Peacekeeper

Chapters

Prologue: We Are Not Born, We Are Made
The Tale of Armor: The City by the Water
The Tale of Armor: The Slums on the Hill
Chapter 1: Rude Awakening
Chapter 2: The Khalari Desert
Chapter 3: False Gods

Prologue: We Are Not Born, We Are Made

The afternoon sun shimmered above the small town of Ponyville. All the town seemed to be teeming with life, and from her bedroom window, Shining Armor could see it all. Mares and foals hurried through the streets carrying bags of groceries. If she listened closely, she could hear the conversations of every pony that past her home, though most of it was idle gossip that didn't interest her in the slightest. Birds chirped and fluttered through the air, and in the distance, and woodpecker could be heard pecking away at a tree. It was such a familiar sound that she could tell where the bird was; close to Ponyville was a dense forest and a grand oak tree at the front. That was where Armor had first found the woodpecker, and ever since, that was where she found it.

That bird was like the rest of Ponyville: predictable, repetitive, and aggravating!

Why did she have to be born in the most uneventful and uninteresting town on the planet? It wasn’t fair! Every day it was the same thing: gleaming sun, chirping birds, and one really annoying woodpecker. It would be nice, even if it was a one-time thing, if something cool happened. At least then she wouldn’t feel like her life was completely pointless.

The greatest day of her life would be the day she’d be old enough to move out. But she was still a kid that didn’t even have her mark; it would be a long, long time before she’d finally be free. Hopefully she could survive until then.

With a heavy sigh, Armor got to her feet and stretched. She needed to think of something to do before the boredom killed her. What should she do though? Race across the rooftops? Nah, she did that yesterday…and every day before that for the past two weeks.

She could hang out with her brother? The thought of spending an afternoon hearing Dusk Shine drone on about books made her shudder. He was nice, and she did love him, but he was painfully dull. That colt could go on for hours talking about anything, even apples.

That’s it! The Apple family had a herd of cows on their farm, and they were just begging to be tipped over. Trying it during the day was incredibly risky; plus she'd been grounded for dumping a bucket of pig feces on the school bully, so her parents would kill her if she snuck out, but that's what made it fun. High stakes made things so much more awesome.

Armor dropped out her window and rubbed her forehooves together, laughing mischievously. She scuttled through town, making sure she stuck to the shadows whenever possible. The round-about surrounding town hall posed a problem though. There was a crowd gathered around a flaming stake, and the Apple family farm was on the other side. Getting past the crowd was going to be tricky. Tricky, but not impossible.

Armor stared at the town hall rooftop and concentrated on her spell. She heard a quick pop and her world disappeared then rematerialized with the rooftop beneath her. Slowly, she peered over the ledge to check if anyone had seen her. To her relief they were all too busy watching the executions. With another pop, she was on the other side of the round-about, completely undetected.

Some ponies were beginning to leave, so the main streets were a bad idea. It’s a good thing she’d memorized a map of town. She knew the alleyways like back of her hoof, and before the crowd had completely scattered, she was at the tall wooden fence of Sweet Apple Acres.

Initially Armor tried to burrow her way under the fence, but then she realized that could trace back to her. The ponies of Ponyville knew how much she loved mischief so she’d definitely be the first suspect. A hole under a fence and a dirty mane was all the evidence her parents would need to ground her for a month. This needed finesse.

Armor backed away from the fence and stuck her tongue out to the side. She lowered her front, ready to burst into a gallop.

Your puny defenses are no match for me!

The mare shot forward and threw herself into the air, clearing the fence by a couple inches, and landed gracefully on the other side. She pretended to bow to a cheering crowd and punched the air in victory. When she saw Granny Smith walking out of the house, Armor barrel-rolled into a bush and waited. Armor eyeballed her as she passed the gate and strolled off towards town.

All clear. Move up on my mark…3, 2, 1, mark!

Armor stumbled out of the bush, much louder than she would have liked, and snuck to the back of the house. She dove into a bale of hay and stuck her face partway out. They were in a pen about a hundred feet away.

Targets in sight. Move up on the all clear.

Armor listened for any hint of the Apple family and, once she was sure the coast was clear, she galloped to the pen and pressed herself up against the wood. This was going to be fun! She stalked along the pen, searching for the perfect target. The calves were definitely a no-go or the mothers would be after her. Did cows have a pack mentality, or whatever it's called? If she went for one, would the rest try to protect her? Oh well, it looked like this was going to be a learning experience for her, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being watched.

Something was off here…

She slowly turned her head to her left and met the gaze of a large cow. It stared at her, stupidly, as it chewed its cud.

We’ve been compromised! Go loud, go loud!

Shining Armor jumped into the pen and raced at the next closest cow she saw. “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH,” she screamed, as if it was a war cry, and threw herself at the cow with all her might. The cow didn’t even seem notice as Armor bounced off her thigh and smacked the ground. “Ow.”

To add insult to injury, the cow looked down at Armor and mooed. “Shut up,” Armor bitterly retorted.

Mission failed.

Armor rolled onto her stomach, and onto a cow pie, and pushed herself to her feet. She was about to leave the pen when all the cows began pacing about uneasily. “Yeah,” she taunted, thinking they were scared of her, “you better run!”

A cow smashed through the pen and rushed out, the rest stampeding behind her. “Uh oh.” She was definitely getting blamed for this. Causing mischief was one thing, but cleaning up was a lot harder. Armor jumped out of the pen and chased after the herd, curious to see what would happen (and see if she could stop it).

It was only a fleeting moment of chaos before all hell broke loose. Seven…wolf-things shot out from behind the trees and swarmed the herd. Whatever these things were, they were fast and they were vicious. Before the herd could even reach the bale Armor had hidden in, they were all ripped apart. Bits and pieces of Gods know what were strewn everywhere; Armor even felt a few droplets of blood hit her from the pen.

When the slaughter was finished, the beasts turned to the Apple family’s household. Armor trembled in terror as they smashed through the door and windows to storm the house.

She snapped back into reality and galloped across the kill zone. The sound and feel of her hooves splashing through pools of blood made her want to scream. Mutilated carcasses of calves and mothers were littered everywhere; the things weren’t even eating them. She couldn’t help but weep as she passed a calf, which had been ripped down the middle, as it whimpered to its dead mother. Ignoring the Apple family’s bloodcurdling screams, she ran around the house and struggled to get over the fence.

Shining Armor ran into town, crying and screaming in horror. She reached home and tried to open the door, but it was locked. “Open the door!” She shrieked and pounded frantically, praying for someone to open the door. “Mom, dad, Dusk, please open the door!” Any second now those things were going to kill her. “Let me in!” She could feel a warm liquid running down her back leg and smashed on the door even harder.

The door swung in and Armor collapsed on the floor in tears. “Good Gods Shining Armor, what happened?” Her father was kneeling at her side, shuddering at the sight of his daughter covered in urine, feces, and blood.

“They’re all dead,” she cried. “They killed everyone!”

“Who’s dead?” He wrapped his forelegs around her and let her cry into his neck. “It’s okay Shining Armor,” he placed a hoof on her head and held her even tighter, “you’re safe.”

Armor opened her eyes and saw her mother holding a sobbing Dusk Shine. “I’m sorry,” she cried, “I’m sorry.” If her dad let her go those things were going to kill her.

“Shhhh it’s alright dear,” her father tried to sooth her, but he was terrified too. Seeing his child in such a traumatized state was unbearable. “I won’t let them hurt you.”

When Dusk had been born, Armor’s parents wanted to use her room as a nursery because it was slightly bigger. “It’s for the baby,” they told her, “you’ll be doing a good thing,” but Armor didn’t care. She was born first, so why should she give up her things for some poop-factory she didn’t even know or care about? Where was the justice in that?

She kicked, screamed, threw tantrums, and cried until her parents finally caved and let her keep her room. The room itself wasn’t that special to Armor; in fact, Dusk’s room was a bit nicer than hers. What she loved about it though, was that it had a window. She’d spend hours staring outside, hoping to spot something interesting. There was no way she’d risk missing out on something incredibly awesome just so her baby brother could have a bit more floorboard to stare at from his crib.

But now the window was unbearable to look at. There was always at least one pony in the room to keep her company, and her dad had bothered to board up the window for her, but it wasn’t enough. Every word or sound she heard as ponies went about their days outside sent chills down her spine. Hours would drag by as Armor stared at the boards, squeezing her pillow for comfort, waiting for the moment when the monsters would break in and tear her apart.

Tonight was no different. Dusk was sitting next to her, telling her about his day at school. Armor’s mother was in the room too, but it didn’t seem like she was there to keep her company. The two had never gotten along since…ever. She’d heard her mother talk to her dad after he had put her in bed. Her mother had suggested that maybe Armor had made it up; that maybe, possibly without realizing it, she had killed everyone. What kind of pony says that about their daughter? She was probably just waiting to see if Armor would snap and try to hurt Dusk.

She and her brother had their arguments, and they frequently got on each others’ nerves, but there was no way she would ever dream of hurting Dusk!

The topic was only making her feel worse, so she tried to tune back in to what Dusk was talking about. Apparently the school bully, Pinkamena, was still bitter about Armor’s bucket prank and had started a rumor that Armor had lost her mind and killed everyone before peeing herself. When Dusk confronted Pinkamena about it, she shoved him into a puddle of mud, hitting him and calling Armor a psycho. Dusk was suspended two days for putting a hex on Pinkamena that covered her body in oozing boils. Not that Dusk particularly cared since everything he knew came from books anyway.

Their parents were furious though, and that was kind of funny.

“Don’t worry Armor,” he whispered, rubbing her foreleg, “I’ve got your back.”

His words were comforting, but Armor was still too scared to say anything. Every time she tried to say something, she felt like she was going to scream it and alert the monsters. She could still hear the Apple family’s screams. Why didn’t she try to help? After all her complaining about a dull life, she’d finally been given a chance to be a hero, and what did she do? Cry and wet herself like a damn baby. She was pathetic.

Armor started to cry again and held his hoof. He may have been the young one, but he was much stronger than her. She didn’t know what she’d do if she ever lost him, and she prayed to the Gods that she’d never have to find out.

The silence was eventually broken as her dad poked his head into the room. “Shining Armor?” He said gently, “there’s someone here to see you.”

Armor didn’t say a word, or show any sign that she’d even heard him. She began to panic as the others left the room, but then she heard the heavy clang of metal boots. A large armor clad unicorn walked in front of her and sat quietly. “Do you know what I am, Shining Armor?”

Armor took a quick look at the stallion and went back to staring at the window. His head, neck, and chest were covered by shimmering silver plates. On his chest plate was the symbol of the Solar Empire, a rising phoenix, so he was obviously military. The dead giveaways though were the three horizontal scars on his right foreleg. “You’re a Peacekeeper,” she muttered. “You’re job is to go around the Empire and arrest any pony that’s a threat to the public, so, what? Are you going kill me?” From what Dusk had told her, most ponies in Ponyville didn’t believe her, or maybe they just wanted her gone.

“That’s not all we do,” he said with a shrug, “we also hunt monsters.”

Armor’s ears pricked up and she looked back at him. “Are you saying you believe me?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” he leaned closer to her and smiled, “and I’m going to need your help.”

“How?” Armor asked, propping herself up.

“Well, you’re the only one who saw whatever attacked the Apple family, so I need you to tell me what I’m going up against.” The way he spoke was very strange. His voice was sincere and friendly, but it felt hollow…fake. This stallion was really unsettling. “What did they look like?”

Whatever, she thought to herself. Weird or not, he wanted to help her and that’s all that mattered. Armor closed her eyes and tried to picture the beasts, not that it was that hard. She could see them ripping apart the herd as clear as if she was still there. “G-grey fur…tall…they looked like wolves only they could stand up…”

“How many were there?”

The image of the dying calf wouldn't go away and she could hear its cries. She could feel and smell blood all around her. “Seven,” she whimpered. “I don’t want to do this anymore!”

“It’s alright,” he said with that same fake niceness, “you can stop now. I think I know what they were.”

“Great,” she said bitterly.

“What you saw was, and this is only a guess,” he said it like it was a light-hearted joke, “was a pack of animals called Sarowolves. They’re close relatives of the Werewolf, except they don’t need a full moon. They also have heightened strength and intell-”

“I don’t care!” Armor shouted and trembled, expecting one to jump through her window. “I don’t care what they are,” she said quietly, “I just want them dead.”

The Peacekeeper stood up and lowered his head politely. “That’s what I’m here for kid,” he said with a smile. Even though he was going to help, his disposition was really starting to piss Armor off. It felt like he was patronizing her.

He walked to the door, but Armor wasn’t finished. “I can fight,” she said without fear.

The Peacekeeper turned to her with a bemused look that Armor really wanted to hit. “Then maybe you should join the Peacekeepers when you’re older.” He left the room before Armor could think of something else to say.

Her dad walked back in and sat with her until she fell asleep. He tried to stay awake through the night, just in case she had a nightmare, but eventually he too fell asleep. The second he started snoring, Armor knew the coast was clear. Once the snoring started, it was almost impossible to wake him up.

Just to be safe, Armor took care to be as silent as possible as she snuck into Dusk’s room. Since he didn’t have a window, his room was completely dark. It also didn’t help that he had stacks of books everywhere. It wasn’t until she almost knocked down her third stack that she thought to use magic. Her horn glowed dimly and she crept around the books like landmines.

She shoved a hoof over Dusk’s mouth at told him to shut up. “I need you to cover for me. Mom and dad can’t know I’m gone, got it?”

Dusk raised his hoof to his forehead as a salute. She took her hoof off his mouth and crept to the door. “Where are you going?” he whispered.

Armor ran her hoof across her lips, signaling him to shut up. The two stepped into the hallway and Dusk patted her on the shoulder. Then, without a sound, he snuck into her room to cast a decoy spell. Armor didn’t wait to see if it worked and went to the kitchen for a knife.

Her dad had put off reorganizing the kitchen for months, so all the cutlery was jumbled in one drawer that creaked and rattled every time it moved. She slowly pulled it open, cringing every time it made a noise, and grabbed the biggest knife she could find.

With the knife in her mouth, she opened the front door and peeked outside in case the Sarowolves were waiting. Once it seemed clear, she breathed a sigh of relief and closed the door behind her.

If I was a Peacekeeper, where would I go? I’d want someplace high enough to see the town, so I’d probably go to…town hall.

A cat jumped onto a trashcan, tipping it over and making Armor squeak in fright. Freaking cats! She hated them!With a nervous gulp, she turned and set off for town hall. The main streets made her feel too exposed for comfort, but the alleyways just screamed, “Come here and you’re going to die!” so it looked like she’d have to stomach exposure. A song might have lightened the mood, but a single peep would probably be the death of her.

