Ch.1 In For The Long Haul

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The train rumbled softly as it glided across the tracks along the Canterlot mountain. The sky was grey with clouds that had yet to burst into tears of rain. An eerie silence hangs in the air of cart 5-B. A mismatch of people sit inside it.

"I call bullshit!" Scarlet Streak said with a certain amount of anger in her voice, blowing a lock of scarlet red hair out of her face. "There's no way that she can't handle this herself."

"Maybe Princess better things to do then go to backwater town to fix stuff." Rasputin said in his broken english, his thick stalliongrad accent making it almost impossible to understand what he's saying.

"Why you little!" Scarlet said. Little, on the other hand, was not the right way to describe Rasputin. He was by far the tallest of the five, standing at a gigantic seven foot two inches. His bulky muscular frame taking up most of the seat he was sitting on.

"Knock it off you two, I'm getting a headache." Midnight Star spoke for the first time during the entire train ride. The Ninja had all of her face covered but her dark purple eyes. Which were closed in a near sleep state.

"But she start thing!" Rasputin countered, his dull silver eyes glaring daggers at the Ninja.

"Did not!" Scarlet said.

The two couldn't speak anymore as their mouths were closed in an ethereal blue aura, which belonged to Jaina Wilson.

"One more word and neither of you will have any vocal cords left." She continued.

Scarlet and Rasputin could only nod in defeat.

"Cut them some slack Jaina, we're all on edge and none of us asked for this but we don't have a choice." The final member of the group said. Griffin Wilson, brother to Jaina and leader of the five.

Jaina sighed as she rubbed her eyes. "Fine. I'm sorry Scar, Ras." She reluctantly said.

"Apology accepted." Rasputin complied with a small smile across his unkempt face.

Scarlet merely grunted.

After about four hours of silence the train arrives in Ponyville station.

"This can't possibly end well." Scarlet Streak says with a tone of pure boredom as she looks out over the station, only to be hit by the fact that it was annoyingly busy.

"Let's go." Griffin said with some seriousness as he walked into town. The other four following him. Rasputin carrying the five bags they had with them.

As they walked through town they caught a lot of attention being thrown their way.

"Who're they?"

"I don't know but they don't seem very nice."

Were among the various things said about them.

"Master, I have spotted what appears to be living cotton candy nearing our position." Midnight Star said in a hushed tone.

"Thank you Star, I'll keep that in mind." Griffin replied. He didn't really know why, but Star always reffers to him as Master. And nothing else.

"I caught pink thing. What happens now?" Rasputin said five minutes later, holding up a pink poofball in his left arm.

"Oh my gosh I didn't know you were this strong!" The pink poofball said super quickly. Causing Ras to drop it and raise his left foot above it.

"I crush pink thing?" He corrected himself. To the horror of a number of onlookers.

"No. Prolly not very smart." Scarlet answered.

"Oh. Okay." Ras said as he dropped his left foot besides his right. The pink poofball dissappeared in a flash.

"Fast." Midnight said in surprise.

"No matter, town hall is right there." Griffin said, pointing to a small tower in the middle of town.

As the five entered, Rasputin needing to duck to fit through the door frame, they caught sight of a small desk at the very right with what was undoubtedly a receptionist sitting behind it.

"C-can I help you?" She asked, her voice shaking a little as she looked at Rasputin.

"Yes. We have been given a house to reside in. Under the name of FF Inc." Griffin replied as he walked over to the desk.

The receptionist relaxed a bit at Griffin's calm but proffesional demeanor. It also helped that he was a full foot smaller then Ras. "Of course. Ah yes, down main street, the third road to your right and then the seventh house on the left." She said as she handed him five keys.

"Thank you, miss..." Griffin said.

"Green House, my name is Green House." The receptionist replied.

"Thank you miss House, have a nice day." Griffin said with a small smile, his bright yellow eyes reflecting the receptionists smile.

When they finally reached their house Midnight noticed something. "Wait. The door's unlocked, I'll have a look." She said as she closed her eyes. "About thirty people are inside here. No hostile intentions in any of them. Save." She continued as she opened the door.

It was dark as hell inside, they really couldn't see more then a foot in front of them.

"Surprise!" Thirty voices yelled at the top of their lungs as the owners appeared out of various hiding spots along the living room. The pink poofball from earlier leading the charge. "This is your welcome to Ponyville party! Were you surpised? Were you, were you?" The pink poofball continued to say.

"No." Griffin, Jaina, Scar and Star said in perfect unison.

"You the pink thing from before!" Ras trailed behind.

"I'm not a pink thing silly! My name is Pinkie Pie! Nice to meet you, what's your name!?" Pinkie Pie said faster then Ras could handle.

"My name's Griffin, these are my colleague's. Midnight Star, Scarlet Streak, Jaina and the big guy is Rasputin." Griffin said shaking Pinkie's hand.

"Rasputin? What a weird name!" Pinkie replied with a smile as Griffin took a step back.

"My name not weird!" Rasputin countered as he grabbed Pinkie by the collar.

"Hey! Let her go!" A Winged One with rainbow colored hair and cyan wings yelled as she kicked Ras in his shoulder. He didn't even flinch.

