//------------------------------// // 10 Home // Story: An Unexpected Trip to Equestria // by Anonomis //------------------------------// (Monday) Brian fell on his face as he landed in Equestria having not been used to walking on four legs in quite some time. “Effing transformation,” he muttered to himself as he got up Twilight immediately grabbed a brush and started pruning her wings as Brian started stretching his limbs. The result was multiple pops coming from his body causing her to cringe at the sound. “Damn. I’m stiff in places that shouldn’t be stiff,” he said quickly adding “Phrasing.” “Two things: one, what did you mean when you said ‘phrasing’ and two, come here and I’ll brush your wings,” Twilight asked “The ‘phrasing’ was due to saying something that could be considered sexual. Think about male anatomy and you’ll have your answer. And thanks in advance for helping me with my wings,” he answered “Oh. Oh,” she said blushing at the thought Brian laid on the floor with his wings out as Twilight brushed them for him. “This isn’t the first time so I’m used to it. The first time I returned after defeating Sunset I had the same problem and I needed Spike to help me. I suggest stretching before you return home as you haven’t flown in a while as a human,” Twilight explained After Brian had his wings pruned he went to see Celestia and Luna before leaving. “It’s good to see you back even if it’s for a week. I heard you and Ignis have been getting along,” Luna said “Well, Ignis and I are one and the same so that isn’t a problem. I did manage to meet Sunset and change her opinion and ended up making her a friend along with the counterparts of the ‘mane six’,” Brian said “Did you meet anyone else? I figured you would be with Octavia while there,” Celestia asked “Yes, the Octavia on the other side is my girlfriend but I explained to her about her pony counterpart being my wife and she understood. Hopefully there could be a way for the two of them to meet,” he said “Well, Twilight would probably be the one to figure out the portal. She told me that you would be here for a week before you head back. Hopefully it will not be that long before your next return,” Luna mused “I do plan on returning soon, but after I graduate from Canterlot High School over there, I will be permanently returning here to Equestria,” he answered taking a bow before leaving As he walked out of the castle, Brian stretched his wings and flew around the castle making a few laps before he flew down to Ponyville. Once he landed he was surprised to see some of the citizens bowing to him. “I may be an alicorn and prince but I ask you not to bow to me. I do not consider myself to above anyone and see everyone as equals,” Brian said helping some to their feet “Darling, you’ve returned,” Rarity said, “you must see the update that I made to your jacket.” “Thank you very much for the jacket.” “It was no problem. I also made a few outfits for Octavia as well.” “You’re back. Have fun on the other side,” Rainbow Dash asked holding out a hoof “Yeah, playing music and defeating monsters while attending high school for a second time,” Brian answered shaking her hoof “Get into trouble while there?” “Other than telling off Sunset before later making her a friend,” he responded “What did you say,” Dash asked “The truth. I’m here because of my parent's death and hate to have assumptions made about me and the way I dress. I told the rest of the school to make the most of their lives as no one knows how long they’ll live for,” he answered “Glad you’re back.” “Not for very long. I’ll be leaving in a week,” Brian said “Have fun. She really did miss you the entire time,” Dash said with a wink as she left Brian walked to the house and found all the lights off and called out “hello? Anyone home?” The lights suddenly turned on and the call of ‘surprise’ rang out as Pinkie, Octavia, Vinyl and a few others jumped out of their hiding places. Octavia ran over to him and gave him a hug after not seeing her husband in months. “Welcome back. I know it’s only for a week but I hope we can make the most of it. Do you like my dress? Rarity made it when she heard you were coming home,” Octavia said showing off her dark blue dress with black sash around her waist “It looks like you do; beautiful. When we get a chance, can I see my daughters,” Brian asked hugging his wife “Wait till you see the cake I make you,” Pinkie said showing it off “Amazing! Designed like my cutie mark. Thank you very much Pinkie,” he said hugging her “I’m glad you like it. I started as soon as I heard you were coming back,” Pinkie answered “How was it on the other side,” Octavia asked “Fun. Having a second chance at high school is interesting. I made a girlfriend out of your other world counterpart Octy, and helped the ‘mane six’ there in defeating two enemies with one of them, Sunset Shimmer, becoming a friend,” he said “I do have something I need to discuss with you later,” Octavia said adding “privately” with a whisper “No prob. I kind of figured out what it is and I don’t have a problem with it,” he answered Brian did enjoy himself as this was a welcome back that he knew wouldn't be forgotten. With multiple musicians present and alcohol for those who wanted it led to an interesting series of events. Both Brian and Octavia declined to drink as he made a promise to himself not to and his wife needed to take care of their daughters. A drunken Vinyl