When she reached the roundabout, she peeked out from behind a wall and scanned for danger. It seemed safe, but maybe that was their plan- lower her guard. She shivered at the thought and she swung her knife behind her, brutally slashing the air.

Once she felt that she wasn’t being watched, she looked back at the town hall rooftop. It was hard to see him in a prone position, but Armor could see a few hairs from his unarmormed mane swaying in the breeze. She teleported onto the roof and immediately stared down the barrel of a revolver. “Armor, what the hell are you doing here?”

“I-I w-w-wanted to help,” she trembled. The gun was aimed right between her eyes.

The Peacekeeper sighed and lowered the gun. “Go home kid, you’ll only get hurt.”

“But-”

Instantly, the revolver was pressed against her forehead. “Do. Not. Test me.” Without another word, he lifted Armor off the roof and dropped her on the street. When she glared up at him, he pointed towards home.

With her head hung in shame, she skulked down the street and turned right to go home. The moment she was out of sight, she pressed up against the wall and waited. It’d take a lot more than a gun to the face to change her mind! This wasn’t something she wanted to do, this was something she needed to do. The Apple family was dead because of her, so she had to help make things right. And no, giving a vague description of a pack of psycho-mutts did not count as helping!

The ominous streets of Ponyville, Peacekeepers, Sarowolves, and Gods know what else meant nothing. If she had to die to avenge the Apples, then she would die gladly. Screw waiting around for things to happen! She’d be the one who makes the incredible happen!

Armor hoped a Sarowolf would jump in front of her so she could stab it to death. She wasn’t afraid anymore. Now she was just pissed. A wolf howl echoed through the streets and held her kitchen knife at the ready. She peeked back at town hall just in time to see the Peacekeeper leap, probably fifty feet, onto another rooftop and run off. He was headed toward the annoying woodpecker’s oak tree.

Bingo!

Armor galloped through the alleyways, never bothering to check the rooftops, and skidded to a halt in front of the oak tree. Damn, she missed him!

Now what?

As if the Gods were answering her, a twig snapped somewhere in the trees to her right. She looked up and saluted the stars with a smile. “Much obliged.”

Hastily, she rushed into the forest with her knife pointed like a bayonet. In the thrill of the moment, Armor forgot that bravery didn’t mean she was sneaky. Twigs snapped, leaves and bushes rustled, birds squawked in surprise, but Armor didn’t notice or care. The Sarowolves were close; she could feel it. If only she ‘felt’ the tree root before it tripped her.

Armor took a deep breath and calmed down. A Peacekeeper would wait and listen for a sign, so that’s what she did. She closed her eyes and pricked her ears every which way for a lead.

Trees…wind…SARO- no just an owl…growling…boom.

Armor opened her eyes and grinned proudly. They were going to rue ever stepping into her territory. She spun her knife in the air and fantasized how she would kill each one as she stalked through the forest without a sound. She was in the zone!

She could hear them arguing with each other, getting louder with every step.

“Just give us a breather man! Rorschak’s been shot for God’s sake.”

“A breather?” another hissed. For savage monsters, they spoke surprisingly eloquently. “You want to take a break with a Peacekeeper running after us? Are you insane or just incredibly stupid?”

“Well what are you suggesting,” the first growled, “that we leave him to die?”

“If it lets us live, you’re damn right!”

Armor saw them through the bushes and held her knife close. However she failed to notice a fallen tree branch and squeaked as it snapped beneath her hoof.

“Scatter!”

Damn it!

She leapt over the bush, ready to be swarmed, but the wolves were already gone. Rorschak was on the ground bleeding from his side, but the sight of the puny mare swinging a knife at nothing made him burst into laughter.

“You messed with the wrong town pal,” Armor said boldly. She swung the blade at his head and gulped when he swatted it away. “I-I have magic.”

“I saw,” he mocked, “impressive.” Before Armor could even scream, the Sarowolf had both hands around her throat. He squeezed tighter and tighter laughing dementedly. “I’m going to pop your head like a zit,” he chimed. Armor hit him with her forelegs, but seeing her squirm helplessly only made the kill more fun.

A gunshot rang through the air and Rorschak fell onto her, dead. Armor gasped and coughed, taking in every breath as if it was her last. A blue aura threw the corpse off of her and slammed her against a tree.

The Peacekeeper was glaring at her, and he was pissed.

Shining Armor had her ear pressed up against the bedroom door, listening intently as the Peacekeeper yelled at her parents. She didn’t regret sneaking out, but she did feel bad for her parents.

“I am not here to take care of your child,” she heard the Peacekeeper shout, “control your damn daughter or I swear to Solaris I will put a bullet in her skull for hindering a Peacekeeper investigation.” Armor flinched when he shouted, “Do I make myself clear!”

The door slammed shut violently as the Peacekeeper’s hoofsteps clanged down the street. Armor could hear her parents walking up the hallway and she scrambled back just in time to avoid being hit by the door. Her dad walked in ahead of her mother and glared with a look of disappointment and bottled-up rage. Whenever he was angry he’d grind his teeth together, and right now his jaw looked like it was having a seizure.

“Dad I-”

“Don’t,” he voice trembled with anger, “don’t.”

Her mother was pacing around the room, and from the look of the fur under her eyes, she’d been crying. “You could have been killed,” she said, too angry to look her daughter in the eyes, “why can’t you ever just do what you’re told? You always have to make things so difficult for everyone around you.”

This was the first time Armor felt like her mother was being sincere, and it made her want to cry. “Mom I’m sorry,” she whimpered, “I’m sorry but I-”

“I don’t want to hear your excuses,” she cried. She knelt down and put a hoof on Armor’s mane. “I just want you to behave. Please Shining Armor, I don’t want to lose you.”

Armor nuzzled her mother’s foreleg and started to cry. “Okay,” was all she could manage. But life is like a drug addicted friend- no matter how much you want to change, it’ll always try to stop you…

Three days had passed since Armor fought the Sarowolf and it finally seemed time to head back to school. She wasn’t looking forward to seeing her classmates, but getting back into a normal routine would be good. Normality for Armor always involved mischief, but she’d promised her mom she’d behave; at least, that was the plan.

“I’m starting to think this was a bad idea,” she told Dusk as they approached the school. Since Ponyville wasn’t that large of a town, the decision was made to put all the students in one school.

“You’ll be fine,” Dusk reassured, “the big story now is that Clover Green threw up in the lunch room. Plus,” he nudged Armor, “you’ll have me by your side whenever possible.”

“It’s the unpossible parts I’m worried about.”

“Did you really just say that?” Dusk was appalled with her bad grammar. “Impossible,” he corrected.

“Shut up,” she laughed.

Dusk was about to lecture her on the importance of proper grammar when his saddlebag tore open, spilling his books on the ground. Armor didn’t notice as her brother stopped to pick them up, but she did hear Pinkamena.

“Good morning Dusk,” Pinkamena said bitterly. Where she and posy of skanks (Armor didn’t know their actual names, so she nicknamed them Skanks One, Two, and Three) had come from, Armor had no clue.

“Hello Pink-”

Before he could finish, Pinkamena shoved him to the ground. “I didn’t say you could talk!”

Armor floated Dusk’s belongings to herself and loudly cleared her throat. “Dusk, your bag wouldn’t break so often if you’d just stop carrying so many books.” She smiled at Pinkamena.

Be polite.

A crowd had gathered around them, eagerly awaiting a fight. “Well, look who it is,” Pinkamena smirked, “your mommy finally get tired of changing your sheets?”

The crowd ‘ooed’ and some kid shouted, “Oooo Armor, you gonna’ take that?” Why was there always at least one idiot trying to speed up the fight?

“Don’t you think you should wear a diaper, just to be safe?”

“Oooooooh snap,” the same idiot called.

The insults were pretty lazy, but for some reason Armor couldn’t keep quiet. “So Pinkie,” she said with a smile, “I heard my brother gave you some pretty nasty boils.” Armor chuckled lightly as Pinkamena glared at Dusk. “Gosh,” Armor shook her bangs to the side, “it must’ve been nice not having your dad try to fuck you in your sleep.”

Every pony around her gaped in shock; not even the idiot said anything. “Come on Dusk, we’ll be late for class.” Dusk scrambled to her side and picked up his books. “Pinkie,” Armor nodded, “skanks.”

The crowd silently parted, letting the siblings pass, and stared at Armor. As they walked into the school, Armor heard a scream and, before she could turn her head, Pinkamena was on top of her. Cheers could be heard as the two rolled around pummeling each other.

The fight didn't last long before a teacher had thrown them both into the Principal’s office. Armor was furious that she was the first to get a lecture. “The school day hasn’t even started, and already you’ve picked a fight,” the earth pony scolded. “Listen Shining Armor, I understand that what happened was traumatizing, but you can’t take it out on your peers.”

“Whoa,” Armor interrupted, offended, “this had nothing to do with that. She was bullying my brother, and I stopped her.”

“You should have gotten an adult-”

“A teacher? That’s your solution to me and my brother getting harassed? If I wasn’t there, that bitch would’ve-”

“Language!”

“Fuck you!” Armor shouted, rising to her feet. “That bitch told everyone in school that I killed the Apple family! Where the fuck were the teachers then, huh? My brother got his ass kicked when he told her to stop, and you suspended him! How the hell is that fair?”

“He put a hex on her-”

“Because she beat him up!”

“The way you handled the situation was unacceptable-”

“Why, because I didn’t ask nicely? Am I supposed to care more about her feelings than the safety and well-being of me and my brother? That makes no fucking sense!”

“W-”

“She tells the entire school I’m a murderer that wets the bed, but Gods forbid I make up one fucking thing about her!”

“What you said wasn’t a lie!” He immediately regretted saying that, but Armor had a way of pushing his buttons.

“Wait,” Armor mumbled, “w-what?”

“Her birth father- If this happens again,” he said calmly, “you’re expelled. Go to class before you make things worse.”

Without a word, Armor walked out of his office and looked at Pinkamena, who was crying. “Um, Pinkie?” Armor felt terrible, but she had no idea what to say. “I…I’m sorry.”

She ignored Armor and walked into the Principal’s office, but Armor didn’t want to leave. She had to make things right, even if it was Pinkamena. Waiting quietly in the hallway was agonizing.

“Pinkie,” Armor said when she finally came out, still crying, “could-”

“Leave me alone,” she choked. Her legs gave out and she broke down by the adjacent wall, sobbing into her hooves. “Just go away!”

Armor moved to Pinkamena’s side and let her cry. “You’re right,” she said once Pinkamena’s tears began to stop, “I could have helped them, but I was too scared to do anything. They were killed, and I let it happen.”

“You’re just a kid,” Pinkamena muttered, “You would have been killed too.”

“Or maybe I could have saved them.” Armor looked at the floor in shame. “Distracted the things while the Apples escaped, snuk up on them with a knife, or, I don’t know, something else.” She sighed and held up her hoof. “Truce?”

Pinkamena rubbed her eye, sniveling, and gave a weak smile.

Seeing Armor and Pinkamena sit together during lunch nearly blew Dusk’s mind. For all the books he’d read, after everything he’d learned, he couldn’t figure out how they’d become friends. For the first few days, the two fillies would sit with each other silently, which felt like the uneasy silence in the eye of a hurricane, but after a week, the two were best friends.

They’d talk about their day, complain, and occasionally have what Armor called ‘joke wars.’ Most of the jokes were terrible or crude, but the two thought they were hilarious. Pinkamena stopped bullying and, for once, Armor found school bearable.

A month later, the two were walking past town hall, laughing after another joke war. When the Peacekeeper strolled past them though, Armor stopped dead. He was leaving.

“Hey,” Armor shouted, “where are you going?”

The Peacekeeper didn’t bother looking at her when he spoke. “It’s time for me to leave.”

Armor chased after him, panting anxiously. “W-what about the Sarowolves? They’re still out there.”

“I haven’t seen anything in a month and I can’t wait here forever.”

“So you’re abandoning us?”

He sighed and looked down at Armor. “This isn’t my choice Shining Armor, I’ve been given another assignment. I’ve been teaching a group of ponies on what to look out for alright? They’ll take care of you if the Sarowolves try anything.”

“But-”

The Peacekeeper’s horn glowed and a blue aura surrounded his body. “I’ll check back in a week.” He warped away before Armor could say anything, leaving her in tears.

It took three nights before Armor could fall asleep, but even then she didn’t sleep for long. Her dad rushed into her room, tore the sheets off her bed, and shook her awake. “Wake up Armor,” he whispered frantically, “you need to get up!”

“Dad,” she asked groggily, “w-”

He pulled her out of bed and rushed her downstairs, her mother was doing the same with Dusk. Her dad pulled a large knife from the kitchen drawer and eyed the ceiling nervously. Something was running across the rooftops. “The streets aren’t safe,” he whispered, slowly pushing open the backdoor and rushing his family into the alleyway. The roar of burning buildings and the shrieks of ponies filled the air.

The four galloped through the alleys, but they didn't get far before a large Sarowolf jumped down in front of them, smiling. Two more Sarowolves looked down at them from the rooftops and laughed as Armor’s father attacked. The wolf in front of them ducked under the knife and slammed his head against the wall.

Armor’s mother dropped to her knees, screaming in agony. The wolf smothered her with one massive hand and held her head in the pool of blood. “Ah ah ah,” he sang in a high cheery voice, “if any of you make so much as a peep, I’ll rip out their tongue and feed it to the others.” He rushed in front of Armor and smelled her neck. “Yes, you’re the one from the forest,” he smiled as he cut her cheek with one claw. “We have something special for you.” Armor shuddered as he licked the blood off her face.

The three were taken to town hall, where every other pony had been gathered, and pinned to the ground. Five ponies with rifles slung over their shoulders had been hung from the rooftop for all to see. Armor saw fillies sobbing as their parents tried to consol them, couples, both young and old, holding each other as they waited for the end, and a few ponies with broken legs.

The leader walked into the crowd and pulled a young filly into the air, crushing the parents when they tried to fight back. He walked up to Armor and made her watch as he choked it to death. Armor squirmed and cried as she saw the light fade from the filly's eyes. “Let’s have some fun,” he grinned and tossed the body aside.

One by one the leader brought forth a pony and slaughtered it in front of Armor. She was forced to watch as the ponies she grew up with were suffocated, beaten, mauled, burned, shredded…If she tried to look away, the kill was drawn out.

The last pony to be brought up was Pinkamena. Time halted as the two friends stared into each others’ eyes, crying as they nodded farewell. Pinkamena gave a weak smile as her head was wrenched sideways with a sickening series of pops. “Wow,” the leader laughed, “did you hear the way her neck bones snapped? Hey,” he yelled to the three Sarowolves watching from the rooftops, “tell me wasn’t beautiful!”