The Winged One held her foot in her hands she continuesly said 'ouch' over and over again.

Rasputin dropped Pinkie Pie as Griffin patted him on the shoulder. "It's fine Rasputin." He said before he looked across the room. "I'm gonna have to ask you to leave, take these decorations with you." He continued.

"Oh. But this is your welcome to Ponyville party! Shouldn't it be longer and more fun?" Pinkie Pie said as she stood up.

"I am going to ask politely one more time. Could you all please leave." Griffin spoke with minor irritation. He didn't like where this was going.

"But-"

Griffin snapped his fingers and with a flash of dark purple all thirty people and the decorations were teleported out of the house.

"Thank you!" Scarlet said with a smile of gratitude. Rare, to see something like that from her.

"Just doing my job." Griffin replied as he grabbed his bag from the pile at the door, where Rasputin had left them.

As the five started to unpack they quickly stumbled upon an issue, there were only two rooms. Just as quickly they decided on a guys-room and a girls-room. Rasputin and Griffin getting the smaller room since they were outnumbered in terms of gender.
After about an hour of unpacking, the bags were bigger on the inside thanks to one of Jaina's enchantments, they all collected in the living room. Each wearing a fresh set of clothes.

Griffin arrived first wearing a dark purple coat and an off yellow t-shirt, his dark purple hair falling over the left side of his face. His right arm completely covered in white sports tape.

Jaina came second wearing a matching set of light blue skirt and short-sleeved hoodie, her ethereal blue hair falling straight down her back all the way to just under her knees.

Scarlet third wearing a black leather jacket with a red skull and crossed bones symbol on the back and black jeans, her scarlet red hair stopping halfway down her neck. Her red wings sticking out two holes in her jacket.

Rasputin wasn't wearing anything new, his usual brown raincoat and pants with way to many pockets. He was bald.

Lastly Midnight Star arrived in a cloud of smoke. Her face, all but her eyes, covered in midnight blue fabric. She was wearing what looked to be an actually good looking overall, a strap of kunai and shurikan runnig across her chest from her right shoulder to her left hip. She had very short black hair.

They basked in silence for five minutes before Griffin said. "Okay, who wants to go grocerie shopping?"

Ch.2 The First Fight. Easy Mode

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"I will. I look the most normal, so they won't think much of me." Jaina replied to the purple clad man sitting on the other end of the room.

"I'll come with, just to make sure they don't try anything funny. Star, you'll scout the Everfree, I want a full report by nightfall, got it?" Griffin said with finality, his yellow eyes growing as dull as a matte finish on a sports car.

"Of course, Master." Midnight Star said as she dissapeared in a puff of smoke.

"Okay then, let's go." Griffin said as he stood up and walked over to the door.

"What are we supposed to do?" Scarlet asked.

"Da." Rasputin added.

"Rasputin, I want you to start on those tele-pads to HQ. Scarlet, you can recon the town." Griffin commanded.

"I will." Rasputin complied as he went down into the basement.

"Sure thing." Scarlet said, putting on a set of flight goggles she took out of her jacket and walking out the door.

Jaina and Griffin stepped outside, they could just see Scarlet Streak flying closer to town center. "I think I saw a market over there." Jaina implied, pointing in the direction Scarlet just flew.

"Hmm." Griffin replied as he began walking in the direction Jaina pointed out.

As the two walked through town most people kept their distance, wether from fear or something else they didn't know. By now the clouds had bursted and a steady stream of water was pouring from the heavens.

"The Wingeds can't even keep the clouds in check." Griffin said as purple smoke seeped out from between the sports tape on his right arm, forming a shield above him and Jaina protecting them from the shower.

"Maybe a big harvest is coming up?" Jaina implied.

"I guess. But that's no excuse for crappy timing." He countered.

"Are you ever positive?" She half-joked.

"Expect the worst, hope for the best." Griffin simply said.

"I'll take that as a no." Jaina sighed. "What do we need?" She continued.

"I was thinking of something with potatoes? But that's only halve of the reason we stepped outside." Griffin answered cryptically.

"What else then?"

"Rift scouting." The purple man said.

"You mean for more Cards?" Jaina questioned.

"Not necesarily. But yeah."

"And what exactly are rifts anyway!?" The rainbow haired Winged One from before yelled as she appeared in front of the duo. "Are you spies?" She continued before she was pulled back by a woman with blonde hair and a stetson.

"Whoa there Rainbow, of course they ain't spies." The stetson wearing one said in a thick southern accent. "I don't believe we've met. Mah name's Applejack, you're Griffin right?" Applejack said as she stuck out her hand.

"Pleasure." Griffin said as he shook her hand.

"Strong grip there partner, few can match mine. How do you train?" Applejack continued.

"Classified." Griffin said as he walked off. The purple dome tearing in two, one half staying over Jaina, the other Griffin.

"What's with him?"The rainbow one said with a hostile expression.

"Just Griffin being Griffin. My name's Jaina by the way, nice to meet you." Jaina answered as she shook Applejack's hand.

"Rainbow Dash." The Winged One said, refusing to shake Jaina's hand.

