> The Legend Of Benkei: Untold
>  by -Singleton-
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue: End Of A Legend
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The sashimonos of the assembled samurai fluttered slightly in the wind, their dark clan colors vibrant against the contrast of the sky. No man dared move, much less cross the bridge that lay before them. The officer of the unit looked uneasily towards the flag bearing ashigaru, nodding as the peasant banged the war drum hesitantly, the strikes resounding across the flat landscape. They had been ordered to advance.

Nervously, the samurai marched forward, inching closer and closer to the narrow wooden bridge where the giant figure stood, riddled with arrows.

Benkei stood over six and a half feet tall, his imposing figure blocking out the sun that wreathed his form in a golden glow, giving him the appearance of a god. He wore a simple white kimono, indicative of his past as a monk, and over it the elegantly made ō-yoroi armor of a samurai. His armor was black, gilded with white streaks of color running through his large, square shoulder guards. His rectangular chestplate and tassets were laced in a similar manner, white streaks running through solid black, the interlocking metal plates rimmed by a piece of solid iron. Over his armor, a white shawl was visible, but had now taken on the color of his blood, for Benkei stood silent and still, his armor and flesh pierced in many places across his body. His blood dripped and stained the polished wood of the bridge he safeguarded, and soiled his stark white kimono, the pool of blood beneath him growing larger by the second.

But Benkei just stood there, face shrouded by his shawl’s hood, his naginata clutched stoutly upright. At his side, he carried the very soul of a samurai, a masterly crafted set of blades, a katana, and a wakizashi, both encased within ornate sheaths gilded with gold. Even the strong rope that secured the set of blade’s to his thigh was laced with gold, glistening in the sunlight, just as his blood soaked robes did.

The samurai began to cross the bridge, only wide enough for three men at a time, the officer accompanied by his two bodyguards at the forefront of the unit. Through their metal masks, the samurai looked uneasily at the hundreds of bodies in the river below, their blood staining the serene stream a dark red. 

As the officer neared Benkei, he hesitated for a moment, mere feet from him now, before drawing his katana and setting his sights on dueling him. He glanced nervously to the men behind him, before inhaling deeply, and letting the warmth of the sun calm his nerves. He closed his eyes for a moment, the wind rustling his jin baori surcoat that he wore over his lamellar armor, before stepping forward, ready to face his opponent. 

The giant remained unmoving, his naginata’s blood soaked blade remaining still, just as he was. The officer inched forward, the sun catching his blade as he slashed forward heavily, his foot slamming down particularly hard. The officer missed Benkei, meaning to get him to move and fight, but it was at this point he realized something was very wrong.

The behemoth of a man dropped to his knees, the extreme amount of arrows impaling his body nearly touching the officer who just stood there, astonished. Benkei’s naginata slipped from his cold hands, tumbling into the river below to join the weapons of so many others. Benkei remained in this position for a moment, before slouching forwards onto his face, the impact pushing the arrows deeper into his body. The officer moved forward hesitantly, removing the hood from Benkei’s head, as he stooped down to look at his face, finding only an aloof stare, and a glossy look in his eyes.

“Benkei wa shinde iru!”, the officer shouted triumphantly, raising his katana over his head, as he turned to face his men.

“Onio wa shinde iru! Kare wa haiboku sa rete imasu!”, one of the samurai shouted, relieved to have been spared the fate of the men before him.

The officer and his men picked up the bloody and arrow impaled Benkei, and heaved his body into the river below, before advancing past the bloody bridge, and gaining access to the long sought after castle of Minamoto no Yoshitsune.

“Sayōnara Benkei. Anata wa yoku tatakatta.” , the officer said in a smug tone before moving to catch up with the rest of his men that had begun torching the wooden castle.

It was a hard fought victory, with hundreds dying trying to defeat Benkei, before archers finally arrived and fired volley after volley at the juggernaut who seemed unphased by it all.

The truth was that Benkei had died standing during one of the hailstorms of arrows hours earlier, the fatal arrow piercing his heart. In his dying moments, Benkei refused to fail his master, dying standing up, loyal to the grave and beyond. Too intimidated to face him after killing a ridiculous amount of samurai, the opposing army waited for several hours for Benkei to give into his wounds, despite him having done so far earlier.

Smoke drifted off of the humble wooden castle, the dark columns of thick black drifting high up into the sky, contrasting starkly against the orange sun, before dissipating in thin wisps. The red and orange fire burned violently against the setting sun, the flames licking at it, meshing with it, as the blaze burned on into the night.

As the castle burned to the backdrop of a setting sun, Benkei’s body drifted slowly downstream, the gentle currents caressing his mutilated body, as his clothes were cleansed of their red hue. He floated downstream for many days, his body facing downwards, his eyes still open. Yet, Benkei did not decay, succumb to waterlogging, or any of the other afflictions of death. No, he just floated and floated, letting the wind and the currents take his body where it willed, the sun rising and setting as day dragged on into night and then back into day again.

But something strange happened while Benkei’s corpse floated down the endless stream. It was almost as if the arrows in his wounds had disappeared as the days had gone on, and the wounds themselves mended rapidly. Even his master work armor repaired itself, as if it were being carefully hammered and laced back into place. But the strangest of all of these happenings was when the sun rose on the fifth day of his journey downstream, Benkei’s naginata , long separated from him, miraculously floated up next to his hand, the water reflecting the sunlight’s rays onto the shiny blade of the weapon. It followed his body for several hours, brushing up against its deceased master, longing to be grasped in defiance of the enemy once more. They remained together like this, floating gently down stream, the sun beating down on the two for another day before the blade’s wish was finally granted.

Benkei’s dead hands opened as the currents pushed the weapon into his firm grasp, allowing him to close his hands and clutch the weapon tightly against his chest, before resuming his eternal stillness. Benkei was still very much dead, yet there was something manipulating him, healing him, and preparing him.

The answer as to what it was readying him for remained unclear, as he continued his journey, seeming to float on in the forever flowing river that reflected the sun’s rays magnificently, the refraction of light in the water, mirroring a distorted sky that was still just as beautiful and endless.

But all journeys come to an end, and when Benkei’s body reached the grassy shores of a small fishing village, his lifeless body fully rejuvenated, his armor mended, and his naginata held tight , a burst of pure white light encased his body in a blinding aura of radiance. 

Moments later, Benkei’s body was gone, having vanished into nothingness. Just as he had come into this world, in a flash of heavenly light, so too did he now resign from it. His origins were unknown to anyone, only Benkei having witnessed his "birth". Yet, even he did not understand his odd arrival, and now departure from Earth. 

As such, his body was never recovered, leading Benkei's tale to drift into legend over the years. But Benkei was very much real ... 

... and he is still very much alive. 

> A New Beginning To An Old Tale
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Sunlight streaked through the dense canopy of the Everfree forest, illuminating the forest floor below, teeming with plants and bushes of all kinds. Rabbits and other small woodland creatures scampered about the vibrant green forest floor, some climbing trees, while others retreated to their burrows or nests. The river that ran through this section of the forest was a gentle stream, deep enough to swim in, yet not dangerous in the slightest. Its gentle waters flowing downstream created a dull background noise to the many strange and exotic sounds and calls that rang throughout the forest. 

But something did not belong in the otherwise serene patch of forest. As the crystal clear waters of the stream continued to flow throughout the day, a strange object floated along with the gentle currents of the river. Several rabbits and squirrels stopped to stare at the odd mass, tilting their heads slightly, puzzled as to what it could be.

As the figure continued to float past them , it slowly edged over to the side of the stream, stopping as it became snagged on the riverbed. No animal dared approach it, save for one small grey bunny, who hopped over beside the strange object fearlessly. She waited for a moment, examining the object. She made out what appeared to be two long legs at the end of it, and so she came to the conclusion that it was a creature of some sort.  Still, it appeared to be face down in the water, and was a bit concerned as to whether it could breathe or not.

Yet she remained puzzled as to what creature, on account of the strange shapes this creature had jutting out from its shoulders. She rested her furry paw on one of the large square protrusions, and determined that they were made of metal, something she had encountered several times before. She hopped around to the being's other shoulder, before resting her tiny fuzzy paw on a white piece of cloth that covered what she assumed was its head. The cloth was very fine, silky to the touch almost, and it shone brightly in the light of the sun, the stark white seeming very alien in the otherwise colorful forest.

She hesitated for a moment, looking back to the other bunnies watching her nervously, before she gripped the cloth, and heaved backwards, nearly falling into the stream, which elicited a collective gasp from the spectators. She managed to catch herself though, and in the process, she had removed the white piece of cloth from the creature's head. She stared quizzically at the coarse and untamed black hair which coated the figure's head, thinking it quite ugly compared to the fine cloth it wore.

Suddenly, she noticed bubbles slowly surfacing from beneath the figure's head, but decided not to back away, curious as to what the creature's face looked like. As the other bunnies and squirrels retreated to safety, she just sat there, eager at the chance to meet a creature she had never seen before.

The creature flailed violently, forcing its head above water, and clinging to the side of the river with odd, spindly appendages that sprouted from the strangely shaped end of its arm. Akeeta the rabbit likened them to the opposable claws that dragons used, yet these were different, as they were very blunt, fat almost compared to claws.

The large creature coughed hastily, trying to rid itself of water, at which point Akeeta determined it must breathe air like her. As the coughing died down, and the raucous noise stopped echoing through the forest, the creature turned its face towards Akeeta, who stared back with the same intensity that the strange animal did.

They remained locked like this for several moments, Akeeta observing the long spindly beard of the same black as its normal hair, and noticed that it had a very peculiar nose, which jutted out from between its eyes. It was far too narrow to be considered a snout, and only its nose was extended, as its mouth remained just below it on the relatively flat landscape of its face. The odd creature didn't appear to have any fur, only a pale peach hue to its exposed skin. 

Akeeta tilted her head, getting a better look at its eyes, which were slightly narrower than her own. What puzzled her about its eyes, was not their slightly different shape, but the size of them. Her eyes were almost as big as its eyes, and yet she was tiny compared to the behemoth of a creature. It puzzled her so, but before she could find an answer, the creature spoke in a soft and soothing tone.

"Kon'nichiwa, sukoshi yūjin. Anata ga namae o motte imasu ka?" , it spoke in a confusing and alien tongue she had never heard before. The figure chuckled to himself for a moment, before hoisting himself up out of the water, a large stick held in one hand. Akeeta hadn't noticed that he was holding anything before, and scampered over to get a better look at the large pole. She took note that it ended in a slight curve, and that the curvy part of the wooden stick seemed to be covered, concealed by a wooden sheath.

"Watashinonamaeha Benkeidesu... ", the large animal said, trailing off as he lay down in a patch of sunlight, letting the golden rays lick at his drenched clothing and armor.

Akeeta still did not understand the creature, deciding it best to come up with a name of her own to know him by. She hopped on top of his chest, which felt cold and hard under her furry paws, determining that it to was made of metal. She stared into the creature's eyes for a few moments longer, before it finished its sentence.

" ...  Watashi wa shinda, to ima demo watashi wa ikite iru." , he said, closing his eyes and let the sun dry him off. 

Akeeta simply sat there, letting her imagination take her places as to where this strange creature could have come from. She had never seen anything even remotely like it, but she had learned of an animal called a monkey, which loosely matched the description of the animal she rested upon. Yet it did not have fur, nor a tail, and its feet were encased within the same cloth as the creature's other clothes. After a few moments longer of daydreaming and staring blankly into the animal's eyes, she curled up into a little ball, letting the sunlight's warmth wrap a blanket around her. She smiled slightly as the animal petted her fuzzy back gently for a few moments, before the two drifted off together.

But the creature did not fully go to sleep, only rest drowsily, letting the sunlight's embracing rays lick at his skin and evaporate the cold water that his body had felt the touch of for so long. He tried to imagine what river he had turned up in, not recalling ever coming across a forest such as this one. What confused him even more was the bunny that now lay sleeping on his chest. He was certain it was a bunny, but at the same time, he had never seen one with such enormous eyes, and stubby legs such as it had. He kept thinking about all the places he had been in his life, and not a single one matched the description of the forest he continued observing, marveling at the untamed, bursting beauty and vibrant colors of the magnificent forest that enveloped him on all sides. 

He sighed inwardly, recognizing that he was completely lost. He kept thinking back to his death that was still vivid in his mind, unable to fully understand how he was here now, and in good health no less. He remembered how he had stood there on the tiny wooden bridge, defeating warrior after warrior, changing the color of the river below him into a vivid red, crystal waters mixing with the blood of his fallen adversaries. He remembers how they had fired volley upon volley of arrows at him, as he remained at his post. 

But most of all, he recalled the arrow that killed him. He remembered watching the brilliantly crafted arrow soar through the air, alone in its flight, shot by a true yumi master. He realized he could not avoid it, knowing his death was upon him. With a final burst of strength, his arrow wounds burning with agonizing pain, Benkei managed to remain standing as the arrow struck him square in the heart, ending his life instantly. Unable to recall any event after the arrow struck him, Benkei resolved to lie there in solemn meditation over his new path in life, upon remembering that his closest friend, Minamoto no Yoshitsune, had committed seppuku that same day.

Closing his eyes as the rustling of the tree branches lulled him to sleep, Benkei thought of nothing as he let sleep take him, the stillness in his heart bringing him a reassuring peace. Everything was in shambles and made absolutely no sense, but Benkei was fine with that. As much as he wished things could go back to the way they were during the Genpei wars, the good old days in his opinion, they simply could not. Benkei pushed the last of his thoughts from his mind as lethargy overtook him, and he allowed himself to retire to a dreamless sleep.





Benkei awoke peacefully, yawning as he peered down at the little bunny, still fast asleep on his chest. He ever so gently scooped her up in one hand, and place her on the ground beside him as he sat up, stretching his arms, and taking in his surroundings. He realized he had slept for several hours, and the forest was beginning to grow gloomy in the waning hours of daylight. He hastily got to his feet, his clothes now fully dry, as he grabbed his naginata from off the ground, slinging it across his back, suspended by a thick, gold laced rope. He checked to make sure his set of blades was fastened beside him, as it always was, and was relieved to find that they were still both there, sheathed within ornate scabbards. 

He flipped his white hood over his head, and readjusted his shawl so that it hung down upon his chest in a puffy and flowing manner, while the rest of it rested behind him, fluttering slightly as the wind picked at it. While the world grew dark, Benkei could see well enough to notice that there was a rough path to his right, the soil compacted by the footsteps of those who had gone before him into a messy and unkempt dirt road. Figuring it was the best place to start, he knelt down beside Akeeta, petting her softly one last time, making her shift slightly, before making his way through a mess of foliage and tree branches, eventually reaching the path.

But just as he was about to begin walking down the road, he felt a tug at his legs. Benkei craned his head downwards to discover the same bunny that had slept upon him, staring into his eyes pleadingly with her own puppy dog expression plastered across her innocent face. Benkei smiled warmly, before he stooped down, opening his hand as the bunny crawled into his palm excitedly. Benkei was glad to have some company in such a confusing time. It allowed him to still see the good in the world, the beauty, and to remain positive, despite the past events.

His stress marked face relaxed for a moment, his brown eyes thanking the bunny for her companionship. His steely gaze returned as he stood up, and began walking down the rough dirt road, holding the bunny in his hand, close to his chest.  Benkei walked at a moderate pace, his sandals crunching on the fallen branches and leaves along the path, his armored tabi making a dull clanking sound, the interlocked plates of metal brushing up against one another as he walked.

Akeeta looked up at Benkei's chin, covered in a black beard, the hair just as coarse as that on his head. She puzzled over why he had hair in some places, yet the rest of his face remained unprotected. She continued to ponder this, looking down at the soft maroon cloth that covered his hand in a glove, and peering over the edge of his hand, observing his metal shin guards, the same black as the swuare protrusions that jutted out from his shoulders. She whirled around, finding herself staring at a wall of black, the same color as the other metal parts he wore. She scooted closer to his chest, shifting so that she could crane her head to look at the fine structure of the metal. 

It was marvelous! The entire piece of metal affixed to his chest was actually smaller, interlocking pieces of metal, masterfully made and assembled. She turned to look up at his shoulders, the strange protrusions sharing the same trait, being entirely made of interlocking plates of metal. She wondered how it was even possible, never witnessing something so complex and intricate, or perhaps, never even realizing the complexity of things. It astonished her little bunny mind, and in her excitement, she began hopping up and down, Benkei smiling slightly as he watched the rabbit bounce up and down out of the corner of his eye.

Akeeta wondered about many things as she calmed down, resting calmly in Benkei's palm. She imagined herself fiddling with the tiny metal pieces, stitching them together, just as she had seen ponies do with fabric in her frequent forays into Ponyville. She wondered if it was possible for her to ever possess such a masterful and elegant item. She continued to ponder these thoughts, excited by the things she might learn and discover from her new friend, who she had resolved to call FuzzyFace, unable to think of a more appropriate name. She giggled inwardly, repeating the admittedly funny name over and over again in her mind.	

Benkei continued walking down the path, admiring the tall and stout trees that lined the road, their strong trunks reaching high into the sky, their dew laden leaves glinting against the dying light of the sun. He heard a rustling behind him, and he stopped, cupping his other hand over Akeeta, before slowly looking over his shoulder.

Akeeta pawed at FuzzyFace's hands, trying to open them, but to no avail. She could only pound against the walls of her prison, as the soft, silky cloth grew harder and harder by the second. She stepped back, watching FuzzyFace's hands lose their color, turning grey and hard, cracks running through it, almost as if it were becoming stone. She was utterly puzzled, and more than a little concerned as she sat in the cold, unmoving hands that had shielded her from a far worse fate.

She sat there for several minutes, occasionally pawing at the confines of her space, before noticing a low rumbling emanating from deep within her friend. It started as a rumble, but within a few seconds, it had grown to become roar, deafening almost as she covered her ears and observed a miraculous change.

The hands that had only minutes before been stone, shattered, the stone crumbling around her as she could feel FuzzyFace begin moving once more. Akeeta hopped happily as she could feel him walking, but there was something different about the way he was moving. It wasn't the gentle sway of their stroll when they had started, no, it felt more like a run now.

Suddenly FuzzyFace's hands unclasped, letting the last few rays of sunlight for the day reach her, as she wrapped her stubby arms around one of his fingers struggling to hold on. FuzzyFace leaped through the air, as Akeeta could feel the two suspended in the air for a moment, noticing a sharp jerking motion resonating throughout her friend, before they touched back down hard. She nearly fell out of his hand, just barely holding on and hoisting herself back up from the edge of his palm. 

A little annoyed by the bumpy ride, she looked up at FuzzyFace, giving him an evil glare, before noticing what he was holding in his other hand. Clutched in his hand was a long, curved piece of shiny metal, dripping with a red liquid she could only assume was blood. She recoiled a bit at the sight, her evil stare fading, as she looked back up to his face, and then followed his gaze to the corpse of the animal below.

It had been beheaded, the long scaly neck of the creature seperated from the chicken shaped body covered in green scales. She saw blood pooling around the open wound, the blood soaking into the white feathers of the chicken head that tapered down into the scaly neck. She felt like vomiting for a moment, and was instantly wary of FuzzyFace. She pried her eyes away from the grizzly scene looking back up at FuzzyFace, who had turned his head away from the little bunny.

She ran along his arm, grasping at the fabric of his shawl and scrambling up onto his shoulder, tapping it with one of her feet. FuzzyFace let his head swivel to meet Akeeta, who looked into his eyes demanding an answer. FuzzyFace held up his free hand, filled with the remnants of crumbled stone, and then looked back the animal he had slain. Akeeta instantly understood.

FuzzyFace muttered something to himself, so softly that even Akeeta couldn't hear it, as her friend sighed deeply. FuzzyFace allowed Akeeta to remain on his shoulder as he resumed walking down the path, leaving the gruesome scene behind them. Akeeta grasped the fabric of the hood FuzzyFace wore, allowing her to stabilize herself as he walked.

They continued on into the night, FuzzyFace unphased by the encroaching darkness that encircled them. Akeeta wasn't scared of many things, but the dark was one of them. She swung herself over into FuzzyFace's hood, resting just beside his cheek. After a few minutes of walking, Akeeta determined that FuzzyFace didn't mind, and stayed put there for the remainder of the ride, snuggled up beside the face of her new, if violent friend. She forced herself to sleep, letting the pattern and sway of his stop lull her to sleep.

Benkei smiled slightly as he could hear the light snoring of the grey bunny beside him, keeping up a steady pace for the next few minutes before the path curved to the left sharply, and continued down besides the flowing river he had woken up in. He stopped for a moment beside the river, knelt down, and dipped his blood soaked blade into the river, scratching the tough, coagulated blood off, before sheathing it once more, and moving on. The moonlight illuminated the path before him, giving it an eery glow in the dead of night. He proceeded hesitantly, strange sounds echoing throughout the pitch black forest, and the howl of what he assumed was a wolf ringing clearly every few minutes.

But he pushed on, his mind still racing as to what had happened back there. He had felt himself getting cold, so very cold, and then, right as he could feel his mind slipping, he cleared it of all thoughts, meditating before the chill overtook him, and he was still. He felt like he was asleep, but he could feel his eyes wide open, yet unable to see anything. He focused on the stillness that meditation brought him, and could feel himself becoming warmer by the second, before he finally , exploded in a sense, breaking free from the stone that had imprisoned him. It all happened so fast, the fluid motion of his katana being drawn, the mad sprint towards the turned back of the creature, and the swift decapitation of the amalgamation. Still, even after he was able to get a good look at it, he wasn't exactly sure what it was, with batlike wings tipped with talons, scales covering its body, a large slinking tale,  and the head and body shape of a chicken. He was utterly at a loss. Even in his teachings of the many demons of the world, he had never learned of such a creature.

The true identity of the creature continued to elude him well into the first hours of dawn, as Benkei finally reached the end of the path, which stopped at the edge of the massive forest. His little bunny friend was still asleep next to his face, the sunlight beginning to stir her.

Benkei thought of many things in his long journey out of the forest; Where was he? Where would he go now? Was there even a place for him to seek out? Surely he could never return to his monastery, and even if he were to return, what would they think of a man that died and yet still breathes. A demon, that's what they would call him. They would surely kill or exile him, and Benkei wasn't so sure he'd be as lucky at cheating death the second time around. 

