other three shook their heads, there was something more important than roasted walnuts at the moment.

"Thanks, but... I already ate. By the way, have you seen anything fall down here recently, as in like half an hour ago?" Rainbow asked. Rubick tapped on his mask while combing through his memories, after a bit of thinking it hit him.

"Aha! I believe object you are looking for is me, " Rubick replied. The three ponies expression returned to the dumbfounded look they thought they had gotten rid of earlier. Spike on the other hoof was genuinely impressed.

"Wow! That was you? How did that happen? How did you survive the fall? Come on, tell me!" Spike was so excited he couldn't wait to hear about Rubick's story, he crisscrossed his legs like a young student preparing for story time. Rubick let out a hearty chuckle before clearing his throat.

"Very well then little Spike, I will tell you and your friends. It all started with a small mishap including my colleagues and two black holes..."

"How curious, so this is what happens when you put two black holes together," Rubick talked to himself nonchalantly as he was falling in the sky. "On another note, aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" he screamed as he plunged towards the earth and his own demise at breakneck speed.

As the ground rapidly ascended upon him, he managed to pull himself together and focus on his own survival. Rubick ran through a list of options in his mind, time was short but he was fast when it came to quick thinking. He held onto his staff and came up with what he believed was the most appropriate action.

"Okay Rubick, you can do this. You've held off plenty of assassination attempts, just think of this as another one." He closed his eyes and focused his power. With his jaws clenched and his magic in control he unleashed a skill he learned from Dazzle, the Shadow Priest.

"Shallow Grave!" he shouted as he casted it upon himself. His body began to shine with a bright pink aura and a neon ring of the same color appeared above him. He had casted it just in time to as he was mere yards from the ground, and then a grim revelation dawned upon him. "Wait, shallow grave only prevents death! Not actual-"

*WABAM!*

"Pain..." He finished his sentence as his body collided with the hard ground.

Contrary to popular belief, soil is not as soft as you think it is, especially when you crash directly into it at a hundred miles an hour. Rubick had just learned this the hard way as his limbs were twisted around and his lungs began to fill up with blood. Right now his bones looked like a five year old messed up a jig saw puzzle, just random bits and piece here and there with no rhyme nor reason.

"Maybe I should rethink this..." he coughed as he spoke, another spell popped into head that would prove useful in his situations, a certain technique he acquired from Skitskurr, The Weaver. With a pained breath he casted another spell.

"Time... lapse..."

Just like that the small area around him returned to the way it was several seconds prior. Rubick was also back to the way he was before landing, all healthy and well. This also meant that Rubick was falling from the sky, again.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaah! This wasn't such a good idea!" Rubick racked through his brain trying to find a suitable spell that would help in his dire situation, hopefully one that won't bite him in the butt when all was said and done. Finally it came to him, the solution was so simple but he didn't have time to think about. With his mind focused on his magic again he casted the one spell that would utterly save his life.

"Blink!"

Within a flash of bright light Rubick concentrated on the area he wanted to blink to, he visualized the ground before him and just like that he popped back into existence in one piece. The blink spell removed almost all momentum he had while falling and landed him upon his feet without any fear of being flung towards the ground. Though he was glad to be alive he groaned at the fact that such a simple skill had saved him in his hour of need.

"Blink? Honestly Rubick why couldn't you have thought of that sooner!" He mumbled beneath his breath as he chastised himself. Still, he's alive and that was really all that matter at the moment aside from finding out if his friends survived the fall. He took a deep breath as he calmed himself, thinking about his next course of action.

As powerful a magus as Rubick is he couldn't help but feel entirely helpless. He knew enough spells and enchantments that would make even the most seasoned magi feel like an ant being compared to the sun.

Yet, he couldn't think of anything to help his colleagues. Even with the large array of spells he had acquired from other heroes at his disposal he drew nothing but a blank. Perhaps all the adrenaline and panic was still lingering around his head, or perhaps it was the fact he couldn't do anything to help find his friends that filled his mind with doubt of his own strength.

Should any of them were to perish in the wilderness, he would be held responsible. His usual inquisitive and amusing personality faded away to be replace with a feeling of dread.

He shook his head. No, his friends were stronger than this. He was stronger than this. Being a hero of the Radiant was proof that he was strong. They would all survive, and so will he. He lifted his head up, his mind was clear once more and he was back to his old self.

He smiled beneath his mask, no one was going to die today. He could feel it in the air.

With his mind in working order again, he formulated a plan to gather his friends. He would have to set up a camp so that when he found one of his friends they would have a meeting area to join up to. He started on the fire first, he levitated some sticks and branches over into a bundle before gathering any loose stones lying around and formed a ring around the bundle to prevent the fire getting loose.

With the bundle prepared he held out his staff to ignite it. Just when he was about to send out a spark, he noticed something... off about himself.

"Well, this is peculiar." His hand wasn't a hand anymore, it was more like a stump. His gloves also appeared to have somehow change and conform with it. Using his magic he casted a spell he learned from Morphling.

"Replicate"

A small surge of water gathered in front of him, quickly taking shape to mimic the appearance of the caster. Within mere seconds a perfect replica of Rubick appeared before him.

Rubick stared at his makeshift mirror, his form had changed entirely. No more was he the human that was claimed the Grand Magus, instead he was a parody of himself. His clothing were all the same, nothing was out of place. But like his gloves they have all changed and contorted to conform to his new body, which was that of a small horse with a horn.

"Hello there handsome," he laughed. "This is very interesting indeed, somehow I've become a miniature horned horse. What were they called again? Hmm... let's see. Aha! Unicorns! That's what they were called, although I don't remember them being this short."

He tested out his new form, attempting to pick up some random rocks with his new hooves. Amazingly he felt no change in difference from his old hands. His hooves seemed to act as some sort of magical conduit, in which he could direct the energy around however he pleases.

One could say that they were almost a basic limb, designed to grab and hold onto objects. He hypothesized that his mastery over the arcane helped him adjust just fine, but adjusting to walk on all fours would take a bit of practice. His curiousity sated, he then turned to the bundle with staff in hoof and ignited it.

"This form isn't half bad, I still don't get what the horn is for though. I'll have to research that later if all is well." His train of thought was interrupted when his stomach began to growl. "Huh, I suppose it couldn't hurt to eat first. Can't find my friends on an empty stomach."

He glanced around the clearing looking for any source of food, and wouldn't you know it there were a walnut tree right beside him.

"And that's my story up until I met you delightful fillies and your little dragon companion." Spike gave Rubick a standing ovation, he was applauding him like there was no tomorrow as Rubick bowed to his audience of one.

The other three simply gave up trying to comprehend this mad unicorn. They thought that trying to understand Pinkie Pie's innate abilities was a headache, now there was Rubick's inherent insanity to worry about. Spike just continued to cheer on for the wonderful story.

"That. Was. Awesome! How you and your friends got sucked into a black hole! How you managed to survive a deadly drop and turn back time to do it all again! And the part where you had a moment to yourself to reflect your thoughts and questioned who you were! My favorite part was the part when you discovered the walnut tree." Rubick chuckled in response to the young dragon.

"Rrah! Ha ha ha! That was my favorite part too!" The two shared a great big laugh together while the trio of fillies grew more and more irritated of his presence. Applejack went on and butted in on their jovial moment.

"Are you seriously trying to tell us that you're the object from the sky? What a load of hooey." Twilight and Rainbow were thinking the same thing.

"Yeah! And do you really expect us to believe you performed nigh impossible magic like time travel and replication without using your horn?" Twilight questioned, to which Rubick simply nodded in return, serving to further aggravate the poor girl. Rainbow Dash had had enough, this unicorn was just some whack job hermit who wanted some attention.

"Ugh! You know what, this is pointless! Clearly this guy's nuts. Let's just send him to the psychiatric ward at Ponyville hospital and move on with our search!" Before anyone could say anything Rubick stood up and held onto his staff as he glared at Rainbow Dash.

"You doubt my abilities? Perhaps you would like a demonstration? Or... how about, a friendly duel?" His muffled voice sounded serious, yet it did nothing to faze his skeptics.

"Ha! A duel with you someone like you? Pfft, too easy" Rainbow retorted.

"How about a three versus one? You three against me, I'll make sure to tone my spells down to nonlethal levels so I won't accidentally harm you. You three on the other hand, feel free to go at me full force. Spike can be the Judge. If you can to take me down then you've proven your point about my insanity and you can continue to aimlessly search for your mystery object. But if I were to win, you'll have to accept the fact that I was the one who fell here and apologize for calling me crazy. Sound fair?"

Rainbow's patience was wearing thin with Rubick, he just declared a duel where he was at a disadvantage. Not only that he sounded extremely cocky and confident with the conditions and handicaps he set for himself. He was so sure that he would be the one victorious in the end. If there was anypony in Equestria that was cocky, confident, and capable of winning challenges, It was her.

"Fine! You're on! Prepare to lose you madmane!" As she was yelling, Applejack and Twilight pulled her back and whispered to her.

"Are you seriously thinking about participating in this challenge? We going to hurt him! Let's just get Spike and move on," Twilight pleaded.

"Come on Twi, this will be over quick. He's just an arrogant pony who needs to be put in his place, kinda like Trixie." Rainbow remembered Trixie. She was just a blowhard unicorn whose magical prowess couldn't hold a candle to Twilight's own, It would be the same for Rubick in her mind. How sorely mistaken she will be soon...

"Except Trixie never had to deal with three ponies at once, just let it go Rainbow," Applejack pleaded as well, but it seems that Rainbow was determined to beat this pony's challenge and there was nothing they could do or say to make her change her mind. Both Applejack and Twilight conceded "*Sigh* What is it with you and boneheaded stunts today, Rainbow?"

"Don't worry girls, this'll be over in a flash. He won't even know what hit him." Rainbow turned to Rubick. "Alright, bring it on Mr. madmane. You're taking on the Elements of Harmony here!" She puffed out her chest to show her toughness. Twilight and Applejack rolled their eyes.

"We apologize in advance if we hurt you in any way, partner." Applejack and Twilight begrudgingly stood beside Rainbow Dash as they prepared for their duel.

As Rubick was preparing himself, Spike ran up to him with a worried look in his eyes. "You're not really going to take them on are you? I'm not sure if you know this or not but Twilight and the others are the very Elements of Harmony! You're going to get squashed! I think you should just call the whole thing off" Rubick merely waved his hoof and replied.

"There is only one harmony that I know of, little Spike, and that is the harmony within beautiful music and combat. Do not worry for me, instead, cheer on your friends. They'll need all the help they can get if they're going to duel with me." Spike's expression fell, Rubick was going to get his flank handed to him on a silver platter.

Yet there was still the very, very, veeeery unlikely possibility of him winning. Though to Spike the odds might as well be one to a billion, and that was if he was just dueling Twilight. Taking on the elements of Loyalty, Honesty, and Magic alone only made him more of a madmane in the other's eyes. But then Spike thought back to his story.

"If you really are as powerful as you say you are, can you promise me that you won't hurt them?" Spike looked at Rubick, even though he was wearing a mask he could tell that underneath was a warm and gentle smile.

"Do not worry, little Spike, I would never bring harm to your friends. Never in a million years." Spike smiled at his new friend's compassion and ran out of the contender's way.

His feeling of fear was gone and in it's place was excitement. He was going to judge a duel! Not only that, he might be able to experience Rubick's magic first hand.

He knew Twilight's magic was strong, she is the element of magic after all. But most of her magic was used for mundane matters. Except for the moustache spell, that one was awesome. Maybe he'll be able to see those self defense magic spells that Celestia taught her to use in case of an emergency.

He cleared his thoughts when he noticed that both sides were prepared to duel. He stood tall and did his best impression of a judge yet.

"Ahem! The duel is about to begun! The rules are simple, whichever side that cannot continue to compete shall be declared the loser. The winner will be the last pony standing in the end. Would the competitors like to exchange some words before the duel begins?"

Rainbow flapped her wings as she took to the skies and hovered in the air with a cocky grin plastered on her face.

"Only four, Try to keep up!" Her cyan wings were beating strong gusts of wings in Rubick's direction. When she landed down she expected Rubick to be intimidated by her strength and speed, but all he did was brush the dirt off of his cape.

"I only have four words as well." He raised his staff high and looked up at the sky. "Prepare to be tested!" he struck the ground with his staff and an incredible shockwave resonated from it, knocking his opposition down where they fell flat on their haunches, eyes wide in disbelief. But perhaps the most disturbing aspect of his demonstration of power was the fact his horn didn't glow at all, not even a small spark.

"Ready!"

Twilight's pupils dilated before shrinking into pinpricks, her heart and brain went directly into overdrive. Not only because of the sheer power she just experienced but it was also because he used a taboo word that was directed specifically at them. The very word 'test' made her tremble with fear and anxiety. Whenever she heard it she would lose control of her breathing and begin to hyperventilate at a rate comparable to the beating of a hummingbird's wings.

"Set!"

"What have we gotten ourselves into!?" She wanted to forfeit the duel, just apologize and admit the fact that they were wrong and that he was the one that fell from the sky. But her plan went south as Spike brought his claw down and yelled:

"Duel!"

Rainbow Dash and Applejack quickly charge at Rubick with lightning speed. At the speeds that they were going there was no way that Rubick could dodge without being hit by at least one of them. They both decided to get him from two sides, they were quickly closing the distance in the small clearing and were seconds away from colliding with the unfortunate unicorn. They had him, there was nothing he could do now.

"Phase Shift"

Both Applejack and Rainbow Dash didn't have a chance to react before slamming into each other. They both fell back with stars dancing around their heads, trying to figure out what happened.

Rubick had disappeared suddenly without warning and tricked the two unlucky ponies into colliding with one another. In a flash of light and pixie dust, Rubick reappeared completely unharmed and safe. Twilight observe from the back and was still shocked at how Rubick was able to cast magic without use of his horn. It was unbelievable to her.

"Are you finished already? Come now, you can do better than that," he said. This warranted a quick buck from Applejack and a swift hook from Rainbow Dash aimed directly at his face. They had him now. There was no way he could pull off another trick again to help himself at point blank range, right?

"Decrepify"

"Ha! Try dodging us now!" Rainbow Dash and Applejack smiled, he couldn't do anything about his situation. Time seemed to slow down as both their hoof were only centimeters away from his masked covered face. This dual attack was going to knock him out like a light.

*POW!*

"OW!" Someone got hit alright, that someone being both Applejack and Rainbow Dash.

Their hooves phased right through Rubick's form and they both ended up painfully striking each other and knocking them backwards onto the ground. Rainbow was close to a black eye and a broken nose while Applejack was going to be walking with a limp for the next few days. They rubbed at their injuries to try and alleviate the pain from hitting each other.

"Oh, that looked like it hurt" He said as his form rematerialized from the Nether Realm and back into the physical plane. Both of the injured ponies gave Rubick a death stare as they tried to stand back up. Rubick turned around to see that Twilight was just staring at him with her mouth open. "Twilight, close you mouth dear. Flies and all manners of insects might fly in."

She complied and close her mouth but that didn't stop her mind from overflowing with enough questions to fill up an entire set of encyclopedias, kind of like the one she had back at home. This unicorn had taken out two of her friends without lifting a hoof. How powerful was his magic? He didn't even have to use his horn, which ran Twilight's brain ragged trying to come up with a logical explanation.

"Are you going to duel with me or not, Miss Sparkle? Or have you already accepted defeat?" Rubick asked.

Twilight was afraid, she was afraid of his strength. His powers were something else, not even the princesses could perform a feat as casting spells with using their horn. Just who the heck was this pony? She wanted to call it quits, her magic was nothing compared to his. She knew of this.

"Heck no!" Rainbow and Applejack ran over to Twilight's side. "We're not finished yet!" Applejack turned to Twilight. "Come on, get in on the fight. We need your help if we're gonna beat this guy."

Twilight really didn't want to face Rubick, she just wanted to call a truce and ask him how he performed his magic. But Rainbow Dash's persistence and Applejack's stubbornness were starting to show, which meant that they were going to see this through till the end.

Twilight sighed, this wasn't going to end unless they either lost or won. She decided she was going to have to make the wrong decision to achieve the right choice.

"Alright, fine." Twilight stood tall with her head held high and most of her fears expertly concealed behind her courageous facade. Her horn stared to glow with her signature lavender glow. "Try and stop all three of us!"

The three backed off and planned their next move, they were prepared to break out a new combo they've been practicing in case any more monsters run rampant around Equestria. They were going to try it out on Rubick in an attempt to defeat him in one strike.

First, Twilight encased Rainbow Dash within a magical bubble shield to protect her from harm. Second, Applejack bucked the bubble with all her might sending the cyan pegasus flying forward at high velocity like a prismatic cannonball. Finally, Rainbow used her wings to gain even more speed, she was going so fast she was about to perform her signature Sonic Rainboom within such a short distance.

She gritted her teeth and held out both of her hooves, she was prepared to make contact with Rubick and crash into him with a Sonic Rainboom. As Rainbow sped towards Rubick, both Applejack and Twilight followed suit for a follow up attack if the charge failed.

Rubick was feeling positively ecstatic, he was incredibly impressed at their teamwork and skills. He would very much like to research their kind when all was said and done. But for now he had to stop the high speed prismatic bolt of color that was charging towards him at the speed of sound.

"Betcha can't stop me now!" Sparks began to discharge in front of Rainbow Dash as she was rapidly breaking the sound barrier. At the halfway point she felt the familiar surge of power she was so used to when performing the Sonic Rainboom. In a split second a small multicolored ring blasted out from Rainbow Dash and she flew forward at remarkable speeds. "TAKE THIS!"

"Chronosphere"

The whole clearing was covered in a large purple dome that trapped everything within the vicinity and froze them in time. Any birds or stray animals that touched bubble froze along with the prisoners inside, the only ones that weren't frozen was Rubick and Spike. Spike looked around with amazement, he thought that Rubick's ability to control time was just a part of his story. But after witnessing his spells in the flesh he was ready to explode with glee.

"Wow! Everything's all wavy and stuff, how'd you do that?" Spike asked.

"Impressive, isn't it? What we are standing in now is what we like to call a blister in spacetime. Right now we are in rift opened to Claszureme, but let's not get into that. Everything that is trapped here are stuck in a type of stasis, aside from you and me of course. It is a unique time spell that I learned. Courtesy of Darkterror, The Faceless Void," He replied.

Spike went and walked on over to Rainbow who was frozen in an awesome looking pose. He went up and waved his claw in front of her seeing if it would elicit a reaction. Rainbow didn't do anything, she was like a statue held in position by invisible strings. Spike then ran on over to the other two and started making faces in front of them. Again, there was no reaction, not even a twitch of the eye. He was curious.

"Are they still conscious?" He was afraid that if they could still see the faces he was making in front of Twilight and Applejack he might get scolded.

"Well, yes and no. They're still alive but are trapped in an alternate state of time. Every part of their being is put in pause. They will regain their sense of time the moment I release the bubble. However, you can move them around if you like" Rubick offered.

Spike had a sly grin on his face, he knew what he was going to do.

Spike ran up to Rainbow dash and began to slowly twist her around where she face the other two fillies. He took his time to adjust her trajectory just right so it would be a clean hit towards the others. When he was finished he ran back towards his judging position.

Both Spike and Rubick examined his handiwork with mischievous looks on their faces. But they was still concerned about their safety and decided to soften the blow. Rubick searched his mind for a spell that could let them take less physical damage from the hit.

"Hmm. Aha! I know just the spell!" Rubick swung his staff towards the ground as a ring of pink colored magic enveloped the three frozen ponies and their two peers.

"Weave"

Spike whistled in awe as he felt himself grow more resilient. Right now he felt like he could take a tackle from a bull. Rubick double checked to make sure that they were all affected with the enchantment. When he was finished, both of them back off a safe distance to watch their prank in action. Spike covered his mouth with his claws to stifle his laughter while Rubick was giggling softly beneath his mask.

"Aaaaaand, now." With a flick of his hoof the bubble popped and a loud crashing sound could be heard the exact moment he released the spell.

As the dust began to settle they could both see a small crater in the ground occupied by three very dizzy fillies. Rubick and Spike both slipped into an uncontrollable fit of laughter and fell on their backs, chuckling and chortling like little boys.

Twilight, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash immediately knew that whatever the hay just happened probably involved Rubick and some more of his freaky magic. As they stood up they noticed they weren't as injured as they expected to be.

They just took a direct hit from a Sonic Rainboom at point blank range, but it only felt like they got pelted by a rock. Their thoughts were overshadowed by the laughter that filled the air. They saw that Rubick and Spike were rolling on the grass laughing away at their misfortune.

Both of them stopped laughing when they realized that Twilight and her friends were all up again, and they were not happy at all. Not one bit. Spike nervously went back to his corner, and Rubick got back on his hooves. From the looks in their eyes he could see that they wanted to pummel him into the dirt.

The three went their own ways now. No more plans. They just rushed recklessly toward the black and green unicorn.

Twilight unleashed a volley of magical blast that Spike didn't even knew she could do. But Rubick didn't move an inch, his Null Field mitigated the blasts to the point where they weren't even capable of harming a fly.

Rubick then seamlessly dodged all of the melee strike coming from both Applejack and Rainbow Dash. He didn't need his magic to do so, their patterns have become so predictable he didn't even bother to use his skills anymore.

He sighed, this was just like before in his life. Everything had become so predictable, he was at least glad that there were still some surprises today that kept him interested. After dodging all of their attack he grew tired of the duel, it had been drawn out far too long and had gotten dreadfully boring. He might as well end it.

"Stormhammer!"

He hurled forth a powerful bolt of thunderous energy that crackled through the air at the trio. It collided with the them, exploding in a wide radius and stunning them all into oblivion.

A deafening boom echoed throughout the forest, startling all the little creatures nearby into hiding. The three before him weren't hurt in any way but were seeing enough stars to surpass the milky way in quantity. He stared at his opponents one last time and shook his head.

"Stormhammer!"

The air crackled loudly with the same sound as before and the three fillies fell to the ground exhausted. They had no more energy left and couldn't budge an inch without their muscles aching and stinging with soreness.

Rubick walked on over to them and offer a hoof up. They all accepted his kindly gesture and were up on their hooves in no time, well, most of them. Rainbow Dash grumbled beneath her breath as she was helped up. Her muscles and wings weren't the only thing that was sore, her pride had deflated at how badly they lost.

"While I must admit that your display near the end was a tad underwhelming, you are all brilliant fighters. I am honored to have faced such powerful and graceful opponents," he praised them all before bowing politely.

The others' mood lighten at his humility. They all thought he would be the kind who would gloat after a victory, instead he turned out to be a pretty cool stallion, even for a crazy pony. Spike jumped up and down from excitement at the epic conclusion of their duel and declared the winner.

"Twilight, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash are unable to battle! Rubick is the winner!"

"Now, about the terms?" he asked. Twilight and Applejack were quick to apologize but for Rainbow she had to gather up the ability to swallow her pride.

"Fine, I apologize for calling you crazy." She didn't like it but it was finally off her chest. They didn't know it but Rubick raised his eyebrow beneath his mask.

"And?" he said.

"And, we believe that you were the one that fell from the sky." They believed him alright, after the display he pulled off today it was hard not to believe it. "We still think you're crazy though."

"Fair enough. Well, now that that's out of the way, how about I heal you? You all look tuckered out." Rubick raised his staff up high and began concentrating.

"Inner Vitality"

The trio wince at the green glow that covered them but were soon relaxed by the invigorating healing sensation they were feeling. Their scratches and achy muscles vanished into thin air and the three were back and better then ever. They all stretched and ran around to check if their injuries were still there, but as it turns out there was nothing at all. In fact, they feel like could tackle a weeks worth of chores without collapsing from fatigue.

"Hoowee! That's quite a spell ya got there partner, where'd you learn to do that?" Applejack asked.

"Why my friend Huskar was so nice to share his technique with me," Rubick replied. Spike finally rejoined the group and took his overflowing joy with him.

"Woohoo! That was amazing! You guys should totally do that again sometimes! Sorry Twilight, I like your magic and all but his magic was so unbelievably cool! I mean he could turn into a ghost, shoot thunder from his hooves, and even stop time!" Twilight's expression fell at what Spike had said, but she wouldn't hold him against it.

She was the element of magic, but after today it showed that she was unfit for the title. Rubick noticed her pained look and the tears that were forming at her eyes. As the others were conversing about the duel, he went on over to comfort the girl.

"Twilight, what's wrong dear?" He asked. Twilight wiped away the tear from her eyes and turned to Rubick.

"It's just... well, I'm suppose to be the element of magic. But after fighting you, I feel unworthy of the title that was given to me. If anything, it should belong to you," she replied. Rubick removed his mask and revealed his face, his coat was black just like his clothing and his eyes were as green as his mane. He looked at the unicorn and gave her a comforting smile.

"No, Twilight, that title belongs to you. Now you must be called the element of magic for a reason, when we were fighting I could sense your magic. It is powerful indeed, you just haven't fully awakened yet. If you were to nurture and raise this innate ability of yours, then there are no doubts that you will become a powerful magus in the near future. One day, you may even become a Grand Magus." Twilight's feeling of sadness slowly dissipated, she perked up upon hearing Rubick's uplifting words of wisdom. She was no longer moping, instead she was looking forward for the future.

"Hmm... Twilight Sparkle, The Grand Magus. Its got a ring to it. It rolls off the tongue better than Twlight Sparkle, The element of magic" She chuckled "Thank you Rubick, I hope I'll get to be as adept at magic as you are"

"Think nothing of it dear, I'm sure you'll master all sorts of interesting magic spells and enchantments in no time. Especially since you're the studious type," he replied.

"How did you know that? Did you use your magic to scan my brain and understand my personality?" she inquired.

"Not really, you just reacted rather violently to the word test." He chuckled.

Twilight lost control of her breathing and heart rate again but she recovered quickly enough, she was embarrassed at herself for freaking out over a little word. But in all honesty she was pretty sure everypony would freak out too if they were being constantly tested by the rulers of the land. She inwardly laughed at the thought before thinking of another important question.

"Rubick, are you a Grand Magus?" Rubick put his mask back on and stood up, holding his staff close to him.

"The one and the only, Miss sparkle. I am Rubick, The Grand Magus." He gave a polite curtsy. Twilight's eyes lit up in awe, everything made so much sense now. Except for the part where he was using magic without his horn, but still that explained why he was so powerful at magic.

She had to ask him if she could teach him some tips and trick to control her magic, maybe he'll even be her mentor outside of her current mentor! Her inner scholar was slowly overpowering her other senses.

Before she could ask Rubick another question, a familiar yellow pegasus flew into the clearing. All of her friends ran over to her and saw that she was worried about something. Her eyes were puffy and red, her cheeks showed signs of dried tears. She wasted no time in explaining her situation,

"Girls! You have to help me, a new friend of mine ran into the Everfree Forest! I told her not to go but she didn't listen to me, we have to go find her!" Everyone exchanged looks of worry and fear.

"Don't worry about a thing, Fluttershy. We'll find your friend!" Rainbow assured her meek friend. Fluttershy let out a relieved sigh knowing that her friends were going to help her. "By the way, what's their name?"

"It's Aiu... Aiusha? I can't remember!" Fluttershy's words caught Rubick's attention.

"Aiushtha" he said.

"Yes, that's it! Aiushtha! Wait, how do you know about her? Wait, who are you? If you don't mind me asking that is..." She slowly hid behind her mane as the masked stranger approached her.

"She is my friend, I was going to look for her soon. I am Rubick by the way, a pleasure to make your acquaintance." He bowed. Fluttershy went out from behind her mane knowing the fact that he is one of Aiushtha's friends. "You shouldn't have to worry about her safety, she can take care of herself."

Before anyone else could say something, Rarity and a scraggly yellow pony rushed into the clearing from one side, followed by Zecora, a deer, and some weird orange unicorn that looked like a mummy. But oddly enough, no blue armored stallion.

Everyone stopped and exchanged looks with each other, there was no time to properly explain the situation. Fluttershy was overjoyed to see that Aiushtha was okay but all of her other friends gawked at her like she was some sort of alien. Rubick decided to go and break the awkward silence that filled the air.

"See, I told you she could take care of herself." Rubick waved on over to his dryad friend. "Hello, Aiushtha! I see your form changed as well!" Aiushtha waved back at him along with Rhasta.

Rhasta, Aiushtha, Gondar, and Rubick met up with each other in their own little group and decided to let the others do the same. They had a lot of catching up to do. While everyone had questions of their own, Gondar decided to just go and bluntly say:

'Does anyone know what the hell is going on here?"

Chapter 6 end

Author's Note

I tried my best not to antagonize anyone during the fight, although I think I made Rainbow Dash a little more brash then she normally is. But I guess when you are given an easy challenge by some seemingly crazy unicorn stallion where he sounds very confident in winning it'll rack your nerves too.

Chapter 7: Trust Issues

What does a Hero Truly Need?

By: Zelkova48

Chapter 7: Trust issues

It was a picture perfect day in Ponyville. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and there wasn't a single cloud in the clear blue sky. All the denizens of the rural town were out and about with friends and family alike. Foals were at school, merchants were selling their wares, and local stores were open for business.

Ponies were either running left and right trying to complete their errands or just relaxing underneath the pleasant sun. The small town was positively radiating with an electric atmosphere that was almost tangible. Even with the earlier explosion and shaking, it didn't seem to faze anypony that much. It felt impossible for anything to go and put a damper on the hustle and bustle of Ponyville.

That was until Twilight and her friends showed up with a group of new visitors

As the group walked through the main market square, the tangible energy they felt earlier from everypony slowly died down. The loud clamor of the masses faded away into utter silence as everypony stopped what they were doing and gawked at the mysterious strangers. The town has had its fair share of bizarre visitors; from Nightmare Moon, to Discord, and even the ever boastful showmare Trixie.

But this group was different. There was an incredulous air surrounding them that was so thick you could cut through it with a knife.

The ponies that visited were wearing perhaps the most ridiculous and absurd looking clothing they had ever laid their eyes on. They also looked incredibly bizarre, even for pony standards.

One looked exactly like a mummy out of the novel 'Daring Do and the Mummare's curse,' albeit with black wrappings and a pair of discomforting white spheres for eyes.

Another looked like a parody of Starswirl the Bearded. Only instead of a blue cape and wizard's cap, he had an impassive metal mask with a four pronged black and green cape.

The other remaning pony was unnatural looking, the thing that ponies were whispering about in the background were his unique features.

He was slightly shorter and shaggier than the average colt, he also had sharp pointed ears and had ebony irises within a crimson sea that was his eyes. He looked just like a cat wearing a red bandanna and clothes reminiscent of a Saddle Arabian pony from the fairy tale 'Ali Baa baa and the Fourty Thieves.'

The final member of the group wasn't even a pony, she was a marvelously beautiful doe! She had a picture perfect white and brown coat with a pair of majestic horns. Her attire consisted of several leaves wonderfully woven into a short two piece dress with a gorgeous butterfly emblem adorning her chest.

The heroes felt incredibly uncomfortable having almost everypony's eyes blindly gawking at them. They, along with their newfound friends, trudged through the sea of gawking ponies, all the while ignoring the loud whispers that couldn't even fool a deaf donkey. As they went deeper and deeper into the crowd, the comments became more and more audible.

"Who are these ponies?" one pegasus colt whispered from the crowd.

"I don't know, but they look suspicious. Is that pony a cat!?" a mare asked. Gondar raised his mask past his nose as he continued on with the others.

"They look like a bunch of troublemakers to me," an older gray stallion muttered.

"Mommy, why does that one look like a mummy?" a young foal asked as his mother fearfully pulled him back into the house.

"Why is someone like her hanging out with them? I'm telling you guys, give me a few days and she'll be all over me like frosting on a cake!" a rude adolescent unicorn blurted to his friends. Aiushtha involuntarily shuddered upon hearing his lewd comment.

"Why is it that everything weird happens in Ponyville? I swear it's that librarian's fault," a portly pony whispered to his colleague. "Ever since she showed up this town has been nothing but screwy! It's a wonder that the mayor hasn't evicted her yet!" it wasn't even a whisper anymore, it was an open verbal insult directed at Twilight. Twilight turned to shut the pony up but was stopped by Rubick.

"Easy now dear. Just forget about him, you're better than this." Twilight complied with Rubick and kept moving with with the rest of the group, scowling at the pony who made the insulting remark at her.

"Should we call the guard or something? They seem dangerous!" a scared mare asked.

"Hey Big Mac, isn't that your sister over there?" Caramel asked.

"Eeyup," Big Mac replied with a masterful 'eeyup' in such a way that only a master of eloquent communication could. He and Caramel then happily waved at Applejack, completely oblivious to the fact that the entire town was staring at them and their new friends. Applejack waved back but quickly tugged her stetson hat back to hide her face.

As the group made their way past the crowd they saw their goal in sight.

Sugarcube corner, in all of its glazed and baked glory, the mane six's personal bastion from a hard day of work and, up until now, away from piercing eyes of the public. As the group made their way in, they were greeted by Pinkie Pie who was happy (happy being an understatement) to escort them and some new guest into the bakery and away from the unbearable atmosphere outside.

"*Sigh* I'm glad to be out of there, my claustrophobia was starting to act up." Fluttershy wiped the sweat off of her brow as she calmed down. She stretched her wings to relieve them of the tension that was building from being stuck in such a large crowd.

"Ah don't get it, why was everypony looking at us like that?" Applejack asked as she dusted off her hat.

"I think it was because of us," Rhasta replied as he stretched his legs. "They fear things that are different or if they do not understand." He patted himself to check if all of his gear was still with him.

"Then it was a good idea to come to Sugarcube Corner, I don't think anypony will bother us her- hey!" Rainbow Dash looked at the windows and saw that almost everypony in town pressed their face up against the glass window just to listen to them. Luckily Pinkie Pie trotted by and alleviated the problem.

"I'm sorry everypony, but gawking and eavesdropping at visitors is RUDE!" Pinkie then dropped the blinds down with a great big *slam!* as she dusted off her hooves. She then proceeded to open the blinds again. "Oh! We also have a special on pies today! Buy two slices get the next one of your choice absolutely free!" she announce with her lively floaty tone before dropping the blinds again with another *slam!*

"Well now that that's out of the way, I think it's time to give our new guest a good ol' fashion Ponyville welcome!" Pinkie then proceeded to pull out her coveted party cannon from out of thin air and setted it off. With a thunderous *BOOM!* the cannon went off and covered the entire bakery in party favors of all different shapes and sizes.

The four heroes looked in shock and awe as streamers in a variety of colors were expertly hung all across the ceiling, party hats and kazoos along with a massive cake flew out and landed perfectly onto a lone table in the center of the room. Balloons and confetti covered the room almost instantly when the cannon went off.

The heroes clapped their hooves together at the sheer delight of what they just witnessed.

"Oh, I like her already," Gondar said as he checked out the cake that was on the table.

"Hahahaha! How wonderful! Again, again!" Rhasta could tell that this pink one was entertaining, he knew a fellow entertainer when he saw one.

Pinkie bowed to her audience and soon-to-be new friends, as she went up to greet them Mr. Cake entered the room with a disapproving look on his face.

"Pinkie, what did we say about using your party cannon inside the bakery?" Mr. Cake asked.

"That it should only be used when we weren't baking," Pinkie replied as she deflated slightly. "Can I at least keep the cake?" Mr. Cake chuckled and gave her a smile.

"Of course, Pinkie. Oh, and be careful with your new guests, that crowd outside doesn't look to happy about them." He gave a friendly wave to the heroes before entering back into the kitchen.

"Well, okay then!" With a quick flip of a switch her cannon started to suck everything that was party related in sight like a vacuum. All the streamers were plucked from the ceiling and the party favors flew back into the cannon. The big three tiered cake was all that remained as the whole room was spotless without even the smallest trace of confetti.

"Now that was amazing," Aiushtha said as she too was observing the cake. Pinkie then rushed up to the heroes with a smile that was as wide as a mile.

"Hi there! I'm Pinkamena Diane Pie! But everypony just calls me Pinkie Pie for short!" She started shaking Rhasta's hoof at lightning speed, it was so fast the even Rhasta was starting to shake up and down from the force of the very affectionate handshake. "Yup, I'm Ponyville's premier party pony." She then turned her head and faced you, yes you, the reader. "Try saying that three times fast." She whispered to you before turning her attention back to her new guest "So what's your name?"

"I am Aiushtha," she said as she hugged the poofy pink party pony.

"I am called Rhasta, I am the Shadow Shaman!" Rhasta swung his wards around before shaking the filly's hoof again, this time she didn't shake him to point where his molecules would began to vibrate and he'd sink into the floor.

"Just call me Gondar, Pinkie." He shook the pink filly's hoof, he lowered his mask below his nose this time around.

"My name is Rubick, I am the Grand Magus. A pleasure to meet such an energetic young spirit," he said as he hugged Pinkie.

"Your name's Rubik, eh? Then can you tell me how to solve this thing!" She pulled out a multicolored cube that was composed of even smaller cubes, each side had several different colors in random order. Apparently, the goal of the puzzle was to try and flip the edges of the cube around in a way so that each side would match their respective colors.

"I can't solve this stupid thing! Come on! Tell me! What's the secret! Everypony else can do it, so why can't I!" She blindly scrambled her hooves in a futile attempt to solve the cube. In the end, the puzzle was still the same as it was only with a different pattern. She groan loudly in frustration and tossed the cube onto the ground, scowling at it.

"You know that's funny, Spike asked me that too. I'm sorry to tell you this but I am not the pony that invented that puzzle." Rubick then picked up the cube off of the floor and intensely observed its structure. After a few seconds of thinking he then went on to solve the puzzle in his hooves. With a final flick of his hoof the last segment of the cube slid into place, in his hooves Rubick held a perfectly solved puzzle cube "Now that was invigorating! Where can I get myself one of these toys?"

Pinkie just stared at Rubick, she was holding back the urge to break down to her knees and curse the heavens for her inability to solve the puzzle cube. She struggled and she tried and in the end she held off that urge, she just took the cube back from Rubick and regained her floaty composure. After witnessing the making and unmaking of a party, Twilight decided it was time to cut in on the heroes.

"Uhh... Now that you guys met our good friend Pinkie, maybe it's a good to get into our groups and uh... decompress." Everypony nodded with her suggestion and continued on to the individual tables in the bakery. The heroes sat among each other at one table while Twilight sat with all of her friends at another.

A gorgeous doe, a timberwolf busting mummy, a grand magus, and an enigmatic cat-like wanderer that all fell from the sky. There was going to be a lot to discuss today.

"Hey, Mrs. Cake! Can we get a round of milkshakes for us and our new friends please! Just put it on my tab!" Rainbow Dash bellowed across the bakery. Yes, there was going to be a LOT to discuss about today.

All the heroes sat around in one of the tables of the bakery, each one had a slice of cake from Pinkie's cannon. While Aiushtha and Rhasta dug right in, Gondar and Rubick were conversing with each other.

"So, Sven's not here, eh? Damn, I was so sure he was in that forest along with you." Gondar looked down at his cake, there was too much on his mind to eat at the moment.

"Those Storm Bolts that you heard came from me. I was dueling with some of our new friends earlier before you arrived." Rubick, who had his mask off, took a bite out of his own piece of cake. "They're a wonderful bunch, these six. I"m glad we ran into them. Maybe they'll be able to help us find Sven in this new world." Rubick dabbed his mouth with a napkin to clean up any frosting that stayed.

"Wait, what do you mean new world? This is still our own world, right?" Gondar asked, thoroughly confused at his friends statement.

"Ah, that's right. You aren't as well versed in the arcane as some of us are. You can't feel it can you?" Rubick asked as he took another bite from his cake.

"Feel, what exactly?" Gondar said, poking at his cake with a fork.

"Our world has a natural magical flow, those experienced in the arcane arts can sense it almost as if it were another entity. The magic and mana flow of this world is far different from our own. At first I thought it was just the lag from being sucked into a black hole, but it turns out that I was wrong. We are in a whole other world," Rubick replied as he finished up his piece of cake. "Oh, I have to get the recipe for this cake. It is absolutely divine!"

"Well that's just terrific, we're stuck in ponyland..." Gondar lowered his mask and took a bite of the cake. "Mmm, strawberry." he smiled.

"Actually, from what Twilight has told me, this part of the world we're in is called Equestria. It is mostly populated by the ponies. There are also other races such as the griffons, these so called diamond dogs, and lastly the dragons. There could be others but I am not quite sure." Rubick put his mask back on and continued. "We're in a small town called Ponyville, it is at the center of Equestria, give or take fifty feet of course." Rubick shook his hoof to exemplify his estimation.

"I assume that this town is part a major trade route as it seems to cross in between all the other major cities such at Manehattan, Los pegasus, and Canterlot, the capitol of Equestria." Rubick finished.

"Aw jeez, these horse puns..." Gondar just shook his head. "Okay then, how do you explain this?" he pointed at himself "A pony doesn't exactly strike fear into the hearts of criminals, you know?"

"Well, I hypothesize that when we were thrown into this world by the black hole, the fluctuation of magic from both world may have been responsible for warping our forms. It shaped us into the dominate species of land or based us on our characteristics. Hence you keeping your cat like features and Aiushtha becoming a doe," Rubick answered.

"I think we should keep these little facts to ourselves for the time being, after seeing that crowd outside I doubt they'll be too happy to know that we're outworlders. They might turn us over to the authorities where we'll either be jailed or... dissected for scientific purposes." Gondar shuddered at the thought. "I'm the one who's suppose to put criminals in jail, not the other way around!"

Rhasta and Aiushtha, who had already finished eating, decided to join in on their conversation. They had overheard everything the two have said so far and wanted to weigh in their own opinions.

"I don't think so. Like Rhasta said, they fear us because they don't understand us. We should just give the ponies some time to get used to us." Aiushtha pointed over to the six. "Also, our new friends have already done so much for us. I'm sure if we just explain our situation to them, things just might work out. They might even help us find Sven and a way back to our own world." Aiushtha was using that natural ability she had to lift everyone's mood.

"Besides, I think a certain cat like pony grew a little attached to a certain fabulous looking unicorn," she teased. Gondar remain expressionless.

"...I don't know what you're talking about. She saved me from a fatal wound and I was just expressing my gratitude," Gondar blankly replied, which evoked a giggle from Aiushtha.

"That doesn't explain all the compliments and the debt you still owe her!" she said in her usual playful tone. Gondar slid down on his seat holding onto his mask while everyone lightly chuckled. Rhasta sensed his friend's distress and quickly changed the subject

"The question remains, can we trust our new friends and allies?" he asked. "I say we can, I also have no doubts that we will be able to find a way back home. The magic in the air is strong and I can communicate with the shades just fine. Assuming we don't run into anymore trouble that is." He had a flashback about his time in the Everfree forest. "By the way, are you gonna finish that?" Rhasta pointed at Gondars unfinished cake, Gondar shook his head and slid the plate on over to him.

"I think it's settled then, we can trust them and that they can trust us." Everyone nodded in agreement at Rhasta's judgement. Everyone turned to look the mane six, they were enjoying a good milkshake with each other.

For a moment, Twilight, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Rarity looked just like heroes.

As Gondar looked at the six, something stirred in the back of his mind, something ominous and familiar. A bright flash of light overtook his senses and he was back in the bright field from Harbinger's vision, he was back in the same spot where the gallows were.

He had to painfully experience the six figures execution again, the rhythmical sounds of the bodies falling stilled his heart. The sound resonated and echoed throughout his mind even louder than it was before.

"A betrayal like none other shall come to pass"

*Ka-chunk!*

*Ka-chunk!*

*Ka-chunk!*

*Ka-chunk!*

*Ka-chunk!*

*Ka-chunk!*

Then the clamorous cheering began again, the crowd roared much more intensely than before. The ground shook at their resounding joy and merriment of the figures' death. It was too much for Gondar, he brought his hooves up to his ears to muffle the sound.

Another bright flash pulled him out of his mind and back into reality. His heartbeat quicken, sweat soaked his shaggy coat and his breathing thinned out. He still didn't understand what the visions meant, but they were becoming more and more agonizing with each passing image.

"Oh no, not this agai-Aaaaaaah!" A shocking migraine stealthily struck him and he fell to the ground clutching his head. His friends immediately rushed on over to his side and helped him up back on his seat, thankfully no one witnessed his sudden collapse. Gondar looked at everyone, they were all visibly worried.

"Gondar, what happened?" Aiushtha asked, she ran her hoof across his forehead to wipe away all the sweat that accumulated from his seizure. Gondar quickly composed himself and began breathing normally again.

"*Pant* It's *pant* It's nothing. I think the stress of being in a different world is getting to me." He looked back at the six ponies and exhaled deeply "I'm fine, honest."

"Are you sure my yellow friend? I am partially trained in medicine, so I can cure whatever ails you." Everyone stared at Rhasta with eyes as wide as a dinner plate.

Rhasta left his con man lifestyle, that much is true, but if he offers any services to you that does not involve fortune telling then it would be best to respectfully turn them down. After all he did assist his old master castrate pigs for three pins of copper, and for five he would circumcise your sons.

"Uhh... No, It's okay. I think i'll just walk it off later," Gondar calmly replied, but you could hear the tinge of fear in his voice.

"As it pleases you," Rhasta respectfully bowed his head and acknowledged his friends request, but kept his signature jovial grin. With the issue swiftly resolve, Mrs. Cake walked on by and handed them their milkshakes.

"Four orders of strawberry, banana, chocolate, peppermint, caramel, mocha mega milkshake!" She cheerfully placed down these massive parfait glasses that was filled to the brim of perhaps the most delectable dessert that the heroes have ever laid their eyes on "Enjoy!" she sang. Everyone gave her their thanks and proceeded to enjoy the drinks.

"At least the food here is great," Rubick remarked. "Do you know what this is missing? Walnuts." He levitated a small bag from his robe and pulled out a roasted walnut, with his telekinesis he crumbled the walnut on top of the already delectable dessert. A big childlike smile formed beneath his mask as he giggled ever so subtly.

"There, perfect"

All the girls at the table were enjoying their own drinks, after catching up on what they were doing the whole day they figured it was the appropriate time to discuss their situation. Sadly Zecora had to leave early.

"Are you sure you can't stay any longer Zecora?" Twilight asked her zebra friend.

"Ah, yes, It is true. There are some potions that I must brew," Zecora rhymed. "I am glad to know there will be no shaking. No tremors will interrupt what I am making." She waved to her friends before heading out the door, she turned around when she remembered something. "Ayah, Please give my thanks to Rhasta. He is by far the most peculiar caster." With that said, she began heading back to her hut. All her friends shouted their goodbyes as she left their field of vision.

"So I guess it's just us now." Twilight looked at her friends and Spike. "I think that it's time to get down to business." All her friends nodded in agreement. "Do you think we can trust these ponies?" she asked.

"Aside from the funny way they dress? Ah think we can trust em," Applejack tugged on her hat. "Ah mean, that Rhasta fellow did save Zecora from the timberwolves and Rubick turned out to be a swell guy. I'll admit that I half expected him to be some Canterlot snob like that one prince." Applejack tapped her chin. "Hmm, what was his name again?"

"Blueblood..." Rarity replied with venom dripping from her voice.

'Yeah! That guy, he was a real pain in the neck if you ask me." Applejack laughed "Other then that I think it's safe to say tha- Oh! Land sakes, you gotta be kidding me!" From the windows there were still ponies who were trying to get a glimpse of the mysterious strangers even when the blinds were closed. "You know what! Ah'm gonna try and clear this up. Honestly, can't we get a little privacy around here anymore!" Applejack ran out the store positively fuming.

"Um... I think I should go with her just in case." Fluttershy finished her drink and walked out with Applejack in an attempt to try and quell the crowd's curiosity and fear. As the two left, Rainbow Dash was the first to speak up.

"They're cool and all, well, maybe not as cool as me." She sounded particularly smug upon mentioning her own coolness. "But what's up with Gondar, Rarity? I mean we know what Aiushtha, Rubick, and Rhasta are capable of. So what's the deal with him? He hides his face behind a mask, and not in a good way like our magus friend over there"

"I'm not sure myself." She sighed. "After I saved him, he kept mostly to himself. Even though I was able to get him to tell me about his friend's dilemma he remained evasive to most of the questions I asked him. I asked him about his special talent but he preferred to stay quiet about it." Rarity then levitated out a small broken blade and stabbed it into the table. "Then there's this." Her friends all collectively gasped at the gleaming blade. "I pulled this out from his open wound"

"What the!- What was that doing there!?" Rainbow stared at the lustrous blade with a look of bewilderment. "He's not being hunted by the royal guard is he!?" Everypony continued to examined the once bloodied blade.

"Far from it Rainbow, he fell from the sky so the only logical explanation is that this belonged to him." She lifted up the blade and gave it to Twilight. "This isn't any ordinary blade Twilight, it's a professional one. I ended up cutting myself when I just ran my hoof along the edge and I didn't even apply any pressure." Twilight thoroughly examined the blade, she was impressed with it's craftsmanship.

"But, why would he carry something like this around?" Twilight asked as she twirled the blade around with her telekinetic grip.

"Maybe it has something to do with his special talent? Perhaps he's a carpenter or something. I'm sure you need a sharp blade when working with wood, and the mask possibly protects him from all of that nasty sawdust." Rarity guessed, her theory seemed plausible...

"I don't want to come off as rude or paranoid but... regardless, we should keep an eye on him. He looks a little suspicious." Rainbow suggested as Rarity pulled back with a gasp.

"Rainbow Dash! How can you say such a thing? I'll have you know that underneath his shoddy appearance he is quite the gentlecolt," she huffed. "Besides, he declared that he is still indebted to me. I doubt he's the type who would go around causing trouble if he gave his word of repayment to a refined lady such as myself." She finished as flicked her mane out of her face in one graceful movement. "Hmph."

All her friends stared at her like she grew a second head. She had just fiercely defended an enigmatic pony that they know next to nothing about. But if she placed her trust in him without a trace of uncertainty, then her friends could too.

"Well... if you say so. Are you feeling alright Rarity?" Twilight asked.

"Why I feel fine, why do you ask?" she replied nonchalantly as she ran her hoof along her fabulous mane.

"Uh... nothing, nevermind." Everypony chuckled nervously. "Well, I guess It's settled then. We can trust them, and they can trust us." Everypony let out a relieved sigh, knowing the fact that they can trust their new friends and allies.

"So uh... what do we do now?" Spike finally spoke up after hearing their judgement.

"Hmm, maybe we should help them find their lost friend. I can't imagine what he's going through right now," Twilight asked her friends.

"It would be the right thing to do. And I was kinda hoping we would meet this Sven guy. From what the others said about him he sounds crazy strong!" Spike replied with an adventurous tone.

"It would, wouldn't it? But where do we start? We don't know if he's around Ponyville or all the way to Manehattan!" Twilight pondered her options.

"Well what if we- *Belch!*" Spike couldn't finish as he burped out a scroll from his magical dragon's breath. Everypony looked curiously at the scroll. What did the Princess need? Twilight picked it up and began reading aloud.

"Princess Celestia cordially invites you and your closest friends to the wedding of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and *Gasp!* my brother!?" everypony gasped alongside her.

This was all too sudden. A wedding? Her Brother? At a time like this?

Chapter 7 end

Author's Note

Holy crap this chapter took forever to write. And it's not just because of homework. I had to rewrite this chapter several times to get it just right. From entering town, to what happened in town, to leaving town and all the way to Canterlot. Oh yeah, there was a slot of talking too.

If anyone wants to know about any other hero, I might as well write them here.

Axe: original cast member, scrapped for being to violent unless used for comedic purposes

Lone Druid: suggested cast member, replaced with enchantress. Still wish to incorporate him somehow, true form is awesome

Phantom Lancer: suggested cast member, replaced with bounty hunter. Writing him would be fun, his personality is cool.

Timbersaw: suggested cast member, I had a whole scene planned out where he ended up at sweet apple acres. Trees, nuff said

Earthshaker: suggested cast member, lost interest in him

Naga Siren: suggested cast member, couldn't wrap my head around the whole seapony idea.

Juggernaut: suggested cast member: Replaced with Sven. had a seen planned out where he showed his faceless face to the princesses

Brewmaster: suggested cast member, replaced with Rhasta. had scene planned out with copious amounts of cider drinking.

everyone else I will either reference or put him somehow.

Chapter 9: The Rogue Knight- Part 1

What does a Hero Truly Need?

By: Zelkova48

Chapter 9: The Rogue Knight- Part 1

1 day earlier, Canterlot city

It was a bright and vibrant day for the city of Canterlot. Celestia's warm and bright sun hung over the great white city. The ponies of the city went about their day with comfort and relative ease. The smell of delicious and delectable meals were wafting from out of the busy restaurants that were crowded with locals and nobility alike.

The hustle and bustles of the streets were even greater than Ponyville's as massive shipments and deliveries were being hauled around warehouses and businesses all over the vast city. Even with the recent shaking and explosion, everypony appeared to be enjoying this rather glorious day.

Well, almost everypony.

Deep within the courts of Canterlot castle, home of the royal pony sisters, there was no joy at all.

Papers scattered across the room like dust being carried in the wind. The roaring outcry of angry and impatient nobleponies echoed throughout the castle with force that was comparable to the royal Canterlot voice.

Politicians and union workers were trapped within a heated argument while the nobility disputed with the common pony over laws and privileges. It was like all the pain in Equestria gathered to this one spot and began to violently convulse and spasm like a snake bitten rat.

And caught in the middle of it all were the very agitated and stressed out princesses.

"Sister?" a worned out Luna looked over to Celestia.

"Yes, Luna?" Celestia raspily replied.

"Is this what fighting Discord was like back then?" she whimpered.

"No, it isn't Luna. We could actually handle Discord and his chaotic rampage." Celestia grimaced. "This, this is the lord of Tartarus's method to break ponies and grind their mind into nothing more than mere grains of sand." She rubbed her temples with her hooves to hold back the migraine that was precariously hanging over her head.

Everypony just assumed that their kind and benevolent rulers could handle these petty session simply because they were powerful and omnipotent alicorns. Alicorn or not, nopony in the history of Equestria or the history of the ever expanding universe can withstand bureaucratic squabbles and incoherent jibber jabber of selfish politicians. It's a wonder how Celestia managed to withstand one thousand years of this torture without help from her younger sister.

Luna, fed up with the constant shouting and yelling, decided to step in and settle the situation. She stood up atop her throne, inhaled deeply and bellowed a righteous command to her subjects.

"It has come to our decision that a recess is in order for all of us! Please meet back at the courtroom in exactly half an hour! Court is adjourned!" And with a bright zap of her horn, the entire room went from a battle scarred war zone back to the pristine courtroom it once was.

Everypony respectfully departed the courtroom but not before sending a few nasty glares to their enemies. Celestia and Luna sighed heavily and retired to their own chambers.

"Honestly, Tia? How did you survive one thousand years of this without me?" Luna asked as she took a great big bite out of a ruby red apple.

"It was tough, that's for sure. I could move the sun and the moon yet I am powerless against politicians. But somepony had to do it." Celestia chuckled as she face Luna. "Are you sure you're alright, Luna? The shaking ended quite some time ago, so you can go back to sleep and not suffer the ravages of day court." She gave her sister a assuring smile.

"It's alright sister, I can't really go back to sleep right now anyway. I'm still worried about that fallen object." Luna finished her apple and chucked the core into a nearby wastebasket. "What if it turns out to be something dangerous? Twilight and her friends will be in danger." Celestia walked on over and hugged her sister.

"Do not worry, Luna. Twilight and her friends have proven time and time again that they can defeat even the foulest of evils." She smiled at her sister. "They are the elements of harmony after all. Besides, if they run into any trouble they could always call us to assist them. It's been a while since we battled evil hasn't it?" She laughed.

"Hmm, it has, hasn't it?" Luna laughed alongside her sister, their laughter ended prematurely when they both peered at the clock. They were ten minutes late to their own meetings. "Maybe it's a good time to head back." She turned to Celestia.

"Yes, yes it is," Celestia and Luna both blinked from their rooms and back to the court where they were greeted with soft murmurings from their subjects.

"Well, now that we are all here, court is now back in session."

Court went on much more smoothly than it had earlier. Rather than the hectic environment from before, everypony waited for their turn to submit their reports and request before engaging in brutal debates with their political enemies. Everything was much more orderly and sustained so the princesses breezed through all the issues paperwork with relative ease.

The sooner they can finish court, the sooner they can get on over to Ponyville to assist with the investigation.

There were only a few more issues to talk over. Right now, Celestia and Luna were dealing with an elderly gray earth pony with a small stack of books for his cutie mark.

"You proved many valid points today, Mr. Textbook. The public schools around the outer areas of Canterlot have fallen into disrepair over the course of the last decade. We would be more than happy to divert resources and funding to fix them up for you and the young fillies and colts attending them." Celestia then stamped her seal of approval upon his document.

"Thank you, your majesty." Mr. Textbook bowed. "Your long term investment will not go to waste, that I assure you." He then turned around and made his way back to his seat around the courtroom. Celestia looked through her list to check the final issue of the day. When her eyes finally caught the name she frowned deeply, Luna looked aside to check and frowned as well.

"*Sigh* Up next on the list is... ugh, Prince Blueblood..." She felt her stomach do a flip flop as she mentioned the name of her pompous nephew. When she did, a statuesque unicorn with a white coat and perfectly groomed blond mane stepped up to his aunt. He wore an immaculate black suit and had a double star for his cutie mark .

With a winning complexion and a very arrogant smile, he bowed and greeted his aunts. When and where did it go wrong in the family tree? He looked good on the outside that's for sure. Mares swooned over the prince, but if only they knew the truth.

Underneath his pompous exterior was a very selfish and unbearable noblepony who only did good to protect his image and to maintain his social standing throughout the nobility. Both the princesses rolled their eyes and called forward his companion.

Another unicorn stepped up to the princesses. He had a light brown coat and a styled white mane. He wore a suit just like Blueblood only he had a top hat and a monocle to go along with it. His cutie mark was an image of a top hat and a cane.

He was a noble pony, everypony could see it in his eyes and in the way he dressed. His personality didn't differ far from his companion, he too was selfish and pompous in a way that felt obnoxious, and performed charity every so often to improve his image. But unlike Blueblood he openly flaunts his wealth and power for others to be jealous.

"And his fellow companion, High... pfft... pfft... High... pffffft." Both Celestia and Luna covered their mouths to stifle their laughter.

This pony's name was far too funny, it was hard to try and not laugh laugh at it. Even for princesses that was suppose to exemplify proper mannerism, they couldn't help but feel an uncontrollable laughing fit arising in their lungs. Yet they somehow managed to regain their regal composure and announce his name.

" ...Mr. High Horse." Then everypony (the princesses included) in the room broke out into a frenzied bout of laughter that could be heard all over the city.

"Pffft... Hi... Hig... Highahahahaha!" If there wasn't such a silly scene to occur over in the history of Equestria, there was one now.

The laughter continued uninterrupted for a few minutes before everyone calmed down and returned to the matter at hand. High Horse looked downright annoyed at everypony for laughing at his name. It wasn't his fault the name his mother gave him fitted his special talent, and that was apparently being an aristocratic pony.

"...Well, now that we've gotten all that out of the way, about our issue, your majesty?" High Horse asked. When he did, Celestia and Luna's frowns returned.

"Ah, yes. Your... tax break." Celestia struggled not to groan.

Why was it again that rich and powerful ponies never had to pay their taxes like their hardworking brothers and sisters again? Whatever the reason was, it made her feel nauseated. She gleaned through Blueblood and High Horse's document, shaking her head as she did so. This was an enormous tax break, several hundred thousands of bits were going to stay in the aristocrats' expensive pockets while the rest had to pay up like everypony else.

Sadly, their reasoning and logic were sound within the document. Heck, they probably didn't even write it, they probably paid off someone smarter than they were to write out this series of elaborate clauses and conditions that only a braniac, and that one pony named Braniac, could pull off.

But she begrudgingly had to follow her duty as princess and approve it. She levitated on over her stamp and hesitated with her action, she swallowed the lump in her throat and brought down the stamp onto the document.

Blueblood and High Horse had the smuggest smiles on their faces, their tax break was about to be approved. It was only mere moments until it happens. The stamp was only a quarter of a centimeter to the paper.

Any second now...

*Crash!*

Something large crashed into the room and startled everypony. Debris fell from the roof in mismatched chunks, dust clouded the center of the room as everypony gawked at the large hole in the roof. The impact of the crash sent papers and all sorts of other objects flying everywhere, scattering them to the wind.

The document within Celestia's hoof flew out of her sight and out of the room, never to be seen again. Blueblood and High Horse diverted their attention from the hole to the paper that flew out of the room with a look that was a mix of shock and horror. No more tax break for anypony now.

The whole room had gone stark silent, the only sounds audible were the light pitter pattering of the ceiling hitting the floor. As the dust slowly cleared everypony could see whatever crashed into the room was. They were shocked to see that it was a pony, a stallion to be specific.

He was a massive specimen, rippling with muscles from behind his tailored blue shirt. He wore small collection of foreign armor pieces. On his left foreleg was a large, pointed, and engraved silver pauldron with a matching gauntlet. Upon his lower half were a set of matching cuisses, sabatons, and greaves.

His helmet was by far the most unique aspect of his appearance. It covered his entire face in metal with only two little round holes for his eyes. Then, there was these horns that jutted from both sides of his helmet, some ponies could have confused him for a minotaur if they looked from afar. The horns were fluted, which possibly served to enhance the wearer's hearing.

If anypony could say anything, they'll say that he looked like some kind of warrior, maybe even a knight.

Everypony still stared at the body, completely stunned. Was he dead? How did he crash here? These were the questions that were running through everypony's head.

By then, the royal guards had entered the room and formed a protective circle around the princesses. Shining Armor himself rushed into formation as all the other guards saluted him. He turned to the Princesses who were observing the pony.

"What the heck happened here!?" Shining asked the stunned princesses. His voice brought them back into reality as they shook their heads and turned their attention to him.

"Whuah? Oh, captain, it's you." Celestia replied before turning her attention back to the blue pony. "Something... somepony suddenly crashed into the castle. It's alright though, no one got injured. Although I can't say the same for that stallion over there." She motioned over to the blue stranger.

Shining Armor looked on over to the pony shaped crater, he was speechless when he saw the body lying in it. He, the princesses, and a majority of the guards approached the body cautiously.

Celestia and Luna leaned in to try and sense if the stallion was still alive or not, Shining and the guards followed suit to make sure nothing happens to their princesses.

Using their magic, they both checked the stallions condition. They had expected nothing at all, but to their surprise the stallion was stable. His heartbeats were normal and there wasn't a single broken bone in his entire body. The only thing that wavered was his consciousness. He was knocked out, nothing more, nothing less.

"What do we do about him?" Shining Armor asked as his guards surround the stallion. "We don't have a single clue as to who this pony is or why he... introduced himself the way he did." As Celestia and the guards pondered the reason, Luna went closer to the sleeping stallion to further examine him. She noticed he was holding something peculiar in his left hoof.

It was a massive sword, so huge that it looked like it would take a group of four guards to even lift it, let alone wield it properly.

The sword was also the most unique that she'd ever seen. This sword in particular had a very long handle with a ring in between the handle and the blade. The blade was gargantuan in size, almost as big as the stallion himself. It was about as wide as she was and even wider near the top.

From basic observations, this blade uses it own weight to drive more power in its strikes. Ingenious in design yet difficult to handle. She wouldn't want to imagine what would happen to somepony if they met the receiving end of such a massive sword.

As Celestia and the guards discussed their plan, Luna crept on closer to the stallion. She reach over to check his sword but was completely taken off guard when the stallion suddenly grabbed her hoof and brought her to his covered face.

Luna yelped as she was brought face to helmet with the stranger, he lifted his gigantic sword with almost little to no effort at all and pressed it against her throat, the cold metal chilling her flesh. Her mind raced as to why the stallion was acting as he did, fear welled from the core of her being as the raspy breathing behind the pony's helmet grew deeper and more agitated with each breath taken.

With a deep burly voice slightly muffled behind his mask, he yelled at the dark blue alicorn.

"Where the hell am I!"

"What do you mean!?" Luna shouted back as the stallion grew more furious with each breath. "This is Equestria, your homeland! I am your princess! Unhand me you buffoon!" The stallion let go of her with an angry grunt.

"Gah! Homeland!? I was born in the Shadeshore Ruins!" He brandished his sword at her angrily. "And as for you princess, I follow no one! I am the Rogue Knight, proud in my exile!" He could say nothing more as Princess Celestia and Shining armor, along with the rest of the guards, blasted him square in the chest with some kind of powerful concussive force.

The stallion crashed alongside the wall of the room with a thunderous boom, causing everypony to run out of the court in fear. As the guards crowded around the dangerous individual, Celestia ran over to assist her sister.

"Luna! Are you alright?" The princess of the moon nodded, she was fine.

"I'm fine, Tia. I can handle myself." Luna dusted herself off. "I just can't believe that this foolish oaf actually had the gall to defy his own princess! And to hold a blade by my throat, I should have him sent to the moon for that!" she huffed angrily as something clicked in her head. "Why, I think we know his agenda now! He's an assassin!"

"An assassin, princess?" Shining Armor asked. "If he is, then he's probably the clumsiest killer I've ever seen. Falling through the roof like that, is this guy serious?" He laughed, but his laughter was cut short when Celestia stepped in wearing a stern look upon her visage. Gone was the gentle and motherly princess, left in her wake was a furious and protective ruler.

"Looks can be deceiving captain, remember that. Right now your main priority now is to get this deranged psychopath out of here and transported straight to Gladius Prison, is that understood?" Celestia ordered. Shining Armor saluted the princesses and proceeded to move the unconscious stallion. As Shining Armor joined his guards, Celestia glanced over at the blue stallion and scowled at him.

"He called himself a rogue knight, and that he was prideful of such an outlandish position. How disgraceful. What a magnificent knight you could have been if I had known you..." She and her sister turned to head to their chambers when all of a sudden....

*Thwack!*

The loud sound of something being forcefully struck caused the princesses to quickly turn back. As they did they witnessed one of the guards flying across the room at mach speed, crashing into the princesses' royal throne, shattering it to pieces and leaving behind a badly injured pony.

To their growing terror the stallion had gotten up, and he wasn't too happy about being blasted like that. Several of the remaining guards as well as Shining Armor moved in to restrain the large pony. Being an entire group of unicorns, they attempted to trap the pony in a bubble shield.

Concentrating their power, the guards confined the assassin under an impenetrable magic dome, including Shining's own which was regarded as one of the most powerful shield spells in all of Equestria. By Equestrian standards, this ball of pure magic would be nigh impossible to shatter. But their target was not Equestrian in origin...

"Is that all you can do? Ha! Even Rylai is stronger than you pathetic lot!" The stallion then picked up his massive blade and let out a deafening warcry. "Raaaagh!"

The guards thought they were seeing things. Just as he shouted, they could've worn they saw sparks of lightning shoot out from his helmet's eye holes. With his courage heartened, he swung his sword directly at the bubble, shattering multiple layers in one swing.

"Feel my blade!" he shouted as the second swing shattered the rest of the barriers as if they were frail Hearth Warming Eve's ornaments.

The impact of swing sent all the guards flying back and crashing into the back wall behind the throne. Shining Armor remained somewhat resilient but his strength faltered as the rogue knight stood before him, sword in hoof. He was expecting a swift death, maybe even a slow one. But instead, all he received was an cruel insult.

"You call yourself a captain? You are not worthy of the armor you wear!" The stallion then turned amd walked over to his captors, muttering something beneath his helmet. "I guess they'll let anyone be a knight these days..."

Celestia and Luna gawked at the stallion with a look of shock and awe. Who was this stallion? He just survived crashing through their own castle roof, got blasted by Celestia and her guards, and yet he was still able stand up and then shatter an unbreakable shield with only two swings from his sword.

Whoever sent this assassin must really want the princesses dead. They both gasped when the stallion brandished his blade at them.

"Now, where was I before being rudely interrupted by the Ezalor imposter over there?" He tapped on his helmet.

"Who sent you assassin!?" Celestia shouted. "Who is your mysterious benefactor that demands our head!" The two princess entered a combat stance, awaiting the stallion's response.

"An assassin?" The stallion looked around. "I don't see anyone here except for us." The princesses glared at him. He was practically making fun of them.

"We're talking about YOU, you fiend!" Luna shouted. But as threatening as she sounded, all she received in return was a hearty and slightly wheezy laughter from her would be killer.

"Ahahahaha! *wheeze* Hahahaha!" the stalllion laughed. Luna, growing increasingly furious at the her killer's antic's, decided to take action.

The clouds darken around the castle and a lucent bolt of lunar energy descended from the sky, through the hole in the roof and struck down upon the blue stallion, creating another crater in the room. She smiled as the sound of the crackling bolt dissipating ensured her that the assassin was no more. She walked on over to admire her work.

"Aha! Not so tough now, are yo- *clang!*" From out of the dust, the stallion swiftly struck Luna in the face with the flat end of his blade.

She flew all they way across the room and into the back wall that was so popular with ponies at the moment. The force of the strike was so incredible that the entire back wall crumbled as if it were made of glass.

The moon princess struggled to stand up, flicking away the debris as she did. She had several cuts and bruises scattered all across her dark blue body and retained a bloody nose that was dripping with the crimson fluid.

Luna rushed up rejoined her sister, she was beyond livid. Her eyes glowed bright white whenever she grew angry, the small storm around the castle grew more and more turbulent with each passing second. She huffed angrily as both Luna and Celestia stared down their killer, they were no longer patient with this assassin and they were prepared to take him down.

The stallion himself had already gotten up on his hooves, the pure rage that was emanating from him greatly dwarfed the princess's own. The savage air that was around him stilled the princess's heart.

Without warning, he charged towards the princesses bellowing another one of his savage warcry.

This time Celestia unleashed her own magic against him, a powerful beam of light that was channeled by the very sun that she controlled. She would hope to end this stallion's rampage with one shot.

Her horn lit up with a bright, luminescent yellow glow as she charged up her attack. Without a moment's notice she let loosed a powerful bolt of magic that struck the charging stallion directly. But nothing dramatic happened.

The bolt did hit him but it didn't appear to have damage him much. Panicking, both princesses unleashed a torrent of magical blast and energies towards their killer. The killer took each blast as if pebbles were being thrown at him. The princesses maintained their magical onslaught until finally, after almost one hundred blasts collectively, the stallion went down.

The princesses exhaled deeply at their success in stopping the rampant assassin. It may have taken more force than they initially thought but it worked out in the end. However, the sheer resilience the pony had displayed kept them on edge. He could withstand several blast from the alicorn princesses themselves, this was no small feat and it terrified them to the soul.

Shining Armor forced himself back onto his feet, he rushed on over to ensure the princesses' well being while every single member of the royal guard poured into the room from every possible corner there was.

All the guards quickly detained the assassin and began transporting him to Gladius prison. Celestia began to heal Luna of her wounds as Shining gauged the devastation that occurred. Members of his own squad were easily tossed around like trash and one of the princesses was wounded in the process. Luckily, nopony died.

"Ugh, what a mess. Someone get a clean up crew in here, and some doctors. Scratch that, get the whole hospital staff down here, pronto." He surveyed the room once more before addressing to the princesses. "Who the heck was that pony? He was unnaturally strong, even for an earth pony."

"Remember when I said looks can be deceiving captain? Well, this was it," said Celestia as she finished healing the last of Luna's injuries. "As for who this rogue knight is, it can wait until he is properly sealed away before we begin questioning his motives. We wouldn't want him to break out and go rampant again. As for Luna and I, I have a letter to go write. Your sister needs to know what happened."

Shining Armor saluted to the princesses as they left the room and back towards their own chambers. It had been a long stressful day for them, but unbeknownst to everypony there, it was only the beginning.

Canterlot, Blueblood's penthouse suite

"Unbelievable! Absolutely unbelievable!" Blueblood angrily shouted as he stomped around his home. "We were so close! So close! And then somepony just had to show up and attempt to murder the princesses!" He walked over to his arm chair and sat down, taking a swig from his glass of chardonnay. He rubbed his face with his hoof to get rid of any stress that stuck to his face.

"Calm down, Bluey. I'm sure we'll get another chance for our tax break to be approved." High Horse lounged on one of Blueblood's more luxurious couches enjoying a glass of red wine. "It's not the end of the world you know?" Blueblood pulled his face out from his hooves and glared daggers at High Horse.

"We needed that tax break now for our plans to go into effect!" Blueblood huffed. "Without it, how are we going to afford the resources necessary to see it done?" He gulped down his entire glass and groaned. "We would have to wait another six months to present our cause again. We don't have that kind of time, not when the great cleanse grows near!"

He poured himself another glass as he went over to the windows that overlooked Canterlot. "We've been waiting a thousand years for this day, one thousand years! What would my father say right now? What would the Descendants think?"

"Settle down Bluey, I can pull a few strings in the offices so that our tax break does go into action, no need to worry," High Horse said nonchalantly as he took another sip from his glass. "Our plans will go on as scheduled, I assure you." Blueblood stared at him, the kind of stare that said 'why didn't you say so earlier you dolt!?' This only elicited a mocking chuckle from High Horse.

"Aw, quit frowning like that, Bluey. That winning complexion of yours is going suffer for that." He sipped his wine. "I know what will cheer you up, how about a good old fashion fight down at Gladius Colosseum?" Blueblood simply sighed as he went back to his seat.

"Normally, seeing criminals tear each other apart would bring a smile to my face. Sadly, I'm not feeling it right now." Blueblood sipped on his wine just as he took notice to the wide mischievous grin that formed on his friend's face. "Alright, High Horse, out with it. What are you smiling about?"

"You know that assassin that tried to kill the princesses? Well, I heard he just got sent to Gladius prison." Blueblood raised an eyebrow, he didn't know where he was going with this. "And I know how angry you were when he disrupted the approval, so I called in some favors and had a very special show scheduled in a few days." Blueblood was interested in this special show, he just had to ask.

"And what, may I ask, is so special about this show?" he leaned back in his chair.

"Let's just say this rogue knight will be in for a fairy tale fight." High Horse kept on grinning, Blueblood eventually did as well when he caught on the hint.

"No, you didn't." Blueblood smiled.

"Oh yes, I most certainly did." High Horse raised glass his gulped down the entire thing. He then poured himself another and shared a wholehearted bout of laughter with Blueblood. They then tapped their glasses together and declared a toast. A toast to their princesses, to the Descendants, to all of ponykind...

And to the death of the Rogue Knight

Chapter 9 end

Author's Note

Finally, we get to the rogue knight. Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Now I got some Ja' rakal to play. Expect the next chapter next week. Or not cause I have mid terms

Chapter 10: The Rogue Knight- Part 2

What does a Hero Truly Need?

By: Zelkova48

Chapter 10: The Rogue Knight- Part 2

His vision was blurry, the whole world before him was but an abstract painting of dark earth tones and bright red hues. He was being dragged, he could hear and feel two guards pulling his semi-conscious self towards who knows where. The soft soil beneath his body felt warm and soggy, close to mud but not as sticky yet.

The air the permeated from the area was dry and stagnant, you couldn't breathe properly without feeling some dust being sucked into your lungs. But he remained resilient, he was down but most certainly not out. He clutched onto his sword with a death grip when he felt the guards attempt to yank it off of him.

He remained steadfast. Even in his weakened state, the guards could not take his sword from him. After a few minutes of trying and failing, the guards gave up and instead opted to throw him into a small room. It was a cell. Even from behind his blurry vision, he could see smudged black lines in parallel order that represented the bars that kept him in.

With a loud clicking noise followed by the sound of hacking and subsquent spatter on his helmet, the guards finally left him to his own devices. He would be undisturbed for a while, and that was a great time to take a well deserved nap.

After all, his day was going so well until it took an unexpected turn for the worst. Being sucked into a black hole and sent to the skies was not his idea of a good day. Crashing directly into some building and getting blasted by two magical bitches only added fuel to the fire that was his horrible day.

How was he at fault? Sure, he held his sword to one of the women but he let go when she told him to. He did as she said and all he did was argue back at her. Apparently, doing so warranted a series concussive blast to the chest by the two powerful magic users and their maelstrom of angry guards.

In his defense, he thought as his mind began to drift, they struck the first blow. All he did was angrily shout at them, but the opinion could go either way. All he cared now was that it was over, for the time being at least.

The room was nice and quiet, the dirt floor felt rather comfy as a matter of fact, and the soft warm glow of what he assumed to be torches on the walls put his mind at ease. He was just going to lie down and just... go to sleep.

Yes, that sounded like a good idea.

"Wake up..." A raspy voice spoke to him in the darkness, to which he shrugged in return. The voice did not stop, it started to poke him on his side.

"Come now, wake up friend..." The voice poked him again.

He conceded, stirring on the ground as he proceeded to stand up. He lost his balance but quickly adjusted when he stabilized himself on all fours. Hmm, strange. Why did this feel so... natural? He shook his head to clear his vision, what he saw resting before him on the cell's bunk was a peculiar sight.

It was a gray anthropomorphic coyote wearing a set of cracked goggles with a patched up blue vest and a worn scarf. As he looked at the dog, it smiled back at him as he rested his cheek on his paw.

"Well? Did you enjoy your nap, sleeping beauty?" The dog laughed. He waited for the dog to stop before chuckling himself. "So, I guess you're my new cell mate, eh? The last guy that was here got eaten by manticores, may his soul be at peace." The dog stayed quiet for a few seconds in respect for the dead. "Well, how about we do introductions then, hmm?" The dog hopped off the bed and offered him a paw in friendship.

"My name's Jackal, I'm a Diamond Dog from southern Appleloosa." He tried to reach over and shake his new companion's paw.

"My name is Sven..." Sven then looked down at himself and saw that his hand was replaced with a hoof. Sven examined the rest of his body and saw that it had taken the shape of a moderately sized horse. "And, I am apparently a horse now." He sighed. Jackal shot him a perplexed look.

"What do you mean by that friend?" Jackal asked. Sven walked on over and picked his sword off the ground, resting it against the side of the cell wall as he turned to Jackal and sighed again.

"Would you believe me if I told you that I'm not from here, and that I don't normally look like this? Hmph, I don't even know where here is," Sven asked his cell mate as Jackal raised an eyebrow at him. He turned around and hopped back into his bunk where he began to think.

"Actually, believe it or not, I do." He playfully clamped his nose before replying. "That would explain the funny scent you've got, and it's not because that ass of a guard spat on your helmet." He took his paw off of his nose. "I'd wager you aren't even from Equestria, are you?"

Sven tilted his head in curiosity. "Equestria? Where's that?" he asked. The question elicited a jovial bout of laughter from Jackal. After a few seconds of laughing, he smiled once again at his new cell mate.

"You really are something else, aren't you? Well, how about a quick history lesson then?" Jackal then went on to explain to Sven the basics of Equestria.

It's mostly inhabited by ponies. Yup, they are Equestria's most dominant species. They are watched over by their two princesses, Princess Celestia and her sister Princess Luna, the latter of whom just came back only two years ago. And that's about as far as Jackal's knowledge went.

"That's all you should know friend. Being a diamond dog of course, I don't know much about anything else. Except for gems, I know a lot about gems." Jackal sighed. Sven walked over to the bars and took a quick look around, he was in only one of what he guessed was a few hundred cells. Sven needed to know.

"While we are on the subject of location, where are we exactly?" Jackal perked up at the thought and scrambled out of the bunk, dashing right over to Sven. He reached his arm out of the bars and started pointing around.

"Now, that is one question I can answer." He cleared his throat. "Welcome to glorious Gladius Prison! Your new home from now, to forever!" He dramatically waved his paw around to express the severity of their fate. "Home to some of the most dangerous criminals in all of Equestria. All of us here have done something that possibly involved either threatening all of Equestria or wronging their omnipotent rulers." His smile faded to a frown when he finished.

"Long story short, this place is a awful shit hole where criminals stay to rot for the rest of their lives, or if they get eaten by the manticores, whichever comes first." He sighed deeply and stared at the ground. "I miss my clan... I miss my family... the pups have probably already discovered their first gem by now..."

Sven empathized with his new friend, he too lost his family. He did his best to hold the emotions back, managing to reach over and give Jackal an assuring pat on the back.

"I understand your pain, Jackal. I lost my mother and father at a young age." Jackal appreciated the kind gesture and smiled back at him.

"Thank you, Sven. Where are they now? Your parents, I mean?" Jackal was curious. Underneath his helmet, Sven felt bitter at remembering his parents fate. His father was executed for violating the very code he adhered to, and his mother was shunned by her own wild race, the Meranths.

He could still remember his past life with lucid details. From his mother's lingering death, to his formative years as a young knight in training, and lastly, the day he destroyed the order of the Vigil Knights. The very order that his father was once a proud member of, and the order that declared his existence an abomination.

During his long and treacherous journey, he learned that honor did not lie in any social order, but only within himself. And it is with this strength of belief that he became the man (pony) he is today. Still a knight, yes... but a Rogue Knight.

"They're... they're gone." Jackal's expression saddened. He felt bad for unearthing such a painful memory.

"I'm sorry, Sven. I don't know if it means anything coming from me but... you have my deepest condolences." Sven shook out of his funk, this was no time to sulk.

"It's quite alright, Jackal. I've long since accepted their loss," he lied. In an attempt to stop the memory from resurfacing again, he decided to change the subject "So, why are you here anyway. What did you do to deserve such a fate?"

Jackal scurried back to his bunk and began to recollect the events that got him sent to Gladius prison. His voice cracked slightly when he began to speak. He didn't want to talk about it, but since his friend has been so nice to him, he might as well tell his story.

"Ah, lets see. How did I end up here again? Oh yes, that's right. I attacked Princess Celestia's personal sky carriage," he mumbled. "Other than that, it's a long story. Do you still wanna hear it?" Sven nodded and began to listen attentively. Jackal shrugged and began telling the tale of his life and his eventual loss.

"It was around three years ago. I was the patriarch of my small clan of diamond dogs near the southern end of Equestria. It was a simple life for us. Dig, find gems, enjoy time with our family. We lived undisturbed for quite some time... *sigh* then the ponies came." His expression darkened at the memory.

"They wanted to build a new settlement where we lived, called it Appleloosa if I remember correctly. They wanted us off the land, told us that it was pony territory, that we were nothing more than a group of savage invaders. I tried to reason with them diplomatically, but they refused any attempts at a peaceful coexistence. They didn't want to see hide nor hair of us." He chuckled. "I remembered that they tried to remove us with ballistic apple pies. Heh, we ate well that week"

"We remained resolute however, we didn't move an inch until we reached a consensus. Apparently our civil disobedience only angered the ponies. Before we knew it, they had the royal guards descended upon us and plucked from our homes like unripe fruit." Tears began to well up at the corner of Jackal's eyes. "We fled from the guards and found refuge with our neighboring cousins by the mountains." His voice cracked, he looked like he was ready to collapse on his knees and weep any time now.

"I was furious, enraged! How could they just treat us like that?! I didn't care for the reason anymore, I just wanted some kind of vengeance. When I heard that the town was planning some kind of celebration for clearing us out, I came up with a plan. Me and a few others were going to hijack some of their supply caravans just to spite them." Jackal cracked a weak grin that betrayed his sadness. "You should've seen the look on the pony's faces when they found out there was no party at all."

"We later caught word of a special caravan that was heading to the town. We'd figure that if we hijacked this one, there would be nothing left to celebrate at all." The tears began to flow freely now.

"The caravan was special alright, I'm sure you must've figured it out by now, it was Princess Celestia's personal sky carriage. When we got caught, I begged for her to leave my kin, I took responsibility for the whole thing. Before I knew it, I was dragged off to Canterlot where I partook in an incredibly biased trial which I lost the moment I set foot in the courtroom." Jackal wiped the tears off his face and regained his composure.

"Anyway, I've been stuck at Gladius prison ever since. At least my kin's alright, that's all that matters to me. Who know's what would've happened to them if I hadn't given myself up. I sometimes have nightmares where the guards found them and... I really don't want to talk about that." Jackal curled up on his bunk as Sven absorb all the information.

"It's alright, you can keep that one to yourself." He chuckled. "You know, you sound very intelligent for a gem finding dog. Personally, I think the ponies misjudged you and your kind," he complimented. Jackal smiled as he reached underneath his pillow and pulled out a worn book.

"Thank you, but it wasn't always that way. Being stuck in prison can get pretty boring, so I decided to pass the time by educating myself. For a prison filled with the worst scum in Equestria, they have quite the selection of novels and stories here." Jackal placed the book back underneath his pillow.

"So, how did you end up here? I've told you my story, what about yours?" Jackal asked. Sven recalled his own memory at what happened earlier that day.

"I... uh, I think I may have gotten into a fight with those princesses you mentioned earlier..." Jackal's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates at the mention of Sven's audacious crime.

"You're telling that you're the assassin that put the beat down on the princesses and the guards earlier today?! No digging way, you must've been crazy strong to go hoof to hoof with the most powerful beings in all Equestria without getting fried or sent to the moon." He started to applaud Sven. "Congratulations on becoming one of the most dangerous threats in Equestria, Sven!" Sven rolled his eyes from behind his helmet.

"Well, that's just great. I've gone from the Rogue Knight to the Rogue Assassin. I swear that title fits Rikimaru better than me..." As soon as Sven mentioned Rikimaru, something clicked inside of his head, something he had completely forgotten about up until now.

"Gah! I still have to find my friends! I can't stay here!" Sven turned to the bars and attempted to break them apart with his sword. A few swings from his massive sword shattered the bars right off of the ground that housed them. He was about to make his escape but was taken by surprise when the bars reformed the moment he broke them off.

"I had a feeling you might try that. Don't waste your strength Sven, this prison is magically housed. Unless you know some powerful sorcerer or magician or something, there is no escape for the likes of us," Jackal deadpanned.

"Do you know how many have attempted to escape over the last few hundred years? A couple hundred. Do you know how have actually succeeded? None." Sven's mood deflated, he couldn't be stuck here. He needed to find his friends and a way back home.

"*Sigh* I do know a grand magus, the only problem is that I have no idea where he is right now. I can only hope that he's searching for me." Sven put his sword back against the wall and stared the gates. "What do I do now?" he asked Jackal.

"Hmm... Might as well go to sleep I guess. It's close to evening so that means no more food and no socializing with the other inmates. Just go to sleep and conserve your energy. Trust me on this, you're going to need it for the upcoming fight." Sven looked at Jackal with a perplexed look underneath his helmet.

"Fight? What fight?" He was interested in the fight, but he didn't know why he had to fight to begin with. Jackal pulled up his sheets, fluffed his pillow and turned to Sven.