"You're not very trusting are you? Smart." Jaina continued.

"What do you mean?" Rainbow Dash asked, she didn't expect that one.

"My brother, all of us for that matter, can't be trusted." Jaina told with a grim expression.

"He's your brother? I wouldn't have thought, you two are so different." Applejack said with a puzzled look on her face.

"Yeah, I get that a lot." The long haired woman continued as she stared off into the distance with the same grim expression. A minute passed in silence.

"So, what are rifts?" Rainbow awkwardly asked.

"Classified. That's what they are." Jaina said sternly.

"Why?" Applejack and Rainbow Dash asked in synch.

"I've told you too much, I'm going to find my brother." And with that Jaina walked off.

"They're weird." Pinkie said as she appeared behind the two.

Jaina found her brother walking throught mainstreet with a bag of groceries in his left hand.

"What are we having for dinner?" She questioned.

"We're having potatoes, spinach and meat balls tonight." He answered.

"Yum, find any Rifts?"

"Only the smallest of 'em. Nothing out of the ordinary here." He answered.

"Dissapointing." Jaina said.

"Indeed." Griffin said as they walked back to the house. Griffin opened the door and the first thing he noticed was the magical smoke eminating from the basement door. He put the groceries on the counter and walked down into the basement. Jaina walked inside as the purple domes turned back into smoke and returned to Griffin's right arm.

"Ah Griffin! Succes my friend! I've created a stable Jump Pad to HQ just as you wanted." Rasputin said with hearty enthusiastic-ness in his voice.

"Both ways?" Griffin asked, an ever so small smile gracing his face.

"Da." Rasputin replied as he tinkered on a circular pad in the middle of the surprisingly spacey basement. "Just don't teleport bread. Is problematic." He warned.

"Not like I was gonna use it for that but okay. Good job Rasputin." Griffin said with appreciation in his voice.

Rasputin smiled in response.

Griffin and Rasputin walked back up to ground floor, Rasputin taking a seat in the living room, Griffin walking into the kitchen and starting to clean up the groceries to their specific spots.

Jaina sat in the living room as well, flipping through a book that Griffin and Jaina called: The Collection. It held all the Cards that the five of them owned but weren't using at the moment.

A few minutes later Scarlet Streak returned. "Nothing! Not even a mugging in progress! This town's the most peaceful place we've been to in ages!" She yelled in frustration.

"Normal people would consider that a good thing." Jaina sighed as she chose a particular Card from the Paladin section.

"Normal doesn't apply to us. It never has nor will." Scarlet replied.

"Indeed." Griffin spoke from the door frame leading to the kitchen. "Do you know what time it is Rasputin?"

Rasputin looked to the watch on his left wrist and spoke. "Four forty-seven pm, comrade. Why?"

"Midnight Star hasn't returned yet." Griffin said with just the tiniest amount of worry in his voice.

"Don't worry, it's not like anything can land a hit on her so what's the point if it?" Scarlet said.

"I guess." Griffin said, he was still worried though.

Midnight Star was not one to be late at, well, anything. She always managed to beat father time and make it back to HQ. It took an extreme amount of effort to even slow her down, mostly because she wasn't bound by the laws of space.

"Master, do I have permission to be blunt?" Griffin heard in his mind. He put his right hand to his right ear and spoke.

"Of course Midnight, speak up." He said over the mental radio.

"Thank you. I might have found the most beautiful lake in history! The only bad thing is that it's inhabited by a Sea Giant. Get over here and help!" Midnight yelled over the comms, causing Griffin to wince.

"Right away Midnight." He told her. He removed his hand from his ear and continued to the present three. "It looks like Midnight's found something. Jaina could you open a portal to Midnight's location?"

"Sure thing." Jaina replied as a leather bound box materialized on her right upper leg. She, without even looking, picked a Card from the Deck within the box. Unstable Portal, it was called. She activated the Card with her blue magic and a chaotic, blue portal opened up on the wall in the room.

Unstable Portal functions as a gateway through time and space, naturally such a feat is very dangerous, that's why it's unstable. As they walked through they could already hear the clashing of blades with stone.

The place they ended up in was a beautiful cave, many shining gems lined the walls. And in the middle of it all a just as beautiful sapphire blue lake lied. In which a massive green humanoid being stood. The Sea Giant was easily twenty feet tall, had a bushy green beard and wore shoulder pads made of sea shells and a dull yellow cloth around his waist, a brown belt with the steering wheel of a ship for a belt buckle held it up.

Midnight Star had already engaged the giant in combat, many different blades were flying through the air, they kept colliding with a slab of stone the Sea Giant was using as a makeshift shield.

Midnight poofed in and out of existence as she tried to look for an opening. But the giant had powerful senses and heard space rip where she would reappear, and -more quickly then anything it's size should be capable of- turned around to block the kunai and shuriken that were thrown at it.

Griffin instantly saw all this and started to think of ways to deal with a foe such as this. The Unstable Portal closing behind them.

"Jaina, freeze the giant solid." Griffin ordered. "Midnight! Get over here now!" He continued.

Midnight looked over to him and dissapeared, reapearing by them.

