Fallen Stars

by Zachurra

Redux

Author's Note:

Considering it's been one year since I joined FimFic I thought it might be fun to revisit my first story. I hope you enjoy the "What If" scenario of the characters swapping places. Quick note: the slower pace and attention to detail is simply due to the fact that this is how Horrus thinks. He's a strategist and not nearly as laid back as Dante was about certain situations.

The sun slowly began to rise over the horizon, flooding the small, burnt up town in its warm light. From the shadows of a ravaged home, a figure shifted. From beyond its jet black hair came a pale skinned face. His expression was silent and his eyes were covered by a piece of black cloth. He was by no means blind, mind you, for he could see just as well as – if not better than – everyone else. From his spot on what could have once been the second floor to a house that practically looked sloppily cleaved in half he crept forward, his covered eyes scanning every bit of new scenery that came into view and his ears listening for any sound that should not be there.

Putting a hand on the ledge, he hopped down off of the second floor. His boots hit the wooden flooring a little louder than he would have preferred so he immediately crouched down and put a hand on one of the blades that was sheathed behind his waist. He waited a minute… and then two… and slowly returned to a standing position. He decided to keep his hand on the hilt of his weapon, just in case.

He wasn’t quite sure what had compelled him to sleep through what was left of the night. He, like any other being with common sense, would sacrifice such a need for sleep in an effort to explore their new surroundings. However he felt nothing but exhaustion after his sudden crash landing. How he even came to a crash landing in the first place was still beyond him. Regardless of how improbable such a thing was, it still happened and it is folly to think that one can always make sense of the past.

He stepped out of the building that once knew itself as a home and into the sunlight. It was certainly a bright and clear day, and that was the first thing to strike him as unusual. Clear days were rather uncommon in Hellion, and yet here was the kind of day that an artist would construe on a sheet of paper.

He lowered his gaze to the rest of the town around him. Ruination was the only word to describe it all. Homes and nature alike were devastated and some of the larger fires were still alive and well. Scattered about where he stood – a large cul-de-sac area – were numerous bodies. Removing his hand from his weapon, he walked forward and knelt down next to the body of one of the many creatures that lay limp and cold across the dirt. There was no doubt in his mind that it was an equine of some sort; or, at least, related to one. He gently brushed his hand over its body, trying to feel the texture of its fur. A very soft, pale blue coat… a mane white with a slight tint of said blue. Using his fingers he spread its eyelids open. There was no reaction from the pupils, confirming his suspicion of the creature being deceased. What rather surprised him was just how big the eyes were… it was almost cartoonish. Had these beasts always been this way, or had something happened to them to distort their bodies?

He continued to further examine the body. It wasn’t small, but definitely not as big as some of the equines from Hellion. Standing up, it would probably be roughly half his height; likely reaching his full height if it were rearing back. The hind legs seemed normal – by his standards – while the forelegs were double jointed. Moving from the legs back to the head, he opened the dead animal’s mouth. The tongue slipped out, as expected, and he was thankful to see that it didn’t have fangs or canines or something else that could be deemed out of the ordinary. The fewer questions he had, the better.

Finally, his gaze fell to the beast’s flank. There was an image of a feather quill printed on its fur. Upon closer inspection, the same image could be seen underneath the hair and on the skin. Was it a sort of branding? If so, then it would mean that these were mere beasts of burden and there was a higher intelligence somewhere. If not, then that would be another question to add to the list.

He was tempted to cut the beast open and see if any organs had been tampered with or misplaced, but that would have to wait. Besides, he knew not where he was and he’d rather not start angering the locals by cutting up the dead. He lifted himself back to his feet and continued wandering in a direction he deemed fruitful. On his way he saw more of the deceased. This time, however, they were different in debatably minute ways. One was orange with a black mane and the brand of a chocolate bar being unwrapped, while another was slightly dark shade of pink with an equally darkened blue mane and the image of three stars in a triangular formation branded on its flank. Perhaps these were not brands, but rather symbols for these creatures to be designated by? A sort of nametag, maybe? It seemed unlikely but still probable due to the fact that he had yet to see duplicates.