was trying to play cello and surprised the group by managing to play somewhat decently, although a series of squeaks resonating from the cello caused everyone to plug their ears. Lyra and Bonbon tried to play DJ while drunk but it was worse than Vinyl’s playing and they agreed at that point that the party was finished. Pinkie helped Brian take the three home although he knew they were going to have a hell of a hangover the next day. Once he was told where Lyra and Bonbon lived, Brian carefully grabbed them in his wings and walked them home. “So you already knew what I was going to say? Are you psychic at all,” Octavia asked once he came back “No, just common sense. You were lonely and needed someone to comfort you. Logically you turned to Vinyl, your best friend, and the two of you had sex together. I’m not mad but glad that it wasn’t with another male that could possibly have gotten you pregnant. That headache we don’t need,” Brian explained “I’m glad that you’re not mad for what I did. Honestly I’d have expected you to do something similar over there,” she replied “One problem with that. Here, I’m twenty-five and you’re four years younger. Over there, my physical appearance reverted to when I was eighteen, although the scars and cutie marks on my arms were new,” he answered “Does everyone there have a cutie mark?” “Yeah, although I doubt they know what it is as it's commonly designed as an accessory. Mine probably altered due to wearing all black so it appeared as a tattoo on my forearms, although I’m glad it wasn’t on my ass,” he said with a laugh “Be honest; if we weren't married and you were lonely, would you have had sex with my human counterpart,” Octavia asked “Honestly it would be fifty-fifty. On one hand it wouldn’t be bad but on the other hand, I see an age difference of seven years and don’t know how others would react. Granted, my physical appearance was made younger, but that idea would still be present,” he answered “I’m glad you’re honest. So what have you done to relieve that urge,” she asked with a sly grin “Didn’t think about it. When I wasn’t at school or helping the human ‘mane-six’ by allowing them to stay at my house there, I was playing music. Most of the time with my cello, I wasn’t thinking and just let my bow and fingers move subconsciously. Guitar was the same, just playing without purpose.” “Well, since your home maybe I can help with your release,” she said with a wink as she walked into the bedroom Brian followed behind and after a while of having sex the two emerged so he could meet his daughters. He leaned over the crib and carefully lifted them out. “It’s nice to finally meet you Melody; Harmony. I’m surprised that the two of you took after me with your fur. One black, one blue and both of you with silver manes and tails and blue eyes. Unique, just like your dad,” he said “Dada. Dada,” his daughters said reaching for him “Your girls know you,” Octavia said putting a hoof on his shoulder “I’m glad they do. When they get older we can teach them to play music if they want. Their cutie marks are up to them and we’ll help them out with whatever they need,” he said putting them back in their crib “What are you going to do now? I didn’t think you would stay here the whole week,” she asked “If you don’t mind, perhaps tomorrow I’ll see if I can help out Twilight or the others.” “Go ahead. I don’t mind.” (Tuesday) Tuesday morning Brian left and headed to Sweet Apple Acres to help Applejack with apple bucking. “Brian, it’s good to see you back, but are you sure about helping out? Big Mac and I can take of the apple bucking,” Applejack commented “I don’t mind helping. Besides I can take half the field and the two of you split the other and it’ll get done faster,” Brian said “I guess you’re going to help regardless,” AJ asked “Eeyup,” Big Mac answered simply “Couldn't have said it better myself,” Brian said flying to the back of the orchard While AJ and Big Mac bucked the trees Brian stood on his hind legs and used his wings for balance as he proceeded to roundhouse kick every tree knocking the apples loose faster. Having been in martial arts for years helped in keeping his stamina up so he didn’t tire out as fast as the others. “Well, I’m finished on my half. If you need help in bringing your buckets in, I’m game,” Brian said carrying six at one time “You did enough sugar. Mac and I will finish our section,” AJ said, handing him a drink After bringing in the last buckets, Brian was surprised that the two finished the remaining half of the trees. Once he left, Brian decided to fly through the water to cool off and made some laps around the city to dry off before heading to Rarity’s. “Too many orders I don’t think I’ll finish in time,” a tired Rarity said through a yawn “Well, you have an assistant,” Brian said walking in “Normally, I would turn you down as you’re an alicorn and a prince, darling; but I really could use the help.” “I aim to please. Besides I finished helping Applejack and you definitely need a second pair of hands,” he said sewing the male's clothing “Wouldn't you be tired from bucking all those trees,” she asked “Bucking the trees the way AJ and Big Mac do, yes. I have a method that fits what I do as a human: stand on my hind legs using my wings for support and kick,” Brian explained “You’ll have to show me that some time so I can see how it’s done. I’m guessing Rainbow Dash and possibly Fluttershy would be able