"Right!" Jaina complied as she took three cards out of the Deck on her leg. Two Water Elementals and a Spell, that being Frostbolt. She threw the two Water Elementals down on the ground. A cyclone of water burst out of the first one. The water forming a strong torso and two arms with golden shackles around the wrists. It's head had two golden eyes.
This process happened for both Cards.

The Water Elementals floated towards the Sea Giant and started throwing rapid punches at it. Everytime it tried to kill one of them they would just reform in mid-air. Everywhere they hit the giant ice would start to spread out. As a finishing touch Jaina threw the Frostbolt at the giant. It turned into a rotating ball of ice as it traveled to the giant, when it hit the giant froze solid.

The Water Elementals turned back into Cards and flew into Jaina´s waiting hand, she put them back into her Deck.

"Good." Griffin said as he walked over to the frozen Sea Giant. Walking over the water surrounding it. He unwrapped his right hand. Revealing that it was not normal. No, far from it. The hand, and arm by the way, was purple, the veins glowing a soft yellow.

He liad his hand on the ice that encased the giant. "You did not arrive here naturally. No, something brought you here. But what? No matter." Griffin said, puzzled by how the giant arrived in this world. He let his Void Sense reach through the various worlds within the Elysium dimension, searching for the one in which the Sea Giant belonged. "There." He said. He held is left hand out, a Card shooting out of his sleeve. Twisting Nether. Griffin laid it on the back of his exposed right hand. It glew a faint purple as the Twisting Nether's power coursed through his right arm. With a resounding fwoom a purple tear in the fabric of space and time opened within the giant itself, sending it back to it's own world. Griffin put the Twisting Nether back into the Deck which he hid in his left sleeve.

He withdrew his right hand and re-wrapped it in the magical tape that kept the rest of his right arm protected from all that is Holy.

"Done. How did you even find this place?" Griffin asked Midnight like he wasn't winded at all.

"The mind's eye is very powerful Master, I can see the power stored within the gems. See it clashing with nature. It helped that some peaceful Wisps live in this forest." Midnight said, an overwhelming calmess within her mind.

"We'll research this place tomorrow, I have to get started on dinner." Griffin replied as walked, over the water, back to the cave wall from where they arrived. Jaina was already opening the Unstable Portal.

The five of the stepped through, back to their house.

"This might not be so bad." Scarlet said with a certain amount of doubt.

"We can only wait and see, my friend." Rasputin told.

Ch.3 Raw Force

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Griffin did not sleep very well. He never does. The ache in his chest and right arm barely ever leave, both for different reasons. So he woke up at around seven am and went downstairs.

"Mornin' Griffin." Scarlet Streak said as she entered the kitchen and sat at the table, wearing a combo of a scarlet red T-shirt and panties. It was around eight thirty am.

"Good morning Scarlet. Sleep well?" Griffin asked. Already prepping breakfast.

"Meh." Scarlet answered. "You didn't I assume."

"Indeed." Griffin said as he opened the fridge and removed a pack of orange juice. Pouring it into a glass then setting it in front of Scarlet. Not even asking why she was only wearing two pieces of clothing.

"Thanks." She said as she took a quick sip. "Since when do we have a fridge filled with food?" She continued.

"Apparently Celestia can plan ahead." Griffin answered mockingly as he took five plates out of a cabinet above the countertop and spread them over the table.

"She can? Hmm, the more you know." She was rather surpised in all honesty.

"Indeed again." He said as he started to prepare breakfast.

"Whata we havin'?" Scarlet asked .

"Pancakes. Apparently she also asked some random seven year old mundy what they liked to have for breakfast." Griffin said in frustration as he threw some milk, eggs and pancake mix in a bowl.

"Pancakes sound nice." A drowsy Jaina said as she entered the kitchen, wearing blue silk pajamas. The second she laid her eyes on Scarlet's attire she facepalmed. "Scarlet."

"Yes."

"How many times have I told you to wear normal pajamas." Jaina said, not removing her palm from her face.

"Meh." Was the only response Scarlet gave her.

"It's no matter, Jaina. Scarlet's attire has no effect on me. I've seen her like this more times then I am willing to keep track of." Griffin said nonchalantly.

"But!- Ugh, fine." The blue haired Summoner gave in.

Scarlet gained a triumphant smile on her face.

"That doesn't mean that you should always walk around like that Scarlet. Who knows when a rift opens and threatens us all, we need to be ready and deployable at all times." Griffin said as he flipped a pancake around with his frying pan. The slightest bit of butter landing on the magical tape on his right arm. It fizzled out of existence in an instant.

"I'll try to keep it in mind." Scarlet said.

"I sure hope so." Jaina mumbled.

A couple hours later Griffin was walking through town, it was rare for them all to have a day without some random creature threatening at least some lives, so Griffin was making full use of it with a calm stroll through the streets.

"It seems you are enjoying yourself Master."

Griffin jumped in shock, he had not heard Midnight approaching. "How many times have I told you to not creep up on me like that, Midnight." He managed to say. "You're gonna give me a heart attack."

