> The Final Days of Man
>  by Anima Reaper
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter One
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	“Oh crap! I slept in again!”

A cyan pegasus rolled around in her cloud sheets trying to silence a blaring alarm clock. Rainbow Dash smashed the contraption with her hoof and darted to her bedside window. A calm breeze blew through the empty pane in her wall, clouds floated gently above in the sky as birds began to sing their songs. The sun shyly sat on the horizon as ponies began to emerge from their homes to begin their day. 

Rainbow Dash was eager to get her chores out of the way as quick as possible. She had somewhere to be later and wasn't going to let cloud duty get in her way. Not wanting to waste another second, the pony stood upright and stretched her hooves. She did a quick routine of a few wing-ups and hoovetouches before bolting out the door and into the wide open sky.  She loved flying above all else in the world, it gave her a sense of freedom and belonging. The breeze flowing through her Rainbow Mane and the soft touch of the clouds just felt right to her.

“WoooHoo!” she shouted as the soared through the air.

The skilled pegasus sliced through the sky breaking up the soft clouds over Ponyville. She was the fastest flyer in town and she loved to show it. Each cloud would poof instantly and vanish without a trace when the light blue pegasus blew through them.

‘This won’t even take a minute. I’ll have this done in no time,’  she thought to herself.

Rainbow Dash smirked when she laid eyes upon the last cloud, but something was a bit off about it. The cloud was darker than the others, but it didn't matter, not to hear at least, she flew right toward her target at full force. However, no matter how fast the pegasus flew, the cloud wouldn't get any closer...it was...moving further away?

 ‘Huh?’  

The dark cloud crossed the sky leaving a trail of grey behind it, the foggy trail obscured Dash’s vision. She shook off the cloudy stream and picked up the pace, but so did the cloud.

“HEY! Get back here!” 

The cloud was now bolting towards the Everfree Forest, but Dash paid little attention to the matter. Suddenly the cloud made a quick descent disappearing into the tree line. Flying at top speed the pegasus tried her best to keep up the chase, but lost sight of the cloud when it reached the forest floor.

“What the?... Where did it?... Huh?” 

Rainbow Dash looked in every direction confused, she had cleared plenty of clouds before, but no cloud had ever caused a high speed chase.

‘Something is fishy here...and I don’t like it.'

The pony was peering into the darkness of the Everfree Forest when a distant ominous voice silently whispered.

“Come…”

Dash’s ears shot up as she jumped into the air. The pony blinked her eyes a bit and took a glance behind her behind before she responded with her own whisper.

“W-who’s there? Hello?” 

The forest remained silent. Rainbow Dash let out a sigh of relief.

‘I obviously need to get more sleep.’ 

Before she could fly away the same voice called out again.

“Come...”

“Alright! It’s no longer funny! Why don’t you 'come' here, and we can settle this pony to pony?!” 

Rainbow Dash held her hooves up shadow boxing in the general direction of the voice. The forest however remained silent once again. Dash slowly put her hooves down before building up the courage to respond to the mystical voice.

“Fine! I‘m coming coward I hope you’re r-ready!” 

She could feel her heart sink as she slowly trotted deeper into the forest. The forest grew thicker and eventually the cyan pony was swallowed up by a swarm of branches and brush. Rainbow Dash was uneasy because she knew that going into the forest, especially going into it alone, was dangerous.  The forest soon became foreign to the pony.  No pony really knew the forest, but she started to see critters and plants that were unheard of.  Dash pressed forward despite her urges to turn back.  Suddenly there was a light ahead of her.  An opening in the thicket had finally made its appearance.

She picked up the pace and eventually stumbled out into an open area, her eyes fixated on something right in front of her. It was the same cloud from before! Rainbow Dash took a wide stance and blew a bit of air out of her nostrils. She charged at the cloud with all her might and annihilated the grey ball of fluff.  She didn't stop to think about the thicket of branches and vines that was behind the cloud.  The blue pony crashed headfirst into the wall of green.

Rainbow Dash tumbled as a light blue ball mixed with green vines, she continued to roll down a narrow passage bouncing off every wall before finally coming to a stop.  Her eyes rolled around in her skull, she was a little beaten up, but nothing too bad.

“COME!!!...” 

The voice shook the passage around her. Rainbow Dash stood up and brushed herself off. She was too determined now. There was no way she was going to turn back, especially after how far she had come. She took a deep breath and pressed on, the pony trotted further and further down the narrow path. The light of the sun was now nearly completely block out by a make-shift ceiling of branches and twigs.

“COME!!!”

“I AM COMING ALREADY! COOL YOUR JETS!” shouted Rainbow Dash.

Her voice echoed throughout the forest bouncing off every tree and every rock. A bellowing roar quaked the path in front of her. Whatever was calling to her wasn't far off... She crouched low to the ground and slowly crept up behind a bush. 

Two large violet eyes popped out from behind the shrub and began conducting reconnaissance. She looked around, but nothing caught her eye, until a tree was suddenly uprooted and ripped out of the ground right before her very eyes. Dash wasn't entirely sure of what she saw, but a large figure was swinging the tree around as if it were a mere club. Dash was about to make a break for it when another figure much smaller than the first appeared and knocked the large monstrosity backwards.

“Whoa…” said Dash as she watched the two creatures begin to clash.

A blast of black fire blew directly into the chest of the massive beast, pushing it over the edge of a cliff. The beast’s yell grew quieter and quieter until finally it faded out of earshot. Everything was silent now. Dash could only hear her own breathing as her eyes shot in every direction. She had lost sight of the smaller creature and was worried about where it had gone. Dash heard a noise from behind her, but it was too late. Something grabbed a hold of her and threw her violently through the air, the world spun around her, but before she could unfold her wings she slammed hard on her back. As Rainbow Dash unclenched her eyes, a large blade easily six feet long and a foot wide slammed into the ground next to her, barely missing her neck.

“Oh? You are no demon.  You're just a pegasus…” A mysterious voice, but not the one Rainbow Dash had been chasing. 

Dash shot up to her hooves and flew up to a safe distance before trying to grab a hold of the situation.  Her breath was ragged, she tried her best to conceal her fear when she spoke.

“Who are you?! What are you?!...Why did you call me here?!” asked the alarmed pegasus.

A creature with two arms and two legs stood before Rainbow Dash.  The foreign unrecognizable creature was a human, but to Dash such a creature had never lived, let alone existed. She eyed the human nervously…The man spoke with a calm tone...

“What’s the big deal? You never seen a human before? Calm down I won’t hurt you pegasus. I just mistook you for something else.” 

He held his massive sword in one hand off to the side with an open arm. The large sword seem to be as light as a feather to him, he didn't even need to put the slightest bit of effort into wielding the blade.  Rainbow Dash remained silent.  The man waited a bit for the pegasus to respond, but Dash was preoccupied with trying to figure out what exactly was she looking at.

He was as tall as Celestia, since he was standing on his hind legs. He had long, spiky white hair that reached halfway down his back.  Thick plated armor covered his forearms and shins, but anyone could see that the armor was useless. It was bashed, beaten, and torn.  It most likely weighed him down more than it helped him.  His right arm was wrapped up completely in medical tape, covering some sort of thick gauntlet.  A lone unbroken shoulder pad rested on his shoulder like a cherry atop a disaster.

The man's pale green eyes stared at Rainbow Dash as he began to place his sword onto his back.  He waved his hand slowly in front of his face, trying to snap Rainbow Dash out of her train of thought.

Rainbow Dash shook her head, still confused by what she was looking at.

"I take it that you've actually never seen a human before," said the man with a shrug.

“No I actually haven’t seen one before…” remarked Rainbow Dash, still uncertain of whether she could trust this unknown creature. 

The man raised an eyebrow.

“Obviously you need to get out more.  Anyways, I am relieved to finally see another creature that isn't going to try to kill me...I was starting to think that I was left here to die…”

The man started to count on his fingers…

“Let's see...The last time, Celestia sent a check-up was like two-hundred years ago...two-hundred and thirty-five actually.”

Dash froze.

“You know Princess Celestia? The Princess Celestia?! The one that raises the sun!” 

The man stared at her with his arms folded, raising an eyebrow.  He was confused as to why the pegasus was bewildered. 

“Unfortunately I do... why is that so surprising? She was the one that sent you here, right?”

Dash scratched the back of her head. She was trying to figure out if he was being serious.

'How can this guy know the princess...’ she thought to herself. 

Rainbow Dash cleared her throat before speaking.

“I thought you were the one calling me here,” she said.

“Who me? I didn't call anyone here.  Maybe the forest was playing a trick on you, or maybe you hit your head on the ground a little too hard when I threw you." 

The man started to walk away as if he had lost interest in her.  Rainbow Dash tried to put everything together so she could start to make sense of exactly what was going on here.  She slowly descended to the ground, but made sure not to get too close to the human.

“I just stumbled on this place when I was chasing a cloud, but then it flew away and then it disappeared and then…" Rainbow Dash shook her head. "Look the point is, I wasn't sent here or anything, it was just an accident that I happened to stumble upon this place…”

The man looked back at Dash with a smile.

“So I finally have a guest then? Well I don’t care that you are a pegasus, I'm just happy that I get to talk with another creature that can carry a conversation. Mind if I ask you a few questions about the outside world? I have been in this damn forest for what seems to be an eternity.  You don’t mind staying do you? I promise I will keep it brief and you can be off on your way to find your mystery cloud in no time.”

The man sat down on a nearby log and motioned for Rainbow Dash to take the seat opposite from him. Dash thought about it for a bit, but she eventually figured it would be alright.  Before either of them could ask a question, the man shot a bolt of black fire from his palm and incinerated a small creature next to Rainbow Dash. The small rodent squealed as the black fire burned it alive.  Rainbow Dash jumped, she still was hesitant whether the human was an ally.  The man picked up the steaming carcass and took a large bite. Dash’s eyes opened wide in horror as the creature hunched over and gnawed on the critter that it had just murdered. He looked up at the horrified pony and wiped the blood from his mouth. Dash was speechless never before had she seen a creature murder an animal in such a cruel fashion.

“Oh... You must excuse me. I don’t have much to eat around here so I have to eat whatever I can get my hands on… Oh yea that’s right ponies aren't meat eaters... Well, I hope you don't mind.” 

The human tossed the disemboweled creature over his shoulder.

Dash noticed that her hooves had began to quiver…

‘This “Human” is a cold blooded monster...he just burned another creature alive right in front of me. What if he tries to eat me next? He did say whatever he could get his hands on.’ 

She tried to calm herself down because the last thing she needed was for the strange creature to know that she was afraid.  The man looked up while chewing the last bite he took.  A drop of crimson blood fell from his bottom lip.  Rainbow Dash couldn't help but stare at the drop of blood as it slowly fell to the ground. 

“My name is Ajax by the way.  What's your name pegasus?” asked the man as he wiped his mouth with his arm.

Dash snapped up, caught off-guard by the sudden question.

“Oo-h  I-I... My name is Rainbow Dash…”

Ajax wiped his mouth and licked the tips of his fingers.  Dash looked away in disgust.

“So you said you just happened to stumble upon this place?"

“Yea...I was doing my duty of clearing the sky and then I chased a cloud here and one thing led to another and...”

“I see, you should be more careful, this place is quite dangerous.  The forest is a horrid place, especially this far in.” 

Rainbow Dash nodded silently.  The two remained quite for a few seconds before Ajax decided to just say something.

“I would have thought about more stuff to ask you if I knew you were coming,” he said.

The man sighed and placed his hands behind him on the log.  Rainbow began to feel a bit more comfortable the longer they carried on a conversation.

“So what makes you wanna stay in a crummy place like this anyways?” asked Rainbow Dash.

Dash now found herself in a more relaxed position as well.  She seemed to have forgotten everything that had just happened moments ago.  Ajax let out a sigh as he looked up to the sky, but overhead there was no open blue sky, only a patchwork of dead branches.

“Don’t have much of a say in that matter sadly," he said. 

Rainbow Dash wondered what he meant by that, but Ajax changed the subject before she could ask.

"Let’s talk about something else, I'm actually enjoying myself since... I don’t know when actually, so lets not kill the mood.  How about we talk about current events in Equestria.  Like how are my people doing?”

“Um, what do you mean your people?” asked Rainbow Dash.

Ajax frowned and looked down at the ground in disappointment.  The pegasus became nervous wondering if she said something wrong.  Ajax looked at his bandaged hand while he explained what he meant.

“You know, 'my people'… I guess it makes sense that the world has forgotten me, it's been so long...I just can only hope that my own kin haven't forgotten me.  You see, Rainbow Dash, once upon a time I was a king.”

Rainbow Dash’s mouth dropped a bit before she commented.

“A king? Like a ruling king?” she asked.

“Of course a ruling king.  Do you know of another type of king?” said Ajax with a chuckle.

“Well what happened?”

Ajax suddenly went silent.  The question obviously upset him, but what worried Dash the most was that she could tell he was becoming angrier the more he thought it.  She wanted to change the subject as quick as possible, she didn't want to upset a creature who could sling fire.

“Hey what was that huge thing I saw earlier?” asked Rainbow Dash.

Ajax looked up at her and stared at her for a bit before realizing what she was talking about.

“Oh that, that was just some trash trying to make its way out of Tartarus.  Cerberus guards the main gate while I am stuck here guarding a crack in the wall…  You see that huge gorge up ahead? At the bottom of that is a crevice that leads to Tartarus.  My job is to make sure that nothing down there makes its way up here.” 

Rainbow Dash nodded, but had a hard time believing the man’s story.  Then again she did witness a fight between him and a monster moments ago.

“Now then, it is my turn to ask you a question." Ajax leaned forward and folded his hands.

How is the human race doing? You know, all the people that look like me and what not. ” Rainbow Dash could see the look of concern on his face.  She knew that she had to make up something that would satisfy him.  Not answering this question would actually be an answer in its own right.

“Oh you know… humans are fine and what not, just keeping to themselves as usual.” 

Dash smiled, hoping that Ajax had bought her answer.  The man stared at her for a while before letting out a sigh.  Then he gave her a joyous smile, that's when she knew that he had bought her answer

“That’s good to hear. Thank you, Rainbow Dash,” said the man.

“Um yea... No problemo,” said Rainbow Dash as she avoided eye contact with Ajax.

“I really appreciate you staying to talk with me.  I can tell that you are not comfortable being near me, but believe me when I say 'Thanks'.  You just answered the one question that haunted my mind for the last one-thousand years.  Please don’t let me keep you any longer you are free to go.”

The man stood up and bowed before the pony before he walked away. For a monster he wasn't that bad, he was pretty nice and seemed like a cool person.  Rainbow Dash watched as Ajax casually walked back towards the gorge and sat at the edge of the crevice.  Rainbow Dash caught sight of a second large sword adorning the man's back accompanying the first one.  Dash decided that she had stayed too long and it was time for her to head back home.  She spread her wings, and finally after what seemed like forever, found a large enough clearing  in the thick roof of trees above her.  The pegasus zoomed out of the Everfree Forest and headed towards Ponyville. 

‘What exactly is a human...why have I never heard of them before?’ 

Dash couldn't help but think about her encounter with the man on her trip back to Ponyville.  Her mind kept jumping from theories to questions about the human’s origins and powers.  She landed in Ponyville square still pondering different theories when she caught a glimpse of the time on the clock tower.

“OH MY GOSH! I am going to be late! Twilight is going to kill me!” 

The blue pegasus rushed as quick as possible to Twilight Sparkle’s castle hoping that she would be spared from another one of Twilight’s lectures.  Flying through the window she quickly shouted to announce her arrival as quick as possible.

“I'M HERE!”

Dash looked around and saw Twilight Sparkle sitting at a desk reading a book.  The unicorn looked up from her and eyed the pegasus before letting out a frustrated sigh.

“Sheesh Dash, for being the fastest pony you sure are late a lot…”

“Sorry Twilight, but I was caught up in-”

“Please Dash no more excuses.  Everyone is outside waiting to get started.”

“Oh. Yea bu-”

Before Dash could say another line Twilight already stepped outside carrying a picnic basket.

Twilight set the basket down in front of all her friends and smiled.  Everypony had gathered for a picnic in Twilight’s new backyard.

“Rainbow is here so we can finally start girls.”

Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie stopped their previous conversation to greet their friend. 

"Bout time you joined us Rainbow!" exclaimed Applejack.

Everypony sat down and began to eat sandwiches and converse about their day.  Rainbow Dash slowly moved over next to her friends and decided to eat something, but she mostly kept to herself.  Fluttershy noticed that something was bothering her friend.

"Um are you ok Rainbow Dash? If your worried we are mad about you being late there's no need.  We don't mind waiting a bit."

"Oh, yea... Um, I'm not worried about anything... it's just..."

“Just tell me what’s bothering you, I promise I will do my best as a good friend to help you out.”

Fluttershy stared at Rainbow Dash with her large eyes and a wide smile.

“I told you it’s nothing alright.  I just had a long day and don’t feel too good.” 

Rainbow Dash tried her best to not be hypnotized by Fluttershy’s eyes, but no pony can resist the adorable eyes of Fluttershy.

“Fine, fine, fine!” 

Dash couldn’t resist Fluttershy’s stare any longer.

“I met someone in the Everfree Forest that I can’t get off my mind.  He was some creature that I had never even heard of before.  It’s nothing to really be worried about though.”

“Was it a rare species of rabbit? Oh, oh! Maybe it was a rare Pink-Yellow Bellied Canterlot swallow!” 

Rainbow went silent and stared at Fluttershy for a bit before speaking again.

“I met some sort of creature...It could speak and it called itself a 'human'...he was dangerous, vicious, and supposedly he was a king of some sort or something.  In the end though he wasn't such a bad guy.” 

Rainbow Dash made sure to spare Fluttershy the detail about how he had eaten a squirrel though.  Twilight overhead the two pegasus, the alicorn was curious to hear of such a strange creature living in the forest. Twilight couldn’t help but cut into the conversation.

“I don’t recall any species called human, but I will double check my books.  Whatever it is, it sounds quite interesting.” 

Rainbow slowly nodded.  She was glad that her friends were willing to help her figure out what the creature was.  The six ponies always helped each other out no matter what happened.  They moved into Twilight’s castle and proceeded to rummage through all of her books trying to find anything related to humans.  After an hour they started to lose hope. Eventually Applejack decided to ask Dash a few questions.

“Now Rainbow are ya sure he called himself a human? Maybe you misunderstood him or who knows it could be lingo for some kind of fancy speak? Applebloom was speaking all kinds of new words that I had never heard of the other day.  She said that it was how all the cool fillies talked.  Who knows, maybe the fella you met was downright crazy.”

“I know for a fact he said human.  I am one-thousand percent sure of it!”

Dash had a habit of never admitting fault, but this time she was actually sure that the creature had called himself a human.

“OH, OH, OH, OH! What if we go to the Canterlot library! That’s the only library with more books than Twilight’s place!” blurted Pinkie.

“Ugh Pinkie...that’s, actually a really good idea.”  said Twilight with a smile.

“Well! Let’s get going then before the trains stop running!” 

Rainbow Dash was in no mood to wait and as always was the first out the door.  The six ponies booked tickets for Canterlot and were off within the hour.  Rarity noticed Dash looking out the train window lost in thought.

“Do you mind me asking why you seem to have such an obsession with this human Rainbow Dash?” 

Rainbow looked over at her friend.

“Oh yea, sorry. Um. There was a lot of weird stuff leading up to the whole event and then there was this hole to Tartarus and-”

“DID YOU SAY A HOLE TO TARTARUS!? Wasn’t that the place Tirek came from?”

Rarity and Dash both nearly bit off their tongues from Pinkie’s outburst.  Twilight couldn’t help but overhear, she pondered on the idea before asking a few questions.

“A hole to Tartarus? That’s not possible.  The only way to get in, or out, is through the gates, which is guarded by Cerberus.”

“Listen, I am telling you that I saw it with my own eyes.  If you don’t believe me we can go see it when we get back to Ponyville”

“I didn't mean it like that, I am just saying that it’s extremely unlikely something like that even exists. I just think we shouldn't jump to conclusions without a little investigating…”

Fluttershy patted Rainbow Dash on the back.

“I believe you Rainbow, if that makes you feel any better.” 

Dash gave Fluttershy a slight smile before staring out the window again. The train arrived soundly at the station and the girls were off to the library in no time. The royal guards bowed before Princess Twilight, they gave her a pass which allowed access to all the wings within the Canterlot library.  In front of them was the largest collection of knowledge ever recorded.  Twilight’s horn started to glow with magic.

“Alright girls lets do this.” 

They spent hours searching every book, note, paper and piece of scrap, but still nothing had turned up.  They were starting to lose hope when suddenly they heard a voice from behind them.

“I heard you girls might be needing a little help finding something.” 

As the ponies turned around they each bowed their heads before Princess Celestia.  She smiled at the humble ponies.

"Please, bowing isn't necessary.  So, what is it exactly that you girls are looking for?” 

Twilight gave Rainbow Dash a nod, the pegasus stepped forward.

“Um I was wondering if you know anything about a species called human?” 

Celestia froze for a moment before responding.

“May I ask how do you know of that species?” inquired Celesita.

“Um.  Well I met one today.”

“You what?!" 

Celestia took a moment to clear her throat.

"Where did you meet this human?”

Celestia’s voice had a sense of urgency that started to unsettle the ponies.

“In the Everfree Forest.”  said Dash, worried that she was in some sort of trouble. 

Celestia closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath.  The six ponies looked at each other wondering if everything was alright.  Finally, Applejack built up enough courage to ask the princess.

“Um.  Is there a problem Princess?” 

Celestia opened her eyes and stared at the six ponies for a brief moment.

“Yes there is a problem. 

You girls should never have met that human in the forest.  Whatever you do make sure you do not return to speak with him ever again.  Ok?” 

Twilight was shocked, Celestia had never acted this way before.  Something wasn’t right...was Celestia trying to hide something from them? 

“Excuse me could you tell us why we should leave him alone?” whispered Fluttershy ever so softly. 

Celestia took a deep breath and with a stern face said

“He is a vicious and ruthless monster.  That is all you need to know, end of discussion.” 

Fluttershy backed down with puppy dog eyes returning a series of tiny nods.

“Now do you fully understand how important it is that you stay away from the human?" 

The girls were quiet, they were shocked by the princess' behavior and attitude.  They all stared at Celestia with large eyes still petrified by disbelief.

“Do you!?” 

The ponies nodded quickly. Celestia let out a sigh of relief.

“Good.  There is nothing left for us to talk about.  Goodbye.” 

Celestia walked away without letting the girls even have a chance to question her unprecedented coldness.  The ponies looked at each other each with expressions of confusion and worry.  Celestia was not the type to act in such a way even when something was horribly wrong.  The girls got on the last train to Ponyville with nothing to show for their trip to Canterlot..

“We should just go see him” said Rainbow. 

Twilight frowned at the idea and reprimanded Rainbow for going against Celestia’s orders.

“Celestia told us directly to leave the human alone Rainbow Dash.  We are going to obey that order.”

“What is the worst thing that can happen if we just go talk with him? The six of us would be safe together so there should be nothing to worry about besides, aren't you curious to see why Celestia was so upset when we asked her about humans?”

Twilight thought about what Rainbow Dash had said when Pinkie became excited with the idea of making a new friend.

“I know!  I am going to bake him a cake! I am sure he would love that.  Could you imagine if he never had cake before? That would be so terrible, a life without cake.  He will be so taken aback by the cake he will become our BEEEEEST friend right on the spot!” thought Pinkie Pie out loud.

Twilight still didn't like the idea, but she was more curious than ever to meet the mysterious creature and find out why Celestia was trying to hide him from the world. The ponies gathered a few supplies and headed off into the Everfree Forest.  There wasn’t much daylight left so they had to make the most of their time.

“Ok so I chased the cloud here and then I went this way…..and then I chased it through here…” 

The girls were following Rainbow, who was doing her best to recall the path she had taken earlier that day.

“I am sorry dearie, but did you say that you chased a rogue cloud?” asked Rarity.

Rainbow stopped for a moment and shrugged.

“It’s a long story...and trust me it only gets weirder.” 

The girls eventually came upon a site where something had crashed.  Rainbow gave a reassuring nod, she knew her crash sites when she saw them.  She pointed her friends towards a path through a tiny crevice.  The evening light overhead was stamped out by the trees making it extremely difficult to see.  Twilight’s horn began to glow with a bright light, guiding the ponies down the dark pathway.  The ponies eventually came out into an open area where a figure sat in front of a bright red fire.

Ajax slowly looked up at the six ponies.  Twilight's eyes were wide open, she had seen creatures that looked like him before, but their world was on the other side of a magic mirror, not here in Equestria.  She had even become a human herself when she chased down Sunset Shimmer in order to reclaim her crown.

“Well hello there Rainbow Dash.  Don’t tell me that you came back on my behalf.” 

Ajax stood up and bowed before the ponies.

“Oh and what’s this? You brought your friends with you this time?”

Suddenly an accordion began to play…

♫ ♫“OOOOOOOOOooooooooooooo How do you do?!

What do you say?!

Would you like a traaaaaay?!

Of myyyyyyyyyy

BaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKED!..Goods?” ♫ ♫

Pinkie Pie breathed heavily as she held out a tray of cupcakes in front of her.  Everyone was silent, but suddenly Ajax began to laugh.  He had enjoyed Pinkie's comical performance.

“Wow that was great! Sure, I would love to have a cupcake.  I don’t even remember the last time I had something sweet to eat.  Say, what's your name pony?”

“It’s Pinkie Pie!” squeaked the pink earth pony. 

Confetti flew into the air as party balloons seemed to emerge from nowhere.  Ajax nodded and raised the cupcake towards Pinkie before taking a bite.  Pinky stared eagerly waiting for the man's review.

“Oh wow, that was delicious.  Thank you very much Pinkie Pie.” 

He gave Pinkie Pie a thumbs up as he wiped away left over icing from his mouth.

“Your friends are quite the charmers Rainbow Dash.” 

The human and the ponies sat down around the fire and began to introduced themselves.

“I am actually surprised to see ponies and humans on such good terms these days.”  said Ajax as he took another bite out of a cupcake. 

Twilight Sparkle couldn't help her curiosity; she needed to find out why there was a human in Equestria.  Could it be that he wasn't even from the world she had visited in the past? Could he be a type of human never seen before?

“Do ponies and humans usually not get along with each other?” asked Twilight. 

She was trying to start small by gathering a few details.

“Back in my day not really.  I honestly was surprised that Rainbow came back with you ponies, let alone came back at all.”

Rarity intervened before Twilight could dig further into the subject.

“Excuse me for saying this, but your armor is a complete mess I insist you come back with me and I fix it up, or at least let me find you something different to wear.”

“No, no it’s ok really, but thank you for your offer though.  I would feel out of my element if I wore something else.  Besides I am sure you don’t have anything that would fit me.”

Twilight found an opportunity to say something, but AppleJack asked a question right when the alicorn opened her mouth . Twilight was starting to get frustrated.  She tried to wait patiently for her turn to ask a question, but it seemed like everyone was far too interested in the human.

“I honestly don’t see why you said he was dangerous Rainbow.  He seems like a really nice guy.” said Fluttershy who sat only inches away from Ajax.

Ajax looked at Rainbow who returned a nervous smile.

“You said I was dangerous? Well I guess I can be somewhat scary at times, but I actually think I am a pretty nice guy when you get to know me.” 

Applejack chuckled and gave him a slap on the back.

“Relax partner, I am sure she said that because none of us have ever seen a human before.” 

Ajax had a puzzled expression on his face while he thought about what Applejack had just said.

“Wait so none of you have ever seen a human before? Like even heard of humans?”

“Heheh, nope! You are the only human we know of.  We couldn’t even find a single book on humans no mattered how much we searched.”  giggled Pinkie Pie.

The pink pony bounced around the human carelessly.  Ajax bit his bottom lip anxiously, he began to speak with an urgent tone
.
“There are other humans though right? I am not the only one left?” 

The six ponies were silent, trying to avoid eye contact with him.  They realized that they might have said a bit too much.  Ajax slowly started to understand what was going on.

“Wait no that’s not possible it can’t be I, but…” 

He pressed his knuckles against his forehead.

“No. No. No. No. No. She promised us that if we guarded this hole that…”

Ajax knew that their silence was an answer to his question.  The ponies looked at each other, none of them knew what to do.   Fluttershy began to put a little more distance between her and Ajax.  Twilight had a look of concern on her face as she approached the hunched over man.

“I am sorry that you found out this way.  I can’t understand how you mu-”

“SHUTUP!”

The man stared at the pony with eyes brimming with black fire.  His teeth grinded together in rage as he slowly stood up.  Twilight gasped, this human was definitely different from the others she had met before.  The floor beneath Ajax began to crack from sheer pressure as black fire began to churn around the humans feet.  He slowly drew both of his swords from behind his back.  The ominous steel blades rang as they were drawn from their sheaths.  Each pony could feel the pure evil and the primal rage venting from his body…

“I will have revenge.  We had a deal…WE HAD A DEAL!”

Ajax smashed through the forest as a burning black rocket.  The ponies knew they had messed up bad.  Twilight looked over at Rainbow Dash.

“QUICKLY! WE HAVE TO GET TO CANTERLOT AND WARN PRINCESS CELESTIA! SHE WILL KNOW WHAT TO DO!” 

Rainbow Dash nodded.

“Yea! Let’s go!”

Twilight and Rainbow took off as the others tried their best to keep up.  The two ponies raced through the air towards Canterlot.  Rainbow Dash and Twilight made it to Canterlot in no time, there was no sign that Ajax had reached the city yet.  The two ponies stood in front of the royal palace exhausted, they tried to tell the guards to let them in, but they could only get a few words out.  The royal guards decided to take a guess at what the two ponies were trying to say.

“Do you need us to let you inside?” 

Twilight slowly nodded as she squeak out a small “thank you”.  The door to Celestia’s throne room flung open as Rainbow and Twilight dashed across the throne room floor. Celestia was in the middle of writing a letter, but immediately set it down when she saw the two alarmed ponies racing towards her.

“Twilight? Rainbow Dash? What’s the matter?” 

They both tried their best to explain the situation, but they were still too tired.

“Relax girls, take it easy.  Deep breaths and don’t speak until you are ready.”  Celestia gave a reassuring smile to the worn out ponies as she stood up from her throne.

“NO TIME!...Ajax!...MAD!...REVENGE!” Celestia’s eyes opened wide as her jaw dropped.

"WHAT?!" 

The alicorn didn't pause for a second, she stomped her hoof on the floor and shouted at every guard in the throne room.

“GUARDS WE ARE ON HIGH ALERT! BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR AN INTRUDER!”

The other four ponies finally arrived, they were alarmed to see guards running around as if Canterlot was under attack.  Celestia stepped in front of Twilight and her friends.  She gave them a disappointed look.  Celestia had hoped that they would’ve listened to her, that they would have trusted her, but none of that mattered now.

“What’s done is done, nothing can change that.  Hopefully we can contain the situation before it gets any worse.”

Celestia shot out orders by the seconds to various royal guards, meanwhile  Pinkie Pie bounced uncontrollably around the room.

“Pinkie Pie now is not the time to be messing around!” shouted Twilight.

Fluttershy gently tapped Twilight with a hoof.

“Um Twilight I think that might be her Pinkie sense.” 

The palace shook as the main door blew open. Ajax stepped forward, but royal guards immediately rushed in front of him and blocked his path to the princess. He raised his right arm and with one quick sweep of his black fire knocked the entire squad across the throne room. The guards crashed before the hoofs of the main six and Celestia.

“CELESTIA!” 

The man slowly stomped forward his eyes bursting with hatred. His eyes fixated solely on Celestia. She stared at him with an undaunted by his entrance.

“What are 'you' doing here, Ajax?”

Celestia addressed the man as if he was an uninvited guest. The burning man stopped in front of the golden throne. Ajax stood before Celestia and the six ponies with his swords drawn, ready to strike at any moment.

“You...BITCH! You lied to us...YOU SAID AS LONG AS WE GUARDED THAT DAMN HOLE YOU WOULD SPARE US!” 

Celestia nodded.

“I did not break my promise.  I left your people alone to their own accord.  Humans however have such a passion for destruction that they turned on each other.  You people were practically a ticking time bomb waiting to explode.  Thankfully, In their last moments they didn't hurt anyone else in the process.”

“LIES! You killed us! This is all, your fault!” 

He smashed his swords in the ground creating small craters with each.

“I spent a thousand years...A THOUSAND YEARS...practically fighting for survival.  All of my friends died because we believed that we were the last hope for humanity.  GUARDING THE SCAR WAS THE ONLY WAY FOR US TO BE SPARED! NOW YOU TELL ME THAT EVERYONE ELSE IS DEAD?!” 

Celestia flew over the six ponies and placed herself between them and the human.

“A thousand years is way too little for the crimes you committed.  Thankfully you will no longer cause any more trouble, monster.” 

Celestia’s horn glowed with magic as her pink eyes warped into a chaotic gold.  They stared at each other for a moment, waiting for the other to make the first move.  He leaped into the air with swords crossed like a pair of scissors.

“You twisted tyrant! I will have your head!”

A bright light appeared underneath Ajax.  Suddenly, he slammed down into the hard marble floor as dozens of magical chains wrapped around his body.  Royal guards emerged from behind the pillars and grabbed the chains that bound the human.  Despite the human’s strength, the bonds holding him were far too powerful for him to overcome.

“It wasn’t difficult to guess that you would come here.  I guess it took you some time to find my new castle.  You are just like the rest of the humans, governed by your hatred with no remorse for the pain you bring others.” 

The Royal guards tugged on his chains as they began dragging him away.

“I will have vengeance Celestia even if it is the last thing that I do.  I hereby declare war on Equestria and all of its inhabitants.  Every single horse and creature you care about shall suffer because of you!” 

The human kicked and fought against the chains, but finally was dragged away.  Celestia let out a long sigh as she turned to the six ponies.

“I guess I've got some explaining to do.” 

Celestia shot her magic into the floor creating a series of images to help explain her story. The ponies backed up and watched the slideshow.

“Long ago in the older days of Equestria there was an ancient race unlike any other. The human race was by far the most intellectual and determined race ever to exist in Equestria, but despite showing such promise they were by far the most destructive and vile creatures to ever set foot in these lands. They would enslave creatures from all across Equestria and work them to death. They even hosted events where large crowds would gather to watch people murder each other for the sake of entertainment. They cared not for any other race even their own kind or how they treated the lands of Equestria. Each human only cared for their own personal gain.”

Celestia looked up as a royal guard approached.

“Excuse me your majesty, but I have come to inform you that the prisoner is now being held in the Canterlot dungeon."

Celestia nodded and dismissed the unicorn before carrying on with her story. She closed her eyes for a brief moment to remember where she left off.

“Humans were truly the vilest creatures to ever live in Equestria.  They even had a king that complimented their cruelty.  One day, the king decided that the human race was the sole race worthy of inhabiting Equestria.  He observed the other races of Equestria and concluded that they were inferior. The king however was far too old to lead an army, therefore he decided that he would send his only son to carry out his wish.  The prince was a child cursed with demonic powers from birth and through their science, twisted into a war machine.  Since his first steps the prince was raised to have no emotion, his sole purpose was to become a destructive force so that the king could wield him as his own personal weapon."

The pictures depicting the story grew darker as Celestia continued.

“The prince began spreading his destruction across all of Equestria.  Many gentle and noble races fell by his hand never to be seen in Equestria again.  Knowing that they would never stop, all the remaining races of Equestria banded together to put an end to the genocide.   A lot of great ponies had to give their lives, but it was finally over.  The human’s great city had fallen and their hopes of ruling Equestria along with it.  The prince pleaded with the races of Equestria to spare his kind. He promised to serve any sentence and his people would accept any terms of condition as long as they were given a second chance.  I agreed and sentenced him to guard the Everfree Scar for all eternity, but his race’s desire for destruction was far too great.” 

The images depicting the story had grew far too dark and nightmarish for the ponies.  Celestia ceased her magic, but carried on with her tale.  

“They turned on each other and as if a snake swallowed its own tail they disappeared from Equestria never to be heard from again.  I did not try to stop them. They had already brought enough sorrow to my people and I vowed that I would never let a single pony suffer by their hands ever again.  I however left the prince alone because I knew he wouldn't be able to handle the truth.  I left him to forever guard that cursed scar in the forest praying that Equestria could finally forget about humanity for good."

The ponies were silent baffled by the fact of who Ajax really was.  The friendly human that they thought they knew was actually a mass murderer who during his reign had wiped out entire species in Equestria.  The ponies finally understood where Celestia was coming from.  Humanity was a race that didn’t belong in Equestria.  They couldn’t understand how dangerous humans really were, but they knew Celestia had experienced it first-hand.

“How about you girls head home, you have had quite a long day.  Luckily we have control of the situation and if anything comes up I will be sure to contact you” said Celestia.

The alicorn smiled, reassuring the ponies that they had nothing to worry about.  They nodded and began to leave, but Celestia stopped Twilight.

“Except for you, Princess Twilight, you are needed here so that we may discuss what to do with the human.”

Twilight nodded and waved goodbye to her friends as she followed Celestia to a different room.  The two alicorns entered a grand room with a large map of Equestria covering the center table.  Princess Luna and an image of Princess Cadence,  projected from a nearby crystal, sat at the table clearly waiting for their arrival.

“Ah, Sister you are finally here.  Why are you up this late? Is something the matter?” asked Luna.

Celestia took a seat, followed by Twilight and explained the events leading up to the matter at hand.  The projection of Cadence looked toward Celestia with a concerned expression.

“You speak as if he is the embodiment of evil himself, maybe you are over exaggerating things.  It was over a thousand years since you have even talked to him I mean people change after periods of time like that.”

Luna gave a nod agreeing with Cadence, she herself had experienced such change.  She finally decided to ask her sister the question on everyponies mind.

“So Celestia, what do you propose we do with the human?” 

Celestia didn’t even hesitate to answer.

“There is only one thing that we can do in this situation.”

Celestia’s closed her eyes and sighed as if she knew beforehand they weren’t going to agree with her.

“We must execute him. The veil of false hope that has held him at bay has now been lifted from over his head.  He holds me accountable for the extinction of his people and will go to great lengths to see that I and those I care for suffer dearly.  Keeping him imprisoned was only possible when he stayed by his own free will.  Our hooves are tied in this matter.”

Luna, Cadence, and Twilight stared at Celestia with their eyes wide in shock.  They couldn’t believe what they had heard her just say.  Luna’s jaw dropped hearing her sister suggest something so harsh.

“Sister?! How could you suggest something like that? There hasn’t been an execution in Equestria in over four-hundred years!” 

Celestia slammed her hooves down on the table.  She stared into her sister's eyes certain that her method was the only solution.  Luna looked away from her sisters gaze trying not to provoke her.  Celestia's cold gaze shot between the three other alicorns.

“Listen! I am the only one at this table who knows first-hoof what he is capable of.  You must trust me when I say that he must be put down before he gets out of control.” 

Each Princess silently looked at one another.  They were at an impasse since they couldn’t agree on a proper sentence. 


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Ajax knelt in the middle of a dark, cold, stone cell as the moonlight shone down on his back.  Two royal guards kept watch on the prisoner, both awaiting further orders from the council of four princesses when there was a slight tapping noise.  The guards turned around and saw the man tapping his finger on the stone floor.

“Hey! Knock it off!” grunted the stallion.

The man raised his finger one last time before he looked up at the stallions.  He looked at both of them before he stood up.  Their horns glowed with magic ready to take action.

“Look fellas.  I have been waiting quite some time for the Princess to come check up on me, but at this rate I am starting to think she isn’t going to, so I am just gonna leave while I can and come back another time.” said Ajax with a sigh.

The guards looked at each other when suddenly a blast of black fire destroyed the prison door and the magic seal holding it.  A guard struggled to lift up his head and saw the figure of a man emerging from the smoke.  He tried to speak, but Ajax grabbed his muzzle and slammed his head into the floor.

“I can’t believe Celestia underestimated me so much, that seal was far too weak.  I actually suspect that she might have intended for me to escape.”

The ponies eyes started to roll back, everything went blurry as the world around him started to spin.

“Or was it you that put on that magic seal? If that's the case then you have my gratitude.” 

The guard found it difficult to breathe since Ajax was pushing down on his snout.

“Hey don’t black out on me, remember this pony: Next time you see me set foot in Canterlot, I intend to raze the city and watch its inhabitants burn with it.”

Ajax let go of the pony since the guard had finally blacked out.  He retrieved his swords and leapt out the window and began running across the rooftops of Canterlot.  He glided across the city with each stride easily covering twenty feet.  Under the shroud of night no pony could see him, let alone tell who he was. When he reached the edge of the city he scaled the wall and slid down the mountainside disappearing into the darkness…

When Celestia had heard the news, there wasn’t a single town in Equestria without a wanted poster.  Word had spread throughout all of Equestria about the human.  No matter how much they searched though they couldn’t find a trace of him.  He seemed to have vanished into thin air, but he was only waiting.  He knew that if he was going to take down quite possibly the mightiest ruler in history he would have to take the proper amount of time to prepare.  His time spent fighting for survival over the last thousand years had indeed made him strong, but he was no match for the entire force of Canterlot and her people. 

He would need allies.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


In the northern parts of Equestria the last major town before the Crystal Empire was a town called Pon-treal.  A wondrous and lively city by day, but by night, the darker inhabitants of Equestria opened shop and partook in “unsupervised” acts.  The Crimson Mare was a pub that became extremely popular around this hour and housed criminals from all eyes in Equestria.

A cloaked figure stood with an upright posture at the entrance, but hunched over as if it were a pony before entering the pub.  The pub was a rowdy place that smelled of aged cider and filth.  The cloaked figure approached the bar and took a seat.  No pony had payed any attention to the new guest, they were too caught up with fighting and gambling with each other, besides, a cloaked figure in these parts was not an uncommon thing.

“What’s yer poison stranger?” 

A large unicorn with a long red mane and a large mustache was cleaning a glass mug.  He looked at his new customer with a smile.
“I will have a glass of cider.” 

A glass of cider immediately slid across the counter before being grabbed by a hand.  The bartender raised an eyebrow upon seeing the hand and began stroking his mustache.

“So? Whacha doin here fella? Ya aint from around here are ya?”

The unicorn put a wanted poster on the counter.  It was a poster for Ajax.  A reward of a million bits had been placed on his head.

“Wanted Dead o’ Alive and it says right here that a noticeable description of the criminal would be a hand with five appendages similar to that of a minotaur.  Such as yarself, stranger.” 

The two stared at each other briefly before the figure spoke.

“You don’t want to do this.”

The unicorn chuckled as he tossed away the wanted poster.

“Relax Ajax.  Mind if I call ya that? No one here is going to turn ya in, this is a place where Celestia’s ears can’t reach, free of Equestria's bounty hunters.  Besides I wouldn’t want to tussle with someone who managed to get a bounty of a million bits on his head.” 

Ajax removed the hood and drank the entire glass of cider. He wiped his forearm across his mouth.

“Wonderful, I am glad to hear that not all creatures of Equestria serve Celestia blindly.  Say how about you do me a favor. I had intended to find a unicorn in this place that would be willing to decipher this map for me.” 

Ajax placed a large piece of paper in between them and blew off a large dust cloud.  The barkeep coughed as Ajax pointed at the glowing inscriptions.

“Humans have not even the slightest knowledge about magic, but I am sure you could translate.” 

The unicorn observed the flowing runes and symbols.  He traced his hooves across the magical markings while mumbling to himself.

“Hmmm. Yes, yes.  This will go here and that goes there, meaning...that it….....Nevermind...I got nothing.” said the barpony with a smile.

“What? What do you mean you got nothing! You are a unicorn, a magical creature, how come you can’t read it?”

Ajax drew a sack of coin and placed it on the table.  The pony raised a hoof and shook his head.

“What ya got there ain’t something easy to read.  Ya gonna need a unicorn skilled in magic to understand what that there piece of paper is trying to say.” 

Ajax rubbed his forehead trying to figure out what he was going to do, he couldn’t just walk into the Canterlot library and ask some sort of pony scholar to decipher the scroll.

“There might be one pony in these parts who is smart enough to understand what's going on with that there paper.” 

Ajax looked up and sat back in his seat, the unicorn had his full attention.

“She is the performing act tonight and supposedly she is a skilled magician of sort or something.  Why not stick around for a bit and have a few more drinks till she goes on... hmm?”

Ajax shrugged and ordered a few more rounds.  What else could he do, he had all the time in the world to waste.  The lights of the Crimson Mare suddenly went out. Each pony began arguing with one another, one pony was even stabbed in the commotion, BUT when the lights came back, a glorious lavender hat and cape flapped in the wind as fireworks shot into the air.

“I AM THE GREAT AND POWERFUL T-R-R-R-IXIE!”

The sky blue unicorn threw her hooves into the air as more fireworks went off.  The crowd was silent, unmoved by her entrance.  Trixie gave a slight cough as she turned off the fan she had used for her introduction.

“Well then! Prepare to be left in shock and awe as I amaze you with my magic!”

The pony’s horn began to glow with a purple color as she lifted a bunny in a cage out from her trunk.  The rabbit shook with fear, it obviously didn’t enjoy being near Trixie. She pulled out a long drape and tossed it over the cage.

“Behold as I The Great and Powerful Trixie uses her magic to transform this rabbit into a chicken!” The crowd still seemed to care very little for the unicorn’s performance.  Trixie gave the crowd a look that complimented their enthusiasm.

“Anyways…” 

The ponies horn glowed with magic as she tapped the cage with her horn.  She threw off the drape and revealed a chicken in the cage.  The unicorn began to bow as a few members of the audience clapped.  Trixie’s hat slipped off her head, a rabbit scurried out  from underneath the wizard's hat and darted offstage.  She blushed while giving a big smile, but the entire room continued to boo her offstage.  The pony had to dodge cider mugs and other objects thrown at her while she tried to escape back stage, one pony was even stabbed in the commotion.

“YEA?! WHY DON’T YOU COME UP ON STAGE THEN!? IT’S A FREE SHOW YA KNOW!” shouted Trixie.

The unicorn stormed off back to her wagon and slammed the door.

“So that was her huh...?” said Ajax.

Ajax looked over at the barkeep, but the unicorn was to busy trying to clean up the mess made by the audience. 

Trixie began to pack her belongs, but threwt he luggage against the wall as she laid her head down on a nearby table.   She couldn’t get the thought out of her head that she was some sort of failure doomed to forever put on extraordinary performances for hooligans.   Trixie tried her best to fight back her tears when there was a knock at the door.

“Go away...” 

Trixie continued to wallow in self-pity when the knock came again louder.

Trixie picked herself up and opened the door.  The tall figure was easily twice Trixie’s height and invited himself inside.

“Hey! What are you doing?  You can’t just barge in like that!” 

The man took a seat as if he did not hear her at all.  Trixie scrunched her snout, she was clearly upset with her guest's manners. She walked over to a drawer and took out a few bits and threw them into Ajax’s lap.

“That’s all I have...Tell Bastion that I need more time to get the rest of the money.”

She sat in the corner of the room looking away from her guest with contempt.  Ajax looked down at the coins and tossed them aside.  Trixie was about to give him a piece of her mind, but when the man stood over her for a second time she finally realized how tall he was compared to her.  Before Trixie could say a word a large sack of metal dropped onto the table overflowing with bits. Trixie’s eyes reflected the glorious shine of the coins as she stared at the sack of money.

“Where did you get money like that? Did you rob a bank or something?” joked Trixie.

“Two. Actually.” 

Trixie cleared her throat as he took a nearby seat.

"So tell me.  What brings you to Trixie's humble abode."  

After seeing the money she was a bit more polite towards her guest.

“I got something you can help me with.  If you are successful I will leave that bag of money on the table and we can just go our separate ways.  You could pay off your debts in no time.” 

Trixie knew this was too good to be true.  No one would offer to pay someone that much money unless they wanted them to do something stupid or crazy.  Or both.

“So what kind of creature are you anyways?”

"I am a human, you might not have heard of my kind, but that doesn't matter.  All you need to know is that I have a easy task for you that pays quite well.  All you have to do is translate this magical scroll for me."

“Let me get this straight? You will pay me that much money just to translate some magic for you?” 

Ajax nodded as he handed her the scroll.

“Don’t worry Ajax. THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE has never encountered a scroll that she couldn’t conquer, a scroll that she couldn’t overcome, a scroll that she couldn’t vanquish, a scroll that she couldn’...” 

Ajax had placed a finger over the pony's mouth.
.
“Please, just get to work.” 

Trixie nodded and unrolled the scroll.  The magical symbols illuminated the room of the wagon with bright, vivid colors.  Trixie observed the scroll for only a few seconds before she rolled it up and packed it into her saddle.

“Well?” said Ajax.

He looked at the unicorn intrigued by how little time she had taken.  Trixie gave him a reassuring nod.

"What you got here is a map, I will lead you to the end of the trail and then we go our seperate ways, kapeesh?"

Ajax patted her on the back and gathered his belongings and raised his hood over his head.

“I guess you aren’t half bad Trixie. Please, lead the way.”
> Chapter Two
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The Canterlot garden was brimming with life on a beautiful morning as the sun sat high in the sky. The luscious green garden was filled with exotic plants, critters and the fresh scent of flowers. Celestia and Twilight were taking a morning stroll through the beautiful garden.

“Thank you for taking the time to stay here with me while we try to find Ajax’s whereabouts. I know it must not be easy for you to be so far from home.” said Celestia

Twilight was leaning over to smell a large exotic flower, but she it didn't smell as good as it looked.

“N-no problem I-I'm glad that I could b-be of assistance.” 

Twilight was trying her best to fight back a massive sneeze, but couldn't hold it in any longer.

“ACHOO!” 

Celestia chuckled as the purple alicorn began to have a sneezing fit. The two princesses continued walk, and talked about simpler things, until a royal guard interrupted their moment of peace and quiet. The stallion bowed before the two princesses hoping he hadn’t interrupted anything too important.

“Princess Celestia, Princess Twilight we still have not been able to find anything on the whereabouts of the human.” 

Celestia nodded and dismissed the guard. Twilight followed Celestia back into the castle. Twilight wished that she could have talked with her old mentor for a little while longer, but now she knew their alone time was over. She knew that Celestia wanted to find Ajax as quick as possible, she could tell that Celestia was losing sleep over the matter.

“Do you think he might have escaped to a different land? Maybe he just wants to be left alone and doesn't want to bother Equestria any further.” said Twilight.

Celestia shook her head.

“He will be back, it is only a matter of time. I am sure of it.”

Celestia and Twilight entered a large room decorated with maps of Equestria, large banners and ancient armor adorned the ancient walls. Twilight’s eyes were caught on every object in the room, she had a love for history and this room had plenty of it.

“Why have I never seen this room before Celestia?” asked Twilight as she spun a globe. 

Celestia walked over to her and placed a hoof on the globe.

“This is the Canterlot War Room, no pony has been in this room for quite some time, since we haven’t seen a war in Equestria in over six-hundred years. We, for the most part, have been living in quite a peaceful time.”

“Until now.” 

A figure had entered the room unnoticed, he was an earth pony dressed as a royal guard, but his armor was different. It was white with gold plating and had four golden stars drilled into its side. He had blue eyes and a white coat with a cutie mark depicting a sunset. His mane was black and short, trimmed to replicate the hair on the royal guard’s helmet. Shining Armor stood behind the stranger, he also was wearing his purple plated regal armor, ready for battle. The two ponies saluted the princesses as she addressed them. Twilight smiled at Shining Armor, but she seemed to have gone on unnoticed. Celestia turned toward Twilight as she motioned for stallion in white armor to step forward.

“Twilight I would like you to meet a very important pony. Celestia pointed to the stallion in white armor. This is Horizon Star, he is the highest ranking general in all of Equestria.” 

Horizon Star bowed before Twilight.

“It is an honor to meet you princess Twilight. I look forward to being of assistance to you.” 

She blushed seeing the stallion bow before her, she still wasn't used to the royal treatment. 

"Nice to meet you, I am Twilight Sparkle." Just then Twilight noticed that Horizon Star was an earth pony. The alicorn wondered how the highest ranking general could be an earth pony. Usually those types of rankings belonged to unicorns, sometimes even pegasus ponies on rare occasions, but never an earth pony. She withheld all her questions, since she wanted to be polite towards the earth pony. Celestia addressed the two armored ponies.

“Now then as you two are aware, Equestria is under attack by the human known as Ajax.  I will share with you all that I know about him in the hopes it will help you defeat him. ”

Celestia began to pace back and forth as she listed everything she could recall off the top of her head.

“As you know he wields two massive large swords and has the power to control black fire, but there are a few other things you should know. Like all humans he is incapable of using magic, but he will most likely be equipped with technology beyond our understanding. His black fire can also form protective barriers and when he reaches his limit, his curse will only become stronger.” 

Shining Armor saluted the princess.

“Do we know of any weaknesses?” 

Celestia shook her head slowly.

“He rushed here blindly in a fit of rage, but I doubt he will let his anger get the best of him again. He is a renowned tactical genius therefore we must assume he will make no more mistakes.” 

Shining Armor nodded.

“You have my word that the royal guards will be on double watch, nothing will get past us princess, I swear my life on it. Canterlot will be a solid fortress that no human could ever infiltrate.” 

"Thank you. You are dismissed, Shining Armor."

Shining Armor saluted the princess and exited the room while Horizon Star awaited further orders.

“Horizon Star you have been trained for years by the academy in battlefield tactics and leadership. You are prepared more than anyone else to lead an army against Ajax. I hope it goes without saying saying that Ajax could strike anywhere at any time. You must be there when he attacks...This medallion will give you absolute authority in any matter pertaining to the human.” 

Celestia handed Horizon Star a pendant, it had a glowing symbol of Celestia's cutie mark. On the back it listed all of the authorities granted to him.

“Why wouldn’t he just attack Canterlot if he was after you?” asked Twilight. 

“He knows that Canterlot most likely will be heavily guarded, if he was to attack other cities in Equestria he would force me to spread out my defenses, making it easier to claim a victory in Canterlot."

Horizon Star saluted the princesses

“I assure you princess that despite Equestria not seeing a war in nearly six hundred years, I am fully prepared to lead an army of any size whenever and wherever”

Horizon Star gave the princess one last salute before taking his leave. Celestia looked over at Twilight, who continued to spin the same globe from before. The purple alicorn's face was full of sorrow, she would rather be back in Ponyville rather than preparing for war. 

“Twilight I hope you understand that I need you more than ever for this. Equestria might need the elements of harmony to deliver us from this evil.”

Twilight looked up at Celestia.

“I understand that it is extremely important that I stay here in Canterlot and all, but I miss Spike and all my friends back in Ponville.” 

Twilight frowned as she started to spin the globe again.

“I guess I must sound pretty selfish, huh?”

Celestia was disheartened to see her old pupil so upset. She took a moment to think things over before speaking. 

“I never meant to keep you from your friends Twilight. Why don’t you go back to Ponyville and I will call for you if I need your assistance.” 

Twilight had a joyous expression on her face, but she tried her best to act casual as she gratefully accepted Celestia’s offer. The moment she left the palace she went straight to the train station and headed back to Ponyville. She was worried that Spike might have made a mess of her new home, but none of that mattered now, because soon she would be back in Ponyville. Deep down in her heart she wasn’t too worried about the human, she and her friends had defeated Nightmare Moon, Queen Chrysalis, Discord and even Tirek.

No way a single human could be a greater threat than any of those villains. Twilight Sparke stared out the train window as she let her mind wander off.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


A snowstorm blew viciously across the snowy plains, blocking out the distant sunrise. Snow blew in all directions as two figures pressed through the thick wall of white. Trixie tried her best to hold the map steady, but the wind was far too strong and swept it right out of her hooves. Ajax lept into the air and snatched the dancing parchment, he slammed down deep into the snow. As he stood up, his cloak was torn away by the violent winds, disappearing into the snowstorm. Trixie had never seen the armor of the ancient warrior, she stared at him for a while trying to figure out who or what he really was. Ajax brushed off snow from his shoulders as he approached the unicorn.

“Maybe you should grow some thumbs next time.” He said mockingly as he handed the map back to Trixie. 

“Maybe you should grow your own magic horn next time” said Trixie as she opened the map again. 

The two pressed on deeper into the snowstorm when Trixie finally stopped.

“Why did you stop?” 

Trixie had a perplexed look upon her face, as she continued to stare at the map. She flipped the paper over as if she was looking for something.

“This isn’t right, we are in the middle of nowhere, but the map ends here…” 

Ajax looked around, she was right, they were indeed in the middle of nowhere, not a single town or small village was within a thirty mile radius. A large gust of wind caught Trixie off guard ripping the map out of her hooves for a second time. The map sailed through the air and flew right into Ajax’s chest. Trixie let out a sigh of relief.

Ajax slowly looked down at the paper pushing against him and brushed it away. The piece of paper disappeared into the thick storm. Trixie began to scream at the top of her lungs, her voice dwarfed by the raging snowstorm.

“YOU LOST THE MAP! NOW HOW ARE WE GOING TO GET BACK TO CIVILIZATION! WE ARE GOING TO DIE OUT HERE!” 

The pony flailed her hooves about in a fit of rage, but Ajax flat out ignored her. Trixie continued to call him all sorts of names, when Ajax turned to her and drew his sword.

“Hush.”

Trixie froze as the man whispered the command to her, she watched as he stood there sword in hand peering into the distance. Trixie thought that if the cold wasn't going to kill her, this psycho would surely do. Ajax walked over to Trixie and jabbed his sword deep into the snow. Trixie flinched, startled by the sudden action.

“You said the map ended here right?” Trixie backed up eyeing the massive sword, she wondered if the man blamed her for the outcome of the map. 

“I even double checked it and everything. I am certain this is where it ended.”  

Ajax picked up his blade and began walking around thrusting it into the snow. Trixie sat and watched as the man continued to stab the snow, in the middle of nowhere, during a snowstorm. Trixie was sure that he was indeed crazy and now she was going to die out here in the middle of nowhere with this lunatic. Suddenly she heard Ajax call out to her, she looked up to see him quite a ways off signaling for her to come over. Trixie walked over to him and saw that he was still poking the snow with his sword.

“Please, do tell me why you keep pushing your sword into the snow?” 

Ajax looked up and lifted his sword out of the snow, he moved it over a few inches before pushing it back in, but the sword stopped, it had hit something solid.

“That’s why. We made to the treasure at the end of the map. All we needed to do was a bit of digging. You might want to a few step backs for this.”

Ajax knelt down and wiped away snow to reveal a thick reinforced screen. He ripped off a rusted panel to reveal an ancient keyboard. The man typed away as Trixie hopped up and down trying to peer over his shoulder to see exactly what he was doing. She could see green letters fly by as the man typed away. Finally everything stopped and a question appeared in solid green letters.

“Unlock J.A.X.-034? Y/N”. 

When Ajax hit the key, the earth began to shake. The screen sank back into the ground as a massive pylon of steel emerged from the snow, slowly rotating up into the sky. The tower had a diameter that was easily a quarter of a mile long, however the metal obstruction didn't stop growing in height.  Ajax turned to Trixie who was still hypnotized by the sheer structure size.

“Are you going to stare at it until it is fully out of the ground? Trust me it’s at least going to be a couple of minutes till it’s done.”

“What the hell is this thing exactly!?” shouted Trixie.

She had never seen any tower or castle that compared to the structures height. Not even the tallest skyscraper in Manehatten was this tall. Ajax thought about it for a moment trying to think of a good explanation for the huge pylon of steel.

“Well think of it like a vault that goes deep into the ground waiting to be of use to me or anyone else with the pass code. If I was leading an army out in these parts where there is no human city nearby, we could come here to rest and resupply. It isn't the only one of its kind though, there are plenty throughout Equestria, buried deep under the ground. The maps leading to these vaults were written in magic since the only people who we were afraid breaking into them were other humans.  Unfortunately I didn’t have the device needed to decipher the magical writing so I had to find someone with natural talent. Which is why I needed you."

Trixie thought that maybe the human wasn't crazy after all.

“So, what exactly are you expecting to find in there?” 

Ajax scratched the back of his head. He wished he knew what was inside the tower himself.

“Well, its purpose is to serve as an outpost for an army, I can only hope that there are more weapons than supplies inside. Then we  have to figure out which weapons haven’t turned to junk over the last one-thousand years.” 

Ajax sighed, he was hopeful at first , but now he wasn’t so sure he was going to find anything of value.

“Whatever is inside will be all the help I get in starting my war, so hopefully I hit the jackpot.”

A rectangular passage opened in the side of the towering structure, Ajax stepped through the passage. Trixie followed after him, since she had no way of returning home herself she figured it was better to be inside. However it was still freezing inside the tower, but at least there was no wind-chill and snow indoors. The floor began to move as they were lifted up through the tower. Trixie looked down at the platform and pressed a hoof against the hard steel.

“This is a lot better than stairs, how marvelous!” 

She looked over at Ajax who was typing away on a computer in the corner of the elevator. He began listing a bunch of things in the vault with a smile on his face, but Trixie didn’t understand a single thing he said. However it wasn’t hard to tell that whatever was in the vault made him very happy.

“I can’t believe that all of this stuff is here, especially that it’s all still functional, Jack always did take really good care of his stuff."

The elevator finally stopped, the doors opened to reveal a dark empty hallway. Trixie analyzed the interior of the hallway. The walls were made out of solid steel with empty weapon racks running up and down every other hallway. Trixie didn't even notice that Ajax had disappeared leaving her alone to explore by herself. He most likely went off to look at all the stuff he had been so excited about. Trixie began to wander the halls looking at a variety of weapons and banners.

The unicorn wandered into a grand room with trophies and exotic weapons, but one object in particular caught her eye above all. A blue hat stitched with crescent moons and stars sat atop a podium in the middle of the room, the rim of the hat was adorned with small bells complimenting its fine embroidery. Trixie didn't believe her eyes.

‘Could it really be? Is it his hat?!’ 

Trixie was slowly approached the headpeace when she heard footsteps behind her. She quickly turned around expecting to see Ajax, but standing before her was a completely different human than before. It was Ajax, but his hair was no longer jagged and rough, but now was long and smooth, his armor brand new and polished. His wrapped up arm no longer had the bandage wrapping, his right arm was a thick bronze gleaming gauntlet. He was a brand new man. He slowly approached the pony and looked past her to see the wizard’s cap.

“Oh? I suppose that would catch your eye. I am sure a unicorn such as yourself must have read a few books about him."

Trixie still couldn’t believe that Star Swirl’s hat was here of all places.

“How in the world did you happen to come by a hat like that?”

Ajax smiled and picked up the hat and placed it over his head.

“You mean this silly thing? It is a trophy of course, a reminder of mankind’s victory over Starswirl the Bearded.”

Trixie’s face turned soured as she realized what the human meant. She had to get out of here while she had a chance.

“Oh well I guess I should leave you to your vault. It’s quite a lovely place and I am sure that I am just taking away from it all.”

She quickly walked passed him in a dash for the exit. A large sword blocked the pony’s path, she stared at Ajax's cold eyes as he slowly pushed her back into the room. 

“Sorry Trixie, you aren't leaving this place. I just can’t risk word getting out about where I am. I hope you understand that it’s nothing personal.” 

Black fire rushed around the room as the sky blue pony tried to back away from the flames. She could tell that despite being the Great and Powerful Trixie this man was by far too powerful for her to take on. He had bested Star Swirl the Bearded for Celestia’s sake! 

The man’s walk turned into a sprint as he lashed out at the pony slamming one of his swords into the steel floor. Trixie screamed, but had managed to roll out of the way just in time. Ajax propelled himself forward using the sword that was dug into the ground. He raised his second sword behind his head and smashed a purple barrier conjured by Trixie. She flew against the wall and fell to the floor.

Artifacts and trinkets bombarded her as they fell off the wall. She put her hooves down and tried to pick herself up. Fear coursed through every vein in her body, its strong grip paralyzed the pony. Thoughts of dying began to rush through her head, she didn’t want to die, she wasn’t ready yet. Her eyes met Ajax’s unsympathetic jade eyes as he slowly approached to deliver the final blow. Trixie’s voice quivered as she begged for her life.

“WAIT! I-i-i can be of use t-to you!” 

The pony threw her hooves up in a last attempt to shield herself. She waited, but a final blow never came. Trixie hesitantly looked up and saw the man standing still, with his head tilted at an angle. Whatever she had just said had caught his attention. 

Trixie tried to stand, but her legs were shaking so violently she just collapsed again. She started talking again knowing that it was her only hope.

“You want revenge right?! You want vengeance on Celestia? Well I want revenge on Twilight Sparkle! We can work together you and me. Equestria has changed over the past one-thousand years, you need someone who is knowledgeable in current matters. Please, spare me and we can take down Canterlot, together!”

Ajax folded one arm and placed a hand on his cheek, he smiled at the pony begging for her life.

“A tempting offer, too bad you are far too weak to be of any assistance to me.” 

Trixie closed her eyes… At least she had tried, she awaited her fate when suddenly she was swooped off the ground and placed back onto her hooves. She looked up and saw Ajax sheathing the swords onto his back.

“I will accept your offer, but be warned if you fail me I will not hesitate to get rid of you, I care not for trash.” 

Trixie weakly nodded, still traumatized from a few seconds ago.

“However if you are successful I will see to it that you are rewarded beyond your wildest dreams. Whatever you desire shall be yours. They shall build monuments, hundreds of feet high that still undersell 'The Great and Powerful Trixie'.”

Ajax placed Star Swirl’s hat on her head, Trixie thought about what he had said and dreamt about what it would be like to be the most revered pony in all of Equestria. She tried to walk, but she still couldn't stop trembling. Ajax rolled his eyes and picked up the unicorn and threw her on top of his right shoulder.

“Well then, let me show you where you will be spending most of your time here.”

Ajax carried the unicorn to a room filled with bookcases each easily fifty feet high, stuffed with books. Trixie couldn’t believe what she saw, never in her life had she ever seen such a large collection of magical tomes in one place.

“Impressive, huh? We kept all rare books regarding to magic from races we conquered throughout Equestria. I thought such a practice was pointless, but I guess they might be useful to you. Hopefully something in here will be able to help you improve you magic.” 

Trixie finally had regained her ability to walk, she slowly started to take books off the shelves and read their titles. A lot of first editions books regarding magic long lost to Equestria were here. Trixie had access to magic that few even remembered had ever existed.

“These books are textbooks, encyclopedias and anthologies regarding to arcane magic. Magic like this no longer exists in Equestria today.”  

Trixie couldn’t help herself, she began taking books off the shelves by the dozen.

“I am not surprised that it disappeared from Equestria, by the looks of it we gathered every last page regarding to the subject.”

Ajax watched as Trixie continued to take book after book from the shelves stacking them on top of a table.

“Well, I can see that you are busy, but don’t get too comfortable, we got a lot of work to do today."

When Ajax left, Trixie sat down at a nearby table and sighed, thinking of what she had just gotten herself into. She didn’t like Twilight, but she would never go so far as to kill her. Trixie began to think about the life she could never return to. It didn’t take long for her to remember that her old life sucked, she was in debt and her talent was never appreciated by anyone whenever she performed.

‘Maybe this won’t be too bad’ she thought to herself.

After all she had a large collection of books to read, a roof over her head, and she no longer had to pay off her debts or put on any shows. Trixie started to look on the bright side of things when she heard a loud noise from down the hall. She poked her head out the door, but couldn’t see anything down the dark hallway.

“Hello? Ajax?” 

Trixie listened for a while, but no answer came. She heard a whisper from down the hall and decided to check it out. Trixie took light steps using her horn to light the path. The voice grew louder, whatever it was, was right around the corner. Trixie took a deep breath and mustered her courage before she popped out from behind the wall.

“Who’s there!” shouted the unicorn.

Trixie’s horn illuminated a metallic robot that was being crushed under a broken support beam. The robot kept repeating the same sentence.

“Error JAX-004 under intense pressure, initiating system reboot.”
“Error JAX-004 under intense pressure, initiating system reboot.”
“Error JAX-004 under intense pressure, initiating system reboot.”
“Error JAX-004 under intense pressure, initiating system reboot.” 

Trixie slowly approached the automaton, she had never seen anything like it before. It had a similar body shape to that of a human, but its body was made out of a smooth metal. Trixie rolled the pillar off of the robot as it repeated the same sentence one last time.

“Error JAX-004 under pressure, initiating system reboot.”

The robot went silent for a bit before reawakening. It slowly stood on its feet as its head slowly rotated clockwise, scanning the room. The robot had an extremely thin skeletal frame except for its large cylindrical shins and forearms. The robotic head was a smooth cylinder that had two eyes and a straight line for a mouth. A small disk emerged from the robot's forearm and spread itself outward tripling its radius.

The robot placed the disk on its head, the disk bended forming a conical hat that covered the robot’s eyes. When the robot faced Trixie, it stopped. The robot’s thick shin shot up a long thin samurai sword. The machine caught the sword with lightning speed and drew the blade and pointing it at Trixie. 

“You, pony. Why are you here? What is your purpose?”

The robot’s words all followed the same rhythm. Trixie’s horn glowed with magic, she had a long day and wasn't in the best of moods. The robot swung at the pony. Trixie fired a bright purple magic missle. Suddenly a figure appeared between the robot and the pony and caught the robot by the neck with one hand and crushed the magic missile with his gauntlet. Ajax stood for a moment and stared at the robot as he shook his smoldering metal hand.

“What exactly is this thing?” asked Ajax.

“I was hoping that you were going to tell me.” said Trixie.

The robot empty eyes stared at Ajax for a moment. 

“I am J.A.X-004. My directory lists you have the commanding authority.”

Ajax looked back at the robot for a while before he dropped it. Trixie horn lit-up with magic, ready to strike.

“Hold on a moment Trixie. If this thing is really X-4 then you might have just found the most valuable thing in here. Jack numbered his creations according to their value, so if we found number four then we are in luck.” 

The robot slowly stood up on its thick cylinders, and placed the samurai sword back into its leg.

“My calendar says it has been nearly a thousand years since this vault was last opened. Will I be needing repairs?”

“No, you’re fine, it 'has' been a thousand years.”

“Why are you traveling alone?” questioned the robot.

Ajax told the robot how Celestia had tricked him into guarding the Everfree Scar under the pretense that she would give humans a second chance. Then she exterminated the human race despite their contract and now was trying to kill him as well.

“If you are the last human that means Jack is no longer alive therefore I suppose you are in command of all his machinery. If you wish to start a war, I suggest you reactivate the factory below the tower.” 

Ajax smiled.

“Did you say a factory?” 

The robot began leading them to the lowest part of the vault, deep under the ground.

“Wait so there is more stuff still under the ground?!” exclaimed Trixie. 

Ajax shrugged.

“I am honestly surprised myself. This is by far the largest vault that I have ever seen. I am starting to think an old friend of mine hid the best of his toys from me.” 

The robot led them into a dark room, Ajax hit a light switch lighting up a giant construction of steel.

“Well, what does this thing do?” said Trixie sluggishly.

Trixie had become jaded by too many marvelous things. Ajax approached a panel and began to flip a bunch of switches before pulling a giant lever. They watched as the giant machine slowly hummed to life. The earth shook as drills pierced the ground, small appendages emerged from slots in the machine and began shoveling chunks of earth onto a conveyor belt. JAX-4 approached the console and stood next to Ajax.

“This factory is self-sustaining, drilling deeper and deeper into the earth to provide the necessary material for its product.” said the robot.

“What is its product exactly?” said Ajax as he raised an eyebrow.

“The output can be changed to a few different things, I have set the output to be soldiers.” 

Ajax gasped.

“Soldiers?! Like sentient order driven beings? Like the ones you build an army with?!”

“Look for yourself. The first one should be produced shortly.” 

A figured rolled out on a conveyor belt. Ajax hopped over the metal railing and landed down on the production floor. He approached the figure and lifted it off of the conveyor belt. The robot resembled a human, but was extremely light and only about five feet tall. Its arms and legs were just a series of steel tubes connected to ball joints.

“They aren't high quality, but I can’t say that surprises me. They will get the job done though.”

Ajax looked around the place and saw an old pair of twin doors. He pushed the ancient doors open, dust filled the air, as the smell of ancient fuel ravaged his nostrils. The lights of the factory casted the man's shadow upon rows and rows of deactivated robots. He started to chuckle, but soon it evolved into a sinister laugh. He had hoped to find something valuable in the vault, but never expected to find an endless robotic army. Ajax closed the doors and stepped back into the factory.

“I want this machine running at all times. I want it producing soldiers twenty-four, seven!"

JAX-4 saluted and began inputting the commands into the console.

“Trixie!” shouted the human.

The pony peered over the railing awaiting to hear what he had to say.

“The Crystal Empire isn’t far from here, correct?”

Trixie gave a reassuring nod.

“It’s only a couple of miles away…” 

Ajax jumped back onto the railing above the factory he had a devilish grin on his face.

“Let’s test out the waters a bit. I wonder how Celestia's ally's will fair against my new army. Let's go pay the Crystal Princess a small visit.”


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The sun peeped over a distant mountain range, its bright light hit the top of the crystal palace and slowly trickled down upon the rest of the city. Sunlight entered through a window waking up Princess Cadence. When she woke up, she reached over for something in her bed, but whatever she was reaching for wasn’t there. Her eyes slowly opened as she let out a sigh. She sat up in her bed still wrapped in blankets. Shining Armor had been in Canterlot for nearly two weeks. The royal guards were still on full alert despite no sign of Ajax anywhere. She groaned as she pulled herself out of bed and into the bathroom. A toothbrush slowly lifted off the counter and began brushing her teeth as a comb fixed her hair. There was a knock on her door.

“Come in!” shouted Cadence.

She spat out into the sink and began rinsing her mouth with water. A crystal unicorn entered with a clipboard in hoof. She had large rimmed glasses and her main was twisted into twin braided tails. She was busy writing something down as she paced back and forth.

“This isn’t good we only have five minutes until the grand Crystal Parade.” 

Cadence emerged from the bathroom ready for her day.

“Relax Timestamp the world isn’t going to end if I am a few minutes late.”

“MY WORLD WILL THOUGH!” 

The pony nearly ripped her hair out at the thought about being late. Cadence rolled her eyes as she placed her crown upon her head.

“Look, I am ready, so let’s get going.” 

The streets of the Crystal Empire were alive with ponies that had gathered to see the parade. Ponies from all across Equestria crowded around to see the legendary spectacle. Trumpets blew as crystal guards emerged from the palace making a path for Princess Cadence. She smiled and waved to the crystal ponies and tourists who had gathered to see the parade. She took a spot on top of the largest float and began leading the ponies in the Crystal Kingdom anthem. After the ponies finished, fireworks shot into the air signaling the start of the parade. Ponies had a joyous time playing flugelhorns and waving the crystal empire flag. Cadence loved seeing her empire so full of life. She continued to smile and wave when a crystal guard landed next to her. She looked over at the crystal pegasus who obviously had something important to tell her. She continued her routine of smiling and waving as she whispered to the guard.

“What are you doing? Can’t you see that I am in the middle of something?”

The crystal pony tried to act casual as he whispered back.

“I am deeply sorry for the intrusion princess, but something has come up that could jeopardize the security of the kingdom.” 

Cadence froze for a moment, but continued her smile and wave routine.

“What would you have me do? Leave in the middle of the parade with everypony watching?”

The crystal guard shrugged, he couldn’t think of anything. If she left during the middle of the parade the whole ceremony would be ruined.

“Please, come to the observatory as soon as you can princess.” 

The crystal pegasus flapped his wings and disappeared into the crowd, leaving the princess stranded on her float. For the rest of the celebration Cadence couldn’t stop thinking about what-had-to-be so important that the guard couldn’t wait till the parade was over. In the corner of her eye she could see royal guards galloping through the streets, as pegasus ponies patrolled the sky. She knew something wasn’t right, but she was stuck on her float till the parade ended. There were only a few minutes left when the same pegasus from before landed on her float, but this time he was accompanied by three other crystal guards.

“Are you going to keep me in the dark or are you finally going to tell me what exactly is going on?”

If the Crystal Kingdom was in danger she shouldn’t be sitting on a float, she didn’t care if her absence would ruin the festival. She held the safety of her people above everything else, including herself. The crystal pony bowed before Cadence.

“Sorry fo-“

“Yes, yes, yes, please, just tell me what is going on already.”

Cadence had stopped trying to act so casual, she wanted to know why the crystal guards were so alarmed.

“I am the crystal princess and I have the right to know if something is threatening my kingdom.” 

The crowd began to whisper to one another curious as to why Cadence seemed frustrated with the crystal guards.

“We have detected…well…some large kind of formation that seems to be approaching the kingdom. We aren’t sure what it is exactly, but we are taking all necessary precautions.”

“WHAT?!” 

Cadence placed a hoof over her mouth, before whispering to the guard.

“what?”

Cadence looked around and saw ponies in the crowd staring at her and the guards. She started to smiled and wave again, hoping to make up for her outburst.

“I am going to the observatory and figuring out what exactly is going on. Here take over for me.” 

Cadence spread her wings and shot into the sky leaving the guards on top of her float. They looked at each other confused, one guard shrugged and began to smile and wave. The other guards decided to follow his example. 

Cadence landed on a balcony and entered a dim lit room with crystal ponies fighting over a large telescope
.
“Maybe it’s a migration of emperor penguins.”

“No way it’s they’re too large to be penguins.”

“Maybe they are windigos migrating north.” 

They continued to rabble with one another not noticing the princess who had just entered the room.

“Ahem.” Cadence let out a cough to inform the ponies of her presence.

The crystal ponies turned around and saw Cadence waiting for somepony to explain the situation. The crystal ponies looked at each other and stepped away from the telescope.

“Excuse us your majesty, please take a look and tell us what you think it is.” 

Cadence closed one eye and peered into the telescope. Whatever it was, was still too far off in the distance to make out exactly what it was. It had to be large and moving at a decent pace since it was knocking up so much snow. She wasn’t going to take any chances however since the foreign entity was headed straight for the kingdom. Cadence stepped back from the telescope, and addressed the crystal ponies.

“I want eyes on that thing at all times. Make sure that every crystal guard is suited up and on standby. Try to be as discreet as possible though, we don’t want to alarm the city.” 

The crystal ponies saluted their princess and started to prepare for the worst case scenario. Cadence pulled a crystal guard out of his squad and over to the side.

“I need you to send word to Canterlot, tell princess Celestia that the crystal kingdom might be under attack.” 

The crystal pony saluted the princess and rushed off to send the message.

“We are starting to get a visual princess!”

A pony was adjusting the telescope trying to get a better look. He reared back from the telescope with a confused look before he took a second glance.

“It looks like…troop formations?”

Cadence rushed forward nearly knocking the pony over. She wanted to believe that the pony had made a mistake, that maybe the sun got in his eyes or he might not have gotten enough sleep last night. She adjusted the telescope when suddenly she hit the perfect focus. She saw the sun’s rays reflecting off metallic humanoids marching in formation towards her kingdom. She knew that it must be Ajax, but how did he find an army in only a few weeks’ notice. None of that mattered now though, she slowly stepped away from the telescope, still in disbelief. The crystal ponies all looked at one another worried about what the princess saw.

“The Crystal Kingdom is under attack…” whispered Cadence. 

Cadence waited, but the crystal ponies were too stunned to make any comments.

“Go! I want every pony that isn’t associated with the crystal guard in a shelter. I want every crystal guard at the ready. Send message throughout Equestria that Ajax is attacking the Crystal Kingdom!” shouted the princess.

Cadence’s horn glowed with her bright blue magic. Sparks of pure energy fizzled off her horn as she began to place the entire kingdom inside a massive blue barrier.

“Princess! The enemy has stopped moving!” shouted one of the crystal ponies.

Cadence nodded, she still was trying to catch her breath from creating the massive force field.

“Let’s wait and see what he does first, the longer we wait, the more time reinforcements have to arrive.”


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Ajax stood on top of a massive war machine that was easily fifteen feet tall. The construction of steel steadily moved towards the kingdom. Ajax placed his fists on his sides, his eyes fixated on the Crystal Kingdom.

“Impressive, I have only heard stories about the Empire, but they all surely fall short of the wondrous city.” 

JAX-4 and Trixie were sitting behind Ajax on the edge of the giant machine, JAX-4 looked at the display screen in his forearm.

“King Sombra took the city from the crystal princess over a thousand years ago. However he lost dominion over the city when Luna and Celestia banished him for the way he treated his citizens. When he was banished he placed a curse on the kingdom which caused it to vanish never to be seen again. Some say the king still remains dormant under the land, frozen in ice, waiting for a chance to retake his kingdom. I have no information regarding as to why the kingdom has returned though...” 

JAX-4 continued to search information, but obviously the robot’s database had nothing else. The screen sank back and disappeared into the metallic arm. Trixie closed a book that she had brought along with her from the library. She stood up on her hooves and approached the man and machine.

“King Sombra is no more, Twilight and her friends banished him and saved the Crystal Kingdom from the Tyrant King not to long ago. However your history lesson was a riveting tale.” remarked Trixie with a sarcastic tone.

The robot looked at the pony with his blank expression. The robot had no facial features that could convey emotion even if he had any.

“I am glad that you enjoyed it.” 

Trixie rolled her eyes, as Ajax let out a slight chuckle. The robot turned to him curious as to why he was laughing.

“What’s so funny?” inquired the machine. 

Ajax shook his head, the clueless machine obviously wasn't programmed for humor.

“She was being sarcastic, it’s kind of like she didn’t mean it.”

The machine stood like a statue staring at Ajax.

“So she lied to me?”

“Well yes and no.”

“How is that possible?" 

Ajax turned away and waved him off.

“Just forget it. Anyways, Trixie, care to shed some light on why the crystal kingdom has returned?”

“Well, as you are aware the Crystal Kingdom is ruled by Princess Cadence who recently came into power after she married Shining Armor, captain of the royal guard. Recently Sombra tried to take back the kingdom, but Twilight and her friends stopped them.” 

Ajax raised an eyebrow.

“You mean Twilight Sparkle and her five friends stopped King Sombra. The tyrant of the north? He must have been a complete joke, or maybe those ponies were stronger than they looked.”

“Wait a second. You met Twilight and her friends?”

Ajax hopped off the machine and drew his sword.

“We chatted for a bit…” 

He knelt down and rubbed his hand across the grass. He gripped soil and watched it slowly drain from his fist.

“Amazing, out here in the middle of nowhere surrounded by a barren, cold, wasteland, no civilization for hundreds of miles, and yet the kingdom still flourishes. Magic will never cease to amaze me.” 

Ajax looked up and saw that the Crystal Empire now was surrounded by a light blue bubble.

“Well, look at that. I guess they must have seen us coming.”

JAX-4 jumped down next to him and drew his samurai sword.

“We should show them why we are here.” said the robot.

Ajax drew his sword and walked back to the machine that they had been riding.

“Trixie, you still up there?” 

The unicorn poked her head over.

“I suggest you get down from there.” 

Ajax started to mess with machine from below. Trixie hopped off and landed next to JAX-4. They both watched as Ajax input something into a computer. The man stepped back and placed a small device into his ear. He tossed something similar too it over to Trixie.

“What’s this supposed to be?” asked Trixie

“Put it in your ear and you will see.”

Ajax hit a giant red button on the side of the machine. Steel rods extended outward and began to drill into the ground. A long thin barrel extended outwards and pointed into the sky. When Trixie finally got the earpiece to fit inside her ear she could hear Ajax’s voice. Trixie had already grown accustomed to the futuristic technology and decided to just roll with it.

“Load up!” shouted Ajax.

He stepped forward and lifted a pair of binoculars to his eyes.

“It looks like they’re going to let us make the first move, let's not dissapoint.”

The robots began to place large metal shells into the cannons. When the clanging of hatches and whirling of cogwheels finally faded Ajax lifted his metal fist into the air.

“Ready…Aim…Fire!” 

The long range artillery shook the ground as eardrums shattered. Ajax looked over at Trixie while holding his palms over his ears. He said something, but Trixie could only hear a high pitch ringing.

“WHAT?!” shouted the unicorn.

Ajax shook his head and continued to firmly clamp his hands on his ears as the second round of shots began to fire. Just as the cannons began to fire for a second time the first wave of shells began to impact the Crystal Kingdom. The explosive rounds sent ripples across the magical dome, but despite the high explosive power the barrier held strong. The smoldering cannons continued to fire as Ajax placed a finger against his earpiece.

“Hold fire!”

The cannonfire stopped as Trixie cautiously took her hooves off of her ears. Ajax placed his sword into the grass watching as the last wave of artillery crashed into the light blue dome.

“The shield isn’t even weakened, why did you give the order to cease fire? All we did was reveal our weapons to the enemy. Now they know we have long range artillery” said Jax-4

Jax-4 took a few steps back when Ajax suddenly turned around and approached him.

“Is there a problem with your programming robot? I think you have forgotten why we are here, we came to test the Crystal Princess and start the war. We don't plan on finishing it today! You question me again and I will have you placed into that vault for another thousand years.” 

Jax-4 slowly nodded and backed away slowly from Ajax.
“My apologies I didn’t mean to offend you…”


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The sounds of explosions filled the Crystal Empire as waves of fire engulfed the barrier overhead. Cadence had to place more of her magic into the shield in order to maintain its integrity.

“What the buck just happened!?” shouted a crystal guard.

A different guard looked through the telescope and did his best to hold it steady as he described what he was looking at. 

“It’s some kind of long range weapon princess. They are way too far for any of our weapons to return fire. What shall you have us do?” 

Cadence had never been in a situation where she had to command an army, she knew that she couldn’t show any uncertainty, she had to keep a calm composure in this situation since everyone would look to her for guidance. Cadence tried her best to focus despite holding up a massive shield that protected the entire kingdom. She remembered Celestia talking about the human having technology beyond their understanding, but she never thought he would have an entire metal human army. She couldn’t hold the shield forever against the human’s long range weapons, she must take immediate action.

“I want pegasi at the ready! We are going to take those long range weapons out!” 

She was in command, the safety of her people rested solely on her choices. Cadence didn’t want to start a battle ,but her hoof had been forced.


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Ajax continued to observe the Crystal Kingdom through his binoculars as Trixie drew circles in the grass with her hooves. Jax-4 practiced strikes with his sword eager to test his metal after so many years. Trixie was about to take out a book to read when Ajax’s boot ruined her grass artwork.

“Pegasi are approaching dead ahead. I want three A.P.W.s out here immediately.” 

“Finally some action… I have been waiting far too long for this.” said Jax-4 eagerly. 

Jax-4 quickly sheathed his blade as he instructed soldiers to wheel out several cannons. They had short barrels that were extremely wide. Trixie stood up and rearranged her hat.

“I don’t think you are going to hit much with cannons like that...especially pegasi...” chuckled Trixie. 

“Well these cannons were originally designed to take out the wonderbolts, Trixie.” said Ajax.

Trixie smirked and did her best to hold in her laughter, but she couldn’t help letting out a quick snort.

“Is that so?” said Trixie still holding a hoof over her mouth. 

Ajax rolled his eyes while he twisted his metal gauntlet into a more comfortable position.

“Well, I did use them to shoot Firefly out of the sky...let me tell you these cannons are a godsend, before these things were invented, pegasus ponies could do whatever they please on the battlefield.”

Trixie cleared her throat and took a step back, taking another glance at the cannons.

“Firefly? Like general Firefly? Who didn’t you fight…?”

Ajax stepped forward as if he did not hear Trixie, his eyes fixated on the line of pegasi approaching at an alarming speed.

“Looks like they are starting to get close, lets not miss our window of opportunity.”

Ajax raised his hand, ready to give the command to open fire.There were easily fifty crystal pegasi flying towards them with lances attached to the sides of their armor.

“Fire! Now!” 

Ajax thrust his fist forward as the cannons fired shrapnel that filled the sky. The crystal guards took evasive action, but before anyone could see the outcome the entire sky was illuminated with a bright light. Both sides covered shielded their eyes from the blinding light. Ajax stood with his white hair covering half his face disorganized by the cannonfire his lips pulled back in a devilish grin. The crystal guards were no more. Small shards of crystal reflecting the sunlight slowly pinged down to the ground.

Cadence slowly backed away from the telescope dazed, she could see that everyone was talking to her, but she couldn’t hear a word. Everything had gone quiet as her world slowly started to spin. Everything was inaudible except her own thoughts, she realized that the monster at her door intended to do harm to her people, unlike the other villains before him Ajax only wanted to create bloodshed. She hadn’t been a princess for long, she never had any military experience, but she wasn’t going to let him get away, not now.

“I WANT EVERY GUARD AVAILABLE TO GO OUT THERE AND CRUSH HIM NOW!”

The other ponies stood baffled, they had never seen their princess in a fit of rage, but she was in control and she wanted Ajax dead.


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Ajax ran his hand through his hair and regained his composure. 

“Now then let’s see how the princess handles a few casualties. I am sure we have more time to play before the cavalry arrives.” 

Trixie slowly raised a hoof and pointed into the distance. Ajax raised his eyebrows as his mouth slowly fell open.

“I guess you’re up Jax” said Ajax as he patted him on the shoulder and took a step back.

“Yes! Finally! I can do what I was programmed to do! KILL!” 

The death-machine drew his sword and slowly stepped towards the approaching army. 

Ajax turned to Trixie.

“You wanna help him? We have yet to see what the 'great and powerful' Trixie can do.” 

Trixie coughed nervously.

“Well uh, you see, today is the day that I must rest because all of my magic has gone to the Ether plane so I would be of no help to him.”

“The Ether plane?”

“Yes, the Ether plane…” 

Ajax stared at her. The unicorn shifted uncomfortably, his gaze made her uneasy, but she was no killer, she wasn’t going to be another one of his weapons.

“You know one day you are going to have to step onto the battlefield.”

Ajax flicked Trixie’s hat off her head as he walked away. Trixie’s silver hair covered her face as she picked up her hat and pulled it onto her head. Her eyebrows furrowed as she thought about what Ajax had just said.

“Now then let’s show the Crystal Empire how mankind handles things!”

Ajax drew both of his swords and directed his soldiers to take formations. Crystal ponies rushed across the battlefield as explosive shells rained down overhead. The beautiful green plain of the Crystal Empire slowly turned into a battlefield as pony and robot clashed. The robot soldiers, although large in number, were being held at bay by the crystal army. 

Jax-4 dashed through the battlefield, sword in hand, shattering crystal pony left and right. A crystal unicorn shot a blast of bright blue energy from her horn knocking Jax-4 onto the ground. The machine slowly rose and pointed his arm towards the pony. The plating around his thick forearm opened up revealing seven barrels, a shell shot out towards the pony and bursted with bright purple energy. The crystal unicorn struggled to breath, but the poison attacked her lungs, killing her instantly. 

Cadence watched helplessly from her tower as the guards she sent perished on the battlefield. She wanted more than anything to be able to go and help them, but she would be held against her will if she tried. She could only sit and watch the battle as pure hatred built up inside her. 

Metal and crystal remains covered the battlefield, Ajax cleaved through waves of ponies with each swing of his massive swords. A path of burning black footsteps trailed behind him as his boots crunched crystal shards beneath his feet. He stopped and raised both swords behind his head. Before any pony knew what was going on, the man smashed both swords forward creating a massive cone of explosive black fire destroying both robot and pony. He had no remorse for pony or robot on the battlefield.

A flugelhorn sounded signaling for the remaining forces of the crystal empire to retreat. The crystal ponies scrambled over each other as they tried to escape the battlefield. Ajax slowly sheathed his swords, he enjoyed watching the ponies flee in terror. Jax-4 landed next to Ajax, the robot dropped down out of nowhere. 

“Nice of you to drop in.” said Ajax with a slight smile. 

Jax-4’s head tilted slightly.

“What so funny?” 

“...Nothing...Nevermind, I am just enjoying the victory.”

Jax-4 stepped forward sword in hand.

“It isn’t over yet. We must press forward and wipe them out.”

Ajax held up his sword and blocked the robot from chasing after the ponies, Jax-4 turned back towards Ajax.

“I don’t understand why are you letting them go?” 

“We aren’t letting them go. We are going to test this crystal princess one last time. I want every cannon loaded and ready to fire on my command.” 

Ajax raised his sword into the air and pointed it toward the ponies.

“Surround them let none escape!” 

Cadence was sitting against a wall as all the other ponies watched the battle and whispered amongst each other. She couldn’t bring herself to see any more deaths, she clenched her eyes as tears slowly rolled down her cheeks. An image shot out from a large crystal hanging in the middle of the room. A projection of a pegasus guard stuck on the battlefield could be seen. The sounds of battle echoed in the background as the image of the pegasus shook violently. She tried to hold whatever she was using to transmit her message still. Every pony in the room gave her their full attention.

“Hello!? is-s Anyone there?! This is commander Gale Force! You have to h-help us we are holding out as best we can, but it won’t be for much longer!”

Cadence stood up and rushed towards the projection, she had a wavering smile on her face.

“Hold on we are going to send an extraction team! Just hold on! PLEASE!” 

“Thank you princess! I know we could count on you!” 

The image of the pegasus disappeared. 


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The crystal army was surrounded trying their best to hold their ground. Robots pinned them down from all sides, pegasus were shot down trying to flee the battlefield with only a few escaping. A medium sized force of ponies approached from the crystal kingdom. 

“Looks like she sent reinforcements after all…” said Jax-4 as Ajax turned and face the new pony force.

“We loaded every cannon just for this moment...Go ahead and wipe them out.”

The pony battalion halted as the sky filled with the streams of artillery shells. The explosives rained down engulfing every last pony in fire that had been sent to rescue their military forces.

“Perfect! Now we push forward and wipe out the remaining forces!”

Ajax grabbed Jax-4 by the neck and threw him to the ground.

“Your orders are to hold the enemy at bay do not press forward!”

Ajax pointed toward Jax-4 who was still on the ground.

“If I am to defeat Celestia every order I give must be followed! I will not allow you to mess this up even if you are one of Jack’s best creations.  I will not hesitate to trash you for scrap. Till further notice you are on permanent mute. Understood?” 

Jax-4 slowly nodded as he got onto a knee bowing before Ajax. Ajax waved his hand and Jax-4 slowly stood up and sheathed his sword.

“Load every cannon again…”whispered Ajax.


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“Princess Cadence! We have word that Canterlot forces have just arrived. We-”

The crystal guard was interrupted by a projection of a unicorn in the center of the room.

“This is co-commander Shooting Star! The extraction team was wiped out! I repeat the extraction team was wiped out! We require immediate assistance or we are doomed! Please save us!”

Princess Cadence slammed a hoof down on the ground. 

“They need our help! No pony left behind! As long as I am princess I will not allow us to sit idly by and watch our soldiers suffer. Send out another extraction team! Use our city guards if we must!”

“But princess he is clearly leading us into another one of his traps” blurted a random bystander. 

“You have your orders! I will do everything in my power to help my people. Even if I must go out there myself!”

The ponies looked at each other still hesitant about following the command, but she was in charge and she really wanted Ajax dead.

“Hold that order!” 

A pony entered through the twin doors and halted the messenger pony before he could relay the order. He stepped forward and cut off the emergency transmission. Cadence, blinded by her emotions, stomped up in front of the pony.

“Under what authority do you dare revoke my orders and command my guards!?” 

“The name is Horizon Star and I have been given overruling authority in all matters regarding to the human named Ajax.” 

The pony held out the insignia given to him by Princess Celestia. Cadence inspected the insignia and read the writing on the back as Horizon Star began to pace back and forth. 

“You see princess I had to stop you from making any more foolish mistakes because Ajax was playing you fo-”

Cadence lifted the pony into the air with her magic and held him in front of her. 

“Listen here you-” 

Before Cadence could finish whatever threat she had ready for the pony she heard a familiar voice.

“Cadence! Oh thank Celestia you are ok!” 

Cadence slowly looked over to see Shining Armor captain of the royal guard...her husband. She dropped Horizon Star to the ground and rushed over to him. The two ponies hugged each other and nuzzled their noses together. 

“Shining Armor I am so glad you are here. Ajax has attacked the Crystal Empire with an army of metal humans.”

“I know, we came as soon as we heard. Canterlot has sent a massive force to put a stop to him.”

“No need…” said Horizon Star who was peering through the telescope.

“Seems like he is retreating now that he knows that we are here…”

When Cadence heard the strangers voice she was reminded about how he had stopped her orders and cut off the emergency transmission.

“Guards! Throw this pony into the dungeon!” 

Crystal guards surrounded Horizon Star.

“If I hadn’t shown up in time you would be sweeping up even more ponies! He was obviously leading you into a trap.  Celestia put me in charge for situation just like this!"

“Well if tha-” 

Cadence froze as she turned to see Princess Celestia walk through the twin doors followed by Princess Luna. 

“He is right. I put him in charge for situations like these.” said the white alicorn.

Cadence pushed aside shining armor and walked up to Celestia, she had a stern face that Shining Armor had never seen before.

“How dare you give somepony that amount of authority without even telling me!"

Celestia cleary was not phased by Cadence’s tone. She looked toward the guards and signaled for them to let Horizon Star go.

“If it was not for him you would have marched even more soldiers to their doom. You owe him your gratitude if anything.”

“Celestia!” shouted Luna shocked by her sister’s remark. 

Cadence’s horn glowed with magic followed by Celestia. Both stared at each other waiting for the other to make the first mistake. Shining Armor dashed in between the two alicorns and pushed them apart with his hooves.

“We can’t fight among each other! This is exactly what Ajax would want!” Celestia looked down at Shining Armor and took a step back. Shining looked towards Cadence with a grim smile.

“Please Cadence…”

“Are you taking her side?! I am your wife!” said Cadence

“He is captain of the royal guard!” claimed Celestia.

“I am both!...so please stop fighting…” 

The two alicorns glared at each other. Cadence slowly turned away and trotted off.

“I bet she wouldn’t be against having an execution now…”

Shining Armor turned to Celestia gritting his teeth.

“Listen, I am the captain of the royal guard, but I am her husband first! Cadence hasn’t been the crystal princess for long and has no previous experience with leading an army. She just watched thousands of her people DIE! She obviously feels responsible for each and every one of them, so now if you'll excuse me I will go check up on her.” 

Shining armor gave a weak salute before dashing after Cadence. Celestia was speechless just realising how she had acted towards Cadence. Luna slowly approached her sister.

“I don’t like what this war is doing to you sister...You seem different, like how you were back in the old days. You must remember that we all are on your side here…” 

Celestia nodded.

“I will apologize next time I see her…”
> Chapter Three
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The sun dimly shone behind a massive blizzard that covered the land as far as the eye could see. The cold of the north was infamous for claiming those unprepared for its unforgiving chill, but no matter how cold, steel never faltered under the elements. A massive army of machines marched through the raging snowstorm towards a large column of steel. Ajax was in the front wrapped in a thick coat. He looked up at the flurry of snow overhead before looking back at Jax-4.

“You are sure that we are not being followed correct?” 

Jax-4 nodded his head and gave Ajax a thumbs up. When the army arrived inside, the robotic soldiers stepped into chutes that lead to the lower depths of the tower. Ajax, Jax-4, and Trixie all stepped into an elevator as the pylon started to sink back into the ground. Jax-4 stared intently at Ajax with his two empty eye sockets and pointed at his mouth slot. Ajax sighed and nodded his head.

“Quite a nice victory we had today! So what do you think about the Crystal Princess? Should we pay her any further attention?” 

Jax-4, despite being a robot, seemed excited to have his speech back.

“Well she obviously is foolish, inexperienced, and reckless on the battlefield. When the time comes to attack Canterlot,  I am sure she will be the least of our worries.” 

Jax-4 was tinkering with one of his arms while Ajax talked.
“I agree, I would be surprised if she tried to stand in your way after the beatdown we just gave her.” 