"Because we're such dangerous criminals, we're subjugated to a different kind of punishment. Instead of spending time here, thinking about our actions and seeking penitence, we get fed to the manticores. For the record, that is not a metaphor. Every month or so, the inmates are thrown into Gladius colosseum and forced to fight for their lives against the beasts." Jackal shook and head and laid his head on the pillow.

"It's the prison's method of serving justice and keeping the prisoner count low." He pulled the blanket over his face and closed his eyes.

"Just go to sleep, you'll thank me later..." just as he finished, he began to lightly snore as he drifted away into a deep sleep.

As much as Sven hated being stuck in a prison, he really had no other options. With enough force he could split the prison wide open and escape, even with it's magical enchantments. But that would mean he would be a fugitive on the run. He would he hunted down and thrown back to square one, he couldn't risk putting himself and his allies in danger, especially in another world. He needed the help of his friends to escape properly.

He sighed and walked over to the top bunk, another nap would do him some good. His injuries have healed up, but he could still feel some sores here and there from the various blasts he had to endure hours before. He stretch his limbs with a few pops around his neck to relax himself. After reciting a few runes from his own code, he wished his friend a good night and hopped onto the top bunk.

"Good night, Jackal. See you in the morning." Jackal just waved his paw and grumbled some incoherent acknowledgement to his new cellmate. With a quick hop up to the second bunk, he landed right atop the bed...

*Crash!*

Sven's sheer size and weight caused the already weak bunk bed to collapse right beneath his cell mate causing for quite the comical scene. Sven immediately rushed off his bed and helped Jackal free himself from the mattress sandwich. The two went to work on salvaging their makeshift bunk bed where they agreed to one thing.

"Uh... maybe it would be better if I slept in the bottom bunk." Sven chuckled nervously.

"Yes, that sounds like a good idea," replied Jackal in a deadpan tone.

Back at Canterlot castle, the princesses had managed to quell the terrified masses after word got out of the alleged assassination attempt. Normalcy returned as quickly as the panic rose. After a public address to the ponies of Canterlot, all was well again and the citizens of the fair city could sleep well again knowing that another attempt at evil had been thwarted by their rulers.

At least that was the idea.

It had been a wild month for the princesses. Paperwork, paperwork, the occasional threats to Equestria and even more paperwork filled up their schedules on an hourly basis. However, they digress. There is something much more important on the horizon, something that had been kept a secret for the past several months. Something that not even Discord or a rampaging rogue knight would dissuade them from.

Princess Cadence and Shining Armor's wedding day

It was going to be spectacular event and Twilight and her friends were going to be one of the many guests of honor. However, with recent events and another new startling discovery, they're starting to wonder if it was a good Idea to make it a public wedding at all.

Somewhere within the walls of the castle, Celestia, Luna, Shining Armor, and Princess Cadence were being runned ragged on preparations for the wedding and unsurprisingly... more paperwork.

"How are injuries, Shining?" A worried Cadence hovered over her injured fiance, tending to some of his lesser wounds.

Shining winced each and every time she applied some antiseptic to his cuts. Most of his more serious injuries had been healed completely, courtesy of Princess Celestia. But he was still riddled with some small bruises and cuts from when the assassin shattered the magical barrier.

"You can handle it you big baby," she joked, eliciting a heartfelt smile and a quiet but pained chuckle from her fiance.

"Gah! Ooh, that feels nice..." The sting of the medication later faded into a soothing sensation as he was being patched up. After a few wraps with some bandages and a kiss from Cadence, Shining was back in business. He nuzzled his soon to be wife and stayed at her side.

"It's been quite the wild day hasn't it?" said Shining as he browsed through a series of wedding catalogues with Cadence. In actuality, he only pretended to make it look like he was browsing, this kind of thing wasn't exactly his specialty. "First, all of Equestria suffers some kind of quake. Then some whack job attacks the princesses." He sighed. "Do you think we should postpone the wedding?"

Cadence pondered the thought. Her fiance was nearly killed by some assassin, who knows what other nasty villains would attack Canterlot again. With all the recent event, things seem far to hectic to host a wedding properly. It would be a safe bet to hold off the wedding for a few more weeks, just until things cleared over. Just as she was about to voice her opinion, both her aunts entered the room, looking positively exhausted behind their regal and gentle composure.

"That shouldn't be necessary, Cadence. We will see to it that no foul scum shall ruin your special day," Luna exclaimed with a fiery passion in her eyes. Shining respectfully saluted the princesses while Cadence gave them both a warm hug.

"How's your nose, aunt Luna?" Cadence asked. Luna rubbed her nose when she brought up the question. Even though it no longer hurt, remembering getting sent soaring through the air and into the room's back wall caused her to involuntarily shudder. It was by no means a pleasant experience.

"It's gotten better, thank you for asking..." She held her hoof to her face almost instinctively. "B-but the point remains dear Cadence, you shall have your special day as planned. Nopony, and I mean nopony is going to ruin it for you. This, we swear." Luna struck a regal pose as she finished, Celestia rolled her eyes as she walked over to the wedding plans.

"Too bad there might be one harpy that will spoil the feast, sister." Using her magic to sort through the mess of the papers that was cluttered all over the table, she retrieved one specific envelope. The envelope was a coarse black in color and lined with a sickly greenish blue color. Everypony stared at it. They knew what it was, they just didn't want to believe it.

"It's real? I thought it was just somepony's idea of a sick joke." Cadence huddled closely to shining armor while Luna's expression hardened.

"Nonsense!" Luna stamped her hoof. "An assassination attempt is one thing, but trying to invade the capitol!? Foolishness, utter foolishness!" Luna fumed, her eyes glowing a faint white. Celestia opened up the letter and read its contents. On fine parchment and with very elegant hoofwriting, the letter stated.....

On the day of the wedding

We shall take over Canterlot

That was all it said. It was very short but straight to the point. But who would write such a thing? Who would openly proclaim a hostile takeover just like that? Whatever the reason, everypony on the room was put on edge. Shining was the first to speak up and break the silence.

"We don't have to worry about a thing," he stated. He held Cadence closer to him as a sign of his love and protection. "I am the captain of the royal guards. If there really is going to be an invasion, I will find and stop whoever's behind all this."

He stood with his chest puffed out proudly. Somepony may have bested him today, but he won't make the same mistake twice, especially on the day of his own wedding.

Cadence could see the fire in his eyes, the fire to protect all that he held dear. Shining smiled, thinking back to how wrong the assassin was about him. He was captain of the guards for a reason, he will see to it personally that this criminal be brought to justice. Celestia and Luna smiled as well, maybe thing just might work out after all.

"I assume that means you'll be sending out the invitations then?" just as Celestia mentioned the invitations, Shining Armor's composure deflated like a bounce house with a large hole in it.

Gone was the righteous protector of Equestria and all its denizens, here was the flimsy Shining Armor that forgot to make the invitations for his own wedding. He bolted on over to the planning table and scrounged about, looking for anything that could be used to be crafted into a mediocre invitation. Cadence and her aunts chuckled at the frantic captain.

Cadence walked on over to him and stopped his hooves from wildly running across the table and gave him a peck on the cheek. This action alone calmed his nerves and stopped him dead in his tracks. She then smirked as she levitated out a bundle of perfectly written and crafted invitations from beneath the table.

"I'd knew you forget, so I made these in advance." Shining looked like an ass at the moment. With a nervous smile and a few coughs, he took each of the letters and had them sent to to their respective recipient.

With all the invitations sent out, everypony went back to picking out which kind of flower would be perfect for the bouquet and how the festivities shall end. Within mere minutes, a messy letter from Twilight poofed right before Celestia which brought forth curiosity from the group.

"Huh, this is interesting. I wonder what's on her mind." Celestia partially opened the scroll and began reading aloud.

She stopped when she mentioned the fallen object and was quite relieved to find out that it was nothing serious, only a magical mishap. What she had a hard time believing was that it was a group of ponies falling from the sky and not some random piece of debris. This raised some questions. She continued reading until she reached the part where Twilight requested her help.

"Interesting, this would make for quite the friendship report once all is said and done. Trusting a group like that takes good judgement." Celestia smiled warmly. Shining Armor smiled as well upon hearing his sister's accomplishment.

"Yup, that's my little sister." Cadence smiled alongside him, she hadn't seen Twilight in so long. It would be wonderful to see her at the wedding.

"Hmm... apparently, this group is short one pony. Their friend is missing and Twilight has requested my help in searching for the lost pony." Celestia stopped and pondered deeply at her choice. "We have hundred of guards stationed all over Equestria, perhaps they can do a sweep of land. I'm sure he will be found in no time. Now if only we knew what he looked like."

Celestia continued on with the letter hoping to find some sort of clue to the pony's appearance. Thankfully there was a description near the end of the letter about the pony.

"Okay, lets see. From what Twilight says, he is a very big stallion, wears blue with pieces of... armor... and has an oblong helmet..."

She let go of the letter and let it fall to the ground, the smile on her face disappeared and a scowl formed on her face. Everypony in the room was speechless, the assassin that they faced earlier today fit the description all too well. Fear the only emotion that everypony felt at the moment, Twilight and her friends were with a group dangerous conspirators. They feared for their safety.

"Perhaps my student still has a lesson to learn about better judgement." Celestia hastily pulled out some parchment and began writing two letters. One about the wedding plans, and another to give the criminals a sense of false security. With a simple signature, she sent away the letters.

"So, these conspirators were hoping to use us to search for their friend hmm? Too bad their plan failed miserably. We have their ally, and we know their game," Luna assumed. "I guess they didn't count on Twilight alerting us with a mock letter." Luna was genuinely impressed at Twilight using her wits, she can see why her sister chose her to be her personal student. Luna's reasoning also explained why the letter looked so messy, she clearly rushed it out of fear... right?

"I'll have to commend her for that later, but for now, we must worry about catching the assassin's cohorts." Celestia looked over at Shining Armor and Cadence who both looked very worried. "Do not fear you two, this will all be over by tomorrow. I can promise you that there will be no other problems." Her words did little to calm Shining's nerves. Instead, he grew furious.

"Grr... It's just one thing after another isn't it. They have my sister and this won't stand. The last thing they'll ever see will be the rusty bars of Gladius prison!" Right now, Shining just wanted to lock away all of those ponies and throw away the key. Both Celestia and Luna found his willingness to serve Equestria one of his most appealing qualities, they both see why Cadence fell for him. He was the prime example of the model stallion and an exemplary member of the royal guards.

"I'm glad to see you're ready for this captain. Because you're going to catch them tomorrow." Shining Armor only smiled knowing that he will able to lock up the cohorts so soon.

"Yes, ma'am!" Shining Armor saluted the princesses again. "Should I bring the elite guards your majesty?"

"That would be favorable captain, we've seen what the assassin was capable of. We don't want to be caught unprepared now do we?" Luna suggested. She then commanded an order.

"Bring them to us when you're done, I would like to have a word with them"

Chapter 10 end

Author's Note

Okay, so I have a grip of where this story is going to lead now, because that has mostly been my problem when writing this chapter. I felt like I was writing on air with not solid footing. But now I do.

Chapter 11: Arrested Development

What does a Hero Truly Need?

By: Zelkova48

Chapter 11: Arrested Development

Today was suppose to be a good day for our heroes and fillies.

It was nothing very serious when you think about it. The heroes were going to be reunited with their friend, Twilight and the others were going to catch up with the princesses and maybe they would browse around the Canterlot scene and have a pleasant time. Even better, they thought, they might even be able to witness the grand wedding of captain Shining Armor and Princess Mi Amore Cadenza alongsid their newfound friends. Right after Twilight gave her brother a piece of her mind that is....

Too bad all those plans flew out the window when the group got ambushed by a group of elite royal guards. As the mane six and Spike watched their friends being ruthlessly taken down, Gondar was readying himself for the hostile encounter. Shining Armor called in the order to have him stunned and detained, causing everypony to gasp in horror. Twilight ran up to her brother, pleading to let them go.

"Shining! Stop! You're hurting them!" But her words fell upon deaf ears. Shining simply pushed her back as he watched his men surround the conspirator.

"Stay back, Twilight! I have direct orders from the princesses themselves. These four are going to apprehended and judged for their crimes!" Twilight tried her hardest to dissuade her brother from capturing them.

"There has to be some sort of mistake, a misunderstanding! They haven't done anything wrong, they're..." Twilight caught her tongue just as she was about to let slip the fact that they are outworlders. If she told Shining that, it would only fuel his zeal to capture them. Rarity, who feared for Gondar's safety tried her hoof at persuaded Shining to stop.

"Please, don't hurt him! He hasn't done anything wrong, he's... he's just a carpenter!" Shining didn't listen to her either.

Tears began flowing as she was forced to witness injustice. Twilight, Applejack and Rainbow Dash attempted to intervene but all seven of them were trapped behind Shining Armor's magical barrier. They all tried to break the barrier but to no avail as it was far too strong. Shining merely looked back and told them:

"It's for your own safety."

Gondar was surrounded.

All around him he could sense the guards closing the distance between them. The elite guards looked similar to the regular royal guards, the only difference were the major changes to their armor. While the standard attire would be a helmet and a cover for their torso, the elites were completely encased in elegantly designed overlapping plates of gold and steel. From head to hoof there was nothing but metal, save for the face of course.

Though many of the guards kept their usual stoic expression, Gondar could tell that they were very, very angry at him.

The entire area had already been cleared out except for the small crowd that was amassing from behind Shining Armor and everypony else. They all wanted to watch. Faint whispers could be heard in the background as ponies gossiped amongst themselves about the fate of the short and shaggy yellow stallion.

As rumors began to churn from within the crowd, others were placing bets on who would win. The odds for Gondar, as guessed by the crowd, was about one to a thousand in the guards favor. Some pretentious nobleponies even busted out a cigar and started to smoke it as if they were expecting some kind of show.

One by one the elite guards stepped ever so closer to their target, each of them, both a mix of earth ponies and unicorns had their spears and sword drawn and ready. There were also a number of pegasus guards in the back with crossbows and flintlock rifles all prepared to take him down from afar should he escape.

The squad commander walked up to Gondar and offered him a choice.

"Come quietly, or prepare for the beating of a lifetime, scum." The commander brandished his blade at Gondar's neck with a very smug grim plastered on his face. Gondar stared at the commander for a spell. He then began to chuckle, which soon erupted into a full blown laughing fit.

"What's so funny, scum?" the commander demanded, his face portraying a look of burning anger. But Gondar just kept on laughing, laughing at the guards like they were nothing more than a troupe of clowns.

This action infuriated all the guards surrounding him, but not so much as Shining Armor who was downright offended at the conspirator outlandish joy. Shining Armor and his company will not take such humiliation. He called in the order through gritted teeth.

"Commander... take him down." The guard smirked upon hearing the command.

"Yes, sir!" The commander raised his sword high and brought it down upon the conspirator, only to have it stopped mid swing by Gondar. Clasped in both of his hooves was the commander's sword, its mirror-like blade gleaming with the rays of the sun.

Everypony stared with a slacked jaw expression on their faces, there was no way an earth pony could be this fast. The commander was the most shocked of all, he was absolutely speechless at what had just happened. Then with a cold, piercing voice, Gondar spoke.

"You wanna know why I find you group of assholes so funny?" He snatched the sword from the stunned commander and began twirling it around for his amusement.

"Because you clowns are being so damn rude." He gazed at the guards with his grim crimson eyes. "You show up uninvited to our little group and decide to brutally subdue some of my closest friends," he said, his voice growing more and more irritated with each breath.

"Then, you have the nerve to come up to my face and offer me an ultimatum? Isn't that just hilarious?" Pinkie giggled from behind the barrier. She had to admit, it was kind of funny.

"I'll tell you what my choice is, I'll pick the beating of a lifetime..." He then slammed the sword directly into the ground, embedding it into the floor. "For you lot of armored idiots that is." He concluded by cackling mockingly. The commander couldn't take any more of this crazy criminal's rambling. Right now, he just wanted to see him pulped to a fine paste.

"Grrr... I've had about enough of this! Take him out NOW!" The guards quickly descended upon Gondar like a wave of righteous justice.

The commander was the first to strike. Enraged, he dove towards Gondar and threw a wild hook at him. Gondar anticipated his attack however and swiftly ducked out of the way, leaving the poor fool completely open for a counter attack. Whispering a few enchantments to his own hooves, Gondar aimed straight for the commanders open knee.

"Got you!"

*Crack!*

The powerful strike connected for a clean hit, crushing the armor and forcibly bending the commander's entire foreleg completely backwards. With the satisfying sound of crunching bone and agonizing screams, Gondar could tell that he hit him just right.

Following through, he grabbed the still screaming commander's head and slammed it directly into the handle of the entrenched sword multiple times until he stopped moving. Granted he was unconscious, Gondar did him a favor by anesthetizing him from all that horrible pain.

The guards watched in horror as their squad commander was brutally beaten down so easily from this mysterious stallion. His sheer animosity sent shivers down each and everyone of the guards armored spines. But instead of turning to run, they all bravely (idiotically) rushed down to apprehend the criminal. All the pegasus guards took aim and open fired upon the yellow stallion.

By instinct, Gondar picked up the sword and began slicing bullets and arrows left and right with disturbing dexterity and precision. Piece by piece, the arrows and musket balls scattered across the ground, useless. As the smoke cleared, Gondar stood in the center unscathed.

Once again, everypony found themselves gawking at him with a slacked jaw expression. The elite guards, the very best of the best within their ranks, were beginning to lose morale. Somehow, all of them gathered up their courage (stupidity) and blindly rushed Gondar again as the pegasi were occupied with reloading all their weaponry.

A guard attempted to strike Gondar with his spear, only for him to redirect the blunt end of his own weapon right into his face, dazing him and breaking his nose. A unicorn tried to blast him with a magic bolt, but Gondar grabbed the dazed guard and used him as a shield against the attack, knocking him out completely. As he let the guard fall to the ground with his head full of stars, Gondar dashed through the line of guards and began incapacitating them one by one.

Every single one of the guards attempted to apprehend him, but they couldn't even touch him due to his incredible speed and their bulky armor. What started off as broken legs and concussions quickly grew into much more painful methods of subduing a pony.

One of the guards got turned into a pin cushion for arrows and musket balls. Thankfully, his armor protected him but with all the projectiles jamming up his armor he couldn't budge an inch. Several ended up getting chained to many of the station's support beams by their own manacles when they tried to get the drop on Gondar. One particular guard got his face smashed directly into the glass window of an empty ticket booth where he fell to the ground writhing and wailing in agony as shards of glass ripped into his face.

"Ah, you'll live," Gondar quipped before immediately rolling out of the way as another volley of projectiles came flying his way. A second volley flew at him and he dodged right behind the ticket booth. "Grr... Only cowards hunt from a distance!" he yelled back at his aggressors.

The pegasi had wings, they were mobile. He needed to find a way to get them grounded. As Gondar pondered his options, his eyes glanced over to the unconscious guard who face he smashed into the glass window of the ticket booth just seconds before. The large jagged shards of broken glass beside him gave him an idea.

As the remaining guards were reloading their weaponry, Gondar hopped out of cover and took them entirely by surprise. Gripped in his hoof was a handful of hastily shapened glass shards.

"Hello there!" With deadly precision and grace, he flung the shards at the guards.

Each and every single one of the pegasus guards were struck by the base of their wings, sending them clumsily plummeting to the ground. Without proper control of both wings, pegasi left and right were having simultaneous crash landings all over the station. Some fell into random luggage, others flew straight into windows of nearby shoppes and stands while the unlucky ones crashed directly into water towers and bill boards.

With a near rhythmical sound of bodies hitting the brick roads of Canterlot signifying his victory over the guards, Gondar could only help but smile and raising his hoof high over his defeated opponents and cheering as if he and his teammates just destroyed the opposing ancient. But Gondar wasn't finished yet, there was something he had to take care of first...

Everypony from Shining Armor, to the mane six, to Spike, and even the crowd in the back could not believe what they saw with their eyes.

They just witnessed a short little earth pony take down fifty some of the finest soldiers their guard had to offer with almost little to no effort at all. It was so shocking that in the midst of it all, one of the noble ponies didn't notice his cigar fell right off of his lips when his jaw hit the ground. It probably didn't help that he lost the bet either. As Gondar was dusting himself off by the station, Spike was the first to shatter the stagnant silence.

"Dude. He must be a good carpenter." Everypony couldn't help but nod at his statement.

Shining Armor felt like he was struck by a raw bolt of lightning right on his horn. The finest and most respected battalion of soldiers ever assembled in Equestria had been brutally beaten and humiliated beyond belief by a scraggly punk in the time it would take for the average pony to make lunch. That alone was a major blow to the morale of the entirety of the royal guard.

He felt a shiver run down his spine as Gondar began his march towards him. Gondar may have been wearing a mask, but underneath the red bandanna the unicorn could feel the quiet rage radiating off his person.

Shining reeled back when Gondar got face to face with him. His crimson eyes unnerved Shining, causing him to break out in a cold sweat. But all Gondar did was just hiss at him intimidatingly. He then pushed past Shining and approached his new friends. Gondar placed his hoof on the magical barrier, scrutinizing its properties before speaking.

"Some older brother you got here, Twilight," he said. Twilight snapped out of her stupor and nodded along in agreement.

"Yes, he can be quite the hard head sometimes." She glared at Shining Armor with her violet irises.

Shining could feel the bolts of lightning strike at him again. This stare was far more unnerving than Gondar's because it came from his own younger sister. How was he the bad guy in this? He did what was he was ordered to for the safety of Equestria.

"Don't you all worry your pretty little heads, I'm gonna bust you out of there." Just as Gondar mentioned breaking open the barrier, Shining gathered up the courage to confront him.

"Don't even think about it, scum. You may have defeated my men but you're out of luck this time. This is the strongest shield in all of Equestria. You don't have a snowball's chance in Tartarus in breaking it open." Though he remembered back to the moment with the assassin, he pushed the though out of his head when he remembered that he was a large muscle bound stallion.

Gondar was short for the average stallion. He couldn't break the shield, Shining thought. But Gondar merely looked at Shining with the same expression he had when he was fighting his men, it was a look of confidence.

"Tsk, we'll see about that, asshat." Gondar turned his attention to the bubble.

He looked directly at its center and began to concentrate. He closed his eyes and blocked out the outside world as he gathered himself. Softly, he began whispering sacred verses of empowerment to himself, drawing perplexed looks from his peers. Rainbow Dash in particular raised an eyebrow at him while Shining gawked at the fellow like he was crazy.

"Uh... how is whispering gonna bust open the most powerful barrier in all of Equestria?" She would soon get her answer when Gondar's eyes suddenly shot open, revealing crimson eyes held with unparalleled focus. He assumed a striking stance and reeled his foreleg back sharply.

"Jinada!"

Snapping his foreleg out, his empowered hoof collided with the barrier at blinding speeds, cracking it like a frail egg. His hoof remained in position where it revealed a large jagged hole. Piece by piece the barrier shattered slowly around the fillies like a beautiful mosaic screen as Shining felt himself lose control over his own spell.

Shining Armor was dumbfounded, the girls were awe stricken, and Spike was ready to explode at the awesomeness he had just witnessed. With the shield shattered, Gondar let out a measured breath and relaxed his form as everypony rushed around Gondar, congratulating him on winning the fight and bombarding him with questions as to how he did what he did despite being an alleged carpenter.

Twilight on the other hoof trotted over Shining Armor and gave him a swift righteous slap to the face.

"Gah! Ouch! What was that for?!" he demanded, but all he got in return was the same blood freezing sisterly glare from earlier.

"What the hay was that all about?" She impatiently tapped her hoof on the ground, expecting a proper answer.

"What do you mean, Twilight? Your so called friends are all in league with the assassin! They deserve to rot in a cell!" His response only warranted another slap from his younger sister who was all too ready to dispense more tough love at a moment's notice.

"Ah! Would you stop that? I was doing what I was ordered to do! I did it for the princesses, for Equestria, for you!" Twilight was prepared to slap him again but stopped mid swing as her anger was quelled from the last part of the statement. She did however kept glaring at him. Shining Armor started to feel uncomfortable as his younger sister's eyes bored into his very soul.

"I did what any older brother would do if his younger sister were in danger." As sweet as that would normally sound for a younger sister to hear her older brother talk about protection, given the circumstances, it only served refueled Twilight's anger. With her face slowly blending with the colors of a soft lavender and that of a harsh red, she exploded on her brother.

"You- you, idiot! Do you have any idea what you and your soldiers have just done!? You just attacked a group of innocent ponies! You have absolutely no idea how furious I am with you!" she huffed angrily. Shining, in light of the tirade and onslaught of stinging slaps, remained steadfast with his position.

"Innocent!? Are you even listening to yourself!? You've seen what that yellow freak was capable of! He and his friends are coming with me to be judged for their crimes and that's final!" Just as Twilight was about to scold him again, Gondar approached him with an unamused expression on his face.

"Who are you calling a freak, you soup can wearing donkey!? You should be glad all your soldiers are still breathing!" Gondar raised his hoof to clobber him in the face but stopped when Twilight intervened.

"Now's not the time for that Gondar." Gondar complied and backed away. "Don't worry, he'll get what's coming to him..." she told him before turning to face her brother again.

"Why are you acting like this!?" Shining yelled, but then something struck him as suspicious. "You're not brainwashed, are you? Oh, Faust! You're brainwashed, aren't you? I should've seen this coming!" Shining Armor grabbed onto Twilight worriedly, shaking her back and forth in an attempt to snap her out of her supposed trance. "Snap out of it, Twilight! Don't worry, the princesses will fix all of this! You and your friends!" He shook her some more, causing Twilight's eyes to spin in dizziness.

"What did you do to my sister you monster!" Shining yelled at Gondar, but all he did was hiss back at him. Applejack and the others shook their heads with disappointment, perturbed by the scene unfolding before them. Twilight gripped onto Shining's foreleg and broke out of his grip, scolding him again as she did so.

"I'm not brainwashed you dolt! I just can't- Why, I ought to- grr... Take me and my friends to the princesses. Now," she demanded. "I need to talk to them. I have to get this whole debacle cleared up. But first, you, and whichever one of your guards that are still capable of performing their duty go on and wake up my new friends." Shining was shocked to hear such an outlandish order, from his younger sister no less.

"No. No way. There is absolutely no way in Tartarus me and my men are going to wake up these dangerous criminals. And there is absolutely nothing that you can do or say that will make me help you assist these freaks!" Shining put his hoof down, he was resolute in his statement. He was intent on keeping it that way. Although, he didn't expect what his sister would do next. With her eyes narrowed at him with a look that would've liquefied a lesser pony on the spot, she called over Gondar.

"Yes, Twilight?" he asked as he trotted over. Twilight regained her composure, all the anger she had earlier disappeared without a trace, disconcertingly so. She looked over to Gondar and smiled wickedly, the very same smile she wore when she snapped a few months back. With a polite curtsy and a nod, she gave Gondar some very good news.

"Would you be as so kind as to assist my brother in making a decision to help your friends?" Shining Armor swallowed the large lump that formed in the back of his throat. "He appears to be having a difficult time making a choice." Gondar looked over at Shining and chuckled ominously.

"Why yes, Twilight. He most certainly does." He joyfully played along. His crimson eyes regained the wild look he had when he was fighting. The air surrounding the two ponies become a choking fog of impending doom, one that was aimed directly at Shining Armor.

"Perhaps it is time..." she suggested. Gondar was all to ready to carry out her plans.

"I like the way you think little missy." Gondar lifted his hoof and began whispering to himself again. Shining could only stared in horror when the obvious struck him like a ton of bricks, or in this case, a very powerful punch to the schnoz.

"This ones for Aiushtha, Sven, Rubick, and Rhasta, you punk!"

Chapter 11 end

Author's Note

Hoo boy. This chapter was a blast to write, nothing better then seeing good ol' fashion justice being properly dispense with a massive beatdown of royal guards by the hooves of everybody's favorite (or least favorite) bounty hunter. And for those who were wondering who much pain the squad commander was really in, here's a summary:

In summary

Unconscious

Shattered right foreleg

two black eyes

fractured skull

Crushed jaw

Cerebral hemorrhaging

Possible brain damage

Full physical recovery: six months

Full psychological recovery: six years

Capacity for foolishly charging at Gondar: Neutralized

Chapter 12: Meeting Royalty- Part 1

What Does a Hero Truly Need?

By: Zelkova48

Chapter 12: Meeting Royalty- Part 1

Shining oversaw the devastation that Gondar wrought mere minutes ago with a big red swollen nose.

There were guards littered all over the train station. Some were barely clinging to consciousness while others were knocked out completely, though all suffered numerous scars and welts marring their bodies. Shining visibly winced as he passed by the guard that had his face smashed directly into the ticket booth, and shuddered at the sheer animosity that was brought upon his squad commander. His thoughts were interrupted however as Gondar shoved him forward.

"Come on buddy, get your guards and help my friends out." He spoke with a cold voice completely devoid of mercy. "Or do you want me to give you a black eye to go along with that nose of yours?" he threatened.

Shining could swear he was sweating like a hog caught out in the sun too long, he did not want another punch from this freak. He quickened his pace double time and started gathering whichever guard that was still capable of performing their duty. Gondar on the other hoof trotted on over to his unconscious friends with Twilight and the others.

He started poking the sleeping Rhasta, whose sleeping form made for an amusing sight. Even after being shocked into submission, he looked humorous curled up in a little ball sleeping without a care in the world. Gondar poked him some more, getting more and more forceful when each subsequent poke. As he did, Rhasta began to stir, mumbling a guttural chant as he stood up.

As Rhasta stood up, he rubbed the sleepiness away from his eyes and began stretching to relieve himself of the aches that riddled his body. With a quick smack of his lips, his grin returned and he was overjoyed to see his friends again.

"Ha ha! It is so nice to see you all again." He went up and gave everpony a great big hug. "I had the most horrible dream. I dreamt that someone had turned me into a chicken, only to remember that I did it to myself!" He laughed to himself as he pulled away, a jovial air surrounding him in spite of getting zapped earlier.

"Let's go wake up the others," Gondar suggested. He walked over and started to poke Rubick while Rhasta attempted to wake up Aiushtha. The two slumbering heroes eventually rose after several rude pokes from their friends, their senses still addled as they struggled their way upright.

"Guah... Did anyone get that Razor's username?" Aiushtha groggily asked as she stumbled back to her hooves and regained her usual cheerful behavior. Rubick let out a long yawn and readjusted his combat mask to make sure it was fitted properly, he then picked up his staff and acted like nothing serious had just transpired over the last half hour.

"Hmm, well this little fiasco only served to prove my hypothesis," he told his friends. Twilight, being the curious filly she always is, decided to press the statement.

"And what hypothesis is that?" she asked. Rubick was all to ready to given an answer to the studious unicorn.

"Why, the hypothesis that even lesser spells have their uses," he pointed out. "As demonstrated with our earlier incapacitation. The guards used a incredibly weak shock spell. I could've blocked it with a flick of my hoof but because they caught us off guard, they were able to subdue us" he answered nonchalantly. Twilight was thrilled to hear this little nugget of wisdom "Remember that, young Twilight. It will come in handy in the near future" he added "I am going to have to be more careful around here, being taken out like that was rather humiliating" he chastised himself but stopped when Gondar spoke up.

"Alright, now that we're all up, why don't we follow our lavender friend here to meet the princesses. We still need to find Sven" he reminded everyone. They all agreed with the suggestion and proceeded to prepare themselves as they embark towards castle Canterlot. By then, some of the guards were up and about with a limp helping their comrades up. They looked like they were about to drop bricks when Gondar gave them a terrifying stare to make sure they didn't try anything funny. Rubick, feeling a twinge of guilt at the injured guards, offered his help.

"Shining Armor" he addressed "I believe I can be of some assistance for you and your men. If you let me, I'll be able to heal all of them back to full health" as kind as the offer sounded, Shining wasn't about to trust these criminals anytime soon.

"Thanks, but no thanks. I think we can manage without conspirators to the crown getting in our way" Shining replied through gritted teeth. Rubick simply shrugged his shoulder and moved on with the others.

"Well then, like a lazy tailor would say. Suit yourself. I'm sure a group of big strong stallions such as yourself can stand a couple months of physical and mental therapy all on your own" he quipped, chuckling ever so slightly as he joined up with his own friends.

After tending to last of the wounded Shining joined up with his sister and her group, making sure to steer clear of the other four, just in case. As they were walking down the street, all the heroes were given a welcome similar to the one they had back in Ponyville. While everypony in the city happily waved and greeted the mane six and the captain of the royal guards with open hooves, everypony practically had a panic attack as they saw the heroes.

Apparently, word of Gondar's latest action spread throughout Canterlot like wildfire. He had only been in Canterlot for about an hour and now he is infamous for defeating the elite royal guards without breaking a sweat. All the heroes could hear the surrounding chatter around them as frightened ponies gossiped about their presence.

"There he is!" a mailmare whispered to her flying companion "It's really him! He's the yellow devil!"

"Did he really defeat all those guards by himself?" her companion asked, rather fearfully as well "Look! there's blood on his coat! I guess he really did do it!" Gondar examined himself, there were small spatters of blood alongside his shaggy yellow coat. Not that much though, only enough that he was able to wipe it off without a trace of it being there at all.

"I heard he was orphaned in the slums of Manehattan and that his special talent is beating ponies up!" a fearful fruit stand owner spoke to his co workers.

"I heard he raised by timberwolves in the Everfree forest! That probably explains why he looks so much like an animal!" one of the co workers pointed out to Gondar's noticeably shaggier coat.

"Is that the yellow devil!?" a terrified chef shouted worriedly from his restaurant "Somepony, quickly put some food out as offering so that he doesn't hurt us!" just like that, the entire staff of the restaurant placed an entire vegetarian buffet out in front of the restaurant hoping that the yellow devil will turn a blind eye to them. Gondar only rolled his eyes as he passed by, this was getting out of hoof.

They continued to walk, ignoring all the slurs and snide comments that were being thrown at them. Shining Armor was beginning to regret his decision about helping out the criminals.

"Are you absolutely sure this is a good idea? Letting these freaks walking around freely like this?" Shining asked worriedly. Twilight remained resolute in her choice, she and her friends were going to talk to the princesses, they were going to make everything right again. Just like they always have.

"I'm sure Shining, I'm gonna make it better. Trust me" her words only served to rattle him. He hoped she knew what she was doing. Then something popped into Twilight's head, a question she had been meaning to ask before this whole fiasco spiraled out of control.

"By the way.... who is this, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza you're marrying anyway?" she asked, with a stern look on her face "How come I never heard of her?" the mood around the two lifted up when Shining chuckled at her question. With his nose all red and swollen he sounded just like a broken bicycle horn.

"Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, Twilight, is Cadence" Twilight's expression immediately changed when Cadence's name popped up.

"Cadence!? As in, the best foalsitter I've ever had in the history of Equestria!" she beamed, her anger towards her brother earlier was gone, and instead, in its place a joy.

"Hahaha, you tell me, she was your foalsitter" he laughed. Twilight began to reminisce about all the great times she had with Cadence, from the little song and dance they would do, to all the wonderful moments she experienced in her childhood. How Shining managed to nab such a wonderful pony as his fiance was a mystery to her but who cares, Cadence was going to be her sister in law! As she was hopping around with the glee, all her friends and the heroes just stared at her.

"Does she always do this?" Aiushtha asked.

"More often than you would think" Fluttershy coolly replied.

"Heheh, easy there Twiley, the wedding's not for another week" Twilight stopped her hopping and rejoined the group with a light blush on her face. She was excited, extremely excited for the wedding now.

"I'm still mad at you for not telling me in person though" she quickly let out "And for hurting my new friends"

"Are you still going on about that? Look I told you, I was only doing my job!" Shining said as he tried to shift the blame away from himself "These ponies are criminals and we're bringing them to the Princesses to get them judged" Twilight just rolled her eyes at her brother's ignorance. Apparently, Cadence was about to marry Shining Armor, the best older brother Twilight could possibly could ask for, a brother who can also be as dumb as a bag of rock hammers when the time called for it. But she wouldn't hold that little tidbit over his head, not when the wedding draws near.

The group continued en route to the castle until they finally reached the outer walls of the castle. After a quick check in with the guards, they all strode into the castle courtyard and took in the brilliant architecture up close. From afar, the castle looked great. Up close, the castle looked absolutely breathtaking. Rhasta and Rubick could appreciate the magnificence of the stone work that made up the entirety of the wonderfully crafted structure. Aiushtha adored the gorgeous garden that the castle had to offer. Gondar liked all the gold that coated certain parts of the building.

"Wow, this is great! Isn't it Gondar?" Aiushtha asked. Gondar agreed with her.

"Yeah, look at all that gold!" he mentioned. As he continued to admired the gilded castle it started to look a tad familiar. This was his first time here ever, yet the he felt like he had been here before. And then it hit him, with a great big grimace beneath he mask, he prepared for the worst "Oh no..... Aaaaaaaah!" Gondar collapsed to the ground screaming agony. Rarity saw that he was in trouble and immediately rushed to his aid.

"Gondar, dear, what's wrong!" she spoke to the yellow stallion who was gripping his head, writhing upon the ground in pure agony. Rarity kept calling out his name, but her voice slowly faded away as it entered his mind.

"Gondar! Gondar! Speak to me! Gondar! Speak to me! please!"

Inside his mind, Gondar was back in the massive burning city all over again. The roaring flames continued to rage more violently as people wildly panicked around him. There was an army of soldiers slaughtering innocent women and children everywhere he saw. Then there was the screaming, no, not the screams again. The screams resonated within Gondar's head, it sounded like several nails were being scratched across a chalk board multiple times.

"Both the sun and the moon shall be brought down"

Harbinger's words echoed throughout his aching head. The screams around him grew louder and louder with each passing second he stayed in the burning city. It was unbearable, downright maddening if this were to keep up.

"They will oust and enslave the heavens"

The vision continued again to the aftermath of the burning warzone. The city around him was reduced to the same smoldering ruins that he dreaded so much the last time he saw it. He saw the victorious soldiers again, cheering wildly as they claimed their destructive victory. The cheers grew louder when they wheeled out their prize. Two chained up prisoners within a massive cage. The prisoners looked bloodied and beaten as they struggled and screamed from their bindings. But their pleas and cries for help were drowned out from the overzealous cheers of the soldier.

The vision slowly began to black out, the image that he was forced to watch twice over was ending. As the last of the image faded away into nothingness, it was all over. No more screaming, no more agony. But now Gondar had a migraine the size of Tiny, he held onto his head as his he could feel his mind rejoining his body on the physical plane. He could feel the tugging again, tugging at his chest just like his near death experience before he met Rarity. With a great big jerk, he could feel his consciousness regaining.

As he opened up his eyes, he could see the bright blue sky in front of him, as well as all of his friends surrounding him in a ring. He turned his head to see that sitting right beside him was a very worried Rarity. Gondar slowly stumbled back up and regained his footing as he wiped of all the sweat that soaked his coat during his state of short catatonia. Everypony stared at him worriedly, save for Shining who just glared at him.

"Gondar, what happened to you?" Rarity asked, genuinely concerned for his well being. Gondar shook his head back and forth a few times to clear his headaches before replying.

"It's really nothing, I'm fine. Don't worry about it" he then pointed to the castle "You and the others should go speak with the princesses, me and my friends will stay out here for the time being" he suggested. Though Rarity wondered what caused him to break down like that, she quickly brushed it aside when Twilight signaled for her to go with her. She figured Gondar really is alright. After all, he did just defeat an entire battalion of Equestria's finest soldiers. He's tough and he can handle a little migraine.

"Well then, If you say so" she quickly brushed herself off and began to trot back towards her friends who were already at the door "This won't take long, don't worry" she mentioned.

"Before I forget miss Rarity, sorry" Gondar told her, which gave her a quizzical look.

"Sorry for what exactly?" she asked. Gondar chuckled lightly before replying.

"For making you worry" a soft smile curled upon her flawless face along with a blush, she giggled lightly as well.

"Kind of reminds me of our first meeting just yesterday huh?" the two shared a heartfelt laugh together before Applejack called out for Rarity.

"Come on Rare's, we gotta meet up with the princesses!" with a jolt out of their revelry, Rarity excused herself and dashed off with the others. As Gondar walked back on over to his friends who were calmly sitting by one of the pillars near the large golden door of the castle. As he approached them, Rubick got off of his haunches and walked over to Gondar. Underneath his mask he could tell that Rubick was being serious about something.

"Gondar, we need to have a word with you" Gondar threw one of his hooves up defensively.

"I already told you guys, I'm just acting professional about it!" Rubick and the others simply laughed at his friend's misinterpretation before returning to seriousness again.

"No, it's not that. We're talking about that seizure you just had earlier" Rubick removed his mask to show his stern face. Aiushtha and Rhasta also maintained a look of resolute seriousness.

"Your lady friend Rarity isn't the only ones who're worried about you" Rhasta interjected, the jovial smile no longer on his face.

"You're suffering from something Gondar" Aiushtha spoke as if she was bearing the weight of the world upon her shoulders "Please tell us what's wrong, we want to help"

Gondar looked at his friends and sighed, he really did have some great friends. Since the others were gone to speak with the princesses, he might as well come clean to the people he normally entrust his life to in a fight.

As he came clean about his near death experience earlier the day before, he told everyone about how he met Harbinger and how he showed him the cataclysm that was meant to happen in the near future. He told them about all the horrific images he was force to experience. The other three were shocked to hear that the Outworld Devourer entered Gondar's mind just to deliver some sort of cryptic message.

"The Outworld Devourer entered your noggin? Hmm... most mysterious indeed" Rhasta implied as he tapped Gondar's forehead with his hoof. Gondar just knocked Rhasta's hoof away from him when the tapping became annoying.

"But, what does it all mean. That prophecy sounded incredibly foreboding" Aiushtha added "It sounded like the world was killing itself....." Aiushtha cheery personality was replaced with a feeling of dread.

"Honestly, I haven't the slightest in what the hell it's suppose to mean or what I'm suppose to do with this information at all!" Gondar replied as he racked his brain cells for some form of logical conclusion "For all I know now, this premonition has something to do with this world. Whether it will happen soon or a couple hundred years from now is beyond me" Rubick however, was still in deep thought. Something was bugging the Grand Magus.

"The last part of the prophecy sounded strange. Although something good happening after some sort of apocalypse isn't very uncommon, I can't help but feel that the last segment of the prophecy felt.... out of place" as intelligent of a scholar as Rubick is. He, like Gondar, can't fit the random pieces together. Aside from a cryptic riddle wrapped in mystery, there was another issue.

"Do you think I should tell the others about my visions?" Gondar asked his friends "They can't be left out of the dark like this" he added. Rubick began to ponder his options, inevitably, it all came to one conclusion.

"No" he replied as he put his mask back onto his face, with a quick readjustment with his hooves he went on with his reasoning "We should later, but with our newfound friends talking to the princesses right now, it would not be wise to tell them about an uncertain cataclysmic event that will happen on Equestrian soil" Rubick sat back at the spot he was previously before "They will either take it seriously or laugh at us for being crazy. When the time is right, we will tell them everything"

Everyone mulled over the opinion and agreed alongside Rubick, now is neither the time nor the place to speak about such horrible things.

"I just really hope nothing else will trigger these visions in the near future" Gondar grumbled as the serious air around the group began to dissipate away. Gone was the air of uncertainty, now they went back to chatting about past encounters on the battlegrounds as they awaited their equine friends to finish.

As the mane six, Spike and Shining Armor walked through the halls of castle Canterlot, they were greeted with a sight that was somehow more phenomenal than the exterior. The floors were wall carefully selected tiles of marble lined in a symmetrical and elegant pattern. The windows were gilded with exquisite decors lining the actual glass itself. There was a great red carpet lined with gold that stretched all the way from the thrones to the direct entrance of the room. The only noticeable new addition to the room were the large brilliant curtains that covered the entire back wall of the room. Simply put, the princesses court looked absolutely divine.

While Applejack and the others admired the decor. Twilight, Spike and Shining Armor quickly made their way to greet the princesses. They don't have time to admire anything at the moment. Besides, they already seen everything already. Canterlot is their birthplace after all. As the group stacked up before the thrones, a quick fanfare from a pony that looked like he hopped straight out of the Shakespearean era signified the princesses approach.

"Hear ye, hear ye. Please welcome their royal majesties. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna!" and just like that, two doors on respective sides of the door bursted open to reveal the two regal princesses in all of their glory. Princess Celestia graced the floor as she approached her own throne while Princess Luna took slow yet evocative and calculated steps to her own. As they sat down, the pony with the bugle and the large collar ran around throwing flowers around their hooves as one last touch to finish their appearance. The group clapped at their rather... unique entrance.

"Thank you Wind Pipe for that extravagant bugle segment! That would be all for today" Luna told the Shakespearean pony. The pony now identified as Wind Pipe gracefully bowed and tipped his hat to the princesses and the audience as he made his way out of the room, leaving the princesses and the group to properly discuss urgent matters.

"That seemed a little... over excessive dontcha think?" Rainbow Dash asked. Celestia lightly chuckled upon hearing about the presenter.

"It was Luna's idea. Even after a thousand years in exile she still appreciates remnants of a time long lost" she laughed when she saw that Luna was glaring at her.

"Is it really my fault I still enjoy the experience of a proper introduction?" she retorted "But enough about our presentation, let us discuss more... serious matter" she then blinked in a sheet of parchment and a pair of reading glasses. She put on her reading glasses and glanced through the list quickly before she reached her goal "Hmm.... let's see. Aha! There is the wedding to talk about, then there is also that other.... thing we must talk about" she mentioned with a hushed whisper.

Shining Armor was the first to step up upon hearing that thing he was suppose to report as soon as he finished his job, which he kind of did, sort of, not really. He walked up to the princesses with a dignified stance and saluted the princesses. Luna noticed Shining swollen nose and mistook it as a battle scar for a job well done.

"Hmm, I see you acquired something to remember your victory today it seems. It would make for quite the conversation during the reception" she admired "Tell me captain, tell me of how you and your battalion of elite warriors smite the foul villains of Equestria!" she obliviously assumed. Shining rubbed the back of his neck nervously cracking at weak grin towards the princesses.

"Well you see...." he hesitated "We caught the first three easily by surprise...." he stopped which made Luna excited with anticipation.

"Oh, I'm already liking how this story starts off! Please captain, continue!" she requested with utmost enthusiasm. Shining began sweating profusely again.

"When we made sure the other three were out cold, we moved on to take down the last conspirator...."he stopped. Celestia began listening in, she was interested in the story of him and his soldiers heroism as well.

"I take it you were able to stop him quickly?" she asked. Shining started to feel like he was Neighagra Falls.

"Uh.. I ordered my squad commander to apprehend him. He gave him an ultimatum and the conspirator just.... laughed at us...." Luna and Celestia stared at Shining Armor with a quizzical look.

"Laugh? As in nervously?" Luna asked.

"Actually, it was more along the lines of insultingly...." he put out.

"Well? Go on, continue. What happened after? Did the squad commander detain him? Did you detain him? Did anypony detain him?" Celestia asked. Shining reeled back at the question, he knew the princesses weren't going to like the answer.

"Actually.... the conspirator took out the squad commander... brutally" he let out which gave the princesses worried looks.

"Well, I'm sure the rest of you stopped him right?" Celestia questioned. Shining Armor hated to be the bearer of bad news but....

"The entire battalion of elite royal guards is out of commission your highness..... each and every single one of my men were viciously incapacitated by the conspirator...." Celestia and Luna's jaw practically hit the floor upon hearing such an outlandish report.

"Oh dear, how bad was it?" Luna inquired "It couldn't have been that bad right?"

"The entire elite guard battalion is in the emergency room your highness. All of my men suffer several broken bones, major cases of blunt force trauma, and a severe diagnosis of post traumatic stress disorder..... " Both the princesses went wide eyed upon hearing the injury report. But Shining didn't stop there.

"One of my guards had their face smashed into the glass window of a ticket booth and the doctors had to be extra careful to remove all the shards of broken glass that was stuck in his face...." Luna winced upon hearing such cruelty.

"Another guard is missing all of his teeth, one had all of his legs broken. A certain pegasus, who shall remain anonymous is now officially terrified of bill boards and signs. One unlucky guard got hit with every the projectiles we had when the conspirator used him for a shield...." Celestia felt sick to her stomach as Shining Armor continued with his report.

"All in all, we lost the fight and the entire elite battalion wishes to be discharged from the royals guards so that they may pursue a quiet nomadic lifestyle around the foal mountains where they hope to open a successful rock farm" Shining Armor cracked a very pathetic grin as he finished up his story.

The room was quiet, deathly quiet. Even in the afternoon where the birds would be normally chirping and the bees would be buzzing there was nothing to be heard once the princesses received the bad news. The silence was deafening for everypony, the only thing that broke the silence was the laughter that came from the princesses afterwards. The princesses were in a fit of laughter, they looked like they were ready to bust a gut.

"Bwuhahahahaha!" The royal pony sisters bellowed "Th-that has got to be the funniest thing we've heard all day!" the sisters continued to laugh for a while until they calmed down. Princess Luna wiped away a tear from her eye as she addressed Shining Armor.

"Phew, I haven't laughed that much in such a long time" Luna said, still giggling a little from hearing Shining's apparently hilarious story "Honestly though captain, please, tell us the real story"

"Yes, as good as a joke that was I would very much like to hear about your heroism in battle" Celestia added "I'm sure your sister and her friends would as well" she pointed over to the group who jumped upon remembering the fight. They did their best to remain inconspicuous. Rarity played with her hair, Twilight pretended to check on Spike, Fluttershy hid behind her mane and the rest whistled a little tune that was off key.

"But.... I wasn't joking your majesty...." The smiles on the princesses face disappeared at the drop of a hat "We really did lose, there really are guards in the emergency room your highness.... and there really is a pegasus that will enter a fetal position everytime he come across any bill boards or signs" Luna's face remained neutral before slowly contorting to that of anger.

"How...." she asked "How did the most elite group of highly trained and equipped group of warriors in all of Equestria get defeated, DEFEATED by one single unicorn?" she yelled with a voice that was loud but not close to the royal Canterlot voice. Shining held his ground, making sure not to get blown away by her yelling.

"Actually your highness, he wasn't a unicorn..." he yelped.

"Pardon me then, this pegasus-" Luna was about to speak again until Shining corrected her again.

"He wasn't a pegasus either, Princess Luna..." Luna just gave him a confused stare.

"You're telling me you got defeated by a lone earth pony!? Was he a gargantuan like Applejack's older brother?" she demanded an answer.

"U-u-uh no your highness. He was actually pretty small, shorter than the average stallion, princess. In fact, I think he was the same size as my sister" Celestia joined in with her sister, there was no way that the elite royal guards were crushed singlehandedly by a little earth pony. She didn't believe a single word that was coming out of Shining Armor's mouth.

"How on Equestria did one lone little earth pony crippled the elite guards so easily!? Did he have some sort of magical artifact that enhanced his strength or power or anything!?" Shining recalled back to the fight.

"N-n-no your highness, he t-took them all down with his bare hoof, your majesty" Shining Armor was starting to sound like a little dog caught between a rock and a hard place. The princesses could only stare at Shining with a dumbfounded look upon their faces. yet they still refused to believe anything he had been saying for the past fifteen minutes.

"Are you certain he didn't have a little help in the fight? Like some kind of hidden partner, o-or some sort of-" before Luna could finish her sentence, Shining interjected again, this time much more forcefully to get his point across.

"Princess! This earth pony didn't have anything to help himself!" he yelled "He had no magic! No artifact! No partner! NO NOTHING!" he was practically yelling at the top of his lungs "This earth pony was not normal however, he did some things that I didn't even think was possible! He moves swifter than the wind and is more nimble than any of the wonderbolts! And then there's his animosity, the way he brutalized my battalion made me believe that this pony isn't even of this world!" his words were caught by the others and they felt a cold sweat come on.

"WE HAVE HEARD ENOUGH!" both the princesses thundered with the royal canterlot voice. The resulting shout shook the entire castle like it had been hit with a miniature earthquake and pushed back the group a few inches backwards. The shout was also so forceful that the curtain behind them fell, revealing the entire shamble that was formerly the back wall of the court.

"It appears these conspirators are more dangerous than we originally surmised" Celestia spoke, her voice losing it's motherly tone which shook that group to their cores "They must be stopped at all cost, I want the entire royal guard assembled. I want each and every one of them to find and detain those villains, Now!" Celestia shouted. But before anypony could do anything, Twilight stepped up and confronted the princesses.

"Princess Celestia! Princess Luna! Stop this!" her words broke the princesses out of enraged state, returning them to back to their old selves.

"Whuah? Twilight? We are monumentally sorry for... losing ourselves like that. We... we didn't know what came over us" their rage was gone but in it's place was guilt, guilt for acting so uncouth and wrathful in front of their beloved peers "You must understand, we couldn't bear to see anything horrible happen to you, your friends, or our loyal subjects" Their heads hung low but they regained their proper composure when everypony forgave them for their outburst, they knew why they had done it but now was to opportune time to set things to right with everypony. That is, if they can.

"It's alright princess, we forgive you" Twilight told the princess with a voice that was both innocent and sincere "Though there is something that we must speak with you. It's very important" she requested.

"Can it wait for the time being, Twilight?" Princess Celestia spoke with the calm and serene tone she was known for. Both the princesses rose from their thrones and stepped down to formally greet their guest that they had so rudely ignored during Shining Armor's report "For now, let's just enjoy the fact that you are safe. That you are all safe" Princess Celestia hugged Twilight caringly. Twilight accepted the loving gesture and hugged back.

Everypony had their chance to greet with the princesses. Whether it was hugs, hoofshakes, or just overall kindness. All the anger and fear faded away into nothingness as everything returned to normal.... for the moment.

"Praise our mother that you are all alright. We thought for sure that your lives were in mortal danger" Luna told the group when the greeting was over. Twilight and the others all exchanged confused looks, but they all knew what she was talking about. They were going to have to do something about it now.

"Yes, about that....." Twilight tried her best to get the words out, but she just couldn't say it.

"You all must be so exhausted and terrified form being held captive by those disgraceful group of ponies" Celestia chimed in "Shining and the elite royal guards may have been defeated but we commend him for freeing you all, isn't that right Shining Armor?" she looked at the white unicorn only for him to hold that same pathetic grin that had been plastered on his face since he brought forth his report.

"That is where you are wrong, princess" Twilight mustered up the courage to speak properly "He did not rescue us from the supposed conspirator. We went here with out friends on our own free will" she told the princesses.

"Friends? But aren't they all here?" Luna asked. Twilight just shook her head implying that she was wrong.

"Who else could there be?" Celestia asked Twilight "Is this somepony whom we've never met before?"

"Well.... yes and no, Princess Celestia..." Twilight pawed at the floor "Their names are Aiushtha, Rubick, Rhasta, and Gondar" she told them.

"Why, those are perhaps the most bizarre set of names I have ever heard before" Luna interjected "And believe us, we used to know a pony named Equus ferus caballus. Apparently his special talent was inventing binomial nomenclature for all living species on Equestria" she giggled a bit at the mention of the name.

"Actually, you know kind of know them already...." Twilight let out "I mentioned them to you in a letter earlier this week" she mentioned. The princesses searched their minds to remember the letter.

"The only ponies I remember you mentioning was the three fillies whom wrote distasteful rumours about you and your friends. They wouldn't happen to be here would they?" Celestia asked.Twilight shook her head again which perplexed the princesses.

"That was recent, true. But I sent you another letter, later that same day" Celestia and Luna looked at each other, they don't remember a letter being...... their pupils dialated when they finally put two and two together.

"By friends.... you couldn't possibly mean...." Celestia stopped.

"The ponies that fell from the sky? Yes, I do mean them" Twilight answered. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna just stared at the group with their mouths agape. This was far too much for them to take in, let alone believe.

It is rare to tell the princesses something incredibly world shattering and actually receive a true reaction from them in a day. To do so multiple times within the same day was an even rarer occurrence as it normally involved some form of supernatural threat that could possibly involve some form of evil deity and the destruction of their world. To do so in the same day multiple time with simple news was almost unheard of. In fact, it was unheard of.

"They're waiting outside. They wish to parley with you"

Chapter 12 end

Author's Note

Wow, as long as it took me to write this chapter, I had a lot of fun with it. I'm also going to be cleaning up the front page and some of the older chapters so expect the next chapter to be a little on the slow side. Changes include:

-Added subtitle to title
-Fixed some errors of spelling and several other past grammar mistakes I may have missed the second or third time around
-Changing Outworld Destroyer to Outworld Devourer in chapter 5
-Re editing prologue to better suit the universe of Dota with it's (sometimes confusing) canon
-Cleaning up description

Deleted chapter segment, you can place it in the story if you like just like a deleted scene you would see in movies:

"Is that the yellow devil!?" a terrified chef shouted worriedly from his restaurant "Somepony, quickly put some food out as offering so that he doesn't hurt us!" just like that, the entire staff of the restaurant placed an entire buffet out in front of the restaurant hoping that the yellow devil will turn a blind eye to them.

The smell of delicious food enticed Gondar, he hadn't eaten in a while and since he figure these ponies were being so generous, he might as well partake in that scrumptious looking vegetarian pot pie that as just lying out on the step of the restaurant. He picked it up and lowered his mask, just as he was about to take a bite into it, Rarity shouted out at him.

"Gondar! You have to pay for those!" she told him.

"Oh, oh yeah. My bad" Gondar shuffled through his backpack, looking for some cash. Lo and behold, he pulled out a massive bag of gold and left it right by the restaurant's doorstep. Everyone's eyes went wide eyed when that saw a bag filled with bits as large as Spike plop right onto the ground with the jingle of coins.

"Whuah? Where'd you get all that money? I thought you were all broke" Applejack asked as bits slid out of the bag like a waterfall.

"Oh, that? I relieved some of the guards of their coin when I defeated them. Figured since I was victorious, I might as well help myself to the spoils" he replied nonchalantly. Rarity just shook her head at him disapprovingly.

"Gondar, dear? Those bits do not belong to you. Please return them to their rightful owners" she asked him nicely. Gondar complied with Rarity and put the pie down and picked the bag of bits up.

"Very well, miss Rarity. After all, I am still indebted to you" just as he was about to bring the bits back to the guards, he spotted something peculiar "Hmm.... I think I have a better idea" Gondar then walked over to a charity booth and dumped the entire bag of bits into the box. The little filly scout that was standing there went wide eyed at his generous donation.

"Thank you for your patronage mister yellow devil sir!" she happily replied as she struggled to exchange the overfilled box with an empty one. Gondar only put his back back up and saluted the little filly scout.

"No, thank you" he mentioned.

-Also, thank you all so much for reading the chapter, you guys are awesome. Glad to see that a story of mlp/dota didn't get lost among the billions of other stories on this website. There are stories about LoL/mlp, so why not some about mlp/dota? I mean someone made a flippin kickass animation about it! Though I knew about dota long before this was made, I figured it was time a fanfic was made. Shout out to Kunnka-Kun for helping me out on the first few chapters and for providing some advice on writing, and to the all the other readers for sticking this far. stay cool guys

-also, remember to carry a tp scroll, it might just save your life one game!

Chapter 13: Meeting Royalty- Part 2

What does a Hero Truly Need?

By: Zelkova48

Chapter 13: Meeting Royalty- Part 2

"Twilight, dear? Are you feeling alright? Would you like to lie down?" Celestia asked her tired protege with a motherly voice, she must've been through so much today that she wasn't thinking properly "My sister and I can ask the staff to have a room prepared for all of you if you like. Perhaps some rest is needed after such a tiring day" Twilight shook her head at the suggestion, there was much to be done today and rest was not one of them.

"I'm positive I'm alright, princess. There is much to discuss at the moment however. Namely, clearing up the air of confusion that surrounds my new friends" Twilight said as she pointed at the door "Earlier today, they were attacked by a group of guards that you both ordered my brother to lead" she accused which caused the princesses to reel back.

"Yeah! That no way to greet somepony!" Pinkie added "You gotta throw them a party! Not send a bunch of angry guards silly" as surprisingly logical as Pinkie's reasoning sounded, now was not really the best moment to speak about parties since there is still a wedding to be put together.

"We have every reason to call down the guard upon them!" Luna retorted. Twilight raised an eyebrow.

"Which is?" she asked the princess of the night.

"Their cohort, the very same one that you mentioned in your letter attacked us without remorse!" Luna revealed which drew several surprised gasp from their peers "The fool crashed down upon the roof of the castle and then proceeded to attack us. Why, he ended up giving me a broken nose when we tried to retaliate!" Luna rubbed her nose when the memory of being struck by the flat end of his terrible blade "How else do you think the wall behind us ended up like that? He smacked me directly into it!" the group gasped again upon hearing the recent revelation, this will only serve to make their talk with the heroes much more difficult.

"But, that doesn't make any sense. Why would Sven attack you" Rarity asked "He wouldn't have attacked you without some sort of cause could he?"

"Maybe the feller was just scared" Applejack chimed in "I'd be thrashing around too if I just crashed into the ceiling like that from the sky. It could just be an accident"

"Aiushtha told me that he would only fight unless challenged or provoked. Something must've happened for him to go berserk like that" Fluttershy joined in.

Rainbow dash on the other hoof stayed quiet, there was something troubling her mind. Twilight could see her friends distress and decided to ask her what was wrong.

"What wrong Rainbow? You're not acting like your usual bombastic self" Twilight could see that Rainbow's head was hanging little lower than usual "Does it have to do anything with Sven and his attack on the princesses?" Rainbow finally took notice of her friends words and shook herself out of her gloomy state.

"It's nothing, nothing at all. I was just... spacing out that's all" she replied with her trademark attitude that all her friend knew her for. Twilight raised an eyebrow at her response "Really! I'm fine, don't worry about it" Twilight could easily see through her friends shallow lie like it was hiding behind a clean window. But she respected her friend's privacy and decided to leave it at that.

"Try as you might to defend your so called friends, we stand by the fact that they are a threat to everypony and all of Equestria. Hence forth, they will be detained, tried, and sent to Gladius prison where they will rot for the years to come!" Luna viciously exclaimed to her subjects "So go ahead, let them parley with us. In the end, they will be locked up and you will all be commended for bringing these disgraceful criminals to justice!" she righteously exclaimed. But just as she finished Celestia pulled her to the side and demanded that they speak in private.

"Sister, can I have a word with you?" Luna complied and walked over to Celestia by their thrones "In the mean time everypony, why not help yourselves to this little banquet?" with a clap of her hooves a group of maids and butlers entered the room with carts filled with delicious foods. From hay fries to pies and even a scrumptious two tiered cake. There was even a bowl of diamonds just for Spike whom lips were dripping with saliva upon the very sight of it's natural shine.

"You all enjoy yourselves while my sister and I talk about about your.... friends" Celestia and Luna properly excused themselves from the room but not before turning around and telling Twilight "Twilight, would you also ask your new friends to come in the castle. We will be meeting with them shortly" they then turned around and retreated back to their own chambers to figure out what to do with their new guest.

Twilight had a feeling that felt like a mix of excitement and uncertainty building up in her gut. On one side, the princesses were willing to meet the heroes on more friendlier term. On another, there's always the moon or the castle garden's collection of statues. Twilight shuddered at the thought of seeing her new mentor and his friends sent to the moon or frozen in an oblong position as a still, cold and lifeless statues around the garden maze she had traverse through so many time as the princess's personal student.

She turned to see her friends and her brother enjoying the little banquet that the princess had been so thoughtful to put out for the. To be honest, Twilight and the other's hadn't really eaten anything since they left in the early morning. The others were enjoying the food but that didn't meant that all was well. On each of their face Twilight could tell there was something bothering all of them, possibly involving their newfound friends. Twilight still can't believe how much trouble they got themselves in least than a week since they were accidentally thrown into Equestria.

She begins to wonder how they will be able to return to their own world once they get reunited with their lost friend. With that said, she still had to gather the others so that they can see if they really can be reunited with him at all. All the thinking and stress was starting to get to her head, there was also the wedding to think about after. Again, the same mixture of excitement and uncertainty curdled in her gut, it was beginning to feel a little too nauseous for her taste. Without haste she excused herself from the group and set off to tell the others of their audience with the princesses.

"I hope this wasn't a bad idea...." she silently thought to herself.

Canterlot castle, castle courtyard. Earlier

"Do you really think Twilight can convince these princesses to let us see Sven?" Aiushtha asked her friends who were casually conversing amongst themselves. Her words caught all their attention and they turned to voice their opinions with her.

"I hope so my dryad friend" Rhasta said "If we are going to try and return to our own world, then everyone has to be present. Just like on the battlegrounds we shall leave no ally behind. There may be five of us but we move as one!" everyone agreed with the wrapped shaman. Gondar on the other hoof has some doubts about the whole situation.

"I really don't want to sound like.... that guy but what if they don't let us see Sven?" his friends traded worried looks "If you think about everything up to now, our reception isn't exactly the warmest. The ponies back in Ponyville didn't seem to like us and that fight earlier didn't help our cause. Plus you heard that Shining Armor, the princesses sent that welcoming party to greet us personally. We ain't welcome here" the mood dropped a little, doubt was on everyone's mind. Rubick decided to brighten the mood by reassuring them about their new friends.

"Now's not the time to be so negative Gondar. We know how you felt when those guards attacked us and we are thankful for defending us like that, we also thank you for not killing anyone. That would've been horrific for our already bad reputation" the mood lifted back up again as Rubick continued his cobbled together pep talk "We must have faith in our new friends, Twilight is one of the princesses personal protege so I'm sure she could at least let us talk to them without fear of having more guards being sent our way"

"I certainly hope so my green friend, the thought of having a nation's rulers come down upon us is an unpleasant dream" Rhasta interjected "I've been chased by plenty of angry customers before, I don't want to have to run away from a enraged ruler. From what I heard from three young fillies, someone got sent to the moon before because of them" the others raised an eyebrow.

"Really? That doesn't sound very good" Aiushtha said with a hint of fear on her voice before returning to her cheery self again "Hopefully that doesn't happen to us, I can't help the denizens of the verdant woodlands on the moon!" Rubick on the other hand was quite interested on hearing about this.

"Really now? That sounds incredibly fascinating, Twilight did tell me that the princesses controlled the sun and the moon. I must research this if and when we are on friendlier terms with them" Rubick began to ponder the wonders of discovering such a intriguing use of magic. Although he wouldn't be unjustly sending anyone to the moon just to tickle his fancy, Mirana and Luna would have him skinned alive if he did. Gondar just rolled his eyes at Rubick as his inner scholar began to take over himself.

"Benevolent rulers that can control that sun and the moon eh? Of course you would be interested in that kind of thing" he mentioned before turning to Rhasta "Say Rhasta, you mentioned three fillies right? Kind of like the ones we met before leaving the train station earlier today?" Rhasta nodded.

"Hmm, yes, they are one in the same my yellow friend" Rhasta answered.

"Why don't you tell us what you did yesterday with them to pass the time? Sounded like you guys had one heck of an adventure while the rest of us were out doing our own thing. Me? I just slept the rest of the day" Gondar asked which gave Rhasta an even wider grin. Everyone turned their heads and gave Rhasta their undivided attention, there was nothing to do after all so a story was perhaps thing right about now.

"Ah, yes! A story to tell!" he became incredibly excited, he hadn't told a good story in a while. Most of the stories he'd ever talk about recently involve his actions with the ancients and the other heroes. It was quite refreshing to tell a new story to his friend "Well it all started when we decided to go our separate ways yesterday. When I found a good spot to sit dow-"

"WE HAVE HEARD ENOUGH!" Rhasta and the rest were taken completely off guard as the ground shook with a light tremor, nearly knocking over everyone else if they weren't already preternaturally aware of it. Everyone turned to look at the castle with a perplexed look.

"What the hell was that?" Gondar was the first to speak up. Rubick spoke with a voice that was less than excited.

"Sounds like our early invitational to the moon..." he darkly joked which worried everyone else. They shook it all off and looked to the brighter side of things, at least Twilight and her friends were making some sort of progress. If only they had known that it was Shining Armor that actually caused the initial reaction. They all looked at each other, not sure of what to do now with the sudden outburst of what was presumed to be very angry rulers. Rhasta tried to lighten the mood by continuing his story.

"Well, lets see where I left off. Hmm, ah, yes!" he remembered as all his friends paid attention to him again "I had just found a good place to sit down later that da-" Rhasta was cut off as he felt a tug pull on his wrappings. He turned around and was met with a very peculiar sight.

It was a older stallion of a unicorn. The stallion had a bright blue coat and had a auburn colored mane. Most of his features however were cover by an pristine robe of rose like red and lined with golden thread. From the back all the way to the hood he was cloaked in a brilliant robe that made him appear noble in a way.

The group just stared at him, was he one of castle staff? Or maybe some of the pony royalty? Their pondering was cut short when the unicorn levitated over a small little clay bowl that contained some pieces of coins, various shards of small jewels and a few pieces of bread. They all looked at the unicorn, was he offering them that? When Gondar reached out to try and grab the piece of bread he was stopped by Rhasta.

"No my yellow friend. You don't take, you give" Rhasta was the only one of the group who knew what the bowl was. It was an alms bowl. But the unicorn's appearance was misleading, he wore extravagant garments that represented the fact the he could wealthy, yet he accepts offering for an alms bowl. This raised a few concerns for the shaman. He could be a pony that wore good clothes but is poor, or a wealthy and greedy unicorn that only wants more. His train of thoughts were cut short when the pony began to speak.

"Greetings and salutations my fellow sisters and brethren of ponykind, alms for the cause?" the unicorn asked with a raspy yet bold voice "it would mean very much to us even if it was just one bits kind sirs and madams" the heroes continued to stare at him with a perplexed look.

"Forgive me for asking but who's this us you're referring too mister?" Aiushtha asked.

"Why, the descendants of course. Surely you have heard abou- Oh my goodness!" he suddenly exclaimed as he jumped back in surprise with his jaw slammed directly at the ground "You are a doe! I thought you and your kind were wiped out centuries ago!" he shouted yet Aiushtha just looked at the pony confusingly.

"Really now? Well I guess that makes me the last of my kind then doesn't it?" Aiushtha lied with carefully chosen words, making sure to stay as inconspicuous as possible without letting on the fact her knowledge of Equestria was limited. The Unicorn struggled to lift his jaw back up as he regained his composure, albeit with some shakiness laced within his voice.

"W-w-well it's a l-l-ong s-story, I-I wouldn't want to b-bore you w-with the d-details" he let out which only serve to strengthen the stares that he was still receiving from his peers. With a quick clearing of is throat, he steeled himself and continued with the donation.

"Apologies for acting like that in front of your friend, think nothing more of it" he thought he cleverly dodged some questions but the heroes were no fools. They could all tell that he was hiding something but they decided not to press on it... yet.

"If you still wish to know about who the descendants are then I would be more than willing to educate you on our glorious struggle for harmony!" he spoke with a staggering amount of zeal. Aiushtha, Gondar, Rhasta and Rubick expressed only slight interest in the subject. The unicorn just gave off some air of uncertainty after his little freakout with Aiushtha, but they all decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.

"Well in short, we are the largest charity group in all of Equestria. We do our best to help the unfortunate all over glorious Equestria! We modeled ourselves after the original six pony who founded Equestria" he then pulled out a scrappy looking tome from underneath his robe and flipped to a page in the book that had a large picture that took up two whole pages.

"Our organization got it's name and ideology from the ponies in this picture" depicted in the picture was six ponies under one flag. Two earth ponies, two unicorns, and two pegasus were the focal point of the image. Even with the simplistic structure of the picture, the features and grace of the ponies were greatly exaggerated to showcase their excellence.

The unicorns were beautifully slender and had long, sharp almost needle like horns. The earth ponies were lithe yet there were obvious signs of sculpted muscle tone that appeared to rival that of a goddess. The pegasi were depicted soaring majestically above the other ponies with large enchanting wings.

The unicorn pointed to the first pair of ponies which were the earth ponies. One was dressed in average looking attire while the other appeared to have had a large bowl of pudding atop their head. Judging by the clothes, they were the everypony of the group.

"The one with the large bowl of pudding atop their head is Chancellor Puddinghead and her lackey, Secetary Smart Cookie" The group just couldn't believe those names "Adventurous and bold, these two are the earth ponies that helped with the discovery of our great nation He then pointed on over the pair of pegasi. They wore a set of silver armor that suggested they were quite militaristic in nature.

"The two here are none other then the mighty General Hurricane and Private Pansy" Aiushtha chuckled at the name Private Pansy "They were the pegasi of the group. Noble as they were courageous, they too helped to establish the foundation of Equestria" he moved his hoof to show the last pair in the picture, the unicorns. One wore a crown and magnificent cape while the other wore a raggedy robe, both with their horns lit up. They looked like a classic depiction of royalty.

"Finally, we come to Princess Platinum and her faithful companion, Clover the clever" he seemed to ooze upon mentioning their names, possible because of kinship considering the fact they were unicorns "Graceful and wise, they, along with everypony else worked together and historically settled the feud between the three pony races that had lasted for generation. Together, the six of them defeated the dastardly windigoes that plagued the old kingdoms and founded Equestria as the result!"

"Our organization was formed only half a century later. Because our ancestors were the original six founders, it only seemed natural that we named ourselves: The Descendants" the unicorn stopped to take a breather "We devoted ourselves to selflessly helping ponykind and to fulfill the eternal wish of our glorious ancestors" Aiushtha raised an eyebrow at the last statement, it just gave off some sort of bad vibe.

"Might I ask what is their wish? I'm fairly interested" the unicorn jumped back again as Aiushtha addressed him. He was freaking out again but he collected himself just enough to answer her.

"When our ancestors founded Equestria, they founded more than just a nation" he spoke with zeal "They found, a destiny!" Aiushtha felt distressed upon hearing more of his words "Yes a great destiny! A magnificent destiny! A destiny that only ponykind so rightfully deserves!" he hacked out a few coughs "...I'm afraid I said too much, you must find that out for yourselves. You can find out if you join our order, are any of you interested in joining? Save for the doe of course...."

The ponies words were dripping with venom as he talked about Aiushtha. She just turned her head and looked the other way. The other heroes however, didn't want to join some odd organization just because they don't know about some irrelevant destiny. They have their own hooves filled already.

"Uh... thanks for the offer but I kind of already belong to an order of maguses" Rubicked quickly retorted hoping to steer clear of the zealot "Why don't you just continue your story hmm?" the unicorn was saddened at the response but he shook it off and continued on.

"Eventually, our great nation was soon lead by the alicorn sisters. The story of how they came to power was forever lost by the ages but their presence alone stands as a testament to the power and might of the pony race" the unicorn's voice grew more and more zealous as he continued with his grand conclusion.

"Together, with hoof, wing, and horn, the ponies race will continue to expand our reach beyond the borders!" The group began to slowly back away as the zealot started to grew unsettling with his giddiness. Gondar decided to take action and drive the nutcase away. He reached into his backpack and pulled out a few pieces of coin and hastily tossed it into the alms bowl. As he did so, he also grabbed the pony and began to push him away from them.

"Gee, thanks for the insight buddy, here's a few coins for your troubles" he said as he pushed the zealot away "Well would you look at that? Time flies when you're listening to a story about..... something I don't really care about. Time to get going there, got a bunch of other ponies to beg to don't you?" he continued to push the pony more forcefully towards the castle gates. But before he left, the pony asked them a question.

"Say, now that I realize it, your clothes look kind of funny. Why is that guy over there dressed like a mummy? And why do you have a mask?" Gondar immediately responded to the questions.

"Uh.. We're from out of country. Just visiting some relatives that's all" he lied but his lie seemed to only pique the pony's interest.

"Just asking but, how long are you staying in Canterlot?" he asked. Rubick was the one to respond this time with his own brand of intellectual deception.

"I'd say a two months, give or take" he partially told the truth but that only made the lie all the more believable. Surprisingly, the response gave the pony a wide grin.

"Ah, good! That's good! You'll be around for it then!" he squealed with near tangible joy.

"I'm afraid to ask but.... around for what exactly?" Aiushtha asked the zealot who jumped again.

"Around for the great cleanse of course. The descendants have been waiting a good few thousand years for this!" he had on the wide grin once more "It will be spectacular! True harmony will be achieved the world over! The great Faust will smile down upon us once we carry out our ancestor's wish" he then turned to Aiushtha.

"It really is a shame a creature as beautiful as yourself won't be around to see it" Aiushtha reeled back in fear from the murderous aura that was emanating from the unicorn "But we all know how deceptive and greedy your kind is...."

Gondar had enough of this pony's incessant rambling. And to badmouth Aiushtha like that? A creature that was practically the living embodiment of kindness and beauty? This guy was just asking for a kick to the face, so that was what he did.

"Hey, I have a great idea to where you should go beg to next!" Gondar turned around and pulled his legs back "The hospital!" with all the strength he could muster on such short notice, he gave the deer hating zealot a poweful buck to teh face that sent hill rolling down all the way to lower Canterlot "Jeez, what a freak"

"Though I don't normally condone your actions Gondar, you did me a favor by getting that doe hater out of here" Aiushtha thanked Gondar. He acknowledged her thanks and returned to his spot where Rhasta looked at him inquisitively.

"Aside from the mysterious zealot, where did you get that money? I thought we lost everything when we fell in the dark depths of the black hole" he asked. Gondar then proceeded to pull out a large sack of bits out of his backpack and shook it around with a soft jingly sound.

"I may have relieved some of the guards of their coin when I defeated them. Figured since I was victorious I might as well help myself to the spoils" he put the bag back into his backpack as he chuckled ever so slightly upon reminiscing about beating up the group of so called elite guards. Just as he was relishing the memory, his enhance hearing picked up the sound of faint hoofsteps coming from the castle. They were light and had a rhythmic cadence to it.

"Shh... I think Twilight's coming" he told everyone. Together they all scrambled into position as they awaited to meet Twilight "So how'd it go Twi-" When the door slowly slid open they not greeted with the presence of the lavender unicorn. Instead, they were met with a pink alicorn who had a very shaky look upon her face. She pulled out of the door slowly with her eyes shifting about nervously, she immediately jumped upon noticing the three oddly dressed pony and the doe.

"Oh! H-hello there my loyal subjects" she hastily assumed a regal stance to address her peers "To whom do I owe the pleasure of meeting such.... unique ponies"

"A little unicorn named Twilight" Rhasta replied. The alicorn continued to look around again. She immediate caught her action and collected herself.

"Ah, pardon my rudeness but I must be heading somewhere. Please excuse me" Without haste the alicorn quickly dashed off towards the side of the castle and disappeared just like that.

"Well this day keeps getting more and more interesting" Rubick spoke the moment the alicorn was nowhere near them.

"You said it" Gondar then picked something up again with his elevated hearing, he was hearing hoofsteps by the door again. The castle doors swing open revealing none other than Twilight Sparkle. With a gentle smile on her face she motioned for them to come into the castle. One by one they entered the castle in a single filed line following their guide.

"So how was the wait? I hope you didn't get bored out of your minds waiting like that" she asked curiously as they trotted through the halls of the castle.

"It wasn't actually all that bad. Except for when we ran into a zealot with riveting tales and a nervous looking pony" Rubick replied. Twilight raised an eyebrow.

"A zealot and a nervous looking pony? Care to elaborate?" the group looked at each other before replying.

"Well, some robed pony snuck up on us with an alms bowl" Aiushtha replied. Twilight began to think. A few seconds of pondering, a metaphorical light bulb popped atop her head.

"Ah! You must be talking about the descendants! They're the biggest charity organizations in Equestria" she answered "They mean well, they've been helping out the citizens of Canterlot ever since they formed around the time of the founding of Equestria. They're perhaps one of the kindest group I know in all of Equestria!" she beamed as she continued her exposition

"Aside from the princesses, who else selflessly devotes themselves to helping out all of pony kind! Did you know they based themselves off the original six that helped to find Equestria?" while Twilight was excited to talk about them, the heroes were indifferent toward the organization.

"Yes dear, the pony gave us an in depth lecture about their history..." Rubick wished he could erase that part of his memory "You may be right about most of that young Twilight, but we beg to differ about their kindness" Rubick spoke. Twilight raised her eyebrow again.

"Really? What do you mean?" Aiushtha stepped forth and became to explain the way the pony treated her.

"The pony kept on jumping whenever I tried to speak with him, he also seemed very... fearful of my presence. He told us that my kind was wiped out long ago. Near the end of our surprise meeting he acted so cruel towards me...." A small tear slid down from her face. As she silently cried the atmosphere took a dive for the worst. The Enchantress crying was a crime in and of itself, the one who committed the crime deserved to be quartered and sent to the four corners of Equestria.

All over Canterlot, Aiushtha's sadness took hold of the ponies. The citizens didn't know why they were so sad, but the feeling was unbearable. Some wept alongside the dryad. Others stayed silent in respect. While most simply stopped what they were doing. Even after Aiushtha regained her composure, everypony in Canterlot had a dark cloud hanging over their heads for the rest of the day.

Twilight couldn't believe what she just heard, how could a kind charity group act so hateful towards the enchantress. Rubick promptly explain how he only acted that way towards Aiushtha, to himself and the rest of the group he acted like they were his closest family members.

"This is strange indeed. Maybe he just wasn't used to seeing something that hadn't existed in such a long time?" Twilight tried to defend the descendants to the best of her abilities.

"Could be, Twilight, could be. Why don't we just forgot about it. Talking about this seems to be causing more harm than it should've" Rubick then remembered something else from their encounter "You wouldn't happen to know anything about a great cleanse would you?" Twilight shook her head.

"Sorry, doesn't ring any bells. What about the nervous looking pony?" Twilight asked "Can you describe them to me?" Rhasta attempted to recall the ponies specific features.

"Hmm, if memory serves, she was a female. She was pink and had long colorful hair. Oh, and she also had wings and horn. Does that help?" When Rhasta finished Twilight practically exploded with excitement as she hopped around the room again just like when they were strolling through the streets of Canterlot.

"I know for a fact that you just ran into the best foalsitter of all time!" she continued to hop around ecstatically like a little school filly who was just told they were accepted to the most prestigious school in all of Equestria. She stopped her incessant hopping after a while and collected herself

"Aw.... It's too bad I didn't run into her. I wanted to catch up her, remembering all those great moments we had together...." Twilight then began reminiscing about her foalhood and her past experiences with Cadence. Rubick had to wave his staff in front of Twilight's face to break her out of her trance.

"Uh, Twilight, dear? We're losing you here" Twilight snapped back into reality when she noticed the blobs of green substances that were floating around near her nose.

"Heh, sorry about that.... anywho, why did you think she looked so nervous?" Twilight asked.

"She was very easy to startle, when she noticed us her tongue got tied in a knot. Then she just ran away. Doesn't that count as being nervous?" Rhasta replied.

"Her wedding with my brother is only in a week. Wouldn't you be a nervous wreck too if you had to plan out a wedding let alone one where the entire nation might be attending?" the heroes traded nervous looks. Getting hitched wasn't on their list of priorities. Battling and going on with their daily lives left little time for other pursuits.

"The day someone comes to love a half troll, half unicorn, half.... something else will be the very same day that I come to fully understand the heavy burden your friend carries, Twilight. Eh heh heh ha!" Rhasta chuckled as he continued on with Twilight to the main court.

"If there aren't any other issues regarding your freak encounters, then maybe you would like to finally get a chance to eat something today" Twilight and the heroes approached a massive illuminated doorway that appeared to have been tirelessly crafted by some of the finest smiths and artisan from all over Equestria. When Twilight pushed open the door, the heroes were greeted with the same sight that their had experienced as well.

But the only thing that really caught their eyes was the banquet that lied in the center of the room. They all nonchalantly approached the wonderful spread and enjoy a much needed lunch break.

Even though some food and the company of friends helped to calm down her mind, the stress of knowing the princesses might disapprove of the heroes hung precariously over her head. For the rest of her meal, it felt like she was chewing on pieces of barbed wire, one agonizing bite at a time...

Celestia and Luna were in their own private chambers somewhere within the grand walls of the castle. Quiet and isolated from the rest of the world for the time being, they set to discuss the fate of five potentially dangerous ponies. While Celestia remained cool and collect during the whole conversation, Luna stamped back and forth in frustration that left deep palpable horseshoe markings all over the floor of the room.

"Honestly now sister, is it really necessary to well markings into the floor like that?" Celestia calmly asked which only served to enrage Luna even further.

"Enough of this! Did you really just drag me all the way here just so you can mock my righteous fury!" Luna ceased her stamping but the anger was still there "We shouldn't be in here having idle chit chat dear sister, we should be out in the court giving those conspirators what they truly deserve for nearly causing widespread panic all over Equestria. Not only that, they must be judged for attempting to murder us! We are the glue that holds this nation together!" she exclaimed with fire and fury.

"Without us, this world will fall apart!" even with slight use of the royal Canterlot voice, the room shook as if it was being hit by an earthquake. But Celestia remained steadfast, she was the older sibling and she knew how to handle her younger sister's tantrums. She simply stood up and walked over to the window. Luna, trying to maintain a cool head followed suit and walked to the window as well where they both stared at the whole of Equestria.

The window of their rooms had been designed to showcase Equestria in all of it's glory. With the city of Canterlot built onto the side of a mountain, the view from the window was absolutely breathtaking. As far as the eye could see it was the Land of Equestria, Using her magic, she appropriately perched the sun near the horizon during noon. The view went from breathtaking to absolute perfection of art. As they both looked over their homeland, Celestia greatly sighed as she turned to Luna.

"I brought you you here to talk about those conspirators, true. But I feel that there is much more to this than you and I originally perceived" She took a quick glance at Equestria again "It appears I had underestimated my student, it appears that I am the fool here" she looked to Luna and gained a look of seriousness "She wouldn't shout at us if it wasn't for a good reason"

"I don't trust these criminals anymore than you do, Luna, But if Twilight trust them, trust them enough that she would shout at us for being wrong, then I suppose we should give these conspirators the benefit of the doubt. To see if they are more than meets the eye" She looked back at Equestria again "Who knows? Perhaps we can all benefit from this" she mentioned. Luna raised an eyebrow.

"Benefit? How? Need I remind you that the blue one had the audacity to foolishly charge at us? And that one of his colleagues, just one, a mere earth pony! Defeated the greatest group of guards ever assembled all by himself?" she asked

"Twilight may be incredibly bright and her heart is pure, but I strongly believe she is making the wrong choice in the matter this time around. She and her friends freed me from my darkness, they stopped Discord, but she is going to try and prove some criminal's innocence? I feel as if our world is turning upside down sister.... " Luna couldn't handle the stress anymore, she levitated on over a pristine sofa and comfortably laid on her sides.

