Well, This is New...

Chapters

Chapter Two: Welcome to the Jungle
Chapter Three: A Welcome Wagon
Chapter Four: Lies Reflect Bullets
Chapter Six: A Dramatic Turn of Events
Chapter Seven: Downhill Descent
Chapter Eight: Boiling Point
Chapter Nine: A Plan Set in Motion
Chapter Ten: Repentance Has A Price
Chapter Eleven: Things Set Straight (Part I)
Chapter Twelve: Things Set Straight (Part II)
Chapter Thirteen: Critical Error
Chapter Fourteen: The Only Man I Ever Feared
Chapter One: Wrong Turn At Albuquerque
Chapter Five: New Day, New Town, New Ponies

Chapter Two: Welcome to the Jungle

Chapter Two: Welcome to the Jungle

There was a low hum as I had laid there. It wasn't intrusive, nor was it violent. It was simply there, existing on the fringes of my frazzled subconscious. It came from all around me, causing confusion as to its original source. My head felt heavy, while being light at the same time. 'Last time I drink the night before negotiations-'

Wait...

...

Oh.

An airy groan left me as I recalled what had happened. The meeting, the blunder, the eventual fleeing... being shot several times. This recollection proved to be a bad idea, for it then led me to thinking about it. Which made me realize that those wounds still hadn't been treated yet, and were most likely infected depending on how long I had been on the brink of Death.

"You'd be surprised to hear it's only been five minutes tops," I heard Ed's cheery Englishman voice say as I tried to open my eyes. They were nearly as unwieldy as the rest of my body at that moment, but with some effort I fought past the exhaustion and sunlight to stare at the puncture in the canopy that was the result of my entry. "By the way, your vitals are kinda shit right now."

'Great. How close am I to dying?'

"Well, you could be closer... But, you're certainly not in a stable condition at this moment."

'And in thirty minutes?'

Ed hummed to himself in thought. "At that point, your nanobots' regeneration feature should make you fine and dandy-"

'I was referring to not using nanos.' I received an infuriated sigh from him in return. 'You know how I am about them.'

"All I 'know' is that you keep trying to tell yourself that not using the full extent of your tools and abilities makes you seem more mortal. Which is kinda stupid, really."

'Look. Those nanobots have been in a catatonic period for centuries, Ed. I can survive just fine without them-' Before my thought could finish, the attempt to shift my leg caused the latest bullet wound to cry out. Resulting in me letting out a pained hiss.

"Uh huh. Well, you haven't been shot around half-a-dozen times in the past couple of centuries, have ya? So. Guess who needs to shut up, and let the nanos do their work?"

A snort left me as I relinquished the argument and let Ed reactivate them. It wasn't that my distaste for them came from their lack of usefulness (on the contrary; those things are quite handy), but... Not many realize how precious mortality is when they become immortal for as long as I have.

But I see its importance.

My muscles resisted my attempted covering of my face with a hand. I needed to put those philosophical thoughts aside. Those could be dealt with at a later point, but for now I was somewhere new. The Warp had thrown me somewhere based entirely on chance.

Which meant that the question remained on where I was exactly.

'Ed. Some definition on where we are would be nice.'

"We're in a forest, for starters-"

I cut him off in mock surprise. 'You don't say?'

"...Right. You want Leyline specifics." I waited for a period of time as I listened to the bare tapping of him drumming away on some keyboard just to bother me. Again. "Oh..."

'What is it?'

Ed didn't answer. I became concerned at this lack of response, and I bypassed Ed's sensors to allow the data he was observing to flow to me-

...

...Oh.

"Yeah. 'Oh.' We're in a system that relies on an Energy Barrier."

'Which means we'll need to Sync to it before we can even confirm where we are.'

"Unfortunately."

My brows furrowed at this. There was no way that performing the Synchronization right then and there was possible. The wounds drew too much attention away to be able to allow focus, and with an unfamiliar surrounding; waiting was a very bad idea.

Speaking of that environment, this was when I realized that I was resting under the only prominent pillar of light in the area I had fallen into. I slowly swiveled my head around, eyes cautiously scanning the edge. It was darker, a lot darker past the little clearing I found myself in. The little space probably wasn't more than thirty feet in all, meaning I was in a metaphorical cell with all the demonic-looking trees standing about.

"You know, you really should've listened to me when I said you should take a vacation."

'Shove it, Ed. Don't wish to hear the "I-was-right, you-were-wrong' spiel that you're so good at.' I shot back, my new objective being trying to get sufficient responses from my muscles to begin traveling.

"Too late." I took in an exasperated breath of air as he continued. "The last time you had a vacation was three-thousand years ago, Storm. Three. Thousand. This has been the longest time you've gone without rest, and we both know it isn't good for you."

'We both also know that the Scales don't take a vacation neither.'

"True. But many realms can balance themselves-"

'Many others cannot'. I countered.

"You're serious? You're really countering the concept of you having a vacation, even if you know you need one?"

I felt my eyes roll as I steadied myself against the tree that served as my buffer during my descent. Of course he was right. Bastard always was, after all. The glances at my wounds proved to be rather horrifying. Or, at least they would have been if I wasn't so jaded with the sight of marks from war.

The bandaged sections were in tatters. What wasn't barely hanging on was dirtied, and only served as a possible way to heighten the prospect of infection. Only the wrappings from my shot to my ribs was solid enough to stay on. As for the final 'cherry on the top', my latest gunshot was still oozing out an unhealthy amount of blood.

Really not my week.

*Snarl!*

My head locked on instantly to the direction of the noise, one that was familiar yet highly unlikely. That didn't stop me from becoming nervous, and trying to reach out with my other senses to find a way out of this scenario. It was proved futile, for nothing seemed open as I turned to my only source of survival.

'I don't suppose you got any recommendations?'

"Well, whatever is coming at you is something you'll have to fight. In your condition, this is a horrible and very bad idea, especially since you're severely damaged. So, two suggestions. Don't die, and kill that beast before it has the chance to kill you."

I nodded as I readied my stance while still relying on the tree as my support. 'Roger that'.

And as that thought left, the creature on the hunt emerged. And from the dim lighting caused by the beam of sunlight shining down upon me, I could still see the thing that faced me down. Something I hadn't encountered for tens-of-thousands of years. A demonic abomination whose name rung in my ears as my eyes traced its bat wings and scorpion tail.

Manticore.

The steady staccato of two hoof-beats rang out throughout the Everfree Forest as the Pegasi Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash sprinted on the windy and olden trails intermingling with the feral bushel of trees. Light panting was heard from both members, but neither was about to slow. Somepony depended on them, and by Celestia they weren't going to let them be stranded.

It was a constant pattern. Fluttershy would do a slow trot whenever Rainbow did recon. Once the right direction was found, Dash would descend and guide her timid friend on-hoof until she felt like she needed a refresher on what route they would need to take.

Both knew that the 'Crash Site' (as they became accustomed to calling it) drew closer with every burst of energy. Neither wanted to risk flying for any extended period of time, lest the nature of the Everfree forces them to succumb as well to the dastardly weather that was governed by nopony.

So for then, the ground would have to be their main source of transportation.

"He should be up ahead," Dash breathed out rather quietly as she stayed neck-on-neck with her childhood friend alongside her. Fluttershy simply nodded, her determination being solely set on how to reset sprained wings and patch up punctures from thorns.

*Snarl!*

Rainbow Dash's and Fluttershy's hearts both sank as they heard a Manticore's roar. One that came from the same direction as their downed flier. Without hesitation, they both lifted off with their wings. Due to this, their approach became truly silent as they flew very closely to the ground.

Believing the upcoming wall creating the bend being the only thing between them and the fallen Pegasus, Rainbow Dash led Fluttershy right up to the wall to provide assistance to their kin-

...

What... was that?!

On the bare verge of the fauna wall, both of them could see past exposed sections to examine the clearing within. In its place though was no Pegasus of any sort, though the assumption of the Manticore was true as it slowly prowled in. What it was prowling towards however, caused both of them to be flabbergasted.

Standing upright on its two hind-legs while reclining on a tree was... something. Its two forearms hung by its sides, appendages occasionally flexing in anticipation. The mane upon its head was a small plume of dark-brown hair, but besides that there was no other visible hairs.

Proceeding down its body, the girls could clearly see that it wore some kind of clothing. Though, whoever supplied the creature with them was unknown to them. What made nearly both of them dry-heave was the bloody wounds visible on the body. From their position of them facing the Manticore, they could clearly see three separate holes in the ape-like beast's structure: one on its torso, and one each for its thighs.

Fluttershy cocked her head silently over to Rainbow Dash, who held a blank look on her face as she watched the anomaly about to face off against one of the most dangerous creatures known in Equestria. When the sky-blue Pegasus looked over, she saw her compatriot's raised brow. She nodded solemnly.

The gentler mare of the two raised both eyes in surprise, before motioning her head briefly towards the clearing.

Rainbow Dash shook her head.

Another snarl brought both of their attention to the stand-off. The ape was standing uninhibited now on its two hind legs while being perfectly balanced. The mares were surprised that it could remain upright with such tenacity without a tail, though its injuries were obvious in its stance. Fluttershy's eyes flickered towards the Manticore licking its chops. Rainbow Dash's eyes flickered towards the ape craning its neck and eliciting a loud pop that nearly made both of the Pegasi jump outta their coats.

And like that, the fight was on.

The Manticore struck first, launching its mass briefly with its wings to propel itself into the bipedal ape. It didn't seem to faze him (if they could rely on the muscular build of the creature to determine its gender), for in one fell swoop the ape ducked under the hurdling lion-hybrid.

Unable to cease its momentum, the Manticore slammed full-force into the tree. Its impact rattled the oak tower, triggering a landslide of branches to cascade downwards and cover the beast as it slumped. The ape meanwhile was completely unharmed (besides from his previous injuries), and he simply stood behind and waited.

This proved to be a bad idea. The scorpion's tail on a Manticore is extremely flexible; enough so that it could be used like a club for opponents from behind. An example was made as the ape attempted to dodge the heavy shelled barb that was attempting to cave his body in. Both Pegasi realized that the Manticore was really just swinging blindly, its animal instincts going out of its control as it tried to recover.

It turned finally to reveal a bloody muzzle. It licked its maw, which was stained with its own blood. This seemed to only encourage the hybrid, for it then quickly charged forward with its front-paws swiping and tail stabbing for its prey.

The ape didn't appear to be startled by this, instead choosing to carefully step backwards. While doing this, he pivoted his torso about so to avoid the claws and stinger attacking him. Apparently an opportunity began to arise for the hybrid, because its target was backpedaling into the wall opposite of the ponies baring witness to the clash.

Both Pegasi were about to jump into the fray, when the ape suddenly went forward. Using its forearm, it tightened it and physically struck the Manticore in the eye. Before a counter could be made, he did it again and alternated his forearm with the Manticore's other eye. Briefly blinded, the Manticore didn't recognize the ape stepping out of range from the claws. This didn't stop the beast from slashing about, and desperately piercing the air with its barb.

Without pause, the ape grabbed hold of the tail as it lashed out past him and allowed him to be pulled up and over the Manticore. From here, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash could see the front of him as he flicked the end of his forearm. For an extremely small instance, they saw something shimmer in the dull amount of life before it disappeared behind the tail.

A scream of pain was released from the Manticore as the ape flew past the tail and curled up into a ball. Somehow, when he made contact with the forest floor, he used his momentum to become upright once more. He stumbled from the injuries, but quickly balanced himself as he turned to continue battling the creature.

Clear liquid poured down the tail and glistened in the dim afternoon light. The fangs belonging to the hybrid was bared viciously, and even from their distance the two Pegasi could feel the barbaric anger and rage seeping from the beast. It was no longer about a meal, it seemed. But rather to assert dominance.

Ferociously, the Manticore attacked the bipedal ape with everything it was worth. It had truly become feral in its fight now, direly attempting to kill the threat to its territory with all the energy it could muster. And proved to have moderate success; the sheer barrage mixed with the already-current and visible wounds prevented the ape from dodging faster than usual. Which resulted in two direct swipes making contact with him; one of the chest, and one up high on his back.

Blood began to quickly flow out as the ape bucked one of his hind-legs upward to intercept the jaws aiming for his neck. It was plain to see that he was steadily becoming overwhelmed, and if neither of them did anything... the creature could very well die.

Both Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash nodded to each other confidently as they broke through the underbrush. The sudden and abrupt sound caused the fight to pause, both participants looking over while in full-alert. The ape's small eyes merely widened in confusion, while the Manticore... began to stalk towards the ponies.

Instantly, they recognized their folly. What use could they be in this situation of direct confrontation? Especially since the weather prevented heavy flight, and the Manticore had gone so far into a feral state that not even Fluttershy's Stare had any effect on it as she tried to gain the upper hoof.

The two ponies were being backed up, soon that both of their plots bumped against the bark of the same tree that the ape had reclined against. But they couldn't worry about that one; the most pressing matter to the Pegasi was the very hungry, and very angry hybrid approaching them-

*Whack!*

Suddenly, a stick out of nowhere flew in from behind the Manticore and struck it fiercely on the back of the head. It flinched, and it slowly turned around with an intimidating growl crawling out of its throat. What neither the Manticore nor the ponies were expecting was the ape standing face-to-face with the monster. A similar growl was leaving him as well, and despite the smaller size the apes was far more intimidating. And Manticore's were pretty frightening to begin with.

The Manticore reared its head back in surprise, not expecting its opponent to be so wounded and yet still standing. That didn't stop the ape from pivoting on a single hind-leg once more to slam the heel of its... foot, into the eye of the hybrid. With no pause, he switched his hind-legs and spun his body so he would impact the other eye.

This made the monster of a animal completely forget about the ponies, rapidly launching its stinger to gouge the ape. His forearms came up quickly, and with sharp flicks he deflected the sharp object attempting to puncture him. This enraged the Manticore further, and at this point Rainbow Dash saw the coolest thing ever.

She watched in amazement as bipedal... thing took a hit from the scorpion tail to its right shoulder. Fluttershy instinctively lunged forward to try and clot the wound now before it reached the heart and killed him, before Dash forcefully held her friend back as she looked on.

The hybrid made another attempt to stab the ape, but this time he was prepared. He stepped past the length that surged to his side, and in one swift motion he hooked his claws under the head of the tail and tugged. This immediately threw off the Manticore's balance, causing it to fumble for a moment. During this moment, the bipedal rushed forward and used the lion mane to lift himself onto the beast itself. It attempted to buck him off, but to no avail he could not be budged as he dug into the hairs of the feline.

This caused the tail to rise up to strike. In the center of the clearing, the mares watched as the ape flipped himself over so he faced the menacing barb coming down upon him. Moving fast, he used one of his hind-legs to the tail aside, forcing the barb to impale the Manticore's right shoulder.

It roared in pain, but it didn't stop the ape as it wrapped its hind-legs around under the tip and ripped off the head of the tail, stinger included. Another roar of pain rose up from the hybrid as it bucked more frantically. In a single instant, the buck sent the ape up into the air. While still in pain, he still turned himself so he looked down upon the Manticore. And as he made contact with the beast for the last time, the ape gripped the now-removed barb and drove it into the back of the monster's skull.

The weight plus the inertia combined into one cumulative force that sent the stinger so deep into the beast's cranium, it was barely visible. While gore wasn't Rainbow's thing, even she had to admit that single-hoofedly taking down a Manticore while injured is a feat in of itself.

As the hybrid finally stopped moving, all that was heard were two exhaled breaths followed by heavy breathing. The two ponies looked up to lock eyes with the one that had fell despite having no wings, who had wounds more grisly than almost any pony had barred witnessed to, and of course the one who used nothing but its body to slay an Alpha Manticore.

So, it was easy to say it surprised them when the ape-like being slumped over the body, and eventually rolled off. He landed harshly on the ground, and an extremely pained wheeze let him as he laid on the ground. The two Pegasi looked to one another.

Rainbow Dash shook her head immediately, which was countered by Fluttershy's quick and singular nod. Dash glanced over with mistrust, but the Stare of Fluttershy soon forced Rainbow to yield. Giving a defeated nod, she hovered over the ground and sped off back to Ponyville.

Fluttershy, all by herself with a bipedal being she had never seen before, and who killed one of the most dangerous monsters in Equestria while heavily injured, tucked her hoofs under his forearms. With a slight grunt of effort, she began to slowly lift him and float towards her cottage. The only sound being his feet dragging across the ground, and his ragged breath.

Chapter Three: A Welcome Wagon

Chapter Three: A Welcome Wagon

Tired sighing could be heard as two figures rested on the side of a trail. One laid on the ground, nearly still save for its breathing. The other reclined against a tree, heaving from the effort. Needless to say the one still standing was having a wee bit of trouble with relocating the other.

Fluttershy had worked quickly in trying to move the ape's body through the darkness that composed of the Everfree Forest. She didn't know what she was going to do when she brought him to her cottage, but she did know she was going to help the poor thing if it was the last thing she did.

Hopefully, it wouldn't have to be the last.

Contrary to what many would believe, the little caring Pegasus had large reserves of hidden strength. However, it hadn't enough to be able to carry the ape-like being without needing to rest periodically. She didn't mind really; it gave time for her friend Rainbow Dash to do what she needed to do.

'Shy looked over at her ragged companion, the biped who fell from the air without being able to fly in the first place. He had long since stopped breathing heavily, though instead he had fallen into a deep sleep. One that persevered through even her own attempts at coaxing him from his slumber.

Her eyes roamed over every detail about the creature. Now that he was motionless, Fluttershy could easily see some features about him that she didn't before. For one, the wounds outlining his body seemed less deep than they had several minutes prior. She didn't know whether that was the result of her eyes being mis-led, but that still put her at ease to a degree with not having to rush the ape home.

The older wounds though still mystified her in a gruesome way. They were still bloody and horrifying to look at, but at the same time she couldn't help but be impressed. Not many animals could still be alive (let alone fight a Manticore and win) after having injuries of that severity. And yet... as Fluttershy attempted to continue trying to drag her companion, she suddenly hadn't been sure that he was simply just an animal.

He did not move like other animals did. She had seen animals fight before, and never had one of them fought with such intelligence. So much that even some of the twists and turns the beast did was unknown to be possible to Fluttershy before-hoof.

Uneasily, the Pegasus looked down at her cargo. The ape's head remained hung and susceptible to gravity as it swayed with the pumps of strength exerted by her wings. She simply sighed in a rather exhausted manner as she looked back up to see more of the same darkened path.

Oh, what am I going to do with him once I heal him...?

"Ugh..." Fluttershy squeaked in her usual manner as she heard the sound come from right under her. Without thinking, she immediately released the shoulders of the ape and brought them up to be curled under her chin in fear. This only resulted in the creature's face plunging into the soft dirt with another barely audible groan.

He's awake!

Location: Sugarcube Corner. Ponyville, CPE (Center Province of Equestria)

Time: Approximately late-afternoon, specifics unavailable

The day was winding down for Equestria, and Ponyville's Sugarcube Corner was not singled out in the effects that followed such. Any customers in the shop were quickly filing out to prepare for their evenings, and as such the flow of business steadily declined (and by 'steadily declined', it was actually 'an abrupt halt').

It was usually at this time that Pinkamena Diane Pie (known locally as Pinkie Pie) would attend to the affairs needed to be dealt with to ensure that the bakery would remain functional. Clean the dishes, relocate the scattered containers of ingredients, things of that nature. Things that any normal being would consider 'mundane' after a while.

Unfortunately, Pinkie Pie was far from a normal being.

While cleaning had to be done, this didn't always mean work was done. Today was a day that this came into play, for orders still had to be made in order to be shipped out the following morning. One such order required Pinkie to create a cake made out of reagents that most would consider clashing in taste.

It was meant to be a double-decked cake made out of chocolate. For the coating, a nice white blend of vanilla and sugar. Resting on the top was a trio of strawberries grown and hoof-picked from Ponyville's very own Sweet Apple Acres (the berries aren't as famous as the apples, but they get the job done). However, the thing that threw the cake off from being average was the fact that the customer specifically requested that the cake had a orange sherbet filling.

Now, normally fillings would be no problem for the hyperactive mare. However, issues arose from the fact that they wished for 'sherbet', and not 'sorbet'. In order to make sherbet, you would need to have milk. Something that the local bakery was out of, and couldn't resupply due to... well, it would sound silly to say that the cows for Sweet Apple Acres went on strike (despite that being exactly what happened). Which was precisely why they used the excuse that there were difficulties from a lack of time to be able to acquire some.

Not the best excuse, but there weren't any other options. It was bad enough they had to lie to their Canterlot customer who was on a very tight schedule while resting in Ponyville to obtain his cake. They didn't want any other faults to pile onto that as well, which was why they needed 'till the afternoon so they could order in from a different out-of-town source.

I wonder if the customer would've noticed if we'd have simply made the sorbet and filled the cake... Pinkie thought quietly as she stirred the batter. It was one of the few things that could organize her thoughts from being a complete jumble of different things whizzing about everywhere, and she really appreciated the focus it brought. She couldn't bake anything without complete concentration, after all! Nah, they probably would have noticed. Besides, I Pinkie Promised Mr. and Mrs. Cake that I wouldn't accidently mess up another order-

Her mental process skidded temporarily to a halt as she heard the door to the Corner slam open with way too much force put into that. It didn't faze the party pony for more than two seconds, before she set down her spoon and curiously began walking across the kitchen to see what was happening.

She took on a grin though when she saw it was Rainbow Dash, but it soon shrank when she saw the worry and anxiety on her face as well as she nearly bowled over a set of stacked stools getting to Mr. Cake. He was running the counter, and he certainly wasn't expecting the pegasus to launch towards him outta nowhere with panic in her eyes.

"Mr. Cake! I need Pinkie!" Rainbow basically shouted, attracting the attention of Mrs. Cake who had been descending the stairs. "It's an extreme emergency, and really important!"

In response, Mrs. Cake only shook her head. "I'm sorry, Rainbow Dash; Pinkie Pie is working on an urgent order, and both Mr. Cake and I need her here to work on it."

There was a short pause, before the cyan Pegasus spoke again in a tone that demanded no rebuttals. "Mr. and Mrs. Cake, I really don't wanna do this, but... As an Element of Harmony, I am ordering you to let Pinkie come with me. Trust me; I wouldn't pull Pinkie away from an important job if the reason was more important."

Pinkie didn't even need to see Mr. Cakes face to know it was filled with surprise and confusion. "Er, all... right." Awkwardly, he turned his head to call back into the kitchen. "Pinkie Pie? Your friend Rainbow Dash is here asking for ya. It's apparently urgent."

Despite realizing the seriousness in the situation, that didn't stop her from bouncing out of the kitchen with airy springs before landing perpendicular to the parallel line that was her friend and Mr. Cake. "Hi Dashie! What's up?" Without speaking, Rainbow Dash went behind her and grasped her tail in her mouth, before backpedaling quickly away and out of the confectionery. "Oh, where are you taking me? Are we going to play a game? I love games!" When no response was given, and Pinkie was nearly out of the doorway, she waved at the older couple staring at her with bewilderment. "I'll be back, Mr. and Mrs. Cake! Please finish the batter without me-"

*Slam!*

An awkward silence was left in the Corner as Rainbow Dash finally relinquished her hold on her friends tail. After taking a moment to try and get the taste of cotton candy out of her mouth, she began speaking. "Pinks, we gotta situation."

The edge to her friends voice caused Pinkie to become serious herself. "What's wrong? Is there another meany-pants Ursa on the outskirts?"

"No-"

"Pack of Timberwolves?"

"No-"

"Oh oh, it's a Manticore, isn't it?!"

Rainbow winced at the memory, before irritation quickly set in as she covered Pinkie's mouth. "Not... no, none of those. Look, all I need you to do is get Applejack and Rarity. I'm going to snag Twilight, and we're all going to Fluttershy's. There's something... we all need to see."

Pinkie began to speak again, but it was muffled due to Dash's hoof. Realizing what she was doing, she pulled her hoof away curiously. "-hat we need to see, but you can count on me Dashie!" Pinkie Pie finished with a mock salute, her eyes suddenly taking on a disciplined form.

Rainbow simply blinked for a moment before she returned the salute with a humored smile on her face. "Thanks Pinks. Remember: Applejack and Rarity, Fluttershy's place. Right now. Got it?" With a nod in return and the message in place, Rainbow quickly flew off in the direction of the Golden Oaks Library as Pinkie began to gallop towards the Acres.

Two minutes, later...

Anyone could obviously predict that in a library, it would be extremely quiet. But in the case of Golden Oaks, it was absolutely ridiculous due to the severe lack of readers beside Twilight Sparkle herself. She expected it, but it was still infuriating to the mare when she got around to thinking about it.

Like she had been doing for hours previous, she was resting behind the check-out counter while reading her book on Leylines. It had been a rare copy meant as a gift that she only got through her connections with being the pupil to the Deity of the Sun itself, Princess Celestia. What surprised her even more was that before she got the copy, she had never heard of Soft Story before-hoof.

Goes to show that you learn something new everyday, Twilight mused to herself as she turned a page. Her assistant Spike was still out, mostly likely attempting to desperately woo his crush, Rarity. She tried to break it to him before that it most likely wasn't going to work, but she just couldn't smash his hope. He would figure it out on his own, eventually.

A ringing of a bell being tapped by an opening door alerting the librarian that someone entered her business. She glanced over, expecting it to be Spike. Who she saw instead pleasantly surprised her.

"Lyra!" Her acquaintance that she knew back in Canterlot during her studying moved to Ponyville very shortly after herself, and soon they became friends after the musician stopped by the Library for texts on musical theory. They clicked so well, Twilight couldn't understand how they didn't become friends all that time ago.

"Hey, Sparks," Lyra murmured with a smirk as she trotted over. Twilight only rolled her eyes in response; she had been given that nickname shortly after they met up again. "I finished those recommended books you gave me, so I'm here to return them."

The librarian nodded in response eagerly, levitating the library cards out of the books while simultaneously moving the books to the 'Check-In' rack situated next to her. She took a fleeting glance at one of the cards, before stopping the flow of movement and doing a double-take. "Um... Lyra?"

"Yes?" The aforementioned mare asked distractedly.

"According to the return dates on these cards, you were supposed to have had these back in last week..."

"What?" The confusion in her voice was obvious. "Let me see." With a quick flick of her magic, Twilight transferred her arcane hold on the card over to the other unicorn across from her. She quickly brought it up to her own face, before she lowered it in embarrassed bafflement. "Eh heh... right. I didn't look at the one... uh, Sparks. I know this would invoke a late fee, but I'm kinda low on bits-"

"Oh no you don't, Lyra. This will be the third time I would've cleared you for your late fees. And what do you mean 'low on bits'? Don't you do those occasional orchestral pieces in Canterlot?"

In response, she uneasily gulped as she looked away. "I-I know, but c'mon Sparks; I won't have another performance in weeks! Please, just cut me a little more slack?"

An irritated and tired sigh left Twilight. "I don't know how you talk me into these, but fine; that's the last freebie you're getting out of me about fees." She looked up concerned at her friend. "However... Lyra, is something the matter? You seem... off today."

Being called out about her unawareness was the last thing Lyra was expecting Twilight to do. She considered for a brief moment on lying, but she realized that it was impossible to do such to her friend. A weary hoof came up and rubbed Lyra's eyes as she spoke. "It's... it's been rough lately. Trying to wind down my Canterlot accent so the ponies here wouldn't look at me like I thought I was superior to them, attempting to manage my repertoire of music for the concerts... it's all been just very tiring for me, Sparks."

Another hoof, this time coming from Twilight rested on Lyra's face. Only to gently brush away the hoof obstructing them from having eye-contact. After establishing such, the librarian spoke with a kind smile. "For one, the ponies around you don't do that. Trust me, I had the accent with me for a while and nopony looked at me the wrong way. And if you're having trouble organizing your music sheets, why didn't you tell me? You know I'm good at organizing, and I wouldn't have minded doing it for a friend."

Lyra's appreciative smile could light every city in Equestria, and with the thankful nod thrown in with it, they both hugged on it like friends do. At least, they did until Rainbow Dash collided face-first through the entry door of the Library, and skidded on her hooves right into a bookshelf.

Oh, Spike is not going to be happy to clean that up... Discarding that thought, she brought herself back from over the counter and walked around towards her Pegasus friend. From the looks of it, she was dazed. Her eyes were slowly rolling about in her head, and it didn't help when another tome from the top came down and cracked against her skull.

At the same time though, it snapped her out of her groggy state. Looking around, she quickly locked sights with Twilight, and immediately removed herself from the pile and launched her body to be inches away from the librarian's face. "Twi', we need to go. Now!"

An ever-growing headache caused a pained expel of breath from the Unicorn as she took a step back so she could see her friend more fully. "What is it this time, Rainbow Dash?"

"Fluttershy found some... thing in the Everfree. Some kinda monkey. It's hurt, bad."

She only responded with a raised brow. "O...kay. And why do you need me?"

Rainbow's voice became animated as her anxiety became expressed through her motioning hooves. "It's something neither of us have seen before. Some new species, maybe. But that's not the point! It killed a Manticore!"

"Was it short, or tall?" Lyra asked as she stood on the sidelines, an odd look in her questioning eyes. Both Twilight and Rainbow Dash looked over surprised for a moment at having forgotten the Unicorn, before finally Rainbow hovered up about an extra hoof, and stuck it straight out. From that height, the ape was quite tall; it would be able to look directly into Princess Celestia's eyes without either having to crane their necks.

Twilight's eyes bugged out in surprise. "Really? A new species of ape that size, beating a Manticore?!"

"Not only did it kill a Manticore, it did while wounded. Twi', there were holes in him."

"Him?" She paused before the entire sentence set in. "Wait, holes? Oh my Celestia... How hurt is it?"

"It's hurt a lot. Either way, I left Fluttershy alone so I could-"

"You left Fluttershy of all ponies alone with some unknown species that killed a Manticore?! Rainbow Dash, what were you thinking?!"

"I wasn't, okay?!" Rainbow shouted nervously. "Besides, Fluttershy is good with animals. She can handle herself, but we need to get the other girls to her cottage!"

Twilight simply nodded determinedly as she quickly trotted past Lyra (who at this point was simply standing there in confusion) and towards a seemingly random and unscathed bookshelf. Lighting her horn, several books as well took on the magenta hue as they formed a circle above her. As she did this, her saddlebags marked with her Cutie Mark fitted themselves onto her back and opened themselves.

Soon, all the books she selected were snugly held in the compartments. Trotting back to Rainbow, they both nodded to one another before heading for the door.

"Wait up, Sparks!" Lyra called suddenly, stopping the duo from heading out. "Let me come with. During my academic researches, I think I read about a rare kind of tall ape. I could help with identifying it, maybe?" Twilight thought about it for a moment, and glanced over at Rainbow. The Pegasus merely shrugged, and with that Twilight returned her focus to Lyra and nodded.

"Any possible lead is better than no definite lead. Let's go!" Twilight exclaimed as she galloped out. Rainbow followed suit, with Lyra bringing up the rear. But not before she snagged a book that rested in a pile of books that needed to be organized, and slipping it into her saddlebags as she rushed off to catch up.

Several minutes, previous...

My body contorted in pain as I felt myself collapse on the unforgiving ground. The corpse of the mythological Manticore lying next to me served only as a reminder that my luck was only going to go downhill even further during my time in this Universe. I heard the take-off of something flying off (most likely one of the Pegasi), before I saw the blur of the other above me. This was when unconsciousness claimed me.

Now, unfortunately for me, a lot of times when I go unconscious, something else happens. The normal situation would be me not recalling the space of time of exiting awareness until I came back. However, since the Editor is hooked up to my mind and is a powerful artifact, there are instances where I remain conscious while still being unconscious at the same time.

Freaky shit, I know.

The really weird thing is that during the moments where I'm in that limbo, I can feel only whispers of things happening outside of me through instinct alone. I could have the Editor project the situation outside for me... if it wasn't still recuperating from the escape of the Irida.

"Hey, don't be trying to point fingers. We both wouldn't have to worry about situations like these if you would have just taken a vacation." Ed mumbled in my head irritably.

'I know, I know...'

There was a brief pause before I heard him speak again, though this time in a calmer voice. "Eh, don't beat yourself up about it. We'll be fine. So, since the Editor is preserving your mental consciousness... there's some things we should discuss."

'Right. Let's start with the mismatched color-palette that made up those two mini-Pegasi.'

"Hell, let's just start off on those things in general. We haven't seen those type of Equines since you poked around in the Ancient Roman myths several millennia ago."

'They looked feminine in build and color style.'

"Indeed. And since Pegasi are herbivores, we won't have to worry about them eating us."

'Unless we're in some fucked-up alternate reality that has meat-eating Pegasi.'

"I doubt it."

After that, there was a large lull in our conversation. Most likely Ed had gone off to manage the nanobots in my system, or try and prep another M.L.P. Scan to detect any nearby settlements. Unfortunately, this let myself with nothing really to do. So I sat, and waited; content to rest in the confines of my mind until I could eventually obtain complete and utter consciousness-

*Thump!*

The sound echoed as I felt the impact. In this short span of time, I felt myself regain my longed-after control of my body. Only to discover that my face was buried in dirt. And also that my mouth had somehow been opened, which meant the dirt was now in my mouth.

I coughed and sputtered, as well as spat for some good measure to get Mother Nature off my tongue. The dirt absorbed a great deal of saliva, making me feel parched farther than I already had been. No water for hours, after all. Though, while laying there I heard... the flapping of wings?

Confusion rang out in me as I attempted to fully comprehend what was going on. I didn't detect the presence that would've been the form of the Manticore, which meant that I had been moved. And the only things I knew of that existed in this Universe at this point was Pegasi, and that now-deceased cat-hybrid. Which would mean that one of those flying-horses moved me themselves.

Slowly, I placed my hands on the ground and raised myself. If I rose too quickly, it would just make matters worse. Controlling my breathing was a difficult thing to do as well, but after a few seconds, I got a hold of myself. I looked around blearily, piecing together my current location to still be in the forest, but on a path instead of the clearing.

The almost impossibly-faint breeze being generated by the flapping of the Pegasus' wings behind me reminded me that I was not alone. I didn't flinch, nor turn, or say anything. It's not like I could do that last one; my throat felt like it was filed away with sandpaper. Even if I hadn't been connected to the Energy Barrier for the Universe, that didn't stop my natural senses from picking up information.

For one, my companion was apparently behind me... about five o' clock, hovering around three feet in the air. If the creature became hostile, kicking out with my leg at a high angle would buy me enough time to plan my next action. From what I would've called at that moment, both of the Pegasi had been small. This meant that the option of pouncing was very well feasible—

"It's all right, little one," I heard behind me. The gentleness accompanying the voice surprised me, especially since it came straight from... Oh, there was no way. Turning carefully, my left eye caught sight of the yellow Pegasi from the duo back at the clearing hovering near me with a nervous smile on her (no doubt with that tone) face.

My eyes simply stared at her in surprise. To be frank, I hadn't been expecting a fucking pink-haired female miniature-Pegasi to talk to me like I was a pet. Really, I hadn't even been upset that she said it, simply because the event had me in a minor flabbergasted state.

I attempted to make a rebuttal, which proved to be a horrible idea as the rasp in my throat caused a pretty severe coughing fit and prevented even a syllable to have been formed. Ed mentioned in the back of my mind that I wasn't ill, but that I should refrain from speaking until I acquired some water.

Couldn't have agreed with him more.

"Take it easy..." the Pegasi cooed to me again, coming closer towards me. I was wary of her (anyone should be if they had been dragged along by a speaking mythological being), and even if she didn't seem a threat, I wasn't going to take the chance. I had faced things before that seemed innocent, only to turn out to be quite vicious. I had tensed up staring at her not with fear, but with a reserved aggression that was the basic equivalent of 'Come-closer-and-I'll-strike'.

She stopped instantly, unsure of what I was going to do. My response to her apprehension was to simply stay knelt down and retain my harsh look. Now, to be honest in most cases this would not have been the norm of a first contact. I would have greeted the first sentient I met, most of the time stay incognito about my work until it slipped out accidentally, and then I kicked baddie ass to balance the Universal Scales of that realm.

Instead, the Fates decided that this first contact needed to be me having a one-sided stand-off with a feminine Pegasus that had a yellow coat, long pink hair, and three butterflies on her hindquarters-

Wait... butterflies?!

No, I hadn't been imagining it. From my angle, I had clearly seen a trio of pink butterflies on the horses' rump. Truly I didn't know whether to start laughing like a madman or not when I saw it, but instead I settled simply to cock my head at it in interest. On the corners of my peripherals, I saw that it- she had not moved an inch since I showed my weariness of her approach.

"Storm. I'm fairly certain she means you no harm, especially since she was dragging you most likely to her home so she could heal you."

'I can heal myself just fine.'

"Yes, but she doesn't know that."

My thinking paused as that comment from Ed sunk in. I looked carefully into the two sapphire-spheres that made up the Pegasus' eyes. On the surface, I could see no malice. And through my honed senses, my ability to detect lies on a deeper level proved that she had literally no evil intent in her period.

As I knelt there and looked at her with mistrust, I realized as well that I had no grounds to stand on for showing disrespect to her. This fellow may be an asshole, but even I knew that causing fear to be the first prominent feeling in my first contact could only lead to disaster. With that thought, my terse gaze softened considerably, and I let out a pained sigh as my head lowered to the ground. I watched as I pushed myself away from the ground, and soon I stood -- rather shakily -- on my legs.

The Pegasus was by my side in an instant, locating her hooves in an expert manner to help me steady myself. I really wasn't used to having another be in contact with me unless they had the goal of murdering me, so one could understand that I was on edge for the first ten seconds or so of contact.

"It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you," she murmured soothingly into my ear. "I just want to bring you to my home so I can help you, all right?" I just nodded; I wasn't going to attempt to speak again. That coughing really hurt my throat like a bitch. On that note, the Pegasus stayed side-by-side with me as we both limped down the trail.

Neither of us shared any words for a while (not that I could have anyway), and as such an oddly comfortable silence hung as we navigated the dark and foreboding forest. I was vigilant in making sure nothing would jump me again, but it seemed Nature knew not to mess with me after the brawl with the Manticore. Not that I had been complaining on that aspect; I felt pretty much like crap.

Suddenly, as we rounded a bend I could see the opening out of the forest up ahead. It was still a considerable distance 'till that point, but at least it was a straight-forward route. I squinted in vain to see anything outside of the entry, but the distance plus the dim light was simply too much for me to get anything discernible out of the try.

My curiosity went back towards the... mare? I thought that would be the proper term since she was a female horse. I had been looking at her not because I was curious about the markings on her hide, but because I was sizing her up. If there were things like Manticores in the forest, why would she be in there? There were nothing on her possession, which told me she had not entered for picking any worthwhile herbs. Which meant...

She and her friend came in for me.

I considered the implications. With falling from two-thousand feet in the air into an obviously-dangerous forest, it truly didn't surprise me that an airborne-type of horse would see me. My worry was, did her nearby settlement know as well? From the looks the pair gave me, they had not expected to find me of all things diving from the sky.

"We're almost out of the Everfree now," the mare whispered to me as we both continued down the path. My face scrunched up in confusion. 'Was that the name of this forest? I wonder if it was given the name by the same settlement this Pegasus came from...'

"Possibly. I wonder how advanced their species is..."

'If the Universe relies on an Energy Barrier, I'm going to make the guess that here Magic exists. Since I highly doubt this is going to be some futuristic realm with flying cars driven by mages, I'm going to expect that their technology isn't going to be beyond Medieval Times.'

"Hmm... damn. Oh well, at least dealing with a sentient race of horses is something new to us. And that's difficult to find after how long we've done this song and dance."

'Quite.'

And with that, me and the mare finally reached the end. I had to raise my hand to shield my eyes from the sudden change in lighting, despite it being not that much if you heavily thought about it. After a second or two, I removed my hand to see a rather beautiful sight.

It seemed the Everfree Forest was located on a plateau of sorts with its general elevated flatness; one-of-a-kind as I overlooked a valley. Nestled towards the center (but closer to us) was a sprawling town. Buildings mixing with shingled and thatched roofs dotted the area around the square that held semi-tall and most likely important structures. To our closer left was a truly massive apple orchard, that sported acres of apple trees surrounding an easily-recognizable barn.

As I looked farther out, I could just barely spot a city of sorts on a distant mountaintop. Except that it was hanging off the side of the hunk of rock. It wasn't built into it like I've seen many cities do. No, this one was simply built on a semi-steep hump in the side of what appeared to be the tallest natural object in the surrounding world. The weirdest thing was that most of the mountains (indicated by height) were shaped more like giant, narrow hills.

I picked up all of this as we walked down a snaking path that almost ran parallel to the Forests edge. There was no obvious goal at the end of the path, but I hoped that if it led through the town that not too many Pegasi would cause a ruckus at my state.

Speaking of that state, I looked down at my chest. The wounds that I accumulated were already beginning to recover, the effects of the Nanobots healing serum doing their engineered genius. I expected that unless the mares home was nearby, that the wounds would be mostly healed before she could even get bandages out.

While I was absorbing everything, I did not forget my acquaintance who was still trying to keep me erect despite me obtaining my balance long ago. She seemed more focused on making sure I didn't fall over, and most likely didn't notice me looking around with a hint of interest. Though, when she did finally look over, she was looking past me to where I was also staring at; a building made out of... gingerbread?!

"That's the town of Ponyville. I live on the edge, so I can have my privacy when I'm working with my animals," I heard the Pegasus speak softly as we looked on. With those two statements, several things had become known. One was that the town was named Ponyville (which quite frankly nearly made me fall over from laughter if I hadn't bit my lip). Another was that thankfully we were not going to be flaunting my wounded self to the populace. The third was that the mare was an animal caretaker, which would explain why she spoke to me like I was an animal myself (which I take minor offense to, by the way).

And the final thing was that if I stuck around and I had the trust of the town (or preferably, the species), I was going to discover just what that gingerbread house was used for. If there was a witch living there, the most likely result would be me having to recover from wounds acquired from busting ribs due to guffawing.

I swallowed, and that was when I realized just how dehydrated I was. Staring down at the town of... Ponyville, I noted that there was a system of streams running through the town. My brows furrowed at the water taunting me as we walked. I glanced back over to the horse-

"Actually, considering how the town she lives in is called 'Ponyville', I'm going to expect that here they prefer being called Ponies rather than horses."

'Hmm... you may be right. That could help me dodge a bullet later. Thanks, Ed.'

"No problem."

Looking back over to the pony, I motioned with my free arm gently to release me. She blinked in a surprised manner, but didn't go against me as she brought her hooves away from me. To be honest, that was mostly for reasons involving personal space. With her attention, I shaped my hand so it was similar to a cup, and mimed drinking from it.

I only received a blank stare in return.

My head hung at that, before I waved ahead of me. Somehow she properly interpreted this action, and she took point three feet ahead of me. We had most likely been walking for ten-to-fifteen minutes, and as such the given time-frame allowed the regenerative function in the Nanos to heal me a great amount. My thighs were completely healed, though still held some minor soreness. The gash on my head from a grazing bullet was utterly gone, with not so much as a headache.

The shot to my ribs was still going to take another dozen minutes to be considered good.

Looking up, I spotted the descending sun. It was most likely early-evening, but what was interesting to note was that the sun did not give off glare. This allowed me to stare at it unhindered, which led to the discovery that compared to Earth's usual Sun, the version in the Universe was slightly larger-

"Notice: Reserves Are: 40%. H.U.D (Heads Up Display) Is Now Available."

I blinked in surprise at the Editor interrupting me with its auto-alert. However, the warning unearthed some tests I had wanted to run with the HUD, but weren't able to due to plain forgetfulness. 'Ed. Enable the HUD, all settings online.'

He wordlessly did as I asked, and I closed my eyes to allow the addition to be installed easier. It took a total of three seconds, before I opened my eyes to investigate. I was greeted with the Editor's signature load-timer (a slowly-spinning green hourglass) in the center of my vision.

Once that dissipated, I examined my rather cluttered view. Towards the top-left, I saw a dark-green hologram of myself. Most of me retained the green hue, except for my thighs which had a lighter shade, and my ribs with had a dim-yellow. Satisfied that the Editor was still able to identify the condition of certain parts of my body, I looked towards another corner of my sight.

Towards the bottom-left, the wall-clock had its hands spinning around wildly. I watched as the two skinny black sticks went at different velocities, sometimes changing directions entirely whenever they felt like it. This had simply brought a frown onto my face. 'Ed. Calibrate HUD Clock to match Dimension Time.'

"Calibrating..."

I watched as the spinning hourglass appeared over the clock, and as it turned the clock slowed. It finally stopped on a time, before the visual loading aide vanished. A moment passed as the built-in indicator of the clock meant for determining the dates slowly clicked away until they set themselves.

"Time-Clock Is Now Calibrated."

I affirmed the time with the position of the sun in order to ensure there had been no errors. Content that the time reading 'Six-thirty P.M.' was the same, my eyes focused onto the date. 'One-Eight... and several question marks. Okay...?'

"The Editor doesn't have enough historical data to be able to instantly align. And it'll take a while on its own to measure the age of the planet, which would then give us the year in how long this ball of rock has existed. Something that doesn't help us out all that much."

'I see. But, wait... Is it the eighth of their first month, or the first of their eighth month?'

"According to how the scans relayed the data, this planet's position and rotation has a similar if not nearly-identical season-system with Earth. So, luck you; you don't have to work with new seasons, it seems. And, considering that bunch of trees away from the Everfree over there has orange leaves rather than no leaves..."

My eyes found focus on the bundle, and nodded to myself as I was basically walking on auto-pilot behind the mare. 'We're in the fall.'

"Yes. So, borrowing the calender you're familiar with, we've technically entered on this planet October 1st."

'Huh. All right then, thanks for the clarification Ed. I hardly use this HUD thing anymore...'

Redirecting my focus to the top-right, I was greeted with a single empty bar. Recalling that to be linked with helping me see how much Mana reserves I had, my eyes lazily left them. After all, it had no use to me until I could have several hours uninhibited to Sync with the Energy Barrier.

Letting out a brief sigh that went unnoticed by my 'guide' who was still flying along in front of me and letting my subconscious use her lead to maintain where to go when I was focusing on more important things, I settled my attention onto a darkened circle. Well, it was mostly dark save for a trail of light that slowly crawled along.

'Ed. Activate the 'Auto-Set Waypoints' on my Mini-Map.'

"Activating... Are you going to even be using this, by the way?"

'Probably not. But if I set it up now, and I do end up needing it later, well... preparation keeps the wise alive. You can shut all of this crap off when you're done. I only aligned it for any possible emergencies later on.'

"Got it. Also, you're nearly at your destination. Focus."

I simply nodded in understanding as I returned my attention to the Pegasus who I nearly bumped into. She landed finally after doing her hover for maybe twenty-minutes, before she turned to me. She seemed like she was going to say something, before she paused as she looked at my healing chest before her eyes.

When I gave no reaction, she simply shook her head and turned back around to point a hoof at a building down the hill we stood on. "My cottage is right over there. I see my friend Rainbow Dash got the others, so let's not keep them waiting..." I followed after her, before my brain realized what she said.

'...Others?'

"Erm... I'm sure it's nothing? Welcome-Wagon, maybe?"

'I hope so...'

-WTIN-

Our approach to the mare's cottage did not go unnoticed. The large slew of animals surrounding her home squawked and chattered at the return of their caregiver. And then almost instantly after, they all fell silent as my scent reached them. I was surprised that there were familiar birds like blue-jays and hummingbirds alongside recognizable critters like squirrels and rabbits. But I was more surprised at what happened shortly after my scent hit them full-force.

Now, past experiences had animals become naturally friendly with me. They bonded with me without much difficulty, and animals made a great asset at times. At least, the common ones that weren't afflicted with possession or hunger. So, the same effect would happen again with them liking myself, right?

Yes. But it's still terrifying to see a pure mob of adorable animals coming at me.

What was probably more horrifying was the mare who had been next to me suddenly standing in-between and literally shout at the creatures. It was brief, it was concise; hell, it wasn't even a word or that loud. But the sheer aggression behind it, stopped every single animal in its tracks.

I was insanely impressed. And by 'insanely impressed', I mean I was only vaguely close to slightly impressed. Still, I hadn't been expecting the demure mare to do what she did, so at least she had that brief moment of surprise outta me. Maybe it counts for something, somewhere. I wonder if there has been an economy established that would take my surprise as currency. It would have probably fallen into ruin due to the severe lack of anyone living to tell how they acquired my surprise-

"Storm. You're mentally rambling. Again."

'Ah, I am. Thanks for reminding me.'

I shook my head, and luckily appeared to have snapped out of my brink to insanity as the Pegasus was motioning for me to follow her. Wordlessly, I obliged as I went after her over the bridge that had a stream flowing underneath (one that I was tempted to drink from) and between the two groups of animals on the other side that had yet to move after the shout directed at them.

Soon, I had found myself in front of the door of the mare's cottage. It was... peculiar. Looked really overgrown, but in a managed way that was one with Nature. Or some crap like that, I didn't know at the time; the dehydration, soreness from wounds, and exhaustion was still having an effect on me at that point.

She glanced over at me in trepidation. "Now, I'm not sure how my friends will react, but..." A warm smile graced her face as she patted me gently on my left calf. "There won't be any harm to you. I promise." My only possible response to that was a nod showing I understood. And with that, the gates to Hell opened.

Nah, just kidding. Though, the opening of the front door certainly brought about a deathly silence in the cozy and rather quaint abode. From my position, I could see what was most likely a living room. And it was filled with... three, four, five, six... six mares residing within. I saw that three of them were Unicorns (another type of horse "pony" that I hadn't encountered for a good period of time), two who lacked both a horn and wings, and then finally the last Pony was one I recognized if only a bare amount; the blue Pegasus that was there when I fought the Manticore.

While I hadn't been used to the facial expression on the Ponies, I had clearly gotten that there was awe, fear, shock, and slight over-protectiveness with a hint of disgust on all of the mares parts. For a moment, it seemed like there was going to be several more moments of me standing there awkwardly while being stared at by Ponies, before the yellow Pegasus next to me spoke. "I need to wrap up his wounds. Rainbow, there's a medical kit upstairs in my bedroom. Could you please get it for me?"

I saw the one from before nod slowly as she didn't take her eyes off me. "Sure, Fluttershy. No problem..." As I watched her ascend up the stairs, it was then that I realized I now knew two of the Ponies names. More importantly that the one who owned the home I was standing in was named 'Fluttershy'.

...Well, I had guessed the names fitted. For both of the mares.

Returning my attention to the living room, I saw that they were all still staring at me. If it hadn't been for my damnable throat feeling like it was a desert, I would've introduced myself. Instead, I had to rely on... Fluttershy, to do my greeting for me. "Girls, as Rainbow may have told you... this is why you're here."

I heard an awkward clearing of a throat before one of the mares, the orange one without any addition (perhaps they were called horses?) on her body nodded to me as she removed her stetson- Wait, a stetson? "Ah'm Applejack, nice ta meet ya..." And she has a country accent.

Oh, Fate. You're a bit of a jokester, aren't you?

Not knowing what to do, at that moment I simply did what I had been doing every time something in this realm talked to me; I nodded. All of the mares had raised their eyebrows like me nodding my head was something they weren't expecting. Clearly, they needed to stop underestimating me and all of my sexiness-

"I got the kit, 'Shy," the one named Rainbow called out as she descended the stairs mid-flight and landed before the two of us. Her eyes flicked over to me for the briefest of seconds, before she handed (or would the verb be 'hoofed' with their species?) the box over to her friend.

Fluttershy had waved me over to the unoccupied couch that rested against the stairwell in the parlor. I found it odd that none of the Ponies had been using it, but apparently they seemed content on standing in a semi-circle opposite of me as I sat down. Out of the corners of my eyes, I saw them turn their attentions to one another as they whispered to themselves.

No doubt about myself.

But even with the softness of their voices, and my distance, I could still hear them. It was slightly humorous to myself to hear them ask each other things like 'What is that thing?', only to be answered with 'I don't know' every time. Also, through my unintentional eavesdropping (they made it too difficult for me to not hear them), I learned some of the Ponies' names further.

The orange mare that had greeted me beforehand was apparently named Applejack, a name that seemed fitting with the trio of apples on her flank. As for the alabaster Unicorn she was conversing with, I heard the nickname 'Rare'. The diamonds adorning her side only confused me further. But at that moment, I had a feeling that I wouldn't get farther with getting the full name due to the country ponies' way of speaking.

My attention had then went to the conversation between the mint-green and lavender Unicorns. I really had to struggle to hear, but apparently the aquamarine mare was named 'Lyra'. Her lyre tattoo (the closest thing it resembles, anyway) agreed with the name. As for the other... I was slightly stumped.

The one called Lyra referred to her as 'Sparks', which is obviously a nickname. However, the problem arose as to what her full name was. A star intermingling with other stars as her markings proved to be lead-less in my attempt, before I finally gave up all together.

And that was all I could obtain before Fluttershy had finished whatever she was doing. I had felt her fussing away at my injury to my ribs, and then the stab wound from the Manticore's stinger to my shoulder as I was gathering information. To be honest, I had forgotten that the wound was there from the fight, as well as the slash marks on my chest and back (both of which had been gone a while ago).

I nearly cracked an amused smirk at the amount of surprise in the Pegasus' eyes. My body had a natural healing effect due to being in-touch with the Editor for so long. Add that with Nanos that went around in my system and sprayed their regenerative serum, and nearly all of my wounds had been repaired on their own. Though, that didn't stop the mare to go on and wrap up my shoulder with an herbal salve.

Fluttershy seemed satisfied with her work (which was mostly just examination), before she turned to address the others that were still whispering their thoughts to one another. "Okay, I did what I could." Strangely enough, the soft voice of the mare stopped their conversations. "He'll be more than all right..."

At this point, I hadn't been expecting what would happen next. My thoughts would conclude normally that with their herd mentality, the Ponies would've forcefully brought Fluttershy away from me. If my eavesdropping had proven correctly, then they didn't know about Humans. Instead, I watched as the one named 'Sparks' opened a pair of saddlebags that bared her hip-mark.

Her horn lit itself with a velvet glow, one that encompassed multiple books that floated out of the storage bags before she promptly closed them. She turned her attention to me for a brief moment, looking me up and down. Furrowing her brows, she cracked open one of her books and began sifting through it.

An awkward silence ensued then as we all watched her go through her books. I had a fair idea that those were books relating to bestiaries, and she was searching for an entry on my species with a fervor-driven intent. Though, her mounting irritation had told me then that she wasn't having much luck.

Finally, as she tore through her own books, Sparks made some sort of guttural sound. "Ugh, I can't find anything about this creature in any of these texts. There's not even records of anything resembling it in the 'Equestrian Guide to Myths and Beasts'!"

"So, he is a new species then?" Rainbow asked.

"Apparently, yes. It- er, he is the first... well, I'm not sure what his species is."

As they had begun to talk to one another, I watched the sidelines at the one called 'Lyra'. Out of all the Equines in the room, she was the one that seemed the most calm about me (besides Fluttershy, possibly). She stared at me with a giddy smile on her face, taking interesting especially in my hands. Since my company was busy arguing with each other on what to do with me, I decided to make my own entertainment.

I flicked out my index finger. Her eyes gravitated to the random movement. I did it again, this time doing a wave effect with my fingers as I reclined against the couch's back. I noted that her smile grew wider, and that she was starting to walk towards me. She came right up to me, an action that went unnoticed by the others as they pulled in their numbers (including Fluttershy) to discuss me.

With reserved interest, I watched as she climbed up right next to me... and then sat just like me. I admit; hadn't been expecting that. My eyes widened slightly in confusion, but beyond that I showed no other emotion to her movement. Lyra's attention had still been locked on my fingers, extremely curious about them. Considering how they had hooves, the concept of opposable digits was an understandable revelation.

To humor her, I started tapping a beat with my fingers. The beats hadn't been anything overly complex, but it held her attention as I randomly played melodies on the wooden arm of the couch. What I didn't notice at that moment though, was that as I lazily played, the other mares gradually fell silent.

I was getting into it now, still using my single hand to strike the frame to create a steady rhythm. Occasionally, I had formed my hand into a fist and gently (but firmly) slammed it down to accentuate a deeper bass beat. My eyes closed shut as I gradually became louder. It wasn't like I had cared at that point; music was always an element that calmed me, whether it was my own or another's.

Bringing my original drumming hand over the arm, my other hand joined its compatriot on the wooden bar to ease the difficulty in creating a more complex beat. I payed little attention to the outside world in a sense as I continued on, making the strikes become more frantic and intense.

And suddenly, I stopped after heavily slamming my index fingers down on the frame. There was an odd silence that hung in the room, and when I had opened my eyes I discovered the semi-ring of Ponies had reformed around my own person. Looking over to Lyra, her pleased smile dominated most of her face as she hovered up a tattered scroll. My eyebrows arched in response, but the others beat me to it.

"Lyra, what is that?" Sparks questioned, having shaken herself out of the stupor my act of music placed her in.

"Remember how I mentioned that I researched an obscure tall ape, Sparks?" That surprised me. Had there been previous Humans that existed in the Universe? If they had, they must've been obscure indeed to only have one-out-of-seven have even a slight clue about my existence. "I... I think this is the one."

"What? How?!" The lavender mare across from me replied. "I just searched ever bestiary the Library had, and I couldn't find so much as a mention!"

"I know. But, there was an article that I recalled that had a biography on this creature back in the Canterlot Archives!" I simply blinked in response as I stared at the tattered parchment still by Lyra's side.

"...Is that the article there?" I glanced over at Lyra's guilty smile. My eyes widened as Sparks voiced my own thoughts. "You didn't... You stole the article?!"

"'Stole' is such a harsh word, Sparks. I borrowed it in the interest of academic research!"

"You took it without permission, Lyra! That's the same thing!"

"Does it matter?" The mare next to me countered calmly. "We have a source on what species he belongs to! Besides, if you want the Archive to have the article back, then I'll give it to you so you can send it to them. Tell them it got mixed up, and you only just discovered it."

The irritated groan that left Sparks surprised me, before I heard her speak again in what was quite clearly a restrained voice. "All... all right, Lyra. Just... give me the article." As I watched the scroll unfurl in the new Ponies' possession, I suddenly had a very bad feeling.

The feeling skyrocketed when the mares soon looked up at me from the scroll in horror, and Sparks' horn glow with a vicious purpose. 'Oh... shit...'

Chapter Four: Lies Reflect Bullets

Chapter Four: Lies Reflect Bullets

Lyra had not been expecting it at all.

The initial hope the mare had when she heard a close relation was a small one. She had not believed that the focus of her attention besides music and knowledge would be visible to her eyes. Years had been spent reading over that article, its words describing something that she had never heard about before. It had fascinated her; to the point of it becoming an extremely minor obsession.

Who wouldn't become intrigued with finding one fleeting piece about a race of sentient apes that were supposedly far more advanced than Ponies?

When Lyra had first found the parchment, she didn't know what to think. It had been lodged in-betwixt two dusty tomes in one of the farthest corners of the Canterlot Royal Archives. From her thinking, not a soul had to of been back there in quite a while. And the only reason she had went back there, was because she felt compelled to. When she read over the article with growing surprise, needless to say it 'piqued' her interest.

Hours had been spent searching the extensive source of information for another mention. No name of an author was located on the scroll, and therefore she could not find another reference. In her telekinetic grasp had possibly been the only scrap of history relating to the species in existence. The species that the common pony knew nothing about, and surprisingly not even herself (despite being a very well-taught mare).

The massive storage of texts had been empty save for herself. So, she was sure nopony would've missed the parchment if she brought it back to her home to see if her miniature collection of bestiaries would suffice in giving more information. Though, she did walk out with some trepidation at being caught, but it had been quelled when not a single guard batted an eye at her departing with a slightly-larger saddlebag.

Her personal search did not come to fruition, though. At this point, she became irritated enough with the small-lead. So, she settled to let it fade into the background as she focused on her studies and her musical career (which at the time, was only in its first leg).

The article would not be unfurled in over two years.

When Lyra had restumbled onto her stolen item, she at first didn't recognize it. A quick read-through brought clarity, and re-sparked the previously-snuffed ember that had been her curious obsession. She no longer had to worry about her academics at that point, and her growing reputation as a musician guaranteed that she would hold popularity for a while. So with nothing to get in her way, she searched brutally across every library she could afford to get to.

Every single one failed.

Every single one didn't have so much as a mention, and once again she was left with the obscure tale. The brief biography that went no further than six paragraphs, and which held facts that had still brought chills to her spine years after already experiencing them once.

It had been at this point that the Summer Sun Celebration occurred in Ponyville, and with it the defeat of the returned Nightmare Moon. That jogged Lyra's memory, for she had recalled there being a library in the town during the one time she went there before her curiosity absorbed all her attention.

And like that, after bidding her Canterlot parents farewell, she moved without hesitation. An empty home on the farther reaches of the settlement became hers, and she settled in comfortably. With this, she perused the Golden Oaks Library for any hope of finding material. It was during this period that she met up again with her old alumni-acquaintance, Twilight Sparkle.

Between the two of them, they tore through the Library in search of what Lyra described simply as 'a hunt for obscure beasts'. They found many, but none of them satisfied the sea-foam mare. Nonetheless, she became extremely interested in the Library and her new friend. With nothing but performances waiting for her back at Equestria's capital, she decided then that Ponyville would be her home for a good long while.

History repeated itself though, and soon after Lyra's interest degraded once again. Every possible lead, or center of knowledge turned up short. It did not take long before she had soon wanted to rid herself of the information, for it had only brought disappointment in an attempt to seek it. She had planned to tuck it away into a book while she checked it out and simply returned the entirety of it to Twilight.

But when the news reached her, the split-second she had before being yanked out the door was spent reacquiring the same hideaway she brought back two days previous. As they all made their beeline to Fluttershy's Cottage, Lyra's hope soared when the scroll still rested betwixt the pages.

Was all her time she spent searching finally going to come to fruition? The idea of the answer to that question being 'yes' filled her with such glee, even though at the same time she prepped herself in advance for yet another failure in seeking the object of her curiosity.

Lyra shook her head quickly to dispel the flashback of emotions and memories. She had began to recollect on the couch of Fluttershy's Cottage, and right beside her was her goal. He was a lot taller than she imagined, but the grandeur that the scroll described had been nothing compared to actually being beside him.

Just by being near him, she could feel such strength. Such intelligence. And during that point of her musings, he was playing music. The beat was similar to drums, except he had been using his claws to do such. If they could have been described as such, due to the lack of any actual claws.

As her eyes took in every aspect, it was then that she noticed something amiss. According to what she could recall from memory at that point, the structure of the skull did not match the description the scroll had given her. Confusion failed to paint her features due to the severe giddiness that presided over her face. Instead, without losing her smile, she had wordlessly brought out her scroll for clarification.

Before she could, her friend Sparks began to speak to her. Questioning her about her scroll, about why she decided to acquire it from the Archives, and if she could view it herself. The aquamarine mare did not lie in her responses, and without fighting it she had floated over the riveting tale to her new ally to get lost in the splendor that was the specimens' biography.

Instead, she saw a gasp of shock arise from not only her, but the other girls who had been around her. And with that, a threatening glare of light ignited Sparks' horn. Magical energy surged about her point of focus, and Lyra realized at that moment that it was an attack.

And it had begun to be directed at her very-real dream.

Without so much as a hint of hesitation, she sprung up to all fours and positioned herself in-between the line of fire. A light-green hue of magical power encompassed her horn, and soon it was a stand-off between the two mares. At least, it would have been if her friend Sparks didn't almost immediately turn down the potency of the spell in surprise.

"Lyra! What're you doing?! Get away from him; he's dangerous!"

Upon hearing the words, a look of confused yet scared befuddlement replaced the previously-joyous face that had been Lyra's as she stared back at the group copying her expression. "What? No, he is not!"

"Yes, he is!" Sparks responded just as loudly while the article fluttered to the ground, forgotten. "The biography on the scroll you brought says so!"

"So?! That doesn't mean it's the stereotype for all of his kind!"

A compassionate yet determined glare locked onto Lyra's sight. "How would you know...?" The hanging question had brought about a terse silence. All the focus was directed at the possible-confrontation between two friends, and no longer was it directed towards the original source of fault.

Suddenly, the silence had been shattered by an irritated snort that left the sea-foam Unicorn. "Because that would be like saying all the Gryphons love fighting and war! And they don't. For Celestia's sake, there's an entire Gryphon group made to stop violence in their own species!"

"That is a completely different situation!" Sparks replied indignantly.

"How so?"

"For one," the Element of Magic began in an increasingly-frustrated tone, "we actually have current knowledge of Gryphons! That document is at least several centuries old, if not more! Evolution can change instincts in that time, Lyra! And if this article is correct, the aggression of Gryphons are nothing compared to-"

"You are laying down judgement on a subject you cannot pursue!" Lyra fired back harshly, causing all the others in the room to jerk their heads back in response. "I've researched all I could about his species for years, Sparks. Years!" An angered blast of air left her lips. "And that's the only thing I've found of him! Who knows if it was written in bias. And don't you dare tell me that I am not placing proper faith into him. In a way, he saved Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash!"

"They wouldn't have had to of been saved if he didn't plummet from the sky, Lyra!"

"Exactly that! He fell, Sparks. He crash-landed, and then fought off a Manticore. An Alpha at that!" The Elements were surprised at the fire buring in Lyra's eyes. At that moment, so was she. "And from what Fluttershy saw from his wounds, he was in a conflict beforehand. What possible harm could he do to us?!"

"Exactly what you said. Despite being wounded, he still bested a Manticore!"

Frustrated teeth were bared by Lyra as her horn brightened protectively. "Because he has strength, you condemn him? Without trial?!"

Another silence passed as the lavender mare took on a flabbergasted attitude as she attempted to stutter out a counter-argument. The light around her horn progressively dimmed, and so to did Lyra's own. Eventually, she spoke again in a collected yet sympathetic voice. "Trust me on this, Sparks. Please."

The defeated sigh that had left the mare on that day was sorrowful. "I do... I do." Having released another sigh, Sparks looked up past Lyra to apologize. But she stopped short. The other Elements mimicked her, and soon Lyra turned around to see what was wrong.

A frantic shriek left her when she saw what was quite wrong. "Where did he go?!"

Nopony responded to that question. Instead, Sparks looked down to her hooves and asked another. "Girls?! Where did the scroll go?!"

A faint creaking sound caused all seven of the mares to turn their attention to the front door. The portal to the outside world was mostly shut. Save for the top half, which slowly squeaked on hinges that needed oil. A lone breeze flowed through the home, and with it sent yet another jolt of fear into the Ponies' bodies.

"He's escaped!"

-WTIN-

I had not been expecting it at all.

Well, perhaps that was a minor lie. The situation had occurred before, multiple times in fact. I pop up, they don't originally know who I am, they look up something about humans, and they go bat-shit crazy trying to restrain me. Though, it had not happened in over a millennia, which made the trope of its return rather funny.

That initial moment where Sparks' horn had ignited brought more surprise than shock, really. But what surprised me even more was when the mare Lyra moved. And I simply say 'move', because her reflexes had somehow placed her on all fours and positioned herself into the line of fire with her own glow.

A simple raise of my eyebrow was the only response I had for the knee-jerk response. Then they began to argue with one another, debating with one another about whether I was a threat to them or not. I had only been half-listening, because my focus aligned to the parchment that fluttered to the ground.

'Whatever is on that record certainly doesn't paint Humans in a positive light...'

"It appears so. I say we take a look at it."

My brow remained raised as I stared at the two Unicorns shouting at one another. 'Erm, are you sure that's a good idea with them being skittish of me?'

"Well, we can't solve it if we don't know ahead of time what information we're dealing with..."

'Hmm... you have a good point, Ed.'

Glancing over at the other Ponies, I discovered that all their attention was on the two now-silent Unicorns. The quiet stunned me, before my eyes went back to the scroll. Despite their thoughts being on the near-possible fight, trying to slip in from behind to acquire the article would be close-to-impossible.

'Ed. Update me on Editor Reserves.'

"We're about sixty-percent. Orders?"

My eyes had squinted towards the chunk of data. Slowly raising my hand, I tapped straight into the Universal Editor's Energy Reserve, using it in place of actual Mana or whatever form of manipulative energy was available in the dimension. The only problem that came with it was that it was taxing; on mind, body, spirit, and Reserve.

Nonetheless, the unaware Ponies did not respond to the progressive amount of reality-defying energy consuming my outstretched hand. A similar field had begun to pool around the forgotten piece, and in an instant it vanished. Not a moment passed before it reappeared discreetly in my grasp. No sound, no flash, not even much of a glow; just extremely-dim blue energy.

