//------------------------------// // First Impressions // Story: Anima Mea Tenebre // by Nixus //------------------------------// “Twilight? Are you okay?” Twilight groaned as she opened her eyes, only to see the worried expression of her assistant. Every inch of her body screamed for her to lie back down as she slowly rose from the floor. She felt Spike’s arms wrap around her neck as he pressed his face into her coat. She smiled as she attempted to reassure him. Her gaze moved from the small dragon to the state of her library as the events of the night before caught up to her. The library looked as though a hurricane had run through it. Books and paper were scattered everywhere, torn pages littered the ground, smudging the remains of the chalk circle. She looked back to her assistant as he broke away and gave her a smile while wiping his eyes. “I thought I lost you guys. None of you were breathing after the spell finished.” “Where are the others Spike?” Twilight asked as she scanned the room for her friends. None of them were present as Spike sat down on a pile of loose books. Twilight rubbed her head with a hoof as her mind went over the events of the previous night. She looked outside to see that night had fallen again. Something had gone wrong in the middle of the spell. Twilight remembered the giant orb and the glowing tendrils that had nearly drained her and her friends of nearly everything. Spike had been there before she passed out, but had been thrown back as the orb exploded in a flash of brilliant light. A few walls had scorch marks from where the tendrils had lashed out, and majority of the shelves were damaged from the magical shockwave. A sudden movement caught Twilight’s eye, making her turn to see a figure shift on the couch behind her. Twilight’s eyes widened as the figure turned to face her. Twilight stared at Spike with a look of utter disbelief. A groan made her turn her attention back to the figure that had risen from the couch. It was holding its head in its hands, trying to clear its vision. ***** Dante’s expression matched Twilights as he locked eyes with the pony in front of him. Twilight could’nt help but stare into his deep crimson eyes as they bore into her with a worried expression. His hand slowly reached out and brushed the soft fur of her cheek as she came close to him. A strange tingling sensation shot down her spine as the fingers grazed her skin. She gazed at him as his eyes became frightened as he started to edge away. “This can’t be real,” Dante said as he backed away from the unicorn. He looked at his hand as he tried to make sense of his surroundings. Twilight could quite literally hear the rapid beat of his heart as he took in both her and Spike. He stared in disbelief as he tried pinching himself. “What happened to me?” Confusion overtook Twilight as she turned to Spike. A sudden crashing noise came from Dante as he made a dash for the door, knocking over a few pieces of upright furniture. He winched as a jagged piece of wood caught his arm and drew a thin line of blood before he burst through the door. “Wait! Come back!” Twilight yelled as she chased after him. Dante saw the purple mare chase him and increased his speed as he clutched his bloody arm. He ran through the surprisingly empty streets as he tried to evade the purple mare chasing after him. He jumped over a crate and spun around as he summoned a small portion of his magic to his palm. With a quick chant he condensed the air in front of his palm and sent it hurtling towards Twilight. Sweet Celestia, what kind of magic is that? Twilight thought as she ducked under the ball of air. The spell smashed into a building, completely obliterating the wall. Twilight stood in awe of the destructive force as she looked a Dante. “I need to stop him.” Dante had severely underestimated his condition as he gasped for air. Such a simple spell would have normally been an easy feat for him, but recent events had taken their toll on him. He fell back as more of the horse creatures came out of the pastel coloured building and stared at him. “Stay away from me!” He summoned the last of his strength as he felt a familiar heat engulf his hand. He opened his eyes to see the ponies staring at his arm, which had been engulfed in bright red flames. All had looks of fear as he backed away with his hand raised. The purple one that had been chasing him stood in front of the crowd as a magenta aura surrounded her horn. Dante felt himself rise off the ground as he was encased in a similar coloured aura. He struggled as he floated, extinguishing the flames that had begun to sputter as his magic reserves ran dry. He felt a wave of exhaustion overtake him as he dropped to the ground. Twilight cautiously approached Dante as she lowered her horn in case he tried to use his magic again. A sudden scream made her turn her head towards the familiar shape of the Carousel Boutique as a shadowy figure jumped through a window and stopped in front of Dante. A smile crossed Dante’s face as he looked at the familiar