//------------------------------// // Downbeat // Story: The Equestrian Omni-Knight // by Azure5555 //------------------------------// Well this is beyond fun. The entirety of our rag tag group spent hours of just nothing but lie on our backs. With infantry running too and fro, and the occasional knock, one of the Pactagonals dropped in to inform us that 1: The monster infestation left when the city returned to its non chaotic state of normalcy. 2: The quakes and explosions from the Crystal Caverns were written off as a byproduct of the day's events. And 3: I very much unofficially made an enemy of a very old and very cranky mad scientist. “So Celestia didn't know her sister was a prisoner under her own castle?” I ask the goggled knight. “Letters had been forged by an outside party, for all Celestia knew, Luna was reacquainting herself with Saddle-Arabian dance.” “My doesn't that sound fun.” Luna said with a pained groan. “Sir Jun can take a look at you two if need be,” Vey pointed at Luna and Oracle, and then walked up to Lyra. “How did you say you attained this form?” “That really nice magic human! You couldn't miss her, cool hair styled into horns, beautiful and rugged dress and those savage marks!” Lyra beamed in fan-girlish excitement. “Of course…” Sir Vey sighed as he walked back to Luna’s and my side of the room. “And what about miss Twilight? Where is she in all this?” “Well ya see…” -Twenty Minutes Earlier- “...and since no train will be allowed in or out of Canterlot, I’ll be visiting Moondancer so we can study the intricacies of your necrotic dragon heart. Also she misses me...and she's a little angry I didn't say goodbye...or tell her if I'd ever be back… “So that's how that went down…” I finish saying. “Shouldn't you be dead? Even as a Dracopyre, your body should have turned to dust by now.” Stated Vey. “That's where this beauty of a gem comes into play,” I say while poking the nigh encased turquoise-purple crystal on my chest. “Turns out this bad boy can act as a second heart. I lose my dragon magic, but my heart beat won't go critical AND my magic still gets regulated.” “Very well, I'll report this to Captain Armor, but he will want to have a word with Twilight. Allowing Cadence to lead an assault against the enemy was foolish AND negligent. And as for the Changeling in Ponyville, it has seemed she has acclimated well to your home and it's...resident.” Vey looks at his hooves nervously. “Dude she's just an undead Moglin.” I said slightly offended. “How doesn't that trouble you? It's the kind of thing Zorbak would create out of spite.” He offers in retort. “I mean technically she’s a litch, she did bring herself back from the dead.” The knight sighs in cold shivering defeat. “This would be more Jun’s territory, or Prize, really it's a shame most of us aren't experienced mages. Fare well, we’ll keep surveillance of the area and notify you of any breaks in security.” With that I was once again left to my- “Uh, what?” I heard a disembodied voice say. I reach into my inventory and pull out a glowing Feather of the Roc. “Good enough, I'm so flipping bored I’ll take anything.” I rip open a void gate with my newly acquired scythe. “I'll be back girls, time to dive in!” “Wouldn't you hurt yourself going head first?” Asked Lyra. “Nah I'll be fine.” “What?” Asks the disembodied voice again in confusion. “Look, just don't say override, you only get three of those and-” I lose my train of thought, the sight of Oracle’s sad puppy dog face at my leaving causes me to slip head first into the portal. “I hope I stick that landing-” -Observatory: Hero- I walk through the rift into the observatory, my dragon having dissipated in the travel, the cold of night whistled it's- *THUMP* I fell to the floor in agonizing pain. I didn't realize it til now but man was I torn up. I blink for a bit and notice one of my eyes fell out. “Son of a protestant WHORE!!” I catch a bestial yell in the back of my throat and do my breathing exercises. The outburst seemed to have woken up the others as Lyra, Oracle, and Luna popped into the room. The lights come alive and the trio gasp at what they see. Lyra covered her mouth and tried desperately to fight back her tears. Luna rushed straight at me with Oracle right behind her. Oracle began rubbing the empty socket in fear and worry while Luna began to knock on my armor. “Take it off, let me see the damage.” Pleaded Luna. I hesitantly complied. The duo backed away, one in horror and the other