I had sat there for a moment to stare at the parchment in my grasp. The shouting match between Lyra and Sparks was still going strong, mentioning Gryphons in an attempt to compare personalities. Considering how the last several times I had clashed with Gryphons they ended up being warmongers, then whatever was written on the script also portrayed Humans as something similar. Or worse.

Not too far off, really.

I attempted to swallow, but instead it just reminded me of the severe dehydration I had to of been going through. I had nearly let out a dry cough, but I refrained on account of keeping the attention off of me. My thoughts began to wander back to the stream, with its crystal-clear water bubbling forth under the bridge...

Carefully, I stood up slowly. My movement went unnoticed. Making sure to roll my feet to improve my sneaking, I had begun to backpedal away. Luckily, the room was situated so that I had sat closer to the door. Their argument about myself was on the far side of the room, essentially leaving me a path of no-resistance. It didn't take long before my heel caught onto the bottom of the front door, causing me to halt. None of them appeared to noticed my moving, and with a grin I turned around to silently open the door-

...

My hand froze in midair. There was no knob of any sort, nor handle. My mind had attempted to solve why I had not seen that detail before, which simply caused my brain to hurt. Letting out an internal snort, I let my eyes travel across the door some ways to see a small pin-lock system towards the bottom. It was one of those classics: the hoop embedded into the door, and the hook hanging parallel on the frame.

I had considered to pluck it, before my hand froze again. Having worked with metals for centuries enabled me to see right off the bat that the hook was loose. Which meant moving it would cause noise. Noise that would blow my cover, and would probably get me magically-burnt.

No other options were available, though. All the windows were at angles that would be easily visible to any of the mares, same as any doorways leading to different sections of the abode. The front door had been my one-possible chance-

...

'Hello there...'

The door turned out to be a Dutch door. Which was quite lucky, for it meant the top-half was easily able to be opened. My grin re-plastered itself upon my face, and my hand made contact to quietly push the slab away and allow me liquid pleasure that I direly needed.

"Hold it, Storm!"

My fist clenched instinctively, despite being more annoyed than angry. 'What is it, Ed?! Kinda dying of thirst over here!'

"Hinges will squeak if they're opened too slowly..."

I paused, glancing over. Sure enough, the hinges seemed to be slightly dry. An indication that it would squeak when adjusted. Combined with the fact of there being no squeak when the door was opened upon a swift entry earlier led to the conclusion that Ed was probably absolutely correct.

Bastard.

Glancing back over my shoulder, it brought me back into the conversation still being held that the document was hundreds-of-years old. Which really only caused my interest to be piqued even further to read the scroll, and to therefore ignore the discussion as I applied my hand to the door finally to open it.

...

My grin grew wider at the silence from the action. Locating my hand on top of the bottom half for support, I tensed. My planning was good, it seemed. I had been planning on using one of the Unicorns shouting to mask any sound I would create going over. Of course, it happened almost immediately after I had gotten into position. With a heave, I sent myself over without detection.

Sighing in relief, I quickly closed the opening (but left it ajar due to the possible loud click of it reconnecting to its Siamese twin) and had begun to walk towards the waters' edge. My movements had been slow, and sluggish. The fading of my wounds and its soreness could not be attributed to it, which left the blame to go to thirst once more.

I had bent over slowly and cupped my hands in the water. Its chilled touch brought a happy grin upon as I began to drink. It had been so satisfying, that I had to physically restrain myself from dunking my head into the current and holding it there. The slow process of letting my body become acclimated to being hydrated lasted for about ten seconds, before I purposely sat myself on the bank. A sigh had left me when my shoes were removed to expose my bare feet to the cooling sensation.

Silence was deafening out where I had been. The nocturnal animals expected to be about were nowhere to be seen nor heard. The true sound was the simple babbling of the brook as it flowed down into the town of Ponyville in the valley that at that moment had sat to the right of me. I swallowed, and cleared my throat lightly to move my throat muscles around some.

Yes, throat muscles. Don't judge my thinking.

My gaze slowly slipped down to the parchment still within my grasp. I had attempted to hear the Ponies from my distance, but alas even with that ajar opening no sound had been within my hearing capabilities. They were sharp, but not as sharp as they could've been at that point in time.

Taking a breath and releasing it, I unfurled the document and began to read it aloud in the confines of my thinking:

'There is a race. One both similar and different to anything else in Equestria at the point of this writing. They are lumbering things, beings of great stature and size. At this very moment, the first documentation of these creatures are being written by the same quill that writes these words.

'Beings from this race are known to stand on their hind-legs, being bipedal like the Diamond Dogs and Minotaurs (while lacking the large majority of fur). Their forelegs bear no sharp claws, thought similar appendages have been located with rounded tips. Approximate height is about six hoofs high; a towering stance that could stare down a Manticore, as well as previously mentioned species.

'Their current lodging is rather wide-spread; reports from all over the land have reported sightings of the same beings. Whether it was in the North with its cold, or the South with its sweltering heat, or even the damned Badlands that house the Dragons. Whether any of these are confirmed or not is unknown to this writer.

'It is confirmed however, that all sightings reported that the creatures wore clothes and held tools in their grasp. Proof that they are indeed sentient is accepted, but no contact besides fleeting moments of sight have been made to even fully identify this fact, or their existence in general.

'Sightings confirm that they wield weapons. Devices resembling sharpened staves, potentially crude spears. Unknown if hostile, but rumors have been thrown about that they are violent against each other and will kill for superiority. Unknown if society capital is established, most likely conclusion that species functions on village-system.

'In conclusion, this document has been recorded during...' I frowned as a large portion of the final paragraph was horribly disfigured by age and stains. Only the last line had any semblance of clarity. '-ous. The Institution has labeled this race as a PMC (Probable Mythical Creature), and have concluded to refer to the species further as "Earthlings" due to lack of any variance to allow magical abilities nor flight.'

A rush of movement exiting the Cottage had focused my attention upon the surge before I could even start to draw conclusions. It was the entire Pony entourage, and they had been heading straight towards me with a frenzied passion. Unmoving, I simply sat there with a curious brow raised in their direction. Gradually, they slowed to a stop once they realized that I wasn't fleeing, nor that I had really gone too far.

Heavy labored breathing came from Sparks as her horn was lit. This was a different glow, brighter in comparison to her offensive attack she had threatened me beforehand with. Presumably it was a Torch spell, or some variant of it to allow light in dark areas.

I had watched as the group didn't seem to know what to do. They didn't come right up to me, but they didn't just leave me be either. My muted curiosity was still being expressed only with my right eyebrow raised as I sat peacefully on the bank. A lip-only smile appeared on my face as I spoke.

At least, I had tried to.

My attempt to speak had gone horribly-wrong, causing a near ripping sensation to happen in my throat as I choked and coughed painfully. The others were on me in an instant, though not with aggression and shock like before. Instead, in its wake there had been compassion and worry for me as I tried to piece together what was happening.

"Storm... I-I think I know what is wrong." The sheer seriousness and nervousness that oh-so-rarely intermingled in Ed's voice had drawn all my thought to his words. "Some scans from your Nanobots have come in after you re-hydrated yourself... You hadn't sliced the poison sac on the Manticore low enough. An amount remained, and... it's currently in your throat."

'...'

"The Nanobots have already contained and killed it, though! Ed clarified, desperate to keep my horror in check. "However, the aftermath of the two connecting in your vocal chords have... well made it impossible for you to speak."

'...Permanent?'

"Oh no, temporary. It'll only take a day or two for the healing chemicals to fully cleanse the left-over damage."

A relieved sigh had left me at that as I felt myself being ushered into the Cottage once more. There was no point to put up resistance, so I simply allowed them to guide me back to the couch to rest. I also allowed them to re-acquire the document. With the news settling in though, I had quickly begun to understand Ed's trepidation.

'Shit... I can't clear my name until I can speak.'

"Or until you charge enough of the Reserve and Sync to start fiddling with telepathic magicks. Whichever comes first."

My head had sagged in concentration, tuning out the hushed voices speaking to one another as my mind began to clear itself. It was time for them to become used to my presence after my disappearing act, and for me to plan my next step to clear my biased species name.

-WTIN-

As the 'Earthling' fell into a focused thinking, the Ponies in the room huddled around each other in a corner opposite of the being. This time, discussions were done with watchful eyes locked onto him to prevent another escape. Or, at bare minimum any heart-attacks.

"Okay," Twilight started as she broke her stare to look at the others around her, "I think we all need to decide exactly what we're going to do with him."

"We shouldn't have to do anything," Rainbow Dash muttered as she hovered defiantly in the air. "He isn't our problem."

"Don't be too brash, darling," Rarity spoke calmly as she glanced at her fellow Unicorns. "Did either of you two manage to find anything else about him?"

"Nothing." Both of them said simultaneously.

"Then it has become our problem, then," the fashionista said with a confident nod. "Girls, we may very well be dealing with an endangered species. An intelligent one, no less. Perhaps we shouldn't just haphazardly send it away."

A pondering quiet occurred at this point, as each Pony considered what to do. It was interrupted when Lyra let out a small chuckle as she looked on towards the Earthling. The others turned their attention to her as she had begun to speak in a humored tone. "Well, now we know there's no doubt he's intelligent..."

Applejack shot a sidelong glance at the scroll secured in Twilight's telekinetic grasp. "Are ya sure he could've read th't?"

"He had to, otherwise why would he have taken it in the first place?" Fluttershy wondered meekly.

"Perhaps curiosity?" Rarity said with a tilt of her head in thought. "Who knows if he can even read Equestrian, let alone speak it?"

"Why don't we ask?" Before anypony could stop her, Rainbow Dash swooped away from the group and plopped in front of the Earthling. He didn't so much as flinch, nor appear to have noticed her proximity. Asking her question, she was met with no response. Shrugging, she returned. "Guess that answers that."

"Dash, I don't even think he heard you..." Twilight trailed off as she stared at him. Sure enough, the Earthling showed no signs that he heard a sound, instead preferring to have his head bowed in what could only be described as intelligent thought.

"He may not be able to talk," Fluttershy said suddenly. The others turned their attention to her as she took the turn of keeping an eye on their company. "When I was bringing him through the Everfree, he didn't speak. But he did make a signal with his claws."

"What kinda signal?"

"He cupped one of them and tilted it over his mouth." There was a brief pause as realization flooded her eyes. "That explains why he was by the creek. He had been asking if I had water."

Lyra glanced at her studious friend. "Earthlings may communicate with body language. The article never did say that they heard any of his kind speak Equestrian."

"He must at least understand it," Twilight interjected thoughtfully. "He nodded at Applejack when she greeted him. But yes; it's very possible he may not be able to speak through his vocal... chords..." She trailed off, her mind running scenarios. The other girls continued on without her.

"I thought Equestrian was known all over, though!" Pinkie interjected for the first time, which was a rare occurrence to experience in the other girls' minds.

"Perhaps we've thought wrong this whole time," Lyra had muttered.

"Perhaps," Rarity shook her head with eyes closed. The girls watched her idle curls of her mane follow. "Nonetheless, the poor dear is lost, most likely confused, and above all else..."

"Above all else?" was the echo.

"He's alone." She finished quietly. They all took a moment to consider that, how they had indeed found him without another. How he had looked at them with intelligence, but at the same time a glint of something unrecognizable. Was it confusion? It was a pondering that which its answer eluded the mares.

"Oh no."

The mares turned at the steadily-rising look of horror on Twilight Sparkle's face. "Fluttershy. Did you say he was stabbed by the Manticores' tail?" The nod in response caused a sharp intake of air. Rushing back and away from the group, she plucked a bestiary and began sifting through it in a possibly even-more frenzied search.

"I don't think he's poisoned, Twi'," Rainbow said carefully as she flew herself to hang over her friends' shoulder. "Doesn't Manticore venom kill immediately, especially when he was hit that close to his heart? If he came into contact with it, and he's still kicking now..."

Whether her thoughts were heard or not by the lavender mare was unknown as she landed on the page she was searching for. Rainbow saw it was what she was expecting; articles about the lion-scorpion-bat hybrid. After a few terse moments, Twilight began to read aloud. "'In the event that any being is poisoned with Manticore venom, and has not died in the span of five minutes, then they have only experienced a minor amount. Death is likely, but if treated the victim will survive. Side-effects to having Manticore venom include: blindness, hallucinations, and...'"

A nearly-imperceptible pause left her lips as Twilight finished. "'Loss of complex thinking.'"

Looks of surprise had appeared on all of the mares' faces as they glanced over at the Earthling. He remained in the exact same position, unmoving since he had sat down after his brief leave from the cottage. Rarity ended the moment-long lull in the conversation. "Do you really think that's what happened (or worse yet, what is happening) to him, Twilight?"

Her response had been only an unsure shake of her head. "Not exactly, but we can't just simply rule it out either, girls."

Lyra tapped her hoof impatiently, one that semi-resembled one of the off-kilter beats that the Earthling had done in his fit of intellectual reprise. "We should try speaking to him again. See if he responds with body language, maybe establish some way of communication for him."

The others agreed with this, but were halted by Pinkie. "Do you think he likes parties? I hope so! Being able to throw Ponyville's first 'Welcome To Ponyville, Earthling!' would be so super-terrific!"

A humored chuckle left the entire group as some of the accumulating stress eased its grip. "Let's ask him, shall we?" Rarity said. In one quick moment, they reformed their half-circle in front of the Earthling. It had been expected that he would notice, but it hadn't been expected of him to glance back up and have an irritated gaze directed at Twilight.

Another chuckle, though this time unsure left the mare as she spoke. "Eh heh, I'm sorry for the whole 'nearly-zapped-you-with-my-magic' thing." The only reply she received had been a raised eyebrow. Tentatively, she continued. "The scroll made me weary of you, without being fair and giving you the chance to show if you're not the stereotype it portrayed for your kind."

Silence.

Nervous shifting occurred with all the mares as the Earthling held his rather-piercing gaze with the Bearer of Magic. It lasted for a few moments longer, before he had softened his gaze and gave a curt nod. Relief flooded through them all, before he rose his hand and used one of his slender claws to point at the document. He accentuated the point by doing so again, before using the same finger to point it at himself. He shook his head.

Lyra nodded in understanding from the side of the couch. "You're trying to say that scroll doesn't describe you, right?"

He seemed like he had been going to nod again, before he stopped himself. Raising his entire claw, he extended all of his digits and stiffened them to remain in the broad formation. He gently tilted it from side-to-side, before lowering it. The movement was utterly lost on the mares, but they were willing to accept it.

Everypony (possibly even the Earthling himself) nearly acquired a heart-attack when Pinkie broke the comfort zone and located herself directly into his face. A face-splitting grin adorned her features as she began speaking so rapidly that it made all the Ponies' heads spin. "Hiyah Mr. Earthling! What's your name? Mine's Pinkie Pie! You're so tall! Are all Earthies as tall as you? Oh, what kinda color is your favourite? Mine's pink, I mean hello!-"

The adjoined effort of the three Unicorns in the room silenced her quickly and efficiently. The face belonging to the Earthling was only muted surprise, and to his credit he hadn't flinched when she appeared right in his line of sight. An apologetic smile was flashed to him as Pinkie was hauled back into the line, basically silently stating 'Don't-mind-her, she's-crazy'.

Awkward glancing around by the Earthling was done, before he locked eyes with Applejack. Raising one of his digits, he motioned for her to come over to him. Cautiously, she did as asked. He spun one of his appendages in a circle, and she did an about-face towards her friends. Pointing to Pinkie, he pointed directly at Applejack's eyes.

"Erm... your favourite color is green?" the party-mare asked in a subdued tone. He nodded, and waved Applejack away for her to return to the line. Doing such, he stood up. It had placed the others on edge, but the Earthling didn't seem to notice or even care. Pointing to Pinkie once again, he indicated with his free claw his height. He lowered it, but not below his neck. "And you're taller than average?" she asked again, in which her answer was another nod. There was a pause, in which he appeared to have been thinking, before he shrugged and returned to sitting on the couch.

Twilight stared at him quietly, and while doing such allowed her mind to wander. He doesn't appear to be any less intelligent than we are, so maybe the venom wasn't a large enough dosage. Or Manticore Poison might not even affect Earthlings period...

As she thought, Rarity spoke out to the foreigner. "So, darling..." she paused as the Earthlings' gaze fell onto her. "How are you feeling, hmm?"

This time both of his eyebrows had shot up, almost as if he was truly surprised she was asking such. But as soon as it happened, it vanished under the face that showed little emotion. He flicked out one of his digits, most notably the smallest one located on the inside of its claws. He pointed the appendage at himself, then at the air. While it confused them, the possibly-cocky grin on his face told it better.

"That's good. It would be simply dreadful if we were going to lose the one who saved Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash over here," the fashionista replied with a collected smile. She watched as he gave a nonchalant shrug, before he reclined further into the upholstery.

"Um, a very quick question," Twilight stated with curiosity in her voice, "I don't suppose you know how to speak Equestrian, do you?" She received a rather-confused look, before nodding. Her eyes light up. "You can?! I'm sorry for being blunt about it, but why aren't you speaking it now?" A flat look had been thrown into her direction as he pointed to his injury from the Manticore, and then dragged his digit along the length of it towards his throat.

"I'm terribly sorry, darling. I don't believe we're understanding..."

A frustrated snort left him as he put emphasis on the wrapped-up section by pointing to it once more. Again he dragged his finger, though this time upon arrival to the base of his throat he tightened his claws into a ball. He waved to himself, pointed at his mouth, and finished with a slow shake of his head.

"Are you saying that the Manticore venom damaged your ability to speak?!" Twilight said with a gasp. When the Earthling made no move to correct her, she began going off on a tangent to herself about 'the impossibilities of that occurring', amongst other bouts of surprise. When she finally finished, she looked over at him with a frantic expression. "Is it... permanent?"

There was a pause. One that felt like it was too long. The mares watched as he looked off at some random point in the ceiling for several moments, before addressing Twilight with a shake of his head. Another round of relief shot through the Ponies', but it only caused the inevitable question to arise from Lyra. "Do you know when?"

He stood up abruptly, an action that had been so sudden that all the girls flinched at the action. Slowly, the Earthling began walking around, looking about the parlor with precise examination. Seeing something of interest to him, he quickly walked over towards one of the walls and pointed. His aim was directed at Fluttershy's clock, and after motioning towards the hour-hand, he tapped the space next to the number 'eight'.

Some seconds had passed, before Applejack spoke out in an unsure manner. "Are ya saying you'll be able to speak by tommorow-morning at eight?"

Another nod.

"How do you know what time it'll wear off exactly?" Rainbow Dash commented disbelievingly. Her eyes squinted as she closed the gap between her and the Earthling before he could even respond. "And who are you, anyway? Are you a spy for your race against Equestria?!"

"Rainbow Dash!" the others shouted in dismay at her back. She didn't turn, feeling content to stare deep into the eyes of the stoic-being that had been less than inches away from her. Dash knew that he could understand Equestrian, and she had been nagged by the feeling of not knowing if the same thing that was around her friends was a threat or not-

A choking gasp escaped the Pegasus as all of her muscles not relating to her flight froze up. Her thought process was halted, completely and utterly. All she could do, all she could think about, was the cool and piercing gaze of the Earthling as he stared into her shaking pupils. Without warning, she began seeing images flash before her eyes. Horrifying ones, blurred yet still retaining their full-emotion to bear down upon herself. Anger, sadness, fear... all of these struck her repeatedly and built on one another.

All the while, outside of her mind was silent.

Suddenly, he blinked. And with it the flow of disfigured pauses in his memory, and the unabated stream of feelings ceased to come into contact with her. She backpedaled, completely placing herself behind the semi-circle that was her friends. The others looked at her alarmed, before they turned back to the Earthling confused. "Rainbow Dash... what just happened?"

She was going to say something, to accuse him of being something dangerous and to have him exiled away from Ponyville and its inhabitants. But she couldn't bring herself to doing such. She didn't know why, but she simply could not.Taking a shaky breath, she spoke in surprisingly a normal tone. "Ah... sorry. He just surprised me when he flinched, and it kinda pushed my frayed nerves over."

The others nodded, before Rarity spoke. "We understand, darling. I think all of us is experiencing such, and it may be for the best if we retire for the night. After all, it is nearly eleven." Looking to see it was true, both the Earthling and the Ponies' glanced at Fluttershy's clock. And of course, it was nearing eleven 'o clock.

"Hey, 'Shy," Rainbow muttered as she removed herself and retook her cool demeanor. "Is it cool if all of us stay here? It's kinda late for all of us to be parting ways..." That and there's no way I'm letting any of us be alone with this guy being here, she placed as an afterthought.

The demure Pegasus nodded with a smile. "Oh, that's no problem, Dash. I have some sleeping mats in my closet upstairs. Could you-?"

"Got it!" In the span it took for Fluttershy to pause in confusion, Rainbow Dash was already buzzing up the stairwell. Shaking that away, her attention went to the Earthling who had walked over to one of her bookshelves. Twilight and Lyra stood next to him, looking at his scanning eyes before they became bored and put away the book in his grasp disinterestedly.

"Excuse me." The Earthling glanced over at Fluttershy, who had been uneasily shuffling on her hooves. "Um, I don't think there's enough room down here in the parlor for you and the girls-" She was cut off by his nod of understanding. Letting out a small sigh, he turned and began to walk towards the front door. Her eyes widened as she got in between. "Oh no, I'm sorry. I wasn't being clear." He paused at that, but didn't make any attempt to try and pass her. Relieved, she continued. "There is space on the second floor, though. You can take my bed."

Confusion had been etched unto his face, before he waved a claw in her direction. She shook her head. "Don't worry about it; I want to be down here." Happiness then appeared on Fluttershy's face as she turned to her other company. "It'll be like a slumber party!" Excited murmuring (whether about the Earthling or not) occurred after her statement, and she turned back to her guest. He shrugged in contentment, and motioned for the stairs with a questioning glance. "Second door on the left."

With a smile, the Earthling gave a deep nod of respect and thanks to both Fluttershy and the other mares in the parlor. He turned about-face, and soon was walking up the stairs. Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash was descending with the blankets in her grasp. They passed one another, and she couldn't help but shudder lightly from the flash of desperately-repressed memories.

-WTIN-

Exhaustion plagued my features as I stumbled into the quaint room belonging to Fluttershy. Underneath my feet at that time, I could clearly hear them excitedly chattering away about many things. With most of them pertaining to me, of course. Un-shouldering my bag, I tucked it away under the bed in the dark, and clambered in. It had been cozy, and surprisingly not that much smaller than my own size.

"I still can't believe you tapped into the Reserves not only to horrify Ms. Rainbow Dash, but to subtly cloud her thinking to prevent her from gabbing about what you did as well," Ed said in a surprised tone. My response was an internal shrug; I had to do what I had to do, not to mention my morals were kinda lower than usual at that point.

'Gotta do what you gotta do, Ed. Besides, it's her fault. She shouldn't be starting things she cannot finish.'

A tired sigh left him. "All right, Storm. Whatever you say... Get some sleep. The Reserves should be fully-replenished alongside your ability to speak tommorow."

'I will. Be sure to keep an eye out for that supposed "bad feeling" you had earlier tonight, okay?'

"Will do."

Giving a satisfied nod to myself, I quickly succumbed to sleep with only the rather-peaceful sound of the Ponies' chattering being my backdrop.

-WTIN-

Chapter Six: A Dramatic Turn of Events

Chapter Six: A Dramatic Turn of Events

If there was anything to be said about Equestria, I suppose it would have been ‘paradise’. By human standards, at least. That was actually one thought that kept occurring to me as I followed the group of Ponies serving as my tour guides and escort. The colors of the world were significantly more vibrant than I had become accustomed to. Bland dark colors at that moment seemed nonexistent, and in its place was bright, joyous palettes.

At least, I thought they were more vibrant. It was hard to keep track of small things like that when you lived that long.

But there, at that moment, it was hard to not stop and take in the beauty of it all. The sun was shining high in the sky, yet it wasn’t uncomfortably warm. The clouds were small enough to provide small patches of shade here and there. The birds were chirping random, melodic tunes. A warm breeze gently flowed across the land, forcing nearby trees to sway. It was all very... relaxing.

…

‘Am I seriously describing nature? This world must already be having an effect on me.’ I shook my head briefly from side to side, clearing my thoughts for a moment before glancing around at my companions. ‘Or maybe it’s the candy colored Ponies,’ I said to myself with a silent chuckle. I had been fighting for so many years. Maybe some tranquility would do me good.

“Are you even listening to me?”

I was brought back to my senses as I felt something poke me in my side. I glanced over at the prismatic-maned Pegasus, who was hovering next to me and had a slightly irritated look on her face. I cocked an eyebrow at her. She merely let out a groan and face palmed. Or, face-hoofed, I suppose.

“So I basically just wasted a perfectly good explanation on how weather in Equestria is made while you were off in La-La Land?” She grumbled. I gave her an apologetic smile and gestured for her to continue. I was actually curious when she began, but Nature had begun to distract me. The only response, however, was her rolling her eyes and flapping her wings with more intensity to put altitude between us.

‘Well, way to make yourself look good, Storm.’

Despite the lasses’ irritation with me, the trip back to Ponyville from the farm was quick, quiet and (thankfully) uneventful. It seemed after the altercation between me and Applejack’s brother, no one in the party had anything to say.

And that bothered me.

Don’t get me wrong; I took serenity whenever I could get it. But I couldn’t help feeling like there was a metaphorical pin just waiting to drop. My paranoia wasn’t lessened by the fact that Twilight and Lyra kept shooting me furtive glances before looking at each other during our trip.

Now, it might had just been a pony mannerism. I hadn’t been on the world long enough to know much about how most Ponies behaved. For all I knew, they randomly broke out into song and perfectly choreographed dance.

Singing and dancing Ponies. That’d be the day. Still, it was a rare occurrence that I would be so bothered by an uneventful day.

“That could be because the last time we had an uneventful day, you accidentally woke up the KraNal and unleashed them across three different realities,” Ed chimed in all of a sudden, startling me.

I winced slightly at the memory. So many lives gone forever because I was careless. At least I got to kill the damned thing with a black hole. That was fun, at least. ‘Thanks, Ed…’ I replied sarcastically. ‘That’s just what I needed…’

“Sarcasm is rather unbecoming, you know,” Ed said in the kind of tone a college professor would take when pretending to be remotely interested in the subject they were paid to teach. “And if you wish to have a chance with any of these fine, young ladies (or… mares, I suppose would be a better term), then you must practice speaking like a gentle-”

‘What in the blue hell are you going on about, Ed?’ I swear, for an A.I., Ed sure could be very immature. At times, it was almost as if seriousness wasn’t an algorithm in his database.

“And as I recall, you were checking out some of the Ponies.” My brows furrowed at that. I did no such thing!

Well... I did check them out when they were walking in front of me. Only to observe and figure out their ass-tattoos though, dammit! I was planning to give Ed a piece of my mind about the matter before he continued. “And if that doesn’t scream ‘hormonal, deprived teenager’ then I don’t know what does.”

My inner eye could only blink in utter confusion. What was Ed going on about? He had teased me previously about such matters, but never so quickly after contact and with such fervor. The hell? ‘I literally have no idea what you’re talking about, Ed. In case you haven’t noticed; I haven’t been an actual “teenager” for a VERY long time.’

“You don’t say?” Ed said, faking surprise. “Regardless, you still have your teenage body. The Editor preserved your genetic makeup, so technically you never reached full adulthood. Which allows me to come to the reasonable conclusion that you’ve still got all your rampaging hormones.”

‘How long have you been “concluding” this, exactly?’ I deadpanned. When Ed sent me a brief report on his logic-based statistics of my travels and experiences, I could only groan internally. ‘One decade after I obtained the Editor? Seriously? You've been holding that data in for this long? Why?’

“I thought you’d have figured it out by now,” Ed replied with a mental shrug. It felt like the tingling sensation I’d get in my palm when I high-fived someone harder than I probably should’ve. Except, you know, in the back of your brain. I must have twitched or something, because the girls were all giving me strange looks as we walked past the first few houses of town.

“As I was saying,” Ed continued, “If you’re going to start a relationship with any of these-”

‘Let me stop you right there,’ I quickly interjected, before Ed could continue making the inside of my head any more awkward than it already was. I had no idea where all of this was suddenly coming from, but I hardly had the patience at that point to deal with it. ‘Here’s what I’m thinking. Let’s just put a pin in this discussion.’

“A pin?” Ed repeated.

‘Or a nail. Nails last longer,’ I thought with an internal shrug. ‘Hell, let’s use a railroad spike. Actually, let’s abandon the pin metaphor altogether. Instead, how about we just take that conversation, put it in a box, wrap that box in chains, cover the whole thing with cement and throw it in the ocean?”

"We could do that, I suppose. Or, I could tell you about what I discovered while examining the Strands of this reality instead," my A.I. suggested. That caught my attention. The Strands were vital parts of my job as an Editor; knowing them inside and out was how the things I could do was possible.

‘I thought you were entering sleep mode to run diagnostics on yourself. Since it’s been seventeen years since you last updated yourself, and all,’ I noted. ‘What changed?’

“I found faint traces of what might be that other Editor influence causing the Lock a few millennium back. Appears to be originating from the forest near Fluttershy’s home.” My eyebrows raised slightly (an action that the Ponies ignored). I shouldn’t be too surprised. I figured there had to be some remaining if a Lock was still active on the Universe. But... a trace of Editor influence? The only other person who could form Locks was a Manipulator. Not an Editor.

“But that’s not the most interesting thing I found in the Strands,” Ed went on. “I’m detecting several Strands from other versions of Equestria changing the direction of their flow and entering this Equestria. Now, we’ve seen similar things like this before (as you’ll recall). But this is the first time the Strands have been identical in every single way.”

Now my interest was definitely piqued. The Strands of Existence were basically the DNA of all that ever was and all that ever would or could be. But no two Strands were ever exactly the same. It was impossible. ‘Any idea what they are or why they’re all coming here?’ I asked Ed.

“I’ll need some time to try and figure it out,” Ed replied. “But I have a feeling the Strands are being drawn here by us. Our presence must be attracting them, their energy prone to intertwining with the Editor’s power. Like moths drawn to a flame.”

‘Let me know as soon as you know,’ I told him.

“But of course,” Ed scoffed. “One more thing, though.”

‘What?’ For some reason, I did not like the tone of that lingering statement.

“House.” With a dull thunk, I walked face-first into the side of a small house near the marketplace of Ponyville, and fell flat on my rear. I could hear some of the girls giggling at my blunder, Ed being counted amongst the chuckles.

“No offense, big guy, but you can’t exactly walk through a wall,” Applejack chuckled as I rose to my feet, dusting myself off. I cocked an eyebrow at her, and merely offered a smirk. I activated the Editor’s reserves once more, forcing a small section of the wall to become ethereal.

I could afford expending some energy to put the doubts of individuals in their place.

To the amazement of the non-Unicorns present, I reached through the wall, grabbed the first thing on the other side I could feel, and pulled it back through the wall. The Editor’s power ceased its flow, causing the wall to return to its normal state. I held out my newly acquired spatula toward Applejack and gave her a ‘You were saying?’ look.

“Give me that,” Lyra huffed, yanking the spatula from my grip with her telekinetic magic. She proceeded into the house that I acquired the culinary tool, grumbling all the way. Judging from the blatant entry, we were stopping by Lyra’s house. Glad somebody told me.

“They probably did, but you were too busy talking to me to notice.”

I rolled my eyes at Ed. He was probably right. What else was new, eh? ‘Oh hush. Don’t you have a Strand anomaly to examine?’

“That’s the thing,” Ed began with a sigh. “I’m running scans and diagnoses out the wazoo. And for the strength of me, I can’t interact with these Strands. Which means one of two things...”

‘Another Editor. Or a Manipulator,’ I finished for him. My lips tightened into a thin line. Could Equestria had been one big ambush by the Manipulators who had discovered the Editor-trapping Lock, seeking to finally kill me and put down the ‘Keeper of Neutrality’ for good? Or could it have been one of the other Editors, stopping by for a lovely chat?

“You’re wrong,” Ed pointed out, my silent muses being picked up by him. “These Strands are at least a few thousand years old. If an Editor or a Manipulator was causing them, I’d feel them. You’re the only one, Storm. For a while now, you’ve been the only one.”

‘Then why can’t you interact with them?’ I asked. Of course I was the only one left. I was the First. There were no more Editors. No more Manipulators. They all had fallen, at one point or another. I was the only one left.

I had to be.

“I’m not entirely sure. This phenomenon is different from the other scenarios. Can’t figure out what makes it so special, though,” Ed admitted. He sounded like his pride was wounded. I couldn’t blame him. “We’ll just have to wait and see.”

‘Because that’s worked out in our favor before,’ I added sarcastically. I glanced around at the group, still waiting on Lyra to exit her home. Oddly enough, the other girls were starting to act nervous like Twilight and Lyra had been on the walk here. Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy kept shooting me worried looks. Rainbow Dash and Applejack seemed to be having an intense hushed conversation, occasionally glancing back at me. And Twilight still had that admittedly strange smile on her face.

Something was up. I could feel it in my bones. And I didn’t like it. Not one bit.

Lyra eventually stepped out of her home, a set of khaki-colored saddlebags decorated with her cutie mark now on her back. “I got what I needed!” She announced happily. “Ready to go to Twilight’s?” The group responded with half hearted agreements. Where did all the happy go-lucky go?

It took little further time to reach Twilight’s home from Lyra’s, but the silence in the group was deafening. It was almost as though a dark cloud were hanging over their heads--figuratively, of course. And that made the short walk seem significantly longer. Like it was stretching for an eternity.

It was a shame I was forced into pretending to not speak their language. Otherwise, I probably could’ve questioned one of them to tell me why they all seemed so down. But I had no choice; ever since my throat was technically healed and free to communicate, I had a bad feeling.

Wait. My mind paused at the thought. I didn’t believe bad was the proper word. But something was without a shadow of a doubt wrong. And in that moment as I was standing there in the parlor of that cottage, I decided to extend the lie. Just long enough to where Warping was a viable option again. So if something bad were to happen, I could have a way out. Hopefully.

Twilight flashed me another determined smile as we passed by the town hall. Why was she so giddy? Maybe it was because we were finally arriving at her home, and she was eager to show me it. And as we approached a large, towering oak tree with windows and doors... I was just as eager.

At first glance, Twilight’s home seemed to be nothing more than a tree with some furnishings built into the bark. Upon closer examination, however, it actually ended up being a very large tree that had been hollowed out, turned into a library with the amenities of a home, and magically enchanted to continue growing without causing interior damage to the library home. A quick glance at a neighbouring sign labeled the place as ‘Golden Oaks Library’, which was an average name.

A library in a tree was pretty awesome (and ironic), though. It was one of the more impressive tree-houses I encountered, for sure. Hell, it was good enough to enter the ‘Top One-Thousand Coolest Things I’ve Seen’ List. I would probably put it at number three-hundred and eighty-nine. Right between watching a normal human drink lava and come out unharmed, and watching an entire solar system form (literally) in the palm of my hand before the miniature sun went supernova and wiped it all out-

“Storm. Rambling. Try to focus.”

I merely waved off Ed’s warning as we all arrived at the front door. “Wait here while I go get, Spike,” Twilight said, mostly to me. “He’s very anxious to meet you.” And with that, the purple-coated unicorn disappeared into the tree.

‘There’s a sentence I’d never thought I’d say.’

It didn’t take much time for Twilight to return with her companion in tow. Spike, who I had been expecting to be a large, talking mastiff, turned out to be a rather short, bipedal-lizard. Immediately, my mind associated him with the Irida, though his scales were a bright purple in color, rather than the dull and drab grays, blacks and browns the Irida had. A row of curved green spines lined Spike’s back, faintly glinting in the light of the setting sun. His eyes were comically large and had an almost innocent look about them.

“Spike, meet the Earthling,” Twilight said with a grin. Once more, I forced myself not to groan at the name. Maybe I should’ve slipped a hand-written note, just to mess with them. Or at bare minimum, fix that bloody discrepancy. “Earthling, meet Spike. My Number One Assistant.”

“You said he was tall, Twilight, but you never said he was this tall,” Spike said, letting out a low whistle as he looked me over from head to toe. He had to crane his head back for a moment to even look at me fully. I pondered how upset he would be if I tagged him with my knee. He was right there in eye-level with it. “And you say he can’t speak?”

“He can speak alright,” Twilight grumbled, her cheerful demeanor she had put up for her assistant quickly fading. “But he’s speaking in some other language I’ve never heard of. I know he can understand us just fine. He made that clear when we interacted with him. Which means he should be able to speak Equestrian, but he just flat out refuses to!”

Spike looked questioningly at me. I gave him a small shrug then plastered a smile on my face. “Saluti. Mi scuso, ma questo è necessario,” I stated, still in Italian with a faint hint of an accent. Spike raised his brow at me and turned back to face Twilight.

“A language you’ve never heard of?” The lizard laughed. “So you’ve never heard of Itailian before?” Twilight face-hoofed, earning a chuckle from Spike. “Couldn’t you tell by his accent?” My eyes just widened. If they had some bad punny-version of Italian, that meant...

“I should have been able to,” Twilight admitted. “Not that I’ve ever really interacted with many Ponies from Itailia before.” And just like that, her grin flashed back onto her face, wider and more confident than before. “This is great! Now that we know what language he’s speaking, we can translate! I’m positive we have an Itailian to Equestrian dictionary in the library somewhere!”

‘Uh oh. Yup. There goes that plan. Okay, the Editor is programmed with almost four and a half thousand languages. One of them has to be lacking in this world. I need to buy me time. Any at all. Random language setting time!’

“Randomizing Primary Language Output: node ‘Spanish’ selected.”

"Apuesto a que no puede entender ‘este’ lenguaje," I said in fluent Spanish, complete with a stereotypical accent. Twilight and Spike gave me identical looks of confusion as they racked their brains to see if they recognized the language. I prayed to the Fates that they wouldn’t.

After a long minute of waiting in an awkward silence, Spike sighed in defeat. “I don’t think that’s any language I’ve ever heard before,” he admitted with a shrug. Twilight looked, well, like her mane was about to burst into flame from sheer frustration at my lack of cooperation.

I’m not sure why, but I was kind of irritated. Not at Twilight, of course. Well, not entirely; would it kill her to put her curiosity in check for a few goddamn days? The main source of my irritation at the moment, however, was the fact that after a day or so a decision could be made about whether a sapient species could be trusted with coherent communication.

I hadn't reached that decision yet.

Near as I could tell, the Ponies were friendly enough, but Twilight and Lyra’s behavior had me on edge. And what’s worse, they were both good at hiding what they were thinking and I wasn’t desperate enough to break into their minds (yet). After all, both could use magic. Which meant there was a slight percent-chance that Twilight and Lyra could sense if I was intruding in their thoughts.

It would probably be best to just let things play their course.

“Would you look at the time?” Rainbow Dash announced with a loud, obnoxious, and all-around fake yawn. “We’d all better get going. See you girls later!” The other girls quickly followed suit, all giving rushed goodbyes and parting ways. Minus Lyra, who insisted she needed to use the library for some research project she had been working on in her free time.

I had been about to follow Fluttershy back to her cottage (because I would more likely trust her than any other Pony I encountered) when Twilight called out to me. “Oh, Mr. Earthling! Why don’t you stay here tonight? The library is closed on Sundays and Fluttershy’s going to be really busy tomorrow. You wouldn’t want to impose on her, would you?”

My eyes squinted at the Unicorn pair. ‘Yeah, ‘cause that’s not suspicious.’ I looked back to see Fluttershy flash an apologetic look before flying off. Following Twilight and Lyra into the library, it seemed fairly obvious that they were planning something together.

“Might as well play along,” Ed mused from the back of my head. “I doubt they will heavily pester you if you set your foot down and be adamant about your language barrier. Plus, you could possibly gain some much-needed data.” I couldn’t agree with Ed more at the moment.

The main room of the library had a rather quaint and cozy feel about it. The shelves were carved into the trunk of the tree, packed from edge to edge with thick, hardback books. Real books, too! I hadn’t seen real books in decades! I took in a deep breath through my nose, savoring the familiar scent of the written word (surprisingly, once I discover it somehow had an actual smell to it, I kinda got addicted to it. Like incense, but better).

I turned back toward the two Unicorns in time to see them ushering Spike up a set of carved stairs to the upper levels of the library where (I assumed) Twilight lived. As soon as the purple lizard-dragon-reptile... thing was out of sight, Twilight and Lyra turned to face me. Both grinning like they had just stolen a treasure chest and were eager to take a look inside and see their reward.

…

Oh, hell no. I was the fucking treasure chest! ‘Well, at least that explains their behavior earlier,’ I quipped to myself in thought.

Twilight took a couple of steps toward me, her grin clearly forced. In a way, it was borderline psychotic. “So,” she began, “are you sure you aren’t going to speak in a language we can understand?” I shook my head firmly. “But, we have so much to ask you. How can we do that if you won’t speak?”

I gave her a shrug that quite plainly stated how little I cared. ‘No means no, you pushy little equine.’

“What would it take to get you to tell us about yourself and your species?” Lyra asked, as she and Twilight took another step forward. “Fluttershy made us swear not to bring it up during the tour today.” Another step forward, this time in flawless unison. Okay, now I was starting to get antsy. I was good at hiding it, but it was still surging forth. I simply shrugged and stood my ground.

“That’s too bad. Unfortunately for you, Fluttershy isn’t here to stop us.”

My mind took a second to process the threat. ‘Wait, what?’ Twilight’s horn lit up with a sudden magenta aura and before I could gather my wits about me, the same glow surrounded my body and forced me down to one knee.

“Since you won’t tell us willingly, I guess we’ll just have to force you to talk, won’t we?” Lyra said as she stepped forward. Her horn lit up with a faint golden glow as her magic joined with Twilight’s. The combined strength forced me down onto all fours.

‘Crap! They’re going to torture me or cut me open just to get me to talk! I knew I shouldn't trust them! I fucking knew it!’ I let out a faint growl as I struggled to fight off the magic holding me down. Unbidden, a rush of images flew through my mind of the last time I was held against my will.

Shadows springing to life, binding my hands and feet and holding my head steady. The world around me, burning in an eternally burning green flame. The screams of the worlds’ inhabitants as they pleaded for mercy. A cold, merciless laugh. A glimpse of silver eyes, shining with satisfaction as the reflection of the burning world danced in them.

I snapped back to reality. Lyra had produced a syringe and was drawing a crystal clear liquid from a small vial she had brought with her.

‘Is that what I think it is?’

“Yes,” Ed replied. “Analysis shows that the liquid is indeed Veritaserum. Or at least, this world’s version of it.”

‘That’s what I was afraid of.’

Veritaserum. A powerful truth serum that effectively forces the drinker to truthfully answer any question put before them. It was colorless, odorless, and completely indistinguishable from water. Worst of all, the Editor had almost no immunity against it. And the antidote required supplies and time to create. And wouldn’t someone guess, I didn’t have any fucking on me!

‘Ed, I need to get out of here!’ The panic and anxiety was rising inside of me. That stuff could not get near me; who knows what they would ask me? If they asked the right questions, mortals like them would be unable to fathom the answers without losing their sanity. I tried to calm myself down with ancient breathing techniques, but with little success.

The rush of images appeared again, triggering spasms of aggression in my person as I laid there restrained. I doubt the Unicorns hardly noticed at the time.

Something was wrong. Very, very wrong.

“I’m already working on it,” my AI replied. He seemed oblivious to my current state of mental stability. “You’ll be patched through to the Equestrian Magical Perimeter in ten seconds. Then you can break their hold on you.”

‘I need to. I have to. Ed, I’m freaking out.’

“Just calm down, Storm. We’ll get out of this unscathed. You’re now connected to the Perimeter.”

I closed my eyes shakily and slowly exhaled. I could now feel the two separate magics holding me down, and I could faintly detect the magic field Lyra was projecting to levitate the syringe. Power coursed through my veins as I triggered the Editor. My hands began to glow with a pale blue light, startling both of the Unicorns.

But then something happened. The terror, and anger, and frustration, and nervous apprehension that was flowing in my body accumulated. And as the rush of images came crashing down on me once more, something inside of me snapped.

‘How... how fucking dare they?!’

My right arm punched free of their holding magic and I pointed my index finger at Lyra. The golden glow around the syringe vanished, replaced by an aura identical to the one surrounding my hands. I spun the syringe around mid-air and sent it flying into Lyra’s flank. She let out a squeak of surprise and stumbled as the needle pierced her skin. Another flick of my wrist, and the plunger sent the Veritaserum rushing into her system.

“Storm! What the hell are you doing?! Set aside your emotions!”

A snarl left me. What was happening? I felt as if control of my body was being wrestled away from me. This anger and bitter hatred I was feeling was not my own; it felt foreign. How could it be my own? I hadn’t felt such things since him. I couldn’t stop it, though. The abrupt wave of feelings were fogging up rationality at that moment.

“Lyra!” Twilight cried out. The magical field she was projecting around me flickered for a moment and my body took its chance. The energy in my hands pulsed, and Twilight’s holding spell shattered with a loud *crack*. The purple-coated unicorn fell back in shock as I rose to my full height. Her eyes flicked from the blue glow on my hands to my enraged expression.

“Now would be the perfect opportunity to leave,” Ed informed me. I hadn’t heard such nervous energy in his tone for centuries. “I’m sensing the others are on their way back. No doubt half of Ponyville heard you break Twilight’s spell."

‘No.’

“No?” The incredulous expression Ed was no doubt forming was palpable.

‘I am not finished with them yet.’ What were these thoughts? I held no resentment towards the Ponies themselves. Why was my anger so prominent? Why couldn’t I voice the fact that what was occurring was not entirely in my control? Why wasn’t everything in my control?!

Ed’s voice came blasting through my subconscious. “Storm! Center yourself! Let go of these emotions you’re facing!” I took a step towards the Unicorns, not of my own volition. “Stand down! For fuck’s sake, man; Stand Down!”

The volume of the command for a moment cut through the aggressive haze that was shrouding my mind. My rationality was dwindling, slowly giving away to blood-lust. I had to do something; whatever was happening would put the mortals before me in danger. I could not allow that to happen.

But suddenly the haze returned full-force, and another step was made. But before I could take another, I found Twilight back on her hooves again, her horn aglow. I gave her a vicious glare, and to her credit: she only winced a tiny bit. A magenta aura formed around me only to fade away, much to Twilight’s surprise. I smirked at her. I didn’t like the sensation of it on my face; it felt too twisted. But I couldn’t wipe it off. She tried to cast the holding spell on me again, only for it to fail to take effect.

Little did Twilight know, but whenever I connected the Editor to a world’s local Magical Perimeter, I could make myself immune to virtually any form of magic that world would have to offer. There were exceptions, of course. I could still be affected by high-powered spells. And... enchantments...

In that moment, I think I realized what was happening. Some kind of spell or incantation was placed upon me. Something that ripped away my ability to control myself, and invoked bloodthirsty thoughts and animalistic strength into my soul. I had faced such curses before, but nothing of the magnitude I was facing at that moment.

I had no idea why it had suddenly triggered. All I knew though was that I had to find a way to stop it.

Ed attempted to speak further, but before such an action could be done, the haze of feral rage dominating my actions began charging a bolt of arcane energy. Trapped in my subconscious, I quickly realized another thing; the orb of energy I was about to project at the form of Twilight Sparkle was meant to kill.

Instantly, my spirit surged forth against the wave of negative emotion. For one glorious moment, I had control of my body and mind again. I used it wisely; with a pulse of Editor-driven power, I overrode the arcane attack. It thankfully fizzled out. And then instantly control was yanked from me once more.

Twilight, however, was rather persistent, and cast the holding spell on me a fourth time. Through some miraculous means, the demonic energy coursing through me couldn’t resist against it. Somehow, despite the fact that I was patched into the Perimeter, the spell had taken hold. And I fell flat on my face.

“Storm!” The yell from Ed reverberated in my skull. “What is the matter with you? You do not need to exact revenge!” A frustrated sigh left him, oblivious to my plight and inability to fully control my actions. “Twilight’s magic is more refined than other magic users. It actually communes with the Editor, hence why you’re immobilized again. I can refresh the Editor algorithms to buy you time, but you have to use it to escape. Not to try and attack the Ponies. Do you understand, Storm?”

I understood it crystal-clear. But for the life of me, I could not say it. Whatever was afflicting me was incredibly powerful; to the point where it interfered with my capability to speaking to Ed. That was major. And really, really bad. My mind forced out a response. ‘I... get it, Ed. Just... do it!’

“I didn’t realize you could use magic,” Twilight said excitedly. How she hadn’t recognized that I was turning into an enraged shell of my former self, and that I had nearly launched a life-threatening shot at her being; I’ll never know. “And breaking free of both of our holding spells within seconds of each other? That’s difficult for even the most advanced spellcasters in the Canterlot College for Magical Studies. Who knew Earthlings were so powerful?"

I ignored her as my body took a mind of its own and thrashed against its magical bindings. Instead, I began focusing all of my mental energy on figuring out how to break the whirlwind of destruction raging inside of my being. A lull in the action gave me an opportunity to contact Ed unhindered. ‘Ed! I need help! I can’t control myself! Some kind of Enrage spell got cast on m-’ The thought was cut as the typhoon picked back up.

“Storm! Storm, what is happening?! I am seeing ungodly spikes in your emotions, and your logical and rational parts of your mind are shutting down! Storm?!” Ed was shouting, but I could barely hear him. Did he even hear the message I sent out? That same rush of repressed memories came again. Ed picked it up, and his muffled voice cried out. “What the fuck is that?! Storm! Answer me!”

Twilight was pacing in front of me again. Lyra was on her hooves once more, but she was keeping her distance and eyeing my glowing hands nervously. Twilight looked to me with a grin. “Now, even though you used up all of the Truthful Whisper on Lyra-”

“I’m actually into stallions. Not mares!” Lyra blurted out suddenly. “That was a story I made up in school so somepony would pay attention to me!” She clasped a hoof over her mouth as Twilight shot her a slightly confused look. “It’s the Truthful Whisper! I can’t stop speaking the truth!”

“Okay…” Twilight muttered, turning back to me. My face was still marred with rage, but it apparently went unnoticed by the mare. I tried another rush inside the confines of my being, but the wave resisted. I didn’t relent. “How about we get you to open up to us. Time to talk. I know you can understand us, and you speak other languages fluently, so you have to speak our language. It’s the only thing that makes sense.”

I stared directly at Twilight, who smiled back sweetly. My unrelenting assault on the magically-placed rage proved some success; I had control of my body. I did not know how long it would last, but I tried to make the most of it. I sent another thought to Ed. ‘I need you to restrict my access to all weapons that can kill. I can handle whatever is happening, but I can’t let whatever is happening to me access to my tools.’

Ed didn’t respond however. Further investigation revealed that the haze had somehow fully ceased communication between Ed and I. My mind could not comprehend it; who was able to place such an incantation? Why was it affecting me? What would happen if I wasn’t able to keep it in check?

“WARNING! FOREIGN MANIPULATOR-BASED TECHNOLOGY DETECTED! ELIMINATE SOU-01010011 01111001 01110011 01110100 01100101 01101101 00100000 01000110 01100001 01101001 01101100 01110101 01110010 01100101."

Before the alert could sink in, more alarms began signing off.

…
…
...
"Editor Override in Progress. Please Stand By.
Motor Control Disabled.
Teleportation Array Disabled.
Heads Up Display Disabled.
Reverting to Default Language Settings.”

My internal eyebrows skyrocketed at the dull voice of the Universal Editor. 'Motor control disabled? Reverting to default language settings? Wait... Manipulator-based technology detected?! Oh no. Oh, fuck.' I didn’t issue the language barrier to cease. I didn't issue any of that. Suddenly, without any control of my mouth, I began talking. In English.

“You want me to talk? Fine I’ll talk.” The voice was mine, but not the words. This was an advanced spell; my emotions of anger and brutality, amplified by an Enrage spell and some sort of Manipulator-based device that overrode the Editor's firewalls, were now running the show. And I was a helpless bystander to the spectacle. Looks of shock and joy crossed Twilight and Lyra’s faces, until I moved despite the spell trying to hold me down. Except my body was moving on its own. I lost complete control of my body.

I was now trapped in my own mind.

Blue light flowed around my hands once more and Twilight’s holding spell broke apart with a second loud *crack*. If anyone hadn’t heard the first one, they definitely heard the second one. The two Unicorns were knocked off their hooves, both crying out as they hit the floor heavily.

There was a flash of green light in my right hand, and a long needled syringe appeared, filled with a faintly glowing yellow liquid. Before either pony could react, I moved to Twilight’s side and plunged the needle into her side. Twilight let out a gasp of pain as the serum quickly worked its way through her system, immobilizing her from head to tail. If my theory was correct, I just Spawned something without actually wanting to Spawn it. The spell had control over my Spawning ability.

May the Fates stop me if I can’t.

“Paralysis Serum,” I explained to her, shaking the now empty syringe in front of her eyes before it turned into dust. With my mental strength exhausted battling the hurricane of emotions, and no more control over my actions; I could only watch. “Don’t worry, it’s only temporary. You should be able to move in about ten minutes or so.” I turned away from her and back toward Lyra.

“Since our purple friend here is otherwise incapacitated,” I said as I advanced toward her, “you’re going to tell me everything.”

“Everything?” Lyra repeated shakily as she backed away from me, only to be stopped quickly by a bookshelf. I could only feel pity and remorse from my position trapped in my mental prison.

“Everything,” I confirmed. “Good thing you’ve got that Veritaserum in you. Now spill it.”

Lyra took in a deep breath, either to calm her nerves or explain why she and Twilight were going to interrogate me all with one breath. “Last week when I was walking home from Sugar Cube Corner, I thought to myself ‘Hey! Today is such a lovely day; I’m going to go play some music in the park. So I took a shortcut through some of the back alleys and passed by Ponyville’s only ‘Adult Store’ where I saw Twilight trying to sneak out while dressed in a cloak. She was acting all suspicious-like, so I decided to follow her instead. I trailed her all the way back here to see what she was doing in a place like that because she didn’t seem like that kind of pony. So I watched through her window to see what she got. Lo and behold she got this massive-”

“Okay! Okay!” Under different circumstances, I would’ve laugh at the awkward retelling of the story. But considering that at the moment I lost control of my fucking body, there was little humor on my mind as it worked frantically. “You can stop right there. When I said ‘everything’, I meant for you to tell me why you were going to interrogate me!”

“Oh! That’s because Princess Celestia told us to,” Lyra responded simply. “She told us to get you to talk, because she wanted to know if you’d end up being a threat to Equestria or not. So she had us try to get you to open up, but told us that if you couldn’t, we needed to use whatever methods we thought necessary.”

The name rang in my head. Princess Celestia. Suddenly, upon hearing the name, the rage increased tenfold. She was in direct correlation to the spell. Somehow, for some reason. Ed was silent. I could not send any thoughts to communicate with him. Why would this spell afflict me, and then increase when the name of the Equestrian ruler was mentioned-

Oh. Oh no. The spell wasn’t about me. I was just a tool. The spell was meant to use me.

To use me... to kill the Princess.

I can't believe it. It made so much sense. She ordered the interrogation to happen. The negative, vicious emotions of my body would logically show hatred as a result. Amplified by the spell, my body would be forced to follow the animalistic nature. And kill what caused me misery.

“Your Princess would have been better off leaving me be,” I said coldly. I couldn’t help but suddenly agree. “Given time, I would’ve spoken to you all under better circumstances.”

“You would have?” Lyra asked, a huge grin on her face. “But why wait?”

“You’d be surprised what one can learn by not speaking,” I replied. Also true. My negative emotions had very good points. Very good. “It’s how I learn to trust people. And you Ponies showed me you are not to be trusted.” Lyra’s ears flattened against her head as I leaned in closer to her. “Your Princess wanted to see if I was a threat? I wasn’t.”

My emotions were right. I wasn’t a threat. Not then. But after the knowledge of Princess Celestia issuing that against me... suddenly, I thought that maybe I wouldn’t be in the wrong to off Her Royal Highness. The Unicorns standing before me didn’t deserve pain. Oh, no. She did. Princess Celestia did.

And I intended to deliver.

I turned from Lyra and strode toward the door, pausing as I opened it to the dim lighting of the twilit sky outside. I glanced back at the Ponies. Lyra looked worried, and Twilight looked desperate. I gave them a sinister grin, and trapped in my psyche I couldn’t help but root for my body. “But now, though? Now I’m a threat.” I stepped out of the library, and slammed the door shut behind me.

Chapter Seven: Downhill Descent

Chapter Seven: Downhill Descent

The last train to Canterlot from Ponyville always left at seven o’clock in the evening, on the dot. The conductor always saw to that, much to the relief of anyone who needed overnight transportation to the Equestrian Capitol.

Apparently, this did not exclude my possessed being as it boarded the vessel.

After I had stormed out of Twilight’s library home (no pun intended), my body had immediately made for the local train station I had caught a glimpse of as I was given the tour of town. Fortunately, Ed activated a low-level perception filter over my body. He hadn’t said a word since the Manipulator-based device took effect. I still wasn’t entirely sure if it was because he had nothing to say to me, or no words were getting through the barrier.

The filter didn’t make me invisible; just unnoticed. Ponies knew I was there, but their minds immediately forgot about me as the perception filter forced them to look away. Oddly enough, only passing Unicorns seemed to sense that something was amiss when I strode purposefully past them, before the filter reapplied itself.

I made a mental note to look into the matter at a later date, assuming I stuck around in this world long enough to be bothered to do so. But after the bloodlust guiding my physical form dealt with their ruler, I wasn’t so sure I would be willing to stay once I regained control.

’If I ever regained it...’ I muttered to myself dejectedly. The events were passing by in a blur, but one thing was definitely certain as I stared through my physical eyes I couldn’t even control: whoever set up the Lock had to of set up the device that was piloting me.

Which meant someone planned my arrival from the very beginning. But who had the cunning to even conceive such a trap? And why designate it to go after some pissant ruler? It had to be about Princess Celestia; the spikes in my anger upon even thinking of her name were self-evident of that fact.

Was it truly him? Some Manipulators and Editors independently started projects to learn how to initiate Locks on Universes, but I never got any kind of lead on whether they succeeded or not. Perhaps this wasn’t his work; it couldn’t have been. The son of a bitch died way before those signatures could even arise. Regardless, at that moment, there was nothing I could do.

Any further efforts to break the wave were crushed. There was nothing that would be able to cease the rampage that was about to occur, it seemed. The only hope I had at that time was that I would have a solution to disable the device and diminish the wave before it was too late.

As far as I could tell from the train schedule I nicked off of some passerby, the train ride to Canterlot would take two and a half hours. There was plenty of time for the darkness of night to fall over the land, providing me the perfect cover to move without being seen. No doubt precisely what my deranged barbarism wanted.

There was also no doubt in my mind at that point in time, that by the time Twilight Sparkle was free, she would find some way to contact Celestia and inform her of my impending arrival. Which meant that Canterlot would probably be crawling with Royal Guardsponies by the time the train pulled into the station.

That thought brought a sadistic smile to my face. ‘Good.’ I said silently. ‘I need a warm-up before I take on a goddess.’ My psyche immediately reeled back at that. Even in the sanctum of my mind, the device was implanting false thoughts. My rationality was kept where my soul was, and as such my experience was much more horrifying.

Mostly because every wrong act I committed, I knew full well at the moment it happened, that it would be wrong. There was no opportunity for remorse, or regret. It seemed almost hopeless. In the back of my mind, though, a brief glimmer of hope arose; I heard Ed give an audible sigh.

“Are you ready to talk to me now?” He inquired, with a major hint of exasperation lacing his tone. I wasn’t happier than that moment to hear his voice. I guessed at the time that because my rage-propelled body had nothing better to do than to sit and stew in the feelings for the next few hours as the train pulled out of the station, Ed thought it an appropriate moment to begin lecturing me.

For once, I was glad he was going to. I attempted to speak my mind, before I had begun to feel a tremendous pressure on my head. Figuring it to be a safeguard against me rebelling against the Manipulator-born device, I pressed on. To no avail, because in the end it merely exhausted me further. Vocal thoughts began ringing in my subconscious, though once again they were not my words.

‘Fire away,’ I grunted, pulling my backpack off of my shoulders and rifling through it for a snack. The recognition that the Manipulator-based tech had the ability to send fake communications to my A.I. was not lost on me at that moment.

“What do you hope to accomplish, Storm?” No beating around the bush with Ed in serious situations. Always straight to the point. “What the hell happened back there?”

‘You’re inside my mind; why don’t you tell me?’ I replied as I pulled a bag of salt-water taffy from my bag and immediately set myself on devouring it. I didn’t realize at the time how ironic that device-influenced thought was; my true self and Ed were both inside of my body’s mind. Yet neither could commune with the other, with one being utterly oblivious to the other.

“I’d rather hear you tell me,” Ed answered plainly. There was a flash of blue light in front of me, and a holographic avatar of Ed appeared standing on my left knee. Ed was dressed in his average attire of an upper-class Englishman from back in the seventeen-hundreds on Earth. His hair was hidden beneath the small top hat he wore, and occasionally a flash of electric currents moving across his body could be seen. Good ‘ole classic Ed.

Ed stared up at me with a surprising lack of emotion on his face. “I could easily take the thoughts from your mind,” I was desperately hoping he would. I needed his support to break free of the mental binds now more than ever. “but if there’s anything I’ve learned about problem solving after all of these years with you, is that sometimes... we have to hear our own opinions for ourselves to fully understand what we are thinking.”

I scowled down at the AI. Everything felt so creepy, and unusual. Having a lack of motor control over my body, but fully recognizing and feeling what was happening sucked. “So now I don’t understand my own thoughts?” My body snapped at him. “Is that what you’re saying?”

“Of course not,” Ed replied coolly. “What I’m saying is that your anger is completely out of character for you, Storm. You’ve only ever gotten this angry three times. When the Bentarius Systems burned, the destruction of Xyliion, and when Aurora-”

“I had every right to be angry!” I growled at the AI, tossing my taffy onto the seat beside me. “That bastard betrayed me. He betrayed us! Did you forget?” Wait. My mind processed that wording. ‘How did the device... Oh no.’

It had access to my Memory Database. At any given moment, it could access literally anything I had ever learned, experienced, or imagined in an instant.

“I never forget, Storm. I’m an Advanced Augmented Artificial Intelligence,” he reminded me. “I have a constantly evolving memory space. I even have every second I’ve been linked with you documented and filed away.”

“That’s a tiny bit creepy,” I noted, the anger in my voice faltering slightly in surprise, but ceasing to fade. My inner self nearly roared in frustration; the bastard device was copying my mannerisms. Ed was none the bloody wiser!

“My point,” Ed continued, “is that you don’t usually get this angry over something as trivial as what’s happened today. Certainly not angry enough to decide to go kill the ruler of a planet.” I had a retort ready, but I couldn’t bring myself to vocalize it.

Because, you know, my motor functions were gone.

Though I hated to admit it, Ed had a decent point. Even if the device hadn’t activated, I would’ve still been pissed (thought to a far lesser extent). Would I have been angry at any of them specifically? All that Twilight and Lyra had done were follow orders from their ruler.

Hell, that Princess Celestia pony hadn’t even specifically told them to torture or interrogate me according to Lyra. All she had done was tell them to get me to open up. So would I have been upset with her, and not at the Ponies who interpreted the orders as ‘interrogate the alien’?

I found my answer quickly. Even if the device hadn’t dominated my mind, I still would’ve gone after their Princess (if only to give a verbal piece of my mind). When I asked myself why, another answer was found just as swiftly.

It was because Celestia hadn’t been specific.

She had to have known that interrogation would be a possibility based on the vagueness of her orders. Celestia followed the reasoning of ‘Restrain first, ask questions later’ when I had done nothing to deserve such hostility. She had forced Twilight and Lyra no doubt, to betray the trust that they had already begun to give me and that I was close to begin giving to them when those orders went out.

And ever since he betrayed my trust all those years ago, I hadn’t taken any betrayal lightly.

“You’re wrong about one thing, Ed,” I said, after the two of us had sat in silence for several long minutes. I paused my thinking to listen in; maybe through some error, information could be gained from a slip-up in the device’s communication algorithm.

“And that would be?”

“I don’t intend to kill this Celestia pony,” I grinned at him sadistically. “I intend to get answers first, and then I’ll decide if I’m going to kill her or not.” I blinked rapidly internally at the statement. Was the device playing Ed, or was it really meant to just put me in a bad light and not kill the Princess?

“Answers?” Ed repeated, giving me a curious look. “Answers about what, exactly?”

In response, my body reached a hand back into my bag and produced the scrap of paper Lyra had shown me the day before; the one that had the description of ‘Earthlings’. For a moment, I nearly forgotten I snatched that article up. “I want to know who wrote this,” I said simply. “For starters, at least. Whoever they were, they were GREATLY misinformed by whatever encounters or sightings were reported.”

“You don’t have to tell me that,” Ed said, crossing his arms. “That ‘document’ describes the Deaoran race of Yeras to a ‘T’.”

“My point exactly,” I muttered as I stuffed the document back into the bag and began angrily filling my stomach with taffy. Normally, I would’ve enjoyed it. But I had to focus on figuring out how to stop myself before I did anything rash.

Ed watched me sadly for a few moments before letting out an exasperated sigh. “I’m not going to be able to talk you out of this, am I?”

“No,” I replied. “I’ve made up my mind.”

‘No, I did not! You little fucker, if your Master isn’t somehow miraculously dead, I will gut him myself!’ My soul pulsed with energy. Out of frustration, I threw some of it at the wall of feral emotions. Nothing happened.

“And you might assassinate the leader of this peaceful world over your anger?”

“That’s up to her, now isn’t it?” I fixed Ed with a sidelong glance. “If her answers give me cause, then I will. I must.” A small thought had occurred to me, and my body brought my head back around to look at my AI’s projection. “Do you intend to stop me?”

’You better, Ed. Because I can’t do shit right now.’

“It’s your life, Storm. I can’t control you,” Ed said plainly. I swore under my spiritual breath; Ed appreciated my respect too much to go and try to forcibly stop me from acting. At that point, I didn’t know whether I would hug Ed next chance I had or punch him. “I can try to guide you down the necessary paths to keep the Scales in balance, but it’s ultimately up to you. So I’ll stand by your side, no matter what may happen.”

“Thanks, Ed.” I said, offering a forced smile in his direction. With no happiness a factor in the hostile takeover, no genuine smile could be had during the device’s ruse.

“I’m going to enter Hibernation for the next few hours,” Ed announced as his projection faded away. “Wake me when it’s over.” I had shouted after Ed, but of course my words never reached him. They merely rebounded off the wall of emotions back at me.

“Will do,” my body muttered, reaching into my bag to produce one of my Projectors. I had no clue what my body was planning to do with it, however.

“And Storm?”

‘Yes?’

“I just wanted to warn you, this world maintains the Scales here on its own, one way or the other,” Ed explained. “You’re about to tip the Scales in favor of Chaos, and you know how that attracts unwanted attention.”

‘Thanks for the heads up, Ed.’ I grimaced. My survival would definitely hang on whether I would be able to break the curse. And on that note, I felt Ed’s presence fade away, even in my imprisonment. Whenever Ed went into Hibernation Mode, I could never feel him in my mind like I did most of the time. It’s the strangest and most horrifying feeling I could’ve experienced at that moment.

I was now truly alone in stopping myself.

My anger was still boiling white-hot beneath my skin. My body flipped open the Projector it was holding and funneled Editor Energy into the machine. Immediately, the Projector displayed my Armory. My eyes widened.

All of my weapons. Ready to be grabbed and used at a moment’s notice. Ready to be brought down upon mortal lives. Ready to start genocides, and wars, and endless bouts of suffering and anguish to my foes.

Ready to kill.

Thankfully, before Ed went into Hibernation, it appears he had locked me out of a vast majority of my Armory. With my body unable to bypass the security systems, the Manipulator-driven device was forced to search through my ‘special’ non-harmful weapons. And by that, I mean my enchanted arsenal of NERF weaponry. Eventually, my body decided on a NERF bat that had been enchanted to paralyze foes for a full twelve hours when they are hit hard enough by it.

I couldn’t help but laugh on the inside. Fighting what was most likely a group of highly trained soldiers with a foam bat? Ridiculous. The only other person I could think of that would do that was… I stopped myself in my train of thought. I didn’t need to think about that backstabber. It would only make me angrier. He was dead now. I made sure of that. And that was all that mattered.

Closing the Projector and putting it away, the NERF bat was summoned across Universes from a storage pocket dimension into my hand. It was nothing special to look at; just a regular foam bat with glowing green sigils on it.

’At least no one would die, hopefully...’ I thought as my body reclined back to wait. The opportunity was present, and it would not be wasted. Ever-so-carefully, I conserved my mental strength, and began searching for a weak-point in the wave of emotion.