The wolves yipped and cackled with glee along with their leader. “Now,” he chimed, spinning back to the three ponies left, “who’s next? Eeny…meeny…miny…moe.” His long index finger was pointed at Armor’s mother. He grabbed her by the neck and propped her in front of her children.

“It’s okay,” she cried, “you’re going to be alright. Dusk, Shining, never give up on each other okay? Dusk, I know you’re going to grow up to do great things. Shining, you need to be strong for your brother, no matter how hard things get. I know we’ve had more than our fair share of fights, but I could never ask for a more courageous and loving daughter. I love y-”

Before she could finish, the leader ran a claw across her neck, cutting her jugular. Only once the blood stopped spurting did he drop her to the ground. “What a boring speech,” he sighed. The leader walked over and knelt so close to Armor his snout could almost touch her muzzle. “Any last words Shining? Don’t worry, you can talk.”

Tears were streaming down Armor’s cheeks. “Why are you doing this?”

The Sarowolf cackled shrilly at her question. “Why?” He shouted to the others, “she wants to know why we’re doing this!” All the wolves laughed as he knelt back down. “Because it’s fun.”

There was a long period where the only sound was of the town burning until Dusk Shine broke into loud, terrified sobs. “Oh,” the leader said, grabbing Dusk, “looks like we have a volunteer for the tongue ripping!”

Armor shrieked and fought to break free of the Sarowolf holding her, but she was too weak. The leader pried open Dusk’s mouth and pinched two claws onto the tongue, making Dusk scream as it bled.

Dusk’s screams, her mother’s last words, or Gods know what filled Armor with utter fury. Magic surged through her and she screamed as her eyes burned a blinding white. The leader dropped Dusk and cocked his head in confusion. He hadn’t expected this, and he looked scared.

He felt a mild headache that quickly turned into an agonizing migraine and he gripped his skull, screaming. His last moments were spent in excruciating pain until his head exploded like a firecracker in a watermelon. Armor looked at the two stunned wolves behind her and forced their bodies to disintegrate, starting from their feet so they lived as long as possible. When they were nothing but ash, she turned to the other three and charged.

A line of fire swiveled through the air and down the gullet of the nearest wolf. Without stopping, Armor lifted the wolf up and hurled it into one of its pack mates with bone crushing force. The one remaining wolf leapt at her, snarling, only to be impaled through the chest with a piece of wood.

Armor jumped onto the beast and savagely bashed its face with her hoof. It was already dead, but she couldn’t stop. It wasn’t enough; they didn’t suffer enough. They needed to feel the same terror and pain she felt. No, they needed something worse.

The wolf’s skull cracked in, but still Armor couldn’t stop. She wanted them back so she could torture them to death. A thousand years wouldn’t be enough time for them to suffer. The thought of them burning forever in Hell wasn’t enough for her. She needed to be the one to make them suffer.

Armor punched the face, which could no longer be considered a face, harder and faster than ever. The squishing and splashing accompanying each hit rang in her ears. It sickened her, but she couldn’t stop. Even when Dusk put a hoof on her shoulder, she kept hitting. Even after Dusk pulled her away, she went on beating and splashing in the pool of blood...

The Tale of Armor: The City by the Water

Chapter 1: Rude Awakening

Armor gave the revolver another spin and pulled the trigger. Once again, no shot. Normally she only put in one bullet, but today she felt like using two. As she nibbled on the barrel, she saw a pigeon fly past the castle sentries and disappear into the distance. It must be nice being able to fly. You could go anywhere, do anything. The pegasi didn’t know how lucky they had it.

“Here’s to you,” she muttered to the bird and took a gulp from a half empty vodka bottle. Nothing else did it for her anymore. By all medical accounts, she should have died by the third bottle, but Armor had always been a survivor. Hell, whenever she’d go to the bar with Iron Side, the other Peacekeepers would place bets on how much she’d drink before blacking out. The last pony that challenged her to a drinking contest was rushed to the hospital to get his stomach pumped.

After her fourth gulp, she drained the bottle and tossed it aside with all the others. Now she had a problem: she’d run out. Armor staggered to her feet and glared around for another bottle. No problem there; her room was littered with them. Apart from a dusty picture of the Goddess Lika, on her desk, the bottles were the only decorations she had. They clinked and clanged as Armor drunkenly made her way to a drawer under her desk. Hopefully she hadn’t drained her emergency stash; if so, she’d be forced to go outside.

The outside world was a terrible place for a celebrity. Every time she’d go outside, some young Peacekeeper would run up and ask for her autograph, or a story, or advice. Armor’s answer was always the same: go away. It’d never stopped them though. One would leave only to have another take its place. The worst ones were the ones that called her their hero. Just hearing that word made her sick to her stomach. There was only one cure.

“Booze!” she cheered as she pulled out a fresh vodka bottle. With her magic, she twisted off the cap and tossed it into the corner. There was another series of loud clinks as Armor trudged back to the windowsill and took her seat. Once she’d taken a satisfactory drink, she gave the revolver another spin and stuck it in her mouth.

Below her two young Peacekeepers were walking into the castle, gloating about their first assignments. One of them, an earth pony, was bragging about killing six ponies and a donkey. They were only smugglers, but she was telling it like she’d taken down the New Lunar Republic. No doubt Armor would have to hear the whole story soon. Armor squeezed the trigger, but, like before, nothing happened.

Armor spun the revolver again and fidgeted with her helmet. She’d been a Peacekeeper for fifteen years, and in all that time she’d never found a helmet that fit. Some were too small, others were too big. Eventually she gave up and settled for one that gave her a rash during summers. Iron suggested she stop wearing the thing, but she chose to get used to it; she never did though.

The world outside Armor’s barren room was vibrant, beautiful, even a little joyful, and it disgusted her. She’d made this country, and now she was forced to live in it. It might have been better if she’d died in Ponyville with her parents. The thought brought a slight smile to Armor’s lips as she gave the trigger another squeeze…she’d never die.

“Fuck this!” she said and slammed the gun on the windowsill. Armor turned back to the picture on her desk and pulled the top drawer open. With some difficulty, she levitated a bullet out and placed it in the revolver. As she spun the chamber around, she looked intently at her forelegs. Her right had three horizontal scars, while her left only had one. She could still feel the blades running across her flesh as she pulled the trigger. “Ugh,” she groaned and drained her bottle.

“Okay,” she told herself as she spun the chamber, “you’re out. No big deal. You just need to get to the kitchen without being seen.”

“Like that’ll ever happen,” she retorted and bit down on the barrel. There was something outside that made her pause though. A tiny black circle had appeared over Canterlot, and something had come out. Armor set the gun down and squinted to make out what it was. It didn’t help that she had double vision at the moment, but it seemed to be flying towards the castle. And it was screaming.

At this point Armor realized the screaming thing was a mare, and she was headed right for Armor. “Oh crap,” she said and quickly conjured a telekinetic net. The shield came up just in time as the mare collided into Armor like a missile, hurling her back onto the empty vodka bottles. Armor could feel shards of broken glass dig into her backside. It was like a dozen knives were driving into her back, and she could feel a puddle of blood forming beneath her.

“I’m terribly sorry,” the mare apologized as she moved off of Armor. “This whole day has been one disaster after another…”

The mare went on, but Armor had stopped listening. The necklace hanging around her neck fully commanded Armor’s attention; it was the Element of Generosity.

Armor rose to her feet and stared at the unicorn incredulously. “…have we met before?” the mare asked. Armor didn’t answer and continued staring at the impossibility in front of her. The mare’s eyes darted about as she gave an uncomfortable smile. “Um-”

Armor shattered a bottle on her head and carried the body out of the room.

“Hey!” Twilight heard dimly. “You alright?”

Twilight gave a pained groan and blearily opened her eyes. For reasons she couldn’t remember, she found herself hanging on a tree branch. Realizing the height, she gasped and clung dearly to the wood. “Don’t move!” the voice shouted up to her. “Those branches don’t look too-”

There was a loud crack and Twilight plummeted through the branches. All the air was knocked out of her as she collided with the hard ground. “Ow,” she winced.

Somepony was laughing at her.

“Holy shit,” the voice cackled. “That was hilarious!”

“It wasn’t funny,” she said bitterly and struggled to her feet. Somepony placed a hoof on her stomach and pushed her upright. “I almost died.”

“Yeah,” the stallion answered. “That’s why it’s funny. Serves you right for sleeping that high in a tree.” The gray unicorn rolled his eyes as his highlighted blue mane swayed with his head. “C’mon, you gotta’ admit it’s a little funny.”

“No,” Twilight said bluntly. “I don’t think pain’s something to laugh about.” Why was she in a forest at night? And who was this stallion?

“Pfft,” the unicorn retorted. “It is when it’s caused by their own stupidity.” Twilight had a rebuttal on the tip of her tongue, but the weapon strapped to the unicorn’s back gave her pause. It wasn’t often that somepony would carry a gun, and the shotgun hanging to the stallion’s side seemed alien. The things were such barbaric instruments; even the sight of Equestrian guards carrying them made her uncomfortable. “For God’s sake, how the hell do you forget to fly out of a tree?” He didn’t seem to care in the slightest that she was an alicorn.

“It slipped my mind,” Twilight said bitterly. This stallion was starting to get on her nerves.

“You’d have to be an idiot to do that.”

Twilight gave another annoyed groan and surveyed the forest around her. Beneath the full moon, the redwoods were bathed in a pale blue hue. Odd, there weren’t many redwoods near Canterlot, and the ones here dwarfed any she’d ever read about. They felt large enough to touch the sky, which only perplexed her further. None of the constellations were familiar...Had it worked?

“Where are we?” she asked as she gazed upwards.

“Atlinian Forest.” There was no such forest in Equestria.

“And what country is this?”

“Solar Empire,” he answered, slightly confused. “Where’ve you been?”

Twilight’s eyes widened as she realized the moon illuminating her was not her own. They’d done it. “Sweet Celestia,” she muttered in amazement. “We’ve done it! We actually did it!” she exclaimed as she bounced around in giddy excitement. She and her friends had done what nopony had ever come close to.

“What the hell are you so happy about?”

Regaining her composure, Twilight cleared her throat and bowed. “I am Princess Twilight Sparkle of Equestria, and I am honored to be in your universe.”

The stallion gave her an unconvinced look and nodded slowly. Without a word, he walked away.

“No no, it’s the truth,” Twilight said and hurried after him. “I cast a spell using artifacts called the Elements of Harmony to-”

“Bullshit,” he interrupted without stopping.

“Excuse me?” Twilight responded, taken aback by the foul language.

“Bullshit,” he said clearly. “I dunno why there’s an alicorn in the middle of the Atlinian Forest, but I stop listening when they say they’re from another universe.”

“I can prove it.”

“Of course you can,” he patronized. The stallion eyed Twilight from horn to flank and paused. “Go ahead,” he sighed. “Not like I have anything better to do.”

“Excellent.” Twilight trotted back to the tree and searched the ground for her crown. It couldn’t have gotten far. After some searching, Twilight finally found her Element, still as illustrious as ever, and presented it to the stallion. “Here it is,” she said proudly, “the Element of Magic.”

The stallion moved in to inspect the object and asked, “So, you’re proof is something I nor anyone has ever seen, or even believed existed, and now you’re showing it to me like I know what the hell it’s supposed to look like?” Only now did she realize how illogical the plan sounded. “Princess or not, you’re pretty Goddamn stupid…got a nice shine though,” he muttered, “really nice shine. Kind’a thing you only see in Canterlot Castle.”

“You have a Canterlot?” she asked, choosing to ignore his insult. An argument during such an occasion would be quite unbecoming.

“Yeah, now- WOAH!” he shouted and lurched back onto his rump. “The fuck was that?!”

“What?”

“There was a spark or something in the big gem.” That’s strange; she’d never seen anything of the sort. “Y-you’re telling the truth,” he stuttered in shock. “You’re from another universe.”

Twilight placed the crown on her head and bowed. “It’s an honor to be here.”

The stallion scrambled to his feet and patted his mane, making sure it was arranged appropriately. “Well,” he said and gave an uneasy cough, “this is kind’a awkward.” He was obviously regretting the ‘stupid’ remarks. He couldn’t even look her in the eyes at this point.

“It’s alright,” Twilight said, placing a consoling hoof on his shoulder. “I’m your guest; you don’t need to be nervous.” On the inside, she was reveling at seeing him so uncomfortable. All the pompousness had vanished from him in an instant.

“My experiences with royalty haven’t been too great, so I’m not taking any chances.” Begrudgingly, he knelt down and moved to kiss Twilight’s hooves, only to have her back away.

“Please, don’t treat me any differently. I’m still getting used to the title myself.”

The stallion reluctantly stood up and looked into her eyes. “…Can you get me gold?”

Wow, that was quick.

“I’m not asking you to just give me it,” he added hurriedly. He flinched, like he was expected her to strike him, and stared at his hooves. “I-I-I have debts I need to pay, but I don’t have any money. I’ve been all over the Empire, so I’d make an excellent tour guide.” He flinched again when he gave himself praise and backed away.

“Well,” she said as she mulled the idea over in her head. The vaults in Canterlot were filled to the brim with jewels; surely they could manage to part with some of it. And she did need a guide after all, so a few jewels and some gold seemed like a reasonable trade. “Alright,” she smiled. “If you can show me around, I’d be happy to pay you.”

The stallion’s eyes shimmered as he stared at her. He was so grateful he couldn’t form any words properly. It felt good to brighten somepony’s day like this. At last, he took a deep breath and gave a humble bow. “Where to m’lady?”

Another day, another long morning of requests. Hearing the peasants talk about their problems was always the worst part of Solaris’s day. He had to get up at eight every morning and sit patiently as ponies talked, and talked, and talked, and talked, and talked. But it was almost ten; he just had to hold out a little longer and the hearings would be done for the day. He should be listening to the earth pony at his steps, but he was so dull.

His story had something to do with the colonies in the Outskirts, which certainly didn’t help his case. The colonists spent years revolting, but now they expected him to hold their hooves as if nothing happened.

“What say you my lord?”

Ugh, that was another thing. No one had spoken that way for centuries, but the colonists, being the troglodytes that they were, seemed to think he was stuck in the middle ages. There was no point correcting them, but it still annoyed him.

“My lord?”

Solaris snapped out of his daze and stared down at the agitated pony. “Hmm?”

“The entire town of Appaloosa was abducted by slavers!” his voice cracked. “What say you? Will you act?”

Appaloosa, the town that started the whole revolt; the thought of that place burning almost made him smile. He swore, by the High God Kai, that he wouldn’t lose any sleep if all the colonists dropped dead. “I’ll ask my advisor what he thinks.”