golden haired elf standing in front of him. “It’s good to see you Moe,” Dante said as the elf picked him up. Twilight was about to call out to them to but was interrupted when the elf threw down a small pellet. Smoke billowed out from the device, enshrouding the two. She coughed as she used her magic to clear the thick grey smoke, only to find the two creatures gone. She searched frantically as a snow-white mare ran out of the boutique. “Twilight! What in the world were those things?!” Rarity said as she approached the frantic purple unicorn. “Did you see the one with horns?! He was on fire!” Pinkie said as she popped out of nowhere, causing everyone to jump back. Twilight looked at her friends with the same look of confusion and shook her head. Pinkie was bouncing up and down excitedly as she looked around for the two aliens. “Your friend looked really funny too! I’ll go find them and then we can all have a giant party!” “Pinkie, I think a party is the last thing they need,” Twilight said causing the party mare to stop bouncing and look at her with a puppy dog eyes. Twilight sighed as she scanned the area looking for any sign of the two figures. “They’re frightened. I think we brought them here last night.” “Speaking of last night,” Rarity said as she tried to fix her mane. She looked at the crowd of ponies that had begun to disperse before continuing. “What exactly happened? I don’t remember much of it.” “I can answer that!” Spike said as he caught up to the three mares. He wheezed for a bit as he tried to regain some of his breath. After a minute, he looked at the three confused mares before speaking. “It happened after you all passed out.” ***** Spike ran towards the stairs as he heard the girls screams for help. His foot missed the first step causing the dragon to tumble down the stairs. Regaining his footing on the floor, Spike ducked as an expanded copy of Applecare 101 flew past his head. He gasped as he saw the gigantic orb spinning in the centre of the room as hundreds of tendrils smashed holes into the walls and destroyed furniture. He dashed towards Twilight as he saw her struggle to rise from the ground. The element of magic had fallen from her head and looked as though it was beginning to bend under an immense pressure. His hand instinctively went to grab the mare but collided with an invisible force, and he was thrown back by a magical backlash. He ran back to Twilight and began to pound on the invisible force field as he watched her faint. His eyes turned to the other five mares as each lost consciousness. Tears began to well in his eyes as he helplessly watched the tendrils suck the life out of those he loved. His eyes moved towards the growing orb as it began to spin even faster. To his amazement, the orb suddenly stopped as each of the tendrils fell limp. It began to twist, swell, and crack, before exploding in a flash of brilliant white light. Spike Shielded his eyes as the light blinded him. A number of smaller beams of light shot past him, passing through the door and windows, disappearing into the night. As the lights dimmed, Spike lowered his hand, and saw a figure crouching in the middle of the circle. The figure had a mess of white hair that covered the majority of its pale face. A dark black eye shone from beneath the white as the figure stretched and scratched the horns that protruded forward from the sides of its head. A yawn escaped its lips as it looked at the room with a smile of amusement, and then tucked away a staff and a golden sword. Its gaze rested on Spike and the unconscious mare lying beside him. Its smile grew even larger and more sinister as it approached. Spike felt a chill go along the length of his spine as he stood between the figure and Twilight. Dark tendrils extended from its sleeves as it raised a bandage hand towards Spike. He waited for a darkness to take hold as he closed his eyes, but felt one of the figures fingers press on his forehead. Spike couldn’t describe the strange feeling as the figure’s presence filled his head. It felt wrong, as though somebody was invading the very sanctity of his mind and peering into his very soul. The feeling lasted only a moment before Spike felt the presence leave his mind. He looked up to see that the figure had placed a finger encased in a black aura to its throat. The area where the finger touched turned black as the air hummed with unnatural energy that sent chills through Spike’s scales. A moment later, the aura surrounding the finger was gone and the figure cleared its throat as it knelt in front of Spike. “I am assuming you’re the only one here capable of speech at the moment,” the voice of the figure said. It sounded as though two people were talking in unison. It echoed through the room as Spike stared dumbstruck only nodding as he stared into the deep blackness of the figures eyes. “Good, it looks like the spell was successful. However I can’t say the same for the state of your companions.” Spike swallowed the knot in his throat before he spoke. ““What do you mean? Will