"You are in your physical prime, I do not think that that is very likely, Master." Midnight calmly said. While she was still wearing her ninja overalls, she had taken of the usual secrecy cloth on her head in favor of letting her short black hair down. Her violet eyes calculatingly watching the streets.

"You know what I mean." He said as he continued walking.

"In a sense." She said as she followed him. "Where are we going?"

"I'm just walking throught town, you decided to follow."

"Touché." Midnight replied.

"I know." Griffin says as he looks up at the sky. He continues to say. "And today's perfectly dry, how incosistent."

"Indeed. But then again, has Equestria ever been consistent?" Midnight replies.

"Touché."

"I know." She says.

"You are quite the unusual quintet aren't you? How lovely!" A highly flamboyant voice said from above them.

"Like you have any right to call us unusual. Discord." Griffin replies to the man walking upside down on an invisible floor above them, holding a cup of hot chocolate in his right hand. Discord was wearing brown pants, a brown sweater and a pair of black expensive looking business shoes adorned his feet. He drank the cup, threw away the chocolate and turned clockwise, his feet sliding over the ground before he stood.

"But of course I do! And besides," Discord says as his right hand phases into Griffin's chest. "This sword is just too fabulous to ignore!" He said as he pulls a dark blue sword out of Griffin's chest.

The sword was made of a sollid slab of hellish obsidian, it's handle wrapped in the dark green skin of a pit lord, the hilt made of petrified succubus blood. The blade started wide, about ten inches, and slowly thinned along the way to the tip, waving in a flamberge fashion.

"Give me that!" Griffin says as he quickly jumps at Discord, trying to grab the sword from his grasp. Discord simply hovered up into the air.

"How sad, it hasn't seen any use in the past two months!" The embodiment of chaos says as he inspects the sword in his hands.

"Discord, if you don't give me my 'Fest right this instant I will not hesitate to-"

"Do what? Summon an army?" Discord tauntingly says

Griffin stays silent.

Midnight crosses her arms behind her back.

One of Midnight's arms appears out of a hole in space over Discord's shoulder. The arm reaches forward and snatches the sword from his hands. "Hey!" Discord exclaimes as he sees the sword dissappear in the hole.

Midnight pulls her arms back from behind her back, her right now holding the sword. Without a word she returns in to Griffin.

"Thank you, Midnight." He says as he takes the handle in his right hand. Without a word he stabbed back in his chest.

"That sword never ceases to amaze me." Discord says from the air.

"It is the only double element Manifestation. It doesn't surprise me that it does." Griffin says as he rubs his chest. The ache had returned.

"Indeed. Compared to my old Cane it is superior. But I am the stronger User." Dicord smugly continues.

"Mealstrom is superior to everything it needs to be." Griffin says as he jumps up to Discord height. He hovered there. "But," He says as he punches Discord in the jaw, sending him flying to the Everfree forest. Griffin teleported to him in a purple flash. "If you do that ever again I will not show mercy."

"Of course not, I wouldn't expect anything less." Discord tells as he stand back up, snapping his jaw back into place.

They stood there staring the other down for a couple seconds. Raw magical energies thrashing around them.

"It's been fun seeing you again, Griffin. But I will be returning to my abode now. Give me a call if you want to train some more." Discord says as he flashes away.

"I still do not understand how you can remain standing under that much force, Master." Midnight says as she appears behind Griffin. Having difficulty breathing due to the massive amount of magical force still dissipating from the air.

"That was nothing, he's stronger then that. He just doesn't show it." He says as he walks over to her. He lays a hand on her shoulder and teleports them both back to Ponyville. "And besides, I could've beaten him... I think."

"Even you aren't that strong, Master." Midnight said.

"Probably." Griffin said as he slumped forward just a little bit.

As the two of them walked through Ponyville Griffin could not shake the feeling that one of the most powerful, though dormant, magical signatures lay somewhere in this very town.

Ch.4 My Name

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"Okay, what do we know about them?" Twilight Sparkle asked her five best friends. Her and her friends were sitting in the throne room of the crystal tree castle, debating on what to do about the unusual quintet that had arrived in town yesterday.

"That big guy, Rasputin I think, is made of steel. I'm not even kidding! He didn't even flinch when I kicked him yesterday and my foot is still aching!" Rainbow Dash told as she pionted to her right foot.

"The purple man, Griffin, had his right arm completely bandaged up. I can only imagine what could have caused that." Fluttershy said.

"Him and Jaina seem to have horrible sense in how to style hair." Rarity added.

She recieved deadpan stares from Twilight, Rainbow and Applejack, along with a laugh from Pinkie. Fluttershy stayed quiet.

"What? Hair style is important to me." Rarity defended herself.

"I will admit that that Jaina girl did have very long hair, unnaturaly so." Applejack could agree on that.

"Anything else? No? I noticed something about Griffin. His magic felt..." Twilight said as she remembered the feeling that the puple man's magic had given her after he teleported them all. She fidgeted a bit in her throne. "His magic didn't feel right. Dark, even. To the point that I got a massive headache shortly after he teleported us all." She finished.

"What kind of dark?" Applejack asked, not liking where this was going.

"Darker-then-King Sombra dark. Not quite as evil, though." The purple princess told, a cold touch moving along her spine.