Location: Golden Oaks Library. Ponyville, CPE (Center Province of Equestria)
Time: 7:09 PM, Friday August Second. Year Unknown.

Lyra let out a shriek as the door to the library was kicked open, terrified that the Earthling had decided to come back and finish off Twilight and her. To Lyra’s relief, a cyan blur creating a rainbow trail flew speedily into the room. Rainbow Dash, unsurprisingly, had been the first pony to arrive at the library after the thunderous cracks of the Earthling breaking free of Lyra and Twilight’s magic had echoed across town. The prismatic-maned Pegasus twisted her head back and forth as she flew into the center of the main room, looking for any sign of trouble.

But to her surprise, she couldn’t find any.

Confusion was prominent on her face as she turned to face Lyra. “Lyra? What were those loud cracking sounds? I could hear them all the way from my house!” She asked, still looking around and trying to find the source of the noises.

“Twilight and I were trying to hold the Earthling down so we could inject him with Truthful Whisper,” Lyra explained, still under the effects of said truth serum which forced her to speak annoyingly fast. “But he somehow broke free of our magic fields, injected me with the Whisper, and paralyzed Twilight with some kind of syringe!” Rainbow Dash’s confusion melted away in an instant, replaced by worry for her friend, and rage at the escaped being.

“Where’s Twilight?” She demanded, leaping into the air once more as she began to search the library anew. “Where’s the Earthling?! I’ll show that punk what happens when you attack my friends!” She mimed punching an invisible foe repeatedly with her fore-hooves.

“Twilight’s below you,” Lyra said, pointing at the still paralyzed Unicorn mare lying below Rainbow Dash. The Pegasus let out a startled cry and immediately dropped onto her hooves to stand by her helpless friend’s side.

“Twilight! Are you okay?” She demanded, poking and prodding at Twilight’s unmoving form. “Did that jerk hurt you?”

Despite the effects of the paralysis drug in her system, Twilight attempted to open her mouth to assure the worried Pegasus that she was alright. However, the serum proved to be more than effective and all she could manage was moving her eyes back and forth to indicate that she was shaking her head.

Fortunately, Rainbow Dash seemed to have gotten the message. She stepped back from Twilight and flared her wings, preparing to take off once again. “Just hang tight, Twi’,” she said in an entirely unnecessary heroic tone, “I’ll go get the others and be back here in a jiff. We’ll get you back to normal in no time!”

“The Earthling said it would only take around ten minutes to wear off,” Lyra pointed out, causing Rainbow Dash to comically fall flat on her face before she could even flap her wings twice. The thud almost sounded painful.

“Seriously?” She inquired, rising to her hooves and shaking her head a little. “So I don’t have to rush to get everypony back here?”

“No need for that, Sugarcube. We’re all already here.” At the sound of Applejack’s voice, Rainbow Dash and Lyra turned toward the entrance to the library, where the farm-pony, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie could all be seen rushing in.

“What in the name of Equestria happened here?” Rarity asked, looking disdainfully around at the books that had been knocked from their shelves when the Earthling broke free of the Holding spells. “This place looks like Rainbow Dash decided to take her practices indoors.” Rainbow Dash shot Rarity a mildly irritated look.

Twilight however, managed to let out a groan of annoyance, finally attracting the attention of the new arrivals, all of whom cried out in shock and began fussing over her. The paralysis serum was starting to wear off enough for the Unicorn to move her jaw around and turn her head slightly, but anything more than that was beyond her capabilities at that moment. Her friends, though their concern was greatly appreciated, were being less than helpful at the moment by distracting Twilight with a myriad of questions.

“One at a time!” She finally managed to snap, succeeding in causing all of the assembled Ponies to fall silent for a moment. The five standing above her exchanged awkward looks, as if silently trying to decide who should speak first.

“Why are you lying on the floor like that?” Pinkie Pie said, breaking the silence. “Is this some kind of new game? Did you invent a new game without telling me? But, who cares about that?! Is it the kind of game you play at parties? Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! Are you gonna teach me? Let me do what you’re doing!” And just like that, Pinkie imitated Twilight’s pose perfectly to a ‘T’ before allowing herself to fall over onto her side, still in the same pose, so that her head was next to Twilight’s. “Now what do we do?”

“I don’t think she’s playing a game, Pinkie,” Fluttershy said softly. “You aren’t, are you, Twilight?”

The lavender coated Unicorn shook her head slowly, her neck feeling slightly stiff from the after effects of the serum leaving her body. “Of course not,” she replied, her tone hinting at her irritation with the situation. Pinkie Pie let out a slightly dejected sigh as she stood back up. “The Earthling injected me with a paralysis serum after he broke free of the Binding spells Lyra and I were casting on him.” This drew several blank looks from her friends.

“Why exactly would you be so rude as to cast a Binding spell on a guest?” Rarity asked hesitantly. “Surely he didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Yeah, he seemed like a perfectly nice feller’ to me,” Applejack added. “Ya know, not countin’ the fact that he didn’t talk much. ‘Least nothing we could understand.”

“We had to make sure he wouldn’t escape when we injected him with the Truthful Whisper,” Lyra explained. “We knew that he could understand us, which meant he could speak our language, but what we didn’t understand is why he blatantly refused to communicate properly.”

Twilight nodded in agreement. “And Princess Celestia did say in her letter to get him to talk somehow,” she reminded the others. “This was our last resort. Next to torture, that is, but that’s been outlawed since before Nightmare Moon was banished. Not to mention, that was no way to treat anypony. Even a total, alien stranger from who-knows-where.”

“But, forcibly holding him down with magic and planning to physically inject Truthful Whisper is a way to treat a guest?” Twilight was ready to voice a rebuttal against Rarity’s comment, when she realized she had none. The full weight of what she and Lyra had been about to do were starting to become recognized.

“So you bound him with your magic, then what?” Rainbow Dash asked, watching as Twilight forced her forelegs to move as feeling began to return to them.

“He broke free,” Lyra explained. “Which is next to impossible. But he did it like it was nothing. Then he used some weird form of telekinesis to take the Truthful Whisper and inject me with it before he paralyzed Twilight.”

“And then he spoke to us,” Twilight continued as the last of the paralysis serum began to work its way out of her body, allowing her to shakily sit up on her haunches. When no response was made, she clarified. “In Equestrian.” Surprised sounds erupted from the surrounding Element Bearers. “He made Lyra tell him about the letter. Despite the logical steps that Princess Celestia was taking in asking us to do this, he stressed frequently that he wasn’t a threat and that what she did was wrong.”

“’Not a threat?’” Rarity repeated incredulously. “Darling, he fought off a Manticore without a weapon, fell from the sky with only minor injuries, and to top it all off, broke not one, but two Binding spells! I’ve made dresses for Archmage Winter Song at the Magic University, and she’s admitted that even she can barely break a single Binding spell. How is he not a threat?”

“Any creature can choose to be a threat if they want,” Fluttershy said meekly. All eyes swiveled to stare at the demure mare. “I see it all the time with the animals I take care of. Most of the time, they’re just sweet little angels, but they can just as easily become vicious and mean if they feel like they have to be.”

Twilight nodded in agreement. “As I was saying, he said that he wasn’t a threat. But now, he said he is because Lyra and I were going to interrogate him.”

“Was it really necessary to use something like Truthful Whisper on him in the first place, Twi?” Applejack asked, shaking her head slightly. “Sure, he was a mite stubborn, but Ah’m sure he would’ve opened up sooner or later.”

Twilight’s ears flattened against her head in shame as she wobbled toward the table in the center of the room, where a roll of parchment, several quills and a bottle of ink were laid out. A magenta aura surrounded the mare’s horn as she approached, and an identical aura covered the objects on the table. The parchment unfurled itself, the stopper to the ink bottle unscrewed itself and the quill dipped daintily into the ink before hovering over the parchment as Twilight prepared to dictate a letter.

“Dear Princess Celestia…”

“Uh, Twilight? What are you doing?” Rainbow Dash asked, giving the lavender Unicorn a curious look.

“I’m writing to the Princess to let her know what happened when Lyra and I tried to make the Earthling talk,” Twilight explained. “I have to warn her that he’s probably on his way to Canterlot right now.”

“Why do you think he’d go to Canterlot?” Rarity asked. “Wouldn’t it be more sensible for him to leave however it is he came to arrive?”

“You didn’t see what he looked like after I told him that the Princess was the one who told us to get him to talk,” Lyra chimed in. “He looked like he was going to rip somepony’s head off.” She paused for a second as the others blanched at her word choice. “Wait, you don’t think he would, do you guys?”

Before any of the others could answer, a bright flash of blue light on the table next to the letter Twilight was writing drew their attention. Standing on top of the letter, was a small, semi-transparent, blue Earth Pony stallion. The stallion’s body gave off a soft glow and was decorated by a series of numbers that ran along his body like veins. On top of his head, nestled comfortably between his ears was a small top hat.

“Miss Sparkle would be correct in her assumption,” the glowing pony announced, his accent similar to that of the Ponies who lived in the Trottingham region of Equestria. “The... Earthling is heading towards Canterlot to confront Princess Celestia on what he learned here today from you two.” He glanced at Twilight and then at Lyra. Lyra managed to look ashamed, but Twilight was simply too fascinated with the glowing pony on her table to even be phased by what she had just been rightfully, and subtly, accused of.

“Who are you?” The lavender mare asked staring inquisitively at the pony. “Or, what are you? I suppose that would be the better question.”

“I am an Advanced Augmented Artificial Intelligence,” the pony said, bowing slightly to the mares present. The words merely caused confused expressions to appear on their faces. “You may call me Ed, and I suggest you listen very carefully to what I am about to say.”

My eyes snapped open as I felt the train begin to slow down. A quick glance out of the car’s side window confirmed that we were pulling into what I assumed was Canterlot Station. My body cracked my neck from side to side in anticipation. Rising to my feet, I took hold of the ‘NERF Bat of Stop’ in my left hand and rested it against my shoulder.

‘Show time...’ I thought nervously to myself. I had been pouring over the torrent of feelings for anything I could exploit, but to no avail. It was now impenetrable. There was literally nothing I could do at that moment except watch how everything would play out.

As the train came to a stop, I began to move toward the door leading out to the platform. Much to my internal surprise however, the door slid open before I was even halfway to it. A dull gray Unicorn dressed from head to hoof in golden armor stepped inside, his horn aglow with a lime-green light as he searched the car for something. If I had to venture a guess, it seemed as though the Princess did receive correspondence from Twilight.

I hoped she was ready for what the Manipulator-based device was about to unleash.

The Unicorn’s gaze fell onto me and he froze in place. I waved back at him. He opened his mouth in response, no doubt to call for reinforcements. So, with a flick of my wrist, I used telekinesis to shut his mouth, preventing him for calling out to his comrades, which were probably either out on the platform or searching the remainder of the train.

I wagged a finger at him in mock disappointment. The Unicorn’s eyes had narrowed into a battle ready glare and his horn lit up with a bright light before a blast of magic collided with my chest. Aside from causing me to stumble back slightly, the spell did virtually nothing to me. Though, at least then I could see it for myself what Ed was talking about earlier when he said Twilight’s magic communed with the Editor, rather than the bulky magic of other Unicorns.

The Unicorn guard looked stunned. Clearly he had expected his spell to do significantly more to me than it did. I grinned back at him, subconsciously causing the points of my sharper canines to glint in the dim lighting.

“Nice try,” I said, before swinging the NBoS between his eyes. The Unicorn winced and then became still as a statue as the enchantments in the bat paralyzed him. The guard teetered on his hooves for a second before falling over onto his side with a muffled thump, still in the same position he had been standing in.

Satisfied, my body dragged the poor soul over to a small storage compartment I had vaguely noticed earlier and stuffed him inside. Thankfully, the compartment was large enough to fit him. Actually, it could probably fit at least two more stallions about his size, even with that armor.

Dusting my hands off, I turned to leave, only to find two more guards waiting for me. Unlike their comrade now stuffed in storage, these two didn’t waste any time before they began firing spells at me. Lime-green light flooded the compartment as spell after spell attempted to take hold of me, only to be deflected by the invisible, magic resistant barrier the Editor was producing in the Equestrian Magical Perimeter.

I stood there and took what they dealt for several long seconds, before they both finally halted their assault to see if their attacks had had any effect on me. Their curiosity was rewarded by the NBoS being thrown at the closest one. The bat bounced off of the face of the guard, paralyzing him, before falling on the back of the other.

The second guard grunted in frustration as he tried to shove his partner off of him. I let out a snort of laughter at the sight. The guard glared up at me and lowered his horn again. Then the NBoS fell back down and struck him on the tip of his horn. The oncoming attack was immediately halted as the poor fool was paralyzed from horn to hoof before falling over.

Talk about anticlimactic.

Apparently satisfied that those guards would not impede me any further, my possessed form stepped off of the train and into Canterlot Station. From my position in my subconscious, I was fully expecting a battalion of Ponies to begin an epic assault on my person as I dispatched them with the NBoS.

However, I was surprised to find that my only opposition was a bench that had been placed directly in my path. For the most part, the station was empty, save for a janitor stallion that was in the process of waxing the floors. The stallion gave me a stern look as I stepped onto the platform and pointed the business end of a broom at me.

“Hey! You!”

My body immediately froze out of an automatic reflex. I turned to look at the stallion who in return glared back. “I’ll tell you the same thing I told those guardsfolk. I’m in the middle of waxing these floors. I don’t want your dirty hoof-foot-claw prints all over ‘em. So walk around the edges to get out, you hear me?” He growled in a scruffy tone.

From analyzing the reaction of the swirling emotions in my mind, they were half-tempted to tell him what they thought of his waxed floors, and give him several suggestions as to what he could do with that broom of his and where he could do it at. But it seemed the device’s quarrel wasn’t with this pony. It wasn’t like he was really in the way or trying to stop my shell of a former self.

The result was a stiff nod. “Understood, Mister…”

“Scruffy,” the janitor grunted, wiggling his thick, bushy white mustache at me. “The janitor.”

“Scruffy. Got it,” my body mumbled. The name sounded extremely familiar to me, but at that moment I couldn’t for the life of me remember where I had heard it before. Suddenly, my voice started speaking once more. “How do I get to the castle from here?”

“Just head for the big building with the towers and the walls with a bunch of guards on ‘em,” Scruffy replied. His gruff tone matched his name perfectly, from my point of view then. “It’s not that hard to miss.”

“Right…” For a moment, I thought the barbaric sensations coursing through my veins would be taken out on Scruffy. But eventually, my body just began making its’ way toward the exit. “Have fun waxing.”

“Have fun asking pointless questions,” Scruffy called back.

(Some time later...)

Finding the Castle was apparently harder than what I or the Manipulator-device had been expecting. As it turned out, Scruffy’s description of ‘the big building with the towers and the walls with a bunch of guards on ‘em’ described half of the city at that point.

Everywhere I looked I saw large ivory buildings, adorned with golden accents. Towers and parapets were a common architectural design to where the entire city looked like it could be part of the Castle. High-rising walls divided the city’s districts, with numerous guards patrolling on top of them.

Fortunately for that damnable device, there was a fair amount of cloud cover and the streets were dimly lit. Avoiding the rooftop guards was easy enough as long as I kept close to the buildings. And the frequent patrols consisting of one Pegasus and one Unicorn weren’t exactly quiet as they came within range of my senses, which allowed my form more than enough time to duck out of sight.

Though it would have been a whole hell of a lot simpler, and possibly quicker, to rampage through the city until I found the Castle; it seemed as if the device didn’t really feel like announcing my presence in such an obvious fashion. I didn’t have any doubts then that Princess Celestia knew I was coming. The guards searching the train I had been on had been a bit of a giveaway.

And if I was expected, then apparently there was no real point to hurrying, according to the logic algorithm of the device.

By now, the guards sent to search my train would’ve had to check in. Since the NERF Bat of Stop leaves its victims paralyzed for twelve hours, they wouldn’t have reported in. And if they were supposed to be the vanguard in the search for me, then someone must have sent in another group of guards to find out why the others hadn’t reported back yet.

‘Which means they know I’m running free in the city.’ I deduced as my body rounded another corner and, unsurprisingly, found myself down yet another alley. I pondered idly how many alleys could one city have?

Half an hour later, I stepped out from the maze of alleys that seemed to make up much of Canterlot and onto the main road. The Castle finally came into sight.

Canterlot Castle sat just beyond the outskirts of the city and slightly around the side of the mountain. A small path led from the edge of the city to a less than impressive gate and drawbridge, lined with some decorative foliage.

I had barely taken a step when half a dozen floodlights blazed to life and focused on me. The cobblestone street shook violently as numerous guards came charging out from their hiding places in the nearby buildings. Guards poured briefly out of the main gate and across the drawbridge before the gates were sealed tight and the bridge rose, leading to a very sharp drop down the side of the mountain.

Unicorns were the closest archetype of guards to me, their horns ablaze with various magic auras. High above, pegasi guards circled with what appeared to be weighted iron nets. Actually, I was more concerned about the nets than the prospect of dozens of magic wielding Ponies. If one of those nets hit me at just the right angle, I’d be out like a light.

Maybe that would be for the best. If I was incapacitated, then perhaps the rampage could be halted after all. For the first time in a long while, I prayed to the Fates that I would get hit by something hard enough to lose consciousness.

One of the guards, whom I assumed was higher ranking than the rest by the way he was shouting the various rights I had, wore silver armour instead of the common gold. Funnily enough, my rights didn’t extend far beyond ‘peaceful forgiveness begging session with the princess’. They didn’t even try to offer me my one phone call, or claim that anything I said could and would be used against me in a court of law.

I had to try and find some humour in the situation. Otherwise I was really going to start freaking out.

I stood there, putting on the most bored expression I could muster, yawning periodically and drumming my fingers against the NBoS. Needless to say, the stallion in charge continued to grow red in the face as he shouted on and on about how ‘escape is futile’, ‘give up now’, ‘come peacefully’, and all kinds of other stereotypes.

Strange. Usually it’s the henchman of a mad scientist or a dictator with an inappropriate Russian accent that use these kinds of clichés. Actually, it was kind of funny watching it come from a golden-armored, marshmallow-colored horse.

“Are you laughing at me?!” The stallion roared in disbelief. It took me a second to realize that apparently the device also thought that the stallion was amusing. As much as I hated the Manipulator-based technology, and I was planning on hunting it down and destroying it first opportunity I had, the fact that he found humor in something intrigued me. Was it governed by its own A.I.?

My laughter came to a sudden halt as the stallion blasted me with a burst of raw magic. I’m not sure if it was an actual spell, or some sort of defensive reflex Unicorns might have possessed. What I do know, is that the impact knocked me off balance and staggering for a few steps. The stallion looked stunned as I brushed myself off and stood straight.

“I don’t think that spell did what it was supposed to do,” I said cheekily. All around me, I could feel a wave of nervousness pass through the guards. They clearly didn’t think I could speak their language. “Care to try again?”

The second attack struck the ground at my feet as my body leapt into the air to avoid it. Conveniently, the force of the blast gave me an extra boost in momentum, allowing me to rise higher into the air. Twisting around mid-flight, I threw the NBoS like a javelin back at my attacker. The stallion either had terrible reflexes, or was too dumbstruck by my reflexes to move in time before the NBoS ‘bopped’ him on the snout, paralyzing him from head to hoof.

With a flick of my wrist, the NBoS flew back to my hand. I caught it and spun to face an onslaught of Pegasi guards.

The flying regiment came at me with deep-throated shouts and battle-cries, hurling their nets at me en masse as they did so. From my perspective, I saw a massive wall of steel wires and heavy weights headed straight for me. The device wanted to keep a sharp eye and dodge the aerial projectiles; I was silently hoping it would take me down before I reached the Princess.

Subconsciously, I tapped into the local magical parameter and drew forth an excessive amount of energy. The power flowed through the leylines in my body, coalescing in the palm of my free hand and taking form of a swirling ocean-blue ball of light.

“That armor looks like it can get pretty hot!” I called out. “Maybe you guys should cool off!” I drew my arm back and flung the orb at the nets. Magic met steel in a flash of bright blue light. Harnessing the confusing power of Chaos energy, the device changed the atomic configuration of the nets, transforming them into net-shaped piles of snow. The Ponies below and around me all stared in shock as I passed through the clouds of snow and crashed headlong into one of the Pegasi.

The two of us tumbled through the air before he managed to right himself and take off into the sky once more, this time with me on his back.

“Thanks for the lift buddy,” I patted my ride on the back of his head. “Here’s my stop.” I smacked him across the face with the NBoS and proceeded to use him as a springboard. I sailed up into the air once more, giving me a slight advantage as I viewed all of the obstacles before me.

On the ground below, the earthbound Ponies kept the circle formation they had surrounded me with before, only now they moved so that if I fell, I’d be ‘trapped’ again. ‘Captain Tomato McVeinthrob’ (the name I personally had given to the easily offended guard officer) was as red as his name now as he shouted orders and what I assumed were obscenities.

I glanced at my destination. From this height, I had a halfway decent view of the courtyard beyond the wall and gates. Near as I could tell, it was abandoned all the way up to the large, double doors that led inside what I assumed was an entrance hall. The doors were left wide open as well.

Even more conveniently, the majority of the Pegasi regiment seemed to be charging at me form the direction of the castle in an evenly spaced and relatively linear pattern.

And even ensnared in my mind, it was fairly obvious what was going to happen.

-WTIN-

I dusted myself as I landed gracefully on the other side of the gate. Behind me and the gate were the fruits of my labor. More specifically: twenty-seven pegasi all paralyzed by my ever faithful NERF Bat of Stop. They had all had the honor of serving as my mid-air stepping stones/springboards, which allowed me to easily bypass most of the guards with minimal effort on my part.

The courtyard was, as I had suspected, mostly abandoned. Only a pair of guards remained, both standing over the lever controls that most likely raised and lowered the gates. Both of them must have been new recruits or something, judging by the fact that they stood frozen in shock by my appearance rather than attempting to restrain me or raising the gates to let the other guards back in. Neither of which I wanted to deal with anymore.

One blink of the eye later, and both Ponies were on their sides, paralyzed and the controls to the gates were covered in a thick layer of ice that would take at least two to three days to weaken enough to open the gates.

Whistling a happy tune to myself (a tune that I didn’t even know, but at that time was singly it flawlessly), I strode toward the grand double doors on the castle’s exterior.

But of course, that’s when good old Murphy decided to rear his ugly head and throw his Law at me with the force of a cannonball. And by that, I mean that I was literally blown off my feet as a blast of magical energy hit me square in my stomach with the force of a cannonball. The impact lifted me off of my feet and threw me back toward the main gate. I bounced off of the ground four times in quick succession before landing on my feet and sliding to a stop.

My head snapped up, my vision zeroing in on my assailant. A lone Unicorn guard barred my path to the castle entrance. Unlike the other Unicorn guards I had seen, this one had a pure white coat. His hooves were deep cobalt in color, rather than matching his coat.

His armor was polished silver in color as well, signifying a high ranking. He wasn’t wearing a helmet, allowing his multi-toned, sapphire-blue mane to fall freely around his neck. A light rose-colored aura surrounded his horn as he fixated me with a glare. Despite the circumstances I was faced with, I couldn’t help but respect him; here was a guard that understood what it meant to be a soldier. He didn’t issue any orders. He didn’t give any options. He knew full well that he would have to fight and he had accepted that. I could see it in his eyes.

No words were shared between us as we charged at one another. The space between us rapidly shrank, my longer legs making up the distance his speed advantage gave him. Within seconds of us initially locking eyes, we were on top of one another. As I swung the NBoS down on his head, he cast a solid shield of rose-colored light between us.

To my surprise from my viewpoint, the shield actually deflected my attack. Having been unprepared for that, the blow caused me to stumble back and lose my footing. The Unicorn quickly took advantage of the opening he created and sent the shield crashing into me. The force of the blow lifted me into the air and sent me flying headfirst into the stone wall surrounding the castle grounds.

I felt the stone crack and shatter beneath my impact and could even feel the cracks appearing in a couple of my ribs. I fell from the wall and onto the ground, barely managing to land on my feet. A faint trickle of blood flowed down from somewhere under my hair, forcing me to blink rapidly to keep my vision clear.

The Unicorn was standing where he had hit me from, using his magic to maintain a pair of rotating light-shields around him as he kept a watchful eye on me. My internal eyebrows arched in surprise; thankfully I was numb to whatever sensations were happening, because my body was probably hurting like a motherfucker. ‘I guess this guard actually knows what he’s doing.’

I drew back the NBoS and threw it as hard as I could at the Unicorn. This is to say, I tapped into the Editor’s power reserves and threw it with the force of a speeding freight train. The Unicorn reacted swiftly. He conjured up four additional shields, each one thicker than the last, and placed all six between himself and the NBoS.

My weapon struck the first of the shields and shattered it instantly. The second through fourth shields also fell with almost no resistance. However, the fifth shield barely managed to break and the final shield held fast. All my attack had accomplished was driving the Unicorn several yards back, leaving deep gouges in the earth from where he tried to hold his ground.

Space bent before my will as I teleported to the NBoS, clutching it tightly and startling the guard. Victoriously, I brought my weapon down on his head, only for it to pass through a sparkling after-image. A flash of rose light behind me drew my attention.

The Unicorn had warped himself across the courtyard and already had three more shields circling him. He flashed me a smug grin and raised his right foreleg, making the universal gesture of ‘bring it on’ with his hoof.

I crouched low and sprang across the open ground in pursuit, appearing only as a faint blur as the distance between us vanished in the blink of an eye. I was feet from him when all three of his shields shifted from hovering vertically, to hovering horizontally. The Unicorn flashed me a grin, and his horn flared with light. The three shields all slammed into me, knocking me backwards.

A growl escaped my lips as I tumbled through the air, and in my anger, I threw the NBoS once more. This time, the Unicorn hadn’t been expecting the attack, and had no shields up. My weapon struck him on his horn and was split in half as the last of the paralyzing magic inside it stunned the guard.

I cracked my neck from side to side as I stood up from where the guard’s attack had left me and began to make my way over to him. I hadn’t actually expected any of the Guard to put up that much of a fight. That guy however; he sure had a lot more bite than I was expecting. And his shielding spells were above par as well. It had completely drained the enchantments on the NBoS just to paralyze him.

On the plus side, I couldn’t see any more red dots on my HUD’s radar, signifying that there were no one within a hundred yards that was hostile toward me. Well, except for the sea of red in one corner of the radar, but those were the guards trapped outside the gates. I didn’t have to worry about them in the near future. Combined with the guy’s shields covering the courtyard, I also didn’t even have to worry about the Pegasi launching an aerial attack on me.

“Thanks for the warm-up,” I muttered, casting aside the now broken and damaged NBoS, watching half-interestedly as it vanished in a puff of glittering blue smoke. “If you’ll excuse me, I have an unscheduled appointment with your princess.”

I turned to face the doors leading into the castle, and immediately found my way blocked by yet another pony. A mare this time, to be exact.

This mare stood out from all the others in a rather simple fashion. Firstly, her coat was the darkest shade I had seen on a pony thus far, being a deep sapphire-blue. Her mane and tail both were a moderate shade of cobalt, and had an ethereal quality to them. They even moved like there was a light breeze blowing through the night. And, for the record, there was no breeze. She stood taller than other Ponies I had seen, but what really caught my attention was that she wore an obsidian colored tiara, and had both wings and a horn.

Well, if the tiara wasn’t a dead giveaway, the wings and horn were.

My eyes, both physically and mentally, squinted at the individual before me. ’So, the Princess is done wasting pawns and has entered the game herself.’

Chapter Eight: Boiling Point

Chapter Eight: Boiling Point

The Princess and I stared each other down for several agonizingly long moments. Our eyes never left each other’s, and neither of us blinked. She stood there, radiating an aura of pride and well-contained irritation. Her expression was neutral, but I could tell that she was studying me as much as I was.

My trepidation and anxiety was through the roof as we both stood there, sizing up one another. If my possessed form succeeded in killing this Princess Celestia before me (which, given the power of the Universal Editor, I didn’t doubt for a second), then my stay in the realm would be cut even shorter than the time I had just spend with the Irida no more than a day prior.

“Princess Celestia, I presume?” I crossed my arms and assumed an unimpressed stance, eyeing the mare carefully. There was something off about her. In comparison to the other Ponies, she held a far more... intimidating presence (being the ruler notwithstanding). I idly pondered at the time if the Ponies followed her purely out of fear.

“Nay.” Once again, despite the seriousness of the scenario I was being faced with; I couldn’t help but find some humor in the event. The Pony said ‘nay’. The punny irony was not lost on me, even with the mounting stress on my mind. “I am Luna, her sister.”

“Ah,” I cracked my neck from side to side. My inner self could only be surprised; there was no mention of a second Princess. Actually, at that point I was quickly realizing that I heard nothing about the King and Queen of the realm. I considered perhaps they were out, and those two Sisters were left in charge. Or, perhaps, there weren’t any King or Queen to start with. “I hope you don’t mind, but I have an appointment with your sister. So I’ll be going now.”

“So, you are the... ‘Earthling,’” She continued to eyeball me, appraising me and ignoring the device’s threat. Undoubtedly, she was examining any potential weaknesses, seeing just how much of a threat I was. And she was actively trying to hide her actions. But you don’t live for millenniums without learning to catch on to the most subtle of physical tells, regardless of what species is using them.

That Princess, at the time, wore her intentions on her sleeve. So to speak.

“Yes. I am.” I eyed her in return. Her muscles were lean, yet she seemed to radiate signs of immense physical strength. Her height was greater than that of most stallions I had seen so far, putting her nearly on eye-level with me. Her wings were built for power, yet they were immaculately groomed and seemed to have more defining angles as compared to the Pegasi I had seen. Her horn was longer than that of the average unicorn, and sharper too, from what I could tell.

’Almost like all the species got fused together and was then injected with anabolic steroids,’ I mused to myself. The swirling torrent of the cloud of rage surrounding me attracted my attention. There were no initial weak-points to strike. But perhaps, if I timed a surge of my will right, I would be able to strike when the device was preoccupied fighting the Princesses.

With luck, the surprise attack would incapacitate the device long enough for me to summon Ed and the Editors’ defenses to annihilate the connection for good. It wasn’t the most solid plan, but at that moment I had no other. So, I patiently waited for the opportunity, and watched the scene unfold.

“You’re not what I expected.” I internally blinked in surprise. Of all the comments I could have expected from one of the Princesses, that one hadn’t been on the list. What? No shouting at me? No calling me a coward, or threatening me because I assaulted the guards? Then it dawned on me.

This mare knew a fight between us was inevitable. Her stance told me that she would not allow me into the castle, and clearly the Manipulator-influenced tech had no plans to be stopped after coming this far. What’s more, she was posed in such a way that she could rocket to the sky, dash across the ground and impale me on her horn, or blast me with spell after spell regardless of where I moved in the exposed courtyard. Her positioning would have given her an advantage over nearly any opponent.

Unfortunately for her, I wasn’t your average opponent. Hell, I was the secret final boss you would find in a simulation that was twenty times harder than the actual final boss. Came with the territory of wielding a Universal Editor, I thought calmly to myself.

“You’re not what I expected either. In most circumstances, a nation’s leader never faces an invading enemy head on.” I fixed the Princess with a neutral stare. “So why do you?”

“Curiosity,” the Mistress of the Night answered. At least, that was my guess of who she was. I once caught an idle bit of chatter about Celestia’s capability to raise the Sun (rather unheard of, but I didn’t give it much more thought than that). If this ‘Luna’ was related to her, then judging by name alone one could presume she controlled the Moon, and in essence the night. “You are not from our world. I can tell that much. Unless your kind have been living in underground caves and keeping yourselves hidden from the tunneling races like the Diamond Dogs. But, that is unlikely, given that you fell from the sky.”

“So, you met me out here, because you were curious?” I deadpanned. It took a brief moment for the affirmation to sink in that Twilight had indeed sent a report about me in. A faint stab of betrayal struck me. Orders were orders, in the end. “You do realize that I just fought my way through a very sizeable group of Guards to get here, right?”

“Obviously,” Luna rolled her eyes at me. “In all frankness, ‘twas hard to miss from the towers.”

“In that case,” my body quipped. “I suppose it’s onto business, then.” I cracked my knuckles, limbering up my appendages. “Did you have anything to do with the orders Celestia gave to Twilight Sparkle?”

“No.” It was resolute, and held no deceit. “When ‘Tia sought my advice, I told her to do whatever was safest for our Ponies; whether she meet you herself, or request that Twilight Sparkle find out all there was to know from you.” The Princess squinted wisely at me. “By your actions tonight, I can only assume that Celestia had Twilight handle the situation. Only, Twilight did not approach it in the manner Celestia intended, and now you’re here to demand answers from my sister. Correct?”

“That depends on what Celestia’s original intent behind the letter was,” I said. “So, if you’ll excuse me, I have business with your sister.” I took a step forward and Luna’s wings flared out to her sides, making it clear that I wasn’t allowed to pass the threshold into the castle.

“And if my sister’s response is not to your liking? What then?”

“That all depends on what she has to say for herself,” I replied truthfully. “I am owed an explanation for her actions.”

“You are owed nothing.” The Princess’ cold tone took me off guard, to a point. She had seemed almost amicable just moments before, and now she wore a look of irritated defiance. The device did not take kindly to that.

“Excuse me?” My voice was laced with venom. We glared daggers at one another and I had to say, if looks could kill… “Perhaps you don’t know this, but I have done nothing to be treated like a criminal! Hell, the first thing I did in your country was save two of your citizens, and your sister responds by having Truthful Whisper injected into me by her pawn?!”

“You come here, attacking our guards and storming our home, claiming that you are owed an explanation for your treatment thus far,” the Princess explained. “You act as though you have the same rights as our citizens. But you do not. You are not a citizen of Equestria. You are not even a citizen of any of the neighboring countries. You are a visitor. Your first act in Equestria, though one of self-defense and the defense of our citizens, was one of violence.”

I opened my mouth to speak, but the Princess anticipated what I was about to say and instead cut me off. “I am not condemning your actions. On the contrary, you selflessly defended our citizens and we are grateful. Nevertheless, you are an unknown species. And in your actions, you have demonstrated that you are not only capable of violence, but you are trained and skilled in its art as well. Can you truly blame my sister for caring about our citizens? Can you blame her for taking precautions to ensure that this peaceful land remain such?”

“Then she should have handled it herself!” I roared at the Princess. My voice cracked through the night air like the clash of thunder. Luna took a step back in surprise. “Instead, she used one of her citizens to potentially risk her life to restrain that ‘unknown species’! She is nothing more than a coward!”

Luna fixed me with a glare, an aura the shade of cobalt surrounding her horn as she did so. “It would seem that you need to learn some manners. It’s rude to shout at strangers, as you will soon learn.”

The moment Luna blasted me with one hell of an attack and used my body to trim some rather annoying weeds (and by weeds, I meant trees) in the castle gardens, I quietly mused to myself that the A.I. of the device did not have a good set of algorithms for combating Goddesses. Though, I suppose that when you survived for so long, one would tend to get complacent (body-snatching device or no).

Fortunately, my reflexes weren’t too terribly slow. Even if I didn’t block the attack in time, I did manage to erect a decent energy barrier around myself before I hit the first tree. I’ll be completely honest; I wasn’t expecting her first attack to be nearly as powerful as it was. My interactions with the Royal Guard had given me a pretty decent idea on what the extent of the Unicorn’s understanding of magic could do.

That one attack put their limits to shame, and it still looked as if she wasn’t using the full extent of her power. At the time I was both really curious and really nervous to find out what would happen to me if she used her full power to blast me. Doubly so if the device didn’t put up a barrier in time to defend myself.

I twisted around just before I slammed into the last tree in the line. My feet dug into the bark as I firmly planted my feet against the trunk. I kicked off as the tree began to buckle and snap under the force of the impact, propelling myself back through the air toward the Princess.

Luna’s response was swift and without mercy. She slammed a forehoof on the ground in front of her. A wall of stone and dirt rose up between the two of us in the blink of an eye, just before my barrier-encased body crashed through it.

When I came out of the other side of the wall like a speeding bullet, I personally took a small pleasure at the look of wild surprise on the Princess’ face. This pleasure only grew as she caught sight of a stone hammer I had created from the wall as I passed through it. My hammer smashed into and shattered against the Princess’ side, sending her spiraling across the courtyard and into the stairs leading up into the castle. Chunks of stone were blown away from the stairs and scattered across the pathway as the impact site was obscured by a dust cloud.

A blast of magic shot out from the dust, narrowly missing my head and destroying the remainder of the wall behind me in the process. A second magic attack struck against a barrier automatically generated by the Editor as Luna charged out of the crater she had made. The magical aura around her horn rose out several feet and shaped itself into a sharp point as the Princess lowered her head at me.

The barrier I had conjured vanished in a flash of blue light, replaced by a simple rapier. I caught the blade in my hand and brought it up just in time to deflect the Princess’ attack. Her aura’s tip barely grazed my shoulder as I sidestepped her charge. Hardly even a scratch.

The device puppeteering my body attempted to bring the pommel down on Luna’s spine, but the alicorn teleported away the instant before it could make contact. A flash of light behind me gave away her new position. I leapt into the air, giving my muscles a brief boost in power from the Editor to propel me higher than what should’ve been possible.

A quick glance downward proved that Luna had rather phenomenal reaction time. She had already taken flight after me; and this time, she had a major advantage that not even the device would be able to compensate for with the Editor fast enough.
Her goddamn wings.

She slammed into me with as a surprising amount of force, right as I latched onto her, my fingers gripping deep into her ethereal-appearing (yet quite solid) mane. The momentum of the impact and my grip on the Princess sent the pair of us tumbling through the open air for a brief moment before Luna teleported above me.

Luna gave me no quarter as she tucked her wings to her sides and fell into a dive. The instant before she struck me, she spun so that her hooves were lined up perfectly with my midsection. Solid hooves met soft flesh as the Princess kicked me with everything she had, just as my barrier started to form.

The barrier shattered instantly, and, while it managed to absorb most of the blow, I’m still fairly certain that she managed to crack one of my ribs. The next thing I knew, I had smashed through one of the ornamental statues lining the walkway to the castle entrance. The Princess landed next to me, just as I was getting back onto my feet.

One blink of my inner eyes later, and I was crashing through one of the large sets of windows that was positioned a little ways off to the side of the main door. Glass shards rained down around me as I ruined what had at one point been an elegantly carved mahogany table. A quick glance confirmed that I had been knocked into a lavishly decorated dining hall.

Several rows of mahogany tables and benches filled the center of the room, immaculate white tablecloths covered the wood. Silver candle holders were lined at even intervals throughout the room and fancy looking china was laid out in preparation for what was surely dinnertime.

The device forced myself to my feet, ignoring the sounds of the palace staff panicking and vacating the room. The doors to the dining hall swung wide open as the Princess marched in, a smug expression on her face.

“Art thou having trouble using the door like a civilized being?” she asked, cracking her neck from side to side. She had a very slight limp in her right hind-leg, from what I observed. “Raised in a barn, were you?”

“I like to mix it up a little,” the device sneered in my voice. “As for being raised in a barn, you are certainly one to talk, horse.” Luna narrowed her eyes at me and lowered her horn threateningly.

“Your lack of manners becomes ever more apparent. Shall I correct you?”

I let out a quiet chuckle. “On the contrary, I find my manners to be quite impeccable. Particularly, my table manners.” I brought my fist down on the side of the table, flipping it up into the air in front of me. I spun around and kicked the wood as hard as I was able, sending it sailing at Luna.

Fire engulfed the table, reducing it to a cloud of ash. Luna charged through the cloud, horn ablaze with magical light. Candlesticks and tableware were lifted into the air beside her.

“Oh crap,” I muttered, as Luna launched her makeshift projectiles at my head. I dove behind another table, knocking it over just as the first wave was about to hit me. China shattered against the wood, utensils dug into the barrier and stayed there, all while the candlesticks broke off chunks of the table with each blow. The device attempted to guide my body to peer over, only for my face to become engulfed by a now-shattered bowl.

“Hey! You’re ruining perfectly good dishes!” I shouted over the sounds of shattering china, bloody scratches no doubt adorning my face at that point.

“You started it!” Luna shouted back. “You threw a table at me!”

“It was self-defense!”

“I had not even done anything yet!”

A incredulous sound left my throat as my body grabbed an undamaged saucer and chucked it over the table. “You threw me through a window!”

“You are insufferable!” Luna roared. The table behind me lit up with an aura matching the one on the Princess’ horn. The table was promptly thrown out of the still intact windows, letting in a nice autumn breeze.

Of course, I couldn’t enjoy said breeze because as soon as my table shield was gone, my body was forced back into action and to pick up my rapier. Stepping up to the plate for batting practice against Luna’s onslaught of dinnerware, the device voiced its frustration. “This is getting ridiculous!” I groaned.

“I agree!” Luna shouted. “Time to put an end to this!”

A flash of light surrounded me for a moment as I teleported behind the Princess. Her eyes went wide with surprise as I drew back my empty fist. “Ladies first!” My fist collided with her stomach. The force of the blow (combined with a surge of energy from the Editor) blasted her through the ceiling and into the tower above. I leapt up after, rising through at least four floors before finding myself in a small, clearly private library.

Luna was waiting for me, bookcase caught in her magical grip. A split second later, and I found myself outside of the tower, with a bookcase crushed against my chest as I sailed down toward the larger part of the castle once more. Deep in my subconscious, I could hear the cracking of a few more ribs. The bookcase and I smashed through the roof and skidded across an immaculately polished marble floor before coming to rest before a pair of thrones.

One was crafted with gold, the other from obsidian. On the gold throne sat another alicorn, coat as white as snow, an ethereal mane like the colors of dawn, horn sharp as a blade and a wingspan that put any Pegasus’ to shame.

I shoved the bookcase off of myself and rose to my feet. I faced the alicorn, who wore an expression that proved that she was expecting me. My inner eyes widened; was the moment approaching? “Princess Celestia, I presume?”

“The 'Earthling', I presume?” She retorted. “You’ve caused quite a disturbance among my Guards.”

“I aim to please.” I shrugged her off and turned my attention to the skylight I installed for what was clearly the throne room. “And while I look forward to having words with you, Celestia, I have a battle to finish.” Luna floated down gently through the hole and landed next to her sister.

“I will not allow you to harm my sister,” Celestia warned. The cyclone of emotions in my mind picked up speed at her words. Their target was now truly in their sights; the white-hot fury was quickly rising again under my skin. “If you insist on fighting her, you’ll have me to deal with as well.”

“Good,” I said, cracking my knuckles. My spirit tensed; ready to pounce at any opportunity to find a route to the connection and dispatch it. “Just what I wanted.”

Luna and Celestia exchanged a quick glance. Then their horns lit up, midnight blue and deep gold intertwining in their respective horns. They combined their magic to send dual bolts of raw energy at me. The device instilled another barrier in front of me, deflecting the bolts into the wall and detonating. Dim moonlight had spilt in through the medium-sized holes. While they were distracted by the reflected volley, my puppeteered form gripped Luna with a strong case of telekinesis and slammed her into the side of Celestia.

"This is child's play, Princesses. Step it up." I stated as they both got up. Celestia dashed straight at me while Luna went for an aerial lunge. A feral, predatory smile marred my face as the device tapped into the Editor. A bright flash illuminated the room, and me and Celestia traded positions. Celestia had stopped running with a skidding halt, precisely where my form had just been. Luna, unable to stop her momentum or turn, stabbed Celestia, earning a scream of pain from her sister. However neither of them collapsed, and instead turned their attention back towards me with raw aggression in their stances.

I turned and ran towards a wall. Tapping into the Editor’s pure Reserves yet again, the device enabled me to connect and literally run up the side of it. Celestia and Luna could only watch as I ran all the way to the top before I spoke again.

"I'm far more dangerous and powerful than you could ever imagine, little equines.” The tone when the device used my voice to say ‘equines’ felt wrong, almost grotesque. “Come and put some effort into it!" I bellowed as the Law of Gravity submitted to the will of the Editor, and allowed me to begin walking upside down on the ceiling.

Luna rushed me and was met with a heel connecting to her muzzle. Without even fully realizing what was happening myself at the time, I soon found myself free-falling and landing on top of Luna. She tried desperately to budge me off, but it was apparently too late.

*Boom!*

The device amplified my speed and grabbed onto Luna, turning it into a sonic pile driver. The Princess of the Night laid briefly stunned, and immobilized. Confident that she wouldn’t move, I turned my attention to Celestia who was channeling a spell all this time. She launched it, a giant ball of raging inferno, and sent it straight at me. I leapt up into the air only to see it was locked on to me and changed directions on a dime.

I grabbed the inferno with a brief bout of arcane energy and redirected the spell back at Celestia, changing it from fire to frost. Celestia was unable to dodge it in time, and was soon encased in ice. Luna had gotten back up by then and bucked the ice, shattering it and freeing Celestia. The pair turned to face me one more.

I could already see the fatigues of battle upon both of them. If an opportunity to strike and rebel against the predicament I found myself in didn’t arise, then I would be helpless to prevent their deaths. And then I would be left FUBAR, with no way to Warp to safety and the full might of an empire bearing down upon me.

"I don't know how much war your species has had to live through, but it's obvious that its most powerful rulers can't defeat a measly warrior of a species that has mastered the art of war," I snidely taunted as I Blinked forward and slammed Celestia into the ground. I quickly rolled to the side to avoid Luna's buck and responded with a right hook to her muzzle. Blood trickled out as Luna backed up and Celestia quickly clamored back some.

"You’re a decent warrior, ‘Earthling’." Celestia landed gently on the ground next to her sister. “I’ll concede to that.” Luna didn't speak, only glared at me before she charged again. However, as she was charging me; the device had a brilliant idea.

Right before Luna connected, another Italian smoke bomb materialized in my hand. Working quickly, my body threw it down and fell into a prone position. Luna flew over me, the smoke distracting her. Using the opportunity, the Manipulator-based tech activated the Editor’s Chameleon Protocol to change myself into an exact replica of Luna. Wounds and all.

When the smoke cleared, Celestia’s eyes widened as she saw two Lunas.... and no Earthling.

I was to Celestia’s left while the real Luna occupied the right of me. Celestia had charged a spell powerful enough to almost match the strength of a giant swinging a haymaker. The only problem then was which Luna was the fake...

"Sister! Strike the Earthling now!" Luna cried out beside me.

"Lies! Sister, the Earthling is the other Luna. Strike him!" I said while copying Luna’s voice. The device’s way and logic in battle befuddled me to no end. If it was so adamant about slaying Celestia, why did it not use the full power of the Editor and just do it? Was the technology toying with the Princesses?

Celestia looked back and forth between me and Luna before finally firing the spell at me. The device simply swapped me with Luna and sat back as Luna was hit with the arcane blast. Luna slid across the ground shortly and stopped. The Moon Princess quickly rose, healing magic wrapping around her wounds and stopping the bleeding.

She and I squared off, preparing to launch ourselves headfirst at one another.

“Enough!” Celestia’s cracked across the room like rolling thunder. From the fringes of my vision, I could see the exhaustion and anger on the ruler’s face. “Fighting is pointless. What good can come from all of this violence?”

“It’s necessary,” the device reasoned, my eyes never leaving Luna’s. “You ordered your subjects to interrogate me, to force me to talk against my will. You claim that you did it to maintain peace in your land, but what ruler makes those kinds of orders when she doesn’t even know who’s on the receiving end when the orders are carried out? You’re a coward, Celestia. And I’m going to show you why you should’ve just left me to my own devices.”

“And what kind of ruler would I be if I did that?” Celestia’s tone was cold, not unlike a spear of ice being driven through my person. “I have to look out for the well-being of my subjects. The only Earthling I’ve ever dealt with turned out to be dangerous in the end. Could you blame me?”

My inner brows knitted at that. I did not know Celestia had a previous encounter with another Earth-, er rather Human. If her words were true, then realistically I couldn’t blame her. Unfortunately, I had no authority to voice that thought.

“Yes. I can,” I said, a faint growl accompanying my words. “Instead of being the gracious host and welcoming me to your world, instead of getting to know me over a cup of tea or even writing me a letter expressing your concerns, you went straight for the underhanded method of gathering information. Worse still, you couldn’t even do it yourself. You had to have your loyal subjects do it for you.”

Celestia hung her head slightly. Whether she did so out of shame or irritation, I couldn’t tell. I was too perplexed by what the device just said. That sounded way too much like him. Was the device of his own design? Was he the Earthling Celestia had encountered? If that was also the case, then I would not be able to bear her death. Slowly, she raised her head to fix me with a cold stare.

“I don’t want to fight you, Earthling,” Celestia admitted. “Many innocent lives will be destroyed if we do.”

“Cut the bleeding heart crap!” I snapped. “You brought this upon yourself. You! I’m not the bad guy here. You are.”

“I only did what I thought was necessary to protect my subjects,” Celestia said, her wings flaring out in what was clearly supposed to be an intimidating gesture. “You however could have left at any time you wanted. Instead, you chose to behave like a child and throw a temper tantrum because you didn’t like how I handled things.”

“’Temper tantrum’?” I repeated slowly. My hands shook slightly in my growing anger, causing the tip of my hidden blade to gently scrape Luna’s skin beneath her coat. My mind slowed down. ‘My hidden blade...? Oh no. I had it all along. How had I forgotten that I had it the entire time?!’ I hadn’t even noticed where I was now; standing suddenly next to Luna, wrist placed aggressively against her throat. “’Child’? You’re seriously calling me a child?”

“That’s what your actions have shown you to be,” Celestia answered. “My subjects took you in and treated you. And, even though you speak our language, you didn’t thank them. I don’t care who you were back wherever you’re from, but here; you’re not special. You’re not above anypony else. You’ve acted like a stuck-up, self-centered child. And your attack on my soldiers and my sister only further prove my point.”

“I’m not above anyone else?” I laughed, though it sounded more like a roar. I faintly realized the coagulation of emotions were rampaging around me. I saw a flicker of something. An opening. “Don’t even get me started on you. You’re nothing compared to me. So you move a big ball of gas in the sky. Whoop-de-fucking-doo. I could do that in my sleep.” The device was going off on a tangent, but my mind was focused on that spot. I began building up my spirit.

“I can make the sun and the stars smile down on a world and wish its inhabitants a happy day. I have danced in the halls of legends. I have witnessed the rise and fall of countless civilizations, many by my own actions. I have taken down gods who became corrupt and sought to wreak suffering upon the realms.”

I rose to my feet, practically foaming at the mouth as my tirade quickly escalated into a bellowing roar directed at the Princess of the Sun. The surrounding windows shattered at my words and the winds outside were whipped into a frenzy.

“I am what keeps the balance between order and chaos in all universes! I am the only one watching the Scales! You think you have the right to tell me that I’m no different than a lowly subject?! You’re nothing! And I am a Go-”

”I. Am. Not. Like. Him!”

With a bellowing roar of my own, my spirit pushed through the small window of opportunity in the metaphorical storm raging inside of me. I completely blindsided the device’s influence, shell-shocking the connection. Abruptly, my eyes were engulfed in light.

"Memory Archive Triggered.
Unauthorized Flashback Initiated.
Accessing File: 15HRZN25.5242.HF.0SHDW13"

Emerald green Hellfire burned brightly all around me as the planet was slowly consumed. Off in the distance, the Hellfire burned in a perfect circle around a city. Its flames were taller than the tallest skyscrapers and too thick to leap through. The circle of Hellfire slowly began to tighten around the city. The screams of the people trapped by the flames filled my ears.

I wiped the back of my hand across my forehead to stem the flow of the blood trickling down my face. I was kneeling near the edge of a cliff that overlooked the city. The broken remains of my sword lay amongst the burnt brass bullet casings. Panting heavily, I looked up at my opponent, who stood on the very edge of the cliff, looking down on the city.

The light of the Hellfire cast the shadows around us in such a way, that he only appeared to be a shadowy silhouette against the flames.

“Why are you doing this?!” I shouted, my voice almost lost to the crackling of the flames and the rawness of my throat. “Stop! Just stop!”

My opponent turned back to me. The shadows hiding his face from view, but his glowing silver eyes still as bright as ever. “Begging now? That’s pretty sad.” He scoffed. “Gods don’t beg, Storm.”

“We are not gods,” I growled, spitting up a glob of blood.

"Take it easy, Storm." Ed’s soothing voice echoed inside my mind. "Your internal organs have taken severe damage, and the Hellfire interfering with the nanomachines’ functionality. I can’t initiate the repair cycle until we’re out of this world."

“Of course we’re gods,” my opponent said, drowning out Ed’s voice. “What else can we be? Who else can do what we Editors and Manipulators can do? We can slay ancient gods whom are so powerful, their sneezes give birth to entire universes. Who do you know that can do that? Who else can tear down the sky or burn a planet on a whim, if not us?”

He gestured out at the city below as the Hellfire began to speed up its destruction. Buildings were reduced to ash in seconds and the screams of the trapped became more frantic and desperate. “Like it or not, we’re gods, Storm. The sooner you accept that fact, the easier this will all be.”

“You wouldn’t even know the first thing about being a god, you monster.” My voice was ragged, and my throat screamed at me for speaking. “What god pointlessly kills innocent people just because he can?”

“Me,” the silhouette said. His glowing silver eyes, still visible in the shadows were positively beaming with his amusement. “But if you don’t believe that we’re gods, then how will you ever be able to stop me from doing this again?"

“I don’t need to be a god to defeat you,” I muttered, shuddering slightly as I felt the energies he had prepared to jump from this universe to another. “I will find you again. And I’ll knock you off of your high horse.”

“Then you are a bigger fool than I imagined.” My opponent let out a sigh. “True gods can’t be defeated. And you’ll learn that the hard way.”

End Memory Sequence.
Memory Archive Powering Down.

Reality took hold of my senses as the Editor shut down the memory. The two Princesses were staring at me with looks of confusion on their faces. To them, I must’ve looked like I had zoned out, staring off into space. If I had to venture a guess, I was out for no more than a few seconds.

My hands dropped to my sides as I straightened up. It took me a few seconds before I realized that I did indeed had full control of my body again. The wounds were grating on my mental strength, but I remained standing. Gradually, my thoughts reconfigured themselves into a comprehensible form. No arcane bolts flew in either direction, which meant that at the moment, their deaths were no longer imminent. The remnants of the memory still lingered, and with them the dreadful realization that I had became so very close to fucking up royally.

Well, fucking up worse than I already had.

I allowed my eyes to slowly gravitate towards the eyes of both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, taking time to analyze their wounds of war. In their defense, they truly didn’t look too worse for wear than I thought. If they needed to, they could have kept fighting. How long though, I could not say.

Yet they stayed their hooves, and made no effort to restrain or kill me... I wondered why. Celestia’s words still rang in my ears. “You chose to behave like a child and throw a temper tantrum because you didn’t like how I handled things.”

A heavy sigh escaped me. I locked eyes with Celestia, who visibly flinched as though she was expecting another attack. “It would appear as though I’ve damaged your castle,” I noted quietly. The sisters exchanged confused glances.

“Come again?” Celestia asked. I pointed at the hole in the ceiling Luna and I had made when we crashed into the throne room.

“And your dining hall may or may not have sufficient damage to its furnishings,” I finished. Luna’s cheeks turned a faint shade of pink. She quickly averted her gaze and pretended to be innocent. “Allow me to repair the damage.”

“Come again?” Celestia repeated, confusion and suspicion fighting for dominance of her facial expressions. An aura of light blue energy surrounded my hands. Both Princesses immediately fell into defensive postures, but I chose to ignore their jumpiness. I almost felt compelled to fix it for them. I mean, shit; I nearly kinda killed them. Some spot repairs would be a good first step to show that I was fine, right?

Or, I would have, had the doors to the throne room not been kicked open. Standing in the entryway were six of the Ponies I had met in Ponyville, all looking at the energy around my hands and the wounds on the Princesses in a mix of shock and horror. “He’s going to kill the Princesses!” Applejack shouted.

“I’m going to what?” I said incredulously. “Where the hell did you-” My sentence was cut off as a rainbow blur slammed into my center of gravity from my blind spot, knocking me flat on my back. It took only a moment for me to recognize what it was.

“Don’t worry; I’ve got him!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “He can’t escape from-” Suddenly, of its own volition, my Editors’ short-range teleport program and warped to a spot three feet to the Pegasus’ left. “-me?”

“I told you that you wouldn’t be able to hold him down,” Ed said, appearing on my shoulder in a flash of blue light. “But did you listen to me? You’re almost as bad as he is.”

“Ed!” I let the insult pass over me. It wasn’t important at that moment. “Do you know what just happened?”

“Aye. Though not immediately,” Ed paused as he watched the Ponies staring at me with reprehension and anger. “Go consol your Princesses. The Earthling is free of his curse.” They were stubborn about it, but eventually they left the two of us be. “As I was saying, I felt something was off the instant your emotions began spiking.

“By the time we reached the Station, I knew some third-party element was afflicting you. So I went into Solo Mode, and met up with the Ponies from the village. I explained what was happening, and that you were of no threat,” I watched blankly as a cheeky smile played on his hologram’s lips. “You’re so lucky to have an A.I. good at saving your ass.”

“As am I.” It was done. The rampage was over. My body was back under my command, and neither of the Princesses laid in their own blood. It was done. I had done it. “Do you know where the device is?” My eyes darted back and forth as Ed produced holographic spreadsheets that showed the data he had collected.

Ed shook his head. “When you struck the connection, the following flashback forced it to sever. I can’t even detect an origin point. If I had to guess, I’d say that the device had a safety installed. If the connection to an Editor was lost, it was most likely designed to destroy itself.”

I let out an exhausted huff. That was all I could hope for, at that moment. Casually glancing back, I saw the throng of Ponies conversing fiercely with one another. “Okay. So, how about we get these repairs to the castle done?”

“Only if you’re okay with a hard restart of the Editor,” Ed replied as he vanished from sight. “Your physical body is running low on natural energy and we don’t have any extra stored up. I told you to take a vacation.”

I couldn’t help but grimace. Hard restarts of the Editor were never fun. And it seemed like Ed and I had been needing them more and more lately. It was really starting to get on my nerves. Maybe Ed was right. I could use a vacation. And, since we were deadlocked in the Universe with no obvious way to escape, I figured to might as well take advantage of the opportunity.

"I could use the time to think." I cracked my neck from side to side as I established the mental communication with Ed. “How long will I be out for?”

“A week or so. Two, if we’re unlucky.” Ed seemed cheery all of a sudden. “I’m going for a longer restart to make sure you’re free of Manipulator influence, but you should regain consciousness around then at least.”

‘Floats my boat.’ I exhaled, prepping myself for what I knew was coming. ‘Let’s get this over with.’

"Initiating Local Repair Protocol. Estimated Repair Time: Thirty-Seven Seconds."

I winced as a series of shocks ran through my system, paralyzing me from head to toe. Finally, my knees gave out and I sank to the floor. ‘Make sure to allow the Ponies to imprison me if they must, Ed. I will need to speak to them when I awaken... Do you blame me?’ I asked, wincing as I felt my knees make contact with the marble floor. Around me, I could hear the surprised sounds coming from the Ponies, but their words were lost on me as the Editor finished its local repair protocol, draining my remaining energy to undo the damage Luna and I had done to the castle in our fight.

“No. I know you weren’t completely in control. There’s no reason for you to beat yourself up over what happened. Any lesser Editor would’ve done so much worse.”

‘That’s good,’ I said with a sigh of relief as the darkness of unconsciousness took me. I only hoped I would be able to fix everything when I opened my eyes again. ‘That’s good…’

-WTIN-

Twenty seven years. For twenty seven years, the kingdoms of Veneschall and Deyoz had been at war with one another. In a fortnight it was all over.

Tewer the VII, king of Deyoz, stared down on the celebrations in the castle courtyard below. The celebrations had been going on for two days already. The castle kitchens were running low on their supplies, and the wine cellars were dry as the northern deserts.

And the Deyozites would never have been able to succeed had it not been for one man.

When Tewer and his generals had been formulating a plan of attack on a Veneschallian supply chain running through the western canyons when he had appeared. The guards that tried to stop him burst into emerald-green flames from the inside out. Before Tewer or any of his generals had time to react, the intruder promised them that he could win them the war in a week.

Initially, Tewer had been inclined to have the man beheaded, but, at the advice of his generals, all of whom were tired of the war, he decided to give the man a chance. All the man asked in return, was Tewer’s crown, a symbol of power and a unique form of celestial energy. Tewer had laughed as he shook the man’s hand. After all, what could one man do against an entire kingdom? He had no reason to worry.

The next day however, Tewer’s forward scouts had run back to the castle, faces stricken with terror and covered in glowing ash. The outlying towns of the Veneschallian kingdom were ablaze with emerald-green fire.

Unbelieving, Tewer led a vanguard of his best soldiers to see for himself. Sure enough, the outlying towns were burning in emerald flames. Bodies lay strewn about the streets. Soldiers had been turned to crystal.

Tewer and his vanguard had ridden further into the kingdom, and everything in their path had been destroyed. The Veneschallians, proud warriors, a group of people the Deyozites had warred against for nearly three decades, had fallen in a single night at the hands of one man.

When Tewer and his vanguard had finally reach the Veneschallian capital, they found only a series of cracks in the ground, with the faint remains of buildings and the wall that had guarded the city still standing.

Standing where the main gate had once stood, was the intruder. He had flashed Tewer a flawless smile and tossed the corpse of the king of the Veneschallians at his feet.

Tewer let out a sigh as he turned away from the balcony. The intruder stood there, a patient, expectant smile on his face.

“Congratulations on your little war!” He said cheerfully. “Pity you didn’t have someone like me around twenty seven years ago.”

“Yes. It really is a pity,” Tewer said slowly. He knew he needed to tread carefully around this man. The intruder knew how to twist words and get you to admit that you couldn’t solve your own problems, just so he could get something. In this case, Tewer’s crown.

“Now, about our little arrangement,” the intruder said as he draped his arm around Tewer’s shoulders. “You are going to keep your end of the deal, aren’t you?”

“Why do you want my crown?” the king said, one hand subconsciously reaching up to touch the obsidian band resting on his head. “What do you have to gain from it?”

“Does it matter what I want? You got what you want. The war is over! The good guys won!” The intruder spun away from Tewer, gesturing out at the kingdom below. “Now, for your end of our little deal.”

“With our enemy defeated, my kingdom will grow.” Tewer grinned. “My people will need a symbol of power.”

“Are you asking me to be your hero? Sorry, I don’t do heroics.”

“No, what I’m saying is that they’ll need to look to me. And this crown on my head has been worn by every king of Deyoz. It has been stolen from us and reclaimed in some of the greatest military campaigns of our people. My crown is a symbol of power.”

“Is there a point to this story?” The intruder deadpanned.

“My point,” the king said as the intruder turned away, “is that I won’t give you my crown.” Quick as lightning, Tewer drew the dagger he kept hidden in his sleeve and plunged it into the man’s left shoulder.

“I figured this would happen,” the man said with a sigh. “Shame that I keep my heart stored separately from my body.”

The intruder spun around, his face lighting up with a bluish-white glow as a dual-pronged energy blade flared to life in his hand and plunged it into Tewer’s gut. Tewer’s eye went wide with horror as he stared down at the glowing blade sticking out of him. His blood fizzled and burned against the heat of the weapon.

“Wh-why?” he stammered as he looked up at the intruder, a pair of glowing silver eyes looking back at him.

“Rule number one: I don’t take kindly to those who break deals with me.” The intruder snatched the crown from Tewer’s head and placed it on his own. “I always see the deal through at least. Long live the king.” The man grinned as Tewer gave one last defiant shudder and gave in to his wound. The intruder turned off his blade and tossed Tewer’s body over the balcony.

He turned away from the night and headed toward the doors leading into the castle, drumming a simple rhythm against his leg as he went.

Chapter Nine: A Plan Set in Motion

Chapter Nine: A Plan Set in Motion

The Canterlot Royal Tea Room sat in immeasurable silence. Nothing but the vague breathing and clanging of cups against saucers rang out in the occupied space. Not that the occupants could be blamed, given the events that had occurred eight days previous was still on the forefront of their minds.

Princess Celestia and Princess Luna both sat in contemplative silence alongside the Bearers to the Elements of Harmony and their compatriot, Lyra. Once the ordeal had resolved itself more than a week ago, Their Holiness had ordered the immediate pacification of the 'Earthling' and detained him in the castle's Dungeon.

Yet neither precisely knew how to proceed further.

"This tea is simply delicious, Your Highness," Rarity commented from her end of the circular table that the group found themselves at. Both of the Royal Sisters glanced over. "I've heard some off-hoof gossip about the excellent health benefits that white tea gives, but I was never able to get a hold of some on account of just how expensive it is."

Celestia simply gave her renowned 'motherly' smile towards the Bearer of Generosity. "Thank you, Miss Rarity. The Royal Tea Stewardess is truly a prodigy at her craft when it comes to tea. If you'd like, I would gladly give you a sum to accompany you back to your home in Ponyville-"

"Not to interrupt ya, Princess," Rainbow interjected from her hovering position. "But I'd like to ask about what we're going to do about the Earthling, and what it did last week." A moment settled before she remembered who she was talking to. “If you want to, Your Highness.”

"I have to agree with her, Princess."

Her Highness regarded her Student with a furrowed lip. She was hoping to finish her second cup of tea before they had reached the point of discussion. "Hmm..." A nod left Celestia as she turned towards her sister. "I suppose we might as well, considering we're all here..."

Luna gave a nod in kind as she turned to face the company before her. "According to Twilight Sparkle, the information gathered from the Spirit Guardian that arrived with the Earthling states that an evil incantation plagued his Master, and in turn that the Earthling had no control over his actions."

“The Earthling had been able to vaguely influence some events while imprisoned in his mind, including halting his initial bout of deadly hostility in Ponyville, and breaking the hold the curse had upon him when he fought my sister,” the Mistress of the Night paused with a sip of tea, “We saw a radical difference after the instance that the Earthling supposedly broke free of his bindings. As such, we feel compelled to believe that what has been said was not deceitful.”

"Due to this, we have both deliberated over what to do and how to respond for several nights now," Celestia picked up as she tilted her head in thought. "And, to be honest my little ponies, we have little idea how to resolve this potential issue. There is no doubt that the Earthling could easily become a threat once more (and potentially cause more damage, despite the reassurances of the Spirit Guardian). Precaution must be taken to ensure Equestria as a whole does not suffer."

"I do apologize once again for our admittedly irrational way of fulfilling your wish, Princess Celestia," Lyra stated from her side. Her hoof gravitated uneasily towards her head, scratching lightly in embarrassment. "We had figured that maybe after restraining him we could explain the situation, but clearly the curse that afflicted him at the time prevented such."

"I have already forgiven you, Miss Heartstrings," Celestia stated with a casual wave of her hoof.

"Nevertheless, our actions technically started this entire fiasco-"

A shake of the rulers' heads in sync stopped her from proceeding. "No, it was not.” Luna answered. An almost pained sigh left her, though whether it was from the weight of what she was about to say or some psychological after-effect of her encounter with the Earthling, was not apparent.

“Rather, it was our fault for wording the message that we did. We had not considered that by stating 'through any means necessary', that you'd jump to that particular method so quickly." Some moments passed before a chuckle left Celestia. Luna cocked her head quizzically in the direction of her sister. "What is so funny?"

"The irony of it all, really." she responded. The occupants waited for an explanation from Celestia, but she offered none. Several seconds passed before they gave up on trying to find out her reason why, and onto the actual resolution needed to be decided.

"We can't just have the Earthling walk around without restriction." Twilight mumbled in the quiet. "If we don't keep him imprisoned or contained through some means, or come up with some compromise of sorts; then we need to send him back from where he came from."

"Is it even possible to hold him in chains, I wonder." Luna's voice rang. "We have the advantage of him being unconscious, and his Spirit Guardian to not interfere with the matter of his containment for our own protection. But I don't doubt that should the Earthling not want to play along, that our binds' lifespan would shrink considerably."

"Indeed." Rarity stated after taking a dainty wipe of her lip from a hasty sip. "But surely he can be reasoned with? The spirit seemed to have a good head on his shoulders, and from its explanation a week ago; it also seems to be the more level-headed of the two. With him aiding us, I have little doubt that we could perhaps reach some sort of agreement or guarantee that the Earthling won't perform anything more heinous."

"I say we banish him." Rainbow Dash commented from her post in the air. Shouts from all mares expressing discontent with the notion merely caused her to shrug. "Or at least keep him from staying. Whichever stops something like that from happening again, permanently."

"That hardly seems like the smart thing to do here, Rainbow Da-"

"You say that now Twilight, but think about it..." She tapped her own head for emphasis. "Under some ‘spell’ with no power over himself, he nearly leveled half of the Castle and nearly harmed both of the Princesses!"

