Borrowed Heroes

The Lost Book of My Travels with Gotrek

My time with the Troll Slayer, Gotrek Gurnisson, was by far the most exciting years of my life. It was a time full of terror, wonder, and adventure. Even though it has been many years since that age, the memories still burn bright within my mind. How could I ever forget the wonders of the Old World in all their unblemished glory? I never would have witnessed such beauty and wonder had I not sworn my services to that great Slayer. He saved my life, so I took the oath that I’d be there to record his death in return. Those who are reading this tome must already know Gotrek did indeed meet his glorious demise with both bravery and tenacity. This was inevitable since the dwarf had sworn to seek death on the battlefield for a sin that I shall keep secret till my last breath.

However, this particular tale is not just about the Troll Slayer’s legacy. It is about one of the strangest adventures he and I shared. We traveled to a paradise inhabited by strange colorful creatures, where violence was against the land’s very nature. It was a new earth that put the splendors of the Old World to shame. We had discovered a place that anyone, from the lowly beggar to the lofty king, would be happy to call home. But Gotrek and I did not go there to be happy or build a home. We intruded upon the peaceful world in order to save it and possibly find a creature strong and cunning enough to end the life of Gotrek in glorious battle. We came because we were asked to come. That world is called Equestria.

It all began in the Imperial City of Nuln, after Gotrek, I, and several other dwarves and humans returned to Karak Kadrin, home of the dwarven Slayers. We received the thanks of the Slayer King and his people for traveling to the Chaos Wastes on a great airship. Our mission was to retrieve the legendary warrior Firebeard’s magical warhammer and rescue the survivors of the lost dwarven stronghold of Karag Dum. After we accomplished this feat, my seemingly insane dwarven companions declared a quest to kill the dragon, Skjalandir, in order to rid the Slayer King’s realm of the great beast. My comrades and I were successful; despite burying the dragon’s stolen treasure in an avalanche of stone. . . . It’s a long story. They will reach the treasure eventually. If it’s underground, then nothing is lost for too long for the dwarves, so we again won the thanks of the Slayers.

From Karak Kadrin, Gotrek and I were to travel with our other dwarven companions aboard the great airship, the Spirit of Grungni, to the lands of Kislev. However, riding all day on a dwarven contraption tends to keep even the most battle-weary warrior on his toes. I remember thanking Sigmar vigorously for getting us to Nuln when we finally touched down on the outskirts of the city. I and the other occupants wanted a few days on the ground to relax and recuperate before having to spend more time on that blasted dirigible. Gotrek and I went into the sprawling city to look for a quick job during our brief stay.

First we needed to find a place to stay the night. We were exhausted from our journey, though Gotrek would never admit it. He pointed at the first inn we came to, nodding at me gruffly to signal that the building was fine with him. To me, it was a rather strange choice. A weather-worn sign proclaimed in letters of striking violet, “The Midnight Pony.” Indeed, below the words was a painting of a dark, horned, and winged pony. The other businesses along the road seemed small and dim in comparison to the towering establishment. With the sun quickly setting, I didn’t feel like convincing the haggard dwarf to find a less outlandish inn to stay for the night. Besides, I have learned over the years to trust Gotrek’s instincts…except when it comes to combat. His greatest wish is to be slain in battle, so his instincts are always looking for a lethal fight he can’t win.

Inside we were greeted with a merry tune and a round jolly innkeeper who was most happy to welcome us. I recognized the innkeeper instantly. His name was Sonny, a retired priest of Sigmar. Sonny, Gotrek, and I had fought side by side a few months ago when Nuln was attacked by warpstone-mutated rats called skaven. The inn keeper told us that he remembered Gotrek and I fighting bravely to protect the people from the skaven menace. We said the same about him. After we exchanged pleasantries, Sonny proclaimed that we could stay and eat and drink all we wished in his inn free of charge. However, neither of us could accept such bountiful generosity, and we insisted on paying like any other customers. It was very strange talking to the innkeeper; usually our exploits go unnoticed by most people, and gratitude was not something to which the Troll Slayer and I were accustomed. As we paid for the rooms and the meal, I couldn’t help but notice the paintings of horses adorning the walls. The image of the dark-colored pony on the sign appeared in each of the paintings; often the pony was flying in the night sky. But the Slayer did not care about the peculiarity, and I was too tired to question it. What we wanted most were two rooms with two beds. After finding my room, I stripped off my chainshirt and cloak and unbuckled my sword. I fell onto the bed and almost immediately went to sleep.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The forest was dark. Felix could only see the vague outlines of trees highlighted by the moonlight. The poet looked up and tried to see the sky between the foliage to get his bearings. After positioning himself between two trees, he found the moon, and what he saw caused him to gape upwards. This moon was bone white instead of the corpse green of the two moons, Morrslieb and Mannslieb, from his familiar sky. Not only had the moon changed, but the stars themselves were different, somehow brighter. Feeling that something was amiss, Felix reached for the hilt of his crimson sword and felt nothing but his hip. The sword wasn’t with him.

Felix heard behind him, “Don’t bother looking for it, manling. I’m sure your sword is with my axe. . . wherever that may be.”

Startled, Felix spun around to see his companion, the Troll Slayer, no more than ten feet away. The one-eyed monster of a dwarf was a fearsome sight to behold with his huge fiery mohawk, along with his orange beard and eye patch. Gotrek was looking even angrier and more brooding than usual. No doubt he was missing the weight of his prized axe.

Felix nervously ran his hand through his long blonde hair and asked, “Gotrek . . . where in Sigmar’s name are we?”

Gotrek managed a slight smile that most would mistake for a grimace. The dwarf replied, “That’s the problem with your race, manling. Your kind spends so much time looking for answers in the stars that you never look down to see where your feet are.”

Ignoring the thinly-veiled insult, Felix looked down. The black grass became suddenly transparent, and through it he saw the city of Nuln from a god’s-eye view. The sudden forced shift of perception caused Felix to fall to his knees and vomit.

In-between his heaves he heard Gotrek say, “Aye lad, this view took a little bit of getting used to, but it’s not done yet.”

The image of Nuln then seemed to shift, almost like he and Gotrek were rushing downward to a particular place in the town itself. Felix’s head spun with vertigo. When the picture stopped changing, the pair was looking at the inn of The Midnight Pony. They could see through the roof of the establishment and saw themselves with their weapons in their rooms. Gotrek and Felix were lying in their feather stuffed beds, sleeping without a care in the world.

Felix looked away from the jarring image of himself sleeping. He broke the silence, “So, either we’re dead or we’re dreaming?”

Gotrek replied angrily, “We are not dead, manling. I refuse to accept that. I will not die sleeping. I will die in battle by the hand of some great monster while my teeth are in its jugular vein.”

Despite their situation, Felix chuckled, “Though the world around us doth change, my companion changeth not. It is good to know that some things are meant to endure.”

From out of the darkness behind them they heard a sweet feminine voice say, “Well-spoken, sir. I could not agree more.”

The pair instinctively whirled around to face who was behind them, reaching for weapons that were no longer there. Before the duo could react further, the voice commanded, “Calm yourselves. All will be revealed.”

Then from the shadows a gentle light appeared, silhouetting a horse-like shape. As the seconds went by, the glow brightened. Gotrek and Felix watched in wonder as a winged unicorn with a glowing horn stepped forth from the darkness. Her midnight colored coat gleamed in the moonlight, and her blue mane and tail sparkled and flowed constantly in an unseen breeze. Her being radiated majesty and power of the night eternal. Felix could not believe his eyes. She was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. Felix had witnessed many things while traveling with the Troll Slayer, but the sight of this moon-marked being so awed him that he lost his voice.

Gotrek however, was not so overcome. But his good eye was noticeably wider than before. He pointed a meaty finger at the creature and asked, “Are you the weaver of this fantasy?”

The being came closer to the pair, “Yes, I created this dream to meet you,” She gestured with her hoof to the rest of the black forest, “I am also letting you two experience this ‘fantasy’ together.”

By this time Felix had found his voice, “Who are you . . . ma’am? And what are you?”

The being smiled at Felix, “I am an alicorn. My name is Luna, Princess of the Night. I and my sister, Princess Celestia, rule over the land of Equestria.”

Felix glanced over at Gotrek with a questioning look on his face. The Troll Slayer returned Felix’s look with a shrug. The dwarf looked around to see if there was anyone else lurking in the forest, never completely letting his guard down. Felix kept his eyes glued on Luna and sarcastically asked, “Well, my lady, what can we do for you on this fine evening?”

Ignoring his tone Luna replied seriously, “Felix, Equestria needs your help.”

At this Felix’s mouth dropped open, and Gotrek stopped looking around for potential threats. The dwarf’s head snapped back to look at the alicorn.

“How do you know his name?” Gotrek growled.

“Sonny spoke a great deal about the two of you,” Luna explained. “He said that both of you almost single-hoofedly saved an entire city from being destroyed by skaven. He has told me a lot about your world.”

Luna’s smile then turned into a thin line of determination. She took a deep breath, looked at both the human and the dwarf and said, “There is a gateway between your world and mine. I have kept this portal active for a day. Through this portal, I have scanned the dreams of everyone in Nuln, and I have found no one worthy enough to be my champions. You two, however, possess the hearts of noble warriors, and I have chosen you.”

Suddenly a cold biting wind started to blow. In the distance, Felix saw flashes of lightning and then a few seconds later heard the boom of thunder. Without a doubt, Felix knew that the storm had come for them. Gotrek was peering into the trees as well, and by the look in his eye, Felix could tell he was thinking the same thing.

Looking grim, Gotrek glanced back at Luna and said, “Our world is full of warriors. And I know there are many in the city. Surely there were other fighters more pure of heart that you could’ve picked.”

The alicorn hardened her gaze and said, “Equestria needs warriors of honor. I know that you have killed. In my world, there is no higher crime than taking another’s life—no matter how evil the creature. The countless lives you have ended is something my sister and I cannot overlook. It is unforgiveable.” At this she stamped her hoof, and the ground trembled.

Felix and Gotrek stared at the princess’s powerful display of emotion. They remained silent and waited.

Luna took a shaky breath and continued, “Despite this, there is still much goodness within both of you. You defend those that cannot defend themselves. I believe there is a greater reason that brought you to the inn of The Midnight Pony, to the very place where our worlds connect. I believe it is your destiny to help defend Equestria.”

By this point the storm had closed the distance and reached the unlikely trio. The three of them would have to shout to be heard. Luna had seen storms like this one before in dreams she had visited in the past, but not on this scale. Dream storms represented conflict and turmoil within the sleeper. She knew the next question the otherworlders asked would turn this storm into a gale. The choice they made after that could cause the storm to tear the dream world apart.

Felix was having difficulty standing; the wind and rain lashed at his face. However, Gotrek was as unmoving as a mountain in a hurricane; he only cared about what the princess said next.

Felix cried out, “What is your world’s problem?”

Luna’s horn glowed bright white and a beam of pure energy left it, entering the minds of both Gotrek and Felix. Felix watched as the night brightened into day. He could see parts of the forest he hadn’t noticed before. The trees seemed to stretch on endlessly before him. He realized that he was standing near the edge of a high cliff. The storm was gone, but so were Gotrek and Luna. Felix felt very uneasy. He was sure Luna’s magic had caused this to happen. Should he look for Gotrek and the strange alicorn? Was this a part of a vision? How could one even have a vision in a dream? Should he stay here and wait to see what Luna was trying to show him? Not knowing what to do, Felix approached the cliff edge. The poet noticed there was no wind at all. The forest around him was still and silent. He heard no noise other than his own breathing and quiet footsteps.

When Felix stood at the edge, he saw an unfamiliar land spread out before him. In the distance was a great golden and violet city, perched on the side of a mountain. Felix observed an air balloon suspended in the sky over waterfalls and forests. The poet then looked down to see metal engines pulling long boxy cars rapidly down tracks. Felix’s gaze followed the tracks and saw a town inhabited entirely by horses, unicorns, and pegasi. Each of the horses was brightly colored and happy. Felix could tell they were as intelligent as the people from his own world. The horses trotted in the town, going from building to building. They had jobs and friends and were going about their day in a peaceful manner. The scene filled Felix’s heart with happiness. The land was beautiful and utterly uplifting. It seemed so perfect.

But then the poet looked up at the sky. A sickly green meteor hurtled downward. It was the first of several. The strange meteors were all too familiar to Felix. He watched the rocks fall across Equestria in horror. He knew it was warpstone, the raw power of chaos and evil. Warpstone changed everything in a terrible way. It would corrupt anyone and anything that came into contact with it; bodies would become mutated and minds unhinged. Anyone who got near the stone would become corrupted. They would lose themselves to its dark and terrible power. Felix could smell the foul odor of chaos magic in the air. He knew that if the pieces of the meteor weren’t destroyed, Equestria would become like the Chaos Wastes in his world. The Chaos Wastes was a horrible place where mutants, monsters, and demons ruled and planned the extinction of order in the universe.

The poet knew that the inhabitants of Equestria were unprepared for a threat like this. The people of Felix’s planet had centuries to learn how to live with the threat of warpstone. These horses did not have that advantage. No, they were mere ponies. They needed warriors that knew how to fight. They needed battle strategists. They needed leaders that understood the nature of warpstone.

These ponies needed Gotrek and Felix.

Felix solemnly closed his eyes. “I understand,” he said aloud.

When Felix opened his eyes, he was back in the night-time forest with Gotrek and Luna. They were looking at him with concerned expressions on their faces.

“How do you feel, Felix?” the alicorn asked him.

Felix cautiously sat down on the cool grass. He was grateful the raging storm was gone.

“Dizzy, but I’ll live,” he said

The poet then took a deep breath and asked the Troll Slayer, “Gotrek, did you have a vision just now involving warpstone?”

The dwarf’s eye narrowed. “Aye, I saw it.”

Gotrek then turned his gaze on Luna and spoke in a bleak voice, “You and your kind are in trouble. Next to the chaos gods, warpstone is probably the biggest problem we have in our world. Where warpstone lands, there is nothing but turmoil. It infects creatures with evil and spreads like a plague. And I doubt you have anyone in your world that have dealt with this scourge like we have.”

Felix looked up at Gotrek sharply. “So, you are throwing your lot in with the ponies?”

Gotrek glanced down at Felix. “I didn’t say that, manling.”

The dwarf turned away from both of them and continued, “However, this new war intrigues me. Thus far, nothing on our realm can kill me. Perhaps death in battle awaits me in this other world.”

Luna frowned at this. “No pony has ever killed another in Equestria. Even the creatures of intense evil refuse to commit an act so vile. It is foolish of you to seek death by the hand of another in my world as well as your own. Life is sacred and precious. The ponies and creatures of my world recognize that life is a gift to be cherished.”

The dwarf turned back to look at her. He was about to make a scathing retort to Luna’s statement, but the alicorn interrupted with stern words. “Understand this. You are not going to my world to kill. If you and your companion choose to accept your destiny and the tasks before you, then you will have to accept the laws of Equestria. This means you will not take the life of another under any circumstances. To make sure you keep this law, your minds and weapons will be enchanted the moment you set hoof in my kingdom.”

Gotrek and Felix shared surprised glances. Before the two could reply, Luna continued, “You two will swear loyalty to my sister and I, and follow our commands at all times. Once you have sworn this oath you will have the authority to fight this threat as you see fit. . . within reason. If you accept these conditions and save Equestria, you both will be rewarded. If you cannot accept these rules, then we will find somepony else who will. I will not let you enter Equestria if I cannot trust you.”

By this point Gotrek was trembling with outrage. His orange mohawk almost seemed to glow with anger. He had never heard such naivety in his life. Before the Troll Slayer could say something Felix would regret later, the poet stood up and said quickly, “Gotrek, could I have a word with you?”

Gotrek turned his withering glare on Felix as he said, “Aye, manling we need to talk.”

Luna respectfully walked deeper into the shadows of the forest to give the pair privacy. She was not concerned about whether the pair would decide to help her or not. The dream storm had ended. Gotrek’s and Felix’s minds had calmed. The otherworlders had already made their choice. They just didn’t know it yet.

The Princess was barely out of sight when Gotrek let his dam of fury break. “How can we agree to such terms? Does she honestly think that those influenced by warpstone’s ruinous power will not use killing force? I will not have my mind or my weapon blunted when I need them most! And how dare that shadow creature try to tell me the Slayer’s oath is foolish! It is my right to be slain honorably in battle to atone for my sins!”

Felix patiently waited for Gotrek to finish shouting. He was sure that the princess had heard every word that the raging dwarf said. However, Gotrek’s points were valid. It was better for the princess to be aware of them.

Felix nodded, “You are right of course. How can we possibly save their land if we are bound by such restricting terms, enchantments, and oaths? Just because we fight with limitations does not mean the enemy will do the same.” He glanced up at the starry sky. “However, Princess Luna did not ask you to hold back in a fight. You are allowed to make the necessary choices of war, but not to take lives. If one were to ask me, this would be the greatest of challenges for a Slayer. To fight an enemy on nobler terms only decreases the chance of your personal victory. But it does increase the chance of your honorable demise in battle, Gotrek. Here is a new opportunity to fulfill your Slayer’s Oath, and I know this is something you have to do. I’m assuming that Luna is from another world. In that case, she doesn’t know our ways. The war on her world is a new kind of war. If you tell me that this new challenge does not appeal to you, then I will call you a liar.”

After hearing this, Gotrek looked ready to let Felix have a beating. Then suddenly he started to laugh. This laugh was a thing to behold; it seemed to explode out of his mouth. “You’re right, manling, it does.”

After the Troll Slayer sobered, Felix looked the dwarf in the eye and said, “Gotrek, I believe that this is the right thing to do. I think we need to go to Equestria and help the ponies. I don’t care how long it takes, and I don’t care if we have to swear loyalty to a couple of royal horses. You saw the vision. They can’t possibly win against the corruption of warpstone without our help.” Felix then continued with a slight sigh, “That being said though, I promised to follow you and to record your fate. The decision is in your hands.”

When Felix was done speaking, Gotrek took a deep breath and closed his eye, thinking hard. “I can’t say I disagree with you. Maybe this is all happening for a reason. Perhaps providence guided me to the The Midnight Pony so I can die gloriously fighting for Equestria. And I suppose if this is only a dream and nothing more, then we wake up and head north on the airship. We continue to fight for our own world. If this is a trap, then you get to write a poem about how I slew a few thousand talking horses.”

The Slayer paused for a moment and then added, “As far as obeying the likes of Luna . . . I am only beholden to the kings under the mountains.”

Felix gave the Slayer a pitying look and asked, “Even though you are exiled from their realm?”

Gotrek puffed up his considerable chest. “Aye, manling. Oaths mean something to dwarves. I realize that is difficult for your race to understand.” He added, “I will say this though, Luna seems to care deeply about her people. And their plight must be desperate if she’s seeking aide from a world such as ours. If Luna is who she really claims to be . . . if this threat is real, then I will stand by her and defend the defenseless. I’ll even take her damn oath.”

After Gotrek was finished, Felix smiled. He was hoping the dwarf would come to that conclusion. After all, the Old World had plenty of battle-hardened warriors who could defend it. Equestria, as far as he knew, had none. They would go where they were needed most.

“If we do this, we will have to tell the crew of the Spirit of Grungni that we won’t be going with them to Kislev,” Gotrek pointed out to Felix.

“We will leave a message with the inn keeper to give to our friends on the dirigible,” Felix assured him. “If we are swearing loyalty to Luna, then we can trust the people that work for her . . . hopefully.”

The Troll Slayer grunted in reply and called out, “Luna, you can come out now. We have come to a decision.”

The Moon Princess reappeared from the forest. She trotted up to the duo and asked, “What is your choice? Time is running out.”

Felix stepped up to the Princess and said, “You have our support, my lady. We will fight for you in this war. What is your command?”

Luna beamed proudly at the two of them and said, “It is time for you to wake up. When you are ready to depart, awaken the inn keeper and tell him ‘Moon one’s blessing.’”

Immediately the dream world began to dissolve. Felix awoke in his room at the inn. He got out of bed and quickly scribbled a message on a piece of parchment for the crew of the airship. While he was writing the message, the reality of the situation dawned on him. The poet did not know how long they would be gone or if they would come back. Leaving one’s home is one thing, but leaving one’s planet or reality is something that just should not happen. For a minute that seemed like an eternity, he revisited all of his fondest memories. He thought of his family, and his various friends and loved ones. He was forsaking them all to follow Gotrek into the unknown once again. Felix then quashed his hesitancy like a hand snuffs out a burning candle. He had said he would follow Gotrek, and now he would follow Luna. After all, a man was only as good as his word, and his word had been given. He finished the letter, donned his armor, buckled his sword belt, and slipped on his pack. The supplies in there would have to suffice. Felix didn’t know how else to prepare for a journey to a different realm. He took one long last look at the room. Here his feet were on familiar ground. Now he was about to tread where no human had gone before. It was as thrilling as it was unnerving.

Felix didn’t linger long. He opened the door to leave the room and found Gotrek outside waiting for him. They went down the stairs to the main floor in silence. It was still dark out; Felix guessed that it was early morning. The other few guests were still asleep. They found the living quarters of the innkeeper, and Felix knocked on the door. The pair heard nothing. Gotrek rolled his eyes, lightly shoved his companion out of the way, and pounded on the door loudly. They heard grumbling and a curse. A moment later a bleary-eyed Sonny opened the door, holding a lantern to see who was there.

He stifled a yawn when he recognized Gotrek and Felix. “And what can I do for you gentlemen?”

Felix said, “Moon one’s blessing.”

The innkeeper started, suddenly no longer sleepy. He nodded in grim understanding. “Ah. So you agreed to help the Princess. I expected nothing less from you two.”

He locked the door behind him and gestured to his comrades. “Follow me.”

He led them to the basement door, unlocked it, and started down the stairs.

Felix asked the retired priest, “Sonny, how long has the princess been coming to you in your dreams? Did you know she was looking for help?”

“She’s been meeting with me for about a month now. It started when I first opened this inn,” Sonny replied. “Apparently this building had been built over some kind of gateway to her world right here in the cellar. Who would have thought? I saw the gate one time when I came down here for wine for guests, but I’ve never gone through it. I know Equestria is in some kind of trouble but. . .” he sighed and shook his head. “I’m not a great fighter, and I’m not as young as I used to be. I wouldn’t be the help that they need. But you and Gotrek. . . you two are exactly what Equestria needs.”

Gotrek frowned, “So, you do trust this creature?”

Sonny looked over his shoulder and smiled. “Yes, of course. I know it sounds strange, talking to a winged magical horse in one’s sleep, but people have done stranger things. Why shouldn’t I converse with such a beautiful alicorn? She came to me out of curiosity. She had recently discovered the gateway and wanted to know more about this world.”

Sonny paused and said thoughtfully, “I believe Princess Luna is a lonely being. I think she enjoys our conversations as much as I do. She doesn’t really talk about herself, though. I haven’t learned much about the Princess of the Night. But from her manner and her speech, I know that she is a creature of good. I find her company enjoyable; she even inspired me to use her beauty and image for this inn,” he chuckled.

Sonny reached the basement floor, muttered a few holy words, and all the torches in the room burst into flame. “So far, she has visited me once a week, and I report to her anything she wants to know. Sometimes I tell her what I overhear from travelers about what is happening in the World. Princess Luna asked me to be the guardian of this gate and to keep it and her a secret. I told her I would, of course. Why would I ever tell anyone something as crazy as this?”

The group stopped in front of a plain looking door.

“What now?” Felix asked.

“Go through the door and speak the code you told me earlier. The gateway will appear then.”

As the inn keeper was about to turn to leave, he seemed to remember something. He came up to Felix and said, “Here take this; I pray it will help you.”

Sonny pressed something cold and hard into Felix’s palm. Felix looked at the object in the flickering lantern light. It was a holy symbol; it depicted the war hammer of Sigmar and the twin-tailed comet that was seen on the day of Sigmar’s birth.

“May the founder protect you and Equestria, my boy,” The retired priest said solemnly.

Felix was touched by his friend’s generosity. “Thank you, Sonny, but I can’t take this from you.”

The innkeeper waved off the poet. “I have several of them. If one is going to be a priest of Sigmar, one must always be prepared.”

Felix reached inside one of his pockets and handed the message to the former priest. “Sonny, if you would be so kind, I need you to deliver this message to our friends on that airship just west of town.”

The inn keeper took the note without looking at it and nodded. He shook hands with Felix and then Gotrek. “I know you’ll save Equestria. Fight well my friends.”

The dwarf and human murmured their thanks to the innkeeper. He turned on his heel and went back up the stairs.

Before they entered the room, Gotrek unslung his axe and held it firmly in his hands. He whispered to Felix, “Best be ready for anything that lies beyond this door, manling.”

Felix nodded and drew his crimson blade from its sheath. Gotrek opened the door and swiftly stepped inside the room with Felix following close behind him. They found themselves in the inn’s wine cellar. The room was musty with a few cobwebs hanging from the ceiling. On a whim, Felix walked over to one of the racks and grabbed a random bottle of wine. He slipped the wine bottle into his pack as the beefy dwarf raised an eyebrow. Felix then placed a small diamond in the spot where the wine had resided as payment to Sonny. It was a gem he had been awarded from the Slayer King, and Felix doubted he would need it where he was going. He knew the jewel was worth more than the wine, but he wanted Sonny to have it as a token of appreciation.

Felix looked down at Gotrek and patted his pack. “We will save this one for a special occasion.”

Gotrek just shook his head impatiently. “Are you ready now, manling?”

Felix’s face hardened with determination as he spoke the words to make the gateway appear, “Moon one’s blessing.”

Immediately the room started to glow purple from an unknown light. Streams of blue sparkles materialized and came together to form a round mirror that was as tall as Felix. At the top of the frame was an engraved symbol of a crescent moon, the same mark that was on Luna’s flank. At first the mirror reflected Gotrek’s and Felix’s images and the room around them. Then it swirled and changed into a vortex of dark blue and silvery light.

Without giving it a second thought, Gotrek walked straight into the mirror with Felix right on his heels. They instantly landed in the middle of a huge throne room. Felix almost felt like laughing. The trip through the portal was so easy, but the noise died in his throat as he beheld dozens of horses, unicorns, and pegasi. All of them were equipped in golden armor. They stood in two straight columns along the center carpet that ran the length of the throne room. None of the armored ponies seemed to be happy to see them. They glared at the pair disapprovingly.

At the end of the grand hall were two figures that carried themselves with supreme confidence. Gotrek and Felix recognized Princess Luna on the left. The pair gathered that the taller white pony must be Princess Celestia. Gotrek and Felix slowly made their way toward the princesses, their feet sinking into the lushness of the carpet. Felix ignored the armored ponies but carried himself confidently. He felt the guards’ eyes follow them as they made their way to the princesses. The atmosphere in the room was tense. Everyone in the room was on edge. Felix guessed that even though he and Gotrek had agreed to help these ponies, there was still a large lack of trust. The feeling was mutual. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Gotrek glaring back at the pony soldiers, not the least bit intimidated by their number. The dwarf’s grip tightened on his axe, ready to fight if needed.

The princesses stood on a golden-tiered platform above the floor. The human and the dwarf stopped and stood at the base in front of the alicorns. Celestia gazed icily at the newcomers. While Luna represented the night, the pair gathered that the sun-marked alicorn embodied the powers of the day. Her coat was as bright as sunlight on snow, and her ethereal mane and tail were streaked with the soft blues, greens, and pinks of an early morning sky. She was as beautiful and as regal as Luna, but her demeanor was cold and distant towards them. Luna on the other hand, gave them a small reassuring smile. Felix wasn’t sure what to do in the presence of such grandeur, but he wanted to show respect in some way. He wanted to put everyone at ease. The human sheathed his sword and got down on one knee.

“Well met, your majesties,” He said in a humble voice.

Gotrek just inclined his head to the monarchs. He did not put away his axe but held it against his chest.

Celestia spoke disdainfully, “My sister and I have discussed the issue of allowing you to come to Equestria. I do not believe that letting bloodthirsty murderers fight innocent ponies and creatures infected by warpstone is the best course of action. You could not possibly care about the well-being of my subjects. Your kind only seeks glory in battle and the spoils of victory.”

Gotrek wanted to refute the white alicorn’s baiting. He bristled with anger. The poet reached up to place a hand on his friend’s shoulder and whispered, “Please, Gotrek, let me.”

The Troll Slayer glowered down at him for a second but reluctantly nodded.

Felix looked up at Celestia and Luna and said, “Permission to speak freely, my ladies.”

Both alicorns nodded. Felix then rose to a standing position and said, “We are not bloodthirsty murderers. It is true we have slain many creatures of evil in battle. But know that in our world, this is accepted as a necessity. We are in a constant state of war because we don’t have a cure for warpstone and the chaos it produces. Maybe Equestria holds that cure, my ladies, but for us, the only way to cure chaos is to fight and kill it as quickly as possible. It is true that many people fight for glory and for payment. But I assure you, Gotrek and I do not. We fight in attempt to save our world.”

Felix could not tell if his words were making any impression on the alicorns. Their faces were as unmoving as granite. Nonetheless he continued, “If knowledge is indeed power, then against this threat we are the most powerful weapons in your arsenal. We know better than most what warpstone can do. We know how to fight against this scourge and those infected by it. Gotrek and I will save Equestria or die trying. We don’t want to see your land become as ravaged by chaos as our own world. We will follow your orders; we will abide by the laws of Equestria. We will not kill, but do not be surprised if you find yourselves surrounded with us upon the moral high ground, because I guarantee you those infected by the ruinous magic of warpstone will not care if we act by your limitations.”

Felix’s last words hit home with Celestia as he saw her eyes narrowing. It became evident to the poet that these were facts she did not want to hear. As for Luna, her face remained impassive, but she nervously shifted her weight from leg to leg.

Felix then returned to his kneeling position beside Gotrek as he continued, “You have our oaths right here and right now that if you allow us to stay, we will sacrifice ourselves if need be to prevent your world from becoming like ours. I swear to you we will not let Equestria fall into madness. Your majesties, you brought us here to save your kingdom, so let us do it. However, if you don’t want us to stay here and help you, then send us back so we may continue the war on our own world. The choice is yours, my ladies. Make the right one, I beg you.”

Felix’s words were impossible for anyone in the throne room not to hear. For ten full seconds no pony and no one moved. The royal guard was staring at the duo in stunned silence.

Celestia slowly walked down the ramp of the platform. Gotrek and Felix watched her approach, unsure of what she was about to do. She abruptly turned away from them and began to leave the room.

Luna called out, “Celestia, where are you going?”

Celestia stopped with her back to her sister. She said, “These people are your responsibility, Luna. I want nothing to do with this. Have them swear loyalty to you, but if they step out of line, I promise you I will exile them to a place that will make the moon look desirable in comparison.”

Luna staggered back, the hurt and shock evident upon her face. The sun marked alicorn left the room with haste, taking seven of the guard with her.

Luna quickly regained her composure and turned back to look at her guests. She then stated in a clear voice, “Warriors, I shall have your oaths now.”

She walked up to the pair and explained, “Since you two are from a different world, you shall be honored according to your customs. You will be knighted and clothed in the way of your own people.”

Felix and Gotrek were surprised by this, but they nodded solemnly. They hadn’t expected to be treated with such respect from Luna. The Troll Slayer joined the poet in a kneeling position.

She continued, “Do you swear to protect Equestria from chaos and obey my every command?”

Felix and Gotrek both bowed their heads and said in unison, “We do.”

“Do you swear to accept the burdens and enchantments of restraint as you follow the responsibilities of your oath?”

“We do,” they answered, although Gotrek practically growled it at the Princess.

Luna pretended not to notice. “Will you become my champions for justice? Will you guard the innocent and help the ones who need you most?”

“We will.”

Luna then bent down and gently tapped her horn twice on Felix’s shoulders and then did the same with Gotrek.

“Rise my knights,” she told them, “Rise and battle chaos wherever you may find it.”

Gotrek and Felix then slowly stood up. At Luna’s command, two of the armored ponies broke ranks and came up to the dwarf and human. On their backs they carried two beautiful midnight blue tabards with black trim. Each tabard bore a crescent moon in a cloud, the same image that was marked on Luna’s flank.

The princess of the night said, “With these tabards, I grant you authority over my subjects. No pony will question your commands. You two represent my presence in Equestria.”

At first there was silence after the duo donned their tabards. Then from the back row of mailed ponies, a stomping noise began and gained in volume. Slowly, grudgingly, the rest of the armored assembly began to stomp their hooves as well. It was a forced, disorganized show of respect the guard was giving the strangers, not an overture of applause like they would have given anypony else.

Felix awkwardly acknowledged the weak applause with a wave to the crowd. He glanced at Gotrek. The Troll Slayer was looking down at the moon image on his tabard and smiling proudly. The poet was at first surprised at the Slayer’s reaction to being knighted but then reminded himself that Gotrek was exiled from his home. To the Troll Slayer’s family and most of his friends, he was dead, and since the dwarf had taken the Slayer’s oath, he had no greater cause then to die in battle. Gotrek had not expected to become anyone’s hero or knight since then. He was an outcast. To be given an honor like this, to become a knight of Princess Luna meant a lot to both of them, especially to Gotrek.

After the half-hearted applause died down, Luna beckoned her newly knighted warriors to follow her. “Come, we have much to discuss.”

They entered a side chamber that was next to the throne room. Luna shut the door behind them. She turned to the pair and said softly, “I apologize for Celestia’s outburst. Please understand that she has our ponies’ best interests at heart. She is worried about the repercussions of allowing two worlds to cross like this. But warpstone is unlike anything we’ve dealt with before.” She paused and then brightened, “But your reply was well said, Felix. I believe that in time she will come to see that you two are the heroes Equestria needs.”

“Thank you, my lady,” Felix replied.

The midnight princess gestured for them to gather around the middle of the floor. Her horn glowed, and a spectral colored image of Equestria appeared. Gotrek and Felix scrutinized the three-dimensional model. They recognized only a small portion of the land from what they had seen in the dream.

Felix asked, “Is this a map of your realm, your highness?”

Luna nodded, “We are here at the castle at Canterlot. The two of you are needed most in Ponyville.” She gestured with her hoof to the two places marked on the map. “We have been receiving messages about how things are going from bad to worse. Apparently, one of the meteor fragments landed in the Everfree Forest, just south of the town. Our last message from Ponyville said that dozens of animals were gathering for an attack.”

After hearing this, Gotrek and Felix exchanged knowing glances.

“My lady, I believe we can handle this threat to Ponyville, but to guard your entire realm, you are going to need more than the two of us to fight the chaos warpstone will bring,” Gotrek said gravely.

Luna looked up from the map and said confidently, “You are right, Gotrek. That is why you shall join six ponies that are my kingdom’s greatest defenders. They wield and embody the magic of the Elements of Harmony. I hope that their powers are great enough that they can stop and reverse the effects of warpstone, but they cannot use this ability undefended. I’m sending you to Ponyville to protect the town and them. Find the unicorn named Twilight Sparkle; she is their leader and will know what to do.”

“We have no time to lose then, Princess,” Felix declared, “We must depart now. What is the quickest way?”

“Take the train; you will be there in half an hour. Follow the guards; they will guide you to the Canterlot train station.

And. . .” Luna looked at them seriously, “Fight with honor, my knights.”

Gotrek and Felix then bowed to the princess and quickly left the chamber.

Everything is Going to Be Fine

View Online

Twenty four hours earlier. . .

* * * * * * * * * * *

Twilight Sparkle paced the floor of the library. Whenever Twilight was thinking hard about something, she liked to move her hooves to keep pace with her thoughts. But right now she wasn’t trying to solve an equation or trying to memorize a new spell. On this particular morning, she was just nervous.

“Calm down, Twilight. You have nothing to be worried about,” Spike chided.