to use the technique although it would be Dash only,” Rarity said as she used her magic to sew three dresses one right after the other A few hours later and the two of them were hanging the last of the finished clothing on the rack. All together it was over fifty dresses and tuxedos that were sewn in one day. “Thank you so much. These are for the party this weekend at the castle and with the amount of work I had, they would have been finished on Friday or Saturday just prior to the party,” an exhausted Rarity said “It’s a good thing I decided to help. The princesses never told me about any party,” he said breathlessly “Of course not, the party is for your return. I do have one jacket that is specifically made for you. I gave it to Octavia for a surprise gift to you.” “Thank you in advance. Knowing you, it will be perfect,” Brian said hugging her (Wednesday) On Wednesday; the next day saw him at the castle, in Celestia’s private library, casually reading books that dark magic. The last time he went through the books was during the three days Lucy gave him and wanted to see if there was any information about Nightmare forms although the only mention was Luna as she started to become Nightmare Moon. “Anything interesting you’ve found so far,” Celestia asked as she and Luna walked in “Anything related to Nightmares results in just Princess Luna’s transformation into Nightmare Moon. I might be wrong but its entirely possible that she and I are the only ones that possesses the ability. Although I may be different as I am also able to use Hellfire in all my forms,” Brian explained “That is definitely a possibility. My sister lost control and had her Nightmare form forcefully removed so she can’t revert back,” Celestia started “That’s a good thing,” Luna and Brian said together “Sorry, but I know that Ignis is a part of me and is well under control. Depending on the person a Nightmare form may or may not be controllable and it isn’t necessarily bad if I’m the only one to use it,” he said “Other then looking up Nightmares, find anything else interesting,” Luna asked “One thing but I wouldn't use it.” “Oh,” Celestia asked curiously raising an eyebrow “Mind control. By using it I would fully control the body of another person and make them do whatever I want. The problem is, I feel whatever pain they feel,” Brian answered grimly “Well, I’m glad you wouldn't use mind control against another. There’s a reason these books are forbidden: their contents. Some contain an unabridged history of Equestria going into detail about how Luna and I were warriors in our younger years. Others as you have read are full of dark magic. Spells not even Twilight should know about,” Celestia said just as Twilight entered the room “Princess Celestia I’m sorry. I wanted your opinion in the finishing touches on the party this weekend and didn’t know where to find you. Is that a spell book you have,” Twilight asked levitating the book Brian was reading As she flipped through the book, Twilight’s face changed from interest to horror at what she read. “How could you keep such a book? Mind control, body switching, raising the dead. This is dark magic,” Twilight demanded “That is why this library is locked. It’s true Brian was reading these books but there is a difference,” Celestia started “I was originally here for information about Nightmare forms. I skimmed over that book and knew what it contains and I promised myself never to use anything from that book. The last time I was here was in order to research tactics to defeat Lucy; although instead was Grogar. Without realizing it, I managed to summon a dark blade using Ignis,” Brian said “Twilight, I know you are mad but there were reasons we kept this room locked. No one else knows about the contents and it’s going to stay that way. Once we leave, this room will remain permanently locked and neither Celestia or myself will ever enter this room again,” Luna promised as the four of them left “Now, you are not to ever repeat anything you saw in that room,” Celestia said firmly “Aye, aye,” Brian said giving a salute “Yes princess. Now, about my previous reason for being here,” Twilight said “Of course. Brian would you allow us some time in private,” Celestia asked “As you wish. I will see you this weekend for the party,” he said with a bow before leaving the castle Brian flew home and for once actually felt bored. He could pull pranks with Discord but didn't feel up to it. “What’s wrong,” Octavia asked “Bored. The princesses needed to discuss the party and I left.” “Well, we could play a few songs or you could teach me something new,” she said “Sounds good. I’ll teach you two we could play at the party. The first one's called Dueling Banjos, but has been played on other instruments. I'll take the lead and it’s basically ‘call and answer’ while the other is kind of the same but I’ll change it just slightly. The second is the Devil Went Down to Georgia,” Brian said with renewed enthusiasm “After you teach me the two songs, how would we play them at the party?” “We just grab a pair of cellos and start with Dueling Cellos. It starts off calm and speeds up by the end. It’ll cause everyone in attendance to listen as you’ll be the only one that knows the song and once we end that we can jump into Devil,” he explained “Alright. Well, let’s start with the easier of the two to teach; Dueling Banjos,” she asked Brian proceeded to teach his wife how to