"We assure you that we had the situation under control," Luna and Celestia both stated out-loud, despite knowing in their minds that they had come extremely close to a very unpleasant ending for themselves. They didn't know who had placed the charm (despite their suspicions on some key suspects), but they did have a gut feeling that it was meant to eliminate them.

"Even if you did Princesses," Rainbow continued on. "it still proves that the Earthling is dangerous! If we made him mad, there’s no telling what he'd do on purpose! I'll tell you the same thing that I did at Fluttershy's with the other Elements, Princesses; this guy is bad news."

"It saved your life though, did it not?" Celestia replied coolly, staring in interest at the flying mare. The Bearer of Loyalty would not recommend such a course for anything that had saved her life without good reason, after all. "Do you mean that despite him risking his life to protect yours, he is not to be trusted?"

A barely-perceptible wince passed over Rainbow's face, before she nodded determinedly. "Yes, Princess Celestia."

The ruler nodded in kind, her neutral mask unwavering. "He cannot stay then."

Everyone in the room, including her sister Luna witnessed their eyes dilating in surprise. "What?!" The Goddess of the Sun remained unphased by the joined shout, carefully watching the dismay plague the features of the others in the room. She had to fight to hold her emotion in check; anything more than a stoic outlook would influence her ponies, and this was something they had to consider themselves.

‘Even after such an occurrence, they are still against expelling him,’ Celestia thought with curiosity. "You disagree?"

Twilight merely stared upon her mentor in shock. "Yes! Of course, Princess Celestia! The Earthling had no control over his own actions! He shouldn't be condemned because he could become a threat!"

“We have to, Twilight!” Rainbow retorted as she lowered herself to everypony’s eye-level. “It’s our job as the Elements of Harmony to stop things like him from destroying half of Equestria! And we can’t do that if we just let him off the hook!”

“Who said that he was?!” Applejack shouted indignantly. “He might've been a strange feller, but he don't deserve being treated... well, like an animal! Rainbow Dash, you’ve been acting all kinds of weird ever since we all met the Earthling at Fluttershy’s. What’s goin’ on?”

An apprehensive sigh left the Pegasus. She didn’t want to recall it. “Remember when I got up in the Earthling’s face and... kinda accused him of being a spy?” Rainbow Dash noted their confused nods, and continued. “When I stared into his eyes... I think he did something to me.”

“What do you mean, dear?”

“I mean that when I looked into his eyes, I saw... things. Visions, or dreams, or something.”

Luna cocked her head. “I believe we’ve encountered this before. Back in the times of Discord’s Reign, he projected his feelings through a spell that manifested themselves into visions (sometimes memories) onto the intended target. More often than not, it was a shock-tactic.” Her eyes glanced comfortingly at the Element of Loyalty. “Rainbow Dash, tell us; what did he show you?”

The mare winced in response once again. “I... don’t remember exactly. But I remember the emotions. Anger, fear, sadness...”

“Hmm...” Twilight rubbed her chin with a hoof. “It sounds like the Earthling was attempting to use emotions to lessen your suspicion of him, or to help you understand his situation. Why didn’t you say anything before, though?”

“That’s the thing; I couldn’t.” When unsure expressions marred the companies’ faces, Dash continued. “I’m not sure if the feelings put me into shock, or he did something to keep me from speaking, but... I had been ready to say something was up, and I just couldn't say it.”

“This is worrying.” Celestia mumbled. “Such forms of Silence have only been able to be performed by the highest of Archmages in the Canterlot Institute. If the latter is true, then he is truly a dire threat. I hate to say this, but expelling him from the country may be the best course of action.”

Lyra’s eyes widened. She couldn’t let the Earthling get sent away. He didn’t deserve that kind of injustice, especially if what his Spirit Guardian said was true. “Surely there must be another way besides banishment? For your sake Princess Celestia, he didn’t have any semblance of rule over his own body, nor do we have any proof that the Silence was his doing!”

A practiced brow rose on Celestia's face. "Then what shall we do? If you are against sending him away (banishment or no), then how should we proceed?" Silence dominated the room, as each individual in the room -- Celestia included -- thought of their own ways to take the proverbial 'next step' with the Earthling-

"If I may make a suggestion...?"

The entirety of the group turned their attention to the amassing form of energy on the center of the table, which formed into the tiny Pony being they knew as 'Ed'. He reclined against one of the larger basins of tea, having an entertained grin on his face as he returned the stare from Celestia. "My Master will be coming around shortly from his Stasis. If I were you, I’d suggest speaking to him directly would be the best course of action, Your Highness."

“In case you haven’t noticed,” Rainbow Dash quipped. “But the last time we asked him questions, it didn’t go so well.”

“That was because the questions were being forced upon him, and the incantation had pierced his mind by then.” To their credit, Twilight and Lyra had the decency to wince as Ed neutrally glanced over at them. “I doubt he holds what happened against either of you, by the way.”

“What?” The surprise in Rarity’s voice was palpable. “You mean, even after that whole thing with the Truthful Whisper, he isn’t mad?”

Ed shook his head gently. “Do not be mistaken by my words; he was a bit irked by what unfolded. However, judging from what we had been able to discuss in and out of his unconscious state, he holds no ill feelings for any of you.” A cheeky grin was sent towards the diarchy. “Not even to Their Royal Highnesses.”

"How long have you been listening in, anyways?" Lyra questioned, having to peer around the pot to catch a better sight of Ed.

"Past seven days or so. Once my Master was settled in and his vitals were stable, the only thing I had to do was eavesdrop."

"And you've only appeared now because...?"

Ed smirked in the direction of the Royal Sisters once more. "Because it's obvious the notion of my Master being expelled is now out of the question, thanks to majority rule." He conveniently left out the part where that occurrence was his fault in light of his interference within some of the Ponies’ minds. The triple-A.I. realized every time why Storm used the tactic so often; just a simple little insertion of some white-lies, and it would sprout into a brilliant undetectable success in terms of Storm’s survival.

Ed really didn’t get paid enough for saving Storm’s ass. Or at all, really.

“Mr. Ed,” Fluttershy began from her place. The others looked over in surprise, but it hardly fazed her as she confronted the small spectral anomaly. He lazily glanced over, crossing his forehooves to better recline against the tea. “Your Master is usually a kind Earthling, right?”

Ed cocked a brow in amusement at the term before nodding. “In most cases, yes. He's done more than enough to help those he could. There have been some exceptions, though. But those are his tales to tell when he’s ready; not mine.”

"If we could," Twilight started. "I think holding off on questioning the Earthling to ask you directly would help provide some insigh-"

Ed did a mock display of surprise and glanced at a pocket-watch he materialized. "Oh, balls. He's about to awaken." Quickly glancing over at Celestia and Luna, he offered a slight tilt of his top hat. "Princesses. I ask that you please make haste to answer his plea to facilitate communications, and to act on it soon. My Master tends to get very... cranky, very quickly, when he’s conscious and hanging up in chains."

With that, the miniature glowing apparatus-thingamabob vanished in thin air.

"Memory Archive Triggered.
Unauthorized Flashback Initiated.
Accessing File: 00STRT00.0000.AB.0SHDW68"

‘For some reason, I expected it to be... wider.’

I stared silently down the large crag that enabled me to gaze upon the Grand Canyon. The platform that my feet found themselves on was made of a hearty metal, and only gave a slightly concerning give to the gusts that affected the gorge.

My arms found easy purchase reclining over the railing. A few other tourists milled about, but besides from some guy with an amusingly large straw hat, they had no discernible features nor qualities to differentiate them from the usual crowd I ran into. The sun beared down with a rather vicious heat, making me wish that I had bought the stupid looking cap from the gift shop thirty minutes ago.

Shielding my eyes with a hand, I dug through my pocket until I found an unremarkable sheet of paper. Taking a pen that sat handily in my shirt pocket, I clicked it open and began browsing down the colorful list.

‘Okay, let’s see here... I did Niagara Falls... and the Everglades... and Mount Rushmore... the Capitol... Old Faithful... The Space Needle...’ My eyes widened as they reached the bottom and neatly crossed through the bullet ‘Grand Canyon’. Shakily, my thumb deftly clicked the pen shut.

“I’m done...” my mouth uttered quietly. “I--After three years, I’m done.”

“Done with what?” the man that had the funny-looking straw hat said next to me. I jumped away in surprise, instantly bringing one pen-filled hand up to defend myself, and the other to check if my wallet was still in my pocket. The stranger barely reacted. “You always this jumpy?”

Realizing that the rather young-sounding guy wasn’t about to mug me in any shape or form, I relaxed against the railing and shook my head. Being as discreet as I could, I also tucked away the small bit of parchment into my pocket once again.“Erm, no. Just... surprised, was all.”

“Ah.” I watched carefully as he glanced at his watch, and looked around. “Hey, you seen some girl walking around in stilettos?”

I merely rose my eyebrows at him, and motioned to a group of conveniently-placed college girls walking past in a variety of -- you guessed it -- stilettos. My hand lazily pointed towards one of them. “You really narrowed the search, didn’t ya?”

The fellow in the hat fixed me with a barely visible deadpan stare from under his brim’s shade. “Didn’t know I was talking with a comedian,” he replied. “The woman I’m looking for will be impossible to miss.”

“Is that literal, as in she is so fat that I couldn’t miss?” I questioned honestly, using a straight of a face as possible. For some reason, at that moment I wanted to see the Straw Hat Guy crack a smile. Or chuckle. Or at some form of a happy expression.

“More like she has class, and not... ‘swag’.” The man visibly shuddered. I figured the response was close enough.

I let out a small chuckle, and glanced across the place. Apparently in the short span that I had been conversing with the Straw Hat Guy, the platform had significantly more people walking about it. Towards the end of the throng that was walking on, one particular tourist caught my eye. A woman, garbed in a pinstripe pant suit and wearing a pair of stilettos (go figure). Clutched in her hands were a pair of bright manila envelopes, and from the way she was turning her head this way and that...

Without hesitation, I tapped him on his shoulder and pointed. “Think I found your friend.”

Straw Hat Guy turned around and his grin faded. “That’s my cue. Business to attend to and all that.” He turned back toward me and offered a hand. “See you around, Wanderer.”

I took his hand and shook heartily, with little doubt that my mouth had contorted into an unsure and confused grin. Was that some sort of vague reference to a character I resembled? “Sure. See ya. Nice hat, by the way.”

“Thanks. Not too shabby, is it?” he said as he strode off, offering me a casual wave as he left. Despite him not seeing it, I waved back as well.

‘That guy was weird... Who calls someone ‘Wanderer’ anyways, even out of jest? I thought I was a bit nerdy at times, but damn.’

Glancing around, my brow furrowed. It was nearly becoming claustrophobic to be on the metallic structure, turning what was once a peaceful endeavour into a full-scale clusterfuck. Trying my best to gently push my way through the crowd, I eventually found myself out of the mass of people and before a diner.

“The Grand Canyon Diner...” I mumbled, reading the sign stationed above the roof. “Unoriginal, but to the point, I guess.” Without giving it much further thought, I stumbled inside and pleasantly discovered that there were nearly no one in the entire building. Aside from some stragglers and a waiter or two, it was empty.

I spared a glance at the newscast airing on the tiny, decade old television set above the hostess’ stand. “Another member of the Pythons street gang was found hung outside his Flagstaff apartment on Tuesday evening, thus continuing the strand of murders of known gang members that started in April of last year. So far twelve known members of the Pythons have been killed--”

With a sudden flicker, the screen shifted from a news broadcast to a live playing of baseball. Looking over confused, I found my answer in the form of a teenage waitress with a remote in hand, sporting a bored look. Shaking my head, I walked towards the oncoming aromas.

Finding a seat at the bar was simple, and it didn’t take long before I was able to get an order in. Nothing too heavy; some coffee with a bit (which in actuality, was a whole bunch) of sugar and a platter of flapjacks, bacon, and of course toast. While I sat and chewed blankly, my hand snaked back into my pocket and retrieved the sheet once again. My eyes stared quietly at the list, with now all the bullets crossed out. The journey was finally over. I had done it.

Swallowing both my food and my rising tears, I rubbed my thumb against the worn title. With barely any fade, the dark-purple crayon still stood out over all of these years. Already, the wave of emotions was starting to form as the words refilled my mind: ‘Madeline’s Places for Exploration!’

A pained, yet resolute sigh left me. ‘All for you, Maddie. Hope I made you proud.’ Tucking away the note, I continued eating when a fresh cup of Joe was set before me. Giving a confused look towards the mug, my eyes followed up the arm to see a bill nearly being shoved into my face.

“Guy over in the corner wanted to buy you another cup, so here ya go.” The burly chef waved his hand over towards a table which had a single man reading the newspaper. His attention went back to the check. “Cash or credit?”

Rolling my eyes internally I picked through my wallet for a twenty and tossed it towards the chef. He took it with a gruff nod and thanked me, before walking off. My hand levitated to the second cup of coffee, which I began sipping from idly. As I did so, my thoughts started manifesting themselves.

‘After three years, I’ve been able to keep my promise. Only now... what am I supposed to do? Put just about everything into this venture. Sold Ma and Pa’s house to pay for it, and I don't have any relatives to fall back on. All I got to my name now is a beat-up Volkswagen, memories, and some loose change.’

Another sign left me as I finished the cup and shoved my head into my hands. “Suppose it’s sleepin’ in the car until I find myself a job... or get the balls to rob a bank.”

After holding my head there for so long that I probably would’ve fallen asleep, I glanced outside to confirm my suspicion: the influx of people were still out there, yet since entering no one else had even approached the door. ‘Strange. You would think more people would be in here, considering all the fucking people and the weather outside.’

“Oh, the people outside won’t be bothering us, I can assure you of that.” I nearly leapt out of my skin as a hand clasped me on the shoulder. “They can’t even see the place right now. Why would they come in?”

“Why wouldn’t they be able to see the place?” I asked, noting that I had to physically force myself not to throw whoever it was out of instinct. “And furthermore, could you kindly remove your hand from my shoulder?” I turned my gaze on the male voice, only to find that it was no longer there.

“My hand is off of your shoulder,” the same male voice called out to me from across the diner. Feeling like I caught a bit of whiplash from the speed that my head twisted, I stared in bafflement as the man that had gotten me the free drink (and who must’ve just been standing next to me) was now sitting in his corner booth, waving me over.

I didn’t move a fucking inch.

“Wait, what?!” My mind fully caught up to me as the revelation took its time to slam itself into my knowledge about how that shouldn’t have been possible. The impact shook me to my core. “How did you-- wait, what?!”

The man let out a deep, rumbling laugh. “Oh, your kind is so easy to tease. Forgive me, it’s very hard to resist.” He waved me over excitedly. “Come, my boy! Sit! Eat! Drink!” I watched as he leaned in with a scrutinizing look. “You can drink, right? You’re old enough, and all that jazz?”

My brain was working in a frenzy. ‘What did he mean by ‘my kind’? Did he answer my own thought? How did he just teleport across the room? Why is he asking me if I can drink?!’ Not even recognizing what I was doing, I soon found myself walking slowly towards the strange man who held a cup of some kind of alcohol. “I’m nineteen. That close enough?”

“Whatever floats your gondola, kiddo,” the man said with a shrug. “I’ve got wine, whiskey, beer, butter, vodka (seventeen flavors, mind you), and something in a glowing green tube that I don’t exactly trust.”

“To be honest, I’m going to play it safe with the whiskey in the hopes that it will help me wake up from what could only be this weird-ass dream. Then again, alcohol-laced bacon is probably what got me here in the first place, so...” With a shrug, I sat down in front of the man and took his offered flask. Wait, when did it turn into a flask?

‘Shit. I really need a drink, it seems...’

Dream or no, I didn’t hesitate to deftly tilt the container into my mouth and chug. The delicious nectar (or some shit that only an alcoholic would say) ran down my throat, and coursed through my veins. It was probably the best whiskey I had ever tasted. Finishing the flask, I looked back down to find the middle-aged man staring at me with a raised brow. Matching his, I glanced down at the flask. “Er, sorry. Probably shouldn’t have done away with your entire whiskey. My bad.”

“Not at all,” he brushed off my apology with a wave of his hand. Suddenly the cup in my hand felt heavier. Glancing down, I saw that I was now clutching a large chunk of cooked meat, half the size of my head impaled cartoonishly on a large bone. “That’s a delicacy here, yes? You’re most welcome.” The man smiled at me.

On the inside, I was freaking out. But the best response I could compose on the outside was a nod and me placing the slab of meat down. “In Texas, it is. However, I’m full still from the breakfast I just ate.”

“Oh, right!” he let out an embarrassed laugh. “I had completely forgotten about that when I asked to get you some coffee on the house.”

“Thanks for that, by the way.”

He merely smiled and waved it off. “No problem. Consider it a friendly gesture.”

‘I feel like he’s trying to sell me something... At least I already got free coffee out of it.’

Staring carefully at the meat that tempted me, I looked over towards the man before me. Aside from a bit of stubble lining his chin, he didn’t look too old. Probably some fellow that would be in his thirties or so. Aside from that, he was relatively unremarkable except for his eyes. They were almost blindingly green, such that they seemed to invoke nothing but kindness and sincerity.
Good traits in a man that gives free booze, I guessed. “So, um... who exactly are you?”

“I have many names,” the man replied. “Saaranas, the Wind of the Heated North, a dirty old lecher.” He smirked. “But you can call me, Steve.”

My response was blankly staring back at him, wondering if I had heard all of those names right. Did everyone join some cult of a show that I didn’t know about? What the hell kinda name was Saaranas’? “Steve...”

“That’s my name. You can call me Uncle Stevie, if you like.”

I blinked blankly. “I’d rather not, if it’s all the same to you.”

“Stevie Wonder, the Wondrous Magician of Wonderfulness?”

“How about no...?” I was quickly wondering if the guy was on drugs by that point.

“Steven Magnet?”

“What?”

“Fine.” ‘Steve’ let out a saddened huff and mumbled under his breath. “Nobody ever goes for ‘Stevie Wonder’...”

“Can we just get to the point where this dream hopefully starts making some degree of sense?” I grumbled, deciding that the meat was safe (I was still hungry, okay!) and taking a sizable bite from my pork-chop flavoured mutton.

“Straight to business then!” Steve clapped his hands together, producing a thick pad of paper as he pulled them apart. “See? Magician! Anyway, let’s get straight to the point.” He pulled a pen out from the inside of his jacket and dabbed the tip on his tongue before placing it to the pad.

“Candidate 654258-Theta. Son of a detective and a nurse.” He gave a nod. “Impressive. One younger sibling, a sister...” The look of appraisal faded from his face. “Father killed in the line of duty. Mother and sister both taken by illness. Very sad, very sad. Nineteen years old by human standards.” He gave me a quick, once-over glance. “If you say so. Enjoys alcohol, fighting, and (on occasion) American football? How primitive... Ah! Here we go!”

He briefly cleared his throat before speaking again. I was stunned that this guy knew all of that. Then again, this was a dream, so whatever I knew everyone else probably knew. “Reason(s) for candidacy: Deep sense of honor and justice stemming from your Father’s influence. Caring and nurturing, yet firm and decisive when needed as proven when your sister was left in your custody following your mother’s passing. And a recently acquired taste for traveling and seeing the sights your sister always wanted to, but never could.”

The pad and pen were both set aside as Steve fixed me with a completely neutral gaze. “Touching story,” he said. “Not unlike the countless other candidates that had their names in the pool, however. You’re healthy, though! Bone structure seems to be intact, healthy blood flow and neural activity..." A supreme look of thought overcame his face for a moment, before he nodded. "I’d say you’re ready for integration! Congratulations!”

“Whoa whoa whoa,” I raised a hand in his direction. That was a shit-ton of nonsense he threw at me, and my mind was still trying to figure out what ‘Steve’ just said. Something didn’t seem right. This dream felt all too real. “You gotta answer some questions before you start ‘integrating’ me into anything! First off; how the fuck do you know all of that? Secondly; exactly what am I a candidate for? And lastly; why in the blue hell do I not look nineteen?! I’m bigger than half of the guys my age!”

“I’m sure you tell that to all the ladies,” Steve said sympathetically. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of. We don’t mark it against your candidacy--”

“Not like that, you ignoramus!” I shouted indignantly, trying to make the rush of blood into my cheeks seem out of anger rather than embarrassment. There were waitresses nearby, for fuck's sake! “I meant as in... you know what? How about we skip that particular minefield and you answer my other questions?”

“Well, to answer your first question, I didn’t know all that. The pad did. I know it now. Does that help?”

A deadpan stare was all I could use to respond. “Not really. If you didn’t know, then how would the pad (which I hope you know is an inanimate object) possibly know?”

Steve grinned and slid the pad in my direction. I glanced down at it curiously and found the words forming from nothing: ‘Because I am the Once and Future Pad. I know most things. Fear me.’

My eyes widened and I shoved the pad back towards Steve. “That... should not be possible. Like, really impossible.”

‘You know what’s impossible?’ The words constructed themselves again on the chunk of paper. ‘Hailing a cab in New York. They never stop for me. Racism, I tell you. As if they’re too good to pick up a pad and get me where I’m going. Jerks.’

A neutral gaze was sent towards the pad. “I’m sure it isn’t on purpose...?” My eyes quickly flicked over towards Steve. “Could you put the pad away or something? It’s distracting this entire ‘answer-my-fucking-questions-before-I-go-mental’ scenario.”

“Well, I had to try.” Steve flipped the pad over with a flick of his wrist. I gave an uneasy smirk as I caught a glimpse of ‘I know where you sleep, you ass!’ appear on the surface briefly. “Well, it’s as I said. I knew nothing about you; the pad filled me in. As for your second question, you are one of several candidates who are compatible with a rather unique piece of technology. I’m here to give you the very first model.”

‘I have a bad feeling about all of this...’ my mind uttered wisely in the back. Deciding though that nothing could go wrong in my own dream though, I ignored it.

“Okay,” I muttered in the accompanying silence. “I have the two basic questions answered. Now, for some more complicated queries. What exactly is this... technology? And why me to be the one who gets the prototype? You said my story was extremely similar to thousands of others, so why am I different?”

“To be honest, you aren’t too different.” Steve examined his nails, doing his best to act like he wasn’t indirectly insulting me. “Ultimately, the folks behind the project couldn’t stop their bickering long enough to decide on a candidate, so the big bosses stepped in and chose a name at random out of the list. Yours. Congratulations on dumb luck.”

“Thanks...?” I answered unsure. Glancing at the man again, I noticed a blue earpiece on his right side. “So, wait... who exactly are these ‘big bosses’? The CEO’s of your company, or something?”

“Er, sure. If that’s how you want to view them as, then I suppose they are in a sense.” Steve shook his head and stared at me seriously. “Let me try and explain this nice and slow, all right? I’m offering you a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity-- if that! You’re being chosen to test-drive a piece of technology that will change far more than you’ll ever know-”

“I still don’t know, by the way.” I remarked, leaning slightly back in my seat. This guy was starting to give off some major warning signs of the ‘con’ variety, and if it didn’t change I was going to fight or flight the fuck outta here.

“Yes, of course.” Silently he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small box. Setting it between the two of us, he turned it towards me and flipped the lid open. “What I’m showing you is a device that will essentially be able to alter reality.”

I looked down at the bracelet and scowled. “You’re honestly thinking, that I’m going to believe that this trinket (which looks like a repainted Omnitrix you could get at Toys R Us, by the way) will allow me to alter reality?” It was my turn to shake my head. “What’re you on?”

A chuckle left Steve as he looked at me. “I understand that what I’m telling you seems improbable, insane, and absolutely ridiculous. But it is the truth.” When I scoffed at him, he raised a brow. “If you do not believe me, why not try it on?”

“Because I do not need such confirmation to assert my beliefs on reality.” I replied coolly.

“Hah!” For some reason or another, he seemed amused by that. “You should’ve gone to college longer than you did. You sound smarter than you look.” Steve absently tapped the box again. “Put on the bracer.”

“I don’t think that sounds like a good idea.” I stated clearly as I stood. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go now before you freak me out any further-”

Without warning (and with quicker reflexes than I ever could’ve imagined), Steve deftly nabbed the piece of technology and slapped it onto my arm. With a slight hiss, the chunk of cold metal locked itself. My eyes widened in surprise, while Steve gave a smirk. “No dice. You got picked, so you’re getting the prototype.”

I growled in annoyance as I began to futilely pry away the device attached to my wrist. “For fuck’s sake, get this thing off of me!” My eyes honed in on his. “If you don’t take it off, I’ll beat the shit outta you with it!”

A sigh left the man as he snapped his fingers. However, instead of the bracer being removed from my person, instead he somehow had me sitting again. My body felt numb, and was unresponsive to my attempts of fleeing. Steve stared at me, and let out a long snort.

“I was hoping that you’d be more complacent. But, beggars can’t be choosers...” I watched him pause for a moment. “Ironically in this situation we could choose, but that’s semantics right now.” Steve leaned in and tapped the tech. “This little doohickey will make your life better than you’d figure, you know. All the things you can, could, and couldn’t do would now be easily available to you. Yet you resist. Strange.”

He shook his head as he stood. “I think I’ve overstayed my welcome in your presence. I’ll leave the further discussion and explanation to the A.I. installed in the bracer. We’ll meet again when Fate demands it; whether for my need of your help, or for your potential want of revenge. Based on perspective, I suppose.”

Steve tilted his head towards me. “Don’t attempt to use it to find me, either. There is no point, and such a meeting should be left for Fate to decide.” With a casual wave, he turned and started to walk away. “Have a good time, you. Try not to break everything too severely, heh.”

A bright flash assaulted my eyes, before they were consumed with spots and darkness. Feeling began returning to my body, as well as a shaking sensation. “Urgh... fuckin’ earthquakes again...”

“Not an earthquake. Wake up; you’re drooling on my bar.”

“Huh...?” I opened my eyes, only to find myself staring at my arms. Raising myself, I blearily located the chef who was attempting to shoo me out of his establishment. Taking the hint, my body stood itself up and began walking me towards the door. My hand instinctively felt at my wrist to discover that there was no obstructing piece of metal.

‘So I did fall asleep? That was definitely a dream? Jesus... I need to cut back on the sugar.’

With little fanfare or interference, I made it to my car and fumbled for the keys lodged under my wallet. After finding the right one, and climbing into the battered fortress and shelter that would inevitably be my sanctuary for the coming nights, I strapped myself in.
“All right... where to park this heap for the night?”

“Beats me. Hey, did you know your brain is really cluttered, and you mutter in your sleep?”

My foot slammed on the brake swiftly, keeping me in the parking lot still. I twisted my head back behind my seat, expecting some mugger to be sitting there with a knife at my throat. When I saw no one, I could only turn back towards the front. “My mind is fucking with me.”

“Eh, it’s more like I’m fucking with you than anything.” I lurched back in surprise as a blue form appeared on my wheel. It was shaped like a man, and it currently had its feet dangling in the air with its arms propping itself up. He gave a wave at me. “Hey, Boss. What’s shaking?”

“My concept of logic...” I groaned to myself as my head lolled back. A very distinct feeling that could only be the beginnings of a migraine started in the back of my head. “Dear God, I must have some form of heat sickness and it’s causing hallucinations. Stupid thirty-dollar cap.”

“Ain’t that simple, I’m afraid.” I looked back down at the small guy chilling out like there wasn’t something wrong with an ethereal male talking about how my brain worked. “I am very much real. Might not conform to logic, but I’m real. And you, my friend, aren’t suffering from any illness. Well, unless you count minor insanity as one. Then we have a problem.”

“What in the blue hell are you?”

The figure shrugged. “Whatever you want to call me, really. I’m the A.I. in the tech that you were given.”

My eyes widened for what seemed like the thousandth time this day. “Oh, no. All of that had been real?” When the A.I. nodded, my head crumbled into the wheel. It barely avoided the miniature glowing man and bounced against the steering wheel’s cover. “Fuck my life.”

“I won’t do it for free.”

Half of me wanted to compliment the little fella for having my sense of humour. The other half wanted to smack him across the car. “Please be quiet while I contemplate what went wrong with my existence in the past two hours.”

“Very well. I’ll be taking Memory Inventory.”

My eyes opened as I twisted my head to stare at the A.I. “Could you stop doing that, by any chance? I have the start of a headache going, and knowing that some intelligent thing is taking stock of my thoughts isn’t helping it.”

“Oh, right. Sorry...” A few moments passed before I felt the sensation fading. “Initial integration with myself and your cerebral cortex tends to cause discomfort. Luckily I was able to suppress it with what your people know as ‘Aspirin’. Feeling better?”

A few moments passed as the lack of feeling set in. “...Yeah. At least, physically. No, mentally.”

“Eh, close enough.”

Several minutes passed in relative silence. My mind was slowly trying to gather itself while the A.I. looked through my thoughts, I guess. Eventually, I spoke. “The guy who tricked me-”

“You mean Saaranas?”

My brows furrowed in confusion at that. “Uh, yeah. Him. He said I could ask you questions, or something.”

The projection nodded at me as he laid lazily in one of the spokes. “That he did. I should be able to fill you in on most things. So... What’s on your mind?”

“Well... for starters, where did the bracer go?”

He made a motion towards my head. “Your body absorbed it. Technically, it’s in your brain right now.” Before I had the opportunity to freak out, he cut me off. “Don’t worry, it’s not physically there. That was more of a metaphor than anything.”

“O...kay. What exactly does this tech do?”

“Alter reality. Did you not comprehend that the first time Saara-, I mean Steve told you?”

“No, I got that part. But... how does it do that?”

A yawn left the hologram’s form as he looked up at me. “Essentially, everything is made up of things called ‘strands’. As a whole, they’re known as the Strands of Existence. The device (through a process that I barely understand myself) is able to interact with the Strands and basically bend them to the will of whoever has the device. So, you.”

“Whoa...”

“Yeah, I know. My job is to both keep you company, and to help monitor your vitals while providing insight.”

“Bottom line: you’re going to pester me by being a guiding companion-slash-mentor?”

“You catch on quickly.”

I idly scratched my head in thought. “So... what are my limits, exactly? I mean... what can’t I do?”

“There’s the beauty of your situation,” the projection stated with glee. “This device has virtually no restrictions, aside from a depletable (yet rechargeable) energy reserve. You could do anything from build a house using your thoughts, to stopping an alien invasion, to transporting yourself to another plane of existence entirely.”

“H-h-how?”

“Ah. And there we reach one of our dilemmas. I don’t necessarily know how it’s done.” I watched as the A.I. sighed and motioned with his hand. “Let me explain this, briefly: I don’t know ‘yet’.”

My only viable response was a quirked eyebrow in his direction. “Explain.”

“I was planning on it... Anyway, the higher Archives are locked for me. According to the statistics that my scans are giving me, I need some sort of stimulus. That stimulus happens to be tied in with your usage of the band’s ability.”

“Does that mean that if I keep using the... device, it’ll gradually tell you more and more about the system and its properties?”

“You’re a smart one, aren’t you?”

I couldn’t suppress the grin nor the comment in time. “Would you prefer if I wasn’t?”

“Hah! No. I would much rather spend the rest of eternity in the presence of a smartass than a dumbass.”

The word stopped me cold, and crushed all possibility for a smile to re-emerge. “Did... did you just say ‘eternity’?”

My eyes blankly watched as the hologram winced, before looking back. “You didn’t know...? Well, erm... the device will sustain your current body build and age to prevent physical deterioration. Which would... um, make you kinda, sorta immortal. Except not quite. But hey! No dying of old age at least. That’s something, right?”

Silence dominated the cramped, rusty Volkswagen once again. Without really thinking, my hand raised itself to my eye level. It looked like it always did, but with the revelation in my mind... how long could I live, knowing it would stay exactly like that -- along with the rest of me -- forever? A sudden thought jumped to my head. “You said I could do anything, right?”

The A.I. blinked. “Erm, yes. Except for trying to hunt down Steve, of course. His dimensional trail is lost to me, so I can’t follow it.”

With a nod to show I understood, I stared carefully at the stature of my new-found companion. “Is ‘revitalizing the dead’ a potential ability...? Would I be able to--”

I stopped as the program raised its hand. “Unfortunately, I have to stop you right there. Because, that’s the other dilemma. My sensors tried to see if it was possible ahead of time, but the samples they came back with aren’t good.” A sigh left him. “There is no way either me or the device can bring back your folks. Their DNA is just too old, and decayed too far. I’m... I’m sorry, friend.”

Anger began to boil within me, before I forcibly withheld the turmoil. It was not the A.I.’s fault; he had tried, after all. Nevertheless the single solitary moment of hope that I had, to bring back what I once had... it was snuffed. Deftly, and without remorse. “I... I understand. Thanks, at least. For trying.”

“Of course,” the A.I. muttered as he sat there staring at me. “Uh... hey. How about you try the device out for a spin, eh? Go on a bit of an adventure, get your bearings?”

A nod left me. “Considering how I’m stuck with you,” I smirked as the A.I. grinned back. “I guess that is the best course of action.”

Swinging both of his legs over, the A.I. jumped off and faded into thin air. "Sounds like a plan, man." My body flinched at the increased volume, while he laughed. "Oh, right. Telepathic communication would be a bit closer to your eardrums than you’re used to."

My head revolved around the car, seeing past the windows towards the sudden emptiness of the world I had tuned out. The world that I could leave, at any moment, to go travel to a new one on a whim. The world, that truly held nothing to me but bitter memories and monotonous cycles.

“Got any ideas on where to go?”

I could faintly feel a twitch in my brain, which I interpreted as the A.I. shrugging. "I don’t have a clue--" His abrupt pause made me glance up in curiosity. "This isn’t right; the programmed character file I have of you is partially corrupted. I... I don’t have your name."

My eyes blinked slowly. “Well, that’s... odd. At the same time, I suppose it’s fair. Neither of us have a name known to the other; we’re on equal footing.” I watched as my finger tapped absently against the car wheel. “My real name is of little importance or use to me now, I guess. In all frankness, I’d rather drop my true name. So... I suppose you could call me ‘Storm’.”

A small electrical buzz came from the edge of my hearing. "Query: Why would you use such an unusual alias to hide your persona?" As my eyes widened in confusion at the rather monotone voice, a cough sounded off in my head. "Ah, sorry about that. This vocabulator sometimes speaks in an odd mannerism. Remind me to work on that ASAP."

I had been tempted to question it further, before I waved it off. “It’s fine. As for why I chose it... it just sounded right, really. My Martial Art instructors always did say I moved around the ring like a storm.” I cocked my head in thought. “Now, what about yours...?”

"I don’t have a designation, actually."

“Really? What did Steve’s bosses call you by, then?”

"...I am not entirely sure. In fact, I don’t think me nor the device was ever given an actual name. Whether this is due to the information being locked away in a higher Archive or not remains to be seen, though."

I rolled my eyes. “Figures. Well, we can’t just keep referring to you as the ‘A.I.’, nor this technology as the ‘device’. Problem is... what to name you?” Neither of us spoke for a time, as we were both pre-occupied with thinking. Eventually, my mind came up with something. “I think I got it.”

"Let me hear it."

“After doing some minor considerations, I think that the device should be named ‘the Universal Editor’. Since, you know, it can ‘edit’ the Strands.” I waited for an appraising sound to leave him before I continued. “Going off of that, since you’re the quote-unquote ‘voice’ of the Editor, how about your name being ‘Ed’?”

A pause hung between us. "Ed, huh?"

“Erm... yeah. Why, you don’t like it?”

"No no, it isn’t that. I’m just feeling it out... Ed. Hmm. I like the sound of that." I gave a nod of approval as I sat there, unmoving. "Er, Storm? What’s the problem?"

“I have no fucking idea where to go, or how to go.”

"Bah. Let me handle that until you get a grasp (and/or an opinion). I’ll just randomly pick out some reality you’re familiar with, and we can start from there."

“Got it.”

"You ready, Storm?"

“Ready as I’ll ever be, Ed.”

"As your people once say in the face of adventure... Let’s do this!"

The smirk on my face extended considerably as a significant amount of blue energy began swirling around me. “Leeroy~!” A single solitary word rang out through my subconscious as my vision was engulfed in light.

“Jenkins~!”

“End Memory Sequence.
Memory Archive Powering Down.”

“Sorry to ruin your accidental recollection while you’re in Stasis, but we have a development.”

‘Ugh... Ed? What’s going on? What day is it?’

“We’re currently about a week after your little event with the Equestrian government. They have you in their dungeon, chained up with some mediocre iron shackles to a wall.”

‘Ah. I was wondering what they did with me when I was unconscious. Did you do as I asked?’

“Of course. Through my masterful tweaking and manipulating of events, I have ensured you won’t be instantly banished, exiled, or executed! Yay~!”

‘Woohoo.’

“Right. As you asked, they are now en-route to your nice little cell for a visit and to discuss diplomatic possibilities. What do you plan to do, though? I know you aren’t necessarily one to jump on a single race’s side and become biased.”

‘Neutrality has been my way of reasoning for the past few millenniums. It’s so ingrained into my thinking that it’s instinct. Willingly ignoring it for a brief time in order to survive is always a pain. And since I can’t just override what’s happened by running way via Warping, I guess I’ll be forced to recompense for my actions. But my survival has to come before my duty or my pride.’

“Kind of hard to do your duty when you’re dead, eh?”

‘Unfortunately. Whelp... I guess it’s time for my little nap to end, and for real life to start anew.’

“Get ready. I sense that this encounter is more important than we believed originally. And the outcome will cause ripples far longer than even you could predict. So choose carefully both your words and your actions.”

“A critical moment approaches.”

Chapter Ten: Repentance Has A Price

Chapter Ten: Repentance With A Price

“I still do not believe this is a good idea...”

“Luna. Now is not the time for this...” Celestia stated. “Again.” The two sisters had started walking side-by-side through the halls some time ago, making their way steadily towards the entrance of the Dungeon.

The Princess of the Night snorted. “This isn’t going to work. Not by a long shot.” Sighing, she shook her head. “Why did we decide on this?”

“Because we didn’t have a choice in the matter.” Turning a corner, Celestia nodded towards the guards whom bowed respectfully towards the diarchy. “You heard the Earthling’s guardian. Diplomacy is truly the best (and only) course of action here. We cannot have a repeat of what nearly occurred...”

“The fact that we’re trying to negotiate with someone who threatened both ourselves and our kingdom is ridiculous and infuriating,” was the swift complaint.

“The fact that you’re still arguing against it is ridiculous and infuriating. We will discuss this later.”

A tired breath of air left both sisters as they approached the doorway. Deftly motioning towards a guard, Luna watched as the key was levitated into the keyhole and turned. In the quiet of the hallway, the audible click of the lock giving way was nearly deafening, but nopony paid much heed to it as the diarchy began descending the steps.

Celestia scrunched her face as they proceeded. “We really should invest in fixing up this cavern after we examine the budget. It’s rather filthy, even for a prison.”

“Is there really a point, though?” Luna commented, glancing neutrally across the stone tunnel that led on. Without much effort, her horn ignited with a significant source of light to guide them. “Aside from this Earthling, our kingdom has not had to deal with a prisoner on such a national scale to even use the Royal Dungeon in decades.” A few seconds passed by in thought. “Or have the records I’ve examined been falsified?”

A hum left Celestia. “I do not recall this place being used in over sixty years. Then again, many minor things still sometimes escape me.” How she was able to shrug while walking was a mystery ignored. “Perhaps.” After their conversation, there was silence (save for the echo of their hoof-falls). Celestia’s steps progressively slowed, and before long she stopped completely. Luna soon ceased moving a few paces ahead of her sister. “Luna...” she trailed off as her sister stared knowingly back at her.

“Getting cold hooves?”

Celestia grimaced at the teasing tone. “No... not exactly. It’s just... maybe we should’ve brought the Elements of Harmony with us. They know the Earthling best, and perhaps they could help with negotiations.”

“This is a rather strenuous matter that they shouldn’t be pulled into,” Luna began as she turned around and began walking once more. Celestia, after a few brief moments, decided to follow as her sister continued. “Besides, the Earthling is more than aware of the betrayal he suffered. Bringing them now would possibly only complicate things.”

“‘Betrayal?’”

A nod caused Luna’s ethereal mane to wave more than usual. “Yes. He was essentially put in a position where he was going to be forcibly interrogated under the premise of a... ‘sleep-over.’” A considering look crossed her face as she went down the second flight of stairs. They decided that keeping their visitor in the most secure cells at the bottom would be best, regardless if it made a difference or not. “While his Spirit Guardian has assured us several times over, I cannot help but wonder if all of that anger he showed during his rage stemmed from the curse that befell the Earthling...”

“The Earthling had a point, you know,” Luna said abruptly. She didn’t sound too happy to admit it.

“About what?”

“We should not have jeopardized the Elements when we could’ve dealt with this ourselves.” Their eyes glazed over the many sparse and unoccupied prison cells as they walked. “After our experiences with the last Earthling, we should have known better than to send Twilight and her friend to deal with the matter.”

“I am not so sure of that...” Celestia trailed off for a few moments in thought. Only the echo of hoof-falls sounded. “If we had approached him directly, the curse would have plagued him regardless. We would have still been in jeopardy.”

A thoughtful sound left Celestia. “But at least then, the Bearers of Harmony would not have been in harm’s way.”

“Would they, though?”

A nod accompanied the response. “I believe so. The Earthling’s quarrel (at least during his cursed state) was with us, not Twilight and her friends.”

Luna released a breath. “Then perhaps I am wrong.”

Another flight of stairs was traversed, and at that point some activity was starting to become visible. Towards the end of the hall they could see four diligent guardsponies standing watch near the Earthling’s door. Upon hearing the Sisters’ arrival, they all bowed deeply before resuming their stoic stance.

“Princess Celestia. Princess Luna.”

They nodded in kind to the gruff Sergeant approaching them. “Sergeant Steel Wind. How is our... ‘guest’?”

A shrug left the soldier. “The Earthling hasn’t moved since we hung him up. Haven’t been able to wake him neither. We keep trying to feed and hydrate him, but the docs keep saying he doesn’t need it. Somehow, the Earthling is sustaining himself in his unconsciousness...” Confusion began etching itself onto Steel’s face. “Did you come down here for interrogation, Your Highness? If so, I hope you’ll have better luck at waking him.”

“This is not an interrogation, Sergeant. This is a diplomatic meeting.” Celestia stated as she approached the door. Sgt. Steel Wind fell in step on the other side of Luna. As they reached the door, she glanced quickly through the sally port. The biped still hung from his bindings, apparently still unconscious. ‘But for how long...?’

“Your Highnesses? Permission to speak freely?”

“You may.”

“Why haven’t the Elements been used to petrify the Earthling?” A surprised pause filled the air as the Princesses processed the query. “I can understand not exiling him, Your Majesties, but for your own sakes' we shouldn’t risk your lives to try and negoti-”

“No. We cannot,” murmured Luna. “We ruled that possibility out early on. You saw the havoc that the Earthling brought. There is little doubt that with the power that this Earthling possesses, escaping his stone imprisonment would hardly be an issue.” An almost amused tone grasped her next sentence. “Not to mention the diplomatic repercussions of such an act.”

“But, Princess Luna!” The confusion still hadn’t left Steel Wind’s face; rather it had intensified. “We were able to do such with Discord for several millenniums!” A hushed tone crept into his voice. “Is the Earthling more dangerous than him?”

“We fear so,” Celestia nodded.

A determination appeared on the Sergeant’s face as he stood between the door and the Princesses. His resolve was astounding as he spoke evenly. “Then for your own safety (and the responsibility of my own duty), I cannot allow you to be within harm’s way by communicating with the Earthling alone.”

A silent snort left Luna. They had been expecting this kind of loyalty. “We assure you, Sergeant; the Earthling will not strike against us. Celestia and I have made a deal with his Spirit Guardian to ensure such.”

It was painfully obvious that Steel Wind wasn’t convinced, but he relented regardless. He did have orders, after all. “Y-yes, Your Highnesses.” Glancing over to a fellow guard, he nodded. “Unlock the cell door.”

“Yes sir!”

As the Unicorn set about to undoing the varied amount of locks, Steel Wind turned back to the Princesses. “What do you plan to ask him?”

“Whatever we need to in order to decide that he isn’t a threat,” Celestia stated simply. A thought crossed her face as she looked back down towards the Sgt. “We will go in alone. Please, wait outside; make sure nopony interrupts us, and enter only if you hear struggling. This is a very delicate situation we are about to begin.”

Steel held his tongue as he nodded with a bow. “Of course, Your Highness.”

The final clashing and clanking of the magical barrier untying itself from the door brought the Princesses’ attention as they began trotting. Without delay, Guards automatically heaved open the iron-clad door, and allowed the alicorns entry. With their presence firmly inside the cell, the portal outside the cramped room fell shut with a resounding *clang*.

“Took you long enough, Your Highnesses.”

Both Princesses had glanced towards the Earthling to see the Spirit Guardian materializing on his Master’s shoulder. Ed gave a tip of his top-hat towards the royalty, and leapt off. Wings formed in a moment’s notice, which gave him the illusion of flight as he sailed easily towards the diarchy. “I know that the walk from your Tea Room to here is a bit lengthy, but that wait time was ludicrous.”

The Sisters deftly ignored the comment and motioned towards the suspended biped. “Has he awakened yet?”

“Just woke up,” the Earthling mumbled roughly from his shackles. Luna’s head drew back slightly in surprise, while Celestia resorted to a smile. Slowly he cracked an eye open towards the pair, snorting derisively. “Was it really necessary to hang me by my wrists?”

A moment passed before Celestia fully comprehended what Storm said. She hadn’t even considered how uncomfortable the bindings would be. “We are sorry about that,” Celestia murmured sincerely. “It was purely meant for precaution. Here, let me undo-”

Before she could even think about an unlocking spell, the cuffs briefly glowed and clicked open. The Earthling responded instantly as he contorted his body and landed on the bench underneath himself. Landing comfortably, he glanced back up with a smirk. “Don’t worry. I got it.” When neither of them responded beyond dumbfounded expressions, his smirk widened more. “What? You thought those bonds were secure? Oh, please.”

Luna snorted from her position to the side. “Told you we should have used the Minotaur-styled cuffs, Sister...”

“While those binds were a tad too large for me,” he continued as he idly checked himself for chafing. “The real kicker was that you didn’t even bother to enchant them. All I had to do was overload the tumbler-mechanism with arcane magicks and force the lock open.” A shrug left him as he reclined against the wall. “Guess it doesn’t really matter in the end, does it?”

Celestia shook off her recently-found stunned expression, and instead adopted a more diplomatic face. “Er, yes. I suppose it doesn’t.” Awkwardness began filling the room, causing both of the Princesses to have no idea what to say. Lamely, Celestia motioned towards the Earthling. “Are you... all right?”

His response was a confused raise of his brow. “Yeah. I’m peachy. And you?”

“Uh, good.” Internally, Celestia winced and face-hoofed. ‘Come on, ‘Tia. This is a simple diplomatic situation. All you have to do is ask him w-’

“How about you?” The alien’s focus drifted towards Luna, who had a neutral look on her face. “I hope my besting of you in our little scuffle didn’t wound you too badly.” A light, teasing grin appeared on his face. But neither Sister could tell if it was full of malice or not.

Luna’s eyes narrowed. “Was that an insult?”

The answer was a shake of his head. “Not at all. Only fact, if I recall.” The Earthling’s eyes glazed over for a moment, before they cleared. “Well, I sense no lingering injuries on either of your persons’, nor your castle and its staff of poorly-trained guards.”

“We hoof-pick the guards and overlook their every moment of training for several years,” Luna replied annoyed. Celestia made no comment. Her thoughts were occupied on how the Earthling just ‘sensed’ their lack of injuries. How powerful was the being sitting before them? “If you seek to antagonize us, you are doing a poor job of it.”

He merely rolled his eyes in reserved amusement, something that neither of the Sisters’ had happened to them in their entire rule. Clearly, the Earthling cared little (if at all). He might as well have been considered Discord’s Earthling incarnate.“You misunderstood my jest, but I suppose that is my failing.” Some seconds passed in contemplative thinking. “I believe we should just get to the chase, here; I popped into your country unannounced, you locked me up after... the events that occurred, I’ve finally woken up, and now you’re in my cell.”

“Ed has informed us that you would be willing to ‘facilitate communications’ with us. We hope to achieve diplomacy through this.”

The Earthling regarded Luna with a quiet look. “As do I.” He leaned back against the wall, casually observing the two mares. “Did the repair spell I used before losing consciousness did its job?”

Celestia nodded reluctantly. That was one key point (among several) that was spinning in her head in regards to the Earthling before them. Whatever spell he had used was rather unheard of; neither she or her Sister had even considered that such an incantation could exist. “Yes, it did. To an extent.” When the Earthling motioned for her to continue, she obliged. “The physical structural damage to the Castle had been restored, however what few injuries our Guard had suffered did not.”

He merely nodded in kind. “Of course. The spell was meant to not mess with biological entities.” A faint yawn escaped him, which he politely covered with his hand. “Well, that’s good. Glad to know it worked. So, what would you like me to do during our little bout of ‘negotiations’?”

“We want answers to some questions, and for you to comply,” Celestia statement was loaded with authority, but she was still unsure of how harsh her commands would need to be. Who knew how more temperamental the Earthling was?

A sneer almost threatened to overcome the Earthling’s face, before he glanced over at his Guardian. One harsh look sent to the Earthling later, he let out a sigh and allowed his face to become neutral. The diarchy noticed that he looked exhausted, despite the week-long rest he just had. Looking up towards the pair, he nodded. “All right. I’ll answer as many of your questions as I can.”

“You will answer all of them-”

Without remorse, he cut off Luna’s threat. “No, I will not.” Surprised looks dominated both of the mare’s faces; had he just said ‘no’ to them? “I am not entirely sure if you’ve recognize this, but I am here of my own volition. I am still here to atone for the crimes that I am willing to admit to, and pay the price for them.”

“No more, no less. You don’t like it; tough.” The Earthling hunched over his knees, staring fiercely towards the Princess of the Night. Chills almost threatened to run up Celestia’s spine. It was a look that boded no further discussion. “If you expect me to roll over and let you assert any additional authority over my being aside from my sentence, regardless of what has transpired; you have been sadly misinformed.”

‘Somepony woke up on the wrong side of the cell...’ Celestia stated unconsciously in the back of her mind. Before she could contemplate speaking further, the Earthling actually let out a snort of laughter.

“Indeed I did. I awoke on the literal ‘up’ side of the cell. And that’s not good for someone’s mood.” The tone was tiredly joking, but Celestia’s brows could only arch in surprise. He could hear thoughts as well? She hadn’t felt any new presence in her mind. Celestia made a meager note to better shield her thoughts from projecting so loud.

After a few moments, the humor in his tone vanished. On the notable side, his next words were far less harsh from his previous declaration as he crossed his arms in a stretching motion. “Where are the others? The Ponies that I met before?”

“They are here,” Luna muttered. She shook her mane, and apparently let go of the Earthling’s behavior for the time being. She had to realize that his nerves were no doubt frayed (as were theirs). Starting a fight would serve neither party. “We had decided that it would be best that we established your plans and intentions before the Elements of Harmony had to be involved once again.”

“We had no plans,” the Sisters had nearly forgotten the Guardian’s presence. “Our arrival here in your country is purely coincidence.” Ed glanced towards his Master for confirmation, which he received.

“Indeed. I stumbled here by accident.” The Earthling tilted his head, eliciting a crack from his neck that caused the two alicorns to jump. “As for intentions... that depends precisely on what happens after our meeting here. Which then depends on several different factors after that.”

“Which are...?”

A few seconds passed as he looked up towards the ceiling. The dim mystical torch that hung suspended in its glass prism painted the room in a pale, somber blue light. His eyes watched the flickering flame, head unmoving as he spoke. “Well, for starters; depending on my diplomatic relationship with Equestria will determine whether I stay within your borders, or start walking until I hit another country to accidentally annoy.” A ghost of a grin appeared on his face. “And, of course, what you plan to do to me (beyond chaining me up) will determine whether the task is done, or I decide that it isn’t worth it and bail anyways.”

“That, conveniently enough, is actually why we’re standing here,” Luna said with relief. Finally, they could possibly get to the point of their little venture down into the Dungeon. She embraced darkness, but the one emitted from the Dungeon did not appease her as much.

A mock frown of sadness appeared on the Earthling’s face. At least, the Sisters thought it was fake. “Oh, your words wound me. And here I was sitting thinking the Royals were caring about my well-being after putting me into their Dungeon.” A light shiver went through his body. “It’s positively freezing down here. Could you afford the place a fire, or something?”

Celestia shook her head in veiled amusement. From what she could gather, hope was still viable. The Earthling seemed fairly at ease in his predicament, and didn’t seem the slightest bit intimidated by both herself and her sister. Again, very similar to the mannerisms of a certain draconequus...

It had yet to be determined whether that would become a problem or not.

Jokingly, she waved a more calm hoof towards him. “Of course. We will be sure to get on that right away.” Things seemed to be going good. As long as they didn’t veer off towards the edge of disaster that nearly occurred some minutes previous, diplomacy was very probable to succeed.

The Earthling blinked in response to that. His eyes squinted towards the Princess of the Sun. Suddenly, his entire mood shifted. It was slight, but still noticeable. Abruptly, he stood and began walking towards the Princess. Luna flared out her wings in warning, and he stopped on a dime. Cheekily, he pointed to his nose. “Ya gotta little something there.”

Celestia’s eyes widened in surprise. In a vain attempt to see the offending material, she crossed her eyes to focus on the end of her muzzle. “Really? What is it?”

“Air.” When confused looks were shot to him, he shrugged. “I just wanted to see her go cross-eyed. I was hoping it would amuse me, and it did. I’m satisfied.” Sitting down on his bench once more, he waved towards the pair who was observing him oddly. “Now then. Onto diplomacy, and all that jazz.”

The Royal Sisters gave curt nods. “Right then.” With a brief burst of magic, an ink well, a quill, and a few spare pieces of parchment materialized in the alicorns’ grasps. Dipping said writing utensil into the ink, they stared up questioningly at the Earthling. “May we start with your name?”

A throaty chuckle left him. “Ah, yes. How careless of me. In all technicality, I go by many different names.” Idly, he started counting them off on his digits. “The Keeper of Neutrality. Mystic of the Southern Wastes. Jarl of Windhelm. Fury of the Beyond. Conqueror of the Final Gates.” He lazily glanced back up to address the two Princesses, who were regarding him with vacant gazes. “My actual name though, is Storm. A pleasure.”

The scratching of quill against paper quietly filled the cell. “Could you please fill us in on what exactly happened during the night you entered Canterlot?”

Storm cracked an eyebrow at his Spirit Guardian. “You didn’t tell them?”

Ed merely gave a shrug. “I told them a generalized summary.”

The Earthling merely nodded in response. “I see. Well, essentially upon being restrained and threatened with Veritaserum (or, as you Ponies know it as; Truthful Whisper), some foreign presence entered my mind and seized control of my body.”

“Before anything could be done about it, it entirely shut down my motor functions. Rendering me mostly unable to stop my body from breaking free of my interrogation.” A gloomy expression began forming on his face. “Thankfully, I was able to intercept a charging bolt that was aimed at Twiligh-”

“You did what?” Celestia’s head snapped up to stare daggers at Storm. “My Student said nothing about this.”

“I am not surprised. Maybe she was trying to protect me, just in case,” he shrugged. “In any case, I stopped the curse from using my own power to bring harm to your citizens. After the Truthful Whisper became injected into Lyra, my possesed-form at the time garnered the information about the order.”

Celestia’s jaded look softened, to a degree. Even with loss of control, he had continued to try and keep her Ponies safe. Even with the betrayal made by her hoof, and the restraining and interrogation about to happen; Storm ensured that they wouldn’t be harmed. “I am sorry about the letter I sent. But the safety of my Ponies was my top priority--”

“I know.” Both of the Princesses sent shocked looks at him. He was agreeing? “To be rather honest, had I been in your shoes, I would have done the same thing.” Yet another thoughtful expression appeared on Storm’s face. “Well, I actually would have confronted the danger directly and turned it into galactic space-dust, so technically I wouldn’t have done the same thing...”

Another shrug. “Semantics.”

Luna piped up. “If we could continue on with the recollection...?”

A look of realization dawned on Storm. “Ah, right right. Nearly forgot. Well, after the event occurred, I was essentially trapped in my psyche for the duration of my body’s rampage through your city. Thankfully, Ed had been able to restrict casualties when he predicted something was amiss, and then contacted the girls in Ponyville.” Nods of recognition and thanks were given to Ed by the diarchy. “After that, well... you kind of know what happened; I found an opportunity to sever the magical connection and freed myself, and then lost consciousness from the strain of dispersing the repair spell.”

“How were you able to free yourself?”

He regarded the question honestly. “When my body had been going off in its tirade, the barriers keeping me imprisoned in my mind weakened. I channeled my spirit and pierced its defenses, instantly destroying the remote control in the process.”

“Any idea on where it came from, what it was, or who placed it?”

“No idea on the where or who.” A slightly apprehensive look rose on his face, before he glanced over. Ed gave a nod. Storm gave a sigh. “As for what it was, I think it was some sort of distant mind-control device. The thoughts and logic of my actions being committed were not my own. Which means someone had it out to gun you down, Celestia.” Storm exposed a weak smirk. “And intended to frame me, and use my body as a tool to achieve it.”

The two Sisters shared a brief exchange of a look. Both were starting to think the same thing. Celestia lightly cleared her throat. “Tell us about Earthlings. The one we had encountered previously gave some short explanation, but no precise details.”

A snort left Storm. “First off, we aren’t called ‘Earthlings’. Whoever said we were is either a liar, a bigot, or probably both.” With a bit of grandiose flair, he motioned to himself. “I am a Human. Homo Sapien, if you wish to get all scientific about the matter.” Passively he began cracking knuckles. It was putting the Princesses on edge, but Storm apparently held no malice in the subconscious action. “As for where others are, I’m afraid I don’t have a clue.”

“Were you separated from your kind?”

He shook his head. “Not exactly. I haven’t seen any Humans since my arrival here in your country. Hell, I don’t even know if there are actually any living Humans on this planet. I just got here, you know.”

Celestia shot curious looks in Storm’s direction. “What do you mean by that?”

An amused sparkle appeared in his eye as he looked over towards the Princess of the Night. “Oh, you haven’t told her yet?” Turning back to Celestia with a grin, he held up two digits. “I come to your planet in peace. I would ask you to take me to your leader, but you two are already here.”

Her eyes widened in surprise as she glanced at her Sister. “Luna?! You knew he was extraterrestrial life? Why didn’t you tell me beforehoof?”

The response was an indignant shrug. “I was not entirely sure of my presumption! It was merely an educated guess; something I didn’t feel you needed to be bothered with if it ended up that I was incorrect.” Celestia turned to face the alien before her. This being just got more and more interesting with every passing moment.

“Indeed. I’m not from around these parts. I’m actually from a little planet filled with a lot of water, some several Universes away, on a separate plane of existence. Probably. I fell from the sky due to a miscalculation on teleportation coordinates.” Mirth danced across his features. “Point is that I have no knowledge to confirm nor deny the presence of other Humans that may or may not live on your planet.”

At that moment, neither Sister was sure whether that entire chunk of Storm’s dialogue held sarcasm or not.

Regardless, they pressed forth into the inevitable sea of insanity. “What do you do for a living?”

Storm raised a brow, mirth completely wiped clean from his face. “That depends; I am skilled in many different professions. My primary ‘living’, however, is... well, restricted data. Sorry ‘bout that.”

Luna seemed ready to dig into him about the matter, before Celestia halted her with a look. They did not want to fracture potential peace when they were doing so well. If there was one question out of several he did not wish to answer (especially if it was an asinine one as occupation), then that was what they had to settle with for the time.

“Actually.” The Princesses departed from their musings to examine Storm. He had one of his hind legs propped up onto the bench, and casually reclined against it. “If I may ask you two a question?” Both Sisters looked to one another before shrugging; it was supposed to be more of a give-and-take situation than an interrogation. “Exactly what documentation is there for Humans on this planet?”

Celestia blinked; out of all the potential questions she thought he would ask, he went to that? No wondering about the planet, or his fate, or anything of more significance? “Well... uh, to our knowledge there isn’t.”

“Liar.”

The open slander caused both of the Princesses’ heads to whiplash in his direction. Storm held a smirk, but it seemed less joyous. Quirking an eyebrow, a piece of aged, folded parchment appeared wedged between two digits. “I found this that states otherwise.”

Luna began lighting her horn, before she paused and sent a questioning look towards Storm. He nodded, and held the paper out. It was surrounded by pale cobalt magic, and floated over to the pair. They both silently began reading as Storm began fiddling with random rivets in his seat. Looking around, it took him until just then to realize how dingy his room was.

To start with, it was incredibly cramped. How him and the two large Alicorns fit in, he’d never know. The walls were ancient, and marred by grooves cut through them by water dripping in from the earth above. Nothing was in the room, save for the bench where Storm was sitting, and the shackles mounted on the wall.

Before he could silently criticize the cell any further, the two Princesses levitated the document out of their sight for a moment. “Where did you find this?”

Storm lazily pointed up. “Lyra apparently stole it from some ‘Archive’. I happened upon it when nobody was nearby, so it might’ve found some short lodging in my pocket. Feel free to take it back, or return it to them, or whatever.” Storm shrugged again; both Princesses were starting to wonder if it was caused by twitching, or general apathy. “It doesn’t really matter to me.”

’Yep. Definitely apathy,’ Celestia mused to herself. Storm shot her a grin, and she remembered that her thoughts could be heard. Furrowing her brow, she attempted to put forth some sort of muffler to her thoughts. He merely rolled his eyes.

Both of the Sisters returned to scrutinizing the report before nodding. “Well... we will question Miss Heartstrings about this particular piece at a later time.” Rolling it up neatly, Celestia transferred it to her sister’s grasp.

Storm clasped his hands together; an action that made both of the Sisters jump lightly. Everything may had been going very smoothly, but it could change in an instant. “Well, as much as I would love to continue chatting and rambling on about us, let’s get down to the business at hand.” A chuckle left him. “The suspense is killing me. Probably literally, if left untreated.”

The Royal Sisters didn’t know whether the being standing before them was being legitimately serious or was making an excellent attempt to mess with their heads. Celestia was half-tempted to fly straight out into the Garden to ensure that Discord was still imprisoned, and not this ‘Storm’ standing before them.

Luna and Celestia looked to one another; it was then or never. Giving a nod to calm her nerves, Celestia addressed the Human sitting before her. “As is our rightful duty as Princesses of Equestria, we have the full authority to pass judgement on criminals who have violated the law.”

“As such,” Luna continued. “You have been charged with the following crimes: three attempted cases of murder (two cases involving Royalty), sixty-nine attempted cases of resistance against Royal Guard, trespassing on Castle Grounds, and Royal vandalism.” She regarded the neutral-faced Human quietly. “How do you plead?”

He shrugged. To him, the words being tossed around in front of him was nothing more than a formality. Regardless, he answered. “I plead guilty of all charges.” His Spirit Guardian nodded in the corner, although his face wasn’t one of happiness, but more one of begrudging acceptance.

The two Sisters nodded in sync. “Under normal circumstances, the cumulative sentence would be... one million years in the Dungeon.” A coy smirk lightly played at the Human’s lips. He couldn’t seem to care less. “However, there is an... alternate option.”

“And what may that option be?”

“As repentance of your crimes against the nation of Equestria, you may either serve your sentence in jail, or provide community service.” When Storm made no move to interrupt, Celestia continued. “This community service, in your case, is to provide military training to our Royal Guard.”

“You would be tasked in instructing over one hundred Royal Guards, teaching them how to efficiently combat any and all forces that would oppose our great country.” Another yawn almost threatened to spill out of Storm, before it was deftly silenced. “What is your choice?”

He stared at them with a stone-cold stare. “I’ll take one million years in your Dungeon.”

They nodded. “As we thought--” A few seconds passed before they both raised surprised brows at the Human. “Wait, what?!”

A delighted puff of amused air left the Human’s nose as he watched the duo. “I was joking. Prison ain’t fun. I’ll take training guards over that, ah thank you.” The diarchy merely shook their heads; Storm was a certifiable prankster. “I do have two conditions in order to complete this task, though.”

That caused both of them to stop. There was never anything in the agreement with Ed about conditions. The Spirit Guardian shrugged in the corner; he had no idea where his Master was going with it. Uncertain, Luna waved a hoof. “Speak them.”

A single digit protruded into the air. “One: During my attempts to instruct your Guard, you will not make any attempt to undermine my authority as their teacher and mentor. This includes having separate curriculum being taught to them, ordering them become unruly and unresponsive to teaching, and discrediting any information about warfare that I have implanted into their heads.”

The Sisters shrugged; it was a reasonable demand. “Very well. And what is your second condition?”

This time, a second digit joined the first. “I have unrestricted access to your libraries, armories, forges, barracks, and kitchen.” Before either mare could make a rebuttal, Storm carried on. “I need unrestricted because I will need to research subjects, evaluate supplies, build weapons, inspect troop space, and eat food whenever I please.”

The Sisters glanced at one another uncertainly. “Very... well. We will make sure that you have access to what you’ve asked for.”

A slight nod left the grinning Human. “Of course you will.”

“Do note, though, the repercussions of failing to instruct our Guard in an orderly manner,” Luna warned. Storm could only roll his eyes and stretch once more. Was he so emotionless because of exhaustion? Neither of the Sisters could tell.

“Don’t get your mane in a bunch, Princess. I’ll fulfill my sentence.” A curious face appeared on Storm as he peered at his fingernails. “I can only presume that you will at some point release me from my indentured service?”

Celestia tapped idly on the stone floor. “If what we’ve asked of you is done, and we are satisfied with the training our Guard has received; then yes, you will no longer be indebted to us.”

Storm nodded, then stood. “I’ll start immediately.”

Luna’s mane shook in a slow wave of calm serenity. “No. That may wait for tomorrow. For now, you should be fed, briefed by our commanding officers, and become reacquainted with the Elements of Harmony.”

He murmured her words quietly to himself, before shaking his head. “I suppose that is the smarter thing to do.” With a slight wave of his hand, Storm caused the two Sisters to step aside. Despite it being of their own will, they couldn’t help but feel that the Human had compelled them to on a more... base level. Perhaps he truly was a deceiver of minds. Or perhaps, his own will had enormous authority.

“Wait.”

Storm stopped to examine Celestia. She seemed to steel her nerves, before speaking further. “Why are you willing to do this? Why not flee, and escape having to serve us?”

Something forming along the lines of a frown graced his face. “Because, even with all that has happened to me in my life, I still know when to admit to myself when a mistake has been made. Especially if it’s my own.” He glanced down, and watched himself flex his claws. “I will admit that I am a rather proud man. I do not like submitting to the authority of anyone. I do not like admitting that I have made a mistake. But I do it now.” He looked back up. “Do you want to know why?”

The Sisters both nodded. Storm adapted a slim smirk. “Because I have wronged you two without cause, and nearly cost you two both your lives and your kingdom. I told myself a long time ago to try and fix whatever errors I would make in my life. This is how I will do it here.”

With that, he placed his hand on the door and exhaled.

A clattering rumble surged through the door as it unlocked itself and opened with ease. The opposite end of the portal was occupied by four stunned guards, each staring apprehensively at the Human. A yawn left Storm as he clenched his fists and spoke in a commanding tone. “Step aside. New General, coming through.”

As Storm walked away, unopposed with Guards standing in frozen befuddlement, Luna couldn’t help but lean over towards her Sister. “This... this is a bad idea, isn’t it?”

Celestia’s nod held more weight than her words. “Definitely.”

Islanta Tesaron
Planet Koriz IV, Koriz System
Unspecified Reality

To call this night a success would be both premature, and understated. The meeting between the foreign dignitaries had gone over smoothly, and by noon tomorrow, the ceasefire treaties would be signed, and the planet-wide war would be ended. Celebrations were abound across the city. Life could not be greater.

The door to a solitary office was kicked wide open as a man, in a dress and poorly fashioned wig, staggered in, humming happily to himself and swaying his hips and shoulders in time with the tunes loud enough to pierce the walls. Things were going better than he had originally planned. A night like this one was truly one for celebrating.

“Unhand me this instant, you insufferable buffoon!”

Then again, there was the small matter of the captive the man was dragging along behind him. The captor ignored his victim, though his humming dropped to a slower, less upbeat tune as he flung the other man he was dragging into a nearby chair.

“Do you have any idea who my father is?” The captive demanded, shaking his blonde dreadlocks out of his eyes. “I’ll have your head mounted on my wall for this!”

“Everybody knows who your father is,” the captor groaned as he tore the wig from his head. “So shut it.”

“I demand you release me at once!”

“And I demand that you shut up. See? We can play this game all night and it’s not going to get us anywhere.” He let out a sigh of annoyance. “Should’ve just slit your throat instead. Then you wouldn’t have been able to yap on the way up here.”