"I can assure you sister, the world is not ending just because my student has faith in her friends" Celestia lightly chuckled "I can also assure you we could bolster our defenses against the supposed Canterlot invasion during the wedding" Upon mentioning the Canterlot invasion, Luna immediately shot upright with eyes wide in disbelief.

"Whuah? How? In case you hadn't noticed dear sister, the elite guards are asking to be discharged from their positions just so they can become peaceful nomads! We lost our greatest asset to defend Equestria because of these miscreants! It would take months, maybe even years to build back the elite guards!" Celestia obliviously waved a hoof at the thought.

Luna just scoffed at her sister, she had grown soft over the years of her rule. Back in the day, crime to the throne was dealted with swiftly with extreme prejudice. But Luna was not a rock, she was flexible like any good ruler. She appreciated the notion of diplomatic solutions, but she just wished that Celestia would pick better times for talks of peace. Her train of thought was interrupted when Celestia began to speak.

"You really don't see what I see do you Luna?" Celestia had a smug look on her face, the kind that she developed specifically just to annoy her sister during times like these "Twilight and the others were prepared to go to Tartarus and back just to protect their friends. If these ponies really are as they say.... come now, figure out the rest" Luna didn't really know what her sister was talking about, she began to piece the clues together.

Her mind was working at maximum capacity. In her attempt to understand her sister, her face was scrunched up, making her look just like an omnipotent wrinkly blueberry. Slowly but surely the plan came together. When it finally did, Luna'a eyes beamed with a look of pride.

As it turns out, years of ruler Equestria had strengthen Celestia's mind rather than making her an inadequate ruler. If anything, Luna praised her for being so clever and witty. Born out of a problem was a solution that far outweighs the loss they recently acquired. It was a brilliant plan... if they could pull it off that is.

"Dear sister! I had no Idea you could come up with such a plan like this? Is there something in the air today?" she joked which elicited a laugh from her sister.

"I knew you would figure it out Luna. All it took was a little bit of thinking" Celestia then looked at the clock that was in the room, unlike yesterday they were on time with their talk. Punctuality is key to being a successful and altruistic ruler you know? "I believe that it is time to greet our new guest isn't it, Luna" she had a look of confidence on her face. Luna had more than a confidence, the fire within her had been stoked and they were burning brighter than ever.

"I believe it is, Celly" they both began to walk back to their court. Together, they gracefully trotted towards their new peers with the thought of victory in their minds. Victory against the futile invasion that will soon happen. Because they have a secret weapon aside from the elements of harmony themselves.....

"Time to go recruit the newest members of the elite guards!"

Chapter 13 end

Author's Note

I forgot how fun Tusk is to play in dota, looking forward for bristlebog and skywrath mage in dota 2. Still waiting on goblin techies however.... other than that I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Also, I'm thinking about drawing my own title image thingy, though no promises.

Chapter 14: Meeting Royalty- Part 3

"What does a Hero Truly Need?"

By: Zelkova48

Chapter 14: Meeting Royalty- Part 3

Twilight was just trying to enjoy some lunch, that shouldn't be too hard, right? Apparently, given the situation she and her friends were in at the moment, eating some food felt like she had all of Equestria placed on her shoulders. She'd experience this kind of sensation before whenever she and her friends combated the evil that threatened to take over and/or destroy the very land they called their home. But now this feeling was being directed a little too close to home, something that she was very uncomfortable with.

Her muscles were tense and her mind was clouded in a haze as she ran through her mental checklist of possible scenarios that may occur to her newfound friends. If the princesses approve of them, maybe things will work out. Maybe Sven will get pardoned in the process as well, perhaps this will all blow over and they can all concentrate on her brothers wedding without any more stress than there already was. But should the princesses disapprove.....

Twilight's mental checklist of possible outcomes:

-Get sent to the cold moon

-Get sent to the blazing sun

-Get exiled to Faust knows where

-Get thrown in prison

-Get thrown in prison at the place they were exiled to

-Get turned into a statue where they'll probably end up getting a spot right between Discord and the carefully trimmed hedges

-Get sent to magic kindergarten...... wait, that doesn't sound right

"That doesn't sound right at all" she subconsciously spoke aloud as she corrected her mental mistake. Rubick, who was standing beside her, tilted his head in confusion.

"Why did you just say that sentence fragment, Twilight?" he asked as he munched on some vegetable kebabs. His mask was off so it was kind of funny seeing him nonchalantly chew on some roasted green peppers as he inquired Twilight.

"Oh, I was just thinking about how your meeting with the princesses will go that's all" she replied "and the possibility that you could get sent to the moon...." she whispered beneath her breath.

"I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that last part" Rubick hummed as he took another bite from the delicious kebab. Twilight shot upwards as she tried to weasel out of the question.

"Oh, nothing. Nothing at all... heh heh...." her eyes nervously darted back and forth as she let out a broken chuckle. Rubick simply finished the rest of the kebab and wiped his mouth clean. He then placed his plate down and raised an eyebrow at her.

"It's not very nice to lie to a magus, you know?" he mentioned "Especially to a Grand Magus" he pointed to his ear "Especially to a Grand Magus who happens to have a very developed sense of hearing. And especially!" he paused dramatically "To a Grand Magus whose said developed sense of hearing is now amplified due to the fact he is now an equine unicorn. Plus, I'm pretty sure Gondar heard you as well but he's just being polite right now.... Eh heh heh ha ha!" he laughed heartily as he put his mask back on.

"Now out with it dear, what is it that has you so distressed? You looked like you were chewing bits of glass back there" he cut to the chase, there was really no point in joking around about it anymore. His new student shuffled about trying to steer clear of the converstaion. Rubick just stayed silent until she came around to talking about her issue. He silently counted in his mind.

"1... 2... 3..." and just like that, Twilight spilled the beans in under three seconds flat.

"Okayimjustworriedaboutwhatwouldhappeniftheprincessesdisapproveofyouthatsall!" her mouth ran at the speed of sound. Rubick cocked his head to side as he witnessed the second time she had spoken like that. It was quite an appealing quality if you think about.

"Is that what this is about? I thought you didn't like the food is all" he chuckled to himself "Try not to think too hard about it, young Twilight. Whatever might happen during our audience, I can assure you that we will be fine. Besides, there are bigger issues to worry about, such as getting back to our own world" he spoke with utmost confidence. Twilight just stared at Rubick with slack jawed expression.

"How can you be so... so calm like this? Do you know how steep punishment from the princesses can be? It's more than just jail time and community service! Princess Celestia sent her sister, Princess Luna to the moon when darkness took over her heart! A chaotic demigod got turned into a stone statue by the princesses when he was rampaging about Equestria!" she exclaimed. Luckily, nopony around her seemed to noticed her outburst like that. Rubick cocked his head again as he digested the information.

"Getting sent to the moon or being turned in a statue is the least of our concerns right now" he coolly stated "I told you about the battles we participated in back at your home didn't I?" he asked "Believe me when I say that my friends and I have been through far more perilous ordeals than you or the denizens of this world will ever know" Twilight really didn't want to press on the statement but....

"What could possibly be worse than being stuck on the moon for a thousand years?" she just had to ask. Rubick began to rack his brain for some of the more.... painful experiences when he fought for the ancients. With a light tap on his head, he compiled together a short list of all the pain he had endured.

"Let me answer your question with a question" he twirled his staff around a bit "Tell me? Have either you or your friends even been covered in gallons of volatile snot by a bristly hog only to be get torn to shreds afterwards by a highly paranoid goblin in a robotic suit designed to destroy flora?" Twilight's eyes went wide upon hearing that. She simply shook her head side to side in disbelief of the hardships that Rubick had suffered through.

"Or how about getting ripped apart piece by piece by physical manifestations of your own worst nightmare while being set alight by a phoenix?" he continued which caused Twilight's jaw to hit the marble floor

"What about getting coated in copious amounts of poisonous and acidic liquids that makes your flesh peel off your bones like the skin off of an orange? Or even getting thrown into a black hole like the very same one that brought me here? What about getting turned inside out simply by being pointed at? Mayb-" Rubick stopped when Twilight brought a hoof to his mouth. Unsurprisingly, Twilight had a hoof to her own mouth as well.

"Okay, alright. I get it! No need to go into such vivid details of your past battles" she said as she resisted the urge to throw up at the thought of being turned inside out. She collect herself and swallowed back down her lunch that was threatening to escape her stomach "Still, you should be careful with you words and actions when you meet the princesses" she added.

"Me and the others are worried for you that's all. We just want to get this whole misunderstanding cleared up and then we can go prepare for the wedding without having to take headache medication every five minutes" she giggled softly at her own joke as Rubick chuckled alongside her.

"Like I said, try not to think too hard about it. It'll all work out... hopefully" even with a distasteful joke like that, Twilight couldn't help but to smile at her mentor. The way he acted just seemed to cause all the problems she had to go away like a smote flame. His personality was infectious. Strangely, he was like another Pinkie Pie. Always being positive even in the worst of times, but unlike Pinkie, he was wise. The mark of a great mentor

"I really made a great choice yesterday didn't I?" Twilight told Rubick with a sincere smile on her face as the weight of the world was lifted off of her.

"Really now? Which was it?" Rubick asked smugly beneath his mask. Twilight giggled at her mentor's quirks.

"Trusting you to be my other mentor, of course!" she excitedly exclaimed. Underneath his mask, Rubick had a heartfelt smile on his face. Then a thought occurred to him.

"Do you think there should be anything we should know about when we're speaking with your rulers?" he asked his student "We wouldn't want to accidentally offend them somehow now would we?"

However, just when Rubick asked Twilight, the large golden doors behind the thrones greatly swung open. Startling everyone in the room. Everypony save the for the heroes put away their food and walked before the thrones. As the princesses grace their court once more, the room fell to a deadly silence. Nothing seemed to make a sound, it was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. As the two regal princesses reached their respective thrones. The girls, Spike, and Shining Armor all bowed and saluted respectfully to them.

"You may rise my friends, you are our guest, there is no need for formalities" Celestia spoke with a tone that seemed to have the ability to put everyone in the room at ease. Even the heroes in the back felt much more calmer than they did earlier. As Celestia motioned for everypony to rise, Luna cleared her throat and began to speak as well.

"After a brief talk with my sister, it has come to my attention that I may have been wrong in the way that I have acted earlier" she spoke with such pride despite her fury earlier that day "My little ponies, we have decided to give your new friends a chance to explain themselves. If we can work things out, then perhaps we will turn a blind eye to them" she rose her head high with an air of dignified grace surrounding her.

"Who knows? Perhaps we might even get to know them a bit better. Perhaps we might even be friends with them" she gave a sincere smile to her peers. While Twilight and the others were relieved to see their sudden change of heart, only Shining Armor felt a twinge of disappointment from their response. The heroes on the other hoof had some mix feelings about them. First they put a hit out on them, now they wish to be friends? This world has pretty weird methods to deal with lawbreakers if you ask them.

"Well then, Twilight? Would you be as so kind to introduce us to your new friends?" Twilight practically beamed at the request. This actually went better than she had initially thought! Things were finally looking up for them today!

"Of course, princess!" with a bounce in her step, she then quickly trotted to the back of room where the heroes were patiently waiting to be called forth. As Twilight approached the heroes, they noticed the very wide grin she had on her lavender face "Come on! The princess wants to meet you! No need to be tardy!" she then scooped up the heroes in her magical pinkish glow and carried them across the room at lightning speed.

"Whoa-ah-ha-ha! Twilight, I think we can walk there on our own!" Aiushtha shouted as she was flung from one side of the room to the other. Then with a sudden jerk, a bounce, jolt, and a flick. All the heroes fell from her magical grip with a loud *Thud!* on the ground. As they heroes struggled to get their eyes realigned properly back in their heads, the princesses stood from their thrones and went to personally greet the heroes. The sound of their silver and golden horseshoes hitting the floor echoed throughout the court as they approached the heroes with enthusiasm.

"Why hello there my little.... ponies?" Celestia and Luna's words were tangled in their mouth as they finally got a closer look at Twilight's new friends.

Celestia and Luna just stood and stared at the ponies that were in front of them struggling to get upright, they were perhaps some of the weirdest ponies that they had ever encountered in their several millennia of rule. From peasant to aristocrats, clowns and warriors, all looked funny from one's perspective. But the ponies before, took the cake for being dressed in the most absolutely outlandish and absurd clothing in the history of Equestria!

Standing before them was:

a short, scraggly, yellow desperado.

A bizarre, green clown with a massive candlestick.

An orange mummy with milky white eyes, no pupils and horrifyingly crooked teeth.

and a.... doe?

"Uh... I think we may have overestimated them, sister" Luna whispered to Celestia "I mean look at them, all the stallions hide their faces, just like their cohort. Maybe they're hiding something?" she then pointed to the most peculiar member of the group "Then, there's that...."

"A doe? Impossible.... I thought their race disappeared from Equestria....." Both Celestia and Luna thought. While the other ponies may look hilarious. The real shocker to the princesses was the presence of an extinct species standing before them in all of her beauty and grandeur "How.... how is this possible...." their train of thought was interrupted as one of the ponies before them began to speak.

"Excuse me, but are you both alright?" the mummy spoke to them. The princesses broke out of their trance and gawked at the unicorn. He was incredibly bizarre and foreign to them. Since when did unicorns wrapped themselves in black cloth and carried all sorts of junk with them? "Your dream is hazy there, friend. It is time to wake up" the way he spoke was also strange, such unique terms and phrases that the princesses have never heard before.

"Buah whuah? Ah! Yes, we're fine, we're fine! Nothing wrong with us" Luna said with a nervous smile as she collected herself "We were just astonished by your friend, the doe over there" Luna pointed to Aiushtha, who in turn pointed at herself as well "But enough about her" Luna dodged the subject "Let us exchange greetings!" she exclaimed excitedly

"I am Princess Luna!" she spoke with the royal Canterlot voice. The booming sound of her voice nearly knocked the other heroes off their hooves but they stood their ground. Celestia rolled her eyes and stood forward to introduce herself.

"Forgive my sister. She is still adjusting to modern day speech mannerism. As for myself, I am Princess Celestia" they then both extend their wings far outwards as a welcoming gesture "We are the royal alicorn sister. Rulers of Equestria" she stated with pride that only a hardworking ruler could have "But I guess you already knew that didn't you?" she asked which caught the heroes by surprise.

"Uh... oh! Oh yeah! Yeah, we knew that already....." Gondar tried to say it as convincingly as possible. Thankfully, the sisters bought his bluff. Luna then turned to Twilight.

"Twilight, please. Introduce your new friends to us! We're dying to know them better!" just as she finished talking, Twilight immediately rushed over to the heroes side giddily.

"Of course, princess Luna" She subconsciously saluted. She pointed over to Aiushtha "Well, since you were so interested in her. Why don't me and Fluttershy introduce her to you!" Twilight motioned for Fluttershy to come on over. With an adorable squee, she trotted on over to eagerly get her new friend acquainted with the princesses.

"Well, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna. This is Aiushtha" Fluttershy spoke loud and clearly "As you can see, she is a doe. I met her when she showed up at my cottage suddenly the day before" Aiushtha brought out a hoof in friendship with a smile that could melt even the coldest of frozen hearts.

"It is a pleasure to finally meet the kind rulers of this land" she said with a tender voice. Although the two did not show it, they were rather hesitant to shake the doe's hoof. But they put on their best smile and shook Aiushtha's hoof with confidence. It had been quite a while since they last shook hooves with her species....

"Likewise" Celestia responded with the attitude that everypony knows her for. Just then, Applejack and Pinkie Pie walked up to introduce Rhasta. As the three stepped forth, Luna resisted the urge to reel back in disgust at the pony's sense of fashion, plain white eyes, and poorly maintained teeth.

"This funny looking feller here's Rhasta" Applejack announced. Rhasta stood forth and gave a kind bow to the princesses and smile. Luna inwardly cringed at his teeth, she just couldn't handle it! He should really go see a dentist about that later "Despite the way he looks, deep down, he's a really great guy" Applejack tugged her hat off to Rhasta "Heck, he'd even went and save our friend Zecora from those nasty timberwolves"

"Yeah! Plus he's really an all around cool and funny guy!" PInkie spoke as she was hopping up and down with excitement. Rhasta extended at hoof in friendship as well. While Celestia could look past the unicorns shabby exterior and appreciate the fact that he saved somepony from a horrible demise. Luna only cracked a nervous grin and gave him a short and wimpy little hoofshake to Rhasta.

"So nice to meet two beauties. It is an honor" he spoke with an exotic air. The princesses were taken aback by his compliment. Celestia, and even Luna blushed slightly at his genuine praise. They quickly shook off their flustered feeling and moved on the next guest. The clown walked forth and gave a slight bow as a greeting.

"I believe that I am able to introduce myself. My name is Rubick" he said as he removed his mask, thus revealing his face. As Princess Celestia extended out a hoof, Rubick did the unexpected.

Catching everypony completely off guard, he crouched on one of his hindlegs and reached out to her hoof. With poise and subtlety, he kissed the top of her hoof tenderly. It was not a short little peck nor a long overdrawn smooch, just a proper gentlecolt's introduction "Delighted to finally meet the fair rulers of this land" he looked the princesses with a warm smile. Then with one swift movement, he did the same with Luna.

"O-oh my!" Luna tried to cover the blush on her face "No need for such formalities, jester!" she said as she let out a cute little giggle that betrayed her earlier outburst "Rise, jester. You may rise" she spoke as Rubick returned to his tanding position. With a polite curtsy, he put his mask back on and excused himself.

Rarity then approached the princesses alongside Gondar who had a slightly annoyed look on his face, although his bandanna concealed any trace of it showing.

"Hello, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna. This fine gentlecolt here is Gondar" she spoke gracefully as she announced the masked stallion. Gondar walked up to the princesses and put on his best poker face, trying his hardest not to scowl at the princess. He resisted every urge to lash out at the princesses that ordered the attack on his friends. But he digressed, stirring trouble was only going to bite them in the ass if he screwed up his first impression. He shook hooves with the princesses, trying his best to keep cool given the situation.

"It is.... nice to.... meet you" he let out rather weakly but the princesses just assumed that he was nervous seeing how short he was compared to most stallions. Their height must've intimidated the short earth pony.... earth..... pony?

Celestia and Luna back up a bit when they recognized the pony before them. With the process of elimination, they deduced that Gondar was the one who defeated the entire elite royal guard by himself. They were shocked, shocked as if they were struck by a bolt of lightning from a storm cloud. They expected someone much more intimidating in stature. They both didn't believe a single word that Shining said as he gave his report, but standing before them was living proof of the culprit.

They just stared at him with eyes wide in disbelief. He was very short for a stallion, around Twilight's height, maybe even shorter. He was scraggly too, but his strength betrayed his size. His mane was just his fur shaped into a mohawk. Then there were his eerie crimson eyes, the two princesses have never seen eyes so hauntingly terrifying. How a stallion this small was able to completely cripple the elite royal guard was a mystery that not even the greatest detectives in the land could solve. They both smiled nervously as they responded.

"It is... nice to meet you too, Gondar" Gondar raised an eyebrow but brushed it off and returned to his spot next to Rarity who looked rather nervous. The princesses stammered slightly as they regained their poise, with a clearing of their throats they stood tall and began to mingle with their new guest. Get to know them better you know?

"Now that introductions are out of the way, why don't you tell us a little about yourselves? You all look like very interesting individuals. How about you show us your cutie marks and tell us what your special talents are?" the heroes stared at princesses with a perplexed look. Twilight and her friends were hit with a mini panic attack. They had completely forgotten to tell them about the cutie mark!

"Uh... not to sound rude or anything but... a cutie what now?" Gondar asked with a raised eyebrow which confused the princesses.

"A cutie mark" Luna spoke up " It is the symbol that appears on the side of your flank when you discover your special talent. It is what defines the entirety of who you are. But I assumed you knew that too right?" Rubick felt a cold sweat coming on.

"Um, could you excuse me for a bit?" he then turn and dashed right next to Twilight and the others "Care to explain!?" he asked desperately beneath his mask.

"Sorry! I'm sorry, I guess I forgot to tell you about the cutie mark since- since I thought it wasn't exactly important!" she told him as she looked at him embarrassingly. She pointed to the symbol on her side, the multi pointed star. A pictorial representation of who she was, the element of magic "This is my cutie mark, it shows that I am the element of magic. Magic is my special talent" Rubick removed his mask and showed his very confused face.

"Is that what that was?" he practically shouted "I thought it was some sort of pony tradition to get a tattoo on the side of your flank!" Twilight smiled weakly.

"Well, tradition's not the right word but it might as well be" she said "Why are you finding this so shocking? I mean it's just a mark on your flank, it's not a deadly disease or anything!" Rubick's worried look only deepened.

"It's not that, it's.... " he stopped and peek around before turning back to and whispering to Twilight "I really don't want to remove my robes in front of your rulers" he mentioned as his black cheeks blended into a hot pink. Twilight could only giggle at her mentor's shyness.

"Oh come on, it's not that bad" She told him with a sincere smile.

"Yeah, in case ya hadn't noticed, we don't normally wear clothes" Applejack quipped with a smug look on her face.

"It may be natural for your kind but humans don't run around in their birthday suits with an simplistic painting of their very being on the side their buttocks!" he exclaimed with desperation laced in his word. The rest of the group just laughs at him. Especially Spike, who was on the ground practically dying of laughter. As the little dragon struggled to stand back up, he looked at Rubick and spoke.

"I don't know if you have this saying back in your world or not but, there's a first time for everything" he said which somewhat increased Rubick's courage.

"Oh alright, I guess it can't be too bad considering you're all naked too I guess" he sighed as he walked back to the princesses. As Rubick walked back to his friends, Gondar approached him.

"So uh... what do we do?" he asked curiously.

"Show them the picture on the side of your buttocks" he spoke with absolute seriousness. Gondar just stared at him.

"What?" before anyone could say or do anything else, Rhasta bravely stepped forth and began to disrobe himself. The clanging of his coin cape and various junk was heard by all. When all of his personal belongings were off, he began pulling back some of his wrappings on his backside, being careful not to let some of his inscribed wooden planks fall out of the wrappings. With a few more tugs, only a portion of his flank was visible but his cutie mark was clearly shown on his orange skin.

"Hmm, how intriguing!" Rhasta shouted as he looked at his newly acquired symbol. His cutie mark was a picture of a few of his snakes wards. There were two on both sides facing their respective direction and an intimidating front view of the third in the middle. The yellow snakes were juxtaposed flawlessly with his orange skin making for an impressive representation of who he was. Celestia and Luna couldn't help but agree to the strange orange unicorn.

"Intriguing is right, Rhasta" Celestia complimented "That is a rather impressive cutie mark. By any chance, is your special talent snake charming?" she asked but all Rhasta did was give her a hearty laugh.

"Whuah-ah-hahahaha!" he joyfully bellowed "No, princess. Snake charming is only one of my talents" he told her "If it is my special talent you seek then let me show you!" Rhasta immediately wrapped himself back up and put back on all of his belongings hastily. He grabbed both of his wards and raised them high in the air as he spoke with pride.

"I am the Shadow Shaman!" he bellowed pridefully as he gave off another jovial bout of laughter. The princesses looked at him like he grew a second head.

"A.... shaman? What is that?" Luna asked curiously.

"I am a shaman, that means that I use my spiritual and magical abilities to help those in need" the princesses continued to stare at him. Was he being serious? Helping others with magic sounded nothing more than a generalization of his skills.

"Help out how exactly?" Celestia questioned. Rhasta sat on his haunches with his hind legs crossed together, he looked the princesses square in the eyes and told them:

"For one, I help predict the weather for farmers and fieldworkers" he spoke with an amazing sense of pride. But all he received in return was a laughing fit from the princesses. Shining Armor, who was standing by the corner started laughing too, uncontrollably at that as well. He raised an eyebrow, why were they laughing at him like that? Rhasta didn't understand why they mock his occupation.

"Why do you laugh?" he asked "Is there something funny with predicting the weather?" the princesses ceased their laughing and wiped away a tear from their eyes, but there was still giggles emanating from them.

"Oh nothing, nothing at all...." Luna snickered from behind her hooves "Except for the fact that we regulate and control all the weather around most of the Canterlot area that is!" she broke out into laughter again, falling to the floor with hooves pressed against her sides in a very unprincesslike manner

"Is this kind of like the trick where you tell us to think of a number in our head and you guess that too!" she continued to mock Rhasta "Your talent's not being a sha- whatchamacallit! It's being a comedian!" she began to laugh some more. Celestia couldn't help herself either, she was snickering from beneath her wing at the very thought that somepony could predict the weather. Doesn't that sound just absurd?

"You control the weather?" Rhasta turned to Twilight "Is this true?" he asked as his smile faded from his face. Twilight looked at him, embarrassed once more by the little facts she forgot to inform her friends.

"Yes, it is true, Rhasta" she told him, his face looked as if he had something taken from him and smashed into tiny little pieces in front him. He was crushed to hear this revelation. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy went up to him to tell him how the weather works in Equestria.

"You see, Rhasta. Pegasi are in control of the weather. We push away clouds for the sun and make rainy days as part of a system" Rainbow informed the orange unicorn whose face remained neutral.

"All weather is put on a schedule, there really is no purpose for predicting the weather when all the weather patterns have been laid out already" Fluttershy finished Rainbow Dash's talk. Gondar couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"First the sun and the moon, then the tattoos on our asses, now controlled weather patterns? I understand stormcrafting from Disruptor but this is on a whole other level. Next thing you're going to tell us is that the seasons are controlled by you too...." after he finished, everyone before him started to weasel away from the question. Gondar only facehoofed himself "Oh for the love of! You gotta be kidding me....." he then turned to Rhasta to see that he had recovered his smile once more.

"Hmm, the weather here may be predetermined already. But I can still read the future!" Rhasta pridefully exclaimed once more. Luna and Celestia had a smile on their face, this was quite the show, they thought. They weren't a group of conspirators, they were a circus troupe!

"Oh really now?" Celestia asked "Well then, show us" she requested. Shining Armor only smiled and stood beside the princesses.

"Oh, this nutcase is going to try and read the future now? This I have to see" he waited patiently for the pony to tell them there fortune. Rhasta reached into his bag and pulled out a collection of small jars. The princesses and Shining Armor tried to get a peek of what was inside those jars. But the jars were hazy and whatever reached the sides were unidentifiable by nature.

"To read the future, I need entrails!" He exclaimed as he opened one of the jars. To most of the groups horror and disgust, the contents of the jars were none other than various bits and pieces of some creatures internal organs. One jar had a spiral shaped organs, Twilight guessed that they were intestines due to their shape. Another jar had something bulbous and round with a spindly little string off one side, perhaps they were kidneys?

"Y-y-you use innards to p-predict the future!?" Luna pushed her lunch back down into her stomach "How vile!" Rhasta only shrugged.

"Don't worry, there's nothing to fear. They're organs from a chicken!' he told her as if he hadn't done anything morally questionable for pony standards. Celestia, Shining Armor, and the fillies all struggled to resist the urge to vomit. Spike however, was oddly unaffected by the sight of a chicken's heart.

"If this is what a shaman does as a talent then I should have it outlawed! A unicorn who uses entrails for his talent is clearly unhinged!" Rhasta simply sighed and put away his collection of chicken innards.

"Fine, I won't use the innards...." he spoke as he put away his the jars.

" *Sigh* thank you" Luna replied. Rhasta then pulled out a burlap bag and jiggled it around.

"I'll just use these chicken bones instead then!" he said and he opened up the bag and poured out a small pile of random chicken bones. Luna and the others just facehoofed themselves, they should've seen that one coming a mile away.

As much as Luna wanted to protest such ludicrous methods to the pony's madness, a part of her was actually interested in seeing how he could predict the future with something as useless as an assortment of chicken bones. With another sigh, she motioned for Rhasta to continue his dark ritual.

"Hmm, thank you very much" he bowed to the moon princess whose expression went from disgust to genuine curiosity.

The room was quiet as everyone awaited for Rhasta to do.... whatever it was that he was going to do. Still seated on the floor with his hind legs crossed, he crossed his forelegs together and closed his eyes. Slowly, he began to chant words of unknown origin very softly yet steadily gaining in volume and speed. A few seconds of chanting and his voice became audible.

"Moto Keyeyanna yaya, toyka yameh!" he chanted as his body swayed back and forth rhythmically to the sound of ghostly drums. Soon, the swaying became more and more forceful with each passing second. Small sparks of electricity began to discharge from his skin, jolting from himself to the marble flooring where it dissipated into neat little glints of light.

With a quick movement of his right foreleg, he picked up a hoofful of bones and threw them onto the floor where they were all struck with a small bolt of electricity. The bones then began to crack and Rhasta's chanting grew louder.

"Neia teia an da ka!" he chanted with such fire and passion, the bone were continually struck with more bolts of electricity until the cracks grew wider and more pronounced. As he finished his chanting, his body began to convulse violently as he let out a short wave of ether. When he finally stopped and collected himself, he rose up and stared at the bones before him. He began to whisper to himself as he foretold the future.

"I see..... I see!" he yelled with excitement "I see... insects..." he spoke with an eerie tone "A very.... very large swarm of black shelled insects....." he exclaimed "A large swarm of insects flying all over Canterlot and they are hungry!" he concluded with a loud call and a final chant as he shook about back onto all fours.

The room was quiet again, nopony dared to say a word as they digested what they just heard. Seconds turned to minutes, minutes turned to what felt like hours. Then, when everyone appeared to regain their senses. They all broke out into laughter.... again. While his friends believed him, every other pony in the room was rolling on the ground laughing their head off like there was a horrible epidemic of the giggles flying around. All the laughing was starting to ride on his jovial nature.

"Do not laugh!" he commanded "Be wary of my warnings non believers!" he hissed "What I saw goes beyond what you can comprehend!" but the laughter didn't cease, instead it roared louder than it was before.

"Oh! We can comprehend it alright!" Celestia mocked "You make the parasprites sound so threatening!" she laughed "The issue was long resolved already. There is no more fear of an outbreak like that anymore" she fell on her back laughing again. Rhasta just scowled at the princesses.

"Heed my warning you two! This is of no laughing matter!" he tried to tell them but his words fell on deaf ears "Grr.... fine! Ignore me! But you should be glad that this fortune was free! Because of the fact that you were royalty, I did not charge you!" Shining just raised a smug eyebrow as he recovered from his laughing fit.

"Oh yeah? Well how much do you charge for?" he asked.

"Two pins of copper!" he shouted. Shining then reach into his armor's pocket and pulled out two coins.

"I'll just assume that means two bits, here you go mister fortune teller" he then levitated the coins over to Rhasta who begrudingly took them. Money was money after all.

"I have to admit, that was quite the show there, Rhasta" Luna praised "Plus those were some very fancy effects you have there with all the static electricity and whatnot. What did you use? Simple smoke and mirrors?" she asked. Rhasta just looked really confused.

"What are you speaking about? That was all my magic that you saw" he replied which perplexed the princesses.

"Magic? What magic? I am sure that those were all nothing more than parlor tricks" Luna scoffed "Besides, if it was magic, then how come your horn didn't light up?" she questioned Rhasta.

Rhasta pondered to himself what that meant. He then summoned one of his snake wards before him, the little guy looked so happy to be back on the material plane that he hopped up and started to lick the side of his master's face with his glowing little forked tongue. Rhasta fell back and laughed with his pet.

Twilight and her friends swallowed a lump that was forming in their throats, they forgot to warn Rubick and Rhasta to go easy on the magic! Twilight chatised herself, she was normally so much more orderly than this! How could she forgot not one! Not two! But three times to warn her friends! Her usual punctuality and preparedness was slowly slipping away from her very being the longer she spent time with the heroes.

"Ugh, maybe all the stress is finally getting to me after all...." she thought to herself "But on the bright side, maybe this is healthy for me. Princess Celestia and my friends always keep telling that I spend waaaay too much time with my studies" she subconsciously nodded in agreement with herself "At least I'm out more often than not"

"Ahahahaha! I don't know what you are talking about, my magic appears to be working just fine" he then began to play with his snake ward who oddly enough acted kind of like a dog. If a dog was an ethereal spirit in the shape of a snake that is.

Shining Armor and the princesses stared at Rhasta as if they were struck by a bolt of lightning, did he just seriously summon that creature without use of his horn? The very source of a unicorn's power? Their jaws simultaneously hit the floor as they witnessed Rhasta turn the snake into a chicken then back into a snake again. They were stunned beyond all belief, what this all a trick or something? This has to be, they thought.

"H-h-how did you that?" Celestia asked with a sliver of shock in her voice.

"It was just my shamanic powers, that's all" he nonchalantly replied as he willed away the snake and walked back to his spot before the princesses.

The princesses kept their shocked expression until they shook it off, telling themselves that what they just saw was nothing more than an illusion. That's right! It was all just an illusion, they probably didn't noticed his horning glowing that was all. The princesses snapped back into reality and regained their composure after witnessing such a strange display of ones talent of being a... what was it called again? Oh! A shaman, that's right. Whatever that means....

"Uh... Well... onto the next guest then, shall we!" Luna spoke as she collected herself from her earlier shock. Rubick then stepped forward the moment she started talking. Make no mistake though, he did it only so he can quickly show his cutie mark and get on with the rest of the conversation.

"I'll go" he then removed his large golden collar and cape. As he pulled back his pants, his cutie mark was shown on his midnight black coat.

"Huh? Well I'll be" he looked at his own cutie mark. It was an image of a shield with his staff crisscrossed between it just like swords. It looked almost like a coat of arms of sort, one that represents Rubick's own special talent.

"Huh? That's a funny cutie mark for a jester, is it not?" Luna questioned "I was expecting something more along the line of a harlequin's hat or an image of some party favors, much like the one Pinkie Pie has over there" she pointed over to PInkie's balloon cutie mark "Yours looks noble, like one a guard or a knight would have"

"Luna!" Celestia shouted "It is impolite to simply assume one's talent" Rubick removed his mask and placed it away behind his cape.

"Your sister's right you know?" he spoke with his face exposed for all to see "I'm not a jester, although the clothes do make me look so doesn't it?" he quipped with a light chuckle "But these clothes represent who I am just as my uh... cutie mark does" he twirled his staff around with his hoof "For you see, I am a magus" he then held his head up, tall and proud of who he was.

"A Grand Magus"

"Uh... a magus?" Shining Armor asked.

"Magus is just another word for a pony that uses magic, like a mage or a sorcerer" Celestia informed the captain "That would mean that your special talent lies within magic then, much like my faithful student, Twilight. Correct?" Rubick nodded.

"You are correct, princess. But I am also a skilled duelist as well" he twirled around his staff some more "I didn't earn the title of grand magus by finding it on the ground you know? I had to fight my other magus compatriots in an epic duel to see who was worthy of it" he then snickered as he recalled the aftermath of his fight.

Heck it wasn't really even a fight, it was more like a show. He just made his compatriots paranoid of each other to the point where it became self destructive. One accusation after another lead to many of broken alliances and truces, When the first fireball was thrown, all hell broke lose and all Rubick did was just sit back and watch the carnage that unfolded before him. The smell of burning linen and the chill of a frozen magus was still fresh in his mind, almost as if he had caused it yesterday.

"You had to fight your friends just to earn a title? How barbaric!" Celestia responded with a disapproving tone "How could you do such a thing? Surely there could've been a better solution?" Rubick just raised his eyebrow.

"We may have all been magi but a sense of community didn't automatically mean that we were all friends. Would a friend try to assassinate you six different times just because you had the potential to be something much more?" he retorted

"I'm sure a true friend would stick by and support you no matter what hardships or obstacle may impede your way. Not stab you in the back the moment you let your guard down! I learned what true friendship was when I met Gondar, Aiushtha, Sven, Rhasta and many others...." he turned to Twilight

"You should be glad you didn't have to go through the same thing I did to further my quest for knowledge, young Twilight" Twilight was stunned, this was the first time he had spoken of his past to her. She empathized with her other mentor, what kind of friend would betray you like that? All for some title? "You should be honored to have such wonderful friends, Twilight. Don't let such a gift go to waste" he spoke as his expression saddened a little but he quickly shook it off when the princesses addressed him.

"Alright, you've proven your point there, Rubick" Celestia replied "But to claim such a title must mean that you are quite adept in magic" Rubick had a smile on his face and glint in his eyes, he then raised his staff high and slammed in on the floor.

"My sorcery.... is unstoppable!" he announced proudly. Though his response drew criticism from his royal peers. Shining Armor was particularly annoyed by declaration.

"I don't care if you were top of your class in apple bucking buddy!" Shining shouted but the insult affected more than just Rubick, namely Applejack who glared at the captain with her emerald irises "I know a lot of blowhards like you who can't even live up to their own boasting!" the group was reminded of Trixie again, what a day that was "What makes you so different?" he asked. Rubick just shrugged his shoulder.

"You got me, pal. What does make me so different?" he tapped on his chin as he went into deep thought "Hmm, how about the fact that I can actually back up my so called.... boasting" his response only seemed to serve to push more of Shining's buttons.

"Oh yeah? Name your game then!" the captain demanded. Rubick simply shrugged once more

"How about I just show you what I am capable of, hmm? A ... duel perhaps?" he turned to the group "How about it then!" he shouted "How about a show for the princesses!" he exclaimed with a big smile. Shining Armor scowled at the unicorn, his attitude ran his very nerves right into a brick wall.

A challenge with the captain of the guard? Out of the question. But here was his chance to finally show up the criminals once and for all. Gondar may have taken out his guards in hoof to hoof combat. But in magic, Shining was ranked among the pantheon of powerful magic users as one of the very best. He did have he strongest shield in all of Equestria after all. Or at least it was the strongest after it got broken twice in less then two days by the average earth ponies. Now was the chance to make up for all of that.

"Fine! You! Me! Right now!" he declared as he walked towards the center of the room and face the magus "Prepare to go down you punk!" he assumed a combat stance and narrowed his eyes towards Rubick "Choose your next words carefully. Cause your gonna be eating them when I'm through with you"

The group before them was ecstatic to see a wondrous display of magic. Even the princesses were thrilled to see a friendly magical duel, it's been a while since they seen two unicorn spar competitively on fair terms, or so they thought.

Spike was about to enter another state of frozen awesomeness once more, he willed every inch of his scaly purple self to remain conscious so that he could watch Rubick pull off more of his magic. The rest of the group waited eagerly for the match to start.

Twilight was slightly hesitant in seeing her brother getting into a duel where he was doomed to lose from the very start. Note that she is only slightly hesitant. Part of her didn't want to see her beloved brother get stomped on by an incredibly powerful magus. Part of her actually wanted to see them spar so that she could study how Rubick's magic works so that she may understand it better. Part of her is still very miffed at her beloved brother for not telling her in person about the wedding and attacking her new friends on such short notice.

"KICK HIS BUTT RUBICK!" she cheered on Rubick with great zeal from the sidelines. Rubick chuckled as Twilight and her friends became an excited crowd that roared with anxiety for a good duel.

Shining readied himself, his horn was beginning to charge with a glow that was similar to his sister's own, a pinkish purple color swirled around his horn when the spell was reaching it's peak of power.

"I hope you're ready for this!" the captain shouted as he shot out a glowing silvery bolt of raw concussive energy. The bolt flew fast and it flew far in the royal court as it approached Rubick. The princesses were expecting Rubick to move out of the way or at least duck the blast, yet all he did was hold his ground. The bolt finally reached Rubick and the group gasped collectively in horror when the spell connected and exploded in a bright radiance of light that enveloped the poor unicorn.

All remained quiet in the court as they awaited to see how the unicorn might respond or if he is going to respond at all. The large cloud of dust and smoke still surrounded the area where Rubick was standing before he got blasted to oblivion by Shining. When the dust settled, there was nothing at all, not even a scrap of Rubick's cape remained after suffering such power. The only thing that was left was the black charred ring where he was standing. Everyone was stunned, even Shining felt a cold sweat coming on.

"Uh oh.... I think I may have overdone it" he stared at the spot where his adversary was standing. He couldn't believe it. He.... he killed him. Obliterated him into nothingness "Oh, Faust. What have I done?" he fell on his haunches, his mind caught in a whirlpool of emotions as he tried to cope with that fact he let his own anger end the life of his fellow pony. Tears fell from his eyes like a waterfall as he sat in silence, in respect for the unicorn that didn't even get a chance to defend himself from his own rage.

The princesses were speechless, The mane six was speechless, Spike's lower jaw was on the floor. They couldn't comprehend what just happened before them. The silence became absolutely deafening as the second pass. There was nothing to say, nothing to do for a dead pony. But the silence was immediately broken when Aiushtha spoke up.

"Oh stop that, Rubick! You're scaring everyone" she shouted. From beyond the grave, everyone could hear the sound of Rubick's laughter from seemingly out of thin air. His hearty laughter echoed throughout the court like a spectre that was having a jolly good time. Everyone looked around to see where the sound was coming from, as the sound began to die down Shining Armor felt a heavy weight on his shoulders. Possibly the weight of killing a pony, he thought.

Nope, it wasn't. The weight Shining felt was Rubick as he steadied himself beside Shining Armor to prevent himself from falling over by laughing too hard. Shining turned his head and jumped back when he saw Rubick alive and well in all of his glory. The groups mood changed from mourning to joy when they saw everyone's favorite magus in the flesh and not a messy stain on the marble floor. Luna and Celestia eyes grew wide as dinner plates when they saw that Rubick was still alive.

"Whuah! Are you a ghost!?" Luna shouted fearfully. Rubick only shook his head as he walked back to his own spot of the duel.

"Nope! I'm just me. Although you could consider the person I learned the spell from a phantom" he laughed some more as he remembered Azwraith "Doppelwalk is really such a fun ability to use" he thought to himself "I believe my presentation of my skills is over. I'll return to my spot now" just as he was about to rejoin his friends Shining stopped him.

"What! I don't know what you just did but the duels not over yet!" he taunted Rubick as his anger returned. Rubick was already tired of the fight, he really didn't want to stress himself out over something so trivial. But he could do one last thing...

"Okay then, the fight continues" he turned to Rubick and pointed at him. With a swift scooping motion, something strange happened. The grouped gave simultaneous oohs and aws as they witnessed Rubick pull away a green afterimage of Shining Armor away from himself. Shining jump backed in surprise when he saw the image being absorbed into Rubick's staff.

"Hmm, so that's how it's done" Rubick spoke inquisitively "It's so simple, yet you over complicate yourself in casting a mere bolt of magic. But I guess it can't be helped" Celestia and Luna were dumbfounded by they scene that unfolded before them. They had no idea what the unicorn just did or what it was even suppose to do. Again, they believed their eyes were playing tricks on them. Rubick's horn didn't glow when he performed his magic.

"What did you do to him?" Celestia asked.

"Perhaps it would be better if I show you" Rubick then raised his hoof and began charging a sphere of magic above him. Shining stared at the bright ball of light and came to a horrific realization.

"That's..... that's my spell... the same one I used to attack you!" his pupils dialated as they shrank down to pinpricks "How are you doing that!?" he shouted as the ball of energy began to glow with Rubick's signature green hue.

"Oh it's nothing really. Just taking an existing idea and improving upon it" he coolly stated, then the ball began to slowly increase in size and mass "But I also enjoy putting my own little spin on things"

Everyone stared in shock and awe as the little green ball, no bigger than a grapefruit, expanded nearly one thousand times it's own size into a massive star of raw magic and energy that was almost bigger than the royal court itself. The princesses were frozen in a state of fear as they witnessed a small little magic bolt get transformed into a small sun that had the capability to wipe Canterlot off the face of the Equestria. But they were also very interested in his abilities.

Shining Armor stood before Rubick like a deer caught in front of a car's headlights. Even though he was a hardened captain of the royal guard, brother to the element of magic, and wielder of the strongest shield in all of Equestria. He looked like he was ready to piss himself in view of everyone in the room and the miniature sun that hanging over his head. How ironic is it that he would be defeated by his own spell? How is it even possible to copy a spell like that anyway?

"Your technique needs a name. How about.... Shining Blast? Now I know I'm not good at making up names but it seems to fit you a whole lot" then, with a flick of his hoofs, the giant ball was sent hurdling towards the terrified captain "how about a taste of your own medicine then, hmm?"

Shining Armor could only watch as the star was slowly collapsing upon him. He attempted to erect his strongest shield but it was all for naught when the star broke through the barrier like a wreaking ball smashing directly through a wet paper bag. He closed his eyes and braced himself for the utter annihilation that descended upon him. He waited, and waited but it never came. He gathered his strength and opened his eyes to see that the massive ball above popped just like a bubble.

"Well, I guess this is enough punishment from your sister for today"

The ball bursted the moment it touched the terrified captain, it was harmless despite it's menacing size. Instead of a massive explosion, small beads of light sprinkled the room in a beautiful lime green glow that captivated his audience. When all was said and done, when Shining finally broke out of his shock, he was given a standing ovation from his peers. Even with eight ponies in the room, the court shook wildly as they all stamped from the pure rush of adrenaline of the duel.

While everyone was cheering for Rubick, the princesses were having their own side conversations.

"I don't care how these unicorns performs his magic. The raw power he was exhibiting will make him a fine addition to the royal guards" Celestia said to her sister "With him on the elite guards and the elements to protect everypony, I doubt anyone will try to take over Equestria ever again" she smiled to herself "Equestria will finally achieve the dream of everlasting peace, our subject can live their lives out peacefully. Free of fear, free of suffering, free from anyone who wished to inflict harm upon them"

"While I agree with you there sister. I don't think the way he dresses will be good for the guard's image" Luna replied as she gagged at Rubick bizarre outfit "Image is everything sister. Having a clown as the poster pony for the new elite guard will not be very receptive by our subjects" Celestia pondered the idea but waved it off when she had her own solution.

"Nothing a simple wardrobe change couldn't fix, Luna. His black coat would look very nice in contrast to the white and gold armor that the guards are currently wearing" she coolly stated "Have some faith dear sister. When the guards become inspired by Rubick's acts of magical prowess, there will no shortage of guards who are willing to go above and beyond the call of duty to become members of the elite guard"

"New members and a morale boost!?" Luna beamed " This has to be your greatest idea yet, Celly! I can see the headlines now for the Equestria Inquirer!"

*-Criminals turned heroes!-*

Former conspirators to the crown turns over a new leaf!

Becomes members of the new elite guards!

Dedicates their lives to defending Equestria

Guards inspired by heroes!

Applications and training for elite guards skyrockets!

"Aside from Rubick, I am quite interested in seeing if the yellow one over there is willing to cooperate as well" Luna asked "He was the one that took out the elite guard in the first place. From what Shining Armor has told us, his strength and speed is not to be underestimated" Luna tried to spot Gondar "Also, I don't think he will be as willing as the others might be to be in the new guards"

"We still have their ally in Gladius prison, if they don't have an incentive then we shall give them one should it come to it" Celestia mentioned "Besides, sister. What kind of pony wouldn't what to serve their princesses? Every guard we know are who they are because of their selfless devotion to Equestria. Shining Armor is no better example of a great captain. Becoming a guard at such a young age was something to be commended for back then" Celestia finished as she turned her attention back to the group.

Rubick was courteously bowing to his audience as the stamping slowly died down in the background. When all became silent, Rubick put his mask back on went back to his spot among his friends and Shining walked back to the princesses. Oddly enough, Spike seemed to be locked in place after the fight, just like a statue.

"Why I must say, that was quite the show you gave us there, Rubick! I have never seen such skill in the magical arts since the age of Starswirl the bearded!" Celestia commented as she gave her own polite stamp "Now, who is up next for introductions?" Celestia asked as she fixed her attention on Gondar.

The yellow stallion caught her eyes and decided to go next. He thought it would be better go instead of Aiushtha since the princesses seemed to be so interested in her. Aside from that, there were a few things that Gondar wanted to.... negotiate with the rulers about.

"I guess I'm up then" he walked before the princesses, but just as he was about to move, the princesses stopped him.

"Wait right there, Gondar" Luna declared "Before you start, please, show us your face. It is rude to hide behind a mask during an audience with us" she asked but all Gondar did was shake his head is disapproval.

"Sorry there lady, no can do" his response shocked everyone in the room. It wasn't very often nor was it exactly wise to deny a request by the princess without some kind of reason.

"Come now, it's alright. Just pull down the mask, that's all you have to do" Celestia asked politely, trying not to provoke the stallion that crush their guard beneath his hoof. But Gondar remained defiant, all he wanted to do was just talk to the princesses with his mask on, is that really to much to ask? "Don't be shy, there's nothing to be ashamed of. We're all friends here" well that's mostly correct, he thought to himself.

"I apologize profoundly but I would like it if I could keep my mask on" he tried again "This mask is a part of me. It's stuck with me through good times and bad" just like himself, the princesses tried again.

"Just pull the mask down" Luna asked "We're not asking for much. Just, show us your face, tis all" Gondar shook his head once more.

"The mask. Stays" he commanded through gritted teeth from behind his red mask. The princesses conceded and complied with his simple request.

"Oh alright then, we will let you keep your- Aha!" Gondar did not react quickly enough as he noticed the dark blue glow that surrounded his mask. With one quick tug from the glow, his mask was off, revealing his face along with his feline features. Luna and Celestia were beginning to see why he didn't want to take his mask off now. He looked just like a.... like a....

"You look just like a cat!" Luna rudely blurted out for everyone to hear before falling to the ground laughing her head off. Gondar quickly pulled his mask out of the air and covered his face again as he hissed at Luna.

" *Hiss!* What gives you the right to do that you.... you!" he stopped himself before he could finish, the insults can wait. Trying to avoid a bad first impression was harder than it sounds. Thankfully the moon princess received a good scolding from her older sister for pulling a fast one on him.

"I am incredibly sorry for my sister's action, Gondar" Celestia apologized "Lets just pretend that never happened" Gondar said nothing, he only nodded in agreement with her.

"But while we are on that subject. You are certainly... unique, for a stallion such as yourself" As apologetic as she sounded, Celestia couldn't get over how bizarre Gondar looked. His crimson irises still made her feel uneasy each and every time their eyes met.

"How about I just show you my.... cutie mark now?" he asked. The princesses were quick to reply with a simple nod. Gondar braced himself, he really didn't want to pull his pants down. There was the risk that his cutie mark could be far too revealing of his nature, but he shook the thought off. What were the chances that his cutie would really show who he was and what his special talent was anyway? His hopes for an inconspicuous mark was quashed when he actually saw what it was.

"Oh boy....." as it turns out, his mark couldn't be anymore connected to his self. Just like his unique appearance, his cutie mark was also unique, evident by the stares he was receiving from his peers. It was unlike anything anyone has ever seen before.

His mark was a intimidating arrow, formed by two red v's and a red skull atop it. His mark was surrounded by a red circle that was scrawled onto his side in strange patterns. Around the circle was a series of markings and runes that formed eight points symmetrically around it. To the ponies, they had no idea what the mark meant. But to Gondar and his late victims, they knew it all too well.

"Huh? What a strange cutie mark" Celestia stared at the red circle "I can't make head nor tails of your cutie mark. What is your special talent?"

"Is it cryptology? That seems probable. Those markings are unlike any I've seen before" Luna suggested. During the moment of confusion, Gondar seized the moment to deceive them. It was better that they knew a lie instead of the truth.

"Yes, that's correct. I'm a cryptologist" he lied through his mask "I travel the world in search of dead and ancient languages to record and study them. It is a bit of a lost art form. Nobo- ahem, excuse me. Nopony understands the true value of writing and language until it becomes buried underneath soil" he tried to pulled his best impression of an archaeologist. He studied the princesses expression to see if they bought his lie.

They appeared to believe him but that all changed as their eyebrows arched down with a frown just below their noses. They didn't believe a word that was coming out of his mouth.

"Let it be known, Gondar, that we can understand a little white lie from our subject" Celestia spoke sternly "But let it be also known that we didn't forget about you and your friends little encounter with the guards" she finished as she glared at him with her magenta colored eyes.

"Did you honestly think that we would believe you to be nothing more than a simple cryptologist?" Luna questioned him with the same stern expression her sister had "The proof is in the pudding, or more importantly, in the broken bones of every elite guard that you personally put out of commission" she accused "You must be a very athletic for a scholar to dispatch every member with relative ease"

"Have you seen the places I been to?" he lied "I got to be in peak physical condition to survive in some of the most inhospitable landscapes around the globe!" he attempted to keep up his charade "Besides, your guards drew first blood by injuring my friends. And that will not stand. Not by me" he could see that the princesses still didn't believe him.

"Who attacked who is irrelevant at the moment, Gondar" Celestia replied as she shifted the blame away from herself "We are trying to make peace with you for our... wrongful accusations" her stern look shifted to a warm motherly smile "I'm sure we can all put our petty difference aside so that we may focus on other things. Such as your friend's freedom" she used her bargaining chip, maybe he'll be able to be more cooperative now.

"Yeah, I'm sure Sven would really appreciate that" he muttered silently.

"But there can be no peace unless we are all honest with each other" Luna joined in with a calm demeanor "Your friends opened up to us, so why not you?" she tried to act as inviting as possible.

"It's not that I don't like to share, mind you" Gondar turned his head and faced Rarity "It's just my special talent isn't something that I'm willing to tell a group of innocent ponies such as yourselves" he spoke loud and clear for all to hear. Rarity, feeling bold, stepped up to comfort him.

"Don't be rude to the princesses, Gondar. Remember, you're here to make a good impression so that your friend can be released from prison" but Gondar remained unconvinced, he just shook his head as he tried to walk away, but Rarity was persistent "Fine, if you won't do it for your friends.... could you do it for me?" she pleaded. But just as her words reached Gondar, they also reached Spike who broke out of his frozen trance to let his jaw slam into the ground.

Gondar stopped dead in his track. He knew he couldn't do anything now, he was still very much indebted to her. He didn't argue with it though. She's done more for him when he came into this world then he has for her so far. Aside from keeping his word, he was doing this for another reason, one that Spike was openly protesting to. Although the little guy's words were lost to the wind when Twilight hushed him for being too loud.

" *Sigh* Fine, I'll tell them. Promise me that you won't look at me differently, please?" he then turned about face and walked back in view of the princesses while Rarity pondered what he meant by looking at him differently. The princesses smiled down upon him as he approached them.

"Well, changed your mind, have you?" Celestia asked "Then tell us what your special talent is" the room went quiet as they awaited his answer.

"I..... am a Bounty Hunter" he stated with fire and pride. The whole room began speaking amongst themselves, there weren't many criminals in Equestria but that didn't mean that criminals didn't exist. Whoever did have their face among the few wanted posters were the most hated ponies in the land. The princesses and the captain said nothing, they only waited for him to finish.

"My special talent is that I can find, capture, and in many cases, kill criminals that are wanted by the local authorities or the government" his job description shook everyone to the bone "In short, I hunt and capture or kill criminals for a living" the way he said it made everypony's blood run cold, he sounded like he enjoyed his job. Unbeknownst to them, he loved every second of tracking down fugitives and runaways from the law.

"For the right price, anyone could be found"

"For the right price, even the mightiest will learn to fear the shadows"

"For the right price, anything"

"You-you would kill your fellow pony, for money!?" Shining exclaimed "How do you sleep at night you deranged psychopath!?" Shining was at his limit, every single one of the ponies he had met in this particular group were all insane! Assaulting princesses!? Guts to tell the future!? Stealing magic!? Hunting ponies!? Why in the name of the almighty Faust do ponies like this exist in the world!? The only one who hasn't done anything incomprehensible was the doe! And she was incomprehensible herself!

"Like a baby, actually" he told him like nothing was wrong "I sleep fine knowing for a fact that there is one less maniac freely walking around in the world because of me" he retorted with a grin "Getting paid for doing your job is also a bonus you fat white hypocrite" he laughed wickedly once he saw the stunned look on Shining's face "How's the nose there buddy?" he asked in which Shining covered his nose instinctively upon remembering.

"Uh... thank you, Gondar, for the explanation about your.... talent" Luna nervously smiled. She was starting to regret getting this pony to talk about himself "You can return the others right now" she asked with a sliver of fear in her voice. She brushed her hoof in shooing motion to get Gondar as far away from her as possible.

Gondar complied with the princesses demands and walked back to the group. But not without receiving some estranged look from Twilight and others. The only one that looked at him straight in the eye without fear, was Rarity.

As Gondar was walking back to his group, he felt a strange vibe grab hold of him. He was glad to know that he wasn't about to have another one of his seizure attack, courtesy of Harbinger. But instead, the feeling came from the princesses. He looked at his allies and he could tell that despite their generally receptive response from them, they all felt like something is being hidden from them.

"These princesses" he thought to himself "First you send some guards to catch us, now you're acting all friendly with us..."

"What's your angle?"

Chapter 14 end

Author's Note

Man, the ideas flowed like a waterfall when I was writing this chapter which is probably why it's over 10'000 words. Hope you enjoyed the fact that they finally get to meet the princesses after like two chapters.

Also, here's the current expected roster for future heroes in dota 2.
-Skywrath mage
-bristlebog
-abaddon?
-Legion Commander

Chapter 15: Stacked Deck

What does a Hero Truly Need?

By: Zelkova48

Chapter 15: Stacked Deck

Gladius prison, break hours

"All right, it's your turn to deal" a large brown and very woolly minotaur spoke to Jackal as he handed him a dirty looking deck of cards from Las Pegasus.

Sitting around an old wooden table that looked like it was a home for termites were small group of inmates who were on their scheduled recess from their cells to mingle with other prisoners before their inevitable death or near death experience. To pass the time, and possibly earn some very valuable contraband from inmates with a penchant for theft, they were enjoying a good ol' dishonest game of poker.

And the players were:

Jackal, the diamond dog

"Beefsteak", the minotaur

Canary, the one winged griffon

George XII, the pet frog

And Sven, the rogue knight

"What!? I already dealed last game, it's the griffon's turn" the diamond dog complained as he passed the deck to Canary, a one winged griffon with a dark brown coat for her lion half and silky midnight black for her eagle half and remaining wing. Her eyes were like crystal clear topaz that had been expertly cut by an artisan several times to achieve the proper shape.

"No way ya mutt, Ah already dealed before that. How about the new guy?" she pointed a talon to Sven with a sultry smile on her beak "Surely a big hunk of a stallion such as yourself would help out wittle ol' me, right?" she asked with a bat of her eyelash and a flick of her only wing.

"Alright, fine. Hand me the cards" Sven took the card and began to shuffle the deck, he was very impressed with the fact that he could do such a thing with hooves. After a few seconds of shuffling, he expertly flicked the cards to the other competitors as he dealed his own cards.

"Why thank ya sugah" she replied as she blew a kiss to him "It's nice to a gentlecolt in this shithole for a change" she glared at the others as she took a quick peek at her cards "Ah reckon chivalry has something ta do with ya being a knight?"

"It is in my own code. A code that defines who I am" he check his cards and placed them back down.

"Hey! Take off the helmet! We let you slide the first few rounds pal!" the minotaur shouted. Sven complied and removed his helmet, revealing his face. His coat was the same color as his clothes, blue while his mane was bleached bone white "That's better. Heh, hope you got a good poker face, bud" the minotaur smirked as he hid his gigantic self behind his cards.

"Speaking of being a knight, what made you go rogue there handsome?" Canary asked "Ya seem to have the strength and personality to be the greatest of the guards, what made ya do something as stupid as attacking the princesses head on like that?" she threw down some painted pebbles that were suppose to represent chips "Raise you a hundred"

"Probably the same reason you lost your wing" Sven threw in some chips to the pot "Didn't like certain individuals" he pulled another card out from the deck and threw it Jackal.

" *Sigh* don't remind me hon" her expression fell "Ah used ta be the most brilliant singer in all of the Griffon kingdom!" she slammed her claw down when bad memories bleeded into her mind "Til that damn unicorn messed up mah vocal chords with his freaky magic" she squawked loudly with a sound comparable to a cat getting his balls caught in a vice

"That nasty drunk of a unicorn had what was coming to him when I knocked his block off!" she yelled "As it turned out y'all, he was some fancy smanchy prick of a delegate who loved to mess around with ladies!" she grimaced at the memory "The guards came down on me fast and took my wing in the process!" she reached over to her back to feel her nub of a wing with a frown "Overzealous dirtbags, the lot of them....."

"And then you got sent here on charge of assault of nobilty and being declared a threat to ponykind!" Beefsteak mellodramatically exclaimed "Yeah, we get it. Geez you must've told us your sob story like a million times" he slammed his hands on the table "You're not the only one whose had it rough you know! I had no idea that boulder was headed for the castle when I was training!" he roared "Beating up some of the guards didn't exactly help my cause either" he slinked back into his chair.

"Fold" Sven placed his cards down, two of a kind

"Fold" Jackal did the same, two of a kind

"Fold" As did Canary, three of a kind

"Ribbit" the tiny frog known only as George XII somehow did as well while staring blankly at the group before him with his beady little eyes and occasionally expanding his buccal cavity. Two pairs

"Wait, what?" the minotaur looked down on the table to see that his cards were facing up, full house "Ah! Damn it!"

"Aha! Loser" Jackal teased "Alright, deal them again, Sven" the cards were thrown around the table again, everyone stared at their cards with their best poker face on. The one that had the best poker face, surprisingly, was the frog that was just staring at them nonstop.

"Psst, Jackal. What's with the toad?" Sven asked.

"Beats me, plus he's a frog, not a toad" he whispered "I don't know why he's here at all, I just think he's a random pet frog that hopped his way into here by accident. Apparently, the little guy knows how to play so we just add him to the game to fill up a seat" he explained while the frog was still staring at them "According to that little collar around his neck, his name's George the twelfth"

"Hmm, how strange" Sven threw some chips onto the pot "He would look heroic with a tiny little backpack on him!" Canary laughed at his joke from across the table.

"My, my there Sven. Handsome, strong, and funny? Tell me here sugah, and be honest will ya?" she licked her beaks passionately "Do ya have anyone.... special to call your own?"

"No, I'm afraid not" he replied. Canary was thrilled with the his answer. She narrowed her eyes on him, making sure that her cards were face down on the table. She slowly ran her talons across the table until she reached Sven's hooves.

"Would ya like to me my special somepony?" she lustfully asked with a wistful twirl of he claw and an amorous look in her eyes. Jackal and Beefsteak just rolled their eyes. George just sat in his stool and stared "It would be a crying shame for someone like you to be all alone here in this prison" she edged a little closer.

"Ah jeez, a griffon making a move on a stallion" Jackal gagged "Now I've seen everything in the world" he hid his face in his paws, with one eye out towards Sven "I'd tread lightly there buddy. This is still a prison. Don't drop the soap in the showers, just a heads up"

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Stop it right there!" Beefsteak cut in "My momma only taught me where calves come from when a mommy minotaur and a daddy minotaur love each other very much. She never taught me about what happens when a mommy griffon and a daddy stallion love each other" he paused a bit with a frown "She didn't have puppets of a griffon or a stallion..." everyone stopped and stared at Beefsteak, even George stopped his croaking when the minotaur mentioned puppets.

"Uh.... I'll think about it" Sven weakly replied as Canary backed off.

"Aw, come on. Don't be like that hon" she kept her sultry voice flowing "You're practically the first inmate in here that Ah actually like!" she squawked loudly in excitement. This time, the sound was like a thousand nails running across a chalkboard sequentially.

"Yeah, every other prisoner and guard that attempted to... have their way with you got their eyes gouged out.... then you ate their eyeballs" Jackal deadpanned with the dreary revelation.

"Excuse me?" Sven asked as he edged away from the griffon.

"They never had a chance" she gave a mischievous grin as she lecherously licked one of her talons "Don't worry though Sven, you can bed me anytime you like. Also, I like it rough, sugah" the group slowly back off from the sexually deprived Griffon. George hopped off his stool and landed next to Jackal who held him as he croaked rapidly in fear.

"Okay! Time out!" Beefsteak cross his hands "Lets just get on with the game! No more talk about about rape, and eyeballs and sex and stuff!" he took his cards and slammed them on the table "Boom! Flush! Beat that chumps!" he sounded rather confident as he tried to pull the hoard of chips towards him only for Jackal to stop him.

"Not so fast there, Beefsteak" he showed him his cards with a smile "Full house. You lose!" he tried to grab the chips only for a claw to stop him.

"Now hold it right there!" Canary showed her cards "Four of a kind! Ha ha! That contraband is as good as mine!" she reached for the chips but a hoof stopped her.

"I apologize, Canary" he slammed his cards on the table "Straight flush!" he heartily laughed.

"Daw! Ya got me there sugah. Though Ah'm not angry with ya" she batted her eyelash at him.

"I appreciate the modesty Canary" he turned to pull the chips in "The rogue knight is victorious once more!" just as Sven was reeling in the chips, he felt a cold webbed feet on his hoof. It was George.

"Ribbit" the cards in front of him made everyone's jaw hit the floor "Ribbit, ribbit, ribbit" the group just couldn't believe the little amphibian's luck. The cards didn't lie.

Royal Flush

George extended out his tongue and pulled in the pot. The frog then proceeded to croak rapidly in excitement over his victory in the poker game.

"Bah! Bested by a frog! This is a new low for the rogue knight...." Sven "Aw well, it's not the worst thing that's ever happened to me. I could've lost to Wisp" he looked to the frog and patted him on the head "Congratulations, George. You are the winner of this poker game" the frog croaked back at Sven "Heh heh heh! So true..."

"Well, he's the winner. Might as well give him the spoils" Beefsteak reached into a burlap sack and pulled out a chocolate bar "Here you go little dude, you've earned it" George walked up towards the chocolate bar and began to absentmindedly gum the sweet treat.

The group stared in awe as they watched the little guy slowly eat the chocolate bar that was roughly about twice his size. After ten minutes of staring and dedicated gumming, the frog licked the corners of his mouth to rid himself of any excess chocolate. With a quick croak he he hopped off his stool and landed right onto Sven's shoulder. He croaked happily as he hopped up and down atop Sven's shoulder pads.

"Daww, ain't the little fella cute!" Canary gushed "Looks like you got yourself a new friend there hon" she petted the little frog as he nuzzled her claw.

"Hmm, It appears that I have" Sven petted George as well who croaked happily in return.

"Huh, I guess George lost his old master" Jackal joined in "He seems to have taken a liking to you. Why don't you keep him? We could always use another cellmate" Jackal suggested "I'm sure he'll be a great help to you as well"

"That's not a bad idea there, Jackal" Sven picked up George who's beady eyes pierced his very being and into his very soul "George, from here on out, you shall be my faithful squire!" George croaked in agreement with him "Ha ha! I knew you couldn't resist" George croaked excitedly as his legs were flipping and flopping about joyously.

"Now that there is just adorable!" Canary squawked "I can just picture it now! Me and Sven, together living in peace with a little two story pink house and a white picket fence with our pet frog, George!" she sighed dreamily "Now that is the life for me. Not being stuck here where I could get eaten by manticores"

"Uh, I hate to break up the lovey dovey moment here guys but breaks over. Time to head back to our cells" Beefsteak announced "It's been cool everyone, I'm just gonna head back and take nap" he turned to leave but not before mentioning one other thing "By the way, if you do survive the fight tomorrow, let's play again sometimes" he turned about face and walked back to his cell.

"Bah! Don't listen to him Sven. If I've survived this long in the slammer, I'm sure you will too. A few manticores can't stop a couple of badasses such as ourselves" Jackal assured his friend as he also turned to leave back to his cell. Sven and George followed suit but they were both stopped by Canary.

"As much as Ah would like to believe that hon, Ah'm having trouble doing so" Canary looked down "Ya see Ah've been hearing bout some nasty rumor that's been flying round the prison, something that makes me shaken to the bone" she motioned for them to come closer.

"What is it that has you so scared ms. Canary?" Sven asked with George atop his head.

"Oh it'll be Mrs. Canary soon sugah, if ya catch my drift" she joked but her expression went from joyous to stern almost instantly "It's too bad that might nevah happen hon. Cause ya see, you ain't fighting manticores tomorrow" Jackal and Sven raised an eyebrow.

"What are you talking about? Manticores have always been the warden's method of execution" Jackal and Sven awaited the answer.

"That's the thing though, see? Ah heard he got a special gift from his friends up high in the nobility! Specifically meant for killing you, Sven!" Canary's voice shook with fear "It's a monster, something big too. I could hear it's rumbling all across the eastern wing of the complex!" she trailed off as they stayed silent

"Anyway, Ah hope you really are as they say Sven. Otherwise, you two are gonna be monster chow" she looked back at Sven, saddened by the thought of his departure. She then excused herself from Both Sven and Jackal and walked back to her own cell.

The two stood in the room for the next few minutes, not sure of how to process the information that they acquired. They had expected a simple fight late tomorrow, but what they got was a guaranteed death sentence. One that was specifically meant for the rogue knight himself.

"Come on, let's head back" Sven went and picked up his helmet as Jackal went ahead of him. George didn't croak at all during the walk back to the cell. As they all returned, they stayed in their respective bunks, trying to ward off the feeling of fear from Canary's words. Sven sat in his bottom bunk and stared at his helmet, Jackal began to read on his top bunk, and George stayed on a spare pillow that was thrown on the ground specifically for him.

"Do you think your friends are here yet?" Jackal asked as he looked through his book.

"I know they are, Jackal. I can feel it"

Chapter 15 end

Author's Note

Well we hadn't heard from everyone favorite rogue knight in a while so this is a chapter dedicated to his time in the big house. Also, test server for dota 2 has new quest mode. Played as dragon knight, really neat tutorial stage that hides a bigger portion of the dota 2 world.

Deleted passage:
"Bah! Bested by a frog! This is a new low for the rogue knight...." Sven shook his hoof at George "It was all luck for you! This proves nothing!" but all George did was croak back at the rogue knight "What was that! Let us cross swords you amphibious bastard!" Sven picked up his sword and tried to swing it at George, only for Beefsteak and Jackal to hold him back.

"Cool it bro! Don't let the guy rile you up!" Beefsteak pulled Sven back.

"Sven! Stop! He's not worth it!" Sven lowered his blade and just shook his hoof menacing at the frog.

"This isn't over! Do you hear me you green son of a bitch! This isn't over!"

Chapter 16: The Deal

Chapter 16: The Deal

What does a Hero Truly Need?

By: Zelkova48

Chapter 16: The Deal

"Well, I guess it's my turn then" Aiushtha set her javelin aside and walked towards the princess, hoping to make a good of impression given who she was at the moment. However, just as she was about to speak, Princess Celestia raised her hooves to stop her.

"That will not be necessary Aiushtha. We will have our discussion with you later but for now, you will all be delighted to hear of our judgement" the room went silent, this was it. The princesses decision was going to determine whether they'll be able to roam around Equestria some more until Twilight find's some way to get them back home, or spend the rest of their collective lives behind bars in Gladius prison.

"We have decided to turn a blind eye to your recent actions in the streets of Canterlot as well as your friend's accidental folly...." the silence broke as a loud cheer by Pinkie erupted into a full blown applause for the princesses. Everypony was ecstatic at the princesses kindness towards the heroes. Well, almost everypony.

As the cheering continued, two ponies didn't share the same joy their friends did. Shining Armor was only mildly disappointed at the princesses choice. He'd expected them to dispatch some kind of divine punishment upon them, or at least lock them up. He now knew what these ponies were capable of and he feared for what they might do once their back was turned on them.

Gondar was relieved to hear that they weren't branded as criminals anymore, for the most part. But he couldn't help but fee that something was nagging him, something that he most likely forgot within the sounds of the cheers.

"However..." Luna spoke. There it was, this was what Gondar was a little skeptical about. Not all things in life are free, there's always that little catch that trips you up when you least expect it.

"While we will forgive you and are incredibly thankful that you didn't kill members any of our guards, we are now left without a functioning group of elite guards" she paused for everypony to digest the information "But do not fear my little ponies, for my sister has come up with a solution to our little dilemma" Celestia clears her throat and stepped forth to address the heroes.

"I will admit that it is entirely our fault for sending the guards to apprehend you under false pretenses, that is why I am asking you to help us" The heroes all raised an eyebrow, this wasn't going the direction that they intended.

"What would you have us do?" Rhasta asked "I'm sure I can lend my shamanic skills to assist in anyway possible"

"That would be most helpful, Rhasta. But the kind of help we want it different" Celestia stopped.

"Different, how?" Rubick inquired. Celestia only smiled down upon the magus before answering.

"Given your amazing prowess and talent, we would only ask for you and your friend to become new members of our elite royal guards!" Celestia exclaimed. While the heroes were generally quiet, their friends were cheering again once more at sound of some relatively great news. Rainbow Dash and the rest ran straight to them and began to congratulate all of them.

"Congratulations you guys! Isn't this great!" Twilight practically beamed at the heroes.

"Well paint me green and call me Granny Smith! This is amazing!" Applejack gave Rhasta a great big pat on the back that almost knocked him off balance "Y'all got pardoned and a great job to boot! Y'all should feel honored cause Ah know Ah would"

"Oh! My! Gosh! I can't believe it you guys! You just went from okay to maximum coolness!" Rainbow Dash gushed "It's not everyday somepony gets offered to automatically become an elite guard!" the applause and cheer continued for another few minutes until the princesses addressed the heroes again.

"Of course we would like for Rubick, Gondar and this Sven to be the guards" Luna added "But do not fret, Rhasta and Aiushtha will have equally important positions as well, that we assure" the fillies nodded in agreement, they weren't expected someone like Aiushtha or Rhasta to become guards. That would be dangerous. When all was said and done, Celestia let out a very uncouth yawn which drew a blush on her face.

"Perhaps now would be a good time to call it a day. You've all been through a lot and we would like to finally repay you for putting up with us" Celestia pointed to the doors and the wrecked wall behind her

"We will have some rooms prepared for you so that spend the night here. Until everything gets sorted out of course. Afterwards you can all go and help us prepare for the wedding" The mane six cheered along at the thought and everypony began to follow the princess as she led them through the hall. Luna and Celestia looked back to the heroes.

"Also, we expect both Gondar and Rubick to report to Captain Shining Armor for your fitting and initiation early next morning. You will be serving under him and will make sure to act appropriately as such" Luna stated as Shining smirked, the two heroes were going to have to answer to him from here on out "Afterwards, we can go and retrieve your friend from his incarceration" as they continued walking, Gondar went up and stopped the princesses.

".....What if we refuse?" his question brought forth a quizzical look from everypony.

"Refuse what?" Rainbow asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Refuse to become members of your guards" Rubick answered everypony's question which caused them to stop dead in their tracks. Who would refuse such a noteworthy position as being an esteemed and premier member of the elite royal guards? Nopony that's who.

"B-but why? Being a member of the elite guards is one of the highest honors we can bestow upon you!" Luna stared at the heroes with complete bewilderment "For what reason is it that you would throw away an amazing opportunity as becoming one of the most respected guards in all of Equestria!?"

"No reason except for the fact that we don't want to become guards" Gondar explained "We're here for our friend, nothing more, nothing less. After all this is over we're heading home" his words struck the group like a bolt of lightning, there was no way he could be serious could he?

"If you think this is some sort of punishment for harming our guards then you would be mistaken" Celestia intervened, hoping to sway their opinion "We hold no ill will towards you anymore. Think this not as retribution for your deeds, think of it as a kind blessing from us. If you won't do it for us, then do it for Equestria. Your very home" but her words did little to change the heroes mind.

"I am afraid we cannot do you such a kindness" Rubick spoke up "We are grateful for the offer but we are in no place to help out an entire nation" everypony's jaws hit the floors in cadence. They weren't bluffing. As much as they liked the world of Equestria, they didn't belong there nor were they obliged to help out a world that they only just arrived a day earlier. Getting chased around by the royal guards hours prior to this meeting only furthered the distance of the connection they had with the alien world.

"You can't be serious!" Luna exclaimed "Refusing to use your talents to defend Equestria from possible danger! Think of all the ponies that would be harmed because of your cowardice!" she roared but the heroes held onto their choice. Their act of defiance only served to fuel Luna's growing rage "Unbelieveable! How can you all act so selfish!?"

"How can you act so selfish?" a soft voice pierced though the air catching everyone off guard. It was Aiushtha. Up until now she kept her opinion to herself, making sure not to get on anyone's bad side. But this was getting out of hoof. She felt that there was no other choice but to intervene.

"Hold your tongue doe, this does not concern you!" Luna shot back but Aiushtha remained steadfast. Defiantly calm, staring into the heart of the tempest. Her druidic nature gave her a strength that none other can compare too when it came to understanding.

"When you attempt to bully my friends into a position that they refuse to be a part of, it always becomes my concern" she spoke softly yet her words had tremendous impact on everypony in the hall. She remained entirely composed and unfazed

"I was told by Fluttershy here that you two were the shining examples of kindness and altruism. The kind and powerful rulers that defeated this 'Discord' and prevented him from plunging the world into chaos over one thousand years ago"

"But over the past few hours, I'm starting to believe that everything she told me thus far.... was a lie" the room was consumed with a deathly silence. No one dared to say anything in front of the princesses who were downright appalled by the doe's caustic words.

"Choose your next words carefully. doe. Or else-" Luna spoke sternly until someone interrupted her.

"Or else what?" Gondar and the heroes all assumed a combat stance, Aiushtha gripped onto her javelin tighter than normal as the hostility in the air began to boil over. Even Spike, a dragon who has the innate ability to survive extreme heat was sweating enough fear to fill up a lake. They were prepared for a fight, no one threatens Aiushtha and gets away with it alive "Ever been ganked before lady?"

"Hold on now, I'm sure we can work something out" Celestia cut in with her trademark smile "No need for unnecessary violence, especially within the walls of this castle" her words did little to dissuade their hostility toawrds the princess of the night.

"Why don't we just settle this all tomorrow when we retrieve your friend. I'm sure once you're all together we can work something out" the heroes loosened up at the mention of Sven "We should all retire to out quarters for the night but please hear me out" the heroes resumed their neutral stances and gave Celestia their attention "I didn't want to give it away, not until the time was right. But please, we really do need your help" The heroes stayed silent, not sure of how to respond.

"I'm sorry if I... we tried to push you into this without your consent but we are in need of heroes" the heroes all traded suspicious looks with each other "It will only be until Shining Armor's wedding is over, whether you choose to remain a member of the elite royal guard or not is entirely up to you. You will have that choice in the end"

The hall was silent again. The heroes huddled together to discuss of their option. Several ideas were tossed about as they looked back on their problem. Getting home was going to take much more time now, not that Rubick or the others didn't expect this kind of outcome to happen. Twilight and the others helped them out so far, and even the princesses are acting humble. Now was the opportune time to pay them back in full with interest.

They decided they might as well become members of the elite royal guards. Only on their term, however.

"Alright, since you properly explained your problem to us, we'll take up on your offer for heroes, but no funny business. You got that? " Gondar coldly replied but his tone was generally leaning towards more of the accepting kind. He even lowered his mask to do so, a rare gesture of understanding that his friends see him do from time to time.

The princesses let out a sigh of relief, they had the heroes on their side now. Whoever might attempt to take over Canterlot next week will be in for a big surprise when they run into new members of their elite guards.

"Thank you for your accepting our offer. You can expect to see your friend tomorrow afternoon when we retrieve him" Celestia then motioned for the group to follow them once more as they explored the rest of the castle for their rooms.

After a few more minutes of walking, they came across a large set of elegant gold trimmed double door that represented the guest apartment of the castle. When Twilight pushed open the door they were greeted with a massive complex that was design to house staff members of the castle.

The living room was ginormous, complete with a fully stocked kitchen and tall bookshelves that made up one entire wall of the room. Then there was the gorgeous bay windows that overlooked the grand city of Canterlot. Celestia moved the sun past the horizon and Luna ascended the moon to show the beauty of their fair capitol as several buildings began to light up in a breathtaking display of glints and shines.

Various oohs and aahs came from the small group as they ran about the apartment examining and enjoying all the luxuries that Canterlot royalty had to offer. Twilight began to scrounge through the bookshelves while Pinkie scramble straight to the kitchen preparing a cake at the speed of light. Even the heroes appeared content of their temporary housing despite getting assaulted by guards earlier that same day.

"I take it that your lodging is satisfactory?" Luna pridefully waved around the building "Why don't you all get settled into your rooms now. Mares and fillies on the left and Colts and Stallions on the right" Luna pointed to the left which had a multitude of doors that were all lined with gold and encrusted with enough jewels to make Meepo pass out at the mere sight of it.

Luna then pointed to a singular door on the right side of the room. The door looked rather shabby and the knob appears to have been broken off either by force or one's sheer clumsiness. The only way that the door appeared to be held together was the sweeper pressed up against it. The faded sign on the door also drew some skeptitism from the stallions. Rhasta walked up to the old sign and attempted to make out the words that remained. As he read it, all it said was:

B R O - M C L O S - T

J A - I T O R' S Q U - R T - R S

"Home's home, It is satisfactory moon princess" Rhasta politely bowed and entered the bro-m clos-t post haste as he let out a loud yawn "Good night everyone, it has been a most tiring day" he placed the sweeper back and loud snoring could be heard from behind the door. Rubick could only facehoof himself at the shadow shaman's naivety.

"Hey, not all of us were born privileged you know?" Gondar just shrugged his shoulders and went into the bro-m clos-t as well "Wow, this place ain't half bad!" he exclaimed from behind the door "There's plenty of shelves in here to sleep on Rubick! Just mind the one with chemicals on it!" Rubick facehoofed himself again, thankfully his mask protect him from losing any brains cells doing so.

"I hope you don't mind but there is already somepony living there. He's out at the moment though but he's kind and very neighborly" Celestia quickly let out as she looked away, avoiding the glare that Rubick was giving her from behind his mask.

"I'll just explore this castle's gardens for the time being then. If anyone needs me I'll be outside!" he then turned and made his way towards the door. With a loud click and a light thud he was out of the room.

As everypony began to settle into their own rooms, Celestia and Luna approached Aiushtha.

"Now that everything is much calmer, perhaps we can have that discussion now?" Luna said. Aiushtha nodded in agreement with them and began to follow the two princesses where they can speak privately amongst each other.

As the three made there way out of the room, Twilight found this to be a good time to find Rubick and train with him some more. She excused herself from the room and began to search for Rubick in the gardens while Spike followed her as he rode on her back.

Together, they both searched for Rubick high and low around the large castle gardens until they found him idly sitting near a small pond, chewing on some of the walnuts that he still had and sharing them with some squirrels and chipmunk that grew fond of him. Rubick soon took noticed of the two and removed his mask showing a sincere smile. He could tell what Twilight was thinking.

"Now that is dedication! How about we start some magic practice now?"

Chapter 16 end

Author's Note

Lotsa dialogue here. Other than that nothing much to say. Working on the next one right as you read.

Chapter 17: Talk of Two Ponies

What does a Hero Truly Need?

By: Zelkova48

Chapter 17: Talk of Two Ponies

"So what do you think about the Princesses so far?" asked Twilight as she attempted to move some rocks without use of her horn, constantly trying and failing but always refusing to give up. Rubick, who along with Spike were sitting just beside her next to the gentle pond

"To be frank my dear, I'm still very indifferent towards them" Rubick replied "Don't take this the wrong way, Twilight. I'm grateful that they're going to release Sven and pardon our little mishap with the guards, I really am" he paused slightly to munch on some more of his roasted walnuts, sharing some with Spike every so often "They're alright but there's just something about them that irks me in some areas" Twilight stopped practicing her magic for a second and turned to Rubick.

"Just give it some time. I've mean you've only been here for about a day and a half anyway" Twilight said "I'm sure after a while you'll warm up to them. When you get to know them they're really nice!" she said, trying her hardest to cheer up her second mentor.

"I'm sure they are after they tried to muscle me into their army....." Rubick muttered beneath his mask "But the fact of the matter still stands, We will only work for a limited amount of time. Only until we can find a way to transport my friends and I back home to our own world" he sternly said.

"You know, I've been thinking about that and I...." Twilight rubbed the back of her head, trying her best to say whatever it was that she wanted to say less awkward "I, uh.... I think you and your friend should stay in Equestria" a nervous grin was plastered on her face when she finished. The garden was silent, only the sounds of chirping crickets could be heard in the calm midnight air. Rubick didn't say anything, he leaned his head side to side, back and forth thinking about her request.

"Well, think about it Rubick. All the times that you've been talking about your world, all I keep hearing is these vicious battles and constant struggles between both friend and foe" Twilight spoke with a voice that was filled with concern "Don't you ever grow tired of it? All that fighting, the pain and the suffering. Don't you ever wish that you could just get away from it all? Live free and far away from all the horrible conflict" as soft as her word were when she spoke they failed to penetrate Rubick's combat mask. He remained as impartial as his metal mask. Cold and unmoving.

"I know you were attacked by the guards but they were only doing their jobs to keep Equestria safe" Twilight continued, trying her best to convince Rubick to stay "If you choose to stay here you'll be able to live out the rest of the days in peace and harmony. Doesn't that sound better than fighting all your life?" she had thought that by then Rubick would've at least considered the options of staying in Equestria.

"While your offer is tempting, young Twilight. I'm afraid that I must respectfully decline" Rubick replied which caused Twilight to frown "I'm sorry dear but this world is not just ready for beings like us. Beings that are accustomed to strife so much and so that we often find ourselves joking about it on a daily basis" he did his best to sound considerate to his student "While I do enjoy mentoring you in ways of magic and Equestria as a whole, we can't risk further exposure of ourselves to your fair land"

"I understand your concern for me and the others, We cannot stay here for too long" Rubick explained as he started to make his staff glow bright with an ethereal green glow "We are far too destructive and dangerous to both the general populace and the fundamental principles of your world" he let out a weak fade bolt towards a nearby willow, but even at nonlethal levels of power Rubick still managed to snap the tree in two. Twilight could inwardly sense the weak, almost nonexistent energy of the spell but was still stunned by how powerful it was. Truly their levels of magical strength and control were worlds apart, literally.

"Who knows what could happen to this fragile world if our abilities are used in the wrong han- er... hooves" Rubick corrected himself as Twilight continued to examined the charred remnants of a the former willow.

"You shouldn't have to worry about any of that" Twilight reassured her mentor with a smile "With guidance from my brother as well as the princesses, you'll be more like guardians than destroyers" she walked on over to Rubick and place her hoof on his shoulder "Don't worry, we'll find you a way home. I promise. After all, we're friends and friends help each other out" Rubick smiled at his student from behind his mask, he could see and feel the sincerity from her face and her words. Her words of power.