The elevator stopped and Jax-4 went a separate way from the human and the pony. The two walked down a long hallway for quite some time without saying a word to each other. Trixie would rather stick with someone who knew where he was going rather than wander the halls by herself. 

“So what’s the plan now?” said Trixie, breaking the silence.

“We move on with getting our revenge on Celestia and Twilight of course.”

“Right but how exactly are we going to do that?” Ajax stopped and looked at Trixie.

“Easy there Trixie, We will get our revenge soon enough, no need to be so eager. At least allow us time to replace the soldiers we lost at the Crystal Empire.” 

Trixie wasn’t asking because she was eager for revenge, she was more worried about what he was going to do next. Ajax stepped into a small room and leaned his swords against a wall. He removed his heavy shoulderpads and the metal plating covering his forearms. He let out a long sigh as he began to open nearby drawers and take out old containers. He began to pour out the contents into a metallic bowl.

“I know it might not look like much right now, but if we add some water then it won’t be half bad. You must be hungry right?” 

Trixie’s stomach growled as she took the seat across from him. Ajax got up and took the contents to a nearby sink and started to wash them with water. Trixie’s eyes wandered around the room and came across one of Ajax’s swords. She noticed that his swords were actually quite different from one another. Both swords were large, but one was noticeably larger than the other. The largest of the two swords was made from a dark steel with scratches and marks running up it’s blade. The other one was smaller, but never the less a well sized blade, but it was made from a type of metal that Trixie had never seen before. Without even realizing it Trixie had walked over and began to drag a hoof across the blade. The blade looked like it was carved from marble, but it had the metallic cold feeling of steel.

“Don’t touch that!” Trixie jumped hearing Ajax yell.

“S-sorry, I was just interested in one of your swords.” 

Ajax frowned at her and sat back down at the table while placing a bowl in front of her chair. He sat quietly and began to eat his meal. Trixie walked over and took her seat, looking at what he had just put in front of her. The contents seemed to be bland in color, with no aroma at all.

“What is this exactly?” asked Trixie.

“It’s a chemical compound designed to give you all the necessities of a meal and fill up your stomach.” 

Trixie continued to stare at it unsure if she was hungry enough to eat something like this.

“There is nothing wrong with it and it’s all we got so eat it already.” 

Trixie took a hesitant bite and to her surprise there was no taste at all. This was quite possibly the most bland meal she had ever eaten.

“So why do your swords look so different?” 

Ajax slowly looked over at his swords with a distant expression.

“One of them belonged to an old friend of mine.”

“What happened to him?”

Ajax put down his fork down and looked up at Trixie. 

“She’s dead. They all died fighting at my side.” 

The two sat quietly for a moment not saying anything. 

Trixie let out a cough and looked over at his swords again. The bright and dark sword laid against the wall leaning on each other.

“Is that why you hate Celestia?” asked Trixie.

Ajax remained quiet and motionless gripping his fork tightly with his fist. Trixie could see that Ajax was starting to get angry and tried to change the subject, but Ajax spoke before she got the chance.

“Long ago my father took it upon himself to wipe out all the inferior races in Equestria… He would do anything as long as it helped him achieve the goal, but when he was younger he was struck with a fatal wound that would hinder him for his entire life. His hopes of leading an army to purge Equestria were crushed, until the day his wife gave him a son. He saw the child as a sign from the gods that his dream must continue. He trained me in all forms of combat, taught me all there is to know in leading an army, and enhanced my genetic code with Jack’s science with the intention of allowing me to rule forever. Then the day came when my father would pass on his life goal to me. I was very successful with my conquest and garnered the attention of all the other races in Equestria. The remaining races, fearful of our success banded together and fought back. Equestria, united under the sole purpose of defeating us was far more powerful than anything we could ever imagine. When all hope was lost I decided to strike a deal, a deal that would ensure the survival of my species.
I agreed to resign my position as future king and serve Equestria in whatever way possible. For the rest of my days I was supposed to guard the Everfree Scar, but I wasn’t the only one. Five of my dearest companions also took the burden upon themselves, in return the human race would be allowed to regrow under surveillance from the other races of Equestria.”

Ajax stabbed his fork into the table shaking with rage. 

“Celestia was in charge of watching over us. She never even liked the idea of giving us a second chance from the start. I know she is responsible for the extinction of my race. She made all my friends die for nothing!” 

Ajax slammed down his metal gauntlet on top of the fork crushing not only the fork, but the table as well. Tears started to brim under his eyes as he shook with anger. 

“I am now alone in this foreign world because of her. SHE TOOK EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING FROM ME!” 

Ajax’s entire body was now covered in black fire.

“I WILL NOT REST UNTIL SHE IS DEAD!”

“I am sorry…” 

Ajax looked up to see Trixie duck behind the table.

“I don’t need your pity!” 

Ajax flung the table across the room and stormed out taking both of his swords with him. Trixie nervously poked her head back out after Ajax left.

‘I wonder if he would have turned out differently had things gone better for him.’ 


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Thousands of ponies poured out of the Crystal Empire moving towards the train station still shocked by the recent attack on the empire. The ponies talked about rumors which only fueled the fear they already had for Ajax. 

“I heard that they say he’s a demon from Tartarus!”

“I heard he wants to destroy all of Equestria!” 

The ponies continued to theorize with one another since the trains were completely packed for the next dozen hours. Celestia, Luna, Shining Armor, and Horizon Star gathered atop the crystal tower to discuss further actions. The four ponies gathered in a room that had a large map of Equestria in the center table. Celestia was in deep thought as Horizon Star was discussing further strategies to be carried out.

“We do not know what he is capable of! Today he showed up with an army, but who's to say what he could achieve if we leave him unchecked.” Luna nodded slowly.

“I agree Horizon Star, but his location is unknown so there is nothing that we can do but wait for him to attack.” Celestia opened her eyes and looked over at Luna.

“I suggest that we start using all available assets. That is why I called for someone special to meet us here…” Shining Armor raised an eyebrow.

“Who would that be?” 

“Why me of course!”

Shining Armor looked around, but nopony could be seen. 

“That voice is familiar...it must be!” Shining Armor stopped, an image of Discord was inside the map on the table. Discord sat on top of the Crystal Empire filing his nails.

“Well, go on. Who is it? With all that build up you can’t just leave it at that.” 

Shining Armor furrowed his brow and glared at Discord.

“Discord!…”

“T-T-T-Thaaaaaaats meeee!” 

Discord popped out of the map and stood on top of the table with his arms spread outward. Shining Armor slammed his hooves down on the table knocking discord off.

“Wooaooah!” 

Discord fell off the table and crashed into the ground knocking papers and everything else off the table. Discord shattered into fragments that spread across the floor.

“Don’t think we have forgotten how you betrayed us, nearly allowing Tirek to steal all magic throughout Equestria!” 

Discord stood up putting himself back together.

“My, oh my, still stuck in the past are we? I thought we had all forgotten about that little fiasco.” 

Luna looked at Celestia.

“Are you honestly going to trust Discord to help us again? He obviously can’t be trusted, no matter how many times he says he has changed, he will always be the devious fiend he is.” 

“Well fine! If that’s how it’s going to be I shouldn't have even showed up in the first place.”

Discord started to pack his luggage, but before he could leave Celestia stopped him.

“Discord, I brought you here to give you the opportunity to redeem yourself for what you have done in the past. If you walk out of here now you might never get the chance again.” 

Discord turned to Celestia and bowed before her.

“Very well princess what shall you have me do.” 

Celestia looked over at Horizon Star and nodded.

Horizon stepped forward and handed a flyer to Discord. Discord looked at the piece of paper. The paper had a picture of Ajax’s face and a massive bounty below that had tripled since it was first listed. 

“Hmm? This young fellow looks human.” 

Horizon Star nodded.

“That’s because he is one. Does he look familiar to you?” 

Discord rubbed his long goatee staring intently at the picture.

“I can’t say he rings a bell, but it has been so long since I have seen a human I don’t really remember what any of the important ones looked like now. Honestly, I am quite surprised that he is the sole cause of all the fuss, humans are quite possibly the most arrogant, sad, little creatures I have ever met. For goodness sakes Celestia I thought you called me for something serious!"

“This one is different Discord. He is clever and extremely cautious with every move he makes. You must somehow find him so that we can put a stop to him before he gets out of hand.”

Discord let out a sigh, 

“If you guys really need me, of course I will help.  I am the hero equestria needs, but not the one it deserves!” 

Discord vanished with his maniacal chuckle leaving a large puff of smoke in the room. Luna coughed while she waved away the smoke.

“I guess if he does find Ajax we could always do a preemptive strike.”

“I’m still worrying about the fact if we can trust him or not.” said Horizon Star. 

“Never the less what’s done is done. I suggest that we continue preparations back in Canterlot” said Celestia

They all agreed and prepared for the journey back to Canterlot. On the way out Celestia stopped Shining Armor with a concerned expression.

“I think it would be best if you stay here, just in case. Please send my condolences to Princess Cadence.”

Shining Armor nodded.

“Thank you princess. I will help her rule over the Crystal Empire until she is better. Until then I wish you the best of luck with the war.” 

Celestia, Luna and Horizon Star were on the first train back to Ponyville, leaving Shining Armor to watch over Cadence for the time being.


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It was early morning in Ponyville when Twilight stepped outside and picked up the morning newspaper. She read the title and went back into her castle.  When she took a second glance at the newsline she nearly had a heart attack. In bold black letters the newsline read: “CRYSTAL EMPIRE ATTACKED, THOUSANDS OF LIVES LOST” Twilight couldn’t believe what she was reading until she flipped the paper over and saw a letter with the royal seal. She quickly opened it worried that it only contained more bad news.


“Twilight, by the time you read this letter I am sure you heard of the tragedy in the Crystal Empire. Equestria requires you and your friends to come to it’s defense. Please come meet me in Canterlot as soon as possible.” -Celestia


Twilight rushed over and threw a sleeping Spike on her back before dashing out of her house. Spike was sleeping soundly until Twilight’s galloping caused him to knock his head against her neck.

“Ugh… Twilight?! What’s going on? It’s way too early to run any errands right now…” 

Twilight came to a sudden halt nearly knocking Spike off her back and bashed on the Sugarcube Corner door. A disgruntled Mr.Cake answered the door and looked at Twilight with half opened eyes.

“Can I help you Twilight? You do know what time it is? I don’t need to remind you that I have two sleeping foals, right?” 

Right after Mr. Cake finished speaking two young foals could be heard crying behind him. 

“Had...” grumbled Mr. Cake

“Sorry Mr. Cake, but is Pinkie Pie up? It’s extremely urgent!”

Mr. Cake rolled his eyes and stepped back inside. Moments after, Pinkie Pie opened up the door, bouncing up and down as her usual self.
“Hey Twilight! What’s up?!”

Twilight grabbed Pinkie and dragged her out of the doorway.

“No time to explain!” 

Twilight started to sprint across Ponyville again. Pinkie Pie bounced up and down next to Twilight.

“Hey Spike! How you doin? Do you know what’s going on?” 

Spike tried to keep his stomach under control when suddenly Twilight took off into the sky. Spike rolled off of her back and landed on the floor.

“Wow I never seen Twilight in such a rush? Whatever it is must be really important?” 

Spikes eyes rolled around in his head dazed from hitting the ground. Pinkie Pie began to wave a hoof in front of spikes face. 

“Spike? Oh neat! You can also do that? Here watch me! I have been practicing.” 

Pinkie started to roll her eyes around as well.

“He what?!” shouted a distant voice.

Pinkie Pie looked up towards the voice.

“Hey, isn't that Rainbow Dash?” Pinkie Pie shook her head causing her eyes to go back to
normal. Rainbow Dash landed down followed by Twilight.

“I am so mad I could just!” 

Rainbow Dash smashed her hooves together. Pinkie Pie looked at Rainbow Dash and Twilight. 

“Is something the matter Twilight?” 

Twilight looked at Pinkie.

“Ajax has attacked the Crystal Empire...he’s the reason behind the deaths of thousands of innocent ponies .”

Pinkie Pie gasped.

“How could that be? When we met him he seemed like such an A-ok dude!”

“Obviously not!” exclaimed Rainbow Dash. 

Twilight raised a hoof and cleared her throat 

“Celestia has summoned all of us to Canterlot. Rainbow Dash you get Fluttershy. Pinkie Pie you get Rarity. I will get Applejack! Spike!...Spike you stay here…” 

Spike had gone back to sleep where Twilight dropped him. The three ponies went separate ways to gather their friends.

Fluttershy window burst open as Rainbow Dash flew in and pushed her outside. Fluttershy slowly rubbed her eyes and looked at Rainbow Dash.

“Rainbow Dash it’s not cider season yet…” 

“I know that! This is more important!”

Applejack was awoken by a rooster and opened her window to see the morning sunrise in the distance. She let out a sigh and looked at her apple orchard with a smile. She noticed a figure approaching down the road.

‘Is that Twilight?’

Rarity was sleeping soundly when she heard a crash from downstairs. She quickly removed her sleeping mask. She heard hoovesteps down the hallway slowly approaching her door. Rarity rushed to her door and held it shut. The door jiggled and shook for a moment then went calm. Rarity slowly opened the door and took a quick peek.

“Here’s Pinkieeeee!” Rarity jumped and fell backwards onto her bedroom floor.

“Wait?... Pinkie?”

Spike was fast asleep in the middle of the road when he was lifted up by magic and placed onto Twilight’s back. The mane six stood ready for the journey to canterlot.

“Equestria needs us to defend it from another villain girls, let’s go!” 


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Celestia was talking with her guards when the six ponies came in. Twilight stepped forward.

“Celestia! is it true? Did Ajax really attack the Crystal Empire?”

Celestia sent her guards away and turned to Twilight and her friends.

“It is true Twilight. I have taken the necessary precaution of spreading out Canterlot forces across Equestria to help provide protection in all parts of the land.” 

“This would never have happened if we had just listened to you in the first place.”

Celestia raised a hoof.

“No, Twilight it was inevitable for Ajax to eventually return. I only tried to delay that day.” 

We mustn't dwell on the past, we must worry about Equestria’s future. That is why I called all of you here.”

Celestia cleared her throat.

“It upsets me greatly what I must ask of you girls, but know that I am only asking you this because we need you now more than ever."

“Whatever you need princess we gotcha covered!” blurted Rainbow Dash.

Celestia spoke with a heavy tone.

“I need each of you to embrace your elements of harmony again to obtain the elements power and help us defeat Ajax. The elements will enhance your powers similar to the time you defeated Tirek, but on a much lower level. I am aware that I am asking you girls to go to war, so it is understandable if you refuse. I will not hold it against you.”

“You want us to fight Ajax? Like on the battlefield?” said Rarity.

“Yes, we need all the help that we can get. We need to ensure that what happened at the Crystal Empire does not happen again.”

“Um excuse me princess, but I don’t think that I would be much help on the battlefield.” squeaked Fluttershy. 

“That’s alright, like I said I completely understand if you choose to not accept.”

“Wait, aren’t the elements of harmony still in the tree of harmony?” asked Twilight.

Celestia noded and looked at one of her guards. It took only seconds for them to bring in a colorful chest. Celestia opened it with her magic and revealed the elements of harmony. The gems glowed with their glorious light and illuminated the room with the colors of the spectrum.

“The elements can only be away from the tree for so long before the everfree forest grows out of control. So those of you willing must choose now before we take them back to the tree.” 

Rainbow Dash was the first to step forward.

“I am ready SO ready to kick some human butt!” 

Twilight stepped forward looking at Rainbow Dash.

“I am also ready to help in whatever way possible.” 

“I am with y’all as well.” Applejack adjusted her hat and smiled at her friends. 

Pinkie Pie wheeled a massive cannon forward.

“Super Duper Mega-Awesome Party Cannon 5000 at your service!” Pinkie Pie saluted Celestia. 

The princess nodded and looked at the last two ponies. Rarity and Fluttershy looked at the ground trying not to make eye contact with Celestia.

“I am sorry princess, but the sight of blood causes me to faint.” said Rarity still looking at the ground. 

Celestia chuckled.

“Relax you two. As I already said before no need to explain yourself to me.” 

Rarity and Fluttershy smiled at Celestia.

“Now then, are the four of you ready?” said Celestia as her horn began to course with magic.

Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie and Applejack assured the princess that they weren’t going to back out. Celestia’s horn glew with magic as each of the ponies corresponding element of harmony shot a ray of light onto them lifting them into the air. When the bright light vanished the four ponies were slowly lowered back to the ground. 

“I don’t feel any different…” said Rainbow Dash. 

“Neither do I…” said Twilight Sparkle.

“I feel it. Doncha feel it?” Pinkie Pie was bouncing around the throne room.

“My Pinkie sense is going off the chaaaarts!”

Rainbow Dash stretched her wings and flew into the ceiling. 

“What the!?” 

The cyan pony crashed back into the floor. She slowly sat up placing a hoof on her head.

“I don’t remember being that fast.”

Celestia was concerned that the ponies were going to harm themselves.

“Please take it easy girls, we don’t know what special powers the elements gave you yet.” 

Rainbow Dash slowly stood up on her hooves.

“I kind of think I know what happened to me…” 

“Look out below!” 

Pinkie Pie crashed down on top of Rainbow Dash.

“Whoopsies…”


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Trixie woke up face down in an open book. She picked herself up and looked around the room. She obviously had fallen asleep while reading a book last night. Trixie sat up and stretched her hooves.

“Studying hard I see.” 

Trixie heard the robotic voice, but Jax-4 was nowhere to be seen.

Trixie closed the book and walked over to a nearby bookcase and placed it back on a shelf.

“Are you ignoring me?” 

Trixie looked up to see Jax-4 sitting on top of the tall bookcase flipping through the pages of an old book. 

“I have no business with you. I am far too busy for idle chat.” 

Jax-4 jumped down from the bookcase and dropped the book on the floor. 

“Funny, when Ajax isn’t around you sure like to act high and mighty.” 

The book glowed with pink magic and lifted off the ground back onto a shelf. Trixie still ignoring Jax-4 started to walk past the robot. A sharp silver blade appeared in front of Trixie’s path. 

“You don’t respect me because you think I won’t kill you like Ajax would?” 

Trixie stared at the robot and looked at his samurai blade.

“I think it has more to due with the fact that you couldn’t kill me”

Jax-4 lifted his sword and swung at Trixie. A pink shield of solid magic quickly appeared out of nowhere blocking the sword.

“Then let’s test your theory...pony.” 

Trixie’s horn glew with bright pink magic as the robot flew into a nearby bookcase. The bookcase collapsed toppling into the opposing wall. Jax-4 sprinted out from under a pile of book with both hands on his samurai sword. Trixie jumped back and lifted the robot with her magic. Jax-4 slowly levitated over Trixie’s head, his sword barely out of reach. The machine pointed its right arm at Trixie and shot a pulse of yellow energy. Trixie dropped the robot as electricity ran through her.

“There is more where that came from.” said the robot.

The robot slowly twisted his forearm locking in a different barrel. Trixie shook off the static and glared at the robot.

“Let me show you why they call me ‘The Great and Powerful’!” 

Trixie’s horn sparked with magic.

“I picked up this spell last night, tell me what you think.” said Trixie with a smile on her face.

Jax-4 widened his stance gripping his sword in front of him. Suddenly a loud crunch filled the room. The two turned to see Ajax leaning in the doorway eating an apple.

“Sad, I sent out a robot to pick up some real food, but looks like I forgot how much I didn’t like apples over the last thousand years.”

Trixie and Jax-4 stared blankly at Ajax as he took a final bite from the apple and threw it away.

“Don’t mind me, I will wait until you two are done doing whatever.” 

Ajax turned and left the two to do as they pleased. Jax-4 looked at Trixie and put away his sword. Trixie’s horn grew dim as Jax-4 walked away.

“Don’t think this is over pony.” said Jax-4 as Trixie followed him up a spiral staircase.

“Your lucky, I was about to turn you into a paperweight.” whispered Trixie.

The two stepped into a grand room with a steel throne at the very end. Ajax was sitting on the throne with one leg hanging over an armrest. Robot soldiers stood guard at his sides.

‘What an interesting room.’ thought Trixie.

Trixie was looking at all the decorations that adorned the wall behind the throne. Ajax stood up and approached the pony and robot.

“Do you like it? I decided that I needed a room to do my thinking.”

Jax-4 looked around before coming to a conclusion.

“Looks like a throneroom…” 

Ajax placed his index finger on his chin.

“Huh, kinda does I guess. Anyways the factory has produced enough troops to replace the ones we lost at the Crystal Empire so I think it’s time we move on with our plan.”

“Time to take down Celestia?” asked Jax-4.

“Sadly I don’t think we would be successful if we were to try something like that.”

Ajax scratched the back of his head while pacing in front of the robot and pony.

“Then what do you plan on doing?” said Trixie.

“Well I was hoping that you could help me with that Trixie.” 

Trixie eyebrows shot up in surprise.

“Me? What makes you think I have any idea what to do?” 

Ajax held up a piece of paper.

“The robot I sent to pick up food happened to bring back a local newspaper.”

The paper read “Crystal Empire attacked by human” in huge black letters.

“Word of our success in the north has spread throughout Equestria. We’re quite famous now.”

“So?” said Jax-4 as he glanced over the newspaper.

“ ‘So?’ I am sure not everyone in Equestria finds this upsetting. There must be at least someone left in Equestria who doesn't side with Celestia.” 

Ajax turned to Trixie.

“That’s where you come in. Who in Equestria do you know would be willing to help us defeat Celestia?” 

Trixie didn’t need to think long before giving her answer.

“There is someone...She attacked Canterlot herself not to long ago. I think if there is someone who would be willing to help you she would be your best bet.”

“Well go on. Who is it?”

“Queen Chrysalis.” 

Ajax smiled. 

“A queen huh? That means she must have an army of her own.” 

Trixie noded.

“She commands the changelings.”

Ajax frowned. He slowly turned to face Trixie.

“Changelings?... I hate changelings… They are disgusting parasites that are the scum of the earth.”

He shook his head while letting out a shiver.

“Why did it have to be changelings…But...if you believe that Chrysalis would be willing to help us I suppose we must pay her a visit.” 

Ajax pointed to one of the robot guards.

“Go and prepare the army. We leave immediately” 

“Why do we need an army?” asked Trixie.

“It’s always good to display your power when trying to make new allies.”


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The air smelled of fresh flowers as the calm spring breeze blew across beautiful green hills. Little critters scampered through the lively forests as the voices of songbirds filled the air. The ground slowly shook as the songs were drowned out by a thunderous march. A massive army of soldiers and war machines stomped across Equestria toward the Badlands, home of the changelings. The robot soldier’s perfectly coordinated march shook the ground sending all wildlife fleeing. A sole eagle soared overhead trailing the army. The eagle had thick white brows and a large fang.

‘My, that was easy…’Extremely cautious’ right Celestia?' thought Discord before flying off into the distance.

It was the middle of the day when Horizon Star burst into Celestia’s throne room.

“Celestia! Discord claims to have found Ajax. He is leading an army out near the hills of Unicorn Range.”

“Go wake my sister immediately! We will intercept him before he can cause any damage.” 

Guards rushed throughout Canterlot lining up in formation. Twilight, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie woke to the sound of ponies scrambling in the streets of Canterlot. 

“What in tarnation is with all the ruckus…” groaned Applejack as she rubbed her eyes.

When Twilight saw the commotion she knew that it had to be about Ajax.

“Let’s go see what exactly is going on.” 

Twilight and her friends rushed out of their hotel room. Spike woke up and saw that everyone else had disappeared.

‘Um...Where did everybody go?’ wondered Spike as he scratched his back scales. 

The four ponies scrambled through the streets until they found Celestia dishing out orders to other ponies. 

“Celestia! What’s going on?!” shouted Twilight Sparkle

Celestia turned to Twilight Sparkle. Twilight’s eyes went wide in awe. Celestia was covered from horn to hoof with gold armor. Thick sheets of metal covered all four of her legs. Her chest was covered with exquisite layered armor that was engraved with an elegant design. Her horn jutted out from underneath a massive gold helmet that covered her entire head. Her mouth was covered up by a part of the helmet, filled with holes in a checkered pattern. When Celestia had turned to face Twilight the part of the helmet in front of her mouth split and retracted into the sides of her helmet. 

“I am glad you and your friends are here Twilight. I was worried that we were going to have to leave without you. Hurry, follow me to my ship.” 

Celestia didn’t even wait for them to respond. She immediately turned and went back into her castle.

“Wait hold on princess! What’s the big deal here?” shouted Rainbow Dash

Celestia continued to walk as she looked back at Rainbow Dash.

“Ajax has been spotted leading his army of robots. We are going to catch him off guard and stop whatever he plans on doing. Maybe, just maybe we also end up finishing this for good.”

The ponies entered a large room filled with soldiers boarding a massive zeppelin. 

“It’s been a while since she has flown, but she has yet to fail us. Behold, the Skyline, our most powerful weapon.” 

The four ponies were amazed by the giant sky fortress. The machine slowly lifted off the ground as the ponies stepped onto the main deck. Horizon Star and Luna were already at the helm instructing the crew. 

“Sister! There you are. The Skyline is up and running we should be up in the air in no time.” said Luna.

Celestia stepped up to the window panes and watched as they rose above the ground. Legions of ponies could be seen marching out of Canterlot.

“Yooohooooo” 

Discord appeared in the middle of the bridge.

“Discord?” said Twilight and her three friends in unison.

The four ponies prepared for a potential fight. Celestia stepped in front of them facing Discord.

“Discord. You are absolutely sure about what you saw correct? I don’t need to tell you what would happen if you were leading us into another trap.” 

“I am one-hundred percent sure. I even took pictures just incase you didn’t believe me.” 

Discord threw dozens of photographs into the air.

“This is serious Discord!” 

Discord was wearing a general’s outfit.

“Oh. Right, right, right, my bad. You got to do the whole leading an army thing and what not. Best of luck with that I am looking forward to it.” 

The Skyline sailed through the air followed by the massive army below. Celestia approached Horizon Star.

“When we find him you will be given commanding authority. I hope you are ready.” 

Horizon Star was dragging a pencil across a map. The pony spoke still holding the pencil in his mouth.

“I know. The academy trained me practically my entire life for a moment just like this. Trust me, I will not fail you.” 

Twilight was lost in thought as she stared out the window and watched clouds sail by. Luna caught her daydreaming.

“What are you thinking about Twilight Sparkle?” Twilight jumped.

“Oh, sorry. I was just thinking about Fluttershy and Rarity…” 

Luna sat down next to Twilight.

“Do not worry Twilight they are safe back in Ponyville. Much safer than they would be here with us.” 

Twilight nodded, but before she could say a word a siren went off. The two ponies sat quietly for a moment as the the high pitch siren sounded again.

“It’s time Twilight Sparke. I suggest you head to the armory and suit up.” 

Luna walked off and looked back at Twilight one last time before leaving.

When Twilight reached the main deck she saw that her other friends had already suited up as well. Celestia grabbed a microphone and started to give out commands.

“We are only a few miles away from the enemy’s projected location. Activate the ship's shield and prepare for combat.”

Twelve unicorns gathered together in a circle their horns slowly growing brighter and brighter until finally a massive blue barrier formed around the zeppelin’s balloon. The massive sky fortress’s one weakness was now well protected. Horizon Star stepped up taking control of the helm.

“Alright, I want lookouts in all directions. If Discord was right he should be around here somewhere.”

Jax-4 had already spotted the massive airship and the army below thanks to his robotic eyes. Ajax watched as the Skyline slowly approached from the distance.

“They are still half an hour away, but they are going to catch us eventually.” 

Ajax handed a pair of binoculars back to Jax-4 before looking at the terrain.

“Looks like Celestia still has the same damn skyship. We need to set up while we can or else we’re gonna get crushed.” 

The Terrain consisted of rugged hills with valleys of trees in between. Ajax drew his swords and began barking orders urgently to his robots.

“Squad seven hide down in the valley’s tree lines! The rest of you take the high ground and set up ramparts for our long range artillery. Set up all A.P.W.s for their first assault. Jax-4, Trixie, you’re with me.” 

Jax-4 drew his sword eager for battle, but Trixie was still hesitant.

“What’s the matter Trixie?” said Ajax as he raised an eyebrow at the motionless pony.

“She obviously is to afraid to fight. I propose we kill her now before she causes any more problems further down the line.” 

Ajax raised an open palm towards Jax-4 without taking his eyes off Trixie. The unicorn looked up at the human biting her lip.

“I am not going out there and killing ponies. Do whatever you want to me I won’t turn into a killer!” 

Ajax looked at the upset pony and started to chuckle. The man’s chuckle evolved into laughter.

“So what Trixie? Just go out there and knock a few ponies around. You have been in a fight before, right? I am not asking you to go out there like some mad butcher. Just make sure you knock them hard enough so they don’t get up until the fight is over.” 

Trixie was now blushing embarrassed how easily Ajax had belittled her concerns. 

“Now then, with that out of the way let’s hurry up we’re wasting time.”

A pegasus nearly fell out of her seat when she spotted Ajax in the distance.

“Horizon Star! Ajax is at our four, off the starboard bow!” 

Horizon Star took a glance through a periscope before turning the helm a hard right. The ground forces following the Skyline continued to follow behind the behemoth skyship. Horizon Star took another glance through the periscope and saw that Ajax had set up on the high ground. 

“Stop the main engine! Stay out of their cannon’s range! Pegasus ponies fall out and prepare for further instructions.”

Celestia stood by and watched as Horizon Star took charge. Ajax had waited to see what the ponies first move would be. When he saw the pegasus ponies deploy he shook his head with a smug grin.

“Ponies...Do they ever learn? Load the A.P.W.s get ready for pegasus ponies!” 

Ajax waited, but none of the pegasus ponies ever moved forward. They hovered just out of his range next to the Skyline. The robots sat idly by waiting for the command to open fire.

“Why are they just sitting there? What the hell is Celestia planning?” said Ajax. 

Horizon Star watched as the robot army waited for him to make the first move. He pointed a hoof toward Celestia.

“Celestia to your station, then prepare for further instructions.”

Celestia raised an eyebrow at Horizon Star. She was surprised by how callously he address her. Celestia gave him a nod, she stepped onto a platform that locked her hooves into place and sunk into the ground. Celestia emerged on top of the Skyline standing on the edge of a alicorn maidenhead. Ponies ran around adjusting a series of massive glass lenses that surrounded the princess.

Ajax finally had grown impatient waiting for the pegasus ponies to come in range of his anti-pegasus weapons. 

“Load the long range artillery and fire at the Skyline! They are too afraid to attack us, as long as we have the high ground we are invincible!” 

‘As long as I have the high ground my cannons have longer range and my soldiers can view the entire battlefield. Are they waiting for me to move or something? No, they aren’t that stupid.’ 

Ajax knew that according to the textbooks he had the advantage right now, but the massive fortress in front of him still made him uneasy.

Horizon Star pulled down a microphone from overhead. 

“Spitfire. Come in Spitfire.”

A voice spoke muffled by the static.

“This is Spitfire, we are still awaiting further command like you instructed.” Horizon Star took a deep breath and whispered under his breath.

“Lets get started…”

“Alright Spitfire order all pegasus ponies to execute hexi-delta zephyr immediately!” 

Horizon star flipped a switch on the radio.

“Ground forces push forward! On the double!”

Horizon Star quickly changed the channel of the radio again.

“Celestia! Prepare to fire on my mark.”

Horizon star tossed away the microphone and put the Skyline into full throttle. 

“Ajax! Celestia is pushing forward with everything shes got! Give the order to open fire before it’s too late!” shouted Jax-4

Ajax picked up a pair of binoculars and saw the Skyline slowly advancing forward, followed by the Canterlot ground forces. The pegasus ponies that the Skyline sent out were...flying in circles?”

Ajax dropped the binoculars.

“oh...OH SHIT!” 

Ajax turned around and started commanding soldiers to prepare the artillery for transport.

“Hurry up! Pack up everything and move down the other side of the range! Move it damn it!” 

Trixie and Jax-4 were baffled at first, but when they saw the high speed winds slowly gathering around the pegasi they knew exactly what was going on. The pegasus ponies were creating six massive tornadoes intended to clear the path. When the robots finally prepared the weapons for transportation the tornado’s were nearly complete. 

“Time to let them have it!” shouted Spitfire. 

The six tornado’s lumbered towards the robotic army destroying everything in their path. Jax-4 looked back at the raging cyclones that slowly loomed towards them.

“Ajax! what about the soldiers in the valley!?” shouted Jax-4

“Screw the soldiers in the valley! I am worried about the entire army!”

The Skyline flew directly behind the twisters, but not too close. The forces of canterlot followed directly beneath the Skyline behind the tornadoes. Horizon Star watched as the robots scurried over the hillside trying to escape the tornadoes. Luna looked at Horizon Star with an uplifted spirit.

“They can’t fire upon us since they have to flee the tornadoes allowing us take the high ground which will give us the upper hoof. When all is said and done we should be overlooking a disorganized army with no chance to escape since the forest behind them would block their path! Genius!” exclaimed Luna.

Horizon Star smiled at Luna, everything had gone exactly as he intended it to.

“There is no front line stronger than that of a wave of tornadoes.” said Horizon Star with a victorious grin. 

Twilight slowly bobbed her head.

“No arguing with that...”

Horizon Star pointed at Rainbow Dash.

“Rainbow Dash go out there and deal with any remaining anti-air.” 

Rainbow Dash put on her standard issue pegasi goggles and shot Horizon Star a salute.

Ajax had finally got his army onto the other side of the hill. The raging sound of the six wind monsters still echoed throughout the valley. Ajax raised his sword and pointed it toward the top of the hill.

“Set up our artillery once more! They won’t see it coming once they cross the hill they will walk blindly into our trap! 

‘Damn it Celestia! I don’t remember you being such a good tactician!’ 

When the tornadoes reached the top of the hill they had grown transparent and weak. The cyclones dispersed as Ajax saw a bright stream of colors shoot across the sky. 

‘What the...What the hell was that?’ 

Suddenly, without warning, the stream of colors twirled and collided into one of his cannons. Before the smoke could clear the stream of colors shot back into the sky. Ajax was holding his arm in front of his eyes trying to shield himself from the destruction.

“That’s a pony! Fire the loaded A.P.W.s take it down!” yelled Ajax.

The robots fired the wide barreled cannon’s toward the stream of colors in the sky. The fragments sailed through the air but didn’t even come close to hitting the pegasus. Massive explosions filled the sky, but the pegasus pony continued to crash into siege weapon after siege weapon. 

“There is no pony that is fast enough to escape these cannons! How the fu-” 

Another artillery cannon exploded near Ajax cutting him off. Ajax peered through the smoke and stared directly into the violet eyes of Rainbow Dash.

“Rainbow Dash…?”

The pony shot back into the sky leaving only a trail of colors.

“You know that pony?” said Jax-4 who was using the barrels in his arms to blow away the smoke.

“We met once...I didn’t take her for much, but I guess it turns out she is the fastest pony I have ever encountered...fast enough to outrun every single one of my cannons.”

The pegasus pony disappeared back over the hillside,only after she had ensured that every last cannon was turned into a heap of destruction. Ajax pointed toward the top of the hill.

“Charge! Our last chance to even the battle is to retake the high ground.” 

The robots charged forward fearlessly obeying their masters command.

Spitfires voice came on the radio echoing throughout the bridge.

“Horizon Star I have received word from Rainbow Dash confirming that she has destroyed all remaining siege vehicles.” 

“Perfect Spitfire! Have your pegasi trail behind the Skyline until you receive further instructions.” 

Horizon Star hit the switch on the radio.

“Celestia now is the time. Quickly, while the enemy is disorganized.”

Celestia’s horn glowed with a thick yellow magic. The sun overhead started to shine brighter and brighter. Ajax could feel the heat of the sun growing stronger by the second. Even the ponies under the shade of the Skyline felt as if the ground would sure burst into flames. A massive beam of light shone down from the sun towards a massive crystal directing it into a serious of focusing lenses around Celestia. 

Horizon Star watched calmly as the ship slowly emerged over the hillside.

“Prepare to fire in three...two...one... FIRE!” 

The moment the god-like ship crossed over the hill a massive beam of white light shot down cutting the entire slope in half. Ajax, Trixie and Jax-4 barely avoided being annihilated by the beam. The laser destroyed most of the remaining soldiers that were charging up the hill. A huge scar over fifty feet wide was left in the path of the laser.

“Push forward! Finish off what’s left of Ajax’s forces! For the Crystal Empire!!!”

The entire force of Equestria began to pour down the hillside crashing into robots. The robots tried to fight back, but were trampled under thick hooves reinforced with steel. Pegasi flew overhead providing assistance wherever needed, unhindered by any cannonfire. Jax-4, after looking at the crater left by the beam of light that had just nearly taken their lives, turned towards Ajax.

“I think we lost.”

Ajax stared blankly at Jax-4 before slapping him upside the head with the blunt side of his sword.

“Really?! You think?”

Jax-4’s head spun from the massive force. The robot grabbed his head and twisted it back into position.

“A little cranky are we?” said a voice.

Ajax turned to see Trixie standing up.

“Wasn’t me.” said the light-blue unicorn.

“Of course it wasn’t you. That’s because it was me!” 

Ajax turned to see Discord knitting in a rocking chair. Discord held up a sweater with a depiction of Ajax’s face making a frown
.
“Would yo-” 

Discord hopped up into the air narrowly avoiding being cleaved in half.

“Draconequus! Don’t think I have forgotten about you!” shouted Ajax.

Ajax jumped at Discord and swung his swords violently in a flurry of strikes. Discord narrowly avoided every attack before falling back to the ground.

“Missed me!” remarked Discord as he fell into a thousand tiny cubes. 

Ajax dashed forward again with another onslaught of attacks. The man’s swords were drenched in black fire and with every swing the flames only grew brighter and brighter. Discord snapped his fingers freezing Ajax in his place. 

“Calm down already. What’s gotten into you? I haven’t even introduced my-Ooo!”

A blast of black fire blew directly over Discord’s head leaving a little burning ember. Discord licked his fingers and put out the tiny fire.

“Don’t think I have forgotten about what you did draconequus!”

“What are you talking about! We have never even met before!” 

Ajax slowly looked Discord up and down before relaxing.

“Could it be? There are two draconequui?” 

Discord looked at Ajax puzzled.

“No, that’s impossible. I am one of a kind. OUCH!”

Jax-4 had plunged his blade directly into Discord from behind. Discord now had lost his patience due to all the hostility. He spoke with a ugly tone that was very different from his usual sarcastic manner.

“FINE! If you are going to act so rude forget it! I hope Celestia finishes your pitiful race!”

Discord rolled himself into a spiral that grew smaller and smaller until it he finally vanished. 

“Yeeeeeeeeehaw!”

Ajax, Trixie, and Jax-4 seemed to have forgotten that they were in the middle of a battlefield. 

An orange pony reminded them of the fact by crashing in between them and sending each one of them flying. Applejack slowly stood up and adjusted her hat. Jax-4 retaliated instantly. He jumped into the sky and raised his sword over the back of his head. Before he could ever touch the ground a wave of rainbow colors blindsided the robot and sent him flying. Ajax gripped his swords ready to attack, but heard a familiar voice behind him.

“Heya!” 

Ajax turned around, but no one was there; when he looked back, a massive boxing glove was flying at his face. Ajax caught the glove with his gauntlet and looked past to see Pinkie Pie holding the device. 

“Pinkie Pie...?” 

Ajax looked past the pink pony and saw that the orange pony was also a familiar face.

“Applejack...?"

Ajax crushed the boxing glove with his gauntlet and swung at Pinkie. Ajax couldn’t believe his eyes. The pink pony just vanished into thin air. He looked up to see Applejack galloping towards him. She turned her body and kicked her hind hooves at him. Ajax took the blow directly to his chest and slid across the ground. He coughed into his left hand, he saw splotches of his own blood.

“Nice kick… Now how did a regular pony like you manage to pull that off.”

“You might not have realized it when you met us, but me and my friends represent the elements of harmony! Face it you can’t win!”

Ajax turned to see Twilight Sparkle slowly flying down with Rainbow Dash.

“I had a feeling you would be here, alicorn…So, you ponies control the elements of harmony? Well that’s surprising… I wonder why Trixie never mentioned something like that.” 

Twilight was shocked to hear him say her name. She looked over and saw Trixie slowly standing up still recovering from getting the wind knocked out of her by Applejack.

“Trixie! How could you side with someone like him!?”

Ajax charged Twilight the moment she looked away.

“We have come to the agreement that if she helps me destroy Celestia, I will help her destroy you!”

Twilight gasped, Ajax charged, dragging his large onyx sword behind him. Rainbow Dash flew towards Ajax, but her face crashed directly into his elbow. The blue pony spun as if she had smacked into a brick wall. Ajax swung his sword at Twilight. The blade sliced through the air trimming off a few strands of hair from the alicorn's mane. The mighty blade crashed into the ground, Ajax lifted his arm and shot a blast of black fire at the stunned princess. Twilight flapped her wings and shot into the sky. The two stared at eachother anticipating the others next move. 

Ajax placed a finger on his earpiece.

“All remaining soldiers push forward until you are destroyed! Trixie! We’re getting out of here!”

Ajax shot black fire from both of his hand creating a massive wall of flame. 

Rainbow Dash shot up into the sky, but by the time she could see over the wall they had already escaped into the forest.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


When the sunset came, a wave of darkness slowly washed over countless robot machines.  A massive horn sounded from the Skyline signaling victory. The cheers of ponies filled the air. Ajax’s army was decimated with only a handful of ponies injured from the fight. Horizon Star was reading messages about the aftermath when Celestia stepped into his office.

“Princess? How can I help you?” 

Celestia now was wearing her crown and usual attire.

“I just wanted to tell you that we are close to Canterlot.”

Horizon Star nodded as he continued to read the reports.

“Thank you.” whispered Celestia

Horizon Star looked over at Celestia who had a heartwarming smile on her face. Horizon Star blushed and stood up from behind his desk.

“F-for what?” 

Celestia frowned and looked down at her hooves ashamed.

“Nearly everyone here was pessimistic about your skills as a general. We all didn’t expect you to defeat Ajax so easily.”

Horizon Star organized a stack of papers with a discouraged look. Celestia thought she might have offended him.

“You proved us all wrong though so no need to feel bad. We were foolish to ever doubt you. We all know how great of a general you are now.” 

“You know, I didn’t want to join the academy.” 

Horizon Star picked up another pile of papers and began stamping them with the royal seal.

“What do you mean?” asked Celestia.

Celestia watched as the pony continued to work unhindered by their conversation.

“I wanted to be a royal guard when I was a young filly more than anything. I thought their gold armor was the coolest thing in the world.” 

Horizon continued to stamp the papers.

“When I was of proper age I enlisted for the position, but as you are aware no earth pony can become a royal guard. I mean sure their are a few, but they have fathers who know certain types of ponies. Although I had top scores and unwavering devotion for Canterlot I was rejected, not even given a chance.”

Horizon Star started to stamp the papers with excessive force.

“That’s why I am a general. They thought that it was a glorified position since Equestria hadn’t seen a war in so long. Looks like I proved them wrong today.” 

Horizon Star slammed the last paper, got up, and walked past Celestia. Celestia calmly watched the pony as he walked away from her.

“Maybe you should stop judging books by their cover Celestia. Some ponies might surprise you once in a while, if you give them the chance.” 

The Skyline slowly docked back into a massive hangar. Ponies cheered and cried as they were reunited with their loved ones. Celestia, Luna, and Twilight watched as all the ponies were unloaded from the zeppelin.

“This victory shall give them hope…” said Luna.

“We will host a party to celebrate our victory.” said Celestia as she started to walk away.

“Wait! Ajax is still out there though! Don’t we need to go after him?” cried out Twilight as she ran after Celestia.

Celestia looked back at the purple Alicorn who had called out to her. Luna placed a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder.

“Please Twilight… These ponies have been living in fear up till now. We should do our best to make sure that they continue to feel safe.”

“But they aren’t safe! I saw Ajax escape with my own two eyes.” said Twilight.

“He doesn’t have an army now… So we have time before we need to take action again. I know you might not like it, but you must understand.” 

Celestia and Luna both left leaving Twilight alone. She remembered how close Ajax’s blade came to taking her head off. Ajax clearly wasn’t going to stop just because his army was defeated. 

“They have no choice whether to host a party or not, too many fat cats need things to go back to normal or else they will continue to hemorrhage bits. They don’t want to get on the bad-sides of the ponies with all the wealth, even if they are the princesses.” said Horizon Star, he must have dropped in on the alicorn's conversation.

Horizon Star smiled as he walked past Twilight and left the ship.

“TWILIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” 

Twilight’s eardrums ruptured from Pinkie Pie’s voice.

“See guys, I told you that you needed to be a little louder.” giggled the pink pony.

Twilight spun around still in shock from the decibel level of Pinkie’s voice.

Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Pinkie pie stood below her on the hanger floor. 

“Come on Twilight! We’re still waiting on you!” shouted Applejack.

Twilight and her friends returned back to their hotel room exhausted from their day.

“Spike!” shouted Twilight as she opened the door. 

Spike poked his head out from behind a corner.

“Twilight is that you? TWILIGHT!” 

The dragon pounced and hugged Twilight. Spike gripped her tightly with his claws.

“Oh Twilight! I thought something bad  had happened to you! Why didn’t you take me with you?” 

Twilight rolled her eyes and walked over to her bed.

“Lets talk about it in the morning…” said Twilight.

“Yea...sleep sounds mighty fine right about now.” said Applejack with a yawn.

“You said it!” said Rainbow Dash as she stretched her legs.

“Did you guys hear that Celestia and Luna are throwing a party?” said Pinkie Pie sluggishly as she face planted into a bed.

The four had ponies collapsed in their beds leaving one confused baby dragon to ponder what just happened.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The dim moonlight scattered throughout the leaves of a tall oak tree. Two figures sat on a large branch as the leaves swayed in the breeze.

“So, are we just going to wait here for him to show up?” 

Trixie had grown bored since she had already finished the book she brought along. 

“Yup.” said Ajax.

He was laying against the trunk of a tree starting into the starry night sky.

“Elements of harmony...huh” whispered the man.

Trixie looked over at the Ajax who had been talking to himself. She shook her head and placed the book she had just read back into her bag.

“Maybe Rainbow Dash took him out with that hit.” said Trixie.

Ajax shrugged and sat up. 

“You could be right. I guess we head to the Badlands without him then.” 

Ajax hopped off the massive branch and landed on the forest floor below. Trixie slowly glided down next to him. She hurried to catch up with Ajax who already had gone ahead, but she heard a noise behind her. Trixie looked back to see Jax-4 slowly limping towards her using his sword as a crutch. The robots right face was completely busted and his right leg reduced to only loose wires.    Jax-4 looked up from under his beaten metallic hat and stared directly into Trixie’s eyes.

“@#%&@%&@&%@@” 

The robot clearly couldn’t speak anymore. Trixie watched as the robot fell to it’s knee and reached out towards her. 

“Trixie! Hurry up or I will leave you behind.” 

The unicorn turned to the direction that the voice came from.

“Coming!...” 

Trixie turned and walked away from the robot who watched as the she slowly trotted off into the night. Jax-4 rolled onto his back and stared into the night sky. The moonlight illuminated the motionless robot laying on the forest floor. He accepted that this was his final moments as he held his sword over his chest.

Suddenly he was lifted into the air and started to move through the forest. Ajax had lifted up the robot and thrusted him over his shoulder. The robot looked up and saw that Trixie was following Ajax. The unicorn looked at the robot that was staring intently at her.

“What are you looking at?” 

The robot slowly reached for his hat and removed the metallic disc and handed it to Trixie. Trixie took the hat and looked at her reflection in the chrome disc. She looked back up at the beaten robot.

“You’re welcome.”
> Chapter Four
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	 Ajax sat on the edge of a cliff overlooking a large exotic landscape. His legs hung over the edge, dozens of miles off of the ground. The land he stared out at was engulfed with color and beauty unheard of, even in Equestria. 

The habitat was so alive, it illuminated the horizon with wild unimaginable colors. Its landscape was vast yet still interconnected within all aspects of life. Ajax watched as massive creatures with long necks grazed across the plains in front of him. The extraordinary behemoths would take bites out of the clouds in the sky as they slowly crossed the land. One of the creatures curiously lowered its head near Ajax and looked at him with its large eye. Ajax sat with his chin resting on his hand, as he looked back into the animal’s eye. The creature lost interest and raised its head above the clouds and continued on its journey.

“It’s rude to spy on people you know…” said Ajax. 

He stood up and turned around. His long black hair was flowing freely, and he did not have his usual metal gauntlet on. Slung across his back was his massive onyx blade.

“No point in continuing with this farce any longer. I know you’re there.  You have been watching me for quite some time.” 

Ajax stood silently as a breeze blew across the mountaintop. After some time had passed, a voice finally responded to him.

“I'm curious, how long did you know I was here?”

Luna stepped out of the shadows and approached the human.

“I have known for quite some time what you were up to. You must think you’re quite clever.” replied Ajax.

Ajax gazed at his right hand, opening and closing it. His actual flesh and blood, no longer a metal gauntlet, the hand was muscular and sinewy.

“Luna, the princess who rules over all planes of the dreaming world… I suppose your sister put you up to this. She probably hoped you could gain some useful information through my subconscious, but alas it was all for naught.”

Luna raised an eyebrow as she started to walk around Ajax in a circle.

“I have seen your dreams, human. You seem to enjoy looking like…this.”

Luna pointed a hoof at Ajax’s new appearance.

“But tell me. Why do you never dream of the other humans? Is the pain of remembrance far too great for you to bare?” 

Ajax watched silently as the pony circled around him. Luna stopped, facing him.

“Tell me, what will you do when you have to confront all those whose lives you have taken, all of those whose lives you have destroyed?” asked Luna.

“I will kill them again if I must!” snapped Ajax.

He pointed his sword toward Luna. She chuckled, despite Ajax’s sword being inches from her face.

“Do you think you can harm me? Have you forgotten that we are in a dream?” 

Luna flew up into the sky. The light of the moon shone behind the alicorn changing the exotic world into an empty plane of pure black.

“You think just because this is a dream that you are safe?” sneered Ajax.

Ajax began ascending through the air towards Luna.

“This is MY dream! You are in MY world!” 

Ajax quickly swung his sword, emitting a wave of black fire. Luna’s horn glowed with purple as she shot out a devastating wave of magic into the fire. As the magic engulfed the flames, the moon began to glow with a bright light. It quickly began shooting a pulse of white energy down into the dark empty floor. Ajax stood still as the bright light encircled him.

“What’s the matter Ajax? No robot army to hide behind!?” said Luna.

Ajax stepped out from the rubble, unharmed by the moonbeam. The human began to twitch. Luna studied him for a moment, suddenly realizing that Ajax was growing larger. He grew exponentially in size until he towered over everything in the new world and with a mighty blow, he shattered the moon in the sky. 

“What’s the matter Luna? Did you like that large rock?” said Ajax with a smirk. 

Luna frowned at the giant human.

“Impressive, you have an incredible amount of control over your dreams, even for a lucid dreamer." 

As Luna spoke, all light began to vanish from the dream, returning the world to a state of darkness. Small lights began to flicker everywhere, and as they got brighter and brighter, they filled the dream with the light of the cosmos. Planets and comets began to glide past the two giants that stood in the middle of space. 

The pony and human stood surrounded by galaxies, their eyes fixated on one another.

“You know, this could be all over if you just wake up. If we continue any longer I won’t guarantee that you ‘will’ wake up.” said Luna with a cold smile. 

Ajax had a similar grin as he grabbed a nearby planet. He juggled it with his right hand as he spoke.

“You want to peer into my mind? Very well, you shall peer into the darkest depths of my soul!” 

Ajax hurled the massive planet at Luna. The pony was knocked back into the darkness, falling into the spiraling void as a red light filled the sky. A blood moon illuminated the princess as she crashed into the ground.

“Augh!” cried out Luna as she fell onto something hard.

The pony rolled around as whatever she was on top of crumbled beneath her hooves. The pony peered through the darkness and realized she was on top a mound of skulls. Each skull was a different species, shape, and size. The stench of rotting flesh and blood filled the air. The pony looked around and saw only blood for miles around. Bone claws, hooves, and hands reached outwards from under the blood,  grasping at floating skulls and pulling them into the darkness. The screams of the innocent filled the pungent air.

“What’s the matter Luna? Can’t handle a little nightmare?” chimed a horrid voice.

A massive creature emerged from the blood wearing a crown constructed from teeth. Large ribs grew out from the shadow’s back arching over its shoulders. Empty eye sockets stared at Luna as the rest of the fiend manifested from the remaining corpses. Luna’s heart nearly burst right out of her chest, as she realized that the thing speaking to her right now was Ajax. 

The shade’s sickle like talons slashed into the piles of bone ripping out marrow and intestines. The creature slowly skittered up the pile of remains towards the alicorn. Luna pushed her hooves against the bone trying to escape the monster, but the creature was already on top of her. The beast’s skull grew exposed tendons and muscle as a single blood shot eye grew into the skull. Skin dripped down the demon’s jaw slipping onto the horrified pony.

“YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I HAVE ENDURED. THE AMOUNT OF DEMONS I HAVE SLAIN IN ORDER TO SURVIVE! LOOK INTO MY MIND AND SEE WHAT I HAVE SEEN!”  

Luna froze in terror. She had never seen anyone in Equestria dream up a monstrosity like this. The creature wheezed as it drew breath.

 “WE ARE NOT SO DIFFERENT…you and I...”

“Like hell we are!” shouted Luna. 

The blood moon cracked from the pony's shout. Blood began to rain down from the sky. Luna realized she could no longer move; all four of her hooves had been stitched to the pile of bone and flesh without her realizing it. She looked the fiend straight in the eye.

“I am nothing like you!” 

The demon reared its head back as white hair grew in patches on top of its skull. Two long ribs extended from the abomination’s back stopping only inches from Luna.

“I HAVE A BEAST IN ME….BUT I KNOW YOU HAVE ONE IN YOU AS WELL…SHOW ME WHAT YOU REALLY ARE! NIGHTMARE MOON!”

The demon drove the extended ribs into Luna’s eyes. The alicorn shrieked as the images of the dead flashed before her eyes. Luna saw images of Nightmare Moon and other horrifying images flash before her eyes. The image of the evil alicorn let out a maniacal laugh before everything vanished... Luna awoke in a cold sweat. She was now safe in her bedroom, but she was too horrified by the nightmare to rest easy. She sat quietly thinking about the night terror she had just witnessed.

 ‘Ajax may not be from Tartarus, but clearly guarding the Everfree Scar has affected him…for the worse.’ 

Luna looked out her bedside window at the shimmering moon in the sky. The mare in the moon was more visible than ever before.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


“Hey! Ajax!” 

Ajax awoke to Trixie nudging his shoulder. Ajax closed his eyes one last time before finally opening them.  

“What...?” he grunted.

The sound of metal wheels clicking on rails could be heard in the background as the two talked. Ajax and his companions had hopped on a train in order to reach their destination a bit sooner.  

“Nothing, I just wanted you to stop sleep talking so much. You were talking all night… Do you always do that?” asked the unicorn.

“How am I supposed to know the answer to that?”

Ajax rubbed his eyes and looked around at the empty cart. Jax-4’s head was resting in a nearby corner, no longer attached to his broken body.

“He’s been awfully quiet lately. It’s actually quite nice.” remarked Trixie.

“I will believe it when I hear it…”

Ajax sat up and unrolled a map of Equestria. Trixie sat back down and waited for him to finish whatever he was doing.

“If we cut between Appaloosa and Dodge Junction we should reach the Badlands before nightfall…” 

Ajax used his fingers to measure distance on the map.	

“We should actually hop off the train in a few minutes... Don’t want to accidently end up in Dodge Junction and create a scene.” 

Jax-4’s eyes lit up.

“I guess it’s much easier to travel without an army,  as we will now reach our destination much earlier than expected."

Ajax glared at Jax-4, momentarily considering the disembodied head's comment. After a few seconds of thinking, he sighed and folded his arms.

“I suppose you are correct…”

“You seem to be handling the whole losing thing quite well by the way,” said Jax-4 

Ajax looked over at the robot’s head and shot a spark of fire out from his index finger, grazing the robot’s head.

“Don’t think I feel sorry for you now that you're only a talking head. Keep acting impudent and I will trash you like I did with the better half of you. Besides...we didn’t lose. As long as a single pony was injured on that battlefield we have won. I have a factory that can make an infinite amount of you useless self-proclaimed soldiers…”

“So what's the plan now?” asked Trixie.

“First we need to find a way to deal with that annoying pegasus… She is too fast for any of our cannons to have a shot at taking her down... we might have to hire someone,” groaned Ajax.

He walked over and picked Jax-4 up.

“Go ahead and put out the word that we are looking for a skilled mercenary capable of top air speeds. Tell them that we will pay them well...very well.I expect results by the time we finally return back to the north.” 

Jax-4's eyes pulsed with light.

“I have already begun creating flyers to be passed around in notorious taverns. I will have a list of potential employees by the time we get back.”

“Good. It seems we have finally found a good use for that big mouth of yours.” 

“By the way, did you see where my hat went?” asked the robot. 

Ajax ignored him and walked back over to the map and began to gather his belongings. Trixie sat with her hooves hanging out of the cart, she watched as the open plains slowly rolled by. Recently she hadn’t been able to travel, but now she reminisced on how nice it was to travel freely across Equestria. The pony let out a sigh, as she stared out into the distance.

“You don’t mind if I take this, right?” asked Ajax.

Trixie shook her head as Ajax lent down and picked up metal conical hat sitting next to her. The man placed the metal hat back onto Jax-4’s head. 

“It’s time to jump by the way.” said Ajax. 

He walked up next to Trixie and looked out the cart door. The unicorn nodded and hopped off the cart, slowly gliding down to safety. Ajax slammed down near Trixie, his boots digging into the ground. His new armor was no longer in pristine condition like before, it had regressed back into its rugged state because of the recent battle. 

Ajax stood up holding Jax-4’s head and hoisted a bag over his shoulder.

“Let’s keep moving, we got a lot of ground to cover.”

Only a fool would choose to travel through the deserts of Equestria unprepared, but far from home and short on supply, the three fools pressed forward. The desert’s sun was unforgivingly hot and although Ajax and Jax-4 didn’t seem to mind the heat, Trixie wasn't as strong-willed.

“I can’t take this for much longer! How much further must we travel?” groaned Trixie.

“If it would shut you up, we could stop for a break,” sighed Ajax.

The three took shelter in a nearby massive arch of rock. They entered and saw a glistening pool of water in the middle of the den.

“Well, it is about time we got a break!” cheered Trixie.

She took a step forward, but Ajax grabbed her ear.

“Ouch! What the hell did you do that for?” 

Ajax pointed at a pile of bones nearby.

“Oh…” 

Jax-4 eyes shot a wave of sweeping lasers that scanned the cave.

“I believe there is a potential threat nearby,” stated the robot.

Ajax dropped Jax-4 and drew his sword while Trixie drew a magical tome from her sack.

“How could you just drop me at a time like this!” exclaimed Jax-4.

“Hush! I am trying to listen…” whispered Ajax.

Faint noises could be heard, but nothing that gave away what exactly they had just walked into. Trixie took a shot at something with a bolt of lightning.

“I saw something move!” 

A demonic feminine laugh filled the room.

“Well now aren’t we a bit jumpy…” The creature slowly stepped into the light; it had the head of a human girl, but the body of a lion with large eagle wings. Ajax pointed his sword toward the beast and held his ground. The monster took a few steps forward.

“What a nice meal… it has been ages since I last tasted human.” 

Ajax leaned forward and grinned at the monster.

“Go ahead and try!”

A massive blast of black fire shot out of Ajax’s gauntlet toward the beast, but the fiend quickly retreated back into the shadows.

“What’s the matter sphinx? Scared?” shouted Ajax.

“My, I never thought I would see a human again, let alone one who wielded the curse of black fire…I must admit things might not go as I originally planned,” responded the sinister voice.

The sphinx’s voice echoed throughout the rocks with no clear direction.

“However, I think we can come to an agreement.” 

Ajax turned around as a shadow moved across the wall.

“Oh yea?! What kind of agreement?” 

The sphinx’s face peered out from behind the shadows. The woman’s head smiled revealing hundreds of sharp fangs.

“I overheard that you were looking for the changeling hive. I could show you the way, but you must answer the riddle of the sphinx…”

“What happens if we get it wrong?” asked Trixie.

“Then I have earned my meal fair and square, don’t you think?”

“No problem, we will accept your challenge!” shouted Jax-4. 

Trixie gasped at the robotic head.

“Easy for you to say tin-can, she couldn’t eat you even if we did lose!!!”

Ajax crouched down next to Trixie.

“Relax, every human knows the famous riddle of the sphinx. The answer is mankind after all. You know the one, about the fur legs in the evening and the tool legs in the afternoon.”

"I don't think that's how it went..." said Jax-4

"Well it was something along those lines..." coughed Ajax.

The sphinx’s voice echoed throughout the cave.

“True, that is a famous riddle and a riddle of my people, but there is another riddle foreign to your kin…” The sphinx disappeared into the shadows again.

“It goes like this…’There are two sisters: one gives birth to the other and she, in turn, gives birth to the first. Who are the two sisters?’” 

Ajax scratched the back of his head. He looked over at Trixie and shrugged.

“Why are you looking at me? You said this would be easy.” yelled the unicorn.

“You are the scholar in the group, you should be able to figure it out!”

“Guys I think I got It.” whispered Jax-4. 

The human and pony leaned in and stared at the robot’s head intently waiting for his answer.

“The answer is…mankind” 

Ajax threw the robot across the room into the rock wall.

“YOU IDIOT! OF COURSE THAT’S NOT THE ANSWER!” 

The sphinx chuckled at the frustrated human.

“Times ticking…I would spend less time fighting and more time thinking if I were you.” 

Ajax and Trixie tried to think of an answer but neither could think of anything reasonable.

“Your time is up,” said the sphinx. 

Ajax’s stood with his burning black fists glaring at the sphinx
. 
“We need more time!” 

The sphinx backed away.

“One more minute…” groaned the sphinx. 

Trixie’s eyes suddenly opened wide.

“The answer is ‘day and night’!” 

The sphinx hissed at the unicorn, she had figured out its riddle.

“I shouldn’t have allowed another second!” sneered the monster.

Ajax patted Trixie on back.

“Impressive Trixie, I didn’t know you had it in you.” 

Trixie adjusted her hat with a sly smirk.

“What? Have you forgotten that 'The Great and Powerful Trixie' is a master of all riddles?” said the triumphant pony.

Ajax shook his head as he fetched Jax-4 across the cave. He dusted off the robot’s head as Trixie drank from the cave's reservoir. The man pulled his hood back over his head as he walked back over to Trixie. The unicorn could no longer drink another drop of water.

“So sphinx, would you be so kind to point us in the correct direction?” said Ajax with a victorious smile.

“Continue west through the valley of gloom. There you will find the changeling kingdom.Be warned human...the changeling queen isn't as inviting as you think,” muttered the sphinx.

Ajax bowed graciously before the voice with a smug look. The three left the cave and headed off towards the sunset.

The Equestrian desert wasn’t only notorious for being one of the hottest places in all the land, but it was also infamous for it’s cold temperatures at night. Only a fool would choose to venture through the desert at night unprepared. The three fools however pressed forward into the night. Ajax was unhindered by the cold and so was the robot, but Trixie’s teeth were chattering wildly.

“Are you not cold? Are you never hot? How can you just continue walking, when it is colder here than it is in the north?” cried Trixie as her teeth chattered.

Ajax looked back at the shivering pony.

“I have the black fire burning inside of me. I can’t be burned by the flame, but I can use it to keep me warm.” 

Trixie let out a shiver as she tried to cover herself with her cloak a bit more.

“Y-you never explained what that b-black fire really is.” 

Ajax continued to walk as he talked.

“We call it the ‘gift of Traeger’, named after the first human ever to wield the power of the black fire. Others would say it is a curse, but whoever is born with this power is destined for greatness.”

Ajax handed Trixie his cloak.

“Go on and take it, before you complain some more.” 

Trixie took the cloak and wrapped herself in it.

“I don’t need your kindness… you could care less for my well being.”

Ajax rolled his eyes.

“I guess trying to stop your whining is actually impossible.”

Ajax raised a fist signaling for Trixie to stop. He crouched down and peered over a nearby rock.

“We’re here…”

The changeling empire was unlike anything Trixie had ever seen before. There were no houses, shops, or town square. There was only a giant mound that seemed to be constructed out of clay. Thousands of holes filled the mud skyscraper. Ajax shuddered, disgusted by the changelings home.

“Ugh… I hate changelings…”

“How do we get an audience with the queen?” whispered Jax-4. 

Ajax stood up and wiped sand off his shoulders.

“Simple, we just walk in and introduce ourselves. I mean, what can she do about it?”

Trixie was at a loss for words. The shocked unicorn managed to squeeze out a few words as the human walked off.

“W-what! Such a foolish idea!” 

Ajax, however, didn't care for what the unicorn thought. He had already taken Jax-4 and walked off. Trixie shook her head as she dashed to catch up.

The halls of the hive were narrow and filled with the same strong odor. Ajax stepped in a puddle of green slime.

“Oh, for fu-“ 

Ajax slowly turned and saw a changeling staring at them with wide blue eyes.

“Hello?”

The changeling quickly scurried down the hall and vanished.

“Well, they definitely know we are here now…and the fact that we just let ourselves in doesn’t…”

Trixie froze before she could finish. The halls had begun to shake as hundreds of changelings poured down the hallway, crawling down the walls and ceiling. Ajax, Trixie and Jax-4 looked back, only to see another wave of changelings approaching from behind.

The changeling queen wasn't the forgiving type, especially for those who break into her hive. The three intruders were brought into the queen’s chamber wrapped in green cocoons. All the changelings began to buzz in harmony as two large black doors slowly opened. Queen Chrysalis entered the royal chamber and approached the three interlopers. The queen was silent as she inspected what could quite possibly be her next meal.

“Let them speak!” shouted the queen as she slowly lowered herself onto a jagged black throne. 

She watched as the slime surrounding her guests slowly eroded away, freeing up their mouths. Ajax burned away the rest of the casing and stepped forward. In mere seconds thousands of changelings formed a wall blocking him from the queen. Ajax raised his hands up in the air and took a few steps back. Ajax cleared his throat before speaking.

“Queen Chrysalis, I am-“

“I know who you are…” interrupted Chrysalis. 

Ajax turned his head slightly.

“Ah, so you have heard about what happened at the Crystal Empire.” 

Chrysalis didn’t say anything. Ajax coughed and looked back at Trixie and Jax-4.

“My queen… we have come with a proposition for you.” said Jax-4. 

Chrysalis looked on at the disembodied head and raised a hoof. Changelings brought the robot’s head to her. She inspected the foreign object in her hooves before tossing it back to her guards. She slowly flew down next to Ajax at an uncomfortable distance.

“You are quite the sensation in Equestria right now.” 

The changeling began to drag a hoof lightly across Ajax’s shoulder and back as she circled the human.

“So tell me, what proposition does the metal head speak of, human?” 

Chrysalis’s  hoof quickly shot toward Ajax’s throat, hovering only an inch away from his neck.  

“Do you treat all of your guests so disrespectfully?” questioned Ajax.

Every changeling perched on the walls hissed at him. Chrysalis raised a hoof, silencing everypony.

“You must be forgetting that you are an intruder in my kingdom. You are the one who is acting disrespectful right now… I will be asking the questions, or would you prefer that I turn you into food for my children right now?” 

“You don’t know who you are talking to, do you?” said Ajax.

“Oh, but I do. I know your kind very well. I was young back then, but I remember your kind very clearly...”

Ajax reached into his bag and cautiously pulled out a newspaper. Chrysalis read the paper regarding the siege on the Crystal Empire.

“Impressive, but what about the part where Canterlot destroyed your entire army?” 

Ajax froze and looked into the changelings gaze.

“How did…” 

Chrysalis snickered and turned away from the baffled human.

“Changelings have eyes throughout all of Equestria…” 

Ajax shrugged.

“Well, you got me there, but I guess that is why I am here. You see, the reason I came here today was so that you and I could work together to take down Celestia. By the sound of it, you and your changelings would be very helpful with this war.” 

Chrysalis chuckled and shook her head.

“Celestia? You’re after Celestia, right? You think I would just walk into something like that all over again?” 

Ajax stepped forward and shouted at the changeling queen. 

“In the north I proved that the tyrant could bleed! I intend on killing her with or without your help.  I just thought you would like a little revenge since they made a fool out of you.” 

The level of his voice didn’t seem to persuade her any further on the matter.

Chrysalis walked away with a sly smile.

“I do admire your passion... I will think about it. You shall have your answer by tomorrow. Until then feel free to make yourselves at home.”

In moments Ajax, Trixie, and Jax-4 found themselves thrown into a cell. 

Ajax yawned as he laid against the cell wall.

“I guess it was late anyways…” said Ajax as he folded his arms and closed his eyes.

“You seem pretty confident about all of this,” said Trixie as she flipped open a dusty book. 

The old tome was filled with loose papers and faded ink stains.

“I have been studying this long distance teleportation spell from one of the books in the library. Go ahead and give the word and we can be back in the vault in a flash. It is experimental though so a few things might go wrong…” 

Ajax opened one eye.

“No need. We will just wait until tomorrow.” 

“I may be low on power, but even I can tell that she isn’t really thinking about the offer. It looks like to me they will turn you two into breakfast tomorrow,” said Jax-4 as his dim eyes lit up the cell. 

Ajax laid quietly undisturbed by Jax-4’s remarks.



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“Wake up!” shouted a changeling covered in black and green armor. 

The guard opened the door and glared at the the three prisoners as they stood up.

“The queen will see you now.” 

Queen Chrysalis sat on her jagged throne with a smile as she watched her prisoners enter the throne room. She seemed to enjoy watching her prisoners ordered around by the guards. 

Ajax stepped forward.

“So, have you decided yet?” 

“I have decided that your plan to take down Celestia is rather foolish,” said Chrysalis as she inspected one of her hooves.

Ajax frowned at the queen. 

“However, the only way Celestia will ever be defeated is if we work together. So I will help you, so that me and my changeling may expand our home out of this desert.” said Chrysalis with a grin.

Ajax smiled as he looked up at the changeling queen.

“Excellent...”


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Crimson red skies filled with pegasi and projectiles could be seen for miles all around. A lone alicorn dashed through the streets of Canterlot. Twilight Sparkle quickly hurried to find her friends. 

Canterlot was under attack by Ajax and the city needed their help. 

“Augh!!!” 

Twilight turned and saw Rainbow Dash pinned under a pile of bricks. She had crashed hard into a building at top speed causing it to fall on top of her. The light blue pony spat out blood as she tried to crawl out from under the rubble. The bricks burst off the pegasus as she slowly lifted herself to her hooves. 

She trembled, still shaken from the recent crash.

“Thanks Twilight, it’s hell up there...Watch out!”

A flaming boulder crashed near the two ponies, spreading a wall of scorching fire. Rainbow Dash and Twilight tumbled across the ground as if they were ragdolls. Twilight was covered in ash as she slowly stood up and trotted over to Rainbow, but the pegasus wasn’t responding.

“Rainbow Dash!” cried Twilight as tears filled her eyes.

“Twilight!” 

Applejack came out of nowhere and knocked the alicorn away from Rainbow Dash. A tide of black fire swept over the pegasus. Twilight watched as her friend was devoured by the flame. Her sadness was now instantly replaced with a burning hatred,an insatiable rage that caused her hooves to shake, blinding her with fury.

She slowly turned and saw Ajax walking through the burning streets of Canterlot. He held both of his swords, each dripping with the blood of battle. Twilight’s eyes fixated on the human as she lost control over herself
.
“Wait, Twilight!” shouted Applejack, but Twilight couldn’t hear a single word that her friend was saying. 

She had made up her mind that she would avenge Rainbow Dash, right here, right now. Ajax stopped as Twilight slowly approached him, he raised both of his swords behind his back and before Twilight could say anything or do anything he swung the blades forward. His infamous black fire ruptured out of the ground in a cone in front of him. Twilight immediately shot up into the sky, her wings wrapped around her shielding her from the fire. The alicorn spread out her wings, dispersing the flames as she shot towards Ajax.

The alicorn slammed into the man. Ajax’s feet dug up the paved road as he tried to hold his ground against Twilight. The pony pushed her horn against his chest and shot a massive burst of magic that sent him flying.

“The world sees you as a monster and all you did was prove them right! I will have my revenge on you for what you did to Rainbow Dash!” 

Ajax appeared midair behind the alicorn, his arm holding his sword in front his face ready to strike at an instant. Black embers danced around his long white hair as Twilight slowly turned to meet the human's eyes.

“If it is revenge that you want, I suggest you get in line!” roared Ajax.

He swung his sword, but Twilight vanished into thin air. She reappeared behind him charging another blast from her horn. Ajax smashed his right foot into the ground and pivoted at lightning speed by using the momentum of his previous swing. His sword froze midair, glowing with Twilight’s magic. Ajax tried to force the sword to swing, but Twilight was using every bit of her magic to hold the sword in place. Ajax let go and charged forward knocking Twilight square in the face with his gauntlet. The alicorn was knocked senseless from the blow, she stared at the red sky as she sailed through the air leaving a trail of blood behind her. Before Twilight could even hit the ground Ajax caught up to alicorn and took her by the horn and slammed her overhead into the ground. 

“As long as I hold a grip on your horn you are powerless, pony…” 

Twilight struggled, but her strength was nothing compared to the human. Her magic couldn’t be focused as long as he was crushing her horn with his fist. Twilight struggled to open an eye under the pain. She saw that Applejack was now behind the unsuspecting human. The earth pony reared her front hooves ready to strike, but her body jerked backwards. Ajax had noticed the orange pony and stabbed a firm, burning, open palm right through her chest. 

Impaled on the man’s arm, Applejack struggled as her world grew dark. She took her last breath as blood slowly dripped out of her mouth. Applejack slowly slid off Ajax’s arm and hit the ground.

“Now I am covered in blood, great…” 

Twilight screamed as she squirmed against his grip, she hated how powerless she felt. 

Ajax looked down at the alicorn.

“Don’t think I have forgotten about you. Once I am done with you I will burn all of Equestria to the ground!” 

The last thing Twilight remembered was a fist flying towards her, but before it could hit she awoke screaming in her bed. Twilight looked around the room, alarmed from the nightmare she had just had. Spike and the other three ponies heard her screams and rushed over to her side. 

“Twilight are you alright?” asked Pinkie Pie. 

Twilight gathered her thoughts and tried to accept the fact that everything she had experienced was just a dream.

‘I can’t believe it was just it a dream, it all seemed so real.’

“Twilight!” 

Twilight nearly fell out of her bed when Rainbow Dash screamed her name. Her friends looked at one another before helping their friend up.

“Gosh Twilight, what’s the matter? Is yesterday getting to you?” 

Twilight shook her head.

“I am fine, I just had a bad nightmare…I saw Canterlot in ruin...Ajax destroyed everything…” 

Applejack placed a hoof on Twilight.

“Aw there is nothing to worry about sugarcube, we aren’t going to be seeing him for a long time after the whooping he just got.” 

“He escaped though… he is out there...and he’ll be back," argued Twilight.

Rainbow Dash struck a triumphant pose.

“When that day comes, we'll be here and then we’ll kick his butt again!” 

Twilight stood up with a worried look on her face.

“What if it was a warning, a bad omen of what’s to come?” 

Pinkie Pie still had her bubbly attitude despite the serious conversation.

“Why don’t we just do some reconnaissance, some investigation you know? Some spying?” asked Pinkie as she rolled around in a spy costume.

Twilight placed a hoof on her chin and thought about what Pinkie had said.

“You know what? I think that could be a good idea. If Ajax is up to something we could warn Equestria before it is too late. I mean, as long as we keep a safe distance we should be alright.” 

A familiar laugh was heard outside their window. Spike, who was closest, peeked out and fell backwards as Discord let himself in.

“Oh Twilight, I heard about your plan to do a little bit of spying. Sounds quite interesting…things around here sure have been boring...I would love to spend some quality time with my dear friends,” said the draconequus with large puppy-dog eyes.

Rainbow Dash flew up so that she was face to face with the tall draconequus.

“What makes you think we would bring you along?”

Discord paced around the pegasus.

“I know that you might not trust me, but I did find Ajax the first time. I would think I would be able to do it again. Unless, you know where he is right now?” 

Twilight looked at her friends, as they all waited for Twilight to ultimately choose whether Discord would accompany them on their journey. 

“Very well Discord, You may come.” 

Discord clapped his hands together in excitement.

“Excellent! I will come, but on one condition.”

“Name it…”

“We bring dearest Fluttershy with us, it has been so long and I do miss her so.” 

Twilight nodded.

“We will head back to Ponyville and bring Rarity and Fluttershy with us. I planned on doing so before you even asked. If we are going to do this, we will need the whole gang.”

“Well I just wanted to bring Fluttershy, but I suppose you can bring Rarity also…”

“Alright! let’s get going" shouted Spike.

Twilight looked at Spike.

“You may come along Spike, but you must stay quiet and hidden at all times.” 

The baby dragon nodded.

“You won’t even notice that I was there.” 

Twilight smiled as Spike jumped onto her back. The baby dragon, four ponies and draconequus set out for Ponyville.


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The moon slowly rose over the horizon as day turned to night in Canterlot. Princess Luna stood on top of her balcony steadily lifting the moon to it’s correct position in the sky. She let out a sigh as she stepped back inside. Celestia sat waiting for Luna. Luna approached Celestia. The princess of the night had a sorrowful expression; cleary something was on her mind.

“Sister, I must speak the truth. I don’t think what we did today was the right thing to do.”

Celestia stood up and walked past Luna.

“I know that. What we did was a necessary precaution, it may not seem right, but it was the right thing to do for Equestria.”

Luna turned around and walked up next to her sister. The two alicorns stared at the starry night.

“Did you hear that they took Discord with them?” said Luna.

Celestia nodded.

“I hope he continues to prove loyal to Canterlot until this is all over…” 

Luna frowned, reminded about what was originally on her mind.

“I still don’t think using a dream to trick Twilight into chasing after Ajax was the right thing to do. Even if it is for the benefit of Equestria, she trusts you as her former mentor.”

Celestia looked at Luna. She clearly wasn’t happy about tricking Twilight either.

“If there is anyone who could ever defeat him once and for all, it will be those six ponies.”

Luna turned away and walked back into the castle.

“Don’t forget about the ball we are hosting tomorrow, the guests expect you to be there, so you should rest well tonight.” 

Celestia seemed to care very little for celebration, she continued to stare at the open sky lost in her thoughts.

“Don’t worry about me, I will be fine…”


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Thick air and the creaking of freezing metal filled the empty corridors deep beneath the snowy surface. The metal construction deep below the ground had no central heating. A sole machine tirelessly labored constructing robotic soldiers by the minute. Jax-4 now had a replacement body similar to the one he had before. Ajax stood in front of him counting the amount of soldiers the machine had produced.

“We still haven’t created another suitable force… the longer we wait the more we are at risk of being found.” 

Ajax bit his thumb as he stared at the green text on the black monitor. Jax-4  stretched his body as he spoke.

“I heard that Canterlot is hosting a party today. Supposedly they are celebrating their victory over you.”

Ajax stood up and turned to the robot. As he clenched his thumb in his fist, blood squeezed in between his fingers.

“Where did you hear that?” 

Jax-4 shrugged.

“Supposedly that is what the changeling said. I don’t know how credible she is, but if that is the case I doubt they are worried about you threatening Equestria again any time soon.” 

Ajax held up his thumb and watched as blood pooled in his open palm. 

“They think that since they won one battle that the war is over? Have they so easily forgotten the massacre at the Crystal Empire?”

Jax-4 pulled out a folder and began digging through papers.

“Well, I suppose it was good for something. It did build enough notability in Equestria for us to obtain a new ally. Now then, I recall you asking for a mercenary. I have sorted it down to two remaining applicants. Have a look and tell me which one piques your interest.”

Ajax took the folder and flipped through the papers inside.

“Go ahead and get the pegasus, I don’t care much for gryphons…” 

Jax-4 nodded.

“Also, there is something else in there that I thought might pique your interest.”

Ajax flipped through a few pages, stopping at a page. His eyes darted across the lines of text on the page as he gripped the stack of papers.

Meanwhile Trixie went from bookshelf to bookshelf looking for a new book to read. Chrysalis sat at a table in the middle of the room, watching as the unicorn garnered a stack of books.

“Augh, I can’t take it. This is so boring! Why must we wait? My changelings are ready to strike at any moment. What could the fool be doing?” groaned the changeling.

Chrysalis had grown impatient waiting for Ajax to finish whatever he was doing. 

“You should learn some patience, when the time comes to attack Canterlot he will let you know.” 

Chrysalis snapped her jaws at Trixie.

“How dare you talk to a queen in such a manner! Why you-” 

Chrysalis grabbed the table with her hooves as the floor and walls shook violently. The huge stack of books Trixie had gathered toppled on top of the changeling. A violent burst of green energy exploded under the pile of green books. 

“I am going to go see what that idiot has been up to this entire time!” 

Trixie jumped up and started to grab the burning papers from out of the air. Before the unicorn could say anything Chrysalis had already stormed out of the room.

“No you idiots! Look what you did did… great, just great…” sighed Ajax.

Ajax was yelling at a dozen robot workers who had knocked over some massive metal obstruction. Ajax threw his hands up as he walked away.

“Go ahead and try it again…” mumbled Ajax.

Chrysalis burst into the room knocking away robot guards with one sweep of her magic. Jax-4 dashed in front of the furious queen and quickly drew his samurai blade. Ajax placed a hand on the robot’s shoulder as he stepped in front of him.

“Something wrong Chrysalis?” asked Ajax.

She chuckled hearing him talk so light heartily towards her.

“I have been waiting for some time now. Tell me, do you think I am some subject for you to command? I will not sit idly by and wait for you to finish playing grab ass with your toys.”

A large shadow loomed over them as the robots began to lift what they had just dropped. The massive robot stood over one-hundred and fifty feet tall. Similar to Jax, it also had massive shins and forearms, but looked much more ancient. The steel was older, thicker, and heavier. Four large pistons jutted out of the robot's back, extending an extra twenty feet over it’s head. Large exhaust pipes curved over the robots shoulders giving an image of curved tusk like shoulder pads. Chrysalis forgot about how upset she was for a moment as she watched the glorious giant slowly brought up to it’s feet by a series of wires and rope.

“Glorious isn’t it? One-hundred and sixty-three feet tall, reinforced dwarven steel joints allowing massive strain and quick movements. Two-thousand tons of raw engine strength with five foot thick steel plating. Equipped with dozens of weapons beyond it’s time and to top it all off, it has never been used before.” 

“You plan on using this thing?” asked Chrysalis, still amazed by the steel titan.

“Sadly we have a problem. The machine was originally designed to combat the larger inhabitants of Equestria such as giants, hydras, and so forth, but it never saw a single day on the battlefield since there was nothing that could power the beast without running out of energy in a few seconds.” 

Chrysalis scoffed.

“What kind of idiot makes something like that and doesn't even think about powering it.”

Ajax had his fists on his sides as he looked at the giant weapon.

“The Auric family may not of thought how to make it work, but I think I know what we can use to power it. Something Jack nor his father ever thought of…” 

Chrysalis walked away, she didn't care for the human's technology.

“Well hurry up! I will find something to do while you try to wake up the giant, but I have limited patience.”

Ajax looked back as the door closed behind Chrysalis. Jax-4 gave Ajax a nudge with his elbow.

“Seems like you and the queen are getting along. Maybe you can become a king all you need to do is...”

Ajax’s eyes shot daggers through the robot’s motherboard. Jax-4 backed away cautiously.

“What’s the matter? I did some research on humor and I thought I would try making a joke. Was it not funny?”

Ajax spat on the floor and walked up to the robot.

“No. It wasn’t.”

Ajax took a folder from Jax-4’s hands. 

“I am going out for a while. You will need to watch over Chrysalis while I am gone.”

“Very well, where are you going? If you don’t mind me asking?”

“Something your creator wasn’t even clever enough to think of, or maybe he was just too afraid to try.” 

Ajax handed the folder back to the robot.

“With all due respect my liege, I don’t mean to insult you, but if there was something so blatantly obvious that could’ve powered this monstrosity I am sure Jack would have thought about it.” Ajax ignored the robot and stepped into the elevator. Jack opened the folder and noticed that Ajax had etched something in the center of the robot’s chest.

“My, that is indeed an interesting idea…”


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Bright colored fireworks shot into the sky,  signaling the start of the royal ball. Ponies from across Equestria came dressed in their best outfits or their best work clothes. No pony was denied access to the ball, it was the largest celebration to ever occur in Canterlot. Celestia and Luna stood at the entrance and greeted each one of their guests. Celestia looked up and saw a familiar face in the crowd.

“Shining Armor, it’s good to see you. How have you been? Did you bring Cadence with you?” 

Shining Armor was dressed in his red and gold uniform, he saluted the princess before speaking to her.

“Yes ma’am. Cadence is already inside trying to avoid the large crowd of people.” 

Celestia chuckled.

“Go ahead, we will meet up with you once we are done here.” 

Shining Armor saluted the princess and entered the ball. He was surprised, despite this being the largest party ever there seemed to be plenty of room for all of the guests. Nearly half of Canterlot had turned into one giant festival. Shining Armor scanned the crowd looking for Cadence.

“There you are.” 

Shining Armor jumped, his wife had snuck up on him. The surprised stallion turned around to his wife.

“I was just looking for you… You look lovely by the way.” 

Cadence smiled at the blushing unicorn. 

“Thanks…”

“So uh, How's the party so far?” wondered Shining Armor.

Cadence looked at all the ponies dancing and having a wondrous time.

“All the ponies keep giving me their condolences for what happened at the Crystal Empire. I suppose I appreciate the thought, but what I really enjoy seeing is ponies acting like their normal selves again... Look how happy they are…” 

Shining Armor was more happy at the fact that Cadence was smiling again.

“I am going to go grab something to drink. You want anything?” 

“Surprise me.” responded the alicorn.

Shining Armor accepted the challenge.

“Alright, Excuse me for one second.” 

The pony found out that as he got closer to the banquet table the thicker the crowd became.

‘I suppose it makes sense everyone would crowd around the free food...’ 

While on his way Shining Armor noticed that a door leading out to the balcony was slightly open.

‘That’s it! I will cut the crowd by going around it with the balcony.’

The unicorn stepped outside and noticed a lone pony leaning on the railing staring out at Canterlot. He recognized the pony.

“Hey, Horizon Star.” 

The earth pony turned around and looked at the unicorn.

“Hey, sorry if I didn’t notice you.” replied the earth pony.

Shining armor walked up to him.

“Why are you not inside? This whole thing is practically for you anyways. You were the one who led the army flawlessly into battle.” 

Shining Armor looked at the party inside.

“Why should my victory be celebrated? It’s what I am expected to do on the battlefield. Just as a garbage man collects the trash or a teacher teaches a student. I did only what I was called to do.” 

Shining Armor raised an eyebrow. He walked up to the railing next to Horizon Star and looked out at Canterlot.

“So I guess you don’t like the party, huh?” said Shining Armor with a heavy sigh.

“The only reason they are doing this is because they want to get everyone to forget about Ajax. It’s bad for your business when ponies are afraid of something, well unless that something is you.” 

Shining Armor seemed to have forgotten that he was supposed to bring Cadence a drink. He was now focused on talking with Horizon Star.

“Who do you mean by ‘they’. Do you mean the princesses?” 

Horizon Star shook his head.

“‘They’ are the people who rule over the big businesses in Equestria. Celestia and Luna only co-operate because the last thing they need is to have two wars on their hooves, a war of aggression and an economical one.” 

Shining Armor thought about what he had just said.

“Interesting, I never thought about it that way.”

Horizon Star shrugged.

“But who knows, I could be dead wrong and everything I said was a hoax.” 

Shining Armor laughed.

“I don’t think it sounds too far fetched. Oh, by the way, I heard from Celestia how you wanted to be a royal guard not too long ago.”

Horizon Star let out a slight cough.

“Did she now?...” 

Shining Armor nodded.

“She said that you really liked our ‘cool’ gold armor…” 

Shining Armor nudged the earth pony with a childish grin.

“Anyways, I just wanted you to know that we are now opening the recruiting process to give everyone an equal opportunity. Earth pony, pegasus, unicorn, all now have the same opportunity to join the academy.” 

Horizon Star smiled.

“Wow, I don’t know what to say…That’s great.”

Shining Armor patted a hoof on Horizon Star’s back.

“You know, we could sure use a pony like you. I feel kind of cheated that we didn’t get to recruit you the first time. So what do you say?” 

Horizon Star was shocked.

“You're asking me to join the royal guard?” Shining Armor gave the pony a big heartfelt smile. Horizon Star looked out at Canterlot once more.

“Thanks, but… I no longer desire to wear cool looking armor or attend any exclusive academy… The only thing I care about now is protecting the citizens of Equestria. I would even trade my own life in order to protect them.  No armor no matter how ‘cool’ could be more valuable than that. So I must respectfully decline since I feel that currently, I am in the best position to achieve my goal.”

Shining Armor bowed before Horizon Star.

“You patronage is truly amazing. I am glad Equestria has someone like you leading her armies.” 

“Shining Armor?” said a surprised voice.

The unicorn slowly turned around. He knew he was in trouble.

Princess Cadence stood in the doorway staring at the two ponies.

“Um, coming dear.” 

Cadence walked back inside followed by Shining, but the unicorn turned back to Horizon one last time before heading back inside.

“If you don’t want to celebrate your own party at least come inside and do it for Equestria.”

Shining Armor winked at Horizon Star as a pink hoof dragged the unicorn inside.

“You still owe me that dance mister.” shouted Cadence.

“Of course! I wouldn’t have missed it for the world sweetheart.” 

Horizon Star looked out at Canterlot one last time before going inside.


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“Trixie.” 

Trixie’s eyes slowly opened to Ajax towering over her. The pony rubbed her eyes and looked up at him. Ajax poked her on the forehead.

“What’s the point in you having your own room if you are just going to keep falling asleep in the library… Anyways, get up and put on something warm. You and me are going out.” 

The half awake unicorn received a unpleasant awakening when the cold wind blew a mound of snow into her face.

“Where are we going?” she said muffled by the snow.

Ajax marched in front of the pony holding a map.

“Relax, we aren't far… Hey it’s like old times, remember?” 

Ajax held up the map and waved it around. Trixie didn’t seem to care for the fact. Thankfully, she had brought a thick cloak to keep herself warm this time, so she was in a better mood than usual. Ajax and Trixie hiked for nearly an hour before the two reached the top of a large hill.

“Here we are.” said Ajax peering over the edge of the cliff.

“And where exactly would that be?” 

The pony nearly had a heart attack when she looked over and saw a lake of lava below. Ajax knelt down and took his sword off his back. For some reason he had only brought one blade wrapped in a thick coat of bandaged cloth. He slowly began to unravel the cloth as Trixie continued to look down at the lava.

“So… What are we doing here…?” 

Ajax had finished removing the cloth and lifted the giant sword into the air. This blade wasn’t the same weapon that he had always used. This sword was red with a dragon's head on the end of the hilt.

“Don’t worry. Your job is very simple. You said you learned a mass teleport spell, correct?” 

Trixie nodded hesitantly.

‘I don’t like the sound of that...’ she thought to herself. 

Ajax stood up and placed the blade on his back, letting the line of bandage fly off with the wind.

“Alright then.”

Ajax picked up Trixie and jumped over the cliff. The unicorn flailed wildly as the two fell towards the lake of lava below. Ajax pushed his legs off the cliff wall and flew across the lake of lava landing inside a hidden cavern. 

“Why don’t you ever say something before doing something stupid!”

“Simple, because then you wouldn’t have let me done it.” 

Trixie was fuming, but eventually calmed down. She looked around and saw that the cavern they were in was surprisingly massive.  Ajax drew his sword and stepped forward. The two ventured deeper into the cave.

“What was that?” said Ajax.

“I didn’t hear anything…” replied Trixie.


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At the entrance of the cave, Discord and the mane six had followed Ajax and Trixie.

“I knew coming here was a bad idea! My makeup is starting to run!” complained Rarity.

“Why would you wear makeup when you're going on a spying mission? said Rainbow Dash.

“Some of us try to look our best at all times, unlike others…”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes.

“Shush, I think they went this way. We have to be quiet…” whispered Twilight.

“Why would anyone choose to jump into a volcano…” questioned Fluttershy. 

Discord appeared behind the yellow pegasus.

“I have no idea, but I have always been fond of volcanoes. Something about the sheer amount of chaos they can cause?… No, that couldn’t be it..” 

“I agree. I happen to enjoy it here.” remarked Spike. 

Discord looked over at Twilight.

“I have done my part Twilight… I suggest you keep your distance or things could get ugly.” 

Twilight nodded.

“You did a great job at finding him again. Don’t worry about us though, we will keep a safe distance at all times. Hopefully we can find out what exactly he is planning or better yet where he happened to find a personal army…”

The six ponies, baby dragon, and draconequus ventured into the cave after Ajax and Trixie.


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The ground shook as a large figure emerged from a dark crevice in the wall. Tixie stepped back while her horn glowed with magic. Ajax extended his arm out in front of her.

“You do know that is a dragon, right?!” whispered Trixie.

“We can still get out of here before he notices us.” added the unicorn.

Ajax looked over at Trixie before walking towards the dragon.

“Don’t tell me thats why we are here…” whined Trixie with a defeated expression.

“Dragon!” shouted Ajax as he pointed his sword toward the firebreathing lizard. 

The dragon’s pupils went thin after locking onto the human.

“Tell me, are you Altragio the Wise?” demanded the human.

The dragon’s laugh filled the underground chasm with a low-tone heart sinking rumble. When the dragon spoke, each word felt like a blast of wind. One could only imagine what it would be like to hear the dragon roar.

“You dare enter into our home? I shall make sure that this foolish mistake is your last.” 

Flames ignited in the dragons mouth, escaping in between its sharp teeth. Ajax drew his sword, unphased by the dragon’s threat. Before the dragon could do anything a bellowing roar shook the entire cavern. Another dragon with a long white beard emerged from deep within the cavern.

“Galzra! What is the meaning of this!” 

Smaller dragons varying from all sizes followed behind the great bearded lizard. Galzra turned towards the giant dragon.

“Altragio, this human has ent-”

“I do not care! Must you always settle everything with violence! You will end up killing yourself some day if you don’t change your ways, my son.” 
Both Altragio and Galzra were far larger than any of the other dragons inhabiting the cave. Galzra laid down before Altragio.

“I am sorry father, please forgive me.”

Trixie nudged Ajax and whispered under her breath.

“Ok, so tell me exactly what is going on here. What use could we have for dragons? If you think that you can get them to help you with your war tough luck. Dragons care not for the conflicts of any other race beside their own.” 

Ajax placed his sword on his back and looked over at Trixie.

“I got this under control. Just remember be ready to teleport us when I tell you to.”

Trixie hesitantly nodded. The giant bearded dragon slowly lumbered over to the human and pony
.
“Human? I know your kind… Whatever you are here for can’t be good.” 

Ajax smiled and stepped forward.

“I will go ahead and cut to the chase Altragio. I have come here to challenge you to a duel of fire. According to your races ancient laws you can’t refuse. So without further adieu…” 

Ajax drew his red sword and pointed it at Altragio. The dragon looked at the human and walked away. Ajax stood bewildered by the dragon’s response.

“What are you doing?!” shouted Ajax.

The dragon looked back as he continued to walk away.

“I refuse your challenge.” 

Ajax stuttered trying to think about what to say.

“I j-just challenged you to a duel of fire! You can’t just walk away!”

“I just did…” 

All the other dragons began to follow Altragio back into the recess of the cave.

“Have you no shame! What is wrong with you? Dragon’s are supposed to be a proud race! Have you fallen so low, you giant lizards?” screamed the frustrated human.

Galzra stepped forward as fire shot from his nostrils. Altragio raised his tail in front of the enraged dragon.

“Ignore him my son… The humans are a clever race, although small, always be cautious…”

Ajax looked towards the dragon he met earlier. He pointed the blade towards Galzra.

“You! I challenge you to a duel of fire, since your father is an overgrown gecko. Face me coward!” 

The dragon had lost all patience with him. Galzra charged forward and halted only a few meters from the man. 

“You will pay for your tongue. This is a matter that must be solved with violence!”

The dragon's throat vibrated with each word shaking the cave. Ajax smiled and drew his red sword. The dragon shot a breath of fire behind Ajax. Trixie had to jump out of the way to avoid being burnt to a crisp. The dragon’s breath slowly created a ring of fire.

“The rules huma-” 

“I know the rules...dragon...This isn’t my first duel.” 

The dragon raised its head interested by the human’s claim.

“Is that so? Tell me human what was the name of the dragon whom you had dueled? I am sure his name was forever stained that day.” 

Ajax smiled at the firebreathing lizard.

“His name was Craessus. You might have heard of him.” 

Galzra laughed at Ajax. The dragon was laughing so hard one would think that he was over exaggerating the laugh in order to insult him. 

“Galzra you fool! Pay attention! He speaks the truth!” shouted Altragio. 

“I didn’t recognize it until now, but that red blade is indeed the legendary weapon forged by the three dwarven clans with the sole purpose of slaying dragons! Galzra you imbecile that human wields Dragonblight!” 

Galzra snarled at Ajax.

“That’s impossible Craessus died over a thousand years ago father… That would mean that his man is over a thousand years old!”

Ajax was stretching his arms and legs as the dragons pieced everything together.

“I don’t like thinking about how old I am, but I do suppose it was about a thousand years ago… We already started the duel and set the ring of fire. No backing down now, dragon.” 

Trixie backed away sensing that the battle would soon begin. 


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Twilight and her friends had taken refuge behind a series of large rocks near the cavern wall. 

“I think they are going to fight.” said Rainbow Dash.

“Why would Ajax fight a dragon? This doesn’t make any sense.” said Twilight as she peered over the rock.

“Don’t worry guys. Watch as that dragon tears him apart” said Spike. 

Twilight grabbed Spike and pushed him back down. 

“This isn’t something for you to watch Spike.” remarked Twilight as she pushed the dragon back down behind the rock.

“I am going to grow up sooner or later…” Spike folded his arms as he scowled.

The dragon breathed a terrifying cone of flame towards Ajax, but Ajax remained motionless holding his sword in front of him. The dragons fire split as if it had it a sharp corner before it could touch the human. Galzra chuckled.

“You think that just because you have a way to deal with my fire that you have won!? A dragon’s hide is tougher than any metal, our claws sharper than any blade. You are still doomed!” 

“Sadly this won’t be much of a fight…” sighed Ajax as he slowly walked towards the dragon. 

The dragon swept it’s edged tail toward him, but Ajax effortlessly flipped over it. The tail swung back around and flew towards Ajax. The dragon roared in pain. Ajax had cut his tail off with one sweep of the red sword.

“What part about legendary dragon slaying sword don’t you get? This sword was designed for a dragon far more powerful than you or anyone dragon have ever known. What makes you think you stand a chance?” 

The dragon had reached the edge of the ring of fire. Ajax slowly approached the fearful beast cloaked in his black fire. Galzra turned to Altragio.

“Father you must help me!” Altragio slowly shook his head.

“No my son… Once you started the duel, there was nothing I could do for you…”

Ajax lept through the air towards Galzra and drove the red blade into his neck cutting his throat.