“When my father hears about this-”

“Your father won’t hear about this,” he snapped. “Now just sit tight, Your Princeliness. I’ve business to attend to.” The man patted his captive roughly on the cheek before turning toward the windows. “Such a lovely view tonight, wouldn’t you agree? Celebrations abound, the city’s alive with joy and jubilation and other positive adjectives. And we have such a lovely view of the palace gardens from here.”

The prisoner’s head shot up. To his horror, his kidnapper had a rather large rifle clutched in his hands, though it was unlike any rifle he’d seen before. The metallic casing of the rifle was welded from sharp, distinct angles. It was held together (at least partly), by energy fields, indicated by the sections of the weapon that floated on their own. Glowing, emerald green highlights were visible just before the binary-barrels of the weapon.

“I can even see your father, looking surprisingly healthy for a man his size.” The captor let out a low whistle. “He certainly doesn’t look like a man who’s barely held his nation together during a war. Such a shame.” The man smirked and pulled the trigger. The highlights on the weapon flared brightly as a pair of bright green beams of energy burst forth with a high-pitch ping.

“Boom. Headshot!” The madman cackled. He glanced back at his captive with reserved mirth. “My condolences.”

“You shot him!” the Prince howled. “You shot my father!”

“You’re right. How is that fair?” The assassin turned back to his rifle and fired another shot. “There we are! Now both your father and the man he made peace with are dead. Happy?”

“What?!” The captive’s mouth dropped open. “Why would you do that?! We were going to have peace!”

“Peace is boring. I have things to do and I don’t need attention drawn to myself. It’s very easy to get lost in chaos, but in peacetime? It’s too easy to draw attention. So, I need to make sure the war can continue.”

“What is wrong with you?!”

“Don’t open that book. It’s a terrible read. Trust me, I wrote it.” The murderer laughed. “Now, it’s only a matter of time before they trace the shots to this building.” The man pulled a small, folded piece of paper from the inside of his black overcoat and tucked it inside the Prince’s pocket. “And who doesn’t love a martyr for a cause?” He drew a military grade pistol and placed it on his lap.

“It’s been so long since I started a war. Oh, how does time fly.” The captor spun around several times, grinning widely from ear to ear as he faced his prey. “Now, my little puppet, pick up the gun.” Arm shaking, the prisoner obeyed. “Very good. Simple minds like yours are so much fun.”

“What are you doing?” The Prince demanded.

“Blaming you for the deaths of your father and his former enemy. Was that not clear?” The kidnapper grinned wider. “What did you think the note was for? It’s your suicide note, claiming that you couldn’t stand your father bending to such simple demands. So you took action and killed yourself to retain your honor.”

The murderer leaned closer to his prisoner and waved a gloved index finger at him. “Now, put the gun in your mouth.” The Prince’s eyes widened as his arm, refusing to obey his brain, raised the weapon and stuck it in his mouth.

“Please...”

The killer’s smile vanished. “Pull the trigger.”

A resounding crack filled the room and the captive slumped against the back of the chair. The man sighed and straightened up, casting off his cloak as he did so.

“I’m surprised he didn’t ask why a dude was wearing a dr-” His words were drowned out by the sound of music and singing coming from the gap in between his fake cleavage.

“‘Cause what you’ve got is what we need,
and all we do is dirty deeds!
We’re the, Spaceballs!
Watch out (watch out)!”

The captor pulled a small, transparent orb from the folds of his attire. Flashing blue, the orb continued to play the ‘Spaceballs: The Theme Song’ theme song. “Ha! And Creed said I’d never be able to keep all these things in a dress,” he laughed. “Though he was right about the breezes in places they don’t belong.” After several long moments of peering into the orb, his eyes slowly widened in joy.

“It’s about damn time!” He slipped the orb back into the dress and snapped his fingers. His clothes vanished, instantly replaced with a suit. “Pity I won’t get to follow through on my plans here now, but hey! This is much more important! Though, starting this war again was kind of pointless...” The man glanced at the prince’s corpse.

“Oh well. Bygones be bygones and all that.” He resumed his humming from earlier as he strode from the room. “Let’s hope that by the time I arrive, all the blood hasn’t been spilt yet. Eh heh heh...”

Chapter Eleven: Things Set Straight (Part I)

Chapter Eleven: Things Set Straight (Part I)

‘Ed. They’re all staring at me.’

“Storm. I don’t care.”

‘Ed. Please care. You know I don’t like being stared at.’

I could just imagine his eyes rolling. “Get over yourself.”

‘Prick.’

The steps of both my own, the Princesses, and their small regiment of guards flanking them resounded off the walls of the Castle as we walked. Placed along the route, a mixture of both sentries and servants stood motionless, staring at me with every fibre of their being.

Even being as old as I am, sentients just standing there with vacant gazes creeped me out.

“Where’s this ‘Tea Room’ of yours again?” I asked mutedly, glancing back towards the solar diarchy. Ever since we left the dank system of caverns that made up their Dungeon, they had been conversing quietly with one another and some high-ranking officers. Physically, their words didn’t reach me, but I could tell from body language alone that it was about me. Obviously.

Celestia made a vague gesture in-between steps. A move that defied normal biological limits, yet was done with ease. Fascinating. “It will only be a short while yet. A few more turns, and we’ll arrive.” She glanced over towards her sister. “Accompany our guest. I should go ahead and inform the Element Bearers.”

“Of course, Sister,” Luna stated with a nod. We all watched as Celestia began to canter swiftly down the corridor and made a left. I stared emptily after her. When Ed had briefed me on the deal he had made to ensure my survival, I was initially against it. I was a victim, of sorts; same as them. Why should I be forced to burden the punishment? But eventually Ed won out, if only using the reasoning that the Equestrians (at that moment) were my greatest chance for survival.

And survival is always my top priority.

As her clops echoed away, I felt a slight magical presence tugging at me. Sending a look behind me, I realized it was Luna sending magical currents towards me (if the dim emissions radiating from her horn weren’t evidence enough). A few moments passed before I then realized something else; the magicks she was projecting weren’t meant to stop me, particularly. No... she was judging my ability to sense active magic.

And judging by the quickly-subdued expression of surprise on her face, she hadn’t been expecting me to detect such a slight amount. “Did you need me for something?” I asked.

Luna thought for a moment as she picked up her pace to take point, before nodding. “Yes. I want to explain some limits on your authority involving the training of our Guard. If you are to serve the sentence we have given, you must remain in an appropriate realm of control.”

We soon walked past the corner Celestia cantered down. I simply rolled my eyes. ‘Ah, of course. Got to take the long way around to give herself time to make an example of me in front of her guards. Not even surprised.’

I shrugged calmly, putting the thought behind me. “Very well. Do not forget though that, in the end, whatever parameters you give me will be used to the full extent, and potentially over it (should I need to).” I stopped her rebuttal before it could even begin. “I had told you my first stipulation was to be never undermined during my time as your guard’s Trainer. That means exceeding whatever bounds you create, if I have to.”

A grunt left one of the nameless guards, but went unnoticed as Luna gave a reluctant tilt of her head. “While that may be the case, we still decide the length of your sentence based on how we view your success.” Soldiers behind me no doubt smirked smugly at what they probably perceived as Luna putting me in my place, but in actuality she was still far from that.

Maybe she didn’t understand the kindness I was providing. At that moment, I could have Blinked through a wall before the repair spell activated and had fled the Castle without any resistance. I would have become a fugitive of the country (most likely), but at bare minimum I could have then sought out the supposed Minotaurs and hid in their territory. Instead, I allowed myself to not only be captured, but agreed to train their Guard.

For fucking free, might I add.

Moments passed in silence as we made a left two corridors down from our original mark, and for a while I believed that she dropped the matter before she spoke again. “Given the peculiar nature of this situation, it is difficult to place such a black-and-white limitation on your ability to mold the Royal Guard. As such, we can only closely monitor your actions and advise you on when you are overstepping your task.”

“And by ‘advise’, you mean…?” I shot her a quisitive look.

“We will overlook each session of training, and afterwards (as you give your report on the results) we will provide any advice and/or critique.” Another turn was made as I thought it over. All in all, it was a reasonable asking; yet at the same time…

“Critique,” I deadpanned.

“Yes.”

“On my training.”

Luna’s tone lost some of its professionalism in turn of confusion. “That’s correct.”

“Of the guards that had poor training, and couldn’t stop (or at bare minimum, sufficiently slow down) a lone intruder.”

Annoyance crept into her voice, and well as some bothered mutterings from behind. “Your point is...?”

“You're going to critique a new training style you’ve never seen before, that is being taught to your guards by an alien whose experience with war outmatches yours?” Luna stopped in her tracks, blinking as I punched a hole in her logic. I merely smirked and continued on my merry way past her.

“That’s three for me, Your Highness,” I called back to her. “Better work harder to catch up.” I took the next left corner and found myself facing a deserted hallway. Identical doors lined each side with no labels to indicate what they were hiding.

I turned back to Luna, only to find her staring back at me. Smugly.

“Oh, shove it,” I grumbled reflexively, watching with disinterest as the accompanying guards blanched in anger at such language being directed towards their ruler. However, Luna’s only response to my comment was a light whimsical giggle (whether genuine or not was irrelevant), which in turn caused a slight smirk to appear on my face. Giggling meant that relations were improving, or at least civility was not lost.

Wordlessly, we folded back into our small entourage and continued down the hallway. As we proceeded down the tiled path, my eyes couldn’t help but wander around the splendor of the Equestrian architects.

The marble that made up the exposed area of the floors and walls lacked any sign of tool markings. It was almost as though the marble had formed naturally as such. And, unlike other castles I had been in over the years, it was incredibly well lit. Glowing crystal light fixtures were spaced evenly between the
doors, doing away with most visible shadows. ‘No wonder their soldiers are so shoddy; they focused all their damn attention on training masons and designers.’

“Tell me: what do you have planned for our soldiers?” Luna asked. The taste in the air shifted as it was marred by the curiosity of the officers in the rear guard. “I am most curious.”

My mind conjured a potential answer. Given the simplicity of the guards’ tactics and combat prowess, starting at any point in any disciplinary system would work. Something was better than nothing, and all that.

But I had to keep in mind their advances in other fields. Few civilizations survived my technological introductions. Not to mention if I was to give the Equestrians too great of a military education, they could potentially upset the Scales and gain an advantage over other sentient races.

Well... more of an advantage apart from Equestria having rulers that run the bloody Sun and Moon.

“I will start with basic hand-to-hand (or in this case, hoof-to-hoof) combat,” I stated simply, keeping my peripherals focused on the reactions of the royal backing. “Once they are able to dispatch opponents using their own bodies as weapons, I would then proceed towards the honing of each particular races’ skills; Unicorns would gain some defensive and offensive knowledge in spell casting, Pegasi would improve their aerial abilities, and Earth Ponies would be instructed in weapon mastery with items like the spear and shield. Nothing too hard.”

Luna nodded, and acceptance revealed itself on several of the guards’ faces. “That sounds appropriate.” Yet both of us knew that the phrase was a formality. An attempt to keep the illusion alive in the eyes of the Guard that a rage-induced prisoner did not have a say in a matter that their Princess couldn’t overrule.

I guess in a way, it was an unfortunate situation for us both.

Abruptly, our little party stopped. Standing towards our right was a gilded door that had significantly more designs and royal influence than the other ones that dotted the halls we’d just traversed. I had arrived; and beyond the door was another hurdle in my potential diplomatic survival.

“The Element Bearers wait for you,” Luna said after we stood there for a few moments. How we had arrived to the door the long way without turning that often was a mystery. “At their request; neither myself, my Sister, nor any royal staff will disrupt their meeting with you and them. Enter.”

Her gruff order harmlessly rolled off of me as I pondered the implications that were set. Perhaps the Elements did not hold as much of a grudge as I had originally presumed? If they held enough trust in my true being that they refused any military personnel from even standing guard, then perhaps things could run smoothly.

At the same time, it could’ve just as easily be a ploy for them to lay into me. In the end, I still walked through the door (without knocking, because that is something only an egotistical bastard like myself would do) and made my presence known to the occupants within.

I was disappointedly met with considerably less fanfare than I was hoping for.

The room itself was nothing to sneeze at. Pleasant yet exotic wallpaper adorned the walls, giving a spacey feel that truly didn’t exist. It was generally empty, save for the chandelier hanging from the ceiling, a distant cabinet filled with fine china, and a round table fitted with luxurious cushions as seats. And in those seats, six pairs of eyes watched me-

‘Wait... only six? Where’s the blue one?’

A quick shift of movement outside one of the windows caught my attention in the corner of my sight. Reaching out briefly with my senses, the form of the Pegasus was apparent outside. An amused grin threatened to appear on my face. ‘So, she’s watching from outside, eh? Guess they didn’t want her to potentially cause problems, and she refused to simply leave.’

Realizing that both me and the gathered Ponies had just been motionless for the past ten seconds, with zero tries for conversation being started, I made the first go. Giving a sincerely humble tilt of my head, I addressed them. “Ponies One through Seven.” I glanced at their accompanying guards. “Upside down brooms.” The guards were not amused. I did hear Luna try her best to conceal a snort though as they promptly marched out and shut the door behind them.

“Storm,” came the reply. Twilight spoke the word as though it was nearly foreign to her, yet still tinged with awe. I suppose one could say I had that effect on bitches. In the back of my head, Ed gave a groan.

I gave a smile towards the far end of the table, my eyes glazing over the two particular Unicorns. Out of the company sitting there before me, both of them seemed the most welcoming (which was surprising, because even the pink one didn’t seem as bubbly as her usual self). “Ah. Ms. Lyra and Ms... erm, Sparks, was it?” I mused quietly to myself: ‘Remember kids, acting ignorant can give more advantages than one would presume.’

“You’re a loon, Storm,” Ed muttered in the back of my head. I couldn’t help but agree.

‘Sparks’ threw an annoyed look at her compatriot, who only offered a sheepish smile. Turning back to me with a grin, she shook her head. “No no. That’s only a nickname. My name is Twilight Sparkle, Bearer of the Element of Magic and protégé to Princess Celestia-”

The words died on her lips. It had been pure reflex; a subconscious thing she must’ve done a thousand times when she introduced herself. She had not meant to bring it up again, and her eyes betrayed the fear of my response. But I showed nothing less of an amused snort. “I do believe in our situation, we’re well aware of that.”

Twilight gave an awkward nod. My eyes examined each Pony briefly, watching as they tried their best to restrict eye-contact with me. I wasn’t the only one to notice the shifting, because Lyra motioned to a single unoccupied cushion in front of me. “Please, sit. We have things we need to discuss.”

“Yes, quite.” Promptly sitting down, I crossed my legs and settled in. The table itself went to about my bellybutton, which really screwed with my head. I hadn’t had to deal with such small furnishings in a very long time. Incredibly jarring, without a shadow of doubt. “Where would you like to begin?”

Fluttershy let out a question before anyone else could. “How are you feeling?”

There it was again; another sign of compassion. Did the Ponies seriously understand my plight, and that what had happened in the past was out of my control? If that was the case, then there would be hope yet of resolving any probable issues later on. “I am doing well, thank you.” Glancing across the table, I made a query of my own. “And how are all of you?”

“About as well as we can be in this situation, darling...” Rarity murmured. The others nodded in agreement with her. “You must pardon us, but this is a very peculiar and (quite frankly) frightening position we’re in.”

“‘Frightening?’”

With the faltering of the Unicorn, Twilight stepped in. “When we arrived at Canterlot, we...” The pause of her swallowing her fear didn’t go unnoticed by me. “We saw the result of your rampage through the courtyard. And, of course, the Throne Room...”

“Ah.” If the feeling of ease and neutral emotion was in the room before, it certainly wasn’t there after that statement. In a rush, the Editor played back the memories again; ones I had been reviewing over and over in my suspended Stasis. I had such an unquenchable thirst for blood during that time. Whatever curse had been strong enough to not only affect me, but to that degree, had to have been an incantation I hoped never reached mortal hands.

If it wasn’t already cast from mortal hands.

“I am not entirely sure if you have been made aware,” I started. “But I had no control over myself nor my actions during that... event. Nevertheless, that is no excuse and I apologize for my behavior.”

Rarity waved off my apology, and gave a nod. “Fret not, the Princesses and your Spirit Guardian explained it all for you already. They stated that you were under some type of curse?” I nodded in kind. Everypony in the room shared a look with one another. “We see...”

More seconds passed, and in the corner of my vision I spotted the blue Pegasus flapping openly in front of the window. Could she even hear the conversation? “Princess Celestia had also informed us just a few minutes ago that you will now be instructing the Royal Guard, correct?”

This was becoming increasingly unsettling. The other Ponies weren’t talking, and they continuously shared glances with one another. Something was running through all of their heads, and for the life of me I couldn’t figure out what it was unless I peered into their minds. But I figured that would be an insult to them, even if I had done it to the Princesses several minutes prior. Nevertheless, I answered the question set before me. “I believe it is an appropriate repentance for the crimes I have committed, is it not?”

Suddenly, all of their mouths sprung open in shock. Twilight shook her head. “Wait. What do you mean by ‘repentance’? Celestia told us that you were doing it as a sign of good faith, and of your own volition!”

I cocked an eyebrow, as usual. “Not necessarily. In a sense, they sort of guilt-tripped me into believing that I needed to pay for my actions. So we settled on the terms of me giving ‘Warfare 101’ lessons to soldiers.” I offered a weak and complacent shrug. “In all frankness, I suppose I could’ve easily dodged such a punishment, but I guess improving my image is kinda needed.”

“That don’t sound too fair if you ask me,” Applejack retorted. She tilted her hat (which confused me since we were indoors) and tapped the table lightly. “You had no control over yourself. You shouldn’t have to be forced into working for the Princesses, ‘specially since whatever spell you used done fixed everything that happened.”

“Speaking of which, we are extremely interested as to how you performed such a spell!” Lyra stated in fascination. “Not even the heads of Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns could probably have pulled off such a feat. Earthlings must be fantastic wielders of magic.”

I uneasily tilted my hand back and forth. “Some are, some aren’t.” My hand paused its movement. “Wait, did you refer to me as an ‘Earthling?’”

“Uh, yes... I’m sorry, Storm. Did that offend you?”

“The term is ‘Humans,” I corrected with a shake of my head. “Not ‘Earthling.’ I was hoping Celestia would’ve filled you in on that, but apparently not.”

Lyra mouthed the word to herself, her lips awkwardly adapting the name to the face. As she worked through her syntax, Twilight did a slight wave of her hoof to draw my attention. “Well, it seems obvious to us that you are far from some sort of monster. As a whole, I think we can all agree that you should not be held accountable for your previous actions, right?”

The others nodded and voiced their approvals to the declaration. I let out a haggard sigh under my breath. ‘That could’ve gone so much worse, Ed.’

“Lucky for you it didn’t, eh?”

‘Lucky, lucky me...’

A feminine voice cleared her throat, bringing an abrupt silence to the room. “Regardless, Mr. Storm has kindly agreed to our terms, for which we are most appreciative.”

The other Ponies (even the rainbow-maned one hovering outside) snapped their heads around the room in surprise and confusion. “Princess Celestia?”

“I was wondering when they’d notice you,” I commented lazily. Peering over my shoulder, I addressed the currently cloaked Princess further with amusement. “Decided the audio rune you planted was insufficient, and you needed to eavesdrop with your own two ears?”

Celestia’s face didn’t waver an inch as she became visible. “What rune...?” was the whisper I heard behind me. Glancing back over to Twilight, I merely pointed to one of the corners of the ceiling. There, barely perceptible was a faded marking. One that I quickly recognized to be a slight variation of a Far Hearing sign, and one that still had active arcane energy flowing through it.

“You have a sharp eye, Storm. And even sharper senses. When did you notice?”

The compliment flowed easily like water over me as I shrugged. “Saw something there when I first walked in, but didn’t recognize it until I sat down.” My eyes found themselves on the Princess once more. “As for you, I felt you slip in behind me as soon as I walked in. You hid your steps, but you got a bit too close to me. Made it too easy to detect.” Now Celestia’s face shifted, although it was more towards respect and admiration than annoyance at my critique. “I presume you need me if you had to break your statement of an uninterrupted meeting?”

Thankfully the sarcastic grin was apparent enough that she didn’t take personal insult to it. She merely shook her head softly with a smile. “Yes, actually. We have arranged quarters for you here in the Castle, as well as a meeting with the Circle in about ten minutes.”

Light gasps escaped the Ponies around the table. Obviously, this ‘Circle’ held some importance, but I had no inkling of an idea who they were. So, I decided to ask. Celestia took on a brief embarrassed expression, before it faded. “Right. You don’t know who they are. The Circle is composed of my most trusted Generals, and are led by my Military Adviser, Stalwart Wall. They wish to speak with you.”

“I’m sure they do.” Standing up from my comfortable position, I tilted my head in respect towards the Ponies. “Business calls, it seems. Will you still be here in the city?”

They looked to one another, before finally focusing on Twilight. Realizing that her friends silently decreed that she make the decision, she gave a nod. “We will try to stay for a few more days, but soon we will have to return to Ponyville for a time to deal with our own affairs.”

I gave an understanding nod in kind. “In that case, I hope to see you all again before your departure. Adieu.” Turning on a heel, I walked out the door without another word. Reaching the hallway, I stood and waited for Celestia. It took her only a few seconds, but she too soon exited the room, and beckoned me down the hall once more.

-WTIN-

Hours later, when the meetings with Celestia’s Circle had been completed, I was finally shown where my given quarters would be. The meeting was long, and dreadfully boring. Introductions, explanations, expectations; I couldn’t have gotten out of that room fast enough when it was all over.

The quarters were nicely furnished, in a plain sort of way, especially considering some of the decor I’d seen in other various rooms during my ‘tour’ of the castle. There was a dresser pressed into the corner with a decent sized vanity mirror atop it. The bed was large enough for at least three humans to lay side by side comfortably in (and the sheets looked extremely comfortable, despite their dull, off-white coloring). A single hazel door led to what I could only guess would be the bathroom, and a pair of heavy wooden doors were open on the far side of the room, leading to a small balcony that offered a rather breathtaking view of Canterlot city under twilight.

Upon my arrival, I did something I’ve been meaning to do since I first arrived in this universe. I collapsed face first onto the bed, and let out a hefty drawn-out sigh of contentment. Yup, the bed turned out to be that comfortable.

“You’re handling this well.”

I didn’t dignify my AI with a worded response. Instead, I gave him a grunt of mock effort as my body sunk deeper into the mattress.

“And he’s down for the count, ladies and gentlemen!” Ed continued on, uncaring for the aches in my back muscles. Fun fact: even in a colorful world full of magic talking horses, dungeons were uncomfortable. I had a very strong suspicion that I would never get the new kink in my neck out.

Ironically, my wrists (which I was hung from with iron for over eight days) were perfectly fine. Bastards. “You know, can I just point out that you’ve been one hell of a stick in the mud since we arrived here?”

“Subtle,” I mumbled into the comforter of my bed, not even trying to conceal the heavy sarcasm in my tone. “Don’t even try to beat around the bush. Why bother?” A blue light flashed to life just on the edge of my vision, so I naturally turned my head so I wouldn’t have to look at Ed’s projected image. Unfortunately for me, he just shifted the projection to be in front of my eyes.

“Look. I know that I’m not usually one to judge.” A snort of derision escaped me. “But don’t you think at least trying to have a good time while we’re here might make all of this a bit more bearable? If not for you, think about me.”

“Were it so easy.” I let out a yawn. “I really don’t want to train their armies, Ed. And besides; we’re here for purely business purposes. Hell, we only arrived here out of a fluke. And now we’re forced to stay based on a situation we can’t fix immediately. Of fucking course I’m not the cheeriest individual right now, because this isn’t a vaca.”

“In all technicality, you’re training the lead military instructors,” he pointed out. “So they can train the other instructors who will be training the armies.”

I dismissed his statement with a wave of my hand, distorting his projected image briefly in the process. “Semantics. The point is, Ed, that I don’t want to do it. End of story.” I rolled over and stared up at the ceiling. “If it weren’t for the fact that we can’t make a dimensional jump out of here, I wouldn’t even bother with it. We’d be on the first warp out to Coruscant or Horizon if we could.”

“Not even to finish making amends?” Ed raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t your father raise you to have a bit more honour than that?” I let out a groan. I hated when Ed used that kind of tripe about my family against me. Mostly because he knew it still held sway with me.

“You sound like my mother. As usual.” A sigh escaped me. “But you’re right. Of all the bloody things... I just don’t know why I need to bother training their instructors. Why did it have to be military instruction?”

“The ‘amends’ thing. We literally just had this conversation.”

“That’s not what I meant, you shitty excuse for a light-bulb,” I snapped while he merely cracked a smile. “What I mean is that there literally has not been a war in this universe for millenniums, apparently. And there has never been any massive killing sprees. Ever. No genocides, no annihilation of civilizations; only the occasional uprising and scuffle.

“They don’t even have weaponry, really!” I interrupted before Ed could stop me. “All that anything has ever used on this planet ever, it seems, are weak Destruction spells, spears, staves, and their own body parts. For fuck’s sake, Equestria has deities that control solar bodies. What training could they possibly need from me that they don’t already get?”

“How about how to fight an Editor? Or a Manipulator?”

I rolled back onto my stomach, though I continued to ignore Ed’s presence some inches from my face. “No Manipulators left, remember? No other Editors (besides us) either. They all died out a while ago, unfortunately. And I’m not going to be attacking anytime soon.”

“Ah, right. Still, though. Says the guy who, barely a week ago, decided that it would be a good idea to attack the leaders of the entire nation because he threw a temper tantrum.”

“Oi!” My eyes locked onto the apparition. I’m sure he meant it teasingly, but it still hurt coming from him. “You know I had almost no control over myself during that. Don’t keep going on blaming me for things out of my power, Ed.”

A short pause filled the air between us. It was one of a certain kind of despair, in a sense. No sort of curse or mind altering device had afflicted me like that since... Christ, I couldn’t even remember for sure. To have it happen so suddenly was a humbling experience, and could only speak volumes about potential future scenarios.

Another sigh left me, though this one was tinged in apology. “Were you ever able to pinpoint the origin of that curse?”

Ed’s tone was thankfully forgiving. “Nope. The arcane signature is very heavily encrypted. Whoever constructed that spell knows their way around magic. To even decode the encryption would take me weeks, and that’s if the curse wasn’t laid so long ago that the signature suffered from decay.”

I dragged my hands over my face. “Wonderful...”

“Do you want me to continue investigating this?”

“I guess doing such would not be the worst of ideas,” I murmured behind my palms. “Make it a C-Grade priority, and just run it in the background. Better to be safe than sorry. If it’s as ancient as it seems, then maybe we don’t have to still worry about the caster.”

Ed’s form merely gave me a nod. “With luck, hopefully. I will do as you ask.”

A light smile appeared on my face for but a moment, before it vanished. “I guess I should find something to occupy me until the Castle starts serving dinner.”

“Have you considered having a quick wank or two?”

I cocked an eyebrow over at my A.I. “Why? You want to watch? Again?”

Hearty laughter rang in my head. “Nah, I wouldn’t be seeing anything new or exciting.”

“Pissant.” I muttered to myself as Ed’s projection faded away.

With a flick of my wrist (and some fancy-schmancy Editor magic), I summoned a portable television to my hands, along with a solar power generator to keep it running. Turning it on, the sights and sounds of a classic program from my home reality began to play.

“Sometimes you wanna go… where everybody knows your name! And they’re always glad you came!”

I stared at the television for a moment, the corner of my eye twitching in irritation. I just knew Ed was behind this. Mostly because I felt his snickering in my brain. With a snort, I banished the TV back to whichever storage dimension it came from and got to my feet.

“Alright! I get the message! I’m going to go exploring.”

“Good man. I’ll leave you to it and turn my attention to preparing the training course. Try not to spark another violent incident, okay? I may not be able to spring your ass out.” Ed’s never-ending wit always amused me, but sometimes it made me want to punch him in his holographic face.

“Yeah yeah...”

Cracking my back with a groan, I slowly trudged towards the door. As I reached for the door though, I realized that there was indeed no door knob, same as in Ponyville. In its place was a simple twist-mechanism for the lock. ‘Huh. I guess with hooves and mouths as the only viable options, knobs and handles are kinda irrelevant.’

However, one thing that grabbed my attention was yet another rune transcribed on the door. This one was hidden better than the Far Hearing rune that I had encountered during my meeting with the other Ponies, but its purpose of surveillance was still fairly obvious. With a slight surge of magical energy, I rubbed my thumb over the designs, smearing them with a smirk.

Unlocking my chamber’s door, I stepped out to four Royal Guards standing watch outside of my room. They all turned to face and regard me quietly. While my mind was riddled with confusion, I kept my composure as I exited. For a time, neither of us said anything to the other. Eventually, I simply started to walk down the hall.

The guards fell in-step with me.

“So, how many of you did I beat on my way into the castle the other night?” I said as nonchalantly as I could. I had no idea why I felt compelled to ask such a dickish question, but admittedly the escort was with me no more than a minute and was already getting on my nerves. Celestia had initially issued an interrogation against me, and when we’re supposed to be all buddy-buddy she gives me an ‘escort’?

Yeah, right. That’s smart. Totally not going against instilling trust between our two parties.

Especially since I was regarded with silent, and stoic expressions. A few more moments passed to give them the opportunity of a rebuttal, before I continued. “I guess it doesn’t matter. Soon, I’ll start instructing you, and you will be better because of-”

“None of us, specifically,” one of the pair to my right answered. “But you did cause my brother to break his wing when he fell down.”

“Ah,” was my response. What else was I supposed to say? ‘Sorry that I broke your brothers’ wing. But... uh, hey! At least it was only because I was under the influence of some unidentifiable force that drove me to violence. No hard feelings?’ Yeah. Because that would go over well.

As it turned out, no it did not. Because the thought left my lips regardless, and I was answered with a sharp glare by my company. One even rolled his eyes in obvious disbelief; if it wasn’t blatantly clear that no one aside from the Princesses and those girls believed that I had no control over myself, it sure as shit was then.

“You do realize that there are spells to set broken bones, yes? I could even heal him, if you’d let me. A repayment of sorts, to show that it was pure accident?” I was hopefully considering to myself that the sooner I made a good impression, the more likely guards would follow my instruction, and the sooner I’d be free from my parole.

“We have those too,” the same guard replied. “Accident or no, you’re still at fault.”

I shrugged. Though on the inside, I was unloading two silos worth of the middle finger. “Perhaps. Although if you’re not willing to accept the circumstance that I had no capability to fully contain the curses’ effects, then I suppose that is your failing. Nevertheless, I could still at least ensure that he would not have to suffer with the injury. At fault or no.”

“He’s already been patched up,” the guard stated briskly, leaving it at that.

“As you wish...” My eyes roamed around the other soldiers forming my escort. “Did I fuck up any of your friends, too?” No response met me (which was surprising; I was hoping for some reaction to my swear), so I figured that it was good enough. After a few seconds had passed with no dialogue, I stopped abruptly. My assigned guards followed suit. I stared both down the hall we had yet to traverse, and the one we had already navigated. “Where the hell are we?”

“Eastern Wing of the Castle. Residential Suites,” the only female guard, a Unicorn, answered. “Your suite in particular is one used more often by visiting dignitaries or ambassadors. You were walking toward the North Wing, where the libraries and Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns are located.”

“Ah, thank you.” A thought briefly crossed my mind, in which I decided it was best to voice. “Where is the Gardens from here? I had heard some talk about it, and admittedly I’m curious about it.”

“The Gardens are located on the Southeast Corner of the Castle Grounds,” the mare replied. “Follow us.” And with that, the Unicorn took point. I fell in behind her, as did the rest of my entourage. As we started to inevitably backtrack using another set of corridors, I couldn’t help but analyze who exactly this mare was.

Her armor proudly bore the rank of Lieutenant, which would explain how her leadership showed amongst the Privates that surrounded me. She definitely shared the build of other Unicorns I had glanced at, though her gray-tinted form was a bit more bulkier (no doubt a result of her minimal training). Hell, with the silver helmet covering up the hair, the only way to distinguish her visually from a guy was her feminine blue eyes. Though, I could afford if the gruff pseudo-aristocratic accent she had going for her said ‘sayonara’ and beat it.

Guess it couldn’t be helped, living in their nation’s capital and all...

“May I ask for your name, Lt.?”

The lass offered a look of surprise towards me. Whether it was due to my curiosity, or me calling on her rank without it being stated previously; I’m not entirely sure. “It’s Lieutenant Emerald Mist, sir.” A questioning glint flared in her eyes as we walked. I took the hint and got side-to-side for easier conversation. “How did you pick out my rank so quickly?”

“I’ve served many armies for a very long time, Mist.”

She furrowed her brows slightly at that. I’m sure she was confused or suspicious about my statement, given my young appearance and my relative ease on the matter. “Oh? What rank were you, if I may ask?”

A ghost of a smile flashed. “Depends on what military branch you’re referring to, I guess. Mostly, though; I was a General. Four stars, usually.”

For a moment, I thought Mist and her fellow guards were going to knock themselves unconscious. Because the instant I let those words leave my lips, they saluted so fast they nearly left a mark, probably. Apparently, these guards didn’t get the memo that the alien that would be leading their instruction was a General several times over. “S-sir! Forgive me; I was completely ignorant of your rank.”

I waved off the Private from before who accused me of injuring his brother. “Please, there is no need to treat me with that degree of respect.” When no one lowered their hoofs, I simply let out a tired sigh. “At ease, troops.”

In one quick motion, down their hoofs went. I briefly pondered if Generals from other races got the same respect in the presence of the Ponies. Probably not.

“Look...” I trailed off for a moment, more because I wasn’t fully sure what to say than anything. “While I may have served as a General for many armies in the past, that doesn’t mean I’ve served your army as such. You should not feel obligated to suddenly bathe me in high standards, especially when I have done nothing to prove my ability to any of you.” My eyes investigated their own. “If after my instruction you deem that I am deserving of such respect, then by all means do such; I shall not stop you. But not before.”

Now they seemed really confused. But on the plus side, the air that had been following us for the past ten minutes was less tense. They gave me reluctant nods, and continued escorting me. With any luck or hope, word would spread through the barracks, and overall guards would be less inclined to buck me given the opportunity.

Maybe...

Eventually, our group passed through a set of glass doors to the Gardens. Hedges a foot higher than even I sat scattered about, forming a natural encasement of the area. With only one path to take, I re-assumed point in order to explore. The guards followed right behind me.

As I took in the scenery, my eyes quickly skimmed several statues strewn about one courtyard. Most were relatively uninteresting; a Pony without wings or horn standing upright against a flag wearing a cape, another wingless and hornless Pony closely resembling depictions of Cupid, a draconequus...

‘Wait a tic.’

Approaching the statue, I silently motioned to the stone figure. Emerald picked up on this. “Ah. This is Discord. The Spirit of Disharmony.” My eyes took in the astonished expression on his face. I hadn’t encountered so much as a mention of a draconequus in many years. Seeing one again, even if it was just a fake bust, was interesting.

Suddenly, I felt something. A disturbance. Something tugging at my subconscious, thought kept away by Editor firewalls guarding my mind. I rose a hand to stop whatever further explanation Emerald may have started. The feeling was being emitted from... the statue. A few moments passed, but the sensation did not cease. Was the statue enchanted, somehow? “Who exactly is Discord?”

“Well, as I said before, Discord is the Spirit of Disharmony. He broke free from his imprisonment some time ago, and sent Equestria into a state of Chaos. Thankfully, the current Bearers to the Elements of Harmony used the artifacts to petrify him once more.”

My eyes widened, but my tone remained neutral. “So, this is the actual Discord?”

“It is, yes.” A confused look was no doubt directed at the back of my head. “Why? Is there something wrong?”

The sensation had grown with intensity since the information became known. From the feeling of the prodding, it wasn’t threatening nor intrusive. Nevertheless, I did not allow the being access. I had no cause or reason to communicate with him. Eventually, after some time, the lurking presence on the outskirts of my mind faded entirely. ‘I wonder if it was this one that was responsible for that curse...?’

Shaking my head, I turned on a heel. “No; just curious, was all.” Glancing up at the sinking sun, I gave a nod. “I think I am ready for Dinner. If you guards could guide me there?” With nods, they marched off once more, with me in tow. Before we entered the Castle once more, I sent a single thought out towards the imprisoned being.

“And I thought I was ugly, mate.”

I imagined the twisted form laughing. At least, I thought I imagined it.

A faint knocking on her door drew Celestia’s attention from the stack of reports laying on the rug beside her. “Come in.” She rose to her hooves, arching her back in the process.

The door to her chambers creaked open, offering the Princess a brief glimpse of the Pegasus guard stationed just outside. However, the guard quickly vanished as Luna stepped through the doorway and sealed it shut behind her.

“Luna.” Celestia gave her sister a warm smile. “I wasn’t expecting to see you so close to dinner time.”

“Nor was I planning on visiting.” Luna’s eyes wandered absentmindedly around the room as she spoke. “But I find my mind is plagued with anticipation.” Celestia’s smile faded into a frown. The way her sister had said ‘anticipation’ had her concerned.

“Luna, there is nothing to worry over.” Celestia kept her voice as gentle as possible. She wasn’t about to tip her sister off and reveal that she was feeling the same anticipation. “Storm has agreed to train our forces. It’s been far too long since the Royal Guard has actually functioned as a guard, and not merely a decoration. Storm single-handedly proved that we might not be as safe as we used to.”

Luna snorted. “As if any other leaders on this planet would lead an attack against you and I. Need I remind you, sister, that we control the sun and moon? If they were to overthrow you and I, even kill us, then half the world would burn and the other half would freeze.” Luna strode to the large window overlooking the valleys below Canterlot Mountain. “There haven’t even been wars since you and I took the throne. None native to this world more powerful than you and I.”

“Sombra nearly was,” Celestia reminded her. “It required both of us at the height of our power to stop him.”

“But we succeeded!” Luna brought a hoof down. “Even then, we did not need our guards to fight our battle for us!”

“And Discord?” Celestia ignored her sister and continued on. “When he broke out earlier this year, you and I couldn’t stop him.”

“But Twilight Sparkle and her friends did,” the Princess of the Moon countered. “Proving again that the Elements of Harmony are all it takes to keep him locked away.”

Celestia grimaced. “And who was it, Luna, that first guided you and I to the Tree of Harmony, where the Elements were gifted to us?”

Luna opened her mouth to speak, but stopped herself.

Celestia continued in the silence. “It was him. The one we do not speak of. The one with powers so very similar to Storm. The same one who convinced you to attempt a coup against our Kingdom. The one who led you to become Nightmare Moon.” Celestia stepped up to her sister’s side.

“That’s what you’re dreading, isn’t it?” She asked quietly. “You fear that Storm is just like him.”

“The similarities are too close for my tastes, even if Storm seems willing to repent for his crimes,” Luna admitted after a moment. She offered a glance towards her Sister, and grimaced in kind. “You see them too.” A nod was the only response. “Then why do you insist on giving Storm this chance?”

“Because if Storm can train our guards to fight someone like him, enough to buy us time or to potentially wound him... then we need not fear a shadow from our past.” Celestia’s voice was quiet barely a whisper. Luna’s gaze softened, realization dawning on her as she saw the fear in her sister’s eyes.

She drew her mouth into a tight line. “I understand, Celestia. But I will keep an eye on Storm nevertheless. I am not ready to trust him.” And with that Luna turned and left Celestia’s side. The Princess of the Sun could only nod in agreement in the silence following.

Clattering of plates was the only sound in the luxurious Dining Hall as we ate. The table was long, and grandiose. Fancy china littered with the remains of fruits, vegetables, and cheese lined the assembled seats.

Those invited to sit in them were faces both foreign and familiar; the seven Ponies I had originally met in Ponyville, Celestia, Luna, an admittedly bratty Unicorn (I was informed beforehand about ‘Prince Blueblood’), and several other Ponies (one of whom I recognized to be Celestia’s Military Adviser). Celestia and Luna were stationed at the ends of the table, with me residing in the ‘guest of honour’ spot to Celestia’s right.

Truly. It was such an honour.

Initially, there was some hostility directed towards me. Mostly coming from Prince Blueblood, with inept and idiotic attempts to issue the guards to remove the ‘animal’ from his presence. The expression on his face though as I sat in the seat of honour without objection was pretty priceless, though. Once it was explained to him (although, from my perspective, beating the details into him would have been much more effective), he generally reserved his unbridled disgust in passive-aggressive comments. I didn’t really expect anything less, and eventually he departed.

Good bloody riddance.

As we all had been sitting there in relative silence awaiting the arrival of the dessert course, a dozen pair of eyes gradually focused themselves onto me. It took me a while to realize it, but when I did finally put two and two together; well, honestly it creeped me out.

And, of course, the only response I could ever come up with was full of wit, and lacking of tact. “Why is everyone staring at me?” I calmly but deftly rose a reflective glass of champagne to examine myself. “Do I have something in my teeth?”

“No, it’s not that.”

My eyes flicked down some ways towards Twilight. “Is my hair unkempt?”

“It’s always unkempt,” Ed chimed in. I delivered a swift middle finger to him in the recesses of my mind.

“Not that either, darling. Well, any more than what we’ve seen of you.”

I offered a deadpanned expression in the direction of Rarity. “Then please, enlighten me: why the fuck is everyone staring at me like I’ve sprouted a second head?”

Celestia scrunched up her face at the profanity, but I couldn’t be bothered to retract it. I lost most of my tact a very long time ago, and swearing in front of royalty (or even Gods) no longer phased or concerned me. “Well, I think it’s just recently came to everyone’s attention, but... why do you sit like that?”

I cocked an eyebrow, and looked down. I was sitting like any normal human would; feet firmly planted on the ground, buttocks in the cushion, back straight. What was the problem? I glanced back up and shrugged. “I don’t see the problem with how I’m sitting.”

She shook her head in response. “It isn’t that there’s something wrong with it, but merely that it’s... interesting to see, I suppose.”

My brow remained raised. “Didn’t you say you had other bipedal diplomats that have stayed here?” I was answered with a nod. “Well, how do they sit then?”

“They sit with all four limbs on the chair itself,” Stalwart Wall stated. I blankly realized that so were the company sitting with me. Lyra, in her own separate niche, had attempted to once again assume my stance, but after a few moments forgo'd it in favour of her traditional way of sitting.

“Really?” It was more curious than surprised. “Even the Minotaurs?” Another nod. “Huh. Weird. Well, this is how my species sits. We’ve always sat like this.”

“Fascinating,” Rainbow Dash said with a yawn. “No! Seriously! Why are none of you asking the good questions?” The others shot her questioning looks. “What? You’ve seen what he can do. Like, how did you survive that fall into the Everfree? Nothing could survive that fall!”

As the focus became centered on me, Twilight tilted her head in thought. “Actually, there were some questions that me and the girls wanted to ask you...” Upon making eye-contact with me though, she shied away. “I mean, if you want to, of course. We wouldn’t want to annoy you with-”

“I almost didn’t.”

All of the Ponies stared at me in confusion. Twilight seemed the most confused of them all. “Uh... you almost didn’t what?”

“Survive that fall.” Glancing over at Rainbow Dash, I reclined lazily in my seat. “I only survived using a parachute to slow down my descend. Even then, I nearly broke several bones crashing into branches once I hit the canopy.”

“What is a ‘parachute?’” Lyra asked.

I could only quietly examine the Ponies before me. ‘They never figured out how to make a parachute?’

“Do realize that with the racial hierarchy, non-Pegasi probably have little to no reason to be so high up as to need parachuting technology,” Ed chimed in. I merely snorted in response.

Coming back to the outside realm, I did a brief explanation. “Essentially, a parachute is a large, square piece of cloth with rope running through the corners. It allows for gliding and safety from free-falling. To a degree.” My audience looked to one another in amazement and wonder. Apparently, no-one had thought of such a design.

“How about where you came from?” Applejack piped up. “You ain’t from around here, clearly. You must have someplace to call home.”

“Well, this is a two part answer.” A light yawn threatened to spill through, but I at least had some decency to cover my mouth with the crook of my elbow. I was so tired. A night’s rest was definitely needed. “I am originally from a planet called ‘Earth.’ To be more specific, my homeland was the ‘United States of America’; one of the strongest on that water-world, for sure.”

My eyes combed over the intrigued looks of interest focused on me. “But that was then, and I haven’t visited any dimension with a variation of Earth in quite some time. So I guess you could say that, at this very moment, I do not have a home.”

Incredulous and stunned expressions met me. “You have no home?” The question came from Luna, but what was more surprising was the tone. It sounded like pity, but not exactly. I had heard something from that group of Ponies from Ponyville talk about how the Lunar Princess had been exiled for one thousand years in the moon.

I wondered if perhaps she felt like we were in the same boat. But she had a home now, didn’t she? Maybe it wasn’t that. Maybe it was another sign of the supposed compassion that these equines held. Perhaps the most shocking thing instead was that it came from Luna.

Because, you know, she would probably like me to be executed. Or something to that effect.

“I am a wanderer, and the call of other Universes hail my name. It’s very hard to settle into one place for long. I do have realities that I have tremendous relations with, and they are always sanctums I could return to, should I need it.” I glanced down at the few tattered chunks of lettuce on my plate. Why couldn’t they spring me some meat? I know they are able to make it, those little sh-

“Wait.” All eyes moved towards Twilight, who was staring at me intensely. “‘Other Universes’? ‘Realities’? What do you mean by these?”

I face-palmed internally. Of course. They probably didn’t even have a multiverse theory. I silently prayed to the Fates that I wouldn’t destroy their minds before the end of the night. “Obviously, the Universe where your planet, the surrounding stars, and other solar bodies reside is not the same one as my Universe and its interpretation of space. Which of course means that there is no ‘one’ Universe. There are actually millions of them, all connected by Leylines.”

I heard Twilight quietly suck in a quick breath. Mostly everyone else (save for the Princesses and Lyra) merely cocked confused eyebrows in my general direction. Pinkie Pie was the first to say it. “What’s a ‘haymine’?”

My face scrunched up as I muttered the miscommunication to myself. “A Leyline,” I added extra emphasis to the word for Pinkie, “is a ethereal bond that holds two Universes together. Given a physical form, it’s like a spider web, almost.”

“And you said something about realities?” The nervous excitement in Twilight’s voice was palpable at that moment. I noticed Celestia looking on in amusement. “What do you mean by that?”

I idly scratched my head as a servant walked by with a slice of cake. It was offered to me, and I happily (but mostly greedily) accepted it. Preparing to dive into the food, I realized I nearly forgot the question. “From my experiences, there is an infinite number of realities to every Universe. Sometimes, the differences between them are radically varied, while others suffer from only a minute change.”

One of the Ponies, who I believed to be one of Celestia’s Advisers (probably Scientific if the get-up and gray mane was anything to go by), spoke up. “Are you saying that you’ve traversed different planes of reality?” I nodded as I chewed. It was simple vanilla. Still good though.

Light gasps sounded out from around me. The two Princesses were giving me befuddled looks alongside everyone else. My only response to their reactions was swallowing the bite of cake, and taking another. “You seem surprisingly... open with your answers,” Celestia commented.

I shrugged. “The answers to these questions so far cannot bite me in the ass later, so I see no reason not to satisfy some curiosity.” That may have been some bad phrasing, because then questions became burning in the eyes of my company. ‘Ah, fuck me...’

“Tired of Q&A already, Storm?”

‘I got tired of it after the first dozen times, Ed.’ The grumble of my thought in my mind was definitely tinged with regret and annoyance. But mostly annoyance.

After this, a series of asinine queries was thrown my way. Surprisingly, they were rather minor. What was my favourite color (again, still green), my favourite food (there was this parfait I had once that was to die for; almost literally, given the circumstance to obtain the recipe); things of that nature. Of course, with the lightweight questions dying away, more... personal ones arose.

“So, do you have any brothers or sisters?”

The question made my blood run cold. It reflected in my aura instantly, because the mood of the Hall froze in trepidation. I hadn’t been asked about my family in an incredibly long time, and having it brought back up...

Memories flashed across my vision. I was no longer sitting in a dining hall, but rather in the living room of my parents’ old home. I was consoling my little sister about her being bullied. Back when answers were simpler. Back when Life was simpler.

There was no Universal Editor then. No need to worry about Balancing the Scales. It was... so pleasant.

I almost wished it never changed.

Another memory overtook the previous. Now I stood at a funeral, honoring my father as he laid in his coffin. He had died honourably in action, serving the Miami Police Department as a Detective well. I shed no tears as he was laid to rest; young men should not cry, and my father would have wanted me to stay strong.

Flowing into the next, I was abruptly pulled into a hospital room, looking down upon a figure that could only belong to my mother-

As yet another memory threatened to arise and submerge me once more, the Editor quickly stepped in. Protocols became active, chemicals were released, and neuro-safeguards started to ignite. The visions soon faded, and once more I sat in the Dining Hall.

There was no sound. No voices. Nothing. Eventually, with a bit more harshness in my tone than I intended, I spoke. “If it’s all the same with you, I’d rather not talk about it.” Before anyone could say anything, I stood. Even after all of those years, the wounds of my lost family still lingered. “If you would kindly excuse me, I must retire. I should be as alert as possible to instruct your Guard tomorrow.” I gave a short, stiff bow, and walked out the Hall.

The solemn closing of the door reverberated through that room long after it was shut.

Chapter Twelve: Things Set Straight (Part II)

Chapter Twelve: Things Set Straight (Part II)

Several minutes earlier...

“So, do you have any brothers or sisters?”

The question hung in silence. Storm had frozen upon the words meeting his ears, and at that moment it reflected in the mood of the room. Where there had once been ease, peace, and contentment over filled bellies; now there was a growing, frantic energy fueled by anxiety and apprehension.

Twilight winced over the shift in the air. She should have known better than to go into such a topic. He had stated repeatedly about being--at bare minimum--several millennium old (even if Twilight didn't want to conceive the probability). Of course bringing up his family would be a stupid idea.

‘Great,’ the mare moaned to herself. ‘I just ruined whatever diplomatic relations Equestria could have had with Storm. Stupid, stupid, stupid...’

Storm had yet to answer. He was staring off into space, fleshy claws clinging harshly to the arms of his chair. Celestia voiced concern, but he did not respond. She flashed her Student a confused look, and Twilight could only shrink down in an apologizing manner. The Princess of the Sun gave a look to state clearly that she wasn’t at fault.

Twilight appreciated it. She hoped Celestia would remember that when she was sent back to Magic Kindergarten after annihilating any perceivable chance of having Storm not lash out viciously. What would happen now? Would he attack after the memories were undoubtedly being brought back up? Vanish in thin air, never to be seen again? Rip a hole through the space-time continuum and bask the world in magic rivaling Discord?

Oddly (and thankfully) enough, he did none of those three options.

He did, however, speak up with a significant amount of bite in his tone. “If it’s all the same with you, I’d rather not talk about it.” Abruptly, he stood. Everypony in the room flinched slightly at the sudden movement, but Storm didn’t seem to notice. Or maybe he just didn't care. “If you would kindly excuse me, I must retire. I should be as alert as possible to instruct your Guard tomorrow.” Giving a short, stiff bow, Storm walked out the Dining Hall and deftly shut the door.

For a while, nopony said a word. There seemed to be nothing to say after that. Gradually, though, the aura that Storm had left in the room diminished into a neutral air. Ponies finished their desserts, and retired themselves--with less stiffness than Storm had, of course. By the end, there was only Celestia, the Bearers to the Elements, and Lyra. Luna had retired to attend to the night.

Eight pairs of eyes glanced to one another. None of them had so much as made even an involuntary sound, such as stomach grumbling or exhaling, since Storm’s departure. One didn't have to ponder too hard why they were feeling this way; Storm probably had no remaining family. That was something unfathomable to any of the Element Bearers. Eventually, Twilight stood from her seat. “I’ll go talk to him, Princess.”

Lyra nodded and stood as well. “As will I.”

Twilight looked back to her friend and shook her head. “No, Lyra." The shock in Lyra's eyes didn't stop Twilight from speaking. "This is something I accidentally messed up on. I should be the one to own up, and confront him on my mistake.” She read the questioning look in her other friends’ eyes. “I’m sure he holds no actual anger towards me. But maybe my apologizing being done alone would have more impact.”

Celestia gave a nod of her own, silent but still with her encouraging smile. It was the smile that Twilight was so familiar with over the years; being directed at her multiple times throughout her studies and adventures within Canterlot Castle. It gave Twilight inspiration, peace, and hope.

With a resolute sigh, Twilight left the room, leaving any source of backup behind.

A knocking upon my chamber door stirred me from my meditation. After the events of dinner, I had departed for my room in a huff. Perhaps from an outside perspective, it could have been conceived as childish. My exit was not supposed to be so aggressive; I was just still riding off the waves of the visions. Ed probably would've berated me if he wasn't analyzing the psychological after-effects with quiet scrutiny and worry.

Raising myself from the cushion I was resting on, I began making my way to the door. Upon arrival and double-checking that the rune from before was still marred, I grabbed the portal of the outside realm by the twist-lock and pulled it open. Greeting me at the doorway was unsurprisingly Twilight, sporting an anxious look. It only amplified itself when she made eye contact with me.

For a while, we merely stood there, staring at each other. Eventually, Twilight spoke. “Uh... hey, Storm.”

I gave a neutral nod to her. “Hi Twilight.” Some moments passed. “Do you need me for something?”

She shook her head. “No, no... not exactly.” Twilight gave a tired sigh. “I... I would like to apologize to you, if you’d let me.” When I shot her a questioning look, she continued. “Asking about your family was rather callous of me. I should have known that I shouldn’t have tried to approach the topic, with your age and all. I’m sorry.”

It was my turn to shake my head. I figured she would arrive at some point in the night with that degree of worry. “It was not your intention. You had no way of knowing, either. In a sense, I should apologize for my abrupt departure and rude tone.” My questioning brow met her. “How could you possibly believe that I’d hold it against you?”

“Well...” I watched with concern as she made small circles with the tip of her hoof. If Twilight was communicating with me as a result of what had occurred, her mentor may take the mare’s inability to talk to me afterwards in a different sense. Last thing I would need is the Princesses believing that I had an issue with one of their most prized citizens. “After you stormed out of the Dining Hall-”

“Oh. I ‘stormed’ out, eh?” As Twilight’s eyes widened in realization, I merely shook my head with a smile. “Look. It really wasn’t your fault. Perhaps I had... overreacted a bit.” A shrug left me. In all honest reality, I overreacted a lot. Admitting that wounded my pride, as silly as that sounds coming from an old fart like myself. “It’s just been some time since the topic of my family has come up.”

Several moments passed, before Twilight nodded with a relieved expression. “Thank you for being understanding. Last thing I would want to do is risk a potential friendship with somepony- er, someone over such a misunderstanding.”

I waved the concern away. My mind made a note on those words ‘potential friendship’. Always nice to have friends in high places. “It is fine. No need to worry about it.” I wasn't lying, really. I repeated to myself many times that Twilight was not the enemy, and she really was--at the end of it all--just an oblivious book-worm. No doubt social cues like that were bound to be lost on the soul.

That didn't stop the almost-gnawing sense of bewilderment. I glanced down the hallway as a thought struck me. Whatever guards that had been assigned to me were nowhere in sight. Looking back down in confusion, I voiced my budding query. “Uh... where are the guards that were here earlier today?”

She made an offhanded motion down the hall. “I used my rank as Bearer of the Element of Magic to have them end their shift early.” Twilight absently bit her lower lip in trepidation. I was surprised; she didn’t seem like someone who would pull rank lightly. “Princess Luna--and possibly Princess Celestia herself--may potentially think you’re a threat waiting to happen, but... I don’t. I think that you are a good individual, even despite what happened given you were propelled into a land with things you've never encountered before.”

A devilish smile appeared on my face, sharp pointy teeth and all. There was no reason to voice that I had several contacts with Pegasi and Unicorns from various Universes before. "Even me paralyzing you?"

Twilight's expression became sheepish as she brought a hoof behind her head. "Maybe. I'm just glad you didn't... you know."

I gave a nod, my face sobering. I didn't wish to discuss what could have happened. The device of Manipulator-origin was gone, and that was enough for me, at that time. “Right. Well, thank you. I was wondering how many Ponies actually forgave me for what happened. At least I know there’s at least one.”

Twilight smiled lightly. “Oh, there’s far more than just me. Fluttershy also shares my thoughts, alongside Pinkie Pie and Lyra. The others are still coming around, though.” My eyebrows knitted briefly at that; maybe I left a better second impression than I thought? “It probably helps that you’re willing to help train Celestia’s Royal Guard.”

“Heh. Probably,” was the only half-hearted response I could think up. My mind was focusing on the results of my visions involving my family that Ed sent to me. Blood pressure and stress had spiked radically, but the Editor was already working to mitigate those effects. After a few seconds passed, I restarted the conversation, though with only minimal interest. “Was there anything else you needed?”

Twilight seemed to be arguing with herself silently for a moment, before a nervous sigh left the mare. “Ah, actually... yes. I want to also apologize on Lyra’s behalf, as well as my own, about how we treated you that night." The genuine agony that seeped into her words caused me to discard the report. "Despite the orders that Princess Celestia gave, we should not have jumped to such a bold means to achieve it. We shouldn't have treated you like... like an animal.” Her ears splayed back. “I’m really sorry.”

Admittedly, I was rather stunned. The last sapient that actually apologized for hostile action taken against me was many millenniums ago. I had grown used to it not happening, almost. Hearing it again left an odd feeling in the pit of my stomach. Somewhere between butterflies and indigestion. “It’s... fine, as well." Ed murmured something about forgive and forget, though in my personal honesty it went ignored. "While I admit I question the logic behind how successful you thought it would be, I do know how much you seem to care for the opinion of Celestia, and pleasing her was the bigger priority to you at that moment.”

Twilight’s eyes widened as she barely flinched. For some reason, she responded like I had slapped her. “Why do you think that?”

I had nearly released an annoyed snort at that, but settled for a carefully-constructed amused exhale. “You are her Student. Of course you would value her opinion of you. It is natural when such a relationship is present over several years with a mentor.” Twilight scratched behind her ears sheepishly once again; she was probably embarrassed that she didn’t reach that obvious conclusion herself. “In the end, let me just say I bode no ill feelings towards you.”

“Not anymore at least, am I right?” Ed's voice reminded me of being scolded by a teacher. How demeaning. Of course I wasn't mad at Twilight. Or any of the other girls. It was Celestia's fault primarily, anyways. If I ever wanted someone to blame--aside from myself--then it would be her.

‘Not anymore,’ I agreed.

The final bout of tension that seemed to be in Twilight vanished at my statement. With a genuine smile, she nodded. “Well. That’s... uh, good." She winced at her awkward stuttering. "I should, ah, let you rest. Night!” She began swiftly cantering down the hall before I could voice a farewell, and waved me a goodbye before hastily disappearing. With a shake of my head in befuddlement, I shut the door.

Standing there, I considered what else to do. I could still afford an hour or so further without the dire requirement of sleep. My eyes slowly swept over the room, absorbing all the finite details of potential entertainment.

While taking a second bath would be luxurious and lovely, my body at the time decided to peruse the small selection of books the room was provided with. They generally pertained to Equestria, but there were several strictly for separate nations. ‘Mist did say this room was commonly used for diplomats,’ I reminded myself. Idly while browsing the covers, I was informed of existing Griffons, Dragons, some race known as Diamond Dogs, Minotaurs, and Zebras.

Apparently, the planet had more than a few sapient species to work with.

A faint sound drew my attention. It was light, airy and soft. Another one joined with the first, mixing and melding with a deeper vibration. From the looks of it--or, I suppose from the sounds of it-- the noise was arising from outside. It took me longer than I’d like to realize that it was muffled music.

I marched quickly to the double doors leading to the balcony my room had the privilege of having, and with little hesitation swung the door open. The symphony hit my eardrums at full force, then. It enveloped me with strings, woodwinds, and other melodic instruments. My curiosity was utterly piqued; it was my first contact with one of the most descriptive aspects of a culture.

Music.

As I reclined against the railing, I began searching for the actual source. The Courtyard where my rampage had taken place a week prior remained motionless, empty save for some patrolling Royal Guards. And the lofting tune was definitely not originating from inside, and then funneling through an exterior exit. So where was it coming from?

Expanding my senses and my search, I looked beyond the confines of the Castle. Towards the actual city of Canterlot itself. And there, illuminated by some light sources that flickered similar to my former cell’s fixture, was the heart. A small, regal band played softly to a decently-sized group of onlookers. It was nigh-impossible to discern any defining physical features from that distance, but at the time I recalled there were no more than four of them.

I let out a content sigh, and by doing such signaled the end of my contentment by rousing Ed. “You should have told them about why you refused to speak during your initial arrival in-depth, or you should have at least apologized yourself for your actions, you know.”

My mind grumbled at that. ‘Those actions are hardly worth an apology in comparison.’

“Oh?” I rolled my eyes at the condescending tone. “Then, by all means; don’t. I mean, it’s not like you subconsciously planted impulses, mental barriers, and violated the sanctums of their thoughts or anything.”

‘I did what I had to do to survive, Ed. And I made sure no harm would come to them. There was no other way.’

The A.I. scoffed at that, but made no further comment. Even I was having a hard time believing my own words, but I set them aside for another day. Upon recollection, I believed Ed was more upset at the predicament we were in rather than my actions taken against the Ponies. If I thought I was stressed at the Lock (which I was, for good reason); all I had to do was look over at Ed’s endless streams of data to realize that my friend was having it much worse than I was.

The slight disturbance in the air brought my attention away from the distant performance. “I did not expect to see you out here, Storm.”

A laugh came from me. “Neither did I, Luna. But I heard the music, and... well, need I say more?” I glanced up at the Princess of the Night to see her shake her head. “Attending to your moon, I presume?”

“Indeed.” With a little bounce, Luna landed on the balcony next to me. Why she felt compelled to stop her rounds to communicate with me at that moment--and from the looks of her landing, to stick around for a good period of time--was unknown. I waited for her to say something, but nothing else arose. In a way, I was appreciative that she wasn’t pestering me with tiresome queries--

“Who are you?”

My mind froze as my eyebrows knitted in befuddlement. “What kind of question is that?” She had turned her body to fully face me, and there was this burning intensity in her eyes. It spoke of an unquenchable, neverending tirade of askings that would inevitably be directed at my being with the equivalent force of her solar body.

I hated those kind of looks.

“What I mean is: who are you, Storm? Truly?”

Ed made some odd noise in the back of my head, but it didn’t seem to evolve into a coherent thought, so I ignored it. In the other hemisphere of my brain, I was musing to myself how to answer. Should I even consider answering? She had done nothing to earn my trust, and therefore the truth. She had assisted her Sister (who no doubt sent her in the first place) in having me detained and prosecuted without evidence that I would harm her citizens. I could have done anything at that moment, honestly. I could have lied, I could have stayed silent. Hell, I could have just told the truth.

Instead, I went an entirely different, more amusing route.

“I will answer your question with another: what is the strongest force you know of?”

My counter-pondering stopped Luna in her tracks. She cocked her head to the side for a time in thought. Eventually, she refocused her attention back to me. “If I were to be frank, it would be my Sister’s Sun. Though, I do not understand the correlation--”

“Tell me,” I interrupted briskly. “Celestia controls the Sun through magic, yes? What would happen if she didn’t?”

The Princess furrowed her brows at my string of thinking. I made sure to keep a straight face. If I could derail her with nonsense, I could get away scott-free from having to answer. “If my Sister were to lose control, and I was unable to take the burden; then I suppose our planet would gravitate into the Sun itsel--”

Again, I cut her off. “You say your dominion is the Moon. How would you take your Sister’s charge if hers’ is the Sun?”

Luna nearly rolled her eyes at that. Did she not realize I had turned the tables and was now milking her for information without really trying? Probably not. “While it would be taxing upon my spirit, such a responsibility would not be impossible. My Sister had been able to do such during my thousand years in exile; so of course I should be able to do the same--”

This time she paused herself, already anticipating my words to intercept her own. “You should, but you do not know for certain, do you?” Her silence beckoned me to continue. “If Celestia had been able to govern the Sun and the Moon simultaneously for a thousand years without your aide...” My eyes squinted at the mare. “Are you still technically the sole ruler of your Moon? Or will she--at the end of it all-- always be the joint-commander of the heavenly bodies, if you were to fall again?”

The complicated words masked the true asking: are you still needed?

Luna made a move to answer, before she stopped short. Her hoof, raised in a manner to debunk my query, slowly lowered itself onto the stone floor of the balcony. At this point, the music had ceased its gentle flowing across the breeze, bringing with it a still silence. I quietly regarded the Princess. For a period of time, we both merely stared at one another; her watching my expectant gaze, me watching her vaguely nervous, self-doubting expression. Luna took off without warning, and abruptly flew off towards one of the far towers.

I merely cracked a grin, and walked back inside.

“You side-tracked Luna’s questioning by questioning her role and purpose in the current times of Equestria, didn’t you?”

‘I thought it would take a bit more than that,’ my mind quipped as I crawled into the bed. It was growing late, and exhaustion was starting to slow my movements and drag my features. ‘I suppose Luna had not asked herself that question, and the answer held more weight with her than I presumed.’

Ed made a disapproving grunt at my tactics, but I paid him no heed. It had been late, and I had not been in the mood to branch down any topics regarding my past and who I truly was. Especially not with one of the rulers that issued an order to have me interrogated. I led her off on a path of self-doubt, and while considered cruel; I preferred it immensely over regaling about my previous exploits.

So, with a heaving sigh, I allowed sleep to claim me. The Editor’s familiar safeguards surrounded my psyche, as I drifted off into the realm of dreams.

-WTIN-

The roaring tides of war met me as my eyes snapped open. The sudden field that was before me was engulfed in flames, the sky above black and heavy with brimstone. I felt the bearing weight of armor upon my person, and clutched deftly in my hands was some sort of energy-pulse rifle.

My eyebrows furrowed. ‘Is this some sort of memory being experienced again? I don’t remember this...’ I quickly took in more of my surroundings; I found myself on a singular hill, with steep slopes meeting the bottom of the plains. It was entirely barren, save for some burnt shrubbery and some sort of shattered device.

In the distance, I could see two large forces colliding against one another. I squinted to see past the smog, but there was too much of it. There was gunfire, though. And clashing of blades against blades. And the incandescent beat of a war drum--though which party owned it, no clue was readily available--echoed across the way.

As the four, quick beats repeated themselves in an endless stream, my eyes gravitated back towards the destroyed bits of machinery some feet away. Whatever conflict that was igniting the dream’s world on fire was nowhere near me, and as such I was free to interact with the tech.

Sparks began lighting and emitting themselves from the fragments as I approached. I examined the surrounding ground for any sort of trap associated with the pieces, before I bent over. Staring profusely at the random hunks of metal, my mind attempted to piece things together.

The destroyed machine was advanced. Very advanced. Beyond most species that I could recall at that moment. But the designs littering the shards were foreign, yet at the same time familiar. Was the current event a precognition of some sorts? It was not unheard of for me to witness potential incidents to occur. The only problem was that there was no assurance when they’d occur. What my spiritual subconscious was experiencing then could happen either in several centuries, or the next day.

I snorted to myself. ‘Maybe this is just insanity creeping into my dreams. Again.’ The musing floated in my head, before the ground lurched under me. Another quickly followed, straining my balance as I quickly assessed the area. The earth was trembling. My first reaction was to place blame on an earthquake, but that soon dissipated. There, rising from the ravaged plateau of war, was a massive, mechanical hand. My eyes registered the threat slowly. What the hell was I witnessing?

Soon, other gloves began emerging, each with their own tremor. Gradually, they turned into arms as they rose in the air. And then, bodies began clawing their way up and out of the rocky crust of the planet. I vaguely noticed the combat in the far-off distance had halted, watching the appearing giants with stifled horror.

The toiling behemoths were soon standing in pairs of four, equaling about twenty in all. Each was the size of a skyscraper. Cracks strewn about their frames were filled with green moss, accumulated dust from apparently eons of slumber. The dogs of this war had risen. And they all began lumbering towards the conflict. As I made a movement to reposition myself, I very quickly noted that there was a distinct shadow looming over my small island. I slowly turned, expecting the worst.

I wasn’t terribly disappointed.

I was met with the size of something truly grand. The particular golem towering over my person was easily three to four times the size of its inferior counterparts. While the metal beasts from before bared no face, this one did; a horribly construed face marred with lenses, and half of its gigantic maw gone. It stared down at me, the crimson light glowing ominously down from the sensors. I froze; I had little doubt that I would not be harmed in this dream, but the potential of the event occurring in reality gave me pause.

Suddenly, I was met with a haunting, gravelly tone. “You will fall, Betrayer.”