"While I'm still a bit unsure about your brother and the princesses......" he paused slightly "All I have to say is thank you, young Twilight. Thank you" feeling heavy at his heart, Rubick took his mask off and placed it away beneath his cape "I think I've worn this long enough" he softly chuckled before turning back to Twilight "Twilight, can I ask you a very important question?" he asked. Now that his mask was off Twilight could finally see his soft expression, it was that of curiosity.

"Sure, Rubick. What is it that you want to ask?" said Twilight.

"What does a hero truly need?" Rubick asked which caused Twilight to freeze and blink "You heard me. What does a hero truly need?" he asked again which caused Twilight to grow incredibly nervous.

"U-uhh.... is that a rhetorical question?" she asked with a very nervous grin " *Gasp!* it's not some sort of philosophical test is it!" her mind shifted into overdrive. The gears in her head started to violently spin like it had been caught in a tornado, trying to comprehend a question with no answer.

"Oh no! Oh no! If I knew you were going to do this I should've studied for it! I should've stu....................." she could say no more as the words escaping her frantic mind to her mouth gathered no sound. No matter how hard she tried to shout or yell, no matter how strained her vocal chords were that she could easily feel, there was only silence from her. She turned her attention to Rubick who had a big grin on his face.

"Silencing spells" he said "good for keeping people quiet, great for preventing use of magic" he added as he walked closer to Twilight "Now I'm going to give you your voice back. When I do, promise me that you will calm down my student. I can assure you that this is not a test. Also some people around here are trying to sleep" he pointed to Spike who had dazed away to the realm of slumber, his young body not having nearly enough energy to stay up as others can "Alright, I'm going to let you speak now. 1, 2, 3...."

"....died" Twilight let out, relieved to hear the sound of her own voice. When she turned to face Rubick she was met with a very unamused magus "Heh heh, sorry about that" her face turned red like a tomato "Test and what not" Rubick just let out a loud sigh, his new student is turning out to be quite the handful. However, the time to have regrets ended yesterday.

"Just answer the question dear. It's no test. I'm simply interested in your opinion" Rubick requested. Twilight began to ponder about his question, after a few minutes of strenuous thinking she finally came across her own solution.

"Friendship" she replied with such a simple answer "No matter how dangerous the villain, no matter how perilous the journey, so long as you have friends by you side there is no obstacle that cannot be overcome by the magic of friendship" she proudly stated with her head high in the air. Rubick smiled at Twilight.

"Your wisdom far exceeds your age, young Twilight" Rubick praised his student with a respectful bow "In all my years of fighting for the ancients, never before have I ever received such an powerful answer for such a simple question" Twilight's face turned red again, this time out of modesty rather than embarrassment. She hadn't blushed like that ever since Spike practically told all of Ponyville of her magical prowess.

"Well I think that's long enough for a break" Rubick quickly said "It's time to get back to practice!" he softly exclaimed, doing his best trying to not wake Spike. Twilight beamed at the mention of practice and quickly went back to her post as she attempted to learn better control of her magic. Before she started to concentrate again her attention was turned to the charred tree that Rubick had blasted minutes earlier.

"Um, shouldn't we do something about this?" she asked. Rubick stared at the charred tree stump, although the more appropriate term would be charcoal as of now. Rubick lifted up his staff and pointed it at the stump.

"Not to worry, I got a spell just for this" Rubick aimed his staff at the tree stump, but before he could cast whatever spell it was that he was going to do he was interrupted by the sounds of metal horsehoes clip clopping on solid marble tiles. Rubick lowered his staff and turned to the open hall that was nearby the garden. From the shadows was a familiar pink alicorn, one that he had a brief run in with earlier that same day.

"Oh my! I didn't know there was somepony out here in the gardens" a light upbeat voice spoke, Twilight and Rubick could immediately recognize who it was. With a few more steps Princess Cadence walked into the garden, basking in the glory of the serene garden underneath the star lit midnight sky. Then, almost automatically Twilight rushed up to her favorite foalsitter and gave her a warm hug. Cadence was caught off guard by the sudden assault of affection, but once she realized who it was she returned the hug with love

" *Gasp!* Twilight! Is that really you? It's been so long, how are you?" Cadence nuzzled Twilight as they pulled away from their hug.

"I've been great! I wish I could say the same for Shining Armor though..." said Twilight as she rubbed her neck nervously. Cadence mouthed a quiet oh as she understood what she meant "Congratulations on the engagement though! Heh heh... heh..." Twilight quickly added with a weak grin, trying her best to make it sound less awkward then it already is with the mentioning of Shining's failed mission and his recently acquired broken nose.

"Thank you, Twilight. It means the world coming from you" Cadence replied "I'm glad you hear from Shining that the criminals weren't really dangerous and that it was all a misunderstanding. Although I don't quite understand why he felt so bummed about it though" Cadence tried thinking about it but quickly brushed it off "Say, know what we haven't done in a while?" she asked which gave Twilight a smile wider than a mile.

Then almost instinctively, both Twilight and Cadence do a neat little dance together in perfect harmony.

"Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake. Clap your hooves and do a little shake!" they both exclaimed together. When they finished they shared another quick hug before bursting into a fit of laughter, one that nearly woke up Spike.

"I take it that the reunion went well?" Rubick approached the two laughing ponies with a sincere expression "I'll take the jovial laughter as a yes" he softly chuckled to himself, by then the two were back up and facing Rubick "It's good to see you again Princess Cadence" he extended a hoof out in friendship which Cadence awkwardly shook "Twilight has told me so much about you. It's a shame we didn't get a proper greeting back at the castle door"

"I'm sorry for sounding rude but, do I know you? I don't believe that we've ever met before" Cadence said which gave Twilight and Rubick perplexed looks.

"Um, are you sure you don't remember me?" Rubick said "We met earlier today with my friends, you looked a bit jumpy when you first met us" Cadence shook her head. Rubick then went and quickly put his mask back on, hoping to elicit some sort of reaction "Does this ring any bells?" he asked. Cadence focused for a bit, she squinted at is masked face until a look of realization popped up on her face. Rubick and Twilight smiled when they thought she knew the answer.

"Are you the jester that auntie Luna hired for the wedding?" Cadence obliviously said which erased the smiles off of both Twilight's and Rubick's face "Even though it's great to see her return from her exile, you have to admit that her taste in entertainment are very..... classic" she used a better word than old fashion.

"Uh... Cadence, he's not a jester, even if he does kind of look like one" Twilight said as she stifled a little giggle which warranted a glare from Rubick "He's a magus. His name's Rubick, he was one of the so called criminals that was wrongly assaulted by Shining Armor" just when she mentioned the assault Cadence gasped when she locked her eyes upon Rubick.

"Oh my goodness! I am terribly sorry for you wrongful persecution" Cadence apologized profusely "On behalf of Equestria, I swear that we will make reparations for everything that has happened to you thus far!" the usual upbeat spirit of Cadence was gone, now she was tense and nervous beyond belief. Before she went on about what she could do to pay back Rubick he held up a hoof to calm the frantic princess.

"Easy there Cadence. Everything is absolutely fine, there isn't any need for reparations" Rubick said but his words did little to quell the princess's anxiety.

"Are you absolutely sure? There must be something that I can do" Cadence asked but Rubick waved off the offer.

"I think reparations have already been made.... me and my friends are the newest members of the elite royal guards..." he muttered, disappointed by the choices he was given. Cadence on the other hoof was positively beaming.

"Wha? Why that's wonderful! Being a member of the elite guards is the highest honors that my aunts can bestow upon you!" said Cadence, but Rubick did not feel any better. Almost being forced into this situation was a mess all it's own, the fact the the princesses used their friend's incarceration to persuade them was a dirty underhanded move that only a monarch would use.

"It's not wonderful to me. I never asked to be in these guards. We're only going to help them until you and your fiance are wedded" Rubick softly muttered "We just want to see our friend and return back home" he stated, almost spitefully in front of Cadence but he held his tongue. He wasn't the kind of person who would do something like that outright.

"I see" Cadence replied much to Rubick's surprise "I'm sorry that my own celebration is the cause for your misfortune" she apologize once more, this time with confidence rather than anxiety "I will do what I can to try and make your stay much more comfortable. I'll even put in a good word for you so that Shiny can be a lot more lenient on you" she said which raised both Rubick's and Twilight's morale.

"Maybe you'll finally be able to walk around without getting funny looks from the other ponies" Twilight joked as both Cadence and her giggled. Rubick just rolled his eyes.

"My clownish attire aside...." He softly grumbled "I thank you Cadence for helping out a pony that you've only met just now" Rubick said as Cadence respectfully nodded.

"And thank you for calling me by my name" She replied "The whole Princess Cadence thing grinds on your nerves after a while, formalities and whatnot" she groaned, remembering how aggravating it can be being called princess almost every single time whenever she met someone.

"Think nothing of it dear, although speaking to you only begs the question; are you sure that you don't remember me?" Rubick asked once more which only drew another perplexed look from her "I could've sworn that I met someone that is your dead ringer" he asked but Cadence shook her head once more "Think, we met earlier today by the great doors of this castle"

"I'm sure you just could've mistaken any other pink unicorn or pegasus with me" Cadence said "For you see, I haven't left the castle all day. Too busy with preparations and everything for the wedding, this is actually the first time I've been outside since yesterday. I needed to get out of the castle, it's far to stuffy in there sometimes" her reply made Rubick blink, something wasn't adding up.

"Oh dear! Is the moon that high already!" exclaimed Cadence when she realized how late it was "I'm sorry mister Rubick but I have to get back before the castle staff starts to get frazzled about my sudden disappearance. Good bye!" she turned around and gave Twilight another hug before she trotted off back to the castle "I'll see you tomorrow Twilight! It's good to see you again, we should catch up some more later!"

And then, Cadence was back in the castle and nopony was none the wiser. Save for Rubick and Twilight of course but they were more confused than relieved to have met Cadence. How was it that Rubick met Cadence earlier that day only for her to deny any chances of actually meeting him. Maybe it was just some misunderstanding? Maybe not.....

"Well that was weird" Twilight said "Do you think it was possible you met somepony else?" she asked. Rubick just shook his head.

"No, it's not possible for there to be someone that is absolutely like her in every aspect of appearance" Rubick said, clearly still bothered about his earlier meeting with Cadence "Unless... is there by any chance that she has some sort of evil twin?" he asked, almost regretful about asking such a ridiculous question. Twilight just giggled back at Rubick, this night was getting better and better.

"Not that I know of" She replied with a smirk "Lets just ignore it, it's clearly got you addled" Twilight asked "Also, we still have this tree to fix. Remember?" Rubick just sighed and smiled again. She was right, this was far to taxing on both their brains.

"Alright then, stand back" Rubick stood in front of Twilight and pointed his staff at the tree stump "Sprout!" and with a bright flash of verdant light, the willow was back again in all of it's former woody glory, and then some "There we are, nothing to worry about. Now let's get back practice" both Rubick and Twilight walked back into the center gardens where Twilight assumed her focused stance "Now remember dear. Tap into that innate power of yours and and harmonize with it....." As Rubick began to mentor Twilight to further her control upon magic, Spike began to stir but just very slightly.

" *Yawn* " the sleepy little dragon let out, his eyes half lidded and still very sleepy, he began to mumble in his sleep "Guah, get away from her you bloodthirsty bounty hunter....." he muttered beneath his breath "Don't worry Rarity. For it is I; Sir Spike, The Dragon Knight........" he snored some more but he caught something in the corners of his eyes.

His blurred vision caught two images of both sides of his draconic eyes. He could see a blob of pink and purple mixed together. He quietly yawned again, rubbing his eyes as he regained slight clarity of his impaired vision. When he could finally make out the muddled shape he could tell that it was Twilight's old foalsitter, Cadence. She was carefully hidden behind one side of a marble column, it looked like she was eaves dropping on Twilight and Rubick.

"Maybe she's got the wrong idea....." he mumbled in his half sleep "Heh heh, Twilight actually understanding the concept of love without help from books.... that's rich" As funny as that was he inwardly struck himself for mocking Twilight like that, she was basically like an older sister to him. In fact, she was. As he tried to settle back into his sleep he almost believed that he was looking at a mirror, cause of in the opposite direction of his gaze was also Cadence.

She was cleverly hidden in a series of bushes nearby the bush maze. She too was also spying on Twilight and Rubick as they were practicing. He swung his head back and forth, left to right seeing both Cadences at the same time. Initially he would question such an outlandish thought as having two Cadences in the same place, but he brushed it off as nothing more than a dream when slumber took over once more. Shining Armor would either love or hate the thought of having two Cadences instead of one.

" *Yawn* That's crazy. Two Cadences......"

Chapter 17 end

Author's Note

Finally, that took forevah. Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter after such a long wait.

Also, Legion Commander is a chick now. Who knew?

Chapter 18: Discussions in the Dark

What does a Hero Truly Need?

By: Zelkova48

Chapter 18: Discussions in the Dark

Canterlot castle, dining hall

Celestia, Luna, and Aiushtha were all comfortably seated around a massive wooden table that stretched all across the great dining hall of castle Canterlot. It wasn't particularly that late at night so they were all enjoying a light little snack before they go enjoy a well deserved night of restful sleep. Both the princesses and the doe were catered by a group of eager chefs who were all too prepared to serve them decadent and delightful meals at a moments notice. At the mere clap of a hoof, the table before them was covered with all manners of food and desserts.

While the princesses were having idle chit chat amongst themselves, Aiushtha humbly sat aside in her own chair. She kept herself occupied with her thoughts, reflecting on the world that she and her friends were now in as well as how they might return to their own world. Equestria was for the most part was some kind of utopia. It was so calm and peaceful, untouched by the ravages of conflict and struggle, on the outside that is. For all she knew right now a utopia simply can't exist, no matter where they were.

All she had on her mind was the history of this world, the princesses seemed very interested in her for whatever reason. And that strange unicorn that she met earlier today also acted strange around her, albeit with hostility rather than the princesses hospitality. From all she could tell so far, it had something to do with the way she looked or rather her species. There was something about the deer that has had everyone spooked. What is it about what she was that is so important?

Aiushtha peeked around the corners of her eyes. She could see some of the chefs and staff members whispering to each other, they looked a tad uneasy whenever they came around her. Aiushtha grew curious, she slowly nestled her chair a bit closer to the ponies. She could easily hear what the ponies were talking about. They were talking about her.

"Who is she? What is she?" one of the maid said, her voice low to avoid Aiushtha hearing her. Sadly she could hear everything that the mare said.

"I think she's a deer, a doe to be precise" an older looking stallion said "I've been around a while. I heard that there used to be a whole lot of them running around Equestria just like us" he stated. Aiushtha's interest was piqued, there really was something about the deer that has significance in Equestria. At one point in time at least.

"Is she royalty or something?" another maid said "She looks like it"

"Maybe she's some kind of diplomat" a butler said "But I've never seen anyone like her before" Aiushtha was now certain that there is something special about what she was. Her train of thought was interrupted when she heard the princesses call out her name.

"Ahem, Aiushtha. Now that we're here, how about you tell us a little about yourself" Celestia asked "Like how you survived the calamity" Aiushtha froze up at the word Celestia used. There was a calamity?

"I... I'm not sure. It's been so long, I don't know if I even remember such a thing happening..." she lied, trying her best to remain inconspicuous yet at the same time doing her best to attain information about the race that once was.

"It's quite alright Aiushtha. You don't have to tell us if you don't know" said Luna "It's just that you are the sole surviving member of your race. Nopony has ever seen something like you for a millenia" she stated "How you managed to survive such horrible devastation has left us in want of an answer ever since we met you"

"W-what did happen? Who was I suppose to be? Why am I the only one left?" Aiushtha asked, hoping that she would receive some answers in return. The princesses exchanged worried looks before turning back to face Aiushtha.

"I suppose you deserve to the know the truth" said Celestia "The records of your people have long since been lost to the ages but I can tell you what I know" she paused slightly to take a drink of water. This was going to be quite the talk.

"A long time ago your kind, The deer folk once roamed Equestria just as we ponies have. You race was old, older than the alicorns, older than Equestria itself. The deer folk had a special connection to nature, everything just seemed to bloom naturally around them. The grass would grow, the birds would fly and the clouds would move all on their own. Even the sun and the moon conformed to the will of the deer folk before my sister and I helped ease them of their burden" Celestia stopped to let her sister finish.

"Then one day, around a thousand years ago. You know now that I think about it why is it always a thousand years ago?" Luna went off on a tangent, curious as to why everything bad seemed to happened one thousand years ago "I mean think about it, Discord was imprisoned, the Crystal Empire disappeared, I became Nightmare moon. That must've been a very bad year for us" Celestia just rolled her eyes.

"Sister, the fate of the deer folks. Remember?" Celestia deadpanned. Luna grinned sheepishly before she cleared her throat to continue.

"Ahem, right. Fate of the deer folk" Luna said as she collected herself "Well one thousand years ago, your race somehow disappeared under mysterious circumstances..." Aiushtha raised an eyebrow, that was a very vague answer.

"They were... gone? Just like that?" said Aiushtha "That doesn't really explain much. You said they disappeared in some sort of calamity" Celestia and Luna sighed, they too didn't like their own answer.

"Well yes and no" Said Celestia "It's kind of hard to explain what happen when we really don't know ourselves. One day they're roaming freely around Equestria, then they disappear the next" Celestia sighed "We call it a calamity because something horrible must have happened to them if they all disappeared like that. It just doesn't make any sense, we tried time and time again to solve the mystery of their disappearance but we keep coming up short every time"

"It doesn't exactly help that they left no record of their existence behind either" Luna said "They were more of the oratory types. But now that they're gone we have nothing to show for them other than knowledge about their existence in the past. Sadly foals these days keep skipping that specific chapter in their textbooks, or so I'm told"

"Well it's good to know that we're at least remembered... kind of" Aiushtha said, somewhat pleased with this recent revelation of a kind that once was.

"But enough about that, what did you do when you realized everyone was gone?" Luna asked "It must've been lonely to wander about as the last of your kind"

"Actually, I wasn't all that lonely" Aiushtha replied "I've met some great people in my life. I wouldn't be where I am now without help from my friends"

"You mean that rag tag group of strange ponies?" Luna asked "However in the great wide world of Equestria did you meet up them?" Aiushtha simply chuckled at the moon princess.

"It's a funny story actually, we all met each other when we were all endlessly wandering around the great world" said Aiushtha "We became fast friends and we've stuck together ever since" she then reminisce about all the good and bad times she'd had along with her friends. All the victories, the losses and the narrow scrapes they'd escape by the skin of their teeth. Quite the life for someone who was supposedly the last of her kind, kind of like Yurnero, The Juggernaut.

"Do you think you can tell us more about them?" Celestia asked "They didn't tell us much back and we would like to run a background check on them" Celestia needed some more information on the other four heroes "We need to know certain things before they get inducted into the guards. Protocols, you must understand" Aiushtha simply shook her head.

"I'm sorry, I am honor bounded and sworn to secrecy" Aiushtha said "I cannot tell you anything about my friends unless you speak to them directly"

The princesses ears drooped back a bit, they were going to have to go the direct approach when addressing the other heroes. Hopefully they'll be much more cooperative next time around. They weren't too receptive about being drafted into the guards without their consent. It's still so strange, how could they not want to be an elite guards? With their skills they could possibly be the greatest group of guards of all time. It's not often you see somepony like them pass up such a rare and prestigious opportunity.

"Actually if you don't mind, I would like to turn in now. Good night" Aiushtha then stood up and respectfully bowed before she walked back to her room.

"Very well then, we wish you a good night Aiushtha" The princesses and the rest of the staff just watched as the doe went back to her own suite. The princesses just decided to stay a while longer and enjoy the last pieces of cake that remained on the table.

After a few more minutes of snacking, they too decided that it was time to turn in as well. After all, tomorrow they had to go and pardon their falsely accused assassin from being stuck in Gladius prison. As the two princesses excused themselves from the table they began their own descent back to their respective chambers, they begin to wonder how they might greet the rogue knight. If they were to try and convince to help their cause with the guards, then they would have to make a nice fir...second impressions.

"You don't think he's going to be mad at us, do you?" Luna asked "This, Sven character I mean"

"If he remembers hitting you in the nose then we should be fine sister" Celestia replied before chuckling.

Canterlot castle, apartment complex, mare's quarters

In the apartment complex of castle Canterlot, the mares that remained there were getting used to their lush and luxurious new rooms. Courtesy of the princesses hospitality. It wasn't that hard to get used to the luxuries of the apartments, pillows that contains the softest goose downs and blankets woven from the best silk of Saddle Arabia would make anypony melt with relaxation and comfort. Yet even with all of the comforts of the apartment, one of the ponies just couldn't ease up and relax. And that pony just happens to be Rainbow Dash.

It has only been about two days for her, two days of perhaps the weirdest things to ever happen to her and her friends other than the occasional megalomaniac of a bad guy trying to take over Equestria. No, this was something different. The only thing on her mind right now was the heroes that she had recently gotten acquainted with yesterday. If wasn't that she didn't trust them, no, that had already been decided. What bothered her was how different they were from the citizens of her home.

They were weird, granted they weren't weird like the first time they met Zecora. They were weird because of the fact they were from another world. Their ideology, their personalities, the way they acted before the princesses was almost otherworldly. In fact it was. She was just far too stubborn to accept the fact that they just don't believe in what she does. Because of this she was starting to get second thoughts about trusting their newfound friends, and she uses the term friend loosely.

She would appreciate it if they at least show some form of respect before their rulers. She was especially appalled by how that Gondar guy acted before them. He's rude, disrespectful and was an overall bloodthirsty individual that practically enjoyed capturing and even killing criminals. The criminal catching aspect about him was the only thing that granted him little respect from Rainbow Dash. He was certainly no Daring Do, not by a long shot.

But the biggest surprise was how Rarity acted around him. She seemed to be acting a little too friendly around him, not that it was bad thing trying to help someone out like that. Rainbow Dash just didn't understand why she was into the guy. She'd vouched for his innocence and even changed his opinion on the princesses. And that was when he revealed himself to be a bounty hunter. While she along with everypony else were very shaken by this revelation, Rarity didn't seem to mind one bit. That only begs the question...

"Hey Rarity, what's it with you and that Gondar guy?" Rainbow bluntly asked from across the room which caught Rarity completely off guard.

"W-what!? W-whatever do you mean Rainbow Dash?" Rarity replied as she felt her cheeks burn up.

"I mean how come you act so... natural around him, like there isn't anything wrong" said Rainbow.

"That's because there is nothing wrong Rainbow Dash" Rarity quickly retorted, trying to divert the question away from her "I'm just acting like any proper lady should. Kind and courteous" her response only drew some funny looks from all her other friends that were nearby.

"You know, now that Ah think about it, aren't you at least afraid of him?" asked Applejack as she joined in on the conversation "He did just tell all of us that he's a bounty hunter. He catches and sometimes even kills criminals for a living. Ain't ya at least a little scared?" Rarity simply shook her head.

"No, I'm not afraid" Rarity replied "I know he's from another world and the way he just acts... It's so different, and I like it" a small smile formed on her lips

"I can actually look past his killer's instinct and see him as something entirely different. The way he acted when he first met me yesterday was almost like something out of a fairytale..." her mind slowly drifted away from reality "That gentlecolt's behavior of his, that athletic strength of his, the way he speaks..." she dreamily sighed as she remembered how he defeated all the guards.

The way he moved, the way he fought to incapacitated them. Brutal it may have been, but to her it was like watching a ballet of skill and grace combined with raw animal like tenacity. She was so entranced by it, she didn't know why. What she did know was that he was ten times the stallion those guards will ever be. Her mind continued to drift off into space before she finally snapped back to reality when she received a wake up call from Rainbow Dash in the form of an annoying poke to her sides.

"Hello? Equestria to Rarity, are you there?" said Rainbow Dash as she waved her hoof in front of Rarity's face. Rarity quickly shook herself out of her revelry with a light blush before turning back to confused friends.

"Uh... I'm fine, just spacing out that's all" Rarity cracked a nervous grin. Applejack and the others just raised an eyebrow.

"Rare's, are you feeling alright? You're acting kinda strange right now" Applejack said but Rarity just waved it off.

"That is the second time somepony has asked me that. First Twilight then you?" Rarity reacted defensively "I will tell you the same thing that I told Twilight, I am fine. There's nothing wrong with me, got it" she then gave her friends a cold glare that showed she wasn't messing around. They all took the hint and back away from the subject, both metaphorically and physically. But before that, Rainbow had one last thing to say, something that she needed to get out of her head.

"Hey Rarity, do you... like that guy?" Rainbow Dash, once again bluntly stated. Rarity simply blushed profusely again.

"If you're implying anything lewd Rainbow Dash then you would be sorely mistaken" She angrily huffed "It's purely a professional thing. But then again, you wouldn't know anything about being professional now would you?" Rarity's face shifted from extreme embarrassment to that of a smug smile as she slid into her own bed with a loud uncouth yawn. Everyone else eventually followed suit and went to bed as well, Applejack and Fluttershy were quick to doze off, but Rainbow Dash was boiling mad.

Rainbow Dash fumed at the insult but set it aside. It was getting far too late and being angry was only going to tire her out. She conceded with her friend, choosing to instead rest so that she may find a way to get back at her tomorrow. She quickly flew over to her own bed and tucked herself in as well, with a great big yawn that sounded more atrocious than the Rarity let out she slowly drifted away to away to the land of sleep. She need to be well rested after all.

Because tomorrow was going to be filled with all kind of surprises.

Chapter 18 end

Author's Note

Well, this would mark as the end of the second day for our heroes and favorite fillies. The third day will start next chapter. Hope you enjoyed the chapter y'all.

Also, Bristleback appears to be the newest hero available on the test server. Go on and check him out if you can

Chapter 19: The Dragon and the Knight

What Does a Hero Truly Need?

By: Zelkova48

Chapter 19: The Dragon and the Knight

The view of the colosseum was just upon the horizon, the sun was slowly rising above it as Celestia willed it to move as both she and her sister were trotting towards Gladius prison. It was still very early in the morning, around dawn so the two sister's decided that it would best to go and retrieve Sven from the prison before everypony else get's up to prepare from the wedding. While Luna was much more brighter in mood during the walk, Celestia could feel her stomach being tied up in a knot the closer she got to the wretched prison. She had her reasons though.

Gladius prison or formerly known as Gladius colosseum used to be a place where the finest athletes in all of Equestria would come to compete and test their mettle among with others who will willing to do so with good sportsmanship. Built onto the other side of the mountain where Canterlot resided it was suppose to last for years to come. However, over time the ponies lost interest in the colosseum and craved for something more... entertaining. For close to a century the colosseum was abandoned to be nothing more than a relic of time before some nobles came up with the idea to transform the massive structure into a prison.

It sounded like a good idea at first, locking up some of Equestria's most deadliest criminals and enemies all in one place was one way to ensure the safety of everypony in Equestria. Then about a few centuries back one of the the wardens came up with the horrific idea for inmates punishment. Being a maximum security prison for highly dangerous criminals burned a lot of money from the nation's treasury, so to help cut cost, downsized inmate numbers and ensure proper justice the warden ordered some manticores to be caught and become executioners for the place.

It was a vile idea. Celestia did not like it one bit, even if it was suppose to a permanent solution keep her subjects safe it conflicted with her morals. Over time her suggestions to ban the death penalty fell on stone ears when public execution became a popular attraction for the rich and privileged to enjoy. If she were to try and overturn the death penalty now she would run the risk of losing the trust of her subjects, for the nobles would retaliate all too quickly at the lost of their favorite source of entertainment and attempt to besmirch the princesses good name by dragging it through the mud and branding her as a controlling tyrant.

It was wrong and unfair, she knew it but she couldn't do anything about it without losing the will of the people. Any attempts to get rid of the death penalty whether it be through underhanded tactics, formal petitions, or even protests by the public would get shot down immediately by the nobility. What's worse is that the nobles might even be able to turn public opinion against itself, then it would never end.

So Celestia did the only thing she could, she erased the colosseum from public knowledge. Only the prison is known, not the colosseum. Ponies knew about the prisoners housed there, they just didn't know about them being fed to some hungry manticores. It was better that way or at least that's what she kept telling herself each and every time she visited the blasted place. She just wanted to go in and get Sven and walk out. It should be simple considering that there shouldn't any scheduled executions this month, so she can at least walk in without holding her breath all the time.

As Luna and Celestia entered the prison they were given the usual bow and proper greeting from all the prison guards as well as some glares from some inmates. As the two ventured onward to find Sven, Luna senses caught something off about the prison.

"Um... sister? Do you smell something burning? And, is that cheering I hear?" Luna asked as Celestia went wide eyed and into a full gallop. One of her worst fears had been realized. They brought back the beast, but for what purpose? She cared not for the reason now as she dashed her way towards the colosseum. Her sister didn't know what was wrong but she followed her sister as well at full speed. When they finally reached the arena they were greeted with a jaw dropping sight.

Sven and a diamond dog were standing victorious over the corpse of their executioner in a ring of fire...

One hour earlier, Sven and Jackal's cell

Sven woke up feeling refreshed after a night of poker and some much needed sleep. He looked around his cell and could spot George still sleeping on his comfy pillow on the other edge of the cell. On the top bunk Sven could hear Jackal's light snoring before grunting and falling off the side of the bunk. With a loud thump! Jackal was on the ground. He was rubbing his head and muttering something inappropriate underneath his breath before he went to greet Sven.

"Morning, Sven" Jackal greeted "Today's the day, are you ready?" Sven just nodded accordingly before stepping out of his bed and putting his helmet and armor pieces back on. The two shared a small conversation before they were interrupted by a prison guard spitting at them. Jackal and Sven turned to the guard and scowled at him. The guard just smiled and laughed at the two before spitting at them again, this time the spit got Jackal on the cheek "Grrrrl... what the hell do you want?" he continued to snarl menacingly at the guard.

"Heh, just here to tell you that it's time" He laughed again, as he began to unlock the cell "I hear the boss has something special planned for you two today" the guard then approached the two before strapping a set of heavy chains to both of them "I hope you two enjoyed your stay at wonderful Gladius prison. Heh heh, cause today you two are getting evicted"

Sven quickly took his sword and shouldered it upon himself before the two were forcibly set off to their arranged retribution by a group of armed guards. Sven remained silent while Jackal snarled and barked all the way to the stage, eventually he conceded and calmed down when he could heard the sound of a cheering crowd as they past through a large metal gate. When they entered wherever it was that the guards had sent them to they were immediately blinded by the sunlight that they rarely see in their own cells.

The glare of the bright sun combined with roar of the crowds left the two prisoners too shocked to move until they finally regained their senses. When the two opened their eyes they could see that they were both in a large colosseum.

It was huge, massive structure that appeared to house a towns worth of ponies. From above the walls of the arena where Jackal and Sven were thrusted into, they could easily see the crowd before them. They were all ponies for as far as the eye could see, all dressed up in fancy clothing, drinking some wine and huffing on a couple of fancy cigars here and there. It didn't take a rocket scientist to put two and two together to realize that they were born of privileged lives, they were all haute nobility.

In almost an instant the cheering that they have been hearing quickly mutated into jeers and boos for the two prisoners. Sven paid no mind to the crowd but Jackal immediately went and obtained a battered buckler and a broken sword from the floor of the arena, from the remains of an unlucky inmate. Jackal turned to Sven, his eyes locked with a stern look.

"I'd get that sword of your's ready Sven" said Jackal "The fire has been lit, it's time to fan the flames" Sven wordlessly acknowledged his friend and brandished his sword at whatever was coming their way. Though the two were overwhelmed by the jeers of the crowd, the loud roar of something monstrous could be heard bellowing on the opposite side of the arena behind a large metal gate. Something big was behind there, and it was all too happy to have new play things.

Far above the arena, past the crowd and all the cheering was a large and prestigious box. It was the VIP booth and it had been completely rented out to a specific group of ponies that wanted to see Sven die in a very horrible manner along with his mutt of a cellmate.

The room was small yet it was large enough to house a group of ponies if they had intended to host a party there. Although today was different, it was something special. In place of the usual furnishing was a large crescent shaped table, one that appeared to be designed for the lounging and perhaps the arguing of multiple ponies. In the back of the room was a large shield with an elegant coat of arms.

The design of the coat was a large golden ring with three points like an equally divided circle. Each one of the points had a design on each of them. The top point had the image of a unicorn's horn, the point on the left had an image of an earth pony's hoof, and lastly the point on the right had the image of a pegasus's wing. Underneath the image was quote that was written in gold. The quote was:

"For the health and prosperity of ponies everywhere"

"May our kind live forever"

"We are The Descendants"

Without a warning the large double doors to the VIP booth wildly swung open to reveal the recipients of the room. Walking together into the room while wearing some of the finest suits from the tailors of Canterlot were two very unpleasant unicorns. Prince Blue Blood and his equally pompous friend, High Horse. Together they trotted to their respective seats of the table and simply melted at the comfort of the seat.

"Ahh, I simply love Gladius Colosseum! Nothing like a little display of justice to help one's quest for a better world for our kind" gushed Blueblood "It was my ancestor who created this magnificent marvel of a place, you know?" he gloated as he poured himself a glass of wine from the stocked bar of the room. High Horse just rolled his eyes as he too poured himself a glass of wine as well.

"Yes, yes. You told me that about already, about sixty time in the last hour that we were here" High horse took a sip from his glass as he lounged backwards into the chair. He took a quick look around the room before raising an eyebrow "Where are the others? They were suppose to be here a while ago"

"I'm always here High Horse, you should know that" a loud and broad voice bellowed from behind the two aristocrats. From out of the shadows a large, hulking stallion stepped out in a full set of royal guard armor. He had a white coat like almost every other guard but what separated him from the rest was the nasty scar that he had on his left cheek. Other than that his cutie mark was an image of a ball and chain, it represented that he was the warden of Gladius prison.

"So nice of you to finally join us Chain Warden. What took you so long?" High Horse said. Chain just bellowed a laugh before taking his seat next to the other two.

"I had some issues trying to get that monster to cooperate with us. Once I mentioned that he'll finally get a chance to be back in the arena he was all too ready to help us" said Chain "It'll be quite the sight when I see that traitor torn to shreds for his crimes against Equestria" he muttered something beneath his breath "Assaulting the princesses like that, how despicable..."

"You know that wannabe assassin isn't as gross or as revolting like those disgusting bugs around Canterlot! Isn't that right dear brother?" a disembodied female voice spoke from out of the black.

"Yes, I agree dear sister. It's a good thing they won't be around for the wedding" a disembodied male voice spoke out "In fact, there won't be any left at all!" then the two voice laughed together in sync, their loud cackles filling up the room to the point of annoyance for everypony else.

"Come on out you wonderbolts. Just sit down and enjoy the show" Blueblood said. With lightning quick speed, two pegasi flew into the room leaving behind a red and silver blur in their wake. They both sat down in their respective seats with smug grin on both of their face "Speeding Bullet, Quicksilver, how nice of you to join us. What took you two so long?"

"Pfft, we had to make sure that the princesses got the letter. Once the wedding day comes those nasty bugs will be wiped off the face of Equestria for good" said Quicksilver, the gray pegasus mare with the silver braided mane and a cutie mark that was the image of the flowing wind.

"It took us months to try flush those things out of the badlands, now all it will take is one little letter and the fury of our princesses to eradicate them once and for all" Said Speeding Bullet, the red pegasus stallion with a brown mullet of a mane and a cutie mark of a multiple musket balls flying at high speeds.

"Yes, yes. It'll only be a matter of time" High Horse interrupted "Then the dogs, the griffons and every other threat to our fair land. Only a matter of time" High Horse muttered as he gulped down his drink. Just as he was about to finish the last drop his glass was immediately taken away from him. In it's place it was replaced with a jar full of dirt. High Horse's eyes went wide as the dirt was spilled all over his fancy suit and well groomed coat "Blech! Whose idea of a joke is this?"

"You know if you paid more attention you could tell that it was me who switched your glass" said an earth pony mare with a worn stetson, a green coat, a black mane and a cutie mark of a pocket watch who was sitting right next to High Horse "What's the matter there, High Horse? You're far too slow for me" the mare said with as she rested her cheek upon her hoof.

"Fast Hoof, of course it would be you" High Horse said as he used his magic to clean himself up.

"Who else would it be? Spitfire?" Fast Hoof laughed as tugged on her hat "Other than that, I'm here aren't I? You would be glad to know that the device and the alicorn amulet has been seized into our custody. The boys back at the lab are hard at work trying to uh... reverse engineer those things, or at least I think I said that right. By the way, why do we even need this freaky amulet anyway? We already have that device, what's the use for more firepower?"

"Just a little insurance, that's all. We don't want anypony else interfering with our plans..." said High Horse as he looked down at his dirty suit "Was the dirt really necessary?"

"Hey, somepony's gotta keep that stuck up attitude of yours in check" Fast Hoof chuckled. Everyone else just rolled their eyes and turned their attention to the oncoming battle. Fast Hoof scanned the arena and spot the princesses would be assassin. She could only make a scowl upon her face the moment she saw him "So is that traitor gonna get what's coming to him?"

"Oh he will, by the end of this fight these two cretins will be nothing more than a red stain on ground" Chain said as he kicked himself back and awaited for the show to start.

"Everypony just quiet down, the show's about to start" said Blue Blood as he got himself another glass of wine.

Sven and Jackal held onto their blades as tightly as possible, they patiently awaited for their enemies to come but it never arrived. They waited for a good ten minutes before the crowd went silent. All was quiet until the silence was broken by the sound of feedback coming out of some unicorn announcer's microphone. After a quick correction the announcer who was in the ring with Sven and Jackal approached them. With a tuxedo and a million dollar smile, the announcer addressed the two prisoners

"Everypony! I would like to introduce you all to the stars of today's performance! You all know them as the miscreants and thugs who attacked Princess Celestia! Please give a round of applause to Sven, the Rouge Knight and Jackal the diamond dog!" instead of receiving an applause they were only met with boos and jeers "So, do you two know why you're both here?" the announcer asked, his face plastered with an award winning smile.

"To die for our sins?" Sven replied, feeling mildly annoyed by the announcers grin and the fact that he pronounced his title wrong.

"To be food for the manticores?" Jackal replied who was also annoyed by the announcers smile.

"Oh no, where did you two get a wild idea like that?" the announcer taunted "No, you two are here to entertain us. To be the heroes in this play that we have set up just for you" the announcer then turned to the crowd "Isn't that right everypony! We all want to watch a show, don't we?" the moment he finished asking the crowd roared furiously with fire and passion. The announcer waved back at the crowd before facing the two again "Well, you heard them. Don't disappoint us brave heroes"

Right afterwards everything was blanketed by darkness as the exposed colosseum was covered with some sort of tarp, dimming everything to where it was hard to see anything that wasn't next to you. And then a spotlight shot up from out of nowhere and led itself to some strange tower in the edge of the monster's cage. The light made it's way up to the tower to reveal a unicorn mare dressed in a stereotypical princesses outfit. The princess brushed her mane a few times before finally speaking towards the audience.

"Oh how terrible it is to be trapped in this tower" the mare spoke, trying her best to sound all demure and innocent "I wish my knight in shining armor would come and whisk me away from the evil beast that has held me captive" a second spotlight appeared and it found its way to the cage that was right next to the tower. It began to open slowly. The chains of the gate rattled with a metallic clinking sound while the floor of the arena shook with a small tremor.

About halfway open a small glow could be seen deep within the cage with a thick black smog escaping it's confines. Little by little loud thud could be heard colliding with the ground that only got louder and louder until the view of their executioner edged their way into everyone's view.

First, the claws came out from the shadows. Then a pair of glowing red eyes revealed themselves to everyone. Finally, with a great roar the beast quickly slithered it's way into the colosseum. It rose above the tower and the crowds before bathing the sky with a glorious torrent of fire. Jackal dropped both of his weapons and became frozen in fear as he realized just what he and Sven were going up against.

It was a full grown dragon that had been chosen to be there executioner.

The massive dragon towered over Sven and Jackal like bear preying on a mouse. It was covered with green iron like scales and had razor sharp claws that could shred a pony it bits. As the dragon surveyed his surroundings he stretched a bit after being cooped up in his cage for so long. He flexed his gigantic wings which covered everything in an unnatural shade, then he looked down at his opposition. His draconic eyes narrowed upon glancing a diamond dog and a peculiar looking stallion.

"Who is brave enough to challenge the dragon of Gladius colosseum" he bellowed as he craned his head close till he was about the equivalence of eye level with Sven and Jackal "Allow me to rephrase that, who is foolish enough to challenge the dragon of Gladius Colosseum" he let out a low wicked chuckle at his challengers.

"No one" Sven quickly replied which shocked everyone in the arena, even the ponies in the VIP booth spat out their drinks when Sven spoke "We are forced to fight against our will, we do not wish to fight you" Sven plunged his sword into the ground and looked up at the dragon "You can back away now and live another day, otherwise I would be forced to slay you"

Sven gave the dragon an ultimatum, but all that did was serve to cause the entire arena to erupt into laughter. Once the laughter stopped the dragon slammed down his claw next to Sven, he tried to intimidate him but it appeared that he failed as Sven remained steadfast and resolute. The dragon cracked a wicked grin.

"Foolish bravery is still bravery nonetheless" the dragon craned his neck down again "Now I will ask you two again, who dares challenge the dragon?' he asked as smoke bellowed from his jaw "Do not make me repeat myself weaklings"

"I am called Sven and my friend is named Jackal" Sven replied as he pulled his sword from out of the ground "I will give you one last chance dragon, back down from this fight... or else" Sven threatened, once again he was met only with the laughter of the ponies and the dragon himself. The moment everything fell quiet the dragon flexed his wings and let out a fiery roar.

"You think me weak pony? I am above all of you! By the end of the afternoon you shall be nothing more than a ghost haunting these prison walls. Do you hear me fool!" the massive dragon roared before Sven, hoping to elicit some form of fear. But Sven was not amused, in fact he disappointed. Disappointed in the fact that the dragon turned down his most generous offer. He just shook his head and stared down his foe with burning rage and fury.

"What is your name beast?" Sven asked which caused the dragon to grow silent. The dragon has never been asked for his name before, mostly before the inmates were too fearful to ask. The dragon respected Sven's courage but at the same time he was also very annoyed by it.

"I have no name" the dragon replied "I never needed one for I am a legend here, a name would be pointless now wouldn't it?" the moment Sven heard the dragon's reply he lowered his head before the beast.

"Dying without a name... how sad for you beast" Sven said as he faced the dragon again "I was going to give you an honorable death, but I am afraid that it will not be so" Sven raised his sword high with one hoof and brandished it towards his executioner "I will tell you now dragon. You will die so that the crowd may cheer" Sven recited one of Bradwarden's quotes "You will die here alone and away from your kin, do you hear me dragon? Do you want to leave them alone?"

"Ha! What use have I for family? They're only but a nuisance to a me, they will not miss me and I will not miss them" the dragon bellowed "Do I make myself clear pony?" the dragon then took his massive claws and raked them across the ground multiple times in a gratuitous display of power "Are you done talking now? I would very much like to splatter you all over this colosseum now"

"I am finished, and so are you you overgrown lizard" Sven retorted "You will regret turning down my offer, dragon" the crowd hissed and booed at Sven to the point where they were chucking rotten vegetables and fruits at him. Before the crowd got too rowdy the announcer approached Sven and Jackal one last time before he had to leave.

"So! Now that the introductions are done, do you two have any else to say before you this dragon has his way with you?" the announcer asked with that annoying grin of his again. Jackal finally broke out of his fear induced trance and turned to Sven.

"Well, I had a good run. It's been nice knowing you Sven, I'm glad we met before we die. You're a great friend" Jackal shakily said as tears began to well up at his eyes "I just wish I could see my kin once last time before I meet the great dog in the sky" Sven quickly went and grabbed his friend on the shoulder and gave him back his equipment. Jackal was confused but he complied and grasped his sword and shield again.

"Save your famous last words for when we're actually going to die Jackal" Sven said as he stared down his reptilian foe "We're going to make it out alive, and you're going to see your family again. This I swear!" Sven turned to face the dragon as the entire arena had been cleared of any bystanders. With the arena housing only three combatants, it was ready for the retribution that the warden had prepared for prisoners.

Sven awaited for the dragon to strike as Jackal snarled at him with renewed resolve for himself and his friend. The dragon let out one last laugh before all the spikes on his body unfurled themselves, showing the true form of the walking monstrosity. His body now covered with rows of iron hard scales and razor sharp claws, he let out another fiery roar before thrashing about uncontrollably before his victims.

"You will not live to see the end of this day!"

The crowd roared with vigor and might as they began to witness the show in full swing. The dragon raked his claws across the ground so many time that the arena started to look like a fully plowed fields of wheat. The prisoners have been nimbly dodging and evading all the of the dragon's attacks for about five minutes now, narrowly escaping a very painful and messy death by the skins of their teeth. The dragon showed no sign of slowing down while Sven and Jackal began to tire out.

"I hope you have some sort of plan Sven, otherwise we're mincemeat!" Jackal shouted as he ducked a swing of the dragon's giant tail. Jackal saw an opening right between the feet of the dragon and attempted to strike it with his sword. Jackal struck the dragon with all of his might but his sword simply bounced off the dragon's scales like a pebble being thrown at a boulder "Sven! The scales are too strong, I cant hurt him!" he shouted as he immediately hopped out of the way of another tail swipe.

"Don't worry! I'll think of something!" Sven was starting to slow down as he continually parried all of the dragon's claw slashes. A normal pony would've gotten swept away by the sheer force of of the dragon's might but Sven held out the outcast blade and began blocking every hit that came at him. The strikes kept coming down fast and hard to the point where Sven could feel himself being pushed into the very earth. Another hit came and caught him completely off guard, knocking the great sword right out of his hooves and embedding it right onto the side of the arena wall "Uh oh"

"Ha! Not so strong without your sword now are you weakling?" The dragon taunted as the crowd continued to cheer the beast on. The dragon stopped for a moment and decided to bask in the glory of the fight "Do you hear that pony? My death isn't the one that will cause the crowds to cheer, it will be yours!" he tried slamming his claw straight down in an attempt to flatten Sven and Jackal, the two deftly jumped away from the attack and landed flat on their faces.

"Why do you two resist me? Don't you understand the futility of your situation?" the dragon asked as he tried swing at the two again "You're only delaying the inevitable! Just let me crush you now and I can promise you two a swift death!" he wildly whipped his tail all around the arena, almost tearing it apart hadn't it been magically reinforced. Sven and Jackal jumped out of the way once more only to be swatted out of the air by a strong gust of wind from the dragon's wings, sending them careening towards the wall. They both willed themselves to stand back up with whatever strength they had left within them.

"Why would we submit!?" Jackal shouted as he spat out a gob of blood "Then it wouldn't entertaining for the crowd now would it?" he finished as he strained to turn his head to face Sven "I really hope you have some sort of plan, I don't think I can keep up this whole not dying thing forever" he shook his head to shake the concussion that was threatening to him over "My bones are starting to feel like gravel"

"To be honest, Jackal" Sven wheezed "I've been holding back the whole time. If I unleash my true strength then this dragon would be set of armor and weapons by now. I can't do that, not in front of all these... ponies. They'll start to ask questions and we'll never be able to leave" he said as he clutched his sides, he was disheartened when he felt that something was out of place "Ugh, a couple of broken ribs. That's not good"

"Well you have to do something, You're an outworlder aren't you?" Jackal asked "Can't you do something to stop this thing?" he struggled to stand up straight. Sven examined the dragon that was still basking in the glory of the crowd's cheer, he could see that there was no real way of trying to stop him without making it look like they did something suspicious. The scales and spike that covered his body also made it impossible to attack it on the outside without expecting some kind of resistances. And then it hit Sven.

"Jackal, get over here..." Jackal complied and walked over to Sven where he began to whisper him his plan. Jackal's face was one of confusion, then it slowly contorted to that of understanding when he heard the plan. Just as they were discussing their plans the dragon turned and around and watched the two with an amused look.

"Oh, what's this? You two actually think you have a plan that can stop me?" both the crowd and the dragon laughed together "Give it up already, this is starting to get boring anyway. Let me crush you now, otherwise I'll just burn you to a crisp later" he threatened but Jackal and Sven turned to face the beast with a smug look on their face.

"Listen here and listen well dragon! I will give you one last opportunity to walk out of this fight with you life intact" Sven shouted "I will kill you dragon, don't think that I won't! Do not throw away this act of kindness from me!" unsurprisingly, the only response that Sven and Jackal received was just laughter again. The dragon just stared at his victims as he raised his claw high.

"Die pony"

He then quickly slammed his claw down onto the two and the deed was done, they were both crushed beneath the weight of the strike. No one could've survived that. All fell silent before the crowd erupted once again into a loud and booming roar of a cheer and applause when the two threats to Equestria were publicly executed for all to see. The cheering continued for another minute before everyone noticed something shocking. The dragon's claw started to move.

The dragon's heart nearly stopped when he realized that something was forcing him back, something more powerful than he was. He tried to apply more force to flatten his prey once and for all but he couldn't budge his claw an inch. He almost broke into a cold sweat when the pony and the dog revealed themselves to everyone. They were very much alive and were very angry at their killer. Sven was holding back the dragon's claw by sheer strength alone, something that would be deemed physically impossible to do. He showed almost no sign of fatigue as he let loose a deafening war cry that somehow heartened Jackal's resolve .

"Big mistake, friend" Jackal sneered as he bolted off to a wild rush towards the other side of the colosseum and towards Sven's sword. With adrenaline and pure instinct fueling his movements he deftly dodge any and all counter attacks the dragon made all the trying to hold down Sven, Jackal's natural endurance as a diamond dog allowed him to reach the outcast blade within mere minutes before another tail swipe could take him down. With all the strength that he could muster he managed to pull out the embedded sword and threw it all the way towards Sven.

"What's the matter dragon? You're not scared are you!" Sven shouted as he countered with two powerful and bone crushing punches from Sven, the force of the attack caused the dragons claw jolt backwards as he recoiled from a pain that has never felt before. Angered and furious the dragon retaliated with by trying to stomp Sven into dust.

"Fools! I will grind you and your mutt of a friend beneath my heel!" the dragon brought forth his spiked foot down upon Sven, hoping to end it once and for all. Within mere moment of the colossal foot nearly reaching Sven his sword clattered upon the ground and landed right next to him. Without a moment to lose Sven quickly held his blade up high and ripped straight through the sole of the dragon's foot, leaving behind a large open wound that bled profusely. The dragon fell backwards as he held onto his foot to try and stop the bleeding.

"Gaaaah! You'll pay for that you little worm!" the dragon flailed his spiked tail around wildly around the ground, tearing away through dirt as if it were sand. He constantly thrashed his tail at Sven with great furor as he attempted to drive him into a corner before carving him up into little bits.

"That's right! Run! Run like the insignificant insect that you are!" Sven was almost driven to the walls of the arena, the dragon could almost taste the sweet satisfaction of tearing apart an annoying bug that had been causing him so much trouble for the last half hour. And then Jackal came into his view, as in right next to his eye. Apparently he was far too busy trying to murder Sven that he hadn't noticed or even felt that Jackal had been scaling his scaly body just to reach his face.

"Take this!" Jackal shouted before jamming his shattered blade straight into the dragon's unprotected eye, damaging and completely destroying his left eye. The dragon let out a pained roar as he fell forward and grasped his eye with one of his claws. Without warning another jolt of pain brought the dragon down to his knees, kicking and screaming before a shocked crowd.

He wailed in agony, breathing out fire in random direction as his mind filled with volatile pain. He tried to escape back into his cage but something was wrong, he couldn't move his other claw. When he regained some semblance of his senses he was horrified to discover that Sven had impaled his sword directly onto his right claw, breaking past his hardened scales and nailing him directly into the ground with no hope of escape from the pony and dog's terrible wrath. He pathetically whimpered before his vanquishers, waiting for the finishing blow. But it never came.

Sven removed his helmet, both him and Jackal stared down the dragon with a glare that could've liquefied the dragon. Sven and Jackal both said nothing as the crowd quelled to a deathly silence, everyone's jaw struck the floor at the impossibility that they had just witnessed. Two lone inmates, one stallion and one diamond dog had teamed up together to reduce a once great and formidable dragon to nothing more then a feeble shell of his former self. It was absolutely degrading and the crowd wouldn't dare believe what they saw.

"What are you waiting for, pony?" the dragon begrudgingly asked while he struggled to remove the sword that was impaled to his claw. The crowd maintained it's silence, they patiently awaited the stallions reply.

"You are not worthy to die by my blade, dragon" Sven said "You will stay here and wallow in your own defeat. Though I may spare your life beast, do not mistake this as mercy. Attack us again and you will regret it" he put his helmet back on then turned away and walked towards the entrance that he came through with Jackal. The two didn't turned back to take one last look at the dragon as they retired back to their cells.

"That took guts back there Sven, sparing his life like that. Are you sure it's a good idea just to leave him off the hook like that?" Jackal asked while he struggled to snap one of his broken phalanges back into place.

"I hope so Jackal, otherwise I will not be held responsible for my next action" Sven replied before letting out a wheexing coughing fit "Damn it, my ribs are still broken. Let's go see the prison's doctor, if this place has one that is...."

"You know after that fight the ponies will still try question you, right? No one's ever taken on a dragon like that before, and lived *cough!* *cough!* " Jackal wheezed.

"I did not think that part through, I just had to make sure we got out of here alive is all" Sven let out a little chuckled while his steps constantly shifted from normal walking and hobbling.

The dragon stayed and watch as the two slowly made their way back into the prison, the crowd couldn't take their eyes off of the prisoners that defeated the mighty dragon of Gladius prison. This only served to infuriate the dragon, instead of relief he felt nothing but anger and humiliation. He was outraged, his pride clouded his rational judgement and he delved into a blind fury. He wasn't about to let his vanquishers leave the prison, especially not alive. He welled up the fire that had been building up in his chest, he could feel the pressure build up around his throat as he narrowed his eyes down upon the two prisoners.

"If you think your kindness will save you worms, then you are sorely mistaken!" the dragon roared savagely before letting out a stream of fire that engulfed the entire colosseum. The temperature steadily rose from warm to hot to near inhospitable as the flames were strewn all around the colosseum, threatening to consume anything unlucky enough to be caught in it's fiery path. While the crowd was protected from the harsh flames thanks to the magically shielded arena, Sven and Jackal were at risk of being roasted alive.

"May your ashes serve as a grim reminder of what happens to the prisoners here when you anger the dragon of Gladius prison! AHAHAHAHAHA!" the dragon roared once more as he cackled madly at his foes. His revelry was instantly destroyed when he felt a sharp pain rush between his jaws, he felt like a mountain had been thrown at him. He stared in disbelief as he witnessed Sven heroically leapt past the blazing fire and straight at him with lightning crackling from his eyes. With a loud warcry, his left hoof glowed a bright white as he charged up his stormhammer.

"YOU FOOL!" Sven bellowed as his hoof collided with the dragon's nose. The point blank stormhammer amplified the power of his strike and shattered the dragon's nose along with almost every teeth in his head and cracking his entire skull. Without missing a beat Sven quickly grabbed the dragon's upper jaw and used the momentum of his leap to crane the neck of the dragon backwards. The dragon thrashed about, trying his hardest escape but to no avail. All he could do now was grovel and beg for the stallion's forgiveness.

"P-please, I'm sorry! Let me live!" the dragon's wheezily begged but all he could feel was his head sink back further and further. If this were to keep up his entire spinal column would be destroyed in the process, killing him in the slowest and most agonizing way possible "I beg... Guah! Of you... let me l-live.... please"

"You lost that opportunity the moment you tried to kill me and my friend, even after I had chosen to spare your life!" Sven shouted, he then shifted his weight to further the strain on the dragon's back "Not once, not twice but thrice have I given you the chance to back away! Instead you chose to squander your life over our deaths!" he forced the dragon's neck down further, closer to the breaking point "YOU DON"T DESERVE TO LIVE!" with one final pull Sven bend the dragon's neck all the way down to the ground and then:

*CRACK!*

"S-such... such p-power!" Blueblood exclaimed as he went to pick his jaw up from the floor "H-he just murdered the e-executioner. Nay, he was the executioner!" he continued to stare at the dragon's corpse and Sven and his dog of a friend with his brain doing it's best to fully comprehend the magnitude of the situation. Chain Warden, Quicksilver, Speeding Bullet and Fast Hoof were all locked in a frozen position of shock and awe. They didn't do or say anything until High Horse went and spoke up.

"Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!" High Horse exclaimed as he vigorously stamped the ground, sounding more excited than everyone else did "I don't care if he was some assassin or not, we have to recruit him to The Descendants!" he said as he ecstatically chugged down his entire bottle of wine, leaving not one drop behind "Imagine the possibilities with that kind of power by our side!"

"Uh uh, there is no way we are letting this deranged psychopath into our order" Chain Warden protested "We put him here for a reason so he's staying here"

"Think outside of the box, Chain" said Quicksilver as she recovered from her shocked trance "He's a fellow pony, I'm sure he come around and join us when he realizes how great our cause is"

"Plus we will get much more recruits and initiates thanks to his popularity" Speeding Bullet said as he pointed the Sven "Give it a few seconds, then the crowd will go wild! With his new celebrity status our recruitment records will go through the roof!"

"I'm liking what I'm hearing here fellers. When do you think we could get a chance to go and talk to the big guy?" Fast Hoof said with a tug of her hat.

"Maybe we should do it after the wedding" Blueblood suggested "We'll get rid of the bugs first, then we'll go recruit him. Sound reasonable?" everyone nodded in a agreement before turning back to face the arena with a wide smile on each of their faces. They raised their hooves high and recited one of their quotes:

"May our kind live forever..."

It was done, the force of the pull combined with the weight of the dragon's own body had completely destroyed his entire spinal column, severing the brain from the rest of the body leaving behind nothing more than a remnant of what he once was. The dragon slowly fell apart onto the ground, his broken body occasionally twitching while drool and blood spilled out from the crumbled remains of the dragon's maw. The limp and motionless body stained the ground of the arena painting it a dark crimson as the blood mixed with the dirt transforming it into a thick mud that stank of death.

The arena fell to another deathly silence, every pony in the arena were speechless. Then slight tapping sound could be heard, followed by another then another and another until the crowd erupted into full blown applause for the two prisoners. The loud stamping of the ponies rocked the arena, cheers and whistling could've been heard from miles away from the sheer energy that the ecstatic crowd was exuberating. The booming yells, the swooning mares over Sven's heroics caused the two inmate's ears to ring.

"I don't get what Bradwarden loves about these places, it's far too loud" Sven thought to himself as both he and Jackal limped towards the entrance. Burned, bruised and mostly broken in some places the two hoped to end the day with a nap in their own cell, is that too much to ask? Apparently it was too much to ask, two tall and regal looking princesses approached the two, stopping them right in their tracks. Jackal went wide eyed when he realized just who they were, Sven could only groan when he realized who they were as well

"Ugh, not you two again!"

Chapter 19 end

Author's Note

I doing my best to move the plot forward, trying to separate the chafe from the wheat.

Chapter 20: Wedding Complications

What Does a Hero Truly Need?

By: Zelkova48

Chapter 20: Wedding Complications

Preparations for the royal Canterlot wedding was going exactly just as one would expect it, full on frantic and outright insane. Staff members, servants, and almost every single wedding planner in Canterlot were pulling their own teeth out at how outrageous certain desires and decisions were for the reception and the actual wedding itself within a specific timeframe. Had it not been for Twilight’s brilliant organization abilities everything would’ve have been much more chaotic and disorderly.

Celestia and Luna made their way throughout the castle to check and make sure that everything was in order for their niece’s wedding, nothing far too serious to say the least. If only their esteemed guest weren’t getting gawked at every time they went to evaluate the day’s progression and delays then maybe it would’ve been at least a bearable experience for the two princesses. But sadly they brought that upon themselves, now they just have to endure it until everything was over.

Walking beside the princesses was something that made almost every staff member and servant around the castle stare with bafflement at. The alleged assassin, a diamond dog convict and a little frog were the esteemed guest that Celestia and luna had brought along with them after their little trip to Gladius prison. Questions and rumors began to churned faster than a spastic chef with an old fashion ice cream maker, what made the princess go pick up their killer and his bizarre entourage was a hot topic that lasted for the rest of the day.

“Sister, are you still sure that this is a good idea?” Luna asked as she waved off some concerned guards “I mean bringing the stallion here would cause an uproar among the ponies and the nobility”

“Have patience, sister. Once everything is explained I’m sure everything will go back to the way they were before” Celestia reassured her sister “First we have to get our friend over there inducted into the guards along with the others”

“Alright, I understand” replied Luna “But about him?” she pointed a hoof over to Jackal “He’s a diamond dog! He doesn’t belong in a civilized society, especially our beloved Canterlot! He should be either back in prison or in a hole somewh-” her tirade was abruptly cut short when a crashing sound was heard behind her. She turned to find that Sven, Jackal and George were trying their best to cover up a broken vase that they obviously caused.

“Uh, I can fix that” Jackal weakly replied as he rubbed the back of his neck.

“No, you can’t!” Luna snapped as she turned away and continued with her sister while rubbing her temples to alleviate the migraine that was coming on. Sven and Jackal simply lifted up a nearby rug and brushed away the broken pieces of the vase into it, they quickly left with the others before anyone started to ask questions “I can’t stand him, when will the dog get sent back to prison?”

“Just bear with it for a little while longer, sister” said Celestia before sighing “But the diamond dog won’t be going back to prison” Luna shot her sister a surprised look.

“What, why not?” Luna protested, clearly shocked by the news “I wasn’t there with you in the cell, sister. I’m still angry at Sven for breaking my nose”

“Well you see...”

* * *

“What do you mean you want to stay here!?” Celestia practically screamed out of pure shock from Sven’s unreasonable answer.

“You heard me you right pastel colored wench!” Sven shouted from within his cell “I don’t care how high you are up in the political tree! After you wrongly assaulted with your blueberry of sister by your side I find no reason to trust you anymore, your majesty! “ Sven roared with such volume that the rocky walls of his cell began to shake, rattle and roll like a mini tremor had transpired around them.

“B-b-but... alright, I apologize for striking you my magic. But I ask you, would you not have acted in the same way I had if your own family was threatened by some sword wielding maniac?” Celestia quickly shot back “I am blaming anypony but you are at fault for provoking my actions”

“To answer your questions you overweight excuse of a mule, it may be true that I would’ve reacted in a similar manner...” Sven paused “But do not compare my life to your’s or even speak of the word family before me...” he spoke with words that were like the biting cold of black ice.

“You know nothing of what I had gone through to be where I am today. The parents that I lost or the world that branded me as an abomination... I did not choose the life of the Rogue Knight, the life of the Rogue Knight chose me!” he proudly announced.

“I... I’m sorry, I didn’t know” said Celestia “But had yo-”

“But nothing!” Sven bellowed “Your apology is but rot to me. And for the record, you know full well as I do that I released your sister as I lowered my blade before her! You attacked me on a false alarm!”

“Well, how could I have known tha... Look, I am not here to argue with you” said Celestia as she calmed herself down “I am here to pardon you on behalf of your friends and my personal student, they’d already proven your innocence and you are able to go free now. Do you not wish to return to your friends?”

“My friends will be fine. Knowing them, they’ll cope just fine with my incarceration” Sven coolly replied “Besides, I have everything I could ever want in life right here in this shit hole of a prison. I made some new friends, killed a dragon and even gained a lover in the form of a very sensual griffon. Her name’s Canary, you should meet her sometimes” he said as he let out a hearty bout of laughter

“Let’s not forget about the free meals and the occasional skinning of a manticore that everyone here is entitled to. To be honest, I can’t think of a more perfect place to stay” he laughed again.

Celestia just stared at the stallion before her with a dumbfounded and slack jawed expression. Everything he has just said made a few neurons in her brain commit suicide from the pure absurdity of his words and logic. He would actually pass up the chance at a pardon just to spite her and actually enjoy his time spent stuck in a maximum security prison to further aggravate her senses of normalcy.

She just could not understand this stallion at all. The way he talked and acted were frighteningly similar to his own friends. He would sound serious and then crack wicked jokes that twisted everything she ever knew and believed in. It almost drove her to the edge hadn’t she kept reminding herself that she was on a mission.

“Listen, please. What would it take for you to act normally and rejoin your worried friends?” Celestia spoke with a tone that bordered between graceful eloquence and pleading.

“Hmm... well now that you mentioned it...” Sven poked the top bunk a few times until Jackal, who was sleeping above him, woke up from his slumber “Hey, Jackal! How would you like the opportunity to be reunited with your family again?” he asked which caused the half asleep dog to shed tears like a waterfall.

“W-what? Are you serious? If this is some sort of sick joke...” Jackal said as his emotion began to overwhelm him.

“What reason would I have to joke about your family, Jackal? I mean it, I’m giving you the chance to walk free and to be with your family once more” said Sven “Come on, it’s a one in a lifetime opportunity”

“Do I even have to tell you the answer!” Jackal tearfully exclaimed as he hopped down and hugged Sven while kissing his helmet “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Tha-” he stopped when Sven pulled his back with a light chuckle.

“Easy there friend. The princess here has been so generous and as to pardon me, you and a few others as well” Sven said as a mischievous smile formed underneath his mask “Isn’t that right your majesty?” he asked as she resisted the urge to break out into another bout of laughter.

“W-why yes, of course” Celestia cracked a weak smile “I would be more than... happy to pardon your friends... as well?” she spoke slowly and clearly when she suddenly realized what she had just gotten herself into. Before could react and protest to the idea of releasing more convicts Sven shot her a cold stare that sent chills down her spine.

“Come on, Jackal. Let’s go find Beefsteak and Canary, then we can get the hell out of here. Maybe I’ll even introduce to some of my other friends if we have the time...”

* * *

“So we cut a deal. He would come with us if certain members of the prison walked as well. In return, he promised to keep silent about the whole dragon incident” said Celestia “Although I fear that word about him and his friend’s heroic accomplishment may have already begun to spread amongst the upper class like a virus”

“For a clumsy assassin, he is certainly very cunning with his methods of negotiation” Luna almost commended Sven, almost.

“I thought his friends made it very clear that he is not an assassin” Celestia replied “Although his negotiation skills leave a lot to be desired by the professionals...”

“And what about the frog?” Luna asked as she turned back to catch a glance of George “What’s so special about him?”

“He’s Sven’s pet. There should be nothing to worry about” Celestia replied.

“Hmm, the frog is okay but I’m keeping an eye on that dog” Luna said as she narrowed her eyes upon the unsuspecting Jackal before turning to Sven “I am still in awe at what happened when we arrived. Together they managed to slay a full grown dragon all by themselves, even we have trouble sometimes dealing with a dragon. It doesn’t even seem physically possible how they managed to triumph over that beast, let alone kill it!”

“Well, a lone earth pony did cripple our entire elite guards. Who’s to say that something like that wasn’t impossible after that?” Celestia asked as they delved deeper into the castle grounds.

* * *

“No, no, no! The banner is suppose to go over there!” barked Twilight as one of the staff members screwed up a simple chore of hanging up the wedding banner “And you!” she pointed to another worker with a twitch in her eyes “The flower bouquet was suppose to be in the order of rose, tulip, chrysanthemum then daisies! Not rose, chrysanthemum, tulip then daisies! Come on, hurry up and fix it! What would the princess think?”

“Honestly, I think the order of rose, chrysanthemum, tulip then daisy looks just absolutely gorgeous. I love it”

“Oh yeah? Well who asked for your opinio-” Twilight didn’t finish her sentence when she realized that the pony that said that was none other than Princess Cadence who was looking at her with a very sly smile “Eep!” she eeped as she began to apologize profusely to her former foalsitter.

“Eh heh heh heh, It’s alright, Twilight. I forgive you” replied Cadence “Although I think it’s high time that you took a break, you look exhausted”

“What!? But I need to be here supervising at all times for your wedding to make sure that everything is perfect!” said Twilight with another twitch in her eye “How can you tell me to stop what I’m doing and take a break!?”

“Because I care, Twilight. Besides, perfection is purely subjective. Meaning that it pertains to me and what I think perfection is” replied Cadence “For now, please take a break, Twilight. Celestia told me what happened the last time you overexerted yourself over something little, is mister smarty pants ringing any bells?” she mentioned.

“In my defence, friendship reports and massive royal wedding planning are not a little things!” Twilight snapped at Cadence “And for the record, I feel fine. I don’t need a break!”

“Oh, I beg to differ. Pushing your body too hard is going to have negative consequences on your mind and your magical abilities”

“Oh yeah! Well who asked for your opinio-” Twilight didn’t finish her when she realized that the pony that she was yelling at was none other than her second mentor, Rubick “Eep!” she eeped again for the second time that day before apologizing again.

“No one asked me. I’m merely voicing my opinions aloud for everyone to hear, Twilight” Rubick joked with a smile on his face “But in all seriousness dear, take five before your brain melts like candle in the middle of a wildfire” he joked once more “Come on, join me and the others for some refreshments. Rhasta and Pinkie Pie know how to make one heck of a... um... I think they called it a malt?”

“That sounds like a wonderful idea!” exclaimed Cadence “Go on you little scamp you!” Cadence nudged at Twilight with a sly wink “Go spend a little private time with your new friend, kind of like last night in the gardens” she quietly whispered to Twilight while putting heavy emphasis on the word friend. Twilight’s pupil shrank to pinprick the moment Cadence mentioned the night before but she really only understood half of the context.

“Oh! Please don’t tell Princess Celestia about this, please!” Twilight begged “I can’t tell her about that yet! She can’t know about that yet!” she panicked as she started to sound hysterical. Thankfully Cadence, who was unaware of what Twilight was actually referring to, acknowledged her plea.

“Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me” she replied with another quick wink “Now go, enjoy some alone time with your special somepony” she then quickly pranced away eliciting a little giggle each time she turned back to catch a glimpse of Twilight and Rubick. Her actions and choice of words left the other two confused.

“Special somepony? Who do you think she could referring to?” Rubick asked with the raise of an eyebrow.

“Hmm... I honestly have no clue. I don’t even have a special somepony yet” replied Twilight before the two of them went to meet up with the other heroes and her friends.

* * *

Twilight was actually enjoying her break, much to her surprise. She had originally decided to take a break so that others would stop bothering her about it, as it turns out she actually needed it otherwise she would’ve suffered another one of her headline making breakdowns again. But she kept that part about her to herself as she absentmindedly enjoyed her frosty beverage. She did think back to Cadence’s words and what they meant. She thought long and hard about it only to come up with... nothing that would make sense actually.

Around her she could see that her friends were also enjoying themselves and chatting about how their progress went on the wedding preparations. Rarity completed Cadence’s wedding dress, Fluttershy’s bird choir is perfectly in tune, Applejack has the entire catering service down to a T, Pinkie’s reception will probably be outrageously fun and downright memorable for the bride and groom, and Rainbow Dash’s sonic rainboom will most likely bring the house down. Everything was going according to plan for the most part.

Even their new friends are pitching in for the cause. Gondar’s eagle eye aim with any sharp and/or pointy object made him very helpful when it came to pinning up banners and and signs that were out of reach for certain ponies when pegasi weren’t around. Rubick’s telekinesis abilities made heavy lifting only an option for others. Rhasta’s snake wards allowed for multitasking around the kitchen with Applejack. And Aiushtha... well her presence just seemed to put everyone in a really good mood despite the hectic wedding planning, she was a morale booster as some might say.

All in all. the day was going even better than expected thanks to some additional outside help. What would take weeks to plan and prepare was being done within only the span of a few days because of the heroes. Now they’re all hanging around the kitchen and enjoying some of the best malts this side of Equestria, that left them time to answer the more serious questions.

“So my purple unicorn friend, how goes the search for our path home” Rhasta asked as he kept his trademark grin.

“I’m glad you asked actually, Rhasta” said Twilight as she sipped on her drink “I went to the Starswirl the bearded wing of the Canterlot archive to try and find some sort of interdimensional travel spell. What I found however...” her expression sank a little as she paused. The heroes noticed this and braced themselves for the news “Lead me to a dead end” all the hero let out an exasperated sigh as they all sank into their seat, disappointed by Twilight’s find.

“I’m sorry everyone. Everything I found were all inconclusive” Twilight explained “The only thing that I found about interdimensional travel were Starswirl’s notes. Everything he wrote, his notes, his journal entries and even pictures of his wood carvings when he went a little loony all pointed to the impossibility of dimension jumping”

“But hopping dimensions isn’t impossible silly!” Pinkie said “If it is, then our new friends wouldn’t even be here right now. In fact, I don’t think we would’ve even known about them if they didn’t blow up the sky two days ago!” she giggled “I should really teach you guys how to create a proper firework, it’s real easy!” the mane six stopped and stared in awe at Pinkie’s sudden bout of logic.

“She is right you know” Rhasta replied.

“About the fireworks?” Applejack asked.

“Sadly, no. What I am talking about is how we came to be here” Said Rhasta “We knew many heroes back home that can freely travel through the many planes and realms of existence as naturally as breathing. Our accident that sent us here is proof to this Starswirl pony that traveling through the planes of existence is not impossible”

“So there is a way to get you all back home, we just don’t know how” said Twilight “How did these other heroes travel through realms so easily?” she asked.

“That is the tricky part” replied Rhasta “These heroes are beings of immense and immaculate power, powers that have the capability to twist the world as if it were merely a ball of wet clay to them. Though we mostly refer to them by name, we often find ourselves calling them by what they truly are, fundamentals”

“Fundamentals!? How powerful can they be!?” Twilight’s eyes grew wide to the size of dinner plates.

“Powerful enough that the dimensional barriers restricting them is nothing but frail glass” Rhasta’s response caused everyponies jaw to hit the floor in sequential order.

“Could you give us some examples of these uh... fundamentals?” Rarity asked, her interested suddenly piqued by the mention of reality defying beings.

“Well there’s Io, The Wisp. I don’t know much about him er... her... uh, it. Ah, forget it. For the sake of this little conversation I’m going to refer Wisp as a he” said Gondar “All I know is that he is a ball of light that can somehow move through the physical planes because he has so much power”

“A ball of light? Ya mean like the sun right?” Applejack asked.

“Eh... not really. Wisp is only about the size of a really big ball” Gondar spread his forelegs out all the way to the sides “He’s roughly about that big, I don’t remember. Last time I teamed up with him he accidentally teleported me into a death trap, I got impaled by Nyx Assassin shortly afterwards” the other mares winced at Gondar’s mention of impalement. They really wished that the heroes would keep most of their... intimately violent moments to themselves most of the time.

“Then there’s Chaos Knight” said Rubick, the moment he mentioned chaos all the girls spit out their drinks and began choking on the very thought of chaos.

“Blech! Wait, what!? Chaos is a fundamental? You’re joking right?” asked Rainbow Dash “I mean, there is really no use for chaos in our world. What point would there be for it when we have harmony?”

“Without chaos, there can be no harmony” Rubick stated sternly “Think of it from a reasonable standpoint. There can be no sun without the moon, no fire without ice, and no good without evil. Therefore, chaos must exist no matter what should there be harmony, and vice versa. A world without one of the other would be madness”

“But... but that doesn’t make any sense!” Rainbow Dash protested “We got rid of chaos, well this guy named Discord but everything turned out fine in the end” Rubick raised an eyebrow “We even have a statue in the castle garden to prove it”

“Oh really now? Did the chaos really stop?” Rubick asked with a smug smile.

“Yea- uh...” Rainbow Dash stopped dead in her tracks “Well... now that I think about it, Twilight did kind of throw Ponyville into a panic a few days later, something about her doll if I remember correctly”

“Or so I’m told” Rubick grinned as wide as Rhasta did, chuckling afterwards. Twilight tried her best to suppress her cheeks from reddening of embarrassment as she slinked down in her seat, she really wished that ponies would stop bringing that episode of her life back up “By the way, who’s Discord?”

“Only the biggest super meany pants in the history of ever!” shouted Pinkie “Him and his chaos almost destroyed our friendship while he went on to turn Ponyville into the chaos capitol of the world! I do miss the cotton candy chocolate milk raining clouds though...”

“Huh, from the tone of your voice you all make him sound like he is the ultimate evil” said Rubick.

“That’s because he was! He tried to take over Equestria” shouted Rainbow Dash “He enjoys messing with ponies just for the heck of it and can do all kinds of freaky things with his chaotic magic! He doesn’t care about anypony else other than himself, he even made us turn on each other!” she angrily huffed.

“That’s it? From the sound of things I’d say you girls got off relatively scot free” said Gondar which caused the girls to give him a slack jawed expression “And everyone lived happily ever after didn’t they?” he joked with a chuckle.

“Well if you think this Chaos Knight feller is so tough, why don’t you tell us about what he’s done?” asked Applejack “What could possibly be so dangerous about this knight that makes you think that the spirit of chaos is just a lil ole baby in comparison. I would like to state for the record that Discord turned Ponyville into the chaos capitol of the world, just throwing that out there” she finished with an expression that one might have if they were confident in winning a challenge. In this case, who’s more dangerous. Chaos Knight or Discord?

“Well, Chaos Knight is a tireless and omnipotent world destroying entity that has claimed more lives and victories than the lifetime of your two princesses and everyone else before them combined and would mostly likely decimate all of them alongside his trusty steed, Armageddon, if they even do so much as look in his general direction...” Aiushtha said nonchalantly “... But I’m just throwing it out there”

Well, the contest was over. Applejack and the rest couldn’t even begin to comprehend the power of this Chaos Knight guy, they were so visibly shaken by his description that the sound of Fluttershy’s teeth chattering rocked the kitchen. He sounded like a horrific nightmare that Nightmare moon had that came to life and tore her apart. Fortunately for the mares Rubick didn’t mentioned about Atropos, The Bane Elemental. It was for the better.

The room was quiet, save for Pinkie’s consistent munching. From what Aiushtha had told them about Chaos Knight, well let’s just say that if mane six ever fight Discord again they’re gonna have to be the ones who’ll break it to him about a bigger and badder connoisseur of chaos than he is. They can only hope that he will take it well.

“Are you all done talking or did you not notice me and a few others enter the room?” a gruff yet strong voice spoke out. Everyone turned around and found out that it was none other than the Rogue Knight himself standing by the doorway alongside with the princesses in all of their somewhat radiant glory. Princess Celestia looked a bit more disheveled than normal, something probably happened when they went to pick Sven up, although nothing serious appeared to have happened “Did you miss me?”

“SVEN!” all the heroes exclaimed as they crowded around him with hugs and hoof shakes all around, they were all ecstatic to see his safe return from prison. Eventually the mares managed to work up the courage to properly greet the hulking stallion.

“Wow, Sven. You are as big as they say” Pinkie said as she looped her way around Sven’s large frame, examining almost every inch of his muscle bound body “You’re about as big as Big Macintosh, maybe even bigger!”

“Huh, I’ll take that as a compliment pink one” replied Sven.

“No need to call me pink one, Pinkie will do just fine” she replied with a wide heartfelt smile “Allow me to throw you the best ‘Welcome to Equestria!’ party when the weddings over!”

“Pinkie. Heh, such a fun name. Alright, Pinkie it is then” said Sven “By the way, thank you all for looking out for my friends. You’re all a lot better than those princesses of yours”

“Hey! No one talks about the princesses like that!” exclaimed Rainbow Dash as she got up in Sven’s helmet “Especially not the punk stallion that attack them in the first place!”

“Rainbow Dash, stop! There isn’t any need for further hostilities, everything is okay now!” Celestia shouted as she intervened between the two.

“How can I just stand by and simply accept the pony that hurt you and your sister!” Rainbow protested “What kind of pony would even do that!?”

“The kind that got attacked first!” Sven angrily bellowed which caused even Rainbow Dash’s nerves of steel to liquify from the pure rage that he was emanating. Without warning he grabbed Rainbow Dash by the neck and yanked her up to eye level, a low yet eerie growl stirred beneath his helmet “Now tell me you Rainbow colored fly, what do you actually know about the fight that happened?” he asked, the blank and emotionless eyes of his helmet never leaving Rainbow’s own “Answer me!”

“Eep!” Rainbow Dash couldn’t speak, it wasn’t because of the fact that Sven’s grip was close to choking her to death but more about the little emotion that she rarely ever got acquainted with, fear “I-I... uh...” was all that she could let out before being let go by Sven. The whole room went quiet again. Only this time all eyes were on the princesses. Some doubtful, few in disbelief, others in disappointment and shock.

“So Sven didn’t really attack you on purpose, he merely acted out of self defense” Twilight said as she began to put the pieces together “When he fell from the sky he must’ve landed into into the castle and scared you two. His following panic that ensue when he fell made you two think that he was some kind of threat. In short... you attacked first” she said in disbelief, not wanting to believe the situation herself.

“Someone give this girl a medal” said Sven “She just solved the mystery of the falsely imprisoned knight. Everyone, let’s give her a round of applause” he said cynically while weakly tapping the ground with his hoof “Okay, now that that’s out of the way, why don’t we let bygones be bygones and forget about this whole thing”

The thick atmosphere that clouded the kitchen was raised in an instant the moment Sven openly announced that the hatchet had already been buried. It was unrealistic in a sense. The moment was building up towards the climax up until Sven decided to throw cold water over it. While the girls and the princesses stared at Sven with a dumbfounded look, his friends began to laugh alongside him. Celestia just had to speak up, otherwise they would’ve been stuck in that position for the rest of the week. Or until the wedding was over, whichever came first.

“I-I... but... you just... how can... byuagh!?” the sun princess found her tongue to be tied up into a square knot. Thankfully Luna was there for her as her sister’s brain began to overload again.

“Ahem, what my sister is trying to say is; How can you so casually drop a grudge like that?” Luna asked “You tossed away her apology like trash, treated her like dirt the whole way here from the prison and then just drop everything like a rotten apple! Why?”

“Because I’m sick and tired of it” Sven replied like nothing monumental just happened in the last few seconds “You two have caused me nothing but trouble since I got here, I just want to go home. Since your sister was being so insistent about my release I figured I might as well humor her the rest of the way there. Think of it as payback for blasting me with magic” he stated almost neutrally, his voice wasn’t raised once. He just didn't seem to care about the princesses any longer no that he was rejoined with his friends along with some new ones, albeit with some shaky introductions.

“Um... okay then, uh... have a nice day” Luna said as she pulled her partially brain damaged sister along with her “Oh, and be sure to meet up with your friends for the elite guards induction ceremony later today”

“The what now?” Sven asked.

“Oh, Celestia didn’t explain that to you? Don’t worry, your friends will fill you in” said Luna as she exited the kitchen, bonking Celestia in the noggin a few times to see if she can bring her sister back from the brink of the abyss. The abyss known only as ‘hero antics’ to them. It was a queer sight to see for the elements of harmony and the heroes. However, some of them got a good chuckle out of it.

“So what’s this about an induction ceremony?” Sven asked, all of his friends just shrugged in return.

“Sven, Sven! These crazy ponies are trying to- gah!” he could say no more as the girls hopped into action and dog piled upon poor Jackal and George. Sven simply let out a big sigh and walked over to the pile and with a flick of his hoof he sent most of the girls flying off of his canine companion and amphibious ally “Gah! Phew, thank you kindly” he said as he grabbed Sven’s hoof and pulled himself up.

“What was that all about?” Sven asked the collective spread of the mane six scattered all over the floor with their heads ringing.

“You’re friends with a diamond dog?” Applejack asked as she made back to all fours “These gem digging furballs?”

“Why, is there a problem with that?” right when Sven asked, accusations and jeers filled the room like a whirlwind of racial stereotype and ignorance. It hurt Jackal to hear such thing about his own race being stained by the pony’s words “Ugh! Hold on! One at a time. Can someone please explain me everything? I still don’t know anything about this place or why bullshit like this keeps happening!” he roared as a small bolt of lightning shot out from his helmet, silencing the most of the mane six that actually participated in the diamond dog slams.

All Sven did was return to the chair and awaited for his drink to arrive and a proper explanation of everything that had been happening so far. He didn’t care for the reasons or any consequences about his possible actions now. He would just listen and respond for the time being.

“Guagh, I need a strong ale” he complained before a frothy drink slid over to him, he could see that Pinkie gave him a malt. Without thinking about it he downed the drink in one single gulp, rudely belching afterwards “Mmm... not bad”

* * *

Celestia had finally broken out of her abyssal trance that claimed her mind for a good ten minutes before she finally snapped out of it thanks to the help of Luna. As it turns out, it was the twentieth hit to the head that did the trick for the sun princess. Now that she was out of her stupor, together the sister’s did one last check about the wedding preparations.

They were impressed to find that everything is actually ahead of schedule, they would have to properly thank Twilight and the others once the wedding was over. Speaking of the wedding, Celestia and Luna managed to spot the lucky groom herself. Princess Cadence was conversing with one of the staff members about her choice in the wonderbolt’s performance for her reception.

She immediately noticed her two aunts and decided to join them. As she did so, a giggle left her every few steps. That talk she had with Twilight was still very fresh in her mind, and it piqued her aunts interest each time a little giggle was let out by her. With a raised eyebrow, warm smile and a stable psyche, Celestia spoke.

“Well you seem to be in a good mood today, what’s on your mind? Anxious for the big day?” she asked.

“Actutally, it’s even better” Cadence replied with a hush of her lips “I promised Twilight to keep it a secret but this is great news! It finally happened and I am so happy for her!” she couldn’t contain her excitement any longer as she broke out into uncouth squeals of excitement.

“What happened?” Luna asked “Oh, do tell” Cadence motioned for her aunts to come a little closer.

“Well, Twilight has a special somepony!” she told her aunts who almost bursted from joy as well.

“That is wonderful news! Well, don’t keep us in the dark, who’s this special stallion?” Celestia asked. She, along with her sister, were practically at the edge of their metaphorical seats.

“It’s...” Cadence leaned in a bit closer “It’s...” little closer “It’s... a unicorn named Rubick”

“Well he is certainly a lucky... did you just say, Rubick?” Celestia asked, her face plastered with a strange mix of shock and confusion.

“Well that’s what he told me his name was” replied Cadence “He also told me that he was one of the ponies that were wrongfully attacked yesterday. Care to explain auntie?”

“The situation has already been resolved. No need to talk about finished business” Luna quickly interjected in an attempt to change the subject.

“Then what about the sudden induction into the guards? Rubick told me that he wanted no part about it” her usual look was replaced with a glare.

“He was just being modest about it. Modesty is a trait that make the elite guards so special you know?” Luna interjected again, trying and possibly failing for the second time to change the subject.

“Auntie? Is there something you’re not telling me about these ponies?” Cadence demanded. The sisters conceded to Cadence and decided to tell her about the truth.