Still, he had to go somewhere, and as he stepped out of the treeline, he spied a building, covered in green foliage and bursting with color, its design alien to him. The river he had found himself in earlier flowed beneath the small wooden bridge that connected the cottage to the other side of the river. He noticed the various pens and birdhouses scattered around the outskirts of the house, the cheeping of birds soothing his restless mind.

Benkei smiled to himself, looking at the warm and inviting cottage. He walked slowly towards the bridge, revealing himself for the world to see. As he passed past the birdhouses that teemed with birds making beuatiful songs, the avians instantly fell silent, reduced to a stare, their large, prying eyes following him as he approached the house. Benkei crossed the small wooden bridge, the serene and peaceful current of the stream the only audible sound by the time he reached the front door of the cottage. He thought the door to be tad small, and it was rather odd in that it was split into two unequal halves horizontally, due to the top of the door having rounded edges. 

With a deep inhale, Benkei looked around at his surroundings, noticing that the birds were still staring at him expectantly. He exhaled, turning to face the staring birds, meeting their expectant stares with his own, steely gaze. Yet, something inside Benkei told him it was all very, very wrong. For starters, he died. As far as he knew, that was pretty much the end for people, at least in the sense that they would no longer be truly themselves anymore. But here he was, breathing, healthy as ever, and completely aware that he had been killed. Furthermore, ever since his arrival, every last aspect of the land he was in seemed so very strange. The animals all had big eyes and heads, stubby legs and bodies, and they seemed to bristle with an intelligence and cognizance he had never seen such humble creatures possess. It boggled his mind as he stood there, frozen by the dozens of oddly aware birds looking at him, expecting something of him. 

Benkei began to think back to that strange, serpent chicken he had killed earlier. He still couldn't place it, frustrated by his ignorance. In all his years of learning, he was completely at a loss for all of the questions he harbored. He began to think better of his plan to just barge in on the locals, suspecting that they would call him a demon for being among the living, despite having been very dead not so long ago. He sighed, exasperated by his situation, and began walking slowly away from the cottage, the birds' eyes following him as he came to the wooden bridge above the soothing waters of the river.

Everything was so different here, the animals, the buildings, the tress and the plants. Even the sun, sky, air and water felt and looked different here. Benkei knelt down on the bridge, staring at his reflection in the calm waters, as the rising sun began to illuminate the vibrant and beautiful landscape, the grass glistening with morning dew. 

He couldn't just run away, someone would find him eventually, and even if they never found him, Benkei wasn't going to live his whole life in hiding, just because he didn't have all the pieces of the puzzle yet. He kept thinking back to the moment on the bridge, the arrow flying gracefully through the air, its feathers catching the suns rays as he closed his eyes and accepted death, letting his meditation allow his mind to drift away, even as his body died.

But that was what troubled him the most. He had felt that same feeling, that feeling of coldness, that feeling of death, the overwhelming desire to rest, and be still when he had faced that thing back in the forest. He could recall every moment of it being almost exactly the same as when he was shot through the heart. Suddenly, Benkei came to the realization that he had experienced that feeling because he had nearly died, again. So he reacted naturally, just as he did when he first faced death, he let his meditation sweep over his thoughts, allowing his mind to drift away, leaving his dying body behind.

Benkei was a spiritual man, but he never truly believed it possible for meditation to not only shatter stone, but defy death itself. He looked at his hands for a moment, unsure of what he was anymore. He certainly wasn't just a man, so far as he could tell, but he couldn't comprehend how he had accomplished all of these magical and miraculous feats. He closed his eyes for a moment, letting his thoughts process all of what had happened. After a few moments of silent introspection, Benkei opened his eyes, noticing that the birds were still staring.

He gingerly removed the small bunny from his hood, placing her on the soft grass closest to the cottage, as he resolved to go through with his plan and meet the locals, despite his doubts. He walked slowly back towards the front door of the strangely built and even more strangely decorated structure. As he raised his hand to knock on the door, his mind was overcome by all of the inquiries he still had. 

Why are all the birds staring at me? Why does everything look and feel so different? How could I have possibly shattered stone with my mind? How am I even alive? Where am I? What am I going to do now? What in the name of the Shogun was that chicken serpent?

He pushed aside the many questions he still harbored, his ignorance starting to frustrate him. But Benkei calmed himself, putting on the best, most social face an ogre like man like him could. He smiled and let himself regain his composure, before finally letting his hand fall upon the wood of the door, his knocking loud, but not aggressive.

He lowered his hand, ready to greet the locals and put aside his apprehensions.

"Oh my, just ...  Just a minute! Its awful early don't you thi-" a soft and soothing female voice began in a foreign tongue as the hinges to the door creaked open, revealing the small butterscotch equine, mouth still open in mid sentence, as she stood there, paralyzed.

Benkei could only look an in astonishment, both of them frozen by the others strange appearance. The staring contest ceased moments later, when the small equine stepped back woozily, her large cyan eyes beginning to close, as she fainted from shock.

Benkei rubbed his eyes for a moment, and looked behind him at the birds that still glared at him, and then back to the passed out pony that lay before him. He sighed, resigning himself from logic as he stepped through the door, crouching to avoid hitting his head. He sat down on the floor next to the vibrantly colored equine, and waited for her to recover.

He had almost certainly never heard an animal make a noise like that. It almost sounded as if it were trying to speak, but in some strange language he couldn't fully understand. He assumed it was more than just a simple beast of burden, as all of the animals in this strange land were more intelligent than they seemed. Benkei observed the living room around him, lavishly furnished by his ascetic standards.

How were animals even capable of this level of complexity, with a house and furniture, gardens, and bridges? , he thought to himself, more confused and shocked than ever. He shook his head in disbelief, still clinging to the notion that there had to be a reasonable explanation for all of it.

He sat there for a moment, still unsure of what to do, before spying simple yet eye catching porcelain tea set in the next room over. He stood up, looking down at the pony, the sunlight from the open door catching her light pink mane, giving it an iridescent glow that he thought looked rather pretty. He had always regarded horses as beautiful and majestic creatures, but this one was most certainly different in a way he could not fully comprehend yet, aside from the obvious.

Benkei knelt down, gingerly picking up the pony and placing her on the nearby amply padded sofa. Just as he did so, his little grey bunny friend scampered into the room, hopping up onto the couch besides the equine, poking it curiously. Benkei frowned at the bunny, which caused her to cease, and simply sit beside the colorful pony, eyeing her up and down. Benkei looked back at the porcelain set, before returning his gaze to the small bunny, who gave him a reassuring nod. He still wasn't at all sure of what was going on, or how these animals were so smart, but he decided that he could reflect on these things after a nice cup of hot tea. 

He turned and shook his head in good natured disbelief, before silently walking into the small kitchen, and beginning the process of making a proper kettle of tea for the both of them.
> Breaking Down Walls
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The sun slowly began its ascent into the sky, the magnificently golden rays streaking through the cross sectioned windows of the room Benkei sat in, the warmth of the rays relaxing him as he sipped at his green tea. He let the sweet and flowery tasting liquid soothe his mind, the nectar allowing him to reflect on past events more easily. 

He sat, cross legged, across from the unconscious pony, looking her over, and trying to determine what exactly she was, all while trying to find an explanation to everything. He kept thinking, completely unable to find any logical conclusion, and began thinking of things in a more spiritual and abstract way. As he contemplated the implications of him being in this strange land, he took another sip of his tea, scooting a little bit closer to the pony, and examining her back.

Flabbergasted, he stared at the odd protrusions confused. He set his teacup down gently, stretching out his arm, and brushing her wings softly, taking in the smooth texture of her feathers. He moved his arm away from the wings, and up to her main coat, letting the velvety fur caress his rough fingers. Pulling his arm back, he shook his head, eyes wide and mouth agape. He considered for a moment that he was dreaming, blinking his eyes and rubbing them vigorously, in a vain attempt to wake up.

Sighing, Benkei picked up his cup, continuing to sip his tea, the steaming hot kettle of fragrant liquid set down on a small round table just to his left. He cleared his mind for a moment, letting all of his questions fade away. He determined that it was of no use dwelling on the thoughts that troubled him when he obviously had no answer. As a matter of fact, Benkei didn't even know what steps he should take to find his answer really. All he knew was that if this creature was as smart as he presumed it to be, then it might be able to give him some answers.

So he waited patiently, the polished wooden floors creaking slightly as he shifted his weight, setting down his teacup as he adjusted his shawl. Benkei realized he was still carrying his naginata, feeling the rough leather strap while he was adjusting his shawl, and began removing it, slipping strap off his shoulder, and setting down the fearsome weapon beside him.

Picking his up his teacup once more, he smiled slightly as the pony shifted, mumbling something that he couldn't hear. Its eyelids twitched a little, before slowly opening, and blinking several times in rapid succession. As Benkei came into focus, the pony froze, eyes wide in fear, ears pointed downwards.

Benkei began to speak, but decided against it, feeling it might upset her even more than she looked. He reached over to his left, the sunlight streaming through the window catching his polished, black shoulder plate as he grasped the full teacup steadily, retracting his arm and stretching it back out to the pony in a kind gesture.

Snapped out of her paralysis by the sweet smell of the fragrant green tea, she extended one of her forehooves shakily, taking the piping hot tea from Benkei's large hands. Meanwhile, Benkei could only look on, astonished as the pony grasped the teacup sideways, holding it by its handle with her hoof, despite having no fingers to hold it with. He stopped sipping his tea as she raised the cup to her mouth, taking in the aroma before drinking a short sip hesitantly. He still couldn't believe she was holding it like she was, and shook his head for a moment, afraid that he was being rude by staring in such an unbecoming manner.

He regained his composure, quietly sipping at his tea, looking down at the floor, trying to figure out a way he could talk to it. From the little he heard before she fainted, she definitely didn't speak Japanese. A little frustrated at being so close to understanding his situation, yet impeded still, he got up, turning to look out the window and observe the beauty before him.

The yard was filled with the same birds who had glared at him on the way in, now having returned to tweeting and chirping their complex and ritualistic songs. He admired their elegant sounding choir, yet couldn't push the feeling out of his mind that there was something very wrong with all of this.

He knew he was in a  VERY strange situation, but the way the birds glared at him really stood out. He was certainly an outsider in this weird and yet wondrous land ... but what that meant for him wasn't so clear. The earlier thoughts of his purpose for being here began to wriggle their way back into his mind, only to be repelled by Benkei's stout internal meditation. He needed to remain calm, and address the situation one step at a time, as he always has.

Benkei turned back to face the pony, gulping down the last drop of his tea, gently placing it on the same table as the tea kettle, and walking over to the sitting pony. She hadn't let her eyes leave him the entire time, but she remained silent, eyes still slightly concerned as she nervously sipped at her tea. Benkei noticed that she had to crane her head up slightly to meet his eyes, and promptly sat down to rectify the inconvenience to her.

She seemed a little less nervous as he crossed his legs and interlocked his fingers, resting them on his middle tasset. Her eyes softened slightly, her hooves shifting to readjust her body into a more comfortable position.

The two just sat there for a while, the pony sipping her tea every few minutes, too frightened to speak, Benkei too nervous to speak, lest he send her into another panic induced faint. So they just stared at one another for a good while, taking in each others strange appearance. 

The wind rustled outside, just barely audible through the house's walls, while the sun continued to pour through the windows, bathing the both of them in a blanket of warmth and luminescence. Benkei, noticed something odd as the warmth beat down on his armored back, squinting his eyes suspiciously. The next time the pony raised the cup and took a short sip, he realized that the cup was empty, and began to wonder how long it had been so.

Deciding that he wasn't going to get anywhere unless he made the first move, Benkei cleared his throat, and spoke clearly, trying to make his voice sound softer and less rough in an attempt to not spook her.

"Kon'nichiwa, watashi wa Benkei gozen. Onamaehanandesuka?" , he finished, noticing that Akeeta was still near the end of the pony, looking at him hopefully. The little grey bunny nudged him onwards through her paw motions, gesturing for him to show her the piece of paper he had written on. 

Benkei, taking Akeeta's signal, reached over to the same table that contained the tea kettle, taking a small piece of paper that he had written on earlier. He looked it over one more time, holding it up to the light to be completely sure he had written everything as neatly as he could. After finishing his check, he looked up at the pony, who was still sipping at her empty tea, and handed her the paper, setting it on the floor besides the padded couch.

She continued staring at him for a moment more, her ears slowly perking up, before looking away and quickly snatching up the paper in her free hoof. The note read :

" こんにちは、私は弁慶午前。お名前は何ですか？"

She stared at the note for a few moments, her large cyan eyes carefully examining every detail of it. She read through it several times, each time taking longer than the last, before finally setting it down on the cushion in front of her, and looking up to face Benkei, who was smiling warmly. Akeeta scampered to the front of the pony, hopping up and down, encouraging her to speak. Her expression softened upon seeing the cute, fuzzy animal, lifting her hoof to brush its head softly, before taking a deep breath, and speaking at an almost inaudible volume.

"Uhm ... Sir ... I uhm ... I-I can't read this." , she stammered out, her ears drooping slightly as she tried to shrink into her skin.

Benkei attempted to go through each and every sound he had heard meticulously, analyzing every one in fine detail mentally, but came to the conclusion that she was indeed speaking a different language than him. He expected as much, seeing as she was not only a pony, but one with wings. Added to this was the fact that she seemed to defy logic, able to handle fragile and dainty objects with surprising ease, despite her fingerless hooves. He contained a sigh of frustration in an effort to not scare her.

I did not understand a single word she just uttered, but at least I have her talking.  

He kept trying to think of a solution to the language barrier, considering for a moment, how he and his newfound bunny friend had been communicating. In a moment of relieved enlightenment, Benkei almost leapt up, but contained himself and simply smiled, happy with his discovery.

"Benkei." he said slowly, while repeatedly poking himself in the chest, meaning to gesture towards himself. He spoke his name once more, looking into her unusually large eyes excitedly, as he noticed the change in them shifting from one of confusion, to one of understanding. He ceased poking himself in the chest, sighing inwardly in relief of at least getting her to know his name. He tried using the same technique to discover her own name, pointing at her as non aggressively as he could with his huge hands.

After a few jabs to the air, the pony got the memo, and spoke in her same, shy tone, but much louder this time, as she began to feel a little bit more comfortable around Benkei.

"I-I'm Fluttershy. I-It's nice to meet you, Mister Ben Khay." she spoke in the same undecipherable tongue as before. She shifted uneasily, continuing to pet the rabbit with her hoof softly, the contact with the creature soothing and calming her down. Her pink mane almost glowed in the warm and bright sunlight, her huge eyes glinting adorably with a strange mixture of fear, confusion, and hope.

Benkei went through each and every word she had uttered, comparing the strange sounds individually to the innumerable words he had in his vocabulary, and over the course of a few awkwardly silent minutes, he narrowed her possible names down to just one possible choice. Despite his inability to speak in her tongue, he considered it a gesture of goodwill to formally greet her. He stood up as slowly as he could, trying to look smaller than he actually was.

"Kon'nichiwa Fluttershy.", he spoke clearly, as he bowed fully and respectfully before her. He sat back down promptly, the wooden floor creaking to accommodate his heaviness, especially with all of his armor still on.

Fluttershy remained silent, pondering as to what he was trying to tell her. She had come to the conclusion that he wasn't a monster, or if he was, he was a very polite and literate one. She didn't understand the language he was speaking, but she knew it was a language all the same. She closed her eyes for a moment, thinking back to all those times she had overheard Twilight talking of ancient civilizations, deserted ruins, and obscure languages. Yet, despite all of the lost languages she could recall, no such one seemed to be even remotely similar to what he was speaking. 

Akeeta backed away from Fluttershy, who was still petting her when she hopped off the couch. She scampered over to Benkei, and jumped up onto his left tasset, letting herself sit there patiently, looking up at Benkei. He shifted his eyes to look at her, peering down at the fuzzy little creature. As he sat there, looking at Akeeta, he tried to ask her what to do with his eyes, but when he got no response, he shook his head slightly, and looked back up to meet Fluttershy's eyes.

He really didn't know where to go from here, because even though he might be able to convey simple thoughts, to get the answers to the questions he harbored, he needed a way to communicate his thoughts eloquently. He wracked his brain for several moments, thinking of all the different ways he might be able to break through the language barrier. Coming up short, he decided to get up and head towards the door, slinging his naginata over his back, and bowing respectfully towards Fluttershy.

Just as he reached the door, wrapping his hand around the doorknob, he heard a high pitched squeak behind him, stopping and swiveling his head to look back.

Fluttershy was on her feet now, standing timidly on all fours as she repeated her inaudible sentence.

"D-Don't leave Mister Ben Khay. Y-You don't  ...  seem like a big scary monster, and you're very polite ...", Fluttershy stammered out quickly, Benkei releasing his grasp on the knob and turning around to face her fully,  " ... You seem, k-kinda nice actually. " Finishing her sentence, Benkei noticed that Fluttershy's expression softened greatly, and despite not understanding what she had said, he knew that it was a gesture of kindness. Benkei didn't quite grasp the cultural norms of this society yet, having only met one very shy resident and all, but he felt it was safe to assume that good will reflected best on those who give it, just as in Japan. 

He slipped off his naginata, leaning it against the wall by the entrance, and lowering his hood, revealing his coarse black hair. He walked up to Fluttershy towering over her, and for a moment she regretted letting him stay, looking up at his imposing figure. But her fears were put to rest as he quickly descended, crouching down so that their eyes met evenly. Benkei smiled warmly, and nodded his head gently, silently thanking the hospitality and bravery of the pony.

He stood up, striding over to the door, and then turning his head to face Fluttershy. He jerked his head in such a manner as to gesture her to follow him, as he opened the door slowly. Benkei had decided that since they both seemed to love nature, it would be beneficial for the both of them to bask in the glory of it for a while. Perhaps they could even find other common ground while sharing in the beauty of the world.

Fluttershy hesitated for a moment, before feeling a light tapping on her foreleg. It was Akeeta, jabbing her with one paw, and pointing at Benkei with her other. Fluttershy smiled happily at the little bunny, and for the first time, she kept the smile as she looked back at Benkei. Any friend of nature, was a friend of hers. While she still had her doubts and obvious suspicions about the strange looking creature before her, she felt he could be trusted for the time being, at least until she could figure out a way to talk to him, and learn his intentions. She looked down at the pleading bunny one more time, before making up her mind and walking over to Benkei, still a little nervous.

Benkei looked down at her, smiling as invitingly as he could, trying to calm her, as they both stepped out the door, and into the wonderfully bright, vibrant world of Equestria.

Akeeta walked over to the door, intent on following them, when she heard a voice from behind her. It was like no voice she had ever heard before, for it wasn't truly speaking. She felt as if it were in her head, and rather distant, but could make out the vague sentence.

"So, what brings you here hot stuff?" it continued to echo through her mind, the arrogance of the speaker unhindered by the mind speech medium. She looked around herself, analyzing every nook and cranny of her surroundings, from the cofee table, to the sofa, to the rafters lined with bird houses. The voice spoke again, getting louder and clearer, the sound of footsteps coming from behind her.

"I'll say it again: What exactly are you doin' here? I haven't seen you around here before, and I definitely have never seen anything like your friend." , the voice finished, as the footsteps stopped suddenly. Akeeta whirled around, meeting eyes with a small white bunny about her size. She looked around , puzzled for a moment, trying to find the source of the voice, before realizing where it had been coming from.

"It's me. I'm the one talking." , the white bunny said flatly. Akeeta locked eyes with him again, able to understand what he was saying, but unable to respond.

Akeeta tried to ask him with her eyes how to accomplish such a miraculous feat, and after a few moments of awkward staring at head tilting, Angel finally understood her question.

"Just sorta ... concentrate on your thoughts. We can't talk physically, only mentally, so don't try straining yourself like that. Its kinda like pure thought, if that makes any sense. When you talk, you gotta only focus on that one thing you wanna say. It can't really be taught, I learned how myself, and most of the wild bunnies Flutters takes care of can't speak either, and most of em' never learn to either. Fact of the matter is they're just too stupid to. I assume you're wild too, right?" , the fluffy white bunny spoke, moving a little bit closer to Akeeta as she nodded a little indignantly, trying to focus on her thoughts, concentrating only on the one sentence she had in her mind, and trying to make it real. She squeaked for a moment, blushing at her mistake, before resuming her focus.

"My name's Angel, in case you were wonderin'. If you ever figure out how to speak, how about you tell me your pretty name, to match your pretty face." , he said , coming even closer to Akeeta now, wrapping one of his furry arms around her. 

Feeling instantly uncomfortable, Akeeta's thoughts shifted to another sentence she was trying to formulate, as focused all of her will into projecting her one, overriding thought into speech, or whatever Angel was using to talk. Breaking through the barrier, Akeeta calmly stated something that Angel didn't quite catch, the white bunny leaning over her shoulder now.

"What'd you say now?", Angel asked in an increasingly seductive tone. He barely had time to finish his sentence.

Angel was instantly several feet across the room, sprawled out and dazed.

"I said, back. Off." , Akeeta said in a threatening and triumphant tone, one of her paws still raised where she had punched Angel in the face.

"Sheesh, I was just playing. Kitty's got claws, am I right?  " , Angel said to no one in particular, sitting up and rubbing his head. He was a little taken aback by just how quickly she had learned to speak, and so fluently at that. Added to that, from where he sat, the sunlight wreathed her figure in a golden glow, giving her a very appealing appearance, the light flooding over her silvery grey coat. He was entranced to say the least.

" Well maybe you should 'play' less and learn some manners ya creep.", Akeeta shot back, brushing off her paw, still excited about the fact that she could now speak, more or less. She had always had so many great thoughts and ideas, so many questions and inquiries about the world, and now she could finally tell the world about all of them, ask the important questions that had been eating at her, and share herself with others in a more meaningful way. But she still didn't fully comprehend exactly how she was talking through her mind. She had tried many times before to speak, but perhaps she had failed because she was trying to use her physical body in combination with her mind, instead of what Angel had suggested, pure thought. She tried to contain her excitement, but simply couldn't, hopping up and down happily several times before Angel interrupted her bliss.

"Don't get too excited, you can only talk to other rabbits, and even then most won't be able to understand you. Very few rabbits ever explore higher thought, and even fewer learn how to speak. I'd imagine I'm the only rabbit you'll be talking to for a good while, so get used to it.", Angel said, still secretly admiring her figure. He couldn't quite describe what he was feeling. It wasn't the same as when he was with all those other rabbits, nor was it similar to the bond he shared with Fluttershy. It was very different, and Angel was a little nervous as the oddly pleasing, yet strange feeling continued to grow deep in his stomach.