The dragons corpse crashed down into the ground. Every dragon breathed fire into the air as an ode to their fallen brother. Trixie was overcome with relief. She didn’t know what she was going to do if Ajax had lost the battle. Twilight and her friends however saw it as another murder on Ajax’s hands. Spike nearly ran out to give Ajax a piece of his mind, but Applejack had caught him before he got too far.

“No Spike, I know what you are going through right now is hard, but please understand rushing out there isn’t going to change anything.” Spike looked up at Applejack with tearful eyes. She could only return a frown to the baby dragon. Altragio stepped in front of the human and pony.

“You have won the duel of flame… Was it our treasure that you had come to take? If that is the case you may have it… I only wished that you didn't have to kill my son in order to obtain it…” 

Ajax wagged his finger in front of the grieving dragon.

“No, I want something else.”

“Very well, what is it that you desire? It is your right to claim your prize.” sneered the dragon.

Ajax stepped forward and drove the red blade into Galzra’s chest. He stepped into the giant lizards corpse. Trixie nearly vomited seeing Ajax step into the giant lizard. Pinkie Pie actually had vomited, the stench of the dragon’s insides filled up the entire cave. Moments later Ajax emerged pushing out a large heap of flesh.

“This is what I want.” said Ajax with a sinister smile.

Ajax had ripped out the giant dragons heart from his chest.

Altragio’s nostrils flared with a bright flame.

“I will not allow you to butcher my son’s remains in front of me and expect to walk out with his heart.” 

Ajax looked over at Trixie and gave her a thumbs up. Trixie continued to stare at the blood soaked man wondering what exactly was he thinking.

“The teleportation spell Trixie?!” shouted Ajax.

“Oh right!” 

Trixie’s horn glowed with magic as the two vanished along with the heart. Altragio roared in pain at the loss of his son. The dragon quickly turned to the corner of the cave and breathed a wave of fire.

“I know you are there! Come out! I can smell your flesh!” Twilight and everyone else came out from behind the rocks worried that the dragon was going to incinerate them.

“Please don’t hurt us mister dr-”

Pinkie was interrupted by the furious dragon.

“Why are you here!” growled the grieving father.

“We were following around the human. If you would allow us we could go after him.” 

The dragon turned away and hung his head after realizing the ponies weren't associated with the human.

“Do whatever you want… I don’t care anymore… My son was the most important thing to me in the world and now he is gone.” 

Altragio loomed over the the corpse of his only son. His son laid lifeless with his chest ripped open covering the ground with his blood. Every other dragon large and small surrounded Galzra’s corpse. Each dragon took a deep breath and began scorching the body with their fire.

“Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, sleep well my son.” 

Altragio hesitantly began to breathe fire on his kin. When nothing more remained of the body, the dragons slowly returned back the deeper parts of the caverns.

“Poor dragon…” said Fluttershy with a concerned expression. 

Everyone took a moment of silence to mourn the death of the dragon they never knew. He was only just another victim of Ajax’s blood-stained hands. After the silence finished Twilight rushed over to where Ajax and Trixie had vanished.

“Quickly! While the magical rift left behind is still fresh.”

Discord perched over Twilight as she began to study the area where the two had vanished.

“Excuse me Twilight, but what are you doing?” 

Twilight's horn was glowing with magic.

“I don’t know how, but it seems Trixie has gotten a lot better with her magic. She teleported them out of here to an unknown location far away, but I can follow the rift left behind which would lead us to where they are now.” 

Twilight looked back at her friends. They all nodded letting her know that they were ready. The alicorn’s horn glowed with bright magic as they all teleported. Suddenly they found themselves in the middle of a hallway made out of steel.

“Well I guess we’re here…” said Rainbow Dash.


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Jax-4 walked into Ajax and Trixie working on the giant robot. Jax-4 saw the giant dragon’s heart laying against the wall.

“So how exactly is this going to work?” Ajax walked over to the dragon’s heart and looked at the robot. Ajax punched the heart causing it to spew fire. 

“I see…” said Jax-4. 

“Anyways, I thought you should go ahead and meet the pony you recently hired.”

A blue green pegasus with a long mane made up of different shades of blond entered the room. 

“Interesting place you got here… name’s Lightning Dust by the way… I heard you were in need of a fast flyer?” 

Ajax wiped his hands with a towel and approached the pegasus.

“Correct, I heard you will do any job as long as the pay is right.” 

Lightning Dust smiled at Ajax.

“Sure will… I hope you know that working for you might make me a pretty big criminal… I wonder if you got enough coin to make up for it.”

Ajax snapped his fingers. Two robots brought in a giant chest filled with thousands of different rare gems. Lightning Dust grinned.

“That’ll do…” 

Ajax kicked the chest towards the pegasus.

“I have kept my end of the deal, now make sure you take care of yours.”

Lightning ignored him as she began to go through all the different types of gems in the chest. Jax-4 watched as the pegasus giggled at the rare stones.

“Where did we get all those gems exactly?” asked Jax-4. 

Ajax put on a pair of goggles and began climbing to the top of the robot.

“The machine that creates all the robots happens to also dig up a lot of junk while digging for minerals” 

Jax-4 looked at the shimmering chest filled with rubies, sapphires, and emeralds.

“Right, Junk…” 

The robot walked up to the pony who had started to sort the different type of gems.

“Lightning Dust follow me, I will le-” 

Jax-4 looked at a blaring screen that emerged out of his arm.

“Ajax!” shouted Jax-4.

Ajax was busy hooking up the heart to a series of tubes and wires.

“I’m in the middle of something, damn it!” 

Ajax continued to plug wires into the monstros heart. 

“We have intruders!” 

Ajax emerged from the machine smudged in black. He removed his goggles and focused his eyes on Jax-4.

“That’s impossible…”


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The ponies, baby dragon, and draconequus carefully tread down a corridor. They were ready for anything and were constantly on the lookout. Suddenly the ground opened up underneath them. They all screamed as the plunged into the darkness, Rainbow Dash tried to grab hold of her friends, but there was no way she could carry everyone. Before they could hit the ground robotic arms plucked each one of them out of the air. A bright light shone down on the eight prisoners blinding them. Ajax stepped out from the darkness into the light.

“Well, well, look who it is…” said Ajax as he approached them. 

Twilight tried to fight against the steel shafts that held her hooves, but the steel was far too strong. Suddenly the entire room was lit up revealing all of the other villains. Twilight looked at everyone else before focusing on Trixie.

“Trixie!” shouted the alicorn

“Hello there, Twilight…” said Trixie with a smile.

“Lightning Dust! What are you doing here?” shouted Rainbow Dash. 

The mercenary was inspecting one of her gems sitting on one of the various machines in the room.

“Long time no see, Rainbow Dash… After you got me kicked out of the academy I had to find some type of work. It’s your fault I am in this business, I was pretty much guaranteed to become a wonderbolt until you had to go and ruin everything. Anyways, don’t get too mad at me. I just got here.” 

“Oh, this looks interesting.” stated a chilling voice.

The ponies recognized the sound, but couldn’t see Chrysalis anywhere. Twilight's eyes darted from all the weapons and villains in the room, but didn’t see the changeling.

“Right here…” giggled Chrysalis.

Twilight looked up and saw the changeling queen hovering over them.

“This is bad!” shouted Applejack.

The orange pony began to struggle against the metal bonds on her hooves. The metal rang as it slowly started to bend. The earth pony took a hoof to the stomach. Lightning Dust had dashed forward and had driven one of her hind hooves into Applejack.

“None of that. I am getting paid quite nicely for this…” 

Rainbow Dash still couldn’t believe what Lightning Dust had become. Not too long ago they were good friends, but now she had become the enemy.

'This is worse than I thought! I knew he wasn’t going to give up, but this… His army if far stronger than ever before! We must warn Celestia.’ thought Twilight.

Ajax watched as the commotion unfolded.

“I am glad to see that everyone just so happens to know each other, but let’s get down to the matter at hand. Looks like I have new prisoners, but sadly I don’t have any prison to put you in. That leaves only one alternative.”

Ajax drew his sword and pointed at each pony and dragon, until he stopping on Discord.

“I am going to leave you alive… I have a few questions for you draconequus…” 

Twilight smiled at Ajax.

“It’s over… We know where your hideout is…The armies of Equestria will come for you.” 

Ajax shrugged.

“What good is that information since you all are about to die? remarked Ajax.

“Excuse me. I think this is where I am supposed to come in.” 

Ajax turned around and saw that Discord had slipped out of the bonds unnoticed.

“What the… You were just…” 

The draconequus vanished and reappeared wearing a magician’s outfit.

“Behold! Watch and be amazed as I make these little ponies, disappear!” 

Discord pulled a drape out from his sleeve and threw it over the baby dragon and six ponies.

“Tada!” 

Everyone had vanished except Discord. Ajax shot a blast of black fire at the trickster. 

“Woah there! You almost hit me with that one!” 

Discord jumped inside his magician's hat and vanished. A blast of black fire incinerated the hat, leaving no trace.

“Damn it! You let them get away!” Shouted Chrysalis. 

“Doesn’t matter we will see them again, soon enough…”

“What do you mean?” asked Trixie. 

Ajax hit a switch, pulses of electricity coursed through wires and into the dragon's heart sitting in the middle of the giant machine. The heart began to beat rhythmically as dragon fire coursed through the machine's engines.

“With an army like this we can just skip all the bullshit. We're going to Canterlot...”

The giant machine sounded a loud horn for a good ten seconds as it came to life. The robot slowly stood up nearly hitting the ceiling.

“J.A.X.-002 Pandora Prime Online, awaiting further instruction.”

Ajax looked back at the others.

“Go, get ready, it’s time we paid Celestia a visit.”
> Chapter Five
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you.”

--Friedrich Nietzsche--



“I had a dream last night Luna…” Celestia whispered under her breath as she gazed at the night sky. 

Luna looked up at her sister and placed a book that she had been recently been reading on a nearby table. The two sisters were on the castle’s balcony, not far from the top of the tower. The beautiful starry night sky shone overhead complemented by the glorious city of Canterlot below.

“I know, I was there.” replied Luna. 

Celestia took her crown off her head and inspected the regal piece of jewelry. The gold crown shined brightly even at night, the purple jewel being the most luminous piece.

“I just don’t know sister, I look at myself in the mirror and... I have a hard time remembering who I am, I fear what I might become when all of this is finally over...” 

Luna walked up to her sister and took the crown from her hoof.

“You know very well who you are, sister. I don’t know what happened in the past, but I do know that we will stand beside you to the very end, each and everyone one of us.”

Luna placed the crown on Celestia’s head, but her sister continued to frown.

“You say that, but I wonder if the rest of Equestria feels the same way.” 

Celestia paused as she tried to gather her thoughts. 

“I… I just don’t know if I am making the right decisions, sister… all the ponies who have lost their lives, died for me… this is all my fault, no pony should have to suffer for choices I made over a thousand years ago...” 

Luna placed her hooves on the balcony railing and looked out at the glorious city of Canterlot.

“Whatever you did in the past I am sure you did it in order to protect Equestria. You have only done your best to provide us a peaceful life filled with friendship and love. We will not allow some monster to take you away from us so easily.”

Celestia began to smile after hearing her sister’s kind words.

“Thank you… It helps a lot to hear that, but I will always continue to worry… as long as he is still out there...I can never be sure tha-”

A royal guard barged into the room, the two princesses jumped alarmed by the stallion who couldn’t seem to stop tripping over his own hooves. 

“Princess! The-” 

Six ponies bursted through the door and interrupted the guard, the ponies were in such a hurry they nearly ran him over. Celestia and Luna looked at each other briefly before looking back at the six upset ponies. Twilight, Rainbow, Pinkie, Rarity, Apple, and Fluttershy were completely out of breath, but still tried to convey a message to the princess.

“Ajax...Danger!” 

Celestia trotted over to the ponies, she knew that they wouldn’t have charged in here if something hadn’t gone horribly wrong.

“What, what?! What is it? Are you alright?” 

The familiar voice of Discord answered all of the princesses’ questions.

“I believe she is trying to warn you that Ajax is on his way to Canterlot with an even bigger army than before” 

The draconequus’ two yellow eyes appeared on a nearby wall as he stepped forward. Discord was painted to blend into the background scenery, he shook off the color before talking further.

“What’s the matter Celestia? Don’t believe me? Well I am sure they will tell you momentarily...” 

Celestia stepped back in disbelief.

“Impossible! We just had a celebration the other night regarding Horizon Star’s victory over him.”

Discord shrugged and took a deep breath.

“What do you want me to say? I am only telling you what we saw.”

Discord spoke in an easy going manner, clearly he wasn’t afraid of Ajax or his new army.

Celestia began to pace back and forth with a worried look. Luna watched as her sister slowly began to grasp the situation. Celestia closed her eyes and placed a hoof on her forehead. 

‘He’s going to attack Canterlot? That ...can’t be. His entire army was crushed only a week ago.’ thought the princess. 

Celestia tried to figure out why Ajax was acting so boldly all of a sudden. After the last encounter she would have thought he would think twice before messing with Equestria. They crushed him with no contest after all.

But thinking “why?” wasn’t going to change anything now. 

Celestia turned to her sister, she had a look on her face as if she was ready to take on the world.

“Luna! We must prepare for the worst. He wouldn’t be coming here if he didn’t have some sort of plan...”

“Chrysalis is with him!” shouted Twilight. 

The six ponies had finally regained their strength, Celestia grit her teeth hearing the changeling queen’s name.

“I guess it was only a matter of time before we saw that witch again... This is bad, if Ajax and Chrysalis are working together then we’re in big trouble.” 

Celestia looked at the royal guard who had just witnessed everything. The guard continued to lay on the ground, he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Celestia walked past the six ponies and approached the stallion.

“Send a message across all of Equestria! ‘Canterlot is under attack.’ Evacuate as many as we can before the battle begins and prepare the shelters for the rest…” 

The young stallion stared at the princess, he tried to move, but the princesses’ gaze froze every muscle in his body. 

No…

The princess didn’t intimidate him. It was fear that held him tight. The fear of what was to come in the upcoming battle. Celestia saw the fear in the pony’s eyes. She placed a hoof on his shoulder. Her bold expression quickly was overcome with a sorrowful, grief-stricken tone.

“Don’t worry... I’m scared too…” 

The guard’s eyes went wide hearing Celestia say something so heartfelt. The stallion blushed and saluted the princess before dashing out of the room.

Alarms began to rang across Canterlot waking up everypony. The calmful night had turned into a chaotic panic. 

Each pony in Canterlot now had to choose between evacuation or warfare.


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A giant army of human-like robots and buzzing changelings thundered across Equestria heading towards Canterlot. The giant robot that Ajax had found was at the head of the army. The colossi casted a shadow that nearly covered half of the infantry. The robot was so massive, that each step caused small tremors in the ground. Troops nearly tumbled over one another after each crushing step. J.A.X.-002: Pandora Prime left a twin trail of lingering black smog from it’s exhaust pipes as the pistons on it’s back roared loudly.

Ajax and the others were inside a massive box-shaped machine that was at the heart of the army. The huge steel box moved sluggishly on large chain-linked treads. Ajax loomed over a solid steel table with both of his arms firmly placed on top of a map of Canterlot.

“Whoever commanded the forces of Canterlot last time is going to be there again. We can’t take any chances despite how powerful our army is.” 

Ajax began to draw his strategy on the map.

“Pandora Prime will easily clear the way for the rest of our soldiers to enter the city. Once most of our forces are behind their walls we will cease all of our artillery fire and began pressing our way deeper into Canterlot. Then...then we shall claim our prize...” 

Ajax stood up straight  and folded his arms with a grin. He looked around and saw that he was pretty much talking to himself. Trixie was busy reading another book she had found in the vault library, Chrysalis was sitting across the room staring out the window,  and Lightning Dust was taking a nap on top of a nearby bookshelf. Ajax sighed as he began to roll up the map of Canterlot.

“I thought your strategy was flawless.” stated a robotic voice.

Ajax looked over at Jax-4. The robot had been standing on Ajax’s righthand side for the entire presentation. Ajax didn’t even bother to roll up the map, he scrunched up the large sheet of paper and shoved it into a folder.

“They all act like this is some sort of a damn game!”

Lightning Dust woke up to Ajax’s shouting.

“Game?! Wait, what? Are we there yet? blurted the confused pegasus.

Ajax began to seethe with anger, his back turned to the drowsy pony. The pegasus waited for a while, but decided to ask her question again since she never got an answer the first time.

“Hey, Ajax... Are we there yet?” 

The man began to grind his teeth from side to side. Ajax snapped a pencil in his hand when he responded to the pegasus.

“No………”

He was using every ounce of willpower he had left to stop himself from strangling the oblivious pony.

“Oh, well keep it down a bit. Okay?” yawned Lightning Dust as she went back to sleep.

Before Ajax could commit murder, Jax-4 asked him a question that took his mind off of the dozing pegasus.

“So what do you plan on doing after you defeat Celestia?” 

Ajax looked at the robot. 

“Why exactly do you care?” 

The robot paused for a moment as he processed a response.

“Well, I was just curious since it doesn’t seem like you have many hobbies.” 

Jax-4 paused again for a brief moment, but suddenly he had an idea.

“Maybe you should try fishing. I have read reports that indicate fishing can provide a relaxing and enjoyable time.” 

Ajax shook his head, while chuckling at the robot. He walked up next to Jax-4 and gave the robot a hard pat on the back. 

“Nice joke.” said Ajax.

“Did you like it?” 

The robot’s eyes brightened up hearing Ajax’s compliment.

“No...” 

Ajax coldheartedly turned around and began to stretch his arms as he walked away from the robot.

“Let’s focus on one thing at a time. If we do manage to bring Celestia to justice then I honestly don’t care what happens to me or anyone else for that matter. Whatever happens after that is fine with me.” 

Ajax waved his hand back at Jax-4 as he left the room.

“Since everyone is so nonchalant about all this I guess I might take a nap myself.” said Ajax.

Jax-4 watched as Ajax left the room. When the door had finally closed Jax-4 walked over to Trixie. The unicorn didn’t even look up from her book when she addressed the robot.

“What do you want?...” sighed Trixie. 

Jax-4 stared at her without saying a word for a solid ten seconds. The robot’s empty eyes and straight slotted mouth started to make Trixie uneasy. The pony raised an eyebrow as she held up her book, covering the bottom half of her face.

“What are you doing?... You are creeping me out right now.”

Jax-4 looked around the room observing the other two ponies that were still here with them. Chrysalis still hadn’t moved from her spot. The changeling continued to stare out the window watching the soldiers as they marched by. She had a devious smile that sent shivers down Jax-4’s nonexistent spine.

Lightning Dust continued to snore so loudly that she was nearly covering up the booming march of Pandora Prime. Jax-4 figured that nothing could wake up that pony right now. 

Trixie watched as the robot continued to scan the room with his empty eyes. This was her only opportunity to escape the weirdo. Trixie tried to slide off the chair like a stick of butter, but Jax-4 caught the pony before she could make her great escape.

Jax-4’s robotic face shoot towards the unicorn hovering only a few uncomfortable inches from her face. Trixie fell back shocked by the brash action.

“GhaaH!” 

The unicorn fell out of her chair and knocked her hide against the hard steel floor. 

“What the heck is wrong with you! you can’t just-”

“There is something you and I must discuss. ” interrupted the robot. 

Trixie was surprised. Jax-4 never wanted to talk. He usually kept quiet, sticking to his own thing. They only talked when it concerned orders or something else just as important. Trixie was slightly curious about what the robot wished to discuss.

“Yea…ok...What do you want to talk about?” asked the hesitant unicorn.

Jax-4 sat down in a chair across from the pony.

“You see Trixie...I was programed to be a soldier...not a friend.” 

Trixie pushed herself off the hard ground and sat back in the chair that she had fallen out of.

“Ok?... And?”

Jax-4 took off his metallic hat and placed it on his lap. The robot’s face was unable to express emotion, but Trixie could feel something in the robot’s voice when he spoke. Jax-4 stared at his reflection in the metallic piece of headwear as he continued to talk.

“I am worried about Ajax… There are many stories about men who seek revenge. It is their world, their everything, but it consumes them, every single last one of them.”

Trixie couldn’t believe that the robot was talking to her on such a sincere level. She started to wonder if robots could have ...feelings? Jax-4 continued to talk as Trixie listened.

“Those who are not consumed by their revenge or die trying to achieve it realize that on their journey... they changed into something. Something that no longer belongs, they have lost their purpose…Unbeknownst to them, their hearts and souls were replaced with an unfillable hole, all consuming, all devouring...” 

Jax-4 looked back up at the unicorn. Trixie was now sitting on the edge of her seat. 

Jax-4 continued with his speech.

“Killing Celestia won’t bring back his friends, but I am sure he knows that… What he doesn’t know is that he will be no different than all the others who came before him. He too will have the unfillable void in his soul. Some men take their own lives, driven mad by it… but not Ajax… no, no, no… He fights until the bitter end. The problem with that is… he will fill that black hole with only thing that he has ever known.”

Jax-4 placed his hat back onto his head, the cone-like hat covered his eyes like it always did.

“He will try to fill that hole with only more rage and bloodshed… and he won't stop... not until every last creature in Equestria is dead.” 

Trixie was speechless at first, the two of them never had a previous conversation like this ever before. She finally managed to blurt out a few words.

“So, what exactly do you want me to do about it?...” 

Jax-4 nodded his head slowly understanding the unicorn’s confusion.

“As I said I can’t be his friend… He needs something...something that is...well, alive. We have known you for nearly two months now and I have a feeling that you are the best candidate for the job.” 

Jax-4 continued talking not giving Trixie a second to respond.

“Look, you may not like me, you may not like him, none of that matters, there is one undeniable fact that you can’t disregard. If you don’t help him onto a better path he will become a force of chaos that tears apart all of Equestria. If I die today I need to know that there is someone who can hold him back from creating a giant war that kills everyone, including himself. My protocol places his safety above everything else…I couldn’t care less about the ones he hurts, but it is him I am worried about. If he continues on his destructive path all of Equestria will rain hell down upon him like they did in the past, but this time they will make sure he doesn’t live.” 

Jax-4 paused for a moment. Trixie was confused about where the robot was exactly going with this. She was completely lost in the conversation. 

“I have been programed to be a warmachine, but you… You can be the one person he needs now more than ever. So for the sake of Equestria you must become his friend.” 

Trixie stared blankly at the robot for a while, but soon after a while she began to snort which eventually evolved into an uncontrollable laughter. She placed her hooves out and gestured for the robot to stop. The unicorn continued to laugh for another half-minute before calming down.

“Wait, wait, wait. So let me get this straight. You’re saying that the fate of Equestria relies on me and Ajax becoming friends?”

Jax-4 looked Trixie straight in the eye.

“Yes. I am not saying that you have to go on picnics or make macaroni art together, but you need to be there for him. As long as he has someone to remind him that he is still human. He won’t fall into the darkness that is trying so hard to consume him.”

Trixie stood up still having gigglish episodes. The unicorn tried to walk away casually, but found it difficult since she still was fighting against her laughter.

“You might want to go get all the parts you keep in your head checked out. Something must be busted up there!” giggled the unicorn as walked away.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Celestia, Luna, Cadence and Twilight gathered in the war room of Canterlot. Celestia and Luna wore their regal battle armor, ready to fight at a moment’s notice. Cadence was busy reading off a stack of papers regarding proper protocol during times of war. While Cadence was busy reading the manuscript a guard entered the room unnoticed and silently closed the door behind him. He snuck up next to Celestia and whispered something in her ear. Celestia nodded at the guard and raised a hoof interrupting Cadence mid sentence.

“That will be all Cadence…we are out of time to prepare any further.”

Cadence looked back down at the page floating in front of her and placed it back on top of the pile. The four alicorns went their separate ways without saying a word to each other.

‘This is bad… our morale is so low...’ thought Twilight. 

She entered a small room where Rainbow, Apple and Pinkie were getting ready for battle. The three ponies quietly prepared for the war, not even saying a word to Twilight when she had entered the room. 

Rainbow Dash was stretching her wings and adjusting a pair of goggles to fit properly over her head. 

Applejack was trying to find a way to fit her hat on top of her helmet. 

Pinkie Pie, surprisingly, was also quiet, she sat in a nearby corner loading her Super Duper Mega-Awesome Party Cannon 5000. 

Twilight walked over to a chest and began suiting up as well. She turned to Rainbow Dash as she finished strapping on her helmet.

“What about Spike, Fluttershy and Rarity?...” Rainbow looked up at Twilight while she continued to clean her goggles.

“Already evacuated... So no need to worry...”

Twilight nodded slowly, the room returned to the same atmosphere of misery and doom. Twilight couldn’t take it anymore, she couldn’t stand the mood everypony was in. She had something inside of her that everypony else had seemed to forgotten to bring. 

Hope.

The purple pony had hope for a better tomorrow and a brighter future. Even though everything seemed bleak at this very moment she knew that their friendship would see them through.

“Alright, Listen up! I don’t want to see another frown. We have faced Chrysalis before, but were we discouraged then? No! When Tirek stole nearly all magic from Equestria, it was our friendship that saw us through. Today will be no different! So save your frowns for a gloomy future that will never exist, because today... We will win!” 

Twilight stood on her hind legs with a single hoof pointed upwards. She was standing proudly in her polished standard issued silver battle-armor. Twilight’s friends also stood up, their spirits were uplifted by Twilight’s confidence. Applejack tipped her hat at the armored alicorn.

“You always manage to pull through for everyone… don’t cha, Twilight.” said Applejack with a smile. 

Rainbow Dash flew up next to Twilight and placed a hoof around her.

“Course she does! Twilight is the greatest! Well, next to me of course.” 

Pinkie Pie slammed a hoof down on a nearby table, she had used facepaint to color the entire right side of her face blue. The pink energetic pony began to shout at the top of her lungs in a scottish accent.

“Aye! Today we shall fight to protect our way of life! They shall never take our freedom!!!” 

The four ponies cheered and charged outside ready to take on any challenge. They immediately froze and looked up to see that the entire sky was now a makeshift forcefield of blue and pink swirls of magic. The two colors intertwined beautifully as both Shining Armor and Cadence used their magic to create a shield stronger than ever before. 

Canterlot was guarded like never before. Throughout the entire city there was a guard wherever you looked. They were on every street and rallied atop every wall. Not a single post unguarded, not a single post unponied.

Celestia and Luna were a top an inner city wall looking out into the distance waiting…watching… but everything remained calm. Everypony waited anxiously, but it was a perfect day except for a few grey clouds in the sky. 

Twilight and her friends decided to split up and group up with the teams they had been assigned to. Twilight grouped up with Celestia, Luna, and Horizon Star on top of the inner wall. Cadence and Shining Armor were also with them, but found it difficult to speak since they were dedicating their entire energy to the force field. The two ponies sat next to each other, their horns glowing brightly holding each other's hoof. 

Horizon Star was wearing his usual gold plated white armor. Although no opposing army was in sight the white stallion wasn’t going to waste a second. The earth pony began to spit out orders at lightning speed.

“Don’t let your guard down for even for a second! Our scout will return momentarily with information regarding the enemy’s position!” Horizon Star pointed at a military captain.

“You, move your squad behind the portcullis at the front gate! Make sure that you hold your position even if the magical barrier breaks.”

Horizon only stopped shouting orders when a nearby soldier hollered.

“Look! In the distance!” yelled the soldier.

A lone pegasus scout slowly flew out the distance. She eventually made it to Canterlot and crashed down in front of Horizon. Everypony gathered around eagerly waiting to hear the scout’s report. The mare was covered in black soot, with cuts running up and down her entire body. The pegasus shook uncontrollably, it was if she had already returned from a horrible war. She struggled to remove her goggles as nearby guards helped her up to her hooves. The pony coughed a bit before speaking.

“H-he’s nearly here...just over the horizon…So many...Gia-” 

The pony went silent as she collapsed, all of her energy had suddenly vanished from her body. The adrenaline that had pushed her to bring back her final message finally ran out. The mare went limp in the guard’s hooves. Her eyes rolled off to the side as her chest heaved one last time. Everything was silent… The ponies quietly mourned the loss of their sister.

The grey clouds in the sky grew larger and darker as the ground beneath Canterlot began to shake. Without any warning, a booming blast of sound crashed into the city and resonated off every building. The small earthquake grew more violent as a massive body of steel came into view over the horizon. The same shockwave of sound hit the city once more striking fear into the hearts of pony. Horizon Star couldn’t believe his eyes.

“What in the world is that…” he muttered.

Horizon looked back at Celestia and Luna, but he could clearly see that they also had no idea what they were looking at. Pandora Prime had the privilege of introducing the robot/changeling army, and it did an excellent job. The robot’s deafening horn crushed all remaining hope in his enemies. It sounded as if every trumpet in the history of Equestria had been combined to form a single ear-crushing blast of sound. 

Legions of changelings and robots followed behind the behemoth, their eyes fixated on Canterlot. The horde of villains came to a stop only a few miles away from the pony capital of the world. The skies had turned completely grey when Ajax emerged from a hatch on top of the giant armored warmchanie followed by his companions.

“About time…” uttered Lightning Dust as she began to stretch her wings. 

Chrysalis giggled with delight when she saw Canterlot. 

“Looks like they were expecting us...Oh dear, I just can’t help but get a little excited. I just want to sink my teeth into a pony already!” 

The changeling’s tongue slithered across her sharp fangs.

Ajax stepped forward and waited for everyone to settle down. He grabbed a microphone from a pylon of steel protruding out of the giant armored war machine. Ajax’s eyes peered through the colorful shield and saw all the ponies who had gathered to stand between him and Celestia. He held down a red button on the side of the microphone as he addressed the entire city of Canterlot.

“Dear small equines of Equestria… I come here today to ask you to do a simple task... I know you are afraid… that is completely understandable...I assure you. Standing before you is a numberless army made up of war machines and changelings ready to tear you limb from limb...Standing behind them is a wave of J.A.X.-011 68 cm artillery, loaded with explosive shells. You also ‘might’ have noticed the giant robot I brought… J.A.X.-002 AKA: Pandora Prime is the latest addition to my arsenal and I would love to see it in action.”

A crack of thunder shot across the sky followed by light rainfall. As Ajax continued on the storm grew more severe.

“No one else has to die...This war doesn’t need to be fought...The only thing I ask of you is that you turn Celestia over to me...” 

Everything was now dark, the sky had been completely blocked out by grey clouds. A bolt of lightning struck in the distance illuminating the statue-like robot soldiers for a second. They stood motionless with their arms at their sides waiting for a command. The hissing of changelings and rain pattering on steel filled the silence as Ajax waited for Canterlot’s response.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Celestia looked around and saw that everypony was now looking at her. The sound of rain crashing against the magical dome above became white noise to the princess. She felt as if she was surrounded by thousands of eyes watching her every move… which she was. 

All the ponies were waiting for her to respond to Ajax. The silence was like a dagger being slowly being pressed into her back. Celestia knew that Ajax wasn’t lying… The only thing he desired was revenge on her. If she gave herself up right here, right now, she could possibly save the life of everypony in Canterlot. 

“Horizon Star!” shouted the princess.

The earth pegasus was standing in front of a vintage megaphone. He looked back at Celestia.

“Yes… princess?” Celestia was hesitant at first, but finally built up the courage to speak.

“Tell him… That we will accept his offer...”

Lightning struck once more as the ponies stood still, no one was surprised by the princess’ order. Celestia looked at the ground as she waited for Horizon Star to relay the message, but Equestria’s general didn’t move an inch.

“Well?! What are you waiting for?! I gave you an order didn’t I?!”  Celestia’s voice cracked a little when she yelled at the pony. 

Horizon Star stood motionless unmoved by the level of her voice. Horizon Star’s emotionless expression began to fluster the princess.

“What’s wrong with you?! Are you deaf?!” cried Celestia.

“No...I heard you, but I have chosen… to disobey your order.” 

Celestia’s eyes went wide.

“I know that you want to give yourself up to protect Canterlot, but we didn’t gather here today to protect ourselves. We gathered here today to protect you!” 

The soldiers shouted a cheer that startled the princess. She looked around at all the ponies who gather here to protect their beloved princess. At that moment all doubt she had about what Luna had told her vanished. They didn’t care if it put them in harms way, Canterlot wasn’t going to let Ajax take her away, not without a fight. Horizon Star stepped up to the microphone and looked back at Celestia one last time.

“Please, princess…. have faith in us. We will protect you!” Horizon Star grabbed the megaphone and shouted at the army in front of him.

“COME AND GET HER!... Sincerely! Small equines of Equestria!…”

Every soldier cheered ratified by their general’s words. Luna walked up to her sister and whispered in her ear.

“Told ya…” 

Celestia was overcome with emotion, the princess bit her lip as she tried to fight back her tears.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Dammit! Fine, if Celestia wishes to live in her own egocentric world I don’t care! I will kill her and every last one of her subjects as well!”

Ajax threw the microphone onto the ground. He pushed back his rain soaked long white hair and began to type on a small device attached to his wrist. Robot soldiers began to load artillery shells into massive cannons while the first wave of robot soldiers moved out.

“Everyone prepare for battle!” roared Ajax.

He drew his sword and pointed it towards Canterlot.

“This...this is for everybody...Today I avenge every last one of you…” 

Pandora Prime took an earth shattering step forward as it headed its master’s call. The monstrosity sounded its ear-splitting siren as it took another step forward. The robot’s heavy steps quickly turned into a stride and then into a dashing sprint. The giant pistons on the robot’s back rumbled as they tried to keep up with the monster.

“Wow…” murmured Trixie.

Ajax smiled seeing the weapon run rampant, even he was impressed by the sheer power of Pandora Prime. 

He looked at Trixie with a devilish grin.

“Heh… Old robot...young heart…” 

The giant machine held its forearm out in front of itself as it continued to charge towards the city. The ponies grew nervous, their faith in the magical barrier began to waver. Ponies began to run away, abandoning their post. Pandora Prime was only a mile away from the city when nearly every soldier had evacuated the outer wall.

They were smart to do so.

Pandora Prime slammed his thick, steel, arm into the magic barrier shattering it in a single blow. Shards of pink and blue magic danced in the air as the torrential rain began to pour down upon Canterlot. The ponies realised exactly how large Pandora Prime was when they finally saw it up close. 

Horizon Star for once in his life was at a loss for words…

Pandora Prime stepped on the outer wall, as if it were a welcoming mat. The robot looked at the fleeing ponies as it prepared for the slaughter.

“J.a.x.-002: Pandora Prime atlas series weapon, engaging opposition.” 

The robot spoke with a modulated and heavy tone that was far different from Jax-4. 

It smashed its colossal fists together simulating a thunderclap with steel. Before Pandora Prime could begin its murderous spree, a thick fog rolled out of nowhere and spread across all of Canterlot. Pandora Prime activated dozens of lights that were spread across  its shoulders. The robot caught sight of a long lizard like tail retreating back into the thick fog. While the robot was distracted, a massive claw crashed into its thick plated armor knocking it backwards. The fog suddenly dispersed to reveal a massive sized draconequus standing in the middle of Canterlot rivaling the size of the giant robot. Booth Ajax and Celestia’s jaws dropped seeing the massive draconequus. Discord cracked his knuckles as he glared at Pandora Prime.

“Since I made sure that Fluttershy and her friends made it safely back to Ponyville I think I should be allowed to create a little chaos…” 

Ajax clenched his fists, glaring at the giant Discord in the distance.

“Damn draconequus, why must they always cause me trouble!” Ajax turned back towards Chrysalis.

“Well? Are you going to just stand there?!” shouted Ajax.

Chrysalis hissed at the human.

“Don’t you dare raise your voice at me, human! It’s no wonder no one likes your kind.” 

Chrysalis flew in front of her army and began to lead her changelings upon Canterlot. The massive hive of black monstrous equines buzzed across the battlefield towards the golden city. Chrysalis looked back at Ajax as she flew away.

“You’ll get what’s coming to you soon enough…human…”

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Discord and Pandora Prime began to trade blows with one another. Discord swiped at Pandora Prime with his sharp claws, but barely scratched the robot’s thick steel. Pandora Prime drove its right fist straight into Discord’s jaw, knocking the draconequus backwards. The robot stood in a boxing stance waiting for its opponents next move. Discord wiped a little blood from his bottom lip before tauning the robot.

“Impressive… I might not have to hold back… I hope you can still make this interesting.” 

Pandora Prime answered by extending rows of studs across its knuckles. Discord flew up into the air and dived straight down towards the robotic titan.

“You think you can withstand the power of true chaos!?” 

Discord felt as if he crashed into a metal wall. The robot took the blow directly to the chest, but didn’t budge an inch. 

“I guess you might be able to...withstand-”

Discord felt a sharp pain on the back of his head. Pandora Prime had driven its dwarven steel elbow directly into the back of his head.Discord shot straight down to the ground. The merciless robot picked up the draconequus and tossed him across Canterlot.

Horizon star barely avoid being flattened by Discord. The two colossi had already destroyed nearly half of Canterlot. The pony dashed through the streets of the ruined city trying to make his way to the front wall. 

“All troops to the main gate! Don’t let their forces into the city! All pegasus ponies protect the skies!”

He locked eyes with Chrysalis from a distance, she was only a few yards from the massive hole left behind by Pandora Prime. Luckily, a battalion of canterlot soldiers had filled the gap before her and the changelings could make it through the wall. The guards were equipped with long spears attached to the sides, they pointed it at the changelings as the  invasion stopped in front of the blockade. 

“I suggest you turn around and go back to where you came from, changeling!” shouted Horizon Star as he made his way the front of the guards blocking Chrysalis’ path.

He drew his sword and glared at the changeling queen, clenching the sword in his mouth. The alicorn queen laughed at the pony, unthreatened by him or his sword.

“Foolish pony… that’s no way to address royalty. You should be taught a lesson!” 

All the ponies behind Horizon Star suddenly turned into changelings. Throughout Canterlot guards began to reveal their true identity. Horizon Star couldn’t believe it, Chrysalis’ changelings had been inside Canterlot from the start! Horizon Star now found himself in between a rock and a hard place.

“No…” whispered Horizon in disbelief. 

Changelings swarmed the earth pony and pushed him down to the ground holding him in place. Chrysalis sauntered over to the helpless pony. She placed a hoof under his chin as she gave him a fiendish smile.

“I always did have a thing for a pony in uniform…”

Chrysalis’ eyes glowed green, but a pink pony stopped her before she could do whatever she had in mind to the stallion. Pinkie Pie bounced into the air, over all the changelings, landing behind Chrysalis. The joyous pony pulled out two large black bombs from behind her back and and tossed one in front of her and one behind her.

“What are you doing!?!” exclaimed Horizon seeing the bomb slowly roll up to his face. 

Twilight teleported in just in nick of time and took Pinkie Pie and Horizon Star with her when she teleported out. Just as the three ponies disappeared a massive explosion of pink fluff shot into the sky. Horizon Star held out a hoof and caught a piece of whatever the bomb was made out of. Despite it being wet from the rain he took a bite of it and couldn’t believe…

“Cotton candy?... You made a bomb with using candy?!” 

Pinkie Pie snatched the sugary dessert from his hoof and ate it in a single bite.

“Yup!”

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chrysalis and her changelings found themselves trapped under a pile of cotton candy. The colorful treat was far too sticky for the changelings to struggle out of. The rain had caused the pink fluff to run into some sort of sticky pink goo. Chrysalis heard the noise of a samurai blade slicing effortlessly through the colorful slime. Jax-4 and Trixie were cutting a path through the giant sugary mess. Jax-4 saw Chrysalis, but continued to only cut a path towards the city.

“Sticky Situation?” said Jax-4 jokingly. 

Trixie stood behind the robot as she followed the path he was creating.

“Nice one. You are getting a lot better.” said the unicorn.

Jax-4 looked back at Trixie.

“Thank you…”

Chrysalis snarled at the pony and robot.

“Cut me out you fools! Or I will kill you both!”

The changeling thrashed and struggled against the the sticky sweet goo, but it changed nothing. Jax-4 and Trixie had already created a path to Canterlot, ignoring Chrysalis as they passed by. The changelings had no choice but to begin chewing their way out of the wet cotton candy. 

Jax-4 and Trixie easily snuck deep into Canterlot since the entire city was occupied with the changeling/robot invasion. Jax-4 watched as Pandora Prime drove its right fist into Discord’s Jaw for the second time. The giant draconequus fell backwards destroying half of a neighborhood. Jax-4 swelled with pride seeing a fellow robot display such power.

“Look at us Jack… I hope you are proud of each and every one of us…”

Jax-4’s day-dreaming was cut short by a hoof punch to the leg. He turned to Trixie, it looked like the unicorn was staring at the grim reaper himself. Jax-4 followed Trixie’s gaze, it would have been better if it was the grim reaper…

She wore glowing violet armor adorned with jagged edges. A velvet long drape trailed behind her. A helmet that projected darkness covered her face, but they could easily tell who the pony was. Luna, princess of Equestria and sister to Celestia, stood in front of the robot and pony. Neither of the three said anything… each understood that any word spoken would just be wasted. They prepared for battle and waited for someone to make the first move.

Jax-4 dashed forward propelled by rockets on his legs and swung wildly at the pony. Each strike bounced off an invisible barrier until finally the robot’s assault created a crack in the shield. Luna’s horn glowed with magic as the robot shot backwards into a brick wall.

“Don’t insult me with your pitiful attacks… Surrender now and you just might get out this alive…”

Luna took a step forward and spread her wings releasing a gust of wind that nearly blew off Trixie’s hat. The unicorn narrowed her eyes as she readjusted her hat. Trixie began to dash forward, her horn glowing with magic. Jax-4 reappeared beside her and began to charge with her. The robot and unicorn began to serpentine as blasts of white energy began to shoot down from above.  Jax-4 and Trixie leapt up into the air and swung with all their might. Jax-4’s sword crashed into the same barrier as before, Trixie’s light blue blast bounced of the invisible shield.

Luna spun around sweeping her long, steel encased, serrated wings at her enemies. Trixie barely escaped by teleporting to a safer distance while Jax-4 slid under the bladed wings. The robot’s arm opened up and began to fire rounds of explosive shells into the cracked part of the princess’ shield. Luna shot up into the sky and used her magic to create a barrier from the robot’s attack. Trixie took advantage of the storm and redirected a nearby bolt of lightning towards the princess with her magic. Luna took the blast of lightning head on, but not without some injury. The princess steamed as every last drop of rain in her coat was instantly vaporized by the superheated blast of energy.

Luna looked over at Trixie and began to gather all of her magic in the tip of her horn.

Trixie knew that she was in trouble. 

The alicorn began to create a massive ball of crackling shadow energy on the tip of her horn. The sphere of magic suddenly condensed into a tiny black ball no larger than a marble. Luna pointed her horn towards Trixie as the black ball shot out a thin beam of purple magic making a clean cut through anything it touched. Trixie tried to run, but her hoof slipped on the smooth wet pavement. The pony looked back at the deathray that was quickly flying towards her. Suddenly the laserbeam stopped for no apparent reason. Trixie opened her eyes and saw that Jax-4 had grabbed Luna by her horn in an attempt to wrangle the alicorn.

The robot was strong, but he had underestimated the physical strength of the princess. Luna began to swing the robot side to side, but Jax-4 refused to let go of her. She slammed the robot into a nearby wall and drove her horn into his chest. Jax-4 retaliated by kneeing the pony in the neck. Luna stepped back coughing, dropping the robot on the ground. 

Trixie’s eyes glowed white as sparks of arcane magic appeared around her. The tiny star like lights began to shoot into hers horn. Luna couldn’t believe what she was seeing. She managed to force out a few words despite the blow she had just taken to the neck.

“Impossible… only Star Swirl could…” Trixie looked up at the princess with a victorious smile.

“Don’t you know who I am?!...” The unicorn eyes shot wide as she shouted one last time before firing the blast of white magic.

“I’M TRIXIE...BITCH!” 

Trixie’s hooves dug into the ground as she shot the arcane blast of magic. The cosmic beam crashed into Luna sending the princess through several buildings. Trixie stumbled around for a while blinded by the brightness of her own attack. Jax-4 jumped down and landed next to Trixie, despite having a hole in his chest the robot seemed perfectly fine.

“Impressive… Looks like all the books Ajax lent you finally paid off…” Trixie wiped her forehead with a hoof.

“It was nothing… I already knew that spell before reading those books, since I am…” 

“Over here Trixie.” 

The unicorn was facing the wrong way.

Trixie rubbed her eyes with her hooves and turned around to face the robot.

“Like I was saying. I would have figured it out eventually without the book since-”

Trixie froze when she sensed the massive amount of magic.

The ground began to rumble, but it wasn’t Pandora Prime or Discord causing the earthquake this time. A blast of energy sent Jax-4 and Trixie rolling, the two crashed into a nearby food cart. A swirl of raw purple magic emerged from under a pile of rubble. Princess Luna stepped forward in her war-torn armor fixated on Trixie.

“IMPRESSIVE! I WILL NOT FORGET THE NAME TRIXIE AS LONG AS I LIVE! TOO BAD THIS IS THE LAST TIME YOU SHALL EVER HEAR YOUR NAME!”

Trixie was terrified… she knew that alicorns were powerful, but this… This was just insane! Luna was an unstoppable force of destructive energy. Despite her armor being destroyed, the alicorn didn’t have a single scratch on her. Trixie began to channel more arcane magic into her horn again.

“Jax! You need to buy me some time to finish the spell!” 

The robot nodded as he stepped forward. He fearlessly charged at the alicorn sword in hand. Jax-4 began to fire everything that was still loaded in his arm. Dozens of canisters filled with different types of magic crashed into the princess. Through poison clouds, ice, shrapnel and fire Luna continued to press forward disregarding the robot’s attack. Jax-4 swung his sword at the juggernaut, but Luna cast him aside with a single blow. Trixie’s horn grew brighter and brighter as magic runes began to appear beneath her.

“Just...a little...more...” grunted Trixie.

Luna began to charge forward, her eyes fixated on the pony. She raised both of her wings and swung them like scissors at Trixie. A magical circle appeared above the princess and scanned through her before she could decapitate the unicorn. Luna disappeared without a trace, no blast or explosion was left behind. Trixie let out a massive sigh as she fell backwards. The pony made a huge splash in a puddle when she hit the ground.

“I used too much...arcane… magic…” panted Trixie.

The exhausted unicorn continued to lay on her back as she watched the rainfall. Jax-4 stepped into her line of sight looming over her.

“You did good...Trixie.” 

Trixie looked over at the robot standing over her.

“Heh, Thanks… You did a good job as well...” 

The unicorn had to struggle to even move an inch, eventually the pony gave up and accepted laying on the ground. Jax-4 looked at where Luna had vanished, he crouched over the site and inspected the ground.

“Did you kill her?” asked Jax-4. 

Trixie quickly responded.

“HAH! No way! Nothing can kill that monster… I banished her to a different plane, but its not going to last long…She’s gonna come back within the hour...” 

Jax-4 stood walked over and sat down next to the unicorn. Rain continued to pour down on them as Pandora Prime and Discord continued to fight in the background, but Trixie and Jax-4 didn’t seem to mind. 

Amidst the chaos they had found one moment of peace.

The two sat quietly resting from their encounter with the princess of the night. Trixie closed her eyes and listened to the rainfall, she had found the sound of rainfall soothing ever since she was a filly. Then the rain suddenly stopped, Trixie opened her eyes and saw a board hovering over her. Jax-4 had taken a piece of debris from nearby and was using it to protect her from the rain. She used her remaining strength to turn her head towards Jax-4.

“Are you really a robot?” asked Trixie. 

Jax-4 looked down at the pony as he continued to hold the board over her.

“Of course I am, why else would I be made out of metal.”

“I mean, you seem to have emotions… Aren’t robots supposed to be void of all feelings?” 

Jax-4 looked out at the ruined city thinking about what Trixie had just said.

“Jack didn’t make robot’s with feelings if that is what you are asking.” 

Trixie sighed.

“Nevermind…” 

The two sat quietly for a while enjoying their moment of peace. Jax-4 looked over at Trixie, the unicorn had shut her eyes again.

“Can I tell you something that I have never told anyone before?” asked the robot.

Trixie opened one eye.

“Alright, what is it?” Jax-4 took off his hat and stared up at the cloudy sky. 

“When my master, Jack, created the J.A.X. series, he assigned every creation a number regarding to the level of power, a series type, and a name… Do you want to know what he named me, Trixie?” 

The unicorn had a smirk on her face.

“What’s your name Jax...?” 

Jax-4 looked around to make sure that they weren’t being watched.

“Don’t tell anyone, but my name is Yamamoto” 

Trixie gave the robot a wide smile.

“I like that name, Yamamoto…”  

Jax-4 would have smiled if he could.

“You know… We never got to meet our master… He made each one of us with his own two hands, but… not a single one of us ever got to meet him… I wonder if he didn’t like us or he just wanted to move onto something else after creating us…” 

The rain had begun to fill up the robot’s empty eye sockets. When he looked back down at Trixie two tiny streams of water flowed down from his eyes. Trixie pushed herself up with her hooves.

“Yamamoto… you’re crying…” The robot touched the rain pouring out of his eyes and looked up at the pony. The two said nothing for a while, for once Trixie didn’t think she was talking to a machine… 

Jax-4 stood up still holding the piece of debris over Trixie.

“I am going to move on ahead… Will you be alright?” 

Trixie nodded as she laid back down. Jax-4 walked away from the unicorn and looked back one last time.

“Don’t get killed.” She looked up at the robot one last time.

“You too.”
> Chapter Six
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	 Rain continued to fall in Canterlot, flooding the entire city, but the flames of war continued to burn within its walls. Ponies were hunted down in the streets by changelings and robots alike. 

Shelters that were intended to protect the citizens of Canterlot, turned into mere buffets for the changelings to feast upon. Mare and stallion, filly and colt, the changelings gathered every last pony and encased them in their green slime. 

The endless army of changelings and machines continued to pour into canterlot with no sign of ever stopping.

Pandora Prime continued to give Discord a solid beating. The draconequus seemed to have bitten off more than he could chew. Pandora Prime jabbed its stud covered knuckles into Discord’s soft underbelly. The robot twisted its fist, grinding into the draconequus’ ribs.

“GAH! Mindless abomination! Cursed wretch! I shall have your wretched skull mounted over my fireplace!” howled Discord.

The enraged draconequus coiled around Pandora Prime constricting the robot’s powerful limbs with his body. Discord began to slash and hack at the robot’s thick steel with his eagle's talon and lion’s paw. The giant robot struggled, but Discord’s boa-constrictor-grip was too strong for even Pandora Prime’s strength to muscle through.

The robotic giant's thick plating started to give way to Discord’s furious onslaught, but in a burst of energy Pandora Prime spun its entire upper body, knocking Discord off of it. They took a moment to rest, waiting to catch their breath and letting their engines cool off, before they charged again at one another.

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Rainbow Dash circled the skies of Canterlot, she had been knocking changelings out of the air ever since the war started. Using only her two hooves, she had protected Canterlot from any changeling in the sky. The pony placed her hooves at her sides in a triumphant manner after taking down another wave of changelings in ten seconds flat. 

Before she could make any snarky remark, a bolt of lightning struck the pegasus knocking her out of the sky. 

“What...? Did I get too close to the storm…?” thought the pony as she hurled towards the ground.

The second lightning strike was only a confirmation to her suspicion that the strike hadn't been a coincidence or an accident. Rainbow Dash caught a glimpse of Lightning Dust zooming past her when the second bolt of lightning struck. Rainbow Dash crashed through a rooftop, the pegasus nearly destroyed everything in the establishment when she crash landed. 

Lightning Dust gently floated down through the hole expecting a counter attack, but Rainbow was gone. Lightning Dust stood in the middle of the room under a dim spotlight as rain began to pour through the hole in the ceiling. The pegasus’ squinted her eyes as she tried to peer into the darkness, but she couldn’t see a darn thing.

“How could you!!!” shouted Rainbow Dash as she tackled Lighting Dust.

The two ponies crashed through a wall and tumbled into the flooded streets of Canterlot. Rainbow Dash finally got a good look at the blue green pegasus. 

It was indeed Lightning Dust, but clearly Ajax had suited her up for battle. The pegasus had two pipe rockets strapped to her back and a pair of futuristic goggles on her forehead. Each of her hooves had a long sharp glaive attached to them protruding outwards.

“You like it?” said Lightning Dust as she looked back at the jetpack. 

“Yea Jax-4 let me borrow this bad boy… You must be super jealous…”

Rainbow Dash stretched her wings. The light blue pegasus shook the rain off before looking Lightning Dust straight in the eye.

“Do you really think you can keep up with me? You couldn’t even pass basic training at the Wonderbolt Academy… remember?” 

Lightning Dust became infuriated when she heard Rainbow Dash bring up the Wonderbolt Academy. She slammed into the light blue pegasus with the combined force of her wings and jetpack. Despite Rainbow Dash receiving the blessing of her element of harmony, Lightning Dust was able to keep up with her, thanks to the jetpack on her back. The two ponies soared through the air striking at each other at mach speed. One could only see a streak of rainbow colors and bolt of lightning left by the two supersonic creatures. 

The sheer force of the two pegasi trading blows sent ripples in the air, dispersing the rain. 

“You don’t have to be the villain!” shouted Rainbow Dash as the two pegasi traded another series of quick attacks.

“I’m not the villain! All I do is work for the highest bidder!” answered Lightning Dust.

Lightning Dust nailed Rainbow Dash directly in the face with both her front hooves. Rainbow Dash shook off the blow and regained her composure in the air, she touched her nose with the tip of her hoof and saw that she was bleeding. Lighting Dust didn’t give even give her a second to breathe, she charged at Dash with everything she had.

“My whole life I prepared to become a wonderbolt! I trained so hard to make sure nothing got in my way! I stayed up every night working my hide off doing another lap or one last set of exercises!”

Lightning Dust delivered a mighty blow with her right hoof into Dash’s stomach. The pegasus’ eyes nearly shot out of her skull as her mouth gaped.

“And then you came along! You had to ruin everything! You made sure I was the first one kicked out of the academy! It’s because of you I had to become a mercenary! “

Rainbow Dash plummeted towards the ground once again, but this time caught herself before crashing. The pony bounced back into the air with everything she had. However she halted her attack when she saw a massive shadow looming behind Lightning Dust.

“What’s the matter Rainbow? Are you scared? Figures, I was always more brave than you...” boasted Lightning Dust.

Pandora Prime was standing right behind Lightning Dust, but the giant robot didn’t seem to notice the pegasus or just didn't care for her. Rainbow Dash glanced behind her and saw that she was hovering in front of Discord. Lightning Dust and Rainbow Dash found themselves in between a battle of giants.

“Lightning Dust! This is insane, one of us could die!” shouted rainbow Dash, but Lightning didn’t seem to care for a single world the pegasus said.

Pandora Prime and Discord began another round of fighting, but this time with two pegasi caught in between them. Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust didn't stop their own fight despite the massive claws and fists flying past them. Neither Rainbow nor Lightning would back down from this fight.

A massive wall of steel flew past the ponies tearing a vacuum in the air nearly causing them to spin out of control into a giant lion’s paw.

The two ponies began to exchange blows with their hooves in close quarters combat, neither seemed to even give a damn about blocking their opponent’s punches. Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust continued to beat each other silly as the two massive monstrosities mimicked the two violent pegasi.

Rainbow Dash knew that it was pointless to try to reason with Lightning Dust, the best thing she could do for the pony was to knock her out before she got herself killed. Pandora Prime’s massive fist sailed underneath the two pegasi. Lightning Dust landed atop the metal hand and retreated backwards as the robot readied another punch. 

She used the force of the robot’s next punch to propel herself forward and crash into Rainbow Dash. The two ponies crashed into the furry chest of Discord, they struggled as they tried to escape the draconequus’ chest hair.

Dash successfully made it out, but at that very moment she took a right hoof to the face. Then a left hoof, then another right hoof, Lightning Dust swung her hooves like crazy into the light blue pegasus. Rainbow Dash lifted both of her hind legs up to her chest and kicked Lightning Dust away.

Lightning Dust yelled at the top of her voice as she recklessly charged at Rainbow Dash once again.

“I can never forgive you! You don’t know what it’s like to live your entire life knowing that you can never achieve your dreams!”

Rainbow Dash’s view of the charging pony was instantly replaced by a massive wall of metal. The giant metal obstruction was Pandora Prime’s fist. 

When the robot pulled its fist back Rainbow Dash’s saw that her fears had come true.

The titan’s jab had hit Lightning Dust, thankfully she was only grazed by the colossal blow, but nevertheless she was out cold. The pony gently fell from the sky as if she had been overcome with a deep sleep. Rainbow Dash grabbed one of Lightning’s hind hooves and gently lowered the pegasus to the ground. She had only a moment to look at her old friend before hearing another cry for help. Rainbow Dash disappeared in a flash leaving Lightning Dust laying against the wall of a random alley.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“This isn’t good, no that’s underselling it, this is quite possibly the most disastrous situation to ever befall Canterlot!” shouted Horizon Star.

Twilight, Apple and Pinkie Pie stood around the pony as he rubbed his hooves against his temples. Canterlot was losing the war by a large margin, every soldier who didn’t turn out to be a changeling was already captured or gone. Horizon Star was trying to think of what they could do to turn the tides, but every suggestion he made was shot down by Twilight and her friends. He was growing desperate, every idea he gave was a wild card. 

The pony was grasping at straws for ideas now.

“Fine! Why don’t we just-” 

Before Horizon could finish his next crazy idea a pegasus blew through the window of the shop that they were hiding in. The pony crawled on the floor and used the last bit of his strength to relay information.

“Enemy...at...Royal...Palace…need...help...” 

Horizon Star made his decision in a heartbeat. The wide-eyed pony dashed out of the room before the guard could even finish the message. He turned to Twilight, Pinkie, and Apple while he sprinted out the door.

“You three must do all that you can to try to expel all changelings and metal humans from the city! I will go and make sure that Celestia is alright!” 

Twilight raised a hoof.

“Wait!” 

but it was too late. 

Horizon Star was already gone. The earth pony ran through the streets hurdling over collapsed guards and piles of debris. He didn’t have time to stop and check on any of the soldiers, his eyes were fixated on the shining palace in the distance.

It was just like the old days when he ran around the streets of Canterlot as a young colt, chasing the golden palace in the distance. He thought about the moment all those years ago when he made the decision to become a royal guard.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Look at you! You’re such a loser! How do you even stomach seeing yourself in the mirror!”

Three young colts gathered around a young pony whose back was pressed up against a wall. Horizon Star wasn’t the toughest pony, but he was undoubtedly clever. He had no idea why these three unicorns picked on him everyday, he never did anything wrong, but they would always provoke him for no reason.

“Things would be so much better if you just stop showing up to class, sheesh you're such a burden to your mother. I hear she has to work two jobs in order to afford this school. Typical for an earth pony I suppose, they should just ban your kind from Canterlot.”

The three unicorns snickered at their friend’s cruel remark.

Horizon Star wasn’t going to settle for anypony bad mouthing his mother. His father died a war hero leaving his mother to take care of him herself. She worked twelve hours a day, seven days a week, just so they could make ends meet.

“How about I make an imprint of my hoof on that ugly face of yours!” threatened Horizon. 

The three young unicorns backed away as a shadow loomed over Horizon Star. A school teacher grabbed Horizon Star by the ear and dragged him inside. After receiving another boring lecture as to why one shouldn’t settle disputes with violence  Horizon Star was sent back to class.

It was Friday, which was nice since school bored Horizon. The colt slipped into the classroom and tried his best to sneak to the back of the class. The teacher was in the middle of reading a story. She was reading a tale about a hero fighting against a villain who had stolen all the candy in the world. The filly’s book ended with the hero returning everyponies candy, as all books for young ponies do. 

It wasn’t Shakespeare, but every colt and filly loved the story.

The teacher closed the book and looked around the classroom.

“Anypony wish to comment on the story?”

One of the unicorns that was bullying Horizon earlier stood up. 

“What?! He just gave everyone their candy back? That’s so lame… He could have just taken it all for himself. It’s not like he was obligated to give it back or anything.” 

The old mare chuckled at the selfish little student.

“I suppose he could have done that, but then he would have become the villain of the story.” 

The unicorn shrugged and sat back down. The old mare looked over at Horizon Star.

“What about you Horizon?” 

The young earth pony was dragging his hoof in circles on his desk. 

The colt looked up at the old mare.

“Oh… Well I liked the part where he gave everyone their candy back.” 

The old mare chuckled.

“And why did you like that part?”

“I guess I liked how everyone cherished him after he brought their candy back. Even though at the beginning of the story he was an outcast, everypony accepted him when he became a hero...” 

The old mare nodded her head as she began to doze off.

“Yes...yes...we all would like to be the hero of the story…”

The old pony fell asleep mid sentence. A young filly slowly stood up and looked back at the rest of the class.

“Shhhhh! She fell asleep again. Let’s get out of here before she wakes up.” 

The young ponies scattered as their teacher continued to snore. Horizon Star returned home to a small house, but he didn’t seem to mind the size, it was only him and his mother after all. Horizon Star stepped inside and wiped his hooves on a welcome mat.

“Is that my special little pony I hear?” said a voice.

Horizon Star’s mother poked her head out from behind a corner. She was a young mare with a long red mane. He obviously didn’t inherit his short black mane from her... 

His mother was in the middle of preparing dinner, but she always made sure to greet Horizon when he came home from school. The young colt looked at the ground and walked passed his mom without saying a word. The young mare sensed that something was wrong, she immediately stopped everything she was doing and followed Horizon Star back to his room.

“Horizon? is everything alright?” asked his mother as she entered the room.

Horizon Star sat on his bed with both of his hooves under his chin. He looked up at his mother and managed to force out four soul-crushing words.

“No one likes me…” said the young pony with a whimper. 

The young mare sighed as she sat next to her child, she placed a hoof around Horizon and pulled him in close.

“That’s not true. I love you with all my heart, sweetie.” 

The young colt blushed and continued to look down at his hooves.

“Today in class the teacher read us a story… about a hero who saved the day and was loved by everybody.”

Horizon’s mom had a smile that could warm even the coldest heart.

“That’s nice, did you like the story?” asked the mare.

Horizon Star nodded slowly. 

“I want to be a hero when I grow up… Just like my dad!” 

Horizon stared at his mother with determined eyes. She chuckled and hugged her little hero.

“You’re already my hero sweetie, isn’t that enough?” Horizon pushed his mother away.

“No! I am going to be a hero like my father! I am going to join the royal guard and follow in his hoovesteps!”

His mother’s expression darkened, she no longer had the heartwarming smile.

“I won’t allow it! It’s far too dangerous I can’t bear the idea of losing you! I… I can’t… not after your father.”

“But I want to be a great hero just like my daddy!” exclaimed Horizon.

“Just stop saying that! Why must you always bring that up…? Your dad wasn’t a war hero! I just said all that stuff because I was too ashamed to tell you the truth.” 

Horizon felt as if a dagger was thrust deep into his heart. He didn’t believe her, she had to be lying…

“No… Your wro-” stuttered the colt, but his mother was quick to interrupt him.

“Hush! Your father was killed during a barfight. He was a good for nothing drunkard! The only thing he ever did right was… give me you. Horizon… please… don’t go trying to be a hero, ok? If I lost you...I...don’t know what I would do with myself.” 

The young colt looked out the window and stared at the shining palace in the distance. He looked back at his mother and placed a hoof on her shoulder.

“Mom, I will become a hero that is loved by everyone in Equestria. I will become a royal guard and I will make you and dad proud so very proud. I don’t care if dad wasn’t a hero because….. you've always been my real hero…So... thank you, but I got it from here.” 

The young mare could barely see her son’s wide smile through her tears. 

“I don’t know how… but I did a great job raising you…”

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Horizon never became a royal guard like he dreamed.

An earth pony in his position never even had a chance to achieve such a prestigious position, no matter the test results. However he was never really bothered by this fact.

The three unicorns who had bullied him in middle-school moved on to become royal guards, but he…

He moved on to become a hero...loved by everyone in Equestria…

When Horizon Star finally reached the royal courtyard he immediately saw why the pegasus went searching for help. The last defensive line in all of Canterlot was trying to hold it's ground in the royal courtyard against a sea of changelings. The wave of black equines continued to crash against the blockade, the soldiers weren't going to last much longer. 

Horizon Star hopped from  changeling to changeling before clearing over the blockade. 

“General?!” shouted one of the royal guards. 

Horizon only took only a second to formulate his strategy.

“Fall back! Abandon the courtyard! Use the palace’s main entrance as a chokepoint! Our forces are spread too thin trying to hold the enemy out here!” 

The wall of guards slowly moved inch by inch towards the palace entrance, each guard continued to hold their shields against the pitch black swarm of changelings.They created an arc around the entrance and began to retreat inside one by one.

Only ten or so guards were needed to hold the changelings at bay now. A guard collapsed next to Horizon Star. 

“Thank you, general… you saved us. If it wasn’t for you, well… I shiver thinking what would have happened... ” 

Horizon Star pulled the soldier back up to his hooves.

“You can thank me later… But for now, your fellow soldiers need you!” 

Horizon pushed the soldier back to the blockade as another voice asked him a question.

“Say general, do you know where Celestia is?” 

Horizon turned around to face the pony, but it wasn't a pony that he was turning to face. Ajax, the one who behind the siege, stood in front of the earth pony. Horizon’s mouth moved up and down, but no words came out. Ajax drew one of his massive swords and began to drag it across the milky white throne room floor.

“What’s the matter, general? Don’t tell me that you're surprised seeing me here? War’s pretty much over…time for me to get what I have earned”

Horizon glanced back and saw every soldier giving it their all trying to hold the changeling army at bay. He couldn't quit now, as long as he drew breath he would fight for the Equestria he believed in. He looked back at Ajax and widened his hoovestance.

“I won’t tell you a damn thing…”

Ajax folded his arms and place two fingers on his head. The man shook his head as he slowly approached the earth pony. 

“You would be a worthy opponent for a game of chess, but not for a sword fight… Shame, that you had to choose to act like a hero. You could have just told me what I wanted to know, but now I am going to have to kill you…”

Horizon Star drew his silver shortsword, the shortsword looked like a dagger compared to the human’s enormous butcher blade.

“Stop!” shouted a familiar voice. 

Horizon Star turned and saw Shining Armor pacing down the hallway. The captain of the royal guard trotted up next to Horizon with a confident smirk.

“I got this. It’s my duty as the captain of the royal guard to protect the princess. You get out of here.”

Horizon slammed a hoof down.

“I will not run from this battle! We shall fight together!” stated Horizon Star.

“NO!” shouted Shining Armor.

Horizon Star took a step back. Shining Armor looked at the earth pony with a stern expression.

“You are more valuable than I. Your skills on the battlefield place your life above mine. Equestria could always get another captain, but not another general like you… You are our sole tactician who knows how to lead an army, if we lost you then all of Equestria is doomed... So like I said, GET OUT!” 

Horizon Star took a few hoofsteps back before turning around and disappearing down a corridor.

Shining Armor turned to his opponent and galloped forward.

“You will pay for what you did to the Crystal Empire!” 

Shining Armor’s pink magic morphed into a long polearm that began to swing wildly at Ajax. The human effortlessly blocked each attack using only one of his swords.

“Ah yes, that’s right. You and the crystal princess are married. How could I forget? I wonder if you will make the same foolish blunders as your spouse.” 

The polearm swept at Ajax’s feet, but the human flipped back into the air easily evading the magic spear. Shining Armor brought the pink polearm backwards, placing it at his hooves.

“How about we just skip the warm-up and go all out?” 

“My kind of soldier…” said Ajax with a gleeful smile.

Shining Armor’s horn illuminated the room with his bright pink magic, the ponies golden plated purple armor became encased in a series of thick magic sheets. Various types of weapons ranging from maces, axes, daggers, swords and shields began to hover behind the captain of the royal guard. 

Ajax raised an eyebrow as he drew his second sword.

“It’s not about how many weapons you got… It’s about how you use them.”

“I know…” whispered Shining Armor as every single weapon flew at the human.

Ajax was surrounded by a flurry of blades. Each weapon began to slash, crash and tear into the man's armor, he tried to fight against the glowing blades, but they were far too fast even for him. 

Ajax exploded with black fire sending the weapons flying. He glared at the unicorn still ignited with the demonic fire. Shining Armor walked towards Ajax as dozens of magic swords began to rotate in a circle behind his head, each one pointed towards Ajax. 

The man sprinted across the room as the barrel of magic swords began to fire. The pink swords shattered as if they were made from glass, barely missing the superhuman soldier. Ajax found an opening in Shining Armor’s attack and quickly charged forward and swung his massive onyx blade. The huge slab of steel crashed into one of the pink kite shields surrounding Shining Armor. The magical shield didn’t even budge against the full force of the human’s swing. Ajax drove a punch into the thick plate of pink magic using his metal gauntlet.

The captain of the royal guard slid backwards, his magic plating had shattered from a single blow of the human’s metal fist. Ajax shook the burning gauntlet while nodding at Shining Armor.

“Not bad for an equine…” 

Shining Armor created a large buckler shield with his magic.

“Thanks, want to see more?” 

The unicorn charged forward and smashed the shield across Ajax’s face.  He swung the shield again, but Ajax grabbed the buckler with his iron gauntlet and kicked Shining Armor across the room.

Ajax raced forward dragging his two huge swords behind him. The tips of the blades screamed as they grinded against the hard palace floor. Ajax swung both of his burning blades against the pony’s glowing magic armor. The armor cracked, but held up against the strike. Shining armor smiled seeing his armor take Ajax’s attack head on. He looked up at the human with a victorious grin, but Ajax grinned right back at him. When Shining looked back at the massive blade he saw exactly why Ajax was grinning. The burning blade grew darker and darker with black fire before releasing an explosion of the demonic flame.

Shining Armor was sent crashing through the palace walls. Ajax charged at pony and swung his swords against the pony as he skipped across the floor. He continued to bounce the unicorn around the room as if it was some type of sick twisted game. Each hit detonated another burst of black fire that would send the unicorn flying in the opposite direction. Shining slid across the floor, his armor was now in shambles. 

The pony pushed himself back up to his hooves when he felt a blunt force crush one of  his hind legs.

“AAaAAaH!” exclaimed Shining Armor as he fell over.

Ajax had stomped on the ponies hind leg, shattering the bone inside. Ajax circled the pony similar to the way a shark circles its prey. After waiting for Shining Armor to calm down a bit, he proceeded to crush the unicorn’s other hind leg. Ajax grinded his boot against the pony’s crushed tibia, sending shockwaves of unimaginable pain running up Shining’s spine. Ajax took his foot off the crushed leg, Shining Armor gasped for air trying to cope with the pain of his shattered legs. Ajax ignited his left hand as he crouched down next to the unicorn. Shining could feel the intense heat of the fire burning only inches away from his face. He spat in the face of danger, his resolve could never be broken.

Ajax stood up and wiped the spit off his face, he took a few steps back as his gauntlet also started burning with his signature black fire.

“Everyone knows what you put on the line when you choose to fight a war… Everything. I learned that the hard way and so shall you.”

Ajax shot a jetstream of ebony fire that engulfed the unicorn within seconds. The muffled screams of Shining Armor were drowned out by the roaring flames. Ajax slowly walked passed the twitching body that used to be Shining Armor…

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Canterlot had fallen, every last able bodied soldier found themselves barricaded inside the walls of Canterlot’s throne room, praying for reinforcements that would never come.

Throughout the entire streets of Canterlot robots and changelings watched as the battle of giants came to an end.

Discord had grown tired, he couldn't remember the last time he exhausted his magic, but having to grow his size to ridiculous proportions had drained all of his energy. Steel however never grows tired, fueled by the flames of the great dragon Galzra, Pandora Prime swung with the same jaw-crushing force that he had from the beginning. Discord took blow after blow knocking him sillier than he already was. Pandora Prime readied what would have been the last hit needed to win the fight, but before the robot could deliver the final blow, Discord vanished.

The draconequus had changed back to his original size and started to fly away. It was an anti-climactic victory, but a victory none the less. One couldn't be surprised that Discord wasn't willing to lay his life on the line for Canterlot. The victorious robot pumped it’s heavy arms in the air and released its deafening trumpet, signaling its victory over Discord. 

Throughout Canterlot robots and changelings cheered for the victorious behemoth.

The storm overhead grew stronger and stronger with no sign of ever stopping.

Twilight, Applejack, Pinkie and Rainbow found themselves in the same situation as everypony else. The four ponies were trapped inside the royal throneroom barricading the windows and doors trying to buy more time. Applejack was struggling, she tried to hold dozens of changelings back using only a banquet table and her strength. Changelings growled at the orange pony, as she continued to beat them back with the long wooden table.

“Twilight! I need help over here!” 

Twilight however was busy stopping changelings that were swarming through the busted stained glass windows.

“I am a bit busy!”

Every pony focused on holding back the robot/changeling army unaware that Ajax was already deep inside the castle searching for Celestia.

Shining Armor continued to struggle for his life, he couldn’t scream for help since his voicebox had been badly burned by Ajax. He tried to crawl back to the throne room where their fight had originally started, but the unicorn didn’t even have a sliver of strength left. 

Shining Armor wasn’t even halfway down the hall when he fainted.

Shining Armor was going to die only a few yards away from his little sister.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Horizon Star burst through two wide doors and slid across the floor nearly crashing into Celestia. The white alicorn looked down at the earth pony.

“What is it?” asked Celestia.

“Ajax is in the castle! He’s fighting Shining Armor at the moment! We are losing badly princess, I am sorry I thought we-” 

Horizon froze mid-sentence. A shadow had moved across the ceiling catching the pony's eye.

“CELESTIA!!!” yelled Horizon.

The shade launched itself down towards the princess. Celestia looked up and saw a sword only inches away from her face, but suddenly the sword moved to the side missing her. 

The sword hadn’t actually moved at all. Horizon Star had leapt forward and pushed the princess out of the way. The steel samurai sword punctured the earth ponies flesh and in a flash, cut Horizon Star in half.

Horizon Star watched the world spin as he flipped through the air, the shock of being cut in half numbed all of his senses. He didn’t realize what actually had happened until he looked back at his hind legs. 

The only thing connecting him to the other half of his body was a twenty foot trail of blood.

Jax-4 menacingly stood up straight, his two red eyes glaring at Celestia.

“How unfortunate… That was supposed to kill you…Celestia...” 

Celestia hadn't even acknowledged the robot’s presence yet. She was fixated on her general, who had given his life to save her.

Horizon Star dragged himself towards the robot with his front legs. He left a trail of blood and innards as he crawled across the floor. Blood poured forth from his mouth mixing with his tears. 

“Not like this… A hero can’t die like this…I was suppos...” 

The earth pony refused to die, his dream to become a hero and make his mother proud kept him going.

But no matter how unwilling he was to let his dreams go, his body was done.

The earth pony keeled over and died.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!”

The princess’ scream could be heard throughout all of Canterlot. Tears streamed from her eyes evaporating into a pillar of gold fire that surrounded her.

Still sobbing the alicorn turned to Jax-4. 

The robot felt fear for the first time.

“Uh oh…”

Celestia screamed another blood curdling cry as beams of solar fire erupted around her shooting into the heavens. The alicorn fixed her gaze upon Jax-4, tears of golden plasma dripped down the sun god’s cheek as she hurled towards the robot. 

Jax-4 had one chance, the only way he could have defeated Celestia was with his surprise attack, but now… his only hope was to escape.

The robot tried to make an exit through a nearby window, but the unforgiving princess smashed into the samurai and pinned him against a wall.

Celestia stared at the robot with her golden burning eyes. Jax-4 grabbed her face and pressed his thumb into the princess’ eye.

The robot’s thumb turned to liquid metal as it touched Celestia’s pupil. 

With one sweep of her horn the alicorn severed the robot’s arm. Jax-4 slid down the wall and tried to escape. He could deal with a missing arm or a hole in his chest, his body had seen worse. The Alicorn furrowed her brows and grit her teeth as she watched the robot attempt to flee.

Jax-4 fell flat on his face when a golden chain grappled onto his left leg. The chain seared into his metal as it slowly dragged him back to Celestia. Jax-4 gripped his sword with his only arm and cut off the leg. He propped himself up on the samurai blade and tried to hobble away.

A second chain lassoed around the robot’s neck, he tried his best to push forward, but Celestia’s magic was too strong. Jax-4 fell to his knees as the magical bond choked the robot. He clawed at the leash around his neck, while kicking his last good leg. Jax-4 cried out his final words as he was dragged backwards

“Jack… I guess we finally get to meet… I hope tha-”

A beam of golden fire erupted from beneath Jax-4 annihilating every last part of the robot. Circuits, gears and processors scattered across the floor still smouldering from Celestia’s magic. The hollow head of Jax-4 rolled across the floor, but stopped when a steel boot pressed down on top of it.

Ajax looked down at all that remained of Jax-4, he kicked the empty robot’s head across the room towards Celestia.

“You broke my robot.” said Ajax in an unsympathetic tone. 

Celestia wasn’t so lighthearted.

“You fiend! You two legged, flesh-eating, murderous monster!” 

Ajax scratched the back of his head as the alicorn continued her rant.

“I knew humans were monsters, but you’re in an entirely different league.” 

“Still trying to justify your genocide I see…” growled Ajax.

“Justify? There is nothing for me to justify! As I already told you, your people killed themselves. The desire human’s have for war is truly remarkable, even now the only solution you seem to be able to come up with is more bloodshed.”

“Enough! You are so self-absorbed in your own little world that you hide behind the corpses of your own people, and yet you still deny your crime! Me and my comrades fought unimaginable abominations while we were trapped in the Everfree Scar! We held up our end of the bargain, but obviously sparing the human race was too difficult for you!” 

“Silence! Obviously there is no reasoning with you… No matter what I say you will always blame me for the extinction of your race…” shouted the princess.

“If what you say is true then why did you leave me to rot?! The only reason I guarded that cursed land was because I thought it was the last hope for my people!”

“I knew you wouldn't be able to handle the truth! You would have just caused more chaos just like the others! Equestria would have been better off if you had just died along with your race all those years ago!”

“A thousand years and that is your best excuse! Pitiful!” roared Ajax.

He drew of both his swords, but casted away his massive onyx blade. He gripped his marble white sword with both hands and held it steadily in front of him.

“Jack, Vyndon, Sin-Faye, Rexx, Lucy… EQUESTRIA MAY HAVE FORGOT THEIR NAMES, BUT EVERY DAY...EVERY NIGHT… THE MEMORIES OF MY FRIEND'S DEATHS STILL HAUNT ME!”

Ajax pointed the white sword at Celestia.

“I pray that you too will keep them in your thoughts as you slowly die…”

Ajax charged forward eager to finally obtain revenge after so many years. His jade eyes turned blood red as the nails on his hand grew long and sharp

“CELESTIA!”

A typhoon of black fire crashed against a barrier of golden fire, the two flames entwined as they shot up towards the sky destroying the roof overhead. Ajax roared an unholy cry as his teeth grew jagged and sharp. 

Celestia watched as Ajax slowly turned into a monster.

“So, this is what you truly are… A monster…”

‘The gift of Traeger’ that which provided Ajax his black fire, fed off the human’s rage providing him with tremendous power, but changing him in the process.

Ajax continued to cry out as he let his rage take control. He gripped his marble sword as he glared at Celestia, the white sword was now teeming with the demonic fire. The half-man half-monster swung its sword at celestia, releasing thin waves of ebony fire. Pillars crumbled as the laser like waves swept through them. Celestia’s golden barrier grinded against the hellfire, Ajax charged forward and slammed his gauntlet against the tide of flame, pushing it through Celestia’s shield. 

The alicorn slid back, but immediately raced forward, leaving a trail of burning gold hoof steps behind her. Ajax smashed his sword against the ground in a fit of beastial rage. With one sweep of his arm he hurled a downed column at the princess, but Celestia blew right through the masonry. An enormous golden image of the alicorn appeared behind her, mimicking her every move. The golden alicorn impaled Ajax atop it's horn and dragged him through the castle walls.

Celestia waited to see if she had done it, if she had really defeated the monster.

“That all you got?”

Ajax stepped out from behind a cloud of dust, the man’s flesh had turned into black fire. The walking figure of shadowfire chuckled as it retook a solid form.

Ajax’s long white jagged hair had grown longer, it now trailed on the floor behind him, his eyes were pitch black with burning red irises. Sharp jagged teeth filled the monster’s mouth, the creature howled as two long bones emerged from its back. A series of small thin femurs began to spread outwards turning the protruding bones into two large wings. 

Ajax gave Celestia a smile that showed off his new dental work.

“What’s the matter Celestia?”

Ajax’s bone wings ignited instantly when he spoke. Trails of shadow fire ran up and down, side to side, across the skeletal wings.

“I watched my friends die one by one… I watched my empire burn… You can't expect a man to look good after all that…”

Ajax’s mouth gaped open as he gagged, the human began to pour liquid darkness out of his mouth. He looked up at Celestia as trails of the dark matter squeezed in between his shark-like teeth. He reared his head back before spraying a wave of darkness. 

The human had become the embodiment of hatred and revenge.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Back at the front entrance of the palace Twilight and her friends tried their best to hold out against the swarm of changelings, but there were only a handful of guards left, changelings began to swarm through every possible hole they could find. 

When suddenly a bright blue light filled the room expelling the changeling army.

“What in the hay was that!” stammered Rainbow Dash.

Princess Cadences stepped forward, her horn glowing bright with magic. The princess had created a protective barrier around the entire building. Twilight rushed to the side of her sister-in-law, Cadence was weak, she had already used to much of her magic when she and Shining Armor had created the first barrier around Canterlot.

“Cadence! Are you alright!” gulped Twilight.

The pink alicorn slowly raised her head and looked at the worried pony. She shot twilight a broken smile.

“Of course I am… Don’t worry about me… We need to make sure that there are no more changelings around…”

“Oh, dear… Well I have some terrible news for you sweetheart…” giggled a heinous voice.

Queen Chrysalis stepped forward, she had a vivid green aura of magic circling around her. The changeling extended a hoof as she watched the magic course around her.

“I have had such a wondrous time ransacking your city, I dare say that I and my changelings are actually full…”

The last defense for Canterlot watched as the changeling queen destroyed the barrier created by Cadence with a single bolt of green magic.

A horde of changelings rained down and clustered near their queen, ready to strike. Everypony stared at Chrysalis anxious about what she was going to do. The queen however didn’t give the order for the changelings to attack. The changeling queen started to circle Twilight and Cadence, the two alicorns wondered what she was planning.

“Me and my children thank you for the bountiful feast that you have given us. We have enough leftovers to last us for months.” remarked Chrysalis.

“Shutup, you monster!” cried Cadence.

Chrysalis chuckled at the enraged alicorn as she grabbed Cadence’s cheeks with both of her hooves.

“Oh Cadence, looking lovely as ever I see. Tell me, how is Shining Armor doing? It’s been quite some time since we last talked.” 

“Why would you help Ajax! I knew you were a monster, but I thought you were above bloodshed!” yelled Twilight.

Chrysalis dropped Cadence and trotted over to Twilight.

“You think I am helping Ajax?” asked the changeling.

Twilight was confused as to why Chrysalis would ask such a question, unless....

“I had planned to betray him from the start, but then I thought ‘Why not kill two birds with one stone.’ He could start a war that would provide me and my changelings with a glorious feast, which he could die in…”

“Wait why do you want Ajax dead?” pondered Twilight.

“That’s none of your business ‘Princess’ Twilight…” answered Chrysalis.

Chrysalis began to inspect one of her hooves.

“Honestly, I thought you would be more concerned with the fact that Ajax and Celestia are fighting to the death as we speak…”

Everypony gasped, while they were caught up with trying to protect the palace, Ajax snuck inside in an attempt to assassinate Celestia.

The changeling queen sighed at all the stunned ponies.

“Well, me and my changelings will now abandon this farce, I hope you see to it that Ajax doesn’t leave the city alive.”

The changeling army swarmed up to the sky and flew away back towards the badlands. The remaining robot soldiers were the only thing left of Ajax’s army. Unlike the changelings the amount of robotic soldiers left was quite small...

“Everypony hold the line! I will go and check up on Celestia!” screamed Cadence as she bolted down a hallway.

Twilight chased after her.

The two alicorns galloped down hallways as they frantically searched for Celestia. Twilight rounded a corner when she heard a horrific scream.

Cadence screamed as she fell to her knees in front of Shining Armor. Twilight rushed over, Cadence looked back at the pony with streams of tears pouring out of her eyes. 

Twilight took a step back, before her was the charred remains of Shining Armor. Twilight placed a hoof over her mouth as she began to cry.

“Wait!” shouted Cadence.

The corpse in front of her gasped for life, Shining Armor wasn’t dead, or at least he wasn’t dead yet. Cadence screamed at the top of her lungs.

“SOMEPONY HELP!!!”

Two medics heard the princess’ cry from down the hallway. Twilight and Cadence were trying to use what little knowledge of 
first-aid they had to try and save Shining Armor, but nothing was working.

“Shining Armor, Shining Armor! Shining Armor speak to me!!!” cried Cadence.

Cadence continued to hold onto the stallions hoof when the medical ponies arrived.

“Princess you need to let go of him!” cried one of the medical ponies.

Cadence continued to sob as Twilight pried her off Shining Armor. 

The two medics carried the stallion away on a stretcher and rushed him to the makeshift hospital setup in the throne room.

She despised Ajax for attacking the Crystal Empire, but now… She hated him. Ajax had taken away the only thing she ever truly loved, her Shining Armor.

Cadence’s eyes burned bright blue with magic, the alicorn screamed at the top of her lungs, releasing a shock-wave of magic throughout all of Canterlot. 

Twilight was the only one who could understand her pain. For the first time in Twilight's life she felt hatred towards someone. 

The hatred Ajax had brought into the world was spreading like a disease...

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

An explosion of ebony and gold fire bursted down a corridor as Celestia and Ajax continued their fight. The two demigods continued to crash into one another releasing powerful bursts of energy after every strike.

“Why won’t you just die!” howled Ajax as his burning wings pushed him forward.

He swung his metal fist into the princess’ barrier, shattering both the metal gauntlet and the barrier. Ajax swung at Celestia, the alicorn used her wings to push herself to the side, but Ajax’s sword clipped the pony. 

Celestia cried out as she rolled off to the side, crashing into a wall.

Ajax looked at where his gauntlet used to be, in its place was a decrepit, burned, scarred hand. He looked over at Celestia and dragged his sword behind him as he approached the alicorn.

“Now it finally comes to an end, my old enemy… Today I end the feud by claiming victory." 

Ajax looked up at the cloudy sky above him. 

"Smile upon me now brothers and sisters as I avenge you.” 

Then a miracle happened, as if god himself had chosen to save the alicorn.

Before Ajax could deal the final blow a pillar of white magic erupted underneath him, sending him flying.

Celestia pushed herself upright and watched as Luna landed next to her.

“I am glad to see you…” groaned Celestia as she inspected her wing.

Luna smiled at her sister.

“Forgive me for being late, I was caught up in something else…” 

A erruption of black fire grabbed the two alicorn’s attention. Ajax stomped forward, now holding both of his swords in his hand.

“I don’t care I will crush you both if i have to!” yelled the human.

“YOU!!!” roared another voice.

Ajax turned to see Cadence and Twilight enter the room. Ajax tilted his head, he had never seen the pink alicorn in person before. 

He finally put it together.

“Ah, you must be the Crystal Princess. I suggest you stay out of this. This is a fight beyond your abilities.”

Cadence’s eyes ignited with blue fire as a wave of rage overcame her. Ajax was about to learn that despite not being a good tactician the Crystal Princess was no laughing matter.

Thick clusters of crystal gathered around the human’s legs, holding him in place. Ajax laughed at first, but found breaking free of thick crystalline shards quite difficult.

“I am going to kill you.” stated Cadence as she trotted forward. Ajax could tell she meant business.

He opened his mouth, but only gave a gasp as a long spear made out of crystals drove through his chest. He looked down at the spear as blood began to pour out of his chest.

“How… How are all of you hear, what happened to my army…” gasped the human.

“Chrysalis betrayed you!” shouted Twilight as she stepped forward.

Ajax grit his teeth.

“I knew it! I should never have trusted a changeling! They are the scum of the earth!” screamed the frustrated human.

Celestia and Luna stepped forward.

“Sister, I think we should just go ahead and give him a sentence right here, right now.” stated Luna as her horn glowed brightly.

“I agree…” added Celestia.

Ajax looked around at the four alicorns, he knew that he had no hope of winning this battle. The human shot the crystal bonds around his legs with a blast of shadowfire and shot upwards into the sky.

“Oh no you don’t!” shouted Twilight as her horn glowed brightly.

Ajax instantly teleported back down to the ground in between the four alicorns. Since he had no hope of escaping, Ajax lashed out at the four alicorns. A sheet of crystal shot out of the ground and grabbed his right leg as shards of crystal pelted against him. Golden chains wrapped around the human burning into his flesh. A blast of purple energy ended the human's struggle, Ajax was sent rolling across the floor.

He reached out towards the alicorns, but they answered his cry for mercy with a destructive pink-blue-yellow-purple swirl of magic. Ajax was now in pieces. The only thing that kept him alive was the Curse of Traeger, through his hatred the man was able to defy death itself.

Ajax continued to gasp for life as he crawled across the floor towards his swords. The alicorns watched as the human struggled, trying to continue with the fight. They pitied him, another blast of magic knocked the human back to the ground.

Celestia stepped forward and gave the dying man his sentence.

“For your crimes against Equestria and her people, I Celestia sentence you to death.”

Ajax despite being bashed, beaten, torn and burned tried to reach for Celestia, but his body was far too weak. 

The alicorn whispered under her breath as the man fell backwards.

“Now it finally comes to an end, my old enemy”

Then a miracle happened, as if god himself had chosen to save the human. A monstrous metal hand broke away what remained of the ceiling and clenched the ground around Ajax. Pandora Prime lifted the clump of floor which Ajax had been laying on up into the sky.

Trixie and Lightning Dust sat atop the robot’s shoulders. Trixie noticed the empty head of Jax-4 laying in a nearby corner.

“Goodbye, Ja...Yamamoto” whispered the unicorn with a frown.

The four alicorns glared at the robotic monstrosity, but before any of them could even try to stop Pandora Prime the giant robot fired a series of cluster missiles at the alicorn.

As the princesses dealt with the missiles, Pandora Prime dashed across Canterlot. In no time, the robot cleared its walls and ran off into the distance.

“Do you think Ajax will live after all that?” asked Luna while she watched the giant run off.

“I don’t know” aswered Celestia.

Canterlot had won. Countless citizens had been captured and thousands of soldiers had lost their lives, but it had won. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Back in the north, cries of agony rang throughout metal hallways deep below the ground as Ajax was thrown on top of an operating table.

Trixie watched as thousands of robots scurried around trying to figure out what to do. She grabbed a nearby robot with her hooves and picked it up. The tiny machine was only about two feet tall and a foot wide.

“So what’s going on? Is he going to make it?” asked Trixie.

The robot was essentially just a tv on wheels, a line displaying voice frequency appeared on the screen as it talked.

“We aren’t doctors. All we could do for him is give him an oil change and change his gears, but I don't think that's going to help…”

Ajax interrupted the robot with a cry of pain. His body continued to burn away dead clumps of flesh. The only thing keeping him alive through the pain was his rage. Trixie looked back down at the machine.

“So what exactly are you trying to say here?” asked the unicorn.

The robot took a while to respond.

“He is going to die within the next forty-eight hours, unless we find him a proper doctor.” stated the robot. 

Trixie thought about what the robot had said as she slowly placed the machine back onto the floor. 

She walked towards the exit, but before she could reach it a morbid hand reached out and grabbed the unicorn’s hind leg. Trixie gasped when she felt something grab onto her, the unicorn looked back and saw the burning remains of Ajax staring back at her.

The human held onto her, staring at her with his bulging eyes, the human's eyelids had been seared off, even his teeth were exposed since his lips had fallen off.  

The creature tried to speak, but only a pool of drool poured at its mouth. Trixie pulled away from the creature and slowly backed away horrified. 

Ajax continued to reach out to her as she left the room.

The unicorn paced around outside the room thinking about what she was going to do. She never liked Ajax in the first place, she only was here because he gave her no option in the first place. Trixie could just run off and let Ajax die, there was no way the robots were competent enough to save his life. The unicorn continued to think about what she was going to do when a voice called out to her, interrupting her train of thought.

“He’s beaten up pretty badly, eh?” asked Lightning Dust. 

Trixie looked up at the pegasus.

“Yea…”

Lightning Dust shrugged.

“Oh well, what can we do about it. I say we just ditch the guy. I mean we did our jobs.”

“Excuse me? What exactly do we pay you for around here? Do you honestly think that you're going to just walk away from here, just like that?"

Trixie didn't even think about what Lightning Dust said when she snapped back at her The pegasus backed away surprised by the unicorn's devotion.

“Okay, okay… Sheesh…So what’s the plan?” asked Lightning Dust.

Trixie couldn't believe what she just did, she began to wonder if abandoning Ajax was what she really wanted. If it was, then why did she defend him just now? 

“Well?” inquired Lightning Dust, interrupting Trixie’s train of thought for the second time. 

The unicorn took a deep breath and looked up at Lightning Dust.

“We’re going to find him a doctor…” 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The rain finally had stopped in Canterlot, the sun shone down on the ruined city. The ponies were in the middle of hosting a funeral, Celestia stepped up to the podium. The alicorn was dressed in black and spoke with a heavy heart.

“Today we have lost many good ponies, we extend our prayers and condolences to the families of the deceased. Among those lost today was Canterlot’s sole general, Horizon Star.
I didn’t know Horizon Star that well, which saddens me. Never throughout my entire life have I ever witnessed such a brave and courageous pony. He pushed himself ever since he was young to become something great. 
Today, he saved my life...” 

Celestia choked up a bit when she said the last line, but took a deep breath and continued..

“Which makes me sad because I know that I will never get the chance to thank him for it... Today, he proved that he was a hero far more worthy of protecting a princess such as I.”

Four royal guards slowly began to lower a golden coffin, Horizon Star’s helmet rested on top.

A mare with a long red mane ran forward and threw her hooves around the coffin.

“No! Horizon, no, no, no… Please! I don’t know what I will do without you! I can’t lose you too…” 

Nopony had the heart to separate the mare from her only son. Everypony could only watch as the mare exhausted her tears.

After the funeral was over, Canterlot continued to conduct search and rescue missions as it tried to rebuild. The hospital’s were flooded with ponies who had been injured in the war. 

The chaos continued into the dead of night.

Luna and Celestia were atop their castle’s balcony. The beautiful starry night sky shone overhead, the destroyed city of Canterlot below…

“I had a nightmare last night Luna…” whispered Celestia.

“I know, I was there…” replied Luna.
> Chapter Seven
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	“How’s he doing?...”

“He’s gonna need at least five more days before…”

“I don’t think that tube goes there…”

Distant voices continued to fade in and out until two eyes suddenly jerked open. Shining Armor found himself surrounded by technology he had never seen before. The unicorn found himself in an intensive care unit filled with tubes and catheters. He tried to speak, but the only thing that broke the silence was the beeping of a heart pulse monitor and a ventilator. The moment he opened his mouth he felt as if all the moisture in his body suddenly evaporated. The unicorn’s eyes locked onto his torso, Shining Armor’s body was completely encased in a thick layer of medical bandages. 

The door slowly opened. A nurse backed into the room pulling a cart with her hooves. She turned and faced Shining Armor, the nurse froze when she saw two light blue eyes looking back at her.

“Doctor!!!” yelled the nurse as she bolted out of the room.

Moments later a band of ponies bursted through the door. Twilight, Cadence and Celestia rushed to Shining’s side as the medical staff began to run tests. It pained Shining Armor to see Twilight and Cadence look at him with such broken expressions.

A pony wearing a white labcoat with a stethoscope around his neck stepped forward.

“Shining Armor, can you hear me? Blink once for yes.” 

Shining Armor tried to speak, but when he remembered he couldn’t even make a peep, he blinked his eyes once. The pony in a white labcoat nodded.

“My name is Doctor Stable, I have some good news and some bad news…”

The unicorn held up a clipboard and began to read Shining’s diagnosis.

“The bones in your hind legs have been completely shattered, your entire body is covered in cuts and lacerations and third degree burns with a few fourth degrees in certain areas.”

The doctor sighed as he laid the chart back onto a table.

“The good news is that you’re going to live, you’ll even make a full recovery… eventually. You will have to stay here for some time until we know that you are stable, then it will be a few months before your bones and skin heal. Then you will have to go through therapy in order to replace the muscle mass you have lost…”

The captain of the royal guard’s world shattered within seconds, he knew that he was injured badly, but to be out for an entire year? Stuck inside a husk of his former self, the stallion tried to lash out in anger, but the best he could muster was a twitch. Celestia walked away with a grief-stricken expression, she turned back to Twilight and Cadence before leaving the room.

“He needs his rest… We should let doctors tend to him…”

Twilight and Cadence didn’t know what to say, they placed their hooves on Shining’s bedside before following Celestia out of the room.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Despite Canterlot being in ruins, it wasn’t the only city affected by the war. Ponyville was flooded with refugees who had fled before the siege on Canterlot. Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Rarity were all in charge of helping Mayor Mare deal with Ponyville’s unexpected guests. 

The three ponies had spent the last few days handing out care packages and building temporary shelters. After a long day of work Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Fluttershy could finally take a break from hard labor.

“Oh for Pete’s sake…” grumbled Rainbow Dash.

“What’s the matter deary?” replied Rarity.

The unicorn and pegasus continued to chat as they trotted back to their homes in the dead of night. They had stayed a bit later than Applejack and Fluttershy in order to help set up for tomorrow.

“I forgot to give Fluttershy something… It’s no big deal. I will just rush over there and give it to her. It’ll only take a jiffy.”

“Alright, but don’t forg-”

Rainbow Dash shot up into the night sky interrupting the unicorn and flew off towards Fluttershy’s cottage.

“FORGET THE!... Why do I even bother” sighed Rarity.

The white unicorn trotted back to her home and left Rainbow Dash to her own devices. It didn’t take long for the pegasus to reach Fluttershy’s cottage. Rainbow Dash knocked on the door, but received no answer. She decided to knock again, but a bit louder this time.

The wooden door slowly swung open from Rainbow Dash’s  second series of knocks. The blue pegasus’ brow furrowed as she poked her head inside.

“Fluttershy?” whispered Rainbow Dash.

The dark empty cottage gave no response, the pegasus slowly stepped inside and closed the door behind her. Not even Fluttershy’s animals were around, Rainbow Dash knew something wasn’t right. The pegasus stood still waiting for something to happen, a loud crash disrupted the silence and nearly caused Rainbow Dash to stumble over. The cyan pony shot up the stairs trying to figure where the noise had come from. 

“Fluttershy!” shouted Rainbow Dash as she bursted through a door.

Two robots looked up at Rainbow Dash, they were in the middle of restraining her friend. Fluttershy couldn’t even scream, the robots had taped up the yellow pegasus’ mouth. Before Rainbow Dash could charge forward a figure stepped out of the shadows and blocked her path.

“Easy there Rainbow Dash” remarked Lightning Dust with a grin.

“Don’t want to make my metal friends over there do something you’ll regret…” 

One of the robot’s holding Fluttershy glared at Rainbow Dash and extended a long sickle-like blade and dragged it against the yellow pony’s coat. Rainbow Dash grit her teeth, but before she could say anything she felt a light tap on her back.

When the pegasus turned to see what was behind her she caught a glimpse of a metal fist flying at her before blacking out.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The two ponies were tossed into a cold dark cell, filled with other mares and stallions. The robots untied the prisoners and left without saying a word, the sound of the metal door locking behind them echoed throughout the empty metal hall. Rainbow Dash woke up to the sounds of  crowds of ponies talking amongst each other. 

“What’s going on…” asked the blue pegasus as she rubbed her head. 