they be okay?” “Frankly, no. The spell took too much out of them. It won’t be long before they cease living altogether.” “Please, you have to help them!” Spike cried as he hugged the still form of Twilight. “I need you to help them.” “I may be able to assist in their recovery, but I require a favour in return.” “Anything! Please you need to help them. You can have my hidden stash of crystals!” Spike ran back up the stairs and came back with a basket of gems that he dumped on the floor in front of the figure. He separated them into small piles and presented them to the figure who looked at them with a bored expression. Spike moved through each pile with lightning speed before coming to the bottom of the last pile where he found a small black crystal. He remembered this as one of the strange black crystals he had picked up near the gate of the Crystal Empire when they were heading back to Ponyville. Twilight had taken it in order to study the residual magic she thought was contained within. She hadn't found much in terms of information, but she had explicitly told him not to touch it. If he recalled correctly, it was one of the few remaining crystals Sombra had created, which was why she had kept it locked. She would have been furious with him if she ever found out, but Spike didn't care so long as Twilight was back to normal. Tentatively he grabbed it and held it towards the strange, shadowy thing before him. The figure picked the crystal from Spike’s hands and examined it with keen look. He clenched his fist around the crystal for a moment and then dropped it as he stood up. Spike looked down to see that the inky blackness had disappeared, leaving behind a crystal as clear as glass. Spike looked up to see that the figure had lined up the bodies of all of the the mares except for Twilight, and had extended his hands towards them. Spike watched as the tendrils extended from the folds of the figure’s robe and carefully encircled the five mares. With a strange chant, Spike watched as ghostly purple flames engulfed his friends. The tendrils evaporated as the flames collapsed inwards, leaving behind a strange and acrid smell. Nothing remained were the bodies of the five had been. Only small scorch marks in the shape of their outlines. The figure gave a sigh as he turned his attention to the lavender mare who had ceased breathing. Spike stood in front of her, quavering as he stared directly at the figure. “What did you do to them?” “I have given them their energy back and sent them to their respective nests. They will wake up in their homes fully healed and able to continue with their lives.” “So what about Twilight?” “I will examine your friend in due time, but this is where the second part of the deal comes into play. I hold the lives of your friends in my hands, so you best listen to my instructions.” Spike nodded furiously as he stepped away from Twilight’s body. The figure knelt down and put a hand on the unicorn as he repeated the chant from before. Purple fire erupted from the figure’s hand as he grasped the unicorn’s horn. He held onto Twilight for a minute, then slowly withdrew. As the hand came away, Spike breathed in relief as Twilight drew a breath before turning back to the figure. “Within the next few days, three of my current host’s companions will arrive in this town. This is inevitability. We will need assistance in returning to our homeland which only your friends can provide. However, I fear that we were not the only ones brought here. Until this problem is remedied, we will stay here in this town. In the meantime, you will take care of our needs until such a solution is found. Understood?” Spike nodded as the figure got up and sat on a nearby couch. Another yawn came from the figure as he looked at Spike with a smug expression. Suddenly, dark trails seemed to evaporate as the dark robes were replaced by a different set of clothes. The bandages disintegrated from the figure’s hands as he examined his arms. A small smile played on his lips as he leaned back. “It seems that I must go back to my cage for a bit, but remember this tiny dragon. I will always be watching, and if my host is not taken care of, I will take back that which I have given.” “Who are you?” Spike asked as he stood up, no longer intimidated by the weakened state of the figure. “Who else came with you?” “My name and who I am is not of importance right now. Everything will be revealed in time, but for now, we must both rest. I am sure that my host will fill you in on recent events once he has recovered from his initial shock. Goodbye for now.” With those final words, the blackness in the figures eyes changed to a deep red before they rolled back into his head. The figure collapsed on the couch, unconscious. ***** “So we summoned a group of dangerous aliens to Equestria,” Twilight said as she looked at Spike. She groaned as she rubbed her forehead. Not only had she mistakenly summoned a group of unknown aliens to Equestria, one was capable of using destructive magic she had never seen before. She