Solaris turned to his left and levitated a large black crystal in front of him. “Rocky you heard all that. What do you think?”

“You should give the colonists two hundred Peacekeepers.” What! Two hundred? Outrageous!

“Why should I!” Solaris argued. “They spent years resisting my authority-”

“Shut up!” How dare his advisor speak to him that way! “If you aren’t willing to watch over your own ponies, then you shouldn’t have fought to keep them. You are their Emperor and whether you like it or not, they deserve your protection.”

“This is ridiculous!” the earth pony shouted. “Innocent lives are at risk; please take this seriously!”

The peasant shrank to the floor as Solaris rose to his feet and set his advisor down. With barely contained rage, Solaris asked, “Are you giving me an order?”

“I- I’m sorry-”

“Are you sitting on the throne? Are you Emperor?”

The peasant cowered beneath his hooves, trembling in fear. “No, I-”

“LOOK AT ME WHEN SPEAKING!” his voice boomed.

“You’re talking to a rock,” the peasant murmured. How dare he address his advisor that way. The sight of the peasant screaming at the stake danced in Solaris’ mind, but he knew he couldn’t do it. The last thing he needed was another rebellion to deal with.

“You will get your soldiers.” With his magic, he picked the peasant into the air and tossed him to the throne room doors. “Now leave before I change my mind.”

With a hurried bow, the pony rushed out as five Peacekeepers entered. At the front was Armor, his most trusted follower and greatest asset. But this was her day off; why was she here? And who was the white unicorn floating beside her? “What’s the meaning of this Armor?” he asked curiously.

“Brute!” the unicorn barked after Armor dropped her to the tiled floor.

“Shut up,” Armor grunted and nodded to her Emperor. “This is Rarity, and she won’t stop whining.”

“It is not whining, it-”

“I don’t care what it is,” Armor said sadistically, “but if it doesn’t stop I’m going to put a muzzle on you!”

Before Rarity could retort, Solaris silenced them both. “I’ll ask again Armor: What’s the meaning of this?”

“Little Rarity here crashed into my room this morning. After I spent the morning getting glass picked out of my back,” she turned to show Solaris and Rarity the stitches, “we interrogated her. She had a rather…interesting story. Go on, tell him,” she ordered Rarity, who only gave her a bitter stare. “Fine.” Armor levitated a notebook and necklace to Solaris’s feet. “The necklace and sketches in this book of hers match the drawings in our archives. This is one of the Elements of Harmony,” she said with a touch of excitement, “and it’s in its activated state.”

“Meaning there are five other ponies with these,” Solaris finished. “But how is this possible? We have one of the Elements, and it looks nothing like this.”

“Care to tell him?” Armor asked Rarity. If this mare gave her one more dirty look, she’d tie a bag over her head. This was her one day off in months, and now she was wasting it away. “When I actually want you to speak, then you decide to shut the fuck up- Rarity’s from another universe.”

Solaris stifled a laugh and walked down to Rarity. He knelt down and pleasantly asked, “Is this true Miss Rarity? Are you indeed from another world?”

“Yes,” Rarity answered politely, “and that is my Element. I would like it back this instant.”

“I’m afraid I can’t allow that,” Solaris said with a sigh. “This is a dangerous world, and if certain ponies knew about this,” he said, raising the necklace, “then your life would be in great peril. For safety, I will hold onto this for now…Where are your friends Miss Rarity?”

“I don’t know. We were separated when we arrived.”

“Aww,” he said pityingly. “What a shame. Armor, isn’t that a shame?”

Armor snorted in disapproval and stared at the throne room doors, tapping her hoof impatiently.

“I believe I may be able to help you,” he told Rarity cheerfully. “All I need are descriptions of your friends, and my Peacekeepers will track them down forthwith. In the meantime, you may stay with me as long as necessary.”

Rarity gave Solaris a gleeful smile and bowed low. “Thank you very much,” she said gratefully.

“I might kill her if I’m around her much longer sir,” Armor warned.

“Then I’m ordering you not to.” Believe it or not, an order like that actually worked. Armor was a good Peacekeeper, and she’d carry out any order, no matter how much she hated it. She was a true model of his ideal soldier.

Armor’s expression went blank and she bowed her head. “Very well.”

“You,” he called to the other Peacekeepers, who stood prostrate, waiting for a command. “The life of Rarity is now your sole responsibility. Handle her like you’d handle me.”

“Yes sir,” they said in unison.

“Excellent. Take Miss Rarity to a sketch artist and get pictures of her friends and Elements circulated around the Empire.” The Peacekeepers saluted and escorted Rarity out, leaving him alone with Armor and Rocky.

“This is a golden opportunity,” Rocky said from the throne. “If we can find the Elements and their wielders, we’ll be unstoppable.”

“What do mean ‘if’?” he asked as he returned to his throne and admired the book and necklace. “We will find them. And when we do, the Children of the Night will burn once and for all.”

Why, in the name of all that is holy, would this mare not shut her damn mouth? All through the night and the breaking dawn, Frank had been forced to listen to this lunatic blather on about her imaginary country. Fuck, it was a listening to a broken record. Yes, the trees are different, move the fuck on!

“I mean, I’ve read stories of alternate universes,” the alicorn said with an annoying amount of enthusiasm, “and there have been countless theories on the subject, but we’re the first ponies to ever cross over.”

Really? You’ve only said that about four hundred times!

“Yeah,” he said, trying his best to sound pleasant. “It is pretty incredible, but don’t you think you could talk about something else?” Anything would be better than having to listen to her talk about how different this place was from the Everfar Forest…or was it Everfree? Everest? Whatever, he just had to put up with her until she fell asleep. Then the crown would be ripe for the taking.

“I’m sorry,” Twilight giggled, “I must sound like a broken record.” Holy shit could she read his thoughts? “Why don’t you tell me about yourself?”

Yeah, and ruin his meal ticket? Hell no. “What d’ya wanna’ know?”

Twilight craned her neck as a robin swooped over her head, chirping all the while. After a sigh of admiration, she turned back to him. “Your name would be a good start.”

“Frank.” He suppressed a grimace as he heard her choke back a laugh. “What? It’s not that weird a name. I met a stoner named Tom once.”

“What a coincidence,” she said, “I’ve met a stone named Tom once.”

I’m sure you have.

“Isn’t that str-” he stopped dead as he heard shrubs rustling nearby.

“What is-”

“Shut up,” he whispered. When she moved to speak again, he clamped a hoof to her mouth and eyed the woods cautiously. The Atlinian Forest was famous around the Empire. Mainly for its pristine wildlife, giant redwoods, and roving packs of bloodthirsty sarowolves ready to gut anyone they met.

Twilight could feel her heart thumping in her ears. Once again, Frank’s personality had shifted dramatically. The nervousness, the meekness, and whatever gentleness she’d seen had been wiped away. His ears flicked in every direction as he listened intently to the silence. His flank, embroidered with the silhouette of a unicorn, flexed as his body tensed, ready to spring at a moment’s notice.

“Run,” he mumbled too quietly to hear.

“What?”

“Fucking run!” he hollered and burst into a gallop. Without question, Twilight ran after him. A howl cracked through the air and Twilight heard them. She could see their hairy figures racing with them on both sides, snarling and cackling with the thrill of the hunt. Their bodies were doglike, but their arms and legs were stretched beyond any she’d ever seen. Their arms alone were as thick as her neck, and one hand could have held her entire head.

“What are those things?” she asked in panic. “Frank?” Twilight’s blood went cold when she realized Frank was gone.

“Run filly run,” one beast mocked. Twilight skidded to a stop and bolted right as another jumped out in front of her. It didn’t lunge though; it just screamed and flailed its arms madly. When she ran, it didn’t even chase her. She could hear it laughing as its brethren closed in on her.

Twilight threw her wings outward and thrust herself into the air with all her might. She was ten feet off the ground, so close to safety, when a rock struck her on the side of the head. Pain unlike any she’d ever felt before shot through her, and she crashed into the ground. Before she could get up, a large haired foot pressed down on her throat. Another bent her wing into an excruciating position.

Twilight cried out in pain and struggled to conjure a spell. The powerful glow of her horn died away as a hand clenched onto her horn. The rock and the bent wing were nothing to the pain emanating from her forehead. Every muscle in her body cramped and burned as if she was being burned alive. Her skull felt like it was being split down the middle and pried apart.

“Well isn’t this a treat?” the abuser said cheerfully. “We’ve had unicorn, and we’ve had pegasus, but never an alicorn.” Twilight screamed as he twisted his wrist violently, nearly snapping her horn off. “I wonder how they taste,” he continued over her cries. “Are they meaty? Are they juicy?” The beast gripped her horn harder and pressed down on her wing, waiting for one to crack.

“Hey,” a voice cut in, spoiling the moment, “Over here plothole!” Twilight gasped as her horn was relinquished and looked in the direction of her captor. Leaning against a tree was Frank, aiming his shotgun at the beast on top of her. “Let her go,” he ordered.

The lead wolf stared at him quizzically and burst into laughter; the others followed suit. “You think you can kill us all?” the wolf taunted. “One colt against eight of us?”

“No,” Frank said with a smile. “But I can kill you. Now, unless you’d like me to paint your friends with your fucking brains, you’ll let the mare go.” The smug grin on the leader’s face died away as he realized how screwed he was. Frank had his balls in a vice, and that’s just the way Frank liked it.

“The alicorn is ours!” the sarowolf barked, trying to hide his anxiety. These hairy psychopaths loved causing pain, and knocking the fuckers down a peg was reward enough. Right now, keeping Twilight alive just felt like a bonus.

“No, she’s my alicorn.” Frank cocked the shotgun and aimed down the sight. “So let her fucking go.” Like a good little pup, the sarowolf moved off of Twilight and backed away. Twilight struggled upright and slowly crept to his side with her crown. The wolves growled at her as she moved past them, but a vicious snarl from the leader shut them up quite nicely.

“If any of you follow us,” he finished the sentence with a cock of the shotgun. Son of a bitch; in his attempt to look like a badass, he’d blown his cover.

“That’s the second time you’ve pumped that,” the leader observed.

“…No it isn’t.”

“No casing came out. There aren’t any bullets in that,” he grinned and licked his teeth. Every wolf rose to their full height and motioned toward him. He’d forgotten how tall those freaks could get; they must have been seven feet high.

“Hey, stay where you are!” Frank shouted, trying to sound threatening. “I still have magic!” His heart began to race when they didn’t stop. They weren’t moved at all by his warning. “I swear to God, I will light all of on fire.”

Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit.

“Alright that’s it!” he barked furiously. “You fuckers asked for it!” Frank dropped to all fours and clenched his eyes and sphincter tightly as he concentrated on a spell. His horn glowed a deep blue, followed by his entire body; the magic was coursing through him. He looked and saw the wolves inch away, he saw their unnerved expressions, hell, he even saw one’s legs tremble. Leaves swirled by his hooves, the treetops swayed, and the forest felt as if was his to command.

Frank grit his teeth and unleashed the magical energy from his horn. With a loud pop, a deflated basketball appeared before him and dropped to the ground. The high pitched whine of air leaving the ball summed things up perfectly. “Twilight?” he muttered.

“Run?”

“Run.”

The sarowolves raced at the ponies’ heels, close enough to smell the fright off the alicorn. To change things up, the leader clawed up a large redwood and followed from the trees. From here he could see everything as he swung from one branch to the next. With each grip of a branch, he fantasized he was throttling the unicorn for making him look like a fool. One mighty claw sliced through a branch and he imagined blood spurting from the alicorn as he cut off her leg. By now he was ahead of them and more than ready to make his move.

He leapt from the air and hurled his prey against a tree. When the youngest of his pack rushed to make the first kill, the leader’s jaws clamped down on his muzzle and he scurried back with a whimper. He turned back to the ponies and gripped the alicorn’s horn tightly, ensuring she couldn’t cast any nasty spells. Then, he pressed one foot against the unicorn’s side for leverage, and pulled on his foreleg. Then he’d beat the mare with it, and feed her intestines to the unicorn. He didn’t know what he’d do after that, but the sweetest kills were always improvised.

But the kill would never come, for a booming thunder jarred the pack beyond measure. The ground quaked, trees swayed uneasily with the blast, and far off, many could be heard toppling over. A spectrum of color painted the blue sky, and the sarowolves ran off in fear.

“What the fuck is that?” a deafened Frank shouted.

“A sonic rainboom,” Twilight said triumphantly. Rainbow Dash was close.

“What?” he shouted back. It sounded like she said, “rainboom,” but that wasn’t a word. Before he could ask what a ‘rainboom’ was Twilight was already running in the direction of the blast. Brilliant idea- run toward the explosion. “Twilight!” he shouted after her.

She couldn’t hear him, or maybe she didn’t care. Whatever this thing was, she was dead-set on getting to it; and if he wanted that crown, he’d have no choice but to follow her. Running had never been his specialty, and he was wheezing and heaving as he struggled to keep up. If she’d slow down or stop for second-

“That’ll do,” he told himself as a net swept Twilight into the air. He hobbled under her and leaned against a tree to catch his breath. To his great fortune, her crown had fallen to the floor. This was his chance.

“Frank,” Twilight said hurriedly, “help me down.”

Frank was too tired to move, even for that glorious mass of gold and jewels. “You got magic, get down yourself, ‘princess.’”

“I can’t. There’s something about this net that’s blocking my magic.”

Frank’s breath stopped at the words. She had to be wrong; if not, the sarowolves might’ve been a blessing. “Are you sure?” he asked.

“Watch.” Twilight glared at the ropes, but her horn only glowed for a second and died out. “See,” she gasped, “nothing. I’ve never seen anything like this,” she said with fascination.

Oh shit. Oh shit, oh shit.

He had to get the hell out of here before they found him. The alicorn would have to wait; hell, they’d probably enjoy her company. She’d be fine, but if the Children found him, he’d be praying for a sarowolf. “Gotta’ go Twi,” he said in a panic. Before Twilight could ask what that meant, he grabbed the crown in his mouth and dashed away.

“Frank,” Twilight shouted, “get back here! Frank!” she screeched. “Fraaaaaaank!”

The Tale of Armor: The Slums on the Hill

Chapter 2: The Khalari Desert

Applejack squinted to keep the harsh desert sun from blinding her. In every direction she saw the same thing: mountains of sand. An occasional breeze of hot air swept some of it around, and that was the only variation she ever saw. The blue sky, which was a painful reminder of water, was barren. A cloud of any size, as long as it could provide shade, would have been a blessing. “Sure hope the others are okay,” she whispered to herself.

Maybe Twilight’s spell had worked, maybe it hadn’t, but right now Applejack couldn’t care less. Her only concern was getting her and the pink mare lagging behind to safety, wherever that was.