play Dueling Banjos and they spent the remainder of the day practicing until they decided to have dinner. (Thursday) On Thursday;Brian went to the castle to ask if either Luna or Celestia knew of a blacksmith that he could get a weapon made. “There is a smith at the edge of town in the mountainside. The dragon, Coal; happens to be the oldest resident of Equestria, thousands of years older than myself. In fact he made the suits of armor and the swords you saw in the library,” Celestia explained “Thank you for the info. I’m going to see if he wouldn't mind a sword for me.” True to his word Brian left the castle and flew towards the mountains and once he landed was met by the dragon he wanted to see. “I am Coalheart Blackflame, resident blacksmith. Who might you be, young one,” he asked “Brian Dragnov. I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind making a sword for me.” Coalheart was a black dragon that dwarfed all ponies standing at over nine feet tall. In some spots over his body were scratches that were barely visible to everyone. Coal remembered every wound he received. “Making a sword for an alicorn is unusual but I will make you one. You may call me ‘Coal’ if you would like. I sense you are in possession of a Nightmare form and were not originally from here,” Coal said stroking his chin with a claw “All points are correct. My actual origin is not Equestria but Earth and I was sent here through a portal by Discord. And according to my research, I am the only person to have access and control over a Nightmare form. I’ll introduce you to Ignis now,” Brian said quickly transforming “Discord, huh? I remember him. Luna had been in possession of Nightmare Moon before it was removed; although she wasn’t the first either. I’m guessing Celestia might have mentioned about being the oldest resident in Equestria and she isn’t wrong. I’m 7500 years old, and I was banished from the dragon realm at a young age,” Coal explained “Why were you forced to leave,” Brian asked curiously “Two reasons. One: I am, or was, in possession of a Nightmare form even as a dragon and two; I am skilled at magic including some of what would be considered to be dark magic.” “If you don’t mind me asking but what happened to your Nightmare form?” “It was removed and manifested itself as a separate personality and began calling itself my brother. The portal you used to get to the human version of Equestria is where he is located. Coalflame Blackheart was the first to use that portal long before a yellow unicorn with red and yellow hair went through, followed by a certain purple princess and finally you. This mirror allows me to communicate with him and allows him to know everything that transpires here,” Coal said handing Brian the mirror “At the end of the week when I return to the other side, I’ll definitely make sure to pay him a visit and get some blades made,” Brian promised “Let’s head inside the cave so we can begin forging your sword.” The cave Coal lived in was big enough that the royal castle could fit inside and still have plenty of room. Inside the cave were various tools including a furnace and multiple anvils. Along one side of the cave were stacks of dragon scales each arranged by color: green, yellow, pink, blue, purple, red and black. The pile of black scales had the smallest at six, while the others varied in size from multiple piles to just under a dozen. Coal grabbed one from each pile before pulling one of his own black scales off from his chest. “To add strength to the sword everything is going to be used but mine will make it near indestructible,” Coal said holding up his scale “I know that black scales are the hardest but just how different is yours?” “To answer that I need to tell you a little about myself. When I was born 7500 years ago, it wasn’t here in Equestria but in the depths of Tartarus. I won’t get into the exact specifics but coming from the underworld caused a Nightmare form to be created as well as granting access to magic. That’s how I know about you, I can sense Ignis and can determine to whom the magic belongs to. My scales are also harder than regular black scales and instead of being able to breath normal fire, I’m blessed with the ability to breathe Hellfire, which is what I use to forge with. Due to my fire, the blade I create are stronger than any other. I’m not immortal but I can regrow lost scales and heal minor injuries. There are a few scratches I have that never healed that I still remember,” Coal explained “If you don’t mind me asking, why are there so few black scales?” “They live to be upwards of 2000 years old and are tougher than the others. I would know, I’m the progenitor of the black dragons,” Coal answered Coal then proceeded to stack the scales with his black one towards the center. He used his Hellfire to meld them together and placed them into the furnace. Fully blowing into the furnace for about fifteen minutes caused the scales to glow where they were taken out and hammered. After repeating this a second time, Brian was handed the tools so he could work on the sword. About three hours later the blade was drawn to a length of three and a half feet before a handle would be needed. Brian decided to wrap it in makeshift leather as he thought it would be best. The leather was wrapped a second time before it was finished. “Before we finish the sword there is a ritual that must be completed in order to properly mark