Twilight stopped her pacing, her thoughts interrupted, and turned toward her companion. The baby lavender dragon was busying himself reshelving books that Twilight had carelessly left on the floor again. He always joked that it was a good thing that hardly anypony came to the Ponyville Library to check out books. Twilight was notorious for pulling countless books off the shelves at a time but was too absentminded to put them back in their proper place. That task usually was left to Spike. Even though he constantly helped Twilight manage books, he never had much interest in the knowledge that lay inside the covers.

Spike stood precariously on the rolling library ladder, reaching to place a tome on the highest shelf. “I mean,” he grunted, “it’s just your brother coming to visit.”

Twilight focused her magical energy to lift the book from Spike’s claws and put it on the shelf. Spike gave her a grateful smile and slid down the ladder to the floor.

The unicorn sighed anxiously as the dragon padded over to her. “But Shining Armor is a prince now, Spike. And this is the first time ever that he’s visiting Ponyville. What if he doesn’t like my home? What if he thinks badly of me for living in a library? I mean, he lives in a palace. What if he doesn’t like my friends? He’s never had a chance to actually sit down and talk with my friends.”

Twilight bit her lip. She desperately wanted to impress her big brother best friend forever. He meant the world to her. Even when they were little, they had always dreamed big. He had wanted to become captain of the Royal Guard. And Twilight’s dream was to become as great a magician as Starswirl the Bearded. She hadn’t achieved her dream. Sure, she was the Element of Magic and Princess Celestia’s personal student, but Twilight didn’t feel she could claim that she was Starswirl’s equal in magic. However, Shining Armor had achieved his dream and more. Not only had he become head of the Royal Guard, he had married the love of his life and was now ruling an empire with her by his side. How could living in a small town like Ponyville and having friends that weren’t exactly Canterlot uppercrust possibly measure up to all that Shining Armor had accomplished? What if he thought less of her for that?

Spike frowned and seemed to know Twilight’s thoughts. For one so young, he could be very perceptive at times, especially when it came to knowing Twilight’s feelings.

“Wait a second,” he said holding up a claw. “You were worried about these kinds of things when Celestia came to meet your friends for the first time. And how did that turn out?”

Twilight Sparkle rolled her eyes. “Well, other than Fluttershy stealing the Princesses’ pet and nearly giving me a heart attack, I guess it went all right for a first time visit.”

“All right?” Spike asked incredulously. “Twilight, she loves your friends and Ponyville. You worried all day long that she wouldn’t like them, and then everything turned out great in the end. Do you really think your own brother wouldn’t like the ponies who are the most important to you? Besides,” he added picking up a stray textbook by her hoof, “they’re the Elements of Harmony. Without them he wouldn’t even have a Crystal Empire, not to mention his marriage. Shining Armor is going to love the ponies, just like Celestia does.”

Twilight gave him a weak smile, “And when did you become so persuasive?”

Spike beamed at the unicorn and held up the book. The title read How to Reassure an Anxious Pony 101.

“I may not read books like you do,” Spike explained. “But on occasion, I flip through the ones that are the most important.”

Twilight blushed, pleased that Spike had taken up her suggestion to read more and touched that he had chosen a book that he knew would help him help her. He could be a very thoughtful dragon at times.

Twilight sat down on the tree floor and traced the ring lines with her hoof. “The truth is . . . I’m not that worried about whether Shining Armor will like my friends. You’re right. Of course he’ll like them. And, I’m not even too worried about impressing him. What my real big worry is,” she took a shaky breath and looked at her concerned friend, “every time I see Shining Armor, something bad happens or is happening. Like the wedding. He almost married the Changeling Queen, and she nearly took over all of Canterlot. And then Sombra almost reclaimed the Crystal Empire. And just a few weeks ago, my friends and I almost ruined the Equestria Games by getting the games’ inspector mixed up with some other pony!” She finished in a rush.

Spike reshelved the anxiety book. “I’m pretty sure that Equestria Games mishap was pretty minor.”

“About as minor as Fluttershy petnapping,” Twilight muttered under her breath. She hung her head, “For once, I just want everything to go well without any villains, catastrophes, mishaps, or misunderstandings. I want to show Shining Armor my home and then take him to meet my friends at Sugarcube Corner. We’ll all have cake and a really good time and my BBBFF will be impressed.”

Twilight felt the dragon’s scaly arms around her foreleg. The scales were still soft and leathery; it would be many years before they started to turn rigid and sharp, and for that Twilight was grateful. She raised her head and met his green eyes.

“Everything will be okay, Twilight, you’ll see.”

She hugged the dragon back, “Thanks, Spike.”

A knock on the door startled them both. Twilight stood up abruptly, knocking Spike to the floor. “Oh my goodness! That’s got to be Shining Armor! How’s my mane? Did you wash the windows like I asked? Oh, this place looks like a disaster!”

Spike got up from the floor. “What are you talking about? The library is spotless, and your mane is fine. You need to relax.”

He walked over to the door. Twilight followed him, glancing around the room to make sure that the library was squeaky clean. Fresh flowers were in the vase on the table. The books were in order—none were lying about on the floor, thanks to Spike. The windows had been washed and sparkled in the sunlight, the floor shone due to all the mopping, and the shelves were dust free.

Twilight took a deep breath. Spike was right. She really did need to calm down. She shouldn’t be worrying about whether the day would be perfect or whether she’d impress her brother. Instead, she should focus on enjoying her time with Shining Armor. After all, they hadn’t been able to see each other much.

The now reassured unicorn used her magic to open the door. Standing on the door mat was a moon-white unicorn looking very regal. Shining Armor had dressed up for the occasion; he was wearing his official red coat with blue sash. The golden cuff links and buttons shone to perfection. Behind him, Twilight could see that he had brought two crystal pony guardsman with him. They stationed themselves on either side of the front door. She guessed that these two armored pegasi must have been pulling the royal crystal chariot parked on her front lawn. It was made from blue crystal and emblazoned with Shining Armor’s cutie mark on the spoked wheels. Twilight noted that while Celestia’s chariot exuded femininity and appeared intricately delicate, Shining Armor’s vehicle showed masculinity and strength with sharp angles and bold shield images.

It was all so very official and formal. When had her brother become so . . . royal? She expected this sort of thing from Celestia, but seeing her prince brother on her doorstep was something else entirely. Twilight stood stiffly, a smile plastered on her face. She only remembered to breathe when Spike placed his paw on her foreleg.

Shining Armor broke into a huge grin and wrapped Twlight in a loving embrace. “Little sister! I missed you so much!”

The startled unicorn told herself to not think about the way he was rumpling his immaculate coat as she hugged him back. “I missed you too, BBBFF.”

She took a step back when he let go. “Come on in.”

Shining Armor turned to look at his guards. “Wait out here, guys.” Then he came inside, turning his attention to Spike.

“Good to see you, Spike,” he smiled. “You’ve been keeping an eye on Twilight?”

Spike saluted, “Both of them, your majesty.”

Shining laughed good naturedly. “Please, Spike. Just Shining, okay? We don’t have to be formal here. Or anywhere actually. You’re a friend.”

The dragon nodded and smiled happily. His eyes widened as if he had an idea, and he glanced from Shining Armor to the chariot outside. “Um . . . and since we’re such good friends,” he said slowly, “Would you mind if I checked out your ride?”

“Spike!” Twilight warned, appalled at his behavior.

She glanced at her brother to check his reaction. His sapphire eyes twinkled with amusement. He seemed pleased that Spike had taken such an interest in his transportation.

Shining chuckled at his sister’s chiding. “It’s no problem, Twilight,” he assured her. To Spike he said, “Yeah, go take a look. It’s pretty cool. You can climb up and sit on it if you want to.”

“Wow! Thanks!” Spike said excitedly and hurried out the door.

Worried that the dragon’s appetite might get the best of him, Twilight called out, “Don’t eat it, Spike!”

“I eat gemstones, not rock crystal. Jeez,” he corrected, annoyed.

Twlight noticed Shining Armor’s guards stiffen at the sight of Spike making a beeline for the official royal transportation. The pegasi must have heard Shining give Spike the go ahead for “examining” his princely vehicle because they allowed the dragon to walk right up to the chariot without questioning him. Still the guards tensed as Spike clambered up a wheel to sink into the velvet cushion platform where the prince rode. Twilight rolled her eyes as she shut the library door. Spike could get oddly eager over the strangest things. No doubt he was going to pretend that he was royalty and possibly try to get the guard ponies to bow down to him or something. She hoped Spike didn’t cause them too much trouble.

“Sorry about that,” Twilight said.

Shining waved his hoof dismissively. “It’s no big deal, really. I was the same way when I first saw the chariot. I was bouncing up and down asking Cadence if I could go for my first ride . . . in a completely princely manner, of course.”

Twilight snickered, “Of course.”

Shining Armor looked around the room, “Woah!”

He walked to the middle of the floor and took in the library. Worried that he didn’t approve of her home, Twilight came up to him. The stallion walked in a slow circle, taking in the many books and the space.

“This is so cool!” he said. “I’ve seen pictures of tree homes, but I’ve never actually been in one before.” He tapped the floor affectionately. “It’s like bringing nature inside. Your home is in a living, breathing tree surrounded by all of Ponyville’s knowledge.”

Twilight blushed, “Well, it’s not as impressive as the Canterlot Library, and it can’t compare to the Crystal Empire’s collection.”

“It’s not about the number of books, Twilight. These were volumes gathered and written by Earth ponies for years. It’s a tribute to Ponyville’s history. Plus, have I mentioned that it’s in a tree?”

She smiled, “I think you have.”

Shining Armor inspected some of the books, tilting his head to the side to read the titles on their spines. Twilight was happy that her brother was able to appreciate her library. She didn’t know many ponies that did. Shining Armor had never taken to reading books as much as Twilight did, but he shared her love of learning.

“So do you get many Ponyville citizens coming in and out for books?” the prince asked.

She shook her head. “No. Usually it’s just Spike and me in here. The Earth ponies may have collected all this knowledge in the past, but now they don’t seem to have an interest in it.”

Shining Armor frowned and picked up a book using his magic. He flipped through the pages, his eyes scanning the flowing words. “Well, that’s a shame. But I bet that allows you to get a lot of research done. You probably pull all kinds of books off the shelves at once because no pony comes in asking for them. You always were a messy reader, Twily.”

“Eh, heh. I assure you I am much neater now,” she said. Under her breath she muttered, “Only because Spike is around to pick up after me.”

The prince set the book back. “Cadence would love this,” he said softly. “She’ll have to come with me to visit next time.”

The lavender unicorn smiled at the thought that he liked the visit enough already to mention another.

“How is she?” Twilight asked.

“Fine. I mean, ruling the Empire is a bit taxing for her . . . for us both, actually. But she handles it so much better than I, Twily. She knows what to do, what to say, and how to act. She’s really great at this stuff,” he replied sounding sad.

“And you’re not?” Twilight asked in disbelief. “But you’re the best prince ever.”

She said this with utter certainty that comes with saying facts like “the sky is blue,” and “fillies will get their cutie marks when they’re ready.”

“Heh. Well, I wish I could believe that. Protecting others is my destiny. But I can’t even protect my own people.”

Shining Armor leaned heavily against the bookcase. He looked so sad and forlorn; Twilight put a hoof on his back. His shoulders sagged as if the weight of the world had been set upon him. She could tell he had a lot on his mind and waited for him to speak his thoughts.

“When I became captain of the royal guard, I was so happy and proud,” he began. “I was in my element there. It was all I ever dreamed. I was protecting the princesses. But when a real threat actually happened, I couldn’t protect anyone. Not even the one I loved most. I fell for Chrysalis’ trap and let Cadence be locked away in some cave all alone. I couldn’t keep the shield up, and I couldn’t even lead and organize the guard in fighting against the changelings.”

He sighed, “Now I have an entire empire that looks up to me. An empire that I failed to protect when Sombra was fighting against Cadence’s magic. All I could do was be there for Cadence. I couldn’t leave her side after the attack in Canterlot. I couldn’t rally the crystal ponies, and I couldn’t protect them either. Now I have guards to protect me. How can I help Cadence protect the Crystal Empire when I failed each time a crisis occurred?”

“You couldn’t have known what Chrysallis was up to, Shining,” Twilight said quietly. “You were under a spell. And when Sombra attacked, you were there for Cadence when she needed you most. You did the best you could.”

“And what happens if my best isn’t good enough? What if I can’t protect everyone?” he asked worriedly.

Twilight smiled, “You know big brother, you don’t have to do everything alone. My friends and I, Cadence, Celestia and Luna, and your own subjects will all help you. You’re not on your own. Don’t worry. Everything is going to be fine.”

With a jolt she realized that a particular baby dragon had said the same words to her that very morning. Maybe she should take a look at that reassuring ponies book herself.

“Thanks, Twily,” Shining Armor said, nuzzling her affectionately. He didn’t seem nearly as worried now.

“No problem,” Twilight said brightly. “You, um, wanna come check out the upstairs?”

He nodded, and she directed him to the staircase carved from the trunk of the tree. They had a small argument over who should go up the stairs first. Twilight insisted that Shining should go up first since he was royalty. Shining Armor maintained that since this was Twilight’s home, she should go first. The argument was good-natured and laughing; they went up the stairs together to compromise. Twilight had forgotten how good it was just to be with her brother. It was nice to have this reminder.

They came out of the winding staircase into Twilight’s bedroom. Shining Armor looked around appreciatively. Twilight felt a bit nervous. There was something a little intimate about letting her big brother into her home. The only other ponies that had come up here were her friends.

“Cool carvings,” he said, nodding at the embellishments on the walls.

“Yeah, those were here when I got here. I’m actually not sure who lived in this tree before I came. I don’t think anypony has lived in the library for a long time until now.”

Shining Armor nodded, “I dig the room. It’s totally you, Twilight. Do you like it?”

He went over to her book shelves and began examining the titles. The books in her room were a mixture of tomes she owned and books she had checked out from the library. She was thrilled that he was interested in what she was currently reading.

She smiled, “I love it. This library is way cooler than the Canterlot dormitories.”

Shining Armor chuckled, “It’s way cooler than the Crystal palace, too. Sure it’s fancy, but the bigness can be kind of daunting at times. Sometimes I get lost in the throne room.”

Twilight rolled her eyes and giggled, “No, you don’t.”

“Sure I do. I have to yell for Cadence to find my way back out,” he winked at Twilight.

Shining trotted up the stairs to the loft with Twilight following him. He glanced around at yet another bookcase, Twilight’s moon and star bedspread, and Spike’s bed basket before he spotted a familiar object outside the window.

“Hey, is that the telescope I gave you?”

Twilight smiled, “It surely is.”

She nudged the window open and stepped onto the balcony. Shining Armor stood beside her. It was a sunny, nearly cloudless day. The sky was a cerulean hue, and the two ponies could see most of Ponyville spread out before them.

“Wow. Cool view,” He looked up at the sky. “This is a great spot to stargaze.”

“Mm-hmm. Here and the hills just outside of Ponyville. I watched the meteor shower last summer from there.”

“Yeah, I saw the same one with Cadence,” he said enthusiastically. “It was great!”

“Great because of the meteor shower or great because you were able to be romantic with Cadence?” Twilight asked slyly.

Shining Armor playfully stuck his tongue out at her. He ran a hoof tenderly over the metal casing of the telescope, now engrossed in memories.

“Remember when you got this?” he asked.

“Of course I do. How could I forget?”

“You were pretty little.”

She shook her head. “You weren’t that big yourself. It was before my fifth birthday, and all I wanted was that telescope. When I saw it in the store, I just,” she sighed wistfully, “fell in love. It was so beautiful. I knew that it was the one.”

Shining Armor laughed, “You sound like me when I talk about Cadence.”

Twilight nudged him playfully, “Hey, Starswirl the Bearded had dozens of telescopes. If I was going to become as great a magician as he is . . .”

“. . . You just had to have one for yourself,” Shining Armor finished, reciting a reason that Twilight had used over and over again to convince her parents before her brother had given her the telescope.

The little filly Twilight had gone on and on about the beautiful telescope she had seen on the way home from magic Kindergarten. Shining Armor had been walking her home, and that day he had to practically pry her away from the shop window. Every day for nearly a week, Twilight begged Shining Armor to take the long way home so she could see the telescope in the window again. And then the day before her birthday, the telescope was gone.

“When it wasn’t there, I felt like crying. I knew somepony had bought it and that it was gone forever,” Twlight said.

“You did cry. A lot. All over my coat,” Shining Armor nuzzled her. “It was almost enough to make me confess that mom and dad had given me the bits to get it for you. It was a really popular model; the telescope on display was the only one the storekeeper had left.”

“You told me to be happy for the pony that had bought the telescope.”

“I did. I just happened to leave out the fact that it had been bought for you. You have no idea how hard it was for me to walk home with such a sad little filly. I wanted so badly to tell you the truth, but then, it would’ve ruined the surprise. You know, I thought for sure your clever head would put two and two together and realize what had happened.”

Twilight giggled, “I should’ve, but I didn’t. And as a result, you had to stay up and read me The Magic of Starswirl the Bearded.”

“Twice, I might add,” Shining Armor stated. “It was the only way to get you to stop moping and go to sleep.”

“And then the next morning, I woke up to you levitating a box covered with star wrapping paper,” Twilight said.

“Mom, Dad, and I couldn’t wait any longer. We all shouted “Happy Birthday” to a sniffling unicorn. Still choked up over a telescope, even though it was her birthday.”

“Hey, it was special,” Twilight defended. “And then there it was. Inside the box just for me.”

“I never knew a filly’s eyes could get so big. And then you leaped out of bed and hopped around us in circles yelling “Thank You” over and over. You could barely sit still as Dad and I put the parts together for you that night. And then,” he started laughing, so Twilight finished for him.

“I fell asleep before the stars even came out. I was so tired from the night before. I’ve become more of a night owl since then. The night is just too good to miss. I love reading by candlelight, having Owlousious as company, and of course getting to use my telescope.”

“Maybe we can stargaze later tonight. Just like old times,” Shining Armor suggested.

“Wow! Really? You want to?”

He nodded, “Sure. It’ll be fun.”

Twilight happily threw her hooves around her older brother. Spike had been right all along. There was nothing to worry about. She and her brother were having a wonderful time together. She couldn’t have asked for a better day.

The unicorn felt her brother stiffen suddenly. “Twilight, look at the sky!” He exclaimed excitedly.

Twilight let go of Shining Armor and turned to face the sky. She couldn’t find what he was seeing at first. It was an ordinary cloudless day to her. But then she saw it. A green glimmer up above.

“What is that?” Twilight wondered.

The glimmering speck grew larger as the two ponies watched. It was falling out of the sky in an arc, leaving a flaming green trail behind it.

“Oh, my gosh!” Twilight gasped, “A meteorite!”

But it was unlike any meteor she had seen before. Twilight eagerly stood up on her hind legs and placed her hooves on top of the railing. The meteorite drew closer to them. It was difficult for the studious unicorn to judge how large the meteor really was. It was hard to look at with the sun shining down on them and the meteor’s strange hue gleaming brightly. Twilight felt a twinge of fear and fleetingly wondered if it was going to land in Ponyville. Shining Armor would have to cast a shield spell very quickly to protect the town. But the emerald rock arced away and headed straight for the Everfree Forest. It dove into the tall trees, and they heard a loud boom from the impact. For a moment the brother and sister stood frozen in awe of what they had seen. Then Twilight abruptly turned away from the railing and began jumping up and down.

“Can you believe it, Shining Armor? A meteorite touched down here! Near Ponyville! I bet that hasn’t happened in centuries!” She stopped bouncing and said, “And it was so strange. I’ve never seen such a color or flames on a meteor. Do you know what this means? This could be the astronomical event of the century! And I could be the first unicorn to record the data!”

In an excited panic she raced into her room with Shining Armor at her heels.

“I need my quills, some scrolls . . .” Twilight muttered as objects whizzed dangerously close to Shining Armor.

The prince watched as his sister levitated blank scrolls, quills, an ink jar, and several books on astronomy around the room. A floating feather scribbled her thoughts on parchment while Twilight furiously flipped through pages of a book. Her eyes scanned the text in a blur; reading the words unbelievably fast for information to explain the phenomenon that had taken place. Shining Armor smiled to himself. It had been a while since he had seen his sister so caught up in her studies. It was good to see.

“Need any help?” he asked politely.

Startled, the young unicorn lost her concentration on the spell. Her supplies and books thudded to the floor around her. Twilight turned toward her brother and felt guilty.

“I’m so sorry, Shining Armor,” she began. “Here I am going on about meteors when we’re supposed to be spending time together. I’ll just, um . . .”

She hesitantly levitated the mess around her into the air and was unsure of what to do next. Twilight knew that what she had witnessed outside was important to scientific astronomical research. She yearned to write down more of her thoughts and theories. The studious unicorn wanted to gather her materials into her saddlebags and race into the Everfree Forest to see the meteorite up close. She wanted to take samples and see if she could determine what the meteor was made of and what had caused the strange green flaming glow.

But she couldn’t just ignore Shining Armor. This was his first visit to Ponyville. He was going with her to Sugarcube Corner to meet her friends. She couldn’t just ruin his day by spending it in the forest trudging after some rock. It was important to her to spend time with her brother today.

But it was a very special rock. The rock of the century. She just knew it. Plus, Twilight had never seen a meteor fall in Equestria, much less touch the stone of one. This was an opportunity of a lifetime for her. She could become a very distinguished mare in the astronomical community if she could publish a paper on her findings. Maybe even have the meteorite named after her.

“Twilight,” Shining Armor said sensing her dilemma, “it’s okay. If you want to check out this meteorite, than let’s go.”

Twilight gaped at him, “You mean it?”

He grinned, “Of course! That was really cool! And I want to go see the meteorite with you. It’s not every day that something as awesome as a big space rock crashing down happens.” Taking a more serious tone he added, “I also want to see how much damage was done to the forest. No pony lived in that direction, right?”

Twilight shook her head, “No, Zecora’s place isn’t in that region. Everything should be fine. It wasn’t that large a rock,” She did some quick calculations in her head. “The impact site shouldn’t have done much damage to the forest.”

Twilight magically opened the trunk by her bed and levitated her saddlebags. “What about going to Sugarcube Corner though? I wanted us to be with my friends today as well.”

“We still will be. We’ll swing by Sugarcube Corner, and your friends can come, too. It’ll be an adventure!” he declared.

Twilight giggled happily as she levitated writing materials and astronomy books into her saddlebags. He was as excited as she was about this. She buckled her bags to her stomach and nodded. “Allright. Let’s go find this meteor.”

Shining Armor let out a happy whoop in an unprincely manner and raced down the stairs with Twilight galloping after him. They burst out of the library and skidded to a halt in front of the chariot. Somehow Spike had managed to convince the pegasi guards to strap themselves to the front of the chariot. Upon seeing the royal prince dash out of the tree, the guards hurriedly tried to undo the buckles around their middles and bow at the same time. They only ended up comically knocking their heads together and stumbling. The guilty baby dragon stood atop the platform, holding the reins loosely in his claws.

“My liege,” Morning Star said and began rubbing his sore skull, “we can explain . . .”

“Don’t worry about it,” Shining Armor said leaping onto the chariot. He turned and offered a hoof to Twilight. “Did you see the meteor?” he asked the pegasi and Spike while he pulled his sister up.

“We all saw it,” Spike said. “It was amazing!”

Twilight sat down beside Spike and began skimming her textbooks.

“We were just about to get you, Prince . . .” Bright Shield stammered.

Shining Armor shook his head. “Never mind that. Take us to Sugarcube Corner. Quickly now.”

The pegasi hurriedly began trotting down the road. Ponyville residents scurried out of the way of the rumbling chariot. Normally the country ponies would’ve stopped and stared at the entourage in awe and curiosity, but they seemed preoccupied this morning. Twilight noticed many of the ponies checking the sky and talking animatedly in small groups. The unicorn was relieved none of them had overreacted and started running through the streets screaming. Sadly that was the norm most of the time when something new and unexpected happened in the small town. This morning most of the ponies seemed only mildly surprised by the odd green meteor, and only a few were glancing up at the sky with worry.

“What’s going on?” Spike asked. “What’s the rush?”

Twilight smiled at him over the pages of her book. “We’re getting the girls and going to the Everfree Forest to see the meteor.”

“The Eh-Everfree F-Fuh-Forest?” Spike stuttered, grabbing his tail.

“Oh, Spike,” Twilight said rolling her eyes. “It’s not like we haven’t been there before. Besides, with all of us going, it will be much safer.”

“You can stay at Sugarcube Corner if you want,” said Shining Armor. “But I think it would be a shame. Twilight here is going to be the first pony to discover the meteor.”

Spike looked up at the blushing Twilight. He curled his little claws into fists and steeled himself. “I changed my mind. I’ll come. I want to be there for Twilight, too.”

The lavender unicorn nuzzled Spike. “Thank you. It means a lot to me, Spike.”

The chariot came to a halt in front of the gingerbread cottage decorated with icing and a few gumdrops along the dormer. Twilight reminded herself that it wasn’t actually made out of gingerbread though. The cottage was just well-designed and crafted that way. Pinkie Pie and Mr. and Mrs. Cake had worked with the builders to meet their specifications. Mr. and Mrs. Cake had originally wanted a plain cottage for their business. It had been Pinkie Pie who decided that the Cake Shop needed extra “pizzazz” to attract customers. She had come up with a crazy, over-the-top gingerbread mansion with three stacked cupcake towers and a vanilla pudding moat. The Cakes were able to good-naturedly talk with Pinkie Pie about the shop design. Surprisingly they liked the idea of making the sweet shop look like actual sweets; they just didn’t want a mansion. However, they did allow Pinkie Pie one cupcake tower for her bedroom. Pinkie Pie absolutely loved the thing.

Twilight broke from her reverie as Pinkie Pie herself came bounding out of the cottage wearing a striped party hat, with Applejack trotting behind her. She could see Fluttershy peeking out of the window and Rarity and Rainbow Dash from the doorway mixing punch on one of the tables.

Pinkie Pie threw her front hooves onto the chariot platform near Twilight’s feet. “Oh, my gosh, Twilight! Did you see that big rock thingie? I saw it from the window, and I went. . . .” She made her famous surprised gasping noise and continued to talk rapidly. “I told the girls I saw a rock from the sky! And nopony believed me until they all heard this loud BOOM!”

She shouted “Boom” in Twilight’s ear, leaped up into the air, and landed on her stomach, face down on the pavement for dramatic effect. Twilight marveled at how the pink pony never managed to hurt herself by her own antics. She assumed it was part of the magic of Pinkie.

Pinkie Pie looked up from her spot on the cobblestones. “Oh, Hi, Shining Armor! Hi, crystal pony guards!”

The guards offered the hyperactive pony a kind smile, much to Twilight’s surprise. Shining Armor must have given them a heads up that this particular pony posed no threat by her extreme amount of energy.

Shining Armor waved a hoof, “Hi, Pinkie Pie.”

Applejack trotted up to the chariot. “Ah told her to wait inside like a normal pony. But she didn’t listen,” she explained, looking up at Shining Armor and Twilight. “Everything okay? That noise from the rock gave us all a mighty scare.”

She scuffed her hoof on the cobblestones. “Ah wish all of us could’ve seen it together. Pinkie Pie was the only one at the window.”

“Everything’s fine, Applejack. And you can see it. Shining Armor and I are going to the Everfree Forest to find the meteor,” Twilight explained.

Applejack reared back on her hooves. “Hot diggitey! Sounds like fun!” She turned toward the cottage. “Y’all git on out here! We’re going to see the meteor!”

Twilight heard murmurs of questions from inside as her three other friends came out onto the steps. Rainbow Dash flew up above Shining Armor and Twilight.

“All right!” The blue pegasus shouted. “This is way cooler than cake and punch! Um . . .” she cast a hasty glance at a doe-eyed Pinkie Pie. “Not that I don’t like cake and punch,” she added. “But I wanna check out this green rock too!”

Rainbow Dash hovered over the prince. “Oh, by the way, sweet ride.”

She bumped hooves with Shining Armor approvingly. Twilight was surprised that her friends were so relaxed around the Crystal Empire prince. But then, she reasoned that her friends saw Shining Armor as her brother first and as a prince second.

Rarity stepped forward and ran a hoof admiringly over the glinting chariot, “Oh, yes. Your chariot is simply divine, darling. And such charming guard ponies to pull it,” she added blinking flirtatiously at the crystal pegasi.

The two guards puffed out their chests a little more than necessary. Twilight didn’t have the heart to tell them that Rarity was far more interested in their crystal coats and manes than their charm. It was a well-known fact among her friends that ever since Rarity had laid eyes on the looks of the crystal ponies, she wished she had been born a crystal pony instead of a “boring plain white mare.” Twilight highly doubted that any stallion or mare saw Rarity in that sort of light. Certainly Spike didn’t. Rarity noticed Spike leaning over the side of the chariot, rubbed the spines on top of his head affectionately, and then turned her attention back to admiring the crystal embellishments on the wheels. The poor lovesick dragon immediately fell over onto the cobblestones from her touch. Rarity didn’t even notice. Sharing a smirk with Shining Armor, Twilight silently levitated her friend back onto the cushions.

Fluttershy tentatively came up to the chariot. “Um, Twilight, I know that the meteor is supposed to be really amazing and all . . . . Pinkie Pie said it looked like a flaming green potato, but, um, do we really have to go to the Everfree Forest?”

The yellow pegasus let her pink hair fall forward, covering the side of her face, a telltale sign that she was nervous.

“That’s what I said!” Spike said indignantly. Twilight raised an eyebrow at her reptilian companion. “I mean, that’s what I thought. In my head . . . . You didn’t hear it.”

Ignoring Spike’s rambling, Twilight rested a hoof on Fluttershy’s shoulder. “Hey, we’ve faced way worse than a walk through the Everfree Forest. Besides, I really think you should come. Some of the animals might be scared by the meteor falling and could really use your help to calm down. We need to make sure that the animals are okay in there.”

Hearing the mention of scared animals, Fluttershy stood up a little straighter and tucked her mane to the side. “Oh, okay. I’ll come.”

Twilight smiled, “That’s the spirit.” She looked around at the eager faces of her friends below her and then at the chariot, “Um . . . I know there’s not enough room for everyone. Do any of you want to ride up here instead?”

The girls protested and insisted that Twilight continue to ride with her brother. The prince offered his spot instead, but no pony would allow him to do that. Shining Armor shrugged and told his guards to head toward the forest. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash flew overhead while Applejack and Rarity trotted alongside the chariot. Pinkie Pie bounced after them at the rear.

Fluttershy giggled, “This is like being in a parade.”

Rainbow Dash nodded, “Yeah, a really cool one!”

This time the ponies in the streets did stop and stare at the chariot and the girls trotting and flying beside it. The girls waved back at their friends and neighbors, giggling and smiling. Even Fluttershy and Spike had cheered up about their fears of the forest. Shining Armor sat beside Twilight. It was clear that he had mastered the regal royal wave to the crowd. The unicorn once again turned to her books and flipped through pages.

“Do you ever get tired of this?” she asked Shining Armor absentmindedly.

He looked at her, surprised but didn’t stop waving at the excited ponies. “What do you mean?”

Twilight looked up from the text embarrassed. She hadn’t realized she had said her thoughts aloud, but she couldn’t take it back now.

“Like . . . tired of this?” she gestured to the ponies on the streets abandoning their chores and routines to watch the chariot go by. “Ponies practically fall at your feet wherever you go. Doesn’t that get tiresome?”

She watched as his face fell and mentally kicked herself. “I’m sorry. It’s none of my business really. It was just something I always wondered about.”

“It’s not tiring, little sis. It’s actually a little lonely,” he sighed and looked out at the crowd and continued to wave gently. “I meet and see ponies every single day. And they see me. But rarely do we actually get to know each other. To be honest, I don’t even know Morning Star and Bright Shield that well. I can be surrounded by crowds of my subjects and still feel like I’m all alone. That’s what this feels like.”

Twilight thought about his words. Was this what life was like for Cadence, Luna, and Celestia? They had been royalty for far longer than Shining Armor. Did they lead a life of loneliness as well? Surrounded by ponies but never truly feeling connected to them? Twilight couldn’t wrap her mind around such a feeling.

Shining Armor nudged her. “Don’t look so serious, Twily. It’s not all gloomy. So what if I don’t get to know very many ponies? I know you and Cadence really well. And I’m learning more about your friends. Like you said, it’s not like I’m on my own in this prince business.”

Twilight nodded. The chariot rolled out of Ponyville and approached the Everfree Forest. Twilight returned to her texts with newfound vigor, only to set the books aside moments later.

“What’s wrong Twilight?” Shining Armor asked.

“I can’t find anything in the texts about this,” she replied a little sadly. “No bright green rocks. No green flame. Nothing. I have no clue on what the meteor is made of or what caused it to have that strange glow.”

“Maybe you can run some tests when we get there,” Spike suggested, trying to be helpful.

“I will,” the unicorn nodded, but her mind was already working through possibilities. The meteor had seemed so unnatural and strange. Perhaps there was something magical about the stone. But what? And if it was magical, what sort of properties did it possess?

Her theory didn’t have enough facts to support it yet, so she pushed this thought to the back of her mind. She’d find out soon enough.

Into the Everfree

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Chapter 3

* * * * * * * * * * *

The pegasi pulling the chariot slowed to a halt at the edge of the forest. Dark swampy willows roped in vines loomed in front of them. It was definitely a gloomy place. Twilight often wondered why Zecora chose to live in such an inhospitable area. But then Zecora was accustomed to the wilds, having lived in the Zebrahara and knew how to tread the forest without wandering into the dangers lurking there. Still, Zecora lived on the tamer side of the forest and wasn’t that far from Ponyville. The wilder parts of the Everfree Forest changed and shifted. Trees and paths never stayed the same, and earth ponies could easily become lost or worse without the aid of magic or wings to help them. It was why the earth Ponyville citizens especially feared the forest, not to mention all the beasts and wilder animals that made the forest their home. The creatures did not like to be disturbed.

Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash landed lightly on the road beside the chariot. Twilight noticed the pink-maned mare’s knees knocking slightly. Spike wasn’t fairing much better as he too began to tremble at the most intimidating part of the forest. The calm unicorn wrapped a loving hoof around her companion. Rarity looked a little nervous standing next to Pinkie Pie, but Twilight guessed this came from her phobia of dirt and all things unclean rather than the old pony tales surrounding the forest. Pinkie Pie simply smiled happily at the dark trees, no doubt keeping in mind her Granny Pie’s famous Giggle at the Ghostly lesson. Her friends, Applejack and Rainbow Dash, were unperturbed by the forest, but Twilight knew this was because they were reassured by the fact that they were surrounded by their friends. If the two cool and collected ponies had to face the dangers of the forest alone, they might not have been so composed.

Bright Shield spoke up from the front of the chariot. “Prince Shining Armor, are you sure that this is a good idea?”

The pegasi were doing their best to look brave and unintimidated by the imposing forest. Twilight realized with a start that this must be the first time the two crystal ponies had left the empire. Cadence had mentioned she was trying to ease the crystal pony citizens into visiting other parts of Equestria, but the ponies were afraid of being so far away from the warmth and protection of Princess Cadence and the Crystal Heart. After such a long time being under Sombra’s cruel spell, the ponies were scared of everything they had missed during their near thousand-year absence. That’s why Cadence had advocated for the Empire, having the Equestria Games held there. It was easier for her to nudge her citizens into the new age by bringing in ponies, than trying to encourage her citizens to explore. She was confident that the Games would show the crystal ponies that the rest of Equestria wasn’t too different in some ways at all.

Twilight looked at the pegasi with newfound admiration. The crystal pony guards that Shining Armor had brought with him truly must be brave ponies to be among the first to travel outside the palace. They had taken Ponyville and traveling well. But the Everfree Forest was another thing entirely. Of course, they’d be nervous about going into a place as scary looking as that.

Shining Armor boldly jumped down from the chariot. “We’re just going to see the meteor, Bright Shield. Besides,” he winked slyly at his sister, “Twilight and her friends will protect us.”