“Applejack,” Pinkie panted and dropped her saddlebag onto the sand, “can’t we take a break? We’ve been walking all day.” She opened the bag and searched for a snack, but even she thought the sweets inside looked unappetizing. Right now, nothing sounded more delicious than a tall glass of cold water.

“Sorry Pinkie, but we should keep moving.” Applejack gave the dunes another despairing look and whispered, “We need to keep moving.”

As Applejack trudged down the hill, Pinkie struggled to put the bag back on. It felt so heavy, and at last, Pinkie abandoned it to catch up with her friend.

The day dragged on, getting hotter every minute, but the nights were just as bad. During the burning hours of the day, they’d pant and sweat profusely; at night, however, they shivered together, doing their best to keep the other warm. It was Pinkie’s idea to bury herself under the sand for warmth, but that proved a terrible idea. A gust storm had buried her under so much sand that Applejack had to dig her out. By the time they’d gotten moving again, the desert had warmed to a blistering temperature. The two had to tread lightly or their hooves would sink too deep and the sand would burn their skin.

“Ow, owwowowowowow," Pinkie exclaimed after she tripped face first into the sand. Her face felt like it had been set on fire, and rubbing her cheeks did little to soothe her pain. She looked to her friend for support, but she was hurrying away. Pinkie was ready to ask what she’d seen, but then she saw the well.

Pinkie summoned her strength and bounded after Applejack, who was already peering into the well. And what luck- A rope was hanging over the edge just waiting for somepony to pull it up. Together they bit down and took turns pulling the rope up. She could almost taste the sweet liquid in her mouth.

“I’ve never been so happy ta’…” Applejack’s joy died away as Pinkie gave the rope one last tug and raised the pale to the surface. It was full of sand. A weak croak escaped her throat and she lowered her head in dismay. One tear, her last, ran down her cheek and evaporated before it hit the ground. She wanted to crawl into the well and sulk until the end, but she felt a hoof settle on her shoulder and Pinkie hold her close.

“Keep moving, right?”

Applejack was silent for the rest of the day, despite Pinkie’s attempts to cheer her up. Pinkie spent hours singing songs that not only weren’t uplifting, but aggravating. When the moon had risen above a large sand dune, Applejack finally turned to her and shouted, “Pinkie, fer once shut yer darn mouth!”

Applejack immediately apologized, and Pinkie forgave her, but she still felt ashamed. All Pinkie was trying to do was cheer her up, and she’d paid the kindness by nearly biting her head off. Applejack just wanted to get them home. It had only been two days, but she longed to see her family again. Applebloom, Big Mac, Granny Smith, they were waiting for her, and she was going to see them. And Pinkie was getting back to Sugarcube Corner!

All through the night and into the morning, Applejack told herself that, but it was no use. The scorching sun beat her down until, finally, she couldn’t go on. They were going to die here.

Pinkie wasn’t sure how long they’d been lying in the heat, and when she opened her eyes, the glare coming from the dunes nearly blinded her. Her mouth was filled with sand, but it was too dry to spit out. She wanted nothing more than to close her eyes and go to sleep, but something else was telling her to get up. She had to know what was on the other side of the dune before her…The large, towering, white hot dune.

She drove those thoughts from her mind and pushed herself to her feet. Getting to the top of that hill was the most difficult task she’d ever faced. More than once her legs gave out and her skin burned horribly, but she couldn’t stop. She mustn’t stop.

With a grunt, Pinkie forced herself to the top and gasped at the sight. There, amidst the ocean of white and red, was a town. “Applejack,” she whispered dryly. Her head turned to the orange body below her and Pinkie collapsed to the base of the hill. “Applejack,” Pinkie whispered again as she moved to her side.

The mare didn’t move.

“Applejack…Applejack, wake up.”

Pinkie shook the mare and listened for a breath. She couldn’t hear one.

“Applejack, can you hear me?” she panicked.

Again, there was no response.

“Please wake up Applejack,” Pinkie begged. If there was any water left for tears, she would have been sobbing. “Applejack, please don’t leave me, I need you.”

When the mare gave no reply, Pinkie dropped to her knees, ignoring the burning, and held Applejack’s head as she wept. In a hoarse, nearly inaudible whisper, she heard, “Pinkie? That you?”

“Yes, it’s me,” she cried in relief.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t save us sweetie,” Applejack said weakly.

Pinkie stroked her friend’s mane and held her tighter. “It’s alright, but you need to get up. We’re almost there.”

“What’re ya’ talkin’ about?”

“I saw a town,” she said excitedly.

“It’s probly jus’ a mirage.”

“But it might not be,” Pinkie argued. “We should see, just to be sure.”

Applejack pushed Pinkie away and dropped back into the sand. She closed her eyes and sighed weakly. “Face it Pinkie, we’re not gettin’ out’a this one.”

“Now that’s not the Applejack I know,” Pinkie said and pushed Applejack upright. “She’d never quit this easily; in fact, I’ve never known her to quit anything at all.”

Pinkie let her friend lean against her and nuzzled her neck reassuringly. “We’ll do this together, alright? Just put one hoof in front of the other…that’s it,” she said encouragingly, “you’re doing it.”

The trek up and down the hill was a long and arduous process, but Pinkie refused to give up. Applejack had been there for her countless times, and Pinkie’d be darned if she let her friend down now. Not even the blistering desert, with its blinding white hot sand that radiated heat, would stop her.

“Where is everypony?” Applejack asked as they came into town. It bared a striking resemblance to Appaloosa, but it felt utterly foreign.

“I don’t know,” Pinkie said uneasily. A large stone statue of a pegasus stood in the center of the town. One wing was spread out proudly while only a stump remained of the other. The unfurled wing cast a shadow on a small colt between the stallion’s forelegs, and an inscription on the base read, “’Our sacrifices determine who we are.’”

On the other side of the statue was, to their relief, a watering hole, and the two hurried inside. Applejack couldn’t hold it any longer and dropped to the floor. At least it wasn’t that hot. “Hang on AJ,” Pinkie said and headed for the counter in the back.

It was a large building, large to seat a dozen wooden tables, and the fans hanging from the low ceiling provided a welcome breeze. The one downside was the white glare that shined through the windows and entrance. The light was too much for Pinkie, and she pulled the flowered curtains by each window on her way to the back. With each curtain, the room felt a little cooler.

The shelf behind the counter was barren, save for a few bottles. Pinkie uncorked and sipped every one, only to cringe at the awful taste. Alcohol was no stranger in Equestria, but these drinks were stronger than anything she’d ever tasted. She set each one back and coughed as she tried a bottle of whiskey. There was no way these ponies could survive out here on this stuff; there had to be water around somewhere.

Pinkie searched under the counter and found a dozen mugs and some broken glass. Somepony must have dropped a glass bottle in a panic. Beneath the shards, to her curiosity, was a metal ring attached to the floor. She carefully swept the glass away and pulled on it, revealing a hidden compartment. It was large enough for two or three ponies, maybe more if the barrels inside were removed.

Her heart raced as she dropped down and pulled the nearest spigot. It was bone dry, as well as the four next to it. Only one remained, and Pinkie was almost too scared to pull its spigot. At last, Pinkie took a deep breath and pulled. “Thank Celestia!” she exclaimed and held her mouth under the running water. It was more delicious than anything she’d ever baked. If it was up to her, she would have emptied the barrel for herself, but then she remembered her friend and tore away.

Pinkie grabbed the cleanest mug she could find and filled it to the brim. Every drop that spilled over felt like a death sentence for her friend. Cautiously, she set it by Applejack and nudged her side. “I found water,” she said gently.

Applejack tried to respond, but could only manage an incoherent mutter. Wasting no more time, Pinkie held Applejack’s head up and tilted the mug. The sight of her friend nursing the water like a foal made Pinkie want to cry. She’d come so close to losing her best friend.

“How do you feel?” she asked once Applejack had finished the glass.

“Kind’a hungry now that ya’ mention it,” Applejack joked. She tried to stand, but Pinkie held her down.

“Wait here,” Pinkie told her. “I’ll see what I can find.”

Pinkie refilled her friend’s mug and searched for something to eat. She’d been so focused on water that she’d completely forgotten how hungry she was. The growl of her stomach was loud enough to make Applejack raise her head in concern. “Everything’s a-okay,” Pinkie reassured and went back to searching. A bowl of peanuts, something, anything would be welcome. For a fleeting moment, she even considered swallowing a mouthful of dirt; Applejack, however, advised against it.

Once she’d thoroughly overturned the first floor, she ascended a staircase to keep looking. On the last step, her knee began twitching violently, and she looked down at it quizzically. What could her Pinkie Sense be telling her? There couldn’t be anything scarier than the loss of a friend.

Pinkie looked out a nearby window and paused at the stone ponies. The statues still looked as elegant and powerful as before, only now, waves of heat were wafting off of them. It only improved their image; despite the hell they were standing in, they didn’t let it change them. The two also had a clear view of the desert, as if they were looking at a formidable enemy. Anypony that chose to live out here must have been brave.

The white desert certainly seemed scary to Pinkie. It had taken her and Applejack in and done everything in its power to crush them. This town, however, was a savior, and the statues were its protectors. Pinkie gave the desert one last glance and turned away, but something in the distance made her stop.

It was difficult to make out the silhouettes coming toward her, and the glare of the desert certainly wasn’t helping. As the figures galloped past the first building, she felt the air escape her lungs. A unicorn and an earth pony, each covered in white sheets, were heading for the watering hole. A metal cage levitated behind them as they ran.

Without hesitation, Pinkie rushed downstairs and pulled Applejack to her feet. “C’mon AJ, we need to hide!”

“What’s-”

“No time,” Pinkie interrupted and hurried her friend upstairs. “We need to hide now!”

The stairs led to a small hallway lined with four doors, and Pinkie rushed to the farthest from the entrance. She bit onto the doorknob and twisted it frantically before rushing her friend inside. What they found inside made Pinkie gag.

They were standing in a child’s room, and a dead body lied in the center. The stallion had a bullet hole in his forehead, but any blood had dried up days ago. Maggots wriggled in his skull as flies swarmed around his mouth. What was left of his eyes stared into Pinkie’s soul, and she heaved violently.

Pinkie averted her gaze, pushed Applejack to the bed, and followed her underneath. The foul smell of the rotting corpse filled her nostrils, and even after she’d covered her nose, it lingered horribly. She wanted to scream, but the clopping of hooves on wood warned her not to.

Pinkie barely stifled a yelp as Applejack held onto her hoof. “Giggle at the ghosties, right?”

“Mmmhmm,” Pinkie nodded beneath her hooves. She squeezed closer to Applejack and breathed the rhythm of the old song.

“Fuck it’s hot,” a voice shouted from below.

“Yeah, just imagine what summer’s gonna’ be like,” another responded. “Let’s take a thirty minute break and head out.”

“Can’t we stay till the night?”

“Hell no! I’ve been waiting to see Blitz for months and I’ll be damned if I miss him.” Pinkie could hear hoofsteps heading for the water. She’d forgotten to close it. “Woah, woah, woah.”

“What?”

“We’re not alone,” the voice whispered. Pinkie squeezed tighter as the stallions ascended the steps and bucked the first door. She breathed the melody louder and tried to remember the words, but the vision of her and Applejack being shot like the stallion refused to leave.

Another door was kicked in and Pinkie broke into tears. The hoofsteps moved closer and the third door was bucked in. Applejack held her hoof tighter than ever. Pinkie abandoned the song and struggled to keep from crying out.

A violent thud pounded on Pinkie’s eardrums as the door of the child’s room flew off its hinges and splintered against the wall. Pinkie held her breath as four legs wrapped in white cloth walked inside. They paused at the dead body, stepped over, and proceeded to the bed.

Without warning, the mattress was swept into the air and Applejack lunged. The mare barely made it off the ground before the unicorn tossed her across the room. “Hello,” he greeted and ripped their Elements from their necks.

“It’s our lucky day!” the earth pony cheered while he restrained Applejack. “Break’s over.”

The unicorn lifted Pinkie and her friend into the air and carried them to the metal cage outside. Applejack thrashed and bucked at the earth pony, who leaned in close to taunt her before ducking away. “Pretty feisty, this one,” he told the unicorn.

“Put us down right now!” Applejack ordered.

The stallion unlocked the cage and tossed the mares inside. “There, I put you down,” he said smartly.

“Please let us go,” Pinkie begged between sobs.

“When I get out’a here you’ll be sorry!” Applejack shouted and bucked the cage furiously.

“I’m terrified,” said the earth pony as he attached his harness to the cage. Applejack gave the bars another violent buck as the unicorn lifted the cage into the air.

“Help!” Pinkie screamed as they were carried back into the desert. “Somepony, please help us!”

It was no use. Nopony was coming.

Chapter 1: Rude Awakening

The Tale of Armor: The City by the Water

Seven years after the Ponyville Massacre…

The crowd cheered as Armor was flung against the cage bars like a ragdoll. They’d come to see blood, and if that blood came from a mare stupid enough to fight a stallion three times her size, so be it. Hell, even Armor would have liked seeing someone die by their own stupidity. She had no intention of dying though.

Before the fight, the crowd had sized up the contenders and concluded that Armor was going to die. As far as Armor could tell, she was the only one who thought she’d win. No matter. She wasn’t here for them; she was here for the money…and to fight.

“Had enough, little filly?” the walking pile of steroids taunted. Honestly, it was a wonder this earth pony could move. His bicep alone was as thick as Armor’s head and punching him was like hitting a brick wall.

Armor feigned weakness and dropped her head onto the blood encrusted floor. “Oh no,” she sighed, raising a hoof to her forehead like a damsel in distress, “whatever will I do, against such tiny balls.”

Here’s a quick tip when fighting someone on steroids: Never insult their genitalia, unless you’re in front of something solid.

In a rage, the earth pony charged at her, just as Armor wanted. At the last second, she somersaulted to her feet, letting her friend smash headfirst into the bars. The crowd cringed and Armor laughed as he crumpled to the floor. “Are those even balls?” she teased, bobbing and weaving around the square arena, “because it looks like you super glued two raisins behind a peanut.”

A couple mares in the crowd laughed along with her. Hey, if she could be funny and kick ass, more power to her. Needless to say, most of the stallions cheered as the big guy got up. His face was flustered from the taunts, and from the look in his eyes, he wanted Armor dead.

Bob and weave girl, bob and wea-

Her freakishly large opponent was able to deliver one good punch to her face making her see stars. He walked around, waiting for her to regain her balance. Armor sure was lucky she’d pissed him off enough for him to draw this out. Once she managed to stand straight again, he bucked her against the cage, hard. Armor was no doctor, but it felt like she’d cracked a rib.

The mares cheered as Armor struggled to her feet. “Do you have a death wish?” he laughed. “Stay down.”

