Colonel Stonewall eyed the guards under his command critically. As most of the Royal Guard before him realized exactly why they had been placed under suspicion, Stonewall was relieved to see a great deal of them assume a look of outrage; even though they made a fair attempt to hide it from their peers. That was a sign that showed how most of his troops were loyal and were ready to fight if need be. Of course, that also allowed him to catch the few who did not share in their fellow’s beliefs.
It was brief, but Stonewall caught sight of at least three among his troops that seemed to lose nearly all emotion from their faces. He became certain of their differences from his faithful when the shadows of their armor darkened. The colonel’s first thought was to immediately seize them with his magic. However, despite his desire to swiftly punish the enemy pawns, Stonewall was forced to yield as the sharp scraping of powerful claws against stone sounded behind him.
The large white werewolf twisted his body to let him move around Stonewall, his red and yellow gaze fixated on his targets. Jim steadily maneuvered until he was standing in front of the first row of guards. He continued to stare into the gathering, his eyes dancing from one guard to the next. Tension built in the air as the silent seconds ticked by. However, whatever battle the guards had assumed would happen at any moment, never had the chance to start. The formation of guards abruptly found several of its members surrounded in flashes of golden light. Those same members suddenly found themselves encased within cages of light between Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, the two alicorns clearly not holding back in detaining minions of the dark being.
A few of the caged guards instantly tried to break free, only to find themselves suppressed by the raw golden magic as it burned away at the corruption within them.
With the largest threat within the Royal Guard being dealt with, Jim allowed his expression to relax somewhat. Before the guards could consider doing the same however, Jim spread his arms out.
“Make no mistake,” Jim began firmly, “… the worst of the dark spirit’s tools have been pulled from your ranks. But there are still others among you who have been tempted by its honey-coated whispers. You have been marked by the darkness. It will hunt you. It will always tempt you, promising you your wants, your wishes… your desires." A sneer flashed across Jim's face for a moment. "You will be granted all of that and more, of that you can have no doubt.”
Jim’s expression shifted, the dark patterns of his fur beginning to slowly move and sway, while dark shadows seemed to dance within his eyes.
“But you will never truly know the cost of accepting the bargain. Not until its darkness has eaten away everything that you are. You will be rewarded your every desire, but you will never be allowed to keep it. The dark spirit only wants one thing. Your wishes only matter until it gets what it wants. Then you will lose everything.”
As if meant to send Jim’s point home, a shrieking wail tore through the air. The guards all looked on to see one of their former comrades within their princess’ magic changing into a creature of darkness; its body no longer recognizable as a pony. It mindlessly thrashed against the golden bars, the magic burning away at its form. A loud snap from Jim’s fingers redirected their attention back to him.
Gone was the firm look on the werewolf’s face, replaced with closed eyes and an expression of one who seemed to feel genuine pity for the one who’s cries still filled the air.
“Whatever lies it feeds you… you will only become a worthless tool in the end. All you will be good for is spreading his reach. His darkness will slowly infest this world like termites would a log in the forest. Everything you are… everything you know and love… will be consumed by the endless void, should you let him in.”
“Then how can we fight it?” asked the guard directly in front of Jim. He knew he was one of those present who had heard the whispers, and he was not surprised that the large beast had chosen to stand directly in front of him now that he knew why. “We saw you fight it when it tried to take over you. How can we do the same?”
Jim’s head lowered toward the guard and his eyes slowly opened. Mild surprise spread through the guards as they saw his eyes had changed once again. Normal eyes, absent of any magical glow, looked upon the guard. His right eye was hazel, but the left iris had become a pale blue with no pupil to be found.
“That spirit will reduce everything to nothingness. He is the World Eater. For you… I cannot honestly say if you can fight his influence as effectively as I did,” Jim answered.
The guard narrowed his eyes. “That doesn’t answer my question. How can we fight him?”
Jim’s massive hand dashed out and he lifted the guard up to his face. A few of the other guards moved in case they needed to save their comrade, but quickly found their legs gripped in stone. Stonewall calmly strode forward to stand beside Jim.
“I would also like to know how I can keep my troops protected from any further influence from this dark spirit,” the colonel stated.
Jim glanced down to the colonel before he addressed the guard in his grip. “Answer my question truthfully and I’ll let you know. What do you see me as, right now, in this moment where I literally hold your life in my hand?”
The guard went to answer, but his voice died quickly as he thought about what exactly was on his mind. The werewolf holding him patiently waited, his expression unreadable. Eventually, the guard found the words that he felt were the most honest he could find and he took a breath.