“Rainbow Dash! You’re finally awake.” cried Fluttershy.

The yellow pony rushed to Rainbow Dash and gave her a big hug. While embraced by Fluttershy’s tight grip the pegasus looked around at the cell they had been tossed in. The large cage-like prison was full of ponies who had also been ponynapped. 

“I bet you Ajax is behind this…” growled Rainbow Dash as she stood up to her hooves. 

Fluttershy looked around at their cellmates.

“All these ponies are either doctors or nurses...” stated Fluttershy.

Rainbow Dash put a hoof to her mouth, it couldn’t be just a coincidence that everpony here was experienced in the medical field. The sound of the cell door creaking open killed the chatter amongst the ponies. Trixie stepped into the room accompanied by a battalion of robot guards. The unicorn’s eyes glazed over the prisoners.

“All right! Get up and follow me!” shouted Trixie as she turned around.

The ponies all sat quietly and looked at one another unsure of whether it was in their best interest to follow that order.

“NOW!” yelled Trixie as the robot guards drew their weapons.

Everypony in the room hopped up to their hooves and trotted after the unicorn as she walked away. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy followed along waiting to see what exactly was going on here. The ponies were led through hallway after hallway until finally they entered a grand chamber. Banners hung from the ceiling as a massive metal throne sat at the end of the hallway occupied by a mummy. 

“Stop here!” commanded Lightning Dust as she stepped out from behind a pillar.

The ponies sat and waited anxiously for something to happen. The corpse on the throne slowly lifted its head up and stared at the band of ponies. Fluttershy gasped when she saw the figure move.

“Rainbow Dash... thats…” whispered Fluttershy.

“Yea, I know…” interrupted Rainbow Dash.

Ajax slowly pushed himself upright in the chair, he was wrapped from head to toe in medical tape. A sole green eye was the only thing poking out from behind the thick cloth, except for the strands of patchy, stringy, white hair slipping out from in between the bandages around his head.

“Ponies…..I have a proposal…...for you………” coughed the man.

Ajax struggled with every word.

“If I live…. You’re all free to go….. But if I die...then...all of you die…”

Ajax wiped away a dribble of blood from his bottom lip. The ponies were horrified, they knew he wasn’t joking. Ajax wiped the blood on the bandages around his thigh and looked back up at the ponies.

“So... who’s first…?” 

As Ajax said the words with his eyes fixated on Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. The man slowly raised his arm and pointed at the two pegasi.

“What are they...doing here…” murmured Ajax.

Lightning Dust stepped forward holding a piece of paper in her hooves.

“Well, we couldn’t find too many doctors since most of them are in Canterlot, so I decided to improvise.”

“Improvise?” said Ajax.

“Yea, well you see, Fluttershy here is one of the best veterinarians in all of Equestria.”

“What...do I look like...to you. SOME...SORT OF ANIMAL!” hissed Ajax.

The human leaned forward gritting his teeth as blood splurted out from his mouth. Despite his curse trying to heal him, he still struggled to stay alive. He was in desperate need for medical attention. Lightning Dust rolled up the piece of paper and placed it back in her saddle.

“Well, to you maybe not, but to pony doctors specializing in medicine pertaining to ponies... You might as well be an animal since you're a completely different species, right? So… maybe a veterinarian might be more qualified to provide you medical assistance than a pony doctor.” reasoned Lightning Dust.

Ajax looked back at the two ponies.

“That….. actually...makes sense…But why did you… bring... Rainb-... Rainb-… Rainb-............ The blue one.” 

Lightning Dust looked over at Rainbow Dash with a victorious smile.

“We just happened to pick her up while we were capturing her friend.”

“I see…” said Ajax as he leaned back in his throne. 

The human raised a hand, giving the signal for dozens of robot guard to surround the group of ponies.

“Well… if no one… will volunteer… then you can rot... in the dungeon...till you decide…who goes first……... but hurry… I don’t have... much time….”

Before the robot’s could take away the prisoners, a mare stepped forward. She was dressed in white and had a wrinkled nurse’s cap on her head.

“I volunteer!” shouted the pony.

Ajax nodded at the robot guards. The nurse was brought out of the group as the other ponies were marched back to the same cell as before. After only a few minutes a group of guards brought the nurse pony who had volunteered. Everypony crowded around the mare curious as to why she had returned so quickly. The nurse shook her head.

“There’s no way anypony can help him. I can’t even believe he’s still alive given his current condition.”

“NEXT!” shouted a robot guard.

Pony after pony, mare after mare, stallion after stallion, the ponies continued to step forward to see if they could try to save the humans life, but alas each one of them returned within the hour. The ponies began to panic, if no pony could save Ajax’s life he would surely kill them all.

“NEXT!” yelled the robot guard as it slammed the base of it’s spear against the ground.

This time however not a single pony stepped forward. Everypony had already volunteered and failed to do anything for the human. Fluttershy looked at Rainbow Dash and slowly began to raise her hoof into the air. The light blue pegasus raced forward and jerked Fluttershy’s hoof back down.

“What are you doing.” whispered Rainbow Dash as she tried to conceal her frustration.

“If you go out there and help him Fluttershy he will surely kill us all. Do you really think that if you just help him he will just allow us to leave? He plans on killing us no matter what we do. We should just lay low and try to find a way to bust out of here.” 

Fluttershy gave Rainbow Dash a hesitant nod, but a pale blue light surrounded the yellow pony and hoisted her up into the air.

“Fluttershy!” cried Rainbow Dash as she reached for her friend.

“Calm down.” responded a voice.

Trixie slowly lowered Fluttershy down next to her as robot guards surrounded the pegasus. The unicorn looked back at Rainbow Dash as they exited the room.

“We will be back shortly.”

Fluttershy could only hear the distant yelling of Rainbow Dash as she tried to keep up with the robot guards escorting her. The pony tried to peer in between the robots shoulders to see exactly where they were going. She bumped her muzzle against the back of a robot as it came to a sudden halt. Fluttershy rubbed her snout as she looked up at the robot guards.

“Excuse me… why did we stop?” squeaked Fluttershy.

Two of the robot guards stepped aside as Trixie trotted forward. The unicorn didn’t even say a word as she pushed Fluttershy through a door and into a dimly lit room. As Fluttershy’s eyes adjusted to the darkness she could see a hunched figure sitting on top of a steel operating table. The shadowy figure looked up at the fearful pegasus.

“Come here…” ordered Ajax.

Fluttershy gulped as she hesitantly approached the man. Ajax flipped a switch underneath the table, a bright light shone down from overhead illuminating the operating table. Fluttershy froze when she saw the figure embellished by the light. Ajax’s skin was completely charred by burns that reached all the way down to his bones. He was missing most of his hair and his jawbone was exposed. His nose had been split in two, his bones disjointed and disfigured. Occasionally sparks of black fire would ignite out of nowhere and sear reopened wounds closed, burning off the dead flesh in the process. The monster looked up at the frightened pony.

“Do you think... you can help me... Fluttershy…?”

Fluttershy took a deep breath and took a few more hoofsteps forward.

“I-I think I can…” whispered the Pegasus.

Ajax looked behind him and nodded his head. A small robot wheeled out with a cart full of different types of surgical tools. The man looked back at the pony as he adjusted his position on the metal table.

“Whatever you need... my robot’s will get if for you… Don’t… hesitate to ask… for anything.”

Fluttershy nodded slowly, she had plenty of experience with helping her critter friends, but she was no trauma surgeon. She slowly clipped on a surgical mask and approached Ajax. She had some experience with bad burns, once her cottage had been overrun with animals who had been caught in a forest fire, but this was far more severe. The yellow pegasus struggled to remove the remaining  strands of medical tape off of Ajax’s back, but they were stuck to the slimey goo burned skin. Fluttershy pulled with all her strength and tore away the bandages and a large patch of skin with it.

“Oh my gosh! I didn’t mean…!” cried Fluttershy.

Ajax looked back at the pegasus and where she had removed a quarter of what little skin he had left.

“Don’t worry... I have... enough pain medicine... pumping through my veins... that you could... carve out the rest of my back... and I wouldn’t even know it...”

Fluttershy nodded slowly as she began to look at the tools set before her. She had never used a surgical instrument ever in her life. The pony would reach for something, but would always change her mind right before grabbing it. Fluttershy was trying to figure out what she was going to do when Ajax looked back at her again.

“What’s... the hold up?” 

“W-well… most of the time I use a natural form of healing…” responded the nervous pony.

“Like I said… just tell the robot… what you need...”

Ajax began to cough violently as a little robot wheeled out of the darkness next to fluttershy. The pony leaned down to the robot trying to ignore the blood spewing out of Ajax’s mouth.

“Would you be so kind as to bring me some Aloe Vera, Witch Hazel, and Eucalyptus leaves?” politely asked the pony.

The robot gave a quick series of bleep bloops and rolled off into the darkness. It took only a few seconds for the robot to come back with a basket of green leaves. Fluttershy inspected the tray and looked back down at the robot.

“Excuse me, but some of the…”

“We didn’t have everything you asked for. Someone will deliver the other leaves momentarily.” interrupted the robotic voice.

Fluttershy nodded and looked back at the green leaves and flower stems she had to work with. The yellow pony began to lick the leaves and place them against Ajax’s back. The yellow pony was almost done covering the man’s entire back with the green leaves when a pegasus entered the room. Lightning Dust hovered forward holding a bag in her hooves and tossed it on the ground before Fluttershy.

“Here’s your damn eucalaptitus leaves and some or whatever they’re called.” mumbled Lightning Dust.

“Had to cut my afternoon nap short cuz of this crap…” groaned the pegasus as she floated towards the exit.

Fluttershy finished adorning Ajax’s back with the green herbs and floated in front of the human. Ajax looked down at the yellow pegasus.

“Do you really... think this is... going to work?” wheezed the human.

Fluttershy continued to lick the leaves and place them onto his chest as she spoke.

“Well… This always worked for my animal friends. So I figured it should work for you…” 

The yellow pony continued to layer leaf after leaf onto Ajax’s chest, trying to avoid eye contact with the him in the process.

“I saw… all of your friends… on the battlefield… but where… were you?” asked Ajax.

Fluttershy still avoided eye contact when she answered the human.

“Rarity and I choose to not participate in the war… We’re not the fighting type...” murmured Fluttershy.

“I see…” responded Ajax.

Fluttershy halted for a brief moment, but continued with her routine.

“If this works… Will you really let us all go?” asked Fluttershy as she began to place leaves across his shoulders.

“I am... a man of my word… All of you... will return safely... if I am to recover…”

Fluttershy lifted up Ajax’s right arm and looked at what was supposed to be the human’s hand. Fluttershy slowly shook her head when she saw the morbid claw.

“I-I can’t do anything for your hand…” stammered Fluttershy.

Ajax pulled his arm back and looked at the bone/flesh that was once his right hand.

“Don’t worry… It was… already like… that...I just need… to find a… new hand...”

Fluttershy slowly nodded. The pony reached over for a roll of medical tape on a nearby tray.

“Do you mind me asking how it got that way?”

“This isn’t the first time Celestia and I fought…”

Fluttershy slowly started to encase Ajax from head to toe with medical tape. The white cloth wrapped around the green mixture of herbs, pressing it against the human’s skin. Ajax’s burnt body was now encased in a coat of green herbs surrounded by white bandages. The man felt something press against his back, pushing him forward.

He looked behind him, both of Fluttershy’s hooves were pressing into his back. The yellow pegasi had streams of tears pouring down her face dripping onto the bandages. The man used what little strength he had left to turn and face the pony.

“Why... are you... crying Fluttershy?”

The pony tried to rub her eyes with her hooves, but tears continued to pour through.

“I-Im sorry it’s just that… I know you're just going to hurt more innocent lives when you get better, but I had to help you or else you would kill everypony you abducted. Why can’t you see that both sides have nothing to gain from this war. I mean look at you! Look what the war has done to you and Equestria. Why can’t you just look past your hatred and forget about what happened in the past! I am sorry, for whatever happened to you, but you shouldn’t take it out on innocent lives!”

Fluttershy tried to wipe away her tears as she continued to sob.

“I don’t want you to take away my friends… I don’t want to see anypony else suffer…” 

Ajax took a deep breath and waiting for the sobbing pony to calm down before responding.

“I have… met many people… like you before… I am going to tell you… what I told them… You are a kind, gentle soul… I understand that… But you must… understand… that  there are no innocent lives during a war… If you want... to protect those you care about. You have… two options… Option one… step aside… convince your friends to not… participate in the war… Option two… step in between me and your friends...… This war will not end… not until I or Celestia die…”

Ajax pushed himself off the table, he could feel Fluttershy’s natural healing method already beginning to take effect. Two robot guards emerged from the darkness and helped the man hobble out of the room. Ajax looked back at Fluttershy just before he left.

“I suggest… you go with option one… Fluttershy… I don’t want to have to kill you… So stay away from the war… and take your friends… with you...” 

The man slowly limped out of the room as the tearful pegasus was escorted out by a group of robots. Fluttershy however wasn’t taken back to a cell. The yellow pegasus found herself in a throneroom surrounded by all the other ponies. The equines whispered loudly amongst each other, but everything immediately went silent when a metal door opened.

Ajax limped into the room using a metal rod as a walking stick, the man slowly stepped up the stairs leading to his metal throne. All the ponies watched as the man took his time to climb each step and sit down on the throne.

“Congratulations… ponies… you are all… free to go…” gasped the man.

The ponies cheered after they heard they were free. Fluttershy felt a dozen hooves pat her back as the ponies around her began to praise her for saving their lives. Fluttershy blushed, embarrassed by the attention. A burst of colors shot out of the crowd and landed in front of Ajax’s throne. Rainbow Dash took a stance as if she was ready to fight the mummified man.

“Yea right! I have read my fair share of stories before. The bad guy never just lets his prisoners go!” shouted Rainbow Dash.

The robot guards near Ajax immediately formed a wall around the him, but the human waved them aside. Ajax laid his chin on top of his fist and looked down at Rainbow Dash.

“Your skepticism isn’t surprising... but I am a man of my word… You are… free to go…”

Ajax let out a slight chuckle when he saw Rainbow Dash scrape her hoof against the floor as if she were going to charge him.

“I wonder... if your unwavering loyalty... to the princess... blinds you, Rainbow Dash…” growled Ajax.

“Don’t try to act like you're the good guy here! Everypony here knows that you're a monster!” shouted Rainbow Dash.

Ajax sighed and turned to a nearby robot soldier.

“Get them out of here… take them home…”

“Wait! Are you really going to let them leave? Have you forgotten that they’re the enemy?!” exclaimed Lightning Dust.

“I gave them my word…” snapped Ajax.

Lightning Dust glared at Rainbow Dash as she reluctantly took a few steps back.

“Now then for the last time… LEAVE!” howled Ajax.

Robot guards surrounded the ponies and began to forcefully escort them out of the room.


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It was another sunny day in Canterlot, the sun hovered directly above the city in the open clear sky. It had been nearly three weeks since Ajax attacked Canterlot, most of the city had already been rebuilt thanks to magic and teamwork. However things weren’t back to normal, ponies knew that as long as Ajax was out there, Canterlot would never be safe. Equestria was now preparing for all out war, it would no longer tolerate any fake parties celebrating false victories. The sole thing on everpony’s mind was when Ajax would attack Canterlot again.

“Damnit…” sighed Celestia as she tossed a letter across a table.

Princess Luna picked up the letter and briefly scanned its content.

“This shouldn’t come as a surprise sister… All of equestria fears the human…”

Celestia pressed both of her hooves against her face.

“Gryphons, Minotaurs, Buffalo… I fear we are alone in this endeavor, sister…”

Luna rolled up the paper and placed it back into an envelop.

“We know that Ajax is hiding up north, Twilight could surely remember where his outpost was… Do you plan on taking the fight to him?” asked Luna.

Celestia slowly shook her head.

“We would risk everything if we were to do something like that… If we failed, Canterlot would be defenceless…”

“At least we have ample time to prepare… according to Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash Ajax won’t be back on his feet for quite some time.” remarked Luna with a sigh.

Celestia looked out a nearby window at the newly constructed city of Canterlot.

“You’d be surprised… We can’t afford to underestimate him again. We’ve done that too many times already...”


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


“Wait, this doesn’t make any sense! This goes against all teachings of magic!” shouted Trixie as she tossed a tome across the room.

“Dang it Starswirl! What the heck were you thinking when you came up with this crap! This is supposed to be your magnum opus!”

The unicorn collapsed onto a table surrounded by dozens of open books and piles of papers. Trixie slowly lifted one of the books with her magic and began to simulate that the book was alive and walking across the table.

“Mr. Book was walking over the railroad tracks when suddenly… A TRAIN!” 

Another book flew out from the side, sending Mr. Book flying.

“BOOM PACHOO!!!” cried out Trixie.

“Studying hard I see…” stated a voice in a sarcastic tone.

Trixie shot up when she heard the familiar voice.

“A-Ajax?!” stammered Trixie as she turned towards the library door.

The man raised an eyebrow as he took a seat across from the unicorn. Ajax looked as good as new, except for the fact his right arm was in a sling. He looked like he had never been injured at all. The man looked around at the mess Trixie had made out of his library. The unicorn didn’t even notice how much of a mess she had made until now. 

“So I take it you’re feeling better?” asked Trixie.

Ajax looked back at the pony and stretched his one good arm.

“I suppose… Thanks to that pegasus I was able to fully recover in only three weeks… I guess, there could be some merit behind all that natural healing crap after all.” yawned Ajax.

“So what do you plan on doing now that you’ve recovered?” asked Trixie.

“We can talk about business later, but first, you and I need to have a chat.”

Trixie leaned back and eyed the human.

“What kind of chat…?”

Ajax shot Trixie a wide smile.

“Oh come now… Don’t give me that skeptical attitude. I just wanted to thank you for what you did for me.”

“R-really?” sputtered Trixie.

“Really really…” sighed Ajax.

The man placed his feet on the table and leaned back in his chair.

“Listen, you and I both know that you could have left me for dead. Now I ain’t going to ask why you decided to save my life, I just wanted to let you that I am grateful for it.” 

Trixie looked around the room. 

‘Am I being pranked right now?’ thought the unicorn.

Ajax began to flip through the pages of a nearby book that Trixie had been studying. 

“Sheesh… This stuff looks even more complicated than Jack’s research notes…”

Trixie cleared her voice and adjusted her hat.

“I suppose to someone like you it may seem hard, but to The Great and Powerful Trixie something like that is a cakewalk.”

Ajax looked up from the book at the unicorn.

“You sure do enjoy boasting a lot don’t you?”

“Of course! A wizard shouldn’t be ashamed of her skill. She should show off her powers for the whole world to see!” cheered the unicorn.

“I see… So you wish to become famous?”

“Please, I am already a famous wizard.” scoffed Trixie.

Ajax rolled his left hand and bowed before the unicorn.

“Ah, well, please forgive my ignorance. Oh, Great and Powerful Trixie.”

“You are forgiven…” replied the unicorn as she held her head up high.

Ajax began to chuckle followed by Trixie.

“Hey, Ajax, why is your right arm still in a sling? I thought you said you’ve fully recovered...” 

“Ah, well it’s pretty useless until I can get another replacement hand…” sighed Ajax.

Trixie looked down at the human’s arm.

“You must have quite a lot of stories about your past…”

Ajax looked down at his arm.

“Yea…”

Trixie looked up at Ajax, the unicorn shly tapped her hooves together as she asked her next question.

“Mind telling me a story about your past?”

Ajax chuckled and folded his one good arm.

“Well, what do you want to hear about?”

Trixie took a brief moment to think about what she wanted to ask the human.

“You talk about your friends quite often. Why not tell me something about them?”

Ajax’s face darkened as he leaned forward. Trixie thought she had upset him, he obviously was sensitive about the topic, but before she could try to take back the question Ajax looked back up at her.

“Okay, Trixie… I’ll tell you…” grinned Ajax.

“First, there’s Jack the scientist… A prodigy of the Auric family, Jack was a genius excelling in mathematics and science from a young age. He single handedly invented artificial intelligence and well…. everything that you see around you. The man could literally solve any problem if you gave him enough time. Although sometimes he seemed cruel due to his calculated nature, deep down the man had a heart of gold.”

“Then there’s Rexx, a general worthy to serve any king. A man whose stature could cause armies to flee! He served my father on the battlefield ever since I was young. Then he served me when I set out on my conquest. They called him “Rexx the Butcher” due to his insatiable desire for battle. You see he came from a tribe far north that revered blood and battle above all else. He was as wise as he was strong, and more noble than any man I have ever met.

“Oh, oh, let me tell you about Sin-faye. A girl who despite being blinded during combat chose to pursue the career of a soldier. When I tell you this girl was fast, I mean she was faaaaaaast. Even before Jack modified our bodies with his science she could run a forty-yard sprint in four and a half seconds. Every one of her senses were beyond keen, including her skills with the sword.

Trixie continued to sit and listen to Ajax as he continued to talk and talk about his friends. She had never seen Ajax like this before. The human was genuinely happy…

“Wait, wait, I forgot to tell you about Vyndon. You might find this really interesting since he actually wasn’t a human. You see, Vyndon was a hemomancer. Beings purely created out of blood, who could shapeshift their bodies into practically any other race, I mean how cool is that! This guy could turn into waves of blood and wash across the battlefield and drain the blood of his enemies and control them like puppets.”

Ajax let out a heavy sigh…

“And then...there’s Lucy…”

Ajax reached for the marble sword on his back and laid it across the table.

“Princess Lucy… She is the one who this sword originally belonged to… She was… I mean… there’s just no way to describe her… Strong, beautiful, kind… She gave me this sword when she…”

Trixie leaned forward as Ajax grit his teeth, he struggled to force out the next three words.

“When she died…” 

Ajax looked down at the sword and traced his hand over the marble white blade.

“As long as I carry this sword. I will always keep the memories of my friends… I plan on killing Celestia with this sword…”

Trixie looked down at the marble white blade. Ajax obviously took very good care of the giant white sword. Unlike his giant onyx blade, the white sword barely had a scratch on it. Trixie looked up at Ajax.

“How did they die?” asked the unicorn not even thinking about her question.

The unicorn covered her mouth with her hooves.

“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to...”

Ajax looked down at the engraved design on the marble white sword as he answered Trixie’s question.

“As you know… Celestia assigned us to guard the Everfree Scar. We spent every day fighting hordes and waves of monsters and demons. Everything was going fine for the first few hundred years until... “

Ajax shook his head as he searched for the right words to describe what had happened.

“Everyday plenty of demons would crawl up from the depths of Tartarus and we would easily beat them back down until… something.... something different crawled out from that cursed scar. It had scales as black as night, with these small, red, beady eyes. Two large claws with monstrous talons and a jaw full of razor sharp teeth. Jack called it a draconequus… We thought it must have been Discord, the mad king of ancient Equestria, but now that I have seen Discord, it definitely wasn’t him. But it was definitely a draconequus… And then… just like that… one by one… my friends just started to die in front of me… I can even remember the monster’s laugh, as he murdered my comrades. He turned to face me, I felt fear for the first time in my life.”

Ajax grabbed the marble white sword and gripped it tightly with his sole hand. The man tried to fight against his tears, but couldn’t stop the streams pouring down his face. He continued to bawl like a child as he tried to finish the story.

“Then… Lucy… she just… then… I...”

Ajax plushed his thumb and index finger into his eyes trying to hide his tears from the unicorn. The man tried to bring his sporadic breathing under control.

“They all gladly gave their lives believing that we were fighting to protect the human race…”

Ajax clenched his eyes and grit his teeth as a wave of pain washed over him.

“I thought about killing myself ever since that day! The only reason I chose to continue to fight was because I believed in the dream that the human race would prosper, I couldn’t allow the deaths of my friends to become all for nothing. Everyday I fought against the legions of monsters pouring out of Tartarus! ALL THAT JUST TO FIND OUT THAT MY RACE HAD BEEN WIPED OUT A MILLENIA AGO!”

“AJAX!!!” cried Trixie.

The man’s eyes shot open as he felt two hooves violently shake him. Unbeknownst to him, Ajax had set the entire library aflame. While he had been caught up in telling the story his wild emotions had caused him to set the library ablaze. Ajax brought all the black fire back into his body, dispersing the flame. The man looked over at the unicorn who had shaken sense into him.

“T-trixie…”

The unicorn shook both of her hooves. She had burned herself on the human’s black fire when she had grabbed ahold of him. The unicorn looked up at Ajax.

“Don’t mind me… I’ll be fine…”

“Here… Let me see it…” whispered Ajax.

Trixie slowly extended her front hooves before the man. Ajax gently grabbed ahold of the unicorn’s hooves and reached into his back pockets. He pulled out a cluster of green leaves and began to lick them and wrap them around Trixie’s hooves. 

“Thanks again Trixie…” 

“It was nothing, don’t mention it.” said Trixie with a gentle smile.

Ajax furrowed his brow as he thought about something. Trixie looked down at her hooves and sniffed the green leaves.

“Wow! This stuff really works! I can alread-..... Ajax? Ajax, what’s the matter?”

The man was biting his thumb with a panicked expression on his face.

“Ajax, what is it?” asked Trixie.

The man looked up at the pony with a distant expression.

“Not long before Rainbow Dash found me in the Everfree Forest I fought a demon... After a thousand years of guarding the Everfree Scar you begin to recognize a few familiar faces… Usually the demons would say things trying to get into my head, that’s why I brushed off what he said at the time, but now…”

Ajax paused.

“W-what did he say?” asked Trixie.

Ajax closed his eyes and took a moment to remember what the demon had said, after a few seconds he looked back up at Trixie.

“He said... ‘Blessings be upon you sole guardian of the Everfree Scar. Prepare thine fortitude for in the upcoming weeks thou shalt be tested. For he who was ancient when the world was still young, climbs the scar once again...’ ”

Trixie thought about the demon’s warning.

“If there was any merit to what the demon had said then how come there haven’t been any demons pouring out of the forest? If you aren’t guarding the Everfree Scar shouldn’t Equestria have been overrun with demons by now?” pondered Trixie.

“Yea… yea, yea. Forget what I said… I’m sure it’s nothing.” 

Ajax stood up and grabbed his sword and walked towards the exit.

“Get a good night’s sleep Trixie… Tomorrow we’re heading out to the badlands.”

“The badlands? Why the badlands?” asked Trixie.

“Isn’t it obvious…”


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The desert quaked as robots kicked up waves of sand while marching towards the Badlands. Pandora Prime lead the robot army once again, Ajax, Trixie and Lightning Dust sat atop the robot’s right shoulder and watched as the sun slowly peeked over the horizon.

“So, tell me again why we’re all the way out here in the middle of nowhere.” yawned Lightning Dust.

“Queen Chrysalis betrayed me, her actions nearly led to my death and saved Celestia’s life. I plan on ensuring she never get’s another chance to do something like that again. We’re here to wipe out the changeling race for good. No survivors. Not even one.” replied Ajax.

Trixie sat at the edge of Pandora Prime’s shoulder, her hooves dangled over the edge, her mane blowing in the wind. The unicorn dragged a hoof across her wizard’s cap as she thought about something. She looked back at Ajax.

“Chrysalis most likely knows we’re coming.” stated the unicorn.

“I know, don’t worry we came prepared…” responded Ajax.

The man stood upright and placed a hand against Pandora Prime’s neck for balance. His eyes fixated on a giant mound rising out of the sand in the distance. He adjusted his right arm to be a bit more comfortable in its sling.

“We’re here… Time to exterminate these insects once and for all.” grinned Ajax.

“Looks like they were expecting you after all.” declared Lighting Dust as a sea of black equines poured out of the clay tower.

Thousands upon thousands of changelings swarmed the air creating a thick wall of black around their hive. The sound of the changeling army began to streamline into one continuous buzz. Ajax knocked his fist against Pandora Prime’s thick steel neck.

“Hey, P. Prime, get us down from here…” 

The metal titan fell to a single knee and extended its arms outward digging into the sand. Ajax and Trixie walked down the robot’s massive arms as a sole black equine approached from the distance. Queen Chrysalis approached the unicorn and human accompanied by dozens of elite changeling guards.

“Queen Chrysalis… I bet you hoped to never see me again…” laughed Ajax as he drew his onyx sword with his left hand. 

Chrysalis however didn’t say a word to the human, she continued to just look at him with disgust.

“Really? Nothing to say? You’re going to betray me and not even tell me why? Fine with me. Your race has always just been a parasite, I will gladly wipe it off the face of Equestria. I gotta hand it to you though, you almost got away with it, but you made one major mistake. Never trust someone else to do your own dirty work… It will always come back to haunt you.”

“Enough! Are you going to bore me to death?” snapped Chrysalis.

“I don’t think you remember who exactly you’re dealing with…” growled Ajax.

The robot’s behind him raised their weapons up into the air.

“I didn’t come unprepared, Chrysalis. I know the best way to conduct an extermination of insects is to purge the hive... with fire.”

The robot soldiers activated their flamethrowers creating a thick wall of fire overhead extending into the sky. Ajax’s black sword began to burn with his ebony flame. 

“Pandora Prime! Give them hell!” roared the human.

The gigantic machine sounded it’s deafening horn, blasting away nearby changelings out of the sky. Two thick pipes extended out of the Pandora Prime’s forearms as the machine raced towards the tall clay tower. Changelings caught in the robot’s path splattered like flies crashing against a windshield. The robot reared back it’s giant metal fist and punched a giant hole in the changelings home. Clay and green blood flew everywhere as the robot swept its arm out of the hive, cutting it in half. A thick cloud of black flew out of the destroyed dirt mound, changelings swarmed the robot creating a thick living black blob around the machine. The sounds of screeching changelings filled the air as the pipes on Pandora Prime’s forearms began to spew streams of red fire. 

Chrysalis watched as hundreds of burning black specs began to fall from the sky. Every cry the changelings made was another needle pushing into her soul.

“Did you know that the wings are the first to burn?” asked Ajax with a monstrous grin.

“I’LL KILL YOU!” cried the changeling as she rushed forward.

Trixie stepped forward her horn glowing bright with magic. A massive tome began to orbit the unicorn, but before she could cast a single spell Ajax stepped in between her and Chrysalis.

“No, she’s mine…” whispered the human as he charged forward.

Green and black fire clashed as the human and changeling fought. Chrysalis shot a blast of volatile green magic, clipping the tip of Ajax’s ear. The human rubbed the side of his head against his shoulder.

“I guess I am not as brisk as I used to be… No matter, I only need one arm to beat someone like you anyways… You’re out of your league here, changeling.”

Ajax leapt forward and drove his burning blade into the ground. A cone of shadowfire left a sheet of glass atop the sandy surface of the desert. Chrysalis struggled to pick herself up, all the love she had devoured was slowly replaced by sorrow as she watched Ajax’s army set her home and children ablaze.

“Get up! You can do better than that!” shouted Ajax as he kicked the downed changeling.

Queen Chrysalis tumbled across the desert and crashed into a thick boulder. The queen wiped away a stream of green blood from her mouth. Before she could stand up she felt someone grab both of her hind hooves. Ajax swung the changeling over his head and slammed her against the giant rock she had crashed into.

“You dare betray me! I was so close! Now you’re going to die for what you did!” 

Ajax quickly swept his sword, dispersing the miniature sandstorm he had created from swinging Chrysalis. The changeling queen rolled over and threw her hooves up.

“Please! Mercy! Ta-”

The human stomped his thick steel boots on the changelings face.

“Mercy?! There’s no way I could be merciful to a monster like you!”

Queen Chrysalis struggled to move the human’s leg, she finally managed to push him off of her.

“Kill me! But, please, spare my changelings!”

Ajax walked over to Chrysalis and lifter her up by the horn, the man dragged her across the battlefield and faced her towards the changeling’s hive. The changeling’s eyes shot wide when she saw the burning remains of what was once her home. The smell of burning flesh filled the air’s as changelings continued to rain down from the sky crashing into the ground.

“You will know my pain. You will know what’s it like to lose an entire civilization, that counted on you, that depended on you.”

Ajax dropped Chrysalis and rolled her over with his boot. He raised his sword behind his head and glared at equine with his burning jade eyes.

“Honestly, I am a bit curious. Why did you do it? Was it for you own selfish gain? Or do you just not like me?”

Ajax waited for the changeling to say something, finally Chrysalis opened her mouth and used all of her remaining energy to tell the human why she had betrayed him.

“You want to know why I did it?! Of course you don’t remember! A monster like you shows no remorse for the lives he takes! Your father truly succeeded in turning you into the mindless killing machine that he always boasted about! You ask why… I was just a filly when you first came to this desert long ago. You brought an army of human monsters... an army of humans, JUST LIKE YOU!... I watched as you disassembled my mother with your own two hands… I watched as you slaughtered the guards who tried to protect me… I will never forget the look on your face as you butchered your way through changeling after changeling fixated on killing me, you showed no sing of emotion, as if you were mindlessly carrying out a chore! 
Because of you I had to become queen when I was only six years old! Because of you I lost my mother! Because of you we changelings were pushed to the brink of extinction! The fact we survived was no less than a miracle! So when you ask ‘why I did it’... ITS BECAUSE I PLANNED TO KILL YOU THE MOMENT I HEARD YOU HAD RETURNED TO EQUESTRIA! I FINALLY HAD THE CHANCE TO AVENGE MY MOTHER AND ALL THOSE WHOM YOU HAD MURDERED!!!”

The changeling collapsed, she was out of breath. A lone tear rolled down Chrysalis’ cheek when she closed her eyes and accepted her fate.

Ajax didn’t say a word, he raised his massive steel blade back over his head and swung with all the force his left hand could muster. The ebony blade dug into the sand next to Chrysalis missing her. The changeling slowly opened her eyes and looked up at the human.

“Get up.” demanded Ajax.

Chrysalis slowly pushed herself up to her hooves after what seemed like an eternity. An onyx blade immediately shot towards her neck hovering only inches away from her throat.

“Gather you’re changelings, you work for me now... “

The human sheathed his sword and walked away from the stunned changeling. Ajax adjusted the sling holding his arm, but when it wouldn’t co-operate he tossed it away.

“Enough of that crap already…” groaned the human.

Trixie teleported next to Ajax and trotted beside him as they began to walk up Pandora Prime’s arm.

“Wait you're letting her go? You’re even bringing her back home with us?!” exclaimed Trixie.

Ajax stopped and looked down at the pony.

“Contrary to what all of Equestria seems to believe… I am not a monster… Or at least I don’t think I am…”

Ajax continued to walk and talk with Trixie as they climbed Pandora Prime’s arm.

“Besides changelings are quite useful for reconnaissance... I will just have to keep a closer eye on her this time...” reasoned Ajax.

“W-wait B-bu-” stuttered the unicorn.

“I already made up my mind, Trixie.” 

Ajax looked around for a brief moment.

“Now, where’s that damn pegasus?”

Just as the human finished asking the question he received an answer. He could hear light snoring coming from inside Pandora Prime. Ajax placed his ear against the robot’s metal plating. His hand pressed against a hidden switch. Suddenly a pair of twin panels opened up revealing a cockpit inside of Pandora Prime.

“Wait? There’s a manual operating system?!” exclaimed Ajax as he peaked inside the futuristic chamber.

His eyes fixated on Lightning Dust, the pegasus continued to snore loudly, unsuspecting of the man glaring at her.

“WHY YOU NO GOOD LAZY MERCENARY! YOU WERE ASLEEP THIS ENTIRE TIME?!” yelled Ajax.

“WAH! Wait I can explain I was doing some explori-” 

Ajax glared at the pegasus with folded arms.

“...Does this mean I’m not getting paid this week?” whimpered Lightning Dust.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Giant gnarled trees stretching as far as the eye could see, covered the horizon for miles all around. It was no surprise why it was called the ‘Everfree’ Forest. The thick twisted branches of the oak trees entwined with each other blocking out the night sky. The eyes of unknown creatures peered behind branches reflecting what little light there was in the forest.

“Is this a dream?...” echoed a voice.

Princess Luna trotted through the dark forest. No stars or moon shone overhead, however Luna didn’t have a problem following the path through the forest. She was accustomed to the darkness. 

‘How is this possible? A dream in which I have no control? Unless, this isn’t a dream?’

A low rumbling whisper called out from the darkness to the alicorn.

“Come…”

Luna hesitantly pressed forward into the dark forest. She had never experienced a dream that she hadn’t created or entered herself. She was curious to find out why exactly she couldn’t control this dream. The voice came again, but this time louder than before.

“Come…”

“Who’s there!” shouted Luna.

“COME!” cried out the distant voice.

The ground quaked and the trees rustled from the heavy disembodied voice. Whatever was calling out to Luna was close. The princess cleared through a thicket of branches and shrubs and stepped out into a wide open area.

“Woah!” shouted Luna.

She almost hadn’t noticed that the path before her ended had at the foot of a massive canyon. Luna leaned over and looked down the huge crevice, she couldn't see how far down it went or how long it ran across. 

“Luna…” moaned a familiar voice.

The princess of the night turned around, she couldn’t believe her eyes. Discord the spirit of disharmony was chained against a nearby dead oak tree. The draconequus was malnourished, his arms skinny and weak. Discord slowly looked up at Luna and tried to pull against the chains that bound him. The alicorn stepped forward shaking her head in shock.

“Discord?... What happened to you? Who did this?!...” inquired the pony.

Discord eyes slowly rolled down and gazed at Luna.

“You have to run… he’s… back…” stuttered Discord.

“I don’t understand! Who’s back?!” cried Luna.

“run… YOU MUST RUN!” yelled the draconequus as the forest trees in the distance began to collapse. 

Something was coming, something big. Luna slowly stepped back as she watched the tall trees in the distance capsize. The alicorn turned around and galloped down the path she had original came from. She jumped up and spread her wings, but she fell flat on her face. Luna looked back and saw that her wings had vanished.

“What the hell!” cried the pony as she picked herself up and dashed forward.

Whatever she was running from was right behind her. She could feel something breathing down her neck, she refused to look back, she just continued to focus on moving as fast as possible and then everything vanished.

Princess Luna woke up to find herself safe in her bedroom in Canterlot. The pony rubbed her eyes and opened the blinds. The sun shone brightly overhead, Luna quickly closed the blinds and trotted back to her bedside.

‘Was that a dream... that I had no control over? That’s not possible...’

Luna trotted out of her bedroom, she was off to talk to her sister. Princess Celestia was busy signing documents and approving order’s in her study room when she heard a knocking at her door. Celestia looked up from her work.

“Come in.”

Princess Luna trotted in and closed the door behind her.

"Luna you're up?" 

Celestia was shocked to see her sister up during the middle of the day. She set a stack of paper aside and stood up and approached her sister.

“Is something the matter?”

Luna had a bothersome look on her face that made Celestia uneasy. The princess of the night looked up at her sister.

“Sister, has there been any sign of Discord?”

“Not since Ajax attack Canterlot. Why do you ask? Don’t tell me he has betrayed us again…”

Luna shook her head, she sat down in one of the chairs facing Celestia’s desk. 

“I had a dream, one that I couldn’t control… In this dream I saw something… Well, I didn’t see it, but I could feel it’s presence. It wasn’t like anything I have ever felt before. So much evil, so much hatred, I saw Discord chained against a tree. It looked like he had been tortured… or something, I don’t know… Ajax was in charge of guarding the Everfree Scar, right? He hasn’t been at his post for nearly three months now… Why hasn’t there been any sightings of monsters pouring out of the Everfree Scar?”

Celestia shrugged as she sat back down in her chair.

“I am not sure, honestly. You raise a good point, but we have been too busy to pay matters like that any mind. After this is all over I suppose we should setup some kind of outpost at the Everfree Scar, just in case.” claimed Celestia.

“I would like to gather a search team and go check it out, so I can set my mind at ease, sister.” insisted Luna.

Celestia shook her head.

“I can’t allow something like that. It’s too dangerous and we are already short hooved as it is. I am sure that Discord is more than capable of looking after himself. We must focus on defeating Ajax more than anything else right now.”

Luna nodded slowly as she accepted her sister’s orders. The dark lavender pony trotted out of the room without a word. She knew that dreams were messages and she couldn’t ignore this one for sure.
> Chapter Eight
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The static sound of drilling and grinding of metal echoed throughout a tiny, cluttered room. The room was filled with towers of scrap and steel; steel that reeked of oil and polish. Dozens of exotic components ranging from wiring to steel plating, filled nearly every inch of the room. A figure hunched over a bright blue flame sat in a tiny cove in the corner of the room.

Ajax wiped his forehead with his right arm as he continued to weld together two sheets of steel. The man was wearing a pair of goggles, his usual attire replaced with tattered rags covered in stains and splashes of oil. The tips of his fingers had turned black, covered in burns. He had obviously been working for quite some time.

        “No, no, no! This isn’t right!” growled the human as he looked down at the deformed piece of metal he had created. The metal was still red hot as Ajax slowly rotated it, his eyes fixated on the scalding metal as he grinded it against a slab of iron.

        “This doesn’t look anything like the picture in Jack's notebook...”

        Ajax placed the steel part back over the blue flame, bringing it out of the fire every few seconds as he looked back at an ancient stack of papers on a nearby desk. The man continued to swear loudly as he tried to shape the metal.

        There was a knock on the door.

        “Come in,” sighed Ajax as he shook his head, disappointed in his metal working skills.

        A hoof slowly pushed open the door as Trixie popped her head in and glanced around the room. The unicorn caught sight of the distant blue light and tried to find safe passage across the indoor junkyard. The stench of ancient rust and dissolved copper wiring made the journey nearly unbearably for the unicorn, but after a few minutes Trixie finally found her way across the room and onto a metal bench behind Ajax. The unicorn attempted to peer over the human’s shoulder, trying to figure out what he was doing, but she could never get a good view. Defeated, Trixie decided to just ask Ajax what he was up to.

        “What are you doing?” she said.

        Ajax sighed as he raised his right arm into the air and waved it back and forth. Trixie’s eyes focused on the stub at the end of Ajax’s arm. She had nearly forgotten that Ajax was currently missing his right hand. The gauntlet that he had been using as a replacement was shattered during his battle with Celestia.

        “You’re making yourself another hand? I didn’t know you were skilled with metal crafting,” said Trixie.

        Ajax shut his eyes and leaned back against the metal chair, taking a deep breath before responding to Trixie.

        “I am not skilled in any sort of way with metal crafting… I just thought that if I followed Jack's notes closely, I could at least replicate the process that he had originally used to create my old hand; but these notes aren’t as easy to follow as I had hoped....”

        Ajax placed his piece of metal back down on a nearby table and looked over at the old papers that were Jax’s notes. He scratched the back of his head and let out another frustrated sigh. He couldn't figure out where he had gone wrong. Trixie was finally able to take a quick glance at the human’s craftsmanship. 

        “Oh… well, it’s not that bad…” she lied.

        The hunk of metal didn’t even resemble a human hand in the slightest. Ajax had made a glob of twisted metal that would make any blacksmith cry. The man grew more disappointed with himself by the minute. After he could no longer could stand the sight of his failure, he discarded the chunk of deformed metal into a nearby corner of scrap.

The man turned around and faced Trixie.

        “So, why exactly are you here? Do you need something?” he asked.

        “Oh, well now that you mention it, there’s a little problem,” she said.

        Ajax sighed and rubbed his forehead.

        “Oh, for fu… what is it now?...” he asked.

        Trixie let out a small cough into her hoof as she prepared to inform Ajax about the bad news.

        “So... you know that big machine that makes all the robots and what not?” said Trixie, as she slowly clopped her front hooves together.

        Ajax raised an eyebrow and folded his arms.

        “Yea?...” said Ajax.

        “...Well, its broken.”

        “What!?”

        The man stormed out of the room and rushed down to the factory floor. Ajax stepped out of an elevator and saw, for the first time ever, the massive cavern created by the robot factory. The robot factory had to continually keep digging and digging in order to provide the needed materials to create the amount of soldiers Ajax desired. The result of this digging was a massive series of empty caverns that dug deep below the vault and into the polar ice caps of the north. Ajax’s vault sat on top of hundreds upon hundreds of tunnels deep below the ground. However, none of the factory lights were on, no robots were in sight, and no factory was in sight; it almost seemed like Ajax had been robbed.

        “Where are all my robots?!” shouted Ajax.

The human looked around, but couldn’t find a single trace of artificial life. Nothing responded to the human’s cry. Something must have gone horribly wrong. Ajax heard the sounds of wheels drifting. He turned to the noise and saw a robot sliding out of the darkness ,revving its two tiny wheels as hard as it could. The little screen on the robot displaced a frowny face.

:(

The tiny machine spun around Ajax, and hid behind one of his legs. The little robot stared back into the darkness still shaking. Ajax looked down at the scared little robot.

        “You, robot, where are the others?” he asked.

        “Haven’t you heard?! This place is haunted!” cried the little machine.

        “We dug too far down! We hit something... something unholy!!! We should’ve stopped digging when we had the chance!!! We’re doomed! WE’RE ALL DOOMED!” The machine  swerved back into the darkness and disappeared in the shadows.

        Ajax grit his teeth as he watched the robot scurry away.

        “Oh, woe is me! When did I ever became the owner of such pitiful creations!” groaned Ajax as he walked over to the breaker box.

        The man opened the steel frame and flipped all the switches, but nothing happened. Ajax tried to flip each switch again, but still, nothing but darkness.

        ‘What is this, the beginning of a horror story!? What could we have possibly found digging into the northern ice caps of Equestria?!’

        Ajax walked over to a different steel box and began to flip switches, but still, nothing happened. The man rolled his eyes as he dug into his pockets and pulled out a box of matches. He lit a match and walked off into the darkness, searching for an answer as to what was going on.

Ajax could only see an arms length in front of him. Sadly his black fire didn’t generate a light that could illuminate a dark room. Black fire absorbed light rather than generated it.

A gust of cold wind blew out the human’s match.

‘What? How is there wind indoors?’ He reached into his back pocket for another match. 

Suddenly a shadowy figure bolted out the darkness and crashed into him, knocking him onto the ground. Ajax flailed around in the darkness, his back pressing against the snow on the tunnel floor. The pitch black darkness around Ajax receded when a glowing green horn illuminated the ground around him. Queen Chrysalis stared directly at Ajax. She had crashed into him and was now sitting on top of him. The human and pony took a brief moment to identify one another.

        “Get off of me!” shouted Ajax when he realized that it was Queen Chrysalis who was sitting on top of him.

        Chrysalis jumped back and brushed herself off. The changeling queen shot Ajax a look of contempt as he slowly stood up. Ajax dusted himself off and looked up at the changeling.

        “Don’t look at me like that! Why are you down here running around in the darkness like some sort of maniac?!” shouted Ajax.

        “How ungrateful! I come down h-” A loud crash interrupted the changeling queen’s rebuttal.

Chrysalis nearly screamed, but managed to cover her mouth with her hooves at the last minute. Ajax raised an eyebrow as a childish grin came across his face.

        “Are you scared, Chrysalis?” he asked.

        “What! Don’t be absurd I was just caught off-guard! That’s all.” 

        The man rolled his eyes.

        “Well, I guess since you’re not the one behind this after all… We should find out what’s going on here, together.  We’ll start by finding out what that noise was… A changeling queen isn’t scared of anything right?”

        Chrysalis shot Ajax a stern look.

        “Listen, when your robot’s said that the factory was haunted I didn’t believe it either, but I have seen something, something lurking in the shadows, something...evil. You may think this is some type of joke, but there really is something evil down here haunting this place...”

        “Ooooooooooooooooooooh. So you are scared?” replied Ajax.

        “NO! HOW DA-” Another loud crash interrupted Chrysalis, but this time it was much closer than before. 

Both Chrysalis and Ajax looked off into the direction where the noise had came from. The human and pony waited, silently, but nothing happened. Ajax stepped forward and gave Chrysalis a pat on the back.

        “You’re the one with the light, so go ahead, lead the way.”

        Chrysalis grumbled something vulgar before taking a deep breath and trotting off into the darkness. Chrysalis and Ajax continued to wander blindly in the dark halls, lead only by Chrysalis’ glowing horn. As they turned a nearby corner, a metal exoskeleton of a robot came flying out of nowhere towards Chrysalis. The changeling quickly dodged the robotic husk, but Ajax’s mind was elsewhere. The man looked forward and gasped. He flinched and threw out both of his arms at the robot; however, nothing happened. Ajax slowly opened one eye and saw the deactive robot floating in front of him, encased in a bright green glob of magic.

        Ajax was as red as a cherry when he realized Chrysalis had just pranked him.

        “What’s the matter Ajax?... Scared?” chuckled the changeling.

        “Why you…” he growled.

        “I don’t think I could hate you any more even if I tried, Chrysalis…” he added.

        Chrysalis took a moment to think about what he had just said. The changeling came up with an idea that gave her a wicked grin.

        “Really?... What if I did something like... this?”

        In a quick burst of green fire, Queen Chrysalis transformed into Princess Celestia. Chrysalis laughed when she saw Ajax’s dumbfounded expression, but Ajax didn’t find it as funny. He rushed forward and pressed the edge of his sword against the image of Celestia’s neck. 

        “It’s not wise to look like that around me, Chrysalis. Don’t tell me you forgot how I spared your life? Why would you want to throw it away all of a sudden? Quit messing around. You’re helpful, but I won’t lose any sleep if I end up killing you…”

        Chrysalis changed back into her normal self without a word. She turned around and walked away from Ajax. The man slowly sheathed his sword and followed after the alicorn. 

        Queen Chrysalis looked back at Ajax.

        “I have been meaning to ask you; why didn’t you kill me? You mustn’t think that just because you spared me my life that I am no longer going to try and kill you... So why do you keep me around knowing that I could turn on you at any moment?” she asked.

        Ajax shrugged.

        “I don’t need to explain myself to you. However, I can guarantee you that I don’t keep you around for your ‘good’ looks.”

        Chrysalis chuckled. She could tell that Ajax was avoiding the question.

        “I thought it might have been because you were showing mercy, but that’s not the human prince that I know… I have never known you to show such disposition such as mercy,” said Chrysalis.

        “...Neither have I… So, clearly, it mustn’t have been mercy…” said Ajax.

        The human and changeling came upon a massive wall of machinery. They had finally found the factory that was responsible for creating every single soldier. Ajax inspected the massive treads that wheeled the factory around, but they were fine. Surprisingly, the machine looked completely fine, no signs of any type of malfunctions or errors. All the lights were still flickering and everything seemed intact.

        But why did it stop…?

Ajax was about to step forward and inspect the machinery when Chrysalis cried out.

        “DID YOU JUST GRAB MY FLANK!!!”

        “W-WHAT!?... !!! THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU!?” responded Ajax.

        “What’s wrong with me!? Your the one grabbing the hides of ponies in the dark!”

        “I didn’t do anything along those lines you deceptive harlot!” shouted Ajax.

        Then, Ajax and Chrysalis both felt an ominous presence fill the room, they weren’t alone. Something else was down here with them. The changeling and human found their backs pressing against each other as black clouds of smoke began to surround the flustered villains.The dark clouds drifted off into a wall of thick cracked ice, it was the ice that the robot factory had recently been drilling into...

Two red green eyes appeared on the white wall of ice and glared at Ajax and Chrysalis.

        “Are you the ones responsible for disturbing me?...” whispered a disembodied voice.

        “Tell me. Who the hell are you?” shouted Ajax as he pointed his sword towards the two glowing green eyes. Queen Chrysalis charged her horn with green magic ready to fight alongside Ajax against the shadowy entity. 

The shadowy figure however didn’t answer the human. It continued to look up and down its two new guests, analysing every last one of their features.

        “I swear, if you're the one behind my factory being shut dow-”  The shadowy figure interrupted Ajax, its sinister voice echoing throughout the icy cavern.

        “A changeling… A changeling queen and a human!... Human, you look familiar… I believe we have met before...”

        Ajax spat on the floor, but didn’t take his eyes off the shadowy figure behind the wall of ice.

        “Is that so? I don’t think I could say the same…”

        This mysterious voice chuckled at the man.

        “Yes, I remember now... I knew your father, he was a strong, wise, and respectable man…” 

        “I don’t think I could say the same to that either…” said Ajax.

        Chrysalis slammed her hoof on the ground and stepped forward.

        “Enough idle banter, I demand you tell me who you are right now!” 

        The two red eyes focused their gaze on the changeling as the angered voice responded.

        “Who am I? You dare dig into my domain and demand me to answer your questions?!”

Ajax laughed at the shadowy stranger. 

“Wait, wait, wait, so you’re telling me that you live under the northern icecaps? What are you supposed to be? Jack Frost? Santa Claus? Well, I have some bad news for whoever you are. I am going to drill through your “home” and there is nothing you can do to stop me.”

The entire cavern shook after Ajax challenged the shade. Clearly the shadowy enigma wasn’t Santa Claus or Jack Frost. It just didn’t seem to have much of a holiday spirit...

        “Watch your tongue child!” roared the voice.

        “Watch my tongue? I don’t fear you…... Sombra.”

        The two burning red eyes shot wide when Ajax called King Sombra by his name.

        Ajax smiled after seeing that he hit the nail on the head.

“Sombra, I heard that you were defeated by six pitiful ponies. How shameful, a king should never fall so low. I truly feel sorry for you!” he laughed.

        King Sombra took a shadowy form and shot towards the human, but Ajax brushed away the twisting smoke with one swing of his sword. Sombra was weak, still imprisoned deep beneath the ice. The unicorn could only project a fraction of his power out of his icy prison.

 Sombra stood proud before Ajax and Chrysalis, with his thick grey armor and elegant red cloak.

Then, Ajax had an idea. He could use Sombra’s situation to his advantage. The man stepped before the shadowy unicorn and sheathed his sword.

        “King Sombra, I have a proposal for you. From a king to a king… I will free you from your icy prison, as long as you help me exact my revenge on Celestia… Unless you like it down here more than you like it at the Crystal Empire?”

        The burning eyes narrowed their gaze on the human. 

        “I can agree to that, Ajax... But I have another proposal as well. From a king to a king… Your father knew the true value of power, but I wonder if he taught it to you… I will show you where you can find unlimited power, under one condition…”

        Ajax grinned widely at the frozen king.

        “Oh, I like the sound of this… Tell me Sombra. What could you possibly want in return for unlimited power?” he said.

        “Bring me… the Crystal Heart…” responded Sombra.

        King Sombra had gained Ajax’s attention, the man was always looking for power. With power you can destroy whomever you want. Take whatever you want.

Do... whatever you want.

        “Alright Sombra, we have a deal. I will bring you the Crystal Heart for ‘unlimited power’… So, what kind of power are we talking about here?”

        The unicorn grinned when he saw that he had peaked Ajax’s interest. King Sombra decided to tell the human about the miraculous power he had in store for him.

        “The Elements of Harmony are truly a force to be reckoned with… But in order to maintain a true balance there is a counterpart… The Elements of Chaos… Six crystals, each one the opposite of an element of harmony. Hidden from Equestria, but I know where they are… I think you would be a perfect candidate to wield their tremendous power… Power that not even I would dare trifle with...”

        Ajax shook his head and wagged a finger back and forth at Sombra.

        “Do you honestly think that I am going to believe something like that? I know the Elements of Chaos exist, but I doubt you know their whereabouts…”
        
        The image of Sombra grinned at the human.

        “I understand your skepticism. That’s why I invite you to seek them out and use the power that they bestow upon you to retrieve the Crystal Heart… Think of it as a sign of my good faith towards you…”

        A slab of thin ice floated towards Ajax. The man grabbed it and saw that Sombra had engraved a map on it.

        “Really? A map out of ice? I guess if it’s all that you got,” sighed Ajax as he waved the solid map around.

        Ajax turned around and shot Sombra a thumbs up as he walked away.

        “I will be back shortly… Don’t go anywhere.”

        Chrysalis quickly caught up to the human as the factory lighting came back online. She trotted behind Ajax silently, until they both reached the elevator. Ajax was still busy studying the map, but looked over at Chrysalis as they began to ascend through the vault.

        “I will leave you in charge while I am gone. I plan on taking Trixie with me for this and sadly you’re a better candidate to leave in charge than Lightning Dust…”

        Chrysalis grit her teeth at the man.

        “Listen, I want to kill you. More than anything in the world I still want you dead. I will not hesitate to strike you down when I am given the chance… How can you act so casually around me, knowing that I want to kill you!?”

        The elevator doors opened up. Ajax stepped out and looked back at Chrysalis before the doors closed.

        “I don’t know… I guess i’m just hoping that you will wait for me to kill Celestia first. After that I don’t really care what happens to me. I can die happy… So do me a favor. Please wait a bit before you try to kill me. Ok?” Ajax waved an arm as he began to walk away from the elevator. “Take good care of the place while i’m gone…Ok?”

        Chrysalis had nothing left to say. She just waited quietly for the twin metal doors of the elevator to close...


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        It was a partly cloudy day in Ponyville. However, the sounds of birds chirping and the smell of fresh flowers created a peaceful atmosphere. Things in ponyville had finally settled down a bit since Ajax’s attack on Canterlot. The six ponies finally had the time to meet up and forget about their troubles. Everypony was trying to act as casual as possible, but it was easy to see that the war was gnawing at the back of everypony’s mind. Fluttershy sat by herself on a wooden bench under a tall oak tree far away from her friends.

The yellow pegasus poked at a slice of uneaten cake. She worried about the war more than anypony else. Ajax may lost the battle at Canterlot, but she knew that it wouldn’t be long until he attacked again… Fluttershy felt the bench shake as Pinkie Pie plopped down next to her.

        “Heya Fluttershy! Whacha doing?” asked the energetic pony.

        Pinkie Pie had noticed that Fluttershy was feeling down and decided to try and cheer her up. The bright pink pony had a smile on her face like no other. She was very good at hiding her feelings about the war.

        Or maybe she wasn’t bothered by it at all.

        “Oh, I…” mumbled Fluttershy.

        Pinkie Pie gasped when she laid her eyes upon Fluttershy’s uneaten piece of cake.

        “Fluttershy, did you not like the cake I made?” she asked.

        The yellow pegasus shook her head and looked back down at the slice of pink cake.

        “No, I like the cake, it’s just…”

        “Juuust whaaat?” inquired the pink pony.

        “I am just upset that when this is all over everypony is going to have to split up again....”

        Pinkie Pie threw a hoof around Fluttershy.

        “Aw, don’t cha worry. It won’t be long before we see each other again,” assured Pinkie Pie in an attempt to cheer up her friend.

        “But what if we don’t see each other again?! What if none of you come back?!” yelled Fluttershy.

        Rainbow Dash, Twilight, Rarity and Applejack turned to the sound of Fluttershy's shouting. Pinkie Pie was speechless, she didn’t expect Fluttershy to blurt out something like that. 

        “H-hey Fluttershy don’t worry about us. We’ll be fine.” said Pinkie Pie.

        Fluttershy covered her face with her hooves as she flew away. Rainbow Dash turned back to everypony else before going after her.
        
        “Don’t worry, I’ll go get her. She’s still a bit shaken up from the ponynapping incident...”

        The blue pegasus darted after Fluttershy. She chased her friend all the back to her cottage. Rainbow Dash knocked on the cottage door, but when she didn’t receive an answer after knocking on her door for the third time, let herself in.

        “Fluttershy?... Fluttershy where are you? Everypony is worried about you...”

        Rainbow Dash could hear a quiet sniveling coming from a nearby corner. Angel Bunny sat on top of Fluttershy’s pink mane trying to comfort her. Fluttershy was huddled up in the fetal position, hiding her crying face from Rainbow Dash. The light blue pegasus hesitantly trotted forward.
        
        “Fluttershy, what’s the matter?”

        The yellow pegasus looked up at Rainbow Dash with tearful eyes.

        “I’m scared Rainbow Dash, I don’t want to lose a friend to the war. Why can’t they send other ponies to fight instead of you? Why does it have to be my friends on the front line! If I were to lose even one of you… I don’t know what I would do…”

        Rainbow Dash sat down next to Fluttershy.

        “No need to worry, we’ll be fine… Why are you so upset about this all of a sudden?…”

        Fluttershy wiped away her tears and set Angel Bunny aside. The yellow pegasus took a deep breath before speaking.

        “When I tended to Ajax’s wounds… him and I chatted for a little bit… He warned me that all my friends would surely die unless I was able to convince them to back out of the war. I don’t want to anything bad to happen, so please for the sake of your own safety you mustn’t go back out there again. None of you should return to Canterlot...”

        Rainbow Dash frowned at Fluttershy.

        “I know you’re upset, we are all lucky to have a friend who's so worried about us, but you can’t act so selfish Fluttershy…”

        The yellow pony’s eyes went wide after Rainbow Dash called her selfish.

        “W-what? D-do you really think that I’m selfish?”

        Rainbow Dash shot the teary-wide eyed pegasus the best tough look she could give.

        “All of Equestria is depending on us to use the powers given to us by the Elements of Harmony to win this war. We don’t want to go out there and fight either, Fluttershy. We’re terrified and so damn scared, but we push on… You know why? To back down would be an act of betrayal to all of Equestria, we would abandon the friendship and harmony that we stand for. If you truly wish for us to abandon the war, you’re wishing for Equestria to lose the war!”

        Fluttershy was silent. She gathered all her willpower to hold back her tears.

        “I-Im sorry… I just wanted…”

        Rainbow Dash hugged Fluttershy tightly.

        “It’s okay. I know you only were looking out for us. We’ll be fine, I promise. You’ll have to make sure that Ponyville is okay though while we're gone. We’re counting on you.”

        Rainbow Dash gave Fluttershy a victorious grin. The yellow pony returned the determined pegasus a gentle smile. Fluttershy realized that her friends would never back down. They knew the risks they were taking in fighting the war, but they had an obligation, one that they couldn’t explain. They had to make sure that Equestria was in a state of harmony, it was as if the Elements of Harmony themselves were driving the ponies into battle. 


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


“Why don’t you ever take me someplace nice…” groaned Trixie.

        Ajax and Trixie were marching across a plain of grey gravel. Tall dark peaks of stone rose out of the ground in the distance, creating a barren landscape with a jagged horizon. The white haired man looked back at the unicorn. 

        “I’ll tell you what. When this is all over we can take a week off to relax at the beach.” 

        Ajax laughed as he looked back forward. Trixie let out an extremely audible sigh, making sure Ajax could hear her.

        “Sadly, I really want to believe that,” she said.

        The sound of gravel crunching under steel boots and hooves continued for quite some time. Grey clouds hovering above complimented the dull landscape. Trixie sighed again. This scenery was by far the most depressing thing she had seen for quite some time. There wasn’t even a hint of life for miles all around; only rocks, boulders, sand and dust. The unicorn began to play a game of seeing how many times she could continually kick the same stone without letting it fall behind. Trixie was almost about to beat her high score when Ajax interrupted her focus.

        “So, Trixie, You know a lot about me, but I don’t know much about you.”

        The unicorn looked back at the small stone that she had just barely missed kicking with her hoof. Ajax glanced over his shoulder and figured that Trixie mustn't have heard him. He decided to ask her a question.

        “You have any family, Trixie?”

        The unicorn shook her head.

        “No, not really.”

        Ajax continued to march forward as he asked the pony further questions.

        “You must’ve come from somewhere. Who raised you?”

        Trixie began to kick another rock with her hooves as she thought about the past.

        “Well, I was pretty much a nopony when I was younger. I had to use my magic in order to get by…”

        “You didn’t have parents?”

        “I did… kinda.”

        “Kinda?” said Ajax raising an eyebrow.

        “I guess you could call them my parents…”

        Ajax tapped the bottom of his chin as he thought about which direction they should head in. He continued his conversation with Trixie while he thought about it.

        “What happened?”

        Trixie kicked the rock absentmindedly. When she caught up to the stone, she didn’t pay it any mind.

        “I was the youngest of three daughters, neither my sisters nor my parents seemed to take too kindly to me… You see my father was a pegasus and my mother was an earth pony. Neither of them had any unicorn ancestors, so it was impossible for them to have a unicorn child. When I was born my father accused my mother of cheating on him... My mom insisted that she had unicorn blood on her side of the family, but she could never come up with any solid evidence to prove it.
My father saw me as a reminder of my mothers sin. My mother saw me as a reminder to why her marriage had fallen apart. My sisters blamed me for all their mischievous deeds. I couldn’t take the abuse any longer… so I ran away. It was the best decision of my life.”

        Ajax stopped and turned to face Trixie.

        “I didn’t know you had such a troubled past. Obviously you did pretty well for yourself.”

        Trixie laughed at Ajax’s comment.

        “What makes you say that?”

        Ajax began to walk across the gravel plain again.

        “If someone can come out of a situation like that and still be as amiable as you, well, they have my utmost respect. Clearly you were able to overcome your hardships and strive to achieve your goal of becoming an esteemed wizard. To me that is most impressive.”

Trixie smiled and began to kick around another rock.

“Well of course! It was a simple feat for the Great and Powerful Trixie…”

Ajax looked back at Trixie with a gentle smile.

“See that’s what I am talking about. You are pretty confident in yourself no matter the subject or situation,” he said.

“You don’t think I am arrogant?” asked Trixie.

“Me? No way, the amount of dedication you put towards studying in the library is only a testament to your determination to be the best.”

“Oh…” said Trixie.

        Trixie smiled. She had always boasted about herself, but rarely received compliments from others. Well, compliments from others that weren’t idiots...

“What about you? What was your family like?” asked the unicorn.

Ajax didn’t even hesitate with his answer, as if he had already anticipated the  pony’s question.

“I didn’t have a family.”

“Oh come now, I told you where I came from. Now it’s your turn,” replied Trixie.

Ajax rolled his eyes.

“Very well... When I was young my mother tried to save me by plucking me from my crib during the middle of the night and fleeing the capital city… My father caught her and killed her with his own sword.”

Trixie’s face darkened.

“Why?...” she asked.

“My mother knew what my father intended to do with me. She didn’t want to have her child raised to become an uncompassionate monster. I commend her though, she did try her best to save me…”

Trixie was silen. Ajax decided to continue on with his story.

“My only other sibling was murdered in cold blood as well. I had an older sister whom was executed, since my father deemed her rebellious and useless. He no longer needed her since he now had been gifted with a son.”

Trixie had a painful expression on her face. She knew Ajax had been through a lot, but it was starting to look like the man had suffered his whole life, since the day of his birth.

“So, what about your father?” asked Trixie.

“I killed him.” added Ajax, as if he had forgotten a minor detail.

Ajax looked back at Trixie with emotionless jade eyes.

“Unlike you Trixie, I didn’t come out of my dysfunctional family so well…”

Trixie waited for Ajax to turn back around before whispering under her breath.

“Don’t be so sure… you didn’t turn out as bad as you think… Ajax...”

In the horizon a cluster of grey peaks and spiraling stone towers came into view. After a few more minutes, Trixie could tell that they were headed towards a city. She could make out towers and a few buildings surrounded by a fortified grey wall. 

“Who in their right mind would choose to live out here in the middle of nowhere?” thought the unicorn.

Ajax stopped at the broken gate of the outer city wall. He drew his sword with his only hand and looked back at Trixie.

“Behold, the once great city, Corcilla. Home of the hemomancers... Now the dead heart… Home to one of the most ancient races to ever exist in Equestria.”

“You’re right about the dead part…” remarked Trixie.

        She was right, there wasn’t even a hint of vegetation for miles all around.

“Well, they were wiped out a thousand years ago so this place hasn’t been taken care of. Sad, they were truly a marvelous species…... Oh well, I suppose we should get to work. King Sombra said that the Elements of Chaos were hidden within the ruins of this city.”

Trixie and Ajax stepped inside the jagged unsymmetrical city. Everywhere they looked there was a sharp edge protruding out of something. Tall crooked grey towers that seemed to have been carved out of a giant slab of stone dug like knives into the grey sky. Trixie’s leg scraped against a sharp stone that was sticking out of a wall.

“Ouch! This city might as well have been a meat grinder! How could anyone live in such a dangerous city.” 

Ajax looked back at Trixie while trying to tip toe between a wall of spikes.

“Remember they were beings created solely out of blood. They could regenerate from any physical wound. Hell, even severing a hemomancer in half proved useless. I figure they made their home like this in order to keep out any intruders, or spies…”

“Sheesh! How does a race like that go extinct?” asked Trixie.

“Well, they were few in number. Only one-thousand hemomancers ever existed. The race was incapable of reproducing. Whenever a hemomancer died their blood would travel back to Corcilla and pour into a giant well of blood, which would then give birth to a new hemomancer. Therefore a cycle of life an death was created and although they couldn’t have children, their numbers would never dwindle… Until they were cursed.”

Trixie looked up. She was balancing on one hoof, surrounded by dozens upon dozens of spikes. The pony tried to talk without losing her balance.

“A curse?” she asked.

Ajax extended his large black blade towards Trixie. The unicorn hopped onto the man’s enormous sword and was set down on a less hazardous path.

“Yes, a curse. You know Starswirl the Bearded, but what you don’t know was that he learned magic alongside a colleague. One whose magic could even rival that of the arcane wizard Starswirl. He was the first warlock ever in all of Equestria and introduced new schools of dark magic to its lands. 
His name was Riggy Mortis. Riggy placed a curse on the hemomancers that prevented their blood from returning back to the bloodwell, their blood would turn to a black crust when they died. With no way to reproduce or come back to life, slowly, one by one the hemomancers began to vanish…”

Trixie was now following closely behind Ajax, knowing that he would always find the less dangerous path.

        “You sure do know a lot about hemomancers…” said Trixie.

        “Of course I do. One of my best friends was a hemomancer. Vyndon, remember?” said Ajax. “

        Trixie caught something moving in the corner of her eye. 

        “I SAW SOMETHING! SOMETHING JUST MOVED!”

        Ajax shook his head at the frightened unicorn.

        “I already told you, Trixie. All the hemomancers are gone, this place is abandoned.”

        Right after the man finished speaking he noticed something move out of the corner of his eye. Ajax clenched his eyes shut and shouted at Trixie.

        “TRIXIE CLOSE YOUR EYES RIGHT NOW!”

        The unicorn didn’t even hesitate, she immediately closed her eyes. Moments afterwards Trixie began to hear something slither around them.

        “TRIXIE, WHATEVER YOU DO DON’T OPEN YOUR EYES NO MATTER WHAT YOU HEAR!” shouted Ajax.

        “There’s no need to shout… You’ll wake everyone up…” hissed a grim voice.

        Ajax grit his teeth and clenched his eyes even tighter.

        “Gorgon….. What are you doing here… This isn’t your home…”

        The high-pitched voice gave a horrifying cackle before answering the man. A twisted laugh that would make anyone’s hair stand up and skin crawl.

        “I haven’t seen a human in quite some time… I imagine it would be quite difficult for you and your friend here to stop me from turning you into a nice stew…” said the gorgon voice.

        A different voice interrupted the high-pitched monster. Unlike the first voice, the new voice spoke slowly and softly. It sounded as if belonged to a seductive female.

        “Don’t you dare lay a finger on him… He’s mine…” said the attractive voice.

        Trixie gulped, she knew what a gorgon was. Her hopes had grown dim after hearing Ajax say that word. Gorgons… a cursed race of snake-like women, with sharp claws and razor-like teeth, and of course, their signature snake hair. One glance at these foul creatures and you would be turned to stone, similar to a cockatrice.

        Strangely, Ajax grew calmer after hearing the second voice. The man eased up a bit and waited to see what was going to happen. The first gorgon began to scream at the second one.

        “Sister! How dare you interfere with my prey! They are mine! I have eaten field mice for far too long. I won’t just let you come and take my food away!” squealed the high-pitched voice.

        Ajax didn’t seem to pay the first voice any mind. After hearing the second voice he seemed pretty confident that he was no longer in danger. He turned his head toward the direction of the sensual female voice, but still kept his eyes shut.

        “Medusa… forgive me if I don’t open my eyes... You can’t trust anyone these days. Anyways, how are things?”

        Medusa was no longer in the direction Ajax was facing. The gorgon queen was now directly behind him. Ajax jumped a bit when he heard the gorgon’s voice behind him.

        “Such a casual tone,” she said.

        Ajax tensed up a bit.

        “Uh, should it not be?” he said.

        “That’s no way to properly greet a queen. Even if you are a king, you must show some manners.”

        “Ah, I am terribly sorry oh beautiful Medusa,” said Ajax as he bowed in the direction of the voice.

        “Save it. Honestly, I am surprised to see that you're still alive. I don’t remember humans living for so long… Now, tell me, why shouldn’t I turn you into a statue and keep you here with me forever, Ajax?”

        Trixie backed up slowly and bumped into Ajax. The unicorn tried to whisper in the human’s general direction.

        “You mind explaining what’s going on here?!” whispered Trixie.

        “Relax, me and Medusa go way back,” he said.

        “How can you say such a thing so casually!”

        Trixie felt a sharp claw dragging across the back of her coat, sending shivers down her spine.

        “This your little companion? Aw, she’s adorable… I never thought you would adopt a pony for a pet,” giggled the luscious voice.

Ajax started to talk, he didn’t want Trixie to go off on Medusa for calling her his pet. 

“So, Medusa!... You still owe me for what I did all those years ago. Remember?… So, how about you repay me that favor?”

        Two devilish claws laid themselves across Ajax’s shoulders. Ajax couldn’t help but squirm when he felt the snake-like fingers roll towards his neck. Medusa began to whisper into his ear.

        “I suppose I could… What do you have in mind?” asked the attractive voice. 

        “Oh god help me.” thought the man.

        Ajax took a deep breath.

        “The Elements of Chaos… Tell me where they are,” he said.

        For a while there was no response, as if Ajax’s request had caused the two gorgons to vanish. Then Ajax heard something drop before his feet.

        “There you are… If anyone asks you didn’t get them from us… Now we’re even... Be careful, we were asked to protect these in secret for a reason. Their power might be more than you bargained for... Are you sure you are able to pay the price for their power? 
I wonder; what has made the once proud prince I knew into such a power hungry king? You used to be sooo cute...”

        Medusa dragged one of her boney fingers across Ajax’s cheek. Suddenly he grabbed the gorgon’s hand and pulled her in close. 

        “Listen very closely, Medusa. I will do anything, becoming anything, give anything, as long as I receive the power I need to defeat Celestia. There is no price that I am not willing to pay. There is no journey I am not willing to make. There is nothing that I wouldn’t do…” 

        Medusa leaned even closer and whispered into the man’s ear.

        “Good… Because the only thing you have left to offer… is your soul. If you weren’t a monster before, you’ll surely be one now...”

        Ajax slowly let go of the gorgon. The slippery, bone finger pushed away a misplaced strand of his white hair before disappearing for good.

That was the last Ajax and Trixie heard from Medusa or the other gorgon voice. Ajax hesitantly reached out in front of him searching for Trixie.

        “Trixie? Are you there?” he asked.

        “Yea... Are they gone?” she replied.

        “I don’t know… Use your magic to sweep the area.” 

        Trixie release a blight blue wave of magic out of her horn creating a dome of blue light that expanded outwards. After waiting for the spell to finish Trixie opened her eyes.

        “They’re gone…”

        Ajax opened his eyes and immediately looked down at the old rusty chest laying at his feet.
        “Perfect!” shouted the man as he fell to his knees and began to fidget with the lock.

        Ajax immediately broke the lock and opened the ancient chest. A dull light shone out from the ancient wooden case as the ground cracked and the sound of horrified screams began to cry out from the distance.

        Trixie looked around horrified by the noise. She didn’t have a good feeling about this. The unicorn trotted up next to Ajax.

        “Ajax, you’re not actually going to use those things are you?” she asked.

        The man stared at Trixie, astonished that she would ask him something like that.

        “Of course I am… With these I am guaranteed victory over Celestia. I will use them, no matter what.”

        Trixie closed the trunk with her hooves and stared directly at Ajax.

        “This stuff literally screams evil, Ajax! I remember hearing you say that you were going to avenge your race and companions. Well, how would they feel about you literally using some of the darkest magic Equestria has to offer. Besides! Who knows what these things might do to you?!”

        Ajax pulled the chest away from Trixie.

        “My friends smile upon me as we speak! They are proud of my loyalty to the human race. That I am willing to do ANYTHING to avenge them… Besides, all of Equestria already thinks I am a monster.... It’s time to live up to the hype!”

        Six dull crystals slowly hovered out from the chest and began to rotate around the man. A foggy orange crystal representing deceit, a cloudy pink crystal representing cruelty, a dingy blue crystal representing sadness, a dim purple crystal representing greed, a monotonous pink crystal representing science, the laws of the universe, that which must never be broken by magic, and finally a dark red crystal representing betrayal, the crystals slowly orbited around Ajax, waiting to be accepted.

        “Elements of Chaos, I give myself freely to you… I only desire the power to destroy the one who has taken everything away from me. Look into my heart and see that it has grown black with vengeance. Allow me to act as a vessel for your power and I swear that I will destroy Celestia once and for all!”

        The sounds of the distant screaming began to grow closer and more horrific as the crystal gems continued to spin faster and faster. The Elements of Chaos each began to shoot a beam into Ajax, surrounding him with dark, black, magic. Trixie held her hooves over her ears, trying to block out the blood curdling screams. The unicorn looked up and saw the unspeakable…

        Ajax was being torn apart by the Elements of Chaos. Each beam dissolving away another part of him and reconstructing it to fit his new body. Ajax was no longer a man. He no longer had white hair and jade eyes. He was now a twisted being of chaos; a demented being filled with hatred and scorn for all life. The man cried out as the elements continued to tear him to pieces. Slowly, he was rebuilt into something that would better suit the power given to him by the Elements of Chaos. His right hand was also reconstructed in the process, but... both his hands had been turned into sharp claws. A thick white jawbone hung around his neck as if it were a collar. His eyes became pitch black with thin lines of ebony cracks around them. Two tiny dots of white light appeared where his colorful jade eyes used to be. His teeth were now long and sharp, his ears pointed, and his armor wrapped in a cloak of darkness. Small embers of black fire danced at the end of Ajax’s new shroud. Finally, an ebony and ivory horn protruded out from his skull, complimenting his twin swords.

        Trixie stood still, horrified by what stood before her… The man she had come to know… was now truly a monster… She couldn’t bear to look at Ajax, not like this… She didn’t want to see him like this… She may have thought he was a monster at the start, but now… seeing him truly become a monster, she realized something.

        After hearing his story and fighting alongside him these past few months, she had formed a special bond with the man. 

        He was the first real friend that she ever had…… and she just watched him turn into a monster.

        Ajax screamed as four bone wings emerged from his back. An exoskeleton of bone surrounded the human, creating a thick layer of bone armor. The four wings instantly set ablaze with the man’s signature black fire.  


The six elements eerily hovered behind him creating a bridge-like arch from shoulder to shoulder.

        “A-ajax?” hesitantly asked Trixie.

        The devilish fiend turned and faced Trixie. The unicorn fell backwards when she saw the small specs of white light staring at her from Ajax’s empty eye sockets. The man slowly began to step towards the fearful pony. He opened and closed his new right hand. The time for makeshift metal hands was over for him. Trixie took a step back, this wasn’t the Ajax she had come to know.

Suddenly, a burst of black fire surrounded Ajax and returned him to his original form. The man rushed forward wrapping Trixie with both of his arms and lifting her up into the air. Ajax let out a hearty laugh full of pure joy.

“Did you feel it, Trixie? Such power! AHAHA nothing will stand in our way now! We’re unstoppable!”

Trixie realised that Ajax wasn’t trying to crush her, he was hugging her. Although it was a little tight, the man meant no harm. The unicorn was overcome by a wave of relief. This still wasn’t the Ajax she had come to know, but it was better. The pony hesitantly hugged the man back and glanced over his shoulder at the arch of six crystals still floating behind his back.

Ajax set Trixie down and stepped back.

“Let’s go home, Trixie.”

Trixie nodded and trotted after the man. As they both walked off into the distance Trixie eyed the shadowy crystals during the entire trip back home.


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        The sounds of blaring alarms filled every hallway as fires began to burst out of ventilation ducts. Sprinklers throughout the entire vault began to spray water in an attempt to douse the flames. Robots marched aimlessly through the metal halls, swinging their swords like maniacs, as random explosions bursted down doors. 

Ajax’s vault had become a madhouse. 

Queen Chrysalis galloped down a hallway, frantically searching every room she could find.

        “Where is she!? Where is that damn pegasus!?” growled the changeling.

        It seemed like the apocalypse was exclusively taking place in this vault, deep below the ground. Destroyed pieces of robots, walls, doors, weapons, and various other objects laid scattered across the metal floor. One could only wonder, what must have happened in order for things to get so out of hand. Chrysalis caught something zooming across the hallway in the corner of her eye.

        “Lightning Dust!!! I’ll kill you!” she shouted as she bolted after the pegasus.

        “You’ll have to catch me first! You holed freak!” laughed Lightning Dust as she turned a corner.

        Queen Chrysalis turned the same corner and chased the light green pony, all the way down a spiral staircase leading to the factory floor. 

“I am in charge while Ajax is gone, and I order you to STOP!” cried Chrysalis.

Lightning Dust glanced back at Chrysalis.

“You're not the one who pays me. I don’t have listen to you,” she said before sticking her tongue out at Chrysalis.

A nearby door exploded right next to Chrysalis, knocking her against a hard steel wall. Lightning Dust began to fly backwards after hearing Chrysalis smash against the wall.

        “You’ll have to fly better than that if you ever want to catch me!” she said before giving a snooty laugh.

        Unfortunately, she wasn’t paying attention to where she was flying, Lightning dust didn’t notice the massive pillar she was about to crash into. The pegasus slammed hard into the metal pillar, but after she stopped seeing double, realized that it wasn’t really a pillar.

        Pandora Prime stood in the middle of the factory amidst all of the chaos. The robotic titan crouched over Lightning Dust and looked down at the dazed, tiny, pegasus. Queen Chrysalis had finally caught up, but slowed down to a trot when she saw the giant machine peering over Lightning Dust. Pandora Prime looked up at the changeling, then back down at the pegasus before standing upright.

        “YOU TWO HAVE CAUSED TOO MUCH DESTRUCTION! YOU MUST BE ELIMINATED BEFORE YOU CAUSE FURTHER DAMAGE TO VAULT-034! THE DAMAGE YOU HAVE CAUSED OUTWEIGHS YOUR WORTH!” shouted the robot. Its voice shook the unstable walls of the factory.

        Without any warning the colossal robot slammed it’s fist down onto the factory floor creating a massive shock wave that shook the entire factory. Lightning Dust barely avoid being flattened by the huge metal fist. Pandora Prime revved its pistons as it ready to throw another punch, but two twin metal doors opened up at the end of the factory, grabbing everyone's attention.

        Ajax and Trixie stepped into the factory and stared at the two ponies and giant robot. Chrysalis, Lightning Dust, and Pandora Prime all stood frozen under the eyes of Ajax, waiting to see what he was going to do. However, rather than throwing a fit, Ajax just turned around and walked away.

        “Do what you want. I am in too much of a good mood to deal with something like this… Just make sure to clean up after you are done.”

        Trixie followed after Ajax as he left the massive hangar-like room.

        Pandora Prime slowly turned back towards the two ponies. Its eyes glowed crimson red as the pistons on its back slowly began to revv up again. Chrysalis and Lighting Dust both gulped. They found themselves being chased by a enormous war machine, hundreds of feet below the ground. The two ponies frantically scurried around the factory floor, trying to avoid being squashed like insects by Pandora Prime.

        “Wait! Wait! We’ll fix everything! Just stop trying to step on us!!!!!!!” cried the two ponies as they continued to flee from Pandora Prime. 

        Ajax and Trixie stepped into an elevator, Trixie still couldn’t help but stare at the arch of six crystals that was hovering behind Ajax. She had a sinking feeling that nothing good would come of the Elements of Chaos. Ajax and Trixie stepped out of the elevator, Trixie’s hooves sunk deep into icy snow. The pony looked down at the white slush with a puzzled expression, she wondered if Ajax had maybe hit a wrong button, or something... 

        “Wait. Why exactly did you take us back to surface level? I thought we were done for the day,” she said.

        Ajax stepped out of the elevator and walked up next to Trixie.

        “Well, we still have to keep our end of the bargain. We need to get the Crystal Heart for King Sombra. I’m tired too, but we gotta do, what we gotta do.”

Trixie didn’t even bother sighing, it never accomplished anything anyways. She was disappointed. She was really looking forward to relaxing after walking around all day.

“Hey, relax, after we do this you will have plenty of time off to do whatever you want,” said Ajax.

“Fine, let’s just get moving already…” grumbled Trixie.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 

        It had been five weeks since Ajax had attacked Canterlot. Both Cadence and Shining Armor had returned to the Crystal Kingdom, hoping to seek refuge from the war. They had had enough war for a lifetime. Shining Armor was still covered from head to hoof in bandages, but at least he had been released from the hospital. The only way the unicorn could get around was by pushing his wheelchair with his magic. Cadence took care of him on a day to day basis, still doing her best to run the Crystal Kingdom. 

Things had gone back to normal. Ponies believed that war would no longer come to the Crystal Kingdom, that Ajax would surely attack Canterlot again, but still, the Crystal Empire didn’t take any chances. They believed that they were safe, but they weren’t going to let their guard down.

They were right to do so. Ajax had a transaction to complete He needed the Crystal Heart.

        “It will be just you and me, Trixie.” said Ajax as his foot stepped onto the grassy plain of the Crystal Empire.

        “Wait, what?! Don’t you think we will need a little bit of assistance?” asked Trixie.

        “No need, you’re a great wizard, and I have the Elements of Chaos. This should be a cakewalk.”

        “B-but what about Princess Cadence? H-have you forgotten about your battle with the four princesses during the siege on Canterlot? W-we obviously should think things through!” stammered Trixie.

        “Pfft all we need to do is get the Crystal Heart and get out. How difficult can it be?” said Ajax.

        Ajax and Trixie had already been spotted by the Crystal Empire. Dozens of pegasi guards poured out of the gleaming city as an alarm sounded. Despite having no army with them, Trixie and Ajax were being treated as a full frontal assault on the Crystal Kingdom. Ajax pointed his sword with his new right hand towards the top of the Crystal tower.

        “Alright Trixie, take us up there,” he said.

        Trixie took a wide stance and surrounded them with a circle of bright white light. The bright ring of light glowed as lines and runes began to inscribe themselves into the ground. 

Then in a flash of magic, Trixie and Ajax warped.

        Darkness, nothing but darkness with a hint of mahogany wood. Ajax and Trixie found themselves stuck in a dark wooden frame. The two struggled to break out of the cramped box, but couldn’t find an exit.

        “What the hell, Trixie?” asked Ajax.

        “It’s not my fault. I’ve never been in the Crystal Palace before. It’s very difficult to teleport places that you’ve never been to before,” said Trixie.

        Ajax and Trixie squirmed as they tried to break out of whatever they were in. Finally, Ajax managed to punch a hole through the wood. The man broke out of the wooden prison and pulled Trixie out with him. Trixie had accidentally teleported them inside a closet located in one of the guestrooms of the Crystal Palace.

        “Well, at least we got inside. I am sure they'll be looking for us though,” said Ajax.

        “Right, so I figure we’ll be taking a stealth approach then?” asked Trixie.

        Ajax drew both of his swords off his back and walked up to the main door of the guestroom. The man looked back at the unicorn with a determined look on his face. 

        “That’ll be no fun,” he said.

        The crystal arch on his back glew dimly as he said the words. Ajax didn’t plan on taking the Crystal Heart quietly. Instead he wanted to show all of Equestria his new power. The man kicked down the door and stomped into the regal hallway. In a burst of black fire, he turned into the wretched abomination that he had became earlier that day. Ajax was cloaked in bone with a long drape of shadowfire covering him from the waist down. The creature grew its ebony and ivory horns as its four flaming wings emerged from its back. The six crystals created a hexagonal pattern before securing themselves into the creatures back. Trixie heard the same cries of agony she had heard when Ajax first turned into the same monster.

        Ajax looked back at Trixie, he stared at her with his beady soulless white eyes.

        “Time...to...have...fun…” said Ajax with a demonic voice.

        “The intruders have broken into the royal palace!” shouted a crystal guard.

        Ajax slowly looked into the direction of the pony as waves of guards began to pour down the main hallway of the Crystal Palace, knocking over vases and artwork as they charged at Ajax. Clearly, they had forgotten the massacre that Ajax created last time he was here.

The shadowy enigma that Ajax had become raised its hand towards the battalion of guards and with a burst of energy sent everypony flying. Ajax no longer walked. Instead he slowly glided down the hallway, his black drape of shadow fire leaving a trail of dark embers in his wake. 

Trixie stood frozen in awe of the power Ajax had just displayed. He was strong before, but he couldn’t take out dozens of ponies just by raising a hand. Ajax continued to hover over the milky white marble floor, blowing everypony away in his path. He took out small armies, simply by sweeping his swords. 

The man blew down a wall and hovered into a royally decorated bedroom. Trixie trotted in behind him and created a massive wall of ice behind them, blocking any other crystal guards from getting in their way. Ajax started to glance around the room searching for Princess Cadence, but couldn’t find anything. There was no sign of the Crystal Princess anywhere.

His eyes focused on something at the window. He had overlooked the pony since the pony couldn’t move a single muscle. Shining Armor sat in his wheelchair with his back facing the massive window. The light of the sun shown down on the pony, giving his bandages a silvery white outline. Ajax and Trixie stood in the shadows of the room trying to figure out who exactly the wrapped up pony was. When Shining Armor pushed the wheelchair forward with his magic, Ajax knew exactly who he was.

“Heheh… You don’t look so good, Shining Armor,” said Ajax as he stepped into the light.

Shining Armor’s eyes went wide after seeing Ajax’s new body in the light of the sun. The man crouched down in front of the pony.

“That’s right, I am all healed up and stronger than ever before. You on the other hand...”

Ajax, in a burst of lightning speed, smacked the side of Shining’s wheelchair with the blunt side of his sword. The unicorn spun like a top on the side of his right wheel before evening out. Shining Armor summoned a bright purple sword with his magic and swung it at Ajax, but the sword shattered the moment it touched the thick cartilage surrounding Ajax. The man raised his right fist, but before he threw the punch, the wall to his right exploded, grabbing his attention.

“Don’t you dare lay a finger on him! You mon...” said Princess Cadence.

        She was caught off guard by the man’s new body. Ajax’s new form resembled that of a demon from the darkest depths of Tartarus. Regardless of the man's appearance, she readied herself for battle as dozens of her guards poured in, ready to assist her.

        “Just the pony I was looking for…” said Ajax as he turned to face Cadence.

        “What happened to you?” asked Cadence as her horn glowed blue with magic.

        Ajax didn’t say a word. He extended both of his long thin arms at Cadence and her guards. In a flash, Cadence’s guards were instantly annihilated by black heated lasers. The alicorn slowly looked left and right, but there were no remains of any of the guards.

        “What happened to me?... I would be more worried about what’s going to happen to you…” said Ajax.

        The man raised his hand, wrapping Cadence in black chains and bone marrow.

        “Don’t you see Cadence? You’re no longer relevant to the outcome of this war. I am far stronger than you could ever be… Hell, with this much power I could take Canterlot by myself!”

        “Ajax, don’t you think we should get back to finding the Crystal Heart?” interrupted Trixie.

        Ajax looked over at Trixie.

        “In a moment, Trixie, but I’m not through with these two yet…” he said.

        Ajax slowly hovered towards Shining Armor with a wicked smile. He knelt down behind Shining Armor and looked over at Princess Cadence.

        “Well, it looks like this time you’re going to get a front row seat, princess,” said Ajax before giving a laugh that only a demon could muster. 

The man was more monster than human now. He only wanted to watch life suffer and struggle before being snuffed out. Both hands began to grab Cadence’s face and hold her eyes open.

        Ajax slowly ignited the tip of one of his cycle-like fingers and slowly held it under Shining Armor.

        “STOP!” shouted Trixie.

        Ajax backed away from the mummified unicorn and looked at the unicorn.

        “What’s the matter, Trixie?” he asked.

        “Why kill him? Look at him, there is no way he can pose a threat to you any more!” she said.

        “Simple, I want to kill him… because it would be fun. I will enjoy watching him die. Hearing his muffled dying screams escape his bandages and watching his wife’s face during it all...” said Ajax as his burning, beady, white eyes glared into Shining Armor’s eyes.

        The Elements of Chaos cleary were affecting Ajax. He never was the kindest person, but he wouldn’t watch people suffer for sick pleasure.

        “If you kill him you’re sure to make him into a martyr!” shouted Trixie.

“Then Equestria will have somepony to rally behind. Do you want that?!” added Trixie.

        Ajax looked back at the unicorn and rolled his eyes. The man placed both of his swords onto his back and hovered towards her. Trixie held her ground. She didn’t show any sign of fear while Ajax approached her. Deep down she knew that Ajax was still in control. He just needed to be reminded that he was...

        “If you wanted me to spare him, you could have just said it,” said Ajax as he returned to his human form.

        Trixie didn’t say a word. She just stared at the man with a hardened face. Then she noticed something strange; Ajax still had an ebony horn on his head and his left eye hadn’t gone back to normal.
        
        “Um, Ajax?” said Trixie.

        “Yes, Trixie?” he said.

        The unicorn pointed towards the horn protruding out of the man’s skull. It was indeed the horn from his Element of Chaos form. Why hadn’t it disappeared when he changed back to normal?

        “Huh, look at that… I wonder why that’s still there,” said the man as he poked the horn.

        “And your eye!” exclaimed Trixie.

        Ajax looked into a nearby mirror and held his left eye open with his fingers.

        “Strange… Oh well, no big deal. I actually think it looks kinda cool anyways,” said Ajax.

The man easily accepted the idea of having a horn and a new eye. Ajax walked back over to Shining Armor.

        “Looks like today is your lucky day, Captain. My associate over here wants you alive for some reason. I suppose she is right though, you’re not going to be any trouble to me like this... “ said Ajax as he flicked the unicorns horn.

        The man turned to Princess Cadence, who was still binded under chain and bone.

        “Same goes for you, Princess. Please stay right where you are. When I get the Crystal Heart you’ll be free to go.”

        Cadance tried to speak but a bone hand covered her mouth. Ajax walked towards the hole Cadence had created in order to enter the room.

        “C’mon, Trixie, let’s go.”

        Trixie followed after the man. She was able to stop him now, but she was still worried about the future. What if the Elements of Chaos were going to take his soul? What if he was being used by the Elements? What if he tried to kill her?... 

        Ajax and Trixie finally reached the top of the tower. The Crystal Heart hovered before them. Ajax stepped forward and plucked the Crystal Heart from its stand. No guards could stand in his way. No princess could stand in his way. No pony could stand in his way. He would create an army like never before, an army that would guarantee his victory over Celestia. With the crystal heart he had Sombra on his side, but he needed something else. He needed something that would guarantee his victory.
> Chapter Nine
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

        A flock of black birds rushed through a cluster of thick brown branches and barren tree limbs, some crashing into the thicket of branches as they tried to keep up with the others. After the intense blitz of birds, there was nothing but silence. The dead pale branches of tall willow trees swayed calmy under the gentle breeze as silence returned to the Everfree Forest; but the silence was broken once again when a voice called out.

        “Princess, over here! Something must’ve spooked the birds,” shouted the voice of a stallion.

        Princess Luna stepped out from behind a bush and shook off the remains of twigs and brush that had gotten stuck in her coat. The Princess of the Night looked over at the stallion after  she was done cleaning herself off. The stallion was a member of her royal guard, a bat pony wearing the signature armor that all of Luna’s guards wore. The guard waited for Luna to say something, but after a brief awkward silence, decided to restate his observation.

        “Princess, something frightened the birds just up ahead. I suggest we proceed with caution. Whatever it was might be dangerous,” said the guard.

        “Nearly everything in the Everfree Forest is dangerous. Go inform the rest of the guards and have them meet up with me,” said Luna.

        The bat pony saluted the princess and used his wings to dash through the thick trees of the Everfree Forest. Princess Luna watched as the pony soared away to alert the other guards.

The forest was very cold, especially at night. A cold wind sent shivers down Luna’s back. She would rather be anywhere else than here right now. The Everfree Forest was a common location during the nightmares of fillies and colts, a place that even she dreaded. Luna couldn’t recall how many times she had to walk the forest’s twisting paths, trying to save the youth of Equestria from nightmares. The snapping of a twig quickly brought her back to reality. She turned around towards the noise and saw two large orange eyes staring at her from behind a veil of darkness. Princess Luna glared back at whatever was eyeing her, neither her nor the stranger behind the darkness made a move.

        “Who are you?” asked Luna.

        The twin orange eyes continued to stare at the princess without moving at all.

        “Is that you, Discord?” asked Luna.

        Discord for the most part had red eyes, but Luna decided to ask the question anyways. Talking made her feel less nervous under the watchful orange eyes. Once again, Luna didn’t receive a response, but the two orange eyes widened and narrowed when they heard her mention the name “Discord”. Whoever she was talking to obviously understood English. 

        “Princess!” interrupted a royal guard.

        For a split second, Luna turned towards the guard. By the time she had turned back, the two orange eyes were gone.

        “Is something wrong, Princess?” asked another guard accompanying the first.

        “No, it’s nothing… Let’s keep moving,” said Luna.

        Princess Luna and a handful of her royal guards continued to press down a beaten path in the Everfree Forest. The ponies stuck together, making sure that nopony was left behind. The band of ponies continued to march on until they finally reached a wide opening. After having her guards sweep the perimeter Luna decided that it was safe for them to set up camp. Deciding to investigate a massive crevice that was taking up most of the open area, she peered into the darkness, but the ceiling of branches overhead made it too difficult to see.

        “This must be the Everfree Scar…” she thought to herself.

        “I can only imagine what’s down there…”

        Before Luna could finish investigating the Everfree Scar, a guard approached her.

        “Princess, we’ve been meaning to ask you…” said the guard, but he was too anxious to say anything else.

After an awkward pause a different guard stepped forward.

“Princess, why exactly are we out here? What is so important that we had to sneak out of Canterlot in the middle of the night?” asked the batpony.

Luna took a deep breath. She didn’t want to tell anypony why they had come out here. She was worried that somepony was going to tell her sister that she had gone against Celestia’s will. Luna looked around at all the guards, each of them staring intently at the princess, waiting for her to give them an answer.

“Not too long ago, I had a dream… a nightmare... a warning. There is something here in the Everfree Forest, something more dark and more evil than any creature I have ever encountered. We are here to make sure that the dream I had was just a dream, and nothing more…”

The royal guards saluted the princess. No matter what, it was their duty to follow anywhere, and that included the Everfree Forest.

“Good. Now hurry up. We have work to do,” said Luna.

Luna and her guards began searching the wide open area for any clues on Luna’s mysterious super monster, or the whereabouts of Discord. The ponies made sure to keep away from the massive chasm that drove up and down the wide open area.

“Princess, I think I found something!” shouted a guard.

Luna galloped over to the stallion. The batpony was crouching over something. He turned around and pointed his hoof at a black ring on the ground. The black ring was about a yard in diameter with grey stones outlining it’s circumference. 

“Do you think it means anything?” asked the stallion.

“Looks like an old fireplace,” stated Luna.

The batpony waited for Luna to make a final assessment of the ring.

“Unfortunately, that’s not what we’re looking for. The creature that left that behind is already running rampant throughout Equestria,” said Luna.

The ponies continued to search for quite some time. Despite it being the middle of the night, the bat ponies weren’t hindered by the darkness. Bat Ponies have excellent vision in the night, hence why they were Luna’s royal guards. It wasn’t long till another pony found something interesting.

“Princess, I found some sort of... wedding ring?”

The pony poked a gold ring on the ground with a hoof. The ring had a series of seven diamonds running up and down it with tiny rubies and sapphires decorating it’s rims. Luna lifted the golden ring off the ground and inspected it.