“I’ve been told I don’t know when to quit,” she grinned and spat blood at his hooves. “Ladies first.”

Armor had a plan; granted it was a terrible plan. She had a higher chance of being squished against the bars than of pulling this off, but hey, Armor liked high risk. And with so much money on the line, she’d rather die than surrender. “C’mon fuck-nugget,” she said, spitting again, “scared?”

The mares facehoofed and every stallion in the room burst into laughter. “Your funeral,” he sighed, preparing to charge. Armor did the same.The crowd roared in excitement as the two fighters charged at each other. Eyes widened at the thought of Armor being squished like a bug. Their sadistic euphoria lasted mere seconds, however.

Each step felt like a sledgehammer was bashing Armor in the chest, but she did her best to ignore it. If she hesitated, even for a moment, she’d be leaving this place in a body bag. She held the thought of money in her head as she slid under Roids’ forehoof. The hoof was about to crush Armor’s skull when she bucked the stallion in the groin with all her might. For a moment, the stallion went cross-eyed and then crumpled to the floor with a resounding thud. “Who’s the little filly now?” she mocked as she struggled to her feet.

Armor spun around, smiling at the shocked faces surrounding the cage. After a long silence, someone finally opened the rusty cage door and Armor limped out. “Is someone going to give me my money?” Armor panted, trying to mask her pain.

“She cheated,” someone shouted. Instantly the crowd was against her again. Even the mares were yelling at her.

“No way she could’ve beaten Body Builder,” another said, “not without magic.”

“I would never cheat!” Armor argued, but the crowd was too loud to hear. Hitting a pony in the groin was one thing, but she would never use magic to win a hoof fight. These idiots were just bitter because she’d be getting their money.

“Throw her out!”

“Break her horn!”

“Give her to the guards!”

“Enough,” a voice bellowed, silencing everyone. Mares and stallions slunk aside to let the speaker through. For such a commanding voice, the earth pony who held it was surprisingly slim. His well trimmed white mane, clean yellow fur, and fancy leather saddlebag were stark contrasts to the dirty and greasy ponies that filled the room. Armor gawked as he walked proudly to her side and boomed, “Give this mare the money she deserves!”

“But it wasn’t a fair fight. You saw what she did to Body Builder,” who was still lying in the center of the cage.

“I did see, and so did all of you. Not once did her horn glow-”

“She could’ve masked it-”

“DO NOT INTERRUPT!” he boomed louder than ever. The stallion shifted his gaze around the room and continued. “If you had any objections to a unicorn fighting, then you should have said so BEFORE the match. You all knew the terms and conditions and you placed your bets regardless. Do not try to back out now, or we’ll let the Peacekeepers settle this dispute.”

After a long silence, a small sac of coins was thrown at Armor’s feet. It was too painful to bend down or use magic, but thankfully the earth pony was kind enough to pick it up for her. Despite the gesture, Armor quickly snatched the sac away, glaring at him suspiciously. “Thanks,” she said, gripping the bag of money tightly.

“You’re quite welcome,” he smiled, walking her to the exit. The stallion pushed the large metal door open and the two stepped out onto the cobblestone streets of Numie. Ponies of all types were bustling to and fro through the Venetian labyrinth of stone and metal. “Places like these should be shut down,” he sighed, looking up at the faded sign that read “Fight Club”.

“I like ‘em.” Armor tried to walk away but her chest was throbbing in pain. She hissed as a spasm shot through her front and she fell against the wall.

“May I take a look?”

“No you may not,” Armor said and tried to walk again. No use; it was agonizing.

“Please, I have some medical training. It’ll only take a moment of your time.”

“Fine,” she groaned. Another spasm shot through her as a hoof pushed on her chest. She did her best to stay calm as he touched her, which was another thing she didn’t like ponies doing. “Anything broken?”

“No, but there is a fair amount of bruising. I would have at least expected a hematoma.” He chuckled, “you’re much tougher than you look.” The stallion looked down the street and chewed his right cheek. “I believe I saw an apothecary on my way here. Perhaps they’ll have a potion for you.”

“Hey, it’s not like I’m going anywhere,” Armor shrugged. The mystery pony gave a quick bow and dashed down the street and out of sight. Armor had other errands to run, and whoever this stallion was, Armor didn’t like him; even then, she was stuck by this wall, forced to watch life move on around her.

Damn, life was boring!

What was less than ten minutes felt like hours. The only highlight was when a bloodstained pony came galloping through the streets with a Peacekeeper behind him. The guy was frantically knocking over any pony in his way to slow down his pursuer. A rather pointless move, as Armor knew, since a Peacekeeper would sooner die then lose a criminal. Yes she’d met some bad Peacekeepers, but for the most part Armor thought they were badass.

Armor cheered as an armored pegasus swooped down and pinned the stallion to the ground. He reared his head trying to escape, but was quickly subdued with a punch to the face. Even from the wall she could hear the pony’s jaw break with a satisfying crunch. “Nice takedown guys,” Armor called.

The pegasus gave her a quick nod and a smile as they dragged the criminal away. Armor wanted to watch them go, but she felt someone nudge her. Her mystery friend had returned with a large flask between his teeth. Taking it with her magic, she uncorked the top and shuddered at the smell. “I know it smells terrible,” he sighed, “but it’ll reduce the pain and swelling.” Armor took a drink and gagged. It tasted worse than it smelled, which was certainly an impressive feat.

“It better,” she said, trying not to throw up. Her mouth tasted like rotten meat blended with a used diaper, but at least she wasn’t sore. She pushed herself up and gave an uneasy belch, which must have smelled bad because it made the earth pony cringe. “What do I owe you?” she asked, eager to get on with her day.

“Nothing but a moment of your time,” he chuckled. Time was something Armor didn’t have much of so it was hard to see what was so funny.

“Fine,” she shrugged and walked down the street, “I’m a little busy though.”

“In that case, I’ll try to make this quick,” he said politely. “My name is Lemon Wedge. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance Shining Armor.”

“Just call me Armor.” Was she going the right way? One of the downsides of Numie was that almost every building on the south side looked the same. It was lots of gray and white bricks frequently interrupted by waterways.

“Armor it is then,” he nodded as they walked across a small stone bridge. “I’ve been searching for capable ponies to help me with a mission. After seeing you take on that stallion, I knew you’d fit right in.”

“Are you expecting a fight or something?” she asked. She was confident she was heading in the right direction.

“I’m hoping it won’t come to that, but I prefer to be over prepared than under.”

Armor eyeballed every sign she saw, hoping she’d find the right one soon. Every minute spent searching was another minute wasted. “What’s in it for me?”

“Three thousand gold coins,” he said casually. Armor’s ears pricked up and she stopped, confused. He couldn’t possibly have said three thousand. That kind of money would buy her a house in Canterlot.

“Honestly, what’s my cut?”

“Three thousand gold coins,” he smiled. Now Armor was annoyed.

“If you’re going to waste my time, I want you to leave right now.”

Lemon Wedge gave another hearty chuckle and sighed. “I will be on my way, but what I said is true. In exchange for your assistance, I will give you three thousand gold coins. If you happen to change your mind, please be at the Dragonhide Bar by the docks this Friday at ten pm.” He gave a polite bow and disappeared into the crowds. Once she was sure he’d gone, she turned back to the store signs.

“Ah,” she said as she spotted the sign that read “Nothing but Books”. With a smile, she made her way through the crowd, accidently shoving over a kid and groping a mare (who promptly slapped the stallion behind her), and entered the store. A little bell jingled as the door opened, and a perky red and orange unicorn looked up from behind the counter.

“Hello,” she greeted in a high, cheerful voice, “can I help you find anything?”

Stacks of books reaching to the ceiling were strewn everywhere. Armor glanced at a large pile of romantic novels by the door and walked to the counter, trying not to nock anything over. “I’m not sure where to start,” said Armor as she passed a stack of comic books. “Not a big reader actually.”

“Ahhh,” the mare winked, “someone else huh? Well what do they like?”

“He goes through so many books, I can’t keep track. Hell,” Armor grinned, leaning close, “he’s even read physics textbooks for fun.”

“Really?” she giggled adorably. “He sounds pretty smart.” The mare rested her chin on her forehooves and swished her tail back and forth. Armor didn’t consider herself a matchmaker, but it might be fun to bring Dusk here sometime just to see him squirm. A cute, friendly bookworm like this mare would probably give him an aneurism. “Do you know if he likes sci-fi? I know a lot of good sci-fi.”

“Ehhh,” Armor shrugged, “he’s a stickler for details, so anything that goes against fact would turn him off.”

The mare glanced at a stack behind her and floated a large paperback book onto the counter. “Kingdom of the Stars was written by a physicist so this would be your best bet.”

“Awesome,” Armor nodded, pouring her coins onto the counter. “How much is it?”

“You’ll have more than enough,” said the mare as she admired the silver. “This friend of yours reads a lot?” When Armor nodded, she grinned and disappeared into a backroom. She came back with four more books and dropped them on the counter. “These are a few of my favorites. Plus, they’re all different genres, so there’s a higher chance that he’ll like at least one.”

“I don’t know,” she said hesitantly.

“Tell you what. Because I like you, I’ll give you all of them for three silver coins and I’ll give you five free books next time.” Since she was paying with silver, the mare’s offer was probably a rip-off, but Armor liked her and was in a hurry.

“Gift wrap ‘em and you’ve got a deal.”

The mare banged the counter and laughed as she floated up a roll of sparkling red wrapping paper. “I knew this stuff would come in handy.” She obviously didn’t get to use it much, and by the time she was done crinkling and taping, she was fairly flustered. “There,” she panted and put the books into a paper bag. “I hate to sound rude but,” she leaned in close, “what happened to your face?”

“You should see the other guy,” chuckled Armor. She left the mare four coins and carried her belongings to the door. “Oh,” Armor turned back to the unicorn as she ogled the coins, “do you know where I could get a cake around here?”

The unicorn broke her gaze from the coins and pointed to her left. “Head that way for three blocks and you’ll find a Sweet Dreams.”

Armor tossed her another coin and walked out the door. She’d definitely bring Dusk next time.

Chapter 2: The Khalari Desert

The Tale of Armor: The Slums on the Hill

Note to self: Don’t shop at that Sweet Dreams.

Sweet Dreams was a monumental bakery chain from Canterlot. The stores were famous for their fantastic cakes as well as their exuberant staffs of bakers and cashiers. The only problem was that a customer would occasionally get a cashier with a motor mouth. Armor always had a good sense for fake niceness, so it was always fun to talk with the genuine ones. Their conversation, however, had gone on for thirty minutes and now she was behind schedule. But at least she had a cake, and it was a beauty.

As Armor walked out of the store, she kept one eye on the streets and another on the sugary masterpiece in her magical grip. It was two layers of chocolate spongy goodness covered in chocolate pink and purple frosting and sprinkles- glorious, pointless sprinkles. Armor stared at the cake through its protective plastic dome and smiled proudly. This thing wasn’t cheap but, thanks to the fight club, she had plenty of coin left over.

She took her eye off the street for one second too long and bumped into a stallion, momentarily dropping all her belongings. Her heart raced as she grabbed the cake just before it the ground.

Too close.

These streets were far too dangerous to be carrying a cake. Armor gave a slight grin as she came up with a solution. She’d always wanted an excuse to take a ferry. Since Numie was riddled with waterways, they were a relaxing way to move about the city, but Armor and Dusk were penny pinchers (today being an exception) so they never got to ride them. But with a cake this magnificent, it’d be crazy to walk through the streets.

“Well,” she smiled, “if I have to.” She trotted up to a pegasus leaning against the post his boat was tied to and gave a beaming smile. Despite being punched in the face, she was having a great day.

The guy had a red coat, orange mane, and the most adorable blue eyes Armor had ever seen. “Can I help you?”

“I need to get to the Grand Canal.” With a nod, he helped her into the boat and flew to the front. Once the boat was untied, he braced his hooves against the wood and stretched his wings. It was slow, but at least she could relax.

Numie was divided into a northern and southern district, divided by a large canal down the middle. Only the rich were able to afford the beautiful south side, and all the poor had to live up north. The north was frequently called a slum, which it was, but it only made each visit to the southern side that much more special. Sadly, ponies couldn’t just pop between sides willy-nilly. There was a small area along the canal where ponies could teleport, and if they tried to teleport to or from anywhere else, they’d get a splitting headache.

Armor leaned over the side of the boat and dipped her hoof in the cold water. Her face was bruised and bloodied, but, to Armor, they made her look cool. She saw them as victory scars, or something like that, and smiled proudly at her reflection. “Are those books from ‘Nothing but Books’?” The stallion asked as he flapped his right wing to steer left.

“Yeah,” she sighed contentedly and traced the rooftops with her eyes. “How’d you know?”

“My sister insisted on buying a case of that wrapping paper, and I think you might be the first to use it.” Armor wasn’t sure whether to find that sad or funny.

“I hope I made her day.”

The pegasus spread out both wings to slow down, narrowly avoiding another boat. There were probably a lot of collisions on the water. “Not that hard to do actually. Morning Glory’s always been a glass half full kind of mare, although sometimes she can be a little annoying.” He flapped his wings and the boat accelerated on.

“I like her.”

“Try living with her and her crazy ideas. One night, I was asleep upstairs, and she made a T.V. that caught on fire if you walked in front of it. I don’t know how she did it, but she almost burnt the store down.” Dusk had crazy projects like those too. On his first attempt to build a magic powered radio, the thing overloaded and blew out one of the walls of their home.

“When you say you were sleeping upstairs…do you live in a library?” Despite the soreness, she couldn’t help but laugh.

“Eeyup,” he nodded. “It was our mother’s until she passed away, and Morning decided to carry on the legacy. I’m sorry, you don’t want to hear about that. Ask me another question.”

Armor breathed a sigh of relief and thought of a question. Conversations about dead relatives were always incredibly uncomfortable, especially since she could never bring herself to talk about hers. “What’s your dad do?”

Please don’t be grieving.

“He’s a city guard.” The pegasus jumped to the other end of the boat and beat his wings feverishly. Armor gripped the cake as the boat came to an abrupt halt, stopping just in time to avoid crashing into a group of pegasi that whizzed by. “I hate it when they do that,” he mumbled. It wasn’t illegal for pegasi to fly in the waterways, but the annoying teenagers that would race each other were a serious hazard. “Sorry about that.” He jumped back to the front and eased the boat forward.

“Is it always this deadly or are we just really unlucky?”

“About fifty-fifty,” he said as the boat passed a yellow pillar. Armor could see the dumpy buildings on the northern side of town and stood up. That wasn’t a very smart move, and she almost fell onto the cake as the boat dragged to a stop by a dock. “Grand Canal, and we didn’t die.”