Akeeta instantly deflated, and was actually a little annoyed at the thought of talking to no one except Angel. Her mind flashed back to the animal FuzzyFace had murdered, putting Angel in its place as she giggled softly, letting maniacal thoughts seep into her brain. After a few moments of cherishing a world without the jerky bunny, she returned to reality, where Angel was unfortunately still very alive. She thought about what he had said, vague memories of her lonely past resurfacing. She had known other animals and creatures all her life, and she had always been an outsider because of her intelligence. 

She had never really had anyone she would consider a friend, quietly exploring the forest alone, hoping that one day she might find someone to confide in. While her curiosity often got her into trouble with the other residents of the forest, she knew deep in her heart that it was just who she was. No one understood her, or could even think on the same level that she did. She had always known she was different, but this was something else entirely. In that moment, Akeeta realized she wasn't just smarter, she was conscious ... and so was Angel.

"Look, I may have come off on the wrong foot, and I'm sorry for that. I never expected you to be able to speak , period, much less within a few moments of trying to get it right. I'll be blunt, most of the rabbits that pass through here are near brain dead compared to you, and even though you and I are smarter, we still got needs. You get what I'm saying?" , Angel finished, trying to sound a little more apologetic, instead only making Akeeta feel awkward. 

"Yes, yes I get what you're saying, and let me just say: You're even more of a creep than I thought. Still, FuzzyFace seems to like Fluttershy, who I would assume is your owner," , Angel nodded reluctantly, ", and that means were probably gonna be sticking around each other more than we'd like to. So please, don't make this any more unbearable than it has to be. If you want to be a perv, fine. But don't be a perv around me ... or else." Akeeta said, putting emphasis on her threat.

"Or else what? Ya gonna punch me again?" ,  Angel said mockingly. Akeeta let her mind wander back to the scene in the forest with the decapitated creature.

"Oh you'll see ...  you'll see ..." Akeeta spoke menacingly, shooting him a sinister glare, trailing off as she scampered over to the door that had been left slightly ajar. The sunlight poured through the open space, blinding Akeeta for a moment as she heaved the door open, pushing it with all her strength. After a few moments of pushing, the door was opened wide enough to let her squeeze through, vanishing beyond the towering wooden entrance. She was just glad to be away from Angel. But as she scampered across the field, she couldn't help but crack a slight smile, happy that she wouldn't have to be all alone anymore. Angel was a jerk, but at least she finally had someone she could talk to.

Angel remained where he was sitting, still rubbing his head, trying to ease his pain. She hit him like a truck, and it was definitely showing as he felt a slight bump forming on his forehead. He was a little bit worried about what she had said to him, and even more worried that despite everything she had done, he couldn't push her out of his thoughts. He wanted to hate her, but as a few moments passed, he was overwhelmed by the feeling in his stomach making him feel uneasy the more he thought about her.

He couldn't bring himself to hold anything against her, being much too relieved that he finally had someone to talk to. He hadn't met another bunny that could talk since ... ever, really. He had only heard about it in books, and he was the one who had taught himself. At first, he thought he was just going crazy, but eventually he made the connection between what he had read about, and what he had experienced, realizing he could talk to other rabbits, more or less. He had spent months studying the complex art of focusing willpower and thought into a telepathic wave that could be heard by other bunnies, aided by the slight amount of residual magic everything on the planet had, the same magic that allowed ponies to hold things, despite their lack of fingers.

Even so, Angel envied Akeeta. It had taken him months to teach himself speech, and she was able to do it within seconds of trying. He was still completely at a loss for how she was able to just, do it without any hesitation or practice, and on her first try no less. It would have been like an amateur flyer beating the Wonderbolts the first time they had tried. He felt strangely inadequate, extremely envious, and more than little attracted to her. 

He reasoned that it was just his hormones talking, trying to suppress his feelings, but after dwelling on it for a few minutes, he still couldn't push her from his thoughts. She certainly wasn't the prettiest or most well groomed bunny he had ever seen, but she had an aura of fearless confidence and feral beauty about her that he couldn't stop thinking about. Added to that, she was the only bunny he had ever known that could talk just like him, and she was all he could think about. His envy and the pain in his forehead subsided, replaced by the overwhelming feeling that had started in the pit of his stomach, and expanded across his body. Sure she had walloped him something fierce, but Celestia be damned if that was enough to turn him away. He envied her, wanted her all , and hated himself for it.  

Angel got up, still rubbing head, and began walking over to the door, as his mind argued with him, trying to convince him to cease his irrational actions.

What are you doin'? Are you seriously going after her, even when she just kicked your ass? Is she really worth it?

He didn't even have to think about it as he neared the door, peeking out around the door, letting the sunlight bathe him in a reassuringly warm glow.

"Absolutely ... " he muttered to himself a little shocked at how he was feeling. He had never quite felt like this before. He had his harems of bunnies to appease him, Flutters to cuddle with and boss around, but this was something greater. Something deeper, more sophisticated and intelligent. It wasn't just instinctual, primal lust, it was so much more.

His stomach churned at the thought, not quite sure how to feel about it all. For a moment, he considered shutting the door, and walking away. But he didn't, he just stood there, letting the breeze rustle his fur looking out at the world longingly. Angel was an indulgent creature, being raised to the point of spoiling by Fluttershy who adored him, and surrounded by all the comforts he could ever wish for. 

Akeeta was something different though. She wasn't like all the other bunnies he had been with, all the mindless animals he had known. He knew he was going to have to fight hard for her, which meant relinquishing a lot of the comforts and tendencies he had grown into over the years. He considered just how hard it was going to be, changing his entire personality into something more likable, something more acceptable, wincing at all the things he was going to have to give up while he strived for her love. 

It wasn't going to be easy, and he wasn't going to like it, but he felt a deep compulsion to be with her, something much more than just what he had intended originally. What he couldn't understand was why he felt like this. Sure, she was pretty enough, but nothing exceptional. He sat on it for a moment, realizing that he needed someone he could share himself with. He was as lonely as one can be, just wanting to be heard, to talk with someone, anyone, soon discovering that he was very alone in the realm of intelligence when it came to bunnies. She was his only hope to finally find someone that he could talk with, discuss his feelings and share his life with. 

It all sounded so sappy in his head, but he knew it all to be what he truly longed for. He had spent so long living extravagantly, enjoying all the physical pleasures that come with his lifestyle, but he felt empty. He knew he couldn't stand that hollow feeling anymore, and he knew that Akeeta was the only one who could help him fill that void.

He felt a little woozy as he pushed the door open slightly, ready to begin his quest. He sighed, giving into his feelings, as his mind gave him one final warning.

You're gonna get yourself killed dude. Just sayin'. That rabbit has psycho written all over her. Did you even hear her when she left? Talk about foreboding.

Angel realized the likely possibility that she was completely crazy, and might end up killing him, but this would be the only chance he would ever get at being with another bunny like himself. He had to take the risk. 

After all, she shows up, makes him feel like an idiot, smacks him in the face with the force of a stallion, threatens his life, calls him a creep, and runs off, and despite all of this, Angel could only think of one word to describe her.

Perfect.

Angel shook his head, still a little incredulous that he couldn't stop thinking about her like he was, and even more so that he was actually going after her, before slipping through the opening, and taking the first step on a road that would very likely lead him nowhere. But it was a chance Angel had to take.
> No Turning Back
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The thump of Benkei's feet on the soft, welcoming earth beneath his feet provided the steady, firm base of thuds as Flutterhy's more gentle footsteps produced a harder, more high pitched clippity clopping sound as the two walked leisurely towards the wooden bridge. Fluttershy nervously looked up at Benkei, stealing a final glance at him, before quickly looking away, blushing slightly , and reassuring herself that it was okay to trust him. She was still shy, and rightfully wary of him, but from what she could tell, he was very gentle and kind, if not entirely harmless. 

The birds, despite having glared at Benkei evilly earlier, had ceased their patronizing glares after seeing him walking besides Fluttershy. While the chorus of cheeps and chimes was significantly softer now, it was very much still there, the elegantly sounding song of the wondrous and colorful avians echoed throughout the property, carrying their soothing tune well into the forest, before dissipating. It was almost as if some of the effort that was put into the song, had been diverted to warily keeping an eye on Benkei, the beady eyes of the animals following him like those of haunted paintings. 

Still, Benkei paid them no mind, instead, closing his eyes to lavish in the soothingly sweet sounds they produced. He stopped at the bridge abruptly, standing on the apex of the slightly curved wooden planks. He opened his eyes again, the sun blinding him for a moment as he looked away, and lowered himself slowly. He sat down, letting his legs dangle over the side of the bridge, less than a foot away from the slow moving stream below. Fluttershy had remained standing a few feet away from Benkei, looking at her distorted reflection in the calm water, before she heard a quick few thumps.

She craned her head back from looking at herself in the water, and saw Benkei gently patting the wood beside him, an inviting smile on his rough, yet kind face. Her expression softened, the inviting gesture easing her mind, as her muscles became less tense, her ears lowered slightly, and she sighed inwardly in relief. Maybe she could trust him.

She walked over beside Benkei, before sitting down, folding her back legs up, and letting her front legs hang over the side of the bridge comfortably. She was pressed up right beside Benkei, her butterscotch colored fur meshing with his stark white shawl, the coolness of the fabric lapping at her fur. She looked up at Benkei, still unable to fully pass judgement on him, her prying cyan eyes trying to make heads or tails of the situation.

On the one hand, he was huge easily two or three heads taller than Fluttershy when standing up, and she could tell he was built like a wall, even underneath all of his blocky, yet somehow elegant armor. She was tempted to compare him to a bear in his stature he was so large, but even then, she would be hard pressed to find a bear as imposing as him. She was still a little frightened by his enormous size, her lip quivering every now and then, and a very slight surge of panic running through her body, making her fur stand up on end. She had been around large animals before, heck, she had even told a dragon off, but there was just something about him that was ... disconcerting.

He was as big as a bear, as tall as Celestia, walked similar to how Spike did, and yet, he seemed very relaxed, almost worryingly so. At this point, Fluttershy had gathered that he was at the very least, a gentle creature by nature, having seen his tendency for politeness, and his love for critters and nature. She took solace in this fact, still trying to put together the rest of the pieces.

She went through a mental list quickly, addressing the various points that were noteworthy, most important of them being the language he had spoken earlier. Sure she had heard her fair share of weird mumbo jumbo in the past, and the incantations used for some spells were downright frightening they were so alien, but this was something different entirely. It was a full language, complete with a phrase for everything, just as Equestrian had a term for just about everything as well. She kept straining herself to find the answers, her thoughts swirling around in a confused storm of contemplation.

But she was broken from her thoughts, as she felt a large hand pat her on the back of her head, before slowly continuing down her neck, and onto her back. She was uncomfortable for a moment, but before she could move or do anything, she felt a surge of calmness wash over her. It felt almost like water, splashing against her, and all over her, the wave of stillness and serenity overpowering her, cleansing her thoughts of all her worries and all her troubles.

Benkei cracked a slight smile, as he mumbled to himself something incomprehensible. He looked down at Fluttershy as he gently continued to pet her, letting her gorgeous silky mane tickle his hard and calloused fingers. 

He thought back to his own horse, his valiant steed lost in battle, the memories of the stray arrow that had felled one of his best friends in an instant. He still remembered how it all happened, the fiery death dealer flying through the air, as the sky rained fire down on him and his other warrior monks as they valiantly charged into the enemy formations. He could feel the wind in his hair, the splash of hot blood on his face, and the staining of his kimono. It all seemed so real, so vivid, like it had just happened moments ago. He would never forget her name, but he was too pained, even now to dare utter the name of a long gone friend. Even though it was in the past, Benkei could still see her eyes, her glossy, dead eyes, staring longingly into the distance, the fire scorching her once luxurious mane. 

He could feel the impact as he hit the ground, taste the dirt and the blood in his mouth as he lifted himself out from underneath the corpse of his horse. Benkei silently shed a single tear, Fluttershy's soft mane letting him remember all of the people, and all of the friends he had lost in his long, tragic life.

But he couldn't help but smile as the drop of wetness slid down his cheek. Here he was, sitting beside a creature with the intelligence of a human, and the majesty of a horse, all in one truly elegant and beautifully vibrant package. Perhaps, Benkei mused, perhaps he was just dreaming of the things he had wished for. He loved animals, horses especially, and enjoyed having intelligent discussions and debates with those who were his equal academically. Maybe this was all just a vivid dream of his inner desire to bring the two very different loves together into one, harmonious marriage.

He shook his head, dismissing the thought, swiveling his head over to look at Fluttershy's entranced face, his slow and careful motions visibly easing her worries. Benkei had spent a lot of time with animals, and he had figured that despite their astounding smarts, they were still very much horses, being soothed through the same techniques as the ones he once known. 

Fluttershy had begun to slowly regain her senses, the enchanting movement of Benkei's hands streaking through her mane, and caressing her neck were too much for her to handle at first, the lovingly precise motions sending her into a thoughtless peace. She was still a bit weirded out, and a little uneasy when she had come back to her right mind, as she generally wasn't petted with any regularity, but she couldn't resist just submitting and enjoying the amazing sensation.

The birds continued to cheep and chime, growing louder and putting more vigor into it with each passing minute, the sun basking them and the two very different creatures on the bridge in a warm blanket of light. The wind rustled Benkei's beard and his coarse hair slightly, as the breeze tugged on his shawl. He finally felt relaxed enough, and comfortable enough to begin thinking about some of the things that had been plaguing him since he had woken up in this strange place.

Many thoughts were released back into his head as he let himself go into a trance of thought and reflection. He was resolved to find at least one answer to any of his questions before he was finished thinking. He started with the petty stuff, like why everything looked so different, why the colors were more alive here, and why the birds had stared at him earlier, with an almost unnatural glare about them.

Benkei, try as he might was unable to come to a conclusive answer for any of these things, resolving to push them aside until he was able to communicate more deeply with the natives. Benkei got sidetracked for a moment, breaking his concentration to look back over at Fluttershy who's expression was one of utter relaxation and enjoyment, her huge, adorable eyes staring back into his own with approval.

Returning his gaze to the river, and his thoughts to his questions, Benkei tackled the big fish that had been chipping away at him for a while now. First up was how in the name of the Shogun was he still alive? Rather, how was he alive again? He combed through various pieces of text he had read throughout his time, some referencing an afterlife, some supposing reincarnation was how all living beings never truly died. Despite his position as a monk, he had always been skeptical of some of the teachings of the monasteries, specifically those that would have him believe in supernatural, or otherwise unjustifiable things, like dark magic, reincarnation, and some aspects of religion. The alternative option that had crossed his mind was that some higher power was controlling him, and his life, putting him here to do ... something. He wracked his brain, grasping at straws and always coming to inconclusive dead ends.

Eventually, Benkei simply refused to believe some higher power was behind all of this. It just didn't fit into his world view, and didn't conform to his form of logic. Then again, the situation at hand didn't really have a logic abiding answer either, so he wasn't entirely sure what to think. He sighed inwardly, frustrated with not being able to answer any of the big questions on his mind. It reminded him a great deal of a riddle one of the monks at the monastery gave him once. 

What is entirely reliant on the strength within you to depend on the strength of those around you?

Benkei remembered the riddle well, even to this day, and still, he had never come up with an answer, returning day after day to the monk, giving him incorrect answer after incorrect answer, until the elderly monk passed away, the true answer still a mystery to Benkei. He mulled over the riddle, more out of defeat than anything. Still, a million answers whizzed through his head, just as they once had, and Benkei knew deep within himself that none of them were the key to solving the riddle. Perhaps, just as the riddle was never solved, and yet Benkei managed to exist in relative peace, he could accept going without answers to his predicament, at least for the time being, and still live without too much hindrance.

After dwelling on it for a moment, and then quickly thinking about the pony he was still caressing softly, he put aside his confused and inquisitive thoughts, resolving to let them remain dormant until he knew more about his situation. Finally having broken free from his meditative state, Benkei allowed himself to soak in the beauty of the scene before him.

Benkei had heard of Tsou monks before, and had met them in person on more than one occasion , their philosophy really rubbing him the wrong way. They believed that ignoring all earthly beauty was key to being a good monk, for all earthly beauty fades in time. Yet, as Benkei sat there, he couldn't help but smirk smugly, the intoxicating aroma of fragrant flowers on the wind, the sun throwing a warm blanket of light over him, and the breeze, gently lapping at his skin and tugging on his clothes. It was all so surreal, the birds' choir masterful and serene, the flowing of the stream slow and gentle, and the rustle of the grass in the wind oddly soothing.

How could beauty this magnificent be ignored, in all its glory? Benkei was bewildered by the eye poppingly vibrant colors, their bright shades and hues in stark contrast to his somber black and white outfit. Even the Tsou monks would have relinquished their old ways in sudden and euphoric realization of the beauty of the world that now lay before Benkei. Despite his admiration for the beauty of this world, and the majestic creatures that inhabited it, the contrast of colors against him further alienated him from the land he found himself in, serving only to remind him of the position he was in. 

He knew he didn't belong here, wherever here was, and at first, he longed to go home to Japan, where things made sense. Yet, as Benkei sat there, running his fingers through Fluttershy's silky mane, and marveling at the wonder of the landscape set before him, a creeping feeling set in. It started as a tiny thought, a tiny doubt, telling him that no, he didn't want to go home. He didn't want to return to the same place where he had lost everything, his friends, his master, his house, and most importantly, his life. Benkei's brow furrowed as the thought slowly overtook his mind, first whispering, and then yelling at him to stay in the magical place he had ended up in.  The deafening assault of one tracked thought that no one else could hear wore Benkei down over several minutes, before he blinked hard, giving into the thoughts. 

As he stole one final glance at Fluttershy, he smiled, his eyes full of fiery determination. Benkei would stay, no matter what, through thick and thin, to appreciate, enjoy, and fulfill himself in this amazing place. There was nothing left for him to return to, after all, no family, no friends, no place to stay, and he was presumed to be dead too. How could he ever leave a place like this and go back to a land where he had nothing? They would call him a demon and kill him again. Besides, his master, Yoshitsune was dead, and his traitorous brother, Yoritomo would be at his throat if he found him still alive.

There was no point in returning to a land where he had overstayed his welcome. Benkei chuckled to himself for a moment, stepping back from the situation, and marveling at the absurdity of it all. He withdrew his hand from petting Fluttershy, setting it down on his lap, and thinking hard for a moment. As Fluttershy broke out of her trance, Benkei decided to try and speak with her again, while using hand motions to aid him.

" Watashitachiha mori no naka no sanpo ni ikimashou." , Benkei said in his deep, yet comforting voice. He pointed at himself with one hand, and then at Fluttershy with another, before pointing at the woods with both hands, and making two fingers on each hand into a pair of legs, as he walked them across the air.

It took Fluttershy a moment, more out of disbelief of his statement than anything, for his hand gestures made it all perfectly clear. She responded in her usual, timid tone.

"U-Uhm, Ben Khay, the Everfree is a rather ... " she paused for a moment, her voice trailing off  " ... a rather dangerous place. Its not safe for ponies, really." said Fluttershy, trying to sound as polite as possible. She shook her head slightly the entire time, communicating clearly that she didn't want to go.

Even though Benkei didn't understand exactly what she was saying, he got the gist of it through her body language, especially those huge, emotive eyes that spoke to him in a whimsically adorable language of their own. Benkei thought about it for a moment, mulling over the many paths he could take here. He considered conceding to her wishes, but after a few more moments of contemplation, he decided that it would be best to take a stroll through the forest. After all, he'd be right there with her.

His mind set, Benkei lifted himself off the ground slowly so as not to frighten Fluttershy with his tremendous size. He hadn't been ignorant to the fact that every time he stood at full height, her eyes were filled with apprehension and a slight twinge of fear. So this time, he only got to his feet, in a crouching position, allowing them to be almost eye level, with Benkei still being just a bit taller.

He looked into her eyes, his inviting smile melting away some of her fears as he gestured with his head towards the forest, jerking it ever so slightly in the direction of the treeline. Fluttershy returned the stare for a few moments, before looking away. She muttered something incomprehensible to herself.

Benkei sighed inwardly. Fluttershy truly was a timid pony by all accounts. He let himself fall backwards into a sitting position, as he began to try and think of other ways they could bond. Caught in more deep thought, he didn't even notice Akeeta scurry up beside him, hopping up onto one of his tassets, and sitting there patiently. Benkei was lost in his mind, the outside world disappearing as he mulled over what to do next.

Fluttershy immediately took note of this and scooted a bit closer to Benkei, so that she was able to gently pet the small grey bunny. As the petting began, Akeeta was able to spot a white fuzzball about a dozen feet away, running straight towards her. She shifted uncomfortably in her spot on Benkei's tasset, a bit concerned that Angel would tell Fluttershy about how she had threatened him. She had half a mind to run before he reached them, but seeing as Fluttershy was taking such a liking to her at the moment, she decided to stay put, and play out the situation.

As Angel got closer and closer, Akeeta began to brace herself for whatever might come, shifting herself into a position where she would be able to hop away from him should things go south. She had never been this close to a pony for so long before in her entire life, and although she seemed nice enough, Akeeta had always been a wary bunny.

Angel stopped just behind Fluttershy, right out of her field of vision, and looked at Akeeta intensely. She looked back at him, returning the intense gaze. The wind rustled Angel's fur ever so slightly, and the way that the sunlight danced off of his stark white fur gave him an otherworldly glow that not only looked good on him, but had Akeeta gawking at him. She tore her gaze away from him, blushing hard. She knew she shouldn't have been that entranced, and she was beating herself up about it.

"He's a jerk ..." she muttered to herself, trying to convince herself that she shouldn't have looked at him the way she did. She shook her head a few times, reassuring herself that he wasn't worth her time. But there was something in his eyes that had genuinely scared her, and yet was so enticing to her all the same. Something that had made it hard for her to look away. It wasn't a glare of disgust or hate. Quite the opposite in fact. But what really scared her, is that she had found herself returning the stare with just as much vigor. She couldn't help but blush, trying to hide her face from him.