The girls giggled good-naturedly at his comment, and the two pegasi dutifully unbuckled themselves from the chariot. Twilight hopped off the platform with Spike riding on her back. He discreetly wrapped his claws around a lock of her mane. She sighed, wishing he could overcome his nervousness. The ponies went slowly into the forest, staying close together as a group. Twilight walked beside Shining Armor with the crystal pony guards on either side. The dense canopy above shaded them from the noon sun. It felt cool and damp under the trees.

Pinkie Pie stepped on a fallen branch, and Fluttershy screamed, startling every pony. The frightened pegasus clung to Applejack. “What was that?” she squeaked.

“Just a twig, sugar cube. Why don’t y’all calm down now?” the orange pony replied, untangling herself from Fluttershy.

Sheepishly Fluttershy resumed walking beside the level-headed earth pony. Relieved that nothing more serious had happened, the other ponies continued on.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Sheesh, Fluttershy. Relax. We’ve been here before.”

Applejack shot the blue pegasus a glare and asked the prince, “So, Shining Armor, how have ya been enjoyin Ponyville?”

“It’s been great. It’s such a peaceful and relaxing town. I can see why Twily chose to live there with you all,” he replied.

“Well, when we get back to Sugar Cube Corner, ya gotta try some of Granny Smith’s zap apple jam,” Applejack drawled. “I kept a jar back, ‘specially for you. Ya haven’t had a proper visit to Ponyville unless you’ve tasted some of our famous zap apples. It goes with just about everything.”

“Oh? Twilight mentioned something about your family being the founders of Ponyville,” Shining Armor said.

“Why, that’d be my Granny Smith. Didn’t I ever tell you about how Ponyville became a proper town?”

When Shining Armor replied that she hadn’t, the farm pony began to tell the story of Granny Smith and the zap apple trees. Twilight knew what Applejack was up to. Applejack was trying to calm the fears of the ponies through her storytelling, and it was working. She felt Spike relax on her back, and Fluttershy wasn’t hiding in her mane. The guards were picking up their hooves a little more and smiles began to appear on each of the ponies’ faces. Applejack’s sweet country voice settled around the group like a warm blanket, comforting them with a tale of home and family. Applejack described each step of how the zap apples were harvested. Her words painted pictures of the colorful apples and how each year her family harvested the magical fruit. Shining Armor was a good listener for Applejack. He joined in laughing with the other ponies at just the right places and asked questions to keep the orange pony talking. She was pleased that he was interested in her hardworking honest life. With Shining Armor’s prompting, Applejack talked about Sweet Apple Acres and her chores there, of what fields needed to be harvested, and what trees needed to be removed. She talked about the famous Apple family barn that had been rebuilt several times due to age, mishaps, redesigning, and termites. The others politely listened to the exchange between the farm pony and prince.

Her short stories carried them deeper into the forest. The trees and vines above them grew thick and blotted out the sun. It became dark and shadowy in the forest, but no one seemed to mind because of Applejack. Rarity and Shining Armor used their magic to allow their horns to light the way.

Applejack was telling Shining Armor about her siblings, Big Macintosh and Applebloom when Pinkie Pie began to shiver.

“Are you cold dear?” Rarity asked kindly.

“N-n-no. I fe-feel fu-n-n-ny,” Pinkie Pie said through chattering teeth.

The shivers continued, growing in intensity. The pink pony stood, unable to continue walking as she continued to shiver and convulse uncontrollably. The ponies stopped and looked at their companion, growing concerned as she shook violently.

“Are you having a twitch?” asked Spike. Twilight felt his claws clutch her mane again. “Is it the Pinkie Sense?”

“I th-th-think s-s-s-so, b-but it’s never-r-r be-e-en lik-ke th-t-this,” Pinkie Pie forced out.

Fear showed in her ice blue eyes as the twitching wracked her body. Her hooves thudded into the grass like a jackhammer and left deep impressions. Her knees suddenly buckled, and she cried out in alarm, about to fall face first on the ground. Twilight quickly levitated her friend into the air before the pony could injure herself. Pinkie Pie gave her a small grateful smile as the muscle spasms continued to ripple across her body.

“Is this normal?” asked Morning Star tentatively.

Rainbow Dash flapped beside Pinkie Pie and watched her friend shiver in the air, surrounded by Twilight’s protective pink magic. “No, well, sometimes she gets twitches that mean something is about to happen. But usually they’re a lot smaller.”

Rainbow Dash bit her hoof in worry.

“Do you know what this twitch means, Pinkie?” Fluttershy asked.

Pinkie Pie, unable to speak, managed to simply shake her head back and forth. She didn’t know, and her friends could tell this twitch was so powerful, it was scaring her.

Shining Armor whispered in Twilight’s ear. “Maybe it’s the meteor. We must be pretty close to it by now.”

Twilight considered this. If that was the case, then what was Pinkie’s Pinkie sense trying to tell them? How spectacular the meteor would be up close? Or perhaps it was trying to warn them of danger.

Applejack came up to Twilight and Shining Armor. “Ah don’t like this. Ah think we need to get her home.”

Worry filled the earth pony’s eyes as she looked imploringly at the two unicorns. As much as Twilight wanted to see the meteor, she wasn’t about to put her friends’ lives in danger. Every pony was scared about what the twitch was trying to tell them and worried about Pinkie. This was no longer a fun little adventure. They needed to leave.

Suddenly Pinkie Pie stopped shaking. Exhausted, the pony hung limply in Twilight’s magic. Twilight gently lowered Pinkie onto the grass. The pink pony sat down and leaned heavily on Fluttershy who wrapped a wing around her friend.

“Are you okay?” Rainbow Dash asked, sitting beside her.

“I’m fine,” she panted. “But that wasn’t very fun.”

“There’s a pony up ahead!” shouted Bright Shield.

Every pony turned to see a figure in a plain brown cloak standing in the shadows. Rarity and Shining Armor cast their light upon the figure, trying to see who the pony was. Twilight stepped forward, squinting. The hood of the pony’s cloak completely hid her face and most of her body. She noticed the glint of golden bangles around the pony’s front leg. Twilight instantly felt relieved.

“It’s Zecora,” Twilight announced. “Zecora, what are you doing out here? Did you see the meteor?”

“I am here to gather herbs for a special brew. The stone from the sky, I saw it, too,” the zebra said in her familiar rhyme. “My pony friends, come closer and take a look. Such a stone won’t be found in any book.”

Twilight began to walk toward her zebra friend. She wondered why Zecora hadn’t lowered her hood.

“Twilight,” Applejack hissed at her, glaring hard at the cloaked pony. “Something about this just ain’t right.”

“What are you talking about, Applejack?” asked Twilight, continuing toward the zebra. “Zecora can lead us to the meteor. Maybe she can even explain why Pinkie twitched.”

The zebra lifted her head just a little, and Applejack saw a sickly green eye peek from the hood. Applejack snatched Twilight’s tail in her teeth and with all her might, yanked Twilight backwards. Twilight felt like her tail was being pulled out and yelled as she was painfully lifted completely off her hooves and slung into the dirt behind the work horse. Spike was thrown from her back, and both of them rolled to a stop in front of the other ponies who watched in horror.

Wincing, Twilight propped herself up. “Have you gone crazy?” she shouted at Applejack.

Applejack ignored Twilight and faced the cloaked pony. Digging her hooves into the dirt, she demanded, “Who are you? Lower your hood!”

“Ah, Applejack. The honest one. I knew you’d let me have no fun,” Zecora said menacingly. “But if my face is what you wish to see, I shall show you all gladly.”

Zecora threw back her hood and all the ponies gasped. It was Zecora except she had empty green-glowing eyes. At that moment creatures burst forth behind bushes and foliage, covered in fur with menacing claws. The ponies screamed and yelled completely surrounded by the monsters.

“What are they?” shrieked Rarity.

Fluttershy cowered next to Pinkie, gazing up at one of the monsters that loomed over her.

Realization hit her. “The-They’re rabbits. Or at least they used to be!” the pegasus squeaked out.

The rabbits were grotesque horrible beings. They had huge bulky bodies with tiny limbs and heads. Their ears were so long, they were incapable of being held upright and dragged on the ground. Their paws had thick, wicked yellow claws. Their fur was matted and ugly. Drool ran down elongated cracked and chipped buck teeth. Their noses sniffed the air constantly, and pairs of glowing green eyes studied each of the ponies. Gone were the sweet bunnies that Fluttershy was accustomed to caring for. Without warning, the mutant rabbits descended upon the ponies.

“No!” Applejack shouted and started toward her friends.

She found herself held fast with Zecora’s hooves around her neck. She gasped in shock and fear. The earth pony had turned her back on the zebra for a second. How had Zecora run up behind her without her hearing it? How was Zecora so strong? The earth pony bucked in her grasp, only to feel teeth sink into her flesh. Applejack screamed in agony.

The zebra suddenly released her, and Applejack staggered a few steps back. She put a hoof to the back of her neck and drew it back, slick with blood. The trees around her spun and the image of the cloaked zebra doubled and tripled in her sight. She couldn’t keep her balance. What had that pony done to her?

“Why, Zecora?” she croaked.

The zebra looked past her and shouted at the rabbit monstrosities, “Bring me the prince of the Crystal Crown. As for the others, take them down.”

Applejack reeled. No! This couldn’t be happening. This just couldn’t be. . .

The farm pony lost consciousness and fell to the ground with a heavy thud; her hat fell off her head and lay to the side.

“Applejack!” Twilight shouted.

She bucked against a rabbit clutching her back legs and pushed the beast aside with her magic. Behind her, the other ponies raged against the rabbits. She levitated Applejack and her precious hat away from the staring Zecorah.

Fluttershy flew above the fight. “Please, bunnies! Don’t do this!” she watched in horror as a rabbit swiped at her with claws from below. Rarity flung stones at another rabbit as Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie kicked at a second rabbit. Spike cowered before another mutant as the creature raised his paws, about to pummel the baby dragon.

The brave yellow pegasus flew in front of the rabbit’s face before he could strike. She sucked in a deep breath and shouted with all her might, “STOP!”

The rabbit blinked and Fluttershy hovered there staring into his eyes and saw. . .nothing. Nothing was there. She saw no happiness or love or kindness. Only emptiness. The creature raised a paw and slapped Fluttershy, sending her tumbling away into a tree. She struck the trunk with a sickening thud as Spike screamed. He ducked between the rabbit’s legs and reached the tree just as Fluttershy fell into the bushes below. He reached out to the crumpled pony. She was covered in scrapes and scratches and lay there sobbing.

“What’s wrong with them?” she whispered to Spike through her pain and sorrow. “They aren’t themselves anymore. This isn’t right.”

A piercing yell cut through the battle as rabbits cornered the prince. His pegasi guards threw themselves at the rabbits, futilely bouncing off their bulk.

“Shining Armor!” Twilight shouted.

She raced toward the fight only to have a rabbit block her path. More rabbits began to emerge from the bushes. Shining Armor shot bolts of his magic at the rabbits, managing to knock a few aside. Another grabbed his coat, and he tore through it.

“Get out of here, Twilight!” he shouted. “Take your friends and go!”

Twilight levitated a mutant rabbit and threw him into another. “I’m not leaving you!”

“They’re after me!” he threw a shield around himself and his pegasi guards. “You have to get Applejack out of here! Go now!”

The rabbits bashed against his shield, climbing on top of the magical dome trying to break it. There were too many rabbits surrounding him for Twilight to reach her brother. She couldn’t even see or hear him anymore with the great mass of fur covering the dome. Twilight levitated Applejack closer to her.

“Twlight!” Rainbow Dash yelled.

Tears streamed down her cheeks as Twilight watched Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie defend Fluttershy and Spike. The three ponies stood in a semi-circle with their backs to the bushes Fluttershy lay in. They kicked and bucked and punched the rabbit attackers near them. But most of the rabbit creatures were gathering around Shining Armor’s protective shield. Shining Armor was giving Twilight and her friends a chance to escape. And she had no choice but to take it.

She dashed past rabbits, dodging their swipes and galloped to her friends. “Run!” she shouted.

Twilight concentrated and shot magic bolts at the nearby rabbit attackers. Rarity grabbed Spike from the bushes, and Rainbow Dash picked up Fluttershy, urging her to flap as much as she could. The ponies raced away from the rabbits and charged down the path of the forest at full speed. They heard rabbit mutants thundering after them. The running rabbits shook the ground beneath their hooves and made branches fall from the trees above.

Twilight Sparkle turned her head to look behind her. The mutants were closing in on them. She concentrated her magic and a pink force field wall appeared in front of the ponies’ pursuers. The rabbits, unable to stop, charged painfully into the barrier. The girls kept running and flying as fast as they could until they reached the edge of the forest. They slowed to a walk, panting heavily as they came to the chariot.

Rarity stopped and looked behind them. “Where’s Shining Armor? And the crystal ponies?”

Twilight reasoned that the other ponies were so busy fighting that they didn’t see everything that had happened. She brushed past her and levitated Applejack onto the chariot. Rainbow Dash gently set Fluttershy on the platform next to the country pony. Twilight felt her friends’ gazes weigh heavily on her. She looked back at them. Really looked at them. Her pony friends were gathered around the chariot. She saw how bruised and dirty they all were. Rainbow Dash sported a particularly nasty black eye and was flapping tentatively above Applejack, looking down at her unconscious friend with worry and fear. Settling onto the plush cushions of the chariot, Fluttershy placed a gentle hoof over Applejack’s lovingly. The quiet pegasus had fared the worst of them all from being flung into a tree. There was hardly an inch of her that wasn’t scraped or bruised. Twilight knew she had to be in pain from it all, but if Fluttershy’s injuries bothered her, the brave pony didn’t show it. She was far too concerned for her unconscious friend. Pinkie Pie’s mane had deflated. Instead of its usual cotton ball poofiness, her hair was smooth and sleek, a sure sign that she was sad. Blood trickled down the side of her face from a cut above her brow. Next to her, Rarity was an absolute mess, covered in dirt and mud with bits of twigs entwined in her tangled locks. She didn’t even bother to try to clean herself up. Twilight could tell she was far too exhausted for that. Spike sat on Rarity’s back and looked lost and scared. And then there was Applejack, lying on her side among all of them. The once strong mare had been taken down by a twisted Zecora.

And where was her brother and his guards? She had left them behind. She didn’t even know if they were okay. Shining Armor. . .

This was all her fault.

Twilight burst into tears. She curled into a ball on the grass and sobbed. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

Rarity quickly knelt beside her and held her while Spike, Pinkie, and Rainbow hugged her protectively. She felt their strong hooves and arms around her, comforting and supporting her. Twilight hid her face in her own hooves. She didn’t deserve their love. She was a horrible pony.

“Hush now, Darling,” Rarity soothed. “This isn’t your fault.”

“Yes, it is,” Twilight insisted, her voice muffled. “If I hadn’t wanted to go see the meteor so badly, we all would have been fine. Applejack wouldn’t be like this. Shining Armor and the crystal ponies wouldn’t be. . .” she didn’t know how to continue that sentence so she went on with, “I heard Zecora say that she was after Shining Armor. He created a diversion so we could get away. He. . .told me to leave him behind. I-I shouldn’t have left him.”

The girls glanced at one another in distress. Spike hugged Twilight tightly.

Fluttershy sucked in a ragged breath. “Twilight, you couldn’t have known what would happen. None of us knew. Everything happened so fast.”

Twilight looked up at the battered pegasus. Fluttershy gave her a kind smile.

“That’s right,” Rarity agreed. “And your brother did what he thought best. He saved us, Twilight. If you hadn’t listened to him, we’d all still be fighting those,” she shuddered, “terrible creatures.”

“Come on, Twilight,” Rainbow Dash said in a gentle tone. “We just gotta figure this out and get Applejack back on her hooves. Then we’ll go back, save him and the crystal ponies, and get Zecora and those animals back to normal. With your egghead leadership and my sweet moves, this will be a piece of cake.”

Rainbow Dash gave her a toothy grin, and Twilight smiled back.

“You really think so?” she asked her friends.

Spike nodded emphatically. “We know so. Together we can do anything.”

Twilight felt her resolve coming back. She was strengthened by her friends. She slowly stood up. Her friends needed her, and she wasn’t about to sit around moping. Not when they had ponies and animals to save. And there was no way she was going to let them down.

“All right,” she said confidently. “Let’s get Applejack to the hospital.”

Pinkie Pie’s hair immediately returned to its bouncy curls with a spring. She embraced Twilight in a slightly choking hug. “That’s the spirit!”

The pink pony released her, and Twilight staggered back trying to collect herself. She went over to the front of the chariot and strapped herself to it. Rainbow Dash wordlessly did the same beside her. She gave Twilight a wink with her good eye.

“Ready?” she asked Twilight.

The unicorn nodded, and the two of them took off at a trot. When they saw that their pace wasn’t jostling their passengers, they picked up speed. The chariot must have had a spell on it to allow it to remain stable, even when the chariot was going fast. It didn’t even feel very heavy to Twilight as she pulled it. Rarity and Pinkie Pie ran along behind the chariot, able to keep up well enough.

The ponies took the most direct path to the hospital which ran, unfortunately, through the middle of Ponyville. Ponies milling about in the afternoon sunshine stopped abruptly and stared when they saw the chariot and the girls running past. Unease quickly spread as the townsfolk called out, asking what had happened to them and where was Shining Armor. The missing prince and the bedraggled state of the ponies were telltale signs that something was amiss.

“Everything’s fine,” Rarity called out to the bewildered onlookers as they ran past. “Everything will be all right.”

The fashionista smiled nervously at their neighbors, as if getting covered in dirt and cuts was just a bit of fun. But from the scowls on several ponies’ faces, she could see they weren’t buying it.

The ponies stopped at the hospital. The large building was located on the outskirts of town, and thankfully none of the townsfolk had thought to follow them here. Twilight quickly unstrapped herself from the chariot and levitated Applejack with her into the entrance, the girls following her.

“This is an emergency,” Twilight announced seriously and gestured to Applejack. “This pony needs to see a doctor right away.”

A pony from the front desk looked up from her papers and gasped when she saw them. “Oh, my goodness!”

She immediately paged for medical assistance. A nurse appeared from the hall and motioned for the group to follow her into an empty patient room. Twilight gently laid her friend on the bed as a unicorn doctor in a lab coat walked in. Several nurse ponies entered as well, brandishing bandages and medicine. The room felt crowded with all the ponies in it. The nurses had the ponies sit down on the floor while they told Fluttershy to sit on the other bed. The doctor examined Applejack while the nurses tended to the other ponies’ injuries. Spike stood in a corner of the room, trying to stay out of every pony’s way.

“Can you tell us what happened?” the doctor asked.

Twilight mechanically told the doctor what had happened as a nurse applied healing salve to her scrapes. She briefly described the meteor, Zecora and her actions, and their narrow escape. Noticeably, Twilight mentioned nothing of her brother or his pegasi guards who had been left behind. Her friends listened avidly to her description but remained silent. As she talked, the nurses looked concerned but continued to clean, bandage, and heal the ponies’ injuries. The doctor tried to keep his expression neutral, but Twilight could see the bewilderment in his eyes by what she had said. Zecora’s bite causing Applejack to pass out was unusual. Applejack was not the kind of pony to faint easily from fright. It must have been the bite itself that caused her to fall unconscious.

The doctor nodded at the end of her tale and said professionally, “I’ll see what I can do, but I need you all to wait outside.”

The nurses had finished their work and now gathered next to the doctor. The girls and Spike reluctantly stepped out into the hallway, and the doctor closed the door behind them. Fluttershy walked gingerly and sat down on the floor. The unicorn nurses had performed several healing spells on her injuries, but Twilight knew the poor pegasus ached all over. It was a wonder she hadn’t broken a wing or had a concussion. She sat down next to Fluttershy, and her friends gathered in a semicircle on the floor. They could have gone into a waiting room to sit, but none of them wanted to be that far away from Applejack. The ponies looked and felt better, thanks to the nurses’ attention, but it didn’t make them worry any less about their friend.

“We need to send a letter to the Princess—” Twilight began when Spike belched audibly, a paw over his stomach.

Twilight levitated the parchment in front of her and scanned the page.

“What does it say?” Rainbow Dash asked warily.

“Public Notice #1. My loyal subjects of Equestria,” Twilight read hoarsely. “I am sending these letters throughout the nation to alert you of the danger at hand. There have been numerous reports of green meteors raining down upon Equestria. Where the stone falls, evil spreads. The animals and ponies that come into contact with the meteor mutate and are not themselves. Animals become larger and much stronger. Ponies become dark and evil. You will know them by their glowing green eyes. I urge you to avoid any contact with those that are changed. They will try to bite you and any other living creature. This causes the victim to fall into a coma that they cannot be awakened from. I urge all of you to remain calm and keep animals and yourselves indoors. If anypony has any information—any at all regarding these events--send a report immediately. I will provide you with further instructions as reports come in.”

The parchment was stamped with the Celestial seal, followed by directions for ponies to spread the information it contained. The girls looked at one another in shock.

“Applejack is in a coma? And no pony knows how to wake her up?” Fluttershy asked incredulously.

Her eyes began to tear up, and Rainbow Dash wrapped a wing around her side.

“And it’s not just Zecora who has changed,” Rarity murmured. “Other ponies are being affected the same way. This is happening all over Equestria. Ponies and animals are becoming evil and. . .” She found herself unable to continue.

“Well, what about the Elements of Harmony?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Can’t we use them to fix everything?”

Twilight shook her head sadly, “But without Applejack, we can’t use the Elements.”

Pinkie Pie stood up determinedly. “Then we’re just gonna have to figure out something else.”

“But, Pinkie, I. . .” Twilight looked into Pinky’s icy blue eyes.

There was a fierce determination in her gaze. She wasn’t about to give up, and neither was Twilight.

Twilight nodded, then rolled up the parchment and turned to Spike. “I need you to deliver this to the newspaper ponies. Tell them to print enough copies so that all the ponies know what is going on. And tell them to make sure a copy gets to the mayor.”

Twilight levitated the letter to Spike. He took it from her and nodded seriously. “I’m on it.”

“When that’s finished, come back as quickly as possible,” Twilight continued. “The girls and I will write the report.”

Spike nodded and took off running down the hall.

Just then the door to Applejack’s room opened, and the doctor with his team of nurses stepped out. He looked at the girls and shook his head helplessly. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what to make of this. I really don’t know what’s wrong. Everything appears to be normal, but she’s comatose. We’ll have to wait until she wakes up.”

“But there’s gotta be something more you can do,” Rainbow Dash sputtered.

The doctor shook his head.

“It’s okay, Doctor,” Twilight said softly. She told him the details of Princess Celestia’s notice.

“Then we might be getting more cases in like Applejack,” he murmured. “I need to alert the staff. I’ll. . .I’ll try to learn more about this. Excuse me.”

The doctor and nurses left the ponies in the hall. The girls quietly went into Applejack’s room. The ponies gathered around the earth pony. Her neck had been bandaged where Zecora had bitten her. Other than that, she was simply asleep. Her hat hung above her on the corner of the headboard. Twilight couldn’t help but think about how Applejack had tried to warn her. She had sensed that something wasn’t right about Zecora from the beginning. She had taken Pinkie Pie’s pinkie sense seriously.

And she had been the one who paid the price.

Twilight closed her eyes in shame. Her friends might not believe that this whole mess wasn’t her fault, but Twilight knew that it was because she hadn’t listened to Applejack. She should’ve taken her friend’s words seriously. Instead, she had been blinded by her own desire for greatness.

Twilight opened her eyes when she heard Pinkie’s voice.

“Hey, Applejack,” Pinkie Pie said softly. “If you could hurry and wake up now, that’d be even better than a party. I’d even throw you a party for it. The biggest most bestest party ever.”

Applejack didn’t move. She simply breathed.

Twilight couldn’t bear it. She turned away and sat down on the tiles. She opened a nightstand drawer and levitated out some writing materials. She laid the page on the floor before her and methodically dipped a quill into the ink jar. The girls gathered around her.

“We’ll help you write the report, Twilight,” Rarity told her offering a gentle smile.

“We’ll figure out a plan,” Rainbow Dash said, stamping her hoof confidently.

“We’ll save our friends,” Pinkie Pie grinned.

“We’ll save the animals,” Fluttershy added.

“And then we’re going to help save Equestria,” Twilight said fiercely.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Luna stood facing her sister’s bedchamber door. She took a deep breath and knocked lightly. She waited until she heard a muffled “Come in” before she pushed the door open and entered.

Luna found Celestia lying on an oversized violet cushion in the middle of the floor. The only light in the room came from the crackling fire in the grand fireplace and the light of the moon shining through the massive open windows. Everything in the spacious room was large and overwhelming. Shortly after Luna adjusted to her reformation, she had asked why Celestia designed her bedroom that way. Celestia had answered that she liked the bigness of her bedroom because it made her feel small. The room reminded her that the sky was so large, and she only controlled a small portion of it. Never again would she make the mistake of believing her role was more important than any other pony’s.

Luna never asked again.

The sun princess didn’t look up from her reading. Scrolls and papers were spread all over the rug surrounding her. All of them were reports, notes, and accounts sent in by ponies from all over Equestria, regarding the meteors and terrible things that had happened. The princesses had spent the entire day in the throne room, trying to address the chaos that the meteors had inflicted. Royal advisors, medical, scientific, and strategist ponies had filled the chamber while messenger ponies were constantly coming and going with deliveries of reports. It was Celestia who had come up with the idea of the public notice system to try to warn ponies about the danger of the meteors and as a means to encourage information to be sent in. But it still wasn’t enough. Although the reports were helping to pinpoint attacks and note where a few of the meteors had fallen, none of it explained how or why ponies and animals were becoming evil or how to reverse the effects.

“Any news?” Luna asked.

She had tried to go through the reports like Celestia had, but honestly, after a while all of the endless reports had made her head spin. The sheer number of scrolls was simply overwhelming. She left the task of sorting and reading the reports to the secretaries and Celestia. Luna had spent her time in the throne room, speaking with the ponies there and trying to gain knowledge and advice from them. Finally, Celestia and Luna were too exhausted to continue and had dismissed everyone.

Celestia wordlessly levitated two scrolls in front of Luna. Luna took them in her own magic and read the first one.

Dear Princess Celestia,

One of the meteors fell in the Everfree Forest. My friends, Shining Armor and his two personal guards, and myself decided to investigate. This happened before we received the public notice. We were ambushed by Zecora and mutated rabbits. Zecora and the rabbits had the same symptoms you described in your notice. Fluttershy attempted to speak with the changed animals, but it didn’t work. They weren’t themselves anymore. Zecora had glowing green eyes and said that she was after Shining Armor. Zecora bit Applejack, and immediately Applejack fell unconscious and hasn’t awoken since. Shining Armor and his guards, Bright Shield and Morning Star, distracted the mutant rabbits to let us escape. The rest of us are unhurt, and we made it to the hospital, but we don’t know anything about Shining Armor and the guards’ wellbeing.

Your notice is being spread throughout Ponyville as I write this. Our plan is to see if we can learn more about what is happening and to help prepare Ponyville as needed. We will wear the Elements of Harmony at all times even though without Applejack awake, we can’t use them. I will do what research I can in the Ponyville Library while the rest of my friends work with the citizens of Ponyville in making their homes and animals secure. Rainbow Dash wants to do an overhead scouting of the Everfree Forest to see if she can find out more about Shining Armor and the guards. She believes that alone, she would go unnoticed, and if need be, she can fly fast enough to get out of harm’s way.

I am writing a letter to Cadence to let her know what has happened.

I know that all of Equestria needs your help, Princess, but I could really use some of your guidance right now.
Your Faithful Student,

Twilight Sparkle

Luna frowned and read the second letter. This parchment had more ink drips and scratches from where the pony writing it had pressed too hard with a quill.

Dear Princess Celestia,

Applejack hasn’t awoken yet. Rarity is staying at the hospital, watching over her. The medical ponies at the hospital are baffled, and as I suspected, nothing in the Ponyville Library has any information on her condition. Spike and I scoured every single book, and not one had anything to do with these meteors or the ponies and animals changing.

Worse yet, the mutated animals seem to be preparing for some sort of attack. Rainbow Dash was able to complete her scouting mission, but just barely. She overheard mutated rats, the size of ponies, actually talking. The rats spoke about gathering more animals to prepare for an attack on Ponyville in the morning. Unfortunately, that was all she was able to hear before one of the rats noticed her in the air. She flew away, only to be pecked and scratched by horrible birds with the same green glowing eyes. She was able to get away, thanks to her amazing flying skills. I don’t think any other pegasus would’ve been so lucky. She’s fine now, thankfully. The nurses and doctor ponies were able to patch her up.

Thanks to her scouting, we have begun work on preparing Ponyville for the worst. Buildings are being boarded up, and Fluttershy has been encouraging animals to stay indoors or close to their pony owners. The mayor has been encouraging all the ponies to gather at the hospital. It is the largest building in Ponyville, and one building is easier to protect than a whole town. A few of the ponies aren’t willing to leave their homes, and we can’t force them to. We’ll just help make sure their home is secure and well-supplied.

The mayor and I considered evacuation, but it’s too risky. Mutant animals have appeared at the forest edge. We can see their glowing green eyes, watching the town in the darkness.

Princess, I’m trying to be brave, but in truth, I’m really scared. Rainbow Dash wasn’t able to find out anymore information about Shining Armor and the guard ponies, but I’m not about to send her back out alone again. I know you instructed all the ponies to stay inside, but we have to fight. The girls and I—we can’t just let our town be destroyed. Or worse, have ponies and animals get hurt. But without the Elements of Harmony, I don’t know how we can win. There are a few ponies that are willing to help us fight, but from what I’ve experienced facing those mutants myself, there is no way we can win.

We need help, Princess. We can’t do this on our own. Please respond as quickly as you can. Please send help to Ponyville. Otherwise, there may not be a Ponyville come tomorrow.
Your Faithful Student,

Twilight Sparkle

Luna looked up at her sister. Celestia was staring at the moon. Her voice was filled with sadness.

“Twilight Sparkle is being so brave,” the sun Princess said softly. “She’s looking to me for answers. But for once,” Celestia bowed her head, “I have none.”

Luna cleared her throat and set the letters next to her sister with her magic. “She is right, though. Ponyville needs help.”

“So does Manehatten, Las Pegasus, and Appleloosa,” Celestia said bitterly. “What am I supposed to do? Send palace guards to them? Then I’ll have Canterlot citizens appearing in person to tell me what a fool I am for having a city undefended. And even if I did send out the guards, it won’t be enough. This is outside of their training.”

Luna took a step closer. “Then perhaps we should look for help elsewhere.”

Celestia gave her sister a hard look. “And where would that be?”

“I’ve just returned from dream speaking with Sonny in the Old World.” As soon as she said these words, Celestia glared, annoyed at her sister, but the moon princess pressed on. “He believes that the meteors are warpstone. It makes sense. The meteors are similar to the warpstone of his world.”

Celestia gave a dry laugh. “And you believe him?”

“I have no reason not to. His heart is pure, and his intentions are noble.”

Celestia wearily stood up from her pillow. “Sister, you know I dislike you using that portal, but now you’ve gone too far. It is one thing to explore an alternate realm through dreams. It is another to seek council from them. You should not have told that innkeeper of our world’s crisis. You’ve influenced him enough as it is.”

Luna stood her ground. “I dreamwalked through that portal tonight to try to find answers that we don’t have. And I think I was successful. What if our meteors really are warpstone? His description was of stones that changed the people and animals of his world, making them evil and twisted. The stone would mutate anyone who came near them.”

“And what of the bites, hmm?” Celestia asked. “Mutants biting others only to make them fall into an irreversible sleep? Does his world have that?”

“Well, no. . .” Luna said softly.

Celestia levitated the letters around her and began to sort through them. “And does his world have a solution for the mutants?”

“Erm. . .” she said softly.

Luna was reminded how foolish her older sister could make her feel at times. She hated it when Celestia treated her like a child. True, Celestia treated her better since her reformation, but the sun princess was not always as kind as she could be.

Old habits died hard for them both.

“Speak up, dear sister. I can’t quite hear you,” Celestia said tiredly.

“The people of the Old World don’t have a cure for those infected with warpstone. They. . .they kill those infected instead.”

“Just as I thought,” Celestia growled. “That world is thoughtless and cruel. Such needless savagery. I’m afraid you wasted precious time by your dream walk.”

“Actually, I didn’t. I think I’ve found the solution, Tia,” Luna said as confidently as she could.

“And what would that be?” Celestia murmured, glancing at the papers floating in front of her.

“The Old World is filled with warriors. Sonny told me of two—a human and a dwarf that are noble and are the best fighters he knows.”

Celestia lowered the letters to the floor. “You want to bring two murderers here?” she asked icily.

“They kill, but they do it in self defense,” Luna explained. “Their world isn’t like ours, Tia. But these two warriors. . . .I scanned the hearts of everyone in Nuln. They aren’t like the others. They have done wrong, but they are good people, Tia. And they can help us.”

Celestia whirled to face Luna. “I can’t believe my own sister wants to bring killers from another plane of existence into Equestria!” she shouted furiously.

Luna held her head high as Celestia stamped over to her and continued to seethe. “How can you be so blind? I’m trying to save our ponies while your insane solution will only make everything worse! They will slaughter those mutated by the meteors.”

“Not if we enchant them,” Luna shot back. “Do you have any better ideas, sister? Or any ideas at all? Twilight Sparkle has already stated the obvious. We cannot overcome this on our own. We need warriors. You and I and Cadence can’t go out and fight. What if we fall prey to these mutants? Shining Armor already has. And if we three fall, who will lead Equestria then? No, we need warriors. We need . . .Gotrek and Felix.”

Celestia turned her head to the side, and Luna saw tears gathering in her eyes. She saw how exhausted her sister was, beaten down by not knowing.

“I hate feeling so helpless, Luna,” Celestia whispered.

Luna reached out to her. “Tia.”

Celestia pushed her hoof aside. “I don’t like your plan. But it appears I have no other alternative,” she said with finality. “I can’t allow Ponyville to fall. Lead a few guards to the portal in the caves. Have them bring it to the throne room. Make the proper arrangements for these. . .beings to arrive.”

Luna nodded sadly, “Yes, sister.”

She turned to leave Celestia’s chamber.

“Please get some sleep, Tia,” she said softly.

“I’ll rest when my little ponies are safe,” Celestia said staring out the window.

Luna sighed and closed the door.

Welcome to Ponyville

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The Lost Book of My Travels with Gotrek

As the train rumbled through the night, I tried to keep myself busy with creating some sort of plan before we arrived at Ponyville. This exercise was mainly futile, but it did help to keep my imagination from running wild about what we might face . . . at least for a little while. I remember chilling images of demons, beastmen, and mutants dancing before my mind’s eye. Now, I don’t think of myself as a coward, but before every major fight, a feeling of foreboding creeps into my soul. I was nervous (although scared would have been a better word) about the unknown. It was a familiar feeling that crept upon me before battle, and it never became easier to face as my life went on. But, I also knew that when the fighting started, I would not have time to be afraid; I would just react, and if Sigmar called me home, there would be nothing I could do about it. The Troll Slayer eventually noticed that I was nervous about something and out of boredom asked what was wrong. I should have known better than telling him the truth. He just laughed and said that it was natural for humans to be afraid, since we were a frail lot compared to dwarves. He then went on about some nonsense of having nothing to fear regarding a glorious doom. I knew he would say that, and it did little to quell my prebattle fears.

After this talk, I gave up trying to form a plan since no plan we had ever made survived its first encounter with the enemy. Also, I was tired despite the situation. We had not gotten a full night’s rest, and before I knew it, I was being lulled to sleep by the sound of the train as it rumbled down the tracks.

“Wake up, manling, we’re almost there.”

Felix felt a huge hand shake him awake. To his confusion when he opened his eyes, they began to sting and water. While rubbing his eyes, the poet sniffed the air, and the unmistakable odor of tobacco smoke filled his nose. Felix waved his hand around to dispel the smoke cloud. The warrior poet glanced around the room and noticed he and Gotrek were in a moving box with windows in it. The dark scenery outside fly by quickly, and over the gloomy horizon, the first crimson and violet hints of dawn appeared. Felix was about to ask the dwarf where they were until the poet saw Gotrek’s new piece of clothing. It was a dark blue tabard with a strange white symbol on it.