you as the owner. Once the sheath is completed can the ritual begin,” Coal said Knowing about what material was best, Coal hollowed out a small section of a tree before adding a ring of metal around the opening at the handle to attach it to the wielder. “Alright; in order to properly bond you to this sword, I’m going to need to draw a few drops of blood. Unfortunately I can not share the exact knowledge of the ritual but anyone else that you might want to be able to wield this must go through the same ritual,” Coal said using a claw to make a small cut in Brian’s hoof that automatically sealed itself Coal then proceeded to utter some words in an ancient tongue as Brian watched the drops of blood disappear into the sword. Once the ritual was finished, the sword was sharpened and handed to Brian. “There is one final thing I need to ask you. Where do you want the sword attached?” “On my right side under my wing. Otherwise the other spot that might work is on my back,” Brian decided “I can make the straps completely adjustable so you can place it where you feel is best.” “Thank you very much,” Brian said bowing his head “You are very welcome but I am curious as to why you wanted a katana even though you have magic,” Coal asked “It’s better to have a weapon and not need it, than to not have a weapon when you do need it,” Brian said casually “Well said. When you get the chance could you ask Celestia and Luna to visit me? I thought it would be nice to see a pair of old friends,” Coal asked “As soon as I can. Probably will be Friday after the party at the castle in my honor. I might just have my wife and daughters complete the ritual at the same time,” Brian promised “Party? For what, if you don’t mind me asking?” “For my return to Ponyville from the human Equestria although I’m heading back at the end of the week.” “Oh? That is interesting. You return only to leave days later,” Coal mused “Perhaps it’s my time for some explanation. As I said earlier, I’m not from this world at all. I only came here after Discord kicked my ass through a portal while I was recovering from a lightning strike days earlier. Once arriving I found I could change between pegasus and griffin, although the latter was removed. After finding I possess a Nightmare form, I had to destroy a necromancer Grogar; which resulted in later taming Ignis. Shortly afterward I became an alicorn and was sent through the portal to the humanquestria,” Brian explained “May I see the scars you have? I never paid much attention upon our meeting. And once you changed into this ‘Ignis’ I could tell that it was under control. Normally I would have thought that you were making up a very elaborate story if I hadn’t been through this myself.” They walked out of the cave and Coal saw faint marks on Brian’s arms which he realized were the lightning scars although they were not as noticeable due to his dark fur. While outside Brian drew his new katana and started giving it a few practice swings before returning it. He decided that he needed to work on using magic to draw it but reduce it so his horn barely glows. “Nice technique. Do you happen to have a katana at home,” Coal asked “Unfortunately, no. I've trained with one in martial arts but was never able to get one for myself,” Brian said “Well, now you do. This was the first weapon I’ve made in quite some time and I must say it really is beautiful. I hope you enjoy it Brian,” Coal said Brian strapped the sword on his right side and flew home after bidding Coal goodbye. He figured the next day could be spent on teaching Octavia how to play The Devil Went Down to Georgia and teaching himself how to draw the sword with little magical effort. The next day Brian spent the day teaching his wife how to play Devil went Down to Georgia until she felt comfortable playing it before he started practicing with his katana. “You had that made yesterday? Can I see it,” Octavia asked “Since it’s out of the sheath it should be okay for you to wield,” he said handing her the sword “This is amazing. What's it made from,” she asked handing it back “Dragon scales. This is supposed to be stronger than any other blade.” The weekend saw the party approaching the following Sunday. While he was getting ready; he was notified that two chariots would be arriving to pick them up. One would contain Brian and his family while the second had the rest of the ‘main-six’ in it. “Close your eyes for a moment, I have a surprise for you,” Octavia said Brian reluctantly closed his eyes and used his wings to make sure his wife was satisfied when he felt a box placed into his hooves “Alright open your eyes and your gift.” “Wow! Rarity wasn’t kidding about this,” Brian said excitedly putting the suit jacket on “When she made this dress for me, we decided the best compliment for my dark blue dress was to make yours black with blue trim,” Octavia explained “Well, I have one thing left to add and I’m ready,” he said strapping his sword to his side As they got into the carriage, Brian tried to keep his wings tucked in so he doesn’t reveal the sword. Arriving at the castle was the biggest challenge of not being caught. “Brian, good evening. May I see the sword you have,” Celestia asked “Karabast,” he said getting caught Brian reluctantly reached for the handle and drew it in front of the princess which alerted a couple guards until Celestia held up a hoof to stop them. “Nicely made sword. I recognize this