Fluttershy noticed where Akeeta had been staring, and turned her head to see what it was. Instantly, her face lit up, and in a frenzied motion of happiness, she scooped up Angel, rubbing him against her cheek, an expression of joy taking hold of her face. After another moment of the warm embrace, she set down Angel beside Akeeta, much to the grey bunny's chagrin.

Akeeta instantly scooted over to the other side of Benkei's rectangular tasset, trying to stop herself from blushing, and staring down into the river below, her distorted reflection comforting her in some strange way. Angel was about to follow her, a front paw outstretched to try and get her to stop, but after a moment, he decided it was best not to push his luck, remaining where he was on the tasset. 

A million thoughts raced through Angel's head as he sat there, looking at Akeeta longingly. He had never been very good at interacting with other bunnies, and it really showed as he sat there, dumbfounded as to what was the proper approach to these sort of things. After another few seconds of thought, he began to slowly walk over to where Akeeta was sitting. But just a few steps in, a rumbling shook him off his feet, sending him tumbling backwards as Benkei stood up, unaware of the bunnies sitting on his frontal tasset. 

Just as Angel was about to tumble off of the tasset onto the ground below, he stole a glance at Akeeta's face, who was also slipping off the  tasset. He noticed she was still blushing, although it had died down to a much softer pink. As Angel hit the ground a few inches below, he couldn't help but smile. He stood up, brushing himself off. The fall hadn't really been painful so much as it had startled him when Benkei had started to move. 

Akeeta had manged to catch herself, landing on all fours. She inched closer to the side of the bridge , sitting down on the edge, letting her feet hang over the edge, just as Benkei had. She looked over her shoulder, stealing a glance at Angel dusting himself off. She turned back to the stream below her. She felt uneasy and confused, a strange feeling welling up inside of her. She berated herself for feeling like this, and yet she completely understood why. She had been alone all her life, and now she had a chance to finally be with someone else. Her heart was leaping at the chance, but her mind restrained her, telling her otherwise. It was a strange mix of emotions for her, and it certainly wasn't lessened the more she thought about Angel, and that look in his eyes. 

Meanwhile, Benkei had stood up to his full height, ready to begin his demonstration. He slowly walked past the bridge, onto the firm soil of the earth, wind blowing in his coarse black hair. He looked back at Fluttershy, nodding at her over his shoulder, and gesturing for her to follow him. At first she remained where she was, looking back and forth between her left and right with her eyes. She was thinking of whether or not she should proceed with Benkei. Making up her mind, she gently lifted Angel and Akeeta onto her back in one swift motion, putting them right by her long, flowing mane. The two bunnies clutched her mane with their tiny paws tightly, as she sauntered over to Benkei, her hesitant posture gnawing at Benkei.

He was about to begin his demonstration of his martial prowess with the katana, performing a dance of the sword before her to reassure her that he would protect her, but he couldn't bring himself to upset the pony in any way. There was just something about the butterscotch colored pony, something implacable, that made him want to do nothing to upset her.

He sighed audibly, letting his posture relax, and taking his hand away from the hilt of his sword. In hindsight, he realized that showing her just how deadly he was probably wasn't the best way to go about inspiring confidence in such a timid creature. Turning to face Fluttershy, he walked over to her, towering over her, before kneeling to bring himself face to face with her. He mulled over what to say, trying to find an activity that might bring the two of them closer together, and in turn, help him to better understand her. But he couldn't think of much, seeing as he knew very little of the land he had found himself in, added to the fact that he wouldn't know how to convey most of the more complex activities to her. Giving up , he spoke in a slow, gentle tone.

"Nani o shimasu ka?" , Benkei asked, pointing at her with one of his hands, then pointing at the ground emphatically, before shrugging his shoulders.

Fluttershy stood there for a moment, before turning her head to look at the ground, trying to decipher what he had said. It took a leap of logic, but she was a smart pony, and she understood what he had asked her, more or less.

" I uhm, I like to take care of my animals, mostly. Sometimes I even manage to get a choir going with the song birds. I-I also enjoy sewing every now and again ... " , she said, trailing off in her shy voice. At the very least, Benkei was starting to notice that she was speaking a bit louder now, more clearly, and she seemed more comfortable around him. He began to comb through each and every word she had said, but was interrupted, much to his surprise, by Fluttershy.

" But , I uhm, I'd like if we could go and see my friend Twilight right now, if you're asking what I want to do right now." , she said stamping her hoof down in the dirt softly, trying to imitate what Benkei had done when he had pointed at the ground, representing the present. " She's a very intelligent pony, and I'm sure she would know what to do. I-I'll be honest Ben Khay, I've really never seen anything quite like you, and I really don't know what to do." 

Benkei resumed combing through her sentences, his eyes darting around frantically, as if they were searching the air for the answer. He couldn't be quite sure what she had said, as such a long and complex chain of words just sounded like a jumbled mess to him.  As his eyes stopped, focusing on Fluttershy, he couldn't help but smile at what she did next.

She looked at him, with the same inviting smile he had been giving her, before gently jerking her head in one direction, gesturing to the dirt road that continued over a grassy hill in the distance. She looked at him reassuringly, her smile growing bigger by the second. Benkei couldn't help but chuckle under his breath, before nodding politely, and standing up. He outstretched his hand so that Fluttershy could clearly see him holding up his index finger as he spoke.

"Chottomatte.", Benkei said, before bolting off past the bridge, and stopping at the cottage's door, gently nudging it open, and slipping inside. Fluttershy turned to look on, as Benkei emerged with his naginata slung over his back by the leather strap. He quickly rejoined Fluttershy at the other side of the bridge.

Fluttershy looked up at the tall man beside her, still a bit intimidated by his sheer size, but no longer afraid of him. He gave her a warm smile, and she returned it with one of her own. Benkei brought his hand down to gently stroke her mane one last time, before nodding for her to lead the way.

Fluttershy giggled as he retracted his hand. She knew it was strange, but the way he pet her was just perfectly magical, and despite it being weird, she enjoyed it none the less. Stepping in front of Benkei, she began to walk down the dirt path that started at the end of her bridge, briefly looking back at Benkei, who followed patiently behind her, his heavy footsteps punishing the path beneath him.

Akeeta and Angel sat as far away from eachother as possible on Fluttershy's back, which was only a few inches away. They each clutched her silky mane tightly, looking away from each other as Fluttershy's trot shook them up and down slightly. Angel couldn't stop thinking about Akeeta, her image now firmly ingrained  in his mind. Likewise, Akeeta couldn't shake Angel from her thoughts, especially those eyes of his. Those amazing, dreamy eyes of his. 

She conked herself on the head with one of her paws, trying to straighten out her thoughts. She was starting to get angry at herself for being unable to stop thinking about him in such a way. She was supposed to hate his guts after the way he had spoken to her, but she couldn't stop thinking about him, standing there, the breeze rustling his fur perfectly, and that passionate look in his eyes.  It was wrong, and yet, it was so right.

As Benkei and Fluttershy walked down the path at a comfortable pace, many thoughts plagued his mind, the gnawing questions he was harboring, creeping back into his train of thought. Concentrating his will to dispel the unanswerable questions, only a single thought remained in Benkei's mind afterwards.

Whatever may come next, there would be no turning back.
> The Impossible Is Possible
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	A loud series of knocks resounded through the halls of Twilight's castle, the firm thuds garnering the lavender princess' attention. She was still in bed, staring at the ceiling of her bedroom chamber, letting the crystalline mosaic above her bed come to life inside her imagination. She had woken up a few minutes ago to the sound of birds chirping outside on her balcony, the sunlight streaming through her crystalline windows and onto her face. She basked in the warm glow of the light for a moment longer, closing her eyes as she envisioned the mosaic above her coming to life in all its complexity, before throwing the silky covers off of herself, and rolling out of bed.

Her hooves clopped on the sparkling floor of her chambers, Spike's light snoring accompanying Twilight's footsteps as she trotted out the door of her chambers. She glanced at Spike before magically opening the door to her bedroom, the soft magenta aura around her horn illuminating the sparkling crystal walls of her chambers, the light dancing off of it beautifully. She smiled slightly, seeing Spike wrapped in his new, finely made blankets, as his body rose and fell within his small, yet masterfully crafted oval bed. It was much the same as the old one he used to have in Twilight's room in the Ponyville Library, but it was cushioned with far more extravagant pillows, and made of the same dazzling crystal as the rest of the castle. 

Slipping outside of her bedroom, Twilight gingerly closed the door with her magic behind her, making sure to not disturb Spike. She listened for a moment, and when she could still hear his paced snoring, she sighed in relief, and trotted over to the spiral staircase across the small landing she stood upon. She stopped just as she reached the stairs, yawning heartily, and stretching out her wings for a moment. She still couldn't believe she was a princess, much less an alicorn. 

While her induction into the ranks of the privileged few had occurred quite some time ago, the memories of wielding all of the alicorn magic in Equestria were still fresh in her mind. She nearly shuddered as she stretched her wings out, images of her duel with Tirek flashing through her mind. She shook her head slightly, dispelling the unwelcome memories, before furling her wings back into their normal position by her sides. 

She proceeded down the spiral staircase, using her magic to form a comb out of arcane energy, the soft glow emitted from the construct reflecting off of the sparkling stairwell walls. Twilight ran the comb through her messy bedhead mane a few times, straightening it out , more or less, into her usual hairstyle. The comb dissipated into a wisp of magenta energy, before vanishing with entirely as Twilight reached the bottom of the staircase. She hastily stepped through a small doorway that led into the main hall of her castle, finding herself before the giant doors to the throne room of her castle.

She cantered down the long hall towards her front doors, the stain glass mirrors of the hall distorting the light that passed through them in a wonderfully beautiful way, the rays of sunlight streaking across the central red carpet in such a way as they almost looked like perfectly aligned stripes of lighter red. The crystalline pillars that were placed between every window caused light to bounce off of them in a dazzling manner, while the diamond shaped gemstones that hung from the ceiling glowed with a feint aura of magic. 

As Twilight approached the door, another rapid flurry of knocks echoed through the great hall, bouncing around the high ceilings. 

"I'm coming, I'm coming." , Twilight said drowsily, stifling a yawn. She finally reached the giant doors to her castle, the enormous golden slabs far too large to be hoisted open by a pony of her size.  A lock of hair fell into her face on her right, as she began to grip the doors with her magic, a magenta glow appearing around the outside of the left door. She awkwardly blew the rebellious strand of her mane back into place as the door was heaved open, the hinges to the monstrously sized entrance creaking loudly. A moment later, the door was open just enough to allow a pony to slip through, and Twilight shifted her position to be able to see through the open space. 

Her magical aura instantly died, her eyes going wide while her pupils shrunk slightly. Her mouth fell open, as she backpedaled, shaking her head slightly.

"Now Twilight, I-I know he looks kind've big and scary ..." Fluttershy said , lifting one of her hooves, and outstretching it towards Twilight comfortingly, even as the alicorn inched away from her. Fluttershy swiveled her head around to look up at Benkei, who was standing slightly behind her, towering over her, before returning her gaze to Twilight, an embarrassed expression on her face. " ... okay, well he is big. But he's not scary, I promise!" she quickly added in. 

Benkei dared not move, remaining where he was, removing the white hood from his head, and trying to appear as gentle as he could. His facial expression instantly softened, as he tried to hide the scars of a life time of war behind a warm and inviting smile. Twilight wasn't having any of it, and she almost began to hyperventilate, before muttering to herself softly, but loud enough so that Fluttershy was able to hear.

"That's impossible ..."  Twilight said under her breath, continuing to shake her head. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she bumped in the wall behind her, barely managing to contain a frightened shriek. 

"T-Twilight, just calm down. I-I know this is strange, but I need your help. He needs yours help,"  Fluttershy stammered out, gesturing towards Benkei as she came right up to Twilight and put a hoof on her comfortingly. "Trust me,"  Fluttershy said reassuringly, wearing the same warm smile she had learned from Benkei.

Twilight managed to snap herself out of her dumbfounded state, sighing loudly, and pulling away from Fluttershy. Benkei politely bowed in the entrance, before raising a hand to speak. Fluttershy stopped him, knowing what he was about to say.

"Yes, Ben Khay, it's alright if you come in. If that's alright with you of course ..."  Fluttershy said meekly, trailing off as she usually did. Twilight's eyes darted around frantically, before responding with a weak nod.

Fluttershy's face lit up with joy as she nodded to Benkei. He nodded back respectfully, before entering sideways, managing to squeeze himself through the relatively narrow opening. His naginata didn't quite fit through the opening, so he slipped it off of himself, and brought it in lengthwise, before securing the leather strap around his chest once more. He smiled gently at Twilight, nodding to her politely, before stepping towards the ajar door. Twilight was about to speak up, but she could only sputter and trip over her words as she witnessed what came next.

Benkei pushed the massive, solid gold door closed, with one hand, not even straining himself in the process. If anything, he had hardly nudged it, the huge door clicked back into place as it was shut. He turned back to face the two ponies, noticing the shocked expression on Twilight's face. Only Big Mac had been able to open that door on his own, and even then, he was visibly straining when he had done so. Benkei had almost swatted it back into place with a flick of his hand. Twilight was instantly uncomfortable being around the mountain of a man.

"Twilight?" Fluttershy asked, waving a hoof in front of her friend's glazed expression. Twilight shook her head vigorously for a moment, before replying.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine Fluttershy, I'm fine , " she managed to respond weakly, shifting herself back onto the red carpet in the center of the hall.

"I'm not quite sure what he is Twilight, I mean, I've read about a lot of strange critters, and this one isn't like anything I recognize,"  Fluttershy said, her voice a bit more confident now that Twilight was back to normal somewhat. The room remained silent for a few moments longer, the awkward silence only broken by Twilight's somber statement.

"I know what he is," Twilight said, a little color draining from her face. She had read about humans before, in ancient mythology texts stored deep in the Canterlot Archives. They were never her favorite thing to learn about as a filly, as they had always seemed rather plain in comparison to the other creatures of legend. 

She had always liked dragons in particular, acknowledging and admiring the strength, intelligence, and wisdom of the Ancients of their kind. Yet, the human before her possessed strength far exceeding that of Ponyville's strongest stallion. Twilight imagined for a moment that he might even be as strong as an Ancient. She shuddered at the thought.

Coming back to her senses, Twilight realized that Flutterhsy's face had lit up into a vibrant grin, and her eyes were staring at her, prodding at her to lead the way. Twilight sighed exasperatedly, knowing she had no choice in the matter. She turned her back to Benkei, and began trotting slowly down the great hall, the sound of her hoofsteps muffled by the red carpet she was treading upon. She looked over her shoulder every few seconds uneasily, eyeing Benkei who followed behind Fluttershy patiently. 

Despite his best attempts to soften his footsteps, Benkei's every step shook the ground ever so slightly. Twilight could just barely feel the vibrations pervading through the ground, the thump of Benkei's feet in her ears causing her heart to beat faster. She had seen a lot of crazy stuff, from sirens, to manticores, to inexplicably odd beings like Discord, to downright evil forces, such as Sombra and Tirek.

But there was something different about Benkei. All the other evils she had faced in her quest to protect Equestria had been purposely trying to scare her, to frighten and demoralize her. A few even tried to kill her. But Benkei, he seemed very passive, gentle and friendly, and that's what scared her the most. She was intimidated, and a bit frightened by him as he was. She couldn't even begin to imagine what he was like when he was angry.

She stopped in front of the third door on the left from the throne room entrance, exhaling audibly.

"Okay , okay okay okay ..."  she repeated to herself in an exasperated tone, trying to gather her thoughts and mentally brace herself. Another lock of hair fell into her face as she looked at the ground. Needless to say, she was less than amused. Ignoring the annoying lock of her mane for the moment, she pushed open the door to her library, the crystal encrusted metal door inching open slowly as she stepped through the doorway. 

Fluttershy followed suit, as Benkei ducked down low to be able to fit through the pony sized door, just barely able to fit facing forward. He fidgeted with his naginata on his back for a moment, the long weapon having gotten caught on the entrance. Again, he slipped it off himself, before bringing it through the doorway lengthwise. This time, however, he simply propped it up by the doorway, before shutting the door quietly behind himself with a gentle nudge. He sat down against the wall, cross legged, by his naginata, interlocking his hands with each other as he waited patiently. 

Angel and Akeeta hopped off of Fluttershy's back, landing on all fours on opposite sides of the pegasus. Akeeta scampered over to Benkei, letting him give her an inviting smile before offering his palm for her to crawl into. The grey bunny obliged, hopping into the center of his hand as he scratched her behind her ears affectionately. The little bunny almost purred with delight at the soothing action. However, after Benkei retracted his hand, she pointed happily to his face, or rather, right beside it, to the spot right beside his cheek. 

Benkei chuckled softly to himself, before nodding approvingly, bringing his hand up to his shoulder, and letting the bunny hop onto his shoulder. While Benkei interlocked his hands once more, Akeeta snuggled up close to Benkei's cheek, letting the warmth of his skin penetrate her fur. She rather liked this spot.

Meanwhile, Twilight was scouring through row after row of books straight from Celestia's personal library, and a few from the Canterlot Archives, pulling a few out a time from the endless crystalline shelves with her magic, skimming them briefly as they floated in the air, before placing them back in their proper place.

Benkei had been watching the whole thing intently, rather amused by the strange levitation and kinesis Twilight was performing with her magic, as if it was no big deal. He had given up being surprised at the oddities of this land, instead electing to simply enjoy whatever may come, rolling with the punches so to speak. It baffled him as to how she was doing it, but he at least understood that she was using the horn atop her head to channel some sort of energy to be able to levitate and float objects around. He figured this out by noticing the identical magenta aura that surrounded both her horn, and anything that was being levitated in the air. 

He cracked a slight smile, idly entertaining the idea that he might have somehow gained access to magic. Then again, thinking back to the incident in the forest with the strange serpentine creature, he began to realize that it might not have been so far fetched. He looked at his hands for a moment, searching for the same kind of magical aura that Twilight had, but no avail. He chuckled to himself, dismissing the notion. Still, he enjoyed watching Twilight use her own magic that was ethereally enchanting in how strange it was to Benkei.

Twilight went through nearly two dozen books, before finally pulling out an old, dusty tome gilded in bronze, of all metals. The cover of the ancient book was simple, depicting a stylized male human's outline, with a few odd arcane symbols scattered around it. Twilight blew the dust off of the cover with one great gust, before carrying it over to one of the circular wooden tables scattered around the room.

She dropped the book on the table, her magical aura fading for a moment, before sparking back to life to turn the pages of the book. Fluttershy scooted up next to her, an expression of curiosity taking hold of her features.

As Twilight skimmed the book, Angel plopped himself down by a bookshelf close to Benkei, crossing his fuzzy little arms as he looked at Akeeta nuzzled up to Benkei. He tried to restrain his thoughts, but was unable to, giving into the images in his mind. His thoughts vividly depicted the two of them cuddled up next to one another, a thick blanket draped over himself and Akeeta, a crackling fireplace illuminating them in a dark room on a cold winter's day. He shuddered in excitement at the thought, as he felt himself getting goosebumps.  He ripped his gaze away from her, almost wincing in pain and blushing slightly, turning to look at Twilight and Fluttershy.

"Alright Fluttershy, let's take this one step at a time," Twilight said, continuing to flip through the book, before stopping on a page containing a diagram of the human skeleton. Fluttershy's expression shifted to one of uneasiness upon seeing the rather disturbing image, but she continued to look on.

"I didn't quite catch his name Fluttershy," Twilight said, her eyes skimming the page, looking for useful information.

"Oh, goodness, that's right! I can't believe I forgot to properly introduce him. Twilight, this is Ben Khay,"  Fluttershy said, gesturing to him by the doorway. He gently nodded in response, his eyes soft and kind. 

"Okay, Ben Khay is a human Fluttershy. In scientific terms, his kind is known as  Homo sapiens sapiens. Equestrian mythology dating back to before even the three tribes tells of these humans. While ponies rely on magic to accomplish most things, humans were not so lucky, being poorly attuned to the magical fields of the universe. Instead, they had to rely solely on their intelligence. Their ingenuity is what really defined them, " Twilight said , paraphrasing what she was reading in the tome so that Fluttershy could better understand it.

Fluttershy had a look of awe and wonder in her eyes, her ears perked up intently, listening to and hanging on every word Twilight was saying. She looked over her shoulder at Benkei, giving him an approving smile, before Twilight continued.

"But see, Fluttershy, the main thing to note about humans, is that they never existed. At all. They have always just been ancient mythology, tall tales whispered among those who were lucky enough to even have known about them. So, him being here not only doesn't make any sense, it's downright impossible," Twilight finished , pointing at Benkei before turning the page with her magic.

"Do you know anything else about him? I've been wondering what he's been wearing. I-It looks like some kind of armor, but I've never seen anything like it before," Fluttershy asked, as she looked over her shoulder, looking at the complex black armor Benkei was wearing. Twilight glanced over at Benkei, and couldn't help but soften her expression upon seeing Akeeta snuggled up beside his cheek.

"I-I'm not sure what kind of armor that is Fluttershy. It's certainly nothing I've ever seen before. Even when I was living in Canterlot, the Royal Guard's never wore anything even remotely similar, which doesn't surprise me, seeing as he shouldn't even exist,"  Twilight said putting a bit too much emphasis on the last part of her sentence.

"Twilight, don't say that! Ben Khay is definitely different, but he's ... "  Fluttershy stopped for a moment, stealing a glance at Benkei over her shoulder, before finishing her sentence with renewed confidence " ... he's my friend."

"No, no, I didn't mean it like that Fluttershy, I was just trying to say that humans are supposed to just be myths, legends," Twilight replied, trying to clear her statement up and salvage the conversation. She looked at Fluttershy pleadingly, forcing the pegasus to soften her expression.

"Anyways, it'd probably be best to let you know that Ben Khay is also carrying an arsenal of weapons on him. I can only assume the two scabbards on his side are housing swords, and that pole that keeps getting stuck in the doorway is probably a halberd of some sort, " Twilight said, pointing first to Benkei's swords, and then to his naginata. " You can imagine why I reacted like I did when you two arrived." 

"Well, I had a similar suspicion honestly, and I was more than a little frightened too when I first met him, " Fluttershy said embarrassingly, blushing slightly as she recalled fainting upon first seeing him. "But after spending some time with Ben Khay, I can tell you he's just a big softie. He reminds me of my bears a little. He's certainly as big as one." 