Felix wondered briefly what the dwarf was doing wearing a tabard. Suddenly, the memories of what had happened mere hours ago returned to him. The human’s reminiscing was interrupted by Gotrek’s gravelly voice.

“Did she come to you?”

Felix got up from his seat groggily. “What?”

Gotrek took the pipe he was smoking out of his mouth and elaborated loudly, “Princess Luna, did you see her in your dreams?”

“No. No, I didn’t dream. I just slept.” Felix replied.

At the mention of his new sovereign, Felix looked down to examine his own tabard. The midnight garment with the crescent moon and cloud in its center was a sight to behold. It covered Felix’s battered clothing beneath it and made him feel like a true knight. Even Gotrek looked more civilized in the shorter but identical version of Felix’s tabard. However, the garment did nothing to diminish the dwarf’s terrifying features; in fact, it seemed to highlight them. The color clashed with his insane orange Mohawk and made his tattoos more prominent.

The Slayer nodded, shoved the pipe back into his mouth, and in a disturbingly cheerful voice said, “Not surprising. I believe we have a few minutes until we reach town.” He grinned revealing the few teeth he had left. “Then the real violence will start.”

To see if the dwarf’s prediction was accurate, Felix approached one of the windows in the passenger car. He wiped away the thin layer of condensation and found that Gotrek was right. They were very close to Ponyville, or at least what he assumed was Ponyville.

Felix turned away and asked, “Did you get any sleep?”

After taking a few practice swings with his axe, Gotrek set his pipe down in an empty glass.

“No. Too excited. Had nothing better to do so I’m smoking up some of my old Mouldy Leaf tobac. If I die today, I want the scent of my home on my breath. Not this fusty train car musk.”

Felix pondered telling the dwarf that would be one smell of many but thought better of it.

A scowl creased the Slayer’s bearded mouth as he continued, “The fool conductor horse wanted me to put out my pipe, but I think he came around to seeing things my way after he got a good look at my axe.”

The dwarf put the pipe back in his mouth. “You don’t want to get in between a Slayer and his few pleasures in life, manling. Remember that.”

In reply, the poet just shook his head. It would not be easy trying to approach the inhabitants of Ponyville with Gotrek by his side. Back where he and Gotrek came from, they stood out like sore thumbs. Sane people, at least, tended to avoid the members of the death-seeking dwarfish cult and those who associated with its followers. One thing was for sure; there would be no blending in with the crowds here, either.

Felix was about to ask if Gotrek had hurt the conductor, but the question died on his lips when he observed the Troll Slayer running his thumb over the blade of his axe. A bright red bead of blood formed and ran down the head of the weapon. Felix had seen Gotrek do this act dozens of times. He did this ritual every time he knew they were going into battle.

The poet recalled the oath they both had sworn to Princess Luna. The promise that they would not kill, and further more, they would be prevented from slaying by having enchantments placed on themselves and their weapons. Felix was not sure if this magic was ever performed which could be problematic. Felix knew that he would try his best to keep his oath and so would Gotrek, but in the heat of battle, it would be nigh impossible to hold back in such a way. The weapons they wielded were made for killing.

Felix had ended lives over and over again, just not to the degree the dwarf had. Felix knew full well what Gotrek was capable of with his axe. With this in mind, he asked the question, “Gotrek, shouldn’t you not be able to do that?”

The Slayer turned to face the human, annoyed that his battle rite was being interrupted. “Do what?”

Felix pointed to the Troll Slayer’s axe. “Draw blood.”

The dwarf eyed his prized weapon with a curious glance while his thumb dripped blood on the carpeted floor of the train car. Still puffing on his pipe he said, “You have a point, manling.”

Gotrek pulled at his beard a few times and said, “Draw your sword and strike me.”

Felix looked down at the dwarf. “What?”

The Slayer favored Felix with an angry look. “You are very hard of hearing tonight, human. I said take your dragon poker and strike me. We have to see if the Princess’s enchantments are working. It might affect what I do in the next few minutes.”

Seeing the mad wisdom in Gotrek’s words, Felix drew his runed crimson long sword from its sheath. He poised his blade above one of the Troll Slayer’s beefy arms.

The dwarf glared up at the human impatiently. “Just do it, manling. I won’t hurt you. Just don’t cut my arm off. And if you do, I swear to Grungi I will chop your balls off and make you eat them.”

Trying to ignore the Slayer’s threat, Felix gingerly connected his sword to Gotrek’s arm. When the weak blow struck, the poet saw a shimmering blue bubble form around his sword right before impact.

The dwarf raised an eyebrow in surprise and said, “It’s like being tapped with an icicle. Do it again, harder this time.”

The poet obeyed and put more effort into the next blow. The same effect happened, except this time the dwarf bit down on his pipe and said, “That one stung like a hornet, and now I can’t feel my arm." Then a realization hit the axe man. “Damn it, manling, she really did it. We won’t be able to . . . to. . . hmm.”

By this time, Felix was wondering if he had hit the dwarf too hard with his enchanted sword. The Slayer was about to go into another one of his very opinionated tantrums, but then his entire demeanor changed to one that was suddenly very composed.

“Are you alright, Gotrek?”

“Of course I am, manling, but a strange feeling came over me. I was going to say we would not be able to kill anything with these enchantments, and I felt very angry about that, but now. . .I can’t explain it. But suddenly, killing has very little appeal to me for some reason.”

The dwarf abruptly started to get mad again and turned his wrath at Felix like he was the one responsible for this sorcery. He pointed a meaty finger at the poet and said, “I don’t like this. I don’t like having my mind or weapon tampered with, manling. I know we agreed to these wretched curses, but what if Luna likes us this way and decides not to turn us back? What guarantee is there that what she did to us is not permanent?”

Felix sat back down on the padded bench with a small sigh. He was not surprised no one had come back here to check what was going on with all the dwarf’s yelling, but after what happened with the conductor, he understood why. Luna had arranged that the two have the entire train to themselves.

In a calm voice, he said to his upset companion, “There is no guarantee, but I believe when we are done with our task, she will undo these enchantments. And I hope whatever else we endure here will be worth it. Also, Luna did promise both of us a reward in exchange for services rendered. Remember that?”

To his amusement, Felix saw a twinkle in the Slayer’s eye at the prospect of becoming wealthy. “Aye, manling, I do.”

Felix knew that Gotrek wanted three things for himself: a noble death, treasure, and good beer, in that order. Felix had yet to figure out how Gotrek would get treasure and beer if he were dead. He hadn’t the courage to ask that question.

The poet continued, “Alas, we only get the prize if we play by her rules.”

“Aye, and I still look forward to battle and dying gloriously. That has not changed,” the dwarf said.

Felix rolled his eyes and replied sarcastically, “Of course, you do. We wouldn’t want that to change.”

The dwarf picked up on his companion’s sarcasm, and his eye bore into Felix’s. “No, manling, I don’t. An honorable death is all I will ever want for myself, and by the blood of my people, I will have it.”

As those words were spoken, the train began to lose speed and came to a halt outside of a well-lit station. The Troll Slayer spat into his pipe to put out the smoldering ashes, then emptied the remnants into the glass.

“It looks like we’re here,” Gotrek said.

The pair shouldered their packs and prepared to leave the car. Felix took a quick last look out of the window and saw a single pony-shaped figure in a brown hooded cloak. The pony was standing still on the docking platform in one of the several pools of light that illuminated the station. The figure’s face was covered by the hood and cast in shadow.

Felix backed away from the window and said curiously, “Gotrek, someone’s out there.”

Cracking his knuckles in anticipation, the dwarf replied, “Either he’s our guide or our first victim. Let’s go find out.”

True to form, the eager dwarf pushed open the door to their car and rapidly descended onto the station platform. Felix kept right on his heels. The poet was glad to get out of the train car and breathe the cool night air, a welcome scent after smelling Gotrek’s pipe smoke for so long. The pair approached the unknown pony at the far end of the small station cautiously, their weapons before them. The being continued to stand motionless under the lamp light. The train began to depart the station with a great shriek of steam as it picked up speed. Distracted by the piercing noise, both of them glanced at the train. As they turned back to look at the stranger, the unknown pony was gone.

Gotrek muttered a dwarvish curse that Felix was unfamiliar with. It made the poet’s skin crawl all the same. Felix quickly looked all around the train station and saw no sign of the mysterious pony.

The Slayer had the better eye of the two of them, and after a few seconds of frantic searching, he shook his head. “The snotling fondler disappeared. We only looked away for a second. He couldn't have run off or hid in the building. I would have seen it.”

The poet nodded his agreement. Expecting trouble, Felix and Gotrek set down their packs to search for the pony. The extra weight would not help in a fight. Felix turned in a circle searching the area. Where had the pony gone? They simply had not given the pony enough time to escape undetected . . . unless. . .

The poet looked skyward and saw the pony flying at them with blazing speed, the cloak discarded. Felix could see the pony’s coat shone and sparkled in dazzling fractals, but the creature was anything but beautiful. It had empty glowing green eyes, and its muzzle was open in a snarl, bearing razor sharp teeth. Worst of all, the pony wielded a mace that was aimed at Felix’s head. Sickened, the poet realized that this pony must be infected with warpstone.

Felix had just enough time to bring his sword up and parry the blow. To the swordsman’s surprise, the strike lacked any sort of killing power. During all the time he had spent with Gotrek, he had become a connoisseur of what attacks could be lethal to an opponent, and this one lacked the necessary force. This was strange because servants of chaos always went for the kill.

As the pegasus flew back into the air, Felix said, “It looks like our answer is in the sky, Gotrek.”

The dwarf growled back, “When you’re right, you’re right, manling.”

Now that the pair knew where to look, they were able to track the pony easily. The pegasus swooped down again, and instead of attacking, made a howling noise that was loud and clear.

From inside the train station, answering howls and shrieks reached the ears of the two knights. It sounded exactly like the calls of a wolf pack.

“Manling,” Gotrek said, “I believe we just became wolf bait.”

The dwarf said this as if anticipating a drinking contest with a fellow dwarf.

From an open door in the train station, a large group of creatures rushed out to gather in front of them. They were wolves except they were made up of sticks and roots and had the same glowing green eyes as the pegasus. Each of them seemed eager to bowl the knights over and rip out their throats. All of them were growling and snapping their jaws impatiently.

Gleefully Gotrek said, “You keep an eye on that flying rat while I chop some fire wood.”

The dwarf did not wait for a response as he surged forward into the now surprised wood wolves. Felix watched Gotrek attack the wolf pack with the same enthusiasm and brutality as he had every fight before. Except this time wherever his axe struck, a dark bluish shield formed around the weapon before impact. This did not stop the axe from utterly dismembering the wolves and the pieces scattered everywhere.

Felix watched, horrified at what was happening. Already it seemed like they were violating their oaths to Luna, but how else were they supposed to defend themselves against creatures literally made of sticks?

From the corner of his eye, the poet saw the mutated pegasus dive down at him. No doubt the pony thought that the human was completely distracted with the carnage the dwarf was causing.

Felix waited for the pony to get closer and then turned on his heel. He slashed his sword in a wide arc, catching the pony in the side of the head. Thankfully, the same blue force field materialized around Felix’s blade, absorbing most of the energy the human put into the action. He knew that if Luna hadn’t enchanted his weapon, the top half of the pony’s head would have been missing.

Despite the successful blow, Felix miscalculated. The blow rendered the pegasus unconscious, but the pony continued to fall. The pegasus’ limp form barreled into the poet, knocking his sword out of his grasp and painfully sent him skidding across the floor of the station. Man and pony tumbled off the platform and slid across the gravel. It happened so fast and violently that one of Felix’s boots was left on the station platform. The swordsman just barely managed to avoid bashing his head on the railroad tracks. His vision blurred and refocused. After a moment he realized dazedly that he was pinned beneath the unconscious pegasus .

The pony was unbearably heavy on top of him, and his lungs ached for air. Felix struggled as he feebily tried to lift the fallen pony off him. The pegasus was wearing some kind of armor that made it all the more heavy.

Felix began to black out, due to lack of oxygen and the pain in the back of his skull. He then heard a familiar gruff voice off to the side, “There’ll be plenty of time to rest when you’re planted six feet under, manling.”

With the Slayer’s help, they rolled the pony off Felix, and the poet got to his feet shakily. Felix touched the back of his head to see if he was bleeding. The flesh was tender, but there was no blood. He then moved around to see if anything was out of place. Other than a mild concussion and an aching rib, he was fine, but each breath he took stabbed his side painfully. Felix hoped he had not broken a rib in the impact, but only time would tell. For now, he had to press on. The swordsman did his best to shake off his injuries. After retrieving his sword and boot from Gotrek, Felix looked out to the east. Dawn pierced the night sky and bathed the area with a dim but brightening light. The poet was glad to see the sun. Fighting in the night was not something he enjoyed.

Felix turned to the Slayer and asked, “What happened to the wood wolves?”

“Those curs are held together by some sort of magic. After I struck one with my axe, the magic or energy or whatever you want to call it, left. It just formed a green ball and sped off,” Gotrek continued grimly. “I have never seen warpstone animate twigs before. I say we are in for some more surprises today, manling.”

Felix nodded and saw the dwarf had acquired a deep cut just above his good eye. Gotrek was constantly wiping the blood away with the back of his hand. The Slayer was trying to be nonchalant about it, but the blood kept getting into his eye. The wound would clot eventually if he gave it a chance, but the bleeding would go on and on if something was not done. No doubt the dwarf was too excited to get back into a fight to pay much attention to his wound.

Felix fished a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to Gotrek saying, “I’ve never seen that either. That pegasus I brought down was also acting strangely. It was like he didn’t want to kill us; just roughen us up a bit or perhaps knock us out. I wonder why.”

Turning around to look at the fallen pony, Felix asked, “Speaking of which, what should we do with it?”

The pony was still and breathing, a picture of innocence, but Felix’s mind still held the vivid image of the pony’s sharpened teeth and glowing eyes.

Clamping the cloth to his head, Gotrek replied, “Leave him for the crows. We don’t have time to play with it. And leave the backpacks where they are. Everything we will need for today, we have in our hands,” he said hefting his axe. “Right now, we have to find that blasted Twilight Sprinkle or someone who knows their way around this damned place.”

Felix was hesitant to leave the packs out in the open, so he sheathed his sword and walked back to the train station. He hid the packs in the room where the wolves had been hiding and shut the door. Felix’s backpack contained notes of all the adventures he had shared with Gotrek, and he did not want to lose them. His brother, Otto, had a copy of the notes, but Felix’s pack held the master copy. When his thoughts turned to Otto, regret filled the poet. Felix had meant to visit his brother when they were still in Nuln, but then Luna had appeared to them in the dream.

Felix made a promise to himself that he would go see him when and if he got back.

After the bags were hidden, he redrew his sword and joined the Troll Slayer.

Both knights were about to depart the train station when Felix suddenly stopped walking. “You smell that, Gotrek?”

The Slayer sniffed the air and said, “Aye lad, it smells like sugar and flour. We must be close to a bakery.”

The pair then heard the terrified screams of ponies in danger off in the distance; they also heard the different, more blood-curdling howls and chittering of animals gone mad.

“You know that sound don’t you, manling?”

Felix nodded. “Skaven, and things bigger than skaven.”

“Aye, well those bastards aren’t going to stop themselves,” Gotrek smirked. “Let’s go join the party and start dancing.”

From behind them they heard a shrill voice, “Did somepony say PARTY?!!”

The surprise was complete. Neither of them heard the newcomer come up behind them, and Gotrek’s ears were very acute. The blood in Felix’s veins turned to ice as the words shrieked into his brain. Felix raised his sword, but the Troll Slayer reacted far more aggressively as he swung his weapon around in a wide arc, wielding it with one hand. He stopped his axe barely in time from hitting a wide-eyed pink pony in the face.

A pony with pretty light blue eyes instead of empty glowing ones.

Gotrek was breathing heavily, trying to stop his racing heart. The Slayer was not used to being surprised. How could he have missed that sneaking up behind him? He screamed his frustration at the pony. “You idiot! What are you trying to do? Get yourself killed?”

The irony of the question was not lost on Felix as he shot the Troll Slayer a look. Gotrek had been trying to get himself killed for almost twenty years now and, so far, had been unsuccessful.

Felix gazed at the newcomer. Her coat was a soft pink, and she wore the biggest grin the poet had ever seen. She was wearing a golden necklace with a sky-blue piece of jewelry in the shape of a balloon. The balloon ornament’s color matched the pony’s sparkling eyes perfectly. Judging from the overpowering sweet smell emanating from the pony, it was her that Felix had detected seconds ago.
She did not seem at all hostile as she stood and rubbed her chin thoughtfully with a hoof.

Amazingly, she was not put off by Gotrek’s appearance and reaction in the least. “Hmmmm,” she said. “No, I’m definitely not trying to get myself killed,” she giggled then and continued rapidly. “That doesn’t sound fun at all! I just heard you two talking about going to a party, and I thought I had better introduce myself. I can’t tag along with two new friends to a party and not introduce myself. My name is Pinkie Pie. What’s yours?”

For a few seconds neither Gotrek nor Felix spoke. The dwarf was too enraged to speak. He just stood there seething while his hand was still on his head, trying to stop the bleeding with the handkerchief. Neither of them knew what to say to a creature like this. They had never encountered anyone so bubbly and talkative outside of a traveling circus or a court jester.

“My name’s Felix Jaeger, and this is Gotrek Gurnisson,” Felix said finally. “Where did you come from?”

“Oh, I just got here,” she said casually.

From behind Gotrek, they heard a groan come from the mouth of the corrupted pony. The pink pony immediately brushed past the pair to look at the fallen pegasus and gasped, “Oh my gosh! That’s Morning Star! He’s one of Shining Armor’s guards!”

The pony whirled to face the human and dwarf. “What happened?” she demanded, suddenly fierce and angry. “What did you do to him?”

Felix felt a pang of guilt even though he knew he wasn’t in the wrong. “That pony attacked us, Miss Pie. We simply defended ourselves. He’s fine, I assure you; he’s just unconscious. If he was a friend of yours, he was not himself.”

Her curly pink hair suddenly became straight and fell across her shoulders. Pinkie Pie slumped to the grass in front of Morning Star. “But if he’s become changed by warpstone. . .Then what about Shining Armor and Bright Shield? Did you see any other ponies with him?” she asked the two of them.

Felix shook his head, “No, he was alone.” He gestured to his tabard, “We were sent by Princess Luna and—”

“I know,” she interrupted. The pony stood up, and her hair sprang back into bouncy curls. Gotrek and Felix exchanged a questioning glance. She faced them, smiling, “You’re Gotrek and Felix, a dwarf and a human from a whole ‘nother world. You’re gonna help us save Equestria. Celestia wrote to us all about it.”

“Us? You mean to say you’re one of the ponies that wields an Element of Happiness?” Gotrek asked, finally overcoming his anger with sputtering disbelief.

“Harmony,” Pinkie Pie corrected. “And, yeah, totally!” she grinned hugely at them.

Gotrek gaped. His mind couldn’t grasp how such an absurd creature could possess any sort of magical power.

Felix came up to the pink pony and said, “Pinkie Pie, we need to find Twilight Sparkle. Can you lead us to her?”

She nodded, bobbing her head up and down repeatedly. “Yeah, she’s at the hospital. We gotta get there fast. Let’s move it, Misters.”

With that she took off at a gallop, leaving Gotrek and Felix behind in the dust. Gotrek tied his blood-soaked handkerchief around his head and ran after the seemingly insane pink pony as fast as he could.

He called behind him, “Come, manling. She’s heading toward the skaven, which is where we should go.”

Felix brought up his red sword in a two-handed grip and followed the dwarf deeper into the town, his rib aching with every step.

Pinkie Pie galloped back into town elated. This was what she and her friends had been waiting for, the help Princess Celestia had promised them. Twilight had been all worried about having strangers form another world come here. She had mentioned something about disrupting the balance of the world, but Pinkie Pie didn’t care about that. If these funny-looking ponies could help save her friends, then balance, shmalance. Pinkie needed to get them to the hospital as fast as she could.

Pinkie ran until she reached Sugarcube Corner, zipping past houses and shops. She stopped at the steps of the bakery. “Wait here, guys. I’m just going to pop in here and make sure the Cakes are alright.”

Pinkie was about to knock on the door, but after hearing no response to her statement, she looked behind her. The newcomers were nowhere in sight. She stamped her hoof in frustration. Of course, they couldn’t keep up. She had four legs, and they only had two. It wasn’t like they were ponies. She had told Twilight she could handle this. Her friends were counting on her.

“Great. Now I gotta go find them,” she muttered to herself.

From off to Pinkie's side she heard rustling in the bushes. Maybe Gotrek and Felix had kept up after all.

Pinkie Pie walked up to the bushes. “Gotrek? Felix? This is no time for games. And believe me, I know all about games.”

She poked her head into the bushes and saw two glowing green eyes staring back at her. That was the last thing she saw.

* * * * * *

Meanwhile the Lunar Knights did their best to keep up with Pinkie Pie but were quickly left behind. Gotrek swore loudly about it. Not knowing which way the pink pony went, the pair continued down the road they were on. Each of the buildings they passed had boarded windows and closed doors. It was a stark contrast to the cheery colors and well-kept gardens. No pony was in sight on the streets. In the distance they heard the sounds of chaos grow louder. The noises came from a tall pink, white, and purple house that looked like a mixture between a circus tent and a fashion salon. Gotrek and Felix quickly hid behind a nearby wooden fence. The salon was being attacked by a dozen mutated woodland creatures. Each stood upright and had the same glowing green eyes as the pegasus that attacked them earlier.

Gotrek and Felix were shocked by the scene before them. There were mutated rats that they knew from their world as skaven. Alongside them were changed squirrels, rabbits, and other formerly benign animals. They were all now creatures of nightmares. In the Old World within the mostly uncorrupted lands of The Empire and the World Edge Mountains, one would see beastmen, which were mutated humans, and skaven, which were a race of chaos unto themselves. Other mutated creatures in the Old World were a rarity, requiring the animal to come into direct contact with the stone. Warpstone changed all things, but Felix had never seen this many mutated animals gathered in one place, with the exception of the Chaos Wastes. This wasn’t a good sign.

Shaking off his initial surprise, Gotrek grunted, “Well, manling, I don’t think we are going to find that damned pink pony. Let’s do some damage instead. Today my axe dines on vermin. You head over to the right, and when I start laying into this scum, you come out and join me. I’ll meet you in the middle in front of that . . . whore house.”

The poet sighed, “Eloquent as usual, Gotrek.”

Felix kept low and moved from the fence to bushes, trying to get closer. Luckily, the large mutants were too busy setting kindling around the establishment to realize what was about to happen to them.

The leader of the pack was a rat larger than the rest, that commanded his smaller cousins through chittering commands. “Quick! Quick! Hurry, Scurry! Find the white pony. The unicorn commands it. No, wait, I have a better idea. Burn it. Burn it down, yes. Yes, do it. We’ll smoke her out.”`

The creatures were in the midst of lighting whatever they could find when suddenly they heard a ferocious war cry behind them. The big skaven turned around just in time to see a short, squat creature swing a huge axe into the stomach of one of his mutated brethren. The mutated white rabbit went flying into a changed beaver.

After seeing Gotrek pitch into the mutants, Felix murmured to himself, “That’s my cue.”

He jumped over some shrubs, surprising two mutants. Felix had no problem dispatching them with two quick swipes of his sword.

The poet was surprised at how easily Gotrek and he were winning this fight in spite of Luna’s restraining enchantments. They were able to render the creatures unconscious quickly. These mutants didn’t fight as a group, but as a mess of disorganized individuals.
They got in each other’s way and did not attack as a single unit. They lacked the unity and cunning of the skaven and beastmen from his world.

After striking down a mutated badger, Felix saw the pack leader storming toward him at an alarming rate. The huge rat dodged the swordsman’s attacks and landed two clawing blows and a bite in rapid succession. The mutant’s claws raked across Felix’s armored chest, tearing through the tabard but thankfully not the chain shirt. The skaven’s bite landed on Felix’s unprotected sword arm.

The poet cried out in pain as the rat’s teeth sank deep into his flesh. Felix dropped his sword and caught it with his other hand. He awkwardly swung the weapon to strike the skaven’s head. The huge rat immediately released the human’s arm, and the wounded creature stumbled back dazed. It gave Felix the time he needed to deliver an angry sword blow to the beast’s skull. The skaven collapsed in a heap.

Felix glanced over at Gotrek who was making short work of most of the smaller changed forest creatures. More mutants were coming, drawn by the fighting. Cradling his injured arm, Felix was about to rejoin the fight when he saw a few of the skaven light a huge fire on the side of the salon.

Felix would have ignored the blazing building if he had not heard a voice from inside cry, “Help! Some pony, any pony! Help me!”

Felix gritted his teeth against the pain of his injured arm, sheathed his sword, and rushed into the burning building. The rooms in the burning salon were filled with dresses and fabrics obscured by a thick haze of smoke.

“Where are you?” Felix yelled.

A faint reply came from the upper story, “Up here. Hurry.”

The poet wrapped his cloak around his face and raced up the stairs. Felix kicked down the first door he came to. Smoke burst forth from the room. His eyes watered, but he could make out a small bed and a few children’s toys on the floor.

Felix yelled again, his voice muffled by the cloak, “Are you in here?”

He heard the voice from underneath the bed, “Down here.”

The poet dropped down on his hands and knees to see a pair of scared green eyes looking up at him. Felix slowly reached out his hand to the little unicorn and said, “We have to leave now, child. Come with me. You will be safe, I promise.”

The little pony needed no more prompting as she heard the sound of her home crumbling around her. She took the poet’s hand, and he pulled her out gently. Felix took off his orange cloak and wrapped up the small unicorn.

He picked her up and said, “Hang on.”

The poet then sprinted out of the room and down the stairs, coughing as he went. He dodged falling debris as he ran. After what seemed like a life time, he found the front door and raced out of the burning building as fast as his legs could carry him.

When they were safely outside, Felix called out, “Gotrek? Gotrek, where are you?”

There was no sign of Gotrek. The dwarf was gone and had left many unconscious mutant creatures in the yard. Felix set the little unicorn on the ground and lifted his cloak from her. Her white coat was dingy from the smoke, but she appeared to be unharmed. The small pony’s gaze immediately locked onto a fallen skaven and then to her burning home. Felix noticed that the unicorn clung to a red piece of fabric as she began to cry.

The poet looked down at the unicorn with pity. He regretted not being able to save her home, but at the time, it was not a concern of the knight. The poet knelt down next to the crying unicorn and gently tilted her face up at him.

He smiled warmly, “My name is Felix Jaeger, a sworn knight of Princess Luna. What’s your name?”

“Sweetie Belle,” the unicorn squeaked out.

Her grip on the red cloth loosened a bit.

“What have you got there?” he asked curiously.

The little pony showed him the cloth. It was a small red cape lined with golden silk. The cape was crudely sewn together, no doubt made by the child pony herself.

“It’s my Cutie Mark Crusader Cape,” she explained.

“Hmm. Well, I have no idea what a cutie mark is, but I do know what a crusader could be. A crusader is a person er. . . a pony with a heart of gold and a soul of courage. And I need you to be a crusader for me right now. Sweetie Belle, I need your help. Can I count on you?”

The brave unicorn dried her tears and tied her cape around her neck. She looked up at Felix and said, “Okay. I’ll try. Thank you for um, saving me.”

Felix’s smile did not betray the worry he felt about being separated from Gotrek. He ruffled the pony’s mane. “Anytime.”

The poet stood up. It was not unheard of for the Slayer to disappear on his own, and he usually picked the most inconvenient times to do it. If Felix had to guess, he was probably running down retreating mutants.

As this thought entered the poet’s mind, the pain from his right arm became too great to ignore. Felix winced in agony as he rolled back his sleeve to get a better look at the wound. The gash from the rat’s teeth was deep, and blood was still flowing freely from the injury. Sweetie Belle saw the blood and gasped.

“It’s just a scratch,” he said quickly.

The knight then drew a short dagger from the sleeve of his left arm. Felix grabbed the edge of his cloak and asked Sweetie Belle, “Could you do me a favor and help me make a bandage for my arm?”

With Sweetie Belle’s help, Felix cut up his cloak and made a binding for his arm.

“What happened to you?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“I was on my way to the hospital when I saw your house being attacked. I fought against the changed animals.”

Fearing the answer, Felix then asked, “What are you doing here by yourself? Where is your family?”

Sweetie Belle took a deep breath, appearing to calm herself. “Rarity is at the hospital, not far from here. My parents are there, too.”

“Who is Rarity?” he asked.

“My older sister. She said that Apple Jack got hurt and that I had to go to the hospital. That’s where most of the ponies are hiding.
That’s where I’m supposed to be, but. . .”

She trailed off and scuffed her hoof in the dirt. “I snuck away from there and came back to Ponyville to get my cape. And then when I tried to leave the boutique, those things were outside. If you hadn’t have come. . .”

The thought was unbearable for the poor unicorn, and she began to sniffle. “I shouldn’t have come back for my cape. Now Rarity’s boutique is gone. All of her dresses and her work is gone. She’ll never forgive me.”

“It will be alright, Sweetie Belle,” he reassured her. “Boutiques can be rebuilt, and I’m sure your sister can make new dresses. The most important thing is that you’re safe. And I’m sure your sister would agree with me.”

Sweetie Belle seemed to brighten a little at his words.

“Now I don’t want you to think about that anymore. I need you to lead me to the hospital. I wouldn’t normally ask someone so young to be my guide when there is danger all about, but I have no choice. Will you do this for me, Cutie Mark Crusader Sweetie Belle?”

Sweetie Belle glanced at one of the fallen mutants and trembled slightly.

“I won’t let any harm come to you,” Felix promised. “You have my word as a Lunar Knight.”

Sweetie Belle gritted her teeth and nodded bravely. The pony started walking and Felix followed closely, keeping his sword firmly in his grip.

Protecting the Innocent

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The Slayer was not impressed with the mutated scum he was fighting. Other warped creatures heard the commotion and joined the fray. Thankfully, they lacked a coordinated strategy to execute the simplest of attacks. Still, it wasn’t the easiest of fights as Gotrek sported fresh cuts and bruises where the curs had made it past his axe. During the fighting, the Slayer had seen the poet rush into the burning house.

He swung his weapon, sending several mutants flying. As he did, he couldn’t help but wonder about his companion. Surely he did not turn craven because of the inbred vermin.

After another minute, the last of the mutants had fled from Gotrek’s punishing attacks. The Slayer then heard roars and the unmistakable shrieks of those in terror. The cries were nearby. A grin split Gotrek’s face at the prospect of fighting a worthy battle.
These pathetic mutants offered the Slayer no real challenge.

Before the dwarf went off in search of the monsters, he paused. Surely the manling could handle himself inside that place. The human got into that mess; he’d have to get himself out. There were others that needed Gotrek more. The dwarf ran down the dirt roads of Ponyville toward his possible doom.

Gotrek followed the noise to the center of town. He climbed a steep hill and what he saw below shocked even him.

Pinkie Pie had been turned to stone. She stood, frozen, an expression of terror plastered on her face. There were three others with her that were trapped in an alley. One was a grey pegasus that was staring into the eyes of a strange creature. It had the head and feet of a chicken with the body of a small dragon. Long wicked spikes ran down the length of its spine, and its scales gleamed an ugly black. Stone was slowly creeping up the pegasus’s legs. Near her, a minotaur was doing his best to fend off three huge dire wolves. A magenta colored pony fought side by side with the minotaur. She was yelling all the while the evil hybrid monster turned her friend into stone. Both sported vicious claw and bite marks where the mutant wolves struck flesh.

The Slayer was filled with rage as he beheld the scene before him. This was no way to die, surrounded, and unarmed.

Gotrek charged down the hill, axe held high and bellowing a dwarven war cry. The wolves took notice of his coming and tore their gaze from their cruel game. The Slayer did not falter as two of the wolves ran to meet him.

This was the chance the magenta pony and the minotaur had been waiting for. They counter attacked the lone wolf with renewed ferocity. The minotaur gave the great wolf a haymaker to the face while the mare kicked the lupine in the ribs. The creature did not go down easy as it defended itself with claw slashes and snapping jaws.

The first wolf tried to tackle the Slayer, but when the mutant hit the dwarf in the chest, it was like slamming into a brick wall. The wolf had knocked itself out with its own attack. Gotrek staggered but ran on, focusing on the second wolf.

This mutant was more cunning and let the Slayer close the distance. At the last possible second the creature side stepped the dwarf’s attack and raked its huge claws along Gotrek’s back. The Slayer grunted in pain. Gotrek had worse wounds dealt to him before and ignored the pain. He immediately hacked at the wolf’s front shoulder with a horizontal slice of his weapon. Gotrek heard the sickening crunch of bone shattering. Apparently, the magic shield around the blade could not contain enough of the Slayer’s power. There was no way the wolf wasn’t crippled. Gotrek left the mutant howling in agony.

When he reached the minotaur and the other ponies, they had the situation under control. The Slayer eyed the minotaur warily. Minotaurs, in his world, were fanatical worshippers and hatchet men of the chaos gods. To see one in Equestria did not bode well at all. He was unsure if he should attack or not. Unlike everything else he had fought today, the creature did not have the green-eyed curse. And for that matter, neither did the other ponies. The minotaur seemed to be fighting on behalf of the ponies. The last wolf had fallen under a flurry of fists and hooves, and the strange chicken snake was retreating.

The Slayer focused himself on the hybrid abomination. He refused to let that monster get away. The dwarf said a quick prayer as he threw his mighty axe after the creature.

Pony and nonpony alike watched the feat in awe as the axe went end over end, striking the beast in the back. It crumpled to the ground.

The dwarf nodded as the axe struck home and walked up to the Equestrians he had just saved. The minotaur stood protectively in front of the ponies. “Stay back or Iron Will shall squash you like a bug.”

Gotrek smiled as his earlier suspicions of the minotaur were confirmed. Perhaps this world was not as different as he thought. He stepped forward eagerly. “Be my guest, freak. It’s about time I fought something familiar. But let’s make this quick. I got things to do today.”

The magenta pony quickly placed herself between the two. “Iron Will, look at his clothes.”

Iron Will noticed Luna’s cutie mark displayed on the stunted one’s chest. He visibly relaxed.

Disappointment and disbelief flickered across the Slayer’s face. The minotaur was a subject of the moon princess? This place was surprising him every minute, and he had not even been here a full day. Gotrek turned away from them and went over to the grey pony and Pinkie Pie. Both Iron Will and Cheerilee winced at the deep bleeding cuts carved into the dwarf’s back. The blood flowed into the warrior’s tabard and dripped onto the ground.

Cheerilee spoke up. “Sir, you’re hurt. We need to get you to the hospital.”

The dwarf chuckled at the irony. “You have no clue how right you are.”

The grey pony was dazed but otherwise unharmed. After breaking eye contact with the cockatrice, she had reverted back to her old self.

Pinkie was not so fortunate. The dwarf swore under his breath. She was one of the element bearers and part of the only defense this godforsaken pastel piece of rock had. “Well, manling, wherever you are, we are in a hell of a mess now, if we weren’t already.”

The dwarf noticed the cross-eyed pegasus looking at him. “Keep staring and I’ll rip out your damn eyes,” he snarled.

The pegasus squeaked and tried to hide behind the statue Pinkie Pie. She clumsily tripped over her own hooves and toppled into the statue. The frozen Pinkie swayed eerily, tipping forward.

Gotrek swore loudly and dived for the statue. He managed to steady the stone pony and glared angrily at the pegasus.

The crossed-eyed pony cringed away from him. “Sorry.”

Gotrek was about to launch into a scathing rant, discussing just how sorry she should be when Cheerilee intervened.