Armor flipped a silver coin to him and picked up her belongings. “Excellent job, keep the change.”

“Whoa, silver? Thanks.”

“Yeah, I am pretty awesome.” Armor jumped out of the boat and concentrated on the northern docks, but nothing happened. She held her breath and scrunched her face, but still nothing happened. “Dammit,” she panted.

“I don’t get it. We passed the pillar so you should be able to cross.”

“It must be the painkillers I took, or maybe I bumped my head a little too hard.” Armor lifted her things into the air and walked off. There was a bridge to the east that earth ponies used, but the detour would make her late regardless.

“Excuse me,” the pegasus called, “where are you going?”

“Bridge,” she answered, slightly confused by the question. Where else was she supposed to go?

“I have boat, you know,” he said and waved his forehoof around.

“You’d take me?” This guy had guts. It wasn’t often you’d see a southerner head north, mainly because they were afraid of being mugged.

“It’s my job, isn’t it?”

“I don’t know. I wouldn’t want to be the reason Morning Glory’s brother got shanked.”

“For a pretty mare like you, I’m willing to risk it.” Odd. Armor had been called gutsy, cocky, insane, paranoid, butch, stupid, but never pretty. And as far as she could tell, he was being honest. It didn’t make her blush, but she couldn’t help but smile.

“Alright,” she shrugged and hopped back in. “Could you make it quick? I’d rather not be late.”

With a wink, he braced himself against the front and flapped his wings madly. The boat was moving so fast, it was like it had a motor propelling it forward. Armor clung to the side and gripped the cake as the wind whistled past her ears. She threw her hooves into the air and shouted, “WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” at the top of her lungs. The pegasus took a quick look back at her and laughed at the wild-eyed excitement plastered on her face.

“Having fun?”

“This is fucking awesome!” At least it was, until a wave rippled into the canal. If you’re going to let go of a boat moving at breakneck speed, the water better be smooth. If it isn’t, you may wind up like Armor and get launched into the air. If so, you better be able to swim.

The unicorn flailed about, trying desperately to afloat as the boat sped away. She tried to teleport to safety, but her damn horn still wouldn’t work. “Hey,” she shouted, only to get a mouthful of saltwater. Before she could call again, her head sunk below the water, and she slowly descended into the dark depths.

Her lungs were straining when she felt an arm wrap around her and pull her to the surface. She gasped as the pegasus pulled her up and gripped the edge of the boat. Armor pushed his foreleg off of her and climbed back in. “Are you okay?” he asked, easily hoisting himself into the boat. Armor hadn’t noticed before, but he was quite toned, and it was hard not to look as the water dripped down his body.

She coughed up some water and waved him off. “Almost died, but I’m good.” Why she hadn’t learned to swim, yet lived by an ocean, was a mystery to her.

“I’ll take it slow to be safe-”

“Pfft, full throttle!” Danger made things fun, plus she was late. She’d get home soon or die trying. Her driver sighed and flapped his wings, getting her to the slums in record time.

Armor jumped onto the dock and shook herself dry. The pegasus followed behind with her bag in his mouth. Once he’d dropped it at her feet, he smiled at her with crystal blue eyes that made Armor’s legs weak. “Are you doing anything tomorrow?” he asked.

Other than go to the fight club, she had absolutely nothing to do, but she still took a few seconds to answer. At last, she squeaked, “N-no I’m free tomorrow.” She could kick a pony three times her size in the testicles, but she was powerless against this cute stallion. “What,” she cleared her throat and tried to sound composed, “what did you have in mind?”

“Hmm, I’m not quite sure yet, but I’ll have something by tomorrow.” Armor nodded stupidly. “Would twelve be fine? It’s my break then.” Again, she nodded stupidly. “Great,” I’ll be here to pick you up at twelve.” Armor’s head bobbing was interrupted as a shady trio of earth ponies walked by and glared at them. “I can walk you home, if you like.”

“Pfft, I’m a mare,” she answered suavely and nudged him in the chest- his incredibly firm chest. “That doesn’t mean I’m helpless.”

“I’m just trying to be polite.”

“Trust me, I’ll be fine.” Armor gestured to his front and said, “Just be sure to bring all of this tomorrow.” That sounded much cooler in her head. Even the pegasus seemed to find it weird. “My name’s Shining Armor, but I prefer Armor.”

“Dew Drop.” Armor could barely suppress her laughter. The guy was nice, cute, strong, and had one of the dumbest names she’d ever heard. “I know how it sounds, but my parents wanted a morning theme when they named us.”

Before Armor could say something, a bell tower on the south side chimed five times, jarring her from Dew’s hypnotic stare. “Oh crap five o’clock.” Armor grabbed the cake and her bag and ran off. “See you later,” she shouted back.

Normally Armor would peak around every corner, just to be sure she didn’t get jumped, but she was out of time. There was absolutely no way she’d be late today. Everything else she’d wanted to do like clean the house and go to the bank would have to wait. On second thought, those sounded boring anyway. Hurray for tardiness!

Armor slowed to a trot and stopped on the front step. She took a calming breath and unlocked the front door of her house. Actually, calling it a house was pretty generous. It was more of a shack with a kitchen and enough room for one mattress. They didn’t even have a bathroom. There were three outhouses and two showers out back that the entire street shared and, on one occasion, fought over. Yup, this crap-shack was an embarrassment to live in, but it was all they could afford, and at least it kept them warm. Actually it was freezing, but at least it kept them dry, except during the winter…usually…this place sucked.

After she dropped her belongings on the kitchen countertop and curtsied at a drawing of the Goddess Lika she kept by her side of the mattress. Most of the Gods were depicted as hairless bipeds called humans, and Lika, goddess of honor and power, was revered as the most beautiful. She smiled at the black-haired woman and clicked on her magic powered radio.

There was a lot of static, but it occasionally provided some good music. This time, however, there was something else.

“-one hundred thirty-seven killed with at least three hundred wounded in the attack. Manehatten officials and Peacekeeper agents are scrambling to gain control of the situation, but this catastrophe shows no sign of getting better any time soon. Peacekeepers are ordering an evacuation of all citizens within a five mile radius of the blast zone until they give the all clear. At this time it’s uncertain who’s responsible for this heinous act, but many are speculating this is the work of, ‘The Children-’”

Armor shut the radio off as she heard the doorknob turn. Her brother walked in and she immediately began singing, “Happy birthday to you-”

“Oh no,” Dusk groaned over her.

“-Happy birthday to you.” Her brother sighed and walked to the counter as she sang on, “happy birthday dear Dusk Shine. Happy birthday to you.”

Worry spread across his face as he saw the bruises and scrapes covering Armor’s body. “Armor, what happened?”

She waved her brother off and tossed him his presents. “Don’t worry about it. Some assholes tried to jump me, but I fucked ‘em up so bad they went running off crying.” Dusk didn’t know she made her money at a fight club, and she aimed to keep it that way. He’d fought tooth and nail to get her a job, but the place she worked at closed down two weeks ago. It was best not have him worry about it. “Now open your presents so we eat this cake.”

Dusk floated the largest present into the air and shook it. “It isn’t healthy to eat sweets before dinner.” Armor rolled her eyes but let him drone on. “The sudden fluctuation in blood glucose levels can make you groggy, sick, and if you aren’t careful, diabetic.”

“Geeze Dusk, it’s one night. You aren’t gonna’ get sick. And if we feel like crap after, we can go get something else to eat, but right now I want cake.” She smiled and flicked another book at him. “So shut up and open your presents.”

“Bossy, bossy, bossy, bossy, bossy,” he teased and tore open one of his gifts. “Kingdom of the Stars.”

“The mare at the bookstore told me it was written by a physicist, and I know you like science, so it seemed like a good choice for you.” The quizzical look he was giving the cover was making her nervous. “You’ve read it huh?”

Dusk was silent for a time and gave an uneasy grunt. “Mom bought me this for my birthday too,” he sniveled and rubbed his eye. Armor rushed to his side and held him close before he could cry. “Thank you.” It hurt as he nuzzled her chest, but she sucked it up and kissed his forehead. Dusk and their mother had always shared a special bond, and Armor could tell her present had upset him, even if he didn’t want to admit it.

“Do you want to open your other presents?” A spasm of pain shot through her chest as Dusk shook his head no, but she refused to let her brother go. “Do you want some cake?” He nodded into her fur and she floated two plates out of the cupboard and found two forks. Using her magic, she sliced two large pieces and set them on the counter. “Dusk?”

“Yes Armor?”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“I’m not feeding you though.” Dusk smiled up at her and wiped his tears away. He stood up to kiss her on the cheek and carried his plate to the mattress. “You remember when dad tried making dinner on your birthday and set the kitchen on fire?”

Her brother nodded as he took a bite of cake. It must have been delicious because his eyes widened as soon as it touched his tongue. “Mom was so mad,” Dusk chuckled. Their dad was notorious for being one of the worst cooks in Ponyville; but he’d always tried proving other ponies wrong, even after he set his mane on fire cooking shish kebabs. The stallion could set fire to anything, and by the first month of their marriage his wife had already taken out a life insurance policy on him.

“And yet it was probably the best thing he ever made.” Armor plopped down next to him and tossed a chunk of cake into her mouth. Forget what she said about Sweet Dreams, she would go to that place until the day she died. It was the most deliciously sweet thing she’d ever tasted, hell even the rainbow sprinkles had a sugary taste to them. She smiled at her brother to see if he was enjoying it as much as she was, but he was staring wistfully at the cover of his new book. “Okay that’s it,” she said and dropped his other presents on top of him, “I spent money on these, and I want you to open them.”

“Armor-”

“Less talking more unwrapping.” Armor rubbed her brother’s mane and pleaded, “Please. I spent a lot of money on these, and I want to know if you like them.” Her brother sighed and picked up a present. The two laughed at the cover of a muscular earth pony cradling a swooning pegasus in his forelegs. Morning Glory had given her a romance novel. What was she thinking?

“Um?”

“I didn’t even notice that one.” Armor was on her side trying to suppress her laughter. The book itself wasn’t that funny, but the thought of Dusk reading a romance novel was fucking hilarious. Dusk Shine and romance stories went together about as well as cheese and ice cream. The farthest she’d ever seen him read one was halfway before he tore it to pieces.

“I’ll try it, but I make no guarantees,” he said and picked up the next present. In addition to the romance novel, Dusk received the first book in a fantasy series, a murder mystery, and a tragedy. He’d read all three before, and he hadn’t liked any of them.

“Well the mare gave me a credit for five more books, so the next time we have some free time, I can take you there and let you pick ‘em out.” Armor cut herself a third slice of cake and continued, “I think you’ll like it there. They’ve got books stacked literally to the ceiling, and Morning Glory’s one of the friendliest ponies I’ve met in Numie.” She paused to stuff more cake into her mouth.

“Can we go tomorrow?”

Crumbs spewed out of her mouth as she said, “Sorry, I can’t.”

“Why not?”

Armor grinned, showing off the chocolate staining her teeth, and chortled, “Because I have a date.” Her brother choked on a piece of cake and stared at her in amazement. Every time he gave such a confused look, she couldn’t help but laugh at him. It was like bringing a giant to his knees.

“I don’t believe it.”

“And you think you can get a mare, Casanova?” She threw a small piece of cake at him and nudged him in the side. “The last time you had a date was…oh that’s right, my baby brother’s never had a girlfriend.”

“I’m just surprised,” he retorted and threw a bit of cake back at her, only to have her catch it in her mouth. “What’s he like?”

Hot, sexy, adorable, “He’s alright. I met him after the bookstore and we talked on the way home.”

“The way you hesitated tells me you like him.” Dusk jolted as Armor grabbed his hooves and squeezed tightly.

“Oh my Gods he’s the cutest guy I’ve ever seen,” she squealed in delight. “He’s a pegasus and spends all day steering a boat, so he’s all muscled and,” she started poking Dusk in the side to demonstrate his squishiness, “he doesn’t have that. He’s like spun steel or something.”

Seeing Armor this ecstatic over a stallion was a little unsettling. She’d never expressed any interest in dating or stallions, and for years Dusk suspected she liked mares. Nonetheless, it was nice to see her so enthusiastic about something other than fighting or Peacekeepers. “And here you are stuffing yourself with cake,” he joked. “You’re going to be a wreck tomorrow.”

Armor gave him another chocolaty grin and took another bite. “Okay genius, what do you recommend?”

“Stop eating the cake, for one. It’s supposed to be mine anyway.” His sister set her plate down and puffed her lower lip out to pout. Maybe it was the sugar that was making her so happy. “I know a few cheap restaurants by the teleportation zone. Would you like to get a salad or some pasta?”

Armor burped in acknowledgement and stood up. She shook her sac of coins at him and swung the door open. “Some pasta actually sounds pretty damn good right now. And I think I’ll die if I have any more cake.” Dusk put the cake back under its plastic cover and trotted out the door, taking Kingdom of the Stars with him.

That night, the two ate four silver coins’ worth of food and barely made it home without passing out. Armor flopped onto her side of the bed and groaned uneasily. Food was always Armor’s weakness, and a bag of money at her favorite restaurant was a recipe for disaster. Luckily, she hadn’t thrown up yet, and she’d brought back some leftover breadsticks. When she tried to bite into another breadstick though, Dusk snatched them away and stuffed them in the refrigerator. If she could move without exploding, she would have objected, but the most she could muster was a tomato and chocolate flavored belch.

“Thank you Armor,” Dusk said as he cracked open his book, “this was fun.”

“You know me,” she yawned, “Queen of Fun.” Armor tried to chuckle, but it felt too risky. “Dusk?”

“Hm?”

After several pants, she asked, “Could you read to me?”

“It’s, ‘Would you read to me,’” he corrected, “and I’d be happy to.” Armor smiled as he started from the beginning. Some ponies read to fall asleep, others listen to music, but Armor preferred to listen to her brother. It didn’t matter what he was talking about as long as she could hear him. She felt safe hearing his voice, and for reasons she neither understood nor questioned, he kept the nightmares at bay.

Thankfully, tonight was no exception.

Chapter 3: False Gods

Iron Side watched from the corner of the room as Rarity critiqued the sketch artist incessantly. Maybe it was overkill to do the drawings in an interrogation room. The room was small, with a low hanging ceiling that, supposedly, made ponies feel constrained and more willing to talk. Splotches of dried blood painted the walls on all sides, and a trained nose could pick out which ones were the freshest. What stained the walls was nothing compared to the floor though. It was red, sticky, and made Iron want to bathe in hoof sanitizer. It certainly was a soul crushing room, which was why Rarity seemed so out of place. She was like marshmallow in a chamber of death.