Twilight glanced over at Benkei, sizing him up again. He was built like an ox, and even sitting down, he was at eye level with Fluttershy. Even though Twilight had gained a few inches of height thanks to her new alicorn status, Benkei still dwarfed her in terms of sheer size. His broad chest was easily double that of any normal pony's, and his height when standing was in excess of even Celestia herself. He truly was a mountain of a man, and Fluttershy was not incorrect in comparing him to bear.

"I won't argue with you there Fluttershy," Twilight said in agreement, returning her attention to the tome, using her magic to skim a few pages ahead.

Angel had gotten up and moved to a bookshelf opposite where he was sitting, on Benkei's right side, where Akeeta was still nuzzled up to him. He looked at her for a few moments, hoping to garner her attention, but her sights were dead set on looking at Twilight and Fluttershy.

That's not to say she didn't notice him. Akeeta was well aware she was being stared at, and shifted uncomfortably in her spot. She could practically see him out of the corner of her eye, and the more she remained where she was, listening to Twilight ramble on, the more her thoughts drifted to to her little white admirer off to the side. 

She blinked hard, before quickly glancing at Angel who was now looking at the ground in front of him, a tuft of his fur shrouding his eyes. She let her gaze remain locked on Angel, despite every fiber of her mind telling her to look away. She felt so wrong, and yet she couldn't stop herself. Angel suddenly shifted his position just enough so that he noticed Akeeta staring at him.

She quickly tore her vision away from him, trying not to blush and failing. She wriggled herself out of the nuzzle with her FuzzyFace, and quickly dropped over his shoulder, sliding down his large shoulder pad, and onto his forearm, before hopping onto his knee and then onto the ground. She executed the entire thing with one swift motion, as she hastily tried to relocate herself to a less obvious spot.

Angel had seen the whole thing and once again found himself staring at Akeeta. He had to shake his head a few times to free himself from her, struggling to return his view to Twilight and Fluttershy.

Twilight was about to speak, when a sudden thought smashed into her, distracting her from what she was originally going to say.

"Uhm, Fluttershy?" Twilight asked nervously, her head turning to meet the butterscotch pegasus's eyes.

"Yes Twilight?"  she said politely, curious as to what she would ask.

"How ... " , Twilight began, glancing at Benkei, " ... how exactly did you manage to get him here in the first place? For that matter, where did you even find him? It's not every day that a legend comes to life,"  Twilight said, her senses beginning to return to her. She had been so startled by Benkei's sudden arrival that she had forgotten to ask the most basic of questions, overwhelmed by the heat of the moment.

"Well, actually, he found me. I was just waking up, getting ready to arrange a choir with the song birds, and then he came knocking on my door and,"  Fluttershy said, blushing slightly as she paused, before continuing, " I overreacted to say the least. I kind've fainted when I saw him, and when I woke up, he was offering me some hot tea. At first I was really frightened, and I think Ben Khay noticed, because he tried his very best to try and comfort me. " 

"So you don't know anything about how he got here, or even where he came from?" Twilight asked continuing to skim the tome with her magic. Fluttershy shook her head in response as Twilight sighed.

"That's actually the reason I came to you Twilight. I was hoping you could tell me where he came from, and why he's here. Still, I'm glad I finally know what he is, " Fluttershy responded cheerfully, trying to comfort Twilight, who was visibly distraught at the absurdity of the situation. Twilight leaned forward on the table, holding her hooves over her head in stress, trying to decide what to do next.

"Also, uhm, it was early.", Fluttershy added meekly.

"What?"  Twilight muttered from her position on the table, lifting her hooves off of her head so that she was able to clearly see Fluttershy, save for the lock of her blueish mane that refused to stay up.

"Y-You asked about how I got him here. I-It was really early, and there wasn't anyone around in town, at least no one outside. So me and Benkei just stuck to the side streets until we got here. I honestly didn't know where else to turn, "  Fluttershy said , considering the possibility that someone might have been looking at them through a window on their stroll to Twilight's castle.

Twilight looked at Fluttershy for a moment, before returning her gaze to the tome, and speaking.

"Alright. Well seeing as your guess is as good as mine as to how he ended up here, I feel we should contact Princess Celestia as soon as possible. This text has a lot of information regarding humans, at least according to their legends. Since you seem very interested in your," Twilight paused, hesitating to say the word, but forcing herself to " friend, I feel you should have this book so you can learn a bit more about him. I've already read many similar tomes in my mythology studies, so it shouldn't be too much of a loss from the library. Plus, no one's ever come in, even back when I still lived above my old library , looking for books regarding humans. It was dusty for a reason, after all."

Twilight finished her sentence, quickly closing the book's cover, and sliding it across the table towards Fluttershy. Fluttershy looked at it for a moment, the cover entrancing her, the weathered bronze silhouette of a human shining dully in the sunlight that pervaded all throughout the crystalline library. Golden rays flooded in through high windows near the ceiling, perfectly illuminating the circular tables at all times of the day, save for the night, when magically imbued light crystals took over.

"Thank you Twilight, I really appreciate it. But, uhm I-I'd just like to ask if you know anything about the language Ben Khay's been speaking, or rather, human language in general,"  Fluttershy said gratefully, before inquiring shyly. Twilight's expression went blank for a moment as she scoured her own thoughts, trying to remember any mention of a human language.

"As far as I remember, humans never spoke one unified language like ponies do. It was a regional custom at best, with each group creating their own. No names are ever given for any of their ancient languages as far as I know, and I'm fairly sure they didn't speak Equestrian either, " Twilight said, combing her thoughts, trying to dig up facts and figures about humans. 

She looked over at Benkei, still sitting and waiting in silence patiently, the little grey bunny trying to hide behind him. It was so strange seeing a human in the flesh, and even weirder that he was nothing like she had read about. Her mind stopped for a moment, recalling a startling fact about humans, one that defined them just as much as their ingenuity and intelligence. She shuddered, a bit of color draining from her face.

"F-Fluttershy, there's something you should know about humans though," Twilight said, her tone shifting to a much more grave one. Fluttershy nodded, urging her to continue. " In every text I've read about them, one thing keeps popping up. War,"  Twilight said, her final word hanging in the musty library air for a few moments, visibly disturbing Fluttershy as she shifted nervously. Twilight shook her head for a moment, putting the pieces of the puzzle together, looking at Benkei, eyeing his armor and his scabbards intently.

"I don't want to frighten you Fluttershy, but after thinking about it, I'm fairly sure Ben Khay is a human warrior. They're similar to the Royal Guard we have in Canterlot, but human warriors are different because ... " she nearly turned white as she looked at Benkei, swallowing hard before continuing " ... because they were trained to mercilessly kill others, " Twilight said, noticing tears starting to form in Fluttershy's eyes as she turned around to look at Benkei, slowly backing away from him.

"I-I'm not saying Ben Khay is like that Fluttershy, but humans , at least in the texts I've studied, had an incredible capacity for brutality. They loved fighting, killing each other over the most petty squabbles. I remember reading somewhere that 'War is humanity's favorite past time', " Twilight said , breathing heavily, and trying to get a grip on herself. She was suddenly several thousand times more terrified of being in a room with Benkei.

She wasn't scared of him in the sense that he was more powerful than her. She had studied about the fall of humanity several times before, remembering exactly why they fell. As more and more magically attuned creatures evolved and began to spread across Equestria,  human technology simply couldn't keep pace with the rapidly advancing power of magic. Added to this, infighting among human tribes and cities only worsened their already dire situation. It was the final nail in the coffin for humans, as their civilization was overwhelmed over the next few centuries by creatures so vastly powerful, that human technology couldn't hope to stand against the tide of terrors surfacing left and right. They faded into legend, taking all traces of their society with them.

Yet, the more and more she thought about how much info there was regarding humans, she couldn't help but begin to question whether or not they were truly just legends. Benkei's presence aided her skepticism greatly.

Even so, just being around a human warrior was rather unsettling. She knew she could deal with him if need be, but what really scared her, was what he might force her to do. If there was one thing that human warriors and the Royal Guard had in common, it was that they were both willing to die for their cause. A shiver shot down her spine at the thought of having to end another being's life, goosebumps spreading across her body. 

"D-Don't mind me Fluttershy, I was just being overly dramatic. I'm sure Ben Khay is just as you know him to be, " Twilight said, wrapping a hoof around the pegasus in attempt to ease her new found trepidation. After a few moments of silence, Fluttershy was beginning to return to normal. 

Fluttershy slipped out of Twilight's arm, and began to slowly inch over to Benkei, who was still sitting patiently by the door, eyeing the gray bunny beside him walking slowly towards Angel. She appeared to be blushing. Hard.

Benkei chuckled lightly at the sight. He was never much for close relationships, aside from that of his late master, but he couldn't help but marvel at the ridiculousness of it all. He was beginning to get accustomed to the odd occurrences in this land. Still, he couldn't help but think to himself about how smart the bunnies must be to have such a human disposition towards each other, especially in such a romantic way.

Rabbit romance? I truly have seen it all ...

He stifled another chuckle. He hadn't been blind to the way Akeeta and Angel had been acting around each other. At first he wasn't sure if he was seeing things correctly, but after silently observing them stealing glances back and forth between each other the entire time, he was sure there was something special about the two. More importantly, they knew there was something special about each other.

Akeeta looked back at Benkei for a moment, her large eyes prying at him, as she wore her deep red blush visibly. Benkei nodded reassuringly, urging her to go for it. He would have found this sort of communication completely ridiculous a few days ago, but after spending a few hours in this land, he found it to be the least odd thing. Akeeta turned way from him and continued toward Angel hesitantly.

Fluttershy stopped right in front of Benkei, who shifted his gaze from Akeeta so that he was staring directly into Fluttershy's imploring eyes. He was face to face with her, and he wore the softest smile he could possibly muster.

"Y-Y-You would never hurt me Benkei, would you?" Fluttershy stammered out nervously, anxiously awaiting his response. Of all the things Fluttershy had said to him in his time here, he had never been so instantly sure of what was being said. He didn't quite understand how he had instantly recognized the words that she had said, but he was sure of what was being asked of him.

He smiled warmly, leaning in a bit closer to Fluttershy, a protective and endearing look in his eyes.

"Īe, kesshite," he said with determination, shaking his head slightly, his smile growing bigger as he said it. But something strange happened as the words echoed around in the large room. To Fluttershy, the words had sounded much different. To her, Benkei had said , 'No, never.'

Fluttershy was instantly overcome with a sense of ecstatic joy and relief, tears welling up in her eyes, as she threw herself at Benkei, hugging him as hard as she could. Benkei recoiled in shock for a moment, before returning the hug hesitantly at first, and then lovingly, wrapping his arms around Fluttershy and embracing her in the euphoric hug. 

He closed his eyes, letting a tear slip down his cheek as he embraced her warmly. It had been so long since he had felt the touch of someone who wasn't trying to kill him. He had lost everything in Japan, in his past life, but as he sat there, the sunlight from the high windows of the library enveloping the two in a warm glow, he forgot about it all.

He forgot about the death, the killing, the tragedies and the atrocities he had lived through. He forgot about the day he stood defiantly on that fateful bridge. He forgot about the arrows' piercing his skin, about the agonizing pain wracking his destroyed body, and about his swift death. 

In that moment, he could only feel the warmth of the sunlight on his skin, the incredibly soft fur of Fluttershy on his scarred visage, the wetness of her tears through his shawl, and the way her silky mane tickled his worn face. In that moment, the grizzled and hardened Benkei felt something he hadn't felt in a very long time. He felt loved. He felt needed.

In that moment the impossible, was possible.
> Bold Steps
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Benkei sat quietly in the main hall of Twilight's castle, leaned up against a wall opposite the entrance to the spiral staircase leading to Twilight's chambers. Fluttershy was nuzzled up beside him, leaning her head on his arm, snoozing lightly.

Sunlight was streaming through the magnificent stained glass windows that ran all along each side of the hall, reflecting off of the sparkling crystal pillars in between each window. The air smelled of paper and strangely enough, fragrant flowers, despite there being none to speak of. The rays of golden light streaming through the windows wreathed Benkei and Fluttershy in a warm glow that was both relaxing and comfortable. 

Benkei shut his eyes as he sat there cross legged, allowing his mind to drift for a while. He leaned his head back, resting it against the wall, staring up at the ceiling through his eyelids, beginning to ponder his feelings. He wasn't surprised or shocked about his situation anymore, rather he was content reminiscing about his past life. He absolutely loved Japan, his old life, for there was nothing quite like riding a horse, feeling the wind in your hair and against your skin, taking in the serene scenery of a battlefield before the coming storm. There was no feeling quite as fulfilling as besting an adversary in combat, and no cure for stress quite like meditation within a quiet monastery's sacred inner sanctuary. 

Yet, he knew that he was romanticizing it a bit, remembering how Yoritomo would kill him if he ever showed his face again. He began to remember more and more of the things he had lost, things that had been taken and ripped from his life without remorse. His peaceful smile  contracted into a slight frown for a moment as he continued to reflect upon all the things that made it so that he could never return to Japan. He had resolved to stay in this strange and wondrous land, but even so, Benkei couldn't help but long for the chance to see Japan one last time, or rather, the ideal version of Japan he was daydreaming about. He wondered if such places of thought and reflection might exist in this land as well. 

He opened his eyes, leaning his head forward and shifting his train of thought to another subject. He eyed Fluttershy , who was using his arm as a pillow, smiling slightly as he watched her chest rise and fall with every breath. Her eyes were closed and she was silent, but she wasn't sleeping. Benkei still had many questions about this place, but ever since he had resolved to just go with things and let the answers come in their own time, he had been enjoying his time here a lot more. Normally he would be questioning everything that was around him, most of all the pegasus cuddled up next to him.

But as he sat there, waiting for Twilight to return, watching Fluttershy rest on him, he could only think about how incredibly lucky he was. He had not only been given another chance at life, but he had been given a friend. Benkei had always been respected by many people in his past life, but only Yoshitsune could truly be called his friend.  

Even though he was still sad about his master's death, knowing he would never be able to forget him, the light snoozing sound Fluttershy was making reminded him that he had discovered a new friend. She was quirky and extremely timid, but it only made her all the more endearing to him.

Benkei reached his free arm over to pet Fluttershy, running his hard fingers through her fine and silky mane, before gently sliding it down her neck and onto her back, before lifting his hand back up and repeating the process. He continued to caress her, gently stroking her mane and velvety fur over and over, eliciting a sound from Fluttershy that Benkei could only equate to a purr.

He grinned happily in response, and as he looked into her closed eyes, she cracked one eye open to stare back at him, a gentle smile of her own creeping across her face. They only held the silent exchange for a moment, but a moment was all Benkei needed to be reassured that he belonged here.

It was a strange thought to think about, especially so soon after he had felt so alienated and odd about being in this land. He almost felt like an intruder at times. He still felt like he was an outsider, but knowing that Fluttershy regarded him as her friend made that gnawing feeling worth it, because deep inside of himself, Benkei knew he had to stay. He could no longer leave this place, even if he wanted to; he owed Fluttershy that much for being so kind and accepting of him. 

He broke off the exchange, looking away as Fluttershy closed her one open eye, returning to her peaceful rest. Benkei felt something familiar, in the pit of his stomach and in his chest, that was uncomfortable, yet set both his mind and his heart at ease. It was the same feeling he had felt when he had first pledged his allegiance to Yoshitsune, and he knew what his heart was telling him. 

He closed his eyes for a moment, stopping his petting of Fluttershy and retracting his hand as all of his thoughts were pushed from his mind. Fluttershy lifted her head, blinking her eyes open and looking at Benkei with a soft smile, observing him lost in his own mind. But he was not pondering the many questions that still nagged at him. He was thinking about something much different, reciting an old vow, to a new friend.

I , Saito Musashibo Benkei,

Fluttershy stared at him quizzically as he shifted from his sitting position, readying himself to stand.

do solemnly pledge to serve, protect, and care for Fluttershy as her faithful retainer.

Benkei quickly rose to his full height, dwarfing Fluttershy, and casting his enormous shadow over her.

No matter the cost to my own well being , no harm will come to her so long as I breathe.

Benkei formed a fist with his right hand, and brought it together forcefully with his other hand, which was open. His left hand closed and wrapped around the fist as a loud clap rang through the hall, startling Fluttershy, who could only look on in confusion.

No tragedy shall befall her while I stand beside her. 

He bowed fully before her respectfully, letting himself hang there for a moment, head facing the ground, fist clutched in his left hand, before stepping forward slightly, lowering himself down onto one knee first, and then transitioning into a kneeling position just in front of Fluttershy. He brought his head up slowly, gazing into her eyes with a protective and steely look on his face.

Even in death, I will fight for her well being.

Benkei reached for his set of swords beside him, which caused Fluttershy some discomfort. He dislodged the scabbards from his waist, grasping them both in one hand, before holding them up with both of his hands open, using his hands as a platform for the blades.

I will never forget why I fight, for what I do is right. 

He set the set of blades gingerly before Fluttershy, bowing his head down before them, and remaining there for a long moment, letting his pledge to her sink in. The first, and only time he had ever pledged himself as a retainer was when he was bested by Yoshitstune on his thousandth duel. He had done so out of respect for his skill as a warrior.

But this was a new world, and as such, there were new reasons. Fluttershy was definitely no warrior, but Benkei saw something in her that humbled him. Something that tugged at his heatrstrings, and made him bow before her in respect. Fluttershy did not have the heart of a warrior, but what she did have was just as valuable. The heart of a friend.

Benkei had thought about it for a long while while he had sat there waiting for Twilight to return, thinking about what he would have done, had Fluttershy appeared in his own world. He realized that he would have most likely captured her, and redirected her to Yoshitstune. He might have never known the truly amazing individual before him. He would have never discovered how fulfilling it felt to be loved. Benkei wasn't one for showing emotion too visibly, but he shuddered at the thought of having missed out on all of this.

It humbled him, and made the traveled and wizened Benkei realize, for the first time in a long time that he still had much to learn. He held his respectful pose before Fluttershy, as he added a new line to his old pledge.

A new world, a new way. So say I, Benkei.

Fluttershy was at a loss for words as to what Benkei was doing, staring at him in a  confused fashion. Her eyes widened as Benkei rose just enough so that she could see his face. He looked at her, nodding reassuringly. Fluttershy could only return the gaze, mesmerized by a new look in his eyes, one that she didn't fully understand. 

Benkei sat up from his position, getting slowly to his feet and standing at his full height. But was something was different about him this time, as he took his naginata leaning against the wall, grasping it tightly in his massive hands, and planting it firmly down with a thunderous thud that startled Fluttershy.

Yet she wasn't scared of him, as she looked up at him from her spot on the floor, his towering form no longer daunting to her. He had changed somehow, and as he stood over her, she no longer saw an intimidating giant, but a protector. There was something about that look in his eyes that seemed fatherly to her, in the sense that she could tell Benkei was making a statement about protecting her. She smiled for a moment, before letting her mouth drop open in astonishment, rubbing her eyes with one hoof in disbelief. 

As Benkei stood there, naginata clutched firmly, the light streaming through the windows intensified, their focus shifting to Benkei. The rays of luminescence encased his outline in an ethereal glow of intense white light, the rays of sunlight dancing and arcing across his black armor in the most beautiful of ways. His white kimono shone like nothing else, taking on a heavenly appearance, the stark white cloth only becoming whiter and more intense as the golden light seemed to embed itself into every stitch. Every fiber of Benkei's body resonated with the bright streaks of illumination, and as Fluttershy looked on, something incredible happened.

The crisscrossing sources of light, coming from both sides of the great hall manifested themselves in such a way that the visible streaks of light formed an ethereal pair of brilliant white wings behind Benkei, who smiled down at Fluttershy with a  somber grin that rivaled even Pinkie Pie's in its intensity and effect. The wings shimmered and swayed in the same indescribable way that Celestia's mane constantly shifted and churned. Fluttershy blinked hard in disbelief, and when she opened her eyes, the wings were gone, but Benkei still looked otherwordly as the light enveloped his form, and he nodded respectfully to Fluttershy.

She realized in that moment, as she looked up at Benkei, wreathed in the intense white glow of the rising sun, his smile penetrating deep into her heart, that he was more than just a man, more than just her friend. He was her guardian.

"Watashi wa anata no monodesu," Benkei spoke in a resounding and booming voice that shook the great hall of the castle. Yet it wasn't intimidating, nor was it terribly loud. It almost seemed, submissive and respectful in a way. It reminded Fluttershy of how Celestia's dedicated Royal Guard spoke to her, and that's when it hit her.

She didn't understand word for word what he had said without the aid of his usual hand motions, but just the way he had said it smashed into her like a tidal wave of realization. The revelation washed over her, as her mouth formed back into a smile, returning with even greater vigor, and a slight blush overtook her face. He had spoken to her not as her friend, but as his princess.

Fluttershy got to her hooves, as Benkei lowered himself so that they were both eye level with each other, setting his naginata down on the ground beside him gently. Benkei's warm and inviting smile accented the fiery look in his eyes, as he and Fluttershy remained there for a moment, locked in time, staring down one another while feelings of friendship blossomed in their hearts. The feeling of mutual love between the two very different beings took root deep within each of them, ingraining itself into their very personalities, becoming inseparable from who they were. 

They shared the moment for a few more fleeting seconds, the white glow around Benkei starting to fade, as the rays of visible sunlight flooding through the windows returned to their normal positions. Fluttershy had tears welling up in her eyes by this point, and couldn't help but lean in for a quick hug. Benkei smiled lovingly, and obliged his princess' wishes, embracing her wholeheartedly for the second time today.

Fluttershy nuzzled herself into Benkei's shoulder, closing her eyes in bliss as a few tears of joy rolled down her cheek, wetting her plush fur. Benkei returned the gesture with just as much fervor, wrapping his massive arms around Fluttershy and squeezing with just the right amount of force, comforting and reassuring her. 

He closed his eyes as well, letting himself get lost in the moment, as he lifted one of his hands to the top of her head, feeling her fine mane between his calloused fingers, relishing in the delight he brought her once he began to pet her. He let his hand drift slowly downwards through her pink silky mane, allowing his fingers to linger just long enough, as he worked his way down her neck, and onto her back. He repeated this motion twice, before bringing his hand up to the back Fluttershy's head, and pressing her into himself gently, letting the warmth coming off of her blushing cheeks soothe him.