“It’s okay, Derpy,” she looked pointedly at Gotrek. “It was an accident.”

The dwarf grumbled something under his breath about ponies. “My name is Gotrek Gurnisson,” he told the group. “I’m here to save you pathetic lot from this scourge of evil and shiny green rocks. Not because I want to, but because I told the blue sparkly lady of the evening I would. And this,” he pointed a meaty finger at the statue, “this thing was supposed to bring me to the hospital so I could meet with Twilight Snorkel. But, oh, no! She had to get herself killed.”

Cheerilee spoke up. “Pinkie isn’t dead. She’s just petrified.”

Gotrek eyed the pony. “Well, horse lady, she looks pretty stiff to me. Are you some kind of statue expert?”

The magenta pony stiffened. “My name is Cheerilee. I’m a school teacher.”

“Alright, teacher, how do we fix this?” Gotrek asked as he gestured to the statue.

“The cockatrice might be able to change her back,” she nodded toward the fallen hybrid mutant.

The dwarf stomped over to retrieve his axe. Derpy tentatively followed him. “If--if the cockatrice wakes up, don’t look at its eyes,” she stammered. “That’s, um, how you get turned to stone.”

Gotrek sighed heavily and picked up the creature by its chicken neck. “Yeah, I had that figured out. What’s wrong with your eyes?”

Derpy blushed, embarrassed, and spoke softly. “There’s nothing. . . wrong with my eyes. I can see fine.”

Gotrek grunted and went back to Cheerilee. Iron Will glared at him.

Gotrek raised an eyebrow. “And I suppose you have a name, too. What’re you here for?”

“I am Iron Will,” the minotaur said loudly. “Iron Will is not from Ponyville but does occasionally come here for tea and crumpets.”

“What kind of minotaur are you?”

Iron Will tilted his head to the side. “The kind who likes apple cinnamon tea.”

Gotrek shook his head and went back to ignoring the weakling.

“Allright, horse lady, what do I do?” Gotrek asked gruffly.

Cheerilee frowned. “Open the cockatrice’s eyes and have it look at Pinkie. That should reverse the effect.”

The dwarf shrugged and did as she instructed. Slowly Pinkie’s stone flesh became pink fur again. A few seconds later she was completely unfrozen. The pony gasped for air, and her big blue eyes focused on Gotrek. “Hi, my name’s Pinkie Pie. What’s your name?”

Gotrek furrowed his brow. “Don’t you remember me?”

“Of course I remember you,” a questioning look came over Pinkie’s face. “Do you remember you?”

In the distance they all heard a great roar that echoed and verberated, seeming to come from several throats at once. The cry came from over the hill which the Slayer had just charged down moments ago. The ground trembled as whatever it was came closer until it crested the hill. What emerged was a thirty-foot tall reptile with six heads. It had spotted the group and was closing the distance with a slow cruel pace.

Clearly scared, Iron Will asked, “I…I thought hydras only had four heads.”

Pinkie Pie answered, trembling, “He must have gotten into Warpstone.”

Gotrek ignored the exchange between the Equestrians. This monster would not have looked out of place in the Chaos Wastes of his world. Each head glared at them and advanced with a lumbering stride.

As the creature moved toward the dwarf and his companions, tremendous joy overcame Gotrek. This was the caliber of creature the Slayer would be happy to fight and fall to.

The dwarf glanced behind him. He saw the frightened faces of those he was supposed to protect. The memory of Luna’s oath rang in his ears at that moment.

“Will you guard the innocent and help the ones who need you most?” she had asked.

The three ponies and the minotaur were looking at the unnaturally calm dwarf expectantly. Clearly they wanted him to do something or to give them instructions.

The Slayer tossed the unconscious cockatrice to Cherilee. Without another word or thought, he charged the hydra, axe held high, and laughed manically as he ran. Adrenaline coursed through his body at the prospect of engaging such a foe.

“Come at me, monster! My axe thirsts,” he cried as he moved faster, building speed like a juggernaut.

All the dwarf’s senses became sharpened as he surged forward. He could hear the calls of those behind him and felt his hot blood trickling down his back from the wolf’s slashes. But he shut out all the noise around him and the pain. All that mattered was defeating the hydra.

Three of the six heads laughed at the sheer stupidity of the tiny thing running toward him. The other three heads gazed down in bored curiosity. The monster, in kind, increased the speed of its slow gate.

Soon the hydra was in striking distance. With one of its enormous feet, the hydra tried to flatten the dwarf. But the dwarf would not be killed in such an undignified way. Gotrek dove away at the last second and landed sprawled on his stomach. One of the heads bit at his legs, but the dwarf batted it away with a swing of his axe. A blue bubble formed around the axe blade, and the head was knocked out by the force of the blow.

The other five heads gave an angry cry of pain, allowing the Slayer time to get back on his feet. The hydra glared down at the small creature and attacked the dwarf in quick succession.

Gotrek danced out of the way of the first attack, and barely dodged the jaws of the second. However, the third head came down, and its mouth closed around the dwarf. The three ponies and Iron Will watched in horror as their savior was swallowed whole by the hydra. They observed a lump slowly go down one of the throats of the beast toward its belly.

Cheerilee could not believe Gotrek’s foolishness. She was by no means a skilled fighter, but even she knew that to attack a being such as this alone could only result in being eaten.

“We gotta save him!” Pinkie Pie shouted.

The school teacher turned and saw that Pinkie had her special party cannon and was aiming it at the hydra. A plan rapidly formed in Cheerilee’s mind.

“And we will. Open fire, Pinkie!” she shouted.

Pinkie Pie immediately shot a barrage of marshmallows at the hydra. Cheerilee had no idea how Pinkie had conjured her cannon and marshmallows, but she couldn’t focus on that now. She concentrated on the hydra, and to her amazement, the lump that represented Gotrek had caught in the throat of the biggest head.

Cheerilee gave Derpy the cockatrice. “Derpy, I need you to fly up there and try to get the hydra to look into the eyes of the cockatrice.”

A determined, yet frightened expression came over the grey pegasus, but she nodded and took to the skies with the cockatrice between her hooves.

The school teacher turned to Iron Will. “Between the two of us, we can keep it busy here on the ground.”

Iron Will stared at the magenta pony, dumbfounded. Apparently teachers were made of tough stuff. He should ask her for pointers for his assertiveness program when this was all over.

“You got it,” Iron Will replied, and the two of them ran up to the Hydra and made as much noise as they could.

The hydra was having a very tough time trying to swallow Gotrek. It could feel the morsel trying to claw its way back up his throat. The other heads were too distracted to help their brother. Two of them were eating marshmallows that were being fired. The others were trying to fend off the pony and minotaur attacks on the ground. One of the hydra’s legs had turned to stone from a head looking into the eyes of a cockatrice held by a flying pony.

To Cheerilee’s dismay, the greatest of the hydra’s heads snapped at Derpy, and the others followed suit. The pegasus dodged and weaved in the air, nimbly evading the sharp teeth. But she couldn’t keep still long enough for the hydra to keep eye contact with the cockatrice. Immediately the mutant’s frozen foot began to regain its normalcy.

Iron Will backed up several paces and with a snort, lowered his massive horns and charged the hydra’s leg. His horns sank deep into the monster’s flesh. The hydra howled in agony at the minotaur’s pinpricks.

Revenge came swiftly as the monster kicked Iron Will away. The ponies cried out as the minotaur went flying backwards, crashing through the ceiling of a nearby house.

Furious Pinkie Pie shrieked, “That’s it! No more marshmallows for you!”

She uprooted a clump of grass near her. Underneath was a cylindrical crate labeled “Jumbo Jawbreaker.” Heaving the heavy crate out of the ground, Pinkie walked over to her cannon and opened the breach.

She shoved a jawbreaker the size of a bowling ball into the cannon, “I was saving this for a special occasion. Well, this is as special as it’s going to get!”

Cheerilee turned and saw what the enraged pony was doing.

“Aim for his stomach!” she shouted.

Pinkie Pie closed the breach of her cannon and yanked the lanyard

There was a deafening bang, and a bright red ball soared by, hitting the hydra in the pit of its stomach.

The monster grasped its belly in agony. The hydra fell to its knees and thrashed on the ground. All six of the heads vomited up the contents of their stomachs. Gotrek came out covered in white sticky bile, clinging to his axe.

Relieved that Gotrek was unharmed, Cheerilee ran to the house where Iron Will had fallen.

The Troll Slayer proceeded to lay into the hydra with a vengeance. The monster was in poor condition to fight back. It was no match for the Slayer. Gotrek made short work of the hydra and bashed all six heads with his axe, rendering the beast unconscious.

After the deed was done, the dwarf faced his allies. “What are you all staring at? Never seen a dwarf covered in puke before?”

Cheerilee came up to them, supporting Iron Will. He was badly battered and bruised and one of his legs was broken. He winced, aching with every step.

Iron Will immediately felt better when he saw the puke-covered dwarf. He might’ve been tossed through a house, but at least he hadn’t been thrown up by a monster.

The ponies and minotaur gaped at the dwarf with a mixture of awe and disgust. The Slayer had lost his eye patch somewhere in the Hydra. The empty socket where his eye should have been was filled with marshmallow bile. Gotrek was scooping the stuff out of his head with a meaty index finger. Hearing no reply from his earlier question, the surly dwarf stated, “Well I have, and they were all dead.”

Cheerilee was too afraid to speak. If she opened her mouth, she might throw up herself. After a couple of deep breaths, she asked, “How did you survive?”

After untying a bloody handkerchief from his head, Gotrek proceeded to wipe the vomit off his face with it. When he was done, he answered snidely. “I held my breath and closed my mouth. I suggest everyone here do that.”

Gotrek looked over at the minotaur. “Can you walk?”

Iron Will replied through gritted teeth, “Iron Will believes he can move.”

Derpy quickly flew to the caved-in house and brought back a wooden table leg for a crutch. Iron Will nodded his approval at the pony, causing her to beam.

They heard a distant rumbling and stood still, listening.

“What is that?” Derpy whispered.

Gotrek smiled, “An army marching.”

The ponies and minotaur exchanged alarmed looks.

Gotrek motioned for the group to stay put while he climbed the hill. Pinkie Pie and Cheerilee disobeyed and followed him up. He shook his head at the stubborn ponies. When they reached the top they saw companies of mutated rats, wolves, rabbits, and other creatures. As they gazed upon this host, other changed animals and monsters were joining and swelling the army’s numbers. The horde moved slowly but with purpose and organization. Someone or something was leading the mass.

“Oh, my gosh,” breathed Pinkie Pie.

“There’s so many,” Cheerilee murmured. “Ponyville doesn’t stand a chance…”

The army was at the edge of the Everfree Forest, a sea of green eyes. Gotrek turned away from the foes and cautiously moved back down the hill. His feet were still slick with monster vomit, and he slid more than he walked.

“What did you see?” Derpy asked.

The dwarf replied excitedly, “There’s an army of mutated vermin heading this way!”

Cheerilee, Derpy, and Iron Will were confused as to why Gotrek acted like that was good news. Pinkie Pie shrugged. Maybe fighting evil was just his way of …fun?

“I’ll stay here and hold them off while you lead this lot to safety,” Gotrek muttered to Pinkie Pie.

“Are you crazy?!” Pinkie Pie shouted. “I’m not leaving you here! I’m supposed to lead you to the hospital.”

“We should stay together,” Cheerilee said stamping a hoof. “We refuse to abandon you to fight these…ruffians by yourself.”

Derpy and Iron Will nodded emphatically.

Gotrek knuckled his good eye. It was giving him fits ever since he had exited the hydra; the acid from the stomach was irritating him. Despite wanting to charge the army immediately and die fighting, Luna had instructed him to find Twilight Sparkle. And he knew that pansy pony was in the hospital the group was so keen to run to.

Well, it didn’t look like that army was going anywhere for a while. Ponyville was probably where the battle would take place. He could fight and die when the horde of mutants attacked as one.

The dwarf nodded grudgingly. “Fine. We’ll all go to the hospital. You,” he pointed at Pinky, “lead the way. And you,” he pointed at Iron Will and Derpy, “Don’t slow me down.”

The minotaur snorted, “When they point, bust their joints!”

“Take it easy, Willy,” Derpy cooed before Gotrek could swing his axe. “Gotrek’s just worried about the monsters.”

Gotrek rolled his good eye. Worried, no. Looking forward to smashing some mutant heads? Yes.

Pinky Pie bounced between the dwarf and minotaur and continued to bound up the dirt road. The rest of the group followed. Iron Will painfully walked as fast as he could and tried not to let it show how badly his leg was hurting him. Gotrek scowled. It felt like they were moving at a snail’s pace. He’d never get to the hospital at this rate.

Finally, they came to a junction.

* * * * * * * *

The sun shone brightly overhead while the Lunar Knight and Cutie Mark Crusader proceeded down eerily silent streets. No other ponies or mutuants were in sight, yet the human knew he couldn’t let his guard down. As they walked, Felix asked Sweetie Belle questions about herself. The poet didn’t want the young pony to dwell on the loss of her sister’s boutique. Also, the discussion helped Felix to keep his mind off his injuries.

“So, are there other members of the Cutie Mark Crusaders?” Felix asked as he checked to make sure there were no enemies nearby.

“Yeah, there’s Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Babs Seed. Apple Bloom is Applejack’s sister. They’re both earth ponies, and Scootaloo is a pegasus. Babs Seed is the head of our Manehattan branch of the Crusaders. She visits from time to time.”

The names meant nothing to him. Except Applejack. That was the pony who was injured in the hospital.

“What do you mean by earth pony?” he asked.

He had seen pegasi and unicorns, but earth pony was a new term to him.

The crusader gave Felix a disbelieving look. “They can’t use magic or fly, duh.”

He frowned, “Interesting.”

Felix held up his hand to motion Sweetie Belle to stop. He crept forward to peek around a small cottage.

As the knight did this, Sweetie Belle cringed. She realized she might have been rude to him. “I’m sorry. I thought everypony knew that. I guess you’re not from around here. Where did you come from anyway? I’ve never seen anypony like you.”

Felix waved the unicorn forward; the coast was clear. “I’m from a place called The Empire.”

“The Crystal Empire?”

“No, the empire that I come from is very far away. Another world, in fact. I was brought here by Luna to help you fight the monsters.”

The pony gasped. “Another world? No wonder you look so, um . . . different to me. What’s your world like?”

The poet shook his head. “It’s not as nice as Equestria. Let’s just leave it at that.”

Sweetie Bell paused, thinking about this. She had to trot quickly to keep up with the human. His legs were far longer than her own.

“Can you explain to me what a cutie mark is?” Felix inquired.

Sweetie Belle recited a well-learned answer. “A cutie mark is a symbol that appears on a pony’s flank when he or she has discovered their special talent. The Cutie Mark Crusaders don’t have cutie marks yet. We’re still trying to figure out what our special talent is.”

Felix considered her words as he continued to make sure the path ahead of them was clear. That explained the Princesses’ markings as well as all the guard ponies’. Come to think of it, the train conductor had a cutie mark and so had the pegasus that attacked him.

“Hey, do you have a cutie mark?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“I don’t have a mark on my body that tells me what I was meant to do. Before I came here and swore my service to Luna, I was a traveling poet. During the past couple of years I followed my companion, the dwarf I told you about. I promised him I would make a poem for him when . . . ”

Felix paused. He should not have brought up the blood oath he had sworn to Gotrek. He had no idea how to explain it to this child so he sighed. “It’s complicated, and I doubt you would understand.”

Disappointment showed on Sweetie Belle’s face. However, she did not press him on the matter. This tall two-legged nonpony was the strangest thing she had ever seen. But he was also the bravest; if it had not been for Felix . . . she did not want to think about being trapped in Rarity’s burning house alone. Sweetie Belle knew she needed to repay Felix for rescuing her, but how could she do that?

A light bulb came on in her head. She looked up at Felix and asked, “Hey, would you like to become a Cutie Mark Crusader? You know, since you saved my life and all.”

The poet smiled. “You don’t need to do that, Sweetie Belle. I am honored by the gesture. But I’m not a pony, and as you can see, I already have my cutie mark.” Felix gestured at the torn but still brilliant icon in the middle of his tabard.

Sweetie Belle gave the human a strange look. “But that’s Luna’s cutie mark, not yours.”

Felix nodded, “Yes, but since I am one of Luna’s defenders, her cutie mark is now my symbol. When I wear this tabard, I represent Luna. Do you understand?”

“Yeah, I think so. You’re like one of Celestia’s royal guards then.”

Felix nodded.

Sweetie Belle continued in a squeaky and enthusiastic voice. “That’s so cool. I can’t wait to introduce you to my friends. We can totally hang out together!”

Felix considered this. He had no idea what he would be getting into if he agreed. He knew that he would not be able to spend time with Sweetie Belle or the other Crusaders. However, Sweetie Belle’s expression made the decision for him. He happily replied, “Oh, why not? I accept.”

She jumped up and cried, “Yes! We’ll have so much fun!”

To Felix, seeing the little pony’s reaction was worth joining her club. This was the longest and most engaged conversation he’d had with a child in a very long time, and his first with a young unicorn. Sweetie Belle was much more intelligent and articulate than Felix had first assumed.

She looked down the road and exclaimed happily, “We’re almost there! I can see the hospital.”

The unlikely pair continued until they came across a fork in the road. Felix heard voices coming closer.

He whispered and pointed his sword at the ditch. “Sweetie Belle, get down.”

The unicorn was quick to obey, and a second later Felix joined her. The two laid low nervously and listened.

“Admit it, pony we’re lost, curse your flee bitten hide.”

Felix smiled. He knew exactly who was saying that.

Another replied, “Now Gotty, when my Pinkie sense tells me to take another road, we gotta take the road.”

Sweetie Belle nudged Felix. “That’s Pinkie Pie,” she whispered. Felix nodded. He had recognized her as well.

Felix and Sweetie Belle hurriedly climbed out of the ditch to greet their friends. Gotrek and Pinkie Pie stood at the front of the group. Pinkie Pie looked pleased, and Gotrek looked terrible. A sickly marshmallow stench emanated from the dwarf. Felix had to stifle a gag as he came forward. Gotrek was covered in a white, crusty layer of . . . something. Behind them were two ponies and a minotaur. Felix was taken aback by the latter. He tightened his grip on his sword. The minotaur was supported by a grey pegasus with crossed yellow eyes. A magenta pony stood next to them, watching Felix and Sweetie Belle closely. All of them sported cuts and bruises. Felix could tell the dwarf had taken the brunt of the blows.

“Where have you been?” Felix asked Gotrek. “And why do you look worse than usual?”

Gotrek jerked his thumb at his companions. “Rescuing these. I see you picked up a parasite yourself.”

Cheerilee darted forward to Sweetie Belle. “Are you allright?”

“I’m fine,” she said, hugging her teacher.

“What happened?” Pinkie asked. “Why aren’t you with Rarity?”

“I went back to the boutique to get my cape, and that’s when the monsters showed up,” she shuddered, clinging to Cheerilee’s leg. “But then Felix rescued me.”

Pinkie became serious and still. She faced the human. “Thank you. Felix.”

Felix nodded, suddenly feeling awkward.

“The boutique is gone though,” the little unicorn whispered. “Those monsters burned it.”

“Shh…” Cheerillee soothed, rubbing a hoof over Sweetie Belle’s mane. “The important thing is that you’re safe.”

Pinkie Pie beamed as Sweetie Belle looked up tentatively. “Yeah, turn that frown upside down.”

Gotrek raised an eyebrow. He turned to Felix and noticed that the human was still gripping his sword tightly.

“Relax, manling. Do you think I’d let that minotaur follow me around if he was a threat?” Gotrek muttered quietly.

Felix grudgingly sheathed his sword. “Pinkie, we still need to get to the hospital.”

Pinkie grinned. “Come on, every pony! Follow me!”

Just Have a Little Faith

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Rarity stared at the still form of one of the best ponies she knew, a mare who had put her friends before herself too many times to count. To the white unicorn, it looked like the earth pony was having a pleasant dream, but she knew otherwise. The warpstone had corrupted Zecora; it had turned the once kind zebra into a monster.

Shaking her head in disbelief she whimpered, “It should not be like this. One simple bite shouldn’t bring down a pony like Applejack. She’s too strong, too stubborn to be brought so low.”

Sitting next to the distraught pony was Spike. He squeezed the unicorn’s hoof reassuringly. “Don’t worry, Rarity. Twilight will figure this out. And I am sure those two . . . uh, new ponies that are coming will be able to help.”

Rarity blinked at the baby dragon, as fresh tears marred her snow-white face. “Do you mean those two ruffians from another world?”

“Yeah,” Spike said enthusiastically. “According to Princess Luna’s letter, they’ve dealt with this warpstone stuff before.”

The pony winced; she did not like that term. The words made her skin crawl. “Do you think Pinkie Pie found them?” she asked.

Smiling, the baby dragon replied, “If anypony can, it’d be Pinkie Pie.”

“But, do you think she’s alright? And those horrible creatures . . . oh, Spike.”

The smile Spike had worn vanished as he enveloped Rarity in an awkward hug. Stroking her mane softly, he whispered, “She’ll be okay, Rarity. It will all be okay. Just have a little faith.”

As Spike held the distraught unicorn, he saw Applejack begin to stir on the hospital bed. It was the first sign of life from her he had seen since yesterday.

“Rarity, I think she’s waking up.”

The unicorn started in surprise as she let go of Spike and turned to face her waking friend.

While keeping her eyes shut, the earth pony called out, “Hello, is anypony there?”

“Yes, darling,” Rarity answered. “Spike and I are here. How do you feel?”

“I feel like I’ve been run over by a stampede of green-eyed critters. What’s going on? Where am I?”

Cringing, Rarity replied, “You’re in the hospital dear, the intensive care unit. After Zecora bit you, things have gone from bad to worse. We had to evacuate the town and bring everypony here. It’s the only safe place in Ponyville.”

“Smart thinking,” Applejack replied. “Have y’all busted out the Elements yet?”

“Yes, Twilight has yours on hoof,” Rarity replied happily.

“Good. Could you get it for me? I wanna help.”

Relieved, the fashionista replied, “Normally I would insist that you stay in bed and recover your strength, but desperate times call for desperate measures.”

Her attention focused on the earth pony, Rarity spoke over her shoulder, “Spike, be a dear, and get Applejack’s Element from Twilight.”

Hearing no reply, Rarity looked over at the baby dragon. “Spike, what’s wrong?”

Spike didn’t answer, as he walked up to the foot of the bed. “Applejack?”

“Yeah, Spike?” The earth pony smiled in the direction of the voice.

“Why don’t you open your eyes?”

“Uh, no thanks, Spike. They sting mighty awful right now. But, if you could go get Twilight and tell her I’m awake, I’d sure appreciate it.”

Rarity felt a shiver go up her spine as she caught onto Spike’s line of thinking. “Yes, but if you could open your eyes, it would make us feel much better.”

“And why’s that?”

“Because Zecora had those weird-looking eyes,” Spike answered. “You might have what she does.”

“But I’m not Zecora. She’s a zebra for crying out loud, not a pony. Come on, I’d never hurt you two.” The earth pony’s kind demeanor shifted to that of annoyance. “I’m the Element of Honesty, remember? And I’m telling you there’s nothing wrong with me.”

Spike sighed, “Sorry, Applejack, you’re right. The sooner we get the Elements of Harmony together the better.”

“Exactly. Now hurry up. Time’s a wasting,” the country mare stated tersely.

Rarity frowned at Spike and mouthed, “What are you doing?”

Giving the unicorn a serious look, Spike brought a finger to his lips. In a blur of motion, the baby dragon grabbed one of Applejack’s eyelids and pryed it open.

To the baby dragon’s horror, the once dazzling emerald eyes of the earth pony had turned a sickly green. Spike barely had enough time to get his claws away before Applejack’s jaws bit where they had been moments ago. Her secret revealed, the warped earth pony lunged at the little dragon but missed and went skidding into a wall. Rarity and Spike scrambled for the door. The pair made it out of the room just in time. Realizing that the unicorn had locked the heavy wooden door on her way out, Applejack began to batter it with her hind legs.

Sadness warred with disgust as the unicorn thought about what her friend had now become. Unwilling to let herself dwell on this reality, the fashion designer said huskily, “Come, Spike. We must tell Twilight.”

No sooner had they started moving toward the hospital entrance, they were stopped by Fluttershy. Her cuts and bruises were healing well, but she wore a scared look on her scraped face.

“Rarity,” she said breathlessly, “Sweetie Belle is missing.”

“What?” the fashionista shrieked. “For how long?”

The pegasus shook her head. “I don’t know, but nopony can seem to find her anywhere.”

Fighting down a wave of panic, Rarity spoke quickly. “Get a couple of ponies down here to watch this door. Applejack is awake, and she is just like Zecora.”

Fluttershy covered her mouth with her hooves. “Oh, no!”

“Focus, darling. I need you to hurry. I don’t know if that door can hold back a pony as strong as she is.”

Nodding, Fluttershy galloped down the hall followed by Rarity and Spike. Riding on the mare’s back, the baby dragon had to hold on tight as the unicorn sped through the congested hallways of the hospital. Everywhere he looked, Spike saw scared ponies staring at them. Nopony dared to question or delay the determined mare after she screamed at a pair of puzzled pegasi to get out of her way.

Bursting through an exit, Rarity dashed over to a weary Twilight Sparkle. She was looking at Ponyville through a pair of binoculars.

“Twilight!” Rarity yelled.

The lavender unicorn turned. Exhausted from lack of sleep, she shook her head to clear her mind. “What’s wrong?”

Spike hopped down from Rarity’s back. “Applejack’s awake, and she has the same green eyes as Zecora. She tried to bite me.”

Spike’s words tore open the guilt that Twilight still carried in her heart. Unbidden tears welled up in her eyes as she said, “No, not Applejack too. . .” Taking a deep breath while wiping her eyes, she continued, “There’s nothing we can do for her until Pinkie brings Felix and Gotrek here.”

Rarity shook her head. “I must go back into Ponyville. Sweetie Belle is missing.”

Twilight looked past the hills toward the center of town. Smoke was rising ominously from the center of the city. From where she stood, she could hear the howls from dozens of changed animals. They were getting closer. She turned her attention back to the other mare. “Rarity . . .”

“Don’t try to stop me.” The white unicorn said as she began to gallop down the road. At that moment, she felt a strong gust of wind blow past her.

A familiar voice from behind her yelled, “They’re coming! They’re coming!”

Rarity stopped dead in her tracks and trotted up to the pegasus.

“Who’s coming, Rainbow?” Twilight asked wearily.

Rainbow Dash gasped for breath. “Pinkie . . . she found the dwarf and human and some other ponies from town.”

“Is Sweetie Belle with them?” Rarity asked hopefully.

"Yeah, she’s with ‘em.”

The white unicorn let out a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank Celestia.”

Twilight allowed herself a weak smile. This was the first bit of good news since this nightmare started. However, what little happiness the unicorn felt was soon destroyed as her friend continued, “There’s also dozens of mutant critters coming up the road behind them.”

Fighting down the panic and fear rising in her chest, Twilight asked, “How soon will the mutants be here?”

“I don’t know. They’re moving pretty slow . . . ten minutes.”

Closing her eyes, the Element of Magic tried to concentrate on what to do next. Her thoughts were interrupted when Spike shouted, “Here they come!”

Turning to look, Twilight Sparkle saw a group of weary-looking ponies, a minotaur, and two strange bipeds clad in midnight blue. All were being led by Pinkie Pie. They were moving as fast as they could, but Twilight could see that some of them were hurt.

Seeing her little sister among the company, Rarity and her friends bolted toward them. A little unicorn from the group squeaked in happiness as she ran to embrace her sister. As the two siblings were reunited, the last of the Ponyville refugees were greeted by the Element of Magic. A few ponies in hospital uniforms came forward to assist Iron Will onto a stretcher and carry him away. An excited Pinkie Pie relayed what had happened in the town.

As the Equestrians filed into the hospital, a feeling of great unease permeated through the taller Lunar Knight’s heart. He knew that here would be the place a stand would be made. The time of fleeing before the enemy army was over; it was now time to stand and resist and, if need be, die. As the pair reached the entrance of the building, a crowned lavender unicorn looked at them curiously.

Twilight turned her gaze on the short, squat, biped with a Mohawk. “Are you Felix?”

The dwarf’s eyes narrowed. “Do I look like a weak, pathetic, milk sucker to you?”

Before Twilight could apologize, the Slayer continued, “I am Gotrek, son of Gurni. And I’ll be damned the day I let a pony call me by a human name.”

The unicorn frowned at the cantankerous dwarf but did not reply. Instead, she looked up at the taller one. “So, you’re Felix.”

The human wore a tired, yet admiring smile as he nodded. He was impressed by the way the pony was taking Gotrek’s coarse manner in stride.

Before Felix could offer his hand in greeting, a purple and green lizard ran up beside the Element of Magic. “Twilight, Big Mac can’t keep Applejack in that room forever. She’s about to break free.”

Gotrek’s eyebrows rose in interest, while the poet unconsciously gripped the pommel of his crimson blade. At once, the warrior felt his pupils dilate and his heartbeat quicken. He felt a strange, but building desire to stab the small talking lizard through its heart over and over again. He hadn’t felt this kind of bloodlust since his encounters with the dragon, Skjalandir. With great effort, Felix released the red sword. All the while he never shook his gaze from the scaly being who had now taken refuge behind the crowned mare in fright.

“Manling!” Gotrek shouted.

Blinking the poet looked down at the Troll Slayer through a diminishing red haze.

“What? What did you say?” asked Felix

“Give me your amulet that he-witch Schreiber gave you. I burnt all the magic out of mine.”

Seeing where Gotrek’s line of thinking was heading, Felix slipped the ice-sickle shaped piece of jewelry from his neck.

Twilight meanwhile pointed to Rainbow Dash and said, “Rainbow, I’m going to take Gotrek to Applejack. You need to organize these ponies and set up a defense in front of the hospital.”

The pegasus saluted. “You can count on me, Twi.” Immediately Rainbow Dash sped about the hospital, recruiting any able-bodied pony she could get her hooves on.

Twilight turned her attention back to the impatient dwarf and said, “Follow me.” With that, she took off at a trot deeper into the hospital. The Troll Slayer was right behind her.

Spike quickly followed after the dwarf and Twilight, not wanting to be left with the swordsman.

Felix considered going after them, but several high-pitched howls from off in the distance kept him rooted to the spot. Sighing, the poet drew his weapon and chose a spot a few feet away from a formation of earth ponies. The poet looked down the road. Dozens of timber wolves were running straight toward the hospital.

Rainbow Dash saw the threat as well and hastily finished organizing the rabble of ponies as best she could. Finally when all was ready, she sped skyward and looked down to survey her work.

“Um, Rainbow . . . what should I do?” a soft sweet voice asked.

The sky-blue pegasus cringed as she looked over at Fluttershy who had joined her in the air.

“Well, you could . . .” Rainbow Dash started to say.

“I can’t do it, Rainbow Dash. I’m sorry, but I can’t fight against my dear little creatures, no matter how much they’ve changed,” Fluttershy interrupted tearfully. “I know I’m letting everypony down, but I can’t.”

Enveloping her childhood friend in a hug, the athletic pegasus replied, “You should be there when she wakes up. Twilight, Spike, and. . . that other thing have got cured by now.”

Drying her tears, the shy pegasus nodded.

“Good. I knew I could count on you.”

As Fluttershy flew back to the hospital, Rainbow Dash looked down at her formations. She saw a tall lanky biped standing off by himself. Frowning, she sped to the ground and landed next to the swordsman.

“So, you’re a human huh? You don’t look like much. I think we ponies have everything under control if you want to hang out in the hospital.”

Some of the ponies standing beside Felix laughed nervously.

The poet looked at the mare and smiled. “You did a fine job of organizing these ponies . . . for an amateur. I’ve seen better formations, but I suppose it will have to do.”

At once the pegasus was in his face, but Felix did not give an inch to the now irate pony. “I bet you couldn’t take on one of those timber wolves.”

Despite the coming horde of lupine attackers, Felix shook his head and grinned like a fool. He could not believe what he was about to say. “You’re on. Whoever takes down the most wolves has to buy the drinks tonight.”

“I’ll take that bet any day,” replied the pegasus.

Off to Felix’s side, Pinkie appeared, sporting a pair of boxing gloves and a red helmet. “I don’t know Dashie. Felix is one of the fightiest, sword swingiest, bestest, humans in Equestria,” the eccentric earth pony said as she jabbed the air around her.

“Really? We’ll see about that.” The light-blue pegasus flew higher to give instructions to the other pegasi.

At Rainbow’s command, the pegasi launched a wave of rocks upon the charging wolves. Seconds later, the unicorns sent a volley of magical lances tearing into the vanguard of the attackers. The effect was devastating. Half the timber wolves had fallen before getting to the Equestrian lines. The other half pressed onward, uncaring of the horrific casualties as they engaged the front ranks of the earth ponies.

Felix took a step forward and shattered the lead wolf with a blow from his sword despite Luna’s enchantment. The creature came apart like an invisible hand had pulled loose a thread that was holding it together.

Rainbow Dash dove to get closer to the battle. Her jaw dropped as she saw the human dismember two more wolves in quick succession. She was so enthralled by the warrior’s prowess in battle that she was not aware of a snapping wooden lupine about to attack.

Seeing the threat to his rival, Felix turned and slashed downward, severing head from shoulders.

“Hey, that one was mine!” the pony declared angrily.

“Don’t worry. There’s more coming,” Felix replied as he waded deeper into the fight.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Nopony dared to stop Twilight Sparkle and her fearsome companion. The midnight blue tabard the dwarf wore silenced all questions and opened all doors. The lavender unicorn did not know what to make of the dwarf and human at first glance. She did not doubt their skills in combat; their wounds and how they carried themselves attested to that. However, she definitely did not like how Felix had looked at Spike. And Gotrek . . . She didn’t know where to begin with the axe wielder.

Twilight’s doubts were put aside as they rounded the last hallway to Applejack’s room. Her door was being held shut by two strong hospital orderlies and Big Macintosh. All were struggling to keep Applejack from kicking it open from the inside. Each blow from the mare sent Big Mac and the two earth ponies sprawling backwards.

Cracking the muscles in his neck, Gotrek tightened his grip on his axe. “Let her out!” he yelled. Big Mac looked at the ugly, one-eyed thing behind him. The stallion’s attention quickly focused on the huge axe.

Noticing this, the dwarf said grumpily, “Don’t worry. I can’t kill her, even if I wanted to.”

As another kick sent the ponies to the floor, the dwarf advanced. With one blow from his star metal axe, the door disintegrated, and out flew the warped earth pony.

Before Gotrek could raise his weapon to defend himself, a shimmering field of magic had materialized around the belligerent earth pony. A mask of pure rage was frozen on the orange mare’s face as she hung in mid-air. Glancing over at the unicorn, the dwarf saw that the crowned pony had created the field.

Sweating profusely, Twilight Sparkle grimaced. “Whatever you’re going to do, do it now.”

Without a second’s hesitation, the Troll Slayer smashed his axe against the side of the suspended mare’s head. A dark blue bubble formed around the weapon just before it made contact. Applejack, crumpled to the floor in a heap, no longer supported by Twilight’s magic.

Twilight grunted in shock as her barrier was destroyed by the dwarf’s sudden attack. Spike caught the stunned unicorn before she tumbled to the floor.

“How dare you?!” screamed Big Mac. Throwing all caution to the wind, the huge pony leapt at the Lunar Knight.

“Big Mac! Wait!” Twilight cried out weakly.

“Idiot,” Gotrek muttered as he swung his axe and batted the pony aside. The stallion crashed through the wall and into the room where his sister was imprisoned moments ago.

Ignoring the horrified looks of the other ponies and dragon, the dwarf slipped the amulet around the neck of Applejack. As the trinket touched the mare’s fur, a dull golden glow issued from the amulet’s ice shard center.