“I don’t know what I see. You have shown me the ferocity of a monster, but also the resolve of an honorable protector. You are capable of making me see you as a heartless killer and a trustworthy companion all at once. It’s as if you walk the line between good and evil… and I can’t determine which you truly are. I want to see you as an ally… but… I’m terrified of what you are capable of as an enemy.”
Jim silently stared into the eyes of the guard for a long few seconds, his gaze still unreadable. Then, without a word, he placed the guard down and stood once more. He swept his gaze across the rest of the guards and crossed his arms, then looked back down to the guard.
“Considering you have the most corruption from the spirit’s influence, I’m surprised you managed to speak your mind,” Jim spoke, his words stirring concern among the rest of the guards, but more so for the one in question. Jim smirked. “But that just means you’ve got a good heart to go with that mind.” His smirk vanished and he looked to the other guards. “Being marked by the darkness does not mean you’ve lost to it. It means you have opened your heart to it in a moment of weakness.”
Jim looked down to the guard in front of him. “Your reason is your own. I honestly don’t care what it is. You, however, now see that the price for it may not be worth your sacrifice.” Jim’s gaze once more swept over the guards. “For those of you who have let the darkness inside of you, I’m sorry to say, there is no hope for you to overcome its influence. You are nothing like me.”
“The reason for that,” Jim said firmly, cutting off any of the guards unhappy with being told they were doomed. “Is because none of you have lived a life like mine. You see me as something to be feared… which you should be. Believe me… I really AM a monster,” he said, swiftly slicing his claws through the armor of the closest five guards.
The movement happened so quickly they had little time to react, but as the enchantments of their armor sputtered and faded, revealing the different fur colors of the guards within, it showed that they stood no chance if Jim had wanted their lives instead of just cutting a few deep lines through their chest plates.
“I was shaped into the beast you see before you,” Jim continued, ignoring the defensive stances now directed his way. “From the day my mother was taken from my life, I was changed. The happy young child I had been was crushed by the world around him. Because the boy that wished he could live life without hurting others - without killing those he saw as family - would have been killed by them if he did not change; dying a meaningless death and breaking his cherished promise…”
Jim’s wings folded in, the intimidating look about him melting as he permitted the ponies before him to see a fragment of his pain. “I was forced to become a killer. Much like many of you will be, once the darkness takes over you. I had no choice but to become a monster, as anything else would have prevented my survival. I have lived nearly a lifetime of constant loss. In never ending pain. With only my failures in life, my curse, and a single wish as my constant companion.”
Jim’s body suddenly surged with life and power, his wings flaring out firmly, giving his visage a look of indomitable authority. “I’m a monster shaped by the cruelty of the underbelly of Earth. I became what I am out of necessity. I will never give up on the life I was given by the only one who wished me happiness. Doing so would mean that what I am had no meaning. Without meaning… who I am would have never mattered. Yet there was one who saw meaning for my existence, and I mattered to them. I exist for a purpose. Nothing, not even a Dark Spirit, will take that from me.”
“If you wish to overcome the darkness inside you,” Jim spoke and looked down to the guard once more. “Then you will have to change as well. Just as I have done, you will have to fight - fang and claw - against that which seeks to control you. There is a monster inside of all of you. The darkness is only feeding it so it can grow. Accept what you are… and you might figure out what you need to do to remain who you are.”
Jim turned to Stonewall and nodded his head toward the barrier that still held over the civilians. The colonel hesitated for only a moment, a question on the tip of his tongue, but he ultimately chose against asking. The brown of his magic gently covered his horn as Stonewall finally lowered his barriers.
Jim looked over his shoulder to the guards. “You are free to run from the truth if you so choose. I will watch you be consumed as you drown yourself in your pride and denial. But the moment you turn… I will devour you. Should you wish to prevent yourself from finding yourself in that position… you may seek me out. I am not entirely without a heart.”
With his parting words to the guards said, Jim began to make his way toward the lowering barrier that had been protecting Twilight and the others. He slowed briefly and looked to Stonewall. “You have my thanks for your help… Colonel Stonewall,” he said, then continued on.
Stonewall spared the werewolf a long look, watching the large beast walk away. The colonel was not foolish enough to think that he and his troops had done enough in the fight. It even gave him a solid feeling of shame knowing that all he could do, himself, was use his barriers in the encounter. Any confidence he had in his own capabilities was thoroughly quashed, seeing the former Arch Mage render even Princess Celestia’s magic useless. Yet there was a part of him that, despite all odds or rational reason, had faith in a creature that had bled for a pony in need. His instincts had told him to be cautious of the werewolf. The look of Jim was more than enough to instill fear toward the obvious predator. But Stonewall had trusted him. Beneath the fangs and fur, behind the chaotic magic of his gaze, Jim was… a being you could trust. Even with so much dark magic flowing through his body, Jim just seemed to give the colonel a feeling that only those deserving of his wrath would fall victim to his power.