Benkei removed his hand, as Fluttershy pulled her head back to look at him, droplets of wetness still streaming down her face. Benkei's smile grew into a hearty grin as he decided to try and show his affection another way. He leaned in close to her face, and nuzzled his nose into hers softly, letting her velvety fur tickle his skin. Fluttershy giggled happily as Benkei retracted his arms from the hug, and pulled away , back into a kneeling position.

While Benkei and Fluttershy had been solidifying their friendship, Angel and Akeeta had been awkwardly talking over by the entrance to the castle. Angel had been overjoyed when Akeeta had approached him in the library, asking to start over, so long as Angel promised not to be creepy. He had hastily agreed, struggling to resist just grabbing Akeeta and hugging her tightly in a euphoric fit of happiness.

They hadn't said much since then though, both of them embarrassed to talk, albeit for different reasons. They sat a few inches apart, leaning against the huge golden doors to Twilight's castle. Angel was slightly slouched, and he stared up at the ceiling blankly, trying to figure out what to say. He didn't want to ruin what might be his only chance with Akeeta, and he mulled over every possible thing he could say, combing through each approach thoroughly.

Akeeta had been watching Benkei and Fluttershy embrace each other, and smiled slightly, letting her eyes wander over to Angel who was twiddling his paws. She eyed him up and down several times longingly, wishing she could just reach over and wrap her arms around him without it being weird. She turned her head back to Fluttershy and Benkei, knowing she couldn't look at him for too long, lest she be overwhelmed by her impulsive nature. 

"Akeeta?"

She turned her head back to Angel, who had finished looking at the ceiling, and was now staring straight at her. He had also stopped twiddling his paws, instead placing them by his side. She nearly panicked, noticing that same look in his eyes that had drove her mad on the bridge back at Fluttershy's cottage. Her breathing quickened as her face began to get hot.

"What is it Angel?" she asked him calmly, even though she was freaking out on the inside. He remained silent for a moment, before responding in a tone he hadn't spoken in before. He sounded different somehow. 

"I-I just wanted to say, I'm really sorry about how I acted, y-you know when I first met you," Angel managed to stammer out, his voice trembling slightly. His cheeks were beginning to take on a shade of light pink, as his eyes looked at the ground for a moment, before returning to Akeeta.

"I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have punched you like that, but in all fairness, you did deserve it for acting the way you did," Akeeta responded, struggling to contain herself from just leaping at him. His soft brown eyes drove her mad.

" Yeah ... Yeah I know. I'm sorry about that Akeeta, I really am. I just ... I haven't had anyone like you in my life before. I didn't, and still don't know how to handle someone like you," Angel said sincerely, gesturing with his paws for effect. His eyes darted back and forth between Akeeta and the floor several times, before they locked eyes again. 

" Akeeta I'll be honest with you, I-I really don't know the first thing about talking to other bunnies like you. Up until today, I had always thought I was special, and a little crazy. But, you just walk into my life out of nowhere and ..." Angel trailed off, his blush darkening as he looked away. 

He sounded so sincere, so serious, that it just left Akeeta speechless. He sounded nervous, shy even. Seeing Angel take such a drastic turn for the better in such a short time pushed her over the edge. The strange feeling deep inside her stomach exploded outwards, shooting through her limbs and up her spine, and sending a refreshing shiver all throughout her. Angel looked up from the floor, and Akeeta just couldn't take it anymore, the way his emotive eyes begged and pleaded with her. She began scooting over to him slowly, trying not to be conspicuous, and failing hard. She knew she couldn't fight it any longer.

Ahh screw it.

With that, she made her move as soon as she was close enough to Angel, who was visibly embarrassed as she had gotten up nice and close to him. She practically tackled him as she leapt at him, catching him in a surprise hug and squeezing him tightly. Angel remained still, shocked at what was happening, before silently celebrating internally, and gleefully returning the hug in earnest.

The two bunnies closed their eyes as they remained locked in a tight hug for several more moments, Akeeta's silvery fur meshing with Angel's pristine white coat to form a giant fuzzball. Akeeta nearly cried as she squeezed Angel tighter, never wanting to let him go, and Angel embraced her with just as much regard. 

Neither one had any mind to break the hug, and the two remained there, cuddled up against each other, blushing a vivid red. The sunlight streaming through the windows caused Akeeta's silvery fur to shimmer magnificiently, while Angel's stark white coat intensified to a nearly blinding  level. Akeeta finally decided to let up, and with one final squeeze, she released her grip on Angel, and he allowed her to pull away, his face still overcome by a visible blush.

Akeeta stayed snuggled up beside Angel, resting her head on his shoulder, her eyes still closed, still reveling in the moment. She hadn't ever felt like this in her entire life. She had never felt particularly close to her parents whom she had left as soon as she was big enough to fend for herself. She had always been a curious, inquisitive, and adventurous little bunny, and she had journeyed out into the world on her own at the first opportunity. She wasn't afraid to try new things, to explore and discover new things. As she lay there, nuzzling herself into Angel's fuzzy shoulder, she thought to herself that perhaps there were different kinds of adventures to be had.  She smiled to herself, nuzzling into Angel's shoulder.

Angel could only sit there, still dumbfounded by what had just happened. He didn't know if he could even react appropriately to the sudden show of affection. He remained silent, shaking his head in disbelief for moment, a goofy grin on his face all the while. 

He leaned his head back against the wall, enjoying the gentle warmth of Akeeta's breath on his fur. He stared up at the ceiling, his eyes darting from one hanging glow crystal to another, trying to glean some answers out of them. He gave up a moment later, his wide grin diminishing into a gentle smile as he closed his eyes, content with just enjoying the moment. He turned his head to look at Akeeta as she spoke.

"Angel?" 

"Yeah Akeeta?"

"Can you promise me something?" Akeeta opened her eyes, gazing into his eyes intensely. There was something different about the way she was looking at him this time. There was a new fire, a new spark in her eyes. Angel would've normally hesitated, but he wasn't in any position to go against what his heart was telling him. 

"Anything," Angel responded breathlessly, still trying to come to terms with the situation. Akeeta looked away for a moment, blushing, before looking back at him and speaking.

"Promise me you'll never leave me."

Angel was left speechless, unable to formulate any kind of response, shifting uneasily. He desperately wanted to be with her, but even after what had just happened, there was no way he could have expected what Akeeta had just asked of him. His heart screamed at him to just nod in agreement, to say yes, to do anything to acknowledge that he would always stick by her side.

"Angel, I-I know we got off on the wrong foot, but I really want to try and make this work. Angel I, I ..." Akeeta said wholeheartedly, before trailing off nervously, her eyes pleading with him. He blinked, nodding weakly at first, before a smile overtook his face and his nodding became more confident.

"Of course. Akeeta, I could never do that to you, because ..." Angel trailed off, his blush brightening. turning his face away from her. Everything had happened so quickly. He hesitated,  unsure if this was the right thing to say, but reassured himself that he had to confess sooner or later, and now was as good as ever.

"I love you."

Angel turned his view to Akeeta, who was looking at him with that same strange spark in her eyes. He suddenly realized what it had meant, his whole body reverberating with those three simple words. He reached over, catching Akeeta in another warm embrace, which she returned with just as much pleasure. For the first time in his life, Angel truly cried.

He closed his eyes, tears freely flowing down his face, dampening his fur. He was whimpering and laughing at the same time, an overjoyed grin plastered across his face, as he cried into Akeeta's shoulder, before lifting his head up, and preparing to whisper into her ear. Akeeta felt his warm breath on her ear and smiled.

"Shhh, its okay. I know Angel, I know," Akeeta said in a comforting voice, hugging Angel harder and pulling him in closer, before releasing him and leaning back against the wall. Angel let himself return to his previous position, sitting up against the wall, as he wiped the tears from his eyes, trying to calm himself down.

He glanced over at Akeeta who was eyeing Benkei and Fluttershy, who were both sitting against the hall's crystalline walls again. They were cuddled up to each other again, and Benkei had refastened his swords to his waist, as he looked at the entrance to the stairwell expectantly. 

Angel was about to say something to Akeeta , who was still right next to him, but he stopped himself, thinking better of it. He didn't want to ruin the moment, and he certainly didn't want to embarrass himself by saying anything stupid. Instead, he noticed Akeeta's paw right beside him, and he moved his own paw over on top of hers.

Akeeta didn't turn to face him, but she smiled happily as she felt his warm paw on her own. She had him.

The sharp sound of hoofsteps filled the stairwell, as Benkei listened to the sound of a door being shut. He straightened his posture, sitting up slightly, and nudging Fluttershy to sit up as well. They both sat ready, eagerly awaiting Twilight. The steps got closer, and then farther away as she descended the spiral staircase, finally coming into view at the very bottom, and hastily stepping through the entrance into the main hall.

She looked at Fluttershy strangely for a moment, looking at her eyes, but not into them.

"Fluttershy, have you been crying?" she asked in a concerned tone. 

"Don't worry about it Twilight. It wasn't that kind of crying. It was the good kind," Fluttershy said calmly, without faltering or stuttering once. Her voice rang with an aura of new found confidence that Twilight was slightly taken aback by. She was about to ask her about it, but elected to ignore it for the time being in favor of more pressing issues.

"Alright, I sent a letter to Princess Celestia. I had Spike scribe it as discreetly as possible, just in case anyone else happens to read it, but she'll know what I'm talking about it once she gets it. Spike doesn't even know what I was talking about in the letter, and I supposes its better that way for the time being," Twilight said, looking back at the stair well cautiously, before continuing. 

"I requested for her to meet us here as soon as she can manage, which might be a while since she's away at on a diplomatic meeting for most of today," she said hastily, the lock of her mane that refused to stay up swaying as she talked and moved her head. 

"So Spike is awake then?" Fluttershy asked, peering behind Twilight, expecting to see the little dragon making his way down the stairs.

"No, he went back to sleep after he wrote the letter, I was just making sure he hadn't crept out of bed. I told him he didn't have to make breakfast or do his morning chores today, and that he could sleep in until we got back. I didn't hear any complaints from him, so I assume he's fine with it," Twilight said , looking at Fluttershy who was clearly confused. 

"Uhm, where exactly are we going to be getting back from Twilight?" Fluttershy asked, tilting her head ever so slightly, eliciting a good natured smile from Benkei, who looked on at admittedly adorable display with kind eyes. 

"Well, as I was having Spike scribe the letter, I was thinking about what you had asked me earlier, about the language Benkei has been speaking. Remember how I said I didn't know anything about human language?" Twilight finished, an excited glint in her eyes. Fluttershy nodded slowly in agreement as Benkei sat quietly, trying to pick out words and sounds he had heard them say before.

"While I don't know much about human language, we both know someone who might. I figured that we could pay her a visit while wait for the princess to respond. After all, I may a know about a lot of things, but sometimes even I'm blind to the obvious. Sometimes it takes a much different perspective to be able to understand something," Twilight finished smiling slightly, the light in the room accentuating her facial expression. Fluttershy thought about it for a moment, and after pondering it, she couldn't think of anyone that would know more than Twilight, save for Celestia and Luna who were both busy. She simply shrugged her shoulders, and awaited an answer.

"Come on Fluttershy, you know who I'm talking about. It's Zecora of course! She knows so much about things I never even knew about before meeting her. If there's anybody who can help us learn more about Benkei, then its her. Who knows, she might even have a potion or a brew of some kind that would allow us to communicate more efficiently. After seeing what she can mix up, I wouldn't call it impossible, " Twilight said emphatically, leaning in a bit closer to Fluttershy. Fluttershy looked less than amused at the prospect of having to trudge through the Everfree Forest, her smile quickly fading. It's not that she didn't like Zecora, it was just that where she lived often stopped her from visiting the otherwise enchanting zebra, the dangers of the Everfree lurking behind every tree in her mind.

"Don't worry Fluttershy, we'll take the usual path we always use. Nothing bad will happen, I promise. Plus, it's still early so most of the more dangerous nocturnal creatures are asleep. We'll be fine, trust me," Twilight said reassuringly, as Fluttershy's worried expression lessened a bit.

"Oh alright Twilight. But Angel and Ben Khay's little rabbit are staying right here. I don't want them to get hurt," Fluttershy said meekly.

"Benkei."

Fluttershy turned her head to look at Benkei, who repeated the correct pronunciation of his name one more time, causing her to blush slightly in embarrassment. 

"I'm sorry Benkei, I'll say it right from now on," Fluttershy said, apologizing for her mistake in earnest. Benkei nodded approvingly at the way she had said his name this time, garnering a smile from the apologetic pegasus. Twilight eyed Benkei for a moment, really letting his intimidating form sink into her mind. Though he was sitting, and was relaxed at the moment, she could tell Benkei was not a man to be trifled with. She thought back to how she reacted when she first saw him standing in the doorway. Even then he had been calm and reserved, and he still had made her tremble in utter fear.

She began to imagine him when he was angry, furious even, just as she had done earlier, but this time, she took it much farther. But there was something strange about her picturing of the scene. It almost seemed real, it was so visceral.

A scene of complete destruction materialized in her mind, the bodies of faceless figures strewn about like rag dolls, their blood seeping into the soil, as the earth hungrily lapped up the spilled life force. There was something strange about the bodies though, they were top heavy, and looked almost canine.

Amid the carnage stood Benkei, his face shrouded by his hood, his black armor spattered in blood, the vivid liquid trickling off of the metal plates as he stomped forward slowly, crushing the skulls of the bodies beneath him. The thunderous crack of shattering bone and crumpling flesh could just barely be heard over the roaring flames that had engulfed Ponyville in her vision. An orange sky served as the backdrop to the chaos, as pillars of black smoke drifted up into the air before dissipating in thin wisps. 

Suddenly, two ponies shot out from a burning building beside Benkei, and Twilight almost leapt out of her skin upon seeing Benkei's hand by his sword. But the ponies whizzed by Benkei. He had let them pass. He wasn't destroying Ponyville, he was defending it.

In her mind, Benkei looked up from the ground, his face still shrouded in darkness, as two glowing red orbs of energy replaced his eyes, and a bone chilling laugh echoed through the ravaged town. Yet, the cackle didn't seem to come from Benkei, who simply stood there, his hand at his side, poised to draw his sword. Twilight rotated the scene in her mind to look behind her, a huge figure, even larger than Benkei standing just a few feet away from her.

The figure snarled in a feral and guttural tone, causing it's metal helmet's spiked jaw to shift, and it looked as if it were baring its teeth. It stood on two legs, but its knee joints were bent like that of a dog's, and it's arm were huge, covered in metal gauntlets. A battered and dented metal breastplate embedded with gemstones shone dully across the beast's chest amid the crackling orange flames. She peered up at it's face, encased in a metal helmet with glowing orange slits for the eyes. Its paid her no mind, instead staring intently at Benkei, who stood on the other side of the burning courtyard. Benkei's voice rocked the earth as he spoke.

"Dominus ..."

Twilight was jarred back to reality with that final word, which resonated in her mind for several moments after breaking away from her thoughts. She was nearly panting, and she had begun to sweat, as she turned away from Fluttershy trying to hide her discomfort. She took a deep breath, calming herself down, before turning back to Fluttershy.

Shaking her head with purpose, Twilight dispelled the ominous and horrifying thought, a little angry that she had let herself indulge in such a morbid display. Yet she couldn't shake the feeling that it was more than just a macabre thought. It had felt so real, like she had been there, right in the middle of it all. She had felt the heat of the flames on her skin, and she could still hear the word 'Dominus' ringing in her ears. She glanced over to Benkei who was smiling gently, and shuddered slightly, as she imagined his eyes as the red orbs she had pictured in her mind.

"W-We best get going, before too many ponies wake up," Twilight said, stuttering on her first word as she tried to reorganize her thoughts. Fluttershy nodded in agreement, before looking over to Akeeta and Angel who were still touching paws, watching them intently. She giggled slightly at the sight of them.

Fluttershy got to her hooves quickly, as Benkei shifted and stood up as well, grabbing his naginata from where it was leaning against the wall, and slipping the leather strap over his chest. He flipped his hood on, allowing it to veil his face with light shadows. Twilight's face lost a bit of color upon seeing Benkei like this, the vividly terrible scene creeping back into her mind. 

She swore she saw Benkei's entire left eye flicker a glowing red for the briefest of moments. She acted quickly, speaking with intent to try and get herself to stop thinking about it.

"I'm going to go get the book we were reading earlier from the library. I'll be right back. Wait for me at the door," she said hastily, before frantically turning away from Benkei and making a beeline for the library door. Fluttershy had sensed Twilight's discomfort, and frowned slightly, a bit disappointed that Twilight was still afraid of Benkei, even after showing her just how friendly and kind he was.

Fluttershy cantered over to the huge golden doors, quickly scooping up Angel and Akeeta in her front hooves, and standing on her hind legs as she hugged them both lovingly.

"Now you two behave alright? We'll all be right back, just stay put. Angel, I'm trusting you to let Princess Celestia know that we went to see Zecora if we aren't back in time," she finished , trying to put emphasis on the job she had given Angel. She smiled gleefully, before setting the two bunnies down, and letting them scamper off down the great hall. 

Akeeta stopped after a few steps, turning her head to look back at Benkei for approval. He smiled reassuringly and jerked his head slightly in Angel's direction. She smiled excitedly, and continued on down the hall, chasing after Angel.

Twilight emerged from the library, first Angel, and then Akeeta zooming past her as she halted her next step to avoid squishing them. She continued out of the doorway after they had passed, using her magic to close the door behind her, and to levitate the book into a small brown saddlebag that consisted of two packs on each side of the harness, that she had picked up inside the library. Emblazoned on the side of one of the packs was her cutie mark, and she gingerly levitated the old tome inside of the pouch, before closing the flap, sealing it with a latch that was also in the shape of her cutie mark.

She fastened the bag around her mid section, securing it's straps with her magic before sauntering up to Benkei and Fluttershy, joining the two at the golden doors that gleamed and shone in the vibrant sunlight. The grooves within the elaborately carved doors caused light to dance off of it, accentuating every design within the door, and making it that much more beautiful to behold in the light.

Benkei walked over to the left, gripping the handle of the the door on that side, and pulling open the massive door without any trouble at all. He stood there, politely holding the door open, and gesturing for the two ponies to proceed out the door, flourishing his free hand in the direction. He nodded to Fluttershy, who smiled back at him, and trotted out the door, followed by Twilight, who stole another glance up at Benkei.

She stopped in the doorway, looking up at him. His image shimmered for a moment, a writhing form of light that almost looked like a set of wings swaying ethereally behind him. She blinked , and they were gone. She shook her head and proceeded out the door, starting to get a little concerned about her hallucinations. 

She didn't know what to make of it all. He had looked  heavenly, like an angel almost with the way the light had aligned perfectly to give him the appearance of ethereal wings. It had made him look endearing, gentle and protective, all qualities she greatly admired and took comfort in. 

Yet, the flickering of his eye concerned her greatly, the vision in her mind reminding her of what he might be capable of. She shuddered, the conflicting tide of emotions inside of her driving her to confusion and concern. She shook her head and tried to direct her thoughts elsewhere as Benkei emerged through the entrance.

Benkei walked though the wide space, allowing him to come through without his naginata getting caught on the doorway again. He turned, grasping the outer handle, and pulling the massive slab of gold towards him, the door clicking as it shut completely. Twilight looked on at him over her shoulder, still amazed that he was able to move the incredibly heavy doors with such ease and preciseness.

He turned back to face Fluttershy and Twilight, standing attentively behind them, waiting for them to lead the way. He wasn't quite sure why or where he was going, but if Fluttershy was going, then so was he. Benkei eyed the pegasus, cracking a warm smile as she followed behind Twilight, who had begun to walk away from the castle. He didn't know where he was going, and frankly he didn't care as he inhaled the crisp morning air, the fresh scent pleasing and refreshing.

There had been a saying in Benkei's old monastery. A proverb that he had taken to heart, and one that crept into his thoughts as he followed Fluttershy dutifully. He grinned happily as he followed the one he had pledged his life to , up to a corner of a building. He stopped for a moment, letting Fluttershy continue on.

He contemplated that his pledge to her may have been a bit brash, but he could only smile, excited at the prospect of a new adventure, a new journey, a new life to be had. If he was going to do this, he was happy she would be by his side. He repeated the saying one more time in his head, his white shawl fluttering in the wind, as he disappeared around the corner.

If every journey begins with but a single step, make it a bold one.
> Guardian
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The breeze blew gently, caressing Benkei's hooded visage, while the whistle of the wind streaking through the trees served as the dull, constant din behind the steps of the trio. The morning sun was beginning to rise higher and higher into the sky, the rays of light poking through the dense forest canopy, streaming down in golden slivers to illuminate the floor below.

Strange noises echoed throughout the forest, some being identifiable as the cheeps of birds, while others were harder to distinguish. Growls and howls filled the forest with a cacophony of natural noise that, while chaotic was soothing in it's own way, at least to Benkei. Fluttershy on the other hand trembled slightly as she walked behind Twilight, her hooves plodding across the soft dirt of the battered path, while her eyes darted nervously about, trying to locate anything that might be dangerous.

Twilight was at the forefront of the group, trotting along cautiously, but without fear. She glanced over her shoulder, stealing a glance at Benkei who walked with one of his hand's by his sword, while his remaining hand's thumb was hooked in the leather strap of his naginata. He wore the same warm, inviting smile he usually did, swiveling his head about to drink in the sights and sounds of the forest. He didn't seem at all disturbed by the fact that the forest grew on its own, and had its own weather, without a single pony intervening. She shuddered just thinking about how strange the Everfree was, and recoiled back slightly when a bone chilling howl echoed through the forest. 

Benkei was certainly a strange individual, not just in the fact that he was a human, but because he always seemed so calm. Nothing seemed to faze him, even as another bone chilling howl echoed through the forest, sending Fluttershy scuttling towards Twilight hurriedly. He just smiled a bit more, almost as if he was enjoying the terrifying nature of the forest, relishing in the untamed and feral beauty of it.

It was slightly disconcerting to her, but she took comfort in the fact that he was on her side, more or less. Despite her initial apprehensions about Benkei, she couldn't help but feel a bit safer with the gentle giant around.

She cracked a slight smile, returning her gaze to the path in front of her. Her fur rustling slightly in the breeze, as the wind picked up for a moment. She wracked her brain for a moment, trying to estimate how much farther Zecora's hut was, while continuing on the path a bit slower than before. She approximated the time they'd spent walking since they'd left her castle at about ten minutes tops, and estimated that they'd be close to her hut within the next half hour.