“Marshmallows actually sound pretty good,” he thought to himself. He made a mental note to get some before the end of the day. Maybe Armor’d like some too; she’d eat anything that didn’t have cucumbers. The last waiter that gave her cucumbers in a salad nearly pissed himself in fear; once they gave two free beers though, she let it slide.

Nowadays, drinking was all she did. Right now she was supposed to be in this room with him and Rarity, but she’d ditched them to hide in her room. “Solaris said not to kill her, and I’m making sure I don’t snap,” she’d justified before leaving. It was a smartass way to see things, but it made sense. Better to isolate yourself than spend all day with something that pisses you off.

That’s probably why Armor hid in her room all the time. Everything pissed her off.

“Alright,” the sketch artist sighed and turned to him. “We’ve got the thieves and the jewels. Anything else?” To keep Rarity and her friends a secret, they’d put out the word that they were thieves who’d broken into the castle. They were to be brought to Canterlot unharmed, or there would be no reward.

The Peacekeeper opposite him, Spiral Bound, if Iron remembered correctly, took the drawings and left the room. He was a good stallion, a decent poker player, and had a weird fascination with flowers. Armor liked him simply because he never talked. Iron hated that about him; being stuck in a room with him was always incredibly awkward.

Spiral, as silent as ever, waited for the other three to exit, and locked the door. Without a word, he escorted the artist away, leaving Rarity and Iron with the other two Peacekeepers. “Let’s take her to the guest room,” Iron said from the back.

With machine precision, the guards moved Rarity along in silence. She felt inclined to strike up a conversation, but as they turned a corner, the paintings along the walls left her speechless. The first mural showed a large, black cloud looming over four creatures atop a barren hill. A ring of razor sharp teeth hung from the cloud, and one blood red eye stared down at her. The eye followed her as she walked past, and she did her best to ignore it. While the eye disgusted her, the creatures below filled her with awe.

Directly under the ring of teeth was a figure, composed entirely of pink pedals, raising her arm upward in defiance. A black werewolf, decorated with red markings, howled on her left along with a white and blue one on her right. The fourth creature was one Rarity recognized. Lyra Heartstring called them humans, and this one had magic.

A ring of fire swirled around the human as her eyes glowed white. It was beautiful, which only made a painting further on that much more jarring. The white werewolf had the woman pinned to the ground, snarling, as countless humans burned in the background. “They tell a story,” Iron told her.

“Is it one I’d care to here?” Rarity asked with mild disgust. The image of that savage animal attacking something so elegant appalled her.

“Stop for a second, guys” he ordered, and the two Peacekeepers in front went still. Oddly, they never looked back; it was as if they were frozen in place. “C’mon,” he said and beckoned her to the first painting. “You might as well learn some stories to tell your friends back home.”

“Oh, very well,” she sighed and walked to the armored pegasus’s side. “What’s this one about?”

“Lemurians believe that there are multiple planes of existence. There’s the physical world, our- my world, and the spirit world. Long before ponies existed, there was the Kingdom of Heaven, ruled by Eve,” he gestured to the flowered woman in the center. “It was how you’d imagine heaven- peaceful, blissful, all-in-all wonderful. But everything changed when the Blight appeared. The Blight spread across the Kingdom, consuming everything in its path, and all attempts to fight it failed miserably.

“In one last, desperate attempt, Eve created three beings: Lo, Kai, and Eleanor. Together, the four managed to fight it back and force it into a prison called Hell.” He pointed to the painting to his left, which showed the four forcing the cloud into a wooden archway. Rarity barely had time to take the picture in before Iron had moved on. “After the fight, the three gods were made the protectors of Heaven. Each god was given a race of followers from the physical world- Lo and Kai led the guardians, and Eleanor led the mages.” A third picture painted the werewolves above twelve humans, six in shining metal armor, and six in dark blue cloaks. To the right of was Eleanor with twelve humans clothed in tattered brown garments.

“For years they raised their subjects, teaching them everything they knew, and things were good. But then,” he said, pointing to the fourth picture, “the three devised a plan to overthrow Eve and take control. To them, she was a weakling that hid behind her forces, so why should she be in power, right? They threw her into Hell and ruled together for eons, but Eleanor became obsessed with the Blight. It wasn’t enough to keep something so evil imprisoned. She wanted it gone. With her magic, she discovered a way to kill a god- permanently. In secret, she forged a sword and presented it to Kai, expecting him to be overjoyed.

“They could destroy the Blight once and for all, but the weapon appalled Kai.” He moved to the last picture. “The weapon was too powerful, so he destroyed it and threw Eleanor in Hell, but he didn’t stop there. If Eleanor could make it, why not her mages? Kai ordered his Guardians to hunt down every mage on Heaven and Earth and cast them into Hell.”

“That’s horrible,” Rarity said in disgust. How could somebody curse an entire race for the actions of one? How could somebody be so vile and cruel? Furthermore, why would anybody want to believe such a deplorable story?

“It was necessary.” Iron didn’t say it coldly, or rudely, but as a simple truth. “She’d created a weapon that could destroy the very essence of something, and if power like that fell into the wrong hands, or hooves, or whatever-”

“But it’s wrong to punish those who had no part in the act,” Rarity argued. “Simply because they could recreate the sword doesn’t mean they would. Eleanor only wanted to help and Kai-”

“It’s not a matter of right and wrong,” Iron said and beckoned her up a spiraling staircase. The other Peacekeepers followed behind them. “It’s a matter of the greater good.”

“There’s always a right and wrong.”

“Really? I torture a colt and murder him. Would I be cruel and wrong?”

“That would be an understatement!”

“What if by torturing that colt and murdering him, I could save the lives of thousands? Would I still be cruel or wrong?”

Rarity was sickened by the logic.

“Plus that isn’t the whole story,” he said with a smile. That didn’t seem like much to smile about, but Rarity shrugged nonetheless. Maybe it had a happy ending.

“Go ahead,” Rarity unenthusiastically permitted. “Does Kai have a change of heart and set the mages free?”

“Well, I can’t tell you that without going over Lo,” he told her as he held the door to her room open. He positioned his fellow Peacekeepers outside and locked the door behind him. Rarity listened as she explored every crevasse of the magnificent bedroom. Blue and red sheets of lavish silk hung over a king-size bed, white as new. Curtains of the same colors parted to the sides of an arched window. Rarity could see all of Canterlot through the glass, a view which would bring her world’s to shame.

Were it not for the large yellow feather clinging to the window, she would have admired the city longer. It was a color she knew to be that of Fluttershy, and this made her worry. Fluttershy wanted to speak to her, but she was too scared to show herself. What possible reason could somepony, even Fluttershy, find to fear such welcoming ponies? The only reason she could think of was that thug, Shining Armor. It was an insult to Twilight’s valiant brother that such a brutish mare shared his name.

Nevertheless, it would no doubt be easier to speak with Fluttershy alone, but how? Iron Side had been ordered to look after her, and the ponies here seemed highly disciplined; a request for privacy would be turned down without hesitation.

Rarity moved to interrupt, feigning a sudden illness, but the story Iron wove commanded her attention. The legend told that after the three gods overthrew Eve, Kai and Lo became increasingly at odds with one another. Eleanor did her best to appease their rivalry, but in the end, the Guardian Order descended into a civil war. The First Holy War, as it was called, revolved around the idea of freedom. Kai saw the humans as tools to be used, even after death brought them permanently to the Kingdom. Guardians held power beyond measure, and to let such power run free and unregulated would be disastrous. Lo, however, believed the humans had earned their freedom for serving them in the mortal world, and many guardians agreed. Under Kai, a guardian was a soldier from birth to the end of existence, and such a gross infringement of a soul’s rights infuriated Lo.

When the war began, Eleanor begrudgingly took Kai’s side; not out of love, but principle. Eleanor, like Kai, believed that the good of the Kingdom came before the rights of the humans, guardian and mage alike. It pained her to watch as Kai cast her brother, and all under him, into the eternal void of Hell.

These gods of theirs hardly seemed worthy of worship. They were so cold and calculating, not caring for anything other than the greater good. What use was the greater good if it meant living in a world of agony and fear? This argument burned within Rarity, but if she was going to get time alone, she’d have no choice but to stifle it. “Well,” she said with a cough, “that certainly was...interesting.”

“What, you thought I was done?” he asked enthusiastically. Storytelling seemed to be a hobby of his, or perhaps he simply enjoyed the sound of his own voice. “I’m not even close to the end-”

“And I look forward to hearing it, but right now I have a rather…personal matter to attend to.”

Iron cocked an eyebrow. “What kind of personal matter?”

“If I told you that, then it wouldn’t a personal matter, now would it? All I ask is for a few minutes of privacy- five at the most- to attend to it.”

“I don’t know,” he shrugged. “That could be dangerous.”

“You’ll be outside only a short while, and if I hear anything remotely suspicious, I’ll scream loud enough to deafen my assailant. Now I do beg of you, please give me my privacy. Please,” she whimpered.

Iron wrinkled his nose in thought and gave a reluctant sigh. “If you even think you hear something-”

“I’ll scream immediately.”

“Five minutes,” he said sternly and closed the door. Wasting no time, Rarity hurried to unlatch the windowsill. The feather that blew inside as she stuck her head out was of no concern to her.

“Fluttershy,” she whispered. “Fluttershy, where are you?”

“Up here,” a nervous voice called from above. Rarity craned her head upward and gave it an uncomfortable twist. Two large blue eyes stared down at her, but the pegasus refused to move. “Darling, what are you doing up there? Come down.”

“It isn’t safe,” she muttered.

“Whatever do you mean, ‘isn’t safe?’ The ponies here are trying to help us-”

“No they’re not!” Fluttershy cut in hurriedly. “I heard Solaris talking and he doesn’t want to help us, he wants the Elements of Harmony to fight a war.”

Rarity knew better than to question her dear friend’s warning, but the news still confused her. “That’s impossible. The Elements of Harmony aren’t for violence; it goes against everything they stand for-”

Without warning, the door swung open and Iron rushed in. “I heard voices,” he barked. The pegasus shoved Rarity aside and flew outside; Rarity’s eyes widened in horror at the sight of the pink feather on the floor. Another Peacekeeper levitated a rifle at Rarity’s legs. The slightest movement and her kneecaps would be blown out, and from the look on the Peacekeeper’s face, he was hoping she would move.

Hieroglyphics…that's all Rarity's notebook was filled with. Solaris feverishly flipped back and forth between pages, constantly rereading and backtracking. The back of his neck burned hotter and hotter with every second. None of the data or calculations made sense, and the footnotes and explanations accompanying every page were of little help. Whoever had written this had no intention of sharing it with others, and this only frustrated Solaris further. This was an ability beyond measure, thought for eons to be impossible, and six ponies had done it, but how, and why? Why didn’t they want to share this with anyone else?

Only one reason came to Solaris: power.

Rarity had crossed Canterlot’s teleportation barrier with ease; if the remnants of the New Lunar Republic found the mastermind of Rarity’s group, no pony in the Empire would be safe. With the swing of a horn, an army could bypass any defense and obliterate him and his subjects. It was imperative that he master this ability before everything he’d worked to build was destroyed. “If that’s supposed to…then how the hell does-”

“Your highness?” a Peacekeeper called.

“WHAT!” Solaris boomed. A fire spell came to mind as he glared at the pony that had barged in. He had given specific orders not to be disturbed while he read the notebook. If not for the shivering white and purple mare at his steps, he would have scorched the three Peacekeepers beside her. “What do you want?” he said calmly.

One of the Peacekeepers kept a rifle aimed at Rarity’s back, and the unicorn to his left was too nervous to move. The third, a black pegasus with faded grey armor stepped forward. “We caught Rarity speaking to someone outside her window,” he said fearlessly. He motioned to the scared unicorn. “Show him.” The unicorn took a deep breath and floated a yellow feather towards Solaris. “The feather color matches Rarity’s description of the Element of Kindness, Fluttershy, and Rarity’s refusing to tell us where she is.”

Solaris took the feather with his magic and stuck it in his mouth. “That’s definitely a pegasus,” he muttered. He withdrew the feather and tossed it aside. “Leave us,” he told the Peacekeepers. The three bowed in unison and exited the room, leaving Rarity to answer Solaris’ wrath.

Unlike the regal and welcoming atmosphere of Princess Celestia’s throne room, the walls around her felt constricting and threatening. The room itself dwarfed any in Canterlot Castle, possibly fitting over two hundred ponies, but it was barren and lifeless. A blood red carpet ran from the entrance to the golden, diamond encrusted throne seating Solaris. The Emperor himself was a stark contrast to the Princess she knew and loved. Solaris’ mane carried the same flowing colors as Celestia’s, but his had been cut and shaped till all that remained was a thick patch of hair atop his white head. The golden crown he wore matched his throne and shined brilliantly, but where Celestia’s tiara was regal yet restrained, Solaris’ crown was over-the-top and ill-fitting.

Solaris himself was little to behold as well. He was larger than Celestia, but thin and hunched over with dark black bags under his eyes. He looked less an Emperor and more a deranged shut-in. “Why would you betray me like this.” His voice was quiet, but trembled with restrained fury.

“I’ve not betrayed you,” Rarity defended.

“Really?” he asked and rose to his feet. Anger crept into his voice with every word as he continued. “You deliberately withheld the whereabouts of the Element of Kindness, and now you refuse to reveal where she went. You’ve hindered our search and you’ve most certainly betrayed me!”

All respect Rarity had for the alicorn was gone; now she saw him for what he truly was: a paranoid tyrant. “Well why are you so eager to find her?” she shouted.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“Fluttershy’s afraid of you. She said you wanted the Elements of Harmony for yourself.”

“I have taken you into my home, given you my protection, and offered to find the Elements of Harmony for you!” he snarled. “Where the fuck do you get off accusing me of being selfish!?”

“That isn’t an answer, Solaris.”

“I am your Emperor and you shall address me properly you insolent whelp!” he boomed in his royal Canterlot voice.

“You are nothing but a foal with a throne!” Rarity shouted back and walked to the door.

“Where are going? Get back here!” he demanded. “I’m the only hope you have of getting home!”

“I’ll take my chances on my own.” The thought of leaving her Element and Twilight’s journal with somepony so unstable was unsettling, but she couldn’t stand to be in his presence any longer.

With a loud pop, Solaris appeared in her way and backed her to the throne. “If you were any other pony, I’d have you whipped for your disrespect.”

Rarity planted her hooves firmly and stared into his glassy, soulless eyes. “I’m not afraid of bullies like you.”

Solaris struck Rarity across the face, making her collapse with a pained yelp. His magic tightened around her throat as he lifted her into the air. He leaned down and savored the sounds of her airless gasps. “When I’m through with you,” he whispered in her ear, “you’ll do more than fear me.”