“You should’ve seen the power and strength that these ponies are capable of, Cadence. Rubick made Starswirl the bearded look like a foal in comparison to his abilities. And Gondar, this short and scraggy earth pony destroyed the elite guards with almost little to no effort at all! And then there is Sven, he slayed a dragon by himself! How could they not help defend Equestria from evil threats!” said Celestia.

“They only agreed to help us by being extra security for your wedding for the time being. Until then, they are fully recognised members of the elite royal guards. After the wedding is over they still have to choice to stay or not” said Luna “We do hope they choose to stay though, a pony a powerful as them only comes every few centuries you know?”

“So that’s what this is about. Auntie, even though they are great warriors they don’t seem like the type that want to be affiliated with our military. Some of them just want to do what they do best for a living” replied Cadence.

“And defending Equestria from harm isn’t one of them?” Luna asked.

“No auntie, it isn’t. They will choose what they want to do should a massive crisis appear in Equestria when the time comes. For now, Let’s just leave it at that” said Cadence “Now come on, let’s forget about all that and see if the flower arrangements are done or not” Celestia and Luna let out a defeated sigh, being involved with the heroes were more straining to them than they had originally planned. Hopefully it would be worth it in the end.

“At least the preparations are ahead of schedule” said Luna.

“We really should thank The Descendants for all their hard work later...”

Chapter 20 end

Author's Note

I have no idea if malts exist in the dota universe or not. Who knows? Maybe Witchdoctor knows a brew or two

Chapter 21: The Other Side of the Gates

What Does a Hero Truly Need?

By: Zelkova48

Chapter 21: The Other Side of the Gates

Sven sat idly by his table, he didn’t do much other than stare at his empty drink glass with an unreadable expression from behind his helmet. To some he looked bored but his friends could tell that he was in deep thought, probably about the way Jackal was being received when he showed up in the kitchen. In a world full of pastel colored pony he had originally expected the inhabitants to be a bit more welcoming since their way of life seemed to revolve around friendship and harmony.

But after getting attacked by the princesses, getting locked behind bars and meeting some victims of the cruel world his judgement on everything up until now was a little sketchy. Jackal had told of how his entire clan got thrown out into the desert just for being who they were at the wrong place and at the wrong time. Soon afterwards both of them almost got cooked alive by a very angry (and now very dead) dragon. The Rogue Knight’s tolerances towards the ponies were starting to falter but he brushed off the doubts.

Everything was going just fine up until the point he met up with his friends. the formalities past by very quickly and he even got a chance to scold one of the more stubborn pony. For the most part the six that he met were okay, he was very accepting towards them since they did help his friends find him as well as offer them room and board in an alien world. But his faith and trust towards the mane six was almost thrown completely out of the window when they started to react negatively towards Jackal. He would have to get back to that once he was up to speed with everything.

Rubick and the rest of the other heroes shared a little laugh before filling in their friend on the current situation. Everything from how they came to Equestria up to where they were now had been thoroughly explained except maybe for Gondar’s vision which they all dismissed to the mane six as nothing more than a bad dream that he had. Once all was said and done Sven let out a big sigh before slumping back into his chair and removing his helmet.

“Finally, a proper explanation. Now I can at least think straight” he muttered with another sigh “Since I already introduced myself to you girls already I am I might as well introduce to some of my other friends. Try not to tackle them this time” he pointed over Jackal who was politely waving back despite the glares that he was receiving “This is Jackal, he was my cellmate back in prison”

“But if he was your cellmate then why is he out here?” Applejack asked with a touch of hostility in her voice “ Ain't he suppose to be behind bars or something like that?” she kept her eyes Jackal just to make sure that he didn't do anything fishy.

“Sven helped give me my freedom back, he also helped me out of a bind back on our last day in jail. If it weren't for him I wouldn't be even standing here talking to you right now” Jackal replied like an educated gentlecolt which surprised most of the ponies in the room.

“So you’re a diamond dog” said Rubick as he shook Jackal’s paw “I must say that it is delightful to finally meet someone of the kind. I haven’t seen hide nor hair of a diamond dog since I came here, I only seen ponies”

“It’s nice to meet you too. I’ll take a wild guess your name is Rubick, correct?” Jackal asked which startled Rubick but at the same time gave a wide smile “Sven told me about you and if you would like to know, diamond dogs live mostly underground so we are rarely seen around Equestria”

“Ah, I see” Rubick replied “I honestly have to read up more on your species, you are really a fascinating individual. I wish there were more around though” just as Rubick finished an aggravated looking Twilight Sparkle sidled beside him and pulled him back to the other side of the kitchen while giving Jackal a weak little smile.

“I’m sorry Jackal but I need to have a little talk with Rubick” she quickly dashed her way to the back of the kitchen with Rubick in tow. With a quick stop Rubick was jerked out of her grip as he fell to the ground “Oops! I’m sorry Rubick but what do you think you’re doing!?”

“Well I was having an intellectual conversation with another person until you rudely pulled me away” Rubick casually replied as he dusted himself off “Come now child, what has you so rattled that you are willing to tear someone away from some chit chat?”

“In case you haven’t noticed Rubick, he’s a diamond dog!” Twilight whispered, well technically it wasn’t really a whisper since her voice was so loud due to her stress “They are wily and thuggish but most importantly they are untrustworthy” she audibly whispered again.

“What? How can you saw such things about our new acquaintance?” replied Rubick “Does he look like an untrustworthy individual to you?” he asked as he pointed over to Jackal.

Twilight get a good look at Jackal. He sounded like someone who was smart but she couldn’t look past his furry exterior. Instead of the friendly dog that Rubick was trying to get her to see all she saw was a deceptive mutt with some patchy clothing. Conventional knowledge told her that she should be willing to take the chance to befriend someone of the diamond dog race, but a nagging voice in her head and some highly exaggerated flashbacks told her to remain wary of the dog.

“I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt... for now” she stated with absolute seriousness. It didn’t take much for everyone to find out that she really spoke for all of her friends when all of them maintained a cold glare upon him “But know this, Jackal” she spoke with venom “If anypony catches you doing anything wrong you’re gonna get it...”

“Is that some kind of threat?” Jackal sneered “Fine, act like your kind knows everything about everything. It’s just like the rest of the ponies in this country to treat my kind like the dirt we dig in. I thought friendship and harmony was supposed to be exemplified here, in Canterlot, the heart of Equestria no less. But it appears that magic of friendship is missing one last line; results may vary” when Jackal finished his snarky remark he could see that he did more than pinch a couple of nerves in the room.

“Quiet you! What do you know about friendship!?” Twilight angrily lashed out.

“I know that because of your friendship you’ve managed to ruin several lives just so you could set up Appleloosa on the southern borders! What is the few when compared to the many right!?” he spoke with fire “I’m not a complicated dog, I just wanted to live and lead my clan in peace, perhaps even in coexistence with you ponies for the good of all. I even extended out a paw in friendship only to have it thrown back into my face! You all live in a harmonious shell of a nation, not knowing what goes on behind the curtains so that you can keep living fat and happy while the rest of us suffer!” he concluded with a low growl while bearing his teeth.

“Easy there dirt for brains” Rainbow assumed an aggressive stance “Did you really think we’d fall for your little made up sob story?”

“Yeah, what do ya take us for, idiots?” said Applejack as she stood beside Rainbow Dash.

“Maybe, considering that everything I told you was true, but what do you know about me?” Jackal asked sincerely as his expression soften “Do you know what I’ve been through? The hardships that I’ve endured, the faces that I’ve seen come and go when I was behind bars? Or how about my nightmares about the welfare of my family, hmm?” he asked “You ponies are smart, you all have a brain. Why don’t you use it for once in your life” he sternly finished.

His last line was the final straw for the two fuming ponies before him and they could take no more of Jackal’s presence. Thankfully, before any unwanted hostilities broke out, Sven quickly intervened to remind them of why he was here in the first place.

“Friends, there is no reason to fight. Unless you wish to face me that is” Sven gave the two hard headed ponies a stern glare that shook them to their very bones “Now before any other insults to my friend are made I’m afraid I am going to have to cut the introductions short. Jackal was trying to tell me something before he was rudely tackled down to the ground by a certain group of ponies” he turned to the mane six who shrank under the Rogue Knight’s glare.

“Oh yeah, that’s right. What the hell happened to you anyway?” Gondar asked “You came in yelling that some ponies were chasing you”

“That’s because they were” said Jackal as he reclaimed his composure “I was just standing around, waiting for George to finish his little froggy business, when a couple of robed idiots started to harass me. It started off with some insults and name calling before they started to get violent with me. One of them threw a wild hook at me but I managed to duck it in time for the other sucker to get punched in the face. It was funny at first before they pulled out their swords. I quickly grabbed George and ran as fast as I could, I managed to break away from them before I rushed to find Sven”

“Sounds like you have had one tough day my canine friend” Rhasta added “Was there any particular reason that these robed figured attacked you out of the blue? Surely they couldn’t have attacked for no reason”

“You saw the reception I got here” said Jackal with an accusing paw towards the mane six “I think they were going to kill me just for being a diamond dog”

“How horrible!” Aiushtha exclaimed “They would kill you just for that?”

“No they wouldn’t” Twilight quickly interjected “We would never do anything like that, it is against our nature” she stated with utmost assurance.

“And that reason alone helps to justifies their actions!?” Jackal snapped back “I could’ve died back there if I hadn’t ran!”

“Just ignore her Jackal” Sven joined in “Besides, they’re crazy for trying to take on the guy who fought alongside me against that dragon back in prison” he said nonchalantly as all the girls collectively gasped at the two.

“What!? You fought a dragon, how are you even still alive?” Twilight exclaimed as she attempted to comprehend the thought of fighting a dragon and winning.

“Me and Jackal killed the dragon” he responded proudly which caused all the girls to gasped once more “You know if you keep gasping like that you’re all going to faint”

“How can you go and kill a creature like that!” Fluttershy rose up and got into Sven’s face “You should never kill no matter the reason!” she huffed angrily while giving Sven the stare. Normally when Fluttershy gives someone the stare they break down before her like a crumbling building, but she was just as surprised as her friends when Sven seemed to be unaffected by it. She tried straining her eyes harder to strengthen the power she had in the stare to make Sven see the error of his ways but comparatively it was like splashing water at a window.

“I hold not an ounce of pity nor regret for what I did to the beast” Sven stated coldly, no longer paying attention to the horrified looks he was receiving from his peers “I did this world a favor by putting him down. Even after the many times that I had spared his life he saw it as nothing more than an opportunity to kill me before his beloved crowd. He’d even go as far as to pathetically beg for his life when he knew what he had done to provoke my wrath” his words were ringing throughout the mane six’s minds.

They didn’t want to believe anything that he had said, whether it was about being allies and friends with a diamond dog or slaying a dragon because he deserved it. It was a hard reality that simply did not exist in the world of Equestria and everyone was rejecting it like it was some sort of pony propaganda, but they knew what they were getting into when they got involved with the heroes. They chose instead to stick with what they knew all their lives, the same way that it had been for several millennia. For better or for worse.

“NO!” Fluttershy shouted “You can’t kill! It’s wrong!” she then pointed an accusing hoof over to Jackal with tears streaming from her eyes as her voice grew hoarse “And you can’t trust these friend stealing monsters either!” without saying another word she frantically escaped the room with her tear filled expression.

With the room caught in a whirlwind of emotions everyone remained speechless at what had just occurred over a simple greeting. Applejack and Rainbow Dash delivered a glare at Sven for his bluntness despite his position as a knight and another for Jackal just because. The two ponies silently left the room immediately to go comfort their friends, leaving behind two disheveled unicorns and a partially deflated PInkie Pie. Aiushtha let out a big sigh before going as well.

“Don’t worry, I’ll look after her with Applejack and Rainbow Dash” she quietly spoke before trotting off to find Fluttershy.

Perhaps the only ones who were unfazed by the ramblings for the death of a dragon and befriending those of another species were, unsurprisingly, the heroes themselves. If they were feeling anything at the moment it was not a confusion but rather that of annoyance. Rhasta, motioned for Gondar and Jackal to leave the room. Pinkie decided that it was high time to split and did so accordingly by slipping out of the room without anyone noticing so that she could return to her work without any more fearful screaming and yelling.

The only ones who were left in the kitchen was Twilight, Rubick, Rarity and Sven with the unannounced George on his backside. Rubick rubbed the temples of his head with his hooves to alleviate the migraine that struck him like a lightning bolt to the head. When he finally faced his head up he gave the two unicorn mares before him a look that would’ve melted them on the spot.

“Twilight... Rarity... we’re going to take a little trip to your local library” he spoke as he struggled to mask his distaste at the moment. The two girls could only swallow the lump that was forming in their throat and avoid the unspeakable fire that was forming around Rubick. The two let out a defeated sigh before they followed both the Grand Magus and the Rogue Knight to the royal archives.

“Well that conversation flew south fast” Sven whispered to George. George croaked a few times in agreement before slowly drifting off into a little nap. Apparently the conversation made the little guy sleepy. He croaked a few more times before the only thing that could be heard from him was the very soft sounds of his adorable little snoring “Heh, sleep tight little squire”

* * *

The trip to the royal archives didn’t take too long, a few minutes or so at the very least considering that it was built on castle grounds. A couple of missed turns here and there impeded their progress by a little but they managed to find the great big library.

The journey there however wasn’t as smooth as some might think. It was incredibly rocky given the silence that Rubick held which troubled the two mares. The only one who had been willing to talk was Sven and even then they could tell that some semblance of his waning tolerance was slowly being chipped at piece by piece. Thankfully he remained in control of his emotions and talked as one normally would if they didn’t have a friend or a recent action they performed thrown back at him and have been told that it was all wrong.

“So... have any of you met my other friend yet? His name is George” he asked as he pointed to adorable sleeping frog on his back. The image of a cute little green frog snoring on the big lug’s backside was a sight that lifted away the air of uncertainty that surrounded the five. The two gushed a little at George, even poking him on his little cheek before he subconsciously waved it off which lead to a squee “Ah ha ha ha, I see you like him eh?” said Sven “But I am afraid I want to talk to you about more serious matters...” he said as his expression hardened from behind his helmet.

“W-what would you like to talk about?” Rarity hesitantly asked with an audible gulp.

“I can assure you that it isn’t as serious as it sounds. Although It may be serious to you ponies” Said Sven being ever so subtle with his hints about an issue. Twilight was the only one who managed to catch the little hint and she frown at knowing what they were going to talk about.

“It isn’t about Fluttershy yelling at you is it?” Twilight asked.

“I’m afraid not” Sven calmly replied as he petted George in his restful slumber “It runs deeper than that, deeper than you can understand so early on. But you two at least might be able to endure the stress that will come early on once I tell you” he spoke as his words grew heavy with each breath.

“What do you mean us two?” said Rarity “What are you talking about?”

“You two will find out soon enough. Besides, I’m talking about these words; faith, trust, understanding, denial, acceptance and hope” said Sven “There is more to these words than you can ever possibly imagine”

“But I already know what they all mean!” Twilight protested.

“What they mean and how you define the views of your life and the world around you with them are two entirely different things child” Sven inquired “You think you know them now but what if something that defies your knowledge of these words come into play. Something like me?”

“Something that defies... stop talking in riddles!” exclaimed Twilight “Don’t sugarcoat anything Sven. We trust you already but killing is a serious and almost nonexistent offence in Equestria! We ponies shun that kind of thing and prefer to promote peace, prosperity and harmony”

“Really? Well everyone cheered for me the moment I snapped the dragon’s neck” he nonchalantly replied “When me and Jackal got thrown into the colosseum the crowd rooted for the dragon to eat us”

“W-what!? A colosseum? When did all of this happen?” exclaimed Rarity.

Sven slowly explained everything to the two about his incarceration. It was a lot to take in when thing such as public executions were involved, the mass of pony royalty that was there enjoying the show and how poorly the guards treated the prisoners, especially to those of another species.

“Y-you’re lying! None of that exist!” exclaimed Twilight “The princesses would never allow any of that! Our kind would never allow that”

“And yet your princesses were the ones who deliberately motioned for the apprehension of my friends because they were linked to me” said Sven “Faith, trust, understanding, denial, acceptance, hope. Do you understand what I mean now or will you block out my words and stay safe in that little world of yours?” he stated harshly.

“Sven, if you are done badgering my student and her friend now I would like to inform all of you that we are here” Rubick interjected as he pointed to the royal archives “Come on, I want to see what lies on the other side of the gates”

* * *

The inside of the royal archives was a sight to behold for anyone who values learning and books and Twilight and Rubick were no exception. The entire archives was basically a giant chamber with multiple rooms that were filled from top to bottom, side to side with nothing but tomes, scrolls and books of all kind. Rubick would’ve enjoyed the experience more if his mood wasn’t in such a foul place at the moment.

Rarity and Twilight would soon feel the same foul mood that Rubick was under when they spotted a familiar looking unicorn and his little entourage that were slowly approaching them. It was the stuck snob of a prince and his equally snobbish colleagues. It didn’t take long for Prince Blueblood to notice the two mare as he decided to walk on over to greet them, whether they liked it or not.

“Why hello there miss Sparkle and miss... uh...” Blueblood tapped on his chin as he struggled to remember some name of pony that was beneath him on the social ladder.

“It’s Rarity, Prince Blueblood” Rarity hissed with venom from her lips “Surely you remembered the mare whom you treated so poorly back at the grand galloping gala?”

“No, doesn’t ring any bells” the prince said obliviously. Rarity was just about the pounce the guy but Twilight did everything she could in her power to make sure that no fighting breaks out, in a library no less.

“Calm down Rarity, it isn’t worth it” Twilight whispered to Rarity before turning to face Blueblood “I never took you for the bookish type Prince Blueblood, what brings to the royal archives of all places?” she asked with a fake smile.

“Oh me and a couple of my closest friends are just catching up on some history, that’s all. Being royalty is no vacation, I hope you do realize that” the prince finished with one of his award winning smile.

“And your friends are?” Twilight asked.

“My name is Quicksilver” said Quicksilver with a smile as she stood forth while striking a faboulous pose.

“And I’m her dear brother, the name is Speeding Bullet” he side as he stood beside his sister striking a much more masculine pose.

“We’re members of the wonderbolts!” the two announced together in unison with another pose “A pleasure to meet the princess’s personal student” they both politely bowed before Twilight and the others.

“It’s um... nice to meet such talent members of the wonderbolts too” Twilight replied with a nervous grin “So what kind of books are you reading anyway?” she looked at the few books that were in both their hooves.

The following were titled Relics of Equestria, The Properties and Theories of Magic, and Inventions and Devices Throughout the Ages. Then there was The Featherbrain’s Guide to Wooing the Mares that was poorly hidden behind Speeding Bullet’s wing. Twilight wasn’t going to question that last one, it would be incredibly awkward.

“Well aren’t you going to introduce us to your other friends?” Blueblood asked “You have quite the colorful duo with you” he pointed over to Sven and Rubick who were busy trying to read the directory of the library on the other side of the room. The two heroes took notice of the little discussion that was going on behind their backs once they were done with the directory and decided to see what was going on.

“Twilight, who are you talking to?” Sven asked “Is he another one of your friends?”

“Eh heh heh... no, Sven. we just know each other, that’s all...” Twilight replied nervously with a scratch of her head before clearing her throat “Ahem, you two, this is Prince Blueblood. He’s Princess Celestia nephew. And those two are Quicksilver and Speeding Bullet, they’re members of the wonderbolts, the premier stunt flying group”

“Huh, prince eh? Well you certainly look the part” said Sven “All pompous and primped like a little porcelain doll” he laughed heartily. Blueblood took offence to the little joke but held his tongue. He wanted Sven to be a part of his little organization “Anyway, my name is Sven” he announced.

“And I am Rubick” said Rubick “I’m sorry but we are in a bit of a hurry here, we’re looking for something, if you will”

“No, no it’s fine. Come on you two, let’s leave them to their business” said Blueblood as he motioned for Quicksilver and Speeding Bullet to follow him. The two complied and walked out only to silently laugh behind their calm facade.

“Pfft, let’s get out of here little dolly” Speeding Bullet joked. much to Blueblood’s chagrin.

“Oh shut up you buffoon!” he angrily yell as he exited the library leaving behind two laughing siblings and confusing Twilight’s little group.

“What was that all about?” Rarity asked.

“That isn’t important right now, Rarity. Now come on, I found what I was looking for” said Rubick.

The little group strove through the corridors and shelves of the enormous library, following Rubick’s lead as he past the A section then the B section up and finally the C section until he reached the D section of books. Without missing a beat he used his telekinesis to pull out every book on the shelf as he examined each one to fill his particular need. After he was done he had amassed a good pile of at least thirty to fifty books as he made his way to one of the reading tables at the foyer of the archives.

“Alright, time to clear up the air” Rubick said before flipping out every book and reading it like some sort of book reading, magic wielding prodigy, of which he was both. Twilight and Rarity stared with their mouths agape Rubick, who was so absorbed with his reading at the moment, to notice that there was some drool dripping from the corners of their lips. Hadn’t it been for Sven wiping the spit away there would’ve been a little puddle of saliva all over the clean carpets of the library.

Within only the span of ten minutes Rubick had finished reading every single book from start to finish as he concluded with having every book simultaneously shut closed and arranged them into several neat piles that were set aside on the table. But his mood had not changed, if anything his frown somehow got even more deeper as a vein was pulsing on the side of his forehead for whatever he was angry about. He took a few deep breaths to calm his nerves and to settle his mind before turning over Twilight and Rarity with a disapproving look much like that of a pissed school teacher. And Twilight and Rarity were about to get schooled.

“Tell me” Rubick calmly spoke “Why do you hate the diamond dogs?”

“W-well, they captured Rarity one day and forced her to find gems for them” Twilight replied “But Rarity did managed to escape them by uh... complaining. Ever since they haven’t bothered us”

“Hmm... interesting story. Now tell me why you hate the diamond dogs?” Rubick asked again.

“Now we don’t use the word hate bu-” Twilight couldn’t say anymore before a volley of books were slammed directly in front of her. The books were still covered in the faint green glow of Rubick’s magic before they were all spastically flipped open to pages of interest.

Each one of the pages had information about the diamond dogs along with a highly detailed depiction of what each one looked like. It was completely obvious to the heroes that there was something entirely wrong with the picture that they were all looking at and the words that they read. The ponies on the other hoof had another reaction, one of fear and disgust.

To the girls it was common knowledge to them so they acted accordingly. But to the heroes, the information in the book was about as trustworthy as a bottle fill of cyanide pills with the word food written all over it. Sven leaned in to read each passage of the book and grew more and more infuriated with each letter of the page. Sven could take no more after reading six books and threw one of them at the wall in anger, much to Twilight’s horror.

“I believe every single one of these books have several typos in them” said Rubick “Every single instance of the word fact in these books should be properly removed and replaced with the word opinion or better yet, lie” he angrily stated.

“What are you talking about? All of these books are factual!” Twilight shot back “Each and every single one of them are written by some of the finest minds in all of Equestria! From Starswirl the bearded to Charles Daring Wind they have all composed scientific data from the diamond dogs through extensive field research and observation throughout the ages. These books are all one hundred percent accurate in all aspect” he finished. Rubick rolled his eyes at his student’s ignorance and threw another book in her face with some rather unpleasant imagery.

“The Diamond Dogs by Clover the clever” said Rubick “Page two hundred and forty, beginning of paragraph three. The author writes, and I quote...”

* * *

The diamond dog is a very violent species of bipedal canines that prefer nothing more than the pleasures of hoarding large piles of gems and causing the misfortune of others. They are large, burly and only partially intelligent given what I’ve seen so far from field research. If there is anything I would compare these dogs to it would probably be the griffons as they are both omnivores. However, that is where the similarities end. At least the griffons are civilized like us.

While it was impressive at first to see these creature wield and use rudimentary tools as well as wear clothing, these diamond dogs are savages by nature. There have been several occasions where a diamond dog have kidnapped foals and enslaved ponies to find gems for them. Murder and rape are also commonly associated with the do-

* * *

Rubick stopped completely after reading only half of the last sentence and groaned in disgust at the book. The last line he read had completely destroyed whatever credibility that the author may have had to him with their facts. The only other he disliked about the book was the grotesque imagery that the diamonds dog were being portrayed as. The dogs were drawn to be like Ulfsaar on one of his bad days.

The picture showed a large, brutish and almost feral looking diamond dog with matted and torn fur. The eyes on the dog were red with dilated pupils and had a foaming mouth that was riddled with needle like teeth. The rest of the dog was clothed in rags and carried a bloodied bunny corpse with him that had a bite taken out of it. If the author of the book’s intent was trying to scare the ever living crap out of a little foal then they had done a superb job in doing so.

“Do these look like factual information to you?” Rubick rhetorically asked “This book must be at least a couple of centuries old and all it’s done for the past few hundred years is insinuated a perpetual lie about one’s race!” he yelled which caused the two girls to shrink behind his voice “How could someone publish this and have the gall to call their own opinions fact!” he stomped around as his rant went on. Twilight gathered whatever courage she had in her and finally spoke out against Rubick, albeit a little shaky.

“Why are you getting so worked up over this? Everything you’ve read is not a lie. It was written by Clover the clever, she was Starswirl’s apprentice. They are two of the perhaps the most brilliant minds of old Equestria!” she argued.

“Whether or not the books are authentic or if those two you’re talking about were brilliant is not the point that I am trying to make you see!” shouted Rubick “Are you meaning to tell me that these compilations of lies and your one only actual experience with the diamond dogs have cemented your distrust and hate for them?” he asked as his voice changed from blind fury to solemn pity.

“I told you, it’s not hate. But... we can’t trust them!” said Twilight “They’re unpredictable and savagely, that’s why we remain uneasy around them” she began to nervously shift side to side and averting Rubick’s gaze. Rubick said nothing before shaking his head in disappointment.

“I see, so if that is what you think then I won’t do anything to change your mind” he quietly spoke “I can only hope that you understood what Sven was talking to you about”

“I already get what they mean full well” said Twilight “What is so important about those words that Sven would go and lecture me about them?”

“What they mean and how you define the views of your life and the world around you with them are two entirely different things dear” said Rubick which gave Twilight an annoyed expression.

“That’s the same thing Sven told me earlier!” she let out an exasperated groan “Look, let’s just get back to the castle ground and continue wedding preparations. I think I already wasted enough time on my break” she started to prance around nervously and whispering to herself about what Celestia would think about her tardiness “Oh, I’m sorry Rubick but me and Rarity still have important matters to attend to” without saying another word both Rarity and Twilight quickly trotted out of the library leaving behind two tired heroes.

“Maybe you should give her some time, she is still young after all. Who are we, aliens from another world, to push our own world’s ideologies onto her and the ponies” Sven said as he walked his friend towards the exit “She’s just not ready to leave the little protective bubble of her’s that is Equestria. When and if the time comes, she will have to make the decision on her own whether or not what she believes as a whole is the right way of thinking”

“You’re right” Rubick said as he sighed “But I fear of something much bigger. I’m training her in magic you see, after she went and asked me to tutor her in the ways of the arcane. When she spoke to me she said she would use her powers to defend those who cannot defend themselves. Although after seeing that little break in character earlier I fear I might be raising some kind of monster who will follow her princesses every order like some kind of soulless automaton. There is more to this world then I had originally surmised” he let out a big sigh “This is the first time I’ve ever taught anyone the ways of magic and already I feel like it’s going to haunt me...”

“So Equestria isn’t all sunshines and rainbows after all” said Sven “I feel like there’s something going on but we can’t see it. Only Gondar could, or at least that what his weird visions keep telling him about”

“You know what, let’s save this for another time” said Rubick as he grabbed one of the book stacks “Let’s just try to get through the rest of the day without anymore problems, we still have that induction to worry about” he said as the two heroes exited the archives

“But I do need to have a word with the princesses later...”

Chapter 21 end

Chapter 22: Drafted- Part 1

What does a Hero Truly Need?

By: Zelkova48

Chapter 22: Drafted- Part 1

Yesterday, despite all the progress that our favorite mares and heroes have made on the the wedding, was pretty hectic after Rubick and the others experienced some mild prejudice towards their new diamond dog acquaintance. Thankfully no one ended up getting hurt at the end of the day, physically at least. Some things were said and a couple of hollow threats were made but other than that the guards weren’t involved and nothing catastrophic happened.

Unfortunately, Aiushtha had to spend the rest of her day speaking with and assuring almost every single member of the castle staff that Jackal wasn’t some prison escapee or spy that wished to caused anarchy in an otherwise harmonious society. It took a couple of hours for the Enchantress’s words to sink into the populace but once it did ponies were able to stand around Jackal without hyperventilating and passing out from lack of oxygen.

Rubick continued to mentor Twilight again in the finer points of magic, albeit a little less enthusiastic than he was previously before. Ever since he and Sven found out about several books with some rather discriminate information regarding the diamond dog species he found himself questioning the legitimacy of the pony’s supposed society that was built upon the foundation of friendship and harmony. Because of that he was left in a state of extreme thought that almost gave him a migraine.

Eventually he managed to power through his headache and see through another night of teaching and eventual failure. Now his teaching method’s weren’t bad per se. It’s just that Twilight kept trying to do things her way from a logical standpoint and that always made her fall flat on her face when it came to something as simple as an entry level telekinesis practice. Time after time he kept telling her to stop treating magic like a feral beast that needed to be control but she kept doing it regardless.

Twilight begrudgedly argued again about the concept of magic being some sort of separate being but Rubick just went and told her that she was being too forward and dense with her thinking. She raised a hoof to perform a counter argument but she stopped when she realized that Rubick would probably have some witty retort about her strict personality, even when it wasn’t. After another couple hours of repeated effort and failure they had decided to call it a night.

Even if all the heroes did was prepare for perhaps the biggest wedding in all of Equestria, everything that happened afterwards built up some unwanted stress that no one wanted. Hopefully the next day would be more relaxing. Maybe the princesses could shed some light on the tension between ponies and the diamond dogs and maybe Twilight will be one step closer to finding them all a way back home.

But for now, some sleep was in order for everyone. A restful night of sleep is all that is required to reinvigorated the body and the mind to prepare them for another day of work. Although everyone in Canterlot managed to sleep soundly and peacefully thanks to Luna and her abilities to enter dreams, the princess of the night was drawn to one particular individual who appeared to be suffering a horrendous nightmare of sorts...

* * *

“Hmm, how odd. I never would’ve thought that him of all ponies would be suffering from a nightmare. Perhaps his occupation is getting to him” Luna said as entered the realm of Gondar’s subconscious. Like she had done a thousand time before, she lifted up the veil that separated Gondar’s mind from everypony else. As she stepped into his mind she immediately took notice of how dark the area was. His nightmare must’ve ended but something felt off. What kind of pony dreamt of oblivion?

She kept her distance from Gondar but keenly observed him, her deep blue eyes never leaving Gondar once. He looked much more calmer than he was went Luna spotted him writhing in pain from across the dreamscape. He was much more reserved and focused, like when he was when he was during their first meeting. She was about to approach him but a bright flash of light froze her in place.

When Luna finally opened her eyes, she was speechless at what she was seeing. Some sort of alicorn... griffon... well, she didn’t know what the heck it was. All she knew was that it was a quadruped but it had two other arms to hold it’s oblong staff. It’s skin was reminiscent of black obsidian which had an eerie green glow through the cracks of it’s form. Who or what entered felt physical. Gondar wasn’t dreaming him, he was real and he was inside Gondar’s head.

From the look of thing, both Gondar and the foreboding entity were having a little chat. Luna was interested in eavesdropping upon the conversation but as she tried to move she felt her face collide some kind of invisible wall. She rubbed her nose from the pain and cursed inwardly, some powerful magic was blocking her from listening in on the two. But as she mulled around the thought of magic, she realized that she missed the obvious question. Who in Equestria, aside from Luna and her sister and to some extent, Discord, could be strong enough to enter the mind?

She was confused, very confused. The world of dreams was her domain and yet there was an unwanted intruder mucking about in her territory. She tried to used her own magic to remove the unseen barrier but she was met with a light fizzle that didn’t do anything productive. She cursed again, something was amiss and she was hellbent on finding out what. But for now, all she could do was watch.

* * *

“What the hell was that? I thought I heard some kind of noise” said Gondar as he looked around the dark room of his mind. He thought he had heard something, which was strange considering the fact that he could’ve thought that he heard something, which in and of itself was incredibly confusing “Huh, guess it was nothing. By the way, why are you here again, Harbinger? Did you get bored of the battlegrounds already?” he asked

“That is irrelevant” Harbinger simply stated with his spine tingling voice “But you have noticed that they have disappeared, correct?”

“What, the visions?’ said Gondar “It was strange. One moment I was trapped in the middle of a burning field, and then the next, nothing at all. It all just faded away. I guess you know something about that then, right?”

“Correct. The reason why the visions have stopped is because of you and the others” said Harbinger.

“And why is that? What makes us so special other than the fact that we don’t belong in this sugarcoated continent?” Gondar asked with an annoyed tone laced in his voice.

“Your presence here has altered the course of this world’s future. What you saw was the eventual fate of this world had it not been for your arrival” said Harbinger.

“So... what about everything else? The prophecy that you told me. Are they just going to disappear now that we screwed up whatever was suppose to happen?” Gondar asked with a raised eyebrow.

“No” said Harbinger “Your being here may be purely coincidental but the destruction that awaits the inhabitants of this world will still occur” Harbinger settled down on all fours and gazed at Gondar with his ethereal eyes “You have a choice to make. You may choose to leave this world when the opportunity arises or you can prevent the premonitions from coming true”

“But why should I care what happens here? I had nothing to do with this place up until a few days ago” Gondar replied coldly “So what if this world burns. Right now, I’m more relieved of the fact that those damned visions are gone” he gave a relieved sigh behind his mask

“What you decide to do is out of my jurisdiction” said Harbinger “However, I do know that you do have some sort of personal stake in this world regardless of what you say, Bounty Hunter” Gondar winced at his words as an image of Rarity flashed into his mind for a split second. Harbinger knew about that but he didn’t elaborate on that. The Outworld Devourer chuckled before the flustered hunter, something that Harbinger rarely did unless he was destroying some lesser being.

“The choice is yours; resign this world to it’s fate or avert cataclysm” said Harbinger with his bone chilling voice “Choose wisely, for one choice shall forever doom the other”

Gondar took a moment to think absorb everything that they had just talked about. It was dizzying trying to choose between something that was world shattering, literally. He mulled the choices around in his head. He thought back to what he had said about how he didn’t care if the world burned. He felt disgusted at his choice in words. For the time being until there was a way home he was technically a citizen of Equestria, whether he liked it or not.

He was Equestria’s Bounty Hunter now, and even though he had been drafted into the elite royal guards he will continue to see the deserving caught and/or killed for their crimes. Even though the princesses don't particularly agree with his methods, simply ticking them off with whatever he did would make his stay here much more satisfying.

“I won’t say anything yet, Harbinger” said Gondar with his head lowered “It’s too soon to tell and I need to know what the others might think too”

“Understandable” Harbinger replied “If that is what you think then I am done for the time being. I have to leave now, someone has been watching us” he said which caused Gondar’s crimson eyes to widen like dinner plates. Gondar looked around the dark room trying to look for the intruder. It was hard to see in the darkness but his trained eyes adapted to the light and he could see a dark blue outline off the edge of the room. he knew who it was all too well.

“Her?” Gondar exclaimed “What is she doing here?”

“Trying to understand things that she cannot comprehend” said Harbinger as he began to take flight with the each beat of his wings “It will be a long time until we meet like this again, but for now, I shall take care of her” he raised his staff up high as the green glow around him brighten until he disappeared from the recesses of Gondar’s mind.

Gondar didn’t know whether to feel relaxed or terrified that Harbinger was going to handle the spying princess. Relaxed for the fact that he could breathe easy knowing that his secret could still be intact, but terrified for what Harbinger could do to Luna. Luna may have control over the moon but to Harbinger the moon was nothing more than a spec of dust to him. He could destroy her mind with a single wave of his staff, leaving her to become nothing more than a magical vegetable.

Although a part of him was fearful for the possible outcomes, he smiled on the inside knowing that the almighty princess of the night is going to be in for the surprise of her life.

“Heh, I’m sure she’ll be fine. Harbinger wouldn’t go that far here, not yet at least” said Gondar as his mind began to harmonize itself back with his own physical body. Slowly but surely his consciousness was back to the way it was suppose to be as he returned his restful slumber.

* * *

“Huh? What just happened? Where did that creature go?” Luna asked herself as she gazed around Gondar’s consciousness, trying to find the enigmatic intruder to her realm. She spied all around but found nothing of interest, aside from Gondar dreaming naturally. She wanted to enter his dream again to get some answers but she just found herself slamming into the invisible barrier over and over again “Gah! Who is doing this!”

“Me....” a deep and haunting voice spoke from behind Luna as she received her answer, although now she regretted actually asking it in the first place. Luna felt herself lock up out of fear, the cold voice that spoke to her caused her muscles to tense up and an uneasy feeling of dread washed over her like a tidal wave. She audibly gulped as she steeled herself to turn around to face the perpetrator. As she slowly turned her head she almost immediately came face to face with Harbinger himself. His deep bluish green orbs of eyes bored directly into her soul.

“It is rude to spy on others while they are talking” the stone like being spoke again. The fear that Luna felt earlier was gone, in it’s stead was the resolute personality that Luna also held whenever she was dealing with something that could very well threaten the well being of her subjects.

“Silence!” Luna shouted with the royal Canterlot voice “Explain thyself creature! Who are you and what are your intentions!” she demanded. Harbinger however kept his burning glare upon her, It was like two stars were trying to break Luna down. But she remained steadfast, she wasn’t about to be intimidated by some mysterious stranger on the dreamscape “I will not speak a third time creature. Explain yourself!”

“You hold no business for something that you are clearly too blind to see” Harbinger shot back “Your peaceful world is but a facade, you believe that violence and destruction can be avoided permanently. But in the end, it will be your own subjects that will burn the world for a better tomorrow. The ones who pride themselves on pacifism and friendship will serve as the catalyst for destruction” Luna was taken aback by the creature’s words. He practically insulted her and her subjects, calling them monster. She was getting incredibly irritated by the creature’s arrogance.

“How dare you speak about me and my ponies in such a manner! Give me a reason not to smite you from existence!” Luna threatened Harbinger, but the outworld devourer was not fazed even in the slightest. If anything, the same glare that he was giving her intensified ten fold. With a raise of his staff, he brought it down upon Luna when the edge barely touched the tip of her horn. He didn’t make contact with Luna, but the bright glow from his staff spelled trouble.

“My mind, blots yours out...” said Harbinger as Luna felt her body go numb. The bright flash of light that ensued afterwards sent Luna flying across the dreamscape at the speed of thought. She barreled across almost every dream in sight as she felt herself forcibly returned to the physical realm, like being stretched far too thin into a taffy puller and then spat out by a hippopotamus.

Luna didn’t even have time to scream in terror as she got violently slingshotted from one realm to the next.

* * *

“Aaaaaah!” Luna screamed at the top of her lungs as she tossed and tumbled out of her plushed bed. It took her almost five minutes to unravel herself from the messy blankets and back out into the air. She was sweating as she nervously peered around her own room, trying to look for something that didn’t exist. She calmed her nerves down when she finally realized that everything was okay. When her heart finally stopped beating so fast her personal guards bursted through the from door before assuming a protective circle around Luna.

“Princess!? Is something the matter?” one of her guards spoke “We heard you screaming and we thought something bad happened to you”

“I-I’m fine, just a bad dream... that’s all” said Luna. She was alright but her mind felt fuzzy. She didn’t know how or why but for some strange reason something was missing, something important, like she was suppose to remember a very important detail. But whenever she tried to remember she only drew a blank, nothing but a void in place of where a supposed memory should be. She did however remember something else important when she looked at the location of the sun in the sky.

“Oh my goodness! I’m late!” she shouted as she scrambled back to all four “Guards, return to the barracks. I shall be attending to you and the others shortly once I have prepared myself” the guards saluted their princess and complied with her command. Each of the guards exited the room and returned back to their quarters.

* * *

It was early in the morning, around eight o'clock at the very least. The sun had just barely made itself above the horizon but everypony was out and about with their business. Wedding preparations continued like normal but there was something special planned today, a prelude of sorts. It was quite exciting to say the least, a lot of ponies had showed up to visit the event that the princesses and suddenly planned for them and were ecstatic to be there.

The event were held at the barracks by the castle and there were guards as far as the eye could see. Nothing but matching white and gold armor in the sea of guards, save for the signature dark blue uniform of the Princess Luna night guards. There was a large crowd forming at the middle of the training grounds and everypony was curious about what was all the hubbub.

The princesses were the first to step onto the stage, followed by their respective guards and some fancy looking officials. The crowd was still chattering about but when three specific ponies walked onto the stage all fell silent to the point where you could hear a pin drop on soft soil.

Gondar, Sven, and Rubick were all on stage and were nervously shifting about from the looks that they were getting from their peers. All the ponies eyes were wide in disbelief with a slacked jawed expression to boot when they found out that the entire event was for the welcoming of the three troublemakers into the elite royal guards.

The reception was mixed. Half were glad that criminals had turned over a new leaf for the better of everypony while the other half exclaimed their shock and protested against drafting criminals into such a prestigious position. But as the both Princess Celestia and Luna voice their reasons the crowd couldn’t help but lean towards the more positive side of things.

After a couple of demonstrations by the newly inducted guards, some fancy knife throwing practice with Gondar, an illusion spell with Rubick, and Sven’s show of strength, the ponies outlook quickly changed exponentially.

It’s really amazing how quickly the trust of the ponies change whenever the princesses speak, like listening to a fretful mother telling her children what is safe and what is dangerous. Demonstrations aside in an unanimous decision everypony enjoyed the fact that bad ponies and change for the better. Oh, if only that were true. At the drop of a hat everyones trust with the new guards was solidified almost immediately and the heroes received a standing ovation in return.

At least now the heroes won’t have to worry about getting the stink eye each and every time they step out into the streets of Canterlot, that shall prove to be very helpful in the near future if they don’t screw it up first. Although the main populace was now accepting and even idolizing the heroes, there was still a few ponies that found the recent induction to be distasteful. Namely, most of the regular guards themselves, and the night guard, which was basically Luna’s version of the elites.

“Your majesty, I don’t mean to intrude but I must voice my opinion on the matter at hoof” said Dark Wing, a bat pony commander “But do you really think that it’s the best to enlist these... assassins into the elite guards? They did after all tried to kill you!” said Dark Wing with a scowl towards Sven and the rest.

“Fear not, Dark Wing. We’ve come to a compromise, there should be nothing to fear” Luna replied coolly “Besides, with the elites incapacitated we need all the help we can get”

“But they were the ones who destroyed them in the first place!” Dark Wing exclaimed “They should be in a cell right about now, not parading around in the open! What if they just use this as an attempt to flee the country? What with the threat made to Canterlot and all, they’ll probably abandon their post and skipped the city when they get the chance to”

“Please, calm yourself commander. Like I said, there is nothing to fear, these fine ponies have earned their place in the guards” said Luna which only served to irk Dark Wing.

“Earned!? They were the ones who destroyed the guards in the first place!” shouted Dark Wing as her apparent anger began to boil over, in front of the princesses no less “I knew ponies in elites, they had to work to the bone to get to where they were today and that all came crashing down when that yellow freak showed up!” he pointed to Gondar “Why in the name of Faust did they automatically become elites just like that!”

“That is enough out of you commander!” shouted Luna “They are staying and that is final, or perhaps you would like for me to have you demoted for insubordination?” she threatened. Dark Wing couldn’t say anything else, he submitted and went back to his post.

“No, your majesty. I apologize for my outburst” he said.

“Good, now pay attention, you might learn a thing or two from these three” Luna stated as Dark Wing could feel her anger boiling again. She didn’t like the heroes, not one bit. But she digressed, hopefully there will come a time when she could show up the heroes to prove that they didn’t belong in the elite. But that, is for another time.

* * *

Rubick fell onto his haunches somewhere around the training grounds of the barracks. He was beat, exhausted. The event lasted far longer than it should’ve and Rubick wasn’t exactly the athletic type to begin with, so after three hours of swearing to some code of honor and waiting in the hot sun he broke down once all was said and done. He let out a sigh as he rubbed his arms and legs to relieve them from soreness.

“Good heavens, how do soldiers do this all day?” Rubick asked as he cooled himself down with a variation of Ancient Apparition’s ice vortex “You would have to be insane standing out in the sun all day in full suit of metal armor” he said as the cool breeze from the vortex began to chill the area around him.

“Then I guess you can say that my brother and everyone under his command are insane as well” a voice spoke out to him. Rubick turned his head to see that Twilight was standing next to him, with a warm smile on her face.

“Hello, Twilight. I take it you saw that outrageous event that they had planned for us?” Rubick said as he returned her smile. He motioned to her to sit by her and to enjoy the quaint breeze that he had going.

“If you thought that was outrageous just wait until you see the wedding” said Twilight with a giggle as she sat beside Rubick, she could feel the gentle breeze of the little ice vortex flowing through her mane.

“It’s too bad that I won’t be there to see, miss best mare” Rubick joked “I was stationed with Sven at the gates of the city, I won’t be able to see anything except for passing ponies”

“Oh, I see...” Twilight said as her head began to droop a little “You’re... not still angry about yesterday, are you?” she asked. Rubick’s ear twitched a little, he felt guilty about spouting nonsense that peaceful ponies probably couldn’t understand yet. He was angry, but not at Twilight, not at Celestia or Luna, not at the writers of the distasteful books that he read, but at himself.

“No, I’m not angry” said Rubick but he didn’t sound convincing about it “Okay, so I am angry but not at anyone except for myself” he said “I might have gone overboard yesterday, about what I said. I had no right to speak about my own worlds ideals against yours, and I’m sorry for that. Sven was right about me, I was out of line when yesterday” Twilight let out a loud sigh, she accepted his apology but she needed to talk about something else.

“It’s alright Rubick, It’s as much my fault as it is yours. After all, you didn’t know much about them being here for only three days” said Twilight “Those books, you were... right about them”

“I am?” Rubick said, sounding a bit surprised “Um... I mean, yes, I am”

“As much as I hate admitting things about books, the information is very, very dated” said Twilight with a grimace on her face “I did my research and learned that they were true... only because I believed it was. My only experience with the diamond dogs and everything that I ever thought I knew about the dogs have cemented this idea in my head that they’re all bad”

“Well, what did you do then?” Rubick asked, sounding interested about Twilight initiative.

“The one thing that I never thought I’d do, have a normal conversation with a diamond dog” said Twilight, sounding particularly proud about what she did.

“I see, so I assumed that you went to see the only diamond dog on the premises” Rubick replied.

“I did. I was actually surprised at what I had learned” said Twilight “He wasn’t like the ones that I met, in fact, he was very mannered for a diamond dog. He apologized about what he had said earlier that day and so did I. We talked for a spell before our lesson last night”

“Interesting, what did you learn?” Rubick asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Lots of things, actually. Perhaps too much. Jackal kept some details to himself but... I could see it in his eyes, the pain that he had felt, the things that he had lost” Twilight replied “As it turns out, diamond dogs weren’t violent creatures to begin with, they never were” she said with a sigh “All this time I believed that diamond dogs were nothing but savages, but I was blind to and by the truth that was in front of me the whole time” her head drooped even lower as she found herself caught in a funk “

“Ponies have always told me that I’m the smartest they know, turns out that I wasn’t smart enough to look past the dog’s shaggy exterior” she sighed even more “And then there was the things that Sven had told us, and the things that he had done”

“You’re talking about him slaying that dragon in that arena he mentioned?” Rubick asked.

“I-I still don’t know much about that but... I don’t know how to cope with those thoughts. It’s... it’s just so... unlike us” she felt a shiver run down her spine “I can understand how you and the others take it so... casually. You’ve actually done it, you’ve fought, you’ve killed, yet you retain your morals and drives and you can move on like nothing had happened. How do you do it, isn’t it hard taking a life like that?” she asked.

“That’s the thing, isn’t it?” said Rubick as a stern look formed on his face “You would be hard pressed to find out how easy it is”

“E-e-easy?” Twilight stammered, sounding particularly horrified.

“Yes, killing is far too easy” Rubick spoke with seriousness “Have you ever stopped and wondered to yourself how easy it would be to take a life. Maybe a simple fire spell, or tipping them off of a building with a forceful push, or even plunging a dagger into their chest. So simple, a child could do it” he told her as she shrank from his hard gaze.

“But” he said as his demeanor lighten up “You must be strong to hold yourself back, you will learn that it’s very hard to do so if you give into the bloodlust. Even the most noble and innocent of the Radiants aren’t incapable of performing such acts without some reason, just or not. Aiushtha, for example. She’s plunged that javelin into my chest cavity more times than I can count before trampling me into the dirt with her powerful hooves” he chuckled at how dark the joke was.

“I guess all the violence grows on you” Twilight said in a fearful but understanding tone.

“Logically speaking, yes, it would. But to the heroes of the Radiant and Dire it is not about violence and the effects on our mind overall, some of us enjoy the killing. Some might even argue that slaughtering countless lives can be very... therapeutic” Twilight visibly cringed at the thought of murder for relaxation. It only served to make the talk a whole lot harder.

“You are just as capable of taking a life as me, only you are unused to the feeling, you know that it’s wrong and will not do so” Rubick replied “You haven’t been desensitized yet, unlike me for better or worse, but in your case, it is for the better. You can see know why I wanted to leave for home so quickly, I didn’t want to involve a world like this with my notions of destruction insanity”

“I...I understand” Twilight replied with a sigh “I’m glad that you're at least honest about that”

“Well, you’re taking this rather well, perhaps I didn’t go far into detail enough at creative killings” Rubick joked darkly “Why I remember a time when I stole Leviathan’s ravage right when our team's Magnus used his reverse polar-”

“No, no. It’s alright. You don’t have to go into such graphic detail about your favorite moments on the field” Twilight shot back defensively, hoping to avoid another stomach churning story from Rubick.

“If you say so dear” Rubick replied with a light chuckle. As he was laughing he noticed that Twilight’s gloomy expression. She took a deep breath before speaking again.

“Rubick, the dogs, the killing, hidden arenas. I just don’t know what to think anymore. I always think that I do, I know I am in control with tense situations but I think saving Equestria twice and being the element of magic had gone to my head and I didn’t even know about it. I’ve become some sort of ignorant self righteous bully instead of a protector to those in need”

“Twilight, don’t say that” Rubick said in a reassuring tone as he lifted her head up “You’re not a bully. You... are Twilight Sparkle” he simply stated as Twilight’s smile returned “I don’t need to say anything more, you know it, I know it, your loving friends know it, heck, the whole world knows it. You know that you love to learn, to better yourself, and you learned something new, something groundbreaking, something that the whole world had been ignorant to for a thousand years now”

Twilight felt better now, all the guilt and fear that she felt, about something that she thought that was insignificant left her system. She felt like a new mare, stronger, wiser, more... understanding. Her eyes widen in surprise as her thoughts went back to what Sven had told her, perhaps that was what he meant. But that was only one of his words, there were more that she had yet to learn.

“Okay, so I learned that the diamond dog race aren’t bad but what should I do with this information? It’s still a little hard for me to take everything in so suddenly” she said, unsure of herself even after her little epiphany.

“You’re a bright mare, young Twilight. You’ll know what to do about it, just keep an open mind about it” said Rubick “By the way, are there any other sentient species that I should know about just so we don’t have a little repeat of yesterday?” he asked. Twilight furrowed her brow as she racked her brain trying to come up with the answers.

“Not many that are considered hostile by us, at least” she quickly added that last part “There’s the griffons, you heard about them. Then there’s the zebras and the horses from Saddle Arabia. There are dragons but we’re on a level of mutual respect with them, they don’t wish to harm us and we promise not to try and probe them with questions about their kind”

“What about the bugs?” Rubick asked.

“Excuse me?” Twilight asked with a confused tone.

“The black shelled insects that Rhasta mentioned. We were briefed about some kind of planned attack on Canterlot, that’s why your ruler asked us to stay for the time being, and I deduced that they could be the cause. It only seemed to make sense given his precognitive abilities” said Rubick

“Well, a planned attack would explain the abnormal influx of guards around here but you can’t honestly believe that Rhasta is right about some ravenous insects?” Twilight asked with skepticism laced in her voice “And besides, we have nothing to fear about an attack. We have you guys, my brother and his shield and the princesses themselves. Those nonexistent bugs Rhasta prophesied are probably just a figment of his imagination”

“Hmm, I doubt that. The Shadow Shaman’s connection with the spiritual world is anything but superstition” said Rubick “Just remember, keep an open mind” he said as something important clicked in his head “Speaking of minds, what about your friends? Things got out of hand yesterday when they all met Jackal”

“I tried talking to all of them last night about Jackal. Some of them were reluctant to believe but they eventually came around, mostly” said Twilight “Pinkie Pie is Pinkie Pie, she didn’t really feel threatened by Jackal, if anything she wanted to befriend him. That’s why she was so quiet during our unpleasant outburst. As for Rarity, she took it surprisingly well given her experience with diamond dogs as well. I think her time with Gondar made her look the other way”

“What about the others?” Rubick asked.

“Well, Rainbow Dash and Applejack can be as stubborn as a mule sometimes. No offense” Twilight turned to an mule that was idly standing next to her.

“None taken” the mule replied with a smile before trotting off into the sunset.

“Ahem, as I was saying. Those two can be stubborn as a mule sometime, but it’s only because they don’t want to see anyone get hurt, even if things got thrown way out of context” said Twilight “Applejack’s the most dependable pony I know and Rainbow wouldn’t leave anyone behind. It took a bit of convincing but they warmed up to Jackal, sort of. They still keep their eye on him but I’d say after a week they’ll be acquaintances at the very least”

“What of Fluttershy?” Rubick asked “She seemed to take it the hardest”

“Not to worry, she may be frail on the outside but she is strong at heart” a warm voice spoke from behind the two. Both Twilight and Rubick turned around to see the beautiful Aiushtha standing before them and gracing the two with a warm smile and Sven with his armor and all.

“Ah, Aiushtha, Sven. How nice of you to join us” Rubick exclaimed as the two other heroes sat beside Twilight and himself “What brings you two here?”

“We needed to get away from the crowd. They were asking too many questions and I was starting to feel a might claustrophobic” Said Sven as he set his massive sword down onto the grass “We overheard you talking about Fluttershy, we just wanted to tell you that she’s alright, albeit she is still suffering from the shock of it all but she is recovering nonetheless”

“Yes, as it turns out, Sven went to apologize to her after you all left the library. It made things a bit more bearable for her” said Aiushtha “Who would’ve thought that the big and tough Rogue Knight had a great big heart behind all that armor of his” Aiushtha teased causing the other two to laugh.

“I was merely correcting my mistake. Nothing more. Treating someone like her in that manner goes against my code” Sven crudely defended himself “She is scared, she doesn’t know of the horrors that we face everyday on the battlegrounds and she doesn’t know how to react to it. I calmed her down as best I could and did my best in showing that Jackal wasn’t a some sort of thug. It was tough, even for me”

“Wow, I’m impressed, Sven. When I tried to talk to Fluttershy last night she wouldn’t let me or the others into the room, she practically locked herself inside. How did you do it?” Twilight asked.

“The only way I know how, with subtle force” Sven said with a chuckle.

“Excuse me?” Twilight and Rubick asked at the same time.

“He meant that he broke through the door” Aiushtha explained which made Twilight and Rubick go wide eye “To be honest, I was entirely against breaking the door down but someway, somehow, he made it work. Who knew Sven was such a gentle giant for someone who can destroy the other team with a few swings of his sword”

“Heh heh, such is the way of the Rogue Knight” said Sven with another chuckle “Do not worry, I fixed the door before anyone else noticed”

“Well that explains why there were so many wood chips all over the floor this morning” Rubick said with a confused look on his face “So, it seems that everything has calmed down for the time being. Hopefully this won’t affect your trust in us in any negative manner”

“Far from it, if anything we can converse with you without freaking out about the big stuff now” said Twilight “We’ll just have to get used to it I guess. It might be a little hard at first but, like you said, keep an open mind” she said which caused a warm smile to creep it’s way onto Rubick’s face.

“Glad to hear” said Rubick “By the way, where are the others? I haven’t seen Rhasta or Gondar after the induction ceremony”

“I think I saw them head over to the armory along with Rainbow Dash and Applejack” Twilight said “Gondar said something about feeling naked without his tools, so he asked the princesses to guide him to the armory to stock up. If we go now we should meet them right at the armory”

“Well, let’s go now then” said Aiushtha as she hopped back onto all fours and sproinked her way to the armory “Sproink!” she giggled gleefully as she breezed across the courtyard.

“Sproink? What does that mean” Twilight asked both Sven and Rubick, but they simply shook their heads and shrugged their shoulders at her.

“I dunno” they both said as they all walked towards the armory while pondering the mystery of the word sproink.

Chapter 22 end

Author's Note

Hoo boy, this is perhaps the biggest chapter I wrote so far. Originally it was around 13.5 k words but I decided to split it up for easier reading segments. Hope you enjoy.

Also, help Dota 2 if you like by donating to the prize pool for the 2013 internationals, get rewarded with neat gear in the end as well!

Chapter 23: Drafted- Part 2

What does a Hero Truly Need?

By: Zelkova48

Chapter 23: Drafted- Part 2

The building that was the armory was really nothing special, but when you thought about, a large secure warehouse meant to hold weapons of war (and I use the word very loosely) shouldn’t really be all dazzling and shiny. What Gondar, Rhasta, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash was staring at was a very plain building of wood, stone and steel that was designed to be a heavily armored bunker.

However, upon closer examination with Gondar’s trained eyesight he could see that while the bunker appeared to be reinforced to withstand some kind of attack, it’s design overall ranked in comparison to that of a three year olds block buildings. The building was sturdy, there was no doubt in that but everything else that was suppose to protect it gave Gondar and Rhasta the urge to smash their face into a brick wall multiple times.

The only real protection that they had were the stone walls and wooden beams around the bunker that were plated with a thin layer of steel, around the same thickness as a sheet of cardboard. That being said, the beams were only covered on the vital points of the structure but it was done so poorly it looked like it could easily be broken and toppled over if an elephant ran into it. Heck, even if it had a strong foundation of stone this building did not look like it was capable of surviving more than one siege. This armored bunker was a fort made of twigs in disguise, and the Shadow Shaman and the Bounty Hunter knew it all too well.

“Behold! The great armory of the royal guards!” Luna announced with fire “Here in this indestructible bunker we house all of the guards armaments. Though we prefer to go the route of diplomacy rather than violence, we are not without our defences. Should any other nation seek a skirmish there is no doubt that we have the capability to repel any attack they might throw at us!”

Applejack and Rainbow Dash were staring at the armory with a slack jawed expression before expressing how amazing it was to be at such an amazing piece of architecture, one that was meant to help the guards defend Equestria in times of danger no less. That is if it didn’t involve some malevolent deity trying to rule the world but an evil king or queen could fit that role just as well as Discord or Nightmare Moon could.

Gondar and Rhasta’s feeling was completely opposite to the two mares. Instead of a feeling of awe and inspiration of sorts, they felt very underwhelmed. They might as well be walking into a room that was made entirely out of muffins. At least there they would be well protected and have an ample food source at the same time. Jokes aside, they dreaded seeing what the inside could hold in a world like Equestria.

“This place isn’t my most favorite locations to visit in Canterlot, but after ruling for so long we have come to learn that it is a necessity” said Celestia as the little group strolled into some sort of foyer where they had to be checked before they could enter the building “While we haven’t had conflict in an incredibly long time, we have always made it our business to research and enhance our soldiers armor and equipment to make sure that they are ahead of the times should a battle ever occur” she stated proudly.

After a couple of turns in the hallways and another check by some guards they entered the storage room itself. It was all so neatly organized. Row and columns of weaponry were all in their appropriate racks and shelves to where it would be almost impossible not to misplace and item in the room. However, that was probably the only thing impressive about it.

Again, only Rainbow Dash and Applejack found the room impressive while Gondar and Rhasta weren't exactly blown away by it.

“Ah! Princess Celestia! Princess Luna!” a brown stallion with a cutie mark of a hammer and anvil wearing a black apron walked up and bowed to the princess “Welcome to the armory your majesty. What bring you here on such a fine day”

“Hello, Forge. We’re here to help outfit the newest member of the elite royal guards with some equipment. As you can see, all he has so far is the clothes on his back” Celestia said as she pointed over to Gondar.

“Ah, yes. I’ve heard all about you today mister Yellow Devil” said Forge.

“Even though I like the sound of Yellow Devil, please, just call me by my name, Gondar” Gondar replied, trying his best to remain as professional as possible. Forge nodded and motioned for the little group to follow him around the armory.

“I have heard quite a lot about you today and I must say, you and your friends are truly an inspiration for us all mister Gondar” Forge said quite cheerfully.

“Really now, in what way?” Gondar asked.

“About how you all gave up your criminal ways to join the guards and to serve the common pony. It takes guts to turn yourself in after so many years of working on the wrong side of the law. Ponies will talking about that for years to com!” Forge exclaimed.

“Oh really now, I wonder who told you all that?” Gondar said as he eyed the princesses behind him. They paid no mind to his stink eye and continued to walk as if nothing was wrong.

“Aha! Here we are. This is the armor hall” Forge announced as they all entered a room full of matching gold and white armor. It was frighteningly similar to the sea of guards that they’d encountered just hours earlier only all the suits of armor were empty and neatly stacked on each shelf

“Hoo doggie, that’s a lot of armor” said Applejack as her eyes scanned through the room. From wall to wall there was all kinds of metal armor and helmets that were created to suit each of the ponies special needs. There was a helmet will a hole at the center where the forehead was for the unicorns horn. Another set of armor has some holes on the side for where a pegasus’ wings could move freely without hindering movement “You should count yourself lucky here, Gondar. It’s a rare opportunity to wear such finely crafted armor”

“Yes, it is. Forge here is a master smith and has created some of the finest armor and swords that Equestria has ever seen. You might say that he is even a prodigy at such things. There is no one else in the world that can rival his craftsmanship” said Celestia which caused Forge to blush a little.

“Aw, come on, there’s no need for modesty” said Rainbow Dash ”You must rock at your job. You’re the one who helps all the guards with their armor and stuff, they should be honored to have you as the master smith”

“Oh please, stop it” said Forge as he regained his composure “All the armor here is normally one size fits all thanks to my impressive improvement made to the metal platings so that they can fit you no matter what the size” Forge’s expression shifted to a slight frown when he finally got a good look at Gondar, he was short that he was, and scraggier too.

“Hmm, I suppose I could make a custom fit for you” said Forge “I’ll have to get your measurements first before I can start making it”

“He’s got a point there buddy. You’re not exactly the tallest stallion Ah know” said Applejack with a snicker “They might have to chop the metal boots off of these things just to fit ya”

“Yeah, or maybe they’ll make you wear platform horseshoes just so you can wear the dang thing!” Rainbow Dash joked as she laughed upon the floor of the room.

“Sorry, but I don’t need armor, just some weapons” Gondar replied flatly which took everyone in the room by surprise.

“Whuah? Surely you must be joking. All armor is standard issue for guardsmen and they’re more than just for fashion, they’re suppose to protect you” said Luna, but Gondar wasn’t buying it. He wasn’t the type to wear a heavy suit of armor, it’d just slow him down. If anything, his notoriety scared people into wearing armor some that they wouldn’t automatically get eviscerated by him should their face ever appear on a wanted poster.

“I’ve done well without armor for as long as I can remember’ said Gondar “My pants, shawl. backpack, and some metal plates on my shoulder and hips were all that I ever really needed in the field”

“And they’ve lasted you all this time?” Forge asked, sounding a bit skeptical at such a notion “I find that hard to believe, you couldn’t have worn that all this time without some proper protection”

“Occasional I switch things up a bit with a new mask or some shoulder pads but they clearly lasted better than all of that special armor you made for the elites. They bent and crumpled like paper when I was through with them” said Gondar “Your design left about fifty soldiers trapped in thick metal shells as they were all internally bleeding and crying about broken bones and their mommies, nice job there buddy” Gondar shot back with a hidden smirk.

“Well, that would mean that I’ll just have to keep improving” said Forge, trying to show Gondar how offended that he was when he insulted his armor “But the point still remains, you are a guardsmen and armor is required fo-”

“Just take me to the swords” Gondar rudely interrupted Forge who was taken aback by such brashness “I don’t want to hear anymore about these screaming metal death traps, I’m only here for the weapons”

“Fine, but if you end up with an arrow through your arm then don’t come crying to me about not wearing any armor!” Forge shouted as he stormed over to the next room where all the weapons were held.

“For the record, I’ve been hit by arrows plenty of times. I was still in better shape than the elites were with my clothes” he joked with a chuckle.

“Um, you were joking about the whole getting hit by arrows thing, right?” Rainbow Dash asked as she walked beside him.

“Wanna see my scars?” he offered nonchalantly.

“Uh... no, I’m good. Thank you for the offer though” said Rainbow dash as they strolled through another room where instead of armor there was nothing but weapons. Weapons like simple swords, spears, crossbows and the occasional black powdered rifles lines the racks and shelves this time and they all appeared to be in great shape.

* * *

“Here we are, my pride and joy of the entire armory! The weapon storage facility” Forge announced proudly with a grand gesture “You may have mocked my design about the armor but once you get a feel with these swords you’ll be begging for me to let you use one” Forge said rather smugly with a victorious grin on his face “Please, have a look around. I’m sure that you’ll find all of these swords and spears to be the pride of a modern age”

“Modern... yeah, right” Gondar whispered beneath his breath as he began to browse the room.

“What are you looking for in particular?” Luna asked “There is a variety of armaments here that you can use. We can help you find the one that you are most proficient at” she offered.

“No, it’s alright” Gondar replied “Right now, I just want to find something that I can actually use and not let it be just some useless paperweight” Gondar muttered quietly behind his mask. He scanned around the room and saw something shiny gleaming off the edge of his eyes. He turned to find that there was one sword that was unique from the rest. But unique in this armory was a two way street, Gondar was drawn to the sword but he could feel that something was a little off about it.

“Aha! I’ve seen that you’ve notice excalifur!” Forge exclaimed as he rushed over Gondar “This is my greatest accomplishment. It is perhaps the greatest sword I ever created, it took me an entire year and a copious amount of sweat, blood and tears to craft such a magnificent blade. This...” a single tear streamed down from his eye “This is the sword that will defend Equestria in it’s darkest hour!” he exclaimed as the waterworks started.

Gondar held the sword in his hooves. It was like a standard gladius blade albeit it was slightly longer and thinner. It was given the style treatment. As Gondar unsheathed the sword it shined and gleamed like a hundred diamond in the sunlight. There were several engravings and personal touches to the hilt and pommel that made it stand out from the rest. The bright polished silver shine of the blade nearly blinded Rhasta as he took a peek at it.

“My, my. What a beautiful sword. I must say, you really outdone yourself with this one, Forge. It really does look like something that a fearless hero will wield to vanquish the forces of darkness” Luna praised with a clap.

“Wow, that is a fancy looking sword” said Applejack with an impressed whistle afterwards “I think this is the sword that you’re looking for Gondar. It looks like something you would use”

“Yeah, I think it suits you. Plus it makes you look pretty awesome in my opinion, maybe even as awesome as me” Rainbow sounded particularly smug at the last part of her sentence “Well, what you do you think about it?” she asked.

“Yes, is this the sword that you seek?” Celestia asked Gondar. Gondar stared at the sword some more, all the while ignoring the smug look from Forge. He then turned to Rhasta who had been incredibly quiet during his entire tour of the armory.

“You haven’t talked much today buddy, but I can tell by the look in your eyes that you’re thinking the same thing that I am” he said as he twirled the sword in his hoof.

“I know I have not talked much, I just don’t like this place is all” said Rhasta as he stood next to Gondar “But yes, I know what you’re thinking as well” he ran his hoof along the flat edge of the blade.

“So, tell me. Is it amazing? Incredible? Brilliant? World savin-” Forge was going to finish but he was cut off by Rhasta speaking over him.

“It is a con my friend. I know one when I see one” said Rhasta as he pretended to clamp his nose from a bad smell, everyone in the room looked at him perplexedly “I’ve seen and sold so many swords that look like this in my years as a con artist that I can almost immediately tell a good looking sword apart from from a good sword” he finished as Forge’s jaw hit the floor.

“Wh-what!?” Forge shouted angrily, he was positively fuming right now “H-how dare you insult my work! I will have you know that this sword is worth more than you street urchins will ever hope to make in your entire life tim- !”

“This sword isn’t worth the metal you made it out of” Gondar rudely cut in.

“What do you mean?” Celestia asked “A years worth of beautiful work such as this must be worth at least a few thousand should it ever be on the market” Gondar shook his head before the princess.

“Uh uh, far from it” he replied “The metalwork is absolute crap. It looks amazing but that’s only because you’re distracted by the polished sheen of the blade. The core of this sword is incredibly flimsy and the edge and tip are so pathetically blunt I don’t think it could even cut through some thin parchment without bending like rubber”

“All of this decor doesn’t help either, it harms the blade in fact. The fancy wooden pommel and the deep engravings have off balanced this sword, it’s too heavy on the hilt. If I had to put a price on this, I’d say it would only be worth...a drink down at the tavern” he finished, leaving behind a room full of stunned ponies.

“E-excuse me!? A drink down at the tavern!? You can’t be serious!? I worked an entire year on this, it should be worth tens of thousands” Forge angrily shouted.

“It should be worth two drinks if you haggle enough with the barkeep” Rhasta added which did nothing other than drive Forge over the wall even more “Think about it, that’s more than one” he said with his signature grin.

“Wow, I didn’t realized how crummy that sword really was. You might want to choose something else there buddy” said Rainbow Dash.

“Quiet you!” Forge snapped at Rainbow “I’ll have you know that this sword would turn you into ribbons if you were to ever face it!” Forge boasted.

“Oh yeah? Then take a swing at me” Gondar demanded as he shoved the sword at Forge “Come on, I dare you” he said as he tapped his chest “Right here, I’m standing still so just plunge that sucker right into my heart”

“Gondar! That’s madness, you’re going to get hurt!” Celestia intervened “You don’t have to do this, if you would like another sword just find another one around the room! There is no need to go and prove anything!” she shouted

“Just watch, you’ll see. I’ll be fine” said Gondar as he helped Forge hold the sword then press it against his own chest ”Come on, do it!” he challenged. Forge acted on a whim after being badgered by Gondar so much that he didn’t even realize what he was doing. Without thinking, Forge went and plunged the blade right into Gondar’s chest... only to find out that the sword ended up on the ground in many little pieces.

Forge couldn’t believe it, his sword, his masterpiece, his life’s work shattered into tiny little bits and pieces of steel like a stain glass window upon even touching Gondar’s skin. All the ignored impurities and poorly worked portions of blade began to show itself as it crumbled like a chunk of dirt. The once glorious blade became nothing more than a forgotten memory.

Gondar didn’t say anything more. There wasn’t any need to. He just left Forge and the rest behind as he turned for the door and left without so much as a whisper. The room was stark silent, no one made a peep to break the incredulous mood in the air.

And who would say anything at this point anyway? They’d all just witnessed the sword that would defend Equestria in it’s darkest hour turn into a pile of scraps with a simple nudge to the chest. It was... hard to stomach, especially for Forge who just stared slack jawed at the floor without moving a muscle. Even the princesses were speechless, perhaps they have to rethink about the amount of funding that they put in the R&D department.

“Uh... what’d just happen?” Applejack said, clearly confused about everything that just happened.

“I believe we just learn that Forge’s metal working skills need a lot of improvement” said Rhasta as he began to leave with Gondar.

“W-wait!” Luna shouted “Where are you going! You haven’t been outfitted yet!”

“I’m going to find a tool shed!” Gondar shouted in the hall “I’ll just go make my own equipment!”

“Um... okay, what do we do with poor Forge now. Anyone?” Applejack asked as she poked Forge who was doing his best impression of a stone statue. He rocked side to side hilariously that Applejack couldn’t help but snicker at it, in light of his current misfortune “We can’t just leave him like this”

“Maybe we should put him out in the gardens” Rainbow joked “He’d fit right in now”

“Uh... we’ll notify the staff to clean this all up and have Forge here moved to the infirmary” Celestia said with a sigh “In the meantime we should just go find them, they’ll probably be in the garden. That’s where the tool shed is located...” she sighed again “Honestly, I starting to think these ponies are more trouble than they’re worth... but, it is for the safety of Equestria” she thought as the four left the armory behind.

* * *

“Heh, turns out the armory wasn’t as cool as I thought it was” said Rainbow as they were all walking towards a little brown shed out in the serene gardens. Both Applejack and Rainbow Dash’s thought on the armory turned around almost completely once they saw how faulty some of the stuff in there really were “I thought that sword looked kind of funky, I could totally tell”

“No, you couldn’t, Rainbow Dash” Applejack retorted flatly before she could hear the sound of pounding metal and sawing wood coming from the tool shed. The banging of metal and rumble of wood began to escalate to a crescendo with each step that they took “What in tarnation?”

“Such noise! What in Equestria is he doing in there?” said Luna as the noise grew louder and louder. As they approached the tool shed they could see that Rhasta was having a casual conversation with the elderly groundskeeper of the gardens, mr. Greenhooves himself. The two of them were enjoying some carrots that mr. Greenhooves grew himself in his own personal patch of soil in the castle gardens.

“Hello there, mr. Greenhooves” Celestia smiled as she approached the semi senile groundskeeper “How are you doing today”

“I’m doing great your highness. Have y’all met Rhasta? He’s a funny feller” he said “he knows all kinds of stories and jokes. Heck, he could pass off being about as old as me, heh heh” he chuckled

“How can you act so calm with all that noise in the background!” Rainbow shouted past all the industrial like noises that were emanating from the tool shed.

“Huh? A clam in the town?” Greenhooves asked.

“No, she said how can you act so calm with all the noise” said Luna past all of the ruckus.

“What? A palm of toys?” he asked.

‘“No! What they are trying to say is don’t you hear all that noise!?” Applejack shouted at the top of her lungs but she realized that near the end of her sentence the noise had died away already.

“I can hear just fine darling, you don’t have to yell” said mr. Greenhooves as Applejack blushed sheepishly. Before anyone else could say anything the door to the tool shed opened up to reveal Gondar and the fruits of his labor, labor that apparently took around half an hour to make with limited resources under less than exceptional conditions.

In his hooves were several oddities of the likes which nopony have ever seen before, it looked crude in both appearance and design yet there was a nagging feeling that told the group that the pile of cobbled together instruments were more reliable than most of the stuff they saw in the armory. He went and set all of the items he made on a small stump next to Rhasta and Greenhooves. Gondar ran a check on each of his newly crafted tools before turning back to the group.

“What took you?” he asked.

“We had to help the best smith in equestria moved to infirmary so they can figure out if his brain is broken or not” Rainbow crudely stated before trotting over to examine the stuff that he made. She fiddle around with what looked like three rocks tied together with a thin strand of rope, she didn’t know what the heck it was or what it did but she thought it was cool since it reminded her of something out of the Daring Do novels “Hey, Gondar. What’s this thing suppose to do?”

“I’m glad you asked, Rainbow Dash. It’s called a bola, it’s meant to catch and encumber my prey” he spoke with pride “It was one of the first things that I learned to make back home for my... occupation”

“It looks very... I honestly don’t know what to say” said Luna as she examined the weapon “I don’t get it, what makes this so much better than all of the other weapons in the armory?” she asked as her hooves got momentarily tied together before she shook them free.

“For one, they’re actually useful” Gondar stated “I prefer functionality over form any day”

“Really?” Celestia and Luna said together. They couldn’t believe that something like some rocks and string could be used to subdue somepony. Unless they were a unicorn, then they could just wrap others up with their magic “Could you perhaps provide a demonstration?” Celestia asked.

“Alright. Applejack, wanna help me out?” He asked.

“Sure thing, what do ya want me to do?” she asked as she stood beside Gondar.

“I want you to run, run as far and as fast as you can away from me. I’m gonna try and trip you up with the bola” said Gondar which gave Applejack a confused expression.

“Uh, okay?” she reluctantly complied as proceeded to run away from Gondar. Why? Well, she didn’t really know other than the fact that he’s going to try and demonstrate how a bola worked in concept. She thought about that to herself, how was he going to stop her? She’s going to find out in the next few seconds as she was a good twenty feet away from the group.

“You mean to tell me that you’re going to catch her from this far with that?” Luna asked as she pointed to the bola

“I defeated fifty of your best guards alone and you can’t believe that I can catch Applejack with a bola from far away?” Gondar asked flatly which clicked with Luna. She just shrugged her shoulder and sighed.

“Please, continue” Luna finished.

With that said, Gondar turned to the faraway Applejack with bola in hoof. He had to adjust his arm strength to the weight of the bola and calculate the distance of Applejack as well as his backswing. With instincts and skill leading his throw, he sent the bola whirling through the air.

It spun through the air hypnotically until it reached the back of Applejack’s hind legs. Almost immediately the ropes began to entangle themselves like thick vines, causing Applejack to tumble and roll onto the ground while she unintentionally hogtied herself. The more she tried to move, the more she could feel how futile her attempts were.

“Ooh, good throw friend” Rhasta commented as Greenhooves nodded with him.

“Hmm, impressive” said Luna as she teleported Applejack back to the group. Applejack was back in standing position but she was teetering back and forth, trying to maintain her balance since her legs were still tied together.

“Uh, little help?” Applejack asked as Gondar proceeded to untie the orange pony. Once Gondar was done Applejack gave her legs a good shake, feeling relieved to free from her bindings “Phew, thank you kindly, Gondar”

“No problem” Gondar replied, but even with his heighten sense he couldn’t see how Rainbow Dash was gushing behind him.

“Whoo! That was awesome! You have to teach me how to throw one of those!” Rainbow asked as she hovered beside Gondar.

“Sorry kid, no can do” Gondar replied, much to Rainbow’s disappointment.

“Aw, why not?” Rainbow asked as she drooped back to the ground.

“They’re clearly not toys, Rainbow Dash” said Celestia as she stepped in “Given Gondar’s.... unique profession, it’s clear to see why he can’t teach you any of his methods. You could harm yourself, or even unfortunate others on accident” Rainbow Dash moped a little but she shook it off.

It made sense. Plus, given her track record with her bombastic personality and crash landings, there aren’t a lot of ponies out there that would like to walk out onto the streets knowing full well that Rainbow Dash was somewhere out there and that she had the skills to trip them up with a bola. It would probably be hilarious when you think about it though, Rainbow Dash with some bolas throwing skills.

“Can you at least explain to us what all of the other stuff are?” Rainbow asked. Gondar thought about it for a bit, telling them about the tools of his trade wouldn’t kill anypony.

“Alright, but I’ll only talk about a few so choose carefully” said Gondar as Rainbow Dash excitedly flew over and picked up one of the funnier looking tools. It was one of Gondar’s main weapon, one that he’s carried into almost every battle during his fight on the battlegrounds.

“Ah, the mancat-uh... I mean, the ponycatcher” Gondar said as he quickly corrected himself, hoping that the Princesses didn’t catch his slip up.

In his hooves was an almost perfect recreation of the harvester from his personal hidden hunter collection. To Gondar, it was an oldie but a goodie. Gondar basically took a simple field scythe and grafted a sharpened trowel head to the opposite end. He then took the handle of the trowel and made it into the handle for how he would normally hold it, which in his pony form worked just as well as his old bipedal self.

“I think the name of this speaks for itself” said Gondar “There’s really no need for an explanation”

“Yeouch, I can see why you don’t want me messing around with this stuff. I can’t imagine being on the opposite end of that thing” said Rainbow Dash as she winced at what the ponycatcher could do given the name. It may looked scrappy but the name made up for the appearance.

“Where the heck did ya find a scythe?” Applejack asked as he examined the ponycatcher “You’d think you would find one of these on a farm”

“Oh, that old thing” said mr. Greenhooves “I’ve been using that to cut the grass here for about as long as I can remember. I gave it to him since he asked for it, I’ve been meaning to buy a new one anyway”

“Alright, Rainbow Dash. You can pick one more” said Gondar.

“Sweet! Let’s see what else you got” she exclaimed as she rummaged through the rest of his tool. She rustled about it for a good minute until she pulled out what looked like a long chain with another sharpened trowel head attached to it’s end “Okay, this is weird”

“Oh, that. I haven’t used one of those in a long time” Gondar grabbed hold of the chain as he let it hang slack in his hooves “It’s called a chain linked spear, I used to use this to catch criminals off guard. They would hear the whistling sound of the chain as I readied it...” he said as he began to spin the chain much like a metal lasso “But by then it would’ve been already too late” he said as he threw the chain powerfully towards one of the branches of a nearby tree.

The chain flew straight as an arrow until the pointed end pierced right through the wood as it locked into place. Then, with a vigorous pull, Gondar snapped the entire branch off of the tree and pulled back it back to his hooves. Rainbow’s jaw hit the floor once she saw how brutal this thing was, but at the same time she admitted that it was friggin awesome.

“Heh, Pudge isn’t the only one who can use chains” said Gondar as Applejack raised an eyebrow at him.

“Who’s Pudge?” she asked

“A good friend of ours” Rhasta said with a wink.

“Oh” said Applejack until she realized that they were talking about their own world “Oh! I see”

“Alright, that’s enough show and tell. I’m gonna have to pack these up so I can use them later” said Gondar as Rainbow’s expression noticeably deflated slightly. There was still so many neat things that she wanted to ask about how it worked since they were all hacked together from simple garden tools.

There was what looked like half of a garden shear that had been bent into place to act like a makeshift sword. Heck, if anything, Rainbow Dash thought that the garden shear sword was way better than the excalifur. Then there was the bountiful collection of short but balanced throwing knives that had been worked from common objects like chisels, cut outs from some sheet metal of an old rusty tin roof and the sharp part of a sickle.

“Land sake, how many tools did you own, mr. Greenhooves!?” Applejack asked as she looked over the pile of homemade throwing knives, eyes wide in disbelief.

“Little missy, how young do you think I am?” said mr. Greenhooves as he chewed on another carrot “I’ve loyally worked here for so long I could build a mansion out of all the tools that I own in that shed of mine”

“Well that was a very... enlightening” said Luna “You don’t think perhaps we could use some of those designs for our guards, could we?” she asked. as Gondar was packing up his knives and strapping his weapons on the side of the backpack he just shook his head.

“Not in a million years” said Gondar as he placed his backpack back on “If your smith can’t make a proper sword then how in the world is he suppose to make something like a bola? Save yourself the trouble and tell your boys to keep their hooves off of these things unless they’re looking to nick themselves on accident”

“If you believe so...” Luna said dejectedly “It would’ve have been nice to outfit the rest of the guards with some new equipment though. That bola thing looked useful for nonlethal engagement, and toning down that ‘ponycatcher’ could change the way how the guards could handle certain situations” she thought to herself.

“There you all are!” a gingerly voice spoke out from behind the group. They all turned and saw that Aiushtha and just about everyone else had shown up as well. Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Jackal, Sven, Rubick, Twilight and Spike all walked up to them, expressions of exhaustion were all evident on their faces assuming that they had been working so hard while running around trying to find everyone else “We’ve been looking all over for you, I thought you went to the armory”

“We had a change of plans and decided to cut the visit short” Celestia half fibbed “Gondar here didn’t like the equipment that was shown before him and he insisted that he’d make his own tools”

“I’d take it the tools in this armory were a little lackluster?” said Sven with a smug grin on his face.

“More than you can ever think buddy” Gondar replied as he turned to Jackal “So, how’re you with the locals now?”

“Better than before, still a bit shaky but it is a massive improvement considering yesterday” said Jackal as he looked over to Fluttershy.

She didn’t feel scared or threatened anymore after Sven busted her door down to apologize to her. It was incredibly awkward and terrifying but once she stopped hyperventilating from such a surprise and actually talked with Sven she became a bit more accepting towards Jackal and his species, it wasn’t a whole lot but heck it was better than nothing.

And since he was going to be sticking with them for a while she might as well be courteous to him since he had shockingly been courteous to everyone else once Twilight spoke to everyone.

She remained in the way how she would to most things given her personality. She was timid, bashful, shy but if she could open up to everyone else like she did in the past then why not now since there was really nothing bad before her. Just a misunderstood individual on the wrong end of things. She may have hid behind her mane and spoke about as loud as a gentle breeze whenever she tried to converse with Jackal but she’s doing her best in believing that something she thought was once scary is really not.

“It takes time, it always does” said Jackal as he averted his gaze away from the timid yellow pegasus who in turned sighed in relief.

“Let’s just call it a day already” said Rainbow Dash as she flew next to the group “The weddings only two days away and we already have everything up and running like clockwork. Let’s take a break before the big day” everyone nodded in agreement. Without missing a beat the rest of the group turned and went straight to the castle after another successful day of preparations. As the group was walking however, the princesses were having a private conversation behind them.

“The guard would benefit greatly from the tools that Gondar showed us, wouldn’t you think?” Luna asked her sister “I mean we would have to learn how to craft such tools first before actually putting them into the armory of course”

“Sister, how hard can it be to recreate some rocks tied with rope and an oblong looking stave?” she asked with a chuckle “I’m sure the scholars back at the castle can cook these up on a slow afternoon, it shouldn’t be challenging”

“If you say so” said Luna “How is their contingency plan coming along?” she asked softly, a question that caused Celestia’s eyebrow to slightly twitch upon mention.

“Swimmingly” Celestia calmly replied, trying her best to maintain her composure “I pray we won’t have to use it though...”

* * *

Today was the big day. Everyone’s hard work was finally going to be in play as the wedding began. It was a marvelous sight, everypony in Canterlot tuned in to perhaps the biggest event of the year; Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Captain Shining Armor’s wedding. It was an outrageous sight, ponies as far as the eye could see were all cheering and shouting with joy as the two lovers were about to be bounded in holy matrimony. Too bad the heroes couldn’t be there.

Far, far away from the actual castle itself were the newest members of the elite royal guards, and they were bored out of their minds. Rubick was stationed by the north gate of Canterlot and Rhasta had chosen to accompany him so that the grand magus doesn’t set something on fire just to tickle his fancy. Sven and Jackal stood watch around the east gate while Gondar was with Aiushtha to the west. The boredom of standing watch even though there was a gigantic bubble shield covering the city was absolutely maddening.