It befuddled Twilight why anyone would want to live in such a strange and unforgiving place, but she had a secret respect for Zecora's independence and bravery she displayed just by choosing to reside in the Everfree. It also helped that Zecora was much more experienced than her, and brought a different perspective to each situation, often opening Twilight's eyes to answers that would have eluded her otherwise. She plodded down the dirt path a bit further, before she could hear the running of water.

She cantered out a bit farther ahead of Fluttershy, checking to make sure they were on the right path, and sighing in relief when she saw the flowing river huddled up beside the elevated dirt road. She stopped for a moment, letting the sounds of the forest sink in while Fluttershy scurried up beside her as another howl shook the forest. Benkei proceeded calmly behind Fluttershy, scanning the thick brush on each side of the trail with intent, before fixing his gaze on the stream, and instantly realizing where he was. 

He hadn't been sure at first, for he hadn't taken much care on his first trip through the forest, his contemplation clouding his mind at the time, and making him forget certain landmarks. But, as he marched slowly behind the two ponies, the river's current adding to the din of the forest, he was certain he was on the same path he had taken on his exit out of the forest.

Benkei wasn't entirely sure, but after observing how the ponies had initially reacted to him, especially the way Twilight had looked at his weapons with utter disgust and revilement, he was fairly sure they'd find anything to do with death reprehensible. He groaned inwardly, his mind flashing back to the serpentine creature he had slain earlier that same day, trying to pinpoint exactly where he had left its body so that he might be able to steer the ponies away from it. Fluttershy and Twilight especially were both smart ponies, and even if they weren't well read in war or weaponry, he was almost certain they'd be able to tell the difference between the clean slice of a blade, and the vicious, uneven tears of a predator. 

His mind began to try and formulate something, anything he could do to avert a crisis, should they find the body. He let his mind toil away, looking for solutions, as he walked absentmindedly behind Fluttershy. He broke his thoughts for a moment, noticing that Twilight and Fluttershy had stopped dead in their tracks at a sharp turn in the dirt path.

Memories instantly came flooding back of the general spot where he had slain the creature, and as he scanned the area intently, eyeing the river to his right, he realized they were very close to where the body was likely to be. He was a good few feet behind Fluttershy, who was frozen in place, eyes wide, while Twilight remained just as unmoving.

Benkei sauntered up beside Fluttershy, readying himself to tackle the situation, eyeing her softly, and bracing himself for how they might react. He came up right beside Fluttershy, standing just a few inches to her right, in between her and Twilight. While there was certainly a situation to be handled, it was not the one Benkei had imagined.

Standing there, just off to the side of the curved dirt path, was a giant, muscular canine, standing on its hind legs. Its legs were short and stocky, just as its overall body structure was. However, its arms were massive, meaty things that it was walking on, much like a gorilla would. It's mouth opened slightly as it snarled at them, revealing uneven, yellowed teeth that appeared to be covered in a dark, red liquid.

Benkei looked down at its feet, only to see the serpentine animal he had killed earlier, with several chunks of flesh torn out of it, the red liquid seeping slowly out of it. He returned his gaze to the wolf like creature before him, eyeing the matted silvery fur that covered it from head to toe. He glanced up to it's floppy ears, before darting his eyes back to its massive arms, noticing the fearsome claws that were now protruding from each of it's fingertips. 

Benkei stepped forward, releasing his hands from where they were positioned, and pushing Twilight and Fluttershy behind him with just enough force to get them to comply. He returned his hand to his sword, ready to draw it at the slightest provocation. 

He sized up the creature once more, eyes fixing on it's apparel. It wearing a makeshift set of armor, a dented breastplate several sizes too small for it was fastened around its chest, while a ragged and dirty looking vest hung open, its pockets overflowing with various odds and ends. He spied a red, glowing gemstone fastened around it's neck to what appeared to be a gemstone studded collar. 

The beast growled and snarled once more, inching forward, rearing up on its hind legs fully, letting its giant arms remain fixed in a striking position, poised to eviscerate Benkei. It bore its blood soaked teeth more prominently in an attempt to intimidate Benkei, to no avail. The beast shuffled forward, while Benkei reached for his katana's grip, readying himself for the confrontation. Yet, just as he was about to step forward and draw, he felt a tug at his leg.

He quickly glanced over to Fluttershy who was shaking her head vigorously, and mouthing the word "no" to him repeatedly. He blinked hard, returning his gaze to the canine, and releasing his grip on his katana. He nudged Fluttershy backwards, as he planted his feet firmly into the ground, removing his hood, and staring straight into the beast's yellowed eyes.

The two of them stood there for a moment, trying to psyche one another out in different ways. The dog's snarls and aggressive pose did nothing to faze Benkei, despite it being just as large as he was. Benkei's silent and calm demeanor did not seem to impact the dog too much either, as it continued to edge closer, now only a few feet away from Benkei.

The creature stepped forward slightly, it's face lighting up with the small streak of sunlight penetrating the tree cover above. The light accentuated its sharp, canine features, enhancing its menacing posture, and forcing Fluttershy to back up even further, nearly falling off of the dirt path and into the river behind her. Benkei stared down the creature for a moment more, the cacophony of the forest serving as the base for the creature's loud snarls. 

The canine abruptly broke the gaze as he lunged forward, leaping into the air with a  powerful jump, its arms outstretched, and its claws ready to tear into Benkei. Benkei readied himself, lifting both of his arms up so that they crossed each other diagonally, to form a blocking stance, his lacework forearm armor clattering against one another as he brought his arms up swiftly and forcefully.

He dug his armored tabi sandals into the earth a bit more,  as he awaited the beast's impact, which never came. He lowered his arms hesitantly, looking up at the creature violently clawing and kicking the magical purple bubble that was surrounding it, in a futile attempt to escape. Benkei chuckled lightly to himself at the sight, before glancing over his shoulder, noticing that Twilight's horn was aglow with the same magenta aura as it had been in the library. He smiled to himself, still confused as to how exactly Twilight was able to perform such fantastical feats, but glad none the less that she could.

Twilight whirled her head around, the purple bubble shifting with her gaze, as she positioned the beast directly over the river, a good dozen feet high up in the air.  She let her eyes drift to Fluttershy for approval, who nodded reluctantly for her to let the dog drop. 

But just as Twilight was about to release the spell, the canine ceased it's fit of anger, and cocked its head upwards, looking up at the sky, and inhaling deeply. It let out a fierce howl that shook the trees as birds scattered and fled the immediate area, the screeching sound cutting into Twilight and Fluttershy, while Benkei looked on, still ready to intervene should anything go awry.

Twilight shook her head slightly as the howl ended, releasing the spell on the canine. It snarled and thrashed about in the air for a moment, grasping at nothing desperately, and shifting its trajectory. It smacked into the river below, its back impacting the surface first, as one of it's shoulders smashed into a sharp rock jutting out from the stream. The canine sank slightly, its head submerging for a moment, as the water began to turn red. The diamond dog's head popped back up, as blood pervaded the immediate area around the injured dog, while the stream carried away the red liquid slowly. 

Twilight began backpedaling, bumping into Benkei, who proceeded in front of her, making sure to put himself between the canine creature and his friends. He smiled slightly at he thought, at how he regarded them as his friends even in passing. Dispelling the unnecessary and frivolous thought, he returned his focus to the creature, who simply stared at him apathetically, before cracking a smile.

The dog's toothy grin slowly expanded into a downright maniacal smile, plastered across it's face as it tread water in the fairly deep river. It tilted its head slightly, staring straight at Benkei, who still wasn't unnerved by it. A rustling behind Benkei caused him to jerk his head to look over his shoulder, even as the soaked canine began laughing evilly.

Benkei turned around fully to face the source of the rustling, coming from a thicket of brush beside the curve in the road. He eyed the shifting undergrowth intensely, managing to spot a pair of yellow eyes peering through it. He glanced slightly to the left, to where the crunching of twigs and leaves was echoing from, only to find another pair of yellow eyes, peeking out from behind a tree a few dozen feet away.

Fluttershy shifted uneasily, scooting up beside Benkei, as Twilight did the same, her horn aglow with her magenta aura. Benkei was about to reach for his sword, before remembering that Fluttershy had essentially ordered him to not harm them. Still, he smirked in anticipation, ready for a good brawl.

The three remained where they were, taking as best a defensive stance as they could huddled up to one another, as dozens of yellow eyes began to pop up all around them, accompanied by the burly figures of the same canine like creature as the one in the river, still cackling hysterically. Each dog had a collar fastened around its neck, with a single, deep red, sparkling ruby gemstone dangling from it. Every single creature's claws were extended to their full length, and they were all standing completely on their hind legs. Their scavenged and ramshackle armor sets glinted dully in the few spots of light that managed to penetrate the canopy of the Everfree, as they all bore their teeth with equal malice, all directed squarely at Benkei.

Benkei furrowed his brow, realizing just how many of them were surrounding him. He counted two dozen, possibly three dozen of them encircling him, and grinned, genuinely excited for the upcoming fight.

Twilight eyed Benkei's smile out of the corner of her eye, and couldn't help but cringe at the thought of him enjoying this. She shook her head, redirecting herself to concentrating on charging up a powerful radial pulse, her horn engulfed in her magenta magical aura that grew brighter and larger by the second, prompting the canines to make a move.

"Diamond dogs! Kill," a gruff, slightly distorted voice shouted from behind them, its words laced with malice and anger. Twilight quickly glanced over her shoulder, at the diamond dog still treading water with one arm, and pointing his other hand at them maliciously, a wicked look on his face. Twilight snorted in anger, her face contorting into a furious glare.

The horde of diamond dogs lunged forward, some of them recklessly charging Benkei while running on all four, some sprinting towards him on their hind legs, arms outstretched and claws extended, while others leaped into the air, massive fists ready to pummel him. Twilight snorted once more in anger, before whipping her head around once, and letting the spell run its course.

A massive explosion of magenta light blinded the oncoming diamond dogs, the intense and vibrant energy smashing into each and every one of them, as it sent them sprawling backwards into the dirt. Some impacted trees with cracking thuds, while a few tumbled and sputtered into the river behind her. All shared the same fate of being knocked aside as the burst of energy subsided, the arcane wisps of magic lingering around Twilight for a moment before dissipating. 

Benkei simply stood there, dumbfounded at the amazing power such a seemingly harmless creature wielded. He shook his head in disbelief, as an overjoyed smile overtook his features. He chuckled heartily in the aftermath of the shockwave, pleasantly surprised by the alicorn's show of power.

Perhaps there might be a warrior within them yet ...

Twilight was visibly sweating, as she panted audibly, standing weakly as she recovered her strength. Benkei glanced over to her, giving her an approving nod, and a big smile, before coming out of his slightly hunched forward stance, standing at his full height. He swiveled his head to meet Fluttershy's emotive eyes, their nervousness conveying to him, no begging him not to do anything reckless. He closed his eyes and nodded respectfully to her, before returning his gaze to the scene before him.

He brought both his hands up to his waist, and cracked all the knuckles on his left hand in unison, before doing the same with his right. He rolled his head around momentarily, before returning to his fighting stance, and preparing himself.

The diamond dogs had begun to recover from their stunned state, righting themselves and standing back up fully, with a renewed sense of hatred in their beady eyes. Rusty and ill maintained armor screeched and clattered against itself as dozens of the dogs stood up, ready to renew their assault. Their eyes burned with a lust for blood, and their claws were extended to their full length, sharp and crude instruments of savagery.

Benkei looked down at the ground, muttering something to himself, before looking back up, digging his feet into the ground, a determined and disturbingly excited look in his eyes. A dozen diamond dogs roared in anger, snarling ferociously, as they rampaged towards him recklessly. Benkei quickly glanced behind him, giving Twilight a determined look, before bracing for the first beast.

Twilight caught Benkei's quick glance briefly, uneasily nodding and gulping nervously, as she returned her focus to covering her side of the path. Several diamond dogs rampaged towards her on all fours, a rabid look in their eyes. Her horn glowed with her usual magenta aura, as she channeled a salvo of concussive blasts directed at the incoming mutts, the powerful beams of energy smashing into the ground around the diamond dogs, sending them flying backwards, howling defiantly. She whipped her head around to aim another blast at a dog approaching her from her left, and managed to catch a glimpse of Benkei as she let loose another accurate energy blast.

A diamond dog streaked past Benkei, as he sidestepped a wide lunge in a blur of motion. The diamond dog had overstepped in his expectation of hitting Benkei, leaving his backside completely exposed as he tried to recover from the lunge. Benkei exploited his careless mistake, ramming his elbow down into the beast's back, slamming it into the ground with earth shattering force. 

Another two beasts immediately took the downed diamond dog's place, rushing Benkei from his left and right. Benkei gracefully returned to his stance, as the two dogs ran at him, only inches from him. In a lightning quick motion, Benkei swiveled on one of his legs, smashing his fist into the leftmost dog's face, before jerking his arm back forcefully, catching the right dog smack dab in his muzzle. Both dogs tumbled backwards, the jarring force of Benkei's piston like action leaving them dazed and sprawled out across the ground.

Another half a dozen diamond dogs was hurtling straight at Benkei in a wide arc in front of him, their arms ready to smash him to pieces. Benkei quickly gripped his naginata, pulling it off of himself in a quick, fluid motion, without removing the wooden sheath covering the blade. As the pack of diamond dogs closed on Benkei, he stepped forward forcefully, slamming his foot into the ground with such force that it stumbled the oncoming wave of attackers.

The six unlucky canines tripped and stumbled directly into the butt of Benkei's naginata, their jaws cracking with force as he whirled it around in a sweeping crescent arc, sending them flying backwards. One dog impacted a tree with such force that the tree sagged slightly backwards in response.

By this point, the dogs were in full on assault mode, as they swarmed Benkei from all sides viciously trying to get a good slash in. Twilight fired off a torrent of concussive blasts, temporarily stunning the advancing canines, and sending them spinning through the air, before slamming into the ground , and rolling a few times from the sheer momentum.

Meanwhile Benkei was a blur of frenzied motion, deflecting incoming attacks, as he laughed heartily, thoroughly enjoying the battle. He had a crazed look in his eyes as he slammed the butt of his naginata into jaw after jaw, repelling every attacker with a beautifully violent fighting style. He was a veritable whirlwind with his naginata in hand, spinning and repositioning it around himself masterfully and smashing dogs aside with incredible force and accuracy. Within a few seconds of the onslaught, the majority of the diamond dogs lay on the ground, unconscious from the sheer power of Benkei's blows. 

The last few dogs ran at Benkei and Twilight, as Fluttershy sandwiched herself between the two, trembling fearfully. Benkei whirled his naginata like a fan in front of him as three crazed mutts slashed furiously at him, the rapidly moving weapon sending each one recoiling backwards in pain upon trying to slash through the weapon. Benkei seized the opportunity dashing forward to punch one dog in the face forcefully, while he swatted another aside with butt of his naginata, sending both tumbling backwards several feet.

The final dog on Benkei's side inched back slowly as Benkei looked at him tauntingly, motioning with his left hand to bring it. He even chuckled lightly to himself, as he stared down the diamond dog. The two remained locked where they were for a moment longer, before the diamond dog smiled slyly and lunged forward.

Twilight shot off another blast of energy at the last diamond dog on her side, the concussive blast missing him by a few inches. The dog leaped at her arms outstretched, and she threw up a quick barrier of purple energy in front of her, while she readied another blast. She looked up in surprise, as the dog soared over her, landing on Benkei's backside, and wrapping its massive arms around him, trying to pull him towards the ground.

Twilight attempted to turn and warn him, only to be pounced on by another mutt that had recovered from one of her concussive blasts. She threw up a shield around herself, struggling to force the dog off of herself as it clawed and punched the magenta barrier, the construct  beginning to crack.

Benkei was caught off guard by the attack from behind, as the dog on his back attempted to dig its claws into his chest, to no avail, his masterwork armor easily resisting such crude weaponry. He stumbled backwards as Fluttershy  scurried away from Benkei, tripping over a nearby diamond dog that was downed.

Benkei managed to just barely repel the wide, sweeping slashes of the diamond dog in front of him, stumbling the canine momentarily, giving Benkei just enough time to try and wrestle the other mutt off of his back. He rocked forwards, and then backwards forcefully, forcing the dog to swing upwards slightly, giving Benkei enough space to smash his elbow into the dog's ribcage. The mutt recoiled in pain as he released his grasp, tumbling off of Benkei, and onto the ground, writhing in agony. 

Benkei turned to finish off the diamond dog, or rather, to knock him out with the butt of his naginata. As he was about to bring the staff like weapon down forcefully, his eyes fixed on Twilight a few feet away. The diamond dog assaulting her smashed through the arcane barrier with a forceful punch, sending rapidly disintegrating shards of magenta energy skittering across the forest floor. The punch connected with Twilight's face, dazing her and rendering her unable to focus on another spell. 

Benkei's eyes exploded in anger, smashing his naginata into the chest of the writhing dog beneath him, and feverishly dashing over to Twilight, clutching his naginata in one hand, as he desperately reared back his other arm, preparing for a powerful punch.  Just as the mutt on top of her was about to sink its claws into her flesh, Benkei impacted his face with ten times the force of any one of his previous moves. 

The dog's head crumpled inwardly, as Benkei's fist had lodged itself firmly in it's cranial cavity, the shattering crack of it's skull resounding through the forest with a harsh screech. He was panting slightly as he stood, hunched over an injured Twilight, blood from the wound dripping onto Twilight's coat below, staining her fur red. He looked at the diamond dog impaled on his hand, and shook his head slightly, sighing in exasperation. He hadn't meant to hit him that hard, but he couldn't help himself, seeing that filthy beast hurting Twilight. 

Benkei stood up  fully, lifting the irrefutably dead diamond dog impaled on his fist away from him with a grim expression on his face, before bending down just enough so that he was able to kick the corpse off of his hand. While Benkei had no qualms about taking a life when it was necessary, he knew it upset his pony companions greatly, looking at Twilight's dazed expression of shock. He returned to his full height, and took in the scene around him, the fire in his eyes still burning bright as ever.

Dozens of the canines lay scattered about the dirt path and in the nearby thickets of brush, most of them out cold, unmoving. A few shifted uneasily, weakly trying to lift themselves off the ground, but to no avail, especially as Benkei shot them a glare of encouragement, practically asking them to get back up, so he could beat them into submission again.

But Benkei's fiery eyes died for a moment, as he glanced over to Fluttershy, looking at him with tears in her eyes. She eyed the dead diamond dog uneasily, shaking her head in disbelief. She knew they would have killed her and Twilight if Benkei hadn't stopped them, but even so, she couldn't hold back her tears upon seeing a dead body, no matter who's it was. Life was sacred in Equestria, especially to ponykind, and even more so to the compassionate and caring soul that was Fluttershy. Seeing the limp, lifeless corpse of the diamond dog drove her to tears, as she started to approach Twilight to help her up.

Benkei looked at the ground, his smile dying, as he once again examined the aftermath of the brawl, this time looking at it in a much more grim light, letting the pained groans of the injured cut into him more deeply than they normally did. He had spent most of his life on the battlefield, and comparable to some of the sheer carnage he had seen before, the scene before him was nothing more than the result of a good sparring session. He closed his eyes for a moment, inhaling deeply and contemplating the fact that in this new land, he was going to have to dial back his warlike tendencies, especially when it came to the brutally efficient methods of fighting he employed.


But as he opened his eyes, he was greeted by an infuriating sight, while his ears practically bled at the sound of Fluttershy shrieking for help. A downed diamond dog had gripped her leg as she had began trotting over to Twilight, and was now pulling her down towards him, even as she struggled and strained against its firm grip, trying to use her wings to give her the extra force needed to break free. 

Benkei's eyes instantly reignited with a passionate flame as he dashed over to Fluttershy, readying another powerful punch. He didn't care if he killed him, he wanted him off of her now. In mid stride though, another mutt on the forest floor managed to outstretch his arm, tripping Benkei and sending him tumbling into the dirt as his naginata skidded away from him, and over to Twilight, who was still moaning in pain, trying to roll over and stand. Benkei immediately slammed his foot back into the offending diamond dog, a satisfying crunch signifying that he had broken the impudent dog's jaw.

As he leaped up, frantically trying to recover from his place on the floor, the diamond dog that had a grip around Fluttershy's back hoof forcefully tugged her down, and straight into a staggering punch that instantly knocked her out, her body twitching for a moment before going limp, and falling to the ground.

Benkei's eyes widened in horror, as his entire body shook, and his furious, labored breathing could be heard dozens of feet away. Then, suddenly, everything stopped. The wind in the trees halted, the pained groans of the diamond dogs ceased, the flowing of the river was no longer audible. 

The world seemed to be getting paler by the moment, color draining from everything around Benkei, as he trembled for a moment longer, and then stopped, standing at his full, imposing height, completely still.

Twilight looked on through her blurred vision, and managed to make out Benkei calmly lifting his hood over his face, before bringing his right hand down to grasp the grip of his katana on his left. She shook her head, trying to sputter out anything that would make him stop, but it was too late. By this point, the entire scene, the vibrant green trees, the crystal clear blue waters, the dirty brown or silver fur of the diamond dogs, had all faded to completely white. Everything around Twilight was completely white, including herself, as she looked down at her stark white hooves, the color having drained out of everything.

But Benkei remained in full color, his black armor glinting magnificently, his entire body painted with ominous shadows that accentuated his features. He slowly turned his head to look behind him at Twilight, his face completely shrouded in shadows.

He had no eyes. In their place were only red orbs of glowing red energy that pulsated and had wisps of translucent energy streaming off of them. Twilight's heart skipped a beat upon seeing those same, ghastly eyes as in her mind earlier, their terrifyingly vibrant color contrasting starkly against the all white scene. 

Benkei turned his head back to face Fluttershy, and her diamond dog attacker, who were both frozen in time. Suddenly massive wings of shifting and ethereally flowing light exploded into existence on Benkei's back, aweing Twilight even more, and making the experience all the stranger.

Twilight was about to blink, when she saw Benkei move forward slowly, drawing his katana, and grasping it with both hands firmly. She looked on, very afraid now, as Benkei practically teleported around the battleground, the only indication that he had even moved to a certain spot, a streak of frenzied and blurred black motion. He continued dashing around in a whirlwind of activity that hurt to even look at, his black motion lines he left behind after moving appearing at every downed diamond dog, before he finally came to a halt in front of Fluttershy's diamond dog.