Still, there was much to be done, and he could dwell on his army’s inadequacy after the upcoming debriefing. Until then, he had troops to command and princesses to consult for the next stages of sweeping up the rest of the town. But first, he had the last bit of his Granite Keep to undo.
As Jim watched the rest of the barrier sinking back into the ground, he had been prepared to see a number of things. He was sure that Fluttershy would look at him uneasily after what he had done… or, rather, what he had allowed to happen. He fully expected looks of sadness, broken trust, hell even justified anger. What he had not expected was to see a little orange pegasus leaping over the wall of magic toward him. Seeing the look of urgency on Scootaloo’s face, Jim swiftly moved and caught her. He was surprised to see a streak of cream color in her mane as he looked at her.
“Jim! Quick! Something’s happening to Rainbow Dash!” The filly quickly told him.
Panic rushed through Jim as he feared the worst. Before he was completely aware of it, Jim’s body had leapt into the air and he spread his wings. The sensation felt foreign as his new feathered appendages caught the air beneath them, but his desire to get to Rainbow forced his thoughts away from that thought. He quickly located the cyan pegasus, subconsciously angling his wings and gliding toward her. Scootaloo suddenly squirmed and jumped out of his arms, flapping her wings to glide out of the way. Jim had just enough time to watch her as she glided toward Twilight, the purple mare struggling to keep her rainbow-maned friend pinned with magic.
Jim hit the ground hard on all fours, his bulk causing a deep thud that every pony nearby felt through their hooves. A few had watched in surprise and awe as he soared over the barrier wall, but now all had turned their attention to the werewolf. For most, they had no idea as to what had been happening outside of the barrier that had surrounded around them. Shortly after it had finished forming, the transparency of the encompassing dome had lessened. A side effect of the magic’s density increasing, resulting in the magical wall being as difficult to peer through as a privacy window.
So it came as no surprise that the ponies within the protection of Stonewall’s magic were shocked to see the larger werewolf. Especially since he had become mostly white and now sported an impressive wingspan. The difference in his appearance had been drastic enough that even Twilight’s concentration on her magic had faltered.
Despite being free to run, Rainbow Dash remained frozen in place. Her new fangs dripped with saliva as she panted, wide eyes glowing light pink and wings trembling, while her body was tense and twitched randomly.
Twilight quickly regained her focus and took in the new situation. She had been fighting to keep her friend held in place for maybe ten or so minutes; probably longer if she really thought about it. It was very surprising seeing Rainbow staying in place, though it most likely had to do with the large werewolf that currently towered over her. It was a mystery as to how Jim had managed to accomplish it.
Now that she had a chance to look back, this was the first time since Rainbow had reopened her eyes that Twilight had not seen the feral expression within them. It seemed that her friend had finally managed to regain a part of her sanity.
As Jim stood over the cyan werepegasus, he quickly took note of the shift in Rainbow’s actions. The moment he had landed above her, Rainbow had instantly stopped trying to lash out at the others around her. She was just as aware of him as he was of her. Where Jim had felt the ‘pull’ of his hunger toward the Arch Mage, wanting to consume him and every bit of his dark magic, he now felt something different. This time… it seemed as if a child was gently tugging at the hem of a shirt, seeking guidance and assurance from him.
However, that was only enough to show Jim that Rainbow was still conscious within her self. The way her body stood ready, despite what she wanted otherwise, told of the threat that her body still posed until she had regained her senses fully. So, acting swiftly, Jim reached a hand beneath her and pulled her against his chest.
Rainbow’s body immediately thrashed in an attempt to get away, but she quickly found herself at the mercy of Jim’s superior strength. Jim’s hold on her was solid despite him only using one hand. He was sure she could get away if he only kept one hand on her, but he had an idea to keep her from trying too hard. Lifting his free arm, Jim placed his forearm in front of the squirming mare’s face. As expected, Rainbow was quick to turn to it and bite down.
Jim hid his wince as he felt the fangs puncture from Rainbow’s vice-like bite. He pulled her further into his chest and rested his chin atop her head.
“I’m going to take responsibility for what I’ve done to you,” Jim rumbled gently. “I’ll take every bit of your hatred for me willingly, but I need you to listen to me for now.”
The ferocity in Rainbow’s struggle halted, leaving a tense and panting mare in Jim’s grip. A pop in her body made her bite down harder for a moment, but still she remained as focused as she could; her body little more than a trembling mess that she just barely held control over.