“Once again, I think this belongs to Ajax… Or someone Ajax knew,” said Luna as she set the ring aside. 

“Sheesh! What’s that awful smell?!” exclaimed a guard.

“You’ve been smelling it too? I thought I was the only one,” said another guard.

Princess Luna raised an eyebrow. She held her head up and sniffed the air. At first she couldn’t figure out what exactly the guards were talking about, until it hit her. A smell of corpses and flesh so foul, the princess nearly vomited from the stench. Princess Luna could no longer get the smell to go away. Now that she had noticed it, it was here to stay.

“Where is that coming from?” asked Luna.

        The guards reluctantly began to sniff the air, trying to figure out the direction of the odor. 

        “I think it’s this way,” said a guard as he trotted away from the open area. Luna and the other guards followed after him.The guard vanished behind a cluster of trees in his quest of the source of the smell. Seconds later, Luna and the other guards heard him scream.

        “AAH!”

        Luna bolted forward and turned the corner to see the source of the putrid scent. A large cluster of flesh and bone laid before Luna and her guards. The guard who had led them to the pile had tripped and fallen down into a pit full of bones and blood.

        “W-what is that?!” hollered a guard as he backed away.

        After helping the stallion out of the pit, Luna narrowed her eyes at the mound of corpses. 

“I think we just found out why there are no demons crawling out of the Everfree Scar…” she whispered.

The alicorn stepped forward and pressed her hooves against a corpse. Princess Luna rolled over a massive behemoth, a beast that could easily reach fifteen feet if it were to stand on its feet, with razor sharp teeth and dozens of eyes running up and down it’s body. The dog shaped body was fitted with insect-like mandibles running up and down it’s spine, but thankfully it was dead.

“What t-the hell i-is that thing?!” shouted a guard.

Princess Luna looked back at the guard with a calm expression.

“A demon. A demon from the depths of Tartarus…” said Luna.

“What happened to it?” asked a different guard.

Luna’s eyes caught on a massive hole located in the center of the abomination’s stomach. A huge chunk of it’s lower abdomen had been ripped off and its insides pulled out. Luna stepped forward and investigated the massive wound. Clearly this demon hadn’t been the first victim, judging by the pile of bodies. Upon closer inspection of the monster’s wounds, Luna, found ridges running up and down the monsters flesh. It was the same type of ridges, every single time. Same size, same length, same shape, and it didn’t just go for this monster. Interestingly enough, all the monsters in the junkyard of bodies had the same type of ridges surrounding their wounds.

“That’s strange…” whispered Luna under her breath.

        Luna dragged a hoof up and down the massive ridges carved into the monster’s flesh.

        “These… are teeth marks,” said Luna as she turned to face her guards.

        “So what you’re saying is…” murmured a guard.

        “Whatever killed all these demons, didn’t murder them in cold blood. It ate them, like some sort of apex predator,” interrupted Luna.

        The guard that had originally fallen into the pit of bone and blood looked back down into the same hole of crimson red.

        “Princess? Isn’t this blood… fresh?” asked the guard as he sniffed his red drenched coat.

        “Oh, Celestia! What monster could do something like this?!” shouted a voice.

        Luna’s guards became restless. They were already fearful of the dead creatures. They didn’t want to meet the monster’s murderer.

        Luna looked back at the pile of flesh with a puzzled expression. Everypony waited anxiously for something to happen. Whatever had created this heap of flesh was still around here somewhere. The ground began to vibrate as the ripples in the pools of blood grew stronger and stronger. 

Luna backed away slowly before turning around.

        “RUN!” shouted Luna as she ran away.

        Luna and her guards continued to run, but they didn’t get far. Something massive was behind them, something that crushed nearly half an acre of trees with each step. A massive shadow slammed down in front of the ponies, blocking the night sky. Luna looked up at whatever it was, the moonlight reflecting off of the giant’s metal armor.

        “How are you doing this fine night, Princess Luna?” asked a voice.

        Luna looked over to where the voice was coming from, she recognized it well…
Queen Chrysalis trotted out from the darkness and slowly approached Luna and her royal guards. 

        “Chrysalis, what are you doing here?” asked Luna as she took a hoofstep back.

        “You’ll find out soon enough,” said Chrysalis with a devilish smile.

        Luna looked back up at the giant shadow. What they had thought was the giant creature behind the killings was actually Pandora Prime, Ajax’s favorite warmachine.

        “Don’t try to run,” said another voice from the shadows.

        It was none other than Ajax himself. He walked up next to Chrysalis and folded his arms.

        “Not bad Chrysalis, you did well,” he said as he patted the changeling queen on the back. As Ajax stepped forward and drew his sword, Luna caught sight of the man’s new features. His ebony horn, his hollow left eye; it was like something out of a nightmare that she had seen before.

        “What happened to you?” asked Luna.

        “Something similar to what I’ll be doing to you,” said Ajax with an evil smile.

        Ajax looked back at Chrysalis.

        “Things might get a bit messy by the way. If you care about your changeling, now’s the time...”

        Chrysalis looked back at Luna. The changeling queen gave Luna a nod. Princess Luna was confused. Why was Chrysalis was nodding at her? But when she saw the guard next to her reveal his true changeling identity, she knew what had happened. Chrysalis was still working for Ajax despite betraying him, and a changeling had been tracking them through the Everfree Forest the entire time.

        “This is bad. Celestia doesn’t even know that I’m gone,” thought Luna.

        The arc of six crystals behind Ajax began to glow. He raised his hand and instantly wrapped Luna in a web of shadows. Luna tried to fight against the magic, but when the robots accompanying Ajax began to fire bolts full of electricity, her body went limp. Chrysalis wrapped Luna in a cocoon as a final precaution. 

Ajax and Chrysalis turned to the royal guards who had just witnessed their princess being abducted. The guards were frozen by fear, they couldn’t even run to save themselves.

        “What about these ponies?” asked Chrysalis.

        Ajax stepped forward and drew his sword, the white light in his left eye burning brightly.

“We could have them deliver a message to Celestia...or we could just kill them,” he said as he looked over at Chrysalis.



        “Do what you want. I won’t stop you,” she said.

        “Perfect!” laughed Ajax as he approached the fearful guards.

        The silence of the Everfree Forest was broken once again by the sounds of screaming. Luna’s guards didn’t stand a chance against Ajax and the Elements of Chaos. After the last scream echoed throughout the forest, silence returned. A cold breeze blew through the empty forest as dead silence returned to the woods.


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        “Yeah, I did always want to be a Wonderbolt, but that dream is long gone.”

        Lightning Dust was sitting down on a bench in the library. The pegasus’ hind legs were crossed as she leaned back against a table. Her and Trixie had been talking together in the library for quite some time. They had talked about old hopes and dreams while cracking a few jokes here and there, but nothing too serious.

 A few empty cups that still reeked of alcohol laid scattered across the tables of the library. Trixie looked up from her empty cup at Lightning Dust.

        “Well, it’s all in the past now. You and I can only think about our futures.”

        Lightning Dust looked around the library, among the empty mugs there were dozens of books and papers scattered across the library tables.

        “I dunno, it looks to me like you’ve already achieved your dream of being a wizard.”

        Before Trixie could respond, a loud commotion came from down stairs, interrupting the unicorn. Although it sounded like Ajax had return from doing whatever, Trixie wondered why there so much noise.

Trixie and Lighting Dust stared at each other as the muffled sounds of yelling continued to make their way through the library walls.

        “I guess we should go see what all the ruckus is about,” said Lighting Dust as she hopped off the bench.

        Trixie nodded and followed after the pegasus. The sounds of the muted yelling became more audible with each step they took down the hallway. Trixie and Lighting Dust stepped into a room filled with robot soldiers crowding around something.

        “Hey! Make way! Ya tin cans!” shouted Lightning Dust as she cleared a path for her and Trixie.

        Trixie and Lightning Dust pushed their way through the metal wall of robots, until they came upon an open space. Ajax and Chrysalis were standing next to each other facing something on the wall. It was none other than Princess Luna. Luna had been chained to the wall, her hooves encased in thick goo for extra measure. Her horn had a complex metal gear wrapped around it, preventing her from using any form of magic. The robot guards stood at the ready with spears pointed at the pony.

        “What’s going on?” asked Trixie as she approached Ajax and Chrysalis.

        Trixie couldn’t believe that Ajax had managed to capture Luna so easily. He did have the elements, but Luna should’ve been safe in Canterlot.

Ajax looked back at Trixie. Both of his eyes were now hollow caves of darkness, two tiny white lights shining down at Trixie. 

        “A final act to ensure victory of Celestia of course,” he said.

        “W-what happened to your other eye?” asked Trixie.

        Chrysalis looked back at Trixie.

        “He had to dispose of Luna’s guard. Now, I suggest we get a move on. The last thing we need is to have her wake up,” said Chrysalis.

        Ajax turned back to Luna. The alicorn’s eyes began to fidget as she began to wake up. 

        “On the contrary Chrysalis, I would prefer her to be awake for this,” said Ajax.

 “Wake up already!” he shouted as he drove his right fist into Luna’s jaw.

        Luna screamed as she woke up from the blow. Ajax drove his ebony sword into the wall next to Luna.

        “I hope you enjoyed your little nap because you’re not going to enjoy this,” said Ajax.
        
        Luna looked around at all of the robots and allies surrounding Ajax. She spat out a bit of blood before speaking.
        
        “So what? You’re going to kill me now? Typical for someone like you,” said Luna.

        Ajax grabbed the ponies face, the tiny lights in his empty eye sockets burning brightly as he told Luna what he had in store for her.

        “You think I am going to kill you? No, no, no, I’ve got greater plans for you, Luna. You’re going to help me kill Celestia.”

        “Why would I do something like that?” asked Luna.

        “Because you won’t have a choice…” smiled Ajax as he stepped back.

        The arc of six crystals on his back floated in front of him. Luna’s eyes went wide when she saw the Elements of Chaos.

        “I guess that explains why you look so different… Where on earth did you find those cursed crystals?” asked Luna.

        “An old acquaintance of mine gave it to me... Now let’s get a move on.” said Ajax as he raised his right hand.

        The six crystals created a hexagonal pattern in front of Luna.

        “We’ve had this discussion before, Luna. I know there is a monster in you, somepony who is willing to help me defeat Celestia. If the Elements of Harmony were strong enough to change Nightmare Moon into Princess Luna, I am willing to bet that the Elements of Chaos can change Princess Luna into Nightmare Moon. Besides, if I am wrong I will just kill you, still increasing my odds to win this war,” said Ajax.

        Luna grit her teeth at the man. The alicorn struggled against her bonds when she realized what he was going to do.

        “Please, just kill me! I don’t want to change back into that monster! I’ve changed, please I beg you! Don’t do this!” cried Luna.

        “Funny, you were acting so tough a moment ago. Even death didn’t scare you, but now… Are you really that afraid? Look at it this way. With Celestia out of the picture you’ll be the ruling princess of Equestria, just like you always wanted,” said Ajax. “I can’t wait to see you kill your own sister!” shouted the man as he stepped forward. 

        He laughed as he pushed both of his hands forward, all six crystals began to shoot beams of energy into Luna. The alicorn screamed as her body began to twist into a nightmarish form. Ajax yelled as he forced as much energy as he could into the crystals. An ivory horn began to sprout on his head as he continued to twist Luna’s body into Nightmare Moon. 

        Luna’s teeth grew sharp as she turned into Nightmare Moon. A swirl of dark purple magic surrounded Luna, completing her transformation into the legendary mare. Ajax fell backwards as he grabbed at his new ivory horn.

        “Well, at least my body is symmetrical again…” sighed Ajax as he stood back up to his feet. 

Now, he had both a pair of monstrous eyes and horns growing out of his skull. A maniacal laughter filled the room as darkness swept over the room.

“FOOLS! You dare bring me back and think you have the power to control me?!” shouted Nightmare Moon.

Ajax sheathed his sword and peered into the darkness.

“Of course no one has the power to rule over the mighty Nightmare Moon. I only seek to have you as an ally, as we do have a common enemy after all,” said Ajax in an attempt to gain favor with Nightmare Moon.

“So you wish to help me defeat Celestia?” asked Nightmare Moon.

“No, I want to help you KILL her,” he said.


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It was a rainy day in Canterlot. Princess Celestia’s guards had been searching for Luna for hours, but to no avail. Nopony seemed to be able to figure out where Princess Luna had gone. Celestia was worried. She knew that Luna’s disappearance wasn’t a coincidence. With both her sister and Discord gone Canterlot forces were weak. She was worried that Ajax was behind this. They had barely won the war the first time, and if Ajax were to attack now… Celestia didn’t dare think of what would happen.

Princess Celestia sat on her throne staring out the window, she didn’t know what she was going to do. All she could now was watch the rain fall, waiting for her soldiers to come back with a status report. She thought about her discussion with Luna the night before the Canterlot siege about how everypony would choose to fight rather than allowing her to give herself up. Celestia began to wonder if she had made the right decision that day. Celestia continued to stare out the window as a calm grey light continued to shine behind rainy clouds.

There was a knock on the door.

Twilight Sparkle stepped inside and closed the door behind her. The pony trotted over to Celestia, a worried expression on her face.

“Guards say there are still no clues regarding to Luna’s disappearance. I’m worried that Ajax might behind this…”

Celestia continued to stare out at the rain sky as she talked to Twilight.

“Rain is quite soothing, don’t you think, Twilight?”

“I-I suppose,” said Twilight.

“Funny, even though cloudy skies prevent the sun from shining, I have always enjoyed them, ever since I was a filly. Even though people think that rain can depressing, I always found it soothing. Maybe it was because I didn’t have to worry about moving the sun,” said Celestia before turning to Twilight with a serious expression.
You know Twilight, if neither I nor Luna are left to rule over Equestria when this is all over, you will have to step up to the throne,” she said.

Twilight looked up at Celestia. The purple alicorn still had hope in her eyes.

“You mustn't give up hope Celestia. I know things may look grim, but we always manage to pull through,” she said.

“Oh Twilight, I was so lucky to have a student like you,” sighed Celestia with a gentle smile. 

The air was calm and peaceful, as if war had never come to Equestria. Unlike the torrential rain during it’s siege, the rain now gently washed over Canterlot. The gentle pitter patter of raindrops on the roof, filled Celestia’s grand palace. Twilight and her former mentor sat down by a fireside and had a chat, like in the old days, before the war. 

The two alicorns tranquil chat was short lived. 

“PRINCESS!!!” shouted a guard as he burst through the palace door.

        Celestia and Twilight turned to the guard as he charged across the throneroom.

        “We’ve found something! Some sort of robot belonging to Ajax!” shouted the stallion.

        Celestia and Twilight stood up, eager to hear what the guard had found. The stallion reached back into his saddle, but right when he opened the bag a metal square shot out of the bag, knocking the guard to the ground. Twilight and Celestia’s horn glowed brightly, ready to fend of any assassination attempt. After closer inspection Twilight could tell that the square was actually a small machine. The robot was just a small screen on four little rollers, two tiny arms extended out from its sides and gestured a bow before the two princesses.

        “Greetings Princess Celestia and Princess Twilight. My master has sent me here today with an important message. Please listen closely,” said the little metal machine.

        Twilight and Celestia looked at each other. Celestia raised an eyebrow and waited to see what the robot had to say. Twilight had a bad feeling that all of this was regarding Luna’s disappearance. A recorded video appeared on the tiny robot’s screen. At first all they saw was static, but after a few seconds, a clear picture of Princess Luna came into view. A low quality recording of Ajax’s voice could be heard.

        “Hello there Celestia. If you are hearing this, then I am sure you are aware of your beloved sister’s disappearance. As you can see she is here with me, but I don’t know how long I can guarantee her safety,” said the recording of Ajax’s voice.

A golden beam of fire shot at the robot. The tiny machine narrowly avoided being fried.

“Hey! Don’t shoot the messenger!” shouted the robot.

“Ajax, you bastard!” yelled Celestia as she stomped forward.

The little robot slowly wheeled backwards as the angered sun goddess approached.

“Woah, woah, woah, take it easy. It’s a pre-recorded video, he can’t hear you. I still have more left to play though, so if you could cool it lady I would gladly continue,” said the robot as it’s screen lit up again.

        As the video came back into view the tip of Ajax’s white blade could be seen dragging slowly up and down Luna’s coat. Celestia could barely contain her rage. Twilight placed a hoof on Celestia’s shoulder. 

        Ajax’s voice began to speak again.

        “As you can see Celestia, I now hold quite a lot of power over you. I suggest you don’t deny the request I am about to ask you. Well, it’s more of a challenge than a request. Think of it as healthy competition. I heard that Twilight Sparkle was once your apprentice. Funny, because her rival Trixie, is mine. Therefore I have an idea. How about we have a little duel between your pupil and mine? Winner decides the loser’s fate… Oh, and remember…” said Ajax’s voice as the ivory blade dug into the wall inches away from Celestia unconscious sister.

        “It’s more of a demand than a request. See you soon, Celestia, and you too, Twilight.”

        The video cut off. Celestia had tears streaming down her face. Twilight couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Her all-knowing teacher had broken down. At that moment Twilight realised that everypony had a breaking point, even Celestia. After three months of nonstop fighting, countless lives lost, her own city being destroyed, it took the loss of her sister to finally break Celestia.

Twilight hugged Celestia.

“Listen to me Celestia. It’s going to be ok. At least we know she is ok. He’s not going to harm her. He knows he can’t hurt her if we wants to use her as leverage,” said Twilight.

“Excuse me, but can you give me a response already?” asked the little robot, obviously showing no concern for the pony's feelings.

        Twilight glared down at the small square machine.

        “You tell him that we accept his challenge,” growled Twilight.

        The little robot didn’t even hesitate as it immediately zoomed out of the throne room and through the streets of Canterlot. It didn’t want to risk being destroyed due to a temper tantrum. 

        Celestia wiped her tears and looked down at Twilight.

        “Thank you Twilight, I don’t know what I would do without you…” said Celestia.

        Twilight nodded at her.

        “I will do whatever it takes to win the war. Besides Trixie is no match for me. She only has tricks up her sleeves. Whatever her plan is this time, it’s sure to fail, just like in the past!”


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        Ajax’s library was a mess as usual. Countless books laid scattered across the tables. The fifty-foot tall bookcases of the library were half empty, their contents scattered everywhere. A light blue unicorn wrapped in a grey blanket was sleeping facedown in a book at one of the tables.

        “Man, you’re still asleep?”

“wha?” said Trixie as she slowly lifted her head up. A piece of paper sticking to her forehead drooped down and blocked her vision. Trixie brushed away the page and looked down at the blanket wrapped around her. 

She had a confused expression after seeing the blanket. There wasn’t anything wrong with the blanket, she just didn’t remember having one before passing out. Come to think of it, she'd never even seen this blanket before.

“Oh, you’re up,” said Ajax as he plopped down in the seat across from Trixie.

The unicorn was still half asleep. Trixie nuzzled the soft blanket as Ajax continued to talk.

“Passed out studying again? You seem to do that quite often,” said Ajax as he closed his eyes and sighed.

He waited for a bit, but after receiving no response opened an eye.

“WHAT THE-?!” 

Trixie had fallen back asleep.

“WAKE UP!” shouted Ajax. The white fire in his eyesockets ignited, nearly burning off his eyebrows.

Trixie immediately shot up.

“What’s going on?! Are we under attack?!” screamed the alarmed unicorn.
 
        Ajax just sat across from Trixie with a hand under his chin, waiting for Trixie to figure out what had happened.

        “Oh, sorry, I-I didn’t see you there Ajax,” said Trixie with a nervous smile.

        “We need to have another chat, Trixie,” said Ajax.

        Trixie still didn’t like Ajax’s new appearance. He looked like a monster more than anything now, and his condition was only getting worse. The unicorn slowly closed a book before looking up at Ajax.

        “A-about what?” she asked.

        Ajax looked around the room at all the books and research notes that Trixie had been rummaging through.

        “You’ve sure been studying hard, Trixie. You must’ve learned quite a lot in these past few months,” he said.

        “Yeah?” said Trixie wondering where Ajax was going with this.

        The man stood up and began to pace around the table. Trixie grew nervous. She still hadn’t adjusted to the mans new appearance. Despite acting like his old self, Trixie still had the grim feeling that this wasn’t the Ajax she knew.

        “Remember long ago, the day that I made you my apprentice?” he asked.

        How could Trixie forget the day she nearly died? She only became his apprentice in a final effort to have Ajax spare her life.

        “I told you that day, if you became a mighty wizard I would give you anything that you desired. Well, the time has come to prove to me your worth. Prove to me that you have become the mighty wizard that we agreed upon,” he said.”

        “What are you getting at?” asked Trixie.

        “I have issued a duel between you and Twilight Sparkle, where the loser’s fate is decided by the victor. Show me that accepting you as my apprentice was the right choice by defeating your nemesis, Twilight Sparkle...” said Ajax.

        Trixie was speechless. She wasn’t ready. Even with the Alicorn Amulet, she had lost her duel to Twilight, and now Ajax wanted a one on one? Twilight had become a freaking alicorn since their last duel, how could she match the “Princess of Magic”?!

“The duel’s tomorrow Trixie. Be prepared by the morning,” said Ajax as he stood up and left the library. “Oh, and get some damn sleep for once!” 

Trixie’s breathing became heavy. She didn’t know what was happening. Was she nervous? No, how could she be? She had fought in wars, why would she be nervous over a duel? Maybe she was nervous about embarrassing herself in front of everyone? Maybe she was having a heart attack?

Trixie continued to panic as her mind raced. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t settle down. The pony collapsed into a book in front of her. This was it. This was the end.

Trixie felt something brush against her mane. The unicorn looked up and picked a piece of paper off of her head. It was a page of notes that she had taken. She looked around the library. Everywhere she looked there were piles and piles of notes. The library was not only full of notes, but also full of hundreds, if not thousands, of books that she had read. These weren’t ordinary books either, no, no these books were the last remaining texts to one of the most powerful schools of magic to ever be introduced to Equestria. 

Arcane magic, created and mastered by none other than Star Swirl the Bearded. She was ready for this duel! She had no devious plan or tricks up her sleeves. All she had was herself, and that was all she needed. For the last three months she had been pushing herself every night, testing herself every day. She had proven that she was strong when she banished Luna, and she had only grown stronger since.

“I can do this! I can win this! I will win this! Not for Ajax or anypony else! I will win this duel, not to beat Twilight, but to prove to myself that I have reached my dream!”

“THAT I HAVE FINALLY BECOME A GREAT WIZARD, TRULY WORTH THE NAME, THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE!!!”


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        “Oh man I am so excited!” squealed Lightning Dust as she hopped up and down her seat.

        “Oh jeez, settle down. The duel isn’t even close to starting…” sighed Chrysalis.

        Chrysalis and Trixie were sitting down in the ruins of an ancient abandoned coliseum. One side filled with hundreds of robot guards, the other, with hundreds of Canterlot guards. The coliseum was ancient and covered with moss and vines, despite Ajax’s soldiers trying to clean it up a bit, the entire place was still a green mess.

        “Man, it would be so cool if there was a concession stand,” stated Lightning Dust.

        Queen Chrysalis rolled her eyes.

        “How did Ajax even find this place? This arena looks like sh-”

        “I’ll have you know, this arena was once five times larger and even hosted worldwide gladiator championships. Thousands of thundering hooves would stamp in these very stands, as warriors clashed on the battlefield. It may be a little bit dated, but it deserves your respect,” said Ajax as he sat down in a stone throne behind Chrysalis and Lightning Dust.

        “Wait, hooves? This was built by ponies?” asked Chrysalis.

        “Close, it was actually built by centaurs,” stated Ajax.

        “What’s a centaur?” asked both Chrysalis and Lightning Dust at the same time.

        “An ancient race of Equestria... Before you ask, they no longer exist, and yes I might have had something to do with it.,” said Ajax. “Anyways, it’s a beautiful day. Let’s focus on today’s big event. Shall we?”

        The sun grew bright. Everyone looked up to the sky as the figures of Princess Celestia and Twilight Sparkle came into view. The two alicorns landed in the stands on the opposite side of the coliseum. A grin spread across Ajax’s face as he stood up and extended an open hand to Princess Celestia.

        “Soldiers! Let’s have a round of applause for Celestia and the brave Canterlot guard!” shouted Ajax.

        All of the robot soldiers stood completely upright and played a quick track of applause before sitting back down in unison.

        “Oh, and let’s not forget, her brave champion, Twilight Sparkle!”

        Once again all of the robot soldiers stood up and played their laugh tracks before sitting back down.

        “ENOUGH!” shouted Celestia. “We accepted your duel and now we’re here. Show me my sister you bastard!”

        Ajax shook his head at Celestia.

        “I never said anything about showing you your sister. I don’t have to listen to anything you say. You should just consider yourself lucky that I am a man of honor. I could just strike you down where you stand, you know.”

        Celestia grinded her teeth, but didn’t say a word. Twilight Sparkle looked at Celestia. She gave her a quick nod before a flash of purple light teleported her into the arena.

Ajax raised an eyebrow.

        “Eager to lose I see Twilight? Well, I’m not the kind of guy to make somepony wait,” said Ajax as he sat back down. “Let the duel commence!”

        Pandora Prime rose up from behind the arena. The robot easily dwarfed the entire coliseum. Pandora Prime sounded it’s ear-shattering horn, signaling the start of the duel. Celestia focused her eyes on the arena, as all of the Canterlot soldiers leaned forward anxious for their princess.

        A metal gate in front of Twilight slowly began to open…

        “It’s starting! It’s starting!” shouted Lightning Dust.

        “Why is this so exciting to you? This is more of a duel between Ajax and Celestia anyways,” groaned Chrysalis.

        “WHAT?!” shouted Lighting Dust, making sure Chrysalis could still hear her under all the commotion.

        Chrysalis took a moment to recover from Lightning’s outburst.

        “Think about it. Twilight and Trixie are both students to Celestia and Ajax. Besides, Ajax only arranged this duel because he wants to weaken Canterlot forces even further. You see it’s quite a clever plan, he was not only able to remove Luna from the opposition, but he even turned her to his side. Now, he arranged this duel to seem like it’s a battle between Trixie and Twilight, even though all he really wants to do is further his advantage by removing Twilight Sparkle from the picture. Truly a clever plan,” Chrysalis smirked. She was quite proud of herself for her analyzation.

        “WOO LET’S SEE SOME ACTION ALREADY!” shouted  Lightning Dust.

        Chrysalis turned to the pegasus.

        “She didn’t listen to a word I said! That...That…” thought Chrysalis.

        The arena’s massive metal gate finally opened. Trixie stepped into the arena and looked around at the thousands of viewers. The unicorn adjusted her hat before waving at both the robots and the Canterlot guards.

        “I must say, I have forgotten how wonderful it is to perform for a crowd,” said Trixie.

        “TRIXIE!” shouted Twilight as she trotted forward.

        Trixie turned her gaze to Twilight.

        “Twilight Sparke, are you ready to face the Great and Powerful T-T-Trixie!?”

        “Enough! What are you planning here Trixie. Whatever it is won’t work!” shouted Twilight as her horn glowed a bright purple.

        Trixie raised an eyebrow and pulled out a massive book from her bag.

        “Trick? There is no trick Twilight. This is a duel between you and me. Between your magic and my magic. Winner takes all.”

        Twilight spread out her hooves and fixed her eyes on Trixie.

        “Very well, It’s about time somepony makes you pay for your crimes…”

        The two ponies circled each other, waiting for the other to make the first move. Trixie’s horn glowed bright A massive wave of water rose from under her hooves and rushed towards Twilight. The tidal wave roared as the wave hurdled toward Twilight, but Twilight stood her ground. The alicorn stomped a hoof forward and summoned a firm stone in front of her. The mighty wave crashed into the rock and broke into two gushing torrents. All the robot guards sitting in the stands behind Twilight were washed away by the rapids. Twilight glanced past the rock and saw Trixie casting another spell.

        A bolt of lightning shot down from the heavens in the blink of an eye. Twilight luckily was able to see the spell ahead of time and shot up into the sky with her wings. However Trixie wasn’t done. The pool of water below twilight swirled into a cyclone that shot up towards her, still conducting the electricity of the bolt of lightning. 

        “She can control two spells at once?!” thought Twilight as she watched the electrified stream of water shoot towards her. The stream of water bursted in the air and began to rain down over the entire coliseum.

        “Impressive, I figured you might know the basics to combining spells, but I would have never guessed you could control two spells at once.”

        Trixie turned around and saw Twilight Sparkle standing right behind her, she jumped back and pointed her horn towards Twilight.

        “Thanks, Twilight, but something like that is trivial to the Great and Powe-”

        “Save it,” whispered Twilight as her horn sent out a wave of fire. The massive wave of fire immediately vaporized the rain, turning it into a hot cloud of steam. Trixie covered her eyes as a bolt of bright purple magic whizzed by her head, barely missing her. The unicorn turned around, but another blast of magic burned the tip of her tail. Trixie cleared the steam cloud with a gust of wind, her eyes meeting Twilight’s. Twilight was only a few feet in front of her, channeling a massive spell.

        “Duels over, Trixie. You lose,” said Twilight with a sly smile.

        Trixie didn’t have the time to cast her own spell, but if she didn’t do something quick, Twilight was going to be right. The unicorn charged forward. Twilight held her footing, while the spell grew stronger with every passing moment. Trixie jumped at Twilight. The alicorn was baffled by Trixie’s choice of attack. Trixie grabbed Twilight and bit down on her horn as hard as she could. Twilight screamed and pushed Trixie away, immediately teleporting to a safe distance away from Trixie’s mouth.

        They both took a moment to catch their breath, despite the audience cheering for them to continue.

        “Not. Bad. Trixie,” said Twilight, still trying to catch her breath.

        “Heh, you’re not bad either. But it’s time to get serious,” said Trixie as her horn glowed white. The unicorn’s hooves slowly lifted off the ground.Trixie began to float in the air as white runes began to surround her.

        “What the… I’ve never seen this type of magic before,” said Twilight as she took a precautionary hoofstep back.

        Trixie slowly lowered back to the ground, her horn sparked with white magic as she looked up at Twilight.

        “This, Twilight Sparkle, is arcane magic. A legendary school of magic, only mastered by one pony in existence, until now,” she said.

        Twilight didn’t believe Trixie. This must have been the trick that Trixie had up her sleeve. Twilight shot a bolt of purple energy, but the blast was immediately deflected by a clear mirror-like barrier. Trixie smiled as she slowly trotted towards Twilight.

        “You see Twilight, over the last three months I have dedicated my existence to studying arcane magic. You don’t stand a chance.”

        Twilight spread her wings and began to strafe in a circle around Trixie, blasting her with bolts of magic. Each bolt deflected off an invisible barrier. Trixie reared her head back and channeled all of her magic into her horn. Hundreds upon hundreds of tiny white sparks began to appear around Trixie and circle the unicorn.

        “Are those stars?” thought Twilight as she grinded to a halt.

        Trixie smiled at Twilight’s shocked face. 

        “I am sure you must be curious about this spell. Well, how about I show you?!” shouted Trixie as the tiny stars began to fly towards Twilight. 

        The alicorn jumped back as the first star darted up near her face. A flash of white light blinded every spectator of the arena as the star turned into a tiny supernova, exploding. Twilight had just teleported in time, appearing behind Trixie. Before she could even try to land an attack she heard a cluster of the tiny white bombs sneaking up behind her. Twilight immediately began to teleport all around the arena, trying to find someplace safe, but everywhere she teleported she found the explosive lights.

        “HOLD STILL!” shouted Trixie as she constantly kept turning, trying to keep up with Twilight. “FINE, YOU BROUGHT THIS UPON YOURSELF!”

Trixie’s horn glowed white as the tiny stars began to cluster in the middle of the arena. The white lights began to fly together, connecting with each other through beams of white light.

“Behold! Scorpius!” shouted Trixie, as the stars began to create something else.

“Behold! Cancer!” shouted Trixie.

Twilight put as much magic as possible into a quick burst, she had to stop Trixie from doing whatever she was doing. The massive beam of purple energy broke Trixie’s barrier and sent her flying into the arena wall. As a thick cloud of dust and smoke filled the arena, Twilight peered into the dense cloud and saw two white eyes staring at her.

“I WASN'T DONE YET!... NO MATTER! CANCER AND SCORPIUS ARE MORE THAN ENOUGH FOR THE LIKES OF YOU!” shouted Trixie.

Twilight couldn’t believe she didn’t recognize the constellations. The white lights had created 2-d constellations of Cancer, the Crab and Scorpuis, the Scorpion. She almost didn’t believe it as much as she didn’t believe Trixie’s new level of power.

“FROM THE ASTRAL PLANE I SUMMON THEE, SCORPIUS, CANCER! I BIND YOU TO THIS MATERIAL REALM SO THAT YOU MAY DESTROY MY ENEMY!”

The 2-d constellations of Scorpius and Cancer floating in the middle of the arena began to glow brighter and brighter. A massive crab claw smashed down on the arena floor as both Scorpius and Cancer came to life. The 3-d constellations extended their claws out towards Twilight.

“CRUSH HER!!!” shouted Trixie.

Immediately, the two living constellations charged towards Twilight snapping their claws at lightning speed. Twilight backed up against the wall, a scorpion claw dug into the  arena wall, catching Twilight in between, but the alicorn ducked, right before the claw snapped shut. With not a moment to rest, a massive crab claw slammed down towards Twilight, shaking the entire arena as it hit the ground. Twilight flew up into the air, a scorpion tail nearly spearing her right out of the sky. 

“How is this even possible?! She’s on an entire different level from before?!” thought Twilight.

A massive beam of white light burst out of the ground, smashing directly into Twilight. Both Cancer and Scorpius immediately disassembled, their stars encircling Twilight’s last location and exploding. The shockwave knocked everyone who already hadn’t fled out of their seats. Ajax smiled, he stood up, but before he could say anything a burst of bright purple magic erupted in the center of the arena.

“Trixie! You may have gotten better, but you can’t win. I am the princess of magic, the element of magic, I won’t let you win! I will protect Equestria!”

Twilight Sparkle emerged in the center of the arena, her eyes teaming with magic, the ground shook under the pressure of her power. Trixie summoned another galaxy of stars, but Twilight immediately blew every last one of them out of the arena. Trixie stepped back and channeled another blast of arcane magic, but Twilight marched through it as if it were nothing.

Celestia leaned forward, staring intently at Twilight.

“What power…” she thought to herself.

“No, no, no, you can’t win. I won’t let you!” shouted Trixie as she pulled out the ancient book she had brought into the arena.

“Behold Star Swirl’s magnum opus! Let me show you my greatest spell, Twilight Sparkle!”

Trixie created a massive glass-like barrier in front of her before opening the book. Twilight started to channel a beam of destructive magic, slowly cracking the barrier.

Trixie began to chant ancient words, while frantically dragging a hoof across the books pages.

“Respice ad me. Initium et finis ego sum. Ego enim jam vastabat. Deus universi. Ego sum Dominus mortificat et vivificat.” 

As Trixie continued to read the words, the entire sky began to turn dark, everything around the arena growing darker and darker until everything but the arena itself was pitch black. Twilight finally broke through Trixie’s barrier, stomping forward, but before she could deliver the final blow, Trixie finished the spell.

“Quod universum est infinitum!” 
As Trixie finished the words, Twilight flew backwards into the arena wall. Bright lights began to appear in the darkness surrounding the entire coliseum. Planets, stars, galaxies, comets, all could been seen hovering in the vast void of space.

“What, w-what is this?” whispered Twilight as she stepped forward.

Trixie trotted forward, thousands of astral pages and runes hovered around her.

“This is one of the strongest spells to ever exist, Twilight. Right now my mind is infinite, my knowledge of magic endless. The only thing holding me back is the amount of magical energy I can produce..”

Twilight’s eyes went wide.

“That’s impossible. You’re lying!”

Ajax leaned forward, staring intently at Trixie.

“What power…” he thought to himself.

Trixie slowly pointed a hoof towards Twilight.

“The only thing holding me back is my limited source of magic. My knowledge is vast and limitless. I see all and know all. However, this spell lasts for a limited time. To you it will last thirty seconds, but to me that will seem like thirty minutes… So forgive me for having to stop this explanation short... Fifteen seconds left.”

Trixie raised a hoof. Twilight immediately slammed into the arena wall. Trixie raised her hoof up into the air, lifting Twilight up into the cosmos. She slammed her hoof down into the arena floor, throwing Twilight down at supersonic speed. Twilight’s horn glowed bright, but suddenly all light from her horn vanished.

“I will no longer allow you to use your feeble magic in my realm,” said Trixie.

Twilight slammed down into the ground. The alicorn struggled to sit upright, her fearful eyes locked onto Trixie. The light blue alicorn stood on her hind legs and reared a front hoof back. She bolted towards Twilight, ready to deal the final blow, but while she was still midair everything went back to normal.

The arena was no longer floating in the middle of space. It was now back in Equestria. Trixie no longer had arcane magic flowing through her; she was completely out of energy. The unicorn, still in the air, stiffened up when she saw Twilight begin to smile.

“I was supposed to have thirty seconds!” shouted Trixie.

Twilight pushed herself up with her wings and dashed towards Trixie. Twilight pulled a hoof back, a thick coat of purple magic appearing around the ski corns hoof as she raced toward Trixie.

“That was only twenty-sev” cried Trixie as she watched Twlight fly towards her.

Twilight sparkle dashed through the air and smashed her hoof directly into Trixie’s face. The unicorn flipped through the air. It felt like she had soared through the air for a good twenty-seven seconds before hitting the ground. Trixie tried to stand up, but she felt a hoof smash down on her stomach. Twilight Sparkle stood up,bashed, beaten and bruised, ontop of Trixie.

The alicorn leaned down.

“Duel’s over. You lose,” whispered Twilight as the Canterlot crowd bursted into a cheer. Twilight’s and Trixie’s duel was finally over.

“Twilight,Twilight,Twilight,Twilight,Twilight.”

The crowd continued to cheer as two royals guards hopped down onto the arena floor and placed Trixie in chains.

Twilight looked down at Trixie.

“You fought well, but it’s over now. For your crimes against Equestria I am placing you under arrest,” she said.

Trixie tried her best to fight against her tears. She had already let everyone see her be defeated, the last thing she needed was to let them see her cry. The two guards began to drag Trixie out of the arena. She had never felt such shame, but most of all she had never felt such disappointment in herself. The unicorn looked back at Ajax one last time before being taken away.

The man was gripping his armrests staring furiously at Trixie. His eyes filled with pure hatred. 

“Figures, I failed him… I even hate myself…” she thought to herself as she was dragged out of the arena and thrown into a prison cart. Trixie looked out the barred window of the wooden cart. This was it, this was the end for her. She would surely be executed after she reached Canterlot.


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        “No one has ever liked me, but I guess I brought that upon myself. The only person who I thought could be my friend, now hates me, but I suppose that I brought that upon myself too. I failed Ajax. I failed myself, but worse of all… I failed at becoming a great wizard. My dream ends here.”

        Trixie laid on a stone floor against a stone wall staring at a stone ceiling. She had already exhausted herself of crying.

        “If you don’t say anything I don’t think I can help you,” said Twilight Sparkle as she sat down in front of the prison cell. “If you tell us everything you know, I might be able to reduce the gravity of your sentence.” 

        Trixie rolled over and faced herself away from Twilight.

        “You and I both know that I am as good as dead, Twilight. Neither Celestia nor Ajax want me alive…”

        Twilight stared at Trixie for a moment before speaking.

        “What happened to you? You weren’t the best pony, but joining up with someone like Ajax? What were you thinking Trixie?” she said.

        Trixie rolled back over to face Twilight. She had tears brimming at her eyes.

        “LOOK! I didn’t have much of an option. OK? Besides, you don’t even know Ajax. He’s not that bad of a guy once you get to know him, but somepony like you doesn’t take the time to get to know the villain. No one does… I would know…” she said.

        Twilight sighed.

        “You know why you didn’t win, Trixie?... It’s because you fight for a master while I fight for a friend... I’ll be back later... Hopefully you will be willing to talk then… See ya, Trixie,” said Twilight as she left the prison.

        Two royals guards walked into the prison after Twilight left. The two stallions walked up to the prison cell and set up post. Trixie tried to get some sleep, it beat laying around doing nothing…

        “Alone... I wandered around in Equestria alone for as long as I could remember… The only thing I carried with me was my cart. From town to town I would enact out wonderful shows, but eventually I was always run out of town.

        Then I would be alone again… 

Maybe, my ego was too big, but I only wanted attention. Attention that I never received when I was younger… but you receive no attention when you’re alone. Everyone saw an arrogant jerk, and maybe I was, but I only wish one person had the heart to reach out to me. To see through my self-absorbed ego and realize that I was alone.

Now here I am, alone in this cell, abandoned, forgotten, alone.”        

There was just too much on her mind, for her to sleep. Not to mention the prison reeked and the floor was hard. Trixie usually complained about everything, but she wouldn’t complain if she could go back to Ajax’s library right now. 

        “Hey, are you up?” said a gruff voice.

        Trixie rolled back over. One of the guards was gripping the prison bars, peering into her dark cell. Trixie didn’t say anything, it would be best if she just avoided contact.

        “I think I saw her move,” said the other guard.

        “Hey! Come over here! I want to get a good look at you!” shouted the first guard.

        Trixie sat up, but didn't move away from the back wall of the cell.

        “What do you want?” she said.

        The first guard bashed one of his hooves against the prison’s bars.

        “I want to look at the bitch who’s responsible for my brother’s death! Now, I said get over here!” shouted the guard.

        “We’ve both lost family during this war! Brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, and you’re responsible!” shouted the second guard.

        Trixie didn’t say a word or move an inch, she just continued to watch the angered ponies bash on the prison door.

        “Fine! We’ll just come in there and teach you a lesson!” shouted the first guard, as he began to reach for the key.

        “No, let’s not do something stupid,” said the second guard as he stepped in front of the first. The two ponies stared at each other for a brief moment.

        “Fine, I suppose she’ll end up dead either way,” said the first guard as he spat into Trixie’s cell.

        “Death is too good for the likes of her,” said the second guard.

        The two stallions laughed, but froze up when a wave of darkness washed over the prison.

        “What the…” said one of the guards.

        “R-relax, it was a passing cloud. See?” said the other guard as he pointed to a small window high up on the wall. A passing cloud revealed the moon once again, which illuminated the prison once more.

        “Heh, I guess we’re just a bit nervous,” said the other guard.

        Another figure blocked the moon, but this time it wasn’t a shadow. Both guards looked up to the window and saw two glowing red eyes staring down at them. Before either guard could say a word, a humanoid figure slipped through the narrow square and slammed its fists down on the guards.

        “Huh?” whispered Trixie as she rolled over to see what all the commotion was about.

        Two glowing bright red circles looked up at Trixie. The figure slowly stood up and approached the cell door. The tall shadow looked down at Trixie with it’s solid red eyes. The unicorn didn’t need to see anything else. She immediately recognized the crimson eyes.

        “You’re a robot? One of Ajax’s I presume? Don’t tell me… YOU'RE HERE TO KILL ME?!” yelled Trixie.

        The robot dropped to a knee and raised a single finger over it’s mouth, telling Trixie to keep it down. The cloaked figure reached and grabbed onto Trixie’s cell door. 

        “Wait, you’re busting me out? I thought Ajax would want me dead…” said Trixie.

        The shrouded robot began to pull against the cell door.

        “Don’t even bother, there is a magic barrie-” Trixie stopped after the robot ripped the door off clean.

        “Nevermind…” 

        “What strength… Which robot is this…?” thought Trixie.

        The robot grabbed Trixie and jumped up to the prison window and dropped down onto a Canterlot rooftop.

        “What’s wrong with you! You can’t just-!” shouted Trixie, before a metal hand gripped her mouth shut.

The machine began to stride across the rooftops, easily carrying Trixie under it’s arm.

        “Wait! What are you? Do I know you! Hey! Are you listening to me!?!” cried a muffled Trixie.

        The cloaked figure continued to clear rooftop after rooftop until finally reaching the Canterlot wall. Only minutes ago Trixie was waiting to die in a prison cell, but now she was about to be free. With one last giant leap Trixie and the robot cleared the wall and landed in a nearby acre of woods.

        She was now free.

Or was she?

She wondered what Ajax could want with her… Whatever it was, it couldn’t be good...

“STOP ALREADY!” cried Trixie.

The cloaked figure looked down at the pony, Trixie began to flail around, trying to break free from the robot’s arm. The mysterious robot came to a sudden stop in the middle of the forest, but didn’t set Trixie down until finding a nearby cave. 

Trixie pushed away the robot and marched into the cave. The machine sat down on a nearby rock and waited for Trixie to say whatever she wanted to say. The unicorn paced back and forth, she took a deep breath before turning around.

“I’m not going back and you can’t make me,” stated Trixie.

The robot tilted it’s head to the side.

“Look a stupid machine like you obviously can’t understand, but try to follow along as best as you can. I saw the look on Ajax’s face after the match, he was beyond furious. I am sure he deeply hates me. I failed him, I made him look like a fool for believing in me.”

Trixie began to mumble her words as tears began to roll down her face. The robot leaned forward, ready to hear what she had to say next.

“I’m sure if I were to return he would torture me as punishment, or something along those lines, but that doesn’t even matter. What would h-hurt the most is seeing t-the look of d-disappointment on his face. I can’t face him, never again. T-thats why you have to send him this message. OK?”

Trixie placed her hooves in the robots lap and tried to regain her composure.

 The machine looked down at Trixie.

“T-tell him that… I am so very s-sorry and I know that he m-must hate me, b-but tell him that I didn’t say a word to C-Celestia and I’m running away and I can’t come back and even though he hates me I'll miss him and I hope that everything's works out for him and...and...and…” 

Trixie began to break down and cry in the lap of the robot. The light-blue unicorn wailed and sobbed as her heart fell apart.

The cloaked robot stood up and looked down at Trixie. The unicorn looked up at the machine, still rubbing tears out of her eyes.

“W-what? I told you already t-that I’m not going!?” cried Trixie.

The robot’s metal hand reached for its own face, a wave of gas spread outward from the figures hood as the glowing red eyes slowly dimmed. The figure pulled out its metal mask and dropped it onto the floor. The robot began to slide off its… metal arms?

This was no robot.

Trixie slowly began to back away as she watched the human pull back his cloak. A black and white horn gleemed in the moonlight as two burning embers glared down at Trixie. Ajax removed his cloak and kneeled down on both knees before Trixie.

“So you want to give me a message? Well, I’m listening.” said Ajax as he raised an eyebrow.

Trixie was in disbelief.

“T-that was you back there?! B-but why would you come save me? And why were you dressed so funnily?”

Ajax shrugged.

“The gear that you see here is for a stealth operation, such as busting someone out from the Canterlot prison... Also, why is it so surprising that I saved you?”

Trixie stared blankly at Ajax.

“When I lost the duel I looked back… You were furious with me!” she cried.

Ajax chuckled.

“I wasn’t mad at you. I was mad at them for taking you away from me.”

“Wha-” mumbled Trixie.

“I’m extremely proud of you, dummy,” laughed Ajax as he rubbed Trixie’s mane.

“W-wha-” whispered Trixie.

Ajax smiled at Trixie.

“Come on, don’t you get it? Your skills during the duel amazed me. I can’t believe how strong you’ve become.”

Trixie continued to stare blankly at Ajax as more tears gathered under her eyes. Ajax scratched the back of his head and looked up at Trixie.

“Also, you do know that you’re like, the only friend I’ve had in the past six-hundred years, right? I mean if it weren’t for you-”

Ajax immediately felt something pressing against him. Trixie had rushed forward and was hugging him as tightly as possible. Ajax hugged her back, tightly.

Trixie whispered into Ajax’s ear.

“You’re my only friend, you know…”

Ajax whispered back.

“You’re my only friend too...you know…”

The man and pony remained like that for quite some time, both outcasts, both alone in the world, but not anymore. Both Trixie and Ajax now had one friend each.

“Come on Trixie, let’s go home. I left Chrysalis in charge again and we both know what happened to my vault the last time I did that...” said Ajax, with a gentle smile.

Trixie smiled and nodded her head eagerly.

“Yea, let’s go home!” she shouted.

Ajax lifted Trixie up and set her on top of his shoulders. The two had a long journey ahead of them.


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        “HUH!” shouted Trixie as she woke up.

        The unicorn layed back down when she realized that she had probably fallen asleep studying again, but she wasn’t in a library…

        She was in a bedroom?
        
Trixie had a confused expression after seeing the bedroom. There wasn’t anything wrong with the room, she just didn’t remember leaving the library.Come to think of it, she'd never even seen this room before.

Trixie was in the middle of snuggling the soft sheets of the blanket when she heard a voice.

        “Oh, you’re up? Good, we’ve got work to do.”

        Trixie looked up and saw Ajax leaning against the doorway. The man gave her a slight nod before turning around and leaving. Trixie hopped out of bed and grabbed her hat.

        “Wait for me!” she shouted as she ran after Ajax.

> Chapter Ten
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

        Two massive, elegant, brown doors slowly swung open. A parade of soldiers marched under a massive stone arch and entered a enormous arena-like auditorium. Each soldier carried a banner that was decorated differently from one another. The thundering of hooves and claws shook the ground as the parade split into three lines and separated themselves from one another. Ponies, gryphons, and minotaurs took their places in their respective stands of the auditorium. The golden room was decorated with banners and murals from each of the three races. The minotaurs took great pride in their strength and all feats of power. Their side was decorated with tapestry and banners depicting the ancient wars of equestria. The gryphons, being the most proud of the three, had stone statues of their most revered heroes. The equines of equestria, led by Princess Celestia, had a giant regal stained glass window behind them. Each race had a podium on their respective side for an ambassador to represent them.
        
        Once everyone was settled in, a white alicorn stepped up to the podium on the ponies’ side. Princess Celestia glanced around the room and cleared her throat before speaking. 

        “Gryphons… Minotaurs… I have come before you today, to ask for your help. A great evil has returned to Equestria. A human named Ajax. As we speak, he readies his army to march upon Canterlot for the second time. I asked you all to help me once before, but my letters received no response. This man knows nothing but how to fight and kill. A thousand years ago he pushed dozens of races to the brink of extinction!”

        Celestia glanced over at the minotaur section..

        “Very few of those species managed to survive... most didn’t make it. Are we going to stand by and wait for him to purge Equestria of all life?! Are we not going to stand up and fight for our home?! THAT IS WHY W-”

        A loud cough interrupted Celestia’s grand speech. The princess turned to see who could have been so rude that they would blatantly interrupt her mid sentence. Celestia’s eyes fixated on a massive elderly gryphon.

        “Bjorn… Do you have something to say?” said Celestia.

        The massive gryphon was easily eight feet tall on all fours. Its beak was broken and scarred. The ancient bird had patches of missing feathers all over its body. A large golden crown made out of tall luxurious talons sat atop the gryphons head. Bjorn leaned forward and stared at Celestia with his hazy green eyes.

        “After all these years you still talk too much, Celestia.” said Bjorn with a raspy voice.

        “If you have something to say, I’m all ears, Bjorn…” replied Celestia.

        The gryphon sneered at the princess.

        “Very well, princess,” hissed the giant bird as it lumbered over to the gryphon’s podium. Bjorn let out a wheezing cough before hunching over and gripping the podium with his massive claws. 

        “I may not be the spry bird I was all those years ago, but it’s easy to see what’s happening here. Hell, even a fledgling could figure it out!”

        Bjorn pointed a talon at Celestia.

        “You wonder why we didn’t come to your aid before? If I recall correctly this man only wants to destroy you. He has an old grudge against you, isn’t that right? Celestia…”

        Celestia continued to glare silently as the gryphon coughed into his claw again.

        “SO! You have the audacity to come before us today. In an attempt to bring us all down with you? You want everyone here to burn with you? The reports that you wrote yourself state and I quote ‘Ajax has a one-hundred and fifty foot death machine…’ Oh and lets not forget about his numberless robotic army. Allies with Chrysalis, wizard with arcane magic, he has the Crystal Heart… kidnapped your sister, and he nearly killed your guard captain.  Ah, and of course, we musn’t forget that he now posses the Elements of Chaos.”

        Bjorn slowly placed a tiny piece of paper onto the podium and let out a large sigh.

        “It’s very hard to be allies with you, Celestia. Not only did you wipe out all history regarding to the human race, but you also seemed to have hidden all information regarding the Elements of Chaos. Tell me, did you ever plan on telling us about any of this? What other secrets are you hiding that may jeopardize the entire world?”

        Celestia turned towards the minotaurs.

        “And do you feel the same way?” asked Celestia.

        A tough minotaur with a massive axe strapped to his back stepped up to the podium. One of his horns was broken, his left eye scarred, clearly this minotaur had seen the battlefield more than once. The minotaur gave Celestia a firm nod.

        “Yes, we feel the same…” he said with a stern tone.

        Celestia blew air through her nostrils as the words left the minotaurs lips.

        “Everything I did, I did it for Equestria!” she shouted.

        “Equestria has more than just ponies living in it, Celestia!” responded Bjorn.

        Celestia turned to the gryphon king.

        “I’m not asking for you to do this for me or for the equines of Equestria! I am asking you to help me for the sake of the entire world! Ajax can be defeated! We did it before, but we must unite!”

        Celestia turned to the burly minotaur and locked eyes with him.

        “Hell! He nearly pushed the minotaurs to extinction a thousand years ago!” she shouted.

        “He even slayed your grandfather!” she added as she turned back to Bjorn.

        An unnerving silence fell over the auditorium. Celestia waited for someone to say something, but after seeing that neither gryphon nor minotaur had anything to say, blurted out one last time. 

        “How far have the gryphons and minotaurs fallen?! Are you so afraid you would rather count the numbered days than fight?!”

        Bjorn looked at Celestia, the alicorn was breathing heavy, he waited for her to settle down before speaking.

        “Are you done?” asked Bjorn.

        Celestia looked up at the old gryphon.

        “Yes…”

        “Then this meeting is over. We will contact you when the council reaches a verdict,” he said.

        “I have no time to wa-”

        “THE COUNCIL WILL CONTACT YOU WHEN WE HAVE REACHED A VERDICT! You may not like to play by the rules, but here we strictly follow them, Celestia!” shouted Bjorn as he crushed the top of the podium in his claws.

        Celestia grit her teeth and left the council chamber. Her guards followed her on the way out, both gryphons and minotaurs watched quietly as the ponies left.


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        “Hey, you in there?” 

        Ajax leaned forward, peering into a wall of clouded ice. A swirl of darkness emerged behind the thick glacial sheet and approached the man.

        “Yes, I am… I can tell by your... appearance that you have found the Elements of Chaos…” said Sombra.

        “Sure did. Anyways, mind telling me why there is still no power running through my factory?” said Ajax.

        “I like it dark.” said Sombra.

        Ajax rolled the tiny white embers in his eye sockets after hearing Sombra’s excuse.

        “How about you fix that already. We’re about to march upon Canterlot and I would like to have a few more soldiers in my army…” he said.

        Sombra growled at the man.

        “You’ve been enjoying the elements’ power, but I have still yet to receive the Crystal Heart! I still hope that you intend on keeping your promise!” he shouted.

        Ajax sighed and reached into a bag. After digging around for a few seconds, he pulled out the Crystal Heart.

        “Don’t get mad at me, I have just been terribly busy the past few days. Now, you're going to help me defeat Celestia. Right?” asked Ajax.

        “I will gladly help you, but first I must reclaim my kingdom…” said Sombra.

        “I don’t think so. We don’t have that kind of time. Maybe afterwards?” said Ajax.

        “NO! I will reclaim my empire! NOW!” shouted Sombra, shaking the ice wall.

        Ajax raised his hands up, still holding the Crystal Heart. 

        “Alright, alright, if that’s what you want,” said Ajax as he placed the Crystal Heart in front of the thick glacial wall. Sombra looked down at the luminous crystal gem and when he looked back up, saw that Ajax was walking away.

        “HEY! Where are you going? You still need to break me out of here!” shouted Sombra.

        Ajax turned around and placed his hands behind his back.

        “Hmmm?” said the man.

        “I’m still stuck in here you fool!” growled Sombra.

        “So?... If I recall we had two deals. The first deal was that I break you out and you help me defeat Celestia. The second deal was that I bring you the Crystal Heart in exchange for the Elements of Chaos. Well, I brought you the Crystal Heart, didn’t I?” Ajax pointed to the glowing light blue heart that sat at the base of the ice wall.

        “What use is the Crystal Heart if I’m still trapped in here...” hissed Sombra.

        Ajax scratched the bottom of his chin.

        “Scenic value?” shrugged Ajax.

        “You bastard! cried Sombra.

        “Have fun taking over the Crystal Empire from my basement. I look forward to seeing how that plays out for you,” said Ajax as he turned around again.

        “Wait!...” shouted Sombra.

        Ajax raised an eyebrow and turned back around.
        
        “Yes?” 

        “Break me out of here… and I will help you defeat Celestia,” mumbled Sombra.

        “Wonderful!” exclaimed Ajax as he drew one of his swords and approached the frozen wall.

        “Make sure you stand back!” shouted Ajax as he swung the massive sword with all his might. With a single blow, Ajax shattered the ice wall. Crimson energy erupted out of the wall as Sombra’s prison fell apart. A swirl of darkness clustered together and grew denser and denser. The walls of the factory shook as the shadowy energy began to take shape. King Sombra had finally returned to Equestria. As the stallion’s hooves touched the ground, the lights of the factory flickered back on. King Sombra’s burning green eyes slowly opened and looked down at his body.

        “Free… I am free! FREE AT LAST!” shouted the unicorn.

        “Are you gonna stand there and shout all day?” asked Ajax.

        Sombra looked at the man and gave him a wicked grin. Sombra lifted the Crystal Heart off of the frozen floor and placed it onto his back, before approaching Ajax.

        “Lead the way,” said Sombra.

        “You’re a grown pony. I’m sure you’ll be able to find your own way around this place,” said Ajax.

        “You’ve got better things to do?” asked Sombra.

        “Yes. If you must know I have a very important appointment that you’re holding up,” answered Ajax.

        “Ah, well please don’t miss it on my behalf,” said Sombra.

        Ajax didn’t even hesitate, he immediately turned around and disappeared with a flash of black fire.

“Must be an important meeting…” thought Sombra to himself. 


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        “You’re late.” grumbled a displeased voice.

        “I know. I know. I got held up with other matters,” said Ajax.

        Trixie stepped forward and rolled her eyes at the man.

“Well, at least you showed up,” said Trixie.

 Ajax and Trixie stood in the middle of a snowy plane. The empty flat land of snow carried on as far as the eye could see. Most days it was hard to see off into the distance, but not today.  Today the weather was calm and gentle. There wasn’t even a cloud in the sky. The moon and hundreds of bright stars sat up above, hovering over the man and the pony. The two of them were completely alone, except for the occasional light winter breeze.

“It’s actually quite peaceful out here when there isn’t a snowstorm,” said Ajax as he looked out across the calm land. “Quite hard to believe that there is a giant underground vault beneath us, isn’t it, Trixie?” Ajax turned to face the unicorn, but Trixie was preoccupied. The unicorn was busy peering through a massive telescope.

“Simply amazing! Look at all the stars!” exclaimed Trixie as she began to write things down into a notebook.

Ajax looked up at the sparkling night sky.

        “Doing research?” asked Ajax.

        “Yup! I’m trying to pick-up where Starswirl left off,” remarked Trixie as she looked back into the telescope.

        Ajax looked back up at the sparkling night sky.

        “Ever think about travelling to one of them?” said Ajax.

        “One of what?” asked Trixie.

        “One of the stars,” responded Ajax.

        Trixie laughed. 

        “One of the stars?! That’s preposterous. How did you come up with a crazy idea like that?” asked Trixie as she went back to writing in her notebook.

        “To be honest, it wasn’t my idea,” said Ajax.

        “Then whose was it?” asked Trixie as she continued writing.

        “It was Jack’s…” said Ajax.

        “You mean... your old friend, right?” asked Trixie as she looked up from her notebook.

        “Yeah… It’s kind of a sad story. Jack always had a love for science, as you know he was very smart.... hiis ultimate dream was to explore other worlds deep in outer space. Things however didn’t go according to plan. When my father found out how talented he was, he decided to change Jack’s ‘ambition’ by force. Rockets that were once pointed towards the stars, pointed back down at Equestria. Robots who had been designed to replace slaves were reinvented for the battlefield. I think you get the idea...” 

        “That’s horrible,” said Trixie.

        “Sorry, you must be tired of hearing me ramble on and on about my old friends…” said Ajax.

        Trixie trotted over to Ajax.

        “That’s not true. I love your stories. No need to look so down,” said Trixie.

        “Heh, thanks,” said Ajax.

        “Besides you have us now,” said Trixie.

        “‘Us?’” asked Ajax.

        “Yeah, us,” said Trixie. 

        “Who’s ‘us’?” Ajax folded his arms and raised an eyebrow at the unicorn.

        “You know… Me and the others,” said Trixie.

        Ajax chuckled at the unicorn.

        “What ‘others’?” he asked.

        “Well, Chrysali-” Trixie was interrupted by Ajax.

        “I think you’ve forgotten that Chrysalis wants to kill me,” said Ajax.

        “Well, what about Lightning Du-” Once again Trixie was interrupted by Ajax.

        “Me and her don’t talk much,” he said.

        “I’m sure that it just takes time. I mean you and I became friends, and I hated you when we first met,” said Trixie.

        “I don’t see how that’s supposed to make me feel better.” Ajax placed his arms at his sides and turned away from the pony.

        “We are friends...right?” asked Trixie as she took a hoofstep towards Ajax.
        Ajax turned around and looked at the unicorn.

        “Yea…yeah, of course we are…” Ajax turned back around and smiled softly at Trixie.

        “I’m no expert in friendship, but I think you’re supposed to trust your friends. Right? So, just trust me Ajax, give it time. You never know whom you might become friends with,” said Trixie with a wide smile. “But remember you’ll never make a friend more amazing than me.” 

        Ajax looked down at the smiling pony. He smiled back at her and flicked her hat off her head.

        “Hey!” shouted Trixie as she turned around and chased after her hat.

        “How about you show me some stars, Trixie?” said Ajax as he walked over to the pony’s gigantic telescope.

        Ajax felt something pelt the back of his head, he turned around and saw Trixie holding a snowball in her hooves.

        “If you’re gonna start a war, you better be ready to finish it,” said Ajax as he knelt down and scooped up snow.

        “Bring it. They don’t call me The Grea-” Trixie was cut-off when a snowball smacked her right in the face.

        “How da-” Again, another snowball stopped the unicorn.

        “You-” Again, another snowball.

        “A-”.........another snowball.

        Ajax took a step back when he felt the entire ground begin to shake. A massive wave of snow rose up and tumbled down on top of the man.

        “Trixie! That’s cheating!” shouted Ajax as he was swept away by the tidal wave of snow.

        The man and the pony’s snow-ball war raged on for about an hour.

 A block of steel sprung out of the snow, in the midst of the battlefield. Two metal doors opened up as Queen Chrysalis stepped out. The alicorn trotted out onto the snowy plain, she looked around and saw the aftermath of Ajax and Trixie’s snow war.

        “What in Equestria happ-” A snowball smacked the side of the queen’s face. The pony slowly reached up and dabbed her hoof in the snow that had hit her.  She continued to stare at the snow on her hoof in confusion until she heard a voice cry out.

        “Whoops! I’m sorry, but that was your fault. You kinda got in the way.” Trixie appeared out of nowhere in a flash of blue light and trotted towards Chrysalis.

        “What’s going on here?” asked Chrysalis, still confused.

        “AHA! I’ve got you now!” shouted a voice. Ajax jumped out from behind a tall snow wall and crashed down in front of Chrysalis and Trixie.

        Chrysalis couldn’t believe her eyes… He had a sword...of snow...He wore massive armor...of snow.

        “What in the fu-” murmured Chrysalis.

When Ajax saw the changeling queen he quickly brushed off his snow armor and stamped out his snow sword. The man quietly coughed into this hand before looking up at Chrysalis.

“Can I help you Chrysalis?” asked Ajax.

“Having fun?” Queen Chrysalis smiled at the human and tilted her head slightly.

“Can I help you Chrysalis?” asked Ajax again, trying to ignore Chrysalis’ previous question.

        “I was just wondering that if you were done playing war, could you come back inside and plan for the real one? We do march out tomorrow morning after all,” said Chrysalis.

        “Yes, of course,” said Ajax as he walked past Chrysalis and stepped into the elevator.

        The changeling queen turned to Trixie.

        “You two sure seem to enjoy spending time together,” remarked Chrysalis.

        “Of course. Friends are supposed to enjoy each other's company,” said Trixie.

        “WHAT?! You’re friends with Ajax?” asked Chrysalis.

        “Yup!” exclaimed Trixie as she trotted over to the elevator.

        Chrysalis was speechless, she stood motionless, her jaw open in disbelief.

        “You coming?” said Ajax.

        “Huh.” muttered Chrysalis as she turned around.

        “I said ‘ You coming?’” Ajax and Trixie stood in the elevator waiting patiently for Queen Chrysalis.

        Chrysalis slowly trotted towards them and stepped into the elevator.

        “We’re practically ready anyways.” Ajax was laying against the elevator wall inspecting his fingernails. All that I need to do is talk with Nightmare Moon and we’ll be ready for tomorrow”

        “Good luck with that.” scoffed Chrysalis as the elevator began to descend into the vault.
“You’ll need it.”


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        Ponyville had fallen to anarchy. Throughout all of Equestria every pony city had succumbed to chaos. Word had spread that Ajax was preparing to march across Equestria for the second time. Equestria and her inhabitants were still recovering from the first invasion, and Ajax’s army had only grown stronger. Everypony was trying to get as far away as possible from Canterlot. They all knew that Canterlot would be his primary target.
        It was a chaotic night. Mares and stallions broke into shops, trying to steal the necessary supplies to travel across Equestria. The ponies who hadn’t succumed to their feelings of despair took refuge in Twilight’s castle. The castle sat alone, amidst the chaos, its crystal surface danced with a bright red glow as it mirrored the fires that were devouring Ponyville.
 Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Applejack sat in their respective thrones in Twilight’s throneroom. The six ponies sat quietly and listened as the citizens of ponyville continued to tear down their own town.

        “We should go out there and stop them!” shouted Rainbow Dash as she slammed a hoof down on the hooverest of her throne.

        Twilight turned to the chromatic pegasus.

        “They’re only scared Rainbow Dash.  Besides, we have more to worry about... tomorrow we’ll be leaving for Canterlot,” she said.

The six ponies sat quietly as they thought about the outcome of the war.

“Do you think this is our fault, Twilight?” asked Applejack as she took off her hat.

Twilight looked over at the orange pony with a worried expression.

“I think about the same thing everyday, Applejack. If only we had listened to Celestia and not returned to the Everfree Scar all of this could have been avoided,” said Twilight.

“We should all get some rest. We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow,” said Rarity, trying to stop her friends from upsetting themselves further.

The six ponies nodded and headed their separate ways. Twilight had prepared five guest rooms for her friends. Fluttershy however got lost on the way to her room.

“Oh dear, I’m still not used to Twilight’s new castle…” thought Fluttershy as she trotted down another hallway.

The yellow pegasus turned another corner and bumped into somepony.

“Hey! Watch it. Oh, it’s you Fluttershy. I’m terribly sorry, but what are you doing here?” asked Rarity.

The yellow pegasus rubbed her head and slowly stood back up on her hooves.

“I-Im a little lost…” whispered Fluttershy.

“Well if you can’t find your room you can just stay here with me for the night,” said Rarity as she trotted into her room and began making the bed.

“I don’t want to impose…” 

“Nonsense, deary. I insist,” said Rarity as she pushed Fluttershy into her room.

The yellow pony slipped into the covers and watched as Rarity began to cover her face with a green paste.

“R-rarity?” asked Fluttershy.

“Yes, What is it?” said Rarity.

“What do you plan on doing tomorrow? Where do you plan on going, since everypony else is going to Canterlot?” asked Fluttershy.

“What do you mean, deary? I plan on going to Canterlot with everypony else. Hasn’t anypony told you that I joined up?” Rarity turned to look at Fluttershy with a partially green face.

Fluttershy stared at Rarity with wide open eyes.

“Oh... I guess nopony has told you…” said Rarity.

“B-b-but I thought you didn’t want to fight!” cried Fluttershy.

“I don’t, but things look bad Fluttershy… I’m worried about our friends and I’m not going to sit idly by and let them face Ajax alone,” said Rarity.

        “S-so I’m the only pony who isn’t going to Canterlot tomorrow?!” shouted Fluttershy.

        “Keep it down Fluttershy. There’s no need to shout. Remember what Celestia said when we refused her offer? She understood our choice. We never signed up for a battle to the death,” said Rarity.

        The white unicorn began to place slices of cucumbers over her eyes.

        “I just started to think about...the whole situation and I thought, ’I may not have a duty to Equestria, but I have a duty to my friends,’” said Rarity

        “W-when did you get your element’s blessing?” asked Fluttershy.

        “Last week. Twilight and I went to the tree of harmony. It was quite simple, all I really did was place my hoof on the tree and...” Rarity stopped when she heard the door fly open. Her uncovered eye caught sight of a pink tail just before it slipped through the door.

        “Fluttershy?” whispered Rarity out loud in disbelief.

        “Fluttershy! Where are you going!” shouted Rarity as she poked her head out the door, but Fluttershy was already gone.

        “Was it something I said?”


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        There was a tap on a steel door, but no one answered.

        There was a knocking on a steel door, but no one answered.

        There was a banging on a steel door, but no one answered.

        Finally, the steel door slowly swung open. A shadowy figure with burning white eyes stood in the doorway, standing in front of a pitch black room.

        “Nightmare Moon? Are you there?” asked Ajax as he narrowed his burning eyes.

        Two aquamarine eyes slowly opened and stared at the man from the darkness.

        “What do you want mortal?” hissed Nightmare Moon.

        “I’m just dropping by to see if you’re ready for the big day tomorrow. You’ll make for a wonderful ally tomorrow on the battlefield,” said Ajax.

        The two aqua eyes grew closer and closer until Ajax was able to make out the devilish alicorn.

        “You were a fool to bring me back… I will sink the world into an eternal darkness when I become ruler,” said Nightmare Moon.

        “Well, you could destroy the entire world for all I care. As long as Celestia is dead, I’m happy with anything.” Shrugged Ajax.

        “Even your friends?” whispered Nightmare Moon with a chuckle.

        “My friends? What are you talking about?” Ajax’s burning eyes flared as he turned his head slightly.

        “I’m the mare in the moon. You think I didn’t see your precious snowball fight with that unicorn?” asked Nightmare Moon. “You should be careful. Don’t you have a bad experience with losing friends?”

        Ajax grabbed the hilt of his sword and grit his teeth at the pony.

        “Are you threatening me?” he asked.

        “No, not necessarily you…” chuckled Nightmare Moon.

        Ajax shook his head and took his hand off his sword. He turned around and walked away from the alicorn.

        “Let’s just make sure that Celestia is dead tomorrow. Ok?” said Ajax, before closing the door.

        “You’ll never get away with this!” cried out a voice right before Ajax closed the door.

        The man immediately swung the door back open and stepped into the room.

        “That sounded like Luna!”

        “Is something wrong?” Nightmare Moon was perched on top of a stone statue in the corner of the room watching Ajax.

        Ajax took one last glance around the room before stepping out and closing the door.

        “No, I’m just hearing things…” he said.


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        It was a peaceful day in Canterlot. The sun shined brightly overhead, not a cloud in sight. There were no riots or chaos throughout the city streets, all citizens had already evacuated, they knew what was coming.

        "Celestia!" cried a guard as he bursted into the princess' chamber.

        Princess Celestia was sitting at a table, overlooking a detailed map of Canterlot. Small figurines representing both her and Ajax's forces sat on top of the wooden table. However, rather than being placed in strategic locations, the figurines laid scattered across the table. Celestia stared blankly at the map, booth hooves on her head, lost in thought. 

        "Princess?" asked the guard as he took a step forward.

        "Yes?..." whispered Celestia as she looked up from the table to the guard.

        "We've made sure that none of the guards are changelings in disguise," said the stallion.

        "Ok," answered Celestia, as she went back to staring at the map of Canterlot.

        "Should we prepare for battle?" asked the guard, as he took a concerned step forward.

        "Go ahead," whispered Celestia under her breath.

        The guard turned around and slowly trotted to the door, but before he left a feeling of urgency overcame him. The guard turned to the gloomy princess with worried eyes.

        "Your people need you, Celestia.” The guard took a step towards the alicorn.

        Celestia slowly looked up at the guard.

        "Tell me, am I truly worth all of this? All this effort to protect me, doesn't a part of you think that it's wasted?" asked Celestia.

        The pony took a moment to think about what Celestia had asked him. After a few seconds he placed his helmet on his head.

        "With all due respect, princess. We're going to fight with or without you. It’s up to you to choose whether to show up or not.

        Celestia blew a small amount of air through her nostrils.

        "Of course it is," she said as she stood up and approached the guard.

        "Tell th-" 

        Before Celestia could finish speaking the faint sound of a horn echoed throughout her palace. The sound wasn't loud, but still Celestia stopped mid sentence when she heard it. She knew exactly what that sound meant. Pandora Prime, Ajax's war machine, wasn't too far off.

        "Hurry, we haven't got much time," said Celestia as she rushed out of the room.

        Throughout Canterlot the remaining forces of the ponies rallied to their positions. Despite knowing what was coming the guards still held their ground. They would be loyal to the end. 

        "He's early!" thought Celestia as she galloped down a hallway.  Princess Celestia turned the corner and saw Twilight Sparkle and four of her friends, dressed from head to hoof in armor.

        "Twilight..." whispered Celestia under her breath.

        "At your command, Celestia!" shouted Twilight as she shot Celestia a salute. Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Pinkie Pie saluted Celestia as well.

        "You must leave..." said Celestia as she turned away from Twilight.

        "W-what? W-we came here to fight!" cried Twilight.

        "We don't know what happened to Luna... and I fear that I won't get to see tomorrow... You must live on, Twilight. Equestria can't lose another princess. Ponies will turn to you when I am gone."

        "Equestria will either lose no princess today, or lose all of them," said a voice.

        The six ponies turned to see Princess Cadence at the end of the hall. The pink alicorn was dressed in familiar steel-plated purple armor that bore the crest of a shield. She had a company of crystal guards behind her, ready for battle.

        "Cadence... What are you doing here? Are you wearing Shining Armor's...armor?" said Celestia in disbelief.

        "Ponies stick together. If Canterlot falls, all of Equestria falls." said Cadence with a reassuring wink.

        Before anypony could say a word, the same horn as before rang once again, but this time it was far louder.

        "He's close," whispered Celestia.

        "Not that close," remarked Rainbow Dash

        "I think you're forgetting, just how dang loud that thing really is,” she added.


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        An army, unlike anything ever seen before, marched across Equestria. An army that put Ajax’s previous forces to shame. All life fled from the marching legion, anything in it's path was crushed and marched over. Abandoned villages, towns, and cities, were demolished by the juggernaut. Once again, leading the changeling/robot army, Pandora Prime led the unstoppable force. Ajax and his allies were inside a monstrous tank-like warmachine that trailed at the back of the army. Ajax wore his signature armor with both of his swords on his back. The man stood at the front of a room, a scribbled map of Canterlot adorned the wall behind him.
        "Some of you are here because you owe me. Some of you are here for a paycheck. Some of you are here because you have no choice. Some of you are here to defeat a common enemy... and some of you are here to help. Whatever your reasons for being here, know this, it ends today. I will kill Celestia today, or I will die trying. As we speak the murderer of my people sits in her city. She no longer has a captain. She no longer has a general. She no longer has a sister. All that's left is her and the pitiful ponies who dare accompany her in death.

        "Heheh... So... What's the plan?" asked Sombra.

        The unicorn sat in an iron throne at the end of the room holding a silver grail filled with a purple liquid. He had his signature steel armor and his long red cape.

        "Just leave it to me," said Ajax.

        "This is going to be a cakewalk!" shouted Lightning Dust. “So, what do you plan on doing with the Canterlot gold reserve after we sack the city?”

        Ajax smiled at the energetic pegasus.

        "I suppose that after we are victorious you’ll be deserving a bonus," he said with a smile.

        A maniacal laugh filled the room as fiendish power shook the steel walls of the massive vehicle. Nightmare Moon slowly trotted towards Ajax with an evil smile on her face. Queen Chrysalis looked up from filing the tips of her hooves and rolled her eyes when she saw the devilish alicorn.

        “Oh come now, Nightmare Moon. There’s no need to show off your power. There’s no point in trying to impress us,” said Queen Chrysalis.

        Nightmare Moon turned to Chrysalis and gave the changeling an ear piercing roar. Queen Chrysalis was blown out of her seat by monstrous sound. 

        “Now, now, play nice you two.” said Ajax as he approached Nightmare Moon and Chrysalis.

        Nightmare Moon turned to face Ajax after she was satisfied with watching Queen Chrysalis pick herself off the ground.

        "And what exactly will I be doing?..." asked Nightmare Moon.

        "You'll be with me." said Ajax.

        "Perfect... I can't wait to see the look on my sister's face when she sees me..." said Nightmare Moon.

        Ajax payed no mind to the alcorn's comment. He was thinking about something else.

“Hold on, where’s Trixie?" asked Ajax as he looked around the room. Everypony else was here, but the unicorn wizard was nowhere to be found.

        “I think she’s on top of this… whatever you call it machine.” said Lightning Dust as she kicked her hooves up on a table.

        “I’ll go get her,” said Ajax as he stepped into the next room. The man climbed a spiral metal staircase and opened the door to the roof of the warmachine. Ajax was taken aback by the sound of Pandora Primes’ marching.

        “I forgot how loud that robot can be.” thought Ajax to himself as he plugged his ears with his fingers.


        “Trixie!!! Are you out here!?” shouted the man trying to overcome the sound of the giant robot’s marching. In a flash of light blue magic, Trixie appeared before the man.

        “What is it?!” shouted Trixie.

        “I need to give you orders!” shouted Ajax.

        “What?!” shouted Trixie.

        Ajax shook his head and stepped back inside. He motioned for the unicorn to follow him. After Trixie stepped inside Ajax closed the door behind her.

        “I need to give you your orders, Trixie” said the man as he turned around to face the pony.

        “Oh, well, what are they?” asked Trixie.

        “First off, what were you doing out there?” asked Ajax.

        “Keeping a look out.” said Trixie.

        Ajax folded his arms and smirked at the unicorn.

        “Really? I don’t remember giving you look-out orders,” he said.

        “What? I can’t keep an eye out for us?” asked Trixie.

        Ajax shook his head and chuckled at the pony.

        “I fail to see what’s so funny,” she said.

        “To think, I hired you to decipher a piece of paper. Look at you now, Trixie. Off doing lookout duty willingly,” he said.

        “Just give me my orders…” she mumbled.
        
        “Very well. I’ve assigned you the task of watching over the army while I’m in Canterlot,” said Ajax.

        “What? You want me to stay back? Why?” asked Trixie

        “I need someone that I can trust commanding the troops.” said Ajax.

        “After all that time I spent learning arcane magic you're going to have me sit in the back?” asked Trixie.

        “I thought you didn’t like fighting. Are you actually upset that I’m not sending you onto the battlefield?” asked Ajax, raising an eyebrow.

        “No... it’s fine...” said Trixie.

        “Good.” said Ajax as he turned around.

        “Ajax?” said Trixie.

        “Yea?” said Ajax as he turned back around to face the pony.

        “You’re not trying to protect me by putting me in the back, are you?” asked Trixie.

        “Don’t be absurd! I just want someone I can trust to command the army. And you happen to be the most trustworthy pony,” he said.

        “Alright then…” she said.

        “Good,” said Ajax, turning around once again, but froze after hearing Trixie sigh. The man shook his head as he turned back around.

        “What is it this time, Trixie?” he asked.

        “What are you talking about?” asked Trixie surprised that Ajax hadn’t left yet.

        “I know you too well, Trixie. Now, what was that sigh about?” asked Ajax.

        “It’s… just… I’ve been thinking,” said Trixie.

        “Thinking about what?” asked Ajax.

        “It’s nothing…” said Trixie.

        “Oh, just say it already,” said Ajax, annoyed for having to wait for so long.

        “I was just wondering, about what you planned on doing after the war is over.” 

Trixie dragged a hoof across the floor while she waited for the man’s reply.

        “I have no idea,” responded Ajax.

        “But what do you think you’ll do?” asked Trixie.

        “I said I have no idea,” remarked Ajax, but Trixie continued to stare intently at the man, she wasn’t going to take ‘no idea’ for an answer.

        “If it’s so important to you, I’ll tell you what, after this is all over, I’ll let you help me decide what to do with my life,” said Ajax.

        “What do you mean?” asked Trixie.

        “I don’t know. We can do what you want to do. Like go to the beach or something,” he said.

        “Really?!” shouted Trixie.

        “Yeah…” said Ajax with a slight smile.

        “That sounds perfect! We can make the robots do all of our bidding. Oh, we could even turn Pandora Prime into a giant parasol umbrella! Imagine it, the entire beach covered in shade! I could catch up on all my reading. And maybe w-”

        “Trixie!” shouted Ajax, the white fires in his eyes exploded when he shouted the unicorn’s name.

        “...Don’t forget we still have a war to deal with,” stated Ajax.

        “Oh, yeah…” said Trixie as she rubbed the back of her head with a hoof.

        “I guess I kind of got carried away, huh?” she said.

        “You think?” asked Ajax as he rubbed his forehead.

        “By the way, Ajax. What do you plan on doing with the Elements of Chaos after the war is over?”

        “I prob-” A robotic voice came on the intercom and interrupted Ajax before he could answer.

        “Attention all personnel, We will reach Canterlot in approximately ten minutes.”

        Trixie waited for Ajax to answer her question, but it seemed he had forgotten about it. The Elements of Chaos floating behind the man’s back slowly hummed to life when Ajax heard the news that they were close to Canterlot.

        “It’s time,” whispered Ajax as he rushed down the metal hallway.

        “Ajax, WAIT!” shouted Trixie, but the man was already gone.

        “This time I will make sure that Celestia pays for her crimes. I will obtain justice for my people today. For every life she took, I will see to it that she suffers dearly!”

        Ajax continued to dash down hallway after hallway, eager to fight.


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        It was midday when the robotic army came into view. Princess Celestia, Princess Cadence, Twilight, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and Applejack stood at the ready as they watched Ajax’s army approach. The sun, was four times its usual size. Princess Celestia, had brought the sun closer in order to grant her more power during the war. The Skyline, Celestia’s infamous airship, the same airship that was used by Horizon Star to wipe away an entire army, slowly hovered over Canterlot. The flying sky fortress had all it’s weapons pointing towards the human’s army. It was the ponies’ final stand, and they weren’t going to hold back.

        The robot/changeling army came to a stop as Pandora Prime took a final crushing step before coming to a halt. The robotic titan released it’s loud siren one last time and awaited further orders. Changelings and robots halted behind the robotic monstrosity and watched as Ajax and his allies emerged from the top of their warmachine. Ajax accompanied by King Sombra, Nightmare Moon, Trixie, Queen Chrysalis and Lightning Dust stepped forward and looked out at Canterlot.

        A cylinder with a panel emerged from the roof of the machine. Ajax stepped forward and opened the panel and grabbed a microphone that was inside.

        “Canterlot… I nearly died last time I sieged this city. Things will be different this time, Celestia,” he thought to himself.

        He took a moment to look over Canterlot before speaking into the microphone.

        “Citizens of Canterlot.... Guess who.” Ajax began to pace back and forth as he continued to talk into the microphone.

        “The last time I was here I gave you an offer. I said that as long as you handed Celestia over, I would spare Canterlot. Well, that deal is f@#%ng off! I plan on burning your entire city to the ground. I won’t spare a mare or filly! You’re all going to die! I’ve brought an army ten times stronger than the one that I nearly destroyed Canterlot with last time!” Pure adrenaline and rage began to take over Ajax.The glow from the Elements of Chaos grew stronger and stronger as they fed off the man’s hatred.

        For a moment, Ajax took his finger off the microphone, he turned to Nightmare Moon and gave the alicorn a slight nod. Nightmare Moon grinned, showing off her razor sharp teeth and within seconds vanished, leaving only a cloud of darkness behind. Moments later the sun slowly crept across the sky, heading towards the horizon.

        “One light, alone in the darkness… And I will be the one to snuff it out!” cried Ajax as a full moon began to rise in place of the sun.


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        “Celestia!” cried a guard as he turned to the princess

        “Luna…” whispered Celestia under her breath.

        “What has he done to you…” murmured Celestia as she watched Nightmare Moon gallop across the night sky.

        “Ajax must’ve used the Elements of Chaos to turn her back into Nightmare Moon” said Twilight as she turned to face Celestia. Twilight was surprised to see that Celestia had a calm composure.

        “Celestia, are you ok?” asked Twilight.

        “Yes, I’m fine…” said Celestia.

        “Aren’t you upset?” asked Twilight. Twilight was curious as to why Celestia was having such a calm response to seeing her sister being changed into Nightmare Moon.

        “No, I was afraid she was dead, but she is unharmed…” said Celestia.

        “But she’s going to try to kill you!” shouted Rainbow Dash.

        “Right, but that doesn’t change the fact, that she is ok,” responded Celestia as she continued to watch Nightmare Moon.

        The day had turned to night. The stars in the sky sparkled as the pale moon sat above Canterlot, showering it in moonlight. Celestia suddenly felt light headed, the soothing moonlight was draining her energy. Now that the moon was out she was growing tired. Celestia clenched her eyes shut and shook off her drowsiness. 

        “This isn’t good… I will only grow more tired the longer the moon stays in the sky…”
        


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        Ajax unsheathed his onyx sword, the ebony blade glistened in the moonlight, showing off all the scratches and dents that it bore..

        “Let’s get things started, shall we?” said Ajax as he turned to look back at his allies.

        King Sombra stepped forward and chuckled.

        “I can sense their fear from here,” said the unicorn.

        “Maybe we should let them revel in their sorrow for a bit longer?” added Sombra..

        “Don’t you dare give me any suggestions!” shouted Ajax as he turned to the unicorn king. Sombra paused, he was surprised by the man’s sudden outburst, but soon realized what was happening. The elements of Chaos were slowly changing Ajax. The human’s teeth had grown sharp, his nails had transformed into talons. Waves of black fire slowly emanated from underneath the man’s feet. Two large bone wings pierced Ajax’s flesh and armor as they grew out of his back, after the two wings had fully grown, they set ablaze with the man’s signature black fire.

        “Forgive me, Ajax.” said Sombra half-heartedly as continued to watch the human transform into a monster, hungry for battle.

        Ajax placed his fingers on a mechanical device located on his wrist.

        “Pandora Prime, wipe these miserable creatures out of existence!” shouted the half man, half monster.

        Pandora Prime sounded its deafening horn as it took a step towards Canterlot, but something unexpected happened. Pandora Primes’ siren, for the first time ever, received a response. A sound of equal magnitude that challenged the robot’s cry. A sound that drove fear into the hearts of anyone that heard it. A sound, that only a monster could make.  Both Canterlot and Ajax’s army looked to a nearby treeline, located near the center of the battlefield.

        “What the hell was that?” growled Ajax.

        Lightning Dust started to rub her eyes as if she wasn’t seeing straight..

        “Um, guys! Are you seeing this?” Lightning Dust’s voice cracked when she asked the question. Every man, pony, and robot, saw the same thing. A sea of purple fur slowly rolling over the trees of the forest. The wave of purple easily crushed every tree in its path.

        “Those trees are nearly sixty feet tall…” murmured Chrysalis.

        The same ear-splitting roar that challenged Pandora Primes’ siren was heard once again.

        “Ajax!” cried Trixie as she rushed to the man’s side.

        “What is it?!” shouted Ajax as he turned to the frightened unicorn.

        “That’s an Ursa Major!” yelled Trixie.

        “Why would there be an Ursa Major here?!” Ajax clenched his fists as he turned back to see if Trixie was truly right.

        The ocean of purple fur reached the edge of the forest. A massive snout protruded out from behind the tree line, followed by a huge head with fangs easily twenty feet long. An ursa major, a creature of legendary stature, had made its way onto the battlefield. The ursa major rose up on its hind legs and bellowed one last time before turning to face Pandora Prime. 

        “Hold on I see something…” said Ajax as he pointed at the Ursa Major. “On the beast’s head! There’s some sort of yellow spec!” he shouted.

        “Ajax!!!” shouted a voice far off in the distance.

        “Is that… Fluttershy?” asked Ajax, questioning his own eyesight.

        The yellow pegasus was covered from head to hoof in warpaint. She held a wooden spear in her right roof, a headdress made out of twigs and flowers sat on top of her head. Her body was encased in treebark from the willow trees of the Everfree Forest. She glared at the man’s army with a look that could shake anypony to their core.

        “I’ve made my decision! I won’t let you near my friends!” cried the yellow pegasus.

        The ursa major roared once more. The robots and changelings were nearly blown back by the shockwave of sound.

“Well, I never took that pegasus for much. Looks like I underestimated her. An Ursa Major might prove to be a worthy adversary for Pandora Prme…”


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        Fluttershy slowly patted the Ursa Major before spreading her wings and flying down next to its ear. The pony’s eyes no longer had the look of hatred in them. Now, they were as wide and full of light as they ever were.

        “Alright Bubbles, you be careful out there, ok?” said the yellow pegasus.

        The ursa major mumbled something in bearspeak and turned to fluttershy and licked her with its massive tongue. The yellow pegasus rolled across the slippery pink wall of flesh a dozen times before the lick was finally over. Fluttershy looked down at her saliva drenched coat, she tried to brush out as much as possible with her hooves.

        “I’m going to go meet up with my friends now. Are you gonna be ok all by yourself?” said Fluttershy as she looked up at the massive celestial bear.

        The ursa major nodded its head up and down at the tiny yellow pony.

        “Alright then...” said Fluttershy. The yellow pegasus turned to Canterlot and slowly glided towards the city. Canterlot was ecstatic. Mare and pony cheered as the pegasus came into view. Fluttershy’s glide turned into a trot as her hooves touched the ground. A dash of blue swept the pony off her hooves. Fluttershy yelped, startled by the brash act. Rainbow Dash held Fluttershy tightly in a hug..

        “Fluttershy! What are you doing here?!” shouted Rainbow Dash as the other ponies began to crowd around them.

        “I don’t know… Something just came over me… I guess it was a duty… a duty to my friends,” said Fluttershy.

        “Say, Fluttershy, where did you happen to find an Ursa Major?! Also, HOW DID YOU MANAGE TO BRING IT HERE?!” asked Twilight, alarmed by the presence of the two-hundred foot tall bear

“It actually wasn’t that hard Twilight. After I heard how Rarity received her elements blessing, I figured that it shouldn’t be too hard to receive mine. Since the Elements of Harmony made Rainbow Dash faster, Applejack stronger, Twilight’s magic more powerful, and Pinkie Pie… more Pinkie-ish...well, I figured that they would grant me the ability to communicate with nature on a whole new level.”

Applejack walked up next to Fluttershy and slapped her on the back with a hoof.

“I can’t believe it. An Ursa Major… We might just have a shot at winning this thing…” remarked Applejack as she stared at the massive beast in the distance.

“I’m just glad that you’re here with us, Fluttershy,” said Rarity as she placed a hoof around the yellow pony.

A loud horn interrupted the reunited ponies, but it wasn’t Pandora Primes’. This horn was low and echoed softly across the battlefield. It didn’t belong to a robot or a pony.

“That sound… It’s so familiar,” said Celestia as she stepped forward.


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        Pandora Prime was beginning to analyze its new opponent, but stopped and turned when it heard the horn.

        “Ajax, something approaches in the distance,” said Queen Chrysalis.

        Two figures emerged from behind the horizon and stood atop a hill that overlooked the battlefield. The pale moon outlined a silhouette of each of the two figures.

        “It looks like… a gryphon… and a minotaur,” said Lightning Dust as she peered through a pair of binoculars. 

        “I’m already tired of these last minute appearances! If I don’t start killing something soon...” growled Ajax as the black fire at his feet began to churn. 

        “Celestia!” shouted the silhouette of the gryphon.

        “The council has reached a verdict! Today we stand at your side against this monster!”

        Celestia’s eyes opened wide when she heard the gryphon’s voice.

        “That’s Bjorn, but then that means…” 

        The thunder of marching rolled across the battlefield as two armies came into view. An army of gryphons encased in golden steel armor with talons that could pierce the toughest iron. An army of minotaurs that carried massive axes and hammers that could easily split a tree or crush any boulder.

        Ajax roared violently when saw the two armies marching over the hill.

        “Is it me versus all of Equestria?! Fine! Maybe now this will be a challenge!” he shouted.

        Bjorn stepped forward, the gryphon was encased in golden armor that covered every inch of his body. Even the gryphon’s wings were encased in a golden plating. Bjorn looked over Ajax’s army briefly before shouting.

        “Human! Stand down! If you refuse to comply, we will be forced to take action!” shouted Bjorn.

        “Bite me oversized pigeon!” shouted Ajax.

        Bjorn’s expression quickly turned sour.

        “Soldiers to arms!” shouted the Gryphon as he raised his right wing.

        “Kill them!” shouted Ajax as he pointed his sword toward Canterlot.


        One last battle. One final fight. The clash of these four armies will not only determine the fate of Canterlot, but the fate of all of Equestria.

	
> Chapter Eleven
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	There once was an old grandfather and his young grandson. The old man looked down at the young child and said,

“My son, there’s a battle between two wolves inside us all. 
One is evil. It is, deceit, cruelty, greed, sorrow, and betrayal.
One is good. It is honesty, kindness, generosity, joy, and loyalty.”

The boy thought about what his grandfather had said and asked,

“Grandfather, which wolf wins?”

The old man quietly replied.

“The one you feed.”


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A lone missile soared through the sky, the flames behind the rocket screeched as they struggled to propel the metal cylinder over the grassy plains in front of Canterlot.

BOOM!

The missile had hit its target. A cloud of thick smoke swirled around the site that the rocket had impacted. A disgruntled snort quickly dispersed the dark cloud to reveal two burning red eyes. Bubbles, the ursa major that Fluttershy had brought, glared at Pandora Prime. The ursa major’s eyes continued to burn with rage,  refusing to break its glare on the robot. Pandora Prime stood motionless. Not a single part of the titan moved, except for a closing metal panel located on the machines left shoulder. The square opening used to have six full missile slots, but now... one was empty. The sheet of metal clanged as it finally closed over the hole in the robot’s shoulder. Pandora Prime slowly raised an arm towards the ursa major and motioned for the giant bear to bring it.

A frenzied cry was heard for miles all around as the bear stood up on its hind legs and roared. Pandora Prime didn’t hesitate. The machine took a lunging step towards the ursa major. Changelings and robots unfortunate enough to be near Pandora Prime found themselves bouncing a meter up off the ground as Pandora Prime’s right foot stomped into the earth. The ursa major got down on all fours and stampeded towards the metal giant. The two titans clashed as the bear leapt towards the robot. Pandora Prime swung its right fist. The heavy blow sent the colossal beast into the ground.

A voice that was once human could be heard screaming orders from atop a black steel war machine. Remnants of Ajax’s voice was overlapped and enveloped by a demonic twisted tone. “Legions five and six move on Canterlot! The remaining legions shall prevent the gryphons and minotaurs from making their way into the city!” Ajax turned around to face his five comrades. “Sombra, Chrysalis, Lighting Dust! I want you three to handle the gryphons and the minotaurs! Dispose of them quickly so we can make quick work of Celestia!” 

“If that is what you want…” said Sombra as he vanished into a cloud of darkness. 

“Come on Lightning Dust,” ordered Chrysalis as she turned away and spread her wings.

“Right behind you!” exclaimed Lightning Dust as the pegasus took off after Chrysalis.

Ajax watched the two ponies fly away before turning back to his last two allies. “Trixie, you already have your orders. Nightmare Moon...” as the man said the alicorn’s name, two pairs of bone wings emerged from his back and caught fire. “Let’s go visit sister...” The alicorn smiled, Nightmare Moon spread her wings without saying a word.

“Wait Ajax!” exclaimed Trixie, but it was already too late. Ajax and Nightmare Moon had left the unicorn all alone. Trixie  had no choice but to quietly watch as the battle commenced. Pony, changeling, minotaur, and gryphon were now locked in a deadly battle that would decide Equestria’s fate.


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The sound of claws scraping against metal, the sound of steel pounding flesh; the battle between the ursa major and Pandora Prime carried across the whole battlefield. Each blow was so loud and carried such weight, anypony who heard it couldn't help but flinch after each strike.

Pandora Prime slid backwards as the ursa major tackled the robot’s chest. The astral bear wrapped its arms around the metal colossus and lifted Pandora Prime into the air. With all of it’s strength the ursa major began to squeeze the metal titan. The straining of steel could be heard as bolts and screws began to burst out of Pandora Prime’s joints. The robot clenched an open hand around a closed fist before bashing its fists down on top of the bear’s head. Pandora Prime fell to the ground, crushing acres of trees. The ursa major stumbled backwards, dizzied by the blow. Pandora Prime quickly rose to its feet and charged the dazed giant. 

BOOM!

Pandora Prime’s advance slowly turned into a slow walk as it spun around and fell past the Ursa Major. A heap of smoke stemmed out from the robot’s back as it laid on the ground.

“A direct hit!” shouted a pink pegasus pony.

Dozens of mares and stallions ran back and forth shouting at one another. The ponies were manning the Skyline, the infamous flying fortress. They had just successfully blasted the unsuspecting robot from behind with the full force of their cannons.  A tough looking mare stood at the helm of the legendary vessel. She wore an admiral’s hat and an eyepatch over her left eye. A long blue captain’s coat swayed as she turned to face the pink pegasus who had announced the accuracy of their shot.

“Swing back around! We’ll hit it again!” she shouted as she looked out the window.

Pandora prime propped itself up on its arms. The machine looked up at the enormous sky ship and began scanning the unknown threat. As the robot continued its analysis with the foreign vessel, something grabbed ahold of it from behind and tossed it into the air. Pandora Prime crashed down, creating an enormous crater beneath it. The robot suddenly felt an intense pressure begin to crush its left shoulder. As the dust cleared, Pandora Prime was able to make out the ursa major. The bear’s jaws were firmly clamped onto the robot. Pandora Prime began to punch the gigantic bear, trying to peel it off of its shoulder. The ursa major, however, was resilient, and refused to release Pandora Prime. The robot pressed its arms against the ursa major, and with a mighty push, released itself from the beast. Pandora Prime stood up and saw that the monstrous bear was holding a chunk of metal in its jaw. The pistons on the iron gargantuas back revved violently as it bolted towards the cosmic bear.


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On the other side of the battlefield, outside of Canterlot, a burly minotaur made his way across the battlefield, cleaving all who dared to stand before him. The scarred creature removed rows of changelings and robots alike with each sweep of his axe. The mighty minotaur had a scarred eye and a broken horn. He was Ironhoof, the same minotaur that had met with Celestia and Bjorn at the council. His strength is legendary. Some say “He is the strongest minotaur to ever walk Equestria.” Another robot fell to the notorious minotaur, but as the strapping warrior removed his axe from the corpse, he felt a chill in the air.

“Hahahaha… The ages might change, but I see the minotaur king will always remain the same. Just a simple minded lumbering buffoon. No matter how many I see, you’re all still the same, just some beefed up warrior...” A ghastly voice rang in every direction. The minotaur, however, didn’t respond. He only gripped his axe tighter. King Sombra emerged from the shadows and walked across the trail of dead changelings and robots left by Ironhoof.

“My… you’ve sure done a number on Ajax’s forces,” said Sombra.