Twilight noticed that his katana was now drenched in blood, the entire blade dripping with the stuff, the incredibly vibrant red life force standing out almost sickeningly so against the pure white world. She blinked, as if she were in slow motion, the action requiring several seconds to complete fully, and when she opened her eyes back up, the world had regained its color in full.

However, she almost wished it hadn't, as she noticed the giant pools of blood from each and every diamond dog seeping into the earth, and rolling downhill into the river, sometimes even combining with the amassed pools of blood from other fallen mutts. She whirled her head around, realizing that every single dog had a deep gash their throat. She nearly vomited upon seeing the massive amounts of blood gushing from the fatal wounds, every single canine body laying unmoving, their fur becoming stained with their own blood.

Benkei silently walked over to the edge of the path, kneeling down beside the river, and dipping his blade in, letting the current carry away the blood covering his sword. He held up the katana, letting the blade glint in the sunlight, and letting him see his own eyes in the shiny reflection. He dried the blade on part of his shawl, before sheathing it calmly, and walking over to pick up his naginata by Twilight.

She tried to push herself away from Benkei, thoroughly terrified of him now. His eyes had returned to normal the warm inviting look in them scaring her more than his red eyes ever could have. He smiled gently as he picked up his naginata, slinging it over his back, fastening the leather strap across his chest. He knelt down enough so that could offer Twilight a hand.

She trembled fearfully, hesitantly taking his hand as he helped her to his feet, gently pulling her onto her haunches, and letting her do the rest. She was visibly shaking, not just from the forceful punch she had received earlier, but from the sheer terror she was experiencing being around Benkei.

She was breathing heavily, as she watched Benkei stride over to Fluttershy, kneeling down beside her, and lingering there for a moment. He swiveled and craned his head around several times, inspecting Fluttershy, looking her over and scanning for signs of trauma, the bruise on her cheek upsetting him greatly. He ran his hand along the top of her head, and then down her back, checking to make sure she had suffered no injury to her spine. He lifted his hand up, and away from her, examining her neck and the curve of her back closely, before determining that she was safe to move. He squinted his eyes cautiously for a moment, before concluding that she had suffered no major injuries, but the bruise on her cheek still gnawed at him, reminding him that he would have to be quicker next time.

Benkei gingerly lifted her up into his comforting arms, before standing back up to his full height, and walking back over to Twilight, the wind pushing Benkei's hood down as he did so. His wings had also vanished, and he was back to normal, complete with his calm demeanor, endearing eyes, and gentle smile. 

Twilight's eyes were bugging out as she tried to remain calm, still thinking about what had just happened, her face contorted into a shocked and confused expression, reeling from the metallic stench of blood permeating the air. She had never seen anything like what Benkei had done before. Normal magic didn't even come close to that kind of effect, and as far as she knew, chaotic and dark magic didn't either. It genuinely had her stumped, her breathing beginning to calm down as she got a hold of herself and tried to reason away the situation. After all, the diamond dogs would have killed her and Fluttershy, had Benkei not helped, but even so, the thought of him killing them in cold blood like he did, and then returning to his calm, happy state frightened her beyond belief. It's almost like there was a disconnect of some sort within Benkei.

Dispelling the startling thoughts from her mind, Twilight  looked up at Benkei, who was standing over her, Fluttershy's unmoving body held lovingly in his arms. He looked at her intensely, his eyes asking for her to lead the way.

Twilight gathered herself for a moment, still uneasy about being so close to Benkei, before nodding weakly, and gulping down her emotions. She rubbed her aching face for a moment with one hoof, trying to relieve some of the pain, before walking past Benkei, and continuing down the dirt path. She could hear Benkei's heavy footsteps behind her, and every one made her cringe with fear, as her mind began drifting to Fluttershy.

She wished she could help her, but Twilight knew that her best bet was to get to Zecora's hut, and ask for some of the healing potions she regularly sold to Fluttershy, in order to care for her animals. Twilight wasn't particularly adept at healing magic, and even then, she was in no position to argue with Benkei's wishes, especially after what she had just witnessed. 

As they continued down the beaten path, leaving the grizzly scene behind them, Twilight's mind began to overanalyze the instance where Benkei's eyes turned red, and he sprouted ethereal wings, likening their movement and appearance to that of Celestia's mane. She shuddered thinking about the whole debacle, but her mind forced her to go back and contemplate it as she slowly and absentmindedly continued walking down the path, Benkei's loud steps the only thing anchoring her to reality.

She considered for a moment as her thoughts were running amok, that maybe, just maybe what she had witnessed wasn't magic. After all, Benkei was a human, and as far as she was taught, they had no access whatsoever to even the simplest forms of magic, regardless of who they were. It completely befuddled her as to what that draining of colors could have been. Even the incredibly potent chaos magic Discord had used on them long ago had only grayed the colors of her and her friends, and even then, it didn't literally suck the color out of the entire world , like Benkei had seemed to do.

Wracking her brain, Twilight considered a ridiculous, completely preposterous, absolutely impossible answer. How could anyone, let alone a non magic user like a human accomplish such amazingly fantastical, science defying feats that even magic couldn't accomplish?

As her hooves crunched over some dead leaves on the dirt path, Twilight had an epiphany regarding Benkei's origins. She considered for a moment that Benkei might not actually be the same kind of human from legend, but rather one from the alternate mirror world of Equestria, the one where Sunset Shimmer and the Sirens had battled against her. All this time, she had been assuming that Benkei was a different sub species of human, due to his radically different appearance, but the thought that he might be from the mirror world struck her hard in that moment, worming her way into her brain, and refusing to leave, despite Twilight being almost sure Benkei wasn't that kind of human. Yet, it only seemed logical that he might be, seeing as in that world, the "humans", did indeed have access to magic, if not as readily available as in this Equestria, which would explain what had just happened somewhat.

But there was something about Benkei that just screamed at Twilight that he just wasn't from that world. From the way he carried himself, to the strange language he spoke, to the equally odd armor and clothing he wore, not to mention the exotic weapons he carried. He wasn't like anything she had seen in her time at Canterlot High, and that was just going off of physical traits. She couldn't imagine someone like him originating from a largely peaceful world like that, which mirrored her own in too many ways to be able to produce such a bizzare and strange individual like Benkei, who , as she had just witnessed was incredibly adept at fighting and combat. She pondered for a moment, that perhaps Benkei hadn't been using magic, and was simply that skilled in the art of warfare. She shuddered at the very thought of a non magic user surpassing the power of a mage.

Refocusing her thoughts on her theory, she remembered that everything in Equestria had a counterpart in the mirror world, and even with her extensive knowledge, she couldn't think of a single figure that could be Benkei's double.

Then, with a roll of her eyes and a slight sigh, she suddenly realized that the entire train of thinking was void , seeing as Benkei had remained human, even after coming to Equestria, unlike how she and Sunset Shimmer had morphed into "humans" upon their arrival in the other world, and how Twilight had changed back into a pony upon her return.

Discarding the thought that Benkei might be using some form of magic from the mirror world, she found herself  completely stumped as to what that incident had been, nor had she any idea as to what caused it. Sighing inwardly at all of her unanswered questions and musings, Twilight elected to put it all aside until they arrived at Zecora's hut. Twilight glanced over her shoulder at Benkei who was still smiling gently, looking down at the unconscious Fluttershy with a protective look in his eyes. Twilight recognized that spark, that fire in his expression instantly, forcing her to soften her expression. It wasn't the look of a killer, or of a heartless villain, it was the look of a father.

Twilight finally understood. Benkei would do anything to protect her and Fluttershy, the same way a father would throw himself in harm's way to defend his children. It was kind of odd, and a little creepy thinking about it like that, but at least it soothed Twilight's soul, putting her worries to rest for the time being.

Thinking about it like she was, Twilight was instantly much more at peace with having Benkei around. She tried to equate him to something else, thinking back to those enchanting, strange wings that he had possessed while the world had been all white. With his hood draped over his head, and his face shrouded in shadow like he had been, Benkei reminded her a great deal of a guardian angel. 

She thought about it intensely, putting the pieces together, from the heavenly wings, to protecting them unflinchingly, to just the way he treated Fluttershy and her. Yet, those red eyes of his had to have meant something as well. But she couldn't grasp their meaning just yet, focusing on the one idea she did have in mind; of Benkei being a guardian angel.

Yet she had her doubts, knowing that guardian angels were beings of magic and mystery, and were most certainly not humans. Humans couldn't possibly manifest themselves as a true guardian angel, for they had no way of harnessing or using magic. This idea made Twilight's mind jump back to her days at Canterlot High, in the mirror world of Equestria.

She had encountered "humans" in her travels to Canterlot High, but Benkei was just so different from them that he couldn't possibly be related to them. This whole time she had been going off of the assumption that they were two different subspecies, for a number of reasons, not the least of which being Benkei's fairly tame skin tone, compared to the humans she had encountered in the mirror world. Compounded on top of this was the clothing, armor, and weapons Benkei carried, being reminiscent of more ancient times, whereas Canterlot High's level of advancement was far beyond even her world in terms of sheer technological might, which made up for their lack of easy to harness magic. 

As for the ethereal wings Benkei had sprouted, Twilight had her theories. She mulled over the possibility that his brief transformation might be related to the jarring punch Fluttershy had taken. It confused her, and yet she sort of understood it. She remembered how she and her friends defeated Tirek with the power of friendship, prompting a short lived transformation between her and all her friends. She began to see the connection between the two instances, seeing that both transformations were powered by an idea. Hers had been fueled by the power of friendship, but she was unsure of what Benkei's had been prompted by. Revenge? Violence? War itself perhaps? She couldn't be sure, but at the very least, she was on to something more feasible than Benkei being a guardian angel.

But as the two rounded another sharp curve in the battered dirt path, Benkei's wings flickered into existence for the briefest of moments, before he disappeared behind the cover of trees, his wings vanishing.

Yet, as the two continued on towards Zecora's house, a constant stream of thuds came from behind them, as the sound of heavy paws on dirt slowly got softer and softer, the rustling of brush dissipating as the footsteps  faded into the forest's din as if it were fleeing from them. Benkei heard the frantic footsteps scuttling away from him, and his expression suddenly darkened, a vengeful look overtaking his eyes. He instantly realized he had missed one; the mutt that Twilight had thrown into the river. He contemplated setting Fluttershy down and going after the fleeing dog, but decided against it, eyeing the unconscious Fluttershy he carried gingerly in his arms. She need him now, more than ever.

Benkei's thoughts drifted into dark territory for a moment, as he pondered new and visceral ways he could dispatch the wretched dogs to try and instill fear in them. An old saying he had heard numerous times during the Genpei wars was that 'The most effective way to kill a man, is to slice through the soldier next to him.' It wasn't just about killing the vile beasts physically, but about crippling them mentally too, which in turn made it easier to dispatch them, or even have them give up fighting all together 

He continued to mull over the many brutally violent ways he could dispose of the dogs should they confront him again. After all, killing them was only part of the equation, a means to an end so to speak. It wasn't his intention to exterminate them entirely, but rather to get them to leave him and his friends alone, although he'd be sure to relish every kill after what they had done to Fluttershy. It wasn't just about slaughtering as many of them as he could. It was about making sure those beasts never bothered him, or his friends ever again. It was about protecting his friends.

It was about sending a message.





A lone figure, his upper half shrouded in shadows, sat alone in a stone throne carved into the walls of the dark cavern he was in, the underground room lit only by dim torches placed sparsely along the expansive hall. The flames ebbed and flowed, their intensity varying and their physical flames dancing around, flickering as they revealed the crudely carved out, jagged walls of the room. The bronze holders they lay in, glinted dimly in the torchlight, as a frenzied flurry of panicked footsteps approached, their sound carrying through the doors to the narrow, makeshift throne room.

A diamond dog, burst through the wooden doors of the throne room, at the far end, well away from the seated figure. He was panting heavily, clutching his left shoulder in pain with his right hand, as blood oozed and dripped from the deep gash inflicted upon him. His salvaged bits of armor, were all dented and covered in blood, as well as grime, the red liquid trickling slowly down the metallic surface in multiple veins that all eventually leaked onto the floor.

The seated figure leaned forward slightly, his face still covered by the darkness of the room. He was notably larger than the wounded mutt standing at the entrance, still panting. The seated figure clutched the stone armrests of his throne with his hands, revealing the massive metal gauntlets that encased them. A circular orange gemstone that radiated a feint light was embedded within the top of each gauntlet, and as the figure leaned forward a bit more, his dark grey armor shone dully in the torchlight.

Both of his arms were fully encased within a set of plate mail that meshed and locked together, while also having enough space between each plate to allow for ease of mobility. The dim light illuminated the figure's chestplate, which was also an interlocking set of plate armor that accentuated and resembled the form of the abdominal muscles, albeit blockier and more stout. In the center of the breastplate was a single, giant shard of gemstone that had been embedded into the armor, and glowed a bright orange. Near the stomach, the plates ceased to wrap all the way around the figure, instead just coming halfway around, and being fastened with a leather strap, to allow for enhanced flexibility of the midsection. 

Against his outer thighs hung a pair of interlocking tassets, their outer edges gilded in a strange, orange metal the same color as that of the gems within the armor. A simple leather belt was visible beneath the tassets, and a large, circular buckle was placed in the exact center, while a piece of tattered and ripped grey cloth, rimmed with orange hung down from it, reaching to the figure's knees. His knees were protected by metal, form fitting pieces of metal that were the same grey as the rest of his armor, the edges of it also gilded in the same orange metal as his tassets.

"Speak," the sitting diamond dog said calmly, in a deep, thundering voice that instantly brought the injured scavenger to attention, his posture straightening up in fear. The scavenger dog shuddered for a moment, pain wracking his body, as he gulped nervously, and spoke, clutching the ruby around his collar fearfully, trying to reassure himself.

"R-Ruby team is, is ... they're all dead. I-I m-managed to escape. I just, I couldn't stay, that thing massacred us.-" the diamond dog sputtered. The sitting figure flourished his hand, signifying for him to continue. " We were in the southeast quadrant of the Everfree, just like you had told us to be, a-and I was just grabbing a snack on a fresh cockatrice corpse, while the rest of the group was foraging. T-Then I heard footsteps, and I was about to turn and leave, b-but they were right there, standing in front of me within seconds. So I did like you taught us, and gave em' the tough guy act. B-But the one in front really scared me boss. He was just ... he was like this giant monkey thing, except without much hair at all, and he was wearing all this fancy, shiny armor, strutting about like he was a god or something."

The figure in the throne held his hand up openly, prompting the scout to stop, as the seated diamond dog spoke.

"Who was with him, and how did he wipe an entire team?" the seated figure inquired, his voice urgent and commanding.

"T-There were two others boss, both Element Bearers. Twilight Sparkle, and F-Fluttershy I think. Twilight was bein' a real pest, knocking us about with her magic, but Fluttershy wasn't much of a threat. But Twilight wasn't really hurtin' us much, just knockin' us down and stunning us. The monkey thing walloped some of the other dogs something fierce at first. I could hear the crack of their bones as he beat them up with this staff thing. W-We just couldn't get a good hit in on him, until most of the crew was already down for the count. Two of us managed to bring the monkey thing to the ground for a moment by hopping on his back, but he shook our dog off real fast. B-But then another dog, Iron Tooth I think it was, got up from the ground and jumped onto Twilight. He smashed her magic shield for a bit, before he finally broke through and hit her real hard. T-That's when things got really bad."

"How so?" the seated figure asked, a slight twinge of curiosity accompanying his booming and intimidating voice.

"W-Well, the monkey thing shook off the two dogs, and even after another one of us tripped him up, he managed to scramble over to Iron Tooth as he was about to finish Twilight, a-and the monkey just ... he just punched him boss. He punched him right in the side of his head so hard that it killed him. I wasn't entirely sure, but I think his hand cracked Iron Tooth's skull right open. The sound that came with it sure sounded like he had. A-Anyways, then the monkey j-just lost it after a dog grabbed Fluttershy, and punched her square in the jaw. I don't remember what happened next so good, but all I knew was that after I blinked, everybody was dead. Everybody except me boss."

"Enough," the seated diamond dog spoke resoundingly, holding up his hand  in the same fashion as he had earlier, signaling the trembling scavenger to cease his retelling of the events. The two remained where they were as the scavenger look around nervously awaiting some kind of response from his master, still clutching his arm tightly, trying to stop the bleeding.

Suddenly, the room exploded with a brilliant orange light, blinding the surviving scavenger. He looked down, a surprised and pained expression contorting his face, as he noticed a tendril of orange energy, glowing like fire, piercing his chest fully. His eyes drooped heavily, as he gasped for air, trying to contain the overwhelming pain arcing through his body. He suddenly felt himself being lifted off the ground, the tendril of orange energy grinding itself into his flesh as he followed the long stream of energy back to the figure sitting in the chair.

The seated diamond dog's palm was open, a small crystal embedded within the center of his gauntlet's palm, as it glowed luminously, the tendril of orange energy originating from the gemstone. He leaned forward, letting the orange light in the room reveal his head. He wore a full metal helmet that resembled the form of a diamond dog' head, but allowed his brown, ears to poke out through small holes in the top of the helmet. The helmet had an exaggerated jawline, with jagged metal teeth that came up from the lower jaw.

"I will not tolerate cowardice," he spoke in the same calm, yet intimidating tone, his deep booming voice shaking the hall as he released the dying mutt from his grasp, letting him drop to the floor. The injured scavenger twitched for a moment, his eyes going wide, before he gasped loudly, and fell silent, his body going limp, as a pool of red liquid began pouring out from the hole in his chest, staining his silvery fur.

The sitting dog leaned back, the orange light in the room dissipating as the tendril of energy disintegrated. Out of the darkness shrouding his face, two rectangular slits of orange burst to life, exactly where his eyes would normally poke through. He leaned forward, and stood up, getting out of the chair and slowly walking over to the dead mutt, orange wisps of energy streaming off of his eye slits, the light emanating from them so bright and pervasive that his eyes weren't visible, the entire eye slots being filled with an ethereal orange glow.

He looked down at the dead diamond dog, shaking his head in disappointment, before stepping over the dead body, careful to avoid the rapidly expanding pool of blood. He proceeded out the wide open doors of his throne room, and into a long, winding tunnel that was fairly narrow, only wide enough for two diamond dogs to pass through at a time. Torches lined the walls here and there, giving the tunnel just enough light to see in effectively, but still keeping it rather dark. The armored diamond dog proceed down the hallway, his hands held behind his back as he paced down the hallway, his heavy and punishing footsteps resounding throughout the cave, their sound echoing several times before going silent. 

He  pressed on, taking a sharp turn down a branching corridor to his right, taking a torch off from the wall, and holding it in front of him as the narrow tunnel began to open up, eventually becoming wide enough for dozens of dogs to fit through. He stopped in front of a massive corrugated iron door that looked like it had been crudely hammered into shape, and was set into the black rock walls of the tunnel. In the center of the door was a huge green gemstone, an emerald, sparkling dimly in the light of his torch. He grasped the horizontal rail in the center of the door, and heaving back, as the slab of iron swung upon slowly. Idle chatter and raucous laughter could be heard from the room beyond the door, but as the dog heaved it open fully, the scene fell silent.

Stepping back from the door, before proceeding into the room, the armored figure set the torch back into place on an empty holder inside the room he had just entered. Dozens of other diamond dogs, outfitted in makeshift, scavenged armor instantly bowed their heads in respect upon the massive diamond dog's arrival, some even kneeling down, as he towered over even the considerably large average mutt. Around each dog's neck was a small emerald, like the one embedded in the door to their quarters. 

Arranged in neat rows, were iron bunk beds, padded with an assortment of things, from mismatching pillows, to straw, to anything else that was soft enough to be slept upon. A lucky few beds at the very front of the hall had full mattresses that had been crudely sewn together. By the foot of each bunk were two small containers that varied from oblong metal boxes, to wooden barrels that served as footlockers, labeled in messy handwriting, signifying its owner. The silent diamond dogs remained in their positions, frozen out of respect, and partially fear, some sitting on their bunks, letting their legs hang over the edge, while others had been laying their head down when the massive alpha  had entered the room.

"Where is Aquila?" the massive alpha demanded, wisps of orange energy flaring up around his eyes to emphasize his words.

A small diamond dog, around half the size of the armored alpha stepped forward from beside one of the beds with mattresses. He had sharp features, and was a bit more lithe than the average diamond dog, his silvery coat tinted blue, giving him an odd appearance. Around his neck hung the normal emerald that the rest of the dogs in the room wore, but his collar was lined with eagle feathers, which poked out slightly. Around his neck was a circular locket, emblazoned with the head of a gryphon.  He reluctantly walked over to the gigantic dog, before kneeling  before him, his eyes directed at the ground.

"Yes my liege?" the runty diamond dog asked respectfully, awaiting his master's orders. Yet there was something in his voice that was off, a twinge of disdain and resent plaguing his otherwise respectful tone.

"Take Emerald out to investigate the disappearance of Ruby team. I want a full sweep of the Everfree by sundown. Start in the southeast quadrant, where they were ordered to scavenge. I want them found, alive or otherwise. If they're dead, then we must immediately move to dispose of those who slew them. We cannot be uncovered, not when we're this close," the alpha spoke in a commanding tone, humbling the rest of the dogs in the room. Aquila begrudgingly nodded in acknowledgment of his orders.

"And one more thing Aquila. If you find them dead, I don't want to see you back here until you uncover what exactly killed them, preferably with the offender's head on a pike.  If Ruby team is found to be dead, we have a major crisis on our paws. Silence anyone you come across, and dispose of the corpses," the armored dog finished in a chilling tone, his thundering and authoritative voice resounding through the room forcefully. "Do not worry about a perimeter around the forest, Sapphire team will handle that," he added.

Aquila nodded once more, before looking up at the massive dog, peering into his ethereal eye slots, still burning bright with wisps of orange energy streaming off of them. He looked back down, clutching the shiny silver locket around his neck tightly in one paw, while he closed his eyes for a moment, before letting the pendant fall back into place, suspended by a fine cord of thin black leather. He gathered his thoughts, before opening his eyes and muttering something under his breath in a deflated manner.

Aquila looked back up at the huge alpha, with a mix of resent and respect, before responding reluctantly, the words cutting his throat as he spoke.

"As you wish Dominus."