instantly as Coal’s work. I would be correct in my belief that you completed the ritual,” Celestia asked with Brian nodding in agreement “Well, I will take the sheath and keep it by me,” she decided “Here,” he said defeated Having no choice, Brian removed the sheath and Celestia used her magic to levitate it where she slid the sword inside and proceeded to hold on to it. Without showing it, he felt naked without having the sword present, even though it was always within sight. Having spent a few days practicing the chosen songs changed his mood knowing this would be entertaining. Octavia walked over to the orchestra and borrowed both the cellos so she and Brian could play while the rest of the members of the orchestra put their instruments away out of respect. Brian came over and grabbed the remaining cello. Giving her a nod they began playing ‘Dueling Banjos’. As they played, Brian looked over and saw Luna tapping her hoof as they played as everyone else looked surprised at how good he was. Taking a breath and giving Octavia another nod, they immediately began ‘Devil Went Down to Georgia’. At the end of the song, both were panting slightly due to over exerting themselves. “Encore, encore,” the crowd cheered “Well, do either of you have something else to satisfy your audience,” Celestia asked “I do. It’s called ‘The Rising Sun’. You don’t mind if I play solo right; honey,” Brian said Octavia blushed at the comment of ‘honey’ and said, “of course not. You told me it is one of your favorites.” As he played, many in attendance dropped their jaws as no one expected how beautiful he played. Once he finished both of them took a bow receiving thunderous applause from everyone; including the guards. Following their impromptu concert, Brian's party proceeded uneventfully with everyone dispersing around midnight. “I didn’t want to say anything earlier but an old friend wanted to meet with the two of you,” Brian said to Luna and Celestia “We haven't seen Coal in quite some time. Are you bringing Octavia and your daughters,” Luna asked “I am. I figured it would be best for them to complete the ritual ASAP,” he answered As they got ready to leave Celestia used her magic to levitate Brian's daughters while Octavia rode on Luna’s back. Once they landed outside of the cave they were met by a black dragon that scared Octavia. “Tia, Luna, long time no see my old friends,” Coal said as he hugged them “Too long it seems. The last time we were here was to get our armor made,” Celestia replied “And that was over 2000 years ago. My how time flies,” Coal mused “Sorry to interrupt this meeting but my husband mentioned something about a ritual,” Octavia commented “Where are my manners? I am Coalheart Blackflame but you may call me Coal,” he said holding out a claw “Octavia Melody,” she said shaking his claw “Brian, are you here to finish the ritual,” Coal asked “Yes, I wanted to have it done before I left,” Brian answered “Alright let's have you and your family enter the cave first so we can get that done.” Coal led the group inside as Octavia looked around in amazement at the size of the cave. “To complete this, I must extract a drop of blood from all participants. Who do you wish to have do this Brian,” Coal asked “My wife Octavia and my girls Harmony and Melody,” Brian answered “This will be a first to have to draw blood from someone as young as a baby,” Coal said He quickly touched a claw to the girls so as to cause as little discomfort as possible and extracted a single drop of blood which was then placed on the blade of Brian's katana. Octavia started to flinch though the pain was over seconds later. Coal proceeded to chant the same words Brian heard and she watched as the drops became absorbed into the sword. “The ritual is complete. Mrs. Melody if you wouldn't mind drawing the sword from its sheath,” Coal asked “You can call Octavia,” she said casually while drawing her husband's sword “Your girls will be able to wield it once they are older. In the meantime you have a second user should the need arrive,” Coal said “Thank you very much. We’ll head home as it’s getting late so you can spend some time with the princesses,” Brian said with a bow “I’ve never had a member of royalty feel the need to bow before me,” Coal said using a claw to lift Brian to his feet “It is a sign of respect to bow in martial arts to one’s elders and no one will deny that you are Equestria’s oldest resident,” Brian stated “Thank you for those kind words. Feel free to visit when you get the chance and tell my brother I say ‘hi’ when you see him.” “Of course. Thank you again,” Brian said as he and his family left. “I'm sure you're unaware; but Hearth’s Warming is approaching,” Celestia mused Earlier in the evening they were told a pair of rooms were prepared for them at the castle and they headed back to head to bed. Once they got to the room, both of them collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep until a guard came by to notify them about breakfast. Brian was thrilled to spend the week with his wife in Equestria. He taught her the two songs and Octavia loved both of them. He looked at a calendar to see it was December 24, Hearth's Warming Eve. “Christmas already? And I never got you anything,” he sadly told Octavia “Hearth’s Warming is similar to Christmas? Pageants and gift giving,” she asked “Yeah. Sorry about this year.” “You already have given me a gift. Spending this week is