“If I’m not mistaken, you associate with the human… tyrant,” said Ironhoof in a low and heavy voice that complimented the minotaur’s demenour. Sombra laughed at the scarred minotaur. 

“I suppose you could say that. We do have a deal together, but unlike the others I’m no foolish subject. I am a king myself... after all,” said Sombra proudly.

“How can you be a king if those that you ruled over were just slaves? A king is not a fitting title for a slavemaster, no matter how many you ruled over.”

“Heh, you know, there once was a unicorn who said the same thing to me,” mumbled Sombra.

“I’m sorry, but I couldn’t care less. Can we just get to the part where we try to kill each other?” asked the minotaur as he readied his axe.

“HAHAHA! Very well! Show me what you got, mongoloid!” exclaimed Sombra.

Despite his size, the minotaur was surprisingly fast. He blasted towards Sombra with remarkable speed and began to swing his axe wildy. Sombra easily dodged each attack. The unicorn king danced around the minotaur’s blows as if he was but an amorphous shadow. 

“I would like to hope you have more than just muscle on your side, but I feel like I would just disappoint myself,” laughed Sombra as he reformed on top of a tall rock. The minotaur spat off to the side and continued to glare at the unicorn king, not saying a word. “My turn…” whispered Sombra as his horn bubbled with dark purple magic. Black jagged rocks burst out of the ground beneath the minotaur. However, the minotaur easily dodged the attack by leaping up into the air. Sombra created another patch of sharp stones where the minotaur was going to land. In a flash of steel, followed by a loud crash, the ebony slabs crumbled under the minotaur’s steel axe. Two dark blue eyes looked up at Sombra.

“I would like to hope you have more than magic on your side, but I feel like I would just disappoint myself.”


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The might of Ajax’s forces was too great. The robots and changelings swarmed the battlefield, overpowering the forces in between them and Canterlot. The only thing they really had to worry about was being crushed by Pandora Prime or the ursa major. The battle between the two giants raged on in the middle of the battlefield with no sign of ever stopping. 

Pandora Prime was missing a chunk off of its left shoulder. The ursa major however had sustained far worse injuries. Dozens of the beast’s teeth were broken, it’s body bruised and beaten. The only thing allowing the beast to still stand was the primal fury driving it further and further into a crazed frenzy. The ursa major swiped and slashed at the robot, but the thick coating of dwarven steel was far too strong for the creatures glancing blows. Pandora Prime’s pistons cried out as the robot dashed forward and grabbed ahold of the bear’s muzzle. The ursa major flailed about, but Pandora Prime’s iron grip refused to let go.

“Ma’am the robot seems to have a hold on the ursa major! What are your orders?” shouted a pegasus pony on the Skyline. The sky ship was still making a wide turn back towards the two giants. The pink magic shield around the zeppelin's balloon gleamed under the light of the moon as it approached Pandora Prime and the ursa major.

“Ready our lasers for maximum firing power!” shouted the captain.

The unicorns, located in the sky ship's room of mirrors and lenses, began to charge the ship’s weapons to their fullest potential. The Skyline descended slowly as it approached Pandora Prime from behind. The robot was preoccupied with fighting the ursa major and didn’t notice the ship. The massive machine continued to hold onto the ursa major, raising the beast up off the ground with it's iron-tight grip.

BOOM!

The tremendous blow sent Pandora Prime flying forward, as the beam of energy continued to drill into the robot’s back. The robot’s dwarven plating was nearly crushed by the intense blow. Chips and pieces of dwarven steel projected outwards as the bright blue laser continued to push the robot forward. However it did not release its grip on the ursa major. The mythical bear seized the opportunity and swiped its claw upward at Pandora Prime’s chin. The bear’s paw ripped deep into the robots head and sent scraps of metal flying everywhere. A few stumbling steps back were the final actions of Ajax’s war machine before it crashed into the ground.

“Pandora Prime is down! I repeat Pandora Prime is down!” cheered a pony on the bridge of the Skyline. The crew was ecstatic, an uproar of cheers and shouts could be heard throughout the ship as the news spread. The captain was swarmed by her crew. The ponies shook and patted her, but then a voice was heard.

“I see something emerging out of the smoke! I think it’s the robot!” screamed an urgent voice.

The ponies rushed to the window side and looked down at the battlefield. A figure rose up from the dead.

“J.A.X.-002 Pandora Prime initiating system reboot. Loading, most fatal profile.” The robot’s voice was different. The blow to its face must’ve messed with its voice box. Pandora Prime sounded like a high pitch child one moment, but then sounded like a demon from the darkest depths of Tartarus the next. The frequency and range of the machines voice shifted randomly mid sentence. The gargantuan looked up towards the skyship. It’s face had been ripped off. Two exposed lights stared at the skyship. An internal steel framework that resembled a human skull laid beneath the exposed surface of the robot’s head.

“I-it’s still alive!?” shouted a pony as he backed away from the window.

Pandora Prime’s eyes changed from a dark red to a vibrant bright green, as steel studs appeared on it’s knuckles. Rows of spikes shot up from beneath the robot’s dwarven steel plating and ran up it down its arms and shoulders. A roar was heard while the robot was still morphing, the ursa major stampeded towards the robot from behind. Right before the bear was upon it, Pandora Prime quickly spun around and backhanded the colossal bear, sending it flying across the battlefield. Pony and robot alike looked up as the titanic bear eclipsed the moon before it crashed on the opposite side of Canterlot.

“It just sent the ursa major flying…” murmured a guard as his voice cracked.

The captain stared at the faceless metal horror with wide eyes. Pure terror gripped the once bold mare. The plating on Pandora Prime’s chest slowly opened up as two thick beams of metal shot out of its back, digging into the ground behind it. A short barrel, the size of a small building, slowly poked out of the robot’s chest and pointed towards the Skyline.

“Oh Celestia! That’s a cannon!” shouted a pony. The captain of the ship quickly turned around and rushed back to the helm of her ship. 

“Put all possible power into our shield!” shouted the mare captain as she spun the wheel.

The glass-like magical barrier around the enormous sky zeppelin grew so thick that it lost all transparency. A tiny bright light in the middle of the robot’s chest appeared and grew larger and larger. The bright light in the middle of Pandora Prime’s chest resonated as it began to reach the mouth of the cannon.

“Brace for impact!” shouted a stallion as he grabbed ahold of the ship’s railing.

Pandora Prime fired the massive cannon, the pillars of steel dug deep into the ground as they tried to hold the robot in place. The pure white energy created a cone that nearly covered the entire sky. The entire ship shook as it took the full frontal force of the blast. A light brighter than the sun flooded the entire ship through it’s windows, nearly blinding everypony onboard. The rumbling grew softer after what seemed like an eternity, the Skyline was still intact, but it’s shield had been exhausted.

“Status report! shouted the captain as she stood back up. Red lights flashed as jarring sirens blared. Ponies scrambled around the ship, trying to fix nearly everything.

“Our shield is down! The unicorns have exhausted their magic! Our engines are busted! We’re stranded!” shouted a scrappy tiny stallion.

“Damn it!” shouted the captain as she stomped a hoof down. Suddenly, the ship jerked violently. “What the hell was that?!” she shouted. 

“Captain! Come take a look at this!” cried out a pony.

The mare’s heart sank. Pandora Prime had fired two javelin spears from its waist that were now locked onto the Skyline. The airship jerked once more. 

“Its pulling us down!” cried another pony.

A chain link, easily two meters thick in diameter, was attached to the ends of the javelins lodged in the Skyline. Pandora Prime was slowly pulling the legendary airship out of the sky, as if it were an overgrown fish.

“We have to get those harpoons out!” shouted the captain as she quickly left the bridge. The mare jumped over downed beams and unconscious crew members, she had no time to stop for anypony. The pony galloped as quickly as her hooves would carry her to where the first javelin was embedded.

“AGHAHAGGH!” A voice of pure agony.

When the captain reached the first javelin, what she saw was sickening. One pony had been completely nailed by the enormous spear, but another had her hind hoof caught underneath.

“Help me! Oh for Celestia’s sake! Please help me!” cried the mare as she tugged on her hoof. A crew of stallions rushed forward and began to pry the metal spear out of the wall. The captain rushed forward and knelt down next to the mare. The ponies hind leg was, for the most part, missing.

“Stay still!” shouted the captain as she tore of a sleeve of her admiral’s coat and began to tightly wrap the ponies hind hoof.

“M-ma’am!” exclaimed a guard.

        “What is it?!” asked the captain; but when she looked up, she saw what had riled her guard. They had successfully removed the first harpoon from the ship, but it was too late. Looking through the hole in ship’s hull they could see a solid green eye staring at them.

“Celestia have mercy on us…” whispered the captain under her breath.

Pandora Prime raised its right arm into the air and with all its might, crashed it down on top of the sky ship, severing it in half. Mares and Stallions helplessly fell from the wreckage. Pegasus ponies who were strong enough tried to catch others, but there were too many to help. Ponies splattered like ants as they hit the ground. Pandora Prime, began to swat pegasi that were trying to help others, out of the sky. After the robot had killed everything in front of it, the machine revved its mighty pistons and sounded its ear shattering broken horn. The frequency ranged from its low devastating howl to a high pitch siren, due to its broken voice.


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“Legions three and four, follow me!” commanded a demonic voice.

Ajax stepped over the rubble of Canterlot’s outer wall. Nightmare Moon and four massive battalions of robotic soldiers accompanied the man. He had nearly lost any signs of humanity. Two burning embers for eyes, two demonic horns, rows of sharp teeth; it was hard to even recognize who he was. Six elements floated behind the monster, hovering in an arc behind four blazing wings. 

“Strange… I remember it being harder to storm this city…” mumbled Ajax as he slowly headed towards the royal palace.

“Maybe Celestia has given up,” said Nightmare Moon with a laugh.

“Possible, I do suppose that…” Ajax halted mid sentence. As he turned the corner he laid eyes upon all Canterlot had to offer. Rows upon rows of guards, both from Canterlot and the Crystal Empire, held a spear at the ready, pointing it towards Ajax.

“Or not…” whispered Ajax under his breath.

“Ajax!” cried out a voice.

The troops began to clear the way for somepony. Ajax was able to figure out who it was before he even saw her.

“Ah, the crystal princess… Even at the final battle you manage to make yet another appearance. Perhaps I underestimated your worth as a warrior. I should’ve killed you long ago,” said Ajax.

“Enough! This ends now!” shouted Cadence as she approached the human. Fluttershy, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and Rarity all accompanied her, suited for battle.

Nightmare Moon took a hoof step forward with an evil grin.

“I’ll make quick work of these insects…” hissed the evil alicorn.

Ajax raised a claw and blocked Nightmare Moon from stepping further. The man’s hand had turned into a demonic paw with blade like fingers that were easily a foot long.

“No, you’ll take too long. I’ll handle this,” said Ajax as a shroud of churning black fire engulfed his legs. The man drew his swords as he slowly hovered towards the ponies, leaving a trail of fire behind him.

“How dare you…” said the man. “You have the audacity to think that your friendship is stronger than me? That your feelings for one another outweigh the power I’ve attained through my suffering? I’ll show you how much stronger my hatred is than your friendship...

Ajax pointed his sword towards the ponies. A veil of unnatural darkness fell on Canterlot. Even seeing a few yards out in front of one’s self became a difficult task.

“AHH!” A scream in the darkness followed by silence.

“GAH!” Another scream that went unanswered.

“Girls, stay near me!” shouted Cadence as she took a hoof step back. The six ponies slowly backed up until they had formed a circle that faced every direction. Cadence lit her horn, but the unholy darkness still lingered. The six ponies waited in pitch black for Ajax to strike, but he never did. All they heard were the screams of guards followed by silence.

“Enough of this!” cried Rainbow Dash. “I’m not going to sit around while ponies need my help!” The cyan pegasus galloped off into the darkness.

“No, Rainbow Dash! Wait!” shouted Cadence, but it was already too late, Rainbow Dash had been swallowed by the dark. The five remaining ponies waited in silence for a sound, but there were no more screams. The unnerving silence began to worry the ponies. Fluttershy couldn’t stop her legs from trembling; she felt something brush against her side.

“AH!” squealed Fluttershy.

“Relax it’s just me,” said Applejack as she nodded at the frightened pegasus.

 	“Hold on, I think the darkness is starting to clear!” shouted Rarity.

The unnatural darkness began to dissipate as moonlight slowly returned back to Canterlot. Cadence squinted her eyes trying to make out what she was seeing. Pure terror took over the alicorn as she began to make out what she was looking at.

“Oh, no…” murmured Cadence.

Every single soldier that had answered the call to defend Canterlot had been butchered. Not a single soul was left alive. Fluttershy and Rarity couldn’t look, the carnage was far too gruesome.

“This isn’t possible… over a thousand soldiers… in seconds?…” thought Cadence.

“What’s the matter? Lost faith in your so called friendship? Was it that easy for me to break?” whispered a voice. The voice resembled Ajax’s, but there was an overlay of a second voice. A voice that was by far inhuman, a voice that shouldn’t exist.

The five ponies turned to the sound and saw Ajax, but the human had progressed even further from being human. A ribcage of milky white cartilage surrounded the man’s chest, adding another layer on top of his ebony armor. His leg’s had even changed. They bent backwards and had long spikes growing out of their shins. They resembled dragon legs more than anything. A long black burning tail swung back and forth as the man waited for the ponies to say something.

The ponies however were speechless, for under the creature’s clawed foot was Rainbow Dash. The pegasus was beaten and bruised, but there was no sign of fatal injury… at least not yet.

“You’re a monster…” growled Cadence as tears of frustration began to swell under her eyes.

“This is what the world has made me into!” snapped Ajax.

“This is what you’ve made yourself into!” cried Cadence.

Ajax paused for a moment. “Maybe if I show you a taste of what I went through you might begin to understand,” growled Ajax as he thwacked Rainbow Dash with his tail. The pegasus slid across the floor like a hockey-puck towards her friends. Ajax pointed a talon towards the ponies. Black fire erupted beneath the six ponies and bound them in black chain.

“I will teach you something that can only be learned through experience,” said the demon as he approached the bounded ponies. Cadence, Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash, didn’t say a word. 

“I will show you what it’s like to watch the ones you love suffer and die before your very eyes. THEN YOU WILL UNDERSTAND!” Ajax took a moment to settle down. “You have one minute to choose who dies first,” said Ajax as he drew his sword. The six ponies looked at one another as the gravity of the situation was beginning to sink in. 

They were going to die.



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Outside of Canterlot the earth rumbled as pure might faced off against tyrannical magic. King Sombra and the minotaur king, Ironhoof, continued to trade blow after blow, but neither had taken a single hit yet.

“I’m starting to think this just a farce…” mumbled Sombra as he re-appeared in front of Ironhoof.

“What’s the matter? Are you getting tired, slavemaster?” asked the minotaur as he rested his axe on his shoulder.

        “I should be reclaiming my kingdom… but instead I’m here fighting the likes of you. I grew tired of this fight the moment we started…” said Sombra.

“I’ll try to end it quickly for you then,” said the minotaur as he charged forward again. Sombra rolled his eyes and began to dodge the minotaurs strikes once more, but this time the unicorn felt something scrap against the tip of his crown.

“My crown!” growled sombra as he dispersed into shadow. When the unicorn reformed he reached for his crown, but learned that the glancing blow had knocked it off.

CRUNCH!

Sombra froze; the unicorn slowly looked up at the minotaur and saw a crushed silver circlet under his hoof.

“What’s the matter Sombra?” asked the minotaur as he kicked the misshapen disc off to the side. “Can’t handle my ultimate technique?” asked the minotaur as he stepped forward.

“Ultimate technique?!” thought Sombra. The unicorn looked the minotaur up and down, but saw nothing different, until he laid eyes upon Ironhoof’s axe. The double-sided weapon had split into two individual one-sided axes.

“Two axes…” muttered Sombra.

“That’s right! Now I can attack twice as fast!” shouted Ironhoof.

“TWO AXES?! THAT IS YOUR ULTIMATE TECHNIQUE?! YOU MINOTAURS ARE SUCH HULKING, SIMPLE MINDED, BUFFONS! HOW DARE YOU CALL TWO AXES A SPECIAL TECHNIQUE YOU IMBECILE!” 

“Well, it was good enough to destroy that crown of yours…” said the minotaur with a smile.

Sombra’s face contorted into a source of pure fury; blind rage and anger filled the unicorns eyes. What was he doing here? Why is he fighting this disrespectful mongrel? He had a kingdom to reclaim! If only he could leave now and reclaim the crystal empire, for crying out loud, the city had been abandoned by Cadence for the time being! 

“Wait, why don’t I just leave? Our intel reports that the crystal army and Cadence are here defending Canterlot... the Crystal Empire is defenseless. I could reclaim my empire unchallenged,” thought the unicorn to himself.

“What’s the hold up? You still mourning that stupid piece of metal?!” asked Ironhoof as he waited for Sombra to attack.

The angry unicorn now had a devious smile.

“The battle is yours minotaur. I yield,” said Sombra as he turned into a shadow.

 	“Hey! Where are you going coward!?” cried Ironhoof as he rushed forward, but the unicorn had already vanished.

“He was so eager to fight just a moment ago. I wonder why he decided to run off…” thought Ironhoof.

The minotaur looked around the battlefield, now that Sombra was gone he needed to find something else to fight.

The minotaur hopped across stones and deceased soldiers for what seemed like hours. Minotaurs don’t particularly enjoy participating in battles that they don’t get to fight in. Ironhoof sprinted and lept over the devastation left by the war as he headed towards the minotaur encampment. He needed to find something else to fight. Ironhoof came to a grinding halt when he had finally reached the temporary base.

 	“Somebody give me a status report!” growled the minotaur as he walked through the camp. A band of minotaurs were gathered around a fire, the brawny soldiers turned to their king and saluted. 

“My liege it is good to see you,” said one of the minotaurs as he stood up. Half of his face was wrapped up and he was missing patches of fur all over his body. Ironhoof looked the minotaur up and down.

“Does the moonlight deceive me? How did you happen to come by these injuries? You’re good to fight I hope soldier,” said Ironhoof.

“Yes my king, it was only the left of my face that was burned. Luckily I was blessed with a right side when I was born,” remarked the soldier.

“Those metal men may be weak, but there sure are a lot of them…” added another minotaur. Ironhoof patted the wounded soldier and stepped past him. The minotaur stepped towards a small tent and pushed past the drapes and walked inside. A minotaur soldier could be seen hunching over something on the other side of the tent. When Ironhoof approached he could see that the soldier was intently analyzing a map of the battlefield.

“So, are we winning?” asked Ironhoof as he began to look at the map as well. The soldier shook his head and looked up at his king.

“That giant metal machine destroyed the ponies' airship and disposed of the ursa major… Ajax has already pushed his way into Canterlot, there’s no way Celestia’s forces can hold out against him.”

“Why haven’t we gone after him?” asked the minotaur king.

“Some of Ajax’s forces have created a blockade that prevents us from entering the city,” answered the soldier. After receiving no response for a few seconds, the soldier looked up. Ironhoof was gone.

“My king?” asked the soldier as he looked around. He caught Ironhoof just as he was leaving the tent.

“Where are you going?” asked the soldier as he turned to the minotaur.

“I plan on clearing the blockade of course…” said the minotaur as he stepped out of the tent.


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“Legions three and four what are you doing?! Push forward! Don’t let them surround us!” cried a voice.

The sound of heavy warfare forced the changeling queen to shout. Queen Chrysalis hid behind stationary artillery as she shouted orders into a device given to her by Ajax. Her and Lightning Dust had been given the task of preventing the minotaurs and gryphons from entering Canterlot.

BOOM!

An explosion sent the changeling queen flying forward. Chrysalis tumbled and rolled before coming to a stop. As the alicorns eyes fluttered open, she could see a wave of armored gryphons pushing up on her position. The changeling pushed herself up to her hooves and took to the sky.

“I don’t understand! How could they already be on my position?!” thought Chrysalis.

“Chrysalis!” shouted a voice.

The changeling easily recognized the voice. Chrysalis looked to her left and saw Lightning Dust frantically flying towards her.

“Chrysalis!” shouted the pegasus once more.

“What is it?” asked Chrysalis as she continued to fly forward.

“Our forces have been completely overrun!” shouted Lightning Dust.

“That’s impossible!” shouted Chrysalis.

“We’re missing half our army,” said Lightning Dust as she narrowly avoided an airborne projectile.

“What do you mean?” asked Chrysalis.

“Legions three and four have gone missing,” said Lightning Dust.

“What?!” shouted Chrysalis.

“That’s half of our forces! How can we lose track of two large battalions!? They were supposed to cover our flanks!” she added.

“Watch out!” cried Lightning Dust. Chrysalis looked down, she hadn’t even noticed the artillery shell hurling towards them. The changeling and the pegasus rolled out of the shell’s path, but it was too late. A massive explosion filled the sky as two figures fell towards the ground. 

“They fell over here!”

Chrysalis eyes shot open just in time. The changeling queen barely avoided having her head cut off. Chrysalis pushed herself up to her hooves, but something smacked her from behind and sent her flying. The world spun around as the changeling soared through the sky. She flailed her hooves and flapped her wings, trying to stabilize herself, but another blow sent her straight into the ground.

“You should’ve just let me finish you off…” said a raspy voice before coughing.

Chrysalis turned herself over and saw the gryphon king. The giant birdlike-creature wore gold armor from head to claw. It’s wings were plated with the same golden-like armor, the armored tips on the feathers however, had been sharpened to act as blades. Bjorn reached down and lifted Chrysalis up with a mighty grip. The gryphon was absurdly large, it nearly doubled the changeling’s size.

“Why…” choked out Chrysalis as the gryphon continued to crush her throat.

“Why what?” asked Bjorn as he continued to suspend the changeling off the ground with his claw.

“The human had no quarrel with you… Why would you come all the way out here to fight him? Don’t tell me you did this all for Celestia’s sake,” choked Chrysalis.

“I and Ironhoof came here today to ensure Ajax’s downfall. The human may only have a grudge against Celestia, but the Elements of Chaos are an unpredictable hazard to Equestria and her people. As long as Ajax posses the elements he will only bring death and destruction wherever he goes,” stated Bjorn as he flexed open the talons off his empty claw. “I suppose that it is just a fortunate coincidence that I also get to dispose of you changeling menaces as well.”

“HYAH!”

Chrysalis felt the pressure crushing her neck vanish as she fell to the ground. The changeling looked up and saw the bright flash of light-green that had just saved her life. She saw a still frame of Lighting Dust, striking the elderly gryphon across the beak with one of her hind hooves. The blow was strong enough to stagger the gryphon.

“Are you alright?” asked Lightning Dust as she turned to Chrysalis.

“Y-yeah, T-thanks,” mumbled Chrysalis as she stood up. Lightning Dust had a proud smile on her face as she waited for Chrysalis to clean herself off. While the changeling was in the process of dusting herself off she noticed a large shadow rise up behind Lightning Dust. Bjorn had both of his blade wings ready to slice the unsuspecting pegasus’ head off. Chrysalis lunged forward, as the blades swung down on the pegasus.

Red.

Crimson red blood sprayed outwards. Lightning Dust’s eyes shot open. The pony was in a state of shock as she watched drops and streams of blood fly across her face. 

“Is this my blood?” thought the pegasus. “I-I don’t feel anything though,” it was at that moment Lighting Dust noticed the black pony wrapping her hooves around her. 

“Chrysalis?” 

Lightning Dust caught sight of the changelings green eyes as she looked up past the pegasus’ shoulder. Queen Chrysalis was glaring at Bjorn with fire-like intensity. The gryphon was astonished, he had expected to behead the pegasus, he never thought Chrysalis would…

BAM!

An explosive blast of green light sent the elder gryphon flying backwards. Chrysalis screamed as the gryphons blade-like wings ripped out of her sides. The changeling fell to the ground as an intense of wave of pain washed over her.

“Chrysalis!” cried Lightning Dust as she caught the changeling.

“Why?...” asked the pegasus as she shook her head in disbelief.

“I did it out of instinct, don’t think too much of it…” muttered Chrysalis.

“T-there’s so much blood,” said Lightning Dust as she tried to apply pressure to Chrysalis’ wounds. The screeching of gryphons filled the air as the armored creatures dived down and landed in front of the two ponies. Bjorn stomped forward. Half of the elderly gryphon’s helmet had been broken. A single green eye filled with rage stared at the two ponies.

“You have to call for reinforcements…” whispered Chrysalis as she forced herself to stand up.

“I-I can’t. You’re…”

“YOU MUST! I will give you enough time to make the call… here take this,” murmured Chrysalis as she handed the pegasus the device Ajax had given her.

Lightning Dust noded and darted away as fast as she could.

“I never thought that you of all ponies would ever be capable of self-sacrifice,” laughed Bjorn as he approached the wounded changeling.

“You’d be surprised... if you knew the lengths... I have gone... to protect my changelings.”

The alicorn’s breath had grown rapid and short. Blood continued to seep down her coat and drip onto the ground. 

“You don’t actually think you stand a chance, do you?” asked Bjorn as he took another step forward. A blast of green energy put a hole in the ground in front of the gryphon. Bjorn looked up at Chrysalis with a grin. “I guess we’re doing this the hard way.”

Chrysalis horn pulsed with green magic, the pony was trying her best to remain conscious.

“Hurry up Lightning Dust…”

A stream of clouds shot down behind a wreckage. Lightning Dust fumbled with the device that Chrysalis had given her. The pony peered over a broken heap of metal. She wasn’t too far away from Chrysalis and Bjorn. She wanted to make the distress call as soon as possible.

“HELP! HELP! THIS IS LIGHTNING DUST!”

The pegasus waited for a response, but received only static. She quickly took another glance over at Chrysalis. The changeling had created a green barrier and was trying to hold the gryphons back.

“HOLY FUCK! IS ANYONE THERE?!” shouted the frustrated pony as she shook the mechanical device. Once again the pony received only static. Lighting Dust screamed as she threw the device. She could hear the sounds of Chrysalis trying to buy her more time. The pegasus threw her hooves over her head as she listened to the changeling’s struggle.

“Lightning Dust?!” shouted a voice muffled by static. The pony froze for a moment before she realized what had just happened. Lightning Dust frantically began sifting through the rubble.

“Lightning Dust, are you there?!” shouted the same voice. Lightning Dust was finally able to locate the contraption when the voice came a second time.

“YES! YES! WE NEED YOUR HELP!” shouted the pegasus into the device.

“What happened?!” The voice belonged to Trixie. The unicorn had orders to stay back and watch the battle from a distance.

“Legions one, two, three and four have been completely wiped out. I and Chrysalis are all that’s left! You must send help!”

“Legions three and four are with me,” said a heavy voice over the frequency.

“A-Ajax?” asked Lightning Dust unsure if she was talking to a human or a monster.

“Ajax! Lighting Dust and Chrysalis need help! If you were to break through the Canterlot wall a few meters away from your position you could easily flank the gryphons and the minotaurs!” shouted Trixie over the frequency..

“No need. I’ve already breached Canterlot. Lighting Dust and Chrysalis have served their purpose,” said Ajax.

“I-If we don’t help them… they could die…” said Trixie, but Ajax showed no concern.

“If they die, that’s fine by me,” said Ajax.

“Uh, A-Ajax? You know I can still hear you r-right?” said Lighting Dust with a forced laugh into the device, but the pegasus received no response. “Um, Ajax… ?”

“AHHH!”

Lightning Dust shot up when she heard the scream.

“Chrysalis!”

Lightning Dust sailed towards the sound of Chrysalis’ scream, but before she could reach the changeling a gryphon blindsided her out of the air. 

“Let go of me!” shouted Lightning Dust as more gryphons gathered to restrain the restless pegasus.

“AHHHAA!” The sound of Chrysalis’ pain drove Lightning Dust mad.

The pegasus overpowered the gryphons with strength that surprised even her. The pony raced towards Chrysalis. Lightning Dust stomped her hooves into the ground and came to a jarring stop. The changeling queen was covered in dirt mixed with blood. Chrysalis’ eyes were closed as she winced in pain after each breath.

“Chrysalis…” whispered Lightning Dust as she trotted towards the changeling.

“Did you… call for...back up?” The changeling had to use every ounce of her strength to push the words out of her mouth.

“I don’t think anyone is coming Chrysalis…” whimpered Lightning Dust.

“Let’s finally put an end to this,” said a raspy voice. Lightning Dust’s tearful eyes looked up. A colossal shadow loomed over the tiny pegasus.

Bjorn pushed Lightning Dust out of his way with a quick wave of his wing. The gryphon grabbed hold of Chrysalis and pressed a claw to her throat. Chrysalis didn’t even struggle, it was hard to tell if she was even still alive.

“Let go of her! Let go of her right now!” cried Lightning Dust as she pitifully beat against the armored gryphon with her hooves. Bjorn paid her no mind.

“This is the end for you changeling…” muttered Bjorn.

“Don’t you dare touch my friends,” said a voice, but it wasn’t Lightning Dust... Bjorn had never heard this voice before.

“What?” whispered the gryphon as he turned around. The gryphon king’s face met the end of a bright purple concoction of pure magic and energy. A thick dust cloud raised up from the pure force of the blast. Lightning Dust coughed as she tried to crawl towards where she had last seen Chrysalis. The pony covered her eyes with a hoof as she tried to feel her way through the thick cloud of dust. A light-blue hoof stepped down in front of the pegasus. The pony looked up as a glowing pink light illuminated her face.


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A pale moonlight cast down on Lightning Dust as she sat up and rubbed the back of her head. 

“Where am I?” asked the pegasus as she looked around. Lightning Dust saw buildings, streets, fountains...statues.

“Am I in Canterlot?” thought the pony.

“You’re going to have to hold still if you want this to work," said a voice.

“Trixie?”

Lightning Dust looked over and saw Trixie hunched over Chrysalis. The unicorn’s horn was glowing bright as she tended to the alicorn's wounds. Lightning Dust slowly trotted towards Trixie.

“Is she going to be alright?” asked Lightning Dust. Trixie looked up at the pegasus.

“Yeah… she’ll pull through,” said Trixie.

“Thanks, Trixie… if you didn’t come when you did…” whispered Lightning Dust as she tried to confess that the unicorn had saved both hers and Chrysalis’ lives.

“Relax, everything is fine now,” said Trixie as she began to wrap Chrysalis’ wounds with white fabric. The unicorn used her mouth to tear off the bandage after she was done. 

“Things out here…” Trixie stopped mid-sentence. The sound of hoofsteps could be heard down the road. Lightning Dust turned to the sound as well, but neither pony could make out who it was in the darkness.

“Who would be out here? We’re not even close to the battle…” said Lightning Dust. Trixie stood up and took a few hoofsteps towards the sound.

“Take Chrysalis and get out of here. Meet up with the rest of the forces in Canterlot. I’ve got this…” said Trixie as she began to channel magic into her horn.

As the hoofsteps grew closer Lightning Dust finally could make out who it was; Twilight Sparkle, ex-apprentice to Celestia...Princess of Magic.

“I said go! I’ll handle this!” shouted Trixie. Lightning Dust nodded and grabbed Chrysalis by her front hooves and slowly lifted the alicorn up into the air.

“You better catch up to us when you’re done!” shouted Lightning Dust as she flew away with Chrysalis. Trixie turned to face Twilight.

“Twilight Sparkle…” said the unicorn. Twilight stopped a few meters away from Trixie.

“Trixie… I don't get it. Why do you still insist on helping Ajax?”

“Don’t even try Twilight Sparkle… No matter what you say, things won’t change,” said Trixie.

“I see, then let’s get started, Trixie.”

“Very well, Twilight Sparkle. Let round two...begin.”

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Times up…” Ajax slowly approached Cadence, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. The creature’s new tail swung from side to side as it approached the bounded ponies. Ajax wasn’t only intimidating due to his new appearance; he had also grown taller. The creature nearly reached fourteen-feet tall when it stood on its dragon-like legs.

“So, have you decided which one of you is going to die first?” growled the monster as it picked its jaws with a talon.

“Take me…” said Applejack.

“No, take me…” said Rainbow Dash.

“No, me!” said Cadence.

“Enough, I figured something like this was going to happen. Fine, I’ll decide…” said Ajax as he circled the restrained mares. “When I guarded the Everfree Scar I and my comrades were attacked by a demon. A creature unlike anything we had ever encountered. The first friend I lost was Sin Faye. A warrior whose speed was unmatchable.” Ajax stopped in front of Fluttershy. “The first death didn’t even seem real. I couldn’t believe that I had lost her.” Ajax grabbed Fluttershy by her hair and dragged the pony away from her friends.

“LET GO OF HER!” shouted Rainbow Dash as she struggled against the chains.

“You’ll do nicely, Fluttershy,” said Ajax as his hand set ablaze with black fire.

Fluttershy trembled in fear. 

“This isn’t you Ajax…you’re not really like this…” whimpered Fluttershy. The demon paused and looked down at the yellow pegasus with a puzzled look. 

“Oh, you think you know me? Tell me how could possibly know what I’m really like?” asked Ajax.

“T-that time you abducted me to heal your wounds, you and I talked. You were kind to me, you actually seemed friendly,” said Fluttershy as she looked up at Ajax with wide eyes. The demon only laughed at Fluttershy’s words.

“How gullible. This is who I really am…” snarled the demon as it pounded its chest.

“This is the real me! This is what Equestria has made me into!” added Ajax as the Elements of Chaos vibrated violently. The abomination of bone, shadow, and scale leaned over and picked Fluttershy off the ground by the tip of her long pink tail. “Such lovely hair...Fluttershy.” The arc of dimly glowing elements began to hum as the man looked the frightened pegasus up and down. “Be a shame if something happened to it, wouldn’t it?” said Ajax with a grin. As Ajax dropped Fluttershy the arc of crystals floating behind the creatures climaxed before falling silent.

The pegasus smelled something...something she was unfamiliar with, but still recognized. Fluttershy looked down and screamed. The tip of her tail had been set on fire. The yellow pegasus screamed as she rolled around on the floor, if only she wasn’t tied up she could put it out.

“HAHAHA Yes, scream. Soon you’ll be writhing in agony when the flames consume you!” cackled Ajax. The black flame slowly began to creep up the pegasus’ long pink tail.

“STOP! PLEASE!” cried Rarity.

Ajax head turned to the tearful unicorn, the man had a monstrous smile.

“No…” he whispered. “You’ll experience the pain that I went through… then you will understand.”

“AH!” cried Fluttershy as streams of tears began to race down her cheeks. The black fire had already burned away half of her tail and was making its way towards her flank.

“Take comfort in the fact that when you’re gone, your friends will soon follow,” said Ajax.

“Hmm?” Ajax felt something tapping against his lower back. When he turned around he looked down at a metal soldier that had just poked his back. 

“Ajax, there is something you should see,” said the robot.

“And what would that be?” asked Ajax as he leaned down, when he spoke small bursts of black fire would escape in between his sharp teeth.

“That,” said the robot as he pointed off into the distance.

Ajax wasn’t sure what he was seeing. The entire horizon had been replaced by dark smoke.

“What is that?...” asked Ajax as he cocked his head to the side.

“Sir! I’m detecting multiple heat signatures from within the cloud!” exclaimed a robot soldier.

“WHAT?!” shouted Ajax as he took a second glance at the smoke cloud. “Wait I remember something like this, but that was over a thousand years ago…” The creatures empty eyes went wide as the tiny white embers in them dwindled. “Dragon raid...”

A swarm of dragons, which rivaled that of a migration approached Canterlot. The fire-breathing lizards gathered behind a massive dragon with a long white beard.

“Altragio… what are you doing here…” whispered Ajax under his breath.

“What do you plan on doing?” asked Nightmare Moon as she stepped towards Ajax. The demonic creature turned to Nightmare Moon with a frustrated look.

“These ponies aren’t even worth my time,” hissed Ajax as he turned to Fluttershy. Ajax raised a palm, the fire burning up the ponies tail vanished without a trace. “Lucky for you Fluttershy... but the next time we meet I will enjoy watching you burn.” He was right; Fluttershy was lucky, only a few inches of her tail remained.

Ajax spread his four blazing wings and shot up into the sky. 

“They call you Altragio the wise, but I’ll show you how big of a fool you are for showing up today…”


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Streaks of magic raced across the sky as two powerful wizard clashed. A portion of Canterlot had already been destroyed by the wizards chaos.

“Face it Trixie! You can’t win! You’ll never beat me!” shouted Twilight as she shot down a beam of purple magic. The bright laser crashed into a wall made out of interconnected bright lights,that resembled miniatures stars. Twilight continued to hover above Canterlot scanning the wreckage for Trixie. The alicorn sensed something behind her. Twilight turned around and faced a celestial tiger. The alicorn vanished in a flash of magic and reappeared on a rooftop.

“LEO! STRIKE!” shouted Trixie.

The Celestial tiger pounced at Twilight once more. Twilight’s eyes glowed white as she prepared her next spell. Just before the tiger was able to reach her, a pillar of stone shot up from the ground and slammed into the underside of the spectral creature. The pillar arced until it pointed back towards the ground. The tiger was helplessly pinned against the accelerating pillar.

BAM!

Thousands of tiny lights scattered through the streets of Canterlot when the stone pillar crashed into the ground. Twilight took a deep breath, but she didn’t even have time to breathe. The alicorn noticed a bright light flying towards her from the corner of her eye. The mystical arrow crashed into a thick purple barrier before scattering into dozens of tiny lights. Twilight looked down and saw Trixie standing ontop of a Celestial minotaur.

“Fire at will Sagittarius!” shouted Trixie. As the celestial archer readied its next shot, Twilight created a magical rune in front of her. The colorful circle was inscripted with magical writing that would take even a master of magic hours to decode. Trixie’s celestial creation fired its bow. As the cosmic arrow hurled towards Twilight, the alicorn unleashed her own spell. Three streams of magic shot towards Trixie, a mix of fire, ice, and arcane blew through the magical arrow as they flew towards the unicorn.

Trixie jumped off the celestial incantation as the three blasts annihilated her creation. 

“Let me show you a spell that not even Starswirl could pull off! A spell I created all on my own through research Twilight!” shouted Trixie as she spread her hooves. The unicorns magic created a massive circle that nearly covered a fourth of Canterlot. Trixie began to channel all of her magic into the incantation rune.

“What could she possibly be summoning that requires a circle that large?!” thought Twilight. Trixie strained to funnel sufficient magic into the spell. The pony opened an eye as she continued to cast the spell.

“I admit it! When I first came to ponyville I was a liar and a fraud! I claimed to be capable of feats that I had never accomplished, but now… I am truly deserving of my title. Behold, Twilight Sparkle, as I The Great and Powerful Trixie, summon an ursa major!”

A enormous cosmic bear paw reached out from behind the magical rune and grabbed ahold of a nearby complex as it struggled to pull itself out of the portal.

“Oh no you don’t!” shouted Twilight as she bolted towards Trixie. The alicorns eyes glowed white as she raced towards the unicorn. Twilight began to fire bolts of magic at Trixie, but an invisible barrier deflected all of Twilight’s shots. A second bear paw grabbed ahold of another building as a bear snout protruded out of the portal. With all the force Twilight could muster, she rammed straight into Trixie’s magical barrier, horn first. The arcane magic fizzed and sparked as it tried to stop Twilight, but the alicorn was too strong.

Twilight broke through Trixie’s defenses and directed her horn towards the unicorn. Trixie had no choice but to abandon her spell. The light blue pony jumped out of Twilight’s way as the purple pony blew past her. The bear paws and snout dispersed into thousands of tiny stars when Trixie cancelled the spell.

“Why must you always best me, Twilight!?” shouted Trixie as she began to fire bolts of white magic at the alicorn. The alicorn easily evaded each shot with the help of her wings as she galloped towards Trixie.

“I already told you why you can’t beat me Trixie! I fight for my friends!” shouted Twilight as she shot a beam of magic towards Trixie. The unicorn jumped back, but the magical missile quickly arced and flew straight towards her. Trixie tried to cast another protective barrier, but she was too late. The bolt of magic crashed directly into her chest, slamming her into a wall. “I don’t fight for a master. I don’t fight because I serve a higher power. I fight to protect those I care about. That’s why you’ll never win.” said Twilight as she trotted towards Trixie with a glowing horn. Twilight caught site of a shadow to her right and quickly fired a blast of magic at it.

She nailed Trixie... but it wasn’t really Trixie… it was an illusion.

“I’ve got you now!” shouted Trixie as she pounced on Twilight and fired her own magical blast. Trixie’s attack hit Twilight, but it wasn’t really Twilight… it was an illusion.

“GAH!” Exclaimed Trixie as she felt her hooves sink into mud.

“Nice try Trixie, but I will always be one step ahead of you. Now, give up!” shouted Twilight.

“Never!” cried Trixie as her horn glowed with magic.

“WHY DO YOU KEEP ON FIGHTING?! DO YOU HATE YOUR OWN SPECIES?!” shouted Twilight, frustrated with Trixie’s determination.

“I can’t lose!” groaned Trixie as she tried to pull her hooves out of the mud.

“Why do you care about beating me so much?!” asked Twilight.

“I don’t care about that! I just don’t want to fail Ajax!” shouted Trixie.

Twilight couldn’t figure out why Trixie cared so much. Why was the unicorn so dedicated to Ajax? While Twilight stood baffled by Trixie’s actions, the unicorn managed to free herself from the sticky tar.

“You said that I couldn’t beat you because I fight for a master? Well, you’re wrong, Twilight! I also fight for my friends!” screamed Trixie as she rushed forward.

Twilight didn’t move, it was as if Trixie’s words had sent her consciousness to another realm.

“How bout a taste of your own medicine, Twilight? How about I show you the power of friendship!” roared Trixie as she channeled a beam of magic towards Twilight.

 	The purple pony gathered her senses and channeled her own magical beam towards Trixie. The two beams of white and purple clashed as the two wizards pushed each other to their limits. Twilight felt herself being pushed backwards as Trixie’s beam of white magic began to overtake Twilight’s. 

“Impossible…” whispered Twilight as Trixie’s beam swallowed hers. The alicorn prepared herself for the shockwave of energy that would soon follow. When Trixie’s blast reached the tip of Twilight’s horn the alicorn was sent flying. Twilight bounced off alley walls and crashed into a fountain before coming to a rest.

The unicorn heard a splash, she looked up and saw Trixie standing over her.

“I now fight for my friends too, Twilight. I will do anything to see that they are happy,” said Trixie as her horn began to glow with magic. Twilight tried to cast a spell, but her horn was still recovering from the blow she had just taken. 

“But I choose to help them in my own way,” said Trixie as she encased Twilight in a block of ice. “Stay down Twilight and no further harm will come to you.” Twilight was encased in a block of ice; only the pony’s head was exposed. The unicorn smiled and adjusted her hat before trotting away from Twilight.

“You call yourself a friend?!” 

Trixie stopped and looked back. 

“Some friend you are! Have you looked at Ajax recently! Have you seen what he’s become?! Clearly you don’t know the first thing about friendship! You have to do what’s best for your friends! Tell me, do you think what’s going on is best for your friends?!” shouted Twilight as she struggled to break free of her icy prison.

Trixie didn’t say a word. The unicorn took a brief moment to think about what Twilight had said before trotting off. 

Twilight slowly began to chip away the glacial ice.

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Dragons, one of Equestria’s most feared creatures, deadly beyond comprehension, spikes, fire, teeth; the dragons had many weapons to crush their foes. Ajax was familiar with the large bearded dragon leading the pack. Altragio, the father of the dragon Ajax had torn a heart out of to fuel Pandora Prime.

 “What possible reason could Altragio have to show his face here?” thought Ajax as he continued to fly towards the pack of dragons. The once human creature left a trail of burning black embers as it soared through the sky. An elderly green dragon came into view and flew ahead the rest of the pack. The green lizard had a roaring fire brimming in its mouth as it swooped towards Ajax.

“Just as I figured… why must all of Equestria’s inhabitants always try to get in my way, minotaurs, gryphons, and now dragons?!” Ajax slashed his sword at the dragon, creating a burning wave of  shadowfire that cut the beast in two.

“ALTRAGIO! WHY HAVE YOU COME HERE?!” cried Ajax as he crashed down on top of a roof. The moonlight around Ajax vanished as a massive creature slowly lowered itself down towards the demonic humanoid.

“Human… we’re here to protect Equestria by ensuring your demise!” growled the bearded red dragon.

“Why do you care about ponies?! I thought dragons cared not for the affairs of mortals?” hissed Ajax as he readied both of his swords.

“We don’t. However, I do care about those crystals that you posses. I may be old, but I can still remember the devastation the Elements of Chaos caused over eight hundred years ago. The safety of the world is jeopardized as long as you possess them. And since I know you are not willing to give them up freely, I will rip them from your corpse!” 

Ajax laughed, as spider-like appendages of shadow grew out of his back and propped him up to match the height of the dragon. The demon’s body set ablaze with black fire, the roaring flames continued to grow in size until Ajax’s body was completely encased in flame. Two darkened patches of flame, resembling eyes appeared behind the blazing torch. 

“I’m really starting to grow sick of Equestria and its inhabitants. I’ve been starting to wonder if its best that I just burn the entire world to ash! Let me show you the power that I posses dragon! The power I’ve achieved through the elements!”

“Die…”

The roaring fire grew to a size that matched the dragons.

“DIE!”

Two burning claws bursted out from the flame and grabbed onto Altragio. The elderly dragon spread his wings and tried to fly away, but the shadowy claws tightly gripped its shoulders.

“DIE!” 

A blazing skull of black shot out from the dark patch of fire. It’s lower jaw dragged behind as it rushed towards the dragon. Two small white embers glared at Altragio as the flaming skull blitzed the dragon. 

“Be purged by dragonfire!” exclaimed the enormous red lizard as he took a deep breath before spewing molten magma over the ebony skull. Screams of agony could be heard as the dark skull fell backwards as the scalding fluid washed over it. Altragio seized the opportunity to free himself from the burning claws. The red dragon snapped at the burning talons holding him, the severed shadowy arms sank back into the steam created by the molten magma. Altragio flapped his mighty wings, the heavy dragon was slow to make his way off the ground, but finally made his way into the sky. The lizards eyes searched the cloudy mist, but couldn't see any sign of Ajax.

Two white flames appeared behind the grey misty cloud. A dark skull dripping with molten lava emerged from behind the milky veil. Liquid fire dripped down its forehead, seeping into it’s eye sockets. The Elements of Chaos could be seen dimly glowing in the center of the skull’s forehead. A massive ebony and ivory horn emerged on the skull’s head as four enormous bone wings, easily fifty feet long shot outwards from behind the fog. A wall of burning darkness slowly pushed it’s way out into view as Ajax stepped into the moonlight. A wall of burning black covered the creature from the waist down. It looked human, but it was still far from it. Thin arms, with long claws at the end, a thick spine holding up a malnourished ribcage, it was an enormous monstrosity.

“AHH!” The creature screamed as it wrapped its talons around its skull. Five of the six Elements of Chaos glowed bright as a fifth blazing wing emerged on the giant’s back. “I’LL KILL YOU!” shouted Ajax as his bone legs coiled back and shot him up into the air.

“Gah! He’s fast!”

The massive burning humanoid nearly blew right through the dragon. The burning titan turned around and dove back down towards Altragio. 

“Impossible… So fast, at such a size… I’m no match… No one could face a creature like this. He’s stronger than…” Altragio couldn’t believe it, in the blink of an eye Ajax had already turned around and crashed into him. The human drove the dragon into the ground. The earth ruptured for miles when the two colossal creatures crashed. A black flaming horned skull was the first to emerge from out of the crater, a red blast of fire crashed into the back of the skeletal head. 

Dozens of dragon’s had gathered in an attempt to save their elder. The jaw of the burning behemoth dropped down to the top of its chest as it vomited obsidian fire towards the winged creatures.

“BACK OFF! HIS LIFE BELONGS TO ME!” screeched a demonic voice. Ajax reached down and lifted up the dragon’s head, the demon slammed Altragio against a building and dragged him through the entire city block.

“You thought you were a match for me? No creature posses the power to oppose me! You’ve made something clear for me, Altragio. Obviously I need to show the world what it’s like to lose everything! Only then will my crusade of vengeance be complete! After I’m done with Canterlot, I will purge Equestria of all life! The whole world will bathe in my black fire!” 

“Ajax, please… look past your hardships…” The dragon was cut shot when a burning claw coiled around his mouth.

“I was not the first to possess the gift of black fire; a man named Traeger was. They say he was the strongest human in recorded history! I’m sure a dragon like you has heard the tale… of how he ripped a dragon in half with his bare hands!” Ajax grabbed ahold of Altragio’s bottom jaw, the creature forcefully opened the dragon’s mouth with both of its hands. “Let’s see if it’s truly possible!” Altragio jerked when he felt the human forceful pry his mouth wide open. “I’ll murder you, like I murdered your son!” growled Ajax as he continued to pull open the dragon’s mouth. A pond of blood began to pool in the dragons mouth as the red lizards flesh began to give way. Altragio claws tore up the streets of Canterlot as he desperately flailed about in an attempt to free himself from Ajax. The dragon’s eyes stared at the full moon, then at his tail, then at his back. With a final explosive burst of energy the behemoth tore the bearded dragon in half. Ajax was covered from head to toe in red. The Elements of Chaos hummed violently as the demon’s breath grew steady.

“I… am… a… GOD!” A roar of inhuman pride, rage, and cruelty rang throughout the streets of Canterlot.


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Dragons fell like flies out of the sky as gryphon’s fled.

“It’s no good! The thing is unstoppable!” cried a gryphon soldier.

The earth shook as the gryphons continued to run for their lives. Pandora Prime was damaged, but not destroyed. The machine had become more deadly if anything. Pandora Prime’s vibrant green eyes could be seen from miles, piercing the dark of night, a beacon of terror for those who opposed Ajax. The giant machine routed gryphons and minotaurs away from Canterlot as it continued to pluck dragon’s from the sky and crush their necks.

“It’s unstoppable! There’s no way into the city!” shouted a minotaur. Even the fearless minotaurs didn’t dare to stand before the hulking machine.

A cry of rage and pain…echoed throughout the valley. 

“Did you hear that?” asked a gryphon soldier.

“Y-yeah, but what was that?...” answered another soldier.

THUD!

THUD!

THUD!

The gryphon’s turned to see a half-dead ursa major making its way across the battlefield towards Pandora Prime. 

“The ursa major!? I-It’s still alive?!” shouted a gryphon.

Pandora Prime turned to face the crippled bear. The machine cast dozens of bright lights onto the bear.

“J.A.X.-002 commends you...Ursae Majoris… you have proven to be resilient.” Pandora Prime’s voice still oscillated frequencies. The ursa major only responded with a low pitched growl. The bear’s pace towards the robot slowly turned into a stampeding charge.

“J.A.X.-002 can’t formulate a reason as to why you insist on fighting.” The immense robot remained motionless as the bear continued to race towards it. With lightning speed Pandora Prime shot its arm forward and grabbed onto the ursa major’s head. The robot effortlessly lifted the astral bear into the air and over its head before slamming it into the ground. The ursa major moaned as its broken ribs pressed against its internal organs. Pandora Prime began to jab its fists into the astral beast. The dying cries of the ursa major sunk the hearts of the gryphons, minotaurs, and dragons. The machine continued to pound its fists as if they were pistons, into the bear’s underside. The ursa major fell silent. Satisfied, Pandora Prime turned away from the ursa major.

“None but robot’s and changelings are allowed in Canterlot! Leave or you shall be dealt with forcefully!” said Pandora Prime.

A yellow eye slowly opened. It’s vision was blurry, but it knew what it was looking at. Pandora Prime… an unstoppable machine; it had ridiculous strength, unbreakable armor. The eye shot wide open; it wasn’t sure if it was seeing straight. Pandora Prime’s back plating was cracked. The blast from the Skyline had dealt a blow strong enough to break apart the dwarven steel. The robot had a weak spot. 

The ursa major stood up, its eyes were out of focus, the bear wasn’t even truly conscious anymore. One step, two steps, three; the zombie-like bear stumbled towards Pandora Prime. One last chance, one final opportunity, the ursa major took it.

“Prepare to be exterminated! J.A.X.-002……..” Pandora Prime jerked forward, the machine looked down. The head of a bear had bursted out of its chest, clenched in the ursa major's jaws, a beating heart, bleeding molten fire.The ursa major forced its mouth close with all of its remaining strength. The dragon heart bursted into flames as it was squashed between the bear’s enormous jaws. Pandora Prime pulled its arms back and with two open palms flattened the cosmic bears head with a single blow. The robot stumbled forward as the ursa major’s head slowly slid back into its chest and fell out the other side. The metal titan reached at the gaping hole in its chest as it fell to its knees.

“J.A.X.-002... shutting... down…” Pandora Prime fell forward, the robot shook the earth one final time as it collapsed to the ground. Without the dragon’s heart, the robot no longer had a source of energy.

“The giant is dead!” shouted a gryphon. “Quickly, storm the city! Now’s our chance!”


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A blast of energy blew open two luxurious doors. Ajax stepped into a dark room, the ex-human creature had reverted back to normal size, but still retained its repulsive figure. Nightmare Moon trotted in after Ajax, she took more time to look around the room, the alicorn was more attentive to detail.

“She’s not here,” concluded Ajax as he left the room and blew down another door.

“Where are they hiding her…” hissed Nightmare Moon as she stamped a hoof on the white palace floor.

“Ah, found her,” said Ajax as he stepped into a different room. It was another dark room, but it had a glowing fireplace, which at least provided some light. The moon could be seen sitting in between the panes of a large window. The white gem lit up a luxurious bed at the other side of the dark room. Etchings of the sun could be seen decorating the bed frame. Ajax heard hoofsteps as two royal guards stepped forward and approached him.

“S-s-stop r-r-right there,” muttered a guard, petrified with fear. Ajax laughed as he stepped towards the pony.

“Really? You’re going to stand up to me? Just the two of you?” asked Ajax. The demon laughed at the two frightened ponies. “Go ahead… get out of here,” said Ajax peacefully as he motioned for the two ponies to leave the room.

The stallion’s eyes went wide. The guards took a brief look at each other before dropping their spears and running towards the exit. Ajax turned and watched the two ponies flee, before shooting them in the back with black fire.

“HAHAHA… pitiful,” cackled the monster as it walked back towards the royal bed. “I find it hard to believe that Celestia would sleep through something like this,” growled Ajax as he slowly pushed away the drapes surrounding Celestia’s bed. “Well I’ll be damned.”

“The reason she’s passed out is because the moon I’ve placed in the sky is special. As long as it stays up, her energy will continued to be drained.” Ajax turned to the doorway, Nightmare Moon slowly trotted into the bedroom and stepped over the two charred stallion guards. “The same thing happened the first time I eclipsed the moon, a few years ago. She’ll be up with some of her energy in a few hours… if you’re willing to wait that long.”

“Nope.”

Ajax gripped the underside of the wooden framework and flipped Celestia’s bed over. “Wakey-wakey, Celestia!” exclaimed Ajax. He didn’t even wait to see if the pony had woken up, before firing a blast at the collapsed bed frame. A white alicorn crashed into the next room as bits and pieces of wood scattered across the floor. Ajax and Nightmare Moon stepped into the open room.

“Don’t tell me she’s just going to lie there,” groaned Ajax as he approached the alicorn. Celestia tried to push herself up to her hooves, but she was too weak. “Oh good, she’s finally up. Well, go on then,” said Ajax as he turned to Nightmare Moon. “I want her die by the hooves of her own sister.”

“Go...to hell,” groaned Celestia.

Ajax spat on the white alicorn as he walked back over to Nightmare Moon. “Go ahead, kill her,” said Ajax as he folded his arms. The dark alicorn slowly trotted towards Celestia.

“Gladly…” whispered Nightmare Moon as she lifted Celestia up into the air.

The white alicorn twirled around before being thrown against a stone pillar. Celestia grit her teeth as she tried to maintain her composure. Nightmare Moon stomped her front hooves into Celestia’s side. The pony spat out blood as she screamed out in pain.

“This is boring,” groaned Ajax. “I was hoping for this to be more... eventful. Whatever, if this is how it’s going to end I suppose I’ll just have to accept it.”

“Sister, this isn’t you, elements don’t decide who you… FIGHT IT! I know you can,” said Celestia as she struggled to look up at Nightmare Moon. The dark alicorn hesitated to deal the final blow to Celestia.

“Well, what are you waiting for?! Finish it!” shouted Ajax, the creature was watching intently, waiting for the black alicorn to finish his fight. However the pony didn’t move a muscle, she remained motionless as her eyes struggled to focus. 

Ajax stomped towards Nightmare Moon and began to shout in front of her face. “I posses the Elements of Chaos! I own you! Now, do what I say!” screamed Ajax.

“I’m... the one who decides... who I am… not you... or the Elements of Chaos,” said a voice that Ajax had hoped not to hear. Princess Luna had broken free from the Elements of Chaos’ influence. A blast of fire smashed into the reformed pony after she spoke.

“I’ll do it myself!” shouted Ajax. “I need to stop trusting others to handle important tasks, the only one I can trust… is myself!” Ajax turned to Celestia, but in a burst of magic, Princess Luna appeared between him and her sister.

“You’ll have to go through me first!” growled the alicorn. Ajax rolled his eyes. The demon’s right arm quickly shot up and caught something mid-air. A sharp golden wing… was caught in between the long talons of Ajax’s right claw. The demon slowly looked over at the gryphon that had tried to catch him off guard.

“You’re rude to interrupt. We were in the middle of something,” said Ajax as he tossed Bjorn across the room. The gryphon spun himself around and dug his claws into the marble floor.

“Look at you! You’re…” said Bjorn, but the gryphon paused, he heard something.

“Great… is that more visitors I hear?” hissed Ajax as he turned to a door. Trixie, Chrysalis and Lightning Dust bursted through an extravagant white door. Both, Trixie and Lightning Dust were trying their best to carry Chrysalis, the alicorn's bandages were soaked red. The changeling queen was no longer even conscious. The unicorn and the pegasus desperately turned to Ajax.

“Ajax! We’ve finally found you!” exclaimed Trixie. “Chrysalis needs your help, I’ve done all I can with my magic, but its not enough. If we don’t get her proper treatment…” Ajax raised a hand towards Trixie without even looking in her direction.

“Shutup, or I’ll kill you...” said Ajax casually.

“A-Ajax?” stammered Trixie. Trixie was unsure why her friend was acting so cold towards her. The unicorn slowly looked up and down Ajax’s new demonic appearance. 

“Ajax? Is it really you?” she thought to herself.

“Celestia!” shouted a voice. Twilight, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, Cadence, and Pinkie Pie rushed into the large open room through a door located on the other side of the room. Ironhoof stomped in a few seconds after the ponies arrived.

“Great everyone’s gathered in one place so I can kill them, without having to hunt them down,” declared Ajax.

“We’ll see about that!” shouted Ironhoof as he jumped up into the air and swung his axe down onto Ajax’s head. The axe crashed into Ajax’s skull, but the heavy steel head didn’t leave a mark on Ajax. The demon stood still with its arms folded as the minotaur brought his axe back and swung towards Ajax's neck. A direct hit, but not even a scratch was inflicted on the human. The smug monster didn’t even budge.

“I-Impossible... “whispered Ironhoof as he stepped back.

“Enough! This ends now!” shouted Twilight.The air sparked with energy as Twilight, Luna, and Cadence stepped forward. The three alicorn’s horns glowed as they prepared to blast Ajax with their most powerful spells.

“Take this!” shouted the three ponies as they unleashed their magic on the human.

The three blasts of energy entwined with one another as they flew towards Ajax. An explosive force filled the room that nearly sent every pony, minotaur, and gryphon flying. When the smoke cleared a quiet laugh could be heard. Ajax hadn’t even moved despite taking the blow head on.

“Don’t worry, your deaths will be quick… for the most part,” said Ajax as he raised his arm. Everyone in the room was instantly wrapped in bonds mixed with bone and chain, except for Trixie, Chrysalis, and Lightning Dust.

Five of the six elements of chaos on Ajax’s back resonated with energy as the human slowly approached the captive ponies, minotaur and gryphon.

“Let’s see how much power the Elements of Chaos are capable of, shall we? After I’m through with you I shall become Equestria’s new god…” boasted Ajax. “I will rule over everything! Forever!” he howled as his body resonated chaotic energy.

“This isn’t you, Ajax…” A light blue unicorn stared at the creature Ajax had become. 

Trixie was heartbroken.
> Chapter Twelve
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	A bright yellow, mixed with red, slowly crept over snowy white mountains as the vivid colors washed over an empty white canvas. A gentle breeze blew across an empty snowy plain as the sun slowly rose over the mountain side. Calm and peaceful, no traveler would have guessed what lay beneath the white desert: a steel vault, filled with weapons and machines, ready to march upon Canterlot. 

Two friends gathered in a library, a man and a pony. Trixie was brushing up on her past knowledge. The unicorn’s legs dangled off a bench as she scribbled things into her scrapbook. Ajax sat across from her. The man had built a pyramid out of books. He had little to no interest in magic, but chose to keep Trixie company regardless. The pony smiled as she circled something in her notes. The unicorn’s studying had gone well. Trixie had nearly read every book in the library and now, she was ready for anything.

The unicorn smiled and closed an old tome before she reached for another, but paused after noticing that Ajax had stopped building his book pyramid. The man was now inspecting his beloved white marble sword. Trixie was familiar with the deep look Ajax had in his eyes. This wasn’t the first time he had been stricken with a thousand-yard stare.

“Ajax?” asked Trixie.

“Hmm?” said the man as he looked up at Trixie. The unicorn no longer paid any mind to Ajax’s empty eyes and demon horns. Despite using the Elements of Chaos, Ajax had retained his identity. Trixie figured she could get used to these minor details as long as Ajax himself remained the same.

“If you ever want to talk about something, I’m willing to listen,” said Trixie.

“It’s nothing,” said Ajax as he turned his attention back to the marble white great sword.

“I know you miss your friends, I’d like to know if there’s anything I can do to help you.”

“I’m fine, Trixie.” Ajax seemed resilient to keep his emotions to himself.

“Y’know there’s probably a spell that can turn me into a human.”

“W-what?” exclaimed Ajax, nearly dropping the ivory great sword.

“W-why would you want to do something like that?” he added.

“Because you’re upset with being the last human. Maybe, seeing another one might cheer you up,” said Trixie.

“I told you, I’m fine,” said Ajax as he looked away from the unicorn.

“No you’re not!” shouted Trixie. The pony closed her eyes and took a deep breath before speaking softly.

“Whenever we spend time together, you always fall into this… trance, like some kind of deep thought. I know something is bothering you; I just want to help you out. As your friend it pains me to see you like this. I can help you. So please, please allow me to help you carry some of your burden. Friends are supposed to help each other out.”

Ajax looked up at Trixie. He had never seen the pony so worried about him; it made him feel uncomfortable. However, he knew that she only wanted to help. After all, she had put up with everything till now. Hell, she had even saved his life… the least he could do was trust her... if only a little.

“It’s just that… have you ever looked back… and just thought, what if you played your cards differently? What if you could take back the mistakes you’ve made. Maybe you could’ve tried harder, or done more…just have done something else. Maybe you could have made better choices, said the things that you never got to say.” Ajax leaned back and held his white sword upright. The man stared at his reflection in the sword as he returned to his deep thinking.

“I think about those things a lot,” said Trixie. “But as much as I would like to change a few things in the past, I know what’s really important. The choices that I make today are all that matter,” said Trixie as she got up and trotted over to Ajax.

“My choices have already been decided…” murmured Ajax.

“You can always change your decisions. That’s what makes them your decisions,” said Trixie.


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The pony’s memories seemed like a distant dream that she wished she could return to. Trixie was no longer sitting with Ajax in the library. She was now in the presence of a demon. Black flames roared as fire continued to burn down the Canterlot palace. The sound of beams breaking and pillars crumbling surrounded the pony as she pulled her cloak close to her. The unicorn gripped her cape tightly as she slowly began to make her way through the raging inferno. 

“Trixie!” shouted a voice. Lightning Dust was trying to shield Chrysalis from the fire. The pegasus’ hooves had been burned. Light marks of ash and red could be seen on the tips of her hooves. Lightning Dust was helpless; she could only try to stamp out the fires around her. She didn’t dare try to carry Chrysalis through the fire; her only hope was for somepony to save her. Trixie’s horn glowed, but before she could cast a spell, she noticed that Ajax was approaching the two ponies.

“What’s he doing?” thought Trixie as she looked past Lightning Dust and Chrysalis. “Oh, no...” she thought as her eyes opened wide.

Behind Lightning Dust and Chrysalis laid Celestia. Trixie knew that Ajax was making his way towards the alicorn. With the way he had been acting recently, she was worried about what Ajax might do in order to reach her.

“AHH!” The screams only a demon could make shook the ground as the twisted entity of Ajax locked its eyes on Celestia. Ajax raised his hand and pointed it towards the unconscious alicorn, not caring for the changeling and pegasus caught in his way. A burning ember of black fire began to gather in the palm of Ajax’s hand as he prepared to annihilate Lightning Dust, Chrysalis and Celestia.

White...

A flash of bright magic… followed by silence. The black flames were gone, the sounds of destruction... gone. Ajax looked around, he was no longer in Canterlot. He was... back in his vault? 

“What…?” The demon was baffled. It couldn’t wrap its head around what had just occurred.

“Ajax!” shouted a stern voice. The disfigured creature turned around and faced Trixie. The alicorn stood fearless before the chaotic entity.

“You…” growled Ajax as he slowly approached the unicorn. “YOU RUINED EVERYTHING!” Trixie took a step back as the monster closed in on her.

“Ajax, you’ve changed, I had no other choice but to teleport us! You were going to kill…” The unicorn was cut short by a fist; the pony sailed through the air and slammed against a metal wall.

“I’m going to kill you…” whispered Ajax as he approached the unicorn. Trixie sat up; the unicorn’s face had swollen up like a balloon. A small stream of blood escaped out from the side of her lip.

“Please… I’m your friend…” pleaded Trixie as she watched Ajax approach her. “I did this for you!”

“You were never my friend. I could never even stomach your presence,” hissed Ajax as he loomed over the pony. 

“A-...” Another blow crashed against Trixie’s left cheek. A stream of blood spurted out of the pony’s mouth. Before she could even react another fist swung across her face, slamming against her muzzle. Screams echoed throughout the metal hallways of the vault as Ajax continued to beat the pony to death.

“I know you’ve been through a lot, you’re angry, and you should be, but you have to see that the Elements of Chaos are using you! They are controlling you through your anger!” shouted Trixie as she threw her hooves up, in a futile attempt to protect herself from Ajax. The demon, however, didn’t care for a word the unicorn said. Ajax continued to bang his fists against the unicorn’s skull, until Trixie collapsed. 

Ajax paused. The pony showed no sign of life. As the monster’s breath began to calm, the Elements of Chaos on his back slowly hummed to life. The fire in his eyes ignited as the dark colors of the crystals grew heavy.

“AHHH!” roared Ajax as he drove a fist into the unconscious unicorn. Despite having knocked her out, Ajax continued to bash fist after fist across Trixie’s face. Blood splattered out of the senseless pony as Ajax continued to batter his claws across her face.

“STOP IT!” Cried a voice. Ajax paused. He turned to see Chrysalis. Trixie had not only teleported him and her, but Chrysalis and Lightning Dust as well. The changeling had dragged herself towards Ajax, a long trail of blood marked the distance she had struggled to cover. Chrysalis’ entire body trembled as if she was freezing. It was hard for her to even speak. “If… you don’t stop...you’re going to kill her,” stuttered Chrysalis as she looked up at Ajax with a closed eye. Ajax cared not for the alicorn’s warning. He slowly pointed a talon towards Chrysalis. 

“After I’m finished with her, I’m coming for you...” threatened Ajax as he turned back to the knocked out unicorn and raised another first in the air.

BAM!

Ajax stumbled backwards. He looked up and saw the flash of a hoof as another blow crashed against his face.

“How dare you…” growled a pegasus.

“How dare I-” said Ajax, but a violent shout interrupted him.

“HOW DARE YOU!” shouted Lightning Dust as tears filled her eyes. “She was the only pony who gave a damn about you! She was the only pony who gave a damn about US! She called you ‘friend’; she did whatever you asked of her! She would probably even give up her life for you! Hell, she would give her life up for any one of us!” screamed Lightning Dust as tears began to trickle down onto Trixie. The crystals floating behind Ajax grew dim as he stood up. The demon looked down at the aggressive pony and took a cautious step forward.

“STAY BACK! DON’T YOU DARE COME A STEP CLOSER!” screamed Lightning Dust as she took a step towards Ajax. The creature paused, before slowly reaching out towards Lightning Dust.

“I SAID GET AWAY!” shouted the light green pony. The monster’s claw slowly closed and fell to its side as it turned around and walked away. The sound of heavy footsteps against metal rang throughout the vault as Ajax slowly walked off into the darkness.


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“Celestia!” shouted an alicorn as she pushed back ebony flames with her wings. Twilight Sparkle was probing the palace, looking for Celestia. The purple alicorn struggled to see through the dark smoke that had built up against the ceiling.

“It’s getting hard to breathe… If I don’t find her soon…” thought Twilight to herself as she continued to search the burning building. “There!” shouted the pony as her eyes picked up a sliver of white behind a dark cloud. Twilight Sparkle had found Celestia. Luckily, the fire hadn’t yet swallowed the alicorn. Twilight lifted Celestia up with her magic before bursting through one of the palace’s stain glass windows.

“Twilight!” shouted a worried voice. Fluttershy flew to the side of her friend; the yellow pegasus was unharmed, except for her missing pink tail.

“Where’s Ajax?” asked Twilight as she knelt down and checked up on Celestia.

“He’s gone,” said Fluttershy as she took a glance back at the burning palace.

“What do you mean he’s gone?” asked Twilight.

“Trixie teleported him and her allies out not too long ago…” said a voice that Twilight didn’t expect to hear. Twilight had nearly forgotten that Nightmare Moon was no more. Princess Luna had managed to overcome the influence of the emeralds and free herself from Ajax’s grip. The purple alicorn turned to the princess of the night as Luna approached her.

“Don’t worry Twilight…it’s the real me,” said Luna with a smile. Twilight nodded before rising to her hooves.

“The others are safe?” asked Twilight.

“Yes... look for yourself,” said Luna as she stepped aside. Everypony, gryphon and minotaur had managed to make their way safely out of the palace.

“WHERE IS HE? WHERE DID THAT COWARD RUN OFF TO?!” screeched Bjorn as he let loose an eagle’s cry.

“Easy there Bjorn,” said Ironhoof as he tried to calm the hotheaded gryphon. Everyone had made it out alive; Ajax’s second siege was finally over. Princess Luna spread her wings and looked back at Twilight before flying up to the sky.

“If you’d excuse me, Twilight. I need to remove this cursed moon,” said the alicorn before taking off.

As the large celestial body crossed the sky, a bright warm light could be seen crossing over the horizon, making its way towards Canterlot. As the golden light illuminated Princess Celestia, the white alicorn slowly awoken.

“W-Where am I?" mumbled Celestia as she looked around.

“Don’t worry, you’re safe now,” said Twilight as she hugged the disoriented pony.

“We need to go after him...NOW!” shouted Bjorn as he approached Celestia. The gryphon didn’t seem to care much for checking on Celestia’s health.

“Hey! She need’s rest-” started Twilight, but a nudge from Celestia cut her short. Celestia sluggishly got up and trotted towards Bjorn.

“I agree. If we don’t act now, we’ll lose any chance we have at winning this war,” stated Celestia grimly as she stared into the hazy green eyes of the gryphon king.

“Glad to see that we finally can agree on something,” grinned Bjorn as he patted the pony on the back. Celestia stumbled forward, barely managing to keep herself from falling flat on her face.

“Sister!” When Celestia heard the voice her eyes shot wide as she bit her bottom lip. “Sister?” The same voice as before… Celestia couldn’t help herself now. Princess Celestia, ruler of Canterlot, leader of one of the most prominent species in all of Equestria, wailed like a child as she threw her hooves around Luna. The white alicorn dug her muzzle into the pony's neck as she tried to hide her tears from everyone else.

“Luna, I was so worried. I thought I had lost you again,” said Celestia as her grip tightened around Luna.

“I’m sorry that I caused you so much pain,” said Luna.

“I’d hate to interrupt, but I just want to remind you that we’ve been given a short window of opportunity,” said Bjorn as he tapped one of his lion’s paws restlessly on the ground. 

“What do you mean ‘window of opportunity’?” said a high-pitched voice as the head of a pink pony came into the gryphon’s view. Pinkie Pie was sitting on top of the massive gryphon’s head.

“I mean, we have a good chance of dealing with Ajax once and for all!” firmly stated Bjorn as he grabbed the pink pony off his head. “Ajax’s army has been destroyed, I’m willing to guess that the changelings took their fair share of casualties as well.”

“Are you sure that a counterattack is the best idea?” asked Rarity as she, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash trotted forward.

“Yes,” said the heavy low-cut voice belonging to Ironhoof. “The human has even lost his formidable war giant. We should attack before he can prepare another army.”

“What about…” asked Fluttershy, but Cadence stopped the yellow pegasus by placing a hoof on her shoulder. Bubbles, the ursa major Fluttershy had brought, didn’t make it. “But...but…” stuttered Fluttershy as she tried to stop herself from crying. The others tried to focus on the topic at hand as Cadence did her best to calm Fluttershy down.

“A good portion of my army and Ironhoof’s is still available. We could march upon the monster’s domain and put an end to this once and for all,” said Bjorn as he turned between the ponies and minotaur.

“Celestia…?” said Luna as she turned to her sister.

“What is it?” asked Celestia.

“When I was in the everfree… before Ajax captured me. I found something interesting,” said the alicorn as she looked up at Celestia. Celestia waited in silence for her sister to tell her what she had to say. “We found… corpses… from Tartarus. Demons stacked up in piles easily ten meters tall.”

“We have no time for such things,” snapped Bjorn as he looked over at the two alicorns.

“I believe it is enough to at least merit an investigation!” replied Luna.

“We must focus at the task on hand,” said Celestia as she turned to Luna. “But after Ajax is dealt with, we will look into what you found in the Everfree Scar… together.” Luna nodded quietly.

“We did find something else that you might be more interested in…” said Luna as she looked off into the distance.

“And what would that be?” asked Celestia.

“We found the remains of an ancient human city,” said Luna casually as everyone’s jaws fell down in shock.

“Y-Ya mean ‘humans’ like the same creatures that Ajax comes from?” asked Applejack as she twisted her hat nervously in between her hooves.

“Yes,” responded Luna.

“Are there any humans living there right now?” asked Ironhoof as he stepped forward.

“Well, we didn’t get around to investigating-”

“How big was the city?” asked Celestia.

“Like I said we-”

“Where did you find it?” asked Twilight.

“Everyone hold on a minute!” exclaimed Luna. “Look, we found it in the Everfree Forest, we planned on investigating it on our way back, but we didn’t get that chance.” Luna began to draw a map in the ground with her horn. “It wasn’t too far from the Everfree Scar actually, only about five or six miles.” The alicorn drew a ‘X’ on the map where she remembered the ruined city being.

Celestia closed her eyes and took a few seconds to gather her thoughts. “Investigating this ‘city’ might give us some useful information, but we must devote all of our attention to Ajax at the moment,” mumbled Celestia as she thought about the best course of action to take.

“I can investigate them!” shouted Twilight, the pony was eager to be the first to explore the history behind the human race. “Rainbow Dash can lead me there. We won’t take long. We’ll catch up with you before you reach Ajax’s base of operation.

Celestia thought about it for a moment before deciding that she would allow the two ponies to quickly search the city for any signs of life or information that might prove to be useful.

“Be safe,” said Celestia as the two ponies began to fly towards the Everfree Forest.

“Now then, let’s rally the troops,” said Bjorn as he nodded at Ironhoof.

An army of over five thousand strong, filled with elite gryphons and minotaur warriors, slowly funneled out of Canterlot and made its way towards the location of Ajax’s vault. Applejack and Pinkie Pie instructed the army about the whereabouts of Ajax’s underground base.


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A metal door slowly opened up, flooding a pitch-black room with white light. An alicorn slowly made her way into the black room, limping after each alternating step.

“You can walk?” asked a voice.

Chrysalis paused. She was standing in the middle of an empty room. The only thing the pony could make out was a figure sitting in an iron throne, facing away from her. The changeling queen was carrying a piece of paper in her mouth. She placed an envelope on the ground and slid it across the room towards Ajax with her hoof. The pony didn’t even say a word as she turned around and headed towards the exit.

“Wait...” said Ajax. The dark silhouette of what once was a man glanced over its shoulder and looked back at the changeling. “Is she… alright?” asked the creature.

“Why don’t you go and see for yourself,” remarked Chrysalis as she began to limp towards the door. Ajax’s claws gripped the armrests of the metal chair as Chrysalis made her exit. The metal strained under Ajax’s inhuman strength as he cried out.

“You know I can’t do that! Not after what I did! I can’t bring myself to face her.” Chrysalis was unsure why Ajax seemed so upset. It was his fault; he was the one who nearly murdered Trixie. “I’ve made a mistake Chrysalis,” said Ajax as he got up and faced Chrysalis. The man’s image could no longer be associated with that of a human. Before, he only had his empty eyes, horns and teeth, but now he had transformed into a beast.

A face, memorable to what had once been, was now ravaged with demonic attributes. His arms resembled that of a lengthy skeleton, with long blade like appendages at their end. Legs that once stood straight now bent backwards, similar to dragon legs. Chrysalis wasn’t able to fully make out the creature, but she knew that Ajax was no more. All that was left was a monster.

“I can’t even look at myself anymore, there’s no way I could face Trixie like this,” moaned Ajax as he dragged his blade-like fingers through his patchy, dead white hair.

“Funny…” said Chrysalis with no sympathy for the creature.

“Funny? How can any of this be funny to you!?” shouted Ajax, as two bone wings emerged from his back. The creature cowered from its own rage and hid itself from the changeling. “You should leave, I don’t know when the elements will take over again. Do yourself a favor and distance yourself from me. I can’t control my anger any longer. It’s only a matter of time before the Elements of Chaos use me again.

“It’s funny because before I came here Trixie woke up from her coma. Do you know what was the first thing she said?” asked Chrysalis. Ajax remained silent, hiding in the darkness, trying to keep his emotions under control.

“Please… just leave… before I do something I regret. Please, for the sake of both of us, just go…” pleaded Ajax.

“The first thing she said when she woke up was, “Where’s Ajax? Please tell me he’s alright.”

Ajax wrapped his arms across his chest and gripped his shoulders, the demon’s teeth could be seen straining as if the creature was in great pain. Chrysalis however didn’t care for the monster’s suffering. The only reason she hadn’t left the vault yet was because she wanted to make sure that Trixie was going to be alright.

“What am I supposed to do?! What can I do?!” wailed Ajax as he smashed the iron throne in the room.

“That’s for you to decide…” said Chrysalis as she glanced back at Ajax before stepping out of the room. “Oh, if you’re wondering what’s inside that envelope, it’s a map. One of the changelings in Canterlot recently came across information regarding the whereabouts of an ancient human city.” Two white embers slowly rose up off the floor and glared at Chrysalis from behind the darkness. “I thought you would be interested in something like that…” said Chrysalis before slamming the iron door shut.


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“It should be this way,” said a voice. Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle were making their way through a grotesque forest, trying to find the whereabouts of an ancient city. The sunlight had grown scarce; the two ponies now found themselves lost in the dim forest.

“Why don’t we just fly to the top of the tree line and see if we can spot the ruins from an aerial view?” asked Twilight as she reluctantly continued to follow Rainbow Dash around. The pegasus paused for a moment.

“Not a bad idea Twilight… not a bad idea…” said the pegasus as she spread her wings and flew up into the air. The cyan pony quickly darted from tree branch to tree branch until she reached the top of the forest. A colorful mane gently swayed as a cool breeze blew through the pony’s hair. Rainbow Dash’s violet eyes scoured the horizon, but all she saw was brown branches mixed with green leaves.

“I can’t see anything…” groaned the pony. All of a sudden, her eyes caught sight of something. Off in the distance, she saw a patch of empty forest, which was strange, since the Everfree Forest tended to be awfully dense this far in. Rainbow Dash figured that the empty clearing might be a good place to search. The pony hopped down and slowly glided down to the forest floor.

“I think I see something in the distance,” said Rainbow Dash as her hooves touched the ground. “It would be easier and faster if we just flew there,” said the pegasus as she looked around the forest.

“I agree,” said Twilight as she spread her wings and followed Rainbow Dash up into the sky. The two ponies sailed through the air towards the empty patch in the forrest. The clearing wasn’t completely barren, numbered tree’s could be seen scattered throughout the rough patch of land. As the two ponies approached the bizarre empty land, they slowly descended towards the ground. Rainbow Dash and Twilight closed their wings and began to kick up dust with their hooves.

“Well, here we are…” said Twilight as the two ponies stood at the edge of the foreign landscape. “Let’s go ahead and check it out,” added Twilight as she stepped forward.

Square cut rocks could be seen scattered throughout a grassy field as tall buildings appeared in the distance. The structures were different from anything the ponies had seen before. Surprisingly, it didn't meet their expectations. They had expected to see unique architecture, but thought that the city would have been made out of steel, similar to Ajax’s underground vault. However everything seemed to be made out of cut stone. There was no sign of any futuristic technology whatsoever; instead it seemed like the humans had been at the same level of technology as ponies.

“How can this be?” thought Twilight to herself as she and Rainbow Dash trotted into the ruins. “I could’ve sworn that they were more advanced than us, but this city doesn’t look more cutting-edge than ponyville…” The two ponies continued to trot down a ruined stone road as they looked at the desolate structures that the city had to offer. There was no sign of life, except for the trees and branches that had torn apart most establishments.

“Hey Twilight, over here…!” A strained whisper called out to Twilight. The alicorn turned and saw Rainbow Dash hiding against the corner of a stone building. Twilight got low and slowly crawled over to Rainbow Dash.

“What?” asked the pony as she stood up and placed her back against the same wall.

“Over there,” said Rainbow Dash as she pointed a hoof at something around the corner. Twilight took a quick glance and saw a humanoid figure about fifteen-feet tall. It was a metal figure, standing motionless in the middle of the town’s square. Twilight tried to get a closer look.

“Twilight!” shouted Rainbow Dash before plugging her mouth up with her hooves. The purple pony slowly made her way towards the robot, before using her magic to appear directly behind it.

“Don’t worry Rainbow Dash, it’s safe… this thing is broken,” sighed Twilight in relief as she pressed a hoof against one of the robot’s legs. “Bleh,” groaned Twilight as she pulled her hoof back. The robot was filthy; the pony’s hoof was covered in dirt. As Twilight dragged her hoof across a patch of grass she noticed something written on the robot. Where Twilight had placed her hoof, in big black letters was the writing; J.A.X.-019

“What the heck is this thing?” asked Rainbow Dash as she slowly approached Twilight and the robot.

“This thing resembles the same machines that Ajax uses for his army, but it looks so out of place here…” mumbled Twilight as she looked around the ruined stone city. “This technology is far more advanced than the surrounding city, but why?” pondered Twilight.

“Yo Twilight! Check this out!” Twilight turned to see Rainbow Dash staggering about as the colorful pegasus tried to lift something up. The pony was holding a long barrel shaped object, in black letters; J.A.X.-087 was written on the side of the hunk of metal.

“Rainbow Dash, put that down!” gasped Twilight as she raced towards the pegasus.

“W-Woah!” yelled Rainbow Dash as she fell backwards. As the pony hit the ground the barrel shaped object fired out a projectile towards Twilight. The alicorn was quick to react, she shielded herself in a purple bubble, but no devastating blast or explosion occurred. Twilight slowly opened her eyes and looked down. The weapon Rainbow Dash had found, had fired a clear crystal like orb. Twilight raised an eyebrow and slowly lowered her shield. She tried to raise the orb up with her magic, but the glass-like object didn’t budge. Instead, a glowing light appeared in the middle of the orb.

“What?” thought Twilight as she channeled more magic into her horn. The crystal ball however still didn’t move, it only grew brighter and brighter.

“Is it… absorbing my magic?” thought Twilight as she stopped trying to move the now, “glowing” glass ball.

“Um Twilight, that things starting to freak the flip out,” said Rainbow Dash as she took a step back. Twilight’s eyes nearly popped out of her head when she realized what she had just done.

“Get out of here!” cried Twilight as she teleported away. Rainbow Dash was already a step ahead of her; the pegasus was already in the middle of flying away.

BOOM!

A burst of magic shot up towards the sky as the shards of the clear orb scattered throughout the ruined city. The blast wave echoed throughout the empty city as a flock of birds scattered in the distance.

“What in the name of Celestia was that thing?” asked Rainbow Dash as she flew over to Twilight. The purple alicorn bent over and saw a shard of the clear orb lying on the ground. She began to channel magic in her horn, but stopped herself. She was too accustomed to moving things with her magic, but thankfully remembered what had just happened moments ago.

“How interesting…” said Twilight as she bent over and scooped the fragment onto one of her hooves. “This thing absorbs any magic used on it, storing the energy and using it to release a massive explosion,” said Twilight as she began to brainstorm. “HOLD ON!” shouted the purple pony as she raced back towards the robot she and Rainbow Dash had found earlier.

“What is it now?” asked Rainbow Dash as she kept up with Twilight.

“I’ve seen these crystals before,” said Twilight as she stopped at the base of the tall robot. The pony began to sweep her hooves across the ground as if she were looking for something. “A-HAH!” shouted Twilight as she lifted something off the ground. The pony was holding the fragment of a crystal, but it was different than the one that had just exploded. This crystal was a dark thick white; Twilight placed it on the ground and took a few steps back, before channeling magic into the tiny fragment.

The crystal glowed bright, but didn’t vibrate or resonate like the explosive clear orb. This crystal was similar to the explosive ball in the sense that it absorbed magic, but was entirely different in the sense that it wasn’t going to explode.

“It makes sense now,” said Twilight as she turned to Rainbow Dash. “We’ve found these crystals in Ajax’s metal soldiers, but they were just tiny specs. I mean... these things were extremely difficult to even notice. We figured that the technology was too complex for us to understand, but now I see how it works. These crystals house the energy that all of Ajax’s machines use to function.

“Uhhhh, what?” asked Rainbow Dash as she tried to follow along with the conceptual pony.

“I’m saying that Ajax’s machines run on magic! There’s magic stored in crystals just like these in every machine. I guess this was how the humans adapted to being unable to use their own magic… or at least that’s how one of them adapted...,” said Twilight as she looked back at the J.A.X. lable on the tall robot.

“Twilight… come see this,” chocked Rainbow Dash. The cyan pegasus was staring at something around the corner at the edge of the stone road.

“What is it?” asked Twilight as she trotted towards the pegasus.

“Just… see for yourself,” said Rainbow Dash as she continued to stare at whatever had gripped her attention. As Twilight turned the corner her brow furrowed. They had found the city’s inhabitants…or at least what was left of them.

A sea of white bones laid scattered across the most devastated part of the city. Like a disorganized jigsaw puzzle, the white scraps filled the cracks and crevices of the city. Over time, the elements had slowly grinded the bones into unidentifiable ivory shreds. Twilight leaned down and slowly pushed over a stone to reveal half of a broken skull. Judging by the shape of its cranium, Twilight knew that it had once belonged to a human.

“I don’t get it Twilight,” said Rainbow Dash as she poked a broken iron shield with a hoof. There are hundreds of skeletons here and thousands of weapons, but what were they fighting? I don’t see anything but dead humans…” muttered Rainbow Dash as she continued to examine the deceased.

“That’s because they were fighting each other,” Twilight quietly responded.

“What makes you say that?” asked Rainbow Dash as she turned to Twilight. The alicorn lifted up a rusty ancient shield, imbedded in the orange-brown circle was an aged green copper axe.

“I see...” said Rainbow Dash as she turned back to the mass grave. “Hey Twilight, what’s that over there?” asked the pegasus as she slowly flew towards a stone statue. Two legs were all that remained of the crafted structure; over time the unkept sculpture had fallen to pieces.

“In memory of our beloved king. Wherever he may be, he shall always be in our memories. Praise be to our king. Praise be to Ajax.” Rainbow Dash paused after reading the last word; she slowly looked back at Twilight. “What now, Twilight?” asked Rainbow Dash as she watched the purple pony begin to pace back and forth.

“We don’t have much more time, we need to make sure that we leave soon, so that we can catch up to Celestia and the others. Therefore, we should split up to cover more ground. Let’s meet up back here after we’re done. Ok?” asked Twilight as she watched the sun begin to dip behind the horizon.

“Gotcha!” exclaimed Rainbow Dash with a salute. In the flash of an eye, the pony was off. The colorful streak shot through the city as the pegasus scanned the wasteland.

“What’s that?” Thought Rainbow Dash as her eyes focused on a large stone tower in the distance. “That’s pretty interesting…” The cyan pony gently floated through a gaping hole in the tall building’s wall and set her hooves down on a spiral stone staircase. As the pony climbed the stone stairs, she poked her head into the room of each level. “This is taking forever!!! Shesh! I like flying a lot better than walking…” complained Rainbow Dash as she poked her head into another empty room.

CLANG!

Rainbow Dash jumped at the loud noise, but managed to hold her tongue. The colorful pony popped her head back into the stairwell and looked up towards the end of the towering staircase.

“Woah!” hollered Rainbow Dash as she pulled her head back behind the railing. A wooden cabinet crashed against the side of the stone stairs as it continued to tumble down towards the ground floor. “That was a close one,” thought Rainbow Dash to herself as she looked back up, off the side of the stone railing.

BANG!

Another sound echoed throughout the building, something was in here with her. Rainbow Dash got low and slowly crept up towards the top of the staircase, trying to make as little noise as possible. “I hope it’s just a racoon… a raccoon that hates cabinets…” thought Rainbow Dash as she continued to climb the stone stairs. The pony hugged the wall as she began to approach the door to the tower’s highest room. The pegasus slowly pushed open the door and took a quick peek into the room. The young pony’s heart nearly jumped out of her chest.

In the middle of a torn up room hunched a figure of pure chaotic energy. Ajax was here himself, in the ancient city ruins. Luckily he had been facing away from the door and didn’t notice Rainbow Dash, but now the pegasus was starting to panic.

“What should I do?” she thought to herself. “Should I try to make a run for it? Maybe I should go find Twilight. Why the hell is he here?! Shouldn’t he be up north in his vault or something?! GAH! What the fu…” Rainbow Dash paused, she heard a voice coming from the room. Wait... she heard many voices… the sounds of cheering? “What?” thought the pony as she poked her head back into the doorway. 

Ajax was hunching over a small machine, whatever he was holding on to was making all the noise. The sounds of the cheering grew quieter and quieter as a voice Rainbow Dash had never heard before began to play.

“I don’t want to fight. I don’t want to lose more than what little we have left, but we have no choice. I wish I could help everyone, but the world isn’t what we’d hope it to be. Look at us. As a species we are divided, fighting a war that is destined to destroy us. We are alone; the other races of Equestria watch as we continue to kill each other. They hope… that we are successful in wiping each other out.
And who's to blame them? We’ve committed heinous acts against countless species; but I’m here to tell you, that today is a new beginning. That today is the day we place our past behind us and push forward to a new future devoted to the progress of Equestria and all of her people!”

A loud cheer mixed with static could be heard as the crowd erupted into applause.

“...I know we all miss our beloved king. I miss him the most… I raised him as child… taught him everything he knew… how to fight, how to think, how to feel… but there is one thing that he taught me, something so valuable that I’m still in his debt today. He showed me what we were capable of. What we could achieve as a species if only we worked together. Wherever he may be today, enduring whatever punishment Celestia inflicted on him... I hope he knows how much I still value his lesson. That we needn’t distance ourselves from other races. That we should open ourselves to the world... so that we may progress towards a brighter future...together.
There is proof of such a future even now before you. As I speak my voice is being recorded for future generations so that they might remember the battle we fought today and why we fought it. This was only capable through technology, technology that could only have been invented by none other than a brilliant human being. A man who wished to create machines and devices that would help our sick and elderly! A man who wished to discover new things so that he could use them for the benefit of all! But his dream was short lived… he was forbidden to build such devices…
Agathocles, Ajax’s father, forced him to build weapons for war. The same man, who tried to turn his own son into a puppet for war, couldn’t find the heart to allow such a noble pursuit. The people who march here wish to continue the tradition of our monarchy. They wish to elect another king, in the hopes that he w-”

“RAINBOW DASH!” Shouted a voice from the bottom of the staircase.

Ajax spun around and glared at the colorful pony in a heartbeat. The demon’s eyes were flooded with tears as it glared at Rainbow Dash. The pony was frozen; she could only stare back with wide eyes of her own. The demon and the pony sat silently as they stared at one another.

“RAINBOW DASH?! DID YOU FIND ANYTHING?!” Shouted the same voice as before. It was Twilight, the alicorn had come to check up on Rainbow Dash. The pegasus pony slowly turned her head back towards the staircase. Rainbow Dash took a quick glance back at Ajax before shouting back down at Twilight.

“N-No…!” cried the pegasus as she turned back towards Ajax.

“Okay! I’m going to go check the other side of town! Remember we don’t have much time!” cried Twilight. Rainbow Dash looked off to the side as Ajax continued to glare at her with his burning white eyes. The creature wiped its tears and slowly looked back down at the contraption it was holding, before hitting a button.

“-will lead them to a brighter tomorrow, but they only fool themselves! Kings are meant to serve the people, but the ones they end up serving is themselves! I know everyone wishes for another king like Ajax, but we must face facts. Kings shall only hinder our progress as a united race. That is why we must shift the power! No longer will our decisions be made by dictators! They shall be made by the people! That is why we refuse to lay down our arms! Even if it could mean the end of our species! We will not serve another tyrant who seeks to enslave races and his own people! We live for ourselves and only ourselves! Today will mark the day… the human race took its first step… towards the future!”

Applause and cheering was heard as the recording slowly faded out. Ajax sat motionlessly as he continued to look out at the desolate city, the very grave of his people. Rainbow Dash slowly trotted into the room and sat at the edge of the doorway. The pony silently stared at Ajax from behind, she was curious to find out what was going through Ajax’s mind.

“What do you think, Rainbow Dash?” asked Ajax, still facing away from the pony.

“What do I think about what?” Rainbow Dash coughed, she was unsure if the demon was planning on attacking her.

“What do you think of my kingdom?...” asked Ajax as he extended both of his arms outwards. The wall between them and the outside was demolished, Ajax’s long thin bone arms pointed towards the desolate cityscape lying beneath them. Rainbow Dash didn’t say anything; she didn’t know what to say.

“I failed them… I failed every last one of them…” mumbled the creature as it began to rub its claws across its face. Rainbow Dash figured that Ajax must’ve been wiping away more tears. “I blamed Celestia because I didn’t want to blame myself. I suppose… that deep down I always knew. That Celestia was innocent… and I was to blame!” cried Ajax as the Elements of Chaos slowly began to vibrate.

“Ajax…” whispered Rainbow Dash as she approached the human.

“It was friendship that made me strong all those years ago! Not anger! Not hatred! The desire to see my people flourish and my friends succeed! That’s what made me strong! I’ve forgotten that!” Ajax turned to the pegasus, his empty eyes pouring out thick streams of tears.

“My time fighting in the Everfree Scar has made me weak. I turned to anger as a source of comfort, hoping that it would allow me live with myself, but here I am...MAKING THE VERY SAME MISTAKES AS BEFORE!”

Ajax cried out as the Elements of Chaos vibrated out of control. All the emotion he had tried to bottle up, now flooded his heart.

“FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS I’VE FELT BUT ONE EMOTION...HATE! BUT I WANT TO FEEL SOMETHING DIFFERENT! I WANT TO FEEL SOMETHING BESIDES HATE! I WISH TO BE HUMAN AGAIN! I HAVE FRIENDS THAT NEED ME!”

“YoU’rE aLoNe!!!” A dark voice rang in the creature’s head.

“NO! I’M NOT ALONE!” cried Ajax. “I want to be human again… I want to be human again!” shouted Ajax as his long blade like claws reached behind his back. The sound of searing flesh could be heard as Ajax grabbed ahold of a dark red crystal floating behind his back.

“I WANT TO BE ME AGAIN!” screamed Ajax as the crystal burned into his hand. Ajax released his grip on the Element of Chaos, blood poured from his hand as flesh started to grow over the wound. 

“AHHH!” Cried Ajax as he grabbed ahold of his bone wings. The demon roared as it ripped off its very own wings. Rainbow Dash stepped back as she watched Ajax begin to mutilate himself.

The monster reached into its own mouth and began to tear out its fangs as tears of blood poured out from its eye sockets. Despite Ajax’s efforts the bone wings grew back, same with his fangs.

“Please! I can do better! I swear! Just give me the chance! All I want is a second chance to make things right!” shrieked the creature as it tore out its wings once more. “PLEASE!” cried Ajax as he grabbed ahold of the ebony and ivory horns on his forehead. The creature tugged with all its might, but was unable to budge the two bones protruding out of its skull. “AHHH!” the fiend screamed once more as it yanked on the horns. 

“If anyone is up there… PLEASE! I BEG OF YOU!” shouted Ajax as he grabbed ahold of his horns once more. The skin of his forehead began to give way as blood started to trickle down onto his face, washing him anew. With one final jerk the human tore the horns from his head. Ajax fell to his knees as the six Elements of Chaos slowly fell to the ground. The humming of the crystals fell silent as Ajax caught himself with his arms. The human’s eyes slowly opened up, he was covered from head to toe in his own blood, but that didn’t matter.

He was free.

Ajax slowly rose up; he was now human. No embers for eyes, or fangs for teeth. He was one hundred percent human. The man slowly wiped the blood from his eyes and turned to face Rainbow Dash. The pony’s mouth was wide open, she had just witness Ajax mutilate himself back into existence.

“What?” said Ajax as he pushed his blood drenched hair out of his eyes. The human knelt down and picked up the Elements of Chaos and placed them into a pouch.

“A-A-A-A” Rainbow Dash tried to say something, but the pony found it difficult to speak. Ajax turned and stepped towards the gaping hole that led to the outside world.

“WAIT!” shouted Rainbow Dash. The pony had finally managed to grab a hold of her tongue. “What do you plan on doing now…?” asked Rainbow Dash as she took a few steps towards Ajax. The man looked back at the pegasus as the sun finally disappeared behind the horizon.

“I’m not entirely sure… I guess we’ll just have to wait and see,” smiled Ajax as he saluted the pony with his middle and index finger. “Goodbye, Rainbow Dash,” said Ajax as he hopped out of the tower and landed on a rooftop. The human began to jump across the stone ruins as he began to head north. He was no longer a demon; he was now back to his old self. No... he felt different from his old self. He felt like a completely new man.


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A white snowy plane shook as a massive army made its way across the northern plain. Equestria had come together to finish off a monster that had been plaguing its lands. Gryphons, minotaurs, and ponies, made their way through the frozen north as they followed the directions of both Applejack and Pinkie Pie. The three armies came to a halt and split up into smaller formations as they began to prod the ground for any sign of Ajax’s whereabouts.

Not too far off, deep below the ground, a band of villains tried to formulate a plan.

“Listen, we only have enough robots to put up a slight resistance, but I’m sure none of us want to die. That’s why I think it’s best that we just leave while we can… they’re going to find us. I mean there’s no way that we can stop that from happening,” said Chrysalis. The changeling queen was lying against a wall. Her entire torso was still wrapped up in a thick coat of gauze.

“Listen, running is a bad idea. You’re injured and so is Trixie,” said Lightning Dust as she turned to a bedside. “What do you think we should do, Trixie?” asked the pegasus as her face hardened.