in remembrance. “How many times have you lost that arm now?” Luna asks me as she massages the the wound. “Fifty seven times.” I reply. “FIFTY SEVEN TIMES!?” Lyra shouted from across the room. She blushes a bit and recomposes herself. “I-I know the stories said that you would fight until all that was left was a pile of ash and bone but...do...d-do you really come back? From the dead?” I give her a long look, and sigh. “Does that scare you?” I finally ask. “Well y-y-yeah. It...it kind of does. But it doesn't change the fact you're on our side. Right?” I get up and put my Fire Orb armor back on. “Ponyville stands as a monument. To all those who fell in the name of freedom and peace. If it were up to me, I’d be lying on my back on a couch filled with memory foam and lined with spider silk. As it stands, there is a dragon out there somewhere who wants to burn the world to the ground. If you die, I lose all reason to live. So yeah, I'm on your side, now until forever. Now let's get some sleep.” With that said, the trio came in for a group hug and nuzzle. They returned up the stairs to their accommodations, and I plopped down on a couch and felt sleep overtake me. -Dreamscape- I gently tumbled through the inky black, replaying the scenes in my mind, wondering how it was I dropped my guard and had my arm severed. 'Hm...his aim was good, and my scales hadn't grown back correctly,’ I think to myself. I take a close look at the beam's trajectory and speed. 'I had the emerald...so why couldn't I dodge? Unless…’ I look back at Bael, I take a good, close​, and long look and finally notice the missing piece of the puzzle. An aura of crimson energy. “Fucking Fear Elemental. That's why I couldn't bring myself to take him head on! That's why I couldn't fucking dodge! I played myself...I let him amplify my own fear! Well...I guess he shouldn't have a problem defending his world,” Then I remembered that I did indeed lose an arm. “Oh yeah...if he's lucky that won't come back to bite him...Sombra could end up with dragon bone and the implications could be serious.” The snowy tundra of the battlefield willed to life and I was soon met with a boulder of ice to the face and the pained yell of a young girl. -Observatory: Morning- A splash echoed throughout the room, the smell of charred fabric assaulted my sensitive nose. “Doh Gah, wahs dah harrble sbel…” I sniffed twice and sneezed, smoke billowing out of my nostrils. “Ag...and why am I wet?” I spy an empty bucket of water, an agitated Lyra (tail stiff and puffy as she heaved in desperation) and a giggling Luna and Oracle just behind her. “Y-you y-y-y-you looked like you were having a nightmare!” Lyra exclaimed. “Then you set the couch on fire!” The cat-girl steadied her breath and dropped the bucket in relief. “Ooh...Lilac’s back!” Said Oracle in a sing-song tone. “Lila-oh shit Twilight’s back and I torched her couch!” I scream in realization. The door to the observatory opens up, and two voices can be heard from the doorway. “How do you think he’s going to react Twi?” Asked the first voice. “What if he banishes me to the void!? Moondancer I don't have the magical prowess to survive the void!” Exclaimed the second voice in worry. “If he's as kind and understanding as- *snif* what's that smell?” The first voice asked. ‘OH SHIT NO DON'T LOOK!’ I silently thought. The two mares walked in, Twilight had worry and fear plastered all over her face, and stuffed saddle bags hanging off of her. Next to her was a mare that looked exactly like her save for a few key differences. Her coat was cream colored, she wore a dark black turtleneck sweater with fluffy pink balls on the chest, glasses that had a mound of bandages on it's bridge, and though her mane style was an exact copy of Twilight’s (even having the same lavender and purple highlight lines) the rest of her mane was colored...well the only thing coming to my mind for reference was red wood. My eye finally landed on her cutie mark of a crescent moon and three cross shaped stars. She stared at me, then at the other girls, then back at me, and then the couch. “Uh...Twi...I’m really sorry I torched your couch.” I said apprehensively. “That was MY couch…” Moondancer stated ‘Ooh somehow that's worse.’ I thought. “You think that's bad,” Moondancer coughed and chuckled a little. “We may have…” Twilight nuzzles into Moondancer  and finishes her sentence while buried in her sweater. Through the muffled sound I made out the words. “We blew up your heart.”