As he ventured further he began to grow used to the bright colors of… wherever it was that he was located. The colors seemed to jump out at him. Even his own attire, despite being mostly black, seemed more vibrant. He put this off as a trick of his eyes. His attention was soon taken away from the colors and brought to something new; something simple yet unmistakably foreign. Some of these equines had horns and wings.

He stopped first at the horned one. It seemed completely normal compared to the others, save for the growth on its forehead. He ran his fingers along it, feeling the small spiral as it went up. He touched the tip… not sharp, but not exactly blunt either. That took away the chance of it being a sort of defense in which it could be used in a charge. Perhaps it could be sharpened?

Seeing little knowledge to be gained, he left the horned equine where it lay and moved towards the more peculiar of the two: the one with wings. He vaguely recalled some tale of old from the human’s culture in which such a creature existed, but the name of which continued to elude him. Shrugging to himself, he knelt down and began his examination. The body itself was average, save for the wings. As expected, they were indeed designed for flight, but it seemed rather unlikely that such would be enough to get such a creature off the ground… Needless to say he was rather surprised when he found himself able to lift the beast off the ground with moderate effort. He was expecting at least three hundred pounds from the mare, granted its size. Yes it weighed significantly less… could it be possible that these creatures were genetically engineered? It would certainly explain their colors and anatomy.

For his final test, he took one of the equine’s – Pegasus! That was their name! – hind legs in his hands and in one swift motion, snapped the bone. He listened intently to the sound and remained stoic in expression as his suspicions had become confirmed. Their bones weren’t totally hollow, but close. Another sign of possible tampering, leaving these creatures with lighter weights to increase the possibility of flight. Who was doing this, and why?

There were no answers to be found amongst these bodies, that much was quickly becoming clear. To satisfy his questions he would need to find something living that he could communicate with. One could only learn so much from a corpse.

“Dead men tell no tales, I suppose,” He mumbled to no one in particular. Taking one last glance at the Pegasus, he rose to his feet. “Well, perhaps not dead men.”

He continued silently on his way towards the outskirts of town. Intriguingly, the farther out of town he came the more and more he came to find the corpses of the insectoid creatures that had attacked him prior. His inspection was quick, having already seen them. A solid carapace, small insect-like wings (Certainly these couldn’t be used for flight as well?), compound eyes that were the same color as the wings, obvious fangs that led to the assumption of a carnivorous diet, horns similar to those of the equine’s except far sharper… and then there were the legs. They looked torn apart, shredded, and natural all at the same time. With quite literally only half their legs and wings that under no circumstances should allow them flight, how did these things even move?

He dropped the corpse and took one last look around. What exactly had happened here? These insectoids, the equines, how were they connected? Were the insectoids a kind of guard dog for the others? Or perhaps were they the ones who had attacked in the first place? There was simply too much unknown. He had to learn more about them, and more importantly he had to learn where he was.

Rising back to his feet, two great leathery wings spread from his back. With a strong leap he was soon high above the wreckage that had once been known as a town. His covered eyes scanned the surrounding area, but there was nothing. Looking down once more, his eyes caught sight of a line of train tracks… If the houses themselves weren’t enough to prove signs of a higher intelligence, then that certainly was. And if this place was anything like Hellion – part of him hoped it wasn’t – then those tracks would likely lead to civilization.

He had no other choice at this point.

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Chaos. That was all that could be used to describe what he had found at the end of those tracks. He had arrived hoping to find answers, but only received cries for help. He could hear the screams even from his position in the air as he saw a black mass beginning to make its way through the town. Well, at least he knew one thing: the insectoids were certainly not guard dogs.