The lower half of Trixie’s face was wrapped up. The pony sported a thick neckbrace and dozens of white patches that covered parts of her forehead. Trixie had managed to survive Ajax’s outburst, but her wounds were a grim reminder that she had barely escaped with her life. The unicorn cleared her throat as she prepared to speak.

“I...I think we should wait for Ajax… and then decide,” said Trixie. The pony’s voice was terribly weak. Chrysalis and Lightning Dust had to listen closely, just to understand her.

“You can’t be serious?” asked Chrysalis as her head reared backwards. “What in the name of Equestria makes you think he’s coming back? There’s an army outside poking around, looking for him! He’s got no reason to come back,” said Chrysalis just before a knock was heard at the door. 

The three ponies turned to see Ajax step inside; their eyes grew wide when they saw him. He was no longer a demon that burned with chaotic energy. He was human. Two vivid green eyes looked between Chrysalis and Lightning dust, before focusing on Trixie.

“Glad to see you’re alright…” said Ajax as he stepped towards Trixie’s bedside. The unicorn’s wide pink eyes continued to follow Ajax as he slowly approached her, but a figure stepped in his way. Chrysalis eyed the human; she didn’t plan on letting him through.

“It’s alright,” said Trixie as she gave Chrysalis a nod. The changeling looked back at Trixie; she was shocked to hear that Trixie wasn’t worried. Chrysalis would have at least thought that she would be cautious around the human.

Ajax slowly sat down in a chair next to Trixie and looked up at Chrysalis and Lightning Dust. “Can you give us a minute,” he asked.

“IF YOU TH-” started Lighting Dust, but cut herself off when she saw the look on Trixie’s face. The unicorn had a bold look; she wanted the pegasus and changeling to leave the room.

“We’ll be right outside,” sneered Lightning Dust as she eyed Ajax on her way out. As the door shut behind the two ponies a calm silence filled the room. Ajax opened his mouth as if he had something to say, but couldn’t force the words out. He fiddled his thumbs together and took a deep breath before finding the strength to speak.

“Look Trixie, I know that it isn’t much, but I wanted to tell you that I was sorry. When I… attacked you… I was in such a dark place. I’ve... been... in such a dark place for quite a long time. But somehow you managed to bring me out of it. I replaced nearly every emotion with anger, hoping that I could try to distance myself from others… but somehow you broke through. I know that I no longer deserve to be your friend, but I just... hope... that you can find it in your heart to not hate me.”

SLAP!

Ajax’s cheek stung, the unicorn had slapped him across the face with her hoof. The man rubbed his cherry cheek as he looked back into Trixie’s resolved pink eyes.

“Don’t you ever say that,” whispered the pony as she glared at Ajax. “Don’t you ever say that we're not friends! I’ve put too much into this! I won’t let you end our friendship, JUST LIKE THAT!” Ajax closed his eyes and smirked.

“I don’t get it Trixie. Why did you never give up on me? After everything I did, you still somehow managed to believe in me,” mumbled Ajax as he looked up at the unicorn with teary eyes.

“Because you’re my friend.” The pony stated firmly.

“That’s it? Just because we we’re friends? You were willing to go so far, that you nearly died for me, just because we’re friends?” asked Ajax as tears dribbled down his face.

“Did I need another reason?” asked the unicorn as she gave the man a smile. Ajax placed his hands on his face as he tried to calm his rapid breathing. “We are friends...right?” asked Trixie as she placed a hoof on Ajax’s knee.

“You’re my best friend,” cried the man as he leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Tixie. The unicorn smiled and sniffed as tears of her own began to run down her face and onto Ajax’s shoulder.

“What about the Elements of Chaos?” asked Trixie as she wiped her eyes.

“I’ve gotten rid of those rotten things. Now, it’s only me,” said Ajax with a sigh. The lights flickered as the walls of the vault shook. Ajax’s eyes narrowed as he realized what probably had just happened.

“They found us!” shouted Lightning Dust as she barged into the room. Ajax and Trixie turned to the alarmed pegasus as the walls began to shake again. Queen Chrysalis slowly trotted in behind Lightning Dust and looked over at Ajax.

“I hope you showed up with a plan,” said the alicorn as everypony turned to Ajax. The man slowly rose up to his feet and glared at the lights of the room as they flickered once again.

“I’ve got a plan... but we’re going to need to look as intimidating as possible,” said Ajax as he looked between the three ponies.

“What kind of plan?” asked Lightning Dust as she raised an eyebrow. Despite Ajax’s new appearance, neither the changeling nor pegasus wanted to trust him.

“It’s going to work, but you’re going to have to trust me,” said Ajax as he helped Trixie out of bed. “Go ahead and raise the vault out of the ground,” he added as his resolute green eyes turned to Chrysalis and Lightning dust.


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A large disc began to rise out of the ground as it slowly made its way up into the sky. Minotaurs and gryphons on top of the circle, hopped off as the vault slowly rose up. They had successfully found Ajax’s base. The armies of Equestria waited for the tall skyscraper to stop growing, but the tall pylon continued to go higher and higher, until a large clang rang out and rolled across the snowy desolate plain. A large portion of the tower’s base opened up as waves and waves of robots began to pour out and cluster together in a defensive formation.

“We’re defenseless out here…” mumbled Chrysalis. “I hope you know what you’re doing,” she added as Ajax stepped forward.

“Well, they’re not attacking us, which is not a bad sign,” said Ajax with a chuckle as he motioned for a tiny robot to come over to him. “Tell Celestia that I wish to talk with her,” he said before sending the robot off towards the enemy. “If I don’t make it back, I wish you all the best of luck,” said Ajax as he began to march forward into the snow.

“What does he hope to gain by talking with Celestia?” questioned Lightning Dust as she tried to find fault with the human.

“Don’t worry Lightning Dust... he’s changed.” said Trixie as she watched Ajax walk off towards the opposition. “I’m sure he’s got a plan.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Time passed by, but Ajax didn’t return. The three ponies sat around waiting for any sign of Ajax; he had been gone for quite some time. The alicorn, pegasus, and unicorn, had sat idle for over an hour by now. Trixie was starting to grow worried; their scouts had lost sight of Ajax when he disappeared behind enemy lines. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Something isn’t right…” thought Trixie as she continued to search for Ajax in the distance.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if he got himself killed,” said Chrysalis out of the blue as she sat down on a throne made out of robots. “I still can’t figure out why he wanted to talk with Celestia. I mean, there’s no way this war is ending without one of them dying…” she mumbled to herself as she began to file her hooves.

“I see something!” shouted Lighting Dust. Two figures could be seen off in the distance, slowly approaching the three ponies.

“Who is it?” asked Trixie as she adjusted her hat, ready for battle.

“It sure isn’t Ajax,” said Chrysalis as she stepped forward. “Wait, it couldn’t be…” she mumbled as he eyes narrowed, trying to make sure her mind wasn’t playing tricks on her. “I think that’s… Celestia and Luna,” said the Changeling as she slowly looked over at Trixie.

“Celestia and Luna?! Why would they approach our army defenseless?” thought Trixie. None of the three ponies could come up with any logical reason as to why their main target was approaching without her army. “And where’s Ajax?!” thought Trixie as the two divine alicorns continued to approach.

When Celestia and Luna finally reached the vault, they were greeted by the three paranoid ponies. Chrysalis, Lightning Dust, and Trixie were ready to strike the alicorns down at any given moment.

“Settle down,” said Celestia as she approached the three aggressive equines. “This war’s over,” stated the white alicorn leisurely.

“What?!” shouted Trixie her horn began to glow with magic, but Celestia paid no mind to the pony’s threat. “Soldiers attack!” cried Trixie as she pointed her hoof at Celestia, but nothing happened. The robots remained motionless as if they hadn’t heard her.

“Luna?” said Celestia as she allowed her sister to take over. Princess Celestia turned her attention away from Trixie and the others as she began to knock robots over with gentle pushes from her hooves.

“Hey!” cried Trixie, but Princess Luna interrupted her.

“Now then, will the one known as Lightning Dust please step forward?” asked the pony as she looked down at a piece of paper. Lightning slowly stepped forward, but made sure not to get too close to the alicorn. “Congratulations Lightning Dust, you have been acquitted of all you’re crimes,” said Luna as she began to read the paper floating in front of her.

“What…” mumbled Lightning Dust, unsure of what was going on.

“In addition to your clean slate, you have also been accepted into the Wonderbolt Academy. Classes have already started, but I trust that you won’t have a problem with missing a few introductory courses,” said Luna as she tossed a letter at the pegasus’ hooves.

The light green pony quickly snatched the letter off the ground; it had the Wonderbolt’s seal. “WHAT!” shouted the pony as she tore open the letter. “This can’t be happening! It’s a dream come true! I’m back in the academy!” Tears dripped onto the acceptance letter as the trembling pegasus read the letter. “I no longer have to be a mercenary… I can’t believe it… I never could’ve imagined that…” silently cried Lightning Dust as she tightly hugged the envelope.

“Chrysalis, would you please step forward,” said Luna as she looked up at the changeling queen. The black alicorn looked over at Trixie before trotting forward. “Congratulations Chrysalis, you have also been acquitted of all crimes.” said Luna as she looked back down at the piece of paper she was reading. “In addition to your clemency, you’ve been given dominion over the entire eastern portion of the Badlands. You and your changelings shall not be disturbed by any ponies, minotaurs, and gryphons.

“I don’t believe it…” laughed Chrysalis.

“But be warned! If you dare to commit any future crimes, we won’t hesitate to come after you,” growled Luna as she slowly looked over at Trixie. “You… I remember you… from the first battle in Canterlot, your name was... Trixie,” said Luna as she slowly looked back down at her piece of paper.

“You as well have been pardoned of all crimes and will receive a full scholarship towards Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. Where you will be allowed to pursue any studies of your interest… congratulations,” mumbled Luna as she looked over at Celestia. “Shall we begin disassembling the human’s contraptions?” asked Luna.

“HOLD ON!” cried Trixie as she teleported in front of Luna. “Tell me what’s going on here! Where’s Ajax!? And why did you just promise us all that stuff on that there paper of yours?!” shouted Trixie as she glared at Luna.

“Ajax has been taken into custody,” said a voice. Trixie slowly turned and looked at Celestia, the pony was poking her hooves against the empty shell of an inactive robot’s head. “In return for the things Luna just listed, he promised to surrender. Pardoning the three of you makes me sick to my stomach, but at least no pony, minotaur, or gryphon, has to die fighting… these things,” said Celestia as she pushed another robot over.

“You mean?...” whispered Trixie.

“That’s right, the war is finally over,” said Celestia as she trotted back over to Luna.

“NO!” shouted Trixie as she disappeared in a flash of magic. The unicorn could be seen galloping across the snowy plain towards the minotaur/gryphon army. The unicorns cape tugged on her neck as it blew against the wind. Trixie’s hat flew off her head, but the unicorn didn’t stop her charge. Warm tears rolled down her frozen cheek as she continued to put one hoof in front of the other.

“Ajaaaaaaaaaaax!” cried the pony as she began to teleport rapidly towards the first wave of Equestrian soldiers.

“STOP HER!” cried a raspy voice as gryphons circling the sky began to dive towards the frantic unicorn. In a burst of magic the pony disappeared and reappeared behind half the army. Trixie’s watery pink eyes turned to see Ajax kneeling down on the floor. The human had massive iron chains wrapping around every part of his body. Five magic runes glowed and chimed as they circled around the captive human.

“Hold it right there!” shouted a voice as Rainbow Dash crashed down on top of Trixie.

“NO! G-Get off of me! AJAX!” shrieked the pony as she tried to crawl towards her friend.

“Hush… Trixie,” said Ajax as he slowly looked up at the unicorn. The man had a sad smile on his face.

“A-Ajax, d-do y-y’know what they’re g-going to d-do to y-you?!” sobbed Trixie as she choked on her own tears. Rainbow Dash continued to pin the unicorn against the floor, but it was hard for the pegasus to look at the tearful unicorn.

“I will be taken back to Canterlot, where I will be tried and found guilty. Then I will be executed,” said Ajax calmly as he looked back down at the ground.

“You actually think there’s going to be a trial?” coughed a voice as Bjorn stepped forward. Trixie continued to scream with her head pressed against the ground as she came to terms with Ajax’s choice.

“You were my first friend! I can’t lose you! Not like this!” shouted Trixie as she struggled to break free, but Rainbow Dash’s hold was too tight.

“Trixie… all of my friends in the past have perished. Every single last one of them met a grim fate that I couldn’t prevent but not today. Today, I get the chance to save my friends from the fire. Now I get to burn for the ones I care about, instead of the other way around. Thank you for always believing in me, Trixie. I’m sure you’ll achieve great things in your life,” said Ajax as two minotaurs began to drag him away. “So long, The Great and Powerful Trixie…” said Ajax as he was taken away.

“NOOOOO!...” The cries of a broken heart could be heard for miles all around.


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Word spread quickly of Ajax’s capture. The mysterious creature, infamous for the ruin he brought to Equestria, was finally defeated. Throughout the land, minotaur, gryphon, and pony celebrated the human’s downfall. Canterlot was still in ruins, but it was livelier than ever before. Citizens who had fled were now beginning to return to the ruined capital. Fireworks erupted in the night sky, coloring the twinkling canvas with all the colors of the spectrum. Ponies told tales about how Ajax had been captured in a hard fought battle. That Celestia and Luna had once again saved the world from the devil of a man… but these were just rumors. 

What had really happened shocked everyone who was there. Ajax gave himself up. All he asked in return was the guaranteed safety of three ponies. Even during these times of Celebration, Canterlot was cautious. Celestia was suspicious that Ajax was up to something, she had gone to ludicrous lengths of security to ensure that Ajax couldn’t break out. Her enemy was on the ropes, she only needed to play her cards right.

“Citizens of Canterlot!” A loud voice rang throughout the city. Mares and stallions in the streets looked up from their drinks and desserts. The stuffed ponies had been partying non stop for the past day and a half. “I come before you to announce the monster’s demise!” The resonating voice belonged to Princess Celestia. The pony could be seen standing atop her balcony that overlooked the city. Two bright columns housing dancing fire illuminated the white alicorn. “Ajax, the one responsible for so much death, so much destruction, will finally be brought to justice!” An eruption of cheers filled the city as ponies and mares drunk on bliss and cider celebrated their victory.

Celestia raised a hoof and settled down the overjoyed crowd. The princess took a deep breath before speaking.

“Let us not forget those whom we’ve lost to the destruction Ajax wrought upon Equestria. May they find peace knowing that the one who murdered them will receive due justice, for tomorrow... Ajax shall be executed.” A cheer louder than ever before filled the Canterlot square as ponies reveled in excitement.

“He killed my son!” shouted a mare with long red hair.

“That brute murdered my entire family,” shouted a stallion as he shook his hoof.

Celestia calmly listened to her subjects as they cheered and cried out for the human’s head. She hated to see them crave bloodshed, but she understood the pain in their heart. They wanted revenge because Ajax had taken so much from them. The alicorn continued to silently observe the bloodthirsty mob as they continued to curse the human, but one sound grabbed Celestia’s attention. One noise out of the crowd was able to grab hold of princess’ eear.

“BOOOO!” Cried a voice being drowned out by the angry crowd. “BOOO! Free Ajax! BOOO!” Trixie, Ajax’s apprentice, one of the three ponies Ajax had vindicated from punishment, screamed her heart out. “BOOO!”

Celestia wondered that if the unicorn was playing along with whatever scheme Ajax was planning. However, the white alicorn was still bothered by the desperate pony’s cries, but she refused to believe that Ajax was capable of self-sacrifice. He would never give himself up to save a pony. The white alicorn turned around and trotted back inside, trying to get the image of Trixie out of her mind.

“Is something the matter?” said a voice.

“L-Luna?” stuttered Celestia as she looked up. The dark alicorn smiled at her sister.

“Is something bothering you?” she asked. Celestia glanced back towards the balcony; the yelling of angry ponies could still be heard.

“It’s nothing. I’m going to go check up on the prisoner,” said Celestia as she trotted past Luna. “Hold on... where are you going?...” asked Celestia as she turned back to Luna. The white alicorn had nearly not noticed the saddle and pouches resting on Luna’s back.

“I plan on going to the Everfree Forest, to investigate the dark presence… do you want to come?” asked Luna as she gave Celestia a small smile.

“No, I’ve got business to attend to,” said Celestia as she turned back around.

“Right, you’ve got to make sure that you kill Ajax.” Luna paused for a moment. “ Y’know, I hope that killing him can finally bring peace to your heart, but I hope you know it won’t bring anypony back.”

“I know that…” said Celestia as she trotted off.


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Deep in the Canterlot dungeon far below the surface of the city, there was a cell Celestia had made specifically for Ajax. It was clear that she wasn’t going to take any chances whatsoever. A steel door easily a meter thick, chain bonds with metal links easily five inches thick, housed the inescapable cell. She made sure that Ajax had no possible way to escape her palace’s dungeon.

A figure sat in the middle of seven glowing rune circles, Ajax’s entire body was bound. It seemed like Celestia was even afraid of him being able to use his fingers to escape. Two heavy metal spheres, similar to cannon balls rested around the human’s iron cuffed hands.

SMACK! A heavy sound resonated throughout the dark dreary dungeon. 

No sunlight had ever reached this part of the palace; only torchlight lit these gloomy halls. The smell of something foul filled the dark chambers; nopony had ever been able to locate the source of the putrid stench, but the guards didn’t care. No guard ever showed a prisoner down here mercy, and they didn’t plan on showing Ajax any.

SMACK! Another sound echoed throughout the dungeon. Ajax’s cheeks began to blister as guards continued to beat the restrained human mercilessly. The human’s hair drooped over his head; he was unresponsive, showing the guards not even a slight sign of discomfort.

“Hit him harder!” growled a stallion as he clamped his two front hooves together. “Hit him like you mean it!”

SMACK! Another blow crashed along Ajax’s face. The man slumped over, but two hooves lifted him back up.

“You bastard! My brother died protecting Canterlot from the likes of you! What do you have got to say for yourself?! HUH!?” shouted a guard as he reared his head back and slammed his skull against Ajax’s. Ajax fell backwards as a dribble of blood crept down his forehead onto the bridge of his nose. The pony spat on Ajax, but as he turned away, he heard the man whisper something under his breath.

“What did you say?...” growled the guard as his eyes flared.

“I said...I’m,” Ajax’s words turned into blood spurts as the guard pressed a hoof against his neck.

“Say it to my face… human,” sneered the guard as he readied to beat Ajax again.

“I said, I’m… sorry,” muttered Ajax as two green eyes looked up at the guard from behind thick messy white hair.

“You’re sorry?!” shouted the guard as he lifted a hoof up into the air.

“THAT’S ENOUGH!” shouted a harsh cold voice. The pony looked back to see an angered alicorn looming over him.

“P-Princes…” stammered the pony as he let go of Ajax. “I was just…”

“Get out,” ordered Celestia, the stallions could tell that she was mad. They wasted no time as they escape out an exit. Ajax slowly sat back up and looked up at the white alicorn.

“Don’t let that guy’s temper fool you, that pony is a sweetheart deep down,” chuckled Ajax as he wiped his bloody mouth against his shoulder. “So why are you here? Come to gloat over your victory?” asked Ajax as he flung his messy hair to the side.

“You think this is funny, don’t you? You have some sort of plan to break out here I bet,” said Celestia as she slowly stepped forward. Ajax laughed softly before slowly shaking his head.

“I have no more plans, this is it. This is how my legacy will end,” sighed Ajax as he looked down at his cuffs.

“You expect me to believe, that you just gave up? After all the diehard determination to bring me down, you just turned around and quit?!” asked Celestia as she stood over the human.

“That’s right,” said Ajax calmly.

“Tell me, what wonderful life changing event managed to change your mind?” jokingly asked Celestia.

“I found them,” whispered Ajax under his breath. “The ruins of our last city. I found the very last survivors in them. And do you know what they were doing?” said Ajax he looked up at Celestia. Blood poured out of Ajax’s mouth and down onto his chest as he continued to speak. “They died fighting each other, they were so caught up in their ideal between democracy and monarchy that they no longer cared for their survival as a species.” Ajax took a moment to gather himself before speaking again.

“It was at that moment, that I realized that it was my fault. I blamed you for the damnation of my species because I didn’t want to find out the truth. I was afraid of the truth, I guess it’s because I knew… deep down, that it was never your fault. It was always my fault. They needed me to lead them. They needed me to guide them… and I wasn’t there.”

Celestia stared hard at Ajax as the man looked back up at her.

“So what? Just like that you no longer hate me?” asked the Alicorn as she raised an eyebrow.

“No, no, no, I still hate you,” said Ajax as he let out a laugh… Celestia didn’t find it as funny however. “I mean you still locked me away for about a thousand years, I mean… how could I not hate you… but I do understand why you did it,” he said.

“Oh is that so?” she asked.

“I mean… after everything that happened all those years ago, I’m surprised your punishment wasn’t harsher. If the tables were turned I wouldn’t have been as merciful towards pony kind…” said Ajax with a smile. “But still... despite knowing why you did it, I can’t help but hate you for what you did,” he added.

“Enough of the crap!,” growled Celestia as she stamped a hoof down. “You’re a monster! How could someone have a change of heart so quickly, the last time I saw you the Elements of Chaos had you on puppet strings!” shouted Celestia. “Everypony out there is shouting for your head… and I’m supposed to be the one who’s going to give it to them.”

Ajax slowly looked up and off to the side; the human went silent. Celestia was about to ask what he was doing, but then she heard it. Even down here, one could hear the chanting taking place in the middle of Canterlot. The cries for Ajax’s death rang throughout the dark stone halls.

“I’m sorry,” said Ajax as the beaten up human looked back at Celestia.

“Sorry for what?” asked the pony.

“They’re like me when I first left the Everfree Scar. They hope that they will find peace in my death, but they don’t know what will really happen.” Ajax frowned and stared at Celestia with a pained look. “When I die they’ll feel nothing from my death. It’s at that moment they’ll realize that my demise won’t bring back their loved ones. I can only hope that after I die, they’ll be able to find comfort… in each other.”

SMACK! A royal hoof smashed into Ajax’s nose. The human shook his head as blood began to pour out of his nostrils.

“What did you do that for…” mumbled Ajax as his eyes slowly looked up. A glowing alicorn teaming with energy, hovered above the human as if she was going to execute him on the spot. Ajax felt the chains around him vanish as they melted into hot golden liquid.

“Get up…” hissed Celestia as her burning golden eyes locked onto Ajax. “GET UP AND FIGHT ME!” Ajax slowly rose to his feet and looked up at Celestia, but he didn’t move a muscle.

The white alicorn bolted forward, she turned into a comet of molten fury as she crashed against the human, pinning him against the wall.

“Fight me!” she cried once more as she swung a hoof into Ajax’s jaw, but the man didn’t move. He only waited quietly for what came next. “YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO BE A MONSTER!” cried Celestia as she raised another hoof. “You can’t do this! It’s not fair! After all the lives you’ve taken you can’t turn around and change like this! I’m supposed to give them a monster tomorrow!” The alicorn held her hoof inches away from Ajax’s face, but never delivered the final blow. The man still didn’t show any sign of resistance.

“I guess... I’ll just have to give them you…” mumbled Celestia as she backed away and watched Ajax slump to the floor.

“I guess so…” whispered Ajax as Celestia left his cell.

The man sat quietly as the sound of Canterlot’s chanting began to ring throughout the dungeon once more.


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“Sheesh… it’s dark,” echoed a voice throughout the Everfree Forest. The sound of Princess Luna’s hoofsteps seemed to carry for miles as she trotted down a dark path of the grim forest. The alicorn looked back off into the distance, the last firework had shot over Canterlot. After two whole days of nonstop celebrating, the mares and stallions of Canterlot were finally going to give it a rest.

“About time,” sighed Luna as she turned away from the now quiet city. A bright ray of light pierced the thicket of the everfree forest and shot directly into Luna’s eyes. “GAH!” cried the pony as she rubbed her eyes with her hooves. She slowly looked up and saw a bright orange light begin to illuminate the dark dreary forest.

“The sun’s starting to come up? I almost forgot how late it was… or how early it was?… nevermind…” thought the pony as she adjusted her saddle and pressed on into the lit forest. “Ajax’s execution should be soon… If I manage to waste enough time here, I might be able to miss it,” she thought as she turned a corner.

“What?...” asked the alicorn out loud as she stopped in her tracks. Laying before her was a pack of disassembled timberwolves; the creatures had been completely torn apart. Their twigs and branches had been snapped, but why...? What kind of creature would hunt timberwolves? There was no meat on their bones… only for the sake of killing them would a creature ever hunt them down.

“Come…” called out an ominous voice. Luna paused when she heard the sound; she hoped that her mind was playing tricks on her.

“Come…” the voice came again, but it was louder this time. A dark cloud, hovering just above the ground, slowly drifted from out of the forest and made its way towards the alicorn.

“COME!” shouted the same voice, causing Luna to stagger backwards.

“Are you the dark entity that I sensed in the Everfree?!” shouted Luna, but the cloud only responded by fleeing deeper into the forsaken woods. “Hey! Get back here!” shouted the pony as she raced after the dark mysterious cloud.

The pony turned left and then right as she tried to keep up with the rogue cloud. The forest grew darker and thicker as the cloud continued to lead Luna on a chase until finally the alicorn came to a stop. She was at the mouth of the Everfree Scar, but the cloud was nowhere to be found.

“Luna…” choked out a weak voice. The alicorn held her breath when she heard the recognizable voice.

Luna turned to see Discord tied to a tree. The draconequus was malnourished, his body fragile and weak. It looked like he hadn’t eaten in months. Thick red chains were wrapped around Discord’s arms, legs, and torso.

“Discord!” Shouted Luna as she galloped over him. “We’ve been worried about you for over the past two months! What happened to you?” asked the alicorn as she tried to pull the chains off Discord. “Who… did this to you?” she asked as paused to look up at the draconequus.

“Luna… you have… to run…” coughed Discord as his breathing grew rapid.

“I had a dream like this not too long ago!” thought the alicorn to herself. “Hold on Discord I’ll get you out of there!” shouted Luna as she tried to use her magic on the glowing red demonic bonds.

“Get away… he’s coming…” muttered Discord as Luna finally began to make progress with chains wrapping around Discord.

“Who’s coming?” she asked fearfully as she struggled to break the last chain link.

“My brother…” as Discord said those two words Luna felt the world around her begin to change. It was like the word itself had grown heavier. An intense pressure of power filled the forest as the ground jolted up and down. Luna heart shot up into her throat when she turned to see a massive claw emerging out of the Everfree Scar.

“We have to get out of here!” shouted Luna as she threw Discord onto her back. The pony spread her wings and soared to the sky, she turned back and saw what Discord was afraid of.

A draconequus appeard, similar to Discord in body shape, but marginally different. This draconequus was a dark brown with glowing orange eyes. It had two massive bull horns protruding out of its head. It was more of a demon than a draconequus.

Unlike Discord’s mismatched body, the draconequus seemed to only be made out of dragon parts. The creature looked like a dark scaled dragon that had acquired Discord’s body shape. The demonic entity stood over two hundred feet high, dwarfing the entire forest. A large tail, covered in scales and spikes swayed back and forth, destroying acres of trees with each sweep.

Luna looked back and tried to gather as many details as she could, she couldn’t believe the amount of power she felt emanating from the draconequus.

“What the hell is that?!” shouted Luna as she continued to fly towards Canterlot.

“My… older brother…” said Discord as he looked over at the dark brown dragon-like draconequus.

“We got to get to Canterlot!” shouted Luna as she continued to race toward the distant city.

“There’s no point… It’s the end of the word…” mumbled Discord as he collapsed on the pony’s back.

“We’ll just see about that…” whispered Luna as she looked back at the enormous demon. The creature’s eyes were following Luna, but it wasn’t following her.

“Thank the stars, at least I don’t have to worry about that thing following me…” thought Luna as she flew away as fast as her wings would carry her.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


“Ajax, you have been found guilty of crimes against Equestria and her people. For your crimes you’ll be hanged,” dictated an armored pony reading off an elegant scroll. 

Ajax stood in the middle of Canterlot square before a noose; the man was to be hanged in the city square for all to see. Ponies from all across Equestria had gathered to watch the human’s demise. They sat on top of roofs just to get a good view as pegasi slowly hovered above the scene. Ajax stood calmly before his executioner with his eyes closed. The man didn’t seem to be worried about dying.

“Place hi-” started the armored pony, but the sound of distant shouting stopped his citation. “What’s going on?” mumbled the disgruntled guard as he looked up at the pegasi hovering above the town square.

“I think it’s the princess!” exclaimed a unicorn sitting on a rooftop.

Princess Celestia had been keeping a close eye on Ajax’s execution. The pony rose from her seat and looked off into the distance. “What is she carrying?” whispered Celestia as she strained her eyes. “Is that… Discord?” she mumbled to herself as Luna’s cries finally became audible.

“Celestia!” yelled the distressed alicorn. “Celestia!”

“What is it?!” shouted Celestia as she flew up to meet her sister.

“I found something in the Everfree Scar. My fears were true, there’s a monster unlike anything we’ve ever encountered!”

“What!?” shouted Celestia as she pulled Luna close. “What do you mean!?” Celestia’s voice strained as she tried to maintain her voice to a whisper.

“It’s the end of the world… armageddon… ragnarok!” cried out Discord as he woke up. The draconequus fell off Luna’s back during his dramatic episode. “He’s here! He’s finally returned, I knew this day would come, but I thought we would have more time!” cried out Discord as he struggled to pick himself up off the ground.

“Start from the beginning,” said Celestia as she lifted Discord up with her magic. Celestia’s mouth opened slightly as she looked Discord up and down. The draconequus was so pale and fragile, his ribs could be seen running up and down his chest.

“As you know Celestia… I’m quite old… very old to be precise,” said Discord as he looked up at Celestia. The ponies that had gathered for Ajax’s execution were now focused on hearing Discord’s story. Even the executioner ran off to see what Discord had to say.

“Hey! What’s going on?” asked Ajax as he looked at all the ponies galloping towards Discord, Celestia and Luna. The man struggled against his chains, but couldn’t break free. “No, no, go ahead… do whatever… I’ll just wait here…” coughed Ajax as he rolled his eyes. 

Discord cleared his throat before speaking.

“Long ago… before you or Luna even came to Equestria… there were seven grand spirits. I was one of them… we were all draconequi, equal in power, but not in motive. The majority of us kept to ourselves, but there was one who wanted to shape the world to his specific image. Malice… my older brother, saw the others and I as an opposition that would stand in his way. The six of us tried to reason with Malice, but he wouldn’t listen. Our eldest, our very own brother, began to devour us... one by one,” as Discord continued to speak, dark clouds began to gather in the sky above canterlot.

“Malice had nearly succeeded in devouring all my brothers and sisters. Only my youngest sister and I was all that remained. Luckily, she allowed me to use her as bait, so that we could banish our brother from Equestria once and for all. We sent him to a place far below Equestria. A world that laid beneath Tartarus, a world that he couldn’t escape from… but now I realize, there is no prison that can hold him.” Celestia and Luna continued to listen to Discord’s story. All of Canterlot was now fearful of this new supreme draconequi threat.

“Being the only spirit left, I took charge. I ruled over most of Equestria… until you two came along and encased me in stone. But none-” began Discord, but a drop of liquid plopped on his head, cutting him off. “What a terrible time for rain,” he said as he looked up to the sky. Another drop of rain splashed on his face, but it wasn’t water… it was blood.

A crack of lightning struck in the distance as the crimson rain grew heavier and heavier, soon the streets began to run red as blood continued to pour down from the sky. As a bright flash of lightning filled the city, an enormous creature appeared out of nowhere in the blink of an eye. A draconequus, corrupted with demonic energy stood in the middle of Canterlot, its eyes glared at the fearful tiny equines in its presence.

“Celestia!” hollered Twilight as she and her friends turned a corner. “What’s going on? Why is it raining blood…” as the alicorn spoke, her eyes slowly began to follow the body of the massive draconequus up into the sky. “What is that?!” she cried as she and her friends gasped.

CLAP! CLAP! CLAP! The sound of Malice’s clapping resonated like shockwaves as the draconequus clapped his dragon-like claws together.

“Wonderful… just… wonderful…” The towering giant’s voice was similar to Discord’s, but was a little rougher and heavier. “Everyone played their part… perfectly,” said the draconequus as a devilish smile grew across its face.

“Who are you!?” shouted Rainbow Dash as she flew up towards the behemoth's head.

“Ah yes… the colorful pony. I couldn’t have done it without you,” said the draconequus as its eyes focused onto Rainbow Dash. “Without you, none of this could have ever happened.

“Me? I think you got the wrong pony…” she said as she flew backwards away from the demon.

“Surely you recognize my voice. After all I was the one who led you into the forest,” chuckled the draconequus as he swirled his claw around, creating a dark cloud. “Don’t you remember?... ‘Come’...” Rainbow Dash’s eyes shot wide, she remembered his voice. It was the same voice that called out to her in the Everfree Forest…the voice that led her to Ajax.

“It was you…” muttered Rainbow Dash in realization.

“That’s right, I was the one who led you to Ajax, so that you might reintroduce him to the world. So that he could run rampant across equestria, allowing me to safely exit the Everfree Scar and regain my full strength.” Malice laughed as he patted his belly. “I had to eat a lot of demon’s to get there.”

“YOU!” cried out a voice. The draconequus looked down and saw the small figure of a man shouting at him.

“Excuse me,” said the enormous creature to Rainbow Dash as he began to shrink himself down to a normal size. “Ah, if it isn’t the man himself! Ajax… long time no see. 
Good to see that you’re in fine health. Do you even remember me?” asked the draconequus as it placed its dragon claws on its sides.

“You’re the one who killed my friends! How could I ever forget you! I’m going to tear you apart for what you did!” snarled Ajax as he tried to break out of his bonds.

“Good, I’m glad that you still remember me,” laughed the draconequus as it pinned Ajax to the floor with its dragon tail. “Because I never forgot you! You and your pitiful friends are responsible for stuffing me back down that hole. Do you even have any idea how long you filthy humans set me back?!” shouted the draconequus as it continued to press its tail into Ajax’s back.

“You’re not welcome here!” A voice rang throughout the city, a voice belonging to a powerful alicorn. Celestia stepped forward and approached the strange creature. “I’ll warn you… one last time. You’re not welcome here. Now...leave!” Celestia’s eyes glared at Malice.

“Ah yes… Princess Celestia… listen here kid, I ran this show long before you and your sister showed up! You can’t even fathom the power that I posses!” sneered Malice as he looked past the white alicorn and saw a strange earth pony. The equine had a fang, two huge eyebrows, and a long white goatee growing out from under his chin. “Discord…” growled the draconequus as it made its way towards the pony.

“Oh, hey there… b-big bro!” stuttered Discord as he changed back into his normal self.

“Up to your old tricks I see. Are you trying to hide from me?” hissed Malice as he stared at his brother.

“Well, you know… You kind of draconiqui-napped me and tied me to a tree for a few months…”

“You’re the one who banished me for over three thousand years!” roared Malice as the sanguine rainfall grew stronger.

“Oh… You’re still mad about that? heh...heh…” asked Discord as he tapped two fingers together.

“What do you want from us?” asked Celestia as she and Luna prepared to fight the dragon-like draconequus.

“I don’t want anything from the likes of you,” said Malice as he carelessly walked away from the two alicorns.

“Enough games, just get to the point!” growled Luna as she trotted after Malice. The princess’ horn glowed brightly, she was ready to strike at the draconequus at any given moment.

“What I need is the Elements of Chaos…” said Malice as he walked back over to Ajax. “I need both Elements of Harmony and Elements of Chaos, so that I may rewrite the world to fit my image,” said Malice as he pressed his dragon claw against Ajax’s back. The human squirmed under the draconequus, but was ultimately helpless, due to his bonds.

“You used me! You killed my friends then used me!” shouted Ajax as he writhed under Malice’s leg.

“Oh hush now, Ajax. I already gave you most of the credit for all of this,” said Malice as he looked down at the human.

“What do you plan on doing with the elements?!” shouted Twilight as she stepped forward. Malice laughed as he turned to the purple alicorn.

“You mean to tell me that you fools use the Elements so carelessly, but have no idea what they are capable of?” chuckled Malice as he gazed into Twilight’s purple eyes. The pony thought about it for a moment, but couldn’t figure out what Malice was getting at. “Typical…” groaned Malice as he glared at Twilight with his burning orange eyes. “The Elements of Chaos and the Elements of Harmony were the very tools used by the creator to make Equestria,” said Malice as he rolled his eyes. “Y’know… the one who kinda made everything and everyone?”

“Wait, so you’re telling me…” said Twilight as she realised Malice’s intentions.

“That’s right little horsey… I’m going to rewrite the entire world… to make me it’s god,” said Malice with a victorious smile.

“You’ll never get away with this!” shouted Applejack as she took a hoofstep forward.

“On the contrary… I pretty much already have, thanks to Ajax here. He not only managed to make sure to buy me enough time to regather my strength, but also made sure to weaken all of Equestria’s armies at the same time. Pony, dragon, minotaur, gryphon… yes, he did an excellent job,” said Malice as he patted Ajax on the head.

“You…” hissed Ajax as he began to burn with shadowfire.

“Nonsense Ajax, don’t even bother with that black fire of yours. You and your friends did put up a good fight, I’ll admit, but I am now far stronger than the last time you faced me. You don’t even stand a chance,” said Malice as he brushed away Ajax’s fire as if it were a nuisance. “Now… tell me. Where did you hide the Elements of Chaos? They are the last things that I need to complete my plan,” said Malice as he looked down at the human.

“Wait, what about the Elements of Harmony?” asked Pinkie Pie.

“Oh, those? I already have those…” shrugged Malice as he summoned six luxurious crystals in the palm of his hand. “Pretty stupid leaving them unguarded in some tree… don’t you think?” asked the draconequus as he looked over at Pinkie Pie. “Now then, where was I? Oh, yes. Ajax, mind telling me the whereabouts of the Elements of Chaos?” asked Malice as he pressed his spiked tail into Ajax’s back.

“NEVER!” cried Ajax as he grit his teeth.

“I was afraid of this. You humans were always so resilient. Stubborn, stubborn, stubborn, up until the very end. Fine, it’ll be more fun to tear Equestria apart searching for them anyways,” smiled Malice.

A blast of energy crashed into the back of Malice’s head. The draconequus turned to see a unicorn standing on a rooftop.”

“Leave him alone!” cried the pony as she teleported in front of Malice. It was Trixie; the unicorn scrapped a hoof against the pavement as she scowled at the draconequus. Malice’s eyes turned blood red when he looked down at the aggressive unicorn.

“It’s about time I make something clear…” he growled before disappearing in a poof of red velvet magic. Malice had returned to his monstrous size; the draconequus reappeared outside of Canterlot, standing in front of the city’s wall. “My power can’t be contested, this is simply a purging of the world you know!” shouted Malice as he stomped his foot into the ground. Equestria shook as something emerged off in the distance and began crawling towards Canterlot.

“No way… could it be?” thought Twilight as she rubbed her eyes.

Canterlot watched as a massive fissure began making its way towards the city.

“Is that the Everfree Scar!?” shouted Twilight as the massive canyon bolted over hills and across fields towards Canterlot. In mere seconds, the city was torn in half. Ponies fell down the enormous crack, down into the abysmal darkness.

“Behold! The legions of Tartarus!” howled Malice as a bright red light emerged from behind the darkness inside of the Everfree Scar. Hordes of demons and foul creatures could be seen clawing their way out of the gorge. “Even the dead rise against you!” seethed the draconequus as he raised a claw. Undead creatures emerged from beneath the ground and began to tear into flesh of ponies. The hordes of zombified ponies and demons began to fill the streets of Canterlot. 

“I suggest you listen to the advice I’m about to give you…” sneered Malice as his eyes returned to a bright orange.

“Run…”
> Chapter Thirteen
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Equestria, ponies who hailed from this beautiful continent could never find equal to their beloved home. The bountiful green land was filled with beauty and wonder that was simply unrivaled. Equestria was more than just a land of friendship and harmony. It was the land that mares and stallions called home.

                   Or at least it was… until one creature returned from a forgotten age.

                   Ajax, the last human, scourge of Equestria, singlehandedly brought ruin to the joyous land. He built armies that leveled all the resistance that Equestria could muster, armies that brought even the most proud champions to their knees. 

However, the human who had lost his humanity long ago somehow managed to make a friend on his quest for blood.

                   Trixie, a unicorn who knew very little about friendship, befriended the human and in his darkest moment; helped him save himself. The man was finally able to let go of his hatred, but it was too late. Ajax’s sins eventually caught up to him, but rather than bring his allies down with him, he choose to give himself up in return for their freedom. At least he would have the privilege of dying with an unclouded heart.

                   However, before this tragic fable could reach an end, a creature far more sinister than Ajax was exposed. A menice of legend, a being of paramount strength, was revealed to be a master puppeteer. Malice, brother of discord, had tricked a lone pegasus into reintroducing Ajax to the world; so that he could leave Tartarus through the Everfree Scar uncontested and reclaim his power. The beast of myth predated both Ajax and Celestia, a monster with unmatchable power, no one could stand a chance against the godlike fiend. He ravished the land swift and mercilessly.

                   And no man or pony stood a chance.
 
 
                   Two hooves dragged across hard stone brick, occasionally popping up when glazing over a crack or a small stone. The sound of heavy footstep finally restored consciousness to the captive mare. Two groggy eyes slowly opened halfway. The pony’s vision was hazy, she couldn’t make out where she was, but one thing was clear; the stench of blood in air. The mare finally gained sense of the iron crushing grips holding onto her front hooves, something was dragging her somewhere.

                   “Gahaha” cackled a high pitched voice in the pony’s right ear. “For royalty she was quite resilient! You would expect a princess’s will to break before her bones!”

                   “The way I see it; is that we will be able to have more fun with her soon…” slowly spoke a heavy lumbering voice.

                   “Maybe. As long as she doesn’t die down here! HAH!” laughed the first voice. The mare’s eyes finally regained focus, but she couldn’t see anything past long strands of blue, green, and velvet hair. Just as Celestia regained all of her senses, she felt her body tumble forward. The pony slammed against the cold stone floor, but couldn’t let out anything more than a gasp for air.

                   “You think she’ll be ok? We dun messed her up bad,” mumbled the heavy voice.

                   “Who cares!? She’s nothing more than a plaything! All the creatures in here are just for our amusement! Now come on let’s not saunter! Mephistochlees will have our heads if we don’t return soon,” said the high pitch voice.

                   Celestia caught site of her captors as the iron barred door slammed shut. Both of them were demons, the first one was only the size of a small filly. The demon had the head of a raven but the body of a primate. Jagged morbid spines that seeped some sort of green ooze covered the entirety of its back.

                   The second demon was nearly fifteen feet tall. The creature was an abomination twisted out of an ox, a snail, and a mantis. The behemoth crawled on a slug like body, but had the head and body of an ox. Two long folded arms similar to that of a mantis pressed up against its chest. Celestia had never seen such horrid creatures before, she never thought that the creatures of Tartarus would be so repulsive.

                   The two monstrosities soon disappeared into the darkness of the dungeon, leaving Celestia broken on the floor. The alicorn struggled to push herself up, but her front hoofs were far too weak.

                   “No way, is it really you, Princess?” said the familiar voice of a young dragon.

                   Celestia looked up, a smile came across her face, something that hadn’t happened for a while.

                   “Spike… is that you?” mumbled Celestia. The alicorn’s eyes hadn’t yet adjusted to the dim prison.

                   “Hold on, let me grab you something to drink!” shouted Spike as he scurried around. Celestia let out a sigh of relief as she listened to the soft footsteps of the dragon as he ran around the cell. Finally, Spike returned with a dish of brown water. “I know it’s disgusting, but it’s all I could find.”

                   Celestia pushed the dirty water away with a shaky hoof and tried her best to sit up again. With the help of Spike she was finally able to pull it off. “Tell me, what is this place Spike?” muttered Celestia as she laid her back against a rough stone wall.

                   “I’m not quite sure actually, I haven’t been here very long,” said Spike.

                   “I see…” said Celestia.

                   Spike pressed the tips of his claws together. “Um, Princess?”

                   “Yes?” said Celestia as she looked up at the young purple dragon. Spike was covered from head to claw in dirt, but didn’t seem injured in any sort of way.

                   “Do you know where Twilight is? I haven’t heard anything about her ever since things kinda…”

                   Celestia placed a hoof on Spike’s shoulder. “I’m sure she’s fine. There’s no need to worry. Most of our friends managed to escape without being capture-“ The sound of a steel door sliding open cut the princess short.

                   At the end of the hall a hulking figure with bright pink skin approached. Two heavy hooks dragged across the ground as the beast went from cell to cell. An eyeless pig head sat on the creature’s shoulders and snorted the putrid air as if it were a hound dog.

                   “What’s it doing?” whispered Celestia aloud as she continued to observe the swine-like fiend peek into each cell.

                   The monster scratched its fat belly as it stopped at a cell door not too far away. “You’ll do nicely woncha?” the beast nearly spat after every word. “Consida ya-self tha Butcha’s Specility,” snorted the hog as it opened the cell door. Celestia’s eyes strained as she anxiously tried to see what was happening.

                   A bloodcurdling scream rang out through the stone hall.

                   “Scream-a wasn’t cha?” giggled the hog-creature as it stepped out of the cell. A bright yellow mare was impaled on the beast’s left hook. “I’ll cook ya up nicely for the warden. Stick a fat appla in ya mouth.”

                   Celestia’s blood ran hot, but she was powerless to do anything. Ever since Malice had taken over it was pretty much all that she felt… powerless. Celestia had no choice, but to try and contain her anger, she couldn’t let her emotions cloud her judgement. If Equestria even had a chance of surviving this nightmare she would have to keep her head down until an opportunity arose. After all, this was the apocalypse, ragnarok, the end of the world, Equestria herself had opened up allowing the fiends of Tartarus to run amock.

                   Suddenly a bright ray of light shone on Celestia’s face grabbing her attention. She hadn’t seen the sun for quite some time. The alicorn looked up to see a small barred window and the distant sun emerging from behind a cloud.

                   “Spike, could you go up there and see what’s out that window?” asked Celestia. Spike was still quivering in fear after witnessing a pony impaled as if she were just a worm on a hook. “SPIKE!” shouted Celestia.

                   “W-what?!” cried Spike as he instantly relapsed into a state of paralyzed fear.

                   “I need you to go up there and see what’s out that window,” said Celestia gently. “Please, I know I’m asking a lot of you, but this is very important. I’m too weak… and I need your help.”

                   “A-alright,” said Spike as he dug his claws into the stone wall. The tiny dragon climbed the wall of the cell until he reached the window. “I-I see just a wide open space,” mumbled Spike as he looked out the window.

                   “What else?” asked Celestia.

                   “Nothing else really. The window is on the ground level. All I can see is just a wide open area…”

                   “Please Spike, there has to be something else,” said Celestia.

                   “I d-don’t see anything else,” said Spike.

                   “Just look again!” shouted the frustrated Alicorn as she continued to lay against the wall. As the sun continued to emerge from behind the cloud, light flooded the cell through the small window. Celestia began to make something out in the corner of the cell, but a grim voice caught her attention.

                   “Well, well, well, look what we have here.”

                   Celestia looked over. Standing at the cell door was a pair of demons. The foul creatures drooled as they stared at the princess. “Can ya believe it Kruak? The legendary princess herself be sitting right before our eyes.” A festering mound of flesh ridiculed in boils stood at the doorway accompanied by a blood red satyr.

“She doesn’t seem so legendry looking like that down here,” laughed the satyr.

                   “Be gone demons, I don’t speak to your kind,” said Celestia as she turned her gaze from the two creatures.

                   “Wha ya say?” gurgled the boiled flesh-creature.

                   The Satyr growled at the alicorn before turning to his comrade. “How about we teach this prisoner how to be a bit more submissive, Glob?” The satyr pulled out a key and began unlocking the cell door. Both demons stepped inside and slowly approached Celeastia. The alicorn’s horn glowed with magic, but a spark of yellow was all that she could conjure.

                   “Stay back!” shouted Spike as he threw himself in between the demons and Celestia.

                   “Spike! No!” shouted Celestia.

                   “Out of the way pipsqueak!” hissed the satyr as it knocked Spike aside with a sweep of its arm. “Time to teach you a lesson,” growled the demon as it grabbed Celestia by her neck. Celestia couldn’t breathe. Her vision grew dark, but before she passed out the pressure around her neck suddenly released itself. The alicorn caught her breath and looked up to see the two demons frozen in fear.

                   “I don’t get much sleep anymore, so you better have a good reason for waking me up,” said a voice that Celestia had grown to recognize very well. The voice of a man.

                   “Y-y-you Idiot!” shouted the satyr as it turned back to the flesh-demon. “T-t-that’s the Guardian! Why didn’t you tell me the Guardian was in this cell?” The other demon however didn’t seem interesting in standing around and arguing. The disfigured monster was already hobbling towards the door.

                   “It’s him! It’s the guardian! Lock the door! Lock the door!!! In the name of all that’s unholy, LOCK THE DOOR!”

                   “Guardian…” whispered Celestia under her breath as she glanced over her shoulder.

                   A figure was towering over Celestia, it was none other than Ajax himself. The man who had devoted his entire life to exacting revenge on her. Celestia continued to glare at the human without saying a word. She showed no fear despite her susceptible state.

                   “What’s with that look…?” muttered Ajax as he walked over to Spike and placed the tiny dragon back onto his feet.

                   “Hey! Hands off!” shouted Spike as he flailed his arms around. Ajax raised up both of his hands and took a step back. The man was covered in bruises and cuts, his exposed back had dozens of deep slashes that ran across one another. He wasn’t dressed in his usual black armor, he wore only rags for pants.

                   “What are the odds that we get stuck as cellmates… eh, Celestia?” muttered Ajax as he approached the dirty dish of water that Spike had originally offered Celestia. As the human kneeled down to reach for the bowl, Celestia pulled it close to herself with a hoof.

                   “This is mine.”

                   Ajax looked down at Celestia. The human glared at the pony before giving her a smirk and returning back to his dark corner of the cell. He had been the figure that Celestia had begun to notice when the sun was coming out. Both Spike and Celestia watched Ajax closely as he walked away.

                   “Man, look at you. They did quite the number on you Celestia,” said Ajax as he sat back down.

                   “Silence! I don’t want to hear a word from your mouth. All of this is your fault anyways!” shouted Celestia, the alicorn seemed to despise the man more than the demons.

                   Ajax spat off to the side, and slouched back down in the corner of the cell. Neither dragon, pony, nor man said a word for the next hour. The three sat in an uncomfortable silence, until the screeching of a steel door sliding open filled the prison block. The same hog-like creature from before trotted down the corridor tossing chunks of something into every cell.
                   *SPLAT*

                   A slab of red meat landed in the middle of Ajax, Spike, and Celestia’s cell. Ajax stood up and approached the chunk of flesh. As the man picked up the red chunk, Celestia noticed a coat of hair still on the outside of the raw meat… and on that coat, a cutie mark.

                   “STOP!” shouted Celestia when she realized what Ajax was holding. “T-that’s-“

                   “Yea, so? Do you see anything else to eat around here?” said Ajax abruptly. “Unless you want a piece, save your breath.” The man set the chunk of meat ablaze with his black fire and bit into the hunk of flesh. “Reminds me of the meals I had to eat back when I was stuck in the Everfree Scar.”

                   “I won’t let you!” cried Celestia as she lunged forward, but the alicorn collapsed at Ajax’s feet. “You bastard… I won’t let you eat that in front of me…”

                   Ajax wiped his mouth and returned to his corner of the cell with his meal.

                   “Why…why were the guards so afraid of you?” asked the curious voice of a young dragon.

                   Celestia looked over at Spike. “Don’t speak to the likes of him! He’s no better than the demons!”

                   Two green eyes looked up from behind a shroud of darkness at the purple dragon. “Curious one aren’t you? Well, there’s no reason for me not to tell, and besides, it’ll pass some time. It’s not like I got anything better to do,” said the shadowy figure as it continued to bite into its meal. “If you recall, those cowards called me “The Guardian” it’s the name the inhabitants of Tartarus gave me. The lone guardian… of the Everfree Scar.”

                   “If the demons know you so well, then you should know some of them pretty well. Right?” asked Spike.

                   “Spike! Stop!” ordered Celestia as she struggled to sit herself upright again.

                   “What are you getting at tiny dragon?” asked Ajax.

                   “Well, I was just thinking that you might know something about the big guy. You know, the one who looks a lot like Discord,” said Spike.

                   The figure of Ajax looked up at Spike. The darkened figure paused for a moment before taking another bite from its meal. “I suppose I know more about Malice than anypony else… After all, we’ve fought before.”

                   “D-did you win?”

                   “Yes.”

                   “Then you-“

                   “And no.” added Ajax, interrupting Spike. The young dragon paused for a moment and looked over at Celestia. With the help of the cell wall Celestia had managed to push herself upright again. She was now looking over at Ajax, waiting to hear what he had to say.

                   “What I lost that day was far too great for me to call a victory.” Ajax bit into his meal once more. “He wasn’t even at half of his full strength that day… and I… lost… everything. Every single thing that I had left… and that was when my humanity finally failed me. The man I was... what I used to be… what I now wish to be… died that day along with his friends. All that survived was a demon, which mindlessly slayed whatever crawled out of the Everfree Scar for the next couple hundred years.”

                   “So you’re saying that it’s hopeless…” said Celestia. The alicorn’s eyes were cold, but determined, she clearly hadn’t given up hope… yet.

                   “Not at all. You of all ponies should realize one thing by now,” said Ajax as he rose to his feet and approached Celestia. The man carried the remains of his meal in his left hand. “I am a man of conviction. With an unwavering will, stronger than anything my fragile body could ever hope to accomplish. I will not rest, I will not find peace, until Malice is brought to justice.”

                   The man stopped in front of Celestia. “You of all ponies should know how strong my hunger for retribution can be… Celestia” Ajax grabbed the leftovers of his meal with both hands and tore of the remaining hunks of meat, now there was only bone left. “And how far I’m willing to go in order to achieve it.”

                   The man knelt down besides Celestia holding a long femur bone in his left hand. The alicorn bit her teeth at the man, she couldn’t fight him off if he was to attack her.

                   “Hold still…” scolded Ajax as he grabbed Celestia.

                   “Let go of me!” shouted Celestia.

                   Ajax pressed the long bone against the alicorn’s front left leg before tearing off the bottom part of his pants and tying it against her.

                   “What are you…”

                   “Your leg won’t be able to heal properly if you keep struggling,” groaned Ajax as he tightened the knots.

                   “I don’t need help from the likes of you!” shouted Celestia as she tried to push Ajax away with her other hoof.

                   The man grabbed ahold of Celestia’s other hoof. “Even now you still see me as the enemy?! Don’t you understand that if we are to have any choice of survival we must work together!? I can’t believe that I managed to overcome my hatred before you, Celestia.”

                   “Shut up!” shouted Celestia as she tried to pull her hoof away.

                   Ajax refused to let go and continued to hold onto Celestia’s other hoof. “You need to realize that every decision that I made, every choice… was justified through my eyes! Every word I said, every action that I did, through MY eyes was pure in heart! Sure, I walked a darker path than you, but you must try to understand why I chose to travel down such a detestable road! You know the circumstances of my upbringing! You have to look things through my eyes! That is the only way you’ll ever be able to forgive me; is by understanding me!”

                   “Shutup! Why do I even care?! Why do you even care!? Why do you want me to forgive you so badly!? Just let go of me already!”

                   “Because that is the only way we can work together!” shouted Ajax.

                   “Work together? Work together?! I will never ally myself with the likes of you!” yelled Celestia.

                   “Even now at the end of the world?! You are willing to throw everything all away? How selfish! I have friends to protect! There is a monster I need to bring to justice! I won’t let your bitterness be the end of what little I have left!”

                   “How?! How could I possibly forgive you for what you’ve done?! How could you rationally expect something like that!?” screamed Celestia.

                   “BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT I DID!” Shouted Ajax before pausing. “I FORGAVE YOU! I LOOKED THROUGH YOUR EYES! I REALIZED THAT WHAT YOU DID ALL THOSE YEARS AGO WAS JUSTIFIED IN YOUR HEART! AS MUCH AS IT PAINS FOR ME TO ADMIT IT, THROUGH YOUR EYES YOU ACTED JUSTLY! NOW YOU MUST DO THE SAME FOR ME!”

                   “NEVER! YOU ARE LIKE YOUR FATHER AND HIS FATHER BEFORE HIM! MONSTERS! EVERY SINGLE LAST ONE OF YOU!”

                   *SLAP*

                   Celestia’s cheek stung. The pony placed a hoof against her bright red face. She looked up at Ajax, the man had a distant expression.

                   “Maybe the reason you make so many enemies is because you don’t even try to understand anyone else. All you do is sit on your high pedestal and judge every creature that your light touches.”

                   “Go to hell…” hissed Celestia.

                   “Fine! You can rot here and die with you hatred. Be another toy for these monsters! I don’t care!  I’m sure I will find others who are willing to ally with me.”

                   “GUARDIAN!” growled a voice.

                   Ajax looked over and saw a werewolf standing at the door dressed in steel armor. The half man half beast snarled as it held up a pair of iron cuffs. “You’re coming with me… we’ve got something special prepared for you,” said the werewolf as it began fumbling with the lock on the door.

                   Ajax looked back down at Celestia, the human brushed away his messy white hair. “You know Celestia I wish I could be like you… so sure that every single decision I’ve ever made was right.  Whether that’s unremarkable wisdom or just unmatched arrogance, I bet it makes sleeping at night a lot easier.”

                   “Get over here Guardian! And don’t try anything funny!” hissed the wolf beast.

                   Celestia looked away as Ajax’s words sank in. The man was placed in cuffs and hauled away into the darkness.

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                   “What’s going on!” cried Celestia as she shot up. It was now morning and the pony had awoken due to fact that the entire prison was shaking violently. The shouts and cheers of hordes of monsters could be heard from outside the prison walls.

                   “Some sort of event?” she thought to herself.

                   “Spike! Spike, wake up,” said Celestia as she nudged the sleeping dragon.

                   “Wh-what’s going on?” asked Spike while rubbing his eyes.

                   “There’s something going on outside. See if you can crawl up to the window and see what’s happening.” Spike gave the alicorn a tired nod before climbing the stone wall.

                   “See anything?” asked Celestia.

                   “Yea, I think I see Ajax,” said Spike.

                   “What?!” exclaimed Celestia as she started to look around the cell. Ajax hadn’t returned last night.

                   “What’s he doing out there?” asked Celestia

                   “No idea, but there are sure a lot of monsters out there.”

                   “Doing what?”

                   “Cheering and stuff.”

                   A booming voice from outside could be heard throughout the entire prison. The demonic voice was heavy and fierce, but well-spoken and refined.

                   “Fiends, beasts, succubi and all you other fine creatures, gather around because we have quite a show for you today. On behalf of Mephistochlees, warden of this fine establishment, I welcome you all to enjoy one of the most satisfying matches you will ever see in this arena.”

                   The screams and howls of various creatures filled the air as the demon’s shouts continued to grow. “Without further to do. Let’s introduce you to our first combatant! I have never met this man before, but I’m sure plenty of you have. Please put your claws together for the guardian of the Everfree Scar!!!”

                   Boos and scowls filled the arena. The demonic crowd threw their food at the man as they sneered in disgust. Ajax however didn’t seem to care for the disgruntled crowd. The man remained motionless with his arms folded.

                   The loud demonic voice filled the air once again. “Now, let’s welcome to the arena. I’m sure everyone knows this beast’s name. The one, the only, the three headed dog himself. CERBERUS!” When the introduction was over, a large gate opened at the end of the coliseum and the legendary beast Cerberus entered the arena. Unsurprisingly, more boos were heard as the massive dog entered the arena.

                   “Both of these two creatures are responsible for keeping us locked up for longer than we like to remember, but today we have the pleasure of watching them fight to the death! Who will win? Guardian, or Cerberus!?

                   Screams of cheer filled the arena. “TEAR HIM TO PIECES CERBERUS!” “SHOW THAT MUT WHO IS THE TRUE WARDEN OF HELL, GUARDIAN!” “DON’T LET ME DOWN YA PUP I BET ALL MY SLAVES ON THIS!”

                   A pair of eyes could be seen peering through a small slit near the floor of one of the arena walls. Spike was still watching, curious to see what was going to happen. The little dragon gulped when he saw the enormous beast enter the arena.

                   “Glad it’s not me out there,” thought Spike.

                   Celestia chuckled. “There is no way Ajax will survive against Cerberus. The guy’s tough, but that dog is going to maul him…” said Celestia as she stared at the makeshift splint that Ajax had made for her.

                   Spike looked back at the princess, but the dragon didn’t have anything to say.

                   “Nothing can save him now…” added Celestia.

                   Black as night, with three sets of razor sharp jaws and the strength to crush any foe. Cerberus was a beast of legend for a reason. Standing before the monstrosity was a man dressed in ragged shorts. The two once guardians of Tartarus gazed into each other’s eyes. It was clear that Cerberus had been tortured, the hound’s fur was covered in dry blood. The demon’s had made sure that the dog would be fierce for today’s event.

                   Suddenly, a burst of green flame emerged in the center of the arena. A towering humanoid figure with long sharp claws and large bat-like wings. Dressed in thick steel armor coated in magma, stood a demon who was well known throughout all of Tartarus. A beast whose mouth was stitched shut, but spoke directly into the minds of mortals. The pale creature glanced at the crowd that had gathered to his prison arena. With two extended claws, he greeted the crowd.

                   “I am Mephistochlees… warden of the prison. On behalf of Lord Malice, I welcome all of you. Let this be a bloody match… to the death.” The creature’s voice spoke directly into every being’s mind, even Spike’s. It was a ghastly feeling to have such a terrifying creature speak directly to one’s head.

                   “AHH!” The demon turned to see Ajax charging him head on. With a flick of the wrist the man was instantly bounded in magical green chains. The human continued to struggle as Mephistochlees approached him.

                   “You must be the “Guardian. I’ve heard a lot about you from the master,” said the creature to Ajax’s mind.

                   “F*ck, he’s ugly…” thought Ajax as he got a closer look at the pale creature’s face. The bat wings on Mephistochlees back spread open.

                   “Strange, I was thinking the same thing about you…”

                   “Wait, you can read my mind?” said Ajax out loud.

                   “Yes, I can… I have something I would like to show you by the way... before you die.” In flashes of green fire two large swords appeared in Mephistochlees’ hands. One sword black, the other white. “Quite lovely weapons, they’ll serve me well.” They were none other than Ajax’s prized weapons.

                   Ajax spat in the demon’s face. Mephistochlees slowly wiped it away and backhanded Ajax across the arena. “Impudent little roach! I will enjoy watching you fight like the dog you are!” Mephistochlees vanished in another bust of green fire and appeared in a large throne in the stands. “Now then wardens of Tartarus… begin!”

                   Cerberus snarled at Ajax and took a step towards the human. Ajax had only his black fire at his disposal. However, rather than try to get the first attack in, the man extended an arm and slowly took a cautious step forward. The crowed was displeased, they were expecting a brutal match to the death.

                   “I don’t know if you can understand me, but I’m not your enemy Cerberus. You and I are not so different.” The enormous hound stopped growling at Ajax and took a cautious step towards the human. “I don’t want to fight you…” the man’s hand was now only a few feet from Cerberus.

                   “YOUR WILL IS NO LONGER YOUR OWN!” A chill ran down Ajax’s spine when he heard the demonic voice ringing in his head. Cerberus in the blink of an eye lashed out at the man ready to tear him to shreds.

                   “Wait!” shouted Ajax, but he realized that it was pointless. Cerberus’ mind had been driven into a frenzy by Mephistochlees. The man narrowly avoided losing his head to the onslaught of bites, but luckily found an opportunity to roll underneath the beast and put some distance between him and the hellhound.

                   “You’ve given me no choice…” said Ajax as he summoned black fire at the end of both of his palms. The man dashed forward and shot bursts of black fire at the beast, but the attack seemed to have no effect on Cerberus.

                   The crowd was deafening, it seemed like every demon was drunk with pleasure from watching Ajax and Cerberus fight.

                   Cerberus charged at Ajax, with each set of jaws wide open ready to tear the man to pieces. Ajax dug his feet into the dirt ground of the arena, waiting for the beast to come closer. Just as the three headed dog was upon him, Ajax leapt up into the air and over the beast. Cerberus crashed into the arena wall, shaking the entire coliseum.

                   Spike fell flat on his back, the dragon was knocked off the cell wall from the thunderous blow. It was a miracle that wall was still intact. Cerberus shook its heads, the hound showed no sign of slowing down. Once again the beast charged towards Ajax and this time Ajax did the same. The man sprinted straight toward the legendary gatekeeper of Tartarus fearlessly. Cerberus held its jaws open, ready to devour the man, but Ajax slid under the beast and grabbed ahold of one of its hind legs.

                   The man pulled with all of his might in an attempt to pull the beat’s leg out from under it, but Cerberus’ strength was far too great. The beast pulled its hind leg forward and slammed a paw down, pinning Ajax to the ground. The man desperately dug a flaming fist into Cerberus’ paw in an attempt to free him from the beast. The enormous hound released its paw off of the man and snapped down at him with its three set of jaws. Ajax managed to grab ahold of Cerberus’ left face and dug both of his feet into the bottom of the beast’s mouth. The man struggled to keep the creature’s mouth open while trying not losing his grip on its face.

                   Cerberus began jumping around the arena in an attempt to shake off the man, but Ajax held on firmly still holding the beast’s mouth open with his feet. Still holding onto Cerberus’ face, Ajax reared back a burning fist and dug it into one of the dog’s eyes. Cerberus cried out in pain as Ajax jammed his entire arm into the hound’s skull. When the head went limp Ajax let go and tumbled to the ground.

                   The man sprung to his feet and dusted himself off, ready to fight, but Cerberus was still whimpering. Both of the other heads looked towards the one that Ajax had skewered. Blood continued to gush out of the dead head’s eye. When Ajax took a step forward the other two heads glared at Ajax and began to snarl and growl at him. Ajax charged forward and so did Cerberus, the man leapt up again and grabbed ahold of the middle head of the beast. Once again he dug his feet into the hound’s bottom jaw and held it open. The man once again raised up an arm, but felt an intense pressure clamp down on his arm before he could try to deliver any sort of blow.

                   “This is it! There’s no way he’s getting out of this alive!” cried a succubus spectator in the crowd.

                   Ajax turned to see the beast’s other head firmly clamped over his entire right arm. The man reached over, in an attempt to free himself from the beast’s jaws, but then the middle head snapped at his legs. Ajax quickly raised up his legs, and barely avoided having the lower half of his body ripped off. The middle head lashed out once again, but Ajax managed to backflip onto Cerberus’ right head. The man’s arm twisted in the still clamped jaws, Ajax bit his teeth as he muffled his cries. He grabbed ahold of his right arm and with all the strength he could muster attempted to free himself from Cerberus. He succeeded by tearing off his entire arm. All that remained was a short stump.

                   Ajax slid to the floor, the adrenaline was coursing through his veins. Thankfully his modified body was able to keep him conscious despite the blood loss, but he had to end the battle soon.

                   Cerberus spat out the human’s arm. The dog’s right head drooled a mixture of saliva and blood. Ajax grit his teeth and charged forward at the beast. The man’s eyes glowed red, with every step he took his body began to twist into a fiendish shape. “The gift of Traeger” that which granted Ajax his inhumane powers was doing whatever it could to guarantee his survival.

                   Cerberus lunged forward at Ajax but the man spun around and with a kick shattered the middle head’s front teeth. As the right head dove down towards him, Ajax leapt over it and wrapped his legs around the dog’s neck. Ajax began to suffocate the right head’s throat, while firing blasts of his black fire at the middle head. Cerberus’s body began to struggle and flail as another head slowly died. All that remained now was the middle head. Ajax leapt towards the final head, but Cerberus jumped backwards. The dog raised its front paws up and slammed down towards the man. Ajax spread his leg stance and with his one arm uppercuted the beast.

                   Cerberus fell backwards and collapsed on the ground. Ajax didn’t hesitate to crawl on the beast’s throat and with a final blow end the legendary hound’s life. Drenched in blood the man slowly stood upright as the crowds chanting filled the arena.

                   “Guardian! Guardian! Guardian!” The demons were pleased with seeing Cerberus’ life ended so brutally. Ajax glanced at his missing arm before shouting.

                   “SHUT UP!!!”

                   The crowd fell silent. All eyes were on the on human.

                   “Spike what’s going on up there?” asked Celestia. The alicorn had finally found enough strength to stand on her own, but she wasn’t tall enough to see what was going on outside. Spike continued to stare with wide eyes out of the window as he spoke to Celestia.

                   “Ajax won… but he’s hurt bad.”

                   Celestia was quite.

                   The demonic crown continued to stare and wait for Ajax to say something. Finally the man looked up at all the beasts, fiends, and ghouls that filled the stands.

                   “MALICE! I KNOW YOU’RE OUT THERE WATCHING! I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I WILL KILL YOU AND WHEN YOU BEG ME FOR MERCY IN YOUR FINAL MOMENTS, I WILL DENY YOU! THEN I WILL HUNT DOWN EVERY SINGLE LAST ONE OF YOU WRETCHED SCUM! DO YOU HEAR ME? YOU SHALL NOT ESCAPE MY WRATH! I WILL HUNT ALL OF YOU TO THE DEPTHS OF TARTARUS IF I-“

                   The man’s ramble cut short when he fell flat on his face, Ajax had passed out. The man was sweating and breathing sporadically. Every single demon in the audience busted out in laughter after seeing Ajax collapse after all of his boasting.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
                   “Ajax!” cried out a voice.

                   The man was half-dead, he had nearly bled out in the arena.

                   “AJAX!” the same voice cried out once more. The man awoke covered in sweat in a dark dungeon. The floor was covered in filth and dry blood, a foul stench that would make even roaches flee filled the air. “I can’t believe it, you’re awake,” said the voice. Ajax’s blurry vision finally focused in on Celestia. The mare was covered in blood. Ajax looked over to see that whatever remained of his right arm was wrapped in torn cloth. “Ajax, stay with me,” said Celestia as she shook the man. Ajax clenched his eyes shut before opening them.

                   “What’s going on?” asked the man as an intense wave of pain washed over him.

                   “Hold still, I’ve stopped the bleeding, but you’re still in danger,” said Celestia.

                   “What?” gasped Ajax as he continued to look around, his vision was beginning to spin.

                   “I’m trying to save your life, damn it!” cried Celestia as she stuffed a wad of cloth into Ajax’s mouth. “Bite down on this. I have to tighten the wrapping on your arm.”

                   “Hm?” was all that the man could say as Celestia grabbed ahold of the cloth wrapping around his amputated arm. With a hard tug the alicorn tightened the bandages.

                   “AHHHHA!” Ajax screamed out into the wad of cloth.

                   “Well, at least the pain in your arm is keeping you awake,” said Celestia. “Spike go get us more water!” The dragon saluted the princess and quickly fetched a bowl of water at the other end of the cell. Ajax’s head grew heavy, his body began to shiver.

                   “You’re freezing. If you don’t die of bloodloss you might just freeze to death.” The pony’s voice grew distant. Ajax couldn’t stay awake any longer, the pain in his arm had gone numb. “No don’t pass out if you do…”

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
                   A bright ray of sunlight cast down on a man’s face. Ajax laid in the middle of a dark cell, the man somehow managed to survive the night. His enhanced body and demonic curse was to thank for his survival. Ajax rolled over and felt his right shoulder bump against something. The man’s eyes slowly opened, Ajax’s face was practically touching Celestia’s. Ajax pushed the pony away with his only arm and sat upright. The alicorn woke up and looked up at Ajax.

                   “You’re awake I see,” said Celestia.

                   “The hell do you think you’re doing?” asked Ajax.

                   “What are you talking about?”

                   “Why were you all up against me like that? What the hell happened last night?” Ajax looked over at the wrapping around his arm. The man moved the short stub up and down.

                   “What happened was; me saving your life. You were freezing, I had no other choice but to use my body heat to make sure you didn’t freeze to death.”

                   Ajax paused for a moment and looked at his missing arm and then at Celestia.

                   “So… does this mean...?” Ajax looked up at Celestia with a curious look.

                   “Yes, I’m willing to work together, but don’t think I’ve forgiven you for your crimes,” said Celestia.

                   “Sounds good to me,” said Ajax as he rubbed his head. “So, how long have I been out?”

                   “Two days…” said Celestia.

                   “Not bad…” Ajax’s stomach growled, the man placed his hand against his belly.

                   “I and Spike have saved you what food has been thrown into the cell. We figured you’d be hungry when you woke up,” said Celestia as she pointed to a corner of the cell. A pile of meat chunks could be seen sitting in the middle of a pool of red blood.

                   “What about you?” asked Ajax

                   “What?” responded Celestia

                   “If we’re going to break out of here you’ll be needing your strength. What have you eaten?”

                   “I’m not eating that.” Celestia looked up at Ajax. “I’ll be fine, just worry about yourself.”

                   Ajax walked over and began to eat a piece of meat. The man had seemed to have already made a full recovery… except for his missing arm. While Ajax continued to eat, Celestia trotted over and woke up Spike. The purple dragon looked up to see Ajax eating.

                   “Wow, you made it after all, and you’re looking all better. Well, except for…”

                   “Yea, well. It’s not like it’s that much of a new experience. I just wish that I could’ve kept all my limbs for a bit longer.” Ajax swallowed one final bite. The man had eaten the entire pile of meat in only a minute. Ajax walked over to Celestia and Spike and sat down. “We’ll let’s get down to planning, shall we?”

                   Celestia raised an eyebrow. “Already?”

                   “The longer we wait the worse things will get, and the less of a chance we have at surviving this.”

                   “Sounds like you’ve already got a plan,” said Celestia with a smirk.

                   “Nope, but that’s why we’re brainstorming. So let’s first look at what we have to work with.” Ajax leaned back and began thinking. “One baby dragon, one injured alicorn, one injured human, and whatever is left of my pants,” said Ajax as he looked down at his short shorts. The ragged cloths had served in providing not only as Celestia’s splint but the bandages for his amputated arm as well.

                   “What if we dug our way out? Like in those old movies,” said Spike.

                   “Digging will take too long. Most forms of break-out will take too long actually. We don’t even have the time to learn the pattern of the guard’s schedule and without help from the outside we’re left with only one option.”

                   “And what would that be?” asked Celestia.

                   “Brute force,” said Ajax with a smile.

                   “Great…” groaned Celestia. “So let’s say we do manage to break out. Then what?”

                   “I know where the Elements of Chaos are, and it sounds like Malice needs them to complete whatever he’s got planned,” said Ajax.

                   “If you know of their whereabouts then why hasn’t he forced you to tell him yet?” asked Celestia.

                   “The lashes on my back aren’t for show. Luckily for Equestria’s sake, I’m quite stubborn.”

                   “That you are…” said Celestia.

                   Ajax walked over to the pile of bones left from his meal. The man grabbed the largest bone he could find and began sharpening an end of the cartilage. “Did you regain any of your magic?” asked Ajax as he continued to grind the large bone against the stone floor.

                   “No, guards drop by every day to drain me of it all,” said Celestia

                   “When?”

                   “Um, it should be pretty soon.”

                   “Then get ready.”

                   “Wait, what?!” cried Celestia. “You mean we’re going to do this now?”

                   “Like I said; the sooner the better.” Ajax twirled the sharpened bone in his left hand. “Besides, I don’t think we want to stick around till one of us loses another limb.”

                   The shrieking of rusted steel grinding against one another rang throughout the prison block. The heavy stomping of steel boots could be heard in the darkness as something approached the cell.

                   “That must be our cue,” said Ajax as he stepped back into the dark corner of the cell. “I hope you two are ready.”

                   “Spike, quickly get on my back,” ordered Celestia as she galloped over towards the baby dragon.

                   “Hey! What’s going on over there, princess? You not trying to get out of our little appointment are ya? I don’t mind having to cut ya again till yar obedient,” The demon was the swine-like creature with two large hook hands. Celestia stared at the hog fiend as it struggled to open the cell door, the moment the demon managed to open the door, a figure charged from out of the dark corner.

                   Ajax drove the bone spike deep into the hog’s throat. The fiend squealed as it choked on its own blood. Ajax quickly tore out the beast’s neck and looked back at Celestia.

                   “Well? Don’t just stand there. Let’s get the hell out of here!” shouted Ajax as he darted down the prison corridor. Celestia quickly followed after the man. Spike held on tight to the princess’ back.

                   “Wait help me!” cried out a voice. Celestia halted and ran up to a cell. Inside the prison was a handful of mares, covered in filth. “Celestia?! Look girls, the princess is here to save us!” Celestia tried to bash open the lock with her hooves, but she was still too weak. “Hurry up, dammit! What the hell do you think you are doing?!” cried one of the mares in the cell.

                   “I’m doing the best I can!” cried Celestia as she tried to break the lock again.

                   “Do you want us to die?! What are you doing?! You just want to save yourself!” The ponies were desperate to get out of the prison. “You bitch! Hurry up dammit!” cried another mare in the cell.

                   Celestia once again felt powerless, she could do nothing for the ponies. A different voice yelled at Celestia this time.

                   “What the hell are you doing, Celestia? We have to get out of here!” shouted Ajax as he ran up to the alicorn. The man turned to see all the frightened mares in the cell.

                   “It’s him! It’s the human! He’s here to kill us!” cried out the fearful ponies.

                   Ajax turned to Celestia. “God dammit! We have to keep moving! We can’t save every prisoner!”

                   “Please, we can’t just leave them!” cried Celestia as tears began to gather in her eyes. “I feel so powerless! I just want to help somepony! Rather than watching helplessly as they die!”

                   Ajax turned to the cell door and raised his fist into the air. The man swung down with all his might and crushed the small lock on the door. The man turned to Celestia and grabbed one of her front hoofs. “Let’s go! We have to be quick for this to work!

                   Celestia tried to keep up, she hadn’t regained all of her strength, but since Ajax was holding onto her, she was managing to keep up. The man and pony barged through another door and stumbled into the prison’s cafeteria. Dozens of demonic guards glared at the man, pony, and dragon. After a brief moment to register the current situation all hell broke loose.

                   Ajax exterminated waves of demons with his black fire, while Celestia bucked demons away with her hind legs.

                   “Sound the alarm! The Guardian and Celestia have escaped!” cried out a demon
.
                   As more demons fell to Ajax and Celestia’s fury a presence of evil filled the room.

                   “Well, what do we have here…” the voice of a powerful demon filled the heads of, Celestia, Spike, and Ajax. Mephistochlees appeared in a burst of green fire and pointed his talons at his rebellious prisoners. “This ends here… You’ve finally given me an excuse to execute the both of you…”

                   “Oh no! Not this guy!” cried Spike. The tiny dragon trembled in fear, upon seeing the terrifying creature.

                   “Don’t worry, he’ll soon be nobody,” growled Ajax.

                   “I agree, we’ll make him regret ever setting hoof in Equestria!” added Celestia.

                   “How interesting, two of the greatest enemies become allies in an attempt to defeat a common enemy. A basic instinct that even the most simplistic animal possesses. Shame that you are just throwing your lives away, but I suppose that when I’m done with you two Lord Malice will be pleased with my work.”

                   Ajax and Celestia nodded at one another, the man and the pony began to slowly encircle Mephistochlees from opposite sides. The two were cautious, they were unsure of what their opponent was capable of. Ajax struck first with a flaming fist, Mephistochlees summoned both of Ajax’s swords in a flash of green fire and counterattacked.

                   Ajax narrowly avoided losing another limb to the demon’s onslaught of slashes. “How insulting, you don’t seem to know how to properly hold a sword! It’s such a shame that a clown like you has the privilege of wielding my blades!” laughed Ajax.

                   “SILENCE” Mephistochlees pushed his hand forward and blew Ajax backwards. The demon turned around just as Celestia fired a beam of golden fire. Mephistochlees teleported around the room, avoiding Celestia’s attack. “Still feeling powerless, Celestia?”

                   “Get out of my head!” cried the alicorn as she engulfed the entire room in gold fire.

                   “Could it be, that you are finally realizing how much of a failure you turned out to be? The only reason that you were able to rule over Equestria for so long was because you banished anyone who stood in your way. Others have saved you multiple times, but it seems like you are never the hero yourself.” The demon’s voice continued to speak directly to Celestia’s thoughts.

                   “Shut up! I said shut up!” cried Celestia as she looked around for Mephistochlees.

                   The demon appeared silently above the alicorn and extended his claws before dropping down on top of her. Celestia looked up, but it was too late, Mephistochlees swiped down with both of his claws, but a last second foot to the face sent the demon flying. Ajax landed down next to Celestia and gave the princess a smirk.

                   “Don’t tell me that you let that piece of trash get to you, Celeastia?” asked Ajax as reached down to pick up the ebony and ivory swords that Mephistochlees had dropped. “We got no time to mess around so how about we end this?”

                   Celestia looked up at Ajax. “Yea… let’s end this together.”

                   “You are a fool Celestia! Any idiot can see that the human plans on betraying you after escaping the prison. He is using you and when he’s done, he’ll just take your life. Lucky for you I was able to read his thoughts and warn you…”

                   “Don’t believe the demon’s lies, he’s only trying to trick you,” said Ajax as he gripped his sword and looked around the room for Mephistochlees.

                   “Am I? Come Celestia, we both know the nature of man. The Guardian is selfish, he’s only using you for personal gain.”

                   “You are wrong!” shouted Celestia. A bright white light began to gather at the tip of the pony’s horn. Celestia’s eyes glowed white as she spread her wings and hovered off the ground. “He’s changed. I now trust him more than the likes of you!” The energy that had gathered in Celestia’s horn shot out and filled the entire room.

                   Mephistochlees‘ location was revealed by the bright light. The demon cowered in fear when he realized that his cover was blown. Celestia shot towards the fiend as fast as her wings could carry her. “If you can truly read minds, then read this!” The alicorn pinned the demon against the wall with her hoofs, her horn glowed brightly with intense magic.

                   “F*ck you”

                   Celestia fired a blast of magic point blank, annihilating the demon in an instant. The demon’s final cries of spite rang out in Ajax, Spike and Celestia’s head. The beast was no more, or at least it seemed like it. A grim shadow could be seen slithering across the floor, Mephistochlees had been defeated, but not destroyed.

                   “You wretched, mongrels how dare you strike down a demonic lord. Next time we meet you won’t be so lucky. I won’t underestimate you two again...”

        Celestia struggled to stand upright. “Damn, that was all of my magic that I had…” she said.

                   “We still got to keep moving!” shouted Ajax as he ran past Celestia and grabbed her hoof. Spike was now sitting on the human’s shoulder. The alicorn’s leg finally caught up to her as she continued to follow behind the man. Ajax glanced back at the pony as they continued to run. “You trust me more than a demonic lord, huh? I’m quite flattered,” said Ajax.

                   “Just because I trust you, doesn’t mean I don’t think you still will betray me...” grimly stated Celestia.

                   “Ah, I see.”

                   The dragon, pony, and man, finally made their way out of the prison. The three carried on running for an hour in order to ensure their escape. They had managed to escape captivity, but now the real challenge was just beginning. They had to find a way to defeat Malice.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 



> Chapter Fourteen 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	“Keep moving!” shouted a distressed voice struggling to pronounce itself over the sound of hooves splashing in mud and puddles. 

Six ponies galloped through rain as quickly as their hooves could carry them, lost in the darkness of a wet and muddy forest. “We can’t outrun them forever!” stated a firm, but feminine voice. The voice belonged to none other than Applejack. The mare was covered from head to hoof in mud accompanied by dozens of bruises and scratches. “We’re going to have to think of some sort of plan sooner or later, Twilight.”

Applejack, Twilight, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash were all dirty and carried their own injuries. The six ponies were in a panic, they kept putting one hoof in front of the other, trying their best to keep up with Twilight, who was at the head of the pack.

“We should ha-” started Twilight, but paused mid-sentence when a howl echoed in the distance. The chilling sound filled the entire forest before a crack of lightning followed by a boom of thunder washed away the noise. “But how?!” cried Twilight. “Even with the rain masking our scent, how they can still track us?!”

“No time, Twilight! We gotta skedaddle before they find us!” shouted Pinkie Pie as she bounced over Twilight and galloped further into the dark forest.

“Pinkie’s right Twilight. Let’s keep moving,” said Rainbow Dash as she flew over the alicorn.

The six ponies continued flee further into the forest, until they came across a thick bog full of rainwater and mud. Twilight didn’t hesitate, even for a second. The pony immediately came up with a plan and began dishing out orders.

“I, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy will fly over the bog and help you three across,” said Twilight as she turned to Rarity, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie. The group quickly complied with Twilight’s idea. They were in a hurry and had no time to think of anything else. 

The ponies who could fly, grabbed ahold of those who couldn’t and helped them treck through the thick bog.

“Stop squirming so much, Rarity,” grunted Rainbow Dash as she tried her best to support the white unicorn’s sluggish march through the mire.

“Everything just keeps slipping out from under my hooves!” cried Rarity as she began to frantically kick her hind legs.

“Maybe quit kicking your back hooves so much,” said Rainbow Dash as she flapped her wings harder.

The six ponies slowly made their way across the quicksand-like mess before stumbling back onto somewhat solid ground.

“I’m pooped,” said Pinkie Pie as she fell face first into the mud. “My hooves can’t take any more running,” added the pony as she popped her face up. The pink mare’s face was now completely covered in forest mud, but she didn’t seem to care.

“I’ll say, my wings are aching after that,” groaned Rainbow Dash as she stretched her wings. A crack of thunder echoed across the landscape as the six ponies tried to clean mud from their manes and coats. Fluttershy jumped at the sound, but managed to calm herself down after a few deep breaths.

“W-we’re safe, right Twilight?” asked the yellow pegasus as she looked over at Twilight. “I mean there’s no way they could still be tracking us.”

“Perhaps,” said Twilight. “It might be best to keep moving though,” added the alicorn as she adjusted her saddlebag.

“I can’t go on,” said a voice. Rarity trotted forward, the mare was exhausted, she had been galloping all day with her friends, it was a miracle that the unicorn was able to make it this far. “My mane has been a mess for six days straight. Don’t you think it’s about time we find a place to rest, Twilight?”

“It might be good to get out of this rain. I noticed a cave not to far off in the distance, perhaps we should head there,” said Applejack.

Twilight took a moment to think it over. She and her friends had been fleeing all day, they all were tired.

“I suppose…” said Twilight as she took a quick glance back across the bog. “Lead the way, Applejack.”

The exhausted group trotted up to the wide mouth of a dark cave. Fluttershy took a step back and lowered her head.

“I’m not so sure if this is a good idea…” she said. “I think I just got my second wind. We should keep running.”

“At this point I would do anything to get out of the accursed rain,” said Rarity as she carelessly walked into the foreboding cave. The unicorn illuminated her horn and signaled for her friends to follow. The six ponies ventured into the mysterious cavern, the cave tunnels began to grow narrower and narrower as the sound of thunder continued to ring outside the cave, resonating off its walls.

“Um, Twilight,” whispered Fluttershy, but Twilight was too focused on other things to hear the timid pony. “Twilight,” said Fluttershy again as she tapped the alicorn on her back.

“Hmm?” said Twilight as she glanced back at Fluttershy.

“I found hoofprints,” said the shy mare as she pointed to a pair of tracks on the ground.

“Those are probably ours, sugarcube. We’ve probably gone in circles more than once by now,” said Applejack with a chuckle as she trotted over to the trail of prints.

“No, look,” said Fluttershy as she pointed towards where the tracks leaded. The trail had multiple hoofprints leading further into the cave.

“Survivors?” mumbled Rainbow Dash under her breath.

“Maybe…” said Twilight as she cautiously took a hoofstep forward.

“You’re not welcome here!” growled a voice from out of the darkness. The surprised ponies jumped backwards and prepared themselves for a fight. 

“Who’s there!” shouted Twilight as she shined the light from her horn deeper into the cave.

A pair of violet-pink eyes lit up from behind the darkness, followed by a pair of green and a pair of orange. Trixie, Chrysalis, and Lightning Dust slowly approached the band of ponies, the three ragged villains looked tired, but seemed ready for a fight.

“Trixie…” growled Twilight as she dragged a hoof across the cave floor. “What are you doing here?” she asked as she pointed a hoof towards the unicorn.

“What are we doing here?!” shouted Lightning Dust as she spread both her hooves and wings. This is our cave! We found it first!”

        “Yeah?! Well, this is our cave now!” shouted back Rainbow Dash, flaring her nostrils at her old acquaintance. 

        “HAHAHA How adorable! You six think you can just waltz in here and take over?” laughed a voice. “You don’t stand a chance against the likes of us,” giggled Chrysalis as she pressed a hoof against her chest.

        “We’ve beaten you once and we’ll beat you again!” growled Pinkie Pie.

        The group of ponies continued to stare each other down, waiting for somepony to make the first move. Twilight didn’t want to fight the three villains at a time like this, they needed to save their energy, but she and her friends couldn’t show weakness towards the villains. “Perhaps they don’t want to waste their energy on a fight either…” thought Twilight. Nopony had yet made a move, so it wasn’t too much of a presumptuous thought. “The three of you are here, but where’s Ajax…?” asked Twilight as she glanced past the three ponies. “If he’s here then we might be in big trouble…” thought Twilight to herself.

        “That’s none of your business, Twilight Sparkle!” shouted Trixie as her horn glowed with magic.

        The sound of howling was heard outside the cave. The nine ponies froze. Fear gripped each one of their hearts.

        “W-what the hell was that?...” asked Lightning Dust.

        “They found us,” whispered Rarity under her breath.

        “What?! Who found you?! Who or what exactly did you bring here?!” shouted Chrysalis as she stepped forward. Twilight bit her lip and looked back at the entrance of the cave.

        “Impossible, how could they-” began the alicorn.

        “CAVE IN!” shouted Rainbow Dash as she quickly pushed Twilight out of the way. A massive boulder slammed down where Twilight had just been standing nearly crushing her. The entire cave began to shake as the ceiling overhead started to collapse and give way. The unfortunate ponies took refuge behind rock formations and hoped for the best. The ponies clenched their eyes when they heard the ceiling overhead give way, but there was no sound of a catastrophic collapse, the ceiling hadn’t been collapsing, it was being torn off. Rain began to flood the crevice that was once a cave as an enormous figure rose up and towered over the canyon. 

        “PRINCESS TWILIGHT! I KNOW YOU’RE IN HERE! NO CREATURE ESCAPES THE NOSE OF A HELLHOUND!” shouted a voice. The frantic barking and snarling of hound-like creatures could be heard during the thunderous storm, while the sound of rattling chains and collars mixed with rain and thunder.

        Twilight slowly stepped out from behind a rock and confronted her hunter. 

        The dark silhouette of a forty foot figure, large twisting horns that held a burning ember of fire between them, the lower half of the creature's body was pony, but the upper half was humanoid. Twilight stood firm as a strike of lightning in the distance lit up the demon’s face confirming her fears.

        “Tirek…” whispered Twilight as she stared at the demon with fiery eyes.

        “What’s the matter princess of magic?! You don’t look so happy to see me, is something the matter?” laughed Tirek as he snapped his fingers. Twilight was lifted into the air and held before the demon. “I’ve grown strong once again, Twilight. With your magic I’ll reach an unprecedented level of power.”

        “If I’m not mistaken, weren’t you a “lord”? How can you be a “lord” if you're serving somepony else?” asked Twilight as she struggled to break free of Tirek’s magical grip.

        “I would watch my mouth if I were you, princess!” growled Tirek. “Don’t forget that I get to decide what to do with you after I drain you of your magic. Besides, only a fool would oppose Lord Malice… I would rather serve as a imperator than cease to exist!” 

        A scratchy high pitched voice began to speak trying to overpower the thunderous storm above. “Excuse my interruption Imperator Tirek, but what would you have us do with the others?” A small imp-like demon sitting atop the back of a fiery hellhound asked as it looked up at its master.

        Tirek turned back to the exposed cavern and looked down at the other ponies. “What is this?” asked the demon out loud when it noticed Trixie, Chrysalis, and Lightning Dust. “It seems that you’ve lead me to a few other friends of yours, Twilight,” laughed Tirek as he extended his hand towards Trixie. The unicorn grabbed ahold of a nearby rock, but couldn’t prevent herself from being lifted into the air and held before the demonic being.

        “Such magic… from a measly unicorn? Interesting…” said Tirek as he rubbed his goatee. “Where has a rare gem like you been hiding?” asked Tirek.

        Trixie continued to struggle against the magical bonds holding her. “How dare you restrain me, monster! I’m The Great and Powerful Trixie! You’ve got no idea who you’re messing with!” threatened the light blue colored pony.

        “HAH! Don’t bother struggling. I’ve already consumed enough magic to overpower any one of you. I owe it all to Princess Luna honestly...” said Tirek.

        “What!” exclaimed Twilight.

        “Oh yes… Twilight Sparkle. Princess Luna was kind enough to “gift” me her magic.”

        “Excuse me,” said the small demon creature from before as it tugged on the coat hair of one of Tirek’s legs. “What about the others? Should we feed them to the hounds and be done with them?”

        “Let’s see…” said Tirek as he looked back down. “What?...” mumbled the demonic being when he laid eyes upon a second Twilight. “Do my eyes deceive me?” he asked aloud as he rubbed his eyes.

        “Take this!” shouted a voice. Lightning Dust bolted toward Tirek ready to strike, but with a simple lift of his arm, the pegasus froze midair. 

        “Cute, but the likes of you-” Tirek quickly spun around and lifted his other hand. A blur of light blue froze midair, inches away from the red demon’s face. “I suppose you thought that was terribly clever...” chuckled Tirek in front of Rainbow Dash. “You’re a fast one, but none of you ponies stand a chance.”

        “My lord! Look, in the distance!” shouted the voice of the tiny imp-like demon. “It’s a wave of light!” The miniscule impish demon began to look through a small pair of binoculars. “No wait, it’s a wave of darkness!”

        “Well, which is it?! It can’t be both!” shouted Tirek as he glance back over his shoulder. “I don’t think that light and darkness are easy things to mix up with one another.”

        Twilight, Trixie, and all the other ponies’ eyes were wide in disbelief. The ponies stared off into the distance, past Tirek, their expressions frozen in awe.
        
        “Um hello?” said Tirek as he wove a hand in front of the pony’s faces. “Guys?!” asked the demon as it continued to try to grab everypony’s attention. “Demon here that’s going to devour your magic and kill you… Um, hello?” but still no pony paid Tirek any thought. No matter what Tirek said, everypony’s attention was fixated on the distance. “What’s the big deal, here?!” shouted Tirek as he turned around.

        In the distance there was a wave of blinding light spreading across the sky, a wave that cleared the sky of all stormy clouds. Following behind it was a blazing trail of darkness, a trail that left dancing ebony flames behind.

        “What the…” mumbled Tirek as he fully turned himself around.

        A figure could be seen at the head of the strange phenomenon. Tirek squinted his eyes, trying to distinguish what he was looking at. A pony, no… an alicorn, galloping across the sky towards him. A mane of many colors flowed in the wind as the pony continued to clear the cloudy skies. 

        “Celestia…” growled Tirek, but then he noticed something else.

        The trail of darkness mixing with the princess’ light was coming from something on top of her back. A being that held a firm grip on the back of the pony’s neck. A man with long flowing white hair, smoldering with black embers.

        “The guardian…?” whispered Tirek as he took a step back in disbelief.

Ajax was riding atop Celestia’s back and the two of them were heading straight towards Tirek. The man and pony had their eyes locked onto the demon. Tirek felt a chill run up his spine. Celestia and Ajax were now only seconds away.

        “You are no match for me! Nopony or man can stand against my might!” shouted Tirek as he shot blasts of fire from in between his horns. Celestia danced around the beams of fire as she continued to focus in on Tirek. 

        “I must be seeing things…” mumbled Twilight, still floating in the air.

        “Glad to hear that I’m not the only pony that’s gone crazy…” added Trixie as she continued to float next to Twilight. Everysingle pony couldn’t believe what they were seeing, Ajax, riding atop Celestia into battle, an anomaly they just couldn’t believe. 

        Ajax let go of his grip on Celestia and began to deflect the bursts of fire with a purple shield. Tirek fired a quick burst of flame at Celestia and the man, but Ajax deflected the fiery blow with his purple shield.

        “Sorry about all that, Spike,” said Ajax as he placed the tiny purple dragon onto his back. Spike held onto the man’s collar and poked his head over his shoulder.

        “It’s ok, dragons are immune to fire, even baby dragons, but I’m sure you already knew that.”
        
        “Yea…-Yeah, of course,” said Ajax. Spike paused for a moment and looked at Ajax with a worried expression. “Just make a straight dive for him already, Celestia! We can’t dodge his attacks all day!” yelled Ajax.

        “You don’t have to scream directly into my ear!” shouted Celestia as she pulled her wings in and dove towards Tirek. Celestia fired bursts of colorful magic from her horn as Ajax and Spike did their best to hold on tight.

        Tirek began to catch the blasts of magic in the palms of his hand. The crimson demon laughed as he easily deflected Celestia’s attacks. “Sorry Celestia, but I’ve already consumed too much magic, even for the likes of you!”

        “Is that so?” said Celestia with a smirk. The white alicorn’s horn glowed white as a bright spectrum of colors began to trail behind her horn’s path. “We’ll see how you hold up against this!” cried Celestia as she pointed her horn towards Tirek and dove with increasing speed.

        Tirek raised up his arms as if he were preparing to catch the alicorn. The demon had a devilish grin on his face as he awaited both Celestia and Ajax’s arrival. The storm above began to disperse as a beam of sunlight engulfed the duo as they continued to hone in on Tirek

“Quickly get out of the way!” shouted the small impish demon as he flailed his arms about. He and the demonic tracking hounds quickly fled the scene, they weren’t as bold as their master. 

Tirek however spread his legs and prepared himself for the full force of Celestia’s attack. A cyclone of destructive magic continued to hurl towards Tirek, Celestia’s attack had turned her very being into a ferocious gale of magic, but before she could drive herself into Tirek, the demon quickly spun around and evaded the full force of Celestia’s attack.

        “You didn’t actually think I was just going to stand there, did you?” laughed Tirek as he looked back at Celestia. The white alicorn’s hooves dug into the ground as she came to a grinding halt. Steam rose out of the blazing trail in the muddy ground as the pony came to a sliding stop. Celestia slowly rose up and smiled at Tirek.
 
        “No, but a girl can always hope... Besides, Ajax already took the necessary precautions, just in case you chickened out.”

        Tirek looked up and noticed that Ajax was no longer on Celestia’s back. The demon quickly spun back around just in time to see the man above him. Ajax held his large ebony sword in his left hand over his head. Spike dragged behind him in the air, his claws firmly grasping onto the human’s rags. 

        Tirek’s eyes went wide as he reared backwards in an attempt to dodge Ajax. The man swung his arm with all the force he could muster and dug his blade into tirek’s right horn. The black slab of steel shot off sparks as it grinded against the demon’s horn, before cutting cleanly through it. Ajax stomped his feet into the ground and spun around as mud shot up behind him.

        Tirek screamed as his right horn impaled itself into the ground. The demon stumbled backwards as it felt the area where its horn had been cut off. “Houndmaster! Unleash the dogs on these vermin!” shouted Tirek as he tried to catch his breath. However, the demon’s order went unanswered. “Houndmaster?!” shouted Tirek as he looked around, but there was no sign of the high-pitched small demon anywhere... he had been abandoned.

        “Who are you talking to?” asked a voice.