could only imagine what the others were capable of doing. “Princess Celestia is going to kill me!” “Now Twilight, I’m sure that if we explain what happened, she’ll be able to help us.” Rarity said as she followed Twilight back to the library. Pinkie bounced beside them whistling a tune, obviously undeterred from the previous night’s near death experience. “Besides, I really need to apologize to that one who was in my shop. I acted rather hastily and without proper judgment. I do hope he accepts my apology for throwing my scissors at him.” “I think it would be best if we all got some sleep before we look for them,” Twilight said as she let out a sigh. She opened the door to her library and was greeted by the sight of a now, slightly cleaner, mess on the main floor. A few pieces of furniture were still overturned, and the majority of her books needed repairs, but that would be a problem for another day. “I’ll send a letter to the Princess tomorrow and we’ll all gather here to go looking. I’m sure Fluttershy, Applejack and Rainbow will need an explanation as well.” “Then can we throw a party?” Pinkie asked as she bounced rapidly. Twilight rolled her eyes as she stepped inside the library. She nodded to the pink mare who squealed with excitement before running back to Sugarcube Corner. “This is gonna be the bestest most supertastic party ever!” “Well then I guess we shall see you then tomorrow,” Rarity said as she turned away and headed back to her shop. “Good night Twilight.” “Good night Rarity,” Twilight replied as she closed the door. Twilight took a reassuring breath before she levitated a scroll and her quill and began to write. The letter took her only a minute to finish and explained everything from what had happened to exactly the individual measure of degrees of each angle of the intersecting lines. Rolling the paper up, she turned to give it to Spike who breathed a jet of green flame over the paper. As the smoke exited her window, Twilight went upstairs hoping to salvage what was left of the cold night. ***** Dante grimaced as Moe bandaged the cut on his arm. With a twist, Moe tightened the piece of cloth over the reddened skin. The bleeding had been stopped, but without any medicine or alcohol, it ran the risk of infection. Dante estimated that he unless they could find a healer soon, they would have to make contact with the pony creatures that had chased him last night. Dante scanned the room as Moe sat between a stack of boxes. They had taken refuge in an old building in the centre of the town. From the size of the building, Dante could tell that this was more than likely the town hall. They had gotten in through an open window and locked themselves in a musty storage room to rest for the night while they tried to figure out a plan of action. A sudden realisation came over Dante as he looked at his friend. “Hey Moe?” “Yeah Dante?” Moe replied as he brushed back some of his long hair and looked at his friend’s worried expression. “What happened? We were fighting those four and then the next thing I know, I’m in library with some purple horse thing staring at me.” “Well, we were fighting the Bullywug, then there was a bright flash. The next thing I know, some sort of vortex opened up and sucked us all in. I woke up in some sort of fashion place and almost got stabbed by some flying scissors. The next thing happens is I see you surrounded by horses, so I come and get you.” “Were Coppa and Sam with you?” “No. I thought that maybe you’d know where they were.” “Well, this situation has gone off to a great start. This is starting to look like one of those bad novels that Sarah writes.” “I don’t think Sarah ever wrote one that involved small horses, Dante. Most of that girl’s books were bad slasher plots,” Moe said as they both remembered the shy green haired student librarian. “We’ll look for them in the morning and be back at Particus before you know it. Besides, it’s not like this situation could get any weirder.” Dante was about to protest until he saw a flash of mint green dart from the window. He stared at the window waiting for whatever creature to reappear but shook his head as he noticed that Moe had fallen asleep. Dante leaned back as he felt the day’s events take their toll on his exhausted frame. The comforting hold of sleep came easily to the Diablon as his eyelids sagged and he shifted his body into a more comfortable position. “I just hope that the others are ok.” ***** Sam trudged through the bushes, mentally cursing as he made his way past the thick brambles in the pitch black. The stubborn bushes grabbed at his clothes, causing him to contemplate using his sword to cut through them. Deciding against using his weapon in such a manner, he pulled his leg out of the bush causing him to tumble backwards. Instead of falling flat on his back, he skillfully used the momentum to roll back onto his feet before exhaling. The sound of a breaking branch pulled him from his passive stance. His hand rested at the hilt of his katana as he scanned the brush for any