He let himself drop, his legs bracing for the hard landing against the dirt. He happened to land right in front of one of those who were trying to escape. A yellow one, presumably a mare by the shape of the skull, with an orange mane slid to a stop before she collided with him. She looked up at him with absolute fear in her eyes before falling down and covering her head with her forelegs. Flexible things, weren’t they?

“Please don’t hurt me!”

…Wait, did it just–

Before having a moment to even finish his thought, a sharp hiss could be heard from behind the mare. One of the insectoids was charging straight at them, shooting through the air at quite the speed with the use of its wings. With a quick swing, he hit the threat with the back of his hand, easily throwing it off course and sliding across the dirt.

Taking the opportunity, the mare quickly got up and sprinted away. He made no effort to chase after her, only focusing on the task at hand. And that task seemed to be survival. It quickly pulled itself to its feet – hooves? – and charged him once more. It went for his throat, but he expected this. It may be fast, but his reach was far longer. He grabbed it by its neck, stopping it dead in the air. Not wanting to give it a moment to surprise him with a possible defense mechanism, he quickly pulled out one of his swords and slid it straight through the head, right beneath the horn.

He pushed it forward, letting it slide right off the blade and limply onto the ground. He swung his sword swiftly, hoping to get off any cranial fluids from his sword… was that the proper term? Cranial fluids? Just more questions to add to the growing list.

But that list would have to wait. For now, his attention had been brought to the growing number of the insectoids that were quickly gathering around him. Their presence was the least bit subtle due to their growling and hissing, and he had little to suspect from their actions due to their animalistic behavior. He spun around, swinging out his right wing, catching each of them in a row as they tried to rush him. They each stumbled over themselves as they tried to get up, ultimately putting some of the others down in the process. As planned, this led them to only come at him one at a time.

He dealt with the first by kicking his leg high only to bring his heel down on of their skulls. It was easily crushed between the force of his kick and the dirt beneath him. The next two were still far enough away to react. Making the observation that they were going at a speed they likely could not stop very easily at, he thrust his sword forward. The first became impaled upon his blade while the second, as he had predicted, was unable to stop in time before sliding onto the blade all on its own. The next was too close to deal with by sword, but their attacks were obvious and straightforward. He simply held out his arm and grabbed it by the neck, only for an audible crack to be heard as the beast fell limp.

And then there was light.

It wasn’t exactly blinding, but it certainly had some force to it. Physical force. Why did things have to stop making sense? Upon feeling the force of the light, he immediately tried to brace himself but his body was still forced back several feet. It appeared that other inanimate objects, as well as whatever equines were still in the area, were totally unaffected by this sudden force. Even his body was merely mildly disturbed, but it was rather the creatures under his foot and in his grasp and stuck on his sword that were being forced back. He nearly lost his footing as the one beneath was thrown away. He spun on his heels to watch the wave of light to continue outward towards the edge of town. He watched as more of those things were blown away, going as far to send them flying through the air.

He wasn’t sure how to react to something so sudden and supposedly harmless. He wasn’t sure how to react to the sounds of metal clanging against more metal as some of the equines gathered around him. When he turned around, the tips of spears were but inches from him. He looked past the weapons to meet the glares of a counted six of them, presumably stallions by their physical features.

“Don’t move!” One of them shouted at him. He did not understand why, considering he was not moving to begin with. His gazed fell from one armored beast to another, and found little difference between them. They all wore the same styled golden armor, likely standard issue, and were equipped with both spears and swords. Judging by their condition, these weapons had been in use uncomfortably recently.

“By order of her Royal Highness, you are to be taken into custody immediately! Lay down your weapons!”

He cocked an eyebrow. Her Royal Highness? Signs of monarchy, indeed. Judging by their variances in anatomy, none held precedence over the others. Each were equally armored and equipped, however it was one with a horn that spoke before the others. Logic would suggest one of higher ranking. Did the horn signify something? If there was a monarchy, surely there was nobility. Perhaps the horn symbolized a birthright. This seemed likely, as he doubted they lived the lives of warriors due to the way one of the other horned ones cowered behind the rest.