more than enough right now, plus you’ve taught me two new songs to play,” she replied hugging him “Glad to have you back, even if you leave after your party on Hearth’s Warming.” “Well, I missed my wife giving birth and wasn’t going to miss their first Christmas,” he said “What’s Christmas,” she asked “Gift giving and some pageants. Supposedly the toys are given to good children by a fat man in a red suit, Santa Claus,” he explained “Same here, just without this ‘Sandy Claws’,” she said “Santa, not Sandy,” Brian corrected One of the ponds outside Canterlot castle became frozen from the Weather Team’s late night ice dump. Luna and Celestia were looking at a frozen pond which gave Brian an idea. He hadn’t gone ice-skating and saw this was perfect. “Discord, can I get a pair of skates, please,” he asked Discord popped up and snapped his fingers summoning a pair of black skates that he attached to his back legs and jumped on the pond. While his dad only took him ice-skating twice, Brian was gliding around and performing simple jumps like it was nothing. Discord summoned more pairs so the mane-six, Luna and Celestia could join. Luna was skating around while Celestia could only get on all four skates before she lost her balance and fell on the ice. “Say nothing about my weight sister,” Celestia denanded, picking herself up after falling for the umpteenth time “Not everyone can skate. The first time I tried, I spent more time on my ass than on my feet,” Brian said “Hey, Brian want to play ice hockey,” Dash asked After falling enough, Celestia decided skating wasn’t for her and left the ice while the others had fun. A couple hours passed with Octavia trying skating before only Brian and Rainbow Dash were left. “Let’s play,” Discord said summoning a pair of nets, sticks and a puck “I’ve played regular hockey before, how hard could this be,” Dash commented Having been comfortable skating on two feet, he took the puck and sped off towards her goal as Dash struggled to keep up before scoring. While he was going easy on Dash, Brian still managed to score 7-0 before they agreed to quit. “Well, that sucked. Usually I’m the one winning in sports,” Dash said “Don’t worry about it. I played ice hockey once,” he said With the week ending; he knew it would be time to start heading home. After everyone finished eating Brian handed his wife the sword as they made their way back to the portal. “I’ll be gone for a little while but I’ll try to come visit for a little while,” Brian said Once he came out the other side Brian noticed the others weren’t there. Deciding to keep his promise Brian went to see Coalflame. “Where is everyone? Well, I do have a promise to keep,” he said out loud He heard rumors of a blacksmith that lived further away from town then Brian. In fact, the shop was between Ponyville and Canterlot without the need of taking a bus although it would be a brisk walk. As he walked into the forge he was greeted by a voice that said, “I’ve been expecting you Brian. The items in question are on the chair. Everything should be made to your specifications.” Sitting on the chair was a long sleeve black shirt. Two ten-inch butterfly swords, including the tang, sat on top, inside custom made sheaths. Hanging behind the chair was a black trench coat with a hole in the back for a sword. Accompanying the jacket was a 30-inch katana with a leather wrapped handle and tsuba inscribed with Brian's cutie mark with the design being split by the blade with the scroll drawn between both sides. “Thank you very much. How did you know about me,” Brian asked “From this mirror. My ‘brother’ Coal forged a similar sword for you in Equestria. He should have already told you that I am the Nightmare form that was removed. I’ve been here so long I’m not sure when I arrived. The first visitor was a girl with red and yellow hair who said she came through the portal. I never got her name but she asked for two knives to be made and I complied,” Coal answered entering the room Coal was six foot six and had long gray hair ending in the middle of his back tied into a ponytail. His beard was also gray and ended at his collarbone in a braid. Covering his arms were various scars and burns that were received over the decades. “Sunset had a knife made? She never told me,” Brian mused “She never told my exactly why; but that she wanted ‘personal protection.’ I never asked and she never said,” Coal answered “Thank you very much for everything. I guess I have these for personal protection as well,” Brian said with a slight chuckle Brian left the t-shirt he was wearing on, but strapped the butterfly knives to his forearms and covered them with the long sleeve shirt. He attached the sheath and jacket before returning the sword and left. Upon reaching his home Brian was surprised to see the door unlocked. He drew his katana and quietly stepped inside so as not to alert anyone to his presence. He threw the jacket on a chair and sweep the rooms looking for intruders. Still holding the sword, he switched to a reverse grip and started to enter the kitchen when he heard voices cry out. “SURPRISE,” everyone called as the lights were suddenly turned on Once his eyes adjusted to the sharp change in light, Brian saw Sunset and the others standing there with a banner with ‘welcome home’ hung behind them with a chocolate cake on the kitchen table. Now knowing who it was, Brian switched his grip to normal and returned the