"You mean he's evil!?" Rainbow yelled as she jumped up, almost falling back down as her foot acted up.

"No that's not what I'm saying. I mean he could be a dark magician." Twilight explained.

"What's that?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"Magic is devided into two main types: Light and Dark. Light Magic is stuff like healing and defending. While Dark Magic is necromancy, curses and attacks that destroy the soul. But Dark Magic is highly corruptive, as showcased by the late King Sombra." Twilight explained.

"Sounds kind of evil to me." Rarity spoke.

"Same here." Rainbow agreed.

"They know. But Mister Wilson doesn't have a choice." A loud, male whisper said throughout the room. Shortly after a dark purple smoke seeped in through the skylight. Forming a muscly torso with arms and no legs. The hands ended in sharp claws, and the wrists were encased in golden shackles. The being had a long neck and purple eyes.

Rarity promptly fainted and Fluttershy hid behind her seat. "What... are you?" Twilight asked through clenched teeth as she clutched her head in pain.

"I am a Voidwalker. Sent by Mister Wilson to deliver a message." It said as it turned to her.

"Why?" Rainbow asked as Applejack helped Twilight stand up.

"Mister Wilson would like to formally greet you. He invites you all to meet him on a hill outside of Ponyville." The Voidwalker tells them all.

"When?" Twilight asked as she did her best to not yell out in pain.

"Now." The Voidwalker said as it dispersed into smoke.

"Wait! How are we supposed to know what hill?" Rainbow asked.

"You'll see." It said as it left through the skylight.

"See what? A giant arrow?" Twilight said in frustration, that headache was doing a number on her mood.

After a half hour of debating on what to do the six of them went outside. "I can't believe it. There actually IS a giant arrow." Pinkie says as she points to a flaming arrow pointing to a hill to the west of town. As the six of them moved towards the hill the arrow dissapated into thin air.

"Where did the arrow go?" Rainbow asked as she flew up a bit, trying to get a better look.

When the six friends arrived at the hill they saw Midnight, with all her ninja gear on, sitting in the middle of the open top of the hill.

"So you've arrived. Good. Follow me." Midnight spoke as she opened a swirling portal behind her, flashing in all the colors of the visible spectrum. Without another she walked through the wormhole.

"I don't think we've any other choice. Let's go." Twilight said as she to walked through. The rest quickly followed.

In a whirlpool of colors, shapes and imagery they traveled through the fabric of space and time to the cave where the quintet of misfits found the sea giant yesterday.

The main six were promptly dropped flat on their faces at the edge of the underground lake. "That's no way to arrive. Come on, stand up." Jaina spoke from the ceiling, which she gravity magicked to, as she was working on stabilizing the magical energy within the gemstones.

The main six were promptly dropped flat on their faces at the edge of the underground lake. "That's no way to arrive. Come on, stand up." Jaina spoke from the ceiling, which she was gravity magicked to, as she was working on stabilizing the magical energy within the gemstones.

"R-right." Twilight said as she and her friends stood up.

"Wow." Fluttershy spoke as she laid eyes on the lake.

"What is this place? It is simply divine!"Rarity spoke as she feasted her eyes on the massive array of gemstones lining the walls and cieling.

"It is home to a tear in the fabric of space." Midnight told them.

"Da." Rasputin spoke from where he was working on a mass stabelizer, even Jaina couldn't keep this much energy under control for long.

"Which is?" Rainbow asked.

"Not important, is what it is. We have it all under control." Griffin said from the middle of the lake where he was floating. He floated to them saying. "I don't believe we've formally met yet." He landed on the bank of the lake. "Princess Twilight Sparkle." He finished as he extended his taped hand. "I am Griffin Wilson. A pleasure."

"I don't think it would be smart to shake your hand, dark magician." Twilight answered with a frown.

"As keen as I have heard I see. Tell me, how did you figure it out?" Griffin asked.

"A massive head ache and having experienced King Sombra's magic first hand are an excellent way of knowing." She replied with a knowing look on her face.

"A head ache you say? I could have expected nothing less since you literally ARE the embodiment of Light Magic. The polar opposite to me."

"What do you mean?" Twilight asks with a puzzled expression.

"Let me show you." Griffin says as he takes of his coat and unwinds the tape on his right arm. When he finished he said. "As you can see... I'm no stranger to the darkness of this world."

An array of emotions flashed through the faces of the six girls: Concern, disgust, worry, fear and even fascination. But at the end they all ended on the same basic idea. "How?" The six of them asked in perfect harmony.

"An accident eleven years ago, took my arm and a good chunk of my life-force. But it changed my life beyond even that. As it was the aftermath of that accident that showed me what I really am." Griffin explains as he flexes his sharp claws that adorned his hand.

"It took your arm, but you have two? And what do you mean with that last bit?" Rainbow asked, Griffin clearly still had two arms.

"True, this arm was granted to me as a gift, from... Him. But that's a story for another time. As to what I am, that is something that will be revealed in due time." He wraps the tape back around his hand and puts his coat back on. "But for now, I ask you to not get in our hair. We have a job to do and I'd rather not be responsible for any of you ending up in a hospital."