All that time that they were guarding Canterlot they’d actually wished for Rhasta’s fortune telling to be true. What they wouldn’t give for some sort of invasion of giant black shelled bugs to happen right about... now.

BZZZZT

A loud droning noise not unlike a cicada began to echo throughout the city. Perhaps it was something natural on a hot summers day but the droning got louder and louder before ear piercing screams began to throw themselves into the mix. Rubick and Rhasta turned around and to their surprise they saw that the sky was indeed filled with a swarm of black shelled insectoids. How they got inside the shield didn’t really matter to them at the moment but they were more than happy to see that there was some kind of invasion going on.

But there was none who was happier than Rhasta as he began to dance around ecstatically shouting the same thing over and over again deep into the noised filled air.

“I knew it! I was right all along! And they all laughed at me when I told them about this! AH HA HA HA HA HA HA! YES!” he bellowed joyously.

Chapter 23 end

Author's Note

I smell something fishy going on in the background...

Chapter 24: Invasion...

What does a Hero Truly Need?

By: Zelkova48

Chapter 24: Invasion...

Castle Canterlot, northern tower, one hour before the wedding

Queen Chrysalis was nervously pacing herself, while disguised as Princess Cadence, in her room as the hour of her supposed wedding drew nearer and nearer with each step that she took.

She was incredibly worried, and even though it was incredibly breezy in her room, she was breaking out in a cold sweat as her frazzled nerves began to grab hold of her composure. Something was wrong, Princess Cadence was missing and she was the one who had to take her place.

“I don’t understand, where is she?” Chrysalis said to herself “This wasn’t suppose to happen...” she continued to pace around to the point where she was welling a groove directly into the floor.

“The plan was so simple... hide as the princess whenever she was away, gather the love energy from her fiance and feed the hive until we could reform ourselves...” said recited as her movements slowly grew more and more sporadic “What went wrong? What did I miss?” her train of thought was rudely interrupted by the sound of the doorknob jingling about. She nearly jumped out of her chitinous exoskeleton as Cadence’s chambermaid entered the room.

“Ah! There you are, Princess Cadence” said the chambermaid “I have been looking all over for you!”

“Y-you have?” Chrysalis shakily replied as the chambermaid came over and began pulling her towards the door.

“But of course!” she exclaimed so that the whole world can hear her “Come now, otherwise you’re going to be tardy for perhaps the most important day of your life. Your wedding!” she unnecessarily shouted as she continued to drag the nervous queen around “Now I know how nervous one can be hours just before their own wedding. But I can assure you that there is nothing for you to be afraid of!” again, she continued with the overzealous shouting.

“W-wait! I-I’m not ready yet!” Chrysalis shouted as she did her best to stay entirely in character “Please, just give me a bit more time!” she protested, but to no avail as she was being forcefully pulled down the stairs and out of the castle’s front door.

Before she knew it, she found herself steadily walking down the aisle and towards the altar where her fiance and almost every single pony of great importance in all of Canterlot were waiting for Shining Armor and Princess Cadence to be joined together in holy matrimony. She felt faint, very faint, towards the point of collapsing as she could feel the grim reaper breathing his icy cold breath behind her neck as she took steps towards her own execution.

“This is it... our extinction...” She thought to herself as she finally reached her future husband and did her best to fake a gentle smile as her mind shifted from a panicked overdrive to a state of sorrowful acceptance. This was the day that the changelings would be wiped off from the face of Equestria. But...

“We were set up, there’s no other way...”

* * *

Somewhere, far across the room, hidden behind the eager crowd of ponies was Prince Blueblood, High Horse, and the rest of their self righteous associates. It was a little too early to propose a toast for the marriage of Princess Cadence and Shining Armor, but it was the perfect time to propose a toast to the prompt annihilation of the entire changeling race. Prince Blueblood pulled out a flask from the inner pocket of his vest and took a big swig from it.

“Today truly is a great day isn’t it?” he asked as he placed his flask back into his pocket.

“You said it” said Speeding Bullet as he took quick glance around the room “When all of this is over and the real Cadence gets married, I think I’m going to try my luck with the rainbow maned way all the way by the front over there” he pointed over to Rainbow Dash “Once we get this imposter and the rest of her disgusting bugs turned to ashes of course. By the way, how is the real Cadence anyway?” he asked.

“Don’t worry, she’s fine” said High Horse “I had a few of the boys drug her meal this morning. She’s in a cozy safehouse far away from here. We’ll retrieve her when the imposter dealt with, we’ll tell her how she was maliciously capture by the changelings so that she’ll be on our side the whole time. Simple, really”

“All that hard work of driving them out of their hives is finally paying off” said Fast Hoof “Hey, Chain. I think it’s time to put the final nail on their coffin, don’t you think?” she asked with a smirk. A subtle yet victorious grin found it’s way onto each of their faces as Chain Warden brazenly walked out towards the center of the room and shouted at the top of his lungs:

“Your majesty! That is not Princess Cadence!”

* * *

Streets of Canterlot, Main Gate, Present Time

The loud almost unbearable sound of metallic droning and buzzing filled the streets of Canterlot as a swarm of changelings swept across the vast city of Canterlot like a black storm. Ponies were panicking like there was no tomorrow and mass hysteria kicked in within only a matter of seconds. While the stalwart members of the royal guards were doing their best to make sense of the situation as well as to contain it, their combined efforts were all for naught as they all eventually found themselves rounded up like cattle.

Elsewhere, towards the front gates of Canterlot, the loud high pitched sound of screeching and the sharp discharge of and electricity echoed in the background of all the buzzing as bright green and yellow bolts of energy danced about the earth and the sky in a wondrous display of light. The smell of charred flesh and fear was evident by the scorched remains of several changeling drones that were piled around the area like sand bags.

“HIIIIYAAAAAAA!”

A brilliant yellow light flashed from Rhasta’s wards as his ether shock branched in front of him like a spider web and electrocuting around fifteen poor drones that were unlucky enough to get caught by him. Their exoskeletons chipped and cracked under the high voltages that was being forced upon them until their chitinous armor bursted off of them to reveal their fleshy interiors as they all spiraled out of the air towards a smoky crash landing.

“Fade bolt!”

A snake like stream of wild green energy discharged itself from the end of Rubick’s staff and struck another changeling mid air as the bolt continued to travel to each of the other changelings around it. As the bolt continued to snake its way throughout the sky, the destructive power of the fade bolt began to slowly fizzle out, however, the strength draining effects of the bolt maintained itself as several fatigued changelings dropped out of the airs like flies.

“Well, Rhasta, old friend. It looks like you were right about the future again” Rubick praised as he hopped over a changeling that had the courage to barrel straight at him.

“Those princesses laughed at me when I told them about the bugs” Rhasta jeered as he turned a poor unexpected changeling into a little chicken “I wish to see the look on their faces now, ah ha ha ha! Never doubt the power of a shaman!” he let out another ether shock as his joy reached it's peak.

Just as Rhasta and Rubick were starting to get in sync with themselves as the fight drew onwards, a large mass of around a hundred changelings had teamed up together in an attempt to overpower their enemies. The changelings had successfully surrounded the two unicorns but they were not deterred by the numbers, Rubick only had a smile on his face as he finished his conversation with Rhasta.

“Ha! Indeed!” Rubick exclaimed with vigor as he planted his staff on the ground and willed an incredible amount of magical energy from himself into the very earth. As he began to concentrate, a brief afterimage of Leviathan, the Tidehunter, glowed from behind him. Rubick picked his staff up and raised it to the sky, as he did so, the image of Leviathan let out a great roar and flashed his wicked, needle like teeth as water began to makes it way up from the cracks in the ground and the drains of the streets.

“RAVAGE!”

In the blink of an eye, the ground and just about everything around the two heroes cracked and gave way to a violent torrent of water as pillars of liquid destruction erupted all around and catching the changelings in a tidal wave of unimaginable devastation. The resulting shockwave of water sent each and every changeling around the two flying into the clouds and back onto the ground painfully as they all collided into the stone roads.

Unfortunately, the buildings and all of the establishments around Rubick and Rhasta also suffered from the magnitude of his spell. Several buildings had collapsed and the main gate along with the railway to the city were all reduced to rubble in the process when Rubick unleashed ravage. He could feel a rush of heat on his cheeks as he blushed from his own overzealous blunder.

“Oh dear... I may have cause more damage than the insects have” he huffed as his inherent mood turned sour “Well that’s just dendi... ahem, I mean dandy. Honestly, what is with me today?” he asked as he and Rhasta surveyed the area round them. Aside from several injured changelings and some destroyed buildings, most of which were Rubick’s fault, nopony was harmed or was even present near the city gates. Although as Rubick began to further examine the black insects, he came across an interesting revelation.

“Hmm, that’s odd. I don’t remember this pony being here. Excuse me sir, but are you hurt?” he said as he touched the injured individual. However, upon touching the pony, he began to violently convulse and wash itself in green flames while transforming in various ponies of color and sizes as it spazz out in pain, eliciting a pained screech with each spastic motion. Eventually, the pain was too much for the shapeshifting changeling, and the shock ended up putting the changeling into a coma while in its average state.

“What the devil? How peculiar, these insects have the capability to shapeshift at will” Rubick said as he looked over the changeling “That’s funny, if these creatures have the ability to shapeshift like this, then what’s the point of a head on invasion? You would figure that they could’ve infiltrated the ranks of the Canterlot nobility and destroyed this city from the inside out. If you were to get caught by these things, whose to say that you were really missing at all if they took over your life?”

“Hmm, who knows. Perhaps they aren’t too bright” said Rhasta with a brief scratch of his head “Regardless, we should meet up with everyone else and see just how much this city has suffered” he suggested.

“I agree, although we can’t just be walking around in broad daylight with all of these bugs around now, can we?” with a quick wave of his staff, a shroud of moonlight energy washed over the two heroes and bathed them in an ethereal glow.

“Moonlight Shadow”

In only a matter of seconds, both of their bodies became clear and transparent, until they were completely invisible to the naked eye. It was a neat little trick that he learned from Mirana, it always came in handy whenever he and his teammates needed to walk around unseen or if they wanted to set up a great gank.

“There we go, this should help us get around unnoticed” said Rubick “Well, this city isn’t going to save itself. We have to find everyone else, including the girls. They might know what’s going on” without missing a beat, Rhasta and Rubick entered the very heart of Canterlot under the guise of invisibility in hopes of finding the true cause behind of the invasion. Like a thief in the night, the two heroes stealthily made their way through the streets unseen and undetected by the buzzing invaders.

* * *

After a couple minutes of running, Rubick and Rhasta found themselves on main street where the setting was eerily quiet and untouched by the changelings. For some reason, all of the buildings remained intact, and any stray pony that got caught, whether guard or civilian, were simply glued to the ground or the walls with some sort of sickly looking substance. The changelings around the area also looked dormant, they were standing watch for something as they guarded their prisoners.

“Why aren’t they doing anything?” Rubick quietly asked Rhasta as they walked down the street “This doesn’t look like a very efficient method of occupying a city. Also, no one appears to be hurt in any way. The insects only subdued the ponies. After the way they attacked us, I figured there would be at least some casualties, but so far, nothing too serious in regards to the well being of the ponies here”

“Maybe these insects are more than meets the eye? Who knows, maybe they’re not occupying the city either. Insects like these don’t normally have a structure of individuality, do they? Someone has to be in charge” said Rhasta as he strolled down the street “They are like obedient soldiers now, waiting for their leader to command them”

“A queen then, perhaps?” Rubick replied “It sounds plausible. Most insect society usually has a queen within it. Although I can’t say much now unles-” Rubick stopped himself when he and Rhasta entered a part of the city that looked as if it was hit by an earthquake. It was entirely different in contrast to main street and that was only a block away.

All the buildings in the area were either partially damaged or had been completely leveled into the dirt. There were corpses of changelings everywhere, scattered around the destroyed area like dust in the wind. The changelings in this one particular area looked as if they all ran into a hurricane made out of knives and other sharp objects.

Some were beheaded, others bisected right down the middle. Many were missing several of their limbs while others appeared to have had grotesque bite mark on them by a predatory mammal of sorts.

“Oh dear, these poor creatures” Rubick said as he and Rhasta carefully trekked through the ruins of a Canterlot street corner “They may be all over the city, but they don’t deserve this”

“I do not believe that the guard could’ve have done this. Even if there were a hundred guardsmen it is not possible to cause this much destruction” said Rhasta as he examined one of the changeling corpses “My guess, it would take only one powerful individual” said Rhasta as he and Rubick looked at each other with a look realization before uttering one word.

“Sven”

“He must be near here, and Jackal as well” said Rubick “I mean, who else could make a bite mark this nasty?” he pointed to a changeling with a large chunk of his abdomen missing “We must be heading in the right direction. Quickly Rhasta! Follow the trail of bodies!” Rubick exclaimed before the two set off again, following a pathway that was lined with the dead.

The trail of destruction that Sven left behind spanned for about four city blocks of demolished buildings and more changeling corpses. How they were ever going to explain all of this to the princesses once it was all over was a question that the two heroes didn’t want to answer. As they continue to run down the road, a loud childlike scream echoed throughout the air as both of them attempted to find the location of the noise.

“WAAAAH! HELP!”

“Say, isn’t that Spike?” said Rubick “Where is the little fella?” he asked. The two looked around but found nothing that even remotely resembled the purple and green dragon, yet the yell of abject terror only grew louder as the duo continued to find the source of Spike’s yelling. And then it hit them. With a slight tilt of their head, they managed to spot Spike who somehow flying through the air. The only problem with that picture was that he didn’t have any wings.

“Hold on little one! I got you!” Rhasta shouted as he broked his invisibility to rescue the poor drake from landing flat on his face. With a bright glow from his wards, he brought forth his shackles to leash Spike from out of the air. As the bright yellow electrical tethers gently caressed the dragon in it’s tingly embrace, Rhasta pulled with all of his might and yanked the little guy right onto his back with acrobatic precision “Aha! Success!”

“Buwuah! What happened!?” Spike shouted as he struggled to maintain his frazzled nerves “Rhasta? How did you get here?” he asked.

“Oh, he’s not the only one who’s here, Spike” said Rubick as he uncloaked himself “I’m here as well”

“Whoa, how’d you do that?” Spike asked, all remnants of his previous bout of terror disappeared in a flash when he was met with the Grand Magus.

“Never mind that now. Spike, how did you end up in the sky?” Rubick asked.

“Well... that’s not really important now!” Spike exclaimed as he became incredibly nervous again “Monsters are attacking the city! We have to stop them and help the girls find the elements of harmony so that we can banish the changeling queen!”

“Easy there little one, start from the beginning. What exactly happened at the wedding? ” Rhasta asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Princess Cadence isn’t Princess Cadence!” he shouted “She’s been kidnapped by some evil changeling queen!”

“A what?” Rubick asked.

“A changeling! The monsters that are attacking the city!” Spike exclaimed “They can change into other ponies and impersonate them!”

“Hmm, that explains a lot of what we’ve been seeing actually” said Rubick “But these creatures aren’t particularly evil as they are naturally violent. If this invasion is really a command from this queen, then why attack at all?”

“Huh?” Spike replied with a confused expression “What do you mean?”

“Listen closely, if these changelings can impersonate someone. Why would they risk exposing who they are by engaging in an all out invasion” Rubick explained.

“I’m not sure that I follow you” Spike replied with a scratch of his head.

“Spike, these changelings managed to successfully impersonate Princess Cadence without anyone noticing, correct?” Rubick asked as Spike nodded in return “Then think about it, the changeling had the power to destroy Canterlot from the inside out, without leaving so much as a trail behind. Doesn’t it sound strange that these creatures of deception would compromise their own secrecy by revealing themselves?”

“Actually, somepony managed to see through their disguises and expose the queen’s plot” said Spike.

“Really now? What kind of pony would outright expose a woman's rear at a wedding?” said Rhasta with a disapproving shake of his head “How shameful, even my master would never stoop as so low as to commit such a heinous deed”

“Wha.... no, no, no. You got it all wrong. The pony exposed her plan” said Spike with an exasperated sigh “Her plan to take over Canterlot! Come on! We gotta hurry!”

“ *Sigh* fine, if you insist. Although Rhasta and I still find this whole whole invasion to be a bit fishy” said Rubick as he conceded to the words of the baby dragon “Well then, Spike. Where do you think we should head off to?”

“The bridge nearby where the wedding’s being held is our best bet. Last I checked, the girls were headed to the chamber to find the elements before I uh... I got flung here” Spike said rather meekly. Both Rubick and Rhasta gave Spike a brief stare before chuckling with an amused look on their faces.

“You were... flung here?” Rubick asked with a raised eyebrow “Oh, do tell!” Rubick teased.

“Ugh! Long story short, a changeling tackled Twilight on the side of the bridge and I got knocked off. Somehow, I fell atop an old catapult and got flung all the way over here. Anyway, that’s how I ran into you two” He explained as he covered his red face “Look, let’s just forget about how I got here. We have a city to save!”

“My, my. That is quite the story my little dragon friend. Very well, we’ll fly on over there. Please wait for a bit” Rubick replied nonchalantly with a shrug of his shoulders.

Spike’s mood quickly shifted from embarrassment to joy in an instant as he was about to save the day alongside the heroes, something that he rarely gets to do since Twilight and her friends always dismiss him from their adventures. His thoughts of a heroic rescue was thoroughly interrupted however, when he finally took in all of Rubick’s words.

“Wait, we’re going to fly there?” he asked “How?” he asked as Rubick walked out into a clearing and began to charge his magic. Spike was confused at first, but was interested as Rubick began to glow a bright green “Huh? What’s going on?

“Pay close attention little one” said Rhasta as he placed his hoof on Spike’s shoulder “This will be quite the show” he said with his signature grin “It is going to be great!”

Rubick gently swayed his staff to and fro, a bright green glow illuminated from his staff as an eerie green smoke flowed from the tip of his staff. Rubick waved his staff around some more, each subsequent motion more vigorous and powerful than the last. The green smoke then came to life and began to wrap itself around Rubick’s form, engulfing him in a thick cloud of magical essence.

The cloud then expanded into a miniature fog, yet there appeared to be something giant moving in the mist. It was hard to see, Spike had to squint his eyes just to make out the most basic of shapes in the haze. Soon, a low growl could be heard in the fog, followed by the cool blue glow of biting Ice. Spike’s heart was racing at a thousand miles an hour as he continued to stare at the fog. He could feel something powerful moving in there, something wild, something familiar...

And then the incredible happened.

An earth shaking roar bellowed from the mist. A long stream of ice filled the skies causing freezing winds and light hail to overtake the clearing. Two massive wings flared up from out of fog and took off, leaving behind a powerful gust of wind in it’s wake. From out of the fog, a massive dragon with aquatic blue scales rose into the air, majestically soaring through the sky before diving down and hovering just above the two excited individual.

“Elder Dragon Form”

Rubick had just assumed Sir Davion’s elder dragon form, the body of the legendary eldwurm, Slyrak. He was a massive four legged dragon, roughly around several meters in length, with a wingspan that was was the equivalent to his body from head to tail. He was a tad smaller in comparison to Sir Davion’s dragon form, but the amount of power that Rubick could draw upon was about the same.

“Well, what do you think?” Rubick asked without a change to his voice.

Spike was speechless, his mind had literally imploded within his tiny noggin after witnessing an awesome transformation of such magnitude. His breathing stopped, his pupils dilated before he fell over and slammed his face into the ground. He was out cold from seeing Rubick go from being an average run of the mill unicorn into a massive noble dragon from his wildest dreams.

With every ounce of willpower left in his subconscious, he straighten himself up and broke out of his awe induced stupor. This was too good of an opportunity to remained passed out on. He struggled to let so words out, but only air and small sparks left his mouth. He found that his tongued had tied itself into a knot and he couldn’t speak properly. The only thing that could be heard from him was:

“Abububuahuahau......” he babbled on with a spastic twitch in his left eye as Rhasta broke out into a fit of jovial laughter.

“Ah ha ha ha! What did I tell you little one! Is it not great?” Rhasta shouted at the top of his lungs “Hop aboard, Spike. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity” he said as he climbed on Rubick’s back “Well don’t just stand there, there’s an invasion going on and it’s up to you to save Canterlot!”

“Yes, we don’t have to time to dilly dally” Rubick spoke with his usual voice, which was hilariously unfitting for a dragon of his stature “Come now, just climb upon my wing and ride on my back. We’ll get to the bridge in no time”

Spike had the biggest grin on his face, perhaps the biggest in all of existence even when compared to Pinkie Pie. With a childlike squeal, he quickly climbed aboard and struck a pose atop Rubick’s head.

“Alright, let’s do this!” Spike exclaimed with great vigor as the three ascended into the blackened sky and towards the bridge on the horizon “Whoo! This is the best! And worst... day of my life!”

* * *

The flight towards the bridge wasn’t particularly a long one, however, it was filled with various obstacles in the form of attacking changelings. It was a bumpy ride, but Rubick and Rhasta managed to successfully defend themselves from the swarm long enough until the bridge came into view.

“Hey look! There’s Twilight!” Spike shouted “And there’s Rainbow Dash, Aiushtha, Fluttershy, and Sven, and Rarity! And... Rainbow Dash?”

“Spike, didn’t you already say, Rainbow Dash?” Rubick asked as he drew closer to the bridge.

“No, really. Look! There’s like twenty Rainbow Dashes and thirty Applejacks down there!” Spike pointed out on the ground.

To Rubick and Rhasta’s surprise, a massive battle was being held right below them. And everyone else was caught right in the center of it all with various duplicates squaring off against each other in perhaps the confusing fight ever. More confusing than running through Ish’kafel’s wall of replica over and over again with Azwraith and Meepo on their respective team.

“Oh, my. We might have a bit of a problem...”

Chapter 24 End

Author's Note

Eh, I conceded with the whole Rubick using Elder dragon form thing. Hope y'all liked it

Chapter 25: ...and Confusion

What does a Hero Truly Need?

By: Zelkova48

Chapter 25: ...and Confusion

From high in the sky, Rubick, Spike, and Rhasta oversaw a large climatic battle ensue as they all watch with raised eyebrows at the sheer confusion of the fight. Changeling drones all around them had assumed the form of their friends, turning this large scale fight into the mirror match of the century.

From one side they could see hundreds of Svens and Twilights going up against, unsurprisingly, Sven and Twilight. Judging from the staticky pink bolt of energy being flashily discharged from out of Twilight’s horn, and the relentless cleaving onslaught of the rogue knight with the ever present George XII clinging atop his helmet, it was a safe bet to say that those two that were winning their battle were indeed the real ones.

The two appeared to be an unstoppable duo, working together in tandem with their own strengths to round out their collective weaknesses. Sven would outright decimated anything that got within six feet of Twilight, while Twilight made sure to watch his back, by blasting any changeling into the horizon that threatened to break their line of defense.

On the opposite end of the fray, the trio were witnessing Gondar bisecting various drones in a furious frenzy with surgical precision. One brief swing from both his makeshift sword and mancatcher were really four or five in actuality. It was no contest. The changeling drones fell like wheat before a scythe when faced with the hunter. And given his enhances perception, he made sure as not to harm the wrong person during the battle.

Aiushtha fought using unorthodox tactics and skills. Though she was proficient with her enchanted javelin, she often found herself swaying other changelings with her beauty and made them turn upon their own allies. With a gentle tilt of her head, and a cute wiggle of her ears, she’d smitten at least a dozen changelings with her beauty. Heck, she wasn’t even being attacked. no changeling in their right hive mind would dare harm Aiushtha.

The rest of the girls were doing remarkably well considering the odds. Rainbow Dash and Applejack barreled through the crowds like and orange and polychromatic bullet. The blistering speed of Rainbow Dash compiled with Applejack’s raw strength made them a force to be reckoned with among the combatants. While the two couldn’t take down Rubick together, even with Twilight’s assistance, they more than made up their blunder by bashing each and every changeling that they saw into submission with brute force.

Pinkie was having one heck of a heyday when it came to battling the changelings. She and Rarity armed the patented party cannon and began to unleash festive hell upon the encroaching army. With Rarity’s acute sense of precision, and Pinkie’s itchy trigger hoof, the two were not unlike an entrenched flak cannon that grounded every flying lookalike with a wide array of party favors. Getting hit by a pointy party hat right in the eye is not fun at all.

Fluttershy, however, found herself in a bind. In the heat of the battle, she was cut off from the rest. Though she had managed to trick a few into thinking that she was one of them, it didn’t last very long. Before long, a group of her own lookalikes descended upon her like a butter colored storm, which in context, isn’t as threatening as it is lead on to be. But to Fluttershy, fear gripped her senses. She found no way to defend herself. Even with the stare at her disposal, she was too stunned to use it.

But just before it seemed like she had bought the metaphorical farm, a grayish blur rushed past her and swept away the aggressors with a flurry of savage swings. Fluttershy cracked one of her eyes open and peered at her saviour. To her surprise, it was none other than Jackal that has saved her from the changelings. He turned around, his face weary with fatigue as he help the poor pegasus up.

“Hey... are you okay?” he asked. Fluttershy merely nodded her head and held her head down in shame.

“T-thank you...” Fluttershy whispered “I... I’m sorry for acting the way I did when we first met”

“Ah, water under the bridge” said Jackal with a dismissive wave of his paw “Let me guess, Sven got to you didn’t he?” he chuckled. Fluttershy nodded to him again “Heh, you can always trust the guy to get some abstract point across. Anywho, I’m not mad at you if that’s what you’re thinking”

“B-but”

“Like I said, try not to think so hard about it” said Jackal “We can talk about that later. Right now, we have to get back with the rest”

Without uttering another word, she nodded again and joined up with Jackal. The two booked it past all of the other Fluttershys and Gondars, and hopped over all of the Pinkies and Svens. Using her stare, Fluttershy was able to freeze just about every imposter that stood between her and her friends. Jackal took advantage of Fluttershy’s ability and clobbered his way into the center where everyone else was.

Eventually, after a lot of confusion, the group managed to reform without having any other imposters sneak their way in. They were standing united, back to back against each other, staring down the opposition with both weary and fiery gazes.

“There’s just so many of them!” Twilight exclaimed as she narrowly dodged a charging changeling ”We can’t fight them all, we need our trump card!”

“Hah! Nonsense! I am your trump card!” Sven shouted with a twirl of his massive sword “ This is nothing for me! With your permission, Twilight, I will crush them all like I crushed the vigil knights! Go ahead, just say the word and you will have the power that makes gods tremble at your disposal!”

“Although I don’t doubt your power, Sven. Let’s not get try and get too enthusiastic about all this... We should attempt to repel them until the one responsible for this is brought to justice” Twilight argued “Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are still holding her off, we should fight towards the inner tower!”

“Holding off who?” Gondar asked as he slashed another changeling “Wait, what’s so great about this inner tower, anyway?”

“The inner tower on the others side holds the elem-” before Twilight could finish, she was cut off when a miniature snow storm engulfed the aerial changelings with an unforgiving cold that turned them all into ice cubes. Within seconds, nearly every changeling that surrounded our heroes became nothing more than an impressive collection of ice sculptures.

“Brr... winter came early this year” said Pinkie as the biting cold chilled her to the very bone.

“Uh, Ah don’t think those are windigoes nipping at your nose, Pinkie” Applejack pointed out “Where in the name of Granny Smith’s hip replacement is all of this ice coming from?” she pondered.

“Hey, what the heck is that!?” Rainbow shouted as she watched a massive form darken the area around them. Whatever the heck it was, it had wings and it got cold just looking at the thing. It wasn’t until it got closer that her heart began to race, and her pupils shrank into pinpricks “I-is... is that a dragon!?” she shouted in fear.

“A dragon!?” Twilight shouted in bewilderment “What’s a dragon doing here!?”

“Hey! It’s Rubick!” Aiushtha exclaimed gleefully.

“That’s Rubick!?” everyone’s jaw dropped to the ground all at once when the sudden revelation hit them all on the head like a ton of bricks.

While the stunned group was busy staring blankly at the massive blue dragon, who has been identified as Rubick, began to slow down so that he may begin to land properly. Powerful gust of wind were created with each flap of his majestic wings. Gust that were so strong Fluttershy was almost blown away had it not been for Jackal and Aiushtha catching her in the nick of time.

“Hello, everypony” said Rubick with his normal voice as he landed on the ground “Did I miss anything?” he asked nonchalantly.

“Hey, everyone!” Spike and Rhasta exclaimed form atop Rubick’s back “We’re back!”

Everyone, save for the heroes, were all staring at Rubick with a slacked jaw expression. Their new friends never truly cease to amaze them, especially since they’ve already witnessed enough otherworldly surprises for two lifetimes. Everyone found themselves all talking. Rubick’s dynamic entrance took their minds off the invasion for just a bit to inquire about the massive dragon standing before them.

Although for Twilight, she found herself babbling humorously like an idiot at the sheer absurdity of it all.

“Twilight, dear. Please, calm down. It’s just me” said Rubick as he struggled to hide a smile behind his icy maw “Aren’t you glad to see your mentor?” he joked.

“Bu.. b-but... y-you’re a... a” Twilight failed to get the words out of her mouth as her head was filled up with the possible applications of magic that she could learn from Rubick.

“A dragon?” said Rhasta as he hopped down and grinned at everyone “Yes. It is a neat trick, don’t you agree? Eh heh heh heh!”

“Come on, y’all. Give the poor girl some breathing room” said Applejack “While it’s really amazing to see someone with the ability to change into a dragon using magic, we’re not out of the woods yet” she pointed at the horizon. From afar, they could easily see more of the changeling’s reinforcement join in en masse. There appeared to be a near endless amount of them.

“We need to get Twilight over here back to Equestria” she suggested as she tapped Twilight’s forehead “Yikes, I think you broke her”

“Here, let me try” said Rainbow Dash as she walked up to the babbling unicorn and comically slapped her face. It worked. Twilight was back to her old self in no time, albeit she complained as to why she her left cheek was sore all of a sudden. But nonetheless, there were more important matters to get back to “There, nothing to it!” she chuckled.

“Huh? What happened?” said Twilight confusedly.

“You were just about to lead us on a heroic bout towards the inner tower” said Sven “Now are you just going to stand there and go gaga over Rubick and his dragon form or are you going to save this city?” he asked.

“You’re right, I can think about that later” Twilight strained her mind so that she could stay focused “Rubick, we need to get the inner tower close to here. Can you and Rhasta keep the skies clear while we go fetch the elements of harmony?”

“The what now?” said Rhasta with a curious tilt of his head.

“Oh! That’s right, we never explained it to you did we? Anyway, I’ll tell you later. But the question remains, can you keep the skies clear?” she asked.

“Why of course my dear. Anything for my young student” said Rubick with a humble bow.

“Thank you” said Twilight “Come on, Spike. You’re coming with me to find the elements!”

“Whoo! Alright! Finally, I get to participate in an adventure with you girls” said Spike as he hopped off and landed right onto Twilight’s back with a soft oomph sound “Let’s get this show on the road!” he proclaimed as he kicked Twilight on her sides, eliciting a glare from her “Heh, sorry. I couldn’t help myself”

Without another word, the group gathered together and immediately bolted towards the location of the elements of harmony, leaving behind Rhasta and Rubick to fend off the oncoming hordes of changelings. As the two turned to face the horizon, Rubick took to the skies once more to hold off impending doom.

“Well, old friend. It looks like it’s just us two again” said Rubick.

“Hmm, it only seemed like a while ago that we were neck high in these changeling creatures” said Rhasta with a quaint nod of of his head “Should we go easy on them, or do we go on without restraint?” he asked.

“I’d say we should still give these changelings the benefit of the doubt” Rubick responded “This nagging feeling in the back of my head won’t go away. I feel as though we are only seeing one part of the greater whole. Something is wrong, I can feel it”

“I know how you feel my friend” said Rhasta with an understanding nod “But regardless, no matter how much we dislike it, it is your duty now as a royal guard to handle this threat”

“Ugh, royal guard just doesn’t have the same ring as grand magus does” Rubick complained before the swarm of changelings began their offensive against him. It didn't take long for them to become hopelessly surrounded from all sides.

“Hold on, Rhasta! Here they come!”

* * *

Meanwhile, within the inner tower...

Everyone had finally made it to the tower where the elements were stored. However, the moment they opened the door, they ran into a roadblock. A roadblock that came in the form of a whole army of changeling drones. Taking care of them was swift work thanks to the heroes and their might, but just when things were finally looking their way...

“Grr... I can’t get the stupid door to open!” Rainbow Dash shouted as she strained to get the doors to the elements open. After several more seconds of futile struggle, she let out an annoyed groan and slammed her hoove upon the door.

“Ugh, the fate of Canterlot and perhaps all of Equestria hinges on us getting to the elements and there’s a stinkin door in our way! Didn’t the princess give us special permission to get these things whenever we needed them!?” she groaned again “When all of this is over we have got to find another place to store the elements!”

“Move out of the way, Rainbow!” said Twilight as she assert herself in front of the door “This door need unicorn magic to open. Please, step aside and let me handle this” she then tilted and angled her head so that she could fit her horn into the uniquely designed lock mechanism “Now all I have to do is give this lock a slight jolt and...”

Twilight’s horn glowed with a gentle pinkish hue as she pulled out when the door began to light up with a warm cyan glow. The lock from within clicked and rumbled resoundingly before the glow brightly flashed and died out as quickly as it began. The assure noise of grinding stone made everyone else feel at ease. Now all that was left to do was to get the elements and high tail it outta there.

“See, Rainbow. There’s no need for brute force, all it takes is a light touch” Twilight said smugly.

“Yeah, and your horn” Rainbow retorted with a smug look of her own.

“Now, let’s get the elements and be on our wa-”

*SMACK*

Twilight fell back on her haunches as she quickly shook away the stars that were orbiting her noggin. After rubbing her swollen nose, she looked up and her heart sank faster than a lead balloon. For whatever reason, the door was still closed. She could feel panic set in her mind as her friends began to as well.

“H-how? I could’ve sworn that I did everything right!” she yelled. Twilight then took a step back and tried to steady her rattled nerves “Okay, okay, let me retrace my steps...”

“Twilight, you try jiggling the lock?” Pinkie suggested “I’m pretty sure that if you jiggle the lock it would open. It always works whenever I get locked out of Sugarcube corner”

“What? No! How is jiggling the lock going to help!? There is no visible locks to jiggle!” snapped Twilight “Maybe I used the improper amount of magic? No that can’t be it... was it because my head’s angle was off by one degree? No, I made sure tha-”

“Gah! This is taking too long!” Sven yelled as he asserted himself before the defiant door“ Step aside, Twilight. Here, let me do this” he grumbled from behind his helmet.

“Wait! How are you planning to open it?” Twilight inquired “Are you going to pick the lock? Or... or are you going to try and-”

“RAAAAAAAUGH!!!”

*CRASH!*

Sven let out a deafening warcry and pulled his gauntlet back as his eyes lit up with sparks of lightning. He charged up his stormhammer before bringing his massive hoof right onto the door. His hit struck the door dead center, causing it to buckle and break under the sheer force of the strike.

He raised his hoof again and struck another time, puncturing it like a sheet of tin foil. As he pulled his hoof out, he took both his hooves and peeled the doors apart with almost little to no effort. In a show of force, he gripped both sides and crumpled the two together before tossing them to the back of the room like yesterday’s trash.

The mane six, plus Spike, stared in shock and awe as Sven took apart a nigh impenetrable, not to mention magical, vault meant to protect the most powerful artifacts in the world in mere seconds just because he was a little impatient with the way that they were handling things. This made them rethink about how Discord managed to get his grubby paws on the elements back then.

“Bah! Why is it that everything around here feels like it was constructed out of paper?” he chided before turning to the still stunned mane six “Well? What are you waiting for? The door is open. Grab what you needed and get on with whatever it was you girls were going to do” Sven commanded. As the rest went to put on their respective elements, Rainbow turned to Twilight and gave her a wily smile.

“No need for brute force, eh?” Rainbow prodded at Twilight “All it takes is a light touch, eh?”

“Not now, Rainbow” said Twilight with an annoyed expression on her face “You can tell me I told you so when Canterlot is bug free” she began to grumble to herself shortly afterward.

“Uh... thank ya, Ah think...” Applejack thanked Sven as she put on her appropriate necklace.

“You are very welcome” Sven replied with a shift in tone of voice. He sounded genuinely sincere about his word, and actually seemed to enjoy seeing them with a slack jaw every time he and his friends pull of some crazy stunt “So how will these trinkets help you repel these creatures?” he asked.

“For starters, these aren’t mere trinkets. They’re the most powerful magical artifact in all of Equestria.Fueled by the magic of our friendship, the elements of harmony will be more than enough to send these changelings packing!” Twilight stated with pride. As the heroes examined the elements, they raised an eyebrow and had to check twice to see if what Twilight said was, more or less, true.

“Well, It’s not the most powerful I know of” said Aiushtha as she looked at Twilight’s beautiful tiara “Although, the power emanating from your lovely jewelry reminds me of the dagon wand that I get to use every so often on the battlegrounds”

“Um, is that a good thing?” Applejack asked with a raise of her eyebrow.

“Well, individually, your necklaces are like the first form of the dagon wand” Aiushtha explained “The wand itself is powerful, but it will continue to grow in strength the more you use it. Together, I would take a guess that the powers from your necklaces and tiara would rival the dagon in its strongest form. On the plus side, however, those are more fashionable. I’m sure Rylai and Lina would love to wear that” she smiled gently.

“Hmm, I see your friends have good taste” Rarity piped in with a curt giggle, despite the severity of the situation.

“Can we please get to saving Equestria now?” Twilight butted in “Come on! We’ve wasted enough time as it is!”

“Uh... Twilight... I don’t think Equestria needs saving anymore...you might want to see this...” said Spike as tapped upon her shoulder.

“Spike, what could be so important that you would would disregard the safety of our home fo-” Twilight’s eyes widened to the size of dinner plates as she looked past the stained glass windows of the tower. Everyone else also rushed towards the windows and gasped at what they saw.

The sky was raining, but not with water, but with the countless bodies of the changeling invaders. They fell out of the sky without rhyme or reason, plummeting left and right all while struggling to maintain their flight path. They all crashed into the hard cobblestone roads, painting the sidewalks with sickly looking green fluids and cracked shards of their chitinous exoskeletons. As the group ran out to observe the sudden chaos out on the streets, they noticed a disturbing trend.

The changelings were losing control of themselves. Each and every single one of them were, for whatever reason, spazzing out uncontrollably on the ground. It didn’t matter whether it was the ones who crashed into the ground or those who actually landed safely. They were all either convulsing violently or were having a seizure. It was hard to watch, most everyone had to cover their eyes to shield themselves of the horror of it all.

“What the hell is going on here?” Gondar asked “They’re just... losing it”

“That’s what I want to know as well” a voice voice spoke from above. Gondar turned his attention up and saw that Rubick was coming in for a landing. When he neared the ground, his form shifted into a cloud of green smoke, before both Rhasta and Rubick hopped back down and landed right beside everyone else.

“What’s your take on this?” Gondar asked.

“I’m not sure. One moment I was freezing these changelings, then the next I’m presented with their imitation of an idiot’s ballet” said Rubick.

“Where do we go now?” Aiushtha joined in “If the changelings are taken care of, then doesn’t that mean our job is done as well?”

“No, it isn’t” Twilight cut in “We need to head back to the altar to see if everything is okay there or not...”

“If you believe so” said Sven “Then by all means, lead the way”

Without saying another word, the group left the bleak, ruined area of Canterlot and decided to head all the way back to where it supposedly all began. The day had started off normally, but then veered off into massive confusion when disaster struck without warning. Everyone was trapped in extreme thought, thinking about what had happened and why it had happened. Each had their own ideas on the situation, but none were stuck in a mental funk like Rainbow Dash was.

“Does this mean we don’t need the elements anymore?”

Chapter 25 End

Author's Note

I'll be straight with ya, I had no idea how to word out most of this chapter, which was why it took so long to make. Anyway, here you go.

Chapter 27: Honor Thy Code

What does a Hero Truly Need?

By:Zelkova48

Chapter 27: Honor Thy Code

“Jester, I mean no disrespect but... that is perhaps the most outrageous thing that I have ever heard” said Luna with an incredulous look upon her face “So what it is that you are trying to say, is that you believe that the changeling queen and her brood aren’t entirely responsible for the invasion of Canterlot?”

“Well that’s the gist of it, yes” Rubick Replied.

“Rubick, do you even have even the slightest clue about what you are suggesting?” Shining asked, wearing the same expression that Luna had “The facts are all there; malevolent changeling queen wishes to capture our capital so that she can cocoon up the whole pony population for food. What about that says that they aren’t held responsible for endangering the lives of hundreds of ponies everywhere?”

“Do you want me answer that?” Rubick asked with a raise of his eyebrow “I may not have irrefutable evidence to prove my theory yet but.... you are far too young and inexperienced to best the Grand Magus in the debate game, Shining Armor” Rubick retorted.

“But Cadence, my sister and I are not” Celestia joined in “We’ve a millenia of debate experience due to political matters our nation faces, do not take us lightly, Rubick” she stated sternly “But, I still don’t know what or why you would believe such a thing. The evidence is all there. Cadence being kidnapped only makes the entire debacle justify the changeling invasion. I’ve yet to see or find anything that disproves the changeling queen’s guilt”

“Have you tried talking to her?” Rubick asked. He waited for a response, but all he received was an awkward silence and some unassuring looks from everyone else “Have you tried talking to her?” Rubick repeated with a more agitated tone to his voice “Are you serious? You haven’t gotten anything out of her?”

“We tried!” Luna shouted “But she refuses to speak! Everytime we come down there the queen just curls up into a ball and hides behind her brood! She’s far too prideful to speak even a word to us!”

“That, or you and your entourage of menacing guard scare her into submission whenever you showed up” Rubick deadpanned.

“We’ve tried going down there alone, believe us when we say that it isn’t any different” said Celestia “We just simply cannot earn her cooperation. And even if we did, what would it matter? The changeling queen has committed a serious offense and this shall not stand. Luna and I will do what we must to protect Equestria from any and all threats that seek to overthrow our fragile balance”

“All in the name of harmony, I presume?” said Rubick sarcastically.

“Yes, all in the name of....” Celestia stopped, taking her time to process Rubick’s sarcasm “I’d stop there if I were you Rubick. Any more wisecracks and I’ll see to it personally that Shining Armor will have you scrubbing the latrines for making such an offensive statement”

“I’ll scrub them to the point where you can practically eat off of them your majesty” said Rubick with a short live smile “But in all honesty, I insist you dine at the cleanest outhouse that Equestria has to offer” his expression turned serious “If you don’t believe me, I’ll just talk to the queen myself. Perhaps then you might see that that not everything is as it seem”

“And what makes you think you’re qualified to give us a lecture on right and wrong?” said Luna, a slight annoyed twinge in her voice “It doesn’t take a grand magus to see what is cut and dried”

“No, but it takes a true hero to see pointless persecution when it comes to it” said Rubick.

“Now wait just a minute!” said Luna, but before she could continue, she was interrupted by the crowd of ponies that were uneasily forming by the corner of her eye.

“What in the name of mother’s mane?”

* * *

“Say that again...” Sven whispered to the pompous stallion that dangled helplessly from his gauntleted hoof “Come on, I dare you...”

“I-I’ll say it a thousand times if it means seeing you lose your position as a royal guard and going back to prison” High Horse spoke hoarsely “Go ahead... hit me. What good would it do for a traitor like you, an abomination to the purity and superiority that is ponykind?”

“How about the satisfaction of bashing deserving filth?” said Sven with fire “Where would you like it? The nose? Perhaps one of your eyes? Maybe I’ll mess us that throat of yours so you can’t spout dribble ever again. I’m in a good mood right now, so I’ll let you pick your own punishment. Not that it will make much of a difference, mind you...”

“Just strike me, you fool” High Horse mocked as he so callously danced with imminent danger “The quicker this is over, the quicker I can see to it that my lawyers and my influence destroy you in every way possible. I’ll be there laughing the whole way as you fall down a hole so deep that you wouldn’t even know which way is up...”

“Heh heh heh...” Sven chuckled, bringing unease to everyone around him, especially to High Horse who was the most perplexed by Sven’s sudden change in mood.

“W-what’s so f-funny?” High Horse asked, contemplating whether or not that he would soon regret asking. Sven stared directly into High Horse’s eye, directly into his soul, and chuckled once more, scaring the poor stallion even further “What? What is it!”

“Hmph” Sven finally spoke “You make it sound as if you’ll actually still be around when I’m through with you”

“W-whuah? What’s that suppose to mean?” said High Horse. Sven tilted his hoof and brought him face to face with High Horse, grinning behind his helmet with a wicked aura permeating from every fiber of his being.

“Tell me you dumbass, do you really think you have that chance?” Sven asked, knowing full well that High Horse understood what he was thoroughly implying.

High Horse pissed himself.

“What is going on here!” Celestia cried out as she broke through the crowd of stunned ponies. She, along everyone else that was with her, took a glance around the courtyard and was simply appalled by what she saw.

Sven was holding one of the premier representatives of the Descendant charity group with a death grip around his neck, threatening to harm him, or worse. Sure High Horse can be unbearable at times but that was no reason to throttle him. If her coat weren’t so white then maybe she could’ve properly hid the red blush of embarrassment and a poignant strain of aggravation that glowed brightly on her flawless coat.

“Sven, put him down, now!” Celestia shouted, but her voice did not reach him. Sven still held High Horse, posing to bash him at any given moment. She walked closer, heat radiating from her being as she approached the Rogue Knight “Sven, as your princess I hereby order you to release High Horse! I brought you out prison, and I can send you back if you act so brazenly!”

“Uh...Sven, Ah think you want to listen to the princess on this” Applejack spoke up “Ah think you don’t want to do anything that might ruin your positive image”

“Yeah, I mean the guy was a jerk to you but that doesn’t mean that you have to...” Rainbow Dash stopped, not wanting to finish her sentence.

Sven still didn’t listen, rather he ignored everything around him. He was in his own world now, and High Horse was unlucky enough to be trapped there with him. But before the situation could escalate any further, his friends stepped in, just in time too.

“Sven, we overheard everything. Don’t do this” said Aiushtha, her pleading eyes piercing through Sven’s steel like exterior “If you do this, then we’ll never get home” she place her hoof onto his shoulder, causing the tense feeling to melt away “Please, stop”

“She right, Sven. Think about the long term effects that your action might cause. Control your emotions” said Rubick.

“Leave him, let karma cast misfortune upon him and his ways” said Rhasta “I can assure you that the universe already has something in store for this cur”

“They’re right. He ain’t worth it, even if he did have money on his head” said Gondar “Just let it go. Think about of your code”

The words of his friends had reached him. He took in a deep breath and exhaled. His better felt lighter than before, and all the tension that had been building up within him disappeared. His coat’s redness faded back to the cool blue that he was accustomed to, the lightning in his eyes quelled like a smoted flame.

He released High Horse, letting him drop to the floor unceremoniously as the greedily inhaled precious oxygen that he selfishly took for granted minutes earlier.

The angry and vengeful Rogue Knight failed to make an appearance, and for that, a wave of relief washed over every individual that was there. The crowd slowly began to disperse itself, leaving behind only the heroes, the mane six, the princesses, the newlyweds, and the practically purple High Horse.

The mane six, who had been hiding behind the crowd the whole time, watched in awe as they witnessed the heroes stop their friend from going berserk. But among those who were awestruck, it was Twilight whose eyes lit up with fascination at what she’d just seen.

This was friendship of the type of which they’ve never experienced before, the kind that can only be accumulated through unspeakable years of combat and hardship on the battlegrounds. One that they probably never will know given how extreme the trials and tribulations that the heroes had to endure back in their own world, a world that was far too different from their own.

They were thankful for that, but were also interested to know what it is like if their bond with each other was greater than the ones they currently had. Then maybe, just maybe, they can pull off the impossible should it ever come to it. But for now, they were just glad that everything was over.

“Hmph, be grateful that my friends showed up when they did you pompous ass” said Sven, his voice more subdued than before “I will honor my rogue’s code and let you live... for now” he stated “But know this! This will be the only time that I will show mercy to an arrogant fool such as yourself. Tarnish my honor or slight me and my friends again, and I will make you wish that you were dead...” he finished with quiet rage seething behind his helmet “Do I make myself clear?”

“Bah! Your mercy means nothing to me you freak!” High Horse yelled as he picked himself up “For associating with criminals, mongrels...” he turned to give a death glare towards Aiushtha, who recoiled at the animosity that was directed at her “...and verdant whores, it only proves that you and your allies are unfit to call yourselves pony!”

“You’ll never be one of us!”

* * *

A young Sven, no older than seven years old, watched fearfully with puffy tear soaked eyes as he watched the vigil knights storm into his home, armed and hostile with a mission to accomplish. He could do nothing but hide, body frozen with fear as the sound of breaking pottery and and clattering echoed around him. It wasn’t until he heard the screaming that he could feel his blood grow colder than a winter night.

With every ounce of courage that he muster, Sven peered from out of the cabinet of the kitchen. Shakily, he exited the room and walked around, looking for his parents. He walked out towards the porch, covering his eyes with his hands as the morning sun assaulted his eyes with it’s radiant glare.

The sound of crying drew his attention to the side of his home. He followed the sound wiping the tears from his face until he found the source of the bawling. To his immediate horror, it was his mother. She was on the ground, dirty, bloodied, and bruised. Sven walked up and brought her into his embrace, comforting his injured mother, hoping that he tears would stop. When it finally did, she stood up on her own and pointed to the forest.

Sven ran with all of his might, ignoring the burning in his legs that begged for him to stop. He moved on regardless, running pass countless trees until he came upon the vigils knights.

Laying on the floor beside them in a pool of his own blood was none other than his father. He laid motionless, soaked with blood that flowed from the gash from his throat. He was killed, killed for violating the vigil codex, killed because of Sven’s very existence.

One of the knights took notice to Sven’s presence and unsheathed his sword. The knight then slammed his pommel directly at Sven’s face, breaking his nose and bruising a good portions of his face.

Sven cried out in agony as he held onto his nose, doing his best to stop the bleeding. All the while he was doing so, a burning anger of the likes that he had never felt before was born. He stared at the knights, eyes locked with hate and indignation.

All of the vigil knights simply laughed at his futility and inability to retaliate. They only continued to beat him, one by one, each taking their time to savor in his pain. It wasn’t until he could no longer move that the knights stopped. They soon left, uttering only one last message before eventually becoming a stepping stone upon Sven’s path of vengeance:

“You’ll never be one of us!”

* * *

Everyone looked at High Horse with an incredulous look plastered all over their face. They had expected High Horse to at least take what was given to him and leave, yet he continued to poke the burly bear with a sharp pointy stick. It was as if he wanted to die.

Sven said nothing. Nothing at all, there wasn’t anything left to say. For the time being, his hooves will be doing all of the talking. He shot High Horse a glare from behind his helmet and then let out a deafening warcry. He pulled his right hoof back and then threw a weak jab.

*CRASH!*

Sven’s hoof collided with the ground below him. The force of the strike may have been one his weaker ones but it was so forceful that every guest present at the reception felt a small tremor shake them just a bit. A crater the size of a small tree welled directly into the earth. Cracks webbed out from all sides causing loose dirt and vegetation to slip and fall into the thin darkness of the cracks.

Celestia found herself tipping over just slightly after Sven punched the ground. Luna quickly sprang into action and did her best to balance her sister to prevent her from falling. Cadence and Shining clung to each other after the shake threatened to trip them up. As for the mane six, they all stumbled and fell to the ground, shaking their heads to clear the stars that were orbiting their respective noggins.

While the heroes were the ones that were unaffected, High Horse was most certainly the one to experience the full brunt of the blow, even if he wasn’t directly hit. In any case, he tripped and stumbled over too, catchin a mouthful of dirt and a greater blow to his already damaged hygiene and pride.

Sven pick his hoof up and returned to back to a more calm and composed standing position.

“Consider that, your final warning...” said Sven.

High Horse wasted no time picking himself up and bolting back into the castle. A scent of urine and shame trailing him from behind as he ran as fast as his legs could carry him. He avoided most of the looks that ponies were giving him, but he breezed right past them as he made his way back to his little group.

“Well, that was something” said Cadence, unsure of what to actually say “This has certainly been an... interesting reception”

“Interesting isn’t exactly how I would put it, honey” said Shining Armor.

“OUTRAGEOUS!” Luna angrily shouted “This is unacceptable behavior for a member of the elite royal guard! Absolutely unacceptable!” she yelled directly at Sven “You’ve violated a very serious part of the royal guards code! Never do harm to those that you are sworn to protect, let alone a member of the Descendants! What’ve you to say for yourself?” Sven merely gave a curt shake of his head before speaking.

“...I need a drink”

Chapter 27 End

Author's Note

Sure it's a shorty, but I felt like I left the last chapter uncompleted. This chapter fills that hole with cement.

Chapter 28: A Reason To Fight

What does a Hero Truly Need?

By: Zelkova48

Chapter 28: A Reason To Fight

Sven sat in the many shelves of the broom closet that was his room within the apartment after a long night of drinking and potential domestic violence, thinking all that's happened hours earlier while doing his best not to pass out from too much alcohol consumption. His breathe was foul with the stench of alcohol, and his head was ringing with something fierce. It felt as though someone had been screaming into his ear for the past half hour, which evidently was the also the cause of his migraine.

After pulling off that little stunt in front of the princesses, they went and deemed him mentally unstable and unfit for service, but not before getting scolded like an unruly child by Luna. So until he passes a psyche evaluation while under twenty hour surveillance and guidance from Luna's own night guards, he is suspended from all royal guard duty until further notice. Of course, something so trivial as a simple test wasn't going to keep him down.

"What's the matter friend?" a voice spoke from above. Sven looked up from his seat and was greeted with Jackal who up until now had not been since the party started, due to certain racial circumstances. He sat on the shelf just above him and wore a friendly smile on his face with a thick tome held in his paws, eagerly turning the pages as he dove into a conversation with his dear friend

Even though he was among those who helped greatly to stop the changeling invasion out of his own selfless desires, everyone, or more accurately the vast majority who were uncomfortable with the presence of a diamond dog, opted for him to relax in the apartment during the night of the reception. To keep him where he was, they had the caterers deliver food to him so that he would stay put. Though he was bummed out that he didn't have his moment in the spotlight, he had to admit that the food given to him was to die for.

"I've noticed that you look a little down" said Jackal "Did something happen?"

"Well for starters..." Sven started with a rude belch "I nearly pulped a fool into red jelly tonight and got removed from the guards until they make sure I'm stable enough for service" Jackal physically winced at the mere thought of the Rogue Knight turning someone into substitute strawberry jam "Not only that" Sven continued "Luna's personal night guard will be secretly observing me from a distance to make sure I don't do anything too drastic"

"Aye... No wonder you look bluer than normal" Jackal chuckled softly "So who was it?" he asked "Was it some poor drunk who thought that a bottle of liquid courage and some guts would protect him from your blows? Or maybe it was a guard who wanted some payback for humiliating him?"

"No, it wasn't either of those two. It was actually one of the more unbearable nobles around here" Sven stated "He thought he could use his silver tongue to recruit me and my friend to join his organization of righteous zealots. He ended up insulting me and your kind when he learned that I was friends with you"

"Oh, I see..." Jackal frowned, but quickly brushed away the negative thoughts "So what stopped you from breaking every bone in his body?" Jackal inquired "Seems to me like you had every opportunity to stuff his sorry behind into a full body cast for the next six months"

"If I did harm him, then I'd be going against by own code. I'd be going against my own existence. In the end, I let him go. But the next time he slights me again... well there won't be a next time" Sven said with a chuckle "Although, I'll be sleeping well tonight knowing for a fact that that ass won't be eating right for a week after I throttled him with my hooves... heh, heh..."

"But it looks to me that you won't be able to do anything without having a group of hounds dog you at every moment they got" said Jackal, clearly annoyed by the puns he unwittingly made "I'm not sure if they explained it to you or not, but Luna's guards are comprised of nothing but batponies. They're tough and are in a position equal to that of your own if not greater. They also have connections, one little slip up and it could be back to Gladius prison for you"

"Pfft, worry not for me my friend. I'll play their game, but only until I find some reason to fight. And rest assure, Jackal, I will find a reason to keep on fighting like the Rogue Knight that I am!" Sven exclaimed with fervor "Be it for or against these ponies, my time will come"

"If you say so, Sven" said Jackal as he settled his tome down on to the table "But until you find that will to fight, do you think you could help me reunite with my family..." he asked quietly, almost reluctantly in fact "No, no. I'm just rambling on like a fool. You don't have to help me if you don't want to"

"Nonsense, Jackal. After that little bout in the arena, we're practically blood brothers now. You've watched my back ever since we first met back in that accursed prison, and now it is the time that I return the favor" Sven offered as he extended his gauntlet to Jackal "So, it is not a question of whether or not I want to help you, but whether or not you want my help. Think about your goal, what drives you to continue, Jackal?"

"My... my family..." Jackal began to tear up, he brought his arm up and wiped away the tears, trying his best to avoid being seen by Sven in such a pathetic state "They mean everything to me... They've done nothing wrong, but why should they suffer for being who they are... I would move heaven and earth if it meant seeing them again" he could feel such fire well up from within him upon confessing his will to continue. Without hesitation, he hopped off the shelf, grabbed Sven's gauntlet and the two shared a yell of empowerment together.

"AHAHAHA! Yes! That is what I wanted to hear from you!" Sven boomed, causing the whole apartment to shake under the his roar "Hold onto that fire my friend, and your convictions will lead you to glory as well as your goal!"

The two couldn't hold it anymore, they eventually broke down together, side by side and began to laugh jovially. Tonight was not a night to feel sad, but a night to look forward to the future. True, there will be many hardship and plenty of those who would impede their quest from the very start, but they are not alone in this. They have friends and allies alike. This is a road that will not be traveled alone, but with a band, a band composed of nothing but the finest heroes from two entirely different worlds...

* * *

Back at the party, the mane six and the heroes found themselves cleaning up the mess that Sven left behind in his drunken rage. By then the princesses had already left the scene to check up on the newlyweds and had left everyone else to their own devices. However, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna had made it very clear before they left to strip Sven of all his perks and position in the guards before sending him off with an heavy escort to the apartments like a rebellious child sent to his room without supper.

"Well that couldn't have been worse" Applejack sighed as she walked over to her friends, clearly shaken by the recent tremor caused by one very ticked off knight "Ah thought for sure somepony was gonna sent to the hospital after that little debacle"

"Then it was fortunate enough that we showed up when we did" said Rhasta as he helped to clean up the mess left behind by Sven "Had we arrived too late, the only part of the hospital that unbearable noble would've been sent to would be the morgue"

Applejack and the rest of the girls physically winced upon Rhasta's bluntness, but he was right in every sense of the word. When she and her friends tried to reach out to Sven, he shut them out and remained in a state of unrestrained fury. The raw killing intent that was emanating from Sven's was palpable. Applejack could feel that anger cling to her skin and burn like scalding hot tar had just been spilt all over her. Had it not been for the other heroes, Princess Cadence and newly crowned Prince Shining Armor's reception would've been famous for having somepony violently die there.

"Are we all cleaned up? I think we're done here" said Fluttershy as she kicked away some loose dirt into a nearby bush "Phew, I still can't believe that this all happened"

"How can you not?" said Gondar as he stood beside Fluttershy "You already know what we are capable of" he stated as he played around with the handle of his makeshift sword "It was only a matter of time before something or someone invoked his wrath. I'm surprised he actually managed to hold out for so long"

"I'm more surprised at his level of restraint" said Twilight as she examined the crater that Sven caused mere minutes ago "What drives this power of his?" she questioned no one in particular "It looked like he just tapped the ground and all of Canterlot shook. I'm scared to think of what would actually happen if that noble really did get hit..."

"Is something on your mind, young Twilight?" Rubick asked as he noticed her in a state of concentration "You seem to be doing this more and more often whenever event that involve one of us transpire"

"It's just I'm always seeing something new" Twilight replied "Whenever I think I seem to have understand something, you five always shatter my expectation for... a lot of things actually. Time control, raw strength, and amazing acrobatic feats are one thing, but I still don't understand why Sven blew up on that poor fellow"

"I wouldn't exactly call that stuck up prick poor during the whole situation" Gondar joined in "You didn't hear what he was saying to me before Sven got up and scared the living daylights out of that jerk"

"I'm gonna have to vouch for Gondar on this girls" Rainbow Dash flew in and landed in front of the group "That guy, He called himself.... pftt... pftt... High Horse..." she resisted the urge to flat out laugh her flank off at the name, but everyone just rolled their eyes at her immaturity "Phew... Anyway, this guy shows up after Quicksilver showed up and tried to get him to join the Descendants and he ended up saying something he probably shouldn't have..."

"Yeah. That dick ended up insulting the diamond dogs, and in turn, Sven's honor as well" said Gondar "But the weird thing about it all was how... familiar that guy felt" Gondar drawled on. His eyebrows arched together as his mind began to wander off into the distance. The gears in his head turned and something that he didn't even know about connected together perfectly like smaller pieces of a larger puzzle "I think I know him from somewhere but I just can't place my mind on it..."

"What?" Twilight raised her eyebrow "You clearly never seen this stallion before or even been in this world for more than two weeks. How could you know this stallion? This... High Horse?"

"It's hard to explain, but a face is usually something that I can't forget" Gondar replied "That High Horse guy... he was with you six for some reason, I don't know where and I don't know why... he was there at Canterlot when it was on fire, leading some sort of army and storming the castle... I know all of this from m-" for whatever reason, Gondar stopped mid sentence and simply froze in place. He didn't move, he didn't even breathe. The only expression that was discernible from behind his mask was the thousand yard stare that he had.

Everyone stared in shock as they rushed on over to their catatonic friend. They quickly rushed on over and prodded him and even went as far as hitting him to elicit some kind of reaction, but nothing of the sort happened. Rubick and Twilight tried to snap him back to reality using every spell they could think of in the book, but even with their powers combined the result was the same.

"I don't get it! Atropos' dream magic should been affecting him but it's not working!" Rubick yelled in frustration, throwing his staff on the ground as a result.

"What's wrong with him?' Rarity asked "He was just fine a second ago. One moment he was spouting some nonsense about that noble and then the next he just spaces out completely!"

"He appears to be in some sort of a magic induced coma. Normally this should be easy to break, unless... Harbinger" he whispered. He turned back to face everyone with a concerned expression on his face "Everyone! I'm afraid we can't help him now! He'll have to break out of it on his own..."

* * *

There he was again, what was this now? The fourth or fifth time? Whatever number it was he that he was back once more. Back inside the black void that was his own head. Even though the vision had already stopped and he could relax knowing that a random attack on his mind wouldn't happen again, this one was actually forced by himself. He purposely put himself back in the spotlight to find out the truth, or at least most of it.

Gondar stood again at the center of his mind and looked all around, patiently anticipating what was to come. His mind was more focused now, and his reasons being so was that he had an epiphany. All those times he had spent here, all the pain of seeing those mind numbing images and visions was to prepare him and his friends to save Equestria from cataclysmic destruction.

But this time, there was no more pain, only an intense urge to continue and to complete his new found goal in life, a mission, an objective. Before he knew it, the black void that was his mind melded into the same images he had been seeing for days now. Only this time, they all resurfaced within his consciousness in perfect clarity. He knew that this disaster was going to happen, he just needed to make sure of a few things before making his move.

Once again, he found himself standing in a verdant field of grass. He immediately recognized the area, it was the field just outside of Ponyville when he was staying there. He turned to see the gallows that were already present there and he could feel righteous anger burn up from within his very being as he stared at the event taking place. Six mares, six familiar mares he and his collegues befriended all had a noose around their necks with a mob eagerly awaiting for their execution. Before long, the cloaked figure returned to the scene, walking out carrying a box that he was familiar with too.

Using his trained eyesight, he could just make out the face of the individual out. His intuition was correct and he forcefully gritted his teeth with enough force to grind diamonds to dust. Underneath that hood was the one, the only pitiful snot of a noble:

High Horse

The rest of the vision went on as it would, with the elements being smashed to bits beneath his hooves, and the nightmarish sound of falling bodies that followed. He did his best to drown out the cheering that came afterwards before willing for the next vision to appear. Like flipping through pages of a book, he eventually stopped at the moment he wanted. He was in Canterlot, during some kind of attack. The smoke form the burning city filled his lings while the terrible screaming from the butchered citizens ringed in his ear.

Ponies were killing ponies, that was what he saw now that he could comprehend the visions with clarity. But there was an obvious line that was drawn in the sand. One side obviously had the advantage, with weapons, armor, and numbers while the rest were the unfortunate who stood between them and their goal. Soon the vision flashed over to the aftermath where he found himself standing before the gates castle Canterlot, a mere jog from where he currently was back in the physical plane.

There under the arch of the gate was a group of cheering soldiers who began to wheel out their prisoners in a cage. The prisoners, whom to his own surprise, was identified as none other than the royal pony sisters. There they were, somehow, pathetically beaten down, battered, bloodied, and bruised and chained to wall of their cell.

Using his trained eyesight again, he scanned the area for any reoccurring themes. Sure enough, he found something that fit the bill. Standing atop a cage where the prisoners where, shouting out victorious to his peers was High Horse again. Now Gondar was sure that that asshole was the ring master of everything that was going to happen in the near future. He was without doubt now, he knew his target, and he knew that High Horse wasn't going to live much long once the hunt was on. He had everything he needed now to begin his assassination attempt.

But just for curiosity sake, he went on to the very last scenes of the vision...

* * *

Gondar inhaled in the fresh air, and took in the grand landscape laid out before him. This, this was how it was suppose to all end. With a disaster, and some sort of birth of a new era. He was in a utopia, everything was clean and the ponies who were apparently living her pranced and danced without so much a care in the world.

Gondar did what he thought he couldn't do in a vision and began to explore the city. He picked himself up and began to walk towards his center of interest, a gargantuan pavilion in the center of the city. It looked like hub for all sorts of activity. There was commerce, trade, and other business that were once shady but were now out in the open. He kept walking forward, his instinct leading him to the one stallion he expected to see upon reaching his destination. Sure enough, he came upon a large, luxurious velvet tent and entered inside.

In the middle of it was High Horse who was enjoying some personal intimacy with a group of bawdy mares. He was having perhaps a little too much fun, drinking copious amounts of wine, and dining on the freshest of fruits as he dug his face into the part of the mare where the sun don't shine. He was fat, he was happy, and more importantly, he made Gondar want to strangle him until he popped like a brown stallion shaped blister. He was reaping insurmountable rewards for the destruction countless others, it was absolutely sickening to watch.

"That's it" Gondar grunted angrily as he walked away "I think I've seen enough..." he walked out of the tent and began to will himself back to reality, but not before he caught the glimpse of a certain monument of in the corners of his eyes. He approached it, seeing that there was a crowd gathering around it and worshiping it like some kind of god.

The monument in question was a massive obelisk with embossed images around it. Floating atop it were four massive stone rings, each smaller than the last with varying runic scriptures engraved on the sides. The rings where all within another, from the biggest to the smallest, they all locked together and rotated around as a ball of light radiating pure energy was sealed in the center to keep the rings in check. Its low, almost mechanical humming and intimidating appearance piqued Gondar interest. He waded through the crowd that was there, his body phasing through them like a spirit as he reached a bronze plaque. He read it.

"This is the Galactic Fulcrum. This was the device used by our beloved rulers to create their ideal world for all ponies to live in. May they never be forgotten" Gondar pulled back in confusion "I don't know what this is but I know I don't like it... forget it, I got a job to do..."

* * *

Gondar snapped back into reality and he could feel a rush of some much needed air fill hims lungs which he was all to eager to partake in. He was also greeted with some queer looks from his friends as they witness him come back to earth after that little moment of... well, whatever the heck it was suppose to be. They waited for him to say something but he instead turned around, pulled out his sword and began walking into the castle.

"Wait, where are you going!" Twilight called after him, she grabbed onto him, trying to stop his advance which she managed to do "Whoa, where's the fire? You just got back from some sort of coma"

"I know" Gondar replied plain and simple "Where'd High Horse go?" he demanded.

"What? Uh... he ran off to the ballroom I think but... hey wait!" she shouted as Gondar pushed her aside and readied his blade for battle. She and everyone else followed him to make sure he wasn't about to go do something incredibly stupid "Hold on, put the sword away! What are you going to do?" Gondar sheathed his blade but he narrowed his eyes on Twilight and let out a small hiss of anger.

"...I'm going to kill High Horse"

Chapter 28 End

Chapter 29: Ticking Time Bomb

What does a Hero Truly Need?

By:Zelkova48

Chapter 29: Ticking Time Bomb

Twilight and her friends all stared at Gondar with a wide eyed, slack jawed expression over what he had just openly proclaimed to them before casually passing by with a murderous air surrounding him. His steps were slow but calculated, fierce yet slack as he trotted his way towards his doomed target with a goal in mind.

As he walked however, he slowed to a stop when he felt something painfully gripping onto his stubby little tail, much to his annoyance. He turned around and saw that Applejack was the one who had stopped him, and was doing so by clamping down her chompers on his poor tail. Hadn’t it been for his years of intense training and conditioning he would’ve cried out in pain. He just leered at the orange mare with his crimson irises before eliciting a low hiss towards her.

“And just where in sam hill do you think yer goin?” asked Applejack with an unamused look on her face as she let go of Gondar’s tail.

“Please, please, pleeeeeeeease tell me that we all had something crazy in our ears when you said you were gonna kill somepony? The last thing that we need right now is to make Cadence and Shining Armor’s wedding famous for having someone being murdered there!” she prayed that she and her friends had misheard him, but as of late things hadn’t going their way at all. Gondar just shook his head and stared at her dead in the eye before speaking.

“You heard me loud and clear” said Gondar, his expression neutral and unreadable even with his bandanna down “I’m going to take my sword, jam it so far up that noble’s rear to the point where he can practically taste the rust off my blade and twist it... slowly. And when I’m done, I’m turning High Horse into a rug, use his organs for fertiliser and then give his bones to Rhasta as a present”

“Oh!” Rhasta beamed “I could always use some more bones. Who knows what I can do with the bones of a spoiled noble”

“Ugh... I did not need to know that” Applejack and the rest of the mane six reeled at the graphic nature of Gondar’s colorful depiction of his attempt at murder. If none of them were green before from nausea then they sure as heck were now. “Easy there partner. There’s gotta be a reason for all this. You’re a bounty hunter, you don’t do anything without it having some sort of purpose. What’s it for? Money? Or is it revenge because of what happened earlier?” she asked.

“...Neither” Gondar replied curtly, causing confusion among the group. But the heroes could tell from the sharp glint in his eyes that there was more to this was more than mere coin or petty vengeance. Regardless, they all eyed him with a stare that begged for some answers, and it bugged him to no end.

“There no point in hiding it Gondar, we might as well tell them about everything if you really do intend to kill that noble. We owe that much to them, after all” said Aiushtha “We can tell, that noble and your visions are linked, aren’t they?” she asked.

“Wait, what? Visions? What vision?” Rainbow Dash asked as she furrowed her brow. SIghing heavily, Gondar motioned for everyone to follow him into the castle gardens, far away from prying eyes and keen ears of the partying ponies from the courtyard. After a short walk, they were back at Mr. Greenhooves tool shed. A good distance away from the festivities where they could use some much needed privacy.

* * *

“Alright, we’re here” Gondar stretch a bit before seating himself on the grass “With the party going on, I doubt anyone would find us here right now”

“Uh huh, is there a particular reason as to why you led us here?” Twilight curiously asked as she and everyone else got comfortable as well “You simply could’ve just told us about your vision back at the courtyard and we would’ve listened intently... well, most of us at least” she eyed Rainbow who gave a sheepish grin in return.

“What I am about to say doesn’t leave our little circle, understood? It is important that not a single word of this gets leaked out, otherwise the consequences could be dire” The mane six grew uneasy from his words. They fidgeted around, impatiently waiting to hear what he had to say. Gondar took his sword and planted in directly into the earth, leaving it to jut out beside him “Your whole world is in grave danger”

There it was, with just seven little words all the joy they may have experienced earlier disappeared without a trace. It wasn’t bad enough that they had just repelled a large scale changeling invasion either, and witness somepony nearly getting pulped by Sven, but this just couldn’t have came at a worse time. Still, they are slightly skeptical given how vague his explanation was.

“Saying our world is in danger doesn’t exactly give us much, you do realize that?” said Rarity “But I assume you were going to tell us either way, am I right?”

“Correct, miss Rarity” Gondar nodded “First, let me start off by apologizing to everyone. My friends and I have kept this a secret from you all, we knew this was happening, but we chose to remain silent about it in hopes that you wouldn’t have to experience it first hand. For that, I humbly ask for your forgiveness”

“You’re forgiven for that and for almost murdering a noble” replied Twilight curtly, knowing that it wasn’t okay to sugarcoat anything at the moment. The air around them was unbearably heavy, she just wanted what was to be said and over with “Although this really isn’t any of your fault. You did only what you thought was best for everyone’s interest. I guess it was bigger than you thought, huh?”

“When you get involved with heroes, everything else seems a speck of dust in comparison” said Gondar “But enough chit chat, let’s get down to business”

Without missing a beat, Gondar went on to explain his vision from the very start, and to why he acted as he did. He started from when he first came to Equestria, and about how he nearly died in the process of doing so. He recalled his near death experience in the rock quarry off the outskirts of Ponyville. It was there that in the deepest recesses of his own thoughts, an all powerful being came to him and showed him a premonition that nearly burned his mind.

In a world seemingly as innocent as Equestria, he was met with images of the coming apocalypse. From the deaths of the element bearers, to the destruction of the elements themselves, all the way to the fall of Canterlot, the bondage of its rulers before ending with terrible destruction and raging fire. Afterwards, there was light. But it was a sinister light. One that blinded rather than illuminate.

“Well, that was the abridged version but it pretty much sums up everything that;s going to happen. And judging from our little encounter with that noble, I’m starting to think that this cataclysmic event might come sooner than you think” Gondar concluded, patiently awaiting some form of response from his peers. Out of all the mane six to answer first, it was Rainbow who bursted into hysterics.

“WE’RE GOING TO DIE?!” she cried, practically turning white as a ghost as she registered everything ”Aaaawwwww! I can’t die now! I’m too cool to die! I’m not even a premier member of the wonderbolts yet! This can’t be how it ends!”

“Really!?” her friends shouted at her, appalled by her self centeredness even in the most dire of circumstances.

“Rainbow, the whole world just turned into a big fat fireball and you’re only worried about the fact that you haven't gotten accepted into the wonderbolts by then!?” Pinkie snapped at her.

“Ah second that” said Applejack “Look at the bigger picture, Rainbow! The world is gonna get hit, and it’s gonna get hit hard unless we do something about it!” she yelled.

“But what!” Rainbow shot back “According to Gondar’s freaktastic vision with that equally freaktastic hero, Hard Binge Drinker, or whatever the heck his name was clearly showed us that we were going to get sent to the gallows before we even get a chance to do anything!”

“Girls!” Fluttershy shouted, something that she rarely did unless it was an emergency “I understand that it’s hard to make out everything now but we have to calm down before jumping to any conclusion”

“Fluttershy’s right” said Twilight “This is just a premonition, along with that prophecy it hasn't happened yet, and we won’t let it happen. With this information we’ve got we can change it all around. That explains why Gondar nearly butchered High Horse. He was very well involved in all of this. Although I still don't condone his actions one bit”

“I honestly have no idea why he would want to have us killed, or why he would go so far as to actually have the gall to assault Canterlot and kidnap the princesses either, but this cannot stand, not while we’re still around” said Rarity “However, there are still parts of your explanation that leave a lot of the apparent cataclysm in the dark. Mainly, the prophecy and the aftermath of everything else”

“There still too much that we don't know” said Rubick “We know what will happen, but not the how nor the why. Without those two key components it seems rather foolish to charge into things blindly”

“Right, we should also probably warn the princess about th-” said Twilight until Gondar brought his hoof up to cover her mouth and interrupting her.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa” he started “I already told you, this stays within our circle. No excuses. No one, not even the Princesses can hear about this. Special exception goes to little Spike and Jackal. They’re involved with this as much as you girls are”

“What! We have to tell them!” Twilight shouted back, her face a bright glowing red from exasperation “They’re in danger, Equestria is in danger, heck, the whole world is in danger and you expect us to keep quiet about it!”

“Listen to what your friend Rarity just said, Twilight” said Aiushtha “We still don’t know the finer details. Blurting everything out to your rulers would lead this situation in an undesirable direction. Even if they were to help us there's a great chance that they'll run into a dead end”

“I’m sorry but as members of the elite royal guards whose standing with the princesses are pretty bad as it is, a sole surviving member of a race thought to be long dead, and a mummified stallion plus a diamond dog we can’t properly explain it to Princess Celestia and Luna if they take it all at face value” said Gondar “Without reliable evidence to back up these claims, we’ll look even crazier than Sven”

“And if we were to say it, wouldn’t that noble be able to spin our words around?” said Rainbow Dash as she began to put two and two together. She shook her head and grimaced. No matter how hard she thought she would always run into a dead end “Ugh, even if we are the element bearers we’ve got our hooves tied. This isn’t like with Discord or Nightmare Moon, there’s no clear answer to this!”

“But we have to do something... anything” Twilight fell to her haunches as he mood deflated.

“And we will” said Rhasta who patted her on the back with a reassuring smile on his face “Don’t be so glum. Think of it this way, we already know what’s going to happen soon. All we have to do is find the rest of the missing puzzle pieces and everything will become clear”

“But... how?” Twilight asked.

“Judging from the prophecy and factoring in the urgent state that High Horse may be in cause of Sven, I hypothesize that we have at least two months worth of time to put a stop to this, give or take a few days. So...” said Rubick as he went into deep thought “We need to conduct a private investigation of sorts. Get some facts straight and dig up clues as well before springing into action” he suggested “Does everyone agree?” he asked.

“...We’re listening” said Applejack who everyone focused all their attention towards Rubick "It's not like any of us have a better idea right now"

“We know several things right now. One, according to the prophecy, the day the apocalypse will happen is when the sun and moon intertwine. We should decode that first. Second, High Horse is a prime suspect in causing it. We have to expand our information on him, know what he knows and who could possibly be associated with him. He doesn’t look like the type to work alone, he could have allies hidden everywhere”

“I get it, we got to do Daring Do detective work, eh?” said Rainbow “Alright, it sounds like a plan, although it doesn’t make me feel any better than I do now. I’m more of an action mare than a problem solver. It sounds like a plan that I can stick with though, but where do we go from here. It’s past midnight already”

“Hmm... listen, everyone. We’ve been through so much these last few days” said Rubick who let out a faux yawn and blinking his sleepy eyelids “From meeting each other, to somewhat earning the princesses favor and stopping a whole invasion as well. I suggest we retire to the apartment for tonight. There, we can regroup with Sven and Jackal and plan out what we’re going to tomorrow”

“Are you sure” Fluttershy ask “Is it okay just to relax like nothing’s wrong?”

“Try to act the part and be inconspicuous for the time being. It'll reduce the amount of stress you'll all receive” said Rubick “From here on out, this will be a shadow war. Acts of subterfuge from behind the veil of peace. We can’t let this slip out to anyone as to cause unwanted mayhem. Are we all on the same page here?”

“Act like nothing’s wrong, try to solve the mystery of the end of the world and beat the bad guy. Got it” said Pinkie who snapped to attention “I think I’m on the same page a you are”

“Good!” Rubick hopped up with energy, making everyone roll their eyes “Some shut eye will do everyone some good. Now, now, run along everyone. We got the world to save tomorrow” he concluded and picked up his staff as everyone yawned and made their way back to the apartments. However, as Twilight was leaving Rubick pulled her to his side and whispered something to her.

“Twilight, my young student, follow me. There is much to uncover in the dead of night...”

* * *

Humiliation

That was all that High Horse felt as he grudgingly waded through the crowds of gawking partygoers and sniggering guest that populated the main ballroom of Castle Canterlot.

The many judging eyes and faint sounds of laughter that fell upon him only served to make his inner anger towards the very stallion that wronged him stirred and churned until it morphed into seething hatred. He scrunched his face up and scowled as he thought of that insufferable blue stallion. That blue abomination who was an affront to everything that he and the Descendants stood for.

His mood only continued to sink below even further when he looked down to examine himself. A look of pure disgust appeared on his face. He looked as if he just got out from a wrestling match with a hog in a mud pit. Hundreds of bits spent on personal grooming and the latest designer’s fashion, all ruined by dirt, spittle, and, as much as he hated to admit it, his own urine.

The gears in his head began to turn at a psychopathic pace as his machinations went into full swing. How can I ruin that blue stallion, he thought. His ideas ranged from simple acts of revenge to absolutely ludicrous plots as he trotted onward towards his destination.

“Perhaps I’ll have him framed him for the rape of an innocent little filly from the upper class? Oh, the press would have a field day with that...” High Horse whispered to himself with contempt laced in his voice and a sinister grin growing on his face “Or maybe I’ll just hire an assassin and have it done and over with, but that could prove to be problematic considering the fact he did take down a dragon...”

“High Horse?!” a familiar haughty voice shouted at him “What in the name of Equestria happened to you?!” High Horse snapped out of his machinations and faced the direction of the voice to see that Prince Blueblood and the rest of his comrades were staring at him with an incredulous look plastered on their faces. He audibly groaned and rubbed the side of his temple with his hoof to try to alleviate the eventual headache that was to come.

“Nothing, I...” he started, but stopped to take his time and to choose his words carefully “I don’t think that we should recruit those other ponies” he spoke adamantly “They don’t deserve the privilege and prestige that we have as members of the Descendants”

“Let me guess, you couldn’t convince the Yellow Devil either?” Quicksilver spoke with a smug grin on her face “So even the great High Horse, a stallion of class, wealth, and prestige with political power that rivals that of the princesses themselves couldn’t even get one scraggly yellow earth pony to join our cause. Ah ha ha ha ha!” she chortled obnoxiously “What happened to all that swagger from earlier? Was that just all talk?”

“It wasn’t all talk!” High Horse snapped at the silver pegasus “T-there was a reason for that!” he stumbled with his own words.

“Oh?” Chain Warden joined in “There’s a reason why you’re all covered in dirt and... *sniff* *sniff* is that piss? Did you piss yourself?” he asked as he backed away while covering his nose.

“Ugh... so you couldn’t hold it in, eh?” Fast Hoof said as she too backed away with her nose covered “I guess even someone like you can have accidents from time to time... yuck”

“IT WAS THAT BLUE STALLION’S FAULT!” High Horse exploded, causing nearly everyone in the room to pause and turn their attention to him. His eye twitched and he had a pulsating vein on his forehead looking as if it was about to explode due to the stress he was experiencing “That traitor did this to me! He humiliated me in front of everyone, in front of the princesses!” he screamed.

“He! No, that thing would rather befriend a sniveling mongrel of a diamond dog than be amongst us! We! We who born are born from a higher power, higher than those dirt loving mutts and those grotesque cannibal griffons! We who are chosen to inherit this earth and everything upon it as our birthright, our destiny! We who must fulfill our solemn duty left by our ancestors of yore to eradicate the cancer that plagues Equestria!” he ranted on like a mad king.

Yet as he prepared to continue he took notice to the crowds gathering anxiously around him. He had to force himself to calm down otherwise his public image would be tarnished, not that it wasn't already but being the person he was he knew better than to dig the hole deeper than it already is. He grind his teeth together and let out an exasperated sigh, motioning for his comrades to follow him to a more... secluded location.

Mumbling something unmentionable beneath his breath, High Horse and his entourage of fellow Descendants filed their way out into the city and towards his apartment to chat on a more personal level, all the while his so called friends clamped their noses down and did their best to ignore the pungent stench wafting off the stinky brown unicorn.

* * *

At least half an hour of walking later, they all arrived at High Horse’s personal estate that lies near the edge of Canterlot. Large, imposing, and incredibly luxurious, High Horse’s home could be called a miniature version of Castle Canterlot only with minor differences that make a major impact. If having hedges trimmed to match your likeness and using priceless artifacts placed around your home like cheap lawn decorations can be considered minor.

Upon entering the grand foyer of High Horse’s estate the group was met with a mirror like marble flooring, freshly watered exotic plants, and lavish tapestries draped over the windows. It was extravagant, something that had to be seen to believe. But in the midst of it all, one would wonder how someone who supposedly cares so much about his kind could be so vain as to hoard and flaunt his wealth and power while leaving nary but scraps for the masses.

Descendant or not, all of that wealth would do better to benefit for the community as a whole, wouldn’t you think? Motivations aside, the group of ponies eventually entered High Horse’s study where the walls and desk there were covered with all manners of charts, sheets, and posters to represent their cause.

Cluttered is not the word to use here. With constant care from the hired help, and High Horse’s own eye for detail, everything was surprisingly neat and well laid out. Now if there was one thing in the room that would immediately draw the eye to the moment you walked in it would have to be the large map of Equestria that hung slack on the back wall of the study. A map that had a frightening amount of arrows and numbers scrawled in red onto it.

“Finally, a place where I can think straight” High Horse sank into his personal club chair and poured himself a glass of fine wine from the minibar beside him. He indulged himself in a few sips before letting out a shudder of relief leaving himself in a state of pure bliss, allowing him to completely ignore the fact he still reeked of humiliation and pneumonia.

“Uh... High Horse, shouldn’t you take a bath first?” Blueblood asked, causing High Horse to shoot a cutting glare at the pompous prince “Ugh, nevermind...”

“So, tell us” Fast Hoof started “What did you want to tell us before you blew up?” she asked “Ya sounded mighty angry when ya got back”

“Yes, please...” started Quicksilver.

“...Do tell” concluded her brother, Speeding Bullet.

“Ah, yes... that” High Horse smacked his lips and swirled around his glass as he composed himself to speak “We’re going to have to speed up our plans a bit”

“Excuse me? Speed up the plan?” Chain Warden stood up “What do you mean speed up? We’re working ourselves to the bone as it is already and you’re telling us to speed up!” he snorted “Do you realize how hard it was to organize all those attacks on the changeling hives to flush them out just to make it all look like an invasion on Canterlot!?”

“Hundreds upon thousands of bits were spent on fashioning our followers to handle fighting those damned things and it took us much more of our resources to make it look like Princess Cadence was kidnapped by them!” Chain Warden stamped him hoof on the ground with such force that the marble below him cracked and webbed outwards “How can you obviously expect us to work faster!”