“Your changes are in the early stages. You’ll be in pain for a while yet, but it will fade once the… magic… fully acclimates within your body. I’ll stay with you like this until the changes have finished,” Jim assured her, then slid his chin along her head until his muzzle was beside her ear. “Just trust in my words… and you’ll be back in control of yourself,” he said softly.
A pitiful whine slipped through Rainbow’s bite as she felt another spike of pain inside of her. Jim nuzzled her head lightly. “I know it hurts. You don’t need to hold it in, just bite my arm if you need to.”
Rainbow managed a mumble of acknowledgement, earning her a gentle squeeze of encouragement from Jim. As her transformation continued, Jim made sure to assure her just as he had done for Scootaloo.
With the situation having been handled, the lull in activity of the surrounding ponies slowly lifted. The guards found themselves without need to remain tense as their superiors redirected their attention to preparing to move. Celestia and Luna briefly discussed with Stonewall before they teleported away, the imprisoned victims of the dark spirit’s influence vanishing with them.
Twilight and her friends, as well as a few others, huddled nearby Jim and Rainbow. Though they made sure not to get too close as Jim’s firm gaze had told Applejack to keep a safe distance; something the farm mare understood well enough, but wished otherwise so as to do more for her friend.
Little else happened as time passed. Colonel Stonewall had approached Jim once, the werewolf only permitting the unicorn to approach from behind. Rainbow’s uncontrolled instincts had led to her growling as the colonel passed on a short message. The cyan mare settled down shortly after, the intensity of her transformation spiking on random occasions. All the while, Jim simply grit his teeth and bared the pain of her biting.
After some time had gone by, a small platoon of pegasi guards flew in. Stonewall was quick to get things moving from that moment on. Though not all of the ponies present were willing to do so, the civilians, children, and Element Bearers were gathered up and escorted from the area. The colonel remained behind, along with a small group of guards, to ensure that Jim and Rainbow were not left unguarded.
Eventually, around the time the sun had begun to paint the sky with the faintest hues of evening, Jim stood from his crouched position. Cradled in his arms was the sleeping form of Rainbow Dash, the poor mare having finally been released from the agony of Jim’s gift to her. From there, Stonewall’s group took up formation and began their escort of the two werebeings to Twilight’s castle.
It had taken the entire afternoon, but Jim had finally managed to fulfill his promise to the ponies as he carried the last one through the outer defensive perimeter around the crystal castle. As his large bulk lumbered along, Jim caught sight of a number of things. The most prominent was the looks he received from the many Royal Guards around the makeshift Field Command Center. Where he had expected to see cautious or wary gazes, Jim found respectful nods and the occasional look of awe. Tired as he was, Jim decided it was best to simply ignore the peculiar atmosphere from the guards.
As he inspected the grounds further, Jim also caught sight of a makeshift ration station. The line of ponies beside it was long, a few of them casting unsure gazes his way. Most however, had endured enough from the events of the day and focused their attention back to the front of the line; too tired to care about the werewolf as the guards had made no attempts to intervene with his traveling in the slightest.
Casting his gaze further along, Jim spotted a large tent that had more guards stationed around it. The sight of it brought him to a stop, his eyes quickly picking out a few ponies he had not seen before. Standing beneath a banner that depicted the same mark that Luna had on her rump, a group of bat-winged ponies stood in formation. Much like the Royal Guards he had seen, they wore armor plating, only theirs was of a silver metal that held a violet hue. In addition, the plates were made to slide along one another, a clear indication that these guards relied on higher mobility rather than solid defensive stopping power. The unusual, dark purple chest plate seemed to be the only part that was made to take a direct impact, its unique curved design resembling two ram’s horns fused together by a blue serpent’s eye.
Colonel Stonewall stepped up beside Jim. “Those would be members of Princess Luna’s Night Guard. I take it you’ve never seen a Thestral before?” he asked.
Jim shook his head lightly. “No. I have not.”
Though that isn’t why they caught my attention, Jim thought before he looked to the colonel. “But there are many things I have yet to see in your world. Of course, I just now realized that I also don’t know where I should go from here. What was the plan after we got here?” he inquired.
The sharp rustle of a tent flap being thrown open suddenly drew Jim’s attention. His head quickly turned to the source. What greeted him was the sight of Fluttershy, the yellow mare dressed in a nurse’s attire… which had seen a fair bit of use recently if the fresh blood smears were any indication. She wasted little time in sprinting over to him.
Once Fluttershy came to a stop in front of him, Jim took notice of how sweaty the mare was. It became apparent just how tired she had become as she panted a few times before swallowing to remedy the dryness of her throat.