"Is... Is your job really that dangerous?" Futtershy asks with a shudder.

"But of course, it's not up to normal people to fight, for example, Giants now is it?"

"Giants? What're those?" Applejack asks in confusion.

A Card shot out of Griffin's left sleeve and he showed them what it was. A humanoid made of magma. "This, for example is a Molten Giant." He spoke as he threw the card on the ground a hundred feet away. A torrent of bubbling magma spewed out of it and formed the forty foot tall Molten Giant. "There are also Sea, Clockwork and Mountain Giants." Griffin continued as the Molten Giant flowed back into the Card and returned to him. "Any further questions?"

The six girls simply stood slackjawed at the display of Summoning skill.

"All of us can do that, by the way." Griffin added like it was but an afterthought.

"Yeaaaaaah. I think you broke 'em." Scarlet quipped as she appeared behind Griffin.

"I think so." He agreed with a expression that said 'Crap'. "Jaina?" Griffin continued.

"Already on it." Jaina said from above as she used her magic to splash some water in the faces of the six.

"That is empressive. But... what is your job exactly?" Rarity managed to say.

"Our team was asked, or ordered depending on how you look at it, by her Majesty Princess Celestia of Equestria to keep an eye on and if necesary research the Everfree Forest. As it has been growing more restless over the past few years." Midnight told them as she appeared beside Griffin.

"Exactly Midnight. We are FF Inc. by the way." He says with an ever so small smile.

"FF Inc.? That's lame, why didn't you pick some more awesome name?" Rainbow imlies with minor disgust to the name.

"It is not supposed to be awesome, it's a memory. Fifth of February Incorporated. It is the date of the day when me and my sister were banished from Northern Griphonia. Where we were born. But that too, is a story for another time." Griffin says in a tone of 'Now you've crossed the line'. "Midnight, be a dear and send them back to Ponyville. We have a Rift to close." He commands as he turns his back on them and goes to help Jaina.

"As you say, Master." Midnight replies as she throws the six girls into a wormhole and back to Ponyville.

Ch.5 Leave It All Behind You

View Online

"It is almost ready." Rasputin told his four comrades as he made some final adjustments to the Long Range Scanner, LRS for short, that stood in the basement of their house. It was the day after Griffin's talk with Twilight Sparkle and they decided that, would they be staying in Ponyville longer then expected, they would have to keep an eye out for threats from all angles.

It was al large cylindrical machine with fout large spikes at the top that pointed to the north, east, south and west respectively. A red gem sat on the end of the north spike, a white one on the east spike, a blue gem on the south spike and a purple one on the west spike. And a brown gem in the center which lit up with a soft glow.

"Now. You four go set up. Signal me when ready." Rasputin continued to them as he activated the machine. "First Scarlet, then Midnight, then Jaina and then Griffin. Da?"

"Understood Rasputin. Scattering." Griffin said as he teleported himself and the three ladies to their appointed spots. Scarlet at north, Midnight at east, Jaina at south and himself at west. "Ready Rasputin." He telepathically continued after receiving confirmation from Scarlet, Midnight and Jaina.

"Good." Rasputin said as he fired up the LRS. It made a soft whirring noise as the display on the side read '10% Output'. "Ready yourselfs. Magic-Echo experimental and will hurt with higher output." He continued as he activated the North Spike first. "Now Scarlet!"

"Right!" Scarlet returned as she scratched herself along her arms, blood softly flowing out. She willed the blood to flow faster, it collected in jelly-like spheres along the lenght of her arms. She stopped the flow now that she had enough blood to form her Manifestation. The scarlet red liquid flowed towards her hands and formed two sharp daggers. Without a second thought Scarlet stabbed Rose and Thorn, the names of her blood daggers, in the ground.

The LRS picked up on this and sent a pulse of specially treated magic to her. Scarlet coughed up blood as she felt the magic churn in her before it blew outwards in an echo pulse. It bounced around the landscape untill a certain range and then returned to her, it forced itself back inside her magic reserves before returning to the LRS. The red gemstone lit up with a soft glow as the display raised to '30% Output'.

"Damn that hurt!" Scarlet yelled over the comms as Rose and Thorn returned to her bloodstream. The wounds sealing themselves back up.

"Da. Told you." Rasputin replied with a chuckle. "Midnight now."

"Certainly." Midnight said as white energy formed and danced around her hand in a fire like fashion. With but the flick of a wrist the energy condensed and formed a pure white gauntlet with a shiny golden gem on the back. Midnight calmly laid her armored hand on the ground.
She recieved a splitting headache and a bloody nose from the LRS' painful manner of scanning. Once the process was done Midnight fell over and clutched at her head. "For once I agree with you Scarlet Streak. Now if you'll excuse me." Midnight said as she flashed over to the Everfree Forest before screaming bloody murder, hearable all the way in Canterlot.

With that the white gem on the LRS lit up and the display raised to '60% Output'.

"She be fine. Jaina." Rasputin spoke as he monitored the LRS.