“Under what charges?” He said, his mind returning to the situation at hand. He brushed away the spear tip only for it to be quickly returned to its original position.

“I will say again,” the stallion continued slowly, ignoring his remark, “lay down your weapons!”

Must things be made difficult?

In a few swift motions, he grabbed the spear of the one who was questioning him and, thankful to the stallion for his strong grip and made a note to question one afterwards on how they even held weapons such as spears, pulled back. He swept his leg right to twist the stallion around and let go of the spear to grab the horn on its head. The others began to react until he put the edge of his sword against the soldier’s neck. The stallion struggled against him, but his grip on the horn was too tight. He began taking a few steps back, the stallion’s hind legs gently dragging through the dirt.

“You will let me go.” He began. A sudden shock surged through his left hand and arm, but he ignored it. Curiously, the stallion seemed to be in more pain than one would assume. Was the horn perhaps more sensitive than he had anticipated? “You will make no attempt to follow. Is this understood?”

The others glared at him. The stallion that was his captive had given up struggling. A moment later, the clatter of spears could be heard as they dropped to the ground. Perhaps this would not be as difficult as expected.

With a solid kick to the back, the stallion fell forward. Without waiting to confirm if his suspicions about the sensitivity of the horn were correct, he spun around and crouched down before quickly taking to the sky. He must have been about thirty feet in the air before a ball of light suddenly shot into the air and struck him in the back. He let out a cry of pain before plummeting back to the ground. He made no efforts to brace himself, simply falling limply to the ground with a thud.

Each of the soldiers turned around to see the smaller Unicorn that had been behind all the others breathing rather heavily and a small bit of smoke emanating from his horn.

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Darkness. That’s all there was, all that could be seen… At least until he opened his eyes. Once that had happened he was once again met with all the bright colors this strange world had to offer. However, this time the white of clouds had become a much larger factor on the color pallet. He tried to turn his head but found it restricted. He could just barely see what looked like lightening tethering his wrists to the floor of the piece of metal he was currently flying around in, as well as four separate tethers that came up to wrap around his neck. Curiosity was certainly something that never let itself go in this land.

In his peripheral vision he could see that one of the soldiers – the one he had taken captive, he could tell by the slight differences in facial features – had removed both of his swords and kept them close. Up ahead, two of the ones with wings were confirming the possibility of flight and raising further questions by proving capable of pulling their load plus himself and the other stallion. They did not appear to be straining from the weight of it all. He wondered just how much weight one could carry at a time.

Looking beyond them, it appeared that their destination was about to come into view: a lone mountain surrounded by forestry and plains. Jutting from its side appeared to be a city, and a rather grand one at that. He’d certainly seen larger in his lifetime, but he’d also seen smaller. Their descent began before he was given an opportunity to look further across the land and the carriage rumbled as it bounced once on the ground before coming to a full stop in one of the gardens of the large castle that resided towards the back of the city. The garden was certainly one that was well-tended to, but his shackles left a majority to his imagination.

“Follow me.” The soldier said as he raised to his feet… hooves? He crossed in front of him to step off of the carriage. A strange glow enveloped his horn as well as the two swords that levitated by his side. As he moved, so did they. Perhaps the horn was not a natural occurrence for a matter of defense, but instead a catalyst for a form of telekinesis? How much could it carry? Could it be used to perform other tasks? Could it be made to perform other tasks? There may be a time for study in the near future…

“I said move!”

The outburst was enough to snap him out of his trance. From the slight twitches in his demeanor, staring at his horn seemed to make him… uncomfortable. Could it possibly be similar to the antlers of a buck or stag? If so, he would feel inclined to apologize. After apologizing he would feel inclined to ask how he knew he was observing the stallion’s horn from behind his blindfold in the first place.