“Jim, thank goodness you’re here. Dr. Thorough Good wants to see you as soon as possible,” Fluttershy quickly informed.
Jim cocked a curious brow before he remembered how the stallion ‘looked’ at the world. Having learned of his own… for lack of a better word, ability, for feeling certain types of magic, it made sense as to how the doctor knew Jim had arrived. It felt more likely to be the case, though there was the smaller chance that a pony had spotted him and informed Thorough Good, but Jim doubted that.
“Whatever it is he wants is going to wait,” Jim replied, nodding his head down toward the sleeping form of Rainbow Dash.
Fluttershy gasped and her eyes widened. She then jumped into a hover, finally getting a look at her friend. Jim was not entirely surprised by her reaction. With the cyan mare’s body liberally coated in dried blood, the same blood that had soaked into the white fur of Jim’s arms, as well as his chest, Rainbow was practically camouflaged against the casual glance of onlookers.
“How is she?” Came the softest of whispers from Fluttershy as she looked down at her friend’s face.
“As far as her body is concerned, Rainbow is perfectly fine. Her heart is beating strongly and she’s been breathing smoothly,” Jim assured her, but sighed a moment after. “But I won’t know about her mental condition until after she wakes up. Scootaloo had been pretty scared when she was transforming. But she’s a kid… they are better at learning and adapting to changes and they can continue to grow despite the change. Rainbow is an adult… I don’t know how she’ll take being changed, or how well she’ll deal with it after some time has passed. I’m honestly more worried about her than I am for the kid.”
A soft flash of silver light pulled the group’s attention to Luna’s appearance. The lunar princess was quick to spot Jim and Fluttershy. A moment after, she noticed Rainbow cradled in his arms. She looked back up to Jim. “It is good to see you have arrived safely. How are you both faring?” she asked.
“Well enough,” Jim offered simply. “Though I’m in need of a place for Rainbow to rest. She’s asleep for the moment, but it’d be best to put her in a place she can be watched. I don’t know how with it she’ll be after she wakes… I was lucky that Scootaloo had been fine when she woke up after her transformation.”
A grim frown suddenly etched into Jim’s features. “To put it bluntly… I’ve honestly felt that I’ve been too lucky with how well Scootaloo has managed so far. But Rainbow’s experience today has more than enough potential to become an emotional train wreck. If I’m not able to be by her side… she’ll need to be watched by your most capable. Otherwise I can’t guarantee the safety of anyone she may lash out at.”
Luna’s expression turned contemplative as she mulled around a few ponies she had in mind for tending to Rainbow Dash. However, Stonewall stepped closer before she could dwell on her thoughts further.
“I’ll personally take responsibility of Ms. Dash,” the colonel spoke, and looked directly into Jim’s eyes.
Jim eyed the stallion curiously. “I figured you’d have more important things to attend to…”
“Ensuring the safety of the Element Bearers is one of my orders,” Stonewall replied before a slight smirk slid across his muzzle. “Plus I owe you a favor for earlier. Had you not been so persuasive, I might not even be standing here right now.”
Jim returned the smirk. “It only turned out this way because you actually took my words seriously.”
“Because you had earned my respect,” Stonewall countered. “I take my duty seriously. Protecting the innocent is one of the most important things I believe in. Despite my orders saying to be cautious of you, the moment I witnessed what you did to keep those civilians - those children - safe… I knew you were worthy of respect. But when I saw what you were willing to do to save another, I found you worthy of my trust as well.”
The smirk bled away from Jim’s face as he heard those words. He understood where the colonel was coming from, but he did not share in the same feelings regarding his actions. Sure he may have seemed to be putting his heart in the right place in order to save a life, but it did not change the fact that he had condemned yet another to suffer the burden of his twisted dark blood.
Seeing the shift in Jim’s expression, Stonewall continued. “I may not know exactly what you did to Ms. Dash, but I do know this: you gave her a second chance to live. I understand that you have made her like you. But before you decide to even consider regretting your actions, I think you should wait and see exactly what the result truly is. Not every recruit is cut out for serving under me. There are far too many that can’t, or don’t, make the cut. Yet even the ones that do make it never truly shine until after their first real experience outside of training.”
Stonewall’s expression gained an edge of determination. “We soldiers all start off as rough, dirt-caked rocks. Only after being cracked open through boot camp do we find out what type of gem we are. And only through gaining experience can we be cleaned and polished to find just how vibrant and lustrous we can become.”
The colonel’s gaze drifted down to Rainbow. “You have picked up a stone that has been cracked open and drug through the mud. Clean her up and give her a little TLC… you may be surprised at what you find beneath the dirt.”