        Tirek looked back down to see Celestia slowly trotting towards him. Ajax followed behind the alicorn, resting his large blade on his left shoulder. The centaur-like demon seethed with hatred as he looked down at Celestia and Ajax. “Why is the guardian working with the likes of you, Celestia?!” asked Tirek as he took a step backwards.

        “Don’t try to change the subject, Tirek. We’ve come for our friends and to put a stop to the likes of you!” shouted Celestia.

        “No creature messes with our friends, demon!” added Ajax as he pointed his sword towards Tirek. 

        Celestia spread her legs and readied herself to charge the behemoth. She turned to Ajax with a smug look on her face. “I hope you’ll be able to keep up with that handicap of yours,” said Celestia.

        Ajax glanced at his missing arm and looked back towards the alicorn. “Thanks to my handicap you’ll finally be able to keep up with me, Celestia… maybe,” he said with a confident grin.

        “I think I’ll sit this one out,” said a voice. Celestia and Ajax looked back to see Spike running off. The two looked at each other and gave an assuring nod before walking towards Tirek.

        The demon’s broken horn caused the burning ember above his head to spew fire in all directions. Tirek’s eyes fixated on the man and pony approaching him. “When I’m done with the two of you, there’ll be nothing but ash left!” he cried as he charged forward.

        Ajax and Celestia began to jog and trot forward before sprinting full speed towards the demon. The man and pony both dodged the demon’s fire as he lashed out recklessly, both Ajax’s and Celestia’s eyes were fixated on their target. Tirek continued to cry out in blind hatred as the two charged him, but couldn’t manage to land a single hit on the man or pony. The unlikely duo slid across the mud and underneath the behemoth, right between his four legs. Ajax drew his ebony blade off his back and swung at Tirek’s hind leg. 

        Tirek’s leg raised up, barely avoiding itself from being severed. Ajax spun himself around and swung his massive sword upwards, but a bright wall of pink appeared in front of him just as he was beginning to raise his sword and blocked his attack. 

        “What?!” he thought.

        A blast of energy propelled Ajax backwards, he tumbled across the forest floor before regaining his footing. The man looked up to see a cracked magical pink barrier with Tirek’s hoof firmly pressing against it.

        “That was a close one,” shouted a voice. Ajax looked up to see Celestia flying above him. The alicorn continued to fire blast after blast from her horn, the sheer force sent ripples in the air around the pony as she continued fend off Tirek. “Thank me later,” shouted the alicorn as she flew away, still firing her magic towards the demon.

        Celestia continued to fly around Tirek and barrage her with blasts from her horn while avoiding the demon’s fire. Tirek tried to crush the alicorn with his hands, the giant kept clasping his hands together, but Celestia always managed to avoid being flattened.

        “I’ve had enough of you!” shouted Tirek as he swung his arm. Celestia was knocked from the sky by the back of Tirek’s hand. The alicorn tumbled through the air and hurled towards the ground, but something grabbed ahold of her and broke the fall. Celestia looked up and saw two green eyes looking down at her.

        “You can thank me later,” said Ajax as he hoisted the alicorn up to her hooves. “You should quit messing around, Celestia. You always seemed much stronger when we fought in the past,” he added.

        “Me? I was about to ask you if you were holding back on purpose,” said Celestia as she pointed a hoof towards Ajax.

        The man raised his forearm and shrugged. “Then how about we quit messing around and put an end to all this.” Celestia stood up and turned to Tirek, the pony’s eyes turned to a fiery gold, she began to trot forward leaving a trail of burning golden hoofprints behind her. The sun above shone brightly as the alicorn approached Tirek. Celestia stomped her front hooves into the ground and glared at the demon before her. The forest shook with energy as birds fled from the treetops towards the sky.

        “This is going to be good,” said Ajax as he stepped up next to Celestia. The man’s eyes glowed red as black fire began to churn around his entire body. The demonic looking man raised up his sword and roared a malicious cry. A burning trail of black footprints could be seen trailing behind him, burning next to Celestia’s golden hoofprints.

        Tirek pounded a fist into his chest. ”You think you have the strength to defeat me?!” he cried, but in a flash of black fire a tiny figure appeared before the crimson titan. Ajax gestured an uppercut with his fist towards Tirek, the demon then suddenly felt an intense pain against his underside. A flaming fist of ebony fire erupted from underneath him and dug into his underbelly. Tirek felt his entire body being lifted off the ground until a second burst of energy propelled him up into the air. Tirek tried to find balance in the air, but a golden pillar of energy from the sky shot him back towards the forest floor. The demon once again flew through the air helplessly, the world around him spun, but he caught the spinning image of something below him.

        Tirek saw Ajax awaiting him back on the ground, the man held his sword tightly behind him, a coating of black fire covered the dark blade, making it look as if it were nearly fifty feet long. Tirek couldn’t do anything, but prepare himself for the blow.

        Ajax swung the flat side of the enormous fiery blade against Tirek, knocking him across the forest floor as if he were an oversized baseball. Tirek slammed against the side of a mountain, the demon sat up and tried to regain his senses, but felt a sharp pain in his chest. Tirek open and closed his eyes, trying to make sure he was seeing properly, but he knew what was going on.

        His severed right horn was pushing halfway into his chest. The demon cried out in agony as it grabbed ahold of the horn and began to pull it out. Just before Tirek had nearly remove the entire horn, he heard the sound of galloping hooves approaching him. Celestia charged towards Tirek as fast as her hooves could carry her before taking up to the air. The alicorn reared her hind hooves back and kicked the horn all the way through Tirek. 
        
        A gush of red blood was the last thing to escape the demon’s lips. Tirek’s grip on the horn released as the demon went limp, his corpse impaled against a mountain. An enormous burst of magic shot out of the demon and scattered itself into the horizon.

        “That was quite brutal even by my standards,” said Ajax as he walked up from behind Celestia. The man was back to his human self, no more black fire or demonic features.

        “It wasn’t that hard, I just thought about you while doing it,” said Celestia as she turned around and walked past Ajax. The man let out a laugh, but found himself coughing near the end of it.

        “T-that so?” he said as he turned around. “I don’t suppose you’ll let me ride you into battle anymore?” he said as he jogged to catch up to the pony. Celestia and Ajax came to the area where they had first encountered Tirek. The forest was now peaceful, there was no sound of battle or thunderstorm, only peace and calm.

Nine ponies frozen in disbelief and one ecstatic dragon were there to greet the unlikely duo.

        “Wow! That was awesome! The two of you just blew him away!” shouted spike as he ran towards Celestia and Ajax. The man and pony looked up to see their friends staring at them with wide eyes. Celestia and Ajax looked at each other and waited for somepony to say something, but the only sound in the forest was that of a tiny purple baby dragon.

        “And then he was all like! -Awahagh… Guys?” asked the dragon as he began to look between everybody.

        Ajax stepped forward and slowly walked past Spike, the man now stood in front of a light blue unicorn. Ajax couldn’t see Trixie’s eyes, the pony’s purple hat covered the upper portion of her face.

        “Trixie?” said Ajax softly as he waited for a response from the unicorn. The man crouched down so his face was leveled with that of the mare. “It’s me Aj-” Trixie lept forward and wrapped her hooves around Ajax, knocking him to the ground.

        “I thought I would never see you again!” sobbed the unicorn, her violet eyes were filled with tears, but rather than show them to Ajax, she tried to inconspicuously wipe them away on his clothes by rubbing her face into his chest. Ajax gave a warm smile before wrapping his arm around the pony.

        “Of course, I just couldn’t leave my apprentice all alone,” he said with a chuckle.

        “What happened to your arm?” said Trixie with teary sniff.

        Ajax looked over at his right shoulder, before giving Trixie an undefeatable grin. “Don’t worry about that, most of me is enough for the job.”

        “Ahem.”

        Ajax and Trixie looked up to see Chrysalis and Lighting Dust standing over them. Trixie pushed herself off and Ajax and the two rose up to their hooves and feet.

        “Chrysalis,” said Ajax with a nod towards the changeling. “Lightning Dust,” he said after turning towards the pegasus.
        
        “Ajax,” they both responded in unison.

        “I think we might have a problem,” added Chrysalis as she pointed past Ajax. The man, alicorn, unicorn, and pegasus turned to see Celestia and the mane six glaring at them. The seven ponies stood reserved from the villains with unsympathetic eyes.

        “You three wait here,” said Ajax as he walked towards the heroes of Equestria. When Ajax took a step forward, so did Celestia, the two walked a line directly towards one another. The man and pony halted between the two groups and stared at one another, waiting to see what the other had in mind.

        “We did well out there…” said Celestia, breaking the silence.

        “Of course, I was there to make up for all your mistakes,” said Ajax sarcastically. 

        “GIVE US THE WORD AND WE’LL CRUSH EM FOR YA, PRINCESS,” shouted the voice of a cowgirl. Celestia glanced back at the mane six and then looked forward towards Ajax.

        “You don’t plan on crushing me, do you?” asked Ajax with a raised brow.

        “Sorry… but,” started Celestia, furrowing her brows at Ajax. Sparks of energy shot up at the tip of her horn. Ajax quickly reached for a blade on his back, but the magic in Celestia’s horn suddenly vanished.

        “-you’ll have to wait to fight me some other day,” said the alicorn, giving the man a quick wink.

        Ajax froze for a moment before letting go of his sword. “I got to admit it, you got me.”

        In a flash of purple, Twilight Sparkle appeared next to Celestia, the alicorn glared at Ajax with uneasy eyes, before leaning in towards Celestia, her eyes still fixated on the potential threat before her. “You don’t actually plan on working with him, right?” said Twilight.

        “There’s no way in hell we’ll work with those losers!” cried out a voice. Ajax looked back at Lightning Dust, the pegasus’ eyes were boiling with hatred.

        “Losers?! Come over here and say that to my face!” cried back Rainbow Dash.

        “I don’t think we can work together anymore,” mumbled Ajax as he scratched the back of his head.

        “We both know that we have to find a way to work together…” muttered Celestia as she began to think of ideas. “I suppose we can always work together, but keep our distance from one another,” she added.

        “I think that could work for the time being,” said Ajax as he looked at Twilight Sparkle. Ajax tried giving Twilight Sparkle a friendly nod, but the alicorn showed nothing but disgust for the man. 

        “May I have a word, princess?” asked Twilight as she nudged Celestia. The white alicorn raised an eyebrow and looked down at the purple mare.

        “Hmm?” she asked.

        “Shouldn’t we discuss this? I don’t thin-” 

        “My mind's made up for the time being, Twilight,” said Celestia abruptly. 

        “I see…” said Twilight Sparkle as she looked back at Ajax. The man tried his best to ignore the daggers Twilight’s eyes shot at him. For a moment an awkward silence fell over the trio. “I suggest we launch a counterattack,” said Twilight breaking the silence.

        “I and Celestia thought that we wo-” started Ajax, but stopped when Twilight turned to him. The man turned around and waved his hand at the pony before walking away. “Just decide on a plan together. I’ll be over here when you’ve finalized something.”

        A few minutes passed by. Celestia, Twilight, and their friends conversed ideas with one another while Ajax, Trixie, Lightning Dust and Chrysalis sat off to the side. Trixie and Ajax passed the time, by exchanging stories about how they managed survived Tirek’s reign, Chrysalis and Lightning Dust however sat in silence waiting for heroes of Equestria to come up with a plan.

        “What happened to the changeling hive?” 

        Chrysalis opened her eyes and looked over. Ajax was sitting down leaning against a log, Trixie laid across his lap with her hooves folded under her. The changeling turned her head back around and closed her eyes. Ajax and Trixie looked at one another.

        “Hey Chr-”

        “I wouldn’t talk to her if I were you,” said a relaxed voice.

        The man looked up to see Lightning Dust laying down on a large branch of a tree. The pegasus had her hind hooves crossed and her traveling pack underneath her head.

        “Why?” asked Ajax.

        “The two of you already have bad history with one another, the last thing you need to do is stir up more trouble,” said Lighting Dust as she poked her head over the branch and looked down at Ajax.

        “I’m not exactly-” started Ajax, but cut himself off when he noticed Chrysalis trotting towards him.

        “I haven’t seen or heard from a single changeling in over two weeks. So I suggest you listen to Lightning Dust…” said Chrysalis. The changeling lips reared backwards, displaying her wondrously sharp fangs, her green eyes were filled with pain from loss. “All I wanted was to avenge my mother…”

        A flash of light bluish green shot down to the ground. Lighting Dust stood on her hind hooves and began to push Chrysalis away. “Not now, Chrysalis. You’ve got nothing to gain from what you’re about to say, Ajax is-” The large changeling pushed aside the pony with her hoof and trotted towards Ajax.

        “All I wanted was to avenge my mother after what you did all those years ago during your self-righteous purge against Equestria. Hell, you don’t even remember what you did that day!” shouted Chrysalis as she stepped closer towards Ajax. The man rose to his feet and held his ground. Trixie tried to stand between him and the upset alicorn, but Ajax gently pushed her aside.

“I was eight years old! I had to become queen when I was but a filly because of what you did! Do you know how hard it was for me and my people!? OF COURSE YOU DON’T! You could never understand what you put me through!” Chrysalis’ nostrils flared in anger, she now was face to face with the human.

        The changeling took a deep breath before speaking again. “Needless to say that I failed to provide my species a decent life. I failed to achieve justice against my mother’s murder… and do you know what happened after that? OF COURSE YOU DO! UNLESS YOU CARE SO LITTLE AGAIN THAT YOU DON’T REMEMBER WHAT YOU DID! You hold my entire species hostage! You force me and them to fight in your petty little squabble against Celestia, for our very lives! ...And now here I am! ...No hint of any changeling life except my own! ...AND GUESS WHAT! I’m still stuck here serving you because you could be our only hope to save the world! I’m so sick of this! I just can’t take it anymore!” screamed Chrysalis as she stamped her hooves in frustration.

        Ajax took a moment to let Chrysalis calm down and catch her breath before speaking. “I know you could probably care less about my side of the story. I could sit here and try to explain to you why I did the things I did, but I’m sure you couldn’t care less. I know you’re angry, but try-”

        “What!? Wait to kill you another day!? Well, I’m sick of waiting!” cried Chrysalis as teardrops hit the ground, the pony’s horn pulsated green with magic.

        “I can’t let you do that!” shouted Ajax as he reached for a sword on his back. “I don’t want to have to do this, Chrysalis!”

        “OF COURSE YOU DO! YOU’VE ALWAYS WANTED THIS!” she screamed as she aimed her horn at the man. “YOU’VE ALWAYS WANTED ME AND EVERY OTHER CHANGELING DEAD!”

        “Did I come at a bad time?”

        The man and changeling looked over to see Twilight Sparkle standing by idly waiting. “We’ve come up with a strategy if you are ready to listen.”

        Chrysalis and Ajax looked at each other before standing down.

        “Good,” said Twilight as she trotted forward and lifted a twig with her magic. The alicorn began to draw in the ground. “Not far from here is a citadel that Malice had constructed. Tirek was the head of said encampment, but now that he is gone it should be an easy target for us. However, the longer we wait the more likely they are to realize that Tirek has been defeated. We should strike now, while their guard is still down.” Twilight finished drawing the attack plan in the forest floor. The villains and heroes were set to attack opposite sides of the fortress.

        “What’s the point in all of this?” asked Ajax as he scratched the bottom of his chin.

        Twilight focused her eyes on the drawing in the ground before crossing it out with a large ‘X’. “Tirek was rounding up all those who had escaped from Canterlot after Malice first returned. The plan is to liberate as many as we can, to help with our fight against the monster.”

        “Sounds good, let’s get moving,” said Ajax as he grabbed his belongings. Chrysalis glared at the man as he packed, but Ajax avoided eye contact with changeling. An unsettling mood now filled the air between Ajax and his comrades.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

        It was now nighttime across Equestria. The pale moon sat high in the sky illuminating an ebony fortress of steel, which sat on the edge of the everfree forest. A hub of captured creatures from all across Equestria, this was the place where slaves were taken before being sent elsewhere. Squads and battalions of demons patrolled the area and protected the fortress’ walls. The scent of heavy steel and blood filled the air of the iron citadel. A large wall protected the outskirts of the base, while a smaller wall protected the keep near the central portion of the garrison.

        Avoiding torchlight and the patrols of demons, four figures could been seen scaling down the outermost wall entering the demonic encampment. The four shadows quickly crossed the courtyard towards the reinforced keep at the center, striking at patrols carrying torches and dousing their flame almost instantly.

        Ajax led the group, the man held his large ebony sword behind him, just inches off the stone ground, trying to make as little noise as possible. “Quickly, over this wall and we’ll be inside the keep,” he said as he stopped before a massive metal barricade. Ajax, Trixie, Lightning Dust and Chrysalis quickly made their way over the wall and landed in the courtyard of the keep. “Celestia and her friends should arrive shortly, but that doesn’t mean we should wait around. Let’s start searching for survivors.” 

        The group pushed open a door and made their way inside, Lightning Dust noticed a guard at the end of the corridor and quickly bolted towards the demon and knocked him out with a hind kick to the back of the head. “The coast is clear, let’s keep moving,” said the pegasus as she opened another door. The four intruders entered a large holding area, where creatures of all kinds filled large crowded cages like animals.

        “They’re like livestock…” mumbled Trixie.

        “Let’s get them out of here,” said Ajax as he broke open a lock.

        Whispers began to fill the prison as word spread of the infamous human’s surprising actions. Although Ajax was freeing the citizens of Equestria, his reputation caused them to still be uneasy around him. “Just keep quiet until we open every cell,” whispered Ajax, trying to make his voice just loud enough for every creature to hear him. The man walked up to another cell and began to fiddle with the lock, but noticed a pair of light blue eyes staring at him, inches away from his face. Ajax jumped back, startled by the proximity of the shadowy stranger.

        “Did I scare you?”

        “Luna?” asked Ajax raising an eyebrow.

        “I take it that it was you who defeated Tirek?” asked Luna.

        “Wait, how do you know about that?” 

        “My magic has returned to me, which means that either he decided to return the power he stole, or has been vanquished from Equestria.”

        “I see…” said Ajax as he grabbed ahold of the lock with his hand and yanked it off the cell door. 

        “So why are you freeing all of us?” said Luna with an uneasy voice.

        “Just wait for your sister to show up, she’ll explain everything to you. Right now I’ve got more important things to do,” said Ajax as he began to look around the enormous room. “I think we got them all,” he said as he looked at all the ponies, minotaurs, and gryphons that they had freed.

        “What’s all this?” muttered a raspy voice.

        Ajax turned to see an enormous gryphon chained up in a holding cell, the mythical creature glared at the human with fixated eagle eyes.

        “Oh no… not the pigeon…” groaned Ajax.

        “Do my eyes deceive me? I never thought I would see you again! Release me from this prison, so that I may tear out your throat, human! After all, everything that’s befallen Equestria is your fault!

        “Ajax! I think we got everyone,” said Trixie as she galloped up next to the human. “Wait, we forgot about that-” she said pointing to Bjorn, but Ajax pushed the unicorn’s hoof back down.

        “Naw…” coughed Ajax as he shook his head.

        “Why you… Get me out of here you dirty ape!” cried the gryphon king.

        Ajax continued to shake his head quickly mouthing the word “No” to the elderly gryphon.

        “We need everyone for this though, Ajax,” said Trixie as she looked up at the man. Ajax sighed and ripped the lock off the Gryphon’s cell. In a flash of feathers, the gryphon was upon Ajax with claws ripping at his throat. Ajax kicked his legs into the beast’s underbelly, sending it crashing into the ceiling. “See?! Bad idea, Trixie!” shouted Ajax as he prepared a blast of black fire in his left arm.

        “PRISON BREAK!!!!!”

        Every creature paused and turned to see a guard standing at the doorway frozen in disbelief. “PRISON BREAK!!!!” The demon shouted again, alerting every demon in the stronghold. Ajax quickly dashed forward and raised his fist into the air and swung it down, smacking the demonic guard into the ground. The ground began to shake as hordes of guards began to charge up the stony staircase.

        “Time to leave!” shouted Ajax as he turned back to the room of freed captives. “I SAID RUN!” he shouted. The freed prisoners turned to the exit at the other end of the room, but more demons could be seen charging down the hallway, weapons in hand.

        “We’re trapped!” cried Chrysalis as she began to prepare a spell in desperation.

        Suddenly a blast of magical energy blew a hole through the stone wall of the room. Everyone turned to see the settling dust revealing Celestia and the mane six, and behind them stood a large force of freed slaves. A hulking figure stepped through the hole and walked past the seven heroic ponies. It was none other than the legendary minotaur king.

        “We even found him? Shesh, who are we even missing at this point?…” sighed Ajax.

        Ironhoof gave a hearty laugh as he stood before the worried group of prisoners. “Do not be afraid! Show the enemy what you’re capable of! We will blow a hole right through them and walk out of this accursed citadel and retake our homeland, together!”

“Look who finally decided to show up,” laughed Bjorn. The gryphon stood up and dusted himself off, recovering from the blow Ajax had delivered him. “After we’re done here, we need to deal with the human,” said Bjorn as he glanced over at Ajax. Ironhoof nodded in agreement to the gryphon’s proposal.

“Stop right there!” shouted a demon as he busted into the room. The guard stumbled forward and bumped against a bright purple coat of fur. He looked up and saw the burly minotaur king himself looking down at him.

“R-Retreat!!!” The demon cried his last words as he attempted to run from the hulking brute. Ironhoof quickly grabbed ahold of the guard and crushed him with his unmatchable strength.

“We’re no match! Celestia! Luna! Both the Gryphon and Minotaur kings! A-A-And… THE GUARDIAN!? RUN! RU-” shouted another guard before being run through by a prisoner holding a spear.

The demons fell quickly to the hands of the prisoners, heroes, and once villains. In a matter of seconds the entire force of guards sent to stop the prison break were vanquished. No mercy was shown to any demon, no fear was shown in any pony, minotaur, or gryphon’s heart. They fought for their lives and home. They fought for what they believed in.

“We’re not out of this yet!” cried Celestia. “Quickly through the courtyard! We’ll break right through the main gate!” she shouted. Every creature began to rush down the stairs and fill the courtyard of the keep.

“Did we get everyone?!” shouted Rainbow Dash as she flew around, trying to make sure that no creature was left behind.

“It would seem like it. What do-” said Luna.

“My, my, my… what is happening here?” A voice rang in every living being's head. Celestia and Ajax looked at one another, they knew who it was. In a flash of bats and shadow emerged, Mephistochlees. The demonic warden that vowed to hunt down both Celestia and Ajax for escaping his prison. The fiend placed his claws at his sides as a demonic laughed filled every mind.

“What’s so funny? You’re no match for us!” shouted Ajax as he stepped forward.

“Maybe, but I brought someone here who is…”

“Don’t speak of me as if I’m just some servant of yours here to clean your mess,” said a calm male voice.

All eyes turned to see a pony entering the courtyard from a side door. The rattling of bones and trinkets could be heard each time the pony took a step forward. The cloaked stranger was covered from head to hoof in relics and ancient looking scripts of magical knowledge. The foreign pony wore a cloak with a deer skull over his head, masking his identity. Two red eyes could be seen glowing behind the empty sockets of the milky white skull.

“Get back!” shouted Ajax. “Stand back if you know what’s good for you!” he shouted as he pointed his sword towards the pony. The stranger turned towards Ajax and tilted his head.

“It’s been quite some time, Ajax? Nearly a thousand years since we last met, correct?” said the masked pony.

“You know this guy?” asked Trixie as she nudged Ajax from behind.

Ajax grit his teeth and began taking a few steps back himself. “I mention him briefly to you, but you might not remember. Back when we were searching through that ruined city for the Elements of Chaos, I told you that story about what had happened to those who once inhabited that ruined city.”

“You mean about the hemomancers? The same race that one of your friends belonged to?”

“Yes, that’s the one. Do you remember how their empire fell?”

“You said a powerful…” Trixie paused as realization took over her. “This is him?! Is this the powerful wizard that supposedly invented dark magic?!”

“Yes.” Ajax calmly replied. ”He’s the only foe whom I’ve ever known to be able to raise the dead. I guess this explains, how Malice has been raising undead soldiers to fight for him.”

“That also means this pony was Starswirl's peer!” shouted Trixie.

“I see you’ve been talking about me,” said the stranger, chuckling slightly.

“I hoped that you were dead, Riggy Mortis,” growled Ajax.

“I’m afraid death isn’t something that comes easily to a warlock,” said Riggy Mortis.

“Let’s just see…” replied Ajax.

“Oh, Ajax still filled with that fire of yours I see. Too bad you don’t have any of your old comrades to back you up. I heard that Malice took care of them all, back in the Everfree Scar. I’ve been thinking about looking into where their corpses might be...”

“Shut your mouth,” hissed Ajax.

“Enough of this!” cried Bjorn. “We have no time for idle chats. Nopony can be a match for all of us!” 

“I didn’t want to take any chances, so I went ahead and guaranteed that this farce would end tonight…” said Riggy Mortis.

“What did you do?”  thought Mehpistochlees turning his head to the masked pony.

        A rough, but refined voice, which resonated with god-like power filled the air. “He went ahead and informed me about your blunders, Mehpistochlees.” In a bolt of lightning a towering figure appeared in the middle of the courtyard. A draconequus with glowing orange eyes, covered in dark dragon-like scales, the new ruler over Equestria.

        “L-Lord Malice?” everyone heard the fear in the demonic voice that was in their head. Both Mephistoclees and Riggy Mortis bowed down before the sinister looking draconequus.

        “I have no interest in speaking to you, warden,” said Malice as he shrunk down to a manageable size. Malice stretched and cracked his neck, before approaching those who had attempted to escape confinement. “I would like to speak to them however…” Every man, pony, gryphon, and minotaur already knew the power that the draconequus wielded, all they could do was hold their breath and hope for the best. “Oh come now, there’s no need to look all upset just because I’ve shown up,” chuckled the dragon-like draconequus.

        “We won’t go down without a fight!” cried out Celestia. Everyone and everypony cheered out in agreement, solidifying their defiance to the demonic overlord.

        “There’s no reason for us to fight, Celestia.” Malice snapped his fingers, summoning a tiny birdcage in his left claw. Inside the cage was a miniscule figure, similar to that of a serpent. “I had planned on letting all of you go, it’s quite boring having no one to defy me…” said Malice as he stuck a talon inside the birdcage, playing with whatever was trapped inside.

        “Discord?!” cried out Fluttershy, the yellow pegasus managed to recognize the tiny figure even through the dark veil of night.

        “I will let all of you go, but this one’s staying with me.” Malice began to twirl the bird cage around on a talon, with a smug grin. Discord banged off the corners of the cage as it continued to twirl around.

        “You’re actually going to let us walk out of here?” asked Ajax, raising an eyebrow in suspicion. Malice snapped his fingers, creating a sudden outburst of energy that blew away half of the entire keep’s wall.

        “Your exit is right there…” said the Draconequus as he turned his attention back towards Discord.
        
        “You’re letting them go?” thought a voice in everyone’s head.

        Malice looked over his shoulder before turning to face Mephistochlees. The demon quickly realized his mistake.

“I’m sorry my lord. Sometimes I think out loud. It will never happen again, I swear!” the demonic fiend held up its claws, begging for its life as it fell to its knees. Malice raised a claw up and pointed it back towards the demon. Mephistochlees was lifted off the ground and with a flick of the draconequus’ fingers was brought before Malice.

        “Care to look into my mind, warden? Take a glimpse at your demise,” said Malice as he looked back up at the rebellious force of heroes before him. “Go ahead and leave already,” growled the demon as his orange eyes burned into a hot red.

        “Please, I can-”

        “Silence! That’s enough out of you.” roared Malice as he looked back down at the demonic lord before him.

        Ajax was the first to step towards the exit, Trixie, Chrysalis, and Lightning Dust were quick to follow him. It didn’t take long for the others to follow, no one wished to wait around and see if the demon would change his mind. Soon everyone began to flee as fast as they could. Malice’s voice however could still be heard all the way back at the demonic citadel.

        “Let’s see if that physical form of yours can handle being turned inside out like a plastic bag!” The cries of pain from Mephistochlees mind rang out in every creature's head as they continued to make a run for safety. Cries of torment and agony, unlike anything they’ve heard before. Some even felt bad for the demon.

        The refugees came across a tree line and hid themselves in the forest. Gryphons, minotaurs, and ponies began to attend to one another's wounds and needs, they had finally found rest for the first time in weeks.

        Twilight, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie gathered around a fire that had been constructed by those who opposed Malice. They now had a decent sized opposition, but nothing that could compare to an army. Nearly a hundred ponies, with half as many gryphons, followed by about a dozen minotaurs, made up their forces.

        “This is great! We’ve managed to break out nearly everypony and walk out with no casualties,” exclaimed Rainbow Dash as she laid back against a tree. The colorful pegasus watched as everyone continued to prepare a camp for the night. The starry night twinkled above them, peaceful and distant.

        “But we left Discord…” murmured Fluttershy as she pushed a rock on the forest floor.

        “I’m sure he’ll be fine, dearie. If Malice hasn’t hurt him yet, then I’m sure everything will be ok,” said Rarity. The white unicorn sat on a log next to the fire while a “kind” minotaur built the pony’s make-shift tent for her.

        “I’m still trying to figure out why Malice let us walk away like that,” thought Twilight out loud. “If he’s trying to rule over all Equestria, then why did he let those with the highest amount of potential to successfully oppose him go?”

        “You’re forgetting something Twilight,” said a voice.

        The alicorn looked behind her and saw Ajax standing behind her, the man was accompanied by his team of villainous ponies. He gave an exhausted sigh, before sitting down next to Twilight.

        “You’ve for-” Ajax’s speech slowed down before he stopped mid-sentence. Every pony, gryphon, and minotaur who had been setting up camp was now glaring at the human, their eyes filled with spite and hatred for the man. Even Twilight and her friends showed nothing but enmity towards the man. “Um…” mumbled Ajax when he saw all the death glares.

        “You should be more than happy that we’re willing to let you leave here alive, monster,” growled a voice. The man turned to see the massive head of a gryphon suddenly press itself against his forehead. Bjorn’s hawk-like eyes stared at Ajax, if Ajax had to choose anyone who he thought hated him the most, it would definitely be this gryphon.

        “Maybe it’s best that you leave.”

Ajax turned to see that Twilight had scooted her seat quite a ways away from the man.

“This can’t be coming as a surprise to you, little one,” said the gruff voice of a minotaur.

        “Hey! We’re fine without the likes of you clowns! Ajax is just trying to be nice to you jerks for whatever reason!” shouted Trixie as she bit Bjorn’s tail and pulled he gryphon away from Ajax.

        “You can’t actually be serious! You think we need your help?!” screeched Bjorn as he turned to the tiny unicorn who had bit his tail. The monstrous gryphon easily dwarfed Trixie, but the pony showed no sign of fear toward the gryphon king.

        “He just wanted to help... maybe because he pities you,” said Trixie with a sly smirk.

        “HOW DARE YOU!” roared the gryphon as it raised up a claw.

        “ENOUGH!” A gush of bright light blinded every creature. Bjorn’s claw dug into the side of a tree, missing Trixie. Everyone stumbled around, blinking their eyes, trying to figure out what had just happened. A white alicorn stepped forward and approached the center of the commotion.

        “No more fighting,” said Celestia as she stamped a hoof against the grassy floor.

        “But Celestia-” said Twilight.

        “I said enough Twilight,” snapped the alicorn, shutting the purple unicorn's mouth.

        “No!” shouted back Twilight. Celestia was caught off guard by her ex-apprentice’s defiance. “It’s not enough! You tell us to work with this… this… MONSTER and you expect us to follow you blindly?!” shouted Twilight as she pointed a hoof towards Ajax. “This man is responsible for thousands of lost lives, he nearly even killed my brother!”

        “He forced me to become a weapon for his own use! Making me hurt those that I cared most about!” shouted Luna as she stepped forward.

        “What about Horizon Star! This here vermin is responsible for killing Equestria’s greatest general, princess!” yelled Applejack.

        “HE KILLED THE URSA MAJOR, BUBBLES!!!” sobbed Fluttershy as tears poured from her eyes.

        “Not even his own teammates like him! I overhead that Chrysalis wants him gone just as much as we do!” said Twilight as she stared at Celestia.

        Celestia tried to settle everyone down, but bringing up remembrances of what Ajax had done, caused the heroes of Equestria to turn into quite the angry mob. “Settle down! I know- I said quite!” shouted Celestia, but the crowd was deafening.

        ”QUIET!” shouted the voice of a half-man half-demonic creature.

        They all paused to see Ajax burning with black fire, his breath heavy. The man had managed to quiet everyone down. All eyes were upon him.

        “I’ve made mistakes, but this isn’t about forgiveness for what I’ve done. This is about defeating Malice,” said Ajax as he brushed his hand through his hair. “Many of you may be wondering, as to why Malice let us walk out from under his claw today. I can assure you, that he didn’t do this in order to play a fun game of hide and seek with us.” Ajax paused for a moment and sat down on a log. Everyone continued to watch and wait to hear what the human had to say.

        “Malice doesn’t want to rule Equestria. He seeks to destroy the entire thing and rebuild it to his own image. In order to do this, he needs the Elements of Harmony, which he already has, but he’s missing the second crucial thing necessary to achieve his goal. The Elements of Chaos.” Ajax stopped for a moment to gather his thoughts before speaking again.

        “As you all may know, I’ve recently used said elements, and I’m the only one who knows there whereabouts. Malice knows that they are our only hope to defeat him… he knows that we’ll lead him-.... that I’ll lead him to them. He’s making a bet that even with them, we won’t be able to stand against him.”

        “I still see no reason as to why we HAVE to work with you. Just tell us where you hid them and we can be on our separate ways,” said Ironhoof. The minotaur stood firmly with his arms folded.

        “Sure, I could tell you where I hid them and we could be on our separate ways, but then what happens?” said Ajax as he place his arm against his side. “Would you use them against Malice?” he asked as he pointed his arm towards the minotaur. “Or would you use them?” he said before pointing towards Luna. “Or do you expect the Elements of Harmony to use them against Malice for you.” Ajax now extended his arm towards Twilight and her friends. “Tell me which one of you will use them against Malice? Not only must the user be willing to put up with the consequences, but they must have an attunement to the elements, similar as to what Twilight and her friends have with the Elements of Harmony. So, tell me. Which of you will use the Elements of Chaos?”

        “I will,” stated Bjorn as he stepped forward. “I will use them against Malice, so how about you tell me where you hid them.”

        “Don’t be a fool, Bjorn. You know not what power you’re dabbling in!” shouted Celestia as she trotted forward.

        “I would rather die using the elements than allow this fiend to get his hands on them again! Why is he still alive, anyways?! It was your job to make sure he never saw the light of day after we captured him!”

        “I don’t like the idea either, but it’s all we got,” said Celestia as she pleaded Bjorn to consider the thought.

        “Gah,” sneered the elderly gryphon as he turned back around. “Let’s just pray that when the time comes you’ll actually be able to defeat Malice.”

        Everyone began to go about setting up camp again. Ajax turned to his comrades and signaled for them to follow him. “Let’s find someplace where we won’t be bothered…” he said as he led them to a site where no one had yet set up camp.

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”Honestly brother, it’s quite hard to grab ahold of you, if you keep squirming around like this.”

A dark throne room, filled with fire and pillars leading up towards a massive throne where a demonic like being sat, at the very pinnacle of the room. Surprisingly the room was filled with a rather sweet aroma, the smell was similar to that of cherry, but it was too faint to tell. Malice sat alone in the room, or so it seemed. In betwixt the monsters talons squirmed a serpent-like figure, trying to avoid the demon’s grasp.

“Are you afraid of me?” asked Malice as he snatched at his talons with his other claw. The demonic draconequus slowly opened his claws, but he had grabbed ahold of nothing.

“Afraid of you? Oh hoh ho no, of course not brother,” laughed Discord. The small draconequus’ head popped out from between Malice’s claws, but quickly sank back in between them.

“Is that so? We’ll then, why do you keep fleeing my gaze?” Malice held up his claw and opened it, he turned it around, but there was no sign of Discord anywhere. 

“It’s just that, I get the feeling you’re a little tiny weenie itsy bitsy… mad about what happened all those years ago.” 

“Mad? Naw, I let you out of your cage because I wanted to talk about your part in my plan,” said Malice as he dug a talon into his ear. The monstrous draconequus pulled Discord from out of his ear and held his filthy brother before him.

“M-my part?” asked Discord.

“Yes… your part,” chuckled Malice as he licked his lips.

“You want me to lead your army of demons as a general?”

“No,” responded Malice as he opened his mouth and held Discord before it. “What the,” muttered Malice when he felt an intense taste of mint, wash over his mouth. “GAH!” roared the demon as he spat off to the side.

“You wanted me to brush your teeth, right?” asked Discord as he held up a tube of toothpaste and a toothbrush.

“Don’t you get it you imbecile!?” growled Malice. “I’m going to-”

“Let me go?” interrupted Discord.

“NO! I’m going to eat-”

“A healthy breakfast?” asked Discord as he held up a entree of breakfast foods.

“NO!!! ENOUGH GAMES! I’M GOING TO-” began Malice, but noticed that Discord was no longer in between his claws. “Discord…” growled Malice as he lifted a claw up into the air. An intense vacuum filled the room, as a ball of darkness appeared in the draconequus’ claws, a void of energy that drew everything inside it. The pillars of the chamber shook violently, but finally the one Malice had sought appeared in the palm of his hand. Discord squeaked when Malice gripped him tightly in his clutches. “It’s time to join your brothers and sisters, Discord.”

“You won’t get away with this!” shouted Discord.

“Oh come now, don’t give me that spiel. I don’t care what challenges you and your “friends” have overcome in the past, this is Equestria’s destiny. This is my destiny and you know it. You may have managed to set me back a few millennia… and so did that human, but you knew this day would come. You’ve had your fun ruling over Equestria, and so have her filthy inhabitants, but now it’s time to recreate the world to my own image.”

“We like this world! We don’t want it to change!”

Malice laughed at Discord, the draconequus’ grip on his brother continued to tighten and tighten. “You were always the funny one, Discord, but don’t worry, you’ll be right at home where you belong soon enough, with all your brothers and sisters. With you I will finally be complete and with the Elements of Chaos and Harmony, I will defy the very creator of this world, I will reconstruct it in my own image, and not even he or she will be able to stop me!” Malice suddenly chomped down on Discord’s head, he sucked the draconequus’ limp body into his mouth like a string of spaghetti.

“Now then… Let’s see where your friends will be leading me… oh brother of mine.”

        
        



> Chapter Fifteen 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The forest was undisturbed during the middle of the night, besides a few gentle breezes swaying the branches of trees, the forest remained peaceful and quiet. Those who opposed Malice, the last hope for all of Equestria, took refuge under these tall trees. Nearly all of them were asleep, trying to gather as much energy as they could for the journey ahead of them. The moon sat shy overhead in the night sky, providing what light it could for the weary travelers.

The rebellion was made up various races. Minotaurs, gryphons, and ponies all segregated themselves into their own little groups, but remained relatively close to one another. All of the heroes were only a short walk away from any other encampment, except for one group.

        On the far outskirts of all the encampments burned a tiny fire... a tiny fire in a tiny camp. Only four inhabited the small camp, a man, a unicorn, a pegasus, and a changeling. At this hour however, only Trixie and Ajax were awake. They sat by the kindling fire and watched the embers slowly fade away. Despite the time of night, Trixie and Ajax continued to carry on conversation with one another. Enjoying each other’s company.

        “So then what happened?” asked Trixie.

        Ajax was laying against a log, his left arm spread outwards across the long tree trunk. Trixie was curled up next to the man, leaning against the same tree bark as him. The unicorn was using her violet starry cape as a blanket. Ajax watched the flames of the campfire dance as he answered the pony’s question.

        “What do you think happened? I planted my fist in his face,” laughed the man as he adjusted his posture. Trixie chuckled, the unicorn enjoyed the time she spent with the man. The mare’s laughter turned to silence as she herself began to stare into the campfire.

        “Hey, Ajax?” asked Trixie. The pony held her hat in her hooves, twisting the fabric as if she was worried about what she had to say.

        “Yeah?”

        “When we find the Elements of Chaos… you’re going to use them to fight Malice, right?”

        “That’s the plan.”

        Trixie was quiet for a moment, the unicorn paused as if she needed to think. The mare bit her lip, but finally managed to say what was on her mind.

        “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

        “It really isn’t, but it’s the only idea we’ve got,” said Ajax with a shrug.

        “Why can’t someone else use them against Malice?” asked Trixie as she pushed her hooves into the ground.

        “I don’t really think there’s anybody better suited for the job than I am.”

        “I could do it!” shouted Trixie as she looked up at Ajax.

        “You?” asked Ajax as a wide smile came across his face. The man covered his mouth as he busted out in laughter. He nearly bit his tongue when he felt something slam against his stomach. Trixie’s hoof continued to press into his gut as she continued to speak.

        “I’m being serious!” shouted Trixie. Ajax took a deep breath, his green eyes partially mirrored the dancing flames of the campfire. The man closed his eyes and when he reopened them his mood had changed to a more serious tone.

        “Look, I’m the only one who can do this Trixie. When the time comes everybody and everypony will be counting on me.”

        “Not again…” said Trixie as she pulled her hooves close. The unicorn began pressing her face against her front hooves. “I don’t think I can do it again,” she whispered silently.

        “Do what again?” asked Ajax as he reached out towards Trixie.

        “See you become that… that thing again!!!” shouted the unicorn. Trixie’s eyes were filled with tears, but she didn’t care. Her watery eyes continued to run as she stared at Ajax. “Don’t you remember what happened last time?! Don’t you care about what could happen to you? What about the things you did? Don’t you remember how hard it was to return back to your normal self?”

        Ajax closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He wrapped his arm around the mare and pulled her close to him.

        “That’s why I’ve got you with me, Trixie,” he said with a chuckle.

        “THIS ISN’T A GAME!” shouted Trixie as she pushed the man’s arm off her. “I-I’M SCARED THAT I WILL LOSE YOU!” The unicorn felt herself lifted up off the ground and placed into Ajax’s lap. The man wrapped his arm tightly around Trixie.

        “You’re my best friend, Trixie. I will never do anything to hurt you. I swear my life on it.” Trixie relaxed her head on top of the man’s shoulder, before his arm unravel her and slowly pushed her back. “I’ll be fine, trust me.” Trixie didn’t say a word, she stared off to the side with a blank expression. “Hey, are you hungry?” asked the man as he wiped away a tear that had gone astray on her cheek. Trixie silently nodded her head. “Then how about you go check to see if the others are willing to provide us with something to eat?”

        “Ok,” whispered Trixie with a sniff. She rubbed her eyes with her hooves before placing her hat on her head. “The Great and Powerful Trixie shouldn’t be crying this much…” thought the pony to herself as she trotted off into the forest. She had only traveled a few hoofsteps away from camp when she heard a voice call out to her from above.

        “Been doing some crying, Trixie?”

        The unicorn looked up and saw a pair of vibrate green eyes peering down at her from atop a tree branch.

        “Chrysi? What are you doing up so late?”

        “Oh, nothing much. I was just awoken by the aroma of something quite delicious.” The changeling queen’s wings buzzed as she hovered down to the forest floor. Trixie illuminated her horn, she found it unsettling to stare at a pair of glowing green eyes in the dark.

        “I was about to go grab something to eat. Do you want me to get you something?”

        “It’s quite unfair that they placed us all the way out here don’t you think?” asked Chrysalis, completely ignoring Trixie’s question.

        “I guess so,” said Trixie as she shrugged her shoulders. “But there’s nothing we can really do about it.”

        “They only keep us around because they need use out of the human…” said Chrysalis as she began to circle Trixie. “What do you see in him anyways? I don’t like him for obvious reasons and Lightning Dust hasn’t been able to get over him abandoning her to die, but you seem to like him… a lot.”

        “Of course, he’s my best friend.”

        “But why?”

        “Because I like him.”

        “But why?”

        “Because he’s fun to be around.” Chrysalis placed a hoof against her face before looking back down at Trixie.

        “BUT… WHY???!!” she asked one more time. 

        “What are you getting at, Chrysalis?” asked the unicorn with a raised brow. “Is there something you want me to say?” Chrysalis rolled her eyes and leaned forward so that her face was that of an even level with Trixie’s.

        “I’ve enjoyed the energy from you and Ajax’s friendship for quite some time, but it’s starting to get to a… interesting level. It’s starting to taste like something else, something quite delicious, my favorite type of energy to feed off of.” Trixie reared her head back and furrowed her brow at Chrysalis.

        “I don’t like hearing you say that you enjoy feeding off of our relationship. It sounds… well, creepy.”

        “Aren’t you more curious about what I’m beginning to taste?” asked Chrysalis with a roll of her eyes. 

        “I should be going, I should’ve been back with food by now.” Trixie began to walk off into the forest.

        “It’s love,” said Chrysalis as Trixie continued to trot off. The changeling’s words stopped the unicorn in her tracks.

        “What?” said Trixie as she turned around and trotted back towards the changeling. The unicorn’s face was full of doubt.

        “You heard me,” said Chrysalis with a slight wink.

        “Are you messing with me?” asked Trixie. The unicorn’s cheeks were beginning to turn red.

        “What? You’ve never paid the thought any mind before?” asked Chrysalis with a sly grin.

        “Not until you put the idea in my head,” mumbled Trixie.

        “Strange, perhaps the energy I was tasting was coming from Ajax.”

        “WHAT?!” Trixie quickly closed her mouth and held it shut with her hoofs. The unicorn’s speech was now muffled by hoofs. “Are you sure?”

        “Sure? No, to be completely honest I never tasted any love in the air at all,” laughed Chrysalis.

        “T-Then you’ve been messing with me this entire time?!” seethed Trixie. The unicorn’s face steamed red with frustration.

        “Perhaps, or maybe this is part of my master plan,” said Chrysalis with a giggle. The changeling spread her wings and flew back up towards her tree branch. “Perhaps I wanted to “plant” the thought in your head… so that it might eventually grow into a bountiful harvest for me.”

        “Why you manipulating insect!” yelled Trixie as she shook her hoof up at Chrysalis.

        “Judging by your reaction. I would say that my plan might be working better than anticipated.” The changelings green eyes closed, vanishing into the darkness.

        “No it’s not!” shouted Trixie into the darkness. “And stay away from me and Ajax, find your own energy to feed off of!”

        “Who are you talking to?”

Trixie didn’t recognize the voice at first The light blue mare turned to see a cyan pegasus staring at her with curious violet eyes. The stranger was Rainbow Dash, Trixie cleared her throat and adjusted her hat.

        “Nopony, just some… forest spirits,” said Trixie nonchalantly. “Why are you here, Rainbow Dash…?” The unicorn’s voice had a suspicious tone to it.

        “I was sent here to deliver you this,” said Rainbow Dash as she shrugged off a basket from her back.

        “What’s in here?” asked Trixie as she poked the basket cautiously. 

        “Deserts that Pinkie Pie cooked up.”

        “How on earth did that pink pony manage to cook sweets in the middle of a forest?” Trixie peering into the basket and looked at the assortment of goods. “Wow, there’s so many too…”

        “It’s from her “emergency party supply,” said Rainbow Dash with a shake of her head, nopony could understand the extent of Pinky’s… pinkiness, not even her closest friends. “Anyways I should get going.”

        “Is it you two making all the noise?” The two ponies turned to see Ajax step out from behind a tree. “Huh, what are you doing here Rainbow Dash?” said the man as he placed his hand on his side.

        “...I was just leaving,” said Rainbow Dash as she turned around.

        “Did you bring us this?” Ajax leaned over and peering into the basket.

        “I was told to,” said Rainbow Dash.

        “Do you want to share them with me and Trixie?” Trixie looked up at the man in confusion. Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes at the man and unicorn.

        “You can’t be serious. Do you honestly think I would say yes to something like that?”

        “It would be like the time when you found me in the Everfree Forest,” said Ajax as he scratched the back of head. “We seemed to get along back then.”

        “After everything you’ve done, there’s just no way.”

        “I’m trying the best I can, Rainbow Dash. What else can I do? How should I gain everypony’s trust?” The colorful pony shrugged before trotting off.

        “How should I know?” The cyan pegasus disappearing into the forest, leaving Ajax and Trixie with a basket of treats. Ajax looked down at Trixie, the unicorn was already eating a cupcake. Ajax shook his head and knelt down besides Trixie.

        “You’ve got something on you face.”

        The man brushed a smudge of icing off Trixie’s cheek and flicked it aside. The unicorn froze and stared at the man, her mouth gaping, showing off the chewed up pink cupcake. The pony’s cheeks were as red as cherries.

        “You alright?” asked Ajax.

        “I’m fine!” shouted Trixie as she pushed the basket of baked goods into Ajax’s chest. The man grabbed ahold of the woven container and looked up to see Trixie galloping back towards camp. 

        “Wait! Don’t you want to share these with me?!” cried out Ajax, but the unicorn was long gone. Ajax shrugged and took a cupcake from out of the basket. “Wonder what she’s worked up about,” he said as he took a bite from the pink treat.

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        “Rise! I said get up! There’s a world that needs saving!” A raspy voice continued to shout as it woke up every pony, minotaur, and gryphon in camp. The sun was just beginning to peak out over the horizon, not even the birds were up at this hour. The members of the camp groaned as they pushed themselves up off the hard forest floor. They grabbed what they could carry and gathered before Celestia, Bjorn, and Ironhoof. The small crowd rubbed their eyes and yawned as they awaited their orders.

        “I hope you all will look more alive when the fighting begins,” scoffed Bjorn as he looked out at the rebels. “In war, a fool’s first mistake is his last.”

        “No need to be so hard on them Bjorn,” said Celestia as she looked over at the enormous ancient gryphon. “They’ve been through some rough times.”

        “You can lecture me later, Celestia. Right now I’m wondering where that human of yours is.” The gryphon coughed into one of his wings before speaking again. “Neither him nor any of his allies have shown up yet.”

        “Strange, I told him yesterday to meet us around this time,” said Celestia. Ironhoof looked over at the horizon, the minotaur’s one good eye watched as the sun continue to rise up.

        “We’re wasting daylight,” he said as he looked over at Celestia and Bjorn.

        “Don’t worry,” said Celestia. “We’ll find him and be on our way in no time.” Celestia began to look around, trying to remember where they had sent Ajax to set up camp. “Where was his camping site again?”

        “I know where it is, princess!” The three leaders turned to see Twilight and her friends, stepping forward however it was Rainbow Dash whose hoof was up in the air. “I can take you there princess,” she said as she pointed off in a direction. Celestia looked at the two kings before giving Rainbow Dash a nod. 

        “Very well, lead the way.”

        The band of Equestrians followed the pegasus and eventually reached a small camp. Their eyes quickly locked onto the man who was passed out on a log. Ajax was laying on his back snoring loudly, an empty basket sat on the man’s stomach. His face and fingers were covered in frosting.

        “I think he liked my basket of treats!” cheered a high pitch voice from the back of the band of Equestrians. Bjorn rolled his eyes and stared at Celestia.

        “Remember, this is the one you’ve chosen to place all your faith in.”

        “Ajax!” shouted Celestia as she trotted forward. The man woke up and fell off the log, catching himself with his only arm.

        “I’m up! I’m up!” shouted Ajax as he hopped up to his feet. The man looked at all his unexpected guests and brushed a bunch of crumbs off his chest. His mouth however was still covered with pink frosting.

        “Long night?” asked Celestia with a raised brow.

        “I might’ve stayed up a bit late,” said the man before yawning.

        “You got something on your face,” said Celestia as she pointed a hoof towards the man. Ajax quickly rubbed his arm across his mouth, but only managed to smudge the pink frosting. “It’s still there…” mumbled Celestia as Ajax continued to rub and rub. Finally the man’s face was free from pink frosting. Ajax wiped his hand on his pants before brushing his fingers through his hair. The man looked around the camp, none of his companions were in sight.

        “Hurry up!” shouted Bjorn. “You’re wasting time.”

        Ajax poked his head around a tree and saw Trixie snoozing against the trunk, her hat covering her eyes.

        “Time to wake up,” said Ajax as he nudged the sleeping pony. The man stepped back and walked over to another tree. He reared his fist back and drove it into the trunk, the tree shook violently from the blow Two figures could be seen tumbling down, crashing into branches as they made their way down to the forest floor. Ajax caught the first figure and quickly set it down, in order to catch the second one. Chrysalis and Lightning Dust laid on the forest floor, their eyes spinning in their heads, dizzy from the fall.

        “We’re all ready to go,” said Ajax as he gave a thumbs up to all the ponies, gryphons, and minotaurs that stood before him.

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        Ajax led the front of the pact, his three companions followed closely from behind. The small army continued its march across Equestria. Ajax avoided all towns and kept to the wilderness to help ensure that they wouldn’t be spotted by Malice’s eye, but they all knew deep down that the demonic draconequus was watching them… somehow. Celestia turned her walk into a quick trot, the alicorn made her way to the front and now walked beside Ajax.

        “If I asked you “Where are we going?” would you answer me?”

        “If you wished to know the Elements of Chaos whereabouts, you could just ask.”

        Celestia looked at Ajax expectantly, that was indeed the question on her mind.

        “The elements are hidden near my old underground vault, far far north in the frozen wastes. We’re not far from the northern part of Equestria, but we still have a ways to go.”

        “I see,” said Celestia as she continued to walk besides Ajax. “Maybe we could-” The alicorn paused, Celestia began to look around as if she had seen something. The white mare stopped and started to glance around at the scenery. Ajax stopped as well which caused the entire group to halt in their tracks.

        “What’s the hold up?” said Ironhoof, the minotaur’s heavy voice gave the impression that he was always shouting. Princess Luna trotted up to Ajax and Celestia.

        “Sister, is something the matter?” Everyone’s eyes were on Celestia. The princess paused and began to analyze something at the base of her hooves. Ajax raised an eyebrow and approached her.

        “Find something?”

        Celestia lifted up strands of purple-like hair with her magic and held it before her.

        “While we were walking I saw a twinkle of light on the road. I believe it came from this strand of hair.”

        “So?” asked Ajax. Celestia lifted up the strands of purple hair, the thin lines of purple twinkled under the sunlight.

        “Just as I thought… this is crystal hair. That means crystal ponies must’ve been nearby.”

        Everyone began to look around after Celestia announced her theory. However, they were traveling through a narrow rock canyon. The only possible directions were either forward or backwards. Twilight stepped forward and placed a hoof under her chin.

        “Rainbow Dash, fly ahead and see if you can spot anything suspicious.”

        In a flash the pegasus shot up to the sky and bolted off into the distance. It didn’t take long for her to return back down to the canyon floor.

        “Up ahead! I see smoke coming out of the canyon!” shouted the pony as she pointed further down the path. The company of gryphons, minotaurs, ponies, and one man quickly began charging down the narrow crevice.

        “I see it!” shouted Lightning Dust. The pony pointed a hoof upwards. A tall pillar of black smoke could be seen rising out of the sky.

        The collection of heroes didn’t take long to make their way to the source of the dark cloud. A field of bodies laid before them. Wreckage of carts and wagons that had been set ablaze kindled with red embers. Celestia quickly spun around and shouted orders.

        “Quickly, search for any survivors! The attack must’ve happened recently!”

        Ajax stepped forward and knelt down beside a burnt cart. The man placed his hand against the charred wood, whatever was left of the cart crumbled to ash under the man’s touch.

        “Must’nt have been too recent...” he whispered to himself.

        “Over here! I found one who survived.” A light green pegasi signaled for the others to come over to her. Standing at her feet was a crystal guard, it was clear that the stallion had managed to survive the ordeal, but not without expense. The crystal guard held an eye firmly shut, half his face covered in blood.

        “Bring him water!” shouted the alicorn as she turned back to the others. The stallion tried to push himself up with his hooves, but his strength failed him. After collapsing back down, he looked up at the squad of heroes who had gathered before him.

        “We didn’t think that there was anyone left. It’s good to see you all…” Celestia looked out at all the destruction before her. Helmets, spears, bodies, all belonging to the crystal kingdom laid before her.

        “What happened here?”

        “Please!” cried the guard as he extended a hoof towards the princess. “You have to help the kingdom! King Sombra has returned, he attacked us during the second siege of Canterlot. The crystal princess is in danger!” Spike rushed forward, carrying a canteen of water for the crystal stallion. The baby dragon handed it to the pony, who didn’t conserve a drop. The crystal pony coughed and gagged as water filled his dry throat. Ajax looked over at Celestia.

        “We’re not far from the Crystal Empire, it’s on the way to the frozen north.”

        Bjorn and Ironhoof stepped forward, the gryphon and minotaur looked out at the destruction that laid before them. The two kings looked down at Celestia, the distressed princess continued to aid the crystal guard before her. Bjorn nudged Ironhoof in the back with a wing, trying to push the minotaur king forward. Ironhoof glared at Bjorn as he took a hoofstep forward, the gryphon king looked off to the side, avoiding the minotaur’s gaze.

        “Celestia, we don’t have the time or the forces to attempt a recapture of the crystal kingdom,” said Ironhoof. Bjorn stepped up from behind the minotaur.

        “He’s right Celestia… think of how many lives would be lost trying to attempt such a foolish idea,” said the gryphon king as he stood beside Ironhoof. Celestia was helping the crystal guard up to his hooves, but managed to make time for an ugly stare at the minotaur and gryphon.

        “I’m not leaving Cadence… She and her kingdom have put their necks out for me too many times. I won’t allow us to abandon her the one time she needs us.” Ironhoof sighed and stepped forward. The massive minotaur knelt down besides Celestia and looked at her with sympathy.

        “Have you forgotten that we’re supposed to be saving the world, Celestia? I know your friend means a lot to you, but try to understand the importance of our work.” The crystal guard was now on his hooves, a gryphon and pony helped the stallion walk away from the scene of destruction. Celestia stared at the ground, contemplating what she should do.

        “I… I…-” before Celestia could speak, she was interrupted by Ajax who stepped forward and stood next to the indecisive princess.

        “Trying to liberate an entire kingdom might be a bit much, but a rescue mission shouldn’t be out of our capabilities.” Bjorn stepped forward and growled at the man, his cracked beak rumbled as he did his best to hold in his anger.

        “Haven’t you been listening? Do you want dozens of lives to die trying to accomplish your reckless idea?”

        “It shouldn’t take long, we’ll arrive at the crystal kingdom by nightfall. The mission will be carried out by a small group of volunteers. You can sit on the sidelines and watch.”

        Bjorn sneered, the large gryphon turned and walked away.

        “Do whatever you please… I’ve given up with trying to reason with the likes of your kind.” Celestia watched the gryphon and minotaur walk away before looking over at Ajax with a smirk.

        “It would seem that you are on my side more than the gryphons and minotaurs are.”

        “You’ve had my back recently. I figured that it’s only fair for me to have yours. Besides, it was I who released Sombra from his prison, so I guess that I might be… partially responsible.” Celestia chuckled and shook her head.

        “I’m worried that I’m actually starting to like you Ajax. Hopefully we can continue to have each other’s backs.” Now, how do you propose we break in and free Cadence?”

        “We’ll have to wait and see what exactly we're up against, but I figure that you and I should suffice. If not we’ll bring one or two strong allies whom we can trust.”

        “I see,” said Celestia as she looked back out at the ruined site before them. Celestia sighed as she flapped her wings, shaking off dirt and dust from her white feathers. “Sadly, no other ponies seemed to have survived… this.”

        “We should quickly burn the bodies and get back to moving. We will only make it to the Crystal Kingdom if we don’t waste time.” Ajax began to grab the dead crystal ponies by their hooves and drag them into a large pile. Celestia found it hard to watch the man build the mass grave, but at least their spirits would be put to rest.

        “It’s kind of you to think about putting them to rest,” said Celestia as she trotted up to Ajax. The man ignited a black ember in his left hand and pointed it at the pile of corpses.

        “Oh… well, to be honest that’s not exactly why I did this,” said Ajax as he set the pile of bodies ablaze.

        “Then why did you?...”

        “Riggy Mortis…”

        “You mean that one pony we saw back near Tirek’s fortress?” asked Celestia. “The necromancer right?”

        “Right. He’s the one who’s been resurrecting the dead. However, it’s difficult for him to bring back those whose bodies have been burned.” Celestia stared at the burning mound of corpses.

        “I see...”

        “Let’s get going,” said Ajax as he adjusted his gear. “We’ve got a princess to save.”

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        “Your kingdom is quite lovely,” said a calm and collective voice.

        “Enough with the flattering! I only agreed to this because of whom you represent!” shouted an angered voice.

        An elegant dining hall filled with crystalline decoration and an assortment of crystal tableware. Crystal ponies who once gleamed brightly were now dulled with grey colors, servants to the king of the crystal empire. Two figures sat on opposite ends of an elegant table that stretched across the whole room. A stallion shrouded in a dark robe, wearing the skull of a deer over his head, and the infamous King Sombra himself. Sombra held a crystal glass in the air with his magic, the unicorn twirled the glass, spinning the golden liquid inside of it.

        “What does Malice want with me and my empire…?” Sombra took a sip from the elegant crystal chalice and looked across the long decorated table at his strange guest.

        “I do hope you are familiar with my master’s power. Usually situations like this tend to get out of hoof,” said the masked figure.

        “I know of your master. I wasn’t born yesterday. I’ve… associated with him before,” growled Sombra as he grit his teeth.

        “Wonderful! Well, Malice only wishes for your allegiance, give him that and he will reward you with an army the likes of which have never been seen.” King Sombra paused and narrowed his eyes on the masked figure.

        “What kind of army are we talking about?”

        “One who’s force could never be matched. A sectile of power and strength.” King Sombra raised an eyebrow, he was curious to hear more about this unstoppable army.

        “Let’s step outside and continue our conversation!” The two stallions stepped out onto a balcony that overlooked the Crystal Empire. Already, Sombra had placed the crystal ponies in chains and put them to work. The menacing king sighed with delight when he saw all the ponies toiling away. “How wonderful it is to be king once more.”

        “You seem to have a fancy for power,” said the masked stallion as the glowing red eyes behind the deer skull watched the slaves toil away.

        “Do you not?”

        “I indeed do, but not like you, Sombra. I admire power. I follow in its wake. I seek sources of ultimate strength, and even if they aren’t my own, I do what I must to remain in their presence.”

        “So you desire power?...”

        “Not exactly. I just admire it for what it is, all levels of it, whether it be good or evil, all I seek is power. Whether I serve or control it makes no difference to me. I guess you could say power is a twisted fetish of mine.” 

        “Your name was Riggy Mortis, right? Tell me Riggy, what is this unprecedented army that you promise me?” Riggy Mortis nodded his head and stepped back inside. Sombra followed after the unicorn.

        “You’ve never heard of me, but I’m sure you know of my colleague, Star Swirl the Bearded.” Sombra paused and raised an eyebrow, an evil grin grew across the unicorn’s face. 

“Star Swirl the Bearded, huh. My expectations of you just doubled, Riggy Mortis.”

“Yes well, I deal in a darker side of magic. I specialize in raising the dead.” Riggy Mortis walked over to a wagon that he had brought along with him. The cart’s wood was ancient and covered in moss. The masked stallion removed a large cloth from atop the cart, releasing the stench of death in Sombra’s castle. 

“I hope this smell doesn’t linger…” growled Sombra as he waved a hoof in front of his face.

“Pardon the odor, but the tools I work with sometimes go bad. However, despite being rotten they still function just as well as other fresh instruments.” Riggy Mortis’ red eyes darted from side to side as he rummaged through the trinkets and jars in his collection. “There we are,” said the stallion with his relaxed voice as he grabbed ahold of something with his front hooves. He grunted as he dragged the object off the wagon. “Heavier than I remember…”

“What exactly is it?” asked Sombra. Riggy Mortis slowly lowered an enormous jar of red liquid, which was filled with scraps of torn chunks. Sombra didn’t even want to guess what the scraps were.

“This here is the key to your unstoppable arm, Sombra.”

“I would like to see that...” mumbled Sombra as he sat back in an elegant crystal chair. “Go ahead, humor me.”

“First, to answer your question this here is a jar that contains a drop of blood from nearly every single pony, gryphon, and minotaur that died in the war against Ajax. Second thing you need to know, raising the dead is quite an easy task for me however… controlling what I raise is a completely different story. That’s why I have this.” Riggy Mortis held up a necklace with a large orange jewel in its center. “This allows me to beseech my lord, whenever I need his power. Thanks to Malice I’m able to raise more creatures than I ever could. I raise them to life, and he enslaves their will.”

“Very interesting, so how long would it take?” Sombra was now leaning forward in his chair. The pony necromancer had grabbed his attention.

“The process would take roughly a few minutes-”

“A few minutes?!”

“Yes… A few minutes. Anyways, would you care for a demonstration? I have some “special” specimen’s to show you.”

“Yes, yes, let’s see it!” exclaimed Sombra as he stood up and walked over to Riggy Mortis.

“Excited, aren’t you? Remember, although the army will be under your control, you serve Malice.”

“Don’t worry… that thought has yet to leave my mind…” growled Sombra.

“Good. Let’s get started then,” said Riggy Mortis as he held out a small vial, inside the clear tube was a small pool of blood. “You’ll be the first,” whispered the stallion to the vial of blood.

Darkness, a world beyond that of the realm of life. A land of eternal rest, peaceful in every single way, except when disturbed by foul magic. A green claw reached out into the pitch blacked realm and grabbed ahold of something. The being squirmed when it was awakened by the crushing grip. A flash of light engulfed the creature as the dark world in which it slumbered swept away from its sights. The unnatural feeling of air filled the beings lungs as its senses began to return to its body.

        “Where am I?! What’s happening to me?” cried out a voice as it was pulled out from the void of death. Sentient thoughts and memories flowed back into the creature's mind as it continued to be pulled into the realm of the living. As the lost thoughts of old came together to recreate that who once was, voices could be heard speaking around the distraught being.

        “He’s just standing there.”

        “Give it time, their thoughts and brain function takes a little more time to return.”

        Blinding light... light that certain eyes weren’t supposed to ever see again. Two eyes slowly opened and looked around the room, it didn’t take long for them to focus on the two unicorns that stood before them. Sombra stood frozen, gawking at whoever stood before him.

        “I don’t believe it. He looks completely normal, no zombified features or anything. I wouldn’t be able to tell what he was if it wasn’t for those burning orange eyes.”

        “That’s due to the master’s possession,” said Riggy Mortis. “The burning orange eyes are a side effect when they are under his control. 

The two orange eyes began to frantically look around the room, the resurrected being’s body was immobilized, he couldn’t move an inch. Fear began to take over his heart, he had no idea what was going on.

        “Where am I!? What’s going on!?” shouted a voice. Riggy Mortis stepped forward, his bone skull headpiece inches away from the worried eyes that frantically darted around the room.

        “Take your time, make sure you’ve regained all your senses. You should feel privileged, you were the first I resurrected for the unstoppable army. However, that shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. What is an army without its general? Right, Horizon Star?”

        A white stallion with a short black mane stood before Riggy Mortis and Sombra. The stallions blue eyes now burned a hellish orange. The pony breathed heavy as he tried to recall the last thing he remembered.

        “What’s going on?! Who are you!” shouted Horizon Star. Riggy Mortis placed a hoof on the earth pony’s shoulder.

        “Horizon Star, you were dead. I brought you back to life, but there's no point in telling you all this. You will have you full memory in due time.” Sombra stepped forward and chuckled at the resurrected pony.

        “So you’re telling me that you can make an army of ponies, just like him?” Riggy Mortis gave the king of the crystal empire a reassuring nod.

        “Correct, I have gathered samples of nearly every soldier who died in battle against Ajax. It was quite easy, all I had to do was raid a few mass graves. It took no more than a few days to accomplish.”

        “Wonderful.” Sombra looked out at his kingdom through a large regal window. It was now nighttime, the moon sat high above his empire, but that didn’t mean his workers found rest. Even in the dead of night, crystal ponies continued to slave away in crystal mines, praying to be overlooked by task masters. “With an army like this, I would be practically unstoppable. I could rule forever.”

        “You should check your phrasing, Sombra,” said Riggy Mortis as he stepped forward. “Don’t forget who you serve now.”

        “Of course! Of course! How many times do you plan on reminding me!? Anyways, when do you think you will have-” Sombra paused. The tyrannical king looked back at Riggy and Horizon Star with a suspicious expression. “Did you hear that?”

        “No, what-” Riggy Mortis stopped mid-sentence when the entire room began to shake. Dust and shards of crystal fell from the ceiling above and scattered across the floor. “I suppose you were talking about that.”

        “Stay here,” ordered Sombra as he turned into a shadow and dove into a crystal wall, the crystal king left only a trail of dark shadow behind him. Riggy Mortis looked over at Horizon Star and approached the stallion, flipping the pages of an old tome as he approached.

        “When you regain your mind you’ll be useful as a tactician, but how about we spruce you up a bit? Let’s shape you up so that you can see more action up close, shall we?” Horizon Star was helpless, he was now the subject of this mad pony’s experiment. “I have a lot of interesting things that I wish to try.”

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        “Could you make a bigger commotion?!”

        Twilight, Trixie, Celestia, and Ajax had already managed to sneak their way into the Crystal Empire and were now lurking in the dungeon below. The dungeon was full of towering crystals that rose up to the ceiling, needless to say it was a dark and dreary place. 

        “I forget my own strength sometimes,” said Ajax with a shrug. The man had just disposed of an entire squad of Sombra’s guards, but seemed to forget to do it in a stealthy manner. 

        “I’m sure somepony is bound to come searching for us now,” groaned Celestia

        “Just more reasons as to why we should find the Crystal Princess and leave,” said Ajax as he ran ahead. “She’s bound to be down here somewhere.” The small squad of heroes continued to search throughout the prison cell, but found nopony at all.

        “Maybe she’s not down here,” said Twilight as she came to a stop.

        “My, my, my, look who's broken into my kingdom…” Ajax, Trixie, Twilight and Celestia backed up against one another, their eyes searching for Sombra. The king’s menacing tone was all too recognizable. A dark cloud of smoke poured out from a crystal and gave shape to King Sombra. Purple energy emitted from the kings green glowing red eyes, he wore his attire of steel armor, adorned with his red king’s cape.

        “How interesting… It would seem that you and Celestia are working together, Ajax. Tell me, how did you so easily forget your thousand year banishment and deceased race?”

        “Sombra…” said Ajax with a smirk. “Looking good, when I first met you, you were a popsicle deep underground.

        “Quick to remind me as to why I detested your very presence I see.” A blast of purple energy blew through the unicorn, but the twisted tyrant had managed to transform his being into a clouded form of darkness before the attack could really harm him.
        
        “Somepony is quite impatient,” hissed Sombra as he turned his glare towards Twilight. The alicorn’s horn still steamed with heat from the intense level of magic. “No matter, I suppose allowing you four to wander my dungeon for all eternity is proper punishment.” When Sombra finished speaking, pillars of crystal shot up from the ground, separating the heroes and creating a crystalline labyrinth that rose up to the ceiling. “The four of you will picked off one by one, your last moments will be alone, lost in this labyrinth.” Sombra’s diabolical laugh echoed throughout the dungeon.

        Ajax immediately tried breaking down the crystal wall, but the process proved to take too much time for such little reward. “All four of us are more than capable of defending ourselves! Be careful though, we don’t know what Sombra has in store for us!” shouted Ajax.

        “Understood!”

        “This shall be child's play for a unicorn of my stature!”

        “Sombra won’t know what hit him!”

        The party of four split off down their own path of the labyrinth. Ajax dashed down hallway after hallway, showing no concern for mapping his location. The man held his large ebony sword in his hand, using it to come to litteral grinding stops when he needed to turn a sharp corner. The man continued to charge forward with his superhuman speed, his eyes focused only on what was ahead of him. 

        “Sheesh this place is huge…” groaned Ajax as he stopped to catch his breath. The man had been sprinting for nearly half an hour. He was now lost and exhausted. Ajax took deep breaths and began to walk further down the labyrinth. He placed his large ebony sword on his back, both of his massive blades sat firmly on his back crossed over one another. After a few minutes of walking Ajax heard a slight cough echo in the labyrinth. 

        “Hello?” Ajax looked around, he began to doubt that he had heard anything at all. “Hello?!” The man cupped his hands in order to project his voice further.

        “Who’s there?!” responded a voice in the distance. Ajax turned around and began to retrace his steps, he used his sense of hearing to track down whoever he had heard. The man turned a corner and found himself walking alongside a wall of the actual room. The wall contained empty prison cells, except for one cell.

        “I can hear your hoofsteps! Are you the jailer?! Please, we haven’t had water or food for days!”

        Ajax recognized the voice, the man quickly rushed to the bars of the prison door. Ajax looked down and saw a pink alicorn laying on the floor. Her hair was a ruffled  mess, her coat stained with dirt. Princess Cadences’ eyes stared at the human who towered over her, she quickly pushed herself backwards deeper into the cell.

        “No! Not you! Get away from me!” shouted the alicorn, her eyes full of fear.

        “Man what a lucky break!” exclaimed Ajax. “Let’s get you out of there shall we.” Ajax grabbed a bar of the cell and began to individual rip them off the prison cell. The man stepped inside the dim light chamber and approached the crystal princess. “Hey, take it easy princess. I’m on your side now.” Ajax knelt down beside Cadance and reached out for her. 

        “Don’t even think about it you fiend!” Ajax’s attempt at a rescue was met with a flurry of hooves to the face. The man grabbed ahold of the princess as she continued to bombard her front hooves into his face. The man’s voice stuttered due to the princess’ onslaught.

        “Stop-”
        
        “Hitting-”

        “Me-”

        “I’m-”

        “Here-”

        “To save-”

        “You-” Cadence didn’t seem to care for a word Ajax said, she continued to bash hoof after hoof into his face. “Stop hitting me for a moment!” shouted the man as black fire erupted around him. Cadence pulled her hooves back, she finally allowed the man a chance to speak. “I’m here with Celestia. We’ve come to rescue you.”

        “You think were stupid enough to believe something like that?!” shouted a voice. Ajax turned around and saw a figure approach him from out of the darkness of the cell. A stallion that he hadn’t seen for ages. The pony had a white coat with a long mane, made up of different shades of blue. The unicorn’s horn glowed with magic, he was ready for a fight.

“Holy Shi-... Shining Armor. It’s good to see you. You seemed to have healed well after…”

“After you set me on fire?!” growled the stallion as he stepped towards the man.

“Yeah... I guess you would still be upset about that… but were on the same side now… buddy”

“I don’t think it’s that easy, buddy! There’s no way Celestia is here with you, nopony can forgive you for what you’ve done.”

“Look, I’m not here to ask for forgiveness. If whooping your ass unconscious and dragging you out of here is what I got to do, then so be it.”

“Round two then…” growled Shining Armor as his horn sparked with magic.

        Cries of battle rang out in the labyrinth, but it was only ambient noise in the distance for a purple alicorn. Twilight Sparkle was marching through the crystal labyrinth marking her location on a self-drawn map. The pony was leaving a trail of paper shreds behind her in order to ensure that she could always retrace her steps.

        “Twilight Sparkle!” Twilight stopped when she heard the voice call out to her. The alicorn looked back and saw Trixie galloping towards her. The unicorn came to a sliding stop, huffing and puffing before Twilight.

        “I wondered what was at the end of the paper trail. Pretty clever idea, leaving a trail for others to find you.” Twilight nodded her head at Trixie.

        “Looks like we’ll have to work together.” Trixie adjusted her hat and cape before looking up at Twilight.

        “Well then, lead the way!” exclaimed the unicorn as she pointed a hoof further down the labyrinth. A horrendous laugh echoed in the labyrinth, but it wasn’t Sombra, it was something else. Twilight and Trixie looked around, searching for the source of the crazed laugh.

        “Lucky of me to find two lovely specimens to add to my collection.” In a burst of green fire Riggy Mortis appeared in the labyrinth. The masked pony cocked his head to the side, his red eyes staring at the two mares before him. “You two will be fine additions to my collection. I’m quite a fan of you two… you both wield such amazing… power,” the stallion shuddered when he said the word “power”. He red eyes curved upwards in ecstasy. The masked pony cleared his throat before speaking with his calm and monotonous voice again. “Before you can become proper specimens you must die. So let’s begin the process, shall we?”

        “Do you even know who you’re speaking to?! I’m The Great and Powerful Trixie and she is The Princess of Magic! Tell me, how do you plan on comparing to the likes of us?!” shouted Trixie. Her and Twilight held the ground, the two mares showed no fear towards Riggy Mortis.

        “My dear, I’m a necromancer. Fighting my opponents myself is not what I do,” said Riggy Mortis as he pressed a hoof against his chest. The cloaked stallion held up a vial of blood, air snorted out the nostrils of the deer skull as the pony observed the red liquid. “I’ve held onto this for quite some time. I always wanted to save it for the right moment, I think that might be now.” Riggy threw the vial of blood onto the labyrinth floor a figure emerged out of the ground as green fire surrounded it.

        “No way…” muttered Twilight as she stepped back. Trixie gulped when she laid eyes on the resurrected figure. Two eyes burning with orange fire slowly opened up and looked between the two mares. The stallion wore a robe and hat similar to Trixie’s, but embroidered with a different pattern. A mixture of stars and crescent moons adorned the stallion’s robes. Bells could be seen hanging at the end of the pony’s hat and cape. The elderly stallion stroked his long beard as he looked around, trying to understand where exactly he was.

        “I say… Where am I?”

        “Good to see you again, Star Swirl,” said Riggy Mortis as he trotted up next to the elderly pony. Star Swirl’s eyes glared at the masked pony, the stallion’s kindling orange eyes burned with hatred when he saw the necromancer.

        “Riggy… how dare you use your foul magic on me!”

        “That’s no way to thank me for bringing you back to life!”

        “The dead should remain dead! When will you cease pursuing this foul magic of yours?!” Riggy Mortis rolled his beady red eyes from behind the deer skull. The pony let out a sigh.

        “A thousand years into the future and I see you still insist on lecturing me! How can you consider yourself a master of magic when you are too afraid to explore its power fully?”

        “I don’t fear magic! I respect its power! Like you should!” shouted Star Swirl. The entire labyrinth shook under the angered stallion’s voice.

        “THEN RESPECT MY POWER!” roared Riggy Mortis as he pointed a hoof at Star Swirl. The legendary wizard fell to his knees as a burning sensation overtook his body. The stallion turned towards Twilight and Trixie, his body quivered, trying to resist the dark magic, but it was no use.

        “Whoever you are! I beg you, run! I can’t control my actions!” shouted Star Swirl. The idea of running crossed Twilight and Trixie’s mind, both knew the legend they were up against. They couldn’t believe that Riggy had such an ace up his sleeve. The cloaked stallion laughed as he vanished in a burst of green hellfire.

        “I’ll return when you’ve completed your assignment… brother.” Star Swirl clenched his teeth together.

        “Turned into one of his puppets, how embarrassing…” the stallion’s burning orange eyes looked forward at the two mares standing before him. “Whomever you are, I see that you are brave enough to stand your ground. I can only pray that somehow you have the power to defeat me and return me to the eternal slumber.” Twilight stepped forward and approached the resurrected stallion.

        “I had always hoped to meet you Star Swirl. I just wished it was under better circumstances.” Trixie followed behind Twilight, her eyes fixated on Star Swirl. “Let’s not beat around the bush. You have no choice but to fight us.” Star Swirl nodded, his horn now glowed white with intense magical energy.

        Star Swirl fired a beam of blinding magic from his horn. The stallion spread his hooves as he continued to pour his energy into the blast. Trixie teleported in front of Twilight and conjured a barrier of tiny lights, that resembled stars. The stars interconnected with one another, similar to that of a constellation. The protective barrier absorbed the full force of the blast. Twilight spread her wings and dashed to the side out from behind the barrier. She began to quickly fire rapid bursts of magic from her horn at Star Swirl.

        The elderly stallion’s orange burning eyes turned to a devilish red as a construct of star like lights formed an open human palm in front of him and blocked Twilight’s attack. “You there! The blue one! Was that arcane magic?!” shouted Star Swirl as a second fist emerged from stardust to accompany the second.

        “I have a lot of neat things to show you!” shouted Trixie as her horn glowed with magic. The unicorn summoned constructs of starry apparitions herself. A scorpion and a ram made out of cosmic bodies now stood before Star Swirl.

        “We’ll I’ll be…” whispered Star Swirl when he saw the two divine beings. A burst of magic erupted beneath Star Swirl propelling him up into the air. Twilight Sparkle emerged from beneath the blast, the pony’s wings were surrounded with a see through coating of magic that tripled their size. The alicorn swung her wings at Star Swirl, each sweep sent out magical purple feathers. Star Swirl quickly teleported to the ground, barely avoiding the explosive feathers. “It seems that the purple one is no push over either…” muttered the stallion wizard.

        A gleaming white pincer shot towards Star Swirl, Trixie’s summoned scorpion apparition held the old stallion in its clutches. Star Swirl extended his hooves outward, a ripple of magic eliminated the living constellation in the flash of an eye. The stallion glanced back at the alicorn diving down towards him. A burst of light flashed at the tip of his horn, blinding Twilight. The purple mare rubbed her eyes as she tried to regain her vision, but a beam of white energy struck her from above and pressed her against the floor. Twilight’s skin burned, the ancient wizard’s attacks carried a heavy weight to them.

        “You two must work together to defeat me! You show the potential! Please! I know you two are capable of it!” shouted Star Swirl as he galloped towards Twilight. Trixie appeared between Star Swirl and Twilight, the unicorn’s eyes glowed white with energy as she channeled magic into her horn. “SLOPPY!” shouted Star Swirl as he summoned a portal between Trixie’s front hooves. The pony fell forward and slammed her chin against the hard crystal floor.

        Twilight pushed herself up and jumped over Trixie, she charged the legendary wizard head on, Star Swirl fired beams of magic from his horn at the alicorn. Twilight dodged the explosive shots with the help of her wings, before quickly spinning around and pushing Star Swirl back with a large gust of wind.

        “I guess he lives up to the hype…” muttered Trixie as she stepped up next to Twilight. The unicorn was rubbing the bottom of her chin.

        “If we combine our efforts we should be able to pull this off,” said Twilight as she looked over at Trixie. “We’re both strong because we fight for our friends, right?”

        “RIGHT!” cheered Trixie as she gave the purple alicorn a nod. The sound of hoofsteps rang out in labyrinth. The two mares turned to see Star Swirl approaching them. They still had yet to put a scratch on the stallion.

        “Tell me, what are your names, heroes?” asked Star Swirl as he continued to stare at them with his burning orange eyes.

        “Twilight Sparkle.”

        “The Great and Powerful T-T-Trixie!!!”

        A smirk came across the stallion’s face.

        “It’s good to know that ponies like you two are still around. You two have a lot of potential. I know-” Star Swirl’s speech was cut short when a burning pain filled his body once again. “This power… it’s impossible to resist…” grunted the stallion as the burning orange eyes began to turn red. “Twilight, Trixie, enough holding back! End this once and for all. Please!”

        Both Twilight and Trixie began to channel as much magic as they could into their horns. Star Swirl began to do the very same. The labyrinth walls began to shake as the ponies flooded the dungeon with godlike magical energy. Three of the strongest magic users in all of Equestria gathered all they could in one location. Rifts and tears between realms and realities began to emerge as the intense power flooded the labyrinth maze. 

        An enormous alicorn constructed out of burning violet fire surrounded Twilight as she continued to derive all the magic her very being could muster. The enormous burning pony’s eyes shot open as it readied to charge forward.

        Trixie had surrounded herself in arcane magic, creating a celestial construct that resembled that of a lion. The starry wonder gleamed brightly as its paws rested on the rift of magical energy that was now the labyrinth floor. 

        The lion and alicorn glared at the towering figure that stood in front of them. The reality around them had now warped into a realm of pure magical energy. Before the magical lion and alicorn stood an enormous orange eye. Hovering at the eye’s sides were two flaming gauntlets. The fists burned like stars, a blinding light that was impossible to stare at. The two flaming gauntlets slammed against each other, sending out a shockwave that shook the entire crystal kingdom. Beams of shear energy shot out from the site of magical power, searing holes and cuts into the crystal labyrinth walls.

        The celestial lion growled at the divine eye as the burning violent alicorn beside grinded a hoof against the crystal floor, leaving streaks of burning violet fire in its wake. The three beings hurled towards one another in the flash of an eye. The two flaming gauntlets beside the eye grabbed ahold of both the lion’s and alicorn’s neck. The two enormous constructs of magic cried out as the grips around their necks began to choke them. The divine eye looked between the two beings before closing as if it had accepted the two divine creature’s fates.

        A lion’s roar cried out, grabbing both the eye and the alicorn’s attention. The celestial constellation held out a paw towards the violet alicorn. The magical mare raised a hoof and reached for the celestial lion. The divine fists continued to grip the creature’s neck, its burning grip slowly draining them of all life. 

        The lion and alicorn tried their best to touch hoof and paw, but were just out of reach. The orange fire surrounding the burning eye flickered off, then red, then orange. The eye twitched as the corrupted flame flickered on and off. The two burning gauntlets began to slowly bring the alicorn and lion together. The eye stared wildly at the two beings as the orange fire returned permanently.

        With one final reach the lion and alicorn touched hoof and paw. A blast of magical energy blew down labyrinth walls all around the three divine creatures. The entire kingdom shook as something that nopony had ever witnessed in magic before... came true. The throats in each of the burning gauntlets vanished. A white silhouette appeared before the burning divine eye. A new creature emerged, a creature with the horn of an alicorn, a mane of a lion, front hooves and a lion’s hide. The new creature cried out as it bolted toward the burning eye before it. Two flaming gauntlets shot toward the creature, but disintegrated as they came into contact with the creature. The burning eye stared helplessly as they beast hurled towards it. 

        The eye opened wide before closing, it gladly accepted its fate.

        After the dust had settled, two mares could be seen standing over a stallion. Star Swirl’s burning eyes slowly faded away, the pony had a smile on his face as he slowly returned to where he belonged.

        “Thank you… I can rest easy knowing that magic is in the hands of mares like you… Please, remove my brother from this world… he’s overstayed his welcome.” Twilight knelt down and held one of Star Swirl’s hooves.

        “Don’t you worry, Star Swirl. Riggy Mortis and his master will get what’s coming to them. I promise you.” Star Swirl smiled at the alicorn.

        “Thank you Twilight... and thank you Great and Powerful Trixie.” The stallion’s body erupted in green fire as his body turned to ash. Twilight stood up, trying her best to not shed a tear. Trixie trotted up beside the alicorn and slapped a hoof on her back.

        “We make an excellent team, Twilight!”

        “Yeah, we kinda do, don’t we…” chuckled Twilight.

        “Say were you worried that we would become some type of fused monstrosity near the end. Like our fusion would actually carry over into our normal bodies?” Twilight rolled her eyes.

        “You hang out with that human too much, Trixie.”

        “W-what?! I do not. He’s my best friend, am I not supposed to hang out with him?!” shouted Trixie as she hid her face from Twilight. Twilight raised an eyebrow.

        “Are you alright?” asked Twilight.

        “O-of course! Let’s just keep moving,” said Trixie as she galloped forward.

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        “God damn you two are heavy!” 

        Ajax grunted as he marched forward. The man was carrying Princess Cadence across his shoulders and dragging Shining Armor by his tail. All three figures were scuffed and bruised from their squabbles with one another. Both ponies had been knocked out by Ajax and were now being hauled around as if they were luggage.

        “Saving princess… is a lot harder than trying to kill them…” groaned Ajax as he tugged Shining Armor forward once more.

        “Ajax!” shouted a voice. The man looked back and saw Celestia galloping frantically towards him. The alicorn noticed the two unconscious ponies and began to check up on them. “What happened to them?” she asked as she looked up at Ajax.

        “They… were tortured until they passed out. I found them like this.” Ajax scratched the back of his head as he tried to pass of his story to Celestia. “Anyways, now you get to carry one,” said Ajax as he hoisted Shining Armor off the ground and threw him across Celestia’s back. “Any sign of Twilight or Trixie?” Celestia shook her head.

        “No, but I’m sure you’ve been feeling the entire kingdom shake. I fear that somepony or something attacked one of them.”

        “I’m sure they managed just fine. Our pupils are one of a kind.” Ajax adjusted the passed out alicorn on his back and looked back at Celestia. “I guess we wander around until we find them, unless you have a better idea?” Celestia shook her head.

        “You lead, I’ll follow.” The man and pony carried on through the crystal labyrinth, searching for Twilight and Trixie. Ajax continued to look forward as he talked to the princess.

        “Do you think that I can be forgiven?” Celestia raised an eyebrow, she couldn’t see the expression of the man in front of her. Unable to determine the sincerity of the question, Celestia decided to ask one of her own.

        “What exactly do you mean?” Ajax paused for a moment to gather his thoughts.

        “I mean... I thought you would be the last pony to ever side with me, but it seems like you were the first. However it seems impossible to gain anypony else’s trust. Sometimes I forget just how many enemies I have created.” Celestia was slow to respond.

        “You’re a clever guy. If you could trick me into being your ally I’m sure you could do it to anypony else,” said Celestia sarcastically as she rolled her eyes.

        “The last thing I wish to do is deceive those whose trust I seek…” Celestia cleared her throat, she hadn’t realized that Ajax was taking the matter seriously. She had thought he was messing with her like he always did.

        “I uh…” Before the alicorn had the chance to reprimand her previous statement, the two of them came across a wide open area. The labyrinth path, and many others, led to a site of desolation. Labyrinth walls had been leveled by destructive forces that were hard to comprehend. “What do you think happened here?” mumbled Celestia as she looked out at the destruction. Ajax raised his hand and pointed towards the center of the room. In the middle of the destruction stood two mares, Trixie and Twilight.

        “Looks like they are getting along well,” chuckled Ajax.

        “Yea…” said Celestia as she looked out at the two ponies.

        “Perhaps we should schedule another play date in the future.” Celestia furrowed her brow in confusion at the man.

        “You know? You make so many jokes it’s hard to tell when you’re being serious…” Ajax shrugged, and approached Twilight and Trixie.

        “Hey!” shouted the man as he waved at the two mares. Twilight and Trixie turned to see Celestia and Ajax approaching them. “Did you two cause all this?!” Twilight and Trixie galloped forward and met the man and alicorn in the middle.

        “Shining Armor!?” cried Twilight as she rushed to her brothers side. “Cadance!” she shouted as she darted towards the Crystal Princess. The purple alicorn continuously shot back and forth between the two unconscious ponies as she did her best to check up on both of them simultaneously. Ajax knelt down and fist/hoof bumped Trixie.
        
        “I see you did your best to keep things subtle around here,” said Ajax as he looked out at the massive hole the two ponies had placed in the middle of the crystal labyrinth “Shouldn’t be hard to find the exit now, seeing how you blew away half the maze.”

        “Oh this little crater?” said Trixie as she looked around at the leveled crystal labyrinth. “Doing this was simple child’s play for the Great and Powerful Trixie,” said Trixie as she proudly took off and dusted her hat.

        “Course it was.” Ajax ruffled the unicorn’s hair with his one arm, messing up the pony’s dual colored mane. The man gave the pony a big smile, but Trixie didn’t find it as amusing. She quickly sprung at Ajax while his guard was down and rubbed her hoofs all over his scalp.

        “How do you like it!?”

        “H-Hey! Stop it! You’re messing up my hair!”

        “That’s the idea!” Ajax finally managed to push the unicorn off him. He stood up and tried to straighten out his long white hair as Trixie did the same with her mane. While the two of them tried to undo each other’s cruelty, Ajax glanced back over at Trixie.

        “I am glad that you are safe though, Trixie.” Trixie continued to brush her mane, avoiding eye contact with the man.

“I know… I’m glad that you’re alright as well.” Celestia and Twilight stepped forward, the two mares were carrying Shining Armor and Princess Cadance.

       “Thanks to the wide open area, we found a path that leads out of the labyrinth,” said Twilight. “We’re ready to move whenever you two are.”

The small party of heroes had finally made their escape. They were out of the labyrinth and were now running through the halls of the crystal castle itself. Twilight led the group since she claimed to know the crystal castle’s halls the best. The group bursted through another pair of twin doors and stumbled into an elegant dining hall. 

“There’s a balcony over there!” shouted Twilight as she pointed to the possible escape route.

“Let’s go!” shouted Celestia as she charged forward. “The longer we wait around the less of a chance we will have at escaping!” The alicorn galloped down the elegant crystal room, but a figure quickly grabbed her and pulled her to the floor. The alicorn looked up at who was on top of her, she saw a pair of green eyes staring at her. Ajax lifted the alicorn up to her hooves, that’s when she noticed the searing hole in the floor behind them.

“What in Equestria is that!?” shouted Trixie as she pointed a hoof at something. Ajax and Celestia looked up and saw a stallion approaching them. His eyes burned a hellish orange, what remained of his white coat was now contorted with cracks of green energy that dispersed across his entire body. Most of the stallion’s hair had fallen out, all that remained were shriveled thin strands of what once was a well kept black mane. A purple horn sat on top of the stallion’s head, stitched on, showing no concern for correspondence. Orange wings flapped as they stretched themselves, they too had been attached through unnatural methods.

“Whatever it is, it’s part of the past now!” shouted Ajax as he drew his sword and swung at the creature. Before Ajax could strike him down, a magical grip grabbed ahold of him and dragged him back towards Celestia. The man looked back and saw that it was Celestia herself who had stopped Ajax from taking down the disfigured creature. Celestia’s lips trembled, her eyes fixated on the construct standing before them.

“Shining Armor…” whispered the alicorn in disbelief. The creature wheezed with each unnatural breath. It’s orange burning eyes, glared at Celestia.

“Princess…” mumbled the creature as its gaze turned towards Ajax. “You…” gasped Horizon Star. The maimed pony glared at Ajax, its eyes flared with hatred when they saw the man. Ajax turned to Celestia, shouting in frustration.

“He’s been resurrected by the necromancer, and by the looks of it, subjected to his demented experiments. We must put an end to him. His mind isn’t even intact after all the horrendous operations Riggy did to him.

“Y-you,” cracked the voice of Equestria’s once famed general. Celestia, Twilight, Ajax, and Trixie turned to see Horizon Star shaking, the four ponies prepared themselves, unsure if the stallion was preparing an attack.

“You… hero…?” said Horizon Star as he continued to stare at Ajax, before looking down at himself.

“Me… villain…” A flood of tears began to pour out the constructed alicorn’s left eye, only streams of blood trickled down the right. “No… fair... How…” Trixie stamped her hooves in the ground.

“His will isn’t his own! The accursed orange eyes are testament enough! End his unnatural life, he’s in horrible pain for goodness sake!” Horizon Star’s eyes burned a vibrant red as he looked up at Ajax.

“You… enemy… I will save… princess!” Horizon star’s sewed on purple horn glowed brightly as Ajax was dragged across the ground, towards the abomination of an alicorn. The man dug his sword into the ground, but couldn’t manage to dig the blade into the hard crystal floor. Ajax turned to Horizon Star, he was now face to face with the resurrected war hero. The man quickly grabbed ahold of the pony’s horn. With little effort the attached horn tore off the stallion's head, Ajax pushed himself back as blood gushed out of Horizon’s head and onto his chest.

Despite the fountain of blood in front of his face, Horizon Star seemed to care not for the blood loss gushing out from his head. He now reared back his orange wings, preparing to lash out at the man, but a wall of short white fur appeared before him. The stallions demonic red eyes, returned to a kindling orange as he looked up at the alicorn.

“Princess…?” Celestia found it hard to look at the creature, despite being so disfigured, it still reminded her of Horizon Star. The alicorn wrapped her hooves around the pony.

“I’m sorry, Horizon. I promise that you’ll be avenged for what happened to you this day.”

“Not so fast there, Celestia.” The princess was tugged away from the monstrous stallion by a force of green magic. In an eruption of green fire Riggy Mortis appeared next to Horizon Star and picked up the severed purple horn.

“Do you have any idea how hard it was to stitch this thing on?” groaned the unicorn as he held it against the hole in Horizon Star’s head. Celestia’s eyes burned gold with solar wrath, the alicorn rushed forward. She swung a golden spear constructed from gold fire at the masked stallion, but Riggy vanished before the princess could land her attack.

“Show yourself coward!” cried Celestia before she looked back at Horizon Star. Celestia froze when she saw the figure that was once her old friend.

“You knew him? Of course you did he was your general, or at least he was until he was severed in half by one of Ajax’s robots. Such a sad fate, to give your life for the one you serve, to only be resurrected to kill them.”

“What have you done to him you fiend!” shouted Twilight as she slowly trotted around the room, searching for Riggy’s whereabouts.

“I took the inspiration directly from you Twilight Sparkle…”

“What?” mumbled Twilight.

“Ever since I heard you became an alicorn I was curious to see if I could replicate similar results. By the looks of it I was quite successful.” Riggy Mortis once again appeared next to the mindless stallion. “Unfortunately the process might’ve messed with his mental capacity, if you haven’t noticed he’s kind of on the slow side,” laughed the necromancer. “However both his wings and horn are functional... kind of.” Riggy Mortis pushed a hoof under Cosmic Ray’s jaw and held his head up. “Besides, now he can finally join that little ‘Royal Guard’ club that he always wanted to. Isn’t that right Celestia?” A blast of golden fire narrowly missed the masked unicorn. Riggy Mortis once again vanished, the necromancer rarely ever stood his own ground.

“Anyways feel free to dispose of my trash. Horizon Star was only good for his strategic knowledge. Unfortunately, it seems that I’ve ruined his mind, but you know what they say ‘no risk no reward’.” The four heroes waited in silence for Riggy Mortis to say something else, but the cruel stallion was finally gone.

“He wants us to do his dirty work,” sneered Ajax as he began drawing his sword. “Unfortunately we have no choice.”

“No!” shouted Celestia as her hooves grabbed Ajax’s hand, preventing him from pulling out his massive ebony blade. Ajax raised an eyebrow, he looked back at the alicorn behind him who was preventing him from drawing his weapon.

“Let’s be honest. It would be easy for all of us if I did this.”

“I don’t care if about what’s easy!” shouted Celestia. Ajax stepped aside and let the alicorn pass. She stepped forward and stood before Cosmic Ray. The once glorious general stood before the princess as a festering abomination, his mind void of all sensible thought. His eyes no longer burned with Malice’s hellish fire, he no longer had a purpose to serve… to either side. Celestia averted her gaze, she couldn’t stand seeing her once loyal general like this. She felt responsible, if only she had tried harder maybe… just maybe…

“Princess…” Celestia couldn’t believe it, Horizon Star still could speak, despise his decomposing body.

“Horizon Star? Do you still remember me?”

“Always…” mumbled the stallion’s dying voice. Despite having lost nearly every ability to speak and all his past memories. The stallion still managed to remember his loyalty to princess, his duty was engraved into his very being, inseparable.

“Thank you… so much, Horizon. I swear to bring justice to the one who’s done this to you.” Celestia took a deep breath as her horn began to glow gold with her magic. Cosmic Ray let out one final sigh as he was finally set free from the world. A magic burning spear jutted out from the back of Horizon’s neck, ending his unnatural life quickly and without discomfort. The pony went limp, before igniting into a green inferno and turning to ash. Ajax was still squeezing out fresh blood from his blood stained rags. 

“That’s… That’s why you burn the bodies,” he grunted as he wiped his blood written hands on his sides. Celestia slowly dragged a hoof through the pile of darkened ash.

“No mercy…” The alicorn glanced back at her allies, the very irises in her skull burned gold like tiny stars. “I will show no mercy for this necromancer…” she growled. Ajax stepped towards the balcony, still drenched in Horizon’s blood.

“Right, but first let’s stop the end of the world,” he said as he motioned for them to leave.