With Spike’s help, Twilight got back on her hooves. She walked forward and stared at the small amulet. “Will this work?”

Gotrek shrugged. “Probably not.” Shouldering his axe, Gotrek stepped over the mare and headed back down the hall.

“Where are you going?” Twilight asked as she went over to check on Big Mac.

“To find my doom. It should be right outside.”

___________________________________________________________________________________

Felix parried a ferocious club swing from a skaven and countered by kicking the vermin in the chest, breaking several of its ribs. Turning on his heel, the swordsman slashed at a mutated rabbit that was attempting to gnaw at his leg. Catching the once benign creature between the eyes, the mutant collapsed in a heap. The human did not have time to savor his many victories, for he was more surrounded by the enemy then his Equestrian allies.

The first wave of timber wolves had fallen quickly to the hospital’s defenders. Green balls of foul warp energy flew from their shattered bodies back down the road toward Ponyville. From that same road poured companies of skaven and other changed creatures in an endless wave of madness and glowing eyes.

Again the poet brought down his enchanted sword, and again Luna’s shield prevented the death of his enemy. Felix frowned for he believed death would be a blessing for these creatures. During the short time between fighting his many opponents, the swordsman caught glimpses of how his pony allies were faring. The ponies were fighting with vigor, but they were only slightly better warriors than the mutants. The pegasi had joined their unicorn and earth pony allies on the ground. He saw his rainbow pegasus rival bring down a large green-eyed beaver with a mighty blow from her back legs. But he could see how she trembled from adrenaline and exhaustion. She was using too much energy and tiring quickly.

As Felix continued to fight, he noted that the earth ponies were by far the greater melee fighters than the unicorns or pegasi. Pinkie Pie showed no sign of fatigue as she knocked out what must have been her twentieth mutant. The pony seemed to have an infinite reservoir of endurance. Other ponies had not fared as well. Over a quarter of the defenders had been carried from the field to the hospital they were fighting to protect.

Felix swore as he felt the tender bite wound on his right arm reopen as he fought three mutants at once. Fighting through the pain, he overcame these foes. However, the worst was yet to come.

The poet’s mouth went dry as the mutant ranks parted to make way for a true nightmare. The great beast was like an enormous lion with a great tail of a scorpion. The monster’s huge bat wings kicked up a great gust of wind that nearly knocked the swordsman off his feet. With a deafening roar, the warped beast advanced, heading straight for the poet.

Knowing that he was the only one on the field of battle who stood a chance against the juggernaut, Felix stood his ground.

“Sigmar, preserve me,” he prayed during what he thought would be his final moments. His soul thus committed to his chosen god, Felix raised his sword and was about to attack the manticore head on. Before he could, he saw that one of his allies was surrounded by a group of skaven. A white unicorn was valiantly trying to fend off the mutants with a frying pan levitated with her magic. She smashed the pan against the skull of one and brought it across the face of another, breaking bone and cartilage before she was overcome.

Without thinking, Felix ran to the fallen pony’s aid and swung his sword madly against the mare’s attackers. Surprised at the ferocity of the strange biped, the skaven broke rank and ran.

As the warrior knelt down to aid the fallen pony, the mare screamed, “Look out!” But it was too late.

To the warrior, it felt like someone had shoved him from behind. He began to fall forward but stopped suddenly, as if caught by something. White hot pain began to flare up in his chest. He looked down and saw an enormous barbed protrusion erupting from his torso. As quickly as the monster’s tail stabbed the warrior, it withdrew. But before the knight’s body could crash to the earth, the white mare caught her rescuer’s body with her magic. She gently placed him on the ground and quickly armed herself with the warrior’s crimson weapon.

“You coward!” Rarity screamed. “How could you attack a gentlecolt helping a lady in need? I’ll teach you some manners you won’t forget.”

Again, the tail shot forward, but the mare was ready. She swung the blade with her magic and batted the poisonous appendage away. The monster howled in pain and fury.

Before the beast could attack again, a deep gravelly voice roared, “Uruk motari!”

Bodies of mutants flew in every direction, heralding the Lunar Knight and the Element of Magic. Nothing could stand against the dwarf as he gleefully sowed carnage throughout the hospital grounds. Twilight supported the Troll Slayer by blasting back any mutant that got too close. The pair pushed forward as they lead the Equestrians in a masterful counter attack.

Finally, the Troll Slayer saw the manticore. It was watching him, but the dwarf was not returning its gaze. Instead he saw the body of his fallen remembrancer being protected by a white unicorn. Rage like Gotrek had rarely known seethed in his heart.

The dwarf screamed and launched himself at the manticore, barreling over several mutants that got in his way. To Rarity’ surprise, the beast took a couple steps back in the face of the berserker. The duel with the monster was over before it began, as the short knight laid the beast low with a single blow from his axe.

As the manticore fell, the majority of the attackers began to retreat down the road. Sporadic fighting continued as Twilight tried to bring order to the disorganized ponies.

“Colgate, get Cherillee to the hospital!” Twilight ordered. She then fired a lance of magic at a large rat armed with a garden hoe, knocking it to the ground. “Pinkie, go help Rainbow!” The pink mare gave a clumsy salute, climbed into her party cannon, and fired herself toward the exhausted pegasus.

Hearing a groan, the lavender unicorn trotted over to the injured human. The wound was already starting to fester, due to the manticore’s poison.

“Will he be alright?”

Twilight looked up to see Rarity. The mare looked like she had fought the entire mutant army by herself. She was covered in wounds but this did not seem to bother as she levitated Felix’s sword with her magic.

The crowned unicorn bit her lip in uncertainty. “I don’t know. We need to get him to the hos—”

“No! . . . Warp . . . stone,” the human whispered suddenly.

“What? Say that again, Felix,” Twilight commanded as she knelt down to hear the warrior better.

“Warpstone . . . burn it . . . burn . . .” The knight tried to continue, but a trail of blood began to ooze down his chin as he coughed on his words.

“Over here!” yelled Rarity to a couple of nurses.

As the medical ponies galloped toward them, Twilight ordered, “Get him a doctor, now!”

Nodding, the ponies gently placed Felix on a stretcher and carried him off the battlefield.

Before Rarity could ask what the human had said, the ground started to shake. Above the trembling of the earth, the air was filled with the baying and screaming of hundreds of tortured animal voices.

“Everypony back in formation!” Twilight commanded.

The defenders leaped to obey the Element of Magic’s instructions. All except Gotrek, who stood his ground, well in front of the Equestrian line. While rubbing at his irritated empty eye socket, he considered charging down the road to his glorious doom.

“Gotrek! We need you up here!”

Annoyed, the dwarf turned. “I am not one of your inbred little horses to be beckoned!” He shouted. “I shall greet my doom with my axe in hand on the ground of my own choosing.”

Twilight considered levitating the dwarf back to the rest of the poines, but what she saw next took her breath away. It was like the entire Everfree Forest had emptied. Seemingly thousands of green-eyed mutants marched forward in a tidal wave of fur and madness, while the sky darkened with avian creatures of every kind. In the vanguard of this new threat advanced an Ursa Minor. On the back of the great beast rode three ponies, all of which the Equestrians recognized: Zecora, Bright Shield, and. . .

“Shining Armor?” Twilight Sparkle gasped.

As the Ursa Minor came closer to the defenders, the lavender unicorn’s joy at seeing her brother changed into heart-rending horror.

As with the mutants and Zecora, the white stallion bore the marks of warpstone. The warped unicorn carried himself like a general at the head of an army. He looked as if he had the power to destroy an army as well. His muscles bulged with power, and his horn crackled with barely contained dark magic. His once bright uniform was dull and torn. He was a twisted version of the Shining Armor Twilight once knew.

At Shining Armor’s command, the Ursa Minor stopped a few dozen feet away from the Equestrians. In a booming voice he called out, “Hello, Twiley, did you miss me?” The question was asked in the same sweet voice Shining Armor always used around his sister.

“Yes, and I still do,” Twilight said strongly as fresh tears began to stain her face.

“Don’t cry, Twiley. I’ve never been better, and it’s all thanks to you. If you hadn’t left me back in the forest, I wouldn’t be who I am right now.”

Twilight winced as if she had been slapped, but she did not rise to her corrupted brother’s baiting.

“She didn’t abandon you!” Rainbow Dash shouted. “Snap out of it, Shining Armor!”

Shining Armor’s eyes narrowed. “I didn’t ask for your opinion.” He shot a bolt of magic that impacted right in front of the pegasus.

In response, Twilight’s horn glowed with magic as she prepared to defend her friends.

Shining Armor smiled maliciously. “Remember when you were school and I was in the Guard academy? Remember how we used to spar with our magic? For old time’s sake, why don’t we try that again? But this time, let’s not hold back.”

“No!”

All eyes turned to the Troll Slayer who was now brandishing his axe in front of the Ursa Minor. “I get first claim to your hide, unless you’re too much of a coward to face a true warrior and would rather fight a useless pony.”

“Gotrek,” Twilight called out, “he’s my brother. I’ll deal with him.”

Shining Armor ignored his sister and looked down at the ugly, mohawked dwarf for the first time. “And who might you be, short one?”

Gotrek’s grip tightened on his axe. “I am your doom incarnate, you piece of troll filth. Now get down here so I may ruin those pretty looks of yours.”

The Prince of the Crystal Empire glared down at his challenger and stamped his hoof twice. The Ursa Minor bowed its head down to the ground. Shining Armor marched straight toward the dwarf, ignoring everyone else. Twilight Sparkle looked at the enemy army behind the Ursa Major. Every single mutant was standing by and watching, just like the Equestrians.

“What do you want us to do, Twilight?” asked Rarity, still clutching Felix’s sword with her magic.

Twilight closed her eyes. “Nothing.”

“What?!” cried Rainbow Dash. “We can’t let him fight your brother one-on-one! I mean, look at Shining Armor. What if the dwarf loses?”

“He’s buying us time,” Twilight replied tersely. “If we interfere now, we’ll be overwhelmed by that army. We need to wait for Fluttershy to bring Applejack here. Then we can use the Elements of Harmony to end this.”

The rest of the ponies nodded their agreement, but not one of them liked the situation.

Twilight turned her attention back to the impending duel. She willed Applejack to heal quickly. They needed her now.

Gotrek spat on the ground as his opponent drew closer. Although he did not show it, the dwarf was impressed by the royal unicorn. The pony was enormous and bulged with muscles that were comparable to the dwarf’s. Chaos magic danced from the unicorn’s horn as he approached. With each stride, the pony’s hoof print burned into the ground.

The dwarf grinned maniacally. This was it, the moment he had been waiting decades for. This day his life would finally come to an end, and he would at last pay for the sins he had committed seemingly life times ago.

Shining Armor was about to say something to the dwarf, but Gotrek held up his fist and shouted, “Enough talking! My axe thirsts!”

He surged forward. He was too far lost in his battle ecstasy to care about anything save for one thing. It was a pity that the human could not be here to see and record his death.

The white unicorn drew first blood as he fired a lance of energy. The beam scorched across Gotrek’s right arm before plowing into the ground behind him. The Slayer shrugged off the pain and kept coming as more lances of emerald magic pummeled his burned and bleeding body. When the dwarf was close enough, his axe flashed in a wide arc, but Shining Armor was faster. The stallion reared up on his hind legs as the axe passed under him. Cruelly, he brought his left front hoof down on the Slayer’s face with a sickening crunch.

Gotrek’s face exploded in blood and pain as he spat out two of his few remaining teeth from his dislocated jaw. He reeled on his feet before coming to his knees.

Shining Armor expected the dwarf to beg for his life as he approached. To his wonder, the ugly, burnt being was smiling a toothless grin.

Gotrek uttered one word. “More.”

The dwarf quickly came to his feet, brought up his axe, and struck the surprised unicorn on the shoulder. Shining Armor gave a grunt of pain as his front leg went dead. To stop the dwarf from capitalizing on his success, the fallen unicorn placed a green force field around himself.

Gotrek just shook his head before bringing his axe down, shattering the field. Sensing the end was near, the dwarf raised his axe again to strike down the prone unicorn.

Yet, Shining Armor had one last attack to deal. He lunged at the axe man, his horn goring the knight deep into his stomach. The other ponies gasped in horror. Never before had they witnessed such violence perpetrated by a fellow pony, much less Twilight Sparkle’s own brother. This kind of barbarity was only read about in history books.

For a split second Gotrek froze in agony, as the stallion’s horn erupted from his back. Fighting back the blackness that threatened to claim him, he summoned all of his reserves of energy. The Troll Slayer, bellowing one last warcry, brought his axe down on the horn of Shining Armor. Not even Luna’s protective spell could keep Shining Armor’s horn from being sundered under the force of the blow.

Screaming in shock and pain, the great white unicorn collapsed on all fours. Green energy fountained from the stub of his horn as he thrashed about on the ground. The enemy army echoed their commander’s pain as if they could feel it, too. Some ran in random directions. Others began to attack their former comrades and a few sat down and wept as madness engulfed them completely.

Gotrek laughed at the chaos he had wrought upon the enemy army. His laughter soon turned into pained coughing as he spat out a mouthful of blood. Looking down at his torso, he saw the enormous horn. Using what was left of his strength, he wrenched the bone from his stomach. Blood immediately began to pour from the gaping cavity. Covering the wound, the Troll Slayer tried to stagger forward. However, he could not. His legs refused to move. Instead, the dwarf found himself falling backward, axe still in hand.

The last thing the Lunar Knight saw as he cast his gaze toward the heavens was six ponies bathed in brilliant white light. Their eyes were glowing in power, but it was a different power from the chaos magic. As a wave of energy passed over him, he was strangely at peace, even though he knew that he had failed to finish off his opponent. Gotrek smiled as blackness overcame him.

They Chose Wrong

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Felix sat up gasping. The last thing he remembered was being stabbed in the back by the manticore’s tail. He looked down to discover he had no injuries from the battle. He stood and gazed about.

It seemed he was in Princess Luna’s dreamscape once more. But instead of lush green trees and grass surrounding him, he was standing on cold, smooth ice. It was dark in this place. There was no multitude of beautiful stars in the sky this time. The only light shone from an impossibly huge moon that seemed to loom over him. He shuddered. It felt so cold in the dream that he almost expected snow to begin falling.

He turned, and there was Gotrek staring up at the moon. “It would appear the horse is angry with us, manling.”

“Angry does not even begin to describe the emotion, dwarf,” Luna’s voice rang out.

The equine princess stepped out from the shadows. Her eyes were arctic, and her starlit mane seemed more shadowy than usual.

“You are lucky Twilight and her friends were able to use the Elements of Harmony to undo the damage you caused. I have never seen such uncontrolled violence,” she spat.

“Uncontrolled?” Gotrek asked, gripping the butt of his axe. “You’re the one who chained us with spells!”

“And I can see now that the magic wasn’t enough,” she snapped. “You were harming my own subjects, causing them a great deal of pain and suffering. Animals and ponies that knew not what they were doing! If I hadn’t enchanted your weapons, you would’ve slaughtered them all!” she stamped her hoof at the last sentence, and cracks spider-webbed across the surface of the ice.

Felix took a step forward. “My lady, please. We attacked to defend Ponyville. We only did what was necessary.”

“Those warped creatures certainly weren’t holding back for us,” Gotrek said, pointing a beefy finger at the princess. “What did you expect us to do? Hit the buggars that were trying to kill us as gently as possible? You can’t afford to do that in a fight.” He spread his arms wide. “You wanted warriors, my lady, and warriors you got.”

Luna bared her teeth. “You would do well to hold your tongue, dwarf.” Luna looked away, disgusted with her new subjects. “Thankfully the Elements’ magic undid the spread of evil in Ponyville. Those six ponies were able to heal the brutally injured as well.”

Gotrek scowled but said nothing.

“Then. . .that is good news,” Felix said.

“If only,” Luna turned sharply to face him. “They aren’t strong enough to heal all of Equestria at once. Warpstone fell in other regions. While it was wiped out in Ponyville, it is spreading like wildfire everywhere else. Worse, it’s difficult for us to pinpoint exactly where the stone has fallen. This. . . new dark magic is strange to us. We do not yet have spells developed to trace it.”

Luna gazed up at the moon. Felix and Gotrek could not hope to look skyward, for its brilliance was harsh and glaring. The Princess did not seem at all bothered by the light. She appeared to revel in it.

“There is one pony my sister and I believe that can find a cure for the warpstone. Her name is Zecora. Twilight and her friends will know of whom I speak. Find her and see what she has in mind for a cure. You will also help prepare Ponyville’s defenses. Refugees are already pouring into Canterlot,” she bowed her head. “If the plague finds us there, it may be better for the Ponyville citizens to stay where they are. These are your orders.”

The human and dwarf knelt on the ground. “As you wish, m’lady,” Felix said.

Luna flapped her wings and rose into the sky. “Awaken.”

At once the dreamscape Luna created began to melt away leaving only blackness. Felix could feel himself being pulled back into the waking world. He grunted; he was having trouble breathing. Slowly, Felix opened his eyes and nearly screamed in terror. Inches away from his face was a beaming pink pony sitting on his chest.

“Oh goodie, goodie, goodie, I’m so glad you’re awake. I was starting to get bored. I mean really bored. The kind of bored you get watching paint dry except worse than that. I can’t begin to describe to you how bored I was.” Pinkie Pie began to bounce off the walls like a ricocheting arrow.

Felix sighed in relief and looked over at the neighboring bed. Gotrek, axe in hand, was already upright. He was inspecting the scar where Shining Armor had gored his stomach. “How am I well?” He asked angrily. “I felt that unicorn pierce my bowels. I should be dying.”

Pinkie stopped her bouncing and grinned at the dwarf. “We used the Elements of Harmony to fix you. A good thing, too. If we hadn’t, you two would have been goners for sure. At least that’s what the docs said. No need to thank me; I was just doing my part.”

Gotrek glared at Pinkie Pie. “You’ve robbed me of a glorious death.”

Pinkie nodded happily. “Yep, we sure did.” She tossed a pastry to the Slayer and another one to Felix who had just gotten on his feet. “Let’s have a toast to celebrate us being alive.”

The hyper pony raised her cupcake to the heavens and said, “Here’s to another day above ground. ” And with that, Pinkie tossed her pastry in the air and swallowed it in one gulp.

Felix looked at the cupcake and his mouth instantly watered. He devoured his pastry with ravenous hunger. The last time he had eaten, he had been in Sonny’s inn. It felt like a very long time ago. Gotrek eyed his own treat with contempt. He tossed his cake to Felix who wolfed it down gratefully.

“What? Aren’t you hungry?” asked Pinkie Pie. “You can eat the hospital food if you want, but it’s pretty bad. Think of it as eating your veggies, but cold and without love. Cold veggies are the worst. I should know, I . . .”

“I can’t eat your disgusting cake,” Gotrek replied angrily. “After a thousand battles, I don’t have many teeth left.”

Pinkie grinned at the dwarf. “Are you sure about that?” She held up a mirror and said, “Smile, Gotty.”

Gotrek stared at his reflection and sneered, his lips parted to show beautiful white teeth. The dwarf’s irritation turned to rage. “What did you flea-bitten horses do to me?!”

At this Felix became acutely aware that his sword was at the other end of the room.

“They look good, Gotrek. You look like, like Olger Olgersson,” Felix said placing himself between Pinkie and the smoldering dwarf. The poet cringed knowing how that sounded.

The dwarf turned his blood-shot eye on Felix. “If it weren’t for this enchantment, manling, I’d kill you where you stand for comparing me to that, that . . .” The dwarf was so mad that words failed him. In a blur Gotrek took his fury out on a nearby operating table. With one swipe, the Slayer sliced off all four of the thick, metal legs. Pinkie scurried out of the dwarf’s way as he hacked his way through the door to the hallway.

When the irate Slayer was gone, Pinkie looked up at Felix. “I think he got up on the wrong side of the bed.”

Wordlessly, Felix buckled his crimson sword to his hip and ran after the dwarf. Gotrek w seemed calmer, but when he spoke, his gravelly voice was as cold as ice. “The next time you think we should go to another world, manling, I’ll rip your tongue out of your pretty head.”

Felix nodded, “Fair enough.”

“Is it not enough that we fight for them? They have to fiddle with our minds, and now they must tinker with our bodies, too?” Gotrek growled. “If I hadn’t sworn that thrice-damned oath, I’d be going back through that bloody mirror and breaking it on the other side.”

The dwarf made no attempt to lower his voice as Pinkie Pie plopped herself down by Felix. Her mane had lost its buoyancy, and she had a sad look about her. “Gotty, you can’t leave now. We need you. Because of you two, Ponyville is the only safe place around for miles. Princess Celestia says that this warpstone problem is spreading like wildfire, and more and more ponies are changing. They’re becoming like Zecora used to be and . . .”

“What do you mean, used to be?” asked Felix.

Pinkie’s mood became happier, “We used the Elements of Harmony to fix every pony and critter with those freaky eyes. We even got rid of that warpstone thingy in the forest.”

Gotrek scoffed, “Impossible. The only way to cure chaos is to kill it.”

Pinkie frowned, “But you cured Apple Jack with your icicle amulet necklace thingy.”

The dwarf chewed on this fact for a moment before saying, “Yes, but I did not believe that would work for a moment.”

“Nor I,” Felix admitted. The poet’s eyes got wide with excitement. “Do you know what this means, Gotrek? We can fight our world’s chaos magic with Equestrian magic. We can turn the tide in Sigmar’s realm if we can defeat warpstone here.” The Lunar Knight’s words tumbled out of his mouth nearly as fast as Pinkie Pie’s speech.

The Slayer held up his hand. “Slow down, manling, before you hurt yourself.” Gotrek sucked on his new teeth for a moment before saying, “Take us to that horse who wears the crown. We’ve work to do.”

Pinkie’s hair became bouncy and vibrant again. “Yes sirree. Just follow me.”

* * * * * * * * * * *

Twilight took a long sip of the drink Zecora had brewed for her. It helped keep her awake and focused on the daunting tasks ahead. She looked down at the messages in front of her. The news was grim, to put it mildly. Wherever those green meteors had fallen, anarchy and madness reigned. Ponyville was the only place that had successfully resisted out of the six places where warp stone had landed. Ever since the battle in front of the hospital, Twilight had been in constant contact with Canterlot. Despite Zecora’s potent drink, the unicorn could feel herself dozing off.

“Twilight, Twilight.” The Element of Magic felt herself being shaken. She opened her eyes to see Spike looking at her worriedly.

With a stab of panic the pony asked, “Oh my gosh, Spike, how long have I’ve been asleep? Have there been any more messages from Princess Celestia?”

“No. The last one I received was about the east side of Manehatten being quarantined.”

Twilight nodded sadly. The thought of all those poor ponies trapped in their own homes was heart-breaking.

“You’ve only been asleep for few minutes.”

“That’s too long, Spike. I need to keep going. My meeting with Mayor Mare is in ten minutes.”

“Yeah, about that,” Spike said slowly. “You might want to reschedule.”

“Why? Is Rainbow Dash back?”

Spike shook his head. “The dwarf and human are downstairs. Pinkie Pie brought them here as soon as they woke up. She couldn’t stay, though. She had to go help Fluttershy with the critters.”

Twilight brushed past the dragon and trotted down the stairs.

“Oi, purple horse, do you have any beer? I’m thirsty. And the manling is still hungry. I’ve killed full-grown bears with quieter stomachs.”

The swordsman blushed a little at that.

The unicorn blinked but recovered quickly. “Spike, could you check the basement? I think we still got some sarsaparilla. Also, see what you can find for Felix to eat.”

Spike looked like he wanted to say something but held his tongue as he went off to perform his duty.

The haggard pony went to greet her guests. “I’m glad that you two are on your feet. How are you feeling?”

Before Gotrek could spout off a snide comment, Felix answered, “We’re fine. You and your friend’s magic saved our lives. We are in your debt.”

The dwarf growled at that but didn’t say anything.

Twlight shook her head. “No, without you two, Applejack would still be changed, Ponyville would have been destroyed, and . . .” the unicorn’s voice trailed off. She did not wish to think about what could have happened.

“Those other crowned horses don’t see us that way. To them we’re little better then sadists,” the Slayer said angrily.

Twilight hesitated before replying. She wanted to disagree with him, but couldn’t. Fluttershy crying miserably over the scores of suffering woodland friends left a bitter taste in her mouth. She changed the subject. “Did Princess Luna come to you in a dream last night?”

Felix nodded. “She did. The capital is already being overrun with refugees. Her Majesty has tasked us with assisting in fortifying this town and finding someone named Zecora. The Princess believes she may know of a cure for warpstone.”

“Princess Celestia told me the same thing, and I think I’ve got a plan.” She picked up a nearby scroll with her magic and gave it to Felix. “This is a map of Ponyville’s completed and incomplete sewer systems. We don’t have time to build walls or anything formidable, so I think this is our best bet for now. What do you think?”

The poet could not tell which way was up on the map. After turning the parchment sideways and then upside down, Gotrek growled, “Just give me the damn thing, manling.”

Felix admitted defeat and gave his companion the paper. Gotrek studied it for several moments. Eventually he went to a table. After shoving several books out of the way, he grabbed a nearby quill and started modifying the map. Twilight could not help but cringe as the dwarf wrote. That scroll had been in her library long before she ever had.

“Come here, both of you,” the dwarf commanded.

Twilight and Felix approached him.

“If I were you, and thank Grungi I’m not, I’d seal off these entrances here and here for starters.” As the dwarf spoke, he crossed out the manhole entrances on the map. “Those are your most obvious ways into this maze. We don’t want too many ways in and out. Also, I’d level the majority of the buildings on the surface.”

“Why?” asked Twilight.

“So the infected will think that this town has either been abandoned or wiped out,” answered Felix.

The Slayer nodded as he chewed on the quill in thought. “We can break down that wall there to link the tunnels together below the City Hall. And then . . .”

Twilight rubbed her eyes as the planning continued. She hadn’t slept since yesterday, and it didn’t look like she would anytime soon. Despite her weariness, Twilight was impressed by the dwarf’s suggestions. His knowledge of engineering and demolition was well-concealed beneath his fearsome warrior features.

Just as Gotrek was putting down his chewed quill, the door to Golden Oaks Library banged open. Felix turned to see the baby dragon and a blonde-maned pony. Both were laden down with delicious food.

The unicorn asked sleepily, “Spike? I thought you were still in the basement.”

“I snuck out half an hour ago to get some more food. By the way, we are out of root beer.”

The slayer looked up from his work at the mention of beer. “Well, did you find any?”

“Shoot, yeah.” The earth pony said. “My family makes the best sarsaparilla this side of Ponyville.”

“And which family might that be, miss?” Felix asked.

The earth pony smiled proudly. “Why the Apple family, of course.” After setting the root beer down, the mare walked up to the poet and declared, “The name’s Applejack. You must be Gotrek.”

Felix and Twilight winced at the same moment.

“What?” And then it dawned on the pony. “I guessed wrong, didn’t I? Sorry about that.”

The dwarf waved off the apology. “I can forgive nearly anything with the right amount of beer.”

Applejack smiled and tossed the dwarf a bottle. Gotrek caught the drink, uncorked it, and drank down the entire contents in one pull.

“What do you think?” she asked.

“It’s terrible. I’ll have another three.”

“Uh, okay. I’ll tell Granny Smith you said it was delicious. Anyway I just wanted to thank both of you all for using that amulet thing on me. You saved me.”

“Miss Applejack, it was you who helped save us. Consider us even.” Felix said.

Gotrek sneered, still angry that he was robbed of his death.

“Out of curiosity, do you remember anything of the experience?” Felix asked.

The earth pony shot him a hard look and Twilight stiffened. Spike edged away.

“Not a thing,” she said coldly.

Gotrek and Felix exchanged quick glances. It was clear the farm pony was lying but they sensed that pressing her was treading on dangerous ground. Felix turned his attention to Twilight instead.

“Ms. Twlight, you should get some sleep, if you can.”

The unicorn shook her head. “I can’t. I need to present this to Mayor Mare, and see if she approves of this plan. I’m already late for the meeting.”

“You won’t be of any use to anyone if you can’t keep your eyes open,” Gotrek grumbled.

Twilight nodded reluctantly. “Alright fine. Just stay out of trouble. Most ponies in town aren’t happy with the way you two handled yourselves last night. They think you both were far too violent in fending off the warped animals.”

Felix’s jaw clenched. “Princess Luna said as much in our dream. But we had no alternative, and we are not ashamed of what we did. But you have my word; we will try to keep our noses clean.” When he was done speaking, he rested his hand on the hilt of his crimson sword. A small magical shock caused him to hastily remove his hand from the blade.

The pony was so exhausted she didn’t notice this odd behavior. Twilight yawned, “We’ll talk about it later.”

Turning to Spike, Twilight asked, “Spike, can you please wake me up in an hour? I’m going upstairs to take a nap.”

“Sure, Twilight.”

Unbeknownst to Spike, Felix was struggling very hard not to strangle the baby dragon. Every instinct in the human screamed at him to slaughter the beast. Sweat began to bead on his forehead as he fought to keep his hands away from the blade. The poet turned so that the dragon could not see his hate-filled face.

“Uh, are you okay?” the tiny reptile asked.

Felix didn’t answer right away. He looked down at his sheathed blade, and sure enough, he could see the fiery light from the ancient runes. “I don’t feel well. I, I need to use your latrine.”

“Oh, sure. Just take that door to your right.”

The poet nearly ran to the room and locked the door behind him. Gotrek pulled at his beard in thought as his remembrancer made his hasty retreat.

“That’s what happens when you eat your food too fast, poor fella,” Applejack commented.

The slayer snorted. “Humans are a frail race to begin with, but at least they know how to fight. Unlike you horses.”

The pony faced the knight. “We can defend ourselves just fine, thank you very much.”

Gotrek chuckled before downing the rest of his root beer. “Like hell, you can. You have no army, you don’t have the stomach to kill, the only horse that knows how to use magic around here is exhausted, and the only artifacts that can fight chaos are controlled by six morons.
Not to mention one got herself infected.”

Applejack glared at the dwarf. “We’ve gotten along just fine for years without the two of you. We ponies have beaten everything that’s been thrown our way, and we’ll beat this too. And if you ask me, I have no clue why Princess Luna ever considered bringing two killers to Equestria. You’re just as bad as what we fought yesterday.”

The dwarf shook his head in bewilderment. “Why the gods decided to give you idiots . . .”

“If you say one more word, I’m going to buck you into the next county,” Applejack said menacingly. “My friends may put up with your insults, but I won’t.”

Spike winced, “Guys, you two need to calm down. Twilight is trying to rest.”

Gotrek, never taking his eye off the pony, nodded. “Aye, let’s take this outside.”

“Let’s,” Applejack agreed.

Spike shook his head frantically. “No, please don’t do this.”

“Don’t worry, dragon,” the dwarf declared as he hefted his axe. “This will be over quickly.”

* * * * * * * * * * *

“Felix, Felix, I need you out here,” Spike said urgently, banging on the bathroom door.

The poet swore under his breath and balled his fists. The magic blade knew the dragon was close. Felix took deep breaths as he struggled to regain his bearings. It was getting worse. The sword demanded the dragon’s blood and would not be satisfied with less. The poet wiped the sweat from his brow and cursed himself for touching the weapon while there was a dragon nearby. He knew he could not afford to do that again. Next time there may be no stopping it. In a strained voice Felix asked, “What is it?”

“Gotrek is picking a fight with Applejack. I, I think one of them is going to get hurt.”

This time Felix did swear, louder than he intended. Luna was going to kill them for sure if the slayer hurt one of the ponies, especially an Element wielder.

Felix sent a quick prayer to Sigmar for strength, opened the door, and made for the library exit. He didn’t look at Spike as he passed. Instead, he called over his shoulder, “Stay here. Make sure Twilight is still sleeping.”

The poet opened the door to the outside and blinked his watery eyes. The sun glared down on him. The sudden light caused his stomach to turn end over end. Despite his nausea, the swordsman felt better, now that he was away from Spike.

“Excellent timing, manling. I want you to witness this so you can record it for my epic.”

Felix found Gotrek and Applejack seated at a small table.

“What in Sigmar’s holy name are you doing?” Felix asked

“I’ve been challenged by this horse to an arm wrestling duel,” the dwarf replied.

The pony’s nostrils flared. “Partner, you’re going down harder than a broken elevator.”

Gotrek smiled at the challenge. “Hold this.”

Felix struggled to find the right phrase to stop this madness, but the words would not come. It took all of Felix’s strength to hold Gotrek’s heavy axe.

“We don’t have time for this.” Felix said through gritted teeth.

The slayer cracked his neck and flexed his arms. “There is always time for a fight.”

Applejack sneered, “Are you gonna talk all day, or are we gonna do this?”

Gotrek put his arm on the table. As the pair wrapped their hand/hoof around the other, the workhorse asked, “On the count of three?”

“Three it is,” agreed the slayer. The dwarf glanced at his remembrancer. “Manling, count to three.”

“This is ridiculous,” Felix said stubbornly.

From above, the poet heard a raspy voice yell, “One, two, three, Go!”

At once the two arm-wrestlers began their competition. Felix looked skyward to see the rainbow-maned pony. The pegasus looked like she had paid a visit to the butcher’s shop, and it wasn’t by choice. Rainbow Dash sported several fresh cuts, scrapes, and bruises all over her body. But in spite of this, she was grinning from ear to ear as she watched the contest.

“Are you okay?” Felix asked.

The pegasus scoffed as she carefully landed next to the human. “Of course, I, ow, am. How did this get started?” The pony motioned towards the two combatants.

Felix rolled his eyes. “I don’t know. If I had to guess, Gotrek got mad at something petty and insignificant.”

The dwarf turned his head towards his fellow knight. “If I were you, I’d keep that pretty mouth shut.”

Taking advantage of the Slayer’s lack of concentration, Applejack nearly forced the dwarf’s hand to the table. Gotrek’s eyebrows rose in surprise; he had not been expecting that at all. He was only using a fraction of his strength, but that should have been enough to beat this weakling. What was even more surprising was the fact that she was also holding back. Clearly there was more to this pony then met the eye.

“Kick his butt, A.J.!” Rainbow Dash hollered.

“Keep it down; Ms. Twilight is trying to sleep,” Felix said quietly. “And for that matter, we should get you inside. You look pretty rough.”

“No way. I wouldn’t miss this for the world. Kick his butt, A.J.” the Pegasus whispered.

The poet smirked at that.

As the arm-wrestling continued, Gotrek committed more and more of his seemingly inexhaustible strength. Applejack ,however, was matching him, though it was costing her greatly. Sweat was rolling off her body as she continued to fight on.

Felix rolled his eyes as he leaned the axe against the library. This folly did not look like it was going to be over soon. “How is the rest of Equestria?” he asked the Pegasus.

Rainbow Dash’s face darkened. “Not good. Twilight wanted me to check down south and see how bad things are. She didn’t want me to go far, but I thought what the hay, might as well check out Appaloosa.” She shook her head as she continued, “That was a big mistake. The town has been completely taken over. One of the warpstones fell almost in the middle of the town. Every single pony there has changed. I barely got out with my wings still attached.”

Felix bit back a scathing reply. How could this pony take such a risk? Going so far out on her own was the stupidest thing she could have done. However, judging by the crestfallen look the pegasus was giving the ground, it looked like she had learned her lesson. “Don’t ever do that again. If we lose you, Equestria falls.” Felix thought for a moment before asking, “That trinket around your neck doesn’t work for just anyone, does it?”

The cyan pony shook her head. “No.”

Before Felix could ask the pegasus anything else, a deafening crack filled the air. The human gazed at the table. His eyes clearly saw what was before him, but his mind couldn’t believe it. Gotrek Gurnisson, slayer of trolls, skaven, mutants, and daemons just lost a test of might to a pony.

The slayer released the ponies hoof and stood up from the table. He nodded at Applejack. “Well fought, pony.”

“You, you let me win,” the workhorse said quietly as she cradled her throbbing foreleg.