“I don’t care how, I just want it done!” High Horse roared back as he threw his wine glass on the ground, shattering it and spilling red wine all over the floor “The Great Cleanse is only a month and a half away and I want to see the Galactic Fulcrum assembled and prepared for use when that day comes, do you hear me!”

“But our scholars and scientist are working as hard as they could!” Fast Hoof interjected “This thing ain’t like no ordinary puzzle, the schematics were lost and we’re doing our best to try to put the dang thing back together based on notes alone!”

“Hire more ponies then! Give them drugs so that they can stay up late and work faster! Do whatever it takes! We’re the Descendants! Money is no object, and our cause is certainly nothing to be taken lightly” High Horse roared “I want to see results! Results by the end of the month or there will be dire consequences!”

“Fine! Fine! We’ll do what we can and speed things up, but no guarantees on anything, High Horse” Blueblood and the rest conceded but not without shooting High Horse a dark glare “But we’re not doing this for you, we’re doing this for the cause. Don’t think you can use that authoritative tone on us forever. I’m still a direct member of the royal bloodline, and you are just some wannabe noble vying for attention” he huffed with a smug grin on his face “Don’t forget your place among royalty”

“Grrr... just get on with it!” High Horse snarled “Oh, and find a way to get rid of that blue stallion as well. He’ll be a thorn in our side soon, I just know it...”

“How?” Speeding Bullet asked “You saw it, remember? He took down a dragon with his bare hooves! We’d need a miracle to take him down”

“I don’t mean physically you dolt!” High Horse shouted as he conked Speeding Bullet in the head “Give him bad publicity, ruin his public image, things along those lines! I want him to be runned out of this city by the ponies after finding out he’s a vile sex offender!”

“I want him sent back to the hole that Princess Celestia fished him out from so he can rot there for the rest of his miserable life. Make him rue the day he besmirched my good name and the name of ponies everywhere! Do I make myself clear?” High Horse stared at Speeding bullet straight in the eye and rooted the poor pegasus on the spot.

“Uh... um...c-crystal... High Horse” Speeding Bullet quivered beneath High Horse’s gaze, never once breaking eye contact with him for even a second.

“Good. Glad to know you can at least try to follow a simple order” High Horse returned to his usual haughty behavior and turned away, walking towards the direction of his washroom “Oh, one more thing. Make sure to keep those alicorn amulet copies close by, you never know when you might need it...”

* * *

Deep in the bowels of castle Canterlot’s darkest dungeon, Twilight and Rubick descended into its depth in search of clues and answers for the coming end. In doing so, however, it had involved Rubick and Twilight using their fanciful linguistic skills to confuse and misguide two unruly guards who outright refused to let them into the dungeon despite being renowned individuals.

Being two silver tongued devils, they slid right through without so much as a peep from the guards. What they said to them, well, I’ll let you decide. As they continued downwards, Twilight felt a pang of guilt slowly devouring herself from the inside out. She was violating Princess Celestia’s will and trespassed into a restricted area. She just wanted to turn back and forget everything, but this was to stop the end of the world from happening so she had no choice.

The eerie setting sent chills down her spine. Each step she took upon a dirt floor that was barely lit by dim candlelight made her wish she hadn’t read all those horror novels weeks earlier. Just when she thought her worries were over, a low buzzing sound emanating from near the end of the hall made her jump and practically latch herself upon the ceiling like a gecko. It was a familiar sound, and it made her skin crawl.

Eventually, a soft glow of a sickening hue of green made itself known. Twilight stared at the glow with a look of disgust on her face before it lead her eye towards something that made her heart stop just for a second. It was an injured changeling, bleeding profusely coupled with labored breathing and a mangled body. And its eyes, eyes that she thought were about as empty as the queen that led them, were bloodshot and filled with despair.

For reasons unknown to herself, all the anger and hatred she harbored towards the changelings dissipated, making her feel hollow on the inside. She slowed her pace a bit just to take in the pain that they were suffering and could nothing more.

“Reminds you of, Jackal, doesn’t it?” Rubick spoke with a tone of sorrow laced in his voice “We caused them this much pain... what we feel now is what we deserve”

Twilight opened her mouth to protest but nothing was spoken. She wondered why. Again, Sven’s words flashed into her mind and she could understand what he meant again. Hero or villain, victim or aggressor, it makes no difference to the winners. And the winner was her. Her mind wandered off to Jackal again. About how she and nearly everyone she knew mistreated him and his kind. Treated them like trash tossed aside by so many.

She reflected on herself. The lesson she had learned from the heroes were many, but there were few that still took time to get used to. She hoped that in the near future, her enlightened self would rectify any mistakes of the past that she herself caused with her mind swayed through justified intentions. Though any she can recall were few and far between, she kept a mental note to watch her own action every so often.

“Ah, we’re here” said Rubick whose intrigued tone snapped Twilight’s attention back towards him. Before her was a cage that had one too many changelings uncomfortably packed into like a can of tuna. But there was space in the middle where a lone figure laid, space that the other changelings could’ve occupied but chose to remain at the sides for whatever reason. Rubick approached the figure and ran his hooves along the bars of the cell.

The figure flinched from the noise and recoiled back deeper into the darkness. Rubick pulled back a couple of inches, assumed a non threatening pose to make sure that they knew he wasn't a threat to them. Then, in perhaps the most gentle and kind voice that Twilight had ever heard Rubick use, he spoke out to the figure.

“It’s alright... I’m not here to hurt you...” he softly whispered “Please, I only wish to talk to you” the figure stirred, then slowly dragged itself towards the bars and into the light where they could be see by the candle light. To her shock, the figure was none other than the changeling queen herself.

Reaching with her forelegs, she grasped onto the rusty bars and pulled herself over to them. From what Twilight could make out in the dimness, what she saw made her cringe uncontrollably. The changeling queen was cruelly brutalised. Her chitinous exoskeleton was cracked all over the place and it leaked the same glowing fluid that she saw earlier. Her horn was but a stubby nub with clear signs that it had been callously broken off without regard.

Her frame was thin, nearly like a twig that could snap at any moment. She was suffering from the effects of starvation. Still, she struggled to crane her neck upwards so that she can reach Rubick’s gaze. She wore a look that was a mix of both fear, and caution. Her body language gave away the fact that she really didn’t to do this but had to as if her life depended on it. Empathy struck Twilight like a ton of bricks.

Slowly reaching his own hooves out, Rubick attempted to caress the face of the queen, only to have her instinctively reel backwards a a result. Taking her fear into consideration her pulled back his hoof and lowered it, tilting it around and letting her come to him. Eventually, the queen craned her head to reach his grasp and he returned her action by soothing her pain with a gentle rub on her forehead.

“I’m so, so sorry...” he said, giving Twilight the impression that he felt entirely responsible for the queen’s suffering “I knew, yet I...” Twilight thought that her eyes was playing tricks on her. Was Rubick actually... crying? No, that couldn’t be it. But the sparkles that trailed down his cheek said otherwise “It doesn't look like the warden have been feeding you properly...” he pulled out a familiar satchel and gave it to her.

“Would you care for a walnut? Please, take as many as you like...”

Chapter 29 End

Author's Note

Man it's been so long since I last updated this. Four months plus. Anyway, I hope to get more done after this since from here on out it'll mostly be action that's been on my mind for a while now, coupled with the occasional reveals of course.

Chapter 30: Queen's Lament

What does a Hero Truly Need?

By: Zelkova48

Chapter 30: Queen's Lament

The changeling queen laid helplessly on the cold dirt floor of the dark castle dungeons. Broken and left near the razor’s edge of death’s door, all she could do was breathe, cough, suffer chronic muscle spasms and remain absolutely still to lessen the pain of her ravaged body.

Using her peripheral vision, she scanned her immediate proximity and only felt her heart sink further into the depths of despair. She kept asking herself over and over again in her mind:

“What did we do to deserve this?”

All around her was her willing and loyal subjects, but on a more matriarchal level, they were her brood. Her dear children whom of which she had witnessed each and every single one hatch from her eggs. It tore her from within to see the condition that they were in. They were in no better shape than she was, yet they all chose to give her the room that she very much needed, and instead opted out to huddling together in clusters up against the side of the cold cell.

Even then, their living conditions were not what terrified her to the core. It was the frequent meetings with the ponies that had her on edge the whole time. Whenever the princesses and their guards would come down she would notify her brood to hide back into the darkness while she was left at the mercy of her captors. Did she fear Princess Celestia and Luna? The answer to that question was none more than the guards stationed here.

If anything, the queen actually revered the moments when the princesses were trying to interrogate her. Though she couldn’t truthfully answer their questions nor willingly admit to their ludicrous accusations, whenever they were around the guards would actually stay their tongues and hold back their more than questionable actions. For whenever the princesses left, the tortuous beatings began.

It is an underlying fact that there are more than one way to get someone to talk. But for the guards and their pea sized brains, the only method that the ever tried was good cop and bad cop. Or to be more accurate, bad cop and even worser cop. Every chance that the guards got they used it to try to violently pry some form of confession out of her. And in the end, she could do nothing but curse them.

She cursed them, cursed them with every fiber of her being. She cursed them for treating her like so, she cursed them for being bigoted moronic fools, but more importantly, she cursed them for being associated with the very same group that decimated her kin months earlier. Even in the dark with her swollen eye she could just barely make out the faint glimmer of a golden necklace from in between the gaps of their armor.

It was a wicked symbol, a symbol that made her blood boil whenever she thought of it. A gold ring with three prongs depicting a simplistic representation of a horn, a hoof, and a wing. She remembered it so well for the aggressors who attacked her and her kin proudly had the symbol emblazoned upon nearly every piece of equipment that they wore. What it meant she didn’t care even in the slightest.

From what she had overheard from her captors, within a few days she would be moved from this pit and sent to the court where she will be judged by her crimes, possibly from a jury filled with bias ponies who still held the memories of the supposed invasion fresh in their minds.

Relenting from the thought, she closed her eyes and resigned to her fate. The sound of her own soft sobs were the only thing that lulled her to some much needed rest aside from the low and melancholic buzzing of her brood who did all they could to comfort her.

As she slept, she spotted something off the corner of her eye that brought her some form of temporary relief. Was it another changeling? No it couldn’t be, she couldn’t sense it like she could with the rest. But the black and green coloration of the figure approaching her put her at mind ease. Yet she still retained a sliver of cautiousness.

What happened next took her entirely by surprise...

* * *

The area around the cell had remained quiet for some time. The only sound that could be heard were the quiet munchings of the queen as she partook in some very much appreciated food.

She took her time to eat and chose to savor each bite. Sure it may have been degrading as a queen to be seen eating like this behind the bars of the cell, but all of the details were irrelevant given her situation.

“Take your time, there’s no need to rush. We have all night. Please, enjoy yourself” said Rubick in a calming tone as he tapped his staff upon the floor a couple of times.

“Fissure”

From upon the dirt floor of the dungeon, a light tremor could be felt rumbling beneath everyone’s hooves. Soil, stone and bits and pieces of metal fragments from the dungeon all shook, jumped and swirled together until it formed into three little stool like stumps that was concave in the center. One for Rubick, Twilight, and the queen to sit upon.

The sudden appearance of the stumps made everyone in the room reel back out of surprise, only for them to loosen up when they noticed Rubick taking a casual seat with his hooves laid slack in a nonchalant fashion.

“Sit down, everyone. We will have much to talk about soon” said Rubick. Twilight checked her stump first to make sure that it wasn’t lumpy first before sitting down, only to find out that it was quite comfy for a seat comprised of mainly dirt. The queen pulled herself over with whatever strength that she could muster, and fidgeted around until she felt she was comfortable with the arrangements given to her.

It wasn’t long before the queen swallowed the last bits of food that was given to her before tossing the little satchel back to Rubick.

She was grateful, even if she didn’t show it. It wasn’t about pride, more so about survival. But her ability to detect emotion allowed to understand that the unicorns before her were of no threat to her and her brood. Lifting her head so that she can meet the two eye to eye, she spoke with her raspy breath.

“What... d-do you want?” she asked before breaking out into a coughing fit. Hacking and whooping uncontrollably, she felt a wave of pain shoot throughout her body, nearly throwing her to the ground again with her wounds open again.

“Oh, dear. I had no idea how severe your injuries truly were. Here, allow me to help” Rubick willed his magic and a bright magenta stream of shadow magic was streamed from the end of his staff and towards the occupants of the cell.

“Shadow Wave”

“I suppose that I probably should’ve done that when we first met” starting from the queen herself, the bolt of shadow healing magic, courtesy of a certain eccentric priest, reinvigorated her with strength and energy before doing the same for every other changeling that was with her. Her wounds closed up, and her snapped horn was renewed and returned as sharp and jagged as ever. She felt like a whole new changeling along with her brood.

“O-oh! W-what is this?” the queen asked “I feel... I feel incredible!” she exclaimed as she stretched and pranced around with her restored body, With her wings, she elicited an excited buzz that was joined by the buzzing of her brood. It felt amazing to move properly again without having shocking pain halt her advance every step she took.

“You like it? It’s a healing spell called Shadow Wave. You should thank Dazzle for that quick pick me up. It’s quite a great skill to stea- er, I mean learn between fellow users of magic”

“Rubick, what are you doing! She’s the leader of the enemy!” Twilight whispered loudly to Rubick “Who knows what might happen now that you returned her back to full power!”

“I simply nursed her back to good health and nothing else” said Rubick with a dismissive wave of his hoof “She has yet to recover any of her powers properly if the whole thing about feeding on emotions really is true. Believe me when I say that the queen here isn’t a threat to your people. In fact, I deduct that she never was at all”

“Huh? What?”

“Just listen to our conversation and keep that open mind you’ve been having lately. You’re doing great by the way” Rubick complimented “Listen closely. The clues and breadcrumbs she will leave behind will become invaluable in the near future”

“...This sort of goes against my better judgement but I’ll take your word for it since the fate of the world hangs in the balance. I’ll take any information that I can get my hooves on if it means protecting my home and everyone who live here” said Twilight as she straighten herself up and prepared by wiggling her ears around “I’ll listen and keep an open mind”

“Excellent! Now, where were we...” Rubick scratched his head “Ah! How about we start with introductions first! Ahem...” he cleared his throat “My name is Rubick, I am The Grand Magus” he politely bowed before pointing over to Twilight “Over there is my plucky young student, Twilight Sparkle. A Grand Magus in the making! She’s still a tad rough around the edges but she shows great potential as a magic user”

“I know that she’s more than that” said the queen coldly as she raised a scornful eyebrow at Twilight. Twilight just turned her head and pretended as if the queen’s laser targeted glare wasn’t directed at her “She’s also Princess Celestia’s student. The same Princess Celestia who keeps accusing me and my brood of attacking her precious Canterlot!” she shouted angrily.

“Now, now. We’re not here to try and make you confess anything that you didn’t do. Not at all” Rubick reassured the queen “To tell you the truth, we’re going entirely behind the back of royalty. This is what you would call covert affairs”

“Oh, really?” The queen asked “But how can I trust you? How do I know that this isn’t all just some elaborate ruse to get me to lower my guard and talk? You two were one of the many that slaughtered my brood as if we were nothing! You know what you have done! So tell me why I should place my trust, the only thing that I have left aside from my children behind these cold iron bars in someone like you!”

“You can tell how we feel, isn’t that enough?” Rubick asked with an almost unnoticeable crack to his voice, feeling true guilt burn up from inside of him. The queen cocked her head to the side and began to think, narrowing her eyes upon her audience. It’s true, what she was sensing from them wasn't malice, nor was it anything conniving. The green and black unicorn before her was practically mourning within. Still, Twilight wasn’t too forgiving as the magus was...

“...Give me another good reason, and you’ll earn my trust. But I want to hear it from you, Magus. Not your student, for she still harbors ill will towards me and my kind” replied the queen in a authoritative but weak tone. She wasn’t really trying to act all high and mighty, but if she were to show signs of weakness then what would they think of her?

“I healed you and your subjects of your wounds, gave you some food considering how malnourished you were that were high in protein with just enough carbohydrates to give you energy to move around and have acted like a gentlem- er, pony this whole time. Is that enough?” Rubick asked with a sincere smile on his face.

“...” Chrysalis didn’t know what to say, but at the very least she can safely say that she wasn’t falling into some sort of elaborate trap ”Very well. You have my full attention” said the queen “I am Queen Chrysalis. The sole surviving changeling queen of the last hundred changelings” she announce. The last few words sending a pang of fear up Rubick’s spine, causing him to slip forward and lose his composure for just a fraction of a second..

“Last hundred... but how?” he whispered to himself “ Um, excuse your highness...” Rubick started.

“Please, you have the permission to call me Chrysalis” the queen spoke in a surprisingly warm tone, making Twilight do a double take towards her. Was she really the malicious queen that the members of the Descendants defeated? “I can tell that you deeply regret doing what you did. You were only doing what you were suppose to and didn’t know until it was far too late”

“If I may, Chrysalis...” Rubick began again “My student and I would like to ask you a series of questions about how you came to be here. We hope to clear up any and all misunderstandings regarding your species’ wrongful incarceration”

“You would do that for me?” Chrysalis asked, feeling a small ray of hope shine upon her “I thought no one would believe me. I assumed that you ponies had been influenced by the social stigma of the changelings to the point where you don’t care what happens to us. But I guess there are some ponies out there who knows what is truth and what are blatant lies”

“On the contrary, Chrysalis, I am not a pony at all” said Rubick with a mischievous smile.

“Oh? Are you a surviving member of another hive then? Your coloration is bizarre, even for pony standards. Does that make you a changeling as well? If so, then how come I can’t sense your presence?”

“Let’s just say that I’m not quite exactly what you would expect in Equestria. But enough about me, this is about you. Would you like to tell us your story?”

“My story?”

“You see, ever since the supposed invasion began I’ve been having a nagging feeling in the back of my head that told me that everything was not as it seems” explained Rubick

“But not just me” he continued “All of my colleagues know as well as I do that something was very off about the whole incident. And you know the truth about it all. About why the changelings were all over Canterlot, about why you were impersonating Princess Cadence, and about who planned out the whole thing out. We want to know about the who so we can stop them before they reach the point of no return”

“...I will tell you everything that you need to know” replied Chrysalis, only to start again with a proposition “But, I will require a favor in exchange for my gift of knowledge”

“You want us to help you?” Twilight asked rudely before getting shushed by Rubick.

“Shh! Twilight, please. Not now. Save your jeering for the true enemy. It’ll be much more satisfying, believe me” said Rubick before facing Chrysalis “I can grant you whatever I can in my power as a member of Celestia’s elite royal guards... within reason, of course” Rubick stated “Now, what would you like me to do for you?”

“I want freedom” Chrysalis simply stated “Given how you’ve been treating me, and the fact that you know I am innocent, I would ask you to break me and my brood out once I was done telling you everything. But doing that would ruin your credibility with your superiors, and my kind would be hunted down to the ends of the earth even if we successfully escape. Nothing would be resolved”

“So that means that we would have to go the... I believe you ponies call it the ‘legal way’ and help me to attain freedom and clear our bad name in the coming days. It would be beneficial for both parties if the air of ignorance was cleared once and for all. Can you do that?” she asked.

“I can, but what is it exactly that I have to do?” asked Rubick.

“In a few days, I will be removed from this dungeon and be judged for my crimes before the princesses and a grand jury of bias ponies. No doubt my judgement will be swift, and my punishment even swifter unless someone can properly defend me. And I believe that that someone is you”

“You want me to be your defence attorney?” Rubick asked with a raise of his eyebrow "Well, I do know my way around the court, albeit not a court of law but a court still. Equestrian law is entirely different from what I'm used to. Are you sure about this?"

“No one would dare want to defend the monster who attack Canterlot, and everyone is basically waiting for my guilty verdict anyway. So why bother having a lawyer for a villain like me? It seems pointless for them to waste time muddling up the... ahem, facts with meaningless drabble” said Chrysalis, tears welling up on her eyes

“Please, I beg of you!” pleaded the queen. She broke down, losing all of her composure and began speaking out into hysterics “Defend me and my brood! Be our voice so that we can be heard upon stone ears! Prevent our extinction, please!" she concluded as tears began to well up below her eyes.

"Alright, alright, I'll do it" Rubick conceded as he knelt near the bars of the cell and comforted the distraught queen.

"Settle down, Chrysalis. Please. I really don't want to see anymore angst from the ladies as I already have here in Equestria. I'm not comfortable with it. Eyes as beautiful as yours shouldn't be stained with tears" said Rubick as he did his best to calm the queen's worries, something that he seems to be doing a lot lately.

"It'll be a tough battle, one that I'm not as familiar with, but there shouldn't be anything that I can't handle. I am a hero of the Radiant after all" he proclaimed proudly.

"A... hero?" said Chrysalis as she regained her composure "Grand Magus, should you succeed you'll be more than just a hero, you'll become a legend to the changelings. You will be revered as the one who saved the changelings from becoming more than a distant memory"

"To be frank, my dear, that is all well and good but I would prefer to remain a hero rather than a legend. Thank you for the offer though" replied Rubick nonchalantly “However, let’s save the whole being revered thing for a later time, preferably after I get you your not guilty verdict”

"If that is what you wish, Rubick. Then we have come to the conclusion" said the queen before assuming a more regal stance "Now it's my turn to uphold the other half of our bargain”

“Excellent!” exclaimed Rubick as he turned to face Twilight “Young Twilight, how about you ask the first few questions? I’ll get off my soapbox for you so you can speak your mind now”

* * *

“Finally” said Twilight as she let out an exasperated sigh “ Introductions took a really long time, but that won’t deter me from finding out the truth. So, first things firsts....” she walked up to the cell with a stern look on her face. Glaring at the queen, she asked her first question “Why did you attack Canterlot?”

“Hmph” Chrysalis turned her head to the side and scoffed at Twilight, clearly offended by the question “If you expect me to confess then here’s my answer: I didn’t attack Canterlot you dimwit”

“Hey! Who are you calling a dimwit!” Twilight snapped back before refraining herself from doing something that she might regret later “Fine, fine. Maybe that wasn’t the right question to ask, perhaps the better question is why are you here in Canterlot? Do you think you can answer that?” she asked with a bit of snark to her voice.

“Believe it or not purple pony, I can” replied the queen “Six months ago, my brood was attacked and evicted from our hive out in the badlands. The perpetrators were an army of ponies who attacked us with extreme prejudice”

“Hold on, ponies did this to you?” Twilight asked, shocked from hearing about this bit of information “Who exactly did this to you, and why? If there was an attack on your people by us then surely Princess Celestia and Luna would know about it so that they could’ve prevented all of this from happening at all”

“How should I know? All that I could tell you about these ponies were that they all had this odd symbol on everything that they had with them. Oh! My blood boils every time I see that wicked symbol!” Chrysalis huffed as she stamped on the ground.

“Hmm... looks like the true assailants have been busier than we thought, whoever they are” Rubick added.

“A symbol? Well what did it look like? Maybe I might know what it is if you can describe it to me” said Twilight.

“If I recall, it was like a gold ring with three triangular prongs attached to it. Not only that, each prong had an image engraved on it, one was a hoof, another was a horn, and lastly there was an image of a wing. Everypony who was involved wore something that had that symbol on it. No exceptions. I don’t know what it means, and frankly I don’t care” Chrysalis explained.

“Huh, a ring with three prongs?” Twilight began to think, scratching her head as she tried to remember anything that could help her.

“Do you think that it could have anything to do with High Horse, Twilight?” said Rubick.

“Hold on, Rubick. I think it’s coming to me. A gold ring and three prongs, a gold ring with three prongs. It’s on the tip of my tongue, but if I could just... Wah! now I remember!” Twilight shouted as the metaphorical lightbulb popped up above her head, only to have her expression slowly shift from wonderful discovery to horrible realization.

“No, no... t-that can’t be right, i-it can’t be...” Twilight stuttered as her face was drained of all colors.

“Twilight? Twilight?” Rubick walked up to the petrified unicorn and shook her in an attempt to snap her out of her dazed state “What do you know, spit it out child! Fate of the world hangs in the balance remember? Now isn’t the time to freak out!”

Twilight turned her head a static forty five degrees to meet Rubick eye to eye. From the expression on her face alone, both Rubick and Chrysalis could tell that she was at that point of disbelief again. Whatever it was that Twilight knew she couldn’t get the words to leave her throat, struggling to do so was like trying to vomit a bale of barbed wire wrapped around a ball made of razor blades and a variety of other sharp objects.

“I’m sensing that she’s not only in shock, but she’s scared as well. Fearful, even” said Chrysalis as she further observed Twilight.

“Scared? What could she be scared of?” Rubick asked as he felt a tugging on his cloak. Twilight was tugging at him. With her quivering lips she tried to speak aloud no matter how hard it seemed.

“Rubick, Chrysalis” she started “I think... I think the one who did this was... the Descendants”

The moment the final words left Twilight’s mouth, the whole dungeon became silent. Chrysalis was confused, not sure of what to make of the current situation. Twilight was still in shock, fully aware of everything she had said. But for Rubick...

“Twilight...” Rubick spoke barely above a whisper, yet everyone in the room can feel the raw anger radiating off him. A tranquil fury was building up from within the magus and they guessed he was almost about to explode. A soft green aura surrounded the magus, almost like a palpable static field it felt dangerous to stand next to Rubick.

“The Descendents, you said?” his voice rose ever so steadily “You mean to tell me that the charity group you mentioned to me a while ago, the very group who helps needy ponies, provides food and shelter to the unfortunate, and selflessly assisted in your brother’s wedding are the ones responsible for NEARLY WIPING THE CHANGELINGS OFF THE FACE OF THE PLANET!”

Rubick roared like an enraged lioness whose cubs have been endangered, shouting so loudly that every occupant in the room nearly went deaf from experiencing such volume of volumes. Sparks of magic and energy jumped all over the place, thankfully not striking anything caught in the wake of Rubick’s rage.

It was so surreal for Twilight and Chrysalis, seeing the usually calm, collected, and rational magus transform into a being hell bent on vengeance and retribution. If the anger radiating off Sven could crush a stallion flat as a pancake, than the anger radiating off Rubick would fry any lesser individual into a pile of charred, smoldering remains.

The expression on Rubick face contorted itself, losing all remnants of his mild personality and replacing it with twitchy bloodshot eyes, gritting teeth, and once heck of a snarling voice. He looked as if he was going to snap his staff clean in two, and grind his teeth to powder if he were to last any longer in the state he was trapped in.

“To think that I actually became an unwitting pawn in these Descendant’s cruel game. How dare they call themselves a charity group if they purposely go and attacked another species with intent to eradicate them. Random coincidence or not, I actively participate in fending off the changelings and that does not sit well with me at all. Not. One. Bit...”

“Um... Rubick...” Twilight tried to talk but once again felt her words trapped in her throat as Rubick’s anger reached its boiling point. Both Twilight and Chrysalis’ eyes widened to the size of dinner plates as Rubick’s tremendous magical power caused the whole dungeon to vigorously shake, causing loose dirt to crumble off the ceiling and rattle the bars of the cells making them clank noisily against each other.

Bizarre elemental disturbances formed around the magus. Iron bars began to melt into a hot, glowing, soupy mess of molten metal. The air churned and small pockets of dead space made room for spheres of razor whirlwinds that scraped and carved the stone upon the dungeon walls.

In another part of the dungeon, an uninhabited cell caved in, becoming a solid wall with no trace of the cell remaining. While another area had the temperature drop hundreds of degrees below the freezing point allowing for icicles to form up above them and creating an icy cavern for several halls that lead outside.

With one last huff, Rubick roared and crashed his staff into the ground, sending the whole of Canterlot to be struck with a brief, if not staggering, earthquake that woke up anyone who was trying to sleep at night. Up above, the muffled sound of furniture and ponies toppling over and colliding with the ground drowned out the low growl that Rubick elicited as he angrily bellowed into the darkness.

“TO THE RING MASTER WHO PLAYS THESE GAMES, I WILL SHOW YOU THE FULL EXTENT OF MY POWER! IF I FIND YOU I”LL MAKE YOU WISH YOU HADN”T CROSSED RUBICK, THE GRAND MAGUS! DO YOU HEAR ME OUT THERE! DO YOU HEAR ME!”

Chapter 30 End

Author's Note

Here's another one for ya everybody. I'm gonna try to crank out more chapters before internationals start again. Cheers y'all and have a great day

Chapter 31: Magus, Magic, Changeling, Spy

What does a Hero Truly Need?

By: Zelkova48

Chapter 31: Magus, Magic, Changeling, Spy

As quickly as it started, Rubick’s burning anger dissipated mere moments after his eardrum shattering verbal threat into the deep darkness of castle Canterlot’s dungeon. The elemental hurricane that swept throughout the dungeon died down almost immediately and left without so much as a whimper.

The goop that was the molten iron bars from the empty cells cooled into a smoldering pile of smoking metallic gunk. The turbulent whirlwinds eased itself back to a gentle breeze that no longer clawed at everything around it. The biting chill of the icy caverns were melting into a cold wet puddle and the once violent earth was no longer churning like a wild storm.

Taking several slow deep breaths, Rubick struggled to compose himself from his uncharacteristic outburst. By the time he finally managed to return to his usual self, wittiness and all, everyone in the room were gawking at the magus as if he had grown a second head on his shoulders. He simply returned their gawking with a serious look of his own before walking over to Twilight’s side to continue their information gathering.

“Um... are you feeling any better, Rubick?” Twilight asked hesitantly, letting out a relieved sigh when she noticed Rubick’s expression soften up as he faced her.

“I’m terribly sorry about that emotional typhoon. It doesn’t happen very often you see” replied Rubick as he let out another sigh “It’s just... n-nevermind. Ahem, are there any other questions that you would like to ask Chrysalis or perhaps you want me to take over now?” he asked.

“I do have a few more to ask, but until I can find further evidence that the Descendants really are the ones who’re pulling the strings on the whole invasion debacle, I’ll need to have her highness clarify some more point” said Twilight as she met Chrysalis’s gaze “Do you think you can continue telling us why you’re here exactly?”

“Whatever do you mean?” said Chrysalis.

“We get that you were kicked out of your homes in the badlands, but why on Equestria did you go Canterlot, and how did you enter without anypony knowing?” asked Twilight.

“Someone as smart as you should’ve already know the second part” rebutted the queen without sounding smug “As for the first part, we changelings can acquire sustenance in two ways; by consuming food normally, or by collecting various forms of emotional energy and absorbing it into our bodies. Regardless of the type of emotions we absorb it acts like regular food to us”

“Okay, I get it. You were hungry and needed food” replied Twilight “But I’ll ask again, why Canterlot? Why not go to some other major city like Fillydelphia or Manehattan. Or better yet, why didn’t you just go request an audience with the princesses? They could’ve helped you! Doing that would've prevented everything that had happened last week, heck, maybe they’d even find and arrest those who wronged you!”

“Help me? Bwuah ha ha ha ha!” the queen laughed callously “I don’t care if you’re the princesses’ personal little student or not, but I doubt you would know much about how both Celestia and Luna actually operate. Besides, whether it be six months ago or last week, it wouldn’t change a single thing. They’d never help anyone like me. They leave the unwanted issues to the fat bloated pigs of the Equestrian nobility”

“Excuse me?’ Twilight asked with a raised, if not annoyed, eyebrow “Would you please elaborate? Why wouldn’t they have helped you?”

“Have you ever seen your precious mentor ever give an audience to anyone that isn’t a pony or some kind of important official?” said the queen, taking note of Twilight changing expression “I’m only a queen by name, for it is my nature as a broodmother. I hold no real claim to any throne or even territory. Therefore my social status among you ponies would be that of the lowly insect”

“Your altruistic princesses, as pure and kindhearted as you all make them out to be, doesn't have time to deal with anything that isn’t related to them on an imperial scale. They only care about the Equestria that they shaped, their nation’s affairs and the peace they’ve kept for so many years. Throw in the fact that the fool Discord went wild months ago and you can see why going to meet the princesses was not an option”

“...” Twilight said nothing for there was really nothing that she could say. She only wanted to listen instead.

“Speechless, eh?” poked the queen “Well I wouldn’t doubt it if you do feel that way, especially with me talking about your beloved rulers like that”

“...Just tell us why you went to Canterlot specifically. We don’t need to go off on a tangent again” replied Twilight with a look that was mix of both displeasure and curiosity.

“If you wish” the queen cleared her throat “Ahem, with the badlands lacking enough food to feed a whole hive of changelings, we all embarked on an exodus to the one city that is practically teeming with edible emotions: Canterlot. There we hid out in plain sight and harvested various emotions to keep ourselves fed before we could find a suitable area to create our new hive. However, we were discovered before we had the chance to do so”

“If I may” Rubick joined it “Before you continue, could you please describe to me how this whole eating emotions thing work? For future references, of course. If I’m going to clear the air between the ponies and changelings, I’m going to need some factual evidence of your physiology to use against the prosecutor”

“Anything for you” said the queen with a toothy smile. It was still odd to Twilight to see why the queen had an exchange of mood whenever Rubick addressed her, but she decided to mull on it in another time “Our unique makeup allows us to magically condense and transfer emotions from one individual to another. We can store it in our bodies until we decide to absorb it or transfer it to another one of us”

“Hmm, how fascinating” said Rubick with his interest piqued “What types of emotions do you usually, um... eat?”

“Oh! All kinds of emotions” replied the queen “But if you want to get more in depth, the type of ‘meal’ we eat depends on the emotion we acquire. At the top, there’s love, which taste like the sweetest honey in all the land, not to mention that we can gain absurd amounts of food from it alone. Then beneath that is happiness and all its forms, followed by sadness, and lastly is anger which is... well, how could I describe it?”

“Uh... spicy? Bitter? Tangy?” said Rubick.

“More like revolting” the queen dry heaved “I should’ve added that lower down the tiers of emotions the taste and quantity degrades to the point where it can become potentially harmful to us”

“Harmful?” Twilight joined in the conversation “You mean certain emotions can give indigestion?”

“Well that’s one way to put it” said the queen “Positive emotions such as love and happiness are like bread, while negative emotions like sadness and anger are like moldy bread. We could still eat anger and sadness and be full, we’ll just be sick by the end of the day”

“I see...” said Twilight as she began brainstorming. Using her limited deduction skills, something clicked in her mind as she found a connection between the changeling physiology and the invasion “You know, all this talk about changelings actually answered another question that I was going to ask you”

“Has it now?” said the queen as she raised her eyebrow.

“If food and shelter was the reason you hid out in Canterlot, then that meant you posed as princess Cadence to gather the love that my brother had for her to feed your brood” said Twilight with a detective’s flair added to her voice.

“How perceptive of you. It appears you’re not as dimwitted as I thought” the queen lightly chided “It’s true that I posed that Cadence to gather love, but know that I had nothing to do with her kidnapping. I was just as shocked as you were when I learned of her sudden disappearance”

“Well, that doesn’t exactly justify the ruthless beating you endured at the hooves of those ponies at the altar” said Rubick “The attack on you was done completely out of rage, not duty. Whatever harm they inflicted on you it was out of pure malice, regardless of whether or not you actually did commit the crime. Those ponies wanted to see you suffer, and suffer badly”

“Please, don’t remind me” said the queen as she winced from the memory.

“I’m sorry for bringing that up” Rubick apologized.

“No, no. It’s fine” said the queen as she shook away the thoughts “I’m over now... mostly”

“So let’s recap here” said Twilight as everyone turned their attention to her “You and your hive were attacked by the Descendants for some reason, forcing you to leave and hide out in Canterlot until you could find a new place to make your home”

“That’s everything in a nutshell” replied the queen “But what I just don’t know was what happened to the real princess Cadence, or how they managed to find out my identity. I was certain to cover my tracks, but it was to no avail. The moment I was attacked by these five buffoons everything went south and my brood instinctively reacted to try and protect me”

“Hence the ‘invasion’ last week” said Twilight, she was on a roll here with her detective skills. It was just like that time on the friendship express again, only she wasn’t the assistant who spouted the obvious. She then turned to speak with Rubick “There’s that fishy feeling again, Rubick. All this info we acquired points to only one thing: the invasion was planned out by the Descendants”

“Is it now?” Rubick asked with a raise of his eyebrow “Hmm... it would make sense. They’re a powerful organisation that has locations all over Equestria. They have resources and willing participants to pull something like this off without suspicion. The only question is why? Why go to all of this trouble? We don’t have a clear motive” it was then that something else was brought to Rubick’s attention as he tried to make sense of everything.

“Chrysalis. Can you describe to me the attack on your hive in detail?” Rubick inquired.

“It wasn’t just my hive” the queen immediately replied “Every hive was attacked. Viciously too. From the looks of these so called Descendants who attacked me you can’t tell at first glance that they were part of a charity organisation. They were like a nigh unstoppable force, loaded for bear and eager to eradicate us” she paused to collect herself.

“My hive was the lucky one. No one else managed to escape. I had a few thousand drones under my wing when I embarked for Canterlot, but after the invasion incident only one hundred remain. Look around you, and what you see is all that is left of the changelings”

“How awful...” Twilight spoke above a whisper “But wait! Like you said you had a few thousands with you. Just last week that number shouldn’t have gone any lower than a couple hundred. How did a few thousand go to one hundred in under a week’s time?” Chrysalis craned her head forward past the bars of the cell and motioned for Rubick and Twilight to come closer. They complied, and leaned in where Chrysalis whispered something that put them on edge.

“The guards here... they all wear that accursed symbol around their necks” she spoke softly “Celestia and Luna come down here everyday for the past week to see if I had confessed to my crimes. Whenever they left, the guards began to thin the herd behind their backs. Hordes of drones were taken from the cells and were... permanently removed. Celestia and Luna are none the wiser of their own guard’s actions”

Feeling a chill run up both their spines, Twilight and Rubick now know that the enemy, the Descendants, were all around them this whole time. Devotees and other established members of the charity organisation roam among the crowds like normal ponies; watching, listening, completely indistinguishable from the rest. In the near future, they will have to be more careful of what they say or do lest they tip off an already elusive target.

“Are you certain?” Twilight asked.

“When you leave, check for the golden gleam that shines in the gaps of their armor and remain cautious” whispered Chrysalis.

“We will. Thank you” replied Rubick as they pulled away from the bars “Well, this has certainly been eye opening. When you see Equestria from the bottom up, it isn’t as peaceful as you are lead to believe”

“I can’t believe myself, but what else is there that we can do right now?” Twilight asked.

“Perhaps you two should leave now before the guards start to get suspicious about this little conversation of ours” the queen suggested “It’s past midnight already, and I believe you two have a very long road ahead of you. You should get some sleep”

“That’s probably the best course of action for tonight” said Twilight “We’ve been here too long. The last thing we want is to have the Descendants sniffing us out for overstaying our welcome, especially after what we said to them”

“And I have to prepare for a court case in a few days” said Rubick as he let out a long yawn “I’ll see to it personally that the persecution of the changelings end on a high note! You have my promise for that, Chrysalis”

“I thank you magus” said the queen with a humble bow as Rubick made his way towards the stairs “And Twilight, I’m sorry for acting towards you as I did. You must understand that I had my reasons. Rubick is right, you do have potential, but that potential is only what you make of it. Influences be damned should you stray from your own path, remember that”

“I will” replied Twilight as she rubbed the back of her neck, unsure of how to properly respond to someone whom she once viewed as a threat and an enemy to harmony “Don’t worry, we’ll fix everything. My and friends and I, along with Rubick and his friends are more than a match for whatever it is that the world throws at us”

“Oh, and one last thing” Chrysalis quickly added before the Twilight was just about to turn away “Beware the red amulet...”

“Huh?” Twilight was confused, what did Chrysalis mean?

“Twilight, dear” Rubick called out “Let’s get going”

“Alright, I’m coming!” said Twilight as she ran to Rubick “Good bye, Chrysalis! We’ll get through this!”

With a final wave goodbye, Twilight and Rubick ascended from dark dungeons beneath castle Canterlot and up back onto the surface. Once they gone, Chrysalis went back to comfort her brood now that she was much more able body, before falling back to sleep but not without bracing her mind for the next few days of torture she will have to endure before her trial and begin.

She hoped by then she would be strong enough to last, to see the sunrise again, to see her kind roam free, and to see the odd magus that had captured her heart with his kindness. She knows that Rubick can succeed, she just knew.

* * *

The echoing clips and clops of Twilight’s and Rubick’s hooves upon the cold stone staircase that spiraled up towards the surface of the castle was accompanied by the unease that built up in their minds. The discussion that they had with the last queen of the hundred changelings was illuminating but it wasn’t bright enough to shine the light on everything. Questions have been answered but that only led to more questions.

To break up the monotony of the long haul, Twilight thought that it would be a good idea to strike up some small talk with her second mentor. She had something on her mind that she wanted to say, and maybe he would oblige by chatting with her.

“Hey, Rubick?” Twilight started as she kept walking up the stairs.

“Yes, dear?” Rubick replied as he kept his pace.

“What was all that before we started questioning Queen Chrysalis?”

“All what, Twilight?”

“Does ‘eyes as beautiful as yours shouldn’t be stain with tears’ ring any bells?” Twilight asked with a smug look plastered on her face “What was with that flirty attitude? I’ve never seen this side of you before. I actually think you had the queen going for you”

“...Was I actually acting flirty?” Rubick asked “Honestly I thought I was being nice to her after everything that she had been through. She was beside herself, I had to say something. It was just the first thing that came to my mind was all. It’s not like I was trying to court her or anything”

“Is that what you think?” Twilight asked as Rubick found himself in a state of deep thought “You do look like someone who has a bit of the Casanova blood running through his veins. I bet you were a hit with the ladies back home”

“Even though I am an all powerful magus who could probably lift mountains and quell erupting volcanoes with the flick of a wrist, or hoof in this case, my luck with women have always been kind of bad” said Rubick as Twilight just stared at him with wide eyes. The smug look she had evolved into a smirk and she rushed up beside him.

“Do you think you can share me some of your tales of tragic love?” Twilight asked with a smirk now transformed into a devious grin "You totally sound like something out of a romance novel"

“There’s nothing tragic about the loves I had, or to be exact, the loves I didn’t have” responded Rubick as he found himself subconsciously smiling as these old memories of his resurfaced “I was a lot like you as a child, mostly stayed indoors and studied. And when I did go outside it was to practice magic or to run errands. I wasn’t too well versed in the art of wooing the dames “ he chuckled to himself.

“I’ll say. My mom has been hounding me for some time about finding some nice stallion as my special somepony” Twilight chuckled alongside Rubick “But I’m not in a rush or anything. Besides, did you see how Cadence and everyone else reacted when they thought you were my special somepony?”

“Don’t remind me” Rubick rolled his eyes “It’s definitely up there as one of the more awkward moments of my long life. I doubt Carl had to put up with this kind of thing”

“Carl?” Twilight raised her eyebrow in intrigue.

“Another hero, only he’s alligned with the Dire” Rubick replied curtly “He and I have history together. He too is a magical meister. Called himself the arsenal magus at one before switching to something that sounded more fitting for him. Pfft, Invoker, such a funny word to say. Heh heh. Anywho, though we both respect each other on a mutual level, he can be unbearable sometimes. Claiming to be both great and powerful”

“Why does he remind me of a certain unicorn I know?” Twilight’s mind went back to The Great and Powerful Trixie. How bizarre that both their worlds are as different as night and day yet she can still draw parallels between them “Eh, so you were saying?”

“Oh, yes. There have been a few old flames in my life, although there wasn’t that significant spark that actually set it off however. We chatted, I took her out to dinner, we laughed and that was pretty much the high point of the dates” said Rubick as he let out a disappointed sigh “As Gondar or Aiushtha would say, I just don’t have any game”

“I’m sure you just need to find it inside yourself to go out there and win over the lady of your dreams” said Twilight with a light giggle “But don’t quote me on that because I’m just as clueless about love as you are”

“We’re birds of kind we are. Eh heh heh ha ha ha!” both Rubick and Twilight bursted into a bout of jovial laughter as they strode up the stairs side by side. Eventually the laughs died down and the two continued as normal.

“On a side note, are there any heroes that you have your eyes on?” Twilight asked “I mean Aiushtha is the only female hero that I know from your world. I bet the ladies in your world are drop dead gorgeous”

“Hmm...” Rubick thought about it for a second “Well, there are at least two I’ve been thinking about. One on both the Radiant and the Dire, but I’m too afraid to make a move on them. I’m afraid the consequences are too lethal if I drop the ball”

“Do tell” said Twilight, sounding a bit like her friend Rarity. Though she was curious as to why she believed screwing up would be lethal, surely botching courting a woman in his homeworld shouldn’t be too bad, right?

“Well, I guess it’s okay if I can confide with you” replied Rubick “Just keep this between you and me, okay? If the others hear about this they’ll never let me live it down. Perhaps you can Pinkie Promise me?”

“Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my ey- ouch!” cried Twilight as she rubbed her stinging eye “I should real stop doing that. Anyway, your secret is safe with me”

“Alright then. The first women is the Legion Commander herself: Tresdin” said Rubick as he swore he felt his heart flutter at the mention of her name “A proud commander of the Bronze Legion, she pushed back a full scale attack upon her home of Stonehall with blazing fire and unrelenting fury. She pressed the attack even though she was against overwhelming odds. In a moment of courage, she slew the foul spawn that threatened her home in a duel”

“Wow...” Twilight was in awe of such a powerful individual “She sounds incredible. What’s she like?”

“Oh, in terms of strength she could most certainly give Sven and Gondar a run for their money, I can tell you that. Eh heh heh” Rubick chuckled.

“She also has this wonderfully toned body to match that warm brown skin of hers. And those piercing blue eyes of her can stop a charging Spirit Breaker dead in his tracks. Clad in golden armor, wings of crimson and armed with a massive sword, she’s like a battle goddess descended from the heavens to do righteous battle against the other heroes. Beautiful...”

“Uh, Rubick? You’re drooling” Twilight pointed out.

“Uh, bwuah?” Rubick ran his hoof beside his lips and found a long trail saliva running down the side of his mouth and onto his clothes. Suppressing a blush, he wiped away his spit and turned his head away in embarrassment “...Pretend you didn’t see that”

“Drool, what drool?” Twilight joked.

“Thatagirl” replied Rubick as he found the courage to face her again “Anywho, as wonderful as she is, and as good as a team we make whenever we fight alongside each other, there are a few things about her that is a tad off putting”

“And that is?”

“She’s a might distrustful of the other heroes and their kind” said Rubick “Not to mention her anger issues are on par with Jah’ rakal. Plus she’s about as battle hungry as Sven is, and that’s on an average day. I’d say those two make a better battle couple than she and I”

“Don’t say that!” Twilight reassured her mentor “It’s talk like that that leads to failure. Well, what about the other woman?” she asked “Who is she?”

“Ah, Modred: The Phantom Assassin” said Rubick “She’s an assassin of the Sisters of the Veil. A mysterious order that even I know next to nothing about. With beauty like the starry night sky, blade as sharp as her wit, and a charming personality to add to everything else, how can I not be attracted to her? Why one time when we were in lane together we decimated the opposition without breaking a sweat. It was practically raining blood that day”

“And her bad qualities?”

“She seems to be the clingy type given her peculiar upbringing with the Sisters of the Veil. Apparently being a highly trained killer doesn't deter oneself from seeking companionship. If we do get together, I fear any action that may tick her off could lead me to waking up without my head one morning” Rubick deadpanned “That, and she gets a tad too blurry to see at certain times”

“Blurry? Like your eyes get blurry or...” Twilight started only to get interrupted by Rubick.

“It’s complicated” Rubick quickly interjected

“Bu-”

“Like I said, it’s complicated” Rubick concluded as they finally reached the door that led them back into the castle “Huh, would you look at that, we’re here” reaching out to the doorknob, Rubick started to turn it before he felt a sudden jolt force him to take his hoof off. As the light from the castle poured over Twilight and Rubick, they felt their heart stop when they saw a golden glimmer obscure their vision. By the time their sight adjusted properly, two guards were looking over them.

* * *

Standing before Twilight and Rubick were the same pair of guards that they had intimidate a few hours earlier to gain access into the dungeon. At first they appeared to be the average run of the mill guards who served under Shining Armor's command, but upon closer inspection it was a Chrysalis had warned them. Both guards had some sort of necklace hidden behind their armor. It was faint but they could barely make out the three pronged gold ring and the engravings.

The two guards before them were members of the Descendants

Swallowing a large lump that was forming in both their throats, they walked forward and were greeted with a cacophony of music and talking. The reception was still going on it seemed, but with extreme caution both Twilight and Rubick walked past the guards with a little nod of acknowledgement as they ever so slightly quickened their pace to lose themselves in the crowd. They were almost there until Rubick felt something pulling on his tail.

Turning around, he saw that the guard had bit on his tail to get his attention. Collecting himself, Rubick calmly spoke with the guard.

“Yes, can I help you?” he asked as he impatiently tapped his hoof on the ground. Trapped in a orange magical glow, a small satchel was levitated over to Rubick to which to grabbed out of the air “My walnut bag?”

“You dropped it as you were leaving” said the stoic guard with his hardened expression.

“...Thank you for that. Now if you excuse me, Twilight and I must be on our way” Rubick and Twilight turned to leave again only to stop again as the guards addressed them.

“You took a pretty long time down there” said the guard “Must’ve been something pretty important if you were stuck there for a few hours”

“Elite royal guard duties” Rubick lied through his teeth “I thought I told you earlier when you refused to let us in. Her majesty sent Twilight and I to inspect the changeling queen”

“Well, did you find anything?” the guard asked.

“She was sleeping” replied Twilight “We had to wake her up, only to get silence in return. When we finally got her to to wake up all we got was a hysterical mess of a queen”

“So... nothing then?”

“You should leave her alone for the next few day” Rubick suggested, hoping he could alleviate any more torment that he queen will probably have to suffer through “She’s in no condition to talk. You should just let her rest until she is able enough to be sent to court” he concluded” Now if you'll excuse me, Twilight and I have some important matters to take care of. Come along, Twilight” he motioned as the two casually left. Once again, they were stopped.

“Court? Who said anything about that bug’s court date?” the guard asked, causing Rubick and Twilight to seize up at the magus’s slip up “Only certain individuals had the right to know about the court hearing”

“I was told by the chain of command of course” replied Rubick, hoping that his gamble would pay off in the end “They was real strict on importance its secrecy, but I had assumed that they told everyone”

“Well your assumption nearly got the secret spilled” replied the guard in a harsh tone “Try to be more careful about it next time. You’re an elite, so act like it”

“Will do, I’ll be more careful next time” without so much as another word, Rubick and Twilight hastily blended into the crowds as they made their way back to the apartment complex within the castle.

* * *

The trek back to the apartments of the castle wasn’t a particularly long one but it was only because Twilight and Rubick had chosen to rush there at breakneck speeds. By the time they had reached one of the long halls they had already slowed down to a walking pace where they could take a breather and steady their nerves after experiencing a rather unsavory encounter with the Descendants. Maybe they were paranoid, but there was too much evidence not to be.

“Phew, that was a close one” said Rubick as he wiped away the sweat from his brow “I nearly gave us away”

“Thank goodness you’re a better liar than I am” replied Twilight “Those two probably had a hoof in getting rid of Chrysalis’s brood. I’m glad we didn’t tip them off” she shook her head “To think that I was supposed to be worried about shapeshifting insects, when I should’ve been worried of the very ponies I walk beside”

“And to think that even your princesses have no clue about any of this” said Rubick with a shake of his head “How much influence do these damned agitators have? There’s no way a charity organisation can elude the princesses watchful eye and incite mass hysteria to frame an entire species, let alone have enough brute strength to nearly drive the changelings into extinction with power alone”

“I think Chrysalis’s words are starting to get to me” said Twilight as she sighed heavily “All the magic to move the sun, the moon, and control the elements of harmony doesn’t mean a thing if they don’t get themselves involved in the matters. But I pale to think of what could happen if this all takes a turn for the worst. Innocent lives could be at stake here”

“And that’s why we need to pass this information onto the others. Come on, let’s find our rooms” as Rubick and Twilight walked down the hallway, they eventually made it back to the complex.

Upon approached their lodging, they noticed that a batpony night guard and Princess Luna were having a conversation by the doorway. They both assumed that it was just idle chit chat and briskly made their way inside but not before bumping into a pair night guards. Falling onto their haunches, they rubbed their noses to alleviate the pain of running into some rather burly individuals clad in dark blue armor.

“Ugh!” cried Twilight “Hey! What’s the big idea!”

“We’re sorry about that, but we have to brief the one called Rubick on a few things first before he can enter his room” the night guard explained “However, you are free to enter miss Sparkle” just like they said, the two night guards moved aside for Twilight to meet back up with everyone else but quickly blockaded the doorway again once Rubick tried to follow suit “Hold it right there. Didn’t you hear me?”

“Well, I’m not feeling good at the moment” Rubick lied once more “Just let me lie down for a couple hours and we can do this whole briefing thing tomorrow in the afternoon. I’ve got a massive headache and it’s only getting worse by the second”

“Don’t worry jester. This won’t take long at all” Rubick turned his head to see that it was Princess Luna who had addressed him “I’ve already had this talk with your colleagues, they can fill you in on the rest but for now please bear with me and Dark Wing”

“Dark Wing?” Rubick raised his eyebrow. From beside Luna, a familiar looking batpony made herself known to him as she formally saluted him to which he lazily saluted back “Um, have we met before?” he asked.

“We were only partially introduced to each other” Dark Wing clarified “I am the commander of the Luna’s personal night guard, we’re comprised entirely of batponies and we specialize in night combat and special operations. My name is Dark Wing, we were briefly acquaint with each other back during your induction in the elite royal guards”

“Ah, yes. I remember now” Rubick responded with a sigh “You were glaring a hole into the back of my head the whole time I was giving my little performance of magic on stage. How do you do?” he shook the commander’s hoof.

“I’m fine. After all, the night is our domain” replied Dark Wing as she tightened her grip on Rubick’s hoof “My squad and I are being stationed here to keep an eye on you and your friends. Especially the big blue one and his anger issues”

“What?” Rubick pulled his hoof away and turned to Luna “What is the meaning of this your majesty? I thought you were only going to keep eyes on Sven”

“Worry not jester, but this is for your own good” replied Luna as she raised her hoof “At first Sven was the only one that was going to be monitored, but after commander Dark Wing here made her case about the elite royal guards I think it will be for the better that you, as well as Gondar, to be under the surveillance of the night guard until we can help clean up your attitude”

“And what’s wrong with my attitude?” said Rubick, doing his best to keep his expression as neutral as possible “I was under the impression that I was actually doing an okay job”

“And that is precisely the issue that me and my sister are trying to address” said Luna.

“You and your sister? Celestia’s in on this as well?” he gave a humorless chuckle.

“But of course. We worked this whole thing so you don't have to worry about a thing” Luna replied nonchalantly before clearing her throat “As I was saying. You three are very strong, that much is true. But you all lack any discipline and respect of your superiors” she explained , causing Rubick’s neutral facade to falter a little. Luckily, Luna didn’t spot the fault and continued speaking anyway.

“We had you hastily inducted to fill the hole that was the elite royal guard so we let all your action slide for that moment in time but that stops today. You don’t act like the proper guardsmen. You’re loud, overly flamboyant, a poor dresser, and are too wild for your own good. Something must be done”

“Loud? Overly flamboyant? A poor dress- how dare you!” Rubick jeered, clearly offended by the comment. But it appeared that Luna was so absorbed with herself in her talk with him that she didn't hear a single word coming out of his mouth. His temper was being tested, and all the stress that had built up over this one day were wearing his integrity down.

“Therefore you will all refrain from acting out of line for the next week until we can get you instated into the royal guard academy to learn proper etiquette and understand how to do your job the way it should be” concluded the princess.

“By acting like a mindless drone?” Rubick snapped back, insulting the members of the night guard in the process “Regardless, we don’t have anytime for any of that pointless nonsense” his voice rose higher and higher “More importantly, I don’t have time for any of that pointless nonsense. I’m a very busy person and I will not have my actions be hindered by a group of Diretide rejects!”

“Hey! Who’re you calling a-” Dark Wing snapped at him with her wings flared with hostility, only to be stopped when Luna brought her hoof up in front of her.

“You will do your best to hold your tongue when speaking ill of your fellow guards, jester” Luna responded sternly “This is non negotiable and will be effective immediately once all preparations are complete. Insubordination will be met with severe consequences”

“Meaning that I’m free to give you a few lumps if you act out of line” Dark Wing smirked triumphantly towards Rubick who returned that very same smirk to the batpony commander, making all the satisfaction she may have had over that one up on the magus vanish into thin air.

“I’d like to see you try” replied Rubick as he formed a small fireball in his hoof, again, without use of his horn which freaked out his peers “I’m not called the Grand Magus for nothing. And if you knew what I did to Shining Armor then you too would be smart enough not to incur my terrible wrath”

“Tough talk is all you have, magus. That, and a horrible sense of fashion” Dark Wing shot back as she backed down and another arrogant smirk “Besides, what are you so busy with anyway? It’s not like you’re doing much around here anyway”

“It’s none of your business” Rubick responded as he prodded Darkwing with the end of his staff “Something that you couldn’t possibly underst-” he trailed off as he suddenly took notice to the sparkly gleams of gold within the gaps of her armor that made his heart tremble for just a second. There it was again, a three pronged gold ring with engravings of a hoof, horn, and wing. Just like the guards before her, it indicated that she was a member of the Descendants.

“What the?” he whispered beneath his breath as he slowly backed away back away "...Commander Dark Wing, where were you during the changeling invasion?" he asked.

"Huh? Where's this coming fro-" Dark Wing started but was cut off as Rubick slammed his staff on the ground.

"Answer the damn question!"

Chapter 31 End

Author's Note

Hey y'all. Here's another chapter done just for you. Also, I just bought the TI4 compendium on Dota and I snagged a sweet cape for Windranger. As they say in Canada:

Peace Oot!

Omake: Rubick- The Grand... Foalsitter?

Omake

Rubick- The Grand... Foalsitter?

This chapter was purely written for fun and was a way to break my writer's block. Though it has no real connection to the story, I'll post it here anyway for y'all to read. Hope you like this little distraction. There may be more if my mind starts to wander off into the distance. But please, enjoy.

It was a warm midday afternoon at Sugarcube Corner. Both Carrot Cake and Cupcake were running around frantically, trying to pick up orders all while trying to make them as well. With the client list so high, and the help so low (even with Pinkie Pie’s ) they found themselves trapped in a dilemma with almost little to no solutions other than powering through everything.

The NEBO, or National Equestrian Bake Off, was currently being hosted in ponyville. Bakers and pastry chefs from all over the globe flocked to the sleepy little town in an attempt to win the highly coveted blue ribbon. However, with little time on their hooves, they have yet to find a proper foalsitter to foalsit both Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake in their absence.

Though the event was being held mere inches away from their own home, the desert that they were going to present to the various judges required the full attention of all three individuals. Meaning that they would be gone for the duration of the day, being unable to check up on the children. With nowhere left to turn, all hope seemed lost for them at winning the blue ribbon.

Until Pinkie brought up mention of their her peculiar new friend that is...

* * *

*KNOCK* *KNOCK*

The sound resonated throughout the crowded and overly out of control bakery, eliciting a sigh of relief from the cakes. Dropping his spatula immediately, Carrot Cake bolted straight for the door, evading every irate customer in his home. Upon reaching the door, he turned the knob like his life depended on it. The door wildly swung open revealing the foalsitter in question.

Standing before mister Cake, clothed in his magus garment along with his signature combat mask and funny looking staff was none other than Rubick himself. He removed his mask and politely smiled to Carrot Cake as he entered Sugarcube Corner.

“Why hello there!” Rubick announced cheerfully “We meet again, you must be mister Cake, correct?” he shook Carrot Cake’s hoof.

“Oh, it’s you. Rubick, was it?” Carrot Cake replied “Pinkie told us about you. Although I never would’ve expected such a highly esteemed individual such as yourself would do something like foalsitting”

“I am merely repaying my debt to your wonderful employee for showing such warm hospitality towards a foreigner like me” Rubick stated as a matter o’factly “It’s only natural”

“Oh, thank you!” Carrot pulled Rubick into a spine crushing hug “You have no idea how much this means to me and my family!”

“No, no... it’s quite alright” Rubick gasped “I would respect it if you let me breathe properly though. Ack!”

“Oh, sorry about that. Heh heh...” Carrot apologized and let Rubick go “Please make yourself at home...”

* * *

Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake let out an adorably cute yawn as they woke up from their short nap. Instinctively, they rubbed their eyes and smacked their little lips before having some fun.

Pound Cake took off without a second thought and flew around the room like a spastic mosquito, dodging his mobile and weaving right underneath his sister’s crib before gliding like a majestic eagle all over the nursery. Pumpkin cake took the liberty of grabbing the nearest stuffed toy that she owned in the toy box with her budding magical grip and began gnawing on it to help alleviate the pain of teething.

As they enjoyed their playtime, the door to their room opened to reveal their mom, their dad and... some weird looking unicorn feller dressed in black and green. They were expecting Pinkie Pie, not some weirdo. Though the adults were presents, they were less than receptive of their arrival and just kept playing.

“Now, the one who’s flying through the air is our son, Pound Cake” Carrot Cake pointed out all while dodging his own son’s dive bomb, catching him just in time and embracing him with a gentle hug and being nuzzled by his mother. He cooed in delight, all the while babbling incomprehensible foal language.

“I’d be careful with him, he’s a rowdy one” Cupcake commented “But you just can’t stay mad at him with a face like that. Who’s my wittle boy, yes you are! Yes you are!” she tickled the little guy, causing him to giggle with glee.

“Hmm, I’m sure he’s well mannered. Seeing as how he has such wonderful parents” said Rubick with a light chuckle “Don’t worry, I’m sure I can handle him. In fact, I used to be like him when I was a young lad too”

“Really now?” said Cupcake, her voice filled with surprise.

“It was a phase” Rubick replied “Once I snapped out of it I fully devoted my time to my studies and honing my craft. Now, who is this little bundle of joy?” he asked.

Carrot Cake then walked over to his daughter’s crib, and gave Pumpkin Cake a gentle pat on the head before removing the various stuffed toys that she somehow crammed into her little mouth. He gave her a peck on the forehead and held her beside Pound Cake.

“This is our daughter, Pumpkin Cake” Carrot Cake said as he wiped away some spittle from her cheek “She’s teething a bit quicker than her brother is, that’s why she keeps chewing on everything she can get her hooves on” just as Pumpkin Cake giggled, a wild beam of her magic shot out and ricocheted across the room before leaving a small smoking hole in the ground “Oh, and she’s still learning to properly control her magic”

“Hmm, twins?” said Rubick “How interesting”

“We’ll be away for the rest of the day until midnight. Now, are you sure you can handle them?” Cupcake asked “Not that we’re doubting your abilities or anything, but...”

“I can assure you that you’re children are in good han- uh... hooves” Rubick answered reassuringly “I’ll have you know that I actually have some experience with children. I know what to do”

“You have kids of your own?” Carrot Cake asked.

“Well... not my own in a sense. Although, whenever I’m around them it does feel like I’m babysitting them...” Said Rubick as he began reminiscing about an earlier experience on the battlegrounds.

* * *

Battlegrounds, the middle lane, several months prior

The defense of the ancients had just begun. The respective teams have been properly chosen and had already purchased their mystical artefacts that will help them in battle. Everyone was ready and prepared for the bloodbath that would soon ensue the moment the creep waves began to roll in. But among the many who were eager to spill blood, there were two on the same team who were more than ready to spill each other’s blood.

In the middle lane, there were two beautiful women, two powerful mages, two sisters bickering about who should be in the middle lane.

One floated above the ground. Resting her weary head on her hands as she remained in a lax as if she were leaning her side upon some nonexistent couch. She had a wry smile on her face as flames danced around her figure, flames that were more than a match for her personality.

She had long fiery hair that had been tied into a ponytail. Her beautiful dress of red and gold accentuated her stunning beauty, while the crown that sat firmly atop her head gave her a royal air similar to a princess. This was none other than the slayer herself: Lina.

Standing right in front of her with an irate expression on her face was Lina’s younger sister, Rylai. Otherwise known as the crystal maiden. While fire danced around Lina, it snowed wherever Rylai went.

Rylai had long flowing blonde hair that had been primped and pressed wonderfully into a hairstyle that was so hot, it was cold. She wore a magnificent regalia of blue and white fur that have been embroidered with silk, gold, and eye catching jewelry. Atop her head was a crown which dwarfed her sister’s own in beauty and grace. She was not a princess, but a queen.

“It’s not fair! How come you’re always the one who gets to go middle!” Rylai shouted as she stomped her foot in frustration “Grr...You always do this! Just because you’re the oldest it doesn’t give you the right to get everything that I want!”

“Oh, I’m more than just the oldest, sister. I’m the best” Lina shot back with fire from her breathe “That’s why I’m in the middle lane. Go down to the bottom with Naix and support him or something. Actually be useful” she cruelly chided.

“And what about that!” Rylai pointed an accusing finger at Lina.

“What about what?” Lina replied obviously.

“Don’t play dumb, you stole my look!” Rylai furiously shouted.

“What, this?” Lina looked over her wardrobe.

“Yes, that! The whole queen motif was my thing before you went and stole it!”

“What are you talking about sister. This isn’t a queen’s getup, it’s a princess’ getup. Which, for your information, makes me a whole lot more attractive than you. And that’s why all the guys pick me over you” Lina finished with a victorious smile and a chuckle.

“That’s it! It’s go time!” Rylai fumed as she began charging a cold spell “You’re going down! Permafrost!” she bellowed as she summon forth a chill that was below absolute zero, and it was aimed straight at Lina.

Lina felt a cold sweat (oh the irony) come on as she swallowed a lump in her throat. At the last moment, she successfully kited her sister’s attack and rolled right out of the way. But the permafrost kept going even though Rylai had missed her initial target, and it was flying straight towards an unsuspecting visitor.

“Ladies!” Rubick shouted as he walked up “The fight is about to start and you’re still bickering? You’re both grown women, can’t you put aside for petty squabbles for just one sec-” he failed to finish his sentence as the icy cold blast froze him right on the spot, turning him into an ice sculpture. The fear center in Rylai’s brain kicked in and she began to panic.

“Huh, now you’ve gone and done it” said Lina as she examined the frozen magus. It was a humorous sight to behold. The Grand Magus was reduced to a snowman all because of Rylai throwing a tantrum.

“ *Gasp!* Oh my gosh! Rubick I am so sorry!” said Rylai as she quickly rushed on over to his side.

“Um, I don’t think that he can hear you. His ear’s are frozen” said Lina as she broke an icicle off of Rubick’s mask.

“Well you’re the one that can control fire! Melt him down or something!” Rylai pleaded.

“Alright, alright, fine. Stand back” Lina raised her hand up and began to channel her inner flame. The moment she felt her power well up from within, her eyes glowed with power and she let loose the might of a dragon “Dragon slave!”

A powerful wave of fire washed over Rubick’s frozen form, melting away all of the snow and ice until he was finally conscious enough to make sense of the situation. When he came to, he removed his mask to reveal that he was not amused in the slightest. He glared at the two with eyes that pierced through them like Lyralei’s powershot. The two gave him a nervous smile as they absentmindedly kicked the ground around them or played with their hair to avoid his gaze.

“Are you two mages, or children?” Rubick asked with the tone a father might give to his daughters after giving them a good scolding. Before they could answer, Rubick felt something powerful charge into him, crushing nearly every bone in his body and flattening him like a pancake.

Lina and Rylai stared in horror as they watch the recently thawed Rubick get pounded into the dirt by a large intimidating plane shifting beast and his equally intimidating flail. The sound of bones snappings, muscles tearing, and internal organs popping made the terrified sisters want to vomit at the sight of.

“First blood! The first of many a blooded enemies!” Barathrum roared triumphantly to the heavens as he crushed the magus’ mask beneath his feet. He then turned to face Lina and Rylai with a wicked grin plastered across his face like an omen of death. Before the girls knew it, the mask of madness that Barathrum had in his possession was activated, and two more bodies were added to his kill count...

* * *

“Anyway, I would be more than glad to watch over your children” said Rubick “You go on and win that blue ribbon. I’ll watch over the twins.

“Once again you have know idea how much this means to us mister Rubick” said Carrot Cake “We’ll be back by night time, goodbye!” without another word, the cakes and Pinkie left to participate in the NEBO, leaving behind one magus and two foals.

Once the door closed, Rubick when on over to the corner of the room where the rocking chair was and pulled out a book that he borrowed from Twilight’s library during his stay there. He began to silently read, unaware of the machinations that the cake twins were cooking up to break in the new sitter. They may have been foals, but they weren’t going to sit around and do nothing while a boring weirdo sat around and read books.

As they sat in their cribs, the two began planning for a way to mess with their new sitter, just for the fun of it. If Pinkie couldn’t handle them on the first try, what can this weirdo do in comparison? When they were done, they turned to face their sitter with a mischievous smile on their little face. However, that mischievous smile faded away to pure shock and awe at what they witnessed next.

Rubick was absorbed in his book, humming a small tune to himself as he flipped from one page to the next. His cheerful attitude was interrupted the moment he heard an annoying buzzing sound in the room. It was a fly, a fly that refused to leave him and the kids alone no matter how much to tried to shoo it away. Feeling a bit ticked off, Rubick placed his book down and raised both of his hooves together.

“Laguna blade!” he shouted as white hot lightning formed at the very tips of his hooves. Without warning for the poor fly, he let loose the ravaging bolt of raw white lightning with startling accuracy right at the little fly, frying it off the face of the planet and turning it into nothing more than a small pile of ash on the floor “There we go” he turned to face the cake twins “Don’t worry you two. You have the Grand Magus protecting you” he chuckled before returning to his book.

Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake looked at each other, then to Rubick, then back at each other again. They realized that this weirdo was nothing like Pinkie Pie. He was scary. He was terrifying. He could shoot bolts of lightning from his hooves. But worst off...

Rubick was their foal sitter.

Author's Note

If you want me to write any other of these as some kind of side project, feel free to write them down in the comments below.

Chapter 32: Divide and Conquer

What does a Hero Truly Need?

By: Zelkova48

Chapter 32: Divide and Conquer

Princess Luna was absolutely appalled by the way that Rubick was badgering commander Dark Wing. This was in no way how a proper member of the elite royal guard should act before somepony, especially when that somepony is their equal when it came to ranks and position in the royal guard's chain of command.

She didn't even know why he was acting this way at all. Shouting all these questions at Dark Wing who clearly wasn't at fault here. Dark Wing was right when she came to her about these ponies. Something had to be done before they embarrass the prestigious position of the elite royal guards to the point where they’ll practically become the laughingstock of the proud Equestrian armed forces.

Heck, at the moment Princess Luna didn’t even care about their recent acts of valor in protecting Canterlot from the menacing changelings. Their behavior had been undesirable since day one of their induction. Insubordination, laziness, lack of respect for their superiors, abhorrent destruction of property, and that’s not counting the fact that she had been viciously assaulted by Sven a day prior to their first proper meeting.

Even after expelling the idea that they were conspirators to the crown, she still had that lingering pang of doubt that ate away at her. Doubt that told her how Rubick, Sven, Gondar, and even Rhasta and Aiushtha are more than they appear to be. But before she can continue to ponder their existence, she had to stop this ridiculous conversation from worsening into a full blown cross examination.

“I asked you a question commander, and I expect an answer out of you!” Rubick shouted at the commander with utter vehemence. “Where were you during the changeling invasi-” he couldn’t finish as he was cut off by Luna, who scolded him with the power of the royal Canterlot voice.

“RUBICK! CEASE THIS POINTLESS QUESTIONING AT ONCE!” Luna boomed with such force that her breathe nearly threw everypony off balance. “WE WILL NOT TOLERATE THIS FORM OF BEHAVIOR FOR SOMEPONY OF YOUR POSITION! AS OF NOW, THIS CONVERSATION IS OVER, IS THAT UNDERSTOOD!”

The hallway where they stood became deathly silent after Princess Luna was done with her scolding of the magus. The stern expression that she wore on her face came with a piercing glower which was tightly affixed to Rubick, who in turned only tackled her glower with a glare of his own. Taking deep breathes to compose herself after nearly shattering every window that the hall had, she faced down Rubick and calmly spoke to him.

“Jester, it takes a special kind of pony to get me to raise my voice against them. For the sake of my patience, and your job security, do not be that pony,” Luna stated. “I have been patient with you and your friends, very patient. I don’t want to cause any more of a rift between us, but given our relationship as guard and princess I do expect a level of professionalism from you. Is that so much to ask?”

“If you’re looking for professionalism, talk to Gondar. He’ll give you what you want,” Rubick bluntly retorted. “Or what about, Sven? After all, he is a knight.”

“Duly noted, jester. But in all seriousness, trying to force an answer out of your fellow guardsmen is a definite invasion of privacy,” said Luna. “Perhaps what I find that’s even more peculiar is as to why you asked the commander such a question? For what reason do you have to badger Dark Wing like this? Surely this isn’t some sort of personal vendetta, is it?”

“Far from it, your highness. I’m merely trying to confirm her location during the invasion as a fellow guardsmen, that’s all,” said Rubick. “If she really doesn’t have anything to hide, she should’ve answered by now.”

“She doesn’t have to answer if she doesn’t want to, jester,” Luna spoke with an authoritative tone of voice. “Now, will you respect her privacy or am I going to have to discipline you for acting so?”

“My lady, if I may?” said Dark Wing as she joined in the conversation “If he wants to know where I was so badly, then I’ll let him know.”

“Are you sure, Dark Wing?” Luna asked to which Dark Wing nodded in return. “If that is what you wish, then by all means, Dark Wing. Please tell us where you were during the invasion.” With another nod, Dark Wing turned to face Rubick, who had been tapping his free hoof impatiently on the marble floor awaiting his answer from her.

“During the invasion, I was stationed by the altar to make sure nothing got in, or out,” Dark Wing replied coolly without so much as a trace of nervousness in her voice. She was speaking out of complete honesty, or so she led everyone to believe. “When the attack started I led the evacuation for all the ponies to a safe position when the queen went rampant. Princess Luna can vouch for me. She was there, after all.” She finished with a smug grin on her face.

Rubick raised any eyebrow to this, it seems like Dark Wing had this all planned out. If the princess really can confirm her location at the time, then her alibi would be airtight and his suspicions could be written off as nothing more than baseless paranoia. Off the corner of his eyes, he could see Princess Luna silently nodding to Dark Wing once she was done talking.

“It’s true, and you had done a commendable job, Dark Wing,” said Luna. “Countless ponies could’ve been injured or worse hadn’t it been for you and your squad’s hasty evacuation.” She turned to Rubick. “You see, jester. Dark Wing here is like captain Shining Armor, as in they are both the very picture of a proper guardsmen. She is loyal, follows orders down to a T, understands when and when not to speak out of line, and dresses in the appropriate attire.”

“You mean like some sort of mindless drone, or perhaps similarly to the changeling drones?” retorted Rubick, drawing some perplexed looks from his peers. But none more so than the look of pure admonishment that he received from Dark Wing herself. It appears that he had said something that struck a nerve with her. The stoic and smug facade that she kept on her face shattered like a sheet of frail glass and she snapped at Rubick viciously.

“You dare have the galls to compare us to those filthy insects!” Dark Wing screamed. “We are ponies! We are above those emotional vampire!” letting out a nasty snarl near the end, it wasn’t until it was far too late that she realized what she had done. Thankfully for her she hadn’t said too much that would make her come off as antagonistic to her team or to Princess Luna. “Ahem, I’m sorry for that. I’m still a little sore about at the attack on our home”

“Understandable. A week’s time isn’t enough to heal wounds,” said Luna, turning to Rubick again. “You see, jester? This is what I am talking about. Now, I’m not taking sides here. But if you keep running your mouth off like that there will be severe consequences.”

“...Fine, fine. If it means that much to the whole of the royal guards and Equestria then I promise that I’ll clean up my act,” Rubick replied sullenly. “Just don’t expect it to happen at the drop of a hat though, your highness. Old habits die hard”

“That’s what the academy is for, jester. I’m glad to know that we can see eye to eye on the whole situation, it makes things much easier in the long run,” said Luna with a gentle smile. “Now, do you have anything else to say, particularly to Dark Wing?” she asked, hoping that he would at least be a gentlepony and apologize for agitating everyone.

“Ah, yes. I do, in fact,” said Rubick. “That’s quite a beautiful necklace you have there, Dark Wing.”

“Umm... uh, thank you?” Dark Wing replied with an awkward grin.

“May I ask where you got it? I’m thinking of wowing a special someone with a present and I think that necklace you have might do the trick,” Rubick lied.

“Oh, this old thing?” Dark Wing placed a hoof on her necklace, allowing for it’s golden gleam to shine and dazzle. “I’m afraid it’s a custom piece. Only members of the Descendants may be able to acquire these. It’s the symbol of our devotion to the cause.”

“Well, drat. That’s too bad,” said Rubick, miming a dejected expression on his face. “I suppose I’ll have to think of something else then. Oh, well. Guess I’ll just go to bed then, it’s really late and I need my sleep. I’m sure all of you do too,” he let out a long yawn. “Well, good night everyone. See you all in the morning.”

* * *

Without so much as another word, Rubick hastily dashed towards the apartment, leaving behind a group of confused ponies in his wake. As the door was slammed shut, Princess Luna and commander Dark Wing traded a glance with each other before they both let out an exasperated sigh.

“Well, now that I’ve finally gotten to know the guy, I can say without a doubt that he is an irresponsible leech of a pony,” Dark Wing chided the magus. “Your majesty, this is what I’ve been trying to warn you about the week before. He’s a moocher whose clearly only in it for the benefits, and not out of duty.”

“If that were the case, Dark Wing, then he would’ve left long after the invasion was over,” replied Luna as she and Dark Wing began to trot back to her personal chambers. “I made a deal with him that he and his colleagues could leave anytime that they wanted to after Shining Armor and Princess Cadence’s wedding was over. As of a few days ago, the marriage has been officially accounted for and the conditions of our deal were met.”

“Hmph,” Dark Wing huffed. “Even if he does stay, I still believe that he will be a bad influence on everypony else, especially the new recruits. You know how impressionable they can be.”

“We have long term solutions for ponies like him,” Luna waved her hoof dismissively. “The drill sergeants at the academy will whip them into shape in half a years time. They’ll be the pride of the elites before you know it!”

“...But what if they were to rebel against you, your highness?” Dark Wing asked. “They are strong without a doubt. Even if we have confirmed that they aren’t assassins, they could have ulterior motives that we don’t know about. Did you do an extensive background check on them?”

“...My sister and I have had each and every of our intelligence officers try to dig up some information on them after their induction into the elite royal guards to put them in the book,” replied Luna, although her voice did carry a level of hesitancy in it.

“And? What did you find out about them?” Dark Wing asked, anxious to hear the answer.

“...We found nothing on them,” Luna stated with her head hung low. “The officers ran through a multitude of records and accounts with a fine tooth comb throughout Equestria, and even through some part of the Griffin Kingdom. Only to run into a dead end every single time,” Luna faced Dark Wing with a concerned expression on her face. ”These ponies aren't in the system, in fact, I don’t think that they should exist here at all.”

“Wait, what? Your majesty, what do you mean?” Dark Wing raised an eyebrow to the princess’s statement.

“I’m saying that Rubick, Sven, Gondar, and to a certain extent, Rhasta are like tangible ghosts,” Luna explained. “Not one speck of evidence could be found to justify their existence. No hospital records, police reports, work licenses, school progress reports, passports or even a birth certificate! There should be something but there’s nothing at all! Then there’s Aiushtha, but we decided that it would be for the better if we left that alone.”

“Yet you and Princess Celestia still opted out to keep them as elite royal guards?” Dark Wing replied with a look of apprehension on her face. “Aren’t you worried in the slightest that they might stage some sort of coup? The livelihood of your subjects could be endangered here! They literally have access to everything!”

“A coup may be too far fetched for someone like them,” Luna waved the thought off. “But if worse does come to worse we already have a contingency plan in place for them. Nearly every possibility has been worked out to a stunning degree of accuracy. We’ll stamp out any wild rebellion before it even has a chance to begin in our Equestria. If they wish to cause chaos, then they shall feel my luminous wrath!“

“I have no doubt your abilities, even in the slightest, your highness,” Dark Wing nodded along. As they kept trotting, they eventually came across Luna’s personal chambers near the opposite end of the castle. After politely bowing to the princess and exchanging some good byes, Dark Wing immediately left to return back to assigned post with haste. Her pace picked up from a trot to a canter as she rushed down the hallway.

Along the way, however, she encountered someone whom she had been expecting a visit from. A visit that came much sooner than she had expected. Coming to a complete halt, Dark Wing glanced side to side, front and back before glancing over to the shadows that danced by the drapes off a nearby window. Squinting her eyes, she could just barely make out the shape of a pegasus.

* * *

“Come on out. There’s no one here,” said Dark Wing as the shadowy figure nodded in compliance.

Stepping out from the darkness of the shadow was a red pegasus with a brown mullet for a mane and three flying musket balls as his cutie mark. It was none other than Speeding Bullet of Prince Blueblood’s and High Horse’s entourage. Ruffling his feathers and smiling a smug grin at Dark Wing, Speeding Bullet bowed graciously before moving up and nuzzling the commander who surprisingly returned his affections by nuzzling back.

“Hey there beautiful. It’s been a long time, hasn’t it?” Speeding Bullet charmed the commander as he pulled away from her embrace.

“It hasn’t been that long, Speedy...” Dark Wing looked away as a bright red tint burned upon her cheeks. “Besides, you know you shouldn’t meet up with me when I’m on duty.”

“I know, but can’t I visit my special somepony every now and then? I just miss you, that’s all,” replied Speeding Bullet with a flick of his tail. “However, you know that I’m not here for idle chit chat and some cuddling. I’m here because you can get close to that blue abomination.”

“Ah, yes. The one who wronged High Horse. That blue abomination, Sven,” Dark Wing’s expression immediately darkened upon speaking his name. “It was a good thing that I managed to get my squad assigned to watch him, I also managed to convince the princess so that we could keep an eye on the others just in case. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to punish that fool. Just say the word and it will be done”

“That’s what I wanted to hear from my marefriend,” Speeding Bullet grinned widely. “But this needs to be a special kind of punishment,” he explained. “Try and figure out a way to make him into a honey pot for the mass media. We want the paparazzi and the newspapers to tear him to shreds, possibly to the point where he’ll be persecuted by the public and kicked out of the elite royal guard.”

“I would very much love it to see that dog loving freak kicked out,” replied Dark Wing as she grinned deviously as wide as Speeding Bullet’s own. “Expect him out on the streets soon, very soon.”

* * *

Rubick rested himself upon the many shelves that lined the side of the wall of the bro-m clos-t, letting out an extremely exhausted sigh as he rubbed his temples to alleviate the raging headache that he felt hanging precarious above him. A Grand Magus he may be, master of the arcane arts, but after experiencing one too many shocks he too could be left absolutely drained. Tired, he was feeling oh so tired.

With him inside the small room was the usual band of friends and allies that he came to know and respect.

There was Gondar who was snoozing the night away right above him on the top shelf. It appears as though all the alcohol that he drank had finally gotten to him, as evident by the loud bumbling snores he was eliciting. George XII was also sleeping soundly in the room. You could hear his restful croaks as he rolled around within the confines of Sven’s helmet.

Then there was Jackal, Sven, Rhasta, and surprisingly enough, Spike, who were all sitting together in a circle playing some sort of game that the Shadow Shaman had concocted in his off time. Apparently it involved tossing a set of Rhasta’s bones onto his frying pan like some kind of dice game, and the interlaced coins from his cape was used for the time being as betting chips. From the look of things, Spike was on a lucky streak.

As the game beneath him continued, Rubick’s mind drew back to what he observed as he entered the apartment. There were, as he counted, a number of at least six night guards posted around the room to keep watch on him. Two were by the girl’s room, three was posted specifically by the bro-m clos-t, and at least one more was fixing himself a hay sandwich by the kitchen.

Upon briskly striding right past them, he was glad to know that he didn’t see the gleam of a golden necklace. But to be constantly observed like that, absolutely frightening. Then again, whenever he was fighting on the battlegrounds there always was that impression that he was felt like he was being watched, not by the ancients but by some other powerful force. He had also hypothesized that at certain times he was being controlled by said force. However, he digresses.

“Heya, Rubick? You feeling alright?” flipping over to his side, Rubick looked around and glanced downward to see that it was little Spike who had spoken to him. Everyone else was still playing the game, but Spike had decided to call it quits while he was ahead and hopped up next to Rubick by the shelf. Dusting off a part of the shelf, he took a seat by and tried engaging in a casual conversation with him.

“Oh, I’m just peachy, Spike. I am winded though, a lot has happened tonight,” replied Rubick as he patted Spike on the head.

“I could tell, when Twilight came into the room she looked really distressed. Like something bad happened to her.”

“Some things have been said that probably would've gone unheard if Twilight and I hadn't made the first move," Rubick yawned "and Princess Luna had been scolding me after I tried interrogating the commander of the night guard." he sighed. "Honestly, they take this whole this whole guard thing way too seriously. Also, making us go through boot camp? Are they serious?"

"Yeah. I heard about the whole academy thing," replied Spike. "But that's just how things are here. If it worked for all these years, why change it? I mean, it's only six months of training for the three of you."

"Six months?" Rubick stared at the young drake with an incredulous look on his face. "That's what I was afraid to hear." he said with a grimace. "Six months of having my eardrums punctured being yelled at for nearly every single thing that you do by a big burly stallion. Terrific..."

"Why not just leave the elite royal guards?" suggested Spike. "The deals off. Cadence and Shining Armor are married now. You can just come live with me and Twilight until we find a way to send you home. We won't think of you as a burden. If anything, I could always use some more help around the library."

"I do have my reasons," said Rubick. "It's still technically my job to protect and serve. So that means my friends and I can stop the cataclysm without ponies knowing about our true origins. It's the perfect cover story. Free room and board, and a decent wage are also a few of the reasons why we're still staying in the guards. I do, however, have to visit the royal archives to study up on the legal system here"

"Huh, why would you need to do that?" Spike raised his brow.

"Twilight and I will explain everything in all in the morning. No need to worry. Besides, how come you're still up all this time? Shouldn't you be asleep by now?" asked Rubick.

“Us dragons can stay up for a really long time. Like, a really, really long time! It’s one of our natural born talents! But on the flipside, that usually meant that we also sleep for long periods of time because of it as well, which is why Twilight set up a curfew for me,” explained Spike. “Also, the girls started to talk about gossip and other girl stuff to make Twilight feel better so I thought I decided to come here to hang out with the guys for a bit before turning in.”