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion, but the opportunity for a rebuttal was soon lost to me as an overtly large cannon extended itself from the shoulder of the mech. The gauss fired its shot instantly, sending sure death down upon me. I couldn’t move. The echo of the voice was still occupying my thoughts. They sounded so familiar. Did I hear those words before?

My ponderings proved to be my downfall. Unable to be able to escape the skyrocketing projectile heading my direction, I could only utter a single phrase before the blast struck me, and evicted me from the mental projection: “Who did I betray?”

Nothing answered.

“Again!”

A reverberating shout met the order.

“Again!”

Another cry responded.

“A-fucking-gain! Come on, ladies! We don’t have all day!”

It was the Bearers’ last day in Canterlot before they had to return to Ponyville. Despite having lived there for most of her childhood, Twilight still couldn’t get enough of the grand city. The few brief days they had were filled with shopping, fine dining, and seeing the sights of the nation’s capital. Twilight even got some free time to chat with both Princess Celestia and her brother, the latter in a constant state of soreness from Storm's training regime.

At the moment, the girls’ final few hours in waiting for the train home was spent watching Storm drill the Royal Guard. It was their first time seeing him in action, and honestly the initial yelling and harsh language threw them for a loop. But they were assured by both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna that Storm needed to do such to, in his own words: “Ensure that they [the Royal Guard] would not piss themselves in the face of danger.”

Screams of aggression echoed out across the packed Courtyard. Scattered all throughout the space were pairs of Guards sparring with one another. Apparently--according to the patterns that Twilight could detect--one member was designated to attack, and the other to defend for every time Storm shouted. The first few times were riddled with the Human constantly Blinking down onto the field to forcibly shake down and physically correct any mistakes that were made.

After about ten minutes, they learned to start functioning like clockwork.

“Alright! Switch roles!”

Obediently, the Guards took a pause and bowed to one another. Rarity had asked why they did that when they were of equal rank, but Storm only muttered a distracted response about ‘mutual ring respect’. With a slight clearing of his throat, Storm quickly took a swig of water.

“Ugh, hell. I think I’m wearing myself out just shouting at them...” he grumbled to himself. Storm glanced over at the Bearers and Princesses in attendance, and raised an eyebrow at the party silently watching him work. It almost appeared to be his trademark for every possible reaction. “When’s your train suppose to arrive?”

“Some time in the next hour or so,” Applejack retorted.

He merely gave an accepting nod at that, and turned back to continue addressing his charges in a biting tone. As he was doing such, Rainbow Dash casually leaned over and began whispering in Twilight’s ear. “Hey, Twi’...” the Unicorn’s ear twitched reflexively to show she was listening. “Have you noticed that since Storm started training the Royal Guard, he’s been... I dunno, more grumpy?”

She could only offer a shrug. “I’m not sure. That may just be his personality.”

“Oi.” Twilight and Rainbow Dash quickly glanced over at Storm, who was regarding them with a mild expression of amusement. “I heard that.” Both of them awkwardly chuckled, and Storm lazily returned his attention for a moment towards the yard. Only to do a double-take and Blink. From a farther distance, everypony in attendance on that balcony clearly heard Storm grilling a Private who took a misstep.

Princess Celestia could only shake her head lightly with a grin. “Poor Private Golden Hoof.” She covered her muzzle with a hoof as she watched the Human order the mentioned stallion to begin doing push-ups as punishment. “That’s the fifth time that Storm has gotten on him about his limp.”

While Storm’s first few days went far from smooth (there were several instances of him openly arguing with Generals on tactics and leadership, which resulted in Storm gaining unprecedented command over the training); there was no doubt in anypony’s mind that results were already beginning to show by that point. The Guard already seemed to be more alert, more professional and fitting of their title.

If one thing was absolute: Storm understood how to organize a fighting force.

After a few minutes of idle chatter on the balcony, it was broken by Storm’s return. Teleporting back into existence with a fizzling pop, he grabbed a fruit on a nearby platter and took a bite. He had offhandedly mentioned that he was an omnivore--a fact that almost went catastrophic, despite Canterlot having hosted several omnivorous diplomats before--and that if meat wasn’t provided for him, he would simply hunt for himself. Princess Celestia assured him that it would eventually be provided, but that in the meantime he would have to settle for fruits and vegetables.

His only response to that was he said something about ‘refusing to go vegan ever again’ under his breath.

“Well, so far so good,” Storm quipped to himself. Casually, he threw a smirk at the diarchy. Twilight had to get used to his cockiness. Rainbow Dash was an ample supply of it, and Storm was bringing in fresh surplus to the table. Especially whenever he talked to the Princesses. “How is my training looking so far?”

Princess Luna gave an approving nod. “There is definitely improvement amongst the Guards. You are doing well, Trainer Storm.” He merely rolled his eyes, though whether it was about Princess Luna's compliment or the formal title granted to him by the Circle was unknown. Luna’s face tightened, if only by a tinge. “Of course, you appear to already know this.”

An airy chuckle left him. “Aye. I’ve been doing this for a while.” Storm tilted his head towards the Sun, and stood there for a few moments. Eventually, he shrugged and did an about-face towards the Courtyard. “Okay, boys. That’s enough for the day session! You have three hours to wash, eat, and nap until the night session begins.” He gave a salute, which admittedly to Twilight looked strange with his fleshy claws. “You’re dismissed.”

All the Royal Guards responded in kind. “Sir, yes sir!”

As the coagulation began to dissipate, Storm calmly addressed his company. “If you will excuse me, I need to use the little Human’s room.” Abruptly, he strolled off and into the Castle, leaving the Princesses and Bearers behind with confused grins and the echo of his cheery whistling.

“He’s so carefree about all this,” Princess Celestia murmured to herself behind Twilight. “I still don’t know if that is a good thing or not...”

It had been a few days since the vision had passed through my dreaming form. The girls I had met in Ponyville returned to their town, and I was left in a barren sea of isolation, and political democracy. With any individuals with a modicum of my trust hundreds of miles away (save Ed), I had no one to truly rely on and communicate with beyond business. The Princesses were dull, and irritated me at every turn. They seemed so arrogant, so sure that their way was the only way. Whenever I brought up a topic of discussion, the co-rulers were quick to write off my plans or divert the conversation.

I doubted they were even listening most of the time. They cared about me training their Guard, not my comments and reforms to fix the rest of their jacked-up society. It was fine, though. Once I fulfilled my moral obligation, I was going to fish out a middle finger for each of the Princesses and hit the road. I mused that the other races probably had better PR, or at least better food.

This musing arose from my first encounter with the incompetence and idiocy of the Ponies’ relations with other sapient races. It happened the same day the Bearers departed; no more than an hour later. A few Griffon diplomats had arrived to discuss some boundaries that needed redefining, and through the ever-slow rate of political sluggishness, the boiling point had finally arrived. After, you know, three years of waiting for an audience, or something.

Thoughts were running rampant as I was reclining against one of the walls in that particular corridor. My eyes were currently at the time perusing a diagram I had written up on the recent modifications to the Guard’s armour. There were several notable weak-points that needed doing away with, and I was never one to half-ass something of this severity. Abruptly, the clicking and stomping of claws interwoven with hooves began ringing down the hall.

I glanced over irritably. Leading the escort walking towards my general direction was one Sergeant Steel Wing. Personally, I didn’t like the bastard, but he was compliant. Which was good enough for me. Behind him were three Griffons flanked by two nondescript Guards. As they walked by, me and the sapient birds shared a stare at one another. I wasn’t too sure if Celestia and her Sister ever said anything about me to those diplomats, but they barely blinked an eye. One looked at me disparagingly, and I raised a middle finger.

It was a habit.

Of course, they nor the Ponies comprehended the meaning of the action. Hell, the Griffons took it for a wave, and offered amiable greetings to me. I just nodded to them, and went back to staring at my document without bursting into laughter. They were ushered off into the Throne Room, and for a time it was silent. However, no more than a dozen minutes later, the three Griffons were angrily marching back out, entourage of Ponies in tow.

“I cannot believe the Equestrians refused His Lordship’s fair borders for the Altai Mountains,” one of them muttered to his compatriot. “He will not be pleased to hear about this.”

“Perhaps ‘Gryphe the Great’ should not have put forth the consideration of Equestria losing territory as a result of this meeting, sir.” My eyes squinted; Sergeant Steel Wing had no fucking authority to be so casual in his speaking. A good soldier would not be opening his mouth like he was. Wing was hardly qualified to even dream of understanding politics, let alone belittle another for it.

One of the Guards had caught my sharp gaze directed towards Steel Wing, and traded places to be on the far side of the patrol. I had half a mind to berate the foolish Sergeant, and another half to question the party about the diplomatic negotiation. I ended up doing neither, and chose instead to watch as the Griffon gave Steel Wing a dirty look as they were escorted down and out the hall.

“Trainer Storm. A word with you, if I may?”

Lazily, I glanced over at the mare addressing me. Her name at the time escaped me, but I did recognize her to be one of the forge-masters of the Castle. I offered a neutral nod towards the Unicorn garbed in a grease-splotched apron. “Yes? What do you need?”

“Have you been able to draw up the schematics you talked about yesterday? The rest of the armourers are anxious to see what you know of smithing.” As response, I merely rose the parchment I had been browsing. Her eyes widened in surprise. “Oh, is that the plans?” A mere nod was my only reply as she took the paper in her grasp and began to trot off.

“Are you forgetting something?”

An embarrassed intake of air answered as she turned on a dime. Despite not being a rank-and-file trooper, she still gave a nervous salute. I was admittedly surprised that she had called me by my more former title, and that she gave me a salute. She didn’t necessarily have to. “I’m terribly sorry, sir. Thank you immensely for this.”

I gave a bemused smile and waved her off. “It is quite alright, and you are welcome. Now, if you’ll excuse me; I have some vital business to attend to.” The smith gave me a thankful nod, and began briskly trotting down the hall in the opposite direction of the Griffon convoy. I merely snorted, before glancing back the other direction.

‘I wonder if it’s even worth the effort to ask what all that was about with the Griffons.’

“Probably not,” Ed mused. “If it’s worth your notice, Celestia will come to you asking for advice. If not, then you can just keep on directing your efforts to finishing your little service and we can be on our merry way to decoding the Lock and taking a nice. Long. Vacation.”

Another snort left me, though this one with less amusement. ‘I read ya, loud and clear. She hasn’t come to me for advice on any other matters yet, though. I don’t see why she suddenly would no-’

“Storm. There is something I need to discuss with you.”

Before Ed had the opportunity to say ‘I told you so’, I spun on a dime similar to the smithy from before to face Celestia, who had appeared out of the recently-used doors by the Griffons. She seemed tired, and strained. And there were even unkempt strands of hair out of place from the rest of the pristine mane. I blinked to myself. She looked like shit.

“Very well, Cel. Let’s talk.”

The Solar Princess flapped her lips lightly, as if she was going to remark on the nickname, before her rebuttal died on an exhale. She simply did an about-face and trotted back into the Throne Room, with me coolly following behind. Upon entry, the two posted Royal Guards gave standing salutes, which they surprisingly waited to drop until I had passed. Strange. You would have thought there would not be such... respect, after all that had happened.

I guess I could count my lucky stars for mostly smooth sailing, on that front.

As we approached the pair of thrones that each was worth its own settlement, Luna gave me a nod from her perch. “Trainer Storm. It is nice to see you.”

Her tone was the kickstarter to a particular train of thought I had been picking up and abandoning at random intervals since my instruction of the Guard began. Princess Luna’s voice now sounded unforced in the realms of friendliness and respect, which began making me wonder: was I already starting to sway opinions? Was I truly undoing the wrongs I had done during my cursed state? One would say it sounded cheesy, but... it felt, well, kinda good.

Even before my time as an Editor, I did not like having people--especially the good, honest type--be upset or disapproving of me. Despite the milleniums having jaded me to a point where more often than not I cared little for the opinions of mere mortals and lesser Gods, I could not help but... care what the Ponies thought of me. Attitudes of the diarchy notwithstanding, the others from Ponyville proved that the usual innate evil was blatantly and significantly undeveloped in the social structure of their species.

It was strange. I almost didn’t like the sensation. Almost.

“Hello, Lu.”

Unlike her elder sibling, Luna did not let the shortened name go unchecked. “Watch your informality, Storm. I am still the co-ruler of this kingdom, and you’ll address me with respect.” I let the weak threat roll over me like a breeze. There was nothing Luna could genuinely do to stop me from saying the nickname, and even she knew it. The only reason why she opened her mouth was to make a point in front of her Guards.

Still, I obeyed her request. There was no reason to ignite a petty argument, and therefore strain relationships that were starting to improve. “As you wish. I cannot guarantee that I can keep to this in private, but for your public image; I will leave it as Luna.”

She almost seemed ready to push the matter to try and get a ‘Princess’ wedged in there, but Celestia beat her to the punch. “I know you are only entitled to assist us in training our Royal Guard, Storm,” I snorted briefly at the given pause. I technically wasn’t entitled at all (blasted things I have to do to survive...), but I held my tongue. “But I ask that you give your opinion on a more... diplomatic issue.” With a nod from Luna, the two guards exited the Throne Room. Another sign of trust? Interesting.

“You seek my counsel now, after you dismissed all my other opinions outside the realm of militaristic training?”

I wasn’t sure if there had been any bitter spite in my tone, but both the Princesses flinched lightly at my words. Luna adopted a faint look similar to nervous guilt, while Celestia chose a blank slate for her expression. “To be fair, even if we both considered your reforms and backed you one-hundred percent, the Council would never vote in favour. You are still, sadly enough, too much of an unknown for them to lend an ear to your ideas.”

My only body expression I found appropriate to form was an eyeroll. “Sometimes, one has to swallow their pride and ponder what is better for others above themselves.” That was a lesson I had learned countless times throughout my travels, and in a way continued to learn it as the eons dragged by. I let out a small breath. “What is this issue you speak of?”

“Since I found you standing outside, you most likely saw the escort of Griffons that had passed through?” I nodded to Celestia, waving a hand at her to continue. “They had been sent here by their ruler, a brash commander who refers to himself as Gryphe the Great.”

“Yes, I heard some comments in passing. Something about a deal of land, correct?”

I was met with nods. “The Altai Mountains divide the Northern Province from the Frozen North, where much of the Griffon Kingdom resides. Gryphe the Great has been pressing negotiations on us to release some of our territory to him, as recompense.”

Several moments passed in silence. I egged them on by waving my hand. “Recompense for...?”

It seemed that Celestia had spaced out, because she shook her head quickly and reexamined me with slightly-unfocused eyes. She really wasn’t feeling well, was she? Her aura was suddenly off, arcane palpitations that originally weren’t there thrumming frantically. I hoped that it was just stress instead of an illness or something. Diseases contracted from Gods were especially hard for the Editor to recover from. I was once laid up for twelve years fighting off such an disease. It was less than pleasant.

When she began speaking, my brow furrowed at the amount of effort that appeared to be in her speech. “A few hundred years ago, Bertrade the Brilliant commanded her army in an attempt to take part of Equestria’s Northern Province to expand the Griffon Kingdom’s food stores. She was undeniably intelligent, and her strategy knew no bounds. If it wasn’t for my capacity to command the Sun, Equestria would have collapsed in a decade to her cunning.”

She continued, though with even less momentum than before. Which wasn’t much to start with. “I was able to successfully establish a peace treaty where in exchange for control of the Altai Mountain border, I would regularly send cargo consisting of foodstuffs to feed her people for two years.” A drowsy smile played across her lips, and her posture began to wobble. “I guess she figured she wasn’t having any success, and had no other option...”

I blinked as the Equestrian’s ruler, remote-control of the Sun, promptly fell over asleep.

Luna seemed to make a great deal of effort to ignore her elder sister taking a spontaneous nap, and merely took up where Celestia left off. “Now though that the Griffon Kingdom is well-fed, Gryphe the Great feels as if he’s entitled to have the Altai Mountains returned to his possession. He has made vague threats to either relinquish or reach an agreement, but nothing concrete as to initiate any action one way or another.”

My mind was still processing the now loudly-snoring Princess slumped in her throne chair. When I started to point a finger towards the resting mare, Luna simply shook her head. I dropped the asking as well as my finger. “So... you want me to make the decision, basically?”

Another nod. No words. My mind ticked slowly as Luna patiently sat and waited for my judgement on the matter. This wasn’t right. It was a simple scenario with few courses for action, all in all; why did they care about what I thought needed to be done? Perhaps it was a psyche test, and they were examining my problem-solving ability. I considered to try and keep my suggestions inside of pacifist territory.

“What were they offering for this agreement?”

An expression arose on Luna’s face, though whether out of amusement or melancholy was unknown. “Our lives.”

The grim words didn’t stop me from letting out an audible laugh, to which the Princess of the Night could only respond with a shocked stare. I motioned towards her. “To be completely honest, this guy sounds like an idiot. That Bertrade, too. How they--mere mortals, mind you--expect to bully about individuals capable of piloting giant solar bodies is beyond me.” I personally shook my head in pity, although I wouldn’t be surprised if it came off as condescending. “I think the answer here is obvious.”

Stunned eyes were filled with curiosity. “Oh? And what, pray tell, do you have in mind?”

“It’s quite simple, really. Make a... friendly reminder of who exactly this ‘Gryphe the Great’ is threatening. If he doesn’t back down, give him a demonstration. And if somehow even that fails (and he truly is that dense), well...” I brought a thumb across my throat. Silence met me.

“Remember when you said you weren’t going to stray outside of the pacifism realm for your response?”

‘Yeah.’

“Doesn’t this, I dunno... completely and utterly negate that statement?”

I internally shrugged. ‘I quickly decided on the spot not to lie or to mutter my opinions just to make it palpable for the Equestrians. They either accept my advice, or they don’t.’ Ed gave a likewise shrug, and left my logic at that.

Luna blinked almost owlishly at me. “I am not so sure that is the wisest of strategies--”

Before she could even consider speaking further, I cut in. It was starting to get fun doing it; Luna’s expression became rather priceless at the disrespect. Great deal of fun. “You need to stand up, but not jump instantly to violence. Showing you are more than willing to do battle--and better yet, to show the capacity that you would win--is one of the greatest deterrents to war that has ever existed, ever.”

For a few moments, we both contented ourselves to think to ourselves, Celestia’s heavy snoring being the backdrop. Figures that such an obnoxious sound accompanies such obnoxious practices as politics. Eventually, Luna gave up and sighed. “You are correct. A pattern I am not happy to admit,” Luna paused as I gave an amused smirk. Though my miniature grin fell when I took a second to look in her eyes.

While not holding the same lethargic sensation that Celestia’s eyes did, there seemed to be a great deal of pain. She didn’t appear to have any physical injuries, so why did she look like she was going to cry-- “We do not wish for our ponies to be in harm’s way.”

Ah, emotional bonding to others and caring about their well-being. Should’ve guessed.

I blew off her anxiety with the wave of my hand as I used another to shut Celestia’s trap with a bit of a magical flourish. Thankfully, her snoring ceased, and Luna seemed content to let it happen rather than snap at me for using magicks on her sister. I'm sure, given the situation, she would've gotten rather miffed if it had been for anything else. “They won’t be. This Gryphe asshat will curdle like milk once you and Sleeping Beauty over here instill some of your ‘authority’.”

A light tint of rosy red appeared on Luna’s cheeks. “D-did you just call my sister--?”

“Human metaphor.”

I snorted at the relieved sigh that left her. Luna’s gaze however took on a suspicious look. “Why did you sound off-putting when you said ‘authority’?”

My inner self smacked itself for its stupidity. I had a tendency to dislike and scoff at Gods for their influence and power over lesser mortals, and it sometimes reflected in my tone without me thinking about it. Luckily, Ed provided me with some script to save my bacon.

Man, I wish I had some bacon then.

“I meant your authority, as in your responsibilities to raise and lower both the Sun and the Moon.”

Unbelievably, Luna nodded and accepted. Not willing to trust one minute, all too-trusting the next. Such a perplexing conundrum the Equestrians were. Like solving a puzzle. A very fuzzy, annoying, magical puzzle. “Very well. When our sister awakens, we’ll discuss your response in private and vote on the matter.” Luna’s horn lit for a brief moment, and not more than a moment later the doors opened to allow several Guards to march in and resume their usual positions in the Throne Room. “You are dismissed, and may return to whatever you were doing previously, if you so desire.”

I had been tempted to turn and walk, but the sleeping form of Celestia stopped me. I had to ask. “Is she... alright?”

Luna waved me off with a hoof. “It is nothing to worry about. She has been feeling a little under the weather, and has lost a bit of sleep because of it.” I wanted to say that she sounded as if she was in denial, but it wasn't worth the effort. Her voice turned stern. “I will worry about my sister, Trainer Storm. You worry about training the Guard.”

The scalding tone caused me to bite down on my tongue. I was so very close to dipping into the Editor and smiting that little bitch where she sat. But I didn’t. Partially because I knew it wouldn’t get me anywhere, and partially because Ed locked the function away from me as a precaution. Instead, I merely gave a gruff nod, and walked away.

I didn’t miss Luna asking one of the Guards to get a nurse. Nor did I miss the worry in her words.

-WTIN-

Author's Note

Alright. Before you hit me with objects, allow me to explain myself: see this chapter? See how bad it is? This is the bane of my existence, as of this point and time. I had to rewrite the bloody thing several times, and for a while it was getting worse and worse. Slice-of-Life isn't my forté, if this could even be considered as such. I was just having a miserable time with this, and I only had a couple hours a week to adjust it (hence it being three months late).

I'm sorry, as usual. I try to dedicate myself to this, really I do; but life just continues to get in the way. Even as I type, I have a terrible illness and infection in my ear. Fate isn't being too nice to me on the topic of WTIN. I'll get to working on the next chapter, and really try and bust my balls to overcome obstacles to post more often. Thanks for reading, sorry for updating with mediocre-quality, and farewell.

[Important Stuff: next chapter is going to tie into the next arc. I know I said it would be this one, but it ain't. Words just refused to flow for me, and I figured I'd take the opportunity this chapter to just settle some issues and maybe establish some plot-stuff for later use.]

Chapter Thirteen: Critical Error

Chapter Thirteen: Critical Error

One of the courtyards of Canterlot Castle was bustling with activity in the morning sun. Guards shuffled uneasily, awaiting yet another day of gratuitous, intense training provided by the recent enlistee of Princess Celestia, Trainer Storm. Quite frankly, the alien made ninety-percent of the Royal Guard anxious, with the other ten-percent being somewhere between ‘about-to-piss-themselves’ and ‘cowering-in-the-corner-while-sucking-on-their-hooves.’

After all, his rampage through the Castle was far from forgotten.

But he appeared to be running late. Trainer Storm had set out a specific order for all Royal Guard—all except for the Generals, and the soldiers positioned at the main gate—to meet in one of the larger courtyards at promptly seven-a.m, no exceptions. The threat of one month of latrine, cafeteria, and laundry duty was more than enough incentive for the Guard to heed his command.

Over the din of nervous chattering between Guards being on their toes (Storm had briefly said this during a previous session, before he had to excuse himself due to the sudden laughing fit he was experiencing), two particular troops talked amongst themselves.

Sergeant Steel Wing tapped a hoof against the ground impatiently, looking towards Lieutenant Emerald Mist. “Ma’am. Do you have any idea when... Trainer Storm, will arrive?”

Mist shot a warning glance. “Watch the contempt in your tone, Wing. Last thing you need is for him to hear you, and damn the rest of the platoon with stricter exercises. Again.” The Unicorn mare looked over the crowd; still no sign of any weirdly-clothed bipeds. “As for when he’ll show up, I’m afraid I don’t have an answer.”

Steel Wing snorted loudly, and began muttering under his breath. “Figures. Giant ape is probably shaving his naked body and plotting to assassinate Their Royal Highnesses—”

With speed that attracted more attention than intended, Emerald Mist spun about and ignited her horn. Wing’s mouth clamped shut in a turquoise aura. “Not. Another. Word.” Sergeant Steel Wing was somewhere between afraid and angry; did the Lieutenant actually respect the thing? Despicable. If the Princesses hadn’t approved of Trainer Storm, he would wait until the alien fell asleep and...

“What in the blue hell are you all doing?!”

Several rather unmanly sounds from individuals who would later swear they had male genitalia emanated as the figure of Storm appeared out of nowhere. And by nowhere, it was actually directly behind Sergeant Steel Wing in a cataclysmic explosion of sound and light. To his credit, it only took the Pegasus a whole minute to catch his breath.

Storm stared with a stone-cold expression at the petrified Ponies in the courtyard, wisps of his overzealous arrival flittering about his person. “Well? What are you all waiting for? Get into your flights, maggots!” Multiple soldiers shouted ‘sir, yes sir’ as the mass of Royal Guards quickly established their ranks and stood at attention. Storm vanished silently, and reappeared at the front of the assembled troops with a less-explosive pop, hands clasped behind his back.

“Alright, cadets. Today, you’ll be doing something a bit... different. I acknowledge the fact that for the past week since I’ve been instated as your primary instructor, you have all been worked to the bone—courtesy of moi. As such, I am granting you all the privilege of not having to go through your Death Techniques for today’s Day Session.”

Storm allowed the soldiers to exhale an enormous amount of relieved air; Storm had began using the Death Techniques he had cataloged from over hundreds of civilizations in order to build backbone and endurance for the Royal Guard. It was so arduous and brutal, that some soldiers lost consciousness and couldn’t continue on during several instances.

Rumor was that it was only the Princesses that kept Trainer Storm from dishonourably discharging them via solar banishment on the spot.

After a few moments of apparent whispering to himself, Storm continued, slowly pacing back and forth in front of the Guard. “Now. Today, you all will be sparring. A new form of it, that will test your capacity to function as a group. I will select three random soldiers to make a squad, regardless of rank; each group will have one of each of your races.” Minutes passed, and eventually the teams were assembled. “Excellent. You are all competent enough to figure out who's your partners without having to ask for a repeat. Congratulations.”

Emerald Mist rose a hoof, ignoring the monotone celebratory fireworks accompanied by bland victory music that were, for some reason, going off behind Trainer Storm. It wasn’t the first time that Trainer Storm used his strange (but undoubtedly powerful) magicks to prove a point. A nod was granted in her direction. “Sir; are the groups going against one another?”

He smiled. “Nope. Today, each group is fighting against me.”

...

Unconscious bodies fell to the ground.

Despite the now halved numbers, Storm began speaking once more as if a couple dozen Royal Guards hadn’t just keeled over in shock and fright. “During these matches, I will refrain from using any weapons in my personal arsenal, or extreme magicks. You, however, may use whatever tactics you wish to best me. Only stipulation is that you cannot leave the designated area.”

He paused for a moment, and then continued as if in afterthought. “Groups will be provided the option of choosing a training sword, if they’re comfortable using the tool. If not, it’s up to your hooves and whatever innate abilities you have.” Harsh squinting was sent towards the arranged stallions and mares. “Do not hold back during your fights, or you will get hurt.” A magical scroll phased out of existence and into his waiting hand. Storm glanced at it. “Squad Alpha! You’re up!”

Without a visible hint of nervousness, Squad Alpha trotted forward. Composing said unit was Lieutenant Emerald Mist, Sergeant Steel Wing, and Private Golden Hoof. One of each race, each with varying emotions coursing through their minds as they stared down the casual smile worn by Storm. While Mist was planning a strategy, and Golden Hoof was planning not to wet himself, Wing was trying his best not to let on the sheer pleasure rippling through his body.

This was his chance. Storm would be holding out, and gave a green-light to let loose. If Steel Wing used his teammates just right, he could strike down the threat to Equestria and Their Royal Highnesses in a single, brilliant stroke. All the fame, the glory, the pensions and medals! The stallion was practically giggling in excitement.

They took their positions, with Mist in the center and the stallions to her flanks. Storm calmly walked towards them, and motioned to the group of guards. They quickly formed a spacious ring around the triad and Storm, giving ample room for them to do battle. One of the Unicorn soldiers trotted out with three dull, iron swords in his telekinetic grasp. Emerald Mist and Steel Wing took their offered weapons, but Golden Hoof waved him away politely.

Storm rose a brow, but shrugged. “I’m surprised some of you took the blades. This’ll be great fun.” With a flick of his wrist, Hoof’s unwanted blade appeared in his grasp.

Emerald Mist rose a hoof. “Sir, didn’t you just say that—”

“—I wouldn’t use any weapons in my arsenal? Correct, Lieutenant. Then again, this sword in particular isn’t a part of my collection, is it? After all, it is the exact same weapon you and Steely over there have.” Sergeant Wing barely restrained a snarl behind his lips at the pet name. “Don’t worry, I won’t use it seriously.”

For a time, the two parties stood there, facing off against one another. Irritably, Storm tapped the stone floor of the courtyard with his sword. “Are you forgetting something about ring etiquette, cadets?”

Realizing their mistakes, Squad Alpha gave a synchronized bow towards their trainer, lest wrath was brought upon them. Storm copied the motion, and took a step back. Raising the sword in a single hand to his sternum, and keeping his free hand open in a parallel, he smirked. “Quick tip: don’t blink.”

In that moment, he disappeared without a trace.

Before they could even get back-to-back, Storm appeared mid-leap from Wing’s left-flank, blade poised in a reared-back stab and ready to maim. Corkscrewing around with a propulsion of his wings, the Sergeant met Storm in the air with his sword firmly grasped between his two forehooves.

“Good counter,” Storm murmured to his aerial opponent as he went with the momentum and slammed a vicious elbow into Steel’s muzzle. He skirted off a short distance with the daze of the blow disrupting a straight flight path. Landing in a crouch, Storm raised his blade against Golden Hoof.

Said stallion however was quite literally quaking in his armoured shoes. Dodging a slash from Storm, he did the only thing he knew how to do: buck for all he was worth. Instead of finding purchase in the abdomen of Storm, however, he felt something wrap around one of his rear-hooves.

The next second, he was being swung over the human’s head and down onto the stone floor. Several guards not apart of the sparring winced at the impact, but otherwise kept silent. Storm made a move to stomp and incapacitate one of Golden Hoof’s legs, before a bolt of arcane energy whizzed towards his being and clipped him.

Since being in-tune to the Barrier was counter-productive to training the Royal Guard, Storm had ahead of time unsynced most of his connection. With this, however, he lost a large majority of his magical immunity. The price paid was him stumbling back heavily from the blow. A smile arose on his face as the sword in his grasp blocked another bolt. “Nice shot. Fire to kill, though; not to stun.”

Emerald Mist took these words to heart fairly quickly, unloading silos of arcane might against Storm as he navigated the sparring ring. Golden Hoof and Steel Wing were in hot pursuit after they recovered, constantly assaulting him with both aerial and ground-based melee to keep him moving. Storm couldn’t help but smirk, before he faded out once more.

For several seconds, the trio stood back-to-back, anxiously observing the guards staring in rapt attention at the scene. A shimmer appeared to Mist’s left, and the three of them lunged for it. They came up empty-hooved, and suffered the consequence as Storm reemerged and, with a hook of his arm through Wing’s foreleg, unleashed a crippling shoulder throw.

The Sergeant tasted cobblestone and the faint tint of blood as he tried to recover from his face being introduced to stone. Golden Hoof set about to getting the Pegasus back up to his hooves, while Mist provided covering fire in the form of magical shockwaves. Storm let out a small laugh, stumbling slightly at the attacks. “You’re all doing decently! I think you’re ready for the next tier.”

In a flash, Storm closed the distance between himself and Mist, and knocked her out with a spinning kick. She fell to the ground, utterly incapacitated due to being unable to anticipate the sudden strike. Several guards openly let out pitying sounds and hisses, while a few bags of bits may have been passed to one another. Storm frowned, staring down at his fallen sparring partner. “Hmm. Maybe not, on second thought...”

Steel Wing’s eyes widened to an enormous degree, and a snarl left his lips. “You bastard!” Shoving Golden Hoof aside and giving his wings a flap, he hefted his blade and pounced towards the human with sword ready. Instinct and reflexes served Storm as he weaved and bobbed around the sweeping arcs of the weapon, occasionally parrying an attack and giving a gentle riposte. “Die already!”

“Control your technique,” Storm critiqued, dodging a particularly close-call that would have slit his throat. “Letting rage and ego into your form will only leave you open to death, Sergeant.” The soldier seemed unresponsive, a manic look in his eyes as he continued to swing. Storm let out an almost-sad sigh, and drove his elbow once more into Wing’s muzzle.

The shot drove the Pegasus away, sending him into a corkscrew and opening the way for Golden Hoof to rush in. He made a valiant effort, but it seemed his limp was still too prominent. Being unable to avoid Storm’s counterattack, he succumbed to unconsciousness quickly along with his comrade via vicious jab to the temple.

It was just Steel Wing left now.

His breathing was heavy, and his wings flapped at an irregular tempo. His human opponent, however, just looked disappointed. He sunk the sword he had into the ground, and crossed his arms. Storm stared coldly at Steel Wing. “Calm down and think, before I treat this like a real fight and gut you.”

Steel’s response to this was a savage roar as he launched himself once again towards Storm. The human had to pay, to suffer. To have such cockiness, such bullheadedness. For Trainer Storm to have the utter audacity to knock out his fellow guards and make an example out of them.

Steel didn’t care if he died. He just wanted Storm to die with him.

A small, condescending smirk arose on Storm’s face, just before he struck Steel’s throat with a knuckle. Instantly, the strength in his wings left him as he pitifully slammed into Storm’s torso, and crumbled to the ground. Storm casually grabbed the free-falling sword while readying his own, and then crisscrossed the blades around Wing’s esophagus.

In less than a few seconds, the charge ended. A reminder that they were being toyed with.

The entire Royal Guard stood stock-still and frozen, staring at the predicament of Steel Wing. Storm merely gave an irritated sigh. “As I feared. You are too arrogant, Sergeant. Too much of a ‘lone wolf’ mentality.” Pulling his swords away from the fallen soldier, he walked past him towards the duo of Mist and Golden Hoof. “Sit there and wait while I rouse your teammates.”

Several moments later, and a healing spell or two, and all three of the guards stood in a line, staring down towards their hooves. Storm stood before them, eyes taking in the three before he addressed the entire crowd. “May this serve as a reminder. Not only to this squad, but to all of you: you are all soldiers under the same banner. Which means that your fellow’s well-being is just as much your responsibility, as yours is to them. If you ignore your friends, you all will suffer for it.”

Storm moved his focus onto Golden Hoof. The guard sensed it, and shuffled uncomfortably. “Private Golden Hoof. You had good footwork, barring your error towards the end. I understand that is a result of a previous injury. I would recover the limp for you, but time will solve it for me. In the meantime, you must remove discomfort from your mind, and focus on the combat. Overall, you did an acceptable performance.” Storm gave a small bow. “I thank you for sparring heartily.”

His eyes shifted to Emerald Mist. She straightened up, and stared straight back with a determined and attentive stance. Another minuscule smile rose on Storm’s face. “Lieutenant Emerald Mist. Your casting has improved a notable amount, and you incorporated the burst-type spell I’ve been teaching to you. But you were still supposed to lead your squad, and you did a rather-bad job at it. You must give shout-outs to them, or else they will flounder across the field like they did just now, and you will get them killed.” Mist’s face darkened with self-depreciation, but it cleared when Storm bowed. “Overall, a decent job. I thank you for sparring tenaciously.”

And finally, Storm’s eyes slid to Steel Wing. Unlike the previous two, a hint of ice entered his tone. “Sergeant Steel Wing.” Said Pegasus tensed up, whether in fear or hatred unknown, but remained silent. “Today, you forgo'd everything I’ve been teaching about relying on your allies and pooling your strengths together. Throughout the entire fight, your sole focus was you besting me; you and only you. On top of this, you let anger make your attacks sloppy and predictable. Emotion will kill you out on the field. Remember that.”

It was obvious the stallion wanted to say something, but he seemed to bite his tongue and keep quiet. A few seconds passed, before Storm smirked. “But you showed heart, despite all that.” Steel’s eyes grew to the size of saucers as his head shot up. “You refused to give me any space to recover, and as such you gave me little chance to plan my next course of action. Rein in your temper, and learn control.” He tilted his body towards the befuddled soldier. “Overall, your performance was adequate. I thank you for sparring ferociously.”

Spinning on a dime, he faced the crowd and reiterated. “Let Squad Alpha serve as a reminder, so you may better yourselves.” Looking back over his shoulder, he dismissed the assembled trio with a wave. They quietly remembered to bow, and walked away. Staring after them for a while, and nodding to himself with an upward quirk of his lips, Storm returned his attention. “Next up! Squad Beta!”

-WTIN-

‘I never noticed before, but Celestia’s room is really stuffy.’

That was my thought as I stood within the doorway of her bedroom. After I had finished up with the Guard, I had received a message that Celestia wished to confer with me about a matter, or some-such. I really wanted to just go have lunch. But then I figured if I did that before arriving, she’d be pretty miffed for me not immediately showing up.

I shrugged as I took another bite out of my apple. I’d live with the consequences.

My eyes roamed over the scene before me. Celestia’s room was surprisingly spartan, in comparison to other bedrooms of nobility I’d seen. It was almost a mirror of my own quarters, except slightly larger in both square footing and furniture. She also seemed to have a closet, if the open door leading to several visible attires was anything to go by. Though, why she needed one when less than one-twentieth of the population wore clothing, was beyond me.

Celestia laid in bed, being attended to by a nurse. Her condition hadn’t improved since that first diplomatic-related meeting I had with the Sisters. At first it was small stuff; light-headed sensations, weak in the knees, exhaustion.

Then the fever struck.

For some reason, my previous irritation that was sometimes borderline rage for the Sisters, subsided substantially once Celestia entered that state. Hours at a time she would lay unresponsive, trapped in feverish dreams. I could tell; at night within my own Dreamscape, I could feel Celestia thrashing about in her own. But I dared not enter, lest whatever was plaguing her became transferred to me.

Some may call that cowardice. I'm prone to agree. Nevertheless, I left her to her privacy, and her agony. Luna had seemed to be taking it rather hard, as well. Without her sister to rely on, Luna actually began to seek me out more and more for opinions on matters. Why me, and not their Council designed for that purpose, I couldn't say. At least, it seemed, with each asking of my aid, Luna appeared to despise me a bit less, and tolerate me a bit more.

My mind forced away these musings as I stared quietly at the flushed cheeks of the Alicorn, a wet rag being run across her forehead and set there. Thankfully, the fever didn’t seem to be incredibly powerful, so mortals could still tend to her. I was indulged by one of the guards that the last time Celestia had a fever, her body emitted such heat that they had to remotely float in huge chunks of ice onto her form for days on end. Considering she was the living embodiment of a big ‘ole ball of hot gas, I didn’t doubt the tale.

Eventually, the nurse excused herself, saying that she needed more cold water and left me alone with the Princess. Without hesitation I approached and settled beside her. It wasn't the first time I found myself kneeling beside her sweating form. Shortly after she had been bedridden, I was called in to give a diagnosis from none other than Luna (definitely shocked me). Despite the three hours I spent hunched over her form, however; I couldn’t find the reason why she was suddenly afflicted. At the very least, it most likely didn’t run the risk of being lethal to her.

Celestia parted her eyes slightly, and looked over towards me. Her gaze was so... glossy, and it seemed the nurse's efforts to keep her cool were already fading away. I sighed, and with words of power I wrapped biting winds around my hands, and began to soothe her sweltering condition. I could not cure, but I could at least assist. “Ah, Storm... when did you come in?”

“Just now,” I said simply.

“Ah...” We sat there for awhile. Such a peculiar position I was in; to still feel such indignation towards Celestia, and yet still offer help. I was either far too kind, or far too insane. Most likely, it was both. At some point, she must have remembered what she wanted to say, because she murmured my name to get my attention. “I thank you for visiting me on such short notice. This topic is... fairly important.”

I gave a nod. “Of course. I apologize that there is nothing I can do to cure you.” It was a half-truth; even if I could pinpoint the source of the disease, I wouldn’t intervene. In the recent nights, the readings I had gotten for the Scales were grim: the forces of Law outweighed Chaos by a significant margin, not to mention the Good and Evil spectrum separate to that. Easing her pain was one thing, but trying to fix it was another. My duty had always been to retain Balance to the best of my ability, and due to what the Scales commanded: that meant letting Celestia remain in that state until it ran its own course. Even if it meant death.

I felt a tiny bit bad that she had to suffer for the good of Neutrality. But my stance was absolute.

Celestia waved out my apology. “It is alright,” she murmured. Her eyes were beginning to flutter shut. I snapped my fingers, and brought her back to the waking world. “Oh, right. I called you here to inform you that the Elements of Harmony are returning to Canterlot. They will most likely arrive within the next hour by sky-carriage.”

My brows furrowed; hearing that those girls were returning was pleasant news, to be sure... but why Celestia had to call me into a meeting personally for it mystified me. “That’s good. I’m guessing they’re being called in to protect your capital while you’re in this state and Luna is distracted by the courts?”

She frowned. “No. They just wanted to check up on me.”

My mouth parted. “Oh.” Strangely enough, I didn’t think of that possibility. Maybe my head was still too focused on a lack of feelings in order to train the Guard. I suppose with them being friends—at least, I thought them to be—that such concern would be an obvious conclusion. “How are you feeling, by the way?”

Amusingly, she scoffed. “Not that well, I’m afraid. I can hardly get out of my own bed without assistance, and even trying to hold conversation with you now tires me.” As if to accentuate this point, her head slumped further into her downy pillow. "How was the training of the Guard today?"

I gave a complacent shrug. "About as well as any other day. Your Royal Guard are leagues above where they were some time ago, at bare minimum." I trailed off as I realized; I had been in Equestria for a while now. Nearly a month, including the whole pre-possession assault into the city bit. Time certainly flew for me. I blamed my internal time-index.

“There is something else we need to talk about.”

I raised a brow at the rather-serious tone of Celestia's voice. I paused in my ministrations, and dispelled the magic. “Very well. What is it?”

She paused, before she began speaking. “I’ve been watching you train the Royal Guard, even while imprisoned here in my own room thanks to this fever. You seem to have a natural talent and knack for leadership and commanding, and it is through your actions that my citizens can feel safer in the future.” Celestia giggled, softly, before she addressed me with a worn smile. “I misjudged you, and I am sorry for that.”

She took a few seconds to catch her breath, giving me time to think over what she said. There was a certain warmth in the way she was speaking to me, a tone I only seen her use for her citizens. Figures that it took illness to lower the crude barrier she had set up between me and her. This was the first time I was actually being thanked by either of the Solar Diarchy, after all. “Better late than never,” Ed chimed in.

‘Back already? I thought you were going to work for a while longer.’

“Aye; I need a break from all that code though,” Ed groaned in my head as he fully reestablished himself with me. “Let’s hope we never run into another Lock for as long as we remain.”

I smirked, lightly. ‘That is something I can get behind.’

Celestia’s words brought me out of my conversing with Ed. “For the past near three weeks, you have transfigured our Guard from an honorary position to a status that will inspire future generations of Equestria. Many of the guard and nobility, even me and my Sister, have treated you at times with disdain; yet you do not lash out, or become violent and pensive. You remained to right wrongs that you admittedly did not need to do."

The way she was looking at me was different, to be sure. Friendlier, gentler... Oh Fates; she wasn't leading up to announcing love for me, was she?! I waited with baited breath as she gave another lopsided smile. "You are... a good individual, despite everything.” Her brow scrunched up in concentration, perhaps thought, before she promptly blew my mind.

“As such, I fully absolve you of your debt to Equestria.”

My mind slowed to a crawl, staring down at Celestia. Well, it was better than what I was fearing. Ed didn’t even have a quip ready. But... did she really just...? Had I redeemed myself so easily in her eyes that she felt I no longer had to pay for it? It’s hard to say, because in that silence Luna rushed through the door. “‘Tia! We need to get Stor—” My name died on her lips as she saw me casually standing over her sister’s body.

For some foolish reason or another, Luna grew a faint rosy-tint to her cheeks. I rolled my eyes and turned back to speak to Celestia, only to see her eyes growing heavy. She tittered as if she was a madwoman. “Oh, Lulu, Storm; when did you get here...?”

I gave a nod. “Uh, yeah; we arrived just now.” Luna seemed ready to say something, but I glanced at her. She wisely decided to remain silent. Celestia nodded, and thanked us for visiting, but apologized saying she was feeling really tired. I just quietly nodded again, before her eyes fluttered shut. My attempts to reawaken her fell on deaf ears. I snorted. “Seems she’s lights out.”

Luna’s eyebrows lowered. “So it seems...” She rubbed a gilded-clad hoof under her chin, before turning to look at me. “No matter. Us two can resolve this issue, I suppose. Come with me.” Without even being able to say ‘what?’, a bright flash engulfed my vision.

I grumbled and began rubbing my eyes. “Ah, what the fuck was that for? Damn bright light-flashes...”

Luna stood, eyes wide in confusion. “My teleportation spell backfired...”

One of my brows was about to visit my hairline, before I realized the problem. “Oh. Apologies for that. Ed just synced back up with me, and that reconnected me to this Universe’s Energy Barrier.” I stared back at the uncomprehending eyes, and sighed. Explanations after so long were a real pain. “That means I’m a part of magic, and it takes powerful spells to actually influence me.”

She gave an irritated snort, but shook it off. “Fine; we will simply walk there. Come along; we must make haste.” Trotting out briskly, I followed after her in the mare’s wake. But not before I shot a glance back at Celestia. Did the fever affect her mind, and make her release me from that debt? As well as the comment about me being a good person? It was hard to say.

I decided not to put too much weight into it, and followed after Luna.

-WTIN-

I stared at the door, my curiosity steadily rising. It stood in the middle of the audience chamber, with no clear support anywhere around it. Strange patterns were carved into the mahogany surface, constantly changing as if it had been enchanted to do so. I watched as a massive serpent devoured a moon only to turn into a murder of crows that scattered when the image of a sun rose. Even more curious were the two words carved at eye level, in English no less.

Knock. Knock.

The ‘knock’s were the only carving on the door that did not change. Behind me, the guards and Luna shifted anxiously, awaiting me to do something. I had to admit; being dragged to the audience chamber by Luna in such a rush made me expect the worse. Like, apocalyptic-level worse. Having a mysterious magical door squatting in the room, though, wasn’t what I figured would be there. Taking a shot in the dark, I spoke. “Who’s there?”

Nothing happened. The words remained where they were. Above them, however, a carving formed of a human raising its hand and rapping it against a door not unlike the one before me. So, I did as the carving did, and I knocked against the door twice.

The ponies all gasped in surprise as all the carvings vanished in an instant. I stared blankly at the unmarked wood.

I scoffed at the door. “That’s it? Bit anticlimactic, don’t you think?” No sooner had I finished speaking when words began to carve themselves into the door again. The process took less than a few seconds, but when they were done, I could scarcely believe what I was reading.

Do you know the Muffin Man?

“The Muffin Man?” I asked incredulously.

The words adjusted themselves. The Muffin Man.

The laugh that escaped me startled the ponies as I turned to speak to them, eyebrow cocked in bemusement. “Your worries seem to be unfounded, Luna. This piece of wood appears to have a telepathic bond with whomever is closest to it.” Grinning proudly, I turned back to the door. “After all, the carvings took on human shapes when I stepped up, and even managed to pull up an old nursery rhyme from when I was growing up from my memory. It’s an impressive feat of magic, I have to admit.” I examined the writing, expecting it to change, but nothing happened.

“If that is the case, Storm, then why didn’t it change when we approached it?” Luna asked, saddling up tentatively to me to address the door.

My response was just a shrug. “Can’t say. It might be meant for me, on second thought.” The consideration causes my brows to furrow in thought. “If that’s what is happening, I can only ask why.” I reexamined the door; still no means to open it. Just that one phrase. “‘The Muffin Man...’”

Repeating the line caused nothing else to happen, save for a small crease to appear under the words, as if underlining them in exasperation. I crossed my arms. “Ed? What are your readings on this thing?”

“Nothing bad, from what I can detect,” Ed’s voice muttered. I gave a small grin at Luna jumping at the sudden sound of my companion’s voice. “I don’t think interacting with it could cause any harm, though I would still be cautious.”

Tilting my head in thought, I hazarded another guess. ‘The Muffin Man’ was an old nursery rhyme from my younger days. Maybe this door wanted me to finish it? It couldn’t hurt. “Yes, I know the Muffin Man. Who lives on Drury Lane, yes?” I was fighting back my laughter. To think these ponies were scared over something this silly.

Then us two know the Muffin Man. The door became bare once more for a moment. Do you seek answers?

“Well, I’m curious as to who made you. Was it Celestia?” Calmly, I rested my hand against the door. The biting chill of the wood caused me to rip my hand away. My eyes widened in cautious worry; that wasn’t natural. Yet I felt no magical residue. What in the universe was this thing... “Is this her idea of a joke?”

You seek answers. A dent in the shape of a hand-print formed in the center of the door. You shall have them.

...In the days to come, I would frequently ask myself why I placed my hand in that indent. I would wonder why I didn’t question the fact that it was perfectly shaped to accommodate my left hand. I would wonder why I felt no trepidation at seeing my hand move of its own volition towards the crevice. And I would regret not listening to Celestia, as she teleported into the room, bedraggled and looking worse for wear, with eyes wide with sheer terror.

“DON’T!”

But her warning came one second too late. My hand was already in place. But nothing happened. Nothing of concern, save for a short humming coming from the slab of wood. I shot the princess a questioning look.

“What’s your problem? Afraid your door’s going to bite my hand off?” I laughed as I began to retract my hand. To my surprise, however, it didn’t budge. I glanced at it in confusion. “I didn’t know you cared so—” Pain suddenly shot through my hand, so intense it actually brought me to my knees and expelled my breath in an instant. My hand was stuck to the door, and my every attempt to free it felt like I was dipping it into a star.

“Ed, what’s happening?!” I howled over the sounds of the panicking ponies around me. Looking up, I saw a series of circular patterns form in the door around where my hand was bound. Blood drawn from my hand was flowing into the designs, filling them up rapidly. In the center of the door was a new message.

Universal Anchor Secured.

“I don’t know!” Numbers and figures and all sorts of analytic information filled my vision as Ed tried to figure out what was happening. My vision became to swim by the rapid blood-loss. “None of the Editor’s defensive protocols are working! Everything is seizing up!”

For several agonizingly long moments, I knelt in front of that door as my blood filled the hollow valleys. When the last of the patterns were filled, a reddish glow surrounded the door as the designs melded away. My hand came free suddenly and I stumbled back from the door, barely catching myself before my head slammed against the marble. A glance at my hand showed an ‘x’-shaped wound across my palm.

A series of ticking and clicking sounds from the door drew my attention back to the eldritch abomination. I felt the two sisters stand side-by-side to me, wings flared and horns ignited, as well as guards filing into the Throne Room. Patterns in the shapes of gears and gizmos were whirring away as the door split down the middle and slowly opened wide.

A blinding white light burst forth, preventing me from seeing anything around me at all, save for the one warning message the Editor was able to display across my vision. A line of text I hoped I would never see again.

“WARNING! ARCHITECT-CLASS MANIPULATOR PRESENCE DETECTED!”

Author's Note

And here we are. Moving onto the next phase of WTIN. I apologize that this chapter is admittedly brief and vaguely rushed, but it was just something I needed to get out. Foundations for later, and all that jazz. This would have been out sooner, but I was much too dissatisfied with its previous state, so I withheld release until I put some meat on its bones.

On the plus side, while my work on WTIN was stilted and difficult, my collab story Starbrought flowed pretty well. Churned out over 25k for my part! If you're a fan of that fiction, expect it to release in the near-future as well.

Next chapter will include: violence, worse-than-usual puns, and plot-twists. In other news, nothing really new. At the very least, it ought to release sooner than usual, since it'll follow relatively the same plot as the old version of WTIN. Cheers!

Chapter Fourteen: The Only Man I Ever Feared

Chapter Fourteen: The Only Man I Ever Feared

My eyes turned to pinpricks, and my entire scope of the world, the universe, everything, slowed to a crawl. The blinding white of the open door before me left my body paralyzed. An Architect-class Manipulator presence? No... It couldn’t be. Not now, not after all that time had passed. It fucking couldn’t be—!

A concussive force emerged from the aura of light, in the shape of a human fist, and gladly made contact with my face. How it achieved this when I was several feet away from where I believed the door to be was a mystery I decided to temporarily ignore in favour of my now-broken nose.

The blow flung me backwards, putting distance between my attacker and I. I bounced and rolled across the floor, the flow of Time now properly running at its brisk pace, until my back finally slammed into a support pillar. Cracks spiderwebbed from the impact, and it was only a hasty shield applied purely by reflex that prevented nearly-guaranteed paralysis.

Chilling laughter filled the Throne Room, accompanied by a rather cliché drop in temperature and brightness. As I sat up to recover from the blow, I froze. I’d know that laugh anywhere; it had been haunting me for eons. And of course, there, standing before me in all of his twisted splendor and sadism... was him.

“Impossible...” I whispered to myself. Unfortunately, he seemed to have heard me, for he cracked a silent grin. My heart was pounding in my chest. Every nerve in my body was screaming at me to turn tail and run. Run until I couldn’t run anymore. Run to the very edge of existence and beyond.

It had been aeons since I had last heard his voice.

Millenniums since I watched him, body burnt beyond recognition, covered in deep wounds that had shredded his organs, plummet into the molten core of a collapsing planet, of a collapsing reality. He shouldn’t be alive. If I couldn’t have survived that... how could he?

Nevertheless, there he stood, mocking me with his very presence. Without any signs of the damage he had taken on that day. His attire was pitch-black, and seemed to absorb the very light in the air. His trenchcoat billowed gently in an ethereal breeze, swaying around his pants held up by an obsidian belt and tucked away into midnight combat boots. His hair was shorter than the last time we had encountered one another, and was spiked up in the front.

My eyes immediately locked onto the jagged red scar that ran along the front of his neck, and up the side of his face to end below his eye. A wound I had inflicted on him long ago, a wound whose brother of similar resemblance resided on my own form. My breathing was hitching in my throat. ‘No. Not again. Not ever again with this monster...’

He stood there, grinning down at me from his place in front of Celestia and Luna’s thrones. In one of the distant symbols of Celestia’s sun plastered on the wall, it turned scarlet. And like a switch, the luminosity within the Throne Room followed suit, bathing all of us in a faint, crimson glow. The fresh darkness cast by this shift began to writhe, coming alive and crawling up the walls of the Throne Room, until every ounce of alabaster marble was caked in thundering black.

Already, there was no escape.

His silver eyes glinted in the pale-red light of the room, seeming even more sinister than ever. The cold, lifeless veil behind those eyes seemed to swish and reverberate. Like it was alive. I narrowed my eyes in barely-restrained anger at the man. “Storm!” he bellowed, giving me a small curtsy as the portal-laden door he used to wiggle himself into the Universe snapped shut and vanished with an explosive pop. “So nice to see you again, old friend.” The emphasis made me shudder; the bastard knew how much I loathed those words when he said them. It only reminded me of his betrayal.

“The feeling is far from mutual.” Standing back up, and using a flourish of Editor-driven magic to repair my nose, I cracked my neck. Luna, standing to my left, looked to and fro between us, eyes wide while Celestia stared grimly towards my formerly-dead foe. It seemed no words needed to be shared that the man before them was not to be taken lightly. “You’re supposed to be dead. I killed you. Quite thoroughly, if I recall.”

“You know I don’t die that easily; silly Storm.” I snarled at the condescending tone. “Though the supernova was a nice try. It almost got me.” His focus briefly gravitated to the two alicorns by my sides, and a twisted smirk crossed his face. “Ah, Your Highnesses. It has truly been too long.”

My eyes took their turns to widen as both of the mentioned Alicorns snorted. So, he was the ‘Earthling’ they had encountered before? That had certainly explained their response to me once they heard me lurking about in their countryside. Had I been in their shoes (and in hindsight I have been), I would have also jumped the gun than risk anything. Even then, despite the weeks I had spent in their company, I stood by my reasoning that they were better methods to have discerned whether I was a threat, and they just plain weren’t thinking.

I shook away those thoughts; they were insignificant at this point. “Why are you here?”

“Why, to stop in and see how you were doing, of course!” Coyly, he feigned mock-hurt. “We were friends once upon a time, you know. Surely that allows me to visit every once in a while, no? Besides, I couldn’t find you for ages; and all of a sudden, out of the blue, I rediscover your location!”

“So, the Lock on this Universe is your doing, then?” My eyes traced over his form; there were indeed no scars of the battle that I thought had ended him. No missing ligaments, or disfiguration, or even limping. He infact almost seemed surer, more confident, more... powerful. It seemed his resilience was far greater than I ever anticipated.

He rolled his eyes and grinned menacingly towards me and the Royal Sisters. “Obviously. Though I’m glad our reunion is because of this Lock in particular. I did put considerable effort into this one above the others, after all. You had me worried for a while there that you’d never stumble upon this little oasis in the boondocks of the multiverse.”

Another snort from my sides caused me to glance towards my compatriots. Both Celestia and Luna were anxiously pawing the ground, horns starting to light with a dangerous intensity. Not even my fight with them all those weeks ago had elicited such a response; clearly, as I did, their experiences with... him were far from pleasant.

That silver-eyed bastard casually began stretching his arms out, seemingly unimpressed or unconcerned with the two Goddess-ranked Alicorns ready to end him. In fact, a scoff left him at the scene, before he began fishing for something in his pocket. Wearily, I watched him continue to dig into his coat before he found his besought item. I recognized it the instant it came into sight. “The Black Queen...”

His insidious grin returned, and he twirled the glass chess piece betwixt two fingers casually. “Oh ho! So you do remember this, eh? Well, I’ve made some modifications to it since the last time we caught up. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by its new functions. But we’ll have plenty of time for that shortly, no?” He spun the Queen around on one of his fingers as he stared around at his surroundings.

“I like the new castle, by the way,” he called out to the Princesses. “That old castle was always so drab, so... unbefitting of someone of a higher caste.” A wicked expression spread across his face. “However, I can’t help but notice a distinct sun motif. Tell me, Celestia; when you were designing your new seat of power, did you do so assuming your sister would never be freed from the Nightmare? And that you’d be the sole ruler of this kingdom forever more?”

I glanced at Celestia, whose eyes were now ablaze with a fury I hadn’t seen in a very long time. A brilliant yellow light surrounded her horn, intense as the sun itself. “You’ll pay for what you did to my sister all those years ago!” The princess lowered her head and fired a beam of pure solar magic at our mutual enemy. He was however, much too quick for her.

Moments before the blast struck, the bastard seized his Black Queen and held it before him. An ominous gong, like the distant sound of a bell, reverberated from the chess piece as a pulsing black-violet field formed around it. “Get back!” I shouted, barely able to throw up my own shield around the Alicorns as I anticipated what was happening.

And then the flare struck.

The windows all around us shattered from the force of the impact, and those unprepared for it outside of my defense were knocked to the ground. Celestia’s attack had been diverted right through the wall facing into the Gardens. An explosion of marble indicated that its new target was most likely a statue of some historically-relevant Pony.

“Come now, Celestia. Have you learned nothing?” A cocky, arrogant spark was in his eyes as he neatly tucked away the piece into a visible pocket on his coat. “Holding back won’t be enough to end me.” He let out a deep, hearty laugh as the princess growled in frustration. “Only a few minutes in, and I haven’t had this much fun in millenniums. Who knew reunions like this could be such a blast?” As if he had just recalled something, my foe snapped his fingers. “Oh! Storm; how did you enjoy my little fully-functional Overrider some weeks ago? I heard you had an... interesting experience with it.”

My eyes widened, though I never took my eyes off of his dangerous game token. “That was an Overrider?!” It was a term I certainly hadn’t heard of in some time; the Overrider—the device that had seized my body and directed me against Celestia—was just one of the multiple pet projects both he and I had worked on aeons ago.

...Back during the War of Divinity. But none of those devices had ever been able to work. I wearily assessed my surroundings once more; who knew what other of those experiments he had succeeded in finishing?

“I’ve completed quite a few, actually. I had plenty of time to continue my projects after you lowered your guard and laxed in your real purpose all those years ago.”

I narrowed my eyes. How did he—?

“You should know better than to leave your thoughts so open to me, Storm,” he sneered. “Your basic firewalls may be mostly effective against the mere gods, but you have to try better for your thoughts to elude me.”

Red began to seep into my vision as my mental barriers intensified. The action seemed to only amuse the Manipulator as he continued his lazy pulling on his arms, his damnable smile returning to his face.

So long. So long I had thought he was deceased, dealt with, obliterated. Just a distant, very unpleasant ghost of a memory. Yet here he was. It seemed not even the previous circumstances of our last encounter was enough to end his wretched existence. And that terrified me.

My hands were shaking slightly as I clenched them tight. If my last attempt to kill him wasn’t enough, where I had to implode an entire reality in an effort to save everything, then how was I supposed to now with but a fraction of my former strength? Short of destroying the entire Universe I stood in (an action I was none too keen on initiating, given the Lock still bounded me to the realities holding it together), besting him would be nigh-impossible.

And he knew it. “Check,” he coolly remarked as he tossed his chess piece up into the air and deftly caught it.

Flicking my hand outward, Editor-grade energy began surging around my palm. It crackled with my will and fury fueling it as its sapphire light highlighted my seething features. “I know your intentions here, and I will not allow you to jeopardize the Scales of this Universe. Maintaining the Balance is far more important, and integral to the survival of everything, than whatever you’re plotting. This is your only warning to retreat before I end you.”

A snort of laughter left him as he raised one of his hands into the air, fingers poised as if to snap them. “End me? I see you haven’t lost your sense of humour, at the very least.” And with a movement quicker than even my refined-sight could keep track of, a sonic boom ripped through the air and subsequently my eardrums. It reverberated in the room, and another resonance appeared around the Black Queen, before its effects became apparent.

In the form of several-dozen armoured bipeds materializing and pointing firearms at me and the other Ponies.

“You recall the Irida, don’t you?” Lazily, the Manipulator made a motion towards one of them, their reptilian figures shimmering alongside their steel platemail. “After you left them in your rush to teleport all the way out here, I decided to pick up where you left off. Imagine my surprise when they were more-than-willing to pledge themselves in service to me, all for a shot at killing the ‘Godsent Heretic.’” He made little sarcastic motions with his hands at that name. “And I thought I could be full of myself. Boy, you take the cake.”

I gritted my teeth. Figures that he would pull them into his schemes; the bastard had a frustrating habit of turning individuals against me, both before, during, and after the War. The two Princesses at my sides were beginning to stalk forward, and with them the Guard was preparing to rush their position at gun-point, before I spoke. “Stay where you are, equines. This matter is beyond you.”

Luna looked at me incredulously. “‘Beyond us’? You have no idea what he has done to our subjects. To us.”

“You’re right; I don’t.” My eyes bored holes into his own. “But my history with him exceeds yours by millenniums, regardless of what he’s done. So stay your want for revenge against one you cannot best. This is my battle, and my burden to bear.”

Those damn silver orbs. That twisted, mocking grin. I hated it. I hated him. Loathed his very existence, his taint, and every particle of ground he walked upon. There was no other who I held in the lowest disdain as I practically spat my words. “It is obvious you are here to fight, so let us get on with it. Leave these mortals and Goddesses out of it; I know your goal is me.”

“Oh, Storm. Always so quick to get right into the thick of things. Surely you can wait a few more moments while I—” Before he had a chance to finish his snide remarks, his infuriating monologuing any further, my Editor-driven hand summoned a spear of light to fall from the ceiling at mind-numbing speeds towards his wretched heart. Holy magic had been extremely effective in the past, so it was one of my most immediate reactions. Yet without breaking eye-contact with me, with just one smooth motion, he stopped it with two fingers. And despite the spearhead being mere centimeters from its intended target, he just as casually shattered it with a small hint of pressure.

He tutted at my surprised expression. “Now you see, that’s exactly what I’m talking about. Acting before truly thinking. All these years, and I was hoping you had grown out of that. I mean, if you had succeeded in that little attack, just think of what would have happened to these Ponies here.”

And with a snap, a sphere containing the girls from Ponyville ripped its way into existence.

“No...” I heard Celestia whisper under her breath, her voice nothing but sheer terror and boiling hatred. The only thing I knew that was stopping her from attempting to impale my immortal foe upon her horn was my previous command. But even that was barely restraining her as she took a step forward. “Twilight! Are you okay?”

Despite the apparent shouting of the Unicorn within, there was no audible feedback. “Oh, they can’t answer you, I’m afraid.” As if to emphasize his statement, he tapped the side of the globe. The Ponies flinched as if they were in a fishtank as a tiny sign reading ‘Do Not Tap on the Glass’ popped up on the side of the bubble. “One-way speakers, and all that. Amazing who you can find snooping around in this castle of yours, Celestia. They can hear and see our conversation of course, but their ability to talk to all of us out here? It’s suspended, for now.”

My mind reeled. How? How was he still so powerful after that last battle? It was bad enough that he had miraculously survived, but he stood before me, unharmed. What needed to be done to end his reign of chaos for good?

“Excellent questions,” he said in disinterest. My eyebrows furrowed in rage as I patched up the mental hole in my firewalls. “You see, before that spat we had where you decided to collapse an entire Universe in an attempt to kill me, I too had an ‘Emergency Warp’ function activate.” The fact he knew I had one meant he had to of been tracking me ever since I arrived. His smile confirmed it. “Once things went belly up for me, I was still able to escape. You were getting pretty daring, after all. It was then a simple matter of biding my time in the new space I found myself in, and siphoning the strength of said galaxy until my wounds could recover.”

The two Princesses, and the girls in the sphere, stared at both me and him with horror, fear, and shock. I didn’t warrant those looks. I had no other choice! I did what I had to do to prevent his reign of tyranny, dammit! It was for the good of the Scales, of Balance! Stop looking at me like that—!

“Anyways,” my foe interrupted, though whether he knew about my progressively-insane shouts resounding in my head or not was unknown, “I suppose we best, as you put it, ‘get on with it.’” Twirling his Black Queen in his hand, he pointed the end towards me, its mocking crown glinting in the light of the room. Another gong emitted from the piece as it glowed. “Round One.”

I do not know which of us moved forward first, but we both found ourselves in the middle of the room, flying towards each other at whirling speeds. My hands were outstretched, and raw crackling lightning surged forth from their conduits. He, though, was unarmed. Unarmed save for the Black Queen still in his grasp, starting to create an arc to cleave at my shoulder.

Reflexes took over thought as my arms raised themselves, converting both magicka and Editor-energy into a barrier to defend my being. The Black Queen shimmered, chimed once more with its distant gong, and then with a pulse expanded into a mace. Smug grin never leaving, he swung something my mind hadn’t expected, but my body did.

My body, however, did not expect the mace to bypass my shield with almost no resistance, and crash into my lungs.

A pained wheeze expelled from my core left me as I somersaulted from the force of the attack, crashing back to the floor near the Princesses. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw them try to help me up in their magical auras, before I waved them away, and sluggishly stood by myself. His cackling reached my ears. “Ah, it worked better than I thought it would!”

I bared my teeth at him, the faint tinge of blood licking at my taste while I began transitioning the shock-spell in my hands to a healing haze. However, upon trying to recover from my injury, I realized it was having no effect. I glared at him in anger as my hands hovered over my stomach, for much of the same result. My mind was starting to feel something horrible rising from the bottom of my being. “What... what did you do?”

“You’ll recall that I always had a fascination with other Manipulators and Editors floating about the multiverse, and how these later iterations ticked after ours were conceived. Particularly my interest in turning said technology against those who would interfere with my goals.” Once again, he lazily went back to twirling his Black Queen, its new form now gone, as if it had never been more than a simple chess piece. “My curiosity had yet to be sated when the War drew to a close. The answers I had found in battle weren’t enough. They lacked completion and left me with far more questions and theories than I had started out with. So, I began studying how they worked more... in depth.”

That horrible, inkling feeling intensified. My eyes widened even further, and a growing sense of nausea and disgust started to surge forth. “You didn’t.” His only response was a small smile, one that said ‘what do you think?’, and I shook. No. That was too far. Killing your foes was one thing, a necessity at best, but doing that... to dissect them as if they were animals...

A thought rose up in the back of my mind. Was that the real reason he was here? Had he really been lying in wait all this time, leaving Locks in his wake in the hope that one day I’d get myself trapped? Was he really here just to kill me and study my Editor? If that was so, why wait until now to end me?

I shook my head. Whether his motives were fueled by revenge or not, I couldn’t stand for what he had revealed to me, or any of his past transgressions. It was another tally mark on a growing list of my justifiable reasons to stop him.

My muscles relaxed, but my eyes retained their rage. “I swear I’ll kill you, Shadow.”