“Do I look like the sort that would let you win? Don’t be ridiculous. Revel in your victory and see to your friend. It looks like she found a nest of wolverines.”

Applejack wanted to argue some more, but seeing the state Rainbow Dash was in, she didn’t.

As the two ponies went inside the library, Gotrek hefted his axe, “Well, aren’t you going to ask me?”

“Did you really let her win?”

The dwarf sucked on his new teeth a moment before answering. “That stubborn pony was going to keep fighting even as the bones in her hoof began to crack and buckle. I was not using the power I could have used, but if we would have continued any longer, I would have hurt her. As I recall I swore an oath to protect her and all these other ponies. I would rather have this defeat live forever in my death epic then break my oath.”

Felix combed his hair with his fingers. “I could leave that part out if you want.”

The slayer shook his head. “No, I long for an honorable defeat and death, manling. This may be the closest I come to it for some time.”

Felix asked, “You want to take a walk? Get some fresh air?”

Before the dwarf could answer, a pained cry pierced the air. “That hurts, A.J.!”

“Great, that’s how we know it’s workin’. Now try to keep your mouth shut. This is gonna hurt worse.”

The dwarf shook his head. “No, it’s best we stay here. I doubt the pony witch is going to be able to rest anymore. Not with that racket.”

Felix winced as Rainbow Dash yelled a second time.

“I think you’re right.”

Sure enough Twilight Sparkle had awakened and was soon briefed by Rainbow Dash. And then Twilight checked the time. Without warning, she began to run all over the library, gathering quills, parchment, various letters from Princess Celestia, and the old sewer map Gotrek had drawn on.

Overcome with curiosity, Felix asked what the hurry was. The unicorn replied that there was going to be a town-hall meeting to vote on Ponyville’s best course of action. Since she missed her private meeting with the mayor, she would have to present the sewer plan publicly in less than an hour.

One hour later, Felix found himself on a raised stage, staring into a sea of pony faces. Being a poet, the human was used to public speaking, but he and Gotrek were only there for support. After all both of them (Gotrek more so) had contributed to this sewer plot. Twilight had just begun to speak, and most of the ponies were listening intently to what she had to say. Some of the ponies were looking right back at the pair of knights while muttering to their neighbors and pointing. But one pegaus in the front row was glaring at Felix with undisguised hatred. The pony, who was also an Element wielder judging from her necklace, had a butter-yellow coat with a pink mane and tail. Now being the slayer’s companion had privileged the human to witness and battle many terrors of the Old World, but this pony's stare froze his blood like nothing he had ever felt. However, the white unicorn with a purple mane seated next to the hateful pony was the complete opposite. The pony smiled at Felix whenever their eyes met. The poet wondered about this; she did look familiar.

A chorus of boos, hisses, and angry heckles yanked the poet out of his musings. He looked at the now irate crowd and back at Twilight. The pony was holding up her ancient map with her magic and was drawing on a chalk board at the same time.

“Please, everypony, hear me out. I believe this is our best option. We won’t be living in the sewers permanently. Just until we can get rid of this warpstone problem.”

“And how long will that take?” asked a pony from the seething crowd.

Twilight hesitated before saying, “I don’t know. Soon, I hope.” Before the unicorn could continue, another concern was voiced.

“You’re asking us to tear down our homes, the places we’ve lived and raised our children just so we can live with the rats?” This question came from a heavy-set pony with a pink apron.

Twilight cringed. “Yes, but we won’t be tearing down all the buildings.”

“Really? And who will decide which homes will be gutted? You?” This question came from a donkey with a wig.

Again, Twilight hesitated. Felix felt sorry for her. In the Old World, this scene had been acted out countless times. When Choas gets too close to a town, the town must decide what to do. The usual choices were to fight, flee, or fortify. This town could barely fight; therefore, that left just two options. However, these ponies had yet to see that the choice had already been made for them.

Coming to her friend’s aid, Rainbow Dash slowly flew up near the ceiling and yelled down to the crowd. “Has she ever steered you wrong before? If she says we need to live in the sewers for a while, then that’s what we’ll do.”

“We should go to Canterlot,” another pony said.

“Yeah, we’ll be safe at the capitol; Princess Celestia will protect us.”

“Y’all can’t go to Canterlot. That’s what everypony else is doing. We’d be making a bad situation worse over-there,” Applejack hollered.

And so argument was meant by counter-argument on what was to be done. Twilight, for her part, just looked on in hopeless silence as the citizens of Ponyville bickered amongst themselves. Eventually a grey-maned pony made her way up the small staircase to stand next to Twilight. Knowing that she would never get to present the rest of her plan now, the lavender unicorn yielded the speaker’s podium.

“Fillies and gentlecolts,” the mayor said.

After several seconds the arguing and yelling died down.

“I say we put our future actions on how to deal with warpstone to the vote.”

On this there was great support.

With a disgusted look on her face, the politician asked, “All those in favor of Twilight Sparkle’s sewer plan?”

Felix added his voice to the few ponies who voted yes. This caused the Mayor to turn and give the human a stern look, but she held her tongue.

“And all those in favor of evacuating the town to seek refuge in Canterlot?”

“Aye!”

At least a third of those attending voiced their support to flee to Canterlot.

“And all those in favor of using the Elements of Harmony to defend Ponyville against the temporarily changed until Princess Celestia can find a cure?”

“Aye! Aye! Aye!” The air filled with Equestrians yelling their support for this course of action.

“It sounds like the Ayes have it,” the Mayor said smugly.

“No!” bellowed the dwarf in his booming voice.

All eyes turned to the axeman.

The Mayor smiled at Gotrek. “I’m sorry, sir, but the ponies have chosen.”

“Then they chose wrong.” The Slayer turned his one eye towards the multitude of Equestrians. “No one is leaving. You weaklings wouldn’t even make it out of sight. This world is now full of your own kin that want to turn you into emerald-eyed monsters, monsters that will not think twice about killing your own friends or family. That is the fate that awaits you outside Horseville. I will not let any of you jeopardize the future safety of this place. You may think you would never betray this town, but chaos always finds a way to make the strongest a slave.”

“But, but we voted to have the Elements . . .” the Mayor started to say.

“The Elements of Harmony do not belong to Ponyville alone,” Felix said, interrupting the grey-maned pony. “This power must be used to fight chaos wherever it rears its green eyes. The Elements must venture into the world and save it. For if they stay here, they will eventually be discovered and snuffed out of existence.”

“Who in Celestia’s name put the two of you in charge?” asked the cantankerous donkey.

“Princess Luna.”

The reply came from above.

Felix’s eyebrows rose in surprise as he recognized the two pegasi that had been Lieutenants in Shining Armor’s fallen army.

The Lunar Knights eyed the ponies that bore the heraldry of a crystal heart very closely as they landed on the stage.

The pegasus that bore a morning star as a cutie mark spoke as he pointed at the dwarf. “These two bear the tabards of the moon princess. Whatever these creatures say, they say with Princess Luna’s voice. To question them is to question the princess herself. Is that what you are doing, sir?”

The donkey glared back for a moment before lowering his eyes. “No.”

Nodding his head, the warrior pony with a bright shield cutie mark said to the crowd, “Then it is settled. Luna has spoken.”

Yewabor and its Uses

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The ponies filed out of the town hall, silently contemplating a life below ground. Some cast hostile glares at their appointed guardians who had forced this fate upon them. Gotrek and Felix ignored the pointed looks and instead focused their attention on two of their former enemies.

“Do either of you remember anything when you were corrupted?” Gotrek bluntly asked.

The two crystal empire guards winced in unison.

Bright Shield was the first to answer. “I remember everything. It was like . . . ,” the pony hesitated, searching for the right words. “It was like a nightmare that I couldn’t wake up from. I saw myself doing terrible things. Things I couldn’t even dream of doing.”

Morning Star nodded. “Yeah, I remember fighting both of you at the Ponyville train station. And during the entire time I was . . . changed. There was this voice in my head telling me what to do.”

“Was it the voice of Shining Armor?” asked Felix.

“No. It was actually a lot of voices, both mares and stallions talking as one. It only spoke when it wanted me to do something. Have you knights come across this before?”

“Hundreds of times,” replied the Slayer. “I lost count decades ago of how many warped things I’ve cleaved in two. Be thankful you’re not part of that tally.”

Both pegasai eyed the dwarf’s massive axe and gulped.

Felix rolled his eyes. “Do you know where Shining Armor is?”

“No,” answered Bright Shield. “After the short one . . .”

Gotrek cleared his throat and glared at the pony.

“Sorry. After Twilight Sparkle and her friends used the Elements of Harmony, I was normal again and lost my connection to Shining Armor.”

The poet nodded absently.

“Uh, Sirs,” Morning Star started to say. “What are your orders?”

Felix frowned. “Aren’t you needed in your own kingdom?”

Both guards looked at the ground in shame. “We can’t go home without the Prince,” replied Morning Star. “I’d rather stare down a horde of ice trolls then face Princess Cadence and explain to her how we failed to protect her husband. What can we do to help get him back?”

Gotrek was impressed. If there was one thing a dwarf admired about lesser races, it was honor. He completely understood the guard’s shame, since he had his own millstone of guilt to carry. “You can help by protecting this town and making sure these ponies are moved underground. We need warriors we can trust, since we won’t be here forever to protect this place. Are you up to this challenge?”

Bright Shield hesitated. “Yes, but what about the Prince?”

“Leave him to us,” said the Slayer. “We’ll bring him back, one way or another.”

The guards thanked the knights for this important assignment and began to pour over Twilight Sparkle’s plan to move all of Ponyville into the sewers. Leaving the two pegasi to their work, Gotrek and Felix stepped outside city hall. There they found Twilight and a zebra waiting for them.

“Ahh, are these the lunar knights I see? It is they I have to thank for setting me free?”

“Yes, Zecora. These are the two knights Princess Luna sent to help us,” said Twilight.

Gotrek waved off the pleasantries. “Enough talking. The Moon Princess said you can cure the taint of warpstone. Is this true?”

Unperturbed by the axe man’s gruffness, the zebra replied, “Come with me, and you shall see.”

“Where are we going?” asked Felix.

“Back to my place we must fly. Where I will show you secrets not meant for prying eyes.”

Minutes later the two knights and Twilight found themselves in Zecora’s hut deep in the Everfree Forest. Gotrek eyed the zebra’s decor with suspicion while Felix and the element of magic listened to what the potion mistress said.

“This warpstone stuff is cruel and quick, but turquoise located in the south may do the trick.”

Felix scratched his chin in thought. “How? Is there something special about that mineral? In the Empire we use it for decorations.” Felix paused in thought. “I don’t think any of the wizards from the Colleges of Magic have had any success in using it to fight chaos.”

“I agree,” Twilight said thoughtfully. “I don’t remember turquoise being a major component in any of the spells I’ve read up on. Is this mineral used for special zebra magic?”

Zecora didn’t answer any questions right away. Stepping around the Slayer, she picked up one of the masks decorating the wall, revealing a small cavity. “By itself the rock is useless. But it can do much more when combined with this.” Reaching into the hole, she produced a large vial of silver powder.

Felix took a look at the vial and recoiled in shock. “Is that u----“

“No!” shouted Zecora.

The zebra’s sudden outburst surprised Twilight. “What? What’s wrong?”

Felix looked at Zecora who was shaking her head ever so slightly and motioning towards Twilight. The poet glanced at the unicorn and finally comprehended what the potion mistress was trying to say without talking. “That’s yewabor, isn’t it? My Father sold it in his shop in Altdorf but in very, very small quantities.”

The zebra blinked but then picked up the thread Felix had laid for her. “Yes. You are correct. You knowing what this is, I did not expect. It is a family secret that I wanted to keep. But I suppose hiding it this long is still a feat.”

Gotrek watched this entire scene unfold without comment.

Twilight frowned. “I’ve never heard of yewabor before? I don’t think I’ve come across it anywhere. Not even in the Starswhirl the Bearded wing of the Canterlot Library.”

“That’s because it’s rare beyond belief,” answered Felix. “According to ancient poems I’ve read, yewabor can only be found deep in the jungles of the east and only at the bottoms of rivers during a full moon.” Looking at Zecora he said, “I’m sorry for disclosing this secret, ma’am. I wasn’t thinking.”

Zecora shrugged. “It would have come out eventually. The truth does so perpetually.”

“How much turquoise do you need?” Gotrek asked, getting the conversation back on track.

“Of this mineral I will need a lot. To Appleloosa with peril your journey is fraught. Flintrock lives in the desert and has a mine. Tell him Zecora sent you, and all will be fine.”

“Hmmmm.” Twilight was deep in thought. If the entire town works on the plan I put forth, they should be able to complete the move to the sewers in a matter of days. And the existing system should be able to hold the population for a short time if it has to. Ponyville should be okay if trouble arises while we’re away.

“What do you mean, ‘we?’” asked Gotrek. “You’re staying here while the manling and I get this stuff.”

Twilight shook her head. “No, right now the Elements of Harmony is the only force in Equestria that can fight warpstone. You’re going to need us. You two said so yourself. The Elements of Harmony can’t stay in Ponyville forever.”

“I’m not babysitting six flea-bitten horses down to Grungi knows where,” hissed Gotrek.

“You need them, and they need you. This is the command of Princess Luna, tried and true,” added Zecora.

“We don’t need---”

“Yes, we do Gotrek,” replied Felix quietly. “Our mission is to protect these six ponies and the inhabitants of this land. We serve both purposes by gathering this mineral with the element wielders. They are safer with us. If we go to this place by ourselves and we are killed, then we fail in our oath to the Princess. We are no use to her dead.”

Seeing that he couldn’t get his way this time, Gotrek ground his new teeth together in frustration. “So be it. But I can’t guarantee your safety out there.”

“I know.” Yawning in weariness, Twilight declared, “I’d better inform the Mayor and the girls what’s going on. The train to Appleloosa should be here by 11:00 o’clock tonight.”

As soon as Twilight left, Felix asked Zecora, “I take it she doesn’t know you’re collecting ground-up unicorn horn?”

The zebra couldn’t help but glance at the vial she had kept hidden for so long. “She does not know the main ingredient of my magic compound. And even if I told her, I don’t think she’d come around. That was some quick thinking back there. Twilight knowing the truth, I don’t think she could bear. ”

Gotrek did not seem at all surprised that Zecora was collecting and mashing up pieces of unicorns. “You don’t strike me as the murdering kind. So I’d wager you ‘re either a grave robber, or someone is giving you those body parts.”

Zecora shifted her weight nervously from hoof to hoof. “No ponies were harmed, you have my oath. And if you tell no one about this, I will be indebted to you both.”

The dwarf shrugged. “So if we mix turquoise with this magical bone dust, it will cure the corruption?”

“Yes, this ---”

“This is a waste of time, grave robber. It’s not going to work,” Gotrek stated, interrupting the potion brewer.

Zecora’s lips thinned. “How do you know, little fly? We will not know until we try.”

Gotrek’s grip tightened on his axe. “It’s a good thing the princess seems to value your services, horse. Come manling, this place disgusts me. We know what we need to know. All we must do now is wait.”

12:30 A.M. Ponyville Train Station

Twilight Sparkle rubbed her weary eyes and glanced at the large clock that hung above the train station.

In-between yawns Rainbow Dash asked, “Where in the hay is that train?”

Applejack shook her head to keep herself awake. “Like I said earlier, Rainbow, they probably got hung up somewhere.”

“I wish they’d hurry up. I don’t want to stay out here in the wilderness all night,” complained Rarity.

“Are you kidding? This is going to be a blast. We’ll stay up late. Keep watch. Tell each other soul-searching stories about our wretched past. Am I right, Gotty?”

The shorter knight didn’t answer. He stood where he was as still as a statue, puffing on his long pipe, off in his own world.

Twilight stared at Fluttershy. Gotrek wasn’t the only one being unusually silent. Sitting herself down next to her friend she whispered, “Are you okay?”

The pegasus nodded.

“You sure?”

The other pony looked over at the dwarf. “I just wish we weren’t going with them.”

“Fluttershy, we’ve been over this. They saved Ponyville. They saved us.”

“I know, but they hurt so many innocent animals. Those poor things didn’t know what they were doing. They remember, Twilight. They remember being hit with those cruel weapons. Some of my forest friends aren’t the same anymore.”

Twilight nodded. “I’m sorry, Fluttershy, but we have to do this. Please, give them a chance. That’s all I’m asking.”

Fluttershy didn’t reply for a long time. But finally she said, “I’ll try.”

Standing nearby, the poet couldn’t hear everything that was spoken between the two ponies, but he had heard enough. His gloved hands balled in frustration. Since the dragon was sleeping nearby, the hand wear was now a necessity. He had been wondering why the yellow pony had been giving him angry looks. Was she really that naïve? What were he and Gotrek supposed to do? Talk nicely and offer the warped monsters love and friendship?

“Sir Felix?”

The knight blinked. Standing infront of him was the white unicorn with the purple mane.

“I’m no Sir, ma’am. I’m just Felix.”

The pony smiled. “I beg to differ, my good man. My sister, Sweetie Belle, and I have seen you do things worthy of a knight.”

Glancing at Fluttershy, Felix replied, “I’m glad you at least think so.”

Rarity followed the human’s gaze and nodded in understanding. “Fluttershy is very sensitive when it comes to animals. Deep down she knows you are not to blame for what’s happened to them . . . but it may take time for her to realize that.”

“Yeah, she’ll come around.”

Felix looked up to see Rainbow Dash had been eavesdropping.

The pegasus grinned smugly down at the human. “And by the way, you owe me a drink.”

The poet frowned, unsure of what the mare was talking about. But then it dawned on him. “How many wood wolves did you best in front of the hospital?”

“How many did you beat?” countered the pegasus.

Felix tried to remember, but couldn’t. “I don’t know.”

“That’s right, he doesn’t know. He was too busy rescuing me,” Rarity said gazing lovingly at Felix.

“Ha! I win by default then!” Rainbow Dash cried triumphantly.

“Hush up, you guys. I think the train’s coming,” Applejack hissed.

“It’s about bloody time,” Gotrek muttered as he extinguished his pipe.

The approaching train from Canterlot blew it’s loud, shrill whistle as it rolled into the station.

While rubbing his eyes, Spike sleepily looked at the train. “Oh great, the train’s here. Uh, shouldn’t there be lights on or something?”

Felix looked the train up and down. The dragon was right. There was not a single light source in the cars or the engine. Instinctively, the poet drew his sword, and Gotrek readied his axe.

The steam engine was battered, and several of the railcars had jagged holes torn into the sides. As the noise of the train’s arrival died away, the screams and din of battle could be heard from the coaches. From the lead car, a pegasus donned in the livery of the Canterlot Royal Guard jumped down on the wooden platform of the station. The pony screamed in pain when he landed. One of the pony’s legs was broken, and the warrior’s armor was so damaged, it looked like he was wearing a crushed tin can. “Help! We can’t hold them in for much longer!”

Gotrek sprang into action, rushing headlong up the train ladder and into the railcar.

Before Felix could shout after the dwarf, Twilight commanded, “Felix! Go to the other end. We’ll catch them in a vice. Rainbow Dash, Applejack, back him up. Pinkie, you’re with me. Fluttershy, Rarity, Spike, help this guard.”

The knight did not argue as he rushed to the last car of the train. From the corner of his eye, he saw Twilight and Pinkie climbing up the same route the Slayer had taken. When he reached the entrance to the last car, he said to the two ponies, “Alright, just keep calm and watch each other’s back.” Felix looked at Rainbow Dash. “And don’t get ahead of us. We need to stick together.”

“Yeah, yeah, we’re not amateurs. A.J. could you open the door?”

“Sure can. Excuse me, Sugarcube.” The work horse gently moved Felix out of the way. Using her powerful back legs, Applejack bucked the door off its hinges.

The knight was the first one through, weapon ready to parry any blows swung his way. The poet could barely see a thing. Only the lamps from the train station afforded the human any light. Quietly, the Equestrians followed the human through the dimly-lit room. Moments later, Felix heard Gotrek’s war-cry from several cars away. The human fought the urge to hurry to help him, knowing it would be foolish to run headlong into the unknown. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he saw something move. “Hold on,” he whispered to his companions. There was something off to his side, sitting in one of the passenger seats. He squinted to get a better view. That was when the object opened its emerald eyes and lunged at him. The corrupted guard-pony pinned the knight against the wall, the pony’s snapping teeth inches away from the man’s throat. Before Felix could act, an orange hoof slugged the pegasus in the side of face, caving in the pony’s helmet.

“You alright, partner?”

Felix didn’t have time to answer. Swinging his sword in a wide arc, the fighter clubbed a second guardsman about to bite the earthpony’s neck. The guard caught the sword full in the face, but Luna’s enchantment saved him from decapitation.

“Much obliged,” said a surprised Applejack.

“Help!”

Felix looked ahead. In the center of the passenger car, Rainbow Dash was surrounded by three more warped ponies. One was a Canterlot guard, armed with a spear, but two were earth ponies garbed in train coveralls, wielding shovels and wrenches. The surrounded pony couldn’t watch all three opponents at once, and the engineer wielding a shovel scored a glancing hit on the pony’s wing. Rainbow Dash winced in pain as she tucked her wing under herself.

Felix surged forward and attacked the guard before the corrupted pegasus could impale his wounded opponent. The guard had just enough time to try and block the swordsman’s weapon with his own. Felix’s sword cut through the spear haft like it wasn’t there and would have bisected the pegasus in half if the protective bubble hadn’t formed. The pony collapsed in a heap on the floor after the human’s blow was struck.

Meanwhile, A.J had ducked under the pony swinging the wrench. She pounded her hooves into the engineer’s midriff and knocked the wind out of the earth pony.

Rainbow Dash, moving as quickly as she could with her hurt wing, tackled the pony using the shovel. With a loud crash both ponies landed just behind Felix. Before the poet could move to help Rainbow, he screamed in agony. He looked down and saw that a golden fletched arrow had pierced his foot and was pinning him to the carpeted floor.

Four more corrupted ponies had appeared from the neighboring car. Two were wielding bows while their brethren wielded spears.

As the archers nocked their arrows and aimed for the crippled human, a pink-painted bomb bounced under the warped pony’s hooves. The resulting explosion blinded Felix, and the train car was filled with salmon-colored smoke and confetti. The poet heard several grunts and groans and bodies hitting the floor as the seconds ticked by.

“Hold Still, manling. This is going to hurt.”

“Gotrek, wait!” yelled Twilight.

At this point the human’s vision had returned. The remaining smoke stung his eyes, but standing over him was the Slayer. His huge hand gripped the arrow lodged in his foot.

“Fluttershy has pulled thorns out of the paws of manticors. She can help Felix better than just ripping the arrow out of his leg.”

The dwarf warred between yanking the projectile out himself, which Felix could tell he really wanted to do, and doing things the Pony’s way. Gotrek pulled on his beard before saying, “Fine. I’m going to check the rest of the train for these snotling fondlers.”

“I’ll back you up,” said Applejack.

“Ohhhh, a side quest. Count me in,” Pinkie said giddily.

Felix sighed in relief when the axeman stalked down the train car, checking the bodies of the fallen ponies as he went.

“Are you okay?” the question came from Rainbow Dash.

The poet winced when Twilight began to examine the wound. “Fine, great, fantastic, best day of my life in fact. How’s your wing?”

“It’s pretty sore, but I’ll be flying again in no time. And, uh, thanks for bailing me out back there.”

Felix nodded. “Does this mean we’re even now on the drinks?”

The flyer shrugged. “I guess so.”

“I’ll get Fluttershy and the others,” said Twilight. “Don’t either of you move.”

Moments later, Rarity, Fluttershy, Spike, Twilight, and the guard captain made their way into the rail car.

“Oh, you poor dear!” cried Rarity as she rushed to Felix’s side. “Are you hurt badly, Felix? What happened? Should I pull it out?”

Gently moving her friend aside, Fluttershy took a look at the injury and winced. “Oh my, this is serious. We need to get you to the hospital.”

Felix shook his head. “We don’t have time. We must get this train moving now. Ms. Twilight said you pulled thorns out of manitcores.”

The yellow pegasus nodded hesitantly, “Yes, but . . .”

The human smiled. “I trust you.”

Fluttershy looked at the poet and took a deep breath. “Everypony, hold him down. Felix, I’ll need your sword.”

The knight shook his head. “No. You can use anything but my sword.”

The veterinarian frowned. “But I’ll need something sharp to cut the fletched end off the arrow.”

“Trust me; you don’t want to touch this blade,” Felix looked at Spike. “Not with Spike anywhere near here. I’ll explain later. Just break it off, or use one of the guard’s spears.”

Twilight frowned but did not press Felix on the sword. Instead she used her magic to levitate a spear to Fluttershy’s small but steady hooves. It only took a few moments for the pegasus to saw off the fletched end of the arrow. But the vibrations sent shockwaves of pain down Felix’s rigid body.

When that part of the surgery was completed, Fluttershy looked at the guard pony. “Help me lift his leg off the arrow.”

The Captain nodded.

Looking at the knight, Fluttershy said, “Felix, this is going to hurt. I’m sorry.”

“I’m ready. Just do it.”

While Rainbow Dash, Twilight, and Spike held down the poet, Rarity held Felix’s hand for comfort.

With one great pull, the two pegasi lifted the human’s leg off the arrow. Felix gave a loud yell and clenched Rarity’s hoof tightly before fainting into unconsciousness.

The Road to Sigmar

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Felix shook his head and opened his eyes. He was standing on a stone road on top of a small hill. The poet was surrounded on all sides by trees. The smell of acorns and maple leaves was everywhere. The poet frowned. “This place looks familiar.”

He looked off to the side. If he was where he thought he was, then . . . .“Can it be?” he said to himself. Felix walked off the road and towards a familiar-looking tree some yards away. He was striding quickly towards a sycamore. In the distance he could hear the rush of a stream over the crunching of rocks and leaves under his feet. As he walked, he dodged holes in the ground and branches. His feet knew those obstacles were there before he did. He had traveled the path he was on before, or so he thought.

When he reached the white tree, he saw nothing of note. It was not here. Disappointment creased his handsome features. He was not where he thought he was after all. As he turned to leave and go back the way he came, a memory struck him like lightning. He turned to face the familiar tree again. “It’s on the other side,” he whispered.

Felix hastily ran to the other side of the sycamore, nearly tripping over the roots of the lonely sentinel. He knew without a doubt where he was as he touched rough knife marks that he and his brother made years ago. They were faint and weathered by time, but he knew his handiwork and that of his kin’s. Carved into the tree were the letters “F” for Felix and “O” for Otto, and underneath those characters was the letter “J” for Jaeger. These three letters were encircled by a crude, three-pronged shield.

A wide smile broke upon Felix’s face as he said, “I’m home.” He abruptly turned on his heel and ran back the way he came until he happened back upon the stone road. Grinning from ear to ear, his feet slapped down on the path as he ran as fast as he could. He became dimly aware he had this route to himself as he pumped his fists up and down to build momentum. As he crested a hill, he was breathing hard and sweating. But to view the sight he was seeing now, he would have crossed a thousand hills.

He was looking upon the outskirts of a huge city a few miles away in the distance. The name of the city came to him instantly for this was the metropolis of his birth.

“Altdorf, I’m . . . I’m back, praise Sigmar.” Unbidden tears came down his face as he said the words he had not expected to say for a long time. He had never truly realized how beautiful and grand this city was until now. It was and still is the greatest, most powerful city of the Empire of Man and home of His Majesty, Emperor Karl Franz, forever may he reign. He knew he had been away for a long time but could not remember why for some reason. Nor could he remember why he was wearing a strange tabard on his chest or a foreign sword sheathed at his side.

The sun was setting behind him. The dying light of the day highlighted the regal gryphon statues on the battlements and towers. This sight filled Felix with longing to go into the metropolis and see his father. Despite his somewhat ill feelings towards the old man, he missed him. He had not seen him in years, and he hoped he was still well.

Despite the majesty he felt during this moment of primitive beauty, the poet began to feel uncomfortable, like he should not be here. That was a strange thought; of course, he should be here. This was his home. But there in lay the problem. This was indeed his home, and he missed it. However, there was a reason why he left, why he had been avoiding it, but at the moment, he could not remember.

He pushed those thoughts aside and took a few step forward on the road. The wind picked up suddenly and helped propel him down the stone path very quickly. It was exhilarating. He ran faster than he had ever run before. The wind rejuvenated him, and he was no longer sweating or breathing hard from his previous exertion. Gods he had missed this place. The wind died down slowly and eventually stopped. He must have run nearly two miles, almost to the very gates of the city and was not tired. This fact did not register with Felix as he saw huge structures poking up from behind the mighty dwarven-built walls of the town. He beheld the towers of the College of Magic and the spires of the School of Engineers. Then his gaze rested upon the towering Cathedral of Altdorf, and he felt an overpowering urge to go into the city and visit that holy place.

Wanting to savor the moment, Felix stepped off the road and sat down underneath an oak tree. That one feeling was still bothering him and kept him from completely enjoying this perfect moment. He could feel it down in his bones, and it demanded his attention like a thorn pushing through the sole of his boot. The poet closed his eyes and concentrated. In his mind a misty face appeared and forced its way forward into the forefront of his thoughts. Felix could not make out specific details, but he knew it belonged to a dwarf. Gotrek? Yes, that was his name, Gotrek Gurnison.

An agonizing pain shot through Felix’s right foot. The poet looked down and to his surprise, blood was leaking from his boot. The pain galvanized the warrior into a moment of clarity. His memory returned. He remembered the Slayer and his adventures with him. He also recalled the Elements of Harmony, Equestria, and his latest wounding in a series of wounds sustained in prosecuting his mission. Only one question remained for the poet. “Why am I here?” muttered Felix.

Slowly, the knight stood and limped back to the road. Felix watched the sun disappear beyond the horizon and plunge his world into darkness. His jaw clenched tightly. There was only one creature he knew that had the power to herald in the night so quickly. The poet’s anger built and grew like thunder heads. The city he had one day prayed he would return to seemed so close and yet was really far, far away, for none of this was real.

“Come out if it pleases you, Princess Luna. I know this is your doing. There is no need to hide from your servant.” Hearing no reply, he looked from side to side and behind him to see if she was nearby. He saw nothing but dark, unfriendly trees surrounding him. This did not stop Felix from saying, “I would not mind speaking to you, My Lady, but why? Why did you choose to meet me here so close to my home?” He looked around him again hoping to see movement. “You know I can’t come back here, so why now do you decide to torture me in this way?”

His frustration and anger came to a head as he shouted, “Answer me, damn you!” Taking a step forward, he cringed in pain as his hurt leg tripped on a loose stone. Losing his footing, Felix fell on the cold, unforgiving stones.

At first silence was his only companion. Then from behind him he heard the sound of approaching hoof beats, rhythmically slapping down on the stone road. Painfully rising to his feet, Felix turned and looked into the darkness. What came forth out of the night was not his Princess, but a stout, healthy mule bathed in torchlight. On top of the animal sat a bald man garbed in the scarlet robes of a Priest of Sigmar. In his left hand a bright lantern was held aloft highlighting the priest’s face. The face held deep stress lines and eyes that had the look of one who beheld the deaths of too many innocents. His right hand held the reigns of the mule, but clipped to his belt on the right side of his waist was a war hammer, the weapon favored by the priest’s deity and all who followed his way.

The holy man pulled gently on the reigns and stopped his mount some feet away from Felix. He dismounted slowly yet gracefully like he was born in the saddle. His sandaled feet made only the slightest noise when he touched the stone, his eyes never leaving the poet’s. He was tall, several inches taller than Felix, but carried himself delicately and deliberately. It was like if he did not move in a certain way, he would collapse and break. With his right hand the priest pulled a thick, sturdy metal walking stick out of a pair of holding straps attached to the mule. The man ponderously walked towards the poet while he leaned heavily on the metallic rod. He stopped when he was just out of Felix’s sword reach.

Up close the priest was younger than Felix expected but wore a frown as he spoke. “I do not recognize your heraldry, sir knight. Who are you and where do you come from?” His voice was stern but laced with pain that he was doing his best to conceal. He spoke heavily accented Reikspeil like he belonged to the northern nations bordering the Chaos Wastes.

Since this was obviously another dream, Felix decided to answer the priest’s question honestly. “My name is Felix Jaeger, Father. I am . . .” Felix snickered, suddenly overcome with mirth. “I don’t think I am really here and that you exist. I believe I am in a dream pieced together by my own or somebody else’s imagination. As far as who I serve . . .” Felix straightened and pointed to his tabard’s emblem. “Besides his majesty, Emperor Karl Franz, I serve her Excellency, Princess Luna, an alicorn and joint ruler of the Realm of Equestria.”

The priest looked Felix over with his dark, brown eyes like he was trying to find some hidden truth from this stranger’s movements and gestures. His gaze came to rest on the hilt of Felix’s long sword and his eyes widened. He pointed at the sheathed blade and said, “That is a handsome looking sword, sir. May I take a closer look at it?”

Felix hesitated at the request; he had not expected that sort of reply from a figment of his imagination. Sensing little threat from the crippled apparition, he unsheathed his sword, walked up to the priest, and presented him the weapon, hilt first. The holy man in return gave Felix his metallic walking stick and grasped the weapon that Felix was handing him. He did not swish the blade around in the air but held his lantern over the sword while he examined it.

The flame from the lantern danced across the scarlet weapon, and the runes upon the sword blazed like several tiny fires across the length of the weapon. After several long minutes of looking at the dwarvish runes on the crimson blade, the priest spoke. “You realize what you have here, don’t you, Sir?”

The poet snorted. “Please, since this is a dream, you don’t have to be so formal. Call me Felix. And yes, I have an idea of what the weapon is. The blade’s name is Karaghul, and it is a weapon made for the Sigmarian Order of the Fiery Heart. Specifically, it was created to slay dragons. ”

The priest nodded. “Aye, that is its purpose. Are you a member of said order, Felix?”

Felix shook his head. “No. I found this blade traveling with a companion of mine. However, we were joined at the time with another of that order. His name was Aldred Keppler. He was leading a quest down into Karak Eight Peaks to recover this relic. When the venture was over, just me and my companion, a dwarven slayer, were left alive. I had promised myself I would return this sword to the order as soon as I could, and thus far, that opportunity has eluded me.”

The priest nodded again as he absorbed this information. He then shown his light at Felix’s bloody boot. “Arrow wound?”

“Yes,” answered Felix. He winced as he put more of his weight on the injured member, testing his pain tolerance.

Without a word the holy man returned the runed blade back to Felix and limped back to his mule. With practiced ease he slung himself into the saddle, but the effort was taxing, and it showed by the pained grimace on his face. Carefully, the priest placed his lantern around his saddle.

Despite this being a dream, Felix felt a pang of concern for the man and regretted not showing more respect towards him. The swordsman tried to give back the priest’s iron walking stick, but the holy man shook his head. “Keep it. That wound in your leg looks painful.” The Sigmarian sighed and declared, “Believe it or not, Felix, I think I am in this place . . . this dream with you. I believe my body, that is . . . my physical body is in another place while my soul is here. ”

The poet favored the priest with a curious look. “What makes you say that, Father?”

In reply the priest smiled. “If this is a dream, then call me Dimitri.” The holy man extend his hand. “Dimitri Tupalov of Kislev at your service.” Felix grasped the other man’s hand firmly and shook it. The holy man had a crushing grip; Felix had no doubt that despite his handicap, the man was still very dangerous.

Dimitri dug his heels into the mule’s flanks, and the beast of burden began to move forward. Felix kept pace beside the animal, thanks to the metal rod.

Clearing his throat the holy man continued, “I believe this is a dream because . . .” he chuckled almost the same way Felix did earlier, “I have never ridden a mule before in my life. I grew up riding horses. This animal was with me when I . . . appeared in this world. You see, my post was in the City of Praag, and that’s where I began this dream, this spiritual journey, as I like to call it, in that city. This mule appeared to me saddled and ready to ride outside my hospital tent, and I felt an overpowering desire to climb aboard and see where it took me.”