A sudden sensation could be felt around his wrists and neck. He found himself to be less restricted and was able to look down and watch as the lightening that kept him bound morphed and contorted, pulling his arms together and fusing them together at his wrists. The four that kept him restrained all rose up only to fuse his collar and wrist restraints together. An understandable precaution, albeit an uncomfortable one. Finally able to stand, he nearly stumbled due to his legs having fallen asleep. How long had he been out? A better question might be what knocked him out in the first place, but what is life without mysteries?

…One that drives you insane with curiosity and the agonizing unknown, that is what.

In an effort to help relax his cramped muscles he attempted to flex his wings, only to find that they too had been bound by the same force that kept him prisoner. Quite precautious indeed.

The bonds themselves were strong, and due to their changeable nature it was likely that it was not a natural resource such as metal… could it be living? Or perhaps a much more interesting possibility may be that the bonds were created by these equines themselves in the same manner this soldier was using telekinesis. The bonds were strong, but certainly not unbreakable. But who’s to say he wouldn’t simply get shot down once more should he to escape? It could be in his best interest to simply follow along with wherever they may be taking him to and determine whether or not it would be in his best interest to stay after he learns of whatever they may be planning to do with him. Possible imprisonment and or execution were certainly not on his bucket list.

He followed the orders he was given and remained silent. His long strides easily kept up with the quick steps of the soldier. Now that he was unrestrained – or rather, less restrained – he allowed himself a quick look of his surroundings. They walked through a grand, beautiful garden that seemed to span the entire outer area of the castle, filled with many various and quite lively fauna and flora. A short distance away a large white wall could be seen, and beyond it only sky could be seen. Someone certainly enjoyed their privacy.

The outdoor air and greenery was soon replaced by the cleanliness and décor of the inside of the castle. Clones of those who had brought him in stood at attention at every door way, waiting for the moment when they would be called upon to fulfill their duties. They gave no forms of greeting to their fellow soldier, but he could see the way they would take glances at him. If this was not a clear indication that his kind, Demon or otherwise, was a rarity, then he did not know what was.

It was not long before the soldier’s and his conversation filled journey was brought to an end. A pair of guards stood before them, and before them was a pair of large decorated doors. One half, the door on the left, was decorated with the image of a slightly clouded sky and the image of half of a brightly burning sun. Its mirrored half depicted what appeared to be the night sky, with this side’s half of the sun being shown as a crescent moon. Interesting.

The sun and moon parted to reveal a grand hall. It was bright and clean, a red carpet led straight from the door to the side-by-side thrones at the opposite end. On the walls to his left and right were quite a few large stained glass windows decorated to depict events. But what events were they depicting? Actual history, or was it perhaps a retelling of a story that held great meaning to these beasts? Perhaps both? Questions for later.

For now, his attention was brought to something far more interesting than mere windows. Upon the dual thrones sat two contrasting figures. One was physically larger with a coat the color of snow. Its mane flowed in an ethereal fashion and was a wide array of colors. Its familiarity to his own eyes was ironic. The second was physically smaller and wore a coat that was as dark as night and wore a mane of darkness and twinkling light. It, like the other’s, blew in a mysterious and nonexistent wind. Most curiously of all these features was the fact that, unlike every other creature he had seen so far save the black ones, these two had both wings and horns. Perhaps this is what made them superior.

The soldier led him forward before the touching his face to the floor, “Your Highnesses,”

The white one spoke first. “Arise, lieutenant,” Her eyes wandered in his direction, “And do tell of our new guest.”

The soldier rose back up but remained at attention. “You Highness! During a raid on the town of Everglade, this creature arrived. From both eyewitness reports and my own personal experience, it has proven hostile to both the armies of Equestria and the Changelings. These,” The swords levitated forward before being placed on the ground at the base of the steps that led to the two regents, “Were found on its possession. From what has been reported, it is skilled in their use and has therefore been treated as a threat. As per your request, my soldiers and I brought the creature into custody and have now been brought it before you.”