sign of company. His ears strained to hear any other sound before picking up on a low feral growl behind him. Turning around, his gaze centred on a particular glow coming from the brush. His eyes narrowed as he found the source of the glow. A pair of glowing green eyes burned in the darkness of the forest, watching as the Felpier drew his sword. Sam felt a wave a calm pass over him as he prepared to defend himself. Suddenly, more green eyes stared at him as he found himself completely surrounded by the glowing orbs. The clearing was filled with the sound of wolves snarling as Sam turned to face the first creature that stepped out of the thick foliage. He stared at the creature in front of him trying to discern what it was. Its body was made of various pieces of wood shaped in the form of a large wolf. Glowing green eyes stared intently at Sam, who took a step back as more of the creature’s brethren emerged from the bushes. Putrid green breath flowed through the splintered teeth as the monster’s leaf like tongue grazed one its fangs. The lead monster raised its head and emitted a deafening howl. The other monsters followed suit, causing the howl to become a deafening symphony of deadly intent. Sam raised his sword as the first wolf launched itself at him. Sam ducked under the beast and quickly slashed at it with his sword. The blade caught the wolf just below its throat and tore a deep gash along the beast’s side. A whine came from the beast as it collapsed to the ground. Sam looked down to see a line of amber run down his blade as he readied himself against the rest of the pack. Drool lined the mouths of the beasts as they disregarded the cries of their injured companion. They readied to attack, but were caught off guard when Sam rushed to strike first. He sped forward and angled his sword towards the first wolf. He felt a slight resistance as the blade entered the opened maw and sheared the wooden head in half. Sap spurted onto Sam as the top portion of the wolfs head flew up into the air. Another swipe of his word cut the next beast through the midsection severing it in half. Sam felt the surge of adrenaline as the wolves backed away from him. Two wolves launched themselves at different angle towards Sam as he regained his breath. His sword caught the first one as it lunged for his throat but was dragged down by the weight as Sam tried to remove it from the body. He felt a burning sensation as the wolf’s claws raked his side, leaving a tear in his uniform. He placed his hand on the wound and felt a wet spot as his blood seeped from the claw mark. His mind raced as the wolves looked at him with hunger in their eyes. Felpiers were known for their speed and agility, but neither would help his current situation. His energy fading quickly as the bleeding intensified with each passing moment. His vision swam as the green orbs grew closer and closer, waiting for the moment when he would be too weak to retaliate. One dove for his arm and pinned it as he tried to stab at his attacker. Another grasped his leg and pulled on him, causing him to fall to the ground. He looked up as the pack leader loomed over him, its fetid breath stung his nostrils as it reared back to deliver the final blow. Sam closed his eyes as he waited for the end to come. Instead, a loud roar caused his eyes to shoot open. He looked to see that the wolves had begun to slink away as a large shadow loomed over him. He turned to see the large yellow body of a lion as it reared its head and released another bellowing roar. The wolves backed off of Sam who got to his feet, swaying as feebly attempted to lift his sword. The taste of iron filled his mouth while his vision blurred. He fell backwards as the monster lowered itself and a blob of yellow and pink made its way towards him. Two large blue orb on the same field of yellow filled his vision as the darkness began to swallow his consciousness. So this is the face of the angel of death. Sam thought as his consciousness faded. We meet at last ***** Sam opened his eyes as he woke with a start, a hiss escaped mouth as pain flared in his side where he had been clawed. As his hand felt the area, he noticed that his midsection had been covered in white bandages slightly soiled by his sweat. He felt a pounding on his leg as he rose from the small bed. A small rabbit who was busy thumping his foot on Sam’s lap as narrowed his eyes at the wounded warrior. Seeing that Sam was fully awake, the rabbit hopped down from the bed and scurried out of the room. Sam looked around the room as he heard the sounds of someone talking downstairs. The room was lightly furnished and had a comforting warmth to it. A rather low ceiling hung above him as he stumbled over to the window. From his vantage point, he could see the countless number of birdhouses and animal burrows that littered the area. A small grunt of pain escaped from his lips as he slowly left the window and found his weapon leaning against the nightstand. His shirt was draped over a chair, a few patches sewn over the old