“I see. Well, I don’t know about you, but I think I’ll head to bed now. And you should too. After all, a full night of sleep will help you to grow big and strong!” Rubick encouraged the little dragon. Spike practically glowed with excitement as he hopped up on his two scaly feet.

“Really!” Spike jumped. “You think so? Twilight always nags me about going to sleep early, and waking up early too. But she never told why. It must be a pony thing, or, at least that’s how I always saw it as..”

“Of course! Mothers back in my world used to go on and on about how a full night of sleep would help a young boy to grow taller. I’m sure the same principle would apply to young dragons as well,” Rubick chuckled.

Just as he finished, Spike was already sleeping away, curled up into a little ball without so much as a care in the world. Rubick just smiled as he pulled over his cloak for Spike as a blanket before tucking in the young dragon. Flickering green embers danced around his mouth as he snored in his sleep. He appeared so innocent, so young and full of aspiration. Twilight is truly blessed to have had someone like him by her side.

And to think that if the end really does come, if they fail to change Harbinger’s prophecy in any way, Spike’s life, along with everyone else will be put into jeopardy. Rubick squeezed his eyes shut, and shook away the thoughts of what could be from his mind. He wasn’t going to let it happen. They weren’t going to let it happen.

But enough about all of that. All of that thinking was causing his mind to drift away into the land of sleep. The other’s will sleep soon, he could hear their yawns alongside the clattering of bone upon metal. He prays that Bane won’t come tonight and haunt his dreams with a nightmare. With one final flicker of his eyes, his consciousness slips away, and every color he saw in the dimly lit room melded into blackness.

* * *

Morning came a lot sooner than everyone thought. The sun’s light peered through the crack below the door of the bro-m clos-t and slowly wended its way up until it was bright enough to stir even the heaviest of sleepers. A low rumbling and several pained grunts could be heard from behind the door of the bro-m clos-t before it violently swung open with a audible slam against the back of of the doorway.

Out of the shadows, two individuals shambled out into the living room with thick bags under their eyes and a raging hangover that would make even Akasha, the Queen of Pain, weep for mercy. Twas Sven and Gondar who was walking out, they recoiled slightly from having the sun assault their senses, and groaned as they proceeded to the water closet to either regurgitate everything they ate and drank last night, or to throw themselves into a bathtub full of cold water.

Among those who didn’t drink like a fish yesterday night, they were all present and felt absolutely revitalized after partying like they’d turned discord to stone again, save for one or two of the mane six who found themselves hunched over the kitchen sink waiting for something to jump out of their stomach. In comparison, however, they were in far better condition than the Rogue Knight and the Bounty Hunter could ever be at this moment in time.

Twilight and Rubick were setting beside each other on the luxurious couch, taking in how adorable Spike was as he was jumping up and down, shouting “Look! Look! I grew a whole inch taller!” and pointing at the ruler that he held in his claw as proof of his height difference. Aiushtha was sitting by the window next to Fluttershy, warming their fur and chatting with each other while Rarity rhythmically brushed her mane to the point of curly perfection.

Rhasta and Pinkie were enjoying each other company as they fixed themselves some breakfast by the counter of the kitchen. Rhasta’s meal was rather humble in appearance; a glass of milk, a few slices of bread that had been lightly slathered with jam from a berry of unknown origin, and oddly enough, a single egg sunny side up. He pondered to himself how a horse could even consume meat if they were herbivores.

Pinkie’s meal was an extravagant feast of sweet morning frosted pastries, syrup soaked pancakes, and a bowl of cavity inducing cereal complete with a tall glass of orange juice to wash it all down. As she ate with mind boggling speeds, you could hear the soft hiss of dissolving teeth enamel and the distant cheer of a dentist from who knows where humming to himself as he prepared his chair for his next patient.

Jackal was at the sink, with George just hanging by on his shoulder, holding onto both Applejack and Rainbow Dash’s hair as they awaited for their stomach contents to be ejected from their bodies. Both mare’s were about as green as a granny smith apple. They couldn’t see much as their vision was blurry and their motor control were horribly impaired. All that cider last night did them absolutely no favors.

Eventually, after a lengthy restoration period, the group found themselves huddling in the center of the living area, engaged amid an important conversation disguised as a gossip circle. Whilst being mindful of their unwanted, and very observant, guests.

Because of this, they had to speak quickly, and softly to avoid suspicion about them. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie had to fake a jovial laugh every so often just to throw the night guard off their scent.

Twilight and Rubick had just finished explaining everything that they had just learned the night before about the changeling invasion from the queen herself. Reactions from everyone were variably mixed, some were downright shocked, others were just confused. To hear that the Descendants had possibly orchestrated the entire invasion to happen, just so they could pin it on the changelings, was pretty hard to take in all at once.

The mane six traded concerned glances with each other. To think something like this had sprouted up underneath their nose was surprisin- no, surprises were no longer just surprises anymore to them. Just horrible expectations with an even crueller aftermath waiting in store.

Though they could believe something like that now, they all still asked themselves the same questions Twilight and Rubick had asked already asked before. What’s their motive? For what reason does a charity organisation have to do all this?

“But... it’s still just speculation, right?” Rarity asked. “I mean, you and Rubick only pieced this together from key words coming out of the changeling queens mouth. There is literally no basis for this accusation. It holds no water”

“Could be...” replied Twilight as she pursed her lips. “But her description of the Descendants’ own personal emblem was spot on, everything from the points to the engravings she saw could not have been mere coincidence. Not only that, she warned us to be wary of the guards that were overseeing her. For they were both members of the Descendants.”

“Aintcha over thinking this a lil too much, sugarcube?” said Applejack with a raise of her eyebrow. “Ah still say that itsa coincidence. Ya sure that queen ain’t playin ya like a darn fiddle? She looked like the schemin type to me, Ah tell ya.”

“Doubtful,” Twilight shook her head. “It was of no coincidence that members of the Descendants had been keeping tabs on the queen if they had attacked and systematically destroyed a number of changeling hives months ago. They know about her, and had been tracking her ever since she escaped to Canterlot, where they bided their time to plan out the whole invasion just to frame it on her”

“Huh, seems like an awful lot of work just to frame one changeling,” said Rainbow Dash. “What on Equestria could the Descendants be thinking, causing this whole mess? Nearly half of Canterlot got wrecked because of them!”

“Thankfully, most of the damage done to Canterlot was only limited to a handful of injured ponies and some destroyed buildings. But that isn’t important right now,” said Aiushtha as she joined in. The doe shuffled in place, wiggling her ears back and forth as she composed herself to speak. “With Gondar, Rubick, and Sven under watch from the night guard, we have to find a way to investigate without spreading ourselves thin.”

“Technically, we can leave anytime we want,” Rubick stated. “The night guard will just follow us around everywhere we go. We’ll look incredibly suspicious if we go running around searching for random clues that no one else knows about. Therefore, it would be better if we were just to reduce our movement for the time being, just to stay on the safe side.”

“It would be more efficient if we were to split into two groups then,” Twilight suggested. “Me and the girls, along with Jackal, Rhasta, and Aiushtha are the only ones who can go out without being watched. That means there will be nine of us total, so th-”

“Hey, wait a minute!” Spike cried out, interrupting Twilight. “What about me? I want to help everyone save the world too! I don’t want to just sit around and do nothing!”

“Spike, I’m sorry. But this isn’t something that should you should concern yourself with,” Twilight spoke with a worried tone laced in her voice. “I want you to stay here with the others and out of trouble. You’re far too young and the last thing that I want is for you to get hurt because of us.”

“Come on! You’ve always leave me out of you and everyone else’s adventure because of that same reason!” Spike snapped back. “I won’t do anything bad, I promise! I’ll be a great help!”

“No means no, Spike,” she stated sternly. “End of discussion”

“Now, now. Hold on here,” Rubick spoke out in Spike’s defense. “I think Spike should go with you. I believe his unique traits would be invaluable to the team if he were to help out.”

“Help out, how? He’s only a baby dragon,” Twilight bluntly retorted.

“You just have to trust him,” he simply stated. “When the time comes, he will prove himself. Just like you all have. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be where you’re at now have you not been confident in each others abilities. Wasn’t that how you defeated Nightmare moon and Discord? By believing in each other? If so, then believe in Spike.”

“I- I don’t know,” Twilight stuttered. “I know what you’re saying, but I’m sorry, this is different. Spike isn’t an element bearer, or a hero like you are. He’s barely even an adolescent! I don’t want to come off sounding like some kind of hypocrite but I can’t just blindly place my faith in him and expect for miracles to happen. It doesn’t work that way, Rubick.”

“Then why not believe in us, who believe in him?” said Rubick. “You believed in us before, so why not now? I’m sure that that is more than enough of a reassurance for you to bring Spike along with you on the investigation. When you’re backed by a hero, great things can be achieved. Wouldn’t you say so, my young student?”

Twilight was more than hesitant to respond. If Rubick and all the other heroes approved of Spike being with everyone, then there shouldn’t be a problem, right? That was where the problem lied. She’d never doubted that Spike was capable of great things, not even for a moment. But she just couldn’t live with herself if he got hurt doing something stunningly heroic, or utterly idiotic, by trying to prove himself to her.

Still, seeing the young drake stare at her pleadingly with big emerald irises did more than just guilt her into her next set of actions. Feeling the full effects of the puppy dog eyes wear on her willpower as the seconds passed by, she let out an audible groan as she finally conceded to Spike’s wishes. Much to her dismay.

“Ugh! Fine. I'll take your word for it,” she spoke out of exasperation. Spike was overjoyed to hear this, and immediately dashed over to Twilight in the blink of an eye to deliver her a pint sized bear hug that was far more forceful than it looked.

“Oh! Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Spike shouted aloud as he hugged Twilight with much more vigor than before, cutting off the circulation of air to her brain and turning the lavender mare just a bit darker towards the purple side. “I promise I won’t get in the way, and I’ll do everything to help!”

“Alright, alright. You can let go of me now...” Twilight strained from her throat. Shining her horn with a bright magenta glow, she enveloped Spike in her magical grip and carefully peeled him off of her. The little dragon grinned a sheepish grin towards her as she sighed heavily, knowing full well that things had got a bit more complicated now that Spike was on board. Hopefully her decision to have him join them won’t come back to bite her in the rear.

“But you have to be stay with me at all times. I don’t want you out of my field of vision, out of earshot, or even out of my approximate airspace for more than half a second. Is that understood, little mister?” Spike didn’t even need to hear anymore after Twilight had agreed to let him join her. He just kept nodding his head back and forth, trying to keep the excitement building up in him from escaping and making a fool of himself in front of everyone.

"I will! You don't have to worry about a thing, Twilight!" Spike exclaimed. "Hold on. Wasn't there anything else that was going to be brought up?" he turned to Rubick. "Hey, Rubick. Didn't you say that you had to defend someone in court?" he asked.

"Really?" Fluttershy spoke up. "That's surprisingly interesting. I didn't know you were also a lawyer."

"I'm not," replied Rubick. "That's why I'm going to visit the royal archives today so that I can study up on Equestrian law. It's an incredibly big case. One that could very well influence the very course of Equestrian history as you know it. It'll be perhaps my toughest battle yet. Kind of makes me wish I was going up against Ymir in a bar brawl."

"Sounds like you're blowing this whole thing out of proportions," said Rainbow Dash. "Who are you suppose to be defending anyway?"

"I was asked by the changeling queen herself to be her defense attorney," said Rubick nonchalantly. He expected an small outburst, but was surprised to find out how mature everyone had remained. Seizing the moment, he followed through. "Her court date is two days from now, and I need to cram as much as I can before then while you're all out investigating."

"You're serious, aren't you?" replied Rainbow. "You're actually going to defend the changeling queen? The jury's gonna chew her up and spit her out! She's a lost cause."

"Technically, she's innocent until proven guilty, Rainbow Dash," Twilight joined in. "But Rainbow's point still stands, Rubick. It'll take a whole lot of work to prove her innocent in the eyes of a jury full of ponies. And if you do somehow manage to prove her innocent, how do you think the rest of Equestria is going to react when they find out you helped her get that not guilty verdict?"

"I'll cross that bridge when I get there," Rubick replied coolly. "For now, I'll do everything in my power to hinder the case and buy us time. Maybe I'll be able to scrounge up whatever evidence I can scavenge to strengthen my argument."

"I hope you know what you're doing," said Rainbow Dash.

"I hope so too..." said Rubick.

“Ahem, shouldn't you all get going already?” Sven bluntly started in the room as he spoke up, causing all eyes to turned to him. He was still woozy from the hangover, his face showing the strain that all of the alcohol had on him with his helmet off. Though blunt, he was right. They were wasting time when they could be off investigating the cause of the end of the world.

“Getting back to that topic, Sven. We should, but we still need to decide how to split the group up,” replied Jackal with a scratch of his head.

“How about this?” Sven started as he stood up. “You, Aiushtha, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash, and Rarity form one team. While Rhasta, Twilight, Spike, Applejack, and Fluttershy form the other. George can stay here with me,” just as he finished, the little frog hopped from off of Jackal’s shoulder and onto Sven’s own where he croaked a few times before settling in with an air of content floating around him.

“Interesting, what’s your reasoning behind these specific group?” Jackal asked. “Or is your hangover just making you say all kinds of nonsense?”

“Aiushtha and Rhasta are great supports. They’ve help me, Rubick, and Gondar secure the opposition’s demise on multiple occasion,” said Sven with a small smile on his face. “So having one support on each team should help if, uh... things get a little hairy. Also, you and Spike provide something different. Your unique skills could also benefit both parties. As for the girls, well, I figured we might as well have a unicorn, a pegasus, and an earth pony on both teams.”

“Huh, Ah never took ya to be the thinking type,” Applejack stated. “Ya always came off as the meatheaded ‘punch first, ask questions later’ type to me.”

“I’ve seen and done many things over the course of my life,” said Sven. “The battles I’ve fought, the riches I’ve gained, the glory I've achieved. You can’t do all of that and not learn a thing or two about life, battle strategies, and so on, and so on,” he took a sharp intake of breathe. “It’s the journey, not the destination that’s important.”

“Words of wisdom, too? You’re more than meets the eye, Svenny,” Pinkie praised. “Are you sure you’re all gonna okay while we’re gone?”

“What do you take us for, rookies? Bwuah ha ha ha!” Sven laughed heartily. “Worry not for us. We'll be just fine. Go on, save the world... hero.”

With that said, everyone silently said their farewells to each other and left, giving the night guards a quick nod of acknowledgement before exiting the room en masse. Sure, it looked a bit peculiar to the guards that so many were leaving so suddenly, but their orders were to keep watch of the elites. So they remained vigilant, like statuesque sentries. Constantly on the watch. They did their job well. Perhaps not as well as they thought, though.

Because no one seemed to have noticed that Gondar had disappeared from plain sight.

Chapter 32 End

Author's Note

Hope you like the chapter. I'm super excited for Ti4! Don't know who I'm gonna root for though. Either Na'Vi or Empire for me. What about you guys?

Also, it's choice time!

Which group do you want to see investigate first?

Aiushtha's group (Investigate the Descendants)
-Pinkie Pie
-Rainbow Dash
-Rarity
-Jackal

Rhasta's group (Investigate High Horse's background)
-Spike
-Twilight
-Fluttershy
-Applejack

Chapter 32.5: Research and Development

What does a Hero Truly Need?

By: Zelkova48

Chapter 32.5 Research and Development

In the workshop area of the Canterlot armory, the deafening sound of clanging metal and errant shouting could be heard from a mile away. The roaring heat of the raging blast furnaces felt unbearable to withstand whilst glowing so brightly that it was almost too blinding to watch. Blacksmiths and artificers alike could be seen wildly scrambling around their work stations bending, welding, and smelting metal at a psychopathic pace.

Big chunky machinery churned and whirred all around the workshop. Forming a cacophony of loud, obnoxious noise that was bizarrely into tune alongside the constant clink sounds heard by the anvil. Clink, clink, clink went the glowingly orange metal as it was rhythmically struck by the hammer. When the desired shape of the metal was acquired, it was quickly quenched in a bath of oil where it elicited a hiss like an enraged snake.

At the helm of this whole operation, with his fur soaked all the way down to his hooves in sweat, was Forge. The master smith stood by the railings of the workshop up on the second floor, where he oversaw anything and everything that went on there. Not a piece of armor gets worked on without his approval, and not a single weapon leaves the workshop until it had been thoroughly inspected by his trained eye.

“You there!” Forge shouted with his right foreleg extended outwards. “Those parts go on to the left side! Not the right, you dolt! Get a move on!”

“Y-yes sir!” his co-workers replied back. “Right away sir!”

“Ugh, I’m surrounded by imbeciles...” Forge groaned as he rubbed the side of his temples.

He was stressed out from having to work around the clock for days on end, and it was starting to show in his demeanor. He was cranky, irritable, and more harsh on his co-workers whenever they screwed up. Too bad he didn’t actually have the luxury to be so agitated right now. Sighing heavily, he moved away from the railing and descended down onto the work floor to resume his routine inspection.

On his way down, however, he took notice that many of the workers were trying to peer towards the hallway on the opposite end of the room. A few seconds later, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna emerged into the room with a small entourage of guards right behind them, much to their surprise. Dropping everything that they were doing, everypony in the room respectfully bowed to their rulers before promptly returning back to work. All at the drop of a hat.

It wasn’t that it was rare to see the princesses drop by the armory every so often. Rather, it was quite the opposite. It was just that there would usually be a memo about their scheduled visits detailing when they would show up. But regardless of whether or not they had sent out some sort of velvet letter informing everypony about their appearances, whenever they came to the armory it was always about business.

“Greetings your majesty,” Forge greeted as he simmered down. “What brings you to the armory this fine day?”

“Hello, Forge. It’s good to see you again,” replied Celestia. “My sister and I are here to check up on your progress about that little assignment we’d given you. I assume that it’s going well?”

“Ah... that project,” Forge cracked a weak grin. “The first prototypes are complete. If you would be as so kind as to follow, I can lead you to them.”

“Then by all means, please. Lead on ahead,” replied Celestia.

Forge then led both princesses and their guards out of the noisy workshop and into the main testing facility of the armory. With each hoofstep, everypony past by various isolated room that could only be viewed through a small porthole roughly the size of a honeydew melon. Standing between the group and the ponies inside the rooms was a stone barrier about two feet thick, with a half an inch of glass used for the portholes.

Each of the rooms had something different being tested within them. Some had ponies attempting to utilize natural flora to add to the integrity of their armor. Others were testing strange weapons that appeared to have jumped from straight out of a foal’s active imagination. Then there were also rooms that had unicorn scientist trying to figure out alternative uses for deceptively simple spells. All in all, they were relatively standard sights that could be seen here.

As they slowly approached their designated testing room, Luna could see the terrible condition that Forge was in. His footsteps felt forced, he had unnecessary twitching motions in his neck, and frankly, he looked a little out of it.

“Excuse me, Forge. But are you alright?” Princess Luna asked. “You don’t look all that well.”

“Huh? Oh, I’m fine.” Forge weakly replied. “I just haven’t had enough sleep. Me and the others have spent the last few days glued to the workbenches making new armor and weapons for the royal guards.”

“Really?” Luna raised one of her eyebrows. “All of the old arms looked fine to me. Why would everyone need new armor and weapons?” just as she finished, the few guards that tailed her and her sister traded worried glances amongst themselves.

“Because!” Forge stopped and scowled. “Ever since the Yellow Devil showed up here, rumors had began to circulate about how faulty my work is!” he stamped his hoof on the floor. “The way he pointed out all the flaws was picked up by the royal guards and it made them paranoid about the performance of their equipment! Since then, they’d petitioned to have everything recalled, reevaluated and remade to avoid equipment failure! The nerve of them!”

“Calm down, Forge,” said Luna. “While I do believe that Gondar’s negative comments about your work was uncalled for, think about the learning aspect of all this. You can now create better, more efficient equipment now because of him. Your skill will only keep on growing.”

“I suppose. But where did that yellow runt get the idea that he can just run his mouth off like that, especially to a master smith like me?” Forge bitterly replied. “Do you have any idea of the humiliation that I had to face from my peers! My apprentice was thinking about leaving and going down to the old iron mill by the other side of the city! My reputation, along with the reputation of the armory, had been tarnished because of him!”

“Well, he did expose all the shortcomings in the original elite royal guard’s armor. Not to mention he proved that your sword was more of a display piece than an actual weapon. Um, well, you see. What I meant to say was, uh...” Luna struck an awkward smile. “Strive to improve your skills!” she concluded as best she could.

“With all due respect your majesty, you’re not helping,” Forge deadpanned. “ *Sigh* Let’s just get on with the prototype testing.”

* * *

“Ah, here we are. Testing room Z-forty eight ,” said Forge as he and a few others led everypony inside. The testing room itself was really nothing spectacular. Four walls, ceiling and a floor. One window, one firing range, and only three straw dummies to test out weapons on. Mundane, but practical.

“Here, this is where we’ve been testing out the weapons designs that you supplied to me,” Forge frowned. “Designs that scream ‘gardening tools’ rather than they do weapons,” he tossed a folder containing many rough sketches of all of Gondar’s current armaments. “What is this? Are you insulting my intelligence, or is this some sort of test? I can’t believe that I’d actually had to do this.”

“I can say with utmost certainty, Forge, that we are not testing you, nor are we insulting anypony’s intelligence. And I apologize in advance if we gave you that wrong impression,” Celestia replied coolly. “We just wanted you to replicate Gondar’s tools for us. Since he was so adamant on keeping them to himself, most of the sketches were drawn out of memory. Although I presume it wasn’t difficult to actually create them?”

“It wasn’t. I did it all under an hour. While I was eating lunch in the break room,” Forge replied flatly. “Honestly, I would’ve had more trouble trying to replicate a chef’s pepper grinder for Faust sake. Just what in Equestria was that yellow runt trying to stop with these things? Weeds? We have something for that already. It’s called a shovel.”

“These so called gardening tools are going to be the newest line of nonlethal weaponry that we could use to outfit the guards with,” said Celestia as she ruffled through the sketches with her magic. “Based on the demonstration that Gondar provided for us, it was clear that he understood what it took to capture somepony, and subdue them unharmed. For you see, Gondar’s special talent is bounty hunting.”

“Bounty hunting?” Forge raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t realize that that was an actual profession. Let alone one that pays well.”

“While we too were surprised when we first heard about his talents, he did prove that he was fully capable of subduing his opponent without injuring them... much,” she quickly added. “According to Gondar, preserving the life of your target is a crucial skill that is a necessity in his line of work. Skill that reflects upon the tools of his trade. Tools that he made out of junk form groundskeeper Greenhoove’s shed.”

“And you’re telling me that he can stop a runaway pony with these? With weapons made out of scrap metal?” Forge asked with an incredulous tone to his voice. He pointed to the sketches. The sketches of Gondar’s bolas, ponycatcher, and chain linked spear. “Please tell me that this is somepony’s idea of a sick joke.”

“We were there when he tested out the bolas,” Luna joined in. “And might I say that it is an impressive feat that he managed to snare Applejack when she was galloping at full speed from several meters away.”

“...That’s a load of manure,” Forge denied the claim. “Now, I’d get it if he was a unicorn or even a pegasus, but he’s not. He’s an earth pony. There’s no way in Tartarus that he is capable of catching a charging earth pony with some string and a couple rocks if they were, A, galloping at full speeds, and B, several meters away.” he motioned for the group to follow him down to the range. “Here, come with me.”

Down by the shooting range, three testers of each different pony subspecies were currently by the platform. Each were armed with a bola. They were using the bolas over and over again in a controlled test, and so far, the unicorn tester was the only one doing the best out of all three. The pegasus tester was mostly decent while the earth pony was having trouble actually trying to use the darn thing.

“As you can all clearly see, this weapon is very effective in the hooves of a unicorn only because of magic,” Forge explained. “I don’t doubt that entangling an escaping foe is an effective way to subdue an enemy, but this thing is far too unwieldy to properly use. Especially during a chase. Not to mention that it’s just some string and a couple of rocks, folks! A simple net could do better, jeez...” he then pointed over to the pegasus.

“Ahem. Please note that the pegasus can only use this weapon because of the unrestricted freedom he has with flight,” Forge turned to the tester. “Go on ahead.”

The pegasus nodded back to him and then swiftly launched himself into the air. With bola in hoof, the pegasus circled one of the straw dummies as he prepared to strike. Readying the bola, the pegasus then flung it right at the dummy where it entangled the target the way that it was meant to be. However, it was clear that when the bola was being readied, it nearly caught itself around the wings of the pegasus and threatened to ground him.

“Here we have an example of risk versus reward,” Forge stated. “Once again, the bola did entangle the target to the point where they could’ve tripped and stumbled over themselves, but we can see that it also endangered the user. Not a very good variable if you ask me.” Forge then pointed over to the earth pony. “lastly, we hav- Gearhead!” he cried out. “Did you get tied up again?”

“Yes,” Gearhead replied nonchalantly as he laid on the group tied up like a hog. “It’s uh... I think the fiftieth time that this has happened today? I don’t know, I lost count. Sorry boss, but this just ain’t working out. Maybe we should try something else.”

“And this is exactly why I don’t believe that Gondar could catch an earth pony with one of these gimmicky toys. Their ‘coolness factor’ outweighs their actual effectiveness,” Forge rebuked with air quotes. “And to think he complained about my armor.”

“Gondar has been using bolas for who knows how many years? Your testers have only been using them for a few days.” Celestia rebutted. “We’re telling the truth. He really did catch an earth pony with one of the bolas. And with a bit practice and some slight modifications I believe that the royal guard could make use of them as well.”

“How do you expect me to modify three rocks held together by some string?” Forge stared at the princesses questioningly.

“You’re a master smith,” Luna encouraged. “I’m sure you can come up with something.”

“I work with metal most of the time. Not rocks, your majesty,” Forge retorted. “ *Sigh* I suppose I could use metal balls and some chains to replace the rope and rocks. But this is a weapon that is doomed for failure. I strongly disagree that this should be mass produced for the guards to use.”

“Oh, don’t be like that Forge. Pessimism is the enemy of all innovators,” Celestia gently stated. “Keep that in mind.”

“I will, your majesty,” replied Forge in a dejected tone of voice. “Maybe we should move on,” he turned around. “Everypony, break out the next prototype!”

* * *

The next weapon prototype was wheeled into testing room Z-forty eight on a small cart. On top of the cart was several variations of the ponycatcher. Each looking more oblong than the last. There were three in total. With absolutely none of them resembling the same one that Gondar had used in combat.

“This is, as you had it named, your majesty, the ponycatcher. Prototype numbers one, two, and three,” said Forge.

Starting from the left, prototype number one, the ponycatcher vaguely resembled the lowercase letter ‘h’. Although the aperture of the letter was much smaller, and the stem was slightly elongated to look like some sort of staff. It was made entirely out of waxed wood, with the opened aperture section of the ponycatcher having three metal studs built into it. As it is, there are not additional handles or sharp edges.

Prototype number two was probably the closest tothe orignal ponycatcher’s design. This time, the ponycatcher took on the appearance of a pitchfork. Which was funny because that’s basically what it was. A pitchfork with two of its middle prongs removed while the remaining two on the sides had been straightened out. Again, it had no other additional handle than the shaft.

Lastly, prototype number three, which was by far the most bizarre looking thing there was. It looked like a blunt metal spear with the spearhead being a weird lightning bolt shaped hook. It was hard to tell if it was trying to be a sickle, a halberd, or some sort of accouterment for a wacky costume. Once again, no other handles.

“This is... not what we had in mind,” Luna blurted out. “Forgive me, but what is it exactly that I am looking at here?”

“I just told you. This is the pony catcher that you requested,” replied Forge. “It is not up to your specifications?” he flashed their design sheet at them. “You said that you wanted them to be slightly altered in the notes. So, I did just that.”

“I think you might have gone a little overboard with your creative freedom, Forge,” said Celestia. “Why are all of them so long, and where is the additional handle?” she asked.

“I had them removed. They were clearly a hindrance to the actual weapon itself,” Forge replied as if he knew what he was actually talking about. “The original design that you showed me looked like a rejected offspring that a field scythe had with a hoof trowel. It was inefficient, so I fixed this spear by lengthening it out and removing the unnecessary blade that was attached near the opposite end of the tip.”

“...But we never said that it was a spear,” Celestia retorted, causing Forge to do a double take.

“What? It isn’t? Then what is it suppose to be?” Forge asked in sheer befuddlement as he looked over the design sheet. “I assumed that this was supposed to be a spear that was meant to hold down ponies from afar to prevent escape and deadly contact.”

“The last part was correct. But the ponycatcher was, presumably, suppose to be used in close quarters as both a defensive weapon as well as an offensive one,” said Celestia. “It looked like it was meant to defend the user against strikes, and then when the aggressor tired themselves out they would get pinned down by the long end of the ponycatcher. At least to our knowledges that how it works.”

“How cumbersome,” Forge mumbled as he pointed to the sheet. “Then why is there a point and an edge on this damned thing? I thought it was suppose to pin targets down, not decapitate or maim them!”

“Heh heh. It’s purely user’s preference...” Celestia rubbed the back of her neck. “Gondar takes pleasure in his work. He made it quite clear during our first meeting that unnecessary roughness was a part of why he loved his job. That’s why we asked you to in the notes to make them blunted.”

“Of course, it all leads back to him,” Forge grunted. “Where did this guy train? In a remote cave miles away from civilization or something? What sane pony would use weapons that obviously belong in the stone age?”

“That’s what we would like to know ourselves...” Luna muttered beneath her breath, to which Celestia curtly shushed her. “I’m sorry, Forge, but I’m afraid that all of the prototypes will have to be remade to more closely follow the designs we gave you.

“Ugh, fine! You know what. I don’t even care anymore. I’ll do it. I’m getting so sick of hearing that runt’s name,” Forge grumbled. “Gearhead!” he boomed. “Gather all of the prototypes and have them sent back to the R&D department! I want them disassembled and repurposed by the end of the day, on the double!”

“Sure thing boss!” Gearhead shouted back before he wheeled all of the prototype

“And with that, I just added on even more to my workload,” said Forge as he sighed heavily. “Looks like I won’t be getting any sleep... again. L-let’s get onto the next weapon.”

* * *

It took some time for the next weapon to be brought into the room. Technical difficulties in the R&D department had delayed its arrival so the princesses decided to chat amongst themselves to pass the time while Forge prepared for the prototypes testing. He could be heard shouting at his co-workers more viciously than ever now. The stress was starting to build up, and it will soon reach its boiling point.

“Do you think he’s going to be alright?” Luna asked her sister.

“I certainly hope so,” replied Celestia. “I’ve never seen Forge so angry before. He’s usually not like this.”

“I do hope that his temper doesn’t get in the way of his work. After those last prototype I don’t think he can last through another testing phase.”

“It also looks like he harbors a grudge towards Gondar.”

“I don’t blame him. His reputation as a blacksmith took a big hit after we brought Gondar here. Not to mention that he’s been remaking every piece of armor for the royal guards since they’re so afraid of it failing on them. His anger towards him is justified.”

“I also didn’t realize how we could run into so much trouble over these weapons,” said Celestia. “Forge is practically over the wall because of them. I still find it hard to believe how rocks, string, and an oblong looking stave could have everypony stumped over their unique design. Is there some sort of secret to using them?”

“You’re overthinking it sister,” replied Luna with a dismissive wave of her hoof. “It’s just a small bump on the road. The weapons will be mastered soon enough. I’ll eat my own bed before I lose out to a crude amalgamation of metal and wood.”

“A crude amalgamation of metal and wood that managed to repel hundreds of changelings during the invasion,” Celestia pointed out. “That reminds me, the reports came back about the identities of the elites. We’ve hit another dead end.”

“Again? We’re beginning to run out of leads to follow,” said Luna. “Do you think that maybe we should let this slide, sister? I mean they could still work for us, even if we don’t know about their past.”

“Out of the question, Luna. You know that it is basic procedure for all members of the royal guard to be screened before joining.”

“Yet they’re still a part of the elites. Even after Shining Armor and Cadence officially got married. The commander of my night guard keeps bringing this up every time I speak with her. Something has to be done before they get sent off to the academy, and quick.”

“We’ll think of something. We always do,” replied Celestia. “By the way, we still have to figure out what to do with Rhasta. I think we’ll have trouble trying to find employment for him. What can a shaman do to benefit society?”

“See into the future?” said Luna, earning a queer look from Celestia. “As much as I’d hate to admit it, he did predict the invasion. Those bones of his could become very useful.”

“So, the circus then?” Celestia joked with a mischievous smile and a curt chuckle. “I kid, Luna. Though I doubt that having a seer in our royal court would do well for our image. I guess we’ll just have to keep trying then.”

“And Aiushtha? What about her?”

“We could schedule a session with her to explain how the deer folk disappeared. Maybe then we could even record fragments of her people’s culture and history for future preservation. And who knows? Maybe there’s a male deer out there for her.” Celestia cracked a wry grin.

“It’s too early to make a joke about repopulation, sister,” Luna deadpanned. “I’ll get to the session when I get to it. Besides, what’s taking Forge so long? I’m sure it doesn’t take that long to move a prototype over her-”

“YEEEOOOOUUUCH!” a loud cry came from inside the R&D department, cutting Luna off at the last moment. “GET IT OUT, GET IT OUT, GET IT OUT” the voice screamed in agony. “OH! FAUST THE PAIN IS UNBEARABLE!”

“Hold still! And quit moving around! I can’t take it out of your nose if you keep squirming around like that!” another voice shouted. “Didn't I tell you not to mess with the thing until we got down to the range?”

“Hey!” Forge’s voice yelled. “What happened here? I asked you to load the prototype into the cart, that’s all you had to do!”

“We were!” the other voice replied. “But then the genius over here thought that it’d be a good idea to try it out first before we actually got down to the testing range! And now look at him, he’s bawling his eyes out with a spearhead jammed up his nose!”

“Are you kidding me!? Help me move his flank to the infirmary, now!” Forge commanded. Eventually, the howling sounds of agonizing screaming could be heard slowly becoming muffled as the trio of ponies left the R&D department, and leaving behind two speechless alicorns with their mouths agape at the unseen tragedy that transpired.

“Um, Celestia. Maybe we should give them more time to perfect the prototypes.”

Chapter 32.5 End

Prologue: Defense of The Ancients

What does a Hero Truly Need?

by: Zelkova48

Prologue: Defense of The Ancients

The magnificent world of Dota, a world overflowing with beautiful landscapes as far as the eye can see. From the misty Shadeshore ruins, to the blazing sands of the Scintillant Waste, or even the subtle Bleeding hills and treacherous Dark Reef prison, there is always something new to discover while exploring these widely diverse grounds.

The denizens of the world are of no exception as well when it comes to diversity. Dragons, goblins, time travelers, and mighty spirits are only among the few that walk the great world of Dota, with plenty more practically around ever corner and bend you would come across.

Yet with the whole of the world and it's people, it is not without conflict. War, disease, and natural disasters still ravage the land like any other world, and like any other world these are events that maintains balance between anarchy and harmony. The world of Dota is just another example of a continual cycle that tirelessly moves forward for good and for worse.

Yet there are those who are born from this cycle, the mightiest of heroes are products of the perpetual wheel. Be it a bastard son shunned by people around him, a rat of a being simply scrounging through ruins for a living, or an ambitious soldier who craves for the greatest of honor all rise above and beyond to become heroes in the eyes of others, and perhaps even in the eyes of the Ancients.

No one really knows about the Ancients, only the fact that they are older then the world of Dota itself. But one thing is certain about the them, they preserve the balance of the world. In a large field surround by hundreds upon hundreds of oak, willow, and pines trees is a massive battleground which houses the two gigantic Ancients. The battleground splits in half by a river indicating it's duality. On the left of the river is a lush and vibrant field blanketed by strong and healthy trees with thriving wildlife around every corner, Near the end of the field is a great monument literally sculpted by dazzling white stone surrounded by cherry blossoms and a massive fountain built into the mountain's waterfall. This is the side that represents benevolences and harmony, The Radiant.

On the right of the river is a land painted with scorched and decaying trees with a black and jagged earth from all the heat and magma boiling underneath, It is barely habitable with the exception of a few small adaptive creatures lurking about the battleground. Past all the ash and soot is the very heart of the land, a large jagged and burning obsidian obelisk stands jutting from the ground, lava and smoke escaping the planet through the corrupt tower. Behind all that is it's own twisted parody of it's counterparts fountain, a hastily and poorly crafted waterfall that spews out lava from all the cracks and holes on the side of the mountain. This is the side that represents malevolence and discord, The Dire.

This is where all the battles to maintain harmony and unity take place, heroes of all shapes and sizes worthy of battling the ancients are called upon by the omniscient forces behind the world. Through five on five combat they all gather and join forces for a single cause, maintaining order through chaos. It is a perfect system of balance throughout the world of Dota, the good can never win all the time and the evil will never prevail as often. Even those who speak for justice fight for the Dire from time to time, just as beings who wish for destruction fight for The Radiant.

As for the heroes who participate, there is no greater gain nor honor that can be achieved. As the hero count grew larger and larger with each cycle this has becomed known by all the participants as

"The Defense of the Ancients".

Author's Note

ok so this is just a little intro chapter to try and explain the world of Dota, which is hard because the world of Dota is very enigmatic and subtle in their details. They will mention various areas with astounding detail or leave it to the imagination. I just try to meld it all together and keep it's mysterious nature to a world entirely built around the heroes that inhabit it.

Chapter 8: Improper Introductions

What does a Hero Truly Need?

By: Zelkova48

Chapter 8: Improper Introductions

" *Gasp!* You have a brother? Why didn't you tell us!?" Pinkie chimed in. A bit crossed and confused that she didn't know of Twilight's brother, everypony felt exactly the same way.

"Yes I do and..... Ugh! This is too much! We still have our new friends to help and then this happens!? What about the earlier assassination attempt!?" she let out an exasperated groan "Okay, I have a brother. His name is Shining Armor, he's my bbbff and-"

"Bbbf- what?" Rainbow rudely interrupted her.

"Big brother best friend forever" she replied which caused everypony to go *Oh!* "So he's the captain of the royal guard and-"

"H-h-he's t-t-the c-c-captain!?" Rarity jaw hit the floor.

"Can you guys please let me finish!?" everypony settled down and turned their attention to Twilight "As I was saying..." she stopped to she if anyone had anymore questions, right now, they didn't "As I was saying, I haven't seen him ever since I left for Ponyville a year ago. And now he's getting married to someone I don't even know? Ugh!" she slammed her face on the table "This is too much to take in. We have our new friends to help, then somepony tries to kill the Princesses, now a wedding with my brother's being held!?" she swiftly rose her head and yelled:

"I CAN'T THINK STRAIGHT!"

Everypony in the bakery stopped what they were doing and stared at Twilight, including the heroes. Her outburst caused the room to go deathly silent. She nervously chuckled and slid back into her seat as everypony went back to their chores.

" *Sigh!* What should we do first?" she asked nopony in particular.

"Hey that gives me an idea" Spike hopped onto the table and grabbed the scroll "Why don't we just ask the Princess for help. Besides, you haven't sent in your report about the object yet"

"Huh, that doesn't sound like a bad Idea. I'm sure she'll be willing to help us in the search" Twilight blinked some parchment and her trusty quill and began writing her report "First things first, we help out our new friends before we think about the wedding. Then I can yell at Shining for not telling me in person that he was getting married!" she put so much pressure onto her quill that it almost broke "I mean what kind of older brother just tells his younger sister that he's getting married through a letter!?"

"Uh... Twilight?" Spike tried to get her attention as her friends cowered together at her rising anger.

"Isn't it like some unwritten rule that sibling are suppose tell important, life changing events to each other in person!?" her writing became more violent.

"Twilight?" Spike spoke louder but Twilight continued her rage induced writing undisturbed with gritted teeth.

"And who is this Princess Mi Amore Cadenza!? How come I never heard of her!? What's she princess of anyway!"

"TWILIGHT!"

"Whuah? Spike, what's wrong?" she obliviously asked. Spike pointed at himself and the table that they were sitting at.

"You went into one of your focused writing fit again. You wrote all over the table and me included!" he tried to wipe the ink off of himself and ended up smearing it all over his scaly purple and green body. Twilight blushed, she almost never went into these fits unless she was provoked by some form of primal emotion.

"Heheheheh....sorry about that, I'll be sure you give you a bath after this. At least the letter is done" she reviewed her letter to the princess. It was messy, there were ink blots everywhere and it looked like a pair of angry timberwolves fought on top of it, luckily it was legible.

Dear, Princess Celestia

I am glad you report to you that the object we found in White Tail woods is not something we should be worried over. It isn't some alien artifact nor a random piece of debris or even a malevolent being. It turned out to be a group of ponies! Apparently their unicorn friend botched a spell and sent them into the sky, which might explain the explosion and shaking.

Don't worry they're all safe. Well, most of them. Which leads me to my next point. I have a request to ask of you.

Now this is only one of the few times I would ask you for a favor, but with your recent assassination attempt and the upcoming wedding that suddenly showed up I don't know who to turn to other than you. Alright here goes.

I need your help finding a missing pony, he's the one that didn't fall around Ponyville. We have no Idea where he is, he could be halfway across Equestria! Do you think you can help me? It would mean a lot to our new friends if you do.

Their friend's name is Sven. From their description he is really big, wears blue with some armor pieces and has a oblong helmet. I hope that is enough for you if you choose to help me.

Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle

P.S. I hope the assassin got caught.

P.S.S. Looking forward to the wedding!

P.S.S.S. Shining Armor is sooo gonna get it!

P.S.S.S.S. Sorry about the messy letter, this is all too sudden so I couldn't really focus.

"Uh.... just send the letter Spike. I got too much on my mind to rewrite it now" she rubbed her temples with her hooves.

"Sure thing Twilight" Spike grabbed the scroll and with a quick burst of dragon fire the scroll was sent into the air, and towards Canterlot.

The four chatted it out as they awaited a response from the princesses. As they spoke, Fluttershy and Applejack went came back into the bakery, both had a look of dissatisfaction upon their face. As the six all looked peeked outside the store window they saw that the crowd hadn't left yet. It was like they were waiting for something to happen, just like it always does in Ponyville.

" *Sigh* they just don't wanna leave! They think these new ponies are gonna cause trouble for the town! And tubby out there isn't exactly helping our cause!" She and Fluttershy sat down along with her friends.

"Did anything happen while we were away?" Fluttershy asked.

"We just got invited to a wedding!" Pinkie shouted at the top of her lungs as she jumped up and down with pinkie-level excitement.

"We did? But who's wedding?" Applejack tried to remember if they knew anypony that was about to pop the question to a lucky mare around town.

"Why it's Twilight's brother!" Rarity replied.

"Twilight has a brother? How come I never heard of him?" Applejack looked over at Twilight who just groaned.

"Know what? How about we just wait till we actually go to the wedding so I can introduce you to him? I don't want to have to explain my relationship with him agai-" she was cut off as Spike belched twice, bringing forth two scrolls this time. Twilight picked up the first and read it to her friends. It was about the special roles that they were all going to play during the weddings preparation.

Applejack was in charge of the food. Pinkie was head of the reception. Fluttershy would be in charge of her bird choir for the ceremony. Rarity had the honor of making the brides dress. Rainbow Dash will finish off the festivities with one of her signature sonic rainbooms. And lastly, Twilight will be the one who makes sure that all goes smoothly for her brother's big day. They all cheered about the honor that was bestowed upon them, all but Twilight who was brooding at the thought. She shook her head and began to read the second letter.

Dear Twilight,

I believe I can help you with your new friend's situation, I will see to it personally that they get reacquainted with their lost colleague. I have already scheduled a train for Canterlot to pick you all up tomorrow at the crack of dawn.

My sister and I are looking forward to meeting them

Celestia,

"That was it?" Twilight examined the letter again to check if she missed anything "She doesn't normally write replies this short"

"At least we got our reply, now that means we're going to Canterlot tomorrow!" Pinkie exclaimed with enough energy to power a small nation "Looks like we'll be able to help our friends, prepare for the wedding and meet your brother too!" she squealed in excitement "I gotta get packing! Even though the wedding only a week away, I can barely contain myself!" she somehow pulled out a large luggage bag from the floor and rushed over to her room like a pink blur. The sounds of party supplies being noisily crammed into something could be heard above everypony's head.

"....Sooo" Rainbow Dash broke the silence "Where are they gonna stay tonight?" she pointed to the heroes who were chatting amongst themselves "The whole town is against them, I don't think the local inns gonna let em stay"

"let's just go tell them about Sven and see if they want to stay with any of us for the time being" Twilight suggested. Everpony else nodded in agreement and went over to their new friends. Aiushtha was apparently telling a story about all the times that Meepo hit on someone.

"So when Akasha blew off Meepo, telling him that he was too short, he got his other selves and stacked on top of each other like a totem pole!" everyone stifled a laugh "And then he goes: Am I tall enough for you now baby? He licked his paws and slicked his fur back wiggling his eyebrows at the same time!" they all broke out into a joyous bout of laughter. They all settled down when they notice everypony approaching them.

Twilight explained to them about Sven, the wedding, and Canterlot. Upon hearing this revelation the heroes agreed to accompanying them to the capitol city of Canterlot. Rubick will stay with Twilight at the library, Aiushtha will stay with Fluttershy. Rarity offered to take in Gondar while Rhasta chose to sleep out on the streets. Even though Applejack protested to Rhasta's choice in boarding he simply told them.

"I'm used to sleeping out in the open"

They others respected his wish, but in the back of their mind they were all afraid of what might happen to him. Or worse, what might happen to those that threaten him. Everyone heads off to their respective homes and await for the next day where they will be reunited with a lost friend.

It was marvelous! Spectacular! A testament to one's deep respect to the nature of learning. Books lined every corner of the library that was the inside of a hollow tree. Rubick just laughed aloud at the sight he beheld.

"You live within a library! Now I know for a fact that you're the studious type" he joked which caused Spike to laugh alongside him "This is magnificent! Just magnificent!"

"Pretty great right? You can thank Spike for his amazing re shelving abilities" Twilight watched as Spike glowed with a sense of pride upon hearing her praise.

"Aside from the fact this library is also your home, I have some important matters to discuss with you young Twilight. What I am about to say to you means that I am entrusting you with a great responsibility" Rubick levitated some nearby chairs over to them where he sat down and removed his mask.

"Only you and your friends are allowed to know this. I hope you can understand" The look he had was one of seriousness. Twilight and Spike sat facing towards him, they thought what he was going to say involved Sven. It turned out to be something earth shattering to hear.

"W-w-w-what!? You're from another world!?" Twilight sounded ecstatic upon hearing about this "That's amazing! I can't believe me and my friends are friends with beings from another world!" she giggled uncontrollably "Omigoshomigoshomigosh! I can't believe my new mentor is both a grand magus and a being from a whole other world! This explains so much!"

"Yes it does, doesn't it? Hold on..." Rubick caught one of her words "What's this about being your new mentor?"

"Well..." Twilight grinned nervously.

"Canyoupleasebemysecondmentorandteachmehowtoproperlycontrolmymagic!" the words flew out of her mouth like an out of control freight train. Surprisingly, Rubick caught all of that.

"Hmm...." he tapped on his chin "Didn't you say that this princess of yours is already your mentor? If you already have such an honor as that, why do you need someone like me to teach you?" He twirled his staff around with his telekinesis.

"I can't believe I would ever say this but..." she struggled to get the words out as she swallowed the lump that formed in her throat."I believe you can teach me better!" Rubick dropped his staff midflight.

"Really?" he asked.

"I mean no disrespect towards the princess but..." she sighed "After our duel today, I realized that everything I learned from her so far isn't enough" she bit her tongue upon speaking so poorly of her teacher "I want you to teach me how to better grasp my power! I don't want to lose anyone because I lacked the strength to protect those around me!" her eyes began to flow with tears "I'm afraid Rubick... I need your help..." she pleaded.

Rubick said nothing. He simply picked up his staff and walked towards her. He smiled gently.

"Crying again young Twilight?" he asked as he wiped away the tears ".... The strength to protect others hmm?... Such a pure and noble endeavor...." he knelt down until he was at eye level with her "With great power comes great responsibility young Twilight. Are you sure that you can shoulder this burden?"

".... I'm sure" she replied as she rose her head up with a strengthened resolve. Rubick put his mask back on and laughed heartily.

"Very well then! After all you've done for me and my friends, I most humbly accept your request! It's good to know there are still some mages that are willing to learn magic for noble causes rather than to impress some ladies!" he twirled his staff and blinked everything in the room into position. The chairs went back to their original spot and Twilight was jolted into into the air where she landed on her hooves. Twilight's melancholy disappeared knowing that Rubick will help her master her abilities.

"Are you sure your teacher approves of this? I'd figure she'll be mad if she found out you were learning magic from someone else" Rubick asked. The thought of telling Princess Celestia that someone else was teaching her magic had completely slipped Twilight's mind.

"Uh... How about we keep this our little secret?" she grinned nervously.

"This is either going to end up really well, or catastrophically" Rubick deadpanned "Well, how about we start now? We have a long trip tomorrow, no harm in learning some basics beforehand" he levitated some books over "Before we start, do you have any questions?" he asked.

"I do, you mentioned you were a human, so..." Twilight kept her nervous grin.

"If it has anything to do with me being an omnivore then all I have to say to you is get over it. Gryphons here eat meat, and I believe the diamond dogs around here do as well. You should be glad I'm an herbivore now" he tapped his hoof "Anything else?" Twilight pointed over to Spike.

"Yes, how long is Spike going to stay like that?" The two look over to Spike and saw that he was locked in place with a look of pure amazement on his face. Twilight checked to see if he was still breathing but when she touched him he fell over like a porcelain statue complete with his own clattering sounds.

"I can assure you that he's fine" Rubick explained "He's still suffering from the shock of learning that I'm an outworlder. Just let him sleep it off and he'll be right as rain" Twilight complied and blinked him into his tiny bed where she tucked him in and closed his frozen eyelids for him. She kissed his forehead and closed the blind before wishing him a good night.

"Sleep tight Spike" she cooed "I think you had way too much excitement for one day" she then blinked back into foyer with Rubick.

"Any other questions? How about one that actually involves magic? Aheheheh" he joked.

"Actually, I do. What are we going to learn about?" She put on her metaphorical thinking cap and brought forth her best student behavior.

"Aha! Now that, is a good question!" He levitated over the books to Twilight "We are just going to practice some basic control exercises. Nothing too serious, but I sure you'll pass it with flying colors" Twilight took the books with her own magic and started to spin them around "I want to see if you can simply levitate these books around with minimal effort. Shouldn't be too hard for the element of magic now is it?" Twilight beamed with excitement.

"Are you kidding? This is kid's stuff!" the room lightly glowed with a purple pinkish aura. Suddenly all the books around the room flew off the shelves and stayed afloat in mid air. With grace and precision, the books soared around the room forming all manner of shapes and patterns of various sizes. With one quick spin and a bright flash all the books were back to their own cozy spot among the shelves except for the few that Rubick gave her which was floating around her like Carl's magical essences "How was that for you?" she proudly exclaimed.

"Hmm, not bad. Yes, not too shabby" he took the books from her and stacked them onto the floor "Now try it again without using your horn" he requested. Twilight's pupil shrank to pinpricks, beads of sweat began to form and her heartbeat quickened.

"Y-you're joking right?" she chuckled nervously "I mean I know you can do it but I don't think I can" Rubick set his staff down and walked over to the books. he simply raised his hoof and the books followed suit, he turned around and the books began to dance in mid air with a soft glassy green glow. Rubick spun his hoof around in little circles and copied Twilight's performance with stunning accuracy. The books blinked back to their homes on the shelves again as Rubick picked up his staff. Throughout the entire demonstration, Rubick's horn didn't glow in the slightest.

"See. Simple" he nonchalantly spoke. Twilight's jaw hit the floor with enough impact to shatter a diamond "I've noticed that you use your horn much like the way a novice mage would use a magic wand. You are merely using it as a conduit to channel and control your magic." he brought over the same stack of books and dropped them by Twilight "The lesson here is to learn to sync with the flow of magic, not to control it. When you learn to do that, you'll be able to cast powerful spells and enchantments without use of your horn" Twilight listened to his words diligently as he explained.

"Think of magic not as something that can be grasp like an object. Instead, think of it as a living breathing creature. You must work together in perfect harmony to draw out your latent potential" he pointed at the books.

"First, locate the source of your power"

"Then, harmonize with it, but don't try to catch it. Let it flow naturally through you"

"Lastly, will the spell into the desired form. Your mind and body will follow along with you"

"Do you think you can handle the basics?" he asked as he walked over to a chair and sat down. He looked at Twilight who appeared to be nervous.

"Are you sure this is the basics?" her voice was laced with skepticism "I've never heard of this method to perform magic before. How can magic be a living breathing creature?" Rubick just chuckled and shrugged his shoulders.

"That's for me to know and for you to find out" underneath his mask he was grinning. Twilight let out a sighed and attempted to practice this new form of magic. She looked over the book stack and cleared her mind.

"Okay, I can do this. Harmony is something I'm good at" she performed all the steps that Rubick instructed her on. She closed her eyes and searched her soul for the her element. She felt it flying around like a blue jay in the open sky. Then she tried to harmonize with it. Her mind went from pitch black to a pure white. She could feel the power stirring within her very soul.

*Ba-bump*

She gathered her strength.

*Ba-bump*

She let out a deep breathe.

*Ba-bump*

She brought forth the spell.

Her eyes shot open and she was surprised to see the books floating around. Her smile turned upside down when she noticed her own glow around the books. She peeked up her forehead and saw that her horn was glowing. She had failed the first time.

"Don't worry dear, It's a learning process" he levitated over an interesting book titled "Daring Do and the Manehattan Heist" and began to read "It just takes some practice that's all" he lifted his hoof and flipped to the next page "Just remember dear! Wax on, wax off!" he then let out a great big sigh as he remembered his own trials and tribulations of magic "Ah..... there were so many hungry rabbits running amuck that day. Ah ha ha! Eh he he he he he he he he he! Oh Daring Do, you are such a card!"

For the next few hours, Twilight would be practicing this new unheard of method of channeling magic while Rubick became engrossed within a very interesting book series.

Four hours later, Rubick had already completed the book while Twilight struggled to understand this puzzling skill she desperately wished to attain. Four hours of constant struggling, four hours of failures. Each and every time she thought she lifted the books, she found out that she was using her horn again.

Eventually, night fell upon the small town of Ponyville and everyone needed their rest if they wanted to enjoy the trip tomorrow. Twilight descended to her own bed while Rubick stayed in the guest room.

Twilight may have failed today, but there's always tomorrow.

The sun rose at precisely six o' clock the next morning with a great big *cock-a-doodle-doo!* from the rooster resting atop town hall. Everypony woke up up bright and early to prepare for their trip to Canterlot. Everypony, save for Rhasta, had already shown up at Ponyville station. Rubick and the other heroes were patiently waiting for Rhasta while Twilight was conversing with her friends about the secret they were entrusted with.

"So they're all from another world? That... actually explains a lot." Applejack looked on over to the heroes, it all made sense now why they acted so funny.

"We need to keep this amongst ourselves, Rubick told us this because he trust us," Twilight explained.

"And we all know that giving away secrets is the fastest way to lose a friend's trust." Pinkie politely finished.

"Thank you, Pinkie. Hey, isn't that Rhasta over there?" Everyone looked at the wrapped unicorn to see that there was a large crowd following him.

Most of them appeared to be the same ponies yesterday who badmouthed their arrival in Ponyville, but there was something else. Atop Rhasta's head was little Applebloom, sitting on his back was Sweetie Belle and riding beside him on her little scooter was Scootaloo. While the other ponies behind him were very anxious to see what he would do, the fillies looked like they were having a genuinely great time.

"Well, it looks like you had a fun time yesterday. What happened?" Aiushtha asked. Rhasta pulled Applebloom off of his head and Sweetie Belled hopped off his back.

"It is a bit of a long story." Rhasta patted each of the cutie mark crusaders on the head. "I will tell you later on." He turned around and smiled at the girls.

"I am sorry little ones, I must go look for my friend now," he apologized.

"It's okay mister Rhasta, we understand. Say hi to my cousin in Canterlot for me, will ya? His name's Hayseed Turnip Truck." Little Applebloom then hugged Rhasta and ran off with her friends.

"If you come back to Ponyville, be sure to visit us!" Scootaloo shouted from the distance before joining Sweetie Belle and Applebloom. Before they disappeared upon the horizon line, they all looked back and waved him goodbye. Rhasta waved back as he turned to join the rest of his friends.

The group all quickly boarded the train when the conductor announced their departure. They were glad to have left so quickly because the glares that the crowd gave the heroes put them on edge. As the train steadily made its way to Canterlot, all the heroes and fillies started to chat with each other.

Rhasta told them about the many ways to hide from an angry crowd, Rarity shared some fashion tips with Rubick since his choice in color made her inwardly cringe, and Aiushtha continued her story about Meepo's attempt to score with the female heroes.

As they all shared interesting stories (save for Gondar who mostly kept quiet) with each other, the train eventually screeched to a halt upon reaching Canterlot station. Everyone made their way off onto the platform and took in the beauty that was Canterlot.

Canterlot was a gorgeous city, a masterpiece and shining example of pony architectural work and design. Unlike Ponyville, the streets were much wider and instead of the daily rush, everypony took their time to finish an errand or a chore. There were lavish restaurants and haberdasheries as far as the eye can see. The way of life here also looked more elegant and refined if not a bit stuffy from all the high society ponies walking about.

But there was no greater view than that of Canterlot castle, home of the royal pony sisters. Their castle was built upon the very side of the mountain. The white and gold castle had several eye catching details such as several of the artisan crafted towers and the lush fragrant garden that surrounded the massive structure.

"Canterlot is truly breathtaking isn't it Gondar?" Rubick asked as he looked around the city.

"Yeah, it sure is isn- *sniff* *sniff*"Gondar paused as his heightened sense of smell picked up something pungent wafting throughout the air. It reeked of an odd combination between metal polish and hard soap.

The faint clatter of hooves off in the distance made his ears twitch with suspicion. But it wasn't just ordinary hooves, it sounded like they were covered in metal. Horseshoes, perhaps? The clattering of the metal hooves grew louder and louder, but he simply passed it off as a paranoid diversion.

As they all made it towards the city they were greeted with several glares by rude citizens as they left the station. Just as they were about to enter the city a lone figure stepped in front of them.

The figure had a white coat and a partially obscured blue mane, he also had a complete suit of armor that appeared more decorated than the average guard suits. The guard stared at the ponies with a stoic look, before slowly transitioning to a warm gentle smile.

"Twiley!" the guard shouted. Apparently, the name was directed towards Twilight.

"Twiley?" Everypony asked. Twilight hacked a faux cough as she formed a small smile.

"Uh... yes. That's the nickname my brother calls me." Twilight blushed. All her friends turned to look at the guard who had already removed his helmet. Twilight walked on over and gave him a hug before turning around to introduce him.

"Everypony, this is my older brother, Shining Armor, captain of the Royal Guard." Shining Armor gave his little sister's friends all a polite salute as they all clamored around him, asking him all kinds of question. He happily greeted all of them before he turned to the heroes.

When he did, his warm smile vanished, replaced with an angry scowl. His personality changed from that of an affectionate older brother to a hardened captain of the Royal Guard.

"So... you're the other friends that Twilight mentioned in her letter," he coldly stated.

"Why yes, we are. And might I say that it is an honor to meet a man of your stature, Shining Armor." Rubick offered a hoof in friendship. But in return, all he received was a killer stare. Rubick questioned if he had done anything to offend the captain.

"Yes, it is a pleasure. But all I have to say to you four is... NOW!" Shining Armor shouted without warning.

"What!? What is the meaning of thi- GYAAAAAAAAAH!" Rubick, Aiushtha, and Rhasta could do nothing more as they were all shocked with a bolt of electricity that emanated from the horns of several armored guards that suddenly surrounded them. They all fell to the ground unconscious as their pony friends gasped in horror of what they had just witnessed.

The only one that wasn't caught by the electricity was Gondar. He deftly avoided all the bolts of energy and hopped back onto the platform where a group of thirty elite guards slowly closed in on him. As they slowly closed the distance between him, Gondar assumed a combat position and hissed at his would be captors.

"Hsssssssshh! Who the hell are you guys!? Why did you hurt my friends! You know what? Screw all of you guys!" He hissed again as he readied himself for the fight was was rapidly approaching. "It just. Got. Personal!"

Meanwhile in the open, Twilight and her friends stared in disbelief as their new friends were just viciously attacked by the royal guard.

"Shining, what's going on here!" Twilight yelled.

"Twilight! Stand back! I have this under control!" Shining then gave the order to detain Gondar. "I have to thank you later, Twilight. You did a good job luring these scumbags to Canterlot. Who knew that all it took was for you to get them to trust you so that they could be brought to justice." He smiled. "I'm sure the Princess is very proud of your heroism"

"What!? What are you talking about?" Twilight screamed angrily at her brother. Shining Armor didn't really know why she was so angry. She should be glad that these four ponies were about to be captured.

"What are you so mad about? You just helped capture the assassin's cohorts"

Chapter 8 end

Author's Note

Splitted the chapter for event and plot reasons. ill try to have longer chapters focused on one or two thing at a time instead of jumping all over the place. fixing some mistakes as well.

Chapter 26: The Good Guys Win, Right?

What does a Hero Truly Need?

By:Zelkova48

Chapter 26: The Good Guys Win, Right?

The once grand streets of the city of Canterlot were cobbled with the chitinous bodies of virtually hundreds upon thousands of either disturbingly spastic or vegetative changelings. Each member of the group had to watch their steps, as not to accidentally trample over the almost pitiable creatures. Whether or not they felt for the changelings after such a traumatic experience was a matter of opinion. What did matter though, was reaching the altar to get to the bottom of this mysterious phenomena.

The girls had chosen to hold onto their elements despite the brief moment of peace. They didn’t feel safe without them as the grim setting before them began to sink into their frail minds. Even if the changelings weren’t dead, it was nerve racking to see a million sets of blank turquoise eyes staring down on them from every possible angle. They couldn’t help but cringe as they passed each block of Canterlot.

“Stay close everyone” said Rhasta “We are not sure if these creatures are merely feigning or not”

“They seem so... so... distant” Twilight commented “What do you think happened at the altar?” she asked.

“That reminds me. You haven’t told us about what was really going on” said Aiushtha “One moment we’re watching the city, then the next, the sky is filled with these curious creatures”

“Curious?” said Rainbow with a raise of her eyebrows and a grunt in her voice “You think that these changelings are curious? These freaks just attacked Canterlot! If anything, I’m glad that they’re all on the ground where I could smack them around for threatening my home and friends!”

“You’re not answering our question” Gondar cut in “I don’t care about what you feel about these bugs. We want to know how these changelings or whatever the hell you called them got inside the city and past that giant shield without alerting anyone of their presence. And that’s not counting us”

“Well, y’all saw what they can do!” Applejack retorted “They can change shape, imitate a pony as if they were that pony. They’ve probably went and snuck in before the wedding just so they can catch us off guard!”

“But why would they reveal themselves then?” Gondar asked “It doesn’t make any sense”

“That’s what I said” Rubick chimed in.

“It doesn’t matter why they revealed themselves!” Applejack shouted furiously “Boy, if Ah see another of these changelings for a long as I live, it’ll be too soon” she huffed with a stomp of her hooves.

“Your anger is justified, I get that” said Rubick “But now is not the time for angry thought. For now, let us focus on reaching your princesses, Twilight’s brother and determining the true extent of this... invasion”

“L-let’s just get out of her, p-please... I-I don’t like it here” Fluttershy cried as she crossed another changeling filled street. Rainbow flew next to Fluttershy to try to comfort her as they trekked towards the direction of the altar.

“Let’s pick up the pace” said Jackal “I think that’s the altar up there, isn’t it” he pointed to the large building in front of them”

“Huh... It’s quiet... too quiet” said Sven as he observed his surroundings “Did something happen here?” he asked.

“This...” Twilight spoke with quiet rage seething through her teeth “This was where it all started...”

* * *

Twilight and her friends pressed against the massive double doors that stood between them and the site of where the invasion supposedly started. The altar was in shambles. Flower petals blanketed, mixing itself with all the dust and rubble to form beautiful ruins. Tapestry had been torn, stain glass windows have been shatters, and furniture were smashed in the mayhem that ensued during our heroes defense of Canterlot.

It looked as though a great battle had been held during their absence. But for what actually happened, no one knew for sure. As light peered into the dimly lit room, the group was greeted with a very unlikely scene. It was something that made everyone want to gag at the mere sight of. Standing victorious over the defeated changeling queen was none other than...

“Prince Blueblood!?” the mane six shouted in unison with a dumbfounded expression on all of their faces.

“Who?” Aiushtha asked with a scratch of her head.

“Me” the pridefully pompous prince proclaimed to the plethora of the positively perplexed ponies “Well, if it isn’t the element bearers themselves” he gloated with a million dollar smile that made you want to punch the guy.

“Oh, look at that. You’ve brought the elements of harmony. Too bad” he said with a flick of his perfect hooves “We don’t need that anymore, I’ve already dealt with this horrendously grotesque imposter” he scowled at the changeling queen beneath his hooves as he recklessly stomped on her unconscious form.

“Bwuah? H-how? Y-you? Whuah?” Rarity practically stammered as her head began to feel light. She resisted the urge to faint at such an unbelievable scene. In fact, she wanted to resist both the urge to faint and vomit at the same time “I... I n-need to lie down...” she spoke raspily before tipping over to her sides.

“M-miss Rarity?” Gondar quickly caught her before she hit the floor “What’s wrong?”

“Eh, she’ll be fine” said Rainbow with a dismissive wave of her hoof “Give her a few hours, she just experienced something disgusting. But how the hay did a pompous punk like you defeat the changeling queen?” she asked with a curious tilt of her head.

“He had some help...” two wily voices joined in before a red and silverish blur flew into the room. With a powerful gust of wind, two familiar pegasi entered as flashily as possible. Rainbow’s pupil’s dilated before widening to the size of dinner plates.

“You’re... you’re” Rainbow stuttered but she couldn’t get the words out of her mouth. She continued to babble on causing the two pegasi to chuckle.

“Members of the wonderbolts!” the two finished for Rainbow “It appears that we are in the presence of a fan, dear sister” said the red one.

“Indeed it does, dear brother” said the silver one.

“Hey, I remember you!” Twilight piped in as she broke out of her stupor “You’re Quicksilver and Speeding Bullet. We met in the royal archives”

“What! You’re telling me you met the wonderbolts and you didn’t tell me!?” Rainbow shouted. Twilight and the rest of the group just rolled their eye at Rainbow’s lack of concern for the current state of affairs.

“They weren’t the only one...” a deep voice cut in. From out of the shadows, as stallion as big as Big Mac stepped forth to reveal himself “The name’s Chain Warden. A pleasure to be meeting the elements of harmony” the stallion warden politely bowed.

“Uh, who’re you” Applejack asked “Pardon me, but Ah never seen ya before”

“Me? I am just a humble guard. Protecting the innocent and the city like I should be” Chain Warden spoke with pride “That is the duty of the gu-”

“Yeah, yeah, we get the point scarface” Gondar interrupted “And since my colleagues and I are members of the elite royal guards, we demand a full explanation of everything that’s happened so far”

“What’s there to explain about?” Blueblood shrugged nonchalantly but still kept his winning grin “A malevolent changeling queen and her brood maliciously attacked our beloved city, not to mention that this filth had the audacity to impersonate Princess Cadence, drained Captain Shining Armor of his love energy and assaulted both Princess Luna and Celestia! Fortunately for them, I sprang into action at the last moment and saved the day” she gloated. For a moment, the ponies in the room could’ve sworn that they say his nose grow just a little bigger.

“Quit hogging all the glory you dolt!” Quicksilver huffed at the pompous prince.

“We did most of the work you braggart!” Speeding bullet joined his sister

“If anything...”

“It was us....”

“The brother sister team...”

"Of the famous wonderbolts...”

“Who took the changeling queen down!” the two proclaimed in unison with a boastful tilt of their head.

“Regardless...” Twilight regained her composure just enough to speak “Where is everyone else?”

“The civilians were all evacuated, and the princesses are trying to find Shining Armor’s real fiance” Chain Warden replied cooly “For now, our job is to escort this villain to the dungeons. Now if you don’t mind, we bid you farewell”

Without another word, the surprising quartet of ponies who supposedly defeated this changeling queen hauled her body away to wherever it was that the dungeons were. The moment they left, absolutely everyone in the room, heroes included, collapsed onto the marble floor after suffering such an exhausting day. Everyone let out an exasperated sigh and made their way back up onto all four, still confused at what they should do next.

“Eh, this has gotten ridiculous... I’m going to bed to clear my mind” Sven said as he turned away with George croaking in agreement atop his head. He began heading towards the castle apartments. Everyone else followed suit and dragged their hooves back to their respective rooms.

It was just one surprise after another, this day. And with the day save, by Prince Blueblood and his allies no less, it seemed like a good idea to call it a day and let the rest of the guards handle the comatosed changelings out on the streets. Heck, the girls didn’t even remove their elements. With the vault broken beyond repair, they’re going to have to find a new hiding spot for them...

* * *

One week later, Shining Armor and Princess Cadence’s reception party

A whole week had past since the dreaded invasion. Unconscious changelings that laid bare across the ruins of Canterlot had already been rounded up and sent away to rot in the cells with their queen. Repair of the city itself was also in full swing, with ponies left and right doing their best to restore Canterlot to its former glory.

In a manner that shocked even the heroes themselves, life appeared to have returned to normal despite a small portion of Canterlot being left in ruin. It was truly fascinating how ponies at one point could suffer such a traumatic event and then mellow out just like that within a weeks time. But to have a celebration of the newlyweds as well? Equestria truly is a world full of interesting contradictions.

Down by the castle, a joyous and mirthful atmosphere permeated from it’s dancing citizens and the wild booming stereos of one DJ PON-3. With the threat of the changelings over, it only made the celebration much more satisfying. But among those who were actually glad to see the changelings locked up, few had mixed reactions to the entire invasion affair as a whole. Namely, all the heroes and the only diamond dog there.

One dance and musical number later, courtesy of Twilight Sparkle and her singing voice, the festivities eased down a bit, allowing for everyone to mingle with each other in a more tamed setting, without the loud blaring music blasting from the speakers.

Everyone was about doing their own thing. Rhasta was by the corner of the courtyard telling guest of their future, Rainbow Dash was doing her best to gain the favor of the wonderbolts, Sven was enjoying a quaint pint, and Pinkie was just being Pinkie.

Then there was Rubick, who seemed to be lost in thought as he stood in the middle of everything. Eventually, his bizarre behavior eventually caught the eyes of the esteemed newlyweds, and the royal pony sisters, prompting for a quick visit over to him.

“Jester, what is wrong?” Luna asked “Are you not enjoying the festivities?

“Ah, hello everyone. No, I’m fine, the party is great if you ask me. I’m just thinking, that’s all” Rubick blanky replied, his face never once betraying his current state of focus.

“Thinking? About what?” Cadence asked. She thought about it for a bit, only for her to have a brief epiphany upon doing so “Oh, I see. You’re thinking about Twilight, aren’t you?” she teased “So, how far are you in your relationship?”

“Excuse me!?” Shining exclaimed, clearly shocked about this mysterious (and false) revelation “When did this happen? How come I didn’t know about this?!” he shouted.

“Well I sure that if she told you about it, your brotherly instincts would kick in without a doubt. And believe me, no good would come from that” Celestia chimed in, followed by a curt chuckle.

“N-no I wouldn’t...” Shining weakly retorted “Besides, I at least have the liberty to know if my younger sister is in a relationship or not!”

“Kind of like how Twilight had the liberty to know about me?” Cadence fired back with full force. Shining shrank down after that, he was defeated in a single move from his wife. It seems that the whole thing about the spouse always winning arguments was true after all.

“I-I did tell her though...” Shining tried once more to create a half decent rebuttal.

“Through a letter... using my full name which Twilight knew next to nothing about until you actually had to reveal it to her” Cadence concluded victoriously with a carefully concealed smug look.

“I can tell that you two are going to lead a rich and fulfilling life” Luna joked before bursting out into laughter.

“Relationship? I honestly have no idea what you’re talking about” Rubick deadpanned, much to everyone’s surprise.

“What!?” Cadence exclaimed “But I saw you and Twilight together in the gardens alone at night”

“You mean to tell me that you were spying on us when she was telling me about how the wedding plans were suppose to go?” Rubick quickly lied, akin to keeping Twilight’s supplementary lessons on the down low “I don’t know what you were all thinking when Princess Cadence here told you about me and Twilight but they are clearly clearly false”

“Aw, so does that mean Twilight’s still single?” Cadence pouted “I thought for sure she had found somepony already. I mean I glad that she’s smart and all but when it comes to love she can be a little dense, like a certain somepony I know” Cadence playfully nuzzled her husband who had regained his average composure after experiencing one too many shocks.

“I’m sure she will find someone in the future, but it probably doesn’t involve me” said Rubick “But I have to ask you something, Cadence. Do you remember anything from when you were kidnapped?” he asked.

“N-no...” Cadence replied, slightly taken aback from remembering such a horrible experience “I was knock out the whole time. All I knew was that the changelings invaded and the changeling queen impersonated me the whole time. It was a terrifying ordeal”

“Hmm... interesting. Who told you all of that?” Rubick asked, continuing to cross examining Cadence to sate his nagging curiosity.

“Why... the nice representatives of the Descendants of course” Cadence replied.

“You mean those ponies who supposively stopped the changeling queen?” Rubick asked with a raised eyebrow “I didn't realize they were members of those zealots, let alone representatives...”

“Rubick, please show some respect when talking about the descendants!” Luna spoke up “They are hard working charity workers who have broke their backs to provide care for the unfortunate. They are a selfless bunch who have devoted their life to helping others”

“I think my experience with them says otherwise...” Rubick whispered beneath his breath “Anywho, back to my previous train of thought. Ahem... and you believed them?” he asked.

“Of course, what reason would they have to lie on during such a dire situation?” Cadence asked.

“Rubick, just what are you getting at here?” Celestia asked cautiously, her expression stern and demanding “Rubick, as your princess I ask you what it is that you are trying to get out of Cadence” Rubick hesitated for a moment, contemplating whether or not that it would be smart to speak taboo to the princesses and captain. But he figured since it was a fifty fifty chance of him gaining some new info or being laughed at he may as well take the gambit.

“Well, I may as well tell you my theory on things...”

* * *

Gondar and company sat within the courtyard. In his hoof was a pint of cider, one that was brewed from Sweet Apple Acres, aged and preserved specifically for a grand moment such as the reception of Princess Cadence and Captain Shining Armor. Right beside him was Sven, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash who were all engaged in some sort of drinking contest.

He chose to stay out, opting to indulge in his beverage and relax instead. Much to his dismay, however, he was rudely interrupted right before the mug of cider even reached his lips when a certain silver pegasus mare bump into his side with her rump. He hissed softly, giving a glare to the perpetrator that almost made him spill his drink.

“Grr...do you mind?” he growled.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize that I had just bumped into the great yellow devil” the mare spoke amorously, batting an eyelash in his direction.

“Huh, I’d take it you seem to know me from the title alone as well?” Gondar asked “Wait a minute, do I know you?” he racked his brain to try to remember “Hold on, weren’t you that one pegasus who took down that changeling queen, what was your name again... oh yeah, Quicksilver”

“Hmm, I’m flattered to know that you remember my name mister yellow devil” Quicksilver spoke with a sultry tone “But I should not hog all of the credit. From what I’ve heard, you too have done your fair share of changeling extermination. You should be proud of the fact that slew such horrible creatures”

“Yeah, yeah. But to tell you the truth, I didn’t like cutting down those things. In fact I felt kinda bad. I wish I didn’t have to do it, it didn’t feel justified at all” Gondar replied, causing Quicksilver to go wide eye in response.

“W-what!? You did your duty as a member of the elite royal guard and as a pony. The princesses had commended you on what you and your allies did. That alone should be enough to justify the destruction of those repulsive creatures”

“...You know you sound kinda weird without your loopy brother completing your sentences right beside you” Gondar retorted obliviously while taking a swig from his mug. Quicksilver’s coat turn a bright red, her mouth hung slack after hearing what felt like an insult from the stallion that she was trying to seduce. She would shout at him but held her tongue instead, she was here on a mission.

“Anyway, about your princesses. I could care less about what they commend me for. I’m still on bad terms with them after they tried to have me and my friends arrested. I’m sure you heard all about that, didn’t you?” Gondar chuckled as he continued to gulp down his drink.

By then Quicksilver had been fuming. She wanted to smack Gondar right across the face for insulting his princesses, but miraculously she somehow showed incredible restraint in light of it all. She turned around and took a few deep breaths, trying to recompose herself before going in for the kill, so to speak. When she was ready, she walked up to him, shaking her rear back and forth in an attempt to entice the stallion.

“Enough about all that, I’ve got a proposition for you” said Quicksilver “You want to hear it?”

“No games, Quicksilver” Gondar spoke quickly and sternly “I can tell by the twitching on your face alone. What do you want from me?” he demanded.

“Hmph, if you’re going to play hard to get, I may as well pull out the big guns now” Quicksilver gave a curt clap of her hooves and two beautiful mare, one earth pony and one unicorn, appeared beside Gondar. Both attempting to seduce him as well “Not a lot of ponies know this, but I am one of the lead representatives of the Descendants” she proclaimed proudly.

“Oh yeah, those guys. I remember sending one of your lackeys downhill after he insulted my friend” Gondar snarled.

“Lemme guess, you want some kind of donation? I don’t think using ladies is your best bet with me. I’ve only got one love, and it’s hunting criminals for gold” Gondar concluded.

“Oh no, we don’t need any donations. I come with an offer, an offer for a position of the highest caliber in the ranks of the Descendants” said Quicksilver “It will be worth more than all the gold in the world if you and your friends were to become members right when the great cleanse is about to begin. You’ll be treated like a god for the rest of your days”

“And why, exactly, should I join your band of doe hating loonies?” Said Gondar as he shoved aside the two mare that were beside him “Beat it ya harlot, I don’t want to hear any more of your pointless dribble. Just let me enjoy my drink in peace...” he gave Quicksilver one last bone chilling look with his intimidating red eyes before turning to join the rest at the party, leaving behind a shaken and unsuccessful Quicksilver to mull over her failure.

* * *

“Grr... the nerve of that guy” Quicksilver spoke through gritted teeth as she entered the castle “I thought for sure he would be easy to recruit. Who wouldn’t want to join the Descendants? I swear these ponies are bizarre in every way possible...” she continued to grumble until she approached her own little group. There she met everyone who she had been involved with looking at her with expectant eyes.

“I’d take it that your mission was successful?” High Horse spoke up as he enjoyed the olive from his martini.

“He shot down the request before I even got a chance to explain to him our glorious cause” Quicksilver replied dejectedly “I thought for sure my charm and good looks would make him easy to recruit”

“Clearly that wasn’t the case” Fast Hoof joked as she chugged down her own mug of cider “Ah told y’all that Ah shoulda been the one to do it! Ah’m more of the persuasive type anyway”

“Calm down, Fast Hoof. This is merely a minor setback” Prince Blueblood intervened “The plan will still work even without their help. It’ll just be a whole lot faster with them on our side” he explained.

“I’m still opposed to having criminals be a part of our cause” Chain Warden grumbled.

“Oh lighten up, Chainy boy” Speeding Bullet jest “The esteemed warden of Gladius prison should at least know the value of strength in numbers. Isn’t that right, sister?”

“Indeed brother” said Quicksilver “But what should we do now?” she asked.

“Maybe I should have a personal hoof in this” High Horse proclaimed “The reach of my influence is far and wide, perhaps my chance of success will be higher than yours, Quicksilver” he straighten his tie and brush his suit before unceremoniously leaving to try to gain some new allies. Everyone else just rolled their eyes at him as he left straight away.

“Do you think he can really do it?” Fast Hoof asked. Everyone just shrugged nonchalantly, never even acknowledging High Horses leaving.

* * *

“Wait, wait, wait... you just met Quicksilver, one of the quickest members of the Wonderbolts, who happens to give you a chance to join the biggest charity group in Equestria as a higher up, and you just outright turned her down! Why!?” Rainbow Dash shouted, clearly annoyed that all the wonderbolts have been talking to her friends and the heroes instead of her, the fastest flier in all of Equestria.

“Why should I join? I’m already a member of your guards, against my will I might add” Gondar deadpanned as he took his a swig from his sixth cup “Look, I’m willing to work, but it’s only until your friend finds us a way back home. In case you’ve forgotten”

“Still, y’all should at least take up some of the better offers given to you while you hang around Equestria” said Applejack.

“I’m sorry but I’m going to have to side with my friend here” Sven joined in, a noticeable slur tainting his otherwise gruff voice “We’ve already got a job, it’s not the best job in the world but I think we prefer action over charity work any day. Heh heh heh... *belch!* ”

“You could’ve at least joined so that you could put in a good word for me when I attempt to join the Wonderbolts!” Rainbow Dash shouted “Aaaawwww! Talk about missing out on the opportunity of a lifetime” she sulked with a sour look on his face.

“Oh! Lighten up you” said Gondar as he playfully prodded the sulking pegasus “If you practice hard enough and improve your skills, you’ll surpass these wonderbolt guys in more ways than one. Heck, maybe you could even ask that princess of yours to create your own group of flying badasses. Think about it, The Rainbow Fliers. Led by none other than Equestria’s greatest flier: Rainbow Dash”

Almost immediately after saying so, Gondar noticed Rainbow Dash perked up in a split second. Her previous attitude nothing more than a brief afterthought in light of a new and awesome suggestion.

“Hey... that’s not such a bad idea!” Rainbow exclaimed with a twinkle in her eye “Yeah, Ultra Captain Rainbow Dash... I like the sound of that...” she whispered to herself as she went into deep thought. Applejack just gave Rainbow a glance and rolled her eyes.

“Now y’all gone and done it” said Applejack “Ya just went and inflated her ego bigger than all of Canterlot. Now we’ll never hear the end of Ultra Captain Rainbow Dash. What made ya go and say all that anywho?”

“I’m drunk....” Gondar replied.

“Ah... that explains a lot” said Applejack, stifling a giggle from the two drunken heroes before her.

“Oh no, no, no. This will not do. Simply not do at all” a new voice spoke from behind, causing the heroes and the mares to turn their gaze to the pompous looking unicorn behind them. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to tell everyone that this stallion gave off an unbearable air of ignorance, wealth and superiority, much like a certain prince they’d encountered the week before.

“Hey buddy, who’re you?” Rainbow asked.

“My name is High Horse”

“Pfft... pfft... BWUHAHAHAHA!” Rainbow bursted into uncontrollable laughter “High Horse! What a dumb name!” she shouted at the top of her lungs.

“Yes, yes, I get that a lot” High Horse said grudgingly “But I’m not here for you ladies, I’m here for them” he pointed to the two drunken stallions.

“Eh? What the *hic!* heck do you want with us” said Sven, who was still clearly drunk.

“I’m sure one of you ran into my colleagues” said High Horse “She gave you a chance to be a part of something greater, yet here you are, off the wagon and acting like a disgrace to all of ponykind”

“I already told your friend that we don’t want to join!” Gondar shouted in his drunken rage, smashing his mug onto the table and splintering it to bits “So can’t you just leave us alone!”

“Easy there friend. I’m not here to fight. No, I’m here to help” High Horse replied coolly “Normally for the common pony they would snap up instantly after being offered to join the Descendants. Come now, rethink your decision. Former criminal or not, after all we’re all ponies her-”

“We... are not ponies” Sven interrupted and spoke clearly and evenly, almost as if all traces of his drunken stupor disappeared in a flash. Yet his tone of voice carried something angry and intimidating that shook High Horse down to his very core “We’re heroes. Heroes of the Radiant!” Sven proclaimed loudly for all to hear “And don’t you forget that!”

Sven towered over the cowering High Horse, hot steam escaping from the recesses of his helmet as he flared his nostrils in a show of force. It worked spectacularly. High Horse’s usual calm and scheming behavior shattered like a weak dam. He stood like a deer in headlights in the presence of a greater force, and shrank into a ball. His dignity on the line, he tried his best to retort against Sven.

“H-how could you say that?” High Horse spoke fearfully, trying his best to calm his nerves “You serve the princess as members of the elite royal guards! Yet how can you say that you aren’t a pony! You should be proud! Proud that you are the superior one here! Proud of the fact that you aren’t a dirt loving dog! Proud to.... Ack!”

Sven’s hoof reached High Horse’s neck and he gripped the poor fellow until he was practically breathing through a coffee straw. High Horse could feel the oxygen being cut off to head. His vision blurred, his mind slowly went numb, yet he was still conscious enough to hear everything Sven said.

“You....” Sven started, venom dripping from his lips as he continued “Never insult one of my friends, especially if they are a member of the dogs you just mentioned!” High Horse couldn’t believe what he was hearing, Sven was friends with a dirt digging mutt. In short, he was a traitor to his own kind in his eyes.

“Y-you... ack! You befriended one of those mutts... you aren’t fit to be called a pony” High Horse managed to let out of his strained throat “I take back everything I tried to do or say to get you to join our glorious... Celestia should’ve kept you locked up in Gladius prison where you can rot for being... an abomination!”

Abomination. It was that same word that drove the rogue knight to become who he was today. Yet it was also the same word that festered within his very existence. A dormant anger boiled from the depths of his soul. Rising, growing ever hotter with each waking second the longer he had to hold and look at the trash at the mercy of his hooves. Lightning sparked from his eyes, his bright blue coat slowly turned a harsh bloody red...

“Say that again...” Sven whispered to the terrified stallion.

“Come on, I dare you...”

Chapter 26 End

Author's Note

Playing lotsa DOTA 2 lately, probably explains why Im so slow on updating. That and college life.

Will Sven rip this poor bastard in half? Stay tuned on the next episode of Dotamon

The Rogue Knight's Decision: You Decide (Code won by majority)

Sven, aka The Rogue Knight, holds in his hooves a very arrogant and conceited individual. As his anger grows, his mind and judgement becomes clouded. Will he break every bone in this pathetic excuse of a stallion for tarnishing the Rogue Knight's honor, or will he abide by his rogue's code and leave High Horse unharmed, waiting for karma to descend upon the arrogant stallion at a more appropriate time.

You decide.

CODE

Or HONOR?