The white one nodded to the soldier before rising up and descending from the steps. Becoming ever closer, it became more and more apparent that this one was quite larger. While the others would have had to rear back in order to reach his full height, this one easily stood at his height all on her own. She stood taller, even, if you counted the length of her horn. Was this also because of racial superiority, or was this simply due to her being female? Questions and questions.

She stopped just before him. He made no effort to avert her gaze as she tried to look beyond his blindfold; to look beyond his eyes and into who he was. She would find nothing. If he could look into the eyes of both the former and current Gods of Hellion and keep a straight face, then surely this crime against all he had ever known wouldn’t be able to break him.

“Lieutenant,” She spoke after several minutes of silence, “I thank you for your service and request that you leave us for the time being.”

The soldier looked surprised to hear such a thing, “B-but, Your Highness, I–”

“And please release his bonds as well. I assure you that there is nothing to worry about.” She added with a small smile, “If my sister and I could take on the likes of Discord in his prime, then I am sure that whatever force our new guest may bring with him will be welcomed in comparison.”

The soldier gave a small sigh before nodding and making his way towards the doors, which closed behind him.

As the sound of the doors closing echoed throughout the hall, the bonds that held his wrists and wings and neck together vanished suddenly. There was a slight tingling sensation where it had been, but no physical harm appeared to have been left by their presence. His gaze returned to that of the white one, who remained silent.

He never did like silence.

The sound of metal soaring through air could be heard as the swords flew from their position on the ground and shot by the white one’s sides. He grabbed them both and swiftly brought one below her neck while the other was in position to be driven through her forehead. During the action which occurred in but a second, she remained stoic and unphased. The smile she wore still remained.

Confidence because she knew he wouldn’t harm her, or arrogance because she believed he wouldn’t be able to? Time would tell. Curiously he found himself unable to move his hands from their positions, for they appeared to be enveloped in a dark blue glow. His hands were stuck in air and his fingers were unable to release the grip around the swords. It felt as though his hands were encased in blocks of ice.

“We hope that this is some manner of greeting from wherever it is you call home?” The blue one spoke for the first time, having not moved from her seated position on the throne. Her horn glowed in the same fashion as his hands.

Unable to break free from these new bonds, he decided to humor them. “It depends on who you are greeting.”

The blue one did not respond, only choosing to look down at him from her chair. After a moment his hands fell under his control once more. Instead of choosing to test these supposed rulers once more, he straightened himself and slid the blades back into their individual sheaths. From there, his hands cupped together behind his back and he took his usual stance when dealing with those who called for professionalism.

“I’m sure you have many questions about this place,” the white one spoke calmly despite the feigned attack not a moment earlier, “And we have many questions for you too. Would you like anything to drink?”

She wants him to relax, that much is obvious. However, landing in a new plane of existence only to be attacked, attacked again, and then taken into custody… a drink wouldn’t be enough to help him relax in his current situation.

“No, thank you.” He replied simply.

“Then perhaps thou would prefer to get straight to the point.” The blue one spoke loudly with subtle uses of archaic words. No, he was getting ahead of himself. Just because they were archaic in his world does not mean they are archaic in this one.

“That would be preferable.”

A cushion from the white one’s throne began to glow and descended down beside her. She promptly sat down upon it before turning to face the blue one. “Come down from there, Luna. I am sure our guest would prefer to have a conversation without having to look up at us.”

A practitioner of humility? Odd.

The blue one, who had been referred to as Luna, seemed reluctant at first before finally giving in to the wishes of the white one and descending from her position. She too carried a cushion in her telekinetic grasp to take a seat upon. He chose to stand.

“So,” the white one began upon seeing the other take a seat, “Perhaps you would wish to begin by telling us your name?”