His eyes lit up, and his canines glinted in the scarlet glow of the Throne Room. “Very intimidating. But you used my name! I was getting terribly bored of hearing you refer to me as ‘him’ in your little noggin. That’s rather rude, is it not?” Once again, I snuffed out another liability in my mental defenses. They were starting to slip; Shadow’s return was beginning to make me lose myself again. I needed control, over both my emotions and my environment, if I wanted to best him.

“Hmm. I think those female mortals you seem faintly fond of should be allowed to say their piece, do you not?” Without waiting for an answer, Shadow snapped his fingers, and the girls were released.

“Twilight!” I twisted, expecting to see Celestia rush past me and straight towards Shadow. To my thankful surprise, I saw her horn being encompassed in a flaxen glow, before a similar field surrounded the Bearers. In an instant, they were teleported to our side of the room, and stumbled lightly from the feat. I gently took in Celestia enveloping her student in her wings, both of them shivering in relief.

My face turned away, back towards Shadow, back towards my age-old opponent. He was watching the pair as well, and for the first time since his ill-fated return, there was no smug facial expression marring his visage. Merely a look of thought. “Your Student feels stronger than the last, Celestia. Much stronger. It always interests me how mortals can naturally be imbued with so much power.”

“We were mortals once, Shadow,” I called out. “In a sense, we still are without utter immortality. Our power does not make us Gods, not true ones.”

Another condescending look was sent my way, as if he knew something I did not. “It might as well. It is strength that determines the great. And our greatness rivals even the mightiest of Gods. Should we not aspire to live up to our potential?” He returned his attention towards Twilight. “Tell me, little pony: what is your name?”

Twilight, still being nuzzled gently by her mentor, glanced to me. She flinched, no doubt at my still-furious expression. Sighing, I nodded; I needed time to think, to come up with something. Shadow’s return was possibly planned for, but never truly expected. For him to not only reemerge, but unscathed and more powerful because of it? Distracting him was the best option I immediately had. Nodding to herself, as if in reassurance, Twilight spoke. “My name is Twilight Sparkle, Bearer to the Element of Magic.”

Shadow quirked an eyebrow. “Element?” Looking towards Luna, whose eyes reflected rage nearly as fierce as my own, his eyes lit up. “Oh, those Elements! I had nearly forgotten all about those silly things. Didn’t even realize it, but yes, I feel it; you, Twilight Sparkle, and your friends. You all hold Celestia’s and Luna’s former Elements. Interesting. So very interesting.”

Celestia finally disentangled herself from Twilight, and stood next to her Sister once more. Both of their wings were fully outstretched, and their horns glowed ominously. Wisps of arcane power swirled slowly about the two. I merely stood off to the side, trying to analyse everything. Ed wasn’t answering any of my pleads for communication or advice. He was still synced to me, though; that I knew for certain. But then, where in the hell was he?

“Ignore our subjects. If you wish to do battle, then focus not on them.”

Shadow grunted in thought at Luna’s remark, gently see-sawing two fingers unoccupied by his Black Queen, before shrugging. “Eh, personally I was only interested in fighting my old buddy Storm over there, but if you insist...”

The shadows at his feet rose up and surrounded him in a jet-black cloud. Flashes of green lightning arced through the mists for a moment before it all faded away. In Shadow’s place was an Alicorn stallion, with a coat the color of fallen ash and a mane and tail of emerald-green fire.

‘No,’ my mind bellowed from the very bottom of my soul. ‘That isn’t just fire. That’s Hellfire.’ Upon hearing the wretched name, my body tensed and convulsed slightly. Hellfire; probably the most dangerous thing Shadow had ever used against me. The stuff was so potent that a single ember could leave an injury that would take centuries to recover from. On more than one occasion, I had been within an inch of Death from those unnatural flames.

“I do fancy myself to be the sporting sort,” Shadow the Alicorn said, testing out his new form with various shakes and stretches. The Princesses seemed only more enraged at his transformation. “I could use a warm-up, but I don’t want to wipe the floor with you too quickly—” His wide smile quickly vanished as both Princesses fired blasts of pure magical energy, both apparently done listening to him. “Oh hell.”

The twin attacks collided mere feet from Shadow and exploded violently. Chunks of stone and debris launched outwards, chunks that thankfully missed any Ponies within range. In the wake of the attack, there was no sign of Shadow.

“Wait, that’s it?” Luna looked around for any sign of the ponified Manipulator. “We won?”

“It’ll take much more than that to stop him,” Celestia warned. I nodded in silence, and kept my own wits about me. Just because those three were combating one another did not mean Shadow would not transition and come for me or the Elements next. Celestia’s eyes were narrowed as she carefully examined the throne room. “Reveal yourself, coward!”

“Ha! Close, but no cigar, Celestia!” Shadow’s laughter rang out from above. A glance upward discovered his location: at some point or another, he relocated himself to standing upside down on the ceiling above us. “I knew you two would hate me, but that was a bit much, don’t you think?” Before anyone could react, the ceiling began to crack and shatter. “It’s a nice ceiling, though; very decorative. But you know what it needs? Skylights!”

Great chunks of ceiling fell into the room below with the first few pieces crashing between the two princesses. Both managed to leap out of harms’ way just in time.

“See, can never go wrong with skylights!” Shadow laughed. His increasingly-insane tone caused me to back up the Elements hanging around my person. I knew this side of the Manipulator all too well. “I always knew I should’ve been an Architect.” He dropped from the shattered ceiling, landing heavily between the largest pair of ceiling pieces. “Of course, I always thought my calling was professional baseball. I was the best pitcher my high school had seen in about twenty years or so. I wonder if I’ve still got it after all this time.”

His horn lit up with an emerald green light, as a matching glow surrounded the ceiling debris around him. The debris floated up into the air and began to quickly orbit around Shadow. His expression became ever more manic.

“Batter up!” Two pieces of the ceiling broke away from their orbit and fired at the Princesses.

Celestia teleported past the piece sent at her, allowing it to crash through a nearby wall without harm to anyone. Across from her, Luna had created a magical barrier over her eyes before blasting into the other ceiling chunk with a powerful lunge.

The lunar princess shot through the cloud of dust her attack had created, a narrow blade of pure magic floating on the air before her. Shadow responded in kind by creating a pair of gladius swords out of his own magic. Luna’s blade was caught between both of Shadow’s. The Manipulator sneered down at her.

“Come now, little Moon. Is that really the best you can do?” he teased. “When we fought just over a thousand years ago, you managed to cut my leg off in less than a minute. What changed?”

“I’ve become more of a team player,” Luna said back, a sneer of her own to match Shadow’s.

Shadow’s expression shifted to one of confusion. “The hell does that have to do with anything?”

Next to the pair, a flash of bright light flared up as Celestia teleported right next to them, a ridiculously oversized, golden hammer decorated with various sun and moon motifs held in her magical grasp.

Shadow’s eyes narrowed to pinpricks as she swung the hammer toward him. “Oh. That.” A sickening crunch filled the air as the hammer hit its mark and sent Shadow sailing across the room and kicking up a cloud of dust upon impact.

“Thanks for the distraction,” Celestia said with a smile. Luna merely nodded, determination boiling in her eyes as the two Princesses landed before the altar where their thrones were. As the dust settled, and revealed Shadow standing upright in his normal human appearance, another sensation of dread crept up my spine.

“It appears you wish for me to get serious,” Shadow mumbled after a moment, idly reclining against Celestia’s throne. Several heaps of rubble surrounded his form, and like nearly every other attack thrown by the two Sisters, it appeared the strike had little effect on him. His scowl was directed pointedly at the two gaping Alicorns. “Since you are not taking the hint of surrendering, I recommend you take a vacation!”

His mouth turned into an amused snarl. “Allow me to plan it!”

In the next instant, both Celestia and Luna were gone. In their wake was a surge of dark-red energy ripping a gaping hole through one of the walls, and the distant sound of ‘thunder’. It was followed by what could only be an avalanche. I frowned as I stared at the distant landslide; there went the peak of Canterlot Mountain, most likely. Shadow pivoted on a foot, and grinned at me from his position. “I do believe that I just got the mother of all home-runs.” He casually raised a hand. “High-five?”

My response was a bolt of explosive energy removing his outstretched hand.

Shadow growled in pain, though no blood flowed from the wound. I realized too late that it wasn’t because the detonation had cauterized the injury, but rather he was already regenerating the loss. The action reminded me of my own throbbing chest-pains. Attempting to heal them once more, however, actually succeeded, and the pain faded in a wave of white-gold. My brows furrowed. “So, the Black Queen only stuns the Editor...”

“FInally figured it out, did you?” Shadow’s hand was already reinstated as he casually strolled about, apparently indifferent to the fact that I had blown up his hand. “Actually, it disrupts more than just Editors and Manipulators; it alters life energy itself. Shame it can only handle so many modifications before it’d turn itself into a black hole from instability. I take what I can get though. Saved my life when you left me to die, after all.”

I merely nodded, more out of habit than agreeing with a single word that composed the bastard’s potential lies, and noted where everything was. The black veil that had taken residence along the interior of the Throne Room’s walls and windows hummed with demonic whispers of pain and despair. The guardsponies were still being held hostage by the Irida militia, all of whom were beginning to corral the former into two groups on my flanks. And the girls...

Twilight shook with rage and horror at the chunk of missing stone that divided the innards of the Castle, and the distant spire of the mountain. The others fared little better, and all of them had taken to crowding behind me for their defence against the ghastly form of Shadow. Quietly, just on the edge of hearing, I heard one of them whisper under their breath.

“Save us. Please.”

...It did not matter which of them said it. It was all I needed to further my resolve.

Divine judgement, light blessed by Gods themselves and condensed by all the power-reserves in my Editor, began coalescing around my being. It was time I got serious myself, and put down Shadow for good. There was no plan, nor chance of escape. All the opportunity I had was to rush him, full-force while his wits weren’t about him, and finish his existence as soon as possible. And this time ensure he was fully obliterated.

I was exuding such an aura of retribution that Shadow began to comment in a confused, yet still haughty tone. “Oh? What’s this? Finally done letting lesser beings fight me, and have instead decided to get back into the thick of things yourself? Well, it’s about tim—”

“Yes. I am.” And that was all the warning I gave him, before I launched off the ground, and promptly slammed a holy spin-kick into his abdomen. It surprisingly registered, and Shadow flew across the rest of the Throne Room and took refuge in a human-shaped indent in one of the far walls. The dark mist recoiled initially, but began returning to tend to its master. I gave no such option as I rushed forward, and unleashed a massive shockwave of light.

Screams violently echoed throughout the room so loud and screeching that every being, save for me and I could only presume Shadow, flinched at. Rays of sunlight struck the sickly shadows without remorse, and began to drive them back into the recesses of whatever crevice would allow them. The red tint of the room dimmed, and so to did Shadow’s prevailing influence.

“Guards!” My voice cut through the din of the dying shade. “Initiate CounterStrike Beta-Omega!”

There was no resounding response to my command, but it was definitely received. While the Irida recovered from the apparent besting of their Master, the other guardsponies heeded my instruction and retaliated. Unicorns magically wrested the firearms away and unleashed blinding flashes of light. Pegasi took to the air and struck high, while the Earth Ponies strafed behind their quarry and struck low. Short work was made out of them, and before I knew it, every Irida had been disarmed, and subdued. That was two obstacles down, at least. The girls behind me gave shaky, but hopeful sighs. “I... is it over, Storm?”

I glanced at the hole where Shadow went, and my face fell. “Far from it...”

Shadow’s chilling laugh emerged from the indent, and soon so did Shadow himself. He was actually clutching his ribs; though not in pain, but in... laughter. “Ah ha ha ha! Storm! Now this, this is more like it!” He was doubling over now, tickled pink as he reclined against Celestia’s throne to stabilize himself. “You’re reminding me of the good old days!”

His guffawing cut off suddenly, and he straightened up, as if it never happened. “Still going to break you, though.” And then he vanished. I knew better, and once again my instincts responded. My hands shot up, and a row of needles crafted from light formed, just as Shadow reappeared flying towards me. With a flick, my barrage sailed forth in his direction, before he disappeared once again.

“Your reflexes are still adequate, I see. Good to know you haven’t completely put off your training after you fell, Storm.”

The comment made my blood boil further as I shouted into the Shadow-less room. “The one who fell was you!” Suddenly, I felt a shift in the wind, and I intensified my holy aura. ‘I only have a minute or so more, at best, before I completely drain myself. I need to catch him, and dispatch him; now!’ Dust and debris scattered into the air as I struck outward in a cardinal direction. My aim was apparently true, for Shadow’s cloaked form became visible as he flew back.

‘There!’ Closing the distance in a flash, I lunged and grabbed ahold of Shadow. Fashioning the light in my possession into a set of claws, I violently slashed and raked every part of his body I could. Every time he tried to twist out or counter, I’d Blink to another angle and continue the assault. A particularly heavy swipe sent him spinning into the air from the force.

“Get him, Storm!” a voice called out from below. I vaguely realized it was Rainbow Dash cheering me on, swinging her hooves this way and that as if she was fighting alongside me. The other girls quickly chipped in their own support, and I rallied behind it as I kicked off from a disc of light and swung at Shadow.

He spun around before I could make contact, however, and blocked my attack with one of his gladius blades he had used against the Princesses. Shadow’s smirk was pained, but admiring. “Now this, will be a good fight, Storm.” And with a cackle, he swung his other blade. My claws deflected the strike, and with another holy-springboard, I tackled Shadow into the ceiling.

My bladed fingers pierced his chest and sternum as we both slammed roughly against the top of the Throne Room. The air in Shadow’s lungs left him in a whoosh, and a follow-up knee into his kidney further expelled the oxygen. At this point, we were suspended there, face-to-face with our teeth bared at one another. The sheet of lingering aura was still around my person as I twisted the claws in his wounds, causing him to snarl in pain. “Good, Storm! That’s the ferocity I remember, when we stood together and caused Gods to tremble before us. I can see it in your eyes; your urge to kill me.”

He leaned in, a small drop of blood leaving his lips. “Do it. I dare you, Storm: kill me.”

I glared at Shadow, at his condescending gaze and feral smile. How much I wanted to, how much I needed to. He needed to die. He was going to die. Revenge was meaningless if I could just destroy Shadow and truly be done with it. And yet...

I slammed my head against his nose, breaking the cartilage and sending him reeling his skull back into the ceiling. My claws intensified in their burning rage as I planted my feet next to Shadow and against the surface of the ceiling. “I’ll kill you when you’ve paid for what you’ve done. In full!” I bellowed, and pushed off.

The hooked ends of the claws brought Shadow’s form with me, and he maliciously laughed at me like a madman as we went into a freefall back to the marble floor. “You are such an idiot!” With a shockwave of magic, he repulsed me and my claws out of his body. Hellfire began pouring out of his hands as he balled them into fists. “You should have taken my life when you had the chance.”

My reflexes told me to move before my brain even registered Shadow’s Hellfire-consumed fist flying past my face. With haste, I slammed my heel into the injuries in Shadow’s torso as I changed the magical claws into a holy lance. “I think not!” The spear surged forth, and penetrated Shadow as we finally reached the bottom.

The impact jostled me, but I remained steady as my tool of Shadow’s destruction sat lodged in his body. I stared at Shadow’s form below me, the pain rampant in his eyes, as the Hellfire faded from his hands. But I knew he wasn’t dead. Not quite yet. Shifting myself swiftly to his feet, I flicked the lance upward, and Shadow was launched again into the air. But I had no intentions of accompanying him. Prepping my weapon as if it was a javelin, I sent it flying through his chest, which subsequently pinged him off into the stairs leading up to Celestia’s and Luna’s thrones. As his mangled body laid there, I carefully watched him.

In the center of his chest, there was a gaping hole where his heart used to be. The force of the divine strike caused the wall behind him to explode violently outward, leaving me with the view of the two thrones sitting unyielding against a backdrop of the distant valley. I moved away, expecting him to perhaps abruptly rise and lash out, to kamikaze me in his dying moments.

But he laid unmoving. The Elements behind me let out tremendous breaths of air, and practically collapsed on one another. The Royal Guards who had bared witness to the battle gradually released the tension in their muscles. Silence permeated the Throne Room as I heaved deep intakes of air. But it wasn’t from relief.

Shadow’s grin had finally faded.

But it was replaced instead with a grimace of annoyance.

“I liked that shirt you know,” he grumbled as he sat back up straight. Quick as lightning, his arm snapped up, revealing a hand-cannon of some alien design, sleek and with glowing green accents. I didn’t even have time to put up a shield before he put two energy rounds through my left arm. “Going for my heart isn’t going to be enough, Storm. Did you really think I’d keep it in my body after our last battle?”

My breath hitched in my throat as pain spiked through my now-useless arm. No. Not even the old Shadow could have survived that. A pit of despair began welling in my breast. There was regeneration, and even Editor-level regeneration. And then there was... No. He hadn’t. There was no way. With a howl of both frustration and desperation, I summoned a host of arrows crafted from pure light in a dome around my immortal foe, and launched them at Shadow with a gesture.

Shadow responded in turn by slamming his foot down on the ground. The flooring tore itself apart with a series of earsplitting cracking sounds, allowing massive chunks of marble to rise into the air. With a twist of his wrist, he magicked the walls of stone between himself and my approaching attack.

The light met the stone with a tremendous thu'um. The walls and ground shook violently and after successfully dispelling my attack, Shadow’s several barricades shattered. The pieces of the floor-made-defenses remained floating in the air, refining themselves into multi-pointed projectiles that were launched directly at me.

His reversal of my attack was so sudden that I couldn’t hope to defend against it. Viciously the jagged orbs of stone and marble pegged and ripped me apart, repeatedly knocking what little air that could be taken in straight back out again. Shadow chuckled darkly as the cascade finished, and I stumbled to a knee. “So much resolve. Yet weak. So very weak.”

“How...” I attempted to rise from my kneeling position, but couldn’t find the strength. “In the past, holy magic was your bane. You couldn’t even handle the stuff without becoming violently ill!” My mind was in full-blown panic mode: I was drained both in mind, body, and Editor-reserves. Nothing was working, not even Light spells, which I had always relied on in the past to give an advantage. What was I supposed to do if my only edge was dull?!

Shadow tilted his head towards me in what looked like genuine befuddlement. “I’m surprised you haven’t realized it yet. All those tries and attempts have failed, and it hasn’t registered in your head yet, Storm?” His malicious grin reappeared. “The key words there was ‘in the past.’”

I felt the world stop. “No... you haven’t.... you can’t have...”

Shadow’s grin was psychotic. “Oh yes, I am.”

With that, my divine aura... my only conceivable trump card... faded. My vision was shaking, both from terror and the excruciating pain from my broken arm. That confirmed it; whatever this being before me was, whatever held the face of my former friend... it was not Shadow.

Not the manipulative traitorous bastard I remembered, at any rate. The same body and voice, perhaps; but not the same soul. There was something else behind his eyes. The mischievous light they once held was gone. Even his twisted smiles and wicked laughs seemed forced, unnatural and awkward. The change was jarring, as if I was staring into a distorted mirror.

Maniacal laughter erupted from Shadow as he spun about. “Amazing what near-death experiences can unveil, is it not? I haven’t felt this in-touch with my Manipulator since before the War! No, it’s even stronger! It’s empowering! Glorious, even! Ha ha ha!”

“Enough...” My head twisted painfully and sluggishly around to my side. Standing next to me, mane downcast over her lowered muzzle, was Twilight. Her voice was monotone, and flat; but there was something there. Something fierce, and deadly. It became more pronounced when the violet in her coat began fading away to an alabaster-white, and her mane began animating itself into a pantomime of fire. “That is enough, Shadow.”

Shadow quirked an eyebrow in interest. “Is it now? Then tell me, Twilight Sparkle—student of Celestia and wielder of one of her precious Elements... what are you going to do about it?”

Twilight’s head snapped up, and I was stunned to see her irises had been replaced with pure, blinding light. Her voice seemed to be an echo from the very depths of the planet. “I am going to protect. My. Friends!” With an explosive pop of magic, she cleared the distance between herself and Shadow. In my condition, I couldn’t hope to stop her against the futile action. Her horn was encased in a spear of magenta light, and before Shadow could react, she impaled his stomach.

A growl of pain left Shadow, but aside from that, there was no response from the man. He merely looked down in irritation, and vague amusement. “A fine attack. Worthless, however.” With a hand under her head, the Manipulator hoisted Twilight by the throat. “What heart though. You would make such an interesting apprentice. How about it, Twilight Sparkle?”

Shadow’s eyes flashed, and my body convulsed as I realized what he was trying to do. “Twilight, don’t look in his eyes!” I croaked as the pain from my injuries caused me to hunch over. The other Elements tried to get near me to assist, but I tersely ordered them back. I glanced back up at the pair. “He’ll use you and betray you. Don’t... listen to him...”

Shadow smirked as he stared into Twilight’s eyes. “Nevermind Storm. Why should you even consider his words? He jeopardized your Princesses, your friends, and yourself. He is not as good of a person as you think he is. Storm only protects you out of fear for himself, not for concern of you and your people. He is just as worse as I am. But forsake Storm to me, and I’ll leave your Universe alone. Join me.”

With willpower in my veins, I finally stood upright to break his influence. I ended up not needing to as Twilight spoke. “Even if that is true...” Twilight’s mane ignited into pure fire as her coat fully embraced its alabaster hue. “Even if Storm is protecting us just for his own sake, even if he’s done evil things in the past... he is still a friend.” Her words stunned me; she considers me a friend? Shadow seemed equally surprised as he flinched. Twilight’s voice became ferocious as a violet aura surrounded her. “And I won’t ever betray my friends!”

Before Shadow could respond or make any sort of retort, Twilight Blinked, and appeared above his stunned person. With a yell of pure, unadulterated rage, she lobbed a ball of energy from her horn that detonated and sent the Manipulator flying straight towards me. Knowing my purpose, I steeled myself and got back into the fray.

While my Editor-reserves and mana were drained, and my left arm deadened, I still was not completely defenseless. Digging deep and finding one of the few weapons linked specifically to my soul, separate to the Universal Editor, I extended my hand outward. “I summon thee to my aid; Requiem’s Ballad!”

With a flourish of white and black sparkles, the Keyblade formed into my right hand. Its long, menacing appearance intermingled sable, ivory, and gunmetal vines as it climbed up the shaft to represent my struggle for Balance, and its three fanning azure spikes manning the head resembled its Keyblade brethren. It was my pride and joy. And I was about to make a home-run of my own.

Right before Shadow’s tumbling form reached me, I single-handedly swung the weapon and ricocheted him back towards Twilight. A crafty smirk appeared on her face as she readied a giant, arcane phantom of a flyswatter, which she used to bounce Shadow back to me. I returned the serve, and she met me, shot for shot. The sight of me and Twilight essentially playing tennis with Shadow as the snarling, injured ball might have been humorous, if it wasn’t for said ball recovering his wits and teleporting out of his predicament.

“You should be careful whose fights you involve yourself with, Twilight Sparkle.” A sinister sigil began to form under Twilight. But before I could tell her to evade, Shadow reappeared before me, and on reflex I raised a block. This ended up being the proper thing to do, as me and Shadow stood in a blade-locked struggle; my Keyblade against his dual-pronged energy-sword.

Despite the desperate situation, I couldn’t help but conjure up a retort. “A Covenant energy-sword? And you mock me for borrowing weapons.”

Shadow laughed. “And you, wielding one of those idiotic Keyblades. I suppose old favorites are ever so hard to pass up.” With a thrusting kick, he broke the lock we were in. As I stumbled back, I got a clear view of Twilight. Purple magic swirled violently around her horn as she charged up an attack, before Shadow stepped back into my line of sight and blocked her from view. “And to make sure it’s fair~!” His fingers rang out with a snap, and Twilight let out a shrill cry.

“Twilight!” I heard shouted behind me. Even though I should have known better, I removed my focus from Shadow to look past him. There, encased in cables formed out of solid Hellfire, was Twilight. Another choked scream left her as the binds tightened around her frame. But I couldn’t do anything about it, and returned my attention to Shadow. Faint glowing lights lit up his skin around and in his wounds as they were rapidly repaired.

“You son of a bitch,” I growled. “I’m going to make you wish you’d died the last time we fought!”

Shadow met my charge with his own, mad grin present all the while. “Oh, I’m quaking in my boots!” He met my attacks swing-by-swing. With only one arm available to me, I knew that this was more me trying to survive his onslaught than besting him. Still, I didn’t stop trying to get past his guard and getting just one crucial blow in. Shadow seemed eternally amused. “Even with one arm, you’re a swordsman that can outmatch the greatest mortal masters of it! For a while there, you had me thinking old dogs couldn’t remember their old tricks!”

Clenching my jaw and throwing my health to the wind, I knocked aside his sword and swung my disabled left-arm into a physics-propelled haymaker. The sidewinding blow took Shadow off-guard, as well as sending spikes of pain that would have rendered me comatose if I wasn’t determined to put down the Manipulator. I took the opportunity to lunge and jab my Keyblade right into the wound that Twilight had left and Shadow had yet to fully recover from. I gave a cruel laugh of my own as unconsciousness encroached on the fringes of my mind. “Lux!”

Viciously, the Keyblade ignited with purified light within Shadow’s body. He began to practically foam at the mouth, and clawed at the Keyblade embedded in him. Shadow’s silver eyes locked onto my own, and he gave a coughing laugh. A large splatter of blood landed on my torso. “Excellent. Fantastic, even. Using a broken arm as a weapon to stun me and allow you to catch me in this little trap.” A shaking laugh left his frame. “Spectacular, Storm. I had truly misjudged your resolve. Even after becoming so weak, you refuse to yield. You haven’t changed a bit.”

Hellfire consumed his hand as he gripped the Keyblade. “But it will never be enough, Storm.”

With a tremendous force of will, Shadow pulled the holy-charged implement from his body, even despite my efforts to keep it lodged within. He turned the blade to the side and pulled hard, dragging my arm with it, and putting me within range of his fist as he lashed out. The blow sent me tumbling with Requiem’s Ballad, blood streaming from my mouth. Shadow held his arms wide, and laughed. “Perhaps it is time I ended this fight.”

I anxiously backed up as dark tendrils began crawling out of the innards of Shadow’s trench-coat. Slowly they contorted around his form, until he was entirely encased in the foul shade. Wordlessly, he lifted an arm, and a shard of condensed Hellfire left his fingertips. The fact he was able to turn it into a physical projectile caused me to hesitate for that single microsecond, and gave the attack time to strike me.

Barely raising my leg to defend my midsection, I felt the searing-hot splinter enter my shin and magically scorch the extremity. The force of the blast also caused me to become off-balance, and so I fell onto my back, hissing and clutching my leg in agony. The other ponies dared not interfere; they knew they would only be a hindrance to me.

I could hear his footsteps closing in on me, slowly and deliberately like a predator stalking its wounded prey. My vision was now severely fluctuating, and there was no doubt my life-experiences were the sole things that gave me the physical fortitude and willpower to retain consciousness. Though being able to move and recover hastily from the concentrated Hellfire was impossible.

I was a sitting duck.

Shadow’s face emerged from the veil of black that obscured his face, his expression twisted into a stern frown. “Well, this seems familiar, does it not? Me, standing above you with all the power and none of the morals you possess. And you, lying at my feet, pithy and injured, and weak.” He tsked me and put a hand on his hip. The dark-armour on his body shifted to accommodate the movement. “Oh, Storm. Such a disappointment. I was expecting a bit more from you for our reunion.” And raising his arm once more, another shard fired, aimed right for my immobile head.

“Storm!” A pulse of cobalt-blue energy surrounded me, and the Hellfire was barely repelled before both the barrier and the missile vanished. My eyes widened; was it really...? My thoughts turned out accurate as the form of Ed solidified before me, the wisps of his defense-protocol fading from around him.

My immortal foe merely tilted his head in both confusion and irritation. “That’s odd. How did you escape my trap? Oh, of course; Storm and his ‘holy-stab.’ I suppose that must have done it.” He shrugged complacently, and glanced at his fingernails. “In hindsight, it would have been dull to best Storm so simply without involving our A.I in the battle.” Shadow lolled his head back some. “Right, Creed?”

A spectral phantom as red as scarlet formed behind Shadow, an equally-demented grin rising from under the hooded form. “Agreed.” My face furthered into its scowl as Ed made his hologram more opaque to support me back to my feet. Channeling a great deal of his own being, he semi-recuperated the injuries to both my arm and leg (just enough to clear away the pain but not the damage) as I stared at the pair of villainous individuals before me.

Creed was Shadow’s A.I.; a polar-opposite of what Ed was to me, in a sense. While Ed was my closest friend, companion, and advisor, Creed was just a foil Shadow used to further commune with his Manipulator. My experiences with it had always been limited, but each one always left me with a dreaded feeling in my pit of my organs. Ed picked up on this as he stood keeping me upright with his shoulder under my right arm. “Sorry I’m late. It seems Shadow’s entry when you opened the door stun-locked me in a space with me and Mr. Hoodlum over there.”

I couldn’t help but let out a ragged, relieved breath. At least Ed wasn’t compromised. “What happened to the door being alright?”

My A.I. gave an apologetic shrug. “How was I supposed to know Shadow was still alive and was going to use it and you to secure an anchor to track your location and Warp here?” I let out a sigh as I moved away from Ed; I guess he couldn’t, and so holding it against him would be both unfair and impossible. Besides, that very moment was not the time to be dawdling. There was still Shadow to fight and beat, and now that Ed had arrived, I could already feel his presence swelling my resolve and strength.

“How about we do some tag-team and knock them down a notch, eh Storm?”

Ed’s boxing-stance, while humorous to an extent, put wind in my sails as I brought Requiem’s Ballad up to rest on my uninjured shoulder. “It’s been some time since we’ve had to rely on your Literal Combat Systems, hasn’t it?”

He gave a smirk. “Quarter of a million years, but who’s counting?”

Shadow snorted at our companionable banter, and motioned his head towards Creed. “Take his A.I.” Creed gave a nod, and unnerving smile never leaving, he drew a katana from the depths of his cloak. Ed shifted slightly, obviously against not fighting Shadow with me, but began strafing away to at least give distance to occupy the Manipulator A.I. Creed followed suit as Shadow turned his attention back to me. “I do hope you have some tricks up your sleeve, because otherwise you’ll die a very unsatisfying death, on my part.”

The word caused my eyes to fractionally widen. Up my sleeve...? Now there was an idea. Shadow seemed fit to wait for me to make a move, as Ed and Creed faced each other off at the opposite end of the Throne Room. Out of the corner of my peripheral vision, I could see that Ed had summon a cavalry officer’s saber, and was slowly twirling the blade about his holographic form.

I raised Requiem’s Ballad, an action that roused Shadow to raise his own energy-sword. I gently tapped my left arm with the Keyblade, and hoped that Ed’s mere presence would give enough juice to heal the wound fully. A small burst of green particles covered my arm and sank into it, but aside from some control of the wrist, it was still very unable to fight. I let out a haggard sigh and readied myself. ‘Looks like I’ll have to settle with just one arm for this.’

Shadow appeared ready to say something, perhaps a taunt, but I intercepted it with throwing the Keyblade at him. He calmly stepped to the side, avoiding the maneuver. I however took the opportunity to Blink forward and seize it, before spinning into an attack. Shadow met me with ease. “Nice trick, that Strike Raid is; though predictable.”

A grin overcame my face as we began to fight. Some meters away, the clashing of Ed’s and Creed’s blades rang out, sometimes in tempo to my own against Shadow. I just needed a single opening, just one chance to use my ace. But the Manipulator allowed no such option; keeping an eye on my smirk, he would constantly keep a few feet from me, as if he was aware of my plans. I double-checked my mental firewalls to ensure he actually didn’t.

“You’re starting to bore me here, Storm,” Shadow said after he parried one of my slashes. “You impressed me a few times before. Surely you’re not already out of...” During his gloating, his energy-blade moved just a single inch to the left. Just enough space for me to use my ace. Whatever else he was saying, I didn’t bother to catch, as I sprang forward and swung with an overhead strike.

He blocked it without even blinking. “Are you even listening to me?” Shadow’s eyes widened as I let go of the Keyblade, and flicked my wrists. “You cheeky shi—” I cut him off as I revealed my Assassin hidden blades. With what little control of my damaged left arm that I could manage, I promptly slammed it down into his hip. And without hesitation, I inserted the right blade into his jugular.

But I wasn’t done. It sent arcs of agony through my exhausted person, but I grabbed hold of both his pants and his throat, and with a tumultuous heave and twist, I threw Shadow’s form over me and slammed him into the ground. Small hairline cracks formed under him as he smiled bloody teeth at me.

“Sneaky bastard,” he hissed. “And here I thought you might’ve stopped using those ages ago. No matter.” He reached up and grabbed the side of my face. A searing, blinding pain shot through my head instantly as his Hellfire covered his hand.

I cried out, the waves of scorching pain making me briefly lose both my sight and where I was. My body reacted on its own as it swatted aside Shadow’s arm, and stomping on his head to gain distance. The frantic attempt to get away from his Hellfire only seemed to amuse Shadow. The trickle of blood that flowed down his neck from the stab stemmed and stopped in seconds. “You just don’t know when to quit, do you?”

“Storm!” I twisted around to see Ed staring at me in concern, apparently forgetting his fight as he began to charge energy around himself to open fire upon Shadow. My eyes widened as I saw the approaching form of Creed, cruel grin and crimson eyes giving him the appearance of a demon.

“Ed! Brace!”

I was too late.

Creed’s blade cut through Ed’s form like butter, before he even had a chance to defend against it. Creed let out a foreboding chuckle. "Target eliminated. Combat efficiency score of opponent: 45. Rating: pathetic." A strangled cry left Ed as he toppled over, and faded away. I couldn’t even scream in shock, or mourning, or anything.

Because then the pain came.

Writhing and clutching at my temples, I squirmed on the floor of the Throne Room, the destruction of Ed’s hologram causing intense agony to detonate throughout my brain. Shadow chortled, darkly, as he stood over me. At least, I thought he was. I couldn’t tell, with only half my vision and a quarter of my awareness actually stable, at the time.

The Manipulator crouched down, and leaned into my pain-stricken expression. I hardly noticed him. “And this, Storm, is why you’ll always fail. To care about another so, leads to weakness, a lowered guard. You would gladly sacrifice your own life to save another, even if in the end it would result in the death of you both. You are a fool. A pathetic, weak, insolent fool, given power by the luck of the draw and the idiocy of the Authors.”

But Shadow’s teeth glinted in my barely-registering sight. “I was better than you. I am better than you. I was the one that won the War, that dealt the final blow against those who gave us power. I am the one that is now truly immortal. And yet you; the Fates chose you to have the better technology, to have the greater natural strength. And with it, you accomplished so much. Power and strength you didn’t deserve, you used. Even if the reasons were stupid, you knew how to exercise your authority.” He patted me on the shoulders. “And that is why I cannot kill you. I know you are better than this, but if this is as powerful as you can be now, then you are not yet ready. You are able to handle darkness, and power, and once you were able to ignore such petty things as ‘justice’ and ‘honour’, but it is not enough. Not quite.”

By now, the excruciating pain was subsiding. Just enough to where I could better focus on my surroundings. I focused my one good eye on Shadow’s silver orbs, and with what little energy I had left, I raised a middle finger, and spat on his boots.

Shadow merely tutted at me, as if I was a disobedient child than someone who had killed Gods, and wiped the mixture of saliva and blood away from his shoe. “No, Storm, I certainly cannot kill you. Not yet. Not when you have so much purpose left in you. In time, however; I’m a very patient man, after all. You will join me, willingly, or I will destroy that everything you treasure so much. So no peace of death for you; I need you alive.” Abruptly, I felt a pressure on my windpipe as Shadow relocated his soiled foot. “But that does not mean I’m against you suffering. Gotta keep you motivated.”

With a hand raised in the air, Shadow began muttering dark syllables under his breath. Not even I, with all of my life-experience, understood what language he was speaking. But I felt the power, and I felt the influence. And slowly, before my eyes, a strange device began to form in his outstretched palm: a bronze-plated, orb-shaped machine, that split open like an orange to reveal eight inch-long needles.

The instant I recognized its general design, I began to spasm.

No.

He hadn’t.

He wasn’t.

Not this.

Shadow tilted his head at me, and if I doubted his demented smile could grow any wider, he disproved it. “You know what this is. You were the one that made it, after all. Or rather, you designed it. You never were able to complete it. But I did.” His thumb pressed against the side of the device, and it thrummed to life. “Care to see the fruits of your labor?”

And with little regard for my health, he slammed the barbed machine into my left shoulder. Another flash of agony flooded my vision as I felt the multiple needles drill into my flesh. The whirring and buzzing of the device filled my senses as Shadow continued to speak. “A Limiter. Truly an ingenious invention. And such a noble purpose you had for it, too. You didn’t want to kill the Manipulators during the War, oh no; you wanted to wrest their power away peacefully, and without casualties. You wanted to save them.” He barked a harsh laugh. “Ha! As if they were the ones that needed saving.”

Any chance for a retort from me drowned in gurgled breath, and the feeling of unnatural liquid flowing from the needles and into my veins. I could feel the serum of the God-forsaken device inside my body, working its unnatural power and technology into my system. And with that torrent, I felt my connection to the Universal Editor dim as the Limiter sealed off the traces from me. “Thirteen. That’s how many Editors and Manipulators I had to kill, and tear apart, and inspect in order to gain enough understanding to finish building it. It was one of the hardest of your projects to complete, Storm, but I did it. And I dare say the results were worth it.”

Everything grew steadily dimmer as Shadow gloated, and my strength was fading rapidly. Farther, and farther, it floated away...

Until...

Shadow gave me a mocking grin. “So tell me, Storm. Tell me how it feels... to be mortal.”

-WTIN-

Author's Note

I did it. It's a thing now. After four months of academics, military recruiters hassling me, and just plain-old loss of muse and brain-farting, Chapter Fourteen is up and sitting pretty at nearly 12k! I'm not going to bother trying to say sorry (though I am, deeply), nor am I going to say "hey, next one will happen quickly and soon, I swear!" (obviously that ended up well for this instance); because those don't cut it.

I wish I was one of those authors who could just write 500-1k words a day, even if it's shite, just for the sake of having progress. Unfortunately, I am literally unable to, not just from time-constraints, but from the fact that what my mind writes, is almost always what is. None of this "write crap, edit later" business. My brain can only write a story if those words are primarily what goes out.

It's a pain.

Anyways, I technically have finals to study and Economics I'm supposed to be doing right now, but I couldn't let this sit any longer, and just sat down today and wrote. This is probably garbage, I'm glad it's over and done with, let's carry on to the next train-wreck, eh? See you ~~soon~~ ~~in a few months~~ ~~years~~ eventually!

Chapter One: Wrong Turn At Albuquerque

Chapter One: Wrong Turn at Albuquerque

[Author's Notes: I appreciate any constructive criticism (no matter how harsh it may be). Be aware of these possible notes at the beginning and end of some future chapters, for they’ll usually be asking for favours/suggestions/other things of the sort.]

Location Unavailable

Time: Unknown

'Dammit, I really messed up this time. Way to go, Storm... dumbass.'

My mouth creased into an exasperated frown. The consideration of me being too hard on myself idly appeared in my mind, only for a passing bullet a hair's breadth from my eyes whizzed by to affirm that I royally screwed up.

The small booth that I was using for cover splintered from its left side, the result of another stray projectile. I cursed in frustration and peeked out of my spot to see the guns across the meeting room trained on me. Pulling back just in the nick of time would be an understatement as the volley of bullets passed my vision.

Ah, I digress. Allow me to explain my predicament, from the beginning...

Memory Archive Triggered.
Authorized Flashback Initiated.
Accessing File: 89IRDA42.0603.YT.4STRM68

My legs ached lightly as I ascended the stairway to the natives’ primary government building. Truly, I didn't understand the nature of the Irida, and why they decided to have their meeting rooms at the highest points they could. The watch towers, spires of wooden support beams that would rival the tallest trees in their accompanying jungle, paled desperately in comparison to the pyramid-esque structure I was climbing. And could they have at least made one their capital city outside of the jungle? The understanding was sort of there (they're large sentient reptiles, so one could guess it must be natural), but the creatures that I had dealt with outside the stone-brick walls were overtly dangerous to the point of being comical.

Of course, I wouldn't have had to bother with the beasts if the Irida had better weaponry beyond spears and claws. I hoped at the time that the shipments of firearms I had brought would help alleviate that issue for later generations. The firearms had a second purpose, of course, and that was to allow me to interfere with the struggle of the clans that had been occurring during my arrival.

Apparently, an ongoing issue amongst their people was with dwindling resources, starting some five years ago. It was a planet-wide dilemma, and the only areas that had major deposits still were watched by their tribe's capitals. One particular area, The Dreshdae Fields, held a surprisingly large amount of livestock and was bordered by two approaching tribes. The population of one of the more edible beasts was similar to buffalo back in the Great Plains of America in the eighteen-thirties.

As such, there was obviously going to be dispute. The two clans who had been warring over it were the Sheykrac, and the Argonians (yes, like in the Elder Scrolls; I had a nice chuckle about it in private at Fate's irony). Now, normally I could care less about aliens throwing themselves against each other. However, if I didn't intervene in this particular conflict, this would interrupt the Scales of this world.

And since the Scales are a fickle thing that shift regularly, and enjoy being sensitive to the balance between Law and Chaos (and not to mention seems to cause way too many problems to just ignore); I had to step in. The firearms were part of the deal to allow an 'outsider' to meddle in the affairs of their people. I didn't mind; those weapons were just sitting around in one of my spare warehouses I had in one of my secured Universes I Balanced a long time ago.

Besides, the Irida couldn't do too much with Remingtons and Peacemakers, and those Rankras were pretty damn difficult to kill if you didn't have the right tools. They were similar to bison, only a lot larger and with very sharp teeth. Good for rending flesh, and crushing your bones just by stepping lightly on you.

The sound of a throat being cleared had brought me out of my thinking of the horrid monsters to realize I had reached the peak and was now standing in front of two guards. They had been given meager training with their new toys, which the clans demanded up-front in a surprisingly polite way (for a warring species) than you'd expect, but I wasn't about to test and see if their accuracy was any good.

"Considering you could properly determine their arc of fire and dodge said accurate projectiles, that is."

I rolled my eyes at Ed's remark. The English bastard always liked giving comments, and he enjoyed jokingly pretending I still didn't know what I was doing after so long. 'Says the triple-A.I.'

"I wasn't deemed an 'Augmented Advanced Artificial Intelligence' for nothing, Storm," Ed stated in an almost posh and proud manner that reverberated inside my brain cavity. "I know things. Lots of things. And while you may have a solid amount of years, many of those years had plenty of failures due to you not keeping everything in check. Behavior and attitude including," he finished with a hint of smugness.

Snorting, I addressed the increasingly-irritated Irida in their tongue. "You'll be escorting me to the meeting room for the peace treaty, yes?" My face scrunched up for a brief second. At least, that was what I had been attempting to say. The learning curve of speaking the dialect was annoying, to say the least. A bunch of throaty growls in different pitches was kinda hard to do.

"This way, outsider," one of the guards stated in my direction as he turned and began speaking with the ones who manned the door.

Built-in language translator. Gotta love ‘em. Even though they aren’t always reliable.

The guards inside merely nodded as they opened the door to the innards of the building. They motioned for me to follow, and proceeded into the depths of the structure. Rolling my shoulders and mentally prepping phrases for the diplomatic event approaching, I strolled in.

The inside was the same as the outside. All stone, most being of a yellowed variety. Some pieces intermingled with both grey and possibly white marble as they formed not only this building, but the other surrounding abodes as well. Torches lined the wall, and scrawled claw marks on a wooden board provided the only sense of direction (and to an otherworlder like me, it was vague at best).

I attempted to transcribe the marks. From what little I could understand from their written language, the leftmost passage (which was where I was going), read "War Room". The ironic naming of where we were going, and my goals, surfaced. I then immediately put those thoughts inside a box, put that box within another metaphorical box, and watched with my mind’s eye as Ed gladly slammed a virtual hammer on said metaphorical box-within-a-box to stop the--

Sorry, I went off on a bit of a random tangent, didn't I? I am a rather old coot, so I'm allowed to have those from time to time. I still may had been rocking my refined nineteen-year-old body, so perhaps you couldn't guess my age from sight alone, but I had lived a lot more years than any ethereal beings you may know.

My thoughts once again tried to organize themselves as I traveled down the escorted hallway. This diplomatic mission ahead of me was going to be more dangerous and annoying than the last one I had led, so I had to pool whatever I could to help me in fixing this mess and keeping the Scales in balance.

There was, unfortunately, a good and bad side to this situation. The bad was that I didn't have much to work with, and without vast amounts of concrete evidence, hopes for achieving peace was minimal at best. Luckily though, I had a few aces up my sleeve I could use to my advantage.

Retrieved artifacts, hidden cross-tribe relationships, schematics to divvy up the land... all I could use to persuade them to cease fighting and share the huge expanse of terrain. The only major thing that was in my way was the intense feud between Tet-Urn (the head of the Sheykrac clan), and the chieftain of the Argonians, Meer.

Since I donned the title 'Outsider', I wasn't allowed much info on what happened between the two. One of them killed the other's family, or something. What I had been given was garbled from the mouth of a drunken soldier when I had stopped in one of the local watering holes.

Fun fact: Watering holes, bars, taverns, inns, and local high schools are all good places to go for information on the local area. The more you know, ya know?

Another poorly faked cough forced me to turn my head to the right. The large wooden door bound together by toughened moss stood, with the scrawl on it proudly displaying "War Room". Walking in, it wasn't much to look at. Even for primitive reptilian bipeds. You know what? By looking at it, it was barely anything more than one lengthy table and a booth that sat at the end.

Pieces of hides tanned into maps were hung from the walls, and I noted some of them to be military maneuvers I recommended. At the time, I didn't know why they were there, though. I had been given the impression that it was neutral territory, a city agreed that no one tribe controlled singularly. The drawings seemed far more archaic, which more closely resembled the Sheykrac style.

Briefly looking up, I noted the odd iron wrought chandelier that was suspended above the table, providing additional illumination to the room alongside the wall-mounted torches. They flickered due to the light draft that plagued the room and building in general. 'An almost medieval feel,' my mind quipped.

Another thing that had caught my eye was the number of Irida Counselors. Every seat at the table save two had been filled with representatives of the two tribes. Confusion was etched onto my face, no doubt, but I quickly shook it off and walked towards my booth. At least, that's what I was assuming was my booth. If the plaque on the stand was meant for someone else who could be classified as (how it so blatantly described) a 'bald-ape', then I don't know who it had been for.

Once I was positioned, I took note of everything in the room. It was an old habit I had developed from paranoia and the simple fact that recognizing your surroundings helped prevent Death from dancing a jig on your grave. Ignoring the plans that were haphazardly posted to the sides of the cave-esque room, there were two exits. One where I had came in, and one to my left. Five guards were positioned in the room, with one standing at the leftmost door. Two were in the corners opposite of me, and the other two seemed to be the ones scheduled to bar the main door with their persons.

I then noticed something, disturbing. Every representative in the room had a pistol on them. It wasn't as well-hidden as they presumed due to the odd structure of their armour, but I could definitely make out the shape and barrel on certain bodies. 'Why did they bring weapons in here for a peace treaty signing...? Furthermore, why even have the guards?'

"Do note that currently neither tribe trusts the other," Ed muttered as he scanned the tension in the air. "They haven't shot each other yet because of ancient laws guarding this neutral city, but that doesn't mean they wouldn't if they were provoked. And knowing how heated politics can get, this could be a sticky situation to escape from should it not fall into our favour."

'Hmm, yes. I suppose I need to tread carefully with what I say?'

"Considering your rank Mr. Outsider, I think that's a smart move."

Nodding at Ed's final statement, I began tapping a slow, steady beat.

One...two...three...four.

I frowned at the appendage for not appeasing my boredom, and decided now was a good of a time as any to prep my tools needed for this meeting. My hand emitted a pale blue as I subconsciously pulled out certain items I had stored in one of my distant warehouses.

'Let's see... take the ancient tribal spear used by one of their supposed gods. Take four reports of successful relationships business-wise of Sheykrac-Argonian transactions. And finally, take the blueprints to begin corralling and dividing the Dreshdae Fields.'

All I had needed sat under me on shelves near my knees. The top of my podium was bare, which I quickly rectified by slapping down the blueprints. Some Irida turned towards my way, and one even tried squinting at my paper, before all interest was lost once again. Rolling my shoulders, I waited.

Luckily, I had ended up not having to wait that long. A short knock on the main doors alerted the mini-force and they promptly opened. In walked two garbed Irida, divided by two of the local neutral military force of the city. The left wore ceremonial battle armour, laced with slashes and burn marks. The right wore a long, flowing robe made out of crimson linen.

Nodding respectively to Tet-Urn and Meer, I waited for them to sit down on their sides lined with their representatives. Both seemed to carry about a mask of serenity, yet their thoughts betrayed them. It didn't even require words for my heightened senses to feel the emotions boiling under those false guises willing to work together.

Obviously, this looked like things would be difficult. As they usually were.

A few brief moments passed in some awkward silence as I flattened out the blueprints and addressed the Irida council. "Greetings, Counselors." No response met me, but I chose to let it go. "Today, we are negotiating the dividing of the Dreshdae Plains and to provide a profitable and agreeable outcome to both parties. This meeting will also be doubling as a peace treaty signing, which will be discussed later-"

"Get on with your plans, Outsider," Tet-Urn cut off harshly. Muttered words of protests threatened to rise from the other side, but they were silenced. My brows furrowed slightly at him, which in turn caused me to address Meer first out of minor spite. 'Be a dick to me, will he...'

"You say the Argonian tribe sighted the Plains first, yes?"

He nodded respectfully. "Some of my scouts detected the land several days before Sheykrac." Filing away the fact, Tet let out an derisive snort. Predicting the oncoming statement, Meer continued. "We have documentation, if you wish to view it, Godsent."

This caused me to frown. Meer (unlike all the other Irida), had taken to calling me this name due to my power. Whether he did it because he believed calling me 'Outsider' would insult me and bring about my wraith, or not, wasn't a large concern for me. Several times I tried to correct him, but he seemed adamant about the choice to flaunt my power. I eventually gave up. "The report in written form would help speed things along nicely," I stated politely as Tet let out another snort.

"We also have reports, from several days before the Argonians," he growled as he motioned to the one by his right. Meer did a similar motion, and soon the two representatives had stone tablets in claw as they walked to my podium. The Sheykrac member merely dumped it on my stand and returned to his seat, while the Argonian did a slight bow and handed the tablet to me.

Truly, I didn't know which annoyed me more.

Trying to shake it off, I examined the two tablets side-to-side. Now, I wasn't a huge expert on how the Irida wrote, and their written dialects, but by judging the age of the scratches; the two inscriptions most likely made on the same day. Which meant both of them were lying on purpose, or it was a huge coincidence and everything could end up being hunky-dory.

A sigh nearly rose out of me, then. If only politics were that easy.

Looking up just slightly to address the room, I noticed that the Irida were looking at me intently. "You say that both of your tribes sighted the fields before the other, yes?" My question was instantly answered with a simultaneous nod from them. Letting out a short grunt, I raised both tablets and turned them to face the group. "The writings here are both aged to a certain degree. Meaning, that these were both made on the same day."

A brief silence seized hold of the room. I closely monitored the facial expressions and mental signatures being emitted by the representatives of the Irida. Some were confused, some annoyed, some not even surprised... but interesting enough, some were afraid. These were Meer, Tet-Urn, and the Irida posted to their immediate rights.

I called them out on it in a quiet, smooth voice. I had been complimented once on this tone several thousand millenniums beforehand; they said it reminded them of a serpent waiting to strike. "Why does it bring horror, rather than puzzlement or irritation?" They instantly adapted 'poker faces', and the inner readings they were emanating were clouded as they desperately attempted to hide away their show of emotion. Tense moments passed as I bored holes at them. "Well?"

Meer tentatively spoke up, his growls taking on a softer tone. "We assure you that we had arrived there first, Godsent-"

"Lies!" Tet-Urn shouted, standing up ferociously and baring his fangs. "My tribe was there first!"

The uneasy demeanor of Meer dropped instantly as he returned the look and gesture the Sheykrac gave him. I was really hoping he wouldn't do that. "Silence, you blood-thirsty deceiver! Your members strive for nothing but to advance your own selfish gains, and steal from those who had given rights!"

As I kept my eyes on the two of them, I sensed weapons being drawn. In my peripherals, several Irida were slowly drawing their pistols, while the Guards began loading their rifles as they watched the two leaders clash verbally against one another. Their throaty growls and snarls only intensified with each passing moment.

'This is not going well...'

"You need to stop them before things get out of hand."

'Right.' I slammed my fist down on the table as an improvised gavel, speaking in an authoritative voice while trying my best not to unleash some degree of thu'um by shouting. "Both of you, knock it off!"

My annoyed command was promptly ignored as Tet-Urn leaned in towards Meer. "It is not my tribes’ problem that you cannot provide for your own," he mocked with a sneer. My eyes widened at the insult. That was one of the worst things to say to an Irida. That they couldn't make sure that their people under their guidance be cared for. The Irida were a very proud race, in that respect.

And it didn't go unnoticed by Meer as he drew his pistol.

This provoked an immediate response, as all pistols and rifles rose and pointed at their polar opposites. Anger flowed through me, and as the triggers were pulled, my hand instinctively swiped to the side. The bullets all briefly left their muzzles and slowed to a standstill, before vanishing in thin air. Looking at my handiwork, I spoke in an aggravated tone.

"That is enough," I grumbled as I glanced at the look of surprise on the mortal's faces. "I will not have you disrupting the Scales with your petty conflict any longer. Your arguing achieves nothing, yet you continue to do it. Peace must be restored between your two tribes, and until we have this, no one shall leave. Holster your weapons, and quit acting like inbred morons!"

As my words echoed across the War Room, silence took hold. No words were spoken, no one breathed; it was literally still. Static, and unmoving. But Time had not ceased flowing. For both Meer and Tet-Urn shared a terse glance with one another and nodded, before promptly turning back at me with determination in their eyes.

This caused me to smile. 'Ah, good. They're willing to cooperate--'

Before my sentence could finish, my reflexes and instinct combined into one and I soon found myself behind the booth, with the sound of several bullets ringing off behind me. Taking a furtive peek, it was exactly where my head would've been if I hadn't avoided it.

"You dare to insult us, Outsider?!" I heard Tet growled as the faint sounds of weapons being re-cocked filled the air. "We'll teach you not to imply we perform that act of heresy! Kill him!" And like that, bullets began violently striking my small barrier. Meanwhile, my mind was abuzz with what in the blue hell was going on.

'Ed. What just happened?!'

I heard nervous chuckling coming from within as he spoke. Ed being nervous was never a good sign. Ever. "Funny thing that... the Language Matrix that the Editor uses to interpret and assist you in speaking different languages had, well... a minor glitch."

'Define minor.'

"Well... your words came out so in a particular way, where they believe you accused them of incest, rather than them acting like it."

There was a brief silence as I mulled that over, before the two pieces connected and I face-palmed behind my still-being-barraged defense. Irida took incest as a very serious crime, so combining this with the glitch, and I had just pissed off the two most vital groups on this planet, and buggered up any chance not only for them to get peace, but for me to possibly get outta this alive.

'Dammit, I really messed up this time. Way to go Storm... dumbass.'

End Recording. Fast-Forwarding Memory, To A More Recent One...

Adrenaline surged through me as I attempted to calculate a way out of this mess. There was no way I could balance the Scales now, which basically meant it was time for me to ditch this universe and go on with the next. Keeping the Scales in check across all Universes was important, but it wasn't worth dying over on some backwater reality. The only problem with that, is due to Fate and its damnable circumstances, I had stressed the Editor in those recent years to the point where it was in the final stages of its Stasis.

Which meant, any higher level functions--like trans-dimensional warps, for example--could not be done.

And what I had on me was quite little. I had a spare 6" knife I plucked from some unlucky son-of-a-bitch earlier in the day when the scaly shit tried to pick a fight with me, my Hidden Blade I kept on my person since my dealings with the Assassin Brotherhood, and the Ancient Spear that laid on its side next to me, parallel to the podium.

My ears perked up to the faint sound of claws clicking off against the cobblestone floor in approach, as well as the lull of firing. It was obvious that soon I'd be a dead man if I didn't come up with a hair-brain scheme to wiggle my way to safety. Unless...

An idea came to me. A stupid one, sure... but it was the only one I had. It was going to be a close call, and I was expecting to get out with nothing less than a bullet wound. Tensing up, my fists automatically flexed themselves. A nervous tic, I admit. When I felt that the curious guard was close enough, I enacted my plan and began.

I flung myself up and out of my cover, positioning myself so I stood right in front of the oncoming warrior. Using my left hand, I swatted the ascending pistol coming to shoot me, and stepped in so our bodies were touching. Meanwhile, my right hand went down and fished out the stolen knife I acquired some days prior.

Since this action was done so fast, the other Iridans in the room instantly fired upon seeing me. I was simply glad I was smart enough to use the guard as my unsuspecting meat-shield, causing them to let loose a volley that would've killed me on the spot. Therefore, I didn't waste much time.

Hoping for the best, I spun the short blade in my band so I held it by its tip. Making sure my aim would be true, I chucked the tool right into its intended target; the hook holding the iron-wrought chandelier I noticed on my way into the War Room. I didn't keep my eyes on it, for my new goal was to grab the now-deceased guard and use him one last time.

Another barrage was sent my way, but again the corpse I had dragged along with me for three steps gave me one last cover. But it was all I had needed, because my stolen weapon did its job and struck the hook keeping the centerpiece suspended. The chain supporting the mass broke, and down the chandelier went into the middle of the counselor's table. The flames that were being toted by the metalwork fell off their tiny altars, and were flung in random directions.

At this point, I was rushing for the side-door and the Irida guard standing in my way. I wouldn't have to worry about the others, for my brief distraction would keep them busy. Not even considering pausing, I revealed my Hidden Blade which caught the poor sap of a guard, off-guard. Before he could hope to shoot me, I collided into him and sent both of us through the barred door with my blade impaled into his heart.

(Approximately twenty-five seconds later...)

As I heard the feral roars and snarls behind me, I sprinted down the corridor that the side-door had led to. The inner workings of the construct were similar to a maze, which forced me to constantly change directions and throw caution to the wind. They had simply been too close behind me, and gave me no real chance to just duck into an alcove and hide. My shadow flickered over the walls as I passed torches at high speeds, trying to find my way out.

"Dammit, Storm! Why did you have to insult them?!"

'It's not my fault the Language Matrix had a glitch! Don't start trying to blame me, Ed!'

"We need to get outta here. Your stress level is rising drastically, and I can't teleport us out until we get out of the 'hot zone', as it were."

I nodded, and circled around another corner. Only to skid to a halt at the three Irida soldiers immediately in front of me. They turned towards me, fangs bared and hisses emitting from their maws as they raised their weapons. My honed reflexes kicked in as I ducked under the bullets and shot my hand outward, unleashing a pulse of kinetic energy. They flew black in response, and I barreled past their downed selves as I fled.

But it was too late. The other guards had heard the shots, and they closed in on my position with increased frevor. I weaved past portholes and open doorways in the inner walls in order to dodge their volleys, and I noticed that soon I was on a familiar path. Where I was rampaging led towards what I believed was the west side of the structure, which faced the town below-

*Crack!*

The bullet grazed my head and leaving a stinging echo in its wake, causing me to curse and locate the marksmen. He wasn't far, maybe twenty feet away shouldering a Remington behind some crates. Ducking into an adjacent doorway and dodging another projectile, I was annoyed that I had appeared in a large amphitheater of sorts, with several very pissed-off Irida residing within. And they already had their weapons raised.

Without pausing, I turned sharply to the left, running parallel to the group. My goal was the weapons rack that sat reclining against the wall on the opposite side of the room. If I had tried to Spawn in a weapon during this situation with the Stasis on its last legs, it wouldn't exactly accomplish anything. The Irida seemed to notice it as well, for they began redirecting themselves closer to the rack as their shots rang out in front of me.

To them, I'm sure I looked like a phantom blurring his way past the path of the bullets. In actuality, I was using Focus to perceive the metal pieces and dodge them with ease. Slow-motion for me, regular speed for them. Dive rolls, cartwheels, front flips; you name it, I did it to make progress towards the weaponry. 'Thank you, Morpheus and Neo.'

It wasn't heavily stocked, the rack. Some spears, a blade or two, and a singular shield. My goal was to get one of each. On my back still hung the Ancient Spear I used to strike fear into the hearts of Meer and Tet-Urn. Perhaps that's why they were aiming in front of me; not to have better accuracy, but to have a greater chance to not hit their ceremonial artifact.

It wasn't long before I made it, and snagging the shield I was quick to fling it similar to a Frisbee. It was a common move I did with all things circular, mainly because it looked absolutely badass and was quite efficient. Its success was proven as it knocked away a multitude of the firearms from their claws, and returning it its point of origin on the rack. Grabbing a spear in my right hand, I quickly reared back and launched it.

Its penetration through three simultaneous soldiers was an interesting highlight, to say the least. As the conga line went in reverse, I snagged what I identified as a revised version of a Mooltan Calvary sword and twirled it expertly in my right hand while reacquiring the shield.

I stared down the five unarmed Irida that rushed me.

They fanned out similar to a crescent, a formation I was quite familiar in decimating. The one to my farthest right came at me, claws extended and sharpened enough to rend my flesh. I was quick to parry the sloppy right swing with the sharper edge of the blade, and slammed the face of the shield mounted on my left arm into his chest. He toppled backwards slightly, but it didn't stop me from bringing the blade downwards on an angle where his neck connected to his torso.

It sliced through halfway, guaranteeing its life would not be long. My instincts kicked in as I heard the leftmost Irida flank me from behind. Moving with grace, I ducked and turned clockwise on a knee. The sword left its meaty sheathe, and entered another horizontally at the ribs. It flowed through the warrior with minimal resistance, leaving three discouraged beasts to fight me.

In anger, one charged me with little regard for his own health. On all fours, he quickly closed the distance. But I was faster. I did a light side-hop and brought my shield downwards, hitting the Irida in the back on its skull on its way past and driving the deformed lizard into the ground below me. I was quick to stab where the spine connected to the neck before any of them could properly understand what had just occurred.

Pulling out my blade, the two had re-positioned themselves to be opposite sides of me. My eyes flicked back and forth between the two as I stood in the center. Instantly, they both came at me simultaneously. 'So, these neutral warriors examined my tactic scripts...'

Once more I trusted and surrendered myself to the guiding hand of my instincts. I disarmed my shield and tossed it so its face interrupted the right attacker. Turning to the left, I stepped in and began my combo. First was a upper left diagonal, which the warrior barely deflected with its claws making a bear trap-like formation. I quickly capitalized on its exposed side, doing the same diagonal motion on its right. The same parry was done, but it was worth it. In a twirl, I spun counter-clockwise and ripped through the chest in the same direction as the first.

But during my spin, I saw the other approaching me, claws raised and body no long impeded by the shield. A cocky side of me emerged, and with it I spun the blade so its edge faced away towards my opponent. I crouched lightly, and drove my sword upwards into the chin of the creature. It pierced its brain, killing it instantaneously.

Probably the most remarkable thing about that entire sequence, was that it started and finished in under a few seconds.

Removing my acquired weapon, the final body collapsed to the ground. I cringed lightly and comically at the blood-soaked corpses that littered my feet (despite being in this situation countless times before, it never seemed to get old) as I replaced my shield that was left forgotten a short distance away from me. Noting the other door, and the sound of other pursuers arriving, I made my way through the opposite passage.

Once again, I was on the move. In retrospect, the smart idea would've been to snag one of the disarmed pistols for later use, but then again I hadn't been too smart to start with ever since I arrived and encountered the Irida (I blame old age). The corridors echoed with shrill growls as the insulted Irida continued to chase and hunt me down. Ed had remained quiet, most likely keeping his attention to my vitals, maneuvers, and my Stress.

And, as if things weren’t bad enough, I could already feel my Stress spiking radically. I felt its hold ease and strengthen periodically, making small opportunities to perform higher functions difficult to estimate. 'Why did it have to be my stress that governed the Editor's power level and ability?'

"Because," Ed mumbled suddenly. "it's just how the technology was designed. Now stop worrying about that, and put that worry towards getting out of here alive."

I growled in affirmation as I kept running through the halls. My dark-grey tunic was splattered with blood, alongside my tanned pants. At least it wasn't a large amount, if my occasional look-down was anything to go off of. Meanwhile, I was mentally reprimanding myself for not getting the layout of the structure before factoring in something to fuck things up.

As I turned a corner, I skidded to a stop once more. Not because of enemy forces, but because the window on the left wall showed the steps I had traversed coming up here. Which meant, I was directly above the entrance! All I had to do was go straight down, maybe shimmy a little, and--

"Kill the Godsend," I heard Meer shout as Irida from all three groups (Argonians, Sheykracs, and Neutrals) formed on my position, forcing me to turn my back so it faced the window. Now I had enemies on my left, right, and front. My blade and shield were still drawn, and I was more than prepared for killing them to get out of this.

That is, until I realized there were thirty guns pointing at me, and very little space or moves I could do to dodge them. I cursed silently as my Stress increased, temporarily giving me a guarantee I couldn't access much higher powers at my current level.

"Don't move, or you will die," Tet-Urn warned from my right as his force stood armed. Meer had his force to the left, and the neutral Irida barred passage directly in front of me. Already though, I was formulating an escape strategy. The window was a few feet away, and the small indent that the window resided it was only perhaps five feet wide. Hmm... I wonder-

"Human. Drop your weapons, and we'll consider not ending you..." I glanced at the voice in front of me, and was surprised to see that it was a familiar face. During my working with the Neutral faction here, I had come to have several conversations about warfare with the one before me I nicknamed 'Scars'. The reasoning for that should be obvious.

"Scars! Look, let me explain-"

He abruptly cut me off with an angered expression. which mixed horribly well with the blood-red scars that plagued his scaly visage. "No, you may not. You insulted not only the tribes of Argonian and Sheykrac, but you insulted the race of Irida as a whole! I order you, to drop. Your. Weapons."

Sighing, I tossed the sword behind me alongside the shield. I noticed that they bounced right into a reclining position under the window, and as did the Irida looked at me with just a smidgen of awe. It seemed a bit of Editor mumbo-jumbo had rubbed off on the tools. Removing the artifact from my back, I watched as they became far more alert when I unsheathed it.

I shrugged, and was prepared to toss it behind me as well, before Scars cut me off. "Don't you dare, Warbringer." I chuckled faintly at the nickname he gave me in kind, despite that part of my nature being something I wasn't particularly fond of. It was mostly the matter of my business. "Hand it over."

Staring down at the valuable trinket in my hand, I held it calmly in two hands. Listening to them nervously chatter, I did the only sensible thing a dead man could do: I began grasping at straws.

And lucky me I had a big one right there in my possession.

Moving swiftly, I stabbed the spearhead into the cracks of the cobblestone below my feet, and leaned to the side to apply pressure. The guns were cocked instantaneously, but by then my trap was set. Smirking, I spoke aloud. "Any of you attempt to kill me, and I break your artifact."

Instantly, the mood changed. From hostile, to horrified. But it worked. Several of them lowered their weapons, but the rest simply seemed against shooting me right away. Annoyance however, was what I noticed on the three leaders. Meer had it mixed with hesitation, Tet had it mixed with anger, and Scars had it mixed with fatigue.

Tet-Urn snarled. "Don't even try it."

Meer scratched his scaly head nervously. "Perhaps an arrangement is in order?"

Scars nodded wearily. "How about this: give us our artifact, and we'll let you live."

My eyebrows rose at this. I had not expected my bluff to work, much less that they'd be desperate enough to let me live despite my blunder for this piece. But suspicion was still there, and usually it was a proper guide. Luckily, in this brief period I had time for my mind to clear some. Enough so, that I could see slight reflexes easier. For example, the twitch of Scar's claw near his rifle.

I understood then. They were luring me into their trap, from my own. With this bit of knowledge, my words that came next were calculated and precise. "Fine. Come here, and I'll give you the Spear first."

They seemed surprised at this, perhaps that I was willing to compromise. Nevertheless, Scars motioned for his lieutenant, and with a nod, the armoured officer approached me. Already, the edginess in his steps, and how he kept a claw near his dual-pistols were enough to tell me he was afraid--

Wait. Dual-pistols? Oh, this'll be interesting...

Already once again, my trap was set once more. All that was needed was for him to get a little bit closer... Ah, there we go. The Irida lieutenant stood before me, tersely holding out one claw while keeping his other one hovering over his right pistol. I looked about calmly at the assembled mass, and smiled.