tears. He quickly clothed himself before a noise made him spin while drawing his blade. His eyes widened as he saw the creature cowering before him as he pointed the blade at its throat. Slowly, he withdrew the blade as he regarded the strange creature before him. A butter yellow pony with a large pink mane cowered in the corner of the room. It used its long pink mane as a sort of curtain blocking Sam from viewing its face A movement caught his eyes and he stared incredulously at the wings that graced the pony’s side. He marveled at their structure as he sheathed his sword and took a step away. Suddenly, the pain in his side flared again, causing him to drop to his knees with a gasp. To his surprise, the fear that had been so dominating in the pony’s eyes was replaced with concern as it dashed to his side and propped him against the bed. Sam felt the soft fur of her as his arm was positioned over its small body. The pony said something causing Sam’s ears to twitch as he tried to comprehend her words. Nothing the pony said made any sense to him. There were a few words that he could understand like “town” and “twilight,” but the rest was a mix of strange neighs and squeaks. With a final check of his bandages, the pony that Sam assumed to be female, led him down the stairs. Passing the large crowd of woodland creatures, he felt the pony push him forward with a gentle nudge of her head. She spoke again while pointing towards the door with her forelimb. Sam did as he was told without complaint. The pony’s voices felt oddly comforting. It possessed a motherly tone that put Sam’s mind on ease as he opened the door. The sun blinded him as he ducked under the doorway. Adjusting to the brightness, he found himself listening to the sounds birds singing. He smiled as the calm and cool breeze of the morning washed over him and ruffled the fur on his ears and tail. A glance at the yellow mare showed her pointing towards a path that led to a town off in the distance. Nodding he slowly followed his saviour as she began to trot towards the town. Even though he didn’t feel any hostility from this creature, he still kept a steady hand next to his blade. ***** Dante looked out the window and felt his heart drop as he saw the crowd of ponies gathered in front of the town hall. Moe was muttering a few curses under his breath as he peered out of the windows. “What do we do?” Moe asked as he tightened his grip around his bow. Dante had left his weapons back in the Library and felt lost without the weight of the sword and staff in his hands. He looked out the window to see the same unicorn step out from the crowd next to a mint green one who pointed to the window before clapping happily. Without the cover of darkness, he could see the shape of the pony more clearly as she looked towards his position. Her mane was a dark shade of purple with a lighter streak running down its length. On her back leg was a peculiar symbol of a purple star that drew Dante’s eye. He saw that all the ponies had images gracing their bodies and silently wondered what such a thing could mean. He shook his head and cast aside his wandering thoughts as the purple mare levitated a large megaphone in front of her. “Please come out, we only want to talk!” “What’s she saying?” Moe asked as he looked out the window. Dante gave him a confused look before he looked back at the shifting crowd. “She says they want to talk,” he replied as he scanned the rooftops. Ponies with wings seemed to be patrolling the roof tops, preventing the two from making an escape. “Can’t you understand them?” “No, I only get a few words here and there but most of it’s a different language. I wish I had one of Coppa’s speaking stones.” “It would certainly make things easier,” Dante said as he noticed a pair of figures coming towards the crowd. His heart froze when he saw the shape of Sam walking down the street. He grasped Moe and turned him to face directly at the approaching felpier. “At least we know where Sam is.” Their joy was interrupted as the crowd surged around Sam who had placed a hand on his sword as though one of them might charge at him. Dante and Moe readied themselves as they slowly opened the windows as the attention was turned towards Sam. A sudden flash of light blinded them as a large pony descended from the sky in a blaze of white light. Dante stared in awe as the tall pony stepped forward, spreading out her large wings. The crown that topped her shifting ethereal mane told him all he needed to know about the pony’s status. Even from this distance, he could feel the power emanating from the monarch as she regarded the purple mare. ***** Twilight gulped nervously as she bowed to the princess who regarded her with a warm expression. As she rose, her gaze shifted to the creature that Fluttershy had brought into Ponyville. Its feline ears had flattened as it readied itself to draw its sword. The fur on its tail stood on end as it cautiously regarded the massive crowd. Its face was a mix of fear, confusion, and pain as Celestia slowly