It is common courtesy to tell one’s own name before asking–

“Oh, but where are my manners?” She smiled as she corrected herself. “My name is Princess Celestia. And this,” She gestured towards the blue one, who had yet to take her eyes off him, “Is my younger sister, Princess Luna.”

Princesses? Were there no king or queen? If not, then why would they choose to take such titles that were not as prestigious? Surely it was not to give the illusion that they were not as superior to the others as they truly were.

Nevertheless, he bent down slightly in a bow. “Horrus Rabe. I am afraid that my title is not one of such prestige. I trust your words are truthful when you say you have as many questions as I. As such, I suggest we tradeoff between one another. You will provide a question, and I will answer. I will provide a question, and you will answer. Does this sound appropriate?”

The two sisters looked at each other before nodded to him. The blue one – Princess Luna – spoke next, “About your title–”

Horrus held up a hand, halting her. “I was the last to present an answer. The question is mine.” It was needless to say that the younger ruler looked annoyed by being cut off in such a manner, but she kept her words to herself. For now.

“I would like to address to you both that I am not often one for idle chat.” Horrus began, “As such, I would like my first question to be my most important one: I am sure it is obvious to us all that I do not belong here, so I must ask why am I here?”

“If you are referring as to why you are here in Equestria, then I am afraid that I cannot offer you a definite answer. If you are referring as to why you are here in the castle, then it is because my sister and I received a vision three days ago. In this vision, we were told that four stars would descend from the heavens to aid us in our war against the Changelings.”

Luna continued after her sister had finished. “During my watch of the night, I was able to observe your descent. I immediately came to my sister to inform her, and it was but an hour later when messengers were sent to every regiment informing them to keep an eye out for anything… unnatural.”

A vision? Four who fell? At least he knew he wasn’t alone. Perhaps it was the other Horsemen? If that was the case, he could at least find comfort in knowing it was someone he was familiar worth. If not, then he supposed he would just have to make do.

“I believe it is our turn,” Celestia said, “You mentioned a title of some sort.” Luna revealed a small smile. She took pleasure in knowing she was not alone in our curiosity. “Are you of nobility?”

Horrus took a moment to think. He was technically in the top five most influential people in Hellion, but it was not something he was necessarily born into… But would he have even been given the job if not for his past lives?

“One may see it that way. My people are ruled by a monarchy, and I am the royal war strategist. I, and three others, each hold the title of Horseman.” He paused for a moment, mostly out of curiosity of how they would react to such a name. He did not have to wait long.

“Horse… man?” Luna said, almost seeming to have trouble with the words.

“Horseman. One who rides upon the back of a horse. Many years ago, it was considered easier and simpler to travel by horseback, but my kind has since developed new ways of transportation.”

“But what of your wings?” Celestia asked. “Are they not strong enough to keep you in the air?”

“No, my wings are indeed strong enough.” Horrus spread his wings as he spoke before folding them back up. “I speak in reference to those of my race who are not gifted in such a way. On the subject of such comes my next question: Since my arrival I have seen various differences between members of your kind. Some are adorned with wings and horns while others have neither at all; and then there are the two of you who have both. What is the reasoning behind this?”

“Ah, a far simpler question.” Luna said. “Let us begin with their individual traits–”

“Your Highnesses!”

Their conversation was brought to an abrupt end as the soldier from before burst into the room. He looked panicked and appeared to even be sweating.

“What’s the matter lieutenant?” Celestia rose to her hooves, as did Luna.

“There’s something attacking the castle! It-It’s some kind of–”

He did not get a chance to tell of what it was that was attacking, as a large hand made of darkness and shadows reached out from the doorway only to snatch him and disappear down the hall. There was silence… and then a voice spoke through as shadow began to seep into the room like mist. Just beyond the darkness was a faint glow which soon became like a shining beacon surrounded by black. It was all that was visible… that, and what appeared to be the faint outline of a wide brimmed hat.

“Horrus… help.. me.”