Dimitri suddenly cried out in agony as the mule jostled him.

Felix stopped the beast of burden and put his hand on the arm of Dimitri. “How bad are you hurt, Father?”

Through gritted teeth he said, “Bad, but there’s nothing to be done about it.”

He gently pushed Felix back and spurred the mule forward again.

As Felix walked with the mule, he saw blood soaking through the priest’s robes. “How did you get hurt?”

After a deep breath, the priest replied, “A poisoned spear through the lung. I think it was half a day ago by now. I was riding with a group of town watchmen when we were attacked by chaos marauders. We drove them off, but one of those bast---, heathens drove a spear through my chest and broke off the tip. The surgeon dug it out, and Sigmar has done what he could for the poison. The pain though is nigh unbearable and is getting worse, and I believe I will be by Sigmar’s side very soon. In fact, the doctors said that I probably would not last the night. Soon after I went to sleep, and I see this mule standing outside my tent. So I figure, pardon the expression, what the hell? I got nothing better to do other than die. I got dressed, climbed on, and the mule started walking. However, oddly enough, it did not seem strange to me at the time that I did not see anyone in the city. No one was manning the walls or towers, and no lights were in any of the buildings. That should have let me know that this was . . . something different; Praag would never be abandoned, not in the face of an invasion.” He looked down at the knight and said seriously, “We are on the verge of another chaos incursion, Felix, and it’s a big one, I fear. It may well be as great as the one two hundred years ago during the reign of your emperor, Magnus the Pious, Sigmar rest his soul.”

Felix nodded. When he and Gotrek were on their way back from Karag Dum on the Spirit of Grungi, he had seen with his own eyes the vast chaos armies pouring south from the Wastes. If Luna had not called them to Equestria, he and Gotrek would probably be in Kislev waiting to help repel the invaders.

The poet’s thoughts were interrupted when Dimitri said, “But none of these things should worry you since I am not real and could be telling you lies.”

Felix let out his breath in a slow sad sigh. As he did so, he saw the air form into a cloud of vapor. It had gotten colder. “I’m sorry for saying that earlier, Father. And I am sorry about your wound.”

The holy man laughed and then started to cough violently in-between laughs. When he was done, he said, “I’m just giving you a hard time, Felix, and I thank you for your condolences. I don’t blame you; you have every right to be suspicious of me. In fact, I am not completely convinced that you’re real either. But there are two things I am certain about. We will all meet our creator, in my case sooner rather than later. And that the only way out of this dream or journey is down this road.”

To change the subject about Dimitri’s wound Felix stated, “I’m assuming you tried to deviate from this path.” The priest shook his head. “No. Instead I closed my eyes to pray when this mule began to take me out of the city gates of Praag. When I was done praying and opened my eyes, I was here, and I heard your voice a minute ago.”

As soon as Dimitri finished speaking, they arrived at the opened gates of Altdorf. Felix looked up and along the walls of the vast city as they walked through one of the main entrances. It was just like Dimitri had described Praag, vacant and eerie.

They advanced through the phantom city, foot and hoof falls echoing throughout the abandoned streets. No lights greeted them. All was darkness, save for one beacon of illumination in the distance.

Standing defiant against the darkness was the grand old Cathedral of Altdorf. A golden aura surrounded the entire building, and it glowed majestically like it was the only source of light in the world. It was rumored over two thousand years ago Sigmar himself was crowned emperor on the ground where the cathedral now stood. Felix had been there before many times, but the saintly place had never looked more beautiful to him than it did now.

Both men stopped to gaze upon the majesty of the enormous, octagonal structure. No more were they afraid of what may have laid in-between the shadows of Altdorf. Instead they were filled with purpose. They knew deep down that the cathedral was where the road ended and a new path would start. There they would find their answers to unspoken questions.

As Felix limped along-side the plodding mule towards the pillar of light, the knight regaled Dimitri about his adventures with Gotrek and how he had come about to swear his services to him. Felix told him everything except for his current expedition in Equestria and how he ended up in that place. Dimitri was enthralled with Felix’s stories. All he had to do was listen because the mule knew exactly where they were going. The poet told the dying holy man about his many encounters with beastmen and cultists in the woodlands of the empire, and sadly explained how he lost the woman he had hoped to spend the rest of his life with in a goblin raid. He described foiling the many skaven plots in the city of Nuln, and then heading into the chaos wastes on a dwarven-made airship to rescue the survivors of Karag Dum. Finally, Felix spoke of fighting and slaying the chaos dragon Skjalandir in the World Edge Mountains with the help of the Slayers, the magician, Max Schriber, and a Kislev warrior-princess, Ulrika Magdova.

Felix hesitated before continuing; he did not want to talk about Ulrika. Ever since Luna had summoned them to Equestria, he had avoided thinking about her. From the moment he saw her, he was in love, and the feeling was mutual. However, it was a tumultuous relationship. They were very different from each other. He was a wandering poet with very little attached to his name, while Ulrika was a princess with a bright but predictable future ahead of her. After the fight with the dragon, the Spirit of Grungi had to head east to Nuln to warn the Empire of the impending threat coming down from the north. Ulrika understood the ties of blood and honor that compelled the dwarfs to warn their Imperial allies, but she could not wait. Her mission was to warn her princess, the Ice Queen of Kislev, of the same threat. Felix could not come with her since he had sworn to follow the Troll Slayer, and Gotrek was going to Nuln with his dwarven comrades.

When Felix told Dimitri this, the priest nodded in understanding. He said that he was a good and honorable man for staying with Gotrek and keeping his promise to the dwarf. The knight knew that this was high praise indeed coming from the holy man. However, at the same time he would have given anything to be with Ulrika at that moment.

As Felix was concluding his odyssey tale, they passed through the golden aura that encompassed the cathedral grounds. At once Felix could feel the temperature begin to warm to a more comfortable level, and he heard a powerful voice issuing from the heart of the building.

As he tried to listen to what the voice was saying, he found that his gaze was drifting skyward to look at the cathedral in all its magnificence. Felix looked over to Dimitri to see if he was doing the same. Dimitri was indeed looking heavenward, but at the same time he was knuckling his eyes and doing his best to suppress a loud sob. Felix respectfully looked away from the priest, completely understanding his emotion. One would need a heart of iron to not be moved at this spectacle. From far away the cathedral was beautiful. However, if one were to stand before it at its very doors . . . there were no words to describe its magnificence.

Felix patiently waited for the priest to compose himself, and after a few moments, the holy man said in a husky voice, “Well, my friend . . . shall we go in?” Felix turned to face the holy man and walked over to the mule. He was about to assist Dimitri off of the beast of burden when the priest waved off his attempt and said nervously, “I want to try something. Stand back, please.”

Felix grudgingly obeyed and took a few steps back and waited. Dimitri took a deep breath, as if he was expecting what he was about to do would cause him a lot of pain. He began to dismount, at first timidly, then more quickly, gaining confidence as he progressed until he was on the ground and standing straight as an arrow, unassisted. Grinning nervously, he experimentally took one step forward and then a few more.

The priest was now smiling from ear to ear as he was doing this. He then opened the red robes of his office to reveal a large, unsightly scar in the center of his chest that had just recently healed. It was pink but not green or black like it would have been if poison was still in the wound.

Dimitri stood back up and said happily, “At least I may stand before Sigmar when the time comes.”

Felix was smiling, too, as he nodded his agreement. He lifted his right foot, and to his satisfaction, his wound had stopped bleeding and was no longer causing him pain. If this place and Dimitri were a figment of his imagination, it was the most convincing and likeable one he had ever had the pleasure of being in. Felix was glad that Dimitri’s pain had been temporarily alleviated. However, if the holy man was real, then his wound might still be on his real body, still festering, and still killing him.

As Felix thought of this, his smile disappeared and a pitying look came over his features. In spite of his rapidly disappearing doubts about the holy man, he found that he cared for the priest, regardless of the short time they had been in each other’s company.

Noticing the change in the knight’s demeanor, the holy man came up to Felix and put a fatherly hand on his shoulder. He looked his friend in the eye and said, “Felix, my friend, if you are worried about me, don’t be. I am in the Founder’s hands, as are you. I believe he is the one who bid us down this path, although I know not why. So let us dwell here no more in darkness. Instead, let us find shelter in our Father’s house.” The holy man’s words did much to lighten Felix’s heart, and together they walked up to the great doors of the Cathedral and pushed them open.

The Road to Sigmar Part 2

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The holy place was just as Felix remembered it in real life. Everything was the same, from the beautiful stained glass windows, to the worn marble floor that had seen uncountable multitudes of worshippers and pilgrims pass through the centuries.

There were differences, however. The most obvious was that the cathedral was packed with people from every corner of the Old World. Some turned their heads to see who the newcomers were. To Felix’s surprise, he saw men and women, not just from the Empire, but from Brettonia, the Border Princes, Kislev, and several other minor human nations, judging from their heraldry. He also saw several dwarfs standing against the walls of the cathedral and sitting in the pews. A few of them smiled and nodded their heads at him. Word had spread through the dwarven realm about Felix’s and Gotrek’s exploits at Karag Dum and in the World Edge Mountains.

Dimitri and Felix found a place to stand close to the entrance where they would not be in the way, for all of the pews were full. Felix looked straight ahead, and to his continued astonishment, the holy leader of the Cult of Sigmar, the Grand Theogonist himself, was standing behind the stone lectern preaching. However, this Grand Theogonist had been dead for over four hundred years.

His name was Wilhelm the Third. Four and a half centuries ago he led the defense of the city of Altdorf against an undead army commanded by the vampire lord of Sylvania, Vlad von Carstein. According to his history books and professors, the assault lasted for many months. The people, the soldiers, and the city were on the verge of defeat during the final days of the siege. Then the Grand Theogonist confronted von Carstein on the ramparts of the city. The fight was won but at a terrible cost. Sustaining mortal wounds, Wilhelm the Third summoned the last of his power and pushed himself and the vampire lord off the high walls and onto the wooden stakes below. Some of Felix’s more eccentric teachers insisted that a certain ring was stolen from von Carstein by a master thief before this duel took place. They said that the ring held the key to the vampire’s invulnerability, and that if it had not been stolen, the day walker would have survived in spite of the Grand Theogonist’s sacrifice.

Felix paid little attention to that mental footnote. Instead, he focused on the scars, rents, and holes in Wilhelm’s armor that were still there from his war centuries ago. Out of curiosity, the poet glanced to his side to gauge Dimitri’s reaction to being preached to by a dead man. Dimitri just stood there staring, his mouth open and his eyes wide. He could not believe what he was seeing either.

As if feeling the gaze of the two newcomers upon him, the Grand Theogonist finished speaking his message and brought his sight down on the two men standing in the very back of the cathedral. With his steel gauntleted right hand he motioned for a scribe to come forward. The lad leapt to obey and brought with him a yellowing scroll that he placed in front of Wilhelm on the stone lectern. The old leader of the Cult of Sigmar unrolled the parchment and began to read.

While the cult leader scrutinized the list, Felix looked around him once more and noticed that everyone he could see was a chosen of Sigmar. Witch hunters, battle priests, templars, and other cult organizations were represented in the cathedral. Many of the holy cultists had shaved heads and carried war hammers not unlike Dimitri’s. All of them were waiting eagerly for the Grand Theogonist’s next words.

Felix suddenly felt very out of place in the company he was in. His midnight blue tabard, depicting Luna’s white-moon cutie mark, stood out against the sea of crimson robes and polished armor. And his long blond hair made him look like a northern heathen compared to the shaved and close cropped heads of the other holy men here. Dimitri saw Felix’s gaze wonder across the church. He nudged him to get his attention. He whispered, “I’m amused to say, my friend, that you seem as out of place as a blushing bride at a funeral.” Felix smirked at this and did his best not to laugh; he had to admit his new friend was right.

Soon after Dimitri’s comment was made, the Grand Theogonist looked up from the scroll and in a loud voice boomed, “Dimitri Tupalov, and Felix Jaeger. Are you present among us?” Both men stepped forward at the same time and shouted back, “Aye.” Every eye in the cathedral turned to look at the new comers. At this time Felix whispered to Dimitri, “Hello, bridesmaid.” Despite the piercing scrutiny both of them were now under, the holy man could not suppress a smile and giggle.

Having received confirmation, Wilhelm the Third gently rolled the parchment back up and held it aloft above his head. “Brothers and sisters, we have gathered.” As everyone’s attention turned back to the cult leader, the parchment caught fire and burned quickly into nothingness. The holy one lowered his arm and stepped out from behind the lectern, his armored feet clanking against the floor as he moved. He walked down several steps that led from the upper sanctuary to the ground floor. When he climbed down the last step, a friendly smile appeared on his otherwise hardened face.

“First of all, my friends, thank you for waiting patiently and listening to an old man preach. It has been a while since my last sermon in this place, and I am happy to see this cathedral full of Sigmar’s disciples,” Wilhelm said in a warm voice that echoed through the church. He paused briefly before continuing, and looked into the sea of faces before him. He saw hope, anxiety, and curiosity all written on his congregation’s features. Pride filled the high priest as he noticed a complete lack of fear in his people; everyone gathered here was determined to see where this journey ended. Truly these were the chosen of Sigmar; his heroes had not changed in over four hundred years. However, despite their brave faces, he also saw a quiet layer of doubt underneath their stoic features. He nodded to himself and began his real sermon. “I have a question for you, my friends. Who here thinks that this is a fantasy or a dream, if you will? Who amongst you thinks that I’m not really here and neither are you? Who believes that this cathedral, this city, the very air you’re now breathing is all just a fabrication, a figment of your imagination?”

No one hesitated; everyone in the congregation raised their hands high into the air.

“Well, my brethren, you are indeed correct. This is a dream; all of you are here only in spirit, not in flesh.” To the congregation this did not come as a surprise since a man long dead was talking to them.

The high priest of Sigmar began to slowly pace back and forth before the assembled people, his right hand toying with the pommel of his ornate war hammer. “Right now I am wagering that all of you are wondering, ‘Why am I here with my other brothers and sisters being talked to by a long-dead Grand Theogonist, and how do I know that this is not a trick of the ruinous powers?’”

Felix whispered to Dimtri, “Excellent questions.” Judging from Dimitri and the many other nodding heads in the crowd of worshippers, they thought so as well.

“Well, brothers and sisters, you have cut to the heart of the matter.” He stopped pacing and put his arms back behind his huge, armored frame. “I shall answer the second question first. It is known that the unholy ones can manipulate us even in our dreams. You all know this, and I would be concerned if you did not have suspicions about what I am telling you and accepted what I say as blind truth.” He began to pace once more.

“With that being said, since this is a dream, any proof that I can conjure would be inconsequential. Therefore, what I am asking you to do is take a leap of faith. After all, is that not what Johann Helsturm the first Grand Theogonist did when Sigmar appeared to him in a vision twenty-five hundred years ago and told him to create this religion? The Founder manifested himself to Father Helstrurm, and Johann took a chance and believed. That is exactly what I am asking you to do now: to believe that what I am telling you is the truth.”

The former savior of Altdorf paused to let his words sink in. The holy men in front of him did not move, so enraptured were they by the Grand Theogonist’s words. Felix too was leaning forward in anticipation to hear what he would say next.

“As to why you are here, some of you, if not many of you, have heard that a massive chaos invasion is coming from the Northern Wastes. It will put to shame the black invasion that happened two hundred years ago. As it did in previous times, it will strike Kislev first and head south, ruining everything in its path. This is why all of you are here. Brothers and Sisters, we stand on the brink of annihilation. In the Empire and elsewhere, cultists are gathering to practice their blasphemous worship of the gods of anarchy. Orks are slaughtering entire communities of dwarfs and men in the World Edge Mountains and beyond. The Skaven are emerging from their warrens en masse and are undermining our cities.”

He stopped pacing again and paused for effect. Felix had to admit, for a dead man, he knew how to work a crowd. “Soldiers of Sigmar,” continued Wilhelm the third, “let no one doubt that the challenges ahead of us are great, but not insurmountable. Only through faith, strength, and purpose can we prevail in the coming times of tribulation and turmoil. I can see that all of you have more than sufficient faith and strength. Tonight, Sigmar will renew your purpose.”

The Grand Theogonist turned on his heel and marched back up the stairs to the lectern. “He has always been with us in spirit, my brethren, but tonight you shall see his face and know his plan for us. Sigmar shall call you forth one by one to speak with him in the room of greater communion. In the interim we shall sing our praises to him.” The holy one’s voice began to rise and become even more passionate. “Let your zeal be known from Averheim to Ernegrad, from Slyvania to Bretonnia, from Southern Araby to the thrice-damned Chaos Wastes!”

An ear-shattering cheer exploded from the throats of the entire congregation. Everyone stood on their feet and chanted, “Sigmar, Sigmar, Sigmar” over and over again until the Grand Theogonist in his entrancing voice began singing an old soldiers’ hymn that Felix knew quite well. He joined in the song as did everyone else. As the marching tune washed over the cathedral, Felix noticed a templar from one of the center pews walk down the middle of the isle. The warrior ascended the same steps the high priest had a minute ago. Before going through a small doorway behind the stone lectern, he hesitated and looked over to Wilhelm for guidance.

The long-dead leader of the Sigmar cult turned to meet the templar’s gaze and nodded. Thus emboldened, the templar opened the small wooden door and closed it behind him.

While Felix and the other members of the congregation were finishing the last verse of the hymn, the templar emerged from the small room. He looked like a man who had just received a mission from God and was eager to carry it out. Before he could descend the marble steps, the Grand Theogonist stopped singing. He came up to the templar and whispered something into his ear. The holy warrior nodded. The templar did not return any of the glances or stares from his brethren. He just kept walking until he exited the cathedral through the great front doors.

This was the norm throughout the rest of the night. While the assembly of Sigmar sang or the Grand Theogonist preached, seemingly random members of the congregation were silently called forth to commune with their deity. For their part, Felix and Dimitri had claimed a slowly vacating pew to rest their tired feet. As he sat down and continued to wait, Felix could not help but wonder why he was here with all of these men of God. Felix was not a devout man, but he believed in Sigmar. That being said, he also believed in other gods as well. He did pray to Sigmar and go to the cathedral in his early youth, but there was no special place in his heart for the Hammer Lord.

Then it dawned on him. Maybe it was not he who Sigmar wanted to see, but the artifact that he carried. Was it because of the crimson, dragon-hilted sword that he was here? That made more sense. As the night continued, Felix tried to wrap his mind around why he was here, or if the ‘why’ was even important. When one cut to the heart of the matter, this was still a dream. The Grand Theogonist admitted as much.

Eventually, the assembly was whittled down to just a couple of full pews at the front of the cathedral. The Grand Theogonist had stopped singing and preaching a while ago and was telling stories about trials and battles of the past. It was like a grandfather talking to his grandchildren about his previous life. The grand priest reminisced about the siege of Altdorf, what it was like to die, and his life before and after he became the great holy leader of his time.

Finally, the number of Felix’s fellow worshippers dwindled until he found that he, Dimitri, and Wilhelm were the only ones left in the sanctuary. His two other companions were deep in prayer when a voice in his head spoke his name. It was a strange yet familiar voice that he recognized but could not place. After hearing the voice, Felix placed a hand on Dimitri’s shoulder. The priest opened his eyes and raised his head to look at Felix.

“He calls me,” the poet said. The holy man smiled at him. “He calls us all, my friend. It is only the believers who hear him.” With that, Dimitri returned to praying and Felix began to climb the steps that led to the room behind the lectern. He was apprehensive. His limbs felt like jelly as he ascended the steps, but somehow he managed to lift his legs up and place them down until he was at the same level as the Grand Theogonist.

The high priest did not look up from his prayer, but Felix had no doubt that the priest knew he had been called to speak with Sigmar. Quietly, he took a few more steps until he came to the small wooden door; all the while his heart hammered in his ears. With his sweating hands he grasped the cold, iron handle and opened the door. The issuing creak from the metal hinges was ear-splitting. Taking a final deep breath, Felix closed the ancient door behind him.

The chamber was Spartan. It possessed a stone floor and a low, wooden ceiling. There were no windows, but Felix’s eyes were drawn to a large war hammer on a metal table. The weapon dominated all other aspects of the room, and why shouldn’t it? This was after all the same weapon that Sigmar had used during the wars of unification and the conflicts beyond those long ago days.

In real life, the weapon should have been behind an enchanted glass box to maintain its purity, so he was told. Also, there were two plain, wooden chairs sitting in front of the table that would not have been there if this was reality. The pilgrim or repentant was supposed to kneel before the sacred hammer and beg forgiveness in the presence of templars from the Order of the Fiery Heart. Strangely those warriors were not here either, protecting the hammer. The poet shook his head, “Of course, this is strange. It’s a dream,” Felix muttered to himself.

His gaze returned to the unprotected weapon, and he wondered why Sigmar wasn’t here. He pondered this for a little while. Maybe this was a test, and he was supposed to pick up the hammer and then Sigmar would appear. Why else would it be here before him unprotected? He stepped forward, right up to the table. As he was about to touch the war hammer, he hesitated. What if this was indeed a test, a test to weed out the sinful from the sinless. If he were to touch the holy weapon, what would happen? Would he die painfully? Or would he be given some sort of clairvoyance or power? He stared at the tabled weapon for a long time, weighing his options. Finally, he extended his fingers once more to the weapon, saying to himself, “Sigmar is not the god of cowards.”

When his hand caressed the hilt of the hammer, nothing happened. Despite the fabricated situation he was in, he felt disappointed. He had expected to feel or see something, but none of that had occurred.

From behind him he heard a man clear his throat. Felix felt the hair on the back of his neck and arms rise. He slowly turned around to face the most muscular and handsome man he had ever laid eyes on.

The being was huge, over seven feet tall. He was garbed in the same kind of plate armor as the Grand Theogonist. However, where Wilhelm’s armor was golden and beautiful, the giant’s was plain. It was made for combat only, not for show. In between the newcomer’s hands was a golden hammer, twice the length and size as the one sitting on the table behind Felix. His long brownish-red hair spilled across his broad shoulders, while his dark eyes seemed to blaze a path straight to Felix’s soul.

The poet was rooted to where he stood like a pinned insect. His gelatin like legs became rigid as steel. He couldn’t move, or speak. It was funny in a way. Felix had been in the presence of demons, orks, dragons, and monsters. He had faced them all and had survived. Yet that thought was little comfort to him now. As if banishing an unseen spell, the giant blinked and said in a voice as cold as glaciers, “You are a bold one not to bow, sir. But I would expect as much from one as rebellious as you.” After hearing the man speak, Felix was snapped out of his inaction. He immediately got down on one knee and bowed his head, just as he would have for Princess Luna. He said out loud to the juggernaut, “Sigmar, my lord . . . my apologies. I . . . you have called, my lord, and I have answered.”

For what seemed like an eternity Felix kept his head lowered. He expected to hear Sigmar rebuke him for touching the holy object on the table or for not bowing to him sooner. After a few minutes Felix worked up the courage to raise his head to look at the Founder’s face.

Sigmar was staring at him with a slightly amused smile. He slung his great war hammer over his shoulder and offered his right hand to help Felix to his feet. Felix took the calloused hand and was pulled easily to a standing position.

“Well met, Sir Jaeger.” Sigmar’s voice was sharp and coarse, yet not hostile in any way. It was a voice befitting a general.

After helping Felix to his feet, Sigmar gestured to the two chairs that stood before the metal table. As the god and man sat, Sigmar spoke again. “I admire your courage, Sir. All the others that have come through this room never touched that hammer seated before you. They were all too worried about if it would be right or proper. Likewise others were concerned if I would smite them for touching the ‘holy’ Ghal Maraz.”

The Founder of the Empire of Man chuckled mirthlessly at that thought. He turned his eyes to the hammer on the table and continued, “Rules be damned. I would never harm my own, not for anything so trivial. What is sitting behind the glass box in the bowels of the true cathedral of Altdorf is just a symbol and nothing more. I carried my hammer with me over the World Edge Mountains those many years ago.”

Felix hung on every word the deity said, but the words that Sigmar last uttered dispelled a suspicion the poet had long held. He was always told by those he asked that the hammer behind the glass was the real Ghal Maraz, the real Skull Splitter. Felix quickly glanced down at the true weapon and beheld the dwarvish runes and the craftsmanship of the weapon. The copiers did not do it justice at all. This information he had just learned was jarring. He could not help but wonder what else he had been told was untrue . . . or was it?

After that last thought passed through Felix’s brain, Sigmar’s sight turned to the Knight once more. Felix could not suppress a fresh wave of nervousness and fear that encompassed him. “I understand you have many questions, Sir Felix, so ask them.”

Felix blinked at the invitation. He did not know where to begin. All of his questions that he had wanted ask had slipped through his proverbial fingers. He looked down at his feet and mentally cursed himself for being such a fool in the presence of one so mighty. His anxiety must have been more obvious than he thought for he felt a massive hand on his shoulder. “Calm yourself. This dream will not end until you have had your say.”

The poet took a deep breath and marshaled his thoughts. His first question surfaced from the depths of his mind quickly; it was also the one he wanted to ask most. “Begging your pardon, my lord, but why am I here? I understand why the other holy ones are present tonight, but why me?”

Sigmar nodded. He waved his hand across the table with the fake hammer on it. The table and weapon were replaced by a fire pit with a great roaring flame in its center. So surprised was Felix that he nearly tipped over backwards in his chair. The flame sparked and cracked as the wood was being charred. The smokeless fire felt very pleasant and made for a much friendlier atmosphere.

The two warriors sat side by side and gazed into the fire for a long time. So long in fact that Felix began to wonder if Sigmar had forgotten his question. The First Emperor then spoke, still gazing into the fire. “Assuming that you believe me, you are here because you are my champion in the land of ponies.”

It was an obvious question, but Felix asked it anyway. “You know I am in Equestria? You know about the Inn of the Midnight Pony in Nuln and about the portal?”

“Aye.”

Felix pondered this carefully. “Why am I in Equestria, my lord?”

After Felix uttered the question, Sigmar reached into the flame and stoked the fire with his bare hands. The fire encompassed his hand but did not burn his flesh as he rearranged the logs. “You are in Equestria because that is where I need you most. That’s the short answer. The long answer is much more complicated.”

No longer surprised by the god’s actions, Felix unconsciously ran a hand down his mouth and chin as he considered this. “What is the long answer?” he asked.

Sigmar glanced at Felix. “Look around you.”

Felix obeyed. He expected to see a hidden door or something else materialize in the chamber, but instead, he was suddenly sharing the fire with many other people. There were soldiers, all looking into the flame, just as Felix was doing. With a start, Felix got up from his seat and frantically looked about him. They were no longer in the cathedral but on the huge outer stone walls of an unfamiliar city. The soldiers did not even glimpse up at the frantic stranger. “Where are we, sire?”

The god left his seat. “We are in the city of Praag. This is where the first blows from the Wastes will fall. This is where you and your battle brother, Gotrek Gurnisson, would have traveled if not for me.” As the god spoke, the sun began to rise over the eastern horizon to reveal a great host before them. Demons, beastmen, and humans were standing before the walls howling their blasphemous prayers and chants to the ruinous powers. They were as uncountable as the blades of grass on the Kislev steep. Soldiers and peasants were running through Felix’s and Sigmar’s ephemeral bodies, making last minute preparations for the coming assault against their city.

Sigmar’s iron voice drew Felix’s attention back to him. “This is just a splinter of the host that is amassing to assault the realms of men. However, it is enough to destroy this city, formidable though its defenses are.”

A single, dark-armored figure emerged from the host and spoke in a tongue that made Felix’s ears hurt despite being several hundred feet away. The unholy army charged forward as relentless and unmerciful as a wildfire. They were on the city walls in mere minutes despite the appalling casualties they suffered from arrows, catapults, and hot tar. As Felix drew his sword and readied himself for battle, the scene changed again, and they were back in the cathedral where they had started.

Sigmar returned to his seat and was speaking again. “The black host has yet to arrive at Praag, but it soon will. This is why I summoned the leaders of the cult here tonight. I need them to muster and make ready to march to Kislev and join our Northern Brothers before it is too late. I have spoken with the current Emperor and Grand Theogonist, and the armies are making ready. Everyone I have summoned here has a part to play in the coming war.”

Felix slowly sat back down next to Sigmar and sheathed his sword. “And what is my task, my lord?” The first emperor turned his body from the fire and looked squarely into Felix’s eyes. “There are six artifacts I need you to gather in Equestria that are the bane of chaos. They were made centuries ago from the same star metal as your holy symbol and Gotrek’s axe.”

Felix shook his head in bewilderment. What Sigmar had said was a lot to take in. The knight licked his lips nervously. “But are not the Elements of Harmony also powerful against chaos?”

Sigmar nodded. “For now they are. But the nature of chaos is to change and adapt to those who want it destroyed. Eventually, I fear that the Elements of Harmony shall not be enough.”

Felix sighed. “I thought as much.”

The hammer lord continued, “What you now seek in Equestria, chaos cannot adapt to, ever.”

Reaching inside his shirt, Felix pulled out Sonny’s Holy Symbol. “When this first came into my possession, Sonny claimed it to be just an ordinary device. Why did he mislead me about this item? And why did he give it to me?”

The deity held out his hand for the powerful trinket, and Felix gave it to him without hesitation. He looked at it for a long time and said, “This was the first Holy Symbol of my cult, although it did not start its life with that purpose.” Sigmar closed his eyes as he talked. “Long ago before unification, I was in love with the most caring and wonderful lady imaginable. Her name was Ravenna. Needless to say, I loved her and wanted to marry her.” A deep smile crossed the face of the giant as he continued, “The dwarfs somehow caught wind of this and fashioned this as a wedding present for her.” He held up the symbol as he talked.

A very dark look came over the god’s face as he continued, “Her brother, Gerreon, at the time was one of my dearest friends. During the wars of unification, I saved his life, and he saved mine many times. But all the while, the seeds of darkness were sprouting and flourishing within him. He blamed me for the death of his twin brother years before, who fell in battle fighting the orks. In truth I cannot fault Gerreon for that. I was in command, and I was responsible for his brother and his men . . . . I couldn’t reach him in time, and he died a hero’s death.” Sigmar’s voice rang hollow as he finished that last sentence. “The death lord’s halls are full of heros.”

“Gerreon confronted me and my wife to be while we were together. By this time Gerreon was completely won over to the side of ruin, and he came for my blood. He killed Ravenna and nearly took my life. ”

Felix was shocked; he had never heard of this. He had no idea that Sigmar was ever in love or that he had ever came close to death’s door. Certainly none of the holy men or Sigmarian texts had ever eluded to that.

“I’m sorry, my lord, for your loss. I . . . don’t know what else to say.”

“Say nothing, for nothing can be done. However, thank you for listening. You are the first one I have told that tale in a long time.”

Sigmar opened his eyes and looked down at the holy symbol once more. “When I left the Empire to walk the Earth, I blessed this trinket and left a piece of myself within it. If the wearer believes in me, he shall have a portion of my power. The greater that belief, the greater his strength will be. But to use my power is taxing. I do not recommend using it unless you have to. Sonny knew exactly what he was giving you, for he has been its keeper for decades. It is the only one like it in existence, and through it, I see what the wearer sees.”

The Hammer God handed the symbol back to Felix and said, “Sonny gave you this gift because I told him to. It will point the way to the artifacts. With my blessing, my son, you may wield my power to protect the Equestrians. Like it or not, Felix, as long as you hold that symbol, you are a priest of my order.”

Felix’s mouth went dry and his eyes widened as he took back the symbol. It seemed so much heavier now than it did before. “My lord, I . . . thank you, but why not send another, . . . more capable man to Equestria to retrieve your artifacts? I am just a man that accompanies a dwarf on a death quest, nothing more.”

Sigmar smirked at this. “I can think of no one better than you two, Felix. And if I recall, Princess Luna wanted a couple of warriors she could trust. Not religious zealots, not blood-thirsty mercenaries, and certainly not an army . . . at least not yet. She wanted you and Gotrek. She knows good men and dwarfs when she sees them, and so do I.”

Felix put the holy symbol around his neck and asked, “Did you foresee the warpstone falling in Equstria?”

The flame had gone out from the fire place where the wooden table used to be; not even smoldering embers were left. In a sad, brooding voice the First Emperor said, “Yes, but that is not all I have seen.” He reached a huge arm out and touched the knight’s shoulder.

The lunar knight froze in place. The visions were coming so fast it was bewildering. He saw Sigmar with a bearded pony forging six trinkets in an enormous forge. Mighty bellows fanned the azure fire in the stove’s bowels. The heat was so great, Felix put his hands up to protect his face.

The scene changed as the man lowered his arms. Six humanoid figures stood against six equines in an open field surrounded by Equestrians. Felix’s eyes widened. Those ponies were the same ones that were on the train with him speeding towards Dodge City. Not only that, but glaring right back at them were Gotrek, another version of himself, a wizard, another dwarf with spikes nailed into his skull, and two others he did not recognize. Before he could speak to either party, the two sides charged one another. His surroundings melted and reformed.

A searing pain speared deep into his mind. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them, he was on the ground on all fours. Each step he took sent fresh shockwaves into his brain. The poet looked around. He was in a swamp several dozen miles north of Ponyville. “How do I know that?” he asked. Felix stopped dead in his tracks. That wasn’t his voice, and yet it sounded familiar. Seeing a nearby pool of brackish water, Felix dragged his broken body forward. He looked down and saw the face of Shining Armor grinning back at him where his own reflection should be. The warped pony was battered and bloodied, and the wound Gotrek gave the unicorn just added to the equine’s horrifying smile. “We’ll meet, brother,” the fallen pony said as he breached the water’s surface from below and attacked Felix with his pointed teeth.

Felix screamed in terror and toppled backwards. The warrior’s fall was halted by a rough hand. The human looked around once more. He was back in the cathedral with Sigmar. “What was that?” the poet asked.

The emperor stood up from his chair and declared, “The first was of the past when the six artifacts were created. The second was of the future where all roads lead. The third is but a possibility, and one that I hope you avoid. I’m sorry I cannot tell you more. To do so would do more harm than good.”

Felix pondered on this information for a moment. Before he could ask another question, Sigmar closed his eyes and said, “Our time is up. You and I have much to do. And do not worry about the future. Take it from me. You are in good hands . . . and hooves.”

The poet blinked and then realized that the Emperor was talking about his physical body still on the train to Dodge City. “Will we meet again?”

Sigmar looked Felix right in the eye. “Count on it.”

And with that, the Hammer Lord was gone, leaving as silently as he came.

The knight left the chamber, light-headed from all he had been told and witnessed. Felix took a few steps forward and sighed. He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. The swordsman turned and saw the Grand Theogonist leaning forward to whisper to him. “The task in front of you is never as great as the power behind you. Go with Sigmar, my son.”

“Thank you, Father,” Felix whispered.

Dimitri met him at the foot of the stairs. “Well, my friend. This is goodbye for now.” The priest held out his hand. Felix took it and was not at all surprised by the crushing grip of the red-robed warrior. “Give my regards to your Princess Luna the next you see her. She has a fine champion in you.”

The Lunar Knight smiled. “I will. And Sigmar has no better priest in his service than you.”

“Best not to speak lies in this holy place, my friend.”

“Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned,” laughed the poet. Felix then turned serious. “Help is coming, Dimitri. Gods willing, we will see the day where chaos is destroyed, forever.”

The holy man nodded. “Praag will stand for as long as it is meant to stand. But as long as I draw breath, there will still be at least one man on the ramparts. Good bye, Sir Felix.”

The poet watched the priest go into the little chamber he himself had occupied just moments ago. Without any hesitation, Felix released the great doors to the cathedral and felt his real eyes begin to open.

The Inn of the Midnight Pony

by Emerald Harp

Borrowed Heroes

Everything is Going to Be Fine

Into the Everfree

Welcome to Ponyville

Protecting the Innocent

Just Have a Little Faith

They Chose Wrong

Yewabor and its Uses

The Road to Sigmar

The Road to Sigmar Part 2