sword before unclipping the sheath. “Sorry we snuck in. Pinkie thought it would be a nice surprise for you to see us here. We went to the portal and didn’t see anything so we came here,” Sunset explained Brian slapped himself in the back of the head as he said, “don’t worry about it. The other Pinkie did the same thing and I should have thought friend, not foe.” “Other than the sword you look different, darling. What else do you have,” Rarity asked looking at his change of wardrobe “Instead of pulling up my sleeves, it’ll be easier just to show you. And don’t worry, I have an undershirt on,” he said taking off the long sleeve black shirt he was wearing “Coal’s work. I recognize them anywhere as I have a blade myself,” Sunset said removing her jacket Attached to her forearm was an eight inch butterfly knife which she drew and handed it to Brian. “When I entered I had him make me a pair of knives to protect myself. This one was strapped to my forearm while the other was tucked inside my boot. I quit wearing it but kept this one. That’s why I never remove my jacket so no students know about it. Principal Celestia and her sister were the only ones to know until now,” Sunset said Octavia hugged him as although she was only his girlfriend in this world, she still cared for him. Brian secretly thought the same due to the human Octavia being his wife’s counterpart. “Nice katana. I’m actually jealous you have one when I don’t,” Rainbow Dash said “I wish I could have brought my other one here but I don’t want anything happening to it.” “Why? How different is it,” Dash asked “It’s a dragon blade. The blacksmith here happens to be the Nightmare form of the one in Equestria, Coalheart Blackflame. Unfortunately that blade is bonded to me and I don’t know what would happen if someone else tried to wield it,” Brian said “I wish I had one made before I left. Considering how strong dragon scales are, I wouldn’t have to worry about it breaking,” Sunset said “Perhaps if I am successful at bringing my sword through the portal, then the next time I go through, I’ll have a sword made for you,” he mused “You’d do that for me? Let me know when you do decide to go and I’ll join you,” Sunset said surprised “The next time may be after graduation but it could be prior, I don’t know,” Brian answered During the party, Brian heard the front door open and drew his blades. In the living room were three girls he thought he wouldn't see again; the Dazzlings. “You? What are the three of you doing here,” he demanded pointing a knife at them “I invited them,” Sunset said putting a hand on his shoulder “We come in peace,” the Dazzlings said together as Brian returned the blades “After you left, they came to us and asked for redemption. We did what we could but they asked about you,” Sunset explained “These girls have magic from Equestria in them, along with the other girl that was here. You are different than them,” Adagio stated “Well, the three of us; Sunset, Twilight and myself came from Equestria. Twilight may have inadvertently brought Equestrian magic through which granted the magic to the others. I’m different because of the Nightmare form inside me,” Brian explained “What kind of Nightmare,” Aria asked “The three of us were banished from Equestria by Starswirl so long ago. There were rumors of Luna having a Nightmare form, but nothing was known,” Sonata said “Yeah, Luna apparently changed into Nightmare Moon but was defeated by Twilight and company. Head downstairs and I’ll show you mine,” Brian said The Dazzlings reluctantly walked downstairs and waited as Brian removed the knives and set them on the chair with his jacket and katana. Without a word he changed into Ignis and reverted back as they were shocked at the sight. “That’s your Nightmare form? Shit, is he scary,” Adagio said “Well, Ignis wasn’t always like this,” he said showing them the video “Glad we never fought against you or we'd be screwed,” Aria decided “I’m just glad you didn't use the knife,” Sonata said “Like you saw in the video, I can summon Hellfire. That would have been quicker if I wanted you dead. Sorry, but although they trust you, I’m still leery of possibly being backstabbed,” he answered threateningly “You have good reason not to trust us. We did cause a lot of trouble for everyone, including your girlfriend,” the three said apologizing “Apology accepted. Now what,” he asked “The crystals we had were destroyed that contained the sirens. We can still sing but not that well. In fact, the crystals amplified our ability,” Adagio answered “You played really well, that night. We were shocked that you helped them,” Sonata said “Thanks. Well, I’ll be honest. I’m not originally from Equestria. Where I am from I played music for twelve years and played guitar for three. The song I used was a favorite of mine,” Brian explained “Shall we head upstairs,” Aria asked The group headed into the kitchen where Brian grabbed a butcher knife and proceeded to cut the cake into twelve pieces, with the last being for Vinyl. After a while, the girls parted ways with Vinyl picking up Octavia and having the final slice of cake. The Dazzlings were staying in an abandoned building that they recently bought with the money they saved from when they were banished. Although Brian did forgive them, it was hard to forget the hell the school was put through and he headed downstairs to train before making something quick to eat for dinner.