"I got it." Jaina said before she held her hands out in front of herself. Jaina used her magic to conjure all the water vapor in the air to a shape akin to a staff that laid in her waiting hands. The vapor turned to water then to ice as she started carving the magical runes into it. At the end the staff held an orb in four claws. With the staff finished the orb glowed a faint blue color. Jaina put the other end of the staff on the ground.

"I doubt it will hurt as much as Scarlet and Midnight say." She thought, a small smile tugging at her lips.

It vanished as the LRS forced it's magic into her Mana Pool. She doubled over in pain, clutching at her head but didn't scream. Instinctually a pyramid of ice formed itself aroung her but it would do nothing against magic type offense. With a grunt she punched the ground, ice devouring the grassy plain around her. The cold onslaught stopped just short of Ponyville as Jaina became completely encased in ice. The Freeze Mage just barely keeping herself from giving the town a new coat of icy paint. Now, it was over.

With that, the blue gem glowed and the LRS' output raised to 100%.

"Griffin, you sure you want do this? It very painful and I am sure-"

"No. I can do this, I've survived worse... I think." Griffin cut off Rasputin as he drew Maelstrom from his chest with his left hand. It glew a soft blue and crackled with a tiny bit of lightning. "Besides, Maelstrom should be capable of defending me when in Lightning mode."

"I guess." Rasputin said in doubt. A hundred percent output was just shy of lethal. Even for Griffin, who had received more spears through the heart then should be possible for a normal human being. But then again, none of them couldn't even be described human anymore with the things they had accomplished. "Fine then, but we are getting payed if you bite it." Rasputin joked with hearty laughter laced with worry for the man who had pulled him out of the gutter. Even if the man in question was three years younger then him. Griffin had earned Rasputin's respect, something only a few people had managed to gain.

"Very well." Griffin said as he held Maelstrom by the grip and stuck the tip of the blade in the dirt. A small bit of lighting arcing of the blade and into the ground.

Griffin's sight became fuzzy as his own Mana Pool was invaded by the LRS, yet stopped. The speed of his heartbeat rose as it tried to keep up with the nonstop flow of alien magic, and rose, and rose, and rose. His heart now beat a hundred and eighty times a minute, thrice as fast as his calm BPM. "Rasputin... what's going on?" He asked as he started to panic.

"Oh no, nonono! Griffin, do magic, your reserves too full, no place for pulse magic. It hide in body. If this keeps up, your heart explodes!"

"Under... stood." Griffin told as a column of purple magic shot up around him. His heartbeat stopped rising at two-sixty. Griffin fell to his knees as he clutched his chest with his right hand. It was rising again. Two-seventy. Two-seventy five. Two-eighty. Blackness invaded his vision as his blood was flowing so fast that oxygen couldn't be released into his brain. He was starting to pass out.

"No choice." He thought as he raised Maelstrom above his head. He brought it down and chopped of the lower quarter of his right arm. All that pent up magic seeped rapidly out of the blood vessels in what was only three-quarters of an arm now. And just as quickly the magic was functional again and pulsed across the landscape before returning to Griffin. Barely conscious, he redirected the magic to the LRS.

And then, Griffin fainted.

~~~Ponyville Hospital. Three days later~~~

Griffin awoke with a gasp and opened his eyes, but he quickly closed them again as he laid eyes upon the bright white ceiling of the hospital room in which he lay. Without opening his eyes again he could feel an array of bandages surrounding his right arm, which was whole again. "I see that that arm being made of Hellfire has it's perks." He thought. He tried to open his eyes again, he blinked a couple of times as he got used to the light, he tried to sit up but was pushed back down.

"Don't, you wake them." Rasputin whispered as he sat back down in the chair oppostite the bed.

Only then did Griffin notice the three weights holding down his left arm and two legs. Midnight and Scarlet had apparrently fallen asleep at the foot of the bed, as they were currently pinning down both his legs. And Jaina was using his left arm as a makeshift teddy bear with how tightly she was hugging it.

"You been out for three days. They stayed at your side whole way. I had much ice to clean up." Rasputin explained.

"Three days!?" Griffin whispered in shock.

"Yes, Midnight wanted to heal you but doctors, idiots they are, wanted to scan you."

"Wanted?"

"Jaina is persuasive as hell. So they wanted you to stay here when your arm regenerated. Should've seen expression on doctors faces when they thought hospital burn down! Priceless!" Rasputin laughed.

"Yeah." Griffin said as he examined his right arm. "I guess being a Hellraiser has its perks."

"Da! Indeed!"

Griffin wanted to wriggle his left arm free to unwind his right but Jaina wouldn't have none of that. "If you do that again I'll freeze you solid." She mumbled in her sleep as the temperature in the room dropped a couple degrees.

"Deadly while sleeping. Ha!" Rasputin said in amusement.

"Should have known she wouldn't let me." Griffin said as he realized he could do nothing except wait for three of them to wake. "What time is it?"

Rasputin looked to his watch. "Six am. Why?" He answered.

"No reason. I think I'll continue sleeping actually." Griffin said as he laid his head against the cushion, and closed his eyes.

"Da, call me when leaving." Rasputin told as he quitly left the room.

"Sure thing." Griffin replied before falling back asleep.