approached it. Twilight glanced at the creatures midsection as she noticed the bandages slightly hidden by its clothes. “Princess, be careful,” Twilight said as she looked at the frightened Fluttershy. Celestia looked at her student before she lowered her head and pointed her long horn towards the creature as a golden glow surrounded it. The creature started to draw its blade as it regarded the Princess. It yelped as the golden aura surrounded the sword and removed it from the hand on its grip. “Twilight, all will be fine. We mustn’t overreact,” Celestia said as she examined the blade while simultaneously lifting the creature in the air. “I will talk to them so that they don’t misread our intent-” The princess was cut off as a wall of flames cut them off from the rest of the crowd. Twilight turned to see the two other creatures drop down from the town hall. The horned one had one arm completely engulfed in flame as it looked at the princess with a furrowed brow. The other one was crouching and was pointing its drawn bow at the princess as it regarded the situation. “Let him go!” Dante said as he flames on his arms intensified. Twilight looked at the princess who nodded and released her hold on the sword and creature. It landed on its feet before vaulting over Twilight to grab its sword, removing it from its sheath as it landed with a graceful flourish. Dante just stared at the frightened ponies as the flames on his arm began to fade. “I don’t know what you want with us, but we just want to go home.” Celestia slowly approached the three as they lowered their weapons. The tension seemed to ease as she smiled at the three and bowed her head. The wall of flames died out as Dante ceased the flow of magic coming out of his arm and motioned for Sam and Moe to put away their weapons. Sam sheathed his sword while Moe placed his bow on the ground. The three lowered themselves as Celestia stood in front of them with her wings extended in an authoritative, yet welcoming manner. Small tendrils of yellow light escaped from her horn grazing the bowed heads of the three. Sam and Moe gasped as the energy attached itself to them. The crowd watched as their bodies took in the magic while Dante remained as he was. Celestia took a step back as she regarded the three before she decided to address their concerns. “Do not worry, I have merely granted you the ability to speak and understand our language,” Celestia said as she bowed to them. They returned the gesture in kind as multiple sighs of relief escaped their bodies. “My name is Princess Celestia, allow me to be the first to welcome you to the land of Equestria. You must have many questions.” “Yes we do Princess, but we were hoping to find our friend first,” Moe said as he bowed to the Princess, “we seem to have lost him recently.” “There are more of you?” “Yes, we are a party of four,” Dante said as he bowed also while ignoring a gasp from the pink mare nearby. Celestia smiled at the formality of the three. Her smile turned to a frown as she felt a sudden danger approaching the town. “His name is Coppa. He’s not that tall and is covered in brown fur. We were hoping to find him before he got himself into trouble.” A sudden roar broke the calm as dozens of heads turned to see a brown blur flying through the air and come crashing down into a house. Screams came from the crowd as the giant form of the Bullywug stepped into sight, knocking over carts and signposts as it unleashed a hungry croak. “It seems he’s found us,” Dante said as they readied themselves while Coppa removed himself from the wreckage of a house. “We’ll handle this! Please tell everyone to get out of here.” ***** Coppa’s day had gone from good to bad, and now to even worse as he saw his friends and the Bullywug facing off. He pushed a large piece of wall off his body as he grasped the handle of his axe. He jumped down from the wreckage and ran up to his friends as they prepared to face the gargantuan creature. “I hope that filly is okay,” he said to himself as he took his position beside his friends. The bullywug croaked as its tongue shot out and crashed into the town hall, causing the second tier to sway precariously. He looked at the serious expressions of his friends as the tongue snapped back towards the humanoid amphibian. “Well, it looks like the whole gang is back.” “Coppa, why is it that wherever we bring you, something tries to kill us?” Moe asked as he shot an arrow that sunk into the pock marked flesh of the Bullywug. “Where the hell have you been anyway?” “It’s a funny story actually. I’ll tell you it while we finish this guy off,” Coppa replied as he charged the monster. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a familiar brown pony and a rainbow coloured streak. A purple unicorn appeared from thin air with Dante’s sword and staff in a Magenta coloured aura before tossing them to the waiting Diablon. He grinned as he dashed forward, raising his axe before he swung it down towards the Bullywugs bloated belly. “Looks like I missed out on introductions.”