Immediately, I wretched the Spear backwards so I held it in both hands, and slammed the point through the Irida's gaping maw. As I enabled Focus, I tugged the Spear back to give proper direction and twisted it so his body began to turn. Directing my head slightly to the side, I could peer halfway past the punctured skull to see the other soldiers on the verge of firing.

Lucky for me, I had it planned like clockwork. As the corpse fell towards me and turned, I caught the body with my chest, effectively having the body face the horde and double as an armoured meat-shield. My hands went for his pistols, and drew them swiftly. As the beginning bullets began to slowly jettison from their muzzles, I back-stepped while bringing the corpse with me, placing me in the alcove to negate flank fire.

My trigger-fingers worked in slow-motion, firing shot after shot while my wrists pivoted the tools towards my targets. Their bold attempts to eliminate my spree were interrupted by my calculated bullets ending their lives and struggles. While I did have some room for error in my firing due to having a spare round or two, I still couldn't get sloppy during my rather-idiotic escape plan.

I briefly recalled that as the final underling to my front collapsed, I quickly expended the final rounds in varying parts of Scar's body, guaranteeing that he wouldn't be able to further disrupt me, but simultaneously keeping him from Death's Door. As the tell-tale sound of the chambers clicked empty, I discarded the weapons and back-stepped.

However, due to this occurring in less than ten seconds, my flanks were still getting over the sudden shock. Meer and Tet-urn were furious, desperately trying to organize their units to finish me before I could anything else. It was really too late for them, because at this point I had replaced the Spear to hang from my back once more, sheathed the sword, and fastened the shield to my arm.

And then, without allowing my brain to ponder my next move, I threw myself out of the port-hole window towards the stairs below...

-WTIN-

The chunks of the wooden beams, splitting the window like a prison-cell portal to the outside realm, were sent flying in random directions as my shoulder finished making contact, and my feet left the recess of the building. Though, my new predicament wasn't much better than my previous considering how I was quickly closing the distance betwixt me and the stairs leading to the settlement.

'Good thing I got this...'

Moving fluidly my shield-arm braced itself as I curled my body, so that the bronze circle would make contact with the steps before I could. It happened just in time, because almost immediately afterwards I lurched forward from the initial impact, and the proceeding front-flip caused by the momentum sent me down the expanse at a high velocity. I leaned enough for me to rebound against the stone once more with my shield, before my velocity slammed me into the corner of the L-shaped stair-way.

Granted, it hurt like a bitch. It didn't stop me from recovering and launching myself back down the second leg of the bumpy ride, however. Especially since multiple Irida were firing upon me from the port that I had fled from no more than twenty seconds ago. This one was more difficult to go down, but I had positioned myself this time so that I skipped down the stairs like a young child riding a sled down a hilly mountainside.

Nearing the solid ground, I got some style points by catching the end of the shield on a chipped section and flinging me into another front-flip. From there, my free arm shot out and pole-vaulted me over the final step and twisted my body so I landed in a kneeling stance having my shield to the side.

"Like a boss, Storm." Ed commented proudly as I saw an ethereal field of energy radiate from me and span out across maybe a mile before dissipating.

"Initiating M.L.P. Scan..."

Ah. So the Editor was doing one of its safeguard features: the Meager Life Pulse, meant to pick out living creatures in a certain area around me. Very useful for incidents where knowing what was alive in my vicinity. However, his response afterwards was far from encouraging. "We have approximately thirty guards en route to us in a quarter-mile of our position..."

'Well... shit.'

I stood as a second wind of sorts overtook me, despite my first one having never quite left me. Rushing towards an alleyway, my thoughts were already trying to formulate an escape route from this ever-growing snowball. There was definitely some distance between me and the front gate, which was the only guaranteed passage I had into a space that wasn't occupied by the creature-infested jungles that surrounded the walls.

Ed let out a small whistle in pity as I ducked into the alleyway and began speed-walking down the path, trying to take into account my inventory. "Really trying not to put a damper on our morale, but you done goofed."

'Thanks for affirming what I've already established, Ed. Perhaps you'd like to tell me what color the sky is next?' was my sarcastic response as I reached the end of the shady alcove and crouched behind a discarded wicker basket.

"Would you be mad if I responded with 'blue'?"

Inwardly, I couldn't resist lightly ripping my hair out at his near-constant way of taking few things in a serious manner. 'For the love of Fate, just help me get out of this!'

"Alright, alright..." he mumbled as I heard the sound of faint keys being tapped away in my head. Something he was doing to further irritate me, the damnable Englishman. "Look. You only have maybe a dozen blocks to traverse to get to the gate. As long as you remain out of sight and mind, then everything should go along fine." He paused, and then went off and said the most frustrating thing: "You've fucked up enough, so what's the worse that could happen now?"

And of course, good 'ole Murphy and his fail-safe Law came into play. Son of a bitch.

Almost instantly, two armed-Irida rounded the corner of the alley opposite of me. And from the looks of their prodding, they were extensively searching for me as their drawn rifles poked pieces of debris. Frowning at Ed internally did little to ease my mood, but at least he got the hint and silently apologized by going back to helping me escape this mess.

The soldiers were trying to be quiet, but my refined hearing could distinctly hear that barely-audible tap of their talons against the stone that made most of the city's floor. They were steadily making their way through their alley, and it seemed obvious that soon they'd be combing mine.

That's when I looked at the basket once more, and got an idea. It was too small for me to use it to hide myself, unfortunately. But, it could serve another function...

*Thwack! Thud-thud-thud*

I remained dead-still as the basket made impact with the street and bounced right into a small collection of tin pans that were hanging from a butcher's stall. This obtained the soldiers interest though, for they quickly came around the corner (while thankfully ignoring the original location of the basket), and had their backs turned to me. As such, I made my way into their already-inspected space while they interrogated the butcher.

The permeating silence that seized the city confused me, which simply put me on edge even further. After my hairy encounter, I was expecting alarms to be going off, and a lot more soldiers to be patrolling openly. In fact, how those soldiers had been already searching for me when I hadn't escaped my situation no more than two minutes ago confused me. They really didn't need to be quiet about this... unless...

They're keeping me low-profile.

Suddenly, things were making a semblance of sense. My interactions with the Irida weren't exactly major, but my persuasion skills combined with my way of inspiring had made me a positive household name throughout all the cities in the eyes of the populace. If soldiers started marching in large groups openly searching for me, citizens would get suspicious.

And if they found out that something went south with me, most likely they'd be siding with the 'all-powerful multidimensional being', than some leaders of factions. I hoped for this, anyway. If I was full of shit, then relying on alerted vigilantes would wind up badly for me.

I didn't want to think about 'what ifs', though. What I had to focus on was simply to escape, whether guns blazing or not. And considering how many little pairs of guards there were trying to discreetly hunt me down at that point, it seemed rather obvious that it would very well come to me going flat-out offensive in the broad daylight.

Lucky for me, there was an alleyway system that connected to the one I took. This meant that for a brief distance, I had multiple avenues and shade to hide myself as I proceeded to my goal. It didn't really matter how fast I got out (even though that bullet graze on my head was still stinging like all hell), but perhaps if I went ahead and did this slowly, I wouldn't have to spill as much blood.

As I reached the end of the network, another Pulse was sent outwards. It had been a good thing only highly magically-influenced creatures could detect the scan on a blue moon (which wasn't in the Irida's forte), for I was able to maintain my cover while getting a feel of what's happening immediately near me.

"Less guards than before. This is also the second Pulse we've sent that's detected zero civilians aside from that one butcher. Where are they, I wonder...?" Ed spoke softly as he worked.

'No clue. Don't really care, as long as we can get out of the city and away from the conflict so that I can generate enough energy to Warp.'

"Right," Ed agreed as he went silent briefly. "Be wary of this main street ahead; several guards are most likely examining all the nooks here, and you have no other options to go unless you feel like backtracking."

'Something I'd prefer not to do,' I thought quietly as I discreetly peeked behind the corner of the alcove that spilled out into the primary avenue. It was fairly barren, with only a patrol of three Iridan-troops moving down the road at a moderate pace. From their pattern, I realized that their circuit only went in a oval for the middle of the road. Thankfully, it seemed that I was out of that zone by a solid few yards. The problem that arose then though, was how to proceed down the street that led to the Gate when those guards could easily alert nearby allies.

Another opening sat on the opposite side of the road, down a little ways. Most likely, my brain mused, it led towards a backyard system that I could use to avoid confrontation. Deciding this was a good of a plan as any, I awaited the trio of guards to finish their round and to move away from me. It didn't take long, and the instant I felt I could cross without detection, I moved silently but swiftly towards my goal.

'A little closer, and I can duck into--'

*Crack!*

Another gunshot sounded off, though this time I was unlucky enough to have it strike me in the left shoulder. It ripped through me viciously, causing me to briefly become unfocused. I twisted towards the group of patrolling guards, and to my surprise they were just turning about. No, the shooter was visible to me on a distant rooftop, rifle barrel still smoking from his shot.

I quickly jogged the rest of the way towards the opening as the triple-threat began firing upon me with the aid of their sharpshooter. However, upon entering the alleyway, I realized that not only did it lead to a dead-end, but there were two more Iridan troops sitting back there resting. Of course, that passed the instant they heard the gunshot and saw me. They quickly stood, and drew their pistols at their hips. My eyes bugged out, and with the screaming agony that was festering in my shoulder, I knew that stealth wouldn't cut it anymore.

'It's time to kick it up a notch,' was my brain's only witty-thought before I twisted back around the corner and charged down the sidewalk towards the enemy fire. Now, I knew at the time that what I was doing was a stupid idea. But in the end, what choice did I have?

Bullets impacted the area around me as I closed towards the firing line assembled to dispatch me. I weaved the best I could with the chunk of metal embedded into my shoulder, but I feared that there was no way I could rush through them with the semi-accurate weapons they were toting.

It was in a split-second that I made another decision. To the left of the line that I was charging towards, there were several stacks of crates forming a mini-stair piece that led to a corner of a building outlined with jutting bricks. However, it lied a few feet beyond the leftmost Irida, and there was no way I could go around or stop to confront them.

So, I decided to go through him instead.

My right Hidden Blade revealed itself as I ducked under the rifle that was prepped to end me. Using my present momentum, I drove my stealthy device into the heart of the sentient, located for this particular species right above the sternum. I lifted him from the ground as I tackled him, enabling him to simultaneously take a bullet from the distant sniper.

As I reached the crest of my lift, I flicked my wrist and returned the Hidden Blade to its proper sheathe. I leaned away from the crumpling corpse as I adjusted my positioning so I ran straight-on for the ascension, and with bullets still being fired upon me I jumped up each crate. I quickly reached the end, but at this point I had turned and was using the design of the bricks as a climbable wall.

The screaming pain that arose from any movement in my left shoulder proved this to be an excruciating task, but luckily tucking it in allowed me to still hold onto points at my chest-level. That ended up being only a moderate inconvenience, for I could launch myself using my right arm, and catch any brick in my midriff to pause before flinging myself again. A few repeats of that (while narrowing avoiding the random shots being unleashed on me by my assailants no more than fifteen feet below me), and I quickly hoisted my Editor-wielding self onto the rooftop.

I didn't stop there. After all, that sharpshooter was still after me with a passion. I pressed on and crossed the first gap ahead of me, wheeling my arms lighting to maintain myself as I navigated those small-to-average sized crevices that led to a rather painful fall. The rooftops weren't incredibly bare, which helped in creating small tufts of cover to keep my body intact from another blow. Using the method of 'move, hide, and move', I made excellent time and distance as I exited the district I was in and entered another.

At this point, those incognito patrols had detected me, and converged on where their fellow members were already in hot pursuit. This time the tolling bell that served to give announcements rang at a frantic pace, one that represented an archaic version of a city-wide alarm.

Its constant sounding off was an afterthought as I used my good arm to vault over waist-high peaks scattered horizontally on the higher domain that I traversed. Sometimes, I had to leap completely over the obstacles, for my proper hand would be busy with trying to keep pressure on my wound that rendered my left forearm fairly unusable.

Speaking of that, trying to clot the blood-flow while in mid-run is not an easy endeavor. Trust me: It was definitely a 'bitch-and-a-half' to try and deal with as I made my way past all of the damnable bullets--

'Shit!'

My mind shouted the obscenity as I went for a sliding halt at the amassed squad of ten snipers positioned in a row across from me, rifles shouldered and ready to shoot. It was a good thing that I was on a slant, for my momentum combined with me going into a small baseball-esque slide that enabled me to take a simple trip past the fire, and straight into the alleyway twenty feet below.

At least, that's where I would've gone. As I went over the edge, my luck made itself known as my body went straight towards an exposed window with the shutters opened wide for air to come in. Apparently, that wouldn't be the only thing coming in, for my body instantly aligned to find purchase on the windowsill.

I barely stuck the landing, and even then the ground was rushing up to meet me as my velocity forced me to keep going forward. My right arm instinctively jutted out under my left armpit, and my body became similar to a ball. It was a part of Breakfall Training; something I had hundreds of years experience due to the fighting forms I had learned.

It worked like a charm. My shoulder came into contact first, enabling me to push off with my feet after they temporarily found the wooden floor. That push got me to roll back onto my head after going literally head-over-heels and continue my running through the corridor of the home I was briefly intruding in. This hallway though had a corner installed right in the blasted middle of it, forcing me to go right. And if that wasn't enough, a table sat in the way as well.

This didn't stop me, though. At least, not at first. I attempted to vault over the offending piece of furniture to the best of my ability, but there was simply too much momentum behind my person, and I ended up crashing hip-first into the table. It imploded upon itself, and I tripped over my own clumsiness and chunks of debris in my rush.

"Pfft."

'Shut up!' was my quick reply as I recovered from my drunkard stumbling into another sprinting posture. After navigating that obstacle, I saw another open window come into view. Using all the haste I had, I pushed my body to fucking run. Even the pain in my shoulder subsided from the adrenaline rush that came with this. The portal outside was no less than five feet away when I saw yet another sniper set up on the roof opposite of me. My eyes quickly locked onto a flower pot that hung from a basic planter to my upper-left, and surprisingly without stopping, my feet made contact with the windowsill and launched me.

My hands wrapped around the pot, and that's when my luck ran out. You see, my plan was to take that little bitch and swing right out of the way and continue my free-running. It only half-worked; when I did my turn, there was nothing for me to keep running on, and as such I plummeted with the pot in my grasp extended over my head (due to the supporting strings holding it aloft breaking), as I descended from the two-story building towards the ground.

My pupils widened as the not-so-soft stone walkway came flying towards me. I prepped my body for a rather uncomfortable crash landing, before an Irida came into my line of sight. And lucky me, he was right where I was going to land. He hadn't noticed me taking my impromptu route, and I used this to my full advantage and instead prepped myself to crash into a slightly-softer-than-stone guard.

Now, to be honest, I didn't even know at the time how I was able to perform all that admittedly ridiculous shit so fluidly, despite the fact that I could barely keep track of my own thoughts at the moment. What I did definitely know at that precise second, with completely and utter certainty?

A flower pot being swung downward by a falling entity from two-stories and a lot of momentum can knock you for a loop when the point of impact is your skull.

How did I know this? Because it’s exactly what had happened. When I made contact with the singular guard, the pottery in my hands was the first thing that came into contact with him. And since me and the Iridan had a semi-similar height, it wasn't too difficult to pull this off.

After the dirt-slash-vegetation storage device was destroyed upon the reptilian's cranium, I used his lower body to help cushion the rest of me as we both made contact with the ground. My ever-present cumulative speed sent me rolling on over him, before stopping face-down in the crudely-made cobblestone path.

Trying to shake away both my dizziness and the shallow cuts from the fall, I attempted to get to my knees in order to keep going. That's when I decided it was a bad time to look up, and I bared witness to the charging horde of at least twenty guards coming down the path this guard had just arrived from. And they weren't intent on slowing down, which meant I had to speed up.

"Storm! We got some stored energy! Let's knock these bastards back and get out of here while we have this reserve!"

Right there was possibly the best time for that news, because the instant Ed's words were heard, my right hand was projecting a small sphere of power. It swirled with sky blue, the signature color of my Editor. Getting up to just one knee, I smirked as I underarm-threw the little ball of Death and quickly tried to rise completely with the thirty seconds I just bought myself.

Meanwhile, that piece of magical destruction I sent rolled and found purchase right under the feet of one of the center-Iridans stomping down on the stone. The result was both disgusting and relieving, for that triggered a kinetic explosion that launched the incoming mass in multiple directions. Some body parts were removed from the sheer force of it compacted so.

At this point, I was on my feet, turned around, and starting to run down the street in the direction the rush was going before a bullet struck the ground right in front of me. Without pausing, I sneered at the sharpshooter I left on the rooftop. With a quick slash of my still-glowing hand, the molecules of the mortar keeping the two building materials together vanished, and as such the irritating rifle-toting bugger plunged into the structure with debris following.

'Took you long enough to bring good news! Where the hell did all these guys come from, anyway?!'

There was a slight panicked undertone to Ed as he responded. "I have no idea. We're close, though! Take this left, and we're on the home stretch for the Main Gate!"

Nodding, I sighted the indicated change in direction and followed it. Even from that distance, I could see the Gate standing largely and proudly as some minor constructions were being made to reinforce its wooden exterior. I could see said Main Gate closing slowly yet surely. That was not a good sign.

I noted that my mini-reserve wasn't out yet, and I made it useful by removing some of my physical fatigue by transferring the quickly expending energy, with brand-new fresh energy. There was no way I would've been able to use it to heal-and-run (which would have been a good usage and super useful), so taking away my tiredness some was going to have to suffice. The ease of strain was a welcome sensation. And naturally, my senses grew even sharper, as did my speed with my goal in sight.

I was halfway down the street. Closing in on my semi-closed passage out of this botched attempt to levy the uneven forces acting on this world. It was an unexpected way of fucking things up; but when you got something that can do a lot of crazy shit, I should've learned to always at all times: expect the unexpected.

And proclaiming to a race that they perform incest and being nearly killed for the slip-up sorta falls under that.

I looked about frantically, but I saw no signs of any more Irida. Did they quit? Was I going to be able to outrun them, and get out of this alive? Could I take another breather from this shtick that became my unofficial job and take a vacation?

The answer, to all of those questions... is 'no'.

And this was discovered when I saw them out of the corners of my vision as I entered the large and rather empty square that bottle-necked into the Gate. They were in waves. Dozens on each side. But I didn't care. I was no less than ten steps away, and the space between the doors would be enough for me to lie in between and be comfortable. The escape was in the bag--!

*Slam!*

The large doors that created the Gate closed instantly and suddenly, taking me by surprise as I face-planted into the now-towering hunk of wood and metal. I heard Ed give a light snicker, and to be honest I would assume I had looked rather comical running into that right after it closed, and when I was so close. Unfortunately, since this was me, the humour didn't come at that point.

I turned my body to the right, and reclined my back against the construct. I really wish I hadn't.

Guns. Guns everywhere. And all of them were directed at me, locked and loaded. My heart was having greater thumps than a jackhammer could ever hope for. My eyes were alert, darting towards every sniper that peered their head from behind chimneys, every platoon that thickened the flanks even further, and especially the arrival of Meer, Scars, and Tet-Urn.

"And finally, the rat is cornered..." Tet-Urn gloated as he strolled closer towards me from my left, Winchester in claws as he slowly reloaded it. "Your little escape ends here, Outsider."

"Indeed," Meer commented as he unholstered his 1851 Colt Navy Revolver. "Perhaps now you should have chosen your words more carefully when your strength wasn't altogether, eh Godsent?"

"It is a true shame..." Scars trailed off with a rather glum expression on his face as he inserted a slug into his Model 1887 shotgun.

I bared my teeth as I glanced about. My numbers were correct; there were more than a hundred barrels ready to take me down. And there were no more tricks left up my sleeve. I could feel only a bare amount of Editor energy left for me to use; surely not enough to fight or move out of the situation and into safety.

It was when my eye just slightly glanced at the paused renovation towards my right that I had one last plan. One last resort. It was idiotic, probably wasn't going to work unless Fool's Luck and Fate intervened, and was just a really really bad idea. But it was a plan. Fool-proof, though? Not even close.

'Ed.' There was a brief silence before I received an anxious reply.

"Yeah, Storm?"

'Do you think what we got in the tank is enough to fish out something in Storage?'

"Possibly. It would have to be a fairly small object, and the matter composing it can't be too heavy or complex. That shit costs extra... Why?" Ed questioned cautiously.

'Do you really need to ask?' I responded knowingly. Whether he knew or not as well, I couldn't tell. Either way, I felt him shrug.

"I trust your judgement, even if it's shit most of the time. Do I need to do anything?"

'Yes.' I paused, before taking in a physical breath. 'Please refrain from mocking me as I die.'

"Spawning: Italian Smoke Bomb (Renaissance)"

"No..." The horror was evident in his voice, even if it was just a slight tremor."You aren't."

I nodded internally. 'Oh yeah. I am.'

"Storm, you madman..." was the only response I got out of him, along with him shaking his head as he watched my plan unfold.

As I felt the tiny handheld orb materialize in my hand, I planned my route one final time. They hadn't noticed yet, for I slowed the process of its arrival. Instead, they had been rambling on about my defeat, and how I would perish, blah blah blah. Shit I had heard literally ten thousand times before, so I had tuned them out.

When I felt that they were about to finish, I fully brought in the Smoke Bomb. Before any of them could react, I turned on a dime and dashed to my right, dropping the device at my feet. It detonated, releasing its signature white plume of smoke, providing only a meager sense of concealment. But that wasn't the explosive's purpose. No, it was meant only to distract.

Their eyes locked onto my smoke before me, and by the time they fired, I knew without a shadow of a doubt that over half of the shots had missed in the confusion. They certainly weren't expecting it, for I hadn't been moving at all and their superiors were still giving their premature victory speeches.

My new target sat five yards away. A pulley. I didn't waste any time as I jumped onto the platform, and grasped the rope with my right hand. I could see them out of the corner of my eye, pivoting their weapons towards me. Rushing, I drew my left Hidden Blade this time, and went to cut the bottom of the rope in order for the wooden beams above to propel me to the battlements.

*Pow!*

At this moment two things happened; though which happened first, I have no idea. The first that I think happened was that I successfully cut the rope, and I had begun to ascend. The second was Meer firing his pistol and striking me in the right thigh, which I believe was where my head was no more than a quarter of a second previous to the contact.

The pain raced through me as I whizzed up the wall in a matter of moments. I hit the top faster than I expected, and landed in my hopeful spot. I had noticed it on the way in, and it only came to me at the last second as I was pinned against that gate for ideas on how to bail.

I quickly adjusted myself so that I didn't break anything, for I knew that if I did things would go very badly for me. Drawing my left Hidden Blade again, I cut the sinew which launched me from the War Catapult, and into the sloping valley below.

Location: Golden Oaks Library. Ponyville, CPE (Center Province of Equestria)

Time: Approximately late-morning, specifics unavailable

One would believe that a small village nestled in a valley overlooked by the countries' capital would be in full-swing before the day was truly in-effect. That particular person would be mostly correct, for the ever-growing town of Ponyville was indeed quite active as the pondering of whether now was a good time for breakfast or lunch diminished.

Shop-keeps provided service in their stores. Farmers began to prep their crops to be harvested (for fall was on its first leg still.) And off-work residents maintained relationships with friends by conversing with them under the rising sun. Everything was in motion, all except for a singular building that had yet to open its doors to the public.

It was an unusual abode, which functioned as a repository of information for any willing to venture within and seek it. It stood high and proud above the smaller homes scattered about its perimeter, and the fact that it was a building made inside a tree garnered respect and attention from all who encountered it. It was known as the Golden Oaks Library.

However, not many questioned why it remained lifeless, for no figures trotted around the interior. Those who did considered that perhaps the well-known librarian was off dealing with affairs concerning Their Highnesses', or perhaps she was dealing with an issue deep in the looming forest outside the village. Or perhaps she was even taking care of... 'personal' needs.

But no. The motive for the absence of Twilight Sparkle, resident Librarian and personal protégé to her Royal Highness Princess Celestia, was for an entirely different reason...

'Ugh... my head.' A form rolled over in its messy bed located within the higher section of the Library. A purple hoof slid out from under the star-spangled blanket and lazily rubbed her cranium through the cotton. 'By Starswirl’s Beard, I really need to stop studying so late like Spike suggested...'

The being moved only a small part of the cover, allowing a single violet eye to peer out from the partially caved-in tunnel that was formed. It briefly looked over the tomes laying amongst the desk across from her bed, before locking onto the only visible title and producing a tiny grin on her face. 'Theorems of: Leylines and You (Volume II)’ was the proudly printed text on the book, before the tiny viewing passage was crushed by the uncovered appendage and therefore rendered the ability to view null and void. 'It's not going to happen.'

After all, how could she put down a book that was actually attempting to justify the possibility of other worlds, and in fact other planes of existence from their own? Her imagining another Twilight Sparkle brought on excitement alongside trepidation. A phrase the book stated was "For every step you take in one direction, somewhere else you walked into a different direction," if her quoting was right. And that was quite fascinating.

She snuggled deeper into her bed, trying desperately to restart the sleep she yearned for. It was there, but just out of reach. It was Friday, the usual end of the week where colts and fillies were then allowed two days away from learning afterwards. Since the number of ponies that came in dropped off almost entirely from Thursday 'till Sunday, Twilight was certainly not in a rush to get out of bed.

Finding that 'sweet spot' that promised more rest, she let her body go and allowed her brain to steadily halt its restarting processes. A new and lazy smile took hold of her face as her eyelids grew heavy once again, and with nothing stopping her at that moment...

She took pause, dreading the case of somepony coming in to interrupt her and prove her wrong. She let out a nearly-silent sigh of relief, and allowed herself to--

"Twilight!"

The lavender mare drooped as she heard the muffled call from downstairs rapidly approaching. 'So much for the pleasant thought of sleeping in further...'

A loud noise signifying that her door was quickly opened with unneeded force told Ms. Sparkle that whoever wanted her had arrived before she could even crawl out of her sanctuary. She removed some of the cover to give them a piece of her mind, before she realized that it wasn't a pony, but rather her faithful assistant Spike.

As he arrived to the foot of her bed, he began to speak loudly as he rounded the left corner. "Wake up Twilight. I know today's a slow day, but we really need to get started," Spike announced as he began to shake his guardian without noticing she was already awake.

A tired and frankly irritated groan left her lips as she fully removed the top of the blanket so her upper-half was exposed. She looked down and over towards her friend, staring metaphorical (but if possible, literal) daggers towards the budding dragon. "Nopony has come in on a Friday for the past three weeks." She let out a disheartened sigh as she looked at the ceiling. "So why bother?"

"Because," Spike started. "I know that there is still the possibility of somepony coming in--"

"Spike." Twilight said with a tired authority. "Please. Just... give me five more minutes," she trailed off as she allowed her magic to return the sheet to its proper place over the lavender mare's body.

The little bipedal dragon merely let out a huff, watching as dark-grey smoke billowed out of his snout. "Last time I let you sleep in, we didn't get fully opened 'till after lunch," he retorted quietly. He glanced to see his Canterlot-native roommate making no attempt to try and get ready, signalling that it would be up to Spike to get the ball rolling.

It was a good thing he was a dragon of action.

Backpedaling slowly, Spike called out in a steady, slow tone. "All right, Twi'. I can't force you to wake up." When no response happened, he moved on further. "But I hope you realize how being late to opening the Library will make you look to Ponyville, and if word got around, to Princess Celestia?" She seized up slightly, and that's when he knew he had her. "After all, you are supposed to be doing a job on her request--"

That seemed to do the trick. With a possible berating coming from her mentor being a consequence for laziness, she quickly removed the entirety of herself from the mattress. Moving with a surprising quickness, Twilight lit her horn and Blinked to the vanity dresser she bought in town a few weeks ago that was positioned down the steps of the loft-- Er, her bedroom.

"Okay, I get it, Spike," she sputtered out quickly, levitating her brush over to remove some accursed tangles in her hair. She paused briefly, before looking back and realizing she was played. Spike had a mischievous and victorious smirk on his face, but he wasn't able to wipe it off in time before Twilight turned around. "Oh, so tricking me is funny, huh?"

The purple dragon was swift with his response, as well as making sure that it held the utmost cunning and intelligence. "Wha'?"

A devious grin appeared on Twilight's face. "Nice try. Since you're so ready to get the day going, after you make breakfast for the both of us, you can... Hmm..." she paused lightly to see Spike anticipating some menial task like rearranging the shelves, or cleaning. Her grin widened with a predatory edge as she pronounced with great volume, "From noon to seven you must help out Rarity to pay for a favour I asked of her a while ago."

Spike hung his head. "Yes, Twi'--" He froze, and turned on his heel to stare at his motherly figure. "Are you serious?" When he got an amused nod in return, Spike leaped with joy as a enormous smile plastered itself onto his face.

Before he could even attempt to leave though, Twilight cut his stupor off as she finished her brushing. "Notice how I said 'noon' you can go. Last I checked, it wasn't noon yet." His eyes widened with this revelation, and he scratched his head sheepishly for forgetting.

"Uh, right."

The unicorn let out a giggle. "C'mon Spike. You go make breakfast while I finish getting ready, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am!" The little dragon proclaimed as he gave a mock salute, and giddily jogged down the stairs to get started. Twilight shook her head, a minuscule smile tugging at her cheeks. Focusing on the disheveled bed, she quickly dealt with the creases, and remade it so it didn't look so messy.

Satisfied that she looked good enough to be presentable through the day, and seeing nothing she couldn't clean up at a later time, Twilight proceeded through the door with the promising smell of cooking hay leading her.

Meanwhile...

'This was an incredibly stupid idea.'

"You've just now realized that?"

I sat a short distance from the cleared main dirt-road that led from the city to the other settlements. The foliage around me provided a meager amount of cover for me to catch my breath and investigate how serious my injuries were after my rather-foolish escape plan.

After I had launched myself, I sailed for a good short distance before conveniently making impact with a semi-large pile of clumped bushes. How one could survive such a feat was beyond me, especially since under normal circumstances anyone (including me) would've probably died and made into sticky paste. Plus, having sharp thorns dig into your bullet wounds hurts more than you'd assume.

'Speaking of those...' I glanced down at the offending little pieces of metal I had picked out. They glistened still with my crimson blood, almost mocking me in the tiny ray of sunlight that shone down unto them. It was evidence that I was certainly not indestructible. That with enough guns in a short enough time-frame would be the possible death of me. Age couldn't kill me, but blunt trauma certainly could.

As for the actual gaping holes in my body, those had been wrapped up and were currently disinfecting. The adrenaline was starting to wear down at this point, for I had been lying in wait listening for any form of approach for the past twenty minutes. And so far... not a sound.

I was thankful for the Editor opening enough spare energy in its refilling Reserve to get me some fresh linen bandages and rubbing alcohol. While I didn't really need these for the injuries to fade away, which they would in a rather brief period due to all sorts of magical incantations cast over my body throughout my lifespan... I felt it helped out decently in speeding up the healing process along and making me feel not so... immortal.

Ah, immortality of Time. The one thing I had come to both enjoy and loathe. To be honest, at this point I couldn't tell which feeling was dominant. I'd seen things others would only hope to... but at the same time, I had witnessed things that no one should ever know. Ups and downs, I suppose.

The only thing I was waiting on was for Ed to establish a Warp. Didn't care which of the secured systems he sent me to, as long as the residents there didn't want to kill me. Well, most of the residents. Some factions were still rather sore, after all. However, it would appear it was going to take longer than I thought. This meant that for the time-being, the lush hideaway would be my temporary camp.

'Ed. I'm not trying to rush or anything, but... Could you hurry the hell up with the Warp coordinates?'

An irritated sigh left him as I felt him extending the Editor's reach and attempting to pick our target. "This isn't exactly easy, Storm. We are still technically riding off our last wave of your Stasis, and therefore are a bit limited to what we can do."

'I only barely went into the first stage, which is the beginning of the initial Phase, of being in a Stasis though!'

"Precisely. If you had went any farther down we'd be in a lot more trouble. Be glad that before the hour is out, we'll be out of this death-trap."

Sighing lightly, I eased myself up and took steady breaths. I could feel the stretching of the sensitive nerves outlining the points groaning in protest, causing me to maintain my frozen-wince. It remained for the duration of me trying to desperately let go of the possibly-deadly, further downward-spiraling series of events.

It didn't work too well.

I slumped against the tree that I had been resting under, allowing it to support my weight. My head reclined against the rough exterior of the bark, and with that came a hollow laugh. Ed surely noticed, but didn't say anything. I spoke regardless out loud in a low voice. "Here I am... The fabled 'Beginning', the great 'Master of Gods', and the true 'Keeper of Neutrality'; currently licking his wounds in a fucking meadow of a jungle inhabited by beasts of all sorts. Fuck my life."

That's when I heard footfalls on the road no more than five feet away. It was close enough to where I could very lightly hear just the light flexing of its claws, as well as the nearly inaudible reloading of its revolver. Not a single movement arose from me as I stood there, body leaned against the tree as I stopped breathing, period.

A voice spoke up, guttural and relatively quiet as opposed to the usual volume of an Iridan. "Did you hear that?"

Another began to talk, and I realized it was Tet-Urn. "No, but His scent lingers. The Outsider is close." I heard shifting of a shoulder strap, which was most likely connected to his Winchester. "Search the perimeter."

From there, I heard at least five separate presences move in different directions. Luckily, none happened to go my way yet, presuming that I was on the opposite side. Maybe they thought that due to me taking a piss over there ten minutes ago, maybe not. Either way, I had to get away from them, or get them away from me.

"Okay. I have an idea," Ed commented slowly, sending out a very small M.L.P. scan of about fifteen feet. "If you move quietly (and I stress the word 'quietly'), you can sneak away and get some distance. But you have to follow my guidance exactly."

'Better than what I had.'

"Wait, what did you have?"

'Crouch and hope for the best?'

A disappointed sigh answered my rather poor alternate plan, before Ed spoke again in a lowered voice. "Now, carefully take a-"

'Quick question: Why are you whispering?'

"...I don't really know. But focus, Storm. Carefully take a step with your right foot about half-way from a normal step at a 65-degree angle relative to your position."

Without looking, I rose my foot and slowly moved it in a meticulous and solid pace. When I felt that I had reached the spot and angle, I set down my foot toes-first. Once that was solidly in place, I lowered my heel-

*Snap!*

...And proceeded to break a fucking brittle stick.

The result was immediate. The other Irida who were milling about silently all halted instantly, eyes pivoted right towards my tree. I was sweating like mad, constantly repeating obscenities as my body tensed.

"Storm..."

'Yeah?'

"If I were you (which in a weird sense I am if you count my ethereal-slash-technical form residing in your brain), I'd run. Like, now."

'Right.'

And with that, I hobbled as fast as I could possibly go straight-ahead. This put the tree between me and many bullets, allowing me some form of a head-start. I'm glad I had it too. Because once I hit a wall of foliage, I stumbled onto an overgrown trail, with the hunting party right on my heels.

Again, without thinking I went right. Because truly, when you have a very real sense that what may finally kill you is on your heels, you start going instinctive over rational. Unfortunately for me, by going right, I didn't go left. And because I didn't, I maybe would've been able to dodge yet another bullet down the line.

Now, before I go into that, allow me to describe the two halves of this fading path that was once a major trade route. I wasn't able to pick up many details (being chased and all), but the half that was on my left had plenty more thickets. Which meant, more cover. The one on the right? Nowhere near as effective.

So, it both took me off-guard while at the same time not really taking me off-guard when I got hit by yet another bullet after being under fire and running for about three minutes. And let me tell you: I don't even know how I was still kicking. After all, I had been hit by four bullets at this point (if one counted the graze way back.)

This particular bullet found purchase in my other thigh, and combining this with my current sprinting hobble I had going on... my face became intimate with the ground right quick. 'At least it wasn't gravel, I suppose. Just dirt with some big rocks here and there.'

My body tumbled and rolled, bouncing off some of those big rocks and directing me into more big rocks. When I finally was able to stop my momentum, I was in a little clearing. I couldn't see where the next section of the road went, and the only trace of non-jungle was being trampled by several very PO'd lizards.

And right now, the last thing I wanted to be looking at was bipedal fucking lizards with varying horn sizes and shapes, along with those ridiculous cartilage-knots at the end of each of their tails. Especially since they had Old-Western grade firearms and a bone to pick with me.

They were quick to swarm me, creating a tight circle. A single opening in the round little area was towards my feet, and that was where Tet-Urn walked in. His Winchester was already in-claw, locked and loaded. Suddenly, one doesn't feel so ballsy when you know you're fucked and you genuinely don't have another ace up your sleeve.

My eyes locked onto Tet's, whose own bored a look of satisfaction intermingled with disgust. He stopped at my heels, and brought down the rifle so I stared into the barrel hanging maybe two feet away from my face. And even if by some chance he missed, the other seven hunters wouldn't. Like the saying went, I was between a rock and a hard place. With the planet of Iridon being the rock, and the hard place being... well, guns.

"Well? Come on then," I muttered with a grimace. "Got any last comments to say to me? Some mockery, perhaps?"

The cold look I received mixed with that maniacal grin might have had the potential to send shivers down my spine, if it hadn't look slightly comical. "I am waiting for you, Outsider."

"Oh? And why's that?"

He leaned in, which in turn located the end of the barrel to sit less than a foot from my right eye. "Because I like to see my prey beg for their life." A dark chuckle followed, accompanied by a similar echo caused by the hunting party standing around me.

'Die with honour, Storm.'

"Go piss off, you ugly excuse for a biped." There was no fear in my voice. In fact, if this was my end, at least I knew it was the end of the road. In a sense, it brought some peace. That's gotta count for something, right?

Tet-Urn seemed like he expected that, because he shrugged. "When we are done here, I will leave." His grin widened. "Farewell, Outsider."

'Whelp. This is the end of the tale. We had a good run, Ed--'

"Engaging Emergency Warp Function"

'Wait... what?!'

"Hold on, Storm!"

Before I could even comprehend how to complain, I saw the signature blue glow of the Universal Editor wrapping me in its essence. I didn't even realize the thing had an Emergency Warp feature before! Not like I ever needed it, surprisingly. I do admit though, having the last image of the place being Tet's infuriated-slash-confused look was priceless.

I'm certain my pained laughing echoed in that grove long after I vanished.

Location: Golden Oaks Library. Ponyville, CPE (Center Province of Equestria)

Time: Approximately mid-afternoon, specifics unavailable

A flip of a page. A sigh, followed by light scribbling. A pause that lasted for several moments, before another flip. This was the repeating cycle for Twilight Sparkle as she took notes on 'Theorems of: Leylines and You (Volume II)' at the Libraries' front desk.

She was intrigued by the concepts the book was leaning towards, and the slow day complemented by the lack of Spike to disturb her allowed nearly uninterrupted reading. Her telekinetic grasp on both her favourite quill and the tome was lazy, but refined. Without removing her gaze from the text, she re-applied ink to the tip of her pen, before copying a quote made by the author, Soft Story.

"'The systematic web of Leylines that form the basic structure of Life affects all living things, whether they recognize its subtle flows or not...' Simply fascinating."

Before she was able to continue though, she stopped. Something was amiss. There was a new feeling in the air suddenly, one that demanded her to take notice. Cautiously, she glanced about. Nothing had changed. The windows and doors were all sealed shut, locked all except for the front entry.

Twilight glanced down at the well of astonishing methods and opinions that she still held. Whatever the new presence was, it had to involves Leylines. She knew there had to be a connection, for when thinking about the new feeling alongside the theorems of Leylines... they seemed to blend perfectly together.

And whatever it was, it seemed to be magically-influenced. She could tell; she could feel it reverberating and resounding in her horn. Like a faraway echo, but it was noticeable in the still room. Enough for her curiosity as well as her surprise to increase dramatically. She remained still nonetheless, waiting for anything to occur. When nothing did after a few minutes, she shrugged off the feeling reluctantly and continued to write on like it had never happened in the first place.

Location: Everfree Edge. Ponyville, CPE (Center Province of Equestria)

Time: Approximately mid-afternoon, specifics unavailable

Serenity captivated the outskirts of the little hamlet known as Ponyville. The rolling green knolls intermingled with the sparse farm lands to create a truly peaceful space to any who came into contact with it. This was quite true for Fluttershy, a well-known animal caretaker whose abode resided on the perimeter of the infamous forest of the Everfree.

She flitted about her home, using her wings to hover lightly above the ground as she tended to her potted plants and feeders. With a certain and elegant grace, she was able to easily water her hibiscus flowers and replenish the hanging reservoirs of food for all flight-capable creatures.

As Fluttershy felt that the front of her cottage was taken care of, she began to glide slowly towards the back.

"Hey, 'Shy!"

The response was instantaneous. The timid Pegasus nearly flew out of her fur as she quickly landed, wings extending in surprise and made difficult to use. Looking about frightened, she realized that nopony else was around but herself. Believing that she simply heard something, Fluttershy went to turn around to continue her endeavors before colliding with the snout of another pony.

She backpedaled with her forehooves flailing as she tried to maintain her balance since she was reared, before gravity took hold of her and she fell unto her back. A quiet squeak came out on impact, and with quaking eyes she looked up to see--

"...Rainbow Dash?"

The mentioned sky-blue Pegasus gave an apologetic smile as she offered Fluttershy a hoof. "Eh heh, sorry 'bout that. I knew it probably wasn't the best of ideas to land behind you."

Gratefully taking the friendly appendage, the pink-maned Pegasus rose from her former position on the ground. "Oh, it's quite alright, Rainbow. I didn't recognize your voice at first," she meekly stated with that gentle smile.

In response, Dash just shrugged. "It's cool. So, listen," she paused as she rather awkwardly looked around. "I figured you might need some help. And since I happened to be flying over, I decided to drop in."

"How thoughtful of you!" Fluttershy responded cheerfully, before returning to her demure behavior. "But, you don't have to. I can finish these chores by myself."

She was met with her friend shaking her head. "What kinda friend would I be if I just let you do your chores by yourself when I (the most awesome flyer in Equestria), could help you out?" Rainbow followed up before Fluttershy could try to answer the rhetorical question. "Besides, I got time to waste since I just finished my shift with the Weather Patrol."

Fluttershy softly kicked at the dirt underneath her, watching a stray dust cloud form and float away. "Well, if you really want to. I'd really appreciate the help, Rainbow."

Dash simply gave a cocky grin in return. "Sure you can. Now, just tell me what I can do to help..."

(Several minutes later...)

It didn't take a large period of time for the duo to finish the meager amount of remaining tasks to be completed. While Dash was semi-incompetent with animal care-taking, she was still helpful in replacing loosened nails and hauling bags of feed. Not what she was expecting to do, but she was loyal enough to her friend to not mind all that much.

At this point both of them lied down in the backyard, backs against the wild yet tame grass. Celestia's Sun shone overhead enough to provide a pleasant warmth, but not one that would be uncomfortable at this time of day. The barely audible sound of the stream that ran under the bridge connecting Fluttershy's cottage to the roads leading to the Everfree and Ponyville provided a soothing undertone to the relaxing moment.

In order to appease boredom for Rainbow Dash, both had taken into looking at clouds that rolled over from the unnatural and self-sustaining Everfree Forest. Because of their unpredictability, these clouds took on forms that depending on the perspective became different shapes and figures entirely.

"Oh, how about that one?" A cyan hoof pointed towards a cluster. "It looks like... an opening to a cave. What about you, 'Shy?"

There was a brief silence as she examined it. "Why, to me it looks almost like Whitetail Woods!"

"What? No way."

"Yes way, Rainbow. It looks like the entrance when you first walk in."

Dash glanced over incredulously at her friend, before scrutinizing the cluster with curious focus backed by determination. "...Huh. I guess it does. Cool, I guess." Before another ball of fluff could be distinguished though, something else caught her eye in the sky.

Noting its rapid descent, she pointed it out lazily. "Hey, 'Shy. What's that?"

Fluttershy glanced over at the object, before arching her eyebrows in confusion. "I don't know. It looks like--" Her breath hitched loudly. "Oh no." Seeing the horrified look in her friend's eyes, Rainbow squinted at the falling object. Soon, she too recognized what it was.

Both of them spoke in-sync. "Somepony is in a free-fall..."

They acted hastily. Rainbow Dash launched herself to her hooves, wings already flaring to save the unknown reckless flyer. "Who in the hay thought it was a good idea to try and fly over the Everfree? Everypony knows the weather is way too crazy to be considered a Safe Air zone."

"We'll never be able to catch them before they hit the treeline," Fluttershy sad anxiously as she saw the free-falling fliers' wings unfurl. At this moment her motherly-slash-healing instincts were raring to take over and move at once. But her fear was still present enough for her to not dart right in. Going into the Everfree with nothing less than five ponies was a careless, and possibly very dangerous move.

That didn't seem to stop Dash as she took to the air. Turning around, she cocked her head at her lifelong friend. "I'll try and fly over to see where he hits. You go in on the path, and I'll meet up with you."

"But, Rainbow. You just said that flying over the Everfree wasn't a good idea--"

"I know," she replied. "But if we don't know where they land, going in after them won't do the three of us any good." Those words sunk in for both of them as they finally saw the seemingly-unmoving form crash against the treetops. From their position, one could still hear the collision of body against tree before a heavy echoing thud told them the fall had ended.

Driven solely by her will to help others, Fluttershy darted towards the path leading to the Everfree. Recognizing what she was doing, Rainbow Dash took to the skies and began to make her way to where she believed the Pegasus crashed.

I felt the wind. Its nature whipping against my hair and my skin. I had to of been plummeting. There was no other way I would've felt it. I had questioned myself on whether to allow my eyes to open and see how close I was to the ground. Would that be a truly wise decision? No, not at all.

That didn't stop me, though.

Fighting the air striking my eyes, I squinted past the liquid coagulating. I was going head-first towards a forest. A dense, dark forest. My eyes tried to widen in shock, but the damnable gusts pounding on my eyes prevented this. I looked down, which oddly meant that I was technically looking up.

The bullet-wound from my thigh was seeping out more blood than the previous ones, for some reason. The blood was so plentiful that it had actually dripped off of me, and therefore became trailing behind me as I made my descent. My heart had made record-time in returning to its jackhammer-esque pulse, and I may had been a tiny bit afraid.

'Ed! Da hell?!'

"Really sorry 'bout this!" Ed's apology went unaccepted at that moment. "I thought I had set the Z-coordinates lower than what you're falling from!"

'Exactly how the hell up am I, Ed?!'

"Er... a little over two-thousand feet?"

That caused my heart to skip a beat. I might be toting a piece of tech in me that can change most of reality on a whim, but there was no way I'd be able to avoid death from a fall this high. Truly how I survived that last one, which was only a tenth of what I was plummeting from at that time, was surprising.

'Well gee, since you're my triple-A.I. and all, could you possibly... Oh, I don't know; keep me from fucking fall to my death here?!'

"Yes, I can! You got just the tiniest amount left now in the Reserve since it recharged a little bit. Make it count, eh?"

I snorted with a righteous passion as I tried to figure out a small enough item that could keep me from a rather painful impact. Quickly glancing back down was a bad idea when the distance between me and tree was halved. Somehow I achieved terminal velocity and fell one-thousand feet in less than twelve seconds, if my math was right. Apparently, in whatever Universe I was falling, physics had been told to go fuck themselves. Quickly trying to refocus, my mind worked in a frenzy before suddenly one of my 'brilliant' ideas struck.

"Spawning: Parachute (Renaissance)"

Leaving my hand open, I felt the wrapped-up bundle materialize into my grip. Once I had been assured it was all there, I quickly loosened it up and held onto the straps. I would have liked a more-modern version at the time, but my quaint backpack didn't exactly leave any room. So, I had to improvise. Badly, I might add.

The sudden jerk was unexpected, but it was preferred to the probable full-speed collision that was the only alternative. Speaking of that impact...

As I touched the top of the canopy that created my forest drop-zone, my feet made contact with a nook in a tree. Believing I was safe, I decided it was a wonderful idea to let go of the parachute and try to stand there. Unfortunately for me I didn't realize my footing wasn't solid.

Down I went.

You know, one doesn't expect wood to be that strong when it's still alive, or bark to be all that rough. But when you're crashing against both of these at a fairly-high speed, with no idea on what branches were where... you learn that Nature is a bitch when you plow into it. Literally, I was bouncing off of these extending branches that under normal circumstances would provide me with a route to swiftly move across. Instead, they were helping to break my fall as I crashed into them.

What I said was in an almost-monotone voice, because at this point I had started to lose consciousness from all the ridiculous events tied in with all the bloody pain that I had to live through on a day-to-day basis. It went a little something like: "Ow. Shit, fuck... Ow, ow, dammit. Shit...!"

Here, was the true low-point of my day. Because of crashing into foliage, my human form was somehow flipped, causing my feet to be pointing towards the ground. This was bad for two reasons. One was the fact that this would most likely have broken my legs if it wasn't for Reason Two.

And Reason Two had me hitting a branch. With my legs in a straddle position. At very, very, very high speed. My eyes widened at the immense pain coursing through my veins, while in the dim background I could just faintly hear Ed trying desperately to repress a laugh. I had been planning on telling him off, but my basically-limp self rolled off the branch. I hit one last one with my back, before soon rolling off that one and falling for about three feet.

It was then that I finally reached the ground. My body collapsed in a heap as cuts and bruises most likely adorned my body, and agitated my previous wounds even further. Ed was still snickering about my groin suffering from the uppercut by that branch, which I really wanted to punch him for. I had landed on my chest, but luckily my reflexes told me to bring my hands down from their spread-eagle position as I fell to slap the ground and to spread the impact. This provided me the sweet justice of not having my internal organs being ruptured.

There was near quiet after this, not including an odd sound coming from above. Painfully turning myself over with the last bout of consciousness I had left, I was graced with watching an unhinged branch tumbling down and slamming me into my face. The thing I recalled as I was gripped by the dark void was Ed's fading voice asking if I was okay.

-WTIN-

Author's Note

And that heaping intro is done! It was extremely long-winded, I admit. But hopefully, it doesn't deter you from the later chapters. They get better, and no so tediously drawn-out! Also, take note that the '-WTIN-' scene-breaks are perspective-exclusive. Meaning, when I need to break a scene but don't need to update the location/time or change characters point of view, I'll use that.

[Edit (5/5/14): revised again. Cleaned up certain plot points, grammar that I missed from before, and adjusted the Author's Notes. This is the last time I should have to touch this ever again. May Fate have mercy on me.]

Chapter Five: New Day, New Town, New Ponies

Chapter Five: New Day, New Town, New Ponies

Location: Fluttershy's Cottage. Ponyville, CPE (Center Province of Equestria)

Time: Eight-Thirty, Friday October Second. Year Unknown.

I awoke before any of the others. It was a habit for me to wake up early, and with little sleep under my belt. Plus the nagging paranoia of something suffocating me while I rest kept me from considering to let those I did not know the upper hand. Or hoof, I suppose.

Silently, I had rolled out of Fluttershy's bed. It was a pleasant experience, even if my feet had to have hung off the edge. Acquiring my satchel from under the bed, I departed and drifted down the stairwell with the grace, speed, and subtlety of a trained Assassin.

Oh wait. I was a trained Assassin. D'oh.

Reaching the base, I carefully maneuvered over the scattered bodies in the parlor as I made my way to Fluttershy's kitchen. It was difficult to have tried to walk over so many sentients with impeccable hearing, but I had eventual success. Passing by the bookshelf I had sifted through briefly last night, I furrowed my brows at it while I continued on. The writings were a mixture of understandable Galactic Basic (a.k.a. English, or in this particular realm 'Equestrian'), and some form of hieroglyphics that didn't resemble any form that I had been familiar with.

It annoyed me as I snagged an apple to chew on. The random and new swap threw me off heavily, and most likely prevented some useful knowledge from being past on now rather than later. On the plus side, the Ponies Lyra and Twilight both stated that it was an old form of writing that was almost never used for modern things like signs.

As for data being able to be collected, not much was done on that front. From the very-quick flip-through of some book I didn't bother to look at the title for, I had noted a few things. The most important was that the kingdom I was in was called 'Equestria', which was probably obvious beforehand if I had bothered to look further into it.

"On the bright side, if you stay here long enough you can learn a new language!" Ed cut in rather late and with an honest attempt at being cheerful. He was trying to be lighthearted, and I had to commend him. I had been kind of a dick by making him stay up to not only maintain my systems for yet another sleepless night for him, but for him to be constantly active in trying to discern the disturbance he felt when trying to grasp around the Universe.

'I doubt as much. We'll probably be leaving within the hour to Warp somewhere that has connections established.'

"Hmm? I'm sorry, did you ask for something?"

'Yeah, I did. Look; I'm not the only one who needs a vacation, Ed. So, once you Warp us off to one of our secured Universes, I think letting you go into Sleep-Mode will do you some good.'

I had been met with silence. Then, Ed spoke. "Eh heh... right. Um, how do I say this lightly and without you freaking out?" My eyebrows shot up at this with confusion and concern as I took another bite of my fruit. "Well, I should just come right out and say it..."

"We're stuck here."

Eyes bulging, I nearly choked on my food as my tried to swallow and comprehend at the same time. Doing at least the former, I responded in a frantic tone. 'What?! How?! I thought the Reserves were all filled and ready to go for us to get outta here!'

"Usually, yes. But as it turns out, that disturbance I detected last night? It's a Lock."

A pained yet silent sigh left me as I sat on one of the cushions strewn about the parlor. And with that sigh came not anger, nor irritation... but fear. Because of all the travels I have ever encountered, there had been only one besides myself who could have been able to place any sort of Lock onto a Universe.

'Do you think...?'

"No. This Lock was placed a long time ago. How long, I am not entirely sure about this."

'Why do you think he would've placed a Lock on this Universe so many years before?'

"I do not know that either. Perhaps it's just one of his many Venus fly-traps he had set for you, or maybe this Universe once held a purpose and he simply chose not to remove it. Like I said; I do not know."

I nodded in an apprehensive acceptance of that. Ed had to of been right; Locks were a tactic used against him ages ago. There was little doubt that there were many scattered throughout the Universes that hadn't been triggered. After all, I knew for a fact I had many that were Locked to others.

'So. How long do you think it'll take you to metaphorically pick the Lock?'

"Depends. Scans are coming up with different data every time. Could take a week, could take a decade. You ready for it? One, two, three... I'm not sure!"

My brows quirked up in thought as I deposited the apple core and acquired another one. 'You don't have to pretend to be cheery, you know.'

"Oh, thank you. I am far from being in the mood to be cheery."

There was a brief silence between us, before I began speaking in a resolute and slow tone. 'Universal Editor. Engage Sleep-Mode for A.I, duration five hours. T-minus ten seconds 'till deployment.'

"Carrying Out Command..."

"Storm, what're you doing?"

'Making sure you take a break, whether you want to or not.'

"I think this is a... bad idea... need to... trace..."

...

'Night, old friend. Enjoy your break.'

With a stretch, I quickly blazed through the rest of my breakfast. The juices helped quench my thirst, and I had noted as well that my throat was feeling immensely better compared to my condition the previous night. As I thought about my reacquired ability to speak, other thoughts began to bubble to the surface. 'Hmm... should I really drop my ruse of body-language? If I do dispense of it, I'd be bombarded with questions upon questions. And there is no way I'm having that happen without a tour dammit.'

Movement caused my eyes to flicker across the room. The Pony named Applejack was rising slowly, her back facing me as she grunted and contorted her body. Satisfying pops sounded off from her, and I had to admit her flexibility was rather impressive. Considering the vague soreness in my own neck, I quickly popped it.

She froze upon hearing the sound, and very slowly turned around. When her eyes rested on me, I gave a small wave in response. Applejack returned it with one of her own, before glancing around herself. The others were still fast-asleep, though I doubted that would be true for much longer. I stood, threw away my second piece of garbage, and then sat back down in my spot with the same hieroglyphic book I had been wielding before.

Surprisingly, she did not try and converse with me. I didn't mind, really. It had given me time to try and decipher how to read the language. Ended up with me having no progress, but it at least made me familiar with several symbols. As I had done this, the others steadily awoke and became active. Rarity supposedly dominated the bathroom on the upper floor, which aggravating Applejack and Rainbow Dash as they both wanted the next turn. Pinkie Pie was outside, playing with the animals while Fluttershy did her 'morning rounds'.

This had left Lyra and Twilight Sparkle in the parlor where I had stayed. At first, they hadn't bothered me either. But, as the clock on the wall fell past nine-thirty, questions began to be thrown at me. Both had stood in front of me, side-by-side with levitated quills and parchment.

"So... Mr. Earthling," Twilight began to start off. I rose an eyebrow at her, internally still laughing that such a stupid name like 'Earthlings' got slapped onto the Human race in this world. It was even funnier when they put 'Mr.' before it, like it was goddamn title or something. "How is your throat feeling?"

I gave a thumbs-up, the same movement I did last night. There was movement as they both wrote something down, before addressing me with smiles. "From your calculations you did last night, do you believe you'll be able to speak to us verbally now?"

'Oh... shit. That's right. I said I'd be able to speak Equestrian by eight-thirty, and it's nine-thirty five. Hmm... I really should've thought about making such a promise like I did.'

There was a pause before I shook my head. Both of their eyebrows knitted together as they looked at one another, before turning back to me. "Were you off by an amount?" I nodded at this. I wasn't just going to let a temporary alibi pass me. Lyra tilted her head and gave me another query. "Do you even have an idea when you'll be able to speak Equestrian?"

A simple shrug was all I offered.

Now they looked just a wee-bit miffed. "Do Earthlings even have a language?" Twilight asked, staring daggers at me. I grunted; now I had been placed into a bit of a bind. The similarities betwixt this Universe and my original Earth were extremely close, and one of the legible texts stated that there were other Pony colonies strewn about the world. Which meant, I had to be quite careful in picking a language that would fool them.

Then again, I could've simply made up a language. They probably wouldn't have noticed the difference, unless they specifically kept a scrutinizing look-out for recurring words signifying nouns like 'I'. Sighing reluctantly, I gave a nod. Both of their eyes lit up in response. "Can we hear it?"

My eyes had furrowed in consideration. How I responded would most likely set several things in stone, and as such several endings could play out. Frankly deciding that I didn't give a fraction of a shit about how the Ponies' thought of me, and whether I was a liar or not, I nodded. And began speaking.

In Italian.

"Ciao. Questa è una risposta casuale dal momento che sono troppo testardo per accettare semplicemente il linguaggio del corpo," I said with a completely-straight face. Their happy looks only proved that they didn't have the slightest idea that I basically voiced a complaint at them for not being satisfied with body language. 'You chose good, Storm. You chose good.'

Suddenly, confusion (one that was actually faked on both of the mare's parts) became known on their faces as they pointed a suspicious hoof at me. "Wait a second... You can speak your own language, but not Equestrian? Why is that?" And in one fell swoop, they got me.

Just kidding. I'm not stupid enough to have fallen for that shit unarmed.

I shook my head and pointed to myself as I spoke. "Non esattamente. Italiano è una lingua facile." After my comment about Italian being easier for me to speak, I redirected my point to them and continued. "La tua versione di inglese è molto difficile da eseguire."

Two blank looks met me as I suppressed a victorious grin. Both of them shook themselves out of their reveries, and spoke to me in a half-irritated/half-surprised tone. "We have no idea what you've just said, Earthling."

My response was an uninterested shrug. Before their interrogation could continue, the others filed into the parlor to inform that they were going to take me on a tour. 'I wonder who gave them that idea', I had wondered mischievously to myself as we gathered ourselves and departed.

-WTIN-

The walk had been silent. It was actually quite surprising, as opposed to their lively forms that they had the previous night. Perhaps it involved the time, most likely none of them were morning Ponies. We steadily went down the path and down the hillside as we went towards Ponyville. Luckily, I was skilled enough in Mind Manipulation to only need to plant the seed. Once I implanted the idea of giving me a tour, it took over for itself without being parasitic.

Suddenly, the group halted on the outskirts of Ponyville. Glancing back at me, Twilight addressed the town with a wave of her hoof. "This, is Ponyville. One of the fastest-growing towns in the Center Province of Equestria." Her attention went towards the distant mountain-city. "That way over there is Canterlot. The capital." She turned back to me. "Any questions yet?"

Shaking my head, she had allowed her hoof to settle back on the ground as she had led the group in. "Quick word of warning," Lyra muttered next to me. "The ponies around here are skittish about new things, so remember that girls." My eyes had arched in surprise at that as my gaze passed over the convoy literally surrounding me. 'They hadn't seemed to have such an issue with me.' my brain quipped.

Sure enough, whenever a denizen of the village spotted me, off they went. Whether it was running away in terror, lifting off with ridiculous speed, or barring their windows and doors; any who had saw me besides my entourage at that point did not want to have anything to do with me.

I wasn't that ugly, was I?

My eyes roamed the buildings I had passed. Like my observation stated back during the descent from the Everfree, all buildings either had thatched or shingled roofs. Not like there were too many other options, but regardless. The actual structures themselves composed of all manner of supplies; stone, wood, brick... The kind of materials you'd expect a medieval civilization would build their homes and businesses.

Actually, scratch that. There had also been one made out of gingerbread, of course. It had been the first place we took pause in our walk. The most ironic thing was that I didn't even have to put anything into the charm to come here first. Looks like Fate wanted me to get my curiosity out of the way.

The bubbly form that was known as Pinkie Pie took point of the group and began bouncing around in a way that had indeed shattered the logic behind physics and gravity. I had been tempted to Defy the Laws as well and join her, but withheld the urge to as she spoke. "This is Sugarcube Corner! Best bakery in Ponyville, that's for sure! I live her with Mr. and Mrs. Cake." I gave a respectful nod as my mind wandered. 'Damn. I was actually kinda hoping a witch would've lived here. Fate, why can't you humor me with a complete Hansel and Gretel joke?!'

She began prattling on about something (or possibly several somethings) at a rate so mind-boggling and unimportant that I tuned it out while still pretending like I cared. Taking notice of my surroundings, the others at that time felt the same way and copied me. Eventually, she did stop talking, and that had snapped all of us out of our stupor.

After an awkward silence, Twilight nodded in agreement and soon we set off once again. However, unlike last time Pinkie had chosen to speak consistently through the movement. An action that very quickly grated my nerves at the time, and made me dig into the Reverses specifically to shut her up.

At first, I don't believe the others had noticed my little action. They had been just walking, shoulders slightly sagged in irritation. Soon, they slowly began to glance over at Pinkie, one by one. She was calmly walking now. No more skipping, no more annoying tangents; it became a lot more peaceful after I physically sent a small dosage of the Editor's energy into her cortex and shut down her more exuberant side. Unfortunately, this had placed worry into the others, but they shrugged it off. Said something about 'Pinkie being Pinkie', or something of the sort.

Soon, we had stopped once again. This stop left us in front of some tall structure. There were at least two floors to this one, and from the mannequins in the windows my guess had led me to believe that it was a clothing store. When Rarity had positioned herself, it simply confirmed my suspicion.

"This here darling is the Carousel Boutique. Where every garment is chic, unique, and magnifique," she had stated with a light giggle. "If you'd let me, I'd love to help design some ensemble for you, dear." I glanced down curiously at my own attire I had on at the time. A simple brown tunic, some wear-resistant pants, and of course the combat sneaker/boot hybrids I used nearly all the time. 'Suppose it wouldn't hurt to let her make me some new things. I have wardrobes, but perhaps she'll surprise me.'

I gave an accepted nod, which caused Rarity to show me a genuine smile. And once more, we departed. Some minutes later, and I had begun to notice at that point that we were heading in the direction of the apple orchard. I would've asked why we hadn't gone to any of the others' homes, if Lyra hadn't turned her attention over to Pinkie.

"Hey, Pinkie Pie? Are you okay?"

She nodded calmly in response. "Yup!"

Blinking nervously, the Unicorn-mare gave a slow nod in return and focused on walking once more. I looked down at the Earth Pony with a hint of pity; who was I to truly strip someone of who they were, just so they wouldn't be an inconvenience to others? Even for me, I had to admit it was a cruel and thoughtless move. Discreetly, I struck the focal point of the psyche barrier, and allowed the real her to become dominant.

But not without having planted a seed to keep her from saying anything to blow my cover, of course.

With a bit more spring in Pinkie's step, I turned my attention to my front. We had just stopped in front of a large side that hung over the path leading to the farm's barn and its endless waves of trees. The sign matched Applejack's greeting. "This 'ere is Sweet Apple Acres. We grow th' best apples in all of Equestria, guaranteed." She leaned in slightly with a bit of mirth. "Want a sample?"

Usually, eating something I had for breakfast later on in the same day again wasn't my style. But, she was being kind and generous. With a nod, her grin widened and she trotted off briefly. With the technical current 'host' gone, the others glanced back up at me. Twilight nudged me gently. "Any luck with speaking Equestrian yet?"

A sad shake of my head was the first half of my response. "Ancora niente. Mi dispiace," I apologized sincerely. Lying was something that I had to do plenty in my travels, but that didn't mean I enjoyed doing such. The girls around me looked shocked, but Twilight and Lyra just looked pissed off. Subdued, of course. But it was still there.

'I wonder if they're catching on...'

"It's possible."

I flinched physically, which attracted their attention. I ignored them, and soon they in turn lost interest. 'Dammit, Ed! I told you to not just appear outta nowhere.'

"Eh heh, sorry."

I waved it off internally as I watched Applejack from a distance root through a barrel of what must've been apples. 'Save it; it's cool. How was your nap?'

"Brief, yet pleasant. I needed it."

'How long have you been up?'

"No more than a few minutes, at best. Where are we?"

'In town. I got them to give me a tour.'

"Uh huh... And you just so happen to leave out the part where you got them to give you a tour by planting a mental seed to convince them to do such, eh?"

I scratched my head sheepishly, and accepted the Red Delicious apple handed to me. 'Erm... maybe?' Sinking my teeth into the food, I had been quite surprised at the quality and freshness. Nodding in an approving manner, I continued to eat it as we were walking around the large estate.

"You know, I'm sure if you would've just asked them in English, they would've given you a tour regardless."

'Perhaps. But that's not how this game will play. Not saying that it's an actual "game", per say, but... If I talk, things will spiral.'

"So you're simply staving off the inevitable?"

'Pretty much.'

We rounded the corner of the barn, and was greeted with the sight of the first male Pony I had ever saw. Applejack identified him as Big Macintosh, and from his size and capability to buck an apple tree and de-fruit it in a single go proved such-

Wait, wait, wait a second.

He had kicked the tree, and the fruit fell out?

...

'Eeyup. It's official.'

"Hmm?"

'Fate is actually fucking with me. The sneaky little-'

"Big Macintosh! Come on over here fer a second!" Applejack called to her brother. He turned, and at that moment two things had happened. One, was that he shouted something along the lines of "Look out behind you, it's a monster!" Two, was that while yelling this he had begun to charge towards me. My instincts reacted before my rational thinking could, and I bolted past the mares to meet him head on.

The closest simile of the collision would be two freight-trains deciding to do a head-butting competition. At least, that would've been what happened. Except in this scenario, for the interest of not wounding the mass hurdling towards me. What had occurred instead of a straight-on impact was me using the Reserves to Blink on top of him and use my momentum to send him to the ground.

The reaction shocked everyone (well, I suppose the term 'everypony' is more correct) as I restrained Macintosh against the ground. He attempted to rise and buck me off, in which I had responded with causing a small electrical current to rush through my fingers and literally shock him into submission. Muscles temporarily unusable, I calmly stood up as the others surrounded me.

My hands rose in the air as I stepped away from the incident. The shock had worn off on Applejack's brother by this point, and at that moment he was being reprimanded by his sister for 'attacking me without warning', and how 'he deserved having been run into the ground'.

Harsh coming from her, but true nonetheless.

Some minutes passed as I stood on the sidelines awkwardly. At the time, I didn't see what purpose I could serve with standing near the commotion. Which was precisely why I moved myself so that I stood at the gate, tossing a fallen apple in my left hand as I patiently waited.

It hadn't taken a great deal of time before they found me and regrouped. Applejack didn't appear to want to engage in eye-contact, which was understandable. "Ah'm mighty sorry about that. Mah brother overreacted a tad."

"Non si preoccupi. Ho sperimentato di peggio," I assured her gently.

At that moment, I glanced over to Rainbow Dash and motioned to her with a curious expression. Her eyes widened in surprise, before she quickly broke her eyesight. "My home is on the outskirts in the air over there," she gestured. My focus locked onto the cloud-structure, before dismissing it.

"Well," Twilight said with an exasperated sigh. "Let's continue your tour, okay?" With a swift nod from me, we continued on towards the next destination. But as we walked, I sighted a hidden grin tucked under both Twilight's and Lyra's features. My brows had furrowed.

'What are you two planning, I wonder...'

-WTIN-